[transitive]to write or draw a symbol, line, etc. on something in order to give information about it
mark somethingThe flood level is marked by a white line on the wall.
mark A with BItems marked with an asterisk can be omitted.
mark B on APrices are marked on the goods.
mark somebody/something + adj.The teacher marked her absent (= made a mark by her name to show that she was absent).
Why have you marked this wrong?
Do not open any mail marked ‘Confidential’.
mark something as somethingCertain words were marked as important.
Extra Examples
Sorry, I should have marked that right.
Some of the crates were marked for export.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
clearly
carefully
indelibly
…
preposition
as
for
in
…
See full entry
give mark/grade
[transitive, intransitive]mark (something)(especially British English)to give marks to students’ work
I hate marking exam papers.
I spend at least six hours a week marking.
If you don't hand your homework in on time, I won't mark it.
comparegradeTopics Educationb1
damage
[transitive, intransitive]mark (something)to make a mark on something in a way that damages it or makes it look less good; to become damaged or be made to look less good in this way
A large purple scar marked his cheek.
The surfaces are made from a material that doesn't mark.
The paperweight had fallen onto the desk, badly marking the surface.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
indelibly
permanently
deeply
…
See full entry
show position
[transitive]to show the position of somethingsynonymindicate
mark somethingYellow arrows mark the way.
The cross marks the spot where the body was found.
be marked in/with somethingThe route has been marked in red.
The boundary was marked with a dotted line.
Extra Examples
All buildings are marked on the map.
My room was clearly marked on the plan.
She carefully marked where the screws were to go.
celebrate
[transitive]mark somethingto celebrate or officially remember an event that you consider to be important
a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the war
The event marked a milestone in the hotel's success story.
Extra Examples
Members of the club officially marked the occasion with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The wedding ceremony publicly marks the beginning of commitment to another through marriage.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
effectively
officially
publicly
…
verb + mark
appear to
seem to
See full entry
show change
[transitive]mark somethingto be a sign that something new is going to happen
This agreement marks the start of a new phase in international relations.
This speech may mark a change in government policy.
‘Lyrical Ballads’ conveniently marks the beginning of nineteenth-century poetry.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
effectively
officially
publicly
…
verb + mark
appear to
seem to
See full entry
give particular quality
[transitive, usually passive](formal)to give somebody/something a particular quality or charactersynonymcharacterize
(be) marked by somethinga life marked by suffering
The town is still deeply marked by the folk memory of the Depression.
be marked as somethingHe was marked as an enemy of the poor.
mark somethingChristianity has indelibly marked the culture and consciousness of Europe.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
indelibly
permanently
deeply
…
See full entry
pay attention
[transitive](old-fashioned)used to tell somebody to pay careful attention to something
mark somethingThere'll be trouble over this, mark my words.
mark what, how, etc…You mark what I say, John.
in sport
[transitive]mark somebody(British English)(in a team game)to stay close to an opponent in order to prevent them from getting the ball
Hughes was marking Taylor.
Our defence had him closely marked.
see alsomarking
Word Originverb Old English mearc, gemerce (noun), mearcian (verb), of Germanic origin; from an Indo-European root shared by Latin margo ‘margin’.
Idioms
mark time
to pass the time while you wait for something more interesting
I'm just marking time in this job—I'm hoping to get into journalism.
(of soldiers)to make marching movements without moving forwards
mark you
(especially British English, old-fashioned, informal)used to remind somebody of something they should consider in a particular case
She hasn't had much success yet. Mark you, she tries hard.
mark
noun
/mɑːk/
/mɑːrk/
Idioms
jump to other results
symbol
a written or printed symbol that is used as a sign of something, for example the quality of something or who made or owns it
punctuation marks
Any piece of silver bearing his mark is extremely valuable.
I put a mark in the margin to remind me to check the figure.
A faint pencil mark showed where the house was on the map.
Every image is made up of hundreds of brush marks.
see alsoexclamation mark,expression mark,punctuation mark,question mark,quotation marks,stress mark,trademark
standard/grade
(especially British English)a number or letter that is given to show the standard of somebody’s work or performance or is given to somebody for answering something correctly
to get a good/poor mark in English
to give somebody a high/low mark
What's the pass mark(= the mark you need in order to pass)?
see alsoblack mark,grade
Wordfinder
candidate
exam
grade
invigilate
mark
oral
paper
practical
resit
revise
Topics Educationb1
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
good
high
bad
…
verb + mark
get
receive
deserve
…
preposition
mark for
mark out of
See full entry
(especially British English)a point given for a correct answer in an exam or competition
You get two marks for each correct answer.
You will lose marks for bad grammar.
I got full marks(= all the possible points) in the spelling test.
(ironic)‘You're wearing a tie!’ ‘Full marks for observation.’
Topics Educationb1
Extra Examples
How many marks out of ten would you give it?
If you get below 40 marks, you're not allowed to go up into the next class.
Marks are deducted for incorrect spelling.
The festival organizers deserve high marks.
spot/dirt
a small area of dirt, a spot or a cut on a surface that makes it look less good
The children left dirty marks all over the kitchen floor.
There was a red mark on his arm.
a burn/scratch mark
Detectives found no marks on the body.
Synonyms markmark
stain
fingerprint
streak
speck
blot
smear
spot
These are all words for a small area of dirt or another substance on a surface.
marka small area of dirt, a spot or a cut on a surface that makes it look less good:
The kids left dirty marks all over the kitchen floor.
staina dirty mark on something that is difficult to remove, especially one made by a liquid:
blood stains
fingerprinta mark on a surface made by the pattern of lines on the end of a person’s finger, often used by the police to identify criminals:
Her fingerprints were all over the gun.
streaka long, thin mark or line that is a different colour from the surface it is on:
She had streaks of grey in her hair.
specka very small mark, spot or piece of a substance on something:
There isn’t a speck of dust anywhere in the house.
blota spot or dirty mark left on something by a substance such as ink or paint being dropped on a surface
smeara mark made by something such as oil or paint being spread or rubbed on a surface
spota small dirty mark on something:
There were grease spots all over the walls.
Patterns
a streak/speck/blot/smear/spot of something
a greasy mark/stain/smear
an ink mark/stain/blot/spot
a grease mark/stain/spot
to leave a mark/stain/fingerprint/streak/speck/blot/smear
see alsoscorch mark
Extra Examples
How did you get that mark on your shirt?
The iron left scorch marks on my new shirt.
Skid marks curved across the road.
Stretch marks appear in pregnancy.
The girl was left with two rows of bite marks on her shin.
The dirty water left a mark around the side of the bathtub.
These greasy marks just won't come out.
Police examined the tyre marks left in the mud.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
dirty
grubby
visible
…
verb + mark
get
leave
make
…
mark + verb
come off
come out
preposition
mark on
See full entry
a spot or area of colour on the body of a person or an animal that helps you to recognize them
a horse with a white mark on its head
He was about six feet tall, with no distinguishing marks.
Look for a bird with a blue mark on its wings.
Synonyms patchpatch
dot
mark
spot
These are all words for a small part on a surface that is a different colour from the rest.
patchan area of something, especially one which is different from the area around it:
a white dog with a black patch on its head
patches of dense fog
dota small round mark on something, especially one that is printed:
The letters ‘i’ and ‘j’ have dots over them.
The island is a small green dot on the map.
markan area of colour that is easy to notice on the body of a person or animal:
The horse had a white mark on its head.
spota small round area that is a different colour or feels different from the surface it is on:
Which has spots, a leopard or a tiger?
Patterns
a patch/dot/mark/spot on something
with patches/dots/marks/spots
a blue/black/red, etc. patch/dot/mark/spot
see alsobeauty mark,birthmark,marking,scent mark
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
dirty
grubby
visible
…
verb + mark
get
leave
make
…
mark + verb
come off
come out
preposition
mark on
See full entry
sign
a sign that a quality or feeling exists
On the day of the funeral businesses remained closed as a mark of respect.
Such coolness under pressure is the mark of a champion.
Extra Examples
Such thoughtful behaviour is the mark of a true gentleman.
the real mark of a master craftsman
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
deep
indelible
permanent
…
verb + mark
bear
have
leave
…
preposition
mark of
phrases
as a mark of respect
make your mark
See full entry
level
a level or point that something reaches that is thought to be important
Unemployment has passed the four million mark.
Ratings had soared towards the 20 million mark.
The needle was flickering around the 80 mark.
She was leading at the half-way mark.
see alsolow-water mark
Extra Examples
Spending has now reached the $1 million mark.
Their relationship was approaching the two-year mark.
This year's sales figures have already passed the mark set last year.
The river was at its low-water mark.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
halfway
tide
high-tide
…
verb + mark
set
approach
near
…
preposition
above the mark
below the mark
around the mark
…
See full entry
machine/vehicle
Mark
(followed by a number)a particular type or model of a machine or vehicle
the Mark II engine
in gas oven
Mark
(British English)(followed by a number)a particular level of temperature in a gas oven
Preheat the oven to gas Mark 6.
for signing document
a cross made on a document instead of a signature by somebody who is not able to write their name
target
(formal)a target
Of the blows delivered, barely half found their mark.
to hit/miss the mark
(figurative)Shock tactics often fall wide of their mark (= are not successful).
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
easy
verb + mark
find
hit
miss
…
phrases
wide of the mark
See full entry
German money
(also Deutschmark, DM)
the former unit of money in Germany (replaced in 2002 by the euro)Topics Moneyc2
Word Originnoun senses 1 to 10 Old English mearc, gemerce (noun), mearcian (verb), of Germanic origin; from an Indo-European root shared by Latin margo ‘margin’. noun sense 11 Old English marc, from Old Norse mǫrk; probably related to mark (other senses).
Idioms
be close to/near the mark
to be fairly accurate in a guess, statement, etc.
Such guesses are thought to be close to the mark.
‘The Times’ was nearer the mark when it said…
Topics Doubt, guessing and certaintyc2
be off the mark
not to be accurate in a guess, statement, etc.
No, you're way off the mark.
Topics Doubt, guessing and certaintyc2
be on the mark
to be accurate or correct
That estimate was right on the mark.
I think that your idea is right on the mark.
fall short of the mark | fall short of something
to fail to reach the standard that you expected or need
Taylor's solution falls short of the mark.
get off the mark
to start scoring in a game or sport
Stewart got off the mark with a four.
hit/miss the mark
to succeed/fail in achieving or guessing something
He blushed furiously and Robyn knew she had hit the mark.
The film misses the mark because it just isn't believable.
Topics Successc2,Doubt, guessing and certaintyc2,Difficulty and failurec2
leave your/its/a mark (on something/somebody)
to have an effect on something/somebody, especially a bad one, that lasts for a long time
Such a traumatic experience was bound to leave its mark on the children.
War has left its mark on the country.
She left a permanent mark on racing history.
The experience left a deep mark on her memory.
make your/a mark (on something)
to become famous and successful in a particular area
He has already made his mark on the music industry.
She quickly made her mark as a film director.
Women are continuing to make their mark in business.
Topics Successc1
not be/feel up to the mark
(British English, old-fashioned)not to feel as well or lively as usual
I’m not feeling up to the mark at the moment.
on your marks, get set, go!
used to tell runners in a race to get ready and then to start
overstep the mark/line
to behave in a way that people think is not acceptable
She realized she had overstepped the mark and quickly apologized.
quick/slow off the mark
fast/slow in reacting to a situation
If you’re quick off the mark in answering these questions, you could win a prize.
The government was slow off the mark in responding to the crisis.
toe the mark(North American English)
(also toe the (party) lineBritish and North American English)
to say or do what somebody in authority tells you to say or do, even if you do not share the same opinions, etc.
One or two of them refused to toe the mark.
They rarely fail to toe the mark.
up to the mark(British English)
(North American Englishup to snuff)
as good as it/they should besynonymup to scratch
Your work isn't really up to the mark.
wide of the mark
not accurate
Their predictions turned out to be wide of the mark.