Total English Upper-Intermediate "Unit 2 - Reference" Vocabulary

itchy feet

noun

/ˈɪtʃi fˈiːt/

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Idiom

Informal

a strong urge to travel or leave somewhere

Example

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Ever since he was a child, he had itchy feet and dreamt of exploring distant lands.

After retiring, she couldn't ignore her itchy feet and decided to fulfill her travel aspirations.

What is the origin of the idiom "itchy feet" and when to use it?

The idiom "itchy feet" is thought to have originated from the sensation of restlessness or a strong desire to travel or explore new places. The phrase implies a feeling of discomfort or an impulse to move and go on an adventure. It's often used to describe a person who cannot stay in one place for long and is eager to embark on a journey, whether for leisure or exploration.

Grammatical Information:

compound noun

travel bug

noun

/tɹˈævəl bˈʌɡ/

a strong desire to travel and explore new places

Grammatical Information:

compound noun

independent

Adjective

i

ɪ

n

d

e

ɪ

p

e

ɛ

n

d

e

ə

n

t

able to do things as one wants without needing help from others

to experience

Verb

e

ɪ

x

ks

p

e

ɪ

r

ie

iə

n

c

s

e

to personally be involved in and understand a particular situation, event, etc.

Grammatical Information:

transitive

culture shock

noun

/kˈʌltʃɚ ʃˈɑːk/

the feeling of disorientation and confusion that people experience when they are in a new and unfamiliar cultural environment

Grammatical Information:

compound noun

to wander

Verb

w

a

ɑ

n

d

e

ə

r

to move in a relaxed or casual manner

Grammatical Information:

intransitive

homesick

Adjective

h

o

oʊ

m

e

s

i

ɪ

ck

k

feeling sad because of being away from one's home

fascinated

Adjective

f

a

æ

s

c

i

ə

n

a

eɪ

t

e

ə

d

intensely interested or captivated by something or someone

fascinating

Adjective

f

a

æ

s

c

i

ə

n

a

eɪ

t

i

ɪ

n

g

extremely interesting or captivating

daunting

Adjective

d

au

ɔ

n

t

i

ɪ

n

g

Disapproving

intimidating, challenging, or overwhelming in a way that creates a sense of fear or unease

challenging

Adjective

ch

ʧ

a

æ

ll

l

e

ə

n

g

ʤ

i

ɪ

n

g

difficult to accomplish, requiring skill or effort

petrified

Adjective

p

e

t

r

i

ɪ

f

ie

aɪ

d

frozen in place, often due to shock or fear

petrifying

Adjective

p

e

ɛ

t

r

i

ɪ

f

y

aɪ

i

ɪ

n

g

causing extreme fear or terror, often to the point of paralysis or immobility

annoyed

Adjective

a

ə

nn

n

o

ɔ

y

ɪ

e

d

feeling slightly angry or irritated

annoying

Adjective

a

ə

nn

n

o

ɔ

y

ɪ

i

ɪ

n

g

causing slight anger

disgusted

Adjective

d

i

ɪ

s

g

u

ə

s

t

e

ə

d

having or displaying great dislike for something

disgusting

Adjective

d

i

ɪ

s

g

u

ə

s

t

i

ɪ

n

g

extremely unpleasant

inspired

Adjective

i

ɪ

n

s

p

i

aɪɜ

r

e

d

amazing, impressive, exceptional, or special in a way that suggests being the result of a sudden creative impulse

inspiring

Adjective

i

ɪ

n

s

p

i

aɪɜ

r

i

ɪ

n

g

producing feelings of motivation, enthusiasm, or admiration

uninspiring

worried

Adjective

w

o

ɜ

rr

r

ie

i

d

feeling unhappy and afraid because of something that has happened or might happen

worrying

Adjective

w

o

ɜ

rr

r

y

i

ɪ

n

g

creating a sense of unease or distress about potential negative outcomes

cool

Adjective

c

k

oo

u

l

having a pleasantly mild, low temperature

warm

chilly

Adjective

ch

ʧ

i

ɪ

ll

l

y

i

cold in an unpleasant or uncomfortable way

sub-zero

Adjective

/sˈʌbzˈiəɹoʊ/

having below zero degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit

mild

Adjective

m

i

aɪ

l

d

(of weather) pleasantly warm and less cold than expected

scorching

Adjective

s

c

k

o

ɔ

r

ch

ʧ

i

ɪ

n

g

(of weather or temperature) extremely hot, causing intense heat and discomfort

to pour

Verb

p

ou

ɔ

r

to rain heavily and in a large amount

Grammatical Information:

intransitive

drizzle

noun

d

r

i

ɪ

zz

z

ə

l

e

rain that falls in small, fine drops, creating a gentle and steady rainfall

to shower

Verb

sh

ʃ

o

a

w

ʊ

e

ə

r

to rain or snow as if in a shower

Grammatical Information:

intransitive

showery

Adjective

sh

ʃ

o

a

w

ʊ

e

ə

r

y

i

having occasional or brief periods of rain

breeze

noun

b

r

ee

i

z

e

a gentle and usually pleasant wind

breezy

Adjective

b

r

ee

i

z

y

i

having a gentle, refreshing wind

overcast

Adjective

o

oʊ

v

e

ɜ

r

c

k

a

æ

s

t

(of weather or the sky) filled with a lot of dark clouds

bright

Adjective

b

r

i

aɪ

gh

t

(of weather) sunny and without many clouds

to emigrate

Verb

e

ɛ

m

i

ə

g

r

a

eɪ

t

e

to leave one's own country in order to live in a foreign country

immigrate

Grammatical Information:

intransitive

abroad

Adverb

a

ə

b

r

oa

ɔ

d

in or traveling to a different country

Grammatical Information:

incomparable

adverb of place and movement

to move

Verb

m

o

u

v

e

to change one's place of residence or work

stay

Grammatical Information:

intransitive

to leave

Verb

l

ea

i

v

e

to stop living, working, or being a part of a particular place or group

enter

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to roam

Verb

r

oa

oʊ

m

to go from one place to another with no specific destination or purpose in mind

Grammatical Information:

intransitive

to set off

Verb

/sɛt ˈɑf/

to start a journey

Grammatical Information:

intransitive

Phrasal Status

inseparable

phrase's verb

set

phrase's particle

off

to see off

Verb

/sˈiː ˈɔf/

to accompany someone to their point of departure and say goodbye to them

Grammatical Information:

Phrasal Status

separable

phrase's verb

see

phrase's particle

off

Adverb

o

ɑ

ff

f

away from a location or position in time or space

Grammatical Information:

adverb of place and movement

to go away

Verb

/ɡˌoʊ ɐwˈeɪ/

to move from a person or place

come

Grammatical Information:

intransitive

Phrasal Status

inseparable

phrase's verb

go

phrase's particle

away

to go on

Verb

/ɡoʊ ɑn/

to come to be or to happen

Grammatical Information:

intransitive

Phrasal Status

inseparable

phrase's verb

go

phrase's particle

on

to go for

Verb

/ɡˈoʊ fɔːɹ/

to choose something among other things

Grammatical Information:

transitive

Phrasal Status

inseparable

phrase's verb

go

phrase's particle

for

to go back on a promise

phrase

/ɡˌoʊ bˈæk ˌɑːn ɐ pɹˈɑːmɪs ɔːɹ dˈiːl ɔːɹ plˈɛdʒ/

Collocation

to fail to keep or fulfill a commitment or assurance made to someone

to go down with

Verb

/ɡˌoʊ dˈaʊn wɪð/

to become affected by an illness

Grammatical Information:

transitive

Phrasal Status

inseparable

phrase's verb

go

phrase's particle

down with

to have a go

phrase

/hæv ɐ ɡˈoʊ/

Idiom

to make an attempt to achieve or do something

to make a go of something

phrase

/mˌeɪk ɐ ɡˌoʊ ʌv ˌɛstˌiːˈeɪtʃ/

Idiom

Informal

to try to make something successful, often with a significant degree of effort or determination

What is the origin of the idiom "make a go of something" and when to use it?

The origin of the phrase "make a go of something" is uncertain, but it likely comes from the idea of taking a chance or making an attempt at something, even if success is not guaranteed. Over time, the phrase came to be used more broadly to describe the process of attempting to make something successful, whether it's a business, project, or personal goal.

on the go

phrase

/ɑːnðə ɡˈoʊ/

Idiom

in a state of being actively engaged in various activities or constantly in motion, typically indicating a busy and active lifestyle

What is the origin of the idiom "on the go" and when to use it?

The phrase "on the go" is believed to have originated in the early 19th century, and it is a reference to the idea of being in constant motion or activity. It used to describe a situation where someone is very busy and active, often moving from one place or task to another.

to go without saying

phrase

/ɡˌoʊ wɪðˌaʊt sˈeɪɪŋ ðæt/

Idiom

Informal

used to say that something is so obvious that there is no need for further explanation

What is the origin of the idiom "go without saying" and when to use it?

The idiom "go without saying" is believed to have originated in the English language in the early 20th century. It is used to express the idea that something is so evident or universally acknowledged that it doesn't require explicit mention or elaboration.

to go back on one's word

phrase

/ɡˌoʊ bˈæk ˌɑːn wˈʌnz wˈɜːd/

Collocation

to fail to keep a promise or commitment that was previously made

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You learned 52 words from Total English Upper-Intermediate - Unit 2 - Reference. To improve learning and review vocabulary, start practicing.

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