NON-AWL VOCAB Flashcards
(130 cards)
1
Q
Abolitionist
A
(N). someone who wants to end a system or law
2
Q
Absorb
A
1 [liquid/gas] to take in liquid, gas, or another substance from the surface or space around something:
> Plants absorb nutrients from the soil.
absorb something into something
> Water and salts are absorbed into our blood stream.
2 [information] to read or hear a large amount of new information and understand it:
> Her capacity to absorb information is amazing.
3 [interest] to interest someone so much that they do not pay attention to other things:
> The movement and noise of the machines absorbed him completely.
be absorbed in something
> Judith lay on the settee, absorbed in her book.
4 [become part of something] to become part of something larger:
> California absorbs many of the legal immigrants to the US.
be absorbed into something
> We were soon absorbed into local village life.
5 [light/heat/energy/noise] if something absorbs light, heat, energy, or noise, it takes it in:
> Darker surfaces absorb heat.
6 [deal with change/costs] if something absorbs changes or costs, it accepts them and deals with them successfully:
> The beer industry had absorbed a doubling of federal tax in 1991.
7 [money/time] if something absorbs money, time etc, it uses a lot of it:
> Defence spending absorbs almost 20% of the country’s wealth.
8 [force] to reduce the effect of a sudden violent movement:
> A well-designed sports shoe should absorb the impact on your feet.
3
Q
Accomplishment
A
1 [countable] something successful or impressive that is achieved after a lot of effort and hard work
SYN achievement:
impressive/ significant/ great etc accomplishment
> Cutting the budget was an impressive accomplishment.
> It was a major accomplishment for a player who had been injured so recently.
2 [uncountable] the act of finishing or achieving something good:
accomplishment of
> the accomplishment of policy goals
3 [uncountable and countable] an ability to do something well, or the skill involved in doing something well:
> Playing the piano is one of her many accomplishments.
4
Q
Accuse
A
[CRIME]
to say that you believe someone is guilty of a crime or of doing something bad:
accuse somebody of (doing) something
> He was accused of murder.
> Smith accused her of lying.
> The professor stands accused of (=has been accused of) stealing his student’s ideas and publishing them.
—accuser noun[countable]
5
Q
Adopt
A
1 [child] [intransitive and transitive] [FAMILY]
to take someone else’s child into your home and legally become its parent ➔ foster:
> Sally was adopted when she was four.
> The couple are unable to have children of their own, but hope to adopt.
2 adopt an approach/ policy/ attitude etc
to start to deal with or think about something in a particular way:
> The courts were asked to adopt a more flexible approach to young offenders.
> The store recently adopted a drug testing policy for all new employees.
> California has adopted a tough stance on the issue.
3 [style/manner] [transitive] to use a particular style of speaking, writing, or behaving, especially one that you do not usually use:
> Kim adopts a southern accent when speaking to family back home.
4 [law/rule] [transitive] to formally approve a proposal, amendment etc, especially by voting:
> Congress finally adopted the law after a two-year debate.
5 [name/country etc] [transitive] to choose a new name, country, custom etc, especially to replace a previous one:
> Stevens became a Muslim and adopted the name Yusuf Islam.
> Becoming a member of a society means adopting its values.
6 [election] [transitive] BrE
VOTING
to officially choose someone to represent a political party in an election
—adopter noun [countable]
—adoptee noun [countable]
6
Q
Adorn
A
[formal] to decorate something:
adorn something with something
> church walls adorned with religious paintings
7
Q
Advent
A
[CHRISTIANITY]
the period of four weeks before Christmas in the Christian religion
(N) [written] the advent of something the time when something first begins to be widely used SYN coming > the advent of the computer
8
Q
Adverse
A
(Adj.)
1 not good or favourable:
> They fear it could have an adverse effect on global financial markets.
> Miller’s campaign has received a good deal of adverse publicity.
2 adverse conditions
conditions that make it difficult for something to happen or exist:
> The expedition was abandoned because of adverse weather conditions.
—adversely adv:
> developments which had adversely affected their business
8
Q
Advice
A
(noun) [uncountable] an opinion you give someone about what they should do: > You should have followed my advice. advice on/ about > advice on saving energy > I need some advice about my computer. on somebody’s advice > On her doctor’s advice (=because her doctor advised her) Smith decided to take early retirement.
9
Q
Advise
A
(verb)
1 [intransitive and transitive] to tell someone what you think they should do, especially when you know more than they do about something:
> She needed someone to advise her.
> ‘Make sure that you keep the documents in a safe place,’ Otley advised him.
advise somebody to do something
> Evans advised him to leave London.
> You are strongly advised to take out medical insurance when visiting China.
advise somebody against (doing) something
> I’d advise you against saying anything to the press.
advise that
> Experts advise that sunscreen be reapplied every one to two hours.
advise caution/ patience/ restraint etc (=advise people to be careful, patient etc)
> The makers advise extreme caution when handling this material.
2 [intransitive and transitive] to be employed to give advice on a subject about which you have special knowledge or skill:
advise on
> She’s been asked to advise on training the new sales team.
advise somebody on something
> He advises us on tax matters.
3 [transitive] (formal) to tell someone about something:
advise somebody of something
> We’ll advise you of any changes in the delivery dates.
> Keep us advised of (=continue to tell us about) any new developments.
advise somebody that
> They advised him that the tour would proceed.
4 you would be well/ ill advised to do something
used to tell someone that it is wise or unwise to do something:
> You would be well advised to stay in bed and rest.
10
Q
Afflict
A
(verb) [transitive often passive] (formal)
to affect someone or something in an unpleasant way, and make them suffer:
afflict with/ by
> a country afflicted by famine
11
Q
Afford
A
(verb) [transitive]
1 can/ could afford [usually negative]
a) PAY FOR
to have enough money to buy or pay for something:
afford (to do) something
> We can’t afford to go on vacation this year.
> I couldn’t afford the rent on my own.
> How can she afford to eat out every night?
b)TIME/HAVE TIME
to have enough time to do something:
> Dad can’t afford any more time off work.
c) CAN
if you cannot afford to do something, you must not do it because it could cause serious problems for you:
afford (to do) something
> We can’t afford to wait any longer or we’ll miss the plane.
⚠ Afford can be followed by an infinitive with to, but not an ‘-ing’ form: > I can’t afford to buy (NOT can’t afford buying) a car.
2 (formal) to provide something or allow something to happen:
> The room affords a beautiful view over the city.
afford (somebody) an opportunity/ chance
> It afforded her the opportunity to improve her tennis skills.
> The new law will afford protection to employees.
—affordable (adjective):
affordable housing
12
Q
Aggravate
A
1 to make a bad situation, an illness, or an injury worse
OPP improve
> Their money problems were further aggravated by a rise in interest rates.
> Building the new road will only aggravate the situation.
2 to make someone angry or annoyed
SYN irritate
> What really aggravates me is the way she won’t listen.
—aggravating (adjective)
—aggravatingly (adverb)
—aggravation (noun) [uncountable and countable]
13
Q
Allude
A
allude to somebody/ something
(phrasal verb)
(formal) to mention something or someone indirectly:
> Rick didn’t want to discuss his past, though he alluded darkly to ‘some bad things that happened.’
14
Q
Allusion
A
(noun)
something said or written that mentions a subject, person etc indirectly:
allusion to
> The committee made no allusion to the former President in its report.
literary/ classical/ cultural etc allusions
> Eliot’s poetry is full of biblical allusions.
> In his poetry we find many allusions to the human body.
—allusive (adjective) [only before noun]
15
Q
Amoral
A
(adjective) having no moral standards at all OPP moral ➔ immoral: > a completely amoral person
—amorality (noun) [uncountable]
16
Q
Anatomical
A
(adjective) [HUMAN]
relating to the structure of human or animal bodies:
> an anatomical examination
—anatomically (adverb)
17
Q
Antagonism
A
(noun)
1 hatred between people or groups of people
SYN hostility:
antagonism between
> the antagonism between the army and other military groups
2 opposition to an idea, plan etc:
antagonism to/ towards
> his antagonism towards the press
18
Q
Anthem
A
1 [MUSIC]
a formal or religious song
➔ national anthem
2 [MUSIC]
a song that a particular group of people consider to be very important:
> The Rolling Stones’ ‘Satisfaction’ was an anthem for a generation.
19
Q
Antipathy
A
(noun) (formal) a feeling of strong dislike towards someone or something
SYN hostility:
antipathy to/ towards
> a growing antipathy towards the government
antipathy between
> There’s always been a certain amount of antipathy between the two doctors.
20
Q
Appraise
A
1 (formal) to officially judge how successful, effective, or valuable something is
SYN evaluate
> Greenpeace has been invited to appraise the environmental costs of such an operation.
2 [literary] to look carefully at someone or something to make an opinion about them:
> His eyes appraised her face.
21
Q
Approval
A
1 [uncountable and countable] when a plan, decision, or person is officially accepted:
> The president has already given his approval to the plan.
> It is just three months since we received official approval to go ahead with the project.
> A company cannot be sold without the approval of the shareholders.
> The bill will be submitted for approval by Congress.
> The President would appoint the Council of Ministers, subject to the approval of the National Assembly.
> The IMF has given its seal of approval to the government’s economic strategy.
> appointments requiring parliamentary approval
2 [uncountable] (formal) when someone likes something or someone and thinks that they are good
OPP disapproval
> A murmur of approval passed through the crowd.
nod/ smile/ clap etc in approval
> They clapped their hands in approval.
> His ideas have won widespread public approval (=many people agree with them and think they are good).
> Does the design meet with your approval (=do you like it?) ?
> Children are always seeking approval from their parents.
> She looked to Greg for approval.
3 on approval [TRADE]
if you buy something on approval, you have the right to return it to the shop if you decide you do not want it
22
Q
Arbitrate
A
to officially judge how an argument between two opposing sides should be settled:
arbitrate between
> A committee will arbitrate between management and unions.
arbitrate in
> The tribunal arbitrates in disputes.
—arbitrator (noun) [countable]
23
Q
Artificial
A
(adjective) [usually before noun] 1 not real or not made of natural things but made to be like something that is real or natural SYN false OPP natural > artificial flowers > artificial light > artificial fertilizers
2 an artificial situation or quality exists because someone has made it exist, and not because it is really necessary:
> artificial distinctions
> artificial barriers of gender and race
3 artificial behaviour is not sincere – used to show disapproval
OPP genuine
> an artificial smile
—artificially adv:
Food prices are being kept artificially low.
—artificiality (noun) [uncountable]
24
Ascend
1 [intransitive] (formal) to move up through the air
OPP descend
> The plane ascended rapidly.
2 [transitive] (written) to climb something or move to a higher position
OPP descend
> Without a word, he began to ascend the stairs.
Register
Ascend is used mostly in literary or technical contexts. In everyday English, people usually say climb or go up:
> We started to climb the mountain.
> She slowly went up the stairs.
3 [intransitive] (written) to lead up to a higher position
OPP descend
> The road ascends steeply from the harbour.
4 [intransitive and transitive] (formal) to move to a more important or powerful job:
> The number of women decreases as you ascend the professional hierarchy.
5 ascend the throne [GOVERNMENT]
to become king or queen
6 in ascending order
if a group of things are arranged in ascending order, each thing is higher, or greater in amount, than the one before it
25
Ascertain
(verb) [intransitive and transitive]
(formal) to find out something
SYN establish
> A postmortem was ordered to try to ascertain the cause of death.
ascertain whether/what/how etc
> Tests were conducted to ascertain whether pollution levels have dropped.
ascertain that
> Police had ascertained that the dead man knew his killer.
ascertain something from somebody/something
> You should ascertain the level of insurance cover from the car rental company.
—ascertainable (adjective)
Register
Ascertain is used mainly in formal or technical contexts. In everyday English, people usually say find out:
> We need to find out exactly what happened before we jump to any conclusions.
26
Assent
```
(noun) [uncountable] (formal)
approval or agreement from someone who has authority:
> a nod of assent
assent of
> the assent of the Board of Governors
assent to
> Parliament gave its assent to war.
```
(verb) [intransitive] (formal)
to agree to a suggestion, idea etc after considering it carefully:
assent to
> They assented to his request to work from home.
27
Assert
(verb) [transitive]
1 to state firmly that something is true:
> French cooking, she asserted, is the best in the world.
assert that
> He asserted that nuclear power was a safe and non-polluting energy source.
2 assert your rights/ independence/ superiority etc
to state very strongly your right to something:
> Native Americans asserting their rights to ancestral land
3 assert yourself
to behave in a determined way and say clearly what you think:
> Women began to assert themselves politically.
4 assert itself
if an idea or belief asserts itself, it begins to influence something:
> National pride began to assert itself.
28
Assimilate
1 [transitive] to completely understand and begin to use new ideas, information etc
SYN absorb
> It will take time to assimilate all these facts.
2 [intransitive and transitive] if people assimilate, or are assimilated into a country or group, they become part of that group and are accepted by the people in that group:
assimilate into
> Refugees find it difficult to become assimilated into the community.
29
Aural
[EDUCATION]
relating to the sense of hearing, or someone’s ability to understand sounds:
> an aural stimulus
—aurally (adverb)
30
Autonomy
[GOVERNMENT]
freedom that a place or an organization has to govern or control itself
SYN independence
> campaigners who want greater autonomy for Corsica
2 the ability or opportunity to make your own decisions without being controlled by anyone else
SYN independence
> Teachers are given considerable individual autonomy.
31
Averse
(adjective)
1 not be averse to something
to quite enjoy something, especially something that is slightly wrong or bad for you:
> I was not averse to fighting with any boy who challenged me.
2 (formal) unwilling to do something or not liking something:
be averse to (doing) something
> Jim is averse to using chemicals in the garden.
> Some banks are risk averse (=do not like taking a risk).
32
Boost
(verb)
1 to increase or improve something and make it more successful:
> The new resort area has boosted tourism.
boost somebody’s confidence/ morale/ ego
> The win boosted the team’s confidence.
2 (also boost up) to help someone reach a higher place by lifting or pushing them:
> He boosted her up.
3 if a rocket or motor boosts a spacecraft, it makes it go up into space or go in a particular direction
4 (AmE) (informal) to steal something
(noun)
1 [singular] something that gives someone more confidence, or that helps something increase, improve, or become successful:
boost to
> a major boost to the economy
boost for
> a multimillion-pound boost for the British film industry
> Add a little more vanilla, to give the flavor a boost.
get/ receive a boost
> The community will get a boost from a new library and recreation center.
morale/ ego boost
> The poll provided a morale boost for the Conservatives.
2 give somebody a boost (up)
to lift someone so that they can reach a higher place:
> If I give you a boost, could you reach the window?
3 [uncountable] [ELECTRICITY] [GAS, COAL, OIL]
an increase in the amount of power available to a rocket, piece of electrical equipment etc
33
Bombard
1 [MILITARY]
to attack a place for a long time using large weapons, bombs etc:
> I had been in action, bombarding the Normandy coast.
2 to do something too often or too much, for example criticizing or questioning someone, or giving too much information:
> The office was bombarded by telephone calls.
bombard somebody with something
> They bombarded him with questions.
> Today we are bombarded with advice on what to eat and what to avoid.
34
Bureaucratic
(adjective)
involving a lot of complicated official rules and processes
—bureaucratically (adverb)
35
Burgeon
(formal) to grow or develop quickly:
| > the burgeoning market for digital cameras
36
Canvas
(noun)
1 [uncountable] [MATERIAL & TEXTILES]
strong cloth used to make bags, tents, shoes etc:
> a canvas bag
2 [countable] [PAINTING AND DRAWING]
a painting done with oil paints, or the piece of cloth it is painted on:
> The gallery has a canvas by Paul Cézanne.
> ‘Four Women on a Bench’, oil on canvas, 1991
3 a broader/ wider/ larger canvas
the whole of a situation, and not just a part of it:
> These questions must be considered on a broader canvas.
4 under canvas (BrE) [OUTDOOR]
in a tent
37
Canvass
1 [intransitive and transitive]
[GOVERNMENT] [BASICS]
to try to persuade people to support a political party, politician, plan etc by going to see them and talking to them, especially when you want them to vote for you in an election:
> Candidates from all three parties were out canvassing in Darlington today.
canvass for
> Chapman spent the rest of May canvassing for votes.
> The US has been canvassing support from other Asian states.
2 [intransitive and transitive] to ask people about something in order to get their opinion or to get information:
> Police canvassed the neighborhood, but didn’t find any witnesses.
3 [transitive]
[GOVERNMENT] [BASICS]
to talk about a problem, suggestion etc in detail:
> A committee was set up to canvass the city’s educational options.
—canvasser (noun) [countable]
—canvass (noun) [countable]
38
Capital
(noun)
1 [city] [countable] [GOVERNMENT]
an important city where the main government of a country, state etc is:
> Washington D.C., the capital of the United States
2 (money) [singular, uncountable] [BASICS]
money or property, especially when it is used to start a business or to produce more wealth:
> The government is eager to attract foreign capital.
➔ working capital,
venture capital
3 (letter) [countable] [LETTERS & PUNCTUATION]
a letter of the alphabet written in its large form, used for example at the beginning of someone’s name
➔ lower case, upper case
4 (centre of activity) [countable] a place that is a centre for an industry, business, or other activity:
> Hollywood is the capital of the movie industry.
5 make capital from/ out of something
to use a situation or event to help you get an advantage
6 (building) [countable] (technical) the top part of a column (=a long stone post used in some buildings)
```
(adjective)
1 [LETTERS & PUNCTUATION]
a capital letter is one that is written or printed in its large form
➔ lower case, upper case:
capital ‘B’
```
2 relating to money that you use to start a business or to make more money:
> capital investments
3 capital offence/ crime [LAW]
an offence that is punished by death
4 trouble with a capital T, fast with a capital F etc informal
used with any word in order to emphasize that you are talking about an extreme type of something
5 (old-fashioned) excellent
39
Capitol
- the building in Washington, D.C. where the US Congress meets
- the building that each US state has in its capital city, where government officers meet to discuss new laws and make decisions for that state
40
Capitulate
(verb)
1 (formal) to accept or agree to something that you have been opposing for a long time
SYN give in
> Helen finally capitulated and let her son have a car.
2 (formal) to accept defeat by your enemies in a war
SYN surrender
—capitulation (noun) [uncountable and countable]
41
Catalyst
(noun) [countable]
1 [technical] [CHEMISTRY]
a substance that makes a chemical reaction happen more quickly without being changed itself
2 something or someone that causes an important change or event to happen:
catalyst for
> They hope his election will act as a catalyst for reform.
—catalytic (adjective)
42
Catastrophe
(noun)
1 [uncountable and countable] a terrible event in which there is a lot of destruction, suffering, or death
SYN disaster:
environmental/ nuclear/ economic etc catastrophe
> The Black Sea is facing ecological catastrophe as a result of pollution.
prevent/ avert a catastrophe
> Sudan requires food immediately to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.
2 [countable] an event which is very bad for the people involved
SYN disaster:
catastrophe for
> If the contract is cancelled, it’ll be a catastrophe for everyone concerned.
—catastrophic (adjective):
> a catastrophic fall in the price of rice
> The failure of the talks could have catastrophic consequences.
—catastrophically (adverb)
43
Cede
(formal) [GOVERNMENT]
to give something such as an area of land or a right to a country or person, especially when you are forced to:
cede something to somebody
> Hong Kong was ceded to Britain in 1842.
➔ cession
44
Ceremony
(plural ceremonies)
1 [countable] an important social or religious event, when a traditional set of actions is performed in a formal way➔ ceremonial:
> a wedding ceremony
> the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games
2 [uncountable] the special actions and formal words traditionally used on particular occasions:
> The queen was crowned with due ceremony.
3 without ceremony
in a very informal way, without politeness:
> He wished me good luck in the future and left without further ceremony.
45
Chronicle
(noun)
a written record of a series of events, especially historical events, written in the order in which they happened:
chronicle of
>a chronicle of his life during the war years
(verb)
to describe events in the order in which they happened:
> His life is chronicled in a new biography published last week.
> The book chronicles the events leading up to the war.
46
Chivalry
(noun)
1 behavior that is honourable, kind, generous, and brave, especially men’s behaviour towards women
2 [HISTORY]
a system of religious beliefs and honourable behaviour that knights in the Middle Ages were expected to follow
47
Climactic
(adjective)
forming a very exciting or important part of an event or story, especially near the end of it➔ climax:
> a climactic moment
48
Climatic
[METEOROLOGY]
relating to the weather in a particular area:
> climatic conditions
49
Clutter
(alsoclutter up)
(verb) [transitive]
1 to cover or fill a space or room with too many things, so that it looks very untidy:
> Piles of books and papers cluttered his desk.
be cluttered (up) with something
> The walls were cluttered with paintings and prints.
2 to fill your mind with a lot of different things:
the everyday tasks that clutter our lives
—cluttered (adjective)
50
Coerce
to force someone to do something they do not want to do by threatening them:
coerce somebody into (doing) something
> The rebels coerced the villagers into hiding them from the army.
51
Collaborate
1 to work together with a person or group in order to achieve something, especially in science or art➔ collaborator:
collaborate on
> The two nations are collaborating on several satellite projects.
collaborate with
> During the late seventies, he collaborated with the legendary Muddy Waters.
collaborate to do something
> Researchers are collaborating to develop the vaccine.
collaborate in (doing) something
> Elephants collaborate in looking after their young.
Register
In everyday English, people usually say they work together on something rather than collaborate on something:
They are working together on some new songs.
2 to help a country that your country is fighting a war with, especially one that has taken control of your country➔ collaborator:
collaborate with
> Vigilantes began combing the city for anyone known to have collaborated with the enemy.
52
Collide
1 to hit something or someone that is moving in a different direction from you➔ collision:
> A car and a van collided on the motorway.
collide with
> I ran around the corner, and almost collided with Mrs Laurence.
> Two trains collided head-on (=when they were moving directly towards each other).
Register
In everyday English, people usually say run into rather than collide with:
Her car ran into the back of a truck.
2 to disagree strongly with a person or group, especially on a particular subject:
collide with
> The President has again collided with Congress over his budget plans.
3 if two very different ideas, ways of thinking etc collide, they come together and produce an interesting result:
> Istanbul, where East and West collide.
53
Communal
(adjective)
1 shared by a group of people or animals, especially a group who live together:
> a communal bathroom
2 involving people from many different races, religions, or language groups:
> the worst communal violence in two years
3 relating or belonging to all the people living in a particular community:
> crops grown on communal land
54
Competition
1 [uncountable] a situation in which people or organizations try to be more successful than other people or organizations➔ compete, competitor:
competition for
> Competition for the job was intense.
competition between/ among
> Sometimes there’s a lot of competition between children for their mother’s attention.
> This price reduction is due to competition among suppliers.
competition in
> competition in the automobile industry
fierce/ stiff/ intense etc competition
> There is fierce competition between the three leading soap manufacturers.
be in competition with somebody/something
> Government departments are in direct competition with each other for limited resources.
in the face of competition (from somebody/ something) (=in a situation where you are competing with someone or something)
> Small grocery stores are going out of business in the face of stiff competition from the large supermarket chains.
2 [singular, uncountable] the people or groups that are competing against you, especially in business or in a sport➔ compete, competitor:
> Going to trade fairs is an ideal opportunity to size up the competition.
no/ not much/ little etc competition (=no one who is likely to be better than you)
> Jones is certain to win the race; there’s just no competition.
a lot of/ considerable/ fierce etc competition
> The team overcame fierce competition for their place in the finals.
foreign/ international competition (=companies from other countries that you are competing with)
> Japanese PC makers now face foreign competition in their home market.
3 [countable] an organized event in which people or teams compete against each other➔ competitor:
> a photography competition
competition to do something
> a competition to find a designer for the new building
> Teams from high schools all over the state have entered the competition.
> With France out of the competition, England have a great chance to win.
55
Complacent
(adjective)
pleased with a situation, especially something you have achieved, so that you stop trying to improve or change things – used to show disapproval:
> There’s a danger of becoming complacent if you win a few games.
> a complacent attitude towards the problem
complacent about
> We simply cannot afford to be complacent about the future of our car industry.
—complacently (adverb)
56
Complaisance
(noun) [uncountable] (formal)
willingness to do what pleases other people
—complaisant (adjective)
—complaisantly (adverb)
57
Compliment
(noun)
1 [countable] a remark that shows you admire someone or something:
> All the guests paid her extravagant compliments.
> Being compared to Abba is a great compliment.
compliment on
> compliments on her appearance
2 take something as a compliment
to be pleased about what someone says about you, even though they may not mean to be nice:
> They all seem to think that I ask rather cheeky questions, which I’ll take as a compliment.
3 [singular] an action that shows you admire someone:
> He paid MacLennan the finest compliment of all by imitating him.
compliment to
> It’s a great compliment to the band that he came out of retirement to interview them.
4 fish for compliments
to try to make someone say something nice about you
5 compliments [plural]
praise or good wishes:
> This soup is delicious; my compliments to the chef.
6 with the compliments of somebody/ with our complimentsformal
[MAIL] used by a person or company when they send or give something to you:
> With the compliments of J. Smith & Son.
> Please accept these tickets with our compliments.
7 the compliments of the season old-fashioned
used as a spoken or written greeting at Christmas and New Year
8 return the compliment
to behave towards someone in the same way as they have behaved towards you:
> They didn’t take a lot of notice of me, and I returned the compliment.
9 back-handed compliment (BrE),
left-handed compliment (AmE)
something that someone says to you which is nice and not nice at the same time:
> ‘You’ve got a brain. Try using it.’ ‘Thanks for the back-handed compliment!’
(verb)
to say something nice to someone in order to praise them:
compliment somebody on something
> Bob complimented me on my new hairstyle.
> The groom was so nervous he forgot to compliment the bridesmaids.
58
Comply
(verb) [intransitive] (formal)
(complied, complying, complies)
to do what you have to do or are asked to do ➔ compliance, compliant:
comply with
> Failure to comply with the regulations will result in prosecution.
> The newspaper was asked by federal agents for assistance and agreed to comply.
59
Compose
1
a) be composed of something'CONSIST OF/BE MADE OF
to be formed from a number of substances, parts, or people
SYN consist of
> Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen.
> The legal system is composed of people, and people make mistakes.
⚠ Do not say that something ‘is composed by’ or ‘is composed with’ things or people. Say that it is composed of things or people.
b) [transitive not in progressive] [BE] (formal)
to combine together to form something
SYN make up
> More than 17.6 million firms compose the business sector of our economy.
2 [intransitive and transitive] [MUSIC]
to write a piece of music
➔ composer, composition:
> Barrington has composed the music for a new production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
3 compose a letter/ poem/ speech etc
to write a letter, poem etc, thinking very carefully about it as you write it:
> Compose a letter to your local paper stating your views on an issue of your choice.
4
a) compose yourself
to try hard to become calm after feeling very angry, upset, or excited:
>Lynn took several deep breaths to compose herself.
b) compose your face/ features/ thoughtsCALM
to make yourself look or feel calm
➔ composure:
> When asked a question, give yourself a second to compose your thoughts.
5 [transitive] to arrange the parts of a painting, photograph, or scene in a way that achieves a particular result:
> I like the way he composes his photographs.
60
Compromise
(noun)
1 [uncountable and countable] an agreement that is achieved after everyone involved accepts less than what they wanted at first, or the act of making this agreement:
> Compromise is an inevitable part of marriage.
> To stop the argument they decided on a compromise.
compromise with
> Fresh attempts at compromise with the legislature were also on the agenda.
compromise between
> a compromise between government and opposition
> If moderates fail to reach a compromise, the extremists will dominate the agenda.
> Be prepared to make compromises.
2 [countable] a solution to a problem in which two things or situations are changed slightly so that they can exist together:
compromise between
> a happy compromise between the needs of family and work
61
Concern
1 [worry]
a) [uncountable] WORRIED
a feeling of worry about something important:
> The recent rise in crime is a matter of considerable public concern.
concern for
> our concern for human rights
concern about/ over/ with
> the rise of concern about the environment
> the growing concern over inflation
> concern with worsening law and order
concern that
> increased concern that the war could continue for a long time
be a cause for concern/ cause concern
> The activities of the far right have been a cause for concern for a while now.
> In her last days the poet expressed concern for her father.
b) [countable] WORRIED
something that worries you:
> One of the concerns that people have is the side effects of treatment.
> Education remains the electorate’s main concern.
> the concerns expressed by parents
2 something important [uncountable and countable] something that is important to you or that involves you:
> His main concern is to be able to provide for his family.
concern for
> The consumer has become a major concern for this government.
of concern to somebody
> topics of concern to television viewers
3 feeling for somebody[singular, uncountable] a feeling of wanting someone to be happy and healthy:
> He was moved by her obvious concern.
concern for
> parents’ loving concern for their children
4 somebody’s concern
if something is your concern, you are responsible for it:
> The money side of the business is your concern.
5 not somebody’s concern/ none of somebody’s concern
if something is not your concern, you are not interested in it and you do not need to worry about it or become involved in it:
> His affairs were none of her concern.
6 business [countable] [COMPANIES]
a business or company:
> The restaurant is a family concern.
> We will continue to run the company as a going concern (=a business that is financially successful).
(verb)
1 [not in passive] if a story, book, report etc concerns someone or something, it is about them:
> This study concerns couples’ expectations of marriage.
> The report concerns the drug traffic on the Mexican–US border.
2 to make someone feel worried or upset:
> Issues like food additives do concern me.
3 [not in passive] if an activity, situation, rule etc concerns you, it affects you or involves you:
> The tax changes will concern large corporations rather than small businesses.
4 concern yourself with/ about something formal
to become involved in something because you are interested in it or because it worries you:
> He told them not to concern themselves about him.
> He loved his wife, and concerned himself with her needs and desires.
5 to whom it may concern [MAIL]
an expression written at the beginning of a formal letter when you do not know the name of the person you want to communicate with
62
Condolence
(noun) [countable usually plural, uncountable][DEATH]
sympathy for someone who has had something bad happen to them, especially when someone has died:
> a letter of condolence
send/ offer your condolences (=formally express your sympathy when someone has died)
63
Confidential
(adjective)
1 spoken or written in secret and intended to be kept secret:
> a confidential government report
> Doctors are required to keep patients’ records completely confidential.
> The information will be regarded as strictly confidential (=completely confidential).
2 a confidential way of speaking or behaving shows that you do not want other people to know what you are saying:
> His voice sank into a confidential whisper.
—confidentially (adverb)
64
Conquest
(noun)
1 [singular, uncountable] [MILITARY]
the act of getting control of a country by fighting:
> the Norman Conquest (=the conquest of England by the Normans)
conquest of
> the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire
2 [countable] [MILITARY]
land that is won in a war:
>French conquests in Asia
3 [countable] someone that you have persuaded to love you or to have sex with you – often used humorously:
> He boasts about his many conquests.
4 [countable]when you gain control of or deal successfully with something that is difficult or dangerous:
conquest of
> the conquest of space
65
Conscientious
(adjective)
careful to do everything that it is your job or duty to do:
> A conscientious teacher may feel inclined to take work home.
> a conscientious and hard-working student
—conscientiously (adverb)
—conscientiousness (noun) [uncountable]:
> his conscientiousness and loyalty to the company
66
Conscious
(adjective)
1 [aware] [not before noun] noticing or realizing something
SYN aware:
conscious of (doing) something
> I became conscious of someone watching me.
> I was very conscious of the fact that I had to make a good impression.
conscious that
> She was conscious that Marie was listening to every word.
2 [awake] [MEDICINE]
awake and able to understand what is happening around you
OPP unconscious
> The driver was still conscious when the ambulance arrived.
3 conscious effort/ decision/ attempt etc
an effort etc that is deliberate and intended:
> Vivien had made a conscious effort to be friendly.
4 [concerned] thinking a lot about or concerned about something:
politically/ environmentally/ socially etc conscious
> environmentally conscious consumers
health-conscious/ fashion-conscious etc
> Many employers are becoming more safety-conscious.
conscious of
> She was very conscious of security.
➔ self-conscious
5 [thoughts] conscious thoughts, memories etc are ones which you know about➔ subconscious:
> the conscious mind
> Without conscious thought, she instinctively placed a hand on his arm.
> It affects the audience at a deeper, less conscious level.
—consciously (adverb):
> She was probably not consciously aware of her true feelings.
67
Consider
1 [think about] [intransitive and transitive] to think about something carefully, especially before making a choice or decision:
consider doing something
> I seriously considered resigning (=almost actually resigned).
consider the possibility of (doing) something
> Have you considered the possibility of retraining?
consider whether (to do something)
> We are considering whether to change our advice to tourists.
consider where/how/why etc
> We’re still considering where to move to.
> We will have to consider your offer carefully.
be considering your position formal (=be deciding whether or not to leave your job)
2 [opinion] [transitive] to think of someone or something in a particular way or to have a particular opinion:
consider (that)
> The local authority considered that the school did not meet requirements.
consider somebody/something (to be) something
> A further increase in interest rates is now considered unlikely.
> Liz Quinn was considered an excellent teacher.
> They consider themselves to be Europeans.
> I consider it a great honour to be invited.
consider it necessary/ important etc to do something
> I did not consider it necessary to report the incident.
consider somebody/something to do something
> The campaign was considered to have failed.
consider yourself lucky/ fortunate (=believe you are lucky etc)
> Consider yourself lucky you weren’t in the car at the time.
consider yourself (to be) something (=think of yourself as a particular type of person)
> They consider themselves to be middle class.
3 [people’s feelings] [transitive] to think about someone or their feelings, and try to avoid upsetting them➔ considerate:
> You’ve got to learn to consider other people!
> Have you considered my feelings?
4 [important fact] [intransitive and transitive]to think about an important fact relating to something when making a judgment➔ considering:
> It’s not surprising when you consider that he only arrived six months ago.
> All things considered, I’m sure we made the right decision.
5 [discuss] [transitive] to discuss something such as a report or problem, so that you can make a decision about it:
> The committee has been considering the report.
6 [look at] [transitive] (formal) to look at someone or something carefully:
> Ben considered the statue with an expert eye.
7 consider it done (spoken)
used to say yes very willingly when someone asks you to do something for them:
> ‘Could you drive me to the airport tomorrow?’ ‘Consider it done.’
68
Considerate
(adjective)
always thinking of what other people need or want and being careful not to upset them
OPP inconsiderate
> He was always kind and considerate.
it is considerate of somebody (to do something)
> It was very considerate of you to let us know you were going to be late.
considerate towards
> As a motorist, I try to be considerate towards cyclists.
—considerately (adverb)
69
Contaminate
(verb)
[CHEMISTRY] [GEOGRAPHY]
to make a place or substance dirty or harmful by putting something such as chemicals or poison in it:
> Drinking water supplies are believed to have been contaminated.
2 to influence something in a way that has a bad effect:
> He claims the poster ads have ‘contaminated Berlin’s streets’.
—contamination (noun) [uncountable]:
> radioactive contamination
70
Contaminated
(adjective)
[CHEMISTRY] [BIOLOGY]
water, food etc that is contaminated has had a harmful substance added to it➔ tainted:
contaminated food/ blood/ water supplies etc
> The infection was traced to contaminated food.
71
Contemplate
```
(verb)
1 [transitive] to think about something that you might do in the future
SYN consider
> He had even contemplated suicide.
contemplate doing something
> Did you ever contemplate resigning?
```
2 [transitive] to accept the possibility that something is true:
too dreadful/ horrifying etc to contemplate
> The thought that she might be dead was too terrible to contemplate.
3 [intransitive and transitive] to think about something seriously for a period of time
SYN consider
> Jack went on vacation to contemplate his future.
contemplate what/whether/how etc
> She sat down and contemplated what she had done.
contemplate your navel (=think so much about your own life that you do not notice other important things – used humorously)
4 [transitive] to look at someone or something for a period of time in a way that shows you are thinking:
> He contemplated her with a faint smile.
72
Contempt
(noun)
1 a feeling that someone or something is not important and deserves no respect:
contempt for
> The contempt he felt for his fellow students was obvious.
utter/ deep contempt
> The report shows utter contempt for women’s judgement.
open/ undisguised contempt
> She looked at him with undisguised contempt.
> The public is treated with contempt by broadcasters.
> How could she have loved a man who so clearly held her in contempt?
beneath contempt
> That sort of behaviour is simply beneath contempt (=does not deserve respect or attention).
2 [law] [CRIME & LAW]
disobedience or disrespect towards a court of law:
> He was jailed for seven days for contempt of court.
in contempt of something
> He was found in contempt of the order.
3 complete lack of fear about something:
contempt for
> his contempt for danger
73
Contentious
(adjective)
1 causing a lot of argument and disagreement between people
SYN controversial:
contentious issue/ area/ subject etc
> Animal welfare did not become a contentious issue until the late 1970s.
2 someone who is contentious often argues with people
SYN argumentative
—contentiously (adverb)
74
Contest
(noun)
1 a competition or a situation in which two or more people or groups are competing with each other:
contest for
> the bitter contest for the Republican presidential nomination
> Stone decided to hold a contest to see who could write the best song.
> I only entered the contest for fun.
> It is clear that the election will be a close contest.
contest between/ against
> the 1960 contest between Kennedy and Nixon
> the 1975 Liberal leadership contest
2 no contest (informal)
a) (spoken)
used to say that someone or something is the best of its kind:
> I think you’re the best rider here, no contest.
b)
if a victory is no contest, it is very easy to achieve
3 plead no contest (law)
to state that you will not offer a defence in a court of law for something wrong you have done
(verb)
1 [LAW]
to say formally that you do not accept something or do not agree with it:
> His brothers are contesting the will.
2 to compete for something or to try to win it:
> His wife is contesting a seat on the council.
75
Continual
(adjective)
1 continuing for a long time without stopping
SYN constant
> five weeks of continual rain
> the Japanese business philosophy of continual improvement
2 repeated many times, often in a way that is harmful or annoying
SYN constant
> She has endured house arrest and continual harassment by the police.
—continually (adverb):
> We are continually reassessing the situation.
76
Continuous
1 continuing to happen or exist without stopping➔ continue:
> continuous economic growth
> a continuous flow of information
2 something such as a line that is continuous does not have any spaces or holes in it
OPP broken
3 continuous assessment (BrE)
[EDUCATION]
a way of judging a student’s ability by looking at the work they have done during the year rather than by an examination
4 [technical] [GRAMMAR]
the continuous form of a verb shows that an action is continuing. In English, this is formed by the verb ‘be’, followed by a present participle, as in ‘I was waiting for the bus.’
➔ simple
—continuously adv:
> UMNO had ruled Malaysia continuously since independence.
77
Conventional
(adjective)
1 [only before noun] a conventional method, product, practice etc has been used for a long time and is considered the usual type:
> Internet connections through conventional phone lines are fairly slow.
> Bake for 20 minutes in a conventional oven; 8 in a microwave.
2 always following the behaviour and attitudes that most people in a society consider to be normal, right, and socially acceptable, so that you seem slightly boring:
> a strong believer in conventional morals
conventional in
> He is conventional in his approach to life.
3 (the) conventional wisdom
the opinion that most people consider to be normal and right, but that is sometimes shown to be wrong:
> As traffic grew, the conventional wisdom was to widen the roads.
4 [only before noun] [WEAPONS]
conventional weapons and wars do not use nuclear explosives or weapons:
> conventional forces
5 conventional medicine [HOSPITAL]
the usual form of medicine practised in most European and North American countries
SYN western medicine
—conventionally (adverb)
—conventionality (noun) [uncountable]
78
Convict
```
(verb)
[CRIME & LAW]
to prove or officially announce that someone is guilty of a crime after a trial in a law court
OPP acquit
convict somebody of something
> She was convicted of shoplifting.
convict somebody on something
> He was convicted on fraud charges.
> a convicted murderer
```
(noun) [JAIL & PUNISHMENT]
someone who has been proved to be guilty of a crime and sent to prison:
> an escaped convict
79
Conviction
1 [countable] a very strong belief or opinion:
religious/ political etc convictions
> a woman of strong political convictions
deep/ strong conviction
> The Dotens have a deep conviction that marriage is for life.
conviction that
> The students possess the conviction that they can make a difference to their community.
2 [uncountable] the feeling of being sure about something and having no doubts:
with/without conviction
> He was able to say with conviction that he had changed.
> ‘No,’ she said, without conviction.
> It was a reasonable explanation, but his voice lacked conviction.
> It took her so much effort to speak that what she said carried great conviction (=showed she felt sure of what she said).
3 [uncountable and countable]
[CRIME & LAW]
a decision in a court of law that someone is guilty of a crime, or the process of proving that someone is guilty
OPP acquittal
> They had no previous convictions.
> Applicants are checked for criminal convictions.
conviction for
> This was her third conviction for theft.
> the trial and conviction of Jimmy Malone
80
Cumbersome
(adjective)
1 a process or system that is cumbersome is slow and difficult:
> Doctors are complaining that the system is cumbersome and bureaucratic.
> cumbersome procedures
2 heavy and difficult to move:
> a large cumbersome machine
3 words or phrases that are cumbersome are long or complicated
81
Cure
```
(noun)
1 [HOSPITAL]
a medicine or medical treatment that makes an illness go away:
cure for
> There is still no cure for AIDS.
```
2 something that solves a problem, or improves a bad situation➔ solution:
cure for
> There is no easy cure for loneliness.
3 [HOSPITAL]
the act of making someone well again after an illness:
> The new treatment effected a miraculous cure.
(verb)
[HOSPITAL]
to make an illness or medical condition go away:
> Many types of cancer can now be cured.
> an operation that can cure short-sightedness in 15 minutes
2 [HOSPITAL]
to make someone well again after they have been ill
➔ heal:
> She had some acupuncture treatment which seems to have cured her.
cure somebody of something
> 90% of patients can be cured of the disease.
3 to solve a problem, or improve a bad situation:
> Attempts to cure unemployment have so far failed.
4 cure somebody of something
to make someone stop behaving in a particular way or stop them having a particular feeling or attitude:
> Nothing could cure her of her impatience with Anna.
5 to preserve food, tobacco etc by drying it, hanging it in smoke, or covering it with salt:
> cured ham
82
Damage
(noun)
1 [physical harm] [uncountable]physical harm that is done to something or to a part of someone’s body, so that it is broken or injured:
damage to
> damage to property
> These chemicals have been found to cause serious environmental damage.
> There may be permanent brain damage. brain.
> His eyesight suffered irreparable damage.
2 [emotional harm] [uncountable] harm caused to someone’s emotions or mind:
> The death of a parent can cause long-lasting psychological damage.
3 [bad effect] [uncountable] a bad effect on something:
damage to
> The damage to his reputation was considerable.
> The closure of the factory will cause severe damage to the local economy.
damage limitation/ control
> the attempts at political damage control during the scandal
4 [damages] [plural] [law]
money that a court orders someone to pay to someone else as a punishment for harming them or their property
➔ compensation:
> The court awarded him £15,000 in damages.
5 the damage is done
used to say that something bad has happened which makes it impossible to go back to the way things were before it happened:
> She immediately apologized, but the damage was done.
6 what’s the damage? spoken
used humorously to ask how much you have to pay for something
(verb)
1 to cause physical harm to something or to part of someone’s body:
> insects that damage crops
badly/ severely/ seriously damage
> Smoking can severely damage your health.
2 to have a bad effect on something or someone in a way that makes them weaker or less successful:
> The changes in share values have damaged investor confidence.
83
Decrepit
(adjective)
old and in bad condition:
> The buildings were in a decrepit state.
> He was a rather decrepit old man.
—decrepitude (noun) [uncountable]
84
Deduct
(verb)
to take away an amount or part from a total
SYN subtract:
deduct something from something
> The payments will be deducted from your salary.
—deductible (adjective):
> Interest charges are tax deductible.
85
Defect
(noun)
a fault or a lack of something that means that something or someone is not perfect:
> All the cars are tested for defects before they leave the factory.
> a genetic defect
(verb) [CITIZENSHIP]
to leave your own country or group in order to go to or join an opposing one:
defect to/ from
> a Russian actor who defected to the West
—defector (noun) [countable]
—defection (noun) [uncountable and countable]
86
Deficiency
(noun) [uncountable and countable] (formal)
(plural deficiencies)
1 a lack of something that is necessary
SYN shortage:
deficiency of
> a deficiency of safe play areas for children
iron/ vitamin etc deficiency
> Some elderly people suffer from iron deficiency in their diet.
2 a weakness or fault in something:
deficiency in
> There are deep deficiencies in this law.
87
Defuse
(verb)
1 to improve a difficult or dangerous situation, for example by making people less angry or by dealing with the causes of a problem:
defuse a situation/ crisis/ row etc
> Beth’s quiet voice helped to defuse the situation.
defuse tension/ anger etc
> The agreement was regarded as a means of defusing ethnic tensions.
2 [BOMBS & TERRORISM]
to remove the fuse from a bomb in order to prevent it from exploding
88
Degrade
(verb)
1 [transitive] to treat someone without respect and make them lose respect for themselves:
> a movie that degrades women
degrade yourself (by doing something)
> How can you degrade yourself by writing such trash?
2 [transitive] to make a situation or the condition of something worse:
> The dolphin’s habitat is being rapidly degraded.
3 [intransitive and transitive] (technical)
[CHEMISTRY]
if a substance, chemical etc degrades, or if something degrades it, it changes to a simpler form
—degradable (adjective)
89
Deliberate
```
(adjective)
1 intended or planned
OPP unintentional
SYN intentional
> a deliberate attempt to humiliate her
> The attack on him was quite deliberate.
```
2 deliberate speech, thought, or movement is slow and careful:
> He approached her with slow, deliberate steps.
—deliberateness (noun) [uncountable]
90
Delude
(verb) [transitive]
to make someone believe something that is not true
SYN deceive
> I was angry with him for trying to delude me.
delude somebody/yourself into doing something
> It is easy to delude yourself into believing you’re in love.
> Don’t be deluded into thinking your house is burglarproof.
91
Demolish
(verb)
1 to completely destroy a building:
> The entire east wing of the building was demolished in the fire.
2 to prove that an idea or opinion is completely wrong:
> He demolished my argument in minutes.
3 to end or ruin something completely:
> These ants can demolish large areas of forest.
4 to defeat someone very easily:
> Miami demolished Texas 46–3.
5 especially BrE informalto eat all of something very quickly:
> He demolished a second helping of pie.
—demolition (noun) [uncountable and countable]
92
Deprive
(verb)
deprive somebody of something
[phrasal verb]
to prevent someone from having something, especially something that they need or should have:
> A lot of these children have been deprived of a normal home life.
93
Descendant
(noun)
1 [FAMILY]
someone who is related to a person who lived a long time ago, or to a family, group of people etc that existed in the past
➔ ancestor:
somebody’s descendants/ the descendants of somebody
The coastal areas were occupied by the descendants of Greek colonists.
He was a direct descendant of Napoleon Bonaparte.
94
Designate
(verb)
1 to choose someone or something for a particular job or purpose:
be designated something
> The lake was recently designated a conservation area.
designate something as/for something
> Funds were designated for projects in low-income areas.
designate somebody to do something
> She has been designated to take over the position of treasurer.
2 to represent or refer to something using a particular sign, name etc:
> Buildings are designated by red squares on the map.
95
Describe
(verb)
1 to say what something or someone is like by giving details about them:
> The police asked her to describe the man.
> Another approach to the problem is described in Chapter 3.
describe somebody/ something as (being/ having) something
> After the operation her condition was described as comfortable.
> The youth is described as being 18 to 19 years old.
describe how/ why/ what etc
> It’s difficult to describe how I feel.
describe somebody/ something to somebody
> So describe this new boyfriend to me!
describe doing something
> He described finding his mother lying on the floor.
2 describe a circle/ an arc etc formal
to make a movement which forms the shape of a circle etc:
> Her hand described a circle in the air.
96
Despise
(verb)
to dislike and have a low opinion of someone or something:
> She despised her neighbours.
97
Despotic
(noun)
[OFFICIALS]
someone, especially a ruler, who uses power in a cruel and unfair way
SYN tyrant
—despotic (adjective)
—despotically (adverb)
98
Destination
(noun)
[TRANSPORT]
the place that someone or something is going to:
somebody’s destination
> Allow plenty of time to get to your destination.
holiday/ tourist destination
> Maui is a popular tourist destination.
99
Detain
(verb)
1 [CRIME & LAW]
to officially prevent someone from leaving a place:
> Two suspects have been detained by the police for questioning.
> She was detained in hospital with a suspected broken leg.
2 [usually passive] (formal) to stop someone from leaving as soon as they expected
SYN delay
> He was detained in Washington on urgent business.
100
Deteriorate
(verb) [intransitive]
1 to become worse:
> Ethel’s health has deteriorated.
> America’s deteriorating economy
Register
In everyday English, people usually say get worse rather than deteriorate:
Her health got worse.
The situation is getting worse.
2 deteriorate into something
to develop into a bad or worse situation:
> The argument deteriorated into a fight.
—deterioration (noun) [uncountable]
101
Determine
(verb)
1to find out the facts about something
SYN establish
> Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire.
determine how/what/who etc
> The aim of the inquiry was to determine what had caused the accident.
determine that
> Experts have determined that the signature was forged.
2 if something determines something else, it directly influences or decides it:
> The amount of available water determines the number of houses that can be built.
> The age of a wine is a determining factor as to how it tastes.
determine how/whether/what etc
> How hard the swimmers work now will determine how they perform in the Olympics.
3 to officially decide something:
> The date of the court case has not yet been determined.
determine how/what/who etc
> The tests will help the doctors determine what treatment to use.
4 determine to do something (formal)
to decide to do something:
> We determined to leave at once.
102
Devastate
(verb)
1 to make someone feel extremely shocked and sad:
> Rob was devastated by the news of her death.
2 to damage something very badly or completely:
> The city centre was devastated by the bomb.
—devastation (noun) [uncountable]
103
Develop
(verb)
1 grow [intransitive and transitive] to grow or change into something bigger, stronger, or more advanced, or to make someone or something do this➔ advance:
> Knowledge in the field of genetics has been developing very rapidly.
> Corsica has developed its economy around the tourist industry.
develop into
> Chicago developed into a big city in the late 1800s.
develop from
> It’s hard to believe that a tree can develop from a small seed.
> exercises to develop muscle strength
2 new idea/product [transitive] to design or make a new idea, product, system etc over a period of time:
> Scientists are developing new drugs to treat arthritis.
> She should have developed her own style instead of copying him.
> Researchers are developing technology for the US military.
3 feeling [transitive] to start to have a feeling or quality that then becomes stronger:
> He had developed a certain affection for me.
develop a sense/ awareness/ knowledge of something
> The children are beginning to develop a sense of responsibility.
> It was in college that he developed a taste for (=started to like) rugby football.
4 skill/ability[intransitive and transitive]if you develop a skill or ability, or if it develops, it becomes stronger or more advanced:
> The course is designed to help students develop their speaking skills.
5 disease [intransitive and transitive] if you develop a disease or illness, or if it develops, you start to have it:
> Some alcoholics develop liver disease.
> Pneumonia can develop very quickly.
6 fault/problem[transitive]to begin to have a physical fault:
> The oil tank had developed a small crack.
> The plane developed engine trouble and was forced to land.
7 problem/difficulty[intransitive] if a problem or difficult situation develops, it begins to happen or exist, or it gets worse:
> Trouble is developing in the cities.
develop into
> Regional clashes could develop into larger quarrels.
8 idea/argument[transitive] to make an argument or idea clearer, by studying it more or by speaking or writing about it in more detail:
> We will develop a few of these points in the seminar.
9 land [transitive]
[EARTH SCIENCES TECHNOLOGY]
to use land for the things that people need, for example by taking minerals out of it or by building on it:
> The land was developed for low-cost housing.
10 photography [intransitive and transitive]
[PHOTOGRAPHY]
to make a photograph out of a photographic film, using chemicals:
> Did you ever get the pictures developed?
104
Development
1 growth [uncountable] the process of gradually becoming bigger, better, stronger, or more advanced:
> child development
development of
> a course on the development of Greek thought
professional/ personal development
> opportunities for professional development
2 economic activity [uncountable]the process of increasing business, trade, and industrial activity:
economic/ industrial/ business etc development
> economic development in Russia
3 event [countable] a new event or piece of news that changes a situation:
> recent political developments in the former Soviet Union
> We will keep you informed of developments.
4 new plan/product[uncountable]
[INDUSTRY]
the process of working on a new product, plan, idea etc to make it successful:
> The funds will be used for marketing and product development.
under/in development
> Spielberg has several interesting projects under development.
5 improvement [countable] a change that makes a product, plan, idea etc better:
> There have been significant computer developments during the last decade.
```
6 building process [uncountable]
[BUILDING]
the process of planning and building new houses, streets etc on land:
for development
> The land was sold for development.
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7 houses/offices etc[countable]
[BUILDINGS GEOGRAPHY]
a group of new buildings that have all been planned and built together on the same piece of land:
> a new housing development
105
Deviate
(verb)
to change what you are doing so that you are not following an expected plan, idea, or type of behaviour:
deviate from
> The plane had to deviate from its normal flight path.
106
Devolve
(verb) (formal) [intransitive and transitive]
1 if you devolve responsibility, power etc to a person or group at a lower level, or if it devolves on them, it is given to them:
devolve something to somebody/something
> The federal government has devolved responsibility for welfare to the states.
devolve on/ upon
> Half of the cost of the study will devolve upon the firm.
2 if land, money etc devolves to someone, it becomes their property when someone else dies
SYN pass
107
Diagnose
```
(verb)
[HOSPITAL]
to find out what illness someone has, or what the cause of a fault is, after doing tests, examinations etc:
diagnose somebody as (having) something
> Joe struggled in school before he was diagnosed as dyslexic.
diagnose something as something
> The illness was diagnosed as mumps.
diagnose somebody with something
> She was diagnosed with breast cancer.
```
108
Diagnosis
(noun)
[HOSPITAL]
the process of discovering exactly what is wrong with someone or something, by examining them closely➔ prognosis:
diagnosis of
> diagnosis of kidney disease
> An exact diagnosis can only be made by obtaining a blood sample.
109
Diffuse
(verb)
1 [intransitive and transitive] to make heat, light, liquid etc spread through something, or to spread like this:
diffuse through/ into/ across
> The pollutants diffuse into the soil.
2 [intransitive and transitive] to spread ideas or information among a lot of people, or to spread like this:
> Their ideas diffused quickly across Europe.
3 [transitive] to make a bad feeling or situation less strong or serious:
> an attempt to diffuse his anger
—diffusion (noun) [uncountable]
(adjective)
1 spread over a large area:
> The organization is large and diffuse.
2 using a lot of words and not explaining things clearly and directly:
> His writing is diffuse and difficult to understand.
—diffuseness (noun) [uncountable]
110
Dilemma
(noun)
a situation in which it is very difficult to decide what to do, because all the choices seem equally good or equally bad:
> a moral dilemma
in a dilemma
> I’m in a dilemma about this job offer.
> This placed Robert Kennedy in a dilemma.
> Many women are faced with the dilemma of choosing between work and family commitments.
111
Dilute
```
(verb)
1 to make a liquid weaker by adding water or another liquid➔ water down:
> diluted fruit juice
dilute something with/in something
> Dilute the paint with a little oil.
```
2 to make a quality, belief etc weaker or less effective
SYN water down
> an attempt to dilute the proposals
—dilution (noun) [uncountable and countable]:
> Any dilution of standards must be resisted.
(adjective)
a dilute liquid has been made weaker by the addition of water or another liquid
OPP concentrated
> dilute hydrochloric acid
112
Discharge
(verb)
1 send somebody away [transitive] [HOSPITAL]
to officially allow someone to leave somewhere, especially the hospital or the army, navy etc, or to tell them that they must leave:
> Hospitals now tend to discharge patients earlier than in the past.
> The judge discharged the jury.
discharge somebody from something
> Several of the recruits were discharged from the Army due to medical problems.
discharge yourself (BrE) (=leave hospital before your treatment is complete)
conditionally discharge somebody (BrE) (=let someone leave prison if they obey particular rules)
> Dunning was conditionally discharged for two years.
2 gas/liquid/smoke etc [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] to send out gas, liquid, smoke etc, or to allow it to escape:
discharge something into something
> Sewage is discharged directly into the sea.
discharge into
> Rainwater collects here and then discharges into the river Kennett.
3 shoot [transitive] (formal) [WEAPONS]
to fire a gun or shoot an arrow etc:
> A soldier accidentally discharged his weapon.
4 duty/responsibility/debt etc [transitive] (formal)
[OFFICIALS]
to do or pay what you have a duty to do or pay:
discharge your duties/ responsibilities/ obligations etc
> The trustees failed to discharge their duties properly.
5 electricity [intransitive and transitive [ELECTRICAL]
if a piece of electrical equipment discharges, or if it is discharged, it sends out electricity
6 a wound [intransitive and transitive]
[ILLNESS & DISABILITY]
if a wound or body part discharges a substance such as pus (=infected liquid), the substance slowly comes out of it
7 goods/passengers [transitive] formal
[TRANSPORT]
to take goods or passengers off a ship, plane etc
113
Discreet
(adjective)
1 careful about what you say or do, so that you do not offend, upset, or embarrass people or tell secrets
OPP indiscreet
> He assured her that he would be discreet.
> I stood back at a discreet distance.
2 small and showing good taste or judgment – use this to show approval:
> discreet jewelry
—discreetly (adverb)
114
Discipline
1 [uncountable] a way of training someone so that they learn to control their behaviour and obey rules:
> The book gives parents advice on discipline.
> serious discipline problems in the police force
2 [uncountable] the ability to control your own behaviour, so that you do what you are expected to do:
> Working from home requires a good deal of discipline.
➔ self-discipline
3 [uncountable and countable] a way of training your mind or learning to control your behaviour:
> Martial arts teach respect, discipline, and cooperation.
discipline for
> Learning poetry is a good discipline for the memory.
4 [countable] an area of knowledge or teaching, especially one such as history, chemistry, mathematics etc that is studied at a university
115
Disenfranchised
(adjective)
| not having any rights, especially the right to vote, and not feeling part of society
116
Disgust
(noun)
1 a strong feeling of dislike, annoyance, or disapproval:
with disgust
> Joan looked at him with disgust.
in disgust
> Sam threw his books down in disgust and stormed out of the room.
to somebody’s disgust
> Much to my disgust, I found that there were no toilets for the disabled.
disgust with
> Nelson’s disgust with US politics
disgust at
> The fans didn’t hide their disgust at the umpire’s decision.
2 a very strong feeling of dislike that almost makes you sick, caused by something unpleasant:
> He reached into the bin with a look of disgust on his face.
with disgust
> Edward tasted the thin, sour wines with disgust.
(verb)
1 to make someone feel very annoyed or upset about something that is not acceptable:
> Many parents claimed to be disgusted by the amount of violence in the film.
be disgusted to find/hear/see etc
> Dear Sir, I was disgusted to see the picture on page one of Sunday’s feature section.
2 to be so unpleasant that it makes you feel almost sick:
> The thought of dissecting a frog disgusts me.
117
Dispute
(noun)
1 a serious argument or disagreement:
dispute with
> The firm is involved in a legal dispute with a rival company.
dispute over
> He got into a dispute over a taxi fare.
dispute between
> the bitter border dispute between the countries
2 be beyond dispute
if something is beyond dispute, everyone agrees that it is true or that it really happened:
> It is beyond dispute that advances in medicine have enabled people to live longer.
3 be open to dispute
if something is open to dispute, it is not completely certain and not everyone agrees about it:
> His interpretation of the poem is open to dispute.
4 be in dispute
if something is in dispute, people are arguing about it:
> The facts of the case are still in dispute.
118
Dissipate
(verb) (formal)
1[intransitive and transitive] to gradually become less or weaker before disappearing completely, or to make something do this:
> As he thought it over, his anger gradually dissipated.
> Little by little, the smoke was dissipated by the breeze.
2 [transitive] to waste something valuable such as time, money, or energy:
> His savings were soon dissipated.
119
Dissolute
(adjective)
[SOCIETY] [DRINK]
having an immoral way of life, for example drinking too much alcohol or having sex with many people
SYN debauched
120
Divination
(noun)
[OCCULT]
the ability to say what will happen in the future, or the act of doing this
121
Ecotourism
(noun)
the business of organizing holidays to natural areas, especially areas that are far away such as the rain forest, where people can visit and learn about the area in a way that will not hurt the environment
—ecotourist (noun) [countable]
122
Effect
(noun)
1 change/result [uncountable and countable] a change that is caused by an event, action etc:
effect on
> My parents’ divorce had a big effect on me.
effect of
> the harmful effects of modern farming practices
> the long-term effects of the drug
> I could feel the effects of the thin mountain air.
> This ingredient also has the effect of making your skin look younger.
> A system failure has a knock-on effect throughout the whole hotel.
> the cumulative effect of human activities on the global environment
> A much lower dose of the painkiller can still produce the desired effect.
> In mental illness, there is a complex relationship between cause and effect.
➔ greenhouse effect,
side effect
⚠ Do not confuse with the verb affect (=to have an effect on something).
2 put/ bring something into effect
to make a plan or idea happen:
> It won’t be easy to put the changes into effect.
3 take effect
to start to produce results:
> The morphine was starting to take effect and the pain eased.
4 law/rule
a) take effect/ come into effect
if a law, rule, or system takes effect or comes into effect, it officially starts
b) be in effect
if a law, rule, or system is in effect, it is being used now
5 with immediate effect/ with effect from formal
starting to happen immediately, or from a particular date:
> Hoskins is appointed manager, with immediate effect.
6 in effect
used when you are describing what you see as the real facts of a situation
SYN effectively
> In effect, we’ll be earning less than we were last year.
7 to good/ great/ no etc effect
used to show how successful an action is:
> We tried to wake him, but to no effect.
8 to this/ that/ the effect
used when you are giving the general meaning of something, rather than the exact words:
> Jim told me to go away, or words to that effect.
> The letter said something to the effect that she was no longer needed.
9 idea/feeling[countable usually singular] an idea or feeling that an artist, speaker, book etc tries to make you think of or to feel
SYN impression:
effect of
> Turner’s paintings give an effect of light.
10 for effect
if someone does something for effect, they do it in order to make people notice:
> She paused for effect, then carried on speaking.
11 personal possessions (effects) [plural] (formal)
the things that someone owns
SYN belongings
> Don’s few personal effects were in a suitcase under the bed.
12 film [countable usually plural]
[MEDIA] [THEATRE]
an unusual or impressive sound or image that is artificially produced for a film, play, or radio programme
123
Elaborate
(adjective)
1 having a lot of small parts or details put together in a complicated way
SYN intricate
> pure silks embroidered with elaborate patterns
2 carefully planned and organized in great detail
SYN complex
> a very elaborate telecommunications network
—elaborately (adverb):
> an elaborately carved wooden statue
(verb)
[intransitive and transitive] to give more details or new information about something
SYN enlarge
> He said he had new evidence, but refused to elaborate any further.
elaborate on
> McDonald refused to elaborate on his reasons for resigning.
—elaboration (noun) [uncountable and countable]
124
Elect
(verb)
1 [VOTING]
to choose someone for an official position by voting:
> the country’s first democratically elected government
> a new method for electing the leader of the party
elect somebody to something
> He was elected to a US state governorship.
elect somebody (as) president/ leader/ mayor etc
> In 1768, John Wilkes was elected as their Member of Parliament.
2 elect to do something (formal)
to choose to do something:
> You can elect to delete the message or save it.
125
Elicit
(verb)
to succeed in getting information or a reaction from someone, especially when this is difficult:
> When her knock elicited no response, she opened the door and peeped in.
elicit something from somebody
> The test uses pictures to elicit words from the child.
—elicitation (noun) [uncountable]
126
Elite
(noun)
a group of people who have a lot of power and influence because they have money, knowledge, or special skills:
political/ social/ economic etc elite
> the domination of power by a small political elite
> a struggle for power within the ruling elite
(adjective)
an elite group contains the best, most skilled or most experienced people or members of a larger group:
> an elite group of artists
> elite universities
127
Elude
(verb)
1 to escape from someone or something, especially by tricking them
SYN avoid
> He eluded his pursuers by escaping into a river.
2 if something that you want eludes you, you fail to find or achieve it:
> She took the exam again, but again success eluded her.
3 if a fact or the answer to a problem eludes you, you cannot remember or solve it
SYN escape
> The exact terminology eludes me for the moment.
128
Emanate
(verb)
[transitive] formalto produce a smell, light etc, or to show a particular quality:
> He emanates tranquility.
—emanation (noun) [uncountable and countable]
emanate from something
(phrasal verb) (formal)
to come from or out of something:
> Wonderful smells were emanating from the kitchen.
129
Emancipate
(verb)
(formal) to give someone the political or legal rights that they did not have before:
> Slaves were emancipated in 1834.
—emancipation (noun) [uncountable]
