build
Noun pluralbuilds
Pluralbuilds
- 1To make things by joining materials or parts together.
They build with stone and timber.
The workers were building near the school all summer, and the walls went up fast.
UsageSay build with wood, or build on a piece of land.
Similarconstruct
- 2To create or develop something, such as a business, plan, or relationship, by careful effort.
Like growing a plant a little more each day until it is full size.
Our school has a plan to build a new reading program.
She built her business from a single idea.
UsageSay build a team, build trust, build a business.
- 3To slowly grow bigger or stronger, or to make something do this.
Like adding one brick at a time until a wall gets tall and strong.
Regular exercise helps you build strong muscles.
She built her savings by setting aside money each month.
UsageOften build up: build up your strength.
Similardevelop, increase, strengthen, heighten, boost
- 4The shape and size of a person's or animal's body, or of a thing such as a bridge.
Like the frame of a house, which decides its shape and strength.
He has a tall, muscular build.
Her slim build made the coat hang loosely.
UsageSay of medium build, or a strong build.
Similarphysique, frame, figure, structure, construction
Note
- 5The time or work spent making a physical object.
Like the weeks it takes to put together a really big puzzle.
The build took six months from start to finish.
Engineers tracked every cost during the build.
Similarconstruction
Note
Less common meanings
- 6One version of a computer program, made while it is being worked on or when it is released.
Like a rough draft of a story before the final printed book.
The team released a test build to a few users.
Early builds of the game had many bugs.
Similarversion
Note
- 7In computing, to turn code into a program that works, or for code to be turned into one.
Like baking a cake from a recipe: the code is the recipe, the program is the cake.
The developers build the app from its source code each morning.
She built the project after fixing the errors.
UsageYou build an app from source. You can also say the code builds without errors.
Similarcompile
Note
- 8In a game, the set of items, skills, and choices a player picks for a character.
Like choosing which tools to pack before a trip, based on what you plan to do.
He tried a new build for his mage character.
My favorite build in this game uses a big sword and fire spells.
Similarloadout, setup, configuration
Note
- 9In a video game, something a player makes, like a house or statue.
Like a sandcastle you make at the beach, but inside the game.
His build was a giant castle made of stone blocks.
Players toured each other's amazing builds.
Similarcreation, construction, structure
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
"Build" comes from Old English byldan, meaning to build. It goes back to an old Germanic word for a house or dwelling.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
- Build descends from Old English byldan, meaning “to build”. en.wiktionary.org
- Its ancestry includes a Germanic word meaning “house” or “dwelling”. en.wiktionary.org