Collocations
Collocations
Explore English words that belong together, with meanings, examples, and sentence practice. Browse by CEFR level or pattern, and add collocations to your deck for regular review.
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Showing 865–960 of 1187 phrases
Verb + noun(1)
Adjective + noun(57)
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purple passage
a section of writing with conspicuously elaborate or flowery language
rapacious appetite
an intense and greedy hunger for large amounts of food
realistic portraiture
portrait art that depicts people in a lifelike way
red sorrel
a tropical plant grown for fleshy edible flower parts and useful fiber, also called roselle
sable antelope
a large dark African antelope with long backward-curving horns
sensitive fern
a spreading fern with divided fronds and beadlike clusters that contain spores
soft palate
the flexible muscular area at the back of the roof of the mouth
southern magnolia
a large evergreen magnolia with glossy leaves and fragrant white flowers
stormy petrel
a small dark petrel with white markings found around the northern Atlantic and Mediterranean
strange particle
a subatomic particle assigned a nonzero value of the quantum property called strangeness
unexampled prosperity
A level of economic success greater than any previously experienced.
ungrudging admiration
Respect and approval given freely, without reluctance or resentment.
unmarked form
a linguistic expression that is ordinary in its context and carries no special stylistic effect
visceral pericardium
The inner layer of the serous pericardium, lying on the heart's surface.
white corpuscle
A white blood cell involved in defending the body against infection and other threats.
white vitriol
A traditional chemical name for zinc sulfate, a pale crystalline salt.
abominable treatment
behavior toward someone that is exceptionally cruel or unacceptable
acrid odor
a harsh, unpleasant smell that irritates the nose or throat
acrimonious dispute
a disagreement marked by bitter anger and hostile remarks
anthropocentric view
an interpretation that places human beings and their interests at the center
arcane science
a specialized field of knowledge understood by very few people
aristocratic sentiment
an attitude favoring the values, privileges, or authority of hereditary elites
arithmetic progression
a number sequence with the same difference between each pair of neighboring terms
benighted country
a nation described disparagingly as ignorant or culturally unenlightened
black bombazine
dark twilled cloth traditionally used to make mourning garments
brackish lagoon
a coastal body of water containing a mixture of fresh water and seawater
calamitous defeat
a loss that causes disastrous consequences
callous indifference
a hardened lack of concern for other people's suffering
capitalistic exploitation
unfair use of people's work or circumstances for private economic gain
cataleptic state
a trance-like condition with loss of voluntary movement and response to outside stimuli
certain cachet
a distinctive measure of prestige or fashionable appeal
cogitative faculty
the mental power to think, reflect, and reason
connubial bliss
deep happiness within a marriage
decadal variability
changes occurring over periods of roughly ten years
defensive attribution
blaming victims for their misfortune as a way to feel less personally vulnerable
economic backwater
a place with little business growth or participation in wider economic activity
engaging frankness
an appealing openness and willingness to speak honestly
epistemological dualism
the view that the mind knows external objects through its own ideas or representations of them
felonious intent
an intention to commit a serious criminal act
formal attire
clothes suited to an official, ceremonial, or particularly smart occasion
full circumference
The entire distance or boundary around an object or area.
geocentric cosmology
A model of the universe that places Earth at its center.
ghostly apparition
A figure or image that appears to be a ghost.
ignominious retreat
A withdrawal that causes shame or humiliation.
immense gratification
A very strong feeling of pleasure or satisfaction.
indomitable optimism
A hopeful outlook that persists despite serious difficulties or setbacks.
inherent antagonism
Opposition or conflict arising from the nature of the things involved.
inviolable oath
A solemn promise regarded as binding and never to be broken.
large carnivore
A meat-eating animal of substantial body size.
last bastion
The final remaining group or place strongly defending a principle or way of life.
mere conjecture
An explanation or belief based only on speculation rather than sufficient evidence.
mere rhetoric
Persuasive or impressive words unsupported by meaningful action or substance.
occult lore
Traditional knowledge or beliefs concerning hidden, magical, or supernatural matters.
old crone
An insulting or literary description of an elderly woman, often portrayed as unattractive or frightening.
olympian detachment
A lofty, aloof calm that seems removed from ordinary concerns.
papal dispensation
Permission granted by the pope to make an exception to a Church rule in a particular case.
personal cleanliness
The practice or state of keeping one's body and clothing clean.
Noun + noun(24)
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potash alum
the crystalline double sulfate of potassium and aluminum
raspberry liqueur
a sweet alcoholic spirit flavored with raspberries
resurrection fern
a fern that grows on rocks or tree trunks and has grayish, scaly frond undersides
rice weevil
a small brown weevil that infests stored grain, especially rice
rose geranium
a fragrant-leaved geranium of a group originating in southern Africa
saffron crocus
the crocus cultivated for the aromatic stigmas used as saffron
salmon roe
salmon eggs, especially when prepared as food
sarsaparilla root
the dried aromatic root of certain Smilax plants used for flavoring
sassafras oil
an aromatic oil obtained from the root bark of sassafras trees
savant syndrome
a condition in which someone with a developmental or other cognitive disability has exceptional skill in a particular area
sea hare
a soft-bodied marine mollusk with tentacles that resemble ears
skid road
a logging road along which cut timber is dragged
slam dunk
a basketball shot in which a player forcefully pushes the ball down through the hoop
star fort
a fortification with pointed projecting defenses arranged in a star shape
stone curlew
a large-eyed, mainly nocturnal ground bird also known as a thick-knee
surface condenser
a heat exchanger that turns steam into liquid by cooling it against a surface
tiger salamander
a North American salamander with a dark body marked by yellowish blotches
tulip poplar
a tall North American tree with tulip-shaped greenish-yellow flowers, also called a tulip tree
turkey buzzard
a New World vulture commonly called the turkey vulture
willow tree
A tree of the willow group, commonly associated with flexible branches and damp ground.
barrel cactus
a rounded, strongly ribbed cactus with the shape of a barrel and numerous spines
gram equivalent
An amount of a substance whose mass in grams equals its equivalent weight for a specified chemical reaction.
lynch law
The practice of mob punishment, especially killing, without a lawful trial.
monitor lizard
A large predatory lizard of the monitor group, native to warm regions of Africa, Asia, and Australia.
Verb + adverb(5)
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stave off
to prevent or delay something harmful or unwanted
stub out
to put out a cigarette or cigar by pressing and crushing its burning end
trifle away
to waste time, money, or another resource on unimportant things
whisk away
To take someone or something away quickly and suddenly.
assimilate quickly
to become integrated into a surrounding culture or group within a short time
Adverb + adjective(8)
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simply incapable
unable, by one's character or disposition, to do a particular thing
strongly territorial
very protective of an area against intruders or rivals
analytically prior
logically more basic or needing to be established first within an analysis
austerely simple
plain and restrained, with very little decoration or comfort
chronologically older
having an earlier birth or origin date, regardless of other signs of age
entirely antithetical
completely opposed in nature, purpose, or principle
essentially vulgar
fundamentally coarse or lacking in refinement and good taste
grossly deficient
Lacking something important to a serious and obvious degree.