against the grain
US
UK
- Phrase
- Contrary to someone's natural inclinations or feelings; in opposition to what is normal or expected.
- In a direction that is perpendicular to the fibers of wood, making it difficult to work with.
A2Morebillion
US /ˈbɪljən/
UK /ˈbɪljən/
- Countable Noun
- Number 1,000,000,000
A2Moredue to
US /du tu/
UK /dju: tu:/
- Preposition
- Because of; owing to
- Adjective
- Attributable to; caused by.
A1Moregive up
US /ɡɪv ʌp/
UK /ɡiv ʌp/
- Phrasal Verb
- To lose hope or admit defeat
- To decide to not start to try solving a problem
A1Morego against
US
UK
- Phrasal Verb
- To disagree with or challenge someone
A1Morein prison
US /ɪn ˈprɪzən/
UK /in ˈprizən/
- Phrase
- Confined in a prison; incarcerated.
judge
US /dʒʌdʒ/
UK /dʒʌdʒ/
- Noun (Countable/Uncountable)
- Person who decides on the results of a contest
- Person who has the power to make a decision
- Verb (Transitive/Intransitive)
- To reach a decision about who won a contest
- To form an opinion after careful consideration
A2TOEICMorelack
US /læk/
UK /læk/
- Verb (Transitive/Intransitive)
- To not have, or not have enough, of something
- Uncountable Noun
- The state of not having or not having enough of
A2TOEICMoreliteracy
US /ˈlɪtərəsi/
UK /ˈlɪtərəsi/
- Uncountable Noun
- Fact of having knowledge of a particular subject
- State of being able to read and write
B1Morelive on
US
UK
- Phrasal Verb
- To continue to exist or be remembered.
- To eat a particular type of food as the main thing.
planet
US /ˈplænɪt/
UK /'plænɪt/
- Noun (Countable/Uncountable)
- One of the bodies that orbit the sun
- A different world or sphere of existence.
- Proper Noun
- The earth.
A2Morepowerful
US /ˈpaʊəfəl/
UK /ˈpauəful/
- Adjective
- Having control or influence over
- Having a lot of physical force, energy, strength
A2TOEICMoreprivileged
US /ˈprɪvəlɪdʒd, ˈprɪvlɪdʒd/
UK /'prɪvəlɪdʒd/
- Adjective
- Having advantages given to only certain people
- Protected by legal privilege.
- Transitive Verb
- To give advantages to some people not others
B1Morerefuse
US /ˈrefjus/
UK /rɪ'fju:z/
- Transitive Verb
- To not accept, allow, or give something
- Uncountable Noun
- Garbage, waste
A2TOEICMoreroof over
US
UK
- Noun
- A place to live; shelter or housing.
- Transitive Verb
- To provide with housing or shelter.
A2Morethink about
US /θɪŋk əˈbaʊt/
UK /θiŋk əˈbaut/
- Phrasal Verb
- To consider something carefully.
- To remember or call to mind.
A1Moretorture
US /ˈtɔrtʃɚ/
UK /'tɔ:tʃə(r)/
- Noun (Countable/Uncountable)
- Hurting someone to force them to give information
- Painful suffering or distress
- Transitive Verb
- To painfully hurt someone to get information
- To cause someone to suffer greatly; torment
B2Morewake up
US /wek ʌp/
UK /weik ʌp/
- Phrasal Verb
- To stop sleeping
- To become fully aware and alert to a situation.
A1More
Vocabulary
- roof over: A place to live; shelter or housing.
- in prison: Confined in a prison; incarcerated.
- live on: To continue to exist or be remembered.
- due to: Because of; owing to
- go against: To disagree with or challenge someone
- against the grain: Contrary to someone's natural inclinations or feelings; in opposition to what is normal or expected.
- think about: To consider something carefully.
- wake up: To stop sleeping
- give up: To lose hope or admit defeat
- matter: To be of great importance; to count
- people: Persons sharing culture, country, background, etc.
- world: All the humans, events, activities on the earth
- change: To exchange one set of clothes for another
- lack: To not have, or not have enough, of something
- planet: One of the bodies that orbit the sun
- judge: Person who decides on the results of a contest
- water: Clear liquid that forms the seas, rivers and rain
- billion: Number 1,000,000,000
- happen: To take place or occur
- torture: Hurting someone to force them to give information
- literacy: Fact of having knowledge of a particular subject
- powerful: Having control or influence over
- refuse: To not accept, allow, or give something
- privileged: Having advantages given to only certain people
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01:03
She took a brave step forward, leaving behind her comfort zone to chase her dreams.
Vocabulary
- brave
adj. Having courage
- comfort zone
phr. A familiar situation where one feels safe
Explanation
a brave step is a noun phrase, where brave is an adjective modifying the noun step, meaning "a courageous step".
forward is an adverb modifying step, meaning "ahead".
The whole phrase serves as the object, answering the "what" of took (verb) — she took a brave step forward.
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brave
US/brev/
UK/breɪv/
adj.Brave
v.t.To bravely face
A2 Elementary
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Mike Brockman posted on 2016/03/30Want to make a real difference in the world? This video dives into how you can tackle global poverty and fight for human rights, using simple sentences and powerful vocabulary. You'll learn about cultural depth and discover practical ways to get involved, making it a fantastic chance to boost your English while becoming a global citizen!
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