October / lace up shoes

lace up shoes

to fasten or tie the laces of one's shoes, often implying preparation for activity [neutral / everyday]

Collocates: ~ your boots for a hike, time to ~ before leaving, ~ tightly for support

• ~ your ~ quickly; the bus is almost here.

• She ~ her running ~ and headed out for her morning jog.

I stopped in my tracks

to suddenly halt movement or action, typically due to shock or surprise [neutral / narrative] Collocates: ~ when I saw, ~ dead ~, ~ right there

• ~ when I heard the unexpected confession.

• The child's laughter made her ~ her ~, lost in the moment.

haphazard

done in a disorganized or careless way [formal / neutral]
Collocates: ~ arrangement, ~ approach, ~ planning

• The books were stacked in a ~ pile on the floor.

• His notes were ~, making it hard to follow his argument.

follow suit

to do the same thing as someone else [neutral / informal]
Collocates: ~ immediately, ~ willingly, ~ naturally

• When the first student left the room, the others ~.

• The company ~ and reduced its prices after its competitor

invigorating /ɪnˈvɪɡəreɪtɪŋ/

making someone feel healthy, energetic, or refreshed [formal / neutral]
Collocates: ~ walk, ~ experience, ~ atmosphere

• The morning run was refreshing and ~.

• An ~ breeze swept through the park, waking everyone up.

fight the uphill battle

to struggle with a difficult problem or situation [informal]
Collocates: ~ against ~, ~ in ~, ~ to ~

• Small businesses often ~ to survive during a recession.

• She was ~ to gain recognition in a male-dominated field.

take the path of least resistance

to choose the easiest or simplest option [formal / neutral]
Collocates: ~ whenever possible, ~ instead of ~

• Many people ~ rather than confront difficult problems.

• He ~ and avoided the challenging tasks at work.

irrefutable /ˌɪrɪˈfjuːtəbl/

impossible to deny or argue against [formal]
Collocates: ~ evidence, ~ proof, ~ argument

• The DNA test provided ~ evidence of his innocence.

• She presented an ~ argument that convinced everyone.

water off the duck's back

criticism or insults that do not affect someone [informal]
Collocates: let ~, like ~, treat as ~

• He ignores negative comments—they’re just ~ for him.

• Criticism from his coworkers is ~; it doesn’t bother him.

make a splash

to attract attention or make an impression [informal]
Collocates: ~ in ~, ~ at ~, ~ with ~

• Her first novel really ~ in the literary world.

• The new restaurant ~ with its unique menu.

carping

complaining or criticizing in a petty or nagging way [formal / neutral]
Collocates: ~ about ~, ~ at ~, ~ over ~

• She was constantly ~ about her coworkers’ mistakes.

• Stop ~ and try to find a solution instead.

flounder

to struggle or have difficulty moving or acting effectively [formal / neutral]
Collocates: ~ in ~, ~ to ~, ~ around

• The new employee ~ in his first week, unsure of what to do.

• The project ~ as team members disagreed on priorities.

watercooler conversation

casual or informal talk at work, usually about everyday topics [neutral / informal]
Collocates: ~ about ~, ~ at ~, ~ over ~

• We had a brief ~ about the weekend plans.

• ~ often helps employees bond and share ideas.

affliction

a condition of pain, suffering, or distress; something that causes trouble or difficulty [formal]
Collocates: chronic ~, rare ~, mental ~, physical ~

• The patient endured a chronic ~ that affected his daily life.

• Poverty is a serious ~ in many parts of the world.

• She showed remarkable resilience despite her ~.

the bane of my existence

a person or thing that constantly causes problems or annoyance [informal]
Collocates: ~ has always been ~, ~ is ~, ~ for ~

• Traffic is ~ during rush hour.

• Paperwork is ~ for many employees.

do a complete one eighty

to completely change direction, opinion, or behavior [informal]
Collocates: ~ on ~, ~ in ~, ~ and ~

• After the feedback, she ~ and completely revised her proposal.

• He ~ on his career plans and decided to become a teacher.

go to such great lengths to

to make a lot of effort to achieve something [formal / neutral]
Collocates: ~ achieve ~, ~ avoid ~, ~ ensure ~

• They ~ meet all the safety standards for the project.

• She ~ make sure her students understood every concept.

preclude

to prevent something from happening or make it impossible [formal]
Collocates: ~ from ~, ~ any ~, ~ the possibility of ~

• His injury ~ him from participating in the tournament.

• The contract terms ~ any misunderstanding.

endowed with /ɪnˈdaʊd/

naturally having a particular quality or ability [formal]
Collocates: ~ talent, ~ skill, ~ beauty

• She is ~ with remarkable artistic talent.

• The city is ~ with beautiful architecture.

penchant for

a strong liking or tendency for something [formal / neutral]
Collocates: ~ art, ~ adventure, ~ drama

• He has a ~ spicy food and tries a new dish every week.

• She has a ~ collecting vintage books.

vexed

annoyed, frustrated, or worried [formal / neutral]
Collocates: ~ issue, ~ question, ~ problem

• She was ~ about how to handle the sudden change in plans.

• The manager felt ~ by the repeated mistakes in the report.

I blew my top

to suddenly become very angry [informal]
Collocates: ~ at ~, ~ over ~, ~ when ~

• I ~ when I found out someone had taken my parking spot.

• He ~ over the mistake in the financial report.

lo and behold /loʊ ənd bɪˈhoʊld/

used to express surprise when something happens [informal]
Collocates: ~, ~ suddenly, ~ there it was

• I opened the drawer, and ~, my missing keys were inside.

• She called his name, and ~, he appeared at the door.

up in the air

undecided, uncertain, or unresolved [informal]
Collocates: ~ about ~, ~ over ~, ~ whether ~

• Our holiday plans are still ~; we haven’t booked anything yet.

• The decision about the promotion is ~ until next week.

inundated with

overwhelmed or flooded by something, usually work or information [formal / neutral]
Collocates: ~ requests, ~ emails, ~ complaints

• She was ~ with emails after the announcement went public.

• The office was ~ with calls following the change in schedule.

tinged with /tɪndʒd/

slightly influenced or affected by a feeling or quality [formal / neutral]
Collocates: ~ sadness, ~ regret, ~ humor

• His voice was ~ with sadness as he spoke of his childhood.

• The story was ~ with humor, making it enjoyable to read.

insidious /ɪnˈsɪdiəs/

gradually causing harm that is not easily noticed [formal]
Collocates: ~ disease, ~ influence, ~ problem

• The disease was ~, progressing without obvious symptoms.

• Misinformation can have an ~ effect on public opinion.

and down the rabbit hole you go

used to describe going into a complex, confusing, or immersive situation [informal / metaphorical]
Collocates: ~ of ~, ~ into ~, ~ when ~

• You start researching one topic online, and ~ into conspiracy theories you go.

• He opened the book, and ~ into the world of fantasy he went.

raises its ugly head

a problem or bad situation appears [informal]
Collocates: ~ again, ~ unexpectedly, ~ when ~

• The issue of corruption ~ in the new report.

• Tension in the office ~ after the announcement of layoffs.

vantage point

a position or perspective from which you can see or understand something clearly [formal / neutral]
Collocates: ~ from, ~ of view, ~ over ~

• From his ~ on the hill, he could see the entire valley.

• The documentary provides a unique ~ on the issue of climate change.

idle /ˈaɪdəl/

not active or not in use; doing nothing [neutral / formal]
Collocates: ~ hands, ~ time, ~ machinery

• He spent the afternoon with ~ hands, watching TV.

• The factory machines remained ~ during the strike.

it's not all glitz and glam

something is not as glamorous or easy as it seems [informal]
Collocates: ~ in ~, ~ behind ~, ~ when ~

• Working in fashion is exciting, but ~; it involves long hours and stress.

• Being a celebrity ~; there’s pressure and scrutiny you don’t see.

gloom and doom

a feeling or attitude of pessimism and hopelessness [informal]
Collocates: ~ about ~, ~ predictions, ~ scenario

• The news report was full of ~ about the economy.

• He tends to focus on ~ instead of looking for solutions.

bawl sb out about sth

to scold or criticize someone angrily [informal]
Collocates: ~ for ~, ~ over ~, ~ because of ~

• The teacher ~ the student out for not doing his homework.

• He was ~ by his manager about the missed deadline.

genteel /dʒɛnˈtiːl/

polite, refined, or respectable, often in an affected way [formal / neutral]
Collocates: ~ manners, ~ society, ~ lifestyle

• She maintained a ~ demeanor even under pressure.

• They lived a ~ life in the countryside.

in a pickle

in a difficult or troublesome situation [informal]
Collocates: ~ over ~, ~ about ~, ~ with ~

• I found myself ~ when I lost my wallet on vacation.

• He’s ~ about how to fix the software problem before the deadline.

chastity /ˈtʃæstəti/

the state of abstaining from sexual activity, often for moral or religious reasons [formal]
Collocates: ~ belt, ~ vow, ~ practice

• In some cultures, ~ is highly valued until marriage.

• She took a vow of ~ for personal reasons.

fubar /ˈfuːbɑr/

a situation that is completely messed up or beyond repair [informal / slang]
Collocates: ~ situation, ~ system, ~ plan

• The project was totally ~ after the server crashed.

• Everything went ~ once the team ignored the warnings.

go about

to begin or continue doing something, such as a task, procedure, or activity [neutral / informal]
Collocates: ~ doing ~, ~ your work, ~ solving ~

• She didn’t know how to ~ solving the problem at first.

• He ~ his day as if nothing had happened.

gravitate towards

to be attracted to or prefer something naturally or instinctively [neutral / informal]
Collocates: ~ ideas, ~ people, ~ activities

• Teenagers often ~ social media platforms.

• She naturally ~ creative pursuits like painting and writing.