Expressing Opinions: English Vocabulary List

used to introduce an explanation or a reason for something; often a way of clarifying a situation

"The thing is, I do not have enough money."

"I would love to come to your party but the thing is I have no money right now."

used before a comment or opinion to indicate that the speaker is sharing it, even though they may not be sure of its value or significance

"For what it is worth, I believe you."

"For what it is worth I think you made the right decision even though the outcome was not good."

to refuse to change one's opinions, behaviors, habits, etc.

"My grandfather is set in his ways."

"She is so set in her ways that she refuses to try any new technology or modern methods."

to express one's opinions in an honest or fearless way

"I like to speak my mind."

"She is never afraid to speak her mind even when her opinions are unpopular with everyone else in the room."

to adopt a different opinion or point of view, particularly a contradictory one

"She shifted her ground."

"After reviewing the new evidence, the witness was forced to shift her ground on the original testimony."

to have a negative or unfavorable opinion or perception of that person

"She thinks poorly of him."

"The experienced workers thought poorly of the new manager because he did not listen to their advice."

to think that something is normal, easy, unimportant, etc., particularly while others think it to be wrong, strange, difficult, important, etc.

"He thinks nothing of walking ten miles."

"He thinks nothing of walking ten kilometres to work every day because he enjoys the exercise and fresh air."

to think in a creative way in order to come up with original solutions

"We need to think outside the box for a solution."

"To solve this unusual problem we need to think outside the box and try creative new solutions."

to perceive or regard someone or something with a new perspective, particularly one that is positive

"I see my job in a new light."

"After talking to him for an hour I saw the situation in a new light and understood his point of view."

used to advise someone to trust one's judgment or experience concerning a particular matter

"Take it from me — this route is much faster."

"Take it from me, having worked in this industry for twenty years — shortcuts always cost more in the long run."

used to tell someone to accept the word or advice of someone else, particularly someone who is older or more experienced

"You should take it from her."

"If you take it from someone who has years of experience, you will learn valuable lessons quickly."

a belief that is strong, yet without any explainable reason

"I have a gut feeling about this."

"My gut feeling told me that something was wrong even though I could not explain what it was."

used before advising someone or giving them a warning

"A word to the wise, be careful."

"A word to the wise do not invest all your money in one company because you could lose everything if it fails."

(of a feeling, problem, or belief) to be really strong or troublesome due to having existed for a long time

"These feelings run very deep."

"The distrust between the two communities has run deep for many generations, making reconciliation extremely difficult to achieve."

saying what is in one's mind in a very forceful yet honest manner

"He gave me advice straight from the shoulder."

"She gave her honest opinion straight from the shoulder without worrying about hurting anyone feelings at all."

used when one is about to say something that is only based on information they have

"To the best of my knowledge, he is honest."

"To the best of my knowledge the meeting is still scheduled for ten o'clock tomorrow morning in the conference room."

to continuously talk about something, in a way that seems foolish or careless

"He shoots off his mouth."

"He always shoots off his mouth about things he knows nothing about."

in a state in which one is disliked by someone

"I am in his bad books today."

"The lazy intern is in the boss's bad books after arriving late for work three times this week."

in a state in which someone is very pleased with one

"She is in my good books."

"The helpful employee is in the manager's good books because she always volunteers to work late when there is an emergency."

to change one's opinion, attitude, or way of speaking, usually to something very different from before

"He changed his tune quickly."

"After seeing the test results, the critic was forced to change his tune about the young artist's talent."

to have an understanding of how one is viewed or valued by another person

"I know where I stand with him."

"Before I accept the job offer I need to know where I stand regarding salary and opportunities for promotion."

to have a very negative opinion about someone or something and to be unable to say anything positive or complimentary about them

"He does not have a good word to say about anyone."

"My grumpy neighbour does not have a single good word to say about anyone on our street."

to refrain from speaking or expressing one's thoughts or opinions

"He wanted to argue but held his tongue."

"He wanted to argue but decided to hold his tongue to avoid causing a big argument."