Meaning & use
host
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person who invites guests and looks after them at a gathering.
Grammar: Feminine form hostess is old-fashioned; host is now used for all.
Patterns
- host of something
The host welcomed everyone at the door.
She is a warm host who makes guests feel at home.
The host served dinner at seven.
nouncountable
A person who presents a television or radio show or an event.
Grammar: Often with a show name: host of the show.
Patterns
- host of something
The host introduced the next guest.
He is the host of a popular morning show.
The awards host opened with a joke.
nouncountable
A place, group, or country that holds an event.
Grammar: Often before a noun: host country.
Patterns
- host city
- host nation
The host city prepared for the games.
Qatar was the host nation of the tournament.
The school is the host of this year's science fair.
nouncountablebiology
A living thing that carries another organism such as a parasite.
Grammar: Biology use: a host organism.
Patterns
- host for something
Mosquitoes can be hosts for malaria parasites.
The tapeworm lives inside its host.
A virus needs a host cell to multiply.
verbtransitive
To act as host at an event, or to present a show or provide a place for something.
Grammar: Takes an object: host a party, host a website.
Patterns
- host something
- host something for someone
Our family will host the holiday dinner.
She hosts a weekly podcast about cooking.
The company hosts its websites on secure servers.
nounsingularliterary
A very large number of things or people.
Grammar: Used as a host of: a host of problems.
Patterns
- a host of something
A host of problems delayed the project.
The garden attracts a host of butterflies.
She received a host of birthday messages.
Word forms
| plural | hosts |
|---|---|
| third person singular | hosts |
| past tense | hosted |
| past participle | hosted |
| -ing form | hosting |
Common combinations
- gracious host
- She was a gracious host to every visitor.
- talk show host
- The talk show host interviewed an author.
- host a party
- They plan to host a party next week.
- host country
- The host country won the opening match.
- a host of reasons
- There are a host of reasons to visit.
- web host
- My web host went offline for an hour.
Synonyms and how they differ
- presenter
- Presenter is used for people who present a program, but host also covers entertaining guests.
- emcee
- Emcee is an informal American word for the speaker who runs an event on stage.
- hostess
- Hostess is a dated feminine form, and host is now preferred.
- entertain
- Entertain is a verb for looking after guests, while host also covers organizing an event.
Opposites
Word family
- hostess noun
- a female host (old-fashioned)
- hospitality noun
- friendly treatment of guests
- hostel noun
- cheap lodging for travelers
- hosting noun
- providing space for a website
Commonly confused: host or hostile? host or coast?
host vs hostile
Hostile means unfriendly or opposed. A host is the one who welcomes.
host vs coast
Coast, a shoreline, is sometimes confused in spelling or speech with host.
Practice
Every year our town will ____ the national chess championship.
Choose one answer.
After will, the base verb host is needed. Hosted is past tense, and guest and hostile do not fit as verbs here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “host”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.