verb

regret

I. re‧gret W3 /rɪˈɡret/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle regretted, present participle regretting) [transitive]
[Word Family: adverb: regrettably, regretfully; adjective: regrettable, regretful; verb: regret; noun: regret]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: regreter]
1. to feel sorry about something you have done and wish you had not done it:
Don’t do anything you might regret.
regret doing something
I regret leaving school so young.
regret (that)
He was beginning to regret that he’d come along.
2. [not in progressive] formal used in official letters or statements when saying that you are sorry or sad about something:
We regret any inconvenience caused to our customers.
regret (that)
I regret that I will be unable to attend.
regret to say/inform/tell
I regret to inform you that your contract will not be renewed.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adverbs
▪ deeply/greatly I deeply regretted what had happened.
▪ bitterly (=with a feeling of great sadness) I bitterly regretted my decision to leave.
▪ sincerely The airline sincerely regrets any delays to passengers.
▪ very much We very much regret that there will be job losses.
▪ instantly/immediately ‘No,’ she blurted out, instantly regretting her response.
■ phrases
▪ live to regret something (=regret it in the future) If you don’t go, you may live to regret it.
II. regret² BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: adverb: regrettably, regretfully; adjective: regrettable, regretful; verb: regret; noun: regret]
1. [countable usually plural, uncountable] sadness that you feel about something, especially because you wish it had not happened
regret about
I have no regrets about leaving.
great/deep regret
She has already expressed deep regret for what happened.
with regret
I decided with some regret that it was time to move on.
It is with great regret that I must decline your offer.
to sb’s regret
I lost touch with her, much to my regret.
2. give/send your regrets formal to say that you are unable to go to a meeting, accept an invitation etc:
My father was ill and had to send his regrets.

COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ great/deep regret I accepted his resignation with great regret.
▪ bitter regret (=when you feel sad and angry) To the bitter regret of his party, he refused to call an election.
▪ sb’s biggest regret Her biggest regret was not having children.
▪ sb’s only regret My only regret is that my parents did not live to see this day.
■ verbs
▪ have regrets I have absolutely no regrets.
▪ express regret The President expressed his regret at the deaths.
■ phrases
▪ a pang/twinge/stab of regret literary (=a sudden short feeling of regret) Kate watched her go with a pang of regret.

THESAURUS
▪ guilt the feeling you have when you have done something you know is wrong: Divorce often leaves people with feelings of guilt.
▪ shame the feeling of being guilty or embarrassed that you have after doing something that is wrong, when you feel you have lost people’s respect: I was too scared to help him, and I was filled with shame.
▪ regret a feeling of sadness about something, especially because you wish it had not happened: Kate watched her go with a pang of regret.
▪ remorse a strong feeling of being sorry for doing something very bad: a murderer who showed no remorse
▪ contrition formal a feeling of being guilty and sorry for something wrong that you have done: The company CEO expressed contrition for the errors that led to the crash. | He sounded full of contrition. | They wanted to perform some kind of act of contrition (=do something that shows you feel sorry for something ).
▪ penitence formal a feeling of being sorry for something that you have done wrong, when you do not intend to do it again: He expressed genuine penitence at the harm he had done her. | a period of reflection and penitence
▪ conscience the part of your mind that tells you whether what you are doing is morally right or wrong: My conscience has been troubling me ever since.
 

smile

I. smile¹ S3 W1 /smaɪl/ BrE AmE verb
[Date: 1200-1300; Origin: Probably from a Scandinavian language]
1. [intransitive] to make your mouth curve upwards, in order to be friendly or because you are happy or amused
smile at
Susan smiled at him and waved.
She had to smile at his enthusiasm (=she was amused by it).
her smiling face
smile about
I haven’t had much to smile about lately.
smile to yourself
Mark read the message and smiled to himself.
► You smile at someone. Do not say ‘smile to someone’.
2. [transitive] to say or express something with a smile:
‘It’s good to have you back,’ she smiled.
3. fortune/the gods etc smile on somebody especially literary if ↑fortune, the gods etc smile on you, you have good luck

COLLOCATIONS
■ adverbs
▪ smile broadly (=very happily, with a wide smile) He sat there smiling broadly.
▪ smile warmly (=in a friendly way) The man looked at Kim and smiled warmly.
▪ smile faintly/slightly (=a little) I saw her smile faintly at the memory.
▪ smile politely I shook his hand and smiled politely.
▪ smile sweetly (=in a friendly way, sometimes not sincerely) I smiled sweetly and walked away.
▪ smile ruefully written (=in a slightly sad way) ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, and smiled ruefully.
▪ smile wryly written (=when a situation is bad but also amusing) Carew looked at the mess and smiled wryly to himself.
▪ smile thinly written (=a little, not in a happy or friendly way) She smiled thinly. He would be sorry one day.
▪ smile weakly written (=without energy or confidence) ‘It’s OK,,’ she said, and smiled weakly.
▪ smile grimly written (=when pleased or amused in an unpleasant situation) The guard smiled grimly.
■ verbs
▪ smile to yourself Maggie looked at the photo and smiled to herself.
▪ make somebody smile His comment made her smile.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ smile to make your mouth curve upwards, in order to be friendly or because you are happy or amused: She smiled when she read his email. | ‘I’m delighted to meet you,' George said, smiling at the girl.
▪ grin to give a big smile: The two boys were grinning at each other. | The coach was grinning from ear to ear (=was grinning a lot) when the team scored.
▪ beam to give a big happy smile for a long time, because you are very pleased or proud: She beamed with pride as her son collected the award. | The wedding couple were outside beaming at the camera.
▪ smirk to smile in an unpleasant way, for example because you are pleased about someone else’s bad luck or because you know something that someone else does not know: The children smirked when the teacher dropped all the books on the floor. | What are you smirking about?
▪ simper disapproving written to smile in a silly and annoying way: a group of simpering schoolgirls | I hated the way she simpered every time a man spoke to her.
II. smile² S2 W2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
an expression in which your mouth curves upwards, when you are being friendly or are happy or amused:
He had a big smile on his face.
with a smile
‘Oh, I’m fine,’ Anna replied with a smile.
⇨ wipe the smile/grin off sb’s face at ↑wipe¹(7)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ give (somebody) a smile The boy gave a friendly smile.
▪ flash (somebody) a smile (=give a quick smile) She flashed him a smile.
▪ have a smile on your face/lips They all had broad smiles on their faces.
▪ be all smiles (=be happy or friendly and smile a lot) One moment he’s all smiles, the next moment he shouts at me.
▪ force/manage a smile (=smile when you do not really feel happy or friendly) She forced a smile, but he could see disappointment in her face.
▪ wear a smile (=have a smile on your face) She wore a self-confident smile.
▪ return sb’s smile (=smile back at someone) I smiled at him, but he didn’t return my smile.
▪ somebody breaks into a smile/sb’s face breaks into a smile (=they suddenly smile) Anna’s face broke into a smile at the prospect of a guest.
▪ a smile spreads across sb’s face (=they smile) A faint smile spread across her face.
▪ sb’s smile broadens (=it gets bigger) His smile broadened when Sarah walked in.
▪ sb’s smile fades/vanishes (=they stop smiling) Her smile faded and a shaft of panic shot through her.
■ adjectives
▪ a big/broad/wide smile (=when you are very happy) She had a big smile on her face.
▪ a warm/friendly smile Peter Leary welcomed Rachel with a warm smile.
▪ a little/faint/slight smile She gave him an apologetic little smile.
▪ a quick smile She gave him a quick smile.
▪ a slow smile A slow smile spread across his face.
▪ a dazzling smile (=a big smile which shows someone’s white teeth) When he came back she gave him her most dazzling smile.
▪ a beaming/radiant smile (=when you are very happy) ‘I’m so pleased,’ she told him with a beaming smile.
▪ a bright smile written (=when you look very happy, but you may not feel happy) She forced a bright smile.
▪ a tight smile written (=when you are not really happy or friendly) As he stepped past Carson he gave a quick, tight smile of acknowledgement.
▪ a wry smile written (=when a situation is bad but also amusing) Guy’s mouth twisted into a wry smile.
▪ a rueful smile written (=when you feel slightly sad) ‘I’ve been pretty stupid, haven’t I?’ Harry said with a rueful smile.
▪ a knowing smile (=when you know something secret) She wanted to smack him for his knowing smile.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ different types of expression
▪ frown the expression on your face when you move your eyebrows together because you are angry, unhappy, or confused: With a frown, she asked, ‘So what’s wrong with that?’
▪ smile an expression in which your mouth curves upwards, when you are being friendly or are happy or amused: She gave him a quick smile.
▪ scowl an angry or disapproving expression: There was a scowl of irritation on his face.
▪ glare a long angry look: He gave her a furious glare, but said nothing.
▪ grimace an expression you make by twisting your face because you do not like something or because you are feeling pain: His face twisted into a grimace of anguish.
▪ sneer an expression that shows you have no respect for something or someone: ‘That’s what you said last time,’ she said with a sneer.
▪ smirk an expression in which you smile in an unpleasant way that shows you are pleased by someone else’s bad luck or that you think you are better than other people: He had a self-satisfied smirk on his face.
▪ pout an expression in which you push out your lower lip because you are unhappy that you did not get what you want: ‘You’re going away?’ she said with a pout.

lose

lose S1 W1 /luːz/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle lost /lɒst $ lɒːst/)
[Word Family: noun: ↑loser, ↑loss; verb: ↑lose; adjective: ↑lost]
[Language: Old English; Origin: losian 'to destroy or be destroyed, to lose']
1. STOP HAVING ATTITUDE/QUALITY ETC [transitive] to stop having a particular attitude, quality, ability etc, or to gradually have less of it ⇨ loss:
I’ve lost my appetite.
lose confidence/interest/hope etc
The business community has lost confidence in the government.
Carol lost interest in ballet in her teens.
Try not to lose heart (=become sad and hopeless) – there are plenty of other jobs.
lose face (=stop having as much respect from other people)
A settlement was reached in which neither side lost face.
lose weight/height/speed etc
You’re looking slim. Have you lost weight?
The plane emptied its fuel tanks as it started losing altitude.
lose your sight/hearing/voice/balance etc
Mr Eyer may lose the sight in one eye.
The tour was postponed when the lead singer lost his voice.
Julian lost his balance and fell.
lose your touch (=become less skilled at doing something you used to do well)
This latest movie proves Altman is by no means losing his touch.
By the time the ambulance arrived, Douglas had lost consciousness.
lose all sense of time/direction/proportion etc
When he was writing, he lost all sense of time.
lose sight of something (=forget an important fact about a situation)
We must never lose sight of the fact that man must work in harmony with nature.
2. NOT WIN [intransitive and transitive] to not win a game, argument, election, war etc OPP win ⇨ defeat:
They played so badly they deserved to lose.
Klinger lost his seat in the election.
Arkansas just lost three games in a row.
He just can’t bear to lose an argument.
lose to
The Beavers have dropped only one game since losing to Oregon in January.
lose (something) by 1 goal/10 votes/20 points etc
The government lost by one vote.
The Communist candidate lost by a whisker (=a very small amount).
Freddie died in 1982 after losing his battle against AIDS.
lose somebody something
It was a rash decision, and it lost him the race (=caused him to lose the race).
3. CANNOT FIND SOMETHING [transitive] to become unable to find someone or something:
I’ve lost the tickets for tonight’s show.
I followed her on foot, but lost her in the crowd.
It was thought the manuscript had been lost forever.
be/get lost in the post British English be/get lost in the mail American English:
The parcel must have got lost in the post.
lose track of something/somebody (=stop knowing where someone or something is)
He lost track of her after her family moved away.
lose sight of something/somebody (=stop being able to see someone or something)
Don’t try to walk in a heavy snowstorm as you may lose sight of your vehicle. ⇨ lost property
4. STOP HAVING SOMETHING [transitive] if you lose something that is important or necessary, you then no longer have it, especially because it has been taken from you or destroyed ⇨ loss:
David’s very upset about losing his job.
Hundreds of people lost their homes in the floods.
My family lost everything in the war.
He was over the limit and will lose his licence.
90 naval aircraft were lost and 31 damaged.
lose a chance/opportunity
If you hesitate, you may lose the opportunity to compete altogether.
lose something to somebody/something
We were losing customers to cheaper rivals.
She was about to lose her husband to a younger woman.
California has lost 90% of its wetlands to development.
lose an arm/leg/eye etc
He lost his leg in a motorcycle accident.
He’s lost a lot of blood but his life is not in danger.
lose somebody something
the mistakes which lost him his kingdom (=caused him to lose his kingdom)
5. DEATH [transitive]
a) lose your life to die:
a memorial to honor those who lost their lives in the war
b) if you lose a relative or friend, they die – use this when you want to avoid saying the word ‘die’ ⇨ loss:
One woman in Brooklyn lost a husband and two sons in the gang wars.
Sadly, Anna lost the baby (=her baby died before it was born).
lose somebody to cancer/AIDS etc
He lost his father to cancer (=his father died of cancer) last year.
Peter was lost at sea when his ship sank.
6. MONEY [intransitive and transitive] if you lose money, you then have less money than you had before ⇨ loss
lose on
The company is in debt after losing an estimated $30 million on its dotcom enterprise.
Creditors and investors stand to lose (=risk losing) vast sums after the company’s collapse.
A lot of people lost their shirts (=lost a lot of money) on Ferraris in the eighties.
It’s a great deal – we can’t lose!
lose somebody something
The stock market crash lost the banks £70 million (=caused them to lose £70 million).
7. have nothing to lose spoken if you have nothing to lose, it is worth taking a risk because you cannot make your situation any worse:
You might as well apply for the job – you’ve got nothing to lose.
have nothing to lose but your pride/reputation etc
The working class has nothing to lose but its chains. (=disadvantages, restrictions etc).
have a lot/too much to lose (=used to say that you could make your situation much worse)
These youngsters know they have too much to lose by protesting against the system.
8. TIME [transitive]
a) if you lose time, you do not make progress as quickly as you want to or should
lose time/2 days/3 hours etc
Vital minutes were lost because the ambulance took half an hour to arrive.
In 1978, 29 million days were lost in industrial action.
Come on, there’s no time to lose (=do not waste time).
lose no time in doing something (=do something immediately)
Murdock lost no time in taking out a patent for his invention.
b) if a watch, clock etc loses time, it runs too slowly and shows an earlier time than it should OPP gain
9. lose your way/bearings
a) to stop knowing where you are or which direction you should go in:
I lost my way in the network of tiny alleys.
b) to become uncertain about your beliefs or what you should do:
The company seems to have lost its way of late.
10. lose touch (with somebody/something)
a) if two people lose touch, they gradually stop communicating, for example by no longer phoning or writing to each other:
I’ve lost touch with all my old school friends.
They lost touch when Di got married and moved away.
b) if you lose touch with a situation or group, you are then no longer involved in it and so do not know about it or understand it:
They claim the prime minister has lost touch with the party.
It sometimes appears that the planners have lost touch with reality.
11. lose your temper/cool/rag to become angry
lose your temper/cool/rag with
Diana was determined not to lose her temper with him.
12. lose your head to become unable to behave calmly or sensibly:
You’ve all heard that Nadal lost his head over a girl?
13. lose your mind to become crazy SYN go crazy, go mad:
Nicholas looked at her as if she’d lost her mind.
14. lose it spoken informal
a) to become very angry and upset:
She completely lost it with one of the kids in class.
b) (also lose the plot) to become crazy or confused:
I could see people thinking I’d totally lost the plot.
15. lose yourself in something to be paying so much attention to something that you do not notice anything else:
She listened intently to the music, losing herself in its beauty.
16. ESCAPE [transitive] if you lose someone who is chasing you, you manage to escape from them:
There’s a better chance of losing him if we take the back route.
17. CONFUSE SOMEBODY [transitive] spoken informal to confuse someone when you are trying to explain something to them:
Explain it again – you’ve lost me already.
18. REMOVE SOMETHING [transitive] to remove a part or feature of something that is not necessary or wanted:
You could lose the last paragraph to make it fit on one page.
19. lose something in the translation/telling to be less good than the original form:
The joke loses something in the translation.
⇨ lost², ⇨ lose count at count²(3), ⇨ lose sleep over something at sleep²(4)
lose out phrasal verb
to not get something good, valuable etc because someone else gets it instead:
The deal will ensure that shareholders do not lose out financially.
lose out to
He lost out to Roy Scheider for the lead role.
lose out on
Workers who don’t take up training may lose out on promotion.
 

lose out

lose out phrasal verb (see also ↑lose)
to not get something good, valuable etc because someone else gets it instead:
The deal will ensure that shareholders do not lose out financially.
lose out to
He lost out to Roy Scheider for the lead role.
lose out on
Workers who don’t take up training may lose out on promotion.

win

I. win¹ S1 W1 /wɪn/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle won /wʌn/, present participle winning)
[Word Family: noun: win, winner, winnings; verb: win; adjective: winning]
[Language: Old English; Origin: winnan 'to work, fight']
1. COMPETITION/RACE [intransitive and transitive] to be the best or most successful in a competition, game, election etc OPP lose
win a race/a game/an election etc
Who do you think will win the next election?
He won the Tour de France last year.
win a war/battle
the young pilots who won the Battle of Britain
Who’s winning (=who is most successful at this point in the game)?
win at
I never win at cards.
win by 10 points/70 metres etc
We won by just one point.
2. PRIZE [transitive] to get something as a prize for winning in a competition or game:
How does it feel to have won the gold medal?
She won £160 on the lottery.
win something for somebody
the man who helped win the Cup for Arsenal
3. GET/ACHIEVE [transitive] to get something that you want because of your efforts or abilities SYN gain
win sb’s approval/support/trust etc
The proposal has won the approval of the city council.
Kramer has certainly won the respect of his peers.
win sb’s heart (=make them love you or feel sympathy for you)
The company has won a contract to build a new power plant outside Houston.
win something from somebody
Davis hopes to win financial backing from a London investment firm.
4. MAKE SOMEBODY WIN SOMETHING [transitive] if something, usually something that you do, wins you something, you win it or get it because of that thing
win somebody something
That performance won Hanks an Oscar.
That kind of behaviour won’t win you any friends.
5. you win spoken used to agree to what someone wants after you have tried to persuade them to do something else:
OK, you win – we’ll go to the movies.
6. you can’t win spoken used to say that there is no satisfactory way of dealing with a particular situation:
You can’t win, can you? You either work late and upset your family, or go home early and risk your job.
7. you can’t win them all (also you win some, you lose some) spoken used to show sympathy when someone has had a disappointing experience
8. win or lose informal no matter whether you win or lose:
Win or lose, I love competitive sports.
9. win the day to finally be successful in a discussion or argument SYN triumph:
Common sense won the day, and the plans were dropped.
⇨ win the toss at ↑toss²(1), ⇨ ↑winner, ↑winning
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ nouns
▪ win a race He should have won that race but he came third.
▪ win a game/match It’s supposed to be easier to win your home games.
▪ win a competition The competition was won by a team from Surrey.
▪ win an election Which party is likely to win the election?
▪ win a battle/war Who won the battle of Waterloo?
▪ win a victory The protesters have won one victory already.
■ adverbs
▪ easily Chavez won the election easily.
▪ comfortably (=by a large amount, so that you do not have to worry about winning) The Celtics won comfortably, with a 22-point lead.
▪ convincingly (=by a large amount) United won convincingly by three goals to nil.
▪ outright (=clearly and completely) If one candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, he will win the seat outright.
▪ narrowly (=by only a small amount) In 1916 he narrowly won re-election.
▪ hands down (=very easily or by a large amount) Everyone expected Sam to win hands down.
■ phrases
▪ win by 10 points/ten metres etc We won by 23 points.
▪ a winning streak (=when you win many competitions one after another) They came here with a four-game winning streak.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ win to be the best or most successful in a competition, game, election etc: Italy won the World Cup in 2006. | He has a realistic chance of winning the Championship.
▪ come first/be first to win a race or competition: Our team came first. | Jo was first in the race and I was second.
▪ finish in first place (also come in first) to win a race, competition, or election: The Democratic candidate finished in first place. | I couldn’t believe it when the horse I chose came in first.
▪ triumph written to win a great victory, especially after a long and difficult battle, game etc: Britain triumphed over its enemies. | In the end, the Yankees triumphed.
▪ come out on top informal to win a game, competition, argument etc: United came out on top after a thrilling game. | They did a survey and the Swedish car-maker came out on top. | If you try to argue with him, he always comes out on top.
▪ be leading/be in the lead to be winning a game, race election etc at the moment: The High School team are leading with sixty points. | With only two minutes left to play, we were still in the lead.
▪ be ahead to be doing better than someone else in a game, competition, or election: He’s still fifty seconds ahead of his nearest rival. | A week before the election, they were still ahead in the polls.
■ someone who wins something
▪ winner the person or thing that wins a race, competition etc: A prize of £500 will be awarded to the winner.
▪ the winning team/player/horse etc the one that wins: The winning team will go through to the grand final in Milan.
▪ champion (also the title holder American English) someone who has won a competition, especially in sport: He became the heavyweight boxing champion.
▪ record-holder someone who has achieved the fastest speed, the longest distance etc in a sport: the world high-jump record-holder
win somebody/something ↔ back phrasal verb
to succeed in getting back something or someone that you had before SYN regain:
How can I win back her trust?
win out phrasal verb
to finally succeed or defeat other people or things
win out over
Often presentation wins out over content (=is treated as more important than content).
win somebody ↔ over (also win somebody ↔ round British English) phrasal verb
to get someone’s support or friendship by persuading them or being nice to them:
We’ll be working hard over the next ten days to win over the undecided voters.
win through phrasal verb especially British English
to finally succeed in spite of problems SYN triumph:
As in most of his films, it’s the good guys who win through in the end.
II. win² W3 BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: ↑win, ↑winner, ↑winnings; verb: ↑win; adjective: ↑winning]
a success or victory, especially in sport OPP defeat:
We’ve had two wins so far this season.
win over
In the under-16 event England had their first win over Germany.
⇨ ↑no-win, ↑win-win
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + win
▪ a big win (=an important win, or one that you win by a large amount) This is one of the biggest wins I’ve had.
▪ an easy win The Australian appeared to be heading for an easy win.
▪ a comfortable win (=one that you win by a large amount, so that you do not have to worry about winning) Chelsea had a comfortable win against Crystal Palace.
▪ a convincing win especially British English (=a win by a large amount) Scotland cruised to a convincing win over Ireland.
▪ a five-point/two-goal etc win The team had a nine-point win over Arizona.
■ verbs
▪ have/score a win We haven’t had a win for three games.
▪ notch up a win (=achieve a win) Escude has now notched up three consecutive wins over him.
▪ pull off a win (=win when it is difficult to win) The side has pulled off two excellent wins in the past couple of weeks.
▪ clinch a win (=finally win after a difficult contest) He suffered some anxious moments before clinching a 9–6 win over Dennis Taylor last night.
▪ cruise to a win (=win easily) Arsenal cruised to a win over Chelsea.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ victory noun [uncountable and countable] a situation in which you win a battle, game, election, or ↑dispute: The crowds celebrated Italy’s victory against England. | The party won a comfortable victory in the general election. | We’re very confident of victory.
▪ win noun [countable] a victory in a sports game or in a competition: It was an important win for the Yankees. | A couple from London are celebrating a big lottery win.
▪ triumph noun [countable] written an important victory, especially in war or politics: Thatcher’s greatest triumph was becoming the UK’s first female Prime Minister.
▪ conquest noun [countable] a situation in which one country wins a war against another country and takes control of it: the Spanish conquest of Mexico | Caesar is well-known for his military conquests.
▪ landslide noun [countable] an election victory in which one party or ↑candidate gets far more votes than their opponents: In 1945, there was a Labour landslide.
▪ walkover especially British English, cakewalk American English noun [countable] informal a very easy victory: The match was expected to be a walkover for Brazil.
▪ upset noun [countable] a situation in which the person, team, party etc that was expected to win is defeated: Truman pulled off the greatest election upset in United States history.

quit

quit S3 /kwɪt/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle quit, also quitted British English, present participle quitting)
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: quiter, from quite 'at rest, free of', from Latin quietus; ⇨ ↑quiet¹]
1. [intransitive and transitive] informal to leave a job, school etc, especially without finishing it completely:
He quit his job after an argument with a colleague.
I quit school at 16.
She has decided to quit show business.
People are now calling on the chairman to quit.
2. [intransitive and transitive] especially American English to stop doing something, especially something that is bad or annoying ⇨ give up:
The majority of smokers say that they would like to quit the habit.
Quit it, Robby, or I’ll tell mom!
We’ve done what we can. Let’s quit.
quit doing something
He’s been given six months to live if he doesn’t quit drinking.
I wish you’d all quit complaining.
3. [intransitive and transitive] British English law to leave a house or apartment that you have been renting:
The landlord gave them notice to quit the premises within seven days.
4. be quit of something British English formal to no longer have to suffer or be involved with something bad:
The people now long to be quit of war.
5. [transitive] formal to leave a place:
It was ten years since he had quit Russia.
 

I. fail¹ S2 W1 /feɪl/ BrE AmE verb
[Word Family: noun: ↑fail, ↑failure, ↑failing; adjective: ↑failed, ↑unfailing; verb: ↑fail; adverb: unfaillingly]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: faillir, from Latin fallere 'to deceive, disappoint']
1. NOT SUCCEED [intransitive] to not succeed in achieving something:
It looks likely that the peace talks will fail.
fail in
He failed in his attempt to regain the world title.
fail to do something
Doctors failed to save the girl’s life.
Millions of people have tried to quit smoking and failed miserably (=been completely unsuccessful).
his efforts to save his failing marriage
If all else fails, you may be advised to have an operation.
2. NOT DO SOMETHING [intransitive] to not do what is expected, needed, or wanted
fail to do something
The letter failed to arrive.
Firms that fail to take advantage of the new technology will go out of business.
The government are failing in their duty to protect people.
REGISTER
Fail to do something is used mainly in writing and in formal contexts. In everyday English, people usually say do not do something instead:
▪ The letter failed to arrive. ➔ The letter didn’t arrive.
3. EXAM/TEST
a) [intransitive and transitive] to not pass a test or examination:
I failed my driving test the first time I took it.
He failed maths but passed all his other subjects.
b) [transitive] to decide that someone has not passed a test or examination:
Her work was so bad that I had no choice but to fail her.
4. I fail to see/understand formal used to show that you are annoyed by something that you do not accept or understand:
I fail to see why you find it so amusing.
5. COMPANY/BUSINESS [intransitive] if a company or business fails, it is unable to continue because of a lack of money
6. MACHINE/BODY PART [intransitive] if a part of a machine or an organ in your body fails, it stops working:
The engine failed on take-off.
The hospital said that his kidneys were failing.
7. HEALTH [intransitive] if your sight, memory, health etc is failing, it is gradually getting weaker or is not as good as it was:
Failing eyesight forced him to retire early.
8. never fail to do something to do something or happen so regularly that people expect it:
My grandson never fails to phone me on my birthday.
9. your courage/will/nerve fails (you) if your courage etc fails, or if it fails you, you suddenly do not have it when you need it:
She had to leave immediately, before her courage failed her.
10. fail somebody to not do what someone has trusted you to do SYN let somebody down:
I feel I’ve failed my children by not spending more time with them.
11. CROPS [intransitive] if crops fail, they do not grow or produce food, for example because of bad weather
12. RAINS [intransitive] if the ↑rains (=a lot of rain that falls at a particular time each year) fail, they do not come when expected or it does not rain enough
⇨ words fail me at ↑word¹(28)
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ fail to not succeed – used about people, plans, methods etc: The plan failed. | They failed to persuade her to change her mind. | This method never fails.
▪ go wrong if something you do goes wrong, it fails after starting well: The experiment went wrong when the chemicals combined to form a poisonous gas.
▪ not work if something does not work, it does not do what you want it to do: The drugs don’t work. | I tried to fix it with glue, but that didn’t work.
▪ be unsuccessful /ˌʌnsəkˈsesfəl◂/ to not have the result you wanted: His first attempt to get a teaching job was unsuccessful. | The search was unsuccessful.
▪ be a failure to be unsuccessful, with the result that you have wasted your efforts: The government’s 5-year plan to modernize the economy was a complete failure.
▪ backfire if a plan or action backfires, it does the opposite of what it was intended to do: His plan to get attention backfired, and instead of being promoted he lost his job.
▪ in vain if you try to do something in vain, you fail to do it: They tried in vain to save him. | All her efforts had been in vain.
II. fail² BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: noun: ↑fail, ↑failure, ↑failing; adjective: ↑failed, ↑unfailing; verb: ↑fail; adverb: unfaillingly]
1. without fail
a) if you do something without fail, you always do it:
Tim visits his mother every day without fail.
b) used to tell someone very firmly that they must do something:
I want that work finished by tomorrow, without fail!
2. [countable] an unsuccessful result in a test or examination OPP pass:
I got a fail in history.

Crow

I. Crow BrE AmE noun
1. the Crow [P] a Native American tribe that now lives in southern Montana
2. [countable] a member of this tribe ⇨ ↑Native American
—Crow adjective:
a Crow chief
II. Crow, Jim BrE AmE
⇨ ↑Jim Crow

crow

I. crow¹ /krəʊ $ kroʊ/ BrE AmE noun
[Sense 1,3: Language: Old English; Origin: crawe]
[Sense 2: Date: 1200-1300; Origin: ⇨ ↑crow²]
1. [countable] a large shiny black bird with a loud cry
2. [singular] the loud sound a ↑cock makes
3. as the crow flies in a straight line:
ten miles from here as the crow flies
⇨ eat crow at ↑eat(7)
II. crow² BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
[Language: Old English; Origin: crawan]
1. if a ↑cock crows, it makes a loud high sound
2. to talk about what you have done in a very proud way – used to show disapproval
crow over/about
He was crowing over winning the bet.
3. written if someone, especially a baby, crows, they make a noise that shows they are happy:
Ben rushed to his father, crowing with pleasure.
• • •
THESAURU
▪ boast to talk too proudly about your abilities, achievements, or possessions because you want other people to admire you: She’s always boasting about how good she is at languages.
▪ brag to boast in a way that annoys other people. Brag is more informal than boast: He was bragging about how many girlfriends he had had. | I don’t think they have anything to brag about. | The rebels have repeatedly bragged that their fighters have been responsible for the mounting attacks on policemen, 226 of whom were killed last year.
▪ blow your own trumpet British English, blow your own horn American English spoken to talk a lot about your achievements – used especially when you want to mention your achievements but do not want to sound as if you are boasting: I don’t want to blow my own trumpet, but it was me who came up with the idea for the project in the first place.
▪ crow to boast about something you have achieved, when other people have been less lucky or successful: Nordstrom and his supporters are still crowing about winning the lawsuit.
▪ gloat to behave in a way that shows that you are proud of your own success and happy about someone else’s failure: The Australians are still gloating over their victory over England. | The liberals are gloating and celebrating all over town. | I haven’t come to gloat! We all have to lose sometimes.
▪ be full of yourself informal to show by your words and behaviour that you are very proud of your abilities and achievements - used when you dislike someone because of this: ‘He’s so full of himself,’ Constance complained. ‘He thinks he can get away with anything.’ | After the game she was really full of herself.

mean

I. mean¹ S1 W1 /miːn/ BrE AmE verb [transitive] (past tense and past participle meant /ment/)
[Word Family: adjective: ↑meaningful, ↑meaningless; verb: ↑mean; noun: ↑meaning; adverb: ↑meaningfully]
[Language: Old English; Origin: mænan]
1. HAVE A PARTICULAR MEANING [not in progressive] to have or represent a particular meaning:
What does ‘patronizing’ mean?
The red light means ‘Stop’.
The report fails to define what is meant by the term ‘key issues’.
mean (that)
This light means you’re running low on fuel.
REGISTER
In written English, people often prefer to say that something indicates something is the case, rather than using mean:
▪ The light indicates that fuel supplies are low.
2. INTEND TO SAY SOMETHING [not in progressive] to intend a particular meaning when you say something
mean (that)
I meant we’d have to leave early – that’s all.
It’s pretty obvious what she means.
(do) you mean spoken (=used to check you have understood what someone intended to say)
Do you mean you’ve changed or Chris has changed?
do/if you know/see what I mean? spoken (=used to check that someone understands you)
I want to buy her something really special, if you know what I mean.
We’re still married but living apart in the same house, if you see what I mean.
Oh yeah! I see what you mean (=I understand what you are trying to say).
What I mean is, I don’t feel alone anymore (=used to explain more about what you have said).
‘I didn’t really like him.’ 'I know what you mean, I didn’t get on with him either (=used to say you understand and have had the same experience).
‘In three hours’ time, I’ll be a free man.‘ ’How do you mean (=used to ask someone to explain what they have just said)?'
3. INTEND TO DO SOMETHING to intend to do something or intend that someone else should do something
mean to do something
I’ve been meaning to ask you if you want to come for a meal next week.
I didn’t mean to upset you.
mean somebody/something to do something
I didn’t mean this to happen at all.
I never meant you to find out.
mean for somebody to do something especially American English:
I didn’t mean for her to get hurt.
I’m sure she didn’t mean it (=she did not intend to upset or hurt someone).
mean no harm/offence/disrespect (=not intend to harm, offend etc someone)
I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm.
He may sound a bit rude at times, but he means well (=intends to be helpful or kind, even if it does not seem like that).
I wasn’t criticizing you, I really meant it for the best (=wanted to be helpful, although my actions had the wrong effect).
4. RESULT IN SOMETHING [not in progressive] to have a particular result or involve something:
The merger will mean the closure of the company’s Sydney office.
Don’t let him see you. It will only mean trouble.
mean (that)
The high cost of housing means that many young people can’t afford to buy a house.
mean doing something
My new job will mean travelling all over the world.
Dieting also means being careful about which foods you buy.
5. BE FAMILIAR [not in progressive] if a name, word etc means something to you, you are familiar with it or you understand it:
He said his name was ‘Randall’ but it meant nothing to me (=I was not familiar with it).
Does the name Bryce mean anything to you?
You need to use analogies which will mean something to the reader.
6. SAY SOMETHING SERIOUSLY [not in progressive] to be serious about what you are saying or writing:
With children, if you say ‘no’, you have to mean it.
I meant what I said earlier.
You don’t really mean that, do you?
7. HOW IMPORTANT SOMEBODY/SOMETHING IS [not in progressive] used for saying how important someone or something is to you
mean something to somebody
I know how much your work means to you.
The medal meant a lot to him.
mean the world to somebody/mean everything to somebody (=be very important to someone)
He meant the world to her.
Time meant nothing (=it was not important) to me while I was travelling.
Of course the relationship meant something to me.
8. SHOW SOMETHING IS TRUE/WILL HAPPEN [not in progressive] to be a sign that something is true or will happen
mean (that)
Finding a lump does not necessarily mean you have cancer.
Clear skies mean that it will be a cold night.
Just because he’s been in prison, it doesn’t mean that he’s violent.
• • •
SPOKEN PHRASES
9. what do you mean ...?
a) used when you do not understand what someone is trying to say:
‘You’ll be careful won’t you?’ ‘What do you mean?’
b) used when you are very surprised or annoyed by what someone has just said:
What do you mean, you’ve cancelled the trip?
What do you mean by that?
c) used when you are very annoyed by what someone has just done:
What do you mean by calling me at this time of night?
10. SAY WHICH PERSON/THING used to say that a particular person or thing is the one that you are talking about, pointing to etc:
‘Hey you!’ ‘Do you mean me?’
I meant the pink dress, not the red one.
11. I mean
a) used when explaining or giving an example of something, or when pausing to think about what you are going to say next:
You’re more of an expert than me. I mean, you’ve got all that experience.
It’s just not right. I mean, it’s unfair isn’t it?
b) used to quickly correct something you have just said:
She plays the violin, I mean the viola, really well.
12. see what I mean? used when something that happens proves what you said before:
See what I mean? Every time she calls me up she wants me to do something for her.
13. that’s what I mean used when someone is saying the same thing that you were trying to say earlier:
‘We might not have enough money.’ ‘That’s what I mean, so we’d better find out the price first.’
14. I mean to say used when adding a reason or explanation for something you have just said, especially something you feel strongly about:
Of course she wants to see the children, I mean to say, it’s only natural isn’t it?
15. mean business to be determined to do something:
This decision shows the public that we mean business.
16. be meant to do something
a) if you are meant to do something, you should do it, especially because someone has told you to or because you are responsible for it:
Come on, Ellen, you’re meant to be helping me.
I thought the police were meant to protect people.
b) to be intended to do something:
The diagram is meant to show the different stages of the process.
17. be meant to be good/excellent/bad etc used to say that you have heard or read that something is good, bad etc:
The play is meant to be really good.
18. be meant for somebody/something to be intended for a particular person or purpose:
a book meant for children
19. be meant for somebody if two people are meant for each other, they are very suitable as partners for each other:
They were meant for each other.
She’s meant for him.
20. somebody was never meant for something/to be something used to say that someone is not at all suitable for a particular job or activity:
I was never meant for the army.
21. something was meant to be/happen used to say that you think a situation was certain to happen and that no one could have prevented it:
Dan left me after a month so I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.
22. know/understand what it means to be something to have experienced a particular situation, so that you know what it is like:
I know what it means to be alone in a foreign country.