built

built — adjective

1. Created or made in the specific manner, location, or style that is indicated by

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

Created or made in the specific manner, location, or style that is indicated by the word before it. Used after an adverb such as 'well' to describe quality, or after a noun such as 'American' to describe where or how something was constructed.

Example

The Japanese-built train arrived exactly on time at the busy station.

built + nationality (Japanese-built) as compound adjective

Minho bought a custom-built desk with a wide surface and five deep drawers.

custom-built: made to the buyer's specific requirements

Common collocations
  • well built
  • solidly built
  • custom built
  • American built
  • sturdily built
Synonyms
  • made

    broader term that does not require compound form; 'handmade' or 'factory-made'

  • constructed

    more formal, often used for large buildings or engineering projects

  • manufactured

    suggests industrial production in a factory setting

Antonyms
  • poorly built

    describes something constructed badly or with low-quality materials

Grammar Patterns

adverb + built (e.g., well-built, solidly built)

noun (origin/place) + built (e.g., American-built, custom-built)

Usage Note

This sense always appears at the end of a compound. The first part of the compound is most often an adverb (well-built, solidly built) or a place-of-origin noun (American-built, French-built). It describes objects, buildings, and products — never people's bodies.

Common Mistakes

She is well-built and runs fast.' (describing a person)
She is powerfully built and runs fast.
well-built for objects means strongly made; for a person's body, use powerfully built or the physique sense instead.
A built well house.
A well-built house.
the adverb must come before 'built', not after.

2. Having a particular body shape or physical type. Often used with an adverb that

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

Having a particular body shape or physical type. Often used with an adverb that describes the kind of build someone has, or with 'like' to compare their body to a specific type of person or thing.

Example

The security guard was heavily built with broad shoulders and a strong jaw.

be built + adverb of manner (heavily built)

Joaquín is built like a swimmer, with long arms and a powerful back.

be built + like + noun for comparisons

Common collocations
  • heavily built
  • powerfully built
  • slimly built
  • strongly built
  • built like a bodybuilder
  • built like an athlete
Synonyms
  • shaped

    less common for describing a whole body; often used for specific body parts

  • physiqued

    very rare; not standard in everyday English

Antonyms
  • slight

    describes a small, thin body frame

  • frail

    suggests weakness rather than a particular build

Grammar Patterns

be built + adverb (e.g., powerfully built, slimly built)

be built + like + noun (e.g., built like a bodybuilder)

Usage Note

Frequently used with degree adverbs like powerfully, heavily, slimly, or strongly. When used with 'like', the noun that follows names a category of person (athlete, dancer) or a stereotypical example (bodybuilder, boxer). Unlike sense 1, this sense only applies to living creatures, most commonly people.

Common Mistakes

The table is built like a tank.' (talking about furniture)
The table is built like a tank.
actually this is acceptable when personifying an object; but be aware sense 2 primarily describes living things, while this figurative use is an extension.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe how something is created, but they differ in scope and context. Built emphasises the process of assembling parts into a structure — it pairs naturally with materials and quality (brick-built, well-built, solidly built). Made is the broadest and most neutral term, covering everything from handcraft to mass production (handmade shoes, made in China, made of wood). Constructed suggests careful planning or large-scale engineering (a bridge constructed from steel beams, a building constructed on a steep slope). Manufactured implies industrial production at scale, often in a factory with machinery (manufactured goods, locally manufactured furniture). For everyday objects, built and made are more conversational; constructed and manufactured sound more formal or technical. Compare: 'The table is solidly built from oak.' (quality of assembly) vs. 'The table was made by a local carpenter.' (origin of creation).

built ↗made ↗constructedmanufactured

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • built like a ...
  • built with ...

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Built originated as the past participle of the verb 'build'. 'Build' comes from Old English 'byldan', meaning 'to construct a dwelling', which in turn came from 'bold', the Old English word for 'house' or 'dwelling place'. Over time, the meaning expanded from house-building to any kind of construction. By the 1600s, 'built' was already being used in compound adjectives like 'well-built' to describe the quality of construction, and later extended to describing people's bodies in the 1800s.