town
gb/tˈaʊn/ us/tˈaʊn/
A1
English
~ 600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
a small urban settlement
A place where people live that is bigger than a village but smaller than a city.
Usage pattern:
[someone] lives in [a/an town]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'town' with 'city'. In English, 'city' usually means a larger place than 'town'.
Synonyms
city (Generally refers to a larger and more populous urban area than a town.)
|
village (Refers to a smaller settlement, usually with fewer services than a town.)
Antonyms
countryside (Refers to rural areas outside towns and cities.)
Collocations
small town
|town center
|town hall
|market town
|town square
Themes
geography
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I grew up in a small town near the coast.
- The town has a population of about 20,000 people.
- They moved from the city to a quiet country town.
- The town center is full of shops and cafes.
- Our town holds a festival every summer.
Learner examples
- I live in a small town.
- The town has one school.
- My friend comes from a town near the sea.
- We went to the town to buy food.
Noun
A2
entity
2
central part of a settlement
The part of a town or city where most shops and businesses are.
Usage pattern:
go into [town]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that 'in town' can refer to being in the central part of a place, not just any location within it.
Synonyms
downtown (Used especially in American English for the main business district of a city or large town.)
Antonyms
suburbs (Residential areas on the edge of a town or city, away from the center.)
Collocations
go into town
|in town
|town center
Themes
daily life
|shopping
|daily_life
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I’m going into town to do some shopping.
- She works in town, near the train station.
- When we’re in town, we like to visit the old market square.
Learner examples
- I go into town every Saturday.
- My school is in town.
- We met in town for lunch.
Noun
informal
B1
entity
3
residents of a community
All the people who live in one town.
Synonyms
community (A broader term for people living together, not limited to towns.)
Collocations
the whole town
|town meeting
Themes
society
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The whole town came out to watch the parade.
- In this town, everyone knows each other.
- The town voted against the new shopping mall.
Learner examples
- The whole town was at the park.
- The town is friendly.
- The town supports the team.
Grammar
Dictionary form
town
IPA
GB/tˈaʊn/
US/tˈaʊn/
Syllables & stress
town (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (town)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: town
- Plural: towns
Word family
Expressions
go to town
1/ɡˈoʊ tə tˈaʊn/
idiom
informal
act with great enthusiasm
To do something with lots of energy and excitement, sometimes spending a lot of money or using many resources.
Examples
- They really went to town on decorating the house for the party.
- When she cooks, she goes to town and makes a huge meal.
out of town
1/ˈaʊt əv tˈaʊn/
fixed phrase
away from home location
Not in the place where you usually live, especially because you are traveling somewhere else.
Examples
- I’m out of town on business this week.
- She’s out of town visiting her family.
talk of the town
1/tˈɔk əv ðə tˈaʊn/
idiom
subject everyone is discussing
Something or someone that everyone in a place is talking about.
Examples
- Their wedding was the talk of the town for weeks.
- The new restaurant quickly became the talk of the town.
paint the town red
1/pˈeɪnt ðə tˈaʊn ɹˈɛd/
idiom
informal
celebrate wildly in public
To go out and have a big, fun celebration, often at night in bars or clubs.
Examples
- After the exam, they went out to paint the town red.
- After winning the championship, they went out to paint the town red.
- We’re going to paint the town red for his birthday.
- Let's finish work early and paint the town red tonight.