C2 (Proficient)

vow

I. vow¹ /vaʊ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: vou, from Latin votum; ⇨ ↑vote²]
1. a serious promise ⇨ oath:
Jim made a vow that he would find his wife’s killer.
2. a religious promise that you will do something for God, the church etc:
a monk who had taken a vow of poverty
3. vows [plural]
a) (also marriage/wedding vows) the promises you make during your wedding
b) the promises you make when you become a Catholic priest or ↑nun
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ make a vow I made a vow never to go near the place again.
▪ take a vow (=make a vow at a formal ceremony) Priests have to take a vow of obedience to the Catholic Church.
▪ keep a vow (=do as you promised) She kept her vow not to tell anyone about their affair.
▪ break a vow (=fail to do as you promised) She accused him of breaking his marriage vows.
▪ exchange vows (=make promises to each other as part of a wedding ceremony) They wanted to exchange vows before their family and friends.
▪ renew your vows (=have a second wedding ceremony to repeat your promises) Fifty couples celebrated their golden weddings and renewed their vows at a cathedral service in Chicago.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + vow
▪ a solemn vow (=a very serious vow, which you must keep) He made a solemn vow that he would do everything he could to help her.
▪ marriage/wedding vows She wrote her own marriage vows.
▪ a holy/sacred vow When we get married in church we are making sacred vows.
■ phrases
▪ a vow of silence/poverty/celibacy etc People close to him have finally broken their vow of silence.
▪ be bound by a vow (=to have promised seriously to do something) She told him she was bound by a vow not to tell any other person.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ promise a statement that you will definitely do or provide something, which may not be reliable: ‘I’ll call you tomorrow.’ ‘Is that a promise?’ | Politicians are always making promises.
▪ pledge a public or official promise to do a particular thing in the future: The Government has fulfilled at least 50% of its election pledges. | We have received pledges of help from various organizations.
▪ vow a very serious promise to do something or not to do something that you choose to make: He made a vow never to drink alcohol again. | your marriage vows
▪ oath a formal promise, especially one that someone makes in a court of law: Witnesses swear a solemn oath to tell the truth. | Public officials must take an oath to support the US Constitution.
▪ undertaking a serious or public promise to do something, especially something difficult which needs a lot of effort or money: The police have given an undertaking to reduce street crime in the city centre. | He was made to sign a written undertaking that he would not go within a mile of her house.
▪ assurance a promise that something will happen or is true, made so that someone is less worried or more confident: You have my assurance that it won’t happen again. | The manager gave me his personal assurance that the goods would be delivered today.
▪ guarantee a very definite promise that something will happen. A guarantee is also a formal written promise by a company to repair or replace a product free if it has a fault within a fixed period of time.: With any diet, there’s no guarantee of success. | I’m afraid I can’t give you a 100% guarantee. | Is the camera still under guarantee (=within the period during which it can be repaired or replaced free)?

means

means S2 W2 /miːnz/ BrE AmE noun (plural means)
1. METHOD [countable] a way of doing or achieving something
means of
For most people, the car is still their main means of transport.
The only means of communication was sign language.
The window was our only means of escape.
Do you have any means of identification?
art as a means of expression
Homework should not be used as a means of controlling children.
I had no means of telling him I would be late.
Brian was prepared to use any means to get what he wanted.
They had entered the country by unlawful means.
the means by which performance is assessed
2. MONEY [plural] the money or income that you have
have the means to do something
I don’t have the means to support a family.
Paying for your children to go to a private school is beyond the means of most people (=too expensive for most people).
Try to live within your means (=only spending what you can afford).
His father was a man of means (=a rich man).
3. by all means! spoken used to mean ‘of course’ when politely allowing someone to do something or agreeing with a suggestion:
‘Can I bring Alan?’ ‘By all means!’
4. by no means/not by any means not at all:
It is by no means certain that the game will take place.
She’s not a bad kid, by any means.
5. by means of something formal using a particular method or system:
The blocks are raised by means of pulleys.
6. a means to an end something that you do only to achieve a result, not because you want to do it or because it is important:
For Geoff, the job was simply a means to an end.
7. the means of production the material, tools, and equipment that are used in the production of goods
⇨ ways and means at ↑way¹(1)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ an effective/efficient means Speed bumps are an effective means of stopping cars from going too fast.
▪ a useful means Local radio is a useful means of advertising.
▪ the only means Then, horses and carts were the only means of transport available.
▪ the best means Is this really the best means of achieving our goal?
▪ an important means Surveys are an important means of gathering information.
▪ lawful/legal means Their protests will continue, but only by legal means.
▪ unlawful/illegal means He was accused of attempting to overthrow the government using unlawful means.
▪ unfair means Anyone trying to use unfair means in an examination will be reported to the University.
■ phrases
▪ a means of transport British English, a means of transportation American English (=a way of travelling, for example using a car, bus, bicycle etc) The tram is an efficient means of transport.
▪ a means of communication (=a way of talking to someone, for example by phone, writing etc) Newspapers are still an important means of communication.
▪ a means of expression (=a way of expressing your feelings or opinions) Music and art are important means of expression.
▪ a means of identification (=an official document that shows who you are) Do you have any means of identification?
▪ the means of production (=factories and equipment used for producing goods - used especially in Marxism) the class of people which owns the means of production
▪ the end justifies the means (=the result you achieve is more important than the way you do it) It’s too bad if people get hurt - the end justifies the means.
▪ a means to an end (=something you do only to achieve a result, not because you want to do it or because it is important) Many of the students saw the course as a means to an end: a way of getting a good job.
▪ (whether) by fair means or foul (=using unfair methods if necessary) They were determined to achieve victory, by fair means or foul.
■ verbs
▪ have no/any/some means of doing something There was no path, and they had no means of knowing where they were.
▪ use any/every means to do something (=use any method or many methods) He will use any means to get what he wants.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ method a way of doing something, especially one that is well known and often used: You can choose whichever method of payment you prefer. | an environmentally friendly method for treating household waste
▪ way a set of actions that you use in order to do something. Way is more informal than method and is used more often in everyday English: What’s the best way to remove wine stains? | a new way of treating the disease | There are lots of ways of cooking mushrooms.
▪ means something that you use to do something or achieve something: Their main means of transport is their car. | E-mail is often the most convenient means of communication. | He looked around for a means of escape. | Education and training are the most efficient means of improving the nation’s economy.
▪ approach a way of dealing with a particular problem or situation, especially a way that has been carefully thought about or planned: Today’s approach to raising children is very different from 40 years ago. | I think we need to try a different approach.
▪ technique a particular way of doing something, for which you need a skill that has to be learned and practised: tips on how to improve your exam technique | More patients are surviving thanks to improved surgical techniques.
▪ tactics methods that you use in order to achieve what you want, especially in a game or competition: There were complaints about police tactics used to clear demonstrators. | The team was discussing tactics for the game.
▪ strategy a set of carefully planned methods for achieving something that is difficult and may take a long time: our sales strategy | a strategy to reduce the level of teenage smoking
▪ mode formal a particular way of doing something: For him, painting is just another mode of expression. | You can choose between several different modes of operation. | the most efficient mode of transportation | Withdrawing a child from class is still the preferred mode of providing extra help to that child.

stupidity

stu‧pid‧i‧ty /stjuːˈpɪdəti, stjuːˈpɪdɪti $ stuː-/ BrE AmE noun (plural stupidities)
[Word Family: noun: ↑stupidity, ↑stupid; adverb: ↑stupidly; adjective: ↑stupid]
1. [uncountable and countable] behaviour or actions that show a lack of good sense or good judgment:
all the horrors and stupidities of war
2. [uncountable] the quality of being stupid

chip in

chip in phrasal verb (see also ↑chip)
1. to interrupt a conversation by saying something that adds more detail
chip in with
Other committee members chipped in with suggestions.
‘It won’t be easy,’ Jeff chipped in.
I’d just like to chip in, Bill, if I might.
2. if each person in a group chips in, they each give a small amount of money so that they can buy something together:
We all chipped in to buy Amy a graduation present.
chip in (with) something
Fifty-two people in the music industry each chipped in $250 apiece.

grim

grim /ɡrɪm/ BrE AmE adjective
[Language: Old English; Origin: grimm]
1. making you feel worried or unhappy SYN harsh:
the grim reality of rebuilding the shattered town
When he lost his job, his future looked grim.
Millions of Britons face the grim prospect (=something bad that will probably happen) of dearer home loans.
We received the grim news in silence.
2. looking or sounding very serious:
‘I’ll survive,’ he said with a grim smile.
The child hung on to her arm with grim determination.
The police officers were silent and grim-faced.
3. British English informal very bad, ugly, or unpleasant:
The weather forecast is pretty grim.
They painted a grim picture of what life used to be like there.
a grim industrial town
4. [not before noun] informal ill:
Juliet felt grim through the early months of her pregnancy.
5. hold/hang on for/like grim death British English informal to hold something very tightly because you are afraid

dated

dat‧ed /ˈdeɪtəd, ˈdeɪtɪd/ BrE AmE adjective
[Word Family: verb: ↑date, ↑predate; adjective: ↑dated, ↑outdated; noun: ↑date]
old-fashioned ⇨ out-of-date:
That dress looks a bit dated now.

sentimental

sen‧ti‧ment‧al /ˌsentəˈmentl◂, ˌsentɪˈmentl◂/ BrE AmE adjective
1. someone who is sentimental is easily affected by emotions such as love, sympathy, sadness etc, often in a way that seems silly to other people:
She said a sentimental goodbye.
sentimental about
People can be very sentimental about animals.
2. based on or relating to your feelings rather than on practical reasons:
He wasn’t the sort of person who kept things for sentimental reasons.
a sentimental journey to the place of his birth
The rings that were stolen were of great sentimental value (=important because of your feelings or memories relating to them).
3. a story, film, book etc that is sentimental deals with emotions such as love and sadness, sometimes in a way that seems silly and insincere:
a sentimental story set in Russia
—sentimentally adverb
• • •
THESAURUS
■ causing strong feelings
▪ emotional causing people to have strong feelings – used especially about experiences, speeches, or subjects that people have strong feelings about: Returning home after a year in hospital was an emotional experience for Katy. | He gave an emotional speech at the funeral. | It was a very emotional moment. | Abortion rights is a highly emotional issue.
▪ emotive used about issues or language that make people have strong feelings: Fox hunting is a very emotive issue in Britain. | ‘Indoctrination’ is rather an emotive word.
▪ moving making you feel strong feelings of sadness or sympathy: Kelly’s book about her illness is deeply moving. | a moving film
▪ touching making you feel slightly emotional – used especially when someone does something that shows how much they care about another person: Your loyalty is very touching. | My son phoned me to wish me good luck, which was a touching gesture.
▪ poignant making you feel strong feelings of sadness or pity, especially when you remember something in the past: Her youthful expression is a poignant reminder of the passing of time.
▪ sentimental (also schmaltzy) informal dealing with emotions such as love and sadness in a way that seems silly: He found the film too sentimental. | a schmaltzy comedy

4 ring a bell   informal   if something rings a bell, it reminds you of something, but you cannot remember exactly what it is :  
Her name rings a bell but I can’t remember her face.

turn your back (on somebody/something)
  a) to refuse to help, support, or be involved with someone or something :  
How can you turn your back on your own mother?
In his twenties he turned his back on his Catholic faith.
  b) to turn so that your back is pointing towards someone or something, and you are not looking at them :  
Angrily, she turned her back on him.

have something up your sleeveinformal to have a secret plan or idea that you are going to use later Don’t worry. He still has a few tricks up his sleeve.