3 Flashcards
complacent
complacent [kəmˈplei.s ə nt] disapproving adjective feeling so satisfied with your own abilities or situation that you feel you do not need to try any harder • a complacent smile/attitude • We can’t afford to become complacent about any of our products.
precede
precede [prɪˈsiːd] [priː-] verb transitive [precedes preceding preceded] < > to be or go before something or someone in time or space • Boutros Boutros-Ghali preceded Kofi Annan as the Secretary-General of the UN. • It would be helpful if you were to precede the report with an introduction. Thesaurus+: ↑Preceding and introducing • This evening’s talk will be preceded by a brief introduction from Mr Appleby. • Verbs usually precede objects in English. • The attacks were preceded by a period of unrest in the capital city. • He preceded Dennis Healey as the Chancellor of the Exchequer. • I’m not sure if I fully understand the sentence which precedes this one.
beacon
beacon [ˈbiː.k ə n] noun countable [beacons] a light or fire on the top of a hill that acts as a warning or signal • As part of the centenary celebrations a chain of beacons was lit across the region. • figurative She was a beacon of hope in troubled times.
inferior
inferior [ɪnˈfɪə.ri.ə r ] [-ˈfɪr.i.ɚ] adjective 1. not good, or not as good as someone or something else • These products are inferior to those we bought last year. • She cited cases in which women had received inferior health care. • It was clear the group were regarded as intellectually/morally/socially inferior. Compare superior Thesaurus+: ↑Worse and worst 2. specialized lower, or of lower rank • an inferior officer
superior
BETTER 1. < > better than average or better than other people or things of the same type • This is clearly the work of a superior artist. • She was chosen for the job because she was the superior candidate. • For all babies, breastfeeding is far superior to bottlefeeding. • The government troops were superior in numbers (= There were more of them) . Compare inferior Thesaurus+: ↑Extremely good 2. disapproving describes someone who believes that they are better than other people and acts in such a way • a superior manner/smile • I can’t bear Amanda - she’s so superior. Thesaurus+: ↑Showing arrogance and conceit ↑Confidence and self-assurance ↑Boasting ↑Feeling morally superior • Although badly out-numbered by the enemy, we had vastly superior firepower. • She thinks she’s morally superior to the rest of us. • This cheese is vastly superior to the other. • They only employ a very superior kind of nanny. • They make superior outdoor products. HIGHER 3. higher in rank or social position than others • The soldier was reported to his superior officer for failing in his duties. Thesaurus+: ↑Position and status in groups and organizations ↑Important people and describing important people ↑Famous people ↑Wealthy people noun countable a person or group of people who are higher in rank or social position than others • I will pass your complaint on to my superiors.
scarce
scarce [skeəs] [skers] adjective [scarcer scarcest] < > not easy to find or get • Food and clean water were becoming scarce. • scarce resources Thesaurus+: ↑Scarce, inadequate and not enough ↑Lacking things • With jobs so scarce, many young people have nothing to do. • In wartime, food is often scarce. • Research evidence in this area is scarce. • scarce water resources • Details are still scarce.
repel
repel [rɪˈpel] [-ll-] verb transitive [repelling repelled repels] FORCE AWAY 1. to force something or someone to move away or stop attacking you • This coat has a special surface that repels moisture. • formal The defenders repelled the attack without losing any men. Thesaurus+: ↑Pushing and shoving ↑Responding to an attack 2. specialized to have a magnetic field which pushes away something with a similar magnetic field • Similar poles of magnets repel each other, and opposite poles attract. Thesaurus+: ↑Pushing and shoving CAUSE STRONG DISLIKE 3. People or things that repel you make you feel strongly that you do not want to be near, see or think about them • She was repelled by his ugliness. • Her arrogance repels many people.
stumble
stumble [ˈstʌm.bl ̩] verb [stumbles stumbling stumbled] WALK 1. intransitive to step awkwardly while walking or running and fall or begin to fall • Running along the beach, she stumbled on a log and fell on the sand. • In the final straight Meyers stumbled, and although he didn’t fall it was enough to lose him first place. Thesaurus+: ↑Falling and dropping ↑Moving downwards ↑Moving unsteadily or with difficulty 2. intransitive usually + adverb or preposition to walk in a way which does not seem controlled • We could hear her stumbling about/around the bedroom in the dark. • He pulled on his clothes and stumbled into the kitchen. Thesaurus+: ↑Moving unsteadily or with difficulty PAUSE 3. intransitive to make a mistake, such as repeating something or pausing for too long, while speaking or playing a piece of music • When the poet stumbled over a line in the middle of a poem, someone in the audience corrected him. Thesaurus+: ↑Ways of speaking ↑Making mistakes PhrasalVerb: stumble on somebody
seclusion
seclusion [sɪˈkluː.ʒ ə n] noun uncountable when someone is alone, away from other people • He’s been living in seclusion since he retired from acting. • In some societies women are kept in seclusion, so that they are hardly ever seen in public. • After being with a tour group all week I was glad to return to the seclusion of my own home.
sneaky
sneaky [ˈsniː.ki] adjective [sneakier sneakiest] doing things in a secret and unfair way • a sneaky plan
poke
poke [pəʊk] [poʊk] verb [pokes poking poked] PUSH 1. transitive to push a finger or other pointed object quickly into someone or something • You’ll poke someone in the eye with that umbrella if you’re not careful! • Two kids were poking a stick into the drain. Thesaurus+: ↑Pushing and shoving APPEAR 2. intransitive or transitive usually + adverb or preposition to (cause something to) appear or stretch out from behind or through something else • Cathy poked her head round the door to say hello. • The first green shoots are poking up/through the soil. Thesaurus+: ↑Protruding and sticking out Idiom: poke fun at somebody PhrasalVerb: poke around noun countable when you poke someone or something • She gave me a poke in the stomach. Thesaurus+: ↑Pushing and shoving
reluctant
reluctant [rɪˈlʌk.t ə nt] adjective < > not willing to do something and therefore slow to do it • + to infinitive I was having such a good time I was reluctant to leave. • Many parents feel reluctant to talk openly with their children. • She persuaded her reluctant husband to take a trip to Florida with her. Thesaurus+: ↑Unwilling and reluctant ↑Ready and willing ↑Lacking interest and enthusiasm • The United Nations was reluctant to get its forces embroiled in civil war. • I’m a bit reluctant to get involved. • The government was reluctant to sanction intervention in the crisis. • The government is understandably reluctant to do anything which might spoil the harmonious relations between the country’s ethnic groups. • A mother was coaxing her reluctant child into the water.
outcast
outcast [ˈaʊt.kɑːst] [-kæst] noun countable [outcasts] a person who has no place in their society or in a particular group, because the society or group refuses to accept them • She has spent her life trying to help gypsies, beggars and other social outcasts. • She was a political outcast after the Party expelled her in 1982.
incentive
incentive [ɪnˈsen.tɪv] [-t ̬ɪv] noun countable or uncountable [incentives] < > something which encourages a person to do something • Tax incentives have been very effective in encouraging people to save and invest more of their income. • + to infinitive There is little incentive for people to leave their cars at home when public transport remains so expensive. • Bonus payments provide an incentive to work harder. Thesaurus+: ↑Attracting and tempting ↑Attractive ↑Sexual attraction • Indexation of pay rises to productivity will give people an incentive to work harder. • The incentive to sell more is large - and it plainly works. • The management have introduced a productivity incentive scheme for members of staff. • Tax incentives have been offered to attract industry to the region. • The new law provides incentives for businesses to invest in recycling equipment.
snarl up
To snarl something up means to cause problems which prevent it continuing or making progress.
disingenuous
disingenuous [ˌdɪs.ɪnˈdʒen.ju.əs] formal adjective (of a person or their behaviour) slightly dishonest; not speaking the complete truth • It was disingenuous of her to claim she had no financial interest in the case.
extinguish
extinguish [ɪkˈstɪŋ.gwɪʃ] verb transitive [extinguishes extinguishing extinguished] FIRE/LIGHT 1. to stop a fire or a light burning • It took the firefighters several hours to extinguish the flames. • to extinguish a cigarette Thesaurus+: ↑Fire service ↑Fire and flame ↑Stopping fires FEELING/IDEA 2. literary to stop or get rid of an idea or feeling • Nothing could extinguish his love for her. Thesaurus+: ↑Forgetting and forgetfulness
squeeze
squeeze [skwiːz] verb [squeezes squeezing squeezed] PRESS TOGETHER 1. < > transitive to press something firmly, especially from all sides in order to change its shape, reduce its size or remove liquid from it • Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl. • As she waited to go into the exam, he squeezed her hand (= pressed it affectionately with his hand) and wished her good luck. • Once he had finished cleaning the floor, he squeezed the cloth out. • He reloaded the gun, took aim and then squeezed (= pulled back) the trigger. • figurative The studio is using all sorts of marketing tricks to squeeze as much profit from the movie as they can. Thesaurus+: ↑Squeezing and grinding 2. transitive If you are squeezed by financial demands, they cause you financial problems • Small businesses are being squeezed by heavy taxation. Thesaurus+: ↑Poverty and poor
phony
phoney [phonier], [phoniest], US also phony [ˈfəʊ.ni] [ˈfoʊ-] adjective informal disapproving not sincere or not real • All salespeople seem to have the same phoney smile. • He gave the police a phoney address.
hatch
hatch [hætʃ] verb [hatches hatching hatched] EGG 1. intransitive or transitive to (cause an egg to) break in order to allow a young animal to come out Thesaurus+: ↑Animal (non-human) behaviour PLAN 2. transitive to make a plan, especially a secret plan • It was in August of 1978 that the Bolton brothers hatched their plot to kill their parents. Thesaurus+: ↑Plotting and trapping ↑Cheating and tricking ↑Planning, expecting and arranging noun countable (also hatchway) an opening through a wall, floor, etc., or the cover for it • an escape hatch • a serving hatch
audacity
audacity [ɔːˈdæs.ə.ti] [ɑːˈdæs.ə.ti] noun uncountable bravery or confidence of a kind that other people find shocking or rude • + to infinitive It took a lot of audacity to stand up and criticize the chairman. • disapproving He had the audacity to blame me for his mistake!
profound
profound [prəˈfaʊnd] adjective EXTREME 1. felt or experienced very strongly or in an extreme way • His mother’s death when he was aged six had a very profound effect on him. • The invention of the contraceptive pill brought about profound changes in the lives of women. • Those two lines of poetry express perfectly the profound sadness of loss. • My grandfather has a profound mistrust of anything new or foreign. • There was a note of profound irritation in his voice. Thesaurus+: ↑Strong feelings ↑Very and extreme ↑Complete and whole ↑Intensifying expressions SHOWING UNDERSTANDING 2. showing a clear and deep understanding of serious matters • profound truths/wisdom • The review that I read said that it was ‘a thoughtful and profound film’. • “Dying is easy - it’s living that’s the problem.” “That was very profound of you, Steven.” Thesaurus+: ↑Intelligence ↑Perceptive ↑Aware
renege
renege [rɪˈneɪg] formal verb intransitive [reneges reneging reneged] to fail to keep a promise or an agreement, etc • If you renege on the deal now, I’ll fight you in the courts.
livestock
livestock [ˈlaɪv.stɒk] [-stɑːk] plural noun [livestocks] animals, such as cows and sheep, and birds, such as chickens, kept on a farm
