serve
verb
uk
/sɜːv/ us
/sɝːv/serve verb (PROVIDE FOOD/DRINK)
A2 [ I or T ]
serve verb (WORK)
C1 [ I or T ]
- He served for eight years as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
- Police officers aren't usually allowed to be serve on a jury.
- Panellists on the Arts Review Board serve for a maximum of three years.
- A police officer is there to enforce the law as well as to serve the local community.
- A minister's primary obligation is to serve the public.
serve verb (HELP ACHIEVE)
C1 [ I or T ]
serve a purpose An official investigation would not serve any useful purpose.
- uselessWe have cleared out carloads of useless junk.
- no useMoney is no use if it's just sitting there.
- serve no purposeSuch warnings serve no purpose other than to scare the public.
- pointlessShe sees cleaning as a pointless exercise since everything is going to get dirty again.
- worthlessThe majority of objects in the exhibition are worthless junk.
[ I or T ] mainly US
If something serves you, it is good or helpful for you:
- She has a very forceful personality which will serve her well in politics.
- Tougher prison sentences may serve as a deterrent to other would-be offenders.
- The spare bedroom also serves as an office.
- Do the exercises serve any useful purpose?
- The museum serves as a reminder of this terrible episode in recent history.
- act
- act as something
- discharge
- function as something/someone
- functional
- functionalist
- high-performance
- hyperfunction
- man
- manned
- multifunction
- multifunctional
- on it idiom
- operate
- purpose
- run
- take
- undischarged
- work
- work a treat idiom
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
serve verb (PROVIDE STH NECESSARY)
The report says the police are out of touch with the communities that they serve.
serve verb (DEAL WITH CUSTOMER)
serve verb (SPEND TIME)
serve an apprenticeship After he'd served his apprenticeship he set up his own business.