Phrases & Expressions

A way of presenting yourself as tough, fearless and aggressively masculine.

• Some sports campaigns try to challenge the macho image that stops young men talking about mental health.
• The fitness brand has softened its macho image in order to attract more women and older customers.

To give a rough figure based partly on guessing and partly on facts you know.

• I can't give you exact numbers, but if I had to make a guesstimate, I'd say about forty people will come.
• Can you make a guesstimate of how much the trip will cost, just so I know how much to save?

To give someone part of what they are asking for in order to end a disagreement.

• To end the strike, the education ministry made concessions to teachers, including smaller classes and less paperwork.
• Neither side was willing to make concessions to the other, so the negotiations collapsed.

To make broad statements that are not true in every case, often based on little evidence.

• In your essay, avoid making sweeping generalisations such as 'all teenagers are lazy'.
• It is unfair to make sweeping generalisations about a whole nation after one bad holiday.

A society in which people care too much about money and possessions.

• In an increasingly materialistic society, children often judge each other by the brands they wear.
• Some critics argue that advertising has created a materialistic society in which happiness is linked to shopping.

To receive an angry or unfriendly reaction from people.

• Plans to build a wind farm near the village met with hostility from local residents.
• New ideas in science often meet with hostility before they are finally accepted by other researchers.

To be accepted or liked by a particular person or group.

• The new uniform design did not meet with the students' approval, so the school asked for alternative ideas.
• Any changes to the building plans must first meet with the council's approval.

The dishonest or careless spending of government money on things it was not meant for.

• The mayor was forced to resign after an investigation found evidence of misuse of public funds.
• Strict auditing rules are designed to prevent the misuse of public funds by government departments.

To say sorry quietly and unclearly, often because you feel embarrassed.

• The student mumbled an apology for being late and quickly sat down at the back.
• Instead of explaining what had gone wrong, he just mumbled an apology and left the meeting.

Dull, routine jobs that have to be done but give little satisfaction.

• Many people hope that artificial intelligence will take over mundane tasks such as data entry.
• I spend most of my morning on mundane tasks like answering emails and filing reports.