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My Vocabulary Page

meddle v(i) //

involve yourself in something that should not really involve you

1.1/ "You are a meddling, know-nothing parent."

meddle in(/with) something

1.2/ My sister's always meddling in other people's affairs.

1.3/ People shouldn't meddle with things they don't understand.

1.4/ I don't want my parents meddling in my affairs by telling me
how I should run my life.

1.5/ "You are meddling with powers you do not understand."

see also: supply

remark: 'provide something to somebody' is equivalent to the phrase
'provide something for somebody'.

v(i) (of a law or rule) to state that something will or must happen

provide that ...

2.1/ Section 17 provides that all decisions must be circulated in writing.

2.2/ The final section provides that any work produced for the company
is thereafter owned by the company.

2.3/ Many loan agreements provide that the interest rate will change.

provide for something

2.4/ The new statute provides for life imprisonment without parole.

2.5/ The legislation provides for the detention of suspected terrorists
for up to seven days.

2.6/ "Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Yemen provide for capital punishment
for prostitution."

provide for somebody v //

give somebody the things that they need to live, such as food, money and clothing

1.1/ She has three children to provide for.

1.2/ He has a wife and two young children to provide for.

1.3/ He didn’t provide for them in his will.

1.4/ "His mother had to provide for a family of six, including three siblings
and a father ill and unable to work."

provide for something: (prepare for something)
make preparations to deal with something that might happen in the future

2.1/ We must provide for depreciation when calculating the costs.

2.2/ The original system did not provide for this sudden increase in demand.

2.3/ "Coverage can be extended to provide for breakdown of air conditioning
and refrigeration systems."

make out v //

make out somebody/something:
see, hear, or understand something or someone with difficulty

1.1/ I can't make out your writing.

1.2/ The numbers are too small - I can't make them out at all.

1.3/ I could just make out a figure in the darkness.

1.4/ She's a strange person - I can't make her out at all.

make out + wh-clause

1.5/ I can't make out what she wants.

1.6/ Nobody can make out why you should have been attacked.

1.7/ I could hear voices but I couldn't make out what they were saying.

see also: figure out, can't catch your words

make out: deal with a situation, usually in a successful way

2.1/ How is Frances making out in her new job?

2.2/ How did he make out while his wife was away?

2.3/ The business made out better than expected and profits were slightly up.

make out somebody/something/yourself:
(claim) say that something is true when it may not be

3.1/ She's not as rich as people make out.

make out somebody(/something) to be/do something

3.2/ He made himself out to be a millionaire.

3.3/ She makes herself out to be smarter than she really is.

3.4/ The British weather is not always as bad as it is made out to be.

make out that ...

3.5/ He made out that he had been robbed.

3.6/ He made out that he had been living in Paris all year.

make out something: write out or complete a form or document

make out a cheque

4.1/ He made out a cheque for €100.

4.2/ I made a cheque out for £20 to 'Henry's Stores'.

4.3/ Make the check out to Hommocks School PTA.

(other examples)

4.4/ The doctor made out a prescription for me.

4.5/ Applications must be made out in triplicate.

attention n(u) //

notice, thought, or interest

1.1/ His attention turned to other matters.

1.2/ He devoted all his attention to his mother.

1.3/ Public attention is focused on the issue of plastic pollution.

have your attention

1.4/ "You always have my attention."

1.5/ "Can I have your attention please?"

1.6/ Ladies and gentlemen, could I have your attention, please?

pay attention (to something)

1.7/ She doesn't pay her children much attention.

1.8/ Please pay close attention to what I am saying.

1.9/ Don't pay any attention to what they say.

1.10/ "How do I improve in school, get motivation to study hard,
and pay attention to the class at all times?"

1.11/ If you don't pay attention now, you'll get it all wrong later.

give your attention (to something)

1.12/ Wait a moment and I'll give you my full attention.

1.13/ I couldn't give the programme my undivided attention.

turn your attention to something, turn away your attention

1.14/ He turned his attention back to the road again.

1.15/ "I am 60 now and I think it's time to hang up my boots
and turn my attention to my garden."

turn away your attention (from something)

1.16/ "Whatever happened, I would turn away my attention from it,
and remain with the sense 'I am'."

1.17/ "I now turn my attention away from Intertraffic Amsterdam
and turn it toward IBTTA and the Technology Summit next week."

get/attract/catch somebody's attention: make sombody notice you

1.18/ I knocked on the window to get her attention.

1.19/ I want recruiters to notice me, but I can't seem to get their attention.

1.20/ She tried to attract the waiter's attention.

1.21/ The event has attracted a lot of media attention.

1.22/ He was a quiet boy, who avoided attracting the attention of his teachers.

1.23/ An article in the newspaper caught my attention.

1.24/ The man caught my attention at once because he looked so
out of place in that setting.

seek attention (from sombody)

1.25/ "Bob seeks attention from teachers and peers."

1.26/ "Why do I always seek attention from men?"

1.27/ "Mack seeks attention from her parents but both are
too busy working to notice her."

1.28/ "My girlfriend stares at and seeks attention from other men
all the time even in front of me."

draw attention to something

1.29/ "These snap ads do indirectly draw attention to the Olympics."

1.30/ I tried not to draw attention to the weak points in my argument.

1.31/ "Draw attention to security measures to protect your property and people."

raise attention to something

1.32/ "The ZERO Stigma Coffee Truck is an initiative of AIDS Concern to
raise public attention to the stigma that people living with HIV is facing."

1.33/ Greeners Action hopes Save Food Day can raise public attention to the
serious problem of food waste, through providing $1 discount and lucky draw
coupon to encourage the public to reduce food waste."

1.34/ "We hope to raise attention to the issues affecting children and
young people who are either vulnerable, engaging in risky behaviors,
or already living with HIV and AIDS."

get/receive attention (from somebody/something)

1.35/ The exhibition has received special attention from the media.

1.36/ "Despite several letters I have received no attention from these agencies."

1.37/ The problem has been getting little attention in the press.

1.38/ "The desire to get attention from people in your life is natural."

1.39/ "Rather than being solely managed by administrative staff,
clients receive exclusive attention from Dr. Solberg and the entire team,
ensuring personalized care every step of the way."

bring something to somebody's attention

1.40/ These issues should be brought to the attention of the public.

1.41/ "The account manager was requested to bring the problem to
my attention by the client's staff member."

it has come to my attention that ...

1.42/ It has come to my attention that several people have
been arriving late for work.

1.43/ It has come to my attention that some people were
offended by my comments.

the center of attention

1.44/ As the youngest child, she was always the centre of attention.

1.45/ "Following the service, she is the center of attention in the small
courtyard that abuts the church."

1.46/ "Samantha makes sure that she is the center of attention in any room
that she enters, as visible as possible."

your attention wanders

1.47/ After an hour, my attention started to wander.

1.48/ I felt my attention wandering during the lecture.

n(u) special care, action or treatment

need/require attention

2.1/ The roof needs attention.

2.2/ The paintwork will need a little attention.

2.3/ His injuries required immediate attention.

in need of attention

2.4/ She was in need of medical attention.

2.5/ "Reorganization of the appellate courts in the United States has
been a promblem in need of intensive attention for a number of years."

seek attention

2.6/ If symptoms persist, seek medical attention.

receive attention

2.7/ He received urgent medical attention.

care and attention

2.8/ It's clear that a great deal of care and attention was put into the movie sets.

n(plural) attentions: interest, often sexual interest,
that somebody directs towards a particular person or thing

3.1/ She attracted the attentions of a variety of suitors.

3.2/ I suffered the unwanted attentions of bullies.

3.3/ He was flattered by her attentions, but did not take them seriously.

3.4/ Her primary aim was to avoid the attentions of the newspapers.

3.5/ She tried to escape the unwanted attentions of her former boyfriend.

put yourself in somebody's shoes idiom //

put yourself in somebody's shoes/place/position:
imagine how someone else feels in a difficult situation

1/ Put yourself in my place - what else could I have done?

2/ You should be kinder when considering others,
and put yourself in their shoes once in a while.

3/ Put yourself in their shoes and be diplomatic.

4/ If you want to stand out at work, put yourself in your customer's shoes.

around the corner idiom //

(right/just) around the corner: not far away, or going to happen soon

1/ There’s a deli around the corner.

2/ There's a great restaurant just around the corner.

3/ "Love is just around the corner when I'm around you."

4/ "My birthday is right around the corner, so I'm planning the party."

5/ I'm feeling a little depressed at the moment, but I'm sure good times
are just around the corner.

6/ It's still cold today, but spring is just around the corner.

regard v(t) //

think about somebody/something in a particular way

regard somebody/something with something

1.1/ Environmentalists regard GM technology with suspicion.

1.2/ They regarded people outside their own town with suspicion.

1.3/ "The cemetery men regard you with interest and pity."

1.4/ "Four years later, they still seem to regard me with contempt."

1.5/ Today, the future is typically regarded with dread.

regard somebody/something as something

1.6/ He regards himself as a patriot.

1.7/ He is widely regarded as the father of international law.

1.8/ Her parents always regarded her as the smartest of their children.

1.9/ I had come to regard him as a close friend.

1.10/ The successful are often tempted to regard their success
as a kind of reward.

regard somebody/something as + adj

1.11/ Capital punishment was regarded as inhuman and immoral.

1.12/ Private education is often regarded as socially divisive.

1.13/ "Others regard me as competent within my area of expertise."

be highly regarded, be widely regarded

1.14/ Her work is very highly regarded.

1.15/ Laura is highly regarded by her colleagues.

1.16/ She is widely regarded as the current leader's natural successor.

v(t) look carefully at something or somebody

2.1/ He regarded us suspiciously.

2.2/ His eyes continued to regard her steadily.

regard somebody/something with something

2.3/ She regarded the mess with distaste.

2.4/ The bird regarded me with suspicion as I walked up to its nest.

2.5/ The dog regarded me with suspicion as I approached the door.

regard n(u) //

respect or admiration for somebody/something

hold somebody in high regard (= had a good opinion of somebody)

3.1/ He held her in high regard.

3.2/ The company holds her in high regard.

regard for somebody/something

3.3/ I had great regard for his abilities.

3.4/ Children no longer have proper regard for their parents and teachers.

3.5/ He has no regard for other people's feelings.

3.6/ The mob show little regard for other people’s property.

pay regard to something: pay attention to something

3.7/ Social services should pay proper regard to the needs of inner-city areas.

3.8/ He was driving without regard to speed limits.

in this/that regard: relating to what has just been mentioned

4.1/ I have nothing further to say in this regard.

4.2/ I may have made a mistake in that regard.

4.3/ The union is the largest in the country and in this regard is best placed
to serve its members.

in(/with) regard to something: in connection with something

5.1/ I am writing to you with regard to your letter of 15 March.

5.2/ I am writing with regard to your recent order.

5.3/ The company's position with regard to overtime is made clear
in their contracts.

regarding: about

5.4/ The company is being questioned regarding its employment policy.

5.5/ She has said nothing regarding your request.

5.6/ Call me if you have any problems regarding your work.

(formal) have regard to something:
remember and think carefully about something

6.1/ It is always necessary to have regard to the terms of the contract.

6.2/ When exercising its discretion, the court will have regard
to all the circumstances.

6.3/ New sites for waste disposal will be determined having regard
to environmental matters.

as regards somebody/something idiom //

relating to or in connection with somebody/something

1/ I have little information as regards her fitness for the post.

2/ There is no problem as regards the financial arrangements.

3/ "As regards the problem of noise, my suggestion is that we should
return to it at our next meeting."

4/ "No further evidence has to be collected as regards me."

regards n(plural) //

greetings and expressions of affection

give regards to somebody, give somebody regards

1.1/ Please give my regards to your sister.

1.2/ Give your brother my regards when you see him.

send regards to somebody, send somebody regards

1.3/ Please send my regards to your mother if you see her.

1.4/ "I will send her your regards the next time I see her."

1.5/ "The Lannisters send their regards." (Game of Thrones)

convey regards to somebody

1.6/ Please convey my regards to your boss.

1.7/ "Take care and convey my regards to your family and our friends."

with best/kind regards:
send good wishes to somebody at the end of an email or letter

2.1/ "Best regards, Tom"

2.2/ "Regards, Tom"

2.3/ "With best regards, Tom"

breakthrough n(c) //

an important discovery or event that helps to improve a situation
or provide an answer to a problem

1.1/ They had minor breakthroughs but real success eluded them.

1.2/ The Polaroid camera was a technological breakthrough.

a breakthrough in something

1.3/ Researchers reported another important breakthrough in cancer research.

1.4/ Scientists are hoping for a breakthrough in the search for a cure for cancer.

1.5/ "The innovation of microprocessors and word processors is stated to be
a major breakthrough in computer technology."

1.6/ "Innovation doesn't have to be a major breakthrough in technology."

1.7/ "We're thrilled to share with you the latest breakthrough in
camera technology that's set to revolutionize the way we capture
and explore the world."

make/achieve a breakthrough

1.8/ A major breakthrough in negotiations has been achieved.

1.9/ "Division 7 makes a breakthrough in enhancing the quality of reserve forces."

1.10/ We have achieved a real breakthrough in the search for peace.

represent a breakthrough

1.11/ The new deal represents a major breakthrough for the company.

1.12/ "The theory represented a major breakthrough in economics,
and transformed much of economic planning and decision-making worldwide."

1.13/ "The market-basket algorithm can represent a breakthrough
in data mining techniques."

adj(before noun) breakthrough

2.1/ The article described the impact of their breakthrough discovery
of the structure of DNA.

2.2/ The grant funds innovative projects that may lead to
breakthrough improvements in health care.

2.3/ "Anyone can turn an unsolved problem into a breakthrough success."

2.4/ A breakthrough success takes a person to a higher level in their career,
often in sport or show business.

break down v //

if a machine or vehicle breaks down, it stops working

1.1/ Our car broke down and we had to push it off the road.

1.2/ Our car broke down on the thruway.

1.3/ The car broke down just north of Paris.

1.4/ We broke down on the freeway.

1.5/ The telephone system has broken down.

1.6/ Production has been slow because the equipment keeps breaking down.

break down: if a system, relationship, or discussion breaks down,
it fails because there is a problem or disagreement

2.1/ Negotiations between the two sides have broken down.

2.2/ Negotiations with management broke down.

2.3/ Their marriage had broken down irretrievably.

2.4/ Her health broke down under the pressure of work.

break down: lose control of your feelings and start crying

3.1/ He broke down and wept when he heard the news.

3.2/ The girl broke down and cried when she got a bad grade.

break down in tears

3.3/ She broke down in tears as she spoke to reporters.

3.4/ She broke down in tears when she heard the news.

break down (something): divide (something) into smaller parts

4.1/ Expenditure on the project breaks down as follows: wages $10M,
plant $4M, raw materials $5M.

break down (into something)

4.2/ The data breaks down into three main categories.

4.3/ The gas breaks down into harmless components when it is exposed to light.

break down something (into something)

4.4/ Food is broken down in the stomach.

4.5/ Bacteria are added to help break down the sewage.

4.6/ Can you break down our expenses by month and by region?

4.7/ Each lesson is broken down into several units.

4.8/ Break your expenditure down into bills, food and other.

4.9/ It’s easier to handle the job if you break it down into several
specific assignments.

break down a problem

4.10/ A good way to deal with a big problem is to break it down to
a series of smaller ones.

4.11/ "We may break down a problem into smaller parts so we can both
understand and manage the problem better."

5.12/ "We learned that we need to break down the question into steps."

break down something: remove something from its place by force

5.1/ He threatened to break the door down.

5.2/ Police had to break down the door to get into the flat.

5.3/ Firefighters had to break the door down to reach the people trapped inside.

5.4/ Some of the campers had broken down fences and lit fires that
caused a lot of damage.

5.5/ It takes a long time to break down prejudices.

5.6/ Getting young people together will help to break down
the barriers between them.

5.7/ Attempts must be made to break down the barriers of fear and hostility
which divide the two communities.

broken-down adj //

(before noun) in bad condition or not working

1.1/ a broken-down washing machine

1.2/ "Do you have to stay with a broken down car?"

1.3/ "I'm a broken-down truck and he's towing /'təʊ.ɪŋ/ me to the garage."

1.4/ "Meet Joyce, a 90-year-old woman who lives in Kingston, Jamaica,
in a broken-down shack with a caved-in roof."

(adj) broken down

2.1/ "My car is broken down, I lost my job, and I have to move out
of my place in two weeks."

2.2/ "An Alexandria woman who uses a wheelchair says she’s been stuck in
her apartment this Christmas week because her building’s only elevator
is broken down."

broken adj //

damaged, no longer able to work

1.1/ My watch is broken.

1.2/ My camera is broken.

1.3/ He attacked the man with a broken bottle.

1.4/ Careful - there's broken glass on the floor.

interrupted or not continuous

2.1/ "I try to draw a broken line(/a dashed line)."

2.2/ He spoke very broken English.

2.3/ He tried to explain what had happened in broken English.

(before noun) suffering emotional pain that is so strong that
it changes the way you live, usually as a result of an unpleasant event

3.1/ He was a broken man after his wife died.

3.2/ "My heart is broken. I will wander till the end of time."

n(c) a broken heart

3.3/ My mom said my uncle had a broken heart.

3.4/ They say he died of a broken heart.

3.5/ I was unhappy and trying to mend/heal my broken heart.

3.6/ She was broken-hearted when her boyfriend left her.

destroyed or ended

4.1/ She comes from a broken home.

4.2/ He overcame a string of broken dreams to become a success.

4.3/ "I come from a broken family My parents are not seperated.
But they don't love each other."

(of a law/rule/promise) not obeyed or not kept

5.1/ There is a world of difference between a disappointed hope
and a broken promise.

5.2/ "Willing the ends without the means today merely becomes
a broken promise tomorrow."

vogue n(s,u) //

a fashion for something

1/ In the 1920s, short hair for women became the vogue.

2/ This novel had a great vogue ten years ago.

3/ Cycling enjoyed a vogue at the end of the nineteenth century.

come into vogue, come back into vogue

4/ Suntanning first came into vogue in the mid-1930s.

5/ Sixties music has come back into vogue.

6/ Scooters have recently come back into vogue.

vogue for something

7/ "The vogue for bikinis did not catch on in America until the mid-1950s."

8/ The postwar vogue for tearing down buildings virtually destroyed
the city's architecture.

in vogue

9/ Black is in vogue again this winter.

10/ The short hemline is very much in vogue this spring.

11/ Short skirts are very much in vogue just now.out of vogue

12/ Disaster movies are currently out of vogue.

13/ "The classic medicine cabinet has gone out of vogue in recent years,
replaced by decorative mirrors."

resent v(t) //

feel bitter or angry about something, esp because you feel it is unfair

resent somebody/something

1/ She bitterly resented her father's new wife.

2/ The children resented the new woman in their father’s life.

3/ I deeply resented her criticism.

4/ He deeply resented the fact that his teammates did not support him.

5/ I resent the implication that I don't care about my father.

6/ We resent these insinuations that we are not capable of leading
the company forward.

resent doing something

7/ He bitterly resents being treated like a child.

8/ He resents having to explain his work to other people.

resent somebody doing something

9/ She resented him making all the decisions.

10/ She resented his making all the decisions.

11/ I had peers who resented me leaving the familiar flock and joining management.

resentful adj //

feeling bitter or angry about something that you think is unfair

1/ "Caroline gave me a resentful look and stormed out of the room."

resentful of/at/about something

2/ They seemed to be resentful of our presence there.

3/ She was resentful of anybody's attempts to interfere in her work.

4/ She was resentful at having been left out of the team.

5/ She felt resentful at not being promoted.

6/ Harvey feels bitter and resentful about the way he's been treated.

7/ Possibly he might be angry or resentful about someone's attitude to him.

resentful towards somebody

8/ He felt deeply resentful towards his ex-wife.

9/ "I think it is normal for someone to feel resentful towards a parent
that let the standards of good parent slip."

commute v(i) //

make the same journey regularly between work and home

commute to work, commute to school

1.1/ I commute to work by bus.

1.2/ "Each year, parents consider when to start allowing their children
to commute to school unsupervised."

commute from A to B

1.3/ She commutes from Oxford to London every day.

1.4/ She commutes from Sunset Park to Manhattan each morning.

1.5/ It's exhausting commuting from Brighton to London every day.

commute between A and B

1.6/ He spent that year commuting between New York and Chicago.

1.7/ "The children in our study commute between Shenzhen and Hong Kong
for school."

commuting distance

1.8/ I live within commuting distance of Dublin.

1.9/ "What are some good and bad places to live within commuting distance
of New York City?"

v(t) commute a distance

1.10/ People are prepared to commute long distances if they are
desperate for work.

1.11/ "Then I moved and had to commute 10 km twice daily and that's
when I started getting annoyed with the bike."

1.12/ When you commute a long distance to work, you will arrive tired and weak.

v(t) commute something from A to B:
change a punishment to one that is less severe

2.1/ The death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

2.2/ Her sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.

commute n(c) //

the journey that a person makes when they commute to work

3.1/ The commute is not too bad - just over an hour.

3.2/ Today most commutes are not suburb to city to suburb but
from one suburb to another.

a commute to work, a commute to school

3.3/ I have only a short commute to work.

3.4/ It's at least an hour's commute to work.

3.5/ "How Hong Kong students' long commutes to school affect their daily lives."

a commute from A to B

3.6/ "You have a commute from the office to home that's longer than 90 minutes."

3.7/ "Does anyone have a commute from North Attelboro to Waltham?"

on your commute

3.8/ "A great skill to learn on your commute is a new language."

3.9/ "So what to do on my commute other than drive?"

3.10/ "What do you usually do on your commute to work?"

commuter n(c) //

a person who travels some distance to work on a regular basis.

1.1/ A fault on the line caused widespread delays for commuters

1.2/ The five o’clock train is always packed with commuters.

1.3/ Because of disruption caused by the snow, many commuters faced long delays.

1.4/ "Ease the sqeeze on commuters before it's too late."

a commuter from A to B

1.5/ Commuters from Essex to London face a nightmare journey today.

commuters are packed like sardines

1.6/ "Train commuters are packed like sardines during rush hours every day."

1.7/ "We have buses in which commuters are packed like sardines and exposed
to the danger of pickpockets and bottom-pinchers."

(adj) commuter

2.1/ Commuter services are under a greater strain then ever before.

2.2/ The accident involved a crowded commuter train.

2.3/ There have been improvements to commuter lines.

2.4/ I could hear the commuter traffic in the distance.

the commuter belt

2.5/ The developments are in the London commuter belt.

2.6/ "Greater Tokyo Area is the commuter belt of Tokyo."

vicinity n(singular) //

the area around a place or where the speaker is

in the vicinity

1/ There is no hospital in the immediate vicinity.

2/ Anyone who happened to be in the vicinity could have been injured or killed.

3/ There are many stores in the vicinity where she can shop.

4/ We could see that there were several open Wi-Fi networks in the vicinity.

in the vicinity of something

5/ There are several hotels in the immediate vicinity of the station.

6/ An area of low pressure off the southeast coast will keep some rain showers
in the vicinity of the coastline.

7/ Crowds gathered in the vicinity of Trafalgar Square.

see also: nearby, in the neighbourhood of something, surrounding area

join v(i,t) //

fix or connect two or more things together

1.1/ How do these two pieces join?

join A to(/onto) B

1.2/ Join one section of pipe to the next.

1.3/ The island is joined to the mainland by a bridge.

1.4/ The island is joined to the mainland by a causeway.

1.5/ The head was not joined onto the body.

join A and B

1.6/ A central hallway joins the two halves of the house.

1.7/ Join the two pieces of wood with strong glue.

join A and B together

1.8/ Join the two sections of pipe together.

1.9/ These are the plugs and sockets that join the components together.

join up A and B

1.10/ Draw a line joining up all the crosses.

v(i,t) if two things or groups join, or if one thing or group joins another,
they come together to form one thing or group

2.1/ Finally, we arrived at Dartmouth, where the River Dart joins the sea.

2.2/ The path joins the road near the trees.

2.3/ "You can almost spot where the two paths join to the right of the picture."

join together

2.4/ Farmers can join together to get better prices.

2.5/ "Social media giants join together to fight terrorist content."

2.6/ Three police forces have joined together to buy a helicopter.

join with somebody/something

2.7/ They have joined with six other groups to lobby the government
to end child poverty.

v(i,t) become a member of an organization, a company or a club

3.1/ I've joined an aerobics class.

3.2/ When did you join the Labour Party?

3.3/ She joined the company three months ago.

3.4/ New members can join online.

3.5/ He left school to join the army.

3.6/ You can enjoy a sport without joining a club or belonging to a team.

3.7/ It costs £20 to join.

3.8/ It costs too much to join the club.

3.9/ "You could join a strength training class to get some needed motivation and
have some fun with others trying to do the exact same thing."

v(t) take part in something that somebody else is doing
or go somewhere with them

4.1/ Do you mind if I join you?

4.2/ I will join you later.

4.3/ She joined her aunt in the sitting room.

4.4/ They've invited us to join them on their yacht.

4.5/ The immigrants were soon joined by their wives and children.

4.6/ He joined her downstairs a few minutes later.

join somebody/something for something

4.7/ Many sacrificed their weekend to join the hunt for the missing girl.

4.8/ Members of the public joined the search for the missing boy.

4.9/ I invited them to join us for a glass of wine.

join (with) somebody to do something

4.10/ Church leaders have joined the campaign to end foxhunting.

4.11/ Parents have joined with health experts to produce a video
for bereaved families.

join (with) somebody in doing something

4.12/ I’m sure you’ll all join me in thanking today’s speaker.

4.13/ I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing Ted and Laura a very happy marriage.

remark: if 'join' meanis to go somewhere with you, we say 'join you' but
not 'join with you' in this context

join in v //

become involved in an activity with other people

1/ Why don't you join in?

2/ She listens but she never joins in.

3/ Everyone can join in when I sing the National Anthem.

4/ We only need one more player for this game - can you persuade
your sister to join in?

join in something/doing something

5/ "Join in saving elephants."

6/ She made a few half-hearted attempts to join in their conversation.

7/ It's a fool's errand trying to get Lena to join in anything.

8/ I'll sing the verses and I'd like you all to join in the chorus.

9/ "Don't you want to join in the fun?"

10/ I hope that everyone will be able to join in the fun.

11/ In the evening there was a barbecue, with the whole village joining in the fun.

join in with somebody/something

12/ Everyone joined in with the singing.

13/ At the end of this verse, we'd like everyone to join in with the chorus.

14/ I wish he would join in with the other children.

15/ All the members of the interviewing panel joined in with questions.

remark: 'join in' means to take part in or to become involved in something
that is already happening when the subject joins in

hopeful adj //

[optimisitc] believing that something you want will happen

hopeful that ...

1.1/ I feel hopeful that we'll find a suitable house very soon.

1.2/ I’m hopeful that we can find a solution.

1.3/ I'm hopeful that we can reach a compromise.

hopeful about something

1.4/ He is not very hopeful about the outcome of the interview.

1.5/ Everyone’s feeling pretty hopeful about the future.

hopeful of something/doing something

1.6/ She is hopeful of returning to work soon.

1.7/ He is still hopeful of playing in Saturday’s game.

1.8/ "Messi says that he feels much better and hopeful of playing
in Tokyo after PR disaster in Hong Kong."

(adj) [promising] giving hope

2.1/ The vote is a hopeful sign that attitudes in the church are changing.

2.2/ The green shoots were hopeful signs of spring.

2.3/ The fact that he’s eating with a good appetite is a hopeful sign.

2.4/ Things might get better, but it doesn’t look very hopeful right now.

2.5/ The speech finished on a hopeful note.

rejoice v(i) //

express great happiness about something

1/ When the war ended, people finally had cause to rejoice.

rejoice in(/at/over) something

2/ The motor industry is rejoicing at the cut in car tax.

3/ "Cambodian boys rejoice at the end of the school day."

4/ Everyone rejoiced at the news of his safe return.

5/ "Rejoice in the end of daylight saving time."

6/ She rejoiced in her good fortune.

7/ "People had come together to rejoice in the end of the war,
waving English and Australian flags in celebration."

8/ They were feasting and rejoicing in a land of milk and honey.

rejoice to do something

9/ They rejoiced to see their son well again.

10/ I rejoiced to see that she had made such a quick recovery.

11/ "Your father and mother, and your brother, they will rejoice to
hear that you live."

rejoice that ...

12/ "We rejoice that we have won the match."

13/ I rejoice that justice has prevailed.

do the dirty on somebody idiom //

behave unfairly towards somebody, usually without their knowledge

1/ He can't forgive her for doing the dirty on him and
having an affair with his best friend.

2/ I can't believe that you're the one who did the dirty on me
and sabotaged my presentation!

3/ That traveling salesman sure did the dirty on me by running off with my money.

4/ "We have Chris who also works hard but is walked all over because
he doesn't do the dirty on others even if he is frustrated."

wipe v(t) //

rub a surface with something in order to remove dirt or liquid

1.1/ Bill wiped his eyes and apologized.

1.2/ He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his nose.

1.3/ "Why is my tissue yellow after I wipe my face?"

wipe something on something

1.4/ Please wipe your feet on the mat.

1.5/ He wiped his hands on a clean towel.

1.6/ He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.

wipe something with something

1.7/ Wipe the table with a damp cloth.

1.8/ She was sniffing and wiping her eyes with a tissue.

1.9/ He wiped his plate clean with a piece of bread.

v(t) remove dirt or liquid from something by using a cloth or your hand

wipe (something) off/from something

2.1/ Kim wiped the sweat from her face.

2.2/ He wiped the sweat from his forehead.

2.3/ "Use paper towels to wipe scraps from dishes, pots and pans into your trash."

2.4/ "Do chefs wipe scraps from the bench onto the floor
for the kitchen hand(= the kitchen porter) to clean up?"

2.5/ She wiped off her make-up.

2.6/ "He was conscientious enough to wipe the spilled water off
before disembarking from the train."

see also: wipe out somebody/something, wipe something down

v(t) remove information/sound/images from a computer or video

3.1/ Somebody had wiped all the tapes.

wipe off something

3.2/ You must have wiped off that programme I recorded.

3.3/ "The program will wipe off all data on your Android device."

3.4/ "It can wipe all record of one character's criminal record
off every computer in the world."

v(t) deliberately forget an experience because it was unpleasant or embarrassing

wipe something from something

4.1/ I tried to wipe the whole episode from my mind.

wipe out something

4.2/ You can never wipe out the past.

4.3/ "The pill helps you wipe out bad memories and could spell the end of phobias."

wipe n(c) //

an act of wiping

5.1/ An occasional wipe with a soft cloth will keep the surface shiny.

give something a wipe

5.2/ Can you give the table a quick wipe?

5.3/ Give the baby’s nose a wipe, would you?

5.4/ "I give my glasses a wipe and peek out."

5.5/ I'd better give the floor a quick wipe before someone slips on it.

a piece of soft, wet cloth or paper that you use for wiping

6.1/ Remember to take nappies and baby wipes.

6.2/ "Antibacterial hand wipes are designed to kill bacteria on your hands
and so are safe to use on other areas of your body."

wet wipes /'wet''waɪps/

6.3/ Don't forget to take wet wipes to wash sticky hands and faces.

6.4/ "Disinfectant wet wipes are not only for kids but keep the same importance
for adults in maintaining hygiene."

wipe out v //

wipe out something: destroy something completely

1.1/ Whole villages were wiped out by the earthquake.

1.2/ Whole villages were wiped out in the fighting.

1.3/ Last year's profits were virtually wiped out.

1.4/ Poor investments wiped out most of his earnings.

1.5/ One bad harvest could wipe out all of a grower's profits
for the previous two years.

wipe out: lose control, esp in a vehicle, and have an accident

2.1/ I was going too fast and I wiped out on the bend.

2.2/ She wiped out at the third gate in the slalom race.

2.3/ "We may not be able to turn the clock back to an earlier century,
but we can reduce our cost of living and downscale, conserve, and economize
- i.e., slow down before we wipe out on the curve."

wipe somebody out: make somebody extremely tired

3.1/ You look wiped out.

3.2/ All that travelling has wiped her out.

3.3/ "I am wiped out by Friday night and generally have a massive sleep
that night and Saturday morning."

hold on v //

hold on: used to tell somebody to wait or stop

1.1/ Hold on a minute while I get my breath back.

1.2/ Hold on! This isn't the right road.

1.3/ She’s on the other line – can you hold on?

1.4/ Hold on, I'll be with you in a minute.

hang on: wait for a short time

1.5/ Sally's on the other phone - would you like to hang on?

1.6/ Do you need the toilet right now or can you hang on for a while?

1.7/ Hang on a minute - I'll be with you in a moment!

1.8/ Hang on - I’ll be with you in a minute!

v(i) continue to do something difficult while waiting for help

2.1/ We just had to hold on until help arrived.

2.2/ Can you hold on for just a few more minutes? Then you can take a break.

2.3/ If you can just hold on I'll go and get some help.

2.4/ They managed to hold on until help arrived.