- 1[countable] a painting or drawing, etc. that shows a scene, person, or thing A picture of flowers hung on the wall. The children were drawing pictures of their pets. She wanted a famous artist to paint her picture (= a picture of herself). a book with lots of pictures in it photograph
- 2[countable] a photograph We had our picture taken in front of the hotel. The picture shows the couple together on their yacht. Do you have any pictures of your trip? Thesaurusphotograph
- picture
- photo
- shot
- snapshot
- photograph a picture that has been made using a camera:a photograph of the house Can I take a photograph?
- picture a photograph:We had our picture taken in front of the hotel.
- photo a photograph:a passport photo
- Photograph is slightly more formal and photo is slightly less formal. Picture is used especially in the context of photographs in newspapers, magazines, and books.
- shot a photograph:I tried to get a shot of him in the water. Shot often places more emphasis on the process of taking the photograph than on the finished picture.
- snapshot an informal photograph that is taken quickly, and not by a professional photographer:holiday snapshots
- print a copy of a photograph that is produced from film or from a digital camera:a set of prints
- a color photograph/picture/photo/snapshot/print
- to take a photograph/picture/photo/shot/snapshot
on TV - 3[countable] an image on a television screen harrowing television pictures of the famine satellite pictures The picture isn't very clear tonight. description
- 4[countable, usually singular] a description that gives you an idea in your mind of what something is like The writer paints a gloomy picture of the economy. The police are trying to build up a picture of what happened. From newspaper reports a picture emerges of a country barely under control. The TV report painted a much rosier picture of the employment situation than research shows to be the case. mental image
- 5[countable, usually singular] a mental image or memory of something I have a vivid picture of my grandfather smiling down at me when I was very small. general situation
- 6the picture [singular] the general situation concerning someone or something Just a few years ago the picture was very different. The overall picture for farming is encouraging. movie
- 7[countable] a movie The movie won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. I believe her husband's in pictures (= he acts in movies or works in the industry). see motion picture
- 8the pictures [plural] (old-fashioned) (informal) the movies Shall we go to the pictures tonight? Thesauruspicture
- painting
- drawing
- portrait
- sketch
- picture a scene, person, or thing that has been represented on paper using a pencil, a pen, or paint:The children were drawing pictures of their pets.
- painting a picture that has been made using paint:a collection of paintings by Native American artists
- drawing a picture that has been made using a pencil or a pen, not paint:a pencil/charcoal drawing
- portrait a painting, drawing, or photograph of a person, especially of the head and shoulders:Vermeer's “Portrait of the Artist in his Studio” a self-portrait (= a painting that you do of yourself)
- print a picture that has been copied from a painting using photography:a Renoir print
- sketch a simple picture that is drawn quickly and does not have many details:I usually do a few very rough sketches before I start on a painting.
- to draw a picture/portrait/sketch
- to paint a picture/portrait
- to make a painting/drawing/portrait/print/sketch
- to do a painting/drawing/portrait/sketch
painting/drawing
very pretty She's as pretty as a picture.
to look very beautiful or special The garden looks a picture in the summer.
to look extremely healthy, guilty, etc.
the situation as a whole Right now, we need to forget the details and take a look at the big picture.
to understand a situation, especially one that someone is describing to you “I pretended that I hadn't heard.” “I get the picture.”
involved/not involved in a situation Morris is likely to win, with Jones out of the picture now.
to describe something in a particular way; to give a particular impression of someone or something The report paints a vivid picture of life in the city. Journalists paint a grim picture of conditions in the camps.
to give someone the information they need in order to understand a situation Just to put you in the picture—there have been a number of changes here recently.
Check pronunciation: picture