robot

robot — noun

1. A device run by computer software that is able to perform physical tasks or move

1.nounA2
Definition

A device run by computer software that is able to perform physical tasks or move around automatically, without direct human control.

Example

The factory installed a new robot that assembles car engines in under three minutes.

collocation: industrial robot / factory robot

Tuan's grandmother runs a small robot vacuum cleaner across the living room each morning.

Common collocations
  • industrial robot
  • humanoid robot
  • robot vacuum
  • robot arm
  • factory robot
  • service robot
  • household robot
Synonyms
  • automaton

    more formal and old-fashioned, often suggesting a machine that moves stiffly or mechanically

  • android

    specifically a robot built to resemble a human being, common in science fiction

  • bot

    short form, usually refers to a software program rather than a physical machine

Antonyms
  • human

    a living person, as opposed to a machine

  • worker

    a person who does a job, contrasted with automated labour

Grammar Patterns

a robot

robots

the robot

Common Mistakes

The robot in the movie could feel love and sadness.
The android in the movie could feel love and sadness.
'robot' emphasises a machine doing programmed tasks; 'android' is a robot that looks and behaves like a human.

2. A person who behaves in an extremely efficient, mechanical way and does not show

2.nounB2
Definition

A person who behaves in an extremely efficient, mechanical way and does not show or express any feelings — as if they were a machine rather than a human being.

Example

Chidi's new supervisor is a total robot — she never smiles and gives orders in a flat voice.

informal: 'a total / real / complete robot'

The call-centre worker sounded like a robot, repeating the same script without any emotion.

simile pattern: 'sound like a robot'

Common collocations
  • like a robot
  • a total robot
  • a real robot
  • call someone a robot
  • sound like a robot
Synonyms
  • automaton

    more formal, suggests stiff and unthinking behaviour

  • machine

    similar metaphor but weaker, can just mean someone who works tirelessly

  • drone

    emphasises doing repetitive work without thinking, often in a boring job

Antonyms
  • warm person

    someone who shows kindness and feeling towards others

  • free spirit

    someone who acts naturally and emotionally, not following rigid routines

Grammar Patterns

like a robot

a (total / real / complete) robot

Usage Note

Common in comparisons — 'like a robot' describes someone whose behaviour is mechanically efficient and emotionally blank. Can be mildly insulting when used about a real person.

Common Mistakes

She is a real robot — always smiling and cheerful.
She is a real robot
never smiling, just working mechanically.' — The metaphor focuses on lack of emotion, not on efficiency alone.
My boss is a robot who works very creatively.
My boss is a robot who works mechanically, following the same steps every time.
A robot's defining trait is repetitive, uncreative behaviour.

3. A set of coloured lights (red, yellow, and green) positioned at a road junction

3.noun
Definition

A set of coloured lights (red, yellow, and green) positioned at a road junction to control the flow of traffic by telling drivers when to stop and when to go; used mainly in South African English.

Example

Esteban stopped at the robot on Dorp Street and waited for the light to turn green.

South African informal: 'robot' = 'traffic light'

The robot at the main intersection was broken, so drivers had to take turns crossing the junction.

Common collocations
  • at the robot
  • the robot turns red / green
  • wait at the robot
  • robot is broken
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

the robot

at the robot

robot turns red / green

Usage Note

Confined to South African English in informal conversation. Outside South Africa, 'robot' will not be understood to mean a traffic light and may cause confusion.

Common Mistakes

Turn left when you see a robot on the corner' (told to a visitor in London).
Turn left when you see a traffic light on the corner' (in most English-speaking countries).
Use 'robot' for traffic lights only in South Africa.

Word family

  • robotic
    adjectiveB2
  • robotics
    nounB2
  • robotize
    verbC1
  • robotization
    nounC1
  • robotically
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Both 'robot' and 'android' refer to machines that perform tasks automatically, but 'android' specifically describes a robot built to resemble a human in appearance. 'Automaton' is a more formal, old-fashioned word that suggests stiff, mechanical movement — it is rarely used for modern computerised devices. 'Bot' is a casual abbreviation for robot, but it usually refers to software programs (chatbots, web crawlers) rather than physical hardware. 'Machine' is the broadest term and covers everything from a simple pulley to a supercomputer. For example, you might say: 'The factory uses six industrial robots on the assembly line, not one android.' And: 'The spam comments on the forum are posted by a bot, not a real person.'

android ↗automatonbotmachine ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • robot-controlled
  • robot-operated
  • robot-assisted surgery

Prepositions

Etymology

CzechEnglish

The word 'robot' was first used in the 1920 play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) by Czech writer Karel Čapek. It comes from the Czech word 'robota', meaning forced labour or drudgery — work that a person is forced to do. Čapek's brother Josef suggested the word. The play was about artificial people built to serve humans, and the term quickly spread into other languages to mean any machine that works automatically.