mental
- 01 B1 Intermediate
adj.relating to the mind and the process of thinking.
adj.relating to the mind or intellectual processes as opposed to physical ones.
Simple“The doctor asked about her mental health as well as her physical symptoms.”
In context“The athlete focused on mental preparation, using visualisation techniques to maintain composure during the high-pressure final.”
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
adj.done in your head without writing anything down.
adj.performed or taking place within the mind, especially without external aids.
Simple“She did some quick mental arithmetic to see if she had enough money.”
In context“He made a mental note to call the supplier first thing Monday morning to resolve the shipping discrepancy.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.crazy, very strange, or extremely wild.
adj.denoting someone or something that is insane, foolish, or extremely chaotic. Informal and often used for emphasis.
Simple“The crowd went mental when the band finally walked onto the stage.”
In context“The traffic in the city centre was absolutely mental during the festival weekend, with cars backed up for miles.”
UsageOften used as a predicative adjective after 'be' or 'go'.
Teacher's tipIn British English, this is very common for describing a wild party or a person's strange behaviour, but it can be offensive if used to mock real illness.
- 04 C2 Proficiency
adj.relating to the chin or the lower jaw.
adj.relating to the chin or the mentum. Non-gradable and used exclusively in medical or biological contexts.
Simple“The dentist gave him an injection near the mental nerve to numb his lower lip.”
In context“The surgeon identified the mental foramen to avoid damaging the nerve during the reconstructive jaw procedure.”
UsageUsed in anatomical naming, such as the 'mental nerve' or 'mental foramen'.
Synonyms - 05 C1 Advanced
n.your current way of thinking or your mood.
n.a person's state of mind or psychological outlook. Often used in sports or gaming contexts.
Simple“You need to have the right mental to win a championship like this.”
In context“The team's mental completely collapsed after they conceded the second goal in the final minutes.”
Usage mental activity · mental care · mental disorder
Borrowing from Middle French mental, from Late Latin mentālis, from mēns (“mind, disposition; heart, soul”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix).
c. 1727, from Latin mentum (“the chin”) + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.