curve
curve — adjective
1. describes something that bends smoothly outward or inward, rather than being str
describes something that bends smoothly outward or inward, rather than being straight or flat — like the shape of a rainbow or the edge of a circle.
Gabriel carefully drew a curved line across the page with his pencil.
attributive use: curved + noun (line)
The curved handle of the old teapot felt warm in Soraya's hand.
A curved road ahead forced Caio to slow down before the bridge.
describing road geometry
The garden had a curved stone path that led past the roses.
- curved line
- curved surface
- curved blade
- curved road
- curved handle
- straight
without bends or curves at all
Common Mistakes
curve — noun
1. a smooth, continuously bending mark or shape with no straight sections or sharp
a smooth, continuously bending mark or shape with no straight sections or sharp corners — such as the side of a circle, the winding path of a river, or the turn in a road.
The river followed a gentle curve through the valley for miles.
gentle curve — common collocation for gradual bend
Wei drew a smooth curve on the board to show the class a parabola.
The road ahead had a sharp curve that drivers needed to watch for at night.
sharp curve — common collocation for dangerous bend
The designer used soft curves in the new chair to give it a modern look.
- gentle curve
- sharp curve
- smooth curve
- soft curve
- curve of the road
- curve of the river
- straight line
a line with no bends at all
Usage Note
Countable. A 'sharp curve' is a tight bend; a 'gentle curve' is a wide, gradual one. 'Soft curves' is often used in design to mean rounded, non-angular shapes.
Common Mistakes
2. the curved path that a ball takes through the air after being hit or kicked with
the curved path that a ball takes through the air after being hit or kicked with spin, so that it does not travel in a straight line.
The tennis shot had a beautiful curve that dropped the ball just inside the line.
Gita practiced kicking the ball with a curve so it would go around the defenders.
kick + with a curve — typical sports usage
Jude put a curve on his golf shot and landed the ball near the hole.
put a curve on [ball/shot] — common pattern
The goalkeeper was not ready for the curve on the free kick from Trang.
- curve of the ball
- put a curve on
- kick with a curve
- hit with a curve
Usage Note
Often used with verbs like 'put a curve on', 'give it a curve', or 'has a curve'. Common in football (soccer), tennis, golf, and baseball contexts.
3. in baseball, a pitch delivered with spin so the ball curves on its way to the ba
in baseball, a pitch delivered with spin so the ball curves on its way to the batter, swinging downward or to the side to make it harder to hit.
The pitcher threw a curve that fooled the batter and struck him out.
Justin had trouble hitting curves during the championship game last Saturday.
hitting curves — verb + plural curves for this pitch type
The coach showed the young players how to throw a curve without hurting their arms.
A good curve spins sharply and drops as it reaches home plate.
subject: a good curve + verb describing ball behaviour
- throw a curve
- hit a curve
- curve ball
- curve pitch
- curveball
the full, more common name for this pitch
- breaking ball
a broader category that includes curveballs and sliders
- fastball
a straight, fast pitch that does not curve
Usage Note
Also called a 'curveball' — both forms are common in American English. This term is specific to baseball and may not be familiar to learners in countries where baseball is not played.
Common Mistakes
4. a surprising problem or challenge that someone must face, especially one that co
a surprising problem or challenge that someone must face, especially one that comes without warning and makes a situation more difficult than expected.
The interview threw her a curve when they asked about her accounting skills.
throw [someone] a curve — fixed idiom-like phrase
Life often throws you a curve just when everything seems to be going well.
Esteban's sudden resignation was a real curve for the whole marketing team.
The rain threw a curve at their outdoor wedding plans at the last minute.
throw a curve at [someone/something] — variant pattern
- throw a curve
- throw someone a curve
- real curve
- unexpected curve
Grammar Patterns
throw + someone + a curve
Usage Note
This meaning comes from the baseball term 'curveball'. It is almost always used in the phrase 'throw (someone) a curve' or 'a curve (for someone)'. The noun alone does not carry this meaning outside of these fixed expressions.
Common Mistakes
5. a plotted line in a chart that shows the relation between two changing values —
a plotted line in a chart that shows the relation between two changing values — for instance, how sales rise over months or how temperature climbs during a week.
The curve on the graph showed a steady increase in sales over the year.
Jude plotted a curve that represented the growth of the plant each week.
plot a curve — common academic pattern
The curve went up sharply after the new product was launched in March.
The teacher asked the students to draw a curve for their experiment data.
draw a curve — classroom pattern
A steep learning curve means you must learn a lot in a short time.
learning curve — fixed compound noun from this sense
- learning curve
- demand curve
- bell curve
- plot a curve
- draw a curve
- curve on a graph
- plot
refers to the data points on a graph, not the line connecting them
- trend line
a specific type of line showing the general direction of data
Usage Note
Common in compound nouns: 'learning curve', 'demand curve', 'bell curve', 'growth curve'. A 'learning curve' is especially common in everyday language and refers to the rate of learning something new.
Common Mistakes
6. the rounded shapes formed by parts of a person's body, such as the hips, waist,
the rounded shapes formed by parts of a person's body, such as the hips, waist, or shoulders, often looked at as a pleasing or attractive feature.
The dress was designed to follow a woman's natural curves.
The artist spent hours sketching the gentle curves of the model's body.
gentle curves — describing body shape as elegant
Gita liked the way the jacket fit snugly around the curves of her shoulders.
The mannequin's curves were carefully shaped to match the new clothing line.
- natural curves
- gentle curves
- body curves
- curves of the body
- follow the curves
Usage Note
Usually used in the plural ('curves'). Can also refer to the rounded shape of objects like cars, furniture, or architecture that suggests elegance.
Common Mistakes
7. the general direction in which a situation, technology, or practice is developin
the general direction in which a situation, technology, or practice is developing or changing over time.
The company stayed ahead of the curve by adopting new technology early.
ahead of the curve — fixed phrase meaning more advanced than others
The school was behind the curve when it came to digital learning tools.
behind the curve — fixed antonym phrase
Being ahead of the curve in fashion means knowing trends before they become popular.
The government was behind the curve on changes to environmental policy.
- ahead of the curve
- behind the curve
- stay ahead of the curve
Usage Note
This sense is almost always used in the fixed phrases 'ahead of the curve' (more advanced or up-to-date) and 'behind the curve' (outdated or slower to adapt). The noun 'curve' does not carry this meaning outside of these phrases.
Common Mistakes
Being more advanced or less advanced than others in following a new trend.
Mia's company invests in new technology to stay ahead of the curve.
Our school is behind the curve in adopting online learning tools.
flatten the curve
idiomTo slow down the increase of something, like a disease, so that it stays at a manageable level.
The government introduced social distancing to flatten the curve of infections.
Can we flatten the curve of new cases before hospitals become full?
curve — verb
1. to bend smoothly in a rounded shape rather than continuing straight; or to make
to bend smoothly in a rounded shape rather than continuing straight; or to make something take that shape — like a road turning around a hill or someone bending a wire into a circle.
The road curves sharply to the left just past the old church.
intransitive: road + curve + direction phrase
Soraya curved the wire into a perfect circle for her art project.
transitive: curve + object + into + shape
The river curves through the forest for several miles before reaching the lake.
Gabriel curved the metal strip around the pipe to hold it in place.
transitive: curve + object + around + object
The path curved gently around the lake past the tall pine trees.
- curve to the left/right
- curve around
- curve through
- curve into
- curve sharply
- curve gently
- straighten
to make or become straight
Grammar Patterns
curve + adverb of direction
curve + object + into/around
Usage Note
Intransitive use (the road curves) is more common. Transitive use (she curved the wire) requires a direct object. The verb often appears with direction phrases like 'to the left', 'around', 'through', or 'into'.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- curvedadjectiveB1
- curvyadjectiveB2
- curvaturenounC1
- curveballnounB2
- curvingadjectiveB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
All four words describe a deviation from a straight line, but they differ in shape and context. 'Curve' is the most general term for any smooth, continuous bend — it works for roads, rivers, graphs, and design. 'Bend' is more specific to a change of direction, often in roads or paths, and may imply a less gradual change than a curve. 'Arc' refers specifically to a segment of a circle or a trajectory with a consistent radius, making it the best choice for mathematical or aerial contexts like 'the arc of a thrown ball'. 'Turn' is the broadest of the group and simply indicates a change of direction, with no implication of smoothness or shape. For example, you would say 'the river takes a sharp turn' to describe the location, but 'the river forms a gentle curve on the map' to describe its shape.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'curve' comes from Latin 'curvus', meaning 'bent, crooked, arched'. It entered English through Old French 'courbe' (bent, curved) and Latin 'curvare' (to bend, to curve). The mathematical meaning emerged in the 17th century, and the verb form has been used since the late 1500s. The extended sense of an unexpected difficulty ('throw a curve') comes from baseball's 'curveball', which entered spoken American English in the early 20th century.