Work, leisure, travel

gridlock (n)

a traffic jam in which no vehicular movement is possible, especially one caused by the blockage of key intersections within a grid of streets.

conk out (pv) -

If vehicles and other machines conk out, they stop working or fail suddenly

aground -

on the ground <planes aloft and aground>; on or onto the shore or the bottom of a body of water <a ship run aground>

buttress (n) -

a structure made of stone or brick that sticks out from and supports a wall of a building

rudiments (n) -

the simplest and most basic facts about a subject or activity

milestone (n) -

an important point in the progress or development of something: a very important event or advance

in no time -

very quickly or very soon

bring up (pv) -

to bring to attention

scramble (v) -

to move or climb quickly but with difficulty, often using your hands to help you

clamber (v) -

to climb or crawl in an awkward way

station wagon (n) -

a car that has a large open area behind the back seat instead of a trunk and that has a door at the back for loading and unloading things

formidable (adj) -

if people, things or situations are formidable, you feel fear or respect for them because they are impressive or powerful [The task was a formidable one]

chunk (n) -

: a thick piece of something; a large amount or part of something

daze [in a daze] (n) -

unable to think clearly; confused

bracken (n) -

a large fern (= a type of plant) that grows thickly in open areas of countryside, especially on hills, and in woods

flock (n) -

a group of animals (as birds or sheep) assembled or herded together

by-pass (n) -

a passage to one side; (especially: a deflected route usually around a town); a channel carrying a fluid around a part and back to the main stream

to coil (v) - to arrange something in a coil [coil (n)

a length of rope, hair, or wire, arranged into a series of circles, one above the other]

pay out (pv) -

a usually large amount of money that is given to someone

snarl up (pv) -

to tangle someone or something; to mess something up. The wind snarled my hair up terribly.

knob (n) -

a round lump on the surface or end of something

knobbly (adj) -

having lumps (= raised areas) on the surface, knobbly knees

belay (v) -

to attach (a rope) to something so that it is secure: to attach a secure rope to (a person) for safety The climber belayed the rope.

spring-loaded (adj) -

(of a machine part) kept normally in a certain position by a spring.

sling (n) -

a usually looped line (as of strap, chain, or rope) used to hoist, lower, or carry something

culture vulture

big fan of anything cultural Maia is a real culture vulture she goes to every theatre she can find.

couch potato –

physically very inactive person

dabbler –

person who never keeps doing one activity for a long time.

doer –

person who believes in acting and doing, not just thinking

shopaholic –

person addicted to shopping

rewarding (adj) –

gives you a lot of positive experience

fruitful (adj) –

produces good results

lucrative (adj) –

makes a lot of money

therapeutic (adj) –

makes you healthy in body and/or in mind

relaxing/calming (adj) –

reduces stress, gives a peaceful feeling

be into –

takes great interest in/is very involved in

go [went] off –

stopped liking/lost interest in

locks sb away –

isolate sb from the world

hooked on –

is addicted to

get up to –

do

full diary –

a lof of commitments/activities

dead keen - extremely keen [keen

[ONLY BEFORE NOUN] very interested in an activity that you do often because you enjoy it]

plodding – [plod (v)

to walk taking slow steps, as if your feet are heavy]

struggle (v) -

to try very hard to do, achieve, or deal with something that is difficult or that causes problems

suffering (n) (from) - T

The condition of one who suffers; the bearing of pain or distress.

appeal to me – [appeal

a quality that causes people to like someone or something]

on duty – [duty

obligatory tasks, conduct, service, or functions that arise from one's position (as in life or in a group)]

catch up with (pv) -

To become equal or on a par with another

remarkable (adj) -

unusual or special and therefore surprising and worth mentioning

feat (n) -

something difficult needing a lot of skill, strength, courage, etc. to achieve it

distinguish (v) -

to notice or understand the difference between two things, or to make one person or thing seem different from another

take up (pv) -

To begin again; resume: Let's take up where we left off.; To develop an interest in or devotion to: take up mountain climbing.

pant (v) -

to breathe hard and quickly; to say (something) while you are breathing quickly and heavily

nutritional - relating to nutrition [nutrition

the substances that you take into your body as food and the way that they influence your health]

whole hearted -

completely and sincerely devoted, determined, or enthusiastic <a wholehearted student of social problems>

confederations -

a group of people, countries, organizations, etc., that are joined together in some activity or effort

associations -

an organized group of people who have the same interest, job, etc.

contest -

a competition to do better than other people, usually in which prizes are given

limb -

an arm or leg of a person or animal, or a large branch of a tree

spectator –

a person who watches an activity, especially a sports event, without taking part

oar –

a long pole with a wide, flat part at one end, used for rowing a boat

runner-up -

a person who comes second in a race or competition

whistle -

to make a long, high sound while moving quickly through or past something:

fissure (n) -

a deep, narrow crack in rock or the earth

credible -

able to be believed or trusted

dowsing (n) –

the ability to locate water, minerals and lost objects underground

drill -

(n) a tool; (v) action performed with it; to practice by repetition

acute -

f a bad situation is acute, it causes severe problems or damage: The problem of poverty is particularly acute in rural areas.

peculiar -

unusual and strange, sometimes in an unpleasant way. She has the most peculiar ideas.

reel (v) -

a round, wheel-shaped object on which sewing thread, fishing wire, film, etc. can be rolled, or the amount of thread, etc. stored on one of these.

Reel sth in/out (pv) -

to pull in a rope or an object on the end of a rope by turning a wheel round and round, or to release something in the same way:

reel sth off (pv) -

to say a long list of things quickly and without stopping: The old man reeled off the names of his 22 grandchildren.

impervious -

impenetrable

rampart -

a walkway atop a wall, e.g. round a castle

to rinse out –

to quickly wash the inside of something with clean water: I'll just rinse these glasses out and leave them to dry.

to commence (v) -

to begin something: We will commence building work in August of next year.

rodent (n) -

any of various small mammals with large, sharp front teeth, such as mice and rats

promptly -

quickly, without delay, or at the arranged time: We'll have to leave fairly promptly (= on time) if we want to catch that train

outlive (v) -

to live or exist longer than someone or something

invaluable -

extremely useful: The new job will provide you with invaluable experience.

revenue -

the income that a government or company receives regularly: Taxes provide most of the government's revenue.

ephemeral (adj) -

lasting for only a short time: Fame in the world of rock and pop is largely ephemeral.

momentum -

the force that keeps an object moving or keeps an event developing after it has started: Once you push it, it keeps going under its own momentum

grope[blindly] -

to feel with your hands, especially in order to find or move towards something when you cannot see easily: She groped for her glasses on the bedside table

unravel -

If a piece of woollen or woven cloth, a knot, or a mass of thread unravels, it separates into a single thread, and if you unravel it, you separate it into a single thread

workable -

describes a plan or system that can be used effectively: a workable solution/compromise/proposal

misinterpret (v) -

to form an understanding that is not correct of something that is said or done

envision -

to think of (something that you believe might exist or happen in the future): to picture (something) in your mind

looking for

- the activity of looking thoroughly in order to find something or someone

scour (v) -

to remove dirt from something by rubbing it hard with something rough, You'll have to scour out those old cooking pots before you use them.

dig around (pv) -

to try to find something inside a place or container by searching in every part of it

signal-to-noise ratio -

measure that separtes useful information from meaningless spam

toolset (n computing)

a set of software tools.

toolkit -

a set of tools

equatorial -

near the equator, or typical of places near the equator:

it goes without saying

something that you say when you believe that what you will say next is generally accepted or understood It goes without saying that we're delighted about the new baby.

pop into -

to fit, snap, or press something into place in something. Lee popped the lever into place, and the machine began to function.

spell out -

to give all the details of something.

take into account -

to consider something to be an important factor in some decision.

money-spinning (n) -

Informal an enterprise, idea, person, or thing that is a source of wealth

distill (v) -

to take the most important parts of something and put them in a different and usually improved form

tear apart -

break something into pieces; make people argue; make someone sad/worried; search a place thoroughly; criticize someone/something

incarnation -

one of a series of lives that a person is believed to have had in the past in some religion a person who represents a quality or idea

minor -

not very important or valuable

turbulent -

full of sudden changes, arguments

burgeon (v) -

to grow or develop quickly

mirror (n) -

something that gives a true representation

in need of -

needing something, He came in tired and hungry and badly in need of a bath.

to someone’s credit -

used to emphasize someone’s achievement or a good deed; to his credit, the pie wasn’t so bad. He has fourteen films to his credit.

at expense of -

if one thing exists or happens at the expense of another, the second thing suffers or is not done well because of the first Military strength is often achieved at the expense of a country's economic health.

briefing -

an act or instance of giving precise instructions or essential information

facets -

any of the definable aspects that make up a subject (as of contemplation) or an object (as of consideration) Each facet of the problem requires careful attention.

tie in with something

to combine with something

render (v) -

to cause (someone or something) to be in a specified condition

heavily -

to a great degree: very much

build upon -

to do something in addition to what you have already achieved, The project will build upon existing knowledge.

eligible -

having the necessary qualities or satisfying the necessary conditions:

variable -

likely to change often: a variable interest rate

sheer -

sole, only; great, intense; this mad plan of his is sheer lunacy

principal -

most important

vacancy -

a job or position that is available to be taken

resignation -

the act of telling your employer that you are leaving your job:

dismissal -

the situation in which an employer officially makes someone leave their job:

retirement -

the act of leaving your job and stopping working, usually because you are old:

productivity -

the rate at which goods are produced or work is completed

flourish -

to grow or develop successfully: My tomatoes are flourishing this summer it must be the warm weather.

relaxation -

a way to rest and enjoy yourself, time that you spend resting and enjoying yourself

factors -

a fact or situation that influences the result of something:

diversion -

a different route that is used because a road is closed; the fact of something being sent somewhere different from where it was originally intended to go

wind down -

to end, or to finish something gradually, The party started to wind down around 2:00 a.m.

exhaustion -: She felt ill with/from exhaustion.

the state of being extremely tired

mood swing -

a sudden, unexpected change in the way that someone feels and behaves, especially when they become very angry or unhappy

depression -

a mental illness in which a person is very unhappy and anxious (= worried and nervous) for long periods and cannot have a normal life during these periods

thrive -

to grow or develop successfully: to flourish or succeed; these plants thrive with relatively little sunlight

undergo -She underwent an operation on a tumour in her left lung last year.

to experience something that is unpleasant or something that involves a change:

draw back -

to move away from someone She drew back in horror.

bait -

a small amount of food on a hook (= curved piece of wire) or in a special device used to attract and catch a fish or animal: They were digging up worms to use for bait.

non-peak (adj)

less busy or active than other times

standstill -

a state characterized by absence of motion or of progress

hold-up –

a situation in which traffic does not move or moves only very slowly, short delay

jam -

a long line of vehicles that are not moving, or are moving very slowly

freeze -

to cause to grip tightly or remain in immovable contact, to become blocked or unable to move because of ice

civic (adj) -

of or relating to a citizen, a city, citizenship, or community affairs

fumes -

strong, unpleasant, and sometimes dangerous gas or smoke: exhaust fumes

saturated -

being a solution that is unable to absorb or dissolve any more of a solute at a given temperature and pressure, completely wet, completely filled with something

looking for a spot –

searching a place to park a car

rambler (n) -

a person who enjoys long walks in the countryside

hitchhike (v) -

to get a ride in a passing vehicle by holding out your arm with your thumb up as you stand on the side of the road (a person – er)

traffic warden -

someone whose job is to check that vehicles are legally parked

pedestrian -

a person moving on foot

passenger -

a person who is traveling from one place to another in a car, bus, train, ship, airplane, etc., and who is not driving or working on it

back seat driver

someone in a car who keeps telling the driver what to do and how to drive, someone who keeps giving advice about things that they are not responsible for

outward (adj)

moving, directed, or turned toward the outside or away from a center

assistance –

help

compensate -

to provide something good as a balance against something bad or undesirable: to make up for some defect or weakness

skid (v) - (especially of a vehicle): Trevor's bus skidded on some ice and hit a tree.

to slide along a surface so that you have no control

collide (v) -

to hit something or each other with strong force: to crash together or to crash into something

enmity (n) -

a very deep unfriendly feeling

bump (n) -

an act of something hitting against something else

alternative (adj) -

offering or expressing a choice; not usual or traditional; existing or functioning outside of the established society

eternal -:

lasting for ever or for a very long time

deposit -

to leave something somewhere

put down -

to put someone or something onto a surface, especially the floor, to pay part of the cost of something and agree to pay the rest later We've put down a deposit on the apartment.

occasional (adj) - n: I play the occasional game of football.

ot happening or done often or regularly

throngs -: A huge throng had gathered round the speaker.

a crowd or large group of people

resort -

a place where many people go for rest, sport, or another stated purpose

resemble (v) -: You resemble your mother very closely.

to look like or be like someone or something

swarm (n) -

a large group of insects all moving together

deserted (adj) -

a wild uninhabited and uncultivated tract

stranded -

unable to leave somewhere because of a problem such as not having any transport or money: He left me stranded in town with no car and no money for a bus.

pile -

objects positioned one on top of another

dune (n) -

a hill of sand near a beach or in a desert

mound -, etc. like a small hill:

a large pile of earth, stones

wrecked - Just look at what you've done to my coat

very badly damaged, no longer fit for use

aground (adj) -: The ship is currently aground off the Brittany coast.

If a boat or ship is aground, it is unable to move because it is touching ground or in a place where there is very little water

haunt -: I was haunted by the feeling of being watched. The melancholy that haunts this soundtrack. A haunted house.

to appear repetitively or pervade sth, esp as a ghost, idea or impression

dismount (v) -

to get off a horse, bicycle, or motorcycle

fasten -: Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened.

to (cause something to) become firmly fixed together, or in position, or closed

disembark -, etc. after a journey

to leave a ship, aircraft

alight -

to step down from a boat, vehicle, etc.

ascend -

to go up

endanger -

to cause (someone or something) to be in a dangerous place or situation

reverse -

to drive backwards

board (v) -:

to get into or onto (an airplane, a bus, a train, etc.; to put or allow (someone) into or onto an airplane, a bus, a train, etc.

take a hard line (pv) - The government is taking a hard line on tax evasion.

to deal with someone or something in a very firm or strict way and refuse to change your opinion or decision.

undergrowth -

a mass of bushes, small trees, and plants growing under the trees of a wood or forest:

save up -

to keep money so that you can buy something with it in the future

lurk (v) -

to wait or move in a secret way so that you cannot be seen, especially because you are about to attack someone or do something wrong

sham (n) -

something that is not what it seems to be and is intended to deceive people, or someone who pretends to be something they are not:

supposedly -

used to show that you do not believe that something you have been told is true or something that was expected turned out differently

outrageous -

shocking and morally unacceptable

winded (adj) -:

temporarily unable to breathe, either when hit in the stomach or after taking hard physical exercise

debatable -

not clear or certain because different people may have different opinions

moral (adj) -

relating to the standards of good or bad behaviour, fairness, honesty, etc. that each person believes in, rather than to laws

morale (n) -

the amount of confidence felt by a person or group of people, especially when in a dangerous or difficult situation:

instantaneous (adj) -: an instantaneous response/reply/reaction

happening immediately, without any delay

dashboard (n) -

the part of a car that contains some of the controls used for driving and the devices for measuring speed and distance

clatter (v) -

to make continuous loud noises by hitting hard objects against each other, or to cause objects to do this

high beams (n) -

car headlights that are on as brightly as possible

draw out - This action could draw the dispute out for another six months.

to make something continue longer than necessary, to encourage someone to talk more by making them feel more relaxed and confident

go out -

to leave a room or building, especially in order to do something for entertainment

grinding sth into sth-

to press something hard into something else using a twisting movement

roped to -

attached to sth with ropes

dawdle -

act tardily, more slowly than necessary

whirl -

to (cause something to) turn around in circles

to get away with -

to manage to do something bad without being punished or criticized for it

ram -

to hit or push something with force

dowse (v) -

to divine

windscreen -

the window at the front of a car, truck, etc.

radiator -

a device, usually a container filled with water, that sends out heat, often as part of a heating or cooling system:

twitch (v) -

(to cause) to make a sudden small movement with a part of the body, usually without intending to

bifurcation (n) -

the fact that something is divided into two parts or the act of dividing something into two parts

thud -

the sound that is made when sth heavy falls or hits sth else

waver (v) - t

o lose strength, determination, or purpose, especially temporarily; If you waver between two possibilities, you cannot decide which of them to choose or you keep choosing one way and then the other

feat -

something difficult needing a lot of skill, strength, courage, etc. to achieve it

hub -: The City of London is the hub of Britain's financial world.

the central or main part of something where there is most activity

bonanza -

a situation from which large profits are made, a large amount of something good

falter -

to lose strength or purpose and stop, or almost stop

finite -

having a limit or end

discrepancy -

a difference between two things that should be the same

inflict (v) -

to force someone to experience something very unpleasant

vulnerable -: I felt very vulnerable, standing there without any clothes on.

able to be easily physically, emotionally, or mentally hurt, influenced, or attacked

resistance (n) -

the act of fighting against something that is attacking you, or refusing to accept something

challenging -

difficult, in a way that tests your ability or determination

unpredictable -

likely to change suddenly and without reason and therefore not able to be predicted (= expected before it happens) or depended on

interconnect (v) -

(of two or more things) to connect with or be related to each other