quick vocab

eclipse

to make another person or thing seem much less important, good, or famous:

The economy has —ed all other issues during this election campaign.

Though a talented player, he was completely —ed by his brother.

testing

difficult:

These are very — times for our family.

This — circuit is a challenge for any racing driver.

disembark

to leave a vehicle, especially a ship or an aircraft, at the end of a journey; to let or make people leave a vehicle

We will be —ing at midday.

They had just —ed from their tour bus after a 12-hour journey.

The heat hit us as soon as we —ed the plane.

The passengers were —ed safely.

invariably

always

bring off

succeed in doing sth

Terry v2 — the presentation without a hitch.

It was an important event, and she's managed to — it — wonderfully.

It was a difficult task but we v2 — off.

The goalie v2 — a superb save.

get across

to be communicated or understood; to succeed in communicating sth

Your meaning didn't really —

He's not very good at —ing his ideas —.

The campaign failed to — its message — to the public

We must — the fact that drugs are dangerous.

stand a chance

to have a chance of success:

She —s — good — of passing her exam if she works hard.

She's a great candidate and I think she —s — of winning.

The boat v2 little — against the power of the storm.

put across

to communicate your ideas, feelings, etc. successfully to sb

She's not very good at —ing her views —.

plead

to make an urgent, emotional statement or request for sth:

He was on his knees, —ing for mercy/forgiveness.

She appeared on television to — with the kidnappers.

Give us more time, they —ed.

to say sth as an excuse or explanation:

She left early, —ing pressure of work.

He —ed family problems for his lack of concentration.

Managers —ed that there was not enough time to make the changes.

in force

(of people) in large numbers

Protesters turned out —

​(of a law, rule, etc.) being used

The new regulations are now —

take in

​to understand or remember sth that you hear or read

Halfway through the chapter I realized I hadn't v3 anything —.

I had to read the letter twice before I could — it all —.

It was an interesting exhibition, but there was too much to — at once.

dispel

to remove fears, doubts, and false ideas, usually by proving them wrong or unnecessary:

I'd like to start the speech by —ing a few rumours that have been spreading recently.

His speech —ed any fears about his health.

Talking to Pam helped to — my doubts about the holiday.

negotiate

to manage to travel along a difficult route:

The only way to — the muddy hillside is on foot.

sate

to satisfy sb by giving them sth that is wanted or needed:

He searched for a book that would — his desire for all the details of Olympic history.

wind

If a road, path, or river —s , it follows a route that turns repeatedly in different directions:

The river —s through the valley.

trail away/off

When a person's voice or a sound —s —, it becomes quieter and less confident and then stops completely:

His voice —ed — as he saw the look on her face.

The sentence —s — to nothing

‘I only hope…’, she —ed —

couple

to join or combine:

The sleeping car and restaurant car were —ed together.

High inflation —ed with low output spells disaster for the government in the election.

The government has promoted the use of public transport, but has not —ed it with adequate investment in the network.

send out

to send sth to a lot of different people or places

Have the invitations been v2 — yet?

dot

to put a n above or next to a letter or word

Why do you never — your i's?

to spread many similar things across an area, or to be spread across an area:

Italian restaurants — around London.

Remnants of ancient civilizations are —ed around the globe.

We have offices —ed around the region.

The area is —ed with beautiful churches.

I have online friends —ed all over the planet.

to put small amounts of a substance in many different places across a surface:

— the fish with butter and season it with salt and pepper.

This light and fluffy lemon cake is —ed with fresh, juicy blueberries.

— the cream all over your face.

delight

sth that gives you great pleasures

This guitar is a — to play.

the —s of living in the country

Sample the culinary —s of Morocco.

in tow

if you go somewhere with a particular person —, they are with you:

She arrived at the party, with a tall, silver-haired man —

unruly

difficult to control or manage

an — class

He struggled hard to control his — emotions.

The police were attacked by an — mob.

There have been complaints about her — behaviour.

— hair is difficult to keep tidy, often sticking up or out:

an — mop of black hair

scramble

to push, fight or compete with others in order to get or to reach sth

The audience —ed for the exits.

Shoppers were —ing to get the best bargains.

People are —ing to buy property before prices rise even further.

a situation in which people push, fight or compete with each other in order to get or do sth

There was a mad — for the best seats.

When the manager retired, there was a — for his job.

After the death of the dictator there was an unseemly — for power among the generals.

squabble/quibble/bicker

to argue over sth that is not important:

He’s —ing with the referee.

My sisters were —ing over what to watch on TV.

bonanza

a situation from which large profits are made:

The rise in house prices meant that those who were selling enjoyed a —.

April was a — month for car sales.

a large amount of sth good:

the usual — of sport in the summer

There’s one explanation for why the modern discount — has been given the sinister name

operate at a loss

to earn less money than you spend

After two years, the restaurant was still —ing —, and the owners decided to close it down."

follow suit

to do the same thing as sb else:

When one airline reduces its prices, the rest soon —

If one company tries to gain the competitive edge with a new product, other companies tend to —

snowball

If a plan, problem, idea, etc. —s, it quickly grows bigger and more important:

I suggested a few drinks after work, and the whole thing —ed into a company party.

Opposition to the proposals has —ed .

What started as a simple plan to clean the house —ed into a full renovation project.

Her idea for a small charity event quickly —ed into a nationwide campaign.

catch on

to become popular or fashionable

He invented a new game, but it never really v2 —

I wonder if the game will ever — with young people?

to understand:

We were teasing Jim, but he was slow to — that we were joking.

He is very quick to — to things.

top

to be on the upper surface of sth, especially as a decoration:

The dessert was —ed (off) with whipped cream and pieces of fruit.

to be higher than a particular amount

Worldwide sales look set to — $1 billion..

to be in the highest position on a list because you are the most successful, important, etc.

The band —ed the charts for five weeks with their first single.

The Tower of London —s the list of London’s most popular tourist attractions

to say or do sth that is better, funnier, more impressive, etc. than sth that sb else has said or done in the past

I'm afraid the other company has —ed your offer

He has a house in five European capitals—how do you — that?

It was a wonderful performance, and I challenge anyone to — that.

—ing all the others by far, the award went to one of Hollywood's most respected actors.

She —ed my suggestion with an even better one of her own.

reservoir

a place for storing liquid, especially a natural or artificial lake providing water for a city or other area

all is well

everything is in a good or acceptable state:

I hope — with Jack.

— not — with their marriage.

convoluted

very twisted:

a very — route

— sentences, explanations, arguments, etc. are unreasonably long and difficult to understand:

His grammar explanations are terribly —.

Her book is full of long, — sentences.

convert

to change a structure or building into a different form

Could we — the small bedroom into a second bathroom?

They took just nine months to — the building.

key

to put information into a computer, phone, or other machine using a keyboard or touchscreen:

I was busy —ing data.

I —ed the number in, but nothing happened.

I gave my name and she —ed it into her computer.

up-to-the-minute

modern:

— fashion

containing all the most recent information:

— news

The traffic reports are —

counteract

to reduce or remove the effect of sth unwanted by producing an opposite effect:

What can be done to — this trend?

Drinking a lot of water —s the dehydrating effects of hot weather.

She liked to keep busy all the time to — the feelings of uselessness that overcame her whenever she had nothing to do.

revise

to change sth because of new information or ideas in order to correct or improve it:

His helpfulness today has made me — my original opinion/impression of him.

The government may need to — its policy in the light of this report.

The mechanism for collecting taxes needs —ing.

This third edition has been completely updated and —ed.

We may have to — this figure upwards.

The Labor Department announced it had —ed the August numbers to show that the economy gained 89,000 jobs that month.

Advisers have —ed their estimate of its likely stock market value, from £5.4bn to £5.8bn.

The growth forecast has been —ed down.

Of the original 200, that was —ed to 100, only about 50 people showed up.

get on with

​to continue doing sth, especially after you have been interrupted

Be quiet and — your work.

— it! We haven't got all day.

I like to be left to — my job.

I suppose I could — the ironing while I'm waiting.

porthole

a small, usually round window in the side of a ship or aircraft

characteristic

typical of a person or thing:

With the hospitality so — of these people, they opened their house to over 50 guests.

the — features of his style of painting

She behaved with — dignity.

characterize

sth that —s another thing is typical of it:

Bright colours and bold strokes — his early paintings.

the rolling hills that — this part of England

The city is —ed by tall modern buildings in steel and glass.

to describe sth by stating its main qualities:

In her essay, she —s the whole era as a period of radical change.

live in

to live at the place where you work or study:

The university guarantees accommodation in halls of residence for every first year who wants to —

help (yourself)

to take sth for yourself, without needing to ask for permission

"Might I have some more bread?" "Please, — yourself"

I told my kids to — themselves to anything in the fridge.

Please — yourself to some cake.

to steal sth

He was accused of —ing himself to millions of dollars of his clients' money.

futile

(of actions) having no effect or achieving nothing:

Attempts to get supplies to the region were — because troops didn’t allow the aid convoy to enter the city.

It's completely — trying to reason with him - he just won't listen.

All my attempts to cheer her up proved —.

impermanent

not lasting for ever or not lasting for a long time:

Acrylic paint is quick-drying but —

prophetic

correctly stating or showing what will happen in the future

Many of his warnings proved —.

a book that was — of future developments in science

tuck away

to put sth in a private, safe place:

Grandma always kept a little of money —ed — in case of an emergency.

They have thousands of pounds —ed — in a savings account.

if a place is —ed —, it’s in a quiet place, where not many people go

The shop is —ed — down a backstreet.

The loos were discreetly —ed — behind a screen of trees.

muse

to think about sth carefully and for a long time:

I began to — about/on the possibility of starting my own business.

‘I wonder why?’ she —ed.

musing

your thoughts or comments on sth you have been thinking about carefully and for a long time

His —s on everything from education to religion are profound.

We had to sit and listen to his —s on life.

havoc

confusion and lack of order, especially causing damage or trouble:

The storm wreaked — in the garden, uprooting trees and blowing a fence down.

The delay played — with their travel arrangements.

wreak

to cause sth to happen in a violent and often uncontrolled way:

The recent storms have —ed havoc on crops.

She was determined to — revenge on both him and his family.

He swore to — vengeance on those who had betrayed him.

pilfer

to steal things of small value, especially from the place where you work

He was caught —ing (sweets) from the shop.

She regularly —ed stamps from work.

swelter

(of a person) to feel very hot:

The soldiers were —ing in their uniforms.

inflame

to cause or increase very strong feelings such as anger or excitement:

Her defiance —ed his jealousy yet further.

The latest revelations are set to — public opinion still further.

The shooting —ed ethnic tensions.

Pictures of the bombed and burning city —ed passions further.

Reducing the number of staff is certain to — the already angry medical staff.

The image was used to —, rather than to instruct or reveal truth.

His comments have —ed teachers all over the country.

Her sister was —ed with jealousy.

to make a part of the body become adj; to become adj

Asthma is a chronic condition that —s the inside walls of the airways.

passions

very powerful feelings:

Touch a man's property and his — are immediately aroused.

The issue of gun control provokes strong — on both sides of the debate.

It is an issue that arouses fierce —.

captive

kept as a prisoner or in a space that you cannot get out of

— animals

They were taken/held — by masked gunmen.

The government handed him over to rebels in return for — soldiers

a person who is kept as a prisoner, especially in a war

Talks have persuaded the terrorists to set the —s free.

When the town was recaptured, we found soldiers who had been —s for several years.

itch to do/for sth

to want to do sth very much and as soon as possible:

He was —ing — hear the results.

By four o'clock I was —ing — the meeting to end.

desperate

feeling or showing that you have little hope and are ready to do anything without worrying about danger to yourself or others

the missing teenager’s — parents

The prisoners grew increasingly —.

Stores are getting — after two years of poor sales.

Somewhere out there was a — man, cold, hungry, hunted.

I heard sounds of a — struggle in the next room.

(of an action) giving little hope of success; tried when everything else has failed

The doctors made one last — attempt/effort to save the boy's life.

— measures are needed to deal with the growing drug problem.

They made a — plea for help.

Doctors were fighting a — battle to save the little girl's life.

call on

to ask or demand that sb do sth

They're —ing — all men and boys over the age of 14 to join the army.

She —ed — the government to hold a vote.

The UN has —ed — both sides to observe the ceasefire.

I feel —ed — (= that I ought) to warn you that

to formally invite or ask sb to do sth

I now — the chairman to address the meeting.

I now — everyone to raise a glass to the happy couple.

visit sb for a short time 

Why don’t you — my sister when you’re in Brighton?

grovel

to praise sb a lot or behave with a lot of respect towards them because you think that they are important and/or will be able to help you in some way

I had to really — to the bank manager to get a loan.

He went —ing to her for forgiveness.

I’ve made a terrible mistake. Now I have to go back and — for my job.

He sent a —ing note of apology.

to move close to or on the ground:

I was —ing under the sofa/around the floor, trying to find my contact lens.

I saw him —ing in the road for his hat.

somersault

to turn over completely in the air

The car hit the kerb and —ed into the air.

Acrobats —ed across the stage.

prance

to walk or move in an energetic way and with more movement than necessary, esp to draw attention

It's pathetic to see 50-year-old rock stars —ing around on stage as if they were still teenagers.

The lead singer was —ing around with the microphone.

She —ed into the office and demanded to speak to the manager.

cackle

(of a chicken) to make a loud unpleasant noise

The hens —ed loudly when the fox appeared

to laugh in a loud, high voice:

A group of women were —ing in a corner.

He —ed wildly at the thought.

glee

happiness, excitement, or pleasure:

She opened her presents with —.

He rubbed his hands in — as he thought of all the money he would make.

She couldn't disguise her — at their embarrassment.

mend your ways

to stop behaving badly

happen along/by

to go to a place by chance or without planning to:

I'd have drowned if he hadn't —ed — and pulled me out of the river.

oversee

to watch or organize a job or an activity to make certain that it is being done correctly:

As marketing manager, her job is to — all the company's advertising.

set out

to start an activity with a particular aim:

She v2 — with the aim of becoming the youngest ever winner of the championship.

Some people — with the deliberate intention of running their own business, others stumble into it.

They v2 — to discover a cure for cancer.

They succeeded in what they v2 — to do.

to leave a place and begin a journey

He v2 — for the village before dawn.

They v2 — on the last stage of their journey.

The band is —ing — on a European tour in March.

to put a group of things down and arrange them 

The market traders began —ing — their displays.

to present ideas, facts, etc. in an organized way, in speech or writing

He v2 — his objections to the plan.

She v2 — out the reasons for her resignation in a long letter.

The board has v3 — its proposals for the coming year.

Your contract will — the terms and conditions of your employment.

scripture

the holy writings of a religion:

the Hindu —s

According to Holy — (= the Bible), God created the world in six days.

accost

to go up to or stop and speak to sb in a threatening way:

I'm usually —ed by beggars and drunks as I walk to the station.

She was —ed in the street by a complete stranger.

bandit

a member of an armed group of thieves who attack travellers

Buses driving through the mountains have been attacked by —s..

bubble

to be felt strongly by a person; to be present in a situation

Laughter —ed up inside him.

the anger that —ed beneath the surface

Resentment was still —ing inside her. 

The meeting reignited passions that had been —ing away underneath.

Match-rigging is still —ing away in the background.

Speculation that he plans to resign has been —ing away for months.

Interesting ideas about education and healthcare are —ing up all over the country.

dejected

unhappy, disappointed, or without hope:

She looked a bit — when they told her she didn't get the job.

sumptous

​very expensive and looking very impressive

The celebrity guests turned up dressed in — evening gowns.

We dined in — surroundings.

have second thoughts

to change your opinion about sth or start to doubt it:

You're not —ing — about getting married, are you?

seek

to ask sb for sth; to try to obtain or achieve sth

Legal advice should be v3 before you take any further action.

Do you think the president will — re-election?

They v2 refuge in the mountain villages.

She fled the country and is now —ing asylum in Sweden.

As the storm grew stronger, the hikers v2 shelter in a nearby cabin.

The pilot v2 permission to land.

EU citizens have the right to — employment in any member state.

He had actively v2 a pardon from the president.

He has not v2 medical treatment for his condition.

She managed to calm him down and — help from a neighbour.

They v2 funding for the project

The committee is —ing further clarification on the funding details

We need to — approval from the local council.

You should — compensation.

The company decided to — damages for the losses caused by the breach of contract.

She was determined to — revenge.

It is best to — a compromise rather than a perfect solution.

He intends to — custody of the children.

They are —ing an out-of-court settlement.

The police are —ing independent confirmation of certain details of the story.

He never v2 the limelight for his contributions to the public good.

to try or attempt:

They v2 to reassure the public.

They initially v2 to blame others for the disaster.

scoff

to laugh and/or talk about a person or idea in a way that shows that you think they are stupid or silly:

The critics —ed at his paintings.

‘Don't be ridiculous,’ she —ed.

Don't — - she's absolutely right.

to eat a lot of sth quickly

I baked a huge cake this morning, and the kids —ed the lot.

wounded

very upset because of sth that sb has said or done 

It was only — pride that stopped him from apologizing.

attain

to reach or succeed in getting sth:

We need to identify the best ways of —ing our goals.

India —ed independence in 1947, after decades of struggle.

More women are —ing positions of power.

Most of our students —ed five ‘A’ grades in their exams.

We only consider applicants who have —ed a high level of academic achievement.

to reach a particular level, age, size etc

Share prices —ed a high of $3.27. 

The cheetah can — speeds of up to 97 kph.

After a year she had —ed her ideal weight.

renew

to begin doing sth again:

The kidnappers —ed their threats.

The army — its assault on the capital.

She —ed her efforts to escape.

We have to — our efforts to attract young players.

The annual dinner is a chance to — acquaintance with old friends.

Police —ed their appeal for witnesses.

prompt

to make sb decide to do sth; to cause sth to happen

The discovery of the bomb —ed an increase in security.

His speech —ed an angry outburst from a man in the crowd.

Recent worries over the president's health have —ed speculation over his political future.

Her father's struggles with mental health —ed her to pursue psychology as a career.

redeem

to make sth or sb seem less bad:

The excellent acting wasn't enough to — the weak plot.

He was an hour late, but he —ed himself in her eyes by giving her a huge bunch of flowers.

In an attempt to — the situation, Jed offered to help sell tickets.

She took me to see a really dull film, the only —ing feature of which was the soundtrack.

She seems to have no —ing qualities at all.

to get sth back:

She managed to save enough money to — her jewellery from the pawn shop.

(in Christianity) to save sb from the power of evil

Christians believe that Jesus Christ came to — us from sin.

to pay back a debt:

The amount required to — the mortgage was £358,587.

to do what you promised to do

The government found itself unable to — its election pledges.

lair

a place where a wild animal sleeps or hides

a place where a person hides:

the thieves' —

catch out

to make sb make a mistake

The interviewer may try to — you —

Those questions are designed to — you —

to expose, reveal, or show that sb is lying or is doing sth wrong

The detective v2 the suspect — in a lie

The journalist’s thorough investigation v2 — the company for its corrupt practices

He was v3 — lying about where he was last night

The teacher v2 — the student when he tried to cheat in the test

She tried to sneak out quietly, but the open window v2 her —

to put sb in a difficult situation:

A lot of people were v2 — by the sudden change in the weather.

Many investors were v2 — by the fall in share prices.

fine

excellent or much better than average:

purveyors of — wines and gourmet food

The world's —est collection of Impressionist paintings is housed in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

This building is the —est example of its type.

prominent

very well known and important:

He played a — part in the campaign.

She was — in the fashion industry.

Last month a group of — citizens of the town formed themselves into a committee to deal with the issue.

allot

to give time, money, tasks, etc. to sb/sth as a share of what is available

They —ed everyone a separate desk.

How much money has been —ed to us?

I completed the first test within the time —ed.

Three hours have been —ed to/for this task.

be riddled with

to be full of sth, especially something bad or unpleasant

His body was — cancer.

Her typing was slow and — mistakes.

The woods are — rabbit holes.

edge

to move slowly with gradual movements or in gradual stages, or to make sb or sth move in this way:

A long line of traffic —ed its way forward.

Inflation has —ed up to five percent over the last two years.

I —ed nervously past the dog.

Emily —ed her chair forward.

to put sth around the n of sth

The handkerchief is —ed with lace.

get together

If two or more people —, they meet each other, having arranged it before:

Shall we — on Friday and go for a drink or sth?​

to collect people or things in one place

I'm trying to — a team — for Saturday.

I need to — some paperwork — for the meeting.

We’re trying to — enough money to buy a flat.

to start a romantic relationship:

She v2 — with Paul two years ago.

seduce

to persuade or cause sb to do sth that they would not usually consider doing by being very attractive and difficult to refuse:

I wouldn't normally stay in a hotel like this, but I was —ed by the fabulous location.

They were —ed into buying the washing machine by the offer of a free flight.

to make sb feel attracted to you and want to have sex with you, often someone younger or less experienced:

He felt that she was trying to — him.

If you are —ed by sth, you like it because it seems attractive:

Almost every visitor to Edinburgh is —ed by its splendid architecture.

parade

if you — your skills, knowledge, possessions etc, you show them publicly in order to make people admire you

Young athletes will get a chance to — their skills.

The trophy was —ed around the stadium.

He is not one to — his achievements.

It's sickening the way he —s his wealth, his car, and his expensive clothes.

to walk around, especially in a way that shows that you want people to notice and admire you

A trio of girls in extremely tight shorts —ed up and down.

The children —ed around in their new clothes.

utopia

a perfect society in which people work well with each other and are happy:

Try and imagine a perfect society, a —, in which the government really got everything right.

Humans, in the developed world at least, are as close to — as they are ever likely to be, argues the professor.

turn out

to go to be at an event to watch or to take part in it:

A vast crowd —ed — to watch the pocession.

Over 75 percent of the electorate —ed — to vote

About 70% of the population —ed — for the election.

Only half of the members —ed — for the meeting

Thousands —ed — for the protest in the city center

Many fans —ed — for the concert despite the rain.

The strike failed because not enough workers —ed —

to happen in a particular way or to have a particular result, especially an unexpected one:

How did the recipe —?

As events —ed —, we were right to have decided to leave early.

Despite our worries everything —ed — well.

The team was confident about the match but it —ed — badly

You never know how your children will —.

If the meeting —s — shorter than expected, we can grab lunch together

to point away from the centre

Her toes —

to produce sb/sth

The factory —s — 900 cars a week.

The university has —ed — many influential leaders

to force sb to leave:

He was —ed — of his flat because he couldn't pay the rent.

If you can’t pay the rent, they — you —

to switch a light or a source of heat off

Remember to — the lights when you go to bed.

to empty sth completely in order to clean it thoroughly, or/and re-organize it

Lea decided to — the attic.

We —ed — all the cupboards and drawers and found things we hadn't seen for years.

to empty sth completely by taking out the contents

The policeman made him — all his pockets

I —ed — my backpack and finally found my keys

louche

not completely moral or honest, often in an attractive way:

A — young man approached her on the dance floor.

aristocrat

a person of high social rank who belongs to the nc:

Many —s were killed in the French Revolution.

outlook

a person's way of understanding and thinking about sth:

Travel broadens your —.

He has a fairly positive — on life.

They value tradition and are basically conservative in —.

fulfilled

feeling happy because you are getting everything that you want from life:

For the first time in my life, I feel really —.

He doesn't feel — in his present job.

record

the facts that are known about sb/sth’s past behaviour, character, achievements, etc.

The airline has a good safety —.

The report criticizes the government's — on healthcare.

He has an impressive — of achievement/public service