set on: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Informal to neutral; can be literary in descriptions of attack.
Quick answer
What does “set on” mean?
To attack someone violently, either physically or verbally.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To attack someone violently, either physically or verbally; to urge or encourage a person or animal to attack.
To be determined to achieve or obtain something; to be strongly focused on a particular goal or outcome (often with an obsessive or aggressive connotation).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
More common in British English, especially in the passive form 'be set on (doing) something' meaning to be determined. The aggressive sense is understood in both varieties.
Connotations
In both, carries a sense of focused, sometimes ruthless, intent or action.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in UK English corpus data for the 'determined' sense.
Grammar
How to Use “set on” in a Sentence
[Somebody] set [something/somebody] on [somebody/something][Somebody] is set on [something/doing something]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “set on” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The farmer threatened to set his dogs on the trespassers.
- I'm absolutely set on moving to Scotland next year.
- Protesters claimed the police had set dogs on them.
American English
- The guard set the attack dog on the suspect.
- She's dead set on getting that promotion.
- He felt the media had been set on him by his rivals.
adverb
British English
- (Not standard).
American English
- (Not standard).
adjective
British English
- He had a set-on expression that warned against argument.
- (Not common as pure adjective; usually part of passive verb construction).
American English
- (Rare as standalone adjective; 'dead-set' is a related compound adjective).
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used metaphorically: 'The new CEO is set on streamlining operations.'
Academic
Rare in formal writing; appears in historical/literary analysis: 'The peasants were set on by the landlord's guards.'
Everyday
Common for describing determination: 'She's set on becoming a doctor.' Also for dog attacks: 'Their dog was set on the postman.'
Technical
Not typical.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “set on”
- Using 'set on' to mean simply 'place on' (use 'put on'). Confusing 'set on' with 'set upon' (which is more formal/literary but synonymous for attack). Incorrect word order: 'He set on the dog the intruder' (correct: 'He set the dog on the intruder').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Set upon' is more formal and literary, but is largely synonymous with the aggressive sense of 'set on'. 'Set on' is more common in everyday speech. For the 'determined' sense, only 'set on' is used (e.g., 'He is set on going', not 'He is set upon going').
Yes, but only in the 'determined' sense. 'She's set on helping the community' is positive, showing admirable determination. The aggressive sense is almost always negative.
Yes, 'dead set on' is an emphatic idiom, primarily in American and Australian English, meaning 'absolutely determined'. It intensifies the meaning of 'set on'.
It is a separable transitive phrasal verb: Subject + SET + Object (attacker, usually animal/group) + ON + Object (target). Example: 'He SET his dogs ON the intruder.'
To attack someone violently, either physically or verbally.
Set on is usually informal to neutral; can be literary in descriptions of attack. in register.
Set on: in British English it is pronounced /ˌset ˈɒn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌset ˈɑːn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “set the world on fire”
- “set one's heart on”
- “set one's sights on”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a film villain SETting their vicious dog ON the hero. The command 'SET ON!' implies launching an attack. For the determined sense, picture someone's mind being 'set' (like glue) ON a single goal.
Conceptual Metaphor
DETERMINATION IS BEING PHYSICALLY ATTACHED/POINTED ('Her mind was set on the prize'). AGGRESSION IS RELEASING A FORCE ('He set his critics on me').
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'set on' used CORRECTLY?