Meaning & use
potion
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Meanings
nouncountable
A liquid mixture believed to have magical, healing, or poisonous effects, especially in stories.
Grammar: Countable: a potion, several potions.
Patterns
- a love potion
- a magic potion
- drink a potion
In the fairy tale, the witch brewed a potion that made people sleep for a hundred years.
He drank a potion that was supposed to give him courage.
The wizard mixed a potion from herbs and moonlight.
nouncountablehumorousold-fashioned
Any liquid medicine or drink with an unusual or mysterious effect.
Grammar: Often humorous or old-fashioned when used for real medicine.
Patterns
- a herbal potion
- a healing potion
My grandmother made a strange herbal potion for colds.
The doctor gave him a bitter potion to help him sleep.
Word forms
| plural | potions |
|---|
Common combinations
- a love potion
- In the play, the characters drink a love potion and fall for the wrong people.
- a magic potion
- The shop sells magic potions and crystal balls.
- brew a potion
- The witch brewed a potion in a large black pot.
- drink a potion
- He drank the potion and immediately fell asleep.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: potion or portion?
potion vs portion
Portion means a part or a serving of food; potion is a liquid with special effects.
Practice
In the story, the queen asks the wizard to make a ___ that will make her young again.
Choose one answer.
A 'potion' fits the magical liquid in the story. 'Portion' means a share of food, 'poison' is a harmful substance, and 'pension' is money paid after retirement.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “potion”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.