Hand-picked collocations Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

worth your while

A

interesting or useful for somebody to do

“It will be worth your while to come to the meeting.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

contraindication

A

a medical reason for not giving somebody a particular drug or medical treatment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

bar sb from doing st

A

Prisoners are barred by law from voting in general elections.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

bewitch

A

He was completely bewitched by her beauty.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

blaze a trail

A

do st that has never done before

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

ebullient

A

very happy and enthusiastic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

clemency

A

kindness when giving a punishment

“ Her lawyers appealed for clemency on the grounds of ill health

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

indolent

A

lazy

“ i’m an indolent creature”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

play fast and loose

A

treat so/ st in a careless way

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

bandit

A

an armed thief, esp one who attacks people while they are travelling

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

stringent

A

very strict or severe

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

attenuate

A

to make st weaker or less effective

“ The drug attenuates the effects of the virus”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

dig your own grave

A

do st that will cause serious problems for u in the future

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

feign

A

pretend that you have a particular feeling or that y are ill, tired,…

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

kick back

A

to relax

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

stalwart

A

a person who has been loyal for a long time

17
Q

tear down

A

knock down/ demolish

18
Q

have the property line surveyed

A

identify your land border

19
Q

keep at st

A

to continue working at something

“Come on, keep at it, you’ve nearly finished!”

20
Q

laid-back

A

= easy-going

“a laid-back attitude to life”

21
Q

mow

A

mow (something) to cut grass, etc. using a machine or tool with a special blade (= sharp cutting edge) or blades
“I mow the lawn every week in summer.”

22
Q

plant seeds

A
be seeded (with something) 
"The site has been seeded with prairie grasses and wildflowers."
23
Q

unsightly

A

not pleasant to look at
SYNONYM ugly
an unsightly scar

24
Q

petty

A

caring too much about small and unimportant matters, especially when this is unkind to other people

SYNONYM small-minded
How could you be so petty?

25
Q

screech

A

to make a loud high unpleasant sound; to say something using this sound

“Monkeys were screeching in the trees”

26
Q

coop

A

a cage for chickens, etc.

27
Q

trespass

A

trespass (on something) to enter land or a building that you do not have permission or the right to enter

“He told me I was trespassing on private land.”

28
Q

unwind

A

unwind (something) (from something) if something that has been wrapped into a ball or around something unwinds or you unwind it, it becomes, or you make it, straight, flat or loose again

29
Q

hairdo

A

the style in which a person’s hair is arranged

SYNONYM hairstyle

30
Q

flyaways

A

hair around forehead

31
Q

hem

A

the edge of a piece of cloth that has been turned under and sewn, especially on a piece of clothing

to take up the hem of a dress (= to make the dress shorter)

32
Q

lightweight

A

made of thinner material and less heavy than usual

a lightweight jacket

33
Q

styrofoam

A

a very light soft plastic that is usually white, used especially for making containers that prevent heat loss

34
Q

bribe

A

to give somebody money or something valuable in order to persuade them to help you, especially by doing something dishonest

bribe somebody (with something) They bribed the guards with cigarettes.

bribe somebody into doing something She was bribed into handing over secret information.