Advanced English Vocabulary: Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, and Lexis
Comprehensive English Lexicon: Phrases, Idioms, and Advanced Terms
Section 1: Common Phrases, Idioms, and Expressions
This section provides definitions, synonyms, and antonyms for common English phrases and idiomatic expressions, focusing on usage and context.
| Word / Phrase | Meaning | Three Synonyms | Three Antonyms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Be on a high | To feel extremely happy or excited | be elated, feel euphoric, be overjoyed | feel down, be depressed, be miserable |
| Tie the knot | To get married | get married, wed, exchange vows | split up, divorce, break up |
| Bubbly little lady | A lively, cheerful, talkative woman | vivacious, outgoing, spirited | dull, gloomy, introverted |
| Have money to burn | To have more money than needed and spend it freely | be wealthy, be affluent, be loaded | be broke, be poor, be penniless |
| Make something very plain to someone | To explain something clearly and directly | clarify, explain, spell out | confuse, obscure, complicate |
| Rub along well | To get on or coexist together reasonably well | get along, cooperate, be compatible | clash, argue, fall out |
| Baffling | Hard to understand or explain | puzzling, confusing, perplexing | clear, obvious, simple |
| Pull the trick | To succeed in doing something clever or deceptive | succeed, manage, pull it off | fail, blunder, fumble |
| Anguished look | An expression showing deep pain or distress | pained, tormented, sorrowful | cheerful, calm, content |
| Displays of obvious jealousy | Visible signs of envy or possessiveness | envy, resentment, covetousness | trust, contentment, indifference |
| Deep sighs | Long breaths showing sadness, relief, or weariness | exhalations, breaths, gasps | calm breathing, silence, composure |
| A growing pressure on someone to do something | Increasing demand or expectation for someone to act | mounting tension, compulsion, urge | relief, freedom, ease |
| Blurt out a secret / a problem | To say something suddenly and unintentionally, especially a secret | reveal, spill, disclose | conceal, suppress, withhold |
| Bottle up emotions / tears | To hide or control your feelings instead of expressing them | repress, restrain, hold in | release, express, vent |
| Choke back tears / emotions | To try hard not to cry or show feelings | hold back, suppress, restrain | let out, release, display |
| Fend off criticism / accusations / blows | To defend yourself against something | ward off, repel, resist | accept, surrender to, yield |
| Keep up appearances | To behave in a way that hides your real situation or feelings | pretend, maintain image, disguise | reveal truth, be honest, let go |
| Shoot down an argument / accusations | To strongly reject or disprove something | refute, rebut, dismiss | accept, endorse, support |
| Sweep aside an argument / criticism / accusations | To ignore or dismiss something as unimportant | disregard, brush off, ignore | acknowledge, consider, address |
| Tease out a problem / a secret | To carefully discover or understand something that is hidden or complex | uncover, extract, unravel | conceal, hide, ignore |
| Tone down criticism / accusations | To make something less severe or extreme | soften, moderate, reduce | intensify, amplify, heighten |
| Whip up rage / emotions | To deliberately cause strong feelings or excitement | stir up, provoke, inflame | calm, soothe, pacify |
| To cast my net | To try to find or attract something (e.g., opportunities, partners) in a wider area | search, seek, explore | limit, restrict, narrow |
| To be a bolt from the blue | To be a sudden and unexpected event | shock, surprise, revelation | expectation, routine, predictability |
| To have time on her hands | To have a lot of free time | be idle, be unoccupied, be at leisure | be busy, be occupied, be overwhelmed |
| To call the tune | To be the one who makes important decisions or controls a situation | take charge, control, dictate | obey, follow, submit |
| To carry a torch for | To secretly love or admire someone who doesn’t return your feelings | pine for, long for, yearn for | be indifferent, forget, move on |
| To roll up her sleeves | To prepare to work hard or tackle a difficult task | get to work, prepare, get stuck in | avoid, procrastinate, withdraw |
| To be at death’s door | To be very ill or near death | be dying, be critically ill, be fading | be healthy, recover, thrive |
| To give me the cold shoulder | To deliberately ignore or treat someone in an unfriendly way | ignore, snub, shun | welcome, greet, embrace |
| To get a grip | To take control of one’s emotions or a difficult situation | compose oneself, control oneself, calm down | lose control, panic, break down |
| Have one’s hands tied | To be unable to act freely because of rules or restrictions | be constrained, be restricted, be powerless | be free, be unrestricted, be independent |
| Lose one’s grip on | To lose control or understanding of something | lose control, falter, weaken | control, manage, maintain |
| Up one’s sleeve | To have a secret plan or idea in reserve | hidden, secret, concealed | revealed, exposed, disclosed |
| Clutch at straws | To try anything, however unlikely, in desperation | grasp desperately, make a last attempt, try hopelessly | give up, surrender, desist |
| Grasp the nettle | To deal bravely with a difficult or unpleasant situation | confront, tackle, face | avoid, evade, ignore |
| Get to grips with | To begin to understand or deal with something difficult | handle, manage, come to terms with | ignore, neglect, misunderstand |
| Play right into one’s hands | To do something that unintentionally benefits someone else | assist, favor, advantage | hinder, obstruct, foil |
| Up for grabs | Available for anyone who wants it | available, obtainable, free | taken, claimed, restricted |
| Find anything amiss | To notice that something is wrong or out of place | detect, discover, perceive | overlook, ignore, miss |
| Stand on a bleak, windswept moor | To be in a cold, open, and desolate area | barren, exposed, desolate | sheltered, lush, fertile |
| Lukewarm | Moderately warm; lacking enthusiasm or energy | tepid, indifferent, half-hearted | enthusiastic, passionate, eager |
Section 2: Advanced Lexis and Detailed Word Analysis
This table provides in-depth analysis of advanced vocabulary, including register, etymology, and typical collocations.
| Word | Meaning / Definition | Register | 3 Synonyms | 3 Antonyms | Example Sentence | Origin / Etymology | Word Formation | Collocations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bliss | Perfect happiness and peace | neutral / literary | joy, delight, paradise | misery, sorrow, despair | They spent a week of pure bliss by the sea. | Old English blīths “joy, cheerfulness” | blissful, blissfully | marital bliss, pure bliss, blissful silence |
| Euphoria | A feeling of intense excitement and happiness | academic / formal | exhilaration, elation, ecstasy | depression, gloom, sadness | Winning the competition filled her with euphoria. | Greek euphoros “healthy, vigorous” | euphoric, euphorically | sense of euphoria, euphoric rush |
| Momentary | Lasting for just a short time | neutral | brief, short-lived, temporary | permanent, lasting, enduring | There was a momentary pause before he replied. | Latin momentarius “of a moment” | momentarily | momentary lapse, momentary distraction |
| Contagious | Able to spread from person to person (literal/figurative) | neutral / informal | infectious, catching, transmittable | contained, limited, noninfectious | Her laughter was so contagious that everyone joined in. | Latin contagiosus “touching” | contagion, contagiousness | contagious disease, contagious enthusiasm |
| Fleeting | Passing quickly and soon forgotten | neutral / literary | transient, brief, short-lived | lasting, persistent, enduring | It was just a fleeting thought, nothing more. | Old Norse fliota “float” | fleetly | fleeting moment, fleeting glimpse |
| Rapture | Extreme pleasure or joy, often overwhelming | literary | ecstasy, delight, bliss | despair, sorrow, misery | Music lifted him into a state of rapture. | Latin raptura “seizure, abduction” | rapturous, rapturously | in rapture, rapturous applause |
| Elation | Great happiness and excitement | neutral / formal | joy, euphoria, pride | discouragement, dismay, sorrow | She couldn’t hide her elation at the good news. | Latin elatus “raised, uplifted” | elated, elatedly | feel elation, elation over |
| Infectious | Easily spreading to others (literal or emotions) | neutral | contagious, transmittable, catching | contained, harmless, noninfectious | His enthusiasm proved infectious. | Latin infectus “tainted” | infect, infection, infectiousness | infectious laughter, infectious disease |
| Transient | Lasting only a short time; not permanent | formal / academic | temporary, brief, fleeting | permanent, stable, lasting | The city’s transient population changes every year. | Latin transire “to go across” | transience | transient nature, transient stay |
| Ephemeral | Existing only briefly, quickly disappearing | academic / literary | short-lived, fleeting, passing | eternal, lasting, perpetual | Fashion trends are often ephemeral. | Greek ephemeros “lasting a day” | ephemerality | ephemeral beauty, ephemeral existence |
| Invasive | Spreading aggressively; disturbing natural balance | academic | intrusive, encroaching, aggressive | harmless, gentle, benign | Invasive species threaten the native plants. | Latin invadere “to go into, attack” | invasion, invade | invasive surgery, invasive species |
| Virulent | Highly dangerous, hostile, or infectious | formal / academic | poisonous, aggressive, toxic | mild, harmless, gentle | The virus spread with virulent speed. | Latin virulentus “poisoned” | virulence | virulent disease, virulent attack |
| Cliché | An overused phrase or idea lacking originality | informal / academic | platitude, stereotype, truism | innovation, novelty, originality | The storyline felt like a tired cliché. | French cliché “printing plate” | clichéd | a common cliché, avoid clichés |
| Canopy | A covering that shelters or hangs above | neutral | cover, shelter, awning | exposure, openness, clearing | The trees formed a thick canopy overhead. | Greek kônopion “bed curtain” | canopied | forest canopy, canopy of clouds |
| Ooze | To flow slowly and thickly; to give off subtly | neutral / informal | seep, leak, exude | stop, hold, block | The walls oozed moisture after the storm. | Old English wōs “juice” | oozing | ooze confidence, ooze charm |
| Ripple out | Spread gradually like waves | informal / neutral (phrasal verb) | radiate, spread, flow | stagnate, remain, stop | The news began to ripple out through the community. | Metaphor from water ripples | ripple (noun/verb) | ripple out across, ripple effect |
| Pollen | Fine powder from plants that fertilizes others | scientific / neutral | dust, spores, grains | N/A (scientific material) | Bees help transfer pollen from flower to flower. | Latin pollen “fine flour” | pollinate, pollination | pollen allergy, release pollen |
| Clingingly | In a way that sticks closely to something | neutral | tightly, closely, firmly | loosely, freely, weakly | The fabric clung clingingly to her skin. | Old English clingan “adhere” | clingy, clinginess | clingingly wet clothes |
| Tranquility | A state of calm and peace | formal / literary | serenity, calmness, stillness | chaos, turmoil, agitation | They sought tranquility in the countryside. | Latin tranquillitas “calm” | tranquil, tranquilize | peace and tranquility, tranquility of nature |
| Timelessness | Quality of not being affected by time | neutral / literary | permanence, endurance, immortality | impermanence, temporariness | The timelessness of classic art fascinates her. | time + -less + -ness | timeless, timelessly | sense of timelessness |
| Luminous | Producing or reflecting bright light | neutral / literary | glowing, radiant, shining | dim, dull, dark | Her eyes were luminous in the candlelight. | Latin lumin “light” | illuminate, luminosity | luminous glow, luminous stars |
| Robust | Strong, healthy, and sturdy | formal / neutral | strong, vigorous, solid | weak, fragile, delicate | The system needs a more robust security solution. | Latin robur “strength” | robustness | robust design, robust growth |
| Purr | Soft, vibrating sound a cat makes when happy | neutral / informal | hum, vibrate, thrumming | hiss, growl, screech | The cat purred contentedly in my lap. | Imitative origin | purring | purr like a cat, engine purrs |
| Yap | To bark repeatedly in a high voice | informal | yelp, bark, whine | silence, hush, quiet | The little dog yapped at every passerby. | Imitative origin | yapping | yap nonstop, yap at |
| Screech | To make a harsh, high-pitched cry | neutral | shriek, squeal, scream | whisper, murmur, hush | The brakes screeched loudly. | Imitative origin | screeching | screech to a halt, screech loudly |
| Pasture | Land covered with grass for animals to graze on | neutral / rural | meadow, grassland, field | desert, wasteland, barren land | The cows were grazing in the pasture. | Latin pastura “feeding” | pastoral | lush pasture, open pasture |
| Verdant | Green with healthy vegetation | literary | lush, leafy, flourishing | barren, arid, withered | The valley was verdant after the rains. | Old French verd “green” | verdancy | verdant fields, verdant landscape |
| Contrive | To cleverly plan or create something, often artificially | formal | devise, engineer, orchestrate | neglect, ignore, ruin | They contrived a plan to boost sales. | Old French controver “imagine, invent” | contrivance, contrived | contrive a solution, cleverly contrived |
| Derisively | Mockingly, showing contempt | formal | scornfully, sarcastically, jeeringly | respectfully, sincerely, kindly | “Sure,” she replied derisively, rolling her eyes. | Latin deridere “to mock” | derision, derisive | laugh derisively, speak derisively |
| Alleviate | To make something less severe or painful | formal / academic | ease, reduce, mitigate | worsen, aggravate, intensify | The medicine helped alleviate his symptoms. | Latin alleviare “to lighten” | alleviation, alleviating | alleviate pain, alleviate stress |