Focus Focused Eyes Focuses ˈfəʊkəs Finding Hard Focusing

• she was distracted and finding it hard to focus.
• the discussion focused on three main issues.
• each exercise focuses on a different grammar point.
• he had artistic interests but his teachers encouraged him to focus elsewhere.

focus

Verb Forms

1. to give attention, effort, etc. to one particular subject, situation or person rather than another
• She was distracted and finding it hard to focus.
• The discussion focused on three main issues.
• Each exercise focuses on a different grammar point.
• He had artistic interests but his teachers encouraged him to focus elsewhere.
• The essay seems too narrowly focused.
• Music and crafts can help focus small children's energies.
• The visit helped to focus world attention on the plight of the refugees.
• All eyes are focused on the presidential elections at the moment.
• The event will focus the spotlight on younger athletes.
• We need to decide where to focus our efforts.

Extra Examples

• Come on, try to focus.
• Children with ADHD suffer from an inability to focus and concentrate.
• Degree courses have traditionally focused on the established great writers of the past.
• They plan to divest declining businesses and focus on growth areas.
• You might choose to focus on a particular aspect of the nineteenth century.
• Meetings focused on the development of the curriculum.
• He inevitably focused on his own concerns, with only a passing query about Jeff.
• Much recent concern has been focused upon sea level rises.
• The exhibition is focused primarily upon architecture.
• The exhibition primarily focuses upon architecture.
• Schools should not focus exclusively on exam results.
• The department undertakes highly focused research.
• The study was criticized for being too narrowly focused.
• My own research is focused on classical traditions.
• We have focused our resources on developing new products.
• Think of some questions that will help focus the discussion.
• This should help focus your attention.
• I was finding it hard to focus my mind properly.
• Perhaps your family is where you should focus your attention.
• Where do you really wish to focus your time and energy?
• Much of the debate was focused around the issue of inequality.
• He made a promise to his father and is determined to live his entire life focused towards that goal.
• A hate crime is abuse focused towards a specific person or group on grounds of race, religion, etc.
• You need to focus closely on the matter at hand.
• At the moment, aid agencies are focusing their efforts on women and children.
• The attention of the news media was firmly focused on the elections.
• Our activity is mainly focused on responding to emergencies.
2. to adapt or be changed so that things can be seen clearly; to change something so that you can see things clearly
• It took a few moments for her eyes to focus in the dark.
• Let your eyes focus on objects that are further away from you.
• In this scene, the camera focuses on the actor's face.
• ‘Look at me,’ he says, focusing the camera.
• He focused his blue eyes on her.
• I quickly focused the camera on the children.
• My gaze was focused elsewhere at the time.

Extra Examples

• She blinked and tried to focus.
• The eye will automatically focus on the small group in the foreground.
• She could feel his eyes focusing on her.
• She could feel his eyes focused on her.
• He struggled to focus his eyes in the dimness.
• A newborn baby cannot focus its eyes.
• My eyes are focused on the horizon.
• Ten TV cameras were focused on the stage.
• She likes to focus her camera on the unusual and the surreal.
• So much of good film-making is just knowing where to focus your camera.
3. to aim light onto a particular point using a lens
• A laser focuses a beam of light.
• She used her glasses to focus the sun's rays on the twigs and spark a fire.
4. to shine on somebody/something
• Suddenly a spotlight focused on us.

Word Origin

• mid 17th cent. (as a term in geometry and physics): from Latin, literally ‘domestic hearth’.