paint
verb/peɪnt/
/peɪnt/
Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they paint | /peɪnt/ /peɪnt/ |
| he / she / it paints | /peɪnts/ /peɪnts/ |
| past simple painted | /ˈpeɪntɪd/ /ˈpeɪntɪd/ |
| past participle painted | /ˈpeɪntɪd/ /ˈpeɪntɪd/ |
| -ing form painting | /ˈpeɪntɪŋ/ /ˈpeɪntɪŋ/ |
- [transitive, often passive] to cover a surface or object with paint
- paint something with something Paint the shed with weather-resistant paint.
- paint something a brightly painted barge
- a freshly painted fence
- have something painted We've had the house painted.
- paint something + adj. The walls were painted yellow.
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 Houses and homesa1- Paint the box all over with varnish.
- The walls had been painted very badly.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- carefully
- delicately
- meticulously
- …
- in
- on
- with
- …
- freshly painted
- newly painted
- paint something blue, white, etc.
- …
- [transitive, intransitive] to make a picture or design using paints
- paint something/somebody to paint portraits/pictures
- A friend painted the children for me (= painted a picture of the children).
- paint something on something Slogans had been painted on the walls.
- paint in something She paints in oils.
- paint something in something a portrait painted in oils
- My mother paints well.
- He taught himself to draw and paint.
Collocations Fine artsFine artsCreating art- make a work of art/a drawing/a sketch/a sculpture/a statue/engravings/etchings/prints
- do an oil painting/a self-portrait/a line drawing/a rough sketch
- create a work of art/an artwork/paintings and sculptures
- produce paintings/portraits/oil sketches/her most celebrated work/a series of prints
- paint a picture/landscape/portrait/mural/in oils/in watercolours/(US English) in watercolors/on canvas
- draw a picture/a portrait/a cartoon/a sketch/a line/a figure/the human form/in charcoal/in ink
- sketch a preliminary drawing/a figure/a shape
- carve a figure/an image/a sculpture/reliefs/a block of wood
- sculpt a portrait bust/a statue/an abstract figure
- etch a line/a pattern/a design/a name into the glass
- mix colours/(US English) colors/pigments/paints
- add/apply thin/thick layers of paint/colour/(US English) color/pigment
- use oil pastels/charcoal/acrylic paint/a can of spray paint
- work in bronze/ceramics/stone/oils/pastels/watercolour/a wide variety of media
- paint/depict a female figure/a rural scene/a pastoral landscape/a domestic interior
- depict/illustrate a traditional/mythological/historical/religious theme
- create an abstract composition/a richly textured surface/a distorted perspective
- paint dark/rich/skin/flesh tones
- use broad brush strokes/loose brushwork/vibrant colours/a limited palette/simple geometric forms
- develop/adopt/paint in a stylized manner/an abstract style
- commission a new piece/a bronze bust of somebody/a portrait/a religious work/an artist to paint something
- frame a painting/portrait
- hang art/a picture/a painting
- display/exhibit modern art/somebody’s work/a collection/original artwork/drawings/sculptures/a piece/a painting
- be displayed/hung in a gallery/museum
- install/place a sculpture in/at/on something
- erect/unveil a bronze/marble/life-size statue
- hold/host/mount/open/curate/see an exhibition (especially British English)/(North American English usually) an exhibit
- be/go on (British English) exhibition/(North American English) exhibit
- feature/promote/showcase a conceptual artist/contemporary works
- collect contemporary art/modern British paintings/Japanese prints
- restore/preserve a fresco/great works of art
Extra ExamplesTopics Arta1- a crudely painted human figure
- I like to paint on canvas.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- carefully
- delicately
- meticulously
- …
- in
- on
- with
- …
- freshly painted
- newly painted
- paint something blue, white, etc.
- …
- [transitive] to give a particular impression of somebody/something synonym portray
- paint somebody/something as something The article paints them as a bunch of petty criminals.
- paint somebody/something in… The documentary painted her in a bad light.
- [transitive] paint something to put coloured make-up on your nails, lips, etc.
Word OriginMiddle English: from peint ‘painted’, past participle of Old French peindre, from Latin pingere ‘to paint’.
Idioms
See paint in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee paint in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishpaint a (grim, gloomy, rosy, etc.) picture of somebody/something
- to describe somebody/something in a particular way; to give a particular impression of somebody/something
- The report paints a vivid picture of life in the city.
- Journalists paint a grim picture of conditions in the camps.
Extra Examples- He didn't paint a very pretty picture of city life.
- The report paints a dismal picture of the government's economic record.
paint the town red
- (informal) to go to a lot of different bars, clubs, etc. and enjoy yourself
paint something with a broad brush
- to describe something in a general way, ignoring the details
Check pronunciation:
paint