water
/ˈwɔː.tə/ IELTSAcademic
noun
A clear liquid with no colour or smell, found in rivers, lakes, rain, and taps. People and animals need it to live.
- Drink plenty of water every day.
- The plants need more water.
- Rainwater filled the bucket quickly.
verb
To pour water on something, or to clean something with water. It can also mean to make a drink weaker by adding water.
- Please water the garden tonight.
- She watered the flowers before breakfast.
- The waiter watered the juice down.
Adinary Nuance
Water is the basic, neutral word for the liquid itself. Use liquid in formal science or business writing when you need a broader term. Use beverage or drink when you mean something people consume, not water alone.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- nước
- Spanish
- agua
- Chinese
- 水
- Japanese
- 水
- Korean
- 물
Etymology
Old English wæter, from a Germanic source. It is a very old everyday English word, and its basic meaning has stayed the same for centuries.
Common phrases
drinking watertap waterwater supplywater the plants
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is water countable or uncountable?
- Usually uncountable: you say “some water” or “a glass of water.”
- Can I use water in formal writing?
- Yes. It is a very common, neutral word in both speaking and writing.
- What is the difference between water and liquid?
- Water is one specific liquid. Liquid is a general word for many flowing substances.
- How do I use water as a verb?
- You can say “water the plants” or “water down the soup.”