word-vault

{ "term": "understand", "partOfSpeech": "verb", "ox3000": true, "cefr": "a1", "verbForms": { "presentSimple": { "iYouWeThey": "understand", "heSheIt": "understands" }, "pastSimple": "understood", "pastParticiple": "understood", "ingForm": "" }, "definitions": [ { "senseNumber": 1, "definition": "to know or realize the meaning of words, a language, what somebody says, etc.", "sensetop": "understand (something)understand what…", "cefr": "a1", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "Can you understand French?", "contextForm": "understand (something)" }, { "text": "Do you understand the instructions?" }, { "text": "She didn't understand the form she was signing." }, { "text": "His accent made him difficult to understand." }, { "text": "I'm not sure that I understand. Go over it again." }, { "text": "I don't want you doing that again. Do you understand?" }, { "text": "I don't understand what he's saying.", "contextForm": "understand what…" }, { "text": "I could barely understand a word of his story." }, { "text": "If I've understood you correctly…" }, { "text": "The girl understands immediately and promises to be more careful." }, { "text": "I finally understood what she meant." }, { "text": "What is generally understood by ‘democracy’?" } ], "collocations": { "adverb": ["clearly", "well", "completely"], "verb + understand": ["be able to", "can", "be unable to"], "preposition": ["about", "as"], "phrases": [ "be commonly understood", "be generally understood", "be popularly understood" ] } }, { "senseNumber": 2, "definition": "to know or realize how or why something happens, how it works or why it is important", "sensetop": "understand somethingunderstand why, what, etc…understand somebody/something doing somethingunderstand that…be understood as something", "labels": "(formal)", "cefr": "a1", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "Doctors still don't understand much about the disease.", "contextForm": "understand something" }, { "text": "No one is answering the phone—I can't understand it." }, { "text": "I **fully understand** the reason for your decision." }, { "text": "She understands the importance of good design." }, { "text": "I could never understand why she was fired.", "contextForm": "understand why, what, etc…" }, { "text": "It is **easy to understand** how he made this mistake." }, { "text": "They’re too young to understand what is happening." }, { "text": "I just can't understand him taking the money.", "contextForm": "understand somebody/something doing something" }, { "text": "I just can't understand his taking the money." }, { "text": "He was the first to understand that we live in a knowledge economy.", "contextForm": "understand that…" }, { "text": "The national housing market is **better understood** as a collection of small, local housing markets.", "contextForm": "be understood as something" }, { "text": "Her behaviour wounded him in a way he did not really understand." }, { "text": "They won't necessarily understand the pros and cons of the matter." }, { "text": "The effects of these chemicals on the body are still poorly understood." }, { "text": "These beliefs are best understood as a form of escapism." }, { "text": "a woman struggling to understand an incomprehensible situation" }, { "text": "I can't understand what all the fuss is about." }, { "text": "We came to understand why certain things happened in certain ways." }, { "text": "She understood that this was her last chance." } ], "collocations": { "adverb": ["clearly", "well", "completely"], "verb + understand": ["be able to", "can", "be unable to"], "preposition": ["about", "as"], "phrases": [ "be commonly understood", "be generally understood", "be popularly understood" ] } }, { "senseNumber": 3, "definition": "to know somebody’s character, how they feel and why they behave in the way they do", "sensetop": "understand somebodyunderstand what, how, etc…understand (that…)understand somebody doing something", "labels": "(formal)", "cefr": "a1", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "Nobody understands me.", "contextForm": "understand somebody" }, { "text": "He doesn't understand women at all." }, { "text": "We understand each other, even if we don’t always agree." }, { "text": "They understand what I have been through.", "contextForm": "understand what, how, etc…" }, { "text": "I understand how hard things have been for you." }, { "text": "I quite understand that you need some time alone.", "contextForm": "understand (that…)" }, { "text": "If you want to leave early, I'm sure he'll understand." }, { "text": "I quite understand you needing some time alone.", "contextForm": "understand somebody doing something" }, { "text": "I quite understand your needing some time alone." }, { "text": "These categories help us to better understand our readers." }, { "text": "She realized that she had never properly understood him." } ], "collocations": { "adverb": ["clearly", "well", "completely"], "verb + understand": ["be able to", "can", "be unable to"], "preposition": ["about", "as"], "phrases": [ "be commonly understood", "be generally understood", "be popularly understood" ] } }, { "senseNumber": 4, "definition": "to think or believe that something is true because you have been told that it is", "sensetop": "understand (that)…understand somebody/something to be/have somethingit is understood that…", "labels": "(formal)", "examples": [ { "text": "I understand (that) you wish to see the manager.", "contextForm": "understand (that)…" }, { "text": "Am I to understand that you refuse?" }, { "text": "The Prime Minister is understood to have been extremely angry about the report.", "contextForm": "understand somebody/something to be/have something" }, { "text": "It is understood that the band are working on their next album.", "contextForm": "it is understood that…" } ], "collocations": { "adverb": ["clearly", "well", "completely"], "verb + understand": ["be able to", "can", "be unable to"], "preposition": ["about", "as"], "phrases": [ "be commonly understood", "be generally understood", "be popularly understood" ] } }, { "senseNumber": 5, "definition": "to agree something with somebody without it needing to be said", "sensetop": "it is understood that…", "cefr": "c2", "examples": [ { "text": "I thought it was understood that my expenses would be paid." } ], "topics": ["Discussion and agreement"], "collocations": { "adverb": ["clearly", "well", "completely"], "verb + understand": ["be able to", "can", "be unable to"], "preposition": ["about", "as"], "phrases": [ "be commonly understood", "be generally understood", "be popularly understood" ] } }, { "senseNumber": 6, "definition": "to realize that a word in a phrase or sentence is not expressed and to supply it in your mind", "sensetop": "understand something", "examples": [ { "text": "In the sentence ‘I can't drive’, the object ‘a car’ is understood." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to make somebody believe/understand something", "labels": "(formal)", "examples": [ { "text": "I was given to understand that she had resigned." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to make your meaning clear, especially in another language", "examples": [ { "text": "He doesn't speak much Japanese but he can make himself understood." } ] } ], "pronunciations": { "uk": [ { "pronunciation": "/ˌʌndəˈstænd/", "audio": "un/understand/understand__gb_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˌʌndəˈstændz/", "audio": "un/understand/understands__gb_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˌʌndəˈstʊd/", "audio": "un/understand/understood__gb_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˌʌndəˈstændɪŋ/", "audio": "un/understand/understanding__gb_1.mp3" } ], "us": [ { "pronunciation": "/ˌʌndərˈstænd/", "audio": "un/understand/understand__us_2.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˌʌndərˈstændz/", "audio": "un/understand/understands__us_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˌʌndərˈstʊd/", "audio": "un/understand/understood__us_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˌʌndərˈstændɪŋ/", "audio": "un/understand/understanding__us_1.mp3" } ] }, "wordOrigin": "Old English understandan (see under-, stand)." }