deal
gb/dˈil/ us/dˈil/
A2
English
~ 900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
An agreement between people or groups
An agreement between two or more people or groups about what each will do.
Usage pattern:
make [a deal] with [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'deal' with 'offer'; an offer is one side’s proposal, but a deal is when both sides agree.
Synonyms
agreement (A general term for a mutual decision, without implying negotiation or business context.)
|
contract (A legally binding agreement, often more formal than 'deal'.)
Antonyms
disagreement (A situation where parties do not reach a common decision or arrangement.)
Collocations
make a deal
|strike a deal
|close a deal
|business deal
Themes
business
|daily life
|negotiation
|law
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- They finally reached a deal after weeks of negotiation.
- The two companies signed a deal worth millions.
- She made a deal with her parents to improve her grades in exchange for more freedom.
- Negotiators are close to striking a peace deal.
- He refused to take the deal offered by prosecutors.
Learner examples
- We made a deal to share the car.
- They have a deal to work together.
- I made a deal with my friend to help each other.
- The two shops have a deal for lower prices.
- She made a deal with her teacher.
Verb
A2
action
2
To give out playing cards
To give cards to each player in a game.
Usage pattern:
deal [cards] to [players]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'give' instead of 'deal' in card games; 'deal' is the correct gaming term.
Synonyms
distribute (A more general term for giving out items, not specific to cards.)
Antonyms
collect (To gather cards back from players.)
Collocations
deal the cards
|deal out cards
|dealer deals
Themes
games
|leisure
|arts_entertainment
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Whose turn is it to deal the cards?
- He dealt two cards to each player.
- The dealer deals clockwise around the table.
- She shuffled and dealt the deck quickly.
Learner examples
- It is my turn to deal the cards.
- He deals the cards very fast.
- Please deal the cards to everyone.
- She will deal the cards now.
Verb
B1
action
3
To handle or manage a situation
To try to manage or control a problem or person.
Usage pattern:
deal with [something/someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes omit 'with' when using this meaning; 'deal' must be followed by 'with' here.
Synonyms
handle (Similar meaning; 'handle' can sound slightly more formal or controlled.)
|
manage (Focuses on organizing and controlling rather than just coping.)
Antonyms
ignore (To deliberately not address or manage something.)
Collocations
deal with problems
|deal with customers
|deal with stress
Themes
daily life
|problem solving
|daily_life
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She had to deal with a lot of stress at work.
- How do you usually deal with angry customers?
- We need to deal with this issue before it gets worse.
- He dealt with the situation calmly and professionally.
Learner examples
- I can deal with this problem.
- He deals with many emails every day.
- We must deal with the noise.
- She deals with many people at work.
Noun
informal
A2
entity
4
An advantageous offer or bargain
A good price or arrangement that helps you save money or get more value.
Synonyms
bargain ('Bargain' often emphasizes low price; 'deal' can be about overall value.)
Antonyms
rip-off (An unfairly high price or poor value.)
Collocations
good deal
|great deal
|special deal
Themes
shopping
|business
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I got a great deal on my new phone.
- This store always has good deals during the holidays.
- That’s not much of a deal if it breaks in a week.
- We found a special deal on flights to Paris.
Learner examples
- This is a good deal.
- We found a cheap deal online.
- It was not a good deal for me.
- The shop has a special deal today.
Grammar
Dictionary form
deal
IPA
GB/dˈil/
US/dˈil/
Syllables & stress
deal (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (deal)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: deal
- Plural: deals
Verb
- Base: deal
- 3rd Person Singular: deals
- Present Participle: dealing
- Past: dealt
- Past Participle: dealt
Word family
Highlights
- Irregular past: dealt Verb
- Irregular past participle: dealt Verb
Expressions
a big deal
1/ə bˈɪɡ dˈil/
idiom
informal
Something important or significant
Something important, special, or that matters a lot.
Examples
- Getting into that university is a big deal for her.
- It's not such a big deal; don't worry about it.
cut a deal
1/kˈʌt ə dˈil/
idiom
informal
Arrange a beneficial agreement quickly/often secretly
To make an agreement that helps both sides, sometimes done quickly or privately.
Examples
- The lawyers cut a deal before going to trial.
- They cut a deal with the supplier for better prices.
deal with it
1/dˈil wˈɪθ ˈɪt/
fixed phrase
informal
Accept and handle something unpleasant
To accept something bad or difficult and continue without complaining too much.
Examples
- I know it's not fair, but you'll just have to deal with it.
- The weather is terrible, but we have to deal with it and move on.
make a deal
1/mˈeɪk ə dˈil/
fixed phrase
Reach an agreement after discussion
To agree on something after talking about it and deciding the terms.
Examples
- The two companies made a deal to share resources.
- Let's make a deal: I'll cook if you wash the dishes.
no big deal
1/nˈoʊ bˈɪɡ dˈil/
idiom
informal
Something unimportant or insignificant
Something that is not important and not worth worrying about.
Examples
- Don't worry about being late; it's no big deal.
- It was no big deal, really—just forget about it.