Daily Flashcards
protagonist (/prəˈtæɡ.ən.ɪst/)
the main character in a play, film or book
antagonist (/ænˈtæɡ.ən.ɪst/)
a person who strongly opposes somebody/something (<> protagonist)
liability (/ˌlaɪ.əˈbɪl.ə.t̬i/)
[uncountable] the state of being legally responsible for something
e.g: He denies any liability for the damage caused.
[countable] a person or thing that causes you a lot of problems
catastrophic (/ˌkædəˈstrɑː.fɪk/)
(adj) causing sudden and very great harm or destruction
E.g Nevertheless, they were decisions which were catastrophically wrong
(of a natural event) causing many people to suffer
e.g An unchecked increase in the use of fossil fuels could have catastrophic results for the planet.
the bread and butter of something
Typical or common. My sister worries about everything, even the bread-and-butter tasks of everyday life
pandemic
An outbreak of a pandemic disease
outbreak
A sudden occurrency of something unwelcome such as war or disease
widespread
Found of distributed over a large area or number of people
prudent (/ˈpruː.dənt/)
sensible and careful when you make judgements and decisions; avoiding unnecessary risks. Synonyms: careful, cautious, discreet, economical, frugal, judicious, reasonable:
e.g It’s always prudent to read a contract carefully before signing it.
His decision was prudent and timely.
respiratory (/ˈres.pə.rə.tɔːr.i/)
Relating to or affecting respiration or the organs of respiration
strain
A natural or cultured variety or a microorganism with a distinct form, biochemistry, or virulence
infect
Affect (a person, organism, etc.) with a disease-causing organism
advocate
(verb) to publicly support or suggest an idea, development, or way of doing something. E.g He advocates the return of capital punishment.
(noun) someone who publicly supports something. E.g He advocate of state ownership of the railways
(noun) a lawyer who defends someone in a law court
contract the virus
infected by the virus. E.g Three people contracted the virus
falsification (/ˌfɑːl.sə.fəˈkeɪ.ʃən/)
the action of changing something, such as a document, in order to deceive people. E.g falsification of evidence
formidable endeavor ( /fɔːrˈmɪd.ə.bəl/ /enˈdev.ɚ/)
The vast amount of effort.
ineffable (/ˌɪnˈef.ə.bəl/)
It’s hard to put in to words
stiff competition
We now face stiff competition in foreign markets.
ahead of the pack
to be more successful than or ahead of your competitors. E.g:
- At this stage in the campaign, the Democratic candidate is way ahead of the pack
- We constantly innovate to stay ahead of the pack
cut-throat
competing in an unfair way, and not caring about any harm caused to others. E.G; Many firms have fallen victim to cut-throat competition
go through the roof
Reach a very high level.
E.g
If the level of something, especially a price, goes through the roof, it increases very quickly.
Our number of downloads has gone through the roof.
smooth sailing
To be easy and without impediment or difficulty. E.G Our last product launch was smooth sailing
in the black
Not in debt.
If a bank account is in the black, it contains some money, and if a person or business is in the black, they have money in the bank and are not in debt.
back to the square one
If you are back to the square one, you have to start something again; return to the initial point
back to the drawing board
Back to the beginning of a process again because it is not working
go down the drain
be totally wasted.
e. g:
1. all his money went down the drain
2. the government must stop public money from going down the drain
at stake
in danger; at risk
e.g Thousands of lives will be at stake if emergency aid does not arrive in the city soon
last straw
the latest problem in a series of problems, that makes a situation impossible to accept
e.g The last straw was when the company fired most of the managers
It was the last straw for me when he didn’t call
go broke
To no longer have any money
E.g I’m going to go broke if I have to pay any more medical bills this month
go bust
To experience financial failure or ruin, often as of a business; become bankrupt
bankrupt
(of a person or organization) declared in law unable to pay outstanding debts
pink slip
A notice from an employer saying employees no longer have jobs
e.g They gave him the pink slip. He didn’t perform well
sack (/sæk/)
to remove someone from a job, usually because they have done something wrong or badly, or sometimes as a way of saving the cost of employing them
E.g
They sacked her for being late
He got sacked from his last job
lay off
an occasion when a company stops employing someone, sometimes temporarily, because the company does not have enough money or enough work
e.g The recent economic crisis has led to massive layoffs.
finalist
a person or group competing in a final
prospect ( /ˈprɑː.spekt/)
the possibility that something good might happen in the future
e.g: Is there any prospect of the weather improving
prospects
the possibility of being successful, especially at work
e. g
- She’s hoping the course will improve her career prospects
- Prospects of/for (= opportunities for) employment remain bleak for most people in the area.
eloquent (/ˈel.ə.kwənt/)
using language to express ideas or opinions clearly and well, so that they have a strong effect on others:
E.g
When required, he could be an eloquent speaker, but preferred talking to small groups
She made an eloquent appeal for action
exemplary (/ɪɡˈzem.plɚ.i/)
very good and suitable to be copied by other people
E.g His tact was exemplary, especially considering the circumstances
specialty
the subject of one’s study or work, or a particular skill:
E.g Her specialty is heart surgery
slacker
A person who avoids work or effort
e.g Those slackers have gone home early again
sneaky
- doing things in a secret and unfair way
- used to describe something you do, eat, or drink especially when you do it without telling anyone or when you should not really do it
unprincipled
(of a person or their behavior) not acting in accordance with moral principle
Cougar (/ˈkuː.ɡɚ/)
An older worman who is in 40s 50s seeks a sexual relationship with a much younger man
Spectacular (/spekˈtæk.jə.lɚ/)
Very exciting to look at
E.g He scored a spectacular goal in the second half
federal (/ˈfed.ɚ.əl/)
A federal system of government consists of a group of regions that are controlled by a central government.
E.g: They were charged with violating federal law.