Meaning & use
scene
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Meanings
nouncountable
The place where something happens, especially a crime or accident.
Grammar: Often with of: the scene of the accident.
Patterns
- the scene of something
- at the scene
Police arrived at the scene within minutes.
The scene of the accident was blocked off.
Flowers marked the scene where the incident took place.
nouncountable
A short section of a play, film or book in which the action happens in one place or time.
Grammar: Often with a number or adjective: the opening scene.
Patterns
- a scene in something
- the final scene
The final scene of the film made the audience cry.
In the first scene, the two brothers argue about money.
She rehearsed the balcony scene for hours.
nouncountable
A view or picture of a place or event, as seen or painted.
Grammar: Often with adjectives: a peaceful scene.
Patterns
- a scene of something
The painting shows a quiet harbor scene at dawn.
A cheerful scene greeted them at the market.
We looked at a snowy scene through the window.
nounsingularinformal
A noisy show of anger or strong feeling in public that embarrasses people nearby.
Grammar: Used with make or cause: make a scene.
Patterns
- make a scene
- cause a scene
He made a scene when the waiter brought the wrong dish.
Please don't cause a scene in front of the guests.
She hated scenes and avoided arguments in public.
nounsingularinformal
A particular social or cultural world, such as the people involved in an activity like music.
Grammar: Usually with the and a descriptive word: the local music scene.
Patterns
- the music scene
- on the scene
The city has a lively art scene.
She has been part of the folk music scene for years.
The club is a hub of the local comedy scene.
Word forms
| plural | scenes |
|---|
Common combinations
- crime scene
- Detectives searched the crime scene for clues.
- make a scene
- Don't make a scene in the restaurant.
- behind the scenes
- A lot of work happens behind the scenes.
- set the scene
- The opening paragraph sets the scene nicely.
- music scene
- The local music scene is thriving.
- change of scene
- After the long winter, a change of scene did him good.
Synonyms and how they differ
- setting
- Setting describes the place and time of a story overall, while a scene is one part of the action in it.
- spectacle
- Spectacle stresses something impressive or dramatic to watch, whereas scene is a more neutral view.
- tantrum
- Tantrum is a childish burst of rage, while a scene is any embarrassing public display by an adult.
- location
- Location is a neutral spot, often for filming, while scene refers to what happens there.
Word family
Commonly confused: scene or seen? scene or scenery?
scene vs seen
Seen is the past participle of see and sounds exactly like scene, but it is a verb form.
scene vs scenery
Scenery means the general landscape or stage backdrops, and it is uncountable, while scene is a countable view or event.
Practice
The guests were embarrassed when Mark ______ a scene by shouting at the waiter.
Choose one answer.
Make a scene is the fixed phrase for an embarrassing public outburst. Set the scene means to describe the background, which has a different meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “scene”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.