random Flashcards
breath
1.a breath of (fresh) air
clean air breathed in after being indoors or in a dirty atmosphere
We’ll get a breath of fresh air at lunchtime.
I’m going outside for a breath of fresh air.
TOPICS Health and FitnessC2
2.a breath of fresh air
a person, thing or place that is new and different and therefore interesting and exciting
The new secretary is a breath of fresh air.
3.catch your breath
to stop breathing for a moment because of fear, shock, etc.
When he said he had resigned, I caught my breath in surprise.
(also get your breath (again/back) British English) to start to be able to breathe normally again after running or doing exercise that makes you tired
4.draw breath
(British English)
(US English draw a breath)
to stop doing something and rest
She talks all the time and hardly stops to draw breath.
He spoke solidly for twenty minutes, barely pausing to draw breath.
5.hold your breath
to stop breathing for a short time
Hold your breath and count to ten.
How long can you hold your breath for?
to be nervous while you are waiting for something that you are anxious about
He held his breath while the results were read out.
(informal) people say don’t hold your breath! to emphasize that something will take a long time or may not happen
6.in the same breath
immediately after saying something that suggests the opposite intention or meaning
He praised my work and in the same breath told me I would have to leave.
7.his/her last/dying breath
the last moment of a person’s life
8.save your breath
(informal) used to tell somebody that it is not worth wasting time and effort saying something because it will not change anything
Save your breath—you’ll never persuade her.
It’s useless talking to him—you may as well save your breath.
9.say something, speak, mutter, etc. under your breath
to say something quietly so that people cannot hear
‘Rubbish!’ she muttered under her breath.
He was whispering rude remarks about her under his breath.
10/take somebody’s breath away
to be very surprising or beautiful
My first view of the island from the air took my breath away.
The sheer audacity of the man took my breath away.
11.waste your breath
to say something that nobody takes any notice of
You’re just wasting your breath. She never listens.
bite
1.be bitten by something
to develop a strong interest in or enthusiasm for something
He’s been bitten by the travel bug.
2.bite the bullet
(informal) to start to deal with an unpleasant or difficult situation which cannot be avoided
I wasn’t happy with the way my career was going so I decided to bite the bullet and look for another job.
3.bite the dust
(informal)
to fail, or to be defeated or destroyed
Thousands of small businesses bite the dust every year.
4.bite the hand that feeds you
to harm somebody who has helped you or supported you
5.bite your lip
to stop yourself from saying something or from showing an emotion
I bit my lip and forced myself to be calm.
6.bite off more than you can chew
to try to do too much, or something that is too difficult
7.bite your tongue
to stop yourself from saying something that might upset somebody or cause an argument, although you want to speak
I didn’t believe her explanation but I bit my tongue.
8.once bitten, twice shy
(saying) after an unpleasant experience you are careful to avoid something similar
different
1.be another/a different matter
to be very different
I know which area they live in, but whether I can find their house is a different matter.
That’s a whole different matter.
I don’t mind lizards, but snakes are a different matter.
2.a different kettle of fish
(informal) a completely different situation or person from the one previously mentioned
3.know different/otherwise
(informal) to have information or evidence that the opposite is true
He says he doesn’t care about what the critics write, but I know different.
4.march to (the beat of) a different drummer/drum | march to a different beat/tune
to behave in a different way from other people; to have different attitudes or ideas
She was a gifted and original artist who marched to a different drummer.
5.pull in different/opposite directions
to have different aims that cannot be achieved together without causing problems
There are different considerations, often pulling in different directions.
6.put a new/different complexion on something
to change the way that a situation appears
What you have told us puts a different complexion on the situation.
The joke took on a rather serious complexion when the police became involved
7.sing a different tune
to change your opinion about somebody/something or your attitude towards somebody/something
difference
1.bury the hatchet | bury your differences
to stop not being friendly and become friends again
After not speaking to each other for years, the two brothers decided to bury the hatchet.
2.a distinction without a difference
a point that somebody wants to suggest is a difference when in fact it is not different at all
His government did not brand them terrorists, but rather ‘an entity that supports terrorism’. That may prove to be a distinction without a difference.
3.make all the difference (to somebody/something)
to have an important effect on somebody/something; to make somebody feel better
A few kind words at the right time make all the difference.
Just five minutes’ exercise a day could make all the difference.
4.make a, no, some, etc. difference (to somebody/to something/in something)
to have an effect/no effect on somebody/something
The rain didn’t make much difference to the game.
Your age shouldn’t make any difference to whether you get the job or not.
Changing schools made a big difference to my life.
What difference will it make if he knows or not?
I don’t think it makes a lot of difference what colour it is (= it is not important).
‘Shall we go on Friday or Saturday?’ ‘It makes no difference (to me).’
5.sink your differences
to agree to forget about your disagreements
We need to sink our differences and present a united opposition to the plan.
6.with a difference
(informal)
(after nouns)
used to show that something is interesting or unusual
The traditional backpack with a difference—it’s waterproof.
If you want a holiday with a difference, come to Iceland.
7.
hard
1.be hard on somebody/something
to treat or criticize somebody in a very severe or strict way
Don’t be too hard on him—he’s very young.
to be difficult for or unfair to somebody/something
It’s hard on people who don’t have a car.
to be likely to hurt or damage something
Looking at a computer screen all day can be very hard on the eyes.
2.(caught/stuck) between a rock and a hard place
in a situation where you have to choose between two things, both of which are unpleasant
3.give somebody a hard time
to deliberately make a situation difficult and unpleasant for somebody
They really gave me a hard time at the interview.
4.hard and fast
(especially after a negative)
that cannot be changed in any circumstances
There are no hard and fast rules about this.
This situation isn’t hard and fast.
5.hard going
difficult to understand or needing a lot of effort
I’m finding his latest novel very hard going.
6.hard luck
(British English) used to tell somebody that you feel sorry for them
‘Failed again, I’m afraid.’ ‘Oh, hard luck.’
7.a hard/tough nut (to crack)
a difficult problem or situation to deal with
8.a hard/tough act to follow
a person or event that is so good or successful at something that it will be difficult for anyone/anything else coming after them to be as good or successful
She has been an excellent principal and will be a hard act to follow.
Their contribution will prove a tough act to follow.
9.the hard way
by having an unpleasant experience or by making mistakes
She won’t listen to my advice so she’ll just have to learn the hard way.
He learned about the dangers of drugs the hard way.
10.make hard work of something
to use more time or energy on a task than is necessary
11.no hard feelings
used after you have been arguing with somebody or have beaten them in a contest but you would still like to be friendly with them
It looks like I’m the winner again. No hard feelings, Dave, eh?
Someone has to lose. No hard feelings, eh?
12.take a long (cool/hard) look at something
to consider a problem or possibility very carefully and without hurrying
We need to take a long, hard look at all the options.
pill
1.a bitter pill (for somebody) (to swallow)
a fact or an event that is unpleasant and difficult to accept
The election defeat was a bitter pill for the party to swallow.
2.sugar/sweeten the pill
to do something that makes an unpleasant situation seem less unpleasant
look
1.be just looking
used in a shop to say that you are not ready to buy something
‘Can I help you?’ ‘I’m just looking, thank you.’
2.be looking to do something
to try to find ways of doing something
The government is looking to reduce inflation.
3.look bad | not look good
to be considered bad behaviour or bad manners
It looks bad not going to your own brother’s wedding.
4.look bad (for somebody)
to show that something bad might happen
He’s had another heart attack; things are looking bad for him, I’m afraid.
5.look good
to show success or that something good might happen
This year’s sales figures are looking good.
6.look how/what/who…
used to give an example that proves what you are saying or makes it clearer
Look how lazy we’ve become.
Be careful climbing that ladder. Look what happened last time.
7.look no further
used to say that something is exactly what somebody needs and so they do not need to consider any other options
Those looking for an enjoyable evening need look no further than the hotel’s nightclub.
8.(not) look yourself
to (not) have your normal healthy appearance
You’re not looking yourself today (= you look tired or ill/sick).
9.never/not look back
(informal) to become more and more successful
Her first novel was published in 2007 and since then she hasn’t looked back
*take a long (cool/hard) look at something
to consider a problem or possibility very carefully and without hurrying
We need to take a long, hard look at all the options.
do
1.be/have (got) nothing/not much to do with somebody/something
to be something that somebody does not need to know about or should not get involved in
It’s my decision—it’s nothing to do with you.
‘How much do you earn?’ ‘What’s it got to do with you?’
We don’t have very much to do with our neighbours (= we do not speak to them very often).
I’d have nothing to do with him, if I were you.
2.be/have to do with somebody/something | have (got) something, a lot, etc. to do with somebody/something
to be about or connected with somebody/something
‘What do you want to see me about?’ ‘It’s to do with that letter you sent me.’
Her job has something to do with computers.
Hard work has a lot to do with (= is an important reason for) her success.
3.do right, well, etc. by somebody
to treat somebody in a way that is right, good, etc.
If we cannot keep the streets safe, then we are not doing right by the people of this country.
We need to do better by children failed by our care system.
We have done badly by the unemployed.
4.it won’t do
(especially British English) used to say that a situation is not acceptable and should be changed or improved
This is the third time you’ve been late this week; it simply won’t do.
5.not do anything/a lot/much for somebody
(informal) used to say that something does not make somebody look attractive
That hairstyle doesn’t do anything for her.
6.nothing doing
(informal) used to refuse a request
‘Can you lend me ten dollars?’ ‘Nothing doing!’
7.no you don’t
(informal) used to show that you intend to stop somebody from doing something that they were going to do
Sharon went to get into the taxi. ‘Oh no you don’t,’ said Steve.
8.that does it
(informal) used to show that you will not accept something any longer
That does it, I’m off. I’m not having you swear at me like that.
9.that’s done it
(informal) used to say that an accident, a mistake, etc. has had a very bad effect on something
That’s done it. You’ve completely broken it this time.
10.that will do
used to order somebody to stop doing or saying something
That’ll do, children—you’re getting far too noisy.
11.what do you do for something?
used to ask how somebody manages to obtain the thing mentioned
What do you do for entertainment out here?
12.what is somebody/something doing…?
used to ask why somebody/something is in the place mentioned
What are these shoes doing on my desk?
have
1.have (got) something against somebody
to dislike somebody because of something bad they have done to you in the past
I don’t have anything against her, we just don’t get along.
3.have done with something
(especially British English) to finish something unpleasant so that it does not continue
Let’s have done with this silly argument.
3.have had it
(informal)
to be in a very bad condition; to be unable to be repaired
The car had had it.
to be extremely tired
I’ve had it! I’m going to bed.
to have lost all chance of surviving something
When the truck smashed into me, I thought I’d had it.
to be going to experience something unpleasant
Dad saw you scratch the car—you’ve had it now!
to be unable to accept a situation any longer
I’ve had it (up to here) with him—he’s done it once too often.
4.have it (that…)
to claim that it is a fact that…
Rumour has it that we’ll have a new manager soon.
5.have (got) it/that coming (to you)
to be likely to suffer the unpleasant effects of your actions and to deserve to do so
It was no surprise when she left him—everyone knew he had it coming to him.
6.have it in for somebody
(informal) to not like somebody and be unpleasant to them
7.have it in you (to do something)
(informal) to be capable of doing something
Everyone thinks he has it in him to produce a literary classic.
You were great. I didn’t know you had it in you.
You spoke really well at that meeting, standing up for us all. I never knew you had it in you.
8.have it off/away (with somebody)
(British English, slang) to have sex with somebody
9.have (got) nothing on somebody/something
(informal) to be not nearly as good as somebody/something
SEE ALSO have (got) something on somebody
10.not having any
(informal) not willing to listen to or believe something
I tried to persuade her to wait but she wasn’t having any.
11.what have you
(informal) other things, people, etc. of the same kind
There’s room in the cellar to store old furniture and what have you.
think
1.behave/act as if you own the place | think you own the place
(disapproving) to behave in a very confident way that annoys other people, for example by telling them what to do
She was acting as if she owned the place.
2.come to think of it
used when you suddenly remember something or realize that it might be important
Come to think of it, he did mention seeing you.
3.I/I’d like to think
used to say that you hope or believe that something is true
I like to think I’m broad-minded.
I’d like to think that you were helping me because you wanted to, not because you felt you had to.
4.I thought as much
that is what I expected or suspected
‘He said he’d forgotten.’ ‘I thought as much.’
5.see/think fit (to do something)
(formal) to consider it right or acceptable to do something; to decide or choose to do something
You must do as you think fit (= but I don’t agree with your decision).
The newspaper did not see fit to publish my letter (= and I criticize it for that)
6.speak/think ill of somebody
(formal) to say or think bad things about somebody
Don’t speak ill of the dead.
7.think again
to consider a situation again and perhaps change your idea or intention
You really should think again about that.
8.think aloud/out loud
to say what your thoughts are as you have them
9.think (the) better of somebody
to have a higher opinion of somebody
She has behaved appallingly—I must say I thought better of her.
10.think better of it/of doing something
to decide not to do something after thinking further about it
SYNONYM reconsider
Rosie was about to protest but thought better of it.
11.think for yourself
to form your own opinions and make decisions without depending on others
12.think/speak ill of somebody
(formal) to say or think bad things about somebody
I wouldn’t want them to think ill of me.
13.think nothing of something/of doing something
to consider an activity to be normal and not particularly unusual or difficult
She thinks nothing of walking thirty miles a day.
14.think on your feet
to be able to think and react to things very quickly and effectively without any preparation
15.think out of the box
to think about something, or how to do something, in a way that is new, different or shows imagination
16.think straight
(used especially in negative sentences)
to think in a clear or logical way
The drugs were affecting her and she couldn’t think straight.
17.think twice about something/about doing something
to think carefully before deciding to do something
You should think twice about employing someone you’ve never met.
18.think the world, highly, a lot, poorly, little, etc. of somebody/something
to have a very good, poor, etc. opinion of somebody/something
He thinks the world of his daughter.
I don’t think much of her idea.
19.to think (that…)
used to show that you are surprised or shocked by something
To think that my mother wrote all those books and I never knew!
take
1.somebody can take it or leave it
used to say that you do not care if somebody accepts or rejects your offer
used to say that somebody does not have a strong opinion about something
Dancing? I can take it or leave it.
2.have (got) what it takes
(informal) to have the qualities, ability, etc. needed to be successful
3.take something as it comes | take somebody as they come
to accept something/somebody without wishing it/them to be different or without thinking about it/them very much in advance
She takes life as it comes.
4.take it (that…)
to suppose; to assume
I take it you won’t be coming to the party?
5.take it from me (that…)
(informal) used to emphasize that what you are going to say is the truth
Take it from me—he’ll be a millionaire before he’s 30.
6.take it/a lot out of somebody
(informal) to make somebody physically or mentally tired
Looking after small children really takes it out of you.
7.take it on/upon yourself to do something
to decide to do something without asking permission or advice
8.take some/a lot of doing
(informal) to need a lot of effort or time; to be very difficult to do
get
1.be getting on
(informal)
(of a person) to be becoming old
(of time) to be becoming late
The time’s getting on—we ought to be going.
2.be getting on for…
(especially British English) to be nearly a particular time, age or number
It must be getting on for midnight.
He’s getting on for eighty.
3.can’t get over something
(informal) used to say that you are shocked, surprised, etc. by something
I can’t get over how rude she was.
4.get away from it all
(informal) to have a short holiday in a place where you can relax
5.get going
(informal)
to leave a place in order to go somewhere else
It’s been lovely to see you, but it’s probably time we got going.
to start happening or being done
The project hasn’t really got going yet.
6.get somebody going
(informal) to make somebody angry, worried or excited
7.get something going
to succeed in starting a machine, vehicle, process, etc.
We finally managed to get the car going.
8.get it on (with somebody)
(especially North American English, slang) to have sex with somebody
9.get somebody nowhere/not get somebody anywhere
to not help somebody make progress or succeed
This line of investigation is getting us nowhere.
Being rude to me won’t get you anywhere.
10.get somewhere/anywhere/nowhere
to make some progress/no progress
After six months’ work on the project, at last I feel I’m getting somewhere.
I don’t seem to be getting anywhere with this letter.
11.get there
to achieve your aim or complete a task
I’m sure you’ll get there in the end.
It’s not perfect but we’re getting there (= making progress).
12.get this!
(informal, especially North American English) used to say that you are going to tell somebody something that they will find surprising or interesting
OK, get this guys—there are only two left!
So get this—I did all the work and he got the money.
13.how selfish, stupid, ungrateful, etc. can you get?
(informal) used to express surprise or disapproval that somebody has been so selfish, stupid, etc.
14.there’s no getting away from something | you can’t get away from something
you have to admit that something unpleasant is true
15.what has got into somebody?
(informal) used to say that somebody has suddenly started to behave in a strange or different way
What’s got into Alex? He never used to worry like that.
I’m sorry for laughing like that—I don’t know what got into me.
believe
1.believe it or not
(informal) used to introduce information that is true but that may surprise people
Believe it or not, he asked me to marry him!
2.don’t you believe it!
(informal) used to tell somebody that something is definitely not true
‘She wouldn’t do a thing like that.’ ‘Don’t you believe it!
3.if you believe that, you’ll believe anything
(informal) used to say that you think somebody is stupid if they believe that something is true
‘He promised not to do it again.’ ‘Sure, and if you believe that, you’ll believe anything.’
4.make believe (that…)
to pretend that something is true
RELATED NOUN make-believe
*make-believe
1. imagining or pretending things to be different or more exciting than they really are
SYNONYM fantasy
They live in a world of make-believe.
2.imagining that something is real, or that you are somebody else, for example in a child’s game
‘Let’s play make-believe,’ said Sam.
5.not believe your ears/eyes
(informal) to be very surprised at something you hear/see
I couldn’t believe my eyes when she walked in.
6.seeing is believing
(saying) used to say that somebody will have to believe that something is true when they see it, although they do not think it is true now
7..you/you’d better believe it!
(informal) used to tell somebody that something is definitely true
‘He’s not a bad player, is he?’ ‘You’d better believe it!’
find
1,find fault (with somebody/something)
to look for and discover mistakes in somebody/something; to complain about somebody/something
My mother did nothing but find fault with my manners.
She was always finding fault with his manners.
2.find your feet
to become able to act independently and with confidence
I only recently joined the firm so I’m still finding my feet.
3.find/meet your match (in somebody)
to meet somebody who is equal to or even better than you in strength, skill or intelligence
He thought he could beat anyone at chess but he’s met his match in Peter.
4.find your voice/tongue
to be able to speak or express your opinion
5.find your way (to…)
to discover the right route (to a place)
I hope you can find your way home.
6.find your/its way (to/into…)
to come to a place or a situation by chance or without intending to
He eventually found his way into acting.
7.nowhere to be found/seen | nowhere in sight
impossible for anyone to find or see
I wanted to talk to him but he was nowhere to be found.
The children were nowhere to be seen.
A peace settlement is nowhere in sight (= is not likely in the near future).
make
1.make as if to do something
to make a movement that makes it seem as if you are just going to do something
He made as if to speak.
2.make do (with something)
to manage with something that is not really good enough
We were in a hurry so we had to make do with a quick snack.
3.make good
to become rich and successful
4.make something good
to pay for, replace or repair something that has been lost or damaged
She promised to make good the damage.
to do something that you have promised, threatened, etc. to do
SYNONYM fulfil
5.make it
*to be successful in your career
He never really made it as an actor.
*to succeed in reaching a place in time, especially when this is difficult
The flight leaves in twenty minutes—we’ll never make it.
*to be able to be present at a place
I’m sorry I won’t be able to make it (= for example, to a party) on Saturday.
*to survive after a serious illness or accident; to deal successfully with a difficult experience
The doctors think he’s going to make it.
make it through something I don’t know how I made it through the week.
6.make it with somebody
(North American English, slang) to have sex with somebody
7.make like…
(North American English, informal) to pretend to be, know or have something in order to impress people
He makes like he’s the greatest actor of all time.
8.make the most of something/somebody/yourself
to gain as much advantage, pleasure, etc. as you can from somebody/something
It’s my first trip abroad so I’m going to make the most of it.
She doesn’t know how to make the most of herself (= make herself appear in the best possible way).
9.make much of something/somebody
to treat something/somebody as very important
He always makes much of his humble origins.
10.make or break somebody/something
to be the thing that makes somebody/something either a success or a failure
This movie will make or break him as a director.
It’s make-or-break time for the company.
11.make something of yourself
to be successful in your life
I wanted to study hard and really make something of myself.
rose
1.be coming up roses
(informal) (of a situation) to be developing in a successful way
Everything’s coming up roses!
2.(not) a bed of roses
(not) an easy or a pleasant situation
Their life together hasn’t exactly been a bed of roses.
3.come up/out of something smelling of roses
(informal) to still have a good reputation, even though you have been involved in something that might have given people a bad opinion of you
Nobody ever knew the details and he came out of the deal smelling of roses.
4.a rose by any other name would smell as sweet
(saying) what is important is what people or things are, not what they are called
cold
1.blow hot and cold (about something)
(informal) to change your opinion about something often
2.get/have cold feet
(informal) to suddenly become nervous about doing something that you had planned to do
He was going to ask her but he got cold feet and said nothing.
3.give somebody the cold shoulder
(informal) to treat somebody in a way that is not friendly
3.go hot and cold
to experience a sudden feeling of fear or worry
When the phone rang I just went hot and cold.
4.in cold blood
acting in a way that is deliberately cruel
to kill somebody in cold blood
5.in the cold light of day
when you have had time to think calmly about something; in the morning when things are clearer
These things always look different in the cold light of day.
6.leave somebody cold
to fail to affect or interest somebody
Most modern art leaves me cold.
7.make somebody’s blood run cold
to make somebody very frightened or fill them with horror
The sound of laughter in the empty house made my blood run cold.
Our blood ran cold at the thought of how easily we could have been killed.
hot
1.be hot to trot
(informal)
to be very enthusiastic about starting an activity
to be excited in a sexual way
2.be in/get into hot water
(informal) to be in or get into trouble
3.go/sell like hot cakes
to be bought quickly or in great numbers
4.hard/hot on somebody’s/something’s heels
very close behind somebody/something; very soon after something
He turned and fled with Peter hot on his heels.
They reached the border with the police hot on their heels.
Further successes came hot on the heels of her first best-selling novel.
News of rising unemployment followed hard on the heels of falling export figures.
5.hot on somebody’s/something’s tracks/trail
(informal) close to catching or finding the person or thing that you have been running after or searching for
6.hot under the collar
(informal) angry or embarrassed
He got very hot under the collar when I asked him where he’d been all day.
7.not so/too hot
not very good in quality
Her spelling isn’t too hot.
not feeling well
‘How are you today?’ ‘Not so hot, I’m afraid.’
hot
1.(of a person) feeling heat in an unpleasant or uncomfortable way
Is anyone too hot?
I feel hot.
Her cheeks were hot with embarrassment.
2.nvolving a lot of activity, argument or strong feelings
Today we enter the hottest phase of the election campaign.
The environment has become a very hot issue.
Competition is getting hotter day by day.
3.difficult or dangerous to deal with and making you feel worried or uncomfortable
When things got too hot most journalists left the area.
They’re making life hot for her.
4.fresh, very recent and usually exciting
I’ve got some hot gossip for you!
a story that is hot off the press (= has just appeared in the newspapers)
5.[only before noun] likely to be successful
She seems to be the hot favourite for the job.
Do you have any hot tips for today’s race?
6. hot at/on something (informal) very good at doing something; knowing a lot about something
Don’t ask me—I’m not too hot on British history.
7.containing scenes, statements, etc. that are of an extreme nature and are likely to shock or anger people
Some of the nude scenes were regarded as too hot for Broadway.
The report was highly critical of senior members of the Cabinet and was considered too hot to publish.
8.hot on something thinking that something is very important and making sure that it always happens or is done
They’re very hot on punctuality at work.
favor
1.the cards/odds are stacked in your favour
you are likely to succeed because the conditions are good and you have an advantage
2.do me a favour!
(informal) used in reply to a question that you think is silly
‘Do you think they’ll win?’ ‘Do me a favour! They haven’t got a single decent player.’
3.do somebody no favours
to do something that is not helpful to somebody or that gives a bad impression of them
You’re not doing yourself any favours, working for nothing.
The orchestra did Beethoven no favours.
4.in favour (of somebody/something)
if you are in favour of somebody/something, you support and agree with them/it
He argued in favour of a strike.
There were 247 votes in favour (of the motion) and 152 against.
I’m all in favour of (= completely support) equal pay for equal work.
Most of the ‘don’t knows’ in the opinion polls came down in favour of (= eventually chose to support) the Democrats.
5.in somebody’s favour
if something is in somebody’s favour, it gives them an advantage or helps them
The exchange rate is in our favour at the moment.
She was willing to bend the rules in Mary’s favour.
The golf tournament went in the Americans’ favour.
a decision or judgement that is in somebody’s favour benefits that person or says that they were right
The court decided in Ms Smith’s favour and she received compensation for unfair dismissal.
The High Court found in favour of the plaintiffs.
6.without fear or favour
(formal) in a fair way
They undertook to make their judgement without fear or favour.
1.ân huệ
2, approval or support for somebody/something
Artists sought the favour of wealthy patrons.
favour with somebody The suggestion to close the road has found favour with (= been supported by) local people.
to gain/win/lose favour with somebody
The programme has lost favour with viewers recently.
favour among somebody The policy is gaining favour among voters.
in favour (with somebody) She’s not in favour with (= supported or liked by) the media just now.
It seems Tim is back in favour with the boss (= the boss likes him again).
out of favour (with somebody) Reality TV has begun to fall out of favour with viewers.
an athlete who fell from favour after a drugs scandal
(formal) The government looks with favour upon (= approves of) the report’s recommendations.
3. treatment that is generous to one person or group in a way that seems unfair to others
SYNONYM bias
As an examiner, she showed no favour to any candidate.
eye
1.be all eyes
to be watching somebody/something carefully and with a lot of interest
The kids were all eyes as he slowly unwrapped the package.
2.beauty is in the eye of the beholder
(saying) people all have different ideas about what is beautiful
3.before/in front of somebody’s (very) eyes
in somebody’s presence; in front of somebody
He had seen his life’s work destroyed before his very eyes.
Before our very eyes, the bird snatched the fish from the plate and flew off.
4.be up to your eyes in something
(informal) to have a lot of something to deal with
We’re up to our eyes in work.
5.a bird’s-eye view (of something)
a view of something from a high position looking down
From the plane we had a bird’s-eye view of Manhattan.
6.cast/run an eye/your eyes over something
to look at or examine something quickly
Could you just run your eyes over this report?
I cast my eyes around the room but couldn’t see any familiar faces.
7.catch somebody’s eye
to attract somebody’s attention
Can you catch the waiter’s eye?
8.easy on the ear/eye
(informal) pleasant to listen to or look at
The room was painted in soft pastels that were easy on the eye.
9.somebody’s eyes are bigger than their stomach
used to say that somebody has been greedy by taking more food than they can eat
10.feast your eyes (on somebody/something)
to look at somebody/something and get great pleasure
11.for somebody’s eyes only
to be seen only by a particular person
I’ll lend you the letters but they’re for your eyes only.
12.have an eye for something
to be able to judge if things look attractive, valuable, etc.
I’ve never had much of an eye for fashion.
She has an eye for a bargain.
13.have your eye on somebody
*to be watching somebody carefully, especially to check that they do not do anything wrong
And remember, I’ll have my eye on you so you’d better behave.
The store detective had his eye on a group of boys who were acting suspiciously
*to be thinking about asking somebody out, offering somebody a job, etc. because you think they are attractive, good at their job, etc.
He’s got his eye on the new girl in your class.
14.have your eye on something
to be thinking about buying something
15.have eyes in the back of your head
to be aware of everything that is happening around you, even things that seem difficult or impossible to see
You can’t get away with anything in her class. She has eyes in the back of her head.
(Latter) eye
1.have one eye/half an eye on something
to look at or watch something while doing something else, especially in a secret way so that other people do not notice
During his talk, most of the delegates had one eye on the clock.
2.hit somebody (straight/right) in the eye
to be very obvious to somebody
3.in the blink of an eye
very quickly; in a short time
4.in somebody’s eyes
(British English also to somebody’s eyes)
in somebody’s opinion or according to the way that they see the situation
She can do no wrong in her father’s eyes.
To Western eyes, it may seem that the city is overcrowded.
5.in the eyes of the law, world, etc.
according to the law, most people in the world, etc.
In the eyes of the law she is guilty, though few ordinary people would think so.
In the eyes of the law his knife was an offensive weapon.
6.in the public eye
well known to many people through television, newspapers, the internet, etc.
She doesn’t want her children growing up in the public eye.
7.keep a close eye/watch on somebody/something
to watch somebody/something carefully
Over the next few months we will keep a close eye on sales.
8.keep an eye on somebody/something
to take care of somebody/something and make sure that they are not harmed, damaged, etc.
We’ve asked the neighbours to keep an eye on the house for us while we are away.
Could you keep an eye on my bag while I go to the toilet?
9.keep an eye open/out (for somebody/something)
to look for somebody/something while you are doing other things
Police have asked residents to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.
I walked around the store, keeping an eye out for bargains.
10.keep a weather eye on somebody/something
to watch somebody/something carefully in case you need to take action
Keep a weather eye on your competitors.
11.look somebody in the eye(s)/face
(usually used in negative sentences and questions)
to look straight at somebody without feeling embarrassed or ashamed
Can you look me in the eye and tell me you’re not lying?
She looked her father straight in the eye and answered his question truthfully.
I’ll never be able to look her in the face again!
12.make eyes at somebody | give somebody the eye
(informal) to look at somebody in a way that shows that you find them sexually attractive
He’s definitely giving you the eye!
13.meet somebody’s eye(s) | meet somebody’s gaze, look, etc. | people’s eyes meet
[transitive, intransitive] if you meet somebody’s eye(s), you look directly at them as they look at you; if two people’s eyes meet, they look directly at each other
She was afraid to meet my eye.
Their eyes met across the crowded room.
She met his gaze without flinching.
14.your mind’s eye
your imagination
He pictured the scene in his mind’s eye.
15.not believe your ears/eyes
(informal) to be very surprised at something you hear/see
I couldn’t believe my eyes when she walked in.
