skylark
gb/skˈaɪlˌɑɹk/ us/skˈaɪlˌɑɹk/
B2
English
pacsirta, bolondozik, bolondozás
NOUN
B2
1
pacsirta
B2
Usage pattern:
a/the skylark; skylarks
A skylark rose above the field, singing continuously as it climbed.
Egy pacsirta felemelkedett a mező fölé, és emelkedés közben folyamatosan énekelt.
We could hear skylarks even when we couldn’t see them in the tall grass.
A magas fűben akkor is hallottuk a pacsirtákat, amikor nem láttuk őket.
The sound of a skylark is often associated with spring in the countryside.
Learner examples
I heard a skylark singing.
Hallottam egy pacsirtát énekelni.
A skylark flew high in the sky.
Egy pacsirta magasan repült az égen.
Common mistake:
In North America, learners may confuse skylark with meadowlark (a different bird).
Meaning
small songbird of open fields
Collocations
a skylark sings
|the song of a skylark
|hear a skylark
|skylark song
|a skylark in flight
|skylarks overhead
|the Eurasian skylark
|skylark nesting
|skylark habitat
|a field skylark
Synonyms
lark (A broader term; 'skylark' is a specific kind of lark.)
|
songbird (More general; emphasizes singing rather than species.)
Antonyms
raptor (A bird of prey rather than a small singing bird.)
Themes
nature
|animals
|birds
Definition
a small bird that sings, often high in the sky
A small brown songbird known for singing while flying high above open countryside.
VERB
C1
INFORMAL
2
bolondozik
B1
Usage pattern:
skylark (around/about) (with [someone])
They were skylarking around in the corridor instead of getting to class.
Ahelyett, hogy órára mentek volna, a folyosón bolondoztak.
We got told off for skylarking in the warehouse.
Leszidtak minket, amiért a raktárban bolondoztunk.
He tends to skylark when the manager isn’t there.
Learner examples
Please stop skylarking and work.
Kérlek, hagyd abba a bolondozást, és dolgozz.
The children were skylarking around.
A gyerekek bolondoztak.
Common mistake:
Often used with 'around' or 'about' (e.g., 'skylark around'); it does not mean 'to sing' like the bird.
Meaning
fool around in a playful way
Collocations
skylark around
|skylark about
|stop skylarking
|skylark in the office
|skylark during class
|skylark with friends
|skylark at work
Synonyms
mess around (Very common; can be playful or mildly irresponsible.)
|
fool around (Neutral-informal; emphasizes not being serious.)
|
horse around (Often suggests rougher, noisier play.)
Antonyms
focus (To give attention seriously to the task.)
|
behave (To act properly and not play around.)
Themes
daily_life
|work
|social
Definition
to play and behave noisily instead of being serious
To behave in a silly, lively way, especially when you should be working or behaving seriously.
NOUN
C1
INFORMAL
3
bolondozás
B1
Usage pattern:
a skylark; a bit of skylark(ing)
What started as a skylark ended with someone spilling coffee over the laptop.
Ami bolondozásnak indult, azzal végződött, hogy valaki kávét öntött a laptopra.
The security guard warned them to stop their skylarking in the lobby.
A biztonsági őr figyelmeztette őket, hogy hagyják abba a bolondozást az előcsarnokban.
It was meant as a skylark, but not everyone found it funny.
Learner examples
It was only a skylark.
Csak bolondozás volt.
Their skylarking annoyed the teacher.
A bolondozásuk idegesítette a tanárt.
Common mistake:
This meaning is less common than the bird meaning; it usually refers to harmless fun, not serious trouble.
Meaning
a playful prank or piece of fun
Collocations
a bit of skylarking
|just a skylark
|harmless skylarking
|schoolboy skylarking
|some skylarking
Synonyms
prank (More direct; can be less harmless than 'skylark'.)
|
lark (Very close in meaning in British English; also common in 'just a lark'.)
|
high jinks (Emphasizes noisy, energetic fun.)
Antonyms
seriousness (The opposite mood: not playful or mischievous.)
Themes
social
|humor
Definition
a funny, playful prank
A playful, usually harmless act of mischief or high-spirited fun.
Grammar
Dictionary form
skylark
IPA
GB/skˈaɪlˌɑɹk/
US/skˈaɪlˌɑɹk/
Syllables & stress
sky - lark (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (sky)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: skylark
- Plural: skylarks
Verb
- Base: skylark
- 3rd Person Singular: skylarks
- Present Participle: skylarking
- Past: skylarked
Expressions
skylark around
1/skˈaɪlˌɑɹk ɚˈaʊnd/
phrasal verb
informal
behave playfully instead of working
to play and not work
Examples
- The interns were skylarking around when they should have been filing.
- Stop skylarking around and help me carry these boxes.
- We used to skylark around after practice until the coach came back.
Learner examples
- They skylarked around in the office.