Unit 12 · New Headway Upper Intermediate Vocabulary List

to need a significant amount of time to be able to happen, be completed, or achieved

"Learning a language takes time."

"Learning a new language takes time and patience so do not expect to become fluent quickly."

used to tell someone to change their life style and start doing more exciting or important things

"Get a life now!"

"Instead of constantly complaining about others, you should really get a life and find some hobbies."

to spend or use time in a way that does not achieve anything or have a particular goal

"We played cards to kill time."

"I arrived too early for my appointment so I walked around the park to kill some time."

used to express that after failing twice, one is bound to succeed on the third try

"Third time lucky! I finally passed the test!"

"Third time lucky! I finally passed the driving test after failing it twice before today."

used in a situation when there is only a little time to do something and one must be careful not to waste any of it

"There is no time to lose, hurry up."

"The ambulance driver had no time to lose so he drove very fast through the city streets."

involving minimal effort or hardship

"She has a cushy job."

"The cushy office job paid well and required very little effort so he felt lucky to have it."

to become lively and energetic

"The party came to life after midnight."

"The boring party finally came to life when the live band started playing energetic dance music."

to express strongly and confidently that something is undoubtedly true or will certainly happen

"I bet my bottom dollar he is late."

"I would bet my bottom dollar that he forgets our anniversary again this year like he always does."

used to encourage someone who has just missed an opportunity or failed to succeed in a particular field

"Better luck next time! You will succeed."

"Better luck next time. You will succeed. Do not let this failure discourage you from trying again."

another chance for someone to become more healthy, energetic, or adopting a more optimistic view on life

"Her new hobby gave her a new lease of life."

"After recovering from his illness my father got a new lease of life and started traveling again."

for a limited period, usually until a certain condition changes

"Stay here for the time being."

"For the time being stay here and do not go anywhere until I come back to get you."

to remain strong, valuable, or effective over a long period, despite changes or challenges

"Their love stood the test of time."

"Their fifty year marriage has certainly stood the test of time and inspired all their grandchildren."

only a few moments before it is still possible to get something done or avoid something bad from happening

"He arrived in the nick of time."

"He arrived in the nick of time and caught the train just as the doors were closing."

to be willing to do whatever it takes to avoid trouble or conflict and have a peaceful and stress-free existence

"I would do anything for quiet."

"She agreed to work late again just to keep the peace and do anything for a quiet life at the office."

used to say that it is typical of a person to experience an unfortunate event

"Always losing my keys, that is the story of my life."

"I missed the bus again today which is the story of my life lately and very frustrating."

to be in or to get oneself into a situation that may result in an unpleasant or dangerous outcome

"Do not run the risk please."

"If you invest all your savings in one stock, you run the risk of losing everything in the market crash."

a careful and systematic study of a subject to discover new facts or information about it

"He is doing research on cancer cures."

"Groundbreaking research often requires years of dedication and interdisciplinary collaboration."

to consider something when trying to make a judgment or decision

"Take the weather into account before you pack."

"When planning the trip we need to take the weather into account because it might rain heavily."

to start or begin something, often with a sense of urgency or purpose

"Let's get it going."

"We need to get the project going immediately to meet the upcoming deadline."

to make two or more strangers get comfortable with each other and engage in a conversation

"He told a joke to break the ice."

"He told a funny joke to break the ice at the beginning of the awkward business meeting."

to be able to take care of oneself without needing any assistance from others

"It is time you stood on your own two feet."

"After graduating from university he learned to stand on his own two feet without any help."

to follow one's intuition instead of rules or what others say

"Just follow your nose to the bakery."

"I did not have a map so I just followed my nose and somehow found the train station."

not in a state of sleep or unconsciousness

"I am still awake."

"The coffee helped her stay awake during the long drive and she arrived at her destination safely without falling asleep at the wheel."

used to express acceptance or resignation to the way things are, particularly when faced with an unpleasant or difficult situation

"I missed the train again. That is life!"

"The project was cancelled after months of hard work — but that is life, and the team moved on quickly."

used to show one's confidence in dealing with another person's behavior and using it to their disadvantage

"You tried to trick me? Two can play."

"If you think you can manipulate me, remember that two can play this game effectively."

to a large extent

"I have a great deal of respect for you."

"She has spent a great deal of time practicing the piano and her skill shows it."

used to refer to a number of things or people, more than two but not many

"Several people called today."

"Several people have already volunteered to help with the clean up after the storm."

a small unspecified number of people or things

"Few people know the truth."

"Few people know the real story because it has been kept secret for many years."

to become interested or enthusiastic about something, often to the point of obsession

"She got the travel bug."

"After his first trip to Japan, he got the travel bug and started planning a new adventure every month."

someone or something that is irritating, troublesome, or causes inconvenience

"This traffic is such pain."

"My neighbor's dog barks all night, and it is such a pain trying to sleep peacefully."

to experience the sudden, surprising, and overwhelming impact of something, that catches someone off guard and leaves them feeling stunned or overwhelmed

"The bad news hit me like a ton of bricks."

"The bad news hit him like a ton of bricks and he had to sit down immediately."

used to express relief that something has finally happened, after a long delay or period of waiting

"The train arrived, not before time."

"The government finally passed the bill, and it was not before time considering the urgent need for action."

at any convenient or available time, without the need for careful planning or scheduling

"You can call me any old time."

"You can come over to visit me any old time because I am usually at home all day."

used to indicate satisfaction or approval with a change or improvement in a situation

"This coffee is more like it."

"After weeks of delays, the project is finally on track, and this is more like it for our team."

used to express surprise, disbelief, or amazement about something that has just been said or observed

"Fancy that! You were right."

"Fancy that! You were right all along, and I was completely wrong."

a variety of unspecified things or situations

"We talked about this and that."

"We spent the whole afternoon just chatting about this and that without discussing anything really important."

used to refer nostalgically to a past time or era, often implying that the time being referred to was a better or more enjoyable time

"We used to play outside all day as kids. Those were the days!"

"He looked at old photos of the company's early years and smiled — those were the days."

used to indicate that there is nothing more to say or do about a particular matter

"We are done, that is all."

"The project is complete and all issues have been addressed; that is all we need to discuss for now."

used to say that unfortunate or unexpected events sometimes occur and that it is a natural part of life to experience them

"I broke a glass. These things happen."

"The launch did not go as planned, but the team stayed calm — these things happen, and they adapted quickly."

used to describe a day that is particularly difficult or frustrating

"It is one of those days when everything goes wrong."

"I spilled my coffee and missed the bus so I think it is going to be one of those days."

used to say that difficult or challenging situations are a natural part of life and are meant to test our strength and resilience

"The computer crashed right before I saved. These things are sent to try us."

"Every time they were close to finishing, a new problem appeared — truly, these things are sent to try us."

to stop talking about or discussing something, especially when there is no need for further elaboration or action

"Let's leave it at that."

"After a brief explanation, he decided to leave it at that and not delve into further uncomfortable details."

used to ask for someone's opinion or reaction to a particular idea, proposal, or suggestion

"We could go hiking this weekend — how does that grab you?"

"I have drafted a new marketing strategy that targets younger audiences — how does that grab you?"

used to encourage or praise someone for their positive attitude or determination in a difficult or challenging situation

"You kept trying even when it was hard. That is the spirit!"

"The new recruit stayed late every night to master the system — that is the spirit, said her supervisor."

to have an intuition or a premonition about something without any logical or rational explanation

"I have a feeling we are lost."

"I have a funny feeling that we took the wrong turn because nothing looks familiar around here."

exactly at the specified time, neither late nor early

"Please arrive on time."

"Please arrive on time for the meeting because we have a lot to discuss and the schedule is very tight."

used to indicate that something should have happened or been done earlier

"It is high time now."

"It is about time you started taking your studies seriously if you want to pass your final exams."

to complete or conduct a task, job, etc.

"They carry out the plan carefully."

"The scientist needed special permission to carry out his dangerous experiment safely."

to start or grow to be

"She wants to become a teacher."

"He wants to become a pilot when he grows up and fly airplanes all over the world."

easy to see or notice

"His disappointment was apparent."

"His disappointment was apparent to everyone because he could not hide the sad look on his face."

to experience and be affected by something bad or unpleasant

"Many people suffer from allergies."

"Many people suffer from allergies during spring because of the high pollen levels in the air."

a dangerous condition in which a person loses consciousness as a result of a blood vessel breaking open or becoming blocked in their brain, which could kill or paralyze a part of their body

"He had a stroke"

"He had a stroke suddenly and was immediately taken to the hospital for emergency treatment"

to break down food in the body and to absorb its nutrients and necessary substances

"It takes time to digest heavy food."

"It takes several hours for the stomach to digest a heavy meal especially if it contains a lot of fat or protein."

to attract or hold someone's attention or interest

"Grab my interest."

"The unexpected plot twist was designed to grab the audience's attention and keep them thoroughly engaged."

to follow one's intuition instead of rules or what others say

"I will follow my nose."

"Instead of sticking to the map, she decided to follow her nose and explore the hidden alleyways."

to act accordingly to someone or something's advice, commands, or instructions

"Follow the instructions carefully."

"Please follow the instructions carefully to avoid making mistakes that could delay the completion of the project."

the way according to which something normally happens or is done

"It's the same pattern."

"We observed a clear pattern in the customer purchasing habits over the last quarter."

to gain weight, often in a short period of time

"He will put on weight."

"After the holidays, many people tend to put on a few extra pounds."

to remove oneself from social interaction or avoid contact with others

"She will withdraw."

"He decided to withdraw from the social gathering after feeling overwhelmed by the crowd."

to a necessary amount

"We have enough food."

"We have enough food for everyone so please do not worry about running out."

including every part, member, etc.

"I ate the whole pizza."

"She ate the whole pizza by herself because she was starving after skipping lunch and working through her break at the office."

used to refer to every number, part, amount of something or a particular group

"All children like ice cream."

"All of the children were playing outside in the park when it started to rain."

used to refer to every one of two or more people or things, when you are thinking about them separately

"Each student has a book."

"Each student will receive a certificate at the end of the course for completing it successfully."

a plentiful or abundant amount of something

"There is plenty of food."

"There is plenty of evidence to support the conclusion that early intervention leads to better outcomes."

to a very small degree or extent

"I can hardly wait."

"After the long hike, he could hardly move his tired legs and felt completely exhausted."

not any of the members of a group of people or things

"None of the answers were correct."

"None of the students failed the exam because everyone had studied very hard for it."

used to say there is none of something

"No dogs are allowed here."

"No dogs are allowed in the park so please leave your pet at home."

used to indicate a small or limited amount of something, often uncountable

"I am a little tired."

"I am a little tired today because I stayed up late watching a movie last night."

used to indicate a small degree, amount, etc.

"There is little time left."

"There is little time left before the deadline so we need to work very fast."

used to refer to the largest number or amount

"Most students passed the exam."

"Most of the students passed the exam because they studied very hard every day."

to reach a conclusion or make a choice after careful consideration and evaluation of various options or possibilities

"They come to a decision."

"After much deliberation and weighing of evidence, the jury finally came to a unanimous verdict."

to an absolute or complete extent

"The target was dead."

"He was dead tired after running the marathon and immediately fell asleep."