English Vocabulary Builder: Mastering Essential Words and Phrases

English Vocabulary Builder

Essential Words and Phrases

Verbs

Action Verbs

• Blow up: explode
• Wipe out: make everything disappear/eliminate
• Wrap up: envelop
• Carry out: llevar a cabo
• Collide with/Crash into: estrellar/chocar
• Pick up: recoger/ir a buscar
• Put off: postpone
• Take off: quitarse una prenda/despegar
• Call off: cancel
• Catch on: understand
• Work out: find out
• Try out: try

Phrasal Verbs

• Show someone the ropes: explain to someone how to do an activity
• Pull your weight: work as hard as other people
• Hire: contratar/alquilar
• Break down: romperse
• Deal with: tratar con
• Slack off: vaguear
• Share profits: compartir las ganancias
• Dare: atreverse
• Take for granted: no saber valorar
• Take sides: tomar partido
• Run wild: descontrolarse
• Run short of: quedarse sin
• Run an errand: hacer un recado
• Run the show: mandar

Adjectives

• Slightly: ligeramente
• Accurate: precise
• Far-fetched: very unlikely
• Well-deserved: bien merecido
• Overcrowded/Densely packed: with a lot of people
• Blistering: boiling hot
• Reverse: the opposite way
• Affluent: rich

Nouns

• Debris: rubbish in space
• Labyrinth: laberinto
• Hubs: centres
• Schedule: timetable
• Surgeon: cirujano
• Shifts: turnos
• Headmaster: director
• Caretaker: conserje
• Job offers: proposals
• File: archivar
• Award: a prize
• Accomplishment: achievement
• Gift: talent

Idioms and Expressions

• Paid peanuts: paid a very small sum of money
• Got sacked: despedido
• Home from home: your second home in
• Regardless of: without considering
• Close call: a narrow escape from something bad
• Take a close look: mirar con atención
• (Be) too close for comfort: uncomfortable
• In charge of: encargado
• Resign: dimitir
• Job hunting: looking for a job
• Landed a job: get work
• Hold down a job: stay in the same place to work
• Out of a job: unemployed
• Job off
• A must: obligation
• Aware of: conscious
• No matter: independently
• Sing off: say goodbye
• On the ball: attentive
• Keep an eye on the ball: stay alert and focused
• In your corner: have someone’s support
• Jump the gun: start doing something too soon
• Hitting below the belt: say something hurtful to someone
• Get a head start: start with an advantage
• Stunning: brilliant

Additional Vocabulary

• Flee: escape
• Alike: similar
• Tell apart: diferenciar
• Leave behind: dejar atrás
• Struggled: fight
• Eventually: finally
• Devote to: dedicarse a
• Keep track of: llevar la cuenta de
• Chase: perseguir
• Rejoice: alegrarse