bubble

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a situation where you only talk to people who have the same ideas as you, or a safe group you stay with during a sickness.

n. a state of social or intellectual isolation where an individual is protected from outside influences or differing viewpoints.

“Living in a university bubble can make you forget what the real world is like.”

“Social media algorithms often trap users in an ideological bubble, reinforcing existing biases by filtering out any dissenting perspectives.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Economics

n. a time when prices for things like houses or stocks go up too fast and then suddenly crash.

n. a period of intense market speculation where asset prices rise to levels significantly above their intrinsic value before a rapid collapse.

“Many people lost their savings when the housing bubble finally burst.”

“Economists warned that the tech bubble was unsustainable, yet investors continued to pour capital into companies with no clear path to profitability.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Sports Informal

n. the point in a tournament where you are almost, but not quite, qualified for the next round or a prize.

n. the threshold in a competition or tournament where participants are either included in the prize-winning group or eliminated.

“He was on the bubble for the final team selection, but he didn't make the cut.”

“As the poker tournament reached the bubble, the remaining players became noticeably more cautious, desperate to survive until the prize money was guaranteed.”

B1 · Intermediate

v. to produce bubbles, like water when it starts to boil.

v. to form or produce bubbles; to rise to the surface in the form of gas-filled spheres.

“The soup was bubbling away on the stove, smelling delicious.”

“The chemical solution began to bubble and hiss as soon as the catalyst was introduced to the beaker.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to feel a strong emotion that is starting to show.

v. to manifest a feeling or quality that is becoming difficult to suppress.

“Anger was bubbling inside him as he listened to the lies.”

“A sense of quiet excitement bubbled through the crowd as the lights dimmed and the performance was about to begin.”