Advanced Collocations

Advanced Nouns
Apparatus
• The technical equipment or machinery needed for a particular activity or
purpose. Example: “The laboratory apparatus must be handled with
care.”

Competence
• The ability to do something successfully or efficiently. Example: “Her
competence in handling complex projects is well recognized.”

Credence
• Belief in or acceptance of something as true. Example: “His testimony lent
credence to the defense’s argument.”

Deficit
• The amount by which something, especially a sum of money, is too small.
Example: “The company is facing a significant budget deficit.”

Perplexity
• Inability to deal with or understand something complicated or unaccount-
able. Example: “The perplexity of the situation left everyone confused.”

Quid pro quo

• A favor or advantage granted in return for something. Example: “The
agreement was a quid pro quo for their support.”

Catch-22
• A paradoxical situation from which an individual cannot escape because
of contradictory rules. Example: “The job application process felt like a
catch-22; you needed experience to get the job, but you needed the job
to gain experience.”

Conscientiousness
• The quality of wishing to do one’s work or duty well and thoroughly.
Example: “Her conscientiousness makes her a valuable employee.”

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Industriousness
• Diligent and hard-working nature. Example: “Industriousness is a key
trait for success in any field.”

Perseverance
• Persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving
success. Example: “Perseverance is essential to overcome challenges.”

Dichotomy
• A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as
being opposed or entirely different. Example: “There is a dichotomy
between what politicians say and what they do.”

Myriad
• A countless or extremely great number. Example: “The city offers a
myriad of cultural activities.”

Impediment
• A hindrance or obstruction in doing something. Example: “Lack of funding
is a major impediment to the project.”

Quarrel
• An angry argument or disagreement, typically between people who are
usually on good terms. Example: “They had a bitter quarrel about the
new policy.”

Zenith
• The most successful point in the development of something. Example:
“The artist reached the zenith of her career in the 1980s.”

Menace
• A person or thing that is likely to cause harm; a threat or danger. Example:
“The growing menace of cybercrime needs to be addressed.”

Vulnerability
• The quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked
or harmed, either physically or emotionally. Example: “The community’s
vulnerability to natural disasters is a serious concern.”

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Sycophant
• A person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain
advantage. Example: “The prime minister is surrounded by sycophants.”

Dilettante
• A person who cultivates an area of interest, such as the arts, without real
commitment or knowledge. Example: “He was a dilettante who enjoyed
dabbling in various hobbies without mastering any.”

Advanced Adjectives
Ubiquitous
• Present, appearing, or found everywhere. Example: “Fast food restaurants
are ubiquitous these days.”

Cumbersome
• Large or heavy and therefore difficult to carry or use. Example: “She
found the paperwork to be cumbersome.”

Burdensome
• Difficult to carry out or fulfill; taxing. Example: “The burdensome
pressure and extensive competition were overwhelming.”

Facetious
• Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor. Example:
“Don’t listen to him. He is being facetious.”

Arduous
• Involving or requiring strenuous effort. Example: “The journey was long
and arduous.”

Presumptuous
• Failing to observe the limits of what is permitted or appropriate. Example:
“Would it be presumptuous of me to ask why you are so miserable?”

Contemptuous
• Showing contempt; scornful. Example: “He gave a contemptuous glance.”

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Pensive
• Engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought. Example:
“She looks pensive, thinking about her ill mother.”

Supreme
• Highest in rank or authority. Example: “Supreme success and maximum
pleasure.”

Circuitous
• (Of a route or journey) longer than the most direct way. Example: “We
took a circuitous route to our destination.”

Conscientious
• Wishing to do what is right, especially to do one’s work well and thoroughly.
Example: “She is very conscientious about her health.”

Meticulous
• Showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise. Example: “He
carried out the project with meticulous care.”

Convoluted
• Extremely complex and difficult to follow. Example: “The argument was
convoluted and hard to follow.”

Peculiar
• Strange or odd; unusual. Example: “He had a peculiar way of speaking.”

Traumatic
• Emotionally disturbing or distressing. Example: “The experience was
deeply traumatic.”

Truculent
• Eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant. Example: “He was
truculent and difficult to deal with.”

Austere
• Severe or strict in manner, attitude, or appearance. Example: “Her
austere manner intimidated the students.”

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Nascent
• (Especially of a process or organization) just coming into existence and
beginning to display signs of future potential. Example: “The nascent
political party quickly gained support.”

Apathetic
• Showing or feeling no interest, enthusiasm, or concern. Example: “Young
people today are so apathetic about politics.”

Capricious
• Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior. Example:
“He was a cruel and capricious tyrant.”

Quintessential
• Representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.
Example: “YouTube is the quintessential video-sharing website.”

Firsthand
• Coming directly from actual experience or observation. Example: “She
has firsthand experience of what war is like.”

Adamant
• Refusing to be persuaded or to change one’s mind. Example: “She was
adamant that she would not resign.”

Extravagant
• Lacking restraint in spending money or using resources. Example: “They
enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle.”

Salient
• Most noticeable or important. Example: “The salient features of the new
design were highlighted.”

Sincere
• Free from pretense or deceit; proceeding from genuine feelings. Example:
“He was a sincere friend.”

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Advanced Phrasal Verbs
Point out
• To draw attention to something. Example: “She pointed out the mistake
in the report.”

Follow up
• To take further action. Example: “Applicants are advised to follow up
their interviews with a thank-you email.”

Put forward
• To suggest or propose. Example: “He put forward a plan to improve the
company’s performance.”

Phase in/out
• To introduce or eliminate something gradually. Example: “The new policy
will be phased in over the next year.”

Climb down = back down

• To retreat from a position or opinion. Example: “After much debate, he
finally climbed down and agreed to the compromise.”

Pan out
• To turn out or result. Example: “We’ll have to see how things pan out.”

Resort to
• To turn to something as a last option. Example: “When negotiations
failed, they resorted to legal action.”

Take out of context

• To misinterpret something by removing it from its original context. Exam-
ple: “His words were taken out of context and misunderstood.”

Take advantage
• To exploit or make use of something. Example: “She took advantage of
the opportunity to travel abroad.”

Buy off someone

• To pay someone to act dishonestly. Example: “The politician was accused
of trying to buy off the witnesses.”

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Pitch in
• To contribute or help. Example: “Everyone pitched in to help clean up
after the party.”

Chip in
• To contribute money or help. Example: “We all chipped in to buy a gift
for our boss.”

Take the time

• To make the effort to do something. Example: “She always takes the time
to listen to her friends’ problems.”

Pay off
• To yield good results. Example: “All their hard work finally paid off.”

Take toll
• To have a negative effect. Example: “The stress of the job began to take
its toll on her health.”

Get around
• To avoid or circumvent something. Example: “She was always very clever
at getting around the rules.”

Take into account/consideration

• To consider something when making a decision. Example: “We need to
take into account the environmental impact of this project.”

Carry out
• To perform or complete a task. Example: “The scientists carried out an
experiment to test their hypothesis.”

Take with a grain of salt

• To view something with skepticism. Example: “You should take his advice
with a grain of salt.”