round out
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb (transitive):
- To make something complete or fuller: To add what is necessary to finish or perfect something.
- To make something round or fuller in shape: To cause something to become more rounded or plump in form.
Usage and Examples
- To complete or perfect:
- The final chapter rounds out the author's argument beautifully.
- A glass of port would round out this meal perfectly.
- To make fuller in shape:
- The fitness program helped him round out his shoulders.
- The carpenter rounded out the edges of the table.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- Often used to describe the final, perfecting touch added to a process, collection, or argument.
- Can imply a process of development or growth that leads to a state of satisfying completeness.
- "to round oneself out": To develop one's skills or personality in a broad and complete way.
- She traveled the world to round herself out as a person.
Variants and Related Words
- Round off (phrasal verb): Often used similarly to mean "to complete" or "to finish neatly," especially with numbers or actions.
- He rounded off his speech with a quote from Shakespeare.
- Round (verb): The base form, meaning to make or become round.
- Rounded (adjective): Having a smooth, curved shape; well-developed in all aspects (e.g., a education).
Synonyms
- Complete: To finish making or doing.
- Finish off: To complete the final part of something.
- Complement: To add to something in a way that enhances or improves it.
- Fill out: To make fuller or more complete (often used interchangeably with "round out" for both meanings).
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Round off: To change a number to the nearest whole number or tenth, hundredth, etc.; to finish an activity in a satisfying way.
- Round off your answer to two decimal places.
- Round up: To gather people or animals together; to increase a number to the nearest whole figure above it.
- The cowboys rounded up the cattle.
Idioms and Common Phrases
- A well-rounded individual: A person who has a wide range of skills, knowledge, and experience.
- The liberal arts college aims to produce well-rounded graduates.
- To round out the day/year: To finish a period of time with a particular event.
- We rounded out the day with a walk on the beach.
Verb
- make round
- round the edges
- express as a round number
- round off the amount
- make bigger or better or more complete
- fill out
- These studies round out the results of many years of research