Advanced English Vocabulary for Conflict and Ambition

Vocabulary for Conflict and War

Opposites and Antonyms

• Allies vs. Enemies
• Arm vs. Disarm
• Civilian vs. Military
• Defeat vs. Victory
• Defend vs. Attack
• Withdraw vs. Advance
• Occupy vs. Liberate
• Release vs. Capture

Key Conflict Terms

• Coalition: A combination of an alliance.
• Insurgents: Rebels or revolutionaries.
• Mass destruction: Weapons capable of high-scale damage.
• Security: Protection and safety measures.
• Suicide bombs: Explosive attacks carried out by individuals.
• Troops: Organized military forces.
• Violation: An act of breaking a law or agreement.
• Weapons inspectors: Officials who verify disarmament.

Action Collocations in Conflict

• Make a breakthrough
• Launch an attack
• Break the stalemate
• Give orders
• Put up resistance
• Suffer casualties
• Inflict losses
• Call up reinforcements
• Grind to a halt
• Claim victory

Discourse Markers for Natural Speech

• Oddly/Surprisingly enough
• Quite frankly/Honestly
• Much to my annoyance
• No doubt

Idiomatic Expressions and Phrases

• Provoke mixed feelings: To cause a variety of emotions.
• Shake off an image: To change how one is perceived.
• Take a risk: To do something dangerous.
• Acquire fame and fortune: To become rich and famous.
• Laugh off an incident: To treat a situation as unimportant.
• Pronounce somebody dead: Official declaration of death.
• Take over a business: To assume control of a company.
• Administer heart massage: To perform CPR.
• Cause pain: To inflict suffering.
• Avoid it like the plague: To stay away from something entirely.
• Be friction between somebody: Conflict between people.
• Love somebody to bits: To love someone very much.
• Get into conflict: To start a disagreement.
• Sibling rivalry: Competition between brothers or sisters.
• Jump the gun: To act too soon.
• Drop a bombshell: To deliver sudden, shocking news.
• Set somebody's sights on something: To aim for a goal.
• Bury the hatchet: To make peace.
• Stick to your guns: To refuse to change your mind.
• Fight a losing battle: To try to succeed against impossible odds.
• Open up old wounds: To remind someone of past sorrows.
• Burn your bridges: To destroy a path of return.

Phrasal Verbs and Their Meanings

• Back: 1. Repeating; 2. Looking into the past.
• Down: 1. Record in writing; 2. Reducing.
• Off: 1. Depart; 2. End.
• On: 1. Continue; 2. Attack.
• Over: 1. Visit; 2. Consider or examine.
• Up: 1. Approach; 2. Improve.

Ambition, Goals, and Future Plans

• It is likely that...
• Set your goals on something / See yourself...
• Not counting on it.
• Fulfill an ambition.
• Plans come to nothing.
• Realize a dream.
• Pinning hopes on something.
• Achieve a goal.
• Succeed in something.
• Work towards something.
• The foreseeable future.

Formal Language and Set Phrases

Political and Legal Collocations

• Join an organization
• Delegate powers
• Pass a law
• Hold an election
• Bring benefits
• Deliver peace and stability
• Exercise control
• Evolve into
• Consist of
• Vote on

Formal Synonyms

• Need: Require
• A big impact: Profound
• Control: Regulate
• Carry out: Conduct
• Happen: Occur
• A very large number: Plethora
• Stop: Cease

Reporting Verbs and Grammar Structures

• Verb + Infinitive: Agree, ask, claim, offer, promise, refuse, threaten.
• Verb + Object + Infinitive: Advise, beg, dare, order, remind, urge (e.g., He advised us to apply).
• Verb + Gerund: Admit, boast, confess to, congratulate on, insist on.
• Verb + Preposition + Gerund: Accuse of, blame for, warn against.
• Verb + That + Clause: Demand, propose, recommend, request, suggest.
• Verb + (Object) + Question Word + Infinitive: Ask, tell (e.g., He asked me where to go).