ravine
gb/ɹəvˈin/ us/ɹəvˈin/
B2
English
~ 7400
szurdok, szakadék
NOUN
B2
1
szurdok
B2
Usage pattern:
a ravine in [a place]
A narrow bridge crossed the ravine high above the rushing water.
Egy keskeny híd ívelt át a szurdokon, magasan a rohanó víz fölött.
After the storm, rocks fell from the sides of the ravine and blocked the hiking trail.
A vihar után kövek zuhantak le a szurdok faláról, és eltorlaszolták a túraösvényt.
They set up camp near a ravine that cut through the forest.
Rescuers climbed down into the ravine to reach the injured climber.
The village lies on the edge of a deep ravine carved by the river.
Learner examples
There is a deep ravine near the town.
A város közelében van egy mély szurdok.
The hikers walked along the ravine and looked down.
A túrázók a szurdok mentén haladtak, és lenéztek.
A small river runs at the bottom of the ravine.
The car slid off the road and fell into a ravine.
We could not cross because a ravine was in our way.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "ravine" with "valley." A valley is usually wider and flatter, while a ravine is narrower and has much steeper sides. Learners may also say *"on the ravine"* instead of the correct preposition "in the ravine" when talking about something located inside it.
Meaning
deep, narrow valley or gorge
Collocations
deep ravine
|steep-sided ravine
|rocky ravine
|mountain ravine
|at the bottom of the ravine
|across the ravine
Synonyms
gorge (Very close in meaning; often suggests a larger or more dramatic ravine.)
|
canyon (Usually bigger and wider than a ravine and often used for famous or very large formations, especially in American English.)
|
gully (Typically smaller and less dramatic than a ravine; a shallow channel cut by water.)
Antonyms
hill (A raised area of land, the opposite kind of landform from a deep cut in the ground like a ravine.)
|
plain (A large flat area of land, contrasting with the steep, deep landform of a ravine.)
Themes
nature
|geography
|travel
|outdoors
|space
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A deep and narrow cut in the ground with very steep sides, usually made by water over a long time.
A deep, narrow valley with very steep sides, usually cut into the earth by a stream or river.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
2
szakadék
B2
Usage pattern:
a ravine between [groups or ideas]
The reforms were meant to narrow the ravine between the country’s wealthy elite and its rural poor.
A reformok célja az volt, hogy csökkentsék az ország gazdag elitje és vidéki szegényei közötti szakadékot.
There is a growing ravine between what politicians promise and what citizens actually experience.
Egyre nő a szakadék aközött, amit a politikusok ígérnek, és amit az állampolgárok ténylegesen megtapasztalnak.
Decades of mistrust have created a ravine between the two communities that is hard to cross.
Learner examples
There is a social ravine between the rich and the poor in this city.
Társadalmi szakadék van a gazdagok és a szegények között ebben a városban.
A deep ravine now separates the two political sides in the country.
Mély szakadék választja el egymástól az ország két politikai oldalát.
The writer talks about a ravine between parents and their teenage children today.
Common mistake:
Learners may assume this figurative sense is as common as the physical landform meaning. In general English, the concrete, physical meaning is much more common, and figurative uses of "ravine" are literary or stylistic; for everyday speech, words like "gap," "gulf," or "divide" are more natural.
Meaning
very deep figurative division
Collocations
a ravine between rich and poor
|a ravine between generations
|a ravine between cultures
|a social ravine
Synonyms
gulf (Common figurative term for a very large difference or distance between people or ideas; more frequent than the figurative use of "ravine".)
|
chasm (Often used figuratively for a very deep division; has a similar dramatic, literary tone.)
Antonyms
bridge (Symbolically represents connection or understanding between sides that were divided, the opposite of a separating "ravine".)
|
closeness (Describes a lack of distance or division between people or ideas, opposite to a deep separation like a ravine.)
Themes
relationships
|society
|politics
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very big and serious gap or difference between people or ideas, spoken about as if it were a deep cut in the ground.
A very large and serious separation or difference between people, groups, or ideas, described as if it were a deep, narrow valley.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ravine
IPA
GB/ɹəvˈin/
US/ɹəvˈin/
Syllables & stress
rav - ine (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ine)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: ravine
- Plural: ravines
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.