fold
gb/fˈoʊld/ us/fˈoʊld/
A2
Inglês
~ 6500
Aceções
0 aceções
Verbo
A2
action
1
bend something over on itself
To bend something, like paper or clothes, so that one part covers another part and it becomes smaller or tidy.
Padrão de uso:
to fold [something] (in half / in two / over / up)
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes confuse "fold" with "roll". "Fold" means to bend something so parts lie flat on top of each other, while "roll" means to turn it around into a tube shape. Also, many learners forget to use an object and say *"The clothes fold"* when they mean *"I fold the clothes."*
Sinónimos
bend (A more general word for changing shape; does not always imply making something neat or compact.)
Antónimos
unfold (Means to open or straighten something that has been folded.)
Colocações
fold clothes
|fold the paper
|fold it in half
|neatly folded
|fold the chair
|fold the towels
Temas
daily life
|home
|objects
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- She folded the letter in half and slipped it into an envelope.
- Please fold the towels before you put them in the cupboard.
- He folded the map along the creases and put it back in his bag.
- The chairs fold flat so they are easy to store.
- Fold the paper over the edge to make a clean line.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- I fold my clothes and put them in the drawer.
- He folds the paper and puts it in his pocket.
- Please fold the blanket and leave it on the bed.
- She folds the note and gives it to her friend.
- These chairs fold, so we can carry them easily.
Verbo
B2
action
2
business or project stops operating
If a business or project folds, it stops doing business, usually because it has problems or no money.
Padrão de uso:
[a business / project] folds
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes think "fold" here means a physical action, as with paper. In business news, "fold" is usually metaphorical: it means "close" or "fail," not physically folding anything.
Sinónimos
go under (Informal expression mainly for businesses that fail financially.)
Antónimos
thrive (Describes a business that is doing very well, the opposite of folding.)
Colocações
the company folded
|the restaurant folded
|the startup folded
|on the verge of folding
|forced to fold
|fold within a year
Temas
business
|economy
|work
|finance
Exemplos
- The small bookstore folded after only two years in business.
- Several tech startups folded when investors pulled their money.
- Their magazine nearly folded during the pandemic but managed to survive.
- The club finally folded when membership dropped below ten people.
- Without new funding, the project will probably fold by the end of the year.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- The new café folded after six months.
- Many small shops folded during the crisis.
- Our local newspaper may fold next year.
- The music festival folded because not many people came.
- Their business almost folded, but they found a new partner.
Verbo
B2
action
3
stop playing a hand in cards
In poker or other card games, to fold means to stop playing that round and put your cards down, so you cannot win that round.
Padrão de uso:
to fold (your hand) (in [a card game])
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the business sense, as in *"the company folded"*. In card games, "fold" always involves cards and a specific round of play.
Sinónimos
quit (General word for stopping; does not specifically mean giving up a hand in a card game.)
Antónimos
stay in (Poker term meaning to continue playing the hand instead of folding.)
Colocações
decide to fold
|forced to fold
|fold early
|fold your hand
|know when to fold
|fold pre-flop
Temas
games
|leisure
|arts_entertainment
|daily_life
Exemplos
- He looked at his weak cards and decided to fold.
- With two players already all-in, she chose to fold her hand.
- You should probably fold here; the risk is too high.
- He refused to fold, even though the odds were against him.
- Most of the table folded as soon as he raised the bet.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- My cards are bad, so I fold.
- She folds and waits for the next game.
- You can win if he folds now.
- In poker, you can fold, call, or raise.
- I often fold when I do not like my cards.
Verbo
B2
action
4
gently mix ingredients in cooking
In cooking, to fold means to mix something in very gently by lifting and turning it, not beating or stirring fast.
Padrão de uso:
to fold [ingredient] into [mixture]
Erro comum:
Learners often think "fold" in recipes is the same as "stir." "Fold" is a special cooking action: move the spoon slowly under the mixture and turn it over, so you do not lose air.
Sinónimos
mix in (General term; does not show the special gentle technique used when you fold ingredients.)
Antónimos
separate (Means to keep or pull ingredients apart, the opposite of combining them.)
Colocações
fold in the egg whites
|fold gently
|fold the mixture together
|fold into the batter
|carefully fold in
|fold the cream into the sauce
Temas
food
|cooking
|daily life
|food_drink
Exemplos
- Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter so they do not lose their air.
- Add the chopped herbs and gently fold them into the yogurt.
- Do not stir; just fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.
- Fold the berries into the dough right before baking.
- She showed him how to fold the cheese into the hot pasta.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- Fold the sugar into the eggs slowly.
- The recipe says to fold in the cream.
- First mix the flour, then fold in the butter.
- Please fold the fruit into the yogurt.
- Do not beat it; just fold it in.
Verbo
B1
action
5
bend arms or legs across body
To move a part of your body, like your arms or legs, so it is bent and close to you.
Padrão de uso:
to fold [your arms / your legs / your hands]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes say *"close my arms"* or *"block my arms"* instead of "fold my arms." Use "fold" or "cross" to describe this body position.
Sinónimos
cross (Often used specifically for arms or legs; does not work for hands or fingers in all contexts.)
Antónimos
stretch (Means to straighten and extend body parts away from the body.)
Colocações
fold your arms
|fold his hands
|fold her legs
|neatly folded hands
|sit with arms folded
|folded across his chest
Temas
body
|daily life
|gestures
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- She folded her arms and waited for an answer.
- He sat quietly with his hands folded in his lap.
- The child folded his legs under him on the sofa.
- The monk folded his hands and began to pray.
- With his arms folded across his chest, he looked upset.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- She folds her arms when she is angry.
- He sits with his legs folded on the floor.
- The boy folds his hands before he eats.
- I fold my arms because I am cold.
- They stand with arms folded, listening to the teacher.
Verbo
B2
action
6
include something in a larger whole
To add something into something bigger, like putting one plan or group inside another plan or group.
Padrão de uso:
to fold [something] into [a plan / group / process]
Erro comum:
Learners may take this sense literally and imagine physical folding. In business or abstract topics, "fold into" just means "include" or "add as a part."
Sinónimos
integrate (More formal and general; often used in technical or academic contexts.)
Antónimos
separate out (Means to keep or take something out of a larger group or structure.)
Colocações
fold into the plan
|fold into the budget
|fold into the process
|fold smaller teams into one
|fold feedback into the report
|fold new ideas into the strategy
Temas
business
|work
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- We can fold your suggestions into the final proposal.
- The smaller departments will be folded into one central unit.
- Try to fold this new data into your analysis.
- Their climate goals are folded into the broader sustainability plan.
- The app will fold several services into a single platform.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- We will fold your ideas into the plan.
- The small team was folded into a bigger team.
- Please fold this information into your report.
- The new rules are folded into the old system.
- They fold customer feedback into product design.
Nome
B1
entity
7
crease or ridge where bent
A line or raised part in paper, cloth, skin, or land where it is bent and not flat.
Padrão de uso:
a fold in [something]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes use only "line" or "mark" and miss that a fold can also be 3‑D, like a raised part of fabric or skin.
Sinónimos
crease (Very close in meaning; often used for unwanted lines, especially in clothes or paper.)
Antónimos
flat surface (Describes something with no folds or raised lines.)
Colocações
a fold in the paper
|deep folds
|folds of cloth
|folds of skin
|folds in the hills
|smooth out the folds
Temas
objects
|appearance
|nature
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- There was a fold in the paper where it had been bent.
- She brushed the dust from the folds of her skirt.
- Wrinkles are tiny folds in the skin.
- She stared at the soft folds of the curtain in the morning light.
- The path disappeared into the folds of the hills.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- There is a fold in this page.
- He sees folds in the old man’s skin.
- She smooths the folds of her dress.
- I iron my shirt to remove the folds.
- The town lies in the folds of the hills.
Nome
literary
B2
entity
8
group or community of people
A group that someone belongs to, such as a family, church, or organization, often used when someone returns to that group.
Padrão de uso:
back to the fold / within the fold / outside the fold
Erro comum:
Learners may try to use "fold" alone to mean any group, which sounds strange. This sense is mostly used in fixed phrases like "return to the fold" or "back into the fold."
Sinónimos
community (Broader and more neutral; does not carry the same sense of returning or belonging after being away.)
Antónimos
outsiders (People who are not part of a particular group or community.)
Colocações
return to the fold
|back into the fold
|welcome her into the fold
|back within the fold
|outside the fold
|brought back to the fold
Temas
society
|religion
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- After years abroad, he was warmly welcomed back into the fold.
- The article urged moderate voters to return to the party fold.
- They hope to bring young people back into the church fold.
- The company is trying to keep freelance workers within its fold.
- Former members were slowly drawn back to the fold.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- After many years, she returns to the family fold.
- The church brings him back into the fold.
- The group wants to keep its old members in the fold.
- He left the fold when he was young.
- They welcome her into the fold again.
Nome
B2
entity
9
pen or enclosure for sheep
A small closed place outside where sheep stay.
Padrão de uso:
a sheep fold / into the fold
Erro comum:
Learners may not know this sense and think "fold" always means the action with paper or clothes. In texts about farms or sheep, "fold" is a place, similar to a "pen."
Sinónimos
pen (General word for a small fenced space for animals; not specific to sheep.)
Antónimos
open pasture (An open field where animals can move freely, opposite of an enclosed fold.)
Colocações
sheep fold
|driven into the fold
|out of the fold
|stone fold
|near the fold
|back to the fold
Temas
animals
|farming
|nature
Exemplos
- The shepherd guided the flock into the fold before dark.
- A low stone wall marked the old sheep fold on the hillside.
- They kept the lambs in a separate fold near the house.
- At night the animals are brought back to the fold.
- The path runs past an abandoned sheep fold.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- The farmer takes the sheep to the fold.
- At night, the sheep sleep in the fold.
- We walk past an old sheep fold.
- They build a new fold for the animals.
- The lambs stay inside the fold.
adjective
C1
quantity
10
a number of times as much
Used with a number to mean "that many times bigger" or "that many times more."
Padrão de uso:
[number]‑fold increase / [number]‑fold higher
Erro comum:
Learners may write *"three fold"* instead of "threefold," or say *"increase by threefold"*. Normally you say "a threefold increase" or "increase threefold," without "by."
Sinónimos
times (Common everyday word used with numbers ("three times"), while "threefold" is more formal or written.)
Antónimos
fraction of (Means less than one whole part, the opposite of being many times greater.)
Colocações
twofold increase
|threefold rise
|tenfold growth
|fourfold higher
|fivefold difference
|increase fourfold
Temas
math
|science
|business
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- The company reported a threefold increase in profits.
- Since then, the population has grown fourfold.
- There has been a tenfold rise in online sales.
- The risk is now fivefold higher than before.
- Production almost doubled, but costs rose threefold.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- We see a twofold increase in sales.
- Their income grew fourfold in ten years.
- The number of users is now threefold higher.
- The city’s size is almost tenfold today.
- Our costs did not double; they rose threefold.
Gramática
Forma de dicionário
fold
IPA
GB/fˈoʊld/
US/fˈoʊld/
Sílabas e acento
fold (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (fold)
Formas da palavra
Noun
- Base: fold
- Plural: fold, folds
Verb
- Base: fold
- 3rd Person Singular: folds
- Present Participle: folding
- Past: folded
Família de palavras
Expressões
back into the fold
1/bˈæk ˈɪntu ðə fˈoʊld/
idiom
literary
be inside the group again
To be part of a group, family, or organization again after being away or excluded.
Exemplos
- The coach worked hard to bring the star player back into the fold.
- After talks, the region was peacefully brought back into the fold.
- Former customers are slowly coming back into the fold.
fold away
1/fˈoʊld əwˈeɪ/
phrasal verb
fold and store something
To fold something and then put it in a place where it is stored and not seen.
Exemplos
- They folded away the table after dinner.
- This bed folds away into the wall.
- When you are finished, fold away the chairs.
fold back
1/fˈoʊld bˈæk/
phrasal verb
bend something backward on itself
To bend a part of something, like paper or cloth, back the other way so it lies on top of itself.
Exemplos
- Fold back the corner of the page to mark your place.
- He folded back the rug to check the floor underneath.
- Fold back the top of the packet before you put it away.
fold in
1/fˈoʊld ˈɪn/
phrasal verb
gently mix an ingredient in
To carefully mix an ingredient into another one in cooking by slowly lifting and turning it, not stirring fast.
Exemplos
- Fold in the chopped nuts right at the end.
- Once the sauce is smooth, fold in the cheese.
- She showed him how to fold in the whipped cream.
fold into
1/fˈoʊld ˈɪntu/
phrasal verb
include as part of something bigger
To add something, like an idea or plan, into something bigger so it becomes a part of it.
Exemplos
- We can fold your comments into the final report.
- The new policy will be folded into the existing framework.
- The feedback was folded into the next version of the app.
fold like a cheap suit
1/fˈoʊld lˈaɪk ə t͡ʃˈip sˈut/
idiom
informal
give up or change easily
To give up or change your opinion very quickly and easily when there is a problem or pressure.
Exemplos
- He talks tough, but he folds like a cheap suit in negotiations.
- The team folded like a cheap suit after the first goal.
- Under questioning, the witness folded like a cheap suit.
fold someone in
1/fˈoʊld sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈɪn/
phrasal verb
include a person in something
To make a person part of a group, meeting, or plan, especially by sharing information with them.
Exemplos
- Let’s fold her in on this project from the start.
- We should fold the new manager in on the discussion.
- They quickly folded the interns in on the planning process.
fold under pressure
1/fˈoʊld ˈʌndɚ pɹˈɛʃɚ/
idiom
give up because of pressure
To stop fighting or saying no when there is a lot of pressure, even if you did not want to give up.
Exemplos
- The team refused to fold under pressure and finally won.
- He folded under pressure from the media and resigned.
- They did not fold under pressure from their competitors.
fold up
1/fˈoʊld ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
fold something into a smaller shape
To make something smaller by folding it, often so you can carry or store it easily.
Exemplos
- Please fold up the blanket before you put it away.
- He folded up the stroller and put it in the trunk.
- She folded up the map and handed it back to me.
fold your arms
1/fˈoʊld jˈʊɹ ˈɑɹmz/
fixed phrase
bend arms across your chest
To put your arms across the front of your body so that they are bent and often touch each other.
Exemplos
- She folded her arms and waited in silence.
- He folded his arms across his chest and frowned.
- The teacher told him not to fold his arms during the presentation.
keep someone in the fold
1/kˈip sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈɪn ðə fˈoʊld/
idiom
stop someone leaving a group
To make someone stay in a group, family, or organization instead of leaving it.
Exemplos
- The company is offering bonuses to keep staff in the fold.
- They are trying to keep younger members in the fold.
- Good communication helps keep customers in the fold.
return to the fold
1/ɹɪtˈɚn tə ðə fˈoʊld/
idiom
literary
come back to a group you left
To join a group, family, church, or organization again after you left it for some time.
Exemplos
- After many years abroad, she finally returned to the fold.
- The party hopes that young voters will return to the fold.
- He left the company but later returned to the fold as a consultant.