1. ATTITUDE & EMOTIONS Flashcards
have the same opinion as someone
Everyone agrees with John that Sian should get the job.
agree with
unwillingly agree to do something
I want to go on an expensive vacation this year. I’m trying to persuade my husband to go along with the idea.
go along with
believe that someone or something is wrong
Martin and Simon disagreed with each other about what color to paint the kitchen. disagree with
disapprove of something
My aunt frowns on people wearing shoes indoors. She makes her friends take them off when they visit.
frown on
be opposed to something
Laura objected to Ankita’s proposals for the new restaurant.
object to
rely on someone
I can always count on my sister to comfort me when I’m upset.
count on
criticize someone for a particular thing
Danny pulled Roberta up on her attitude towards the environment.
pull up on (UK)
strongly criticize someone
During the debate, the politician hit out at her opponents.
hit out at
support someone in an argument
Whenever there’s a disagreement at work, Paulina always sides with our boss. It’s so irritating!
side with
reveal your opposition to something in public
Our local representative has come out against the plans for a new housing development.
come out against
defend someone or yourself against someone else
Carla stood up to the bullies. She told them to stop being mean to her brother
Stand up to
resist or oppose something
The workers at the factory are pushing back on the management’s attempt to introduce a pay cut.
push back (on)
dislike someone for an unknown reason
I think Sonia has something against me.
She never wants to talk to me.
have (something) against
reject an idea
My idea was shot down by the panel before I had a chance to explain it to them.
shoot down
respond to someone who has criticized you
When Emily’s boss accused her of being lazy, she fought back by showing him the clothes she had made that morning.
fight back
deal with criticism or a difficult situation by laughing at it
Terry’s colleagues always make fun of his shirts, but he just laughs it off
Laugh off
do something positive to correct a mistake
Donna bought her brother some chocolates to make up for the things she had said to him.
make up for
treat something as if it is not important
Paul usually shrugs off criticism of his cooking.
shrug off
solve small problems or details
The two companies have almost reached a deal. They just need to iron out a few last details.
iron out
not let criticism or a difficult situation affect you badly
Everyone criticized Magda’s art when she started, but she rose above it and is a successful artist now.
Rise above
in agreement
We’re on the same page about who should get this job.
given permission or approval
Samira has been given the go-ahead to play tennis after her injury.
similar in terms of thoughts, ideas, or attitude
It’s great to work with the creative people in this team. We’re all on the same wavelength.
given permission for
The government has given the green light to the construction of a new train station.
Fran’s dad gave her the thumbs-up to go out with her friends.
agree fully or have a similar attitude
I’m glad my boss and I see eye to eye about recycling in the office.
gave her permission
Fran’s dad gave her the thumbs-up to go out with her friends.
Unable to agree
Nelson and Carole are at odds about which car to buy
reacted angrily
Don jumped down my throat when I suggested he clean the kitchen
accepted each other’s differing opinion
My girlfriend and I have agreed to disagree about what to do on vacation.
a subject that people argue about regularly
Who takes the dog for a walk is a bone of contention for our kids.
severely reprimanded me
My wife read me the riot act for forgetting to lock the door again.
argued all the time
Lenka and I fought like cats and dogs when we were children.
reached an agreement
We struck a deal with the clients after we offered them a discount.
Diana and I reached a compromise about what movie to watch tonight.
a position between two different opinions, or a compromise
We found the middle ground about how much to spend on our new car.
made a compromise
My son wanted to stay out all night.
I met him halfway and let him stay out until midnight.
reaching an agreement after a long discussion
The negotiating teams stayed up all night hammering out a deal.
make a problem or conflict feel less serious
I tried to smooth things over between Pari and Toni after their argument.
ended an argument that has lasted a long time
My neighbor and I have buried the hatchet after arguing about the parking.
did something to end a conflict
After arguing with Dan, Cy held out an olive branch and bought him a drink.
imply, try to say something indirectly
Sorry, I’m not sure what you’re getting at.
get at
give your opinion publicly
Anetta is always speaking out about environmental issues.
add your opinion to an ongoing discussion
The professor weighed in on the debate about the new power station.
Weight in on
use facts or arguments to support your opinion
Farah makes sure to base all her arguments on facts.
base on
criticize someone in an angry way
Andy lashed out at someone who dropped litter in the street.
lash out (at)
criticize someone in an angry way
The manager laid into the players after they lost another match.
lay into
defend someone or something
Only one of my colleagues stuck up for me when my boss criticized my work.
stick up for
give someone support by agreeing with them
When Dad accused me of lying, Jo backed me up and told him I was telling the truth.
back up
make someone join in an argument against their will
Moira tried to drag Phil into her argument with the chef.
drag into
avoid becoming involved
in an argument
Phil, however, prefered
to stay out of it.
stay out of
withdraw a demand or admit you were wrong
Sam wanted his waiters to dress as hot dogs. He backed down when they threatened to quit.
back down
admit you are wrong (after some resistance)
When Pete showed Martin the facts, Martin had to climb down and admit he was wrong.
Climb down
withdraw a threat
Kirsten had been threatening to fire Imran, but she backed off when he promised to work harder.
back off
sort out your differences and become friends again
Arun and Les patched things up after they had an argument.
patch up
admit that what you said was wrong
I’m sorry I said I didn’t like your dress, Katie. I take it back.
take back
resolve a problem or disagreement
I’m trying to smooth things over with Anna, so I bought her some flowers.
smooth over (with)
agree to something (after a lot of resistance)
Craig’s parents finally caved in and bought him a games console.
cave in
make an opinion or proposal less strong
Ed hated Carla’s new book, but he watered down his opinion when he wrote his review.
water down
become friends again
Ben and guns finally made up after their argument
Make up
have a disagreement with someone
They had fallen out when they both applied for the same job
To fall out with
Help
Yulia offered to lend a hand with the dishes after the party.
sympathize with
I really feel for Mario. He has to work so hard in the kitchen.
To feel for
extremely generous
Semir is generous to a fault.
He invited us into his home for a wonderful meal.
made me feel guilty, or told me off
Phil gave me a hard time about being late for work again.
treats them very badly
The boss makes the trainees stay until 11 most nights. She treats them like dirt!
unnecessarily cruel or unkind
Laughing at Sandy’s new dress was below the belt.
disappointed us, or failed to support us
Selma let us down when she canceled the concert at the last minute.
offered to listen to someone’s problems
Yoshiko offered a sympathetic ear when my cat went missing.
kind and generous
Alex is so big hearted. She bought me a beautiful vase for my new apartment.
joking, or telling an untrue story for fun
Aziz told me he’d crashed my car, but he was pulling my leg.
playing tricks on people to make them look foolish
Brad loves playing practical jokes on his brother.
teased me
My friends ribbed me for having such an old phone. (US)
laughed at or made jokes about
As soon as he saw me he poked fun at my new hairstyle
Polite or obedient
The children were very well behaved during the performance.
behaved perfectly
My dog behaved beautifully when I took him on the train.
behaving extremely well or politely
I was on my best behavior when I met my boyfriend’s parents.
naughty or disobedient
Henry can’t control his badly behaved students.
behaved in an unusual way
Jean behaved out of character at the office party. She’s normally so quiet!
bad or offensive behavior
Margo explained to her daughter that drawing on the walls was unacceptable behavior.
suddenly begin (laughing or crying)
The children burst out laughing when the clown pretended to fall over.
burst out
become happier or make someone feel happier
Craig had had a bad day at work, but watching a funny movie cheered him up
Cheer up
begin to feel happier
Yana was upset, but she brightened up when I bought her some tickets to a concert.
brighten up
become happier or more lively
Anna hadn’t been feeling great, but she perked up after a cup of tea and a cookie.
perk up
stop taking everything so seriously
Sophie needs to lighten up, she’s still studying even though it’s her birthday today
Lighten up
be clear, easy to see (about a positive emotion or quality)
Patrick’s love of music shines through when he starts playing his guitar
Shine through
suddenly look happy
Donny’s face lit up when he saw the presents waiting for him on the table.
light up
begin laughing or make someone laugh a lot
Hiro’s jokes are hilarious. He really cracks me up.
crack up
become calmer
When Linda feels stressed, she listens to music to help her calm down.
calm down
check that someone is all right
I’ve been checking up on Andrei every day since he lost his job. He’s been very upset.
check up on
suddenly improve your mood or behavior
Petra’s been sulking for days. I wish she’d snap out of it.
Snap out of
become calmer
Cory’s daughter started to settle down as he sang her a soothing song.
settle down
reveal your true feelings
Jack’s a very private person, but he finally opened up and told me how he feels.
open up
recover from a bad experience
Kathy and Jamal broke up last month, but Kathy is still finding it hard to get over it.
get over
stop thinking about someone or something
Kathy is finally moving on after her break up with Jamal last year.
Move on
become physically or mentally stronger
Ed’s really toughened up after three years in the army.
toughen up
ask someone for help
Whenever I’m upset, I know I can turn to my sister.
turn to
deal with your problems in a systematic way
I see a therapist to help me work through my problems.
work through
manage, deal with a situation
My therapist has helped me to cope with many of my problems.
cope with
feel unable to show your emotions to others
Chris had been bottling up his emotions for a long time.
bottle up
start to cry
He eventually broke down and admitted that he was really upset.
break down
become very emotional, lose control
Andy fell apart when I told him that I was moving to another country.
fall apart
make someone start crying
This song is so moving. It always sets me off.
set off
irritate or upset someone
It really gets to me when people leave their trash on the metro.
get to
become emotional or upset
Tamal and Sam choked up when the hero died at the end of the movie.
choke up
have your eyes fill with tears, start to cry
Bella welled up when Pete asked her to marry him.
well up
make someone feel depressed
I’m sick of my neighbors arguing. It’s been getting me down for months.
get down
behave in a bad way to someone even though it is not their fault
Stop taking it out on me. It’s not my fault the weather is awful.
take out on
suddenly become unable to communicate
When Lisa walked onto the stage she froze up. She couldn’t say anything!
freeze up
become bigger or stronger
Sadie’s anger about her boss’s rude behavior had been building up.
build up
start to show (in an uncontrollable way)
It eventually spilled over, and Sadie told her how she felt
spill over
(about eyes) fill with tears
Simone’s eyes misted over as she told me about her childhood in the countryside.
mist over
(about temper, rage, or panic) suddenly become very angry or scared
Clare flew into a rage when her computer crashed and lost all her work.
fly into
become very upset or afraid (informal
Troy freaked out when he noticed the enormous spider climbing up the wall.
freak out
suddenly become tense or anxious
My husband tenses up whenever I try to talk about money with him.
tense up
tease someone, make someone angry
My grandchildren love to wind me up.
They’re always playing tricks on me.
wind up (UK)
make someone feel worried or unhappy
(Stress)
Work has been weighing on me a lot recently.
weigh on
suddenly become very angry
My manager is usually very understanding, but he blew up when I told him that l’d left my work laptop on the train.
blow up
very aggressive and argumentative with each other
They can’t stop arguing. They’re always at each other’s throats.
makes his feelings obvious
You can always tell when he’s upset.
He wears his heart on his sleeve.
cried uncontrollably
Leo cried his eyes out when I said he couldn’t have another cookie.
a huge relief
It was a weight off my shoulders when
Mark found my cat. She had been missing for a week.
very angry, or protesting against something
People in my town are up in arms about plans to build a new supermarket.
extremely angry
When Dylan copied her homework, Zoe was so angry that she was foaming at the mouth.
relaxed and enjoyed myself
After a long week at work, I let my hair down at my best friend’s party.
very upset, usually after the end of a romantic relationship
I was broken-hearted when my girlfriend left me.
boredom with being in the same place or situation
I get itchy feet when I haven’t been abroad for a long time.
appear calm despite being upset
I was really upset when a customer shouted at me, but I managed to keep a stiff upper lip.
too nervous to speak
I became tongue-tied when I had to give a presentation to the board of directors.
feeling sad
Liz was feeling blue when her best friend left the country.
Joseph has been down in the dumps since his girlfriend left him.
became angry
My neighbor saw red when I parked in front of his house.
very pale because of shock or fear
Silvio went as white as a sheet when he got the bad news.
very jealous
I was green with envy when Jamila showed me her new house. It was so big!
were out of control with excitement
The children all went bananas when I took them to the playground.
annoying me
This terrible weather is driving me nuts.
very excited and enthusiastic
Akio was full of beans when he started his new job at the salon
was embarrassed
I had egg on my face after I called Jo’s new boyfriend Ben. That was her ex-boyfriend’s name!
delighted, extremely happy
Jack was on top of the world when his team won the trophy.
I was over the moon when I won the best actor award
Claire was on cloud nine after she was promoted
smiled with extreme happiness
Dan grinned from ear to ear when he read his test results.
wonderful news
The news that our profits were up was music to our ears.
very much in love
Anne is head over heels with that boy she met at the festival.
something that makes me happy and is important to me
My motorcycle is my pride and joy.
I clean it every day.
cried with happiness
Brendan wept with joy when he won the talent competition.
were extremely happy
The kids jumped for joy when I brought our new puppy home.
wonderful to look at
The sight of the park in spring is a joy to behold.
eager to start doing something
Two minutes before the race, the athletes were all raring to go
puts a lot of effort and enthusiasm into
Salvador loves cooking. He puts his heart and soul into it.
an enthusiastic person
Our new intern is such an eager beaver. She works really hard.
done something with lots of enthusiasm and energy
Robbie has flung himself into training for the gymnastics competition.
full of enthusiasm and energy
Clara was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as she set off on the hike.
waiting with nervous excitement
(Looking at the tv, for instance)
I was on the edge of my seat as the detective revealed the murderer
with both anxiety and enthusiasm
(Gasping and breathing)
We waited with bated breath for the judge to announce the winner.
too excited and full of energy
(Not being able to stand in one’s feet)
The children were bouncing off the walls after a whole day indoors.
extremely excited
Sally was bursting with excitement as her favorite band came on stage.
was excited and nervous
Jamal had butterflies in his stomach as he waited for his date outside the restaurant.
felt like he was going to cry
(Like nodo in gola)
Yannis had a lump in his throat when he said goodbye to his son.
with sadness
It was with a heavy heart that I decided to leave my job at the gallery.
upset enough to cry
Carlos was reduced to tears when Marta was mean about his cooking.
a grumpy and
disagreeable person
I’ve taken you for a day out at the beach.
Why are you being such a downer? (US)
makes me really angry
It makes my blood boil when people litter.
annoying me
Jason’s loud music is really driving me crazy.
was angry with myself
I kicked myself when I realized I had left my bag on the train.
quickly became extremely angry
Dad hit the roof when he heard I’d failed my tests again.
angry and ready for conflict
Our boss is on the warpath about people leaving their computers on overnight.
the feeling that something bad is going to happen
Jen got that sinking feeling when she realized she had lost her keys.
made me feel very frightened
That horror movie sent shivers down my spine. It was so scary!
nervous or anxious
Christine felt on edge as she waited to see her dentist.
suddenly felt very afraid
My blood ran cold when I heard a strange noise outside.
very frightened and nervous
Alice was shaking in her boots before she did her first bungee jump. (US)
made me terrified
The sight of the old, spooky house made my hair stand on end.
lost respect, or felt embarrassed
Stella lost face when she got the figures wrong in her presentation.
wanted to escape an embarrassing situation
Nina wanted the earth to swallow her up when her dad showed her boyfriend pictures of her as a baby.
was extremely embarrassed
I almost died of shame when my girlfriend found me singing in front of the mirror.
looking embarrassed or ashamed
The players left the field with their tails between their legs after losing the game.
