INDEX:
1. make progress when you are trying to do something
2. to make progress very rapidly
3. to make no progress at all
4. success when you are trying to achieve something
5. a situation in which there is no progress
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ CONTINUE
↑ HAPPEN
↑ SUCCEED/SUCCESSFUL
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1. make progress when you are trying to do something
▷ make progress /ˌmeɪk ˈprəʊgresǁ-ˈprɑː-/ [verb phrase]
if you make progress, you gradually start to achieve what you want :
▪ Far too many people are still unemployed, but we are making progress.
make progress in/on
▪ At Yalta, Russia and Ukraine made progress in several aspects of their bilateral relations.
▪ Rapid progress has been made on the development of drugs for the treatment of Aids .
make progress towards British /toward American
▪ The talks were aimed at making progress towards greater European union.
▷ progress /prəˈgres/ [transitive verb]
if something progresses, it develops in the way that you want and you gradually start to achieve what you want :
progress well/quickly/successfully etc
▪ Work on the ship progressed quickly.
▪ Bob was a very good football coach, and the team progressed very well.
progress according to plan
▪ So far the building work has progressed according to plan.
▷ go /gəʊ/ [intransitive verb usually in progressive]
if a particular activity or piece of work goes well, fine etc, it happens in a way that is good, so that you can gradually achieve what you want :
go well/fine/better etc
▪ Fiona says that her new teaching job is going really well.
▪ Things went better after the new computer system was installed.
How’s something going?
▪ ‘How are your exams going, Luke?’ ‘Fine, thanks.’
the way something’s going
▪ I feel very happy about the way the project’s going so far.
▷ be getting there /biː ˈgetɪŋ ðeəʳ/ [verb phrase] informal
if you are getting there, you are starting to achieve what you want, after difficulties or problems that have made progress slow :
▪ The company had a lot of problems initially, but they’re getting there now.
▪ It’s been a struggle paying off all our debts, but I think at last we’re getting there.
▷ advance /ədˈvɑːnsǁədˈvæns/ [intransitive verb]
if something, especially scientific and technical knowledge, advances, it develops and improves :
▪ Computer technology is advancing very rapidly.
▪ Our knowledge of the deepest parts of the ocean has advanced considerably over the last ten years.
▷ make headway /ˌmeɪk ˈhedweɪ/ [verb phrase]
to make progress in spite of problems or difficulties, because you are determined and have worked hard :
▪ Sylvia’s teachers all say that she has made great headway this term.
▪ The new agreement indicated that the government was at last making headway against the terrorists.
make headway in
▪ If either side is to make any headway in these negotiations, they must be prepared to compromise.
▷ move /muːv/ [intransitive verb]
if an event or activity moves quickly, slowly or in the right direction, it progresses in that way :
▪ Things moved quickly once we had agreed a price on the house.
▪ I think that the trade agreement is moving in the right direction.
▪ Police say that the investigation is moving slowly, and they are hoping that more witnesses will come forward.
▷ come along also come on British /ˌkʌm əˈlɒŋǁ-əˈlɔːŋ, ˌkʌm ˈɒn/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if something such as a piece of work comes along, it progresses in a very satisfactory way :
▪ Mary’s reading and writing has really started to come along recently.
come along well/fine/better etc
▪ The work on the new school sports centre is coming on very well.
How’s something coming along?
▪ ‘How’s your project coming along?’ ‘Oh, fine, thanks.’
2. to make progress very rapidly
▷ make great strides /meɪk ˌgreɪt ˈstraɪdz/ [verb phrase]
if people make great strides, they make progress very rapidly towards improving knowledge or methods, especially in scientific, technical, or educational areas :
▪ Science has made great strides since the 1970s.
make great strides in
▪ Great strides have been made in reducing air pollution in US cities.
▪ The conference highlighted the great strides made in education in Third World countries.
make great strides towards British /toward American
▪ We have made great strides towards equality between the sexes in legal status and rights.
▷ forge ahead /ˌfɔːʳdʒ əˈhed/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to make progress very quickly towards achieving something, especially faster than other people :
▪ Our export sales have continued to forge ahead this year.
forge ahead in
▪ Growing environmental fears have made climate research all the more important, and Europe is forging ahead in this field.
forge ahead with
▪ The Prime Minister promised that the government would forge ahead with the reforms.
▷ come on in leaps and bounds British /improve/develop etc by leaps and bounds American /kʌm ˌɒn ɪn ˌliːps ən ˈbaʊndz, ɪmˌpruːv baɪ ˌliːps ən ˈbaʊndz/ [verb phrase usually in progressive]
if a person or the study, development etc of something comes on in leaps and bounds, they make progress very quickly, especially in knowledge or ability :
▪ Jake was slow to learn to read, but now he’s coming on in leaps and bounds.
▪ We were very surprised to see the way this field of philosophical thought has grown by leaps and bounds.
3. to make no progress at all
▷ make no progress /meɪk ˌnəʊ ˈprəʊgresǁ-ˈprɑː-/ [verb phrase]
to not progress at all with a piece of work or activity :
▪ The lawyers are trying to reach an agreement but so far no progress has been made.
make no progress on
▪ Because of bad weather we made no progress on the house for the next three days.
make no progress in
▪ Police were making no progress in their efforts to trace a man seen near the scene of the murder.
make no progress with
▪ The city council have made no progress with their plans to rebuild the town hall.
▷ get nowhere /ˌget ˈnəʊweəʳ/ [verb phrase] informal
to not progress at all, even though you have worked hard :
▪ I feel as though I’m getting nowhere in this job.
▪ Not surprisingly, the peace talks got nowhere.
get nowhere with
▪ Don started to learn Arabic, but he was getting nowhere with it.
get nowhere fast
▪ The project was eating up time and money and seemed to be getting nowhere fast.
▷ go badly/not go well /gəʊ ˈbædli, ˌnɒt gəʊ ˈwel/ [verb phrase usually in progressive]
if a piece of work or activity goes badly, it does not make progress or develop in the way you would like it to :
▪ My essay isn’t going very well. It’s difficult to find any useful books on the subject.
▪ Despite all the government’s efforts, the war on drugs is going badly.
▷ go around in circles also go round in circles British /gəʊ əˌraʊnd ɪn ˈsɜːʳk ə lz, gəʊ ˌraʊnd ɪn ˈsɜːʳk ə lz/ [verb phrase usually in progressive]
to keep discussing the same problems without making any decisions or finding any answers :
▪ This conversation’s going around in circles again.
▪ Every time we try to reach a decision, we end up going round in circles.
▷ stagnate /stægˈneɪtǁˈstægneɪt/ [intransitive verb]
to stop developing or improving and often become worse :
▪ Business here has stagnated compared with other wine-producing regions.
▪ Everyone needs new challenges. Otherwise you just stagnate.
4. success when you are trying to achieve something
▷ progress /ˈprəʊgresǁˈprɑː-/ [uncountable noun]
▪ The new national tests are intended to keep a closer check on children’s progress.
progress in
▪ Any progress in cancer research may help to save lives.
progress on
▪ Bad weather has prevented progress on retrieving the plane from the sea.
economic/political/social etc progress
▪ Spencer insisted that free enterprise was the key to social progress.
▷ advance /ədˈvɑːnsǁədˈvæns/ [countable noun]
a new discovery or invention that brings progress :
▪ The discovery marks a significant technological advance.
advance in
▪ Dr Martineau had written an article about advances in medicine over the last five years.
▷ breakthrough /ˈbreɪkθruː/ [countable noun]
an important discovery or achievement that makes it possible to progress, especially one that happens suddenly after a long period of trying :
a big/dramatic/major etc breakthrough
▪ Egypt and Jordan welcomed news of the deal as a major breakthrough.
breakthrough in
▪ There has been an important breakthrough in the search for safe nuclear energy.
breakthrough on
▪ Scientists at Merck were nearing a breakthrough on a new drug to treat HIV.
make/achieve a breakthrough
▪ Negotiators have made a breakthrough on the most difficult issue of employment security.
▷ milestone /ˈmaɪlstəʊn/ [countable noun]
a very important event in the progress of development of something, especially the first time that something important is done :
milestone in
▪ For most people, the birth of their first child is a milestone in their lives.
an important/major/significant etc milestone
▪ His decision to accept the university’s offer was an important milestone in his career.
a milestone in the development/history/life etc of something
▪ The album ‘Kind Of Blue’ proved to be a milestone in the development of modern jazz.
▪ This year has seen another milestone in the life of the Society, in that our assets passed the £3 billion mark.
a milestone on/along the road to something
▪ We believe that what we have agreed today will be a milestone on the road to true peace and prosperity in our country.
mark a milestone in something
▪ The expedition marked a milestone in the history of exploration.
▷ step /step/ [countable noun]
an action or discovery that brings progress and that combines with other actions or discoveries to take you closer to the result you want to achieve :
a big/important/major etc step
▪ Of course, starting the job-search is always a big step.
step in
▪ The discovery of penicillin was a gigantic step in the treatment of infections.
step forward
▪ The new law on drunk driving is being seen as a major step forward.
step towards British /toward American
▪ Identifying the cause of a disease must always be the first step towards finding a cure.
step in the right direction
▪ Re-thinking our management techniques would be an important step in the right direction.
▷ stepping stone /ˈstepɪŋ stəʊn/ [countable noun]
an event or action that is not always very important itself but helps you to progress towards achieving something :
▪ For the unemployed, temporary jobs can be a useful stepping stone.
stepping stone to/towards
▪ A teaching post is often only a stepping stone to a better paid profession.
▪ The agreement was an important diplomatic stepping stone towards independence.
5. a situation in which there is no progress
▷ stalemate /ˈsteɪlmeɪt/ [singular/uncountable noun]
a situation in which no further progress can be made because two groups or organizations disagree with each other about what to do, and cannot think of any way to end the disagreement :
reach a stalemate/be at a stalemate
▪ At that point the strike appeared to have reached a stalemate.
▪ Negotiations with the 200 army rebels are at a stalemate.
end in stalemate
▪ It looks like the long-running dispute could end in stalemate.
stalemate between
▪ The proposal was aimed at ending the stalemate between environmentalist and business groups.
stalemate in
▪ the stalemate in the three-month long pay dispute
break a stalemate
make it possible for discussions to continue
▪ an attempt to break a stalemate in the Middle East peace process
▷ deadlock /ˈdedlɒkǁ-lɑːk/ [singular/uncountable noun]
a situation in which no further progress can be made because two groups disagree strongly with each other and refuse to change their minds :
▪ In the same year the issue came before Parliament, but there was complete deadlock.
deadlock between
▪ There are hopes that an agreement can be made to break the deadlock between the White House and Congress.
deadlock over
▪ The deadlock over the US budget had turned away some investors.
end in deadlock
▪ Their first trial ended in deadlock when the jury could not reach an agreement.
break a deadlock
to make it possible to agree so that you can progress
▪ Syria and Israel broke a six-month deadlock in their talks when they sent peace envoys to Maryland.
▷ dead end /ˌded ˈend◂/ [singular noun]
a situation in which it is impossible to make any further progress in your work or in what you are trying to do :
▪ My mother thought that I should be a model, but I knew that was a dead end.
be/feel you are at a dead end
▪ At 52, Martin felt he was at a dead end professionally.
come to/hit/reach etc a dead end
stop making any progress
▪ The development of this drug has come to a dead end because of doubts about its safety.
dead-end [adjective]
▪ A large number of young people who leave school at 16 end up in dead-end jobs.
▪ My sister, Jess, was in a dead-end relationship from which she could see no escape.
▷ impasse /æmˈpɑːsǁˈɪmpæs/ [singular noun] formal
a situation in which progress has stopped completely, especially because people cannot agree on what to do next :
impasse in
▪ The continuing impasse in negotiations made military conflict seem likely.
impasse between
▪ an impasse between the US and its European trading partners
impasse over
▪ There seemed no way to end the impasse over the Lockerbie affair.
reach an impasse/be at an impasse
▪ It was clear that the Soviet economy was at an impasse.
▪ On July 25, the situation seemed to have reached an impasse.
▷ a step backwards /ə ˌstep ˈbækwəʳdz/ [noun phrase]
an action or change that makes a situation worse, so that the progress that has been made is lost :
a step backwards for
▪ Accepting the job would be a step backwards for me.
▪ Several opposition leaders described the programme as a major step backwards for democracy.
take a step backwards
▪ Any sort of stress such as upset in the family may cause a child to take a step backwards in behaviour.