moderate
gb/mˈɑdɚɪt/ us/mˈɑdɚɪt/
B1
English
~ 5500
mérsékelt, mérsékel, visszafog, moderál, levezet, középutas
B1
1
mérsékelt
B2
Usage pattern:
a moderate [amount/level/rise/temperature]
The region has a moderate climate with warm summers and cool winters.
A térség mérsékelt éghajlatú, meleg nyarakkal és hűvös telekkel.
Adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week.
A felnőtteknek hetente legalább 150 perc mérsékelt intenzitású testmozgásra kellene törekedniük.
There was only a moderate increase in prices this year.
He felt a moderate amount of pain after the operation, but it was manageable.
The company reported moderate growth in the last quarter.
Learner examples
We had moderate rain last night, not too heavy.
Tegnap éjjel mérsékelt eső esett, nem volt túl erős.
She does moderate exercise three times a week.
Hetente háromszor végez mérsékelt intenzitású testmozgást.
The hotel is a place with moderate prices.
He had only moderate success with his first business.
The test was of moderate difficulty for the students.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "moderate" with "medium" and use it for fixed size labels (e.g. clothing or coffee sizes). In those contexts, "medium" is normal, not "moderate". Use "moderate" mostly for degree or intensity (exercise, rain, pain, growth).
Meaning
neither small nor large in degree
Collocations
moderate amount
|moderate level
|moderate increase
|moderate temperature
|moderate exercise
|moderate rainfall
Synonyms
average (Focuses on being typical or usual, not on avoiding extremes.)
|
reasonable (Adds a sense of being sensible or acceptable, not just middle-sized.)
|
medium (More technical or size-focused; does not suggest good judgment.)
Antonyms
extreme (Describes something very great or very small in degree, far from the middle.)
|
severe (Suggests a very strong or harsh degree, especially for weather, pain, or conditions.)
Themes
descriptions
|weather
|health
|business
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not very big and not very small; in the middle amount or level.
Neither very great nor very small in amount, intensity, or degree; within reasonable limits.
B2
2
mérsékelt
B2
Usage pattern:
a moderate [view/position/politician/group]
She is known for her moderate views on economic policy.
Mérsékelt gazdaságpolitikai nézeteiről ismert.
The party is trying to appeal to moderate voters in the suburbs.
A párt az elővárosokban élő mérsékelt szavazókat próbálja megszólítani.
A moderate approach may help bring both sides to an agreement.
He is seen as a moderate voice within the organization.
The government replaced several hardliners with more moderate officials.
Learner examples
Many people have moderate political ideas.
Sok embernek mérsékelt politikai nézetei vannak.
The leader is very moderate and listens to both sides.
A vezető nagyon mérsékelt, és mindkét oldalt meghallgatja.
The party chose a moderate candidate for the election.
She takes a moderate position on immigration.
A moderate group tried to stop the fighting.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "moderate" here to mean "not important" or "weak". It does not mean that the person or idea is unimportant; it means their views are not extreme.
Meaning
not extreme in views or behavior
Collocations
moderate views
|moderate position
|moderate voice
|moderate faction
|moderate candidate
|politically moderate
Synonyms
centrist (Used mainly in politics; slightly more technical and specific to the political center.)
|
middle-of-the-road (Informal; can sound slightly negative, suggesting lack of strong opinions.)
|
balanced (Emphasizes fairness and weighing both sides, not just being in the middle.)
Antonyms
radical (Suggests very strong or extreme views that want big, fast changes.)
|
hardline (Describes very strict, inflexible views, especially in politics or negotiations.)
Themes
politics
|society
Definition
Having ideas or behavior that are in the middle, not very strong on one side or the other.
Having political, social, or religious opinions or behavior that avoid extremes; not very liberal or very conservative.
VERB
B2
3
Usage pattern:
to moderate [something]
You need to moderate your tone when you talk to customers.
Mérsékelned kell a hangnemedet, amikor ügyfelekkel beszélsz.
The new regulations are expected to moderate the impact of rising energy prices.
Az új szabályozások várhatóan mérséklik az emelkedő energiaárak hatását.
He tried to moderate his drinking after the health scare.
The central bank raised interest rates to moderate inflation.
She moderated her criticism when she saw how upset he was.
Learner examples
Please moderate your voice; people are trying to work.
Kérlek, mérsékeld a hangerődet; mások dolgozni próbálnak.
The teacher asked him to moderate his language in class.
A tanár megkérte, hogy az órán mérsékelje a szóhasználatát.
The government wants to moderate price increases.
After the accident, he decided to moderate his driving speed.
New rules helped to moderate the risk for investors.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "make it more moderate" instead of using the verb directly (e.g. "We must moderate our demands," not "We must make our demands more moderate"). They also confuse it with "meditate" because the words look similar but have very different meanings.
Meaning
make something less intense or extreme
Collocations
moderate your tone
|moderate your drinking
|moderate your language
|moderate demand
|moderate the impact
|moderate inflation
Synonyms
soften (Often used for language or attitude; slightly more emotional in tone.)
|
tone down (Informal phrasal verb; especially for speech or behavior that is too strong.)
|
reduce (Very general; does not imply avoiding extremes or being reasonable.)
Antonyms
intensify (To make something stronger or more extreme in degree.)
|
heighten (Often used for emotions, tensions, or effects becoming stronger.)
Themes
behavior
|emotions
|business
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To reduce how strong or extreme something is.
To make something less strong, severe, or extreme in degree, effect, or behavior.
VERB
B2
4
Usage pattern:
to moderate [a discussion/debate/panel]
The journalist will moderate the presidential debate tonight.
Ma este egy újságíró moderálja az elnökjelölti vitát.
She was invited to moderate a panel on climate change.
Meghívták, hogy moderáljon egy panelbeszélgetést a klímaváltozásról.
A neutral expert was chosen to moderate the discussion between the two sides.
He regularly moderates online webinars for the company.
The conference hired a professional to moderate the Q&A sessions.
Learner examples
A TV host will moderate the debate.
Egy tévés műsorvezető fogja moderálni a vitát.
The teacher asked a student to moderate the class discussion.
A tanár megkért egy diákot, hogy vezesse le az órai beszélgetést.
She will moderate a panel about new technology.
We need someone calm to moderate this meeting.
He often moderates online talks for his company.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "moderate a debate" means to reduce the strength of opinions. Here it specifically means to lead and control the debate, not to change what people think.
Meaning
lead and manage a discussion
Collocations
moderate a debate
|moderate a panel
|moderate a discussion
|moderate a forum
|moderate a session
|moderate a Q&A
Synonyms
chair (Common in meetings and committees; more formal and institutional.)
|
facilitate (Focuses on helping the discussion move forward smoothly, not on control.)
|
host (Often used for TV or radio shows; less about rules, more about presenting.)
Antonyms
disrupt (To interrupt and stop a discussion from being orderly.)
Themes
communication
|work
|media
Definition
To lead a talk, debate, or meeting and make sure people follow the rules and take turns.
To direct and control the process of a discussion, debate, or meeting so that it is orderly and fair.
VERB
B2
5
moderál
B2
Usage pattern:
to moderate [comments/posts/content]
The platform uses AI tools to moderate user comments in real time.
A platform mesterséges intelligencián alapuló eszközökkel valós időben moderálja a felhasználói hozzászólásokat.
Volunteers help moderate the forum to keep it free of hate speech.
Önkéntesek segítenek moderálni a fórumot, hogy mentes maradjon a gyűlöletbeszédtől.
If they don't properly moderate the content, they could face legal problems.
Teachers now have to moderate the class chat during online lessons.
The group is private, and all posts are moderated before they appear.
Learner examples
The website uses software to moderate bad comments.
A weboldal szoftverrel moderálja a sértő hozzászólásokat.
Three people moderate the Facebook group.
Három ember moderálja a Facebook-csoportot.
All photos are moderated before other users can see them.
He helps moderate an online forum about games.
The company pays workers to moderate videos on the app.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with simply "editing" or "managing" a page. Moderating content specifically means checking posts against rules and blocking or removing what is not allowed.
Meaning
control and filter online content
Collocations
moderate comments
|moderate content
|moderate posts
|moderate a forum
|moderate a group
|automatically moderate
Synonyms
filter (Focuses on automatically blocking or sorting content, often by software.)
|
censor (Strong negative tone; suggests unfair or political removal of content.)
|
screen (General checking process; not always about public online content.)
Antonyms
allow (To permit content to remain visible or be posted.)
Themes
technology
|internet
|law
|communication
Definition
To check posts, comments, or photos on a website and remove or hide them if they break the rules.
To review, allow, block, or remove content on a website, social network, or forum according to specific rules or standards.
NOUN
B2
6
Usage pattern:
a moderate on [an issue]
Moderates in both parties supported the compromise bill.
Mindkét párt mérsékeltjei támogatták a kompromisszumos törvényjavaslatot.
The candidate must appeal to moderates if she wants to win the election.
A jelöltnek meg kell szólítania a mérsékelteket, ha meg akarja nyerni a választást.
On economic issues he is a moderate, but on social issues he is more conservative.
The proposal was criticized by both liberals and conservatives but praised by moderates.
A group of moderates is trying to bridge the gap between the two sides.
Learner examples
Many moderates voted for the new law.
Sok mérsékelt szavazott az új törvény mellett.
She is a moderate and does not like extreme ideas.
Ő a mérsékeltek közé tartozik, és nem szereti a szélsőséges eszméket.
The party lost support among moderates.
Moderates helped the two groups make a deal.
He is a moderate on tax issues but strict on crime.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "moderate" as a noun means "a moderate amount". As a noun, it refers to a person, usually in politics or social debates.
Meaning
person with centrist, non-extreme views
Collocations
political moderate
|moderate Democrats
|moderate Republicans
|a moderate on immigration
|a coalition of moderates
|win over moderates
Synonyms
centrist (Common in political writing; more technical and clearly tied to the political center.)
|
swing voter (Someone whose vote can change sides; not always moderate in beliefs.)
Antonyms
extremist (Someone with very strong, far-left or far-right views, often seen as dangerous.)
|
hardliner (A person who refuses to change strong positions, especially in politics.)
Themes
politics
|society
Definition
A person whose ideas, especially in politics, are in the middle, not very strong on one side or the other.
A person, especially in politics, whose opinions are not extreme and who prefers moderate positions or compromise.
Grammar
Dictionary form
moderate
IPA
GB/mˈɑdɚɪt/
US/mˈɑdɚɪt/
Syllables & stress
mod - er - ate (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (mod)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: moderate
Noun
- Base: moderate
- Plural: moderates
Verb
- Base: moderate
- 3rd Person Singular: moderates
- Present Participle: moderating
- Past: moderated
Word family
Forms
moderates
noun
moderating
verb
moderated
verb
Core family
moderately
adverb B1
moderation
noun B2
Related words
moderator
noun B1
Negative and opposite forms
immoderate
adjective
immoderately
adverb
Expressions
a voice of moderation
1/ə vˈɔɪs əv mˌɑdɚˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
person arguing for non-extreme actions
Someone who asks other people to stay calm and not take extreme actions or positions.
Examples
- She became a voice of moderation during the crisis.
- In a heated debate, his comments were a voice of moderation.
- The group lacks a strong voice of moderation to calm tensions.
in moderation
1/ˈɪn mˌɑdɚˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
to a limited, not extreme degree
To do or use something, but not too much and not too little; in a balanced way.
Examples
- You can enjoy dessert every day as long as you eat it in moderation.
- Experts say that social media is fine in moderation, but too much can harm your sleep.
- He drinks coffee in moderation to avoid feeling nervous.
in moderation
2/ˈɪn mˌɑdɚˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
in a limited, sensible amount
To do or have something only in small or middle amounts, not too much.
Examples
- You can eat dessert, but only in moderation.
- Drinking coffee in moderation is generally considered safe.
- Social media can be helpful if used in moderation.