medal
gb/mˈɛdəl/ us/mˈɛdəl/
B1
English
~ 7500
érem, kitüntetés, szentérem, érmet szerez, érmet nyer
NOUN
B1
1
érem
A2
Usage pattern:
to win [a/number of] medals (in [a competition])
She won a bronze medal in the 100-meter race.
Bronzérmet nyert a 100 méteres síkfutásban.
The team is hoping to take home at least one medal from the championships.
A csapat abban reménykedik, hogy legalább egy éremmel tér haza a bajnokságról.
How many medals did your country win at the last Olympics?
He finally got his first international medal after years of training.
They narrowly missed a medal, finishing in fourth place.
Learner examples
She won a gold medal in swimming.
Aranyérmet nyert úszásban.
Our country got three medals at the games.
Az országunk három érmet szerzett a játékokon.
He was happy because he won his first medal.
Their team did not get any medals this year.
Her dream is to win an Olympic medal.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"take a medal"* instead of *"win a medal"*. Use verbs like *win*, *get*, or *earn* with *medal* when talking about competitions. Also, *medal* is countable, so say *a medal*, *two medals*, not *much medal*.
Meaning
prize in a competition
Collocations
win a medal
|gold medal
|Olympic medal
|medal winner
|medal tally
|medal ceremony
Synonyms
prize (General term for something given to the winner; not limited to metal discs.)
|
award (Formal term for something given as recognition; can be money, a certificate, or a medal.)
Antonyms
defeat (Describes losing a competition and therefore not receiving a medal.)
|
penalty (A negative consequence in sport, opposite to a positive reward like a medal.)
Themes
sports
|awards
|events
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A prize you get in a competition, usually a small piece of metal like a gold, silver, or bronze disc.
An official prize in a competition, especially a sports event, represented by a small piece of metal such as a gold, silver, or bronze disc.
NOUN
B1
2
érem
A2
kitüntetés
B2
Usage pattern:
to give [someone] a medal for [something]
The soldier received a medal for his courage in battle.
A katona kitüntetést kapott a csatában tanúsított bátorságáért.
She proudly wore the medal her school had given her.
Büszkén viselte az érmet, amelyet az iskolájától kapott.
Each runner was handed a finisher's medal at the end of the race.
The president pinned the medal on the officer's uniform.
His medals were displayed in a glass case on the wall.
Learner examples
He got a medal for saving a child.
Érmet kapott, amiért megmentett egy gyereket.
The teacher gave her a medal for top marks.
A tanár érmet adott neki a kiváló jegyeiért.
The medal is on a red ribbon.
She keeps her medals in a small box.
They put the medal on his jacket.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse *medal* with *metal* because they sound similar. *Medal* is the award object; *metal* is the material (like gold, iron, or silver).
Meaning
award object made of metal
Collocations
receive a medal
|wear a medal
|medal for bravery
|military medal
|medal around his neck
|present a medal
Synonyms
decoration (Often used for military or state medals given for service or bravery.)
|
badge (A broader term for a small object worn to show rank or membership; not always an award.)
Antonyms
punishment (A negative consequence or mark of disapproval, opposite to a reward symbolized by a medal.)
Themes
awards
|military
|daily life
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A small flat piece of metal that you get as an award for doing something very well or bravely.
A small flat piece of metal, often round and sometimes attached to a ribbon, given to someone as an official award for success or bravery.
NOUN
C1
3
szentérem
B2
Usage pattern:
to wear [a] medal of [saint/event]
She wears a small saint's medal around her neck.
Egy kis szentérmet visel a nyakában.
He carries a St. Christopher medal when he travels.
Utazáskor Szent Kristóf-érmet hord magánál.
The church sold medals of the patron saint to visitors.
The museum displayed a commemorative medal from the coronation.
Her grandmother gave her a religious medal as a baptism gift.
Learner examples
She wears a religious medal every day.
Mindennap szentérmet visel.
His mother gave him a St. Christopher medal.
Az édesanyja egy Szent Kristóf-érmet adott neki.
People buy medals at the church.
The medal has a picture of a saint on it.
This medal is to remember a famous king.
Meaning
religious or commemorative disc
Collocations
religious medal
|saint's medal
|St. Christopher medal
|commemorative medal
|wear a medal
|blessed medal
Synonyms
pendant (General word for something hanging from a chain; does not necessarily have religious or commemorative meaning.)
|
amulet (An object thought to give protection or bring luck; similar when the medal is believed to offer protection.)
Antonyms
plain necklace (Jewelry worn only for style, without the religious or commemorative meaning of a medal.)
Themes
religion
|culture
|history
|daily_life
Definition
A small flat metal piece with a special picture that people wear or keep for religious reasons or to remember an important person or event.
A small flat piece of metal, often with a picture of a saint, religious symbol, or important person or event, kept or worn as a sign of faith or to remember something, rather than as an award.
VERB
C1
4
érmet szerez
B1
érmet nyer
A2
Usage pattern:
to medal in [an event]
She is expected to medal in both the 100m and 200m races.
Várhatóan mind a 100, mind a 200 méteres versenyszámban érmet szerez.
The team medaled at every international tournament last year.
A csapat tavaly minden nemzetközi tornán érmet szerzett.
He narrowly missed medaling, finishing fourth in the final.
Only the top three athletes will medal in this event.
This is her last chance to medal at the world championships.
Learner examples
She hopes to medal at the Olympics.
Reméli, hogy érmet szerez az olimpián.
Our team medaled in three events.
A csapatunk három versenyszámban szerzett érmet.
He did not medal in the race.
Only three runners will medal today.
They want to medal at the world games.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the verb *medal* with the noun and say *"He got a medal"* when they mean the result in general. Both are correct English but slightly different: *"He medaled"* focuses on his result in the rankings, while *"He got a medal"* focuses on receiving the object.
Meaning
to win a medal
Collocations
medal in the event
|medal at the Olympics
|expected to medal
|likely to medal
|failed to medal
|did not medal
Synonyms
place (Sports term meaning to finish in one of the top positions; not limited to events with medals.)
|
podium (Informal sports jargon meaning to finish in the top three; strongly tied to events with podium ceremonies.)
Antonyms
fail (To not achieve a medal position in the competition.)
|
finish out of the medals (A set phrase meaning to finish lower than third place, so no medal is won.)
Themes
sports
|awards
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To win a medal in a sports event or other competition.
To win a medal in a competition, especially finishing in first, second, or third place.
Grammar
Dictionary form
medal
IPA
GB/mˈɛdəl/
US/mˈɛdəl/
Syllables & stress
medal (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (medal)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: medal
- Plural: medals
Word family
Forms
medals
noun
Core family
medalist
noun
medallist
noun
Related words
medallion
noun
Expressions
gold medal
1/ɡˈoʊld mˈɛdəl/
fixed phrase
first-place award medal
A medal you get for coming first in a competition.
Examples
- She won the gold medal in the 200-meter final.
- Winning a gold medal at the Olympics was his childhood dream.
- Their relay team took the gold medal by a large margin.
medal ceremony
1/mˈɛdəl sˈɛɹɪmˌoʊni/
fixed phrase
event for giving medals
A formal event where medals are given to the winners.
Examples
- The medal ceremony will take place immediately after the final.
- Flags were raised and anthems played during the medal ceremony.
- Spectators stayed to watch the medal ceremony even after the race ended.
medal contender
1/mˈɛdəl kəntˈɛndɚ/
fixed phrase
likely medal winner
A person or team that has a good chance to win a medal.
Examples
- She is seen as a strong medal contender in the high jump.
- Several medal contenders failed to reach the final.
- The young swimmer has suddenly become a medal contender.
medal count
1/mˈɛdəl kˈaʊnt/
fixed phrase
number of medals won
The number of medals that each country or team has won.
Examples
- The United States led the medal count at the end of the games.
- Television graphics showed the updated medal count every hour.
- Their medal count is lower than expected this year.
medal hopeful
1/mˈɛdəl hˈoʊpfəl/
fixed phrase
expected or hoped medal winner
A person people hope or expect will win a medal.
Examples
- The country's top medal hopeful withdrew due to injury.
- Several medal hopefuls are training together at a high-altitude camp.
- She was considered a medal hopeful, but she failed to qualify for the final.
Medal of Honor
1/mˈɛdəl əv ˈɑnɚ/
fixed phrase
formal
highest U.S. military medal
The highest military medal in the United States, given for great bravery.
Examples
- He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in combat.
- The ceremony honored several Medal of Honor recipients.
- Books have been written about the stories of Medal of Honor winners.
medal table
1/mˈɛdəl tˈeɪbəl/
fixed phrase
technical
table of medals by country
A list that shows how many medals each country has won in a sports event.
Examples
- They finished top of the medal table with ten golds.
- The medal table is updated at the end of each day of competition.
- Fans checked the medal table to see how their country was doing.
medal tally
1/mˈɛdəl tˈæli/
fixed phrase
total medal count
The total number of medals that someone or a country has won.
Examples
- Their medal tally now stands at five golds and three silvers.
- The host nation has increased its medal tally every day.
- Her personal medal tally includes two Olympic bronzes.
medal winner
1/mˈɛdəl wˈɪnɚ/
fixed phrase
person or team with a medal
A person or team that has won a medal.
Examples
- All the medal winners were invited to the reception.
- She is a three-time Olympic medal winner.
- The school honored its young medal winners at a special assembly.
silver medal
1/sˈɪlvɚ mˈɛdəl/
fixed phrase
second-place award medal
A medal you get for coming second in a competition.
Examples
- He took the silver medal after a close race.
- The team was happy with the silver medal, but they had hoped for gold.
- She has two silver medals from previous world championships.
win a medal
1/wˈɪn ə mˈɛdəl/
fixed phrase
receive a medal as prize
To get a medal because you did very well in a competition.
Examples
- She trained for years to win a medal at the Olympics.
- Our goal is to win a medal in every major tournament.
- He finally won a medal at the national championships.
bronze medal
2/bɹˈɑnz mˈɛdəl/
fixed phrase
Medal for third place
A medal, usually made from bronze, that you get when you finish third in a competition.
Examples
- She was thrilled to bring home a bronze medal from the Olympics.
- She was delighted to win a bronze medal in her first Olympics.
- He missed the final but still won a bronze medal in the playoff.
- Their bronze medal was the country's only medal at the games.
- Their relay team took the bronze medal after a strong finish.
- He missed the bronze medal by just half a second.