photograph
gb/fˈoʊtəɡɹˌæf/ us/fˈoʊtəɡɹˌæf/
A2
English
~ 1800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
A picture taken with a camera
A picture made with a camera.
Usage pattern:
take [a] photograph of [something/someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'photograph' with 'photography'. 'Photograph' is the image itself, while 'photography' is the activity or art of taking photographs.
Synonyms
photo (A very common informal or shortened form of 'photograph'.)
|
picture (A general term that can mean any image, not only those made with a camera.)
Antonyms
drawing (A picture made by hand rather than captured with a camera.)
Collocations
take a photograph
|black-and-white photograph
|old photograph
|digital photograph
|family photograph
Themes
art
|media
|daily life
|arts_entertainment
|technology
|communication
Examples
- She framed a beautiful photograph of her grandparents.
- The newspaper published a photograph of the winning team.
- I found an old photograph from my childhood in the attic.
- A professional photograph can make your résumé stand out.
- The exhibition features photographs of wildlife from around the world.
Learner examples
- This is a photograph of my family.
- I took a photograph of the beach.
- He showed me a photograph of his dog.
- We looked at old photographs together.
- She likes to take photographs of flowers.
Verb
B1
action
2
To take a picture with a camera
To take a picture of someone or something with a camera.
Usage pattern:
photograph [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'make' instead of 'take' when talking about photographs in English. The correct phrase is 'take a photograph' or 'photograph [something]'.
Synonyms
snap (An informal term for quickly taking a photograph.)
|
shoot (Photography jargon for taking pictures, especially in professional contexts.)
Antonyms
ignore (To deliberately not capture an image of someone or something.)
Collocations
photograph wildlife
|photograph a wedding
|photograph the scene
|photograph celebrities
Themes
art
|media
|daily life
|arts_entertainment
|technology
|communication
Examples
- The journalist photographed the protest from a safe distance.
- She loves to photograph birds in their natural habitat.
- Tourists often photograph famous landmarks.
- He photographed the couple during their first dance.
- They photographed the crime scene for evidence.
Learner examples
- I like to photograph nature.
- She photographed her dog in the garden.
- We photographed the mountains during our trip.
- He photographed his friends at the party.
- They photographed the old building.
Grammar
Dictionary form
photograph
IPA
GB/fˈoʊtəɡɹˌæf/
US/fˈoʊtəɡɹˌæf/
Syllables & stress
pho - to - graph (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (pho)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: photograph
- Plural: photographs
Verb
- Base: photograph
- 3rd Person Singular: photographs
- Present Participle: photographing
- Past: photographed
Word family
Forms
photographs
noun
photographing
verb
photographed
verb
Core family
photographer
noun A2
photography
noun B1
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
unphotogenic
adjective
Advanced or less common
photographically
adverb
Expressions
pose for a photograph
1/pˈoʊz fɚ ə fˈoʊtəɡɹˌæf/
fixed phrase
Position yourself to be photographed
To stand or sit in a certain way so someone can take your picture.
Examples
- The family posed for a photograph before dinner.
- He posed for a photograph with the award.
take a photograph
1/tˈeɪk ə fˈoʊtəɡɹˌæf/
fixed phrase
Capture an image with a camera
To use a camera to make a picture.
Examples
- I took a photograph of the sunset.
- She took a photograph of her best friend smiling.
photographic memory
1/fˌoʊtəɡɹˈæfɪk mˈɛmɚi/
fixed phrase
exceptionally detailed visual memory
The ability to remember things you see with very great detail, as if you took a photo in your mind.
Examples
- People say she has a photographic memory because she never forgets a face.
- A photographic memory can be helpful in law school, but it is very rare.
- He relied on his photographic memory to recall the exact layout of the crime scene.
photographic memory
2/fˌoʊtəɡɹˈæfɪk mˈɛmɚi/
fixed phrase
Ability to remember images exactly
When someone can remember things they see very clearly, like looking at a photo in their mind.
Examples
- She has a photographic memory and can recall every page of the book.
- People with photographic memory can remember faces after many years.