scene
[noun]
Synonyms:
- site, area, locality, place, position, setting, spot
- setting, backdrop, background, location, set
- show, display, drama, exhibition, pageant, picture, sight, spectacle
- act, division, episode, part
- view, landscape, panorama, prospect, vista
- fuss, carry-on (informal, chiefly Brit.), commotion, exhibition, performance, row, tantrum, to-do
- world, arena, business, environment

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Related Words: hangings, scene cloth, back cloth, backdrop, background, tableau, locality, location, place, spot, compass, field, setting, sphere, culture, environment, milieu

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English Thesaurus: part, bit, piece, component, section, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

scene S2 W2 /siːn/ noun
[Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: scène, from Latin scena, scaena 'stage, scene', from Greek skene 'tent, building against which a play is performed, stage']

1. PLAY/FILM [countable]
a) part of a play during which there is no change in time or place:
Hamlet, Act 5, Scene 2
the opening scene
b) a single piece of action that happens in one place in a film, book etc:
battle scenes
tender love scenes
The film contains some violent scenes.
colourful pictures depicting scenes from the Bible

2. ACTIVITIES [singular] a particular set of activities and the people who are involved in them:
I’m not into the club scene (=going to night clubs).
LA’s music scene
the drug scene
a newcomer to the political scene

3. ACCIDENT/CRIME [singular] the place where an accident, crime etc happened:
The police soon arrived at the scene of the crime.
at the scene
Investigators are now at the scene, searching for clues.
on the scene
Journalists were on the scene within minutes.

4. VIEW/PICTURE [countable] a view of a place as you see it, or as it appears in a picture:
He photographed a wide range of street scenes.
scene of
She returned home to find a scene of devastation.

5. EVENT/SITUATION [countable] what is happening in a place, or what can be seen happening
scene of
There were scenes of rejoicing after the election.
bad scene American English:
‘It’s a bad scene here,’ she said. ‘Jamie is very sick.’

6. ARGUMENT [countable] a loud angry argument, especially in a public place:
There were angry scenes in parliament today.
I was mad, but I didn’t want to make a scene.

7. not be your scene informal to not be the type of thing you like:
Loud discos aren’t really my scene.

8. behind the scenes secretly, while other things are happening publicly:
Behind the scenes, both sides are working towards an agreement.

9. set the scene
a) to provide the conditions in which an event can happen
set the scene for
The prison riots have set the scene for major reform.
b) to describe the situation before you begin to tell a story:
A few words on the rules of English law will help to set the scene.

10. be/come on the scene to be or become involved in a situation, activity etc:
By then, there was a boyfriend on the scene.
⇒ a change of scene at change²(3), ⇒ steal the scene at steal¹(4)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

scene
noun
I. place where sth happened
ADJ. accident, crash, murder footprints found near the murder scene
VERB + SCENE attend, be on PC Michael Potter attended the scene. | arrive at/on, reach An ambulance soon arrived at the scene of the accident.
leave | be called to The police were called to the scene.
survey He surveyed the scene with horror.
PREP. at the ~ Police say the man died at the scene.
on the ~ Photographers were on the scene in seconds.
~ of The criminal often revisits the scene of the crime.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

scene
II. what you see around you
ADJ. beautiful, charming, idyllic, peaceful, picturesque | appalling, distressing, horrific | touching | bizarre, extraordinary, strange She opened the door on an extraordinary scene of disorder.
familiar | domestic a touching domestic scene
ever-changing I stared out of the window of the train on the ever-changing scene.
city, country, rural, street
VERB + SCENE watch, witness
SCENE + VERB occur, take place, unfold We sat in horror watching the scenes of violence unfold before us.
be reminiscent of sth Paramedics tended the wounded in scenes reminiscent of wartime.
PREP. amid/amidst ~s of The star arrived amidst scenes of excitement.
in a/the ~ | ~ from scenes from Greek mythology
~ of He painted scenes of country life. The battlefield was a scene of utter carnage.
PHRASES a change of scene You're exhausted. What you need is a complete change of scene.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

scene
III. one part of book, play, etc.
ADJ. opening | climactic, final, last | dramatic, funny, steamy, touching, tragic The film has several steamy bedroom scenes.
action, battle, bedroom, crowd, death, fight, love, nude, sex
VERB + SCENE act, play She plays the love scenes brilliantly.
rehearse, run through to run through the final scene again
film, shoot | set The scene is set in the first paragraph with an account of Sally's childhood.
change | steal The little girl stole the scene from all the big stars.
SCENE + VERB take place | shift Then the scene shifts to the kitchen.
SCENE + NOUN change
PREP. in a/the ~ He appears in the opening scene.
~ between There is a dramatic fight scene between the two brothers.
PHRASES behind the scenes (= behind the stage), a change of scene

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

scene
IV. public display of anger, etc.
ADJ. big | little | angry, ugly, unpleasant, terrible | emotional, violent
VERB + SCENE cause, create, make Quiet, now! Don't make a scene!
have
PREP. ~ between There have been a couple of ugly scenes between him and the manager.
~ with She had some terrible scenes with her father.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

scene
V. area of activity
ADJ. burgeoning, flourishing, lively | contemporary | international, local, world | art, club, comedy, drug/drugs, economic, education/educational, fashion, gay, literary, music/musical, political, social, sporting, etc. He is heavily involved in the local art scene.
VERB + SCENE be involved in, be part of | appear on, arrive on, come on/onto Owen arrived on the international scene in the 1998 World Cup.
vanish from Many of the stars of the nineties have completely vanished from the music scene.
dominate
PREP. on/onto the ~ the eruption of Cuban music onto the world scene
PHRASES a newcomer to the scene The film's dir | not your scene (informal) Hillwalking is not my scene, so I stayed at home.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

scene

the political scene
This issue is going to continue to dominate the political scene.
the social scene
She loved the city, and really enjoyed the social scene.
the music/jazz etc scene
She’s still involved in the music scene in London.
the arts scene
Britain has a lively contemporary arts scene.
the literary scene
He had a huge influence on the literary scene.
the club scene (=going to nightclubs)
I was really into the club scene.
the drug scene (=taking illegal drugs)
He regrets getting caught up in the drug scene.
the gay scene (=clubs and pubs where gay people go)
He knew his way around the New York gay scene.
the national scene
The magazine gives an overview of the national music scene.
the international/world scene
He is still a major figure on the international political scene.
be part of a scene
Formal receptions were an important part of the social scene.
be involved in a scene
I knew that he was involved in the drugs scene.
appear/arrive on a scene (=become known)
He first appeared on the arts scene in the 1960s.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

scene
noun
1.
BAD: From the window, there was a beautiful scene of the lake.
GOOD: From the window, there was a beautiful view of the lake.

Usage Note:
scene = what you see when you are in a particular place, especially something that is unusual, shocking etc: 'Some of the scenes inside the concentration camp were too horrific to describe.' 'The President arrived by helicopter to witness a scene of total chaos.'
view = the whole area that you can see from somewhere, especially when you can see a long way into the distance: 'Remember to book a room with a view of the sea.'

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2.
BAD: The driver stopped now and again so that we could enjoy the scene.
GOOD: The driver stopped now and again so that we could enjoy the scenery.

Usage Note:
scenery = the natural features of the countryside, especially when seen from a particular place: 'The Lake District is famous for its magnificent scenery.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

part something that together with other things forms a whole:
It looks like part of a car engine.
The best part of the movie was the end.
The hardest part is getting started.
bit especially British English informal a small part of something:
Some bits of the book are really funny.
I didn’t read the bottom bit.
piece one of several different parts that you join together to make something:
One of the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle was missing.
The furniture comes in several pieces.
component a part of a machine or process:
The company supplies engine components for trucks.
Education is a major component in a child' s growth and development.
section a part of something that is clearly different and separate from other parts:
The test is divided into two sections.
the reference section of the library
the string section of the orchestra
chapter one of the numbered parts that a book is divided into:
The opening chapter of the book sets the scene.
scene one of the parts that a film or play is divided into:
Some scenes had to be cut because they were too violent.
act 1, scene 2 of the play
episode a part of a story on the television or the radio, which is told in separate parts:
I missed last week’s episode.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

place a point or area, especially one that you visit or use for a particular purpose:
He’s been to lots of places.
a good meeting place
position the exact place where someone or something is, in relation to other things:
She showed me the position of the village on the map.
I changed the position of the mirror slightly.
Jessica moved to a position where she could see the stage better.
point a particular place on a line or surface:
At this point the path gets narrower.
No cars are allowed beyond this point.
spot a place, especially a particular kind of place, or a place where something happens. Spot sounds rather informal:
She chose a sunny spot.
The area is a favourite spot for windsurfers.
This is the exact spot where I asked her to marry me.
location a place where someone or something is, or where something happens. Location sounds more formal than place:
your exact location
The prisoners were taken to an undisclosed location.
an ideal location for a winter break
site a place, especially one that will be used for a particular purpose, or where something important happened:
the site of a great battle
There are plans to develop the site for housing.
The area has become a dumping site for nuclear waste.
venue a place where something such as a meeting, concert, game etc takes place:
the venue for the next Olympic Games
The hotel is a popular wedding venue.
scene the place where something bad such as an accident or crime happened:
the scene of the crime
Ambulance crews were at the scene within minutes.
setting the place and the area around it, where something is or where something happens:
The hotel is in a beautiful setting.
the setting for the film ‘A Room With a View’
Beautiful gardens provide the perfect setting for outdoor dining.
somewhere used for talking about a place when you are not sure exactly which place:
She came from somewhere in London.
whereabouts the place where someone or something is – used especially when you do not know this or do not want to tell people:
The whereabouts of the painting is unknown.
He refused to disclose his whereabouts.
I’m not sure about her whereabouts.
put to move something to a particular place:
I’ve put the wine in the fridge.
Where have you put my grey shirt?
lay to put someone or something down carefully on a flat surface:
He laid all the money on the table.
She laid the baby on his bed.
slip to put something somewhere with a quick movement:
He slipped his arm around her waist.
Carrie quickly slipped the money into her bag.
shove to put something into a space or container quickly or carelessly:
Shove anything you don’t want in that sack.
I’ve ironed those shirts so don’t just shove them in a drawer.
stick (also bung British English) informal to put something somewhere quickly or carelessly:
I stuck the address in my pocket and I can’t find it now.
Could you bung those clothes in the washing machine?
dump to put something down somewhere in a careless and untidy way:
Don’t just dump all your bags in the kitchen.
People shouldn’t dump rubbish at the side of the street.
pop informal to quickly put something somewhere, usually for a short time:
Pop it in the microwave for a minute.
thrust literary to put something somewhere suddenly or forcefully:
‘Hide it,’ he said, thrusting the watch into her hand.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

sight something that you see:
A herd of elephants is a magnificent sight.
Even Charles cheered up at the sight of the food.
view the area you can see from a window or place, especially when it is beautiful:
The view from the top of the mountain is amazing.
The hotel has great views of Lake Windermere.
We had a good view of the firework display.
panorama an impressive view of a very large area that stretches a long way across in front of you:
a panorama of snow-covered hills and mountains
vista written a view of a large area of beautiful scenery – used in written descriptions:
The road around the island offers some spectacular vistas.
scene what you see in a place, especially where people are moving around and doing things:
Reporters described the horrific scenes which followed the bombing.
His pictures are mainly of local scenes.
spectacle something that you see that is very unusual, surprising, or strange:
It must have been an unusual spectacle.
I leaned over the balcony to get a look at the spectacle below.
visuals [plural] pictures or parts of a film, video etc that people can see, as opposed to the parts you can hear:
Good visuals will help keep your audience’s attention.
see to notice something with your eyes, usually without planning to. Also used when saying that you watched a particular programme, film, game etc:
Have you seen my keys anywhere?
Did you see the basketball game last night?
look at somebody/something to keep your eyes pointed toward someone or something, especially someone or something that is not moving:
I looked at the map.
She was looking at him in a strange way.
notice to see something interesting or unusual:
I noticed a police car outside their house.
spot to suddenly see something, especially something you are looking for:
Nick spotted the advertisement in the paper.
catch sight of/catch a glimpse of (also glimpse formal) to suddenly see someone or something for a short time, usually not clearly:
I caught sight of him in the hotel lobby, and followed him out the door.
He glimpsed her face as she went into the courtroom.
make out somebody/something to see something, but only with difficulty:
Ahead, I could just make out the figure of a woman.
witness to see something happen, especially a crime or an accident:
The police are asking anyone who witnessed the attack to come forward.
observe formal to see and pay attention to something:
Officers observed him driving at 100 mph.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

view the area you can see from a window or place, especially when it is beautiful:
The hotel has a view of the Colosseum.
There are great views of the Himalayas.
panorama an impressive view of a very large area that stretches a long way across in front of you:
a panorama of snow-covered hills and mountains
From the top, there is a breathtaking panorama across to the southern slopes of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain.
vista written a view of a large area of beautiful scenery:
The road around the island offers some spectacular vistas.
On a sparkling spring day, the vista is quite superb.
In front, a simple porch offered a spectacular vista of coconut-fringed beach, lagoon, and open sea beyond.
scene what you see in a place, especially when people are moving around and doing things:
His paintings are mainly of local scenes.
a peaceful village scene
sight something that you see, especially something very impressive or surprising:
The mountain is a magnificent sight, soaring up from the carpet of purple heather at its base.
It was an amazing sight. I had never seen elephants in the wild before.
They were met with the sight of riot police shaking hands with the demonstrators.
consider verb [transitive not in progressive] formal to have an opinion about someone or something after thinking carefully about them:
We do not consider this film suitable for young children.
She is considered to be one of the finest pianists of her generation.
see verb [transitive not in progressive] to think about someone or something in a particular way, or as being a particular kind of person or thing:
Having a child makes you see things differently.
America was seen as the land of opportunity.
The country sees itself as a bridge between East and West.
regard/view verb [transitive] to think about someone or something in a particular way, or as being a particular kind of person or thing. Regard/view are a little more formal than see:
She regards herself more as an entertainer than a singer.
Many people in the industry viewed him with suspicion.
perceive verb [transitive often passive] formal to think about someone or something in a particular way, or as being a particular kind of person or thing:
Historically, nursing has been perceived as a job for women, but things have changed now.
The group were perceived to have little real talent.
Do other people perceive us as we perceive ourselves?
think of somebody/something as (also look on somebody/something as) to think that someone or something is a particular type of person or thing:
He looked on his job as a welcome relief from the problems at home.
Even though he’s 18, his parents still think of him as a child.
I think of her more as a sister.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

scene
si:n
See: behind the scenes

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲