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116 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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There was a break out at the local prison last night
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break out: Escape
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outspoken
She always speaks out and gives her opinion She is very outspoken |
outspoken:
1.uttered or expressed with frankness or without reserve: outspoken criticism. 2.free or unreserved in speech. |
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The school took in some outstanding students last year
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take in: admit
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It was an experience that put everyone off
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put off: Confuse
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A lorry which had broken down was blocking the road
A broken down lorry was blocking the road |
1.shattered or collapsed, as with age; infirm.
2.having given way with use or age; out of working order: a broken-down chair |
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Shake-up
Big shake-up expected in education |
a thorough change in a business, department, or the like, as by dismissals, demotions, etc.
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Cover-up
Minister denies cover-up |
1.any action, stratagem, or other means of concealing or preventing investigation or exposure.
2.Also, cov·er·up . any of various women's garments, as loose blouses, jump suits, caftans, or sarongs, worn over a swimsuit, exercise clothing, or the like. |
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Lockout
Lockout continues at aviation plant |
the temporary closing of a business or the refusal by an employer to allow employees to come to work until they accept the employer's terms.
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Shutdown
Power plant shutdown leaves 5000 home in darkness |
a shutting down; a closing of a factory or the like for a time.
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Knock down
They are knocking down the old hotel |
to sell at auction by a blow of the hammer or to a bidder.
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branch off
The path branched off to the river |
If a road or path branches off, it goes in another direction
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Sort out
The plumber soon sorted out the shower problem |
to put in order; clarify
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The noise of the train died away
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die away, (of a sound) to become weaker or fainter and then cease: The hoofbeats gradually died away.
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Move up
Tina was so clever that teacher moved her up to a higher class |
to advance to a higher level.
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Move up
Tina moved up to a higher class |
to advance to a higher level.
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Drop off
I can drop you off at the station |
drive you somewhere and leave you ther
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Drop off
I was sitting in the armchair and I dropped off |
Fall asleep
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associate with
I always associate that song with our holiday in Vegas |
to connect or bring into relation, as thought, feeling, memory, etc
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mark down
The teacher marked two students down/marked down two students |
to reduce the price or grade of: These towels have been marked down.
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cut off
The accident cut of domestic and industrial water and electricity supply |
to interrupt.
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contend with
We've had to contend with a lot of problems lately |
deal with a difficult or unpleasant situation
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put up with
I will not put up with such a bad behavior |
tolerate
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look down on/upon
They look down on all foreigners. |
to regard with scorn or disdain
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get on with
My boss and I get on very well" [syn: get along with] |
have smooth relations
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face up to
to face up to the facts. He refused to face up to his problems. |
a.to acknowledge; admit: to face up to the facts.
b.to meet courageously; confront: He refused to face up to his problems. |
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freeze over
The lake freezes over for several months each year. |
to coat or become coated with ice
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standby
My wife's a pilot and she's on standby over the weekend We're keeping the old equipment as a standby, in case of emergencies |
ready to be used if necessary
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letdown
I had been looking forward to the concert for weeks but it turned out to be a terrible letdown |
disappointment
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back-up
Neil can provide technical back-up if needed |
support
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onset
The match was canceled because of the onset of rain |
start( of sth unpleasant)
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input
try to come to the meeting. We would value your input |
contribution
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Overkill
Shall I add more decorations to the cake or would that be overkill? |
more of sth that is needed
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Stowaway
Stowaway found on plane |
a person who hides on a ship, aircraft or other vehicle
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standoff
noun MAINLY AMERICAN & AUSTRALIAN Many people feared the standoff between demonstrators and the police could turn violent. The two countries have been locked in a diplomatic standoff. Stand-off in trade talks |
an argument or fight in which no agreement is reached or in which neither side can get an advantage
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Walkout
Senior union workers staged (= had) a walkout this afternoon at the annual conference over the proposed changes in funding. |
the act of leaving an official meeting as a group in order to show disapproval, or of leaving a place of work to start a strike
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Breakdown
I had a breakdown (= my car stopped working) in the middle of the road. Both sides blamed each other for the breakdown of talks. |
a failure to work or be successful
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ongoing
We've had an ongoing problem with the computers |
one that continues
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worn-out
She was wearing old, worn-out shoes |
weak, damaged through much use
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Broken-down
In our garage we've got a broken-down fridge |
one that stopped working
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off-putting
He's slightly aggressive, which a lot of people find a bit off-putting when they first meet him. What I found off-putting was the amount of work that you were expected to do. |
slightly unpleasant or worrying so that you do not want to get involved in any way
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watered down
I would never accept any watered down proposals |
made less strong in order to make more people agree with them
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tire sb out
Let the kids run around in the garden and that'll soon tire them out. We were all really tired out after our long journey. |
to make someone very tired
tired out adjective very much in need of rest or sleep |
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downcast
I thought you were looking a little downcast this morning. |
sad and without hope
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forthcoming
We have just received the information about the forthcoming conference. |
happening soon
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live-in
a live-in lover live-in nanny needed for 3-year-old |
describes someone's sexual partner who lives in their home but is not married to them
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fold-up
fold-up picnic chair. As new |
something that folds up
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fallback
Do we have a fallback position for these negotiations? |
describes a plan or position which can be used if other plans do not succeed or other things are not available
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leave sb/sth out
You can leave the butter out of this recipe if you're on a low-fat diet. I've made a list of names - I hope I haven't left anyone out. None of the other children play with her, and I think she feels rather left out (= feels that no one wants to be her friend). |
to not include someone or something
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worked out
It's easy to get worked up when you're tired and everything seems to be against you. He was very worked up about seeing his family again after so many years. |
upset or very excited about something
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outstretched
He ran up to her, his arms outstretched. She put some pesos into the little girl's outstretched hand. |
reaching out as far as possible
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pore over sth
She spends her evenings poring over textbooks. He pored over the letter searching for clues about the writer. |
to look at and study something, usually a book or document, carefully
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riddled
riddled with holes He wore an old jacket riddled with holes. The plan was riddled with problems |
full of holes
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keep in with sb
I like to keep in with my ex-employer, you never know when you might need a reference. |
to continue to try to be friendly with someone, especially because they can help you
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dash off
I'm going to have to dash off - I've got a doctor's appointment at four. You dashed off after the show and I didn't get a chance to speak to you. |
to leave a place quickly
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sail through (sth)
Rachel sailed through all her exams with top marks. |
to succeed very easily, especially in a test, examination etc.
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hanker after/for sth
Even after all these years I still hanker after a motorbike. |
to want something very much, especially something that you know you should not want
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put forward sth or put sth forward
A number of theories have been put forward about the possible causes of cancer. The US has put forward a five-point plan for peace in the Middle East. [sometimes + for] |
to state an idea or opinion, or to suggest a plan, so that it can be considered or discussed
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be gunning for sb informal
He's been gunning for me ever since I got the promotion he wanted. |
to try to harm someone or cause trouble for someone
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gang up informal
She says the other kids in her class have been ganging up on her. [often + on] I think I felt sorry for him because the rest of the family were ganging up against him. [often + against] |
to form a group in order to attack or oppose someone, often unfairly
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hang about/around/round together informal
There were ten of us who used to hang around together. |
if people hang around together, they spend time together
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shoot down sb/sth or shoot sb/sth down
They shot down two enemy planes during the raid. He was shot down over enemy territory. Any suggestions that I made in the meeting were shot down. |
to destroy an aircraft or make it fall to the ground by firing bullets or weapons at it
(informal) to criticize someone's ideas or suggestions and refuse to consider them |
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be asking for sth informal
Drinking and driving is just asking for trouble. Coming into work late almost every morning - he was really asking for it! |
to behave stupidly in a way that is likely to cause problems for you
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couldn't ask for sb/sth
She's great to work for - I really couldn't ask for a better boss. |
if you say that you couldn't ask for someone or something better, you mean that that person or thing is the best of their kind
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accede to sth formal
The government finally acceded to the nationalists' demand for independence. |
to agree to something that someone has asked for [e.g. request, demand], often after disagreeing with it
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attend to sb/sth
FORMAL I've got to go into the office. I have one or two matters to attend to. |
to deal with a situation or problem
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ascribe sth to sth formal
If this had been the first time such a disaster had occurred, it could have been ascribed to misfortune. He ascribes his phenomenal success to being in the right place at the right time. |
to believe or say that something is caused by something else
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predispose sb to/towards sth formal
They've now discovered a gene that seems to predispose people to colon cancer. |
to make someone likely to behave or think in a particular way or to suffer from a particular illness
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preside over sth
FORMAL He presided over some of the most far-reaching reforms his country has ever seen. Judge Langdale is to preside over the official inquiry into the case. |
to be in charge of an event or situation and have official responsibility for it
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preside over sth
She presides over a business which has thrived even in the recession. |
(formal) to be in charge of a company or other organization
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bear on/upon sth formal
A number of court cases that bear on women's rights will be coming up soon. |
to be directly connected to something, or to influence something
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call on/upon sth formal
She would have to call on all her strength if she was to survive the next few months. |
to use something, especially a quality that you have, in order to achieve something
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want for formal
As a child, I wanted for nothing. I made sure that they should never want for anything. |
if someone does not want for anything, they have everything they need in order to have a satisfactory life
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live up to sth
Did the trip live up to your expectations? He's striving to live up to his reputation as a world-class athlete. |
if someone or something lives up to people's expectations or a particular standard, they are as good as they were expected to be
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go on at sb
She'd been going on at him for ages to have his hair cut. [often + to do sth] I wish you wouldn't go on at me about my clothes. [often + about] |
to criticize someone continuously
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look into sth
Police are reported to be looking into the case. We're looking into the possibility of merging the two departments. |
to discover and examine the facts about a problem or situation
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get back to sb
I'll get back to you later this afternoon with more details. He said he'd get back to me in a couple of days. |
if you get back to someone, you talk to them, usually on the telephone, in order to give them some information that they have asked you for, or because you were not able to speak to them before
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go for sth
When you're buying a computer, go for one with a lot of memory. |
to choose something
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go for sth
One-bedroom apartments go for about $80,000 in this part of town. I found this silver tray in a local junk shop where it was going for a song. (= being sold very cheaply) |
if something goes for a particular amount of money, it is sold for that amount
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go for sth
As he was going for the ball, he tripped and fell. I've decided to go for that job in the sales department. INFORMAL 'Do you think I should apply for that job?' 'Yeah, go for it!' |
to try to get or achieve something
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fall through
The company had agreed to finance the project, but the deal is now in danger of falling through. Our plans to go on holiday together fell through when John became ill. |
if a plan or agreement falls through, it fails to happen
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put out sth or put sth out
The sort of books that they put out are never likely to be best-sellers. |
to produce or publish something for the public to buy or use
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go over to
Some key party members have already gone over to the opposition. She has a few enemies ever since she went over to the other side. (= joined an opposing group) |
to leave one group or organization and join a group or organization that is competing against them
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ask out sb or ask sb out
There's some girl in the office he fancies but he's too scared to ask her out. She phoned him to ask him out for a drink. [sometimes + for] |
to invite someone to come with you to a place such as the cinema or a restaurant, especially as a way of starting a romantic relationship
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get by
I don't know how he gets by on so little money. [often + on] |
to have just enough money to pay for the things that you need, but nothing more
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get by
We can just about get by with four computers but ideally we'd have another. [often + with] I can get by in Italian but I'm by no means fluent. |
to have or know just enough of something to be able to deal with a particular situation but not have or know as much as you would like
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gloss over sth
The company's profits dropped dramatically last year, a fact which the director was keen to gloss over. |
to avoid discussing something, or to discuss something without talking about the details in order to make it seem unimportant
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carry forward sth or carry sth forward
Some businesses tried to avoid tax by carrying forward losses from earlier years. |
to include an amount of money in a later set of calculations
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square up
Do you want to square up now? If you pay for the meal, I'll square up with you later. [often + with] |
(informal) to pay someone the money you owe them
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run over
I ran over a rabbit as I was driving home |
hit sb/sth with a moving vehicle and injure or kill them
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run over
The meeting run over so I missed my train |
go on after its expected time
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run over
Could we just run over the schedule again to make sure it's all working well |
read quickly to make sure it is correct
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brush off
I brushed off the dust from my shoes |
use a brush or hand to remove sth
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brush off
The boss just brushed him off and told him to get back to work |
refuse to listen to what someone says or refuse to think about sth seriosly
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shoot up
The price of gas has shot up this year |
gone up sharply and rapidly
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dive into
I don't wanna dive into a new job without carefully considering it |
start doing sth suddenly and energetically without thinking about it
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hit out
The leader of the opposition party has hit out at the government new proposals on taxes |
strongly criticized, typical of journalism
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spur on
My success in the exam spurred me on to study harder |
encourage
spurs are worn on the ankle and are used to make horses go faster |
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fish out
She searched in her handbag and fished out an old photo |
found
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let off steam British, American & Australian, American & Australian blow off steam
Meetings give people the chance to let off steam if something has been bothering them for a long time. After a long journey, the kids need to run around a bit and let off steam. I've told her she can call me and talk any time she wants to blow off steam. |
to do or say something that helps you to get rid of strong feelings or energy
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take the sting out of sth
Humor, of course, can take the sting out of almost any unpleasant situation. |
to make something that is unpleasant a little less unpleasant
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cut off your nose to spite your face
'The next time he treats me like that, I'm just going to quit my job.' 'Isn't that a bit like cutting off your nose to spite your face?' |
to do something because you are angry, even if it will cause trouble for you
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run rings around/round sb
Why does he talk to Alison as if she's stupid, when we all know she could run rings around him? |
to have much more skill, ability, or intelligence than someone else
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turn up the heat
Lorry drivers are discussing whether to turn up the heat on their bosses by holding a one-day strike. [often + on] The United States has turned up the heat by threatening military action. |
to make a situation more serious by trying harder to force someone to do something
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get on like a house on fire informal
I was worried that they wouldn't like each other, but in fact they're getting on like a house on fire. |
if two people get on like a house on fire, they like each other very much and become friends very quickly
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put down roots
It would be hard to leave Brighton after eleven years - he's put down roots there. |
if you put down roots in a place, you do things which show that you want to stay there, for example making friends or buying a home
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make up your mind
I can't make up my mind whether to have the salmon or the chicken. [often + question word] At a very early age she made up her mind to become an actress. [often + to do sth] My mind's made up. I'm handing in my resignation tomorrow. |
to decide what to choose
to become very certain that you want to do something |
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get off/start off on the wrong foot
I don't really know why, but somehow Clare and I got off on the wrong foot. [usually in past tenses] If I get off on the wrong foot with one of my paintings, I know it will never be right. |
if you get off on the wrong foot with someone you have just met, your relationship starts badly, often with an argument
to start an activity badly |
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Definition
get your act together informal If these people could ever get their act together, they could produce unbeatable wines. You'd better get your act together and start looking for a job. |
to organize your activities so that you do things in an effective way
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go around/round in circles
I need some more data to work on, otherwise I'm just going round in circles. We can't go round in circles all day - someone will have to make a decision. |
if you go round in circles when you are discussing something or trying to achieve something, you do not make any progress because you keep going back to the same subjects or the same problems.
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dig your heels in
We suggested it would be quicker to fly, but she dug her heels in and insisted on taking the train. |
to refuse to do what other people are trying to persuade you to do, especially to refuse to change your opinions or plans
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put in a good word for sb informal
I'm applying for a job in your office. Could you put in a good word for me with your boss? [sometimes + with] |
to try to help someone achieve something by saying good things about them to someone with influence
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clean up your act informal
There's a very strong anti-press feeling at the moment. A lot of people think it's time they cleaned up their act. |
to stop doing things that other people do not approve of and start to behave in a more acceptable way
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make up for lost time
I didn't travel much as a young adult but I'm certainly making up for lost time now. |
to spend a lot of time doing something because you did not have the opportunity to do it previously
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come into your/its own
Cars are banned from the city center so a bicycle really comes into its own here. Ferragamo came into his own in last Sunday's match, scoring three goals in the first half. |
to be very useful or successful in a particular situation
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Wake up and smell the coffee!
It's time you woke up and smelled the coffee, Don. We're just not getting enough business any more. |
something that you say in order to tell someone that they should try to understand the true facts of a situation or that they should give more attention to what is happening around them
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pull out all the stops
They pulled out all the stops for their daughter's wedding. [often + to do sth] The airline certainly pulled out all the stops to impress us. |
to do everything you can to make something successful
The stops are handles on an organ (= a large instrument used in churches), which you pull out when you want to play as loudly as possible. |
