time Flashcards
(12 cards)
instant(n)
1.[countable, usually singular] a very short period of time
SYNONYM moment
in an instant I’ll be back in an instant.
for an instant Just for an instant I thought he was going to refuse.
2. a particular point in time
at that instant At that (very) instant, the door opened.
the instant (that)… I recognized her the instant (that) (= as soon as) I saw her.
this instant Come here this instant (= immediately)!
instant(adj)
1. happening immediately
SYNONYM immediate
This account gives you instant access to your money.
The show was an instant success.
People today seem to want instant gratification.
2.[only before noun] (of food) that can be made quickly and easily, usually by adding hot water
instant coffee
latter(adj,n)
1.used to refer to the second of two things or people mentioned
He chose the latter option.
The latter point is the most important.
2.nearer to the end of a period of time than the beginning
the latter half of the year
during the latter stages of the tournament
The latter half of the twentieth century saw huge growth in air travel.
3.recent
In latter years, the population has grown a lot here.
cái thứ hai,phần còn lại
former(adj,n)
1.that existed in earlier times
SYNONYM past (3)
This fine ruin was, in former times, a royal castle.
This beautiful old building has been restored to its former glory.
her former life as a Russian ballerina
2.that used to have a particular position or status in the past
SYNONYM previous, one-time (1)
the 41-year-old former world champion
the former president/prime minister
former South African president Nelson Mandela
both current and former employees
a former staff member
my former boss/colleague/wife
the countries of the former Soviet Union
former Portuguese colonies
3.the former… used to refer to the first of two things or people mentioned
The former option would be much more sensible.
*be a shadow/ghost of your former self
to not have the strength, influence, etc. that you used to have
When his career ended, he became a shadow of his former self.
cái trước
sometime=some time/sometimes:at times
1.at a time that you do not know exactly or has not yet been decided
I saw him sometime last summer.
We must get together sometime.
sometime(adj) formal
1.used to refer to what somebody used to be
Thomas Atkins, sometime vicar of this parish
2.used to refer to what somebody does occasionally
a sometime contributor to this magazine
1.against time
if you do something against time, you do it as fast as you can because you do not have much time
They’re working against time to try and get people out of the rubble alive.
2.ahead of/behind time
earlier/later than was expected
We finished 15 minutes ahead of time.
The plane took off an hour behind time.
3.all the time | the whole time
during the whole of a particular period of time
The letter was in my pocket all the time (= while I was looking for it).
very often; repeatedly
She leaves the lights on all the time.
4.at all times
always
Our representatives are ready to help you at all times.
Hot water is available at all times.
5.at the best of times
even when the circumstances are very good
He’s never very happy at the best of times—he’ll be much worse now!
6.at the same time
at one time; together
She was laughing and crying at the same time.
used to introduce a fact that is different and must be considered
You have to be firm, but at the same time you should try and be sympathetic.
7.at a time
separately or in groups of two, three, etc. on each occasion
We had to go and see the principal one at a time.
She ran up the stairs two at a time.
He surfs the internet for hours at a time.
8.at my, your, his, etc. time of life
at the age you are (especially when you are not young)
Eyesight doesn’t get any better at my time of life.
9.before my, your, his, etc. time
happening before you were born or can remember or before you lived, worked, etc. somewhere
‘Were you taught by Professor Pascal?’ ‘No, he was before my time.’
before the usual time in somebody’s life when something happens
SYNONYM prematurely
She got old before her time.
10.behind the times
old-fashioned in your ideas, methods, etc.
11.be in the right place at the right time
to be able to take advantage of opportunities when they come
His success was down to being in the right place at the right time.
12.be (living) on borrowed time
to still be alive after the time when you were expected to die
He’s been living on borrowed time ever since his last heart attack.
to be doing something that other people are likely to soon stop you from doing
According to the latest opinion polls, the government is living on borrowed time.
13.better luck next time
(informal) used to encourage somebody who has not been successful at something
Never mind— better luck next time.
If you didn’t win a prize, better luck next time.
14.bide your time
to wait for the right time to do something
He decided to bide his time until he got an opportunity to talk to her alone.
15.buy time
to do something in order to delay an event, a decision, etc.
The negotiators kept the gunman talking to buy time for the hostages.
16.do time
(informal) to spend time in prison
17.every time
whenever there is a choice
I don’t really like cities—give me the countryside every time.
18.for old times’ sake
if you do something for old times’ sake, you do it because it is connected with something good that happened to you in the past
19.for the time being
for a short period of time but not permanently
You can leave your suitcase here for the time being.
20.from time to time
occasionally but not regularly
She has to work at weekends from time to time.
21.gain time
to delay something so that you can have more time to make a decision, deal with a problem, etc.
22.give somebody a hard time
to deliberately make a situation difficult and unpleasant for somebody
They really gave me a hard time at the interview.
23.have an easy time (of it)
to have no difficulties or problems
He’s had an easy time of it since he married Lucy.
24.have a lot of time for somebody/something
(informal, especially British English) to like and be interested in somebody/something
I’ve always had a lot of time for Mary.
25.have no time for somebody/something | not have much time for somebody/something
(informal) to dislike somebody/something
I have no time for lazy people like Steve.
26.have the time of your life
(informal) to enjoy yourself very much
27.have time on your hands | have time to kill
(informal) to have nothing to do or not be busy
28.have a whale of a time
(informal) to enjoy yourself very much; to have a very good time
The kids had a whale of a time at the theme park.
29.in the course of time
when enough time has passed
SYNONYM eventually
It is possible that in the course of time a cure for cancer will be found.
In the course of time, I began to understand.
30.in the fullness of time
when the time is appropriate, usually after a long period
I have no doubt that she’ll tell us in the fullness of time.
1.in good time
early; with enough time so that you are not in a hurry
Get to the airport in good time.
2.(all) in good time
(informal) used to say that something will be done or will happen at the appropriate time and not before
Be patient, Emily! All in good time.
3.in the nick of time
(informal) at the very last moment; just before something bad happens, so that you manage to avoid it, but only just
They escaped from the smoke-filled house just in the nick of time.
4.in (less than/next to) no time
so soon or so quickly that it is surprising
The kids will be leaving home in no time.
5.in olden times
(also in the olden days)
a long time ago in the past
In olden times people would gather in town squares to gossip and exchange stories.
6.in your own sweet time/way
how and when you want to, even though this might annoy other people
He always does the work, but in his own sweet time.
She just ignores all the criticism and continues on her own sweet way.
7.in your own (good) time
(informal) when you are ready and not sooner
Don’t hassle him! He’ll do it in his own good time.
8.in your own time
in your free time and not when you usually work or study
9.in time
after a period of time when a situation has changed
SYNONYM eventually
They learned to accept their stepmother in time.
You’ll get used to the work in time.
10.in time (for something/to do something)
not late; with enough time to be able to do something
Will we be in time for the six o’clock train?
The ambulance got there just in time (= to save somebody’s life).
11.it’s about/high time
(informal) used to say that you think somebody should do something soon
It’s about time you cleaned your room!
12.it’s just/only a matter of time (before…)
used to say that something will definitely happen, although you are not sure when
It’s only a matter of time before they bring out their own version of the software.
13.keep up/move with the times
to change and develop your ideas, way of working, etc. so that you do what is modern and what is expected
Many complained that the Royal Family had failed to move with the times.
14.kill time | kill an hour, a couple of hours, etc.
to spend time doing something that is not important while you are waiting for something else to happen
We killed time playing cards.
15.make good, etc. time
to complete a journey quickly
We made excellent time and arrived in Spain in two days.
16.make up for lost time
to do something quickly or very often because you wish you had started doing it sooner
I’ll have to work hard now to make up for lost time.
17.(the) next, first, second, etc. time round
on the next, first, etc. occasion that the same thing happens
He repeated none of the errors he’d made first time round.
This time round it was not so easy.
18.nine times out of ten | ninety-nine times out of a hundred
used to say that something is usually true or almost always happens
Nine times out of ten she gives the right answer.
19.(and) not before time | (and) about time (too)
used to say that something should have happened before now
20.not give somebody the time of day
to refuse to speak to somebody because you do not like or respect them
Since the success of her novel, people shake her hand who once wouldn’t have given her the time of day.
21.(there is) no time like the present
(saying) now is the best time to do something, not in the future
22.of all time
that has ever existed
Many rated him the best singer of all time.
23.on time
at the arranged or correct time; not late
The train arrived right on time.
24.play for time
to find or create reasons why something has to be delayed, often so you have longer to prepare for it
His legal team, clearly playing for time, sought to have the case heard a month later.
25.a race against time/the clock
a situation in which you have to do something or finish something very fast before it is too late
Getting food to the starving refugees is now a race against time.
26.a sign of the times
something that you feel shows what things are like now, especially how bad they are
The increasing number of people owning guns is an alarming sign of the times.
27.take it/things one day at a time
(informal) to not think about what will happen in the future
I don’t know if he’ll get better. We’re just taking it one day at a time.
28.take your time (over something) | take your time to do something/doing something
to use as much time as you need without hurrying
There’s no rush—take your time.
used to say you think somebody is late or is too slow in doing something
You certainly took your time getting here!
29.take time out
to spend some time away from your usual work or activity in order to rest or do something else instead
She is taking time out from her music career for a year.
30.there’s a first time for everything
(saying, humorous) the fact that something has not happened before does not mean that it will never happen
1.third time lucky
(US English third time is the charm)
used when you have failed to do something twice and hope that you will succeed the third time
2.time after time | time and (time) again
often; on many or all occasions
You will get a perfect result time after time if you follow these instructions.
Time and again, the girls have shown how strong and determined they can be.
3.time and a half
one and a half times the usual rate of pay
We get time and a half on Sundays.
4.time is on your side
used to say that somebody can wait for something to happen or can wait before doing something
5.the whole time | all the time
during the whole of a particular period of time
My keys were in my pocket the whole time (= while I was looking for them).
very often; repeatedly
He drums his fingers on the table the whole time—it’s very annoying.
1.what is measured in minutes, hours, days, etc.
The world exists in time and space.
The changing seasons mark the passage of time.
in time A visit to the museum will take you back in time to the 1930s.
At this point in time, it seems unlikely that he will write any more books.
over time Perceptions change over time (= as time passes).
As time goes on I love this city more and more.
As time went by we saw less and less of each other.
The main character is able to travel through time.
2. the time measured in a particular part of the world
6 o’clock local time
We’re two hours behind Central European Time.
3.the time when something happens or when something should happen
What time do you finish work?
The baby loves bath time.
A computer screen shows arrival and departure times.
time to do something I think it’s time to go to bed.
This is hardly the time to discuss politics.
time for something It’s time for lunch.
time (that)… It’s time the kids were in bed.
It’s time that farmers listened to consumers.
by the time (that)… By the time you get there the meeting will be over.
at a… time Have I called at a bad time? Shall I call back later?
We stock six different beers at any one time.
at the time I didn’t realize it at the time, but that was the best day of my life.
The promotion came at just the right time for me.
The new product will launch when the time is right.
You’ll feel differently about it when the time comes (= when it happens).
around the time of something Several articles were published around the time of his death in 2018.
4.an amount of time; the amount of time available to work, rest, etc.
I can’t go with you—I don’t have time.
He spends a lot of his time working.
time for something Do you have time for a chat?
time to do something Allow plenty of time to get to the airport.
I can probably make the time to see them.
It takes time to make changes in the law.
We have no time to lose (= we must hurry).
We got to the airport with time to spare.
She plans to study overseas for an extended period of time.
What do you like to do in your free time?
She doesn’t have much spare time.
Sorry, I can’t spare the time.
Don’t waste any more time!
What a waste of time!
Time’s running out for them to complete the project.
I didn’t finish the test—I ran out of time.
Time’s up—have you worked out the answer yet?
He never takes any time off (= time spent not working).
Jane’s worked here for some time (= for a fairly long period of time).
Do it now please—not in three hours’ time (= three hours from now).
5.a period of time, either long or short, during which you do something or something happens
His injuries will take a long time to heal.
It took them a long time to get home.
Did you have to wait a long time to see the doctor?
for a time I lived in Egypt for a time.
I was only there for a short time.
The early morning is the best time of day.
Her parents died a long time ago.
At one time (= at a period of time in the past) Emily was my best friend.
Mr Curtis was the manager in my time (= when I was working there).
6.a period of history connected with particular events or experiences in people’s lives
at the time of something The movie is set at the time of the Russian Revolution.
in… time(s) the politician who promised ‘peace in our time’
in ancient times
The Industrial Revolution took place in Victorian times.
the violent times we live in (= the present period of history)
in times of something in times of trouble
The business was successful, even during difficult times.
Times are hard for the unemployed.
Times have changed since Grandma was young.
7.an occasion when you do something or when something happens
Every time I hear that song I feel happy.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t win every time (= every time you play).
Next time you’re here let’s have lunch together.
He failed his driving test three times.
He’s determined to pass this time.
When was the last time you saw her?
I see her two or three times a week.
How many times (= how often) do I have to tell you not to do that?
(especially North American English) I remember one time (= once) we had to abandon our car in the snow.
(formal) At no time did I give my consent to the plan.
premature /ˈpremətʃə(r)/ /ˌpriːməˈtʃʊr/ /ˌpriːməˈtʊr/
1.happening before the normal or expected time
his premature death at the age of 37
Because of injury, her playing career came to a premature end in 2008.
The incident brought the game to a premature conclusion.
2.(of a birth or a baby) happening or being born before the normal length of pregnancy has been completed
The baby was four weeks premature.
a premature birth after only thirty weeks
3.happening or made too soon
a premature conclusion/decision/judgement
It is premature to talk about success at this stage.
