concentrating
Fixing your mind
Concentrating is giving full attention to something, gathering mental focus on a single task or subject: I can't think with all this noise—I'm trying to concentrate.
The word also describes making something more dense or potent by removing diluting elements: concentrating the sauce by simmering.
Both senses share the idea of drawing scattered things toward a center.
Concentrating on one point
- attentionFocused mental awareness
- absorbedTook in fully
- engrossedWholly absorbed in something
- immersedPlunged entirely into
rapt · intent · attentive · fixated · locked-in · heedful · riveted · undistracted
Mental reasoning process
- ponderingThinking deeply about something
- contemplationSustained reflective attention
- reflectionReturned light or thought
- deliberationCareful weighing of choices
reasoning · analyzing · processing · problem-solving · cogitating · mulling · considering · studying
Awareness of the present
- centeringPositioning at midpoint
- breathingPulmonary gas exchange
- stillnessComplete lack of motion
- presenceState of being somewhere
awareness · grounding · calming · quieting · zen · introspection · settling · composing
Continuing despite difficulty
- tenaciousStubbornly determined to continue
- doggedStubbornly persevering
- perseveringMaintaining effort despite difficulty
- unwaveringSteady and unchanging
committed · resolute · steadfast · dedicated · diligent · assiduous · industrious · earnest
Making less or smaller
- distillingPurifying through vaporization
- thickeningIncreasing in density
- evaporatingChanging from liquid to gas
- intensifyingIncreasing in strength
strengthening · extracting · refining · purifying · consolidating · compacting · enriching · dehydrating
Collecting in quantity
- accumulatingGathering in increasing quantity
- centralizingUnifying under one control
- convergingMoving toward sameness
- clusteringForming concentrated groups
pooling · collecting · assembling · aggregating · consolidating · massing · grouping · centering
focusing
Concentrating on one point
immersed · rapt · intent · attentive · fixated · locked-in · heedful · riveted · undistracted · single-minded
thinking
Mental reasoning process
- ponderingThinking deeply about something
- contemplationSustained reflective attention
- reflectionReturned light or thought
deliberation · reasoning · analyzing · processing · problem-solving · cogitating · mulling · considering · studying · examining
mindfulness
Awareness of the present
presence · awareness · grounding · calming · quieting · zen · introspection · settling · composing · tranquility
persistent
Continuing despite difficulty
- tenaciousStubbornly determined to continue
- doggedStubbornly persevering
- perseveringMaintaining effort despite difficulty
unwavering · committed · resolute · steadfast · dedicated · diligent · assiduous · industrious · earnest · purposeful
reducing
Making less or smaller
- distillingPurifying through vaporization
- thickeningIncreasing in density
- evaporatingChanging from liquid to gas
intensifying · strengthening · extracting · refining · purifying · consolidating · compacting · enriching · dehydrating · rendering
amassing
Collecting in quantity
- accumulatingGathering in increasing quantity
- centralizingUnifying under one control
- convergingMoving toward sameness
clustering · pooling · collecting · assembling · aggregating · consolidating · massing · grouping · centering · funneling
- directing flowchanneling, funneling, directing, routing, piping
- food processingcanning, freezing, drying, packaging, pasteurization
- exertioneffort, straining, strain, heaving, labor
- listeningactive listening, attentive, listening skills, listening comprehension, focused attention
- studyingstudying, study notes, learning, study plan, study session
- active listeninglisten, attention, focusing, heeding, engaging
concentratingdaydreaming
Idle mental wandering
distracted · zoning out · absent-minded · unfocused · spacing out
concentratingdispersing
Spreading widely apart
spreading · scattering · diffusing · dissipating · diluting
- concentration campFacility for mass political detention
- difficulty concentratingTrouble maintaining mental focus
- poor concentrationDifficulty maintaining mental focus
- Nazi concentration campsExtermination and forced labor facilities
- market concentrationExtent of seller dominance
- salt concentrationDissolved sodium per volume