notions Flashcards
accelerate the (ageing) process, inflation accelerates
to happen faster or earlier; to make something happen faster or earlier
advanced towards a better understanding of…
progress or a development in a particular activity or area of understanding
the accumulative effects of pollution
growing by increasing gradually
augment (income)
to increase the amount, value, size, etc. of something
boost
profits, productivity, spending, (one’s) career, one’s confidence/morale/ego
[adj] + boost (n)
great/tremendous/welcome, much-needed, wonderful…
(slow/steady…) build-up
build-up of traffic, carbon dioxide build-up
a downward spiral
a situation that is getting worse very quickly, and which is difficult to control
make a leap
from (television) to (movies), make a (great) leap forward with sth
a leap in the dark/the unknown
an action or a risk that you take without knowing anything about the activity or what the result will be
proliferate
cell/animals proliferate, books and articles…
a close thing
a situation in which success or failure is equally possible
all the better, harder, more…
so much better, harder, etc.
ex: Her difficult childhood makes her achievements all the more remarkable.
beginner’s luck
good luck or unexpected success when you start to do something new
breakthrough
make/achieve a breakthrough, significant/major breakthrough
conquer the world/the (US) market
to become very popular or successful in a place
gain ground
to become more powerful or successful
gain - to gradually get more of sth
gain experience/knowledge/understanding/insight, gain momentum
gain - to obtain an advantage or benefit from something or from doing something
What do you hope to gain by this?, There is nothing to be gained from…
lifeblood
the thing that keeps something strong and healthy and is necessary for successful development
form the mainstay of…, (economic) mainstay
a person or thing that is the most important part of something and enables it to exist or be successful
open sesame
an easy way to gain or achieve something that is usually very difficult to get
ex: Academic success is not always an open sesame to a well-paid job.
(live) the American dream
the belief that America offers the opportunity to everyone of a good and successful life achieved through hard work
stepping stone
a stepping stone to a more lucrative career
yardstick
a standard used for judging how good or successful something is
ex: Exam results are not the only yardstick of a school’s performance.
gateway TO sth
a means of getting or achieving something
ex: Increasingly our role is as a gateway to information.
road map
a plan for the future, usually with a particular goal
strike gold
to find or do something that brings you a lot of success or money
a (growing) tide of opinion/opposition/optimism
the direction in which the opinion of a large number of people seems to be moving
turn the tide, the tide turned for sb/sth
there is a change in somebody’s luck or in how successful they are being
rising tide (of crime), stem the tide of… (= stop if from getting worse)
a large amount of something unpleasant that is increasing and is difficult to control
true to life
(of a book, film, etc.) seeming real rather than invented
spur = motivation
a (powerful) spur to (action), provide a spur for … (reform)
