100+ English Collocations to Sound More Fluent

Hello everyone,

Learning vocabulary words is important when studying English.

However, just knowing individual words is often not enough to sound truly fluent.

Native speakers don’t just string words together randomly – they use common word combinations called collocations.

A collocation is when certain words seem to naturally go together and are frequently used in that combination.

For example, we say “strong wind” not “powerful wind”, and “meet someone” rather than “encounter someone.”

Using the right collocations will make your English sound much more natural and fluent.

Here are over 100 useful collocations to boost your English vocabulary across different topics:

Adj + Noun Collocations

Heavy traffic

Strong wind

Bright colors

Loud noise

Tiny apartment

Freezing cold

Boiling hot

Pouring rain

Sheer determination

Sheer coincidence

Blistering heat

Searing pain

Excruciating pain

Utter foolishness

Grave mistake

Dire consequences

Abject poverty

Abject misery

Stark contrast

Stark reality

Read more:

• 100+ English Collocations to Sound More Fluent
• 100+ English Collocations to Sound More Fluent
• 30 Common English Collocations You Should Know
• English Collocation Sentences
• Everyday English Expressions for Daily Use

Verb + Noun Collocations

Do homework

Make a mistake

Take a risk

Pay attention

Pose a threat

Commit a crime

Violate a law

Flout the rules

Break a promise

Keep a promise

Catch a cold

Make an impression

Leave an impression

Set an example

Follow instructions

Offer advice

Lend a hand

Hold a meeting

Call it a day

Pull someone’s leg

Adverb + Adj Collocations

Deeply disappointed

Bitterly cold

Seriously ill

Terribly sorry

Utterly ridiculous

Insanely popular

Vastly different

Hopelessly lost

Totally confused

Strictly forbidden

Highly unlikely

Fairly obvious

Relatively safe

Roughly equal

Verb + Adverb Collocations

Think carefully

Smile warmly

Whisper softly

Ponder deeply

Insist politely

Argue heatedly

Apologize profusely

Obey blindly

Hesitate briefly

Deny vehemently

Dressed casually

Work diligently

Move swiftly

Noun + Verb Collocations

Clocks tick

Waves crash

Birds chirp

Cats meow

Dogs bark

Bees buzz

Rain pours

Sun shines

Wind howls

Fire crackles

Noun + Noun Collocations

Economic growth

Price range

Ray of hope

Stroke of luck

Wealth of knowledge

Piece of advice

Shower of sparks

Stroke of genius

Herd of elephants

Bouquet of flowers

Shades of grey

Words of wisdom

Phrasal Verb Collocations

Put off (delay)

Put up with (tolerate)

Put on (wear)

Get over (recover)

Get through (complete)

Go after (pursue)

Look into (investigate)

Look forward to (anticipate)

Catch on (understand)

Point out (identify)

Figure out (understand)

Run out of (use up)

Come across (find)

Carry on (continue)

With these collocations covering adjectives, nouns, verbs, adverbs, and phrasal verbs, you can massively expand your vocabulary and start sounding much more natural in English.

Of course, there are thousands of other collocations that would be useful to know.

But memorizing these common combinations is a great way to quickly upgrade your English from sounding awkward and robotic to smooth and fluent.

Let’s look at some examples of how using collocations can make your English better:

Without collocations:

I did work for university today.

I feel disappointing about my low score.

I encountered someone charming.

The power of thunder is huge.

With collocations:

I did my homework today.

I feel deeply disappointed about my low score.

I met someone charming.

The thunderclaps were deafening.

See how the second versions sound much more natural and native-like?

Here are some more tips for learning and using collocations effectively:

Start noticing collocations used by native speakers in conversations, movies, books, etc.

Underline or note down the common word partnerships.

When learning a new vocabulary word, also try to learn its common collocations.

For example, if you look up “traffic” in a dictionary, it may list “heavy traffic” as a common combination.

Use collocations in your writing and speaking practice as much as possible. The more you use them, the more naturally they will come.

Be aware that collocations often can’t be figured out through literal meaning.

“Make a decision” is a common collocation, but you wouldn’t say “create a decision.“

Some words have restricted collocations and can’t go with just anything, like “rancid” which combines with foods but not ideas or theories.

Collocation rules can also vary between languages.

So, a collocation in your native language might not make sense if translated directly to English.

With some focused effort on mastering these word combinations, you’ll be able to instantly transform your English vocabulary from basic to extremely proficient.

Not only will using collocations make you sound much more natural and fluent, but it’s also a sign of advancing to higher levels of English.

Beginners rarely use collocations properly.

So, study this list of over 100 common English collocations across different topics.

Try making sentences with them, listen for them in conversations, and most importantly – use them yourself as much as possible when speaking and writing English.

With a little dedication to learning collocations, you’ll be amazed at how much more native-like your English will sound.

You’ll boost your vocabulary in an efficient and practical way.

Over time, using the right collocations will become second nature, helping you achieve remarkable English fluency.