build

English

Etymology

From Middle English bilden, from Old English byldan (“to build, construct”), from Proto-Germanic *buldijanan, *budlijanan (“to build”), from Proto-Germanic *budlan, *buþlan, *bōdlan, *bōþlan (“house, dwelling, farm”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhōw- (“to swell, grow, thrive, be, live, dwell”). Related to Old English bold (“abode, house, dwelling-place, mansion, hall, castle, temple”). More at bottle.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bɪld/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪld
• Homophone: billed

Verb

build (third-person singular simple present builds, present participle building, simple past and past participle built, or (archaic) builded)

1. (transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
2. (transitive) to develop or give form to according to a plan or process
3. (transitive) to increase or strengthen by adding gradually to
4. (transitive) to establish a basis for
5. (intransitive) to form by combining materials or parts
6. (intransitive) to develop in magnitude or extent

Synonyms

• (to form by combining materials or parts): construct, erect
• (to develop or give form to according to a plan or process): create
• (to increase or strengthen by adding gradually to): build up, enlarge, increase, strengthen
• (to establish a basis for): found, ground

Antonyms

• (to increase or strengthen by adding gradually to): decrease, dissipate, weaken
• demolish, destroy

Derived terms

Terms derived from build (verb)

build a fire under build castles in the air build in build into build on

build on sand build-to build up build upon prebuild

Translations

(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts

Afrikaans: bou (af) Arabic: بنى (banaa) Armenian: կառուցել (hy) (kaṙuc'el), շինել (hy) (šinel), սարքել (hy) (sark'el) Bulgarian: строя (bg) Chinese: trad. 建設, simpl. 建设 (pinyin: jiànshè), 建造 (cmn) (jiànzào) Czech: stavět (cs) Danish: bygge (da) Dutch: bouwen (nl) Estonian: ehitama (et) Ewe: tu Finnish: rakentaa (fi) French: construire (fr), édifier (fr) German: bauen (de) Greek: χτίζω (el) (xtízo) Hebrew: בנה (he) (baná) Ido: konstruktar Indonesian: membangun (id), mendirikan (id) Irish: tóg (ga)

Italian: costruire (it), edificare (it) Japanese: 建てる (たてる, tateru), 建設する (けんせつする, kensetsu-suru) Korean: 만들다 (mandulda) Kurdish: دروستکردن Latin: mūniō Persian: ساختن (fa) (sāxtan)} Polish: budować (pl) Portuguese: construir (pt) Romanian: clădi (ro) Russian: строить (ru) (stróit’) Scots: build, big Scottish Gaelic: tog (gd) Sotho: haha (st) Spanish: construir (es), edificar (es) Swahili: kujenga (sw) Swedish: anlägga (sv), bygga (sv), förfärdiga (sv), uppföra (sv), uppresa (sv), upprätta (sv) Turkish: yapmak (tr), inşa etmek (tr) Volapük: bumön (vo)

(transitive) to develop or give form to according to a plan or process

Swedish: bygga (sv), forma (sv), skapa (sv)

(transitive) to increase or strengthen by adding gradually to

Swedish: bygga upp (sv), hopa (sv), stegra (sv), öka (sv)

(transitive) to establish a basis for

Swedish: bygga (sv), grunda (sv)

(intransitive) to form by combining materials or parts

Ewe: tu Swedish: anläggas (sv), byggas (sv), förfärdigas (sv), uppföras (sv), uppresas (sv), upprättas (sv)

(intransitive) to develop in magnitude or extent

Swedish: byggas upp (sv), hopa (sv) sig, stegras (sv), ökas (sv)

Noun

build (plural builds)

1. The physique of a human body; constitution or structure of a human body.

   Rugby players are of sturdy build.

2. (computing) any of various versions of a software product as it is being developed for release to users

Translations

physique

Bulgarian: телосложение (bg) n. Finnish: ruumiinrakenne (fi) French: carrure (fr) f.

German: Bau (de) m., Körperbau (de) m. Portuguese: físico (pt) m. Swedish: byggnad (sv) c., kroppsbyggnad (sv) c.

any version of a software during its development

Czech: sestavení (cs) n.

Swedish: build (sv) c., bygge (sv) n.