INDEX:
1. very good, with nothing wrong
2. the best and most suitable person or thing
3. to make something perfect
4. ways of saying what you would like to happen if everything was perfect
5. not perfect
6. in a perfect way
7. perfect as an idea, but impossible in reality
8. to think that someone or something is perfect when they are not
RELATED WORDS
in perfect condition : ↑ CONDITION
containing only one substance, not mixed with anything else : ↑ PURE
see also
↑ BEST
↑ GOOD
↑ SUITABLE
↑ CONVENIENT
↑ RIGHT
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1. very good, with nothing wrong
▷ perfect /ˈpɜːʳfɪkt/ [adjective]
someone or something that is perfect is good in every way and could not be any better :
▪ We had a wonderful vacation - the weather was perfect.
absolutely perfect
▪ The meal was absolutely perfect.
be in perfect health
use this especially about someone who is old
▪ My mother’s in perfect health, even though she’s nearly 80.
the perfect husband/secretary/couple etc
▪ Beth and Martin always seemed to be the perfect couple.
perfectly [adverb]
▪ It’s a beautiful dress, and it fits perfectly.
▷ flawless/faultless /ˈflɔːləs, ˈfɔːltləs/ [adjective] formal
completely perfect, with no mistakes or faults at all :
▪ Hiroshi’s English was flawless.
▪ He gave a faultless performance as Macbeth.
▷ model /ˈmɒdlǁˈmɑːdl/ [adjective only before noun]
model husband/wife/student etc
someone who has all the qualities that a husband, wife, student etc should have :
▪ Karen was a model student: hardworking, intelligent and enthusiastic.
▪ Chris always got to work early and left late - the model employee.
▷ impeccable /ɪmˈpekəb ə l/ [adjective] formal
behaviour that is impeccable, is so good that it is impossible to find anything wrong with it :
impeccable manners/behaviour/taste etc
▪ Macdonald was an aristocratic character with impeccable manners.
▪ As I expected, her house was decorated with impeccable taste.
impeccable qualifications/credentials
documents that show that your experience or skills are perfect for a particular job or situation
▪ On paper, her qualifications seemed to be impeccable.
impeccably [adverb]
▪ Gary came in, impeccably dressed in a dark blue suit.
▪ There was a long church service, but the kids managed to behave impeccably.
▷ can’t fault /ˌkɑːnt ˈfɔːltǁˌkænt-/ [verb phrase]
say you can’t fault something, when you cannot criticize it because it has no faults or mistakes :
▪ I can’t fault her driving, except that it’s rather fast.
▪ No one could fault the way he handled the crisis.
▷ unblemished /ˌʌnˈblemɪʃt/ [adjective]
perfect over a long period of time :
▪ The report stated that Stewart’s character had remained completely unblemished.
an unblemished reputation/record/past etc
▪ Mrs Falconer had an unblemished record of 27 years service with the company.
▪ He has established an unblemished reputation for accuracy.
▷ perfection /pəʳˈfekʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
when something is so good that it could not be any better :
▪ Don’t expect perfection in your relationships.
to perfection
perfectly
▪ The pasta was cooked to perfection.
2. the best and most suitable person or thing
▷ perfect /ˈpɜːʳfɪkt/ [adjective]
completely suitable for a person or situation :
▪ A dry white wine is perfect with any fish dish.
perfect for
▪ This dress will be perfect for the summer.
▪ perfect weather for a picnic
the perfect place/time/job etc
▪ That sounds like the perfect job for you.
▷ ideal /aɪˈdɪəl/ [adjective]
very suitable and exactly what you want :
▪ The house was a little too small so it was not ideal.
ideal for
▪ It’s a very relaxed hotel, ideal for families with young children.
somebody’s ideal man/woman/job/house etc
one that has all the qualities you like best
▪ My ideal man would be someone like Mel Gibson.
▷ just right /ˌdʒʌst ˈraɪt/ [adjective phrase] spoken
suitable in every way :
▪ ‘Do these new curtains look OK?’ ‘Yes, they’re just right.’
just right for
▪ I’m glad they’re getting married - they’re just right for each other.
▷ be just the thing also be just the job British /biː ˌdʒʌst ðə ˈθɪŋ, biː ˌdʒʌst ðə ˈdʒɒbǁ-ˈdʒɑːb/ [verb phrase] informal
to be exactly what is needed :
▪ Cold lemonade is just the thing on a hot day.
be just the thing for
▪ A tall hedge would be just the job for that side of the garden.
▷ tailor-made /ˌteɪləʳ ˈmeɪd◂/ [adjective]
specially designed for you, so that it is exactly what you need or want :
▪ If you are an independent traveller, we can arrange a tailor-made tour.
tailor-made for
▪ Our company can provide you with an insurance policy that is tailor-made for you.
tailor-made to do something
▪ In the USA and Canada, a house is often tailor-made to fit the needs of the family that will live in it.
3. to make something perfect
▷ perfect /pəʳˈfekt/ [transitive verb]
▪ The only way to perfect your accent is to go and live in France.
▪ James was out on the ski slope, trying to perfect his short turns.
▪ This technique was perfected by the Ancient Egyptians.
perfect the art/technique of (doing) something
▪ After eighteen years of marriage to Gemma, Ronald had perfected the art of keeping the peace.
▷ bring something to perfection /ˌbrɪŋ something tə pəʳˈfekʃ ə n/ [verb phrase] written
to make something perfect over a long period of time, especially when this takes a lot of care, practice, or skill :
▪ Keeping the wine in a cool place for five years will bring it to perfection.
▪ It requires considerable practise to bring the skill of weaving to perfection.
▷ perfectionist /pəʳˈfekʃ ə nɪst, pəʳˈfekʃ ə nəst/ [countable noun]
someone who is not satisfied with anything unless it is completely perfect :
▪ Mart Kenney was a perfectionist, and his high standards were an example to everyone else.
▪ She worked carefully on her drawing, with all the attention to detail of the perfectionist.
4. ways of saying what you would like to happen if everything was perfect
▷ ideally /aɪˈdɪəli/ [adverb]
use this when saying what you would like to happen if everything was perfect :
▪ Ideally, we’d like to provide regular training for everyone.
▪ In order to win, you must throw your opponent, ideally onto his back.
▷ in an ideal world/in a perfect world /ɪn ən ˌaɪdɪəl ˈwɜːʳld, ɪn ə ˌpɜːʳfɪkt ˈwɜːʳld/ [adverb]
use this to say what would happen if the situation were perfect, even though you know that the situation can never be perfect :
▪ In an ideal world we would be recycling and reusing everything.
▪ Of course, in an ideal world there would be no war.
5. not perfect
▷ imperfect /ɪmˈpɜːʳfɪkt/ [adjective] formal
not completely correct or perfect :
▪ Imperfect goods are sold off cheaply.
▪ In general, people have a very imperfect knowledge of the law.
▪ You have to accept that most relationships are imperfect.
▪ She has anxieties and fears, like anyone else in this imperfect world.
▷ flawed /flɔːd/ [adjective]
something such as a plan, idea, or system that is flawed, has a fault which prevents it from working as well as it should do :
▪ Each party rejected the other’s approach, saying it was flawed.
▪ flawed logic
▪ The results are based on flawed interpretations of the data.
deeply/seriously etc flawed
▪ Birch’s analysis of the situation was deeply flawed.
6. in a perfect way
▷ perfectly /ˈpɜːʳfɪktli/ [adverb]
▪ The coffee machine seems to work perfectly now.
▪ He was perfectly dressed in a dark suit and tie.
▪ After two years in Spain, Kate spoke the language perfectly.
▷ to perfection /tə pəʳˈfekʃ ə n/ [adverb]
if something happens, or has been done to perfection, it is perfect and you are very pleased with it :
▪ Marge tried on the dress and it fitted to perfection.
▪ By September the apples had ripened to perfection.
7. perfect as an idea, but impossible in reality
▷ ideal /aɪˈdɪəl/ [adjective]
▪ Plato dreamed of an ideal society.
▪ A completely new kitchen would be ideal, but I don’t think that we can afford it.
ideal [countable noun]
the ideal of something
▪ the ideal of equality
▷ utopian /juːˈtəʊpiən/ [adjective usually before noun]
a utopian society is one in which you imagine there is a perfect social or political situation, although this is unlikely to ever really exist :
▪ The debate was about the impossibility of a utopian society.
a utopian dream
when you think about and wish for utopian society
▪ Marxism was a Utopian dream.
▷ idealized also idealised British /aɪˈdɪəlaɪzd/ [adjective]
an idealized view or description of something considers or shows it as perfect when really it is not :
▪ I think you have an idealized idea of what a doctor does.
▪ The film showed an idealized view of rural life in the nineteenth century.
▪ an idealized image of motherhood
8. to think that someone or something is perfect when they are not
▷ idealize also idealise British /aɪˈdɪəlaɪz/ [transitive verb]
to consider or show someone or something as perfect, without noticing their faults :
▪ People often idealize the past.
▪ She always idealized her father, who had died when she was five.
▷ put somebody on a pedestal /ˌpʊt somebody ɒn ə ˈpedə̇st ə l/ [verb phrase]
to wrongly think that someone is perfect so that you are unable to treat them as an ordinary person :
▪ It’s very common for men to put women they love on a pedestal.
▷ can do no wrong /kən ˌduː nəʊ ˈrɒŋǁ-ˈrɔːŋ/ [verb phrase]
if one person thinks that another person can do no wrong, they think they are perfect, even though they really do have faults :
▪ Whatever trouble Eddy gets into, Mum still thinks he can do no wrong,
▪ Of course, the fans believe that the players can do no wrong.