loom
verb · noun
Simple meaning
Appear very large or occupy a commanding position.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
loomIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈlum
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.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
Appear very large or occupy a commanding position
To appear indistinctly, e.g. when seen on the horizon or through the murk.
figurative
To appear in an exaggerated or threatening form; (of a person or thing) to tower; (of an idea) to impressively or intimidatingly occupy the mind; (of an event) to be imminent.
Come into view indistinctly, often threateningly
“Another air plane loomed into the sky.”
figurative
To rise and to be eminent; to be elevated or ennobled, in a moral sense.
noun
A distorted appearance of something as seen indistinctly or from afar.
A utensil; tool; a weapon; (usually in compound) an article in general.
The part of an oar which is between the grip or handle and the blade; the shaft.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Appear very large or occupy a commanding position
Used this way, loom 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
- Moderate
- 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 loom
- “The clouds loomed over the mountains.”verb
- “Another air plane loomed into the sky.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A handloom in which the warp is carried vertically.
A loom with an attachment for forming openings for the passage of the shuttle between the warp threads.
A handloom in which the warp is carried horizontally.
A loom operated mechanically.
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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.