g
PHOTOCOPIABLE
© Oxford University Press 2008
www.oup.com/elt/businessoneone
Key
AmE = American English Br = British English fml = formal infml = informal
0
The definitions in this glossary are based on the
Oxford Business English Dictionary for Learners of
English and the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary,
seventh edition.
business
one
:
one
glossary
absenteeism
/,&bs@n"ti;Iz@m/
(n) staying away from
work, especially often and without good reasons
accentuate
/@k "sentSueIt/
(v) to emphasize sth or
make it more noticeable
accomplish
/@"kVmplIS/
(v) to succeed in doing or
completing sth
achievement
/@"tSi;vm@nt/
(n) the act or process
of doing sth successfully, using your own effort and
skill
acronym
/"&kr@nIm/
(n) a word formed from the first
letters of the words that make up the name of sth; for
example ‘AIDS’ is an acronym for ‘acquired immune
deficiency syndrome’
aftermath
/"a;ft@m&T
; AmE
"&ft@r-/
(n) the situation
that exists as a result of an important, and usually
unpleasant, event
aid organization
/"eId O;g@naI"zeISn
; AmE
O;rg@nI-/
(n) an organization that exists to provide money,
help, food, etc. in areas or countries where it is
needed
allegorical
/&l@"gQrIkl/
(adj) an allegorical story, play,
picture, etc. uses characters or events as symbols
representing ideas or qualities, such as truth or evil
allocate
/"&l@keIt/
(v) to officially give sth to sb/sth for
a particular purpose
any more
/enI "mO;(r)/
(adv) used at the end of
negative sentences and at the end of questions, to
mean ‘any longer’
apparently
/@"p&r@ntlI/
(adv) according to what you
have heard or read
appraisal
/@"preIzl/
(n) a meeting between an
employee and a manager to discuss the quality of
the employee’s work and to plan future tasks
appreciate
/@"pri;SIeIt/
(v) to be grateful for sth that
sb has done; to welcome sth
appropriate
/@"pr@UrI@t
; AmE
-"proUp-/
(adj) suitable,
acceptable, or good enough for the particular
circumstances
arise
/@"raIz/
(v) to happen as a result of a particular
situation
art-house
/"a;thaUs
; AmE
"a;rt-/
(adj) art-house films/
movies are usually made by small companies and
intended to be unusual and of a high quality, rather
than being designed to please a wide audience
as far as (sth) is concerned
/@z fA;r @z Iz k@n"sE;nd
;
AmE
-"sE;rnd/
(idiom) used to give facts or an
opinion about a particular aspect of sth
as regards
/@z rI"gA;dz
; AmE
-"gA;rdz/
(prep)
concerning or in connection with sb/sth
as such
/&z "sVtS/
(adv) as a result of the
circumstances that have been described
as yet
/&z "jet/
(adv) until now or until a particular
time in the past
assemble
/@"sembl/
(v) to fit together all the separate
parts of sth
assertive
/@"s3;tIv
; AmE
-"s3;rt-/
(adj) saying what
you want or think strongly and with confidence, so
that people take notice
asset
/"&set/
(n) a person or thing that is valuable or
useful to sb/sth
assure
/@"SO;(r)
; AmE
@"SUr/
(v) to tell sb that sth
is definitely true or is definitely going to happen,
especially when they have doubts about it
attention to detail
/@%tenSn t@ "di;teIl/
(n) the quality
of taking care over the small facts or features of sth,
that may be difficult to notice
back out of
/%b&k "aUt @v/
(v) to decide that you are
no longer going to take part in sth that has been
agreed
backer
/"b&k@(r)/
(n) a person or company that gives
financial support to sb/sth
ball-park figure
/%bO;lpA;k "fIg@(r)
; AmE
-pA;rk
"fIgj@r/
(n) a number that is approximately correct
based
/beIst/
(adj) if a person or business is based in
a particular place, that is where they live or work, or
where the work of the business is done
be that as it may
/%bi; D&t @z It "meI/
(idiom) despite
that; nevertheless
bear (sth) in mind
/%bE;(r) In "maInd/
(v) to
remember or consider sth
benchmark
/"benSmA;k
; AmE
-mA;rk/
(n) something
which can be used as a standard that other things
can be compared with
besides
/bI"saIdz/
(prep) in addition to sb/sth; apart
from sb/sth
best part of
/%best "pA;t @v
; AmE
-"pA;rt-/
(idiom)
most of sth; more than half of sth
bid
/bId/
(v) to offer to do work or provide a service
for a particular price, in competition with other
companies
billboard
/"bIlbO;d
; AmE
-bO;rd/
(n) a large board on
the outside of a building or at the side of the road,
used for putting advertisements on
bonnet
/"bQnIt
; AmE
"bA:n-/
(n) the metal part over
the front of a vehicle, usually covering the engine
[BrE]
boom
/bu;m/
(n) a sudden increase in trade and
economic activity; a period of wealth and success
boot
/bu;t/
(n) the space at the back of a car that
you put bags, cases, etc. in [BrE]
brainchild
/"breIntSaIld/
(n) an idea or invention of
one person or a small group of people
Oxford
NEW
NEW
ENGLISH
BUSINESS
Dictionary
for learners of English
O
xfo
rd
B
U
SI
N
E
SS
E
N
G
L
IS
H
Dictionary
Intermediate to advanced
This new, up-to-date dictionary gives you all the help and information
you need to do business in English. It explains more than 30,000 words,
phrases and meanings in language you can understand, with examples so
you use the words correctly. It shows you the 1,000 most important
words you need to learn.
•
Over 30,000 words, phrases and meanings from marketing to
manufacturing, and travel to telephoning
•
Real examples from a new corpus that includes newspapers, journals
and textbooks
•
Common phrases showing words you always use together
(competitive/high/low/reasonable prices)
•
Help notes so you avoid making mistakes
•
Special notes with information on aspects of business, language and
vocabulary
•
Illustrations to explain business concepts and equipment (supply and
demand, blister pack)
•
Study pages focusing on practical language (CVs/résumés, describing graphs)
Oxford: the world’s authority on the English language
2
1
www.oup.com/elt
oxford english
9 780194 315845
ISBN 0-19-431584-3
OBED.qxd 8/8/05 4:54 pm Page 1
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PHOTOCOPIABLE
© Oxford University Press 2008
www.oup.com/elt/businessoneone
Key
AmE = American English Br = British English fml = formal infml = informal
0
brainstorm
/"breInstO;m
; AmE
-stO;rm/
(v) to spend
time thinking about and discussing sth as a group,
often in order to solve a problem or to create good
ideas
break off
/%breIk "Qf
; AmE
-"A:f/
(v) to end sth such as
a relationship or discussion
breakdown
/"breIkdaUn/
(n) a list of all the details of
sth
breathalyzer
/"breT@laIz@(r)/
(n) a device used by the
police to measure the amount of alcohol in a driver’s
breath
brewery
/"bru;@ri/
(n) a factory where beer is made,
or a company that makes beer
bring (sth) up
/%brIN "Vp/
(v) to mention a subject or
start to talk about it
brisk
/brIsk/
(adj) quick or busy
browser
/"braUz@(r)/
(n) a program that lets you look
at or read documents on the Internet
browsing
/"braUzIN/
(n) the activity of looking at and
reading documents on the Internet
bug
/bVg/
(n) a fault in a computer system or
program
calibre [BrE], caliber [AmE]
/"k&lIb@(r)/
(n) the
quality of sth, especially a person’s ability
carried away
/%k&rId @"weI/
(adj) very excited or
losing control of your feelings
carry (sth) out
/%k&ri "aUt/
(v) to do and complete a
task
cash flow
/"k&Sfl@U
; AmE
-floU/
(n) the movement
of money into and out of a business as goods are
bought and sold
casting agency
/"kA:stIN eIdZ@nsi
; AmE
"k&st-/
(n)
a company that finds actors for films/movies, plays,
and advertisements
catch up on
/%k&tS "Vp Qn/
(v) to find out about
things that have happened
caveat
/"k&vi&t/
(n) [fml] a warning that particular
things need to be considered before sth can be
done
chase (sb) up
/%tSeIs "Vp/
(v) to contact sb in order to
remind them to do sth that they should have done
already
climb a ladder
/%klaIm @ "l&d@(r)/
(idiom) to make
progress by a series of stages in a plan, career, or
organization
collate
/k@"leIt/
(v) to collect information together
from different sources in order to examine and
compare it
come up against
/%kVm "Vp @geInst/
(v) to have to
deal with sth such as problems or opposition
come up with
/%kVm "Vp wID/
(v) to find or produce
sth such as an answer, idea, or sum of money
commercial orientation
/k@%mE;Sl O;rIen"teISn
;
AmE
-mE;r-/
(n) awareness of the need to make
a profit, and efforts to do this
communicative
/k@m"ju;nIk@tIv/
(adj) willing to talk
and give information to other people
competency
/"kAmp@t@nsi
; AmE
"kA:m-/
(n) a skill
that you need in a particular job or for a particular
task
conservatism
/k@n"sE:v@tIzm
; AmE
-"sE;r-/
(n) the
tendency to resist change
consider
/k@n"sId@(r)/
(v) to think about sth carefully,
especially in order to decide whether to do it
consignment
/k@n"saInm@nt/
(n) a quantity of goods
that are sent or delivered somewhere
contentment
/k@n"tentm@nt/
(n) a feeling of
happiness or satisfaction
contingency budget
/k@n"tIndZ@nsi bVdZIt/
(n) an
amount of money allowed in a plan to pay for a
possible future expense or loss
converge
/k@n"vE;dZ
; AmE
-"vE:rdZ/
(v) to move
towards a place from different directions and meet
conversion rate
/k@n"vE;Z@n reIt
; AmE
-"vE:rZ-/
(n) the
number of items sold or number of new customers,
compared to the amount spent on Internet
advertising
convey
/k@n"veI/
(v) to make ideas or feelings known
to sb, for example by sending a message
cope
/k@Up
; AmE
koUp/
(v) to deal successfully with
sth difficult
count on
/"kaUnt An/
(v) to trust sb to do sth
course of action
/%kO;s @v "&kSn
; AmE
%kO;rs-/
(n) a
way of acting in or dealing with a particular situation
courteously
/"kE;tI@sli
; AmE
"kE;rt-/
(adv) politely, in a
way that shows respect
coverage
/"kVv@rIdZ/
(n) the reporting of news in
newspapers and on radio and television
creativity
/kri;eI"tIv@ti/
(n) the ability to use your
imagination and skill to produce or think of sth new
credo
/"kri;d@U
; AmE
-doU/
(n) a set of beliefs
customer focus
/%kVst@m@ "f@Uk@s
; AmE
%kVst@m@
r "foUk@s/
(n) attention to and efforts to fulfil the
needs of customers
delegate
/"del@geIt/
(v) to give part of your work,
power or authority to sb in a lower position than you
delighted
/dI"laItId/
(adj) very pleased
demanding
/dI"mA;ndIN
; AmE
-"m&nd-/
(adj)
expecting a lot of work or attention from others; not
easily satisfied
demeanour [BrE], demeanor [AmE]
/dI"mi;n@(r)/
(n)
the way that sb looks or behaves
demonstrate
/"dem@nstreIt/
(v) to show how to do sth
or how sth works
determined
/dI"tE;mInd
; AmE
-"tE;rm-/
(adj) having
made a firm decision to do sth and not willing to let
anyone prevent you
deterrent
/dI"ter@nt/
(n) something that makes sb less
likely to do sth
disclaimer
/dIs"kleIm@(r)/
(n) a statement that you
are not connected with or responsible for sth, or that
you do not have any knowledge of it
discontinue
/%dIsk@n"tInju;/
(v) to stop doing, using, or
providing sth, or stop making a product
discrepancy
/dIs"krep@nsi/
(n) a difference between
two or more figures, dates, accounts, etc. that should
be the same
dismissal
/dIs"mIsl/
(n) the act of officially removing
sb from their job
donation
/d@U"neISn
; AmE
doU-/
(n) something that
is given to a person or an organization such as a
charity, in order to help them
dossier
/"dAsieI/
(n) a collection of documents that
contain information about sth or sb
g
PHOTOCOPIABLE
© Oxford University Press 2008
www.oup.com/elt/businessoneone
Key
AmE = American English Br = British English fml = formal infml = informal
0
downsizing
/"daUnsaIzIN/
(n) the process of reducing
the number of people who work in a company,
business, etc. in order to reduce costs
be down to
/bi "daUn tu/
(v) to be caused by a
particular thing or person
drastic
/"dr&stIk/
(adj) extreme in a way that has a
sudden or serious effect
draw (sth) up
/%drO; "Vp/
(v) to make or write sth that
needs careful thought or planning
drawback
/"drO;b&k/
(n) a disadvantage or problem
that makes an idea less attractive
embark on
/Im"bA;k Qn
; AmE
Im"bA;rk A;n/
(v) to
start to do sth new or difficult
embrace
/Im"breIs/
(v) to accept an idea, a proposal,
a set of beliefs, etc., especially with enthusiasm
emissions
/I"mISnz/
(n) harmful gases, especially
carbon dioxide, that are sent out into the air
emphasize
/"emf@saIz/
(v) to give special importance
to sth; to stress sth
empowerment
/Im"paU@m@nt
; AmE
"paU@r-/
(n) the
act of giving someone more power or more control
over their life or environment
entail
/In"teIl/
(v) to involve sth that cannot be
avoided
enthusiastic
/In%Tju;zi"&stIk
; AmE
-%Tu;-/
(adj) feeling
or showing a lot of excitement and interest
envisage
/In"vIzIdZ/
(v) to imagine what will happen
in the future
ETA
/%i;ti;"ei/
(n) estimated time of arrival; the time at
which sb or sth is expected to arrive
evaluate
/I"v&ljueIt/
(v) to form an opinion about
the quality or value of sb/sth after thinking about it
carefully
excel
/Ik"sel/
(v) to do sth extremely well
excess funds
/%ekses "fVndz/
(n) money available
in addition to the amount that is needed or was
planned
experienced
/Ik"spI@ri@nst
; AmE
-"spIr-/
(adj) having
knowledge or skill in a particular job or activity
expertise
/%ekspE; "ti;z
; AmE
-spE;r-/
(n) expert
knowledge or skill in a particular subject, activity, or
job
explore
/Ik"splO;(r)/
(v) to examine sth completely or
carefully in order to find out more about it
extend
/Ik"stend/
(v) to offer or give sth such as
thanks, a welcome, or an invitation
extortionate
/Ik"stO;S@n@t
; AmE
-"stO;r-/
(adj) (of a
price) much too high
eyesore
/"aIsO;(r)/
(n) a building, an object, etc. that is
very unpleasant to look at
facilitate
/f@"sIlIteIt/
(v) to make an action or process
possible or easier
fall over yourself to do
/%fO;l "@Uv@(r)
; AmE
-"oUv@r/
(v) to try very hard or want very much to do sth
familiarize
/f@"mIli@raIz/
(v) to learn about sth
or teach sb about sth, so that you/they start to
understand it
fast-track
/"fA;st tr&k
; AmE
"f&st-/
(v) to make sth
happen or make sb progress more quickly than
normal
feasible
/"fi;z@bl/
(adj) that is possible and likely to be
achieved
fertilizer
/"fE;tIlaIz@(r)
; AmE
"fE;rt-/
(n) a substance
added to soil to make plants grow more successfully
fine-tune
/%faIn"tju;n
; AmE
-"tu;n/
(v) to make very
small changes to sth so that it is as good as it can
possibly be
firmly
/"fE;mli
; AmE
"fE;rm-/
(adv) in a strong or
definite way
first and foremost
/%fE;st @nd "fO;m@Ust
; AmE
%fE;rst @
nd "fO;rmoUst/
(adv) before or more than anything
else
fly the coop
/%flaI D@ "ku;p/
(idiom) (of sb’s child) to
leave home and live somewhere else
focused
/"f@Uk@st
; AmE
"foU-/
(adj) with very clear
aims; with your attention directed strongly to what
you want to do
follow up
/%fQl@U "Vp
; AmE
%fA;loU-/
(v) to add to sth
you have just done by doing sth else
foregone conclusion
/%fO;gQn k@n"klu;Zn
; AmE
%fO;rgA:n-/
(n) a result that is certain to happen
foresee
/fO;"si;
; AmE
fO;r-/
(v) to think sth is going to
happen in the future
former
/"fO;m@(r)
; AmE
"fO;rm@r/
(n) the first of two
things or people mentioned
fortunate
/"fO;tS@n@t
; AmE
"fO;rtS-/
(adj) having or
bringing an advantage, a piece of good luck, etc.;
lucky
foundation
/faUn"deISn/
(n) an organization that
is established to provide money for a particular
purpose, for example for scientific research or charity
franchise
/"fr&nSaIz/
(n) a business run by sb with
official permission to sell a company’s goods or
services in a particular place
franchisee
/%fr&nSaI"zi;/
(n) a person or company
that has been given a franchise (the right to sell a
company’s goods or services in a particular place)
freight
/freIt/
(n) goods that are transported by ships,
planes, trains, or lorries/trucks
frizzy
/"frIzi/
(adj) (of hair) in a mass of tight curls
front runner
/%frVnt "rVn@(r)/
(n) sth or sb that seems
most likely to be the best or to win
frustrated
/frVs"treItId
; AmE
"frVstr-/
(adj) feeling
annoyed and impatient because you cannot do or
achieve what you want
fund raising
/"fVnd reIzIN/
(n) the activity of collecting
money for a charity or organization
garish
/"gE;rIS/
(adj) very brightly coloured in an
unpleasant way
gate receipts
/"geIt rIsi;ts/
(n) money received from
people paying to attend a sports event
get across
/%get @"krQs
; AmE
-"krA;s/
(v) to reach a
place that is on the other side of something such as
a road or area of water
get back to sb
/%get "b&k t@/
(v) to speak or write to
sb again later, especially in order to give a reply
get behind sth
/%get bI"haInd/
(v) to get involved with
supporting or developing sth
get off sth
/%get "Qf/
(v) to stop discussing a subject,
especially one you should be discussing, and start
talking about sth else
get rid of sb
/%get "rId @v/
(v) to make sb leave their
job
g
PHOTOCOPIABLE
© Oxford University Press 2008
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Key
AmE = American English Br = British English fml = formal infml = informal
0
get the go-ahead
/%get D@ "g@U@hed
; AmE
-"goU-/
(v)
to get permission to start doing sth
give up
/%gIv "Vp/
(v) to stop trying to do sth
go ahead
/%g@U @"hed
; AmE
%goU-/
(v) used to tell sb
to begin or continue doing sth
go along with sb/sth
/%g@U @"lQN wID
; AmE
%goU
@"lA;N- / (v) to agree with sb/sth
go beyond sth
/%g@U bI"jQnd
; AmE
%goU bI"jA;nd/
(v)
to be more or better than sth
goal-oriented
/"g@Ul %O;ri@ntId
; AmE
"goUl/
(adj)
working hard to achieve the tasks that have been set
gratitude
/"gr&tItju;d/
(n) the feeling of being grateful
and wanting to express your thanks
gripe
/graIp/
(n) a complaint about sth
gross profit
/%gr@Us "prQfIt
; AmE
%groUs "prA;fIt/
(n)
the amount of profit before overheads and tax are
taken off
ground rules
/"graUnd ru;lz/
(n) the basic rules on
which sth is based
grumblings
/"grVmblINz/
(n) protests about sth that
come from a number of people but that are not
expressed very clearly
guesstimate
/"gestIm@t/
(n) an attempt to calculate
sth that is based more on guessing than on
information
hands-on
/%h&nz "Qn/
(adj) doing sth rather than just
talking or thinking about it
hands-on experience
/%h&nz Qn Ik"spI@ri@ns/
(n)
experience that involves actually doing sth yourself
happen to
/"h&p@n t@/
(v) to do sth by chance
hard on sb
/"hA;d Qn
; AmE
"hA;rd A;n/
(adj) treating
or criticizing sb too strictly or severely
have sb onside
/%h&v Qn"saId/
(idiom) to have sb’s
support
heartfelt
/"hA;tfelt
; AmE
"hA;rt=-/
(adj) showing strong
and sincere feelings
heavy-hitter
/%hevi"hIt@(r)/
(n) a person with a lot of
power, especially in business or politics
high-profile
/%haI"pr@UfaIl
; AmE
-"proU-/
(adj)
receiving or involving a lot of attention and
discussion on television, in newspapers, etc.
hindsight
/"haIndsaIt/
(n) the understanding that
you have of a situation only after it has happened
and that means you would have done things in a
different way
hint
/hInt/
(v) to suggest sth in an indirect way
hitch
/hItS/
(n) a problem or difficulty that causes a
short delay
hoarding
/"hO;dIN
; AmE
"hO;rd-/
(n) a large board on
the outside of a building or at the side of the road,
used for putting advertisements on [BrE]
hold (sb/sth) up
/%h@Uld "Vp
; AmE
%hoUld-/
(v) to
delay or block the progress of sb/sth
honour [BrE], honor [AmE]
/"Qn@(r)
; AmE
"A;n@r/
(n)
something that you are very pleased or proud to do
hopelessly
/"h@Upl@sli
; AmE
"hoUp-/
(adv) very badly;
used to emphasize the degree of sth, usually sth bad
humiliating
/hju;"mIlieItIN/
(adj) making sb feel
ashamed or stupid, and that they have lost the
respect of other people
hurtle
/"hE;tl
; AmE
"hE;rtl/
(v) to move very fast in a
particular direction
hybrid
/"haIbrId/
(adj) using more than one type of
fuel, usually petrol and electricity
immune
/I"mju;n/
(adj) protected from sth and
therefore able to avoid it
impede
/Im"pi;d/
(v) to delay or stop the progress of
sth
impromptu
/Im"prQmptu;/
(adj) done without
preparation or planning
inform
/In"fO;m
; AmE
"fO;rm/
(v) to tell sb about sth,
especially in an official way
in lieu
/In"lu;/
(adv) instead of sth
innovative
/"In@v@tIv/
(adj) introducing or using new
ideas, ways of doing sth, etc.
in parallel
/%In "p&r@lel/
(adv) with and at the same
time as sb/sth else
integrity
/In"tegrIti/
(n) the quality of being honest
and having strong moral principles
interrupt
/Int@"rVpt/
(v) to say or do sth that makes sb
stop what they are saying or doing
in the grip of
/%In D@ "grIp @v/
experiencing sth
unpleasant that cannot be stopped
in the meantime
/%In D@ "mi;ntaIm/
(adv) in the
period of time between two times or two events
in the region of
/%In D@ "ri;dZ@n @v/
(idiom) used
when you are giving a number, price, etc. to show
that it is not exact
in tune with
/In "tju;n wID/
in agreement with sb/sth;
having the sAme opinions, feelings, interests, etc. as
sb/sth
invariably
/In"ve@ri@bli
; AmE
-"ver-/
(adv) always;
without fail
irreverence
/I"rev@r@ns/
(n) not showing respect to
sb/sth that other people usually respect
jargon
/"jA;g@n
; AmE
"jA;rg-/
(n) words or expressions
that are used by a particular profession or group of
people, and are difficult for others to understand
job responsibilities
/"jQb rIspQnsI%bIl@tiz
; AmE
-spA;n-
/
(n) the tasks and duties that must be done by sb
as part of their job
juxtapose
/%jVkst@"p@Uz
; AmE
-"poUz/
(v) to put
people or things together, especially in order to show
a contrast or a new relationship between them
keep going
/%ki;p "g@UIN
; AmE
-"goU-/
(v) to continue
doing sth
keep in mind
/%ki;p In "maInd/
(v) to remember or
consider sth
keep track of
/%ki;p "tr&k @v/
(v) to have information
about what is happening or where sth is
keep up
/%ki;p "Vp/
(v) to manage to understand or
do sth at the same rate as others
keep (sth) up
/%ki;p "Vp/
(v) to manage to continue
doing sth difficult
key sector
/%ki; "sekt@(r)/
(n) the most important
part of an area of activity, especially of a country’s
economy
kick (sth) off
/%kIk "Qf/
(v) to start sth
last but not least
/%lA;st bVt nQt "li;st
; AmE
%l&st-/
(idiom) used when mentioning the last person or
thing of a group, in order to say that they are not less
important than the others
last-minute
/%lA;st "mInIt
; AmE
%l&st-/
(adj) done at
the latest possible time before an event
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Key
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latter
/"l&t@(r)/
(n) the second of two things, people,
or groups that have just been mentioned, or the last
in a list
leadership skills
/"li;d@SIp %skIlz/
(n) the qualities and
abilities of a good leader
leave it there
/%li;v It "De@(r)/
(v) to say or do nothing
more about sth
left field
/%left "fi;ld/
(n) an opinion or a position that
is strange or unusual and very different to the normal
position
left to rot
/%left t@ "rQt/
(adj) allowed to gradually
decay or be destroyed because nothing is done
let (sth) slip
/%let "slIp/
(v) to allow a situation where
a task is not completed or an aim is not achieved by
the planned date
level-headed
/%levl "hed@d/
(adj) calm and sensible;
able to make good decisions even in difficult
situations
link up
/%lInk "Vp/
(v) to join or become joined with
sb/sth
lose your temper
/%lu;z "temp@(r)/
(v) to fail to control
your anger
lose out on sth
/%lu;z "aUt Qn/
(v) to not get sth you
wanted or feel you should have
lounge
/"laUndZ/
(v) to stand, sit, or lie somewhere in
a lazy way, not doing anything useful
loyalty card
/"lOI@lti kA;d
; AmE
-kA;rd/
(n) a card
given to customers by a shop/store, which enables
them to earn points every time they shop there [BrE]
make amends
/%meIk @"mendZ/
(v) to do sth for sb
in order to show that you are sorry for sth wrong or
unfair that you have done
make the most of sth/sb
/%meIk D@ "m@Ust @v
;
AmE
-"moUst-/
(v) to gain as much advantage,
enjoyment, etc. as you can from sb/sth
mantra
/"m&ntr@/
(n) a word, phrase, or sound that is
repeated again and again, especially during prayer
or meditation; a commonly repeated word or phrase
meet (sth) head on
/%mi;t hed "Qn;
Ame
-"A;n/
(v) to
face something directly and firmly
mellow
/"mel@U
; AmE
-loU/
(adj) relaxed, calm, and
happy
motivated
/"m@UtIveItId
; AmE
"moU-/
(adj) very
interested in what you do and working hard
move on
/%mu;v "Qn
; AmE
-"A;n/
(v) to make progress,
especially by starting to do or discuss sth new
multi-tasking
/%mVltI "tA;skIN
; AmE
-"t&sk-/
(n) the
ability to do several things at the same time
muscle in
/%mVsl "In/
(v) to involve yourself in a
situation when you have no right to do so, in order to
get something for yourself
my pleasure
/%maI "pleZ@(r)/
(idiom) used as a polite
way of replying when sb thanks you for doing sth, to
show that you were happy to do it
nest egg
/"nest eg/
(n) a sum of money that you save
to use in the future
notify
/"n@UtIfaI
; AmE
"noU-/
(v) to formally or officially
tell sb about sth
obesity
/@"bi;s@ti/
(n) the fact or problem of sb being
very fat, in a way that is not healthy
obnoxiously
/@b"nQkS@sli
; AmE
-"nA;k-/
(adv) in an
extremely unpleasant or offensive way
off licence
/"Qf laIs@ns
; AmE
"A;f-/
(n) a shop that
sells alcoholic drinks in bottles and cans to take
away [BrE]
off the wall
/%Qf D@ "wO;l
; AmE
%A;f-/
(adj) [infml]
unusual and amusing; slightly crazy
offshoot
/"QfSu;t
; AmE
"A;f-/
(n) a thing that develops
from sth, especially a small organization that
develops from a larger one
on purpose
/%Qn "pE;p@s
; AmE
%A;n "pE;rp@s/
(adv)
not by accident; deliberately
on the case
/%Qn D~@ "keIs
; AmE
%A;n-/
(idiom) dealing
with a particular matter
on the dot
/%Qn D~@ "dQt
; AmE
%A;n D@ "dA;t/
(idiom)
[infml] exactly on time or at the exact time
mentioned
on the safe side
/%Qn D~@ "seIf saId
; AmE
%A;n-/
(idiom)
being especially careful; taking no risks
on track
/%Qn "tr&k/
(adj) doing what is necessary in
order to achieve a particular result
once in a while
/%wVns In @ "waIl/
(idiom)
occasionally
operational costs
/%Qp@reIS@nl "kQsts
; AmE
%A;p-
"kA;sts/
(n) costs connected with the way in which a
business or system normally works
orchestrated
/"O;k@streItId
; AmE
"O;rk-/
(adj)
organized very carefully or secretly
outlet
/"aUtlet/
(n) a shop/store or an organization
that sells goods made by a particular company or of
a particular type
outset
/"aUtset/
(n) the beginning of sth
outskirts
/"aUtskE;ts
; AmE
-skE;rts/
(n) the parts of a
town or city that are furthest from the centre
outsource
/"aUtsO;s
; AmE
-sO;rs/
(v) to arrange for sb
outside a company to do work or provide goods for
that company
outstay your welcome
/aUt%steI "welc@m/
(idiom)
to stay somewhere as a guest longer than you are
wanted
outweigh
/%aUt"weI/
(v) to be greater or more
important than sth
over budget
/%@Uv@ "bVdDIt
; AmE
%oUv@r-/
(idiom)
having spent more money than was planned or than
is available
overhaul
/%@Uv@ "bVdDIt
; AmE
%oUv@r-/
(v) to examine
every part of a machine, system, etc. and make any
necessary changes or repairs
overheads
/"@Uv@hedz
; AmE
"oUv@r-/
(n) regular costs
of running a business or an organization, such as
rent, electricity, wages, etc.
overpriced
/%@Uv@"praIst
; AmE
%oUv@r-/
(adj) too
expensive; costing more than it is worth
overseer
/"@Uv@sI@(r)
; AmE
"oUv@rsIr/
(n) a person
whose job is to make sure that people or systems are
working as they should
overworked
/%@Uv@"wE;kt
; AmE
%oUv@r"wE;rkt/
(adj)
made to work too hard or too much
panel interview
/"p&nl %Int@vju
; AmE
-t@r-/
(n) an
interview in which a person applying for a job is
asked questions by a group of people
parameter
/p@"r&mIt@(r)/
(n) something that decides
or limits the way in which sth can be done
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0
party animal
/"pA;ti %&nIml
; AmE
pA;rti-/
(n) a
person who enjoys spending a lot of time at parties
pass (sb) over
/%pA;s "@Uv@(r)
; AmE
%p&s "oUv@r/
(v)
to not consider sb for promotion in a job, especially
when they deserve it or think that they deserve it
patent
/"peItnt
; AmE
"p&tnt/
(n) an official right to be
the only person to make, use, or sell a product or an
invention; a document that proves this
paunch
/pO;nS/
(n) a fat stomach on a man
pending
/"pendIN/
(adj) waiting to be decided or
settled
perks
/pE;ks
; AmE
pE;rks/
(n) things you receive as
well as your wages for doing a particular job
perpendicular
/%pE;pen"dIkjul@(r)
; AmE
%pE;r-/
(adj)
forming an angle of 90° with another line or surface;
vertical and going straight up
persuasive
/p@"sweIsIv
; AmE
p@r-/
(adj) able to
persuade sb to do or believe sth
pick up speed
/%pIk Vp "spi;d/
(idiom) to go faster
play for time
/%pleI f@(r) "taIm/
(idiom) to say or
do sth in an attempt to give yourself more time to
answer, decide, finish, etc.
plenary
/"pli;n@ri/
(adj) (of meetings, etc.) to be
attended by everyone who has the right to attend
plush
/plVS/
(adj) very comfortable; expensive and of
good quality
point-blank
/%pOInt "bl&nk/
(adv) in a way that is very
definite and direct, and not very polite
poll
/p@Ul
; AmE
poUl/
(n) the process of questioning
people who are representative of a larger group in
order to get information about the general opinion
post code
/"p@Ust k@Ud
; AmE
"poUst koUd/
(n)
a group of letters and/or numbers that are used
as part of an address so that post/mail can be
separated into groups and delivered more quickly
[BrE]
potential
/p@"tenSl/
(n) qualities in a person that exist
and can be developed
praise
/preIz/
(v) to express your approval or
admiration for sb/sth
preferred supplier
/prI%fE;d s@"plaI@(r)
; AmE
-%fE;rd
-"laI@r/
(n) a business that has an agreement to
supply another business with goods or services
premise
/"premIs/
(n) a statement or an idea that
forms the basis for a reasonable line of argument
premises
/"premIs@z/
(n) the building and land near
to it that a business owns or uses
product placement
/%prQdvkt "pleIsm@nt
; AmE
%prA;-/
(n) a type of advertising in which a company pays
to have its product appear in a film/movie or
television programme
projected sales
/pr@%dZektId "seIlz/
(n) estimated
future sales based on what is happening now
proliferation
/pr@%lIf@"reISn/
(n) the sudden increase
in the number or amount of sth; a large number of a
particular thing
promotional stunt
/pr@%m@USnl "stVnt
; AmE
-%moU-
/
(n) something that is done in order to attract
people’s attention and advertise a product or
service
proper channels
/%prQp@ "tS&nlz
; AmE
%prA;p@r-/
(n) the usual and correct method or system for
getting information, communicating, or sending sth
somewhere
proportionate
/pr@"pO;S@n@t
; AmE
-"pO;rS-/
(adj)
increasing or decreasing in size, amount, or degree
according to changes in sth else
propose a toast
/pr@"p@Uz @ t@Ust
; AmE
pr@"poUz
@ toUst/
(idiom) to ask people to wish sb or sth
success by raising their glasses and drinking
prospect
/"prQspekt
; AmE
"prA;s-/
(n) the possibility
that sth will happen
prototype
/"pr@Ut@taIp
; AmE
"proU-/
(n) the first
design of sth from which other forms are copied or
developed
provision
/pr@"vISn/
(n) the act of supplying sb with
sth that they need or want; sth that is supplied
proximity
/prQk"sImIti
; AmE
prA;-/
(n) [fml] the state
of being near sb/sth in distance or time
psychometric test
/%saIk@metrIk "test/
(n) a test that
measures sb’s mental abilities, personality, attitudes,
etc., often used when choosing sb for a job
pull your weight
/%pUl "weIt/
(v) to work as hard as
everyone else in a job, an activity, etc.
pull out
/%pUl "aUt/
(v) to move away from sth or stop
being involved in it
pull over
/%pUl "@Uv@(r)
; AmE
-"oUv@r/
(v) to move to
the side of the road in order to stop or let sth pass
put (sth) back
/%pVt "b&k (v) to move sth to a later
time or date
put (sth) in
/%pUt "In/
(v) to spend a lot of time or
make a lot of effort doing sth
put up with sb/sth
/%pUt "Vp wID/
(v) to accept
sb/sth that is annoying, unpleasant, etc. without
complaining or trying to stop it
quaking in your boots
/%qweIkIN In "bu;ts/
(idiom)
very frightened or nervous
ramshackle
/"r&mS&kl/
(adj) (of buildings, vehicles,
furniture, etc.) in a very bad condition and needing
repair
rapport
/r&"pO;(r)/
(n) a friendly relationship in which
people understand each other very well
razzmatazz
/%r&zm@"t&z/
(n) [infml] a lot of noisy
exciting activity that is intended to attract people’s
attention
reboot
/%ri;"bu;t/
(v) if you reboot a computer or
it reboots, you switch it off and then start it again
immediately
rebuild
/%ri;"bIld/(v) to make sth complete and
strong or successful again
recount
/rI"kaUnt/
(v) to tell somebody about
something, especially something that you have
experienced
rectify
/"rektIfaI/
(v) to put sth right that is wrong
reflect on
/rI"flekt Qn/
(v) to think carefully and
deeply about sth
refurbish
/%ri;"fE;bIS
; AmE
-"fE;rb-/
(v) to clean and
decorate a room, building, etc. in order to make it
more attractive, more useful, etc.
regarding
/rI"gA;dIN
; AmE
-"gA;rd-/
(prep)
concerning sb/sth; about sb/sth
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Key
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0
rehabilitate
/%ri;h@"bIlIteIt/
(v) to return a building or
an area to its previous good condition
re-install
/%ri;"InstO;l/
(v) to put a program on to a
computer again, usually because sth has gone
wrong
remuneration
/rI%mju;n@"reISn/
(n) [fml] an amount of
money that is paid to sb for the work they have done
renovate
/"ren@veIt/
(v) to repair and paint an old
building, a piece of furniture, etc. so that it is in good
condition again
reservations
/rez@"veISnz
; AmE
rez@r-/
(n) feelings of
doubt about a plan or idea
respectively
/rI"spektIvli/
(adv) in the same order as
the people or things already mentioned
respondent
/rI"spQnd@nt
; AmE
-"spA;n-/
(n) a person
who answers questions, especially in a survey
retention
/rI"tenSn/
(n) the ability of a company to
keep its employees
revenue
/"rev@nju;
; AmE
nu;/
(n) the money that an
organization, etc. receives from its business
riddled with sth
/"rIdld wID/
(adj) full of sth, especially
sth bad or unpleasant
round-trip ticket
/%raUnd%trIp "tIkIt/
(n) a ticket for a
journey to a place and back again [AmE]
salvage
/"s&lvIdZ/
(v) to manage to rescue sth from a
difficult situation; to stop a bad situation from being
a complete failure
saturated fat
/%s&tS@reItId "f&t/
(n) a type of fat
found, for example, in butter, fried food, and many
types of meat, which encourages the harmful
development of cholesterol
scale (sth) up
/%skeIl "Vp/
(v) to increase the size or
number of sth
scroll
/skr@Ul
; AmE
skroUl/
(v) to move text on a
computer screen up or down so that you can read
different parts of it
sedentary
/s@"dent@ri/
(adj) spending a lot of time
sitting down and not moving
seem
/si;m/
(v) to give the impression of being or
doing sth
seemingly
/"si;mINli/
(adv) according to what you
have read or heard
self-awareness
/%self @"wE;n@s
; AmE
-"wE;rn-/
(n)
knowledge and understanding of your own
character
send (sth) through
/%send "Tru;/
(v) to get information
to sb by post/mail, email, etc.
sensor
/"sens@(r)/
(n) a device that can react to light,
heat, pressure, etc. in order to make a machine, etc.
do sth or show sth
set objectives
/%set @b"jektIvz/
(idiom) to decide or
agree which things sb must try to achieve
setback
/"setb&k/
(n) a difficulty or problem that
delays or prevents sth, or makes a situation worse
shipment
/"SIpm@nt/
(n) a quantity of goods that are
sent from one place to another
shoddy
/"SQdi
; AmE
"SA;di/
(adj) (of goods, work, etc.)
made or done badly and with not enough care
shortlist
/"SO;tlIst
; AmE
"SO;rt-/
(v) to select sb/sth
as one of a small number chosen from all the
candidates for a job, prize, etc.
shun
/SVn/
(v) to avoid sb/sth
single-handedly
/%sINgl "h&nd@dli/
(adv) done by
one person with nobody helping
so far
/%s@U "fA;(r)
; AmE
%soU "fA;r / (adv) until now;
up to this point
soft skills
/"sQft %skIlz
; AmE
"sA;ft-/
(n) the abilities that
sb has to communicate well and work with other
people
source
/sO;s;
Ame
sO;rs/
(v) to get sth from a particular
place
spawn
/spO;n/
(v) to cause sth to develop or be
produced
speed (sth) up
/%spi;d "Vp/
(v) to make sth move or
happen faster
spin
/spIn/
(n) a way of presenting information or
a situation in a particular way, especially one that
makes you or your ideas seem good
sponsor
/"spQns@(r)
; AmE
"spA;n-/
(n) a person
or company that pays for a radio or television
programme, or for a concert or sporting event,
usually in return for advertising
sponsor (v) (of a company, etc.) to pay the costs
of a particular event, programme, etc. as a way of
advertising
stand (sb) in good stead
/%st&nd In gUd "sted/
(idiom) to be useful or helpful to sb when needed
stand up to sth
/%st&nd "vp tu/
(v) to remain valid
even when tested, examined closely, etc.
stay on
/%steI "Qn/
(v) to continue working somewhere
stiff competition
/%stIf kQmp@"tISn
; AmE
-kA;m-/
(idiom) a situation in which people or organizations
compete with each other strongly for custom
stress
/stres/
(v) to emphasize a fact, an idea, etc.
strike
/straIk/
(v) to happen suddenly and have a
harmful or damaging effect on sb/sth
stupidly
/"stju;pIdli/
(adv) in a way that shows a lack
of thought or good judgement
subordinate
/s@"bO;dIn@t
; AmE
-"bO;rd-/
(n) a person
who has a position with less authority and power
than sb else in an organization
subsidized
/"sVbsIdaIzd/
(adj) partly paid for
with money given by an organization or by the
government
succession
/s@k"seSn/
(n) the act of taking over an
official position or title or the right to take over an
official position or title
superfluous
/su;"pE;flu@s
; AmE
-"pE;rf-/
(adj) more
than is needed or wanted
supportive
/s@"pO;tIv -"pO;rt-/
(adj) giving help,
encouragement, or sympathy to sb
surprisingly
/s@"praIzINli/
(adv) in a way that is
surprising
swapping
/"swQpIN
; AmE
"swA;p-/
(n) the
replacement of one thing with another
sweet tooth
/%swi;t "tu;T/
(n) a liking for food that
contains a lot of sugar
swipe card
/"swaIp kA;d
; AmE
-kA;rd/
(n) a special
plastic card with information recorded on it which
can be read by an electronic device
tactfully
/"t&ktfUli/
(adv) in a way that shows care
not to upset or annoy other people
take (sb) up on sth
/%teIk "Vp Qn/
(v) to accept an
offer from sb
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0
take (sb) on
/%teIk "Qn/
(v) to employ sb
take the biscuit
/%teIk D@ "bIskIt/
(idiom) to be
the most surprising, annoying, etc. thing that has
happened or that sb has done [BrE]
talent scout
/"t&l@nt skaUt/
(n) a person whose job is
to find people who are good at singing, acting, sport,
etc. in order to give them work
talk over sb
/%tO;k"@Uv@(r)/
(v) to talk when sb else is
talking, so they cannot be heard
target user
/%tA;gIt "ju;z@(r)
; AmE
%tA;rg-/
(n) the
type of customer that you want to use your product
teamworking
/"ti;mwE;kIN
; AmE
-wE;rk=-/
(n) the
activity of working well together as a team
tender
/"tend@(r)/
(n) a formal offer to supply goods
or do work at a stated price
think outside the box
/%TInk aUt%saId D@ "bQx/
(idiom)
to think in a new or different way in order to solve a
problem
think tank
/"TInk t&nk/
(n) a group of experts who
provide advice and ideas on political, social, or
business issues
time to market
/%taIm t@ "mA;kIt
; AmE
"mA;rk- / (n)
the amount of time from when a company starts
to develop a new product until the product goes
on sale
timescale
/"taImskeIl/
(n) the period of time that it
takes for sth to happen or be completed
toast
/t@Ust
; AmE
toUst/
(n) an act of raising your
glass and drinking in order to wish sth or sb success
track
/tr&k/
(v) to follow the movements of sb/sth
traffic report
/"tr&fIk rI%pO;t
; AmE
-"pO;rt/
(n) a report
of the number of people who visit a web page in a
particular period
transferral
/tr&ns"fE;r@l/
(n) the act of moving an
employee from one job, department, office, etc. to
another
trend
/trend/
(n) the general direction in which a
situation is changing or developing
turn up
/%tE;n "Vp
; AmE
%tE;rn-/
(v) (of a person) to
arrive
turning point
/"tE;nIN pOInt
; AmE
"tE;rn-/
(n) the time
when an important change takes place, usually with
the result that a situation improves
twist
/twIst/
(n) an unexpected change or
development in a situation
underestimate
/Vnd@r"estImeIt/
(v) to think or guess
that the amount, cost, or size of sth is smaller than it
really is
underline
/Vnd@"laIn
; AmE
Vnd@r-/
(v) to emphasize
that sth is important or true
understaffed
/Vnd@"stA;ft
; AmE
Vnd@r"st&ft /
(adj) not
having enough people working and therefore not
able to function well
understanding
/Vnd@"st&ndIN
; AmE
Vnd@r"-/
(adj)
showing sympathy for other people’s problems and
being willing to forgive them when they do sth wrong
undervalue
/Vnd@"v&lju;
; AmE
Vnd@r"-/
(v) to not
recognize how good, important, or valuable sb/sth
really is
unforeseen
/%VnfO;"si;n
; AmE
-fO;r-/
(adj) that you did
not expect to happen
up to sb
/"Vp t@/
(idiom) sb’s responsibility; for sb to
decide
upwards of
/"Vpw@dz @v
; AmE
-w@rdz-/
(prep) more
than the amount or number mentioned
urbanization
/%E;b@naI"zeISn
; AmE
%E;rb-/
(n) the
process of people moving to live and work in towns
variance report
/"ve@rI@ns rI%pO;t/
(n) a report on the
difference between the level of costs or income that
have been planned, and the actual costs or income
viable
/"vaI@bl/
(adj) that can be done; that will be
successful
virtually
/"vE;tSu@li
; AmE
"vE;rtS-/
(adv) in a way that
exists only on computer or uses computers as a
means of communication
waste disposal
/"weIst dIs%p@Uzl
; AmE
-%poUzl/
(n)
the act of getting rid of materials that are no longer
needed
waypoint
/"weIpOInt/
(n) a stage in a process where
progress can be measured
whereby
/%we@"baI
; AmE
%wer-/
(prep) [fml] by which;
because of which
with sb
/wID/
(idiom) able to understand what sb is
talking about
with this in mind
/wID %DIs In "maInd/
(idiom) thinking
of or considering a particular thing
workforce
/"wE;kfO;s
; AmE
"wE;rkfO;rs/
(n) all
the people who work for a particular company,
organization, etc.
work-life balance
/%wE;klaIf "b&l@ns
; AmE
%wE;rk-/
(n)
a situation in which a person manages to spend the
right amount of time at work and on their personal life
worryingly
/"wVriINli
; AmE
"wE;r-/
(adv) in a way that
makes you worry
zip code
/"zIpk@Ud
; AmE
-koUd/
(n) a group of letters
and/or numbers that are used as part of an address
so that post/mail can be separated into groups and
delivered more quickly [AmE]
zoom in
/%zu;m "In/
(v) to make an object appear
closer using a camera or computer screen