Smoothy English

press vt. to put weight or force on something, using your hands, feet, or a machine стискати, натискати The doctor gently pressed the child’s stomach.

squeeze vt. to press something firmly together or inwards especially with your hand видавлювати, вичавлювати Squeeze the lemons and pour the juice into a jug.

put vt. an informal word meaning to write something черкати, написати I’ve written to Marian, but I don’t put anything about Bill being arrested.

put down vt. to write something, especially a name or sum of money, on a form or list вписувати Just put down your last name and initials on the top of the page.

print vt. to write something in separate letters instead of joining together all the letters in each word, especially in order to make your writing clearer писати друкованими літерами Sean was able to print his name but he never learned to write.

compose vt. to write a poem, letter, or song, thinking carefully about what to say and how to say складати They sat down together to compose a letter to the newspaper.

compile vt. to make a list or a document books etc. containing lists of information, for example a dictionary укладати The book was compiled by a panel of experts, working in conjunction with the publisher.

write off vt. to write a letter and send it in order to buy something, take part in competition, have something sent to you etc. підписатися Write off today for your free Batman poster!

correspond vt. to write letters to someone and receive letters from them переписуватися 21-year old Kenyan student wishes to correspond with students from Britain or US.

jot down vt. to write short, quick notes of facts or ideas so that you can use them later записувати, начеркувати Let me jot down your address on this piece of paper.

scribble vt. to write something in a hurry, with the result that it may be difficult to read строчити, переводити папір I saw Bruce Harris of the Daily News scribbling furiously, then he took up the telephone and dictated into it.

scrawl vt. to write something carelessly and untidily надряпувати In the bathroom there was a message, scrawled on the mirror in lipstick.

dash off vt. to write a letter, note, story, etc. quickly and without much thought начеркати When I saw the advertisement I was tempted to dash off a letter of application there and then.

fill in/fill out vt. to write all the information necessary on an official document, such as a form or a check заповнювати Mick had a beer at the airport bar while Alex filled out the car rental form.

make out vt. to write the details on an official document such as a check or ticket, including the name of the person or organization it should go to виписувати The invoice was made out in my name so that I could claim the tax.

take down vt. to write down what someone says, as they are saying it, for future use давати свідчення The police let me go after they’ve taken my statement.

get down vt. to succeed in writing down what someone says when this is difficult, especially because they are talking too fast встигати записувати She could not remember the words long enough to get them down on paper, so I repeated them.

spell vt. to write a word using the correct letters in the correct style писати вірно, без помилок You can’t expect to get good marks when half the words are spelled wrong.

type vt. to write with a typewriter or personal computer друкувати Do you think I should type this job application?

key in vt. to write something on a computer by pressing the keys, especially in order to record information вводити Just key in the name of the file you want and it’ll come up on screen.

draft vt. to write a letter, speech, official document, etc. with the intention of talking about it, changing it, and improving it before you use it писати чернетку This proposal as drafted contains no reference to the status of refugees.

refuse vi. if someone refuses that they will not give or do something that you need or have asked them to do утримуватися If anyone refuses to pay their bill send for the manager.

say no to tell someone that you are not going to do what they are asking you to do [v phrase] відмовляти, сказати ні Boys often ask her to dance with them but she always says no.

decline vi. to politely refuse to do what someone has asked you to do, especially when they have asked for your opinion or asked for information відмовлятися A security officer at the factory, who declined to give his name, said he had seen two men leaving the building.

shake your hand to show that you refuse by turning your head from side to side [v phrase] покивати головою I wanted him to join us for a drink, but he shook his head.

refuse point-blank to refuse very firmly and directly without giving any explanation, especially when this seems unreasonable [v phrase] відмовити навідріз The company has refused point-blank to provide child-care for its employees.

dig your heels in an informal expression to firmly refuse to do what someone want you to do, especially because you think that what you are being asked to do is unreasonable [v phrase] відбрикуватися Such a low pay offer makes it even more likely that the union will dig its heels in.

slam the door in sb’s face an informal expression meaning to very firmly refuse to meet someone or to consider their offer, so that there can be no discussion or agreement [v phrase] зачинити двері перед очима I offered to discuss it, but they slam the door in my face.

no way used to firmly refuse to do what someone wants you to do, and to show that nothing will change your mind [v phrase] ні в якому разі No way am I going to look all after three children on my own!

have none of/not have any of if you say you will have none of something, you mean that you refuse to accept or approve of the way someone is behaving [v phrase] не мати нічого спільного The House Majority Leader said he would have none of the President’s usual evasions.

stand vt. if something can stand a certain amount of pressure, heat, etc. it can take it without breaking or being damaged [not in progressive or passive] стояти, вистояти I wouldn’t put those dishes in the oven if I were you - I don’t think they can stand high temperatures.

take vt. to be strong enough to stand a particular amount of pressure, heat, weight, etc. [not in passive] витримувати Some insects can take massive doses of radiation and still survive.

be vi. if someone is a teacher, farmer, doctor, etc. that is their job бути Before becoming a writer, Schwarz had been a cook, a cab driver, and a door-to-door salesman.

go into vt. to start working as a teacher, nurse, etc., because you have decided that this is the job you would like to do налаштовуватися, налагоджуватися Janet says she’d like to go into teaching after she finishes college.

practise (British) / practice (American) vi. to work as a doctor, lawyer, etc. мати практику I graduated from Manchester Law school and practiced law with the firm of Archer & Madden in Birmingham.

be employed by to work for a company or organization, especially when you have an official contract and a regular or permanent job [v phrase] бути зайнятим The study focuses on the hazards faced by workers employed by construction companies.

be on the payroll to officially work for a company or organization and to receive regular payment for your work [v phrase] бути на наділянні We asked a clerk in the personnel office if Howard Hunt was on the payroll.

be on the staff to be one of the people who work for a company or organization, especially when you have a permanent job there [v phrase] бути в штаті My father was on the staff of St Luke’s Hospital.

be with sb vt. to work for a company, especially a large well-known one працювати на когось I used to be with the BBC, but then got the offer of being a producer for Channel Four.

have/run your own business to own and manage a business, especially a small one such as a shop or restaurant [v phrase] мати власний бізнес She runs her own business, making and selling hand-knitted clothes.

labour (British) / labor (American) vi. to work hard, especially doing hard physical work працювати (фізично) When the harvest is ready, the villagers labor from sunrise till sunset in the fields.

toil vi. a formal word meaning to work hard for a long time doing work that is boring and difficult труждатися, надриватися, надсаджуватися A gang of cleaners with mops and brushes toiled all day to make the place look habitable again.

scent vt. if an animal scents something, especially another animal, it can smell that is near [not in progressive] винюхувати, вистежувати Police dogs have a very keen sense of smell and can scent even the slightest traces of drugs.

get wind of an informal expression meaning to find out about situation or something that is going to happen, especially when it is supposed to be secret [v phrase] пронюхати Somehow, he got wind of the arrest before it happened and handed himself in to the police.

air vt. to let fresh air into a room or building, especially one that has closed or not used for a while провітрювати She was opening windows and shutters to air the empty rooms.

ventilate vt. to let air move into, out of, and around the inside of a room, building, vehicle, etc. вентилювати Air bricks are used to ventilate the space under the floor of a house.

turn vi. if something turns, it goes around in circles, changes direction and turns upside down повертати Beyond the woods the path turns sharply and leads through a gate into a farmyard.

curve vi. to turn and change direction, in smooth gradual curves повертати Craven Way, an ancient road, curves round the northern part of the island.

twist vi. to frequently turn and change direction, especially in small but sharp turns петляти A dry stream bed twisted through thick tree roots.

weave vt. to turn and change direction, especially around things, in smooth curves петляти The river weaves across the plain, towards the sea.

bend vi. to make something have a curved shape, or fold something at an angle, by pushing or pressing it згинатися, схилятися The international dateline bend to avoid passing through any continents or groups of islands.

swivel/swivel around vt. to turn something around on a central rod or point повертати, крутити He swiveled the camera on the tripod to follow her as she crossed the yard.

twiddle vt. a British word meaning to turn something small backwards and forwards many times with your fingers, especially because you are bored, or are trying to make something work крутити She sat in the pub twiddling the stem of her wine glass, wishing she was somewhere else.

zigzag vi. if a road, track, or path zigzags, it has many sharp bends робити кривулі On the map our route looks illogical zigzagging over the mountains from village to village.

take out to take something from a place where it is hidden or cannot be seen, for a example a pocket or drawer [v phrase] витягти Suddenly the man took out a gun, scattering crowd.

take back vt. to say that something which you said previously is not true, especially because you now know it was unfair or wrong to say it брати слова назад Look, I’m sorry I accused you - I take it all back.

retract vt. to formally or officially state that something you previously said is not true спростовувати, заперечувати, відмовлятися The prisoner retracted his confession later, saying it was made under duress.

retreat vi. if an army or group of soldiers retreats, it leaves an area because it is being defeated відступати The army was not only retreating - it was falling apart.

pull out vi. if an army or group of soldiers pulls out, it leaves an area, especially because it might be defeated відступати, покидати The Americans pulled out of Vietnam.

remove vi. a formal word meaning to take something away from the place where it is, especially something unwanted or something that should not be there убирати Would you mind removing your hand from my leg!

pull out vt. to suddenly and unexpectedly take something from a place where it is hidden and cannot be seen витягнути I had no time to cover my face. He pulled his camera out so quickly.

fish out vt. to take something from a place where you did not expect to find it or from a place that is difficult to get things from виловлювати, вивуджувати After searching through his suitcase he finally fished out his sun glasses.

shy vt. if someone shy that they do not want to be too friendly and do not like talking about their feelings соромитися, ніяковіти When Paul first arrived at the school he was extremely shy and nervous.

reserve vt. to not want to be too friendly or to show your feelings to other people, especially because you have been taught to think this is the correct way to behave замикатися English people have a reputation for being rather reserved.

introvert vt. someone who is introverted think too much about their own interests or problems and finds it difficult to talk to people бути поглибленим у себе Peter is just too introverted to be a good manager.

inhibit vt. to shy and unwilling to express your feelings, especially feelings concerned with sex or with your own body соромитися, ніяковіти Sicilian funerals are, how shall I put it, much less inhibited than the American variety!

marry vt. to join as a husband or wife; unite in wedlock оженитися, вийти заміж The only reason Carla married Henry was because she was pregnant.

get married to closely or intimate join as a husband or wife [v phrase] оженитися, вийти заміж They got married in a tiny church in Scotland.

get hitched an informal expression meaning to get married [v phrase] вискочити заміж, зв’язати шлюбними узами Would you think I’m crazy if I told you I’m going to get hitched again?

elope vi. to secretly leave your home in order to get married, especially without other people’s approval or permission втікати з улюбленим Julia’s family was furious when she and the volatile Irishman eloped one spring night.

cry vi. to make mournful, convulsive sounds and shed tears, in expressing sorrow, pain, grief, etc. плакати Years later he still cried over Maggie and the way she treated him.

be in tears to be crying, especially because you are unhappy [v phrase] бути у сльозах Most of us were in tears by the time he’d finished his story.

have tears in your eyes to be very sad and almost crying [v phrase not in progressive] сльози навернулися на очі Yusuf had tears in his eyes and I knew he was thinking of home.

cry your eyes out an informal expression meaning to cry a lot or for a long time because you are very unhappy [v phrase] виплакувати очі Cecil came around later, crying his eyes out, asking me to forgive him.

sob vi. to cry noisily while breathing in short sudden burst ридати, голосити He pressed his face into the pillow as he sobbed, trying to muffle the sound.

snivel/sniffle vi. to cry in a weak, complaining way and at the same time draw in air noisily through your nose схлипувати She kept sniffling into her handkerchief and saying how unfair everything was.

whimper vi. to make a quiet, continuous, unhappy sound like an animal in pain, or to say something with this sound in the voice хникати, скиглити, скімлити He began to whimper with fear, “It’s coming closer!” he said.

blubber/blub vi. an informal word meaning to cry loudly and without any control in a very annoying way розридатися He broke down and blubbered like a baby.

burst into tears to suddenly start to cry because you are upset about something [v phrase] зайтися сльозами Laura burst into tears and ran out of the room.

break down to start to cry after trying to control yourself for some time [v phrase] не стриматися I left quickly, not wanting to break down in front of the children.

turn on the waterworks an informal expression meaning to deliberately start to cry in order to get someone’s sympathy or persuade them to do something [v phrase] виплакувати, вимолювати It’s no good turning on the waterworks. You can’t stay home from school, and that’s final!

reduce sb to tears to make someone cry by behaving unkindly or by making them feel sad [v phrase] довести до сліз She was often reduced to tears by the sight of children begging.

bring tears to sb’s eyes if a remark, song, etc. brings tears to someone’s eyes it makes them feel so sad that they cry [v phrase] сльози навертаються на очі The old song always brought tears to Rick’s eyes.

come first an expression used especially in British English, meaning to win a race or competition [v phrase not in progressive] прийти першим Laughing Boy came first in the 3:30 at Newmarket this afternoon.

finish first/come in first to win a race [v phrase not in progressive] фінішувати першим Mark finished first in two races - the 50m backstroke and the 100m front crawl.

get in if a political party gets in, they win an election, and so have the right to form a government [phrasal v not in progressive] потрапляти, опинитися Figures released today show that the Democrats are falling behind and their chances of getting in are slim.

come out on top to win a difficult political struggle, or an important argument, especially one that has lasted for a long time [v phrase not in progressive] піднятися на вершину At this stage in the debate, it’s getting increasingly difficult to predict who will come out on top.

be victorious a formal word meaning to win a war, fight, or important argument very successfully [v phrase] бути переможцем The president was confident that his armies would be victorious.

emerge victorious to finally win отримати перемогу It was a long, hard fight but Ali emerged victorious.

prevail vi. if a person or their ideas prevail in an argument, or fight, they win after some time подолати, подужати, превалювати I’m glad to see that justice has prevailed over self-interest in this case.

win the day an expression used especially in news report meaning to finally win an argument or political struggle, especially when the people you are arguing with, or fighting against, are very difficult to defeat [v phrase not in progressive] схилити на свою користь The moderates won the day in Parliament when they succeeded in halting the progress of an anti-government motion.

carry the day to win by persuading people to accept the plan, proposal, or idea, especially after a lot of talking and arguing [v phrase not in progressive] переконувати His appeal to reason and common sense was what finally carried the day.

sweep to victory to win easily in a very impressive way [v phrase] промчатися до перемоги Nixon swept to victory by 47 millions votes to 29 million.

romp home an informal British expression meaning to win a race or game easily [v phrase] виграти No goals were scored in the first half but Spurs romped home in the second, scoring four.

lead vt. to be winning a game or competition вести у рахунку lead by 10 points/three frames etc. The team from Bowthorpe High School are leading with 60 points.

be ahead to be winning in a game, competition, or election, especially by a small number of points, votes, etc. [v phrase] випереджувати Clinton was still ahead in the polls just a week from polling day.

be odds on to win an informal British expression meaning to be generally expected to win [v phrase] мати всі шанси Emma Thompson was odds on to win an Oscar for her performance.

be in the running to be one of the people that have a good chance of winning a race or election, of getting a job, etc. when a lot of people are competing to [v phrase] мати добрі шанси I don’t know, why he expected to get the job, he was never really in the running.

ambush vt. if a group of people ambush someone they hide and wait for that person to arrive so that they can attack them by surprise нападати із засідки At least once a month the train was ambushed and all their wages were stolen.

put on vt. to put on a particular piece of clothing одягати Put your coat on - we’re going out.

get dressed/dress to put all your clothes [v phrase] одягатися I was still getting dressed when the taxi arrived.

throw on vt. to put on a piece of clothing very quickly , especially because you are in hurry накинути I’ll just throw on a few clothes and I’ll be right with you.

try on vt. to put on a piece of clothing in order to see if it fits and what it looks like when you are wearing it приміряти Why don’t you try it on - you don’t have to buy it.

slip on vt. to put a piece of clothing on quickly and easily одягнути, накинути She took a pair of shoes out of the cupboard and slipped them on.

wrap up vi. to put on warm clothing, especially because you are going out in cold winter закутуватися You ought to wrap up warm - I think it’s going snow.

dress up vi. to put on special clothes so that you look like a particular type of person [phrasal v] переодягнутися, приодягнутися, причепуритися Most children love dressing up.

doll yourself up/get dolled up an informal expression, used especially about women, meaning to put on your best clothes and pay a lot of attention to your appearance, usually for a special occasion [v phrase]4 приодягнутися, причепуритися, вирядитися, одягнутися мов лялечка We got all dolled up to go into town on Saturday evening, and then found out that there were no buses.

have on vt. to be wearing something at a particular time бути одягненим That’s Jenny Salton there. She has a blue dress on.

be in/be dressed in vt. to be wearing set of clothes бути одягненим Everyone else was in their best clothes, but Arthur turned up in his old T-shirt and jeans.

be dressed as to try to look like someone who is famous, who does a particular job, etc. by wearing the same clothes as them, especially because you are going to a party [v phrase] бути приодягненим Dressed as Santa Claus, he patted me on the head and asked me what I wanted for Christmas.

take off vt. to take off a particular piece of clothing скидати, роздягатися Take your shoes off before you come in.

strip vt. to take off all your clothes, especially because someone has told you to or as part of a show or act роздягатися, оголюватися “I’d like you to strip to the waist as I can listen to your chest,” said the doctor.

change vt. to take of your clothes and put on different clothes переодягатися Polly’s just gone upstairs to change.

impair vi. a formal word meaning to make something less good than it usually is or less good than it should be, especially someone’s ability, health, or appearance [not in progressive] шкодити, псувати The face was thin and worn, but no illness could impair the beauty of her features.

turn vi. if something turns, it goes around in circles, changes direction and turns upside down повертати Beyond the woods the path turns sharply and leads through a gate into a farmyard.

curve vi. to turn and change direction, in smooth gradual curves повертати Craven Way, an ancient road, curves round the northern part of the island.

wind vi. if a road, path, river winds, it frequently turns and changes direction in smooth gradual curves петляти, кривуляти A narrow road wound up the hillside towards the little house.

twist vi. to frequently turn and change direction, especially in small but sharp turns петляти, кривуляти A dry stream bed twisted through thick tree roots.

untie vt. to remove a piece of string, rope, etc. that is tied to something розв’язувати I had to cut the knot because I couldn’t untie it

unfasten vt. to open the two sides of a coat, shirt, bag, etc. so that it is open розстібати Unfastening his seatbelt, Jack stepped out of the car.

cancel vt. to arrange that an event or activity that has been planned will not now happen скасувати He’s had his driving test cancelled.

scrub vt. an informal word meaning to cancel something you have arranged, especially because something forces you to do this відкласти, скасувати We haven’t really got enough money for the trip - let’s scrub it, shall we?

be off if an event or activity is off, it has just been cancelled because of a sudden problem or change in someone’s plans [v phrase] закінчуватися, перериватися, припинятися It’s bad news. The deal’s off.

hurt vt. to make someone feel very upset or offended by doing something unkind or unfair кривдити, ображати It hurts me to think that anyone could suspect me of cheating and stealing.

hurt sb’s feelings to make someone feel upset or offended by something that you say or do, often unintentionally [v phrase] зачіпати почуття I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.

distress vt. to make someone feel extremely upset or worried засмучувати, вражати I don’t wish to distress you any further but I must ask you a few questions about the accident.

be in a state an informal expression meaning to be so upset that you cannot stop crying or control your emotions [v phrase] бути у жахливому стані He’s been in a terrible state since he and Julie split up.

be het up an informal British expression meaning very upset or nervous about something, especially something that you have to do, in a way that other people think is unnecessary [v phrase] сходити з розуму She’s so het up about wedding she’s going to drive me mad!

be distraught to be extremely upset, usually because you are very worried about something, so that you cry a lot or seem confused [v phrase] збожеволіти від лиха He could see I was distraught, but he still kept questioning me.

get worked up an informal expression meaning to become very upset or angry, so that you think things are worse than they really are [v phrase] засмучуватися, сходити з розуму Daddy got all worked up about the new neighbors, but I couldn’t see why.

take sth to heart to become upset because you are more affected by what someone says than they intended you to be [v phrase] приймати до серця He was drunk. Don’t take his words to heart.

awake vi. a word used especially in literature meaning to wake up прокинутися My dreams are so vivid that when I awoke my heart is pounding.

be awake to be no longer asleep [v phrase] не спати Are you awake yet?

stir vi. to move slightly and wake for a short time, then go back to sleep again очунятися від сну, прокинутися на мить Roger momentarily stirred, turned in the bed and murmured something inaudible.

wake/wake up sb vt. to make someone stop sleeping розбудити The engine roared into the life, making enough noise to wake up the whole street.

rouse sb vt. to wake up someone with difficulty because they are sleeping very deeply розбудити, розштовхати When he’s been drinking he’s impossible to rouse.

get out of bed to get out of bed [v phrase] піднятися з ліжка I was so tired to get out of bed this morning.

get up to get out of bed and start getting ready for the day [phrasal v] уставати I got up, made myself a drink and then went back to bed again.

be up to be out of bed and doing things [phrasal v] не спати, бути на ногах Is Henry up yet? I want to talk him. be up and around (American) I’m usually up and around by nine on Sundays.

rise vi. a word used especially in literature meaning get out of bed прокидатися Our grandmother grew up in the day when women were supposed to rise at dawn.

surface vi. an informal word meaning to get up, especially after being in bed for a long time. виповзти з ліжка, прокинутися від сну He came home from work on Friday, went straight to bed and didn’t surface until Saturday afternoon.

see vt. to understand what someone is telling you, why they are telling you it, and why they have that opinion [not in progressive] розуміти Barry didn’t see the joke until I pointed out the man’s name.

I see you say I see in order to show that you have understood what someone has told you, especially when you find it interesting or surprising зрозуміло “Then you press this button here.” “Yes, I see.”

get vt. to understand a joke or story, or the reason for a rather surprising decision, action, or event that someone has told you about [not in progressive or passive] розуміти, доходити I just couldn’t get what he meant.

get the message an informal expression meaning to understand what someone is telling you or what they want you to do, especially after they have told you several times [v phrase] розуміти думку, натяк He doesn’t seem to get the message that he’s not welcome here.

get the picture an informal expression meaning to understand a situation or arrangement that someone is explaining to you [v phrase] розуміти ситуацію We don’t want any trouble tonight. Do you get the picture?

comprehend vt. a formal word meaning to understand something that is complicated or difficult to understand розуміти The process of family breakdown cannot be fully comprehended without also studying other external factors.

grasp vt. to firmly understand a fact or an idea, especially one that is important or difficult to understand [not in progressive] збагнути, осягати, сприймати Anyone who does not grasp the importance of budget control will never be successful in business.

get it to finally understand something, especially after it has bee explained to you several times [v phrase] добиратися до дійсності I think I’ve got it now - Jerry is Bob’s ex-wife’s sister.

appreciate vt. to understand someone’s feelings or opinions even though you are not in the same situation as them and do not necessarily agree with them [not in progressive] розуміти, віддавати звіт I appreciate that you are only doing what you believe to be right.

follow vt. to understand each part of something that is quite long such as an explanation or a story [not in passive] слідкувати It was obvious from the look on her face that she didn’t follow what I was saying.

be with sb to have understood everything so far in an explanation that someone is giving [v phrase usually in questions and negative sentences] не губити думку I’m sorry but I’m not with you. Could you explain that part again?

digest vt. to understand new information, especially when there is a large amount of it or when it is difficult to understand, by thinking about it carefully for a fairly long time переварювати Take these papers away with you and read and digest them.

absorb vt. to understand a large amount of new information абсорбувати, сприймати A new baby has an enormous capacity for absorbing new information.

assimilate vt. to understand and use new information quickly and easily засвоювати, сприймати The new traffic regulations have been written in simple language to make them easier to understand and assimilate.

interpret vt. to choose to understand a piece of information or group of facts in one of several possible ways інтерпретувати, сприймати I interpreted her silence as anger.

construe sth as a formal expression meaning to understand a remark or action in a particular way, especially when it seems unreasonable to do this [v phrase] тлумачити I don’t know how on earth you can construe this as anything more than a simple mistake!

catch on vi. to begin to understand something other people have understood for a fairly long time метикувати, мізкувати We all knew why Marry was in such a terrible mood but it was only when Ian dropped an enormous hint that Alan caught on.

figure out vt. to think about a situation or a piece of work until you understand it, especially when it is difficult to understand міркувати, розмірковувати Will you help me figure out how to do these sums? I’m completely stuck.

promise vt. to tell someone that you will definitely do something or give them something that they need or want you to do [not usually in progressive] обіцяти She made the children promise never to play near the railway line again.

assure vt. to tell someone that you will definitely do something and they can trust you to do it, especially because they are worried and need to feel more confident about it запевняти, упевняти The doctor assured her that he would do his best to save the child’s life.

give an undertaking to publicly or officially promise to do something, so that your promise becomes a formal agreement [v phrase] давати обіцянку In court he had to give an undertaking that he would stay away from his former girlfriend’s house.

give an assurance to officially tell someone that you will definitely do something, and that they can depend on you to do it [v phrase] давати запевнення I had to give an assurance that I would not leave before the end of my contract.

guarantee vt. to promise that something will happen, especially because you are going to make sure that nothing goes wrong, or promise that something is definitely true and you have checked this very carefully гарантувати We guarantee that you won’t lose your job when the company is taken over.

pledge vt. to publicly or officially promise to give help, support, or money to an organization, group, or person обіцяти Many rock stars have pledged to support the campaign to save the rainforests.

swear vt. to publicly make a very firm promise that you will never break клястися The witness stood up in court and swore that she would tell the truth.

vow vt. a word used especially in literature meaning to firmly promise something to yourself давати обітницю, клятву, зарок Penny boarded the plane, vowing she would love me.

chuck vt. an informal word meaning to throw something in a careless or relaxed way кидати, відкидати She took off her shoes and chucked them on the floor.

sling vt. to throw something carelessly, especially with effort or force закидати The postmen just sling the parcels in the back of the truck - they don’t care if anything gets broken.

toss vt. to throw something, especially something light with a quick gentle movement of the hand шпурляти, підкидати “Catch!” said Sandra, tossing her bag to Andy.

pitch vt. an American word meaning to throw something quickly and carelessly кидати, метати Tod pitched his coat onto the sofa and ran toward the kitchen.

hurl vt. to throw something violently and with great force, especially because you are angry кидати, метати The warrior swung back his right arm and hurled the spear into the air.

fling vt. to throw something quickly and with a lot of force метати, відкидати Bond grabbed hold of his attacker and flung him to the ground.

heave vt. to throw something heavy using a lot of effort кидати We managed to escape from the house by heaving a large wooden table through one of the downstairs windows.

pelt vt. to attack someone or something by throwing things at them кидатися, шпурлятися The boys sat in the back row of the class, pelting each other with pieces of rolled up paper when the teacher wasn’t looking .

stone vt. to throw stones at a person or building in order to cause injury or damage закидати камінням During the riot the mob started stoning the British embassy.

bombard vt. to attack someone by throwing large amount of things at them at the same time бомбардувати, закидати When the police tried to advance they were bombarded with petrol bombs.

stick vt. to push an object, especially a pointed object into something втикати She rose, sticking her knitting needles through a ball of blue wool.

ram vt. to push something very hard or violently into something втикати, встромляти I rammed my key into the lock and swung the door open angrily.

drive vt. if a natural force such as a wind drives a boat or a ship somewhere it pushes it there нести, штовхати The crippled ship had been driven on to a sandbank by the tide.

plunge vt. to push something deep inside another thing, especially violently or suddenly засувати, погрузити Plunging both hands deep into the sack she rummaged among the parcels.

shove vt. to push people in a rough and careless way with your hands, arms, or shoulders in order to move forward or past people штовхатися, проштовхуватися Peter shoved his way through the dense crowd in search of his son.

bung vt. an informal British word meaning to put something somewhere quickly and without thinking carefully сувати Just sign the card, bung it in an envelope, and send it off.

pop vt. an informal word meaning to put something somewhere quickly for a short time сувати Pop it in the microwave and it will be ready in no time.

plonk vt. a word used especially in British English meaning to put something down somewhere noisily and carelessly шпурляти She brought a bottle of beer and a glass and plonked them on the table in front of me.

dump vt. to carelessly drop something somewhere in an untidy way, especially something heavy звалювати I dumped my heavy suitcase on the doorstep.

stamp on vt. to suddenly stand on someone or something very hard using a lot of force, especially in order to harm or destroy them наступати, топтати During the fight I was kicked, struck and stamped on until I couldn’t move.

trample vt. to crush and injure severely топтати, стоптувати The children have trampled the flowers.

consider vt. to examine a plan, choice, problem, etc. and think about it carefully in order to make a decision обдумувати, обсуджувати Before buying a new computer, I think we should consider the cost.

mull over vt. to spend a long time thinking carefully about a plan or idea [not in passive] обдумувати It was a good suggestion. Victor mulled it over for a while, realizing it made sense.

take stock to think carefully about the situation you are in, and about the way it has developed so far, in order to decide what to do next [v phrase] підбити підсумки Progress is slow at the moment. I think we might do well to take stock and reconsider our goals.

contemplate vt. to think seriously about something important you intend to do in the future задумуватися I’ve never contemplated leaving my job. What makes you think I would?

toy with the idea to think about doing something in the future, but not very seriously because you probably will not do it [v phrase] панькатися з ідеєю None of our prisoners has ever tried to escape, although they’ve probably toyed with the idea.

reflect vi. to think deeply and carefully about a situation or about something that has happened, especially in order to try to understand it задумуватися The next morning, as she showered, she reflected on the strange conversation she’d had with Ken.

ponder vt. to spend time thinking deeply and seriously about a problem, a difficult situation, or a strange thing that has happened [not in passive] задумуватися When she had told him her story, he lit a cigarette and pondered a while.

meditate vt. to think deeply for a long time about the world, about life, etc. розмишляти, медитувати As a young man, he had spent a lot of time meditating upon the purpose of life.

brood vi. to keep thinking for a long time about something that worries you or that makes you angry or upset задумуватися Austin sat and brooded in the corner, rarely saying anything to anyone.

dwell on vt. to spend too much time thinking about something sad or unpleasant [not usually in passive] задумуватися There’s no use in dwelling on problems that we can’t do anything about.

be wrapped up in to spend all your time thinking about something that concerns you, for example your work, so that you have no time to think about other things or other people [v phrase] бути поглиненим, поглибленим, зануреним When we were first married we were totally wrapped up in ourselves and lost touch with a lot of friends.

reckon vt. an informal word used especially in British English meaning to have a particular opinion about something or someone, especially when you tell someone what your opinion is бути переконаним I reckon people’s telephone conversations ought to be private.

figure vt. an informal word used especially in American English meaning to develop a particular opinion about a situation after considering it carefully переконуватися, запевнятися When I saw what a lousy driver he was, I figured he was probably not the best person to learn from.

believe vt. to have a particular opinion which you feel sure is right [not in progressive] вірити Both sides believe that a peace settlement is now possible.

regard vt. to think that someone or something has a particular quality or is a particular kind of person or thing [not in progressive] вважати, вбачати, гадати Edith wore strange clothes and was widely regarded as eccentric.

suspect vt. to think that something is probably a fact, especially something had [not in progressive] підозрювати Just as I suspected, there was a small oil leak at the gearbox seal.

get/have the impression to start to think something is a fact because of various things that happen, because of the way someone is behaving, etc. [v phrase not in progressive] бути під враженням Walking down the main street, you get the impression that nothing ever happens in this town.

assume vt. to think that something is true although you have no proof припускати, передбачати If you are rude to other people your child will assume that this kind of behavior is acceptable.

presume vt. to think you can be sure of something, especially because you have a good reason to think so, although you have no proof [not in passive] припускати, наважуватися, гадати There was a noise upstairs and I presumed it was the cat.

suppose vt. to think that something is probably true, especially because of some information you have [not in progressive] припускати I don’t suppose he’ll be home till after seven.

imagine vt. to think that something is probably true but without having any proof or information that it is true [not in progressive] припускати, уявляти I imagine she’s just got stuck in traffic jam.

take it for granted to believe that you can be sure of something without ever asking yourself whether it is true or not [v phrase] приймати як певне He takes it for granted that looking after the children is my responsibility.

I take it you say I take it when you think that something is true and you are asking someone else to tell you that you are right припускати, вважати So can we take it that you’ll be at the meeting?

flourish vt. to be at the peak of development, activity, influence, production, etc. процвітати I hope you are all flourishing.

be successful to earn a lot of money or to become well known and respected, because you do your job very well [v phrase] розкошувати In order to be successful as a dancer, you need flair and stamina.

prosper vi. to be successful in your job, especially when you own your own business, so that you earn a lot of money and have comfortable life процвітати How could the silk manufacturers prosper with legislation so restrictive and meddling?

make it an informal expression meaning to become successful, especially in the sports or entertainment [v phrase] досягати He was a talented football player and I knew he’d make it.

succeed vi. to become successful in your job by doing it well and continuing to work at it for a fairly long time [not usually in progressive] досягти успіхів Do you think he has enough patience to succeed as a school teacher?

rise to the top to get better and better jobs in a company, organization, or profession so that eventually you have one of the most important jobs in it [v phrase] досягти до вершини Teaching is one of those professions where women are more likely to rise to the top.

make good to become successful in your job even though you come from a home or family that is not rich or successful, so you did not start with many advantages [v phrase not usually in progressive or passive] досягти процвітання, розкошувати It was typical story of a small town girl made good returning home a millionaires.

take off vi. if a product, company, or someone’s job takes off, it suddenly starts being successful злітати (до успіху) The PCW series took off because it was sold as a cheap word processing system.

be booming a company or industry that is booming is extremely successful at a particular time, especially because economic conditions are favorable [v phrase] відчувати стан буму The movie business was booming. Hundreds of films were being made each year.

let sb know to tell someone something, especially something important that they need to know or want to know [v phrase] дати знати You mean she just left without letting anybody know?

put sb onto an informal expression meaning to give someone some useful information which they did not know about [v phrase] посвятити в щось I’d never heard about aromatherapy - it was my wife who put me onto it.

give vt. to give someone information or details about something давати інформацію LA Weekly magazine gives information about what’s on in Los Angeles every week.

inform vt. to officially or formally tell someone about something інформувати, сповіщати I am instructed to inform you that your application has been rejected.

notify vt. to officially or formally give important information to someone, especially by telling them about something that has happened сповіщати, звіщати Staff were notified several months in advance that they would be losing their job.

brief vt. to give someone all the necessary information about a situation, so that they know exactly what is happening or so that they are prepared for something that they have to do [usually in passive] інструктувати, сповіщати Police officers were briefed before going out to arrest the suspects.

give an update on an expression used especially in a business context meaning to tell someone about the things that have happened concerning a particular piece of work or plan since they last saw you [v phrase] надавати останні новини Can you give me an update on any policy changes since we last spoke?

narrate vt. a formal word meaning to describe an event, especially one which happened to you, as if it were a story повістувати The events narrated by Schoendel have been confirmed by other sources.

relate vt. to give someone all the details about something that really happened to you or to someone else розповідати, описувати She related the story about the time they got stuck on a ledge half-way up a mountain.

send word to tell some something by sending them a letter or a message instead of going to them and telling them directly yourself [v phrase] оповістити, послати нотатку He should have sent word to Ardis’s lawyer that he would not be able to come.

pass on to give someone a message or some information that another person has asked you to give [v phrase] передавати Could you pass on my thanks for all these lovely gifts?

relay vt. to send to someone an official message, a piece of news, etc. which you have received from another person передавати Mendoza relayed the news a soon as he returned to the base.

confide in vt. to tell someone about something very private or secret, especially a personal problem, because you feel that you can trust them посвящати, ознайомлювати He was a good listener and Elinor found it easy to confide in him.

tell tales (British) / tattles on sb (American) if a child tells tales or tattles on someone to a parent or a teacher, they tell them about another child has done wrong in order to cause trouble [v phrase] зводити наклеп Sarah’s teacher told her it was silly to keep tattling on her classmates.

split on vt. an informal British expression meaning to tell someone in authority about something wrong that someone has done доносити, клепати, писати кляузи If you split on us, we’ll in big trouble.

report vt. to give information about a crime, an accident, etc. to the police or to someone in authority сповіщати, докладати, доносити All accidents must be reported at once to the aviation authority.

squeal vt. an informal word meaning to tell the police about a crime that your friends or partners are planning or responsible for доносити, стукати If the others ever found out he’d squeal on them, they’d kill him.

grass vt. an informal British word meaning to tell the police who is responsible for a crime or illegal activity, especially one that you were also involved in доносити I don’t trust your girlfriend - what if she grasses us up?

talk vt. to give the police information about a crime that you know about or are involved in, especially when they are questioning you officially about it заговорити, вибовкувати It’s no good Sarge. He’s not going to talk.

tip off vt. to give the police or other authority information that will allow them prevent a crime taking place доносити A murder attempt was foiled when the assassin’s wife tipped off the police.

reveal vt. to tell someone something that was previously secret or not known by many people розкривати Ginsberg withdrew his application to become Attorney General after it was revealed that he had smoked marijuana at college.

disclose vt. to publicly reveal something such as a fact or a name that has been kept secret or hidden розкривати The victim’s identity was disclosed by police in a statement last week.

divulge vt. to give someone some very important and often personal information which was previously secret or unknown розкривати The contract forbids employees from divulging details of this work to anyone outside the company.

impart vt. a formal word: if you impart information to people, especially secret information, you tell or give it to them викладати Wesley imparted the information defensively, avoiding catching Sarah’s eye.

let on vt. to say something that shows you know about a secret, especially when you have been told not to say anything проговоритися, пробовтатися If you let on, I’ll get you!

leak vt. to deliberately give a newspaper or television company secret government information, such as a letter, report, or document видавати таємниці News of the secret deal was leaked to the press.

blab vi. an informal word meaning to tell someone a secret, especially because you are unable to control yourself проговоритися, пробовтатися Better not saying anything about it to Mickey - he’ll just end up blabbing to someone.    

order vt. to tell someone to do something, especially in a threatening way наказувати The terrorists hijacked a Boeing 737 and ordered the pilot to fly to Beirut.

demand vt. to tell someone that they must do something, especially when you are angry or impatient and want them to do it immediately наполягати, наказувати How dare you say that! I demand on apology.

insist vt. to tell someone firmly and repeatedly that they must do something, especially something that they do not want to do наполягати I didn’t want to tell the dad about fight, but he insisted.

dictate vt. to tell someone exactly what they must do or how they must behave, as if you had power to make them obey you диктувати, наказувати She refused to be dictated to by some stupid officials.

instruct vt. to officially tell someone to do something, especially when you tell them exactly how it should be done інструктувати One of the secretaries had been instructed to reserve me a seat on the next plane to London.

decree vt. if a government, parliament, or court decrees that something should happen, they officially order it by making a law or by changing the existing law проголошувати In 1929 parliament decreed that all women should have the right to vote.

command vt. a word used formally or in literature: if someone such as a king or a military officer commands someone to do something, they tell them officially that they must do it наказувати, командувати The King had the power to command that parliament be dissolved.

direct vt. if someone in a position of legal authority such as a judge directs someone to do something, they order them to do it приписувати, наказувати He was jailed for refusing to answer questions when directed to do so in court.

summon vt. to officially order someone to come to you призивати, прикликати, викликати President Clinton summoned his top White House aides to discuss the crisis.

delegate vt. to tell someone who works for you to represent you and do something instead of you делегувати The manager was very busy at the time and she had to delegate the task to one of her subordinates.

lecture vt. to talk angrily to someone for a long time, especially in a way that they think is not necessary or fair вичитувати After the violence on the field, the manager lectured the team about acceptable standards of behavior.

rebuke vt. to talk severely to someone in order to criticize them for doing something which they knew was wrong засуджувати, осуджувати Amnesty International rebuked the British government for its treatment of the refugees.

reproach vt. to tell someone, in a sad rather than angry way, that you wish they had not done something they have done, especially because it has offended you or hurt you, etc. покартати I starting reproaching him for what he’d done, but he looked so unhappy that I quickly stopped.

scold vt. if a parent or a teacher scolds a child, they tell that child angrily that they disapprove of something bad or wrong that they have done лаяти, сварити I dreaded the thought of going home and being scolded by my father.

blast vt. a word used especially in newspapers meaning to criticize someone in a very angry or severe way for something that they have done wrong or for allowing something bad to happen накидатися The report blasted shipping companies for failing to ensure acceptable safety standards.

berate vt. a formal word meaning to tell someone in a very angry way that you do not approve of something they have done лаяти, сварити In the meeting the management berated the union officials, blaming them for the firm’s poor performance.

reprimand vt. to officially tell someone that they have done something wrong or illegal, especially by warning them that if they do it again they will be punished попереджувати, робити догану After trial two police officers were suspended from duty; four others were reprimanded.

censure vt. to officially criticize someone publicly for something wrong they have done, especially in order to punish them ганьбити, осуджувати The university publicly censured the students caught cheating in the exams.