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to form

to form

451 1.0
To begin to exist or take shape
  • verb
  • /fɔrm/
translation icon : formarse
  • The clouds began to form a dark mass, signaling an approaching storm.
  • relationships form
  • newly forming
  • ice crystals form

And I just, I, it just formed as a way of living.

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Examples

  • The reception committee is forming.

  • And I think that really started to form who I am today.

  • So I, it was trying to form a sense of myself.

  • Till my line's starting to form, I can feel it.

  • And it's hard to form your own taste.

  • I just wanted to ask how you came to form the group.

  • So over time, we should see bubbles form faster, pop more quickly.

  • The process had started to form a new constitution, becoming effective July 1971.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Five subsamples were collected from each area and combined to form one composite soil sample.

    Academic text (2008)
  • One reason is that he sees national trends forming that may soon provide models for local collaborations.

    Academic text (2008)

Synonyms

to create
vsto form
1.0

To make something new that does not exist yet

focuses on developing naturally or coming into existence without active external causation
to take shape
vsto form
37 3.7

To start to form and become clear, for example an idea or plan

is broader, covering general development and the start of existence
to come into being
vsto form
20 3.9

To start to exist

is broader, including gradual development and becoming established beyond first existence
to take form
vsto form
4 3.5

To begin to develop and become clear in shape or idea

is more general, referring to any development or start of existence

Antonyms

1.0

To stop being seen or to no longer be there

43 3.9

To slowly disappear or become less clear

Idioms

true to form
  • Informal
9 4.1

Happening or acting in the usual way as before

in rare form
  • Informal
4 7.6

Doing something much better than usual with extra energy

It is not true or possible in any way

Get back to a previous good level of ability after a time of decline

Phrasal Verbs

To become a different shape or look

4 3.5

To begin to develop and become clear in shape or idea

To complete a paper or online form by writing your personal details

Make small round pockets of air inside or on a liquid

8.7

In rugby, gather closely over a tackled player to protect and try to get the ball

Compounds

127 2.8

A plant, an animal, or a tiny organism

55 3.2

A particular type of art, like music, painting, or dance

life form
  • Specialized
37 3.4

The physical shape and parts of a plant or animal

tax form
  • Formal
12 2.8

An official paper you use to tell the government how much money you earn and owe in tax

A document with questions to fill in when you apply for a job or a course

6 2.0

A printed or online page you fill to ask for goods and services

5 3.2

A letter sent to many people with the same text

4 4.1

An official paper you use to ask for supplies or services from an organization

claim form
  • Formal
3 2.9

A document you fill in to ask for money back from an insurance company

3 4.9

Polite behavior people expect in social situations

2 5.3

A work that does not follow fixed rules or structure

A way of speaking used when you talk to someone to show their title or relationship

free form
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A small part of language that can be a whole word

1 1.6

A change in a word that shows more than one person or thing

citation form
  • Texting
1 7.5

The basic form of a word that a dictionary lists

verse form
  • Literature
1 7.0

A type of poem with a set number of lines and rhythm like a sonnet or haiku

bound form
  • Specialized
9.6

A small part added to a word that cannot stand alone, like -s in cats and -ed in walked

combining form
  • Specialized
8.1

A small word part from Greek or Latin that appears only inside longer words

A pan that holds batter or dough while it bakes

form book
  • Jargon
6.7

A record of past results and details about competitors that helps people decide bets

form class
  • Specialized
6.9

A group of words that do the same job in grammar, like a noun or verb

form division
  • Archaic
9.9

An old artificial group that scientists used to sort plants

form family
  • Specialized
9.9

A temporary group scientists use for plants or animals when it is not clear how they are related

9.9

A group name for fungi seen only in their non-sexual stage, often causing plant disease

form genus
  • Specialized
9.9

A temporary group for living things, often fossils, whose relations to others are unclear

5.6

The shape of a plant leaf that helps identify species

major form class
  • Specialized
7.7

A main group of words like nouns, verbs, and adjectives that show a word's role in a sentence

imperative form
  • Specialized
4.4

A verb form used to give a command or request

plural form
  • Specialized
3.7

One translation used for different numbers, like one or many

telegraph form
  • Archaic
8.2

A printed form you use to write a telegram

singular form
  • Specialized
1.8

The form of a word used for one person or thing

sonata form
  • Specialized
8.6

A musical pattern with three main parts used at the start of many symphonies and sonatas

word form
  • Specialized
4.1

A written or spoken version of a word showing its grammar and sound

How Quickly

to appear
873 1.0
to form
451 1.0
to emerge
604 4.0
to develop
905 1.6

Surface Forms

form infinitive
formed past
formed past participle
forming present participle
forms third person singular

Etymology

Form comes from the Latin verb formare 'to shape', and to form is to take or get a 'shape' — that is, to begin to exist or appear in a certain way.