idea

noun

OPAL S

/aɪˈdɪə/

/aɪˈdiːə/

Idioms

jump to other results

plan/thought

[countable] a plan, thought or suggestion, especially about what to do in a particular situation

It would be a good idea to call before we leave.
That's a great idea!
I’ve had a brilliant idea!
I knew this was a bad idea.
The latest big idea is to make women more interested in sport.
The surprise party was Jane's idea.
idea for something He already had an idea for his next novel.
We’re having a meeting to try to come up with ideas for fund-raising.
idea of something The idea of a new museum was first discussed two years ago.
idea of doing something I like the idea of living on a boat.
We've been toying with the idea of (= thinking about) getting a dog.
Her family expected her to go to college, but she had other ideas.
I don't know what to do, but I'm open to ideas.
It might be an idea (= it would be sensible) to try again later.
It seemed like a good idea at the time, and then it all went horribly wrong.
Ben is the ideas man and the others do the day-to-day work.
(North American English usually) Ben is the idea man.

Extra Examples

Brainstorming is a good way of generating ideas.
We're always looking for new ideas.
Do you have any ideas for a present for Lara?
Family therapy is used as an alternative idea to medication.
Give careful thought to how to structure your ideas in the essay.
Group counselling is used as an alternative idea to punishment.
He joined the company as an office assistant with big ideas.
He kept turning the idea of resigning over in his mind.
He's obsessed with the idea of getting a motorbike.
Her ideas are drawn mainly from Chinese art.
His ideas flowed faster than he could express them.
How could we translate the idea into business reality?
I have an idea about how to tackle the problem.
I hope he's not still harbouring ideas about asking me out.
I met up with a designer to bounce a few ideas around.
I think the whole idea is ridiculous.
I wanted to put the idea out there.
I wanted to take the week off, but my boss had other ideas.
I'm toying with the idea of leaving my job.
It might be an idea to leave a note on the door for Marcos.
It was a struggle to get our ideas across.
It's useful to have someone to bounce ideas off.
Most employees welcome the idea of a ban on smoking.
She accused the company of stealing her idea.
She had the idea of advertising on the internet.
Some people started recycling, and the idea caught on.
Some students started wearing denim, and the idea caught on.
That idea didn't work out so well.
The book introduces the key ideas of sociology.
The book puts across complex ideas in a way anyone can understand.
The germ of his idea came from watching a bird make a nest.
The idea behind the ceremony is to keep the gods happy to ensure a good crop.
The idea eventually led to the invention of the telephone.
The idea for the Olympics originated with Pierre de Coubertin.
The idea for the invention came to him in the bath.
The idea had long been mooted but nothing had been done to put it into practice.
The idea has now blossomed into a successful mail-order business.
The movie is based on a simple idea, but a powerful one.
They managed to push the idea of expanding through the committee.
We were asked to suggest ideas for improving efficiency.
What gave you the idea to go freelance?
a system of decision-making that stifles original ideas
He's definitely an ideas person.
I'd like to explore this idea in a bit more detail.
I've got a good idea.
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
My original idea was to use amateur actors.
She's always full of bright ideas.
That's a brilliant idea!
The basic idea is that we all meet up in London.
We need to have a meeting in order to bounce a few ideas around.
Who on earth came up with that idea?
It's a great forum for sharing ideas.
You need to support your ideas with concrete examples.
Let's develop this idea a little further.
The conference is an opportunity for an exchange of ideas.

Topics Suggestions and advicea1

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

bright
brilliant
clever
…

verb + idea

have
come up with
dream up
…

idea + verb

come into somebody’s brain
come into somebody’s head
come into somebody’s mind
…

preposition

idea about
idea for
idea of
…

phrases

be open to ideas
the germ of an idea
have other ideas
…

See full entry

impression

[uncountable, singular] idea (of something) a picture or an impression in your mind of what somebody/something is like

The brochure should give you a good idea of the hotel.
I had some idea of what the job would be like.
This film changed the very idea of what an outer space movie could be.
She doesn't seem to have any idea of what I'm talking about.
An evening at home watching TV is not my idea of a good time.
If this is your idea of a joke, then I don’t find it very funny.
I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea (= getting the wrong impression about something).

Extra Examples

I had an idea of where it might be.
He gave me a rough idea of what was wanted.
Swimming in an icy river is not my idea of fun.
The idea of going to his rescue amused her.
They seem to have got the idea that we will be giving them a lift.
I don't relish the idea of sharing an office with Tony.
People have a romantic idea of the police force.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

clear
concrete
precise
…

verb + idea

get
espouse
have
…

idea + verb

amuse somebody
appeal to somebody
please somebody
…

preposition

idea about
idea behind
idea of
…

See full entry

opinion

[countable] an opinion or a belief about something

the experiences that shaped her ideas
ideas about something He has some very strange ideas about education.
ideas on something Her ideas on the family are pretty old-fashioned.
ideas of something These photographs challenge conventional ideas of beauty.
idea that… She rejects the idea that product quality has suffered.

Extra Examples

They had to reconsider their ideas in the light of new evidence.
She has some funny ideas about how to motivate staff.
She has very definite ideas about what kind of a job she wants.
He holds very different ideas to mine about discipline.
She always tries to impose her own ideas on the rest of the team.

Topics Opinion and argumenta2

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

clear
concrete
precise
…

verb + idea

get
espouse
have
…

idea + verb

amuse somebody
appeal to somebody
please somebody
…

preposition

idea about
idea behind
idea of
…

See full entry

feeling

[singular] a feeling that something is possible or is true

Where on earth did you get that idea?
idea that… What gave you the idea that he'd be here?
idea where, who, etc… I have a pretty good idea where I left it—I hope I'm right.

Extra Examples

I have a pretty good idea who might have said that.
The idea never crossed my mind.
The idea that I was only interested in making money is ludicrous.
The idea that she was involved in any way is absolutely ridiculous.
Whatever gave you that idea?

aim

the idea

[singular] the aim or purpose of something

You'll soon get the idea (= understand).
idea of something What's the idea of the game?
idea of doing something The whole idea of going was so that we could meet her new boyfriend.
with the idea of doing something They buy other people's tickets with the idea of reselling them.

Synonyms purposepurpose

aim
intention
plan
point
idea

These are all words for talking about what somebody/something intends to do or achieve.

purpose
what something is supposed to achieve; what somebody is trying to achieve:
- Our campaign’s main purpose is to raise money.
aim
what somebody is trying to achieve; what something is supposed to achieve:
- She went to London with the aim of finding a job.
- Our main aim is to increase sales in Europe.

purpose or aim?Your purpose for doing something is your reason for doing it; your aim is what you want to achieve. Aim can suggest that you are only trying to achieve something; purpose gives a stronger sense of achievement being certain. Aim can be somebody’s aim or the aim of something. Purpose is more usually the purpose of something: you can talk about somebody’s purpose but that is more formal.

intention
what you intend to do:
- I have no intention of going to the wedding.
- She’s full of good intentions but they rarely work out.
plan
what you intend to do or achieve:
- There are no plans to build new offices.

intention or plan?Your intentions are what you want to do, especially in the near future; your plans are what you have decided or arranged to do, often, but not always, in the longer term.

point
(rather informal) the purpose or aim of something:
- What’s the point of all this violence?
- The point of the lesson is to compare the two countries.
idea
(rather informal) the purpose of something; somebody’s aim:
- The whole idea of going was so that we could meet her new boyfriend.
- What’s the idea behind this?

point or idea?Point is a more negative word than idea. If you say What’s the point…? you are suggesting that there is no point; if you say What’s the idea…? you are genuinely asking a question. Point, but not idea, is used to talk about things you feel annoyed or unhappy about: There’s no idea in… • I don’t see the idea of…. Patterns

with the purpose/aim/intention/idea of doing something
somebody’s intention/plan to do something
to have a(n) purpose/aim/intention/plan/point
to achieve/fulfil a(n) purpose/aim

Word Originlate Middle English (as a term in Platonic philosophy): via Latin from Greek idea ‘form, pattern’, from the base of idein ‘to see’.

Idioms

buck your ideas up

(British English, informal) to start behaving in a more acceptable way, so that work gets done better, etc.

give somebody ideas | put ideas into somebody’s head

to give somebody hopes about something that may not be possible or likely; to make somebody act or think in an unreasonable way
- Who's been putting ideas into his head?

have no idea | not have the faintest, first, etc. idea

(informal) used to emphasize that you do not know something
- ‘What's she talking about?’ ‘I've no idea.’
- He hasn't the faintest idea how to manage people.
- I had no idea she’d had such a difficult life.
- I don’t have any idea where he is.
- I haven't got the faintest idea what she meant.
- He hadn't had the slightest idea about what had been going on.

have the right idea

to have found a very good or successful way of living, doing something, etc.
- He's certainly got the right idea—retiring at 55.
- The party had the right idea, but failed to win over the voters.
Topics Successc2

that’s an idea!

(informal) used to reply in a positive way to a suggestion that somebody has made
- Hey, that's an idea! And we could get a band, as well.

that’s the idea!

(informal) used to encourage people and to tell them that they are doing something right
- That's the idea! You're doing fine.

you have no idea…

(informal) used to show that something is hard for somebody else to imagine
- You've no idea how much traffic there was tonight.

单词	idea
释义	idea noun OPAL S /aɪˈdɪə/ /aɪˈdiːə/ Idioms jump to other results plan/thought [countable] a plan, thought or suggestion, especially about what to do in a particular situation It would be a good idea to call before we leave. That's a great idea! I’ve had a brilliant idea! I knew this was a bad idea. The latest big idea is to make women more interested in sport. The surprise party was Jane's idea. idea for something He already had an idea for his next novel. We’re having a meeting to try to come up with ideas for fund-raising. idea of something The idea of a new museum was first discussed two years ago. idea of doing something I like the idea of living on a boat. We've been toying with the idea of (= thinking about) getting a dog. Her family expected her to go to college, but she had other ideas. I don't know what to do, but I'm open to ideas. It might be an idea (= it would be sensible) to try again later. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and then it all went horribly wrong. Ben is the ideas man and the others do the day-to-day work. (North American English usually) Ben is the idea man. Extra Examples Brainstorming is a good way of generating ideas. We're always looking for new ideas. Do you have any ideas for a present for Lara? Family therapy is used as an alternative idea to medication. Give careful thought to how to structure your ideas in the essay. Group counselling is used as an alternative idea to punishment. He joined the company as an office assistant with big ideas. He kept turning the idea of resigning over in his mind. He's obsessed with the idea of getting a motorbike. Her ideas are drawn mainly from Chinese art. His ideas flowed faster than he could express them. How could we translate the idea into business reality? I have an idea about how to tackle the problem. I hope he's not still harbouring ideas about asking me out. I met up with a designer to bounce a few ideas around. I think the whole idea is ridiculous. I wanted to put the idea out there. I wanted to take the week off, but my boss had other ideas. I'm toying with the idea of leaving my job. It might be an idea to leave a note on the door for Marcos. It was a struggle to get our ideas across. It's useful to have someone to bounce ideas off. Most employees welcome the idea of a ban on smoking. She accused the company of stealing her idea. She had the idea of advertising on the internet. Some people started recycling, and the idea caught on. Some students started wearing denim, and the idea caught on. That idea didn't work out so well. The book introduces the key ideas of sociology. The book puts across complex ideas in a way anyone can understand. The germ of his idea came from watching a bird make a nest. The idea behind the ceremony is to keep the gods happy to ensure a good crop. The idea eventually led to the invention of the telephone. The idea for the Olympics originated with Pierre de Coubertin. The idea for the invention came to him in the bath. The idea had long been mooted but nothing had been done to put it into practice. The idea has now blossomed into a successful mail-order business. The movie is based on a simple idea, but a powerful one. They managed to push the idea of expanding through the committee. We were asked to suggest ideas for improving efficiency. What gave you the idea to go freelance? a system of decision-making that stifles original ideas He's definitely an ideas person. I'd like to explore this idea in a bit more detail. I've got a good idea. It seemed like a good idea at the time. My original idea was to use amateur actors. She's always full of bright ideas. That's a brilliant idea! The basic idea is that we all meet up in London. We need to have a meeting in order to bounce a few ideas around. Who on earth came up with that idea? It's a great forum for sharing ideas. You need to support your ideas with concrete examples. Let's develop this idea a little further. The conference is an opportunity for an exchange of ideas. Topics Suggestions and advicea1 Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective bright brilliant clever … verb + idea have come up with dream up … idea + verb come into somebody’s brain come into somebody’s head come into somebody’s mind … preposition idea about idea for idea of … phrases be open to ideas the germ of an idea have other ideas … See full entry impression [uncountable, singular] idea (of something) a picture or an impression in your mind of what somebody/something is like The brochure should give you a good idea of the hotel. I had some idea of what the job would be like. This film changed the very idea of what an outer space movie could be. She doesn't seem to have any idea of what I'm talking about. An evening at home watching TV is not my idea of a good time. If this is your idea of a joke, then I don’t find it very funny. I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea (= getting the wrong impression about something). Extra Examples I had an idea of where it might be. He gave me a rough idea of what was wanted. Swimming in an icy river is not my idea of fun. The idea of going to his rescue amused her. They seem to have got the idea that we will be giving them a lift. I don't relish the idea of sharing an office with Tony. People have a romantic idea of the police force. Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective clear concrete precise … verb + idea get espouse have … idea + verb amuse somebody appeal to somebody please somebody … preposition idea about idea behind idea of … See full entry opinion [countable] an opinion or a belief about something the experiences that shaped her ideas ideas about something He has some very strange ideas about education. ideas on something Her ideas on the family are pretty old-fashioned. ideas of something These photographs challenge conventional ideas of beauty. idea that… She rejects the idea that product quality has suffered. Extra Examples They had to reconsider their ideas in the light of new evidence. She has some funny ideas about how to motivate staff. She has very definite ideas about what kind of a job she wants. He holds very different ideas to mine about discipline. She always tries to impose her own ideas on the rest of the team. Topics Opinion and argumenta2 Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective clear concrete precise … verb + idea get espouse have … idea + verb amuse somebody appeal to somebody please somebody … preposition idea about idea behind idea of … See full entry feeling [singular] a feeling that something is possible or is true Where on earth did you get that idea? idea that… What gave you the idea that he'd be here? idea where, who, etc… I have a pretty good idea where I left it—I hope I'm right. Extra Examples I have a pretty good idea who might have said that. The idea never crossed my mind. The idea that I was only interested in making money is ludicrous. The idea that she was involved in any way is absolutely ridiculous. Whatever gave you that idea? aim the idea [singular] the aim or purpose of something You'll soon get the idea (= understand). idea of something What's the idea of the game? idea of doing something The whole idea of going was so that we could meet her new boyfriend. with the idea of doing something They buy other people's tickets with the idea of reselling them. Synonyms purposepurpose aim intention plan point idea These are all words for talking about what somebody/something intends to do or achieve. purpose what something is supposed to achieve; what somebody is trying to achieve: Our campaign’s main purpose is to raise money. aim what somebody is trying to achieve; what something is supposed to achieve: She went to London with the aim of finding a job. Our main aim is to increase sales in Europe. purpose or aim?Your purpose for doing something is your reason for doing it; your aim is what you want to achieve. Aim can suggest that you are only trying to achieve something; purpose gives a stronger sense of achievement being certain. Aim can be somebody’s aim or the aim of something. Purpose is more usually the purpose of something: you can talk about somebody’s purpose but that is more formal. intention what you intend to do: I have no intention of going to the wedding. She’s full of good intentions but they rarely work out. plan what you intend to do or achieve: There are no plans to build new offices. intention or plan?Your intentions are what you want to do, especially in the near future; your plans are what you have decided or arranged to do, often, but not always, in the longer term. point (rather informal) the purpose or aim of something: What’s the point of all this violence? The point of the lesson is to compare the two countries. idea (rather informal) the purpose of something; somebody’s aim: The whole idea of going was so that we could meet her new boyfriend. What’s the idea behind this? point or idea?Point is a more negative word than idea. If you say What’s the point…? you are suggesting that there is no point; if you say What’s the idea…? you are genuinely asking a question. Point, but not idea, is used to talk about things you feel annoyed or unhappy about: There’s no idea in… • I don’t see the idea of…. Patterns with the purpose/aim/intention/idea of doing something somebody’s intention/plan to do something to have a(n) purpose/aim/intention/plan/point to achieve/fulfil a(n) purpose/aim Word Originlate Middle English (as a term in Platonic philosophy): via Latin from Greek idea ‘form, pattern’, from the base of idein ‘to see’. Idioms buck your ideas up (British English, informal) to start behaving in a more acceptable way, so that work gets done better, etc. give somebody ideas \| put ideas into somebody’s head to give somebody hopes about something that may not be possible or likely; to make somebody act or think in an unreasonable way Who's been putting ideas into his head? have no idea \| not have the faintest, first, etc. idea (informal) used to emphasize that you do not know something ‘What's she talking about?’ ‘I've no idea.’ He hasn't the faintest idea how to manage people. I had no idea she’d had such a difficult life. I don’t have any idea where he is. I haven't got the faintest idea what she meant. He hadn't had the slightest idea about what had been going on. have the right idea to have found a very good or successful way of living, doing something, etc. He's certainly got the right idea—retiring at 55. The party had the right idea, but failed to win over the voters. Topics Successc2 that’s an idea! (informal) used to reply in a positive way to a suggestion that somebody has made Hey, that's an idea! And we could get a band, as well. that’s the idea! (informal) used to encourage people and to tell them that they are doing something right That's the idea! You're doing fine. you have no idea… (informal) used to show that something is hard for somebody else to imagine You've no idea how much traffic there was tonight.
随便看	faddy fade fade away fade-away fade in fade-in fade-in_1 fade out fade-out fade-out_1 fader fade-up faecal faeces faff faff about faff-about faff around faff-around fag fag end fag-end fagged faggot fag hag