genius

ge·nius [genius geniuses genii]   [ˈdʒiːniəs]    [ˈdʒiːniəs]  noun (pl. ge·niuses)
1. uncountable unusually great intelligence, skill or artistic ability
• the genius of Shakespeare
• a statesman of genius

• Her idea was a stroke of genius.

2. countable a person who is unusually intelligent or artistic, or who has a very high level of skill, especially in one area
• a mathematical/comic, etc. genius
• He's a genius at organizing people.

• You don't have to be a genius to see that they are in love!

3. singular ~ for sth/for doing sth a special skill or ability
• He had a genius for making people feel at home.
Idiom: somebody's good genius  
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Latin, attendant spirit present from one's birth, innate ability or inclination, from the root of gignere ‘beget’. The original sense ‘spirit attendant on a person’ gave rise to a sense ‘a person's characteristic disposition’ (late 16th cent.), which led to a sense ‘a person's natural ability’, and finally ‘exceptional natural ability’ (mid 17th cent.).  
Thesaurus:
genius noun C
• He was a comic genius.
prodigy • • brain • • mastermind •
Opp: dunce
the genius/brains/mastermind behind sth
a true/child genius/prodigy
a great/scientific genius/brain 
Example Bank:
• In a flash of pure genius, she realized the answer to the problem.
• It was a stroke of genius on my part to avoid such awkward questions.
• She has a genius for sorting things out.
• a work which shows real genius
• a writer of genius
• his genius for pinpointing the absurd
• He was a man of great genius.
• He was undoubtedly the greatest comic genius of his age.
• In flash of pure genius, the answer came to her.
• It's undoubtedly a work of genius.
• She was at the peak of her creative genius.
• She's a genius at getting things organized.
• Some people say that there is only ever one true genius born in each generation.
• That was a stroke of genius.
• You don't have to be a genius to see that this plan is not going to work.

• You're an absolute genius!
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stupidity

stu·pid·ity [stupidity stupidities]   [stjuːˈpɪdəti]    [stuːˈpɪdəti]  noun (pl. stu·pid·ities)
1. uncountable, countable, usually plural behaviour that shows a lack of thought or good judgement
• I couldn't believe my own stupidity.
• the errors and stupidities of youth

• The police were astonished at the sheer stupidity of drivers in going so fast in the fog.

2. uncountable the state or quality of being slow to learn and not clever or intelligent
• He faked stupidity to try to escape punishment for the crime.  
Example Bank:
• Her answer showed the most incredible stupidity.
• I can't believe the stupidity of some people.
• I now realize the stupidity of that statement.
• It was sheer stupidity on the part of the crew.
• It's hard to know if it's corruption or just plain stupidity by the authorities.
• Through his own stupidity, he missed an excellent opportunity.
• I couldn't believe my own stupidity.

• The police were astonished at the sheer stupidity of drivers going so fast in the fog.

foundation

foun·da·tion AW [foundation foundations]   [faʊnˈdeɪʃn]    [faʊnˈdeɪʃn]  noun

1. countable, usually plural a layer of bricks, concrete, etc. that forms the solid underground base of a building
• The builders are now beginning to lay the foundations of the new school.

• The explosion shook the foundations of the houses nearby.

2. countable, uncountable a principle, an idea or a fact that sth is based on and that it grows from
• Respect and friendship provide a solid foundation for marriage.
• The rumour is totally without foundation (= not based on any facts).

• These stories have no foundation (= are not based on any facts).

3. countable an organization that is established to provide money for a particular purpose, for example for scientific research or charity

• The money will go to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

4. uncountable the act of starting a new institution or organization
Syn:  establishment
• The organization has grown enormously since its foundation in 1955.

• She used the money to go towards the foundation of a special research group.

5. uncountable a skin-coloured cream that is put on the face underneath other make-up
Idioms: rock something to its foundations ▪ rock the foundations of something  
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French fondation, from Latin fundatio(n-), from fundare ‘to lay a base for’, from fundus ‘bottom, base’.  
Thesaurus:
foundation noun
1. C, usually pl.
• They started to lay the foundations of the new school.
base • • bottom •
(a) firm/solid/strong foundations/base
have (a) foundations/base/bottom
2. C, usually sing.
• Friendship provides a solid foundation for marriage.
basis • • base •
the foundation/basis/base for/of sth
a/an ideological/intellectual/philosophical/theoretical/economic foundation/basis/base
form/have sth as/establish/use sth as a/the foundation/basis/base of sth
Foundation or basis? Foundation is often used to talk about larger and more important things than basis
• He laid the foundation of Japan's modern economy.
• These figures formed the basis of their pay claim.
 
Synonyms:
basis
foundation • base
These are all words for the ideas or facts that sth is based on.
basis • [usually sing.] a principle, an idea or a fact that supports sth and that it can develop from: ▪ This article will form the basis for our discussion.
foundation • [C, U] a principle, an idea or a fact that supports sth and that it develops from: ▪ Respect and friendship provide a solid foundation for marriage. ◊ ▪ The rumour is totally without foundation ▪ (= is not based on any facts) ▪.
basis or foundation?
Foundation is often used to talk about larger or more important things than basis: ▪ He laid the foundations of Japan 's modern economy. ◊ ▪ These figures formed the basis of their pay claim.
base • [usually sing.] an idea, a fact or a situation from which sth is developed: ▪ His arguments have a sound economic base.
a/the basis/foundation/base for/of sth
a secure/solid/sound/strong/weak basis/foundation/base
to form the basis/foundation/base of sth
to be without basis/foundation 
Synonyms:
bottom
base • foundation • foot
These are all words for the lowest part of sth.
bottom • [usually sing.] the lowest part of sth: ▪ Footnotes are given at the bottom of each page. ◊ ▪ I waited for them at the bottom of the hill.
base • [usually sing.] the lowest part of sth, especially the part or surface on which it rests or stands: ▪ The lamp has a heavy base.
foundation • [usually pl.] a layer of bricks, concrete, etc. that forms the solid underground base of a building: ▪ to ▪ lay the foundations ▪ of the new school
foot • [sing.] the lowest part of sth: ▪ At the foot of the stairs she turned to face him.
bottom or foot?
Foot is used to talk about a limited number of things: it is used most often with tree, hill/mountain, steps/stairs and page. Bottom can be used to talk about a much wider range of things, including those mentioned above for foot. Foot is generally used in more literary contexts.
at/near/towards the bottom/base/foot of sth
on the bottom/base of sth
(a) firm/solid/strong base/foundation(s) 
Example Bank:
• Concrete foundations have been laid.
• He believes terrorism undermines the very foundations of our society.
• In 1853 Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone of the new palace.
• Rumours of his resignation are entirely without foundation.
• The Fine Arts degree starts with a foundation year.
• The foundation stone was laid in 1911.
• The peace treaty rests on shaky foundations.
• The scandal rocked the legal establishment to its foundations.
• The thunder seemed to shake the very foundations of the building.
• They had dug too deep and undermined the foundations of the house.
• This agreement laid a sound foundation for future cooperation between the two countries.
• We now have a firm foundation to build on.
• a charitable foundation established in 1983
• a private foundation for sport and the arts
• an event which rocked the foundations of British politics
• digging trenches and laying concrete foundations
• malicious gossip which has no foundation
• malicious rumours which have no foundation
• providing a solid foundation for this new democracy
• He laid the foundation of Japan's modern economy.
• Many of the hospitals were originally established by religious foundations.
• The research centre was set up by a charitable foundation.
• The rumour is totally without foundation.

• Worship is the foundation of all the Church's activities.

brick

brick [brick bricks bricked bricking] noun, verb   [brɪk]    [brɪk] 

noun
1. countable, uncountable baked clay used for building walls, houses and other buildings; an individual block of this
• The school is built of brick.
• a pile of bricks
• a brick wall
see also  red-brick 

2. countable a plastic or wooden block, used as a toy for young children to build things with

3. countable, usually singular (old-fashioned, BrE, informal) a friend that you can rely on when you need help
• Thanks for looking after the children today - you're a real brick.
more at like a cat on hot bricks at  cat  _n., drop a brick/clanger at  drop  _v., be banging, etc. your head against a brick wall at  head  _n., like a ton of bricks at  ton  _n.  
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch bricke, brike; probably reinforced by Old French brique; of unknown ultimate origin.  
Example Bank:
• He got a job at the local brick works.
• They moved the whole house, brick by brick.
• They put an extra course of bricks around the pool.
• We rebuilt the fireplace using salvaged bricks.
• a house of red brick
• houses of brick
• investing in bricks and mortar
• learning to lay bricks properly
• to invest in bricks and mortar
Idioms: bricks and mortar ▪ make bricks without straw ▪ up against a brick wall

Derived: brick something in 

successful

suc·cess·ful [successful successfully]   [səkˈsesfl]    [səkˈsesfl]  adjective
1. achieving your aims or what was intended
• ~ (in sth/in doing sth) They were successful in winning the contract.
• ~ (at sth/at doing sth) I wasn't very successful at keeping the news secret.

• We congratulated them on the successful completion of the project.

2. having become popular and/or made a lot of money
• The play was very successful on Broadway.
• a successful actor
• The company has had another successful year.
Opp:  unsuccessful
Derived Word: successfully  
Synonyms:
successful
profitable • commercial • lucrative • economic
These words all describe sb/sth that is making or is likely to make money.
successful • making a lot of money, especially by being popular: ▪ The play was very successful on Broadway. ◊ ▪ The company has had another successful year.
profitable • making a profit: ▪ a highly profitable business
commercial • [only before noun] making or intended to make a profit: ▪ The movie was not a commercial success ▪ (= made no profit) ▪.
lucrative • (of business or work) producing or paying a large amount of money; making a large profit: ▪ They do a lot of business in lucrative overseas markets.
economic • (often used in negative sentences) (of a process, business or activity) producing enough profit to continue: ▪ Small local shops stop being economic when a supermarket opens up nearby.
a successful/profitable/lucrative business
a successful/profitable/lucrative year
a(n) commercial/economic success  
Example Bank:
• The alliance was ultimately successful in getting its message across.
• The operation was only partially successful.
• Their attempts had not been entirely successful.
• We hope the party will be successful in the elections.
• Winning is the only way they can feel successful.
• a politically successful manoeuvre
• his phenomenally successful period as manager
• hoping their party would be successful in the elections
• He had a phenomenally successful period as manager.
• He had been successful at every job he had done.
• She has had a long and successful career in television.
• The company has been successful in controlling costs.
• The experiment was entirely successful.
• The police became more successful at clearing up crime.

• The successful candidate will be responsible for a large research project.

shell out (for something)

ˌshell ˈout (for sth) | ˌshell sthˈout (for sth) derived

(informal) to pay a lot of money for sth

Syn:  fork out

• The band shelled out $100 000 for a mobile recording studio.

set your heart on something, have your heart set on something

to want something very muchThey’ve set their heart on a house in the country.

gimmick

gim·mick [gimmick gimmicks]   [ˈɡɪmɪk]    [ˈɡɪmɪk]  noun (often disapproving)
an unusual trick or unnecessary device that is intended to attract attention or to persuade people to buy sth
• a promotional/publicity/sales gimmick
• We don't use gimmicks to sell our products.
Derived Word: gimmicky  
Word Origin:
1920s (originally US): of unknown origin but possibly an approximate anagram of magic, the original sense being ‘a piece of magicians' apparatus’.  
Example Bank:
• The promise of lower taxation may have been just an election gimmick to gain votes.

• a new gimmick to encourage people to go to the cinema