present
gb/pɹˈɛzənt/ us/pɹˈɛzənt/
A1
English
~ 1100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
Something given as a gift
Something you give to someone because it is a special day or to be kind.
Usage pattern:
give [someone] a present
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'present' (gift) with 'present' (now). Context and pronunciation help distinguish them.
Synonyms
gift (Slightly more formal and common in both personal and corporate contexts.)
Antonyms
penalty (The opposite in the sense of receiving something negative instead of something positive.)
Collocations
birthday present
|Christmas present
|give a present
|receive a present
|wrap a present
Themes
daily life
|relationships
|celebrations
|daily_life
Examples
- She gave him a beautiful watch as a birthday present.
- I still need to buy a present for my sister.
- They brought a present for the host of the party.
- He opened the present and smiled with joy.
Learner examples
- I got a present from my mother.
- This is a present for you.
- She gave me a big present.
- He opened his present slowly.
adjective
A2
property
2
Happening or existing now
Happening or existing now.
Usage pattern:
the present situation
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'present' (adjective) with 'present' (noun gift). Context helps clarify meaning.
Synonyms
current (More formal and used often in official or business contexts.)
Antonyms
past (Refers to a time before now.)
Collocations
present moment
|present situation
|present day
Themes
time
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- In the present situation, we must be careful.
- She is happy with her present job.
- The present government has introduced new policies.
Learner examples
- I am happy in the present.
- We live in the present.
- This is my present job.
Verb
B1
action
3
Formally give or show something
To give or show something to someone, often in a formal way.
Usage pattern:
present [something] to [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'introduce', but 'present' often involves showing or giving something tangible or prepared.
Synonyms
award (Specifically refers to giving something as recognition of achievement.)
Antonyms
withhold (To deliberately not give something that could be given.)
Collocations
present an award
|present evidence
|present a plan
Themes
business
|ceremony
|communication
|work
Examples
- The manager will present the report to the board tomorrow.
- She presented the award to the winner.
- They presented their findings at the conference.
Learner examples
- The teacher will present the prize.
- He presented his idea to the group.
- They will present the report today.
Noun
A2
entity
4
The current time period
The time that is happening now.
Synonyms
now (Informal and immediate; refers to this exact moment.)
Antonyms
future (Refers to time that has not yet happened.)
Collocations
at present
|the present moment
Themes
time
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We should focus on the present, not worry about the past.
- At present, there are no plans to expand.
- The book is set in the present.
Learner examples
- I live in the present.
- At present, I am busy.
- We think about the present.
Verb
B1
action
5
Introduce someone formally
To make someone known to others in a formal way.
Usage pattern:
present [someone] to [someone else]
Synonyms
introduce (More general and can be casual; 'present' is more formal.)
Antonyms
conceal (To hide someone's identity instead of introducing them.)
Collocations
present a guest
|present the speaker
Themes
social
|ceremony
|communication
|work
Examples
- Let me present our keynote speaker, Dr. Smith.
- He was presented to the Queen at the ceremony.
- The host presented her to the audience.
Learner examples
- I will present my friend to you.
- They presented the new teacher to the class.
- He presented her to his parents.
Grammar
Dictionary form
present
IPA
GB/pɹˈɛzənt/
US/pɹˈɛzənt/
Syllables & stress
present (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (present)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: present
Noun
- Base: present
- Plural: presents
Verb
- Base: present
- 3rd Person Singular: presents
- Present Participle: presenting
- Past: presented
Word family
Forms
presents
noun
presenting
verb
presented
verb
Core family
presentation
noun B1
presenter
noun B1
Related words
presence
noun A2
Advanced or less common
presentable
adjective
Expressions
at present
1/ˈæt pɹˈɛzənt/
fixed phrase
Right now; currently
Now; at this time.
Examples
- At present, we have no further information.
- There are no trains running at present.
make a presentation
1/mˈeɪk ə pɹˌɛzəntˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
Deliver an organized talk to an audience
To speak to a group and show information about something.
Examples
- She will make a presentation about climate change.
- He made a presentation on company safety rules.
present company excepted
1/pɹˈɛzənt kˈʌmpəni ɪksˈɛptɪd/
fixed phrase
formal
Excluding those here from criticism just made
What I said does not include you who are here now.
Examples
- Many politicians, present company excepted, are not trusted by the public.
- Present company excepted, I think most drivers are too aggressive.