(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is a task, situation, or event which you have to deal with or think about, especially one that involves problems.
It was clear that she wanted to discuss some private ~...
Until the ~ is resolved the athletes will be ineligible to compete...
Don’t you think this is now a ~ for the police?...
Business ~s drew him to Paris.
= affair
N-COUNT: usu with supp
2.
You use ~s to refer to the situation you are talking about, especially when something is affecting the situation in some way.
If your ordinary life is out of control, then retreating into a cosy ritual will not improve ~s...
If it would facilitate ~s, I would be happy to come to New York...
Matters took an unexpected turn.
N-PLURAL: no det
3.
If you say that a situation is a ~ of a particular thing, you mean that that is the most important thing to be done or considered when you are involved in the situation or explaining it.
History is always a ~ of interpretation...
Jack had attended these meetings as a ~ of routine for years.
= question
N-SING: a N of n/-ing
4.
Printed ~ consists of books, newspapers, and other texts that are printed. Reading ~ consists of things that are suitable for reading, such as books and newspapers.
...the Government’s plans to levy VAT on printed ~.
...a rich variety of reading ~.
N-UNCOUNT: supp N
5.
Matter is the physical part of the universe consisting of solids, liquids, and gases.
A proton is an elementary particle of ~.
N-UNCOUNT
6.
You use ~ to refer to a particular type of substance.
...waste ~ from industries.
N-UNCOUNT: with supp
7.
You use ~ in expressions such as ‘What’s the ~?’ or ‘Is anything the ~?’ when you think that someone has a problem and you want to know what it is.
Carole, what’s the ~? You don’t seem happy...
She told him there was nothing the ~.
N-SING: the N, oft N with n
8.
You use ~ in expressions such as ‘a ~ of weeks’ when you are emphasizing how small an amount is or how short a period of time is.
Within a ~ of days she was back at work...
N-SING: a N of pl-n emphasis
9.
If you say that something does not ~, you mean that it is not important to you because it does not have an effect on you or on a particular situation.
A lot of the food goes on the floor but that doesn’t ~...
As long as staff are smart, it does not ~ how long their hair is...
Does it ~ that people don’t know this?...
Money is the only thing that ~s to them.
VERB: no cont, usu with brd-neg, V, it V wh, it V that, V to n, also it V
10.
see also grey ~ , subject ~
11.
If you say that something is another ~ or a different ~, you mean that it is very different from the situation that you have just discussed.
Being responsible for one’s own health is one thing, but being responsible for another person’s health is quite a different ~...
PHRASE: v-link PHR
12.
If you are going to do something as a ~ of urgency or priority, you are going to do it as soon as possible, because it is important.
Your doctor and health visitor can help a great deal and you need to talk about it with them as a ~ of urgency.
PHRASE: PHR n
13.
If something is no easy ~, it is difficult to do it.
Choosing the colour for the drawing-room walls was no easy ~.
PHRASE: v-link PHR
14.
If someone says that’s the end of the ~ or that’s an end to the ~, they mean that a decision that has been taken must not be changed or discussed any more.
‘He’s moving in here,’ Maria said. ‘So that’s the end of the ~.’
PHRASE
15.
You use the fact of the ~ is or the truth of the ~ is to introduce a fact which supports what you are saying or which is not widely known, for example because it is a secret.
The fact of the ~ is that most people consume far more protein than they actually need...
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR that
16.
You can use for that ~ to emphasize that the remark you are making is true in the same way as your previous, similar remark.
The irony was that Shawn had not seen her. Nor for that ~ had anyone else...
= come to that
PHRASE: PHR with cl emphasis
17.
You say ‘it doesn’t ~’ to tell someone who is apologizing to you that you are not angry or upset, and that they should not worry.
‘Did I wake you?’—‘Yes, but it doesn’t ~.’
CONVENTION
18.
If you say that something is no laughing ~, you mean that it is very serious and not something that you should laugh or joke about.
Their behaviour is an offence. It’s no laughing ~.
= no joke
PHRASE: v-link PHR
19.
If you say that something makes ~s worse, you mean that it makes a difficult situation even more difficult.
Don’t let yourself despair; this will only make ~s worse...
PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR with cl
20.
You use no ~ in expressions such as ‘no ~ how’ and ‘no ~ what’ to say that something is true or happens in all circumstances.
No ~ what your age, you can lose weight by following this program...
PHRASE: PHR wh
21.
If you say that you are going to do something no ~ what, you are emphasizing that you are definitely going to do it, even if there are obstacles or difficulties.
He had decided to publish the manuscript no ~ what...
= come what may
PHRASE: PHR with cl emphasis
22.
If you say that a statement is a ~ of opinion, you mean that it is not a fact, and that other people, including yourself, do not agree with it.
‘We’re not that contrived. We’re not that theatrical.’—‘That’s a ~ of opinion.’
PHRASE: v-link PHR
23.
If you say that something is just a ~ of time, you mean that it is certain to happen at some time in the future.
It would be only a ~ of time before he went through with it.
PHRASE: v-link PHR
24.
a ~ of life and death: see death
as a ~ of course: see course
as a ~ of fact: see fact
mind over ~: see mind