Collocations for house - noun
1. building that is made for one family to live in
ADJ.
beautiful, comfortable, delightful, elegant, fine, grand, handsome, lovely, luxurious, magnificent, posh, pretty, splendid | dream
They built their own dream house overlooking the river.
They built their own dream house overlooking the river.
depressing, dingy, gloomy, ugly | derelict, dilapidated, ramshackle, shabby, untidy | detached, semi-detached, terrace/terraced | big, enormous, gigantic, huge, large, palatial, spacious | rambling
It was easy to get lost in the rambling house.
It was easy to get lost in the rambling house.
little, modest, small, tiny
They lived in a modest semi-detached house in the suburbs.
They lived in a modest semi-detached house in the suburbs.
single-storey, single-storeyed, two-storey, etc. | four-bedroom, four-bedroomed, eight-room, eight-roomed, etc. | gabled, half-timbered, red-brick, thatched | exclusive, expensive | private | council (= rented from the local council) | rented | empty, unoccupied, vacant | country, suburban, town | great, manor, mansion
The great house stood on the edge of the village.
The great house stood on the edge of the village.
farm (also ‘farmhouse’), ranch | ancestral | communal | summer | tree | halfway, safe
a halfway house for prisoners returning to society | The police provided a safe house for the informer.
a halfway house for prisoners returning to society | The police provided a safe house for the informer.
VERB + HOUSE
live in, occupy
a house occupied by students
a house occupied by students
share
She shares a house with three other nurses.
She shares a house with three other nurses.
buy, rent | sell | let (out)
We let out our house when we moved to America.
We let out our house when we moved to America.
repossess
Their house was repossessed when they couldn''t keep up their mortgage payments.
Their house was repossessed when they couldn''t keep up their mortgage payments.
move, move into, move out of
It''s stressful moving house.
It''s stressful moving house.
set up
They want to set up house together
They want to set up house together
keep
She kept house (= cooked, cleaned, etc.) for her elderly parents.
She kept house (= cooked, cleaned, etc.) for her elderly parents.
play (at)
The children were playing house, giving dinner to their teddies.
The children were playing house, giving dinner to their teddies.
build | demolish, knock down, tear down | maintain | decorate, do up, redecorate, refurbish, renovate
They bought a dilapidated house when they got married, and are gradually doing it up.
They bought a dilapidated house when they got married, and are gradually doing it up.
furnish | insulate, rewire | extend
We''re hoping to extend the house.
We''re hoping to extend the house.
HOUSE + VERB
be situated, lie, stand
The house stood a short distance from the wood.
The house stood a short distance from the wood.
face sth, overlook sth
The house faces south, making the most of the sun. | houses overlooking the park
The house faces south, making the most of the sun. | houses overlooking the park
loom
The house loomed over him as he waited at the front door.
The house loomed over him as he waited at the front door.
be worth sth | collapse, fall down | burn down, catch fire | come into view
HOUSE + NOUN
agent | buyer, owner
The bank offers attractive rates to first-time house buyers.
The bank offers attractive rates to first-time house buyers.
tenant | building, construction | decoration, improvement, renovation, repairs | builder, decorator, painter | contents | design, plan, planning | hunting | move
They helped us with our house move.
They helped us with our house move.
prices, rents, values | purchase | sales | mortgage | insurance | repossession | front, interior | number | keys | guest | call
In the morning, the doctor makes house calls.
In the morning, the doctor makes house calls.
arrest
The former dictator is under house arrest in his country mansion.
The former dictator is under house arrest in his country mansion.
dust | blaze, fire | party, -warming
They''ve moved house and have invited us to their house-warming on Saturday.
They''ve moved house and have invited us to their house-warming on Saturday.
husband
He''s happy being a house husband while his wife goes out to work.
He''s happy being a house husband while his wife goes out to work.
plant | fly, mouse, sparrow, etc.
PREP.
at sb''s/the ~
I finally tracked him down at his house in London.
I finally tracked him down at his house in London.
from ~ to ~
She went from house to house collecting signatures for her campaign.
She went from house to house collecting signatures for her campaign.
in a/the ~
It was so hot outside we stayed in the house.
It was so hot outside we stayed in the house.
PHRASES
house-to-house
Police are making house-to-house enquiries following the discovery of the body.
Police are making house-to-house enquiries following the discovery of the body.
2. all the people who live in one house
ADJ.
friendly, happy
VERB + HOUSE
wake (up)
You''ll wake up the whole house with that noise.
You''ll wake up the whole house with that noise.
3. in a theatre/cinema
ADJ.
empty | full, packed
VERB + HOUSE
play to
They played to a packed house.
They played to a packed house.
HOUSE + NOUN
lights | manager
PHRASES
bring the house down
(= please the audience very much),
(= please the audience very much),
front-of-house
(= the parts of a theatre used by the audience) the front-of-house staff
(= the parts of a theatre used by the audience) the front-of-house staff