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build

verb · noun

Simple meaning

To make something by putting parts together or to develop it

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

bild
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈbɪld

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. Make by combining materials and parts

  2. transitive

    To form (something) by combining materials or parts.

  3. transitive

    To develop or give form to (something) according to a plan or process.

  4. Develop and grow

    “Suspense was building right from the beginning of the opera.”

  5. transitive

    To increase or strengthen (something) by adding gradually to.

  6. Bolster or strengthen

noun

  1. countable

    The process or period of constructing a physical object.

  2. countableuncountable

    The physique of a human or animal body, or other object; constitution or structure.

  3. Alternative names for the body of a human being

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
A1 · Beginner
Frequency
Very Common
Typical Use
Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To develop or give form to (something) according to a plan or process.

Used this way, build is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use build

  • “Suspense was building right from the beginning of the opera.”verb
  • “These architects build in interesting and new styles.”verb

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

helped build

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • buildernounInflected form

    A substance added to soaps or detergents to increase their cleansing action.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • build uponverbCompound term

    Be based on.

  • build upverbCompound term

    Enlarge, develop, or increase by degrees or in stages.

  • build onverbCompound term

    Be based on.

  • detergent buildernounCompound term

    A substance added to soaps or detergents to increase their cleansing action.

Related words

Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.

  • buildupnounRelated term

    The act of building up an accumulation.

  • building complexnounRelated term

    A whole structure (as a building) made up of interconnected or related structures.

  • building departmentnounRelated term

    The division of a business responsible for building and maintaining the physical plant.

  • building permitnounRelated term

    A document authorizing the holder to construct a building of a particular kind on a particular lot.

  • building supply housenounRelated term

    A store where builders can purchase materials for building houses and related structures.

  • building supply storenounRelated term

    A store where builders can purchase materials for building houses and related structures.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: process or period of constructing a physical object

frame

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.