Worldlist Global English

abruptly (adv)

/ə'brʌptli/

Our friendship ended abruptly.

actually (adv)

/'ækʃʊəli/

Actually, I don’t think they’d let us.

all-time (adj)

/ɔːl'taɪm/

Interest rates are at an all-time   high.

amicable (adj)

/'æmɪkəbəl/

Their divorce was fairly amicable.

appreciative (adj)

  (opposite = unappreciative)

/ə'priːʃətɪv/

The applause was warm and appreciative.

asap (= as soon as possible)

/,eɪeseɪ'piː/

I want those files on my   desk asap.

assumption (n)

  make an assumption

/ə'sʌmpʃən/

/meɪk ən ə'sʌmpʃən/

People tend to make   assumptions about you based on your appearance.

back (adv)

  be right back

/bæk/

/biː raɪt 'bæk/

I need to make a quick   phone call.  I'll be right back.

based (adj)

  be based in ...

/beɪst/

/biː 'beɪst ɪn/

Our parent company is   based in Osaka.

basis (n)

  as the basis for sth

/'beɪsɪs/

/æz ə 'beɪsɪs fə ˌsʌmƟɪɳ/

The agreement between the   parties will be used as the basis for future negotiations.

bearing (n)

  have no bearing on sth

/'beərɪɳ/

/hæv nəʊ 'beərɪɳ ɒn ˌsʌmƟɪɳ/

His private life has no   bearing on his competence as a manager.

believe (v)

  believe it or not

/bə'liːv/

/bə'liːv ɪt ɔː ,nɒt/

Jason and Mel are finally   getting married, believe it or not!

bet (n)

  the safest bet

/bet/

/ə ,seɪfəst 'bet/

Madrid is the safest bet   for hot weather at this time of year.

box (n)

/bɒks/

We hired a box for   the Cup Final.

by the way

/baɪ ə 'weɪ/

By the way, Jeff called this afternoon and he wants you   to call him back.

catch (v)

  catch you later

/kæʧ/

/'kæʧ juː ,leɪtə/

Catch you later, Joe.    I'm going back to the hotel.

chance (n)

  by any chance

/ʧɑːns/

/baɪ eni 'ʧɑːns/

You don’t happen to recall   his name, by any chance?

coincidence (n)

/kəʊ'ɪnsɪdəns/

What a coincidence!  She appeared just when we'd finished   washing up.

collaborate with sb (phr v)

/kə'læbəreɪt wɪƟ ˌsʌmbədi/

We have been   collaborating closely with teachers in devising the lesson plans.

come back (phr v)

/kʌm 'bæk/

It's all coming back   to me now: he was a colleague of mine about fifteen years ago.

common (n)

  have sth in common

/'kɒmən/

/hæv ˌsʌmƟɪɳ ɪn 'kɒmən/

I don’t think they’ve   got much in common with their neighbours.

compliment (n)

  pay/receive a compliment  

/'kɒmplɪmənt/

/peɪ/rɪ,siːv ə 'kɒmplɪmənt/

He kept paying me compliments   on my cooking.

compliment (v)

/'kɒmplɪment/

Everybody complimented   her on the way she handled the emergency.

constraint (n)

/kən'streɪnt/

The organisation has to   operate within the usual democratic constraints.

contradict (v)

/kɒntrə'dɪkt/

He didn’t dare contradict   his parents.

converse (v)

/kən'vзːs/

I don't know enough Russian   to be able to converse properly.

cool (adj)

/kuːl/

The presidential candidate   got a cool reception.

cordial (adj)

/'kɔːdɪəl/

Relations between them   remained cordial.

cost (v)

  cost the earth

/kɒst/

/kɒst ə 'зːƟ/

It's going to cost the   earth to get the car fixed.

descend on (phr v)

/dɪ'send ɒn/

Crowds of tourists descended   on the tiny church.

diet (n)

/'daɪət/

She's been feeling better   since she started on a wheat-free diet.

enthusiasm (n)

  show enthusiasm

/ɪn'Ɵuːzɪæzəm/

/ʃəʊ ɪn'Ɵuːzɪæzəm/

None of our employees have shown   much enthusiasm for the new appraisal scheme.

enthusiastically (adv)

/ɪn,Ɵuːzɪ'æstɪkli/

Most of the students   responded enthusiastically to the offer of a free lunch.

entirely (adv)

/ɪn'taɪəli/

It’s entirely   possible that the two leaders will discuss a treaty today.

even (v)

  even things up

/'iːvən/

/'iːvən Ɵɪɳz ,ʌp/

A second player was sent   off, from the other team this time, which did even things up a bit.

exactly (adv)

  not exactly

/ɪg'zæktli/

/nɒt ɪg'zæktli/

‘You’re leaving, aren’t   you?’ ‘Not exactly, I’m just going on holiday.’

excuse (v)

  excuse me

/ɪk'skjuːz/

/ɪk'skjuːz miː/

Excuse me for a moment – I have to make a phone call.

flattery (n)

/'flætəri/

She decided that a bit of flattery   might bring results.

freshen (v)

/'freʃən/

A team of waiters served   sandwiches and freshened people's drinks.

frosty (adj)

/'frɒsti/

Alex’s mother gave him a frosty   look.

funny (adj)

  funny you should say that

/'fʌni/

/'fʌni juː ʃʊd ,seɪ æt/

Funny you should say that; I was about to suggest we visited her   tomorrow.

go back (phr v)

  go back a long way

/gəʊ 'bæk/

/gəʊ 'bæk ə ,lɒɳ weɪ/

Gina and I go back a   long way.  We were at school   together.

happen (v)

/'hæpən/

I happen to know   that he's planning to retire next year.

hear (v)

/'hɪə/

I hear you're moving   house next week.

hospitality (n)

  corporate hospitality

 hospitality tent

/,hɒspɪ'tæləti/

/ˌkɔːpərət hɒspɪ'tæləti/

/,hɒspɪ'tæləti tent/

The launch is being   organised by a company that specialises in corporate hospitality.

A buffet lunch will be   served in the hospitality tent before the first race.

hot button (n)

/hɒt 'bʌtən/

A hot button is   often an issue that people disagree about and argue about a lot.

impression (n)

  make an impression

/ɪm'preʃən/

/ˌmeɪk ən ɪm'preʃən/

It’s a performance that’s   sure to make an impression on the judges.

incidentally (adv)

/ɪnsɪ'dentli/

Incidentally, what are the travel arrangements for   tonight?

input (n)

/'ɪnpʊt/

Teachers have considerable input   into the school’s decision-making process.

job (n)

  do a great job

  on the job

/ʤɒb/

/duː ə greɪt 'ʤɒb/

/ɒn ə 'ʤɒb/

You’ve done a great job of decorating the room.

Trainee journalists soon   learn the importance of deadlines, on the job.

joke (v)

  you're joking!/are you joking?

/ʤəʊk/

/jɔː 'ʤəʊkɪɳ/ɑː juː 'ʤəʊkɪɳ/

‘She’s thirty-five, and   she’s going out with a nineteen-year-old.’ ‘You’re joking!’

kid (v)

  you're kidding!/are you kidding?

/kɪd/

/jɔː 'kɪdɪɳ/ɑː juː 'kɪdɪɳ/

‘Let’s meet in the park.’ ‘Are   you kidding? In this weather?’

latest (n)

  have you heard the latest?

/'leɪtəst/

/hæv juː ,hзːd ə 'leɪtəst/

Have you heard the latest? He’s getting a divorce.

make (v)

  make it

/meɪk/

/'meɪk ɪt/

We just made it in   time for the wedding.

matter (n)

  as a matter of fact

/'mætə/

/æz ə 'mætə əv ,fækt/

'Was he in a bad mood?’   ‘No, as a matter of fact, he seemed quite cheerful.’

mean (v)

  I know what you mean

/miːn/

/aɪ nəʊ wɒt juː 'miːn/

‘He’s so hard to talk to.’   ‘I know what you mean.’

mention (v)

/'menʃən/

I’ll mention it to   her when I see her tomorrow.

merger (n)

/'mзːʤə/

The merger will   create the biggest television company in the country.

mileage (n)

/'maɪlɪʤ/

He has got a lot of mileage   out of his friendship with the mayor.

mind (n)

  keep sb in mind

/maɪnd/

/kiːp ˌsʌmbədi

ɪn 'maɪnd/

Keep me in mind if you need some help.

mind (v)

  don't mind me

  mind if I ...?

/maɪnd/

/dəʊnt 'maɪnd miː/

/'maɪnd ɪf aɪ/

Carry on with your   conversation. Don’t mind me.

Mind if I sit here?

mistaken (adj)

  be mistaken

/mɪs'teɪkən/

/biː mɪs'teɪkən/

If I'm not mistaken,   Joyce will be the next director.

modest (adj)

  (opposite = boastful)

/'mɒdəst/

Peter is genuinely modest   about his achievements.

network (v)

/'netwзːk/

Our main objective in   attending the conference is to network and make new contacts.

once-in-a-lifetime (adj)

/ˌwʌnsɪnə'laɪftaɪm/

Our holiday in Kenya was a once-in-a-lifetime   experience.

optimism (n)

/'ɒptɪmɪzəm/

Katie's optimism   motivated the rest of the team.

-oriented (adj)

/'ɔːrɪəntəd/

It’s a culture which is   very family-oriented.

pity (n)

/'pɪti/

It was a lovely wedding. Pity   about the rain.

pleasure (n)

  it's a pleasure to meet you

/'pleӡə/

/ɪtsə 'pleӡə tə ˌmiːt juː/

It's a pleasure to meet you, Ben. Elena's told me all about you.

point (n)

  take sb's point

/pɔɪnt/

/teɪk ˌsʌmbədɪz 'pɔɪnt/

I take your point,   but I don’t think there’s anything we can do at the moment.

point out (phr v)

/pɔɪnt 'aʊt/

He pointed out that   we had two hours of free time before dinner.

quintessentially (adv)

/kwɪntə'senʃəli/

The hotel is quintessentially   Jamaican.

reason (n)

  within reason

/'riːzən/

/wɪƟɪn 'riːzən/

Let your children have   their freedom, within reason.

recommendations (n pl)

/rekəmen'deɪʃənz/

The Bill incorporates a   number of recommendations made by the committee.

recovery (n)

/rɪ'kʌvəri/

There were still no real   signs of an economic recovery.

red carpet (n)

/red 'kɑːpət/

We need to roll out the red   carpet for these clients if we want to win this contract.

relationship (n)

  build/maintain a relationship

/rɪ'leɪʃənʃɪp/

/ˌbɪld/meɪn,teɪn ə rɪ'leɪʃənʃɪp/

Over the years we've built   a good relationship with our suppliers.

remind (v)

  that reminds me

/rɪ'maɪnd/

/æt rɪ'maɪndz miː/

That reminds me. I must take the chicken out of the freezer.

reward (v)

/rɪ'wɔːd/

He always believed that the   company would reward him for his efforts.

right (adj)

  (opposite = wrong)

  am I right in thinking ...?

/raɪt/

/æm aɪ 'raɪt ɪn ,Ɵɪnkɪɳ/

Am I right in thinking that you used to work in Copenhagen?

scene (n)

  set the scene

/siːn/

/set ə 'siːn/

These findings have set   the scene for further debate on the system.

schedule (v)

/'ʃedjuːl/

Let’s schedule   another meeting in July.

seminar (n)

/'semɪnɑː/

I recently attended a seminar   on marketing.

sense (n)

  make sense

/sens/

/meɪk 'sens/

It makes sense to   keep such information on disk.

setting (n)

/'setɪɳ/

We stayed in a lovely hotel   in a beautiful mountain setting.

shame (n)

/'ʃeɪm/

It was a nice idea. Shame   about the way it was done.

small talk (n)

/'smɔːl tɔːk/

We made small talk   until the rest of the team arrived for the meeting.

special (adj)

  nothing special

/'speʃəl/

/,nʌƟɪɳ 'speʃəl/

'Are you doing anything for   Simon's birthday?'  'Nothing special.  Just cooking a meal at home.'

strained (adj)

/streɪnd/

Relations between the two   countries are strained.

suit (v)

/suːt/

The new hairstyle really suits   her.

sweeten (v)

/'swiːtən/

We sent corporate gifts to   try and sweeten our clients and stop them going to our competitors.

switch (v)

  switch from sth to sth

/swɪtʃ/

/'swɪtʃ frəm sʌmƟɪɳ

tə ˌsʌmƟɪɳ/

They announced that the   tournament would be switched from March to December.

talk (v)

  talking of

/tɔːk/

/'tɔːkɪɳ əv/

Oh yes, talking of   Harry, have you seen him recently?

taste (n)

/teɪst/

They all admired her taste.

tasteful (adj)

/'teɪstfəl/

They played a tasteful   selection of music.

team spirit (n)

/tiːm 'spɪrɪt/

With hard work,   determination and team spirit, I know we can meet this deadline.

team-building (n)

/tiːm'bɪldɪɳ/

The team-building   weekend was supposed to improve morale; instead it's caused more fighting!

terms (n pl)

  in real terms

/tзːmz/

/ɪn ,rɪəl 'tзːmz/

Spending was cut by 4% in   real terms.

thing (n)

  a good thing

/Ɵɪɳ/

/ə gʊd 'Ɵɪɳ/

I don't want to go to the   opera again tonight.  You can have too   much of a good thing.

throw around (phr v)

  throw money around

/Ɵrəʊ ə'raʊnd/

/Ɵrəʊ ,mʌni ə'raʊnd/

I'm not surprised Val and   Jeff are in debt.  They've been throwing   money around like it's going out of fashion.

time (n)

  is that the time?

  long time no see

  show sb a good time

/taɪm/

/ɪz æt ə 'taɪm/

/lɒɳ 'taɪm nəʊ siː/

/ʃəʊ ˌsʌmbədi

ə gʊd 'taɪm/

Is that the time?  I'd   better go or I'll miss my train.

Hans!  Is it really you?  Long time no see.

We showed our Spanish   clients a really good time last weekend and today they signed the   deal.

track (n)

  make tracks

/træk/

/meɪk 'træks/

It’s getting late – I think   we’d better make tracks.

track (v)

/træk/

We have been tracking   the top 10% of our engineering graduates.

understand (v)

/ʌndə'stænd/

We understand that a   major announcement is to be made tomorrow.

ups and downs (n pl)

/ʌpsən'daʊnz/

The company has had its   share of ups and downs, but it seems to be doing well now.

viewing (n)

/'vjuːɪɳ/

We’ve been invited to a   private viewing of Trevor’s exhibition.

warm (adj)

/wɔːm/

The hotel extends a warm   welcome to overseas guests.

wonder (v)

/'wʌndə/

I wonder whether it   was wise to let her travel alone.

word (n)

  have a word

/wзːd/

/hæv ə 'wзːd/

Can I have a quick   word with you?