| Formas compostas: |
WordReference English-Portuguese Dictionary © 2026:
| as plain as a pikestaff expr | UK, informal (very obvious) (óbvio) | mais claro que água expres |
| as plain as a pikestaff expr | UK, informal (not attractive) (desinteressante) | sem graça loc adj |
| as sly as a fox adj | (devious, cunning) | astuto como raposa loc adj |
| | Reynard was as sly as a fox as he wheedled his way into the hen house. |
ASAP,
A.S.A.P.,
asap,
a.s.a.p. adv | acronym (as soon as possible) | assim que possível loc adv |
| | | logo que possível loc adv |
| | | o mais rápido possível loc adv |
| | | o quanto antes loc adv |
| Nota: Most commonly used in American English as an acronym, and in British English as an initialism |
| | Please send your reply to the following address ASAP. |
ask a favor (US),
ask a favour (UK) v expr | (request that [sb] do [sth]) | pedir um favor expres v |
| | May I ask a favor? Could you please water my garden while I'm out of town? |
| | Posso pedir um favor? Você poderia regar meu jardim enquanto eu estiver fora da cidade? |
ask [sb] a favor (US),
ask [sb] a favour (UK) v expr | (request that [sb] do [sth]) | pedir um favor expres v |
ask a favor of [sb] (US),
ask a favour of [sb] (UK) v expr | (request that [sb] do [sth]) | pedir um favor expres v |
| | Could I ask a favor of you? |
| ask a question v expr | (make enquiry) | fazer uma pergunta loc v |
| | | perguntar vt |
| | The teacher said to her students, "If you don't understand the material, please ask a question!". |
| ask [sb] a question v expr | (want to know [sth]) | fazer pergunta loc v |
| | My young daughter asks me a lot of questions. |
| assign a task to [sb] v expr | (allocate a job) | designar uma tarefa expres |
| | Because she was a new employee, I assigned a task to her that was not difficult. |
| at a certain time adv | (at a specified hour) | em determinado momento loc adv |
| | You can adjust the heating so that it switches itself on at a certain time each evening. |
| at a crossroads adv | figurative (at a decisive point) | numa encruzilhada loc adv |
| at a disadvantage adv | (in an inferior position) | em desvantagem loc adv |
| | You'll be at a disadvantage if you don't have a second language. |
| at a discount adv | (at a reduced price) | com desconto loc adv |
| | The student card allows you to buy train tickets at a discount. |
| at a distance adv | (comfortably far away) | à distância loc adv |
| | He keeps himself at a distance from political arguments. |
| at a distance adv | (some distance removed) | ao longe, de longe loc adv |
| at a glance adv | (with one quick look) | numa olhadela, numa espiada loc adv |
| | I could tell at a glance that the children had done something naughty while I'd been out of the room. |
| at a glance adv | figurative (quickly, rapidly) (rapidamente) | de imediato, só de olhar loc adv |
| at a good price expr | (at reasonable cost) | a bom preço loc adv |
| | I was able to buy my PC at a good price. |
| at a later date adv | (on an unspecified future day) (no futuro) | em outro dia loc adv |
| at a later time adv | (later) (formal) | posteriormente adv |
| | (informal) | depois adv |
| | (informal) | mais tarde loc adv |
| | We agreed to discuss the matter again at a later time. |
at a loose end,
at loose ends adv | informal, figurative (having nothing to do) (figurado, informal) | sem ter o que fazer expres |
| at a loss adv | (losing money) | liquidação sf |
| | They must be selling these at a loss, the prices are so low. |
| | Eles devem estar fazendo uma liquidação, os preços estão tão baixos! |
| at a loss adj | informal (unable to understand) | atrapalhado loc sm |
| | She was at a loss to explain what had happened. |
| | Ela estava atrapalhada tentando explicar o que havia acontecido. |
| at a premium adv | (scarce, sought-after) (escasso, valioso) | a prêmio loc adv |
| | During the oil embargo of the 1970's, gasoline was at a premium. |
| at a premium adv | (above usual price) | com uma tarifa superior loc adv |
| at a profit adv | (gaining financially) | com lucro loc adv |
| | Alan repairs second-hand cars and then sells them at a profit. |
| at a slow pace adv | (slowly) (lentamente) | num passo lento loc adv |
| | The tortoise won the race, even though he went at a slow pace. |
| at a standstill adj | (traffic: not moving forward) (tráfego) | parado adj |
| | When we saw the accident we understood why traffic was at a standstill. |
| at a standstill adj | figurative (not progressing) (sem progresso) | parado adj |
| | We can't agree on the terms of the contract, so negotiations are at a standstill. |
| at a stretch expr | (in one session) | de uma vez loc adv |
| | Although I can read English for hours, I can only manage about ten pages of French at a stretch. |
| at a stretch expr | UK (if absolutely necessary) | no máximo expr |
| | The recipe says it's enough for four people, but I think it will feed five at a stretch. |
| at the drop of a hat expr | (at the least provocation) (a menor provocação) | num piscar de olhos, sem mais aquela loc adv |
| | That girl is so emotional, she'll start crying at the drop of a hat. |
atom bomb,
atomic bomb,
A-bomb n | (nuclear weapon) | bomba atômica loc sf |
B.A.,
BA,
A.B.,
AB n | initialism (degree: Bachelor of Arts) (grau:Bacharelado em Artes) | BA abrev |
| | Sarah has a BA in Art History from the University of East Anglia. |
B.A.,
BA n | initialism (person: Bachelor of Arts) | bacharel sm |
| | Eric is a BA in Economics from Princeton University. |
B.B.A.,
BBA n | initialism (Bachelor of Business Administration) | Bacharelado em Administração de Empresas loc sm |
| | Jim graduated with a BBA. |
B.B.A.,
BBA n | initialism ([sb]: Bachelor of Business Administration) | Bacharel em Administração de Empresas loc sm |
| | She is a B.B.A. who now works as Marketing Director at a big international company. |
B.F.A.,
BFA n | initialism (degree: Bachelor of Fine Arts) | Bacharelado em Belas Artes loc sm |
| | Terry received a B.F.A. from the University of Texas. |
B.F.A.,
BFA n | initialism ([sb]: Bachelor of Fine Arts) | Bacharel em Belas Artes loc sm |
| | The CEO is a BFA and MBA with specialties in online marketing communications. |
| B.S.A. n | initialism (Boy Scouts of America) | Boy Scouts of America |
| | The vision of the B.S.A. is to prepare every eligible youth in America to become a responsible, participating citizen. |
| Bachelor of Arts n | (humanities degree) | bacharelado sm |
| | | caixa cheia sf + adj |
| | I got my Bachelor of Arts in European Languages in 1986. |
| Bachelor of Arts n | (holder of humanities degree) | Bacharel de artes sm |
| | | Bacharelado em artes sm |
| | This job requires that an applicant be a Bachelor of Arts. |
| a bad egg n | figurative, pejorative, informal (mean or dishonest person) (figurado: pessoa) | ovo podre loc sm |
| | It's no surprise that he ended up in prison; he has always been a bad egg. |
| a bad feeling about [sth/sb] n | (misgivings) | pressentimento ruim sm + adj |
| | I have a bad feeling about this place; I think we should leave. |
| a badge of [sth] n | figurative (distinguishing feature) | distintivo sm |
| | That company's logo is a badge of quality. |
| | O logo daquela empresa é um distintivo de qualidade. |
| a barrage of [sth] n | figurative (torrent of: questions, abuse, etc.) | torrente sf |
| | The suspect endured a barrage of questions during the investigation. |
| a battery of [sth] n | figurative (large number: of [sth]) | bateria sf |
| | The patient underwent a battery of medical tests. |
| | O paciente passou por uma bateria de exames médicos. |
| a battery of n | figurative (group: of persons) | grupo sf |
| | The patient was examined by a battery of specialists, but none could diagnose her condition. |
| be a bargain v expr | (represent good value, be cheap) | ser uma pechincha, ser uma barganha expres |
| | The gloves are a bargain at just £5 a pair. |
| be a deal v expr | (transaction: be agreed) | estar fechado expres |
| | That's a deal! |
| be a man v expr | figurative (male: show strength) | ser homem expres |
| | (informal, gíria) | ser macho expres |
| | You have to be a man about this, and admit that you made a mistake. |
| be a man v expr | (male: reach adulthood) | crescer v int |
| | Dan's young son wants to be an astronaut when he is a man. |
| be a part of [sth] v expr | (be involved) | ser integrante de expres |
| | Taking part in the protest made John feel that he was a part of something big. |
| be a stumbling block to [sth] v expr | figurative (hinder progress) | obstáculo, empecilho sm |
| | The issue proved to be a stumbling block during the peace talks. |
| be a success v expr | (achieve popularity) | ser um sucesso expres |
| | (informal) | arrasar v int |
| | The chocolate cake was a real success with the guests. |
| be a thing v expr | informal (be recognized or legitimate) (figurado, existir) | ser alguma coisa expres |
| | His band plays something called "sludge metal". I didn't even know that was a thing! |
| be a total blast v expr | slang, figurative (be great fun) (nota de 20 dólares) | nota de vinte dólares loc sf |
| | I can't wait for this weekend, it will be a total blast! |
| be built like a brick s***house v expr | vulgar, slang (person: be big and muscular) (musculoso) | grandalhão sm |
| be hit by a car v expr | (be knocked down) | ser atingido por um carro loc v |
| | (trancado) | sob sete chaves loc adj |
| | Greg crossed the street without checking for traffic, and was consequently hit by a car. |
| be in a funk expr | informal, US (feel depressed) (tristeza) | depressão sf |
| | Lizzie's daughter has been in a funk since she lost her job. |
be in a good place,
be in a happy place v expr | figurative, informal (be happy, contented) | feliz, satisfeito adj |
| be in for a treat v expr | (be about to enjoy [sth] a lot) | vai adorar, vai ter uma surpresa expres v |
| | Thank you for tuning into our show. You are all in for a treat today; just wait until we tell you who our special guest is! |
| be like talking to a brick wall v expr | figurative, informal (not be listened to) (figurado) | falar com as paredes |
| | Talking to Esther is like talking to a brick wall; neither one will listen! |
| | Falar com a Érica é como falar com as paredes; ela não ouve! |
| be of a mind to do [sth] v expr | (be disposed to do [sth]) | estar com vontade de expres v |
| | (informal) | estar a fim de expres v |
| be on a roll v expr | figurative, informal (experience a run of success) | maré de sorte expres |
| | I think I'll strip the wallpaper from another wall before bedtime; I'm on a roll! |
| bear a child v expr | (give birth to a baby) | dar à luz expres |
| | (animais) | parir v int |
| | Helen bore a child at the age of 43. |
| bear a grudge v expr | (be resentful) | guardar rancor expres v |
| | | guardar ressentimento expres v |
| | Despite the cruel way her brother treated her, Sally has never borne a grudge. |
| bear a grudge against [sb] v expr | (be resentful) | guardar rancor expres v |
| | | guardar ressentimento expres v |
| | Fred bore a grudge against his brothers. |
| bear a grudge against [sb] for [sth] v expr | (be resentful) | guardar rancor expres v |
| | | guardar ressentimento expres v |
| | Julie bears a grudge against her neighbour for cutting down a hedge that was actually on Julie's property. |
| bear a resemblance to [sb] v expr | (look like) (figurado) | lembrar vt |
| | | parecer vt |
| Nota: Often used with an adjective, such as "striking", "strong", "uncanny", etc. |
| | He bears a striking resemblance to his sister. |
beat a dead horse,
flog a dead horse v expr | figurative (pursue a hopeless cause) (figurado, informal) | dar murro em ponta de faca loc v |
| | I tried to convince him to come with us, but felt that I was beating a dead horse. |
| beat a path to [sb]'s door v expr | figurative (be keen to meet with [sb]) (figurado, informal) | fazer fila na porta loc v |
| | If you have a good idea, investors will beat a path to your door. |
| become a habit v expr | ([sth] grows accustomed, routine) | tornar um hábito loc v |
| | They say if you do something for fourteen days in a row, it becomes a habit. |
| a bed of roses n | figurative (pleasant, luxurious experience) (figurado) | mar de rosas sm |
| between a rock and a hard place expr | (facing two bad choices) | entre a cruz e a espada expres |
between the devil and the deep blue sea,
between a rock and a hard place,
between Scylla and Charybdis expr | figurative (facing a dilemma) (figurado) | entre a cruz e a espada expres |
beyond doubt,
beyond a doubt,
beyond the shadow of a doubt,
beyond a shadow of a doubt adv | (undeniably) | sem dúvida, sem sombra de dúvida loc adv |
| | This is beyond doubt the best song on the CD. |
beyond doubt,
beyond a doubt,
beyond the shadow of a doubt,
beyond a shadow of a doubt adj | (certain) | além de dúvida loc adj |
| | The theory of evolution is scientifically beyond doubt. |
| a big deal n | slang ([sth] important) | coisa importante sf + adj |
| | | assunto sério sm + adj |
| | Passing her driving test was a big deal for Jodie. |
| | Passar no teste de trânsito foi uma coisa importante para Jodie. |
| a big lie n | (fraud) | fraude sf |
| | | engano sm |
billion,
a billion,
one billion,
1,
000,
000,
000 n | invariable (thousand million, 10^9) (BRA) | bilhão num |
| | (POR) | bilião num |
| | | mil milhões num |
| Nota: "a billion" is used generally; "one billion" is used to emphasize the precise amount |
| | I bet you can't count to two billion! |
| | Aquele país tem uma população de dois bilhões. |
a billion,
one billion,
1 billion,
1,
000,
000,
000 adj | invariable (one thousand million in number, 10^9) (BRA) | bilhão num |
| | (POR) | bilião num |
| | | mil milhões num |
| Nota: No Brasil, é equivalente a mil milhões (10⁹). Nos outros países lusófonos, é equivalente a um milhão de milhões, (10¹²). |
| | One celebrity donated one billion dollars to charity last year. |
| | Uma celebridade doou um bilhão de dólares para caridade no ano passado. |
billion,
a billion,
one billion,
1,
000,
000,
000 pron | invariable (people, things: thousand million, 10^9) (BRA) | bilhão num |
| | (POR) | bilião num |
| | The world's population is predicted to go up by a billion over the next decade. |
a billion,
one billion,
1 billion,
1,
000,
000,
000 n | invariable (thousand million pounds or dollars, 10^9) (BRA) | bilhão num |
| | (POR) | bilião sm |
| | The profits last year topped one billion. |
| | The government has pledged two billion to finance a new sports stadium. |
| | Os lucros no ano passado passaram de um bilhão. O governo prometeu dois bilhões para financiar um novo estádio. |
billion,
a billion,
one billion n | UK, dated (million million, 10^12) (BRA) | bilhão num |
| | (POR) | bilião num |
| | Max thinks he can easily make a billion and retire early. |
| | Max acha que pode fazer um bilhão e se aposentar cedo. |
billion,
a billion,
one billion adj | UK, dated (million million in number, 10^12) (BRA) | bilhão num |
| | (POR) | bilião num |
| | There are thought to be a billion bacteria in the human intestine. |
| | Acredita-se que há um bilhão de bactérias no intestino humano. |
| a billion [sth] adj | figurative, informal (many) (BRA: figurado, informal) | um bilhão de, bilhões de expres |
| | (POR: figurado, informal) | um bilião de, biliões de expres |
| | I can think of a billion things I'd do if I didn't have to work. |
| | Consigo pensar em um bilhão de coisas que eu faria se não tivesse que trabalhar. |
billion,
a billion n | figurative, informal (any very large number) (BRA: figurado) | bilhão num |
| | (POR: figurado) | bilião num |
| | Have you seen the stars tonight? There must be a billion! |
| | Viu as estrelas hoje? Deve haver um bilhão! |
| birds of a feather npl | figurative (people who are alike) (pessoas parecidas) | farinha do mesmo saco expres |
| | You and your sister are birds of a feather; you both like joking around. |
| Birds of a feather flock together expr | figurative (people who are similar form groups) | diga-me com quem andas que te direi quem és expres |
| | Zoe and Lynn have been inseparable since discovering they're both into football. Birds of a feather flock together! |
| a bit of [sth] n | (small amount) | pouquinho adj |
| | | pitada sf |
| | I added a bit of cinnamon to the recipe. |
| | Acrescentei um pouquinho de canela à receita. |
a bit of a leap,
quite a leap n | (bold conclusion) | conclusão precipitada sf + adj |
| a bitch n | vulgar, informal, mainly US (unpleasant thing) (BRA, gíria: coisa desagradável) | saco sm |
| | (BRA, figurado, gíria) | pé no saco expres |
| | Mowing the lawn in the summer is a bitch. |
| | Cortar a grama no verão é um saco. |
| a blast n | figurative, slang (good time) (BRA, gíria: coisa divertida) | arraso sm |
| | I'm glad I went to the party, it was a blast! |
| | Ainda bem que eu fui na festa, foi um arraso! |
| a blaze of [sth] n | figurative (anger, etc.: intense burst) | ataque sm |
| | | arroubo sm |
| | Graham yelled at his son in a blaze of anger. |
| | Graham gritou com o filho dele em um ataque de raiva. |
| blaze a trail v expr | figurative (lead the way) (figurado) | abrir caminho expres v |
| a blessing in disguise n | (turns out to be good) | bênção sf |
| | Not being chosen to play that role turned out to be a blessing in disguise. |
| blow a fuse v expr | (electrical) | queimar um fusível expres v |
| blow a fuse v expr | figurative (get angry) (figurado) | explodir v int |