- firm
- {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} nounADJECTIVE▪ big, large, major▪ medium-sized▪ small▪ well-known▪ successful▪ prestigious▪ established▪ start-up (esp. BrE)▪
start-up firms in the booming computer market
▪ private▪ family▪ international, multinational▪ foreign▪ local▪ Boston-based, Tokyo-based, etc.▪ accountancy (esp. BrE), accounting (esp. AmE), audit, auditing, consulting, engineering, law, manufacturing, marketing, PR, software (esp. BrE), etc.▪ mail-order (esp. BrE)VERB + FIRM▪ establish, found, launch, set up, start, start up (esp. BrE)▪She set up her own software firm.
▪ head, head up, manage, run▪ merge with▪They are likely to merge with a bigger firm.
▪ acquire, buy, buy out, take over▪The firm was taken over by a multinational consultancy.
▪ close, close down▪the decision to close down the firm
▪ own▪ work for▪ join, leave▪ employ, hire▪She hired a firm of private detectives to follow him.
FIRM + VERB▪ be based in sth▪a firm called Data Inc., based in Chicago
▪ expand, grow▪ merge▪ compete▪Local firms are finding it difficult to compete in the international market.
▪ operate▪US firms operating in China
▪ close, close down, collapse, fail, go bust (esp. BrE), go into liquidation (esp. BrE)▪The well-established firm closed down with the loss of 600 jobs.
▪ develop sth, make sth, manufacture sth, produce sth, sell sth▪ specialize in sth▪a firm specializing in high-tech products
▪ employ sb, hire sb (esp. AmE)▪The firm employs 85 000 people around the world.
PREPOSITION▪ in a/the firm, within a/the firm▪the different departments within the firm
PHRASES▪ a client of a firm▪ a firm of accountants, consultants, solicitors, etc. (BrE)▪ a partner in a firm{{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}}adj.1 solid/strongVERBS▪ be, feel, look, seem▪ remain, stay▪Exercise is important if you want your muscles to stay firm.
▪ make sth▪Use extra stuffing to make the cushions firmer.
▪ keep sth▪exercises to keep your muscles firm
ADVERB▪ extremely, fairly, very, etc.2 not likely to changeVERBS▪ be, sound▪ hold, remain, stand▪Jo held firm: nothing else would do.
▪We stand firm on these principles.
ADVERB▪ extremely, fairly, very, etc.PREPOSITION▪ with▪I have always been quite firm with my children.
Firm is used with these nouns: ↑action, ↑adherence, ↑advocate, ↑assurance, ↑base, ↑basis, ↑belief, ↑believer, ↑breast, ↑buttock, ↑chin, ↑commitment, ↑conclusion, ↑conviction, ↑date, ↑decision, ↑denial, ↑diagnosis, ↑discipline, ↑dough, ↑evidence, ↑favourite, ↑flesh, ↑foothold, ↑footing, ↑foundation, ↑friendship, ↑government, ↑grasp, ↑grip, ↑ground, ↑grounding, ↑guarantee, ↑guidance, ↑hand, ↑handshake, ↑hold, ↑idea, ↑impression, ↑indication, ↑instruction, ↑intention, ↑jaw, ↑leadership, ↑line, ↑mattress, ↑mouth, ↑offer, ↑order, ↑plan, ↑prediction, ↑pressure, ↑promise, ↑recommendation, ↑resolution, ↑shake, ↑smack, ↑stance, ↑stand, ↑statement, ↑stomach, ↑support, ↑surface, ↑texture, ↑thigh, ↑tone, ↑tug, ↑voice
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
