defocus
lowtechnical, formal
Definition
Meaning
To cause something (especially an optical system, like a lens, or attention) to lose sharpness or clarity; to move away from a point of focus.
To deliberately reduce concentration on a specific point, task, or idea, often to gain a broader perspective or to soften an effect.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a transitive verb, but can be used intransitively. Most common in technical fields like optics, photography, and physics, but has metaphorical extension in management and psychology.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage.
Connotations
Neutral and technical in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally low in general use, but standard in technical registers in both regions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[NP] defocus [NP] (transitive)[NP] defocus (intransitive)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare; used metaphorically in strategy discussions: 'We need to defocus from micro-details and look at the broader market.'
Academic
Common in physics, engineering, and optics papers describing experimental setups.
Everyday
Very rare; limited to photography enthusiasts.
Technical
Standard term in optics, microscopy, photography, and laser physics.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- You must defocus the telescope to observe the nebula's halo.
- The debate began to defocus as more topics were introduced.
American English
- Defocus the microscope slightly to see the phase contrast.
- The manager warned the team not to defocus their efforts.
adverb
British English
- The light shone defocusedly through the frosted glass. (rare)
American English
- He stared defocusedly at the report, not taking anything in. (rare)
adjective
British English
- The defocused background created a pleasing bokeh effect.
- Her thoughts were defocused and scattered.
American English
- A defocused laser beam can be dangerous.
- He gave a defocused, rambling presentation.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The photo is blurry because the camera is defocused.
- To get that soft background, you need to defocus the lens.
- The project began to fail when the team leader defocused and started pursuing unrelated goals.
- The researcher intentionally introduced a slight defocus to the electron beam to analyse the specimen's thickness variations.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
DE-FOCUS: DE-tach from FOCUS.
Conceptual Metaphor
CLARITY IS SHARPNESS / LOSS OF CLARITY IS BLURRING
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid calquing as 'дефокусировать' in non-technical contexts; use 'расфокусировать' (technical) or 'терять концентрацию' (metaphorical).
- Do not confuse with 'distract' (отвлекать) which implies an external agent.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'defocus' as a primary synonym for 'distract'.
- Incorrect preposition: 'defocus on' instead of 'defocus' (transitive) or 'defocus from'.
Practice
Quiz
In a metaphorical sense, what does it mean to 'defocus'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a low-frequency word primarily used in technical contexts like optics and photography.
Yes, but it's rare. The noun form 'defocus' (e.g., 'a slight defocus') is used in technical writing.
The direct opposite is 'focus' (verb) or 'bring into focus'.
Very rarely. It is mostly a technical term, though photography enthusiasts might use it.