INDEX:
1. a good feature of something
2. the only good feature of something
3. the good and bad features of something
4. something that makes you more likely to be successful
5. to have an advantage
6. when something gives someone an advantage
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ DISADVANTAGE
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1. a good feature of something
▷ advantage /ədˈvɑːntɪdʒǁədˈvæn-/
a good feature of something, for example a way in which it is useful or better than other things of the same kind :
▪ There are different ways of saving money for retirement, but this one has several advantages.
advantage of
▪ The advantage of walking to work is that I get some exercise.
big advantage
▪ One of the big advantages of the course is that it helps students develop their writing skills in English.
▷ the good thing about something /ðə ˈgʊd ˌθɪŋ əbaʊt something/ spoken
use this when you are talking about one of the main advantages of something :
▪ The good thing about this job is that I can work at home whenever I want.
▷ benefit /ˈbenɪfɪt, ˈbenəfɪt/ [countable noun]
a feature of something that has a good effect on people’s lives :
▪ Tourism has brought many benefits to the area.
benefit of
▪ the benefits of a healthy lifestyle
▪ What are the benefits for Britain of belonging to the European Union?
▷ merit /ˈmerɪt, ˈmerət/ [countable noun]
one of the good characteristics of something such as a plan, system, or way of doing something :
▪ The merits of the new health programme are gradually being recognized.
▪ The committee is still considering the merits of the new proposals.
▷ a plus /ə ˈplʌs/
an additional quality that helps to make something more useful, valuable, or attractive than other things of the same type :
be a plus
▪ The hotel’s closeness to the beach is definitely a plus.
plus point
British
▪ The plus point of this area is its school system, which is considered one of the best in the city.
▷ the beauty of /ðə ˈbjuːti ɒv/
a particularly good quality that makes something especially useful, suitable, or likely to be successful :
that’s the beauty of it
spoken
▪ Our new generator runs entirely on recycled fuel. That’s the beauty of it.
the beauty of something is that
▪ The beauty of the plan is that it only requires a small investment.
2. the only good feature of something
▷ saving grace /ˌseɪvɪŋ ˈgreɪs/ [countable noun]
▪ I can’t really play baseball. My one saving grace is that I can pitch.
▪ I hate this house. Its only saving grace is that it’s near the centre of town.
▷ redeeming feature /rɪˌdiːmɪŋ ˈfɪːtʃəʳ/
the one good quality that something or someone has that saves it from being completely bad, useless, or unacceptable :
▪ The heroine of the novel is cruel and evil, with no redeeming features.
▪ Coal is relatively expensive but its redeeming feature is that it is in plentiful supply.
3. the good and bad features of something
▷ advantages and disadvantages /ədˌvɑːntɪdʒɪz ən ˈdɪsədˌvɑːntɪdʒəz, ədˌvɑːntɪdʒəz ən ˈdɪsədˌvɑːntɪdʒəzǁ-ˌvæn-/ [noun phrase]
the good and bad features of something -- use this especially when you are comparing what is good and what is bad about something :
▪ Being an only child has both advantages and disadvantages.
the advantages and disadvantages of something
▪ the advantages and disadvantages of owning a car in the city
weigh the advantages and disadvantages of something
to consider the advantages and disadvantages of something
▪ Politicians should carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of committing US troops to this conflict.
▷ the pros and cons /ðə ˌprəʊz ən ˈkɒnzǁ-ˈkɑːnz/ [noun phrase]
the advantages and disadvantages of something that you need to think about in order to make a decision :
the pros and cons of
▪ There has been a lot of discussion about the pros and cons of making certain types of drugs legal.
▪ Your doctor should explain the pros and cons of the different treatments available.
weigh up the pros and cons
think about the advantages and disadvantages
▪ Karen and David weighed up the pros and cons of having another child and decided against it.
▷ the pluses and minuses /ðə ˌplʌsə̇z ən ˈmaɪnəsə̇z/ [noun phrase]
the advantages and disadvantages of something such as a plan or method that you consider before you do something, or that you notice after it has been done :
the pluses and minuses of
▪ She talked about some of the pluses and minuses of being self-employed.
4. something that makes you more likely to be successful
▷ advantage /ədˈvɑːntɪdʒǁədˈvæn-/ [countable noun]
something that makes someone more likely to be successful, especially compared to other people :
have an advantage
▪ People who have been to university have a big advantage when it comes to finding jobs.
advantage over
▪ I had already lived in France for a year, so I had a big advantage over the other students.
give somebody an advantage
▪ Taxes on imports gave Japanese companies an unfair advantage.
▷ asset /ˈæset/ [countable noun]
something or someone that is valuable because they help you to succeed :
▪ A sense of humour is an important asset for any teacher.
be an asset to something
▪ Laney continues to be a great asset to the company.
▷ privilege /ˈprɪvɪlɪdʒ, ˈprɪvəlɪdʒ/ [countable noun]
a special advantage or right that only a few people have, for example because their family is rich or because they have an important job :
▪ Foreign diplomats have all kinds of special privileges.
▪ Countries within the European Community grant certain commercial privileges to each other.
the privilege of something
▪ Not everyone has the privilege of a private education.
5. to have an advantage
▷ have an advantage /hæv ən ədˈvɑːntɪdʒǁ-ˈvæn-/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
to have something that makes you more likely to succeed than other people :
▪ The American team seemed to have all the advantages - better training, better facilities, and much better financial support.
have an advantage over
▪ The winning boxer had an advantage over his opponent because he was several pounds heavier.
▷ be at an advantage /biː ət ən ədˈvɑːntɪdʒǁ-ˈvæn-/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
if someone is at an advantage, they have experience or qualities which make them more likely to succeed in doing something or more likely to do something well :
▪ Students with a strong math background will be at an advantage next year when the statistics course starts.
be at an advantage over
▪ Children have several advantages over adults when it comes to learning another language.
distinct advantage
definite advantage
▪ Mitchell’s height gives him a distinct advantage over the other players.
▷ the odds are stacked in somebody’s favour British /the odds are stacked in somebody’s favor American /ði ˌɒdz ɑːʳ stækt ɪn somebodyˈs ˈfeɪvəʳǁ-ˌɑːdz-/
used to say that someone has a big advantage in a competition, election etc so that they are very likely to win :
▪ Everyone knows that you can’t win at gambling because the odds are stacked in the dealer’s favour.
▪ The odds were stacked in the Labour Party’s favour, so it was a great surprise when they were not elected.
▷ have a head start /hæv ə ˌhed ˈstɑːʳt/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
to have a big advantage over others in a particular activity, especially because you started doing it before them :
have a head start on
▪ The British have a head start on many other countries in areas such as genetic engineering.
give somebody a head start
▪ Sending your children to nursery school clearly gives them a head start.
▷ have everything going for you /hæv ˌevriθɪŋ ˈgəʊɪŋ fəʳ juː/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
to have all the qualities that are likely to make you succeed in whatever you decide to do :
▪ She was bright and pretty and had everything going for her.
▪ Barry had everything going for him -- charm, looks, intelligence, but still he was unemployed.
▷ have youth/experience etc on your side /hæv ˈjuːθ ɒn jɔːʳ ˌsaɪd/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
to have an advantage over others because you are young, have a lot of experience etc :
▪ He is a strong player but his opponent will have youth on his side.
▪ With knowledge of the company on her side, she was more likely to get the job than any of the external candidates.
▷ hold all the cards /həʊld ˌɔːl ðə ˈkɑːʳdz/ [verb phrase]
to have all the advantages in a particular situation so that you can control what happens :
▪ It seemed that he held all the cards and that there was nothing she could do but say ‘yes’.
▷ have the upper hand /hæv ði ˌʌpəʳ ˈhænd/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
to have more power than someone, especially someone who is fighting against you or who does not agree with you, so that you are likely to defeat them :
▪ Although the rebels control areas in the south, the government still has the upper hand.
have the upper hand against
▪ Police finally have the upper hand against the drug dealers in the area.
▷ be in a strong position/a position of strength /biː ɪn ə ˌstrɒŋ pəˈzɪʃ ə n, ə pəˌzɪʃ ə n əv ˈstreŋθǁ-ˌstrɔːŋ-/ [verb phrase]
to be in a position where you have an advantage over someone and are likely to win, especially in discussions to get something from them :
▪ The government claims that as long as they have nuclear weapons, they can negotiate from a position of strength.
▪ At the end of the war, the US was in a strong position to influence the future of Europe.
6. when something gives someone an advantage
▷ give somebody an advantage /ˌgɪv somebody ən ədˈvɑːntɪdʒǁ-ˈvæn-/ [verb phrase]
▪ The fact that Liverpool had only ten men playing for them gave the other team an advantage.
give sb an advantage over
▪ What gives the company an advantage over its competitors is its location.
▷ give somebody the edge /ˌgɪv somebody ði ˈedʒ/ [verb phrase]
to give someone a slight advantage, for example in a competition or election :
▪ His ten years’ experience will give him the edge in tomorrow’s fight.
give sb the edge over
▪ He tried to find out as much as he could about the company, believing that it would give him the edge over the other interviewees.
▷ be to somebody’s advantage /biː tə somebodyˈs ədˈvɑːntɪdʒ ǁ -ˈvæn-/ [verb phrase]
if something is to your advantage, it will help you to succeed :
▪ It will be to your advantage to start preparing for the exam now. Don’t wait until the last minute.
could/would/might be to somebody’s advantage
▪ I think you should accept Steve’s offer to help you with the presentation -- it could be to your advantage.
▷ be in somebody’s favour British /be in somebody’s favor American /biː ɪn somebodyˈs ˈfeɪvəʳ/ [verb phrase]
if a situation or conditions are in someone’s favour, they will help that person succeed :
▪ Investors are hoping that the new regulations will operate in their favor.
tip the balance in somebody’s favour
to give someone a slight advantage
▪ It will be a closely fought match, but Corgan’s greater physical strength is likely to tip the balance in his favour.
▷ favour British /favor American /ˈfeɪvəʳ/ [transitive verb]
if a situation or conditions such as the weather favour someone, they make that person more likely to succeed than other people :
▪ The weather favours the Australians, who are used to playing in the heat.
▪ German negotiators denied that economic circumstances had favored their companies and given them an export advantage.