Advanced Words 6 Flashcards
(333 cards)
Incorporeal(adj):
REAL
- not having a physical body but a spiritual form
Ex: In the film, the house was visited by a strange incorporeal being.
Ruffle sb’s feathers:
- to upset or annoy someone
the scales fall from someone’s eyes
- If the scales fall from your eyes, you suddenly know and understand the truth.
- contagious
- full of hate and violent opposition
Virulent (adj):
Formal
Ex: a virulent strain of flu
She is a virulent critic of US energy policy.
Get your claws into sb:
- to find a way of influencing or controlling someone
Ex: If the loan company gets its claws into you, you’ll still be paying off this debt when you’re 50.
Not see hide or hair of sb:
- to not see someone at all over a period of time
Ex: I haven’t seen hide nor hair of her since last Friday.
Go spare:
- go bananas/ballistic
Go by the board:
- to be forgotten or not used
Ex: Does this mean our holiday plans will have to go by the board?
Go/fall to pieces:
- unable to think clearly and control your emotions because of sth unpleasant and difficult
Ex: she went to pieces at the funeral
Go (the) whole hog:
- to do something as completely as possible
Ex: Having already limited local taxation, why not go the whole hog and abolish it completely?
Bright and early:
- early in the morning
Go rack and ruin:
- to become less successful or start to be in bad condition
Short and sweet:
- surprisingly short in a way that is pleasing
Ex: This morning’s meeting was short and sweet.
the whys and (the) wherefores:
- the reasons for sth
Ex: I know very little about the whys and the wherefores of the situation.
- helpful or useful in a particular situation, but sometimes not morally acceptable
Expedient (adj):
Formal
Ex: The management has taken a series of expedient measures to improve the company’s financial situation.
-intelligent and careful
Canny (adj):
Ex: a canny speculator
- someone who studies astrophysics (= the study of stars and other objects in space using physical laws)
Astrophysicist(n):
- powerful, strong, and energetic
- full of sexual strength and energy in a way that is considered attractive
Virile(adj):
Ex: In this role, Durante is able to give full expression to that wonderfully virile voice.
She likes her men young and virile.
- to cause someone to be unable to breathe, usually resulting in that person’s death
Asphyxiate(v):
Ex: The murder inquiry found that the children had been asphyxiated.
- talk that is confusing and intended to deceive
Flimflam(n):
- a false report or piece of information that is intended to deceive people
Canard(n):
- to fight in a way that is not serious
- a fight between many people, without weapons
Roughhouse(v, n):
Ex: A couple of boys were roughhousing (each other) in the park.
- the act of encouraging a country to go to war or of threatening violence against another country
Warmongering (n):
Ex: The president was accused of warmongering.
- a politician or other leader who is often encouraging a country to go to war
Warmonger(n):