Basic Details
Word: Compact
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Closely and neatly packed into a small space; small but well designed. As a noun, a compact can also be a formal agreement.
Synonyms: small, dense, neat, tight
Antonyms: sprawling, loose, bulky
How to Spell Compact
Syllables: com - pact
Tricky part: Compact has only one m, unlike common and commerce, because the second part begins with p. The ending is plain -act, with no k.
Watch out for: commpact, compakt, compect
Memory tip: A compact bag is well packed, but write pact, not packed: com + pact.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The compact camera fits easily into my jacket pocket.
Example 2: Our flat is compact, but every corner is used well.
Example 3: The players stood in a compact group to block the free kick.
Fun Fact
A standard compact disc, or CD, holds up to about 80 minutes of audio.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word compact as used in the sentence:
The hikers carried a compact stove that folded down to the size of a teacup.
a) small
b) neat
c) portable
d) bulky
Show answer
d) bulky. Bulky means large and awkward to carry, the reverse of compact.
Spell-o-Spell
Read the four words. Choose the meaning of the only correctly spelt word:
1. compact 2. minature 3. spacous 4. portible
a) very small; a tiny copy of something bigger
b) having a lot of space
c) easy to carry
d) small and neatly arranged
Show answer
d) small and neatly arranged. Only compact is spelt right; the others should read spacious, miniature and portable.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Dadi's new phone is so ptmcoac that it slips easily into her small handbag.
a) impact
b) contact
c) compact
d) compare
Show answer
c) compact. Only compact uses both c's along with the m, p and t.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A compact car is one that is ____.
a) small and easy to park
b) very old
c) built for racing
d) run on solar power
Show answer
a) small and easy to park
2. As a noun, a compact can also mean ____.
a) a formal agreement between people or groups
b) a thick soup
c) a kind of musical instrument
d) a large cupboard
Show answer
a) a formal agreement between people or groups
