turn
verb/tɜːn/
/tɜːrn/
Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they turn | /tɜːn/ /tɜːrn/ |
| he / she / it turns | /tɜːnz/ /tɜːrnz/ |
| past simple turned | /tɜːnd/ /tɜːrnd/ |
| past participle turned | /tɜːnd/ /tɜːrnd/ |
| -ing form turning | /ˈtɜːnɪŋ/ /ˈtɜːrnɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to move or make something move around a central point
- The wheels of the car began to turn.
- I can't get the screw to turn.
- + adv./prep. The blades of the helicopter were turning slowly.
- turn something I turned the knob and pushed the door open.
- turn something + adv./prep. He turned the key in the lock.
- She turned the wheel sharply to the left.
- [intransitive, transitive] to move your body or part of your body so as to face or start moving in a different direction
- We turned and headed for home.
- turn to do something She turned to look at me.
- + adv./prep. He turned back to his work.
- I turned away and looked out of the window.
- turn something + adv./prep. He turned his back to the wall.
- I turned my face to the sky.
- She turned her head away.
- turn something I only turned my back for a second.
Extra Examples- Lee turned to face her.
- While his back was turned (= towards me) I sneaked a look at his notes.
- [transitive] turn something + adv./prep. to move something so that it is in a different position or facing a different direction
- She turned the chair on its side to repair it.
- Turn the sweater inside out before you wash it.
- [intransitive, transitive] to change the direction you are moving or travelling in; to make something change the direction it is moving in
- turn into something He turned into a narrow street.
- + adv./prep. We turned down a dark alleyway.
- turn left/right Turn left at the traffic lights.
- turn something The man turned the corner and disappeared.
- turn something into something I turned the car into the car park.
- turn something + adv./prep. The pilot attempted to turn the aircraft towards a wooded area.
- [intransitive] (+ adv./prep.) (of a road or river) to bend or curve in a particular direction
- The road turns to the left after the church.
- After a while the path turns sharply right.
- The river turns north at this point.
- [transitive, intransitive] if you turn a page of a book or magazine, you move it so that you can read the next page
- turn something He sat turning the pages idly.
- turn to something Turn to p.23.
- linking verb to change into a particular state or condition; to make something do this
- + adj. The leaves were turning brown.
- They say her hair turned white overnight.
- I could feel my face turn red with embarrassment.
- The weather has turned cold.
- He turned nasty when we refused to give him the money.
- He decided to turn professional.
- turn something + adj. The heat turned the milk sour.
- + noun She turned a deathly shade of white when she heard the news.
- He's a lawyer turned politician (= he used to be a lawyer but is now a politician).
- [transitive, intransitive] to aim or point something in a particular direction
- turn something on somebody/something/yourself Police turned water cannon on the rioters.
- He turned the gun on himself.
- turn something to somebody/something/yourself She looked at him then turned her attention back to me.
- turn to somebody/something/yourself His thoughts turned to his dead wife.
Extra Examples- Don't turn your anger on the children.
- Many supporters are now turning their criticism on the manager.
- He tried to forget the events of past few days and turned his thoughts to practical tasks.
- [intransitive] to start to come in or go out
- The tide is turning—we'd better get back.
- [transitive] to make or let somebody/something go into a particular place or state
- turn something + adv./prep. They turned the horse into the field.
- turn something + adj. to turn the dogs loose
- [transitive] turn something + adv./prep. to fold something in a particular way
- She turned down the blankets and climbed into bed.
- He turned up the collar of his coat and hurried out into the rain.
- [transitive, no passive] turn something to perform a movement by moving your body in a circle
- to turn cartwheels/somersaults
- [intransitive, transitive] turn (something) (around) if a game turns or somebody turns it, it changes the way it is developing so that a different person or team starts to win
- linking verb (not used in the progressive tenses) + noun to reach or pass a particular age or time
- She turns 21 in June.
- It's turned midnight.
- [intransitive, transitive] turn (your stomach) when your stomach turns or something turns your stomach, you feel as though you will vomit
- [transitive] turn something (specialist) to shape something on a lathe
- to turn a chair leg
- turned boxes and bowls
move round
change position/direction
page
become
aim/point
of tide in sea
let somebody/something go
fold
cartwheel/somersault
game
age/time
stomach
wood
Word OriginOld English tyrnan, turnian (verb), from Latin tornare, from tornus ‘lathe’, from Greek tornos ‘lathe, circular movement’; probably reinforced in Middle English by Old French turner. The noun (Middle English) is partly from Anglo-Norman French tourn, partly from the verb.
Idioms Most idioms containing turn are at the entries for the nouns and adjectives in the idioms, for example not turn a hair is at hair.
See turn in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee turn in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishas it/things turned out
- as was shown or proved by later events
- I didn't need my umbrella, as it turned out (= because it didn't rain).
be well, badly, etc. turned out
- to be well, badly, etc. dressed
turn in his/her grave (British English)
(North American English also roll (over) in his/her grave)
- (of a person who is dead) likely to be very shocked or angry
- My father would turn in his grave if he knew.
turn round/around and do something
- (informal) used to report what somebody says or does, when this is surprising or annoying
- How could she turn round and say that, after all I've done for her?
Check pronunciation:
turn