British English

verb   [prəˈɡres]  ;   [prəˈɡres]
1. intransitive to improve or develop over a period of time; to make progress
Syn:  advance
• The course allows students to progress at their own speed.

• Work on the new road is progressing slowly.

2. intransitive + adv./prep. (formal) to move forward
• The line of traffic progressed slowly through the town.

• (figurative) Cases can take months to progress through the courts.

3. intransitive to go forward in time
Syn:  go on
• The weather became colder as the day progressed.
 
Word Origin:
late Middle English (as a noun): from Latin progressus ‘an advance’, from the verb progredi, from pro- ‘forward’ + gradi ‘to walk’. The verb became obsolete in British English use at the end of the 17th cent. and was readopted from American English in the early 19th cent.  
Thesaurus:
progress verb I
• Students progress at their own speed.
develop • • advance • • move • |informal come along/on • |especially journalism shape up •
progress/develop/move from/to sth
progress/develop/advance/move towards/beyond sth
a war/campaign progresses/develops 
Example Bank:
• He felt he still needed to progress further in his learning.
• Samir failed to progress beyond this first step on the ladder.
• She soon progressed from the basics to more difficult work.
• Students progress through the stages of the course.
• The talks are progressing very well.
• The work is progressing quite slowly.
• They are anxious to progress with the plan.
• his ambition to progress up the career ladder
• progressing rapidly in his chosen career
• slowly progressing towards a new kind of art
• to progress rapidly in your career
• to progress towards/toward a new kind of art

• The visiting team's confidence increased as the game progressed.

prioritize

pri·ori·tize AW (BrE also -ise) [prioritize prioritizes prioritized prioritizing]   [praɪˈɒrətaɪz]    [praɪˈɔːrətaɪz]  verb
1. transitive, intransitive ~ (sth) to put tasks, problems, etc. in order of importance, so that you can deal with the most important first

• You should make a list of all the jobs you have to do and prioritize them.

2. transitive ~ sth (formal) to treat sth as being more important than other things

• The organization was formed to prioritize the needs of older people.

declutter

declutter 8 [declutter] (also de-clutter)  [diːˈklʌtə(r)]    [diːˈklʌtər]  verb intransitive, transitive
to remove things that you do not use so that you have more space and can easily find things when you need them
• Moving is a good opportunity to declutter.
• ~ sth a 7-step plan to help you declutter your home
• Declutter one room at a time.
• She helps people declutter their schedules, houses, and minds.

multitasking

multi·tasking f58 [multitasking]   [ˌmʌltiˈtɑːskɪŋ]    [ˌmʌltiˈtæskɪŋ]  noun uncountable

1. (computing) the ability of a computer to operate several programs at the same time

2. the ability to do several things at the same time

procrastinate

pro·cras·tin·ate [procrastinate procrastinates procrastinated procrastinating]   [prəʊˈkræstɪneɪt]    [proʊˈkræstɪneɪt]  verb intransitive (formal, disapproving)
to delay doing sth that you should do, usually because you do not want to do it
• People were dying of starvation while governments procrastinated.
Derived Word: procrastination
 
Word Origin:

late 16th cent.: from Latin procrastinat- ‘deferred till the morning’, from the verb procrastinare, from pro- ‘forward’ + crastinus ‘belonging to tomorrow’ (from cras ‘tomorrow’).

verb
1. usually passive to arrange for sth to happen at a particular time
• ~ sth (for sth) The meeting is scheduled for Friday afternoon.
• One of the scheduled events is a talk on alternative medicine.
• We'll be stopping here for longer than scheduled.

• ~ sb/sth to do sth I'm scheduled to arrive in LA at 5 o'clock.

2. ~ sth (as sth) (formal) to include sth in an official list of things
• The substance has been scheduled as a poison.
 
Word Origin:
late Middle English (in the sense ‘scroll, explanatory note, appendix’): from Old French cedule, from late Latin schedula ‘slip of paper’, diminutive of scheda, from Greek skhedē ‘papyrus leaf’. The verb dates from the mid 19th cent.  
Thesaurus:
schedule verb T, usually passive
• The meeting is scheduled for Friday afternoon.
set • • fix • • time • • book • • set sth up • • line sb/sth up • |especially BrE timetable •
schedule/set/fix/time/book/set up/line up/timetable sth for sth
schedule/set/fix/time/book/set up/line up/timetable sb/sth to do sth
schedule/set/fix/time/set up/timetable a meeting
schedule/set/fix/book a time/date/day  
Example Bank:
• The Grand Prix is scheduled to take place on July 4.
• The film is scheduled for release next month.
• The meeting was originally scheduled for March 12.
• Filming is scheduled to begin in May.
• I'll try to schedule you in next week.
• It was originally scheduled for July 16.
• No regular classes were scheduled on Wednesdays.

• We'll be stopping here for longer than scheduled.

schedule

sched·ule AW [schedule schedules scheduled scheduling] noun, verb   [ˈʃedjuːl]    [ˈskedʒuːl] 

noun
1. countable, uncountable a plan that lists all the work that you have to do and when you must do each thing
• I have a hectic schedule for the next few days.
• We're working to a tight schedule (= we have a lot of things to do in a short time).
• Filming began on schedule (= at the planned time).
• The new bridge has been finished two years ahead of schedule.
• The tunnel project has already fallen behind schedule.

• We are trying desperately to keep to our schedule.

2. countable (NAmE) =  timetable
• a train schedule

• Chinese will be on the school schedule from next year.

3. countable a list of the television and radio programmes that are on a particular channel and the times that they start
• The channel's schedules are filled with old films and repeats.

• Channel 4 has published its spring schedules.

4. countable a written list of things, for example prices, rates or conditions
• tax schedules  
Word Origin:
late Middle English (in the sense ‘scroll, explanatory note, appendix’): from Old French cedule, from late Latin schedula ‘slip of paper’, diminutive of scheda, from Greek skhedē ‘papyrus leaf’. The verb dates from the mid 19th cent.  
Thesaurus:
schedule noun C, U
• We're working to a tight schedule.
timetable • • itinerary • • diary • • calendar • • agenda • |BrE programme • |AmE program •
be/put sth in the/your schedule/timetable/itinerary/diary/calendar/programme
on the schedule/timetable/itinerary/calendar/agenda/programme
a busy/full/packed schedule/timetable/diary/calendar/agenda/programme
checl/consult the/your schedule/timetable/diary/calendar
Schedule or timetable? A schedule is usually a plan of what must happen; a timetable is often a plan of what you hope will happen
• work/production schedules
• the government's timetable for the peace talks
 
Which Word?:
agenda / diary / schedule / timetable
A book with a space for each day where you write down things that you have to do in the future is called a diary or a datebook (NAmE) (not an agenda). You may also have a calendar on your desk or hanging up in your room, where you write down your appointments. A diary or a journal is also the record that some people keep of what has happened during the day: ▪ the Diary of Anne Frank.
In BrE your schedule is a plan that lists all the work that you have to do and when you must do each thing and a timetable is a list showing the fixed times at which events will happen: a ▪ bus/train timetable. In NAmE these are both called a schedule. 
Example Bank:
• Allow time in the schedule for sickness.
• At this stage everything is going according to schedule.
• Connor checked the bus schedules for the day.
• I'm trying to fit everything into my busy schedule.
• She has a very demanding schedule.
• The president took time out of his busy schedule to visit our school.
• The project is right on schedule.
• We had to work a lot of overtime to meet the strict production schedule.
• We have a tight schedule to keep.
• We're five days off schedule.
• We're starting to slip behind schedule.
• disruptions to flight schedules caused by the strike
• Filming began on schedule.
• The new bridge has been finished two years ahead of schedule.
• The show trebled ratings for the channel's afternoon schedule.
• The tunnel project has already fallen behind schedule.
• What's your schedule like next semester?
• a bus/flight/train schedule

Derived Word: scheduler 

consciousness

con·scious·ness [consciousness]   [ˈkɒnʃəsnəs]    [ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs]  noun uncountable
1. the state of being able to use your senses and mental powers to understand what is happening
• I can't remember any more— I must have lost consciousness.

• She did not regain consciousness and died the next day.

2. the state of being aware of sth
Syn:  awareness
• his consciousness of the challenge facing him

• class-consciousness (= consciousness  of different classes in society)

3. the ideas and opinions of a person or group
• her newly-developed political consciousness
• issues affecting the popular consciousness of the time
see also  stream of consciousness  
Example Bank:
• He claims that it's a form of false consciousness for working people to vote.
• Hip-hop exploded into popular consciousness at the same time as the music video.
• I left the room with full consciousness of the impression I would make.
• In some cultures shamans use drugs to alter consciousness.
• Our role as educators is to develop a critical consciousness among our students.
• She hit her head on a rock and lost consciousness.
• She sees racism as a form of false consciousness, where a society collectively believes untrue things about other races.
• The cold water brought me back to full consciousness.
• The idea firmly lodged itself in the public consciousness.
• The words slowly entered her consciousness.
• These memories became an important component of Polish historical consciousness.
• They have succeeded in raising consciousness on many issues.
• When she regained consciousness she was in a hospital bed.
• a book that has changed cultural consciousness in the US
• a change that altered our collective consciousness forever
• a decline in civic consciousness and a growing indifference to public affairs
• a growing consciousness of environmental issues among children
• a key position in feminist consciousness
• a new consciousness about the health consequences of pesticides
• a new political consciousness among young people
• a sense of ethnic consciousness among Lithuanian Americans
• an altered state of consciousness
• imagery that has entered the national consciousness through the media
• powerful states of cosmic consciousness
• the modern study of animal consciousness
• the practices that are used by yogis to reach divine consciousness
• to aspire to a higher consciousness
• Her consciousness of the challenge that faced her did not put her off.
• In popular consciousness he will always be a hero.
• The memory remained deep in his consciousness.
• There has always been a strong social consciousness in the city.

• We need to raise people's consciousness of environmental issues.

solve

solve [solve solves solved solving]   [sɒlv]    [sɑːlv]    [sɔːlv]  verb
1. ~ sth to find a way of dealing with a problem or difficult situation
• Attempts are being made to solve the problem of waste disposal.

• You can't solve anything by just running away.

2. ~ sth to find the correct answer or explanation for sth
• to solve an equation/a puzzle/a riddle
• to solve a crime/mystery
 
Word Origin:
late Middle English (in the sense ‘loosen, dissolve, untie’): from Latin solvere ‘loosen, unfasten’.  
Thesaurus:
solve verb
1. T
• You can't solve your difficulties by running away.
resolve • • settle • • straighten sb/sth out • |especially BrE, especially spoken sort sth out • • sort •
solve/resolve/settle/straighten out/sort out problem/situation/dispute/crisis
solve/resolve/settle things
straighten/sort things out
2. T
• The mystery has not yet been solved.
do • • clear sth up • • crack • |especially BrE, especially spoken work sth out • |especially AmE, especially spoken figure sb/sth out •
solve/do/work out a/an puzzle/equation
solve/clear up/crack a case/mystery
solve/clear up a crime/murder/investigation  
Example Bank:
• Being with friends does not necessarily solve my problem.
• Being with peers and friends does not necessarily solve this feeling of loneliness.
• It doesn't really solve the problem.
• She's really good at solving problems.
• The mystery has not yet been completely solved.
• The problem cannot be solved with spending cuts alone.
• This question has never been satisfactorily solved.
• We hope the difficulty can be solved by getting the two sides together to discuss the issues.
• We need to focus on solving the country's problem.
• We were given clues to help us solve the puzzle.
• a plan designed to solve the housing problem
• research aimed at solving the growing problem of child obesity
• their appeal for help in solving the case
• Attempts are being made to solve the problem of waste disposal in the town.
• The Board met several times last week to try to solve the firm's financial crisis.
• Unemployment will not be solved by offering low-paid jobs in call centres.

• You can't solve all your difficulties by running away.