(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
If you ~ something, you feel a desire or a need for it.
I ~ a drink...
Ian knows exactly what he ~s in life...
People ~ed to know who this talented designer was...
They began to ~ their father to be the same as other daddies...
They didn’t ~ people staring at them as they sat on the lawn, so they put up high walls...
He ~ed his power recognised...
I ~ my car this colour...
And remember, we ~ him alive.
VERB: no cont, no passive, V n, V n, V to-inf, V n to-inf, V n -ing, V n -ed, V n n, V n adj/prep
2.
You can say that you ~ to say something to indicate that you are about to say it.
Look, I ~ed to apologize for today. I think I was a little hard on you.
VERB: no cont, no passive, V to-inf
3.
You use ~ in questions as a way of making an offer or inviting someone to do something.
Do you ~ another cup of coffee?...
Do you ~ to leave your bike here?
VERB: no cont, no passive, V n, V to-inf
4.
If you say to someone that you ~ something, or ask them if they ~ to do it, you are firmly telling them what you ~ or what you ~ them to do.
I ~ an explanation from you, Jeremy...
If you have a problem with that, I ~ you to tell me right now...
Do you ~ to tell me what all this is about?...
I ~ my money back!
VERB: no cont, no passive, V n, V n to-inf, V to-inf, V n adv/prep
5.
If you say that something ~s doing, you think that it needs to be done. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL)
Her hair ~s cutting.
= need
VERB: no cont, no passive, V -ing
6.
If you tell someone that they ~ to do a particular thing, you are advising them to do it. (INFORMAL)
You ~ to be very careful not to have a man like Crevecoeur for an enemy...
= ought
VERB: no cont, no passive, V to-inf
7.
If someone is ~ed by the police, the police are searching for them because they are thought to have committed a crime.
He was ~ed for the murder of a magistrate.
VERB: usu passive, be V-ed for n
~ed
He is one of the most ~ed criminals in Europe.
ADJ: ADJ n
8.
If you ~ someone, you have a great desire to have sex with them.
Come on, darling. I ~ you.
VERB: V n
9.
If a child is ~ed, its mother or another person loves it and is willing to look after it.
Children should be ~ed and planned...
I ~ this baby very much, because it certainly will be the last.
VERB: be V-ed, V n
10.
A ~ of something is a lack of it. (FORMAL)
...a ~ of manners and charm...
= lack
N-SING: also no det, N of n
11.
Your ~s are the things that you ~.
Supermarkets often claim that they are responding to the ~s of consumers by providing packaged foods.
N-PLURAL: usu with poss
12.
If you do something for ~ of something else, you do it because the other thing is not available or not possible.
Many of them had gone into teaching for ~ of anything better to do...
PHRASE: PHR n, PHR with v