matter
noun OPAL W
/ˈmætə(r)/
/ˈmætər/
Idioms - the matter[singular] used (to ask) if somebody is upset, unhappy, etc. or if there is a problem
- What's the matter? Is there something wrong?
- Is anything the matter?
- matter with somebody/something Is something the matter with Bob? He seems very down.
- There's something the matter with my eyes.
- ‘We've bought a new TV.’ ‘What was the matter with the old one?’
- What's the matter with you today (= why are you behaving like this)?
- What on earth was the matter with her, she wondered. She’d come here to enjoy herself and here she was, stuck on her own in the hotel.
- [countable] a subject or situation that you must consider or deal with synonym affair
- It's a private matter.
- They had important matters to discuss.
- She may need your help with some business matters.
- financial/legal/political matters
- They've agreed in theory, but now we need to discuss practical matters.
- The matter should be referred to a senior manager.
- Do I have any choice in the matter?
- I always consulted him on matters of policy.
- matter for somebody It's a matter for the police (= for them to deal with).
- matter of something (formal) It was a matter of some concern to most of those present (= something they were worried about).
- It should have been a simple matter to check.
- It was no easy matter getting him to change his mind.
- Let's get on with the matter in hand (= what we need to deal with now).
- I wasn't prepared to let the matter drop (= stop discussing it).
- We have sent these concerns to Professor Tribe, and now consider the matter closed (= it is finished).
- I did not feel that we had got to the heart of the matter (= the most important part).
- And that is the crux of the matter (= the most important thing about the situation).
- (ironic) And then there's the little matter of the fifty pounds you owe me.
Extra Examples- The involvement of the king in legal matters was threatened by the civil war.
- Dr Bell holds traditional views on a variety of matters.
- That's a matter for you to take up with your boss.
- He left, saying he had pressing matters to attend to.
- His lawyer advised him to drop the matter.
- I don't have much experience in these matters.
- I don't really want to go into this matter now.
- It is then a simple matter to print off the data you have collected.
- It's a relief to have the matter settled.
- She was a great source of knowledge on matters relating to nutrition.
- The matter will be raised at our next meeting.
- The question of his innocence is a weighty matter for this court.
- The rest of the meeting was taken up by routine matters.
- They talk mostly about work and related matters.
- I wasn't sure how to approach the delicate matter of pay.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- important
- pressing
- serious
- …
- bring up
- broach
- raise
- …
- be related to
- pertain to
- relate to
- …
- in a/the matter
- on a/the matter
- matter for
- …
- the crux of the matter
- the heart of the matter
- let the matter drop
- …
- matters[plural] the present situation, or the situation that you are talking about synonym things
- Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to improve matters.
- I'd forgotten the keys, which didn't help matters.
- And then, to make matters worse, his parents turned up.
- I decided to take matters into my own hands (= deal with the situation myself).
- Matters came to a head (= the situation became very difficult) with his resignation.
Extra Examples- Matters were made worse by a fire in the warehouse.
- Let me simplify matters by giving you my answer now.
- She always arranges matters to suit herself.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + matters- complicate
- confuse
- make worse
- …
- [singular] a situation that involves something or depends on something synonym question
- matter of something Learning to drive is all a matter of coordination.
- Some people prefer the older version to the new one. It's a matter of taste.
- She resigned over a matter of principle.
- The government must deal with this as a matter of urgency.
- Just as a matter of interest (= because it is interesting, not because it is important), how much did you pay for it?
- ‘I think this is the best so far.’ ‘Well, that's a matter of opinion (= other people may think differently).
- It's not pure fantasy ! It's a plain matter of fact.
- Getting the effect you want is a matter of trial and error.
- matter of doing something That's not a problem. It's simply a matter of letting people know in time.
- Planning a project is just a matter of working out the right order to do things in.
- [uncountable] (physics) physical substance that everything in the world is made of; not mind or spirit
- to study the properties of matter
- This swirling mass of energy and matter is classed as a spiral galaxy.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- solid
- organic
- vegetable
- …
- [uncountable] (formal) a substance or things of a particular sort
- Add plenty of organic matter to improve the soil.
- elimination of waste matter from the body
- She didn't approve of their choice of reading matter.
- There were small lumps of matter floating on the surface.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- solid
- organic
- vegetable
- …
problem
subject/situation
a matter of (doing) something
substance
Word OriginMiddle English: via Old French from Latin materia ‘timber, substance’, also ‘subject of discourse’, from mater ‘mother’.
Idioms
as a matter of fact
- used to add a comment on something that you have just said, usually adding something that you think the other person will be interested in
- It's a nice place. We've stayed there ourselves, as a matter of fact.
- used to disagree with something that somebody has just said synonym actually
- ‘I suppose you'll be leaving soon, then?’ ‘No, as a matter of fact I'll be staying for another two years.’
see also matter-of-fact
be another/a different matter
- to be very different
- I know which area they live in, but whether I can find their house is a different matter.
- That's a whole different matter.
- I don't mind lizards, but snakes are a different matter.
be no laughing matter
- to be something serious that you should not joke about
the fact (of the matter) is (that)…
- used to emphasize a statement, especially one that is the opposite of what has just been mentioned
- A new car would be wonderful but the fact of the matter is that we can't afford one.
for that matter
- used to add a comment on something that you have just said
- I didn't like it much. Nor did the kids, for that matter.
it’s just/only a matter of time (before…)
- used to say that something will definitely happen, although you are not sure when
- It's only a matter of time before they bring out their own version of the software.
(as) a matter of course
- (as) the usual and correct thing to do
- We always check people's addresses as a matter of course.
a matter of hours, minutes, etc. | a matter of inches, metres, etc.
- only a few hours, minutes, etc.
- It was all over in a matter of minutes.
- The bullet missed her by a matter of inches.
a matter of life and/or death
- used to describe a situation that is very important or serious
- You mustn't let anyone know— it's a matter of life and death.
- These talks are a matter of life or death for the factory.
a matter of record
- (formal) something that has been recorded as being true
no matter
- used to say that something is not important
- If that doesn't work out, no matter, I'll rent for another year or two.
no matter who, what, where, etc.
- used to say that something is always true, whatever the situation is, or that somebody should certainly do something
- They don't last long no matter how careful you are.
- Call me when you get there, no matter what the time is.