smattering
gb/smˈætɚɪŋ/ us/smˈætɚɪŋ/
C1
English
felületes ismeret, alapismeret, szórványos, itt-ott néhány, szórványos csapadék
NOUN
C1
1
alapismeret
B2
Usage pattern:
a smattering of [a subject/language]
She has a smattering of French, but she struggles to hold a conversation.
Tud egy keveset franciául, de nehezen tud beszélgetést folytatni.
I only have a smattering of economics, so I might be wrong.
Csak felületes közgazdasági ismereteim vannak, úgyhogy lehet, hogy tévedek.
He spoke with a smattering of legal jargon to sound impressive.
Learner examples
I have a smattering of Spanish.
Tudok egy kicsit spanyolul.
She has a smattering of knowledge about computers.
Van némi felületes ismerete a számítógépekről.
Common mistake:
Smattering is a noun and is most commonly used with of ("a smattering of French"), not as a verb.
Meaning
a small amount of knowledge
Collocations
a smattering of French
|a smattering of Spanish
|a smattering of Italian
|a smattering of German
|a smattering of knowledge
|a smattering of maths
|a smattering of coding
|a smattering of history
|a smattering of medical terms
|a smattering of facts
Synonyms
a little (More general; not as specific about being superficial.)
|
a bit (Very common and informal compared with smattering.)
|
rudiments (Suggests the basic elements rather than scattered knowledge.)
|
a smidgen (More informal; emphasizes a tiny amount.)
Antonyms
expertise (Deep, confident knowledge and skill.)
|
mastery (Complete command of a subject or skill.)
|
thorough knowledge (Full and detailed understanding.)
Themes
education
|language_learning
|communication
Definition
a little knowledge of something (not deep)
A small and usually superficial amount of knowledge or skill in a subject, often not enough for confident use.
NOUN
C1
2
szórványos
C1
Usage pattern:
a smattering of [things/people/comments]
There was only a smattering of applause when the speech ended.
Amikor a beszéd véget ért, csak szórványos taps hallatszott.
The survey drew a smattering of responses from rural areas.
A felmérésre a vidéki területekről csak szórványosan érkeztek válaszok.
Across the valley you could see a smattering of lights from isolated homes.
Learner examples
There was a smattering of people at the meeting.
Csak néhány ember volt a megbeszélésen.
We saw a smattering of houses on the hill.
A dombon itt-ott néhány házat láttunk.
Common mistake:
Don’t use smattering for a large amount; it usually implies only a few.
Meaning
a small scattered amount
Collocations
a smattering of applause
|a smattering of laughter
|a smattering of empty seats
|a smattering of people
|a smattering of visitors
|a smattering of houses
|a smattering of comments
|a smattering of complaints
|a smattering of errors
|a smattering of examples
Synonyms
a sprinkling (Very close; often used for small amounts scattered around.)
|
a scattering (Emphasizes spread-out distribution more than smallness.)
|
a handful (Focuses on small number, not necessarily scattered.)
|
a few (Neutral and less descriptive.)
Antonyms
a multitude (A very large number.)
|
an abundance (A plentiful amount.)
|
a concentration (Not scattered; gathered in one area.)
Themes
daily_life
|describing_things
Definition
a few things or people, scattered
A small number or amount of something, spread here and there rather than concentrated.
NOUN
C1
3
Usage pattern:
a smattering of [rain/snow]
By morning there was a smattering of snow on the grass.
Reggelre vékony hóréteg borította a füvet.
The forecast calls for a smattering of showers in the afternoon.
Az előrejelzés délutánra szórványos záporokat jósol.
We drove through a smattering of rain but it didn’t last long.
Learner examples
There was a smattering of snow last night.
Tegnap éjjel egy kevés hó esett.
Meaning
a light fall of rain/snow
Collocations
a smattering of rain
|a smattering of snow
|a smattering of showers
|a smattering of flakes
|a smattering of drizzle
Synonyms
a sprinkling (More common for light rain or snow.)
|
light showers (More direct weather wording.)
Antonyms
heavy rain (Large amount of rain.)
|
downpour (Very heavy rain in a short time.)
|
blizzard (Severe snowstorm, not light or scattered.)
Themes
weather
Definition
a little rain or snow
A light, scattered amount of rain or snow.
Grammar
Dictionary form
smattering
IPA
GB/smˈætɚɪŋ/
US/smˈætɚɪŋ/
Syllables & stress
smat - ter - ing (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (smat)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: smattering
- Plural: smatterings
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.