5/23 Flashcards
(15 cards)
double-deal
working to people’s disadvantage, often behind their backs
eg. air of deceit and double-dealing
duplicity
deceitfulness
eg. he was accused of duplicity and branded a traitor
shrewdness
showing good/sharp powers of judgement, astute
eg. shrewd enough to guess his true motive
astute
ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn it to their advantage
eg. RS is an astute businessman
evasive (2)
1) tending to avoid commitment by responding indirectly, directed toward avoidance or escape
2) evasive action like avoidance, escape
eg. EB is evasive with regards to doing actual work
equivocation
use of ambiguous language to conceal the truth or to avoid committing oneself
eg. I tend to equivocate when discussing plans with people
prevarication
the act of speaking or acting in an evasive way
eg. I hate the prevarication in corporate talk
eg. prevaricate when journalists asked direct questions
revelation
a surprising/dramatic disclosure, moment of sudden clarify, insight
eg. my confession came as a revelation to everybody in the room
avow
to assert or to confess openly
eg. he avowed that he was no longer in good health
abate
(of something bad/negative/hostile) a suddenly becoming less intense
eg. the storm and tornado suddenly abated
confide
tell someone about a secret or private matter while entrusting them to not repeat it to others
reverberate
1) literal: to echo/reflect the sound repeatedly
eg. sound of explosion reverberated through the valley
2) to have a lasting/widespread/ripple effet
eg. the scandal reverberated through the industry
sour
1) literal: to become acidic/spoiled
eg. milk soured
2) to turn unpleasant, hostile, deteriorate in quality
eg. their friendship soured after the argument
nonplussed
bewildered, confused, unsure to respond
eg. he looked nonplussed as if he had no idea how to answer
imperil
put at risk of harm, injury or destruction
eg. fast growing debt imperils the nation’s future
