spot

{{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}}

noun

1 small mark on the skin ⇨ See also ↑pimple

ADJECTIVE

▪ beauty

▪

She had a small beauty spot on the left side of her face.

▪ liver

VERB + SPOT

▪ break out in

▪

The children all had measles, and had broken out in spots.

▪ scratch, squeeze (BrE)

2 place/area

ADJECTIVE

▪ exact, particular, precise

▪ convenient, good, ideal, perfect, right, suitable

▪

Take the time to find the right spot to pitch your tent.

▪ beautiful, beauty (BrE), idyllic (esp. BrE), lovely (esp. BrE), pleasant

▪

It's a beautiful spot to relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.

▪

The lake is one of the local beauty spots.

▪ favourite/favorite, popular

▪

a popular spot for picnickers

▪ deserted, desolate, isolated, lonely, remote

▪ quiet, secluded

▪ shady, sheltered

▪ sunny

▪ holiday (BrE), tourist, vacation (AmE)

▪ picnic

▪ skate, surf (both esp. AmE)

▪ parking

▪ sore, tender

▪ sensitive (often figurative)

▪

From his angry reply it was obvious that I had touched a sensitive spot.

▪ sweet (informal)

▪

It's easier to hit the sweet spot on larger-faced golf clubs.

▪ vulnerable, weak

▪

Check your house for weak spots where a thief could get in.

▪ blind (often figurative)

▪

I have a blind spot where jazz is concerned (= I don't understand it).

▪ danger, hot, trouble

▪

one of the world's major trouble spots

▪ bald

▪

He usually wears a hat to hide his bald spot.

VERB + SPOT

▪ mark

▪

On your map, X marks the spot where the race begins.

▪ point to

▪

She pointed to a spot on the map.

▪

The referee pointed to the spot (= the penalty spot). (BrE)

▪ reach

▪ be frozen to, be rooted to

▪

He stood rooted to the spot, unable to move.

▪ find, pick

▪

They picked a good spot for a picnic.

PREPOSITION

▪ on the spot

▪

The police were on the spot within minutes.

PHRASES

▪ an accident black spot (BrE)

▪ a bright spot (figurative)

▪

The birth of my son was the one bright spot in a terrible year.

▪ a tight spot, a tough spot (figurative)

▪

The captain's knee injury leaves the team in a tight spot.

3 position (in a sport, etc.)

ADJECTIVE

▪ high, top

▪ number-one, number-two, etc.

▪

The album quickly reached the number-one spot in the charts.

▪ second, third, etc.

▪ lead-off (AmE), starting

▪ final

▪ play-off (AmE), qualifying, runner-up

▪

The Korean team secured two qualifying spots for the Olympic Games.

▪ promotion, relegation (both BrE)

▪ roster (AmE)

▪

That leaves one roster spot, and the team will need a versatile player to fill it.

VERB + SPOT

▪ claim, secure

▪

Glamorgan claimed the top spot in the League.

▪ earn

▪

She has earned a spot on the national team.

4 part of a show on TV, etc.

ADJECTIVE

▪ radio, TV

▪ guest

▪ promo (informal), promotional

{{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}}

verb

ADVERB

▪ immediately, quickly, soon

▪ easily

▪

Most of these fossils are too small to be easily spotted.

▪ suddenly

▪ eventually, finally

VERB + SPOT

▪ be difficult to, be hard to

▪ be easy to

▪

The birds should be easy enough to spot.

▪ fail to

PHRASES

▪ well spotted (esp. BrE)

▪

‘There's a parking space over there.’ ‘Well spotted!’

Spot is used with these nouns as the object: ↑advert, ↑advertisement, ↑chance, ↑danger, ↑difference, ↑error, ↑flaw, ↑gap, ↑inconsistency, ↑movement, ↑niche, ↑prey, ↑problem, ↑sign, ↑similarity, ↑talent, ↑twinkle