May we count your visit with Google Analytics? It uses cookies and sends visit data to Google. You can change this any time under Cookie choices. Privacy

 Browse the A to Z list

Focus

v. capable, calm professional

What it means

Meaning 1

To direct attention or effort toward a chosen subject.

Reach for it when describing deliberate concentration or priority-setting

The team will focus on restoring drinking water before repainting the hall.

Meaning 2

To adjust an optical system until an image becomes clear.

Reach for it when describing the literal act of sharpening an image

Niko focused the camera on the maker's mark beneath the bowl.

Words to choose between 8

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom, and by meaning across. Tap a word to see when it fits.
Meaning 1Meaning 2
playful
everyday
professional
formal

Meaning 1: To direct attention or effort toward a chosen subject.

  • playful

    zero in on

    Fits when attention narrows quickly to one target

    Careful Zero in on sounds conversational in policy or research reports.

  • everyday

    attend to

    Fits when careful notice or practical care is required

    Careful The phrase can imply responding to a need rather than selecting a central aim.

  • professional

    concentrate

    Fits when sustained mental attention is the main action

    Careful Concentrate sounds inward and may not cover allocating a team's resources.

  • professional

    prioritize

    Fits when one task must come before competing work

    Careful Prioritizing ranks work; it does not ensure close attention during execution.

Meaning 2: To adjust an optical system until an image becomes clear.

  • everyday

    sharpen

    Fits when the visible image is being made clearer

    Careful Sharpen may also mean digital enhancement rather than optical focusing.

  • professional

    adjust

    Fits when changing the controls is the concrete action

    Careful Adjustment may alter exposure or position without improving focus.

  • professional

    clarify

    Fits when the desired result is greater visual intelligibility

    Careful Clarify concerns explanation; it does not specifically sharpen visual or mental focus.

  • formal

    resolve

    Fits when fine visual detail becomes distinguishable

    Careful Resolve is technical and can be mistaken for solving a problem.

Opposites 3

  • distract
  • scatter
  • blur

Common phrases 3

  • focus attention

    The map will focus attention on streets without safe crossings.

  • focus on

    Please focus on the two changes customers can act on today.

  • focus the lens

    Focus the lens before recording the serial number.

Word family 1

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Wodencafe, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC0 Updated