answer

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English Vietnamese dictionary

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Advanced English dictionary

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noun, verb
+ noun
~ (to sth)
1 something that you say, write or do to react to a question or situation: I can't easily give an answer to your question. + Have you had an answer to your letter? + As if in answer to our prayers, she offered to lend us £10 000. + I rang the bell, but there was no answer. + She had no answer to the accusations. + a question and answer session
2 something that you write or say in reply to a question in a test, an exam, an exercise, etc.; the correct reply to a question in a test, etc: Write your answers on the sheet provided. + Do you know the answer to question 12? (= the right one) + The answers are at the back of the book. + The sender of the first correct answer to be drawn will receive £100.
3 a solution to a problem: There is no easy answer. + This could be the answer to all our problems. + The obvious answer would be to cancel the party.
4 a person or thing from one place that may be thought to be as good as a famous person or thing from another place: The new theme park will be Britain's answer to Disneyland.
Idioms: have / know all the answers (informal, often disapproving) to be confident that you know sth, especially when you actually do not: He thinks he knows all the answers.
more at NO exclam.
+ verb
1 to say, write or do sth as a reaction to a question or situation
Synonym: REPLY
[V] I repeated the question, but she didn't answer. + He answered as truthfully as he could. + [VN] You haven't answered my question. + to answer a letter / an advertisement + to answer the phone (= to pick up the phone when it rings) + to answer the door (= to open the door when sb knocks / rings) + My prayers have been answered (= I have got what I wanted). + He refused to answer the charges against him. + Come on, answer me! Where were you? + He answered me with a smile. + We are grateful to all those people who answered our call for help with fund-raising. + [V speech] 'I'd prefer to walk,' she answered. + [VN speech] 'I'd prefer to walk,' she answered him. + [V that] She answered that she would prefer to walk. + [VNN] Answer me this: how did they know we were here? [also VN that]
2 [VN] (formal) to be suitable for sth; to match sth: Does this answer your requirements?
Idioms: answer to the name of sth (especially of a pet animal) to be called sth: The dog was an ugly brute, answering to the name of Spike.
more at DESCRIPTION
Phrasal Verbs: answer back to defend yourself against criticism: He was given the chance to answer back in a radio interview.
answer back
answer sb back to speak rudely to sb in authority, especially when they are criticizing you or telling you to do sth: Don't answer back! + Stop answering your mother back!
answer for sth
1 to accept responsibility or blame for sth: You will have to answer for your behaviour one day. + This government has a lot to answer for (= is responsible for a lot of bad things).
2 to promise that sb has a particular quality or can be relied on to do sth: I can answer for her honesty. + Anne says she can answer for his ability to do the job well.
answer for sb (usually in negative sentences) to say that sb else will do sth or have a particular opinion: I agree, but I can't answer for my colleagues.
answer to sb (for sth) to have to explain your actions or decisions to sb: All sales clerks answer to the store manager.
WHICH WORD?
answer / reply
Verbs
Answer and reply are the most common verbs used for speaking or writing as a reaction to a question, letter, etc.
Note that you answer a person, question or letter, not answer to them, but you reply to somebody or something: I'm writing to answer your questions. + I'm writing to reply to your questions. + I'm writing to answer to your questions.
Although answer can be used with an object, it often sounds more natural without one: I knocked on the door but nobody answered. Reply is often used with the actual words spoken:
'I won't let you down,' he replied.
Respond is less common and more formal: The directors were unwilling to respond to questions.
You can only answer a door or a phone.
See also - REJOIN, RETORT
Nouns
Note the phrases in answer to and in reply to: I'm writing in answer to your letter.
See also - RESPONSE, REJOINDER, RETORT

Thesaurus dictionary

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n.

1 reply, response; rejoinder, retort, riposte, Colloq comeback:

The boy's answer is unprintable.

2 Law defence, counter-statement, plea, explanation; Technical declaration, plea, replication, rejoinder, surrejoinder, rebutter or rebuttal, surrebutter or surrebuttal:

Her answer to the charge was 'Not Guilty'.

3 solution, explanation:

Ten points were taken off because I had the wrong answer to question three.

v.

4 reply, respond; retort, rejoin, riposte:

When I ask you a question, I expect you to answer.

5 satisfy, fulfil, suffice for, meet, suit, serve, fit, fill, conform to, correlate with:

The bequest answered my needs for the moment.

6 answer back. talk back (to):

How dare you answer your father back!

7 answer for.

(a) be accountable or responsible or answerable for, be to blame for; take or undertake responsibility for; sponsor, support, guarantee:

I answer alone to Allah for my motives. So shall my righteousness answer for me.

(b) make amends for, atone for, suffer the consequences of:

Caesar was ambitious and he answered for it with his life.

(c) take or accept the blame for:

Andy shouldn't have to answer for his brother's shortcomings.

Collocation dictionary

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¹ sth that you say/write/do as a reply

ADJ.

brief, quick, short

The short answer to your query is that he has acted completely illegally.

| blunt, direct, straight

I expect a straight answer to a straight question.

| detailed, full, precise | immediate | final | affirmative, positive | negative | honest, reasonable, sensible | dusty

(= unsatisfactory)I complained to the water company and received a very dusty answer.

VERB + ANSWER

get, have, receive

Did you ever get an answer to your letter?

| demand | wait for | give sb, offer

Please give her your answer, so she can make the necessary arrangements. She repeated her question, but he offered no answer.

| guess, know

I think you can guess the answer?they won't lend us the money.

ANSWER + VERB

come

The answer came in a postcard she sent from Devon.

PREP.

in ~ to

In answer to your enquiries, I can only say that we did not find her work of a satisfactory standard.

| ~ to

her answer to his question

² solution to a problem

ADJ.

easy, instant, ready, simple | clear, clear-cut, obvious

The obvious answer would be to cancel the party.

| logical, reasonable, sensible | adequate, real, satisfactory | complete, convincing, definitive, effective, good, long-term, perfect | partial

VERB + ANSWER

have, know

We are aware of this problem, but we do not have the answer.

| look for, seek | arrive at, come up with, find

We have arrived at an answer which we hope will satisfy everyone.

| give sb, offer, provide

If you want to save time, this machine will provide the answer.

PREP.

~ to

There is no easy answer to the problem.

PHRASES

have/know all the answers

He's so arrogant, he thinks he knows all the answers.

³ to questions in a test

ADJ.

acceptable, appropriate, correct, right | incorrect, wrong | written

This part of the exam requires a written answer.

VERB + ANSWER

give | guess

It's not worth guessing the answer, as you may lose marks.

| know | print, write

Please print the answers to questions 1 to 9.

PREP.

~ to

Do you know the answer to the question?

ADV.

affirmatively, in the affirmative

She answered in the affirmative.

| in the negative, negatively | honestly, truthfully

He tried to answer as honestly as he could.

| correctly | fully

What he told me does not fully answer the question of what his motives were.

| satisfactorily | evasively | coldly, curtly | calmly | quietly, softly

Concise English dictionary

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answers|answered|answering'ɑːnsə
noun
+a statement (either spoken or written) that is made in reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
+a statement that solves a problem or explains how to solve the problem
+the speech act of replying to a question
+the principle pleading by the defendant in response to plaintiff's complaint; in criminal law it consists of the defendant's plea of `guilty' or `not guilty' (or nolo contendere); in civil law it must contain denials of all allegations in the plaintiff's complaint that the defendant hopes to controvert and it can contain affirmative defenses or counterclaims
+a nonverbal reaction
verb
+reply or respond to
+give the correct answer or solution to
+respond to a signal
+understand the meaning of
+give a defence or refutation of (a charge) or in (an argument)
+be liable or accountable
+be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity
+match or correspond
+be satisfactory for; meet the requirements of or serve the purpose of
+react to a stimulus or command

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