fare
gb/fˈɛɹ/ us/fˈɛɹ/
A2
English
~ 9000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
price for a bus, train, taxi, etc.
The money you pay to travel by bus, train, taxi, plane, or similar transport.
Usage pattern:
to pay [the] fare to [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse “fare” with “fair” because they sound the same. “Fare” is the money you pay to travel, while “fair” can mean “just” or “a public event.” Another mistake is saying *“I bought a fare”*; usually you buy a *ticket* and pay a *fare*.
Synonyms
ticket price (Common term for the amount charged for travel; slightly more general and often used for events as well as transport.)
Antonyms
free (Describes travel that does not require paying a fare.)
Collocations
bus fare
|train fare
|airfare
|taxi fare
|one-way fare
|round-trip fare
Themes
travel
|money
|daily life
|transportation
|finance
Examples
- The bus fare has gone up again this year.
- How much is the taxi fare from the airport to the city center?
- I didn’t have enough money for the train fare, so I had to borrow some from a friend.
- Children under five travel for half the usual fare.
- She bought her ticket online because the advance fare was cheaper.
Learner examples
- The bus fare is two dollars.
- I paid the taxi fare with my card.
- Do you know the fare to the airport?
- He did not have enough money for the fare.
- My train fare was very high.
Noun
B2
entity
2
food or a kind of food
Food that is given or sold, often described as a special kind or style of food.
Usage pattern:
[adjective] fare is served
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use “fare” to mean any food in everyday speech, which can sound odd. In most casual situations, people just say “food” or “meal.” “Fare” is more common in writing, menus, and reviews, often with an adjective like “local,” “traditional,” or “simple.”
Synonyms
cuisine (More formal; often refers to an overall style of cooking from a country or region, not just a specific meal.)
Antonyms
drink (In some contexts, used contrastively when “fare” refers mainly to solid food rather than beverages.)
Collocations
traditional fare
|local fare
|simple fare
|pub fare
|Italian fare
|vegetarian fare
Themes
food
|daily life
|culture
|food_drink
|daily_life
Examples
- The restaurant serves simple home-style fare at reasonable prices.
- Street vendors offer a wide range of local fare during the festival.
- We enjoyed hearty country fare, including stews and fresh bread.
- The café’s vegetarian fare has become very popular with office workers.
- This is typical pub fare—burgers, chips, and pies.
Learner examples
- The hotel offers simple fare for dinner.
- We tried the local fare at a small restaurant.
- This café has good vegetarian fare.
- They ate traditional fare at the family party.
- I like the light fare at this bar.
Verb
B2
action
3
to do or perform in a situation
To do well or badly in a situation, test, or time in your life.
Usage pattern:
to fare [well/badly] in [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *“fare good”* instead of “fare well.” After “fare,” use an adverb like “well,” “badly,” or “poorly,” not an adjective. Also, do not use “fare” when you only mean “feel”; say “I feel good,” not *“I fare good.”*
Synonyms
perform (Focuses more on how someone acts or succeeds in a task; often used in formal or evaluative contexts.)
Antonyms
struggle (Suggests doing poorly or having a hard time, which is the opposite of faring well.)
Collocations
fare well
|fare badly
|fare poorly
|fare better
|fare worse
|fare badly in exams
Themes
results
|work
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- How did you fare in your driving test?
- Small businesses have not fared well during the economic downturn.
- The team fared better than expected against the league champions.
- Older voters tended to fare worse under the new tax changes.
- Students from rural areas often fare differently in national exams.
Learner examples
- She fared well in the job interview.
- He did not fare well on the test.
- How did your company fare last year?
- Many shops did not fare well during the winter.
- The team fared better in the second game.
Noun
C1
entity
4
a paying passenger in a taxi
A customer in a taxi or similar car who pays for the ride.
Usage pattern:
to pick up a fare
Common mistake:
Learners rarely use this sense and may think “fare” always means money. In taxi contexts, “fare” can mean either the price OR the paying passenger. Use the surrounding words to see which meaning is intended.
Synonyms
passenger (General word for someone being carried in a vehicle; does not always mean they are paying directly, whereas “fare” usually does.)
Antonyms
driver (The person operating the vehicle, in contrast to the paying passenger.)
Collocations
pick up a fare
|lose a fare
|hail a fare
|share a fare
|look for fares
|taxi fare waiting
Themes
travel
|work
|services
|transportation
|daily_life
Examples
- The taxi driver waited at the station, hoping to pick up a fare.
- It took him an hour to find his first fare of the night.
- She asked the fare to put on a seat belt before they left.
- Most of his fares are business travelers going to the airport.
- The cabbie lost a fare when the customer canceled at the last minute.
Learner examples
- The taxi driver picked up a fare at the hotel.
- He waited in his cab for a fare.
- Her first fare of the day went to the airport.
- The driver asked the fare to pay in cash.
- He lost a fare because he was late.
Noun
C1
entity
5
type or quality of entertainment
Movies, TV shows, books, or other entertainment, seen as a certain kind or level of quality.
Usage pattern:
[adjective] fare is offered
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes miss that this sense is about entertainment, not food. Phrases like “Hollywood fare” or “TV fare” refer to the usual type of movies or shows, not meals.
Synonyms
offering (Neutral term for something presented to the public; less specific to entertainment but often used in reviews.)
Antonyms
highbrow (Often used contrastively when “fare” refers to simple or low-level entertainment; “highbrow” suggests more serious, intellectual content.)
Collocations
standard fare
|light fare
|typical fare
|Hollywood fare
|mainstream fare
|highbrow fare
Themes
media
|culture
|entertainment
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Examples
- The film is standard Hollywood fare with big explosions and a simple story.
- Most of the channel’s evening fare is light comedy and reality shows.
- The magazine mainly offers serious political fare for its readers.
- This kind of predictable romantic fare still attracts a large audience.
- Streaming services now provide a wide range of international fare.
Learner examples
- The movie is typical Hollywood fare.
- The TV station offers light fare in the evening.
- The magazine gives more serious fare on weekends.
- That show is simple entertainment fare.
- Most of their fare is easy to watch.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fare
IPA
GB/fˈɛɹ/
US/fˈɛɹ/
Syllables & stress
fare (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (fare)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: fare
- Plural: fare, fares
Verb
- Base: fare
- 3rd Person Singular: fares
- Present Participle: faring
- Past: fared
Word family
Expressions
bus fare
1/bˈʌs fˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase
price of a bus ride
The money you must pay to ride a bus.
Examples
- I don’t have enough bus fare to get home.
- The city raised the bus fare to cover higher fuel costs.
fare badly
1/fˈɛɹ bˈædli/
fixed phrase
to do poorly or suffer
To have poor results or to not be successful in a situation.
Examples
- Students who missed classes fared badly on the exam.
- Many local shops fared badly when the new mall opened.
fare well
1/fˈɛɹ wˈɛl/
fixed phrase
to do well or succeed
To be successful or have good results in a situation.
Examples
- She fared well in the interview and got the job.
- Small companies have not fared well in the current economy.
light fare
1/lˈaɪt fˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase
simple, not heavy food or content
Food that is not heavy, or entertainment that is easy and not serious.
Examples
- The café serves light fare at lunchtime, such as salads and soups.
- After a long day, I just want some light fare and a few jokes on TV.
standard fare
1/stˈændɚd fˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase
usual, not special food or content
Food or entertainment that is normal and expected, not special or different.
Examples
- The restaurant offers standard fare like burgers and fries.
- The movie is standard fare for this director: loud, fast, and predictable.