deal
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.an agreement between two or more people or companies, usually involving money or business.
n.a business arrangement or transaction, often involving a formal or informal contract between parties.
Simple“The two companies signed a deal to work together on the new project.”
In context“After months of intense negotiation, the tech giants finally closed a multi-million dollar deal that would merge their cloud computing divisions.”
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
n.a product or service that is sold at a very good price.
n.a transaction considered to be financially advantageous to the buyer.
Simple“I got a great deal on this laptop during the summer sale.”
In context“Savvy travellers often wait until the last minute to book, hoping to secure a deal on luxury accommodation that would otherwise remain vacant.”
SynonymsAntonymsrip off - 03 B1 Intermediate
n.a large amount of something; used in the phrase 'a great deal'.
n.an indefinite but large quantity or amount, typically used with 'great' or 'good'.
Simple“He spent a great deal of time researching the history of his family.”
In context“The proposed infrastructure project has already attracted a great deal of criticism from local environmental groups concerned about habitat loss.”
- 04 B1 Intermediate
n.the act of giving out cards to players in a game.
n.the distribution of playing cards to participants in a game; also the period of play between such distributions.
Simple“Whose deal is it? I think I gave the cards out last time.”
In context“The professional gambler watched the deal closely, looking for any slight hesitation that might reveal the dealer's lack of experience.”
Synonyms - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a situation or a person's specific problem.
n.an unspecified situation, matter, or personal issue; often used in the question 'What is the deal?'.
Simple“I don't know what the deal is with the broken lift, but it's been a week.”
In context“The manager wanted to know what the deal was with the delayed shipment, as the clients were becoming increasingly frustrated.”
- 06 A2 Elementary
v.to take action to solve a problem or handle a situation.
v.to take the necessary action to document, manage, or resolve a situation; usually followed by 'with'.
Simple“She is very good at dealing with difficult customers at the bank.”
In context“The crisis management team was forced to deal with several conflicting reports before they could issue an official statement to the press.”
UsageAlways takes the preposition 'with' when referring to a person or problem.
- 07 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to buy and sell things as a business, or to sell illegal drugs.
v.to engage in commercial trade; also used specifically for the illicit sale of narcotics.
Simple“The shop on the corner deals in rare books and old maps.”
In context“The investigation revealed that the suspect had been dealing stolen electronics through various encrypted online marketplaces for several years.”
UsageTakes 'in' for general goods (deal in antiques) but is often used without a preposition for illegal drugs.
- 08 A2 Elementary
v.to give playing cards to the people in a game.
v.to distribute playing cards to players in a systematic manner.
Simple“Please deal the cards so we can start the next round of the game.”
In context“The croupier began to deal the cards with a mechanical precision that fascinated the onlookers at the high-stakes table.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 09 C1 Advanced
v.to cause someone to suffer something bad, like a blow or a disappointment.
v.to deliver or inflict something unpleasant, such as a physical blow or a metaphorical setback.
Simple“The sudden increase in taxes dealt a heavy blow to small businesses.”
In context“The supreme court's ruling dealt a significant blow to the government's proposed legislative reforms, effectively halting the project indefinitely.”
Usage deal leave · adequately deal · mainly deal
From Middle English del, dele, from Old English dǣl (“part, share, portion”), from Proto-West Germanic daili, from Proto-Germanic dailiz (“part, deal”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰ(h₁)-oy-lo- (“part, watershed”). Cognate with Scots dele (“part, portion”), West Frisian diel (“part, share”), Dutch deel (“part, share, portion”), German Teil (“part, portion, section”), Danish, Slovene, and Swedish del (“part”), Icelandic deila (“division, contention”), Gothic 𐌳𐌰𐌹𐌻𐍃 (dails, “portion”). Related to Old English dāl (“portion”). More at dole.
From Middle English delen, from Old English dǣlan (“to divide, part”), from Proto-West Germanic dailijan, from Proto-Germanic dailijaną (“to divide, part, deal”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰail- (“part, watershed”). Cognates Cognate with West Frisian diele (“to divide, separate”), Dutch delen, German teilen, Swedish dela; and with Lithuanian dalinti (“divide”), Russian дели́ть (delítʹ).
From Middle English dele (“plank”), from Middle Low German dele, from Old Saxon thili, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *þiljǭ (“plank, board”); cognate with Old English þille. Doublet of thill.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.