testing
noun · adjective
Simple meaning
Subjecting to experimental test to determine how well something works.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
tehstingSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈtɛstɪŋ
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.
noun
The act of subjecting to experimental test in order to determine how well something works
“They agreed to end the testing of atomic weapons.”
The act of giving students or candidates a test (as by questions) to determine what they know or have learned
The act of conducting a test; trialing, proving.
adjective
Difficult; tough.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner (estimated)
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The act of subjecting to experimental test in order to determine how well something works
Used this way, testing is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“They agreed to end the testing of atomic weapons.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “testing of …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: testing of …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use testing
- “They agreed to end the testing of atomic weapons.”noun
- “There are laboratories for commercial testing.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Conducting
Other combinations
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Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
Put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
Someone who administers a test to determine your qualifications.
A profession of belief.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A region resembling a laboratory inasmuch as it offers opportunities for observation and practice and experimentation.
A room in which tests are conducted.
Any standardized procedure for measuring sensitivity or memory or intelligence or aptitude or personality etc.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
A ban on the testing of nuclear weapons that is mutually agreed to by countries that possess nuclear weapons.
A place equipped with instruments for testing (e.g. engines or machinery or computer programs etc.) under working conditions.
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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.