Moot - to suggest something for discussion: F

The idea was first mooted as long ago as the 1840s.

His name was mooted as a possible successor.
Moot - often discussed or argued about but having no definite answeradj
It's a moot point whether building more roads reduces traffic congestion.
not important or not relevant, therefore not worth discussing:
We don't have enough money to go, so it's all moot anyway.
Point sb towards/in the direction of sth - to suggest that someone should do or buy a particular thing:
The salesman was trying to point us in the direction of the most expensive furniture in the showroom.
Don't go putting ideas into his head. We can't afford a new car.
Germ of sth C2 [ S ] - a small amount, usually one that develops into something large or important:
He found the germ of an idea in an old newspaper.
Mull - to heat wine or beer with added sugar and spices: Have you ever tried mulling cider?
The thought crosses sb's mind - If the thought of (doing) something crosses someone's mind, they think about it for a
short time:
The thought had crossed my mind that I might need some help with the project
Glimmer - to shine with a weak light or a light that is not continuous:
The lights of the village were glimmering in the distance.
The sky glimmered with stars.
a light that glimmers weakly: We saw a glimmer of light in the distance.
a slight sign of something good or positive:
This month's sales figures offer a glimmer of hope for the depressed economy.
She's never shown a glimmer of interest in classical music.
The first glimmer of light (= sign of development or understanding) has appeared in the peace talks
Mull over something - to think carefully about something for a period of time:
I need a few days to mull things over before I decide.
I need a few days to mull things over before I decide if I'm taking the job.
Whacky - strange or unusual:
The place is stuffed with whacky memorabilia like a sculpture of the Seven Dwarfs that Walt Disney gave
to Debbie Reynolds.
Outlandish - strange and unusual and difficult to accept or like: an outlandish hairstyle/outfit disapp
Harbor - to think about or feel something, usually over a long period:
He's been harbouring a grudge against her ever since his promotion was refused.
There are those who harbour suspicions about his motives.
 Powell remains non-committal about any political ambitions he may harbour.
Grudge - a strong feeling of anger and dislike for a person who you feel has treated you badly, especially one that lasts
for a long time:
I don't bear any grudge against you.
Amanda still has/holds a grudge against me for refusing to lend her that money.
also begrudge to not want to spend time or money on someone or something, or to not want to give
something to someone:
She grudged every hour she spent helping him.
also begrudge to think that someone does not deserve something good that they have:
[ + two objects ] I don't grudge you your holiday, it's just that you've chosen a bad time to go.
Expound - to give a detailed explanation of something: F
He's always expounding on what's wrong with the world.
She uses her newspaper column to expound her views on environmental issues.
Scoff - [ I ] to laugh and speak about a person or idea in a way that shows that you think they are stupid or silly:
The critics scoffed at his paintings.
Years ago people would have scoffed at the idea that cars would be built by robots.
I baked a huge cake this morning, and the kids scoffed the lot (eat quickly and eagerly)
Despite the scoffs of her colleagues, the experiment was completely successful.
I was able to prove the scoffers wrong.
Fertile - A fertile mind or imagination is active and produces a lot of interesting and unusual ideas.
Fertile ground for sth - a situation or place that produces good results or a lot of ideas:
The classroom provides fertile ground for collaborative learning.
Giggle - C2 to laugh repeatedly in a quiet but uncontrolled way, often at something silly or rude or when you are nervous:
Stop that giggling in the back row!
We giggled at the back of the room like naughty schoolchildren.
I couldn't help giggling at the sight of Mum and Dad standing there, dripping wet.
He was giggling uncontrollably and had to leave the room to pull himself together.
[ C ] a nervous or silly laugh:There were a few nervous giggles from people in the audience.
I tried to stifle a giggle.
the giggles [ plural ] informal an occasion when you can't stop giggling: I got the giggles in the lecture.
Just for a giggle, we hid his trousers while he was in the water.
Chasm - a very deep, narrow opening in rock, ice, or the ground: KAZM
They leaned over the rails and peered down into the dizzying chasm below.
formal a very large difference between two opinions or groups of people:
There is still a vast economic chasm between developed and developing countries.
Take a tumble - to fall suddenly to a lower level: Company profits took a tumble last year.
Pace - B2 [ U ] the speed at which someone or something moves, or with which something happens or changes:
a slow/fast pace
When she thought she heard someone following her, she quickened her pace.
Could you slow down - I can't keep pace with (= walk or run as fast as) you.
For many years this company has set the pace (= has been the most successful company) in the
communications industry.
These changes seem to me to be happening at too fast a pace.
I don't like the pace of modern life.
force the pace - to make other people in a race go faster by going faster yourself
[ U ] the ability of a football player or team to move quickly with the ball:
He plays on the right wing and has pace as well as skill.
Chelsea lacked pace up front.
The traffic was creeping along at a snail's pace.
He set off running at a furious pace.
She takes the attitude that children should be allowed to learn at their own pace.
[ C ] a single step, or the distance you move when you take a single step:
Take two paces forwards/backwards.
The runner collapsed just a few paces from the finish.
T] to get someone to run a race at a particular speed, for example by running with them
pace yourself - C2 to be careful not to do something too quickly, so that you do not get too tired to finish it:
No more soup, thank you. I'm pacing myself so that I have room for a dessert.
C2 [ I + adv/prep, T ] to walk with regular steps in one direction and then back again, usually because you are
worried or nervous:
He paced the room nervously.
He paced up and down, waiting for the doctor to call.
Pace sth off/out - to measure a distance by taking steps of equal size across it and counting them:
You can get a rough idea of the size of the room by pacing it out.
Put sb/sth through their/its paces - to make someone show their skills or knowledge, or to make something show its
good qualities:
All the candidates were put through their paces during the television debate.
Test sth out - to test something, especially a theory or an idea, to find out how it works in a practical situation or how
people react to it:
The students tested out their cost-cutting ideas in several companies.
Check sth out - C1 informal to examine something or get more information about it in order to be certain that it is true,
safe, or suitable:
We'll need to check out his story.
C1 informal to go to a place in order to see what it is like: I'm going to check out that new club.
mainly us to borrow books from a library
Play around with sth - uk also play about with sth - to try out different methods or different things, before deciding
which one to choose:
We've been playing around with ideas for a new TV show.
Why don't you play around with the different fonts on the computer and see which one you want to use?
Try sth for size - uk us try sth on for size - to test something or to think about an idea in order to decide if it works or
if you can use it
Spy out the land - If you spy out the land, you try to get knowledge of something before you do something:
We drove around the area where our new house is to spy out the land.
Servile - too eager to serve and please someone else in a way that shows you do not have much respect for yourself:
As a waiter you want to be pleasant to people without appearing totally servile S_VAJL
She found the servility of the hotel staff embarrassing. S_VILITI
Invigilate - uk us proctor - to watch people taking an exam in order to check that they do not cheat:
Miss Jekyll will be invigilating (your chemistry exam) today.
If you need more paper, please ask the invigilator
Obscene - C2 offensive, rude, or shocking, usually because of being too obviously related to sex or showing sex:
In the raid, police found several boxes of obscene DVDs.
He was jailed for making obscene phone calls (= ones in which unwanted sexual suggestions were made
to the listener).
obscene language/graffiti - C2 morally wrong, often describing something that is wrong because it is too large:
to make obscene profits
The salaries some bankers earn are obscene.
He eats obscene amounts of food.
Somebody's been posting obscene messages in this chat room.
Recently she has been the target of a series of obscene phone call
He's obscenely rich/fat/cruel
Keep up (with sb/sth) - B2 to do whatever is necessary to stay level or equal with someone or something:
He started to walk faster and the children had to run to keep up.
Wages are failing to keep up with inflation.
She walks so fast I can never keep up with her.
Technology changes so fast, it's hard to keep up with it.
I read the papers to keep up with what's happening in the outside world.
Keep on the right side of sb - to try to make certain that someone is pleased with you:
Paul kept on the right side of his teachers by working really hard.
Keep on doing sth - B1 to continue to do something, or to do something again and again:
She kept on asking me questions the whole time.
If you keep on trying, you'll be able to stretch further.
Play cat and mouse - to try to defeat someone by tricking that person into making a mistake so that you have an
advantage over them:
The 32-year-old singer spent a large proportion of the week playing cat and mouse with the press.
Ponder - C2 to think carefully about something, especially for a noticeable length of time: F
She sat back for a minute to ponder her next move in the game.
Be chilled/frozen to the marrow - to be extremely cold
Be chasing your tail - to be busy doing a lot of things but achieving very little
Be caught/taken short - uk informal - to suddenly and unexpectedly need to go to the toilet, especially when it is not
convenient for you to do so
Detract from something - to make something seem less valuable or less deserving of admiration:
These small faults, however, do not detract from the overall quality of the book.
All that make-up she wears actually detracts from her beauty, I think.
Degrade - [ T ] to cause people to feel that they or other people have no value and do not have the respect or good
opinion of others:
Pornography degrades women.
to spoil or destroy the beauty or quality of something:
Every day the environment is further degraded by toxic wastes.
Knock sb off their pedestal - to show people that someone is not as perfect as they seem to be:
This recent scandal has really knocked the president off his pedestal.
Cut sb down to size - to show someone that they are not as clever or important as they think:
Someone should cut that man down to size!
Adhere to sth - to continue to obey a rule or have a belief:
She adhered to her principles/ideals throughout her life.
They failed to adhere to the terms of the agreement/treaty.
The translator has obviously adhered very strictly to the original text.
He was noted for his strict adherence to the rules.
Clean up your act - to start to obey certain laws or generally accepted standards of behaviour:
You're going to have to clean up your act if you're serious about keeping your job.
Contravene - to do something that a law or rule does not allow, or to break a law or rule:
The company knew its actions contravened international law.
By accepting the money, she was in contravention of company regulations.
Venal - A venal person is willing to behave in a way that is not honest or moral in exchange for money:
a venal ruler
A venal activity is done in order to get money:
a venal regime
They are accused of being involved in venal practices.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Incline - [ I or T, usually + adv/prep ] to (make someone) feel something or want to do something:
The prime minister is believed to be inclining towards an April election.
to (cause to) slope at a particular angle:
The ground inclined steeply towards the ridge in the distance.
incline your head - to bend your head slightly forward and down: He inclined his head and said nothing.
to think that a belief or opinion is probably correct: I incline to the view that peace can be achieved.
Rumble - [ I ] to make a continuous low sound:
Please excuse my stomach rumbling - I haven't eaten all day.
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
Convoys of tanks rumbled (= moved while rumbling) through the city streets.
[ T usually passive ] uk informal to discover the true facts about someone or something secret and often illegal:
His boss eventually rumbled him, and he was sacked.
We could hear the rumble of distant guns/thunder.
Rumble on - If something such as a disagreement rumbles on, it continues for a long time without being resolved:
The dispute rumbled on for months.
Sensible - GOOD JUDGMENT - B1 based on or acting on good judgment and practical ideas or understanding:
a sensible answer/approach/compromise/option
a sensible person
I think the sensible thing to do is call and ask for directions.
It would be sensible to take an umbrella.
Sensible clothes or shoes are practical and suitable for the purpose they are needed for, rather than being
attractive or fashionable:
It could be cold and wet so pack some sensible clothes.
I'm sure Jenny can be relied on - she seems eminently sensible.
That would be a more sensible way of dealing with the problem.
Wouldn't it be more sensible to eat now before we go?
It would seem more sensible to do the research now before we start on the project.
formal having an understanding of a situation:
He did not appear to be sensible of the difficulties that lay ahead.
Senseless - C2 not having good judgment or a good or useful purpose:
a senseless argument
senseless killings/violence/deaths
Gibber - mainly disapproving - to speak quickly in a way that cannot be understood, usually when you are very
frightened or confused:
Stop gibbering, man, and tell us what you saw.
I stood there like a gibbering idiot.
Sink to a whisper - to become very quiet:
The child's voice sank to a whisper as she admitted that she had broken the window
Noteworthy - deserving attention because of being important or interesting:
a noteworthy example/event
It is noteworthy that one third of students do not pay any tuition fees.
King Darius I was noteworthy for his administrative reforms, military conquests, and religious toleration.
Derogatory - also derogative - showing strong disapproval and not showing respect:
He made some derogatory comment/remark about her appearance.
Attain - C1 to reach or succeed in getting something: F
He has attained the highest grade in his music exams.
We need to identify the best ways of attaining our objectives/goals.
India attained independence in 1947, after decades of struggle.
Balm - an oil that comes from particular tropical trees and is used especially to treat injuries or reduce pain:
a new skin balm
something that gives comfort: Her gentle words were a balm to me
Inseam - us uk inside leg - the measurement from the top of your inner leg to your ankle
Definite - B2 fixed, certain, or clear:
The date for the meeting is now definite: 5 March .
She has very definite opinions.
We need a definite answer by tomorrow.
Definite - something that is certain to happen:
Let's make the 9th a definite - we'll have dinner and then go to the movies.
She's a definite for the Olympic team.
Testicle - either of the two round male sex organs that produce sperm and are contained in the scrotum (= bag of skin)
below and behind the penis
Cupping - To weigh, with one's hands, someones testicles.
Indisputable - C2 true, and impossible to doubt:
an artist of indisputable skill
One fact is indisputable - this must never be allowed to happen again.
Segovia, she said, was indisputably the finest guitar player of the 20th century.
Impair - to spoil something or make it weaker so that it is less effective:
A recurring knee injury may have impaired his chances of winning the tournament.
She suffers from impaired vision/hearing.
Gild the lily - to improve or decorate something that is already perfect and therefore spoil it: DisApp GILD
Should I add a scarf to this jacket or would it be gilding the lily?
Bang up sb/sth - us to damage or injure someone or something by hitting them:
He banged up the car backing out of the garage.
Gnaw away at sth - to gradually reduce or spoil something:
Bad debts are continuing to gnaw away at the bank's profits.
Gnaw - to bite or chew something repeatedly, usually making a hole in it or gradually destroying it: Noo
Babies like to gnaw hard objects when they're teething.
A dog lay under the table, gnawing on a bone.
to make you feel worried or uncomfortable:
I've been gnawed by guilt about not replying to her letter yet.
The feeling that I've forgotten something has been gnawing at me all day.
Peck at sth - to eat small quantities of something without any enthusiasm
At the expense of sb - also at sb's expense - C2 making another person look silly:
Would you stop making jokes at my expense?
Go west - If something goes west, it is lost, damaged, or spoiled in some way:
I couldn't get a ticket - that's my last chance to see the show gone west.
Gild - to cover a surface with a thin layer of gold or a substance that looks like gold GILD
literary to cover the surface of something with bright, gold-coloured light:
Sunlight gilded the children's faces.
Augment - to increase the size or value of something by adding something to it: OGMENT
He would have to find work to augment his income.
Refuse - B1 to say that you will not do or accept something: RIFJUZ
He asked me to give him another loan, but I refused.
He's in trouble but he's refused all (my offers of) help.
[ + to infinitive ] On cold mornings the car always refuses to start.
[ + two objects ] The local council refused him planning permission to build an extra bedroom.
Refuse - unwanted waste material, especially material that is regularly thrown away from a house, factory, etc.:
garden/kitchen refuse REFJUZ
Row - [ C ] a noisy argument or fight: RAW za razliku od RO….red
My parents often have rows, but my dad does most of the shouting.
What was a political row over government policy on Europe is fast becoming a diplomatic row between
France and Britain.
Row back - to change a previous decision, opinion, or statement:
The management rowed back on the decision the very next day.
Hopeful - B1 having hope:
He was hopeful about the outcome of the meeting.
They were hopeful of a successful agreement.
I'm hopeful (that) we can reach a compromise.
C2 giving hope: The green shoots were hopeful signs of spring.
His audition went well and he's fairly hopeful about getting the part.
She was hopeful that a resolution could be found.
I'm not very hopeful about their future.
a person who is trying to get a part in a film, play for a famous sports team, etc.:
Over a thousand young hopefuls went to the Theatre Royal today to audition for a part in the new musical.
Wastage - the amount that is wasted: wejstidz
` Water companies will have to cut down on wastage.

uk → natural wastage

uk us attrition the people who leave an educational or training course before it has finished:
The wastage rates on the degree courses are a cause for concern.
Itinerant - travelling from one place to another, usually to work for a short period: AJTINERANT
an itinerant journalist/labourer/preacher IMENICA ISTO
Practicality - [ U ] quality of being suitable for a particular occasion or use:
I bought these shoes for their practicality, not their appearance.
approving the quality of being able to provide effective solutions to problems:
Jonathan has demonstrated enormous practicality in his successful management of the store.
the possibility of being put into practice:
Your suggestion is appealing in theory, but it lacks practicality.
practicalities [ plural ] - the conditions that result from an idea becoming a real situation:
The practicalities of having two young children and working full time meant we had to employ a nanny.
It sounds like a good idea, but you should consider the practicalities before you put it into action.
Position - B1 [ C ] the place where something or someone is, often in relation to other things:
Well, I've found our position on the map if you want to see where we are.
You've moved the furniture around - the sofa is in a different position.
[ C ] (in team sports) the part someone plays in a game, relating to the area of the field in which they mostly play:
I didn't know you played hockey - what position do you play?
C1 [ C or U ] the place where people are sent in order to carry out a course of action:
The troops took up their battle positions at the front line.
As soon as his officers were in position/had moved into position, the police commander walked up the
path towards the house.
B1 [ C usually singular ] a situation:
My financial position is somewhat precarious at the moment.
When two of your best friends argue, it puts you in a very awkward position.
be in a position to do sth - C1 to be able to do something, usually because you have the necessary experience,
authority, or money:
I'm not in a position to reveal any of the details of the project at present.
I'm sure they'd like to help her out financially, but they're not in a position to do so.
B2 [ C ] a rank or level in a company, competition, or society:
Whether or not you're given a car depends on your position in the company.
 uk She finished the race in third position.
B2 [ C ] a job: She applied for a position in the firm that I work for.
B1 [ C ] the way in which something is arranged:
Keep the bottles in an upright position.
Rotate it slowly from the horizontal into a vertical position.
[ C ] the way in which someone is lying, sitting, or standing:
This is not a very comfortable position.
I go to sleep on my back but I always wake up in a different position.
You might feel more comfortable in a sitting position.
[ C usually singular ] formal an opinion:
What's the company's position on recycling?
He takes the position (= believes) that individuals have a responsibility to look after themselves.
Position - to put something or someone in a particular place:
The army had been positioned to the north and east of the city.
When it came to seating people for dinner, I positioned myself as far away from him as possible.
Corner - C2 a part of a larger area, often somewhere quiet or far away:
They live in a remote corner of Scotland, miles from the nearest store.
If a vehicle corners well, badly, etc., it drives around corners in the stated way: TURN
It's a powerful car, but it doesn't corner well.
to force a person or an animal into a place or situation from which they cannot easily escape:
Once the police had cornered her in the basement, she gave herself up.
Corner the market - If a company corners the market in a particular type of product, it is more successful than any
other company at selling the product:
They've more or less cornered the fast-food market - they're in every big city in the world.
All/the four corners of the world/earth - many different parts of the world:
She had invited relatives from the four corners of the world to her 80th birthday party
Be in a tight corner - to be in a difficult situation
Have a corner on a market -If a company has a corner on a particular market, it is more successful than any other
company at selling a particular type of product.
Out of/from the corner of your eye - If you see something out of/from the corner of your eye, you see it but not clearly
because it happens to the side of you:
I saw something move out of the corner of my eye.
Catch sb up on sth - to give someone the latest news or information about something:
Can someone catch me up on the latest developments?
Inflect - [ I or T ] language (of a word) to change spelling or ending according to the way it is used in a sentence; to
change a spelling or ending in this way:
Almost all word types can inflect in Finnish.
a language where verbs are inflected
[ T ] to slightly influence or show the slight influence of something:
The actors inflect their performances with sincere emotion.
Deep pain inflected his voice.
Aspect noun (FEATURE) - B2 [ C ] one part of a situation, problem, subject, etc.:
Which aspects of the job do you most enjoy?
His illness affects almost every aspect of his life.
That's the most worrying aspect of the situation.
Lighting is a vitally important aspect of filmmaking.
Have you thought about the problem from every aspect?
The idea was to modernize various aspects of the house without changing its essential character.
Individuals and businesses appear woefully uninformed about this aspect of the information age.
You must consider each problem as an aspect of the whole.
the direction in which a building, window, room, or sloping field faces, or the view that can be seen because of
this direction:
The dining room has a southern aspect, which allows us to make the most of the sun.
formal the appearance of a place, or the expression on a person's face:
The glasses and the beard lend him a rather scholarly aspect.
Lend - [ T ] If something lends a particular quality to something else, it adds that quality to it:
[ + two objects ] Vases of flowers all around the room lent the place a cheerful look/lent a cheerful look to the place.
formal These events lend support to the view that the law is inadequate.
lend itself to sth C2 formal
If something lends itself to something else, it is suitable for that thing or can be considered in that way:
The novel's complex, imaginative style does not lend itself to translation.
Scholarly - containing a serious, detailed study of a subject:
a scholarly article/book/work/journal
A scholarly person studies a lot and knows a lot about what they study:
a scholarly young woman
Lest - in order to prevent any possibility that something will happen: lit
They were afraid to complain about the noise lest they annoyed the neighbours.
At the risk of doing sth - used before you say something that may seem offensive or stupid:
At the risk of seeming rude, I'm afraid I have to leave now.
At the risk of sounding stupid, how do I send this email?
Grant - B1 an amount of money given especially by the government to a person or organization for a special purpose:
a student/research grant
a local authority/government grant
[ + to infinitive ] They gave/awarded her a grant to study abroad for one year.
We got a government grant for setting up our business, but they clawed it all back again in taxes.
You might be eligible for a grant.
Please state why you wish to apply for this grant.
Grant - B2 [ T ] to give or allow someone something, usually in an official way: Give
[ + two objects ] They granted her an entry visa.
He was granted asylum.
formal She granted their request/wish.
[ T + (that) ] to accept that something is true, often before expressing an opposite opinion:
I grant that it must have been upsetting but even so I think she overreacted.
I grant you (= it is true that), it's a difficult situation but I feel sure he could have handled it more sensitively.
take sth for granted - B2 to believe something to be the truth without even thinking about it:
I didn't realize that Melanie hadn't been to college - I suppose I just took it for granted.
take sth or sb for granted - B2 If you take situations or people for granted, you do not realize or show that you
are grateful for how much you get from them:
One of the problems with relationships is that after a while you just take each other for granted.
Granted - used to mean "because":
Granted (that) the story's true, there's not a lot you can do about it.
Assuming (that) - accepting as true without question or proof:
Even assuming that smokers do see the health warnings, I doubt they'll take any notice.
Inflection - [ C ] specialized language a change in or addition to the form of a word that shows a change in the way it is
used in sentences:
If you add the plural inflection "-s" to "dog" you get "dogs".
In the present tense we say "he sits", because the third person singular inflection of the verb is -s.
By adding the inflection "-ed", you form the past tense of the verb.
Ablaze - burning very strongly:
The house was ablaze, and the flames and smoke could be seen for miles around.
 brightly lit or brightly coloured:
The ballroom was ablaze with lights.
The field was ablaze with wild flowers.
full of energy, interest, or emotion: Her eyes were ablaze with excitement.
Go up in flames - to burn or be destroyed by fire: The factory went up in flames.
to be damaged or destroyed: His career went up in flames when he was jailed for theft.
Awaken - to stop sleeping or to make someone stop sleeping: lit
They were awakened by the sound of gunfire.
I awakened at dawn to find him beside me.
If a wish, interest, or emotion awakens or is awakened in you, you notice it for the first time:
My holiday in Paris awakened a passion for French food in me.
If you awaken someone to something, you make them notice it or make them remember it:
I awakened him to his responsibilities for his children.
Awake - B1 not sleeping:
"Is Oliver awake yet?" "Yes, he's wide (= completely) awake and running around his bedroom."
I find it so difficult to stay awake during history lessons.
I drink a lot of coffee to keep me awake.
She used to lie awake at night worrying about how to pay the bills.
be awake to sth mainly uk - If you are awake to something, you know about it:
Businesses need to be awake to the advantages of European integration.
The noise from their party kept me awake half the night.
It was 3 a.m. and we were still wide awake.
Awake - literary to stop sleeping or to make someone stop sleeping:
I awoke at seven o'clock.
She awoke me at seven.
to start to understand or feel something or to make someone start to understand or feel something:
The chance meeting awoke the old passion between them.
Young people need to awake to the risks involved in casual sex.
Waken - to (cause to) wake from sleep: I shook him but he didn't waken. Waken me at 7.00, would you?
Date from sth - to have existed since a particular time: This map dates from the 14th century.
Wise - B2 approving having or showing the ability to make good judgments, based on a deep understanding and
experience of life:
I think you made a wise choice.
"I never drink more than three glasses of wine." "How wise."
Looking at the weather, I think we made a wise decision not to go to the coast this weekend.
I think it would be wiser to wait and see how much money you have left before you make any decisions.
I never used to save money but now I'm a little older and wiser I can see the point of it.
wise to sth informal - understanding a dishonest situation or way of doing something:
People are getting wise to the tricks politicians use in campaign advertisements.
-Wise - (IN THIS WAY) - in this way or in this direction: clockwise lengthwise
-wise suffix (RELATING TO) - informal relating to a particular thing:
What shall we do food-wise - do you fancy going out to eat?
Money-wise, of course, I'm much better off than I used to be.
What do we need to take with us clothes-wise?
We were very lucky weather-wise yesterday.
Be none the wiser - to still be confused about something even after it has been explained to you:
I've read the instructions twice and I'm still none the wiser.
A chicken and egg situation - a situation in which it is impossible to say which of two things existed first and which
caused the other one
Not know where/which way to turn - to not know what to do or who to ask for help:
When both her parents died, she didn't know which way to turn.
Not know whether to laugh or cry - to not know how to react in a particular situation:
When she told me they were getting married I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
To be wise after the event - used to mean that it is easy to understand what you could have done to prevent something
bad from happening after it has happened:
In retrospect, we should have insisted on checking his calculations, but it's easy to be wise after the event.
Right-minded - also right-thinking approving - having beliefs or opinions that most people think are reasonable and
show good judgment:
Every right-minded person is against terrorism.
Far-sighted - uk having good judgment about what will be needed in the future and making wise decisions based on
this: WISE
Buying those shares was a very far-sighted move - they must be worth ten times their original value now.
Rather - B1 quite; to a slight degree:
It's rather cold today, isn't it?
That's rather a difficult book - here's an easier one for you.
The train was rather too crowded for a comfortable journey.
She answered the phone rather sleepily.
I rather doubt I'll be able to come to your party.
It is a rather grey, colourless city, with few interesting sights or historical monuments.
His books tend to be rather densely written.
The company's prospects for the future are rather dim.
She found the formality of the occasion rather daunting.
B2 more accurately; more exactly:
She'll fly to California on Thursday, or rather, she will if she has to.
He's my sister's friend really, rather than mine.
used to express an opposite opinion:
The ending of the war is not a cause for celebration, but rather for regret that it ever happened.
No, I'm not tired. Rather the opposite in fact.
rather than - B1 instead of; used especially when you prefer one thing to another:
I think I'd like to stay at home this evening rather than go out.
Nearly - A2 almost, or not completely:
It's been nearly three months since my last haircut.
I've nearly finished that book you lent me.
She's nearly as tall as her father now.
They'd eaten nearly everything.
It was so funny - we nearly died laughing.
not nearly as/so - C1 a lot less:
She's not nearly as beautiful as you said she was.
My cold isn't nearly so bad as it was.
not nearly enough - much less than you want or need:
There's not nearly enough food for all these people!
The under-18s constitute nearly 25% of the town's population.
Customs officers have seized nearly a ton of heroin destined for New York.
I'm nearly ready - just give me a couple of minutes.
Hardly - B1 only just; almost not:
I could hardly hear her at the back.
The party had hardly started when she left.
He hardly ate anything/He ate hardly anything.
We hardly ever (= almost never) go to concerts.
Hardly had a moment passed before the door creaked open.
B2 certainly not:
You can hardly expect a pay rise when you've only been working for the company for two weeks!
Well don't be angry with me - it's hardly my fault that it's raining!
Memorialize - to create a memorial (= an object such as a statue) to honour a famous person or event:
A local artist was commissioned by the community to memorialize the war dead.
to make people remember a person or event, or to show that you remember them:
The legendary Ray Charles was memorialized in the story "The Genius Of Soul: Hail And Farewell To Ray
Charles."
Exposure - C1 [ C or U ] the fact of experiencing something or being affected by it because of being in a particular
situation or place:
You should always limit your exposure to the sun.
Even a brief exposure to radiation is very dangerous.
According to received wisdom, exposure to low level radioactivity is harmless.
We know that prolonged exposure to vibration can weaken aircraft components.
She gradually became deaf after lengthy exposure to noise in the workplace.
C or U ] the fact of something bad that someone has done being made public]:
The exposure of the politician's love affair forced him to resign.
U ] the fact of an event or information being often discussed in newspapers and on the television, etc.:
His last movie got so much exposure in the press.
[ U ] a serious medical condition that is caused by being outside in very cold weather:
All the members of the expedition to the South Pole died of exposure.
the direction in which something faces:
Our dining room has a northern exposure (= faces north), so it's rather cold.
Right of way - [ C or U ] the legal right to go first across a road, before other road users:
Pedestrians have right of way at this intersection.
Expose sb to sth - B2 to make it likely that someone will experience something harmful or unpleasant:
About 800,000 children are exposed to poisons each year.
It is feared that people living near the power station may have been exposed to radiation.
Expose - to remove what is covering something so that it can be seen:
The plaster on the walls has been removed to expose the original bricks underneath.
He damaged his leg so badly in the accident that the bone was exposed.
This photograph was under-/over-exposed (= too little/too much light was allowed to reach the film).
expose yourself - If a man exposes himself, he shows his sexual organs in a public place to people he does not
know.
We decided to expose the wooden beams in the sitting room to give it a more old-fashioned feel.
More political scandals were exposed in the newspapers today.
He had undone the buttons of his shirt, exposing an unsightly expanse of white flesh.
B2 to make public something bad or dishonest:
The review exposed widespread corruption in the police force.
The newspaper story exposed him as (= showed that he was) a liar.
Grind to a halt/standstill - to stop slowly:
The car ground to a halt right in the middle of the street.
figurative If we don't do something soon, the industry could grind to a halt (= stop operating).
Uncreative - not producing or using original or unusual ideas: ankriejtiv
Housework is generally uncreative, except for cooking, of course.
Toy cars also demonstrate whether imaginative play can develop or whether the child is showing
repetitive and uncreative play pushing the car backwards and forwards on the same spot.
Financial control is seen by many as boring, bureaucratic and uncreative.
Too many rules might deaden creativity.
Creativity, ingenuity, and flair are the songwriter's real talents.
Reflect - B2 [ I or T ] If a surface reflects light, heat, sound, or an image, it sends the light, etc. back and does not absorb it:
He saw himself reflected in the water/mirror/shop window.
The light reflected off the surface of the water.
The candlelight reflected on his gold wristwatch.
Her black hair reflected the light from the garden as if it were a lantern.
The whole place was aglow, with amber light reflected off teak veneer.
B2 [ T ] to show, express, or be a sign of something:
The statistics reflect a change in people's spending habits.
B2 [ I ] formal to think carefully, especially about possibilities and opinions:
The manager demanded time to reflect (on what to do).
[ + that ] She reflected that this was probably the last time she would see him.
Reflect on sb/sth - to affect other people's opinion of someone or something, especially in a bad way:
When one player behaves disgracefully, it reflects (badly) on the whole team.
The whole affair does not reflect well on the government.
Dishonor - a feeling of embarrassment and loss of people's respect, or a situation in which you experience this:
Some of the leaders of the coup took their lives rather than face dishonour.
It was no dishonour to be beaten by such a strong opponent.
Strong adjective (LIKELY) - C2 very likely to happen:
There's a strong possibility/likelihood of finding the child within the next few hours.
The treatment's chances of success are stronger if it is started as soon as the disease is diagnose
Come on strong - uk to behave towards another person in a way that is too severe, or that shows a strong sexual interest
that the other person does not want:
I think you came on a bit strong - it wasn't her fault.
He's always coming on strong to me - I wish he'd stop.
Be going strong - C2 to continue to exist and be successful or work well, after a long period:
After fifty years, the town's theatre is still going strong.
His father is still going strong (= is alive and well) at 94.
Strong nerves - also a strong stomach - an ability to not be upset by unpleasant things:
You need a strong stomach to work in Accident and Emergency.
Be under a cloud - to not be trusted or popular because people think you have done something bad:
The cabinet minister left office under a cloud after a fraud scandal.
Dim - dimmer, dimmest - C2 not giving or having much light:
The lamp gave out a dim light.
He sat in a dim corner of the waiting room.
We could see a dim (= not easily seen) shape in the fog.
literary If your eyes are dim, you cannot see very well.
a dim memory, recollection, etc. C2 something that you remember slightly, but not very well:
I had a dim recollection of having met her before.
informal not very clever:
He's a nice guy, but a little dim.
uk Don't be so dim!
not likely to succeed:The company's prospects for the future are rather dim.
The room was dimly lit.
I dimly remembered reading the book a few years before.
Dim - C2 to (make something) become less bright:
Someone dimmed the lights.
The lights dimmed and the curtains opened.
literary to (make a positive feeling or quality) become less strong:
Our hopes/expectations dimmed as the hours passed.
dim and distant - mainly uk from the past and not clearly remembered:
The times of huge profits are now a dim and distant memory.
I used to enjoy dancing, back in the dim and distant past.
take a dim view of sth - to disapprove of something: I take a dim view of this kind of behaviour.
Damn sb with faint praise - to praise someone so slightly that it suggests you do not really admire them
Pound away at sth/sb - to criticize something or try to get someone to do something:
The campaigners have promised to keep pounding away at the council until the decision to build the road is reversed.
Fail verb (NOT DO) - B2 [ I ] to not do something that you should do:
[ + to infinitive ] He failed to arrive on time.
The staff had been promised a rise, but the money failed to (= did not) materialize.
You couldn't fail to be (= it is impossible that you would not be) affected by the movie.
I'd be failing in my duty if I didn't tell you about the risks involved in the project.
fail to see/understand - C2 used when you do not accept something: I fail to see why you can't work on a
Saturday.
B2 [ I ] to become weaker or stop working completely:
If my eyesight fails, I'll have to stop doing this job.
The brakes failed and the car crashed into a tree.
[ T ] to not help someone when you are expected to do so:
He failed her in her moment of need.
When I looked down and saw how far I had to jump, my courage failed me (= I felt very frightened).
without fail - If you do something without fail, you always do it:
I go to the gym every Monday and Wednesday, without fail.
used to tell someone that they must do something: Be there at nine o'clock, without fail.
Reflection - B2 [ C or U ] the image of something in a mirror or on any reflective surface:
In Greek mythology, Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water.
He put silver foil around the fire to increase heat reflection.
She was looking at her reflection in the mirror.
She could see her reflection in the water, shimmering in the moonlight.
 C1 [ C usually singular ] a sign or result of something:
The fact that soldiers are on the streets is a reflection of how terrified the government is.
C2 [ C or U ] formal serious and careful thought:
On reflection (= after considering it), I decided I had been wrong.
After 30 years as a judge, her reflections on/about justice were well worth listening to
a reflection on sb/sth - something that makes other people have a particular opinion about someone or
something, especially a bad opinion:
Low test scores are a sad reflection on our school system.
Reflective - formal thinking carefully and quietly:
After hearing the news they sat in a quiet, reflective silence.
Recollect - C2 to remember something:F
Can you recollect his name?
As far as I can recollect, his name is Edward.
[ + (that) ] She suddenly recollected (that) she had left her jacket in the restaurant.
[ + question word ] Do you recollect where she went?
[ + -ing verb ] He does not recollect seeing her at the party.
Recollection - C2 [ C ] a memory of something:
I have many pleasant recollections of the time we spent together.
C2 [ U ] the ability to remember things: His powers of recollection are extraordinary.
Recognize - B1 [ T ] to know someone or something because you have seen or heard him or her or experienced it before:
I hadn't seen her for 20 years, but I recognized her immediately.
Do you recognize this song?
Doctors are trained to recognize the symptoms of different diseases.
He put on a large hat and glasses as a disguise and hoped no one would recognize him.
His red hair and short stature made him easy to recognize.
As we drew alongside the black car, I suddenly recognized my ex-boyfriend at the wheel.
B2 [ T ] to accept that something is legal, true, or important:
The international community has refused to recognize (= officially accept the existence of) the newly
independent nation state.
[ + (that) ] He sadly recognized (that) he would die childless.
You must recognize the seriousness of the problems we are facing.
C1 [ T often passive ] If a person's achievements are recognized, official approval is shown for them:
The Queen recognized his services to his country by awarding him an MBE.
Recoil - to move back because of fear or disgust (= dislike or disapproval):
He leaned forward to kiss her and she recoiled in horror.
I recoiled from the smell and the filth.
to refuse to accept an idea or principle, feeling strong dislike or disapproval:
She wondered how it would be to touch him and recoiled at the thought.
To the best of my recollection - from what my memory tells me:
To the best of my recollection I have never seen her before.
Remembrance - [ U ] the act of remembering and showing respect for someone who has died or a past event:
A church service was held in remembrance of the victims.
[ C usually plural ] a memory of something that happened in the past: fond/sweet/personal remembrances
Come to terms with sth - C2 to gradually accept a sad situation, often the death of someone you love:
I think he's still coming to terms with the death of his wife.
Sweat it out - to wait nervously for an unpleasant situation to end or improve:
I had the blood test last Tuesday, and I've been sweating it out ever since, waiting for the results.
to do hard physical exercise: I like to sweat it out in the gym for a couple of hours every day.
Console - to make someone who is sad or disappointed feel better by giving them comfort or sympathy:
He tried to console her, but she kept saying it was all her own fault.
I tried to console her with a box of chocolates.
uk I was consoling Liz on having broken up with her boyfriend.
Get (sth) through (to sb) - C1 to succeed in making someone understand or believe something:
[ + question word ] uk We can't get through to the government just how serious the problem is!
I don't seem to be able to get through to (= communicate with) him these days.
Get sth out of your mind - to make yourself stop thinking about something:
I can't get that horrible moment/image out of my mind.
Enjoyment - B2 the feeling of enjoying something:
Knowing the ending already didn't spoil my enjoyment of the movie.
We don't travel on bank holiday weekends - there's no enjoyment in that.
He came to the pantomime just for the enjoyment of seeing the children's faces.
I'd like to see her playing her instrument for her own enjoyment, not as a chore.
It's sad if he never gets any enjoyment out of his job any more.
Enjoyable - B1 An enjoyable event or experience gives you pleasure:
a very enjoyable game/movie
Thank you for a most enjoyable evening.
He spent an enjoyable afternoon at the park.
She's such a good teacher, her lessons are really enjoyable.
That was a very enjoyable meal - thank you so much.
The treatment isn't enjoyable, but it seems to be helping my condition.
With a view to doing sth - C1 with the aim of doing something:
These measures have been taken with a view to increasing the company's profits.
Burn with sth - If you burn with an emotion, you feel that emotion very strongly:
They were both burning with desire.
Safety valve - a way of getting rid of strong feelings without causing harm:
For many people who suffer from stress at work, sport is a vital safety valve.
Enjoin - formal to tell someone to do something or to behave in a particular way:
[ + to infinitive ] We were all enjoined to be on our best behaviour.
He enjoined (= suggested) caution.
Burst - B2 [ I or T ] to break open or apart suddenly, or to make something do this:
I hate it when balloons burst.
Suddenly the door burst open (= opened suddenly and forcefully) and police officers rushed in.
The river was threatening to burst its banks.
figurative humorous If I eat any more cake I'll burst (= I cannot eat anything else)!
C2 [ I ] to feel a strong emotion, or strong wish to do something:
I knew they were bursting with curiosity but I said nothing.
[ + to infinitive ] Tom was bursting to tell everyone the news.
uk informal I'm bursting to go to the loo!
burst into flames - C2 to suddenly burn strongly, producing a lot of flames:
Smoke started pouring out from underneath, then the truck burst into flames.
The whole town flooded when the river burst its banks.
The bag burst and the apples fell out.
She pricked the balloon with a pin and it burst with a loud bang.
Burst - uk the act of breaking open so that what is inside comes out: a burst in the water pipe
a sudden increase in something, especially for a short period:
a burst of speed/applause/laughter
Burst at the seams - to be completely full:
When all the family is home the house is bursting at the seams.
burst into song/tears/laughter - B2 to suddenly begin to sing/cry/laugh:
Much to my surprise, Caleb suddenly burst into song.
burst out laughing/crying - B2 to suddenly start laughing/crying:
I walked in and everyone burst out laughing.
burst in/into (somewhere) - B2 to enter a room or building suddenly and without warning:
The side door of the bar flew open and three men burst in.
burst in on sb/sth - to enter a room suddenly and without warning, interrupting the people or activity inside:
Katya burst in on him without warning.
burst out - C2 to suddenly say something loudly: "Don't go!" he burst out.
Imaginative - C1 new, original, and clever: IMADZINATIV
an imaginative new approach/policy
The architects have made imaginative use of glass and transparent plastic.
C1 good at thinking of new, original, and clever ideas: an imaginative designer
Imaginatively
Infinite - C2 without limits; extremely large or great:
an infinite number/variety
The universe is theoretically infinite.
With infinite patience, she explained the complex procedure to us.
The definition of a safe harbor is a place that provides safety. An example of a safe harbor is a shelter during a storm. ...
An example of a safe harbor on the Internet is a statute protecting Internet service providers from the actions of users
such as protection for Google against users who use it for illegal purposes.

Certainty - [ C ] something that cannot be doubted:

There are few absolute certainties in life.
B2 [ U ] the state of being completely confident or having no doubt about something:
I'm unable to answer that question with any certainty.
Somehow she knew, with deep-down certainty, that her son was still alive.
Each one of us faces the certainty that we are going to die.
I can't say I'm certain they'll win, because there are no certainties in life, but they've got an excellent chance.
Can you state with certainty that this is the same man you saw on that day?
 C2 [ C ] something that is very likely to happen:
Joan will win - that's a certainty.
[ + to infinitive ] Joan is a certainty to win.
Construe - construe sth as sth – F - to understand the meaning, especially of other people's actions and statements, in
a particular way:
Any changes to the plan would be construed as indecision.
Read between the lines - C2 to try to understand someone's real feelings or intentions from what they say or write:
Reading between the lines, I'd say he isn't happy with the situation.
Indecision - the state of being unable to make a choice: same as indecisiveness,
A moment's indecision when you've got the ball and you could lose the game.
There is a great deal of indecision about/over how to tackle the problem.
Blow hot and cold - to sometimes like or be interested in something or someone and sometimes not, so people are
confused about how you really feel:
He's been blowing hot and cold about the trip to Brazil.
Indecisive - not good at making decisions: He is widely thought to be an indecisive leader.
The jury is (still) out - C2 If the jury is (still) out on a subject, people do not yet know the answer or have not yet
decided if it is good or bad:
The jury's still out on the safety of irradiated food.
Sit on the fence - to delay making a decision:
You can't sit on the fence any longer - you have to decide whose side you're on.
Irradiate - to treat with light or other types of radiation: The cells are irradiated so that they cannot reproduce.

I am not answering your questions, but I do have some information that may interest you:
One of my favorite books says:
"In Modern English the future perfect tense has been largely replaced by the simple future tense. Ordinarily a person
would say, 'He will finish the work by next Saturday,' instead of 'He will have finished.' "
--Walter Kay Smart, English Grammar Review (1968).

Michael Swan's Practical English Usage (1995 edition) also reminds us that the future perfect can "predict the present."
He gives this example: "It's no use phoning -- he'll have left by now."
[My note: I think that it is accurate to say that many Americans would prefer to express that idea in an "easier" way:
"No use phoning. He has probably left by now / He is probably gone by now."]
Straddle - to sit or stand with your legs on either side of something:
He pulled on his helmet and straddled the motorbike.
Something that straddles a line, such as a border or river, exists on each side of it or goes across it:
Our farm straddles the railway line.
to combine different styles or subjects:
It's described as a new kind of dance music which straddles jazz and soul.
mainly us disapproving to be unable to decide which of two opinions about a subject is better and so partly
support both opinions:
It's not the first time this year that the president has been accused of straddling an issue.
Hold sb over - to delay someone from leaving: The weather held us over in Denver for two days.

'I am expected to arrive in Sydney on 16th September.' Trains are delayed, ships are held over in ports and flights are
rerouted.
Reroute - to change the route of something:
The plan entails rerouting traffic through a tunnel to create a vast pedestrian area.
Hold true - uk also hold good - to continue to be true:
Their arguments were valid a hundred years ago and they still hold true today.

Here’s what Marcella Frank*says about the future and the future perfect with “by”:
‘In some instances, the idea of completion of one future event before another is not absolutely necessary to the sense of
a sentence. In such cases, the future perfect alternates with the future tense, with the future perfect tense merely giving
greater emphasis to the completion of the earlier event.

By the end of the school year, we will have covered (or will cover) the entire grammar book …
I think what the author states holds true for these sentences of yours, Apple:
1.I will finish my homework by the time Father comes home.
2. I will have finished my homework by the time Father comes home.
The sentences mean just about the same thing: first, you will finish your homework and then Father comes home.
In sentence 2), there is more emphasis on the completion of the homework than on the doing of the homework.
The same holds true for the two original sentences:
1. They will arrive in Paris by next week.
2. They will have arrived in Paris by next week.
The sentences mean just about the same thing. In sentence 2), there is more emphasis on the completion of the arrival
than on the action of arriving.
As a note, I feel that the first sentences with the future rather than the future perfect are a bit informal. I think we hear
this future often in conversation, and especially in registers which don’t make frequent use of the future perfect tense.
They will arrive on time if their train isn't cancelled".
By tomorrow night our cousins will have arrived in Paris.
By tomorrow night our cousins would have arrived in Paris if their train hadn't been cancelled (yesterday).
I can't see any objection to either (c) or (d)
Tomorrow night our cousins will be arriving in Paris."
At 7 o'clock tomorrow night, our cousins will be arriving in Paris. WEIRD
By tomorrow night our cousins will have arrived in Paris.

Oh, hang on a moment. Supposing there are lots and lots of cousins, all arriving in separate groups at separate times.
In that case, I am quite happy with (a) and indeed with (b). I support (b) following the same line of reasoning that Vik
and Loob set out in posts #3 and #4.
So, all of them are correct, in the right context.
What a rotten test question.
Unless you stretch, I think, there is only one correct answer,
Plump - C2 having a pleasantly soft, rounded body or shape:
a nice plump chicken
plump juicy grapes
a child with plump rosy cheeks
C2 polite word for fat: He's got rather plump since I last saw him.
to shake and push something to make it round and soft:
My aunt was busy straightening furniture and plumping cushions.
Plump sth up - to make something fuller or fatter:
She went round plumping up the cushions.
Lips can be plumped up with injections.
Plump (sb/sth) down - to sit down suddenly and heavily, or to put an object or child down suddenly and without taking
care:
She plumped down next to me on the sofa.
He rushed in and plumped himself down in a chair.
Joan sat down at the front of the bus, and plumped her bags down beside her.
Plump for sth/sb - to choose something or someone, especially after taking time for careful thought:
I'm going to plump for the vegetable curry.
Which film did you plump for in the end?
Compromise - B2 an agreement in an argument in which the people involved reduce their demands or change their
opinion in order to agree:
It is hoped that a compromise will be reached in today's talks.
In a compromise between management and unions, a four percent pay rise was agreed in return for an
increase in productivity.
The government has said that there will be no compromise with terrorists.
The talks are aiming at a compromise.
The leader's aggressive stance seems to have foreclosed any chance of diplomatic compromise.
B2 [ I ] to accept that you will reduce your demands or change your opinion in order to reach an agreement with
someone:
Party unity is threatened when members will not compromise.
Well, you want $400 and I say $300, so let's compromise at/on $350.
[ T ] disapproving to allow your principles to be less strong or your standards or morals to be lower:
Don't compromise your beliefs/principles for the sake of being accepted.
If we back down on this issue, our reputation will be compromised.
His political career ended when he compromised himself by accepting bribes.
T ] to risk having a harmful effect on something:
We would never compromise the safety of our passengers.
Dearth - an amount or supply that is not large enough: a dearth of new homes in the region F
Be at a premium - C2 to be not common and therefore valuable: Free time is at a premium for working parents.
Deficiency - C1 a state of not having, or not having enough, of something that is needed:
Pregnant women often suffer from iron deficiency.
Deficiencies in the education system have been much in the news.
Severe iron deficiency can cause developmental delay and growth retardation.
The teacher even implied that he was suffering from some kind of mental deficiency.
The blood tests revealed a deficiency in certain key minerals and vitamins.
Dead end - [ C ] a road that is closed at one end, and does not lead anywhere:
a dead-end street [ S ] a situation that has no hope of making progress:
Negotiators have reached a dead end in their attempts to find a peaceful solution.
The road dead-ended halfway up the mountain.
Deadlock - [ S or U ] a situation in which agreement in an argument cannot be reached because neither side will change
its demands or accept any of the demands of the other side:
Somebody will have to compromise if we are to break (= end) the deadlock between the two warring factions.
Once again the talks have ended in deadlock.
Deadlock over wage levels has prevented an agreement being reached.
Stalemate - a situation in which neither group involved in an argument can win or get an advantage and no action can
be taken:
Tomorrow's meeting between the two leaders is expected to break a diplomatic stalemate that has
lasted for ten years.
Despite long discussions, the workers and the management remain locked in stalemate.
Have a bumpy ride - C2 to have a difficult time:
She's had a bumpy ride at work over the last few months.
A narrow squeak - a success that was almost a failure:
We caught the ferry but it was a narrow squeak.
Need your head examined - humorous uk also need your head examining - If you tell someone they need their head
examined, you think that that person is crazy because they have done something stupid or strange:
You need your head examined if you're willing to spend that much on a pair of jeans.
Needless - C2 completely unnecessary: needless worrying
Needless to say - C1 as you would expect; added to, or used to introduce, a remark giving information that is expected
and not surprising: Needless to say, he'll be off work for a while.
Speaks for itself - C2 If something speaks for itself, it is clear and needs no further explanation:
The school's excellent record speaks for itself.
Shine out - If a quality shines out, it is strong and easy to see: Her honesty and sincerity positively shine out.
Shine through - If a quality shines through, it is strong and easy to see, usually in a particular situation:
Take off your make-up and let your natural beauty shine through.
She is a quiet woman but her passion shines through in her music.
Leap out at sb - If something leaps out at you, you notice it immediately: As I turned the page his picture leapt out at me.
Indecision - also indecisiveness, - the state of being unable to make a choice:
A moment's indecision when you've got the ball and you could lose the game.
There is a great deal of indecision about/over how to tackle the problem.
Spot - B1 a small, usually round area of colour that is differently coloured or lighter or darker than the surface around it:
He had a spot of grease on his tie.
B1 one of many spots, that form a pattern: I wore that skirt with the green spots.
B2 uk a raised, pale red circle on the skin that is temporary: Teenagers often suffer a lot from spots.
mainly uk a small amount:
I felt a few spots of rain.
Let's stop for a spot of lunch.
I'm having a spot of bother (= some trouble) with one of my back teeth.
uk If you say it's spotting (with rain), you mean that a few drops of rain are falling.
 B2 a particular place:
This looks like a nice spot for a picnic.
on the spot - at the place where an event is happening or has recently happened:
The police were called and they were on the spot within three minutes.
C2 immediately: You can be sacked on the spot for stealing.
B2 [ T ] to see or notice someone or something, usually because you are looking hard:
I've just spotted Mark - he's over there, near the entrance.
If you spot any mistakes in the article just mark them with a pencil.
[ + -ing verb ] The police spotted him driving a stolen car.
[ + question word ] I soon spotted what was wrong with the printer.
[ + that ] The policewoman spotted that I hadn't got my seat belt on and signalled me to stop.
well spotted uk - used to praise someone who has noticed something:
"I've just seen your glasses - they're under the table." "Ah, well spotted!"
Weak spot - a weak part in something:
Targeting the opponent's weak spots is a typical technique in politics.
Put sb on the spot - C2 If you put someone on the spot, you cause them embarrassment or difficulty by forcing them at
that moment to answer a difficult question or make an important decision:
Mira rather put the boss on the spot by asking him when he was going to give us a pay rise.
Lawless - not controlled by laws, or illegal:
The film is set in a lawless city some time in the future.
Pander to someone/something - to please other people by doing or saying what you think they want you to do or say:
She accused the other candidate of pandering to radical environmental groups.
It's not good the way she panders to his every whim.
Political leaders almost inevitably pander to big business.
The child's parents pandered to his every whim
Fight your corner - to defend something that you believe in by arguing:
You'll have to be prepared to fight your corner if you want them to extend the project.
Defensible - s also defendable - able to be protected from attack, or able to be supported by argument:
A city built on an island is easily defensible.
High petrol taxes are defensible on ecological grounds.
Swap - C1 to give something and be given something else instead:
When you've finished reading your book, and I've finished mine, can we swap?
We swapped addresses with the people we met on holiday.
 When he got a job in a bank, he had to swap his jeans and T-shirt for a suit (= he had to wear formal
clothes instead of informal ones).
[ + two objects ] I'll swap you my chocolate bar for your peanuts.
We spent the evening swapping (= telling each other) stories/jokes.
Would you mind swapping those plates over?
We swapped houses during the children's school holidays.
Swap - an exchange, or something that is going to be or has been exchanged:
I thought Sam's lunch looked better than mine, so we did a swap.
uk This comic is a swap (= something that was exchanged) that I got from Nick.
Strip - [ T ] to remove, pull, or tear the covering or outer layer from something:
Because of the pollution, the trees are almost completely stripped of bark.
The paintwork was so bad that we decided to strip off all the paint and start again.
[ + adj ] During the summer months, the sheep strip the mountains bare.
[ I or T ] uk also strip off [ I ] to remove your clothing, or to remove all the clothing of someone else:
The men were ordered to strip.
uk Suddenly he stripped off and ran into the sea.
[ + adj ] He had been stripped naked, beaten and robbed.
[ I ] to remove your clothing as an entertainment:
She stripped to pay her way through college.
[ T ] to remove parts of a machine, vehicle, or engine in order to clean or repair it:
I've decided to strip down my motorbike and rebuild it.
[ T ] mainly us to remove the parts of a car, etc. in order to sell them
C1 [ C ] a long, flat, narrow piece:
a narrow strip of land
He didn't have a bandage, so he ripped up his shirt into thin strips.
Protect the magnetic strip on your credit card from scratches, heat, or other damage.
[ C usually singular ] uk the clothing worn by a football team that has the team's colours on it:
The team will be wearing its new strip at next Saturday's match.
uk an entertainment in which the performer removes all his or her clothing:
He jumped up on the table and started to do a strip.
Tease - B2 to laugh at someone or say unkind things about them, either because you are joking or because you want to
upset that person: MAKE FUN OF
I used to hate being teased about my red hair when I was at school.
I was just teasing, I didn't mean to upset you.
 Tease - someone who is always teasing people: Johnny, don't be such a tease - leave your sister alone!
slang disapproving someone who enjoys causing sexual excitement and interest in people she or he does not
intend to have sex with
Tease sth out - to try to get information or understand a meaning that is hidden or not clear:
It took me a while to tease the truth out of him.
Have a (good) nose for sth - to be good at finding things of the stated type:
She has a good nose for a bargain.
As a reporter, he had a nose for a good story.
Strip sth out - to ignore particular numbers or facts in a situation in order to understand what is really important:
After stripping out property sales, the firm's operating profits rose ten percent.
Strip sb of sth - to take something important, such as a title, away from someone as a punishment:
He was stripped of his knighthood after he was convicted of stealing from the company.
Strip (down) to sth - to remove everything except for a particular piece of clothing or above a particular part of the body:
I had to strip down to my underwear for my medical examination.
He was stripped to the waist.
In your birthday suit – humorous - not wearing any clothes
Strip sth off - to remove a piece of clothing: It was so hot that we stripped off our shirts.
Strip sth away - to gradually reduce something important or something that has existed for a long time:
If you strip away all the rhetoric, you're left with an opinion that isn't backed up by facts.
Core - C2 [ S or U ] the basic and most important part of something:
The lack of government funding is at the core of the problem.
The radicals in the party were clearly sacked to propitiate the conservative core.
Hardline rightwingers form the core of the movement.
Core of our workforce comes from local families.
C2 [ C ] the hard central part of some fruits, such as apples, that contains the seeds:
Don't throw your apple core on the floor!
most important or most basic: ADJ
They are cutting back production of some of their core products.
core value, belief, issue, etc. a value, belief, etc. that is basic and more important than any other:
The final status negotiations would focus on the core issues of the peace process.
core business/operations/activities
the most important or largest part of a company's business activities:
The company's core operations include entertainment and aviation.
core curriculum/subjects/courses - the most important parts of a course of study, that all students must learn
found in the main part of the body, but not the arms or the legs: Pilates is good for strengthening the core muscles.
To the core in every way: He's a Conservative to the core.
to an extreme degree: I was shocked to the core.
Reckless - C2 doing something dangerous and not worrying about the risks and the possible results:
He was found guilty of reckless driving.
She spends her money recklessly.
The accident was a result of recklessness.
Throw caution to the wind/winds - C2 to do something without worrying about the risk or negative results:
I threw caution to the wind and bought the most expensive one.
Foolhardy - brave in a silly way, taking unnecessary risks:
a foolhardy decision
Sailing the Atlantic in such a tiny boat wasn't so much brave as foolhardy.
It would be foolhardy to try and predict the outcome of the talks at this stage.
Impulsiveness - behaviour in which you do things suddenly without any planning and without considering the effects
they may have:
He had rushed into the relationship too quickly, and regretted his impulsiveness.
She had to learn how to curb her impulsiveness.
Her behaviour is characterised by impulsiveness and a lack of thought about the consequences of her actions.
Impulsive - C2 showing behaviour in which you do things suddenly without any planning and without considering the
effects they may have:
Don't be so impulsive - think before you act.
an impulsive man/decision/gesture
Curb - C2 to control or limit something that is not wanted:
The government should act to curb tax evasion.
He is someone who finds it difficult to curb his fleshly desires.
You really need to curb your spending.
The police are trying to curb under-age drinking.
a limit on something that is not wanted: You must try to put a curb on your bad temper/spending habits.
Curative - able to cure or cause to get better:
Do you believe in the curative powers of the local mineral water?
Feel like a new woman/man - to feel very much better:
That holiday was fantastic - I feel like a whole new woman since I came back.
Scratch the surface - to deal with only a small part of a subject or a problem:
All the payments we’ve made have hardly scratched the surface of the amount we borrowed.
Scratch/scrape the surface - to deal with only a very small part of a subject or a problem:
There's far more to be said - I've only had time to scratch the surface in this talk.
The amount of aid that has been offered is hardly going to scratch the surface of the problem.
Brow - [ C usually singular ] literary the forehead (= part of the face above the eyes): BRAU
She wrinkled her brow as she thought.
He paused at the top of the hill and mopped his brow (= rubbed the sweat away)
Knit your brow/brows - to frown (= move your eyebrows down and together) because you are thinking carefully, or
because you are angry or worried: Lit
He knitted his brow in concentration.
Furrow - a long line or hollow that is formed or cut into the surface of something: FAROU
A deep furrow has formed in the rock, where water has run over it for centuries.
Years of anxiety have lined her brow with deep furrows.
to form or cut a long line or hollow in the surface of something:
The wheels of the heavy tractor furrowed the soft ground.
The pain of the headache made him furrow his brow (= make lines in the skin above his eyes).
Tactless - not careful about saying or doing something that could upset someone:
It was tactless of you to invite his ex-girlfriend.
Inconsiderate - C1 not thinking or worrying about other people or their feelings: DISAPP
Our neighbours are very inconsiderate - they're always playing loud music late at night.
Indiscreet - saying or doing things that tell people things that should be secret or that embarrass people:
In an indiscreet moment, the president let his genuine opinions be known.
They have been rather indiscreet about their affair.
Tact - C2 the ability to say or do the right thing without making anyone unhappy or angry:
He's never had much tact and people don't like his blunt manner.
Avuncular - friendly, kind, or helpful, like the expected behaviour of an uncle: F
an avuncular, quietly spoken man
His avuncular image belies his steely determination.
Belie - to show something to be false, or to hide something such as an emotion:
Her calm face belied the terror she was feeling.
Proneness - proneness to sth
the fact of being likely to suffer from an illness or have a particular negative characteristic:
His proneness to injury forced him to retire from professional football.
Differ - B2 to be not like something or someone else, either physically or in another way:
The twins look alike, but they differ in temperament.
His views differ considerably from those of his parents.
The findings of the various studies differ significantly/markedly/radically.
The incidence of the illness differs greatly between men and women.
formal to disagree:
Economists differ on the cause of inflation.
I beg to differ with you on that point.
Eye-witness accounts of the fighting differ markedly from police reports of what happened.
The three birds differ in small features (see Plate 4).
Eat away at something - to slowly damage or destroy something:
Waves had eaten away at the sand dunes.
Eat humble pie - us also eat crow informal - to admit that you were wrong:
After boasting that his company could outperform the industry's best, he's been forced to eat humble pie.
Hum - [ I ] to make a continuous low sound:
The computers were humming in the background.
What's that strange humming sound?
[ I or T ] to sing without opening your mouth:
She hummed to herself as she walked to school.
I've forgotten how that song goes - could you hum it for me?
[ I ] informal to be busy and full of activity, excitement, sounds, or voices:
The bar was really humming last night.
a continuous low noise:
Our house is on a main road, so we can hear the constant hum of traffic.
There's an annoying hum on this computer.
Swish - to (cause to) move quickly through the air making a soft sound:
I heard the rope swish through the air.
The horses swished their tails to get rid of the flies hovering around them.
Contingent - contingent on/upon sth - depending on something else in the future in order to happen:
Outdoor activities are, as ever, contingent on the weather. KONTINDZENT
Our success is contingent upon your support.