Lexico - Idioms- prasal verb bồi anh

cast aspersions on /kɑːst əˈspɜː.ʃənz ɒn/

to make critical or damaging remarks about someone, often unfairly vu khống, bôi nhọ, nói xấu He was accused of casting aspersions on his colleagues.

disapproval /ˌdɪs.əˈpruː.vəl/

the feeling that something is wrong or unacceptable sự không tán thành His parents showed their disapproval of his decision.

abuse /əˈbjuːs/

rude or violent treatment; insulting language sự lạm dụng; lời lăng mạ She suffered verbal abuse online.

on the rocks /ɒn ðə rɒks/

likely to fail or come to an end có nguy cơ đổ vỡ Their marriage has been on the rocks for years.

out of the woods /aʊt əv ðə wʊdz/

free from danger or difficulty thoát khỏi nguy hiểm We're not out of the woods yet.

all at sea /ɔːl ət siː/

confused and not knowing what to do bối rối, hoang mang I felt all at sea during my first week at university.

at a crossroads /ˈkrɒs.rəʊdz/

a point where an important decision must be made bước ngoặt She is at a crossroads in her career.

put down roots /pʊt daʊn ruːts/

to begin to feel that a place is your permanent home định cư, lập nghiệp They moved there and quickly put down roots.

in full swing /ɪn fʊl swɪŋ/

at the busiest or most active stage đang diễn ra sôi nổi The festival was in full swing when we arrived.

up in the air /ʌp ɪn ði eə(r)/

not yet decided chưa ngã ngũ Our travel plans are still up in the air.

over the moon /ˌəʊ.və ðə ˈmuːn/

extremely happy vui sướng tột độ She was over the moon about the news.

under a cloud /ˌʌn.dər ə ˈklaʊd/

suspected of having done something wrong bị nghi ngờ; mất uy tín He resigned under a cloud.

throw somebody off balance /θrəʊ ˈsʌm.bə.di ɒf ˈbæl.əns/

to make someone confused or unable to react normally làm ai mất bình tĩnh, bối rối The unexpected question threw her off balance.

composure /kəmˈpəʊ.ʒər/

a calm and controlled state sự bình tĩnh She managed to keep her composure.

disarray /ˌdɪs.əˈreɪ/

a state of confusion or disorder sự hỗn loạn The office was in complete disarray.

stable /ˈsteɪ.bəl/

firm and unlikely to change ổn định The patient's condition is stable.

don't give up your day job /dəʊnt ɡɪv ʌp jɔː deɪ dʒɒb/

used humorously to tell someone they are not very good at something đừng mơ tưởng xa vời; cứ giữ nghề hiện tại đi Your singing is terrible—don't give up your day job!

throw down the gauntlet /θrəʊ daʊn ðə ˈɡɔːnt.lət/

to challenge someone to compete or fight thách đấu, thách thức The company threw down the gauntlet to its rivals.

gauntlet /ˈɡɔːnt.lət/

a strong protective glove; in the idiom, a formal challenge găng tay sắt; sự thách đấu The knight picked up the gauntlet.

the simple pleasures /ðə ˈsɪm.pəl ˈpleʒ.əz/

small ordinary things that bring happiness những niềm vui bình dị The simple pleasures of life are often the most meaningful.

sheer (adj) /ʃɪə(r)/

used to emphasize the amount or degree of something hoàn toàn, tuyệt đối It was sheer luck that we caught the last train.

plain (adj) /pleɪn/

simple and not decorated or complicated đơn giản She wore a plain white dress.

come to the fore /kʌm tə ðə fɔː(r)/

to become important or noticeable trở nên nổi bật, trở nên quan trọng Environmental issues have come to the fore in recent years.

fore (n) /fɔː(r)/

the front position phía trước The problem came to the fore after the meeting.

hit home /hɪt həʊm/

to make someone realize the true meaning or seriousness of something

thấm thía, được nhận thức hoàn toàn mức độ nghiêm trọng, thực tế hoặc ý nghĩa thực sự của một vấn đề (thường tạo ra tác động mạnh mẽ về mặt cảm xúc).

The news really hit home when I saw the pictures.

second nature /ˌsek.ənd ˈneɪ.tʃə(r)/

a habit or skill that becomes automatic after practice trở thành bản năng, trở nên rất quen thuộc Driving has become second nature to her.

instinct (n) /ˈɪn.stɪŋkt/

a natural tendency to behave in a particular way bản năng His first instinct was to run.

self-conscious (adj) /ˌselfˈkɒn.ʃəs/

nervous or embarrassed about your appearance or behaviour ngượng ngùng, mất tự tin vì bản thân She felt self-conscious about speaking English.

self-assured (adj) /ˌself.əˈʃɔːd/

confident in your own abilities tự tin He appeared calm and self-assured.

self-centred (adj) /ˌselfˈsen.təd/

thinking only about yourself ích kỷ She's too self-centred to notice others' feelings.

self-evident (adj) /ˌselfˈev.ɪ.dənt/

obvious without explanation hiển nhiên The benefits are self-evident.

up-and-coming (adj) /ˌʌp.ənˈkʌm.ɪŋ/

likely to become successful in the future đầy triển vọng She is one of the country's most up-and-coming artists.

out and about /ˌaʊt ən əˈbaʊt/

active and going to different places đi lại, hoạt động bình thường He's out and about again after his illness.

down and out /ˌdaʊn ən ˈaʊt/

without money, a home, or a job khốn khó, trắng tay The charity helps people who are down and out.

inadvertently (adv) /ˌɪn.ədˈvɜː.tənt.li/

without intending to vô tình, không cố ý I inadvertently deleted the file.

vehemently (adv) /ˈviː.ə.mənt.li/

in a forceful or emotional way mạnh mẽ, quyết liệt She vehemently denied the accusation.

graciously (adv) /ˈɡreɪ.ʃəs.li/

in a polite and kind way lịch sự, nhã nhặn He graciously accepted the award.

incongruously (adv) /ɪnˈkɒŋ.ɡru.əs.li/

in a way that seems strange because it does not fit lạc lõng, không phù hợp The modern building stood incongruously among ancient houses.

(as) a rule of thumb /ə ruːl əv θʌm/

a practical principle based on experience rather than exact calculation quy tắc kinh nghiệm As a rule of thumb, allow two hours for the journey.

trick of the trade /trɪk əv ðə treɪd/

a clever method learned through experience mẹo nghề Every chef has a few tricks of the trade.

golden rule /ˌɡəʊl.dən ˈruːl/

a basic principle that should always be followed nguyên tắc vàng The golden rule is to treat others as you wish to be treated.

rest on your laurels /rest ɒn jɔː ˈlɒr.əlz/

to be satisfied with past achievements and stop trying to improve ngủ quên trên chiến thắng Successful companies never rest on your laurels.

have your head in the clouds /hæv jɔː hed ɪn ðə klaʊdz/

to be unrealistic or always daydreaming sống mơ mộng, thiếu thực tế He's always got his head in the clouds.

bury your head in the sand /ˈber.i jɔː hed ɪn ðə sænd/

to ignore an obvious problem trốn tránh thực tế You can't bury your head in the sand forever.

count your blessings /kaʊnt jɔː ˈbles.ɪŋz/

to be grateful for the good things you have biết trân trọng những gì mình có We should count our blessings.

toe the line /təʊ ðə laɪn/

to obey rules or authority tuân thủ quy định, nghe theo mệnh lệnh New employees are expected to toe the line.

stern (adj) /stɜːn/

strict and serious nghiêm khắc She was a stern but fair teacher.

strict disciplinarian (n) /ˌdɪs.ə.plɪˈneə.ri.ən/

a person who believes in strict discipline người nghiêm khắc về kỷ luật The headmaster was a strict disciplinarian.

impeccable (adj) - /ɪmˈpek.ə.bəl/

perfect and without any faults hoàn hảo, không chê vào đâu được The hotel is known for its impeccable service.

mundane (adj) - /mʌnˈdeɪn/

ordinary and not interesting tầm thường, nhàm chán He was tired of his mundane routine.

atrocious (adj) - /əˈtrəʊ.ʃəs/

extremely bad or unpleasant tồi tệ, kinh khủng The food was absolutely atrocious.

lousy (adj) - /ˈlaʊ.zi/

very bad tồi tệ We had lousy weather all weekend.

shrewd (adj) - /ʃruːd/

having good judgment and making wise decisions khôn ngoan, sắc sảo It was a shrewd investment.

astute (adj) - /əˈstjuːt/

very clever at judging situations sắc sảo, tinh anh She is an astute businesswoman.

crafty (adj) - /ˈkrɑːf.ti/

clever in a dishonest way xảo quyệt He came up with a crafty excuse.

wily (adj) - /ˈwaɪ.li/

skilled at tricking people ranh mãnh The wily politician avoided the question.

middle-of-the-road (adj) - /ˌmɪd.əl.əv.ðəˈrəʊd/

not extreme; moderate ôn hòa, trung dung The party adopted a middle-of-the-road policy.

state-of-the-art (adj) - /ˌsteɪt.əv.ðiˈɑːt/

using the newest and best technology hiện đại nhất The hospital has state-of-the-art equipment.

run-of-the-mill (adj) - /ˌrʌn.əv.ðəˈmɪl/

ordinary and not special bình thường, không nổi bật It was just a run-of-the-mill restaurant.

livid (adj) - /ˈlɪv.ɪd/

extremely angry cực kỳ tức giận Her father was livid when he found out.

crotchety (adj) - /ˈkrɒtʃ.ə.ti/

easily annoyed or bad-tempered cáu kỉnh, khó tính He has become quite crotchety in old age.

irate (adj) - /aɪˈreɪt/

very angry nổi giận The customers were irate about the delay.

indignant (adj) - /ɪnˈdɪɡ.nənt/

angry because of something unfair bất bình She was indignant at the accusation.

have a blazing row - /hæv ə ˌbleɪ.zɪŋ ˈraʊ/

to have a very fierce argument cãi nhau dữ dội They had a blazing row over money.

heated (adj) - /ˈhiː.tɪd/

full of anger or strong emotion căng thẳng, gay gắt A heated debate followed.

well-thumbed (adj) - /ˌwel ˈθʌmd/

used so often that it shows signs of wear sờn cũ vì dùng nhiều He owned a well-thumbed dictionary.

a pounding heart - /ə ˈpaʊn.dɪŋ hɑːt/

a heart beating very fast tim đập thình thịch She woke up with a pounding heart.

reach a stalemate - /riːtʃ ə ˈsteɪl.meɪt/

reach a situation where no progress is possible rơi vào bế tắc The negotiations reached a stalemate.

standstill (n) - /ˈstænd.stɪl/

a complete stop sự đình trệ Traffic came to a standstill.

gridlock (n) - /ˈɡrɪd.lɒk/

a situation where nothing can move because of congestion tình trạng tắc nghẽn The city is suffering from traffic gridlock.

standoff (n) - /ˈstænd.ɒf/

a situation in which neither side can win thế đối đầu A tense standoff lasted for hours.

painfully (adv) - /ˈpeɪn.fəl.i/

to an embarrassing or distressing degree một cách đau đớn; rõ rệt một cách khó chịu He was painfully aware of his mistakes.

deeply (adv) - /ˈdiːp.li/

very strongly sâu sắc She was deeply moved.

perfectly capable of - /ˈpɜː.fɪkt.li ˈkeɪ.pə.bəl əv/

completely able to do something hoàn toàn có khả năng She is perfectly capable of managing the project.

walk on eggshells - /wɔːk ɒn ˈeɡ.ʃelz/

to behave very carefully to avoid upsetting someone đi nhẹ nói khẽ, hết sức cẩn thận I have to walk on eggshells around my boss.

at the discretion of - /ət ðə dɪˈskreʃ.ən əv/

according to the judgment or decision of theo quyết định của Admission is at the discretion of the manager.

distant from - /ˈdɪs.tənt frəm/

not emotionally close to xa cách với He became distant from his family.

die away - /daɪ əˈweɪ/

to gradually become quieter or weaker nhỏ dần, lắng xuống The applause slowly died away.

calculating (adj) - /ˈkæl.kjə.leɪ.tɪŋ/

clever in a selfish and manipulative way đầy mưu tính He's a calculating businessman.

callous (adj) - /ˈkæl.əs/

showing no sympathy lạnh lùng, vô cảm She made a callous remark.

meticulous (adj) - /məˈtɪk.jə.ləs/

very careful and precise tỉ mỉ, cẩn thận He is meticulous about details.

a curt nod - /ə kɜːt nɒd/

a quick, unfriendly nod cái gật đầu cộc lốc She gave him a curt nod.

breathtaking (adj) - /ˈbreθˌteɪ.kɪŋ/

extremely impressive or beautiful ngoạn mục, tuyệt đẹp The scenery was breathtaking.

gripping (adj) - /ˈɡrɪp.ɪŋ/

very exciting and interesting lôi cuốn It is a gripping novel.

harrowing (adj) - /ˈhær.əʊ.ɪŋ/

extremely upsetting đau lòng The documentary was harrowing.

lenient (adj) - /ˈliː.ni.ənt/

not as severe as expected khoan dung, nương tay The judge was lenient with the teenager.

lax (adj) - /læks/

not strict enough lỏng lẻo Security measures were too lax.

be given free rein - /bi ˌɡɪv.ən friː ˈreɪn/

to be allowed complete freedom to do something được toàn quyền tự do The designer was given free rein to create the new logo.

rein - /reɪn/

a long strap used to control a horse; control sự kiểm soát Parents should keep a firm rein on young children.

be bowled over by - /bi bəʊld ˈəʊ.vər baɪ/

to be greatly surprised or impressed by ngạc nhiên, ấn tượng mạnh We were bowled over by her generosity.

backlog - /ˈbæk.lɒɡ/

an amount of work that has not yet been done công việc tồn đọng There's a huge backlog of applications.

come what may - /kʌm wɒt meɪ/

whatever happens dù chuyện gì xảy ra Come what may, we'll finish the project.

the back of beyond - /ðə bæk əv bɪˈjɒnd/

a very remote place nơi xa xôi hẻo lánh They live in the back of beyond.

nostalgia - /nɒˈstæl.dʒə/

a feeling of pleasure mixed with slight sadness when remembering the past nỗi hoài niệm I felt a wave of nostalgia.

go against the grain - /ɡəʊ əˈɡenst ðə ɡreɪn/

to be contrary to someone's beliefs or instincts trái với bản tính hoặc quan điểm It goes against the grain to lie.

heart-to-heart - /ˌhɑːt.təˈhɑːt/

an honest and serious conversation cuộc nói chuyện chân thành We had a heart-to-heart talk.

a blank look - /ə blæŋk lʊk/

an expression showing no understanding vẻ mặt ngơ ngác He gave me a blank look.

take issue with - /teɪk ˈɪʃ.uː wɪð/

to disagree strongly with someone or something phản đối, không đồng ý I take issue with your conclusion.

scare somebody off - /skeə ˈsʌm.bə.di ɒf/

to frighten someone away xua đuổi ai The noise scared the birds off.

on the level - /ɒn ðə ˈlev.əl/

honest and truthful thành thật Is he really on the level?