Meaning

6 senses

  1. (intransitive)To be a master.

  2. (transitive)To become the master of; to subject to one's will, control, or authority; to conquer; to overpower; to subdue.

  3. (transitive)To learn to a high degree of proficiency.

    It took her years to master the art of needlecraft.

    meistern, beherrschen

    опано́вуватиopanóvuvaty, опанува́тиopanuváty, оволодіва́тиovolodiváty

  4. (especially, transitive)To make a master copy of.

    mastern

  5. (intransitive, usually)To earn a Master's degree.

    He mastered in English at the state college.

  6. (obsolete, transitive)To own; to possess.

More definitions
  • have a firm understanding or knowledge of; be on top of
  • be or become completely proficient or skilled in
  • have dominance or the power to defeat over
  • get on top of; deal with successfully

Examples

732 sentences

  1. It is not easy to master English.

    Оволодіти англійською мовою не легко. — ChickenKiev

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  2. It is impossible to master English in a short time.

    Неможливо опанувати англійську за короткий час. — aandrusiak

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  3. Tom is a master.

    Том майстер. — deniko

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  4. A foreign language can't be mastered in a year or so.

    Іноземну мову не можна опанувати лише за рік. — aandrusiak

    deEine Fremdsprache meistert man nicht in einem Jahr oder so. — Manfredo

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  5. Dogs have masters, cats have servants.

    Собаки мають господарів, коти — слуг. — deniko

    ruУ собак - хозяева, у кошек - слуги. — Karok

    txw · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

6 languages
Українська
By meaning 1
to learn to a high degree:
Deutsch
By meaning 2
to learn to a high degree:
to make a master copy of:

Origin

From Middle English maister, mayster, meister (noun) and maistren (verb), from Old English

From Middle English maister, mayster, meister (noun) and maistren (verb), from Old English mǣster, mæġster, mæġester, mæġister, magister (“master”), from Latin magister (“chief, teacher, leader”), from Old Latin magester, from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s (as in magnus (“great”), also cognate of English much and mickle) + -ester/-ister (compare minister (“servant”)). Reinforced by Old French maistre, mestre (noun) and maistriier, maister (verb) from the same Latin source. Compare also Saterland Frisian Mäster (“master”), West Frisian master (“master”), Dutch meester (“master”), German Meister (“master”). Doublet of maestro, magister, and meister.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

masters, mastering, mastered, mastered
Base formmaster · to master
3rd person singularmasters
Present participlemastering
Past simplemastered
Past participlemastered

irregular

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theymaster
he, she, itmasters

Past simpleLesson

all personsmastered

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave mastered
he, she, ithas mastered

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill master

Synonyms

7 synonyms
Close in meaning
  • have a firm understanding or knowledge of; be on top of:control
  • be or become completely proficient or skilled in:get the hang
  • have dominance or the power to defeat over:dominate
  • get on top of; deal with successfully:overcomeget oversubduesurmount

Word family

7 related words
Relatedmasterymastering
Derivedbemastermasterableovermasterovermasteringlyremaster

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

Collocations

10 patterns
  • master a foreign
  • master's degree
  • a master's degree
  • master's degree in
  • to master a
  • easy to master
  • is a master
  • the master of
  • want to master
  • master plan

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
massivelymastmastectomymasterfullymastermindmasterpieceB2
master — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto