verb

travel

I. trav‧el¹ S2 W2 /ˈtrævəl/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle travelled, present participle travelling British English, traveled, traveling American English)
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: travaillier; ⇨ ↑travail]
1. JOURNEY
a) [intransitive] to go from one place to another, or to several places, especially ones that are far away:
Someday I’d like to travel abroad.
travel to/across/through/around etc
We’re planning to travel across America this summer.
travel widely/extensively
He has travelled extensively in China.
travel by train/car/air etc
We travelled by train across Eastern Europe.
He’d travelled far, but he’d travelled light (=without taking many possessions).
b) travel the world/country to go to most parts of the world or of a particular country
2. DISTANCE [intransitive and transitive] to go a particular distance or at a particular speed
travel at
The train was travelling at 100 mph.
They travelled 200 miles on the first day.
3. well-travelled
a) (also widely-travelled) having travelled to many different countries:
a well-travelled businesswoman
b) having been travelled on by many people:
a well-travelled road
4. NEWS [intransitive] to be passed quickly from one person or place to another:
News travels fast.
5. travel well to remain in good condition or be equally successful when taken to another country:
Exporters have to find wines that travel well.
Many British television programmes don’t travel well.
6. EYES [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] written if your eyes travel over something, you look at different parts of it:
His gaze travelled over her face.
7. LIGHT/SOUND [intransitive] to move at a particular speed or in a particular direction:
Light travels faster than sound.
8. SPORT [intransitive] to take more than three steps while you are holding the ball in ↑basketball
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adverbs
▪ travel abroad Only the affluent could afford to take vacations or to travel abroad.
▪ travel widely/extensively He travelled extensively in Europe studying geology.
▪ travel light (=not take many things with you) The idea was to travel light, so Travis allowed her to pack only one change of clothing.
■ phrases
▪ travel by train/car/air etc Emily hated travelling by train.
▪ travel the world/country They travelled the world together.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ to travel
▪ travel to go from one place to another, especially places that are far apart: We travelled to Russia by train. | I love to travel.
▪ go to go somewhere – often used instead of travel: We’re going to Greece for our holidays this year. | He’s gone to London on business. | It’s quicker to go by plane.
▪ commute to travel to work or school: She commutes to work by bicycle.
▪ cross to travel across a very large area, for example a desert or ocean: The slaves crossed the Atlantic in the holds of the ships.
▪ tour to travel in order to visit many different places, especially as part of a holiday: They’re touring Europe by coach.
▪ go trekking to do a long and difficult walk in a place far from towns and cities: They went trekking in the mountains. | She’s been trekking in Nepal a couple of times.
▪ go backpacking to travel to a lot of different places, carrying your clothes with you in your ↑rucksack: He went backpacking in Australia.
▪ roam especially written to travel or move around an area with no clear purpose or direction, usually for a long time: When he was young, he roamed from one country to another. | The tribes used to roam around freely, without any fixed territory.
▪ journey literary to travel, especially a long distance: He journeyed on horseback through Palestine.
■ people who travel
▪ traveller British English, traveler American English someone who is travelling a long distance: Weary travellers waited at the airport. | My aunt was a great traveller. (=she travelled a lot).
▪ tourist someone who is travelling somewhere for a holiday: During the summer, over a million tourists visit the island each year.
▪ passenger someone who is travelling in a vehicle, plane, ship etc but not driving it or working on it: The driver and two passengers were killed in the crash.
▪ commuter someone who travels to work every day: commuters on the train to London
▪ backpacker someone who travels to a lot of different places, carrying their clothes etc in a ↑rucksack: The hostels are great for backpackers.
▪ explorer someone who travels to places that people have not visited before: Potatoes were brought to England by explorers such as Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh.

see

I. see¹ S1 W1 /siː/ BrE AmE verb (past tense saw /sɔː $ sɒː/, past participle seen /siːn/)
[Language: Old English; Origin: seon]
1. NOTICE/EXAMINE [transitive not in progressive] to notice or examine someone or something, using your eyes:
The moment we saw the house, we knew we wanted to buy it.
He crouched down so he couldn’t be seen.
Can I see your ticket, please?
I saw the offer advertised in the newspaper.
can/can’t see
You can see the Houses of Parliament from here.
see where/what/who etc
Can you see where the marks are on the wall?
see (that)
He saw that she was crying.
see somebody/something do something
I saw him leave a few minutes ago.
see somebody/something doing something
The suspect was seen entering the building.
As you can see, the house needs some work doing on it.
Have you seen Chris (=do you know where he is)?
The accommodation was so awful it had to be seen to be believed (=you would not believe it if you did not see it yourself).
2. NOTICE SOMETHING IS TRUE [transitive not in progressive] to notice that something is happening or that something is true:
More money must be invested if we are to see an improvement in services.
After a month’s practice, you should see a difference in your playing.
Seeing his distress, Louise put her arm around him.
I would like to see changes in the way the course is run.
‘You’re not denying it, I see,’ he said coldly.
see (that)
I can see you’re not very happy with the situation.
3. ABILITY TO SEE [intransitive, transitive not in progressive] to be able to use your eyes to look at things and know what they are
can/can’t see
From the tower, you can see for miles.
I can’t see a thing without my glasses.
not see to do something
His eyes are so bad that he can’t see to read anymore.
4. FIND OUT INFORMATION [intransitive and transitive] to find out information or a fact
see what/how/when etc
I’ll call him and see how the job interview went.
She went outside to see what was happening.
see if/whether
I’ve just come to see if you want to go out for a drink.
These chocolates are gorgeous. Try some and see for yourself (=find out if it is true).
By looking at this leaflet, you can see at a glance (=find out very easily) how much a loan will cost.
it can be seen that/we can see that
From this graph, it can be seen that some people are more susceptible to the disease.
As we have seen in chapter four, women’s pay is generally less than men’s.
5. IN THE FUTURE [intransitive and transitive] to find out about something in the future
see if/whether
It will be interesting to see if he makes it into the team.
see how/what/when etc
I might come – I’ll see how I feel tomorrow.
Let’s try it and see what happens.
‘Can we go to the zoo, Dad?’ ‘We’ll see.’ (=used when you do not want to make a decision immediately)
‘How long can you stay?’ ‘I’ll have to see. It depends (=used when you cannot make a decision immediately).’
We’ll just have to wait and see.
see how it goes/see how things go (=used when you are going to do something and will deal with problems if they happen)
I don’t know. We’ll just have to see how it goes on Sunday.
Things will work out, you’ll see (=you will find out that I am right).
6. WHERE INFORMATION IS [transitive only in imperative] especially written used to tell you where you can find information:
See p. 58.
See press for details.
see above/below
The results are shown in Table 7a (see below).
7. UNDERSTAND [intransitive and transitive] to understand or realize something
see why/what/how etc
I can’t see why he’s so upset.
I see what you mean (=I understand what you are saying).
‘He lives here but works in London during the week.’ ‘Oh, I see (=I understand).’
You see, the thing is, I’m really busy right now (=used when you are explaining something).
You mix the flour and eggs like this, see (=used to check that someone is listening and understands)?
I can’t see the point of (=I do not understand the reason for) spending so much money on a car.
Do you see the point I’m making (=do you understand what I’m trying to say)?
The other officers laughed, but Nichols couldn’t see the joke.
see reason/sense (=realize that you are wrong or doing something stupid)
I just can’t get her to see reason!
8. WATCH [transitive] to watch a television programme, play, film etc:
Did you see that programme on monkeys last night?
We’re going to see ‘Romeo and Juliet’ tonight.
9. CONSIDER SOMEBODY/SOMETHING [transitive] to think about or consider someone or something in a particular way, or as having particular qualities:
Having a child makes you see things differently.
Violence is seen in different ways by different people.
as somebody sees it/the way somebody sees it (=used to give someone’s opinion)
As I see it, you don’t have any choice.
The way I see it, we have two options.
see somebody/something as something
I see the job as a challenge.
see yourself as something
He saw himself as a failure.
be seen as (being) something
The peace talks are seen as a sign of hope.
This type of work is often seen as boring.
be seen to be (doing) something
Teachers need to be seen to be in control.
The government must be seen to be doing something about the rise in violent crime.
10. see what somebody/something can do spoken
a) to find out if someone can deal with a situation or problem
see what somebody/something can do about
I’ll call them again and see what they can do about it.
b) to find out how good someone or something is at what they are supposed to be able to do:
Let’s take the Porsche out to the racetrack and see what it can do!
11. I’ll see what I can do spoken used to say that you will try to help someone:
Leave the papers with me and I’ll see what I can do.
12. see you spoken used to say goodbye when you know you will see someone again
see you tomorrow/at three/Sunday etc
See you Friday – your place at 8:30.
see you later (=see you soon, or later in the same day)
see you in a bit British English (=see you soon)
see you in a while (=see you soon)
(I’ll) be seeing you! (=see you soon)
13. VISIT [transitive] to visit or meet someone:
I’ll be seeing her tomorrow night.
I haven’t seen her since we left school.
She’s too sick to see anyone right now.
14. MEET BY CHANCE [transitive not in progressive] to meet someone by chance:
I saw Jane while I was out.
15. HAVE A MEETING [transitive] to have an arranged meeting with someone:
Mr Thomas is seeing a client at 2:30.
She was seen by a doctor but didn’t need hospital treatment.
see somebody about something (=see someone to discuss something)
I have to see my teacher about my grades.
16. SPEND TIME WITH SOMEBODY [transitive] to spend time with someone:
They’ve been seeing a lot of each other.
see more/less of somebody (=see someone more or less often)
They’ve seen more of each other since Dan moved to London.
17. be seeing somebody to be having a romantic relationship with someone:
Is she seeing anyone at the moment?
18. IMAGINE [transitive not in progressive] to imagine that something may happen in the future:
He could see a great future for her in music.
can’t see somebody/something doing something
I can’t see him winning, can you?
She’s got a new book coming out, but I can’t see it doing very well.
see somebody as something (=be able to imagine someone being something)
I just can’t see her as a ballet dancer.
19. seeing as (how) informal (also seeing that) used before giving a reason for what you are saying:
‘I might as well do something useful, seeing as I’m back,’ she said.
20. see something for what it is (also see somebody for what they are) to realize that someone or something is not as good or nice as they seem:
They are unimpressed with the scheme and rightly see it for what it is.
21. MAKE SURE [transitive not in progressive] to make sure or check that something is done
see (that)
It’s up to you to see that the job’s done properly.
Please see that the lights are switched off before you leave.
Don’t worry – I’ll see to it.
The hotel’s owners see to it that their guests are given every luxury.
22. EXPERIENCE SOMETHING [transitive not in progressive] to experience something:
She was so sick that doctors didn’t think she’d live to see her first birthday.
I never thought I’d live to see the day when women became priests.
She’s seen it all before (=has experienced so much that nothing surprises her) in her long career. ⇨ been there, seen that, done that at ↑been(3)
23. TIME/PLACE [transitive] if a time or place has seen a particular event or situation, it happened or existed in that time or place:
This year has seen a big increase in road accidents.
The city has seen plenty of violence over the years.
24. let me see (also let’s see) spoken used when you are trying to remember something:
Let me see ... where did I put that letter?
25. I don’t see why not spoken used to say ‘yes’ in answer to a request:
‘Can we go to the park?’ ‘I don’t see why not.’
26. GO WITH SOMEBODY [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to go somewhere with someone to make sure they are safe:
My mother used to see me across the road.
I’ll get Nick to see you home.
Let me see you to the door (=go with you to the door, to say goodbye).
27. be seeing things to imagine that you see someone or something which is not really there:
There’s no one there – you must be seeing things.
28. see double if you see double, something is wrong with your eyes, so that you see two things when there is only one
29. have seen better days informal to be in a bad condition:
Her hat had seen better days.
30. be glad/pleased etc to see the back of somebody/something British English spoken to be pleased when someone leaves or when you get rid of something, because you do not like them:
I’ll be glad to see the back of him.
31. see the last of somebody/something
a) to not see someone or something again, especially someone or something you do not like:
I thought we’d seen the last of him.
It was a relief to see the last of them.
b) to not have to deal with something any more:
Police hoped they’d seen the last of the joyriding.
We may not have seen the last of this controversy.
32. see the light
a) to realize that something is true:
She finally saw the light and ended the relationship.
b) to have a special experience that makes you believe in a religion
33. see the light of day
a) if something sees the light of day, it is brought out so that people can see it:
This decision will ensure that the Pentagon Papers never see the light of day.
b) to start to exist:
This type of PC first saw the light of day in 1981.
34. see red to become very angry:
The thought of Pierre with Nicole had made her see red.
35. not see somebody for dust British English informal if you do not see someone for dust, they leave a place very quickly in order to avoid something
36. see eye to eye [usually in negatives] if two people see eye to eye, they agree with each other:
We didn’t exactly see eye to eye.
see eye to eye with
I don’t always see eye to eye with my father.
see eye to eye on/about
We don’t see eye to eye on business issues.
37. seen one ... seen them all informal used to say that something is boring because it is very similar to other things:
When you’ve seen one of these programmes, you’ve seen them all.
38. see your way (clear) to doing something formal to be able and willing to do something:
Small companies cannot see their way to taking on many trainees.
39. (see and) be seen to look at or be noticed by important or fashionable people:
Royal Ascot is the place to see and be seen.
40. not see the wood for the trees (also not see the forest for the trees American English) to be unable to understand what is important in a situation because you are thinking too much about small details rather than the whole situation
41. see something coming to realize that there is going to be a problem before it actually happens:
John’s going to have a lot of trouble with him. You can see it coming.
42. see somebody coming (a mile off) British English spoken to recognize that someone will be easy to trick or deceive:
You paid £500 for that! They must have seen you coming!
43. see somebody right British English spoken to make sure that someone gets what they need or want, especially money:
Just do this for me and I’ll see you right.
Tell the landlord I sent you and he’ll see you right.
44. not see that it matters spoken to think that something is not important:
I can’t see that it matters what I think.
45. GAME OF CARDS [transitive] to risk the same amount of money as your opponent in a ↑card game ⇨ it remains to be seen at ↑remain(5), ⇨ see fit (to do something) at ↑fit²(3), ⇨ wouldn’t be seen dead at ↑dead¹(12)
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ see to notice something with your eyes, usually without planning to. Also used when saying that you watched a particular programme, film, game etc: Have you seen my keys anywhere? | Did you see the basketball game last night?
▪ look at somebody/something to keep your eyes pointed toward someone or something, especially someone or something that is not moving: I looked at the map. | She was looking at him in a strange way.
▪ notice to see something interesting or unusual: I noticed a police car outside their house.
▪ spot to suddenly see something, especially something you are looking for: Nick spotted the advertisement in the paper.
▪ catch sight of/catch a glimpse of (also glimpse formal) to suddenly see someone or something for a short time, usually not clearly: I caught sight of him in the hotel lobby, and followed him out the door. | He glimpsed her face as she went into the courtroom.
▪ make out somebody/something to see something, but only with difficulty: Ahead, I could just make out the figure of a woman.
▪ witness to see something happen, especially a crime or an accident: The police are asking anyone who witnessed the attack to come forward.
▪ observe formal to see and pay attention to something: Officers observed him driving at 100 mph.
▪ sight especially written to suddenly see something or someone from a long distance, especially when you have been looking for a long time: The missing boys were sighted by a rescue helicopter. | The crew finally sighted land.
■ Unable to see
▪ blind unable to see anything: She has been blind from birth.
▪ partially-sighted not able to see things very well, although not completely blind: Good lighting can be very important for partially sighted people.
▪ visually handicapped/impaired completely blind or not able to see very much – used especially in official reports, forms etc: a special school for visually impaired children
see about something phrasal verb
1. to make arrangements or deal with something:
I’d better see about dinner.
see about doing something
Claire’s gone to see about getting tickets for the concert.
2. we’ll see about that spoken
a) (also we’ll have to see about that) used to say that you do not know if something will be possible:
‘I want to go to Joshua’s tonight.’ ‘Well, we’ll have to see about that.’
b) (also we’ll soon see about that) used to say that you intend to stop someone from doing what they were planning to do
see something against something phrasal verb [usually passive]
to consider something together with something else:
The unemployment data must be seen against the background of world recession.
see around phrasal verb
1. see somebody around to notice someone regularly in places you go to, but not talk to them:
I don’t know who he is, but I’ve seen him around.
2. see you around spoken used to say goodbye to someone when you have not made a definite arrangement to meet again
3. see around/round something British English to visit a place and walk around looking at it:
Would you like to see round the house?
see in phrasal verb
1. not know what somebody sees in somebody (also what does somebody see in somebody?) used to say that you do not know why someone likes someone else:
I don’t know what she sees in him.
2. see something in somebody/something to notice a particular quality in someone or something that makes you like them:
He saw a gentleness in Susan.
3. see somebody in to go with someone to make sure they arrive at a building or room:
He took her home and, after seeing her in, drove off without a word.
4. see in the New Year to celebrate the beginning of a new year
see somebody/something ↔ off phrasal verb
1. to defeat someone or stop them from competing against you:
To see off the threat, the company will have to cut its prices still further.
The team saw off their old rivals in last night’s championship game.
2. to go to an airport, train station etc to say goodbye to someone:
They’ve gone to the airport to see their son off.
3. (also see somebody off something) to force someone to leave a place:
Security guards saw him off the premises.
see somebody/something out phrasal verb
1. to go to the door with someone to say goodbye to them when they leave:
I’ll see you out.
Don’t worry, I can see myself out (=leave the building without anyone coming with me).
2. see something ↔ out to continue doing something or being somewhere until a particular period of time or an unpleasant event is finished:
Connolly has promised to see out the remaining 18 months of his contract.
She saw out her last years at Sudeley Castle.
see over something phrasal verb British English
to look at something large such as a house, especially in order to decide if you want to buy it
see through phrasal verb
1. see through somebody/something to realize that someone is trying to deceive you:
I saw through his excuses.
I could never lie to her because I know she’d see through me straight away.
I can’t bluff – she’d see right through me.
2. see something through to continue doing something until it is finished, especially something difficult or unpleasant:
It’ll take a lot of effort to see the project through.
3. see somebody through (something) to give help and support to someone during a difficult time:
Setting goals should help see you through.
I’ve got enough money to see me through six months of unemployment.
4. see something through sb’s eyes to see something or think about it in the way that someone else does:
The world is very different when seen through the eyes of a child.
see to somebody/something phrasal verb
to deal with something or do something for someone:
Go on, you go out. I’ll see to the washing-up.
have/get something seen to
You should get that tooth seen to by a dentist.

watch

I. watch¹ S1 W1 /wɒtʃ $ wɑːtʃ, wɒːtʃ/ BrE AmE verb
[Word Family: noun: watch, watcher; adjective: watchful, watchable; verb: ↑watch]
[Language: Old English; Origin: wæccan]
1. LOOK [intransitive and transitive] to look at someone or something for a period of time, paying attention to what is happening:
Do you mind if I watch?
We sat and watched the sunset.
watch carefully/closely/intently etc
He watched helplessly as Paula fell into the icy water.
Watch carefully. You may learn something.
watch (somebody/something) with interest/amusement/delight etc
Harriet watched him with interest.
watch somebody/something do/doing something
I watched him go, then went home.
Ruth could not bear to watch her parents arguing.
watch to do something
I watched to see how he’d react.
watch television/a film etc
The debate was watched by 97 million viewers.
Most parents don’t know what their kids are watching on TV.
watch what/how/when etc
It’s useful to watch how other pilots handle the glider.
2. BE CAREFUL [transitive] to act carefully in order to avoid an accident or unwanted situation
watch (that)
Watch he doesn’t run into the road.
She’s a student and has to watch her budget closely.
Watch your head on the shelf.
watch what/how/where etc
Silly old fool! Why doesn’t he watch where he’s going?
Watch what you’re doing! It’s spilling everywhere!
Watch yourself (=be careful) in Madrid; there are some rough areas.
watch what you say/your tongue/your language/your mouth etc (=be careful not to hurt or offend people by what you say)
Employees should watch what they say in personal emails.
watch your weight/watch what you eat (=be careful not to get fat)
He may be a former athlete, but he still has to watch his weight.
3. PAY ATTENTION [transitive] to pay attention to a situation that interests or worries you to see how it develops
watch closely/carefully
American companies are watching Japanese developments closely.
The government will watch the progress of these schemes with interest.
4. CARE FOR [transitive] to stay with someone or something so that nothing bad happens to them:
She watches the kids for us occasionally.
5. SECRETLY [transitive] to secretly watch a person or place:
I feel like I’m being watched.
6. watch your step informal to be careful, especially about making someone angry:
He soon saw he’d have to watch his step with some of these guys.
7. watch your back informal to be careful because other people may try to harm you
8. watch the clock informal to keep looking at the time because you are worried or bored:
anxious mums watching the clock
9. watch the time to make sure you know what time it is to avoid being late
10. watch it spoken used to warn someone to be careful:
Watch it, there’s a car.
11. watch this space informal used to tell people to pay attention in the future because things are going to develop further – used especially in newspapers
12. one to watch someone or something that people should pay attention to because they are interesting or exciting:
In the tournament so far, Italy’s Stefania Croce looks like the one to watch.
13. watch the world go by to relax outside by just looking at the people around you:
lingering in a pavement café, watching the world go by
14. you watch informal used to tell someone that you know what will happen:
He’ll win this time, you watch.
⇨ watch somebody like a hawk at ↑hawk¹
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ nouns
▪ watch television We watched television all evening.
▪ watch a programme/film/show They were watching a film on TV.
■ adverbs
▪ closely I watched him closely while he was giving his evidence.
▪ carefully She watched very carefully and did exactly as he did.
▪ helplessly He watched helplessly as his son was swept away by the waves.
▪ intently (=with a lot of attention) Her father was watching her intently as she worked.
■ phrases
▪ with interest/amusement etc A small crowd of people were watching them with interest.
▪ in horror/amazement etc He watched in horror as the flames engulfed his house.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ watch to look at someone or something for a period of time and pay attention to what is happening: They were all watching the game. | I watched him get out of his car. | We are watching carefully to see how the situation develops.
▪ keep an eye on somebody/something to watch someone or something carefully so that you are prepared if anything bad happens: The doctors are keeping a careful eye on her. | Can you keep an eye on my bag for me? | Keep an eye on house prices before you decide to sell.
▪ observe to watch someone or something carefully in order to learn more about them: A 24-hour camera is being used to observe the birds’ behaviour. | During your teacher training you will be encouraged to observe lessons.
▪ monitor to watch a situation carefully to see how it changes over a period of time: Class teachers are responsible for monitoring the progress of each student. | Economists are monitoring the situation carefully.
▪ spy on somebody to watch someone secretly in order to find out what they are doing: He hired a private detective to spy on her. | In the 1960s, government agencies were spying on everybody.
■ someone who watches something
▪ spectator someone who watches an event, especially a sports event: There were 4,500 spectators at the game. | a crowd of spectators
▪ viewer someone who watches television: Millions of television viewers listened to the President’s speech. | programmes for younger viewers
▪ audience the people who watch a play or performance, or the people who watch a particular television programme: The audience roared with laughter and clapped. | It attracted a television audience of seven million.
▪ onlooker someone who watches something happening without being involved in it, especially in the street: A man was standing on the roof, watched by a crowd of onlookers below.
▪ observer someone who watches and pays attention to particular situations and events, because they are interested in them, or it is their job: She was a shrewd observer of human nature. | a political observer who writes for The Independent newspaper | The United Nations has sent military observers to the Sudan.
watch (out) for something phrasal verb
to pay close attention in a particular situation because you are expecting something to happen or you want to avoid something bad:
She stepped outside to watch for the cab.
What problems should I watch out for when buying an old house?
watch out phrasal verb informal
used to tell someone to be careful:
You’ll become an alcoholic if you don’t watch out.
watch over somebody phrasal verb
to protect someone so that they are not harmed:
There must have been an angel watching over me that day.

need

I. need¹ S1 W1 /niːd/ BrE AmE verb
[Word Family: noun: need, needs, the needy; adjective: needless, needy; verb: need; adverb: needlessly]
1. [transitive not in progressive] to have to have something or someone, because you cannot do something without them, or because you cannot continue or cannot exist without them SYN require:
You don’t really need a car.
Plants need light in order to survive.
The camcorder needs a new battery.
Are you sure that you have everything you need?
need something for something
I need glasses for reading.
need somebody to do something
I need you to help me with the cooking.
need something desperately/badly/urgently
More blood donors are urgently needed.
much needed/badly needed
a much needed boost to the local economy
2. [transitive not in progressive] to feel that you want something very much:
I need a drink.
If you need anything, just say.
need to do something
She needed to go out for a walk.
3. need to do something used when saying that someone should do something or has to do something:
He needs to see a doctor straightaway.
I need to catch up on my office work.
You need to let me know by Monday if you want to take part.
4. [modal] British English used in negative sentences when saying that something is not necessary or not always true ⇨ have to
need not/needn’t
You needn’t stay long.
Going to the dentist need not necessarily be a painful experience.
need not have done something/need not do something
You needn’t have spent all that money.
I needn’t have worried.
need I/we etc do something? British English old-fashioned:
Need we leave so soon?
somebody need never do something
Jim need never find out what I said.
5. [transitive] used when saying that something should have something done to it, or has to have something done to it
something needs doing
The house needed painting.
Does this shirt need ironing?
something needs to be checked/cleaned/done etc
The engine will need to be completely checked.
The pie doesn’t need to be refrigerated.
need a (good) wash/clean/cut etc (=ought to be washed, cleaned etc)
His hair needs a wash.
6. [transitive] if a job needs a quality or skill, you must have that quality or skill in order to do it well:
The job needs a lot of patience.
Being a teacher needs a high level of motivation.
7. I need hardly say/tell/remind etc British English used when you think people should already know what you are going to say:
I need hardly remind you that this information is confidential.
8. you need only do something/all you need do is ... British English used when saying that you only have to do something in order to do something else:
We need only look at the building to see how much money it will take to repair.
All we need do is threaten them.
9. need I ask/need I say more/need I go on etc? British English used to say that it is not necessary to ask or say more about something, because the rest is clear:
She’s lazy, slow, and stubborn. Need I say more?
10. that’s all I need/that’s just what I didn’t need spoken used when saying that you did not want something to happen, especially when it seems annoying:
‘There’s a customer for you on the phone.’ ‘That’s all I need!’
11. need something like a hole in the head informal used when saying that you definitely do not need something
12. who needs it/them? spoken
a) used to say you are not interested in something:
Make-up, who needs it?
b) used to say that someone or something is actually very important to you:
Kids? Who needs them!
• • •
GRAMMAR
Verb patterns
You can say that you need to do something:
▪ I need to clean (NOT I need clean) the house.
If someone else is going to do something for you, you can say that you need something done:
▪ I need my car fixed urgently.
When you are talking about the object that is going to have something done to it, you can say that it needs cutting, cleaning etc or needs to be cut, cleaned etc:
▪ My hair needs cutting.
▪ That box needs to be moved (NOT needs moved).
Negatives
You can say that you don’t need to do something or need not/needn’t do something:
▪ I don’t need to leave (NOT don’t need leave) until 10.
▪ You needn’t apologize (NOT needn’t to apologize).
Need not means that it is not necessary to do something. Do not use it to mean must not (=should not, or are not allowed to):
▪ You needn’t take any money.
▪ You mustn’t take any sharp objects on the plane.
If you say that someone needn’t have done something, you mean that it was not necessary for them to do it although they did it anyway:
▪ We needn’t have ordered so much food. Do not use it when something was not necessary and was not done. Use didn’t need to:
▪ I didn’t need to tell him who I was – he already knew.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ need if you need something, you must have it, because you cannot do something without it: I need your help. | The people desperately need food and clean water.
▪ require formal to need something: Children require a lot of attention. | The game requires great skill.
▪ can’t do without something to be unable to do something without something: A lot of people can’t do without their mobile phones.
▪ could do with something/could use something informal to need or want something: Shall we stop? I could do with a rest.
▪ be desperate for something to need something urgently: Liz was desperate for a cigarette. | The people are desperate for food.
▪ be dependent on something/somebody to be unable to live or continue normally without something or someone: The refugees are dependent on outside food supplies.
▪ demand formal if one thing demands another, it needs that thing in order to happen or be done successfully: The situation is urgent and demands immediate action.

relax

re‧lax S3 W3 AC /rɪˈlæks/ BrE AmE verb
[Word Family: adjective: relaxed, relaxing; verb: relax; noun: relaxation]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: relaxare 'to loosen', from laxus 'loose']
1. REST [intransitive and transitive] to rest or do something that is enjoyable, especially after you have been working:
I just want to sit down and relax.
What Robyn needed was a drink to relax her.
A hot bath should help to relax you.
2. BECOME CALM [intransitive and transitive] to become quiet and calm after you have been upset or nervous, or to make someone do this:
Once out of danger, he started to relax.
Relax! Everything’s fine.
3. MUSCLE [intransitive and transitive] if you relax a part of your body or it relaxes, it becomes less stiff or less tight:
Gentle exercise can relax stiff shoulder muscles.
4. RULES/LAWS [transitive] to make a rule or law less strict
relax rules/regulations/controls
Hughes believes that immigration controls should not be relaxed.
5. relax your hold/grip
a) to hold something less tightly than before
relax your hold/grip on
He relaxed his grip on my arm.
b) to become less strict in the way you control something
relax your hold/grip on
The party has no intention of relaxing its hold on the country.
6. relax your concentration/vigilance etc to reduce the amount of attention you give to something
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ relax to rest or do something that is enjoyable after you have been working: In the evenings, I like to relax with some music and a nice meal. | In two weeks’ time I’ll be relaxing on a beach in Greece.
▪ rest to stop working or stop being active, and sit down or lie down so that you become less tired: If you’re tired, we’ll stop and rest for a while. | The doctor told me to take some time off work and try to rest.
▪ unwind to gradually relax after you have been working hard or feeling anxious: It had been a bad day and he just wanted to get home and unwind. | Set in spectacular countryside, the Shiga Hotel is the perfect place to unwind.
▪ take it/things easy to relax and not do very much, especially after working very hard or being ill: Now that you’ve finished your exams, you can take it easy. | The doctor said he’ll have to take things easy for while.
▪ put your feet up informal to rest for a short time after a tiring activity, especially by sitting with your feet resting on something: Kate poured herself a drink and put her feet up. | When you’re pregnant and doing a full-time job, you must find time to put your feet up.
▪ chill out/chill informal to relax completely, or stop worrying and getting annoyed about things - used mainly by young people: We spent the day chilling out by the pool. | Hey dude, chill out! It’s only a car! | It’s a great place to chill out. | Let’s go back to my place and chill.
▪ loosen up informal to become more relaxed and stop worrying about things: I keep telling Mum that she needs to loosen up a bit. | Tom had had a few drinks and was beginning to loosen up.
▪ put somebody at ease/make somebody feel at ease to make someone feel relaxed, especially in a situation in which they might feel a little nervous: A good interviewer will try to make you feel at ease. | His friendly manner always puts people at their ease.

imagine

i‧ma‧gine S1 W2 /ɪˈmædʒən, ɪˈmædʒɪn/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[Word Family: adjective: imaginable ≠ unimaginable, imaginary, imaginative ≠ unimaginative, unimagined; noun: imagination, imaginings; adverb: unimaginably, imaginatively; verb: imagine]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: imaginer, from Latin imaginari, from imago; ⇨ image]
1. to form a picture or idea in your mind about what something could be like
imagine (that)
Imagine that you have just won a million pounds.
Imagine life without hot water.
imagine what/how/why etc
Can you imagine what it’s like when it’s really hot out here in Delhi?
imagine somebody doing something
She could imagine dark-robed figures moving silently along the stone corridors.
(just) imagine doing something
Imagine doing a horrible job like that!
Just imagine going all that way for nothing!
imagine somebody/something as something
He didn’t quite dare to imagine himself as a real artist.
imagine somebody in/with/without etc something
Somehow, I can’t imagine him without a beard.
it’s difficult/easy/possible/impossible etc to imagine something
After such a dry summer, it’s difficult to imagine what rain looks like.
2. to have a false or wrong idea about something:
Perhaps she’d never really been there at all – perhaps she’d just imagined it.
imagined dangers
imagine (that)
She had imagined that the doctor would be male.
I was surprised when I saw the farm. I had imagined it would be much bigger.
imagine something/somebody to be something
There’s nobody here. You’re just imagining things.
3. [not in progressive] to think that something is true or may happen, but without being sure or having proof:
‘A very complicated subject, I imagine,’ said Edwin.
imagine (that)
You are obviously tired and I imagine that nothing would make you admit it.
4. you can/can’t imagine something British English spoken used to emphasize how good, bad etc something is
You can/can’t imagine how/what/why etc
You can imagine how angry I was!
You can’t imagine what a terrible week we had.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1 )
■ phrases
▪ be easy to imagine It’s easy to imagine how the change in the law caused a lot of confusion.
▪ be hard/difficult to imagine It’s hard to imagine the suffering she must have gone through.
▪ can easily imagine I can easily imagine how frightening the accident must have been.
▪ can well imagine (=can easily imagine) I can well imagine how delighted you were with the news.
▪ can hardly/scarcely imagine (=find it difficult to imagine) He could scarcely imagine what living in such poor conditions must have been like.
▪ can’t/couldn’t imagine He couldn’t imagine life without his wife.
▪ what somebody had imagined (=what someone thought something would be like, before they saw it or experienced it) The office was not what he had imagined.
▪ be bigger/smaller/worse etc than you had imagined The job interview proved to be much worse than I had imagined it would be.
▪ let us imagine … (=used to encourage someone else to think about a possibility) Let us imagine that you are an employer who wants to recruit some new staff.
▪ somebody is imagining things (=someone has a false or wrong idea about something) She’s imagining things if she thinks she has a chance of winning the prize.
■ adverbs
▪ naively imagine (=to imagine something without realizing how complicated the situation is) She had naively imagined that marriage would solve all her problems.
▪ fondly imagine (=to believe something that is untrue) He had fondly imagined that she was in love with him.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ imagine to form a picture or idea in your mind about what something might be like: When I think of Honolulu, I imagine long white beaches and palm trees. | I can’t really imagine being a millionaire.
▪ visualize to form a picture of someone or something in your mind, especially something that is definitely going to happen or exist in the future: Anna visualized meeting Greg again at the airport. | The finished house may be hard to visualize.
▪ picture to form a clear picture of something or someone in your mind: I can still picture my father, even though he died a long time ago. | The town was just how she had pictured it from his description.
▪ envisage /ɪnˈvɪzɪdʒ/ especially British English, envision to imagine something as possible or likely to happen in the future: How do you envisage your career developing over the next ten years? | They had envisioned the creation of a single armed force, small but efficient.
▪ conceive of something formal to imagine a situation, especially one that is difficult to imagine: For many people, music is so important that they cannot conceive of life without it.
▪ fantasize to imagine something exciting that you would like to happen, but that is very unlikely to happen: I used to fantasize about becoming a film star.
▪ daydream to imagine pleasant things, so that you forget where you are and what you should be doing: Mark began to daydream, and didn’t even hear the teacher’s question.
▪ hallucinate to imagine that you are seeing things that are not really there, especially because you are ill or have taken drugs: The drug that can cause some people to hallucinate. | When I saw the walls moving, I thought I must be hallucinating.