|
501
|
loose … on/upon
|
To allow something dangerous and
destructive to begin to affect a situation or other people.
|
|
|
|
502
|
loosen up
|
To warm up the body, especially
the muscles and joints, in preparation for a physical activity.
|
|
|
|
503
|
lop … off
|
To cut off, especially a branch
or limb, from a tree or body.
|
|
|
|
To make a slight reduction in a
price or charge.
|
|
|
|
504
|
lose out
|
To fail to get something, e.g.
to lose out on a job, business contract, etc. which go to a rival.
|
|
|
|
505
|
louse up
|
To spoil, or to do something
badly, or to make something worse.
|
|
|
|
506
|
luck out
|
To succeed due to good luck,
e.g. We both bought lottery tickets and he, not me, lucked out when he
discovered he hit the jackpot.
|
|
|
|
507
|
lump … together
|
To combine into an
indiscriminate mass or group.
|
|
|
|
508
|
lust after
|
To feel strong sexual desire for
someone or something.
|
|
|
|
509
|
luxuriate in
|
To relax and consciously enjoy
something.
|
|
|
|
510
|
magic … away
|
To use magic to make someone or
something disappear.
|
|
|
magic … up
|
To make something appear
suddenly and unexpectedly.
|
|
|
|
511
|
make after
|
To pursue someone or something.
|
|
|
make away with
|
To steal something, e.g. The
thieves made away with a safe.
|
|
|
|
To kill someone or something.
|
|
|
make for
|
To move towards someone or
something, e.g. We made for the railway station as quickly
as we could.
|
|
|
|
To have a particular result or
make something possible, e.g. Proper training makes for smooth
operation of the machinery.
|
|
|
make ... into
|
To change the form or purpose of
something, e.g. Jack planned to make the attic into a
study.
|
|
|
|
To change someone’s character,
etc., e.g. A road accident has made him into a
careful driver.
|
|
|
make ... of
|
To express an opinion of
something, e.g. We do not know what to make of the
ultimate consequences of climate warming.
|
|
|
|
To use opportunities to achieve
an outcome, e.g. I want to make use of whatever
money I have for my higher education.
|
|
|
|
To give someone a new job or
position in a group, organization, etc., e.g. He was made captain of the
team.
|
|
|
make off
|
To leave hurriedly.
|
|
|
make off with
|
To take something away
illegally, e.g. he made off with my bicycle while I was
not looking.
|
|
|
make out
|
To manage with difficulty to
see, etc., e.g. On that foggy night the driver could barely make
out what was in front of him until his car rammed into it.
|
|
|
make ... out
|
To issue payment by means of a
cheque, e.g. He makes a cheque out in
favour of one of his creditors.
|
|
|
|
To have sufficient evidence to
effect a conviction, e.g. The police feel they have made out a
case to charge the culprit.
|
|
|
|
To have individual opinions on
something or someone, e.g. The horror movie is not as scary as you made it out to
be.
|
|
|
|
To survive a difficult
situation, e.g. His wife has run away, he will make out somehow.
|
|
|
|
To find good reasons to prove or
explain something, e.g. The police believe they have made out a
strong case against the accused.
|
|
|
make ... over
|
To give money or legally
transfer ownership of property to someone else, e.g. His father made
over the whole factory to his son.
|
|
|
|
To change one’s own appearance
with cosmetics, hairstyling, new clothes, etc.
|
|
|
make up
|
To be reconciled after a
quarrel, etc., e.g. They make up every now and then after
an angry argument or disagreement.
|
|
|
|
To make a choice, e.g. I
haven’t made up my mind to give up smoking or lose weight,
or do both at the same time.
|
|
|
make ... up
|
To improve one’s appearance,
e.g. The regular use of cosmetics has made her up much
younger than her actual age.
|
|
|
|
To invent a story, etc. in order
to deceive someone, e.g. He made a fictional
happening up to escape punishment.
|
|
|
|
To add an amount that is enough
for a particular purpose, e.g. I don’t have enough money to buy her a
birthday present, so I borrowed to make up the difference.
|
|
|
|
512
|
map … out
|
To plan a course of action
carefully.
|
|
|
|
513
|
mark … down
|
To write something down in order
to keep a record.
|
|
|
|
To reduce the indicated price of
an item.
|
|
|
|
To judge someone to be a
potential leader, etc.
|
|
|
|
To reduce the marks awarded to a
candidate or for their work, e.g. He was marked down as his
work has missed the point by not understanding the main meaning of the
questions.
|
|
|
mark ... off
|
To isolate an area such as a
building, road, etc. by putting a rope, tape, cones, etc. around it, e.g.
the murder scene has been marked off with police tape.
|
|
|
|
To tick off items on a list for
a purpose, e.g. She has marked off the items that she has
already bought.
|
|
|
|
To distinguish someone from
others, e.g. Her ability to debate in class has marked her off
as a potential representative debater of her school.
|
|
|
mark ... up
|
To increase the profit margin,
e.g. Cell phones may be marked up by as much as 60%.
|
|
|
|
514
|
marry into
|
To become a member of a family
by marriage, e.g. She married into a very wealthy family.
|
|
|
marry … off
|
To look for a spouse for
someone, e.g. They married her off to the first young man who came along.
|
|
|
|
515
|
match up
|
To match a report, piece of
information, etc. with another to see if they are the same.
|
|
|
match … up
|
To find something that is
similar to or suitable for something else.
|
|
|
|
516
|
max out
|
To do something with as much
effort and determination as one can.
|
|
|
|
517
|
measure against
|
To judge someone or something by
comparing them with another person or thing.
|
|
|
measure … off
|
To measure the required amount
of material and cut it off a larger piece.
|
|
|
measure ... out
|
To take out a certain amount of
liquid, powder, etc. from a larger quantity.
|
|
|
measure up
|
To determine whether one is good
enough for a particular job, position, etc., e.g. The new manager has
not measured up to his responsibilities.
|
|
|
|
518
|
meet up
|
To come and do something
together, e.g. We used to meet up on weekend to go
fishing.
|
|
|
meet with
|
To mutually agree to come face
to face for a purpose.
|
|
|
|
To have a particular reaction to
something, e.g. The star’s emergence from a car was met with a
loud cheer.
|
|
|
|
519
|
melt down
|
To heat metal until it becomes
liquefied and reuse it, e.g. His hobbies include melting down unwanted
metal objects to make souvenirs for sale.
|
|
|
|
520
|
mess around/about
|
To behave in a silly way that
lacks purpose.
|
|
|
|
To cause problems for someone.
|
|
|
mess around with
|
To have an affair with someone
that one should not have.
|
|
|
mess up/mess … up
|
To make something dirty or
untidy, e.g. The puppies have really messed up the sitting
room.
|
|
|
|
To interfere with something and
turn it into a confused state, e.g. I’ve arranged my CDs in alphabetical
order, but someone has messed it up.
|
|
|
|
To handle a situation wrongly or
ineffectively, or to spoil something.
|
|
|
|
To ruin one’s own personal life,
e.g. She feels she has messed up her whole life by running
up massive credit card debts.
|
|
|
mess with
|
To get involved in or interfere
with something or someone.
|
|
|
|
521
|
mete … out
|
To dispense justice, punishment,
etc. to someone.
|
|
|
|
522
|
mike … up
|
To equip someone with a
microphone so that his voice can be made louder.
|
|
|
|
523
|
militate against
|
To stop something from happening
or stop someone from doing something
|
|
|
|
524
|
mill around/about
|
(A lot of people) to move around
a place in different directions.
|
|
|
|
525
|
minister to
|
To attend to the needs of
someone.
|
|
|
|
526
|
minor in
|
To study a subsidiary subject in
addition to the main one.
|
|
|
|
527
|
miss out
|
To fail to use an opportunity to
do something enjoyable.
|
|
|
|
To fail to include someone or
something, e.g. to miss out some punctuation marks in
one’s essay.
|
|
|
|
528
|
mist over
|
(Eyes) to become filled with
tears.
|
|
|
mist up
|
To become covered with tiny
water droplets or condensed vapour, e.g. one’s glasses have misted up.
|
|
|
|
529
|
mistake for
|
To wrongly identify someone or
something as someone or something else, e.g. mistook a
cheetah for a leopard.
|
|
|
|
530
|
mix … up
|
To confuse someone or something
with someone or something else, e.g. The teacher often mixes him up with
his twin brother.
|
|
|
|
To combine two or more things
together, e.g. A good way to mix the ingredients up
thoroughly is to use an electric mixer.
|
|
|
|
To disrupt the order or
arrangement of something, e.g. He unknowingly mixed up those
arranged papers which are not numbered, and now they have to sort and
rearrange them.
|
|
|
|
To become confused or make
someone feel confused, e.g. They really mixed me up,
telling me different stories about the same person.
|
|
|
|
531
|
mock … up
|
To replicate or imitate
something.
|
|
|
|
532
|
monkey around
|
To behave in a silly, careless
or playful way, e.g. The children monkey around in the
park and cause damage to some of the exotic plants.
|
|
|
|
To tamper with something without
authority or the required skill, e.g. My kid monkeyed around with
my cell phone and now it can’t make any call.
|
|
|
monkey with
|
To interfere with something so
as to cause damage.
|
|
|
|
533
|
mooch around/about
|
To move around without any
apparent purpose.
|
|
|
|
534
|
moon about/around
|
To spend time in a relaxed, lazy
manner.
|
|
|
moon over
|
To miss and long for someone.
|
|
|
|
535
|
mop … up
|
To wipe or soak up liquid with a
mop, cloth, etc. from a surface.
|
|
|
|
To complete or put an end to
something by dealing with the remaining parts.
|
|
|
|
536
|
mope around/about
|
To feel sad or dispirited.
|
|
|
|
537
|
mount up
|
To gradually increase in size or
amount.
|
|
|
|
538
|
mouth off
|
To talk in a conceited way.
|
|
|
|
539
|
move along
|
To go further to the front or
back of something.
|
|
|
move away
|
To change one’s place of
residence.
|
|
|
move in
|
To start living with someone,
e.g. Jill moved in with her boyfriend despite her parents'
objection.
|
|
|
move into
|
To start living in a place, e.g.
Jack and Jill are planning to move into a rural area of
the country for some peace and quiet.
|
|
|
move off
|
(Vehicle or crowd) to start to
move away.
|
|
|
move on
|
To carry on with one’s journey.
|
|
|
|
To start talking a new part of
the subject under discussion or start talking a new subject.
|
|
|
move out
|
To stop living in a place in
order to live somewhere else, e.g. We are looking for a house somewhere
and move out of our apartment.
|
|
|
move to
|
To shift someone or something
out of a place, e.g. The villagers move their belongings to
higher ground in anticipation of a flood.
|
|
|
move over
|
To shift position and so create
more space for others.
|
|
|
move up
|
To get a promotion in the place
where one works.
|
|
|
|
540
|
mow … down
|
To kill a large group of people
at one time by shooting them.
|
|
|
|
To recklessly knock someone down
with a car.
|
|
|
|
541
|
muck about/around
|
To behave in a silly way without
purpose.
|
|
|
muck around with
|
To spoil something by
interfering with it.
|
|
|
muck in
|
To share accommodation or tasks
with others in order to complete a job
|
|
|
muck ... out
|
To clean a place, especially
where an animal lives, e.g. to muck a stable.
|
|
|
muck ... up
|
To spoil a plan.
|
|
|
|
To fail to achieve something.
|
|
|
|
To dirty a place or something
such as one’s clothes, etc.
|
|
|
|
542
|
muddle along
|
To engage aimlessly in an
activity.
|
|
|
muddle through
|
To cope satisfactorily with
something despite not having the know-how.
|
|
|
muddle … up
|
To confuse two or more things
with each other.
|
|
|
|
543
|
mug up
|
To study intensively in
preparation for an examination.
|
|
|
|
544
|
mull … over
|
To think and consider about
something at length.
|
|
|
|
545
|
muscle in
|
To force one’s way into
another’s affairs to gain control.
|
|
|
|
546
|
nail … down
|
To elicit a firm commitment from
someone.
|
|
|
|
To decide or identify something
precisely.
|
|
|
|
547
|
narrow down
|
To reduce, e.g. In the second
round, the number of finalists will be narrowed down to
five.
|
|
|
|
548
|
nibble away at
|
To keep taking small amounts out
of a large amount.
|
|
|
|
549
|
nip … off
|
To remove something by pinching
or squeezing tightly between finger and thumb.
|
|
|
|
550
|
nod off
|
To begin to fall asleep.
|
|
|
|
551
|
nose … out
|
To discover something after a
long search.
|
|
|
|
552
|
notch … up
|
To achieve something such as a
victory, total, score, etc.
|
|
|
|
553
|
number off
|
(Soldiers) to call out their
number when their turn comes.
|
|
|
|
554
|
occur to
|
(Thought, idea, etc) to come
into the mind.
|
|
|
|
555
|
open up
|
(Crack, hole, etc.) to appear
and become wider.
|
|
|
|
To begin shooting with a weapon,
e.g. The gangsters opened up with small arms, but all of
them were soon shot dead by the police.
|
|
|
|
(Land) to make it available for
development, e.g. The developer is opening up a jungle
area for a housing project.
|
|
|
|
(Office, shop, cinema, etc.) to
begin operation, e.g. The new cinema is expected to open up soon.
|
|
|
|
(Box, container, etc.) to remove
or unfasten the cover, e.g. She opened up her jewellery
box and showed us the contents.
|
|
|
|
(Door, window, etc.) to make
them open, e.g. The supermarket here opens up at 10:00
every day.
|
|
|
|
556
|
opt out
|
To decide not to participate in
a group, activities, etc.
|
|
|
|
To avoid performing a duty.
|
|
|
|
557
|
order … about
|
To use one’s power or authority
to tell someone to do something.
|
|
|
order ... out
|
To deploy soldiers, police, etc.
for a particular action such as crowd control, dealing with natural
disaster, etc.
|
|
|
|
558
|
own up
|
To admit to having done
something wrong or embarrassing.
|
|
|
|
559
|
pack … away
|
To put something back in its
box, case, container, etc.
|
|
|
pack … in
|
To cram a lot of things into a
space, place, period of time, etc.
|
|
|
pack ... off
|
To send someone away.
|
|
|
pack up
|
To stop working or close early
in business.
|
|
|
|
560
|
pad … out
|
To lengthen a speech or piece of
writing with unnecessary material.
|
|
|
|
561
|
page through
|
To turn over the pages of a
book, magazine, etc. and read them quickly or casually.
|
|
|
|
562
|
paint … in
|
To make additional painting to a
picture.
|
|
|
paint … out
|
To erase something with paint so
that it is no longer visible.
|
|
|
paint … over
|
To cover something with new
paint.
|
|
|
|
563
|
pair off
|
To become or form a couple.
|
|
|
pair up
|
To form a couple to work
together or start a relationship.
|
|
|
|
564
|
pal around
|
To go around or do things
together with a friend or with someone as a friend.
|
|
|
pal up
|
To form a friendship with
someone.
|
|
|
|
565
|
palm off
|
To sell someone something by
deceiving them.
|
|
|
|
566
|
pan out
|
To end up in a particular way.
|
|
|
|
567
|
pander to
|
To give or allow oneself to
enjoy the desired pleasure of an immoral habit.
|
|
|
|
568
|
pant for
|
To long for or to do something.
|
|
|
|
569
|
parcel … out
|
To separate something into parts
and hand them out.
|
|
|
parcel …off
|
To separate something into parts
for sale.
|
|
|
parcel … up
|
To make something into a parcel
by wrapping it.
|
|
|
|
570
|
pare … down
|
To make or become less, or
reduce gradually.
|
|
|
|
571
|
part with
|
To unwillingly hand over
possession of something to someone else.
|
|
|
|
572
|
partake of
|
To have certain characteristic.
|
|
|
|
573
|
partition … off
|
To divide or separate a room,
floor, etc. into parts by erecting a structure such as a light interior
wall, etc.
|
|
|
|
574
|
partner up/off
|
To become or make people become
partners.
|
|
|
|
575
|
pass around
|
To offer something to each
member of a group.
|
|
|
|
To hand something over from one
person to the next in a group.
|
|
|
pass away
|
To die.
|
|
|
pass by
|
To go past someone or something.
|
|
|
pass ... down
|
To hand over something such as
knowledge, traditions, etc. to people who are younger, those who live after
one, to the next generation, etc.
|
|
|
pass for
|
To be mistaken as someone else,
e.g. with her dressing she could have passed for a wealthy
woman.
|
|
|
pass off
|
To try to deceive someone that
someone else or something is much better, e.g. trying to pass these
fake watches off as genuine.
|
|
|
pass on
|
To give something such as
information, message, disease, etc. to someone else.
|
|
|
|
To make consumers bear higher
costs.
|
|
|
pass out
|
To faint.
|
|
|
|
To distribute.
|
|
|
pass over
|
To select someone instead of the
expected person for a promotion, etc.
|
|
|
pass up
|
To fail to make use of something
such as an opportunity, etc.
|
|
|
|
576
|
patch … together
|
To make something hastily from
different components.
|
|
|
patch … up
|
To restore friendly relations
after a quarrel or dispute.
|
|
|
|
To repair damage to something.
|
|
|
|
To treat someone’s injuries.
|
|
|
|
577
|
pay … back
|
To settle one’s debt with
someone, e.g. He is always slow in paying back the money
he owes.
|
|
|
|
To pay back with something bad,
e.g. Jack swore he would pay Jill back for
what she did to him.
|
|
|
pay for
|
To give someone money in
exchange for something, e.g. He paid for his new car in
cash.
|
|
|
pay ... for
|
To suffer the consequences of
one’s actions or be punished for them, e.g. He’ll pay the
price for habitually drinking excessively someday.
|
|
|
pay in/into
|
To put money in one’s bank
account.
|
|
|
pay off
|
To settle the outstanding
balance for something, e.g. pay off the balance owing for
purchase of a car.
|
|
|
|
To produce good results.
|
|
|
|
To give someone money to keep
quiet about something such as an illegal act.
|
|
|
|
To dismiss someone with a final
payment.
|
|
|
pay out
|
To hand over money, especially a
large sum, for something such as compensation, etc.
|
|
|
pay up
|
To settle or be forced to settle
one’s debts, e.g. I have already received their third legal letter
demanding that I pay up.
|
|
|
|
578
|
peck at
|
To eat food slowly due to lack
of hunger.
|
|
|
|
579
|
peel off
|
To remove a thin outer layer of
something.
|
|
|
|
To take one’s clothes off.
|
|
|
|
To leave a moving group such as
a convoy, etc. by changing direction.
|
|
|
|
580
|
peg away
|
To work hard over a long period.
|
|
|
peg out
|
To use pegs to fix wet clothes
to a washing line to dry.
|
|
|
|
To mark a piece of ground with
wooden sticks.
|
|
|
|
To die.
|
|
|
|
581
|
pen … up/in
|
To keep an animal or animals in
an enclosed area or confine someone in a restricted space.
|
|
|
|
582
|
pencil … in
|
To temporarily compile a list of
something that is subject to change later.
|
|
|
|
583
|
pension … off
|
To terminate someone’s
employment, usually because they are officially considered too old to
continue working, and pay them a pension.
|
|
|
|
To dispose of something that is
not useful any more or outdated.
|
|
|
|
584
|
pep … up
|
To make someone or something
more active, energetic or exciting.
|
|
|
|
585
|
perk up
|
To make or become more cheerful
or lively.
|
|
|
|
586
|
pertain to
|
To be directly related or
applicable to something.
|
|
|
|
587
|
peter out
|
To diminish or come to an end
gradually.
|
|
|
|
588
|
phase … in
|
To introduce something such as a
law, rule, etc. in gradual stages.
|
|
|
phase ... out
|
To gradually withdraw something
from use.
|
|
|
|
589
|
phone in
|
To telephone someone or a place
such as one’s workplace, a radio or television station, police station,
etc.
|
|
|
|
590
|
pick at
|
To criticize someone in a petty
way.
|
|
|
|
To pull something slightly and
repeatedly with one’s fingers.
|
|
|
|
To eat something taking small
bites due to lack of appetite.
|
|
|
pick ... off
|
To shoot people or animals one
by one from a distance.
|
|
|
pick on
|
To repeatedly single out someone
for unfair criticism or treatment, e.g. It does appear my teacher’s hobby
is picking only on me.
|
|
|
pick ... out
|
To choose someone or something
from a group, e.g. Despite the vast array of dresses on sale, she
couldn’t pick out any one she liked.
|
|
|
pick over
|
To examine a number of items and
carefully choose some.
|
|
|
pick through
|
To look carefully through a
number of items and select one.
|
|
|
pick up
|
To take something from a surface
or floor, e.g. to pick up something one has dropped.
|
|
|
|
To go somewhere and fetch
someone; e.g. I’m now on my way to pick up my child from
school.
|
|
|
|
To find something by accident,
e.g. to pick up a purse, dropped by someone, from a
pavement.
|
|
|
|
To learn a skill while working,
e.g. pick up the skill of baking while working at the
bakery.
|
|
|
|
To collect something from
somewhere, e.g. Remind me to pick up my clothes from the
laundry on our way home.
|
|
|
|
To go and buy something, e.g. I
just remember I’ve to pick up a magazine at the newsagent.
|
|
|
|
To acquire a skill, manner,
etc., e.g. Since when have you picked up the disgusting
habit of picking your nose?
|
|
|
|
To make an arrest, e.g. He
was picked up by the police for attempting to make an
illegal entry into a building.
|
|
|
|
To pay for something, e.g. His
girlfriend’s father picked up the tab for the sumptuous
dinner.
|
|
|
|
To improve something, e.g. With
an improvement in the economy, sale of consumer goods is expected to pick
up.
|
|
|
|
To try to get someone of the
opposite sex, e.g. Jack attended the party hoping to pick up a
girl, but ended with none.
|
|
|
|
591
|
piddle around
|
To spend time doing unnecessary
thing.
|
|
|
|
592
|
piece … together
|
To assemble all the facts or
information about a situation in order to form a suitable conclusion.
|
|
|
|
593
|
pig out
|
To eat a large amount of food
greedily.
|
|
|
|
594
|
pile in/into
|
To get into a place, vehicle,
etc. in a disorganized manner.
|
|
|
pile on
|
To exaggerate something
|
|
|
pile out
|
To leave a place, vehicle, etc.
in a disorderly manner.
|
|
|
pile up
|
To make or become increasingly
larger in quantity or amount.
|
|
|
|
595
|
pin … down
|
To make someone specific about
their aim or plan.
|
|
|
|
596
|
pine for
|
To miss and long for someone or
something.
|
|
|
|
597
|
pipe up
|
To say something suddenly,
especially after having been quiet all along.
|
|
|
|
598
|
piss about/around
|
To spend time doing things
aimlessly.
|
|
|
piss … away
|
To waste something very
stupidly.
|
|
|
piss off
|
To tell someone to go away.
|
|
|
piss … off
|
To annoy someone very much, e.g.
He really pisses me off when he blows that flute out of tune for hours on
end.
|
|
|
|
599
|
pit … away
|
To set something or someone in
competition with something or someone else.
|
|
|
pit … out
|
To sweat profusely.
|
|
|
|
600
|
pitch in
|
To work enthusiastically within
a group
|
|
|
pitch into
|
To attack someone physically or
verbally.
|
|
|
pitch up
|
To arrive at a particular place.
|
