operate

1. 1.

   direct or control; projects, businesses, etc.

   “She is running a relief operation in the Sudan”

   Synonymsrun

   Broaderdirect

   Narrowerfinancierworkblockwarm up
2. 2.

   perform as expected when applied

   “The washing machine won't go unless it's plugged in”

   “Does this old car still run well?”

   “This old radio doesn't work anymore”

   Synonymsfunctionworkgorun

   Narrowerdoublerollruncutservice
3. 3.

   handle and cause to function

   “do not operate machinery after imbibing alcohol”

   “control the lever”

   Synonymscontrol

   Broadermanipulate

   Narrowersynchronizedialturnsubmarinetreadlerelaygatepedaldrivefly
4. 4.

   perform a movement in military or naval tactics in order to secure an advantage in attack or defense

   Synonymsmanoeuvermaneuvermanoeuvre

   Broadermove

   Narrowerjockey
5. 5.

   keep engaged

   “engaged the gears”

   Synonymsengagemeshlock

   Broadermove

   Narrowerthrowride
6. 6.

   perform surgery on

   “The doctors operated on the patient but failed to save his life”

   Synonymsoperate on

   Broadertreat

   Narrowersterilizeface-lifttrephinevenesect

   medicine

Other forms of operate

past tense

operated·

present participle

operating·

third person

operates·

Forms marked · are formed by the regular rule rather than recorded in the source data. English keeps a few hundred irregulars and the rest follow the pattern, so the rule is right far more often than not — but it is a rule, and the mark says so.

Questions about operate

What does operate mean?

operate means "direct or control; projects, businesses, etc.". That is the primary sense; the word has 6 in total, listed in full on this page.

How many syllables are in operate?

operate has 3 syllables: o-pe-rate. The stress falls on "o". In IPA it is /ˈɑpɚˌeɪt/.

What is another word for operate?

Close synonyms include run, function, work, go, run. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.

Is operate a common word?

operate is banded "Common" — everyday vocabulary in speech and writing. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.

What rhymes with operate?

95 words rhyme with operate. Rhymes are matched on the phonemes from the last stressed vowel onward, which is the definition a reader has in their head.