Phrases & Expressions

Completely and perfectly happy.

• My grandparents were blissfully happy together for more than sixty years.
• Toddlers can be blissfully happy playing with an empty cardboard box for hours.

Completely unaware of a problem or danger, and therefore happy and relaxed.

• Many consumers remain blissfully unaware of how much personal data apps collect about them.
• The children played happily in the garden, blissfully unaware of the approaching storm.

To run suddenly and very quickly towards the exit, usually to get away from something.

• When the security guard appeared, the shoplifter dropped the bag and bolted for the door.
• As soon as the bell rang at the end of the lesson, half the class bolted for the door.

To improve the flow of blood around the body.

• A short walk after lunch can boost circulation and help you feel more awake.
• Massage is often used to boost circulation in tired legs.

To borrow a large amount of money, often more than is sensible.

• Many governments borrowed heavily during the crisis to protect jobs and businesses.
• Companies that have borrowed heavily are especially vulnerable when interest rates start to rise.

Used as a command to take a safe body position before a crash.

• Seconds before landing on the water, the captain said, "Brace for impact."
• When you hear "Brace for impact", lean forward and keep your head down.

To start doing a new activity or offering new products in addition to your main business.

• The bookshop branched out into online courses when sales of printed books started to fall.
• After ten years as a newspaper journalist, she decided to branch out into documentary film-making.

To reach a top position at work despite the unofficial barriers that often block women and minorities.

• Although more women are breaking through the glass ceiling, men still hold most senior positions in large companies.
• She was the first woman to break through the glass ceiling at the bank and become its chief executive.

To give fresh energy, interest or ideas to something that had become weak or dull.

• The award-winning chef breathed new life into the struggling restaurant by introducing a menu based on local produce.
• City planners hope the summer festival will breathe new life into the old harbour district.

The use of extreme, merciless force by those in power to crush opposition or protest.

• The brutal suppression of the student protests shocked people around the world.
• Historians have documented the regime's brutal suppression of independent newspapers and trade unions.