atmosphereat‧mo‧sphere /ˈætməsfɪə $ -fɪr/ ●●● S3 W2 noun 
The hotel had a lovely relaxed atmosphere. The atmosphere at home was rather tense.atmosphere of An atmosphere of optimism dominated the conference.2[uncountable] if a place or event has atmosphere, it is interesting: The castle was centuries old and full of atmosphere. The match was lacking in atmosphere.3 the atmosphere the mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth4[countable] the mixture of gases that surrounds a planet5[countable usually singular] the air inside a room: a smoky atmosphereCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + atmospherea good atmosphere· The club has a good atmosphere.a happy/cheerful atmosphere· It's a good school and it has a very happy atmosphere.a relaxed/friendly/informal atmosphere· Helen's flat has a very relaxed atmosphere.a carnival/festive atmosphere (=when people are celebrating something)· Outside the stadium, there was a carnival atmosphere.a welcoming atmosphere (=when a place you arrive at feels friendly)· The bar provides a welcoming atmosphere for a relaxing evening drink.a cosy atmosphere (=when a building, room etc is small, comfortable, and warm)· With its low ceilings and open fire, the house has a cosy atmosphere.a bad atmosphere· There's a bad atmosphere among the staff.a strained/tense atmosphere (=not relaxed)· As soon as I went in, I was aware of the tense atmosphere in the room.verbsthe atmosphere changes· New owners bought the hotel and the whole atmosphere changed.create a good/bad atmosphere· Lighting is one of the most effective ways of creating a good atmosphere.
WORD ORIGINatmosphere
Origin:
1600-1700 Modern Latin atmosphaera, from Greek atmos ‘liquid in the air, vapor’ + Latin sphaera ‘sphere’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Dim lighting creates a relaxing atmosphere.
- The atmosphere in the meeting was tense.
- the heated atmosphere of the House of Commons
- The new owners have tried to give the restaurant a more family-friendly atmosphere.
- We're trying to create an atmosphere of trust between management and staff.
- Not so long ago he had been uncomfortable in the atmosphere of the seemingly unbridled physicality of Dunham dancing.
- The atmosphere on board the Confederate flagship, the ram Tennessee, was altogether different.
- The colour although simple does give a feeling of the atmosphere and time of year.
- The important differences were in the atmosphere.
- The wine mellowed the atmosphere between them, and Blanche felt less hurried than the week before to extract information from him.
- We can no longer treat the atmosphere above us like a dustbin, and the seas around us like a sewer.
- Why does Venus have a hellish hothouse of an atmosphere and the Moon have no atmosphere at all?
Longman Language Activatora general feeling among a group of people
the general feeling among the people in a place, or the feeling you get from being in a particular place: · The atmosphere in the meeting was tense.· The new owners have tried to give the restaurant a more family-friendly atmosphere.atmosphere of: · We're trying to create an atmosphere of trust between management and staff.heated atmosphere (=when people in a place have very strong and often angry feelings): · the heated atmosphere of the House of Commons
the way a group of people feels about something at a particular time: · Pessimism replaced the mood of democratic optimism that existed before World War I.· Mondovi provoked severe unrest, contributing to the rebellious mood of the entire region.the political/religious etc mood: · Labor leaders figured that given the political mood of the time, Truman was the best candidate.the general/public/popular/national mood (=one felt by most people in a country or region): · In keeping with the general mood of the time, these novels tended to sentimentalize the past.
the feeling you get from a particular place, because of the way it looks, sounds, smells etc, and because of the way people treat you when you are there: · The restaurant's ambience makes you feel you're sitting down to dinner in the dining room of an old friend.· Winnetka has that small-town ambience of tree-lined streets and a one-street shopping district that you can't find in suburbia.· Ambience is as important to a business's success as the product you sell.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYADJECTIVES/NOUN + atmosphere a carnival atmosphere in the town the charged atmosphere in the room The department provides a congenial atmosphere for research. The atmosphere in the courtroom was electric. a fraught atmosphere Nora didn’t respond to my attempts to lighten the conversation. There’s a very relaxed atmosphere in the school. Go to a sidewalk café, order coffee, and soak up the atmosphere. I couldn’t stand the strained atmosphere at dinner anymore. Marion spoke, eager to break the tense silence.
· The club has a good atmosphere.
· It's a good school and it has a very happy atmosphere.
· Helen's flat has a very relaxed atmosphere.
(=when people are celebrating something)· Outside the stadium, there was a carnival atmosphere.
(=when a place you arrive at feels friendly)· The bar provides a welcoming atmosphere for a relaxing evening drink.
(=when a building, room etc is small, comfortable, and warm)· With its low ceilings and open fire, the house has a cosy atmosphere.
· There's a bad atmosphere among the staff.
(=not relaxed)· As soon as I went in, I was aware of the tense atmosphere in the room.
verbs· New owners bought the hotel and the whole atmosphere changed.
· Lighting is one of the most effective ways of creating a good atmosphere.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES a carnival atmosphere in the town the charged atmosphere in the room The department provides a congenial atmosphere for research.· The Earth’s atmosphere blocks off all radiation from space other than light and radio waves.
The atmosphere in the courtroom was electric. a fraught atmosphere Nora didn’t respond to my attempts to lighten the conversation. There’s a very relaxed atmosphere in the school. Go to a sidewalk café, order coffee, and soak up the atmosphere. I couldn’t stand the strained atmosphere at dinner anymore. Marion spoke, eager to break the tense silence.· Voting took place in an atmosphere of tension.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· The aim is to create a relaxed, friendly atmosphere which will encourage people to buy.· It was a relaxed occasion, as it was intended to be, in which to discuss differences in a friendly atmosphere.· Has the area got a friendly and secure atmosphere?· Thoughtful attention to needs of people for satisfying relationships leads to a comfortable, friendly organization atmosphere and work tempo.· The same leisured friendly atmosphere prevailed among the crowds in the park.· In short, the Samos is an established hotel which is well run and has a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.· There are free buses to ferry you from hotel to cable-car stations and the town has a warm, friendly atmosphere.
· Until St Paul arrives on the scene, the general atmosphere is one of respectability.· Radio broadcasts were also made from the court, and the general atmosphere was far from dignified.· By day the general atmosphere is tranquil, dreamy and unspoilt with long, sandy beaches and clear waters.· The general atmosphere has certainly changed.· If there is a local carnival every year, go along and enjoy the costumes and the general atmosphere.· At breakfast time the general atmosphere among the residents was still subdued, but much less strained than the previous evening.· There was a general atmosphere of bawdy fun and anticipation.· The melody and accompaniment can express the general atmosphere of the poem, but can not underline the significance of individual words.
· Thus, the lower atmosphere and surface of Venus are far hotter than comparable regions of the Earth and Mars.· Further, water in the form of rain and snow is very efficient at cleaning dust from the lower atmosphere.· On the Moon, the gravity is so low that no atmosphere remains.· The lower atmosphere is so hot that it is simply impossible to have a solid surface.· It occurs in the Earth's lower atmosphere.· In sunlight, VOCs can react in the lower atmosphere with nitrogen oxides to generate photochemical smog.
· A new political atmosphere was created where minimal government, budget-cutting and low taxation had become the norm.· The only hope of eliminating the bomb, which in the political atmosphere of 1946 was never very great, was gone.· Although set in an overtly political atmosphere, its purpose is unashamedly entertainment.· And the political atmosphere must be able to accept the expression of partisan feelings.· Much of this is conducted through the news media, where the political atmosphere is reflected quite clearly.· When the two sides came together, the political atmosphere had changed dramatically.· As the promises fill the political atmosphere, it is easy to become cynical about the candidates and the process.
· Set in substantial mature gardens and possessing a quiet and relaxed atmosphere.· L'Esquire prides itself on its superlative standards of service and relaxed atmosphere.· The aim is to create a relaxed, friendly atmosphere which will encourage people to buy.· This is a family-run hotel with a relaxed atmosphere.· So the superficially more relaxed atmosphere at home did nothing to modify my anorexic behaviour.· Raffles A lounge cellar bar with a relaxed atmosphere and a real coal fire.· Some interviewers address candidates by their first names thinking it encourages a relaxed atmosphere.
· Bored or tense atmosphere. 2.· I can vividly remember the tense atmosphere prevailing amongst all Washington crews during December 1952 and January 1953.· I felt a tense atmosphere of anxiousness build between us.· Humour, too, can be a way of breaking a tense atmosphere.· There was suddenly a very, very tense atmosphere.· But today the tense security atmosphere was obvious.· Such a thin strange quavering noise, and such a tense awkward atmosphere had built up.· The generally tense atmosphere also gave rise to perceptual errors.
· However, emissions of NOx gases in the upper atmosphere have a greenhouse effect 100 times more powerful than C02.· The other method is to dissipate the extra 3. 2 kilometers per second by passing through the upper atmosphere.· During magnetic storms the intense electrical currents that f ow in the upper atmosphere heat the air, causing it to expand.· But in the cold upper atmospheres of all four planets the heavy elements are almost perfectly condensed and precipitated out.· This occurs in the upper atmosphere when neutrons produced by cosmic rays interact with nitrogen atoms.· Temperatures ranged from 227 degrees below zero Fahrenheit in the upper atmosphere to 305 degrees shortly before the probe stopped relaying data.· However, the net energy transfer between the magnetosphere and the upper atmosphere is downwards.· With energy supplied by sunlight, some water vapor in the upper atmosphere may have broken down to hydrogen and oxygen.
· Level of service is exceptional combining a warm, friendly atmosphere with real old-world charm and high standards of modern facilities.· There are free buses to ferry you from hotel to cable-car stations and the town has a warm, friendly atmosphere.· The cold vast house became warm in atmosphere and hospitable.· Our Peaches Restaurant is renowned for a warm and welcoming atmosphere with quality and personal attention from Gill and Doug.· Veal Jurassienne must be ordered! Warm, relaxed atmosphere.· Proctor's Good ales and snacks in a warm, friendly atmosphere.· A light interior in combination with pastel colours gives her a warm, mediterranean atmosphere.· Lawrence was the one who never seemed part of the warm family atmosphere created by his brothers and sisters.
· The island gantry and the whole atmosphere is superbly Victorian.· The whole atmosphere would tense up.· It brings the whole atmosphere of the period, as well as the work itself, alive.· It is the first whole atmosphere / biosphere laboratory.· The whole atmosphere of the race is very exciting.· The crowd, the whole atmosphere was really great.· The whole atmosphere was tastefulness and leisure.· The whole tempo and atmosphere changed when the Scenes of Crime Officer arrived.
VERB· Nearby is a ship in a glass case that adds to the timeless atmosphere of the house.· Cheerleaders add to the atmosphere of the game.· I add to the atmosphere by coming back into the room, closing the door and leaning against it, staring.· And when Sanders intercepts, he also dances, which will add to the atmosphere of Cowboy mayhem.· Good table linen is also essential-to show off the food and add to the atmosphere.· The dim arctic twilight added to the discouraging atmosphere.· This rather cinematic approach adds to the atmosphere of mystery and excitement.· This will all add to the atmosphere and enable the creation of a distinctive meal experience.
· What was needed now was a major legislative victory that would change the atmosphere of political resentment and resistance on Capitol Hill.· The outlook for the United Nations would be grim in that changed atmosphere.· In an effort to change the atmosphere last summer Good Vibes supremo Terri Hooley suggested a three-day showcase of local talent.
· An important feature of this research is that it is carried out in a politically charged atmosphere.· The highly charged atmosphere of the House panel contrasted sharply with a similar investigation being conducted in the Senate, where Sen.
· The glamour of limed oak - creating an atmosphere that seems to belong entirely in the country.· What director Michael Winterbottom excels at, instead, is creating an atmosphere of vague religious resonance.· We must somehow transcend this and create an atmosphere at our meetings which is welcoming to people from all types of background.· Coffman, Virginia An expert in creating appropriate atmosphere, Coffman has written more than sixty novels.· It is the routine and tender loving care of the staff that create the best atmosphere.· A grand jury was convened; the jury condemned the newspapers for creating the atmosphere which instigated the Saturday night riots.· The procedures which are set in place when the contract is signed will create an atmosphere for the remainder of the project.· And nothing creates an atmosphere ripe for mistakes more readily than abuse of power.
· Meanwhile, folks, why not relax and enjoy the atmosphere: Jimbo alone in the tower.· Those that did turn up enjoyed the jovial atmosphere and frantic dancing ensued, except at the home-town concert in Middleton.· Everyone enjoyed the pleasant outdoor atmosphere and setting without having to forfeit convenience.· When the attractions become too much, visitors can enjoy the restful atmosphere of the landscaped parkland in between.· But he seems to enjoy working in an atmosphere of tension.
· Strapped into couches they entered the Earth's atmosphere backs first.· Water fails to enter the Martian atmosphere because the surface temperature is very low.· These isotopes begin to decay as soon as the meteorites enter the Earth's atmosphere, where they become shielded from cosmic rays.· The first views came when the robot had already entered the atmosphere, and had discarded its protective shell.· Atmospheric entry of the bolide A cosmic object entering the atmosphere loses its kinetic energy through deceleration and ablation.· I realised what it was: a space shuttle entering the atmosphere on its final run-in to earth.· Many of the known asteroids are small enough to blow up on entering the atmosphere.· After about six years of flight, the probe enters the upper atmosphere of Uranus at high speed.
· I smile at her to lighten the atmosphere.· There was no breeze to lighten the atmosphere.· The little mountains of earth scattered around didn't lighten the atmosphere, either.
· A few carefully placed lamps will provide atmosphere and show off the surrounding plants.· Working at Arky, Freed provided an atmosphere that encouraged me to express my feminism in daily professional dealings.· His task is to provide a safe atmosphere of love for the mask to be dropped.· Similarly, the war provided a receptive atmosphere for a reappraisal of the economic and recreational role of the countryside.· To be successful the hotel will provide a friendly atmosphere, good service and the personal touch.· At least the stereophonic crickets to provide atmosphere chirped to order.· To provide an effective working atmosphere, the number of participants will be limited to approximately 50.· The Market Square is a fascinating mix of ancient and modern combining to provide atmosphere and charm.
· As usual he gave no indication about when he would be coming back, but nevertheless a relaxed atmosphere soon developed.· Organizers made it a point to include music and poetry to help relax the atmosphere and lure more students.· As it opened, the cool relaxed atmosphere of executive luxury mixed with an international flair.· This creates a positive, friendly and relaxed atmosphere where staff have time for students and students enjoy learning.
· Sacks of asbestos fibre had been opened in the factory, releasing dust into the atmosphere.· Officials said they expect that no radioactivity will be released into the atmosphere.· It is understood samples taken for analysis showed three times more iodine 129 than permitted was released into the atmosphere.· Examples of chemical poisoning include chlorine-based materials released into the atmosphere.· Modern equipment is extremely complex and some systems have up to seven separate cleaning stages before any gas is released into the atmosphere.
· So we ordered another Guinness and soaked up the atmosphere some more.· He was here to soak in the atmosphere of the place.· When the sound of high-flying aircraft began to soak into the atmosphere people stopped talking but looked more interested than afraid.· I was just soaking up the atmosphere.· In spite of his expressed desire to soak up atmosphere, he did not feel at home there.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► you could cut the atmosphere with a knife► hothouse atmosphere/environment etc► you could cut the atmosphere/air/tension with a knife
1[countable, uncountable] the feeling that an event or place gives you: - A heavy silence fell upon the room.
- A heavy silence sank down on them.
- For at least two minutes a heavy silence filled the hut.
- He has a ready supply, and despite the heavy atmosphere and flat light it carries us out to Langdale.
- Most unwillingly they went and stood before the hero in heavy silence.
- Not a bird, not an insect, not a zephyr relieves that hot, heavy silence.
- She knew that if she didn't speak Carla would get more and more nervous, eventually breaking the heavy silence herself.
- There is sun, heavy silence, a pervasive scent of parched vegetation, a lizard materialized on a rock.
The hotel had a lovely relaxed atmosphere. The atmosphere at home was rather tense.atmosphere of An atmosphere of optimism dominated the conference.2[uncountable] if a place or event has atmosphere, it is interesting: The castle was centuries old and full of atmosphere. The match was lacking in atmosphere.3 the atmosphere the mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth4[countable] the mixture of gases that surrounds a planet5[countable usually singular] the air inside a room: a smoky atmosphereCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + atmospherea good atmosphere· The club has a good atmosphere.a happy/cheerful atmosphere· It's a good school and it has a very happy atmosphere.a relaxed/friendly/informal atmosphere· Helen's flat has a very relaxed atmosphere.a carnival/festive atmosphere (=when people are celebrating something)· Outside the stadium, there was a carnival atmosphere.a welcoming atmosphere (=when a place you arrive at feels friendly)· The bar provides a welcoming atmosphere for a relaxing evening drink.a cosy atmosphere (=when a building, room etc is small, comfortable, and warm)· With its low ceilings and open fire, the house has a cosy atmosphere.a bad atmosphere· There's a bad atmosphere among the staff.a strained/tense atmosphere (=not relaxed)· As soon as I went in, I was aware of the tense atmosphere in the room.verbsthe atmosphere changes· New owners bought the hotel and the whole atmosphere changed.create a good/bad atmosphere· Lighting is one of the most effective ways of creating a good atmosphere.