great, i also want to learn english
esteem ：a feeling of respect for someone, or a good opinion of someone
hold somebody in high/great esteem
The critics held him in high esteem as an actor.
token/mark of somebody's esteem (=a sign of their respect)
Please accept the small gift we enclose as a mark of our esteem.
esteem for
my father's complete lack of esteem for actors
freak ：someone who is extremely interested in a particular subject so that other people think they are strange or unusual
a fitness freak
a religious freak
a computer freak
constantly ：all the time, or very often
He talked constantly about his work.
The English language is constantly changing.
pension ：an amount of money paid regularly by the government or company to someone who does not work any more, for example because they have reached the age when people stop working or because they are ill
At what age can you start drawing your pension ?
If you are self-employed, you should think about taking out a private pension .
Many people find it hard to live on a basic state pension .
She pays a quarter of her salary into a pension plan .
modest ：not very great, big, or expensive
a modest increase in costs
She had saved a modest amount of money.
The new service proved a modest success .
a modest house with a small garden
his modest ambitions
tune ：to make a musical instrument play at the right pitch
Someone's coming tomorrow to tune the piano.
perceive ：to understand or think of something or someone in a particular way
perceive something/somebody as something
Even as a young woman she had been perceived as a future chief executive.
perceive something/somebody to be something
Often what is perceived to be aggression is simply fear.
Children who do badly in school tests often perceive themselves to be failures.
strive ：to make a great effort to achieve something
strive to do something
I was still striving to be successful.
strive for/after
We must continue to strive for greater efficiency.
deny ：deny yourself (something)
to decide not to have something that you would like, especially for moral or religious reasons
He denied himself all pleasures and luxuries.
credit ：approval or praise that you give to someone for something they have done
credit for
Credit for this win goes to everybody in the team.
They never give Gene any credit for all the extra work he does.
take/claim/deserve etc (the) credit
She deserves credit for trying her best.
to somebody's credit
(=used to say that someone has done something good)
To Jamie's credit, he remained calm.
Credit must go to Fiona for making sure everything ran smoothly.
accustomed ：be accustomed to (doing) something
to be familiar with something and accept it as normal
We were accustomed to working together.
become/grow/get accustomed to something
Her eyes quickly became accustomed to the dark.
sufficient ：as much as is needed for a particular purpose
We can only prosecute if there is sufficient evidence.
Unauthorized absence is sufficient reason for dismissal.
We need sufficient time to deal with the problem.
sufficient to do something
The money is not sufficient to cover everything that needs doing.
sufficient for
The recipe is sufficient for six people.
meet ：meet a debt/cost/expense etc
to make a payment that needs to be made
The government has promised to meet the cost of clearing up after the floods.
relic ：an old object or custom that reminds people of the past or that has lived on from a past time
Roman relics found in a field
relic of
the books and photos, relics of Rob's university days
Everything in the house seemed old and untouched, like relics of an ancient time.
store ：set great/considerable etc store by something
to consider something to be important
Patrick has never set much store by material things.
conceal ：to hide your real feelings or the truth
She tried to conceal the fact that she was pregnant.
conceal something from somebody
She was taking drugs and trying to conceal it from me.
protest ：something that you do to show publicly that you think that something is wrong and unfair, for example taking part in big public meetings, refusing to work, or refusing to buy a company's products
protest against
protests against the Vietnam war
protest marches against the government's policy on immigration
A small group of demonstrators staged a peaceful protest outside the UN Headquarters.
5000 employees came out on strike in protest at the poor working conditions.
Three people died yesterday in violent street protests .
the protest movements of the 1960s
lay ：lay a hand/finger on somebody
to touch someone with the intention of hurting them
I swear I didn't lay a finger on him.
If you lay one hand on me, I'll scream.
passion ：fly into a passion
to suddenly become very angry
frightful ：unpleasant or bad
There's been a frightful accident.
oath ：an offensive word or phrase that expresses anger, surprise, shock etc
He was shouting out oaths as they led him away.
blow ：come to blows (with somebody)
if two people come to blows, they start arguing or hitting each other because they disagree about something
come to blows (with somebody) over
They almost came to blows over the money.
check ：keep/hold somebody/something in check
keep someone or something under control
You must learn to keep your emotions in check.
attempts to keep global warming in check
He made an effort to hold himself in check.
torrent ：a torrent of something
a lot of words spoken quickly, especially in order to insult or criticize someone
When I asked him to move, he unleashed a torrent of abuse .
a torrent of Greek/Italian etc
The woman poured out a torrent of Italian.
humiliate ：to make someone feel ashamed or stupid, especially when other people are present
Her boss humiliated her in front of all her colleagues.
reproach ：a remark that expresses criticism, blame, or disapproval
He argued that the reproaches were unfair.
cease ：to stop doing something or stop happening
cease to do something
He ceased to be a member of the association.
The things people will do for charity never cease to amaze me (=I am always surprised by them) .
cease doing something
the decision to cease using CFCs in packaging
The rain ceased and the sky cleared.
cease trading/production/operations etc (=stop operating a business)
The company ceased production at their Norwich plant last year.
cease fire! (=used to order soldiers to stop shooting)
break ：if something unpleasant such as a fire, fight, or war breaks out, it starts to happen
I was still living in London when the war broke out.
Does everyone know what to do if a fire breaks out?
Fighting broke out between demonstrators and the police.
melancholy ：a feeling of sadness for no particular reason
He sank into deep melancholy.
fondle ：to gently touch and move your fingers over part of someone's body in a way that shows love or sexual desire
She fondled his neck.
mire ：the mire
a bad or difficult situation that you cannot seem to escape from
The Party sank deeper into the mire of conflict.
reckoning ：calculation that is based on a careful guess rather than on exact knowledge
by somebody's reckoning
By my reckoning, we have 12,000 clients.
mane ：a person's long thick hair
her mane of hair
lusty ：strong and healthy
the lusty cry of a new-born baby
her strong, lusty young husband
chew ：to bite food several times before swallowing it
This meat's so tough I can hardly chew it!
chew at/on
a dog chewing on a bone
appetite ：a desire for food
All that walking has given me an appetite for dinner.
I seem to have lost my appetite lately.
Symptoms include headaches, tiredness and loss of appetite
Let's just say he's got a healthy appetite .
spoil/ruin your appetite
Don't eat that cake now; you'll spoil your appetite.
hearty ：strong and healthy
reproach ：to blame or criticize someone in a way that shows you are disappointed at what they have done
reproach somebody for/with something
He publicly reproached his son for his behavior.
preference ：if you have a preference for something, you like it more than another thing and will choose it if you can
Do you have a colour preference ?
preference for
a cultural preference for boy babies
Parents may be able to express a preference as to the school their child will attend.
The amount of sugar you add will depend on personal preference .
Many elderly people expressed a strong preference to live in their own homes.
in preference to something
(=rather than something)
Use clear English in preference to technical language.
cider ：an alcoholic drink made from apples, or a glass of this drink
justice ：do justice to somebody/something
also do somebody/something justice
to treat or represent someone or something good, beautiful etc in a way that is as good as they deserve
The photo doesn't do her justice.
No words can do justice to the experience.
allowance ：an amount of money that you are given regularly or for a special purpose
a monthly/annual etc allowance
His father gives him a monthly allowance of
glue ：to join two things together using glue
glue something (back) together
The sheets are glued together with strong adhesive.
glue something in place/position
Check that you have glued everything in place properly.
alter ：to make a piece of clothing longer, wider etc so that it fits
have/get something altered
She had the dress altered for the wedding.
omit ：to not include someone or something, either deliberately or because you forget to do it
Please don't omit any details, no matter how trivial they may seem.
omit something from something
Lisa's name had been omitted from the list of honor students.
punctual ：arriving, happening, or being done at exactly the time that has been arranged
She's always very punctual for appointments.
the punctual payment of invoices
acquaintance ：someone you know, but who is not a close friend
She was a casual acquaintance of my family in Vienna.
He heard about the job through a mutual acquaintance (=someone you and another person both know) .
dine： to eat dinner
He was dining with friends at the Ritz.
dine on/off something
to eat a particular kind of food for dinner, especially expensive food
We dined on lobster and strawberries.
theology：the study of religion and religious ideas and beliefs
He studied theology at college.
random：at random
without any definite plan, aim, or pattern
choose/select/pick something at random
The gang picked their victims at random.
bowls：an outdoor game played on grass in which you try to roll big balls as near as possible to a small ball
gout：a disease that makes your toes, fingers, and knees swollen and painful
swear：to use rude and offensive language
Don't swear in front of the children.
swear at
He turned round and swore at me.
centenarian：someone who is 100 years old or older
illustrious：famous and admired because of what you have achieved
She has had an illustrious career.
Wagner was just one of many illustrious visitors to the town.
providence： a force which is believed by some people to control what happens in our lives and to protect us
divine providence
irritable：getting annoyed quickly or easily
Jo was tired, irritable, and depressed.
impatience：annoyance at having to accept delays, other people's weaknesses etc
impatience with
his impatience with the slowness of bureaucratic procedures
A note of impatience had entered his voice.
fury：extreme, often uncontrolled anger
I was shaking with fury .
Jenny stepped forward, her eyes blazing with fury .
The report was leaked to the press, much to the president's fury.
stutter：to speak with difficulty because you cannot stop yourself from repeating the first consonant of some words
'I'm D-d-david,' he stuttered.
moderate：to make something less extreme or violent, or to become less extreme or violent
The students moderated their demands.
He learnt to moderate his anger.
obstinate：difficult to deal with or get rid of
obstinate stains
a complex and obstinate issue
reckless：not caring or worrying about the possible bad or dangerous results of your actions
He was accused of causing death by reckless driving .
a reckless disregard for safety
He dashed into the burning house with reckless abandon (=without caring about the danger) .
bravado：behaviour that is deliberately intended to make other people believe you are brave and confident
youthful bravado
despise：to dislike and have a low opinion of someone or something
She despised her neighbours.
mince：not mince (your) words
to say exactly what you think, even if this might offend people
Tom didn't mince words and told me straight away that I had failed.
copious：existing or being produced in large quantities
He could drink copious amounts of beer without ill effect.
She listened to me and took copious notes .
arbor：a shelter in a garden made by making plants grow together on a frame shaped like an arch
cheep：if a young bird cheeps, it makes a weak, high noise
baby birds cheeping for food
cricket：a small brown insect that can jump, and that makes a rough sound by rubbing its wings together
mechanical：a mechanical action, reply etc is done without thinking, and has been done many times before
He was asked the same question so many times that the answer became mechanical.
pluck：to pull something quickly in order to remove it
pluck something from/off etc something
He plucked a couple of plastic bags from the roll.
Reaching up, she plucked an apple off the tree.
weed：a wild plant growing where it is not wanted that prevents crops or garden flowers from growing properly
the constant battle against weeds
stir：to move slightly or to make something move slightly
The crowd began to stir as they waited for the band to start.
A gentle breeze stirred the curtains.
kneel：to be in or move into a position where your body is resting on your knees
Tom knelt down and patted the dog.
kneel on
She knelt on the floor and put more wood on the fire.
bloody：covered in blood, or bleeding
shrill：a shrill sound is very high and unpleasant
'That's not true,' she protested in a shrill voice.
a shrill whistle
Fran uttered a shrill scream.
trample：to step heavily on something, so that you crush it with your feet
trample on/over/through etc
There was a small fence to stop people trampling on the flowers.
trample somebody/something underfoot
The children were in danger of being trampled underfoot in the crowd.
trample somebody to death (=kill someone by stepping heavily on them)
Several people were nearly trampled to death in the rush to get out.
limp：not firm or strong
a limp handshake
His body suddenly went limp and he fell down on the floor.
flabby：used to describe something that is weak or not effective
intellectually flabby arguments
The band’s performance was tired and flabby.
bob：to move quickly in a particular direction
Mrs Foster bobbed about, gathering up her things.
scar：if a wound or cut scars you, it leaves a permanent mark on your body
His hands were badly scarred by the fire.
She will probably be scarred for life .
howl：to make a long loud cry because you are unhappy, angry, or in pain, or because you are amused or excited
Upstairs, one of the twins began to howl (=cry) .
howl in/with
Somewhere, someone was howling in pain.
He makes audiences howl with laughter .
flight：when you leave a place in order to try and escape from a person or a dangerous situation
flight from
Donald Wood's hasty flight from South Africa early in 1978
take flight also take to flight
When the alarm sounded, the whole gang took flight.
put somebody to flight (=make someone run away especially by fighting or threatening them)
hurl：hurl yourself at/against etc somebody/something
also hurl yourself down
to throw yourself at someone or something with a lot of force
She wanted to hurl herself into his arms
desperately：in a desperate way
The doctors tried desperately to save her life.
He looked round desperately for someone to help him.
implore：to ask for something in an emotional way
'Don't go,' I implored her.
implore somebody to do something
She implored the soldiers to save her child.
distort：to change a situation from the way it would naturally be
an expensive subsidy which distorts the market
sob：to cry noisily while breathing in short sudden bursts
He began sobbing uncontrollably .
rush：to move very quickly, especially because you need to be somewhere very soon
A small girl rushed past her.
Mo rushed off down the corridor.
crouch：to lower your body close to the ground by bending your knees completely
He crouched in the shadows near the doorway.
Paula crouched down and held her hands out to the fire.
make：make something ↔ out
to understand something, especially the reason why something has happened
make out what/how/why etc
I couldn't make out what I had done to annoy her.
As far as I can make out , he has never been married.
lest：in order to make sure that something will not happen
She turned away from the window lest anyone see them.
mischief：bad behaviour, especially by children, that causes trouble or damage, but no serious harm
Now run along, and don't get into mischief .
They've got enough toys to keep them out of mischief for a while.
If you can't see Nick, you can be sure he's up to some mischief (=behaving badly and causing trouble or damage) .
instinctive：based on instinct and not involving thought
a mother's instinctive love
alight：burning
The car was set alight and pushed over a hill.
flicker：to burn or shine with an unsteady light that goes on and off quickly
The overhead lights flickered momentarily.
vie：to compete very hard with someone in order to get something
vie for
Simon and Julian were vying for her attention all through dinner.
vie with
There are at least twenty restaurants vying with each other for custom.
vie to do something
All the photographers vied to get the best pictures.
livid：a face that is livid is very pale
oppressive：a situation that is oppressive makes you unhappy, worried, or uncomfortable
an oppressive silence
an oppressive atmosphere
terrifying：extremely frightening
terrifying experience/ordeal
It was 30 years before he told anyone of his terrifying experience.
terrifying screams
It was absolutely terrifying .
swollen：a part of your body that is swollen is bigger than usual, especially because you are ill or injured
swollen glands
a badly swollen ankle
His eyes were swollen from crying.
broad：a road, river, or part of someone's body etc that is broad is wide
We went along a broad passage.
He was six feet tall, with broad shoulders.
six feet/three metres etc broad
The room is three metres long and two metres broad.
restoration：the act of officially giving something back to its former owner
restoration of
an attempt to secure the restoration of their lands
prospect： the possibility that something will happen
prospect of doing something
I see no prospect of things improving here.
There is every prospect (=a strong possibility) of the weather remaining dry this week.
prospect for
There are good prospects for growth in the retail sector.
prospect that
There's a real prospect that England will not qualify for the World Cup.
conscious：awake and able to understand what is happening around you
The driver was still conscious when the ambulance arrived.
lamentable：very unsatisfactory or disappointing
a lamentable state of affairs
a lamentable lack of support for the idea
It is lamentable that the officer failed to deal with the situation.
priest：someone who is specially trained to perform religious duties and ceremonies in the Christian church
pierce：pierce somebody's heart
to make someone feel a strong emotion such as pain, sadness, or love
Her memories sometimes pierced her heart.
fade：to gradually disappear
Hopes of a peace settlement are beginning to fade. Over the years her beauty had faded a little.
moan：to make a long low sound expressing pain, unhappiness, or sexual pleasure
She moaned and cried out in pain.
stupor：a state in which you cannot think, speak, see, or hear clearly, usually because you have drunk too much alcohol or taken drugs
We found him lying at the bottom of the stairs in a drunken stupor .
fidget：to keep moving your hands or feet, especially because you are bored or nervous
The kids had started to fidget.
fidget with
Stop fidgeting with your pens!
mortal：something that causes death or may cause death
Near the end of the battle, he received a mortal wound.
the screams of men in mortal combat (=fighting until one person kills the other)
semi-：exactly half
a semicircle
biting：a biting criticism, remark etc is cruel or unkind
a biting satire on corruption
mumble：to say something too quietly or not clearly enough, so that other people cannot understand you
He bumped into someone and mumbled an apology.
Stop mumbling!
mumble to yourself
A woman on the corner was mumbling to herself.
anguish：mental or physical suffering caused by extreme pain or worry
the anguish of not knowing what had happened to her
futile：actions that are futile are useless because they have no chance of being successful
a futile attempt/effort
a futile attempt to save the paintings from the flames
My efforts to go back to sleep proved futile.
it is futile to do something
It was futile to continue the negotiations.
refuge：a place that provides shelter, or protection from danger
a wildlife refuge
refuge from
A huge oak tree provided a refuge from the storm.
refuge for
a refuge for battered wives
flicker：a flicker of emotion/uncertainty/excitement etc
a feeling or expression that continues for a very short time
She saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes.
pupil：the small black round area in the middle of your eye
torpor：a state of being not active because you are lazy or sleepy
She tried to rouse him from the torpor into which he had sunk.
attraction：a feature or quality that makes something seem interesting or enjoyable
attraction of
Being your own boss is one of the attractions of owning your own business.
tragic：a tragic event or situation makes you feel very sad, especially because it involves death or suffering
The parents were not to blame for the tragic death of their son.
Lillian Board's death at 22 was a tragic loss for British athletics.
strangle：to kill someone by pressing their throat with your hands, a rope etc
strangle with
The victim had been strangled with a belt.
clutch：to hold something tightly because you do not want to lose it
She was clutching a bottle of champagne.
hollow：having an empty space inside
a hollow tree
void：an empty area of space where nothing exists
She looked over the cliff into the void.
suck：to pull someone or something with great power and force into or out of a particular place
suck something into something
A bird was sucked into one of the jet's engines.
suck somebody/something under/down
The river sucked him under.
suck something out of/from something
The fluid was sucked from his lungs.
pump：a machine for forcing liquid or gas into or out of something
water/air/beer etc pump (=for moving water, air etc)
hand/foot pump (=operated by your hand or foot)
petrol pump/gas pump (=for putting petrol into cars)
stomach pump (=for removing the contents of someone's stomach)
death rattle：a noise that sometimes comes from the throat or chest of someone who is dying
confusion：when you do not understand what is happening or what something means because it is not clear
confusion about/over/as to
There was some confusion as to whether we had won or lost.
create/lead to confusion
This complicated situation has led to considerable confusion .
gaping：a gaping hole, wound, or mouth is very wide and open
convulsive：a convulsive movement or action is sudden, violent, and impossible to control
a convulsive sob
seizure：a sudden condition in which someone cannot control the movements of their body, which continues for a short time
He had an epileptic seizure .
wear：wear somebody out
to make someone feel extremely tired
All this shopping has worn us out.
wear yourself out
Illness and death came suddenly; over the years she had simply worn herself out.
cling：to hold someone or something tightly, especially because you do not feel safe
cling to/on/at etc
He wailed and clung to his mother.
Passengers clung desperately onto the lifeboats.
console：to make someone feel better when they are feeling sad or disappointed
No one could console her when Peter died.
console yourself with something
She consoled herself with the fact that no one else had done well in the exam either.
console yourself that
He consoled himself that he would see Kate again soon.
put：put up with somebody/something
to accept an unpleasant situation or person without complaining
She put up with his violent temper.
protest：something that you do to show publicly that you think that something is wrong and unfair, for example taking part in big public meetings, refusing to work, or refusing to buy a company's products
protest against
protests against the Vietnam war
protest marches against the government's policy on immigration
A small group of demonstrators staged a peaceful protest outside the UN Headquarters.
5000 employees came out on strike in protest at the poor working conditions.
Three people died yesterday in violent street protests .
the protest movements of the 1960s
yonder：over there - used to show or explain where something or someone is
the fresh blooms on yonder tree
servile：very eager to obey someone because you want to please them - used to show disapproval
a servile attitude
humility：the quality of not being too proud about yourself - use this to show approval
resignation：when someone calmly accepts a situation that cannot be changed, even though it is bad
She gave a sigh of resignation.
with resignation
He accepted her decision with resignation.
inmost：your inmost feelings, desires etc are your most personal and secret ones
In his inmost heart, he knew he didn't love me.
passionate：someone who has a passionate belief believes something very strongly
a passionate supporter of women's rights
He had a passionate belief in justice.
revolt：strong and often violent action by a lot of people against their ruler or government
the Polish revolt of 1863
revolt against
a revolt against the central government
revolt of
the successful revolt of the American colonies
put down/crush a revolt (=use military force to stop it)
Troops loyal to the President crushed the revolt.
abominable：extremely unpleasant or of very bad quality
abominable cruelty
presence：in the presence of somebody
also in somebody's presence
with someone or in the same place as them
He was determined not to complain in the presence of the nurse.
I asked you not to smoke in my presence.
lugubrious：very sad and serious - sometimes used humorously
his lugubrious tear-stained face
gesticulate：to make movements with your arms and hands, usually while speaking, because you are excited, angry, or cannot think of the right words to use
Jane gesticulated wildly and shouted 'Stop! Stop!'
afflict：to affect someone or something in an unpleasant way, and make them suffer
afflict with/by
a country afflicted by famine
passive： someone who is passive tends to accept things that happen to them or things that people say to them, without taking any action
Kathy seems to take a very passive role in the relationship.
their passive acceptance of their fate
resigned：be resigned to (doing) something
to calmly accept a situation that is bad, but cannot be changed
She's resigned to spending Christmas on her own.
Sam was resigned to the fact that he would never be promoted.
souvenir：an object that you buy or keep to remind yourself of a special occasion or a place you have visited
souvenir of
I bought a model of the Eiffel Tower as a souvenir of Paris.
a souvenir shop
souvenir from
a souvenir programme from the Gala Concert
stealth：when you do something very quietly, slowly, or secretly, so that no one notices you
Cats rely on stealth to catch their prey.
disgust：a strong feeling of dislike, annoyance, or disapproval
with disgust
Joan looked at him with disgust.
in disgust
Sam threw his books down in disgust and stormed out of the room.
to somebody's disgust
Much to my disgust , I found that there were no toilets for the disabled.
disgust with
Nelson's disgust with US politics
disgust at
The fans didn't hide their disgust at the umpire's decision.
clad： wearing a particular kind of clothing
clad in
She felt hot, despite being clad only in a thin cotton dress.
warmly/suitably/scantily clad (=dressed warmly etc)
sinister： making you feel that something evil, dangerous, or illegal is happening or will happen
there is something/nothing sinister about somebody/something
There was something sinister about Mr Scott's death.
There is a sinister side to these events.
He was a handsome man in a sinister sort of way.
a sinister atmosphere
adornment： something that you use to decorate something
mount：to increase gradually in amount or degree
Tension here is mounting , as we await the final result.
Casualties on both sides of the battle have continued to mount.
scent： a pleasant smell that something has
a yellow rose with a lovely scent
scent of
the sweet scent of ripe fruit
sonorous：having a pleasantly deep loud sound
a sonorous voice
cypress：a tree with dark green leaves and hard wood, which does not lose its leaves in winter
confess： to admit, especially to the police, that you have done something wrong or illegal
confess to (doing) something
Edwards confessed to being a spy for the KGB.
Occasionally people confess to crimes they haven't committed just to get attention.
confess (that)
My husband confessed he'd been having an affair with a woman in his office.
Torture was used and Fian confessed.
condemn：to say very strongly that you do not approve of something or someone, especially because you think it is morally wrong
Politicians were quick to condemn the bombing.
condemn something/somebody as something
The law has been condemned as an attack on personal liberty.
condemn somebody/something for (doing) something
She knew that society would condemn her for leaving her children.
coward：someone who is not at all brave
Try it. Don't be such a coward.
impious：lacking respect for religion or God
an impious crime
incessant： continuing without stopping
The child's incessant talking started to irritate her.
incessant rain
totter：to walk or move unsteadily from side to side as if you are going to fall over
Lorrimer swayed a little, tottered, and fell.
avail：be to/of no avail
if something you do is to no avail or of no avail, you do not succeed in getting what you want
We searched the whole area but all to no avail. Robbie had disappeared.
veil：veil of mist/cloud/smoke etc
a thin layer of mist, cloud etc that makes it difficult to see clearly
The moon was hidden behind a veil of clouds.
illusion：something that seems to be different from the way it really is
illusion of
He was unlikely to be satisfied with the illusion of power.
give/create an illusion
The mirrors in the room gave an illusion of greater space.
Credit creates the illusion that you can own things without paying for them.
spin：to turn around and around very quickly, or to make something do this
The plane's propellers were spinning.
spin (something/somebody) around
She grabbed Norm's arm and spun him around to face her.
countenance：your face or your expression
All colour drained from her countenance.
convulsion：a shaking movement of your body that you cannot control, which happens because you are ill
His temperature was very high and he went into convulsions .
combat：fighting, especially during a war
in combat
Corporal Gierson was killed in combat.
We flew over 200 combat missions .
training in unarmed combat (=fighting without weapons)
mortal combat (=fighting until one person kills another)
hand-to-hand combat (=fighting in which you are close enough to touch your opponent)
combat aircraft/jacket/boots etc
puppet：a model of a person or animal that you move by pulling wires or strings, or by putting your hand inside it
puppet show/theatre/play
a 20-minute puppet show
glove/hand/finger puppet
stiff：if someone or a part of their body is stiff, their muscles hurt and it is difficult for them to move
stiff from doing something
Her legs were stiff from kneeling.
stiff with
Her fingers were stiff with cold.
stiff neck/back/joint etc
Alastair woke with a stiff neck.
I never felt stiff after training until I was in my thirties.
The next morning I was as stiff as a board (=very stiff) .
doll：a child's toy that looks like a small person or baby
a small wooden doll
grim：very bad, ugly, or unpleasant
The weather forecast is pretty grim.
They painted a grim picture of what life used to be like there.
charm：a special quality someone or something has that makes people like them, feel attracted to them, or be easily influenced by them - used to show approval
Robert's boyish charm
charm of
the charm of this small Southern city
She turned on the charm (=used her charm) to everyone she met.
The room had no windows and all the charm of a prison cell (=used to say that something has no charm) .
desperate：willing to do anything to change a very bad situation, and not caring about danger
I had no money left and was desperate.
Time was running out and we were getting desperate .
the missing teenager's desperate parents
desperate with
She was desperate with fear.
vain：a vain attempt, hope or search fails to achieve the result you wanted
vain attempt/effort/bid
The young mother died in a vain attempt to save her drowning son.
strain：to try very hard to do something using all your strength or ability
strain (something) to do something
She was straining to keep her head above the water.
strain for
Bill choked and gasped, straining for air.
strain your ears/eyes (=try very hard to hear or see)
I strained my ears, listening for any sound in the silence of the cave.
crumble：also crumble away
to lose power, become weak, or fail
The Empire began to crumble during the 13th century.
our crumbling economy
pursue：to chase or follow someone or something, in order to catch them, attack them etc
Briggs ran across the field with one officer pursuing him.
vapor：a mass of very small drops of a liquid which float in the air, for example because the liquid has been heated
water vapour
fatal：having a very bad effect, especially making someone fail or stop what they are doing
fatal to
Disunity finally proved fatal to the rebels' cause.
There was one fatal flaw (=serious weakness) in his argument.
His presidential hopes suffered a fatal blow in New Hampshire.
fatal mistake/error
Telling your employees they're unimportant is a fatal error.
grip：be in the grip of something
to be experiencing a very unpleasant situation that cannot be controlled or stopped
a country in the grip of famine
destructive：causing damage to people or things
the destructive power of modern weapons
destructive to
What is good for the individual can be destructive to the family.
crush：to press something so hard that it breaks or is damaged
His leg was crushed in the accident.
Two people were crushed to death in the rush to escape.
aflame：filled with strong emotions or excitement
indignation：feelings of anger and surprise because you feel insulted or unfairly treated
To his indignation, Charles found that his name was not on the list.
with/in indignation
Lou's voice quivered with indignation.
indignation at/about/over
Her indignation at such rough treatment was understandable.
He stormed into her office, full of righteous indignation .
butt：to hit or push against something or someone with your head
savagery：extremely cruel and violent behaviour
Local people were shocked by the savagery of the attack.
relief：when something reduces someone's pain or unhappy feelings
Marijuana can provide pain relief for some cancer patients.
relief of
the relief of suffering
relief from
The cool room provided relief from the terrible heat outdoors.
obsession：an extreme unhealthy interest in something or worry about something, which stops you from thinking about anything else
Gambling became an obsession , and he eventually lost everything.
obsession with
an unhealthy obsession with being thin
The current obsession with exam results is actually harming children's education.
The game pachinko became a national obsession .
He has an enthusiasm for art, to the point of obsession in my opinion.
She looked after him with a devotion bordering on obsession .
ruin：the ruins of something
the parts of something such as an organization, system, or set of ideas that remain after the rest have been destroyed
the ruins of a government that once held so much promise
withhold：to refuse to give someone something
I withheld payment until they had completed the work.
Ian was accused of withholding vital information from the police.
proceed：to continue to do something that has already been planned or started
proceed with
The government was determined to proceed with the election.
Before proceeding further, we must define our terms.
apace：happening quickly
Expansion of the company has continued apace .
abandon：abandon yourself to something
to feel an emotion so strongly that you let it control you completely
She abandoned herself to grief.
utterly：completely or totally
You look utterly miserable.
vice：a bad habit
Smoking is my only vice.
check：keep/hold somebody/something in check
keep someone or something under control
You must learn to keep your emotions in check.
attempts to keep global warming in check
He made an effort to hold himself in check.
intoxicated：drunk
The driver was clearly intoxicated.
grip：be in the grip of something
to be experiencing a very unpleasant situation that cannot be controlled or stopped
a country in the grip of famine
destructive：causing damage to people or things
the destructive power of modern weapons
destructive to
What is good for the individual can be destructive to the family.
crush：to press something so hard that it breaks or is damaged
His leg was crushed in the accident.
Two people were crushed to death in the rush to escape.
aflame：filled with strong emotions or excitement
indignation：feelings of anger and surprise because you feel insulted or unfairly treated
To his indignation, Charles found that his name was not on the list.
with/in indignation
Lou's voice quivered with indignation.
indignation at/about/over
Her indignation at such rough treatment was understandable.
He stormed into her office, full of righteous indignation .
butt：to hit or push against something or someone with your head
savagery：extremely cruel and violent behaviour
Local people were shocked by the savagery of the attack.
relief：when something reduces someone's pain or unhappy feelings
Marijuana can provide pain relief for some cancer patients.
relief of
the relief of suffering
relief from
The cool room provided relief from the terrible heat outdoors.
obsession：an extreme unhealthy interest in something or worry about something, which stops you from thinking about anything else
Gambling became an obsession , and he eventually lost everything.
obsession with
an unhealthy obsession with being thin
The current obsession with exam results is actually harming children's education.
The game pachinko became a national obsession .
He has an enthusiasm for art, to the point of obsession in my opinion.
She looked after him with a devotion bordering on obsession .
ruin：the ruins of something
the parts of something such as an organization, system, or set of ideas that remain after the rest have been destroyed
the ruins of a government that once held so much promise
withhold：to refuse to give someone something
I withheld payment until they had completed the work.
Ian was accused of withholding vital information from the police.
proceed：to continue to do something that has already been planned or started
proceed with
The government was determined to proceed with the election.
Before proceeding further, we must define our terms.
apace：happening quickly
Expansion of the company has continued apace .
abandon：abandon yourself to something
to feel an emotion so strongly that you let it control you completely
She abandoned herself to grief.
utterly：completely or totally
You look utterly miserable.
vice：a bad habit
Smoking is my only vice.
check：keep/hold somebody/something in check
keep someone or something under control
You must learn to keep your emotions in check.
attempts to keep global warming in check
He made an effort to hold himself in check.
intoxicated：drunk
The driver was clearly intoxicated.
consequence：as a consequence (of something)/in consequence (of something)
as a result of something
Animals have died as a consequence of coming into contact with this chemical.
She was over the age limit and, in consequence, her application was rejected.
scandal：an event in which someone, especially someone important, behaves in a bad way that shocks people
It caused quite a scandal when he left his wife.
The college has recently been involved in a drugs scandal .
He has been at the centre of a political scandal .
a major scandal involving the government
a series of financial scandals
a sex scandal that ruined his reputation
They had already left the country when the scandal broke
tolerate：to be able to accept something unpleasant or difficult, even though you do not like it
I couldn't tolerate the long hours.
dismiss：to remove someone from their job
dismiss somebody from something
Bryant was unfairly dismissed from his post.
dismiss somebody for something
Employees can be dismissed for sending obscene emails.
scene：what is happening in a place, or what can be seen happening
scene of
There were scenes of rejoicing after the election.
bad scene
'It's a bad scene here,' she said. 'Jamie is very sick.'
thrice：three times
itch：a strong desire to do or have something
itch for
an itch for adventure
whirl：to turn or spin around very quickly, or to make someone or something do this
We watched the seagulls whirling and shrieking over the harbour.
whirl about/around/toward etc
She whirled around and her look shook him.
whirl somebody/something about/around/away etc
He whirled her round in his arms.
colleague：someone you work with, used especially by professional people
a colleague of mine from the bank
She discussed the idea with some of her colleagues.
pass：pass over something
if you pass over a remark or subject, you do not spend any time discussing it
I want to pass over this quite quickly.
I think we'd better pass over that last remark.
indulgence：the habit of allowing yourself to do or have whatever you want, or allowing someone else to do or have whatever they want
sever：severe criticism is very extreme and shows that you think someone has done something very badly
The president came under severe criticism for his handling of the crisis.
beseech：to eagerly and anxiously ask someone for something
sot：someone who is drunk all the time
outrageous：very shocking and extremely unfair or offensive
outrageous prices an outrageous attack on his policies
it is outrageous (that)
It's outrageous that the poor should pay such high taxes.
prank：a trick, especially one which is played on someone to make them look silly
a childish prank
commit：to do something wrong or illegal
Women commit fewer crimes than men.
commit murder/rape/arson etc
Brady committed a series of brutal murders.
utterance：the action of saying something
hush：to make someone stop shouting, talking, crying etc
Ella asked them to hush their voices.
conscious：noticing or realizing something
conscious of (doing) something
I became conscious of someone watching me.
I was very conscious of the fact that I had to make a good impression.
conscious that
She was conscious that Marie was listening to every word.
torment：severe mental or physical suffering
in torment
She lay awake all night in torment.
pleasantry：things that you say to someone in order to be polite, but which are not very important
Stephen and Mr Illing exchanged pleasantries .
stumble：to walk in an unsteady way and often almost fall
stumble in/out/across etc
He stumbled upstairs and into bed.
conceal：to hide something carefully
The shadows concealed her as she crept up to the house.
The path was concealed by long grass.
a concealed weapon
deceive：to make someone believe something that is not true
He had been deceived by a young man claiming to be the son of a millionaire.
deceive somebody into doing something
He tried to deceive the public into thinking the war could still be won.
deceive somebody about something
I wouldn't deceive you about anything as important as this.
appointment：an arrangement for a meeting at an agreed time and place, for a particular purpose
appointment with
She has an appointment with a client at 10.30.
You should phone his secretary if you want to make an appointment .
I have an appointment to see the doctor.
Please give us plenty of notice if you have to cancel an appointment .
For the third time in a row, she had failed to keep her appointment .
I was already forty-five minutes late for a dental appointment .
All consultations are by appointment only .
dissuade：to persuade someone not to do something
dissuade somebody from (doing) something
a campaign to dissuade young people from smoking
engagement：an official arrangement to do something, especially one that is related to your work
official/public/royal etc engagement
The princess will continue to carry out royal engagements .
This is his only public speaking engagement on the tour.
His excuse of a prior engagement was accepted.
expose：to put someone in a situation where they are not protected from something dangerous or unpleasant
expose somebody to something
The report revealed that workers had been exposed to high levels of radiation.
expose yourself to ridicule/criticism etc (=say or do something that may make people laugh at you, criticize you etc)
imprecation：an offensive word or phrase, used when someone is very angry
attract：to make someone interested in something, or make them want to take part in something
attract somebody to something
What attracted me most to the job was the chance to travel.
attract attention/interest etc
The story has attracted a lot of interest from the media.
harsh：severe, cruel, or unkind
harsh criticism/treatment/punishment etc
His theory met with harsh criticism from colleagues.
the harsh measures taken against the protestors
'She's an idiot!' 'Aren't you being a bit harsh?'
a harsh, authoritarian regime
He had harsh words (=severe criticism) for the Government.
sou：a very small amount of money
He didn't have a sou.
rebel：to oppose or fight against someone in authority or against an idea or situation which you do not agree with
rebel against
teenage boys rebelling against their parents
plunder：to steal large amounts of money or property from somewhere, especially while fighting in a war
The rich provinces of Asia Minor were plundered by the invaders.
singularly：in a way that is very noticeable or unusual
a singularly foolish plan
He has singularly failed to live up to his promises.
ingenious：an ingenious plan, idea, or object works well and is the result of clever thinking and new ideas
Many fish have ingenious ways of protecting their eggs from predators.
an ingenious device
inherit：to receive money, property etc from someone after they have died
inherit something from somebody
He inherited a fortune from his grandmother.
inherited wealth
relic：an old object or custom that reminds people of the past or that has lived on from a past time
Roman relics found in a field
relic of
the books and photos, relics of Rob's university days
Everything in the house seemed old and untouched, like relics of an ancient time.
rid：rid somebody/something of something
to take action so that a person, place etc is no longer affected by something bad or no longer has it
a promise to rid the country of nuclear weapons
Will science finally rid us of this disease?
rid yourself of something
He struggled to rid himself of his fears.
husky：a husky voice is deep, quiet, and attractive
'Come quickly,' she said in a husky whisper.
generosity：a generous attitude, or generous behaviour
an act of great generosity
generosity to/towards
his generosity to the poor
I shall never forget the generosity shown by the people of Bastaisk.
acts of generosity
worn：a worn object is old and damaged, especially because it has been used a lot
a worn patch on the carpet
well worn stone steps
holy：connected with God and religion
the holy city of Benares
protest：to say that you strongly disagree with or are angry about something because you think it is wrong or unfair
'I don't see why I should take the blame for this!' she protested.
protest that
Clive protested that he hadn't been given enough time to do everything.
sly：sly smile/glance/wink etc
a smile, look etc that shows you know something secret
He leaned forward with a sly smile.
thrashing：an occasion when you beat someone or are beaten violently as a punishment
If you speak to your mother like that again, you'll get a thrashing .
I'll give you the thrashing you deserve.
scorn：to show that you think that something is stupid, unreasonable, or not worth accepting
Many women scorn the use of make-up.
affectation：a way of behaving, speaking etc that is not sincere or natural
Calling everyone 'darling' is just an affectation.
stealthy：moving or doing something quietly and secretly
the stealthy approach of the soldiers
wink：a quick action of opening and closing one eye, usually as a signal to someone else
He gave her a wink .
'You look tired,' he said with a knowing wink .
anguish：mental or physical suffering caused by extreme pain or worry
the anguish of not knowing what had happened to her
stifle：to stop a feeling from being expressed
He stifled an urge to hit her.
stifle a yawn/smile/grin etc
I tried to stifle my laughter.
bewilderment：a feeling of being very confused
in bewilderment
She looked at him in bewilderment.
guffaw：to laugh loudly
We guffawed at what Graham had written.
hurl：to throw something with a lot of force, especially because you are angry
Demonstrators were hurling bricks through the windows.
He hurled a chair across the set, smashing lamps and vases.
loll：to sit or lie in a very lazy and relaxed way
loll around/about/beside etc
He lolled back in his chair.
roll：to turn your body over one or more times while lying down, or to turn someone else's body over
roll down/onto/off etc
The children rolled down the hill, laughing.
Ralph rolled onto his stomach.
roll somebody onto/off something
I tried to roll him onto his side.
fury：a feeling of extreme anger
'Go on then!' shouted Jamie in a fury . 'See if I care!'
cling：to hold someone or something tightly, especially because you do not feel safe
cling to/on/at etc
He wailed and clung to his mother.
Passengers clung desperately onto the lifeboats.
grim：hold/hang on for/like grim death
to hold something very tightly because you are afraid
tile：a flat square piece of baked clay or other material, used for covering walls, floors etc
bathroom tiles
livid：extremely angry
She was absolutely livid that he had lied.
uproar：a lot of noise or angry protest about something
be in (an) uproar
The house was in an uproar, with babies crying and people shouting.
mumble：to say something too quietly or not clearly enough, so that other people cannot understand you
He bumped into someone and mumbled an apology.
Stop mumbling!
mumble to yourself
A woman on the corner was mumbling to herself.
blame：somebody only has himself/herself to blame
used to say that someone's problems are their own fault
If he fails his exams, he'll only have himself to blame.
despise：to dislike and have a low opinion of someone or something
She despised her neighbours.
whine：to complain in a sad, annoying voice about something
Oh Charlotte, please stop whining.'
I don't understand,' whined Rose.
whine about
The sergeant was whining about how hard he had been forced to work recently.
budge：to move, or to make someone or something move
She leaned on the door, but it wouldn't budge.
budge from
Will hasn't budged from his room all day.
The horse refused to budge an inch.
crush：to make someone feel extremely upset or shocked
Sara was crushed by their insults.
lament：to express feelings of great sadness about something
The nation lamented the death of its great war leader.
wag：to move your finger or head from side to side, especially to show disapproval
'You naughty girl!' Mom said, wagging her finger at me.
contribution：an amount of money that you give in order to help pay for something
a campaign contribution
contribution of
A contribution of
blush：to become red in the face, usually because you are embarrassed
Wilson saw she was watching him and blushed.
Joan blushed at the unexpected compliment.
Kate blushed scarlet.
thirst：to be thirsty
thirst for/after something
to want something very much
young men thirsting for adventure
magnanimous：kind and generous, especially to someone that you have defeated
a magnanimous gesture
acquaint：acquaint somebody with something
to give someone information about something
You need to acquaint the police with the facts.
amends：make amends (to somebody/for something)
to do something to show you are sorry for hurting or upsetting someone, especially something that makes it better for them
He seized the chance to make amends for his behavior.
reconciliation：a situation in which two people, countries etc become friendly with each other again after quarrelling
Her ex-husband had always hoped for a reconciliation.
reconciliation between/with
The meeting failed to achieve a reconciliation between the two groups.
his reconciliation with his brother
The change of government has brought a new spirit of reconciliation on both sides.
The leadership announced a programme of national reconciliation (=an attempt by all sides to end a war or trouble in a country) .
outbreak：if there is an outbreak of fighting or disease in an area, it suddenly starts to happen
a cholera outbreak
outbreak of
outbreaks of fighting
the outbreak of World War II
reject：to refuse to accept, believe in, or agree with something
Sarah rejected her brother's offer of help.
reject something as something
Gibson rejected the idea as 'absurd'.
Dexter flatly rejected (=completely rejected) calls for his resignation.
His proposal was rejected outright (=completely rejected) .
endure：to be in a difficult or painful situation for a long time without complaining
It seemed impossible that anyone could endure such pain.
endure doing something
He can't endure being apart from me.
wreck：a car, plane, or train that has been damaged very badly, especially in a crash
He was still alive when they pulled him from the wreck.
overwhelm：if someone is overwhelmed by an emotion, they feel it so strongly that they cannot think clearly
be overwhelmed by something
Harriet was overwhelmed by a feeling of homesickness.
be overwhelmed with something
The children were overwhelmed with excitement.
Grief overwhelmed me.
isolation：when someone feels alone and unable to meet or speak to other people
Retirement can often cause feelings of isolation.
elderly people living in social isolation
confess：to admit, especially to the police, that you have done something wrong or illegal
confess to (doing) something
Edwards confessed to being a spy for the KGB.
Occasionally people confess to crimes they haven't committed just to get attention.
confess (that)
My husband confessed he'd been having an affair with a woman in his office.
Torture was used and Fian confessed.
accord：of somebody's/something's own accord
without being asked or forced to do something
He decided to go of his own accord.
The door seemed to move of its own accord.
plight：a very bad situation that someone is in
plight of
the desperate plight of the flood victims
the country's economic plight
flee：to leave somewhere very quickly, in order to escape from danger
His attackers turned and fled.
Masaari spent six months in prison before fleeing the country .
flee to/from/into
Many German artists fled to America at the beginning of World War II.
landing：the floor at the top of a set of stairs or between two sets of stairs
the first-floor landing
sleek：someone who is sleek looks rich and is well dressed
bald：having little or no hair on your head
a bald man
his shiny bald head
Dad started going bald when he was in his thirties.
He combed his hair and tried to hide his bald patch (=part of someone's head where there is no hair) .
present：to give something to someone, for example at a formal or official occasion
present somebody with something
He was presented with a bottle of champagne.
She was presented with an award .
present something to somebody/something
The computer centre presented a cheque for