Meanings
present singular third person builds · participle present building · participle past built · past built · archaic participle past poetic builded · archaic past poetic builded · first person past singular built · archaic first person past singular builded · archaic present second person singular buildest · past second person singular built · archaic past second person singular builded · archaic past second person singular buildedst · present singular third person builds · archaic present singular third person buildeth · past singular third person built · archaic past singular third person builded
- transitiveTo form (something) by combining materials or parts.
I built a shed in my backyard.
3 more examples
It was a bridge ybuilt in goodly wize, / With curious Corbes and pendants grauen faire, [...]
1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 6, page 140Athelstan Arundel walked home all the way, foaming and raging. No omnibus, cab, or conveyance ever built could contain a young man in such a rage. His mother lived at Pembridge Square, which is four good measured miles from Lincoln's Inn.
1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 16A chap named Eleazir Kendrick and I had chummed in together the summer afore and built a fish-weir and shanty at Setuckit Point, down Orham way. For a spell we done pretty well.
1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC - transitiveTo develop or give form to (something) according to a plan or process.
He will build an organization equipped for success.
1 more example
The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about […], or offering services that let you [...] "share the things you love with the world" and so on. But the real way to build a successful online business is to be better than your rivals at undermining people's control of their own attention.
2013 June 21, Oliver Burkeman, “The tao of tech”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, archived from the original on 25 Mar 2022, page 27Synonyms: create
- transitiveTo increase or strengthen (something) by adding gradually to it.
We need to build an income stream over time.
2 more examples
Since the launch early last year of […] two Silicon Valley start-ups offering free education through MOOCs, massive open online courses, the ivory towers of academia have been shaken to their foundations. University brands built in some cases over centuries have been forced to contemplate the possibility that information technology will rapidly make their existing business model obsolete.
2013 July 20, “The attack of the MOOCs”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845, archived from the original on 02 Jan 2014Meanwhile, Amoroso was also building his family. He married his wife Jaime in November 1999, and the couple, along with their baby daughter Sophia Rose, lived in Huguenot on Staten Island.
2026 September 8, Ella Spitz, Kaleena Fraga, “Christopher Amoroso, The Port Authority Policeman Who Died Rescuing Others On 9/11”, in All That's Interesting, archived from the original on 09 Sep 2026Synonyms: build up, enlarge, increase, strengthen
- transitivecomputingTo construct (software) by compiling its source code.
- intransitivecomputingTo be converted into software by compilation, usually with minimal human intervention.
This code won’t build any more. Have you made any changes?
plural builds
- countableuncountableThe physique of a human or animal body, or other object; constitution or structure.
Rugby players are of sturdy build.
2 more examples
According to the prevailing adolescent criteria Roger was not good looking. He had no build and did not give off very assertive, let alone aggressive vibrations.
1981 February 7, Nancy Walker, “A Gentle Guy”, in Gay Community News, volume 8, number 28, page 13One of the most general underwriting factors is the build of the applicant. All the insurers include build as an underwriting factor although only 18 of the 22 submitted the actual build tables. Table 9-1 shows a typical build table, which categorizes according to height, weight, and sex. The table lists average weights for each height, various ranges of weights, and the numerical rating debits or credits at the bottom of each chart column.
1983, J. David Cummins, Barry D. Smith, R. Neil Vance, Jack L. VanDerhei, Risk Classification in Life Insurance (Huebner International Series on Risk, Insurance, and Economic Security; 1), Dordrecht: Springer, →DOI, →ISBN, page 132 - countablecomputingAny of various versions of a software product as it is being developed for release to users.
The computer company has introduced a new prototype build to beta testers.
- countableThe process or period of constructing a physical object.
This new Lego set was a very nice build.
- countableslanggamesA configuration of a character's items or skills created by the player.
I made a build centered around attack speed.
2 more examples
In fact, thousands of D&D players constantly debate the virtues of various character builds (combinations of race, class, feat, and spell choices) and share their efforts with each other in hundreds of message boards and mailing lists.
2005, Bill Slavicsek, Richard Baker, Dungeons & Dragons For Dummies, page 279Lower levels often mean higher stakes, with characters lacking the inflated health pools and superhuman abilities of endgame builds.
2025 February 28, Ted Litchfield, “Finding a Path”, in PC Gamer (US), number 392, page 10
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo develop or give form to (something) according to a plan or process.
verbTo increase or strengthen (something) by adding gradually to it.
More synonyms by meaning
nounalternative names for the body of a human being
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-West Germanic*buþlijan
- Old Englishbytlan
- Middle Englishbilden
- Englishbuild
From Middle English bilden, buylden, bylden, from Old English byldan and bytlan, bytlian (“to build”), from Proto-West Germanic *buþlijan (“to build”), from Proto-Germanic *buþlą, *bōþlą (“house, dwelling, farm”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to become, grow, thrive, be, live, dwell”). Related to Old English botl (“building, house”). More at bottle. False cognate of German bilden.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans bou
- bou(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Ancient Greek κτίζω, οἰκοδομέω
- κτίζω (ktízō)(transitive) to establish a basis for
- οἰκοδομέω (oikodoméō)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- δέμω (démō)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- μηχανάομαι (mēkhanáomai)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- πήγνυμι (pḗgnumi)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- ποιέω (poiéō)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- τεύχω (teúkhō)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Arabic بَنَى
- بَنَى (banā)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Basque eraiki
- eraiki(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Bengali নির্মাণ করা
- নির্মাণ করা (nirman kora)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Bulgarian строя́, основа́вам
- строя́ (strojá)(transitive) to develop or give form to according to a plan or process
- основа́вам (osnovávam)(transitive) to establish a basis for
- строя́ (strojá)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- градя́ (gradjá)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- компили́рам (kompilíram)(transitive, computing) to construct software by compiling its source code
- телосложе́ние (telosložénie)physique
- версия (versija)any version of a software during its development
Catalan construir, edificar
- construir(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- edificar(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- compilar(transitive, computing) to construct software by compiling its source code
Chinese Cantonese 建設 /建设, 建造
- 建設 /建设 (gin³ cit³)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- 建造 (gin³ zou⁶)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Chinese Mandarin 建設 /建设, 建造
- 建設 /建设 (jiànshè)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- 建造 (jiànzào)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Czech stavět, postavit
- stavět(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- postavit(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- budovat(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- vybudovat(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- sestaveníany version of a software during its development
Danish bygge
- bygge(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Dutch opbouwen, bouwen
- opbouwen(transitive) to increase or strengthen by adding gradually to
- bouwen(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- bouwphysique
Esperanto konstrui, konstrui
- konstrui(transitive) to develop or give form to according to a plan or process
- konstrui(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- munti(transitive, computing) to construct software by compiling its source code
- muntaĵoany version of a software during its development
Estonian ehitama
- ehitama(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Finnish rakentaa, rakentaa
- rakentaa(transitive) to develop or give form to according to a plan or process
- rakentaa(transitive) to increase or strengthen by adding gradually to
- perustaa(transitive) to establish a basis for
- rakentaa(transitive) to establish a basis for
- rakentaa(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- rakentua(intransitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- rakentua(intransitive) to develop in magnitude or extent
- koota(transitive, computing) to construct software by compiling its source code
- buildata(transitive, computing) to construct software by compiling its source code
- koota(intransitive, computing) to be constructed by compilation of source code
- buildata(intransitive, computing) to be constructed by compilation of source code
- ruumiinrakennephysique
- versioany version of a software during its development
- koontiversioany version of a software during its development
French monter, fonder
- monter(transitive) to develop or give form to according to a plan or process
- fonder(transitive) to establish a basis for
- construire(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- édifier(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- ériger(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- bâtir(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- monter(intransitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- croître(intransitive) to develop in magnitude or extent
- compiler(transitive, computing) to construct software by compiling its source code
- compiler(intransitive, computing) to be constructed by compilation of source code
- carrurephysique
- versionany version of a software during its development
German bauen, Bau
- bauen(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- Bauphysique
- Körperbauphysique
Greek χτίζω
- χτίζω (chtízo)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Hebrew בָּנָה
- בָּנָה (baná)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Hindi तामीर करना, निर्माण करना
- तामीर करना (tāmīr karnā)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- निर्माण करना (nirmāṇ karnā)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Hungarian épít
- épít(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Icelandic byggja
- byggja(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Indonesian membangun, mendirikan
- membangun(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- mendirikan(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Irish tóg, déanamh
- tóg(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- déanamhphysique
- cruthphysique
Italian costruire, edificare
- costruire(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- edificare(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Japanese 建てる, 築く
- 建てる (tateru)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- 築く (kizuku)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- 建設する (kensetsu suru)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- 構築する (kōchiku suru)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- ビルド (birudo)any version of a software during its development
Korean 만들다, 짓다
- 만들다 (mandeulda)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- 짓다 (jitda)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- 건설하다 (geonseolhada)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Latin mūniō, aedificō
- mūniō(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- aedificō(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- struō(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- construō(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Latvian celt, veidot
- celt(transitive) to develop or give form to according to a plan or process
- veidot(transitive) to develop or give form to according to a plan or process
- celt(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Lithuanian statyti
- statyti(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Malay membina
- membina(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Māori hanga, hanga
- hanga(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- hangaphysique
Norwegian Bokmål bygge, bygning
- bygge(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- bygningphysique
- kroppsbygningphysique
Polish budować, zbudować
- budować(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- zbudować(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- wybudować(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- stawiać(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- postawić(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- wznosić(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- wznieść(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- kompilować(transitive, computing) to construct software by compiling its source code
- kompilować(intransitive, computing) to be constructed by compilation of source code
- budowa ciałaphysique
- kompilacjaany version of a software during its development
Portuguese construir, compilar
- construir(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- compilar(transitive, computing) to construct software by compiling its source code
- físicophysique
Romanian clădi, construi
- clădi(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- construi(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Russian стро́ить, постро́ить
- стро́ить (stróitʹ)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- постро́ить (postróitʹ)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- собра́ть (sobrátʹ)(transitive, computing) to construct software by compiling its source code
- телосложе́ние (telosložénije)physique
- сборка (sborka)any version of a software during its development
Scottish Gaelic tog, dèanamh
- tog(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- dèanamhphysique
Slovak budovať, vybudovať
- budovať(transitive) to develop or give form to according to a plan or process
- vybudovať(transitive) to develop or give form to according to a plan or process
- budovať(transitive) to increase or strengthen by adding gradually to
- vybudovať(transitive) to increase or strengthen by adding gradually to
- založiť(transitive) to establish a basis for
- zakladať(transitive) to establish a basis for
- stavať(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- postaviť(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- stavať(intransitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- postavaphysique
- verziaany version of a software during its development
Spanish construir, edificar
- construir(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- edificar(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- labrar(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- compilar(transitive, computing) to construct software by compiling its source code
- complexiónphysique
- complixiónphysique
- contexturaphysique
Swahili -jenga
- -jenga(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Swedish bygga, forma
- bygga(transitive) to develop or give form to according to a plan or process
- forma(transitive) to develop or give form to according to a plan or process
- skapa(transitive) to develop or give form to according to a plan or process
- bygga upp(transitive) to increase or strengthen by adding gradually to
- hopa(transitive) to increase or strengthen by adding gradually to
- stegra(transitive) to increase or strengthen by adding gradually to
- öka(transitive) to increase or strengthen by adding gradually to
- bygga(transitive) to establish a basis for
- grunda(transitive) to establish a basis for
- anlägga(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- bygga(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- förfärdiga(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- byggnadphysique
- kroppsbyggnadphysique
- byggeany version of a software during its development
Thai ก่อ, สร้าง
- ก่อ (gɔ̀ɔ)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- สร้าง (sâang)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- ก่อสร้าง (gɔ̀ɔ-sâang)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Turkish yapmak, inşa etmek
- yapmak(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- inşa etmek(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- kurmak(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- çerçevephysique
Ukrainian будува́ти, збудува́ти
- будува́ти (buduváty)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- збудува́ти (zbuduváty)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Urdu تَعْمِیر کَرْنا
- تَعْمِیر کَرْنا (ta'mīr karnā)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Vietnamese xây, xây dựng
- xây(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- xây dựng(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Welsh codi, adeiladu
- codi(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- adeiladu(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Yiddish בויען, אויסבויען
- בויען (boyen)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
- אויסבויען (oysboyen)(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with build
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
build. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/build
“build.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/build. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “build,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/build.
Source: build on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.