English Vocabulary
ADJECTIVE + NOUN COLLOCATIONS
Common adjective + noun collocations.
Collocations are two or more words that often go together.
They are combinations that native English speakers use all the time.
Here are some common adjective + noun collocations.
Here are some common adjective + noun collocations.
absolute beginner | I've never tried surfing before. I'm an absolute beginner. |
alphabetical order | The students were listed in alphabetical order. |
balanced diet | Health specialists recommend that we eat a balanced diet. |
bare essentiels | They took with them nothing but the bare essentiels. |
big disappointment | Dropping out of college was a big disappointment to his parents. |
big mistake | Believing her boyfriend's promises was a big mistake. |
blatant lie | How dare she say I didn't pay for my ticket! That's a blatant lie!. |
broken home | The child comes from a broken home and goes from one parent to the other. |
chilly reception | Tom’s new girlfriend received a chilly reception. His friends didn't like her. |
clear message | The results of the elections sent a clear message to the government. |
clear understanding | He wanted the boys to have a clear understanding of the consequences. |
close friend | Jack is a very close friend of mine. We’ve known each other since our school days. |
common knowledge | It's common knowledge that we need water to survive. |
complete agreement | They were in complete agreement with the proposal. |
deep breath | "Take a deep breath before you dive in." said the swimming instructor. |
deciding factor | The proximity of the motorway was a deciding factor in their choice of location. |
enormous influence | Emma’s father had an enormous influence on her. |
express purpose | Alice went to see her boss with the express purpose of resigning. |
fair deal | We like to do business with that firm. We always get a fair deal. |
great pride | My father takes great pride in his garden. |
heavy traffic | The bus arrived late because of the heavy traffic. |
high quality | We can assure you that all our products are of high quality. |
innocent victim | Many civilians were innocent victims of the attacks. |
instant coffee | Instant coffee is handy but it's not what I prefer. |
key issue | This is a key issue. We need to discuss it further. |
logical conclusion | If the climate continues to get hotter, then the logical conclusion is a period of drought. |
major problem | Finding qualified employees is a major problem for the company. |
mixed feelings | Harry had mixed feelings about leaving home. He was happy to be independent but sad to be far from his family. |
momentous decision | Accepting female students was a momentous decision for the university. |
nasty habit | She still has that nasty habit of biting her nails. |
notable achievement | Winning the gold medal was a notable achievement for the athlete. |
noticeable difference | Repainting the house made a noticeable difference. |
personal belongings | Private lockers are provided for your personal belongings. |
prominent role | While in government he played a prominent role in the reform of the health system. |
public opinion | In politics public opinion is very important. |
rough estimate | Could you give me a rough estimate of the cost? |
speedy recovery | Sorry to hear you're ill. I wish you a speedy recovery. |
steady job | I did temporary or part-time work until I found a steady job. |
strong accent | The tourist spoke with a strong accent. |
tight grip | In this area you'd better keep a tight grip on your wallet! |
total madness | It's total madness to go sailing when a storm is announced. |
vague memory | I have a vague memory of the incident but I can't remember the details. |
valid reason | Students cannot skip a class without a valid reason. |
weak point | There are many weak points in his theory. |