1
general::
cause
adjectives
a common cause of something
• Alcohol is the most common cause of road accidents.
the main/primary cause of something
• Smoking is the main cause of lung disease.
a major/leading cause of something
• In this country, debt is a major cause of homelessness. • Drug abuse is the leading cause of crime and violence.
a direct/indirect cause
• Government policies are the direct cause of the problems facing the economy.
the root cause
(= the most basic cause )
• People often deal with the symptoms rather than the root cause of a problem.
the fundamental/underlying cause
(= the root cause )
• The underlying cause of insomnia is often anxiety.
the probable/likely cause
• The probable cause of the fire was faulty wiring.
verbs
discover/find the cause
• An investigation has failed to discover the cause of the epidemic.
determine/establish/identify the cause
(= discover definitely what it is )
• A team of experts is at the scene of the accident, trying to determine the cause.
investigate the cause
• Police are still investigating the cause of the fire.
phrases
the cause of death
• A snake bite was the cause of death.
die of/from natural causes
(= die of illness, old age etc, not because of an accident or crime )
• He died from natural causes, believed to be a heart attack.
cause and effect
(= the idea that one thing directly causes another )
• What happened was simply a question of cause and effect.
cause 2
adjectives
a good cause
(= one that is worth supporting, for example a charity )
• The money we are raising is for a good cause.
a worthy/deserving cause
(= a good cause )
• The Red Cross is a very worthy cause.
a just cause
(= an aim that is fair and right )
• The rebels believed that they were fighting for a just cause.
a noble cause
(= an aim that is morally good )
• He died for a noble cause.
the Nationalist/Republican etc cause
(= their aims and organization )
• The election results were a serious blow to the Nationalist cause.
verbs
support a cause
• Giving money is only one way of supporting a good cause.
fight for a cause
(= take action to achieve an aim )
• Young people often want to fight for a cause.
champion a cause
(= publicly support an aim )
• He has championed the cause of renewable energy since the 1980s.
advance/further/promote a cause
(= help to achieve an aim )
• He did much to advance the cause of freedom.
be committed to a cause
(= believe in an aim very strongly )
• We are committed to the cause of racial justice.
be sympathetic to a cause
(= understand an aim, and possibly support it )
• They hope the new President will be sympathetic to their cause.
cause 3
nouns
cause a problem
• The heavy rain has been causing serious problems on the roads.
cause trouble
• I decided not to complain because I didn’t want to cause trouble.
cause damage
• A fire had broken out and caused severe damage to the roof.
cause (a) disease
• Scientists are trying to find out what causes the disease.
cause injury
• Rugby is one of the sports that are most likely to cause injury.
cause pain
• The infection can cause severe pain.
cause death
• The famine caused the death of up to 400,000 people.
cause (a) delay
• Bad weather caused delays at many airports.
cause an accident
• 75% of accidents are caused by speeding.
cause chaos/disruption
• Floods caused chaos across much of the country.
cause concern/alarm
• Environmental issues are causing widespread concern.
cause confusion
• Teachers say the reforms will cause confusion in schools.
cause offence/embarrassment
(= offend/embarrass someone )
• How can I refuse the invitation without causing offence?
transnet.ir
2
general::
cause
to make something happen, especially something bad:
• Bad weather has caused a lot of problems on the roads. • The fault caused the whole computer system to shut down.
make somebody/something do something
to cause someone to do something, or cause something to happen. Make is less formal than cause , and is the usual word to use in everyday English:
• What made you decide to become a teacher? • I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry. • Gravity is the force which makes the planets move round the Sun.
be responsible for something
if someone or something is responsible for something bad, they caused it to happen:
• The excessive heat was responsible for their deaths. • A small militant group was responsible for the bombing.
bring about something
to make something happen – used especially about changes or improvements:
• The Internet has brought about enormous changes in society. • It’s important that we do everything we can to bring about peace.
result in something
if an action or event results in something, it makes that thing happen:
• The fire resulted in the deaths of two children. • The decision is likely to result in a large number of job losses.
lead to something
to cause something to happen eventually after a period of time:
• The information led to several arrests. • A poor diet in childhood can lead to health problems later in life.
trigger
if one event triggers another, it suddenly makes the second event happen:
• The incident triggered a wave of violence. • An earthquake off Java’s southern coast triggered a tsunami.
precipitate
formal to make a very serious event happen very suddenly, which will affect a lot of people:
• The withdrawal of foreign investment would precipitate an economic crisis. • The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand precipitated World War I.
Longman-Thesaurus
3
general::
noun sb/sth that makes sth happen ADJ. real, root, true, underlying the root cause of the problem | deeper, greater A greater cause for resentment is the discrepancy in pay. | biggest, chief, clear, fundamental, important, main, major, primary, prime, principal, significant | common Smoking is a common cause of premature death. | likely, possible | known, unknown | direct, indirect | immediate, initial | long-term, short-term | reasonable There is no reasonable cause to suspect an unnatural death. | contributory | hidden | social the social causes of ill health VERB + CAUSE discover, find, identify attempts to identify the immediate cause of the breakdown CAUSE + VERB be, lie in sth The real cause of the problem lies in the poor construction of the bridge. PHRASES cause and effect, the cause of death, due to/from/of natural causes He died of natural causes. reason ADJ. good, great, real, reasonable VERB + CAUSE have We have good cause to believe that he was involved in the crime. | find The experts may find cause to disagree with the school's decision. | give (sb) Her health is giving us great cause for concern. | show The onus is on government departments to show cause why information cannot be disclosed. PREP. ~ for There is no cause for alarm. PHRASES cause for concern, with/without good cause, without just cause aim that people believe in ADJ. deserving, good, just, noble, worthwhile, worthy The money she left went to various worthy causes. | bad, unjust | common The different groups support a common cause. | hopeless, lost (= one that has failed or that cannot succeed) | humanitarian, social | communist, socialist, etc. VERB + CAUSE be committed/sympathetic to, champion, fight for, further, help, promote, serve, support young men willing to fight for the cause She was keen to do anything that would further the cause. | take up She has taken up the cause of animal rights. | plead He pleaded the cause of the local fishermen. PREP. in a/the ~ prominent figures in the socialist cause | in the ~ of to disregard the strict letter of the law in the cause of true justice PHRASES a cause celebre (= a controversial issue that attracts a great deal of public attention), (all) for/in a good cause The function took a lot of organizing, but was all in a good cause.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary