> SIMILAR TO: chase make away with make away with sth | NOT PASSIVE BrE informal to steal something and escape with it: Thieves made away with thousands of dollars worth of jewellery..
Trang 1BrE to make something disappear quickly and
without any effort: The new government was facing a serious political problem which couldn 't be magicked away
magic up
‘magic ‘sth’ up | magic up |sth
to make something appear quickly and with- out any effort: The program can magic up facts
on any subject within a couple of minutes
MAJOR
majored, majored, majoring
AmE to study something as your main subject
at a college or university: She decided to major in biology
> SIMILAR TO: chase make away with
make away with sth | NOT PASSIVE BrE informal to steal something and escape with it: Thieves made away with thousands of dollars worth of jewellery
* SIMILAR TO: make off with make away with sb
BrE old-fashioned to kill someone, especially after deciding to do it and planning it secretly: Mrs Jonathan now realized that she would never get a divorce So she decided to make away with him instead
* SIMILAR TO: kill, do away with informal
»|make for sth NOT PASSIVE
to move towards something: Af /ast the film finished and we got up and made for the exit | The two pilots made for Barber’s Point and awaited instructions for take-off
* SIMILAR TO: head for
- be made for each other
if two people are made for each other, they
each seem to be the perfect person for the
other to have a happy relationship with: Id
like to see Seb and Carrie get married They re made for each other
make for sth | NOT PASSIVE
to help to cause a particular effect or situa- tion, or to produce a particular result: The game was played in heavy rain, which made for very dangerous conditions | With restau- rants open late into the night, it all makes for
a festive atmosphere | The author’s descrip- tion is vivid and thorough, and this makes for
a very good read
to change something in order to use it in a different way or for a different purpose: Sagan § best-selling book is being made into a movie by director Robert Zemeckis | The assistant showed us how an ordinary-looking sofa could be made into two beds
* SIMILAR TO: turn into 2- make sb into sth
to change someone so that they become a
different sort of person or have a different position in society: The film made her into a star overnight | Russell had spent a year in prison before he was found not guilty It had made him into a bitter man
* SIMILAR TO: turn into
Ẹ ‘what do you make of | sthisb?
if you ask someone what they make of some- thing or someone, you want to know what their opinion of or reaction to them is: “J say, what do you make of this?” Martin said, point- ing to a small article in that morning s paper
not know what to make of sth/sb (=not know how to understand or react towards something or someone) When the company suddenly announced that its regional offices were closing, we didn't know what to make of it | Hudson didn’t like children, and never really knew what to make of his son
* SIMILAR TO: think of
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Trang 2.make off <<
to leave quickly, especially in order to escape:
Detectives believe that the gunmen made off in
the direction of Barnwell Park
* SIMILAR TO: take off
make off with
make off with sth NOT PAssIVE
to steal something and escape with it: Biggs
and sixteen others made off with £2.5 million
in the Great Train Robbery of 1965
* SIMILAR TO: make away with
‘make out ‘sth | ‘make sth out NOT PASSIVE
if you can make something out, you can see
or hear it, but with difficulty: Jn the semi-
darkness, Delaney could just make out the
Russian ’s face
not be able to make sth out (=not be able
to see or hear something clearly) The
words were in small print and I couldn't
quite make them out | Maurice could hear
voices in the kitchen below, but he couldn't
make out what was being said
make out sth make sth out Nor passive,
USUALLY NEGATIVE
if you can make something out, you can
understand it although it is difficult to under-
stand: Nobody could make out exactly what
Murphy was trying to say | I can’t make out
why she did that, can you?
from what sb can make out (=according
to what someone understands about a
situation, although it may not be correct)
From what I can make out, the girl ran
straight into the road, without stopping to
to describe something or someone, usually
wrongly, as a particular type of thing or per-
son, because you want people to believe that
it is true: He was a good man, but the press
made him out to be weak and unimportant |
So what about fox-hunting? Is it really the
bloody sport that it's made out to be?
make out (that) |
especially BrE to try to make people believe
that something is true when it is not: Dont
you make out I’m a liar, Eric, or I'll knock you
down! | When Mum came in I was still feeling
really annoyed so I made out that I was
* SIMILAR TO: write out
can’t make ‘sb out
if you can’t make someone out, you cannot understand what kind of person they are, or why they behave as they do: Dorothy š such
a quiet reserved person I’ve never been able
to make her out at all
* SIMILAR TO: can’t figure sb out, can’t work
sb out BrE make out) Ame informal to kiss and touch someone in a sexual way: A couple of teenagers were
making out in the back of the movie theater
* SIMILAR TO: snog BrE informal
‘how did you make out?
spoken used to ask if someone was successful:
How did you make out in the race yesterday?
+ to When Rose reached sixty, she made over the farm to her son
|| make up sth) USUALLY PASSIVE
if a number of parts or members make up something, they combine together to form it:
Women made up over 40% of the workforce | the countries that make up the United Nations
be made up of /ndonesia is made up of over
13,000 islands | The group was made up of
a psychologist, a social worker, and myself
1945 he made up his mind to quit school 7
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Trang 3sb’s mind is made up (=they have decided
to do something and are determined to do it) From the moment she saw her first ballet her mind was made up She wanted to be a dancer, and nothing else
* SIMILAR TO: decide make up sth ‘make sth up
to think of a lie, excuse, or story that is not true in order to deceive someone: Diana’
brother accused the press of harassing her and making up stories about her | I bet he’s making it all up
* SIMILAR TO: invent made-up ADJ not true and intended to deceive someone:
She just gave them some made-up story about how she needed the money for an emergency
-¡make up |sth | make | sth up
to think of something new using your imag- ination, for example the words for a new song, story etc: The soldiers used to make up rude songs about him | He couldn't remember any fairy stories, so he made one up about a magic carpet — the children loved it
make it up as you go along (=decide how
to do something while you are doing it instead of planning it before) We didnt have any experience when we started the company, so we just made it up as we went along
** SIMILAR TO: invent
|make up |sth) made
to prepare or arrange something so that it is ready to be used — use this about lists, beds, sandwiches, or medicines: My wifes made up
a bed for you in the spare room | Shall I make
up some sandwiches?
> SIMILAR TO: prepare, get ready
‘make up make it up
if two people who have had an argument make up, they talk to each other and agree to become friends again
+ with Although the father had made up with his daughter, there was still a strain between him and his son-in-law
kiss and make up spoken (=become friendly again with someone after an argument) Alderson isn't about to kiss and make up with his adversaries soon, and has issued a string of lawsuits against them
* SIMILAR TO: patch up
make-up test N [C]
AmE a test in school or college that you do later than other people in the class, because you were not there to do it at the same time
‘make up sh
to add to an amount or number, so that you have the amount or number that you need in order to do something: J’m paying £800 towards the car, and my parents say they'll make up the rest of the money | We need two more players to make up the team
make up the difference (=pay the remaining money that is needed) 70% of the theatre's costs are covered by ticket sales, with a government grant making up the difference
make up | sb make sb up|
to put coloured creams, powders etc onto someone’s face to change the way they look: She had been made up to look like an old woman
make-up N [U]
coloured creams, powders etc that people, especially women and actors, put on their face to change their appearance: J always
go for heavy sixties-stvle eye make-up | She paused before applying her make-up and stared at the mirror
make up for sth
if a good situation makes up for a bad one, it makes you forget the bad situation and feel happy again: Last night's victory made up for all the problems we've had in previous games more than make up for sth (=be so good that it makes the bad situation seem unimportant) She felt exhausted, but the sheer pleasure of having reached the summit more than made up for it
* SIMILAR TO: compensate for make up for sth NoT PASSIVE
to do something good for someone after doing something bad to them, so that they forgive you: Can I buy you lunch to make up for being late? | Mike forgot his wife's birth- day — so he took her to Paris to make up for it
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Trang 4325
3 make up for ‘sth |
to have so much of a good quality that it is not
important that you do not have enough of
another quality: Perhaps Sue lacked natural
skill, but she certainly made up for that with her
enthusiasm | What the diamonds lacked in size,
they apparently made up for in quality
make up for lost time
a to work more quickly or at times when
you do not usually work, because something
has prevented you from doing your work: /
was ill last week, so I had to work all weekend
to make up for lost time
b to become involved in an activity very
eagerly, because you wish you had discov-
ered it earlier in your life: Ursula didn't start
dancing until she was 40, so now she feels
she’s trying to make up for lost time
make up to
- 'make it up to 'sb
to do something good for someone after dis-
appointing them or treating them badly, so
that they forgive you: I’m sorry I haven t seen
you much lately, but I'll make it up to you, I
promise
make up to sb NOT PASSIVE
to talk to someone in a very friendly way
because you want to have sex with them:
Paul came to the party uninvited, and then
started making up to all the women
* SIMILAR TO: chat up Br informal
ee ae
make up to sb/ NOT PASSIVE
BrE old-fashioned to be very friendly to some-
one in authority because you want them to
do something for you: students who start
making up to the teacher just before the exams
* SIMILAR TO: suck up to informal
MAP
mapped, mapped, mapping
‘map out sth map sth out
to plan something carefully or to explain
carefully what your plans are: Felicity future
had been mapped out for her by wealthy and
adoring parents | The Chancellor mapped out
yesterday what he hopes is Britain's road to
to walk to a particular place in a large group in
order to attack it or to protest about
something: Mikael gathered his troops and prepared to march on Addis Ababa | Demon- strators marched on the government in Berlin, and demanded that its leaders answer for their policies
MARK marked, marked, marking
* SIMILAR TO: mark down as Br£, label
‘mark |sth down) mark down sth
to reduce the price of something: Pentos shares were marked down by 14p to 56p | The store was having its final sale on Friday, with everything marked down by 20%
* SIMILAR TO: reduce
@ OPPOSITE: mark up markdown N [C]
a reduction in the price of something: We are offering a 20% markdown on selected products
‘mark down ‘sth | ‘mark sth down |
to write something down, especially in order
to keep a record: As part of the diet, I had to mark down everything I ate each day
* SIMILAR TO: jot down mark | sblsth down | | mark down | sb/sth |
if teachers mark a student or their work down, they give the student a lower score:
Miss Perkovich marked me down three points for beginning a sentence with ‘but’
mark down as_
‘mark | sb/sth down as sth
BrE to consider someone or something to be
a particular type of person or thing: From the start of his rugby career, Andrew has been marked down as a very exciting player | The Netherlands was marked down as a particu- larly attractive area for economic expansion
* SIMILAR TO: mark as
mark off sth, mark sth off
to separate an area of ground or show where its border is: Within the garden, hedges are valuable for marking off special areas and providing shelter | The Voskresenye Gates mark off the north side of Red Square
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Trang 5to make something or someone different from other things or people of a similar type
+ from Each of the city’s districts has its own distinct character that marks it off from
its neighbours
* SIMILAR TO: distinguish formal
mark sth off mark off sth
to put a mark beside or through something that is written on a list, to show that it has been dealt with or chosen etc: J began to
mark the days off on a chart | He marked off the names of people he could rely on for
support
* SIMILAR TO: cross off, tick off BrE, check off
mark sb/sth| out mark out | sb/sth|
BrE to make someone or something seem dif- ferent from or better than other people or things, especially in a very noticeable way:
Felipe was broad-shouldered and slim He still had that athletic look that had marked
him out so long ago
+ as Her considerable experience of inter- national law marked her out as exceptional
+ from /t’s the way real ale is produced that marks it out from other beers
* SIMILAR TO: distinguish
a viewing platform for spectators
‘be marked out (for sth)
if someone is marked out for something, they have special qualities and abilities which make them likely to achieve it
+ for Right from the beginning, he seemed
to have been marked out for a career in baseball
* SIMILAR TO: be destined
‘mark up | sth’ mark |sth| up|
to increase the price of something, especially
so that it will sell for more than has been paid for it: Jt annoys farmers to see how much their produce has been marked up by the time
it reaches the shops | The market was relieved that the figures were not worse, and marked the shares up 7p
* SIMILAR TO: put up, hike up
@ OPPOSITE: mark down mark-up N [C]
an increase in the price of something, especially the difference between the
BrE to put a mark beside something that is written on a list, to show that you have dealt with it or chosen it: Jt was Lawrie ’s job to col- lect the rents and mark them up in a book | The vehicles are all tested first and their parts are marked up for repair as necessary
‘mark up sth 'mark |sth| up|
to write any necessary instructions for
changes on a piece of writing or music that is intended to be printed: Text must be checked
and marked up for corrections
MARRY
married, married, marrying
marry above
marry above yourself/
marry above your station
to marry someone of a lower social class than your own: People said that Elsie had
married beneath her, when she married James Abott, a farm worker
@ OPPOSITE: marry above yourself/marry above your station old-fashioned
marry into | sth
to marry someone from a particular family or social group, especially a rich or important one, and so become part of it: Douglas
Robinson married into the Roosevelt family of Oyster Bay
marry off sb) | marry sb/ off,
old-fashioned to arrange for someone, espe- cially a female member of your family, to get married or to marry someone you have
chosen: Jn country areas it was common for fathers to marry off their daughters when they
reached twelve or thirteen
+ to The Duke's daughter, Anne, was seized
and married off to Charles VIII of France
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Trang 6327 MATCH
MASQUERADE
.marry out
old-fashioned to marry someone whose reli-
gion or social background is different to your
own: A lot of Jewish people were frightened
that their children might marry out and raise
their children as non-Jews
+ of The film centres on a clever young man
who marries out of his working-class back-
BrE old-fashioned if two things marry up or if
you marry them up, they join Ho thiệt or
connect
+ with The two halves can then be trimmed
and married up | The new parts should
marry up with the old system
* SIMILAR TO: connect
MARVEL
marvelled, marvelled, marvelling BrE
marveled, marveled, marveling AmE
RE eee
‘marvel at sth
to be very surprised by something, especially
a quality that you admire about something or
someone: Those who watch the programme
marvel at the speed of Carole’ brain |
Visitors never cease to marvel at the beauty of
the Taj Mahal | One can only marvel at the
wisdom of the writers of the US constitution
to crush food until it is soft and smooth: He
was busy mashing up vegetables for the baby’s
lunch
MASK
masked, masked, masking
mask off sth, mask | sth off
to cover a surface, for example with paper, so
that you can paint or do something else to
the area that surrounds it without affecting
the part you have covered: Remove the door
handles and carefully mask off any areas that
you do not want to paint
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masqueraded, masqueraded, masquerading
masquerade as
eae er eee
‘masquerade as sth/sb| USUALLY PROGRESSIVE
to pretend or appear to be something or someone different: J have better things to do than discuss the silly stories that masquerade
as news in some local newspapers | By mas- querading as poisonous insects, these flies avoid attacks from birds | We had a cup of hot brown stuff which masqueraded as tea
MATCH matched, matched, matching
match against
1 match sblsth against sb/sth USUALLY PASSIVE
to make two people, teams etc compete against each other to see which one is best:
The two men were matched against each other
in Game 3 of the American League Champion- ship series
‘match | sth against sth | USUALLY PASSIVE
to compare one thing with another in order
to see whether they are the same: The cor- rect answers can be matched very quickly against each candidate’ test | No fingerprints were found in the car which could be matched against the ones in the flat
match up
if two things match up, they are similar or suitable for each other in some way + with What other people say does not always match up with our own experience
+ against especially BrE It’s important to select employees who match up against a particu- lar job profile
* SIMILAR TO: match
match sb/sth up match up sblsth
especially BrE to be of a good enough standard:
If they want to be players on the international scene, their standards will have to match up |
It was fashionable to be incredibly thin and my figure just didn't match up
* SIMILAR TO: measure up
Trang 7MATCH
4 match up
especially AmE if a team, player etc matches up with another team, player etc, they play at a similar standard and compete against each other well
+ against/with The Raiders didn't match up well against the Chiefs, who seemed to get all the opportunities they needed
matchup N [C]
AmE a match or competition between two
or more teams or people: Jn the Clinton- Dole-Powell matchup, Clinton won with nearly 44% of the vote
+ with The nation’s no.] team is heading into tonights Final Four matchup with Kentucky
‘match up to
to be as good, interesting etc as something or someone else: Id already read the book, but the filmed matched up to it in every way | Our neighbours returned from their holiday early, complaining that Rome did not match up to London!
match up to your expectations/hopes/
ideals etc (=be as good as you expected, hoped etc) J was really disappointed by Hollywood It didn’t match up to my expec- tations at all
* SIMILAR TO: measure up, live up to MAUL
mauled, mauled, mauling
maul around/about maul sth/sb | aroundlabout
BrE informal to pull something or someone from one position to another in a rough or violent way: Some of the women complained about the medical examination, saying that they had been mauled about and treated like pieces of meat
MAX
maxed, maxed, maxing
eee
| max out AmE informal if you max out on something, you have too much of it and do not want any more
+ on Today's audiences have maxed out on violent movies and are demanding family- oriented films
.max out:
AmE informal to put as much time, effort, money etc as possible into doing something:
328 Jordan has been maxing out in every game and keeping up a fast pace
maxed-out AD]
AmE informal if a system, process, method etc is maxed-out, it is being used to the highest degree possible: We need to take care of the city’s maxed-out sewage system
by finding ways to conserve water
‘max out your credit card
AmE informal to spend the highest amount that your credit card will allow: College stu- dents often max out their credit cards and spend years repaying the debt
MEASURE measured, measured, measuring
measure yourself against sb/sth /f all musi- cians measured themselves against Mozart, they would get very depressed
measure off
‘measure sth off measure off sth,
to measure a length of something especially material and cut it off from a larger piece:
They decided on a dark green material, and the elderly assistant measured off the required length
measure out measure out ‘sth measure sth | out
to weigh or measure a particular amount of something that you want to use, often in
order to make something: J showed the chil-
dren how to measure out and mix the ingredi- ents for the cake | The shop assistant got down the dress material and measured it out carefully
to be of a good enough standard how does sb/sth measure up (=used when
asking what someone or something is like
and whether they are good enough) What happens to teachers who don't measure up? | How does your new house measure up?
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Trang 8329
+ to J wondered how he would measure up
to being chairman | Some of the colleges
to be as good as someone or something else,
when you compare them: According to our
research, girls still do not measure up to boys
in science subjects
MELT
courses do not measure up to the required 4 meet with | sb | Not Passive
to have a meeting with someone in order to
2 measure up | measure sth) up, discuss or arrange something: Buchanan will
——-e meet with his advisers on Thursday to decide
P sth * on his next course of action
to measure the exact size of something, for 2 /meet with |sth Ibe met with | sth|
example a room or a piece of furniture: Jn
most cases, when you buy new carpets, the if something meets with or is met witha par-
firm will measure up for you | We hadn't mea- ticular reaction, that is the way people react
sured up properly, and when the washing to it: The architect’s design did not meet with
machine arrived it wouldnt fit in the space their approval | A decision to hold the confer-
| [ | ` ence in Berlin met with resistance from our
| measure | sb up, peer’ SF sb | ‘ colleagues | The government's proposals were
to look at someone carefully in order to met with opposition by all the parties con-
decide what your opinion of them is, espe- cerned | News of the merger has been met
cially when you first meet them: The two with great excitement in the city
men shook hands and silently measured each 3 NOT PASSIVE
other up
* SIMILAR TO: size up, weigh up if someone or something meets with success,
failure, problems etc, they experience suc-
measure up against cess, failure, problems etc: The company’s
— efforts to expand met with some success
| measure ‘sbi sth up against sbisth meet with an accident (=have an accident)
to compare someone or something with Bill looked serious “One of our workers
another person or thing, in order to find has met with an accident,” he said
which is better bigger etc: How does the com-
pany’s performance measure up against tte MELLOW
mellowed, mellowed, mellowing
mellow out | mellow | sb) out
AmE informal to become relaxed and calm, or
to make someone become relaxed and calm:
I just like to go home and mellow out in front
of the TV after work | She’s really mellowed
him out in the two years they ve been dating
* SIMILAR TO: relax, chill out spoken informal
to meet someone, either because you have
arranged to, or by chance: Ifyou d like to meet
up for a drink sometime, give me a call | The
members of the band had all had various
music jobs before they met up a year ago
+ with We met up with the rest of the group
in Frankfurt
* SIMILAR TO: meet, get together
meet up
if two or more things meet up, they join or
come together at a particular place: A number
of paths run down through the woods and
meet up at the bottom
+ with She was wearing a tiny white T-shirt
that didn't meet up with her jeans
* SIMILAR TO: join
1
melt away
melt away.”
to gradually disappear: Harman saw her
hopes of promotion slowly melt away | He laughed suddenly, and all the irritation in his face melted away
+ into The high rocky cliffs melted away
into long stretches of silvery beach | Olivia
saw his hard look melt away into tender-
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Trang 9up later
melt sth down melt down sth
to heat metal until it becomes a liquid and can be used again: Silver from this period is rare, as it was melted down in the Revolution
to fund wars | The beautiful copper engraving had been melted down to make a tea-kettle
meltdown N [C,U]
a very dangerous situation in which the material in a nuclear reactor melts and burns through its container, allowing radioactivity to escape A nuclear reactor
is a large machine that produces nuclear energy: One incident at Greifswald in 1976 nearly caused a meltdown, which would have been a disaster even greater than Chernobyl
‘melt into sth
to disappear or change and be replaced by something else: She watched the hope in his face melt into disappointment | The crowd ’s cheers melted into gasps of admiration and approval
melt into [st
if people melt into a crowd, a wood etc, they move towards it and into it until they are part of it and cannot be seen: Lesley said goodbye and watched him melt into the crowds | One of the boys ran straight past and melted into the shadows before anyone could stop him | There was no-one at the party that
he knew or wanted to know He decided to melt into the background
* SIMILAR TO: disappear MERGE
merged, merged, merging
its) eae Lt
` merge in |
Ct
BrE if two or more things merge in, they are
so similar in style, colour, apa etc that you do not notice much difference between them
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to padualy disappear or seem to disappear
and become part of something else: Autumn
slowly merged into winter | We followed the track south until it eventually merged into a minor road leading to the village | As night fell, their figures merged into the landscape
‘merge into the background |
BrE to be in a position in which you are not
at all noticeable or important: Evans went to live among the people of southern Sudan, hoping to merge into the background of their everyday lives
messed, messed, messing
mess around ALSO mess about especially BrE
1 mess around/about informal to behave in a silly way, when you should be working or helping someone: Stop messing about you two! | I used to mess about
a lot in class when I was at school
* SIMILAR TO: muck about/around BE informal,
fool around Amé informal
‘mess around/about informal to spend your time enjoying yourself and relaxing or playing: She spends most of her weekends messing around at the beach
.mess ‘sb around/about | BrE informal to treat someone badly, for exam- ple by not being completely honest with them or by not doing what you have agreed
to do: Linda’s upset because some guy's been messing her around | I still haven't had my money from the insurance company — they ve really messed me around
* SIMILAR TO: muck sb about/around BrE informal, mess with
mess around with sb 4né ALSO mess about with sea [mess around/about with | sth |
informal to try to change something in order to try to improve it or make it work better, espe- cially when it would be better if you did not:
I came home to find Mike messing around with the television | Its a lovely song — I just wish people wouldn t mess around with it | The mes- sage here is simple — don’t mess around with a system that already works perfectly well
* SIMILAR TO: muck about/around with
especially BrE informal, mess with informa pdt’cort to’ th Í
ö remövV€ this watermai
Trang 10331
2 | mess around/about with |sb
informal to have a sexual relationship with
someone who is married or already has a
boyfriend or girlfriend: J can t stand men who
mess around with other peoples wives
* SIMILAR TO: fool around with, play around
with informal
mess around with | sb
AmE informal to treat someone badly, for
example by not being completely honest
with them or by not doing what you have
agreed to do: Cranberg told his attorneys to
quit messing around with him
* SIMILARTO: mess sb around/about BrE informal
informal to spoil something important, espe-
cially something that it has taken you a long
time to plan or do: If you make a mistake like
that it can easily mess up a whole day's work |
I’m sorry if I messed up all your plans
mess things up (=spoil someone’s plans)
If we can't get our passports in time it’ll
really mess things up for the holiday
* SIMILAR TO: cock up BrE informal, foul up informal
.mess sth up, mess up sth
informal to make something dirty or untidy:
Dont come in here with those muddy boots
You ll mess up the carpet
be messed up Her hair was all messed up,
as though she d just gotten out of bed
‘mess up| ‘mess sth up
informal to make a mistake or do something
badly: The hardest thing in the world is to
stand up and say, “I messed up and it was my
fault.” | “How did the exam go?” “Terrible I
think I really messed it up.”
mess up big time (=make a bad mistake)
When political figures mess up big time like
this, they always make the same excuse
* SIMILAR TO: cock up BrE informal
‘mess sb up| ‘mess up sb|
informal to upset someone badly or to make
them have emotional or mental problems: She
had a lot of problems when she was young,
which really messed her up in later years
* SIMILAR TO: serew up informal
messed-up ADJ
someone who is messed-up has serious
emotional or mental problems: When I
made the film Midnight Express, I had to
play aman who was permanently messed-up
mess with drugs
* SIMILAR TO: fool with AmE informal
mess with | sb ` spoken informal to annoy or cause trouble for someone, especially someone dangerous:
Just keep your mouth shut That's Johnny's
house No one messes with him | “Tf you mess with me, Deacon,” he said in a slow voice,
“‘T'll rip your head off.”
mess with sth informal to try to change or improve some- thing that does not look right or is not work-
ing well: J wish youd stop messing with the
TY, I’m trying to watch it
* SIMILAR TO: mess around with informal
severe or unfair: Severe punishments are metered out to anyone who dares to oppose the military government
* SIMILAR TO: deal out, administer formal
against a sense of community | It has been suggested that the increasing importance of science and technology in the workplace will militate against women
happen: There was chaos outside, with people milling around the body, waiting for an ambu-
lance to arrive | The guests were milling about =
the courtyard, with glasses of champagne in their hands
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