Meaning & use
testing
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Meanings
noununcountable
The act of trying something out to find out how well it works or whether it is safe or true.
Grammar: Not used with an or a plural: the testing of new drugs, not a testing.
Patterns
- testing of something
- testing for something
The testing of the new bridge took six months.
Software testing found three serious errors before launch.
Regular testing for lead keeps the water supply safe.
noununcountable
The use of exams or checks to measure what students or workers know.
Grammar: Often a broad term for the system of exams: standardized testing.
Patterns
- standardized testing
- testing in schools
Many parents are worried about too much testing in elementary schools.
Standardized testing takes place every spring.
The company uses skills testing as part of its hiring process.
adjectivecomparable
Hard to deal with and needing a lot of effort or patience.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: a testing time, the climb was testing.
Patterns
- a testing time
- a testing period
It has been a testing year for the whole family.
The weather made conditions very testing for the sailors.
He faced a testing few weeks after his promotion.
Common combinations
- laboratory testing
- Laboratory testing confirmed the sample was safe.
- testing ground
- The small town was a testing ground for the new bus system.
- animal testing
- Many shoppers prefer products that avoid animal testing.
- testing times
- These are testing times for the team.
- testing positive
- Testing positive for the virus meant he stayed home.
- software testing
- She works in software testing at a game studio.
Synonyms and how they differ
- trial
- A trial is a single test period for a product or person, while testing is the general process.
- examination
- Examination suggests a careful look or a formal exam and sounds more formal than testing.
- assessment
- Assessment is about judging the quality or level of something, often in education, and it may not involve a test.
- checking
- Checking is lighter and quicker than testing and may only confirm something is right.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: testing or tasting?
testing vs tasting
Tasting means trying a small amount of food or drink for flavor. Testing means checking quality or performance.
Practice
Which sentence uses testing as an adjective?
Choose one answer.
In the third sentence testing describes the noun time and means difficult. The others use it as a noun (the lab sentence) or as part of a verb form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “testing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.