visit
[verb]
Synonyms:
- call on, drop in on (informal), look (someone) up, stay with, stop by
[noun]
Synonyms:
- call, sojourn, stay, stop

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Related Idioms: bring down upon
Related Words: afflict, bother, pain, trouble, avenge, punish, frequent, reside

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English Thesaurus: visit, go to, go sightseeing, come around/by/over, drop in/by, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. vis‧it¹ S2 W1 /ˈvɪzət, ˈvɪzɪt/ verb
[Word Family: noun: visit, visitor, visitation; verb: visit, revisit]
[Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: visiter, from Latin visitare, from visere 'to go to see', from videre; ⇒ vision]

1. [intransitive and transitive] to go and spend time in a place or with someone, especially for pleasure or interest:
Eric went to Seattle to visit his cousins.
I was really pleased that they came to visit me.
Which cities did you visit in Spain?
A recent trip to London gave me the opportunity to visit the Science Museum.
She doesn’t visit very often.

REGISTER
In everyday English, people often say that they come/go to see someone, rather than visit them:
He’s gone to Scotland to see his family.

2. [transitive] to go to a place as part of your official job, especially to examine it:
The building inspector is visiting the new housing project.
visit with American English:
The President’s first trip abroad will be to visit with troops in Bosnia.

3. [transitive] formal to go to see a doctor, lawyer etc in order to get treatment or advice

4. [transitive] to look at a website on the Internet:
Over 1,000 people visit our site every week.

5. [intransitive] American English to talk socially with someone
visit with
Why don’t you kids play outside while we visit with each other?

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. visit² S3 W2 noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: visit, visitor, visitation; verb: visit, revisit]

1. an occasion when someone goes to spend time in a place or goes to see a person
visit to
a visit to Chicago
We’re just here on a short visit.
Why don’t you come for a visit this summer?
I decided to pay him a visit at his office.
I’ve just had a visit from the police.
I’m only here for the weekend – just a flying visit this time.
his first official visit to Britain as Russian President
The town is well worth a visit.

2. an occasion when you see a doctor, lawyer etc for treatment or advice

3. American English an occasion when you talk socially with someone:
Barbara and I had a nice long visit.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

visit
noun
ADJ. brief, fleeting, flying, quick, short | lengthy, long | eight-day, hour-long, etc. | long-awaited | regular | constant, frequent She enjoyed the frequent visits of her grandchildren.
infrequent, occasional, periodic, rare | annual, daily, twice-weekly, etc. | forthcoming, impending The prime minister has been briefed in preparation for his forthcoming visit to China.
exchange, reciprocal, return Exchange visits between company and school have kept the project going. They came to visit last week, and we'll pay them a return visit in the autumn.
surprise, unannounced, unexpected | unwelcome | casual | formal, ministerial, official, presidential, royal, state | high-profile | trade | private, unofficial | foreign, overseas | personal Following her letter of complaint, she received a personal visit from the store manager.
domiciliary, home You should receive a home visit from your midwife within a month.
hospital, prison | initial, preliminary | follow-up | social | neighbourly | educational, study | fact-finding, research | courtesy, goodwill While on holiday in Italy, the prime minister paid a courtesy visit to his opposite number in Rome.
morale-boosting | inspection, monitoring | on-site, site | school | customer | memorable
VERB + VISIT go on, make, pay sb, undertake We used to go on school visits to museums and historical buildings. How many doctors are still able to make home visits? Pay us a visit next time you're in town.
get, have, receive | look forward to I'd been looking forward to my cousin's visit for ages.
arrange, organize | postpone | cancel | cut short He was forced to cut short a visit to North America.
prolong He offered her a drink to try to prolong her visit.
announce We received a letter announcing a visit from government inspectors.
be (well) worth If you're staying in Rome, Ostia is well worth a visit.
VISIT + VERB mark sth, signal sth The visit signalled the normalization of relations between the two countries.
PREP. during/on a/the ~ On one of her regular visits home, she told her parents she was engaged.
~ from We had a visit from somebody collecting for charity.
~ to a visit to the theatre

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

visit
verb
ADV. regularly
VERB + VISIT come to, go to My parents are coming to visit me next week. We've just been to visit my grandparents.
decide to, hope to, intend to, plan to, promise to, want to, wish to | be expected to, be likely to A million people are expected to visit the museum over the next 12 months.
invite sb to, urge sb to

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

visit
verb
1.
BAD: Afterwards we visited a restaurant for dinner.
GOOD: Afterwards we went to a restaurant for dinner.

Usage Note:
You visit places that are of special interest, especially when you are a tourist or official guest: 'By the end of the day I was fed up with visiting museums and all the travelling around.' 'Later in the day Her Majesty will be visiting the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.'
You go to a restaurant, market, library, someone's house etc: 'If it rains, we could always go to the cinema.' 'I've got to go to the dentist's.'

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2.
DUBIOUS: Thank you for visiting me.
GOOD: Thank you for coming to see me.
DUBIOUS: He's gone back to Iran to pay a visit to his family.
GOOD: He's gone back to Iran to see his family.

Usage Note:
When you are talking about visiting someone for pleasure or business, go/come to see sb (or go/come and see sb ) usually sounds more natural than visit sb or pay sb a visit : 'She's gone to see her brother.' 'Let's go and see Peter and take him some grapes.'

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3.
BAD: I've been visiting a language school in Cambridge.
GOOD: I've been going to a language school in Cambridge.

Usage Note:
go to or (more formal) attend a school, college, class, etc (= go there regularly as a student): 'Her son goes to a small private school near Chingford.' 'I've started going to evening classes.'
Compare: 'Government inspectors visit the school twice a year.'

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4.
BAD: If I ever visit to Canada, I'll go when it's warm.
GOOD: If I ever visit Canada, I'll go when it's warm.

Usage Note:
You visit a place (WITHOUT to ): 'He has visited all the countries in Europe.'
Compare: 'The President's July visit to El Salvador has been postponed.' (noun + to )

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

visit to go and spend time in a place, for interest or pleasure:
You must visit Kyoto.
They visited all the usual places.
go to to visit a place. Go to is very commonly used in everyday English instead of visit:
Have you ever been to England?
They went to the Eiffel Tower and the Flea Market.
go sightseeing to visit places of interest in a country:
We went sightseeing in the old part of the city.
come around/by/over (also come round British English) to visit someone informally in their home, especially when you live near them:
A few friends came round last night.
drop in/by (also call in/by British English) to visit someone in their home, especially on your way to another place:
Kate said she’d drop by later to give you the forms.
look somebody up to visit someone who you do not see very often, when you are spending time in the area where they live:
Look me up if you’re ever in Newark.
pay somebody a visit (=visit someone)
Perhaps she'll come up to town then and pay me a visit.
make/pay a visit
The king made an official visit to Poland last year.
have/receive a visit from somebody
I've just had a visit from Lou Stacey.
a brief/short visit
Miss Russell was only able to pay a brief visit.
a flying visit British English (=a very short visit)
Timpson was due to pay a flying visit to London.
a surprise visit (=one that the person being visited does not know is going to happen)
Naomi paid a surprise visit to an old school friend.
an unannounced visit (=one that someone makes without first telling the person that they are going to visit)
The social worker made an unannounced visit.
an official/state visit
The president made an official visit to France this week.
a return visit (=when you visit a place again, or when someone you visited visits you)
George was already planning a return visit.
be worth a visit
Las Palmas, the lively capital, is well worth a visit.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲