B2 (Upper-intermediate)

pessimism

pes·sim·ism   [ˈpesɪmɪzəm]    [ˈpesɪmɪzəm]  noun uncountable ~ (about/over sth)
a feeling that bad things will happen and that sth will not be successful; the tendency to have this feeling
• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects.
• This widespread pessimism does not seem justified.
Opp:  optimism  
Word Origin:
[pessimism] late 18th cent.: from Latin pessimus ‘worst’, on the pattern of optimism.  
Example Bank:
• He warned against the dangers of undue pessimism.
• The article reflects the pessimism of its author.
• There were good grounds for pessimism about future progress.

• the widespread pessimism among young people today

God forbid (that …)

God/Heaven forˈbid (that…) idiom
(informal) used to say that you hope that sth will not happen
• ‘Maybe you'll end up as a lawyer, like me.’ ‘God forbid!’  Some people find this use offensive.

rejoice

re·joice [rejoice rejoices rejoiced rejoicing]   [rɪˈdʒɔɪs]    [rɪˈdʒɔɪs]  verb intransitive, transitive (formal)
to express great happiness about sth
• When the war ended, people finally had cause to rejoice.
• ~ at/in/over sth The motor industry is rejoicing at the cut in car tax.
• ~ to do sth They rejoiced to see their son well again.
• ~ that… I rejoice that justice has prevailed.
Idiom: rejoice in the name of …
Verb forms:

 
Word Origin:

Middle English (in the sense ‘cause joy to’): from Old French rejoiss-, lengthened stem of rejoir, from re- (expressing intensive force) + joir ‘experience joy’.

expect

ex·pect [expect expects expected expecting]   [ɪkˈspekt]    [ɪkˈspekt]  verb
1. transitive to think or believe that sth will happen or that sb will do sth
• ~ sth We are expecting a rise in food prices this month.
• ~ sth from sb/sth Don't expect sympathy from me!
• ~ sth of sb/sth That's not the sort of behaviour I expect of you!
• ~ to do sth You can't expect to learn a foreign language in a few months.
• I looked back, half expecting to see someone following me.
• ~ sb/sth to do sth House prices are expected to rise sharply.
• I didn't expect him to become a successful writer.
• Do you really expect me to believe you?
• ~ (that)… Many people were expecting (that) the peace talks would break down.

• it is expected that… It is expected that the report will suggest some major reforms.

2. transitive (often used in the progressive tenses) to be waiting for sb/sth to arrive, as this has been arranged
• ~ sb/sth to expect a visit/call/letter from sb
• Are you expecting visitors?
• We were expecting him yesterday.

• ~ sb to do sth We were expecting him to arrive yesterday.

3. to demand that sb will do sth because it is their duty or responsibility
• ~ sth (from sb) Her parents expected high standards from her.
• He's still getting over his illness, so don't expect too much from him.
• ~ sth (of sb) Are you clear what is expected of you?
• ~ sb to do sth They expected all their children to be high achievers.
• We are expected to work on Saturdays.

• ~ to do sth I expect to be paid promptly for the work.

4. intransitive, transitive (informal, especially BrE) (not used in the progressive tenses) used when you think sth is probably true
• ‘Will you be late?’ ‘ I expect so.’
• ‘Are you going out tonight?’ ‘ I don't expect so.’
• ~ (that…) ‘Who's eaten all the cake?’ ‘Tom, I expect/I expect it was Tom.’  ‘That’ is nearly always left out.
compare  unexpected 
Idioms: expecting a baby ▪ to be expected ▪ what do you expect?
Verb forms:

 
Word Origin:
mid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘defer action, wait’): from Latin exspectare ‘look out for’, from ex- ‘out’ + spectare ‘to look’ (frequentative of specere ‘see’).  
Thesaurus:
expect verb
1. T
• They're not expecting to get any money from the government.
think • • look forward to sth • • anticipate • • bargain for/on sth • • look for sth • • look ahead • • watch for sb/sth • |formal await •
expect/think/anticipate that…
It is expected/thought/anticipated that…
expect/look forward to/anticipate/look for/await results
2. T
• They expect their children to be high achievers.
demand • • ask • • insist • • hold out for sth • |formal require • • stipulate •
expect/demand/ask/require sth from sb
expect/demand/ask/insist/require/stipulate that…
expect/ask/require sb to do sth
Expect, demand or ask? Ask is not as strong as expect or demand, both of which can be more like a command.
3. T (especially BrE, spoken)
• I expect he'll be late, as usual.
suppose • • imagine • • suspect • • assume • • presume • |especially spoken take it • |especially BrE, spoken I dare say • |especially AmE, spoken guess •
expect/suppose/imagine/suspect/assume/presume/take it/dare say/guess that…
I expect/suppose/imagine/suspect/assume/presume/guess so. 
Language Bank:
expect
Discussing predictions
▪ The number of people using mobile phones to purchase goods and services is expected ▪ / likely ▪ to more than double by the end of 2015.
▪ Experts have predicted ▪ / forecast ▪ that the number of people using their mobile phones to pay for goods and services should exceed 190 million in 2015.
▪ This figure is set to ▪ reach 200 million by 2016.
By ▪ 2015, 800 million mobile phone users worldwide will ▪ be participating in social networks via their phone.
▪ Sales of mobile phones in 2009 were lower than expected ▪.
▪ The company's announcement of 1.26 billion handsets sold for the year is in line with predictions ▪.
Language Banks at fall, illustrate, increase, proportion  
Synonyms:
demand
require • expect • insist • ask
These words all mean to say that sb should do or have sth.
demand • to ask for sth very firmly; to say very firmly that sb should have or do sth: ▪ She demanded an immediate explanation.
require • [often passive] (rather formal) to make sb do or have sth, especially because it is necessary according to a law or set of rules or standards: ▪ All candidates will be required to take a short test.
expect • to demand that sb should do, have or be sth, especially because it is their duty or responsibility: ▪ I expect to be paid promptly for the work.
insist • to demand that sth happens or that sb agrees to do sth: ▪ I didn't want to go but he insisted. ◊ ▪ We ▪ insist on ▪ the highest standards at all times.
ask • to expect or demand sth: ▪ You're asking too much of him.
demand, expect or ask?
Ask is not as strong as demand or expect, both of which can be more like a command.
to demand/require/expect/ask sth of/from sb
to demand/require/expect/insist/ask that…
to require/expect/ask sb to do sth
to demand/require/expect/ask a lot/too much/a great deal
to be too much to expect/ask 
Example Bank:
• As expected, they lost the election.
• Did you honestly expect me to believe that?
• I didn't really expect them to come.
• I do not necessarily expect an easy answer to this question.
• I think my parents always expected too much of me.
• I was half expecting to see Jim at the concert.
• I would expect the factory to be working again as normal by next week.
• It would be foolish to expect this at his age.
• It would be unreasonable to expect them to do all that work for free.
• My parents fully expect us to get married.
• She confidently expects to win.
• The economy is widely expected to pick up in the first half of next year.
• The wine list is excellent, as is to be expected from such a high-class restaurant.
• They rightly expect to be obeyed.
• This kind of behaviour is to be expected from a two-year-old.
• Was she really naive enough to expect that he had changed?
• We can expect to see an improvement in the weather over the next few days.
• We expect good results from our employees.
• You are entitled to expect certain minimum standards of accommodation.
• You can hardly expect to learn a foreign language in a few months.
• You can't seriously expect me to sympathize with you.
• ‘Are you going out tonight?’ ‘I don't expect so.’
• ‘Will Bill be there?’ ‘I expect so.’
• Are you clear about what is expected of you?
• Don't expect sympathy from me!
• Don't expect too much from him.
• Double the expected number of people came to the meeting.
• Her parents expect high standards from her.
• I didn't expect him to become a successful writer.
• I expect he'll be late, as usual.
• I'm expecting an important call.
• Many people were expecting that the peace talks would break down.

• That's not the sort of behaviour I expect of you.

in the ˈair

felt by a number of people to exist or to be happening There's romance in the air.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 9th edition © Oxford University Press, 2015

eat somebody aˈlive (informal)
1 to criticize or punish somebody severely because you are extremely angry with them: He’ll eat you alive if he ever finds out.

2 to defeat somebody completely in an argument, a competition, etc: The defence lawyers are going to eat you alive tomorrow.

3 [usually passive] (of insects, etc.) to bite somebody many times: I was being eaten alive by mosquitoes.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 9th edition © Oxford University Press, 2015

pride

pride [pride prides prided priding] noun, verb   [praɪd]    [praɪd]

noun  

PLEASURE/SATISFACTION
1. uncountable, singular a feeling of pleasure or satisfaction that you get when you or people who are connected with you have done sth well or own sth that other people admire
• The sight of her son graduating filled her with pride.
• He felt a glow of pride as people stopped to admire his garden.
• ~ (in sth) I take (a) pride in my work.
• ~ (in doing sth) We take great pride in offering the best service in town.
• I looked with pride at what I had achieved.

• Success in sport is a source of national pride.

2. singular the ~ of sth a person or thing that gives people a feeling of pleasure or satisfaction

• The new sports stadium is the pride of the town.  

RESPECT FOR YOURSELF

3. uncountable the feeling of respect that you have for yourself
• Pride would not allow him to accept the money.
• Her pride was hurt.
• Losing his job was a real blow to his pride.

• It's time to swallow your pride (= hide your feelings of pride) and ask for your job back.

4. uncountable (disapproving) the feeling that you are better or more important than other people
• Male pride forced him to suffer in silence.

see also  proud  

LIONS

5. countable + singular or plural verb a group of lions 
Word Origin:
late Old English prȳde ‘excessive self-esteem’, variant of prȳtu, prȳte, from prūd ‘having a high opinion of one's own worth’, from Old French prud ‘valiant’, based on Latin prodesse ‘be of value’.  
Thesaurus:
pride noun
1. U, sing.
• We take great pride in our nation's success in sport.
satisfaction • • happiness • • contentment • |BrE fulfilment • |AmE fulfillment •
Opp: shame
pride/satisfaction/happiness/contentment/fulfilment in sth
bring sb pride/satisfaction/happiness/contentment/fulfilment
take pride/satisfaction in sth
2. U
• I'm sorry if I hurt your pride.
dignity • • self-esteem • • self-respect • • feelings • |sometimes disapproving ego •
injured/personal pride/dignity/self-esteem/feelings
hurt sb's pride/feelings
restore sb's pride/dignity/self-esteem/self-respect
3. U (disapproving)
• Male pride forced him to suffer in silence.
egoism • • vanity • • arrogance • |especially written conceit • |literary hubris •
Opp: humility, Opp: modesty
appeal to sb's pride/vanity 
Synonyms:
satisfaction
happiness • pride • contentment • fulfilment
These are all words for the good feeling that you have when you are happy or when you have achieved sth.
satisfaction • the good feeling that you have when you have achieved sth or when sth that you wanted to happen does happen: ▪ He derived great satisfaction from knowing that his son was happy.
happiness • the good feeling that you have when you are happy: ▪ Money can't buy you happiness.
pride • a feeling of pleasure or satisfaction that you get when you or people who are connected with you have done sth well or own sth that other people admire: ▪ The sight of her son graduating filled her with pride.
contentment • (rather formal) a feeling of happiness or satisfaction with what you have: ▪ They found contentment in living a simple life.
fulfilment • a feeling of happiness or satisfaction with what you do or have done: ▪ her search for personal fulfilment
satisfaction, happiness, contentment or fulfilment?
You can feel satisfaction at achieving almost anything, small or large; you feel fulfilment when you do sth useful and enjoyable with your life. Happiness is the feeling you have when things give you pleasure and can be quite a lively feeling; contentment is a quieter feeling that you get when you have learned to find pleasure in things.
satisfaction/happiness/pride/contentment/fulfilment in sth
real satisfaction/happiness/pride/contentment/fulfilment
true satisfaction/happiness/contentment/fulfilment
great satisfaction/happiness/pride
quiet satisfaction/pride/contentment
to feel satisfaction/happiness/pride/contentment
to bring sb satisfaction/happiness/pride/contentment/fulfilment
to find satisfaction/happiness/contentment/fulfilment 
Example Bank:
• Businesses rushed to include images of patriotic pride in their marketing.
• He smiled with fatherly pride.
• He swelled with pride as he held the trophy.
• He was nursing his hurt pride.
• His masculine pride would not let him admit that a girl had defeated him.
• I didn't mean to hurt your pride.
• I don't want your money— I have my pride, you know!
• I wear my policeman's uniform with pride.
• It is a matter of pride for him that he has never accepted money from his family.
• It was foolish pride that prevented me from believing her.
• It would be stupid to refuse through pride.
• She expressed pride in her child's achievement.
• She refused his offer tactfully, allowing him to go away with his pride intact.
• She refused their help out of pride.
• She swallowed her pride and called him.
• She takes great pride in her work.
• She took justifiable pride in her son's achievements.
• Their reputation for fairness is a matter for pride.
• They have a fierce pride in their traditions.
• They have a strong sense of pride in their work.
• They managed to salvage some pride with a late goal.
• We want to restore pride in our public services.
• the politics of racial pride and Black Power
• He loves that boat, it's his pride and joy.
• His pride would not allow him to admit she was right.
• I take (a) pride in my work.
• I'm sorry if I hurt your pride.
• It's time to swallow your pride and ask for help.
• She was conceited, haughty and full of pride and arrogance.
• What's wrong— did I hurt your macho pride?
• You're going to have to swallow your pride and ask for your job back.
Idioms: pride goes before a fall ▪ pride of place ▪ somebody's pride and joy

Derived: pride yourself on on doing something