| when you guess about the possible causes or effects of something without knowing all the facts, or the guesses that you make | speculation,_,There is speculation that the president is ill. |
| when you believe that what you want to happen will happen, when in fact it is not possible | wishful thinking,_,I think she rather likes me. But maybe that’s just wishful thinking. |
| taking stupid and unnecessary risks | foolhardy,_,Holding onto a moving car while wearing skates is illegal and foolhardy. |
| used when you admit that something is true | granted,_,Granted, the music is not perfect, but the flaws are outweighed by the sheer joy of the piece. |
| relaxed and seeming not to be worried about anything | laid-back,_,I don’t know how you can be so laid-back about your exams. |
| if opinions, ideas, attitudes etc veer in a particular direction, they gradually change and become quite different | veer,_,This latest proposal appears to veer in the direction of Democratic ideals. |
| used to say someone who has caused problems for other people in the past is now in a situation in which people are causing problems for them | the boot is on the other foot,_,Suddenly she found that the boot was on the other foot. |
| all people of about the same age | generation,_,In my generation the divorce rate is very high. |
| the opinions and feelings that you usually have about something, especially when this is shown in your behaviour | attitude,_,As soon as they found out I was a doctor, their whole attitude changed. |
| to carry out a particular activity or process, especially in order to get information or prove facts | conduct,_,We are conducting a survey of consumer attitudes towards organic food. |
| a set of questions that you ask a large number of people in order to find out about their opinions or behaviour | survey,_,We conducted a survey of parents in the village. |
| to think of an idea, story etc that is not true, usually in order to deceive people | invent,_,They invented a very convincing alibi. |
| a set of numbers which represent facts or measurements | statistics,_,Statistics show that 50% of new businesses fail in their first year. |
| clearly expressed in a few words | succinct,_,He gave us a very succinct explanation. |
| correct or suitable for a particular time, situation, or purpose | appropriate,_,It would not be appropriate for me to discuss that now. |
| to not trust someone, especially because you think they may treat you unfairly or dishonestly | mistrust,_,As a very small child she had learned to mistrust adults. |
| to make someone feel ashamed, nervous, or uncomfortable, especially in front of other people | embarrass,_,He didn’t want to embarrass her by asking questions. |
| language or words that are colloquial are used mainly in informal conversations rather than in writing or formal speech | colloquial,_,He has a very good knowledge of colloquial English. |
| to invent a new word or expression, especially one that many people start to use | coin,_,The word ‘aromatherapy’ was coined in the 1920s. |
| to describe something or someone in writing or speech, or to show them in a painting, picture etc | depict,_,The god is depicted as a bird with a human head. |
| a state of disagreement or argument between people, groups, countries etc | conflict,_,Doctors exercise considerable power and often come into conflict with politicians. |
| if you jump on the bandwagon, you start doing or saying something that a lot of people are already doing or saying | bandwagon,_,I don’t want to look as if I’m jumping on a green bandwagon. |
| a period during which something is the most powerful or most important feature of a place | reign,_,The reign of technology seems as if it will last a long time. |
| a group of words that has a special meaning that is different from the ordinary meaning of each separate word. For example, ‘under the weather’ is an idiom meaning ‘ill’. | idiom,_,I find it hard to learn English idioms. |
| to stay alive when you only have small amounts of food or money | subsist,_,Old people often have to subsist on very low incomes. |
| to remain alive or continue to exist for a long time | endure,_,Some friendships can endure for a lifetime. |
| something you hope to achieve by doing something | aim,_,The aim of the research is to find new food sources. |
| to make something have an effect on a particular limited group or area | target,_,The programme is targeted at improving the health of women of all ages. |
| to aim a product at a particular type of organization, group of people etc, or to describe it in a particular way, in order to sell it | pitch,_,The new machine will be pitched at users in the hotel and air reservation business. |
| someone who is not satisfied with anything unless it is completely perfect | perfectionist,_,Many top athletes are perfectionists who drive themselves to excel. |
| someone who is trained in psychology | psychologist,_,She is a clinical psychologist working in the local hospital. |
| the quality of wanting to be perfect all the time | perfectionism,_,His perfectionism used to drive her mad. |
| mainly | primarily,_,The advertisement is aimed primarily at children. |
| if a business underperforms, it does not make as much profit as it expected to make | underperform,_,The company has underperformed for the last three years. |
| someone who competes in sports competitions, especially running, jumping, and throwing | athlete,_,Jonathan has been a professional athlete for ten years now. |
| to take part in an activity or event | participate,_,Some members refused to participate. |
| someone who is successful because they are determined and work hard | achiever,_,I guess it was clear to all that I was bright and an achiever. |
| to stop something from happening, or stop someone from doing something | prevent,_,The rules are intended to prevent accidents. |
| to feel sorry about something you have done and wish you had not done it | regret,_,I regret leaving school so young. |
| if you fulfil your potential you are as successful as you possibly can be | fulfil your potential,_,We want to make sure that all children are able to fulfil their potential. |
| to become successful or famous | make my mark,_,It took him only two games to make his mark. |
| to take an opportunity, accept an invitation etc immediately | grab,_,I think you should grab your chance to travel while you’re young. |
| to be brave enough to do something that is risky or that you are afraid to do | dare,_,Only a few journalists dared to cover the story. |
| your comfort zone is the range of activities or situations that you feel happy and confident in | comfort zone,_,Living in the jungle, he was completely out of his comfort zone. |
| to stay away from someone or something, or not use something | avoid,_,Everyone seemed to be avoiding Nick. |
| to make someone do something they do not want to do | forcing yourself,_,I had to force myself to get up this morning. |
| not achieving very much | unproductive,_,They had a very unproductive meeting. |
| determination to do something even though it is difficult or other people oppose it | persistence,_,Her persistence paid off when she was offered the job of manager. |
| if something pays dividends, it is very useful and brings a lot of advantages, especially later in the future | pay dividends,_,Good eating habits will pay dividends later on in life. |
| someone who is extremely successful in their job or in school | high flyer,_,Jeremy is considered a high flyer and should do well in the new job. |
