Library / English Dictionary

DOMINATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Have dominance or the power to defeat over

Example:

The methods can master the problems

Synonyms:

dominate; master

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "dominate" is one way to...):

command; control (exercise authoritative control or power over)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dominate"):

command (be in command of)

subject; subjugate (make subservient; force to submit or subdue)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

dominance (the power or right to give orders or make decisions)

dominant (exercising influence or control)

domination (power to dominate or defeat)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance

Example:

Hispanics predominate in this neighborhood

Synonyms:

dominate; predominate; prevail; reign; rule

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dominate"):

override (prevail over)

overarch (be central or dominant)

outbalance; outweigh; overbalance; preponderate (weigh more heavily)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 3

Meaning:

Be in control

Example:

Her husband completely dominates her

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "dominate" is one way to...):

act upon; influence; work (have and exert influence or effect)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dominate"):

overbear (overcome)

possess (enter into and control, as of emotions or ideas)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

dominance (the state that exists when one person or group has power over another)

dominant (exercising influence or control)

domination (social control by dominating)

domination (power to dominate or defeat)

dominion (dominance or power through legal authority)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Look down on

Example:

The villa dominates the town

Synonyms:

command; dominate; overlook; overtop

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "dominate" is one way to...):

lie (be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dominate"):

dwarf; overshadow; shadow (make appear small by comparison)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Be greater in significance than

Example:

the tragedy overshadowed the couple's happiness

Synonyms:

dominate; eclipse; overshadow

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "dominate" is one way to...):

brood; bulk large; hover; loom (hang over, as of something threatening, dark, or menacing)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Credits

 Context examples: 

Because ice is less dense than rock, the topography could "relax," or smooth out, more quickly if ice or another lower-density material, such as salt, dominates the subsurface composition.

(The Case of the Missing Ceres Craters, NASA)

Cells with greater ability to proliferate dominated the tumors over time, and that metastases were seeded by a small set of cells.

(Novel Approach Gives Insights Into Tumor Development, NIH)

Other microbes, dependent on nitrates, came to dominate the plume instead.

(Scientists report skyrocketing phyotplankton population in aftermath of Kīlauea eruption, Wikinews)

Small shallow lakes dominate the world’s freshwater area, and the sediments within them already produce at least one-quarter of all carbon-dioxide, and more than two-thirds of all methane that come from lakes.

(Climate change could double greenhouse gas emissions from freshwater ecosystems, University of Cambridge)

He was dominated by this mere flesh-love of life.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

The strong, masterful personality of Holmes dominated the tragic scene, and all were equally puppets in his hands.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

WMO notes warmer than average temperatures dominated across much of the world’s land and ocean surfaces during November.

(World Meteorological Org.: Arctic Warming Appears Irreversible, VOA)

A benign epithelial neoplasm with a uniform, monomorphic appearance that is dominated by basal cells.

(Experimental Organism Basal Cell Adenoma, NCI Thesaurus)

They were brutes, but he was the arch-brute, a thing of terror that towered over them and dominated them.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Being a man of enormous physique, however, and possessed of a very powerful voice, he dominated the tumult and succeeded in finishing his speech.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)