word

word
{{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}}
noun
1 unit of language
ADJECTIVE
two-letter, three-letter, etc.
monosyllabic, polysyllabic
two-syllable, three-syllable, etc.
big, difficult, fancy, hard, long

He uses big words to impress people.

‘Mendacity’ is just a fancy word for ‘lying’.

polite

a more polite word for the same thing

unfamiliar
simple

The book uses simple words and pictures to explain complex processes.

compound, portmanteau (esp. BrE)

The portmanteau word ‘synergy’ combines ‘synthesis’ and ‘energy’.

native
borrowed, loan

When a new fruit is first imported, its name is usually also imported as a loan word.

foreign
Greek, Hebrew, Latin, etc.

‘Technology’ comes from the Greek word ‘techne’.

content, function
rhyming

The children are asked to think of rhyming words.

exact, precise, very

His exact words were, ‘There's nothing we can do about it.’

Those were her very words.

clear, plain
ambiguous
loaded

She used loaded words like ‘bully’ when describing his actions.

abstract, concrete
everyday

I find even everyday words difficult to spell.

archaic, obsolete
key

He wrote down a few key words to help him remember what to say.

operative

He seemed nice. But ‘seemed’ was the operative word.

right, wrong

You can't always find the right word when you're translating.

misspelled

I found several misspelled words and grammatical errors.

bad, curse (AmE), cuss (AmE, informal), dirty, four-letter, naughty, obscene, rude, taboo

The play is full of four-letter words.

Work is a dirty word to Frank. (figurative)

(see also swear word)
slang

It's a slang word meaning ‘boy’ or ‘person’.

household

His name has become a household word since he first appeared in the series.

code

The police use code words for their major operations.

buzz (usually buzzword), vogue

E-marketing is the current buzzword.

magic
printed, spoken, written

She combines visual images and the spoken word to great effect in her presentations.

VERB + WORD
have

Spanish has no word for ‘understatement’.

use

He uses lots of long words.

mention

I daren't even mention the word ‘money’ to him.

form, make

Rearrange the letters to form a word.

pronounce

How is this word pronounced?

mispronounce
spell
misuse

a word that is often misused

know, speak, understand

I don't speak a word of Swedish.

look up

She looked the word up in the dictionary.

find

I couldn't find the right word to express the concept.

choose, pick

He chose his words carefully when commenting on her work.

translate
coin, invent

The word ‘e-commerce’ was coined to refer to business done over the Internet.

WORD + VERB
mean sth, signify sth
refer to sth, relate to sth
convey sth, describe sth, express sth

words describing body parts

Words can't express how happy I am.

conjure sth up, evoke sth

The word ‘cruise’ conjures up images of a luxury.

imply sth
denote sth

Bold words denote chapter headings.

carry sth, have sth

The same word can carry numerous meanings.

The word has two meanings.

be derived from sth, come from sth, derive from sth

‘Window’ derives from a Norse word meaning ‘eye of the wind’.

begin with sth, end in sth, end with sth

a word beginning with ‘c’

rhyme (with sth), sound like sth

The words at the end of the lines all rhyme.

I'm not sure what he said but the word sounded like ‘bull’.

fail sb

Words fail me (= I cannot express how I feel).

WORD + NOUN
game, puzzle
identification, recognition

These students have very poor word-recognition skills.

choice
association
formation
list
PREPOSITION
in sb's words

The students had to retell the story in their own words.

word for

What's the French word for ‘snail’?

word in

one of the most common words in the English language

PHRASES
in all senses of the word

She was a true friend in all senses of the word.

in other words

They're letting me go—in other words, I've been sacked.

in so many words

They told me in so many words (= directly) that I was no longer needed.

in the true sense of the word

People who overeat are not addicts in the true sense of the word.

in words of one syllable (= using very simple language)

Could you say that again in words of one syllable?

2 a word that you say or write
ADJECTIVE
angry, cross (esp. BrE), hard, harsh

He never says a harsh word about his experiences.

hurtful, unkind
friendly, good, kind, nice

He hasn't a good word to say for anybody.

final, last (no plural)

The Chairman always has the last word (= the final decision) on financial decisions.

VERB + WORD
put in, say, speak, utter

If you run into the boss, put in a good word for me!

Nobody's uttered a word to me about it.

Every word he utters is is considered sacred.

give, say

Just say the word and I'll go.

scream, shout, yell

He kept shouting the word ‘No!’

repeat
whisper

He whispered the word to me.

slur

I knew he'd been drinking because he was slurring his words.

enunciate

He enunciated the word with extreme care.

not breathe

Don't breathe a word to anyone about what I've told you!

type, write
scrawl, scribble
inscribe
hear, read
mishear, misread

I misheard the word ‘sick’ as ‘thick’.

cross out, delete, erase, rub out (BrE)
insert, substitute

She deleted ‘girl’ and substituted the word ‘woman’.

emphasize, stress

By emphasizing particular words you can change the meaning.

hang on

The journalists hung on his every word as he spoke of his ordeal.

WORD + NOUN
count

Don't waffle in your essay just to get the right word count.

PREPOSITION
in a word

‘Would you like to help us?’ ‘In a word (= briefly), no.’

without a word

She left without a word.

word about

We never heard anyone say an unkind word about her.

word from

And now a word from our sponsors … 

word of

a word of advice/warning

PHRASES
get a word in, get a word in edgeways (BrE), get a word in edgewise (AmE)

I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't get a word in.

a man of few words, a woman of few words (= a person who speaks very little)
sb never spoke a truer word, never was a truer word spoken

You said we were about to make a big mistake, and never was a truer word spoken!

(= you were right)
not a single word, not a word

Remember—not a word to (= don't tell) Peter about any of this.

We didn't say a single word to each other all day.

not believe a word

I don't believe a word of what she said.

word for word (= exactly)

He repeated word for word what the boy had said to him.

(by) word of mouth

The restaurant does not advertise, but relies on word of mouth.

words per minute, words per second

He chatters away at about 200 words per minute.

He types 80 words per minute.

a word to the wise (= a piece of advice)

A word to the wise: just because it's a bargain doesn't mean you have to buy it.

3 words what sb says; talk
ADJECTIVE
few

I want to say a few words (= talk) about Christina.

good, friendly, kind

Thank you for those kind words.

unkind
angry, bitter, blunt, choice (ironic), cross, hard, harsh, strong
hurtful
polite

She was charmed by his friendly smile and polite words.

flattering, honeyed
comforting, encouraging, soothing

He tried to calm her with soothing words.

discouraging
empty, fine (ironic), meaningless

Despite all their fine words, the council have never done anything to improve road safety.

weasel

The government's promises on nurses' pay turned out to be weasel words (= deliberately unclear).

bold, brave

Despite his brave words, I don't believe he can save the factory from closure.

wise
well-chosen

He ruined her self-confidence with a few well-chosen words.

cautionary
soft, whispered

They exchanged whispered words of love.

unspoken

The look in her eyes filled in the unspoken words in her sentence.

dying, last

Her last words were for her children.

parting

Her parting words were ‘I'll be back’.

famous, immortal

the immortal words of Neil Armstrong as he stepped onto the moon

fateful, prophetic

Seconds after uttering the fateful words ‘this is easy!’ he crashed.

VERB + WORDS
have

She had some harsh words to say about her colleagues.

say, speak

Before we begin, I'd like to say a few words about who I am.

chant, intone, recite, sing
repeat
mouth

The audience mouthed the words to all the songs.

whisper

He whispered a few words of prayer.

blurt, blurt out

She had blurted the words out before she realized it.

mumble, murmur, mutter
spit, spit out

She was so furious, she almost spat the words out: ‘You idiot!’

bandy, exchange, have

I usually exchange a few words with him when I see him.

Words were exchanged (= there was an argument).

memorize

She had memorized all the words to the song.

recall, remember

We recall the words of Martin Luther King, ‘Free at last’.

heed

She has given us a warning, and we should heed her words.

quote
distort, twist

She felt angry at how the journalist had twisted her words.

borrow, echo

In her speech she echoed the President's words.

regret

She instantly regretted her words.

eat, take back

When he told her she would fail, she swore she would make him eat his words.

drown, drown out

Her words were drowned out by the roar of the engine.

not mince

He doesn't mince his words when he talks about his ex-boss.

WORDS + VERB
conjure sth up, evoke sth

Her words conjured up a strange picture in her mind.

come, come out, emerge, leave sb's lips, leave sb's mouth
burst from sb, escape, fall, flow, pour out, slip out, spill out, tumble out

He was nervous, and his words came out in a rush.

His words fell into the silence like stones.

stick in your throat

He wanted to tell her how he felt about her, but the words stuck in his throat.

drift, float, hang in the air

I let my words hang in the air. Maggie was no fool: she must realize I meant it.

haunt sb, linger

Those mocking words haunted me for years.

The words lingered in his mind long after they were spoken.

echo, resonate, resound, reverberate, ring

Her teacher's words echoed in her ears.

fade, fade away, tail away, tail off, trail away, trail off

His words faded to silence as he saw she didn't believe him.

hit home, strike a chord, strike home, touch a chord
hurt, sting
sink in

She could feel her temper boiling as his words sank in.

PREPOSITION
words of

She whispered words of comfort in his ear.

I listened to his words of wisdom.

PHRASES
(you) mark my words (= believe me)

Mark my words, this film will win an Oscar.

4 a word conversation
ADJECTIVE
quick
quiet

The manager had a quiet word with Alison, and she gave him no more problems.

VERB + A WORD
have

I've had a few words with John, and he's quite happy for you to stay.

I've had a word with John, and he's quite happy for you to stay.

PREPOSITION
word with

Can I have a quick word with you?

PHRASES
a word in sb's ear (BrE)

Can I have a word in your ear about tomorrow's presentation?

5 promise
ADJECTIVE
solemn

She gave him her solemn word that she would give up drugs.

VERB + WORD
give sb
be as good as, be true to, keep

He promised to help and was as good as his word.

True to her word, she returned next day.

break, go back on

Once he has made a promise, he never goes back on his word.

believe, trust

She gave me a promise, and I'm willing to trust her word.

doubt

I'm sorry I doubted your word.

PHRASES
have sb's word for sth (esp. BrE)

We only have her word for it that she sent the payment.

a man of his word, a woman of her word

You needn't worry about him not paying you back—he's a man of his word.

take sb at their word

He said I could stay at his house any time, so I took him at his word.

take sb's word for sth

I haven't seen his work, but I'll take his word for it that it's finished.

your word against sb's

If it's your word against the police officer's, the jury are going to believe him.

sb's word is their bond
word of honour/honor

He gave me his word of honour/honor that he wouldn't tell anyone.

6 information/news
VERB + WORD
bring, get, send

He sent word to his family that his captors were treating him well.

get, hear

We didn't get word of her arrest until the next day.

spread
WORD + VERB
get out, leak, leak out

If word gets out about the affair, he will have to resign.

spread

Word that he had died spread fast.

be, have it

The word is they've split up.

Word has it that she's leaving.

PREPOSITION
word about

Health workers spread the word about the benefits of immunization.

word of

We soon got word of his arrival.

PHRASES
the word on the street is (= people are saying)

The word on the street is there's going to be a takeover.

what's the word? (= what are people saying?)
{{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}}
verb
ADVERB
carefully, cautiously

We need to word our question carefully.

ambiguously, vaguely
broadly, loosely
poorly

a poorly worded request that resulted in confusion

strongly

He issued a very strongly worded statement denying any involvement in the plot.

differently

It's the same sentiment, though worded rather differently.


Collocations dictionary. 2013.

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  • Word — Word, n. [AS. word; akin to OFries. & OS. word, D. woord, G. wort, Icel. or[eth], Sw. & Dan. ord, Goth. wa[ u]rd, OPruss. wirds, Lith. vardas a name, L. verbum a word; or perhaps to Gr. rh twr an orator. Cf. {Verb}.] [1913 Webster] 1. The spoken… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Word Up! — «Word Up!» Сингл Cameo из альбома Word Up! Выпущен …   Википедия

  • word — ► NOUN 1) a single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing, used to form sentences with others. 2) a remark or statement. 3) (a word) even the smallest amount of something spoken or written: don t believe a word. 4) (words) angry talk.… …   English terms dictionary

  • word — [wʉrd] n. [ME < OE, akin to Ger wort < IE * werdh (extension of base * wer , to speak, say) > Gr eirein, to speak, L verbum, word] 1. a) a speech sound, or series of them, serving to communicate meaning and consisting of at least one… …   English World dictionary

  • WORD — WORD, in the Bible, primarily renders the Hebrew davar, but also omer (pl. amarim), imrah, and peh (lit. mouth ). The word of the Lord, an oft–recurring scriptural phrase, signifies a divine communication to man that reveals God s character or… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • word — O.E. word speech, talk, utterance, word, from P.Gmc. *wurdan (Cf. O.S., O.Fris. word, Du. woord, O.H.G., Ger. wort, O.N. orð, Goth. waurd), from PIE *were speak, say (see VERB (Cf. verb)). The meaning promise was in O.E., as …   Etymology dictionary

  • Word — (zumeist von engl. word „Wort“) steht für eine Textverarbeitungssoftware von Microsoft, siehe Microsoft Word ein Datenwort, die Grundverarbeitungsdatengröße bei einem Computer die Bekräftigung oder Zustimmung (zu) einer vorangegangenen Aussage,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • word — [n1] discussion chat, chitchat*, colloquy, confab*, confabulation, consultation, conversation, discussion, talk, tête è tête; concept 56 Ant. silence word [n2] statement account, adage, advice, announcement, bulletin, byword, comment,… …   New thesaurus

  • Word Up — may refer to:*Word Up!, a 1986 R B album by Cameo **Word Up!, a song on the above album, also covered by Gun, Melanie B and Korn *Word Up!, a slang phrase, usually an exclamation or interjection *Word Up, computer pub game, popular in the UK… …   Wikipedia

  • Word — Word, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Worded}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Wording}.] [1913 Webster] 1. To express in words; to phrase. [1913 Webster] The apology for the king is the same, but worded with greater deference to that great prince. Addison. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Word — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Word, palabra inglesa que significa precisamente palabra, puede referirse a: El programa de edición de textos Microsoft Word. Palabra (computación). Obtenido de Word Categoría: Wikipedia:Desambiguación …   Wikipedia Español

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