Advanced English (2) • VERBS • 'C'

verb [I or T ] C2 • synonyms: worsen, intensify, exacerbate • compound a problem/risk/effect; be compounded by something; don’t compound the issue • freq in AmE: 5/10

to make something worse by adding to it; to intensify or exacerbate a situation, problem, or feeling; also, to combine elements into a whole (less common in verb form)

verb [T ] C1 informal • synonyms: whip up, invent, mix • concoct dish/drink/meal/sauce; concoct from leftovers/ingredients; concoct using herbs/spices • freq in AmE: 5/10

to prepare or mix ingredients to create a dish or drink, often in a creative, improvised, or experimental way; sometimes implies unusual or imaginative combinations

verb [T ] C2 informal • synonyms: invent, fabricate, devise • concoct story/excuse/plan/scheme/lie; concoct to deceive/impress/manipulate; cleverly/secretly concoct • freq in AmE: 5/10

to invent a story, excuse, plan, or scheme, often in a dishonest, exaggerated, or strategic way; implies deliberate fabrication or clever plotting

verb [T ] C2 formal / analytical • synonyms: mix up, combine, blur, confuse • conflate A and/with B; be conflated with something; tend to conflate ideas/issues/facts • freq in AmE: 6/10

to combine two or more ideas, texts, or things into one — often in a way that causes confusion or loses important distinctions

collocation with conflate verb C2 formal/analytical/academic • synonyms: confuse, mix up, equate, blend • conflate A with B; conflate A and B; tend to conflate ideas/concepts/facts/terms • freq in AmE: 6/10

to treat two different things as if they were the same, by combining or mixing them together in thought or discussion — often leading to misunderstanding or oversimplification

verb [T ] C2 • synonyms: desire, crave, envy • covet power/status/success; covet someone’s job/lifestyle/possessions; secretly/openly covet • freq in AmE: 4/10

to strongly desire something — especially something that belongs to someone else or is considered socially or morally out of reach

collocation with covet verb [T ] C2 • synonyms: crave, lust for, hunger for • covet power/status/control; covet political/military/absolute power; covet power over someone/something • freq in AmE: 4/10

to strongly desire influence, control, or authority — often with ambition, envy, or hidden intent

verb [T ] C1 • synonyms: extract, gather, distill, select • cull insights/information/data; cull from sources; carefully cull relevant points • freq in AmE: 4/10

to select and gather useful information, ideas, or items from various sources; to extract the best or most relevant parts