INDEX:
1. something that happens to you
2. something bad that happens to you
3. when something happens to you
RELATED WORDS
experienced in a job, activity etc : ↑ EXPERIENCE
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1. something that happens to you
▷ experience /ɪkˈspɪ ə riəns/ [countable noun]
something that happens to you or something that you do, especially something unusual or important that you remember and learn from :
▪ After she retired, Hannah wrote a book about her experiences as a war reporter.
have an experience
▪ I’m glad I had this experience but I wouldn’t want to do it again.
good/great/bad/awful experience
▪ Living alone has been a good experience for her.
experience of
▪ Tonight on Channel 4, young people will be discussing their experiences of racism.
the experience of doing something
▪ Simulators are very realistic, but they don’t compare to the actual experience of flying an airplane.
▷ adventure /ədˈventʃəʳ/ [countable/uncountable noun]
a situation in which exciting and dangerous things happen to you :
▪ My grandfather used to tell us about his adventures as a sea captain during the war.
▪ As a young man he went off to Africa, looking for adventure.
▷ fortunes /ˈfɔːʳtʃ ə nz/ [plural noun]
the experiences that happen to you over many years, and how happy or successful you are, especially when this is told in a story, film etc :
somebody’s fortunes/the fortunes of somebody
▪ It’s a documentary about the fortunes of a group of musicians during the 1920s.
▪ After he left London, his fortunes improved.
changing fortunes
▪ The movie traces the changing fortunes of a poor family in Southern Australia.
2. something bad that happens to you
▷ bad/terrible/dreadful etc experience /ˌbæd ɪkˈspɪ ə riəns/ [countable noun]
▪ You shouldn’t let one bad experience affect your decision.
▪ Being arrested was one of the worst experiences of my life.
▪ My passport was stolen and the police said they couldn’t help me. It was a terrible experience.
▷ nightmare /ˈnaɪtmeəʳ/ [countable noun usually singular]
a very unpleasant or frightening experience when you feel that you have no control over what is happening :
▪ Starting school can be a nightmare for some children.
▪ As the ship went down, people were rushing around in the dark screaming and yelling. It was an absolute nightmare.
nightmare of
▪ The hostages described life in the prison camp as a nightmare of fear and uncertainty.
▷ ordeal /ɔːʳˈdiːl, ˈɔːʳdiːl/ [countable noun]
a painful, frightening, or worrying experience, especially one that continues for a long time :
▪ The three week trial turned out to be an emotional ordeal for everyone involved.
▪ The hostages were relieved that their long ordeal was finally over.
▷ trauma /ˈtrɔːmə, ˈtraʊmə/ [countable/uncountable noun]
a very bad experience or shock that has an effect on you :
▪ June never recovered from the trauma of her husband’s violent death.
▪ Multiple-personality disorder is usually caused by early childhood trauma.
3. when something happens to you
▷ happen to /ˈhæpən tuː/ [transitive phrasal verb]
if something happens to you, it affects you and you are involved in it, but you did not do anything to make it happen :
▪ The crash wasn’t your fault. It could have happened to anyone.
▪ Winning this award is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.
▷ experience /ɪkˈspɪ ə riəns/ [transitive verb]
if you experience something, especially an emotion, a physical feeling, or an unpleasant situation, it happens to you :
▪ When you first tried a cigarette, you probably experienced a feeling of dizziness.
▪ It was the first time she had ever experienced real poverty.
▷ go through /ˈgəʊ θruː/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to experience a period of time that is difficult or unhappy :
▪ Kevin’s going through a painful divorce.
somebody’s been through a lot
▪ Betty’s been through a lot recently -- I think you ought to try and be nice to her.
▷ live through /ˈlɪv θruː/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to experience a period of time when there are important historical events happening which affect people’s lives :
▪ His new book is a collection of essays and fiction by writers who lived through the Great Depression.
▷ know /nəʊ/ [transitive verb not in progressive]
know hardship/joy/sorrow etc
to experience problems, joy, sorrow etc -- used especially in literature :
▪ In his seven short years, he has known war, famine and death.
▪ I don’t think I’ve ever known true happiness.