WAYS OF LOOKING

look: give attention to what one is seeing; turn the eyes and see in a certain direction.
Look at that cute baby!
see: use the power of sight.
See! Here she comes!
watch: look at some activity or event; keep one's eyes fixed on something.
The boys watched television all the afternoon.
gaze: look at something for a long time, in surprise or admiration.
She gazed at him in disbelief when he told her the news.
stare: look at something for a long time with the eyes wide open.
She was staring into space.
gawk = gawp: stare impolitely.
Many people gathered to gawp at the crashed car.
gape: look at something with one's mouth open.
She gaped at him in surprise.
glance: have a quick look at something.
She glanced at her watch.
scan: look quickly at something without careful reading.
He scanned the newspaper over breakfast.
glare: stare angrily or fiercely.
She didn't answered, but just glared silently at me.
peer: look very carefully, as if not able to see well.
He peered at me over his spectacles.
peep: look quickly and cautiously.
He was caught peeping through the keyhole.
observe: watch carefully.
The police observed the man entering the bank.
glimpse: have a passing view of something or someone. Usually used in the expression to catch a glimpse of.
He could catch a glimpse of the president among the crowd.
spot: recognize someone suddenly among many others.
He was spotted by the police boarding a plane for Berlin.
behold: old use of the verb to see.
Behold the king!
view: (technical) look thouroughly; regard, consider.
That film hasn't been viewed by the censor yet.
sight: see for the first time.
The men in the ship finally sighted land.
leer: look in an unpleasant way, suggesting ill will or lust.
The man leered at the young girl.
blink: shut and open the eyes quickly.
How long can you stare without blinking?
wink: close one eye briefly, as a signal to somebody.
He winked at me to show that he was just joking.
frown: look in a worried or angry way, moving down the eyebrows together.
He read the telegram, frowning at its contents.
scowl: frown angrily.
She was very angry and scowled at him while she talked.
squint: look with eyes half shut or turned sideways, or through a narrow opening.
She squinted through the letter-box and saw an envelope.
peek: look quickly and secretively.
She found her brother peeking at her diary.
ogle: look or stare (at a woman) suggesting sexual interest.
Most women hate being ogled at.
goggle: look with the eyes wide open in surprise or shock. (old-fashioned)
People were goggling at her as if she were from another planet.
eyeball: look directly or closely.
Francis eyeballed a beautiful woman at the party.
take a gander at something: (informal) look at something.
cast an eye on/over something: look at something, examine something.
browse: look through the pages of a book or magazine; look at the goods in a shop without really wanting to buy anything.
Sheila spent all the afternoon browsing the boutiques.
scrutinize: examine thoroughly and carefully.
John scrutinized the painting at the museum.
WAYS OF WALKING
walk: move on one's feet.
We walked to town.
limp: walk unevenly because one leg is hurt.
That man is hurt, he's limping.
hobble: walk with difficulty.
The old man hobbled along the street with the aid of his stick.
stagger: walk unsteadily as if about to fall.
He was so drunk that he staggered all the way home.
stumble: stagger.
She stumbled upstairs and into bed.
lurch: stagger.
The drunken man was lurching along the street.
tiptoe: walk on the tips of one's toes.
She tiptoed to the bed so as not to wake the baby.
stroll: walk for pleasure.
They strolled around the park.
amble: walk at a slow, leisurely pace.
They ambled along for miles.
saunter: stroll.
They sauntered around the park.
wander: move without a fixed purpose or destination.
They enjoy wandering through the countryside.
roam: wander.
They roamed through the streets for hours.
ramble: walk for pleasure with no particular destination.
He likes rambling around in the country.
mooch: wander, walk slowly without any purpose.
John mooched about the shops.
meander: walk in a slow, relaxed way instead of taking the most direct way possible. (Rivers also meander).
As I was sitting in the park, I watched as couples seemed to meander around happily.
stride: walk with long steps.
She strode across the fields.
strut: walk in a proud way, with the chest out and trying to look important.
He strutted past us, ignoring our greeting.
swagger: walk proudly, strut.
After winning the first prize, the player swaggered about proudly.
stalk: walk in a proud or angry way, with long steps.
The teacher turned and stalked out of the classroom.
sashay: walk in a confident way, moving the body from side to side, especially so that people look at you.
The models sashayed down the aisle showing their clothes.
trudge: walk slowly and with effort because one is tired.
We were very tired after trudging through the deep snow for two hours.
shuffle: walk very slowly and noisily, without lifting one's feet off the ground.
His legs were aching so much that he shuffled to bed.
stump: walk heavily and stiffly.
They stumped up the hill.
plod: walk with heavy steps or with difficulty.
Labourers plodded home through the muddy fields.
pace: walk with regular steps.
He paced up and down the platform, waiting for the train.
march: walk with regular steps of equal length.
Demonstrators marched through the streets of the city.
parade: walk or march together to celebrate or protest.
Demonstrators paraded through the streets of the city.
crawl: move slowly with the body close to the ground or on hands and knees.
A baby crawls before he can walk.
toddle: walk with short unsteady steps.
Her two-year-old son toddled into the room.
edge: move gradually with small movements.
Paul decided to edge away from the crowd.
creep: move slowly and quietly with the body close to the ground.
The cat crept silently towards the bird.
sneak: go quietly and secretly in order to avoid being seen or heard.
The boy sneaked in without paying.
pad: walk softly and quietly.
The child padded barefoot down the stairs.
prowl: walk slowly and quietly because you are involved in a criminal activity or because you are looking for something.
Street gangs usually prowl this alley.
slide: move smoothly over a surface.
I was sliding on the ice.
slip: slide accidentally.
She slipped on the ice and broke her leg.
dash: move quickly and suddenly, rush.
I must dash or I'll miss the train.
dart: move quickly and suddenly in the specified direction.
She darted away when I came in.
scamper: run quickly and playfully.
The children were scampering up the steps.
sprint: run very quickly for a short distance.
The kids sprinted down the stairs.
jog: run slowly and steadily, as a way of exercising.
She goes jogging everyday.
trip over: catch one's foot on something and stumble or fall.
He tripped over the step and fell.
scuttle: move quickly with short steps, because you are afraid or do not want to be noticed.
The mouse scuttled off when we entered the room.
scurry: move quickly with short steps, because you are in a hurry.
He was late so he had to scurry off to work.
skip: move forward with quick steps and jumps.
The child skipped with joy towards his father.
lope: run with long steps.
The man loped off after the ball.
lollop: run with long awkward steps.
The dog came lolloping down the path.
tear: run or move quickly in a dangerous or careless way.
When the storm started, they tore back into the house.
rush: hurry, move quickly because you need to get somewhere soon.
She was late so she decided to rush off down the hall.
hop: move by jumping on one foot.
The man hopped down the road after hurting his foot.
trip: walk with short quick steps, usually as young girls do.
The little girl tripped happily up the road.
lunge: make a sudden movement towards somebody or something.
The boxer lunged forward and grabbed his opponent by the arm.
scramble: climb up or down, or over something quickly and with difficulty.
They had to scramble up to the top of the hill to see the view.
hike: take a long walk in the mountains or countryside, as an adventure.
The group hiked up to the top of the hill.
trek: hike; make a long, difficult journey on foot.
For ten days she trekked across the mountains of China.
paddle (GB), wade (US): walk for pleasure without shoes or socks in water that is not very deep.
The children were paddling in the lake.
waddle: walk with short steps, moving the body from one side to another, used especially to talk about birds or people with
fat bodies.
The fat man waddled off to the restaurant for lunch.
prance: walk with high steps or large movements, in a confident way.
She pranced around her room, pretending to be an actress.
frogmarch: force somebody to walk by holding his arms tightly by his side, usually because of bad behaviour.
The prefect frogmarched the boy to the detention room.
WAYS OF SPEAKING
speak: make use of words in a normal voice.
May I speak to George?
talk: speak to give information, say things.
What are they talking about?
hesitate: be slow to speak (or act) because one is uncertain or unwilling to talk.
He hesitated before answering my question.
whisper: speak softly, without vibrating the vocal cords, privately or secretly.
She whispered the secret word in my ear.
hiss: say something in a loud whisper. (Snakes also hiss).
'Get out!' she hissed at me furiously.
mumble: speak unclearly, so that others can't hear.
He mumbled something at me which I didn't understand.
mutter: speak in a low voice, which is hard to hear.
She was muttering something to herself as she went out.
murmur: speak in a soft, quiet voice that is difficult to hear clearly.
The classmates murmured during the test.
hum: make a low continuous sound, when you take a long time deciding what to say.
She hummed at the beginning of the oral exam.
grunt: make short sounds or say a few words in a rough voice, when you don't want to talk. (Pigs also grunt).
She grunted a few words and left the table.
stammer: speak with pauses and repeating the same sound or syllable, habitually or from fear or excitement.
'P-p-please give me the p-p-pen,' he stammered.
stutter: stammer.
'P-p-please give me the p-p-pen,' he stuttered.
quaver: speak tremulously, because you are nervous or upset.
Her voice quavered for a moment but then she regained control.
lisp: speak with /th/ sounds instead of /s/ sounds.
You're very thilly, Thimon. (You're very silly, Simon.)
babble = gabble: talk foolishly, in a way difficult to understand.
Her fever made her babble without stopping.
ramble: talk continuously, in a confused way.
Stop rambling and get to the point, please!
slur: speak unclearly, without separating the words correctly.
He was so drunk that he slurred to the bartender for more.
chat: have a friendly informal conversation.
They chatted away in the corner.
chatter: talk quickly and at length about something unimportant.
Please stop chattering, I'm trying to listen to the TV!
gossip: talk about the affairs of other people.
She was gossiping about her neighbours all day.
call: speak in a loud clear voice, shout, cry.
They called for help.
shout: speak in a loud voice, in anger or to get attention.
He had to shout because the music was too loud.
whoop: shout loudly and happily.
The children whooped when we entered the fair.
cry (out): make a sharp noise, in pain or surprise.
She cried out in terror when the old man appeared suddenly.
yell: cry out loudly, in fear, pain or excitement.
She yelled in terror when she saw the dead cat.
scream: cry out very loudly on a high note, in fear, pain, anger or laughter.
The baby was screaming the whole day.
shriek: scream.
The men shrieked with laughter.
bellow: shout in a deep voice.
The captain bellowed orders at the crew.
squeak: speak in a high-pitched voice.
She squeaked out a few words nervously.
squeal: speak in a high-pitched voice, with longer and louder sounds than in a squeak.
'Let me go!' she squealed.
chirp / chirrup (GB): speak in a happy high voice.
'All finished!' she chirped.
cheer: shout because of happiness.
The public cheered when the team appeared.
croak: speak with a deep hoarse voice.
She had such a terrible cold that she could only croak.
blurt out: say something suddenly and tactlessly.
She blurted out the bad news before I could stop her.
snap: say something quickly in an angry way.
'What do you want?' the waiter snapped.
splutter: talk quickly in short confused phrases, in anger or surprise.
'But... what... where... how could you?' she spluttered.
bark (out): say something quickly in a loud voice.
'What do you want?' the shop assistant barked.
Related verbs
emit - communicate - pronounce - announce - mention - relate - narrate - retell - report - butt in - interrupt - discuss - argue
- lecture - preach - define - state - assert- clarify - declare

WAYS OF SHINING
shine: give out light, be bright.
She cleaned the glasses until they shone.
glow: give out heat and/or light without flames.
The embers were still glowing.
beam: give out heat and light.
It's a fabulous day, the sun is beaming!
gleam: give out a soft and bright light.
She had polished the ornaments so that they gleamed.
blaze: give out a bright light.
The sun blazed down on the beach.
glisten: shine brightly (for polished or wet surfaces).
Her eyes were glistening with tears.
glitter: shine brightly with flashes of light.
Her necklace was glittering with diamonds.
sparkle: shine brightly with flashes of light.
The diamond sparkles in the light.
flash: give out a sudden bright light.
The lightning flashed across the sky.
glare: shine with a strong light in a way unpleasant to the eyes.
The sun glared out of the blue sky.
shimmer: give out a soft trembling light.
The moonlight was shimmering on the sea.
glimmer: give out a faint unsteady light.
We could see lights glimmering in the distance.
flicker: shine (or burn) unsteadily.
The lights flickered for a moment.
twinkle: shine unsteadily.
The stars were twinkling in the sky.

WAYS OF BURNING
burn: be on fire.
Help! My house is burning!
catch fire: start burning.
Help! My house has caught fire!
flicker: burn unsteadily.
The candle flickered in the wind.
smoulder: burn slowly without flames.
The cigarette smouldered in the ashtray.
flare: burn brightly but unsteadily or briefly.
The match flared in the darkness.
flame: burn in flames.
The fire flamed up when he put oil on it.
blaze: burn brightly and fiercely.
When the firemen arrived, the whole house was blazing.
rage: burn very strongly.
The fire raged through the forest for days.
smoke: give out smoke.
The fireplace smokes too much.
brand: burn a mark on something.
Cattle are usually brandred on big farms.
scorch: burn or discolour a surface by dry heat.
She scorched my shirt when she was ironing it.

WAYS OF LAUGHING
laugh: express joy by making a sound, moving the face or body.
She splashed water on Nick and we all began laughing.
chuckle: laugh quietly, because you are thinking about something funny.
What are you chuckling about? I don't see anything funny.
giggle: laugh quietly and repeatedly because you are nervous or embarrassed.
She spilt the wine on the tablecloth and then giggled nervously at me.
give somebody the giggles: make somebody start giggling.
titter: laugh quietly, unkindly at something embarrassing.
After she ended the lecture, she heard someone tittering.
snigger (GB) / snicker (US): laugh quietly, unkindly at something that is not supposed to be funny.
When the teacher tripped on the steps, the boys sniggered.
roar / howl / shriek with laughter: laugh very loudly.
It was such a good comedy that when it finished, he was still roaring with laughter.
chortle: give a loud chuckle of pleasure or amusement.
When I told her the joke, she started to chortle with delight.
cackle: laugh loudly in a high voice.
When I told her the joke, she started cackling and couldn't stop!
guffaw: laugh noisily.
They guffawed at what their baby had done.
jeer: laugh at somebody or shout unkind things at them.
The president was jeered by a crowd of protesters.
burst into laughter: suddenly start laughing.
The class burst into laughter.
laugh your head off: (informal) laugh a lot and loudly.
He told us a joke after another, and we laughed our heads off!
smile: make one's mouth curve upwards, in order to be friendly or because one is happy.
As the boy left, he smiled at his mother and waved.
beam: smile very happily.
The mother looked at her son and beamed proudly.
grin: smile widely.
When she knew she had won the prize, she grinned broadly.
simper: smile in a silly and annoying way.
He simpered at the boys as he spoke.
smirk: smile in an unpleasant way, to show that you are pleased by somebody's bad luck.
The kids smirked when the teacher fell on the floor.
sneer: smile in an unkind way, showing no respect for somebody.
She sneered at his boyfriend's musical tastes.
Related idioms
laugh in somebody's face: to behave in a way that shows no respect for others.
I told her my opinion and she just laughed in my face.
be laughing all the way to the bank: make a lot of money without making much effort.
somebody will be laughing on the other side of your face: used to mean that although you are happy now, you will be in
trouble later.
be laughed out of court (US): be rejected because people think it is completely stupid.
His idea was laughed out of court.
laugh up your sleeve: be secretly happy because you played a trick on somebody or you criticized somebody without him
knowing.
laugh something off: pretend that something is less serious than it really is by laughing about it.
The president laughed off rumors that he would resign.
laugh like a drain: laugh heartily.
John liked my joke so much, he laughed like a drain.
WAYS OF EATING
eat: have food.
She eats meat everyday.
tuck in: (informal) eat eagerly, with enjoyment.
When the guests arrived, Peter was already at the table tucking in.
lick: eat something by rubbing it with the tongue.
The boy was sitting in the garden licking an icecream.
have a snack: eat a small meal between the main meals.
She usually has a snack for lunch and then a larger meal for dinner.
stuff/gorge oneself: (informal) eat so much that one can't eat anything else.
He didn't want any meal because he had stuffed himself with bread and butter.
overeat: eat more than is necessary or healthy.
If you want to lose weight, you shouldn't overeat.
pig out: (informal) eat more than is necessary or healthy.
When she's depressed she always pigs out on chocolates.
make a pig of oneself: (informal) eat too much.
She made a pig of herself, she had the whole pizza for herself!
guzzle: (informal) eat or drink a lot, with greed.
You guzzled my dessert! What a pig!
bolt: eat quickly, because one is in a hurry.
He bolted down the burger in just a minute!
wolf down: (informal) eat quickly, because you are hungry or in a hurry.
He wolfed down his lunch but was still hungry.
gobble (up): eat quickly.
You shouldn't gobble your food.
scoff: (informal) eat quickly.
William scoffed all the cake before we could get any.
polish off: finish a meal quickly or easily.
I was so hungry I polished off all the food.
nibble: eat small amounts of food, by taking small bites.
You have to nibble sweet corn.
peck: eat sparingly, without enthusiasm, because you are not interested or not hungry.
Sally didn't like the fish. She only pecked at it.
chew: masticate, bite food several times before swallowing it.
The meat was so tough that it took a lot of chewing.
gnaw: keep biting something hard.
I watched my dog gnawing at the large bone.
chomp: eat, chew forcefully.
Francis chomped away at the meat.
munch: chew, eat noisily.
We all munched at the cookies as we watched the movie.
consume: eat or drink.
Are you going to consume all the beef?
sip: drink something slowly.
She was sitting at the table sipping her wine with pleasure.
suck (up): drink something with a straw.
Sally sucked up all the juice from the carton.
swig (back): drink quickly, gulp.
The thirsty man swigged back the water.
knock back: drink quickly.
Francis knocked back his beer in a flash!
quaff: drink a lot of something quickly, knock back.
Guests quaffed champagne while waiting for the bride to arrive.
gulp (down): swallow quickly.
Francis gulped down his beer quicker than anybody else.

WAYS OF COOKING
cook: prepare food for eating by using heat.
Cook the sauce for 15 minutes.
bake: cook something in an oven.
Bake the cake for 45 minutes.
boil: cook something in boiling water.
Boil the rice for about 15 minutes.
braise: cook meat or vegetables in a small amount of liquid in a closed container.
Braise the meat for 30 minutes.
fry: cook something in hot fat or oil.
Fry the potatoes for 10 minutes.
grill/broil: cook something on a metal frame with bars across it, above strong direct heat.
Grill the meat for 20 minutes.
barbecue: cook food on a metal frame over a fire outdoors.
They always barbecue some meat when they go to the club.
roast: cook something in an oven or over a fire, on a spit.
Roast the chicken over an open fire.
poach: cook something in gently boiling water.
Poach the eggs for 5 minutes.
saute: cook something in a little amount of hot oil or fat.
Saute the vegetables for some minutes.
simmer: cook something slowly by boiling it gently.
Allow the soup to simmer for half an hour.
steam: cook something in steam.
Steam the vegetables lightly.
stew: cook something slowly in liquid.
Stew the meat for one hour.
stir-fry: cook something in hot oil for a short time and keep it moving in the pan.
Stir-fry the onions for 20 seconds.
toast: make bread or other food brown by placing it close to heat.
She toasted the cheese sandwiches.
microwave: cook something in a microwave oven.
Microwave the meat for 7 minutes.

WAYS OF MAKING SOUNDS

rustle: make a sound like the one that leaves or sheets of paper make when they move.
The leaves on the branch rustled in the wind.
clink: make a short high sound, like glass or metal objects hitting each other.
As she carried the tray, the glasses clinked.
chink: make a high ringing sound, like glass or metal objects hitting each other. It also refers to the noise of coins.
They chinked their glasses and drank a toast to the couple.
clang: make a loud, long, ringing noise like a metal hitting another metal object.
The door clanged shut and the elevator went up.
toll: make a slow ringing sound, like large bells in a church.
Bells tolled when the Pope died.
chime: make a ringing sound, like small bells or a clock that tells what time it is.
The clock in the living-room chimed five.
tinkle: make a light ringing sound, like very small bells or metal objects.
A tinkling bell meant that the butler had to go immediately.
bang: make a loud noise, when hitting something hard.
I banged on the window to get her attention.
crunch: make a noise like something being crushed.
As we walked up to the house, leaves crunched under our feet.
crack: make a short sudden loud noise, like a small explosion.
We could hear the thunder cracking above us.
crash: make a sudden loud noise, like something being hit.
The thunder crashed and boomed outside.
screech: make a loud, unpleasant, high noise, squeal.
Brakes screeched and then we heard  a crash.
roar: make a continuous loud noise.
The helicopter roared above them.
drone: make a continuous low dull sound.
An airplane droned overhead.
thud: hit something with a loud noise.
Waves thudded against the side of the ship.
clatter: make a loud unpleasant noise, when hard objects are hit.
The tray slipped and clattered to the floor.
scrape: make a rough unpleasant noise by rubbing against a hard surface.
Chairs scraped loudly when we stood up.
creak: make a long high noise, like a wooden floor when somebody walks on it.
The stair creaked as she walked up.
The door creaked open.
squeak: make a short high noise.
The shoes squeaked on the tiled floor.
knock: make a sound when hitting with the knuckles.
Someone is knocking at the door.
patter: make short quiet sounds by hitting a surface.
Rain pattered against the windows.
buzz: make a rough continuous sound, like a bee or a fly.
We could hear saws buzzing in the wood.
honk: make a loud noise using a horn.
The drivers honked his horn but the demonstrators didn't move.
hoot: make a loud noise with the horn on a car. In the UK the device is called 'a hooter', in the US it's a horn.
The car behind was hooting at us.
twang: make a ringing sound by being pulled and suddenly let go.
He twanged the guitar strings.
boom: make a loud deep noise, as when a bomb goes off.
Bombs boomed all around the campground.
bonk: make a sudden short deep sound, like a wooden spoon being hit against a wall or the floor.
whine: make a long high sound because you are in pain or unhappy.
The dog was really sad; it whined all night.
whimper: make low crying sounds.
She heard the dog whimper all night.
hum: make musical sounds with your lips closed.
If you don't know the tune, you can just hum the tune.
whistle: make a high musical sound by forcing out air through puckered lips.
She whistled a tune as she cleaned the kitchen.
hiss: make a long "s" sound, like a snake.
The tires hissed on the wet road.
The audience began to hiss and boo.
sniff: breathe air into your nose nosily.
Stop sniffing and blow your nose.
snort: make noise by breathing air out through the nose, to show that you are annoyed or amused.
Paul snorted with laughter.
gasp: breathe in suddenly in a way that can be heard.
The audience gasped in surprise.
whoop: shout loudly and happily.
The players ran around the field, whooping happily.
chant: recite or sing in a flat way or using only one tone.
That priest usually chants the liturgy.
boo: make a noise to show dissatisfaction.
The audience started booing and he left the stage.
moan: make a long low noise to show pain or unhappiness.
He moaned and cried in pain.
cheer: shout to show happiness, approval or support.
The audience cheered when the team appeared.
clap: make a short sharp noise by hitting the hands against each other, to show approval or enjoyment.
The audience began to clap as the actors appeared.
plop: make a sound like dropping into water.
The frog plopped into the pond.
sizzle: make a sound like bacon being fried in a pan.
The sausages started to sizzle in the pan.
swish: make a soft sound by moving something quickly through the air.
Her ball-gown swished as she walked.
blare: make a loud unpleasant noise.
We could hear horns blaring outside.
rumble: make a series of short low sounds.
We could hear thunder rumbling.
squelch: make a sucking sound, like walking in mud.
Her shoes squelched as she walked in the mud.
rattle: make a series of short sounds, like small objects hitting each other.
The bottles rattled as he carried the crates.
click: make a short hard sound, to show disapproval or when using the computer mouse.
His mother clicked her tongue and shut the door.
chirp / chirrup (GB): make short high sound, like small birds make in the morning.
We woke up and heard the birds chirp.
putter (GB): make a low sound, like a car with a low revolution engine or a motor boat.
The old car puttered by.
cluck: make a short low sound, like chickens do.
We could hear the chickens clucking around.
bleep: make a high electronic sound, like a pager, a mobile phone or a timer.
The timer began to bleep indicating that the eggs were cooked.
crackle: make short sounds, like something burning in a fire.
The logs crackled on the fire.
gurgle: make a low sound, like water flowing.
He could hear the river gurgling down in the forest.

WAYS OF CATCHING
To catch someone who is trying to escape
catch: to stop someone from escaping, especially by running after them.
You'll have to catch me first!, she said, running out of the room.
get: to catch someone, especially before doing something unpleasant to them or punishing them.
He ran for his life, but they got him in the end.
corner: to catch someone by forcing them into a room or space that they can't escape from.
The man cornered me; there was no way to escape.
catch up with: to catch someone that you have been chasing or trying to catch for some time.
It's no use running. Those guards are going to catch up with us sooner or later.
hunt down: to catch someone in order to kill, hurt or punish them or trying very hard to catch them.
The soldiers had orders to hunt down the enemies.
trap: to catch someone by skill or cleverness, or by forcing them into a place where they can't escape.
Don't call the police from a telephone booth; the attacker could trap you inside.
To catch someone and not let them leave
capture: to catch a person in order to make them a prisoner.
Many people at that time were captured and enslaved during the invasions.
round up: To catch several people by bringing them together from different places.
The army rounded up the enemies and shot them all.
take somebody prisoner: to catch someone, especially in war and keep him as a prisoner.
During World War II he was taken prisoner by the Nazis.
recapture: to catch someone for a second time when they have escaped after being caught once.
It's not likely that they will recapture us. We have lost them.
Ways of saying that the police catch a criminal
arrest: the police officer arrests someone when they tell them officially that they have done something illegal, and they take
them away.
The man was arrested for dangerous driving.
nick: an informal British word meaning "arrest".
She was nicked for shoplifting.
pinch: an old-fashioned British word meaning "arrest".
I heard that Bob got pinched by the police last night for that bank robbery he did.
collar: catch someone and hold them so that they cannot escape.
Did you know Bob was collared last night for that bank robbery he did last week?
take somebody into custody: to catch someone and take them to a police station until a court decides what their
punishment will be.
He was taken into custody by now, but we still don't know if they're going to release him.
Note: Also catch and get with the same meaning as in the first category.
To catch someone while they are doing something wrong or illegal
catch somebody red-handed: to catch someone who is in the middle of doing something bad or illegal, especially stealing,
when they are not expecting it.
The maid was caught red-handed stealing things from the house.
catch somebody in the act: to catch someone who is in the middle of doing something bad or illegal, by seeing them do it.
We caught the boys in the act while they were stoning the car.
nab somebody: to catch or arrest someone in the act of doing something wrong.
The police nabbed him just as he ran out of the shop with the money.
To catch an animal using special equipment or methods
trap: to catch an animal using special equipment that will hold them so that they can't escape.
The wolf has been trapped in a cage.
snare: to catch a small animal or a bird using a wire or rope that holds the animal so that it can't move.
They went to the fields to check if any rabbit had been snared in the net.
capture: to catch an animal after chasing or following it.
We couldn't get close enough to capture the horse.
round up: to catch farm animals, especially cows, horses or sheep, by bringing them together.
The dogs helped rounding up the sheep.
To catch an object
intercept: (sports) to catch a pass intended for a member of the offensive team.
He intercepted a dangerous pass just on time.
hook: to catch something as with a hook (also for fish).

WAYS OF CRYING
cry: produce tears from your eyes, usually because you are unhappy or hurt.
Please stop crying, Paul!
burst into tears: suddenly start crying.
When her boyfriend told her the truth, she burst into tears and ran out.
break down in tears: suddenly cry a lot, after trying not to cry.
After reading his letter, she broke down in tears.
be close to tears/on the verge of tears: be about to cry.
When she heard his voice on the phone, she was close to tears.
have tears in one's eyes: be about to cry.
When I said goodbye, I had tears in my eyes.
shed tears: cry.
I must admit I shed a few tears when the school closed.
be in tears: be crying.
The children were all in tears when our dog disappeared.
be in floods of tears: (UK) cry a lot.
The children were in floods of tears when our dog disappeared.
be moved to tears: be so upset that you start to cry.
A lot of people were moved to tears by his story.
weep: cry a lot for a long time.
The kids wept bitterly when it was time to leave.
cry one's eyes/heart out: be extremely sad and cry a lot.
After the robbery, she cried her heart out.
bawl: (a baby) cry very loudly.
We could hear the baby bawling upstairs.
sob: cry noisily, with sudden noisy breaths.
He began sobbing uncontrollably.
your eyes water: you start to cry, especially because there is a lot of smoke or because you have been cutting up onions.
There was so much smoke in that room that my eyes were watering.

WAYS OF SAYING "STRANGE"

Not previously known, seen, felt; not familiar
Strange
Never accept gifts from strange men.
Unusual, peculiar
Odd
She always wears odd clothes.
Strange in appearance
Bizarre
This situation looks bizarre to me.
Difficult to explain or understand; slightly insane
Funny The car engine is making a funny noise.
A funny little man was walking down the street.
Strange in an unpleasant way
Queer
This fish has a queer taste.
Unnatural, unconventional
Weird
He has a weird hairstyle.
Causing a feeling of mystery and fear because it's strange
Eerie I heard an eerie scream coming from the house.
It’s eerie to walk through a dark forest at night.
 Very unusual event or action
Freak It never rains like this here, it's a freak storm.
The region has been having a freak weather lately.
Attractively odd or old-fashioned
Quaint
That lady has quaint old customs.
Odd, in a troubling or displeasing way
Peculiar
I can distinguish that peculiar taste.
Full of odd or playful behaviour
Whimsical
He's got a whimsical sense of humour.
(in slang) Strange, peculiar
Fishy
This is a fishy business; I don't like it at all!
Mysterious, not natural or usual
Uncanny It was uncanny to hear his voice from such a distant
place.
Very strange
Fantastic
The painter drew fantastic shapes here.
Strange and interesting
Curious
What a curious thing to say!

WAYS OF SAYING "YOU'RE CRAZY"

TO BE CRAZY = TO BE... EXPRESSIONS THAT IMPLY 'EMPTINESS OR
bananas SOMETHING MISSING' (used humorously)
loony You're gone in the head
loopy You're half gone
mad You're half there
mental You're not all there
nuts You're not quite right
nutty You're out to lunch
whacky You're a bubble-head
mad as a hatter (from Alice in Wonderland) You're a space case
mad as a March hare You're an airhead
non compos mentis You're on another planet
round the bend You're unglued
You have flats to let
TO BE SLIGHTLY CRAZY = TO BE... You have rooms to rent
barmy You lost it
bonkers You lost the plot
cracked You lost your marbles
dotty You're knitting on only one needle
funny in the head You're driving on two wheels
queer in the head You're playing with only one umpire
You haven't got both oars in the water
EXPRESSIONS FOR WRONG THINKING OR NOT Something's missing upstairs
THINKING CLEARLY (used humorously) Lights on, but nobody home
You're wired-up wrongly You're not a full quid
You have the brain in neutral You're ten pence short of a quid
You have a lame brain You're ten cents short of a dollar
You have a screw loose You're two pence short of a bob
You have a loose connection up top You're only eighty pence to the pound
You're five annas short of a rupee
EXPRESSIONS THAT IMPLY 'INFESTATION' (used You're two bricks short of a load
humorously) You're a couple wafers short of a communion
You have bats in the belfry You're a few girls short of a chorus line
You have bats in the attic You're a sandwich short of a picnic
You have bugs in the brain You're one beer short of a round
You have rats in the loft You're one shoe short (of a pair)
You're batty You're one stump short of a wicket
You're one ball short of an over
You're one innings short of a match You're one match short of a test

If you think about it, most of these expressions are predicated on 'absence' or 'not enough' of something. It's quite easy to
make them up spontaneously.

WAYS OF SAYING "VERY GOOD"

Excellent Bloody good! You're getting the picture!

Wonderful Superstar! You're the best!
Great! Chocks away! You've scored there!
Good work! Full toss! Has anyone seen this?
Good show! Flashy! You worked that out well!
Very nice, indeed! Top hole! You're an expert!
Lovely! Note it down! You've been doing your
Splendid Look at this! homework!
Superb Goal! I knew you could do it!
Brilliant Neat! Couldn't have done better
Marvellous (GB) Marvelous (US) Cool! myself!
Way to go! Keen! I'm impressed!
Grade A! Killer! I'm over the moon with that!
Cracking! Unreal! No complaints there
Not bad at all Let's go! Moving forward, I see
Super stuff No sweat! You'll have it in a minute!
Pretty good! Keep going! I'm pleased with that
Just amazing! Solid gold! A treat to see!
Super attempt That's bright! Go for it!
Beautiful work Smoothly done! Get on down!
Lightning! Very well attempted! Maiden over!
Mega! Show off! Streaks ahead
First rate No fear! Optimum stuff
Nicely done Oh boy! Move over!
Nice try Do it again! Slick stuff!
Nice thinking! I like the idea! Test match play!
Nice. Who's your teacher? Top of the league! Clear the decks!
What a performance! Love it! Speed of light!
Now, that's perfect! Are you good, or are you good! Diamond work!
Ripping stuff! Now you've got it! Sexy!
Get the camera! Yes, you're getting there! Stonking!
Sock it to me! That's coming along, isn't it? Boss!
Make way for it! Got the hang of it now, haven't Solid!
Pukka job! you? Thrilling stuff
Going well You've done this before, haven't Topper!
Progressing well you? Cracker!
That's interesting You're really motoring now, Corker!
Prime stuff aren't you? Gaffer!
Exceptional Effortless, wasn't it? Bang on!
Premium! Easy, isn't it? That's the bee's knees!

SLANG WORDS FOR "TOILET"

How many of these words do you know for the 'smallest room in the house'? These are some of the less offensive terms
which can be found in slang English!!

lav / lavvy: shortened form of lavatory. "Just going to the lavvy luvvy!"
loo: from the French bordalou, a ladies portable toilet that looked a bit like a gravy-boat and was carried inside a muff (a
big, fury, double-glove for keeping the hands warm).
karsy: from the Italian casa (house). Don't say this in front of your English host-family.
thunder-box: British Indian army term. Self explanatory.
colfabias: this is actually fake Latin. Used by students at Trinity College, University of Dublin. 
fourth: used at Trinity College, University of Cambridge. In the 19th century the college lavatories were in the 4th court, so
"gone 4" or "taking a fourth" meant going to the toilet.
Jerry: Jericho was (still is, actually) the rough area of Oxford. So "going for a Jerry" became a slang expression for urinating.
forakers: from the Latin forica meaning privy.
little boy's room: euphemism for the chaps' loo.
little girl's room: euphemism for the ladies' loo.
po: from the French pot de chambre (chamber-pot), kept under the bed for night-soil.
throne room: obvious euphemism.
the bogs: British schoolboy term for toilet.
"going up the end of the garden": a reference to when British homes had outside lavatories, usually at the end of the
garden.
on the pan: to be sitting on the lavatory.
to take a leak: used in the United States mainly, to urinate.
to wizz: to urinate.

However, if you want to be really polite just say: "Excuse me, can you tell me where the facilities are?"