This lesson practises 30 C2 collocations on Feelings, Opinions & Attitudes. Collocations are fixed word pairings that native speakers expect — Cambridge examiners test them in Use of English Part 1 and reward precise lexis in Writing. Run through the interactive drills first, then open this glossary to revise every item in the set. For question-by-question feedback, use Review mode after you finish the session.
lull in the conversation
After the argument, there was a long lull in the conversation.
utterly ridiculous
Calling the whole exercise pointless was utterly ridiculous.
take exception to
Several parents chose to take exception to the decision to cancel the trip.
broach the subject of something
He waited until dinner was over to broach the subject of moving house.
have every confidence in the colleague
I have every confidence in the colleague leading the negotiation.
inconsolable grief
The family was overcome by inconsolable grief after the accident.
pass judgement on the colleague
It is wrong to pass judgement on the colleague before all the facts are known.
be in for a shock
Anyone expecting an easy recovery may be in for a shock.
adopt an ambivalent stance
The board may adopt an ambivalent stance on whether to expand overseas.
rough idea
We have only a rough idea of how the new policy will affect staff.
flicker of emotion
A flicker of emotion crossed his face before he regained his composure.
derive pleasure from
He seemed to derive pleasure from the difficult decision, even though it troubled the rest of the team.
heap praise on
The critics were quick to heap praise on the colleague for handling the crisis calmly.
slightly offensive
His joke was slightly offensive, even though he meant no harm.
thoroughly enjoy
The children thoroughly enjoy the sense of achievement after a hard task.
turn their thoughts to
As the deadline approached, they had to turn their thoughts to the difficult decision.
flicker of hope
The new evidence gave the family a flicker of hope.
minimise danger
Wearing a helmet can minimise danger on a busy construction site.
mounting fury
His mounting fury became obvious when the promised refund never arrived.
come as a bit of a shock
The sudden price increase came as a bit of a shock to customers.
absolutely delighted
She was absolutely delighted when her research proposal was accepted.
cautiously optimistic
The doctor remained cautiously optimistic about the treatment's outcome.
harbour deep-seated resentment
She continued to harbour deep-seated resentment over the way she was treated.
whole gamut of emotions
The final scene took the audience through the whole gamut of emotions.
not bear the thought of
The family could not bear the thought of leaving their home.
glimmer of hope
The rescue message offered a glimmer of hope to those waiting outside.
fertile imagination
Her fertile imagination often turned ordinary worries into elaborate scenarios.
thoroughly ashamed
She felt thoroughly ashamed after repeating the false rumour.
utterly absurd
The suggestion that nobody needed help was utterly absurd.
decades elapse
As decades elapse, memories of the event can become less precise.