Adjectives: what goes with what: English expressions with meanings
Fixed combinations with adjectives, prepositions, adverbs and compound nouns
133 wordsA2 · 41B1 · 75B2 · 17
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Strong / Heavy / Deep · 19
| Word | Level | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| strong opinion | A2 | a belief you feel very sure is right |
| strong coffee | A2 | coffee that has a lot of taste and makes you feel awake |
| strong accent | A2 | a way of speaking that clearly shows where someone is from |
| strong evidence | B1 | facts that clearly show something is true |
| strong relationship | A2 | a close connection between people that is not easy to break |
| strong impression | B1 | a powerful effect on how you think and feel about something |
| strong desire | B1 | wanting something very badly and thinking about it a lot |
| heavy rain | A2 | rain that falls hard and in large amounts |
| heavy traffic | A2 | many cars on the road moving very slowly |
| heavy smoker | B1 | a person who smokes very many times every day |
| heavy workload | B1 | too much work to do in the time that you have |
| heavy snow | A2 | a lot of snow falling from the sky at one time |
| heavy fine | B1 | a large amount of money you must pay as punishment |
| deep sleep | B1 | sleeping very deeply and not waking easily |
| deep breath | A2 | breathing in a lot of air slowly to feel calm |
| deep thought | B1 | thinking very carefully about something for a long time |
| deep concern | B1 | a strong feeling of worry about something important |
| deep understanding | B1 | knowing a topic very well and seeing all its parts |
| deep roots | B1 | a strong connection to a place that has lasted a long time |
Big / Great / High · 15
| Word | Level | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| big deal | A2 | something that is very important and matters a lot |
| big mistake | A2 | a wrong action that causes a lot of problems |
| big challenge | A2 | a task that is hard and needs a lot of effort to do |
| big issue | B1 | a problem that affects many people and needs to be fixed |
| great opportunity | A2 | a very good chance to get something special |
| great achievement | A2 | something very difficult that someone did well |
| great pleasure | A2 | a strong feeling of being happy and enjoying something |
| great importance | B1 | the fact that something matters very much to people |
| great variety | B1 | many different types of the same thing |
| high priority | B1 | something that must be done before other less important things |
| high quality | A2 | being very good and made much better than most others |
| high standard | B1 | a very good level that is hard to reach |
| high demand | B1 | when very many people want to buy the same thing |
| high risk | B1 | a large chance that something bad could happen |
| high expectations | B1 | believing that something will be very good |
Adjective + Preposition · 30
| Word | Level | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| afraid of | A2 | feeling fear about something that could happen |
| good at | A2 | having skill and doing well at a certain thing |
| interested in | A2 | wanting to know more about something |
| responsible for | A2 | being the one who must take care of something |
| keen on | B1 | liking something a lot and wanting to do more of it |
| familiar with | B1 | knowing something because you have seen it before |
| aware of | B1 | knowing that something is happening |
| capable of | B1 | able to do something because you have the skill |
| proud of | A2 | feeling happy about something you did well |
| tired of | A2 | feeling fed up with something that keeps happening |
| worried about | A2 | feeling that something bad might happen soon |
| excited about | A2 | feeling very happy about something that will happen |
| fond of | B1 | liking someone in a warm and gentle way |
| jealous of | B1 | feeling bad because someone has what you want |
| grateful for | B1 | feeling thankful for something good that you received |
| ashamed of | B1 | feeling bad about something wrong that you did |
| dependent on | B1 | needing someone or something to help you or work |
| different from | A2 | not the same as something else |
| similar to | A2 | very much like something else |
| suitable for | B1 | right for a certain purpose |
| based on | A2 | made using something else as a starting point |
| full of | A2 | having a large amount of something inside |
| famous for | A2 | known by many people because of a certain thing |
| satisfied with | B1 | feeling happy because something met your hopes |
| disappointed with | B1 | feeling sad because something was not as good as hoped |
| associated with | B2 | connected to something else in thought |
| limited to | B1 | only within a certain group, place, amount and nothing more |
| dedicated to | B1 | giving all your time and effort to one thing |
| opposed to | B2 | against something and not wanting it to happen |
| exposed to | B2 | being in a place where something could affect you |
Adverb + Adjective · 20
| Word | Level | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| highly recommended | B1 | many people say it is very good and you should try it |
| deeply concerned | B1 | feeling very worried about a serious matter |
| perfectly fine | A2 | completely okay with nothing wrong at all |
| absolutely right | A2 | correct in every way with no doubt about it |
| bitterly cold | B1 | extremely cold in a way that hurts your skin |
| widely known | B1 | known about by very many people |
| fully aware | B1 | knowing all the facts about a situation clearly |
| badly needed | B1 | very important and must be gotten as soon as you can |
| closely related | B1 | having a strong connection between several things |
| seriously injured | B1 | hurt very badly and needing help right away |
| totally different | A2 | not alike in any way at all |
| heavily influenced | B2 | changed a lot by something or someone else |
| slightly different | A2 | almost the same but with a small change |
| extremely important | A2 | mattering so much that it must not be forgotten |
| remarkably similar | B2 | alike in a way that surprises people |
| utterly wrong | B2 | completely not right, with no truth in it at all |
| painfully obvious | B2 | so clear that it is hard to believe nobody saw it |
| wildly popular | B1 | liked by very many people in a big and exciting way |
| virtually impossible | B1 | almost not possible, with very little chance |
| increasingly common | B1 | happening more and more often as time goes on |
Compound Nouns · 30
| Word | Level | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| rush hour | B1 | busy time when people go to or from work |
| junk food | A2 | food that tastes good but is not healthy for your body |
| common sense | A2 | the ability to think and act in a smart and simple way |
| mother tongue | A2 | the first language you learned as a small child |
| traffic jam | A2 | cars stopped or moving very slowly on a busy road |
| comfort zone | B1 | a place or way of life where you feel safe and easy |
| learning curve | B1 | the time and effort needed to learn something new |
| side effect | B1 | an unwanted result that happens in addition to the main one |
| blind spot | B1 | a part of a topic that you do not see or know about |
| turning point | B1 | a moment when something changes in a big way |
| breaking point | B2 | the moment when you cannot take any more stress |
| ground rules | B1 | the basic rules that everyone must follow |
| chain reaction | B1 | when one thing causes the next and it keeps going |
| role model | B1 | a person you want to be like because they are good |
| track record | B2 | what a person or company has done well or badly before |
| worst-case scenario | B1 | the worst thing that could possibly happen |
| best practice | B1 | the best way to do a task that has been tested by many |
| gut feeling | B2 | a strong sense about something without knowing why |
| wake-up call | B1 | an event that makes you realize you must change something |
| comfort food | B1 | food you eat to feel warm and happy when you are sad |
| small talk | B1 | friendly talk about simple everyday things like the weather |
| cold shoulder | B2 | acting in an unfriendly way and not talking to someone |
| power nap | B1 | a very short sleep that helps you feel fresh again |
| open mind | A2 | being ready to listen to new ideas without judging |
| guilty pleasure | B1 | something you enjoy but feel a little bad about |
| brain drain | B2 | when smart people leave a country to work somewhere else |
| glass ceiling | B2 | an invisible wall that stops some people from moving up |
| silver lining | B2 | the good part of a situation that is mostly bad |
| deal breaker | B1 | one thing that makes you say no to the whole thing |
| game plan | B1 | a plan for how you will try to reach a goal |
Weak / Broad / Sharp / Narrow · 19
| Word | Level | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| weak point | A2 | a part of something that is not strong |
| weak signal | A2 | a signal that is not strong and hard to hear |
| weak argument | B1 | a reason that does not make people believe you |
| broad range | B1 | a wide set of many different things |
| broad knowledge | B1 | knowing a lot about many different topics and areas |
| sharp increase | B1 | a fast rise in an amount over a short time |
| sharp decline | B1 | a fast fall in an amount over a short time |
| sharp contrast | B2 | a very clear and strong difference between two things |
| narrow margin | B2 | a very small gap between two results |
| narrow escape | B2 | getting away from danger just in time with no room left |
| narrow view | B1 | only seeing one small part of a bigger picture |
| vast majority | B1 | almost all of the people or things in a group |
| vast experience | B1 | many years of doing something and knowing it very well |
| clear advantage | B1 | a benefit that is easy to see and gives you a better chance |
| clear evidence | B1 | facts that show something is true and leave no doubt |
| rough idea | B1 | a general picture in your mind that is not detailed yet |
| rough estimate | B1 | a number or amount that is close but not exact |
| fair share | B1 | the right amount that each person should get or do |
| fair chance | A2 | a real chance to try and do well |
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