concentrated

concentrated — adjective

1. putting all your mental or physical energy into one goal or activity, without al

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

putting all your mental or physical energy into one goal or activity, without allowing distractions.

Example

The team made a concentrated effort to repair the bridge before winter arrived.

concentrated effort — typical collocation for a focused attempt

Asher sat in concentrated silence while trying to solve the difficult puzzle.

Common collocations
  • concentrated effort
  • concentrated study
  • concentrated attention
  • concentrated work
  • concentrated silence
  • concentrated attempt
Synonyms
  • focused

    more common in everyday speech; suggests active direction of attention

  • intense

    emphasises the strength or depth of effort, not just the directed nature

  • determined

    focuses on the will and resolve behind the action

Antonyms
  • distracted

    describes a person whose attention is pulled in different directions

  • unfocused

    suggests a lack of clear direction or purpose

Grammar Patterns

concentrated + noun (effort, study, work, attention, silence)

be concentrated + on/infinitive

Usage Note

Commonly appears before nouns such as effort, study, work, attention, and silence. When used predicatively with on (e.g. 'She is very concentrated on her project'), focused is more frequent in modern English.

Common Mistakes

She was very concentrate on the test.
She was very concentrated on the test.
concentrated is the adjective form; concentrate is a verb.
He made a concentrate effort.
He made a concentrated effort.
the adjective needs the -ed suffix.

2. made stronger or more intense by removing some of the water or other liquid that

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

made stronger or more intense by removing some of the water or other liquid that dilutes it.

Example

Add one can of concentrated soup and two cans of water to the pot.

concentrated [food] — indicates the product needs dilution before use

The bottle of concentrated cleaner lasted six months after being diluted with water.

Common collocations
  • concentrated juice
  • concentrated soup
  • concentrated acid
  • concentrated cleaner
  • concentrated paste
  • concentrated solution
  • concentrated formula
Synonyms
  • strong

    less precise; can also describe flavour, smell, or effect rather than reduced liquid content

  • undiluted

    focuses specifically on the absence of dilution

  • condensed

    often used for milk or other liquids that are thickened by evaporation

Antonyms
  • diluted

    weakened by adding water or another liquid

  • weak

    general term for low strength or concentration

Grammar Patterns

concentrated + noun (juice, acid, solution, cleaner, paste)

be concentrated + in/into

Usage Note

Often appears on product labels and in recipes to indicate that a substance must be mixed with water or another liquid before use. Can describe household items (cleaners, soaps), food products (juices, soups), and chemicals.

Common Mistakes

I need to buy concentrated orange.
I need to buy concentrated orange juice.
the word concentrated by itself does not tell readers what substance is being described.

3. existing in large amounts within a small geographical area or a short period of

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

existing in large amounts within a small geographical area or a short period of time, rather than being spread out over a wide range.

Example

Most of the country's population is concentrated along the coast in big cities.

concentrated population — large number of people in a small area

The concentrated rainfall over just three hours caused the river to flood.

concentrated rainfall — heavy precipitation in a short time

Common collocations
  • concentrated population
  • concentrated rainfall
  • concentrated area
  • concentrated investment
  • concentrated wealth
  • concentrated in
  • concentrated around
Synonyms
  • clustered

    more concrete; often used for physical objects or people grouped together

  • dense

    focuses on how much is packed into the space, not just that it is gathered

  • centralised

    implies control or organisation from a single point

Antonyms
  • scattered

    spread out over a wide area with no clear centre

  • dispersed

    separated and distributed over a broad range

Grammar Patterns

concentrated + noun (population, rainfall, area, wealth, investment)

be concentrated + in/around/within

Usage Note

Frequently used in passive constructions with be and the prepositions in, around, within, or among to describe where something is clustered. The subject is typically abstract (wealth, power, population, investment) or natural (rainfall, wildlife).

Common Mistakes

The crowd was concentrate near the entrance.
The crowd was concentrated near the entrance.
the passive form requires the -ed ending.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe a person who puts energy into a goal, but they differ in what they emphasise. Focused highlights where the attention is directed — like a camera lens narrowing on one subject. Intense stresses the emotional or physical strength of the effort, sometimes suggesting strain or pressure. Determined points to the inner resolve: someone who keeps going despite obstacles. Dedicated adds a sense of long-term commitment or loyalty to a cause. In everyday use, 'She was focused on her homework' suggests active attention, while 'She was determined to finish it' highlights her refusal to give up, and 'concentrated effort' combines direction with sustained energy.

focused ↗intense ↗determined ↗dedicated ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • highly concentrated
  • heavily concentrated
  • strongly concentrated
  • extremely concentrated

Phrases

  • concentrated form
  • highly concentrated area
  • in a concentrated manner

Prepositions

  • concentrated in
  • concentrated around
  • concentrated on
  • concentrated within

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Concentrated is the past-participle adjective of the verb concentrate, which comes from Latin con- (together) + centrum (centre). The original sense was 'to bring to a common centre.' By the 1600s it was used in chemistry to describe liquids made stronger by reducing their volume. The sense of focusing mental energy became common in the 1800s. The 'gathered in one place' meaning follows naturally from the original spatial idea.