INDEX:
1. to control people or to control what happens
2. to secretly control people or events
3. to completely control someone’s behaviour
4. to completely control the people in a country
5. to be able to control someone because they like you
6. to completely control a situation
7. methods, laws etc that are used to control situations or people
8. to be controlled by someone else
9. to get control of a situation, organization, country etc
10. when you cannot control something
11. to control the temperature, speed, or amount of something
12. to control machines, equipment, or vehicles
13. to control your feelings
14. unable to control your feelings
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ IN CHARGE OF
↑ LIMIT
↑ MANAGER
↑ LEADER
↑ POWER/POWERFUL
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1. to control people or to control what happens
▷ control /kənˈtrəʊl/ [transitive verb]
to make things happen or make people behave in the way that you want, by using your authority, skill, money etc :
▪ Miss Weston is having difficulty controlling the children in that class.
▪ The area is now controlled by rebels.
▪ The head of department controls the budget.
▪ Oloco is a huge company, controlling over half the world’s oil trade.
▷ control /kənˈtrəʊl/ [uncountable noun]
the ability or power to make things happen or make people behave in the way that you want :
have control
▪ Heads of department can make some decisions, but the chairman has overall control within the company.
control over
▪ They seem to have no control over their children.
control of
▪ Who has control of the budget?
▷ be in control /biː ɪn kənˈtrəʊl/ [verb phrase]
to control a situation, organization, country etc - use this especially about someone who got their power by using force or by clever planning, but not by being elected :
▪ The President has been arrested, and the rebel forces are now in control.
be in control of
▪ Mr Howard questioned whether the police were still in control of the situation.
▷ what somebody says, goes /wɒt somebody ˌsez ˈgəʊz/ spoken
used to say that someone has the power to make all the decisions and tell other people what to do :
▪ Mrs Earnshaw is in charge, and what she says, goes.
▷ call the tune/shots /ˌkɔːl ðə ˈtjuːn, ˈʃɒtsǁ-ˈtuːn, -ˈʃɑːts/ [verb phrase] informal
to control a situation so that everyone else has to do what you say, agree with you etc :
▪ It’s definitely my mother who calls the shots in my family.
▪ It’s always been our policy that the customer should call the tune.
▷ be in the driving seat British /be in the driver’s seat American /biː ɪn ðə ˈdraɪvɪŋ siːt, biː ɪn ðə ˈdraɪvəʳz siːt/ [verb phrase] informal
to have more power than anyone else in a particular organization or situation, so that you control everything :
▪ The Conservatives say they are looking forward to the election, and are confident that they will soon be back in the driving seat.
be firmly in the driving seat
▪ This is how the government is now made up, with the Socialists firmly in the driving seat.
▷ be the boss /biː ðə ˈbɒsǁ-ˈbɔːs/ [verb phrase]
if you say someone is the boss within a family or group, you mean they have the most power over the other people in it :
▪ You’d better ask Mom -- she’s the boss around here.
show somebody who’s boss
show them that you are in control
▪ He gave the dog a slap round the head, just to show him who was boss.
▷ wear the trousers /ˌweəʳ ðə ˈtraʊzəʳz/ [verb phrase] informal
to be the person who has most power in a relationship - use this especially to say that the woman in a relationship controls the man :
▪ I think you should talk to Pat - she’s the one who wears the trousers in that household.
▷ keep/hold somebody/something in check /ˌkiːp, ˌhəʊld somebody/something ɪn ˈtʃek/ [verb phrase]
if you keep people in check, you control their behaviour, especially so that they cannot behave badly; if you keep a situation, especially a bad one, in check, you stop it developing any further :
▪ The court heard that the general was unable to keep his troops in check.
▪ The disease is held in check by weekly injections of a power drug.
2. to secretly control people or events
▷ manipulate /məˈnɪpjɑleɪt/ [transitive verb]
to make someone do what you want them to do by cleverly influencing them, especially when they do not realize what you are doing :
▪ He accused the environmentalists of trying to manipulate public opinion in their favour.
manipulative /məˈnɪpjɑlətɪvǁ-leɪ-/ [adjective]
clever at manipulating people: :
▪ She’s a devious and manipulative young woman.
▷ be pulling the strings /biː ˌpʊlɪŋ ðə ˈstrɪŋz/ [verb phrase]
to secretly control an organization, country or situation, by controlling the person or group that is officially in charge of it :
▪ There is little doubt now who is pulling the strings behind this government.
▷ have somebody in your pocket /hæv somebody ɪn jɔːʳ ˈpɒkə̇tǁ-ˈpɑː-/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
to be able to control someone such as a policeman or politician so that they do what you want, for example because you know something bad about them, or you are illegally paying them money or threatening them :
▪ Most drug dealers have a few cops in their pocket.
▪ Jackson got these plans approved very easily - it makes you wonder if he had the local council in his pocket.
3. to completely control someone’s behaviour
▷ dominate /ˈdɒmɪneɪt, ˈdɒməneɪtǁˈdɑː-/ [transitive verb]
to have a very powerful influence on another person and control the way that they behave :
▪ It was obvious that her husband completely dominated her.
▪ a very self-confident man with a dominating manner
▷ domineering /ˌdɒmɪˈnɪ ə rɪŋ◂, ˌdɒməˈnɪ ə rɪŋ◂ǁˌdɑː-/ [adjective]
someone who is domineering always wants to control what other people do and never considers what they want themselves :
▪ Hattie was struggling to break free from her domineering father.
▪ He’s arrogant and domineering and never listens to anyone.
▪ My mother has a very domineering personality.
▷ walk all over /ˌwɔːk ɔːl ˈəʊvəʳ/ [verb phrase] informal
to treat someone very badly by doing whatever you want to do, without caring about what they want or feel :
▪ Why do you let him just walk all over you, have you no pride?
▪ It’s important not to let colleagues walk all over you at work.
▷ have a hold on/over /ˌhæv ə ˈhəʊld ɒn, əʊvəʳ/ [verb phrase]
to be able to control someone because you have some emotional power over them, for example, because you know their secrets or weak points :
▪ He seems to have a very powerful hold over the women in his life.
▪ It’s been two years since we divorced, but he still has a hold on me.
▷ have somebody in your power /hæv somebody ɪn jɔːʳ ˈpaʊəʳ/ [verb phrase]
to be able to control someone because you have emotional power over them - used especially in literature :
▪ At last she had McAdams in her power!
4. to completely control the people in a country
▷ oppress /əˈpres/ [transitive verb]
to use force to control large groups of people - use this especially about governments and people in authority :
▪ Since colonial times, black people in South Africa have been oppressed by the white minority.
▪ Marxists have studied the role of the family in oppressing women.
oppressed [adjective]
▪ Gay people suffer just as much discrimination as any other oppressed minority.
▪ the oppressed nations of Latin America
oppression /əˈpreʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
▪ He’s spent a lifetime fighting oppression and injustice.
▷ oppressive /əˈpresɪv/ [adjective]
oppressive laws or governments control people so tightly that they have very little freedom left :
▪ The country is in the grip of an extremely oppressive regime.
▪ New, oppressive laws were brought in to restrict the freedom of the press.
▷ keep somebody down /ˌkiːp somebody ˈdaʊn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to control people by not allowing them to use their natural abilities, intelligence, or energy to improve their situation :
be kept down
▪ The population is kept down by poverty and fear of the secret police.
keep somebody down
▪ In Marlowe’s opinion, religion was invented in order to keep people down.
▷ repress /rɪˈpres/ [transitive verb]
to control people :
▪ It’s a cruel and vicious regime that represses all opposition.
▪ For years the inhabitants of these islands have been repressed by the colonizers.
repressive [adjective]
▪ a violent and repressive regime
repression /rɪˈpreʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
▪ Most of the refugees are fleeing from repression in their homeland.
5. to be able to control someone because they like you
▷ have somebody eating out of your hand /hæv somebody ˌiːtɪŋ aʊt əv jɔːʳ ˈhænd/ [verb phrase]
to be able to control someone because you have made them like you so much that they will do whatever you want :
▪ I introduced Mr Wilkinson to my mother, and within minutes she had him eating out of her hand.
▪ He’s brilliant in job interviews -- he always manages to get the panel eating out of his hand.
▷ can wrap/twist somebody round your little finger /kən ˌræp, ˌtwɪst somebody raʊnd jɔːʳ ˌlɪtl ˈfɪŋgəʳ/ [verb phrase]
to be able to control someone so that they do what you want, especially because they love you and want to make you happy :
▪ Get Rebecca to ask Dad for the money -- she can wrap him round her little finger.
▪ Mary knew she could twist Henry round her little finger.
6. to completely control a situation
▷ dominate /ˈdɒmɪneɪt, ˈdɒməneɪtǁˈdɑː-/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to be the most powerful or important person or thing in a situation and therefore able to control it completely :
▪ Men still tend to dominate the world of law - hardly any top judges are women.
▪ You shouldn’t allow your job to dominate your life like that.
▪ A handful of multinational companies dominate the economy.
domination /ˌdɒmɪˈneɪʃ ə n, ˌdɒməˈneɪʃ ə nǁˌdɑː-/ [uncountable noun]
▪ There have so far been few attempts to end the domination of one or two companies in the computing industry.
▷ monopolize also monopolise British /məˈnɒpəlaɪzǁməˈnɑː-/ [transitive verb]
to completely control an activity, situation etc and unfairly prevent other people or organizations from having any control over it at all :
▪ All night he monopolized the conversation, not letting anyone else get a word in.
▪ The company has monopolized the building market in this area.
▷ monopoly /məˈnɒpəliǁməˈnɑː-/ [countable noun usually singular]
a situation in which one person or organization unfairly has complete control :
have a monopoly
▪ It is not good for consumers if one company has a monopoly in any area of trade.
monopoly of
▪ It was not easy to persuade the monarchy to let go of its monopoly of power.
monopoly over
▪ Within a few years, the company had a virtual monopoly over all trade with India.
▷ stranglehold /ˈstræŋg ə lhəʊld/ [singular noun]
total power and control over a situation, organization etc - use this especially when you think this is not fair or right :
have a stranglehold on something
▪ For years, two giant recording companies have had a stranglehold on the CD market.
break the stranglehold
to stop someone having complete control
▪ Satellite TV should at last break the stranglehold of the big national TV channels.
▷ have total/complete control /hæv ˌtəʊtl, kəmˌpliːt kənˈtrəʊl/ [verb phrase]
to control a situation completely :
▪ In modern politics, no one political group can expect to have total control.
have total/complete control over
▪ The head of department has complete control over the budget.
▷ hold sway /ˌhəʊld ˈsweɪ/ [verb phrase]
if a person or group holds sway, they have the most power or influence over the people in a particular situation, place, or organization :
▪ The old communist party still holds sway in many rural areas.
hold sway over
▪ This all happened long ago, when priests held sway over the majority of the Irish people.
7. methods, laws etc that are used to control situations or people
▷ controls /kənˈtrəʊlz/ [plural noun]
controls on
▪ Within months, most of the wartime controls on trading were abandoned.
rigid controls
strict controls
▪ Rigid rent controls ensured that no one paid too much for housing.
tight controls
strict controls
▪ The government is proposing to introduce even tighter controls on immigration.
▷ restraints /rɪˈstreɪnts/ [plural noun]
laws, beliefs, or customs that control an activity or situation, especially by not allowing people to do exactly what they want to do :
restraints on
▪ Every society has its own restraints on moral behaviour.
restraints of
▪ The economy is beginning to grow again after the restraints of the war.
impose restraints
introduce rules in order to control someone or something
▪ As they grow older, kids begin to rebel against the restraints imposed by their parents.
8. to be controlled by someone else
▷ be under somebody’s control /biː ˌʌndəʳ somebodyˈs kənˈtrəʊl/ [verb phrase]
▪ The whole town seems to be under the control of one family.
▪ Almost three thousand troops are under Captain Marsh’s control.
▪ Roughly a quarter of the area came under Soviet control.
▷ be in somebody’s power /biː ɪn somebodyˈs ˈpaʊəʳ/ [verb phrase]
if you are in someone’s power you have to do whatever they want you to do, especially because they have some emotional power over you - used especially in literature :
▪ He’ll do whatever I tell him to do. He’s completely in my power.
▷ be under somebody’s spell /biː ˌʌndəʳ somebodyˈs ˈspel/ [verb phrase]
if you are under someone’s spell they have almost complete power over how you feel, the way you behave etc especially because you love or admire them very much :
▪ Harry knew that he was in love with Susie, completely under her spell.
come/fall under somebody’s spell
start to be under someone’s spell
▪ She loves the company of showbiz personalities, and many have fallen under her spell.
▷ be at somebody’s mercy /biː ət somebodyˈs ˈmɜːʳsi/ [verb phrase]
if you are at someone’s mercy they have the power to decide whether good or bad things happen to you :
▪ Once in prison, inmates are at the guards’ mercy.
▪ Children often find themselves at the mercy of other kids who are older and bigger.
to be at the mercy of somebody
▪ Small firms are completely at the mercy of the banks.
▷ doormat /ˈdɔːʳmæt/ [countable noun] informal
someone who lets other people treat them badly and who does not complain or try to change their situation :
▪ Fiona was determined that she would be nobody’s doormat.
▪ Make sure he doesn’t treat you like a doormat.
9. to get control of a situation, organization, country etc
▷ take control /ˌteɪk kənˈtrəʊl/ [verb phrase]
to get control of a situation, organization, or place :
▪ He’s invested a lot of money in the company since he took control last May.
take control of
▪ Following requests from the police, the army has now taken control of the area.
▪ Anne Williams will take control of the research division on August 5th.
▷ bring something under control /ˌbrɪŋ something ʌndəʳ kənˈtrəʊl/ [verb phrase]
to get control of a situation that is out of control :
▪ The agriculture ministry is struggling to bring the latest outbreak of the disease under control.
▪ Rioting broke out again last night, and police and soldiers are still struggling to bring the situation under control.
▪ Government attempts to bring the drug problem under control have so far failed.
▷ regain control /rɪˌgeɪn kənˈtrəʊl/ [verb phrase]
to get control of a situation again after you had lost control of it :
▪ It took several hours for the police to regain control after a demonstration in the city centre turned violent.
regain control of
▪ The extremists have managed to regain control of the party.
▪ At last she seemed to regain control of the situation, and started to speak.
▷ take over /ˌteɪk ˈəʊvəʳ/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]
to get control of a company or organization, or become the leader, president etc after someone else :
▪ People are wondering who’s going to take over when the old dictator dies.
take over something/take something over
▪ The company was taken over by Sony in 1989.
take over from
▪ She took over from Barton as Managing Director in 1994.
▷ seize /siːz/ [transitive verb]
if an army or group seizes power or an area of land, they get control of it by using force to suddenly take political control :
▪ The General has been Head of State since he seized power in 1982.
▪ Rebel soldiers attacked the island, seizing the capital and arresting government officials.
▷ take /teɪk/ [transitive verb]
to get political and military control of a country or part of a country, especially during a war :
▪ Rebel forces have taken the northern part of the region.
10. when you cannot control something
▷ lose control /ˌluːz kənˈtrəʊl/ [verb phrase]
to no longer be able to control a situation, vehicle, group of people etc :
▪ The car skidded on the ice, and I lost control.
lose control of
▪ She felt as if she was losing control of her children.
▪ O'Connor recently lost control of the company he had run for seven years.
▷ out of control /ˌaʊt əv kənˈtrəʊl/ [adjective phrase]
a situation that is out of control has got much worse and can no longer be controlled :
▪ The fire was out of control.
▪ Teenage crime was now out of control.
get out of control
▪ It’s easy to let spending on credit cards get out of control.
▷ get out of hand /get ˌaʊt əv ˈhænd/ [verb phrase]
if something, especially a situation, gets out of hand, it gets so serious or difficult that it can no longer be controlled :
▪ The costs have continued to increase, and now seem to be getting out of hand.
▪ Police were called in when the situation began to get out of hand.
▷ be beyond somebody’s control /biː bɪˌjɒnd somebodyˈs kənˈtrəʊlǁ -ˌjɑːnd-/ [verb phrase]
a situation or force that is beyond your control is one that you are not able to control, especially if someone else is controlling it or because no one can control it :
▪ Some of the kids there were beyond any teacher’s control.
circumstances beyond our control
a situation that we cannot control
▪ Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had to cancel tonight’s performance of "Carmen'.
▷ lose your grip (on something) /ˌluːz jɔːʳ ˈgrɪp (ɒn something )/ [verb phrase]
to no longer be able to control a situation that you have had difficulty controlling for a long time :
▪ By 1965, US troops in the area were beginning to lose their grip.
lose your grip on something
▪ I was worried that Clive seemed to be losing his grip on things.
▷ runaway /ˈrʌnəweɪ/ [adjective only before noun]
increasing or spreading in an unexpected way that cannot be controlled :
▪ Some economists are now predicting the danger of runaway inflation.
▪ They see technology as a runaway force that humans can no longer control.
▷ rampant /ˈræmpənt/ [adjective]
growing, spreading or continuing very quickly, in a way that is impossible to stop - used especially in literature :
▪ It wasn’t military action but rampant disease that finally caused the population to surrender.
▪ Corruption soon became rampant.
▷ run wild /rʌn ˈwaɪld/ [verb phrase]
to grow or develop in a completely uncontrolled way :
▪ Organized crime has been running wild since the collapse of the old regime.
▪ She allowed her imagination to run wild.
11. to control the temperature, speed, or amount of something
▷ control /kənˈtrəʊl/ [transitive verb]
to make the temperature, speed, or amount of something stay at the level you want :
▪ A valve controls the flow of water into the main tank.
▪ The finance committee controls the club’s budget.
▷ keep something under control /ˌkiːp something ʌndəʳ kənˈtrəʊl/ [verb phrase]
to prevent an amount of something from becoming too large :
▪ He’s been trying for years to keep his drinking under control.
▪ The administration has certainly succeeded in keeping inflation under control.
▷ regulate /ˈregjɑleɪt/ [transitive verb]
to keep the temperature, speed, or amount of something at exactly the right level :
▪ Sweating helps regulate body temperature.
▪ A hand-operated switch is used to regulate the gas flow.
12. to control machines, equipment, or vehicles
▷ control /kənˈtrəʊl/ [transitive verb]
to make a vehicle work :
▪ She’s a good driver and controls the car very well.
▪ He was having trouble controlling the heavy truck on the slippery road surface.
▷ operate /ˈɒpəreɪtǁˈɑː-/ [transitive verb] formal
to control a large or complicated machine or piece of equipment :
▪ Don’t worry - everyone will be shown how to operate the new machines.
▪ Do you know how to operate the air conditioning?
▪ They passed a cement mixer that was being operated by two men in dusty overalls.
▷ work /wɜːʳk/ [transitive verb]
to make a complicated machine or piece of equipment do what it is meant to do :
▪ Does anyone here know how to work this microwave?
▪ Simon showed me how to work the video player.
▷ be at the controls /biː ət ðə kənˈtrəʊlz/ [verb phrase]
if someone is at the controls of a large vehicle or plane, they are driving it, flying it etc :
be at the controls of
▪ The pilot remained at the controls of his plane even when it became clear that a crash was inevitable.
▪ When we were kids we used to sit in a cardboard box, pretending to be at the controls of a spaceship.
13. to control your feelings
▷ control /kənˈtrəʊl/ [transitive verb]
if you control yourself or control your feelings, you continue to behave calmly and sensibly and do not become too angry, excited, or upset :
control yourself/himself etc
▪ She was really annoying me, but I managed to control myself and not say anything.
control your temper
▪ I wish he’d learn to control his temper.
▷ self-control /ˌself kənˈtrəʊl/ [uncountable noun]
the ability to behave calmly and sensibly and not become too angry, excited, or upset, even when you have a good reason to :
▪ The German team showed amazing self-control throughout the game.
▷ keep your temper /ˌkiːp jɔːʳ ˈtempəʳ/ [verb phrase]
to manage to stay calm and not become angry, especially when someone is trying to make you angry :
▪ I knew they were trying to annoy me but I was determined to keep my temper.
▪ Police officers are expected to keep their tempers whatever people say to them.
▪ It took all her patience just to keep her temper.
▷ self-discipline /self ˈdɪsə̇plə̇n/ [uncountable noun]
the ability to make yourself work hard, take a lot of exercise, not eat the wrong foods etc because you know it is good for you to do so :
▪ I don’t know if I’ve enough self-discipline to work full-time and go to night school.
▪ We try to teach the children self-reliance and self-discipline.
▷ restrain yourself /rɪˈstreɪn jɔːʳˌself/ [verb phrase]
to stop yourself doing or saying something, especially something that might have a harmful result :
▪ I was tempted to stay for another drink, but in the end I restrained myself and went home.
restrain yourself from
▪ So far I have managed to restrain myself from phoning up to complain.
▷ snap out of it /ˌsnæp ˈaʊt əv ɪt/ [verb phrase]
to suddenly start to control yourself after you have been very sad or upset and make yourself feel better again :
▪ You’ve been in this mood for days now -- I wish you’d snap out of it.
▪ He’s so depressed. He doesn’t seem able to snap out of it at all.
▷ get a grip on yourself /ˌget ə ˈgrɪp ɒn jɔːʳself/ spoken
say this when you want someone to stop behaving in a very emotional way, especially when they are so frightened or upset that they cannot control the way they are behaving :
▪ Come on, calm down, get a grip on yourself.
▪ Occasionally Georgie would find Tommy crying, and he’d tell him to get a grip on himself.
▷ pull yourself together /ˌpʊl jɔːʳself təˈgeðəʳ/ spoken
say this when you want someone to stop behaving emotionally, especially when you are a little annoyed or embarrassed at the way they are behaving :
▪ Pull yourself together. It’s ridiculous to get upset about such a silly little thing.
▪ His father was not one to hand out sympathy, but would simply tell him to ‘pull himself together’.
14. unable to control your feelings
▷ lose control /ˌluːz kənˈtrəʊl/ [verb phrase]
to become unable to control your feelings and become very angry or upset :
▪ He made her so angry that she lost control and hit him.
▷ uncontrollable /ˌʌnkənˈtrəʊləb ə l◂/ [adjective]
uncontrollable emotions or actions are difficult or impossible to control :
▪ Barbara was shaking with uncontrollable laughter.
▪ At the mention of Hannah’s name, he flew into an uncontrollable rage.
▷ get carried away /get ˌkærid əˈweɪ/ [verb phrase] especially spoken
to feel so excited, interested etc that you cannot control what you are saying or doing :
▪ It’s easy to get carried away and buy a lot of things that you don’t need.
▪ A few of the younger men got a bit carried away and started dancing on the tables.
▷ go to pieces /ˌgəʊ tə ˈpiːsə̇z/ [verb phrase] especially spoken
to be so upset or nervous that you cannot control what you are doing and cannot think sensibly :
▪ I was so nervous in my driving test I just went to pieces.
▪ Keeping busy was the only thing that kept her from going to pieces during the divorce.
▷ snap /snæp/ [intransitive verb]
to suddenly become very angry or upset, after you have been trying to stop yourself getting angry or upset for a long time :
▪ Leroy finally snapped and attacked his tormentors.
▪ Melanie Smithson, who is accused of murdering her husband, has claimed that she snapped after years of violence and abuse.
somebody’s patience snaps
▪ Charlotte’s patience suddenly snapped.
▷ give in to /gɪv ˈɪn tuː/ [transitive phrasal verb]
if you give in to an emotion such as anger or unhappiness, you can no longer control that emotion :
▪ She was determined not to give in to despair.
▪ Miles struggled not to give in to his feelings of anger and hopelessness.
▷ lose it /ˈluːz ɪt/ [verb phrase] informal
to suddenly get very angry or upset, so that you are no longer able to control what you say or do :
▪ Pete just lost it completely and started shouting and screaming at us.