Michael Sec 2 (Adv Vacab) Flashcards
reprise [noun] [verb]
/rɪˈpriːz/
[noun] a repeated part of something, especially a piece of music
[verb] to repeat a song, performance, or set of actions
“I’m going to play the doctor, reprising a role I’d done years earlier.”
indictable
/ɪnˈdaɪtəbl/
1. (of a crime) for which you can be charged as a serious crime, or indicted
“an indictable offence”
2. (of a person) able to be charged with a crime, or indicted
“Many more indictable offenders are tried in magistrates courts.”
[verb] indict /ɪnˈdaɪt/ to officially charge somebody with a crime
indefatigable
/ˌɪndɪˈfætɪɡəbl/ never giving up or getting tired of doing something, tireless, unwearying
“She was indefatigable in her search for the truth.”
“His indefatigable spirit helped him to cope with his illness. “
“He was indefatigable in his efforts to secure funding for new projects.”
[Origin]: early 17th cent.: from French, or from Latin indefatigabilis, from in- ‘not’ + de- ‘away, completely’ + fatigare ‘wear out’.
perjure [verb]
/ˈpɜːdʒə(r)/ perjure yourself to tell a lie in court after you have sworn to tell the truth
“The judge warned the witness not to perjure herself.”
“She would rather perjure herself than admit to her sins.”
perjury [noun] the crime of telling a lie in court after you have sworn to tell the truth
“The defence witnesses were found guilty of perjury.”
“This witness has committed perjury”
perjurer: a person who commits perjury.
agog
/əˈɡɒɡ/ [adj] excited and very interested to find out something
“The city was agog with rumours last night that the two had been executed.”
“We waited agog for news.”
(with) arms akimbo /əˈkɪmbəʊ/
with your hands on your hips and your elbows pointing away from your body 叉腰
She stood looking at him with arms akimbo.
swathe /sweɪð/
[verb] to wrap or cover somebody/something in something
“He was lying on the hospital bed, swathed in bandages.”
“The village was swathed in early morning mist.”
[noun] a long strip or large area especially of land
“Huge swathes of rainforest are being cleared for farming”
guileless
with behavior openly and truthfully, in a very honest way; not knowing how to trick people
“She had the guileless innocence of a child.”
“Daphne was so guileless that I had no option but to believe her. “
guile [noun] SYNONYM deceit
epilepsy
a condition affecting the nervous system that causes a person to become unconscious suddenly, often with violent movements of the body
gangrene /ˈɡæŋɡriːn/
the decay (= a process of being destroyed) that takes place in a part of the body when the blood supply to it has been stopped because of an illness or injury (身体组织坏死和腐烂的症状)
“Gangrene set in and he had to have his leg amputated.”
vexatious; vexation
vexatious [adj] difficult to deal with and causing a lot of anger, worry, or argument, or vexation
“This settlement will resolve one of the most vexatious problems in 20 years.”
vexation [noun] the state of feeling upset or annoyed
“She sat down and cried in vexation.”
superfluous
/suːˈpɜːfluəs/ unnecessary or more than you need or want
“Much of the school day is wasted on superfluous activities.”
“I rid myself of many superfluous belongings and habits that bothered me.”
“My presence at the afternoon’s proceedings was superfluous.”
disburse
to pay out money, usually from an amount that has been collected for a particular purpose
“The funds were to be disbursed in two instalments.”
“The bank has disbursed over $350m for the project.”
autopsy /ˈɔːtɒpsi/
an official examination of a dead body by a specially trained doctor in order to discover the cause of death
SYNONYM post-mortem
“The autopsy revealed that he had been poisoned.”
“They carried out an autopsy on the victim.”
emboss /ɪmˈbɒs/
to put a raised design or piece of writing on paper, leather, etc.
“She handed me a business card with her name neatly embossed on it.”
“The hotel’s name was embossed on the stationery.”
affable /ˈæfəbl/
pleasant, friendly and easy to talk to
SYNONYM genial
“He greeted everyone in the same relaxed and affable manner.”
congenial
(of a person) pleasant to spend time with because of similar interests and character
“We spent a relaxed evening with congenial friends.”
pragmatic
solving problems in a practical and sensible way rather than by having fixed ideas or theories
SYNONYM realistic
“Maybe an older one would have been more pragmatic.”
despotic /dɪˈspɒtɪk/
of despot /ˈdespɒt/, a leader with great power, especially one who uses it in a cruel way;
having unlimited power over other people, and often using it unfairly and cruelly
“The country was ruled by a despotic tyrant. “
scruple /ˈskruːpl/
moral principles or beliefs that make you unwilling to do something that seems wrong
“Robin Hood had no scruples about robbing the rich to give to the poor.”
[adj] scrupulous SYNONYM meticulous
coup /kuː/
- a sudden change of government that is illegal and often violent
“He seized power in a military coup in 2008.”
“The regime was overthrown in a bloodless coup led by young army officers.” - the fact of achieving something that was difficult to do
“Getting this contract has been quite a coup for us.”
“It was quite a coup for her to get an interview with the First Lady.”
aviary /ˈeɪviəri/
a large cage or building for keeping birds in, for example in a zoo
peter out
to gradually become smaller, quieter, etc. and then end
“The campaign petered out for lack of support.”
“The road petered out into a dirt track.”
“The conversation became strained and eventually petered out.”
aberration, aberrant
a temporary change of an action or a way of behaving that is not usual, and that may be unacceptable
“I’m sorry I’m late - I had a mental aberration and forgot we had a meeting today.”
“The misconduct was an aberration from the norm for him.”
“A childless woman was regarded as an aberration, almost a social outcast.”
[adj] aberrant /əˈberənt/, /ˈæbərənt/ /əˈberənt/, /ˈæbərənt/
“The aim is to find the cause of the child’s aberrant behaviour.”
induct /ɪnˈdʌkt/ (inductor, inductee)
to give somebody a job or position, to officially introduce somebody into an organization, especially the army
“He had been inducted into the church as a priest in the previous year.”
“He was inducted into the US Army in July.”
doctrine /ˈdɒktrɪn/
a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a Church, a political party, etc.
“He challenged the Christian doctrine of Original Sin.”
“He was deeply committed to political doctrines of social equality.”
“The party’s strategy is based firmly in Marxist-Leninist doctrine.”
tirade /taɪˈreɪd/
a long angry speech criticizing somebody/something or accusing somebody of something
“She launched into an angry/furious tirade about how she had been unfairly treated.”
“The rest of his speech was a violent and insolent tirade.”
fetish /ˈfetɪʃ/
- (disapproving) the fact that a person spends too much time doing or thinking about a particular thing
“She has a fetish about cleanliness.”
“He makes a fetish of luxury watches - it’s quite obsessive.” - a sexual interest in an object
“He has a fetish for high heels.”
abridge [verb] /əˈbrɪdʒ/
to make a book, play, or piece of writing shorter by removing details and information that is not important
“She has been asked to abridge the novel for radio.”
“The book was abridged for children.”
[adj] abridged OPPOSITE unabridged
[noun] abridgement
deplore |deplorable
deplore [verb] to criticize something publicly, because you think it is very bad.SYN lambast
“I deplore and condemn this killing.”
“We deplore all use of violence and provocation.”
deplorable [adj] ery bad and unacceptable, often in a way that shocks people SYNONYM appalling
“They were living in the most deplorable conditions.”
“I thought his behaviour was absolutely deplorable.”
brevity /ˈbrevəti/
the quality of using few words OR lasting only a short time
“His essays are models of clarity and brevity.”
“Charles Dickens was not known for his brevity.”
“For the sake of brevity, I’d like to make just two points.”
“the brevity of life”
non-committal [adj]
deliberately not expressing your opinion or intentions clearly; not showing which side of an argument you agree with
“The doctor was non-committal about when I could drive again.”
committal [noun] the process of sending someone to a psychiatric hospital or prison
“The psychiatric team decided that committal would not be beneficial in her case.”
“The prospect of a committal to prison did not frighten her.”
emulate /ˈemjuleɪt/
to try to do something as well as somebody else because you admire them
“She hopes to emulate her sister’s sporting achievements.”
gestate /dʒesˈteɪt/
(of a female animal or woman) to have a baby developing inside the body
“Female elephants gestate for a staggering 22 months.”
gestation [noun]
“a baby born at 38 weeks’ gestation”
“His book was nearly twenty years in gestation.”
remuneration
an amount of money that is paid to somebody for the work they have done
“Generous remuneration packages are often attached to overseas postings.”
“They demanded adequate remuneration for their work.”
abase [verb] /əˈbeɪs/
abase yourself: to make yourself seem to be less important or to not deserve respect; belittle oneself
“he abased himself before the king”
“He wanted first to see his wife, to abase himself before her.”
abasement [noun]
brazen [adj] /ˈbreɪzn/
(disapproving) open and without shame, obvious, without any attempt to be hidden. SYNONYM shameless
“They showed a brazen disregard for the law.”
“There were several instances of brazen cheating.”
“He told me a brazen lie.”
snazzy
(of clothes, cars, etc.) fashionable, bright and modern, and attracting your attention
SYNONYM jazzy, smart
“He’d booked us a table in a snazzy restaurant.”
“Paula’s wearing a very snazzy pair of shoes!”
insubordinate
refusing to obey orders or show respect for somebody who has a higher rank
“We shall take action against city employees who are insubordinate, or who are discourteous to the public.”
“In industry, a worker who is grossly insubordinate is threatened with discharge.”
subordinate: having less power or authority
misanthropic /ˌmɪsənˈθrɒpɪk/
(formal) hating and avoiding other people
misanthropy /mɪˈsænθrəpi/ [noun]: a feeling of hating people in general
anthropo- /ænθrəpəʊ/ connected with humans
“anthropology”
adage /ˈædɪdʒ/
a well-known phrase expressing a general truth about people or the world
SYNONYM saying
“According to the old adage, a picture is worth a thousand words.”
memorabilia /ˌmemərəˈbɪliə/
things that people collect because they once belonged to a famous person, or because they are connected with a particular interesting place, event or activity
“The book contains previously unseen letters and memorabilia.”
psychiatry, psychiatrist, psychiatric
psychiatry /saɪˈkaɪətri/ the study and treatment of mental illnesses
psychiatrist: a doctor who studies and treats mental illnesses
psychiatric [adj] relating to psychiatry or to mental illnesses
“a psychiatric hospital/nurse/patient”
podiatrist = chiropodist
podiatrist /pəˈdaɪətrɪst/ (US)
chiropodist /kɪˈrɒpədɪst/ (UK)
a person whose job is the care and treatment of people’s feet
assimilate /əˈsɪməleɪt/
- When people such as immigrants assimilate into a community or when that community assimilates them, they become an accepted part of it.
“The Vietnamese are trying to assimilate themselves and become Americans.”
“As a Chinese teen I tried to assimilate into Canadian culture.” - If you assimilate new ideas, techniques, or information, you learn them or adopt them.
“I am still trying to assimilate the enormity of what he’d told me.”
“Some people can only assimilate change gradually.”
subsidiary [noun] [adj]
- A subsidiary or a subsidiary company is a company which is part of a larger and more important company.
“Offshore banks are often formed as a subsidiary of an international bank.” - connected with something but less important than it
SYNONYM additional
“The economics ministry has increasingly played a subsidiary role to the finance ministry.”
hearsay
things that you have heard from another person but do not (definitely) know to be true
“We can’t make a decision based on hearsay and guesswork.”
“They started to piece the story together from hearsay.”
underwrite
to accept financial responsibility for an activity by providing money to cover any losses
“The British government ended up underwriting the entire project.”
“The record company may underwrite the costs of a band’s first tour.”
tangent [noun]
- (geometry) a straight line that touches the outside of a curve but does not cross it
- a subject or activity that is different than the one you are talking about or doing
“We were talking about exercise and got off on a tangent.”
congruous, incongruous
congruous: the same as, or in agreement with
“His conclusion is congruous with one previously drawn by Mayer.”
incongruous: strange, and not suitable in a particular situation. SYNONYM inappropriate
“The two of them made an incongruous couple.”
“It seems incongruous to have a woman as the editor of a men’s magazine.”
connive
- to plan secretly and dishonestly for something to happen that will be to your advantage:
“Officials were accused of conniving with the company in the supply of oil” - to allow something bad to happen although you know about it
“She knew that if she said nothing she would be conniving in an injustice.”
paparazzo /ˌpæpəˈrætsəʊ/
a photographer who follows famous people around in order to get interesting photographs of them to sell to a newspaper
(plural) paparazzi
stoic /ˈstəʊɪk/
[noun] a person who is able to suffer pain or trouble without complaining or showing what they are feeling
[adj] = stoical: able to suffer pain or trouble without complaining or showing what you are feeling
“They tried to be as stoic as their parents in this tragic situation.”
septic [adj]
(of a wound or part of the body) containing harmful bacteria that cause infection
“I had my ears pierced and one of them went septic.”
tenure /ˈtenjə(r)/
- the period of time when somebody holds an important job, especially a political one
“his four-year tenure as president” - the right to stay permanently in your job, especially as a teacher at a university
“She has been granted tenure at Leeds University.” - the legal right to live in a house or use a piece of land
“When you rent a house here, you don’t have security of tenure.”
galoshes, loafers
galoshes /ɡəˈlɒʃɪz/: rubber shoes that are worn over normal shoes in wet weather
loafers: flat leather shoes with no straps or laces.
delirium, delirious
delirium: a mental state where somebody becomes excited and not able to think or speak clearly, usually because of illness
“He mumbled in delirium all night.”
delirious: /dɪˈlɪriəs/ in an excited state and not able to think or speak clearly, usually because of a high temperature
“By the time she was rescued, she was delirious with cold and fear.”
insinuate /ɪnˈsɪnjueɪt/
- (disapproving) to suggest indirectly that something unpleasant is true
“The article insinuated that he was appointed because of family connections.” - (disapproving) to succeed in gaining somebody’s respect, trust, etc. so that you can use the situation to your own advantage
“to insinuate oneself into another’s favor”
“He gradually insinuated himself into her life.”
purser
an officer on a ship who is responsible for taking care of the passengers, and for the accounts
connoisseur /ˌkɒnəˈsɜː(r)/
a person who knows a lot about and enjoys one of the arts, or food, drink, etc. and can judge quality and skill in that subject
“This is a gift that any wine connoisseur would love.”
“a connoisseur of Italian painting”
“He was also a connoisseur of Renaissance art.”
“Only the true connoisseur could tell the difference between these two wines.”
tourniquet
/ˈtʊənɪkeɪ/ (UK) /ˈtɜːrnəkət/ (US)
a piece of cloth, etc. that is tied tightly around an arm or a leg to stop the loss of blood from a wound
“Apply a tight tourniquet above the wound.”
“If it continues to bleed, you may have to apply a tourniquet to the limb.”
rebuttal
a statement which gives reasons that something or accusation is not true SYNONYM refutation
“The accusations met with a firm rebuttal.”
“She issued a point-by-point rebuttal of the company’s accusations.”
[verb] rebut /rɪˈbʌt/ to argue that a statement or claim is not true
“The defendants were unable to rebut the charges of negligence.”
“This presumption can be rebutted by evidence showing the contrary.”
epicure
/ˈepɪkjʊə(r)/ a person who enjoys food and drink of high quality and knows a lot about it
“He himself was the best of company and a knowledgeable epicure.”
opiate /ˈəʊpiət/
a drug made from opium. Opiates are used in medicine to reduce severe pain.
“The pain was so severe she had to take opiates to control it.”
crusade /kruːˈseɪd/
[noun] [verb] 1. (to make) a long and determined attempt to achieve something that you believe in strongly
“a moral crusade against drugs”
“She crusaded against sex and violence on television.”
2. one of the religious wars (= crusades) fought by Christians, mostly against Muslims in Palestine, in the 11th, 12th, 13th, and 17th centuries
brandish
to hold or wave something in the air, especially a weapon, in an aggressive/threatening or excited way
“He appeared in the lounge brandishing a knife.”
“She brandished a saucepan at me so I ran out of the kitchen.”
blazon = emblazon
[ˈbleɪz(ə)n] to print or decorate something with a design, a symbol or words so that people will notice it easily
“He had the word ‘Cool’ blazoned across his chest.”
“Cars emblazoned with the company logo”
asunder [adverb]
/əˈsʌndə(r)/ into forcefully separated pieces:
“Their lives were torn asunder by the tragedy.”
“The world is an integrated economy which simply cannot be split asunder.”
abaft [adverb]
/əˈbɑːft/ /əˈbæft/
1. at the back of or behind a ship or boat
2. to the rear of; behind
“located just abaft the bridge”
ruffian /ˈrʌfiən/
a violent man, especially one who commits crimes
SYNONYM thug, hooligan
“Is there any point whatever in having diplomatic relations with these ruffians?”
valet /ˈvæleɪ/ /væˈleɪ/ /ˈvælɪt/
[nun] [verb]
(US) someone at a hotel or restaurant who puts your car in a parking space for you
“a car valeting service”
(UK) a male servant who looks after his employer by doing things such as caring for clothes and cooking.
aerostat
an aircraft such as an airship or hot-air balloon that is filled with a gas
“The upper chamber is filled with helium and provides the aerostat’s lifting capability.”
aerosol
/ˈeərəsɒl/ a liquid such as paint or hairspray that is kept under pressure in a metal container and released as a spray
“Aerosol cans are banned from aircraft cabins.”
catamaran /ˌkætəməˈræn/
a sailing boat with two parallel hulls that are held in place by a single deck
“We headed out on a large catamaran.”
trebuchet /ˈtreb.ʊ.ʃeɪ/
a large device used in wars in the past for throwing large rocks, for example at the walls of a castle that was being attacked
“The action of a trebuchet was similar to that of a giant catapult.”
trawler /ˈtrɔːlə(r)/
a fishing boat that uses large nets that it drags through the sea behind it
stoicism
the fact of not complaining or showing what you are feeling when you are suffering
“She endured her long illness with stoicism.”
“She showed great stoicism through all the pain.”
altruism /ˈæltruɪzəm/
willingness to do things that bring advantages to others, even if it results in disadvantage for yourself; unselfish concern for other people’s happiness and welfare.
“Politicians are not necessarily motivated by pure altruism.”
perennial /pəˈreniəl/
lasting a very long time, or happening repeatedly or all the time
“We face the perennial problem of not having enough money.”
“There’s a perennial shortage of teachers with science qualifications. “
perforate /ˈpɜːfəreɪt/
to make a hole or holes through something
“The explosion perforated his eardrum.”
“Keep good apples in perforated polythene bags.”
crematorium
a building in which the bodies of dead people are burned (cremated), where cremation happens
columbarium
a building or room with special spaces for holding urns containing the ashes of dead people
morgue /mɔːɡ/
Morgues are areas in hospitals and medical centres where the bodies of the deceased are stored and autopsied.
“They found his body lying in the city morgue, with the autopsy done.”
mortuary /ˈmɔːtʃəri/
Mortuaries are where the bodies of the deceased are prepared for funeral and burial.
revere /rɪˈvɪə(r)/ revered
[verb] to admire and respect somebody/something very much
SYNONYM idolize
“He is now revered as a national hero.”
[adj] revered: respected, venerated
venerate: to honour or very much respect a person or thing
“Jerusalem is Christianity’s most venerated place.”
ratify
When national leaders or organizations ratify a treaty or written agreement, they make it official by giving their formal approval to it, usually by signing it or voting for it.
“The parliaments of Australia and Indonesia have yet to ratify the treaty.”
“Many countries have now ratified the UN convention on the rights of the child.”
attest /əˈtest/
to show, say, or prove that something exists or is true
“Police records attest to his long history of violence. “
“His beautifully illustrated book well attested his love of the university. “
“Thousands of people came out onto the streets to attest their support for the democratic opposition party.”
emaciated [adj] /ɪˈmeɪsieɪtɪd/
very thin and weak, usually because of illness or lack of food
“There were pictures of emaciated children on the cover of the magazine.”
“He was thirty, but looked fifty, with pale skin, hopeless eyes and an emaciated body, covered in sores.”
[verb] emaciate: to become or cause to become abnormally thin
misprize = misprize
(uncommon) to fail to appreciate the value of; undervalue or disparage /dɪˈspærɪdʒ/
lacerate
- to cut or tear something, especially flesh
- to cause someone great emotional pain
“The sharp branches lacerated my bare arms.”
“To think of his own friends betraying him lacerated him.”
“Their cruel laughter lacerated my heart.”
numismatist /njuːˈmɪzmətɪst/
someone who studies or collects coins, or medals
[adj] numismatic /ˌnjuːmɪzˈmætɪk/
[noun] numismatics /ˌnjuːmɪzˈmætɪks/ the study of coins and medals
phrenologist /frəˈnɒlədʒɪst/
a person who studies the shape of the human head, which some people think is a guide to a person’s character
phrenology: the study of the shape of the human head, which some people think is a guide to a person’s character
cantankerous /kænˈtæŋkərəs/
often angry; always complaining
“…a cantankerous old man. “
“He’s getting a bit cantankerous in his old age.”
perverse /pəˈvɜːs/
Someone who is perverse deliberately does things that are unreasonable or that result in harm for themselves.
“She finds a perverse pleasure in upsetting her parents.”
“She took a perverse pleasure in hearing that her sister was getting divorced.”
[adv] “She was perversely pleased to be causing trouble.”
[noun] “It would be wrong to continue out of perversity.”
limpid
(of liquids, etc.) very clear and transparent
SYNONYM transparent
“…limpid blue eyes.”
“She gave him a look of limpid honesty.”
“He thought the speech a model of its kind, limpid and unaffected.”
feisty /ˈfaɪsti/
(of a person, typically one who is relatively small) strong, forceful, determined and not afraid of arguing with people
“He launched a feisty attack on the government.”
“The soldier looked incredulously at the feisty child.”
propagate
- to spread an idea, a belief or a piece of information among many people
“Television advertising propagates a false image of the ideal family.”
“The government had tried to propagate the belief that this is a just war.”
“Such lies are propagated in the media.” - to produce new plants from a parent plant
“The plant can be propagated from seed.”
“Plants won’t propagate in these conditions.”
reminisce, reminiscence, reminiscent
reminisce /ˌremɪˈnɪs/ to think, talk or write about a happy time in your past
“We spent a happy evening reminiscing about the past.”
reminiscence /ˌremɪˈnɪsns/ SYNONYM memory, recollection
“The book is a collection of his reminiscences about the actress.”
“Her music is full of reminiscences of African rhythms.”
reminiscent [adj] making you remember a particular person, event, or thing
“The way he laughed was strongly reminiscent of his father.”
“That song is so reminiscent of my adolescence.”
repercussion
an indirect and usually bad result of an action or event that may happen some time afterwards
SYNONYM consequence
“The collapse of the company will have repercussions for the whole industry.”
“President Kennedy’s assassination had far-reaching repercussions.”
deciduous
A deciduous tree or bush is one that loses its leaves in the autumn, and grows new ones in the spring every year.
“Under the sunnier side of a deciduous shrub it could do well.”
laceration
Lacerations are deep cuts on your skin.
“He had lacerations on his back and thighs.”
plunder
to steal things from a place, especially using force during a time of war
SYNONYM pillage
“The troops crossed the country, plundering and looting as they went.”
“The abbey (a large church) had been plundered of its valuables.”
“Tragically, the graves were plundered and the contents scattered.”
undulate /ˈʌndʒəleɪt/
to have a continuous up and down shape or movement, like waves on the sea
“The road undulates for five miles before a steep climb.”
“His body slowly undulated in time to the music. “
exonerate /ɪɡˈzɒnəreɪt/
to officially state that somebody is not guilty of something, OR is not responsible for something wrong,
“The police report exonerated Lewis from all charges of corruption.”
“The report exonerated the crew from all responsibility for the collision.”
endow /ɪnˈdaʊ/
to give a large sum of money to a school, a college or another institution to provide it with an income
“In her will, she endowed a scholarship in the physics department.”
“This hospital was endowed by the citizens in the 16th century.”
polyglot
knowing, using or written in more than one language
SYNONYM multilingual
“She was reading a polyglot bible, with the text in English, Latin and Greek.”
“New York is an exciting polyglot city.”
polyphonic
consisting of several different tunes that are played or sung at the same time
“a 32-voice polyphonic synthesizer”
polygraph
a lie detector (a piece of electronic equipment used to detect if someone is telling lies)
“Hill’s lawyers announced she had taken and passed a polygraph test.”
polysemous /pəˈlɪsəməs/
(of a word) having more than one meaning
“a highly polysemous word such as “play”
“The term “right” is polysemic and ambiguous.”
malingerer
malinger /məˈlɪŋɡə(r)/
to pretend to be ill, especially in order to avoid work
“And is he really ill or just malingering?”
+er: a person who pretends to be ill, especially in order to avoid work
“It can be difficult for commanders to tell the malingerers from the truly ill.”
retinue /ˈretɪnjuː/
a group of people who travel with an important person to provide help and support
SYNONYM entourage/ˈɒnturɑːʒ/
“The president travels with a large retinue of aides and bodyguards.”
sterling
[noun] the money system of the UK, based on the pound
“You can be paid in pounds sterling or American dollars.”
“The stamps had to be paid for in sterling. “
[adj] very good in quality; used to describe someone’s work or character
“Those are sterling qualities to be admired in anyone. ‘
“…his years of sterling service.”
subjugate
- to treat yourself, your wishes, or your beliefs as being less important than other people or their wishes or beliefs
“She subjugated herself to her mother’s needs.”
“Health, common sense, and self-respect are subjugated to the cause of looking ‘hot’.” - to defeat people or a country and rule them in a way that allows them no freedom
“People in the region are fiercely independent and resist all attempts to subjugate them.”
abscond /əbˈskɒnd/
to escape from a place that you are not allowed to leave without permission
“She absconded from every children’s home they placed her in.”
“Two prisoners absconded last night.”
“He was ordered to appear the following day, but absconded.”
transgress /trænzˈɡres/
to break a law or moral rule:; to go beyond the limit of what is morally or legally acceptable
“They had transgressed the bounds of decency.”
“Those are the rules, and anyone who transgresses will be severely punished.”
“…a monk who had transgressed against the law of celibacy.”
celibacy /ˈselɪbəsi/: the state of not being married and never having sex, especially for religious reasons
“I was practising celibacy at the time.”
“I was practising celibacy at the time.”
defy /dɪˈfaɪ/
to refuse to obey a person, decision, law, situation, etc.
“I wouldn’t have dared to defy my teachers.”
“Hundreds of people today defied the ban on political gatherings.”
ensconce /ɪnˈskɒns/
to make yourself very comfortable or safe in a place or position
“He ensconced himself in my bedroom as if he owned it.”
“After dinner, I ensconced myself in an armchair with a book.”
“She is now happily ensconced in a new relationship.”
propensity
a natural desire or need that makes you tend to behave in a particular way, especially a bad way.
SYNONYM inclination
“She’s inherited from her father a propensity to talk too much.”
“Mr Bint has a propensity to put off decisions to the last minute.”
“There is an increased propensity for people to live alone.”
indiscreet
saying or doing things that tell people things that should be secret or that embarrass people
“They have been rather indiscreet about their affair.”
“ It was indiscreet of him to disclose that information.”
<> discreet: careful not to cause embarrassment or attract too much attention, especially by keeping something secret
bigotry /ˈbɪɡətri/
the state of feeling, or the act of expressing, strong, unreasonable beliefs or opinions
“religious/racial bigotry”
“He deplored (criticized publicly) religious bigotry. “
bigot: a person who is bigoted.
lambast /læmˈbæst/
to attack or criticize severely, usually in public.
“Grey took every opportunity to lambast Thompson and his organization.”
traipse /treɪps/
to walk somewhere slowly often felling tired and bored
“We spent the afternoon traipsing around the town.”
“I’m not traipsing all that way just to see your sister.”
“Joyce traipsed from one doctor to another, praying that someone would listen.”
monarch
a person who rules a country, for example a king or a queen
“Queen Victoria was England’s longest reigning monarch.”
“The constitutional monarch , as head of state, has limited powers.”
fawn
[verb] fawn on/over somebody: to try to please somebody by praising them or paying them too much attention
“He seemed unaware of the girl’s fawning admiration.”
“Why is everybody fawning over him as if he were a national hero?”
[noun] a deer less than one year old
[adj] a yellowish light brown color
perambulate /pəˈræmbjuleɪt/
to take a slow walk or journey around a place, especially for pleasure
“very evening the local people perambulate around the park.”
“It was time now to end our perambulation here”
commensurate
[adj] /kəˈmenʃərət/ matching something in size, importance, quality, etc.
“Salary will be commensurate with skills and experience.”
“Her low salary is not commensurate with her abilities.”
languor, languorous
languor [noun] /ˈlæŋɡə(r)/ the pleasant state of feeling lazy and without energy
“She, in her languor, had not troubled to eat much. “
“She missed Spain and the languor of a siesta on a hot summer afternoon.” (siesta /siˈes.tə/ a rest or sleep taken in the early afternoon, especially in hot countries)
languorous [adj] /ˈlæŋɡərəs/ pleasantly lazy and without energy
“I felt warm and languorous.”
“…languorous morning coffees on the terrace.”
largesse [noun] /lɑːˈdʒes/
willingness to give money; OR money given to poor people by rich people
“She is not noted for her largesse (= she is not generous).”
“The medical foundation will be the main beneficiary of the millionaire’s largesse.”
profligacy, profligate
profligacy [noun] /ˈprɒflɪɡəsi/ the act of spending the act of spending / using money, time, materials, etc. in a careless way
“How can such profligacy be justified?”
“Years of fiscal profligacy have left the country deeply in debt.”
profligate [adj] /ˈprɒflɪɡət/ using money, time, materials, etc. in a careless way. SYNONYM wasteful
“She is well-known for her profligate spending habits.”
“The opposition criticized the government’s profligate spending plans.”
pullet /ˈpʊlɪt/
a female chicken that is less than a year old
“I bought half a dozen hens and half a dozen pullets.”
palette /ˈpælət/
- a thin board with a hole in it for the thumb to go through, used by an artist for mixing colours on when painting
“He showed his student how to prepare a palette.” - the colours used by a particular artist
“Greens and browns are typical of Ribera’s palette.”
pallet /ˈpælət/
- a flat wooden structure that heavy goods are put onto so that they can be moved using a fork-lift truck
- a cloth bag filled with straw, used for sleeping on
“Servants slept on straw pallets thrown on the floor.”
bondage
(old-fashioned or formal) the state of being a slave or prisoner. SYNONYM slavery
“Masters sometimes allowed their slaves to buy their way out of bondage.”
“All people, she said, lived their lives in bondage to hunger, pain and lust.”
covenant /ˈkʌvənənt/
a formal agreement or promise between two or more people
“The tenant failed to repair the damage and was in breach of covenant.”
“The contract contained a restrictive covenant against building on the land.”
genteel /dʒenˈtiːl/
(sometimes disapproving) polite, respectable and well-mannered, often in an exaggerated way; from, or pretending to be from, a high social class
“Her genteel accent irritated me.”
“He took elocution lessons to try to make his accent sound more genteel.”
“The mansion had an atmosphere of genteel elegance and decay.”
gregarious /ɡrɪˈɡeəriəs/
(of people) enjoy or liking to be with other people
“Emma’s a gregarious, outgoing sort of person.”
“She can be as engaging at public events as her gregarious husband.”
“Snow geese are very gregarious birds.”
pan out
(informal) (of events or a situation) to develop in a particular way
“I’m happy with the way things have panned out.”
pious /ˈpaɪəs/
having or showing a deep respect for God and religion
SYNONYM devout
OPPOSITE impious
“He was brought up by pious female relatives. “
“She is a pious follower of the faith, never missing her prayers.”
decorous
polite and appropriate in a particular social situation
SYNONYM proper
“His manner, as ever, was decorous.”
“He sipped his drink decorously.”
staid /steɪd/
serious, boring, dull, and rather old-fashioned.
“The museum is trying to get rid of its staid image.”
“In an attempt to change its staid image, the newspaper has created a new section aimed at younger readers.”
gall /ɡɔːl/
[noun] have the gall to do something: to criticize somebody for behaving in a rude or disrespectful way, and the person behaving badly is not embarrassed
“Considering that he never even bothers to visit my parents, I’m amazed that Tim has the gall to ask them for money!”
[verb] to make someone feel annoyed
“It galls him to take orders from a younger and less experienced colleague.”
innards [noun] /ˈɪnədz/
the organs inside the body of a person or an animal, especially the stomach
SYNONYM entrails, guts
“Fear twisted her innards in knots.”
liaison, liaise
[noun] liaison /liˈeɪ.zɒn/ communication OR someone who helps groups to work effectively with each other
“He blamed the lack of liaison between the various government departments.”
“She served as a liaison between the different groups.”
[verb] liaise /liˈeɪz/: to work closely with OR act as a link between two or more people or groups
“He had to liaise directly with the police while writing the report.”
“Her job is to liaise between students and teachers.”
litigation, litigate /ˈlɪtɪɡeɪt/
litigation: the process of taking a case to a court of law so that a judgment can be made
“High litigation costs stopped her from taking the company to court.”
“The company has consistently denied responsibility, but it agreed to the settlement to avoid the expense of lengthy litigation.”
litigate [verb] to take a claim or disagreement to court
“…the cost of litigating personal injury claims in the county court.”
“If we have to litigate, we will. “
enmesh /ɪnˈmeʃ/
to involve somebody/something in a bad situation that it is not easy to escape from
“The whales are caught by being enmeshed in nets.”
“She has become enmeshed in a tangle of drugs and petty crime.”
echelon /ˈeʃəlɒn/
- [usually plural] a level or rank in an organization or society
“Corruption was increasingly a problem within the upper echelons.”
“These salary increases will affect only the highest echelons of local government.” - An echelon is a military formation in which soldiers, vehicles, ships, or aircraft follow each other but are spaced out sideways so that they can see ahead.
cortège /kɔːˈteʒ/
a line of cars or people moving along slowly at a funeral
“The public will pay their respects as the funeral cortege passes.”
buttress
/ˈbʌtrəs/
[noun] a structure made of stone or brick that sticks out from and supports a wall of a building
[verb] to build buttresses to support a building or structure
“It was decided to buttress the crumbling walls.”
“The arguments for change are buttressed by events elsewhere.”
refute /rɪˈfjuːt/
to prove that something is wrong
SYNONYM rebut
“She tried to think how to refute the argument on moral grounds.”
“This study cannot provide data to confirm or refute this hypothesis.”
scholastic /skəˈlæstɪk/
connected with schools and education
“ her scholastic achievement.”
sadistic, sadist, sadism
getting pleasure, sometimes sexual pleasure, from hurting other people and making them suffer physically or mentally.
“He took sadistic pleasure in taunting the boy.”
“The prisoners rioted against mistreatment by sadistic guards.”
sadist /ˈseɪdɪst/ a person who is sadistic
sadism /ˈseɪdɪzəm/ the sadistic activities
manifest /ˈmænɪfest/
[verb] to show something clearly, through signs or actions
“The workers chose to manifest their dissatisfaction in a series of strikes.”
“The illness first manifested itself in/as severe stomach pains.”
“Lack of confidence in the company manifested itself in a fall in the share price.”
[adj] clearly true, easy to see or understand
“The anger he felt is manifest in his paintings.”
pensive [adj]
thinking deeply about something, especially because you are sad or worried
“She sat with a pensive expression on her face.”
““She became withdrawn and pensive, hardly speaking to anyone.
“Angela stared pensively out of the window.”
meretricious /ˌmerəˈtrɪʃəs/
seeming attractive, but really false or of little value
“He claims that a lot of journalism is meretricious and superficial.”
“there is a certain meretricious attraction in this suggestion.”
“It is a rather meretricious argument”
superlative /suːˈpɜːlətɪv/
[adj] excellent, of the highest quality; the best
“a superlative performance”
“We went to a superlative restaurant.”
[noun] (grammar)
““Richest” is the superlative of “rich”.”
adroit /əˈdrɔɪt/
very skilful and quick in the way you think or move
SYNONYM skilful
“She became adroit at dealing with difficult questions.”
“She is a remarkably adroit and determined politician. “
adroitness [noun] the quality of being clever and having skill
melange /meɪˈlɑːnʒ/
a mixture or variety of different things (from French mélange)
“a melange of different cultures”
“Her book presents an interesting mélange of ideas.”
“The dessert was described as “a mélange of summer fruits in a light syrup”.”
vivify
to make more vivid or striking; to bring to life; animate
“These dramatizations were included in order to vivify annual celebrations.”
baksheesh /ˌbækˈʃiːʃ/ = backsheesh
(informal) (especially in the Middle East and South Asia) a small amount of money or a present that is given to someone as a bribe, to persuade them to do something
brasserie /ˈbræsəri/
a type of restaurant, often one in a French style that is not very expensive, that serves cheap and simple food
“We would not be able to visit a café or brasserie.”
concierge /ˈkɒnsieəʒ/
someone who is employed in a hotel, private club, or similar place to help guests with anything they need
“The concierge can help guests with luggage and to book restaurants and taxis.”
“She worked as a concierge in the first-class lounge at Dulles International Airport.”
balaclava /ˌbæləˈklɑːvə/
also known as a monkey cap. a tight woollen hood that covers every part of your head except your face, only with eyes visible
“The two attackers were wearing balaclavas.”
humdrum
boring and always the same
SYNONYM dull, tedious
“The use of computers to perform humdrum tasks”
“…a lawyer, trapped in a humdrum but well-paid job.”
“His arrival brought some variety into the humdrum life at the gallery.”
mezzanine [noun] /ˈmezəniːn/
a floor that is built between two floors of a building and is smaller than the other floors
“The station has two mezzanines, four open staircases, three closed staircases, and one escalator.”
verandah /vəˈræn.də/
(also) porch
“She stood in the porch and rang the doorbell.”
patio /ˈpætiəʊ/
an area outside a house with a solid floor but no roof, used in good weather for relaxing, eating, etc.:
“In the summer we have breakfast out on the patio.”
“His book was found under a patio bench.”
decorum, decorous
decorum [noun] /dɪˈkɔːrəm/ [uncountable] (formal)
polite behaviour that is appropriate in a social situation
SYNONYM propriety
“He is not known for his sense of decorum.”
“The celebrations were carried off with style and decorum.”
“As young ladies we were expected to behave with proper decorum.”
decorous [adj] /ˈdekərəs/ polite and appropriate in a particular social situation
SYNONYM proper
“a decorous kiss”
“They go for decorous walks every day in parks with their nanny.”
“He sipped his drink decorously.”
defunct /dɪˈfʌŋkt/
(formal) no longer existing, operating or being used
“He was the leader of the now defunct Social Democratic Party.”
“They bought all their equipment from a defunct brewery in Manhattan.”
malaise noun /məˈleɪz/
[uncountable, singular] (formal) a general feeling of being ill or having no energy, or an uncomfortable feeling that something is wrong, especially with society, and that you cannot change the situation
“He complained of depression, headaches and malaise.”
“Unification has brought soaring unemployment and social malaise.”
“The latest crime figures are merely symptomatic of a wider malaise in society.”
infirmity /ɪnˈfɜːməti/
weakness or illness over a long period, might because of old age
“They may face sickness or infirmity.”
“She suffered from a long list of infirmities.”
“It is based on health and leisure rather than infirmity and poverty.”
distemper [noun] /dɪˈstempə(r)/
- a dangerous and infectious disease that can be caught by animals, especially dogs
- a kind of paint sometimes used for painting walls, used especially in the past
