Having a lot to do and no free time
The everyday adjective for a person with a lot to do or a place full of people, and the polite way to say you cannot come.
Words
So weak that it is unlikely to survive examination
The formal adjective for a link or an argument too thin to carry the weight put on it, the measured way to dismiss a claim.
To do something wrong and escape the punishment it deserved
A three-part verb for doing something wrong and escaping the consequences; it never splits.
Treating a complicated question as if it had one easy answer
An adjective that always criticises: it accuses an answer of ignoring the real complexity.
Feeling slightly unwell, but not ill enough to see a doctor
An idiom for feeling mildly unwell, with nothing to do with the forecast.
To carry more weight than a competing consideration
The formal verb of written argument for saying one consideration matters more than another.
To waste time on small fiddly things instead of the job
British, informal and affectionately impatient: wasting time on fiddly things instead of the job.
Physically relaxed, or free from worry
One adjective with a physical sense and a mental sense, and a pronunciation that drops a syllable.
To force something into a space or schedule too small for it
A mildly humorous verb for forcing something into a space or schedule that is too small for it.
Appearing to be the reason, though probably not the real one
An adverb that reports the official reason while signalling that the writer does not believe it.
To use what you already have to gain an advantage
The corporate verb for using an asset or position you already have to gain more from a situation.
To think of an idea, plan, or answer
The everyday three-part verb for producing an idea, a plan or an answer.
To take something you will give back later
The verb for the person who takes something for a while; the giver's side uses a different verb.
Anyone with an interest in how a project turns out
Core project vocabulary for anyone with an interest in how something turns out.
Disappointing, but exactly what you expected
A golf idiom for a bad outcome that is exactly what everyone expected.
To have enough money to buy something
A verb that almost always follows an ability word, usually in a negative sentence or a question.
To decide to do something later instead of now
A neutral two-part verb for postponing, and where its pronoun object has to go.
Costing little money
The everyday adjective for a low price, and the hint of poor quality it can carry.
Changing the rules after the game has started
A football idiom for complaining that someone in authority changed the target after you had aimed.
Avoiding a decision between two sides
An idiom for the person who refuses to commit to either side.
Able to recover quickly from something difficult
A warm, approving adjective for people, economies and materials that spring back after a blow.