DESCRIBING PEOPLES APPEARANCE

AGE
Toddler: a child who has just started to walk but may be
unsteady on his or her feet.
Senior citizen: an old age pensioner.
Middle-aged: being of the age intermediate between youth
and old age, roughly between 45 and 65.
Average height:
Average weight:
Heavyset: having a large body, stocky; stout
Physical challenged:
Sight impaired:
Hearing impaired:
In his early forties:
In his mid-thirties:
In his late twenties:
Grown-up

AGE IDIOMS
You cant teach an old dog new tricks:
Shes the wrong side of 40:
Hes over the hill:
Hes getting on a bit now:

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
(to) take after: to resemble (another person), as in appearance,
behavior, etc. My daughters take after my wife. to follow or
chase. The police took after him.
(to) look like: to resemble. She looks just like her father. To have
the appearance of; seem to the eye to be. He looks like hes
working. To seem to the mind to be. Things look like they cant get
much worse. To be probable that. It looks like well be late.
Haggard: tired or exhausted in appearance; worn; gaunt. The
haggard faces of refugees.
Freckle: a small brownish spot on the skin that may be darken on
exposure to sunlight.
Wrinkle: a small crease on the skin, as from aging; a slight ridge
in a fabric, as from folding.
Complexion: the natural colour, texture, and appearance of the
skin; appearance.
Pierce: to penetrate or go through (something), as a pointed
object does; to make a hole or opening in; to make a hole by or as
if by drilling.
Spot: a mark made by something unwanted, such as dirt; a small
blemish or other mark on the skin; a small part if a surface
differing from the rest in colour, appearance or character.
Mole: a small spot or blemish on the human skin, present from
birth, usually of a dark colour.
Birthmark: a minor spot on a persons skin at birth.
Scar: a mark left by a healded wound.

Sallow: (Adj.) of an unhealthy pale or yellowish colour.

Swarthy: dark-coloured, used about skin.
Athletic: physically fit or strong; muscular or active; looking
strong and as if you are good at sports.
A medium/heavy/slim build: how fat or thin you are.
Gorgeous: splendid in appearance; beautiful; very attractive.
Tanned: yellowish brown; having a darker skin than usual, after
spending time in the sun.
Well-built:
Gangling / gangly: (lanky) with long, thin arms and legs and
rather awkward movements, often used of men and boys.
Portly: with a fat stomach and chest, often used humorously
about older men.
Stout: with a quite fat, solid body, used of men and women.
Corpulent: fat (formal, literary word)
Wiry:
Ponytail: a hairstyle in which the hair is gathered at the back of
the head and fastened so as to hang freely there.
Fringe/bangs:
A bald patch: an area on the head where there is no hair.
Bald: no hair on the head.
To be going a bit thin on top:
A centre parting: the line on the middle of your head made by
dividing your hair with a comb.
A side parting:
Tied back:
Dreadlocks: a way of arranging your hair, popular with
Rastafarians, in which it hangs in thick pieces that look like rope.
Spiky: hair that is spiky is stiff and stands up on top of your head.
Shaved:
o

HAIR
Glossy: Shiny and in good condition.
Greasy: dirty and oily.
Lacklustre: lacking life and without shine.
Lank: thin, straight and unattractive
Permed: that has been made curly by means of a chemical
treatment.
Tangled: very untidy and, because it has not been combed,
full of knots.
Unkempt: very untidy, hasnt been combed and probably
needs to be cut.
Never a hair out of place: her hair is always neat and
tidy.

If someone has had their hair cut, their hair is now

shorter.
If someone is losing his hair, the hair on his head is
falling out and he is becoming bald.
If someone has dyed their hair, they have changed
the colour of it by using a special substance.

FAT
Chubby: fat but in a pleasant, healthy way (often used for
children; used to describe a whole body or parts of the
body).
Flabby: having loose fat where there should be muscle
(used to describe a whole body or parts of the body).
Plump: pleasantly fat (often used instead of the word fat)
Tubby: Short and a little fat (often with a large stomach)
(used to describe a whole body)
Double chin: fat around the chin.

If someone has gained weight (US & UK) or put on

weight (UK), they are fatter than they were before.
If someone has lost weight, they are now thinner.

THIN/WEAK
Bony: very thin, so that all you can see is flesh-covered
bone (used to describe parts of the body)
Frail: thin and very weak (used to describe a whole body
and often used to describe old people)
Lanky: very tall and thin, and usually moving awkwardly.
Puny: weak, thin and without muscles (used to describe a
whole body or parts of the body)
Scrawny: unattractively thin and weak-looking (used to
describe a whole body or parts of the body)
Skinny: very thin (used to describe a whole body or parts
of the body)

STRONG
Burly: strong and heavy (used to describe a whole body)
Stocky: Short, heavy and strong (used to describe a whole
body)
Strapping: big, tall and strong (used to describe a whole
body)

VERBS
(to) blink: to quickly open and close your eyes.
(to) blush: to go red when you are embarrassed.
(to) frown: to draw ones eyebrows together because one
is either annoyed or concentrating.
(to) grin: smile broadly because you are very pleased
though a grin can also be sinister.
(to) grit your teeth: to put your teeth tightly together,
specially because something is hurting you.
(to) lick: move your tongue across the surface of
something.
(to) scowl: to have an angry or hostile expression when
you disapprove of something.
(to) sneer: you sneer to show your contempt/lack of
respect.

(to) wince: to grimace when something is hurting you or

when you are remembering something embarrassing.
(to) wink: to close and open (one eye) quickly, often as a
hint or signal.
(to) yawn: you yawn when you are tired or bored.
IDIOMS AND EXPRESSIONS:

To keep/have an/your ear to the ground: to be

attentive of what is happening or is about to happen.
To lie through your teeth: to tell an outright lie.
To lose face: to lose the respect of other people.
To play it by ear: to decide what to do according to how a
situation develops.
To do something by the skin of your teeth: to only just
manage to do something.
To see eye to eye on something: to agree about
something.
To turn a blind eye on to something: to deliberately
ignore something.
To turn your nose up at something: to think something
is not good enough for you.
Not to be able to get ones tongue round: (for a word
or phrase) to find a word or phrase very difficult to
pronounce.
Something catches your eye: you notice something
because it is particularly attractive, unusual or interesting.
To be all ears: I cant wait to hear.
My lips are sealed: (informal) I will not tell anyone what
you have just told me.
Ill never be able to show my face in there/here
again: I feel too embarrassed to go to a particular place
because I have previously done something embarrassing
there.
Its on the tip of my tongue: I know it but (annoyingly) I
just cant recall it.

FACIAL EXPRESSION

Pouting: positioning their lips in a sexually attractive way.

Grimace: make an expression of pain or strong dislike.
Scowled: gave a bad-tempered, angry look.
Leering: looking in an unpleasant, sexually interested way.

MANNERISM

Shrugged ones shoulders: lift ones shoulders up and down to

show one dont know or cant answer.
Fold ones arms: cross one arm over the other close to ones body.
Cross ones legs: cross one leg over the other while sitting.

Bites ones nails:

Picks ones nose:
Clench ones fist: close ones hand as if to hit someone.
Tap ones fingers: make quick, light hitting movements, eg. On a
table.

WAYS OF DRESSING

Done up/Dressed up like a dogs dinner: wearing clothes which

made her look silly when she had dressed for a formal occasion
(informal)
Done up/Dressed up to the nines: wearing very stylish and
fashionable clothes, often for a particular occasion (informal)
Dressed to kill: intentionally wearing clothes to attract attention
and admiration.
Your glad rags: your best clothes (informal)
Mutton dressed as lamb: dressed in a way more suitable for a
younger woman (mutton is meat from a older sheep, whereas lamb is
meat from a young sheep) (informal, disapproving)
Down-at-heel: wearing old clothes that are in bad condition because
of not having enough money.
A middle-age spread: fat around the waist that sometimes
develops as you get older.
Butter wouldnt melt in somebody mouth: someone could never
do anything wrong.
Look the part: look suitable for a particular situation.
The spitting image of: look exactly like.
CLOTHES

Bare: describes a part of the body that is not covered by clothes.

Casual: describes comfortable clothes such as jeans that you
wear specially when you are not at work.
Cotton: a material made from a plant that is used for many
clothes, such as T-shirts.
Denim: a thick, often blue, material that is used to make jeans.
A hood: a part of a jacket or sweater, etc that goes over your
head.
Long-sleeved / short-sleeved: with sleeves that are long/short.
Material: what clothes are made out of, for example cotton, wool
or denim.
Silk: a light, smooth material made by an insect called a silkworm.
A top: a piece of clothing such as a shirt or sweater for the upper
part of the body.
Try on: to put on an article of clothing to judge how well it fits.
Have on: to wear.
To wear: to have something on the body as clothing covering or
ornament.
To dress: to put clothing on or upon.
Dress up: to put on ones best or fanciest clothing.

To put on: to clothe oneself in.

Clothe: (verb) to dress
Clothes: (Noun, Pl.) garments for the body, articles of dress.
Cloth: (Noun) fabric made by weaving or knitting.
Clothing: clothes considered as a group.
Take in: to change (a garment) so as to make smaller or tighter.
Take up: to make (clothes) shorter or tighter as by hemming.
Take off: to remove.
Do up: to wrap and tie up; to dress; to fasten; to pin up or arrange
(the hair);
Undo: to untie; unfasten.
To suit: to look good or attractive on.
To fit: to be of the right size or shape (for)
To go with something: if clothes go with each other, they look
attractive when you wear them both at the same time.
To match: to go harmoniously with or correspond because of
colour or design.
Costume: a set of garments selected for wear at a single time,
outfit.
Custom: a habitual practice; the usual way of acting.
Outfit: a set of articles or equipment for a particular task; a set of
clothes and other items worn together as an ensemble.
To roll up: to fold the edges of sleeves, cuffs.

ADJECTIVES
Baggy: very loose.
Faded: having lost its original colour or brightness.
Fancy: special and unusual, with a lot of decoration.
Fetching: attractive, can be used to describe a person.
(generally a woman) or an article of clothing.
Flared: wide at the bottom.
Flat: with very low or no heels.
Garish: very colourful, in a way that is not in good taste.
Grubby: dirty.
Loud: very colourful, in a way that some might find
unpleasant.
Moth-eaten: full of holes.
Patched: with pieces of material sewn on to cover holes.
Platform: platform shoes have thick high heels and an
elevated sole.
Shabby: looking old and in bad condition.
Sturdy: strong.
Synthetic: made from artificial substances/material.
Tailored: designed to fit close to the body.
Worn-out: old and ready to be thrown away.
IDIOMS
And, to cap it all: and finally; used to introduce the last
and often worst thing in a list.
At the drop of a hat: immediately and without thinking.

To be out of pocket: to have less money than you should

have. (NOTE: I dont want you to be out of pocket: an
expression used to check if somebody will have enough
money themselves if they lend you money)
Below the belt: unfair and cruel; for a
criticism/remark/comment.
To fit like a glove: to fit perfectly, used for clothes.
To get the boot: (informal) be dismissed from your job.
(NOTE: to give/be given the boot)
To get hot under the collar about something: to get
angry about something; generally used to describe
somebody else not yourself.
To get/have something under your belt: to have
already achieved or done something.
To have something up your sleeve: to have a secret
plan or idea.
If I were in your/his shoes: If I were you/him etc.
To pull your socks up: to work harder and start trying to
improve your work/behavior/performance.
Somebody wears the trousers: (in that house) informal
to be the dominant partner of the two people involved;
generally used about women.

CLOTHES AND FASHION: WORDS & EXPRESSIONS

Scruff: dirty and untidy person.
Pastel: in pale colours.
Power outfits: formal clothes to make you seem powerful.
Frumpy: old-fashioned and boring.
Outfit: set of clothes for a particular occasion.
Codes: accepted way of dressing in a particular social
group.
Dress down: wear less formal clothes.
Smart-casual: clothes that are informal but clean, tidy and
stylish.
Dressy: suitable for formal occasions.
Skimpy: close-fitting using little material.
Snazzy: modern, stylish.
To be dressed to kill: to wear clothes intended to attract
peoples attention.
Designer (label) clothes: expensive clothes.
Off the peg/rack: cheap clothes.
On the high street: cheap clothes.
All the rage: very fashionable.
The height fashion: an extremely fashionable way.
Up-to-the-minute: dealing with the most recent trends.
Has set a new trend: started a new fashion.
Ahead of your time: have new ideas or opinions before
they are fashionable.
Catches on: becomes popular.

Slave of/to fashion: someone who is strongly influenced

by fashion.
Speak off the cuff: without having prepared anything.
To be hand in glove with someone: to have a close
working relationship with someone.
Cloak-and-dagger: involving secrecy and mystery.
To have/take the shirt off someones back: someones
last possession.
On a shoestring: spending as little as possible
Without frills: simple and plain.
To put someone in a straitjacket: restrict someones
freedom.
To wear the trousers: (usually used of a woman) to be the
dominant partner in a marriage.
DESCRIBING PEOPLES PERSONALITY

Bad-tempered: often getting angry with people.

Bossy: often telling other people what to do in a way that
annoys them.
Confident: sure that you are good at doing things.
Emotional: reacting to things with strong feelings.
Enthusiastic: showing that you like things and want to be
involved in them.
Generous: happy to pay for things or give people things.
Mean: not happy to pay for things or give people things.
Nosy: too interested in things that involve other people and
should not involve you.
Your personality: what you are like and the way you behave.
Practical: good at making and fixing things.
Reliable: always doing what you promise to do so that people
trust you.
Sensible: someone who makes good decisions and does not
behave in a silly way.
Sensitive: someone who has strong emotions and is easy to
upset; someone who is careful not to upset others.
Thoughtful: often considering other people and their feelings.
To get on (well) with:
Sense of humour:
A pain in the neck:
Miserable:
Moody:
Arrogant:
Amusing:
Selfish:
Stubborn: somebody who is determined not to change their
mind even when they know they are wrong.
Silly: not sensible or showing bad judgment; stupid in a
childish or embarrassing way.
TYPES OF PEOPLE

NOUNS
A gossip: someone who likes talking about other peoples private
lives (used to show disapproval).
An extrovert: someone who is active and confident, and who
enjoys spending time with other people.
A couch potatoe:
A coward: someone who is not at all brave.
A big-head: someone who thinks they are very important, clever,
etc.
A laugh: someone who is amusing and fun to be with.
A snob: someone who thinks they are better than people from a
lower social class; someone who thinks they are better than other
people because they know more about something (used to show
disapproval).
A liar: someone who deliberately says things which are not true.
An all-rounder: somebody who is good at everything.
A bystander: somebody standing near something (generally an
accident or a crime) when it happens.
A daredevil: somebody who gets a thrill out of taking
unnecessary risks.
A gatecrasher: somebody who goes to a party that he/she has
not been invited to.
A has-been: somebody who is no longer famous or important.
A minor: somebody who is under the age of full legal
responsibility (usually 18 or 21 years of age).
A name-dropper: somebody who likes mentioning the names of
famous people they know (or pretend they know) to impress other
people.
An opportunist: somebody who takes advantage of any
situation, in any way, to get on.
A smart alec: somebody who always know the right answer/says
clever things to such an extent that other people find it annoying.
A snob: a middle or upper class person who thinks they are better
that people from a lower class.
A spoilsport: somebody who ruins the fun and enjoyment of
others.
A squatter: somebody who lives in an empty building without
permission and without paying rent.
A tomboy: a young girl who enjoys doing the same things and
playing the same games as boys.
A troublemaker: somebody who causes trouble.
A wimp: a weak and pathetic person.
A yuppy: a young professional person who earns a lot of money.
ADJECTIVES
Blunt: somebody who says exactly what he/she thinks even if it
offends or upsets people.
Conceited: far too proud of ones abilities, achievements.

 Crafty: good at getting what one wants by means of clever

planning or deceiving other people.
Easy-going: somebody who is not easily annoyed, worried or
upset.
Gullible: somebody who will believe anything you tell them.
Highly-strung: somebody who is very nervous, and easily gets
upset or angry.
Impulsive: somebody who has a tendency to do things suddenly
and without thinking about them carefully.
Modest: somebody who does not like talking about their
abilities/achievements.
Outgoing: somebody who likes to meet and talk to new people.
Petty: somebody who gives far too much importance to
insignificant things and is often unnecessarily mean and unkind.
Reserved: somebody who does not show the feelings or share
their opinions with others.
Ruthless: cruel, showing no mercy to others when trying to
achieve his/her objectives.
Spiteful: deliberately cruel.
Sensible: Used to describe people who make good decisions and
do not behave in a silly way.
It was very sensible of you to call the police
Sensitive:
1- Used to describe people who have strong emotions and are
easy to upset.
Be careful what you say to her Shes very sensitive
about her work.
2- Used to describe people who are careful not to upset others.
She had to ask us some difficult questions, but she was
very sensitive.
Stubborn: somebody who is determined not to change their mind
even when they know they are wrong.
Sympathetic: somebody who will try to understand somebody
elses problems and give them help.
Tactful: careful not to offend or upset somebody else.
Vain: having extreme pride in ones own beauty, intelligence, etc.
Vindictive: somebody who never forgets that they have been
harmed in some way and is only satisfied when they have taken
revenge on the person who harmed them.
Impetuous: acts on a sudden idea without thinking first;
generally negative.
Effusive: gives exaggerated expression of pleasure, praise or
gratitude.
Excitable: easily excited by things.
Pushy: always selfishly promoting ones own position or interests
(informal)
Garrulous: talks too much, especially about unimportant things.
Taciturn: reserved or says very little (generally negative)
Introvert: inward-looking and quiet.
Extrovert: outward-looking and sociable.
Diffident: lacks confidence; has a low opinion of himself.

Aloof: unfriendly and not sociable.

Haughty: unfriendly and thinks herself better than others.
Disdainful: does not believe others deserve respect.
Unapproachable: not easy to be sociable with or start a
conversation with.
Self-important: has an exaggerated sense of her importance.
Flirt: makes constant romantic approaches.
Obstinate: unwilling to change, despite persuasion.
Pig-headed: similar to obstinate but stronger, more disapproving.
Unscrupulous: lacking in moral principles, prepared to do very
bad things.

IDIOMS
A mine of information: someone who knows about all sorts of
different things.
A man of many parts: somebody who is good at and can do all
sort of different things.
A whizz kid: a young person who is clever and really successful.
Get-up and go: someone who is full of energy and enthusiasm.
Has plenty of strings to her bow: somebody who is highly
qualified to do something.
To be a glutton for punishment: someone who likes working
hard or doing things other people would find unpleasant
(humorous)
To be highly strung: very nervous and easily upset.
To act/play the fool: behave in a silly way, often to make people
laugh.
To look out for number one: puts himself first, as he thinks he
is the most important person (informal)
To eat somebody for breakfast: speak angrily or critically to
easily control or defeat someone.
A love-rat: a man having a secret sexual relationship with
someone not his wife or girlfriend (informal, mainly used in
popular journalism)
To be a wet blanket: someone who says or does something that
stops others from enjoying themselves.
To be a loose cannon: someone who cannot be trusted because
they act in an unpredictable way.
If someone has a strong personality they are confident
about who they are and people notice them.
If someone speaks their mind, they say what they
think, even if this upsets people.
If someone lacks confidence, they do not think that
they are good at things.
Someone who is good company is interesting and
enjoyable to be with.
If you lose your temper, you suddenly show that you
are angry with someone, especially by shouting.

To talk about what we think of someones personality, we

often say I find him/her
To talk about what someone is often like, especially when
we want to say something negative, we say he/she
tends to

EMOTIONS
Anxious: worried about something bad that might happen.
Delighted: extremely pleased.
Depressed: feeling sad and without hope.
Embarrassed: feeling ashamed about something silly you have
done and worried about what people think of you.
Fed up: bored and unhappy with something that you have been
doing for a long time.
Frightened: afraid that someone or something might hurt you.
Jealous: sad and angry because someone you love seems to love
someone else or because someone has something that you want.
Lonely: sad because you are alone.
Stressed: worried and not relaxed, often because you have a lot
of problems or too much work.

If someone is in tears, they are crying and if they burst

into tears, they suddenly start to cry.
If you have mixed feelings or mixed emotions, you have
feelings towards someone or something that seem to be
opposite (worried but excited, love and hate) so you do not
know how you really feel.
If you have butterflies or get butterflies, you have or
get a strange, uncomfortable feeling in your stomach
because you are nervous about something.
If you are over the moon, you are extremely pleased about
something that has happened.
If you calm down, you stop feeling so worried, angry or
upset.
If you pour your heart out, you talk a lot to someone
about a situation that is causing you to feel strong
emotions, especially sadness.
If you let off steam, you tell people how angry you are
feeling, usually in a way that makes you feel better.

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IDIOMS
Hit exactly the right note: is suitable and has the right
effect.
Go down a treat: enjoy something very much.
Go with a swing: to be successful and exciting.
Enter into the spirit of: show that they are happy to be
there.
Hit the jackpot: to be very successful.
Hit the spot: taste good and make everyone satisfy.
Get stars in ones eyes: to be very excited about the future
and think we are going to be famous.
Blew my mind: made me feel extremely excited or surprised
(informal)
A dream come true: it happened, although it was not likely
that it would.
To be on a high ever: to be feeling very happy and excited
(informal)
To be as happy as Larry: to be very happy indeed (informal)
To be full of the joys of spring: to be very happy indeed.
Music to my ears: makes me feel happy.
To be a happy-go-lucky person: someone who is always
happy and never worries.

NEGATIVE FEELINGS

Make my blood boil: make me very angry.

People who are rude to waiters make my blood boil!
Make me see red: get angry.
People who talk loudly on their mobiles on the train make me see
red!
Make me all hot and bothered: angry and worried (informal)
People who drive too closely behind me make me all hot and
bothered!
Get my goat: irritates me (informal).
Phone calls from people trying to sell me things I dont want really
get my goat!
Burst a blood vessel: got very angry (informal)
Mum almost burst a blood vessel when she saw my brother
fighting on the street.
Rattles (someone) cage: makes them very angry (this idiom is
often used to describe someone who has been made angry on
purpose.
Chewing gum in class really rattles my teachers cage!
Knock someone for a six: shocked or upset very much (informal)
Losing his job has knocked John for six.
Wild horses couldnt make me: I would never.
Wild horses couldnt make me have a filling at the dentists
without an injection.
Have a sinking feeling: felt that something bad was about to
happen.
I had forgotten to do my homework, so I had a sinking feeling
when my teacher asked for it.
Down in the dumps: miserable (informal)
Katy has been down in the dumps since she failed her exam.
Not be your bag: is not something I am interested in or like
(informal)
Playing cards is not my bag. Its really boring!
Wouldnt give something house room: dont like or approve of.
The new government wouldnt give house room to those outdated
policies.
Kick yourself: am very cross with myself because I did something
stupid.
I could kick myself for forgetting my sisters birthday.
Reduce to tears: made me cry.
Her brothers unkind words reduced her to tears.
Be a bundle of nerves: was extremely nervous (informal)
Fiona was a bundle of nerves before her wedding.
Run out of patience: am beginning to feel annoyed.
Im running out of patience with these naughty children.

EDUCATION

A state school (BrE) / Public School (AmE): A school that gets its
money from the government.

A private school / Public school (BrE): A school where students

pay to study.
An assignment: a piece of work that you have to do as a part of
your studies.
A campus: an area of land where there are many buildings belonging
to a university.
To graduate: to finish studying at a college or university and get a
degree.
Graduation: a ceremony at which a person gets a degree after
finishing studying at a college or university.
A grant: an amount of money that the government or another
organization gives you for a particular purpose, for example to pay a
course.
A major (US): the main subject that you study at a university or a
student who studies that subject.
To major in something: to study something as your main subject at
a university.
A PhD: the highest university degree.
A seminar: a lesson at a college or university with a small group of
students.
To specialize (in something): to study one particular area of a
subject more than other areas.
A thesis: a long piece of writing that you do as part of an advanced
university degree.
To train: to learn the skills and knowledge needed for a particular
job.
A tutor: someone who gives lessons in a particular subject to one
student or a very small group.
Vocational: relating to practical skills that prepare for work.
Academic: Relating to education; relating to subjects that involve
study rather than practical skills.
Drops out of school or University: to stop doing a course before it
is complete.
Switch courses or switch to a different course: to change the
course you are on.
A borderline candidate: a person who has equal chances of passing
or failing an exam.
Our policy is not to allow borderline candidates to take the
Higher exams.
A certificate: an official document somebody receives on completing
course of study or training.
To cheat in an exam: To use dishonest methods (e.g copying from
the student next to you) in order to pass an exam.
To come top of your class: To be the best in your class.
I came top of my class in history.
A course: a series of classes / lessons in a particular subject (you can
do a course at a training institute, at a language institute, etc.)
Im doing a course in radio journalism at the local technical
college.

A degree: the qualification you receive when you have finished

studying a course at university.
Ive got a degree in Biochemistry.
To do a degree: to study for a degree.
Im doing a degree in zoology.
Diploma: qualification awarded to student by college, or by high
school in USA.
The two-year course leads to the City & Guilds Diploma in
Printing.
To drop out of University: to leave university before finishing your
degree a dropout (Noun)
She dropped out of Oxford, having spent less than two terms
there.
Edutainment: Sth. Designed to be both educational and
entertaining.
Some people would say that computer games are
edutainment.
To excel at: to be very good at.
He excelled at maths and physics, later winning the Nobel
prize.
To be expelled from school: to be dismissed from school
permanently because you have done something very bad.
She was expelled from school for insolence to her teacher.
A gifted student: a student with natural ability to do something
well.
The headmaster was dismayed that such a gifted and
hardworking student should choose to leave school at the age
of sixteen.
A grade: mark received by students in examination or for written
work, usually in form of a letter.
I got a grade B in my composition.
A graduate: a person who has received a degree from a university.
Mike is a graduate of Kent University.
To graduate from university: to leave university, having finished
your degree course and having got your qualifications.
Rebecca graduated from York in 1995.
To learn sth. By heart: to learn something so well that you do not
need to read it.
Margaret had learned the poem by heart so that she could
recite it in class.
To lecture in: to teach a particular subject at university.
Steven lectures in Roman Law at Exeter University.
A lenient teacher: a teacher who is not strict and does not punish
students who deserve to be punished.
If you are too lenient with your students, you can be sure
that they will take advantage of you.
A mark: point given for correct answer or for doing well an
examination.
Percy got top marks in his maths test.
A mock exam: a practice exam usually taken a short time before a
real and important exam.

I passed my mock proficiency exam, so Im confident that I

will do well in the real thing.
To pass an exam with flying colours: to do very well in an exam
and get very good marks.
Laura is a very bright student and Im sure she will pass all
her exams with flying colours.
To play truant: to miss school without permission.
He was playing truant again and this time he had been
caught.
To be popular: if you are popular, everybody likes you.
He was a popular teacher and his students really enjoyed his
lessons.
A post-graduate: Somebody who is studying for an advanced
degree (a masters degree or a doctorate) at university.
Post-graduates must apply for research funding before the
end of the academic year.
To research / to do research into: to do advanced studies in a
particular subject (often done by people who have a university
doctorate) Research is an uncountable noun
Having gained a PhD in nuclear physics, he went on to do
research into atomic particles.
To revise: to study for an exam Revision (Noun)
Paul is revising for his geography test.
To sail through an exam: to pass an exam very easily and with a
good mark.
I sailed through my end of year exams.
To sit (for) an exam: to take an exam.
Im going to sit for my proficiency exam next week.
An undergraduate: Somebody who is studying for their first degree
at university.
Penny loved every moment of being a university
undergraduate.
To win a scholarship: to be given money to help pay for the
education you receive (you often win a scholarship by doing well in an
entrance exam).
He won a scholarship to Cambridge.

NATURE

Orchard: a place where fruit are grown.

COLLOCATIONS
Thick or dense forest
Fertile or arid land
Winding or mountain path
Steep or gentle hill
Sandy or rocky shore
High or low tide
ANIMALS

Wild: Living in a natural state, not changed or controlled by people

[OPP: Tame: not afraid of humans.]
Domesticated: Lives with or is used by humans.
Playful: Very active, happy, and wanting to have fun.
Cautious: Careful to avoid danger or risks.
Friendly: Behaving towards someone in a way that shows you like
them and are ready to talk to them or help them. [OPP: Unfriendly]
Aggressive:
Savage: Extremely violent or wild.
Fierce: Behaves aggressively.
Docile: Behaves very gently.
Lovable: Friendly and attractive.
Hideous: Extremely unpleasant or ugly.
Stroke: To move your hand gently over something.
Purr: If a cat purrs, it makes a soft low sound in its throat to show
that it is pleased.
Kennel: a small building for a dog to sleep in.
Drawback: a disadvantage of a situation, plan Drawback of/to
(doing something)
Whip: a long thin piece of rope or leather with a handle that you hit
animals with to make them move.
Saddle: Leather seat that you sit on when you ride a horse.
The black sheep of the family: Somebody considered being a
failure/an embarrassment by relatives.
Ive always been the black sheep of the family. My father,
mother and sister are all lawyers. Me? Im a rock singer.
To be as blind as a bat: to have poor eyesight.
Shes as blind as a bat without her glasses.
You cantill the cows come home, but it wont: you can do
something for a very long time, but it wont change anything.
You can ask till the cows come home, but I wont tell you
A dark horse: somebody who people know very little about.
Sean is a dark horse, a bit of a mistery.
To be dogged by something: sth bad keeps causing you trouble
and it will not go away.
Ive been dogged by ill health ever since I left university.
For donkeys years: for a very long time.
Ive known Tom for donkeys years.
To duck: to avoid something which is going to hit you by lowering
your head.
If he hadnt ducked, the ball would have hit him square in
the face.
It is like water off a ducks back for somebody: Something does
not affect you because you are accustomed to it.
His criticisms are like water off a ducks back.
Fishy: suspicious
His proposal sounds a bit fishy, so I dont think we should
trust him.
To hound somebody: to persistently follow somebody (used in
connection with the press)
The paparazzi hounded her wherever she went.

The lions share: the biggest part.

Julie inherited the lions share of Uncle Festers fortune.
To rabbit on (about something): to talk for a long time in a boring
way.
She rabbited on for ages.
Ratty: bad-tempered / easily made angry.
Sorry I was so ratty this morning. I didnt get much sleep
last night.
To have a whale of a time: to really enjoy yourself.
The kids had a whale of a time.
A wild goose chase: a search for something that one is unlikely to
find.
Looking for him would be a wild goose chase.
To worm your way out of something: to avoid doing something
you do not want to do.
He wormed his way out of the work again!

USEFUL EXPRESSIONS
Easy/difficult to keep Easy/difficult to clean Expensive/cheap to keep
Expensive/cheap to feed Take my dog for a walk

Mammal: animal that gives birth to live babies, not eggs, and feeds
them on its own milk.
Carnivore: animal that eats meat.
Herbivore: animal that eats grass / vegetation.
Predator: animal that hunts/eats other animals.
Mammal
Rodent
Reptile
Natural habitat: Preferred natural place for living and breeding.
Game reserves / game parks: Areas of land where animals are
protected from hunting.
Bird sanctuary: Protected area where birds can live and breed.
Animal shelter: Place where cats, dogs, horses, etc. which have no
home are given food and place to live.
Blood sports: Sports whose purpose is to kill or injure animals.
The fur trade: The hunting and selling of animal furs for coats,
jackets, etc.
Poachers: People who hunt animals illegally.
The ivory trade: The buying and selling of ivory from elephants
tusks.
Animal right activists: People who actively campaign for the
protection and rights of animals.
To be the cats whiskers: to be better than everyone else.
To have not a cat in hells chance: no chance at all.
Its a dogs life: Life is hard and unpleasant.
Dog in the manger: Youre keeping it only so that I cant have it, not
because you really want it yourself.
Flog a dead horse: waste time trying to do something that wont
succeed (usually used in continuous tenses)

Youre flogging a dead horse trying to persuade Kim to move

house again.
(Straight) from the horses mouth: from the person concerned.
Guess what? Juan is going to work in Moscow! I got it
straight from the horses mouth!
Until the cows come home: for a very long time (but it wont
happen).
You can argue until the cows come home but Ill never
agree.
Sort (out) the sheep from the goats: Find the people or things of
high quality from a group of mixed quality.
Setting the class such a difficult exercise will certainly sort
the sheep from the goats.
Might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb: might as well do
something more serious as you are going to be punished anyway.
Youre already late, so just take all day off. You might as well
be hung for a sheep as a lamb!
Shedding crocodile tears: Pretending to be upset.
Sick as a parrot: Really upset.
A Leopard cant change its spots: Someone wont definitely
change.
Cried wolf: Complain too often.
A wolf in sheeps clothing: Someone looks kind and gentle but
he/she is not like that at all.
The elephant in the room:
PLANTS

Seed(s): is often used to talk about the start of an idea or feeling.

[the seeds of success, the seeds of discontent, the seeds of
revolution.]
Root(s): is used to suggest the origins of something. [going back to
your roots, the root of a problem, the roots of tradition,
putting down roots, put down some roots, take root.]
Collocations: Firmly / deeply rooted
Stem: is used as a verb to signify that something originates in
something else.
Her discontent stems from a traumatic experience she had
last year.
A branch: is something that grows off or branches out from a main
organization. [Branches of a shop, a business branching out into new
directions.]
Bud: flower before it opens. [Nipped in the bud: sopped before it
develops into something.]
Weed out: get rid of
Prune back: cut/limit
To be reaping the reward of: to be getting results from.
To have dug up: to have discovered.
To be germinating: begin to develop.
Have been sprouting: have been appearing quickly in large
numbers.

Is flourishing: is doing very well.

Sheds: loses [shed employees/traditions/worries/inhibitions/weight.
Plants fade when they die.
Fading: becoming smaller
WEATHER
The climate: it refers to the general weather conditions in a place.
[Mediterranean climate, climate change, tropical climate.
Dry season / rainy season [tropical climate]
Whats the weather like?
To have thunder and lightning: Storm
There were wintry showers: snowed on and off
It was misty: it was a bit foggy
It was overcast: It was dull and cloudy.
There was a drizzle: had some light rain.
There was a breeze: it was very windy.
Had a heatwave: it was sunny and very hot. [OPP: Cold
snap]
It was wet: had a lot of rain.
Weather collocations:
Light, steady, heavy, torrential rain
Light, stiff breeze
Dense, thick, patchy fog
Severe, tropical storm
Clear, blue, grey, cloudless, cloudy sky
Strong, light, gentle wind
A gust of wind
A ray of sunshine
A sheet of ice
A blanket of snow
A spell of bad weather
Its clouding over: when a clear sky becomes cloudy. [OPP: Its
clearing up: it improves]
Boiling: very hot
A breeze: a gentle wind
To brighten up: to become sunnier.
Chilly: rather cold
The climate: the type of weather that a country or area usually has.
To cloud over: to become darker because there are more clouds in
the sky.
Drizzle: very light rain.
Freezing: very cold
Mist: small drops of water in the air that make the air look grey [ADJ.:
Misty]
A monsoon: a season of very heavy rain.
Pleasant: not raining, and not too hot or cold.
To pour down: to rain a lot.
A shower: a short period of rain.
Harsh winter: extremely cold [OPP: Mild winter: not very cold]
Weather forecast: a statement by experts about what the weather
will probably be like.

HOT
To be baking/boiling (hot): to be very hot.
It was baking hot all week Its boiling hot outside
To be balmy: to be pleasantly warm, with gentle winds.
A cool balmy evening
A drought: a long period of time with very little or no rain.
If the drought continues, water will soon have to be
rationed.
A heatwave: a period of unusually hot weather.
The heatwave is expected to continue for another two
weeks.
To be humid / to be muggy: hot, wet and uncomfortable.
Buenos Aires is very hot and humid in the summer.
A scorcher: a very hot day.
The weather couldnt have been better. Sunday was a real
scorcher
To be sweltering / stifling: to be uncomfortably hot.
Its sweltering outside Its stifling in here, Ill open a
window.
COLD
A blizzard: a very bad snow storm.
It was foolish of the climbers to go out during a blizzard.
Chilly: a little bit cold.
Wrap up warm. Its quite chilly outside. Its a chilly day
Frost: a thin layer of ice which forms on the ground (often overnight)
when temperatures fall below freezing. [ADJ. Frosty]
There was frost on the ground. Winter was well and truly on
its way.
Nippy: a little bit cold
It was nice and warm during the day, but at night it was
quite nippy
Sleet: a mixture of rain and snow.
The rain turned to sleet. If it got any colder, it would snow.
Slush: wet snow
Passing cars had turned the snow to slush.
A snowdrift: a deep mass of snow pushed together by strong winds
(generally against something like a house) to form something that
looks like the side of a hill.
They had to dig the car out of the snowdrift.
WET
To bucket / to pour down: to rain very hard.
She looked out of the window. It was pouring / bucketing
down.
A cloudburst: short period of very heavy rain as if a cloud had
burst
A sudden cloudburst left us all drenched.
A downpour: a short period of heavy rain.
Youre soaked! Yes, I got caught in that downpour.
Drizzle: a very fine rain.
It was drizzling outside and the sky was grey and overcast.

Hail: frozen rain which falls as hardballs (hailstones) of ice.

[Hailstorm]
Hailstones the size of tennis balls began to fall from the sky
To be spitting: to rain very lightly.
Of course we can play. Its not as if its pouring down. Its
only spitting.
WINDY
A breeze: a soft and gentle wind.
The trees were swaying in the summer breeze.
A gale: very strong wind.
Its blowing a gale outside
COLLOCATIONS:
Blustery weather: rough, wet, windy weather.
It was a blustery autumn day
A clap of thunder: the noise made by a thunder.
There was a sudden clap of thunder, followed by a
flash of lightning
A flurry of snow: a light snow shower which lasts for a short
time.
It was a very mild winter, I think we had one flurry of
snow and that was it.
A gentle breeze: a soft breeze.
It was a perfect day for a picnic, sunny, with a gentle
breeze
A gust of wind: a sudden strong rush of wind.
A sudden gust of wind blew my hat off
A howling gale: very strong winds.
You cant go sailing in this weather. Its blowing a
howling gale out there.
Not a drop of rain: no rain at all.
Not a single drop of rain fell.
A patch of fog: an area of fog.
With the exception of one or two patches of fog on
higher ground, it will be a clear and mainly dry day."
A spell of bad/good weather: a period of time when there is
bad/good weather conditions.
It was a typical English summer. We had one spell of
good weather in July I think it lasted for a week and
that was it.
Thick fog: fog that is impossible to see through.
The fog was so thick that I could see no further than
one meter in front of me
A thin veil of mist: a thin layer of mist in the morning (mist is
like fog, but not as thick)
The fields were shrouded in a thin veil of mist
Torrential / driving rain: very heavy rain.
It was a typical English holiday one day of sunshine
and six days of torrential / driving rain.
(Its) bitter: its very cold.

Take a warm coat with you. Its bitter outside

To brighten up: to become better (for weather)
Lets hope it brightens up later
Be chuckling it down: (informal) to be raining very hard.
Cant we wait a bit before we go out? Its chuckling it down.
To clear up (of bad weather): To go away and be replaced by good
weather.
The rain should clear up after lunchtime, and we can expect
a bright and sunny afternoon"
To die down: (of storm) to become less intense, not necessarily
going away completely.
We will have to wait for the storm to die down before we
attempt to rescue them.
To be fog-bound: to be covered in thick fog.
We couldnt land in Warsaw because the airport was fogbound.
To be in the grips of: to be experiencing something that cannot be
controlled (an economic crisis, bad weather)
Switzerland is in the grips of its worst winter on record
To let up: to stop (for bad weather)
If this rain does not let up, we are going to have to call off
the match
To be pouring down: To be raining very hard.
It was such a nice morning, but look at it now. Its pouring
down!
To set in for the day: to start and seem likely to continue (of rain)
The rain has set in for the day
To turn cold: to become cold.
Why didnt you bring a coat? I told you it would turn cold
If the weather holds: if the good weather continues.
Its been a lovely week so far. If the weather holds, well go
to the coast for the weekend
It has turned out nice: Contrary to your expectations, the weather
is good.
Although it was dull early in the morning, it turned out really
nice for our picnic
IDIOMS
It was a breeze: It was easy.
Was it a difficult exam? No, it was a breeze
To flood in: to enter / arrive in large numbers.
They opened the doors to the stadium and the crowds
flooded in.
I dont have the foggiest idea: I really dont know (used as a
simple response or followed by a question word)
Do you know why he said those things? No, I havent got the
foggiest idea.
I havent got the foggiest idea how this thing works.
To shower somebody with something: To give somebody a lot of
something.
He showered her with gifts
The critics showered his films with praise

To be skating on thin ice: to be doing something which might

result in something bad happening to you.
Alan had been late three times that week and now he was
late again. He had been skating on thin ice as he had been
warned that if he continued to show up late he would lose his
job
To storm out of a room: to leave a room angrily, probably
slamming the door behind you.
Seeing that she couldnt get her own way, she turned round
and stormed out of the room.
A stormy meeting: a meeting (generally between a group of
people) in which people shout at and argue with each other.
I think we are in for a very stormy meeting tonight.
To have/sell, etc everything under the sun: to have/sell, etc a
huge variety of products.
Im sure Cottonworths will have it. They sell everything
under the sun.
To feel under the weather: Not to feel 100% well.
Ive been feeling a bit under the weather recently. Its
probably through lack of sleep.
To get wind of something: To find out about something.
If the tax office gets wind of what hes doing, he could get
into serious trouble.