choose
Choose (verb) means to pick one option from among two or more possibilities. Example: “She had to choose between the red dress and the blue one.”
How to use choose
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo pick or decide between options.
Past tense is "chose," past participle is "chosen" — not "choosed."
Word forms
chose past tense, choosed past tense, chosen past tense, choose plural, chose plural, choosed plural, chooses plural, chooses singular, choose singular, chose singular, choosed singular, choosest singular, chosest singular, choosedst singular, chooseth singular
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She had to _____ between the red dress and the blue one.
Etymology
From Old English ċēosan ("to choose, select, test"), from a very old Indo-European root meaning "to taste or try."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for choose
See all rhymes for choose →Frequently asked questions
What does “choose” mean?
The word “choose” means to pick one option from among two or more possibilities. In plain terms, to pick or decide between options.
How do you pronounce “choose”?
“Choose” is pronounced chooz (/t͡ʃuz/ in IPA).
How do you use “choose” in a sentence?
Here is “choose” used in a sentence: “She had to choose between the red dress and the blue one.”
What is another word for “choose”?
Words with a similar meaning to “choose” include accept, adopt, appoint, cast, crave and decide.
What is the opposite of “choose”?
The opposite of “choose” — its antonyms — are compel, constrain, forbid, deny and refuse.
What part of speech is “choose”?
“Choose” is a verb.
Where does the word “choose” come from?
The word “choose” comes from Old English. From Old English ċēosan ("to choose, select, test"), from a very old Indo-European root meaning "to taste or try.".
Is “choose” a common word?
“Choose” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
What is the difference between choose and chose?
"Choose" is the present tense, the act of picking now, while "chose" is its past tense. You say "I choose today" but "I chose yesterday." They are pronounced differently too: "choose" rhymes with "news," and "chose" rhymes with "nose." The spelling difference marks the change in time.
What is the difference between choose and select?
The two are very close. "Choose" is the everyday word for picking one option, often guided by preference or judgment. "Select" sounds slightly more formal and deliberate, suggesting careful picking from a set. You choose a holiday destination; a committee selects a winner. The meaning overlaps almost entirely.
What is the past tense of choose?
The past tense of "choose" is "chose," and the past participle is "chosen." So you might say "I choose now, I chose earlier, and I have chosen already." It is an irregular verb, which is why the forms change rather than simply adding "-ed."
What is an example of choose?
"You can choose between tea and coffee" shows the basic sense of picking one option from a set. Other examples include "she chose the red dress" or "voters choose their representatives." In each, a decision is made to take one possibility over the others available.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include choose: