dominate
gb/dˈɑmənˌeɪt/ us/dˈɑmənˌeɪt/
B1
English
~ 2200
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
Have strong control over
To have a lot of control or power over someone or something.
Usage pattern:
to dominate [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'dominate' with 'domination'. 'Dominate' is a verb, while 'domination' is a noun.
Synonyms
control (A more general term for having power over something, not necessarily implying overwhelming influence.)
|
rule (Often used in political or formal contexts to mean governing or controlling.)
Antonyms
submit (Means to yield to another's control, the opposite of dominating.)
|
follow (Implies accepting another’s lead rather than exerting control.)
Collocations
dominate the market
|dominate a conversation
|dominate the game
|politically dominate
|dominate the industry
Themes
power
|relationships
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The company continues to dominate the smartphone market.
- She tends to dominate group discussions, leaving little room for others to speak.
- One team completely dominated the match from start to finish.
- Political parties often try to dominate public opinion through media.
- The tall building dominates the city skyline.
Learner examples
- That team dominates every game they play.
- He dominates the class by talking a lot.
- This company dominates the food market.
- She dominates the meeting and speaks most of the time.
Verb
B1
state
2
Be most noticeable feature
To be the thing that people notice most in a place or situation.
Usage pattern:
to dominate [a place/view/situation]
Synonyms
tower over (Emphasizes physical height and visual prominence.)
|
stand out (More general for being noticeable, not necessarily overpowering.)
Antonyms
blend in (Means to not be noticeable and mix with surroundings.)
Collocations
dominate the skyline
|dominate the landscape
|dominate the scene
Themes
appearance
|places
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The cathedral dominates the town square.
- Her bright red dress dominated the party scene.
- A huge mountain dominates the horizon.
Learner examples
- The tall tower dominates the city view.
- The castle dominates the small village.
- A big tree dominates the garden.
Verb
B1
action
3
Perform much better than others
To do much better than other people in a game or competition.
Usage pattern:
to dominate [a sport/game/competition]
Synonyms
outclass (Highlights being clearly superior in skill or performance.)
|
overwhelm (Suggests winning by a very large margin.)
Antonyms
struggle (Implies having difficulty rather than excelling.)
Collocations
dominate the competition
|dominate the field
|dominate the rankings
Themes
sports
|competition
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Our team dominated the tournament, winning every match.
- She dominated the chess championship for three years in a row.
- The athlete dominated his rivals with ease.
Learner examples
- The team dominated the game and won easily.
- She dominated the race from start to finish.
- They dominated all other players in the match.
Grammar
Dictionary form
dominate
IPA
GB/dˈɑmənˌeɪt/
US/dˈɑmənˌeɪt/
Syllables & stress
dom - in - ate (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (dom)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: dominate
- 3rd Person Singular: dominates
- Present Participle: dominating
- Past: dominated
Word family
Forms
dominates
verb
dominating
verb
dominated
verb
Core family
Related words
domineering
adjective
dominion
noun B2
Negative and opposite forms
non-dominant
adjective
Advanced or less common
Expressions
dominate the conversation
1/dˈɑmənˌeɪt ðə kˌɑnvɚsˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
Speak most in conversation
To talk so much in a conversation that others cannot speak much.
Examples
- He tends to dominate the conversation at dinner parties.
- She doesn't mean to dominate the conversation, but she gets excited.
dominate the headlines
1/dˈɑmənˌeɪt ðə hˈɛdlˌaɪnz/
fixed phrase
Be main news topic
To be the most talked about story in the news.
Examples
- The scandal dominated the headlines for weeks.
- Natural disasters often dominate the headlines when they happen.
dominate the market
1/dˈɑmənˌeɪt ðə mˈɑɹkɪt/
fixed phrase
Control most of a market
To sell more than anyone else and control most of a market.
Examples
- Tech giants dominate the market for online advertising.
- The brand has dominated the market for over a decade.