B1 (متوسط)

complain

com‧plain S2 W3 /kəmˈpleɪn/ BrE AmE verb
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: complaindre, from Vulgar Latin complangere, from Latin com- ( ⇨ COM-) + plangere (PLAINT)]
1. [I, T not in passive] to say that you are annoyed, not satisfied, or unhappy about something or someone ⇨ complaint:
Residents are complaining because traffic in the area has increased.
‘You never ask my opinion about anything,’ Rod complained.
complain (that)
She complained that no one had been at the airport to meet her.
complain about
She often complains about not feeling appreciated at work.
complain of
Several women have complained of sexual harassment.
complain to
Neighbours complained to the police about the dogs barking.
Employees complained bitterly about working conditions.
2. (I/you/he etc) can’t complain spoken used to say that a situation is satisfactory, even though there may be a few problems:
I make a good living. I can’t complain.

COLLOCATIONS
■ adverbs
▪ complain bitterly (=in a very angry way) My grandfather’s always complaining bitterly about how expensive things are.
▪ complain loudly The kids were complaining loudly about the heat.
▪ constantly complain She was constantly complaining about her job.
■ phrases
▪ have the right to complain You have the right to complain if you’re not satisfied with the service you’re getting.
▪ have (good) reason to complain We felt we had good reason to complain about the food at the hotel.
▪ have little/no reason to complain The school is good and parents have little reason to complain.
▪ have cause to complain Patients sometimes have cause to complain about the hospital treatment they receive.
▪ be in a position to complain (=have a good reason to complain) If you feel you are bullied at work, you are certainly in a position to complain.
▪ be the first to complain (=be quick to complain) He’s the first to complain if he thinks something is unfair.

THESAURUS
▪ complain to say that you are annoyed, unhappy, or not satisfied about something or someone: Several customers complained about the service they received. | ‘I wish you’d stop telling me what to do,’ she complained.
▪ make a complaint to formally complain about something to someone in authority: His parents made a complaint to the head teacher.
▪ protest to complain about something that you think is wrong, especially publicly: Demonstrators were protesting against the war.
▪ object to say that you oppose or disapprove of something: Local residents have objected to the plan. | Some teachers objected to the scheme.
▪ grumble to keep complaining in a bad-tempered way about something: Rail travellers have been grumbling about the increase in ticket prices. | What’s he grumbling about now?
▪ moan/whine informal (also whinge /wɪndʒ/ British English informal) to keep complaining in an annoying way: Everyone was moaning about the hotel food. | Stop whingeing and get on with your work!
▪ kick up/make a fuss to complain or become angry about something, especially something that is not very important: The soup wasn’t hot enough, but he didn’t want to make a fuss. | He kicked up such a fuss that they were offered another room.
complain of something phrasal verb formal
to say that you feel ill or have a pain in a part of your body:
Dan’s been complaining of severe headaches.

look forward to something phrasal verb
to be excited and pleased about something that is going to happen:
I’m really looking forward to our vacation.
look forward to doing something
My mother says she’s looking forward to meeting you.

chance

I. chance¹ S1 W1 /tʃɑːns $ tʃæns/ BrE AmE noun
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Vulgar Latin cadentia 'fall', from Latin cadere 'to fall']
1. POSSIBILITY [uncountable and countable] the possibility that something will happen, especially something you want:
There’s always the chance that something will go wrong.
chance of
What are the team’s chances of success?
If we did move to London, I’d stand a much better chance (=have a much better chance) of getting a job.
There is little chance of her being found alive.
Chances are (=it is likely that) you’ll be fine.
2. OPPORTUNITY [countable] a time or situation which you can use to do something that you want to do SYN opportunity
chance to do something
Ralph was waiting for a chance to introduce himself.
chance of
our only chance of escape
I’m sorry, I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet.
If someone invited me over to Florida, I’d jump at the chance (=use the opportunity eagerly).
3. RISK take a chance to do something that involves risks:
The rope might break, but that’s a chance we’ll have to take.
After losing $20,000 on my last business venture, I’m not taking any chances this time.
take a chance on
He was taking a chance on a relatively new young actor.
He decided to take his chances in the boat.
4. LIKELY TO SUCCEED sb’s chances how likely it is that someone will succeed:
Ryan will be a candidate in next month’s elections, but his chances are not good.
sb’s chances of doing something
England’s chances of winning the series have all but disappeared.
not fancy/not rate sb’s chances British English (=think someone is unlikely to succeed)
I don’t fancy their chances against Brazil.
► Do not say ‘someone’s chances to do something’. Say someone’s chances of doing something.
5. LUCK [uncountable] the way some things happen without being planned or caused by people ⇨ fate
by chance
I bumped into her quite by chance in Oxford Street.
leave something to chance (=to not plan something but just hope that everything will happen as intended)
Dave had thought of every possibility, he was leaving nothing to chance.
pure/sheer/blind chance (=not at all planned)
It was pure chance that they ended up working in the same office in the same town.
As chance would have it, the one time I wanted to see her, she wasn’t in.
6. by any chance spoken used to ask politely whether something is true:
Are you Mrs Grant, by any chance?
7. any chance of ...? spoken used to ask whether you can have something or whether something is possible:
Any chance of a cup of coffee?
Any chance of you coming to the party on Saturday?
8. be in with a chance if a competitor is in with a chance, it is possible that they will win:
I think we’re in with a good chance of beating them.
9. no chance!/fat chance! spoken used to emphasize that you are sure something could never happen:
‘Maybe your brother would lend you the money?’ ‘Huh, fat chance!’
10. on the off chance if you do something on the off chance, you do it hoping for a particular result, although you know it is not likely:
I didn’t really expect her to be at home. I just called on the off chance. ⇨ ↑off-chance
11. chance would be a fine thing! British English spoken used to mean that the thing you want to happen is very unlikely:
‘Do you think you’ll get married?’ ‘Chance would be a fine thing!’
⇨ game of chance at ↑game¹(15)

COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ verbs
▪ have/stand a chance (of something) (=it is possible you will do it) I think you have a good chance of getting the job.
▪ give somebody a chance of doing something (=say how likely it is that they will do it) He has been given a fifty-fifty chance of being fit for Sunday’s match.
▪ increase the chance of something Certain foods increase the chance of heart disease.
▪ improve the chance of something The book shows you how to improve your chance of success.
▪ reduce/lessen the chance of something The talks were aimed at reducing the chance of war.
▪ ruin any chance of something (=make it impossible for something to happen) Drinking alcohol can ruin any chance of weight loss.
▪ jeopardize any chance of something (=make something less likely to happen) This could jeopardize any chance of a ceasefire.
■ adjectives
▪ a good chance (=when something is likely) I think there is a good chance that he will say yes.
▪ every chance (=a good chance) There’s every chance that the baby will survive.
▪ some chance There’s some chance of snow later this week.
▪ a small/slight/slim chance He only has a very small chance of being elected. | There’s a slight chance of some sunshine in the west.
▪ no/little/not much chance The prisoners knew there was little chance of escape.
▪ a one in three/four/ten etc chance (=used to say how likely something is) People in their 30s have a one in 3,000 chance of getting the disease.
▪ a fair chance (=a fairly good chance) If you work, you have a fair chance of passing the test.
▪ a sporting chance (=a fairly good chance) The proposals had at least a sporting chance of being accepted.
▪ a fighting chance (=a small but real chance) The Republican Party has a fighting chance at the next election.
▪ a fifty-fifty chance (=an equal chance that something will or will not happen) I’d say there is a 50–50 chance that the deal will go through.
▪ an outside/a remote chance (=a very small chance) He still has an outside chance of winning the championship.
▪ a million-to-one chance/a one in a million chance (=when something is extremely unlikely) It must have been a million-to-one chance that we’d meet.

COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ verbs
▪ get/have a chance to do something I’d like a job in which I get the chance to travel.
▪ give somebody/offer/provide a chance I was given the chance to play the main part in the play. | Sport provides a chance for you to get outside with friends.
▪ take a chance (=accept an opportunity) If I was offered the chance to be in the team, I’d take it.
▪ jump at a chance (=use an opportunity eagerly) Ed jumped at the chance to earn some extra money.
▪ grab/seize a chance (=quickly use an opportunity) As soon as she stopped speaking, I grabbed the chance to leave.
▪ miss/lose a chance (=not use an opportunity) He missed a chance to score just before half time.
▪ throw away/pass up/turn down a chance (=not accept or use an opportunity) Imagine throwing up a chance to go to America!
▪ welcome the chance to do something I’d welcome the chance to discuss the problem with someone.
▪ deserve a chance Every kid deserves a chance in life.
▪ blow a chance informal (=have a special opportunity and fail to use it) He thought he’d blown his chance of happiness.
■ adjectives
▪ a second chance/another chance The interview went badly, so I didn’t think they would give me a second chance.
▪ sb’s last chance This is my last chance to try and pass the exam.
■ phrases
▪ the chance of a lifetime (=one that you are very unlikely to have again) If you don’t decide soon, you’ll have missed the chance of a lifetime.
▪ now’s your chance spoken (=you have the opportunity to do something now) You’re not working so now’s your chance to write a book.
▪ given the chance/given half a chance (=if there is an opportunity to do something) Goats will eat anything, given half a chance.

THESAURUS
▪ luck noun [uncountable] when good or bad things happen to people by chance: The game involves an element of luck as well as skill.
▪ chance noun [uncountable] the way that some things happen without being planned or caused by people: I met her by chance on a plane to Tokyo. | Like all top athletes, he leaves nothing to chance, and trains harder than anybody.
▪ fortune noun [uncountable] luck and the effect it has on your life: I had the good fortune to work with some great people. | The tour was dogged by ill fortune (=it had a lot of bad luck) from the start. | Fortune has shone on the team so far this season (=they have been lucky).
▪ fate noun [uncountable] a power that some people believe controls what happens to people and which cannot be changed or stopped: Fate dealt him a cruel blow with the death of his wife at the age of 32. | It must have been fate that brought them together, and fate that tore them apart. | We can’t just leave it to fate.
▪ providence noun [uncountable] a power which some people believe controls what happens in our lives and protects us: Do you believe in divine providence (=God’s power to make things happen)? | Her life was mapped out for her by providence.
▪ fluke noun [countable usually singular] informal something good that happens because of luck: Their second goal was a fluke. | They won by a fluke.

cheers

cheers /tʃɪəz $ tʃɪrz/ BrE AmE interjection
1. used when you lift a glass of alcohol before you drink it, in order to say that you hope the people you are drinking with will be happy and have good health
2. British English informal thank you
3. British English informal goodbye

THESAURUS
▪ goodbye used when you are leaving or when someone is leaving you. Goodbye sounds rather formal and is used especially when talking to people you do not know well. In everyday English people usually just say bye: ‘Goodbye, Mrs Moore.’ ‘Goodbye, Dr Aziz.’ | Thank you for calling. Goodbye.
▪ bye goodbye: ‘Bye, Annie.’ ‘Bye, Mom,’ she said, kissing her mother on the cheek. | Bye everyone! | Bye for now (=used especially on the phone when you will speak to someone soon) - call me if you need anything.
▪ see you informal used when saying goodbye to a friend who you will see again soon: See you, Darren. | ‘I’m going now.’ ‘Okay. See you tomorrow.’ | Safe trip back guys and we’ll see you soon.
▪ later/catch you later informal used when saying goodbye to a friend you will see again soon. These expressions sound very informal and are used especially by young people: Catch you later, Matt. | ‘Later, Mike.’ ‘Later, Steve.’
▪ see you around informal used when saying goodbye to someone and you are not sure when you will see them again: He spent the night with me and then just said ‘See you around’ and left.
▪ so long American English used when saying goodbye to someone who you will not see again for a long time: ‘So long,’ he said. ‘Don’t forget to write.’ | She grabbed Nick by the shoulders and hugged him affectionately. ‘So long, Nick.’
▪ have a good weekend/a great trip etc used when saying goodbye to someone to wish them a good weekend, an enjoyable trip etc: Have a nice weekend. | Have a great time at the concert, guys!
▪ have a nice day used by people working in shops when saying goodbye to customers: Here’s your change. Have a nice day.
▪ take care used when saying goodbye to someone, especially someone you like every much, to show that you care about them: ‘Bye love ! Take care.’ ‘You too! Bye!’
▪ cheerio British English informal goodbye. Cheerio sounds rather old-fashioned and is used especially by older people: Right, well we’re going now, cheerio then!
▪ cheers British English informal goodbye - used especially by younger people: Cheers, mate! See you soon.

 go ape informal to suddenly become very angry

down in the mouth   informal   unhappy :  
Tim’s looking very down in the mouth.

cash cow

noun  [countable]
something that a company sells very successfully and that brings in a lot of money