A good job: It's a good job you were there to help.

It is just as well that: It is just as well that we didn't leave any later or we'd
have missed him.
Do nicely: Tomorrow at ten will do nicely (= will be a good time).
Reasonable(2): He made us a reasonable offer for the car.
You must submit your claim within a reasonable time.
Fair: a fair deal/wage/price/question
The punishment was very fair.
In the end, a draw was a fair result.
I give you fair warning, Im not always this generous.
fair to somebody (to do something) Was it really fair to him to ask him to do all
the work?
fair on somebody (to do something) It's not fair on the students to keep changing
the timetable.
fair to do something It's only fair to add that they were not told about the
problem until the last minute.
I think it is fair to say that they are pleased with this latest offer.
fair that It seems only fair that they should give us something in return.
To be fair, she behaved better than we expected.
(especially British English) You should really have asked me first. Right,
okay, fair comment.Fair game: The younger teachers were considered fair game by
most of the kids.

OPPOSITE unfair

Anchor(2): he was the anchor of the family. see: sheet anchor.

Ace(adj): we had an ace time.

Bang-up: you've done a bang-up job. pukka job.
Peach(2): Hes a real peach.
That was a peach of a shot!
Corker
Cracker(3): It was a cracker of a goal.
I've got a joke for you. It's a real cracker!
A/ some piece of work: You're some piece of work, Jack, do you know that?

Cold comfort: A small drop in the inflation rate was cold comfort for the millions
without a job.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 9th edition Oxford University Press, 2015

================================================================

#unpleasant situation
A Fate worse than death: At the last minute the hero saves her from a fate worse
than death.
Bitter pill for sb to swallow
Uncomfortable(4): an uncomfortable fact. see: unpalatable truth.
I had the uncomfortable feeling that it was my fault.
Her letter was an uncomfortable reminder of responsibilities I preferred to forget
about.
Miserable(1): We were cold, wet and thoroughly miserable.
Don't look so miserable!
She knows how to make life miserable for her employees.
Sticky(5): a sticky situation
Their relationship is going through a sticky patch and theyve decided to have
counselling.
Affair(6): Her hat was an amazing affair with feathers and a huge brim.

Nightmare(2): The trip turned into a nightmare when they both got sick.
(informal) Nobody knows what's going onit's a nightmare!
(informal) Filling in all those forms was a nightmare.
Losing a child is most people's worst nightmare.
If it goes ahead, it will be the nightmare scenario (= the worst thing that could
happen).
a nightmare situation
Like a bad dream: In broad daylight the events of the night before seemed like a
bad dream.

Jungle(2): It's a jungle out thereyou've got to be strong to succeed.

SEE ALSO concrete jungle

A bad hair day.

Annus horribilis
Annus mirabilis: It's hard on people who don't have a car.

==============================================================
#A thing that is awkward
Brute(3)
Beast(3): The maths exam was a real beast.
Bugger(n3): This door's a bugger to open.
Question 6 is a real bugger.
Its a bugger trying to remember the lines.
Murder(2): It's murder trying to get to the airport at this time of day.
It was murder (= very busy and unpleasant) in the office today.
Swine(2): The car can be a swine to start.
A devil of a job/ time: I've had a devil of a job finding you. see: have a
difficult job doing sth
A pig of a sth: I've had a pig of a day.
See: difficult sit: ordeal
Bastard(3): It's a bastard of a problem.
Sod(n3): It was a real sod of a job.

Fiddle(n3)

Awkward(4): This box is very awkward for one person to carry.

This tool will reach into awkward corners, such as under kitchen units.

Sucker(n5): The pilot said, I don't know how I got the sucker down safely.

====================================================================

#A thing that causes disgust/ hatred etc.

Abomination: a concrete abomination masquerading as a hotel
A strict Puritan, he regarded all theatres and play acting as an abomination.
Sickener
Stinker: Its been a real stinker of a day.
Grot
Bitch(3): Life's a bitch.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 9th edition Oxford University Press, 2015

Muck(3): I can't eat this muck!

Crunch(3): The crunch came when she returned from America.

He always says he'll help but when it comes to the crunch (= when it is time for
action) he does nothing.
The crunch is that we can't afford to go abroad this year.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 9th edition Oxford University Press, 2015
====================================================================

#Very bad
Atrocious= SYNONYM terrible
She speaks French with an atrocious accent.
Isn't the weather atrocious? see here: vile weather,
Execrable: SYNONYM terrible
execrable poetry
Rotten: SYNONYM terrible
I've had a rotten day!
What rotten luck!
She's a rotten singer.
Lousy: SYNONYM awful, terrible
What lousy weather!
Ive had a lousy day.
She felt lousy (= ill).
Hellish: His school days were hellish.
Weve had a hellish time lately.
From hell: they are neigbhours from hell.
Hopeless: SYNONYM terrible
The buses are absolutely hopeless these days!
Ghastly(2): SYNONYM terrible
The weather was ghastly.
It's all been a ghastly mistake.
When she mentioned redundancies, for one ghastly moment, I thought she meant me.
Dreadful(1): What dreadful weather!
What a dreadful thing to say!
It's dreadful the way they treat their staff.
How dreadful!
Jane looked dreadful (= looked ill or tired).
Dreadful(2): SYNONYM terrible
Hes a dreadful snob.
She's making a dreadful mess of things.
I'm afraid there's been a dreadful mistake.
Dreadfully: They suffered dreadfully during the war.
Stinking: I've got a stinking cold.
Stinky
Dire(2): The acting was dire.
Diabolical: SYNONYM terrible
The traffic was diabolical.
It was a diabolical performance and we felt something had to be done before the
next match.
Pitiful: SYNONYM poor
a pitiful effort/excuse/performance

Like shit: I woke up feeling like shit.

We get treated like shit in this job.
Shit(adj): You're shit and you know you are!
They're a shit team.
Shitty: Im not going to eat this shitty food.
a shitty week at work
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 9th edition Oxford University Press, 2015
=================================================================

#Terrible
Abject: abject poverty/ failure/ misery. see: grinding/ dire poverty. see: dismal
failure.
Miserable(2): SYNONYM depressing
miserable housing conditions
I spent a miserable weekend alone at home.
What a miserable day!(= cold and wet)
The play was a miserable failure.
Awful= terrible: awful horrors of war.
Frightful: SYNONYM awful, terrible
a frightful accident
Unsavoury: an unsavoury incident
Her friends are all pretty unsavoury characters.
Nasty: a nasty accident
The news gave me a nasty shock.
I had a nasty feeling that he would follow me.
He had a nasty moment when he thought he'd lost his passport.
This coffee has a nasty taste.
Don't buy that coatit looks cheap and nasty.
Abysmal: SYNONYM terrible
His manners are abysmal.
The council has an abysmal record on education.
Abysmally: The government has failed abysmally to deliver on its promises.
abysmally low standards

Egregious: egregious behaviour

an egregious error
God-awful: He made a God-awful mess of it!
Fearful: We made a fearful mess of the room.
Frighful: a frightful mess.
Excruciating: The pain in my back was excruciating.
She groaned at the memory, suffering all over again the excruciating embarrassment
of those moments.
He rolled on the floor in excruciating agony.
The process is painful, but not excruciating.
Feel/ look/ taste etc like nothing on earth.

=================================================================
#offensive
Obnoxious: SYNONYM offensive
obnoxious behaviour
a thoroughly obnoxious little man
obnoxious odours
Odious: SYNONYM horrible
What an odious man!
Objectionable: objectionable people/odours
Why are you being so objectionable today?
I myself didnt find his behaviour objectionable.
Hateful: a hateful person/place/face
hateful to somebody The idea of fighting against men of their own race was hateful
to them.
Abhorrent: SYNONYM repugnant
Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society.
Repugnant: SYNONYM repulsive
We found his suggestion absolutely repugnant.
repugnant to somebody The idea of eating meat was repugnant to her.
Loathsome: SYNONYM repulsive
The police described it as one of the most loathsome crimes of recent years.
Police described the murderer as a foul and loathsome beast.
This was a loathsome crime against innocent people.
Repulsive: SYNONYM disgusting
a repulsive sight/smell/habit
What a repulsive man!
Revolting: SYNONYM disgusting
a revolting smell
a revolting little man
Repellent: SYNONYM repulsive
I found the pictures repellent.
Their political ideas are repellent to most people.
Sickening: SYNONYM repulsive
She was the victim of a sickening attack.
the sickening stench of burnt flesh
He described what had happened in sickening detail.
The public was not made aware of the sickening details of the crime.
Sick-making: a sick-making stench
Hideous: SYNONYM revolting
a hideous face/building/dress
Their new colour scheme is hideous!
a hideous crime
The whole experience had been like some hideous nightmare.
When they refused to let me leave my hotel, I thought, at first, it was all some
hideous mistake.
Abominable: SYNONYM appalling, disgusting
The judge described the attack as an abominable crime.
We were served the most abominable coffee.
I think you are utterly selfish and your behaviour has been abominable.
Foul(5): SYNONYM abominable
a foul crime/murder
Detestable: All terrorist crime is detestable, whoever the victims. see here the
related word derived from hatred: detestable, abominable, loathsome, abhorant.
Youre detestable! she said, shaking.
Despicable: a despicable act/crime
I hate you! You're despicable.
Contemptible: SYNONYM despicable
contemptible behaviour
Distasteful: The bad language in the film was distasteful and unnecessary. see:
tasteless: at: social
Tasteless: tasteless jokes.
Unpalatable: SYNONYM distasteful
Only then did I learn the unpalatable truth.
Wretched(4): Is it that wretched woman again?
Gut-wrenching
Cursed
Skanky

Damnable.

Vile: SYNONYM disgusting

a vile smell
The weather was really vile most of the time.
He was in a vile mood.
Foul(2): She's in a foul mood.
His boss has a foul temper.
 This tastes foul.
Minging
Noisome: noisome smells
Putrid: a putrid pink colour
I pulled back from the stench of his putrid breath.
Evil(4): an evil smell
Ghastly(3): SYNONYM horrible
her ghastly husband
This lipstick is a ghastly colour.
I look ghastly in red.
Horrible(1): horrible weather/children/shoes
The coffee tasted horrible.
I've got a horrible feeling she lied to us.
It was horrible sitting there all on my own.
Infernal: stop that infernal noise.

Gross(3): SYNONYM disgusting

He ate it with mustard. Oh, gross!
Yuck! It's filthy! Yuck!
See: accent: chhi-chhi= chee-chee

Sin(3): It's a sin to waste taxpayers' money like that.

SEE ALSO sinful, sinner
A crying shame: It's a crying shame to waste all that food.
Crime(3): It's a crime to waste so much money.
Criminal(3): This is a criminal waste of resources.
Scandalous: SYNONYM disgraceful
a scandalous waste of money
The decision is nothing short of scandalous.
it is scandalous that It is scandalous that he has not been punished.
Outrageous: SYNONYM scandalous
outrageous behaviour
That's outrageous! he protested.
Monstrous: SYNONYM outrageous
a monstrous lie/injustice
Shocking: shocking behaviour
shocking news
It is shocking that they involved children in the crime.
a shocking waste of money
Preposterous= outrageous: SYNONYM outrageous
These claims are absolutely preposterous!
Its preposterous to suggest that everything was her fault!
The whole idea sounds quite preposterous!
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 9th edition Oxford University Press, 2015

Appalling: The prisoners were living in appalling conditions.

Nightmarish: nightmarish living conditions
Wretched: SYNONYM awful
She had a wretched time of it at school.
The animals are kept in the most wretched conditions.
Harrowing: a harrowing experience
The book makes harrowing reading.
The whole thing was very harrowing for her.
I find the experience more harrowing than any of my other duties as a priest.
There were harrowing scenes at the airport as relatives heard news of the crash.
Youve had a harrowing experience and a lucky escape.
Horrendous: SYNONYM horrific, horrifying
horrendous injuries
The police officer said the attack was the most horrendous he had ever seen.
Horrific: SYNONYM horrifying
a horrific murder/accident/attack, etc.
Her injuries were horrific.
Shes been through a horrific ordeal.
Horrifying: SYNONYM horrific
a horrifying sight/experience/story
It's horrifying to see such poverty.

Lamentable: SYNONYM deplorable, regrettable

She shows a lamentable lack of understanding.
Woeful: SYNONYM deplorable
She displayed a woeful ignorance of the rules.
Sad(3): SYNONYM deplorable
a sad state of affairs
It's a sad fact that many of those killed were children.
It's a sad reflection on life that it takes danger and suffering to bring people
closer together.
Reprehinsbile: SYNONYM deplorable /
His conduct was thoroughly reprehensible.
Pitiable: a pitiable lack of talent
Regrettable: It is regrettable that the police were not informed sooner.
The loss of jobs is highly regrettable.
a regrettable incident
See: this and more at: deal with. like: unfortunate(2)= regrettable.

Too bad: Really, it was too bad of you to be so late.

Vile(2): SYNONYM wicked

the vile practice of taking hostages
Heinous: a heinous crime

Macabre: SYNONYM ghoulish, grisly

a macabre tale/joke/ritual. see: morbid, sick, sadistic, freak, etc. see here:
gruesome. ghoul
Ghoulish: a ghoulish fascination with crime and punishment
Grisly: a grisly crime
Ghastly: SYNONYM horrible
a ghastly crime/murder
She woke up in the middle of a ghastly nightmare.
Gruesome: a gruesome murder
gruesome pictures of dead bodies
(humorous) We spent a week in a gruesome apartment in Miami.

Horror(3): The full horror of the accident was beginning to become clear.
In his dreams he relives the horror of the attack.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 9th edition Oxford University Press, 2015

================================================================
#Verbs
Offend(v2): The smell from the farm offended some people.
an ugly building that offends the eye. see: please the eye, eyesore, a sight for
sore eyes, unsightly, butt ugly. prepossessing eye. eyeful
Appal: SYNONYM horrify
appal somebody The brutality of the crime has appalled the public.
 The idea of sharing a room appalled her.
The thought of having to do it all again appals me.
it appals somebody that/to do something It appalled me that they could simply
ignore the problem.
Nauseate: SYNONYM revolt, sicken
I was nauseated by the violence in the movie.
Sicken: SYNONYM disgust
The public is becoming sickened by these pictures of violence and death.
Repel: SYNONYM disgust, repulse
I was repelled by the smell.
Repulse: SYNONYM repel
I was repulsed by the horrible smell.
Revolt(v): SYNONYM disgust
All the violence in the movie revolted me.
The way he ate his food revolted me.
She was revolted by the smell of stale beer and vomit in the room.
SEE ALSO revulsion
Gross sb out
Stink(2): The whole business stank of corruption.
What do you think of the idea? I think it stinks.
Turn your stomach: Pictures of the burnt corpses turned my stomach.
Make your skin crawl: Just the sight of him makes my skin crawl.

#Adj
Appalled: SYNONYM horrified
an appalled expression/silence
We watched appalled as the child ran in front of the car.
appalled at something They were appalled at the waste of recyclable material.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 9th edition Oxford University Press, 2015

#Nouns
Distaste: He looked around the filthy room in distaste.
distaste for somebody/something a distaste for politics of any sort
Disfavour: They looked upon the birth of a girl with disfavour.
She seems to have fallen into disfavour with the director. see: look with
disapproval.

Scandal: SYNONYM disgrace

It is a scandal that such a large town has no orchestra.

Lurid: lurid headlines

The paper gave all the lurid details of the murder.
Shock tactics.

Amusing: an amusing story/game/incident

She writes very amusing letters.
I didn't find the joke at all amusing.
Zesty: The play is full of zesty language and wordplay. see: witty

Bugbear: Inflation is the government's main bugbear. see: bugaboo, The big
bad wold

Icky: icky substance.

Gunk, gunge, gook, goo
Gooey

================================================================

#Danger
Dangerous(1): a dangerous road/illness/sport
dangerous levels of carbon monoxide
The prisoners who escaped are violent and dangerous.
The situation is highly dangerous.
(British English) a conviction for dangerous driving
dangerous for somebody The traffic here is very dangerous for children.
dangerous for somebody to do something It would be dangerous for you to stay here.
Haradous: hazardous waste/chemicals
a hazardous journey
It would be hazardous to invest so much.
a list of products that are potentially hazardous to health
Parlous: SYNONYM perilous
the parlous state of the economy
Perilous: SYNONYM hazardous
a perilous adventure/journey
Breakneck: to drive, etc. at breakneck speed
We drove to the hospital at breakneck speed.
Unholy: an unholy alliance between the medical profession and the pharmaceutical
industry
Unsafe: The roof was declared unsafe.
It was considered unsafe to release the prisoners.
Menacing: SYNONYM threatening
a menacing face/tone
At night, the dark streets become menacing.

Critical(3): The first 24 hours after the operation are the most critical.
a critical moment in our countrys history
One of the victims of the fire remains in a critical condition.
Nasty(3): a nasty bend (= dangerous for cars going fast)
a nasty injury
Serious: a serious illness/problem/offence
to cause serious injury/damage
They pose a serious threat to security.
The consequences could be serious.
Severe: a severe handicap
His injuries are severe.
severe weather conditions
a severe winter (= one during which the weather conditions are extremely bad)
The party suffered severe losses during the last election.
a severe shortage of qualified staff
severe learning difficulties
The victim suffered severe brain damage.
a severe case of woodworm
Strikes are causing severe disruption to all train services.
Wicked(3): He has a wicked punch.
a wicked-looking knife
Dodgy(3): If you get into any dodgy situations, call me.
We had a few dodgy moments at the start, but everything went well in the end.
Precarious: He earned a precarious living as an artist.
The museum is in a financially precarious position.
The world is a precarious and unstable place.
They have a somewhat precarious existence.
Uneasy(2): an uneasy peace
 The two sides eventually reached an uneasy compromise. see: fragile alliance.

Danger(1): Danger! Keep Out!

Children's lives are in danger every time they cross this road.
animals in danger of extinction
Doctors said she is now out of (immediate) danger (= not likely to die).
Peril(1): The country's economy is now in grave peril.
She seemed blissfully unaware of the peril she was in.

Danger(2): There is no danger of a bush fire now.

danger of something The building is in danger of collapsing.
How many factory workers are in danger of losing their jobs?
Nicky won't find out, will she? Oh, no, there's no danger of that.
danger that There is a danger that the political disorder of the past will
return.
Threat(2): These ancient woodlands are under threat from new road developments.
There is a real threat of war.
The forecast is for rain with the threat of thunderstorms.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 9th edition Oxford University Press, 2015

Threat(3): He is unlikely to be a threat to the Spanish player in the final.

Drugs pose a major threat to our society.
Peril(2): a warning about the perils of drug abuse. see: evils of drugs.
Menace(n): SYNONYM threat
a new initiative aimed at beating the menace of illegal drugs
The communists remain a potential menace to the stability of the government.

Hazard(n): a fire/safety hazard

hazard (to somebody/something) Growing levels of pollution represent a serious
health hazard to the local population.
hazard (of something/of doing something) Everybody is aware of the hazards of
smoking.
hazard lights (= flashing lights on a car that warn other drivers of possible
danger)
Danger(3): Smoking is a serious danger to health.
Police said the man was a danger to the public.
the hidden dangers in your home
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 9th edition Oxford University Press, 2015

Near miss: The two planes almost hit each other. It was a near miss.
Hes a terrible driver. We had one near miss after another!
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 9th edition Oxford University Press, 2015

Suicidal: a suicidal leap into the swollen river

It would be suicidal to risk going out in this weather.
The new economic policies could prove suicidal for the party.
Kamikaze= suicidal: a kamikazi attack/ pilot, he made a kamikazi run across three
lanes street. see: hot blooded attack.
Mortal(2): a mortal blow/wound. see: dire wound.
to be in mortal danger
(figurative) Her reputation suffered a mortal blow as a result of the scandal.
COMPARE fatal, Lethal.
Mortally: SYNONYM fatally
mortally wounded/ill
Fatal(1): a fatal accident/blow/illness
a potentially fatal form of cancer
If she gets ill again it could prove fatal.
COMPARE mortal
Lethal: SYNONYM deadly, fatal
a lethal dose of poison
a lethal weapon
(figurative) The closure of the factory dealt a lethal blow to the town.
The snakes venom is rarely lethal to humans.
Fatal(2): a fatal error/mistake
Any delay would be fatal.
There was a fatal flaw in the plan.
It'd be fatal to try and stop them now.
Life-threatening: His heart condition is not life-threatening.
Aid workers are having to deal with very difficult, sometimes life-threatening
situations.
Russian roulette: (figurative) The airline was accused of playing Russian roulette
with passenger safety.

Endanger: The health of our children is being endangered by exhaust fumes.

That one mistake seriously endangered the future of the company.
He denied possessing a rifle with intent to endanger life.
Taking these drugs could seriously endanger your health.
They are accused of causing an explosion likely to endanger life.
Jeopardize: SYNONYM endanger
He would never do anything to jeopardize his career.
This scandal could seriously jeopardize his chances of being re-elected.
Imperil: SYNONYM endanger
To ignore this challenge would be to imperil all law and order.
Hazard(v2): SYNONYM endanger
Careless drivers hazard other people's lives as well as their own.
Menace(v): SYNONYM threaten
The forests are being menaced by major development projects.
Millions menaced by floods.
Threaten(3): SYNONYM endanger, at risk (from/of something), put at risk
Pollution is threatening marine life.
At risk of/ from sth: As with all diseases, certain groups will be more at risk
than others.
If we go to war, innocent lives will be put at risk.
Compromise(v3): She had already compromised herself by accepting his invitation.
Defeat at this stage would compromise their chances (= reduce their chances) of
reaching the finals of the competition.
Risk(v1): He risked his life to save her.
She was risking her own and her children's health.
He risked all his money on a game of cards.
They were willing to risk everything for their liberty.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 9th edition Oxford University Press, 2015

In jeopardy: The civil war has put thousands of lives in jeopardy.

The future of the school and 50 jobs are in jeopardy.
Thousands of jobs could be in jeopardy.
SEE ALSO double jeopardy
At-risk: Social services keep lists of at-risk children.

A marked man/ woman: He has been a marked man since he decided to cooperate with
the police. see: hit list
In fear of your life.
Hang by a hair/ threat. see: the sword of Damocles.
Incident: His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident.
One particular incident sticks in my mind.
===============================================================

Secure(2): SYNONYM safe

a secure job/income
It's not a very secure way to make a living.
The future of the company looks secure.
OPPOSITE insecure
Precarious

Security(4): financial security

Job security (= the guarantee that you will keep your job) is a thing of the past.
Which type of investment offers the greatest security?

Safe(1): The children are quite safe here.

She didn't feel safe on her own.
Will the car be safe parked in the road?
safe (from somebody/something) They aimed to make the country safe from terrorist
attacks.
Your secret is safe with me (= I will not tell anyone else).
Here's your passport. Now keep it safe.
Nobody is safe from suspicion at the moment.
We have been assured that our jobs are safe (= we are not in danger of losing
them).
OPPOSITE unsafe
See: secure from attacks.

Safe(2): a safe and effective remedy for coughs and colds

safe (for somebody) (to do something) Is the water here safe to drink?
The street is not safe for children to play in.
It is one of the safest cars in the world.
We watched the explosion from a safe distance.
Builders were called in to make the building safe.
OPPOSITE unsafe
Safe(4): We all want to live in safer cities.
Keep your passport in a safe place.
OPPOSITE unsafe
Safely: The plane landed safely.