Phrases & Expressions

To use good judgement about what to do or say, especially to avoid causing problems.

• Teachers must exercise discretion when sharing information about students' personal problems.
• Journalists should exercise discretion when reporting on accidents that involve young children and their families.

To state officially that someone was not responsible for something bad that happened.

• The official report exonerated the pilots from all blame, concluding that a technical fault caused the crash.
• The investigation exonerated the teacher from any blame for the accident during the school trip.

To praise the good qualities or advantages of something with great enthusiasm.

• Many nutritionists extol the virtues of a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables, olive oil and fish.
• The brochure extols the virtues of studying abroad but says very little about the costs involved.

To consider something morally wrong and completely unacceptable.

• Testing cosmetics on animals is something many consumers find abhorrent, so a growing number of brands have stopped doing it.
• Child labour, which most societies now find abhorrent, was common in European factories in the nineteenth century.

To give someone complete freedom to act in whatever way they think best.

• The new director was given carte blanche to reorganise the department as she saw fit.
• Parents shouldn't give teenagers carte blanche to use their phones whenever they like.

In a way that breaks a particular law, rule or agreement.

• The factory was found to be dumping waste into the river in contravention of environmental regulations.
• Several shops were selling alcohol to teenagers in contravention of the licensing laws.

To express sadness or disappointment that something is becoming weaker, smaller or less important.

• Many writers lament the decline of reading for pleasure among teenagers who prefer social media.
• Older residents lament the decline of the high street, where most of the small family shops have closed.

A goal that is good and worthwhile and therefore deserves praise.

• Reducing child poverty is a laudable aim, but the plan does not explain how it will be funded.
• Encouraging people to cycle to work is a laudable aim that requires safe cycle lanes to succeed.

To be extremely poor, without enough money for basic needs such as food and shelter.

• Many of Charles Dickens's novels describe children who live in abject poverty on the streets of London.
• The documentary follows families who live in abject poverty on the edges of a rapidly growing city.

An obvious attempt to show off how rich you are, which others may find vulgar.

• Some celebrities have been criticised for their ostentatious displays of wealth on social media while many of their fans struggle to pay their bills.
• Many young couples now regard expensive weddings as an unnecessary and ostentatious display of wealth.