test
[verb]
Synonyms:
- check, analyse, assess, examine, experiment, investigate, put to the test, research, try out
[noun]
Synonyms:
- examination, acid test, analysis, assessment, check, evaluation, investigation, research, trial

---

Related Idioms: bring to test
Related Words: inspection, scrutiny, confirmation, corroboration, substantiation, verification, assay, essay, confirm, substantiate, verify, proving, testing, trying, probationary, speculative

---

English Thesaurus: check, examine, inspect, go through something, double-check, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. test¹ S1 W1 /test/ noun [countable]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: 'pot for testing metals', from Latin testum 'clay pot']

1. EXAM a set of questions, exercises, or practical activities to measure someone’s skill, ability, or knowledge
test on
We have a test on irregular verbs tomorrow.
Did you get a good mark in the test ?
► You take or do a test. Do not say ‘make a test’. To pass a test means to succeed in it, not simply to take it.

2. MEDICAL
a) a medical examination on a part of your body, or a substance taken from your body, to check your health or to discover what is wrong with you:
The doctor said I needed to have a blood test.
an eye test
a hearing test
I’m still waiting for my test results from the hospital.
do/run a test
They don’t know what’s wrong with her yet – they’re doing tests.
a test is positive/negative (=it shows that someone has/does not have a condition, a substance in their blood etc)
The tests were negative and the doctor said that she was in perfect health.
test for
a test for HIV
b) an examination of someone’s blood, breath etc carried out by the police, to discover if they have done something illegal:
a drugs test
The results of the DNA test proved that Simmons was the rapist.
breath test (=to find out if someone has been drinking alcohol before driving a car)
c) a piece of equipment used for carrying out a medical examination:
a pregnancy test

3. MACHINE/PRODUCT a process used to discover whether equipment or a product works correctly, or to discover more about it:
nuclear weapons tests
test for
a test for chemicals in the water
Laboratory tests show that the new drug is very effective.
We went to the test site in Nevada.

4. DIFFICULT SITUATION a difficult situation in which the qualities of someone or something are clearly shown:
Chess player Nigel Short faces Anatoly Karpov in the toughest test of his career so far.
test of character/strength/courage/endurance etc
The problems she faced were a real test of character.

5. put somebody/something to the test to force someone or something into a difficult situation in order to discover what the limits of their strength, skills etc are:
Living together will soon put their relationship to the test.
Paul soon found himself in an emergency situation that put all his training to the test.

6. SPORT British English a test match
⇒ smear test, means test, ⇒ stand the test of time at stand¹(8), ⇒ the acid test at acid²(3)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. test² S3 W2 verb [transitive]

1. MEDICAL
to examine someone’s blood, body etc in order to find out what is wrong with them, or to see if they have taken an illegal drug:
I must have my eyes tested.
test somebody for something
They tested her for diabetes.
test positive/negative (for something)
Athletes who test positive for steroids are immediately banned.

2. SUBSTANCE to examine a substance or thing in order to find out its qualities or what it contains
test (something) for something
The water should be tested for lead.

3. KNOWLEDGE/ABILITY to ask someone spoken or written questions, or make them do a practical activity, to discover what they know about a subject:
This task is designed to test your reading skills
test somebody on something
We’re being tested on grammar tomorrow.

4. MACHINE/PRODUCT (also test out) to use something for a short time to see if it works in the correct way:
The Ferrari team wanted to test their new car out on the racetrack.
test something on somebody/something
None of this range of cosmetics has been tested on animals.

5. SHOW HOW GOOD/STRONG to show how good or strong someone or something is, especially by putting them in a difficult situation:
a game that will test the contestants’ strength and skill
The next six months will test your powers of leadership.
I felt that she was testing me, leaving all that cash lying around. ⇒ testing

6. IDEA/PLAN (also test out) to start to use an idea or plan to find out if it is correct or effective:
Dr Lee set up a series of experiments to test out this hypothesis.
test something against something
The theory was then tested against the results of the study.

7. test the water/waters to check people’s reaction to a plan before you decide to use it:
The government is clearly testing the water, to gauge the country’s reactions to their proposals.
⇒ tried and tested at tried²

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

test
noun
I. examination of sb's knowledge/ability
ADJ. demanding, difficult, gruelling | easy, simple | fair, good, objective This type of exam does not provide a fair test of the student's knowledge.
listening, oral, practical, written | cloze, multiple-choice | placement He scored well in the placement test and was put in the most advanced class.
achievement, aptitude, endurance, intelligence, IQ, language, memory, mental, proficiency, spelling The recruits were put through a week of gruelling endurance tests.
driving | screen Three actors out of a hundred were chosen from the screen test.
VERB + TEST do, sit (for), take I took my driving test last week.
pass | fail | give, set | administer | mark
TEST + NOUN result | conditions As a final practice for the exam, they had to write two essays under test conditions.
paper, questions
PREP. in a/the ~ Some of the questions in the history test were rather difficult.
~ in a test in mathematics
~ on a test on the French Revolution

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

test
II. experiment/medical examination
ADJ. exhaustive, extensive, rigorous, stringent, thorough | statistical | empirical, experimental | field, laboratory | successful | negative, positive | medical | screening screening tests for cancer
diagnostic | forensic Forensic tests showed that the man had been poisoned.
eye, sight | hearing | blood, DNA, skin, urine | dope, drug/drugs | fitness | breath, breathalyser | smear The government has launched a campaign advising women of the need for regular smear tests.
HIV | pregnancy | personality, psychological, psychometric | lie-detector, polygraph | means | flight, road, safety | atomic, nuclear | alpha, beta The revolutionary new system goes into beta test this month.
QUANT. number, series She underwent a series of blood tests.
VERB + TEST have, undergo | do, | use The test used in detecting the disease carries its own risks.
fail Three athletes were sent home after failing drugs tests.
TEST + VERB take place | confirm sth, indicate sth, reveal sth, show sth The urine test showed some sort of infection.
prove negative/positive | come into force The new safety test came into force last month.
be designed to a test designed to detect bowel cancer
TEST + NOUN result a negative/positive test result
data | conditions The machine refused to perform properly under test conditions.
bed The company is using the university data library as a test bed for its new software.
site protesters at nuclear test sites
facility | drive, flight, run He's taken the car out on a test run.
driver, pilot | aircraft, car | trial The new drink went down well in the test trials.
methods, procedures | system | performance | subject | equipment, instruments, kit, machine | samples, substances | programme, schedule | phase, stage The software is still at the test stage.
session Subjects had to attend ten test sessions on different days.
certificate The vehicle did not have a current test certificate at the time of the accident.
case This was the first action taken by a cancer sufferer against a tobacco company, and was seen as a test case.
PREP. ~ for a test for diabetes
~ on a test on the engine

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

test
III. shows how good, strong, effective, etc. sb/sth is
ADJ. good | critical, crucial, key, real, supreme, true, ultimate, vital a real test of character
serious, severe, stiff, tough | simple | objective | subjective | political
VERB + TEST pose The calls for tax reform pose a severe test for the government.
put sb/sth to The latest pay dispute has really put her management skills to the test.
face The new prime minister is facing his toughest political test so far.
TEST + NOUN case
PHRASES the acid test (= a way of carry out, conduct, perform, run Rigorous safety tests are being carried out on the new jet. deciding whether sth is successful or true) Whether he would accept a pay cut would be the acid test of his loyalty to the company.
stand the test of time Whether this new technology will stand the test of time remains to be seen.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

test
verb
I. examine sth to find out if it is working/what it is like
ADV. adequately, properly The product had not been adequately tested before being put on the market.
rigorously | extensively | fully, exhaustively, thoroughly | regularly, routinely You should test your brakes regularly.
directly | empirically, experimentally the importance of empirically tested research
formally | successfully The exercise successfully tested the procedures for dealing with a serious oil spillage.
clinically, dermatologically | out a good way to test out his hypothesis
VERB + TEST decide to We decided to test the theory experimentally.
attempt to, seek to, try to | be designed to, be intended to | be used to | be difficult to It is difficult to test a potential cure when a disease is ill-defined.
PREP. for Squeeze the fruit to test for ripeness.
on We only sell products that have not been tested on animals.
PHRASES have sth tested I'm having my eyes tested this week.
test negative/positive Two of the athletes tested positive for illegal drugs.
test sth to the limit The training tested his body to the very limit.
tried and tested tried and tested techniques

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

test
II. require all sb's strength/ability/resources, etc.
ADV. seriously, severely, sorely Neither goalkeeper was seriously tested in a rather poor match. There were times when my temper was sorely tested.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

test

take a test (also do/sit a test British English)
All candidates have to take a test.
pass a test (=succeed in it)
She passed her driving test first time.
fail a test (also flunk a test American English informal)
He failed the test and had to take it again.
do well/badly in a test British English, do well/badly on a test American English
I didn’t do very well in the first part of the test.
give somebody a test
The students were given a reading test.
grade a test (also mark a test British English)
I spent the day marking tests.
a biology/history etc test
On Monday we had a French test.
a spelling/reading/listening test
I didn’t do very well in the listening test.
a driving test
A driving test can be a nerve-racking experience.
a written test
Selection was based on written tests in English and mathematics.
a multiple choice test (=in which each question has a list of answers to choose from)
There is some debate about whether multiple-choice tests are a good way of assessing student’s knowledge.
an aptitude test (=a test that measures your natural abilities)
an oral test
The oral test will consist of a conversation of about 10 minutes in German.
a test paper
The teacher began handing out the test papers.
a test result/score
The test results are out on Friday.
a test question
Some of the test questions were really difficult.
do/carry out a test (also perform/conduct a test formal)
Your doctor will need to carry out some tests.
have a test (also undergo a test formal) (=be tested)
She had to have a blood test.
go for a test
I’m going for an eye test next week.
positive (=showing that someone has a condition)
My first pregnancy test was positive.
negative (=showing that someone does not have a condition)
All the tests came back negative.
a blood test
A blood test revealed his alcohol level was above the legal limit.
an eye test/a sight test
All children starting school are given a sight test.
a hearing test
I went for a hearing test last week.
a fitness test
Walcott will have a fitness test this morning to decide whether he can play.
a pregnancy test (=to find out if someone is pregnant)
a drug test (=to find out if someone has taken drugs)
Two athletes were banned from competing after failing drug tests.
a breath test (=to find out if someone has drunk alcohol)
Some people think the police should be able to carry out random breath tests.
laboratory tests
Independent laboratory tests have confirmed that the product works very successfully.
a simple test
Your doctor can give you a simple blood test to check for anaemia.
test results
The test results showed that she had meningitis.
a test site (=a place where something can be tested)
A nuclear device was detonated at the Trinity test site in New Mexico, on July 16, 1945.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

test
noun
BAD: On my first day at the school, I had to make a test.
GOOD: On my first day at the school, I had to take a test.

Usage Note:
take/do a test (NOT make ): 'Before they start their courses, all the new students take a placement test.'
DO · HAVE · MAKE · TAKE
Many phrases begin with a very common very such as do, make, have, or take : ‘I felt very nervous about taking the test but, after having a long talk with Mrs Fisher, I decided I would just do my best and try not to make too many silly mistakes .’ These verbs can be combined with some nouns but not with others and since they do not have a clear meaning of their own, choosing the right combination can be a problem. Phrases which tend to cause difficulty are shown below.
HAVE
have a bath (or esp. AmE take ) ‘She’s probably upstairs having a bath.’
Have (your) breakfast ‘We usually have breakfast in the kitchen.’
Have (your) dinner ‘We had dinner and then went for a walk.’
Have a drink ‘I’ll collapse if I don’t have a drink soon.’
Have (an) experience ‘He has no experience of running a large company.’
Have fun ‘You can’t stop people from having fun.’
Have a holiday ‘It’s almost a year since we had a real holiday.’
Have an interview ‘I’ve had six interviews but no one has offered me a job.’
Have a lesson ‘Every morning we have three fifty-minute lessons.’
Have (your) lunch ‘Isn’t it about time we had lunch?’
Have an operation ‘Before I had the operation I could hardly walk.’
Have a party ‘On Saturday we’re having a party.’
Have a picnic ‘If it’s sunny we could have a picnic.’
Have a shower (or esp. AmE take) ‘It only takes me a minute to have a shower.’
TAKE
Take/do an examination ‘Why do we have to take so many tests?’
Take (your) medicine ‘Don’t forget to take your medicine.’
Take a pill ‘He refuses to take sleeping pills.’
Take/do a test ‘The last test I took was a disaster.’
MAKE
Make an effort ‘I had to make a big effort not to laugh.’
Make a journey ‘It was the first journey he’d made all on his own.’
Make a mistake ‘He has made a serious mistake.’
Make a noise ‘How can one small child make so much noise?’
Make progress ‘I made very little progress at the start of the course.’
DO
Do your best ‘Don’t worry, Tim. Just do your best.’
Do (or cause) damage ‘The storm did a lot of damage to the crops.’
Do an exercise ‘Have you done your exercises today?’
Do an experiment ‘To do this experiment, you’ll need two eggs.’
Do (sb) good ‘The holiday has done him a lot of good.’
Do harm ‘A scandal would do his reputation a lot of harm.’
Do your homework ‘Have you done your homework yet?’
Do a job ‘I’ve got one or two jobs to do this evening.’
Do the/some shopping ‘Jake has gone into town to do some shopping.’
Do research ‘We need to do a lot more research.’
Do things ‘We’ve done lots of different things today.’
Do your training ‘Where did you do your training?’
Note also: do something/anything etc: ‘I can’t come now – I’m doing something.’ ‘He hasn’t done anything wrong.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

check to look at something carefully and thoroughly in order to make sure that it is correct, safe, or working properly:
I’ll just check the water level in the battery.
The immigration officer checked their passports.
We need to check the building for structural damage.
examine to look at something carefully and thoroughly because you want to find out something about it:
Experts who examined the painting believe it is genuine.
The police will examine the weapon for fingerprints.
inspect to look at something carefully and thoroughly in order to make sure that it is correct, safe, or working properly, especially when it is your job to do this:
The building is regularly inspected by a fire-safety officer.
Some insurance people have already been here to inspect the damage caused by the storm.
go through something to examine something such as a document or plan from beginning to end, especially in order to check that it is correct:
You should go through the contract before you sign.
I’ve finished my essay, but I just need to go through it to check for spelling mistakes.
double-check to check something again so that you are completely sure it is correct, safe, or working properly:
I double-checked all my calculations and they seemed fine.
Travellers should double-check flight information before setting off today.
test to examine or use something in order to find out whether it works or what its qualities are, or in order to check that it is satisfactory:
Test your brakes to check they are working correctly.
These products have not been tested on animals.
monitor to carefully watch or keep checking someone or something in order to see what happens over a period of time:
Doctors monitored her progress during the night.
Observers have been monitoring the situation in Burma closely.
do a check
I did a quick check of all the windows, locked the door and left.
make a check (=do a check)
One of the nurses makes regular checks during the night.
run a check (=especially on something that is strange or suspicious)
You should run a virus check before downloading from the Internet.
carry out/conduct a check formal (=do or run a check)
The police carried out a check on the car’s registration number.
have a check British English
Always have a final check to make sure you’ve got your ticket and passport.
give something a check
I’d like you to give the car a careful check.
keep a check on somebody/something (=check something regularly)
Keep a check on your baby’s temperature.
go for a medical/dental etc check
She advised me to go for a medical check.
a quick check
A quick check showed that someone had been in the room.
a thorough/careful check
An engineer gave the computer a thorough check.
a routine check (=happening as a normal part of a process)
I went to the doctor for a routine health check.
a random check (=done without any definite pattern)
Customs officials were carrying out random checks on cars.
a regular check
It’s vital to keep a regular check on your bank balance.
a close check (=a careful one)
His teacher was keeping a close check on his progress.
a safety/security check
The security checks at the airport can take a long time.
a health/medical check
People over 60 should have regular medical checks.
a background check (=to get information about someone’s previous work, education, family etc)
The company conducts background checks on security employees.
a credit check (=to get information about someone’s financial history)
Banks usually do a credit check before they give you a loan.
a spot check (=a quick check of one thing in a group done to obtain information)
They did a spot check on 160 vehicles to see how many passengers were wearing seat belts.
a spell check (=a process in which a computer program tells you if you have spelt words wrong)
Have you done a spell check on your essay?
bill a piece of paper that tells you how much you must pay:
Many families are struggling to pay their bills.
a credit card bill
We got a huge phone bill.
I asked the waiter to bring me the bill.
invoice a document that lists the goods that a company has sent, or the services they have provided, and tells you how much you must pay. It is often sent from one company to another company:
Payment is due ten days after receipt of the invoice.
tab informal a bill that is added up at the end of a period of time, especially for food or drinks that you have had in a restaurant or hotel:
People staying in the hotel can order food or drinks to be put on their tab.
pay by cheque
You can pay by cheque or credit card.
write (out) a cheque
I had to write a cheque for £360 yesterday.
give somebody a cheque
Can I give you a cheque, or would you prefer cash?
make a cheque out/payable to somebody (=write someone's name on a cheque so it is paid to them)
Who shall I make the cheque out to?
enclose a cheque (=send it with a letter by post)
I wrote to the company enclosing a cheque for £49.99.
sign a cheque
You've forgotten to sign the cheque.
pay in a cheque (=pay a cheque into your bank account)
I went to the bank to pay in a couple of cheques.
cancel/stop a cheque (=stop a cheque from being paid to someone)
Don't forget to phone the bank and cancel that cheque.
cash a cheque (=exchange a cheque for the amount of money it is worth)
The company had cashed the cheque but not sent the goods.
accept a cheque (=take a cheque as a form of payment)
We only accept cheques if you have a bank card.
draw a cheque formal (=use a cheque to withdraw money from an account)
Customers can draw cheques for any amount they like on their accounts.
a cheque bounces (=is not paid by a bank because there is not enough money in the account)
The cheque bounced because my account was overdrawn.
a large cheque (=for a lot of money)
Sara was delighted to receive a large cheque in the post.
a blank cheque (=signed but without the amount written on it)
I wasn't sure how much the tickets would be so I gave her a blank cheque.
a post-dated cheque (=with a date on it that is later than the date you write the cheque)
She wanted a post-dated cheque for the next three months' rent.
a pay cheque (=one that you get for doing your job)
My pay cheque arrived at the end of each week.
a traveller's cheque (=a type of cheque that you can exchange for money in another country)
Are you taking some traveller's cheques on holiday?
a cheque book (=a book of cheques that your bank gives you to use)
When you open a bank account you will be given your own cheque book.
a cheque card (=a bank card shown when paying by cheque)
Cheques must be accompanied by a valid cheque card.
a cheque stub (=the part of a cheque that stays in your cheque book when you have written a cheque)
Check your cheque stubs to see when you wrote the cheque.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

last [only before noun] happening or existing at the end, with no others after:
What time does the last train leave?
Our house is the last one on the right.
final [only before noun] last in a series of actions, events, parts of a story etc:
It’s the final game of the championship tomorrow.
the final scene of the film
closing [only before noun] used about the last part of a long period of time, or of an event, book etc that has been exciting or interesting:
the closing years of the twentieth century
Barnes scored the winning goal in the closing minutes of the game.
concluding [only before noun] used about the last part of a piece of writing, a speech, or an organized event, that ends it in a definite way:
the concluding section of the report
the judge’s concluding remarks
penultimate /peˈnʌltəmət, peˈnʌltɪmət, pə-/ [only before noun] the one before the last one:
the penultimate chapter
test a set of questions or practical activities, which are intended to find out how much someone knows about a subject or skill:
I have a chemistry test tomorrow.
Did Lauren pass her driving test?
exam (also examination formal) an important test that you do at the end of a course of study or class or at the end of the school year:
He’s upstairs, revising for an exam.
When do you get your exam results?
There’s a written examination at the end of the course.
quiz American English a quick test that a teacher gives to a class, usually to check that students are learning the things they should be learning:
We have a math quiz every Monday.
a pop quiz (=a quiz given by a teacher without any warning)
finals British English the last exams that you take at the end of a British university course:
During my finals I was revising till 3 o'clock in the morning most days.
midterm American English an important test that you take in the middle of a term, covering what you have learned in a particular class in high school or college:
He did badly in the midterm.
oral exam (also oral British English) an exam in which you answer questions by speaking, instead of writing, for example to test how good you are at speaking a foreign language:
Nicky got an A in her Spanish oral.
You can either take an oral exam or do a 25 page essay.
practical British English an exam that tests your ability to do or make things, rather than your ability to write about them:
The chemistry practical is on Monday.
mocks/mock exams British English informal tests that you take as practice before the official examinations:
She did well in the mocks.
paper British English a set of printed questions used as an examination in a particular subject, or the answers people write:
The history paper was really difficult.
The papers are marked by the other teachers.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

test a set of questions or practical activities, which are intended to find out how much someone knows about a subject or skill:
I have a chemistry test tomorrow.
Did Lauren pass her driving test?
exam (also examination formal) an important test that you do at the end of a course of study or class or at the end of the school year:
He’s upstairs, revising for an exam.
When do you get your exam results?
There’s a written examination at the end of the course.
quiz American English a quick test that a teacher gives to a class, usually to check that students are learning the things they should be learning:
We have a math quiz every Monday.
a pop quiz (=a quiz given by a teacher without any warning)
finals British English the last exams that you take at the end of a British university course:
During my finals I was revising till 3 o'clock in the morning most days.
final American English an important test that you take at the end of a particular class in high school or college:
The English final was pretty hard.
midterm American English an important test that you take in the middle of a term, covering what you have learned in a particular class in high school or college:
He did badly in the midterm.
oral exam (also oral British English) an exam in which you answer questions by speaking, instead of writing, for example to test how good you are at speaking a foreign language:
Nicky got an A in her Spanish oral.
You can either take an oral exam or do a 25 page essay.
practical British English an exam that tests your ability to do or make things, rather than your ability to write about them:
The chemistry practical is on Monday.
mocks/mock exams British English informal tests that you take as practice before the official examinations:
She did well in the mocks.
paper British English a set of printed questions used as an examination in a particular subject, or the answers people write:
The history paper was really difficult.
The papers are marked by the other teachers.
check to look at something carefully and thoroughly in order to make sure that it is correct, safe, or working properly:
I’ll just check the water level in the battery.
The immigration officer checked their passports.
We need to check the building for structural damage.
examine to look at something carefully and thoroughly because you want to find out something about it:
Experts who examined the painting believe it is genuine.
The police will examine the weapon for fingerprints.
inspect to look at something carefully and thoroughly in order to make sure that it is correct, safe, or working properly, especially when it is your job to do this:
The building is regularly inspected by a fire-safety officer.
Some insurance people have already been here to inspect the damage caused by the storm.
go through something to examine something such as a document or plan from beginning to end, especially in order to check that it is correct:
You should go through the contract before you sign.
I’ve finished my essay, but I just need to go through it to check for spelling mistakes.
double-check to check something again so that you are completely sure it is correct, safe, or working properly:
I double-checked all my calculations and they seemed fine.
Travellers should double-check flight information before setting off today.
monitor to carefully watch or keep checking someone or something in order to see what happens over a period of time:
Doctors monitored her progress during the night.
Observers have been monitoring the situation in Burma closely.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

test
test
See: road test , screen test

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲