7 CONVENTION If you are offered something or offered a choice and you say ' I don't mind ', you are saying politely that you will be happy with any of the things offered. [BRIT , FORMULAE ] □ 'Which one of these do you want?'—'I don't mind.'
8 CONVENTION You say ' Don't mind me ' to apologize for your presence when you think that it might embarrass someone, and to tell them to carry on with what they were doing or about to do.
9 PHRASE You use don't mind in expressions such as don't mind him or don't mind them to apologize for someone else's behaviour when you think it might have offended the person you are speaking to. □ Don't mind the old lady. She's getting senile.
10 CONVENTION Some people say ' Mind how you go ' when they are saying goodbye to someone who is leaving. [BRIT , INFORMAL , FORMULAE ]
11 PHRASE People use the expression if you don't mind when they are rejecting an offer or saying that they do not want to do something, especially when they are annoyed. [FEELINGS ] □ 'Sit down.'—'I prefer standing for a while, if you don't mind.'.
12 PHRASE You use mind you to emphasize a piece of information that you are adding, especially when the new information explains what you have said or contrasts with it. Some people use mind in a similar way. [EMPHASIS ] □ They pay full rates. Mind you, they can afford it. □ You need a bit of cold water. Not too cold, mind.
13 CONVENTION You say never mind when you are emphasizing that something is not serious or important, especially when someone is upset about it or is saying sorry to you. [EMPHASIS ]
14 PHRASE You use never mind to tell someone that they need not do something or worry about something, because it is not important or because you will do it yourself. □ 'Was his name David?'—'No I don't think it was, but never mind, go on.' □ Dorothy, come on. Never mind your shoes. They'll soon dry off. □ 'Fewter didn't seem to think so.'—'Never mind what Fewter said.'
15 PHRASE You use never mind after a statement, often a negative one, to indicate that the statement is even more true of the person, thing, or situation that you are going to mention next. [EMPHASIS ] □ I'm not going to believe it myself, never mind convince anyone else.
16 CONVENTION You use never you mind to tell someone not to ask about something because it is not their concern or they should not know about it. [SPOKEN ] □ 'Where is it?'—'Never you mind.'
17 PHRASE If you say that you wouldn't mind something, you mean that you would quite like it. □ I wouldn't mind a coffee.
18 to mind your own business → see business COLLOCATIONS mind NOUN
➊1
verb + mind : clear; concentrate, focus; occupy
➊ 2
adjective + mind : good, healthy, sound; conscious, subconscious, unconscious; human, young
mind + be + adjective : blank
➊ 3
adjective + mind : inquiring, open, suspicious; brilliant, creative; criminal SYNONYMS mind NOUN
➊1
brain: Once you stop using your brain you soon go stale.
psyche: 'It probably shows up a deeply immature part of my psyche,' he confesses.
head: I can't get that song out of my head.
➊ 2
intelligence: Nerve cells, after all, do not have intelligence of their own.
reason: …a conflict between emotion and reason.
intellect: Do the emotions develop in parallel with the intellect? VERB ➋1
object: A lot of people will object to the book.
resent: I resent being dependent on her.
disapprove: Most people disapprove of such violent tactics.
mi nd-altering ADJ [usu ADJ n] A mind-altering drug is one that produces mood changes in the person who has taken it.
mi nd-bending
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as mind-bending , you mean that it is difficult to understand or think about. □ …mind-bending debates about the nature of life.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Mind-bending means the same as mind-altering . □ …mind-bending drugs.
mi nd-blowing also mind blowing ADJ If you describe something as mind-blowing , you mean that it is extremely impressive or surprising. [INFORMAL ] □ …a mind-blowing array of treatments.
mi nd-boggling also mind boggling ADJ If you say that something is mind-boggling , you mean that it is so large, complicated, or extreme that it is very hard to imagine. [INFORMAL ] □ The amount of paperwork involved is mind-boggling.
mind|ed /ma I nd I d/ ADJ [v-link ADJ , ADJ to-inf, so ADJ ] If someone is minded to do something, they want or intend to do it. [FORMAL ] □ The Home Office said at that time that it was minded to reject his application for political asylum.
-minded /-ma I nd I d/
1 COMB -minded combines with adjectives to form words that describe someone's character, attitude, opinions, or intelligence. □ These are evil-minded people. □ He is famous for his tough-minded professionalism.
2 COMB -minded combines with adverbs to form adjectives that indicate that someone is interested in a particular subject or is able to think in a particular way. □ I am not an academically-minded person.