Common English Vocabulary and Phrases: A Comprehensive List

**People’s Appearance**

Succeed: Outcome, effect. Success: Success. Subservience: Servility, submissiveness. Gash: Gash. Stark: Stark, austere. Feisty: Determined, wrestler. Hitch: Complicated. Notorious: Known, infamous. Role: Part (in a play, film). Resemblance: Similarity. Bangles: Bangle, bracelet. Trashy: Bratty, filthy, bad. Charts: Charts, chart, table, map. Pay Off: To cancel, settle. Achievement: Achievement, success. Uncanny: Weird, strange.

Cuff: Fist. Lanky: Ungainly. Tucker: Pleated, folds. Formally: Formally. Creases: Wrinkles. Bow tie: Bow tie. Bowler hat: Bowler hat. Double breasted: Double-breasted. Button hole: Buttonhole. Breast pocket: Front pocket. Toe: Big toe. Bow: Bow, curtsy. Wavy: Curly. Teens: Teens. High Heel: High heel. Clasped: Brooch. Slender: Slim. Parted: Parted hair. Figure: Figure. Folded: Arms crossed. Braces: Suspenders. Grin: Grin. Plain: Plain. Trainers: Sneakers. Pigeon toed: Pigeon-toed. Bare footed: Barefoot. Slanting: Slanted. Casually: Casual. Skinny: Skinny. Lapels: Lapel. Patches: Patch. Hips: Hips. Buckle: Buckle. Waist: Waist. Closely cropped: Very short hair. Strongly built: Robust figure. Bare headed: Uncovered head. Clean shaven: Shaven. Expression: Expression. Upright: Vertical, right. Broad: Wide, large. Idioms: Idioms. Obese: Obese, fat. Rolled up: Rolled-up sleeves. Bow legged: Bow-legged. Baggy: Baggy, large. Checked: Checkered. Flat cap: Flat cap. Wellingtons: Rubber boots. Cleft Chin: Cleft chin. Spectacles: Glasses. Top Hat: Top hat. Cardigan: Cardigan. Stout: Big, strong. Shorts: Shorts. Beret: Beret. Slim: Slim. Single breasted: Single-breasted. Knock kneed: Knock-kneed. Double chinned: Double chin. Epaulettes: Shoulder pads. Waistcoat: Vest. Singlet: T-shirt. Spotted: Spotted. Striped: Striped. Stooped: Stooped posture. Frail: Weak. Tousled: Disheveled. Lean: Slim. Paunch: Paunch. Flared: Flared. Curly: Curly. Bald: Bald.

**Fashion in Clothes**

Slavishly: Obsequious. Trend: Trend. Trendy: Trendy. Fashion House: Haute couture brand. Ornaments: Ornaments.

**Compulsory Military Service**

Conscripts: Recruit. Conscription: Recruiting. Disruption: Disorder.

**Body**

Jaw: Jaw. Elbow: Elbow. Calf: Calf. Thigh: Thigh. Lid: Eyelid. Lash: Eyelash. Shin: Shin. Forearm: Forearm. Thumb: Thumb. Instep: Instep. Palm: Palm. Pupil: Pupil. Temple: Temple. Wrist: Wrist. Heel: Heel. Fist: Fist. Sole: Sole. Lobe: Earlobe. Knuckles: Knuckles. Gums: Gums. Ankle: Ankle. Nostril: Nostril.

**Books**

Volume: Volume. Proofs: Proofs. Whodunnit: Detective novel. Paperback: Paperback. Hardback: Hardcover.

**Friends**

Acquaintance: Acquaintance. Partner: Partner. Mate: Mate. Bosom pal: Bosom friend. Pen pal: Pen pal. Old flame: Old flame. Fair weather: Fair-weather friend.

**People**

A pain in the neck: A nuisance. A rolling stone: A rolling stone. Crank: Crank. Busybody: Busybody. Tomboy: Tomboy. Lone Wolf: Lone wolf. Sponge: Freeloader. Daredevil: Daredevil. Golden boy: Golden boy. Tearaway: Troublemaker. Windbag: Windbag. Slob: Slob. Jaywalker: Jaywalker. Name dropper: Name-dropper. Layabout: Layabout. Road Hog: Road hog. Fare dodger: Fare dodger. Miser: Miser. Slave Driver: Slave driver. Bossy: Bossy. Odd: Oddball. Nuisance: Nuisance. To settle down: To settle down.

**Social Types**

Wet blanket: Wet blanket. Wallflower: Wallflower. Social climber: Social climber. Chatterbox: Chatterbox. Gatecrasher: Gatecrasher. Gossip: Gossip. Socialite: Socialite. Troublemaker: Troublemaker. Solitary: Solitary. On the dot: On the dot. Killjoy: Killjoy. Early Bird: Early bird. Jet set: Jet set.

**Sounds**

Drone: Drone. Snort: Snort. Gasp: Gasp. Scream: Scream. Screech: Screech. Yell: Yell. Whimper: Whimper. Chant: Chant. Boo: Boo. Moan: Moan. Cheer: Cheer. Contempt: Contempt. To be ashamed of: To be ashamed of. To knock off: To knock off. Banging: Banging. Afterward: Afterward. Toward: Toward. Puck: Puck. Treacherous: Treacherous. Succeed: Succeed. Success: Success. Betray: Betray. Lack: Lack. Sympathetic: Sympathetic.

**Education**

Possessor: Holder. Degree: Degree. Loan: Loan. Scholarship: Scholarship. Naughty: Naughty. Mischievous: Mischievous. To send out: To send out. Detention: Detention. Top marks: Top marks. Qualification: Qualification. Prospect: Prospect. Delighted: Delighted. Retake: Retake. Mature: Mature. Commitment: Commitment. To sign up: To sign up. Essay: Essay. Assignments: Assignments.

**Phrasal Verbs**

  • Get down: Depress, discourage, download, take notes, swallow.
  • Try out: Test.
  • Bring up: Raise, mention, vomit.
  • Take down: Remove, lower, dismantle, target, humiliate.
  • Put up: Lift, erect.
  • Call off: Cancel, discontinue.
  • See off: See off.
  • Run down: Run down, criticize, run over.
  • Rule out: Exclude, prevent.
  • Bear out: Confirm.
  • Put forward: Propose.
  • Make up: Invent, reconcile.
  • Put off: Postpone, deter.
  • Let down: Disappoint, lower.
  • Leave out: Omit, exclude.
  • Give away: Reveal, distribute.
  • Look up: Improve, search for.
  • Do up: Fasten, renovate, wrap.
  • Put off: Delay, postpone.
  • Turn away: Refuse entry, avert.
  • Pull down: Demolish.
  • Turn out: Produce, extinguish, attend.
  • Stand for: Represent, tolerate.
  • Get round: Evade, persuade.
  • Take to: Develop a liking for.
  • Come into: Inherit.
  • Get over: Recover from, overcome.
  • Run into: Encounter, collide with.
  • Account for: Explain, constitute.
  • Take after: Resemble.
  • Make up for: Compensate for.
  • Be up to: Be doing, be capable of.
  • Put up with: Tolerate.
  • Look down on: Despise.
  • Catch up with: Catch up with.
  • Do away with: Abolish, kill.
  • Go back on: Break a promise.
  • Break up: End a relationship, disperse.
  • Turn in: Hand over, go to bed.
  • Go off: Explode, spoil, lose interest.
  • Look up: Improve, search for.
  • Come out: Emerge, be published, be revealed.
  • Turn up: Arrive, increase volume.
  • Break out: Escape, erupt.
  • Fall through: Fail.
  • Go down: Decrease, be recorded.
  • Fall out: Quarrel.
  • Drop off: Fall asleep, deliver.
  • Drop in: Visit unexpectedly.
  • Break down: Stop functioning, lose control of emotions.
  • Come up: Arise, be mentioned.
  • Fall off: Decrease, detach.
  • Hold on: Wait, grip tightly.

**Rhyming Expressions**

Go-slow: Go-slow. Nitty-gritty: Nitty-gritty. Brain-drain: Brain drain. Big-wigs: Bigwigs. Prime-time: Prime time. Pell-mell: Pell-mell. Humdrum: Humdrum. Higgledy-piggledy: Higgledy-piggledy.