fan
gb/fˈæn/ us/fˈæn/
A1
English
~ 2100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Enthusiastic supporter or admirer
A person who likes and supports someone or something very much.
Usage pattern:
a fan of [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'fan' with 'fun'. They might say 'I am fun of this singer' instead of 'I am a fan of this singer'.
Synonyms
supporter (Focuses more on active backing rather than emotional enthusiasm.)
|
admirer (Implies respect or liking, sometimes without active participation.)
Antonyms
critic (Someone who expresses disapproval or points out faults rather than supporting.)
Collocations
loyal fan
|die-hard fan
|sports fan
|big fan
|fan club
Themes
entertainment
|sports
|daily life
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- She has been a fan of the band since high school.
- Thousands of fans gathered outside the stadium.
- I'm a big fan of Italian food.
- The movie was loved by both critics and fans.
- He met some of his fans after the performance.
Learner examples
- I am a fan of this singer.
- Many fans watched the game.
- She is a big fan of pizza.
- Fans waited outside for the actor.
- My brother is a football fan.
Noun
A1
entity
2
Device that blows air
A machine that moves air to make you feel cooler.
Synonyms
ventilator (Technical term, often used in industrial or medical contexts.)
Antonyms
heater (A device that warms air instead of cooling it.)
Collocations
electric fan
|ceiling fan
|desk fan
|fan speed
Themes
daily life
|technology
|daily_life
Examples
- The ceiling fan kept the room cool.
- He turned on the fan to get some fresh air.
- This desk fan is perfect for my office.
- The fan was making a strange noise.
- Please switch off the fan before leaving.
Learner examples
- The fan is on the table.
- She turned on the fan.
- I bought a new fan.
- The fan makes the room cool.
- Turn off the fan when you leave.
Verb
B1
action
3
Wave to create airflow
To make air move by waving something in your hand.
Usage pattern:
to fan [someone/something]
Synonyms
wave (General term; does not always imply moving air.)
Antonyms
still (To stop movement, resulting in no airflow.)
Collocations
fan the flames
|fan herself
|fan him
Themes
daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She fanned herself with a magazine.
- He fanned the smoke away from his face.
- They fanned the embers to make the fire grow.
- She used a piece of cardboard to fan the barbecue coals.
- He fanned his friend to help cool him down.
Learner examples
- She fanned her face with paper.
- He fanned the smoke away.
- I fanned my friend with my hand.
- She fanned the fire with a stick.
- He fanned himself in the hot sun.
Verb
B2
action
4
Spread out in a shape like a fan
To spread things so they look like an open fan shape.
Usage pattern:
to fan [something] out
Synonyms
spread out (More general; not necessarily in a fan shape.)
Antonyms
gather up (To bring things together instead of spreading them apart.)
Collocations
fan out cards
|fan out papers
Themes
daily life
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The dealer fanned out the cards on the table.
- She fanned her hair out over her shoulders.
- They fanned out across the field to search for clues.
- He fanned the papers on his desk for display.
- The soldiers fanned out to cover more ground.
Learner examples
- The teacher fanned out the pictures.
- He fanned out the cards for us.
- We fanned out across the park.
- She fanned her hair over her back.
- They fanned out over the field.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fan
IPA
GB/fˈæn/
US/fˈæn/
Syllables & stress
fan (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (fan)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: fan
- Plural: fans
Verb
- Base: fan
- 3rd Person Singular: fans
- Present Participle: fanning
- Past: fanned
Word family
Forms
fans
noun
fanning
verb
fanned
verb
Related words
fanatic
noun B2
fandom
noun
Advanced or less common
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: fanning Verb
- Irregular past: fanned Verb
Expressions
big fan of
1/bˈɪɡ fˈæn əv/
fixed phrase
informal
Strongly like or admire something/someone
To like or admire something or someone very much.
Examples
- I'm a big fan of Italian food.
- He's not a big fan of horror movies.
fan club
1/fˈæn klˈʌb/
fixed phrase
Group of devoted supporters
A group of people who all like and support the same famous person or thing.
Examples
- She joined the official fan club for her favorite singer.
- The football team's fan club organizes events every year.
fan out
1/fˈæn ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
Spread outward from center point
To move or spread in different directions from one place.
Examples
- The police officers fanned out to search the area.
- Volunteers fanned out across the neighborhood.
fan the flames
1/fˈæn ðə flˈeɪmz/
idiom
Make situation or emotion worse/stronger
To make an already bad or emotional situation even stronger or worse.
Examples
- His comments only fanned the flames of the argument.
- The politician's comments only fanned the flames of public anger.
- The scandal fanned the flames of public anger.
- Sharing unconfirmed rumors can fan the flames of fear.
- Instead of calming things down, he fanned the flames by shouting back.