supposedadjective
uk/səˈpəʊzd/us/səˈpoʊzd/supposed adjective (DUTY)
be supposed to
More examples
- The whole conference was totally disorganized - nobody knew what they were supposed to be doing.
- The appointments are supposed to be made without fear or favour.
- You know full well that you're not supposed to go there without asking me!
- You're supposed to put the handbrake on whenever you stop on a hill.
- I was supposed to be working this evening but what the hell - I'll see you in the pub in half an hour.
B2 to have to; to have a duty or a responsibility to:
The children are supposed to be at school by 8.45 a.m.
What are you doing out of bed - you're supposed to be asleep.
You're not supposed (= allowed) to park here.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Duty, obligation and responsibility
- accountable
- answer for sb/sth
- answer for sth
- answer to sb
- answerable
- brother
- commitment
- fail
- have sth on your hands idiom
- I am not my brother's keeper idiom
- in the hot seat idiom
- incharge
- it's your own lookout idiom
- portfolio
- responsibility
- responsible
- risk
- saddle sb with sth
- social contract
- stick
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supposed adjective (INTENDED)
be supposed to
More examples
- The cost of living in the city is more expensive, but salaries are supposed to be correspondingly higher.
- This new video-recorder is supposed to be foolproof.
- Cats are supposed to have nine lives.
- The new broom was supposed to improve the way the department is managed, but things have been worse than ever since she arrived.
- This cream is supposed to help nourish your skin.
B1 to be intended to:
These batteries are supposed to last for a year.
We were supposed to have gone away this week, but Debbie's ill so we couldn't go.
How am I supposed to (= how can I) find that much money by the end of the week?
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Planning, expecting and arranging
- accidentally
- accidentally on purpose idiom
- advertent
- advisedly
- aim
- aim at sth
- calculate
- chart
- engineer
- I might have known idiom
- in the pipeline idiom
- intend
- intent
- intention
- promise
- reckon on sth
- scheme
- scientific
- see sth coming idiom
- set sth up
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supposed adjective (OTHERS' OPINION)
[ before noun ] used to show that you do not believe that something or someone really is what many other people consider them to be:
a supposed genius
The costs of the programme outweigh its supposed benefits.
More examples
- Older people tend to be quite conservative and a bit suspicious of any supposed advances.
- The supposed trickle-down effect of lower taxes for the rich has not yet resulted in greater prosperity for society as a whole.
- The supposed advantages of city living meant nothing to him.
- They were all eager for a share in his supposed fortune.
- Her supposed good looks were legendary at the time.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Seeming and purporting to be
- apparent
- as if/though idiom
- by the look(s) of things idiom
- come
- come across
- come over
- face
- ostensible
- outward
- paper
- persona
- prima facie
- purport
- putative
- so-called
- sound
- superficial
- supposedly
- verisimilitude
- you can't judge a book by its cover idiom
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