Unit 7

Word

Definition

Example

dig your heels in

to refuse to do something in spite of other people's efforts to persuade you

She dug her heels in and refused to make any further changes

have second thoughts

to start having doubts about a decision you have made

You're not having second thoughts, are you?

in a quandary

in a difficult situation

Kate was in a quandary over whether to go or not

sit on the fence

to avoid saying which side of an argument you support

It's time to stop sitting on the fence and say which side you support

sleep on it

to not make a decision about something important until the next day

We decided to sleep on it

take the path of least resistance

if you follow the path of least resistance, you avoid making difficult decisions and choose the easiest solution to a problem – often used to show disapproval

Kirk always just takes the path of least resistance

um and ah

to think for some time before making a decision

He ummed and ahed a bit, but eventually agreed to help us

anti-clockwise

moving in the opposite direction to the hands of a clock

Turn the lid anti-clockwise

confronted with

to have to deal with a difficult situation

At work, he was confronted with many difficulties

concur with

to agree with someone or have the same opinion as them

The committee largely concurred with these views

embark upon

to begin something

Both countries have embarked upon serious reform

go ahead with

to start to do something, especially after planning it or asking permission to do it

They've decided to go ahead with plans to build 50 new houses on the site

have clout/ influence

to have power or the authority to influence other people's decisions

He has a lot of influence in political circles

isolated

an isolated building, village etc is far away from any others

Not many people visit this isolated spot

secluded

very private and quiet

We sunbathed on a small secluded beach

subscribe to

if you subscribe to an idea, you agree with it or support it

I have never subscribed to the view that schooldays are the happiest days of your life

take-away (Br E)/take-out (Am E)

a meal that you buy at a shop or restaurant to eat at home

Let's have a take-away tonight

vexing

something that is vexing, makes you feel annoyed, worried or frustrated

It's a vexing problem

worrying

something that is worrying, makes you feel anxious or worried

The situation is extremely worrying

cast an eye over

to examine or read something quickly in order to judge whether it is correct, good etc

Mellor cast an eye over the draft for inaccuracies

dip into

to read short parts of a book, magazine etc, but not the whole thing

It's the kind of book you can dip into now and again

flick through

to look at a book, magazine, set of photographs etc quickly

Will flicked through Carla's photo album

peruse

to read something, especially in a careful way

She leant forward to peruse the document more closely

plough through

to read all of something, even though it is boring and takes a long time

Most staff will never want to plough through the manuals that come with the software

pore over

to read or look at something very carefully for a long time

She was poring over a book

read up on

to read a lot about something because you will need to know about it

You'll enjoy travelling more if you read up on the history of the countries you'll be visiting

scrutinise

to examine someone or something very carefully

He scrutinised the document

skim

to read something quickly to find the main facts or ideas in it

Julie skimmed the sports page

skip to

to not read, mention, or deal with something that would normally come or happen next

Let's skip to the last item on the agenda

bookworm

someone who likes reading very much

I was a real bookworm when I was a child

cover-to-cover

reading very thoroughly

I read the book cover-to-cover. It was fascinating

curl up with

to sit or lie comfortably to read

In the evenings, I like to curl up with a good book

die-hard

opposing or refusing to accept new ideas

She still has a few die-hard fans

get lost in

to pay so much attention to something that you don't notice anything else

She got completely lost in the book

have your nose in a book

to be reading a book etc, especially with a lot of interest

She always had her nose in a book

heavy-going

if a book, play etc is heavy going, it is boring and difficult to understand

Although she usually got on well with children, she found Hilary heavy-going

hit

to begin a journey or go somewhere

Time to hit the road again

actively involved

in a way that involves doing a lot of practical things

Carol was actively involved in running the group

completely oblivious

without any awareness or understanding of something

In the sitcom she plays a New York executive who's completely oblivious to the feelings of others

deeply divided

having strong disagreement about something

Public opinion, as measured in the polls, was deeply divided

hotly debated

argued about strongly

The issue is still being hotly debated

patently obvious

extremely obvious

The cause of her problems is patently obvious

strictly enforced

definitely made to happen

The rules are strictly enforced

chop and change

to keep changing your mind

You can't keep chopping and changing like this!

indecisive

unable to make clear decisions or choices

People were always telling me I was too indecisive

investigate

to try to find out the truth about something such as a crime, accident, or scientific problem

The state police are investigating the incident

limitations

qualities that stop someone or something from being as good or as effective as you wish they could be

Despite the limitations of the survey, it did suggest some general trends

narrow something down

to reduce the number of things included in a range

The police have narrowed down their list of suspects

overwhelmed

having a strong emotional effect

I was overwhelmed by a sense of relief

restricted

limited in your movements or in what you are able to do

In those days, women led very restricted lives

variable

something that may be different in different situations, so that you cannot be sure what will happen

There are too many variables to predict who will win the war