Synonyms

concoct

American

[kon-kokt, kuhn-] / kɒnˈkɒkt, kən- /

verb (used with object)

to prepare or make by combining ingredients, especially in cooking.

We concocted a meal from leftovers since no one had time to stop at the store.
to devise; make up; contrive.

He'll have to concoct an excuse for his absence if he wants to keep the job.

Synonyms:

hatch, fabricate, invent

concoct British

/ kənˈkɒkt /

verb

to make by combining different ingredients
to invent; make up; contrive

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

concocter noun
concoctive adjective
concoctor noun
well-concocted adjective

Etymology

Origin of concoct

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin concoctus (past participle of concoquere “to cook together”), equivalent to con- con- + coc-, variant stem of coquere “to boil, cook ¹ ” from Greek péptein; pepsin, peptic ) + -tus past participle ending

Explanation

When you concoct something, you mix up different ingredients. If you want to become a mad scientist or a wizard, you'll have to learn how to concoct strange potions. If the word concoction makes you think of steaming caldrons or liquids bubbling in test tubes, you’ll be amused to know that it comes from a Latin word for “digestion.” Yum! On summer days, children sometimes concoct imaginative stews from grass, leaves and dirt. They may also concoct lies to explain why they tried feeding such concoctions to their little sister.

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Vocabulary lists containing concoct

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Rather, he’s using a shoestring budget to concoct left-of-center sights that feel like a peek into a specific Los Angeles netherworld.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

Kristin Hanggi directs the production, which stars Laura Bell Bundy and Kara Lindsay as friends who concoct impressive résumés to wow former classmates at their high-school reunion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 26, 2025

Crittenden and Allan have lively imaginations, but the wild situations they concoct are treated like joke machines.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2025

Need someone to take the first steps on Niflheim to inhale the planet’s toxic air so the lab can concoct a vaccine?

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2025

“You know, Sam,” Bando says as he sketches and watches me concoct a wild, savory lunch, “I think I’ll just open one of the cans of stew.”

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023