Reaction & Response: English Vocabulary List

used to tell someone to stop annoying one with their action or behavior

"Cut it out — stop making that noise!"

"She told her colleagues to cut it out after the jokes became disruptive during the meeting."

used to express support, encouragement, or admiration for someone's efforts

"More power to your elbow!"

"Seeing your dedication to this challenging project, I wanted to say more power to your elbow and good luck."

used to say that there is no need for one to say more or offer more details

"We agree. Enough said."

"After explaining the situation briefly, he concluded with 'enough said,' implying that further elaboration was unnecessary."

used when one is angry, frustrated, or surprised by something

"For goodness' sake, hurry!"

"For goodness' sake, hurry up and finish your chores so we can go to the park and play."

used to show strong disagreement

"Perish the thought — I would never do that!"

"Perish the thought that we would ever compromise on our ethical standards for the sake of profit."

slow to start or react to a situation, often leading to a disadvantage or delay in progress

"He was slow off the mark."

"Because the team was slow off the mark, they missed the opportunity to secure the best client contracts."

to stay calm regardless of the situation one is in or things that happened

"She didn't turn a hair."

"Even during the terrible storm, the captain didn't turn a hair."

to show no sign of worry or surprise when something unexpected occurs

"He did not bat an eye."

"Despite the shocking news of the company's bankruptcy, the seasoned CEO did not bat an eye and calmly assessed the next steps."

to respond to an offense with patience, forgiveness, and a peaceful attitude instead of retaliating or seeking revenge

"He decided to turn the other cheek and forgive."

"When someone insults you sometimes it is better to turn the other cheek than to fight back."

to refrain from becoming upset about or offended by something

"He took my joke in good part."

"She took the criticism in good part and used it to improve her work."

to deny someone a definite answer to something or refuse to offer them help

"They gave me the runaround."

"The customer service representative seemed determined to give me the runaround, avoiding any direct answers about my refund."

in a way that shows willingness to accept new ideas or welcome people

"They welcomed us with open arms."

"The small, friendly community welcomed the new family with open arms, making them feel instantly at home."

to begin talking about a subject that is not in any way related to the original topic that is being discussed

"The professor often goes off on a tangent."

"The professor often goes off on a tangent and forgets the original topic of his lecture."