B2noun & verbAdvanced vocabulary

scale: meaning, pronunciation and examples

/skeɪl/·SKAYL

Scale (noun) means the size or level of something, especially compared with others.

What does “scale” mean?

  1. 1

    nounthe size or level of something, especially compared with others

    The scale of the damage was shocking.
  2. 2

    nouna range of numbers or levels used to measure something

    Rate the movie on a scale of 1 to 10.
  3. 3

    verbto climb up something high and steep

    The climbers scaled the cliff in two hours.

Scale at a glance

Part of speech
noun & verb
CEFR level
B2 (upper intermediate)
Pronunciation
/skeɪl/ · SKAYL

How to use “scale” correctly

“Scales” (plural) are for weighing; a fish’s “scales” cover its skin. “Scale back” or “scale down” means reduce.

Common phrases with “scale”

  • on a large scale
  • scale of 1 to 10
  • scale back
  • economies of scale

Synonyms (similar meaning)

“scale” is on these word lists

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