render
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to cause someone or something to be in a certain state or condition.
v.to cause to become; often used with an adjective to describe a resulting state.
Simple“The heavy rain rendered the dirt roads impossible to drive on.”
In context“The sudden loss of funding rendered the entire research project obsolete before the final phase could even begin.”
UsageTypically followed by an object and an adjective (e.g., 'render someone helpless').
- 02 C1 Advanced
v.to give help, a service, or a formal judgment.
v.to provide or give a service, help, or a formal decision.
Simple“The rescue team was thanked for the assistance they rendered during the storm.”
In context“The jury took several days of deliberation before they were finally able to render a verdict.”
UsageCommonly used in legal contexts or when discussing official services.
- 03 C1 Advanced
v.to translate words into another language or to perform a piece of music or art.
v.to translate from one language to another, or to represent something artistically.
Simple“The phrase is difficult to render into English without losing its original meaning.”
In context“The pianist's ability to render the complex sonata with such emotional depth amazed the critics.”
UsageOften takes the preposition 'into' when referring to translation.
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to use a computer to create an image from a digital model.
v.to process a digital model to produce a final image or video on a screen.
Simple“It took the computer three hours to render the final scene of the animation.”
In context“The new graphics card allows the software to render high-resolution textures in real time without any lag.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
v.to melt animal fat by heating it slowly so it becomes clear.
v.to melt down fat from meat through the application of heat for purification or cooking purposes.
Simple“You should render the fat from the bacon before adding the vegetables to the pan.”
In context“The chef carefully rendered the duck fat to ensure the skin became perfectly crisp while the meat remained tender.”
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a finished image or video produced by a computer program.
n.a digital image or video sequence produced by the process of rendering.
Simple“The architect showed us a 3D render of what the new house would look like.”
In context“The final render revealed several lighting inconsistencies that had not been visible in the low-resolution preview.”
Synonyms - 07 C2 Proficiency
n.a layer of plaster or cement put on the outside of a wall.
n.a coat of plaster or cement applied to the surface of a wall, especially an external one.
Simple“The old brick house was covered in a smooth grey render to protect it from the rain.”
In context“The contractor recommended a lime-based render to allow the historic masonry to breathe while providing a waterproof barrier.”
“This permanent pre-annoyance rendered an objective judgment impossible.”
“Supermarkets' strict cosmetic rules mean "one tiny little hole can render the plant useless", he said, but some have temporarily loosened the rules.”
From Middle English renderen, rendren, from Old French rendre (“render, give back”), from Late Latin rendere, from Latin reddere (“make, give back”).
rend + -er
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.