picture
gb/pˈɪkt͡ʃɚ/ us/pˈɪkt͡ʃɚ/
A1
English
~ 700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
A drawing, painting, or photograph
A drawing, painting, or photo that shows what something looks like.
Usage pattern:
a picture of [something/someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'picture' with 'photo'; all photos are pictures, but not all pictures are photos.
Synonyms
image (More general; can refer to visual representations in any medium, including digital.)
Antonyms
object (Refers to the actual thing instead of its representation.)
Collocations
take a picture
|look at a picture
|hang a picture
|draw a picture
Themes
art
|media
|daily life
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She hung a beautiful picture of the mountains in her living room.
- I took a picture of the sunset with my phone.
- The museum displayed pictures by famous artists.
- He drew a picture of his dog for art class.
Learner examples
- I have a picture of my family.
- She is looking at the picture on the wall.
- He took a picture of the cat.
- We like to look at old pictures.
Noun
B1
entity
2
An idea or description in the mind
An image or idea you have in your mind about something.
Usage pattern:
a picture of [something] in [someone's] mind
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'picture' here with an actual photograph; this meaning is abstract.
Synonyms
image (Can also refer to mental representations; often interchangeable.)
Antonyms
reality (Refers to the actual state of things rather than an imagined or described one.)
Collocations
clear picture
|mental picture
|get the picture
|paint a picture
Themes
thinking
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I have a clear picture in my head of the house I want to buy.
- The book paints a vivid picture of life in the 18th century.
- She gave me a better picture of what the job involves.
Learner examples
- I have a picture in my head of my old school.
- The teacher gave us a picture of life in another country.
- He told a story to give us a clear picture.
Noun
B2
entity
3
The general situation or state of affairs
The situation as a whole, not just one part.
Usage pattern:
the (big) picture of [situation]
Common mistake:
Learners may take 'big picture' literally instead of understanding it as an idiom for overall situation.
Synonyms
overview (A general summary rather than detailed parts.)
Antonyms
detail (Focus on specific elements rather than the whole.)
Collocations
big picture
|complete picture
|overall picture
Themes
communication
|planning
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We need to consider the big picture before making decisions.
- These statistics give us a complete picture of the problem.
- Try to see the whole picture, not just your part.
Learner examples
- We must look at the big picture.
- The report gives the full picture of the project.
- She sees the big picture and makes good plans.
Verb
B1
action
4
To form an image in the mind
To imagine what something looks like in your mind.
Usage pattern:
to picture [something/someone] [doing something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'picture' here with taking an actual photograph; here it means 'imagine'.
Synonyms
imagine (Broader use beyond visualizing appearance; 'picture' emphasizes visual aspects.)
Antonyms
forget (Lose the mental image entirely.)
Collocations
picture yourself
|picture this
|can’t picture
Themes
thinking
|core_vocabulary
|education
Examples
- Picture yourself on a sunny beach with no worries.
- I can't picture him living in the countryside.
- Can you picture what life will be like in 50 years?
Learner examples
- Picture yourself in a warm place.
- I can picture my friend smiling.
- Can you picture our new home?
Grammar
Dictionary form
picture
IPA
GB/pˈɪkt͡ʃɚ/
US/pˈɪkt͡ʃɚ/
Syllables & stress
pic - ture (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (pic)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: picture
- Plural: pictures
Verb
- Base: picture
- 3rd Person Singular: pictures
- Present Participle: picturing
- Past: pictured
Word family
Forms
pictures
noun
picturing
verb
pictured
verb
Advanced or less common
pictorial
adjective
picturesque
adjective B2
Expressions
get the picture
1/ɡˈɛt ðə pˈɪkt͡ʃɚ/
idiom
informal
Understand the situation clearly
To understand what is happening or being explained.
Examples
- After I explained it twice, he finally got the picture.
- You get the picture—it's not going to be easy.
paint a (adj.) picture (of)
1/pˈeɪnt ə ˈɑ ‖ pˈɪkt͡ʃɚ əv/
fixed phrase
Describe vividly with words or images
To describe something so clearly that people can imagine it well.
Examples
- The author painted a vivid picture of life during wartime.
- Her speech painted a bleak picture of the economy.
big picture
1/bˈɪɡ pˈɪkt͡ʃɚ/
idiom
Overall perspective of situation
The whole situation, not just small parts of it.
Examples
- We need to look at the big picture before deciding.
- Don’t get lost in details—remember the big picture.
big picture
2/bˈɪɡ pˈɪkt͡ʃɚ/
idiom
Overall view of a situation
The most important and general facts about something, not the small details.
Examples
- We need to focus on the big picture if we want to succeed.
- Don't get lost in the details; remember the big picture.
picture-perfect
1/pˈɪkt͡ʃɚ pˈɚfɛkt/
fixed phrase
Flawless in appearance or style
Looking exactly right or beautiful, like in a perfect photo.
Examples
- They had a picture-perfect wedding by the lake.
- The garden was picture-perfect in spring.
- The sunset was picture-perfect.