Understanding: English Vocabulary List

to be able to show or recognize a difference between two individuals or things

"She knows a hawk from a handsaw."

"An experienced investor should know a hawk from a handsaw when evaluating risky opportunities in the stock market."

a person or a thing that is easy to understand or predict

"His life is an open book."

"His life is an open book and he is honest about his past mistakes and failures."

to be able to easily understand what someone is thinking about or what their intention is

"I can read him like a book."

"After years of friendship, she could read him like a book and always knew exactly what he was thinking."

to discover or determine the underlying cause of something, particularly an issue

"Get to the heart of it."

"We need to get to the bottom of this problem before it escalates further and causes more damage."

to get an understanding of what someone's true intention is or how they feel based on what they say or write

"She can read between the lines well."

"If you read between the lines of his letter, you will notice that he is actually quite unhappy."

to frequently repeat something to someone so that they finally learn or memorize it

"The teacher drummed grammar into our heads."

"The strict teacher drummed the multiplication tables into the students heads through constant repetition."

reacting quickly or immediately to an opportunity or situation

"He was quick off the mark with his answer."

"The clever student was quick off the mark and answered the question before anyone else."

in a tone or manner that can be understood by many

"Explain it in words of one syllable."

"The teacher explained the difficult concept in words of one syllable so even the slowest student understood."

to suddenly realize the truth about a situation

"After reading the report, the scales finally fell from his eyes."

"The investigation revealed what had really been happening — for many employees, it was the moment the scales fell from their eyes."

a sudden realization or understanding of something, often an idea or solution

"I had a light bulb moment and solved the problem."

"She had a light bulb moment in the shower and suddenly solved the difficult physics problem."

to provide clarification, understanding, or insight into a topic, situation, or problem

"This document sheds light on the mystery."

"The document sheds light on the secret negotiations that took place between the two countries last year."

an experience that is as very thrilling and memorable

"It was a head trip."

"The psychedelic concert was a complete head trip, altering everyone's perception of reality."