Meaning & use
grandmaster
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Meanings
nouncountable
The highest title in chess, given to players who reach a very high level in international competitions.
Grammar: Countable noun: you can say 'a grandmaster' or 'grandmasters'.
Patterns
- a chess grandmaster
- become a grandmaster
- an international grandmaster
She became a grandmaster at the age of twenty.
The grandmaster won the tournament without losing a game.
Only a few hundred people in the world hold the grandmaster title.
nouncountablefigurative
A person who is highly skilled or respected in a particular activity or field.
Grammar: Often used figuratively: 'a grandmaster of suspense'.
Patterns
- a grandmaster of something
- the grandmaster of suspense
He is considered a grandmaster of horror writing.
The chef is a grandmaster of French cuisine.
Word forms
| plural | grandmasters |
|---|
Common combinations
- chess grandmaster
- The chess grandmaster analyzed the game for hours.
- become a grandmaster
- He became a grandmaster after winning the national championship.
- grandmaster title
- The grandmaster title is awarded for life.
- a grandmaster of something
- She is a grandmaster of modern dance.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- grandmasterly adjective
- Rare; describes play or skill like that of a grandmaster.
Commonly confused: grandmaster or master?
grandmaster vs master
In chess, 'master' is a lower title than 'grandmaster'; in other contexts, 'master' can mean a skilled person or a teacher.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'grandmaster' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The standard pattern is 'a grandmaster of chess'. 'In chess' is possible but less common; 'at' and 'for' do not fit this title.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “grandmaster”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.