📖 C — The English dictionary · page 54

compel — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) To force someone to do something, by law, rules or strong pressure (be compelled to).↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To cause a strong feeling or reaction (compel attention).↗ Example: The law compels drivers to wear seatbelts.↗ · Rain compelled us to cancel the picnic.↗ · He felt compelled to tell the truth.↗ · No one can compel you to say something untrue.↗ · The storm compelled the ship to return.↗ · It was a compelling book I couldn't put down.↗ · But it was no use; something stronger than himself compelled him to keep them there.↗ · And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel; for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.↗ (Writings EST.1.8, JPS 1917)↗

compelling — Everyday, meaning 1: So interesting or exciting that you want to keep watching or reading.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: So strong or convincing that you have to believe or agree, like a compelling reason or argument.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (verb form) Forcing someone to do something.↗ Example: The book was so compelling I couldn't put it down.↗ · There is compelling evidence that exercise is good for you.↗ · She gave a compelling reason for being late.↗ · The film's story was compelling from start to end.↗ · His argument was compelling, so we agreed.↗ · The detective found compelling proof.↗ · Hunger was compelling them to keep looking for food.↗

compensate — Everyday, meaning 1: To pay someone or give them something because they have lost something, been hurt or done work: «The company compensated the family for the damage.».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To make up for something bad or missing with something good: «His speed compensated for his size.».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (formal) To pay for work.↗ Example: The airline compensated us for the lost suitcase.↗ · My glasses compensate for my poor eyesight.↗ · To add 99, add 100 and compensate by taking away 1.↗ · He worked extra hard to compensate for missing a week of school.↗ · The shop compensated her with a free cake.↗ · Nothing can compensate for losing a friend.↗

compensated — Everyday, meaning 1: If you are compensated, you are given money or something else to make up for a loss, harm or work.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: If one thing compensated for another, it balanced or made up for it.↗ Example: The family was compensated for the damage to their house.↗ · Passengers were compensated for the late train.↗ · His speed compensated for his size.↗ · Workers are compensated for overtime.↗ · She was not compensated for her help.↗ · The good ending compensated for the slow start.↗

compensation — Everyday, meaning 1: Compensation is money or something else given to someone to make up for loss, injury or damage.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Compensation is something that makes a bad thing feel better: «The only compensation was the ice cream».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (formal) Compensation is the pay and benefits for a job.↗ Example: The airline paid us compensation for the delay.↗ · She got compensation after the accident.↗ · The only compensation for the rain was a cosy film.↗ · As compensation, the shop gave us a free toy.↗ · The farmer asked for compensation for his damaged crops.↗ · Workers want fair compensation.↗ · But what compensation did he get for having been imprisoned a whole year, and shut out from all communication with his fellow creatures?↗

compete — Everyday, meaning 1: To compete means to try to win against others in a race, game or contest.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To compete means to try to be more successful than others, for example shops competing for customers.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: In nature, living things compete for food, water, light and space.↗ Example: Ten runners will compete in the race.↗ · Our school competes against other schools in football.↗ · Plants compete for sunlight.↗ · Shops compete for customers by lowering prices.↗ · She competed in the spelling bee.↗ · It's more fun to compete fairly.↗ · Birds compete for the best nesting places.↗ · This was reported to the man who declared he would compete, ‘but,’ he said, ‘I shall let my servant run for me.’↗

competence — Everyday, meaning 1: Competence is the ability to do something well enough or properly.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (formal) A skill someone has: core competences.↗ Example: She showed great competence on the football pitch.↗ · Swimming competence is checked before the trip.↗ · The pilot's competence kept everyone safe.↗ · Reading competence improves with practice.↗ · The court questioned his competence to manage money.↗ · Her competence with computers helped the whole class.↗

competent — Everyday, meaning 1: Competent means able to do something well enough or properly.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (law) Allowed or able by law to decide or act.↗ Example: She is a competent swimmer now.↗ · We need a competent adult to supervise.↗ · The doctor was calm and competent.↗ · He's a competent cook but not a great one.↗ · Is he competent to sign the papers?↗ · Only a competent adult should use the chainsaw.↗ · He engaged a competent dragon to look after her, and also a respectable griffin whose birth and upbringing he knew all about.↗

competition — Everyday, meaning 1: A competition is an organised event where people try to win, such as a race, a quiz or a contest.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Competition is the situation when people or teams try to be better or more successful than others.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: The competition means the people you are competing against.↗ Example: I entered a drawing competition and won second prize.↗ · There is a lot of competition for places on the team.↗ · The two shops are in competition with each other.↗ · Plants in a crowded garden are in competition for sunlight.↗ · The swimming competition is on Saturday.↗ · Our school won the quiz competition.↗ · The competition was tough, but she kept going.↗

competitive — Everyday, meaning 1: Wanting very much to win or to do better than others.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Involving competition, like competitive sports.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (money) As good as or cheaper than others, like competitive prices.↗ Example: My brother is very competitive, even at board games.↗ · Football is a competitive sport.↗ · The shop has competitive prices.↗ · Getting into that school is very competitive.↗ · Our class has a competitive spirit on sports day.↗ · Being competitive is fine, but be a good loser too.↗ · The team played a competitive match against the champions.↗

competitor — Everyday, meaning 1: A competitor is a person or team taking part in a race, contest or game, trying to win.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A competitor is a business that sells the same kind of thing as another business and tries to get its customers.↗ Example: Forty competitors started the cross-country race.↗ · Each competitor got a number to pin on their shirt.↗ · The youngest competitor was only eight years old.↗ · The bakery's main competitor is the new café across the road.↗ · She shook hands with every competitor after the final.↗ · There were 12 competitors, and 3 of them won medals.↗ · The competitors waited nervously for the judges' scores.↗

compilation — Everyday, meaning 1: A collection of things, such as songs, videos, facts or stories, put together in one album, book or list: «a compilation of funny animal clips».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The act of collecting and arranging such things: «The compilation of the dictionary took years».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (computing) The process in which a program called a compiler turns code written by people into code the computer runs.↗ Example: Dad bought a compilation of the greatest songs of the 1980s.↗ · We watched a compilation of the funniest football fails.↗ · Our class made a compilation of favourite family recipes.↗ · The compilation of the report took the whole weekend.↗ · The program would not run because of a compilation error.↗ · This book is a compilation of fairy tales from around the world.↗ · The yearbook is a compilation of photos from the whole school year.↗ · The whole of this literature was summed up by Somadeva, c. 1200 A.D. in a huge compilation entitled Katha Sarit Sagara ("Ocean of the Stream of Stories").↗

compile — Everyday, meaning 1: To collect information or things and put them together, such as a list, book or report.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (computing) To turn the code a programmer writes into a program the computer can run.↗ Example: We compiled a list of all the birds we saw.↗ · The teacher compiled our stories into a book.↗ · The code won't compile because of a mistake.↗ · He compiled a playlist for the party.↗ · Scientists compiled the data from many tests.↗ · A dictionary is compiled by many writers.↗ · Finally, I have to thank those by whose kindness in waiving their rights to some of these stories, I have been enabled to compile this book.↗

complacently — Everyday, meaning 1: In a pleased, too-satisfied way, as if nothing needs checking or improving.↗ Example: "That is all right," Smee said complacently.↗ · She sat complacently on her chair, sure she had won.↗ · He smiled complacently at his messy sums, without checking them.↗

complain — Everyday, meaning 1: To complain is to say that you are not happy or not satisfied about something.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To complain to someone in charge is to tell them formally about a problem so they fix it.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To complain of a pain or illness is to say you have it.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To complain of someone is to tell someone in charge that they did something wrong.↗ Example: He complained about the cold dinner.↗ · Stop complaining and help me carry this.↗ · We complained to the shop about the broken toy.↗ · Grandma complained of a sore knee.↗ · I can't complain; it was a great day.↗ · The neighbours complained about the loud music.↗ · If someone is unkind, you can complain to a teacher.↗ · She never complains, even when she's tired.↗ · “I complain of Nibs,” he cried promptly.↗ · Wherefore doth a living man complain, a strong man because of his sins?↗ (Writings LAM.3.39, JPS 1917)↗ · Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I complain, and moan; and He hath heard my voice.↗ (Writings PSA.55.18, JPS 1917)↗ · Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.↗ (Writings JOB.7.11, JPS 1917)↗

complainant — Everyday, meaning 1: (law) A complainant is a person who makes an official complaint or brings a case to a court, saying they have been wronged.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (formal) Anyone who makes a formal complaint, for example to a company or school.↗ Example: The complainant told the court what had happened.↗ · The judge listened to both the complainant and the accused.↗ · The complainant asked for the money to be returned.↗ · The company wrote back to each complainant.↗ · In the case, the complainant was a shop owner.↗ · The complainant's name was kept secret.↗

complainer — Everyday, meaning 1: A person who complains a lot, often about small things.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A person who makes an official complaint.↗ Example: My cousin is a real complainer; nothing is ever good enough.↗ · Don't be a complainer — try the new food.↗ · The complainer wrote to the council about the noise.↗ · Even the biggest complainers loved the school trip.↗ · A complainer can spoil the fun for everyone.↗ · The shop manager listened to the complainer patiently.↗

complaint — Everyday, meaning 1: A statement that something is wrong or not good enough.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A reason for being unhappy.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: An official report that someone did something wrong (make a complaint).↗ Everyday, meaning 4: An illness or health problem (a skin complaint).↗ Example: We made a complaint about the broken toy.↗ · Mum wrote a letter of complaint to the bus company.↗ · My only complaint is that the film was too short.↗ · The doctor treated her skin complaint.↗ · Any complaints should go to the head teacher.↗ · No complaints — dinner was great!↗ · "Now, I'm tired of these complaints," said the Fire-drum.↗ · As for me, is my complaint to man?↗ (Writings JOB.21.4, JPS 1917)↗ · I pour out my complaint before Him, I declare before Him my trouble; (Writings PSA.142.3, JPS 1917)↗ · When I say: 'My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint'; (Writings JOB.7.13, JPS 1917)↗

complaisance — Everyday, meaning 1: Old use: politeness and a readiness to please others, being kind and obliging.↗ Example: He showed complaisance by giving his seat to the old man.↗ · Good manners and complaisance make friends.↗ · Kindness and complaisance are often rewarded.↗

complement — Everyday, meaning 1: (verb) To complement something is to go well with it and make it better or complete.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (noun) A complement is something that goes well with another thing and completes it.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (noun) A full complement is the whole number needed, such as a full crew.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (maths) Complementary angles add up to 90 degrees; each one is the complement of the other.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (grammar) A complement is a word or phrase that completes the meaning after verbs like «be», as in «She is a doctor».↗ Example: The red scarf complements her black coat.↗ · Chips complement fish perfectly.↗ · The complement of a 30-degree angle is 60 degrees.↗ · Our team has its full complement of eleven players.↗ · Blue and orange are complementary colours.↗ · Her quiet calm complemented his loud energy.↗ · In «The soup is hot», «hot» is the complement.↗

complementary — Everyday, meaning 1: Going well together and making each other better or complete.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (maths) Complementary angles add up to 90 degrees.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (art) Complementary colours are opposite each other on the colour wheel, like red and green.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Complementary medicine is treatment used alongside normal medicine.↗ Example: Angles of 40° and 50° are complementary.↗ · Blue and orange are complementary colours.↗ · Their skills are complementary: one draws, one writes.↗ · Find the complementary angle to 25°.↗ · Complementary colours look bright side by side.↗ · Salt and pepper are complementary flavours.↗