English Collocations in Use (Advanced) by Felicity O'Dell & Michael McCarthy

heavy traffic

#light traffic We ran into heavy traffic near the airport

a pack of dogs, hounds, wolves

(=a group of wild dogs or stray dogs) There are packs of wild dogs in the mountains.

a glimmer/ray of hope

(=a little hope, or something that gives you a little hope) The new treatment gives patients a glimmer of hope.

a time-honoured/long-standing tradition

(=a long tradition) In time-honoured tradition, they have a drink in every pub along the high street.

a lifelong friend

(=someone who has been your friend for the whole of your life) The two men were lifelong friends.

run up a bill

(=use a lot of something so that you have a big bill to pay) It's easy to run up a big bill on your mobile phone.

(in) stark/marked/sharp etc contrast to something

(=very noticeable) I noticed a marked contrast in his behaviour before and after treatment. The winter heat wave in California is a stark contrast to the below-freezing temperatures on the East Coast. The spirited mood on Friday was in sharp contrast to the tense atmosphere last week. The approach to learning at this school stands in marked contrast to the traditional methods used at other schools nearby.

(un)reliable evidence

(=which people can trust or believe) Do you think their evidence is reliable?

in breach of the law

(formal) breaking the law Failure to carry out a risk assessment will leave us in breach of the law.

bored rigid

(informal) extremely bored I was bored rigid when the teacher did not seem to end his speech soon.

glowing tributes

(journalistic) extremely positive comments something that you say, do, or give in order to express your respect or admiration for someone Let me share with you some of the glowing tributes which we have received from other directors. The players wore black armbands as a tribute to their late teammate. I'd like to pay tribute to (=praise and admire publicly) the party workers for all their hard work.

forthright manner /ˈfɔːrθ.raɪt/

(too) honest or direct in behaviour: His forthright manner can be mistaken for rudeness. I admire her forthright way of dealing with people.

a bed of rice

10 cloves of garlic in every helping served on a bed of rice or with baked potato and a knob of butter

full marks

100 % He achieved full marks in the last class test.

well-qualified

A ... secretary is required.

make a lot of work

A baby makes a lot of work for its parents - but it is worth it.

put some distance between yourself and somebody

A close confidant is uneasy and he advises you to put some ... and the newcomer.

a complete stranger

A complete stranger comes into your life and friendship quickly develops.

produce a result

A different approach might produce some interesting results.

a good /fair few

A good few students are likely to get a first-class degree.

appear in court

A man has appeared in court charged with cruelty to animals.

put together my CV

After graduating in economics, I did the usual thing of putting together my CV and applying for jobs.

live a comfortable life

After they won a lottery, they've lived quite a comfortable life ever since.

loosely based on loosely centered loosely structured loosely related loosely connected

Alfredo Scaluzzi's new film is loosely base on a nineteenth century novel

come out of a coma (also emerge from a coma formal)

Alice wanted to be there when he came out of his coma.

stable relationships

All of us to avoid being stressed out, we need to some ... .

fit the job description

All these applicants seem to to fit the job description quite well to me.

show improvement

Amy's work show considerable improvement. Opp There is room for improvement in her work.

an overwhelming majority of

An overwhelming majority of the population are in favor of reform.

unexplored wildernes

An unexplored place is one where people have not been to find out what is there: unexplored territory

anti-ageing properties

Anti-ageing substances are intended to prevent or limit the process of becoming old: anti-ageing creams

change gear

Any cyclist can climb a difficult hill; you just change gear. It takes some time to learn when to change gear.

overcome many hurdles

As she was born blind she has had to overcome many extra hurdles in her life.

Larissa is an excellent film. It is the story of what happens when a young woman decides to try to find out what really happened to her grandmother, who disappeared in Russia in the 1930s under mysterious circumstances.

As the suspense builds up, Larissa sets off an amazing chain of events. It's an incredibly gripping film and its directions shows startling originality.

support your family

B1 to give a person the money they need in order to buy food and clothes and pay for somewhere to live: He has a wife and four children to support.

ERROR WARNING

Be careful with the word success. We say The song enjoyed or had great success all over the world, NOT made great success. You can, however, make a success of sth . For example: She made a success of her new job and was promoted after a short time.

a streaming cold

British English (=in which a lot of liquid comes from your nose) You shouldn't go to work if you've got a streaming cold.

(at) fever pitch

British English if people's feelings are at fever pitch, they are extremely excited The nation was at fever pitch in the days leading up to the election. After a night of rioting, tensions in the city reached fever pitch.

grand style

C1 impressive and large or important: The Palace of Versailles is very grand. They always entertain their guests in grand style.

reap the benefit, reward, etc. /riːp/

C2 to get something good as a result of your own actions: She studied every evening and reaped the benefit at exam time. We sold them most of their modern weapons and now we are reaping the bitter harvest.

a heavy/great burden

Caring for elderly relatives can be a heavy burden.

announce record profits

Charles and Park and Sons have ... for last year despite a slight decline in demand for one of their key productions.

poor judgement

Deciding to set up a busies now shows ... of the economic situation.

exceed the recommended dose

Do not ...

enjoy good health

Do you want to enjoy good health?

the easy option

Don't always take what looks like the easy option.

get on bad terms

Don't let yourself to get on bad terms with those around you.

ERROR WARNING

Dress is an uncountable noun when it refers to a style of clothing e.g. traditional dress, formal dress. Don't say traditional dresses; this would mean dresses for women only

a surprise party

Emma was here for a surprise party for her parents on Sunday.

declare independence

Estonia declared independence on August 20th.

put on a firework display

Every year the town puts on a firework display as part of the festival

hold an unusual festival

Every year the villagers of Hartsby ..

somebody's stress level (also somebody's level of stress)

Exercise reduces stress levels.

call in the receivers

FINANCE to officially appoint someone to manage the finances of a company that cannot pay its debts: go bankrupt The company has called in the receivers after suffering significant financial loss.

sun-damaged hair

For long-lasting color and to treat sun-damaged hair use Daroogar products

possess an illegal substance

Formal an illegal drug He was arrested for possessing an illegal substance.

respond well to treatment

Fortunately, she responded well to treatment and made a full recovery.

have an eye for

Gina has an eye for detail, so ask her to check the report

news travels fast

Goodness, news ... !! I didn't realize anyone else knew about it yet.

run smoothly

HAPPEN [intransitive] to happen in a particular way or at a particular time Andy kept things running smoothly (=happening in the way they should) while I was away. He was given a further three month prison sentence to run concurrently. The course runs over a three year period.

didn't say a word

Hana didn't say a word when I told her I was leaving.

natural talent

Harry had a .. for English.

demonstrate an ability

Harry has ... to apply what he learns to the wider world.

reject that charge

Haven't you betrayed the trust of the voters? I reject the charge completely.

a good level of education

He has a ...

establish /develop a good relationship

He managed to ... with his boss.

make (a) payment

He was supposed to make payments of $250 a month.

a substantial/significant amount

He'll get a substantial amount of money when his father dies.

a course of medication

Her doctor first prescribed a course of medication

leading authorities

Her professors were all distinguished scholars and her courses were taught by some of the world's ... in the field.

harmful to the environment

Household waste contains many materials and solutions which are extremely harmful to the environment, and authorities need long-term solutions.

back in fashion

I am happy to report that flat shoes are definitely back in fashion.

dead easy

I don't know what I was worrying about! the exam turned out to be ...

face the thought of

I just can't face the thought of going out tonight.

excruciating uncomfortable

I must admit I've worn some ... shoes in the past.

demand an explanation

I sent him to the headteacher and I'm sure she'll demand an explanation.

I sincerely hope

I sincerely hope you will apologize.

volume of work

I soon had a substantial volume of work - private students and marking exams - and was able to ear a good living.

hugely popular

I think it is going to be a hugely popular look.

make a contribution

I think that I could make a contribution to the project.

a decent night's sleep

I woke up refreshed after a ... night's sleep.

wildly exaggerated

I wonder what she'll do when she finds out he's .. how rich he really is.

make some suggestions

I would like to ..

tell a secret

I'll tell you a secret but please don't tell anyone else.

give it some thought

I'm not sure if I want to invest in your business or not, but I'll give it some thought.

fit in with sth

If one activity or event fits in with another, they exist or happen together in a way that is convenient. The doctor said he can fit me in at 4:30. I wanted to fit in a swim before breakfast.

betray the trust of sb

If someone betrays something such as a promise, they do not do what they promised: The president has been accused of betraying his election promises. By staying out so late, they have betrayed my trust (= disappointed me because I had trusted them not to).

stand the test of time

If something stands the test of time, it is still popular, strong, etc. after a long time: Which songs from the last year will stand the test of time?

a world of difference

If there is a world of difference between two people or things, they are very different: There's a world of difference between the service in the two hotels.

make room for sth

If we move the sofa closer to the window, it'll make room for the piano.

make an enemy

If you always say exactly what you think, you'll make a lot of enemies.

It's a great pleasure

It's a .... to hear from you again.

borrow heavily

It's a bad idea to borrow heavily to repay your debts. Many firms had borrowed heavily to cover their losses, driving government banks into insolvency.

Don't turn off the engine while you're still in gear.

It's a good habit to take the car out of gear while you're at a stoplight.

find happiness

It's a story about a music composer who unexpectedly finds happiness as a teacher. I've certainly found happiness in this profession.

become their habit

It's become their habit to spend the evenings poring over their photo albums.

run into difficulties

James did a lot of partying in his final year and ...

build up resistance

Just eating the right food will help you to build up resistance to disease.

win a scholarship

Karen won a scholarship and, like all of her siblings, got a college education.

do research

Lana did research into her family roots.

lengthy delays

Lengthy delays are expected around the national stadium.

a constant struggle

Life seems to have been a .. for her ever since she left home.

sound travels

Light travels faster than sound. The sound travel from the valley where it was made to this here, where no one dares let out a cry.

create an atmosphere

Lighting is one of the most effective ways of creating a good atmosphere.

draw up a plan/scheme

Local authorities have drawn up new plans for waste disposal.

take sth badly

Losing the job she loved so much was a severe blow for Anna. She took it very badly.

satisfied customers

Lots of online companies have plenty of regular customers and plenty of satisfied customers

also free something ↔ up

MAKE AVAILABLE to make something available so that it can be used I need to free up some of the disk space on my computer. This should free some money for investment.

a test of strength

Management described the situation as a test of strength.

change takes palaces

Many changes had taken place in my home town - and not always for the better.

paid/unpaid overtime

Many teachers do a lot of unpaid overtime.

offer/give somebody a discount

Many theaters give discounts to students. Lenders may offer a discount on larger loans.

put the case for

McGraw puts the case for single-sex primary education but he fails to tackle all of the issues that opponents of this approach to early schooling have raised.

seek permission

Migrant workers seeking permission to stay in this country may have to submit a detailed account of their work and personal lives to the visa authorities.

tackle a problem

More must be done to tackle the AIDS problem.

face many problems

My grandmother faced many problems in her life.

pass a law

New Jersey passed a law requiring helmets for scooter riders.

top quality

Our chef uses only top quality ingredients.

hinder progress

Our party believes that this country's complex tax laws mainly serve to hinder progress.

make a discovery

Our research team has made an important discovery about how whales communicate.

pent-up anger

Pent-up feelings are not allowed to be expressed or released: Screaming at the top of your voice is a good way of venting pent-up frustration. Years of pent-up anger and frustration came out as she cried.

traffic is building up

Police say traffic is building up on all approach roads.

fight for survival

Poor people in this drought-ridden country fight for survival.

make a lasting contribution

Pop bands come and go over the course of time, but few bands have made such a lasting contribution as the Beatles.

make any necessary changes

Read the teacher's comments on your essays, then make any necessary changes.

research indicates

Recent ... that sea levels are rising very rapidly.

good behaviour

Releasing sb early for good behavior is a complete nonsense

chair the committee

Roger Middle, who chaired the committee working on this scheme, said that local people welcome the decision.

attend a school

She attended a local grammar school.

graduate from university

She completed her studies with considerable success and .. last year.

a detailed account

She gave me a detailed account of what happened at the meeting.

get/receive a sentence (also be given a sentence)

She was given a three-year prison sentence.

reveal the truth about sth

She'd promised never to reveal the truth.

keep/stay in shape

She's bought an exercise bike to keep in shape.

provide relief

Should rich nations provide relief when disaster occur in poorer countries?

the main/primary cause of something

Smoking is the main cause of lung disease.

great/enormous/immense pleasure

Steinbeck's books have brought enormous pleasure to many people.

highly unlikely highly educated highly recommended

Strongly influence greatly appreciate greatly influence

make some arrangements

Thank you very much for making these arrangements.

provide/give an explanation

The ability to give clear explanations is the most important quality of the ideal teacher. explanation of I'll try and give you a quick explanation of how the machine works.

substantial reward

The bank has offered a substantial reward to anyone providing information leading to the recovery of the money.

basic principle

The basic principle is that the system helps you concentrate the mind on whatever you are trying to remember for just long enough to force Initial Awareness.

break the task down

The best advice is to take a step-by-step approach: break the task down into stages.

test a theory

The big question is how to test these theories. Researchers gave workers a questionnaire to test that theory.

awaken my interest

The book awakened my interest in Russia in the 1930s

vigorous defence

The book offers a vigorous defense of free market economics

steady growth

The business has a history of steady growth.

festival celebrate

The festival celebrates the birthday of Pat Davey, a famous local musician.

public/government/state spending

The government is determined to keep public spending under control. They called for increased government spending on education.

allocate a part of its budget to sth

The government today announced it intentions to stimulate growth in the south-west by allocating a large part of its developmental budget to industrial projects in the area.

re-open the debate

The head of the National Union of Students has re-opened the debate on tuition fees as evidence emerges of government plans to raise them still further.

a welcome relief

The holiday was a welcome relief from the pressure of work.

vacant parking spaces

The house is on a quiet street and there are always plenty of vacant parking spaces.

make an offer

The house we looked at is just what we want and we've decided to make an offer on it.

respond to the emergency

The international community responded rapidly to the emergency.

bring sb to justice

The killers will be brought to justice (=caught and punished). The police are doing all they can to bring those responsible for the bombing to justice.

crate a (+adj.) atmosphere

The lanterns in the garden create a romantic atmosphere.

approve a plan

The plan was approved at a board meeting on 24 December.

minimize danger

The purpose of risk assessment is to minimize danger to employees. The city is working on plans to minimize traffic problems.

support the hypothesis

The purpose of your research is to see if your data ...

award/give (a team) a penalty

The referee awarded Bradford a penalty in the final minute.

massive overdose

The rock star died from a massive overdose of barbiturates.

introduce/launch a scheme

The scheme was launched last autumn by the company's education officer.

slightly different

The spokesperson said the new insurance scheme was only ... from the old one.

perform dance

The women of the village perform dance around a huge fire in the main square.

a rich tradition

There is a rich tradition of music and dance in central Sweden.

a wide variety/choice of sth

There is a wide variety/choice of things to do here in the evenings.

a clear/sharp distinction

There is often no clear distinction between an allergy and food intolerance.

room for improvement

There is room for improvement in Harry's work in French.

improvements to make

There is still some way to and lots of improvements to make.

steer the economy

This government has steered the economy through seven years of uninterrupted economic growth.

sound like hard work

This may sound like hard work at first, but in fact all memory training systems are perfectly simple.

investing for the long-term

This should help us to build up a culture of investing for the long-term.

provide/offer an explanation

This theory may provide an explanation for the origins of the universe.

tadition

This tradition dates back to the Middle Ages.

a wide range of

Try to use a wide range of vocabulary in your essay.

underfloor heating

Underfloor heating is popular in bathrooms.

epic proportions

Unemployment reached ... and this led to social instability.

absolutely vital

Vitamins are absolutely vital for good health.

get stuck in traffic

Walk or cycle to the match if you want to avoid getting stuck in traffic.

celebrate the achievements of sth

We are ready to celebrate the achievements of a remarkable film director.

have a party

We're going to have a party on Saturday.

short of space

We're short of space where we are now.

after careful consideration

We've reached this decision after...

create a good/bad impression

Wear your grey suit to the interview if you want to ...

current UK license

When I came to London I needed a current UK licence.

Error warning

When comparing two things in terms of quantity, we say, for example, Exports were five times greater than imports, NOT Exports were five times larger than imports.

a low/soft whisper

When he spoke, it was in a low whisper.

source of income

While you're doing your degree, your main source of income may be a student loan or if you're lucky a grant or a scholarship. His pension was his only source of income.

give a laugh

Wilson gave a loud laugh as he watched Robert trying to fire the gun.

pre-wedding nerves

Yesterday he was suffering from pre-wedding nerves but today he looked calm and happy as he and Sally were joined in matrimony.

burst with energy

You do always seem to be bursting with energy.

a trace of a foreign accent

[ C ] a very slight amount: Traces of drugs were found in his blood. There is just a trace of grey in his hair. She speaks English without any trace of an accent. There was the faintest trace of a smile on her lips. "How wonderful!" she said, without any trace of sarcasm. I could detect the hint/trace of a German accent in her voice.

natural highlights

[ C usually plural ] a narrow strip of hair on a person's head that has been made a lighter colour than the surrounding hair Daisy Oil will bring out the natural highlights in your hair.

put sb on standby

[uncountable] when you are ready to travel on a plane, but can only do so if there are seats left when it is ready to leave The flight is full, but we can put you on standby.

recovery of money

[uncountable] when you get something back that has been taken or lost recovery of the recovery of the stolen money

a spoilt brat

a badly behaved child a spoiled brat And let some one else look after her little brats for a change.

a rough idea

a general idea I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do but I've got a rough idea.

harebrained scheme

a hare-brained plan or idea is very silly or unlikely to succeed his latest hare-brained scheme Alice had to figure out how to pay the rent after Ralph spent the money on another of his hare-brained schemes.

a wide variation/difference/gap etc

a large and noticeable difference the ever-wider gap between the richest and poorest countries

weighty tome /toʊm/ usually humorous

a large, heavy book: She's written several weighty tomes on the subject.

in the middle of nowhere

a long way from the nearest big town They live miles away, in the middle of nowhere.

pure luck

a lot depends on ... , being in the right place at the right time, that sort of thing.

low-income families

a low/small income Rent takes a large chunk of their small income. There are many issues affecting low-income families and they are indeed complex.

an automatic car

a manual car

a lull in the conversation

a pause, also lull in the fighting (in a military conflict) Wait until there is a lull in the conversation,then we can leave.

the back of beyond informal

a place that is a long way from other places and is difficult to get to It's a nice little cottage but it really is in the back of beyond.

pre-emptive strike

a pre-emptive action is done to prevent something from happening, especially something that will harm you pre-emptive strike/attack a series of pre-emptive strikes on guerrilla bases To prevent them being expressed, you stage a pre-emptive strike.

a flying visit

a quick visit because you do not have much time My old school friend Emma came on a flying visit.

heal the rift

a serious disagreement that separates two people who have been friends and stops their friendship continuing: The marriage caused a rift between the brothers and they didn't speak to each other for ten years. Today's announcement could lead to a further rift over public spending. He set out to heal the rifts in the party.

a knob of butter

a small piece of something SYN lump Melt a knob of butter in the pan.

fill sb with dread

a strong fear of something that is going to happen or may happen These things filled me with dread and horror. • His voice was filled with dread and fear and heavy weights. • My friends were filled with dread for the time when they would play my part in this ritual of passing.

a broad accent

a strong/broad/thick/pronounced accent (=very noticeable) She spoke with a strong Scottish accent. a broad Australian accent

mature students

a student at a college or university who is older than the usual age

surge of adrenalin /əˈdrenəl-ɪn/

a sudden increase in adrenalin As I stood up to speak I felt a surge of adrenalin.

tentative suggestion

a suggestion that you are not sure will be accepted I'd like to make a ...

a fast-track scheme

a system for rapid training and promotion of talented staff I was put on a fast-track scheme and was moving up the ladder.

uneasy truce

a truce that could easily be broken The uneasy truce came to an end when the rebels attacked the capital.

stroke of genius/inspiration etc

a very good idea about what to do to solve a problem It was a stroke of genius to film the movie in Toronto.

spend a fortune

a very large amount of money He made a fortune selling property in Spain. My first painting sold for £25, a small fortune then for an art student. He died in poverty in 1947, but his art is worth a fortune. The carpet must have cost a fortune. It is quite easy to decorate your house without spending a fortune. Her personal fortune was estimated at £37 million.

a vast expanse /ɪkˈspæns/ noun [countable]

a very large area of water, sky, land etc expanse of an expanse of blue sky vast/wide/large etc expanse the vast expanse of the ocean

a quiet backwater [countable]

a very quiet place not influenced by outside events or new ideas - used to show disapproval a rural backwater

a determined effort

a very serious and thorough effort showing a lot of determination) She had made a determined effort to lose weight. Mike has been making a ...to save money.

flat-screen TV

a very thin flat television or computer screen with a very sharp clear picture a flat-screen TV

offshore wind farms

a wind etc that is blowing or moving away from the land The government has responded by planning offshore wind farms on the Ijsselmeer.

four-letter words

a word that is considered very rude and offensive, especially one relating to sex or body waste SYN swearword Please try to express your feelings without using four-letter words.

face a grilling noun [ C usually singular ] informal

a) an occasion when someone is asked a lot of questions for a long time: She faced a grilling when she got home. b)an occasion when someone criticizes you or says you have done something wrong : The security guard gave me a grilling for taking photos of the building.

enter my PIN

abbreviation for personal identification number : a secret number that a person uses together with a special card to get money from their bank account out of a machine, or when paying by credit card

use SATNAV /ˈsæt.næv/ uk

abbreviation for satellite navigation: a system of computers and satellites, used in cars and other places that tell you where something is, where you are, or how to get to a place: Many cars are now fitted with satnav.

proven ability

ability shown by his achievements Although Harry has a proven ability for tennis, he will not make any progress until he stops playing truant.

mental agility

ability to think quickly and clearly Amelia's teacher identified her as having unusual intelligence and remarkable mental agility.

a forgone conclusion

absolutely certain It's a forgone conclusion that Jamie will win the race.

a downright disgrace

absolutely disgraceful It was a downright disgrace to behave like that.

face (up to) the facts

accept reality You're never going to run in the Olympics. It's time you ...

feasible alternatives /ˈfi·zə·bəl/

adjective [ not gradable ] US ​ ​ possible, reasonable, or likely: It's no longer feasible to fund this research.

cloud your judgement

affect your judgement negatively You're letting his good looks cloud your judgement.

a severe blow

an action or event that causes difficulty or sadness for someone Joe resigned, which was a severe blow because we needed him desperately. His mother's death was a shattering blow. The election result dealt a further blow to the party. The factory closures came as a blow to the local economy. The final blow for many firms was the government's abolition of import duties.

demand a full refund /ˈriːfʌnd/ [countable]

an amount of money that is given back to you if you are not satisfied with the goods or services that you have paid for They refused to give me a refund. Return your purchase within 14 days for a full refund. You should go down there and demand a refund.

launch a counter-attack /ˈkaʊntərəˌtæk/ noun [countable]

an attack you make against someone who has attacked you, in a war, sport, or argument The Republicans have still not been able to launch a strong counterattack against the new healthcare system.

side effects

an effect that a drug has on your body in addition to curing pain or illness harmful/serious/adverse etc side effect a natural remedy with no harmful side effects side effect of the side effects of the medication

make a toast

an expression of good wishes or respect for someone that involves holding up and then drinking from a glass of alcohol, especially wine, after a short speech: Now, if you'd all please raise your glasses, I'd like to propose a toast to the bride and groom. Champagne corks popped and the guests drank a toast to the happy couple.

outpouring of grief

an expression of strong feelings outpouring of an outpouring of grief There was an ... this morning when the death of King was announced.

extreme sports/surfing/skiing etc

an extreme sport is one that is done in a way that has much more risk and so is more dangerous than an ordinary form of the sport I'm taking the opportunity to do several extreme sports like white-water rafting and rock climbing.

a lack of judgement

an inability to judge a situation wisely His approach to his children showed a lack of judgement.

distinguished scholars /ˈskɒlə $ ˈskɑːlər/ noun [countable]

an intelligent and well-educated person the great Dutch scholar Erasmus

ˌinterest-ˈfree adjective

an interest-free loan has no interest charged on it interest-free credit

to give sb a good send-off

an occasion at which people can express good wishes and say goodbye to someone who is leaving a place: We'll have to give her a good send-off when she leaves the office.

convincing victory/win

an occasion when a person or team wins a game by a lot of points

senior moment noun [ C, usually singular ]

an occasion when someone forgets something in a way that is thought to be typical of older people: Is this just a senior moment or am I losing my memory? I always write important names down, in case I have a senior moment.

antisocial /ˌæntɪˈsəʊʃəl $ -ˈsoʊ-/ adjective

antisocial behaviour is violent or harmful to other people, or shows that you do not care about other people She was finding it hard to cope with her son's increasingly antisocial behaviour. Smoking is an antisocial habit.

think laterally

approaching a problem in an imaginative and original way rather than using a traditional approach.

dawn break

as the sun first appeared As dawn broke we set off up the mountain.

over the course of time

as time passes Pop bands come and go over the course of time, but few bands have made such a lasting contribution as the Beatles.

a professional misconduct [uncountable] formal

bad or dishonest behaviour by someone in a position of authority or trust a doctor who has been accused of professional misconduct He was fired for serious misconduct. She was found guilty of gross misconduct (=very serious misconduct).

fundamental changes

basic changes, and more important than anything else. The government is proposing ... to the laws on marriage and divorce.

work to your advantage

be of benefit to you (=make you have an advantage - often used when this is unexpected) Sometimes a lack of experience can work to your advantage.

disorderly behaviour

behaving in a noisy violent way and causing trouble in a public place disorderly conduct/behaviour He was arrested for disorderly conduct. Bell denied being drunk and disorderly.

take the view

believe I take the view that we are all responsible for our own actions.

close off the street

block the entrance to stop people entering a street. The police have closed off the street while repairs are being carried out there.

whirlwind adjective [only before noun]

brief and very busy visit a whirlwind situation or event happens very quickly I couldn't spend much quality time with Emma, but she promised the next time she comes it won't be a such a whirlwind visit.

break the cycle

bring a stop to a negative pattern of behavior Her book calls for a fresh drive to address the issue, and makes a plea for governments to break down the cycle of dependency.

stock weapons

build up large quantities of weapons The country is said to be stocking weapons.

call off the search

cancel also call off a match or other sports event Police called off the search as darkness fell.

spell disater

cause serious problems The strike could spell disaster for the country.

thoroughly ashamed

completely She sat feeling thoroughly miserable. thoroughly cooked meat

utterly absurd utterly ridiculous

completely/totally/entirely different

completely/totally/entirely dependent

completely/totally/entirely separate

cover every eventuality /ɪˌventʃuˈæləti/

consider all possible situations and difficulties formal something that might happen, especially something bad any/every eventuality We are prepared for every eventuality. That is an unlikely eventuality.

valid driving license

currently in use or acceptable Does the job require a ...?

against your better judgement

despite the knowledge that sth is a bad idea. I finally agreed to go out with him, against my better judgement.

fundamentally different

different in a basic and important way I decided to do something ... last year and retrained as a teacher.

a tough question

difficult question to answer Do I regret anything? That's a tough question

arduous journey /ˈɑːr.dʒu.əs/

difficult, needing a lot of effort and energy: an arduous climb/task/journey

give a straight answer

direct and honest Some politicians can never give a straight answer.

take the easy way out

do what is easiest but not what is best - which may mean avoiding doing anything at all. At the end, you can feel proud that you didn't just take the easy way out.

follow our advice

do what someone advises you to do He followed his doctor's advice and went on a low-fat diet. The king acted on his advice and ordered his soldiers to get ready for battle.

in/within living memory

during the time that anyone can remember It was the worst storm in living memory.

It's common knowledge

everyone knows ... that Jane is looking for a new job.

in-depth critique

examination and judgement of sth , done carefully and in great detail

exclusive restaurants

exclusive places, organizations, clothes etc are so expensive that not many people can afford to use or buy them Bel Air is an exclusive suburb of Los Angeles. an exclusive girls' school Enjoy the unrivaled service at our exclusive restaurant in London's West End

push back the frontiers

extend the limits Scientists and technologists are pushing back the frontiers of knowledge everyday.

a flurry of interest/excitement/speculation/snow

flurry suggests a sudden, short period of interest or activity.

a friend for life

for life ​ C1 for the whole of a person's life: I believe marriage is for life. Have you ever met someone and instantly felt that you've made a friend for life?

protest his innocence

formal insist he was not guilty Although found guilty, Robson continued to pretest his innocence.

divulge sb's sources /daɪˈvʌldʒ, də-/

formal make sth secret known to give someone information that should be secret SYN reveal divulge information/secrets/details etc (to somebody) It is not company policy to divulge personal details of employees. divulge that Clare divulged that she was recovering from a nervous breakdown. divulge what/where etc The Pentagon refused to divulge what type of plane it was.

frame the question

formulate let me frame the question differently.

a widespread belief

generally held view that a lot of people believe) There is a ... belief that educational standards are declining.

strongly influenced

heavily influenced but NOT highly influenced the film was an unmitigated disaster, strongly influenced by the very worst kind of Hollywood sentimentality.

bombard sb with questions /bɒmˈbɑːd $ bɑːmˈbɑːrd/

hey bombarded him with questions. Today we are bombarded with advice on what to eat and what to avoid.

subscribe to the theory

hold that opinion I don't subscribe to the theory that nature and nurture are of equal significance

hold demostrations

hold/stage a demonstration (=organize and take part in one) In April, students began holding demonstrations to demand more freedom.

unchecked /ˌʌnˈtʃekt◂/ adjective

if something bad or harmful goes unchecked, it is not controlled or stopped and develops into something worse continue/grow/go unchecked We cannot allow such behaviour to continue unchecked. This habit, if left unchecked, may cause serious problems later.

rampant inflation

if something bad, such as crime or disease, is rampant, there is a lot of it and it is very difficult to control → rife, widespread rampant inflation

be a dream come true

if something is a dream come true, it happens after you have wanted it to happen for a long time Marriage to her is a dream come true.

thinly disguised/veiled

if something is thinly disguised etc, someone is pretending it is something else, but you can easily see what it really is He looked at Frank's new car with thinly veiled envy.

ˈall-star adjective [only before noun]

including many famous actors, sports players etc an all-star cast

boost sales and profits

increase Their new models will go into production in the spring and this is expected to boost their sales and profits even more.

growing disparity

increasing difference, a lack of equality or similarity, especially in a way that is not fair: the growing disparity between rich and poor a growing disparity between the rates of pay for men and women

soaring adjective [ before noun ] /ˈsɔːrɪŋ/

increasing quickly in amount, number, value, or level: soaring costs/prices/sales For most of the summer, consumers in America were insulated from the soaring cost of crude oil. We're facing soaring crime rates in this city and it's about time the criminals were brought to justice.

get the sack

informal being dismissed He is afraid of getting sacked if he throws a sickie.

a hard slog

informal hard work It was a ... getting my thesis finished on time but I made it.

precious little/few

informal very little or very few I had precious little time for reading. Food shopping takes time, a commodity of which most of us have precious little. I thought there was precious little chance of that happening but I decided to do it.

mean no harm/not mean any harm

intend to do or say anything wrong to have no intention of hurting or upsetting anyone She's a terrible gossip but she means no harm.

fraudulent claims /ˈfrɔːdjələnt $ ˈfrɒːdʒə-/

intended to deceive people in an illegal way, in order to gain money, power etc a fraudulent insurance claim a fraudulent statement I hope that, if there was a fraudulent claim, the Minister will prosecute.

juicy gossip/details/stories etc informal

interesting or shocking information, especially about people's sexual behaviour Want to hear a juicy bit of news?

con a phrase

invent/ make up a new phrase I wonder who coined the term 'blogging'.

irreversible climate change

irreversible damage, change etc is so serious or so great that you cannot change something back to how it was before OPP reversible Fossil fuels have caused irreversible damage to the environment

stadium finally nears completion

is almost finished

come up to/live up to somebody's expectations

isn't as good as expected (=be as good as someone hoped or expected) The match was boring, and didn't live up to our expectations at

perform tasks

it is more formal way of saying carry out tasks I don't think we have enough resources to carry out this task.

the blame rests

it is the fault of If a class is a disaster, the blame rests fairly and squarely with the lecturer.

a finite number of

limited number There is only a finite number of days until the exam

an exclusive interview

limited to only one person or group of people: This room is for the exclusive use of guests. an exclusive interview

silence reigns

literary if a feeling or quality reigns, it exists strongly for a period of time For several minutes confusion reigned. Silence reigned while we waited for news.

lodge a complaint

make a formal complaint Several people have lodged a complaint about the bank manager's rudeness.

stage a protest

make a formal protest The students staged a protest against rising tuition fees.

file for divorce

make an official request for a divorce

menial tasks

menial work is boring, needs no skill, and is not important a menial job She did menial tasks about the house.

have an obligation to do sth

moral or legal duty to do something obligation to America's obligation to its allies Employers have an obligation to treat all employees equally. Citizens have an obligation to obey the law.

ample room

more than enough SYN sufficient OPP insufficient She found ample room for her things in the wardrobe.

inordinate amount of sth /ˌɪnˈɔːr.dən.ət/ formal

much more than usual or expected: Margot has always spent an inordinate amount of time on her appearance.

have a change of heart

my attitude or mood changed She had a change of heart (=change in attitude) and decided to stay.

dirty trick to play

nasty/dishonest thing to do That was a really dirty trick to play.

ill effects

negative effects The children involved in the hijack are not expected to suffer any long-term ill effects.

a newborn baby

newborn child/baby/son etc a child that has just been born No one expects a newborn baby to go out and get a job before learning the basic life skills and getting schooling. How does one recognise pain in a newborn baby to whom one can not speak?

a next-day service

next-day adjective [ before noun ] used to refer to something that will happen or be done on the next day: Standard next-day delivery of your order is included. It's not always easy to get a next-day appointment. We booked a next-day flight to Miami. They said they offered a next-day service but it took ten days to come.

have no luck (also not have much/any luck)

not be lucky or successful I'd been looking for a job for weeks, but had had no luck.

ˈlow-cost adjective [only before a noun] a low-cost airline

not costing a lot of money government initiatives to increase the supply of low-cost housing

dysfunctional families /dɪsˈfʌŋkʃənəl/ adjective

not following the normal patterns of social behaviour, especially with the result that someone cannot behave in a normal way or have a satisfactory life dysfunctional family relationships

eco-friendly design /ˈiːkoʊ ˌfrendli / adjective

not harmful to the environment eco-friendly products We should encourage eco-friendly design in architecture.

a disaffected youth /ˌdɪsəˈfektɪd◂/ adjective formal

not satisfied with your government, leader etc, and therefore no longer loyal to them or no longer believing they can help you the disaffected youth from poor neighborhoods

idle chatter/talk/gossip etc

not serious, or not done with any definite intention It was only from idle curiosity that she went into the barn.

the-not-so-distant future

not the immediate future but relatively near They couldn't have known how computers would change everything in the ...

modest increase

not very great, big, or expensive We had a modest increase in students enrolling on our courses. a modest increase in costs She had saved a modest amount of money. The new service proved a modest success. a modest house with a small garden

surgical strikes

noun [countable] a carefully planned quick military attack intended to destroy something in a particular place without damaging the surrounding area. A surgical strike was carried out on the enemy's military headquarters.

cloves of garlic /kləʊv $ kloʊv/

noun [countable] one of the separate parts that form a garlic plant a clove of garlic

act/serve as a go-between

noun [countable] someone who takes messages from one person or group to another because the two sides cannot meet or do not want to meet SYN intermediary A UN representative will act as a go-between for leaders of the two countries.

black economy

noun [singular] business activity that takes place secretly, especially in order to avoid tax The existence of a black economy is, of course, not confined to the United Kingdom.

remote access

noun [uncountable] a system that allows you to use information on a computer that is far away from your computer This ability to share the desktop has many useful features, like allowing remote access to your office computer.

The simple reason is

one that is easy to understand I hate mobile phones, for the simple reason that it is now impossible to get away from them.

a fertile imagination

one that produces lots of original and interesting ideas Even now no-one seems quite certain whether this was a fact, a half-fact or the product of a fertile imagination.

a bold experiment

one that tries to achieve a lot and takes risks The country's bold experiment with economic reform has not paid off yet.

a heavy book

one that weighs a lot or one with difficult content

award damages

order the organisation or person who has been responsible for causing injury or loss to pay money to the victim as compensation He found in favor of Mr Hanry and awarded damages to him.

widespread flooding

other areas suffer widespread flooding on a regular basis.

foot the bill

pay Choose what you like from the menu - the company is ...

opinions are divided

people hold different views Opinions ... as to whether mothers of young children should go out to work or not.

consummate professional /ˈkɑːn.sə.mət/ formal

perfect, or complete in every way: a life of consummate happiness He's a consummate athlete/gentleman/liar.

the perfect venue

place where a public event or meeting happens

a lapse of judgement

poor judgement

poor quality

poor/low The magazine is printed on low quality paper.

highest accolade /ˈæk.ə.leɪd/ formal

praise and approval: He's been granted the ultimate accolade - his face on a postage stamp. Her approval was the highest accolade he could receive.

tell sb's fortunes

predict sb's future life The old woman looked at Glen's palm and began to tell his fortune.

an empty promise

promises made which the speaker has no intention of keeping. She's full of empty promises. You shouldn't believe a word she says.

a rash promise /ræʃ/

promises made without thinking Don't make any rash promises. Think before you agree to anything.

make a stand against

protest about We must make a stand against the casino they propose to build here

play host (to something)

provide facilities to (=provide the place, food etc for a special meeting or event) The gallery is playing host to an exhibition of sculpture.

get the recognition he deserves

public respect and thanks for someone's work or achievements I hope everyone gets the ... they deserve one day.

interpersonal skills

relating to relationships between people interpersonal skills interpersonal communication

disband an army

send the soldiers home, as the army is no longer in existent. It will be hard to persuade the warlords to disband their army.

sense of adventure

sense/spirit of adventure willingness to try new things, take risks etc Come on - where's your sense of adventure?

reveal a talent

show talent Zach was the only one who showed any natural talent. He has revealed a remarkable talent for handling difficult situations.

half-hearted adjective /ˌhæfˈhɑːr.t̬ɪd/

showing no enthusiasm or interest: He made a half-hearted attempt to clear up the rubbish.

a blank expression

showing no understanding or emotion She had a ... on her face.

a laughable idea

silly and not deserving to be seriously considered: Privately they thought the idea laughable.

fundamentally similar

similar in a basic and important way The jobs are ... but they are in different towns.

straightforward way

simple and easy to understand OPP complicated relatively/quite/fairly straightforward Installing the program is relatively straightforward. This area of law is far from straightforward (=complicated). straightforward matter/task/process etc For someone who can't read, shopping is by no means a straightforward matter.

rustic charm

simple, old-fashioned, and not spoiled by modern developments, in a way that is typical of the countryside The village had a certain rustic charm.

do a job-share

situation where two people share equal parts of the same job. job share verb [intransitive] We have job shared for two years now. —job share noun [countable] women working in job shares Luckily, I was able to ... with another woman who had a small child.

a sprinkling of cinnamon

small amount of herb or spice

a dash of cream

small amount of liquid

minor niggles

small complaints Your essay was not bad, but I have a few minor niggles.

critically ill/injured

so ill or so badly injured that you might die → fatally Ten people died and thirty were critically injured in a rail crash yesterday. She is still critically ill in hospital.

inconsolable grief /ˌɪnkənˈsəʊləbəl/ adjective

so sad that it is impossible for anyone to comfort you The boy was inconsolable after the death of his dog. There is a feeling that the king's own ... may have hastened his death after his wife died.

a family gathering

social event where a family comes together usually to celebrate something

the social fabric

social structure When riots erupt and public disorder threatens the social fabric, politicians take draconian measures which rarely work.

the exact opposite (of somebody/something)

someone or something that is as different as possible from another person or thing Gina's the exact opposite of her little sister.

ˈfashion ˌvictim noun [countable] informal

someone who always wears what is fashionable, even if it makes them look bad

disruptive influence

someone who encourages others to behave in a negative way They have decided that I am a disruptive influence who poisons the atmosphere for other students.

ˌopposite ˈnumber noun [countable]

someone who has a similar job to yours in another organization or department They liaised with their opposite numbers in the foreign subsidiaries for the production of publicity.

somebody's opposite number

someone who has the same job in another similar organization a meeting with her opposite number at the Department of Health

fit adjective

someone who is fit is strong and healthy, especially because they exercise regularly OPP unfit You must be very fit if you do so much running. He was young, good-looking, and physically fit. I swim twice a week to try and keep fit. fit for He may not be fit for Saturday's match.

suffer casualties /ˈkæʒuəltiz/

someone who is hurt or killed in an accident or war Our aim is to reduce road casualties. civilian casualties (=people who are not soldiers who are injured or killed) Both sides suffer a large number of casualties but neither is willing to call for a ceasefire.

the highest bidder

someone who offers to pay a particular amount of money for something: In an auction, goods or property are sold to the highest bidder (= the person who offers the most money). She is ready to sell her story to the highest bidder.

a vociferous opponent /vəˈsɪfərəs, vəʊ- $ voʊ-/

someone who opposes sth loudly and publicly Our local MP is a ... of having a casino in our city.

set texts

specific books which students must study Ameilia had a large number of set texts to read.

mindless violence /ˈmaɪnd.ləs/ disapproving

stupid and meaning nothing: The film is full of mindless violence. pop songs with mindless lyrics

premature death

technical (=earlier than people usually die) The disease is a significant cause of premature death in the developing world.

gauge reaction

test the response The government leaked the story to the press in order to gauge public reaction.

financial acumen /əˈkjuːmən/ noun [uncountable]

the ability to think quickly and make good judgments business/political/financial etc acumen The firm's success is largely due to Brannon's commercial acumen.

inner city /ˌɪn.ɚ ˈsɪt̬.i/

the central part of a city where people live and where there are often problems because people are poor and there are few jobs and bad houses: a child from the inner city

the whole gamut of emotions

the complete range of possibilities gamut of College life opened up a whole gamut of new experiences. Her feelings that day ran the gamut of emotions (=included all the possibilities between two extremes).

wedded bliss

the happiness that comes when you are married - used humorously After nine years of wedded bliss, . It was a celebration not just of 25 years' wedded bliss, but also the modern Labour Party.

public health

the health of all the people in an area a danger to public health

a dull thud

the low sound made by a heavy object hitting something else a dull/hard/heavy thud There was a dull thud as the box hit the floor. His head hit the floor with a sickening thud.

carbon ˈoffsetting noun [uncountable]

the practice of doing things that will make your activities carbon neutral —carbon offset noun [countable usually plural] There are websites that let you buy carbon offsets.

social exclusion

the problems of the underprivileged, of those who have less fortunate places in society than others These are vital to extend opportunity, tackle social exclusion and improve people's life chances.

go into rehab /ˈriː.hæb/ informal

the process of helping someone to stop taking drugs or alcohol: She's just finished four months of rehab. a rehab clinic After his arrest in 2011, he checked himself into rehab to get over his heroin addiction.

download ringtones /ˈrɪŋtəʊn $ -toʊn/ noun [countable]

the sound made by a telephone, especially a mobile phone, when someone is calling it

the sheer quantity of sth

the surprisingly large amount We couldn't believe the sheer quantity of food on the table.

ˈprime ˌtime noun [uncountable]

the time in the evening when the largest number of people are watching television a prime time entertainment programme prime time television prime time audiences a speech that was broadcast live during prime time

ˈquality ˌtime noun [uncountable] spend quality time with sb

the time that you spend giving someone your full attention, especially time that you spend with your children when you are not busy Do you spend enough quality time with your children?

ˈtarget ˌmarket [countable]

the type of people that you aim to sell your products or services to This advertisement will appeal to our target market of young women.

sudden shift

there has been a sudden shift in public opinion in favor of the ban on smoking.

halt verb [ I or T ] /hɑːlt/

to (cause to) stop moving or doing something or happening: "Halt!" called the guard. "You can't go any further without a permit." Production has halted at all of the company's factories because of the pay dispute. Security forces halted the demonstrators by blocking the road.

abide by something phrasal verb

to accept and obey a decision, rule, agreement etc, even though you may not agree with it You have to abide by the referee's decision.

be stinking rich

to be extremely rich

the advantage of sth outweigh its disadvantages

to be more important or valuable than something else The benefits of the scheme outweigh the disadvantages.

take sth the wrong way

to be offended by a remark because you have understood it wrongly I like you. Don't take this the wrong way, now. I mean as a friend.

pay/bring dividends

to be very useful and bring a lot of advantages, especially later in the future Good eating habits will pay dividends later on in life. → dividend

hail a taxi

to call to someone in order to greet them or try to attract their attention She leaned out of the window and hailed a passerby. hail a cab/taxi The hotel doorman will hail a cab for you.

harnessing technology /ˈhɑːnəs $ ˈhɑːr-/

to control and use the natural force or power of something We can harness the power of the wind to generate electricity.

have a go at sb uk

to criticize someone: My Dad's always having a go at me about getting a proper job.

meet a problem/challenge

to deal with a problem or something difficult that you have to do The new building will mean that we can meet the challenge of increasing student numbers.

confront the issue

to deal with something very difficult or unpleasant in a brave and determined way We try to help people confront their problems. Politicians do not mind fielding questions from journalists, but they do not confront the issues directly with real people.

confront issues

to deal with something very difficult or unpleasant in a brave and determined way We try to help people confront their problems. the book confronts issues which are of current importance in developing countries.

flout the rules /flaʊt/

to deliberately disobey a law, rule etc, without trying to hide what you are doing Some companies flout the rules and employ children as young as seven. deliberately/openly flout something The union had openly flouted the law.

formulate new theories

to develop something such as a plan or a set of rules, and decide all the details of how it will be done formulate a policy/plan/strategy etc He formulated Labour Party education policy in 1922. formulate an idea/theory Darwin formulated the theory of natural selection. Physicists have recently begun to formulate new theories about the nature of the universe.

exchange information/ideas etc

to discuss something or share information, ideas etc It's a place where people can chat and exchange ideas.

spring a surprise on sb

to do something surprising Roy is unlikely to spring any surprises. Theo distracted him from this gloomy conclusion by springing a surprise on him.

offset carbon emissions

to do something that will make an action or activity carbon neutral If you have to travel by air, offset your carbon emissions by supporting renewable energy projects.

give vent to something formal

to do something violent or harmful to express feelings of anger, hatred etc Children give vent to their anger in various ways. He knew that if he gave full vent to his feelings, it would upset Joanna.

honour a promise/contract/agreement etc

to do what you have agreed to do Once again, the government has failed to honour its promises. We pray that both sides will continue to honour their commitment to the peace agreement. We honor all commitments.

comply with laws /kəmˈplaɪ/

to do what you have to do or are asked to do → compliance, compliant comply with Failure to comply with the regulations will result in prosecution. The newspaper was asked by federal agents for assistance and agreed to comply.

jump at something phrasal verb

to eagerly accept the chance to do something I jumped at the chance of a trip to Hong Kong.

soak up the atmosphere

to enjoy a place by watching it or becoming involved in it Go to a sidewalk café, order coffee, and soak up the atmosphere.

take somebody/something for granted

to expect that someone or something will always be there when you need them and never think how important or useful they are Bridget was careful not to take him for granted.

highly praised

to express admiration or approval of the achievements or characteristics of a person or thing: He should be praised for his honesty. My parents always praised me when I did well at school. He was highly praised for his research on heart disease.

law and order break down

to fail or stop working in a successful way Negotiations broke down after only two days. I left London when my marriage broke down.

default on repayments /dɪˈfɔːlt $ -ˈfɒːlt/

to fail to pay money that you owe at the right time default on He defaulted on his child support payments.

take up a lot of space/room

to fill a particular amount of time or space old books that were taking up space in the office

keep up with my Spanish

to find time to practice French I have taken on a lot of classes so I do not seem to to keep up with my Turkish lessons.

jump to conclusions

to form an opinion about something before you have all the facts There may be a simple explanation. Let's not jump to conclusions. But they warned against jumping to conclusions until more is known.

notify the police

to formally or officially tell someone about something SYN inform notify somebody of something You will be notified of any changes in the system. notify somebody that In August we were notified that our article had been rejected.

concentrate the mind concentrate (something) on something phrasal verb

to give most of your attention or effort to one thing SYN focus on Doctors are aiming to concentrate more on prevention than cure. concentrate your efforts/attention/energy/mind etc on something I'm concentrating my efforts on writing my autobiography.

pander to somebody/something pander to his every whim

to give someone anything they want in order to please them, even if it seems unreasonable or unnecessary - used to show disapproval Some newspapers feel they have to pander to the prejudices of their readers. Highly trained staff will pander to your every whim.

take the field

to go onto the field at the start of a game: There were loud cheers as the Irish team took the field.

put in an appearance/make an appearance

to go to an event for a short time, because you think you should rather than because you want to At least Marc managed to put in an appearance at the party.

pick a quarrel/fight (with somebody)

to intentionally start a fight: Some kids were teasing him, trying to pick a fight. I could see he was trying to pick a fight with me.

store music

to keep facts or information in your brain or a computer Standard letters can be stored on floppy discs.

stoop to sth disapproving

to lower your moral standards by doing something that is unpleasant, dishonest, or unfair: I don't believe she would ever stoop to bribery or blackmail. [ + -ing verb ] He was amazed that a reputable firm would stoop to selling the names of their clients to other companies.

launch their new collection

to make a new product, book etc available for sale for the first time The company hopes to launch the new drug by next October.

deliver a speech/lecture/address etc

to make a speech etc to a lot of people The king delivered a televised speech to the nation on November 5.

standardize (also standardise British English) /ˈstændərdaɪz /

to make all the things of one particular type the same as each other Attempts to standardize English spelling have never been successful. standardized tests

pencil sb/sth in

to make an arrangement with someone to do something knowing that the time or date may need to be changed: Let's pencil a meeting in for next Thursday at 11.

balance the books

to make certain that the amount of money spent is not more than the amount of money received: If the business loses any more money, we won't be able to balance the books this year.

hasten sb's death

to make something happen faster or sooner There is a feeling that the king's own inconsolable grief may have hastened his death after his wife died.

not let somebody out of your sight

to make sure that someone stays near you Since the accident, Donna hasn't let the children out of her sight.

take the time

to make the effort to do something: She didn't even take the time to wish me good morning.

broach the subject/question/matter etc

to mention a subject that may be embarrassing or unpleasant or cause an argument I broached the subject of his past. At some point we've got to discuss money but I don't know how to broach the subject with him.

call in a loan/debt

to officially tell someone to pay back money you lent them The bank can call in the loan at any time.

throw a pary

to organize a party and invite people

deploy troops /dɪˈplɔɪ/

to organize or move soldiers, military equipment etc so that they are in the right place and ready to be used deploy forces/troops/weapons etc NATO's decision to deploy cruise missiles

heed our warnings /hiːd/

to pay attention to something, especially advice or a warning: The airline has been criticized for failing to heed advice/warnings about lack of safety routines.

put down sth (a deposit)

to pay money, esp. part of a total payment: You will be required to put down a 25% deposit. How much could you afford to put down on a house?She put $1000 down on an apartment this afternoon.

swipe a card /swaɪp/ verb

to pull a plastic card through a machine that can read the electronic information on it Swipe your card to open the door.

power is restored

to return something or someone to an earlier condition or position, or to bring something back into existence: Power company crews were working yesterday to restore electrical service to homes in the area. Surgeons restored the sight in her right eye.

flatly refuse/reject/deny/oppose etc something

to say something in a direct and definite way that is not likely to change He flatly denied ever having met the woman.

talk nonsense ALSO talk rubbish

to say things that are not reasonable or have no meaning: Is it just me or was she talking nonsense in the meeting?

pale in/by comparison

to seem small or unimportant compared to something else pale in/by comparison to/with Today's economic problems pale in comparison with those of the 1930s.

be remanded in custody

to send someone back from a court of law, to wait for their trial Smith was remanded in custody (=kept in prison) until Tuesday. He's been remanded on bail for a month (=allowed to leave the law court and go home to wait for trial).

kick up a fuss/row/stink informal ​

to show great anger about something, especially when this does not seem necessary: to complain loudly about something Won't he kick up a fuss when he discovers they're missing? He kicked up a tremendous fuss about having to wait.

bear right/left

to turn towards the right or left When you reach the fork in the trail, bear left.

trust sb implicitly

trust sb totally You can trust him implicitly.

fit for purpose

uk Something that is fit for purpose does what it is meant to do. You get a much better impression of whether sth is good value for money or truly fit for purpose when you can touch it.

a prison/jail sentence (also a custodial sentence British English formal)

uk a period of time that someone must stay in prison If found guilty, he faces a long jail sentence.

grasp the importance of sth

understand how important sth is My teenage son has not yet ... revising for exams

be wrongfully dismissed legal and formal

unfairly dismissed the other was standing up for a woman who'd been wrongfully dismissed.

cool reception

unfriendly welcome Tracey's new colleagues gave her a rather cool reception.

unprovoked attack /ˌʌnprəˈvəʊkt◂ $ -ˈvoʊkt◂/ adjective

unprovoked anger, attacks etc are directed at someone who has not done anything to deserve them It was a totally unprovoked attack on an innocent man.

give an account of sth

used about both speech and writing In her lecture Lucia gave an account of her trip to the Andes.

put a stop to sth

used about unpopular activities or habits (e.g. crime, antisocial activities) The new teacher soon put a stop to bad behavior in the class.

faceless bureaucrats /ˈbjʊrəkræts $ -/

used as an insult to officials, suggesting that they lack character.

meteoric rise to fame /ˌmiː.t̬iˈɔːr.ɪk/

used to describe something that develops very fast and attracts a lot of attention: The group had a meteoric rise to fame in the 70s. Her political career has been meteoric.

downright rude

used to emphasize that something is completely bad or untrue Jed's downright lazy. It's downright disgusting! It was .. of Antonio to tell Paula that she looked older than her own mother.

needles to say

used when you are telling someone something that they probably know or expect Needless to say, any contributions of money will be gratefully received.

totally out of order

very inappropriate Your behavior was totally out of order!

compelling reason

very powerful reason (=a very good reason for doing something) There are compelling reasons to believe that this is true.

draconian measures /drəˈkəʊniən $ -ˈkoʊ-/ adjective

very strict and cruel draconian measures/controls/penalties etc draconian measures to control population growth

keen interest

very strong interest She has keen interest in archaeology.

dramatic changes

very sudden and noticeable changes There have been ... in the climate of the Arctic region in the last decade.

strikingly different

very unusual or easily noticed, and therefore attracting a lot of attention. Her latest novel is strikingly different from her earlier work.

toxic waste

waste products from industry that are harmful to people, animals, or the environment a toxic waste dump international agreements about the disposal of toxic waste

levy we introduce

we must now build on the success of the climate-change levy we introduced last year.

high hopes/expectations

when someone hopes or expects that something will be very good or successful My expectations of the place were never very high, but I didn't think it would be this bad. have high hopes/expectations Like many young actors, I had high hopes when I first started out.

practice medicine

work as a doctor After graduating, I practiced medicine for a number of years in London.

necessary groundwork

work done in preparation [uncountable] something that has to happen before an activity or plan can be successful His speech laid the groundwork for independence. Much of the groundwork has already been done.

go freelance

work for several different organisations rather than working full-time for one organization.

sth change dramatically, fundamentally, radically

(=a lot) People's work environment has changed dramatically in the past twenty years.

a series/spate/wave of attacks

(=a number of attacks in a row) The killing follows a series of brutal attacks on tourists.

a non-custodial sentence British English formal

(=a punishment in which a person does not go to prison) The judge said the offence was too serious for a non-custodial sentence.

silence falls/descends

(=a silence begins) A sudden silence fell over the room.

a yawning gap

(=a very big difference) There's a yawning gap between the earnings of men and women.

a line/channel of communication

(=a way of exchanging information, especially in an organization) It's important to maintain good lines of communication between managers and staff.

face/suffer the consequences

(=accept the bad results of something you have done) He broke the law, and he will have to face the consequences.

admissible evidence

(=acceptable in a court of law) Her lawyer advised that the tape would not be admissible evidence in court.

somebody's circle of friends

(=all the friends someone has) Her small circle of friends used to play cards together.

to have a knock-on effect

(=an effect that is caused by something that has happened before) The strike could have a knock-on effect at other airports.

field questions

(=answer a lot of questions) He fielded questions from reporters about the announcement.

rumors fly around

(=are talked about by a lot of people) There were wild rumours flying around the office on Wednesday.

broker an agreement

(=arrange an agreement between two or more opposing groups) The US has been trying to broker an agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

put a questions to sb

(=ask a question in a formal situation) I recently put some of these questions to a psychologist.

be of the utmost importance/ be of paramount importance

(=be extremely important) It is of the utmost importance that this matter is kept confidential.

stand/face trial

(=be judged in a court of law) Doctors said he was unfit to stand trial.

be in for a shock

(=be likely to have a shock) Anyone who thinks that bringing up children is easy is in for a shock.

be fighting for your life

(=be so ill or injured that you might die) One badly burned man was fighting for his life in hospital.

meet with success

(=be successful) We are disappointed that this round of negotiations has not met with success.

the violence escalates

(=becomes worse) The violence escalated as youths turned over a bus and began smashing shop windows.

go into/out of production

(=begin to be produced in large numbers, or stop being produced) The new model will go into production next year.

run up debts (also amass debts formal)

(=borrow more and more money) At that time he was drinking a lot and running up debts.

go back on your promise

(=break it) They were angry that the company had gone back on its promise.

breed resentment

(=cause it) These misunderstandings had bred resentment. If teachers show favoritism, it breeds resentment.

undergo a transformation

(=change completely) if you undergo a change, an unpleasant experience etc, it happens to you or is done to you The country has undergone massive changes recently. After the accident, his personality underwent a complete transformation.

a deathly hush/silence

(=complete silence) A deathly hush fell over the room.

a messy divorce

(=complicated and unpleasant to deal with) She wanted to avoid a messy divorce .

stick to a diet

(=continue to follow a diet) Most people find it hard to stick to a diet.

come to/arrive at/reach a conclusion

(=decide something) I eventually came to the conclusion that I wanted to study law.

set yourself clear objectives

(=decide what you are trying to achieve) Pupils should be encouraged to set their own objectives.

issue a denial

(=deny something publicly or officially) Immediately the government issued a denial of the rumours.

forge a relationship

(=develop a strong relationship) We want to forge closer relationships with our allies.

determine/establish/identify the cause

(=discover definitely what it is) A team of experts is at the scene of the accident, trying to determine the cause.

incite/provoke violence

(=do or say something that makes people become violent) The opposition leader was accused of inciting violence against the president.

create/carve out a niche /niːʃ, nɪtʃ $ nɪtʃ, niːʃ/

(=do something in a particular way that is different to and better than anyone else) She had carved out a niche for herself as a children's television presenter.

commit an offence

(=do something that is against the law) He had committed the offence of dangerous driving. The police cautioned him for a minor offence.

respect somebody's wishes

(=do what someone wants) We have to respect his wishes.

bitter enemies

(=enemies who hate each other very much) When these former friends quarrelled over money, they became bitter enemies.

renewable energy

(=energy such as solar or wind energy that can be replaced naturally) Switching to sources of renewable energy will reduce carbon emissions.

take/find delight in something

(=enjoy something a lot) He took delight in entertaining guests in his apartment.

the searing/stifling/sweltering/scorching etc heat

(=extreme heat) The desert is a place of scorching heat by day and bitter cold by night.

vehicle emissions

(=from cars, lorries etc) California has introduced tough new standards for vehicle emissions.

industrial emissions

(=from factories) The trees are being killed by acid rain and other industrial emissions.

land a job

(=get a job, especially unexpectedly) My husband finally landed a job in marketing.

derive pleasure from something formal

(=get pleasure from it) I derive great pleasure from playing chess.

slip/lapse/fall/sink into a coma

(=go into one) Brett slipped into a coma from which he never awakened.

differ considerably/widely/substantially

(=greatly) Opinions differ widely on the best way to do this.

hold somebody/something in contempt

(=have a low opinion of something or someone, and show it) He was one of those men who hold in contempt those who do not share his point of view.

experience/encounter difficulties formal

(=have difficulties) Graduates often experience considerable difficulties in getting their first job.

negotiate a settlement

(=have discussions to try to reach a settlement) His lawyers are understood to be negotiating a settlement.

terminally ill

(=having a very serious illness that you will die from) He is terminally ill with cancer.

solar heating

(=heating powered by the sun) They've installed solar heating in the new house.

sentimental value

(=important because of your feelings or memories relating to them). The rings that were stolen were of great sentimental value

a major/significant impact

(=important) The war had a major impact on French domestic politics.

supplement/add to your income

(=increase your income, for example by doing an extra job) Ted supplemented his income by doing part-time work in the evenings.

the punishment should fit the crime

(=it should be appropriate) The public believe that the punishment should fit the crime.

an indelible impression formal

(=lasting for ever) Alan's wartime experiences had left an indelible impression on him.

lose your voice

(=lose the ability to speak, for example when you have a cold) I'll have to whisper because I've lost my voice.

a husky voice

(=low and slightly rough but in an attractive way) She spoke in a husky voice, as though her throat was sore.

reach/come to/arrive at a decision

(=make a decision after a lot of thought) We hope they will reach their decision as soon as possible.

enter into an agreement formal

(=make an official agreement, which has legal responsibilities) In 2006 the city authorities entered into an agreement with a private firm to operate the gardens.

cement a relationship

(=make it firm and strong) We want to cement relationships with other transport associations.

boost sb's confidence

(=make people have more confidence) The government is keen to boost consumer confidence and spending.

hold/keep somebody's attention

(=make someone stay interested and keep reading, listening, watching etc) The book holds the reader's attention right to the very end.

fire/stimulate somebody's imagination

(=make someone use their imagination) The aim of the exhibition is to stimulate people's imagination.

carry a risk

(=might be dangerous) Most medical operations carry some risk. Most things we do in life carry some degree of risk.

ignore/disregard somebody's advice

(=not do what someone tells you) The accident happened because she ignored their advice. go/turn to somebody for advice

break a promise

(=not do what you promised to do) Once again, the government has broken its promises.

avoid/evade/dodge a question

(=not give a direct answer) He had skilfully evaded Margie's questions.

lack experience

(=not have enough experience) Some students lack experience writing essays.

gentle/light/moderate exercise

(=not involving too much physical effort) Try to do some gentle exercise as part of your daily routine.

unpaid/outstanding debts

(=not yet paid) The average outstanding debt on credit cards in Britain is now over £3,000.

overturn a verdict

(=officially say that it was wrong) He was convicted of spying, but the verdict was later overturned.

dismiss/throw out a case

(=officially stop it from continuing) The case was thrown out by New York state's highest court.

a good/close friend

(=one of the friends you like the most) She's a good friend of mine.

a contributing factor

(=one that helps to make something happen) Stress is a contributing factor in many illnesses.

a feeble excuse

(=one that is difficult to believe) Joe muttered some feeble excuse about having a headache.

industry is thriving

(=one that is doing very well) Software development soon became a thriving industry in the area.

a nasty shock

(=one that is very unpleasant and upsetting) Come and sit down. You've had a nasty shock.

a disparaging remark /dɪˈspærədʒɪŋ/make

(=one that shows you do not think someone or something is very good) My aunt always makes disparaging remarks about my appearance.

a lasting impression

(=one that someone remembers for a long time) Sam's performance had clearly made a lasting impression on the audience.

a long-term solution

(=one that will be effective for a long time) A long-term solution to the problem will not be possible until that conflict is resolved.

a lifelong/long-held ambition

(=one that you have had all your life) It's been her lifelong ambition to work with horses.

gifted child

(=one who is extremely intelligent) Because of her remarkable mental agility, they put her on a special program for gifted children.

heap/lavish praise on somebody /hiːp/

(=praise them a lot) Ireland's manager has heaped praise on his team.

control/curb inflation

(=prevent it from increasing more) These measures are designed to curb inflation.

bridge/close/narrow the gap

(=reduce the amount or importance of a difference) The book aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice. The policies are designed to close the gap between rich and poor.

clear your debts

(=repay all of them) It took him three years to clear his bank debts.

the temperature soars

(=rises quickly to a high level) In summer the temperature can soar to over 40°C (104°F).

speak ill of somebody

(=say bad things about them) She never speaks ill of him.

speak well/highly of somebody

(=say good things about them) He always spoke very highly of Marge.

draw a comparison

(=say in what way people or things are similar) People have drawn comparisons between this movie and those of Quentin Tarantino.

a fine/subtle distinction

(=small) Language enables us to make fine distinctions between similar ideas.

critically ill

(=so ill that you might die) He got news that his mother was critically ill in hospital.

a thought occurs to/comes to/strikes somebody

(=someone suddenly has a thought) The thought occurred to him that she might be lying.

a childhood friend

(=someone who was your friend when you were a child) She had been a childhood friend of Tony Walker.

raise your voice

(=speak more loudly) She did not raise her voice, or express any anger.

go on a diet

(=start eating less or only some types of food) I really ought to go on a diet.

change the subject

(=start talking about something different) She tried to change the subject.

engage somebody in conversation

(=start talking to them) Sometime when you engage sb in conversation, it may become more serious.

method to adopt

(=start using a new method) Quite a few companies adopted Japanese business methods.

a dispute arises

(=starts) Sometimes a dispute arises between the seller and the buyer.

drop the subject

(=stop talking about it) To her relief, Julius dropped the subject.

stiff//tough/fierce/intense/keen competition

(=strong competition) There is stiff competition for places at the best universities.

achieve/fulfil/reach/realize your potential

(=succeed as much as you have the potential to succeed) A lot of athletes find it difficult to achieve their potential.

strike/achieve/find a balance

(=succeed in getting the right balance) It is necessary to strike a balance between the needs of employers and employees. Find the right balance between enough exercise and enough rest.

violence erupts/breaks out/flares /ˈvaɪələns/

(=suddenly starts) Violence erupted during the demonstration.

meet/satisfy demand

(=supply as much as people need or want) There are reports that the company cannot produce enough to meet demand.

express their admiration

(=talk or write about your admiration) She wrote to him expressing her admiration for his work.

give evidence

(=tell a court about what you have seen or know to be true) Ms White has agreed to give evidence at their trial.

reveal/divulge a secret formal

(=tell it to someone) He was accused of revealing state secrets.

air a grievance /ˈɡriːvəns/

(=tell people you think you have been treated unfairly) These committees act as a forum for various groups to air their grievances.

the desired effect

(=the effect you want) His team talk had the desired effect because the team went on to win the game.

the root cause

(=the most basic cause) People often deal with the symptoms rather than the root cause of a problem.

the deciding factor

(=the reason for making a particular choice) The closeness of the river was probably the deciding factor when the site was chosen.

weather patterns

(=the usual weather that comes at a particular time each year) Changes in weather patterns are thought to be caused by global warming

the full effect

(=the whole effect) We won't know the full effect of the tax changes until the end of the financial year.

see/take/get somebody's point

(=understand or agree with it) OK, I take your point. But it's not that easy.

meet with a stony silence

(=unfriendly silence) Harrison stared at him in stony silence.

an abortive attempt formal

(=unsuccessful) They made an abortive attempt to keep the company going.

exercise/exert your authority (also wield authority formal)

(=use your authority) In practice it's very difficult for the president to exercise his authority. He was one of those people who want to wield authority over others.

abject/dismal failure /ˈdɪzməl/

(=used to emphasize how bad a failure is) The experiment was considered a dismal failure.

pure/sheer luxury

(=used when you want to emphasize that something gives great comfort and pleasure ) The blouse was satin, and felt like pure luxury.

profound admiration

(=very great admiration) Bacon had often expressed his profound admiration for Picasso's paintings.

economic growth/development

(=when businesses become more successful) We have enjoyed a period of steady economic growth.

move sideways

(C2) in a direction to the left or right, not forwards or backwards: The fence is leaning sideways. If you would move sideways to the left, I can get everyone in the picture. t would be easier to get the bookcase through the doorway if we turned it sideways on . Crabs walk with a sideways motion. Can you move the chairs sideways a bit? We turned the table sideways to make more room.

satisfy the requirements

(Formal) to be good enough for a particular purpose, standard etc SYN meet Have you satisfied all the requirements for the general degree? The application must satisfy the requirements of Article 6.

The smoke set off the fire alaram

..

increase dramatically/significantly

...

show an increase/decrease

...

show an upward/a downward trend

...

disposal of household waste

... is a daunting task for local authorities.

regular updates

... on his condition will be provided.

downright rude

/ˈdaʊnraɪt/ adverb [+adj/adverb] used to emphasize that something is completely bad or untrue Jed's downright lazy. It's downright disgusting!

come up with something phrasal verb

1 to think of an idea, answer etc Is that the best excuse you can come up with? We've been asked to come up with some new ideas. The Education commission has been asked by the government to com e up with an alternative to the present schools examination system.

marked improvement

A marked change or difference in behaviour or in a situation is very obvious or noticeable: There was a marked improvement in my health when I gave up smoking.

with good qualifications

A secretary with .. is required.

do the sights

A sight is also an interesting place I'll have a stopover in Sao Paolo, have a bit of rest and do the sights there before travelling on.

a substantial/significant number

A significant number of people pledged their support.

a simple rule of

A simple rule of all memory training systems is the idea of Initial Awareness.

endless supply of

A teacher needs to possess unbounded enthusiasm as well as infinite patience and an endless supply of good jokes.

infinite patience

A teacher needs to possess unbounded enthusiasm as well as infinite patience and an endless supply of good jokes.

unbounded enthusiasm

A teacher needs to possess unbounded enthusiasm as well as infinite patience and an endless supply of good jokes.

weighty matters

A weighty subject, book, or piece of work is important or serious: weighty matters/issues

a sharp wit

AMUSING [uncountable] the ability to say things that are clever and amusing a woman of great wit and charm quick/dry/sharp etc wit His sharp wit had them all smiling.

thoroughly enjoy

Absolutely only collocates with adjectives which have strong meanings, e.g. absolutely delighted but very happy.

the other side of the argument

Alright. Now let's talk about the other side of the argument which has been bothering me for a while.

back up your conclusions with sth

Always back up your conclusions with evidence;never exaggerate any claims you make.

pay back loans

Always seek advice from your bank about how to clear outstanding debts and pay back loans.

encounter difficulties

Any new business is bound to encounter some initial difficulties.

prompt service

B2 (of an action) done quickly and without delay, or (of a person) acting quickly or arriving at the arranged time: They've written back already - that was a very prompt reply. They're usually fairly prompt in dealing with enquiries. Try to be prompt because we'll be very short of time. On their website they promised prompt service.

have qualities

B2 [ C ] a characteristic or feature of someone or something: leadership qualities He has a lot of good qualities but being organized isn't one of them. [ + to infinitive ] I don't think he has the right qualities to be a teacher. This cheese has a rather rubbery quality to it (= it is like rubber).

amazing degree of accuracy

B2 [ C usually singular, U ] (an) amount or level of something: This job demands a high degree of skill. There isn't the slightest degree of doubt that he's innocent. I have to warn you that there's a degree of (= some) danger involved in this. The number of terrorist attacks has increased to a terrifying degree.

instantly recall

B2 [ I or T ] to bring the memory of a past event into your mind, and often to give a description of what you remember: The old man recalled the city as it had been before the war. "As I recall," he said with some irritation, "you still owe me €150." [ + (that) ] He recalled (that) he had sent the letter over a month ago. [ + question word ] Can you recall what happened last night?

a state of confusion

B2 [ U ] a situation, often with a lot of activity and noise, in which people do not know what to do: In the confusion after the bomb blast, I lost my bag and wasn't able to stop and look for it. People were in a state of confusion and close to panic.

stunning range

B2 extremely beautiful or attractive: a stunning dress a stunning view over the bay of Saint Tropez

learn by heart

B2 learned in such a way that you can repeat it from memory: My father can still recite the poems he learned by heart at school.

with remarkable ease

B2 the state of experiencing no difficulty, effort, pain, etc.: She won the 400 metre race with ease. The doors are extra-wide for ease of access (= so that people can get in without difficulty).

keep your promise/word

B2 to do what you have told someone that you would do: I made a promise to you and I intend to keep it.

mutter under your voice

B2 to speak quietly and in a low voice that is not easy to hear, often when you are worried or complaining about something: Stop muttering and speak up! He was muttering (away) to himself. Laurence muttered something about his wife and left. He muttered something under his breath to the person next to him.

explore different ways

B2 to think or talk about something in order to find out more about it: Let's explore this issue/idea more fully. A website may have many different web pages for you to click on and explore.

open a current income /ˈɪŋkʌm, ˈɪn-/

British English a bank account that you can take money out of at any time SYN checking account American English She opened a current account with an online bank. in/into sb's current account He is considering what to do with around £5,000 he has in his current account.

be in raptures/go into raptures

British English formal to express or feel great pleasure and happiness about something be in raptures/go into raptures over/about/at She went into raptures about the climate, the food, the spring flowers.

feel peckish /ˈpekɪʃ/ adjective

British English informal slightly hungry She was feeling a bit peckish.

shattered /ˈʃætəd $ -ərd/ adjective [not before noun]

British English informal very tired SYN exhausted By the time we got home we were both shattered.

act as a referee

British English someone who provides information about you when you are trying to get a job His headmaster agreed to act as his referee.

break a journey

British English to stop somewhere for a short time during a long journey We decided to break our journey in Oxford.

That's a fair comment

British English used to say that a remark or criticism seems reasonable

shape our destiny

C1 [ C ] the things that will happen in the future: The destiny of our nation depends on this vote! She felt that her destiny had been shaped by her gender. People want to control/determine/take charge of their own destinies.

realize your ambitions

C1 [ T ] to achieve something you were hoping for: Lots of money, a luxury house, a fast car - Danny had realized all his ambitions by the age of 25.

pose a threat

C1 [ T ] to cause something, especially a problem or difficulty: Nuclear weapons pose a threat to everyone. The mountain terrain poses particular problems for civil engineers. Nuclear weapons pose a threat to the whole world.

received nominations

C1 the act of officially suggesting someone or something for a job, position, or prize: There have been two nominations for the new job. The film received four Oscar nominations. Each jury makes three nominations to the board.

talk business, politics, etc.

C1 to discuss a particular subject: Whenever they're together, they talk politics.

address a problem

C1 to give attention to or deal with a matter or problem: The issue of funding has yet to be addressed. How do you think we should address the traffic problems in our city?

an infectious disease

C2 (of a disease) able to be passed from one person, animal, or plant to another: an infectious disease The disease is highly contagious.

get to sb

C2 If someone gets to you, they make you feel upset or angry: I know he's annoying, but you shouldn't let him get to you.

at the hands of sb

C2 If you suffer at the hands of someone, they hurt you or treat you badly: How many people have died at the hands of terrorist organizations?

festival fall on

C2 [ I ] to come at a particular time or happen in a particular place: Easter falls late this year. My birthday will fall on a Friday this year. This fun festival falls on the third Saturday of July and the village become the center of wild music for the whole day.

have a thirst for adventure

C2 [ S ] literary a strong wish: He's always had a thirst for adventure.

contain my excitement

C2 [ T often in negatives ] to control or hide a strong emotion, such as excitement or anger: She could no longer contain her anger and started yelling at him. humorous Contain yourself! It's not that exciting.

open hostility

C2 [ U ] an occasion when someone is unfriendly or shows that they do not like something: They showed open (= obvious) hostility to/towards their new neighbours.

viable options

C2 able to work as intended or able to succeed: In order to make the company viable, it will unfortunately be necessary to reduce staffing levels. I am afraid your plan is not commercially/economically/financially/politically viable.

dazzling smile

C2 extremely attractive or exciting: dazzling good looks a dazzling smile a dazzling performance/display

complexion noun [ C ] ​ /kəmˈplek.ʃən/

C2 the natural appearance of the skin on a person's face, especially its colour or quality: a dark/fair complexion a healthy/clear/spotty complexion

remain on good, friendly, etc. terms (with sb)

C2 to have a good, friendly, etc. relationship with someone: My ex-wife and I are still on friendly terms. Are you on good terms with your boss?

hail sb/sth as sth

C2 to praise a person or an achievement by comparing them to someone or something very good: She's been hailed as one of the best young dancers today. The film was hailed as a masterpiece in its day.

keep your eyes peeled/skinned

C2 to watch carefully for someone or something: Keep your eyes peeled for Polly and Maisie.

deny all knowledge of something

CIA officers denied all knowledge of the operation.

come under attack

Camps in the south came under attack from pro-government forces.

handle situations

DEAL WITH A SITUATION [transitive] to deal with a situation or problem by behaving in a particular way and making particular decisions The headmaster handled the situation very well. I knew I had handled the matter badly. Leave it to me. I can handle it. Most customers were satisfied with the way their complaints were handled. Opposition leaders will be watching carefully to see how the prime minister handles the crisis.

disaster struck

Disaster struck the province last June, When torrential rains caused mudslides in many areas.

recycle wastet

Efforts to recycle waste are only a partial solution.

stimulate/encourage/promote growth

Greater government spending may stimulate economic growth.

a force for change

Green organizations are increasingly important as a force for change in the world today.

a warm, friendly smile

He always gave everyone a warm, friendly smile.

some prospects for

He feels there might be some prospects for him there eventually.

have no/little alternative (but to do something)

He had no alternative but to resign.

considerable experience of sth

He has ... of teaching.

a good / an advanced knowledge of sth

He has a ... of English.

good/advanced computer skills

He has advanced computer skills

an extensive / a comprehensive knowledge

He has an ... of all subjects.

hold a press conference

He held a press conference at the airport and was asked what he intended to do in Vienna. • Meciar held a press conference on June 28 to outline changes in government structure similar to those approved by the federal Cabinet.

highly educated

He is highly ...

a stroke of work

He never does a stroke of work (always used with the negative)

a small/slight/slim chance

He only has a very small chance of being elected. There's a slight chance of some sunshine in the west.

spotlessly clean

He really enjoys doing housework. You should see her flat - it's always spotlessly clean.

perfectly friedly

He's always been .. to me.

heavy workload

He's got a heavy workload and that means working some very unsocial hours

increase output

Healthy economy we have created has enabled them to increase output.

it is my firm conviction

I am totally convinced it is my ... that different things suit different families.

bright ideas

I didn't have much luck to find a present for my nephew. You don't have any ideas, do you?

can't bear the thought of something

I don't think I can bear the thought of ever having to spend time with him again. I can't bear the thought of you being hurt.

provide/offer a solution

I don't think that tourism will provide a long-term solution to rural employment problems.

make an apology

I expect you to make a formal apology.

make relationships

I found it impossible to make new relationships.

a tempting offer

I got a very .. from an investment band and accepted it.

a network of contacts

I had managed to build up a network of contacts and this gave me a good start.

hand in my resignation

I handed in my resignation and moved to the country.

have no respect for

I have a lot of respect for my boss.

have every confidence in sb

I have every/complete confidence in her. She'll be perfect for the job.

a right-hand-drive car

I have never driven a right-hand-drive car before.

make an escape

I have to go to a party for a colleague after work but I will try and make an early escape.

I honestly think

I honestly think we can win the match tonight. [Not I strongly think]

cause sb any trouble/put sb to any trouble

I hope I din't ...

make a success of

I hope that they'll make a success of their new restaurant business.

be open to offers

I'm now hoping to go abroad again and so am letting everyone know that I am open to offers.

push yourself to the limits

I'm really having to push myself to the limits to be able to cope with the challenge.

find out what's in fashion

I've loved reading glossy magazine, looking at the photos and finding out what's new in fashion.

be in a position of authority

I've never been in a position of authority before.

do plenty of exercise

If I were you, I'd do plenty of exercise to build up my strength.

star-studded adjective ​ /ˈstɑːrˌstʌd.ɪd/ informal

If a group of people, a film, or a show is star-studded, there are a lot of famous people in it. a star-studded cast

cut down on luxuries

If things are difficult, you may have to economize by cutting down on luxuries. This is far better than running up huge debts.

see the back of sb/sth

If you are pleased to see the back of someone or something, you are pleased that you no longer have to be involved with him, her, or it: The hotel staff were glad to see the back of such a difficult guest.

a desperate desire

If you have a ... to succeed, don't just pin your hopes on good luck, come to one of our workshops.

adverse reaction

If you suffer any of the side effects mentioned in this leaflet, or any other adverse reactions, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

join the staff

In my mid-twenties I joined the staff of a language school. The pay wasn't brilliant though.

make a habit of

It is a good idea to make a habit of switching off the lights when you leave a room.

change our ways

It is absolutely vital that we change our ways before it's too late.

make the relationship work

It is going to take a lot of effort to make the relationship work.

provide a reference for

It is my pleasure to provide a .. for PHil Lee, who has applied for the post of Marketing Manager in your company.

festive mood

It may be winter, dark and cold, but the village of Taft will be in festive mood on December 18th.

win someone's trust

It takes a long time to win someone's trust so when somebody abuse that trust it hurts.

reach/come to an agreement (also conclude an agreement formal)

It took the two sides several weeks to reach an agreement. The two sides failed to come to an agreement.

special occasion

It was lovely, a really special occasion with a fun atmosphere.

do a lot of sport

It's better to start with gentle exercise unless you already do a lot of sport.

watch what you eat

It's equally important to watch what you eat.

worth a try

It's got to be worth a try.

carry on a conversation

It's impossible to hold/carry on a conversation with all this noise going on!

a complete disaster

Jasmines's birthday party was a complete disaster. She decided to invite all of her own and her sisters' ex-boyfriends - with catastrophic results.

Some longed-for sunny spells have boosted the spirits of three British women hoping to set a polar trekking record. The women have faced severe weather conditions since setting off to walk to the North Pole 18 days ago. However, the team's base camp manager said she had spoken to them yesterday by satellite phone and they had been relieved to report the weather was sunny and their spirits were high.

London to Tangier by train: Whilst this journey may not compare in terms of sheer epic grandeur to some of the great American journeys, it does have a special charm all of its own. It may not be cheap but if you keep your eyes peeled, you can find some surprisingly good deals. If your budget doesn't quite stretch to a sleeping compartment, you can always just curl up in your seat for the night. Let the rhythmical motion and the dull rumbles of the train lull you to sleep. The first leg of the journey gives you very little indication of what lies ahead...

a highly valued member

Mr Day is a .... member of staff.

faintly ridiculous faintly amused faintly surprised faintly patronizing faintly absurd

Ms Giroa said she regraded report that she was about to seek a divorce as faintly ridiculous.

establish communication

My job is to establish good communication with our hotel guests.

make no sound

My soul makes no sound here in this darkened room silence reigns.

give a reason

No reason was given for the change.

ERROR WARNING

Note that we say deep dissatisfaction, NOT strong dissatisfaction, for example, I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction about ...

items of information

Once you have taken the time to learn them, you will be able to instantly recall any new items of information you want to, with remarkable ease.

send out a search party

One day we actually got hopelessly lost. It was getting dark and we were afraid they'd have to send out a search party.

environmental catastrophe /kəˈtæstrəfi/

One expert recently warned that the risks to public health are so great that we may have less than a decade to avoid an environmental catastrophe on a global scale.

distant echo of

Only the distant echo of a sad cry can e heard.

leave noun

PERMISSION [uncountable] formal permission to do something All this was done entirely without my leave. leave to do something a petition for leave to appeal to the European court grant/obtain/ask/seek etc leave (to do something) He asked leave to speak to her in private.

Permission is normally used as an uncountable noun:

Permission was granted for the interview. ✗Don't say: a permission was granted | the permission was granted The plural form permissions is also sometimes used when talking about official written statements allowing someone to do something: The company needs to obtain all the necessary permissions before it can start drilling for oil.

Key features of the plan include the restoration of derelict buildings ans a tree-planting scheme. The hope is that the inner city will soon resemble the leafy suburbs as an attractive and desirable place to live.

Planners believe that an increase in the number of residential dwellings in the town center will ease the problem of congested roads and night-time crime: with commercial and recreational facilities within walking distance and open all hours, it is hoped that many people will choose to leave their cars at home, and it will be safer to walk on the street at night.

a high risk of sth

Professional sport involves a relatively high risk of injury. The risks of failure are quite low.

sb's strong point

QUALITY/FEATURE [countable usually plural] a particular quality or feature that something or someone has somebody's/something's good/bad points Sometimes she had to remind herself of his good points. point of They would spend hours discussing the finer points (=small details about qualities and features) of various cars.

rising/falling unemployment

Rising unemployment led to more crime

relish the challenge

Rob relishes the challenge of a new project

decline to comment

SAY NO [intransitive, transitive] formal to say no politely when someone invites you somewhere, offers you something, or wants you to do something Mary declined Jay's invitation to dinner. decline to do something The court declined to review her case. The minister declined to comment (=refused to speak to people who report the news) about the progress of the peace talks.

have a baby/give birth to a baby

She had the baby at home. Sue gave birth to a baby boy.

hold the position

She has held the position of Chief Financial Officer since 1992.

secure a place

She secured a place at one of the country's most prestigious seats of learning to read English literature.

a rare illness/disease

She suffers from a rare bone disease.

earn/make a living

She was able to make a living out of her talents as a cook.

adapting to changing cirucmstances

Some people are much better than others at adapting to changing circumstances.

ERROR WARNING

Someone can have a considerable reputation or a well-deserved reputation but NOT a high reputation.

spread a rumor

Someone has been spreading rumours about us.

opening remarks

The chairperson made some opening remarks, others then entered into the discussion.

The change came about

The change in the electoral system came about because of widespread public protest.

state your aim state your purpose /goal [formal]

The charity states its aim as being to help underprivileged children

mildly surprised mildly amusing/ed mildly irritating/ed mildly offensive

The chief executive said he was .. by the public interest in the firm's plans.

a slight change of plan

The day before my flight, my boss phoned and said there'd been a change of plan.

win/lose an argument

The party hopes to win the argument about how to reform the health system. The first one who resorts to violence is usually the one who's lost the argument. Some people always want to win an argument, for others losing the argument is not important as they simply enjoy a good discussion.

issue a statement

The president has issued a statement relating to the health of her husband, who is critically ill in a private hospital following a massive heart attack.

give a full apology /əˈpɒlədʒi /

The prime minister made a full apology in the House of Commons.

current economic climate

The strength of the current economic climate suggests that interests rates are unlikely to be raised again this year.

make an attempts

The team made several attempts to climb the mountain before they finally succeeded.

escape/avoid punishment

The thieves managed to escape punishment.

give/provide shelter

The trees gave shelter from the wind Our job is to provide shelter as quickly as possibly.

a touch of sadness

There was a touch of sadness in his voice (=he sounded a little sad).

aspects of the job

There were many aspects of the job that I enjoyed.

master new skills

These applicants have shown they are capable of mastering new skills.

extend opportunity

These are vital to extend opportunity, tackle social exclusion and improve people's life chances.

work as a team

These people seem to be people who realize the importance of working as a team.

take on responsibilities

They are all clearly comfortable with ...

offer advice

They can offer advice to those who wish to quit drinking.

stable environment

They concentrated so much on providing a stable environment for their children that they neglected their relationship.

emergency meeting

They held an emergency meeting last night to discuss the crisis caused by yesterdays's rise in fuel prices.

meet the entry requirements

They hope to ... for university entrance and to be able to complete a degree

leave room

They intend throwing away that old table in the living room to leave more space for the new robot they have bought.

put somebody on trial

They should never have been put on trial, let alone convicted.

spot an error

They spotted an error in the email he was about to send.

terminate his contract

They terminated his contract since he failed to meet his sales targets.

call for a celebration

They thought 30 years together definitely called for a celebration.

impose this degree of censorship

They will hold a press conference later today where they will explain their decision to impose this degree of censorship.

major development

This bike which travels sideways as the first major development in bicycle design for 150 years.

highly recommend

This book is highly recommended by those who have used it.

generate business

This decision should generate more business for local firms.

reduce/minimize the risk of sth

This diet could reduce your risk of certain cancers. Not smoking minimizes the risk of getting a whole range of illnesses.

find/come up with a solution

We are working together to find the best solution we can.

girls' night out

We had a girls' night out on Saturday with a couple of other friends.

a proud tradition

We have a proud tradition of raising funds for charity through our annual town festival.

give/make/present an award

We have no hesitation in giving an award to this interesting example of large-scale urban regeneration.

provide an excellent service

We pride ourselves on ..

handle all complaints

We promise to handle all complaints promptly

Error warning

We say I am becoming aware of the problem. NOT I am getting aware.

Error warning

We say a light decrease /increase, NOT a little decrease/increase and a substantial decrease/increase, NOT a strong decrease/increase

ERROR WARNING

We say absolutely vital, NOT very vital It's absolutely vital that everyone plays their part in combating climate change We say find solution, NOT give a solution We need to find a solution to the problem of energy supplies.

ERROR WARNING

We say do the shopping or go shopping, Not do shopping. Do the shopping means regular daily, weekly or monthly shopping that people do for food and household items. It is a household chore (compare: do the ironing/washing). While go shopping also means this, it has the additional meaning of shopping as a leisure activity (compare: go fishing/swimming)

ERROR WARNING

We say organise a barbecue or have a barbecue, NOT make a barbecue

ERROR WARNING

We say we could not arrive at an agreement or we could not reach an agreement NOT we could not get to or we could not find an agreement.

a good /fair number

We spent a good number of weeks planning the project.

take a complaint seriuosly

We take very seriously any complaints about poor service.

a substantial/significant quantity

We took a significant quantity of provisions with us.

go out for a meal

We went out for a meal to a local restaurant.

attend a formal function

We would further like to invite you and your spouse to attend a formal function, to be held at the Castle Hotel on Friday.

make calculations

When doing your accounts, try to ensure you make all the calculations correctly

serious medical condition

When he was diagnosed with a serious medical condition, she was worried she might have to have an operation.

unacceptable behavior

You have been guilty of unacceptable behavior.

lay out your results

You should lay out your results in the form of tables, charts and diagrams.

enter (into) a contract

You will enter a two-year training contract with your chosen employer.

providing moral support

You'll get a big thank-you for providing moral support when it was most needed.

enlist the help

[ T ] formal to ask for and get help or support from someone: We enlisted some people to help prepare the food. The organization has enlisted the support of many famous people in raising money to help homeless children.

show initiative /ɪˈnɪʃ·ə·t̬ɪv, ɪˈnɪʃ·i·ə-/

[ U ] the ability to judge what needs to be done and take action, esp. without suggestion from other people: Lisa showed initiative on the job and was soon promoted.

take my custom elsewhere

[ U ] the support given to a business, especially a shop, by the people who buy things or services from it: Most of our custom comes from tourists nowadays. If we don't give good service, people will take their custom elsewhere.

desirable place to live

[B2] worth having and wanted by most people: Reducing class sizes in schools is a desirable aim. It's regarded as a highly desirable job. The house is in a very desirable area of the city.

new cutting-edge design

[C1] very modern and with all the newest features: cutting-edge design/technology

excite speculation

[Formal] cause rumors to circulate The incident has .. that the couple may be about to divorce.

grant permission

[Formal] give permission In everyday English, people usually say give permission rather than grant permission: They gave him permission to stay.

obtain permisiion

[Formal] receive permission It is becoming more difficult to .. as the government has introduced new legislation which has tightened controls.

exchange pleasantries

[countable usually plural] formal things that you say to someone in order to be polite, but which are not very important

deal with the complexities

[countable usually plural] one of the many details or features of something that make it hard to understand or deal with complexity of The complexities of economics are clearly explained. Mnemonics are systems for dealing with the complexities of learning and remembering and people who use them can recall things with an amazing degree of accuracy.

make the case for sth

[countable usually singular] a set of reasons why something should happen or be done A group of us met to make our case for more women in the cabinet.

have a stopover

[countable] a short stay somewhere between parts of a journey, especially on a long plane journey a two-day stopover in Hong Kong

call for a ceasefire /ˈsiːsfaɪə $ -faɪr/ noun [countable]

[countable] an agreement to stop fighting for a period of time, especially so that a more permanent agreement can be made a ceasefire agreement They have called a temporary ceasefire in the

damaging disclosre

[countable] a fact which is made known after being kept secret There was criticism of his salary and tax arrangements following disclosures in the newspapers. Today further damaging disclosures about his private life have been published in The Daily Planet.

a pride of lions

[countable] a group of lions A young lion had strayed some distance from the pride.

make a plea

[countable] a request that is urgent or full of emotion plea for a plea for help Caldwell made a plea for donations. plea to The parents made an emotional plea to their child's kidnappers.

a riot begins/breaks out/erupts

[countable] a situation in which a large crowd of people are behaving in a violent and uncontrolled way, especially when they are protesting about something Riots broke out last month following the verdict.

broad generalizations /ˌdʒenərəlaɪˈzeɪʃən $ -lə-/

[countable] a statement about all the members of a group that may be true in some or many situations but is not true in every case You can't make generalizations about what men and women are like. broad/sweeping/gross generalization a sweeping generalization based on speculation

fresh drive

[countable] an effort to achieve something, especially an effort by an organization for a particular purpose a recruitment drive for new members an economy drive (=effort to reduce spending) drive to do something a nationwide drive to crack down on crime

leg of the journey

[countable] one part of a long journey or race leg of the final leg of the Tour de France

casual acquaintances /əˈkweɪntəns/

[countable] someone you know, but who is not a close friend She was a casual acquaintance of my family in Vienna. He heard about the job through a mutual acquaintance (=someone you and another person both know).

a force for change/peace/democracy etc

[countable] something or someone who is powerful and has a lot of influence on the way things happen the driving force (behind something/somebody) (=the person or thing that makes something happen) Betty Coward was the driving force behind the project. a force for change/peace/democracy etc (=someone or something that makes change, peace etc more likely to happen) Healthy competition is a force for innovation.

have an operation

[countable] the process of cutting into someone's body to repair or remove a part that is damaged operation on She's going to need an operation on her ankle. operation for an operation for cancer operation to do something He had an operation to reduce the swelling in his brain.

adhere to principles/beliefs/ideas a philosophy

[formal] continue to maintain a belief. It's difficult to adhere to one's beliefs when one is being constantly attacked.

instigate measrues

[formal] introduce customs have instigated measures to deal with illegal immigration.

state your business

[formal] say what their intentions are The staff on reception required each visitor to state their business before issuing them with an entry permit.

take issue with somebody/something

[formal] to disagree or argue with someone about something It is difficult to take issue with his analysis. take issue with somebody over something I must take issue with you over what you said yesterday.

passionate entreaty

[formal] a serious request in which you ask someone to do something for you Plans to extend the airport went ahead, despite ... from local residents.

infringe the regulations

[formal] break the rules This is because the planning officers have to ensure that your plans do not ... relating to building in your area.

extenuating circumstances /ɪkˈsten·juˌeɪ·t̬ɪŋ/

[formal] facts or reasons which make you feel that it was reasonable for someone to break the usual rules, or make you have sympathy for someone who did something wrong or illegal I am sick of hearing about ... that someone had a deprived childhood, or they're not fit to stand trial.

address the issues

[formal] if you address a problem, you start trying to solve it address a problem/question/issue etc Our products address the needs of real users.

exercise greater contorl

[formal] to use a power, right, or quality that you have There are plans to encourage people to exercise their right to vote. People who can exercise some control over their surroundings feel less anxious.

seek permision

[formal](=ask someone for permission) People wanting to visit the island have to seek permission from the authorities.

the decades that have elapsed

[formal]if a particular period of time elapses, it passes Several months elapsed before his case was brought to trial. The assignment must be completed within an overall elapsed time of one week.

get a message

[informal] convey an idea The speech got the message about the policy changes across

rustle up a meal

[informal] make a meal very quickly It took Sam ten minutes to rustle up a meal

get the hang of something

[informal] to learn how to do something or use something It seems difficult at first, but you'll soon get the hang of it.

my heart leapt

[intransitive] literary if your heart leaps, you feel a sudden surprise, happiness, or excitement My heart leaped when I saw Paul at the airport.

poor sanitary conditons

[only before noun] relating to the ways that dirt, infection, and waste are removed, so that places are clean and healthy for people to live in SYN hygienic Diseases were spread through poor sanitary conditions. a prison with no proper sanitary facilities (=toilets)

grounds for (doing) something have grounds to do something

[plural] a good reason for doing, believing, or saying something grounds for (doing) something Mental cruelty can be grounds for divorce. There are strong grounds for believing his statement. have grounds to do something Did the police have reasonable grounds to arrest him?

make a full recovery

[singular, uncountable] the process of getting better after an illness, injury etc make a full/good/remarkable etc recovery Doctors expect him to make a full recovery. recovery from Ann made a quick recovery from her operation.

play a blinder

[singular] British English informal an excellent performance, especially in sport He played an absolute blinder!

whirl noun

[singular] a lot of activity of a particular kind the social whirl of New York publishing whirl of The next two days passed in a whirl of activity.

a clap/crash/crack of thunder

[singular] a sudden loud noise an ear-splitting clap of thunder Lightning flickered across the sky, followed seconds later by a loud crack of thunder.

a flurry of activity

[singular] a time when there is suddenly a lot of activity and people are very busy flurry of After a quiet spell there was a sudden flurry of phone calls. The day started with a flurry of activity.

the thrust

[singular] the main meaning or aim of what someone is saying or doing thrust of the main thrust of the government's education policy

shatter somebody's confidence

[transitive] to completely destroy or ruin something such as someone's beliefs or life A tragic accident shattered her dreams of Olympic glory. A few weeks in a tiny damp room soon shattered his illusions about university life. people whose lives have been shattered by war Public confidence has been shattered.

observing festival of Ramadan

[transitive] to do things and obey laws that are part of a religion or custom SYN follow This month some of our students are observing the festival of Ramadan.

accumulate experience /əˈkjuːmjəleɪt/

[transitive] to gradually get more and more money, possessions, knowledge etc over a period of time It is unjust that a privileged few should continue to accumulate wealth.

tighten controls

[transitive] to make a rule, law, or system more strict OPP relax Efforts to tighten the rules have failed.

introduce/bring in legislation

[uncountable] a law or set of laws The government is bringing in legislation to combat this problem.

neighborhood watch schemes

[uncountable] a system, organized by a group of neighbours, in which members of the group regularly watch each other's houses in order to prevent crime A neighborhood watch scheme has been established linking each home, where every door and gate is permanently locked against intruders.

urban renewal (also urban regeneration) noun

[uncountable] the process of improving poor city areas by building new houses, shops etc an urban renewal program

civil/public/crowd disorder

[uncountable] a situation in which a lot of people behave in an uncontrolled, noisy, or violent way in public civil/public/crowd disorder A number of stadiums were closed because of crowd disorder.

cover a lot of ground

[uncountable] a subject or area of knowledge At meetings, we just keep going over the same ground (=talking about the same things). His latest movie looks set to break new ground (=introduce new and exciting ideas). familiar/home ground (=a subject etc that you know something about) In his latest book, McManus returns to more familiar ground.

identity theft

[uncountable] the crime of using someone's name and personal information to obtain that person's money, buy things using their bank account etc Fraud related to identity theft appears to be a growing risk for consumers.

present your findings noun [countable]

[usually plural] the information that someone has discovered as a result of their study, work etc Surveys conducted in other countries reported similar findings.

publish their findings

[usually plural] the information that someone has discovered as a result of their study, work etc Surveys conducted in other countries reported similar findings.

lift a blockade /blɒˈkeɪd $ blɑː-/ noun [countable]

[usually singular] the surrounding of an area by soldiers or ships to stop people or supplies entering or leaving a naval blockade They've imposed an economic blockade on the country. an agreement to lift the blockade (=end it)

a valiant effort /ˈvæliənt/ adjective

a brave effort in the face of great difficulty SYN courageous Tarr threw himself in front of a train in a valiant effort to save the child. Meena has made a ... to keep up with work despite her illness.

run-down areas

a building or area that is run-down is in very bad condition a run-down inner-city area

unfit for human habitation

a building that is unfit for human habitation is not safe or healthy for people to live in Too many people are living with poor sanitary conditions and it is unacceptable that there are houses which are ...

bustling center /ˈbʌsəlɪŋ/ adjective

a bustling place is very busy bustling with somebody/something The flower market was bustling with shoppers.

ˈhybrid car noun [countable]

a car that has both a petrol or diesel engine and an electric motor

a juvenile delinquent /dɪˈlɪŋkwənt/ adjective

a child or young person who behaves in a criminal way SYN young offender More than half of all juvenile delinquents currently in state institutions have disturbed family backgrounds.

a child prodigy

a child who is unusually skilful at doing something such as playing a musical instrument A wonderful, uplifting movie about a child prodigy who is damaged, then saved, by his art.

confined space

a confined space or area is one that is very small SYN restricted It wasn't easy to sleep in such a confined space. How could anyone live in such a ...? You can't keep kids in a confined space for long.

a heart-to-heart chat

a conversation in which two people say honestly and sincerely what they really feel about something Why don't you have a heart-to-heart talk with him and sort out your problems?

a convivial atmosphere /kənˈvɪviəl/ adjective formal

a convivial atmosphere a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere

cramped conditions

a cramped room, building etc does not have enough space for the people in it → crowded The kitchen was small and cramped. a cramped apartment The troops slept in cramped conditions with up to 20 in a single room. The troops have to sleep in cramped conditions on the floor with up to 20 in a single room.

decline in demand [singular, uncountable]

a decrease in the quality, quantity, or importance of something decline in There has been a decline in the size of families. decline of the decline of manufacturing

derelict buildings /ˈderəlɪkt/ adjective

a derelict building or piece of land is in very bad condition because it has not been used for a long time Sandra paints from photographs she takes of old, often derelict buildings.

critical analysis

a detailed study or examination which assesses quality. This essay provides a .. of international trade agreements.

a concerted effort

a determined effort, usually made by several people working together. involving a lot of different actions, or a lot of people working together) It will take a concerted effort to change the culture of binge-drinking in the country. We made a ... to meet all out deadlines this week.

a burst of energy

a feeling of being full of energy. I had a sudden ... and decided to spring clean the whole flat..

a state of euphoria /juːˈfɔːriə $ jʊ-/

a feeling of excited happiness. We are all in a state of .. after our fantastic exam results.

a flicker of emotion/uncertainty/excitement etc

a feeling or expression that continues for a very short time She saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

maternity leave

a few years ago, after returning from maternity leave, I decided to go part-time.

a tribe of monkeys/baboons

a group of related animals or plants the cat tribe

a school or pod of dopiness or whales

a group of sea animals, such as whales or dolphins, that swim together

a flock of birds

a group of sheep, goats, or birds flock of a flock of small birds a flock of sheep

residential dwelling noun [ C ] ​ /ˈdwel.ɪŋ/ formal

a house or place to live in: There is an estimated shortfall of some five million dwellings across the country.

a shoal of fish/sardines (or other specific small fish) /ʃəʊl $ ʃoʊl/ noun [countable]

a large group of fish swimming together SYN school shoal of a shoal of fish

a swarm of bees /locusts(and other flying insects)

a large group of insects, especially bees, moving together

step by step approach

a method of doing something or dealing with a problem approach to a new approach to teaching languages He decided to adopt a different approach and teach the Bible through story-telling. This book takes an unorthodox approach to art criticism. organizations which take a positive approach to creative thinking

stubborn streak /striːk/

a part of someone's character that is different from the rest of their character a mean streak a stubborn side to his character He had a real .. that made him unpopular with managers and agents.

an option is open/available to somebody

a particular choice is available to someone Giving a prison sentence is only one of the options open to the judge.

ˈselling point noun [countable]

a particular quality that something has which will make people want to buy it Small classes are a selling point for private schools. they appreciate that their area has many unique selling points for business and their employees.

fall into the pattern of sth

a particular way in which something usually happens or is done: They had a baby and then another almost at once and quickly fell into the pattern of family life.

fragile peace

a peace that could easily be destroyed. There is a fragile peace in the area with hopes it will soon strengthen.

bygone age/era/days etc

a period of time in the past The buildings reflect the elegance of a bygone era.

a power cut noun [countable] British English

a period of time when there is no electricity supply SYN power failure, power outage American English Storms caused power cuts in hundreds of homes last night.

golden era also golden age

a period of time, sometimes imaginary, when everyone was happy, or when a particular art, business, etc. was very successful: Adults often look back on their childhood as a golden age. She was an actress from the golden age of the cinema.

go through a midlife crisis /ˌmɪdlaɪf ˈkraɪsɪs/

a period of worry and lack of confidence that some people experience when they are about 40 or 50 years old and begin to feel that they are getting old The so-called midlife crisis can occur at any age, whenever we search for meaning, intimacy, and purpose.

an unknown quantity

a person or thing whose characteristics are not yet clear. The new math teacher is an unknown quantity.

sources close to sb

a person, book, or document that supplies you with information List all your sources at the end of your essay. I've heard from reliable sources that the company is in trouble. The journalist refused to reveal her sources (= say who had given the information to her). According to government sources (= people in the government) many MPs are worried about this issue. According to congressional sources (= people who work in Congress) many Representatives are worried about this issue. Always acknowledge your sources (= say which books you have used) at the end of a paper.

seat of learning formal

a place where people are educated: a university, college etc The Sorbonne is a world-famous seat of learning. She spoke of Oxford, that ancient seat of learning, to which universities all over the world still looked for example.

give/seek/receive an assurance (that)

a promise that something will definitely happen or is definitely true, made especially to make someone less worried He gave an assurance that the work would be completed by Wednesday. Despite my repeated assurances, Rob still looked very nervous.

make a commitment

a promise to do something or to behave in a particular way Are you ready to make a long-term commitment? commitment to Getting married involves making a serious commitment.

wireless hotspots

a public place where people can use computers, mobile phones, etc. with wi-fi (= a system for connecting electronic equipment to the internet without using wires): There are wi-fi hotspots in all our cafés.

grounds for complaint

a reason for complaining If you have grounds for complaint, please contact our Head Office at the address below.

regular customers

a regular customer My business quickly built up a base of regular customers.

platonic relationship /pləˈtɒnɪk $ -ˈtɑː-/ adjective

a relationship that is platonic is just friendly and is not a sexual relationship a platonic friendship But she made it clear their relationship was to be platonic.

movable feasts

a religious holiday that is not on the same day every year: Easter is a movable feast.

opening gambit

a remark made in order to start a conversation 'You're a teacher, aren't you?' was his opening gambit.

errand /ˈerənd/ noun [countable]

a short journey in order to do something for someone, for example delivering or collecting something for them I seemed to spend my life running errands for people.

the lull before the storm

a short period of time when things are calm, that is followed by a lot of activity, noise, or trouble

miscarriage of justice

a situation in which someone is wrongly punished by a court of law for something they did not do the victim of a serious miscarriage of justice

a dollop of cream /ˈdɒləp $ ˈdɑː-/ noun [countable] informal

a small amount of soft food, usually dropped from a spoon dollop of a dollop of thick cream

a massive heart attack

a sudden serious medical condition in which someone's heart stops working normally, causing them great pain have/suffer a heart attack

occasional twinge

a sudden short feeling of physical or mental pain: I felt a twinge in my knee. He was feeling twinges from a calf injury after 20 minutes of the game. I admit I felt a twinge of guilt as we left.

research ethics

a system of standards which control how research is done Read the advice on research ethics in the department handbook

introducing green taxes

a tax, for example a tax on fuel, that is intended to reduce harm to the environment

school report, us also report card

a teacher's written statement to parents about a child's ability and performance at school

switch channels

a television station: She switched to another channel to watch the news.

a working hypothesis

a theory which can be used provisionally but may change You will need to formulate a ... when you begin your study.

a hunk of bread

a thick piece of something, especially food, that has been taken from a bigger piece hunk of a hunk of bread

break with tradition/the past

a time when people stop following old customs and do something in a completely different way It is time for a complete break with the past.

admit defeat

accept that I would not succeed If I left my job, I would be admitting defeat.I tried to persuade her to go to university, but in the end I had to admit defeat

acquire a taste for sth

acquire a taste for something to begin to like something She had acquired a taste for European beer. At the weekend we went to the mountains and I've acquired quite a taste for snowboarding.

cost-cutting measures /ˈkɑːstˌkʌt̬.ɪŋ/

actions taken to reduce the amount that is spent on a service or within an organization: The recovery was achieved in the old-fashioned way, with cost-cutting and price increases. a cost-cutting exercise cost-cutting measures

novel solution

adjective [usually before noun] not like anything known before, and unusual or interesting novel idea/approach/method etc What a novel idea!

in the course of time

after a period of time: I assume they plan to have children in the course of time.

ceasefire comes into effect

agreement to stop fighting from this time The ceasefire will come into effect at midnight.

constructive criticism

aimed at improving something or someone in a helpful way Praise and constructive criticism are both very useful.

electorate /ɪˈlektərət/ noun [singular]

all the people in a country who have the right to vote A majority of the electorate oppose the law. He has been accused of misleading the electorate.

preserve for posterity

all the people in the future who will be alive after you are dead preserve/record/keep etc something for posterity a priceless work of art that must be kept for posterity

abandon their policy

also abandon an attempt to do sth The government may abandon their policy on ID cards.

bubbly personality

always happy, friendly, and eager to do things She has a very bubbly personality.

run up an overdraft

amount of money that a customer with a bank account is temporarily allowed to owe to the bank. Never run up an overdraft if you can avoid it.

an error of judgement

an ability to judge a situation wisely Promoting Alec was a serious error of judgement

abject apology /ˈæbdʒekt/ adjective

an abject action or expression shows that you feel very ashamed an abject apology

carry out a risk assessment

an examination of the possible risks involved in doing something, so that organizations can decide whether something is worth doing and how they can reduce the risks Any organisation employing more than four people must carry out a health and safety risk assessment.

in-depth interviews also depth interviews

an occasion when someone is asked detailed questions, for example, about the products or services that they buy or would like to buy: Depth interviews are a useful type of qualitative market research, and are often to be preferred to focus groups.

in the full glare of publicity

an occasion when something receives a very large amount of public attention: The actor's wedding took place in the full glare of publicity/the media.

prenuptial agreement /ˌpriːˈnʌp.ʃəl əˈɡriː.mənt/

an official document signed by two people before they get married that says what will happen to their possessions and/or children if they divorce (= officially stop being married): He asked her to sign a prenuptial agreement when they got engaged.

pronouncement /prəˈnaʊnsmənt/ noun [countable] formal

an official public statement pronouncement on the pope's last pronouncement on birth control

take a firm stance

an opinion that is stated publicly SYN stand stance on What is your stance on environmental issues? stance against a strong stance against abortion take/adopt a stance The president has adopted a tough stance on terrorism.

a lingering/nagging doubt

an unpleasant feeling of doubt that will not go away I still had a nagging doubt that there might be something seriously wrong.

a nasty piece of work

an unpleasant, untrustworthy person. I think Ron is a nasty piece of work.

shape lives in the foreseeable future

as far into the future as you can imagine or plan for All indications are that many more changes will help to shape our children's lives in the ...

place an order

asked a company to supply sth The government has placed an order for new weapons.

strenuous effort /ˈstrenjuəs/

attempts requiring a lot of effort or energy Strenuous efforts were made to prevent the story from reaching the papers.

a waste of space

bad use of space when there is limited amount of it There is a shed at the moment but that could be removed to leave room for a play-area.

take priority over sth

be more important to me than I decided that other aspects of my life should .. my work.

it would make a change

be pleasantly different to one's usual routine. Let's go swimming this morning instead of jogging - it ...

move up the ladder

be promoted Stevens slowly worked his way up the corporate ladder. Becoming a doctor would be a step up the social ladder.

it came as a bit of a shock

be unexpected The collapse of the company came as a shock to us all.

judge sb harshly

be very critical of sb Don't judge him too harshly. He really couldn't have done things differently.

in a state of shock

be very shocked and upset Eva left the room in a state of shock.

The crowd went wild.

became crazy with

at the hands of someone

because of someone else's actions: The old tennis player suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Roger Federer.

hit the high street

become available in chain stores. there is a stunning range of new leisurewear about to hit the high street.

have an attitude problem

behaves in a way that makes it difficult for other people to have a relationship with him or work with him). That boy has a real attitude problem

cautiously optimistic

believing that good things will happen in the future OPP pessimistic optimistic about Bankers are cautiously optimistic about the country's economic future. optimistic (that) We are still relatively optimistic that the factory can be saved. Andrew took a more optimistic view.

caught in the crossfire /ˈkrɒsfaɪə $ ˈkrɒːsfaɪr/ noun [uncountable]

bullets from two or more opposite directions that pass through the same area Doctors who tried to help the wounded were caught in the crossfire. in crossfire Many civilians were killed in crossfire.

I've been on the go

busy and active all the time: Like most working mothers, she is always on the go.

can bear the suspense

can stand the excitement I'd highly recommend the book if you can bear the suspense.

sth doesn't bear comparison with sth

can't be compared with Your salary as a teacher surely doesn't bear comparison with what you got as an investment banker.

undertake a study (formal)

carry out to accept that you are responsible for a piece of work, and start to do it undertake a task/a project/research/a study etc Dr Johnson undertook the task of writing a comprehensive English dictionary.

provoke an outcry

cause a lot of public anger The minister's decision to raise income tax provoked an outcry.

prompt speculation

cause people to suspect The film star's photo prompted speculation that she may be pregnant.

render obsolete

cause to be no longer used Email has more or less rendered the fax machine obsolete. There is danger that technological change will render obsolete a product or method of production.

sweeping changes

change affecting many people/things The new manager made ... to they way the company was run.

Their lives were turned upside-down

change dramatically Our children' live were .. when we moved.

grind the gears

change gear in a way that makes an unpleasant noise) He crunched the gears into reverse.

change beyond recognition

changed so much one couldn't recognize sb/sth. In the ten years since our last meeting, Irene had changed beyond recognition.

change imperceptibly

changes so slowly that you hardly notice it, almost impossible to see or notice. Such changes are imperceptible to even the best-trained eye. Pronunciation changes imperceptibly over the years.

affordable housing

cheap enough for most people to afford affordable housing This is a top-quality product at a very affordable price.

high-street fashion

clothes bought in ordinary shops rather than from special fashion designers I was actually quite happy with high-street fashion.

designer label

clothes made by fashionable companies Fancy designer labels tend to come with fancy price tags to match.

peace process talks collapse

come to an unsuccessful conclusion

make a complaint

complain formally to someone The manager of the team decided to make a complaint about the referee.

constant nagging

complaining or criticizing all the time He said he was leaving me because he was sick of my constant nagging.

undivided attention /ˌʌn.dɪˈvaɪ.dɪd/

complete attention: If you just wait till I've finished this bit of work you will have/I will give you my undivided attention.

entirely different

completely and in every possible way → partially Our situation is entirely different. The ridge consists entirely of volcanic rock. Her reasons were not entirely clear.

his concentration in class wavers

concentration is not steady

adverse weather conditions

conditions that make it difficult for something to happen or exist The expedition was abandoned because of adverse weather conditions.

long-term relationship

continuing for a long period of time, or relating to what will happen in the distant future OPP short-term The most important friendship is a long-term relationship with a partner or a spouse.

long-lasting color

continuing for a long time OPP short-lived The impact of divorce on children can be long-lasting. long-lasting effect/result Use this product for long lasting color on your hair.

a herd of cattle, elephants, (other large herbivorous mammals)

countable] a group of animals of one kind that live and feed together herd of a herd of cattle herds of elephants

pass judgement on

criticize Di's quick to pass judgement on other people but she's far from perfect herself.

date back to

date from something (also date back to something) to have existed since a particular time in the past The church dates from the 13th century.

cut through the red tape

deal quickly and and effectively with bureaucratic procedures The only way to get this project off the ground is to cut through the red tape.

clear my desk

deal with all papers on one's desk (also used when someone is clearing their desk because they are leaving their job)

trumped-up adjective [ before noun ] /ˌtrʌmptˈʌp/

deliberately based on false information so that someone will be accused of doing something wrong and punished: She was imprisoned on trumped-up corruption charges.

bring up the subject

deliberately start talking about it) You brought the subject up, not me.

contest the verdict /kənˈtest/

disagree with the verdict and try to change it His brothers are contesting the will.

betray my trust

disappointed me because I trusted you I'll never tell you a secret again. You have totally betrayed my trust.

sweated labor

disapproving people who work very hard for very low pay, or the work they do Working from home is no longer associated with sweated labour.

dump waste

dispose of in an irresponsible manner Towns and cities cannot just dump waste and hope it will go away.

carry out a sruvey

do a survey The survey was carried out by Warwick University.

act on suggestions

do sth as a result of a suggestion We have been acting on suggestions from the logistics team.

stoop to that level

do sth as bad as that I am appalled that you would stoop to that level.

a team effort

done by a group of people The manager congratulated the sales force on their magnificent team effort.

a joint effort

done by two or more people involving a group or team of people) We had many fine individual performances, but the win was a real team effort. I couldn't have done it on my own - it was truly a ...

collateral damage noun [ U ] US ​ /kəˌlæt̬.ɚ.əl ˈdæm.ɪdʒ/

during a war, the unintentional deaths and injuries of people who are not soldiers, and damage that is caused to their homes, hospitals, schools, etc Bombs are dropped in the city center and it is claimed that they hit their intended targets, but that some ... was inevitable.

grumpy old man /ˈɡrʌm.pi/ informal

easily annoyed and complaining: I hadn't had enough sleep and was feeling kind of grumpy. a grumpy old man

manageable chunks

easy or possible to deal with: The people at the workshop were divided into small, manageable groups. Break the task down into stages so that you are dealing with small manageable chunks.

formal education/training/qualifications

education etc in a subject or skill, that you receive in a school, college etc rather than practical experience of it knowledge and wisdom gained from experience rather than from formal education

fuel speculation

encourage people to consider that sth may e true The rapid promotion of the director's son has itself fuelled resentment within the company. The president's speech fuelled speculation that she is about to resign.

hit the rocks

end (metaphor based on a boat being destroyed on rocks) His mother worried that if their relationship hit the rocks, he would run into trouble at work too.

singer clears up confusion about lyrics

ends confusion

a living wage

enough money to buy the things that are necessary in order to live, such as food and clothes: He does make a living wage but only by working 72 hours a week.

light reading

entertaining and easily understood, but not serious and not intended to make you think: I want some light reading for the summer holidays - a romance or something. A lively argument between the two main speakers provided some light relief (= something enjoyable or amusing) in an otherwise dull conference.

widespread flooding

existing or happening in many places or situations, or among many people the widespread use of chemicals in agriculture widespread support/acceptance/criticism/condemnation etc There was widespread support for the war. The storm caused widespread damage.

first-hand experience/knowledge/account etc

experience etc that has been learned or gained by doing something yourself or by talking to someone yourself journalists with first-hand experience of working in war zones

a dazzling display of /ˈdæz.əl.ɪŋ/

extremely attractive or exciting: dazzling good looks a dazzling smile a dazzling performance/display

catastrophic results

extremely bad The failure of the talks could have catastrophic consequences.

exhaustive account

extremely detailed This essay cannot give an exhaustive account of climate change; it focuses only on the risk to sea levels

absolutely essential

extremely important and necessary It is essential to book in advance. Window locks are fairly cheap and absolutely essential.

bone idle adjective British English

extremely lazy He's just bone idle. He never does any exercise - he's bone idle.

dire consequences /daɪə $ daɪr/

extremely serious or terrible warnings of dire consequences that often don't come true The country is in dire need of food aid. The situation looked dire.

dire consequences /daɪr/

extremely serious or terrible warnings of dire consequences that often don't come true The country is in dire need of food aid. The situation looked dire.

simplicity itself

extremely simple This way you will soon find that something you thought was hard is in fact simplicity itself.

a shiver down her spine

feeling of excitement or sometimes fear Tamara felt a ... as she heard the orchestra tuning up.

eager anticipation

feeling of great excitement about something that is going to happen She waited in eager anticipation for Robert to arrive.

a sense of purpose

feeling of having a clear aim John has always had a very strong sense of purpose in his life.

a sense of achievement

feeling of having succeeded You should have a great ... at having reached the last unit of the book.

claim benefitf

financial support from the state money provided by the government to people who are sick, unemployed, or have little money SYN welfare American English unemployment/housing/child etc benefit You might be entitled to housing benefit. on benefit families on benefit those people eligible to claim benefit Families who claim benefits often feel ashamed.

a dissenting voice

formal person who disagreed There are some dissenting voices (=people who do not agree) among the undergraduates. When it came to the vote, there was only one ..

declare the winner of

formal statement made at the time of the win I declare Hiroshi Yamamoto the winner of the gold medal.

disseminating information /dɪˈseməneɪt/

formal to spread information or ideas to as many people as possible Her findings have been widely disseminated.

impart sb's knowledge /ɪmˈpɑːt $ -ɑːrt/

formal transfer knowledge The old man tried to impart his knowledge to his son She had information that she couldn't wait to impart. to impart the bad news I was rather quiet as I didn't feel I had much wisdom to impart on the subject.

pronounce dead

formal used when making an official statement of death He was pronounced dead at 1:10

utter a word (this collocation is normally in the negative)

formal ​ C2 to say something or to make a sound with your voice: She sat through the whole meeting without uttering a word.

engaged in hostilities engage in/on/upon

formal [intransitive always + preposition] to be doing or to become involved in an activity Only 10% of American adults engage in regular exercise. The Sornak Republic and Vorinland are once more engaged in hostilities.

profess ignorance

formal claim perhaps insincerely that he did not know He professed ignorance of the dent to the car but I think he was lying

untimely death

formal (=at a young age) He remained president until his untimely death in 2004.

clarify your position

formal to make something clearer or easier to understand clarify issues/a statement/matters etc Could you clarify one or two points for me? Reporters asked him to clarify his position (=say exactly what his beliefs are) on welfare reform. clarify how/what etc The report aims to clarify how these conclusions were reached.

traffic is tailing back

forming a long queue If traffic tails back, it forms a long line and moves very slowly or stops: There is traffic tailing back along the motorway for ten miles because of road repairs.

relations are cordial /ˈkɔːdiəl $ ˈkɔːrdʒəl/

friendly but quite polite and formal The talks were conducted in a cordial atmosphere.

daunting task

frightening in a way that makes you feel less confident The trip seemed rather daunting for a young girl. He's got the daunting task of following in Ferguson's footsteps. the daunting prospect of asking for a loan

congested roads

full of traffic congested airspace London's roads are heavily congested (=very congested).

speak properly

generally used by parents or teachers to children, not between adults charlie, stop mumbling and speak properly. I can't understand a word you're saying

walk straight into a job

get a job very easily When he left university he walked straight into a job in an excellent company.

see off an intruder/opponent

get rid of , defeat He's a tough guy. He saw off several intruders who were trying to break into his house

banish wrinkles

get rid of lines This cream has been clinically proven to banish wrinkles.

make sb's acquaintance [formal]

get to know sb I first made his acquaintance when he moved in next door.

straight-A student adjective [ before noun ] ​ /ˌstreɪtˈeɪ/

getting the best results in all examinations: She had always been a straight-A student until she met him.

provide a rationale

give

allocate resources /ˈæləkeɪt/

give all the money, property, skills etc that you have available to use when you need them, to a particular person, organization etc I spoke to the official who was in charge of allocating the funds.

get my priorities right

give importance to the right aspects of life I realized I'd stopped enjoying the excitement. I felt I need to get my priorities right.

a glimmer of interest/light/understanding

glimmer suggests a faint indication of sth

restore to their former glory

glory = beauty Homes, shops, even a cinema, have been restored to their former glory in a massive project that has now reached completion.

take industrial action noun [uncountable] British English

go on strike Did you automatically eliminate the two candidates who'd previously ...?

go through a phase

go through a period of strange or difficult behavior Amy thought he was just going ... but she felt she had no choice but to respect his wishes.

fluctuate wildly

go up and down in an unpredictable way The exchange rate has been ... wildly over the last few days. By this time Snyder was lapsing in and out of consciousness and his body temperature was fluctuating wildly. I was tall and slim but I had an eating disorder and my weight fluctuated wildly according to how I ate.

traffic is not expected to die down

gradually become less The heavy traffic is not expected to die down till around 10 pm.

ease off

gradually become less Traffic is building up on all approach roads and is not expected to ease off during the next three hours.

a radical change

great or extreme change There was a radical change in party policy in 2003.

go hand in hand with

happen at the same time or as a result of Unemployment goes hand in hand with social unrest.

underway /ˌʌndəˈweɪ $ -ər-/ adjective [not before noun]

happening now The project is already well underway. Your peace will be shattered when the tourist season gets underway (=starts).

nationwide /ˌneɪʃənˈwaɪd◂, ˈneɪʃənwaɪd/ adjective [usually before noun] nationwide search

happening or existing in every part of the country SYN countrywide a nationwide search for a missing British tourist Some miners are calling for a nationwide strike in support of their sacked colleagues.

a sigh of relief

happy feeling that something bad has not happened. Kay heaved a ... as she saw Dick stepped off the plane.

physical exertion

hard physical effort I'm exhausted - I'm not used to so much physical exertion.

leafy suburbs /ˈliːfi/ adjective

having a lot of trees and plants a leafy suburb

fairy-tale wedding adjective [ before noun ]

having a special and attractive or beautiful quality, like something in a fairy tale: They had a fairy-tale wedding. Sadly, there was no fairy-tale happy ending to the story.

intense dislike

having a very strong effect or felt very strongly He had taken an intense dislike to Robert. The population has an intense dislike of the king's eldest son.

sb is found guilty

having done something that is a crime OPP innocent guilty of The jury found her guilty of murder. He was found not guilty of the death of PC Jones. He pleaded guilty to two charges of theft.

ˌage-ˈold adjective

having existed for a very long time an age-old tradition/practice/custom etc British English age-old customs the age-old problem of sexual discrimination The men keep up the age-old tradition of wearing large, brightly-colored hats and carrying lanterns.

unrivaled /ʌnˈraɪvəld/ adjective formal

having no equal; better than any other of the same type: The museum boasts an unrivalled collection of French porcelain.

boundless energy /ˈbaʊnd.ləs/

having no limit: boundless optimism She has boundless energy and enthusiasm.

flaw‧less /ˈflɔːləs $ ˈflɒː-/ adjective

having no mistakes or marks, or not lacking anything SYN perfect Adrian's flawless French The cream will leave you with a flawless complexion

gracious living /ˈɡreɪʃəs/ adjective

having the kind of expensive style, comfort, and beauty that only rich people can afford a magazine about gracious living

display scary characteristics

he did display some rather scary characteristics.

be in good/poor health (=be

healthy/unhealthy) Her parents were elderly and in poor health.

give sb a reason

i asked why she didn't trust him but she wouldn't give me a reason.

computers have to be shut down

if a company, factory, large machine etc shuts down or is shut down, it stops operating, either permanently or for a short time Our local hardware shop has shut down. shut something ↔ down an accident which resulted in two of the plant's nuclear reactors being shut down The way to shut the machine down is to type EXIT.

cause systems to crash

if a computer crashes, or if you crash the computer, it suddenly stops working The system crashed and I lost three hours' worth of work.

run/go dry

if a lake, river etc runs dry, all the water gradually disappears, especially because there has been no rain The river ran dry last summer.

adjourn /əˈdʒɜːn $ -ɜːrn/

if a meeting, parliament, law court etc adjourns, or if the person in charge adjourns it, it stops for a short time It was almost noon when the meeting adjourned. adjourn for/until Congress has adjourned for the November elections. His trial was adjourned until May.

difficulties/problems arise

if a problem or difficult situation arises, it begins to happen A crisis has arisen in the Foreign Office. More problems like those at the nuclear power plant are certain to arise.

a good relationship breaks down

if a system, relationship, or discussion breaks down, it fails because there is a problem or disagreement: Negotiations with management broke down.

withdraw troops

if an army withdraws, or if it is withdrawn, it leaves a place SYN pull out the USA's decision to withdraw 40,000 troops from western Europe

evidence emerge

if facts emerge, they become known after being hidden or secret → come out Eventually the truth emerged. it emerges that Later it emerged that the judge had employed an illegal immigrant.

hang over something/somebody phrasal verb

if something bad is hanging over you, you are worried or anxious about it The threat of redundancy was still hanging over us. It's not very nice to have huge debts hanging over your head. There is now a threat of civil war hanging over the country as the water shortage is posing a threat to us.

live up to something phrasal verb

if something or someone lives up to a particular standard or promise, they do as well as they were expected to, do what they promised etc The bank is insolvent and will be unable to live up to its obligations. The film has certainly lived up to my expectations.

trouble broke out

if something unpleasant such as a fire, fight, or war breaks out, it starts to happen I was still living in London when the war broke out. Does everyone know what to do if a fire breaks out? Fighting broke out between demonstrators and the police.

put sb on hold

if you are on hold, you are waiting to talk to someone on the telephone We try not to keep people on hold for more than a couple of minutes. The agent put me on hold while she consulted a colleague.

put something into practice

if you put an idea, plan etc into practice, you start to use it and see if it is effective It gave him the chance to put his ideas into practice.

ˌpoint-ˈblank adverb

if you say or refuse something point-blank, you do it directly and without trying to explain your reasons He refused point-blank to identify his accomplices. I told him point-blank that I didn't want to get involved.

take a sideswipe/ˈsaɪdswaɪp/ noun [countable usually singular]

if you take a sideswipe at someone or something, you criticize them while you are talking about something different Sir Kenneth concluded with a sideswipe at his critics.

grandeur /ˈɡrændʒə $ -ər/ noun [uncountable]

impressive beauty, power, or size the grandeur of the mountains

a fit of jealousy

in a fit of jealousy (=because a sudden feeling of jealousy makes you do something) In a fit of jealousy, Ben broke off their engagement.

an uphill struggle

informal a lot of effort with no certainty of success. It'll be an uphill struggle persuading the boss to make the changes you want.

act on a tip-off

informal a secret warning or piece of information, especially one given to the police about illegal activities The arrests came after a tip-off from a member of the public. Acting on a tip-off, they searched the car and its occupants.

slippery customer

informal disapproving Someone who is slippery cannot be trusted: He's as slippery as an eel - you can never get a straight answer out of him. He's a slippery customer (= person), and I've never felt comfortable with him. I have one slippery customer in one of my classes.

take the flak

informal strong criticism or opposition: She took/caught some flak from her parents about her new dress.

have a whale of a time

informal to enjoy yourself very much

get hitched

informal to get married They got hitched without telling their parents.

tie the knot

informal to get married The King lookalike couldn't help falling in love with Lynn Willoughby and yesterday they tied the knot.

wholeheartedly recommend /ˌhoʊlˈhɑːr-/ adjective [usually before noun]

involving all your feelings, interest etc whole-hearted support/acceptance/cooperation etc Montgomery's new style of leadership met with Leslie's whole-hearted approval. I agree whole-heartedly with the mayor on this issue. I can wholeheartedly recommend Mr Lee for this position as I have every confidence in his ability to perform the tasks indicated in your job description.

go to any trouble

it looks like I haven't gone to any trouble.

the rain set in

it started and seemed likely to continue The rain set in for the day.

hike in prices noun [countable]

journalistic rise in prices The government is proposing massive hikes in taxation. There is growing public concern over price hikes and joblessness.

stick to the schedule

keep to Miguel was determined to stick to his decision.

move with the times

keep up with changes and adapt to them Elderly people sometimes find it difficult to move with the times.

lavish lifestyle /ˈlævɪʃ/

large, impressive, or expensive a royal palace on a lavish scale a lavish lifestyle The food was lavish.

small minority, amount, number, quantity, percentage large quantity,amount, number, majority

large/high percentage great importance, significance

a bumper crop of tomatoes /ˈbʌm.pɚ/ adjective [ before noun ]

larger in amount than usual, unusually large Farmers have reported a bumper crop this year. bumper crop/harvest We hope readers will enjoy this bumper issue of 'Homes and Gardens'.

head a team

lead a project group Jo ... working on crime prevention

leave sth to their discretion /dɪˈskreʃən/

leave sth to their judgement Promotions are left to the discretion of the supervisor.

a light heart

literary someone who has a light heart feels happy and not worried I set off for work with a light heart. → light-hearted

look your age

look as old as you are everyone would agree you certainly don't look your age.

traffic is being diverted

made to take a different route Traffic will be diverted through the side streets while the main road is resurfaced.

glossy magazines

magazine printed on high quality paper with lots of photos and adverts.

give sb a ring

mainly uk us usually and uk also call the act of making a phone call to someone: I'll give you a ring tomorrow.

make a proposal

make a formal suggestion As no one else has any ideas, I'd like to make a proposal

turn in a profit

make a profit This month our company should .. for the first time.

give it one's best shot

make an attempt that is worthy of admiration Although Kerry did not succeed in breaking the record, he gave it his best shot.

push up costs

make costs rise tax evasion practices will push up costs and lead to rising unemployment

fuel fears

make people feel more afraid his comments have fueled fears that she may retaliate with more than just words.

run up curtains

make quickly using a sewing machine This weekend I'm going to run up some curtains for my new room

drive sb crazy

make sb angry or upset our new neighbors are so noisy,it's enough to drive anyone crazy.

plant doubts

make sb feel uncertain Mary didn't believe the rumors about her boss but they planted doubts in her mind.

keep sb on their toes

make sb stay active and concentrated Having three sons under the age of five keeps Jana on her toes.

set the wheels in motion

make sth start to happen If you want to make an insurance claim, you can set the wheels in motion by filling in this form. The Church voted to set in motion the process allowing women to be priests. Once the house had been sold, Jane set the wheels in motion (=started the process) to find somewhere smaller to live.

bring stability

make the region feel safe At last the treaty has brought stability to the region

belittle his achievements

make what sb has done seem unimportant He did really well, given that he is only a child. It's not fair to belittle his achievements.

increase your stress level

make yourself feel more stressed If you bottle up your feelings, you'll only increase your stress levels.

build up your strength

make yourself stronger You need to build up your strength.

star dispels rumors of divorce /dɪˈspel/

makes a statement to end the rumors to make something go away, especially a belief, idea, or feeling We want to dispel the myth that you cannot eat well in Britain. Light poured into the hall, dispelling the shadows.

violence sparks fears of future unrest

makes people worry about

a booming voice

making a deep and loud hollow sound: a booming voice The van turns up, fully equipped with a booming sound system. "Hello, Baby Girl!" he says in a booming voice.

creating instability /ˌɪnstəˈbɪləti/

making the area unsafe There are fears that political instability in the region will lead to civil war. Iran is thought to have been creating instability by providing help for Yemeni government.

off the beaten track/path

not known or popular with many people: We wanted to find a camping site that was a little bit off the beaten path.

undeclared earnings /ˌʌndɪˈkleəd◂ $ -ˈklerd◂/ adjective

not officially announced or called something a scandal involving undeclared payments to politicians

a hazy memory

not remembering things clearly: an idea, memory etc that is hazy is not clear or exact SYN vague My memories of the holiday are rather hazy. hazy about She was a little hazy about the details. hazy memories of childhood

conform to/with sth

obey all the rules or laws relating to safety Students can be expelled for refusing to conform to school rules. All new buildings must conform with the regional development plan. products which conform to international safety standards All our products conform to safety regulations

glaring error

obvious mistake How did you manage to overlook such a glaring error?

bring the meeting to a close

often used about a discussion The chair brought the meeting to a close at 5 pm.

bring traffic to a halt

often used about transport (train, etc.) The accident brought traffic to a halt for several hours.

throw a sickie

pretended to be sick and not gone to work Looks like he's thrown another sickie

call a halt to sth

prevent sth from continuing (e.g. military action, pretests,etc.) The union called a halt to the striker after 21 days.

severely dsirupted

prevented from continuing as usual Traffic has been severely disrupted on the motorway, owning to an accident.

come down heavily on ab

punish sb very strongly The police intend to ... anyone causing trouble at tomorrow's football final.

a good size

quite large The room is a good size.

plummeting profits

rapidly falling profits The plummeting profits caused by the previous government's misguided policies are now safely behind them.

be/come up to standard

reach appropriate standards (=be good enough) Her work was not up to standard.

urban living

relating to towns and cities OPP rural → suburban unemployment in urban areas the deprived sections of the urban population

bear in mind

remember Bear in mind that there are often delays to flights during bad weather.

a dim and distant memory

remembered slightly but not very well mainly uk from the past and not clearly remembered: The times of huge profits are now a dim and distant memory.

bad /strong/ foul language /faʊl/

rude and offensive words She claimed she had been subjected to abuse and foul language. TV dramas today use much more bad/strong/foul language than they did 40 years ago.

abrasive manner /əˈbreɪsɪv/ adjective

rude or unkind She was a tough girl with rather an abrasive manner.

declare outright hostility to a plan

say that they are completely hostile

declare outright opposition to a plan

say they are completely oopesed

select a research topic

select a research topic in discussion with your tutor.

grave danger

seriously bad: a grave situation

series of something

several events or actions of a similar type that happen one after the other the series of events that led to the outbreak of war The police are investigating a series of attacks in the area. There's been a whole series of accidents on this road.

sales profits the market exports/imports NOT had

showed a rise saw a fall experienced a decline ... a growth

a changed man/woman

someone whose behaviour and character has changed a lot, especially improved: He's a changed man since he met Debbie.

blatantly obvious

something bad that is blatant is very clear and easy to see, but the person responsible for it does not seem embarrassed or ashamed It's ... that Olga is only interested in Richard because he's stinking rich

stroke of luck/fortune

something lucky that happens to you unexpectedly In a stroke of luck, a suitable organ donor became available.

an unmitigated disaster/failure/pleasure etc

something that is completely bad or good So far, the tour had been an unmitigated disaster.

polar opposite/extreme

something that is the complete or exact opposite of something else Ortega's cheerful landscapes are the polar opposites of Miller's dark, troubled portraits.

a throwaway remark/line/comment etc

something that someone says or writes quickly, without thinking carefully about it It was only a throwaway comment. He claims people overreacted to a few throwaway lines in the article.

in a gruff voice

speaking in a rough unfriendly voice His manner can be rather gruff. a gruff reply His voice became gruff.

gruff exterior

speaking in a rough unfriendly voice His manner can be rather gruff. a gruff reply His voice became gruff. Behind that gruff exterior he had a sharp wit.

dip into savings/funds

spend part of some money which was being saved The club had to dip into their emergency funds to pay for the repairs to the roof.

I know the feeling

spoken said when you understand how someone feels because you have had the same experience 'It's so embarrassing when you can't remember someone's name.' 'I know the feeling.'

raise your glass

spoken to celebrate someone's happiness or success by holding up your glass and drinking from it Ladies and gentlemen, will you raise your glasses to the bride and groom.

with all due respect

spoken used when you disagree with someone or criticize them in a polite way Dad, with all due respect, was not a very good husband.

break into a run

start running William broke into a run when he saw the bus leaving.

sth break into song

start singing Jasmine suddenly broke into song.

remained unchanged

stay the same Life in the village remained unchanged for centuries.

immense asset

sth of great value [usually singular] something or someone that is useful because they help you succeed or deal with problems OPP liability A trained memory is an immense asset, particularly in public life.

leave home

stop living with your parents at home Lisa had left home at age 16.

restore peace

stop the fighting The aim of the talks is to restore pwace

Army quells unrest on border

stops disturbances

Minister allays fears of tax increase

stops people worrying about

reaffirm that commitment /ˌriːəˈfɜːrm/

strongly state again to formally state an opinion, belief, or intention again, especially when someone has questioned you or expressed a doubt SYN reiterate The party reaffirmed its commitment to nuclear disarmament. reaffirm that The government has reaffirmed that education is a top priority.

core subject

subjects which all the students on the course have to do. In the first academic year of the English Literature program, the ... were The development of the novel and Contemporary poetry.

burst into laughter/tears

suddenly start to laugh/cry When she saw the damage the floods had done to her house, she burst into tears

be doomed to failure/defeat/extinction etc

sure to fail Many species are doomed to extinction. The plan was doomed from the start. be doomed to do something We are all doomed to die in the end. Grammar Doom is usually passive.

wine and dine somebody

take out for dinner and drinks to entertain someone well with a meal, wine etc Companies spend millions wining and dining clients.

shoulder the blame

take responsibility for something bad Although others were also responsible for the problem, Sue decided to ...

take an overdose

take too much of a drug At the age of 20 she took an overdose when she thought a boyfriend was about to desert her.

go clubbing noun [uncountable] informal

the activity of going to nightclubs She always goes clubbing when she's in New York. Do you still go clubbing every weekend.

widespread looting

the activity of stealing from shops during a violent event: There were reports of widespread looting as hooligans stampeded through the city centre.

food miles noun [plural]

the amount of carbon dioxide that a person or organization produces by the things they do, used as a way of measuring the amount of harm they do to the environment There are lots of ways you can reduce your carbon footprint.

reduce our carbon footprint

the amount of carbon dioxide that a person or organization produces by the things they do, used as a way of measuring the amount of harm they do to the environment There are lots of ways you can reduce your carbon footprint.

handlebars

the bar above the front wheel of a bicycle or motorcycle that you turn to control its direction In another case, two police officers spotted a man cycling without his hands on the handlebars.

credit-card fraud

the crime of deceiving people in order to gain something such as money or goods tax/insurance/credit card etc fraud He's been charged with tax fraud. electoral fraud She was found guilty of fraud.

wear and tear /ˌwer ən ˈter/

the damage that happens to an object in ordinary use during a period: Seat covers on buses take a lot of wear and tear.

agreed credit limit

the maximum amount you can borrow, for example on a CREDIT CARD The advantage of this card is that there is a very high credit limit. Never exceed your agreed credit card.

lose your livelihood

the money a person needs to pay for food, a place to live, etc. and the way of earning this money: The falling orders for new ships mean that many shipyard workers are likely to lose their livelihood. If a commercial beekeeper makes a mistake and his bees die, he has lost his livelihood.

new season's look

the new fashion style. You are the one showing us the new season's look and setting the trend.

take a driving test

the official test that you must pass in order to be legally allowed to drive on public roads It was adapted to be driven with one hand, and Dawn had to retake her driving test.

join the festivities /feˈstɪv·ɪ·t̬iz/

the parties, meals, and other social activities with which people celebrate a special occasion. we were delighted to hear that you intended to join the festivities at the opening ceremony of the festival.

ˈinterest ˌrate noun [countable]

the percentage amount charged by a bank etc when you borrow money, or paid to you by a bank when you keep money in an account there

festive season

the period around Christmas and New Year Fire and Light festival marks the beginning of the festive season.

academic year noun [countable]

the period of the year during which there are school or university classes He had become Director of the school at the start of that academic year.

online banking

the process or activity of managing bank accounts or operating as a bank over the internet: With online banking you can conveniently check your balance, transfer money, and pay bills using your smartphone.

turnover [singular, uncountable]

the rate at which people leave an organization and are replaced by others turnover of Low pay accounts for the high turnover. staff/labour turnover a high degree of labour turnover among women

affect the bottom line

the total profit or loss of a company at the end of a particular period of time: affect the net income How will the rise in interest rates affect our bottom line?

cultural heritage /ˈherətɪdʒ/

the traditional beliefs, values, customs etc of a family, country, or society → inheritance the importance of preserving the national heritage beautiful old buildings which are part of our heritage cultural/architectural/literary etc heritage the cultural heritage of Italy

festivities [plural]

things such as drinking, eating, or dancing that are done to celebrate a special occasion The festivities started with a procession through the town. Come and join in the festivities and eat as many apples as you want.

wildly inaccurate

this celebrity website is good fun but most of the information is ...

bow to something /bɑʊ/ verb [ I/T ]

to accept something unwillingly: The company president finally bowed to pressure and resigned. Congress may bow to public pressure and lift the arms embargo. Myers finally bowed to the inevitable (=accepted something he could not change) and withdrew from the campaign.

meet a goal/target etc

to achieve something that you are trying to achieve It's impossible to meet the sales targets. The scheme does not meet its objectives.

think highly of somebody/something (also think a lot of somebody/something)

to admire or respect someone or something Your boss must think highly of you if she gives you so much responsibility.

put something ↔ in

to ask for something in an official way She put in an insurance claim. We must put in an order by tonight. It can take quite some time after putting in an application for permission to be given

take exception to something

to be angry or upset because of something Tom took great exception to my remark about Americans.

jump for joy

to be extremely happy: "So how did Robert take the news?" "He didn't exactly jump for joy."

be worried sick/be sick with worry

to be extremely worried Why didn't you tell me you were coming home late? I've been worried sick!

bear a resemblance/relation to somebody/something

to be similar to someone or something else The child bore a striking resemblance to his father. The things she says bear little relation to what she actually does.

be joined in marriage/matrimony formal

to become a married couple in an official ceremony

take something ↔ up

to become interested in a new activity and to spend time doing it Roger took painting up for a while, but soon lost interest.

act my age

to behave in a way suitable for someone as old as you are: Stop being silly and act your age!

take somebody/something seriously

to believe that someone or something is worth your attention or respect As a teacher, it's important that the kids take you seriously. It's only a joke - don't take it seriously!

breach a contract

to break a law, promise, agreement, or relationship: They breached the agreement they had made with their employer.

wreak havoc

to cause a lot of damage or problems These policies have wreaked havoc on the British economy.

bring back memories

to cause something to be thought about: That music always brings back happy memories.

mark /mɑːk $ mɑːrk/ verb

to celebrate an important event celebrations to mark Australia Day mark something with something Carter's 90th birthday will be marked with a large party at the Savoy Hotel. Mrs Lawson was presented with a gold watch to mark the occasion. The event marks the beginning of the festive season.

falsify records

to change figures, records etc so that they contain false information The file was altered to falsify the evidence. Mitchell joined the Navy at 16 by falsifying his birth certificate. Those arrested Wednesday face criminal charges of forgery and falsifying business records, both of which carry possible jail sentences.

cast somebody in a role/a part/the lead

to choose which people will act particular parts in a play, film etc The producer finally cast Finch in the male lead.

serve out your sentence

to complete a particular period of time in prison or doing a job Dillon's almost served out his sentence (=in prison). The Senator's illness means he may not serve out his term.

pursue your interests

to continue doing an activity or trying to achieve something over a long period of time She plans to pursue a career in politics. Students should pursue their own interests, as well as do their school work. pursue a goal/aim/objective etc companies that pursue the traditional goal of profits a campaign promise to pursue policies that will help the poor Always encourage children to pursue their interests.

stay the course

to continue doing something until it is finished or until you achieve something you have planned to do: She interviewed dieters who had failed to stay the course to find out why they had given up.

adhere to something

to continue to obey, believe in, or support something, esp. a custom or belief: College coaches have to adhere to the rules about recruiting high school students. We adhere to the principles of equal rights and freedom of expression for all. I have adhered strictly to the rules.

shirk their responsibilities /ʃɜːrk/ verb [intransitive, transitive]

to deliberately avoid doing something you should do, because you are lazy He was fired for shirking. shirk your responsibilities/duties/obligations parents who shirk their responsibilities towards their children

bottle up your feelings

to deliberately not allow yourself to show a strong feeling or emotion It is far better to cry than to bottle up your feelings.

abuse that trust

to deliberately use something for the wrong purpose or for your own advantage Morris abused the trust the firm had shown in him. Williams abused his position as mayor to give jobs to his friends.

work up an appetite

to develop an emotional or physical state that you feel strongly, after a period of effort or time: We worked up a real appetite climbing in the mountains. It's strange, but I can't work up any enthusiasm for going on this trip.

introduce regulations

to formally present a possible new law to be discussed. These regulations have been introduced to standardize procedure in workplace across the country and ensure the employers adhere to standards.

acquire knowledge

to gain knowledge or learn a skill He spent years acquiring his skills as a surgeon. Elsie acquired a good knowledge of Chinese. You attend school to ...

shake off this cold

to get rid of an illness, problem etc I can't seem to shake off this cold. shake off your image/reputation as something Outside investment has helped Sheridan to shake off its image as a depressed industrial town.

drum something ↔ up phrasal verb

to get support, interest, attention etc from people by making an effort He travelled throughout Latin America drumming up support for the confederation. The organization is using the event to drum up business (=get more work and sales).

submit an application/claim/proposal etc

to give a plan, piece of writing etc to someone in authority for them to consider or approve All applications must be submitted by Monday.

hold a conversation

to have a conversation Aileen knew how to hold a conversation with twelve people and work hard at the same time.

pin your hopes on sth/sb

to hope very much that something or someone will help you to achieve what you want

hone your skills

to improve your skill at doing something, especially when you are already very good at it He set about honing his skills as a draughtsman. finely honed (=extremely well-developed) intuition

forge relationships /fɔːrdʒ/

to make an effort to develop a successful relationship with a person, organization, or country: forge a relationship/a bond/an alliance The company is forging partnerships with a number of local companies. In 1776 the United States forged an alliance with France. The two women had forged a close bond. Back in the 1980s, they were attempting to forge a new kind of rock music.

lull1 /lʌl/ verb [transitive]

to make someone feel calm or as if they want to sleep The hum of the tyres on the road lulled her to sleep.

rekindle memories /riːˈkɪndl/

to make someone have a particular feeling, thought etc again SYN reawaken The trial has rekindled painful memories of the war.

come to no harm/not come to any harm

to not be hurt or damaged She was relieved to see the children had come to no harm.

miss the point

to not understand something correctly or what is important about it: What you say is true, but you've missed the point of my argument.

call off a search

to officially decide that something should be stopped after it has already started Rescuers had to call off the search because of worsening weather conditions.

write off debts

to officially say that a debt no longer has to be paid, or officially accept that you cannot get back money you have spent or lost The United States agreed to write off debts worth billions of dollars. The Inland Revenue wrote off £900 million in unpaid taxes.

the taxes we levy

to officially say that people must pay a tax or charge levy a tax/charge/fine etc (on something) a new tax levied on all electrical goods

safeguard their interests

to protect something from harm or damage safeguard somebody's interests/rights/welfare etc The industry has a duty to safeguard consumers. technology that will safeguard the environment

install equipment /ɪnˈstɔːl $ -ˈstɒːl/

to put a piece of equipment somewhere and connect it so that it is ready to be used They've installed the new computer network at last. Security cameras have been installed in the city centre.

spring to somebody's defence

to quickly defend someone who is being criticized Charlene sprang immediately to her son's defence.

pore over something phrasal verb

to read or look at something very carefully for a long time She was poring over a book.

feel your age

to realize that you are no longer young: Everybody there looked under 20 and I really felt my age.

narrow the list down

to reduce the number of things included in a range The police have narrowed down their list of suspects. to I've narrowed it down to one of two people.

hurl abuse/insults/accusations etc (at somebody) /hɜːrl/

to shout at someone in a loud and angry way He was accused of hurling abuse at the referee. She heard the boys hurling abuse at her, shouting to her to stop, but she shut her ears to them. • There is not much to be achieved by hurling insults. • When I first met her she had been hurling abuse at her daughters-in-law who took no notice whatsoever.

unveil a plan /ʌnˈveɪl/

to show or tell people about a new product or plan for the first time The club has unveiled plans to build a new stadium.

talk sense

to speak in a reasonable way: It's good to hear someone finally talking sense on this issue. Talk sense! There's no way we can afford a new car!

her voice faltered

to speak in a voice that sounds weak and uncertain, and keeps stopping Laurie's voice faltered as she tried to thank him. 'I can't, ' she faltered.

take something up

to start a new job or have a new responsibility Peter will take up the management of the finance department. take up a post/a position/duties etc The headteacher takes up her duties in August.

take something up

to start a new job or have a new responsibility Peter will take up the management of the finance department. take up a post/a position/duties etc The headteacher takes up her duties in August. I went back to my old job and also took up the post of editor of a leading medical journal.

go on the offensive (also take the offensive)

to start attacking or criticizing someone before they start attacking or criticizing you Republicans went on the offensive over soaring gasoline prices. The international coalition was ready to take the offensive.

enter into talks

to start discussing or dealing with something It could be a problem, but we don't need to enter into that just yet. enter into discussions/negotiations (with somebody) The government refused to enter into discussions with the opposition.

set the trend

to start doing something that other people copy Larger corporations are setting the trend for better maternity benefits.

get itchy feet

to start to want to travel or do something different: After three years in the job she began to get itchy feet.

lay somebody ↔ off

to stop employing someone because there is no work for them to do → lay-off The company laid off 250 workers in December. Millions of people have been laid off in the steel industry.

let out a cry

to suddenly make a loud sound such as a shout or cry let out a scream/cry/roar etc He let out a cry of disbelief.

implement a policy/plan/decision etc

to take action or make changes that you have officially decided should happen We have decided to implement the committee's recommendations in full.

relieve somebody of their post/duties/command etc formal

to take away someone's job because they have done something wrong After the defeat General Meyer was relieved of his command.

seize power/control (of something) The rebels have seized power. A group of soldiers seized the airport.

to take control of a place suddenly and quickly, using military force

seize power /siːz/

to take control of a place suddenly and quickly, using military force seize power/control (of something) The rebels have seized power. A group of soldiers seized the airport.

overstate my case

to talk about something in a way that makes it seem more important, serious etc than it really is SYN exaggerate OPP understate To say that all motorists speed in residential areas is overstating the case. The importance of a child's early years cannot be overstated (=is very important).

kiss and tell noun kiss-and-tell adjective [ before noun ]

to talk on television, in a newspaper, etc. about a sexual relationship you have had with a famous person, especially in order to get a lot of money She was upset by her last boyfriend's kiss-and-tell. She did a kiss-and-tell interview for a local newspaper.

break the news

to tell someone about something bad that has just happened and may have an effect on them: I was devastated when the doctor broke the news to me. I remember where I was when the news of Kennedy's assassination broke (= became known).

let sb in on sth

to tell someone about something that is secret, or to allow someone to become involved in something that only very few people are involved in: Debbie agreed to let me in on her plans.

open your heart

to tell someone your real thoughts and feelings because you trust them Three quarters of all the teenagers questioned would open their hearts at home.

toy with the idea of doing something

to think about an idea or possibility, usually for a short time and not very seriously I've been toying with the idea of going to Japan to visit them.

come up with the idea

to think of an idea, answer etc Is that the best excuse you can come up with? We've been asked to come up with some new ideas.

wrestle with a problem

to try to solve a difficult problem or make a difficult decision: He wrestled with the problem for several weeks, not sure what to do.

summon up the energy

to try very hard to have enough courage, energy, or strength, because you need it Ruth took a deep breath, summoned up her courage, and told him the truth.

see the error of your ways

to understand that you were wrong to behave in a particular way and start to behave differently A music teacher realized he had a talent for singing and helped him to see the error of his ways.

build on something

to use your achievements as a base for further development The new plan will build on the success of the previous programme.

go trekking

to walk a long way, especially in the mountains, as an adventure Maria's going trekking in the Himalayas this year.

work unsocial hours

to work during the night or early in the morning when most people do not have to work

drop sb an email/a line

to write someone a letter, especially a short informal one: Just drop me a line when you decide on a date.

underage /ˌʌndərˈeɪdʒ◂/ adjective

too young to legally buy alcohol, drive a car, vote etc underage drinking

reject out of hand

totally reject this plan can be rejected out of hand.

a touch of humor/irony

touch suggest a small amount of sth

oncoming traffic

traffic coming towards you The driver, too busy watching oncoming traffic, doesn't notice the pedestrian ahead.

the sheer weight/size etc

used to emphasize that something is very heavy, large etc the sheer weight/size etc of The sheer size of the country makes communications difficult.

generally speaking

used to introduce a statement that is true in most cases but not always Generally speaking, the more expensive the stereo, the better it is.

justice had been served

used to say that someone has been treated fairly or has been given a punishment they deserve After he was sentenced to death, she stated that now she felt justice had been served.

something will go down in history

used to say that something is important enough to be remembered and recorded This day will go down in history as the start of a new era in South Africa.

strictly speaking

used to say that something is true if you are going to be very exact and correct about it Strictly speaking, spiders are not insects. Strictly speaking, a tomato is a fruit and not a vegetable because it contains seeds.

fat chance informal

used to say that something is very unlikely to happen fat chance of 'You can go to bed now and sleep easy.' 'Fat chance of that!'

I wouldn't say no (to something)

used to say that you would like something I wouldn't say no to a coffee.

hopelessly lost

used when emphasizing how bad a situation is, and saying that it will not get better We found ourselves hopelessly outnumbered by the enemy. She felt hopelessly confused. I was trying to find the museum, but I got hopelessly lost.

hopping mad informal

very angry SYN furious His father was ... when he got charged with his wife's murder.

hectic pace of life /ˈhektɪk/ adjective

very busy or full of activity I've had a pretty hectic day. a hectic social life

traffic is dense

very close together Traffic is very dense on all routes into the city at the moment because of this evening's football cup final.

encyclopedic knowledge /ɪnˌsaɪkləˈpiːdɪk◂/ adjective

very extensive knowledge, having a lot of knowledge or information about a particular subject an encyclopedic knowledge of medieval literature

astronomical fees /ˌæstrəˈnɒmɪkəl/

very high informal astronomical prices, costs etc are extremely high

key advantage

very important or necessary Its key advantage is that it's more maneuverable than a conventional bike.

dead keen (Informal)

very keen He is now dead keen to become an actor himself.

glowing reviews

very positive reviews The New York Times gave the film glowing reviews.

social network

whether your social network is made up of firm friends or casual acquaintances, socializing could impact positively on your life expectancy.

incessant noise of

which never stops Tn the street below, the incessant noise of trams and vans of trucks and cars.

The changes will be implemented

will be put into operation/practice The changes in the system will be implemented soon.

intrepid explorer /ɪnˈtrepɪd/ adjective

willing to do dangerous things or go to dangerous places - often used humorously SYN brave intrepid explorers

wouldn't trust sb an inch

wouldn't trust at all I wouldn't trust Eva an inch.

wouldn't lose any sleep over sth

wouldn't worry well, it's not you who is going out with him. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

jot down an address/a phone number/a room number/

write down quickly Can I jot down your email address?

budget doesn't quite stretch to sth

your can't afford sth

narrow profit margins

ˈprofit ˌmargin noun [countable] the difference between the cost of producing something and the price at which you sell it Many small companies operate on very narrow profit margins.

make sb welcome

​ B1 to show someone that you are pleased that they are with you: The restaurant makes children very welcome

prefect a number of techniques /pɝːˈfekt/

​ C2 to make something free from faults: He is keen to perfect his golfing technique.

a close confident /ˈkɒnfədænt/

​ female also confidante ​ someone you tell your secrets to or who you talk to about personal things a close confidant

pay (somebody) a call/visit

​B2 to visit a person or place, usually for a short time: I decided to pay my folks a visit. If you have time, pay a visit to the City Art Gallery. I think I'll pay a visit to the library while I'm in town.

compare favourably

​If something compares favourably with something else, it is better than it: The hotel certainly compared favourably with the one we stayed in last year.

find (the) time

​have enough time: I wish I could find the time to do more reading.

play truant uk us usually play hooky /ˈtruː.ənt/ US ​ /ˈtruː.ənt/

​to be regularly absent from school without permission: Most parents are horrified when they discover their children have been playing truant from school.

up for (doing) sth informal

​willing and able to do or take part in an activity: After a long day at work I wasn't really up for a party. We're going swimming. Are you up for it? I'm up for organizing the meeting if nobody else wants to do it.