English Vocabulary: Synonyms and Idioms

Vocabulary Building

• Lectured and Harangued both mean to scold or criticize, but Harangued is more intense and aggressive.
• Decided and Resolve both mean to make a decision, but Resolve implies a stronger determination.
• Promise and Swear both mean to make a commitment, but Swear implies a stronger oath.

Expressions and Idioms

• Live it up means to have a good time and enjoy oneself.
• Live in clover means to have a life of wealth and comfort.
• Live down means to let someone forget a past mistake or embarrassment.
• Live by your wits means to get by as a result of deceiving people.
• Learn to live with means to get used to something.
• Live up to your expectations means something was everything you wanted.

Street Performances

• Busking means to play music on the street.
• Juggling means to perform acrobatic feats with balls or other objects.
• Stilt walking means to walk on stilts.

Descriptions and Emotions

• Tatty means something is of low quality or in bad condition.
• Hustle means to move quickly or to do something energetically.
• Hustle and bustle means there is a lot of activity.
• Sartorial means related to clothes or fashion.
• Lousy means something is of poor quality or unpleasant.
• Ruthlessness means a lack of pity or compassion.
• Jaded means to be tired or bored.

Actions and Reactions

• Slinking into means to enter quietly or secretly.
• Sweat themselves means to work hard or exert oneself.
• Grim means something is unpleasant or scary.
• Despair of means to lose hope in something.
• Bland means something is uninteresting or uninspiring.
• Disrobing means to remove one's clothes.
• Churn means a process of change or upheaval.
• Push out means to extract or remove something.
• Scrounge of means to live off someone else's expenses.
• Despise about means to strongly dislike something.
• Leap at means to take advantage of an opportunity.
• Leap at the chance means to take an opportunity without hesitation.
• A leap in the dark means to do something without knowing what the outcome will be.
• Jump down my throat means to scold or rebuke someone strongly.

Theatre and Performance

• Fresh limb means someone who is persevering.
• By leaps and bounds means something is improving or progressing rapidly.
• Standing ovation means the audience applauds while standing.
• Emotional recall means something reminds you of a past experience.
• Curtain call means the final appearance of a performer.
• Understudy means a performer who replaces another actor.
• Underwriter means someone who guarantees financial support.
• Play act means to pretend or fake something.
• Playwright means a writer of plays.
• Backtrack means to re-do a scene or action.
• Doodling means to draw aimlessly.

Speech and Communication

• Relish means to enjoy or take pleasure in something.
• Wooden means something is unnatural or stiff.
• To put a strain on means to cause stress or tension.
• In time means to do something before it's too late.
• Overstatement means to exaggerate or overemphasize.
• Understatement means to downplay or minimize.
• Gross understatement means something is unacceptable or ridiculous.
• Croak means to speak in a rough or hoarse voice.
• Bark means to speak loudly or harshly.
• Bellow means to speak loudly or shout.
• Buzz means a loud or excited noise.
• Buzz around means to move quickly or excitedly.
• Chatter means to talk rapidly or aimlessly.
• Teeth chatter means to shiver or tremble.
• Chirp means to speak in a high-pitched voice.
• Growl means to speak in a low, angry voice.
• To give a hoot of laughter means to laugh loudly.
• Howl means to make a loud, mournful cry.
• Hum means a low, steady sound.
• Roar means a loud, fierce sound.
• Screech means a high-pitched, loud sound.
• Squawk means to make a loud, harsh cry.
• Squeak means a short, high-pitched sound.
• To be very chirpy means to be very happy or cheerful.

Various Expressions

• Like water off a duck's back means something has no effect.
• Put/set the cat among the pigeons means to say something that causes trouble.
• Flog a dead horse means to try to solve a problem that is impossible.
• To have kittens means to react badly to something.
• To have a bee in one's bonnet means to think a lot about something important.
• Crack down on means to act firmly against something.
• Use up means to consume or exhaust something.
• Come up against means to face or confront something.
• Die out means to become extinct or disappear.
• Amount to means to become or be equivalent to something.
• Buy on a whim means to buy something impulsively.
• Capture someone's imagination means to interest or fascinate someone.
• Buy in bulk means to buy something in large quantities.
• Place order means to request or order something.
• Show profit means to make a profit or gain.
• In captivity means something is not allowed or is restricted.
• On occasion means something happens occasionally.
• Hackneyed means something is overused or clichéd.
• Masquerade means to pretend or disguise oneself.
• Advocate means to support or recommend something.
• Catch up means to reach or overtake something.
• Unassailable means something is unquestionable or undeniable.
• Put forward means to propose or suggest something.
• Hitherto means until now or up to this point.
• Winning aside means something is outside the main topic or issue.
• Niggling means something is annoying or troublesome.
• Surmountable means something can be overcome or overcome.
• Solace means comfort or consolation.
• Push through means to force or push something through.
• Crippling means something is harmful or disabling.
• Take on means to accept or assume responsibility.
• Take it up with means to discuss or argue with someone.
• Take your mind off something means to stop thinking about something.
• Pick up your brain means to ask for advice or guidance.