American English

II. fast² S2 W2 adjective
[Language: Old English; Origin: fæst 'firm']
1. MOVING QUICKLY moving or able to move quickly:
a fast car
He’s one of the fastest runners in the world.
2. IN A SHORT TIME doing something or happening in a short time:
The subway is the fastest way to get downtown.
The company must give a faster response to clients’ requests.
The rain forests are being chopped down at an alarmingly fast rate.
I’m a fast learner.
3. CLOCK [not before noun] a clock that is fast shows a later time than the real time:
That can’t be the time – my watch must be fast.
five minutes/an hour etc fast
I always keep my watch 15 minutes fast.
4. fast track a way of achieving something more quickly than is normally done
on the fast track
a young actress on the fast track to fame and success
5. fast road a road on which vehicles can travel very quickly
6. fast film/lens a film or lens(2) that can be used when there is little light, or when photographing something that is moving very quickly
7. COLOUR a colour that is fast will not change when clothes are washed ⇒ colourfast
8. SPORTS a fast surface is one on which a ball moves very quickly
9. fast and furious done very quickly with a lot of effort and energy, or happening very quickly with a lot of sudden changes:
Arsenal’s opening attack was fast and furious.
10. somebody is a fast worker informal used to say that someone can get what they want very quickly, especially in starting a sexual relationship with another person
11. fast talker someone who talks quickly and easily but is often not honest or sincere
12. WOMAN old-fashioned becoming involved quickly in sexual relationships with men:
fast cars and fast women
13. fast friends literary two people who are very friendly for a long time
⇒ fast food, fast-forward, fast lane, ⇒ make a fast buck at buck¹(1), ⇒ pull a fast one at pull¹(10)
 

▪ fast moving or able to move quickly: The cheetah is the fastest animal in the world. | a fast car
▪ quick moving fast or doing something in a short time: He was much quicker than I was over the first 100 metres. | Do I have time for a quick shower?
▪ high-speed [only before noun] designed to travel or operate very quickly: a high-speed train | high-speed Internet access
▪ rapid especially written happening in a short period of time – used about changes, increases, improvements etc: a rapid increase in the population | the rapid expansion of the firm’s business in the Middle East | a rapid decline in profits
▪ swift written moving quickly or happening after only a short time: The horses ran along the track at a swift trot. | He received a swift response to his letter.
▪ brisk quick and energetic: a brisk walk in the countryside | His manner was very brisk.
▪ speedy [only before noun] happening after only a short time: Everyone wishes you a speedy recovery. | a speedy resolution to the problem
▪ hurried done more quickly that usual, because you do not have much time: She ate a hurried breakfast in the cafe before catching her train. | We made a hurried departure.
▪ hasty deciding or doing something very quickly, especially when this has bad results: It was a hasty decision, which he later regretted. | Let’s not be too hasty.

fair

I. fair¹ S1 W2 /feə $ fer/ adjective
[Word Family: adverb: fairly ≠ unfairly, fair; noun: fairness ≠ unfairness; adjective: fair ≠ unfair]
[Language: Old English; Origin: fæger 'beautiful']
1. REASONABLE AND ACCEPTABLE a fair situation, system, way of treating people, or judgment seems reasonable, acceptable, and right OPP unfair:
All we are asking for is a fair wage.
£150 is a fair price.
fair trial/hearing
the right to a fair trial
What do you think is the fairest solution?
The report is a fair summary of the issues facing us.
it is fair to do something
It seems fair to give them a second chance.
it’s only fair (that) (=used to say that it is right to do something)
It’s only fair that we tell him what’s happening.
it’s fair to say (that) (=used when you think what you are saying is correct or reasonable)
It’s fair to say that by then he had lost the support of his staff.
it’s not fair on somebody
I can’t carry on working such long hours. It’s not fair on my family.
2. TREATING EVERYONE EQUALLY treating everyone in a way that is right or equal OPP unfair:
Why does Eric get to go and I don’t? It’s not fair!
Life isn’t always fair.
fair to
The old law wasn’t fair to women.
it’s only fair (that)
You pay him $10 an hour – it’s only fair that I should get the same.
My boss expects a lot – but he’s very fair.
3. QUITE LARGE a fair size/amount/number/bit/distance etc especially British English quite a large size, number etc:
I’ve still got a fair amount of work left to do.
We had travelled a fair way (=quite a long distance) by lunch time.
there’s a fair chance (that)/of something (=it is quite likely that something will happen)
There’s a fair chance we’ll be coming over to England this summer.
4. HAIR/SKIN someone who is fair, or who has fair hair or skin, has hair or skin that is very light in colour OPP dark
5. ACCORDING TO THE RULES a fair fight, game, or election is one that is played or done according to the rules OPP unfair
6. LEVEL OF ABILITY neither particularly good nor particularly bad SYN average:
Her written work is excellent but her practical work is only fair.
7. WEATHER weather that is fair is pleasant and not windy, rainy etc SYN fine:
It should be generally fair and warm for the next few days.
8. have had more than your fair share of something to have had more of something, especially something unpleasant, than seems reasonable:
Poor old Alan! He’s had more than his fair share of bad luck recently.
9. give somebody a fair crack of the whip British English informal to give someone the opportunity to do something, especially so that they can show that they are able to do it
10. give somebody/get a fair shake American English informal to treat someone, or to be treated, in a way that gives everyone the same chances as everyone else:
Women don’t always get a fair shake in business.
11. by fair means or foul using any method to get what you want, including dishonest or illegal methods
12. all’s fair in love and war used to say that in some situations any method of getting what you want is acceptable
13. PLEASANT/ATTRACTIVE old use or literary pleasant and attractive:
a fair maiden
• • •
SPOKEN PHRASES
14. fair enough especially British English used to say that you agree with someone’s suggestion or that something seems reasonable SYN OK:
‘I think we should split the bill.’ ‘Fair enough.’
15. to be fair used when adding something after someone has been criticized, which helps to explain or excuse what they did SYN in fairness:
She should have phoned to tell us what her plans were although, to be fair, she’s been very busy.
16. be fair! especially British English used to tell someone not to be unreasonable or criticize someone too much:
Now Pat, be fair, the poor girl’s trying her hardest!
17. fair’s fair used when you think it is fair that someone should do something, especially because of something that has happened earlier:
Come on, fair’s fair – I paid last time so it’s your turn.
18. fair comment British English used to say that a remark or criticism seems reasonable
19. you can’t say fairer than that British English used to say that an offer you are making to someone is the best and fairest offer they can possibly get:
I’ll give you £25 for it – you can’t say fairer than that, can you?
20. it’s a fair cop British English used humorously to admit that you should not be doing something that someone has caught you doing
21. with your own fair hands British English if you do something with your own fair hands, you do it yourself without any help – used humorously ⇒ have a fair idea of something at idea
• • •

▪ fair treating people equally or in the way that is right: It’s not fair that she gets paid more than me. | Everyone has the right to a fair trial.
▪ just formal morally right and fair: a just punishment | a just cause | a just society | Do you think it was a just war?
▪ reasonable fair and sensible according to most people’s standards: a reasonable request | Lateness, without a reasonable excuse, will not be tolerated.
▪ balanced giving fair and equal treatment to all sides of an argument or subject: Balanced reporting of the news is essential.
▪ even-handed giving fair and equal treatment to everyone, especially when it would be easy to favour one particular group: The drama takes an even-handed look at the consequences of violent crime, both on attackers and their victims. | The film is even-handed and does not try to make you support either side.
▪ equitable /ˈekwətəbəl, ˈekwɪtəbəl/ formal giving equal treatment to everyone involved: We need an equitable solution to this problem. | a more equitable distribution of wealth

II. living² S2 BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: verb: ↑live, ↑outlive, ↑relive, ↑liven, ↑up; adjective: ↑live, ↑lively, ↑living, ↑liveable; noun: ↑liveliness, ↑living, ↑livelihood; adverb: ↑live]
1. [countable usually singular] the way that you earn money or the money that you earn:
It’s not a great job, but it’s a living.
What do you do for a living? (=what do you do as a job?)
earn/make a living
It’s hard to make a decent living as a musician.
scrape/scratch a living (=get just enough to eat or live)
2. the living all the people who are alive as opposed to dead people OPP the dead
3. [uncountable] the way in which someone lives their life:
the stresses of city living
4. [countable] the position or income of a ↑parish priest
⇨ ↑cost of living, ↑standard of living, ⇨ in the land of the living at ↑land¹(7)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ earn/make a living She was able to make a living out of her talents as a cook.
▪ do something for a living (=to work at something as your job) 'What does he do for a living?' 'I think he's a taxi driver.'
▪ scrape out/scratch out/eke out a living (=to barely earn enough money to live) The farmers in these drought-stricken areas are barely able to scratch out a living.
■ adjectives
▪ a good/decent living (=enough money) Her husband makes a good living.
▪ a meagre living British English, a meager living American English (=not much money) She earned a meagre living as a shop assistant.

where

where S1 W1 /weə $ wer/ BrE AmE adverb, conjunction, pronoun
[Language: Old English; Origin: hwær]
1. in or to which place:
Where are you going?
Where do they live?
Do you know where my glasses are?
Where would you like to sit?
where (...) to/from
Where have you come from?
‘We’re going on a long journey.’ ‘Where to?’
where to do something
They’re easy to find, if you know where to look.
where on earth/in the world etc (=used for emphasis when you are surprised, angry etc)
Where on earth have you been all this time?
2. used to talk about a particular place:
She was standing exactly where you are standing now.
Stay where you are.
This is the place where I hid the key.
In 1963 we moved to Boston, where my grandparents lived.
3. used to talk about a particular stage in a process, conversation, story etc:
The treatment will continue until the patient reaches the point where he can walk correctly and safely.
You are saying that everyone should be equal, and this is where I disagree.
Now, where were we? Oh yes, we were talking about John.
4. used to ask or talk about the origin of something or someone:
Where does the word ‘super’ come from?
Where does this man get the money to keep two houses?
I wonder where he gets these strange ideas.
5. used to say that one person, thing, opinion etc is different from another:
Where others might have been satisfied, Dawson had higher ambitions.
6. in or to any place SYN wherever:
You can sit where you like.
You’re free to go where you please.

stuff

I. stuff¹ S1 W3 /stʌf/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: estoffe, from estoffer 'to provide with things needed']
1. THINGS informal used when you are talking about things such as substances, materials, or groups of objects when you do not know what they are called, or it is not important to say exactly what they are:
I’ve got some sticky stuff on my shoe.
How do you think you’re going to fit all that stuff into the car?
I felt sorry for the ones who had to eat the awful stuff.
Where’s all the camping stuff?
2. sb’s stuff informal the things that belong to someone:
Did you get the rest of your stuff?
3. ACTIVITIES/IDEAS informal used when talking about different activities, subjects, or ideas, when you do not say exactly what these are:
What kind of stuff do you like to read?
I’ve got so much stuff to do this weekend.
There’s a lot of interesting stuff in this book.
He’s talked to me about all that stuff too.
He does mountain biking and skiing, and stuff like that.
4. WORK/ART informal used when you are talking about what someone has done or made, for example writing, music, or art:
I don’t like his stuff.
John Lee was getting ready to play his stuff.
He did some great stuff in his early films.
good stuff British English (=used to tell someone that their work is good)
This is good stuff.
5. ... and stuff spoken informal used to say that there are other things similar to what you have just mentioned, but you are not going to say what they are:
There’s some very good music there, CD systems and stuff, and laser disks.
6. the (very) stuff of dreams/life/politics exactly the kind of thing that dreams etc consist of:
an enchanting place – the very stuff of dreams
7. CHARACTER the qualities of someone’s character:
Does he have the right stuff (=qualities that make you able to deal with difficulties)?
Surely you’re not going to give up? I thought you were made of sterner stuff (=were more determined).
8. do/show your stuff informal to do what you are good at when everyone wants you to do it:
Come on Gina, get on the dance floor and do your stuff!
⇨ bit of stuff at ↑bit¹(14), ⇨ kid’s stuff at ↑kid¹(4), ⇨ know your stuff at ↑know¹(5), ⇨ strut your stuff at ↑strut¹(2)
• • •
GRAMMAR
Stuff is an uncountable noun and has no plural form. Use a singular verb after it:
▪ Most of my stuff is still in packing cases.

experience

I. ex‧pe‧ri‧ence¹ S1 W1 /ɪkˈspɪəriəns $ -ˈspɪr-/ BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: verb: ↑experience; noun: ↑experience ≠ ↑inexperience; adjective: ↑experienced ≠ ↑inexperienced]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Latin experientia 'act of trying', from experiri 'to try out']
1. KNOWLEDGE/SKILL [uncountable] knowledge or skill that you gain from doing a job or activity, or the process of doing this
experience of/in/with
You’ve got a lot of experience of lecturing.
my experience in many areas of the music business
He had no previous experience of managing a farm.
The advice in the booklet reflects the practical experience we have gained (=experience gained by actually doing something, rather than knowledge from books etc).
I had some experience in fashion design.
She was turned down on the grounds of lack of experience.
I have first-hand experience (=experience gained by doing something myself) of running a school.
gain/get experience
The programme enables pupils to gain some experience of the world of work.
2. KNOWLEDGE OF LIFE [uncountable] knowledge that you gain about life and the world by being in different situations and meeting different people, or the process of gaining this
in sb’s experience
In his experience, women did not like getting their feet wet and muddy.
know/learn/speak from experience
Being a parent isn’t easy, as I know from experience.
All animals appear to have some capacity to learn from experience.
I speak from bitter experience (=having learnt something because something unpleasant happened).
personal/previous/past experience
From personal experience, she knew and understood the problems of alcohol addiction.
experience shows/suggests that
Beth’s experience suggests that people don’t really change deep down.
3. SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS [countable] something that happens to you or something you do, especially when this has an effect on what you feel or think:
childhood experiences
experience of/with
This was my first experience of living with other people.
experience for
Failing an exam was a new experience for me.
I had a similar experience last year.
The two children in this story have been through a lot of bad experiences.
Parachuting is quite an experience.
memorable/unforgettable experience
This romantic evening cruise is a memorable experience.
religious experience (=a situation in which you feel, hear, or see something that affects you strongly and makes you believe in God)
This kind of religious experience was a sign of God’s special favour.
4. the black/female/Russian etc experience events or knowledge shared by the members of a particular society or group of people:
No writer expresses the black experience with such passion as Toni Morisson.
5. work experience British English a system in which a student can work for a company in order to learn about a job, or the period during which a student does this:
Ella is about to do work experience with a clothing manufacturer.
on work experience
students on work experience
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ verbs
▪ have experience Applicants must have experience of working with children.
▪ get/gain experience He suggested that I should gain some experience in a related industry like travel.
▪ lack experience (=not have enough experience) Some students lack experience writing essays.
▪ broaden/widen your experience (=increase the amount of different experience you have) After six years with the bank, he went to work in New York to broaden his experience.
■ adjectives
▪ considerable experience (=a lot of experience) Margaret has considerable experience of hospital work.
▪ long experience (=experience gained over a long period of time) New prison officers are partnered by officers with long experience of dealing with violent prisoners.
▪ useful/valuable experience (=useful experience) That summer he got some valuable experience working in a tax office.
▪ invaluable experience (=extremely useful experience) Playing in the under-21 squad gives these young players invaluable experience.
▪ relevant experience (=experience that directly relates to a job, subject, or problem) Applicants need a degree and two years of relevant experience.
▪ past/previous experience His only previous experience of broadcasting consisted of a job hosting a local radio station.
▪ practical experience (=experience gained from doing something, not from books or study) The classes provide students with some practical experience of computers.
▪ first-hand experience (=experience gained by doing something yourself) She has no first-hand experience of running a school.
■ phrases
▪ a wealth of experience (=a lot of useful experience) Between them, the management team have a wealth of experience.
▪ lack of experience My colleagues kept making comments about about my lack of experience.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ adjectives
▪ personal experience He spoke from personal experience about the harmful effects of taking drugs.
▪ life experience (=experience that comes from life) As an older parent, your life experience is one of your greatest assets.
▪ first-hand experience (=experience gained from doing something yourself) As a journalist living in Iraq, he had first-hand experience of coping with terror on his doorstep.
▪ bitter experience (=experience that makes you feel disappointed or upset) I knew from bitter experience how unreliable she could be.
▪ everyday experience (=experience of normal life) Hunger is part of everyday experience for these children.
■ verbs
▪ know/learn from experience Janet knew from experience that love doesn't always last.
▪ speak from experience The miners spoke from experience about the dangers of their work.
▪ lack experience Many men in their twenties lack experience and social skills.
▪ experience suggests/shows something Experience suggests that children who commit crimes will continue to offend as adults.
■ phrases
▪ lack of experience He was embarrassed about his lack of experience with women.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 3)
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + experience
▪ a good/bad experience On the whole, going to boarding school was a good experience for him. | I've had some bad experiences when I've been travelling on my own.
▪ positive/negative The entire experience has been very positive. | Many people reported having negative experiences when dealing with their local council.
▪ enjoyable/pleasant We want to make the experience as enjoyable as possible. | She recalled pleasant experiences from her past.
▪ memorable/unforgettable (=a good experience that you will remember for a long time) Meeting the queen was a memorable experience.
▪ painful (=one that is very upsetting) Her family supported her through the painful experience.
▪ traumatic/harrowing (=one that is shocking and upsetting, and affects you for a long time) Having an operation can be a traumatic experience for a child.
▪ new The club scene was a whole new experience for me.
▪ a formative experience (=one that has an important influence on the way someone develops) The trip was probably the most formative experience of my life.
▪ childhood experiences Our childhood experiences make us what we are as adults.
▪ a religious experience (=one that makes someone believe strongly in God) As a young man he had a profound religious experience.
▪ an everyday/commonplace experience (=one that is typical of normal life) The sound of gunfire is an everyday experience in the city.

lend

lend S3 W3 /lend/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle lent /lent/)
[Language: Old English; Origin: lænan, from læn; ⇨ ↑loan¹]
1.
a) [transitive] to let someone borrow money or something that belongs to you for a short time ⇨ borrow
lend something to somebody
I lent my CD player to Dave and I haven’t got it back yet.
lend somebody something
The hospital agreed to lend us a wheelchair.
Can you lend me £10 until tomorrow?
b) [intransitive and transitive] if a bank or financial institution lends money, it lets someone have it on condition that they pay it back later, often gradually, with an additional amount as ↑interest:
The government is trying to encourage the banks to lend more.
lend something to somebody
A lot of banks are unwilling to lend money to new businesses.
lend somebody something
The building society agreed to lend us £60,000.
2. lend (somebody) a hand to help someone do something, especially something that needs physical effort:
Can you lend me a hand with this?
3. [transitive] formal to give a situation, event etc a particular quality
lend something to something
The presence of members of the royal family lent a certain dignity to the ceremony.
4. lend an ear to listen to someone, especially in a sympathetic way:
He’s always prepared to lend a sympathetic ear.
5. lend itself to something to be suitable for being used in a particular way:
None of her books really lends itself to being made into a film.
6. lend (your) support (to something) to support or help someone:
The government has now lent its support to the campaign.
7. lend weight/support to something to make an opinion or belief seem more likely to be correct:
The police have new evidence which lends weight to their theory.
8. lend your name to something to announce publicly that you support something that someone is trying to do:
The French prime minister has now lent his name to the protest.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ lend (also loan especially American English) to let someone borrow money or something that belongs to you for a short time: Can you lend me $20? | Did you lend that book to Mike? | The documents were loaned by the local library.
▪ let somebody use something/let somebody have something to let someone use something that belongs to you for a short time, especially a room, a house, or something big and expensive: Some friends are letting us use their house while they are on vacation. | Dad said he’d let me have his car for the weekend.
▪ be on loan if something is on loan, it has been lent to a person or organization in an official way – often used about a library book or a work of art: The museum has an exhibition of paintings on loan from the Louvre. | According to the computer, this book is still out on loan.

fence

I. fence¹ S3 /fens/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1300-1400; Origin: defense]
1. a structure made of wood, metal etc that surrounds a piece of land
2. a wall or other structure that horses jump over in a race or competition
3. informal someone who buys and sells stolen goods
4. sit/be on the fence to avoid saying which side of an argument you support
⇨ mend (your) fences at ↑mend¹(4)
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ wall an upright flat structure made of stone or brick, that divides one area from another or surrounds an area: The estate is surrounded by high stone walls. | a brick wall
▪ fence a structure made of wood, metal etc that surrounds a piece of land: The garden was surrounded by an old wooden fence. | the chain link fence around the school
▪ railings a metal fence that is made of a series of upright bars: the iron railings in front of the house | The boy was leaning over the railing on the side of the boat.
▪ barrier a type of fence or gate that prevents people from moving in a particular direction: A guard stood near the barrier. | The police had put up barriers to keep the crowd under control.
▪ screen a piece of furniture like a thin wall that can be moved around and is used to divide one part of a room from another: the screen around his hospital bed | a Japanese bamboo screen | a fire screen (=that you put near a fire)
▪ partition a thin wall that separates one part of a room from another: The room was divided into two by a thin partition. | The offices are separated by partitions and you can hear everything that is said in the next office.
▪ barricade a line of objects that people have put across a road, to prevent people getting past, especially as part of a protest: The soldiers used tanks to smash through the barricades.

fall

I. fall¹ S1 W1 /fɔːl $ fɒːl/ BrE AmE verb (past tense fell /fel/, past participle fallen /ˈfɔːlən $ ˈfɒːl-/)
[Language: Old English; Origin: feallan]
1. MOVE DOWNWARDS [intransitive] to move or drop down from a higher position to a lower position:
The tree was about to fall.
The book fell from his hands.
Enough rain had fallen to flood the grounds.
fall down
Rob fell down the stairs.
She flushed and her eyes fell (=she looked down).
2. STOP STANDING/WALKING ETC [intransitive] to suddenly go down onto the ground after you have been standing, walking, or running, especially without intending to:
I fell and hit my head.
slip/stumble/trip etc and fall
He slipped and fell on the ice.
fall down
Lizzie fell down and hurt her knee.
Peter was playing by the river when he fell in (=fell into the water).
fall to/on your knees (=move down to the ground so that your body is resting on your knees)
She fell to her knees beside his body. ⇨ fall flat on your face at ↑flat³(5)
3. DECREASE [intransitive] to go down to a lower level, amount, price etc, especially a much lower one OPP rise:
The rate of inflation was falling.
The island is warm all year round and winter temperatures never fall below 10 degrees.
He believes that educational standards are falling.
fall from
Advertising revenue fell from $98.5 million to $93.3 million.
fall to
The number of subscribers had fallen to 1,000.
fall sharply/steeply (=by a large amount)
London share prices fell sharply yesterday.
REGISTER
In everyday English, people often say an amount or level goes down rather than falls:
▪ House prices have gone down again.
4. BECOME [intransitive, linking verb] to start to be in a new or different state
fall adj
I’ll stay with her until she falls asleep.
I think that I’ve fallen in love with Angela.
She fell ill with flu.
Albert fell silent and turned his attention to his food.
fall into
The house was empty for many years and fell into disrepair.
One false step can mean falling into debt.
He fell into despair.
5. BELONG TO A GROUP [intransitive always + preposition] to belong to or be part of a particular group, area of responsibility, range of things, or type of things
fall into
Many illnesses fall into the category of stress-related illnesses.
Leaders fall into two categories.
fall within
The judge said that this matter did not fall within the scope of the auditor’s duties.
fall under
The job falls under the heading of ‘sales and marketing’.
Meat production falls under the control of the Agriculture Department.
6. fall short of something to be less than the amount or standard that is needed or that you want:
This year’s profit will fall short of 13%.
He would sack any of his staff who fell short of his high standards.
7. fall victim/prey to something/somebody to get a very serious illness or be attacked or deceived by someone:
Breastfed babies are less likely to fall victim to stomach disorders.
people who fall victim to violence
8. night/darkness/dusk falls if night etc falls, it starts to become dark at the beginning of the night:
It grew colder as night fell.
Darkness had fallen by the time we reached home.
9. silence/a hush/sadness etc falls literary used to say that a person, group, or place becomes quiet, sad etc:
A long silence fell between us.
10. START DOING SOMETHING [intransitive] to start doing something or being involved with something, often without intending to:
I fell into conversation with some guys from New York.
He had fallen into the habit of having a coffee every time he passed the coffee machine.
11. fall into place
a) if parts of a situation that you have been trying to understand fall into place, you start to understand how they are connected with each other:
Suddenly, all the details started falling into place.
b) if the parts of something that you want to happen fall into place, they start to happen in the way that you want:
I was lucky because everything fell into place at exactly the right time.
12. fall to pieces/bits
a) to break into many pieces SYN fall apart:
The book had been well used and finally fell to pieces.
b) if something such as a plan or a relationship falls to pieces, it stops working properly SYN fall apart:
The family is falling to pieces.
13. be falling to pieces/bits if something is falling to pieces, it is in very bad condition, especially because it is very old SYN be falling apart:
The house is falling to pieces.
14. fall flat if a joke, remark, or performance falls flat, it fails to interest or amuse people:
Marlow’s attempts at jokes fell flat.
15. fall foul of somebody/something to do something which makes someone angry or which breaks a rule, with the result that you are punished:
He is worried that his teenage kids will fall foul of the law.
16. fall by the wayside to fail, or to stop being done, used, or made:
Health reform was one of his goals that fell by the wayside.
Luxury items fall by the wayside during a recession.
17. fall from grace/favour to stop being liked by people in authority:
He fell from grace for the first time when he was convicted of drink-driving.
18. fall from a great height to be forced to leave an important job or position, or lose the respect that people had for you
19. fall into the hands/clutches of somebody if something or someone falls into the hands of an enemy or dangerous person, the enemy etc gets control or possession of them:
He wants to prevent the business falling into the hands of a competitor.
We must not let these documents fall into the wrong hands.
20. fall into a trap/pitfall to make a mistake that many people make:
Don’t fall into the trap of feeling guilty.
21. fall into step
a) to start to walk next to someone else, at the same speed as them
fall into step beside/with
Holly slowed her pace and fell into step with the old man.
b) to start doing something in the same way as the other members of a group
fall into step with
The other countries on the Council are expected to fall into step with the US.
22. fall into line to obey someone or do what other people want you to do, especially when you do not want to do it at first:
Most countries have signed the treaty but some are reluctant to fall into line.
23. HANG DOWN [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to hang down loosely
fall over
His dark hair fell over his face.
24. LIGHT/SHADOW [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to shine on a surface or go onto a surface:
The last rays of sunlight were falling on the fields.
Arthur’s shadow fell across the doorway.
25. SPECIAL EVENT/CELEBRATION [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to happen on a particular day or at a particular time:
I’d like to dedicate this record to all whose anniversaries fall at this time of year.
fall on
Her birthday will fall on a Friday this year.
26. LOSE POWER [intransitive] if a leader or a government falls, they lose their position of power:
The previous government fell after only 6 months in office.
27. BE TAKEN BY AN ENEMY [intransitive] if a place falls in a war or an election, a group of soldiers or a political party takes control of it
fall to
The city fell to the advancing Russian armies.
28. BE KILLED [intransitive] to be killed in a war SYN die
29. HIT [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to hit a particular place or a particular part of someone’s body
fall on
The first punch fell on his nose.
30. VOICE/SOUND [intransitive] if someone’s voice or a sound falls, it becomes quieter or lower OPP rise
31. it’s as easy as falling off a log spoken used to say that something is very easy to do
32. fall between two stools British English to be neither one type of thing nor another, or be unable to choose between two ways of doing something
33. fall on stony ground British English if a request, suggestion, joke etc falls on stony ground, it is ignored or people do not like it
34. fall from sb’s lips literary if words fall from someone’s lips, they say them
35. fall into sb’s lap if an opportunity falls into someone’s lap, they get it without having made any effort to get it
36. the stress/accent/beat falls on something used to say that a particular part of a word, phrase, or piece of music is emphasized or is played more loudly than the rest:
In the word ‘report’, the stress falls on the second syllable.
⇨ be/fall under a spell at ↑spell²(3), ⇨ fall on your feet at ↑foot¹(19), ⇨ sb’s face fell at ↑face¹(2), ⇨ stand or fall by/on at ↑stand¹(33)
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ fall (also fall over, fall down) to suddenly go down onto the floor when standing, walking, or running: She fell on the stairs and broke her ankle. | Children are always falling over.
▪ trip on/over something to fall or almost fall when you hit your foot against something: Someone might trip over those toys. | I tripped on a piece of wood.
▪ slip to fall or almost fall when you are walking on a wet or very smooth surface: She slipped and hurt her ankle. | I was scared I would slip on the highly polished floor.
▪ stumble to almost fall when you put your foot down in an awkward way: He stumbled and almost fell. | One of our porters stumbled on the rough ground.
▪ collapse to fall suddenly and heavily to the ground, especially when you become unconscious: One of the runners collapsed halfway through the race.
▪ lose your balance to become unsteady so that you start to fall over: She lost her balance on the first step and fell down the stairs. | Have something to hold onto, in case you lose your balance.
▪ fall flat on your face to fall forwards so you are lying on your front on the ground: She fell flat on her face getting out of the car.
fall about phrasal verb British English
to laugh a lot about something:
It was so funny everyone just fell about laughing.
fall apart phrasal verb
1. if an organization, system, relationship etc falls apart, it stops being effective or successful:
Don’t be reckless or your plans may fall apart.
The health service is falling apart at the seams.
2. be falling apart to be in very bad condition:
Tommy’s old bicycle was rusty and falling apart.
3. to break into pieces:
The book fell apart in my hands.
4. to be unable to deal with your personal or emotional problems:
She had to get some rest or she was going to fall apart.
5. sb’s world/life falls apart if someone’s world or life falls apart, something very bad and serious happens which changes their life:
When his wife left him, his world fell apart.
fall away phrasal verb
1. to slope down:
From where we stood, the ground fell away sharply to the valley floor.
2. to become separated from something after being fixed to it:
The paint was falling away in patches.
3. if a feeling falls away, you stop having it, usually suddenly:
The view from the top was wonderful and our tiredness fell away.
4. British English to decrease SYN fall OPP rise:
Demand for our more theoretical courses has fallen away.
fall back phrasal verb
1. if soldiers fall back, they move back because they are being attacked SYN retreat:
He yelled for his men to fall back.
2. to move backwards because you are very surprised, frightened etc:
Scott fell back a pace in astonishment.
3. British English to decrease SYN fall OPP rise:
When inflation started to rise, house prices fell back.
fall back into something phrasal verb
to go back to doing something or behaving in a way which you did before:
I was amazed at how easily I fell back into the old routine.
fall back on somebody/something phrasal verb
to use something or depend on someone’s help when dealing with a difficult situation, especially after other methods have failed
have somebody/something to fall back on
She has no relatives to fall back on.
Where negotiation fails, they must fall back on the law. ⇨ ↑fallback
fall behind (somebody/something) phrasal verb
1. to go more slowly than other people so that they gradually move further ahead of you:
His mother was chatting and didn’t notice that he had fallen behind.
She hurt her ankle and had fallen behind the others.
2. to become less successful than other people, companies, countries etc:
After her time in hospital, Jenny’s parents are afraid she has fallen behind educationally.
Companies that are not market-driven risk falling behind the competition.
3. to fail to finish a piece of work or pay someone money that you owe them at the right time
fall behind (somebody/something) with/on
After losing his job, he fell behind with his mortgage payments.
The project has fallen behind schedule.
fall down phrasal verb
1. be falling down if a building is falling down, it is in very bad condition:
The bridge is falling down and will need a million dollars to repair it.
2. to fail because of a particular reason or in a particular way:
That’s where the whole argument falls down.
fall down on
He is falling down on the supervisory aspects of his job.
The local authority is falling down on the job of keeping the streets clean.
fall for somebody/something phrasal verb informal
1. to be tricked into believing something that is not true:
He is too smart to fall for that trick.
2. to start to love someone:
That was the summer I worked at the fairground, and met and fell for Lucy.
3. to like a place as soon as you see it
fall in phrasal verb
1. if the roof, ceiling etc falls in, it falls onto the ground SYN collapse
2. to start walking or forming a line of people behind someone else
fall in behind
His men fell in behind him.
fall into something phrasal verb
1. to move somewhere quickly by relaxing your body and letting it fall on something:
She turned and fell into his arms.
We fell into bed, exhausted.
2. to start doing something by chance:
I fell into the job really.
fall in with somebody/something phrasal verb
1. to accept someone’s ideas, decisions etc and not disagree with them:
Once she explained her problem, he was happy to fall in with her plans.
2. to become friendly with a person or group of people after meeting them by chance SYN get in with:
She fell in with the wrong crowd in her teens.
fall off phrasal verb
1. fall off (something) if part of something falls off, it becomes separated from the main part:
The door handle keeps falling off.
A button had fallen off her jacket.
2. if the amount, rate, or quality of something falls off, it decreases SYN fall OPP rise:
Audience figures fell off during the second series of the programme.
3. somebody nearly/almost fell off their chair spoken used to say that someone was very surprised when something happened:
When I saw my brother on the stage I nearly fell off my chair.
⇨ fall off the back of a lorry at ↑lorry
fall on/upon somebody/something phrasal verb
1. if a duty or job falls on someone, they are responsible for doing it:
The responsibility usually falls on the mother.
2. literary to eagerly start eating or using something:
She fell on the food as if she hadn’t eaten for days.
3. literary to suddenly attack or get hold of someone:
Some of the older boys fell on him and broke his glasses.
4. sb’s eyes/gaze/glance fall(s) on something if your eyes etc fall on something, you notice it:
His eyes fell on her bag. ‘Are you going somewhere?’
5. fall on hard/bad times to experience difficulties and problems in your life such as not having enough money:
The aim is to raise money for workers who have fallen on hard times.
6. fall on your sword to leave your job because your organization has done something wrong, and you are taking responsibility for it:
It was clear that the Prime Minister wanted her to fall on her sword.
⇨ fall on deaf ears at ↑deaf(5)
fall out phrasal verb
1. to have a quarrel
fall out with
Carrie’s always falling out with people.
2. if a tooth or your hair falls out, it is then no longer attached to your body:
The drugs made her hair fall out.
3. if soldiers fall out, they stop standing in a line and move away to different places
fall over phrasal verb
1. to fall onto the ground or to fall from an upright position:
Tommy fell over and cut his knee badly.
Her bike fell over.
2. fall over something to hit your foot against something by mistake and fall to the ground SYN trip over:
She fell over the dog and broke her front teeth.
3. fall over yourself to do something to be very eager to do something, especially something you do not usually do:
People were falling over themselves to help her.
fall through phrasal verb
if an agreement, plan, sale etc falls through, it is not completed successfully:
The studio planned to make a movie of the book but the deal fell through.
fall to somebody/something phrasal verb
1. if a duty or job falls to someone, they are responsible for doing it, especially when this is difficult or unpleasant:
It fell to me to give her the bad news.
2. written to start doing something:
They fell to work with a will.
fall to doing something
He fell to thinking about how nice a warm bath would be.