- 1[intransitive, transitive] (especially of natural things) to begin to exist and gradually develop into a particular shape; to make something begin to exist in a particular shape Flowers appeared, but fruits failed to form. Storm clouds are forming on the horizon. form something These hills were formed by glaciation.
- 2[intransitive, transitive] to start to exist and develop; to make something start to exist and develop A plan formed in my head. form something I formed many close friendships in college. I didn't see enough of the play to form an opinion about it. Thesaurusmake
- do
- create
- develop
- produce
- generate
- form
- make to create or prepare something by combining materials or putting parts together; to cause something to exist or happen:She makes her own clothes. She made a good impression on the interviewer.
- do (somewhat informal) to make or prepare something, especially something artistic or something to eat:He did a beautiful drawing of a house. Who's doing the food for the party?
- create to make something exist or happen, especially something new that did not exist before:Scientists disagree about how the universe was created.
- Make is a more general word and is more often used for physical things: you would usually make a table/dress/cake but create jobs/wealth. You can use create for something physical in order to emphasize how original or unusual the object is:Try this new dish, created by our head chef.
- develop (used especially in business contexts) to think of and produce a new product:to develop new software
- produce to make things to be sold; to create something using skill:a factory that produces microchips
- generate to produce or create something, especially power, money, or ideas:to generate electricity Brainstorming is a good way of generating ideas.
- form [often passive] to make something from something else; to make something into something else:Rearrange the letters to form a new word. The chain is formed from 136 links.
- to make/create/develop/produce/generate/form something from/out of something
- to make/form something into something
- to make/produce wine/cheese
- to create/develop a new product
- to create/produce/generate income/profits/wealth
- to produce/generate electricity/heat/power
make shape/form - 3[transitive, often passive] to produce something in a particular way or make it have a particular shape form something Bend the wire so that it forms a “V.” Rearrange the letters to form a new word. Games can help children learn to form letters. Do you know how to form the past tense? form something into something Form the dough into balls with your hands. form something from/of something The chain is formed from 136 links. (formal) The table was formed of two large slabs of stone.
- 4[transitive, intransitive] to move or arrange objects or people so that they are in a group with a particular shape; to become arranged in a group like this form somebody/something (into something) to form a line/circle First get students to form groups of four. form (into something) Lines were already forming outside the theater. The teams formed into two lines. have function/role
- 5[transitive] form something to have a particular function or pattern The trees form a natural protection from the sun's rays.
- 6linking verb + noun to be something The college forms the focal point of the town. The survey formed part of a larger program of research. These drawings will form the basis of the exhibition. organization
- 7[transitive, intransitive] form (something) to start a group of people, such as an organization, a committee, etc.; to come together in a group of this kind They hope to form a grass-roots political movement. He formed a band with some friends from school. a newly-formed political party The band formed in 2007.
- 8[transitive] form something to have an influence on the way that something develops synonym mold Positive and negative experiences form a child's character.
form
verbNAmE//fɔrm//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they form he / she / it forms
past simple formed
-ing form forming
Check pronunciation: form