mold
gb/mˈoʊld/ us/mˈoʊld/
B1
English
~ 9000
penész, formál, alakít, forma, öntőforma, formáz, típus, minta, séma, megpenészedik, lombföld, levélkomposzt
NOUN
B1
1
penész
A2
Usage pattern:
mold grows on [something]
There was green mold growing on the bread, so we threw it away.
Zöld penész nőtt a kenyéren, ezért kidobtuk.
The landlord had to remove black mold from the bathroom ceiling.
A bérbeadónak el kellett távolíttatnia a fekete penészt a fürdőszoba mennyezetéről.
If you don’t dry the walls properly, mold will start to form.
The cheese was covered in a thick layer of blue mold.
Mold spores in the air can cause allergies and breathing problems.
Learner examples
There is mold on this apple.
Penész van ezen az almán.
We found black mold in the shower.
Fekete penészt találtunk a zuhanyzóban.
Old food can get mold very quickly.
Please clean the wall; I see mold there.
The doctor says mold in the house is bad for children.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with the noun meaning "a container that shapes something." Only this sense can grow on food, walls, or other surfaces. Another common issue is spelling: American English uses "mold," while British English usually spells it "mould."
Meaning
Fuzzy fungus on old food
Collocations
black mold
|toxic mold
|mold growth
|mold spores
|mold problem
|covered in mold
Synonyms
fungus (More general; includes all types of fungi, not only the fuzzy growth on surfaces.)
|
mildew (Often used for a lighter, flat type of mold, especially on walls, clothes, and bathrooms.)
Antonyms
freshness (Fresh things have no mold; describes the opposite condition of being old and moldy.)
Themes
health
|home
|science
|daily life
|food_drink
|housing
Definition
A soft green, white, or black fungus that grows on old or wet food, walls, and other things.
A soft, often fuzzy growth of fungi that appears on food, walls, or other materials when they stay damp or old.
VERB
B2
2
Usage pattern:
to mold [someone/something] (into [something])
Early experiences can mold a child’s personality for life.
A korai élmények egy életre formálhatják egy gyerek személyiségét.
The coach tried to mold the team into a group of disciplined professionals.
Az edző fegyelmezett profi csapattá próbálta formálni őket.
Social media has the power to mold public opinion very quickly.
Her years abroad molded her into a more open‑minded person.
The company culture molds new employees to think like the founders.
Learner examples
Good teachers can mold students in a positive way.
A jó tanárok pozitív irányba formálhatják a diákokat.
Our parents helped to mold who we are today.
A szüleink is segítettek olyanná formálni minket, amilyenek ma vagyunk.
The leader wants to mold the team into a strong unit.
Travel can mold your view of the world.
The school tries to mold students into responsible adults.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this verb only means physically shaping a material. In this sense, it is abstract: you mold ideas, character, behavior, or opinions, not clay or plastic. Also, avoid saying "mold someone to" when you mean a new form; use "mold someone into" (e.g., "mold them into better leaders").
Meaning
Shape someone’s character or ideas
Collocations
mold a child
|mold young minds
|mold public opinion
|mold a career
|mold attitudes
|mold the future
Synonyms
shape (Very close in meaning; slightly more common and general in both physical and abstract uses.)
|
influence (Focuses more on affecting someone, not always as strongly or intentionally as "mold.")
Antonyms
ignore (If you ignore someone’s development, you do not try to mold or guide it.)
Themes
education
|society
|relationships
|work
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To change or guide how a person, group, or thing grows and develops.
To strongly influence the way someone or something develops in character, style, or form.
NOUN
B1
3
Usage pattern:
to pour [substance] into a mold
She poured the melted chocolate into a heart‑shaped mold.
Az olvasztott csokoládét szív alakú formába öntötte.
The factory uses metal molds to produce identical plastic parts.
A gyár fém öntőformákat használ azonos műanyag alkatrészek gyártásához.
Pour the jelly mixture into the mold and leave it in the fridge to set.
We bought a silicone cake mold in the shape of a star.
The sculptor made a clay figure, then created a mold to cast it in bronze.
Learner examples
She put the cake mix into a round mold.
A kikevert tésztát egy kerek formába öntötte.
We used a mold to make ice cubes.
Jégkockák készítéséhez jégkockaformát használtunk.
The plastic toys are made in big metal molds.
Pour the juice into the mold and freeze it.
He pressed the soft clay into the mold.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the fungus sense. A mold that is a container does not grow or live; you put materials into it. Also, in cooking, some learners say "cake pan" for all situations; a pan is usually open and flat, while a mold can have many shapes and may be deeper or closed.
Meaning
Hollow form for shaping material
Collocations
cake mold
|chocolate mold
|ice cube mold
|silicone mold
|baking mold
|plastic mold
Synonyms
form (Common in technical or craft contexts; often interchangeable, but slightly more formal or specialized.)
|
cast (Usually refers to the shaped object that comes out of the mold rather than the container itself.)
Themes
cooking
|crafts
|manufacturing
|home
|technology
|work
Definition
A hollow form that you put soft or liquid material into so it becomes a certain shape when it gets hard or firm.
A hollow container or form used to give a particular shape to a soft or liquid substance as it sets or hardens.
VERB
B2
4
formáz
B1
Usage pattern:
to mold [material] into [shape]
The artist carefully molded the clay into a small bird.
Roll the mixture into balls and then mold each one into a flat patty.
The machine heats and molds the plastic into bottles.
She molded the wax around the wire to make a candle.
With wet hands, mold the rice into small triangles.
Learner examples
The child likes to mold clay into animals.
She molded the dough into small circles.
Workers mold hot plastic into bottles.
He molded the sand with his hands.
They molded the cheese into a round shape.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with the abstract sense of molding a person or idea. In this physical sense, the object is a material (clay, plastic, dough), not a person. Also, avoid saying "mold to" when you mean a result shape; use "mold into" (e.g., "mold the clay into a bowl").
Meaning
Shape a soft material
Collocations
mold clay
|mold the dough
|mold plastic
|mold into balls
|mold by hand
|mold around the frame
Synonyms
shape (Very close in meaning and often interchangeable; slightly more general and common.)
|
form (Similar, but can sound more formal or technical, especially in industrial contexts.)
Antonyms
flatten (Flattening removes shape or makes something flat, which is the opposite of carefully molding it into a form.)
Themes
crafts
|cooking
|manufacturing
|work
|arts_entertainment
Definition
To press or move a soft material so that it becomes a special shape.
To shape a soft, plastic, or wet material into a particular form, often by pressing it into or around something.
NOUN
C1
5
Usage pattern:
in the [adjective] mold; in the mold of [someone]
Many of his students are in the same mold: ambitious, driven, and highly competitive.
The new singer is very much in the mold of classic soul artists.
They wanted a leader in a different mold, someone more open and collaborative.
Her novels don’t fit the usual mold of romantic fiction.
The company is trying to break out of the traditional corporate mold.
Learner examples
He is a leader in the old mold, very strict and formal.
She sings in the mold of a classic jazz artist.
This movie does not follow the normal mold of action films.
They wanted a manager in a new mold.
The team is full of players in the same mold.
Common mistake:
Learners often misunderstand this sense as the physical container. Here, "mold" is abstract: it means a "type" or "model" that people or things are similar to. It often appears in fixed phrases like "in the same mold" or "in the mold of," which should be learned as chunks.
Meaning
Typical pattern or type
Collocations
in the same mold
|in the mold of
|traditional mold
|conventional mold
|heroic mold
|old-fashioned mold
Synonyms
type (Very close in meaning; more general and common in everyday speech.)
|
pattern (Focuses more on a repeated style or model that others follow.)
Antonyms
originality (Originality is the quality of not following any existing mold or type.)
Themes
people
|society
|art
|description
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A usual type or style of person or thing that others can be like.
A particular style, character, or type that people or things can follow, match, or be similar to.
VERB
B2
6
Usage pattern:
mold on [something]; [food] molds quickly
In this humid climate, bread molds in just a couple of days.
Ezen a párás éghajlaton a kenyér már pár nap alatt megpenészedik.
The berries molded before we had a chance to eat them.
A bogyós gyümölcsök megpenészedtek, mielőtt megehettük volna őket.
If you leave leftovers on the counter, they’ll mold overnight.
The cheese molded in the fridge because it wasn’t wrapped properly.
The fruit molded so fast that we had to throw all of it away.
Learner examples
The bread molded after three days.
A kenyér három nap után megpenészedett.
Food molds fast in hot weather.
Meleg időben gyorsan megpenészedik az étel.
The cheese molded because we forgot it on the table.
If you leave it out, it will mold.
The strawberries molded before we could eat them.
Common mistake:
Many learners know the adjective "moldy" and the phrase "go moldy" but do not realize that "mold" can also be used as a verb in American English ("The bread molded"). In British English, people more often say "went mouldy" instead of using "mould" as a verb.
Meaning
Become covered with mold
Collocations
mold quickly
|mold in the heat
|bread molded
|food molded
|cheese molds
|starts to mold
Synonyms
spoil (More general for food going bad; does not specifically mean mold, but often includes it.)
|
rot (Stronger and more negative; suggests heavy decay, not just first signs of mold.)
Antonyms
stay fresh (If food stays fresh, it does not mold or go bad.)
Themes
food
|home
|science
|food_drink
|housing
|health
Definition
For mold (the soft fungus) to grow on something.
To become affected by mold fungus; for mold to start growing on or in something.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
7
lombföld
C1
Usage pattern:
leaf mold; rich mold for [plants]
The gardener added leaf mold to improve the soil structure.
A kertész lombföldet adott a talajhoz, hogy javítsa a szerkezetét.
Woodland paths are often covered with a deep layer of dark mold.
Az erdei ösvényeket gyakran vastag, sötét lombföldréteg borítja.
This plant does best in rich mold with plenty of organic matter.
They made their own leaf mold from last year’s fallen leaves.
The forest floor was soft with years of accumulated mold.
Learner examples
The gardener used leaf mold to help the plants grow.
A kertész lombföldet használt, hogy a növények jobban növekedjenek.
The soil was full of dark mold from old leaves.
A talaj tele volt régi levelekből képződött sötét lombfölddel.
You can make mold for your garden by keeping wet leaves in a pile.
The roots like soft mold, not hard dry soil.
Leaf mold gives food to the plants.
Common mistake:
Learners usually know "mold" only as fungus and do not realize it can also mean a rich, dark soil made from dead plants. This sense mostly appears in gardening or nature texts and often in the fixed phrase "leaf mold."
Meaning
Rich soil from decayed plants
Collocations
leaf mold
|rich mold
|garden mold
|woodland mold
Synonyms
humus (More technical soil‑science term for organic material in soil; overlaps in meaning but is less everyday.)
Antonyms
poor soil (Soil that lacks organic material and nutrients, unlike rich mold.)
Themes
gardening
|nature
|science
Definition
Soft, dark soil made from dead leaves or plants, often used for gardening.
Dark, soft soil made from decayed leaves or other plant material, used especially for growing plants.
Grammar
Dictionary form
mold
IPA
GB/mˈoʊld/
US/mˈoʊld/
Syllables & stress
mold (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (mold)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: mold
- Plural: mold, molds
Verb
- Base: mold
- 3rd Person Singular: molds
- Present Participle: molding
- Past: molded
Word family
Forms
molds
noun
molding
verb
molded
verb
Core family
moldy
adjective
Related words
moldable
adjective
mould
noun B1
Expressions
break out of the mold
1/bɹˈeɪk ˈaʊt əv ðə mˈoʊld/
idiom
Stop following the usual pattern
To stop doing things in the usual way and begin to do them in a new and different way.
Examples
- The band tried to break out of the mold with their latest album.
- Young designers are breaking out of the mold and creating bold new styles.
- She wanted to break out of the mold of her small hometown life.
break the mold
1/bɹˈeɪk ðə mˈoʊld/
idiom
Do something very different
To do something in a new and very different way, not like people usually do it.
Examples
- Her teaching style really breaks the mold and keeps students excited.
- The company broke the mold with a design no one had seen before.
- He wanted to break the mold of traditional politics and try something new.
cast in the same mold
1/kˈæst ˈɪn ðə sˈeɪm mˈoʊld/
idiom
Be very similar in type
To be very similar in character or style to another person or thing.
Examples
- The two brothers are cast in the same mold: both are calm and careful.
- Many of the new politicians seem cast in the same mold as the old ones.
- Most of the company’s products are cast in the same mold and look almost identical.
fit the mold
1/fˈɪt ðə mˈoʊld/
idiom
Match the usual type
To be like the usual or expected type of person or thing.
Examples
- She doesn’t fit the mold of a typical CEO.
- The film fits the mold of a classic romantic comedy.
- He fits the mold of a quiet, serious scientist.
in the mold of
1/ˈɪn ðə mˈoʊld əv/
idiom
Similar in style or type
Similar in style or character to a particular person or thing, often named after it.
Examples
- He’s a modern writer in the mold of James Baldwin.
- They’re looking for a leader in the mold of the company’s founder.
- The new movie is clearly in the mold of classic 1980s action films.