phrase
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phrase
- /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ US, UK
- [ˈfɹʷeɪ̯z] US, UK
- /ˈfɹɛjz/ British, Southern, Standard
- [ˈfɹʷɛjz] British, Southern, Standard
- /ˈfɹæɪ̯z/ Australia, New Zealand
- [ˈfɹʷæ̝ɪ̯z] Australia, New Zealand
- /ˈfɾez/ Scotland
- [ˈfɾeːz] Scotland
Sounds like fraise, frays · Rhymes with -eɪz
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Late Latin phrasis (“diction”), from Ancient Greek φράσις (phrásis, “manner of expression”), from φράζω (phrázō, “to tell, express”).
noun phrases
- A short written or spoken expression. I've made progress, but this is still, in Churchill's phrase, just "the end of the beginning."
- A word or, more commonly, a group of words that functions as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence, always containing an expressed or implied head (the principal word or subgroup, with core importance) and often consisting of a head plus some other elaborating words. Holonyms: clause, sentence; phrasing, phraseology, turn of phrase; phrase-book; document, message; language; communication
- A small section of music in a larger piece.
-
A mode or form of speech; diction; expression.
Thou speak'st / In better phrase and matter than thou didst.
Similar: figure of speech, locution, verbalism
- A short individual motion forming part of a choreographed dance.
Similar: phrase, expression
verb phrases · phrasing · phrased
- To express (an action, thought or idea) by means of particular words. I wasn't sure how to phrase my condolences without sounding patronising.
- To perform (a passage) with a particular phrasing.
- To divide into melodic phrases.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: articulate, idiom, set phrase, word, formulate, idiomatic expression, musical phrase, phrasal idiom, wording, utterance, quotation, quote, speech, catchphrase, expression, reference
noun
Similar: phrase, expression
Translations
Every language
noun short written or spoken expression
| Español | frase |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 어구 eogu, 구 gu |
| 日本語 | 句 ku, 語句 goku, フレーズ furēzu |
| 中文 | 短語 /短语 duǎnyǔ, 詞組 /词组 cízǔ |
| हिन्दी | मुहावरा muhāvrā, वाक्यांश vākyāñś, वाक्य vākya, जुमला jumlā, इबारत ibārat |
| Português | expressão, frase |
| Français | expression |
| Deutsch | Redewendung, Phrase |
| Italiano | espressione, polirematica |
| Ελληνικά | φράση frási |
| Română | expresie, frază |
| Русский | фра́за fráza, выраже́ние vyražénije |
| Tiếng Việt | cụm từ, câu |
| العربية | جُمْلَة jumla, تَعْبِير taʕbīr, عِبَارَة ʕibāra |
| עברית | צֵרוּף לָשׁוֹן tserúf lashón, מִשְׁפָּט mishpát |
noun grammar: group of two or more words that express an idea but do not form a complete sentence
| Español | frase |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 구 gu |
| 日本語 | 句 ku |
| Português | locução, sintagma |
| Français | locution, syntagme |
| Deutsch | Phrase |
| Italiano | locuzione, polirematica, frase |
| Ελληνικά | φράση frási |
| Română | frază, expresie, sintagmă |
| Русский | словосочета́ние slovosočetánije, оборо́т ре́чи oborót réči, фра́за fráza |
| Tiếng Việt | cụm từ |
noun music: small section of music in a larger piece
| Español | frase |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 악구 akgu, 프레이즈 peureijeu |
| 日本語 | 楽句 gakku, フレーズ furēzu |
| 中文 | 樂句 /乐句 yuèjù |
| Português | frase |
| Français | phrase |
| Deutsch | Phrase |
| Italiano | frase |
| Ελληνικά | φράση frási |
| Русский | фра́за fráza |
verb express by means of words
| Español | formular, expresar, frasear |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 表述 biǎoshù |
| Português | exprimir, expressar |
| Français | exprimer, formuler |
| Deutsch | formulieren |
| Italiano | esprimere, redigere |
| Ελληνικά | φράζειν frázein |
| Русский | формули́ровать formulírovatʹ, сформули́ровать sformulírovatʹ, выража́ть vyražátʹ, вы́разить výrazitʹ |
verb music: perform a passage with the correct phrasing
| Русский | фрази́ровать frazírovatʹ |
|---|
verb music: divide into melodic phrases
| Français | phraser |
|---|---|
| Русский | фрази́ровать frazírovatʹ |
Talk about this word "phrase." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/phrase. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. phrase. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/phrase "phrase." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/phrase.Cite this
@misc{phrase_2026,
title = {phrase},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/phrase},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
