Taste & Will: English Vocabulary List

to get or do what one wants despite the odds or other people's desires

"The child always gets his own way."

"The spoiled child always gets his own way because his parents never say no to him."

used for saying that someone strongly refuses to participate in or be associated with something, often due to strong dislike, embarrassment, or a sense of moral objection

"I would not be caught dead in that hat."

"I would not be caught dead wearing that ugly shirt to a party because it is embarrassing."

a type of activity, subject, etc. that one is very good at or enjoys very much

"Swimming is my cup of tea."

"Classical music is not really my cup of tea, but I enjoy listening to jazz."

to be something that one is interested in

"This music is my scene."

"While he enjoys action movies, sci-fi is definitely not his scene."

to tell someone that they are really about to enjoy something

"You are in for a treat!"

"If you love chocolate, you are in for a treat with this new dessert."

used for saying that someone can do something whenever and however they want

"You can leave at your pleasure."

"The guests were told they could explore the gardens at their pleasure."

a task that is done only for the sake of one's pleasure and not for any rewards of any kind

"This garden is a labor of love."

"Restoring the old car was a labour of love for my father because he enjoyed every minute of the work."

to observe someone or something with a great sense of pleasure or fulfillment

"Feast your eyes on this beautiful view."

"We feasted our eyes on the beautiful sunset over the mountains and took many photographs to remember it."

to perform any activity in the way that one prefers, paying no attention to what others might say or think about one

"She does as she please."

"Ever since he moved out of his parents' house, he does as he pleases without asking anyone."

to do whatever makes one happy or satisfied, without caring about other's opinions

"I like to do my own thing."

"After retiring he finally had time to do his own thing and pursue his hobbies like painting and gardening."

to turn something down because one believes that it is not satisfactory enough

"She turned her nose up at dinner."

"The critic turned his nose up at the new restaurant, claiming the food was mediocre and overpriced."

to naturally be good at noticing, judging, or appreciating something, particularly a thing's value or a person's talents

"She has an eye for art."

"My grandmother has an eye for beautiful antiques and rare vintage furniture."

to alter one's facial expression in response to someone or something, often to convey emotions such as dislike, disgust, or mockery

"The boy pulled a face at me."

"The little boy pulled a funny face at his sister to make her laugh loudly."

to fulfill one's need or desire for something

"He scratched that itch yesterday."

"She finally decided to scratch that itch and booked a trip to Italy to fulfill her travel dreams."

used to say that someone is indifferent about having, eating, seeing, or doing something

"I can take it or leave it."

"Honestly, I could take or leave that new movie because the story was not very interesting to me."

(of an activity) too time consuming or requiring a lot of effort to be done or completed

"That sounds too much like hard work."

"Cooking a complicated meal after a long day at work is too much like hard work so I ordered pizza instead."

something that a person finds so interesting that they cannot let go of it

"The documentary was a rabbit hole."

"Learning about the history of ancient Rome became a fascinating rabbit hole for her."