English

supermarket

gb/sˈupɚmˌɑɹkɪt/ us/sˈupɚmˌɑɹkɪt/
A1 English
~ 6200
Senses
0 senses
Noun A1 entity
1

Large self-service grocery store

A big store where you can walk around and choose your own food and other daily things, then pay at the front.

Usage pattern: [someone] goes to the supermarket
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "I went to market" when they mean a modern indoor supermarket. In English, "the market" often suggests an open-air place with many small sellers, while a "supermarket" is a large indoor store. Learners also sometimes use "grocery" alone (e.g., *I went to the grocery*) instead of the more natural "grocery store" or "supermarket" in many varieties of English.
Synonyms
grocery store (Very close in meaning; in American English this is a common term, but it can also refer to smaller food shops, while a supermarket is usually larger.) | food store (A more general and slightly less common term; it emphasizes that the store sells food but not necessarily the large size and wide range of goods of a supermarket.)
Antonyms
convenience store (A convenience store is much smaller, has fewer products, and is focused on quick purchases, which contrasts with the large size and wide range of goods in a supermarket.)
Collocations
go to the supermarket |supermarket chain |supermarket aisle |supermarket checkout |supermarket shelves |supermarket shopping
Themes
daily life |shopping |food |daily_life |food_drink |business
Examples
  • I stopped at the supermarket on my way home to buy some vegetables and milk.
  • The new supermarket in our neighborhood has a huge fresh fruit section.
  • Many people do their weekly shopping at the supermarket on Saturday mornings.
  • The supermarket was so busy that all the checkout lines were very long.
  • She works at a supermarket stacking shelves in the evenings.
Learner examples
  • We buy our food at the supermarket.
  • There is a big supermarket near my house.
  • I went to the supermarket to get bread and eggs.
  • My mother works in a supermarket.
  • On Sunday, the supermarket closes early.
Grammar
Dictionary form
supermarket
IPA
GB/sˈupɚmˌɑɹkɪt/
US/sˈupɚmˌɑɹkɪt/
Syllables & stress
su - per - mar - ket (4 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (su)
Word forms
Noun
  • Base: supermarket
  • Plural: supermarkets
Word family
Forms
supermarkets noun
Core family
market noun A1
Related words
marketing noun B1 marketer noun B1
Expressions

No expressions linked to this entry yet.

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