Phrases & Expressions

Extremely large areas of land, often forest or countryside.

• Vast tracts of land in the Amazon have been cleared to make way for cattle farming.
• The government has sold vast tracts of land to foreign investors, which has angered local farmers.

To use your official authority to stop a plan from going ahead.

• The mayor vetoed a plan to build luxury flats on the site of the old park.
• Any member of the committee can veto the plan if they believe it is unfair to students.

A serious and important matter that needs careful thought.

• The conference will address weighty issues such as climate change and global inequality.
• Members of the debating club enjoy discussing weighty issues such as the ethics of genetic engineering.

With the aim or intention of doing something in the future.

• The council bought the empty factory with a view to turning it into affordable housing.
• She is studying Mandarin with a view to working for an international company in Shanghai.

Used on a note or card to show that something is sent or given free by a person or company.

• The hotel left a bottle of water in our room with the compliments of the manager.
• Free tickets for the opening night were sent to local schools with the compliments of the theatre.

One of the central principles or ideas that a belief system or theory depends on.

• Freedom of speech is a key tenet of any truly democratic society.
• The idea that students learn best by doing is a key tenet of many modern teaching methods.

To agree to what people are asking for, especially after refusing at first.

• After weeks of protests, the university acceded to students' demands for cheaper accommodation.
• The government refused to accede to demands for a public inquiry into the accident.

To mention something in an indirect way, without talking about it openly.

• The poem alludes to the war without ever naming it, which makes it all the more powerful.
• In his speech, the manager alluded to possible job cuts but refused to give any details.

A strong and often openly shown dislike of a person, group, institution or idea.

• The film explores one village's antipathy towards outsiders who buy up local houses as holiday homes.
• His deep antipathy towards modern architecture was obvious from the way he described the new library.

To be similar to something in nature, character or feeling.

• For many students, moving abroad to study is akin to starting a completely new life.
• For my grandmother, using a smartphone for the first time was akin to learning a foreign language.