Idioms with hand, skin and bone
all skin and bones |
save sb's skin |
a bone of contention |
in sb's hands |
make no bones about |
go hand in hand |
close at hand |
jump out of sb's skin |
Describing change
change over time, adjust |
evolve, adapt |
completely change, become different |
transform, reform |
change for the better |
improve, enhance, progress, alter |
change back to a former state |
restore, reverse, revert |
influence something |
determine, shape |
Phrases describing change
chop and change |
make great strides |
pull sb's socks up |
back to square one |
move the goalposts |
turn the corner |
turn upside down |
go from strength to strength |
Belonging and alienation
association |
isolation |
loyalty |
attachment |
rapport |
rejection |
marginalization |
disaffection |
exclusion |
segregation |
Literary devices
personification |
repetition |
oxymoron |
imagery |
rhetorical question |
Linking words
cause |
because of, due to |
effect |
result in, as a result, consequently, lead to |
contrast |
while, even though, however |
addition |
that said, furthermore, in addition |
Describing reactions
dazed |
distraught |
stumped |
bewildered |
flustered |
disorientated |
befuddled |
baffled |
Conformity and nonconformity
step up to the mark |
go with the flow |
bow down to |
take the initiative |
go against the grain |
buck the trend |
spur into action |
turn a blind eye |
follow sb's lead |
bury one's head in the sand |
Crime and justice
acquit (of) |
convict (of) |
detain (for) |
exonerate (from/of) |
implicate (in) |
release (on bail) |
remand (in custody) |
Verb and noun suffixes
absolve |
absolution |
acquit |
acquittal |
confess |
confession |
convict |
conviction |
defend |
defendant |
indict |
indictment |
jeopardize |
jeopardy |
penalize |
penalty |
plead |
plea |
prosecute |
prosecution |
testify |
testimony |
Adverbs: type and position
sentence adverbs |
sadly, incredibly, clearly, naturally, luckily |
frequency |
annually, daily, usually |
degree |
a bit, relatively |
place and time |
everywhere, always, immediately |
manner |
sadly, incredibly, calmly, naturally, dismally |
focus |
nearly, hardly, only, barely, even |
|
|
Word analysis
foraging for food |
self-sufficient |
the trappings of success |
flat-packing |
assembly line |
ethos |
pipe dream |
key indicators |
Phrases to do with money
live beyond means |
struggle to make ends meet |
be stripped for cash |
fritter away |
live on the breadline |
poverty-stricken |
splash out on |
squander |
Banking and insurance
standing order |
contactless card |
current account |
direct debit |
sort code |
premium |
liability |
no-claims bonus |
comprehensive policy |
third-party |
Collocations: advertising
set up |
a display / a company / an advertising agency |
conduct |
market research / a survey / market analysis |
launch |
a product / an advertising campaign / an investigation |
make |
a deal / a loss / a profit |
gain |
market share / experience / access |
boost |
sales / profits / productivity |
outstrip |
supply / rivals / inflation |
manipulate |
our minds / public opinion / data |
Retail
point of sale |
merchandise |
line |
loss leader |
outlet |
seconds |
pop-up |
supplier |
Describing trends
soar |
surge |
rocket |
escalate |
tumble |
slump |
dip |
plummet |
Verbs expressing cause and effect
cause |
result from, attribute |
effect |
generate, give rise to, trigger, account for, bring about, perpetuate |
Expressions with brain
the brains behind |
pick the brains (of) |
brainwave |
brainchild |
brainwashed |
scatterbrained |
brain-teasers |
rack the brains |
Lexical twins
accomplish |
pull off |
conquer |
get over |
install |
put up |
recite |
reel off |
ascertain |
find out |
conduct |
carry out |
transmit |
pass on |
collaborate |
team up |
impede |
hold up |
discern |
make out |
attribute to |
pin on |
cease |
give up |
resolve |
clear up |
revolutionize |
turn around |
Memory
recall |
recollect |
remember |
memorize |
remind |
reflect on |
reminisce |
commemorate |
Adjectives describing intelligence and ability
receptive |
musical |
introspective |
intrapersonal |
dexterous |
bodily kinaesthetic |
observant |
naturalistic |
discerning |
spatial |
intuitive |
interpersonal |
methodical |
logical-mathematical |
articulate |
linguistic |
Abilities and traits
dexterity |
dexterous |
curiosity |
curious |
agility |
agile |
ingenuity |
ingenious |
diligence |
diligent |
modesty |
modest |
Word analysis
brogue |
a strong accent |
bilious |
bad-tempered, full of anger |
kerbstone |
unsophisticated, without trraining or experience |
gutter |
the bad social conditions |
have a jaw |
have a chat |
Comparison and contrast
analogy |
analogous |
contradiction |
contradictory |
correspondence |
corresponding |
disparity |
disparate |
divergence |
divergent |
homogeneity |
homogeneous |
inerchange |
interchangeable |
varience |
variable/varied |
Verb patterns
Verb + inf with to |
afford, agree, appear, continue, expect, happen, hope, need, plan, prefer, refuse, seem, start |
Verb + obj + inf with to |
allow, ask, encourage, expect, help, inspire, invite, remind, teach, tell, want |
Verb + obj + -ing |
avoid, discuss, dislike, enjoy, imagine, prevent, recommend, spend |
Verb + obj + prep. + -ing |
apologize for, congratulate on, consent to, criticize for, insist on, succeed in |
Both to + inf and -ing |
begin, continue, hate, intend, memorize, prefer, propose, start |
Depends on meaning |
forget, go on, like, regret, remember, stop, try |
Verb + obj + inf |
let, make |
Perception verbs |
feel, hear, notice, see, watch |
Verb + -ing |
admit, avoid, deny, discuss, dislike, enjoy, finish, imagine, practise, recall, recommend, resent, suggest |
Phrases with road, path, track and way
on the right track |
come a long way |
paths cross |
stop dead in one's tracks |
lose track of time |
smooth the path |
the end of the road |
on the road |
make one's way |
further down the road |
a long way off |
hit the road |
Verbs of movement
chug, accelerate, glide, hurtle, pull up, advance, prowl, creep, stride, stroll |
Road traffic accidents
collide |
skid |
hit head-on |
jackknife |
shed its load |
overshoot |
swerve |
write off |
shatter |
Commonly confused adjectives
definite - sure or certain |
definitive - the best or most extreme |
compulsive - irresistibly interesting |
compulsory - that must be done |
historic - important in history |
historical - connected with the past |
notable - deserving of attention |
noticeable - easy to see |
alternate - occurring in turn repeatedly |
alternative - able to be used instead of sth else |
technical - relating to the use of machinery |
technological - relating to the practical use of scientific discoveries |
economic - connected with money |
economical - providing good value for the money spent |
Phrases for expressing emphasis
well and truly |
ever so |
by far |
no wonder |
for months on end |
without doubt |
Nouns formed from phrasal verbs
outlook, outcome, downpour, outbreak, upbringing, uprising, backdrop, downfall |
run-up, setback, crackdown, hold-up, let-down, washout |
Geography
latitude, longitude |
prime meridian, the equator |
the northern / southern hemisphere |
the tropic of Cancer / Capricorn |
the Antipodes, the Pacific Rim, the Subcontinent |
Emphasizing adjectives
restrictive adjectives |
chief, exact, foremost, major, sole, specific, only, main, principal |
intensifying adjectives |
absolute, entire, extreme, sheer, total, utter |
|
|
Compound modifiers
all-consuming |
work / passion / state |
feel-good |
movie / story / factor |
long-term |
objective / prognosis / employment |
long-lasting |
battery / effect / relationship |
rose-tinted |
glasses / lens / view |
seven-year |
itch / campaign / romance |
much-respected |
idea / person / type of love |
hotly disputed |
subject / theory / claim |
Defining love
euphoria |
infatuation |
obsessive-compulsive disorder |
devotion |
compromise |
amity |
loyalty |
narcissism |
Head and heart metaphors
wear one's heart on one's sleeve |
have a change of heart |
take to heart |
don't have the heart to |
use your head |
level-headed |
keep your head |
have an old head on young shoulders |
Relationships
have a soft spot for sb |
wrap sb around your little finger |
live in each other's pockets |
get on each other's nerves |
have sb to lean on |
drive a wedge between ppl |
be at sb's beck and call |
get on like a house on fire |
The property market
rent |
contract |
estate agent |
notice |
landlord |
deposit |
letting agent |
mortgage |
lease |
tenant |
The language of war
trigger revolts |
pledge allegiance |
drum up support |
betray the cause |
rally the troops |
sack a town |
wage a war |
rout the enemy |
Collocations - life and fate
decide one's fate |
acquire a reputation |
hold an appeal |
spark a storm |
be the making of sb |
regain one's status |
forge an identity |
immerse oneself in sth |
Synonyms and antonyms: describing art
intellectual |
highbrow |
lowbrow |
elaborate |
intricate |
primitive |
fascinating |
echanting |
repellent |
captivating |
intriguing |
dreary |
comprehensible |
transparent |
impenetrable |
offensive |
provocative |
unobtrusive |
peculiar |
whimsical |
conventional |
dull |
uninspiring |
evocative |
Phrases for doing the right or the wrong thing
hit the nail on the head |
be spot on |
strike the right note |
swallow your words |
get off on the wrong foor |
fall wide of the mark |
back the wrong horse |
bark up the wrong tree |
Describing art
canvas |
brush stroke |
theme |
medium |
genre |
motif |
palette |
silhouette |
perspective |
tone |
Describing music
surging |
soothing |
brisk |
freneitc |
sluggish |
raucous |
ethereal |
lilting |
ambling |
catchy |
jarring |
jaunty |
mellow |
menacing |
soppy |
thundering |
Prefix pairs
overrated |
underachiever |
predate |
post-industrial, post-war |
foreshadow |
backdrop |
monorail |
multifaceted, multifarious |
pro-democratic |
anti-Semitic |
subway |
superstructure |
Building metaphors
open doors |
glass ceiling |
by the back door |
hit the roof |
building block |
lay the foundations |
drive up the wall |
come up against a brick wall |
Adverb collocations
lavishly decorated |
enthusiastically received |
brilliantly conceived |
bitterly disappointed |
eagerly anticpated |
hugely influential |
intensely private |
utterly appalled |
simply enchanting |
profoundly moving |
immediately obvious |
highly controversial |
Cities
stand-alone building |
building site |
slum tenement |
congested thoroughfares |
urban infrastructure |
sewage system |
city dwellers |
Emphatic adjectives
unprecedented |
scarce |
chaotic |
impoverished |
squalid |
acute |
abundant |
stark |
Problems and solutions
plight |
crisis |
pitfall |
remedy |
quick fix |
panacea |
tackle |
alleviate |
resolve |
Idioms: problems and solutions
have the upper hand |
take the bull by its horns |
a no-brainer |
throw cold water over |
fight an uphill battle |
a storm in a teacup |
up in arms against |
fall into the trap |
Word analysis
assert |
endeavour |
commence |
inflict |
yield |
seize |
desist |
fasten |
Big issues
principle - principal |
antisocial - unsocial - unsociable |
migrant - immigrant - emigrant |
illicit - elicit |
human - humane |
Synonyms: endurance sports
aficionado |
devotee |
torment |
anguish |
fortitude |
tenacity |
depletion |
deficiency |
handicap |
hurdle |
fatigue |
exhaustion |
tranquility |
serenity |
compulsion |
preoccupation |
Quantity phrases with of
pinch of salt |
lapse of time |
ray of hope |
crumb of comfort |
wall of silence |
grain of truth |
torrent of criticism |
strip of land |
Obsessions
go cold turkey |
get your fix |
have a weakness for |
adventure junkie |
kick the habit |
a slave to |
take a fancy to |
live and breathe |
Nouns + prepositions: addictions
reliance, insistence, dependence, restriction |
on |
aversion, menace, susceptibility, addiction |
to |
conformity, fixation, association, obsession |
with |
Medical metaphors
endemic (corruption / problem / poverty / racism) |
ailing (economy / bank / company / business) |
agonizing (wait / decision / choice / process) |
chronic (shortage / problem / lack / unemployment) |
terminal (decline / crisis / damage / decay) |
diagnosis |
recovery |
prognosis |
Idioms: sport
across the board |
race against time |
par for the course |
win hands down |
a level playing field |
neck and neck |
in the running |
set the pace |
Vague language
somewhere around ... |
more or less |
..., or thereabouts |
something like ... |
... or so |
...in round numbers |
in the region of ... |
give or take ... |
Colour Idioms
white- / blue- collar worker |
get the green light |
a golden opportunity |
a grey area |
in the red |
out of the blue |
a purple patch |
raise the white flag |
red tape |
with flying colours |
Geometry objects
lines |
arc, radius, ray, spiral, tangent |
shapes |
crescent, ring, ellipse, lozenge, polygon |
solids |
cone, cube, cylinder, pyramid, sphere |
The universe
atmospheric |
celestial |
cosmic |
galactic |
gravitational |
lunar |
planetary |
solar |
stellar |
terrestrial |
Euphemisms
getting on a bit |
go down with sth |
golden years |
hard of hearing |
in reduced circumstances |
of advanced years |
of limited means |
underprivileged |
visually impaired |
The workplace
career ladder |
holiday entitlement |
human resources |
job application |
pension scheme |
recruitment agency |
redundancy payment |
sick leave |
the public sector |
zero-hours contract |
Phrases with end
(be) at your wits' end |
light at the end of the tunnel |
meet an untimely end |
(be) no end (to sth) in sight |
on the receiving end of |
spell the end for |
the beginning of the end |
the end is nigh |
Word analysis
face |
the truth, a choice, the facts |
induce |
sleep, drowsiness, a change |
boost |
tourism, productivity, the economy |
arouse |
interest, anxiety, suspicion |
exhibit |
symptoms, self-control, a picture |
devote |
energy, effort, resources |
foster |
learning, a sense of community, unrealistic expectations |
scrutinize |
the small print, the bill, a performance |
|
Created By
Metadata
Favourited By
Comments
No comments yet. Add yours below!
Add a Comment
Related Cheat Sheets