Verb Combinations II Flashcards
to arouse suspicion
to make sb suspicious
e.g. What first aroused my suspicion was that every time he came into the shop he was too friendly.
to beat about the bush
to avoid or delay talking about sth embarrassing or unpleasant
e.g. Oh, come on, stop beating about the bush and tell me what you think.
to broach the subject
to start talking about sth which the person you are talking to might find embarrassing, offensive or annoying
e.g. He decided to broach the subject of promotion.
to damage sb’s reputation
to have a bad effect on sb’s (good) reputation
e.g. A scandal like this is bound to damage his reputation.
to dash sb’s hopes
to do or say sth that makes sb feel that they cannot achieve what they were hoping to
e.g. Their rejection of his manuscript dashed his hopes of becoming a best-selling novelist.
to declare war on
to officially announce that a war will begin
e.g. Negotiations having failed, they declared war on the neighbouring country.
to derive pleasure from / out of sth
to get pleasure from sth [Note: to derive (some / any kind of) benefit from sth: (formal) to get some kind of benefit from sth]
e.g. Martin derives a lot of pleasure out of his stamp collection.
The only people who will derive any benefit from this new law are the rich.
to devote one’s time / life to sth
to spend most of one’s time / life doing sth
e.g. She devoted her life to looking after the sick and needy.
to dissolve into tears
to start crying
e.g. She looked into his expressionless eyes and dissolved into tears.
to draw the line at sth
to refuse to do sth or to disapprove of sth because it crosses a limit that one thinks should not be crossed
e.g. Most people would draw the line at such unethical behaviour.
to draw up a chair
to bring a chair to a table so as to join people already sitting at the table
e.g. “Draw up a chair,” he said. “We were talking about tomorrow’s game.”
to drop a hint
to say sth indirectly
e.g. I was too embarrassed to say I liked her. Anyway, I’ve dropped enough hints.
to earn a living
to work and make money in order to live
e.g. Before becoming famous, Granger earned a living as a waiter in a burger bar.
to express an interest in sth
to say or show that you are interested in sth [Note: to express your concern / your doubts about sth: (formal) to say that you are concerned / have doubts about]
e.g. He suddenly expressed an interest in going on the trip with us.
They expressed their concern about whether planning permission would be granted.
to fight back the tears
to try and stop yourself from crying
e.g. Determined to be strong, she fought back the tears.
