29 Compound Verbs You Can Use In Business

 29 Compound Verbs You Can Use In Business

Below are 29 compound verbs, with their meaning and an example that you can use in Business or General English. Choose a couple each day and see if you can use them when speaking in English.

1) up-to-date incorporating the latest developments and trends or the latest information

The manager required us to keep all our computer programs up-to-date and we always have training sessions to keep up-to-date.

2) well-being.  the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy.

These days the company has to be conscious of their employee’s well-being.

3) word-of-mouth spoken communication as a means of spreading information.

We often fill our vacancies by word of mouth.

4) big deal something considered important.

The manager was very stressed as he knew the meeting was a big deal.

5) nitty-gritty the most important aspects or practical details of a subject or situation.

OK, now we have looked at the overview, it is time to get down to the nitty-gritty.

6) breakthrough a sudden, dramatic, and important discovery or development.

We had been not getting anywhere with the negotiations until we suddenly had a breakthrough.

7) know-how practical knowledge or skill; expertise.

The manager really appreciated my know-how in this situation.

8) know-all a person who acts as if they know everything

Everyone thought he was just a know-all as he always claimed he knew how to do things but only made things worse!

9) empty-handed to not have anything to offer, or to not take anything away

He was supposed to have prepared for the meeting but he came empty-handed.

He thought he was going to get the contract signed but came away empty-handed.

10) far-fetched unlikely and unconvincing; implausible

Everyone thought his excuse for being late was too far-fetched. Did he really have to stop for a UFO, again!

11) heads-up an advanced warning of something.

The receptionist gave me the heads up so I expected the client to be a little stressed.

12) free-for-all an event or discussion where no one is in control or taking the lead

Without a chairman, the meeting digressed into a complete free-for-all.

13) a lifesaver  a thing that saves one from serious difficulty

We were so overworked and under pressure, so the temp worker was a real lifesaver.

14) mind-blowing overwhelmingly impressive.

The new technology was truly mind-blowing.

15) no-brainer something that was so obvious that you didn’t need to think about it

Our boss asked us to decide if we wanted a 2% pay increase or to only work 4 days for 5 days’ pay. The decision was a no-brainer.

16) no-show someone do didn’t show up to an arranged appointment, meeting or job

The new employee was supposed to start today but they were a no-show.

17) one-time thing something that happens only once

My colleague coming to work smelling of alcohol said it was only going to be a one-time thing but I was concerned it may be the start of a serious problem.

18) strong-arm to force them to do something

We were warned not to use strong-arm tactics in the negotiations.

19) outcome the way a thing turns out; a consequence

He hoped the outcome was better this year than last year.

20) one-sided having all the effort coming from one participant

Our negotiator was so good the negotiations were really all one-sided.

21) one-dimensional lacking depth; superficial

He felt that the new product was very one-dimensional.

22) setback a reversal or pausing in progress

The computer problem only caused a minor setback and we are now back up to speed.

23) time-saver something that allows to you accomplish a task faster

We were told the new computer app would be a time-saver but really it just meant we had more work to do.

24) topsy-turvy a state of utter confusion

The office move was so mismanaged that we are now all topsy-turvy.

25) trade-off a giving up of one thing in return for another

I thought that being able to work remotely 3 days a week was a good trade-off in the end.

26) washout disappointing, a failure

The event was a complete washout as no one seemed to be interested.

27) toss-up a situation in which any of two or more outcomes or options is equally possible or equally attractive

It was a toss-up as to which job offer I should accept.

28) win-win advantageous or satisfactory to all parties involved

I knew if I stated my case clearly it would result in a win-win situation.

29) lose out be unsuccessful; be beaten in competition

We knew our product was good but we were concerned we would still lose out to the corporate competition.

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