Meaning & use
produce
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To make, create, or bring something into existence, especially through effort or a natural process.
Grammar: Takes an object: produce results, produce goods.
Patterns
- produce something
- produce results
- produce a sound
The factory produces over a thousand cars each day.
Good teamwork can produce impressive results.
The machine produces a loud humming noise.
verbtransitive
To grow or make something as part of a natural process, especially on a farm.
Grammar: Often used for crops, food, or natural resources.
Patterns
- produce crops
- produce food
- produce oil
This region produces excellent wine.
The country produces more coffee than any other.
Bees produce honey from nectar.
verbtransitive
To show or bring out something that was hidden or not yet seen.
Grammar: Often used with words like 'evidence', 'ticket', or 'document'.
Patterns
- produce evidence
- produce a document
- produce a ticket
The lawyer asked the witness to produce the documents.
Please produce your ID at the entrance.
The study produced new evidence about the cause.
verbtransitive
To organize and control the making of a film, play, or recording.
Grammar: Used for creative works like movies, shows, or music.
Patterns
- produce a film
- produce a play
- produce an album
She produced three award-winning documentaries.
The theater company will produce a new musical next year.
He produced the band's first album.
noununcountable
Fresh fruits and vegetables, especially when sold in a market or store.
Grammar: Uncountable; no plural. Stressed on the first syllable: /ˈprɒdjuːs/ (UK), /ˈproʊduːs/ (US).
Patterns
- fresh produce
- the produce section
- buy produce
The market sells fresh produce from local farms.
You'll find apples in the produce aisle.
Wash all produce before eating it.
Word forms
| third person singular | produces |
|---|---|
| past tense | produced |
| past participle | produced |
| -ing form | producing |
Common combinations
- produce results
- The new method produced excellent results.
- mass-produce
- They mass-produce these toys in China.
- produce evidence
- The police asked him to produce evidence of ownership.
- fresh produce
- The restaurant uses only fresh produce.
- produce a film
- He produced a film about climate change.
Synonyms and how they differ
- make
- More general and often used for physical objects; 'produce' is more formal and often suggests a process or large scale.
- create
- Focuses on bringing something new into existence, especially through imagination; 'produce' often implies a more mechanical or natural process.
- generate
- Often used for energy, power, or income; 'produce' is broader.
- yield
- Used especially for crops or results; it often implies giving way or providing a natural result.
Opposites
Word family
- product noun
- Something that is made or grown to be sold.
- production noun
- The process of making or growing something.
- producer noun
- A person or company that makes or grows something.
- productive adjective
- Able to produce a lot or achieve good results.
Commonly confused: produce or product?
produce vs product
A noun meaning a thing that is made; 'produce' as a verb means to make it.
Practice
Choose the correct word: 'The farm _____ fresh vegetables every summer.'
Choose one answer.
The subject 'farm' is third person singular, so the verb needs '-s': 'produces'. 'Produce' is the base form, 'producing' is the -ing form, and 'produced' is past tense, which does not fit the present habit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “produce”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.