focus
verb/ˈfəʊkəs/
/ˈfəʊkəs/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they focus | /ˈfəʊkəs/ /ˈfəʊkəs/ |
| he / she / it focuses | /ˈfəʊkəsɪz/ /ˈfəʊkəsɪz/ |
| he / she / it focusses | /ˈfəʊkəsɪz/ /ˈfəʊkəsɪz/ |
| past simple focused | /ˈfəʊkəst/ /ˈfəʊkəst/ |
| past participle focused | /ˈfəʊkəst/ /ˈfəʊkəst/ |
| past simple focussed | /ˈfəʊkəst/ /ˈfəʊkəst/ |
| past participle focussed | /ˈfəʊkəst/ /ˈfəʊkəst/ |
| -ing form focusing | /ˈfəʊkəsɪŋ/ /ˈfəʊkəsɪŋ/ |
| -ing form focussing | /ˈfəʊkəsɪŋ/ /ˈfəʊkəsɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to give attention, effort, etc. to one particular subject, situation or person rather than another
- She was distracted and finding it hard to focus.
- focus on/upon somebody/something The discussion focused on three main issues.
- Each exercise focuses on a different grammar point.
- focus + adv./prep. He had artistic interests but his teachers encouraged him to focus elsewhere.
- The essay seems too narrowly focused.
- focus something Music and crafts can help focus small children's energies.
- focus something on/upon somebody/something The visit helped to focus world attention on the plight of the refugees.
- (figurative) All eyes are focused on the presidential elections at the moment.
- (figurative) The event will focus the spotlight on younger athletes.
- focus something + adv./prep. We need to decide where to focus our efforts.
Extra Examples- Come on, try to focus.
- Children with ADHD find it difficult to focus and concentrate.
- Degree courses have traditionally focused on the established great writers of the past.
- They plan to divest declining businesses and focus on growth areas.
- You might choose to focus on a particular aspect of the nineteenth century.
- Meetings focused on the development of the curriculum.
- He inevitably focused on his own concerns, with only a passing query about Jeff.
- Much recent concern has been focused upon sea level rises.
- The exhibition is focused primarily upon architecture.
- The exhibition primarily focuses upon architecture.
- Schools should not focus exclusively on exam results.
- The department undertakes highly focused research.
- The study was criticized for being too narrowly focused.
- My own research is focused on classical traditions.
- We have focused our resources on developing new products.
- Think of some questions that will help focus the discussion.
- This should help focus your attention.
- I was finding it hard to focus my mind properly.
- Perhaps your family is where you should focus your attention.
- Where do you really wish to focus your time and energy?
- Much of the debate was focused around the issue of inequality.
- He made a promise to his father and is determined to live his entire life focused towards that goal.
- A hate crime is abuse focused towards a specific person or group on grounds of race, religion, etc.
- You need to focus closely on the matter at hand.
- At the moment, aid agencies are focusing their efforts on women and children.
- The attention of the news media was firmly focused on the elections.
- Our activity is mainly focused on responding to emergencies.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- especially
- heavily
- largely
- …
- need to
- try to
- decide to
- …
- on
- upon
- highly focused
- tightly focused
- narrowly focused
- …
Take your English to the next level
The Oxford Learner’s Thesaurus explains the difference between groups of similar words. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app
- [intransitive, transitive] (of your eyes, a camera, etc.) to adapt or be changed so that things can be seen clearly; to change something so that you can see things clearly
- It took a few moments for her eyes to focus in the dark.
- focus on somebody/something Let your eyes focus on objects that are further away from you.
- In this scene, the camera focuses on the actor's face.
- focus something ‘Look at me,’ he says, focusing the camera.
- focus something on somebody/something He focused his blue eyes on her.
- I quickly focused the camera on the children.
- focus something + adv./prep. My gaze was focused elsewhere at the time.
Extra Examples- She blinked and tried to focus.
- The eye will automatically focus on the small group in the foreground.
- She could feel his eyes focusing on her.
- She could feel his eyes focused on her.
- He struggled to focus his eyes in the dimness.
- A newborn baby cannot focus its eyes.
- My eyes are focused on the horizon.
- Ten TV cameras were focused on the stage.
- She likes to focus her camera on the unusual and the surreal.
- So much of good film-making is just knowing where to focus your camera.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- hard
- intently
- automatically
- …
- try to
- on
- upon
- [transitive] to aim light onto a particular point using a lens
- focus something A laser focuses a beam of light.
- focus something on something She used her glasses to focus the sun's rays on the twigs and spark a fire.
- [intransitive] focus on somebody/something (of a light) to shine on somebody/something
- Suddenly a spotlight focused on us.
Word Originmid 17th cent. (as a term in geometry and physics): from Latin, literally ‘domestic hearth’.
Check pronunciation:
focus