moderate
gb/mˈɑdɚɪt/ us/mˈɑdɚɪt/
B1
English
~ 5500
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
neither small nor large in degree
Not very big and not very small; in the middle amount or level.
Usage pattern:
a moderate [amount/level/rise/temperature]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "moderate" with "medium" and use it for fixed size labels (e.g. clothing or coffee sizes). In those contexts, "medium" is normal, not "moderate". Use "moderate" mostly for degree or intensity (exercise, rain, pain, growth).
Synonyms
average (Focuses on being typical or usual, not on avoiding extremes.)
|
reasonable (Adds a sense of being sensible or acceptable, not just middle-sized.)
|
medium (More technical or size-focused; does not suggest good judgment.)
Antonyms
extreme (Describes something very great or very small in degree, far from the middle.)
|
severe (Suggests a very strong or harsh degree, especially for weather, pain, or conditions.)
Collocations
moderate amount
|moderate level
|moderate increase
|moderate temperature
|moderate exercise
|moderate rainfall
Themes
descriptions
|weather
|health
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The region has a moderate climate with warm summers and cool winters.
- Adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week.
- There was only a moderate increase in prices this year.
- He felt a moderate amount of pain after the operation, but it was manageable.
- The company reported moderate growth in the last quarter.
Learner examples
- We had moderate rain last night, not too heavy.
- She does moderate exercise three times a week.
- The hotel is a place with moderate prices.
- He had only moderate success with his first business.
- The test was of moderate difficulty for the students.
unknown
B2
property
2
not extreme in views or behavior
Having ideas or behavior that are in the middle, not very strong on one side or the other.
Usage pattern:
a moderate [view/position/politician/group]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "moderate" here to mean "not important" or "weak". It does not mean that the person or idea is unimportant; it means their views are not extreme.
Synonyms
centrist (Used mainly in politics; slightly more technical and specific to the political center.)
|
middle-of-the-road (Informal; can sound slightly negative, suggesting lack of strong opinions.)
|
balanced (Emphasizes fairness and weighing both sides, not just being in the middle.)
Antonyms
radical (Suggests very strong or extreme views that want big, fast changes.)
|
hardline (Describes very strict, inflexible views, especially in politics or negotiations.)
Collocations
moderate views
|moderate position
|moderate voice
|moderate faction
|moderate candidate
|politically moderate
Themes
politics
|society
Examples
- She is known for her moderate views on economic policy.
- The party is trying to appeal to moderate voters in the suburbs.
- A moderate approach may help bring both sides to an agreement.
- He is seen as a moderate voice within the organization.
- The government replaced several hardliners with more moderate officials.
Learner examples
- Many people have moderate political ideas.
- The leader is very moderate and listens to both sides.
- The party chose a moderate candidate for the election.
- She takes a moderate position on immigration.
- A moderate group tried to stop the fighting.
Verb
B2
action
3
make something less intense or extreme
To reduce how strong or extreme something is.
Usage pattern:
to moderate [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "make it more moderate" instead of using the verb directly (e.g. "We must moderate our demands," not "We must make our demands more moderate"). They also confuse it with "meditate" because the words look similar but have very different meanings.
Synonyms
soften (Often used for language or attitude; slightly more emotional in tone.)
|
tone down (Informal phrasal verb; especially for speech or behavior that is too strong.)
|
reduce (Very general; does not imply avoiding extremes or being reasonable.)
Antonyms
intensify (To make something stronger or more extreme in degree.)
|
heighten (Often used for emotions, tensions, or effects becoming stronger.)
Collocations
moderate your tone
|moderate your drinking
|moderate your language
|moderate demand
|moderate the impact
|moderate inflation
Themes
behavior
|emotions
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- You need to moderate your tone when you talk to customers.
- The new regulations are expected to moderate the impact of rising energy prices.
- He tried to moderate his drinking after the health scare.
- The central bank raised interest rates to moderate inflation.
- She moderated her criticism when she saw how upset he was.
Learner examples
- Please moderate your voice; people are trying to work.
- The teacher asked him to moderate his language in class.
- The government wants to moderate price increases.
- After the accident, he decided to moderate his driving speed.
- New rules helped to moderate the risk for investors.
Verb
B2
action
4
lead and manage a discussion
To lead a talk, debate, or meeting and make sure people follow the rules and take turns.
Usage pattern:
to moderate [a discussion/debate/panel]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "moderate a debate" means to reduce the strength of opinions. Here it specifically means to lead and control the debate, not to change what people think.
Synonyms
chair (Common in meetings and committees; more formal and institutional.)
|
facilitate (Focuses on helping the discussion move forward smoothly, not on control.)
|
host (Often used for TV or radio shows; less about rules, more about presenting.)
Antonyms
disrupt (To interrupt and stop a discussion from being orderly.)
Collocations
moderate a debate
|moderate a panel
|moderate a discussion
|moderate a forum
|moderate a session
|moderate a Q&A
Themes
communication
|work
|media
Examples
- The journalist will moderate the presidential debate tonight.
- She was invited to moderate a panel on climate change.
- A neutral expert was chosen to moderate the discussion between the two sides.
- He regularly moderates online webinars for the company.
- The conference hired a professional to moderate the Q&A sessions.
Learner examples
- A TV host will moderate the debate.
- The teacher asked a student to moderate the class discussion.
- She will moderate a panel about new technology.
- We need someone calm to moderate this meeting.
- He often moderates online talks for his company.
Verb
B2
action
5
control and filter online content
To check posts, comments, or photos on a website and remove or hide them if they break the rules.
Usage pattern:
to moderate [comments/posts/content]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with simply "editing" or "managing" a page. Moderating content specifically means checking posts against rules and blocking or removing what is not allowed.
Synonyms
filter (Focuses on automatically blocking or sorting content, often by software.)
|
censor (Strong negative tone; suggests unfair or political removal of content.)
|
screen (General checking process; not always about public online content.)
Antonyms
allow (To permit content to remain visible or be posted.)
Collocations
moderate comments
|moderate content
|moderate posts
|moderate a forum
|moderate a group
|automatically moderate
Themes
technology
|internet
|law
|communication
Examples
- The platform uses AI tools to moderate user comments in real time.
- Volunteers help moderate the forum to keep it free of hate speech.
- If they don't properly moderate the content, they could face legal problems.
- Teachers now have to moderate the class chat during online lessons.
- The group is private, and all posts are moderated before they appear.
Learner examples
- The website uses software to moderate bad comments.
- Three people moderate the Facebook group.
- All photos are moderated before other users can see them.
- He helps moderate an online forum about games.
- The company pays workers to moderate videos on the app.
Noun
B2
entity
6
person with centrist, non-extreme views
A person whose ideas, especially in politics, are in the middle, not very strong on one side or the other.
Usage pattern:
a moderate on [an issue]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "moderate" as a noun means "a moderate amount". As a noun, it refers to a person, usually in politics or social debates.
Synonyms
centrist (Common in political writing; more technical and clearly tied to the political center.)
|
swing voter (Someone whose vote can change sides; not always moderate in beliefs.)
Antonyms
extremist (Someone with very strong, far-left or far-right views, often seen as dangerous.)
|
hardliner (A person who refuses to change strong positions, especially in politics.)
Collocations
political moderate
|moderate Democrats
|moderate Republicans
|a moderate on immigration
|a coalition of moderates
|win over moderates
Themes
politics
|society
Examples
- Moderates in both parties supported the compromise bill.
- The candidate must appeal to moderates if she wants to win the election.
- On economic issues he is a moderate, but on social issues he is more conservative.
- The proposal was criticized by both liberals and conservatives but praised by moderates.
- A group of moderates is trying to bridge the gap between the two sides.
Learner examples
- Many moderates voted for the new law.
- She is a moderate and does not like extreme ideas.
- The party lost support among moderates.
- Moderates helped the two groups make a deal.
- He is a moderate on tax issues but strict on crime.
Grammar
Dictionary form
moderate
IPA
GB/mˈɑdɚɪt/
US/mˈɑdɚɪt/
Syllables & stress
mod - er - ate (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (mod)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: moderate
Noun
- Base: moderate
- Plural: moderates
Verb
- Base: moderate
- 3rd Person Singular: moderates
- Present Participle: moderating
- Past: moderated
Word family
Forms
moderates
noun
moderating
verb
moderated
verb
Core family
moderately
adverb B1
moderation
noun B2
Related words
moderator
noun B1
Negative and opposite forms
immoderate
adjective
immoderately
adverb
Expressions
a voice of moderation
1/ə vˈɔɪs əv mˌɑdɚˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
person arguing for non-extreme actions
Someone who asks other people to stay calm and not take extreme actions or positions.
Examples
- She became a voice of moderation during the crisis.
- In a heated debate, his comments were a voice of moderation.
- The group lacks a strong voice of moderation to calm tensions.
in moderation
1/ˈɪn mˌɑdɚˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
to a limited, not extreme degree
To do or use something, but not too much and not too little; in a balanced way.
Examples
- You can enjoy dessert every day as long as you eat it in moderation.
- Experts say that social media is fine in moderation, but too much can harm your sleep.
- He drinks coffee in moderation to avoid feeling nervous.
in moderation
2/ˈɪn mˌɑdɚˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
in a limited, sensible amount
To do or have something only in small or middle amounts, not too much.
Examples
- You can eat dessert, but only in moderation.
- Drinking coffee in moderation is generally considered safe.
- Social media can be helpful if used in moderation.