Synonyms of pick in English:

pick

See US English definition of pick

See UK English definition of pick

See Spanish definition of elegir

verb

1‘he lives on a fruit farm and helps to pick apples’

SYNONYMS

harvest, gather, gather in, collect, take in, pluck, pull, dig, crop, reap, bring home

literary glean, garner, cull

2‘pick the time that suits you best’

SYNONYMS

choose, select, pick out, single out, include, hand-pick, decide on, settle on, fix on

sift out, sort out, take, prefer, favour, opt for, plump for, vote for, elect, name, nominate, adopt, designate, assign, appoint, allot, identify, specify, mention, cite

ANTONYMS

reject, discard

3‘Beth only picked at her food’

SYNONYMS

nibble, peck, eat listlessly, toy with, play with, take very small bites from, push one's food around one's plate, push one's food around on one's plate, eat like a bird, show no appetite for, eat sparingly of

4‘people were singing and picking guitars’

SYNONYMS

strum, twang, thrum, pluck, finger

5‘he had taught them how to pick a lock’

SYNONYMS

force open, break open, prise open, open without a key, break into

informal jemmy, crack

6‘she was trying to pick a fight with him’

SYNONYMS

provoke, start, cause, incite, invite, foment, stir up, whip up, encourage, kindle, instigate, excite, prompt, bring about

noun

1‘please take your pick’

SYNONYMS

choice, selection, option, decision

preference, favourite

2‘the pick of the crop’

SYNONYMS

best, finest, top, choice, choicest, prime, cream, flower, prize, treasure, pearl, gem, jewel, the jewel in the crown, the crème de la crème, elite, elect

informal the tops

Phrases

pick something up

1‘not the most obvious place to pick up a bargain’

SYNONYMS

find, discover, locate, come across, stumble across, happen on, chance on, unearth, obtain, come by, come to have, get, receive, procure

secure, get possession of, take possession of, acquire

purchase, buy

informal get hold of, get one's hands on, lay one's hands on, get one's mitts on, bag, land, net

2‘he picked up the story in the 1950s’

SYNONYMS

begin again, begin, take up, start again, start, resume, recommence, carry on, go on, continue

3‘Georgiana began picking up Spanish’

SYNONYMS

learn, get to know, acquire, acquire a knowledge of, acquire skill in, become competent in, become proficient in, master

digest, imbibe, assimilate, absorb, take in

informal get the hang of

4‘she has picked up a virus’

SYNONYMS

catch, contract, get, become infected with, become ill with, come down with, go down with

5‘he was full of gossip picked up from the ships he visited’

SYNONYMS

hear, hear tell, find out, get to know, get wind of, be informed of, be told, learn, be made aware of, be given to understand

glean, discern, become aware of, become conscious of, observe, notice, perceive

6‘we've picked up a distress signal’

SYNONYMS

receive, detect, get, hear

pick someone up

1‘be sure to pick up Kirsty from school’

SYNONYMS

fetch, collect, go to get, come and get, go and get, call for, come for, go for

give someone a lift, give someone a ride

2‘he was picked up by the police for questioning’

SYNONYMS

arrest, apprehend, detain, take into custody, take prisoner, seize, capture, catch, take in

informal collar, nab, pull in, run in, bust, nail, do, feel someone's collar

British informal pinch, nick

3‘one night I picked up a stranger in a bar’

SYNONYMS

take up with, strike up a casual acquaintance with, strike up a casual relationship with, make advances to

informal get off with, pull, cop off with

pick something out

1‘it's impossible to pick out any single painting for praise’

SYNONYMS

choose, select, pick, single out, hand-pick, decide on, settle on, fix on

sift out, sort out, take, prefer, favour, opt for, plump for, vote for, elect, name, nominate, adopt, designate, assign, appoint, allot, identify, specify, mention, cite

2‘it was difficult to pick out anything in the torrential rain’

SYNONYMS

see, discern, spot, distinguish, perceive, make out, detect, notice, observe, recognize, identify, catch sight of, glimpse, discover

literary espy, behold, descry

pick up the tab

‘the company picked up the tab for the meal’

SYNONYMS

pay, pay up, pay out, pay the bill, settle up

bail someone out

informal foot the bill, cough up, fork out, shell out, come across, chip in

British informal stump up

North American informal ante up, pony up, pick up the check

pick on

‘why don't you pick on somebody else?’

SYNONYMS

bully, victimize, tyrannize, torment, persecute

criticize, grumble at, discriminate against

badger, bait, goad, tease

informal get at, have it in for, have a down on, be down on, needle

pick up

1‘the Japanese economy will soon pick up again’

SYNONYMS

improve, get better, recover, mend, be on the road to recovery, rally, make a comeback, bounce back, perk up, look up, take a turn for the better, turn a corner, turn the corner, be given on a new lease of life, be take on a new lease of life, be on the mend, develop, make headway, progress, make progress, advance

2‘the wind began to pick up’

SYNONYMS

get stronger, strengthen, become more powerful, blow up

pick someone or something up

‘bend at the knees to pick up a bulky object’

SYNONYMS

lift, take up, raise, hoist, scoop up, gather up, seize, snatch up, grab

pick someone or something off

‘the soldiers were picked off by a sniper’

SYNONYMS

shoot, shoot down, gun down, fire at, hit, put a bullet in

fell, bring down, take out, kill, bag, wound, injure