cultivate

cultivate — verb

1. to get soil or land ready for farming and then raise crops or other useful plant

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to get soil or land ready for farming and then raise crops or other useful plants on it by ploughing, planting, and watering regularly.

Example

The Patel family has cultivated rice in this region for over fifty years.

present perfect: has cultivated + duration phrase

Karim spent his weekends cultivating vegetables in the small plot behind his house.

Common collocations
  • cultivate land
  • cultivate soil
  • cultivate crops
  • cultivate rice / wheat / vegetables
  • cultivate a field
Synonyms
  • farm

    broader term covering all activities on a farm, not just soil preparation

  • grow

    focuses on the plant's development rather than the land preparation

  • till

    only covers ploughing and preparing soil, not planting or caring for the crop

  • raise

    often used for both plants and animals; slightly less formal than cultivate

Antonyms
  • neglect

    to fail to care for the land or crops

  • abandon

    to leave land or crops without any care at all

Grammar Patterns

cultivate + noun phrase (land/soil/crops/plants)

Common Mistakes

The farmer cultivated the cow.
The farmer raised the cow.
'cultivate' is used for plants and land, not for animals.

2. to work at developing a particular skill, habit, or quality through regular prac

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to work at developing a particular skill, habit, or quality through regular practice, study, or effort over a period of time.

Example

Adina cultivated her negotiation skills by working on complex business deals.

cultivate + skill — pattern for abilities gained through experience

Paloma tries to cultivate a habit of writing in her journal every evening.

Common collocations
  • cultivate skills
  • cultivate a habit
  • cultivate an interest
  • cultivate an ability
  • cultivate a talent
  • cultivate a quality
Synonyms
  • develop

    more general and common; can describe any growth process, not just deliberate effort

  • foster

    emphasises providing a supportive environment for growth; slightly more formal

  • nurture

    suggests gentle, caring support over time; often used for talent or creativity

  • refine

    focuses on making something already present better or more polished

Antonyms
  • neglect

    to fail to give attention or care to a skill or quality

  • abandon

    to stop trying to develop something entirely

Grammar Patterns

cultivate + noun phrase (skill/habit/ability/interest/talent)

Usage Note

Frequently used with nouns that describe personal attributes such as skill, ability, habit, interest, talent, or taste. The emphasis is on long-term, deliberate development rather than quick improvement.

Common Mistakes

I want to cultivate my English before the trip.
I want to improve my English before the trip.
'cultivate' suggests a long-term, deep development of a skill, not short-term casual improvement.

3. to try deliberately to develop a friendship or connection with someone, usually

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to try deliberately to develop a friendship or connection with someone, usually because you expect that person to be helpful or useful to you in the future.

Example

Femi cultivated a strong working relationship with his overseas partners over many years.

cultivate + relationship — pattern for strategic connections

Andrew made a point of cultivating friendships with senior researchers at the conference.

Common collocations
  • cultivate a relationship
  • cultivate ties
  • cultivate contacts
  • cultivate friendships
  • cultivate connections
  • cultivate allies
Synonyms
  • court

    suggests actively seeking favour or support, often in a political or romantic context

  • foster

    focuses on creating a supportive environment for the relationship to grow

  • nurture

    emphasises caring attention to maintain and strengthen the bond over time

  • woo

    implies trying to win someone's favour through charm; slightly old-fashioned

Antonyms
  • neglect

    to fail to maintain a relationship by not giving it attention

  • snub

    to deliberately ignore or reject someone's friendly advances

Grammar Patterns

cultivate + noun phrase (relationship/friendship/ties/connections)

Usage Note

This sense emphasises strategic or purposeful relationship-building, not casual friendship. The object is usually a professional or social connection that serves a longer-term goal. Commonly found in business, politics, and networking contexts.

Common Mistakes

She cultivated a new friend at the weekend party.
She cultivated useful business contacts at the industry conference.
'cultivate' in this sense implies strategic purpose, not casual social enjoyment.

Word family

  • cultivation
    nounB2
  • cultivator
    nounC1
  • cultivated
    adjectiveB2
  • uncultivated
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words relate to producing food or plants from land, but they differ in scope and emphasis. 'Farm' is the broadest term, covering all activities on a farm — ploughing, planting, feeding animals, selling produce — while 'cultivate' focuses specifically on preparing soil and caring for crops. 'Grow' centres on the plant's development rather than the land itself: you can grow tomatoes in a pot on a balcony, whereas cultivate implies land preparation. 'Till' is the narrowest of the group, referring only to breaking up and turning soil before planting — it is one step within cultivation, not the whole process. 'Raise' can refer to both plants and animals ('raise chickens', 'raise corn'), making it more versatile than cultivate. For a beginner, use 'grow' for simple gardening, 'farm' for running a farm, and 'cultivate' when you want to sound more thorough or formal about crop production.

farm ↗grow ↗till ↗raise ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • over time
  • for generations
  • through hard work
  • with care

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'cultivate' entered English in the early 1600s from French 'cultiver', which came from Latin 'cultivare' (to till or prepare land). The Latin root connects to 'cultus' (tilled, inhabited), the past participle of 'colere' (to till, to inhabit, to care for). This same root gave us 'culture' and 'colony'. The meaning expanded from working the soil to developing the mind and building relationships — reflecting the idea that mental and social growth, like farming, requires patient, careful effort over time.