preoccupy
gb/pɹiˈɑkjəpˌaɪ/ us/pɹiˈɑkjəpˌaɪ/
C1
Inglese
Accezioni
0 accezioni
Verbo
C1
action
1
fill someone’s mind
If something preoccupies you, you think about it a lot and it is hard to think about other things.
Schema d'uso:
[something] preoccupies [someone]
Errore comune:
Don’t use it for physically ‘taking a seat/room’; that is usually occupy, not preoccupy.
Sinonimi
absorb (More general; can be mental or physical attention.)
|
engross (Often stronger, suggesting total attention.)
|
consume (Emphasizes intensity, often worries or emotions.)
Contrari
relieve (To remove a worry or burden, leaving the mind freer.)
|
unburden (To free someone from something troubling them.)
Collocazioni
be preoccupied with work
|be preoccupied with money
|be preoccupied with appearance
|be preoccupied with the future
|be preoccupied with problems
|be preoccupied with thoughts
|be preoccupied by worries
|a preoccupying thought
|preoccupy someone's mind
|preoccupy someone's thoughts
Temi
emotions
|mind
|daily_life
|work
Esempi
- The upcoming interview preoccupied her all weekend.
- He seemed distracted in class, preoccupied by problems at home.
- Questions about money have preoccupied the team for months.
Esempi per chi studia
- I was preoccupied with my exam.
- The news preoccupied him all day.
Verbo
formal
C2
action
2
take over a place first
To take a place before others can.
Schema d'uso:
[someone] preoccupies [place]
Errore comune:
This meaning is uncommon in everyday English; most of the time, use occupy.
Sinonimi
occupy (The common modern verb; does not necessarily imply ‘before others’.)
|
seize (Stronger; suggests force or sudden action.)
Contrari
vacate (To leave a place so it is no longer occupied.)
|
abandon (To leave something behind, often permanently.)
Collocazioni
preoccupy a territory
|preoccupy a region
|preoccupy the land
|preoccupy a position
|preoccupy a seat
Temi
history
|politics
|law
Esempi
- In some accounts, the valley was preoccupied by settlers before the official survey.
- The group tried to preoccupy key positions along the route before dawn.
Grammatica
Forma base
preoccupy
IPA
GB/pɹiˈɑkjəpˌaɪ/
US/pɹiˈɑkjəpˌaɪ/
Sillabe e accento
pre - oc - cupy (3 sillabe)
Stress on 2nd syllable (oc)
Forme flesse
Verb
- Base: preoccupy
- 3rd Person Singular: preoccupies
- Present Participle: preoccupying
- Past: preoccupied
Famiglia di parole
Forms
preoccupies
verb
preoccupying
verb
preoccupied
verb
Core family
preoccupation
noun C1
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
unoccupied
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
occupancy
noun B2
Espressioni
be preoccupied with [something]
1/bˈi pɹiˈɑkjəpˌaɪd wˈɪθ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
be busy thinking about something
If you are preoccupied with something, you keep thinking about it.
Esempi
- She’s been preoccupied with her new job lately.
- I was so preoccupied with the deadline that I forgot to eat lunch.
- He looked preoccupied with something, but he wouldn’t say what.