matter

Universal Words noun, verb noun subject / situation 1 [C] a subject or situation that you must consider or deal with SYNAFFAIR: It's a private matter. * They had important matters to discuss. * She may need your help with some business matters. * I always consulted him on matters of policy. * It's a matter for the police (= for them to deal with). * That's a matter for you to take up with your boss. * Let's get on with the matter in hand (= what we need to deal with now). * I wasn't prepared to let the matter drop (= stop discussing it). * It was no easy matter getting him to change his mind. * It should have been a simple matter to check. * (ironic) And then there's the little matter of the fifty pounds you owe me. * (formal) It was a matter of some concern to most of those present (= something they were worried about). * I did not feel that we had got to the heart of the matter (= the most important part). * And that is the crux of the matter (= the most important thing about the situation). 2 (matters) [pl.] the present situation, or the situation that you are talking about SYNTHINGS: Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to improve matters. * I'd forgotten the keys, which didn't help matters. * Matters were made worse by a fire in the warehouse. * And then, to make matters worse, his parents turned up. * I decided to take matters into my own hands (= deal with the situation myself). * Matters came to a head (= the situation became very difficult) with his resignation. problem 3 (the matter) [sing.] ~ (with sb/sth) used (to ask) if sb is upset, unhappy, etc. or if there is a problem: What's the matter? Is there something wrong? * Is anything the matter? * Is something the matter with Bob? He seems very down. * There's something the matter with my eyes. * 'We've bought a new TV.' 'What was the matter with the old one?' * What's the matter with you today (= why are you behaving like this)? * What on earth was the matter with her, she wondered. She'd come here to enjoy herself and here she was, stuck on her own in the hotel. a matter of sth / of doing sth 4 [sing.] a situation that involves sth or depends on sth SYNQUESTION: Learning to drive is all a matter of coordination. * Planning a project is just a matter of working out the right order to do things in. * That's not a problem. It's simply a matter of letting people know in time. * Some people prefer the older version to the new one. It's a matter of taste. * She resigned over a matter of principle. * The government must deal with this as a matter of urgency. * (spoken) Just as a matter of interest (= because it is interesting, not because it is important), how much did you pay for it? * 'I think this is the best so far.' 'Well, that's a matter of opinion (= other people may think differently). substance 5 [U] (technical) physical substance in general that everything in the world consists of; not mind or spirit: to study the properties of matter 6 [U] a substance or things of a particular sort: Add plenty of organic matter to improve the soil. * elimination of waste matter from the body * She didn't approve of their choice of reading matter. seealsoSUBJECTMATTER IDIOMS as a matter of fact (spoken) 1 used to add a comment on sth that you have just said, usually adding sth that you think the other person will be interested in: It's a nice place. We've stayed there ourselves, as a matter of fact. 2 used to disagree with sth that sb has just said: 'I suppose you'll be leaving soon, then?' 'No, as a matter of fact I'll be staying for another two years.' be another / a different matter to be very different: I know which area they live in, but whether I can find their house is a different matter. for that matter (spoken) used to add a comment on sth that you have just said: I didn't like it much. Nor did the kids, for that matter. it's just / only a matter of time (before...) used to say that sth will definitely happen, although you are not sure when: It's only a matter of time before they bring out their own version of the software. (as) a matter of course the usual and correct thing that is done: We always check people's addresses as a matter of course. a matter of hours, minutes, etc.