cultivate
grow plants or crops with care
to grow plants or crops by working the land and taking care of them
to cultivate [crops/plants] (in [a place])
- Local farmers cultivate rice on the terraced hillsides.
- She cultivates organic vegetables in her backyard garden.
- This region has been cultivated for vineyards for hundreds of years.
- Only a small part of the island is cultivated; the rest is wild forest.
- They use traditional methods to cultivate coffee beans at high altitudes.
- Farmers cultivate wheat in this field.
- My grandfather cultivates many flowers in his garden.
- In this area, people cultivate rice near the river.
- They cultivate grapes to make wine.
- The land is flat and easy to cultivate.
develop a quality or skill
to make a skill, habit, or feeling grow stronger by working on it again and again
to cultivate [a skill/quality/habit/attitude]
- She made a conscious effort to cultivate patience with her children.
- Reading widely can help you cultivate a more flexible way of thinking.
- He has cultivated the habit of waking up early to exercise.
- The school tries to cultivate a love of learning in its students.
- Over the years, he cultivated a deep interest in classical music.
- I am trying to cultivate a good study habit.
- The teacher wants to cultivate a love of reading in her class.
- You should cultivate a positive attitude at work.
- She cultivates her writing skills every day.
- He is trying to cultivate a taste for healthy food.
build relationships or contacts
to work to make a relationship or contact stronger, often because it can help you later
to cultivate [a relationship/contact] with [someone]
- The company has worked hard to cultivate long‑term relationships with its customers.
- He spent years cultivating contacts in the film industry.
- The new ambassador is trying to cultivate closer ties with neighboring countries.
- Nonprofits must cultivate donors if they want steady support.
- She carefully cultivated a network of mentors and professional allies.
- He is trying to cultivate good relationships with his clients.
- Politicians often cultivate strong ties with business leaders.
- You should cultivate friendly contacts at your new job.
- The manager wants to cultivate trust with the team.
- They cultivate close links with local schools.
prepare soil for planting crops
to work on the soil, for example by turning or breaking it, so that it is ready to grow crops
to cultivate [land/soil/fields]
- They began to cultivate the land along the river for small family farms.
- Only the lower slopes are cultivated; the steep upper slopes remain forested.
- The government encouraged people to cultivate previously unused land.
- Over‑cultivated soil can lose important nutrients and become less productive.
- The valley has been carefully cultivated for generations of farmers.
- The farmers cultivate the soil before they plant seeds.
- In this region, people have cultivated the land for many years.
- This field is not cultivated; it is wild grass.
- They use machines to cultivate large fields.
- The land was dry and hard, so it was difficult to cultivate.
grow microorganisms or cells in a lab
to grow bacteria, cells, or tissue in a laboratory using special food and conditions
to cultivate [bacteria/cells/tissue] (in [a medium])
- The lab was able to cultivate the virus from the blood sample.
- Scientists cultivated stem cells to study how the tissue develops.
- Bacteria were cultivated in a nutrient‑rich medium for further testing.
- The researchers successfully cultivated human skin cells in the lab.
- To confirm the diagnosis, they cultivated a sample of the patient's sputum.
- Doctors can cultivate bacteria in a lab to study them.
- Scientists cultivate cells in special dishes.
- The virus was cultivated so they could test new medicine.
- In biology class, we learned how to cultivate bacteria on a plate.
- They cultivated the cells under warm and safe conditions.
- Base: cultivate
- 3rd Person Singular: cultivates
- Present Participle: cultivating
- Past: cultivated
cultivate a relationship
1work to develop a relationship
to work over time to make a relationship closer or better
- It's important to cultivate a relationship with your neighbors so you can support each other.
- The company wants to cultivate a relationship with local communities.
- She has carefully cultivated a relationship with her mentor over many years.
cultivate a taste for
1learn to like something over time
to slowly begin to like something, usually food, drink, music, or art, by trying it many times
- I slowly cultivated a taste for black coffee.
- She has cultivated a taste for jazz since moving to New Orleans.
- Many people cultivate a taste for spicy food as they get older.
cultivate an image
1carefully create a public image
to act in a planned way so that other people see you or your group in a certain way
- The politician has tried to cultivate an image of honesty and openness.
- The brand is cultivating an image of being young and innovative.
- He carefully cultivated an image as a tough but fair leader.
cultivate the land
1work land to grow crops
to work on the land, for example by turning the soil, so that you can grow crops there
- For generations, their family has cultivated the land by the river.
- Early settlers had to clear forests before they could cultivate the land.
- Many people in the village still cultivate the land using simple tools.