shed
gb/ʃˈɛd/ us/ʃˈɛd/
A2
English
~ 8300
hullat, vedlik, kerti fészer, szerszámoskamra, megszabadul, lead, leépít, rávilágít, fényt derít, vért ont, vérzik, fészer, istálló, szín
VERB
A2
1
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] sheds [hair/leaves/skin/etc.]
Our dog sheds so much hair that we have to vacuum every day.
A kutyánk annyi szőrt hullat, hogy mindennap porszívóznunk kell.
The trees along the street shed their leaves in autumn.
Az utca menti fák ősszel lehullatják a leveleiket.
Many snakes shed their skin several times a year.
This plant sheds its flowers quickly once the weather gets hot.
Learner examples
My cat sheds a lot in the summer.
A macskám nyáron nagyon vedlik.
The big tree in our yard sheds yellow leaves in October.
Az udvarunkban álló nagy fa októberben sárga leveleket hullat.
A snake sheds its old skin when it grows.
Some birds shed their feathers after the winter.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "shed" with "shave". "Shed" is usually natural and not controlled (a dog sheds hair), while "shave" is something a person does on purpose (you shave your face or legs).
Meaning
lose hair, leaves, skin, etc.
Collocations
shed hair
|shed leaves
|shed skin
|shed fur
|shed feathers
|shed seasonally
Synonyms
molt (More technical and mainly used for animals or insects changing feathers, skin, or shell.)
Antonyms
grow (Describes producing new hair, leaves, or skin, the opposite of losing them.)
Themes
nature
|animals
|daily life
|body
Definition
To slowly lose hair, leaves, skin, or something similar from the body or surface, often in a natural way.
To lose or let fall hair, leaves, skin, or similar material from the body or surface, usually as a natural or regular process.
NOUN
B1
2
kerti fészer
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] keeps [things] in a shed
He keeps all his gardening tools in the shed at the bottom of the yard.
Az összes kerti szerszámát a kert végében álló fészerben tartja.
They turned the old shed into a small home office.
A régi fészert kis otthoni irodává alakították.
The bikes are locked in the shed behind the house.
We need to clear out the shed; it's full of junk.
Learner examples
There is a small shed in our garden.
Van egy kis fészer a kertünkben.
My father puts his tools in the shed.
Apám a fészerbe teszi a szerszámait.
We keep the lawn mower in the shed.
The shed is behind the house.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "shed" with "garage". A garage is usually larger and used for cars, while a shed is usually smaller and used for tools or storage.
Meaning
small storage building
Collocations
garden shed
|tool shed
|wooden shed
|storage shed
|bike shed
Synonyms
outbuilding (A more general and slightly more formal word for a small building separate from the main house.)
Antonyms
main house (Refers to the primary living building, as opposed to a small separate storage building like a shed.)
Themes
home
|buildings
|daily life
|housing
|daily_life
Definition
A small building near a house where people keep tools, bikes, or other things.
A small, simple building, often in a yard or garden, used for storing tools, equipment, or other things, or for doing simple work.
VERB
B2
3
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] sheds [weight/jobs/image/etc.]
The company plans to shed 500 jobs over the next year.
A vállalat a következő évben 500 munkahely leépítését tervezi.
She managed to shed ten kilos by changing her diet.
Az étrendje megváltoztatásával sikerült tíz kilót leadnia.
The party is trying to shed its image as a group of extremists.
In the move to digital, the firm shed many of its older processes.
Learner examples
The company had to shed many workers during the crisis.
A válság idején a vállalatnak sok dolgozót kellett leépítenie.
He wants to shed a few kilos before summer.
Nyár előtt szeretne leadni néhány kilót.
The team is trying to shed its bad image.
She is working hard to shed her old habits.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "lose" instead of "shed" in business news writing (for example, "The company will lose 500 jobs"). While understandable, "shed" is more natural when the company is actively cutting jobs, and "lose" is more natural when jobs disappear without intention.
Meaning
get rid of something unwanted
Collocations
shed weight
|shed jobs
|shed staff
|shed excess
|shed responsibility
|shed an image
Synonyms
discard (Focuses more on throwing something away, often something physical, while "shed" is common with abstract things like weight or image.)
Antonyms
take on (Means to accept or add responsibilities, staff, or work, the opposite of removing or reducing them.)
Themes
health
|business
|society
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To lose or remove something you do not want or need, like extra weight, extra workers, or an old way of thinking.
To get rid of something unwanted, unnecessary, or no longer useful, such as weight, jobs, responsibilities, or an old image.
VERB
B2
4
rávilágít
B2
fényt derít
B2
Usage pattern:
[something] sheds light on [something]
The report sheds new light on how the data was collected.
A jelentés új megvilágításba helyezi az adatok gyűjtésének módját.
Her book sheds light on the lives of migrant workers.
Könyve rávilágít a migráns munkások életére.
Recent discoveries have shed light on the origins of the disease.
The emails shed little light on who actually made the decision.
Learner examples
This study sheds light on the problem of air pollution.
Ez a tanulmány rávilágít a légszennyezés problémájára.
His story sheds light on life in a small village.
A története rávilágít arra, milyen az élet egy kis faluban.
The new data sheds more light on the cause of the crash.
The article sheds light on why prices are rising.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "give a light on" or "put light on" instead of the fixed expression "shed light on". The natural pattern is "shed light on [something]".
Meaning
make something clearer with information
Collocations
shed light on
|shed new light on
|shed further light on
|research sheds light on
Synonyms
clarify (A general verb for making something clearer; "shed light on" is a common expression often used in news and academic writing.)
Antonyms
obscure (Means to make something less clear or harder to understand, the opposite of making it clearer.)
Themes
communication
|knowledge
|science
|education
Definition
To help people understand something by giving more information about it.
To make a subject easier to understand by providing new or additional information about it.
VERB
B2
FORMAL
5
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] sheds [tears/blood]
Many lives were lost and much blood was shed during the civil war.
A polgárháború alatt sok emberélet veszett oda, és sok vér folyt.
She shed a few quiet tears during the speech.
A beszéd alatt csendben hullatott néhány könnycseppet.
History books record how little blood was shed in the transfer of power.
He is not the type to shed tears in public.
Learner examples
The child fell and shed some blood on his knee.
A gyerek elesett, és vérzett a térde.
She shed tears of joy when she saw her family.
Örömkönnyeket hullatott, amikor meglátta a családját.
Much blood was shed in the battle.
He does not easily shed tears.
Common mistake:
Learners may say "drop tears" or "lose blood" in formal writing. The natural phrases are "shed tears" and "shed blood" in these contexts.
Meaning
produce and lose tears or blood
Collocations
shed tears
|shed a tear
|shed blood
|shed no tears
|shed much blood
Synonyms
bleed (Focuses only on blood; "shed" can be used with both tears and blood and is a bit more formal or literary.)
Antonyms
heal (When a wound heals, blood is no longer lost, which is the opposite situation of shedding blood.)
Themes
emotions
|violence
|war
|body
Definition
To let tears or blood come out of the body, for example when you cry or are hurt.
To produce and lose tears, blood, or a similar liquid from the body, especially in expressing emotion or in acts of violence.
NOUN
C1
6
Usage pattern:
[something] is kept in a shed
The cows were moved into the cattle shed for the winter.
A teheneket télire bevitték a tehénistállóba.
Old trains are stored in the engine shed near the station.
A régi vonatokat az állomás közelében lévő mozdonyszínben tárolják.
Workers met in a metal shed behind the main factory.
The aircraft shed was large enough to hold several planes.
Learner examples
The farmer keeps his cows in a cattle shed.
A gazda a teheneit egy istállóban tartja.
Old buses are parked in a big shed.
A régi buszok egy nagy fészerben állnak.
The machines are stored in a metal shed.
We walked past a long train shed at the station.
Meaning
large simple roofed structure
Collocations
cattle shed
|engine shed
|train shed
|factory shed
|aircraft shed
Synonyms
barn (Often used for farm buildings for animals or crops; "shed" can be used more generally for simple roofed structures.)
Antonyms
outdoors (Refers to being in the open air without a roof or building, the opposite of being protected in a shed.)
Themes
industry
|transport
|agriculture
|housing
|work
Definition
A big, simple building with a roof, used to keep animals, machines, or vehicles safe and dry.
A large, simple roofed structure used for storing or protecting vehicles, animals, or industrial equipment, often found on farms, at stations, or in factories.
Grammar
Dictionary form
shed
IPA
GB/ʃˈɛd/
US/ʃˈɛd/
Syllables & stress
shed (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (shed)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: shed
- Plural: sheds
Verb
- Base: shed
- 3rd Person Singular: sheds
- Present Participle: shedding
- Past: shed
- Past Participle: shed
Word family
Forms
sheds
noun
shedding
verb
Related words
bloodshed
noun
Advanced or less common
shedder
noun
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: shedding Verb
- Irregular past: shed Verb
- Irregular past participle: shed Verb
Expressions
cattle shed
1/kˈætəl ʃˈɛd/
fixed phrase
farm building for cattle
A building on a farm where cows or other cattle are kept.
Examples
- The cows were moved into the cattle shed before the storm.
- The farmer cleaned out the cattle shed every morning.
garden shed
1/ɡˈɑɹdən ʃˈɛd/
fixed phrase
small storage building in garden
A small building in a garden where people keep garden tools and other things.
Examples
- He keeps the lawn mower in the garden shed.
- They painted the garden shed bright blue last summer.
shed blood
1/ʃˈɛd blˈʌd/
fixed phrase
formal
cause injury or death violently
To cause people to be hurt or killed so that blood is lost, especially in war or fighting.
Examples
- The leaders promised that no more blood would be shed over this conflict.
- A lot of blood was shed during the revolution.
shed its skin
1/ʃˈɛd ˈɪts skˈɪn/
fixed phrase
snake or reptile changes skin
For an animal like a snake or lizard to remove its old skin so a new skin can grow.
Examples
- A healthy snake will shed its skin several times a year.
- We found the place where the lizard had shed its skin.
shed jobs
1/ʃˈɛd d͡ʒˈɑbz/
fixed phrase
cut or reduce jobs
When a company or industry removes some jobs and lets workers go.
Examples
- The factory has shed hundreds of jobs in the last decade.
- As demand fell, the airline began to shed jobs across Europe.
shed leaves
1/ʃˈɛd lˈivz/
fixed phrase
tree or plant loses leaves
For a tree or plant to lose its leaves, often in autumn.
Examples
- These trees shed their leaves early when the weather is dry.
- The old oak sheds leaves all over the driveway every fall.
shed light on
1/ʃˈɛd lˈaɪt ˈɔn/
idiom
make something clearer or known
To help people understand something by giving new or more information about it.
Examples
- The documentary sheds light on how the company tried to hide its mistakes.
- New research may shed light on why some people recover faster from the illness.
shed tears
1/ʃˈɛd tˈɪɹz/
fixed phrase
formal
cry, usually in a formal style
To cry, especially used in more formal or written language.
Examples
- Many shed tears as the names of the victims were read out.
- She shed tears of relief when she heard the good news.
shed weight
1/ʃˈɛd wˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
lose body weight
To lose body weight, usually by eating less or doing more exercise.
Examples
- He shed a lot of weight after he stopped drinking soda.
- The program is designed to help people shed weight safely.
tool shed
1/tˈul ʃˈɛd/
fixed phrase
small building for tools
A small building where tools are kept.
Examples
- The hammer is in the tool shed next to the garage.
- He locked the tool shed after finishing the repairs.