D_20/02/21(Manhattan 8 --> TC --> Intro + Drill Easy ) Flashcards
(105 cards)
sermon
noun [ C ]
a part of a Christian church ceremony in which a priest gives a talk on a religious or moral subject, often based on something written in the Bible:
The Reverend William Cronshaw delivered/preached the sermon.
Today’s sermon was on the importance of compassion.
disapproving
a long talk in which someone advises other people how they should behave in order to be better people:
I really don’t think it’s a politician’s job to go delivering sermons on public morality.
utterly
adverb
completely or extremely:
What an utterly stupid thing to do!
She was utterly devastated when her husband died.
revolve
verb [ I or T ]
to move or cause something to move around a central point or line:
The earth revolves around the sun.
The gun turret revolved until the gun was aimed at the advancing soldiers.
revolution
noun
a change in the way a country is governed, usually to a different political system and often using violence or war:
The French Revolution changed France from a monarchy to a republic.
The country seems to be heading towards revolution.
a circular movement:
The revolution of the earth around the sun was proposed by Copernicus.
evolve
verb [ I or T ]
to develop gradually, or to cause something or someone to develop gradually:
Did humans evolve from apes?
The company has evolved over the years into a multi-million dollar organization.
Bacteria are evolving resistance to antibiotics.
devolve
verb [ T ]
to (cause power or responsibility to) be given to other people:
To be a good manager, you must know how to devolve responsibility downwards.
formal Those duties will necessarily devolve on/upon me.
to change something large into several smaller parts of a similar type:
A key proposal would devolve the central investigative unit into six regional bodies.
to change from one thing to another, often to something bad:
The stage is set for the country to devolve into military dictatorship, and few seem to care
congregation
noun [ C, + sing/pl verb ]
a group of people who have come together in a religious building for worship and prayer:
The priest asked the congregation to kneel.
notwithstanding
preposition, adverb formal
despite the fact or thing mentioned:
Notwithstanding some members’ objections, I think we must go ahead with the plan.
Injuries notwithstanding, the team won the semifinal.
execrable
adjective formal
very bad:
an execrable performance
Some critics praised the acting, but all condemned the execrable plot.
euphuism/euphuistic
any stylish affectation in speech or writing, esp a rhetorical device or expression
an artificial prose style of the Elizabethan period, marked by extreme use of antithesis, alliteration, and extended similes and allusions
euphemism
noun [ C or U ] LANGUAGE
a word or phrase used to avoid saying an unpleasant or offensive word:
“Senior citizen” is a euphemism for “old person”.
The article made so much use of euphemism that often its meaning was unclear.
eulogistic
adjective formal
relating to a speech, piece of writing, poem, etc. containing great praise, especially for someone who has recently died:
He had been eulogistic, poetic, in his praise.
Her eulogistic tribute was delivered in a mournful voice.
slew
a large amount or number:
Savino has been charged with three murders as well as a whole slew of other crimes.
divagate
VERB
(intransitive) rare
to digress or wander
assignation
An assignation is a secret meeting with someone, especially with a lover.
[formal]
She had an assignation with her boyfriend. [+ with]
countenance
- VERB
If someone will not countenance something, they do not agree with it and will not allow it to happen.
[formal]
Jake would not countenance Janis’s marrying while still a student. [VERB noun]
…the military men who refused to countenance the overthrow of the president. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: tolerate, sanction, endorse, condone More Synonyms of countenance - COUNTABLE NOUN
Someone’s countenance is their face.
[literary]
He met each inquiry with an impassive countenance.
Synonyms: face, features, expression, look
bastion
something that keeps or defends a belief or a way of life that is disappearing or threatened: British public schools are regarded as one of the last bastions of upper-class privilege.
forbidding
adjective
unfriendly and likely to be unpleasant or harmful:
a forbidding row of security guards
With storm clouds rushing over them, the mountains looked dark and forbidding.
anthropologist
noun [ C ] SOCIAL SCIENCE
someone who scientifically studies humans and their customs, beliefs, and relationships
infallibility
noun [ U ]
the fact of never being wrong, failing, or making a mistake:
His stubborn belief in his own infallibility kept him from listening to others.
A surgeon must project confidence and infallibility.
literal
adjective
The literal meaning of a word is its original, basic meaning:
The literal meaning of “television” is “seeing from a distance”.
You will need to show more than just a literal understanding of the text.
indiscernible
adjective
impossible to see, see clearly, or understand:
an indiscernible change/shape/reason
grim
adjective
worrying, without hope:
The future looks grim.
waggish
adjective old-fashioned informal
(of a person) funny in a clever way :
The piece, as one waggish writer put it, “begins like Bach and ends like Offenbach.”
using or expressing humour in a clever way:
The Beatles also appeared in two wildly successful and waggish films directed by Richard Lester.
Behind the author’s sometimes waggish prose is considerable scholarship.