0702 Flashcards
(15 cards)
imprudent
im‧pru‧dent /ɪmˈpruːdənt/ adjective formal
not sensible or wise SYN unwise
The banks made hundreds of imprudent loans in the 1970s.
—imprudently adverb
—imprudence noun [countable, uncountable]
For when these imprudent early-risers blearily rub their eyes each morning, …
blearily
blear‧y /ˈblɪəri $ ˈblɪri/ (also bleary-eyed) adjective
unable to see very clearly, because you are tired or have been crying
Steve emerged from his room, unshaven and bleary-eyed.
groggy
grog‧gy /ˈɡrɒɡi $ ˈɡrɑːɡi/ adjective
weak and unable to move well or think clearly because you are ill or very tired
I felt really groggy after 15 hours on the plane.
tantalize
tan‧ta‧lize (also tantalise British English) /ˈtæntəl-aɪz/ verb [intransitive, transitive]
to show or promise something that someone really wants, but then not allow them to have it
→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
tantalize
• It goes as far as it can and waits there for a while, its big eyes staring up, tantalized.
• What were her many mysteries, she tantalized herself, replaying all the loves she’d ever known.
• It was wiser not to tantalize oneself.
Origin tantalize (1500-1600) Tantalus king in an ancient Greek story who had to stand up to his chin in water under a fruit tree, but was unable to reach either the water to drink or the fruit to eat
vittles
Definition of vittles
: supplies of food : VICTUALS —now chiefly used playfully to evoke the supposed language of cowboys
The vendors sold souvenirs and knickknacks and all manner of local vittles.
— Frank Deford
… Taco Cabana of San Antonio makes sure its vittles are the freshest Tex-Mex north of the Rio Grande.
— Richard S. Teitelbaum
My mother turned an icy stare on her, leaving my father to try to make amends. “All you kids have to stay for dinner. Leo and I’ll rustle up some vittles.” “Vittles?” my mother asked with disdain. “Food,” my father said. “In cowboy movies, they call it vittles.” “I abhor cowboy movies,” she said, and returned to her room.
— Pat Conroy
scrumptious
scrump‧tious /ˈskrʌmpʃəs/ adjective informal
food that is scrumptious tastes very good SYN delicious
a scrumptious chocolate cake
That was absolutely scrumptious!
waft
waft /wɑːft, wɒft $ wɑːft, wæft/ verb
1 [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition] if a smell, smoke, or a light wind wafts somewhere, or if something wafts it somewhere, it moves gently through the air
waft up/through/over etc
Cooking smells wafted up from downstairs.
2 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if sounds waft somewhere, you hear them there and they are pleasant but not very loud
waft up/through/over etc
The sound of laughter wafted through the open window.
wondrous
won‧drous /ˈwʌndrəs/ adjective literary
good or impressive in a surprising way
ecstasty
ec‧sta‧sy /ˈekstəsi/ ●○○ noun (plural ecstasies)
1 [countable, uncountable] a feeling of extreme happiness
in (an) ecstasy
She was in an ecstasy of love.
go into ecstasies (=become very happy and excited)
2 [uncountable] an illegal drug that gives a feeling of happiness and energy. Ecstasy is especially used by people who go out to dance at clubs and parties.
smugly
smug /smʌɡ/ adjective
showing too much satisfaction with your own cleverness or success – used to show disapproval SYN self-satisfied
smug about
What are you looking so smug about?
smug expression/look/face/smile etc
‘I knew I’d win, ’ she said with a smug smile.
plaster
plaster2 verb [transitive]
1 to put a wet usually sticky substance all over a surface so that it is thickly covered
be plastered with something
Her face was plastered with make-up.
2 to completely cover a surface with something, especially large pieces of paper, pictures etc
be plastered with something
The windows were plastered with notices.
The news of the wedding was plastered all over the papers (=was the main story in the newspapers).
3 to put wet plaster on a wall or ceiling
We’re plastering the bathroom.
4 to make your hair lie flat or stick to your head
be plastered to something
His hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat.
be plastered down/back
Her hair had been plastered down by the rain.
pitch black
6 BLACK SUBSTANCE [uncountable] a black sticky substance that is used on roofs, the bottoms of ships etc to stop water coming through
The night was as black as pitch (=very dark).
→ pitch-black, pitch-dark
chug
1 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if a car, train etc chugs somewhere, it moves there slowly, with the engine making a repeated low sound
chug along/up/around etc
The boat chugged out of the harbour.
hanker
han‧ker /ˈhæŋkə $ -ər/ verb [intransitive, transitive]
to have a strong desire for something
hanker after/for
She hankered for a new life in a different country.
holidaymakers who hanker after the sun
hanker to do something
I’ve been hankering to visit my father’s birthplace for many years.
lackluster
lack‧lus‧tre British English, lackluster American English /ˈlækˌlʌstə $ -ər/ adjective 1 not exciting, impressive etc SYN dull a lacklustre performance 2 not shining SYN dull lacklustre hair
