Phrases & Expressions

A connection between two things in which a change in one goes together with a change in the other.

• For their project, the students looked for a correlation between hours of sleep and exam marks in their year group.
• There is a clear correlation between education and income: graduates generally earn more over their lifetime.

A lack of agreement between two sets of figures or facts that ought to match.

• Journalists found a large discrepancy between official and independent estimates of unemployment in the region.
• Auditors spotted a discrepancy between the company's accounts and its bank statements.

A rival or competitor who is very strong and difficult to beat.

• The chess champion proved a formidable opponent, winning every game in less than an hour.
• In the debate final, our team faced a formidable opponent with years of experience.

A reputation for being very skilled, powerful or strict, which makes people respect or fear someone.

• The professor has a formidable reputation for failing students who submit work late.
• The restaurant earned a formidable reputation within a year of opening, and tables are now hard to book.

A very difficult job or problem that needs a great deal of effort and skill.

• Clearing up the town after the floods was a formidable task for the council.
• Learning a new language as an adult can be a formidable task, but regular practice makes it manageable.

An unfriendly response that shows people do not welcome you or your ideas.

• The minister was given a frosty reception when she visited the flooded town a week after the disaster.
• When I suggested working at the weekend, I got a frosty reception from my colleagues.

A large number of angry insults or criticisms directed at someone at the same time.

• The referee left the pitch under a hail of abuse from furious home fans.
• After posting the video, the young singer faced a hail of abuse on social media.

A large number of bullets fired at the same time.

• In the final scene, the hero runs to safety through a hail of bullets without a single scratch.
• Reporters described how the convoy came under a hail of bullets as it left the town.

The fact that something, especially a disease or problem, happens very often in a place or group.

• Doctors have reported a high incidence of asthma among children living near busy roads.
• The region has a high incidence of youth unemployment, which the government is trying to reduce.

Something that makes you think of a sad event or situation and fills you with emotion.

• The ruined church stands as a poignant reminder of the thousands of people who died in the war.
• Her grandmother's letters are a poignant reminder of how hard life was for women a century ago.