crystallize
gb/kɹˈɪstəlˌaɪz/ us/kɹˈɪstəlˌaɪz/
B2
Engleză
Sensuri
0 sensuri
Verb
B2
process
1
become clear and definite
To become clear and easy to understand.
Tipar de utilizare:
[idea/plan/opinion] crystallizes (into [something])
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners may overuse it for any 'become' situation; it is most natural for ideas, plans, decisions, or situations becoming clear.
Sinonime
take shape (More informal and broader; not necessarily about clarity.)
|
clarify (Focuses on becoming clearer; can be used for explanations as well.)
Antonime
blur (Move in the opposite direction, becoming less clear or distinct.)
|
remain vague (Stay unclear and not well defined.)
Colocații
ideas crystallize
|plans crystallize
|thoughts crystallize
|a strategy crystallizes
|a decision crystallizes
|the issue crystallizes
|crystallize into a plan
|crystallize into a proposal
Teme
communication
|thinking
|work
Exemple
- After a few meetings, their ideas began to crystallize into a workable plan.
- As I read more about the topic, my opinion crystallized.
- By the end of the call, the problem had crystallized into two clear options.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- My plan crystallized after I talked to my teacher.
- The idea crystallized into a simple list.
Verb
C1
action
2
make an idea clear
To make something you think about clearer.
Tipar de utilizare:
crystallize [idea/plan/problem] (for [someone])
Greșeală frecventă:
Often confused with 'crystalize' (misspelling). Also, it is usually used for ideas, not for physical objects in everyday speech.
Sinonime
pin down (More informal; emphasizes making something exact.)
|
articulate (Emphasizes expressing clearly in words.)
Antonime
confuse (Make understanding less clear.)
|
muddy (Make details less distinct (often about an argument or explanation).)
Colocații
crystallize an idea
|crystallize a plan
|crystallize your thoughts
|crystallize the problem
|crystallize the key points
|help crystallize
|crystallize for the reader
Teme
communication
|thinking
|education
|work
Exemple
- Writing the summary helped crystallize my thinking.
- The report crystallizes the main risks in one page.
- A few examples can crystallize the difference for readers.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- This chart crystallizes the idea.
- Please help me crystallize my plan.
Verb
technical
C1
process
3
form crystals from a liquid
To become a solid with crystal shapes.
Tipar de utilizare:
[substance] crystallizes (from/out of [solution])
Greșeală frecventă:
In science writing, learners may choose 'solidify' when the specific meaning is crystal formation; 'crystallize' highlights an ordered crystal structure.
Sinonime
precipitate (Often used when a solid forms out of a solution; not always crystals.)
|
solidify (More general; does not specifically mean forming crystals.)
Antonime
dissolve (Go into solution instead of forming crystals.)
|
melt (Change from solid to liquid rather than forming a solid.)
Colocații
crystallize from solution
|crystallize out of solution
|crystallize on cooling
|begin to crystallize
|readily crystallize
|slowly crystallize
|crystallize at room temperature
Teme
science
|chemistry
|materials
Exemple
- As the solution cooled, the salt crystallized.
- Sugar can crystallize if you stir the syrup as it cools.
- The compound crystallized out of the solvent overnight.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- The salt crystallized in the water.
- The solution crystallized when it cooled.
Verb
technical
C1
action
4
cause a substance to crystallize
To make crystals form from a liquid.
Tipar de utilizare:
crystallize [substance] (from [solution])
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners may use 'crystallize' without an object when they mean the transitive sense (e.g., 'crystallize the sugar').
Sinonime
precipitate (Often implies causing a solid to form, sometimes by adding another chemical.)
Antonime
dissolve (Cause a solid to go into solution rather than forming crystals.)
Colocații
crystallize a compound
|crystallize the product
|crystallize a solution
|crystallize salt
|crystallize sugar
|crystallize from ethanol
|crystallize by cooling
Teme
science
|chemistry
|cooking
|materials
Exemple
- They crystallized the compound from ethanol to purify it.
- If you add a seed crystal, you can crystallize the sugar more quickly.
- The technician crystallized the sample to analyze its structure.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- We crystallized the salt from the water.
- The lab crystallized the chemical to purify it.
Verb
business
C1
action
5
realize a gain or loss
To make a profit or loss real by selling.
Tipar de utilizare:
crystallize [gain/loss/profit] (by [doing something])
Greșeală frecventă:
Commonly confused with 'capitalize' or 'realize' in the sense 'understand'; in finance, 'realize' can also mean 'make real' by selling.
Sinonime
realize (More common in finance; also has an unrelated meaning 'understand'.)
|
lock in (More informal; emphasizes securing a profit (or loss).)
Antonime
hold (Keep the position open so gains/losses remain unrealized.)
Colocații
crystallize gains
|crystallize a profit
|crystallize losses
|crystallize returns
|crystallize value
|crystallize a tax liability
|crystallize by selling
|crystallize on disposal
Teme
business
|finance
|investing
Exemple
- They sold part of the position to crystallize gains before the market turned.
- The fund crystallized losses at year-end for tax reasons.
- If you don’t sell, the profit remains unrealized rather than crystallized.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- She sold the shares to crystallize a profit.
- They crystallized losses by selling the stock.
Verb
C1
state
6
become fixed and hard to change
To become fixed and difficult to change.
Tipar de utilizare:
[attitude/belief/pattern] crystallizes
Greșeală frecventă:
This sense is about becoming fixed, not about becoming clearer; context usually involves attitudes, habits, or systems.
Sinonime
harden (More direct and often more negative; can sound less formal.)
|
solidify (Neutral; often used for agreements or positions becoming firm.)
Antonime
remain flexible (Stay open to change rather than becoming fixed.)
|
soften (Become less strict or less fixed (often about attitudes).)
Colocații
attitudes crystallize
|habits crystallize
|roles crystallize
|a pattern crystallizes
|views crystallize
|crystallize over time
|crystallize early
Teme
psychology
|society
|relationships
Exemple
- If conflicts aren’t addressed early, resentment can crystallize.
- Over time, the team’s informal roles crystallized into a clear hierarchy.
- By high school, her interests had crystallized and rarely changed.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- His opinion crystallized and did not change.
- Their roles crystallized over time.
Gramatică
Forma de dicționar
crystallize
IPA
GB/kɹˈɪstəlˌaɪz/
US/kɹˈɪstəlˌaɪz/
Silabe și accent
crys - tal - lize (3 silabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (crys)
Forme ale cuvântului
Verb
- Base: crystallize
- 3rd Person Singular: crystallizes
- Present Participle: crystallizing
- Past: crystallized
- Past Participle: crystallized
Familie de cuvinte
Forms
crystallizes
verb
crystallizing
verb
crystallized
verb
Core family
crystal
noun B1
crystallization
noun C1
Related words
crystalline
adjective
Expresii
crystallize around
1/kɹˈɪstəlˌaɪz ɚˈaʊnd/
fixed phrase
form around a central focus
To start to form around one main thing.
Exemple
- Opposition quickly crystallized around the proposed tax increase.
- A strong team identity crystallized around their new coach.
- The debate crystallized around one key question: cost.
crystallize in (someone's) mind
1/kɹˈɪstəlˌaɪz ˈɪn sˈʌmwˌʌnz mˈaɪnd/
fixed phrase
become clear in someone's thoughts
To become clear in someone’s head.
Exemple
- During the lecture, the solution crystallized in her mind.
- Only later did the danger crystallize in my mind.
- As he spoke, a new possibility crystallized in the committee’s mind.
crystallize into
1/kɹˈɪstəlˌaɪz ˈɪntu/
fixed phrase
develop into a clear form
To slowly become a clear thing or plan.
Exemple
- Their discussions crystallized into a concrete proposal.
- The campaign’s message crystallized into three simple promises.
- Weeks of frustration crystallized into a decision to quit.
crystallize out (of)
1/kɹˈɪstəlˌaɪz ˈaʊt əv/
phrasal verb
technical
separate as crystals
To come out of a liquid as crystals.
Exemple
- As the mixture cooled, a white solid crystallized out.
- Impurities stayed dissolved while the product crystallized out of the solvent.
- The salt crystallized out when the water evaporated.