This document defines and provides examples of usage for over 100 English idioms, phrases, and words. Some key terms explained include "to ensue" meaning "to happen after", "stack of" meaning "a neat pile", and "tangible" meaning "clear enough to be easily seen or noticed". Various idioms are also defined such as "to be at your wits end" meaning "to be so worried you don't know what to do", "to rack your brains" meaning "to think very hard", and "good riddance" meaning "goodbye said impolitely".
This document defines and provides examples of usage for over 100 English idioms, phrases, and words. Some key terms explained include "to ensue" meaning "to happen after", "stack of" meaning "a neat pile", and "tangible" meaning "clear enough to be easily seen or noticed". Various idioms are also defined such as "to be at your wits end" meaning "to be so worried you don't know what to do", "to rack your brains" meaning "to think very hard", and "good riddance" meaning "goodbye said impolitely".
This document defines and provides examples of usage for over 100 English idioms, phrases, and words. Some key terms explained include "to ensue" meaning "to happen after", "stack of" meaning "a neat pile", and "tangible" meaning "clear enough to be easily seen or noticed". Various idioms are also defined such as "to be at your wits end" meaning "to be so worried you don't know what to do", "to rack your brains" meaning "to think very hard", and "good riddance" meaning "goodbye said impolitely".
This document defines and provides examples of usage for over 100 English idioms, phrases, and words. Some key terms explained include "to ensue" meaning "to happen after", "stack of" meaning "a neat pile", and "tangible" meaning "clear enough to be easily seen or noticed". Various idioms are also defined such as "to be at your wits end" meaning "to be so worried you don't know what to do", "to rack your brains" meaning "to think very hard", and "good riddance" meaning "goodbye said impolitely".
to ensue (SYN. to follow) (from) - to happen after or as a result of something stack of (SYN. heap) - a neat pile of things tangible - clear enough or definite enough to be easily seen or noticed to relegate - to give someone or something a less important position than before to deploy - to organize or move soldiers, military equipment etc so that they are in the right place and ready to be used |(formal) to use something for a particular purpose, especially ideas, arguments etc the odds - difficulties which make a good result seem very unlikely to be at odds with/on - to disagree with/on cart round - to take something somewhere in a cart, truck etc atop - on the top of something when it comes to the crunch - if/when a situation becomes extremely serious and a decision must be made ambience (SYN. atmosphere) - the qualities and character of a particular place and the way these make you feel kudos (SYN. prestige) - the state of being admired and respected for being important or for doing something important paperback - a book with a stiff paper cover hardback - a book that has a strong stiff cover (e.g. copies in hardback) stiff - hard to bend folio - a book made with very large sheets of paper egalitarian - based on the belief that everyone is equal and should have equal rights to make a call - to visit affinity (SYN. closeness or bond) - a strong feeling that you like and understand someone or something | a close relationship between two things because of qualities or features that they share like-minded - thinking in a similar way walk-in fridge/closet - used to refer to a space used for storing things that is large enough for a person to enter and walk around in curious - weird, strange political leanings - a political set of beliefs and opinions we like what are the odds? - what are the chances? despite all odds - against all difficulties casualty - somebody who is hurt in an accident or war |a fatal victim coffee-table book - usually hard-covered book whose purpose is for display on a table intended for use in an area in which one entertains guests redundant - not necessary because something else means or does the same thing crunch - a noise like the sound of something being crushed | a difficult situation caused by a lack of something, especially money or time (AE) (to say something) off the top of your head - without careful thought or investigation to be a load/weight off your mind - an occasion when a problem that has been worrying you stops or is dealt with to be at your wits - to be so worried, confused, or annoyed that you do not know what to do next to be the brains behind something - to be the person who thought of and developed a particular plan, system, or organization, especially a successful one to come face to face with (somebody/something) - to be forced to experience a problem or the reality of a situation, and have to deal with it or accept it to cross (somebody’s) mind - if something crosses your mind, you think of it to give (somebody) a piece of mind - to speak angrily to someone about something they have done wrong to go to (somebody’s) head - if something goes to someone's head, it makes that person think that they are very important and makes them a less pleasant person | (of alcohol) make someone dizzy or slightly drunk to have a good mind to do something - to think that you might do something, often because something has annoyed you to have a good mind of its own - to have strong opinions about things, and make your own decisions without being influenced by other people to keep a straight face - to manage to stop yourself from smiling or laughing to keep/have (all) wits about you - to be ready to think quickly in a situation and react to things that you are not expecting to be banging your head against a (brick) wall - to do, say, or ask for something repeatedly but to be unable to change a situation to lose/save face - if you lose face, you do something which makes you appear weak and makes people respect or admire you less/if you do something in order to save face, you do it in order to avoid appearing weak and losing people's respect or admiration to put/set your mind to (something) - to decide you are going to do something and to put a lot of effort into doing it to rack your brains - to think very hard about something or try very hard to remember it to dream up - to invent something very unusual and usually silly to leave somebody to one’s own devices - to allow someone to make their own decisions about what to do attention span - the length of time during which one is able to concentrate or remain interested to appeal to somebody - to attract, please, or interest to break the mould - to be new and different to entail - to result in, to lead to, to imply to discern - if you can discern something, you are aware of it and know what it is to have an ear for something - if someone has an ear for music or languages, they are good at hearing, repeating, and understanding these sounds: avid reader - a person who reads whenever they can and is keen on it. fervent imagination - a person that has fervent imagination imagines things that are not necessarily true. to identify with - to feel sympathy with someone or be able to share their feelings discrepancy - variance, inconsistency pursuit - hobby, pastime gobbledygook - complicated language, especially in an official or technical document, that is impossible or difficult to understand disinterested - able to judge a situation fairly (SYN. impartial) industrious - hardworking exhaustive - detailed/comprehensive gain (n) - profit historic - something worth remembering except - but to enclose - to attach scarce - existing in a very small amount to refrain from - to not do something that you want to do (SYN. to abstain) fowl - a bird, like a chicken, kept for meat and eggs buoy - an object that floats on the sea, a lake etc complementary - going together with something else complimentary - given free to people/saying that you admire somebody or something principal - most important, main/headmaster stake - piece of wood/a stake in business is when you invested money in it foul - unpleasant stationery - materials that you use for writing, such as paper, pens, pencils etc stationary - still (e.g. a car) heir - somebody who will inherit something ascent - act of climbing up assent - approval reins - band of leather that is fastened around a horse’s head hand over the reins - take or give someone control over an organization or country phased - divided into phases fazed - surprised and worried guerrillas - partisans to prey - to hunt to insure - to buy insurance to ensure - to make sure to lessen - to reduce paws - an animal’s feet pores - holes you have in your skin to pour - to make a liquid or other substance flow out of or into a container by holding it at an angle scent - a pleasant smell that something has cereal - a breakfast food made from grain and usually eaten with milk to cite - to mention something as an example, especially one that supports, proves, or explains an idea or situation to whine - to moan cost of living - cost you bear to live or survive balance of power - a situation in which political or military strength is shared evenly centre of attention - the person or thing that everyone is most interested in and pays most attention to choice of career - a choice thank to which you can make decision how your future career will develop course of action - a way of proceeding or doing something crack of dawn - the very instant that the sun rises life of leisure - an existence that does not require that one works life of crime - habitual breaking of the law matter of principle - a situation that requires something be done a certain way because one believes it is the only right way point of no return - an achieved point you are in and you cannot come bac price of success - a price you have to bear to be successful sign of trouble - a mark that means that you are likely to have problems in a moment time of year - one of the natural periods into which the year is divided by the equinoxes and solstices or atmospheric conditions train of thought - a related series of thoughts that are developing in your mind to be Greek to somebody - to not understand anything you hear or read to vanish into thin air - to disappear completely to budge an inch - not to change one’s opinion whatever it takes tongue-tied - not able to speak tower of strength - somebody you can rely on to sleep not one wink - to not sleep at all to have too much of a good thing - the fact that something pleasant becomes unpleasant because you have or do too much of it the more fool you - it is an expression to tell somebody that they did or do silly things the long and short of it - to say something without giving details to lie low - to try not to be noticed crack of doom - the day of Judgement If the truth were know - If everyone knows the truth to bid somebody good riddance - to be happy that somebody is gone good riddance! - goodbye! (impolitely) to send somebody packing - to tell someone who is not wanted that they must leave at once to be dead as a door-nail - to be completely dead to be a laughing stock - someone who is a laughing stock has done something so silly that people have no respect for them It is all one to me - It makes no difference to me one way or another Tut tut! - it is said to express disapproval or irritation unfolding - act of taking apart to keep somebody on tenterhooks - to keep somebody unsure quirky - unusual, especially in an interesting way daunting - frightening in a way that makes you feel less confident to blow somebody away - to make someone feel very surprised, especially about something they like or admire intricate - containing many small parts or details that all work or fit together (SYN. complex) to browse - to look through the pages of a book, magazine etc without a particular purpose, just looking at the most interesting parts/to look at the goods in a shop without wanting to buy any particular thing eclectic - including a mixture of many different things or people, especially so that you can use the best of all of them eye-opener - an experience from which you learn something surprising or new human endeavour - human effort to achieve something undeniably - in an unquestionable or obvious manner misleading - if you describe something as misleading, you mean that it gives you a wrong idea or impression inaccessible - an inaccessible place is very difficult or impossible to reach or when something is inaccessible, you are unable to see, use, or buy it inaccuracy - the inaccuracy of a statement or measurement is the fact that it is not accurate or correct illiteracy - illiteracy is the state of not knowing how to read or write memorable - worth remembering or likely to be remembered, because it is special or very enjoyable to be shrouded in secrecy/mystery - to be a matter about which very little is known or understood to smother - to kill somebody so that they can not breathe/if you smother a fire, you cover it with something to put it out clothed - dressed to drape - if you drape a piece of cloth somewhere, you place it there so that it hangs down in a casual and graceful way to lay something out - to spread something out/ to arrange or plan a building, town, garden etc/to describe or explain something clearly/to spend money, especially a lot of money to put forward - to suggest a plan, proposal, idea etc for other people to consider or discuss (SYN. to propose) to draw up - to prepare a written document, such as a list or contract/if a vehicle draws up, it arrives somewhere and stops to bring about - to make something happen (SYN. to cause) craze - a fashion, game, type of music etc that becomes very popular for a short time albeit - although to slip - to slide a short distance accidentally, and fall or lose your balance slightly/to go somewhere, without attracting other people’s attention/to put something somewhere quietly or smoothly (SYN. to slide) to creep - to move in a quiet, careful way, especially to avoid attracting attention/to gradually enter something and change it to stray - to move away from the place you should be/to begin to deal with or think about a different subject from the main one, without intending to/ if your eyes stray, you begin to look at something else, usually without intending to resolute - doing something in a very determined way because you have very strong beliefs, aims etc stalwart - someone who is very loyal to a particular organization or set of ideas, and works hard for them steadfast - faithful and very loyal/being certain that you are right about something and refusing to change your opinion in any way resilient - able to become strong, happy, or successful again after a difficult situation or event/strong and not easily damaged by being pulled, pressed etc staunch - giving strong loyal support to another person, organization, belief etc relentless - strict, cruel, or determined, without ever stopping/endless acclaim - to praise someone or something publicly ubiquitous - found everywhere wacky - crazy mainstay - the most important part of something lapse of memory - a period of time when a person forgets things that he or she should have remembered to sharpen - to improve reluctance - when someone is unwilling to do something, or when they do something slowly to show that they are not very willing to bemoan - to complain or say that you are disappointed about something It’s a mixed blessing - it has both advantages and disadvantages irrespective of - regardless of across-the-board - if something is across-the-board, it concerns everything ageing - getting older to be given a hearing - to be listened to seriously and carefully