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Meaning & use

to focus on something

phrase·Everyday

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UK/tə ˈfəʊkəs ɒn ˌsʌmθɪŋ/
US/tə ˈfoʊkəs ɑːn ˌsʌmθɪŋ/

Meanings

  1. phraseidiom

    to give all your attention or effort to one particular thing.

    Grammar: Used with an object after 'on': focus on your goals. The subject can be a person or a group.

    Patterns

    • focus on something
    • focus on doing something
    • focus your attention on something

    I can't focus on my homework with the television on.

    The team is focusing on cutting costs this year.

    She focused on the road and said nothing.

  2. phraseidiom

    to direct special attention to one subject, especially in a lesson, book, or meeting.

    Grammar: Often used to describe what a course, report, or event is mainly about.

    Patterns

    • focus on something
    • be focused on something

    Today's lesson focuses on the present perfect.

    The report focuses on air quality in large cities.

    The first chapter focuses on the writer's childhood.

Common combinations

focus on the task
Stop checking your phone and focus on the task.
focus on the details
Good editors focus on the details that others miss.
focus on a goal
She focused on one goal at a time.
focus attention on something
The campaign focused attention on road safety.
focus mainly on something
The course focuses mainly on speaking and listening.

Synonyms and how they differ

concentrate on
Very close in meaning, but 'concentrate on' suggests blocking out distractions for a short time, while 'focus on' can also describe a long-term aim.
pay attention to
Weaker and more general; use it when you simply notice something rather than give it your full effort.
zero in on
Informal and stronger; it suggests moving directly toward one target, so it fits less well with slow, steady study.

Opposites

ignoreneglect

Word family

focus noun
the center of interest or attention.
focused adjective
giving clear attention to one thing.
focus group noun
a small group asked for opinions about a product or idea.

Commonly confused: to focus on something or focus in?

to focus on something vs focus in

Some learners write 'focus in', but the standard pattern is 'focus on'. Use 'in' only for place: 'focus the camera in the dark'.

Practice

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