grey matter
Brains; a person's ability to think.
"I'd better be putting my grey matter into that algebra instead of wasting it plotting for a party dress that I certainly can't get."
matter
UK /ˈmæt.ə/ US /ˈmæt.ɚ/
noun 5verb 3name 1
Definitions
noun
1
Material; substance.
2
Material; substance.
3
Material; substance.
vegetable matter
4
Material; substance.
He always took some reading matter with him on the plane.
5
Material; substance.
verb
1
To be important.
The only thing that matters to Jim is being rich.
Sorry for pouring ketchup on your clean white shirt! - Oh, don't worry, it does not matter.
2
To care about, to mind; to find important.
Besides, if it had been out of doors I had not mattered it so much; but with my own servant, in my own house, under my own roof […]
He matter'd not that, he said; coy maids made the fondest wives […].
3
To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate.
Each slight sore mattereth.
name
1
A surname.
Collocations
36(noun.) subject/situation that must be dealt with
ADJ
important, pressing, serious, urgent, weighty
The manager decided to postpone the meeting because a serious matter required her immediate attention.
awkward, complex, complicated, delicate, difficult
The teacher handled the complicated matter of the failed exam with great care.
no easy, (no) simple
Getting your children to eat vegetables every day is no simple matter.
trifling, trivial
practical
We need to sort out the practical matters before we can start the project next week.
family, personal
subject
The course covers sensitive subject matter that requires careful classroom discussion.
economic, environmental, financial, legal, political, procedural, routine, technical
The company had to hire a lawyer to handle the complex legal matters arising from the dispute.
different
Cooking at home is easy, but opening a restaurant is a different matter entirely.
VERB + MATTER
bring up, broach, raise
Sarah decided to raise the matter at the team meeting instead of discussing it privately.
address, debate, discuss, go into, take up
The committee decided to address the matter at their next meeting.
pursue, take further
When the company refused to refund my money, I decided to pursue the matter with their manager.
drop
After their argument, Sarah decided to drop the matter and focus on their friendship instead.
consider, examine, look at/into, tackle
clarify, clear up, decide, resolve, settle
We need to resolve this matter before we can move forward with the project.
approach, deal with, treat
The manager decided to approach the matter carefully before making any final decisions.
PREP
in a/the ~
My parents always gave me freedom in the matter of choosing my own clothes.
on a/the ~
I haven't made a decision on the matter yet, so let me think about it more.
~ for
When your car breaks down, that's a matter for a qualified mechanic to handle.
~ of
Whether we go camping depends on a matter of weather and how much money we can spend.
PHRASES
the crux/heart of the matter
let the matter drop/rest
After their disagreement, he decided to let the matter drop and focus on something else.
the matter in hand
We need to focus on the matter in hand before we discuss anything else.
(noun.) matters: situation you are in
VERB + MATTER
complicate, confuse, make worse, not help
The argument only complicated matters further when she brought up past mistakes.
arrange
The manager arranged matters so that everyone could leave early on Friday.
(noun.) substance
ADJ
solid
organic, vegetable
Plants decompose and return vegetable matter to the soil.
inanimate, inorganic
printed, written
(verb.)
ADV
a great deal, a lot, really
Your opinion really matters to me and my family.
hardly, little
What he thinks hardly matters since the decision has already been made.
not much, scarcely
It doesn't much matter which brand of rice you choose for this recipe.
no longer, not any more
VERB + MATTER
not seem to
It doesn't seem to matter what time you arrive at the party.
PREP
about
The teacher said it didn't matter about arriving a few minutes late.
to
What matters most to me is spending time with my family on weekends.
Thesaurus
Idioms & Phrases
what's the matter
What is wrong? What's the problem?
Why are you crying? What's the matter?
no matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloney
Regardless of how many clever points or fine distinctions one makes, what one is saying is still false or is still nonsense.
Some of our leading scholars trace it back to a favorite American saying of that time, "No matter how thin you slice it, it is still boloney."
no matter how thin you slice it, it's still boloney
Alternative form of no matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloney.
it doesn't matter
It is not important; do not worry (used to reassure or comfort the person to whom it is said).
I’m afraid I’ve broken your mug. – It doesn’t matter; it was old and I was going to throw it away anyway.
Example Bank
601
vegetable matter
Wiktionary02
He always took some reading matter with him on the plane.
Wiktionary03
Something is the matter with him.
Wiktionary04
The only thing that matters to Jim is being rich.
Wiktionary05
Sorry for pouring ketchup on your clean white shirt! - Oh, don't worry, it does not matter.
Wiktionary06
As a political system democracy seems to me extraordinarily foolish,[…]. My servant is, so far as I am concerned, welcome to as many votes as he can get.[…]I do not suppose that it matters much in rea
WiktionaryUsage Notes
i Register
In some senses, matter is marked as archaic. Watch for register when choosing this word.
Your note
not saved0 chars