- [countable] a structure such as a house or school that has a roof and walls
- a tall/high-rise/ten-storey building
- Housing is limited and most people live in high-rise apartment buildings.
- The architects have presented the design of a new office building.
- the restoration of historic buildings
- to design/construct/erect a building
- The old industrial buildings have all been demolished.
- In 2018 the building was converted into a house.
Synonyms buildingbuildingproperty ▪ premises ▪ complex ▪ structure ▪ blockThese are all words for a structure such as a house, office block or factory that has a roof and four wallsbuilding a structure such as a house, an office block or a factory that has a roof and four walls.property a building or buildings and the surrounding land; land and buildings:see also listed building- We have a buyer who would like to view the property.
- The price of property has risen enormously.
- The company is looking for larger premises.
- a leisure complex
- The pier is a wooden structure.
- a block of flats
- the school’s science block
- a(n) commercial/industrial/residential building/property/premises/complex/block
- an apartment building/complex/block
- a/the school building/premises
- to build a property/complex/structure/block
- to put up a building/property/structure/block
- to demolish/pull down a building/property/complex/structure/block
Collocations Decorating and home improvementDecorating and home improvementHouses- refurbish/renovate/ (British English) do up a building/a house
- convert a building/house/room into homes/offices/(especially North American English) apartments/(British English) flats
- extend/enlarge a house/building/room/kitchen
- build (British English) an extension (to the back/rear of a house)/(North American English) an addition (on/to something)/(British English) a conservatory
- knock down/demolish a house/home/building/wall
- knock out/through the wall separating two rooms
- furnish/paint/ (especially British English) decorate a home/a house/an apartment/a flat/a room
- be decorated in bright colours/in a traditional style/with flowers/with paintings
- paint/plaster the walls/ceiling
- hang/put up/strip off/remove the wallpaper
- install/replace/remove the bathroom fixtures/(British English) fittings
- build/put up shelves
- lay wooden flooring/timber decking/floor tiles/a carpet/a patio
- put up/hang/take down a picture/painting/poster/curtain
- do (British English) DIY/carpentry/the plumbing/the wiring
- make home improvements
- add/install central heating/underfloor heating/insulation
- fit/install double-glazing/a smoke alarm
- insulate your house/your home/the walls/the pipes/the tanks/(especially British English) the loft
- fix/repair a roof/a leak/a pipe/the plumbing/a leaking (especially British English) tap/(North American English usually) faucet
- block/clog (up)/unblock/unclog a pipe/sink
- make/drill/fill a hole
- hammer (in)/pull out/remove a nail
- tighten/untighten/loosen/remove a screw
- saw/cut/treat/stain/varnish/paint wood
Extra ExamplesTopics Buildingsa1- Several new buildings are now being put up.
- The building was gutted by fire.
- The opera house is one of the city's landmark buildings.
- The Blue Mosque at Isfahan is the most beautiful building I have ever seen.
- Both architects specialize in the restoration of historic buildings.
- They're renovating the old farm buildings.
- The prices of commercial and residential buildings increased by 13.4%.
- They were refused planning permission for a modern extension because it was a Grade II listed building.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- high-rise
- huge
- …
- design
- build
- construct
- …
- collapse
- house something
- sit
- …
Definitions on the go
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- [uncountable] the process and work of making a structure
- the building of the school
- There's building work going on next door.
- the building trade
- building materials
- building projects/regulations/codes
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- road
- brand
- community
- …
- company
- contractor
- firm
- …
- [uncountable] the creation or development of something
- The building of a consensus is not going to be an easy process.
- The party is emphasizing community building as one of its key policies.
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building