1. W A Y S OF...
WAYS OF talking
 Mutter: [intransitive or transitive] to talk in a quiet voice that is difficult to hear, especially because you
are annoyed or embarrassed, or are talking to yourself: He muttered an apology and then left. ‘That’s
a matter of opinion,’ she muttered under her breath.mutter (something) about someone/something:
Her husband muttered something about going out to find her. mutter to yourself: He turned and went
upstairs, muttering to himself. 2 [intransitive] to complain indirectly or unofficially: mutter about:
People began muttering about the unfair way he was being treated.
 Whisper: [intransitive or transitive] to say something very quietly so that other people cannot
hear you: Stop whispering, you two! ‘When can I see you again?’ he whispered softly. ‘Over here!’ she
whispered urgently. whisper (something) to someone: Dad whispered a warning to us to keep quiet.
whisper (something) in someone’s ear: ‘That’s Tim,’ she whispered in my ear. 2 [intransitive or
transitive] to tell other people a piece of news or information that may or may not be true: Senior
managers have been whispering about more job losses. whisper that: Some people have whispered
that he offered her a job in return for her silence.
 Sigh: to breathe out slowly making a long soft sound, especially because you are disappointed, tired,
annoyed, or relaxed: sigh heavily/wearily/deeply: Jan sighed heavily and shook her head. sigh
happily/contentedly: Sighing contentedly, Beth settled down in her comfortable chair. sigh with
relief/satisfaction/regret etc: Doug heard him sigh softly with relief.1a. [transitive] to say something
with a sigh: ‘I wish you had told me earlier,’ she sighed.
 Moan: to complain about something in an annoying way: There’s no point in moaning and groaning.
moan about: Ben was moaning about his job again. 2 [intransitive or transitive] if someone
moans, they make a long low sound because of pain, sadness, or pleasure:She moaned softly as he
touched her.James continued to moan loudly as the pain intensified.
 Retort:: to reply immediately in an angry or humorous way to something that someone has said: ‘Mind
your own business!’ she retorted.
 Mention::
 Gossip:
 Argue:
 Mumble: to say something in a way that is not loud or clear enough so that your words are difficult to
understand: He mumbled something about not wanting to go to work.
 Lecture::
 Call: to speak loudly or shout to someone who is not near you: Did you call me? Her father called up
the stairs. call to someone to do something: He called to the driver to stop. call to someone for
something: Paul called to the waiter for another drink. 5 [transitive] to say loudly the names or
numbers on a list: When I call your name, raise your hand. 5a. to announce that passengers should
go to their plane because it will soon be leaving: It’ll be another 45 minutes before our flight is called.
 Discuss:
 Chat:
 Stammer: to keep repeating a sound and have difficulty in saying certain words because of a speech
problem, nervousness, excitement etc: Nina, blushing with embarrassment, began to stammer.,
stammer `out phrasal verb [transitive] to say something while stammering: The boy managed to
stammer out a description of his attacker.
WAYS OF looking
 Spot: to notice something or someone: Hugh was spotted by local police and had to leave quickly.
 Stare: to look at someone or something very directly for a long time: It’s rude to stare. stare at: He
lifted his head and stared at her.stare into/out of/through etc: They sat on the balcony, staring out
across the valley. He walked up to the house and stared through the window. stare back: She was
staring at me, so I stared back. a. if a person’s eyes are staring, they are wide open and looking
directly at you: Sad eyes stared out of a freckled face.his wild, staring eyes. stare into space: to look
at and think about nothing in particular: Clare was sitting on her unmade bed, staring into space.,
stare `down or ,stare `out phrasal verb [transitive]stare someone down/out to look at someone for so
long that they have to look away
 Gaze: to look at someone or something for a long time, for example because they are attractive or
interesting, or because you are thinking of something else: gaze at/into/toward/upon/up at: We gazed
in wonder at the scene before us. He lay on the bed gazing up at the ceiling. They gazed into each
other’s eyes.

2.  Recognize: to know who the person is, or what the thing is that you are seeing, hearing etc
because you have seen, heard etc them before: I hardly recognized you with a beard!I recognized the
house from your description. Asthma sufferers soon learn to recognize the symptoms of an attack.I
thought I recognized the voice!
 Glance: glance at/over/toward etc to look somewhere quickly and then look away: He glanced
over his shoulder nervously. I glanced up to see Guido watching me from the window. Robin glanced
around the room. ‘I must go,’ Claudia said, glancing at her watch. 2. glance at/through to
read something quickly and not very carefully. I hadn’t even glanced at the report. `glance off phrasal
verb [transitive]glance off something to hit something lightly and then move away in a different
direction: The bullet glanced off the tree and went through the window.
 Glimpse: to see someone or something for a moment or not completely: CATCH SIGHT OF: He
glimpsed a short white-haired figure heading for the back gate.
 Scrutinize: to examine something very carefully.
 Watch:
 Peep: to look at something quickly and secretly, usually from a place where you think you cannot be
seen: peep at/through/into/over: She tried to peep through the gates to see the garden. 2
[intransitive] to appear slightly from behind or under something: peep from/out/through: His
head peeped out from under the blanket.
 Observe: to watch or study someone or something with care and attention in order to discover
something: All evening Jane observed his behaviour closely. observe someone/something doing
something: We observed 120 women interacting with their babies and compared them with 120 men.
 Notice: to become conscious of someone or something by seeing, hearing, or feeling them: I noticed
that the door was open. After a few days here you hardly notice the rain! Did you notice how pale he
looks?. get noticed : to get attention from other people: She’ll do anything to get noticed.
 Glare: glare at to look at someone or something in a very angry way: They glared at each other
across the table.
WAYS OF smiling and laughing
 Guffaw: to laugh very loudly – guffaw noun [count]
 Giggle: to laugh in a nervous, excited, or silly way that is difficult to control:The children whispered
and giggled all the way through the film. giggle at: She giggles at the smallest thing.
 Grin: to smile showing your teeth: grin at: Ruth grinned at him as she waved goodbye. grin and bear
it to accept a difficult situation without complaining or showing how you feel. grin from ear to ear: to
smile a very big smile.
 Chortle: to laugh because you are enjoying something – chortle noun [count]
 Sneer: to speak in an unpleasant way that shows you do not respect someone or something and you
think you are better than them: ‘Purple socks?’ he sneered. sneer at: He’s always sneering at the way
people dress.
 Snigger: to laugh quietly, especially at something that is rude or at something unpleasant that has
happened to someone
 Jeer: to shout or laugh at someone in an unkind way that shows you have no respect for them:
Councillors were jeered and heckled as they emerged from the meeting.
 Chuckle: to laugh quietly, especially in a private or secret way: As she read her book, she chuckled
softly.
WAYS OF shining
 Glimmer: a soft weak light that is not steady. 2. a very slight feeling or look that is not easily
noticed: There was a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. a glimmer of hope: a very small sign that
something might improve or succeed.
 Dazzle: if a bright light dazzles you, you cannot see for a short period of time 2. to impress
someone a lot, for example with your beauty, intelligence, or skill
 Glisten: if something glistens, it shines because it is wet or covered with oil: His forehead was
glistening with sweat.
 Glitter: to shine with a lot of small quick flashes of light: SPARKLE 2. if your eyes glitter, they
show a strong emotion such as anger: Bill’s eyes glittered with irritation.
 Flicker: if a flame or light flickers, it does not burn evenly, or it goes on and off:The flame flickered as
the breeze picked up.
 Flare: flare or flare up to suddenly burn or shine brightly: The candle flared, then flickered and went
out. 2. to suddenly become angry or violent: Tempers flared during the debates.
 Sparkle: to shine with small points of reflected light: Bits of broken glass sparkled in the sunlight.1a. if
someone’s eyes sparkle, they are bright and lively: Her eyes sparkled with excitement. 2 to be
very lively and interesting: a play that sparkles with wit

3.  Flash: to shine brightly for a very short time, or to shine on and off very quickly: Thunder roared and
lightning flashed. His watch flashed in the sunlight .flashing neon signs1a. [transitive] to switch a
bright light on, or on and off, especially as a signal: A truck drove close behind me and flashed its
headlights. 2. [intransitive] to appear for a very short time and then quickly disappear: flash
across/by/on/past: The faces of Hollywood’s most glamorous stars flashed across the screen.
WAYS OF pulling
 Draw: to pull something across a space in order to close or open it: draw the curtains: The curtains
were still drawn at noon. 2a. to pull a vehicle: The carriage was drawn by a small pony. 2b. to pull
something gently from somewhere: He drew a handkerchief from his pocket. 2c. to move something
somewhere with a pulling movement: Ellie drew a hand across her forehead.
 Tow: to pull a vehicle or boat by fixing it to another vehicle or boat: The car broke down and had to be
towed home. ,tow a`way phrasal verb [transitive]to take a vehicle away from a place by towing it,
especially because it is parked illegally
 Lug: to carry or move something with difficulty because it is very heavy: She lugged his bag out into
the hall.
 Haul: to pull or carry something heavy from one place to another with a lot of effort: DRAG:b haul
something/someone to/up/into etc: I hauled my luggage to the nearest small hotel. Rescue workers
attached the men to ropes before hauling them to safety.1a. to pull a vehicle 1b. to move goods from
one place to another 2. to change someone’s position by pulling them: DRAG :haul someone
up/into/to etc: He grasped Judy’s arm and hauled her to her feet. 2a. to move somewhere using a lot
of effort, especially by pulling :haul yourself up/into/onto etc: I hauled myself up into the attic and
looked around.
 Jerk: to move very suddenly, or make something move suddenly: The train jerked forwards. Jerking
her head towards the valley, she said, ‘What’s down there?’ The taxi jerked to a stop outside a large
hotel. 1a. to move suddenly as you wake up or stop thinking DEEPLY about something:Lucy jerked
awake from a nightmare. 2. to pull something suddenly using a lot of force: George strode to
the window and jerked back the curtains.
 Drag: [transitive] to pull something or someone along with difficulty, for example because they are
heavy: drag something/someone down/along/through something: She dragged her suitcase down the
path. drag something/someone to/into/onto something: He jumped into the river and dragged her to
safety. 1a. to pull part of your body along the ground because you are injured: The bird walked
slowly, dragging one wing along. 1b. to pull something somewhere strongly or quickly:I scarcely had
time to drag a comb through my hair. 2. [transitive] drag someone along/to/into something to pull
someone strongly or violently when they do not want to go with you: Xavier grabbed his arm and
dragged him over to the window. 3. [transitive] drag someone out of/away from/off something to
make someone leave or go to a place when they do not want to: I’m sorry to call so early – I hope I
didn’t drag you out of bed. You drag me away from my meeting just to tell me this! . drag yourself
away/up/down etc: If you can manage to drag yourself away from the TV you can help.
 Tug: to pull someone or something by making a short strong movement: tug at/on something: The
little boy kept tugging on his mother’s skirt.
 Wrench: to injure a part of your body by twisting it suddenly: As he fell he wrenched his back.
WAYS OF holding
 Grasp: to take and hold something or someone very tightly: She grasped his hand and pulled
him towards her. grasp someone by the shoulders/arm/wrist etc: He grasped her firmly by the
shoulders. 2 to understand something: He was finding it difficult to grasp the rules of the
game. grasp the meaning/significance of something: You should try to grasp the meaning of
whole sentences. grasp a concept/principle/point: Charlie grasped the point at once. 3
to take advantage of an opportunity when it happens: We must grasp every opportunity if we
are going to succeed. He had failed to grasp his one chance of happiness
 Pluck: pluck your eyebrows to pull hairs out from around the edges of your EYEBROWS in order
to make them look thinner and tidier. 2 [intransitive or transitive] to pull the strings of
a musical instrument with your fingers in order to produce a sound: He plucked absent-mindedly
at the guitar strings. 3 [transitive] to pick up something quickly with your fingers
4 [transitive] to take someone quickly from a particular place or situation: Ships in the
area plucked 45 people from the sea. pluck someone to safety: Rescue crews plucked them to
safety.v4a. pluck someone from obscurity to give a person who is not well known an important job
or position so that they suddenly become famous. pluck something out of/from the air: to say the
first number, date, fact etc that you think of without considering whether it is likely to be correct.
pluck up (the) courage (to do something)to persuade yourself to do something that frightens you
`pluck at phrasal verb [transitive]pluck at something to pull something gently and quickly several
times.

4.  Clench: [intransitive or transitive] if you clench a part of your body such as your hand or your
mouth, or if it clenches, you close it tightly, especially because you are angry or upset: He
clenched his fists in frustration. I could see the muscles in his jaw clench.
2. [transitive] to hold something very firmly, especially because you are frightened,
worried, or angry.
 Grip: to hold something tightly: She gripped Frank’s hand firmly to show her support. Although the
car was stationary, his hands were still gripping the wheel. 1a. [intransitive or transitive] if shoes or
tyres grip, they hold a surface firmly and so do not slip. 2. [transitive] to have a strong effect
on someone: A feeling of fear gripped the crowd. Britain was still gripped by recession.
 Snatch: 1. to pull or take something away quickly: Her brother snatched the letter and tore it
open. Katherine angrily snatched her hand out of his grasp. 1a. to quickly steal something from
someone: Someone snatched my bag on the train. 1b. to quickly take a person away, usually by
force: A newborn baby was snatched from a hospital ward. 2. to take the opportunity to do
something quickly: They managed to snatch a few hours’ sleep. I snatched a glance at my watch.
3. to manage to get something that you almost did not get: They snatched victory with a goal
in the last minute. snatch something from someone’s grasp to manage to prevent someone from
getting something
 Clutch: [transitive] to hold someone or something firmly, for example because you are afraid or in
pain, or do not want to lose them: Women clutched small children as they left. a. [intransitive]
clutch at to try to take hold of someone or something because you are afraid or in pain, or to stop
yourself from falling: An officer stumbled and clutched at the handrail.
 Seize: to suddenly and firmly hold someone by a part of their body or clothing: ‘Listen,’ he
said, seizing my wrist. seize someone by something: Before he could run away, she seized him
by the collar. 1a. to quickly take something in your hand: Hearing a noise, he seized his gun from
the drawer. 2 to take something using official power and force: CONFISCATE:
Customs officials have seized 100 kilos of cocaine. Action was taken to seize criminal assets
valued at $200 million. 2a. to take control of a place or situation using military force: Eastern
towns were seized by the rebels two years ago. The nation’s generals seized power in a coup. 2b.
to take something or someone away in an illegal and violent way: Robbers tied up security guards
and seized the money. 3 to gain control in a situation: seize control: Their opponents
had seized control of the army. seize the initiative (=make certain that you are able to control a
situation): You must seize the initiative in discussions about salary. 4. MAINLY LITERARY if a
feeling or emotion seizes someone, it suddenly affects them very strongly: A wave of panic
seized me. She was seized by agonizing cramps. seize an opportunity/chance/moment to act
quickly in order to use an opportunity that may not be available later: He decided to seize the
moment and ask her to marry him. `seize on or `seize u,pon phrasal verb [transitive often
passive] seize on/upon something to use something in an enthusiastic way in order to gain an
advantage: Companies were quick to seize on the possibilities offered by new technology. ,seize
`up phrasal verb [intransitive] to suddenly stop moving or working properly: Her back seized up
painfully after she’d lifted the box. If you don’t add oil, the engine will eventually seize up.
 Clasp: MAINLY LITERARY to hold someone or something tightly with your hand: He clasped
Lindsay’s hand tightly. clasp something to/over something: Rick had a handkerchief clasped to
his nose to try to stop the bleeding. 1a. if you clasp your hands, or they are clasped, you hold
them together with the fingers of one hand in between the fingers of the other: Porter clasped his
hands behind his head and grinned. 1b. LITERARY to hold someone or something tightly with
your arms: She lay beside him, clasped in his arms. She clasped the crying child to her breast. 2
to fasten something that has a clasp
 Capture: to catch someone so that they become your prisoner: Most of the men had been either
killed or captured. 1a. to catch an animal: Police officers finally cornered and captured the dog.
 Pick: to choose someone or something from a group: Out of all the girls he could have gone out
with, he picked me. pick someone/something for something: The following season he was picked
for the national squad. pick someone to do something: My friends picked me to ask the teacher.
1a. to choose the people you want to have in a particular group: He will pick the team for
Saturday’s match tomorrow. I haven’t picked my team yet for the new project. 2. to take
something with your fingers: He was on his knees picking crumbs off the carpet. 2a. to get
flowers or fruit by breaking them off their stems: They spent the summer picking strawberries.
freshly picked flowers. 3. pick or pick at to keep pulling something with your nails: She sits
and picks the loose skin on her feet. 4. MAINLY AMERICAN to play a guitar or similar
instrument by pulling the strings with your fingers: PLUCK
WAYS OF walking
 Wade: to walk in or through water or other liquid that is not very deep: She waded across the stream
to get the ball.

5.  Plod: plod along/through/down to walk with slow heavy steps: TRUDGE: We plodded through the
mud to reach the cottage. Plod a`long or ,plod `on phrasal verb [intransitive] to progress at a very
slow steady rate: He’s still plodding along with his novel.
 Trample: 1. to put your feet down on someone or something in a heavy way that causes injury or
damage: hose kids have trampled all over my flowerbeds!. Trample someone/something
underfoot: He picked up the child so she wouldn’t be trampled underfoot.Trample someone to
death: People were trampled to death in the crowd.
2. to behave in a cruel or unfair way towards someone or something:trample someone/something
underfoot: Cindy was tired of being trampled underfoot by her colleagues.trample on/upon: You have
no right to trample on people’s feelings!
 Stroll: to walk without hurrying, often for pleasure: young couples out strolling with their arms round
each other. Stroll along/over/off/up etc: I was strolling along the river when I saw an incredible thing.
She strolled over to join them.
 Limp: to walk with difficulty because of an injured leg or foot: Coyne limped off the pitch with an ankle
injury. He was limping slightly and he looked tired.
 Hop: to move forward by jumping on one foot: The little girl was hopping along next to her mother.
1a. [intransitive] if a bird or animal hops, it uses both or all feet to jump forward
1b. [intransitive] to jump up or move somewhere quickly: He hopped over the puddle.
 Shuffle: to walk slowly and noisily without lifting your feet
1a. [intransitive or transitive] to keep moving your feet because you are nervous,
embarrassed, or bored.
 Trudge: trudge through/back/up etc to walk somewhere with slow heavy steps:
He trudged through deep snow to the village.
 Skip: to move forwards by jumping first on one foot and then the other: Julie skipped along the
pavement.
1a. to jump over a rope that you or two other people swing above your head and then
under your feet:The three girls were out in the courtyard skipping.
 Saunter: to walk in a slow and relaxed way
 Loiter: to stand or wait in a public place for no particular reason: HANG ABOUT: There’s a group of
kids loitering outside the shop.
2. to move slowly, often stopping to rest: DAWDLE: Don’t loiter, we’ve got a train to catch.
 Tropezar
 Crowl: to move along the ground on your hands and knees or with your body close to the ground: She
crawled across the floor, her eyes stinging from the smoke. They crawled through the tunnel.1a. when
a baby crawls, it moves forwards on its hands and knees: She is just learning to crawl. 2. if an
insect crawls, it moves forwards using its legs: Ants were crawling over the cheese. 3. if a
vehicle crawls, it moves forwards very slowly: Cars and lorries crawled along the main road. 3a. if a
person crawls somewhere, they move there very slowly or with difficulty: I was so tired I just wanted to
crawl into bed.
 Scamper: to move quickly with small light steps: scamper up/across/along: The boy scampered up
the tree like a squirrel.
 Tiptoe: to walk on your toes: We tiptoed down the stairs., tiptoe a`round phrasal verb [transitive]
1. tiptoe around something to avoid dealing directly with a problem: The government
should stop tiptoeing around the issue of health care. 2. tiptoe around someone to be very
careful about how you behave towards someone because you are afraid of offending or annoying
them
 Toddle: if a very young child toddles, it walks with short steps that are not steady because it is just
learning to walk.
 Stagger: to walk in an uncontrolled way, as if you are going to fall over: She staggered and fell.
Stagger backwards/towards/into/out of: He gave her a light push, and she staggered backwards. Ruth
staggered out of her bedroom to pick up the phone.