| Formas compostas: |
WordReference English-Portuguese Dictionary © 2026:
| a long time ago adv | (in the distant past) | muito tempo atrás adv |
| | A long time ago, my ancestors settled in this land. |
| | Muito tempo atrás, meus ancestrais se instalaram nesta terra |
| after prep | (in search of) | atrás de loc prep |
| | He went off after another loaf of bread. |
| | Ele saiu atrás de outro pão. |
| back up vi phrasal | (move in reverse) (BRA) | dar marcha a ré expres v |
| | (POR) | fazer marcha atrás expres v |
| | | recuar v int |
| | A loud beeping alerts other road users when the lorry is backing up. |
backpedal,
back-pedal vi | figurative, informal (go against sth previously said) (figurado: ir contra algo dito antes) | voltar atrás vi + adv |
| backward step n | (step going backwards) | um passo atrás sm |
| | Take a backward step so you won't be so close to the edge! |
| backward step n | figurative (retrograde action) | um passo atrás sm |
| | He took a backward step when he had to quit his job. |
| behind bars adv | colloquial (in prison) (figurado, informal) | atrás das grades loc adv |
| | (informal) | na cadeia, na prisão loc adv |
| | (formal) | encarcerado adj |
| | I hope he stays behind bars for the rest of his life! |
| behind the curtain expr | (unseen) | atrás dos bastidores loc adv |
| | They appear to have a happy marriage, but who knows what goes on behind the curtain. |
| | The customers don't realise how much work goes on behind the curtain. |
| bring up the rear v expr | (follow) | ir na retaguarda expres |
| | | seguir atrás v int + adv |
| | I'll blaze a trail through the jungle. You bring up the rear. |
| | Eu abro caminho pela selva. Tu segues atrás. |
| chain smoking n | (lighting cigarette with previous) | fumar um cigarro atrás do outro loc v |
| Nota: A hyphen is used when the term is an adjective |
| chase after sb vtr phrasal insep | (pursue sb) | perseguir vt |
| | | correr atrás vt + adv |
| | The police chased after the burglar and caught him in my neighbour's garden. |
| chase after sth vtr phrasal insep | (seek sth unrealistic) | correr atrás vt + adv |
| | John is rather homely, but he's always chasing after the pretty girls. |
duck under sth,
duck behind sth vi + prep | (dive, hide) | esconder-se debaixo de, esconder-se atrás de vp |
| | | mergulhar vp |
| | To avoid saying hello, he ducked under a desk. |
| | Para evitar dizer oi, ele se escondeu embaixo de uma mesa. |
| follow vi | (come next after sb) | ir atrás expres v |
| | I'll go first, and you can follow. |
| | Eu vou primeiro, e você pode ir atrás. |
| follow suit vi | figurative (do the same, copy: sb else) | seguir o exemplo loc v |
| | | ir atrás loc v |
| | He was such a copycat; if his brother did something he would always follow suit. After the first bank started giving away toasters, the rest of the banks followed suit. |
| | Ele era tão copião que, se seu irmão fizesse algo, ele sempre seguia o exemplo. Depois que o primeiro banco começou a distribuir torradeiras, os outros bancos seguiram o exemplo. |
| | Ele era tão copiador que se seu irmão fizesse algo ele sempre ia atrás. Depois que o primeiro banco começou a distribuir torradeiras os outros bancos foram atrás. |
| go back on a promise v expr | (break your word) | voltar atrás numa promessa expres |
| | | quebrar o promessa expres |
| | I can't believe that you, my own brother, would go back on your promise to loan me the money. |
| | Não acredito que você, meu próprio irmão, vai voltar atrás na promessa de me emprestar dinheiro. |
| hand-to-mouth adj | figurative (meeting only immediate needs) (precário, apertado, parco) | com uma mão na frente e outra atrás expres |
| Nota: Hyphens are used when the term is an adjective |
| | Since being fired from his job, he has had to live a hand-to-mouth existence. |
| hand to mouth adv | figurative (meeting only immediate needs) (precariamente) | com uma mão na frente e outra atrás expres |
| | Since Mary was fired from her job, she has struggled through life hand to mouth. |
hot on sb's heels,
hot on the heels of sb expr | slang (close behind) (seguindo alguém de perto) | logo atrás, seguindo de perto expres |
| | (informal, gíria) | no encalço, na esteira expres |
| | The police officer was hot on the heels of the speeding driver. |
| in back of expr | US (behind) | atrás de loc adv |
| | I'm sure we have cheese in the fridge – did you look in back of the milk? |
| in hot pursuit adv | informal (close behind) (perseguição) | logo atrás adv |
| | The police arrived in hot pursuit of the robbers. |
| in pursuit of sth/sb prep | (chasing) (caça) | atrás de loc prep |
| | The hounds were in pursuit of a fox. |
| in pursuit of sth/sb prep | (seeking) | atrás de, em busca de loc prep |
| | He went to the valley in pursuit of tranquillity. |
| listen at the door v expr | (eavesdrop) | escutar atrás da porta expres v |
| | You'll hear what they say if you listen at the door. |
| of late adv | (until recently) | até recentemente loc adv |
| | | até pouco tempo atrás loc adv |
| | He has been riding the bus of late. |
| one after the other adv | (one at a time) | um após o outro loc adv |
| | | um atrás do outro loc adv |
| | I couldn't believe it! He sat there and ate ten habanero peppers, one after the other! |
| renege on sth vi + prep | formal (fail to keep promise) | renegar, negar vt |
| | | voltar atrás loc v |
| | | roer a corda loc v |
| | My dad reneged on his promise to take me camping this weekend. |
| retreat vi | (from statement, position) | recuar v int |
| | | voltar atrás |
| | The minister retreated from his earlier position on benefit payments when he realised just how unpopular it was with the electorate. |
| reverse sth vtr | (vehicle: drive backwards) (veículo) | dar marcha a ré expres v |
| | | recuar vt |
| | | dar marcha atrás |
| | Alison reversed the car into the garage. |
| | Alison deu marcha a ré com o carro para entrar na garagem. |
| reverse n | (vehicle's backwards gear) (veículo) | em marcha ré expres |
| | | em recuo expres |
| | | em marcha atrás expres |
| | Mary put the car into reverse and pulled out of the parking space. |
| reverse vi | (drive backwards) | dar marcha ré expres v |
| | | dar marcha atrás expres v |
| | | recuar vt |
| | Carl reversed along the narrow lane until he reached a passing place. |
| seek sth vtr | (try to obtain) (procurar obter) | buscar vt |
| | (coloquial) | correr atrás vt + adv |
| | She seeks fame and fortune. |
| | Ela busca fama e fortuna. |
| set back adj + adv | (positioned further back, recessed) | recuado adj |
| | | posicionado atrás loc adv |
| | When you look at the garden you'll see that the birch tree's set back against the fence. |
| | Quando você olhar o jardim, vai ver que a bétula está recuada contra a cerca. |
| smell a rat v expr | figurative, informal (suspect sth) | suspeitar v int |
| | | ficar com a pulga atrás da orelha expres |
| | You say you didn't steal my cookies, but I smell a rat. |
| some time ago adv | (a while back) | há algum tempo loc adv |
| | | algum tempo atrás loc adv |
| | I was once a good basketball player … but that was some time ago. |
| stake your claim v expr | (assert right) | correr atrás expres |
| | | reivindicar vt |
| | Well if you're not interested in her, do you mind if I stake my claim? |
| take after sb vtr phrasal insep | US (chase) | perseguir vt |
| | | correr atrás de expres v |
| | The boys took after the dog when it ran off with their ball. |
| | Os meninos perseguiram o cachorro quando ele saiu correndo com a bola deles. |
| trail along vi phrasal | informal (accompany sb informally) (acompanhar alguém informalmente) | ir atrás de loc v |
| | | acompanhar vt |
| | When we go to the mall, my little sister always wants to trail along. |