Shakespeare Translator: 100 Words And Phrases Invented By William Shakespeare

1. Auspicious

(adj) conducive to success

2. Baseless

(adj) groundless; without foundation

3. Barefaced

(adj) shameless; blatant

4. Castigate

(v) reprimand someone severely

5. Clangor

(n) a continuous loud banging sound

6. Dexterously

(n) skill or ease in performance

7. Dwindle

(v) diminish gradually in size or strength

8. Multitudinous

(adj) very numerous

9. Sanctimonious

(adj) making a show of being morally superior to others

10. Watchdog

(n) a person in a group whose function is to monitor the practices of companies or other institutions

11. It’s Greek to me

(phrase) I can’t understand it at all

12. Fair play

(n) respect for the rules

13. All that glitters isn’t gold

(proverb) the attractive external appearance of something that does not match its true nature

14. Wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve

(phrase) making one’s feeling apparent

15. Break the ice

(phrase) do or say something to relieve tension or to get the conversation going

16. A laughing stock

(n) a person subjected to ridicule

17. Too much of a good thing

(phrase) a large amount of a useful thing can be harmful in excess

18. In a pickle

(phrase) to be in a difficult situation

19. Wild goose chase

(n) a foolish and hopeless pursuit of something unattainable

20. Green-eyed monster

(n) personified jealousy

21. Seen better days

(phrase) to be or to look particularly shabby

22. Off with his head

(phrase) mildly reproaching someone

23. Forever and a day

(phrase) seemingly endless or long time

24. Good riddance

(phrase) express relief at being free of something troublesome

25. Lie low

(phrase) to keep out sight; avoid attention

26. As good luck would have it

(phrase) something that happened due to good or bad luck

27. Love is blind

(phrase) looking past things because of affections for the person

28. Heart of gold

(adj) very kind and good in nature

29. Kill with kindness

(phrase) to cause discomfort by treating someone extremely kind or helpful

30. As merry as the day is long

(phrase) carefree, lively, and full of fun

31. Bated breath

(phrase) eager, anxious, or so frightened that you’re almost holding your breath

32. Be-all and end-all

(adj) someone considered to be a perfect specimen

33. Brave new world

(phrase) ironically refer to a new and hopeful period in history resulting from major changes in society

34. Refuse to budge an inch

(phrase) standing firm; not backing down

35. Crack of doom

(phrase) a thunder peal announcing the Day of Judgement

36. A dish fit for the gods

(phrase) food is of an exemplary quality

37. Devil incarnate

(phrase) used to describe someone else’s opinions

38. Faint-hearted

(adj) lacking courage; timid

39. For goodness’ sake

(phrase) used to express impatience or annoyance

40. Foregone conclusion

(phrase) a result that can be predicted with certainty

41. Full circle

(phrase) returns to the beginning or origin

42. Knock, knock! Who’s there?

(phrase) tracing back to the scene in Macbeth, the knocking sound crystallizes the guilt of murder

43. Addiction

(n) addicted to a thing or activity

44. Cold-blooded

(adj) without emotion or pity

45. Assassination

(n) act of murder of another

46. Bedazzled

(v) greatly impress someone with brilliance

47. Belongings

(n) one’s moveable possessions

48. Eventful

(adj) marked by interesting or exciting events

49. Fashionable

(adj) influenced by current trends or popular style

50. Swagger

(v) walk or behave confidently

51. Eyeball

(v) to look or stare closely

53. Hot-blooded

(adj) lustful; passionate

54. Inaudible

(adj) unable to hear

55. Ladybird

(n) referring to the Virgin Mary

56. Manager

(n) person in charge of administering all or part of an organization

57. Pageantry

(n) elaborate display or ceremony

58. Scuffle

(n) short confused fight

59. Uncomfortable

(adj) feeling unease or awkwardness or slight pain and discomfort

60. Accessible

(adj) a place to be reached or entered

61. Batty

(adj) crazy; insane

62. Birth-place

(n) place where the person was born

63. Bloodstained

(adj) marked or covered with blood

64. Brisky

(adj) lively energetic

65. Bump

(n) a light blow or jolting collision

66. Buzzer

(n) something that makes a buzzing noise and is used for signaling

67. Catlike

(adj) resembling a cat in appearance or action

68. Chopped

(v) cut through the base of something

69. Churchlike

(adj) resembling or appropriate to a church

70. Control

(n) power to influence or direct people’s behavior

71. Countless

(adj) too many to be counted

72. Dauntless

(adj) showing fearlessness and determination

73. Day’s work

(phrase) the amount of work during one day prescribed

74. Defeat

(v) win or victory

75. Distrustful

(adj) feeling or showing distrust of someone or something

76. Domineering

(v) assert one’s will over another in an arrogant way

77. Enfranchisement

(n) the giving of a right or a privilege

78. Expertness

(n) a person wise of experience

79. Fanged

(adj) something possessing fangs

80. Featureless

(adj) lacking distinctive attributes or aspects

81. Fixture

(n) a piece of equipment that is fixed in position in a building

82. Foul-mouthed

(adj) using a great deal of bad language

83. Homely

(adj) unattractive in appearance

84. Impartial

(adj) treating all rivals equally; fair and just

85. Informal

(adj) a relaxed or friendly manner or nature

86. Jaded

(adj) tired; bored

87. Leakey

(n) family of anthropologists whose work revealed that humans probably first evolved from Africa

88. Manager

(n) person in charge of controlling/administering all or part of a company

89. Misquote

(v) quoting something inaccurately

90. Money’s worth

(n) as much as a person deserves because of money he/she paid

91. Obscene

(adj) something offensive or disgusting by accepted standards of morality and decency

92. Outbreak

(n) the sudden or violent start of something unwelcome

92. Overview

(n) a general review or summary

93. Posture

(v) behave un way that is intended to impress or mislead others

94. Radiance

(n) light or heat as emitted or reflected by something

95. Shooting star

(n) a small, rapidly moving meteor burning up on entering the earth’s atmosphere

96. Title page

(n) page a the beginning or a book giving it’s title

97. To gossip

(v) to engage in gossip

98. Worn out

(adj) extremely tired; exhausted

99. Yelping

(v) utter a short sharp cry

100. Zany

(adj) amusingly unconventional