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HSG
| Term | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| have a predilection for sth | like sth a lot | Ex: Children have a predilection for online games. |
| escalate (v) -> escalation (n) | make/become greater/more serious | Ex: His financial problems escalated after he became unemployed. |
| segment (v) | divide sth into different parts | Ex: The market is segmented by price into three general categories. |
| segmental (adj) | relating to or forming segments or parts (medical, architecture) | |
| suprasegmental (adj) | relating to a speech feature, such as stress or pitch, that affects more than one speech sound (phonetics) | |
| off the cuff | without preparation | Ex: She was invited to share her thoughts off the cuff. |
| keep a tight rein on | control strictly | Ex: Parents should keep a tight rein on their children to protect them. |
| meagre (adj) | very small in amount/number or not enough | – The porters relied on tips, rather than on their meagre salary, to earn a living. – The prisoners existed on a meagre diet. |
| at the helm of sth | in control of sth | Ex: She is the first woman to be at the helm of this corporation. |
| tumble to | suddenly understand sth or be aware of sth | Ex: I tumble to the thing they have talking about the whole week. |
| pull one's weight | to work as hard as other people in a group | Ex: The others had complained that Sarah wasn't pulling her weight. |
| predominantly (adv) | mostly/ mainly = preponderantly | Ex: She is predominantly a dancer, but she also sings. |
| preponderance (n) | the largest part or the greatest amount | Ex: The preponderance of the evidence suggests that he's guilty. |
| scrape the bottom of the barrel | use the worst people/ thing because that is all available | Ex: Sarah's the team? Guess you really are scraping the bottom of the barrel. |
| write off sb/sth | decide that sb/sth is not suitable/good enough | |
| dawn on sb | if sth dawns on you, you realize it for the first time. | |
| spill the beans/ let the cat out of the bag | reveal a secret | |
| have a bee in one's bonnet about sth | đặt nặng, chấp nhất chuyện gì | Ex: She has a bee in her bonnet about going to the UK. |
| hold out for sth | cause a delay in reaching an agreement because you hope you will gain something | |
| tie in with sth | to match or agree with something | |
| take the rough with the smooth | to accept the unpleasant parts of a situation as well as the pleasant parts | |
| brush up (on) sth | to improve your knowledge of something already learned but partly forgotten | Ex: I think I have to brush up on my Japanese for my trip to Japan. |
| size up | think carefully and form an opinion about a person or a situation | Ex: Voters are still sizing up the candidates. |
| insure against sth | to do something in order to prevent something unpleasant from happening or from affecting you | Ex: You can't insure against staff getting dissatisfied and leaving. |
| have several irons in the fire | to be involved with many activities or jobs at the same time or to make certain that there are always several possibilities available | |
| elucidate (v) | to make clear, to explain => elucidation (n) | |
| pronounced (adj) | strongly marked; clearly indicated, very noticeable | |
| dwarf (adj) | very small | |
| latent (adj) | present, existing, but not active; hidden: âm ỉ, tiềm ẩn | |
| baffle (v) | to confuse, cannot understand | |
| have/keep your wits about you | to be aware of what is happening around you and ready to think and act quickly (đề cao cảnh giác) | |
| underwrite (v) | support financially | Ex: The museum show was largely underwritten by a grant from the government of Sweden. |
| disperse (v) | scatter, spread far and wide | |
| curtail (v) | cut short/ reduce | |
| obstinate (adj) | stubborn | |
| not take kindly to sth | not like sth | Ex: She doesn't take kindly to dogs because she was bitten by one when she was small. |
| step into the breach | replace sb who is suddenly unable to do a job or task | Ex: The vice chairman had to step into the breach when the chairman suddenly disappeared before the meeting. |
| virtue (n) | - a good moral quality in a person, or the general quality of being morally good - an advantage or good thing: | Patience is a virtue. Would there be any virtue in taking an earlier train? |
| by virtue of | because of, as a result of | |
| phase sth out | remove or stop using something gradually or in stages | The airline is planning to phase out the aircraft at the end of this year |
| have a thick skin | to not care if people criticise you or do not like you | |
| conscience (n) | An inner feeling of the rightness or wrongness of an action (lương tâm) | |
| conscientious = painstaking | putting a lot of effort into your work | |
| commemorate (v) | to remember officially and give respect to a great person or event, especially by a public ceremony or by making a statue or special building (tưởng niệm, kỉ niệm) | |
| be in its infancy | be very new and still developing | Ex: This technology is still in its infancy. |
| amiss (adj) | wrong, not suitable, or not as expected | This event is amiss |
| ponder (v) | consider carefully | |
| deduce (v) | Reach a conclusion from the information given. (suy luận) --> deducible (adj), deductive (adj), deduction (n) | |
| throw your weight around/about | act as if you have a lot of power or authority | Ex: Despite being just a small manager, he throws his weight around in the office. |
| let sb off | give someone a lighter punishment than they expected (or not punish at all) | Ex: Since Anna was the principal's daughter, Mrs. Shade let her off even when she hit a classmate. |
| versatile (adj) | able to do many things well (pp); capable of many uses (things) | Ex: - He was a versatile guitarist, and recorded with many leading rock bands. - It is an especially versatile insecticide known to control a range of insects. |
| wet behind the ears | young and inexperienced | Ex: He tried to listen carefully because he knew he was still wet behind the ears. |
| take the bull by the horns | face a difficult/dangerous situation directly and with courage | Ex: I took the bull by the horns and confronted him about his mistreatment of the workers. |
| confront (v) | face, meet, or deal with a difficult situation or person | Ex: It's an issue we'll have to confront at some point, no matter how unpleasant it is. |
| confront sb with sth | make somebody face or deal with an unpleasant or difficult person or situation | |
| set sb/sth apart (from sb/sth) | make sb/sth different from/ better than others | Ex: Her skills in volleyball set her apart from other players. |
| in the sight of somebody/in somebody’s sight | in somebody's opinion | Ex: in my sight, he's the most skillful one. |
| set one's sights on doing sth | decide that you want sth and try very hard to get it | Ex: I've set my sights on going to my dream university. |
| adorn (v) | add sth decorative to a person/thing | Ex: The bride's hair was adorned with white flowers. |
| keep abreast of something | make sure you know all the most recent facts about a subject or situation | Ex: I try to keep abreast of any developments. |
| invigorating (adj) | make sb feel healthy and full of energy | Ex: His habit of jogging every morning is invigorating. |
| oscillate between sth and sth | - move repeatedly from 1 position to another - change 2 feelings/ behaviors repeatedly | |
| sabbatical (n) | sự nghỉ phép | |
| to all intents and purposes | in all the most important | |
| belabour the point | repeat an idea, argument, etc. many times to emphasize it, especially when it has already been mentioned or understood | Ex: I don’t want to belabour the point, but it’s vital you understand how important this is. |
| labour the point | continue to repeat or explain something that has already been said and understood | Ex: I understand what you’re saying—there’s no need to labour the point. |
| facade (n) | - the front of a building - the way that somebody/something appears to be, which is different from the way somebody/something really is | |
| count against sb/sth | make sb/sth more likely to fail | Her inexperience counted against her when competing with other applicants. |
| get sth off the ground | start happening successfully; to make something start happening successfully | Please lend me some. I need just a bit more money to get my business off the ground. |
| have sth down/off to a fine art | be able to do something very well or quickly, often because you have done it so many times | |
| be dead set against sth | be determined not to do something | I am dead set against going to Jullie's party since she was such a mean girl. |
| cast one’s mind back to sth | try to remember sth | He cast his mind back to his first meeting with her in London. |
| cast your net wide | consider a lot of different people, activities, possibilities, etc. when you are looking for something | It’s worth casting your net wide when applying for your first job. |
| disrepute (n) | the state of not being trusted or respected | bring something into disrepute, fall into disrepute |
| beyond the bounds | outside or more than what is acceptable | His such behavior is really beyond the bounds. |
| sparsely (adv) | with only small amounts or numbers of something, often spread over a large area (thưa thớt, rải rác) | The hotel room was sparsely furnished with only a bed and a wardrobe. |
| spendthrift (n) | a person who spends too much money or wastes money | She is such a spendthrift that she keeps buying fancy gowns without consideration. |
| inquire (v) | to ask sb for information | - inquire about somebody/something: I called the school to inquire about the application process. - inquire as to somebody/something: She inquired as to your whereabouts. |
| enquire into | investigate | A committee was appointed to enquire into the allegations. |
| allegation | a public statement that is made without giving proof, accusing somebody of doing something that is wrong or illegal (~accusation) | |
| enquire after | ask for information about somebody, especially about their health or about what they are doing | The doctor enquired after the patient to know whether there were any problems. |
| allege (v) | state something as a fact but without giving proof (usually passive) | He is alleged to have mistreated the prisoners. |
| prosecute (v) | - officially accuse someone of committing an illegal act, and to bring a case against that person in a court of law (truy tố) - continue to take part in a planned group of activities, especially a war | - The leader of the Justice Department team prosecuted a landmark lawsuit against tobacco companies. - He seemed convinced that the US would prosecute the war to its end. |
| evacuate (v) | move people from a dangerous place to somewhere safe (di tản, sơ tán) | The police decided to evacuate the department store after they had received a bomb warning |
| evict (v) | đuổi ai đó ra (when you have legal right to) | Long-time residents are being evicted from the buildings. |
| incur (v) | if you incur something unpleasant, you are in a situation in which you have to deal with it | - She had incurred the wrath of her father by marrying without his consent. - Please detail any costs/expenses incurred by you in attending the interview. (incur costs = have to pay) |
| wrath (n) | extreme anger (cơn thịnh nộ) | |
| entail (v) | involve sth that can't be avoided | It will entail driving a long distance every day. |
| indulgence (n) | - the state or act of having or doing whatever you want/ of allowing somebody to have or do whatever they want - sth that you allow yourself to have even though it is not essential - the quality of being willing to ignore the weaknesses in sb/sth | |
| submissive (adj) | allowing yourself to be controlled by other people or animals (dễ phục tùng) | He was looking for a quiet, submissive wife who would obey his every word. |
| servile (adj) | too eager to serve and please someone else in a way that shows you do not have much respect for yourself | As a waiter, you want to be pleasant to people without appearing servile. |
| terminate (v) | to end; to make something end | The agreement was terminated immediately. |
| terminology (n) | the set of technical words or expressions used in a particular subject | The article avoids using too much medical terminology. |
| interminable (adj) | ~ endless lasting a very long time and therefore boring or annoying | an interminable speech/wait/discussion |
| sporadic = intermittent (adj) | happening only occasionally or at intervals that are not regular | - sporadic outbreaks of the disease - intermittent bursts of applause |
| integrate (v) | hội nhập, hòa nhập, nhập vào | Her work's good and she seems to have integrated socially. |
| grievance (n) | something that you think is unfair and that you complain or protest about; a feeling that you have been badly treated | Employees who have a grievance are encouraged to discuss it with the management. |
| more or less | almost, mostly, approximately | - He more or less admitted he'd done it. - The project was more or less a success. - This package is 5 kilos, more or less. |
| by and by | soon, after a short period | You'll get used to it by and by. |
| come to grief | - end in total failure - to be harmed in an accident | - All his schemes for making money seem to come to grief. - Several pedestrians came to grief on the icy pavement. |
| velocity (n) | high speed | Jaguars can move with an astonishing velocity. |
| astonish (v) | surprise somebody very much ~ amaze | |
| indecipherable (adj) | impossible to read or understand | His handwriting is indecipherable that I have to ask him again what was written in the paper. |
| discernible (adj) | - can be recognized or understood - can be seen or heard, but not very clearly | - There is often no discernible difference between rival brands. - His face was barely discernible in the gloom. |
| intelligible (adj) | can be easily understood ~ understandable | His lecture was readily intelligible to all the students. |
| readily (adv) | - quick and without difficulty - in a way that shows you do not object to something ~ willingly | - All ingredients are readily available from your local store. - Most people readily accept the need for laws. |
| put/ make a dent in sth | reduce the amount of something, especially money | The lawyer's fees will make a dent in our finances. |
| rebuff (v) | refuse a friendly offer, request or suggestion in an unkind way | They rebuffed her request for help. |
| retaliate (v) | to do something harmful to somebody because they have harmed you first ~ revenge | - retaliate (against somebody/something => retaliate against an attack - retaliate (by doing something/with something) => The boy hit his sister, who retaliated by kicking him. |
| put in | - fix equipment or furniture into position so that it can be used - elect a political party to govern a country | |
| put by = put aside | save money for a particular purpose | I'm putting by part of my wages every week to buy a bike. |
| attribute something to something | to say or believe that something is the result of a particular thing | Her success can be attributed to three main factors. |
| attribute sth to sb | say or believe that somebody is responsible for doing something, especially for saying, writing or painting something | This idea has long been attributed to Keynes, but in fact he was not the first to think of it. |
| be in good hands | be managed or cared for with great attention | You’ll be in good hands with her – she’s a terrific lawyer. |
| mitigate (v) | make something less harmful, unpleasant, or bad | It is unclear how to mitigate the effects of tourism on the island. |
| prevail on/upon someone to do something | persuade someone to do something: | My father prevailed on some friends to let us stay with them. |
| prevail (v) | - get control or influence - be common among a group of people or area at a particular time | - And did reason prevail over (= become a more powerful influence than) emotion? - This attitude still prevails among the middle classes. |
| let up | - become less strong - make less effort | - The noise from the unruly fans celebrating their teams victory didn't let up until early in the morning. - Our business are getting off the ground, so we must not let up. |
| batten down the hatches | prepare yourself for a period of difficulty or trouble | Far from sidestepping the issue, she should batten down the hatches and seek alternatives solutions, |
| shake/rock the foundations of something | shake/rock something to its foundations | cause people to question their basic beliefs about something | - This issue has shaken the foundations of French politics. - The scandal rocked the legal establishment to its foundations. |
| jump out of one's skin | move violently because of a sudden shock | She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw me. |
| snap one's head off | shout at sb in a angry way, esp without reason | My girlfriend suddenly shouted my head off. |
| fall over | - (of a computer or program) to stop working suddenly - hit your foot against something/somebody when you are walking and fall, or almost fall (~ trip) | |
| the long and the short of it | said when you want to explain the general situation without giving details | The long and the short of it is that they are willing to start the work in January. |
| high and low | everywhere | I've been searching for that old photo album, but I can't find it anywhere. |
| through thick and thin | even when there are problems or difficulties | He's supported the team for over ten years through thick and thin. |
| the straight and narrow (path) | the honest and morally acceptable way of living | His friends try to keep him on the straight and narrow. |
| vagrant (n) | a person who has no home or job, especially one who begs (= asks for money) from people (người ăn xin) | The accused was a vagrant who travelled around, sleeping in parks and bus shelters. |
| savant (n) | a person with great knowledge and ability | Why people call him a savant is clearly manifested in his immense wealth of technical knowledge. |
| recluse (n) | a person who lives alone and likes to avoid other people | |
| persecute (v) | - treat somebody in a cruel and unfair way, especially because of their race, religion or political beliefs - deliberately annoy somebody all the time and make their life unpleasant (~ harass) | - Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. - Why are the media persecuting him like this? |
| oppress (v) | - treat somebody in a cruel and unfair way, especially by not giving them the same freedom, rights, etc. as other people - make somebody only able to think about things that make them sad or worried (~ weigh down) | - The regime is accused of oppressing religious minorities. - The gloomy atmosphere in the office oppressed her. |
| bloody-minded (adj) | behaving in a way that makes things difficult for other people; refusing to be helpful | |
| weak-willed (adj) | not having the determination that is needed to continue with a difficult course of action | |
| suppress (v) | put an end, often by force, to a group or an activity that is believed to threaten (đàn áp) | The rebellion was brutally suppressed. |
| impending = imminent (adj) | (usually of an unpleasant event) that is going to happen very soon | - warnings of impending danger/disaster - The system is in imminent danger of collapse. |
| formidable (adj) | causing you to have fear or respect for something or someone because that thing or person is large, powerful, or difficult (đáng kinh sợ) | The two players together make a formidable combination. |
| light-headed (adj) | If you feel light-headed, you feel weak and as if you are going to lose your balance (choáng váng) | She'd had a couple of glasses of champagne and was starting to feel light-headed. |
| faint-hearted (adj) | not being confident or brave enough; afraid of failing (~cowardly) | He tried not to appear faint-hearted. |
| hostile (adj) | - agressive or unfriendly - strongly rejecting sth (opposed) | |
| refute (v) | - prove that sth is wrong (~rebut) - say that something is not true or fair (~deny) | |
| alleviate (v) | make something less severe ~ | A number of measures were taken to alleviate the problem. |
| be all (fingers and) thumbs | be awkward with your hands so that you drop things or are unable to do something | |
| feel ill at ease | feel uncomfortable and embarrassed | |
| bury the hatchet, bury your differences | stop not being friendly and become friends again | After not speaking to each other for years, the two brothers decided to bury the hatchet. |
| bend your mind/efforts to something | think very hard about or put a lot of effort into one particular thing | She bent her mind to the problem of escape. |
| round the bend/twist | crazy | The kids have been driving me round the bend today (= annoying me very much). |
| initiative (n) | - a new plan or process to achieve something or solve a problem - the ability to judge what needs to be done and take action, esp. without suggestion from other people | - The defense secretary announced a major initiative to upgrade our military preparedness. - Lisa showed initiative on the job and was soon promoted. |
| contemporary | living at, happening at or belonging to the same period (đương thời) - belonging to the present time (~modern) | He was contemporary with the dramatist Congreve. |
| incentive (n) | - something that encourages you to do something (sự thúc đẩy) - a payment or concession (= a reduction in the amount of money that has to be paid) that encourages somebody to do something | There is no incentive for people to save fuel. |
| mitigate ~ alleviate (v) | make sth less harmful, serious | Measures must be taken to mitigate the adverse environmental effects. |
| curb (v) | control or limit something, especially something bad (hạn chế, kiểm soát) | - He needs to learn to curb his temper. - a new law designed to curb harmful emissions from factories |
| exacerbate = aggravate (v) | make something worse, especially a disease or problem | - His aggressive reaction only exacerbated the situation. - The symptoms may be exacerbated by certain drugs. |
| have no fixed abode/ be of no fixed abode | have no permanent home | Homeless people are of no fixed abode. |
| in the black | earning more money than you spend | This year our business is in the black. |
| in the red | spending more money than you earn | The company has been in the red for the last three quarters. |
| in abeyance | not being used, or being stopped for a period of time | Legal proceedings are in abeyance, while further enquiries are made. |
| pick sb’s brains | ask somebody a lot of questions about something because they know more about the subject than you do | I need to pick your brains: what can you tell me about credit unions? |
| rack your brain(s) | think very hard or for a long time about something | - She racked her brains, trying to remember exactly what she had said. - We racked our brains but we couldn't come up with a solution. |
| in the abstract | in a general way, without referring to a particular real person, thing or situation | |
| be thrown off balance | be surprised/confused | |
| rise to the challenge | be able to deal with something that needs great mental or physical effort in order to be done successfully and therefore tests a person's ability (chấp nhận thách thức) | - It's going to be a difficult job but I'm sure she'll rise to the challenge. - The business has risen to the challenge of making its production process greener. |
| give /quote something/someone chapter and verse | give very exact detail | I can't quote you chapter and verse but I think it's a line from "Macbeth". |
| infringe (v) | - break a law or rule (vi phạm) - limit sb' legal rights | - The material can be copied without infringing copyright. - infringe on/upon something -> She refused to answer questions that infringed on her private affairs. |
| impeach (v) | - charge an important public figure with a serious crime - raise doubts about (~question) | - The President was impeached by Congress for lying. - impeach somebody’s motives |
| impeccable (adj) | without mistakes or faults ~ perfect | Her written English is impeccable. He was dressed in a suit and an impeccable white shirt. |
| abrogate (v) | - officially end a law, an agreement, etc. - fail to carry out a responsibility or duty | - The treaty was abrogated in 1929. - Companies are really abrogating responsibility for safety. |
| disconcerting (adj) | making someone feel uncertain and uncomfortable or worried | There was a disconcerting silence. His message is deeply disconcerting for anyone who values democracy. |
| dismissive (adj) | showing that you think something or someone is not important and not worth considering | |
| shed light on | provide information about something or to make something easier to understand | |
| get into the swing of | start to understand, enjoy, and be active in something | He finally got into the swing of the new working condition. |
| get into/ your stride | become familiar with and confident at something you have recently started doing | Let's wait until she's got into her stride before we ask her to negotiate that contract. |
| stride (n) | an important positive development | - make strides in -> The West made impressive strides in improving energy efficiency after the huge rises in oil prices during the 70s. - make strides to -> The group has made strides to expand internationally. |
| counteract (v) | do something to reduce or prevent the bad or harmful effects of something (làm mất tác dụng) | These exercises aim to counteract the effects of stress and tension. |
| fight tooth and nail | try very hard to get something you want | We fought tooth and nail to get the route of the new road changed. |
| heart and soul | completely | She loves those children heart and soul. |
| bristle with something | have a large amount of something, or to be full of something | The helicopter hovered above them bristling with machine guns. |
| muddle something up | arrange things in the wrong order | I've arranged the books alphabetically so don't muddle them up. |
| fanatical (adj) | - extremely interested in something, to a degree that some people find unreasonable - holding extreme beliefs that may lead to unreasonable or violent behaviour | - fanatical about Gary's fanatical about football. - a fanatical group that has threatened to assassinate doctors |
| aplenty (adj, adv) | in large amounts, especially more than is needed | Criticisms of the government were to be found aplenty. |
| profusely (adv) | in large amounts | She apologized/thanked us profusely. |
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