Useful B2 Expressions — English But Better

A reference list, not a lesson with exercises — browse by category, read the definition and example, and come back whenever you need a quick reminder.

Adjectives

Word	Definition	Example
disgruntled	Feeling annoyed or unhappy because something has not gone the way you wanted.	The disgruntled passengers complained loudly when their flight was cancelled.
flimsy	Not strong or well made; easily damaged or broken.	The umbrella was so flimsy that it broke in the first gust of wind.
bashful	Shy and easily embarrassed, especially around other people.	He gave a bashful smile when everyone applauded his speech.
strenuous	Requiring a lot of physical or mental effort.	Climbing that mountain was the most strenuous thing I've ever done.
grim	Serious, unpleasant, or making you feel worried.	The doctor's expression was grim as she looked at the test results.
hazy	Not clear, either because of mist or smoke in the air, or because a memory or idea is vague.	My memories of that summer are pretty hazy now.
earnest	Showing sincere and serious feelings about something.	She made an earnest attempt to apologize for her mistake.
dazzling	Extremely impressive, bright, or skillful.	The dancer gave a dazzling performance that left the audience speechless.
glum	Looking or feeling sad and disappointed.	He's been a bit glum ever since his team lost the final.
lukewarm	Only slightly warm (of a liquid); also used for a reaction that shows little enthusiasm.	The audience gave the film a lukewarm reception.

Word	Definition	Example
fidgety	Unable to stay still, moving your hands or body because you are nervous or bored.	The children got fidgety after sitting through an hour of speeches.
potty	Informal: slightly crazy or foolish; also used to mean very keen on something.	My grandmother is completely potty about her cats.
frail	Physically weak, especially because of illness or old age.	Her grandfather has become quite frail since his operation.
brittle	Hard but easily broken or snapped.	The old photographs were so brittle that they cracked when I picked them up.
reluctant	Unwilling to do something, and hesitating before doing it.	He was reluctant to sign the contract without reading it twice.
thorough	Done carefully and completely, missing no important detail.	The inspector gave the building a thorough check before approving it.
versatile	Able to do many different things, or able to be used for many different purposes.	This jacket is really versatile — you can wear it hiking or to the office.
subtle	Not obvious or easy to notice; done in a gentle, careful way.	There was a subtle change in her tone that told me something was wrong.
reckless	Acting without thinking about the danger or the consequences.	Driving that fast in the rain was incredibly reckless.
tedious	Boring and lasting too long.	Filling out these forms is such a tedious task.

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Verbs

Word	Definition	Example
bawl	To cry loudly, or to shout something in a loud, rough voice.	The toddler started to bawl the moment his mother left the room.
baffle	To confuse someone completely, so that they cannot understand or explain something.	The strange noise coming from the engine baffled every mechanic who looked at it.
mesmerize	To hold someone's attention completely, as if by magic.	The fireworks display mesmerized the entire crowd.
skimp (on)	To spend or use less of something than is really needed, in order to save money.	Don't skimp on sleep just because you're busy at work.
loiter	To stand or wait around in a public place without a clear reason.	A group of teenagers were loitering outside the shop.
snoop	To secretly look around a place or someone's things to find out information.	I caught my brother snooping through my desk drawers.
soothe	To make someone feel calmer, or to make a pain feel less severe.	She hummed a soft tune to soothe the crying baby.
bask	To sit or lie somewhere enjoying warmth, or to enjoy praise and attention.	The cat was basking in the sunshine on the windowsill.
spring	To jump suddenly and quickly, or to appear or happen suddenly.	He sprang out of bed the moment the alarm went off.
negotiate	To discuss something with someone in order to reach an agreement.	The two companies are still negotiating the terms of the deal.

Word	Definition	Example
justify	To give a good reason or explanation for something.	It's hard to justify spending so much money on a bag.
complain	To say that you are unhappy or unsatisfied about something.	Several guests complained about the noise from the street.
apologize	To say sorry for something you did wrong.	He apologized for arriving so late to the meeting.
persuade	To make someone agree to do something by giving them good reasons.	It took a while, but we finally persuaded her to join the team.
recommend	To suggest that something is good or suitable.	Could you recommend a good restaurant near the hotel?
assume	To think that something is true without checking or being certain.	I assumed you already knew about the change of plans.
acknowledge	To accept or admit that something is true, or to show that you have noticed someone.	She acknowledged that the project was behind schedule.
postpone	To arrange for something to happen at a later time than originally planned.	We had to postpone the wedding because of the storm.
accomplish	To succeed in finishing something or achieving a goal.	It took years of hard work, but she finally accomplished her dream.
hesitate	To pause before doing or saying something because you are uncertain.	He hesitated before answering the difficult question.

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Nouns

Word	Definition	Example
rookie	Someone who is new to a job, sport, or activity and still has little experience.	The rookie made a great first impression on his first day at the station.
breadth	The width of something, or the wide range or variety of something.	I was impressed by the breadth of topics covered in the course.
pudge	A small amount of soft fat on someone's body, especially used informally about babies.	The baby's little pudge around his cheeks made everyone smile.
onlooker	A person who watches an event happening without taking part in it.	A crowd of onlookers gathered to watch the street performer.
sloth	A feeling of laziness, or a strong dislike of activity or effort.	A sense of sloth took over the house on that rainy Sunday.
the boonies	Informal: an area that is far from a city, considered boring or badly connected.	They moved out to the boonies to get away from the noise.
worrywart	Informal: a person who worries too much, often about small things.	My mum's a real worrywart — she calls twice a day just to check I'm okay.
outcome	The final result of an action, event, or process.	We're still waiting to hear the outcome of the negotiations.
achievement	Something that someone has succeeded in doing, especially after a lot of effort.	Finishing the marathon was a huge achievement for her.
obstacle	Something that blocks your way or makes it difficult to achieve something.	Lack of funding was the biggest obstacle to finishing the project.

Word	Definition	Example
advantage	Something that helps you or puts you in a better position than others.	Speaking three languages gives her a real advantage in job interviews.
disadvantage	Something that puts you in a worse position, or a negative point about a situation.	The main disadvantage of living downtown is the noise.
consequence	A result, often negative, that happens because of an earlier action.	He didn't think about the consequences before quitting his job.
opportunity	A situation that makes it possible to do something you want.	Moving abroad gave her the opportunity to learn a new language.
priority	The thing that is considered more important than other things and dealt with first.	Right now, finishing this report is my top priority.
tendency	A way of behaving that someone often has, especially something slightly negative.	He has a tendency to interrupt people when he's excited.
controversy	A public disagreement about something that many people have strong opinions on.	The new law caused a lot of controversy in the local press.
dilemma	A difficult situation where you have to choose between two or more options, none of which is ideal.	She faced a real dilemma: take the safe job or follow her dream.
breakthrough	An important discovery or development that solves a problem or improves a situation.	Scientists announced a major breakthrough in the treatment of the disease.
milestone	An important event or point in the development of something.	Turning thirty felt like a real milestone in her life.

Word	Definition	Example
child-rearing	The process and responsibility of raising children.	They wrote a book together about modern child-rearing.

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Idioms & Phrases

Word	Definition	Example
if/when push comes to shove	Used to describe the moment when a situation becomes so serious that you must act or make a decision.	If push comes to shove, I'll take the extra shift myself.
to pull the wool over someone's eyes	To deceive someone, making them believe something false.	He tried to pull the wool over our eyes, but we checked the numbers ourselves.
throw a hissy fit	To react to something with a sudden, dramatic burst of anger, often over something small.	She threw a hissy fit when the restaurant ran out of her favourite dish.
put/kick up a fuss	To complain loudly or make a situation difficult because you are unhappy about something.	He kicked up such a fuss about the delay that the manager gave him a refund.
to be out and about	To be outside, active, and moving around, especially after being sick or staying home.	It's good to see you out and about again after your surgery.
over the hump	Past the hardest or most difficult part of something.	We're finally over the hump with this project — the rest should be easy.
to give someone a/the drive	Informal: to give someone a lift or ride in a vehicle.	Can you give me a drive to the station? I've missed the bus.
hit the nail on the head	To describe exactly what is causing a problem or situation, with great accuracy.	You hit the nail on the head — the real issue is a lack of communication.
once in a blue moon	Very rarely; almost never.	We only see each other once in a blue moon these days.
cost an arm and a leg	To be extremely expensive.	That new laptop cost an arm and a leg, but it's worth it.

Word	Definition	Example
break the ice	To do or say something that makes people who don't know each other feel more relaxed.	The host told a joke to break the ice before the meeting started.
under the weather	Feeling slightly ill.	I'm staying home today, I'm feeling a bit under the weather.
piece of cake	Something very easy to do.	Don't worry about the exam, it'll be a piece of cake for you.
on the same page	Having the same understanding or opinion about something as someone else.	Let's make sure we're all on the same page before the client arrives.
let the cat out of the bag	To accidentally reveal a secret.	She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
call it a day	To decide to stop working on something, usually because you are tired or it is late.	It's almost midnight, let's call it a day and finish tomorrow.
get out of hand	To become impossible to control.	The party got out of hand once word spread around the neighborhood.
make ends meet	To have just enough money to pay for the things you need.	With two kids and rising prices, it's hard to make ends meet.
take it easy	To relax and not work too hard, or used to tell someone to stay calm.	You should take it easy this weekend after such a busy week.
in the long run	Over a long period of time in the future, considering the eventual result.	It might be more expensive now, but it will save you money in the long run.

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Phrasal Verbs

Word	Definition	Example
tamper with something	To interfere with or change something without permission, especially in a way that causes damage.	Someone had clearly tampered with the lock on the back door.
jot sth down	To write something quickly, usually a short note.	Let me jot down your number before I forget it.
fiddle with sth	To touch or play with something with your hands, often out of nervousness or boredom.	He kept fiddling with his phone during the whole meeting.
give up	To stop trying to do something, or to stop a habit.	She finally gave up trying to fix the old radio herself.
look after	To take care of someone or something.	Could you look after my dog while I'm at the conference?
put off	To delay doing something until later.	We keep putting off painting the fence.
carry on	To continue doing something.	The band carried on playing even after the rain started.
take over	To take control of something from someone else.	Their new manager took over the department last month.
break down	To stop working (a machine), or to lose emotional control.	My laptop broke down right before the deadline.
come across	To find something by chance, or to give a certain impression.	I came across an old letter while cleaning the attic.

Word	Definition	Example
get along	To have a friendly relationship with someone.	It took a while, but the new roommates finally started to get along.
look forward to	To feel happy and excited about something that is going to happen.	We're really looking forward to the concert next week.
run out of	To have no more of something left.	We ran out of printer paper right before the deadline.
set up	To arrange or organize something, or to establish a business.	They set up a small stand at the local market.
turn down	To refuse an offer or request.	She turned down the promotion because it meant moving abroad.
work out	To exercise, or to find a solution to a problem.	It took some time, but we finally worked out a fair schedule.
bring up	To mention a topic, or to raise a child.	I didn't want to bring up the accident in front of the kids.
catch up	To reach the same level as someone else, or to share news after not seeing someone for a while.	Let's catch up over coffee sometime next week.
deal with	To take action to solve a problem or handle a situation.	The customer service team deals with complaints every day.
figure out	To understand or find the solution to something after thinking about it.	It took me a while to figure out how the new software works.

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