Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
If you say that something is ~ to happen, you mean that it will happen in the future, usually quite soon.
I think it’s ~ to be successful...
You’re ~ to enjoy this...
I’m ~ to have to tell him the truth...
Are they ~ to be alright?
PHRASE
2.
You say that you are ~ to do something to express your intention or determination to do it.
I’m ~ to go to bed...
He announced that he’s ~ to resign...
I was not ~ to compromise.
PHRASE
3.
You use the ~ to talk about how easy or difficult it is to do something. You can also say that something is, for example, hard ~ or tough ~.
He has her support to fall back on when the ~ gets tough...
Though the talks had been hard ~ at the start, they had become more friendly.
N-UNCOUNT: the N, adj N
4.
In horse racing and horse riding, when you talk about the ~, you are talking about the condition of the surface the horses are running on.
The ~ was soft; some horses found it hard work.
N-UNCOUNT: oft the N
5.
The ~ rate or the ~ salary is the usual amount of money that you expect to pay or receive for something.
She says that’s the ~ rate for a house this big...
That’s about half the ~ price on world oil markets.
ADJ: ADJ n
6.
see also go
7.
If someone or something has a lot ~ for them, they have a lot of advantages.
This area has a lot ~ for it...
I wish I could show you the things you’ve got ~ for you.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n
8.
When you get ~, you start doing something or start a journey, especially after a delay.
Now what about that shopping list? I’ve got to get ~.
PHRASE: V inflects
9.
If you say that someone should do something while the ~ is good, you are advising them to do it while things are ~ well and they still have the opportunity, because you think it will become much more difficult to do.
People are leaving in their thousands while the ~ is good.
PHRASE: V inflects
10.
If you keep ~, you continue doing things or doing a particular thing.
I like to keep ~. I hate to sit still.
PHRASE: V inflects
11.
If you can keep ~ with the money you have, you can manage to live on it.
Things were difficult, and we needed her wages to keep ~.
PHRASE: V inflects
12.
If you say that something is enough to be ~ on with, you mean that it is enough for your needs at the moment, although you will need something better at some time in the future. (mainly BRIT)
It was a good enough description for Mattie to be ~ on with.
PHRASE: usu PHR after v
13.
You can use ~ on before a number to say that something has almost reached that number. For example, you can say that someone is ~ on 40 to indicate that they are nearly 40.
PHRASE: PHR num
14.
~ concern: see concern
see also comings and ~s