Word
cobweb
Phoneticscob·web, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈkɑbˌwɛb/
UK/kˈɒbwɛb/
Definitions
01spider's web
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a net of thin, sticky threads made by a spider, usually found in the corners of old rooms.
n. a spider's web, particularly one that is old, dusty, or abandoned in an indoor setting.
“She used a long brush to remove the cobwebs from the ceiling corners.”
“Thick cobwebs draped across the rafters of the abandoned barn, catching the dust of several decades.”
Synonyms
02mental confusion
B2 · Upper Intermediate Plural noun Informal
n. a feeling of being confused or sleepy that you need to clear away.
n. a state of mental confusion, lethargy, or outdated thinking. Often used in the plural with the verb 'clear'.
“A quick walk in the fresh air helped me clear the cobwebs after a long nap.”
“The new CEO was determined to clear away the corporate cobwebs and modernise the company's stagnant culture.”
Antonyms
03something flimsy
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Literary
n. something that is very thin, weak, or easy to break.
n. something considered thin, unsubstantial, or flimsy in structure or logic.
“The old map was so thin it felt like a cobweb in my hands.”
“His legal argument was a mere cobweb of half-truths that collapsed under the slightest scrutiny from the judge.”
Synonyms
04to cover with webs
C2 · Proficiency Literary
v. to cover something with spiderwebs.
v. to cover or become covered with cobwebs or a web-like substance.
“The neglected attic had cobwebbed over the years.”
“Time had cobwebbed the library, leaving the ancient manuscripts shrouded in a delicate grey veil of silk and dust.”
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English copweb or coppeweb, with cognates in Middle Dutch kopwebbe and Westphalian German Low German Kobbenwebbe. The modern form derives from a later surface analysis of cob—an obsolete word for spider—plus web.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Rare
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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