occupy
gb/ˈɑkjəpˌaɪ/ us/ˈɑkjəpˌaɪ/
A2
English
~ 2100
elfoglal, megszáll, lefoglal, elfoglalja magát, leköt, betölt, kitölt
VERB
B1
1
Usage pattern:
to occupy [a building/place/space]
Protesters occupied the city square for two weeks.
A tüntetők két hétig elfoglalva tartották a város főterét.
The company occupies the top floor of the building.
A cég az épület legfelső emeletét foglalja el.
They occupied the house soon after buying it.
The army occupied the region during the conflict.
Learner examples
We occupy a small apartment in the city.
Egy kis lakásban lakunk a városban.
The students occupy the classroom every morning.
A diákok minden reggel elfoglalják a tantermet.
Soldiers occupy the camp during training.
Tourists occupy the hotel rooms in summer.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'occupy' with 'own'. You can occupy a place without owning it.
Meaning
Control or live in a place
Collocations
occupy a building
|occupy a seat
|occupy territory
|occupy a room
|occupy land
Synonyms
inhabit (Implies living in a place, often for a long time.)
|
take over (Often implies forceful or sudden control.)
Antonyms
vacate (Means to leave a place so it is empty.)
Themes
daily life
|politics
|real estate
|law
|travel
Definition
To be in and use a place or space.
To take and use a place, building, or area, often by living in it or controlling it.
VERB
B1
2
Usage pattern:
to occupy [someone] with [something]
The teacher occupied the students with a group project.
A tanár egy csoportos projekttel foglalta le a diákokat.
She occupied herself with reading during the flight.
A repülőút alatt olvasással foglalta el magát.
Puzzles can occupy your mind for hours.
Learner examples
I occupy my little brother with games.
Játékokkal foglalom le a kisöcsémet.
She occupies herself with homework after school.
Iskola után a házi feladatával foglalja el magát.
We occupy the children with drawing.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'occupy' here with 'employ'. 'Occupy' is about keeping busy, not giving a job.
Meaning
Keep someone busy
Collocations
occupy children
|occupy someone's time
|occupy the mind
Synonyms
engage (Focuses on holding someone's attention or interest.)
|
distract (Can mean keeping someone busy, sometimes away from other concerns.)
Antonyms
bore (Means to make someone feel uninterested and not engaged.)
Themes
daily life
|education
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To give someone something to do so they are busy.
To cause someone to be busy or engaged with an activity or thought.
VERB
B2
3
betölt
B2
Usage pattern:
to occupy [a position/role]
He occupies the role of chief engineer.
Ő tölti be a főmérnöki posztot.
She has occupied this position for five years.
Öt éve tölti be ezt a pozíciót.
Several ministers occupied key posts in the government.
Learner examples
He occupies an important job at the bank.
Fontos állást tölt be a banknál.
She occupies the role of manager.
Ő tölti be a vezetői posztot.
I occupy this position now.
Meaning
Hold a position or role
Collocations
occupy a post
|occupy a position
|occupy an office
Synonyms
hold (A common term for having a position or office.)
Antonyms
vacate (Means to leave a position or role.)
Themes
business
|politics
|work
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To have a job or role.
To have a particular job, position, or role.
VERB
A2
4
Usage pattern:
to occupy [space/time]
The sofa occupies most of the living room.
A kanapé elfoglalja a nappali nagy részét.
Meetings occupy much of my day.
A napom nagy részét megbeszélések töltik ki.
The files occupy too much memory on the device.
Learner examples
The bed occupies half of my room.
Az ágy elfoglalja a szobám felét.
Work occupies most of my day.
A napom nagy részét a munka tölti ki.
The box occupies this corner.
Meaning
Fill space or time
Collocations
occupy space
|occupy room
|occupy time
Synonyms
fill (General term for taking up space or time.)
Antonyms
free up (Means to make space or time available.)
Themes
daily life
|space
|time
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To be in a space or use time.
To take up space, area, or time.
Grammar
Dictionary form
occupy
IPA
GB/ˈɑkjəpˌaɪ/
US/ˈɑkjəpˌaɪ/
Syllables & stress
oc - cupy (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (oc)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: occupy
- 3rd Person Singular: occupies
- Present Participle: occupying
- Past: occupied
Word family
Forms
occupies
verb
occupying
verb
occupied
verb
Core family
occupation
noun A2
Negative and opposite forms
unoccupied
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
occupational
adjective B2
preoccupied
adjective
Expressions
be occupied with
1/bˈi ˈɑkjəpˌaɪd wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
Be busy with something
To be busy doing something or thinking about something.
Examples
- She is occupied with preparing for her exams.
- He was occupied with phone calls all morning.
fully occupied
1/fˈʊli ˈɑkjəpˌaɪd/
fixed phrase
Completely busy or in use
Being very busy or having no space or time free.
Examples
- I'm fully occupied with work this week.
- All hotel rooms are fully occupied during the festival.
occupied territory
1/ˈɑkjəpˌaɪd tˈɛɹɪtˌɔɹi/
fixed phrase
Land under foreign control
Land that is controlled by an army from another country.
Examples
- The region has been an occupied territory since the war began.
- Aid is being sent to people living in occupied territories.