concrete
concrete — adjective
- concretepositive
- more concretecomparative
- most concretesuperlative
1. real and able to be seen, touched, or experienced directly, rather than being ju
real and able to be seen, touched, or experienced directly, rather than being just an idea or theory — for example, concrete evidence that proves someone was at the scene, or concrete plans that show exactly what will be done.
The police officer asked for concrete evidence, not just gossip from neighbours.
collocation: concrete evidence / concrete proof
Minh needed concrete proof before she could report the problem to her boss.
The charity report showed concrete results — two hundred new wells and fifty schools built.
Shirin's presentation lacked concrete details, so the team could not make a decision.
After months of testing, the scientists finally had concrete proof that the drug worked.
- specific
focuses on precise details rather than general ideas; concrete is broader
- tangible
stresses physical touch; concrete can also describe non-physical things like proof
- definite
emphasizes certainty and clarity; concrete adds the idea of being real or solid
- solid
informal synonym; concrete is more formal
文法句型
concrete + noun
用法筆記
Commonly pairs with nouns such as evidence, proof, plan, detail, and result. The opposite meaning is abstract.
常見錯誤
2. made of the hard grey building material that is a mixture of cement, sand, stone
made of the hard grey building material that is a mixture of cement, sand, stones, and water.
The concrete floor in the garage was cold and damp during winter.
concrete + noun (floor, wall, pillar, path, fence)
Obi leaned against the concrete wall outside the train station.
A wide concrete path led from the car park to the main building.
The garden was surrounded by a tall concrete fence painted bright white.
- cement
cement is an ingredient of concrete, not a synonym; learners often confuse the two
文法句型
concrete + noun
用法筆記
Typically modifies nouns for building elements: floor, wall, pillar, path, fence, block, slab.
3. formed into a single hard mass from separate particles or parts, usually by a na
formed into a single hard mass from separate particles or parts, usually by a natural process such as cooling or drying.
The hot lava formed a concrete mass as it flowed down the mountain slope.
concrete mass (geological formation)
Inside the cave, minerals built up into a concrete layer on the rock surface.
The layers of dead coral on the reef slowly formed a concrete mass of limestone over time.
A concrete crust formed around the opening of the hot spring in the valley.
- solidified
more common in everyday language; concrete is formal and technical
- hardened
broader meaning; concrete is more specific about particle coalescence
文法句型
concrete + mass / layer / block
用法筆記
Technical or formal register. Rarely used in everyday conversation; the verb sense solidify is more common for this idea.
concrete — noun
1. a hard grey building material created by mixing cement with sand and small stone
a hard grey building material created by mixing cement with sand and small stones, adding water to form a paste that can be poured into moulds and sets rock-hard as it dries.
The workers poured concrete into wooden frames to make the foundation.
pour concrete
A truck full of wet concrete arrived at the building site early in the morning.
Concrete is much stronger than brick, so it is used for tall buildings and bridges.
The old concrete path was cracked and needed to be replaced with new slabs.
Vikram mixed cement, sand, and water to make enough concrete for the garden wall.
用法筆記
Uncountable noun. Do not say 'a concrete' — use 'some concrete' or 'a concrete slab / block' for a single piece.
常見錯誤
concrete — verb
- concretepresent simple I / you / we / they
- concretes3rd person singular
- concreting-ing form
- concretedpast simple
1. to cover a surface or fix an object in place using the hard building material co
to cover a surface or fix an object in place using the hard building material concrete.
The builders concreted the backyard to create a space for parking cars.
concrete + surface area (backyard, path, area)
Darius decided to concrete the garden path to make it easier to walk on.
Workers concreted the fence posts into the ground to keep them firmly in place.
The old well was concreted over to stop anyone from falling into it.
- pave
pave is broader and can use other materials like stone or brick; concrete specifically uses the material concrete
文法句型
concrete + noun
be concreted over
用法筆記
Often used in the passive with over: be concreted over. Do not confuse with concretize, which means 'to make more specific'.
常見錯誤
2. to become solid or hard as separate parts join together into a single mass.
to become solid or hard as separate parts join together into a single mass.
The cold temperature concreted the molten lava into a hard, dark surface overnight.
transitive: concrete + object + into [result]
Small pieces of broken shell were concreted together by minerals in the water.
passive: be concreted together
The loose gravel and sand had been concreted into a solid mass by the pressure of the ice above.
The resin concreted around the insect and preserved it for millions of years.
- dissolve
to break apart into separate particles
文法句型
concrete + object + into + noun
be concreted together / into
concrete (intransitive) + into / around
用法筆記
Can be used both transitively (with an object) and intransitively. The transitive pattern describes a process that causes substances to become solid; the intransitive pattern describes a natural process of particles joining. Formal register; solidify is more common in everyday language.