Fish Definition: Pronunciation, Common Phrases, Practice

Take a look at how native speakers generally use this word to explain something, so you can get this pattern and do it on your own on a regular basis.

Discover various synonymous expressions to expand your vocabulary and be able to implement them in your spoken or written English to sound more natural and make your text more interesting and diverse.

Related nouns: fisherman aquarium fins scales

Synonyms (contextual): seafood marine animal aquatic creature

Common collocations: catch fish fish tank fish market fish soup

This word can become a part of different collocations and be used with nouns, adjectives, or verbs. Take a look at our examples and try to create something interesting and similar on your own.

With adjectives: fresh fish tropical fish fried fish salted fish

With verbs: eat fish cook fish feed fish buy fish

With nouns (noun + noun): fish bowl fish oil fish shop fish farm

The description of the fish looks very straightforward at first glance, but in the figurative contexts, this simple word can explain personal traits, emotions and many more things not so obvious from the beginning.

• A big fish in a small pond — this means someone who is very important or talented, but only in a small or limited place.

  In her hometown, Jessica is a big fish in a small pond, but in the city, she’s just another designer.

• A cold fish is a person who doesn’t show much emotion or warmth. They might seem distant or unfriendly, even if they don’t mean to be.

  Mark is a great worker, but a bit of a cold fish — he never smiles or talks much.

• Bigger fish to fry — it means having more important things to deal with than what’s currently happening. Like saying, “I’ve got bigger priorities right now.”

  I can’t worry about that meeting — I’ve got bigger fish to fry with this new project.

• Something fishy — this phrase is used when something seems suspicious or not quite right, as if there’s a hidden catch.

  There’s something fishy about how they won that contract so quickly.

• You can’t teach a fish to swim — you can’t teach someone something they already know really well.

  Don’t try to show him how to play basketball — you can’t teach a fish to swim!

You already know what fish means, so we prepared this fun quiz to test how good you can operate with this topic. Do not be afraid of possible mistakes, since practice makes perfect!

Learn how to spell “fish” and how to pronounce it in German, Spanish and French. This will provide you with more insight into the language culture of other countries and boost your general knowledge.

You can define “fish” now, so we offer you just to relax and take a look at this unexpected information that possibly can blow your mind.

• Some fish can leave the water and explore the land around them

  The mudskipper can do it. The fish uses its fins to crawl through mud and even climb the roots of mangroves, essentially “walking” on land for short periods. They can extract oxygen from the air through their skin and mouth, which allows them to survive for hours out of water.

• Certain fish create their own light to survive in total darkness

  Bioluminescent organs are present in deep-sea fish, such as the anglerfish, that produce light for different purposes, like luring prey or communicating in total darkness. The light that the fish produces can also work as a precaution against predators.

• Fishes can sense Earth’s magnetic field to migrate

  Earth’s magnetic field is something that many migratory fish, like salmon, can easily sense. This helps them to find their way for a long journey of thousands of miles back to their birthplace. The magnetic map is so accurate that the fish can even feel slight changes.

• By feeling the tiniest vibrations, fish can detect predators and prey nearby

  Fish can perceive sounds and vibrations using their lateral line organ, which is located along their body and is sensitive to water motion around them. The sensitivity of this mechanism allows fish to sense the coming of predators or prey from a distance of several meters.

This word symbolizes not only a type of animal or various dishes on your table, but it has also become popular in different quotations. It can express something personal, different opinions, relationships between people, etc.

— William Shakespeare

Explanation: Shakespeare makes a comparison between nature and human society, where the strong often take advantage of the weak. It is an eternal point of view about greed, power, and social stratification.

— Matshona Dhliwayo

Explanation: This saying implies that you cannot conquer someone who is benefiting from the challenge you pose against them. It is a tribute to inner power and the privilege of being in one’s comfort zone.

— Benjamin Franklin

Explanation: Franklin humorously points out that visitors are pleasant only for a short while before their presence becomes burdensome, being a witty reminder to know when it’s time to leave gracefully.