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19,295 words · meanings, pronunciation and origins ·
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Part of speech
noun
verb
adjective
adverb
preposition
pronoun
phrase
59 words
clear filters
a ballpark figure
phrase
C1
A rough guess at a number, close enough to work with.
a blessing in disguise
phrase
C1
Bad luck that secretly turns out to be good.
a can of worms
phrase
C1
A problem that spills into endless new problems once opened.
a drop in the ocean
phrase
C1
An amount far too small to make any difference.
a fresh pair of eyes
phrase
B2
Somebody new looking at a problem you have stared at too long.
a hard nut to crack
phrase
C1
A problem or a person that is very difficult to deal with.
a home from home
phrase
B2
A place where you feel as comfortable as in your own house.
a leopard cannot change its spots
phrase
C1
People do not really alter their nature.
a piece of my mind
phrase
C1
An angry telling-off you give someone who deserves it.
a piece of the pie
phrase
C1
Your fair share of the money or benefits.
a sight for sore eyes
phrase
C1
Somebody or something you are very glad to see.
a slippery slope
phrase
B2
A small wrong step that leads to much worse ones.
a stitch in time saves nine
phrase
C1
Deal with a small problem now and avoid a big one later.
a stone's throw away
phrase
B2
Very close by indeed.
a taste of their own medicine
phrase
B2
Treatment as unpleasant as what they gave others.
a tidy sum
phrase
C1
A considerably larger amount of money than expected.
about time
phrase
B2
Said when something overdue finally happens.
account for
/əˈkaʊnt foɹ/
phrase
B2
2 meanings
To explain the cause or reason for something.
achilles heel
phrase
C1
The one weak point in somebody otherwise strong.
across from
phrase
A2
On the other side, facing you.
act up
/ækt ˈʌp/
phrase
C1
To behave badly, or to stop working properly.
actions speak louder than words
/ˈak.ʃənz spiːk ˈlaʊ̯d.ə ˌðan wɜːdz/<q:contemporary>
phrase
B2
The saying: what people do proves more than what they say.
add fuel to the fire
phrase
B2
To make an angry situation worse.
add up
phrase
B2
To make sense as a whole, or to total numbers.
add up to
phrase
B2
To amount to something when everything is counted.
after all
phrase
B2
2 meanings
Used to introduce a reason or justification.
after you
phrase
B1
A polite invitation to go first.
against the clock
phrase
B2
Hurrying to finish before time runs out.
ahead of time
phrase
B1
Earlier than was required.
ahoy
/əˈhɔɪ/
phrase
B2
A shout used at sea to hail another vessel.
air conditioner
/ˈɛə kənˌdɪʃn̩ə/
phrase
B1
The machine that makes a room cool in summer.
air out
phrase
B2
To let fresh air through a room.
all else being equal
phrase
C1
Assuming nothing else changes.
all hands
phrase
C1
Every member of the crew, called on deck.
all in good time
phrase
B2
Be patient, it will happen when it should.
all mod cons
phrase
C2
All the modern comforts a home can have.
all the same
phrase
C1
2 meanings
Nevertheless, in spite of what has been said.
all things considered
phrase
B2
Taking everything into account.
an act of god
phrase
C1
A disaster no person could have prevented.
answer back
phrase
B2
To reply rudely to somebody in authority.
apples and oranges
phrase
B2
Two things too different to be compared fairly.
apron strings
phrase
C2
A phrase for a parent's control that a grown child hasn't escaped from.
around the clock
phrase
B2
Continuously, day and night.
artificial intelligence
/ˌɑː.təˈfɪʃ.əl ɪnˈtɛl.ə.d͡ʒəns/
phrase
B2
Computer systems that can learn, reason, and answer like a mind.
as a rule
phrase
B2
Usually, though not always.
as i was saying
phrase
B2
Said to pick up a thread that got interrupted.
as the crow flies
phrase
C1
Measured in a straight line, ignoring the roads.
ask out
phrase
B1
To invite somebody on a date.
at a loose end
phrase
C1
With nothing in particular to do.
at arm's length
phrase
C1
As far away as your reach, or kept at a distance.
at bay
phrase
C1
Cornered and forced to face the pursuers.
at long last
phrase
B2
Finally, after a long and frustrating wait.
at the drop of a hat
phrase
B2
Immediately, and without needing to be asked twice.
at the eleventh hour
phrase
C1
At the very last possible moment.
at the end of the day
phrase
B2
When everything is considered, this is what matters.
at the junction
phrase
B1
Where two or more roads meet.
avert your eyes
phrase
C1
To look away deliberately.
avert your gaze
phrase
C1
To deliberately look away.
avoid eye contact
phrase
B2
To deliberately keep from looking directly at somebody.