all 19,295 words · one row per spelling
Word ranking
Ranked by how often each word appears in film and television subtitles — the first 15,258 spellings, from the ones you cannot avoid to the ones you will only ever read. Words the frequency norms never measured follow at the end, A to Z.
Off the charts — the norms never met these
Mostly phrases, rare senses and bookish words the subtitle corpus has no sighting of. Alphabetical, because any number would be a guess.
- —contour lineThe line on a map joining points of equal height.B2
- —contract lawThe rules governing agreements between parties.B2
- —control groupThe group that gets no treatment, for comparison.B2
- —control towerThe tall building from which aircraft are directed.B2
- —conversationalInformal and relaxed, like ordinary speech.B1
- —conversion rateWhat share of visitors actually buy.C1
- —conveyor beltA moving loop that carries things along.B2
- —convince yourselfTo talk yourself into believing something.B2
- —cool boxAn insulated box that keeps food cold.B1
- —cool downTo become less hot — or less angry.B1
- —cooling fanThe blades that blow heat away from a chip.B1
- —cooperA craftsman who makes barrels.C1
- —coping mechanismA habit a person uses to get through stress.C1
- —coping strategyA planned way of getting through something hard.B2
- —coproliteThe fossilised droppings of an ancient animal.C2
- —copseA small group of trees.C2
- —copyright noticeThe line stating who holds the rights to a work.B2
- —coracleA small round boat of hide over a frame.C2
- —cordon offTo close an area with a barrier so nobody may enter.C1
- —cordwainerA shoemaker who works in fine leather.C2
- —corkageA fee for drinking wine you brought yourself.C1
- —corner shopThe small local shop that sells a bit of everything.B1
- —corps de balletThe dancers who perform as a group rather than as soloists.C2
- —corrugatedShaped into parallel ridges and grooves for strength.C2
- —cost an arm and a legTo be terribly expensive.B2
- —cost of livingHow much it takes to pay for everyday needs.B2
- —cost the earthTo be outrageously expensive.B2
- —cost-effectiveGiving good value for what it costs.C1
- —costa ricaThe peaceful Central American country of rainforests, with no army at all.B1
- —costermongerA street trader selling fruit and vegetables.C2
- —cottage cheeseA lumpy fresh white cheese, low in fat.B1
- —cotton budA small stick with cotton on each end.B1
- —cotton onTo finally understand what is going on.C1
- —cotton woolSoft fluffy cotton used for cleaning skin.B1
- —couch potatoA person who lies on the sofa watching TV all day.B2
- —council taxThe local charge paid on a home.B2
- —count onTo rely on someone or something with confidence.B2
- —counter serviceOrdering and collecting at a counter yourself.B2
- —counter-offerA better offer made to keep you from leaving.C1
- —counterchangeA pattern where colours swap across a dividing line.C2
- —counterexampleOne case that shows a general claim is false.C1
- —countersinkTo widen a hole's mouth so a screw sits flush.C2
- —country laneA narrow road between hedges.B1
- —countryside walkA journey on foot through fields and lanes.B1
- —countrywideHappening across the whole nation.B2
- —coup d'etatA sudden illegal seizure of government.C1
- —courserA swift horse used in war or hunting.C2
- —courseworkThe assignments done during a course that count toward the grade.B2
- —court martialA military court that tries soldiers.C1
- —court-martialA trial held by a military court.C1
- —courtesy callA visit or call made out of politeness.C1
- —courtyard viewA room looking onto the enclosed inner space.B2
- —cover all the basesTo prepare for every possibility.C1
- —cover letterThe one-page letter sent with your CV to sell yourself.B2
- —cover storyThe main article of a magazine, announced on the front.B2
- —cover your mouthTo put a hand over the lips in shock.B1
- —cover your tracksTo remove the signs that you were there.C1
- —cover-upAn organised effort to hide a scandal.B2
- —covering letterThe letter sent with an application explaining yourself.B2
- —cowherdSomebody whose job is looking after cattle.C1
- —cprPressing the chest and breathing for someone whose heart stopped.B2
- —crack down onTo start dealing with something far more strictly.B2
- —crane truckA vehicle with an arm for lifting heavy loads.B2
- —crannogAn ancient dwelling built on an island in a lake.C2
- —crassStupidly insensitive and lacking in taste.C2
- —crease upTo laugh helplessly, or to make somebody do so.C1
- —credit cardThe plastic rectangle you tap or swipe to pay without cash.A1
- —credit checkAn inspection of your borrowing history.B2
- —credit limitThe most a lender will let you borrow.B2
- —credit scoreA number showing how safe a borrower you are.B2
- —creep up onTo approach unnoticed, as age or a deadline does.B2
- —crenelOne of the gaps in a battlement.C2
- —crenellateTo build notches into the top of a wall.C2
- —crew cutA very short haircut all over.B2
- —cricket batThe flat willow blade used to strike the ball.B1
- —crime sceneThe place where an offence happened, sealed for examination.B2
- —crisis lineA number answered at any hour by someone trained.B2
- —criteriumA race of many laps round a short town circuit.C2
- —critical conditionA state where a patient could still die.B2
- —critterA small animal or creature.C2
- —croatiaThe Adriatic country of a thousand islands and old stone towns.B1
- —crofterA small tenant farmer, especially in Scotland.C2
- —crop rotationChanging what is grown in a field each year.B2
- —crop upTo appear unexpectedly.B2
- —cross that bridge when you come to itTo deal with a problem only when it actually arrives.C1
- —cross your fingersTo fold one finger over another for luck.B1
- —cross your legsTo rest one leg over the other while sitting.B1
- —cross your mindFor a thought to pass through briefly.B2
- —cross-countryRacing over long distances on flat or rolling ground.B2
- —cross-examineTo question the other side's witness to test their story.C1
- —cross-eyedHaving eyes that turn inward towards each other.C1
- —cross-referenceA note pointing the reader to another place in the work.C1
- —cross-sellTo sell something extra alongside the main purchase.C1
- —crossfitTraining that mixes lifting, gymnastics and running.B2
- —crossing gateThe barrier that closes a road when a train comes.B2
- —crossword clueThe riddle that tells you which word to write in.B1
- —crow's feetThe fine lines that fan out from the corner of an eye.C1
- —crowd aroundTo gather closely on every side of something.B1
- —crude oilThe thick dark liquid pumped from underground.B2
- —cruelty-freeMade without testing on animals.B2
- —cruising altitudeThe steady height a flight settles at.C1
- —cry over spilled milkTo waste sadness on a small mistake already made.B2
- —cryptocurrencyDigital money that lives on no bank, only on math.B2
- —crystal ballThe glass sphere used to see the future.B1
- —cuboidA box shape with six rectangular faces.C1
- —cul-de-sacA street closed at one end.B2
- —cult classicA work loved deeply by a small devoted audience.C1
- —cultured pearlA gem grown in a shellfish with human help.C1
- —cup your earTo hold a hand behind the ear to hear better.C1
- —curiosity killed the catThe warning that asking too much can get you in trouble.C1
- —curling tongsA heated rod hair is wound around to curl it.C1
- —current accountThe everyday account you pay bills from.B2
- —curriculum vitaeThe document listing your education and jobs.B2
- —currycombA toothed comb for cleaning a horse's coat.C2
- —curtain callThe return of the cast to receive applause.B2
- —curtain upThe moment a performance begins.C1
- —custard pieThe soft missile thrown in a comic act.B2
- —customs formThe declaration attached to a package going abroad.B2
- —customs officerThe official who checks what you carry across a border.B1
- —cut backTo reduce the amount of something.B2
- —cut cornersTo do a job cheaply and carelessly to save time or money.C1
- —cut downTo reduce the amount of something you use or do.B1
- —cut it outWhat you snap at someone to make them stop annoying you.B2
- —cut offTo separate or disconnect — a phone line, power, or a village by snow.B2
- —cut your lossesTo stop before a bad situation gets worse.B2
- —cutpurseA thief who cuts money bags from belts.C2
- —cutting boardThe flat wooden board you chop vegetables on.B1
- —cutting-edgeAt the very front of what is currently possible.C1
- —cybercrimeCrime committed through computers and networks.B2
- —cycle laneThe marked strip of road reserved for bicycles.B1
- —cycle pathA route set aside for riders away from traffic.B1
- —cyclocrossRacing over mixed ground, carrying the cycle at times.C1
- —cylindricalShaped like a cylinder, a round tube with flat ends.B2
- —czechiaThe central European country of Prague and famous beer.B1
- —d-lockA rigid metal lock shaped like a letter.B2
- —dairy-freeMade without milk or anything from it.B1
- —daleA broad open valley.C1
- —damp courseThe barrier that stops wet rising up a wall.C2
- —dance floorThe area set aside for dancing.B1
- —dandleTo bounce a small child gently on your knee.C2
- —dark modeA display setting that shows light text on a dark ground.B1
- —dashed lineA line drawn as a row of short strokes.B2
- —data protectionThe rules governing how personal information is handled.B2
- —daughter-in-lawThe wife of your son.B2
- —dawn chorusAll the birds singing together as the sun comes up.C1
- —dawn onTo become gradually clear to somebody.C1
- —dawn startSetting off at first light to make the most of the day.B2
- —day in day outEvery single day, without change.B2
- —day-to-dayHappening as part of ordinary daily life.B2
- —daypackA small bag for one day's walking.B2
- —dead dropA hiding place where two people leave things for each other.C2
- —dead endA road with no way out at the far end.B1
- —deadline pressureThe strain of having to finish before a fixed hour.B2
- —deal withTo take action about a problem or situation.B1
- —deanThe head of a university faculty or college.B2
- —debilitateTo weaken somebody badly.C1
- —debit cardA card that deducts payments directly from a bank account.B2
- —decantTo pour liquid gently from one vessel to another.C1
- —decencyHonest and considerate behaviour towards others.C1
- —decision-makingThe process of considering options and reaching a choice.C1
- —deck of cardsThe full set of fifty-two playing cards.B1
- —declassifyTo release something from official secrecy.C1
- —declutterTo get rid of everything you do not need.C1
- —decryTo condemn something openly.C2
- —deductiveReasoning from general principles to a particular conclusion.C2
- —deep cleanA thorough clean that reaches what is usually missed.B2
- —deep endThe part of the pool where you cannot touch the bottom.B1
- —definite articleThe little word "the".B1
- —degreaseTo remove thick fat from a surface.C1
- —deja vuThe odd feeling that this has all happened before.B2
- —delivery attemptA visit made to hand something over.B2
- —delivery slotThe period during which your order will arrive.B2
- —demobiliseTo release troops from service after a war.C2
- —demographyThe study of populations and how they change.C1
- —demurrageA charge for keeping a container or ship too long.C2
- —denotationThe plain literal meaning of a word.C2
- —denunciationA public condemnation of somebody or something.C2
- —deodoriseTo take a bad smell away.C1
- —department storeA big shop selling many kinds of goods on several floors.A2
- —departure boardThe screen listing flights and their times.B1
- —depth of fieldHow much of the scene in front and behind is sharp.C1
- —derailleurThe mechanism that shifts the chain between gears.C1
- —derangeTo drive somebody out of their right mind.C2
- —descaleTo remove the hard chalky deposit left by water.C2
- —descend onTo arrive somewhere suddenly and in numbers.C1
- —descryTo catch sight of something far off.C2
- —design technologyLessons in designing and making practical objects.B2
- —despairingShowing complete loss of hope.C1
- —dessert menuThe list of sweet dishes offered at the end.B1
- —destinedCertain to happen or to end up in a particular way.C1
- —detangleTo work knots out of hair.C1
- —developing storyAn event still unfolding as it is reported.B2
- —devil's advocateSomeone who argues the opposite side just to test the idea.C1
- —diametricallyIn a way that is completely opposite.C1
- —dietary requirementWhat a guest can and cannot eat.B2
- —differentiatorThe thing that makes you unlike your rivals.C1
- —dig siteThe place where ancient remains are being uncovered.B2
- —dig upTo remove something from the ground by digging.B1
- —digital cameraA camera that stores pictures as data rather than on film.A2
- —digital detoxA deliberate break from screens.B2
- —digitisationTurning printed material into computer files.B2
- —dim-wittedSlow to understand things.C1
- —dining carThe carriage where meals are served.B2
- —dining roomThe room in a house where meals are eaten.A1
- —diplodocusA huge plant-eating dinosaur with a very long neck and tail.C2
- —direct debitAn arrangement letting a company take what you owe each month.B2
- —direct flightA flight that does not stop on the way.B1
- —direct reportSomebody who reports to you.C1
- —disaffectionLoss of loyalty towards those in charge.C2
- —disaster reliefHelp sent to a place after a catastrophe.B2
- —disc brakeA brake that grips a metal plate at the hub.B2
- —discomfitTo make somebody uneasy and put out.C2
- —disconcertTo throw somebody off their balance of mind.C1
- —disconsolateSo unhappy that nothing can comfort you.C1
- —discount codeA word or number typed in to reduce a price.B1
- —discovered attackA threat revealed by moving another piece out of the way.C1
- —disgruntledAngry and dissatisfied, especially at unfair treatment.C1
- —dishclothA small cloth for wiping plates and surfaces.B1
- —disinfectantA chemical that destroys germs on surfaces.C1
- —display caseA glazed cabinet for showing goods.B2
- —displeaseTo annoy or dissatisfy someone.B2
- —disproofReasoning that shows something is false.C2
- —distance learningStudying a course without attending in person.B2
- —distant relativeA family member connected only through several steps.B2
- —distilTo purify by boiling and condensing, or to reduce to the essence.C1
- —distress signalThe call sent when a vessel needs urgent help.B2
- —dive inTo start doing something eagerly and without delay.B2
- —diving boardThe springboard a diver jumps from.B1
- —dnaThe twisted ladder molecule that carries the recipe for you.B2
- —do away withTo abolish or get rid of something entirely.C1
- —do businessTo trade with somebody.B1
- —do harmTo cause damage or injury.B2
- —do inTo exhaust somebody completely.C1
- —do not disturbThe sign hung out to keep staff from knocking.B1
- —do upTo fasten a garment or its buttons.B1
- —do withoutTo manage even though you lack something.B2
- —do your bestTo try as hard as you possibly can.A2
- —dodgemsSmall electric cars driven to bump each other.B2
- —doggy bagA container for taking leftovers home.B2
- —dole outTo hand something out in small measured amounts.C2
- —doll's houseA miniature home with tiny furniture inside.B1
- —dolorousFull of sorrow.C2
- —domestic flightA flight that stays inside one country.B2
- —domesticationThe taming of wild animals over generations.C1
- —domestiqueA rider whose job is to help the team leader.C2
- —dominican republicCaribbean country of merengue, sharing the island of Hispaniola.B2
- —don't judge a book by its coverThe saying: appearances tell you little about what is inside.B2
- —don't mention itA modest reply to being thanked.B1
- —donor cardA card saying your organs may be used after death.B2
- —doomscrollingReading bad news online long after it helps.C1
- —doorframeThe frame surrounding a doorway, to which the door is fixed.B1
- —dormitory bedOne bed in a room shared with strangers.B2
- —dotted lineA line drawn as a row of separate points.B1
- —double agentA spy who is secretly working for both sides.B2
- —double backTo turn round and go the way you came.B2
- —double bassThe biggest and deepest of the bowed string instruments.B2
- —double roomA room with one large bed for two people.A2
- —double shiftWorking both the midday and the evening service.B2
- —double takeA second look because the first did not register.C1
- —double trackA line with separate rails for each direction.B2
- —double-bookTo promise the same time slot to two people.B2
- —double-crossTo betray someone you had agreed to act with.B2
- —double-deckerA bus with a whole second floor of seats.B1
- —dovetailTo fit together neatly and work well as a pair.C1
- —down on your luckGoing through a bad patch with no money.B2
- —down paymentThe first sum paid, with the rest to follow.B2
- —down to earthPractical, modest, and easy to talk to.B2
- —downpipeThe vertical pipe taking roof water to the ground.C1
- —dozySleepy and only half awake.B2
- —drabnessDull colourlessness with nothing to catch the eye.C2
- —drag and dropTo move something by holding and releasing it elsewhere.B1
- —drain coverThe grate over an opening that takes rainwater.B2
- —drainpipeA pipe carrying rainwater or waste down and away from a building.B1
- —draw a blankTo search your memory and find nothing there.B2
- —draw a comparisonTo point out how two things are alike.C1
- —draw a conclusionTo work out what the evidence shows.B2
- —draw attentionTo make people notice something.B2
- —draw the lineTo decide how far is far enough, and refuse to go past it.B2
- —draw the short strawTo be the one landed with the worst job.C1
- —draw upTo prepare a document or plan carefully.C1
- —dress codeThe standard of clothing an occasion requires.B1
- —dress rehearsalThe final practice, done exactly as the real thing.B2
- —dress upTo put on smart or formal clothes.B1
- —dressageA test of a horse's precise, trained movements.C1
- —dressing-downA severe scolding from someone in authority.C1
- —dressmaker's dummyA body-shaped form for fitting garments on.B2
- —drill bitThe removable cutting piece fitted into a drill.B2
- —drilyIn a flat, deadpan way that hides the humour.C1
- —drive-throughA service where you order and collect without leaving the car.B1
- —drop byTo make a short, casual visit without arranging it.B2
- —drop in the oceanAn amount far too small to matter against the need.C1
- —drop offTo deliver someone or something on the way somewhere.B1
- —drop outTo leave a course, race or activity before completing it.B2
- —dropdownA list that unfolds when you click it.B1
- —dropped kerbA lowered edge that lets wheels cross the pavement.C1
- —drum kitThe full set of drums and cymbals one player uses.B1
- —drum upTo gather support or custom through effort.C1
- —drum your fingersTo tap the fingers in sequence, impatiently.C1
- —drumheadThe tight skin stretched over a drum.C2
- —dry cleanTo clean a garment with chemicals instead of water.B1
- —dry cleaning bagThe bag left in a room for clothes needing chemical cleaning.B2
- —dry dockA basin drained of water so a hull can be worked on.C1
- —dry seasonThe months of the year when almost no rain falls.B1
- —dry skinSkin short of moisture, and prone to flaking.B1
- —dry upTo lose all moisture, or to run out of things to say.B2
- —dry-cleanTo clean a garment with chemicals instead of water.B1
- —due dateThe day something is expected or owed.B1
- —due diligenceThe careful checking done before a deal is signed.C1
- —dunceA person regarded as slow to learn.C2
- —dust jacketThe removable paper cover on a hardback.B2
- —dust sheetA cloth spread over furniture while work goes on.B2
- —duty freeShops selling goods without the usual tax.B2
- —duty-freeSold without tax in the airport shops between passport control and the gates.B1
- —duvet coverThe washable bag the quilt slips inside.B1
- —dvdA disc that stores a film to play at home.A1
- —dwell onTo think or talk about something for too long.B2
- —dysfunctionFailure to operate normally.C2
- —eagle owlA huge owl with orange eyes and ear tufts.B2
- —ear defendersPadded cups that keep loud machine noise out.B2
- —early birdA person who happily wakes at dawn.B2
- —earpieceA small speaker worn in the ear to receive sound.C1
- —earsplittingExtremely loud, to the point of pain.B2
- —earthenwareThick pottery fired at a low heat.C1
- —ease offTo become less strong or less intense.C1
- —easier said than doneThe plan sounds simple but will be hard in practice.B2
- —eat your wordsTo have to admit that what you said was wrong.C1
- —eau de toiletteA light scent, weaker than perfume.C1
- —ebonDeep black, in poetic use.C2
- —ebullienceBubbling high spirits.C2
- —echo chamberA space where you hear only your own opinions back.C1
- —economy classThe cheapest and most crowded cabin.B1
- —ecotourismTravel that aims to protect the places it visits.C2
- —edible mushroomA fungus that can safely be eaten.B2
- —edit downTo shorten a piece by cutting the weaker parts.B2
- —egotisticalExcessively concerned with yourself and your own importance.C1
- —eighteenThe number after seventeen.A1
- —eightyEight times ten.A1
- —eke outTo make a small supply last, or to scrape a living.C2
- —el salvadorThe smallest and most crowded Central American country.B2
- —elapseTo pass, as time does.C1
- —elder relativeAn older member of the family, treated with respect.B2
- —electric fenceA wire that gives a small shock to keep animals in.B1
- —electrifyTo supply something with electric power, or convert it to run on electricity.B2
- —elephant in the roomThe huge obvious problem everyone politely ignores.C1
- —elevenTen plus one.A1
- —ellipseA regular oval, like a squashed circle.C1
- —emblazonTo display a design boldly on something.C1
- —emergency exitThe marked door used only when everyone must get out fast.B1
- —emojiA tiny picture in a message showing a feeling or a thing.A2
- —empty-handedBringing or taking away nothing.B2
- —en passantA special capture of a pawn that has just passed by.C1
- —en pointeBalanced on the very tips of the toes.C2
- —en suiteHaving its own bathroom attached.B2
- —enamouredFilled with liking or love for someone or something.C1
- —encumberTo burden somebody so they cannot move freely.C2
- —end to endJoined so that the ends meet.B2
- —end upTo reach a final situation or place, often unintentionally.B1
- —endnoteA note gathered at the end of a chapter or book.B2
- —endpaperThe sheet pasted inside a book's cover.C1
- —endueTo provide somebody with a quality or a power.C2
- —enervateTo drain somebody of energy and vitality.C2
- —engineer corpsThe soldiers who build bridges and clear obstacles.C1
- —ensconceTo settle comfortably and securely in a place.C2
- —entangleTo catch something up in something it cannot get free of.C2
- —enthuseTo speak about something with keen excitement.C2
- —entrenchmentBeing dug in so firmly that change is very hard.C2
- —entrepreneurshipThe art and risk of building your own business.C1
- —enunciateTo pronounce words clearly and distinctly.C1
- —envelopTo wrap up or surround something completely.C2
- —epicA long poem or story about the deeds of heroes.B2
- —epipenAn injector carried against a severe allergic reaction.C1
- —epitomiseTo be the perfect example of something.C1
- —equableEven-tempered, or steady and mild in climate.C2
- —eritreaRed Sea country north of Ethiopia, capital Asmara.C1
- —escapologistA performer who frees themselves from chains.C1
- —essayistA writer of short pieces arguing a view.B2
- —estate agentA person whose business is selling and letting property.B2
- —estate carA long car with a big load space behind the seats.B2
- —estate saleA sale of the contents of a house after a death.B2
- —eswatiniSmall African kingdom formerly called Swaziland.C2
- —evacuation drillThe practice of leaving a building safely.C1
- —evacuation planThe arrangements for getting everybody out safely.B2
- —evacuation routeThe marked way out in an emergency.B2
- —evacuation slideThe inflatable chute for leaving an aircraft fast.C1
- —evanescentVanishing almost as soon as it appears.C2
- —even soDespite that, this is still true.B2
- —even-handedTreating all sides fairly.C1
- —evenly spacedWith the same gap between each one.B2
- —every cloud has a silver liningThe saying: something good hides in every bad situation.B2
- —every now and thenOccasionally, without any pattern.B1
- —evidence bagThe sealed bag that keeps a found item untampered.B2
- —evinceTo show a feeling or quality clearly.C2
- —ewerA large jug for holding water.C2
- —ex-husbandA man a woman was married to before.B1
- —examineeSomebody sitting a test.B2
- —exasperationWeary irritation after repeated failure or annoyance.C2
- —excess baggageLuggage over the allowance, charged extra.B2
- —exchange rateHow much of one country's money another's is worth.B1
- —exclamationA sudden cry expressing strong feeling.C1
- —excoriateTo criticise savagely, or to strip the skin off.C2
- —excuse meUsed to get someone's attention politely, or to ask to pass.A1
- —excuse me for a momentA polite way of leaving briefly.B1
- —exhalationA breath sent out of the lungs.C1
- —exhortTo urge somebody strongly to do something.C1
- —exigencyAn urgent demand created by the situation.C2
- —exit interviewThe conversation held with somebody who is leaving.C1
- —expense claimA request to be paid back for money you spent at work.B2
- —expletiveA swear word, especially one uttered in anger or pain.C2
- —express trainA fast train that stops at few stations.B1
- —extended familyAll the relatives beyond parents and children.B2
- —extension cordThe long cable that brings power to plugs far from the wall.B1
- —extension numberThe short internal number that reaches one desk.B2
- —extra timeThe added minutes played when the match ends level.B1
- —extreme sportsSports that carry a high risk of injury.B1
- —exultTo rejoice openly and triumphantly.C1
- —eye contactThe act of looking directly into another person's eyes.B2
- —eye upTo look at something with interest or desire.C1
- —eyebrow pencilA pencil used to darken and shape the brows.B1
- —eyeletA small reinforced hole for a lace to pass through.B2
- —eyeshadowColour brushed onto the lid above the eye.B1
- —fabric softenerA liquid that makes washed cloth feel soft.B1
- —face a challengeTo have to deal with something difficult.B2
- —face maskA treatment spread on the face and left to work.B1
- —face the factsTo accept the truth of a situation.B2
- —face the musicTo accept the punishment for what you did.C1
- —face to faceDirectly facing one another.B1
- —face up toTo accept a difficult truth and deal with it.B2
- —face-to-faceHappening with both people present in person.B1
- —facingA piece sewn on to finish an edge neatly.C2
- —facsimile editionAn exact copy of an old book or document.C1
- —fact-checkTo test whether a claim is actually true before printing it.B2
- —factory floorThe open working level where things are made.B2
- —fade awayTo grow gradually weaker until gone.B2
- —fair enoughUsed to acknowledge that something is reasonable.B2
- —fair playHonourable conduct that respects the rules and their spirit.B2
- —fair pointAn admission that your opponent is right.B2
- —fair-mindedWilling to judge everybody by the same standard.C1
- —fairy taleAn old magic story for children, ending happily ever after.B1
- —fake newsInvented stories dressed up to look like reporting.B1
- —fake tanA browning treatment applied rather than earned.B2
- —fall apartTo break into pieces — objects, plans, or people under stress.B2
- —fall behindTo fail to keep up with the pace of others or payments.B2
- —fall downTo drop from standing to the ground.A2
- —fall forTo be tricked by a lie; also, to fall in love with someone.B2
- —fall shortTo fail to reach the standard needed.B2
- —fall throughTo fail to happen after being planned.C1
- —falling-outA quarrel that ends a friendship for a while.C1
- —false dilemmaPretending there are only two options when there are more.C1
- —false flagAn action made to look as though somebody else did it.C2
- —false lashesArtificial lashes stuck on to lengthen your own.B2
- —family gatheringAn occasion bringing relatives together.B1
- —family resemblanceThe likeness that runs through relatives.B2
- —family roomA room with beds for parents and children together.B1
- —family treeA chart showing how relatives connect.B1
- —famine yearA year when the harvest failed and people starved.B2
- —fan baseThe body of people devoted to something.B2
- —far-fetchedSo unlikely that it is hard to believe.B2
- —fast foodCheap hot food served in minutes over a counter.A2
- —fastnessA stronghold in country hard to reach.C2
- —fat chanceSarcastically, there is no chance whatever.C1
- —father-in-lawThe father of the person you married.B2
- —fathom outTo finally understand something deep or puzzling.C1
- —fault lineA crack where blocks of rock have slipped past each other.C1
- —faulty goodsProducts that do not work as they should.B2
- —fawn overTo flatter somebody shamelessly to win their favour.C1
- —feast dayA day set aside to celebrate a saint or an event.B2
- —feather dusterA handle tipped with soft feathers for dusting.B1
- —feature filmA full-length film made to be shown in cinemas.B2
- —federalismA system where power is shared between central and local governments.C1
- —feed sackThe heavy bag animal food comes in.B1
- —feeding bowlThe dish an animal eats from.A2
- —felineRelating to cats.C1
- —fellFierce and cruel, in old use.C2
- —feminineHaving the qualities traditionally associated with women.B2
- —ferret outTo search persistently until you find something hidden.C1
- —ferris wheelThe giant slow wheel of cabins that lifts you above the fair.B1
- —fervidBurning with intense feeling.C2
- —fetalRelating to an unborn baby in the womb.C1
- —fictitiousInvented and falsely presented as real.C2
- —field tripA day when the whole class travels somewhere to learn outside school.B1
- —fifteenThe number after fourteen.A1
- —fiftyFive times ten — half of one hundred.A1
- —fifty-fiftyShared equally, or as likely one way as the other.B1
- —figure outTo understand or solve something after thinking about it.B1
- —figure skatingSkating routines of jumps, spins and dance.B1
- —filing cabinetA tall set of deep drawers for storing documents.B1
- —fill a gapTo supply what was missing.B2
- —fill inTo write information into the spaces on a form.B1
- —film-makerSomebody who directs or produces motion pictures.C1
- —filter bubbleThe narrow world a recommendation system shows you.C1
- —filter effectA ready-made look applied over a whole picture.B2
- —filtration systemThe equipment that cleans the water.C1
- —final versionThe version that is agreed and will be used.B1
- —find outTo learn information you did not previously have.A2
- —fine artPainting and sculpture made for their beauty alone.B2
- —fine-tuneTo make small adjustments to something so it works as well as possible.B2
- —fingers crossedSaid when you are hoping hard for a good outcome.B2
- —fingertipThe end of a finger.B2
- —finkAmerican slang for a low, treacherous character, especially a worker who crosses a picket line during a strike.C2
- —fire alarmThe bell or siren that warns a building of fire.B1