Advanced English (2) • VERBS • 'C'

verb [I or T ] C2 • synonyms: worsen, intensify, exacerbate • compound a problem/risk/effect; be compounded by something; don’t compound the issue • freq in AmE: 5/10

to make something worse by adding to it; to intensify or exacerbate a situation, problem, or feeling; also, to combine elements into a whole (less common in verb form)

verb [T ] C1 informal • synonyms: whip up, invent, mix • concoct dish/drink/meal/sauce; concoct from leftovers/ingredients; concoct using herbs/spices • freq in AmE: 5/10

to prepare or mix ingredients to create a dish or drink, often in a creative, improvised, or experimental way; sometimes implies unusual or imaginative combinations

verb [T ] C2 informal • synonyms: invent, fabricate, devise • concoct story/excuse/plan/scheme/lie; concoct to deceive/impress/manipulate; cleverly/secretly concoct • freq in AmE: 5/10

to invent a story, excuse, plan, or scheme, often in a dishonest, exaggerated, or strategic way; implies deliberate fabrication or clever plotting

verb [T ] C2 formal / analytical • synonyms: mix up, combine, blur, confuse • conflate A and/with B; be conflated with something; tend to conflate ideas/issues/facts • freq in AmE: 6/10

to combine two or more ideas, texts, or things into one — often in a way that causes confusion or loses important distinctions

collocation with conflate verb C2 formal/analytical/academic • synonyms: confuse, mix up, equate, blend • conflate A with B; conflate A and B; tend to conflate ideas/concepts/facts/terms • freq in AmE: 6/10

to treat two different things as if they were the same, by combining or mixing them together in thought or discussion — often leading to misunderstanding or oversimplification

verb [T ] C2 • synonyms: desire, crave, envy • covet power/status/success; covet someone’s job/lifestyle/possessions; secretly/openly covet • freq in AmE: 4/10

to strongly desire something — especially something that belongs to someone else or is considered socially or morally out of reach

collocation with covet verb [T ] C2 • synonyms: crave, lust for, hunger for • covet power/status/control; covet political/military/absolute power; covet power over someone/something • freq in AmE: 4/10

to strongly desire influence, control, or authority — often with ambition, envy, or hidden intent

verb [T ] C1 • synonyms: extract, gather, distill, select • cull insights/information/data; cull from sources; carefully cull relevant points • freq in AmE: 4/10

to select and gather useful information, ideas, or items from various sources; to extract the best or most relevant parts

verb [T ] C2 • synonyms: paralyze, disable, devastate • cripple system/economy/function; be crippled by injury/debt/loss • freq in AmE: 7/10

to cause serious damage to something, making it unable to function properly; to disable or severely limit effectiveness, movement, or progress

verb [T often passive ] C2 formal • synonyms: restrict, limit, define • circumscribe rights/freedom/power/scope; be circumscribed by law/rules/conditions • freq in AmE: 6/10

to limit, restrict, or define the scope, boundaries, or power of something; to draw a figurative or literal line around something

verb [I ] C2 • synonyms: frolic, romp, prance, lark about • (cavort around/on/through); cavorting joyfully/wildly • freq in AmE: 4/10

to jump or dance around excitedly; to behave in a lively, sometimes boisterous or uninhibited way — often with a sense of carefree joy or theatricality

verb [I or T ] C1 emotional/formal • synonyms: reveal, share, disclose • confide (to someone) that...; confide something (to someone); confide in someone • freq in AmE: 6/10

to share personal thoughts, feelings, or secrets with someone you trust — often expecting discretion and emotional support

collocation with confide verb [I or T ] C1 formal/literary • synonyms: reveal, disclose, admit • confide to someone that...; confide that...; confide a secret to someone • freq in AmE: 6/10

to reveal a personal thought, feeling, or secret to someone — often using a full clause introduced by “that”

collocation with confide verb [T ] C1 formal/emotional • synonyms: reveal, share, disclose • confide fears/secrets/doubts to someone; confide something privately • freq in AmE: 6/10

to share a personal thought, feeling, or secret with someone you trust — emphasizing the content of the disclosure

verb [I or T ] C2 • synonyms: rasp, wheeze, die • frogs croak; croak hoarsely; croak out words; croak before dying • freq in AmE: 5/10

to make a deep, rough sound like that of a frog or a person with a hoarse voice; metaphorically, to die or utter a final sound

verb [I ] C1 • synonyms: flinch, recoil, wince • cringe at the thought/sight/sound; make someone cringe; cringe with embarrassment • freq in AmE: 7/10

to react with embarrassment, discomfort, or awkwardness — often by recoiling physically or emotionally in response to something unpleasant, awkward, or socially inappropriate

verb [T ] C2 • synonyms: long for, yearn for, desire, hunger for • crave attention/sugar/connection; deeply/secretly/desperately crave; craving as need/hunger/void • freq in AmE: 8/10

to feel a powerful desire for something, especially something you cannot easily obtain or something deeply satisfying

verb [T ] C1 formal • synonyms: make up, form, amount to, comprise • constitute a majority/breach/system/threat; X constitutes Y • freq in AmE: 7/10

to be or form something; to make up or compose a whole; to represent or amount to something in essence or structure

collocation with console verb [T ] C1 formal • synonyms: comfort, soothe, uplift • console suffering humanity through art/philosophy/service; console the afflicted; console mankind in despair • freq in AmE: 2/10

to offer comfort, solace, or emotional support to people in pain, distress, or existential suffering; often used in elevated, humanitarian, or spiritual contexts

verb [T ] C1 informal • synonyms: secure, seal, finalize, fasten • clinch a win/deal/title/spot; clinch victory in the final seconds; clinch the nail; fighters clinch in the ring • freq in AmE: 6/10

to secure or finalize something after effort or competition — such as a victory, deal, position, or opportunity; also used literally to mean fastening or gripping tightly

collocation with clinch verb [T ] C1 informal • synonyms: secure, earn, lock in • clinch a spot in the playoffs/finals/program; clinch a spot on the team/in the top 10/in the lineup • freq in AmE: 6/10

to secure or guarantee a place in a competition, event, or ranking — often after a decisive win or achievement; commonly used in sports, elections, or career advancement

verb [T ] C1 formal • synonyms: tolerate, overlook, excuse, accept • condone violence/cheating/corruption; refuse to condone; implicitly condone; morally condone; condone wrongdoing by silence/inaction • freq in AmE: 5/10

to accept or allow morally wrong or offensive behavior to continue, often by overlooking or failing to condemn it

verb [T ] • C1 • synonyms: seek, woo, provoke • court attention/favor/support/disaster; court voters/investors/media; court approval/trust/criticism; deliberately/recklessly court risk or controversy • freq in AmE: 5/10

to try to attract, win, or gain something — such as attention, favor, support, or risk — often through deliberate effort or behavior