contrive
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con·trive
(kən-trīv′)v. con·trived, con·triv·ing, con·trives
v.tr.
1. To plan with cleverness or ingenuity; devise: contrive ways to amuse the children.
2. To invent or fabricate, especially by improvisation: contrived a swing from hanging vines.
3. To plan with evil intent; scheme: contrived a plot to seize power.
4. To bring about, as by scheming; manage: somehow contrived to get past the guards unnoticed.
v.intr.
To form plans or schemes.
[Middle English contreven, from Old French controver, contreuv-, from Medieval Latin contropāre, to compare : Latin com-, com- + Latin tropus, turn, manner, style (from Greek tropos; see trep- in Indo-European roots).]
con·triv′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
contrive
(kənˈtraɪv)vb
1. (tr) to manage (something or to do something), esp by means of a trick; engineer: he contrived to make them meet.
2. (tr) to think up or adapt ingeniously or elaborately: he contrived a new mast for the boat.
3. to plot or scheme (treachery, evil, etc)
[C14: from Old French controver, from Late Latin contropāre to represent by figures of speech, compare, from Latin com- together + tropus figure of speech, trope]
conˈtrivable adj
conˈtriver n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
con•trive
(kənˈtraɪv)v. -trived, -triv•ing. v.t.
1. to plan with ingenuity; devise; invent: to contrive a means of escape.
2. to bring about by a plan, scheme, etc.; manage: He contrived to gain their votes.
3. to plot (evil, treachery, etc.).
v.i. 4. to form designs; plan.
5. to plot.
[1275–1325; < Middle French contreuv-, tonic s. of controver to devise, invent, Old French: to decide, agree upon < Late Latin contropāre to compare = con- + *tropāre (> French trouver to find)]
con•triv′a•ble, adj.
con•triv′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
contrive
Past participle: contrived
Gerund: contriving
| Imperative |
|---|
| contrive |
| contrive |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. | contrive - make or work out a plan for; devise; "They contrived to murder their boss"; "design a new sales strategy"; "plan an attack" create by mental act, create mentally - create mentally and abstractly rather than with one's hands plot - devise the sequence of events in (a literary work or a play, movie, or ballet); "the writer is plotting a new novel" concert - contrive (a plan) by mutual agreement |
| 2. | contrive - come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort; "excogitate a way to measure the speed of light" create by mental act, create mentally - create mentally and abstractly rather than with one's hands | |
| 3. | contrive - put or send forth; "She threw the flashlight beam into the corner"; "The setting sun threw long shadows"; "cast a spell"; "cast a warm light" send, direct - cause to go somewhere; "The explosion sent the car flying in the air"; "She sent her children to camp"; "He directed all his energies into his dissertation" shoot - send forth suddenly, intensely, swiftly; "shoot a glance" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
contrive
verb
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
contrive
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَبْتَكِر، يَبْتَدِعيَنْجَح، يُدَبِّر طَريقَه
dokázatdokázat vyrobit/udělat
finde påfinde udveje forformålykkesopfinde
szerét ejti
gera á hugvitssamlegan hátttakast; finna ráî
dirbtinai sukurtigudravimasįrenginysįsigudrintiišradingai padirbti
iemanītiesizdomātizgudrot
dokázať vyrobiť
becermekbir çaresini bulmakuydurmakyolunu bulmak
contrive
[kənˈtraɪv]Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
contrive
[kənˈtraɪv]Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
contrive
vt
(= devise) plan, scheme → entwickeln, entwerfen, ersinnen; (= make) → fabrizieren; to contrive a means of doing something → einen Weg finden, etw zu tun
(= manage, arrange) → bewerkstelligen, zuwege or zu Wege bringen; meeting also → arrangieren; to contrive to do something → es fertigbringen (also iro) → or zuwege or zu Wege bringen, etw zu tun; can you contrive to be here at three o’clock? → können Sie es so einrichten, dass Sie um drei Uhr hier sind?; he always contrives to get his own way → er versteht (es) immer, seinen Kopf durchzusetzen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
contrive
[kənˈtraɪv] vt (plan, scheme) → inventare, escogitareto contrive a means of doing sth → escogitare un sistema per fare qc
to contrive to do sth → trovare un modo per fare qc
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
contrive
(kənˈtraiv) verb1. to manage (to do something). He contrived to remove the money from her bag.
2. to make in a clever way. He contrived a tent from an old sack.
conˈtrivance noun1. the act of contriving.
2. something contrived (especially something mechanical). a contrivance for making the door open automatically.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.