Unit 3 · New Headway Advanced Vocabulary List

to position one's body like a ball with one's arms and legs placed close to one's body while sitting

"The cat curls up by the fire."

"The cat likes to curl up on the warm blanket near the fireplace during cold winter nights."

to regard someone or something as inferior or unworthy of respect or consideration

"Do not look down on others."

"Some wealthy people tend to look down on those who have less money than they do which is very snobbish."

to put one's body in a flat position in order to sleep or rest

"She lies down for a short nap."

"I need to lie down for a few minutes because I am feeling very dizzy and tired after the long walk."

to set money or resources aside for future use

"Save up for a new car."

"The young couple is trying to save up enough money for a down payment on their first small house."

to become faster

"They will speed up."

"The cyclist decided to speed up to catch up with the group that had gotten ahead of him on the steep hill."

to become silent or less noisy

"Quiet down the noisy classroom."

"The librarian asked the noisy students to quiet down so that others could study in peace."

to simplify or reduce the intellectual content of something in order to make it more accessible or appealing to a wider audience

"Do not dumb down the content."

"The television network was accused of trying to dumb down its news coverage to appeal to a less educated audience."

to dress in a more casual or informal manner than usual, often for a specific occasion or to conform to a dress code

"We will dress down today."

"On Fridays, the office allows employees to dress down in jeans and casual shirts."

to make someone excited, enthusiastic, or motivated, often for a particular purpose or activity

"Fire up the crowd."

"The coach's inspiring speech managed to fire up the team before the crucial final match."

to willingly step back from a position or authority, and allow someone else to take over

"The general will stand down."

"After years of dedicated service, the CEO decided to stand down and let the new generation lead."

to bring something to a conclusion or resolution, often in a way that was unexpected or unplanned

"Wind up the meeting quickly."

"Let me wind up this conversation because I have another meeting to attend in ten minutes."

to buy the whole supply of something such as tickets, stocks, goods, etc.

"They bought up all the tickets."

"The large corporation planned to buy up all the smaller competing businesses to create a monopoly in the market."

to entirely consume a resource, leaving none remaining

"We use up all the fuel."

"We used up all of the hot water during our morning showers so there was none left for anyone else."

to move past a negative reputation, embarrassing situation, or mistake by demonstrating better behavior over time

"He cannot live down that embarrassment."

"The young actor will never live down the embarrassing performance he gave in that terrible movie."

to change from being a child into an adult little by little

"Children grow up in a small town."

"When I grow up I want to become a doctor so I can help sick people get better and live healthier lives."

to make a space or environment become brighter and less gloomy, by adding more light sources or using lighter colors and materials

"Lighten up the room."

"We need to lighten up the living room with brighter paint and more lamps to make it feel welcoming."

having enough money to cover one's expenses and maintain a desirable lifestyle

"The family is well-off."

"They are well off now but they remember what it was like to struggle financially when they were first starting their careers together."

costing a lot of money, more than the necessary or affordable amount

"Her lifestyle is extravagant."

"The extravagant wedding cost over one hundred thousand dollars and included a live band and a seven tier cake."

possessing a great amount of riches and material goods

"She lives in an affluent area."

"The affluent suburb had large houses manicured lawns and excellent schools for the children of wealthy families."

to show courage and strength in a difficult situation

"Man up and face your fears."

"His father told him to man up and face the consequences of his actions instead of crying about them."

to make something seem more important or noticeable by highlighting it

"He plays up his role in the project."

"The media decided to play up the minor scandal because it would attract more viewers and increase their ratings."

the condition or state of experiencing severe difficulty or suffering

"The family endures great hardship during the war."

"The family endures great hardship during the war and their house is destroyed by a bomb."

rich and financially successful

"The country is prosperous."

"The prosperous country has a low unemployment rate and its citizens enjoy a high standard of living with good public services."

to experience a period of financial or personal difficulty

"The family fell on hard times after the fire."

"The family fell on hard times after the father lost his job at the factory."

used to refer to the action of rising from the depth of poverty to the highest of riches

"His story is a classic from rags to riches."

"The successful businessman went from rags to riches after inventing a popular new smartphone application."

to accumulate a large amount of wealth or money through one's own efforts, often through business ventures or investments

"He made a fortune in real estate."

"She made a fortune by selling her handmade crafts online to customers all over the world."

to experience difficulties or challenges in life, often over a prolonged period of time

"She has it rough now."

"After losing his job and his home, he has been having it rough for several months without any support."

to move to a higher place

"She moved up in her career."

"She worked hard and was able to move up quickly within the company to a senior management position."

to change one's position from a lying position into an upright one

"Please sit up straight."

"The doctor advised the patient to sit up slowly after the surgery to avoid dizziness."

to turn a switch on a device so that it makes more sound, heat, etc.

"She turns up the radio volume."

"The music was too quiet so I asked the DJ to turn up the volume so everyone could hear the song clearly."

to reduce the amount, size, or number of something

"Cut down the tree."

"The company decided to cut down expenses by reducing staff and renegotiating contracts."

to move with a lower speed or rate of movement

"Slow down before the intersection."

"Drivers must slow down when approaching a school zone because children may be crossing the street."

to buy and sell or exchange items of value

"Nations trade goods with other nations."

"The two countries agreed to trade goods without imposing heavy tariffs on each other."

to wear formal clothes for a special occasion or event

"Dress up for party."

"The children love to dress up in their parents' clothes and pretend to be grown ups."

to establish a fresh entity, such as a company, system, or organization

"Set up the tent carefully."

"They plan to set up a small charity to help homeless people find shelter and food."

to start a computer or other electronic device and load its operating system into memory for use

"Please boot up the computer."

"It took a surprisingly long time for the old computer to fully boot up this morning."

(of a machine or vehicle) to stop working as a result of a malfunction

"The car will break down."

"My old car is likely to break down again due to its age and poor maintenance."

to make something stop working

"He shuts down the computer before leaving."

"Please shut down your computer properly before leaving the office to avoid losing any unsaved work."

to clarify a particular detail or aspect after precise investigation

"Pin down the exact location."

"The detective tried to pin down the suspect to a specific location and time for the crime."

to find a place to live and embrace a more stable and routine way of life

"He will settle down."

"After years of traveling the world, he decided it was time to settle down and start a family."

to no longer be asleep

"I wake up at seven AM."

"I usually wake up at seven in the morning and then make coffee."

to use up all of one's energy, especially to the point of stopping or ceasing to function

"The battery will run down."

"If you leave the lights on all night, the car battery will eventually run down completely."

to express thoughts freely and confidently

"Please speak up in class."

"If you have a question please speak up because the other students cannot hear you from the back of the room."

to become less angry, upset, or worried

"He calms down and takes a breath."

"The mother tried to calm down her crying baby by rocking him gently and singing a soft lullaby in his ear."

to stop trying when faced with failures or difficulties

"Never give up on your dreams."

"Do not give up on your dreams just because you face a few obstacles along the way."

to lower something that was previously raised or suspended

"Let down the flag."

"The movers carefully let down the heavy piano from the second-floor balcony."

a time of little economic activity and high unemployment, which lasts for a long time

"The Great Depression was bad."

"The prolonged economic depression caused widespread hardship and social unrest."

(of a person) displaying a childish behavior due to being treated very well or having been given everything they desired in the past

"The spoiled child cried."

"The spoiled child threw a tantrum when he didn't get the toy he wanted immediately."

owning a great amount of money or things that cost a lot

"He is very rich."

"The entrepreneur became incredibly rich after successfully launching several innovative technology companies."

not boasting about one's abilities, achievements, or belongings

"He is modest about his success."

"He was modest about his achievements and never boasted about the awards he had won even though he had every reason to be proud."

a specific amount of money set aside for a particular use

"We have a small budget."

"The company carefully managed its marketing budget to ensure maximum return on investment."

exercising caution and thoughtfulness in financial decisions to avoid wasteful or unnecessary expenses

"Be careful with money."

"She was always careful with her finances, meticulously budgeting every cent."