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Fcy_English > 48 Laws of Power > Flashcards

48 Laws of Power Flashcards

1
Q

To fawn

A

To court favor by a cringing or flattering manner. courtiers fawning on the king. : to show affection. used especially of a dog. The dog was fawning on its master

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2
Q

to frown upon

A

To disapprove of (something)

(The company frowns on dating among employees. Public expressions of affection are frowned upon in many cultures.)

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3
Q

Paragon

A

A person or thing that is perfect or has a large amount of a particular good characteristic: a paragon of virtue.

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4
Q

To outwit

A

To deceive by greater ingenuity

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5
Q

To thwart

A

To prevent (someone) from accomplishing something.

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6
Q

Pinnacle

A

1 : an upright architectural formation generally ending in a small spire

2 : a structure or formation suggesting a pinnacle; specifically : a lofty peak

3 : the highest point of development or achievement : acme.

Examples: Winning the national championship was the pinnacle of his career.

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7
Q

To simmer

A

To stew gently below or just at the boiling point. : to be in a state of incipient development : ferment. ideas simmering in the back of my mind. : to be in inward turmoil : seethe.

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8
Q

Snare

A

A trap often consisting of a noose for catching small animals or birds. : something by which one is entangled, trapped, or deceived. : one of the catgut strings or metal spirals stretched across the bottom of a snare drum

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9
Q

Hinder

A

1:to make slow or difficult the progress of : hamper.
(Their journey was hindered by snow and high winds. economic growth hindered by sanctions. )

2: to hold back : prevent, check.
(His financial troubles hindered him from buying a home.)

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10
Q

Flaunt

A

1:To wave or flutter showily. the flag flaunts in the breeze. transitive verb.

2: To display ostentatiously or impudently.

3: parade. flaunting his superiority.

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11
Q

Bungling

A

Clumsily awkward or inept. a bungling attempt at humor

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12
Q

Ripple

A

A small wave. : ripple mark. : a sound like that of rippling water. a ripple of laughter. : a usually slight noticeable effect or reaction.

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13
Q

Oath

A

(1): a solemn usually formal calling upon God or a god to witness to the truth of what one says or to witness that one sincerely intends to do what one says.
(2): a solemn attestation of the truth or inviolability of one’s words.
(The witness took an oath to tell the truth in court.)

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14
Q

Wit

A

The ability to use words in a clever and humorous way: a woman of great intelligence and wit.
(Her conversation sparkled with her own subtle blend of wit and charm. He was known for his dry/ready/sharp wit.)

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15
Q

To Blunder

A

to make a mistake through stupidity, ignorance, or carelessness.
(blundered by not acting sooner.)

transitive verb. : to utter stupidly, confusedly, or thoughtlessly.

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16
Q

Moronic

A

Showing a lack of good sense; stupid or idiotic:
(You really couldn’t invent a more pathetically incompetent, moronic, self-deluded jackass of a character than this)

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17
Q

Muster

A

To gather together as a group or force, or to cause a force to gather.

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18
Q

Carom

A

a shot in billiards in which the cue ball strikes each of two object balls.

: a shot in pool in which an object ball strikes another ball before falling into a pocket compare combination shot.

: a rebounding especially at an angle

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19
Q

Foibles

A

The part of a sword or foil blade between the middle and point.

: a minor flaw or shortcoming in character or behavior : weakness.

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20
Q

profligate

adjective

A

1 : wildly extravagant : very wasteful

2 : abandoned to vice and corruption : shamelessly immoral.

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21
Q

Groom

groomed; grooming; grooms.
transitive verb.

A

1: to clean and maintain the appearance of (an animal) especially

2: to maintain the health and condition of the coat of (a horse, dog, etc.) by brushing, combing, currying, or similar attention

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22
Q

chamberlain

A

1: an attendant on a sovereign or lord in his bedchamber.
2: a chief officer in the household of a king or nobleman.
3: treasurer.
4: an often honorary papal attendant.

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23
Q

Splendor

A

1: great brightness or luster : brilliancy.
2: magnificence, pomp.
3: something splendid.

Ex: the splendors of the past.

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24
Q

Avaricious

A

having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions. covetous implies inordinate desire often for another’s possessions.

covetous, greedy, acquisitive, grasping,

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25
Q

perk
/pɝːk/
informal.

A

1:an advantage or something extra, such as money or goods, that you are given because of your job

2: A company car and a mobile phone are some of the perks that come with the job.

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26
Q

Quell

transitive verb.

A

1: to thoroughly overwhelm and reduce to submission or passivity. quell a riot.

2: quiet, pacify. quell fears.

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27
Q

predicament

noun.
pre·dic·a·ment pri-ˈdik-ə-mənt.

A

1: a difficult, puzzling, or trying situation

2: fix.

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28
Q

benefactor

A

1: someone or something that provides help or an advantage

2: one that confers a benefit. a benefactor of humankind. especially

3: a person who makes a gift or bequest. His endowments

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29
Q

Squatted

A

to assume or maintain a position in which the body is supported on the feet and the knees are bent so that the buttocks rest on or near the heels. squatted by the campfire.

30
Q

snuck

/snʌk/ past simple and past participle of sneak.

A

Hiding and disguising.

31
Q

gouge

verb [T] (DIG)

A

1: to dig or cut into something in a rough or violent way

He drove into some railings and gouged a hole in the back of his car.
A symbol was gouged into the surface of the wood.

32
Q

Gouge out
gouge something out (of something)

A

to remove or form something by digging into a surface The man’s eyes had been gouged out. Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills.

33
Q

bury the hatchet

A

To agree to end a quarrel:

“Jerry and Cindy had been avoiding each other since the divorce, but I saw them together this morning, so they must have buried the hatchet.”

34
Q

red herring

noun
plural noun: red herrings

A

1.- a dried smoked herring, which is turned red by the smoke.

2.- a clue or piece of information that is, or is intended to be, misleading or distracting.

“the book is fast-paced, exciting, and full of red herrings”

35
Q

utmost

djective

A

1.most extreme; greatest.

“a matter of the utmost importance”

36
Q

confide

verb

A

1.tell someone about a secret or private matter while trusting them not to repeat it to others.
“he confided his fears to his mother”
*
2.trust (someone) enough to tell them of a secret or private matter.
“he confided in friends that he and his wife planned to separate”

37
Q

seething

adjective

A

1.filled with or characterized by intense but unexpressed anger.
“his seething resentment finally reached boiling point”

2.(of a crowd) moving in a rapid or hectic way.
“the seething mass of commuters”

38
Q

snatch

verb

A

quickly seize (something) in a rude or eager way.

“she snatched a biscuit from the plate”

39
Q

clutch

verb

A

grasp (something) tightly.

“he stood clutching a microphone”

40
Q

beguile
verb

A

1.charm or enchant (someone), often in a deceptive way.

“he beguiled the voters with his good looks”

2.
LITERARY
help (time) pass pleasantly.

“to beguile some of the time they went to the cinema”

41
Q

blurt

transitive verb. :

A

to utter abruptly and impulsively. usually used with out

42
Q

unabashedly

adverb

A

without embarrassment or shame.

“he was staring unabashedly at her”

43
Q

wild goose chase

noun
plural noun: wild goose chases

A

a foolish and hopeless search for or pursuit of something unattainable.

“physicists searching for the hypothetical particle may be on a wild goose chase”

44
Q

cloak

A

: a loose outer garment. : something likened to an outer garment: such as.

: something that envelops or conceals. a cloak of secrecy.

45
Q

roguish
adjective

A

1.characteristic of a dishonest or unprincipled person.

“he led a roguish and uncertain existence”

2.playfully mischievous.

“he gave her a roguish smile”

46
Q

bland

adjective

A

1.lacking strong features or characteristics and therefore uninteresting.
“bland, mass-produced pop music”

2.(of food or drink) unseasoned, mild-tasting, or insipid.
“a bland and unadventurous vegetarian dish”

3.showing no strong emotion.
“his expression was bland and unreadable”

47
Q

champ

verb

A

1.(of a horse) make a noisy biting or chewing action.

2.fret impatiently.
“he was already on the plane, champing to get off to Lagos”

48
Q

banter

noun

A

the playful and friendly exchange of teasing remarks.
“there was much good-natured banter”

49
Q

to banter

verb

A

exchange remarks in a good-humoured teasing way.

“the men bantered with the waitresses”

50
Q

brazenly

adverb

A

in a bold and shameless way.

“they are brazenly defying the law”

51
Q

spurt

verb
past tense: spurted; past participle: spurted

A

1.gush out in a sudden and forceful stream.
“he cut his finger, and blood spurted over the sliced potatoes”

2.move with a sudden burst of speed.
“the other car had spurted to the top of the ramp”

52
Q

hobnob

verb INFORMAL

A

mix socially, especially with those of perceived higher social status.

“he was hobnobbing with the great and good”

53
Q

inconspicuous

adjective

A

not clearly visible or attracting attention.

“an inconspicuous red-brick building”

54
Q

allay

verb
past tense: allayed; past participle: allayed

A

1.diminish or put at rest (fear, suspicion, or worry).
“the report attempted to educate the public and allay fears”

2.relieve or alleviate (pain or hunger).
“some stale figs partly allayed our hunger”

55
Q

slippery slope

A

a course of action likely to lead to something bad or disastrous.

“he is on the slippery slope towards a life of crime”

56
Q

ostensible

A

: outwardly appearing as such; professed; pretended

: an ostensible cheerfulness concealing sadness. apparent, evident, or conspicuous
(the ostensible truth of their theories.)

57
Q

shrubbery

A

a group of shrubs or an area where shrubs are growing.

58
Q

parsimony

A

: the quality of being careful with money or resources

: thrift. the necessity of wartime parsimony.

: the quality or state of being stingy.

(The charity was surprised by the parsimony of some larger corporations)

59
Q

sparkling

A

shining with flashing points or gleams of reflected light, as the ocean or a faceted gemstone. (of liquids) effervescent; carbonated; fizzy: sparkling water. brilliant, lively, or vivacious:sparkling conversation.

60
Q

bland

A
61
Q

sphinxlike

adjective

A

difficult to interpret or understand; inscrutable.

62
Q

boast

verb

A

talk with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one’s achievements, possessions, or abilities.
“she boasted about her many conquests”

(of a person, place, or thing) possess (a feature that is a source of pride).
“the hotel boasts high standards of comfort”

63
Q

braggart

noun

A

a person who boasts about their achievements or possessions.

64
Q

brag

verb

A

say something in a boastful manner.
“he bragged that he was sure of victory”

a gambling card game which is a simplified form of poker.
“games of pontoon, brag, and poker”

a boastful statement.
“he was not the kind of man to make a brag”

65
Q

blunt

adjective

A

(of a cutting implement) not having a sharp edge or point.
“a blunt knife”

(of a person or remark) uncompromisingly forthright.
“a blunt statement of fact”

make or become less sharp.
“wood can blunt your axe”

66
Q

hurl
/hɝːl/

A

to throw something with a lot of force, usually in an angry or violent way: In a fit of temper he hurled the book across the room. Youths hurled stones at the soldiers. Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples.

67
Q

disdainful

adjective

A

showing contempt or lack of respect.

“with a last disdainful look, she turned towards the door”

68
Q

to bluster

verb

A

talk in a loud, aggressive, or indignant way with little effect.
“you threaten and bluster, but won’t carry it through”

(of a storm, wind, or rain) blow or beat fiercely and noisily.
“a winter gale blustered against the sides of the house”

69
Q

bluster

noun

A

loud, aggressive, or indignant talk with little effect.

“their threats contained a measure of bluster”

70
Q

slander

noun (LAW)

A

the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person’s reputation.

“he is suing the TV company for slander”

71
Q

to slander

verb

A

make false and damaging statements about (someone).

“they were accused of slandering the head of state”

Fcy_English (1 decks)

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