What does proliferate mean?
Word: Proliferate
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Proliferate means to multiply fast, so that there are suddenly many more of something.
Synonyms: multiply, mushroom
Antonyms: decline
How do you spell proliferate?
Syllables: pro - lif - er - ate
Tricky part: Only one f is needed. The stress falls on the syllable lif, and that tempts pupils to double the letter.
Watch out for: prolifferate, proliferrate
Memory tip: Imagine a lone f standing in the middle of the word. The things this verb describes may multiply, but the f never does.
Proliferate in a sentence
Example 1: Mobile phone shops proliferate near every busy railway station.
Example 2: New apps for learning languages have proliferated in recent years.
Example 3: Wild grass will proliferate quickly if the lawn is not mowed.
Fun Fact
The word appeared in English in the 1800s as a term in biology, built on a Latin word for offspring. Today it is used for anything that spreads fast.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
prol_f_r_te
a) e, e, a
b) i, e, a
c) i, a, a
d) i, e, e
Show answer
b) i, e, a. A short i takes the stress, a weak e follows, and the verb ends like generate.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence and choose the word they make:
Bright new signboards alofrreepit along the highway wherever the traffic slows down.
a) procrastinate
b) proliferate
c) perpetuate
d) perforate
Show answer
b) proliferate. Signboards that multiply are the idea. Only one option has both an f and an l among its letters.
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. perseverance 2. proliferate 3. ingenius 4. anonymous
a) having no known or named author
b) clever at inventing new things
c) to grow fast in number
d) refusing to give up on a hard task
Show answer
b) clever at inventing new things. Ingenius has lost a letter: clever inventors are ingenious.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word proliferate as used in the sentence:
Food stalls began to proliferate along the beach road after the new promenade opened.
a) dwindle
b) flourish
c) thrive
d) expand
Show answer
a) dwindle. Things that dwindle become smaller and fewer little by little.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which headline describes something that has begun to proliferate?
a) Last Bookshop in Town Closes Its Doors
b) Bookshop Owner Retires After Forty Years
c) Town's Oldest Bookshop Marks Its Centenary
d) Bookshops Now Found on Every Street in Town
Show answer
d) Bookshops Now Found on Every Street in Town
2. If weeds proliferate in a field, a farmer will most likely ____
a) sell the field for a better price
b) expect a larger crop than usual
c) need extra time to clear them
d) stop watering the field altogether
Show answer
c) need extra time to clear them
