eng

verb

The company distinguishes itself from its competitors by excellent customer service. He distinguishes himself on the battlefield.

Sue is very partichlar about music. My son is very particular when it comes to food.

Soliders jeopardize tgeie lives in war. Though it jeopartized his chance for promotion, he criticized his boss.

The boy minced towards his mother. She minced across the room in a oair of yellow slippers.

make it difficult for something to happen to make it difficult to do something or for something to develop

used to emphasize that you mean exactly what you are saying and nothing more

I'm not arguing with you - I'm merely explaining the problem.

(of a plan or idea) not certain or agreed, or (of a suggestion or action) said or done in a careful but uncertain way because you do not know if you are right;. not certain or confident / agreed

I have tentative plans to take a trip to Seattle in July. We have tentative plans to go to Hawaii in February. The proposals are tentative and subjecf to bargaining. The company began last year to take tentative steps towards a flotation.

a trifling matter or amount of money is small or not important

It was such a trifling sum of money to argue about!

an amount of money

Huge sums of money are spent on natuonak defence. He sold the house for a tidy (= large) sum.

(esp. of money) very large in amount, used to refer to a surprisingly small amount of money (HUMOURUSLY)

Advertisers pay a princely sum fir prime-time commercials. She acquired the painting at a jumble sale for the princely sum of 25p.

conversation that is funny and not serious, often playful

He considered himself a master of witty banter.

to talk to someone in a friendly and humorous way

He stood around bantering with his colleagues.

a small piece of interesting information, or a small dish of pleasant-tasting food

Guide gave us some interesting titbits about the history of the castle. This magazine is full of juicy titbits. Gradma always has a few titbits for the children if they're visiting at lunchtime.

refusing to do what someond in authority tells you to do, not doing what you are told ro di

an untidy and confused mixture of things, feelings or ideas, things that you no longer want that are sold at a jumble sale

the fact that something is not good enough or is too small in amount; a lack kf confidence that makes you feel unable to deal with a situation

Econimic growth is hindered by the inadequacies of the public transport system. I always suffer from feelings of inadequacy when I'm with him.

in great detail and in many very small stages

Detectives searched the area around the murder scene inch by inch.

gradually

The economy seems to be improving by degrees.

in small numbers

The replies came back in ones and twos. Thsy lose interest and start drifting away in ones and twos.

happening or done without delay/ very soon after sth else, in the present or asap; used to refr to sth or sb that is close to, or is a cause of or an effect of, sth or sb else

We must make an immediate response. We have no immediate plans. There are fes facilities in the immediate area. An immediate result/effect of the war was a breakdown of law and order.

extremely slow

The roads were full of traffic and we were travelling ar a snail's pace for two hours.

to do sth or go smwhr very slosly, taking more rime than is necessary; to do srh very slowlh, as if you don't want to finish it

Stop dawdling! You'll be late for school! She told her daughter to quit dawdling and get dressed or she'd be late for school.

to be uncertain what to do, or to change often between two opinions; to be unable to dexide sth, esp. to continjd to change opinions

Her mood vacillated between hope and despair. The president continues to vacillatd over fireign policy.

uncontrolled and excited behaviour or emotion that is sometimes violent

In a frenzy of rage she hit him. In a moment of jealous frenzy, she cut the sleeves if all his shirts. There was a frenzy of activity in the financial markets yesterday. The Saturday night sale can best be described as a buying frenzy.

not proud or not believing that you are important; poor or of low social rank; ordinary, not special or very important;

He's a humble man and he's not comfortable talking about his own achievements. She rose from humble origins to become one of the best-known political writers in the world. All that time he was just a humble mechanic.

to maks someone understand that they are not as important or special as they thought

He was humbled by the child's generosity. The world champion was humbled (=unexpectedly defeated) by an unknown outsider in last night's race.

an attemot to do something

In spite of our best endeavours, it has proben impossible to contact her. Crossing the North Pole on foot was an amazing feat if human endeavour.

to try to do something

Engineers are endeavouring to locate the source of the problem.

to try very hard to do something or to make something happen, aspecially for a long time or against difficulties

Neither J nor M was a pacifist, though both strove to keep America at peace. Mr Roe has kindled expectations that he must now strive to live up to. In her writing she strove for a balance between work and hobbies. He strives for success.

UWC strives to be a place to grow from hope to action through knowledge. We are striving to makr our world a better place.

stiff or fixed, not able to be bent or moved; not able to be changed or persuaded

I was rigid with (=stiff and unable to move because of) fear. We were disappointed that they insisted in such a rigid interpretation of the rules. (disapproving)

to talk continuously and eagerly, especially about things that are not important

I got so bored listening to him gabbing in about nothing

to get something, to obtain or begin to have something,

He has acquired a reputation for being difficult to wirk with. He acauired the firm in 2008. It is said that children acquire foreign languages easily.