The environment was the focus of student council activities.
Source: tatoeba (21014)
Focus
/ˈfəʊ.kəs/
Synonyms for "focus" (453 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (10)
Strong matches (15)
Related words (25)
Noun(11 words)
Adjective(2 words)
better focuscalm stillness
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: center, centre, concentrate, focal point, absorbed.
- Sentence evidence is available for focus, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "focus".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "focus"
Keep "focus" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "focus" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "focus", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "focus" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
35 entriesShowing 16 of 35 words.
More specific
13 entriesautofocuscentral topicconvergence pointessential ideafocal pointfocus areaimage pointintense focusmain thememanual focusnarrow focusselective focustargeted focus
Collocations
12 entriesclear focusdepth of focusfocal pointfocus attentionfocus energyfocus groupfocus lensfocus of attentionfocus resourceslaser focusnarrow focussharp focus
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
4 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
1 entriesTranslations
23 translations across 20 languages.
Bulgarian
1 entries- фокус noun (in mathematics)
Catalan
1 entries- focus noun (in mathematics)
Danish
1 entries- fokus noun (in mathematics)
Dutch
2 entries- brandpunt noun (in mathematics)
- focus noun (in mathematics)
Estonian
1 entries- fookus noun (in mathematics)
Finnish
2 entries- leikkauspiste noun (in mathematics)
- polttopiste noun (in mathematics)
French
1 entries- foyer noun (in mathematics)
German
1 entries- Brennpunkt noun (in mathematics)
Indonesian
1 entries- titik api noun (in mathematics)
Irish
1 entries- fócas noun (in mathematics)
Italian
1 entries- fuoco noun (in mathematics)
Japanese
1 entries- 焦点 noun (in mathematics)
Korean
1 entries- 초점 noun (in mathematics)
Macedonian
1 entries- фокус noun (in mathematics)
Māori
1 entries- ngahunga noun (in mathematics)
Portuguese
1 entries- foco noun (in mathematics)
Russian
2 entries- фо́кус noun (in mathematics)
- фока́льная то́чка noun (in mathematics)
Spanish
1 entries- foco noun (in mathematics)
Tagalog
1 entries- katumbukan noun (in mathematics)
Vietnamese
1 entries- tiêu điểm noun (in mathematics)
Sample sentences
28 total sentences available.
The image is out of focus.
Source: tatoeba (26432)
A committee should apply the focus to the more concrete problem.
Source: tatoeba (28254)
Do I have to focus it?
Source: tatoeba (34437)
Showing 4 of 28 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "focus"?
Closest matches include center, centre, concentrate, focal point, absorbed.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "focus"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.