C1-C2 Flashcards
assess
evaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of
assume
baffled
totally bewildered (desconcentrado) or perplex
e.g. Her behavior baffled (v.) her parents.
biased
concentrate
consider
contemplate
cynical
deduce
deliberate
dilemma
discriminate
dubious
estimate
faith
gather
grasp
- verb - seize and hold firmly.
e.g. She grasped the bottle. - a firm hold or grip.
e.g. The child slipped from her grasp.
guesswork
'’conjeturas’’
hunch
an idea that is based on feeling and for which there is no proof
e.g. I had a hunch that you’d be there.
naïve
ponder
to think carefully about something, especially for a noticeable length of time
query
to ask or consult
elapse
(of time) to go past
e.g. Four years had elapsed since he left college and still he hasn’t found a job.
span
a span of time
spell
carefully planed operation
stint
supply a very dangerous or inadequate amount of something
sack
dismiss from employment
headhunt
cazar talentos (headhunter - cazatalentos)
change out of
take off the clothes or a piece of clothing you are wearing and put on different ones
do way with
get rid of
do up
repair, paint and improve an old building, car, boat, etc; fasten (an item of clothing)
key in
put information into a computer or other electronic machine using keys or a keyboard
use up
use all of a supply of something
wear out
use something a lot so that it no longer works, or can no longer be used
crop out
appear or happen suddenly or unexpected
dive in
e.g. Let’s dive in!
kick off with
begin with
knock off
stop working
knuckle down
start working hard, especially when you should have done this earlier
lay off
end someone’s employment, especially temporarily, because there is not enough work for them
e.g. The most recent lay-off saw staff fall to 175 from 250
lie ahead
if something lies ahead, it is going to happen to you in the future
make up
work at different times from usual because you have not worked enough at the normal times
press ahead/on (with)
continue doing something in a determined way, despite difficulties, opposition or interruptions
set out
start doing or working on something in order to achieve an aim outset
snow under
if you are snowed under, you have too much of something to deal with
take on
start to employ someone; accept some work or responsibility
tide over
help someone to get to the end of a difficult period of time, especially by
giving them money until they can get some more
while away
spend time in a relaxed way when you have nothing else to do
wind down
end or finish something gradually; gradually reduce work before stopping completely; relax after a period of excitement or worry
brush up on
improve one’s existing knowledge or skill in a particular area
come (a)round (to)
change your opinion or decision because someone has persuaded you agree with them
come up with
think of something such an idea or plan
mull over
think carefully about something over a period of time
a leopard can’t change its spots
all mod cons
the modern facilities in a house that make it easy and pleasant to live in
break the mould/mold
change a situation by doing something that is very different from what most people would do
change your tune
express a very different opinion or behave in a very different way
e.g. He’d soon change his tune if he thought she’d lost interest
have a change of heart
change your opinion about something or decide not to do something you were planning to do
know something inside out
be familiar with
stick to your guns
refuse to change what you are doing or saying despite the opposition or criticism of other people
the stools of the trade
something you need to use to do your job
turn over a new leaf
clamber
climb or move in an awkward and laborious way, typically using both hands and feet.
e.g. I cambered out of the trench
clench
(with reference to the fingers or hands) close into a tight ball, especially in a manifestation of extreme anger
clutch
to take or to try to take hold of something tightly, usually in fear, worry or pain
e.g. 1 ‘‘She clutched her mother’s hand.’’
e.g. 2 ‘‘Clutching the money in his chest, he hurried to the bank.
drift
to move slowly, especially as a result of outside forces, with no control over direction
fumble
to do something awkwardly, especially when using your hands
e.g. 1 ‘‘He fumbled in his pockets for some change.’’
e.g. 2 She fumbled around/about in her handbag, looking for her key.
glide
to move easily without stopping and without effort or noise
e.g. ‘‘I love my new pen, - it just glides across over the paper.’’
grasp
to quickly take something in your hands and hold it firmly
hop
- to move on one foot or to move about in this way
- to go somewhere quickly or to get into or out of a vehicle quickly
- if a small animal hops, it moves by jumping on all or two of its feet at the same time
roam
to move around or travel or wander, especially without a clear idea of what you are going to do
e.g. ‘‘After the bars close, gangs of youth roam the city streets.’’
skid
(especially of a vehicle) to slide along a surface so that you have no control
e.g. ‘‘Tony’s car skidded on some ice and hit a tree.’’
stride
to move or as if with long steps
wander
creep
allege
(alegar) claim or assert that someone has done something illegal or wrong, typically without proof
e.g. ‘‘He alleged that he had been assaulted.’’
assert
state a fact or belief confidently and forcefully
e.g. ‘‘The company asserts that the cuts will not affect development.’’
blunt (adj.)
saying what you think without trying to be polite or considering other people’s feelings
e.g. ‘‘I’ll be blunt - the last piece of work you did was terrible.’’
*a blunt pencil, knife, etc. is not sharp and therefore not able to write, cut, etc. properly.
boast (v., n.)
to speak too proudly or happily about what you have done or what you own
confide (v.)
e.g. 1 ‘‘He confided (to her) that his hair was not his own.’’
e.g. 2 “My husband doesn’t know yet, but I’m going to leave him,” she confided.
convey (v.)
to express a thought, feeling or idea so that it is understood by other people
e.g. ‘‘His poetry conveys a great sense of religious devotion.’’
disclose (v.)
to make something known publicly, or to show something that was hidden
e.g. ‘‘The company has disclosed profits for over 300$ million.’’
exaggerate (v.)
flatter (v.)
gist
the main subject, without details, of a piece of information
e.g. ‘‘The gist of what she said is that I didn’t know what she was talking about.’’
hint (n., v.)
inkling (n.)
a feeling that something is true or likely to happen, although you are not certain.
e.g. ‘‘He must have had some inkling about what was happening.’’
jargon (n.)
placard (n.)
a large piece of card, paper, etc. with a message printed on it, often carried in public places by people who are complaining about doing something
quibble (v.)
to argue about, or say or disapprove of, something that is not important
e.g. ‘‘There’s no point about quibbling about/over a couple of dollars.’’
rant (v., n.)
to speak, write or shout in a loud, uncontrolled and angry way
e.g. ‘‘He’s always ranting/raving (on) the government.’’
rave (v.)
to speak in an uncontrolled way, usually because you are upset or angry, or because you’re ill
e.g. ‘‘He’s always ranting/raving (on) the government.’’
scribble (v., n.)
to write or draw something quickly or carelessly
tip (n)
to (cause to move) so that one side is higher than another side
e.g. 1 ‘‘The table tipped, and all our drinks fell on the floor.’’
e.g. 2 ‘‘If you put to many books on one end of the shelf, it’ll tip it up.’’
e.g. 3 ‘‘Don’t tip your chair back like that, you’ll fall.’’
utter (v.)
to say something or to make a sound with your voice
e.g. ‘‘She sat through the whole meeting without uttering a word.’’
anchor / anchorman or anchorwoman
presentador / a
spine
the part of a book’s jacket or cover that encloses the inner edges of the pages, facing outwards when a book is on a shelf and typically bearing the title and the authors name
blurt out
say something suddenly and without thinking about the effect it will have, usually because you are nervous and excited
catch on
become popular or fashionable; understand
come out
come out with
say something suddenly, usually something that surprises or shocks people
dry up
stop talking because you have forgotten what you were going to say
get across
make people understand something
get around
if news gets around, a lot of people hear it
get through (to)
be connected to a place by telephone; make someone understand what you are trying to say
let on
talk about something that is intended to be a secret
pass on
give someone something
put across / over
explain an idea, belief, etc. in a way that is easy to understand
set down: write something on a piece of paper so it will not be forgotten and can be looked at later; state officially how something should be done
speak out
state your opinion firmly and publicly about something, especially in order to protest against or defend something
talk over
discuss a problem or a plan
talk around
succeed in persuading someone to agree something; discuss something in a general way and without dealing with the most important issues
big mouth
an indiscreet or boastful person
come clean (about something)
get the wrong end of the stick
give sb your word
(hear sth) on/through the grapevine
keep sb posted
regularly give someone information about someone that you are interested in, for example how a situation is changing or developing
keep something under the hat
to not tell anyone about (something)
e.g. ‘‘I’ll tell you what happened, but you have to keep it under your hat.’’
lay / put the cards on the table
to be honest about your feelings and intentions
tell tales
tell someone in authority about the bad things someone else has done, because you want them to be punished
bening (adj.)
- Pleasant and kind, not harmful or severe (a benign smile, a benign old lady).
- medical (of a disease or tissue growing because of a disease) not likely to result in death. (a benign tumor).
alleviate (v.)
to make pain or problems less severe.
(Still, this second effect would be expected to subside if and when local labor scarcity is alleviated.)
scarcity
a situation where something is not easy to find or get
deterrent (adj., n.)
(adj.) making someone less likely to do something by making it difficult for them to do it or by making them realize that it will have bad results.
(n): something that deters people from doing something
prosecute (v.)
to accuse someone of committing a crime in a law court or (of a lawyer) to try to prove that the person accused of committing a crime is guilty of that crime.
e.g. ‘‘He was prosecuted for fraud.’’
hearsay (n.)
the report of another person’s words by a witness, which is usually disallowed as evidence in a court of law
bury your head in the sand
ignore a problem or an unpleasant situation and hope that it will disappear
gain/get/have/take the upper hand
gain/get/take/have control or advantage over a person or situation
get/have your way
be allowed to have or do what you want
live and let live
red tape
documents, rules or processes that cause delays
take the law into your own hands
the powers that be
the people who control a situation
throw the book at somebody
punish someone very severely
under somebody’s thumb
completely controlled by someone else
back down
stop asking for something or stop saying that you will do something, because a lot of people oppose you
blend in
bring about
make something happen, especially to cause changes in a situation.
e.g. 1 ‘‘Social changes have been brought about by new technology.’’
e.g. 2 ‘‘Major spending is required to bring about substantial improvements in housing.’’
crack down (on)
start dealing with someone or something much more strictly
e.g.’’ The school is cracking down on smoking.’’
crackdown (n)
get in
be elected for a political job
get off
not be punished severely or at all for something you have been accused of in court; have a particular period of time as a holiday; send something, for example in the post
give in
hit back
criticize someone that has criticized you; deliberately hurt someone who has hurt you
lock up
- put someone in prison
2.lock all the doors and windows of a building so that no one can get in
opt out of
decide not to take part in something or stop taking part in it
phase out
gradually stop using something
punch around
keep telling someone what to do in an unfair or unpleasant way
single out
choose one person from a group for special attention
stand up to
not allow yourself to be treated badly, especially by someone in authority
take over
take control of something, begin to do something that someone else was doing
talk down to
talk to someone as if you think they are less clever or important as you are
ascribe
- ascribe something to something: to believe that something is the cause of something else.
e.g. ‘‘Their defeat was ascribed to a poor defense.’’
- ascribe something to someone/something: to believe that something is a typical quality of someone or something
e.g. ‘‘He ascribes melodramatic behavior to teenagers in general.’’
- (ascribe something to someone) to believe that a particular person wrote a book or a piece of music, painted a picture etc so that people generally accept this to be true
e.g. ‘‘The Odyssey is a work ascribed to Homer.’’
blow
1 a hard hit from someone’s hand or an object
2 an event that spoils your chances of success or that makes you feel sad disappointed or shocked
3 an act of blowing air from your own mouth or nose
foresee
to see or know something that will happen in the future
e.g. ‘‘Who could have foreseen such problems?’’
pot luck
a situation in which you don’t know what to expect, but you hope that it will be good
haphazard (adj.)
done in a way that doesn’t seem to be carefully planned or organized
startle (v.)
to make a person or animal feel suddenly frightened or surprised by doing something that they do not expect
e.g. ‘‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.’’
transpire
to happen
e.g. 1 What transpired next was a scene worthy of the sitcoms we were watching.
e.g. 2 ‘‘Just over two weeks ago a series of unfortunate events transpired.’’
wobble (v.)
to rock slightly from side to side, or to make something do this
e.g. 1 ‘‘I wouldn’t sit on that chair - it wobbles.’’
e.g. 2 ‘‘The statue wobbled and then fell over.’’
jinxed (adj.), jinx (n.)
something or someone that is jinxed has a lot of bad luck
a stray bullet
(una bala perdida)
inadvertent (adj.)
crop (n.)
a plant grown for food, usually on a farm
e.g. ‘‘Coffee is an important crop in Colombia.’’
famine
flood -
drought
'’Burning fossil fuels gives off carbon dioxide.’’
scarce
(escaso)
meander (v.)
(of a river or a road) follow a winding course
chance upon
find or see someone or something when you did not expect to
come across
cool down - heat up
cut back (on)
reduce the amount of something, especially money that you spend
die out
become weaker or less common and then disappear completely
dry up
get through
kill off
destroy living things so that most or all of them are dead
put down to
if you put something down to a particular reason, you think it has happened for that reason
slip up
spring up
appear or be produced suddenly and quickly
store up
keep a lot of something so that you can use it later; do something that will cause problems in the future
throw out
force someone to leave a place or group; if someone in authority throws out a plan, proposal, etc. they refuse to accept it
throw up
produce something new or unexpected; cause something such as dust or water to rise into the air
an act of God
an event as a flood, lighting or earthquake that is produced by natural forces, and that people have no control over
come rain or shine
down on your luck
draw the short straw
be chosen to do something unpleasat
have green fingers
be good at growing plants
let nature take its course
no rhyme no reason
used to emphasize that there is no reason or explanation to something
out of the blue
the luck of the draw
used for saying that people have limited control over what life brings them
touch wood
used when you have said that you have good luck in order to prevent bad luck from happening to you
ample (adj)
- plentiful, enough an ample supply of water ample time to finish
- Of sufficient or abundant measure; liberal; copious an ample reward
- Large, spacious, roomy ample storage space
batch (v, n)
v. arrange (things) in sets or groups I had nothing to do but batch the reports.
n. a quantity or consignment of goods produced at one time a batch of bread
bulk (n)
heap
- An untidy collection of objects placed haphazardly on top of each other
A heap of cardboard boxes. - INFORMAL a large amount or number of We have heaps of room.
- Put objects in a heap. She heaped logs on the fire.
meager (adj)
(of something provided or available) lacking in quantity or quality
(of a person or an animal) lean; thin a tall meager man
add up to
break down
separate something such a total amount into separate parts breakdown (n)
build up
increase or make something increase; gradually develop; talk about someone or something in a very positive way so that people are impressed with them; make someone bigger, healthier or stronger, especially by making them eat more build-up (n)
buy off
give someone money so they don’t act against you
buy up
buy large amounts of something or all of it that is available
carry over
take something that you earn or are given in one year or period of time into the next one carry-over (n) His money was carried over to his children.
clock up
reach certain number or amount
club together
if people club together, each of them gives a certain amount of money so all the money collected can be used to buy something
drum up
try to make people support you or buy something from you
mount up
make something larger
pay back
give someone the same amount of money that you borrowed from them
pay out
spend or pay money, especially a lot of money; provide money from an amount invested over a period of time
size up
think carefully and form an opinion about a person or situation
take away
remove one number or quantity from another number or quantity
weight down
make someone heavy and unable to move easily; cause problems for someone or something or make someone worried
a drop of water
a small amount that will not have much effect
beak even
if a person or business breaks even, they neither make a profit nor lose money
fall short
go halves
It’s as broad as it’s long
used for saying that you cannot choose between two things or actions because they are equal
Keep up with the Joneses
try to be as rich, successful, etc as your neighbours
Knee-high to a grasshopper
very small, because you were very young
Line your pocket(s)
obtain money, especially by acting dishonestly
Lock, stock and barrel
including every part of a particular thing, situation, place, etc
Six of one (and) half a dozen of of the other
idiom. US, informal. used to say that one does not see any real difference between two possible choices.
brittle (adj)
fragile
crumb (v)
- a small fragment of cake, bread or biscuit She brushed some cake crumbs off her dress 2. A very small amount of something The project provided few crumbs of comfort
hollow
having a hole or empty space inside a hollow metal tube
lump (v)
to put people or things into the same group, although they do not really belong together You can’t just lump all disabled people together like that
lump (v)
a solid piece of something that does not have a regular shape I tripped over a lump of concrete
pat (n, v)
n. the action of gently touching someone or something several times with a flat hand to show that you care about them or want to make them feel better I felt a pat on my back and turned around
v.to touch someone gently several times with a flat hand to show that you care about them or want to make them feel better
scrub (v, n)
v. to wash or clean something by rubbing it hard, especially with a brush I’ve been scrubbing the floor all day.
n. a thorough wash or clean What your fingernails need is a good scrub.
speck
a very small spot or mark There isn’t a speck of dust in the house.
stiff (adj)
firm and difficult to bend Take a stiff piece of card and cut a hole in it.
dwell (v)
to live somewhere The little old man dwelt in a rundown cottage.
bypass (v, n)
v. to avoid the center of a town or city by using a road that goes around it If we take the other road, we can bypass Reading altogether.
n. a road that goes round a town or city so that you can avoid going through its center. I don’t think they’ll ever finish the new bypass.
high-rise (adj)
a high-rise building is very tall with many floors or levels. I couldn’t live in a high-rise block.
board up
cover a window or door with wooden boards
close up
lock the doors of a building or business
come out
be removed from something such as clothing or cloth by washing or rubbing; have a particular result or end in a particular end
cut out
fix up
knock/pull/tear down
pile up
prop up
stop something from falling behind by putting something under it or against it; help a government, system, organization, etc continue to exist, especially by providing financial or military support
put in
fix something such an equipment in the place where it will be used and make it ready to use; make and official request, claim, offer, etc
put together
choose people or things to form a team or group
set up
build a structure in a particular place; make a piece of equipment ready for use
spread out
if people in a group spread out, they move away from one another so they cover a large area
take down
separate a large structure into pieces; write down information or a statement
water down
make something such an statement or newspaper article less offensive, powerful or detailed
wear down
make something gradually disappear or become thinner by using or rubbing it; make someone gradually lose their energy or confidence
a home from home
a place where you feel as relaxed as you do in your own home
blot on the landscape
something that makes a place look less attractive, for example and ugly building
commuter belt
area surrounding a large city where there many people who work in that city live
concrete jungle
unpleasant part of a city where there are a lot of ugly buildings close together
home sweet home
in the sticks
in an area far from the town or city
make yourself at home
on the street
with no place to live
on the town
spending the evening enjoying yourself in bars, clubs, theaters, etc.
black out
suddenly become unconscious; make a place dark by turning off the lights, blackout (n)
come out in
become covered in sports because you are ill or because your body reacts to a food or medicine She can’t eat shellfish without coming out in sports.
come around
become conscious again after being unconscious; happen again; go to a place where someone is, to visit them; be persuaded to change your opinion or decision
cotton on
begin to realize or understand something
get down
make someone feel sad or lose hope
get over
start to feel happy or well again after something bad has happened; solve or deal with a problem
go down (well/badly) (with sb)
produce a particular reaction
lash out
try to hit or attack someone suddenly and violently; speak angrily to or against someone
pass away/on
die
play up
cause difficulties or pain for someone; behave badly
pull through
manage to stay alive after you have been very ill or very badly injured; succeed in a very difficult situation, or help someone to do this
shrivel up
become smaller and thinner and not look fresh and healthy; become weaker or smaller
summon up
manage to produce a quality or a reaction that helps you deal with a difficult situation
ward off
do something to prevent someone or something from harming you
cry over spilt milk
waste time feeling upset about something bad that has happened and cannot be changed
fly off the handle
suddenly become extremely angry without a good reason
Give sb a taste/dose of their own medicine
give sth a miss
decide not to do something you usually do
grin and bear it
accept a difficult situation without complaining or showing how you feel
keep a straight face
remain serious and not laugh
keep your hair on
used for telling someone not to get angry or upset
kick yourself
be very annoyed because you have made a mistake, missed an opportunity, etc.
let off steam
shout or do something that allows you to get rid of anger
let sleeping dogs die
leave a person or situation alone if they might cause you trouble
never/don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
if you are given something good, you should not complain about it or try to find things that are wrong with it
up in arms about
angry and complaining about something
contenment (n)
the happiness you feel when you have everything you want and enjoy life He has found contentment and satisfaction in his work.
glance
glimpse
an occasion when you see someone or something for a moment only He glimpsed a short white-haired figure heading for the back gate.
gloat (v)
to show that you are happy and proud at your own success or at someone else’s failure He was there to gloat over their defeat.
cross
angry
The neighbors got cross every time we put our music on.
glum (adj)
looking sad, as if you expected something bad to happen
e.g.You look a bit glum.
grimace (n)
a ugly expression that you make by twisting your face, for example because you are in pain or do not like something
e.g. She grimaced as she swallowed the medicine.
grin (n)
a big smile that shows your teeth
peep (n)
a quick look at something
e.g. I’ll just take a peep inside
peep (v)
to look at someone quickly and secretly, usually from a place where you think you cannot be seen e.g. She tried to peep through the gates to see the garden.
rejoice
smirk
an unpleasant smile
e.g. Wipe that smirk off your face!
He snapped angrily
prognosis (n)
a doctor’s opinion about the way in which a disease or illness is likely to develop
e.g. What’s the prognosis, doctor?
sick live (noun phrase)
baja
preven(ta)tive medicine
syringe, vaccine
ward (n)
a large room in a hospital with beds for people to stay in
e.g. Jo is a staff nurse working on the maternity ward.
aggravate (v)
to make something bad become worse, especially a situation or a medical condition
e.g. His headache was aggravated by all the noise.
better (v)
to achieve a better result than someone doing something
e.g. Badman’s score of 96 has never been bettered.
Industrial sewage continues to contaminate out beaches.
defective
detrimental (adj)
harmful or damaging
e.g. Overexposure to sunlight can have a detrimental effect on the skin.
enhance
exacerbate (v)
to make a problem become worse
e.g. Complaining will only exacerbate an already difficult situation.
invaluable (adj)
extremely useful
e.g. The Internet is an invaluable resource for students.
optimum (adj)
best or most suitable within a range of possibilities
e.g. The optimum conditions for breeding are provided by the warm weather.
optimum (n)
the best or most suitable situation, level or amount
e.g. The optimum we should be producing is 100 units per hour.
outclass (v)
redeeming feature (noun phrase)
a positive quality that improves something that is not very good by including something that is good. Smith’s only redeeming feature is that he knows his job.
refurbish
They’re planning to refurbish the teacher’s room.
rusty (adj)
shambles (n)
something that is very badly organized and does not operate
effectively
Government corruption has left the economy in a shambles.s
shoddy (adj)
shoddy work, services or products are of a very low standard
e.g. The work they did on the road was very shoddy in places.
sound (adj)
a high degree of knowledge or an in-depth awareness of something
e.g. You’ll need a sound understanding of basic teaching skills before you enter the classroom.
stale (adj)
stale food such as bread is old and no longer fresh
e.g. Wrap the bread well or it’ll go stale.
streamline (v)
to improve a business, organization, process, etc. by making it more modern or simple.
e.g. We need to streamline the whole process.
strengthen
wreck (n, adj)
period (adj)
typical of a particular historical time.
e.g. Will you be wearing period costumes in the play?
score (n)
the music written for a film, play, etc.
Who wrote the musical store for Star Wars?
brighten up
- start to have more color or light; give something more color or light; start looking or feeling happier.
- if the weather brightens up, it becomes sunnier
brush up (on)
practice and improve your skill of something
check out
- examine someone or something in order to be certain that everything is correct, true or satisfactory
- if information checks out, you feel that it is true after examining it
liven up
make something more interesting or exciting, or become more interesting or exciting; give something a more interesting appearance, taste or other quality
make over
change or improve the appearance of something or someone
makeover (n)
mess up
- make a mistake
- make something dirty or untidy
- be the cause of someone’s physical, emotional and mental problems
paper over
hide a problem in disagreement rather than finding a satisfactory solution to it
patch up
- repair something, often quickly and not very well
- become friends with someone again after a disagreement
- give basic medical treatment to someone who is injured
pick up
improve
run down
if an organization or area is run down, its size, importance ad activity is reduced (run-down, adj)
scrape though
succeed in doing something, but not in a very impressive way
smarten up
improve the appearance of something, for example, by cleaning or painting it; if you smarten up or smarten yourself up, you make yourself look tidy and clean
stand out
be much more impressive or important than others; be easy to see or notice because of being different or outstanding
touch up
make a surface look better with small improvements
waste away
gradually become thinner and weaker over a period of time, usually because of an illness
write off
- damage a vehicle so badly that its not worth repairing
- decide that someone or something will not succeed and stop giving them your attention
write-off (n)
a sight for sore eyes
someone or something that you are very pleased to see
Achille’s heel
add fuel to the fire
make a bad situation worse
below/under par
below the usual or expected standard
clean as a whistle
- completely honest and legal
- extremely clean
draw the line (at)
last word in
the newest and best type of something
over the top
more than what is considered normal or suitable
steal the show
the edge over
and advantage that makes someone or something more successful than other people or things
liken
Mary linked herself to Bill Gates.
merge (v)
if two organizations merge, or you merge them, they combine to form one organization.
e.g. I might lose my job when the two businesses merge.
answer back
ask out
break up
break something to make smaller pieces; if a meeting or other event breaks up, or you break it up, it ends and people leave
bring out
make someone or something show a quality that they have; produce a new product and start to sell it
bring together
create a situation in which people meet and do something together, especially when they would not usually do so
cancel out
stop something from having any effect
come between
cause a disagreement or argument between people
crowd around
go together
meet up
pick on
come together with someone, either unexpectedly or as planned
pick on
keep treating someone badly or unfairly, especially by criticizing them
take after
take to
begin to like someone or something; start doing something as a habit
be born with a silver spoon in your mouth
have advantages because you come from a rich family
be on the same wavelength
understand the way another person thinks because you often have the same ideas and opinions they do
get on like a house on fire
become good friends very quickly and have a lot to talk to each other about
in sb’s bad/good books
used for saying that someone is annoyed/pleased with you
like two peas in a pod
used for saying that two people look, behave or think the same way
on good terms (with)
put sth in perspective
provide a sensible way of judging how good, bad, important, etc something is in comparison with other things
sb is only human
see eye to eye (with sb)
your flesh and blood
your relative
mundane
idle (of a person)
- avoiding work; lazy
e.g. idle students - without purpose or effect; pointless
e.g. idle chatter
respite (n)
a short period of time of relief from something difficult or unpleasant
e.g. The refugee encampments will provide some respite from the suffering.
unwind (v)
undo or be undone after winding or being wound
e.g. Ella unwound the long woolen/woollen scarf from her neck.
relax after a period of work or tension The Grand Hotel is a superb place to unwind.
center around
get into
start enjoying something or become enthusiastic about it; if a train, plane etc gets into a place, it arrives there; become involved in a bad situation
go in for
enjoy a particular thing or activity; choose something as a subject of study or as your career
go off
stop liking someone or something; explode or be fired; leave a place, especially for a particular purpose; if food or drink goes off, it is no longer fresh
grow on
if something or someone grows on you, you start to like them more
hang out (phrasal verb)
hang-out (n)
keep up
continue to do something; continue at the same speed as someone or somethhing
laze around
relax and enjoy yourself doing no work
mess around/about
spend time doing things in a relaxed way; behave in a silly way
pick up
learn a new skill or start a habit without intending to; go and meet someone or something that you have arranged to take somewhere in a vehicle
seek out
find someone or something by looking for them in a determined way
put in
put in the work
input (n)
take in
include something
take off
have a particular time away from work; become successful or popular very fast
take-off (n)
take out
take someone to a place like a cinema or a restaurant and usually pay for them
warm up (phrasal verb)
warm-up
bight
a bend in a coast forming an open bay
bombastic
comeliness (n)
condition of being pleasant in appearance
digress (v)
to turn aside from the main subject in an argument We have digressed a lot from our first plan.
fastidious
difficult to please
fringe (n)
additional or marginal to some activity Recycling is a fringe activity. (‘’actividad marginal’’)
interdict (n)
a prohibitory decree
meet (fitting)
You should meet/fit thsese requirements in order to acquire this position.
opprobium
at a loose end
with nothing particular to do
couch potato
do something on a whym
have time on your hands
