Oxford word skills Advanced Flashcards
(382 cards)
figurative
a figurative word or phrase is used in a different way from its usual meaning, to give you a particular idea or picture in your mind
He’s my son, in the figurative sense of the word.
literal
the literal meaning of a word or expression is its basic or original meaning → figurative
literally
according to the most basic or original meaning of a word or expression
The name of the cheese is Dolcelatte, literally meaning ‘sweet milk’.
unlikely
not likely to happen
Donna might be able to come tomorrow, but it’s very unlikely.
very unlikely
highly unlikely
unlikely to do something
The weather is unlikely to improve over the next few days.
collocations of unlikely
highly/most/very unlikely
It’s highly unlikely that he’ll survive.
extremely unlikely
The government is extremely unlikely to change its policy.
rather/pretty/quite/fairly unlikely
I may have thrown it away by mistake, but that’s pretty unlikely.
increasingly unlikely (=more and more unlikely as time passes)
It looks increasingly unlikely that the Bank of England will cut interest rates.
interchangeable
these two words are almost interchangeable
sense = collocation
in a sense/in one sense/in some senses etc (=in one way, in some ways etc)
What he says is right, in a sense.
The hotel was in no sense (=not at all) comfortable.
explanatory
giving information about something or describing how something works, in order to make it easier to understand
There are explanatory notes at the end of each chapter.
self-explanatory
clear and easy to understand without needing any more explanation
• It should be self-explanatory and easy to understand.
virtually
almost SYN practically
Virtually all the children come to school by bus.
He was virtually unknown before running for office.
synonymous
something that is synonymous with something else is considered to be very closely connected with it
synonymous with
Nixon’s name has become synonymous with political scandal.
ambiguity/ˌæmbɪˈɡjuːəti/
the state of being unclear, confusing, or not certain, or things that produce this effect
ambiguity
There was an element of ambiguity in the president’s reply.
opaque
opaque glass or liquid is difficult to see through and often thick
!= transparent
a shower with an opaque glass door
irony
a situation that is unusual or amusing because something strange happens, or the opposite of what is expected happens or is true
طنز ، طعنه، مسخره
Life is full of little ironies.
tragic/cruel/bitter etc irony
sarcasm, dramatic irony
a hint of of irony, a trace of irony
humorous
funny and enjoyable
The film has some mildly humorous moments.
mildly
slightly
The drug is only mildly addictive.
in a gentle way without being angry
to put it mildly
Losing two members of staff was unfortunate, to put it mildly.
sarcasm
sarcastic
a way of speaking or writing that involves saying the opposite of what you really mean in order to make an unkind joke or to show that you are annoyed
‘Good of you to arrive on time, ’ George said, with heavy sarcasm (=very clear sarcasm).
طعنه
literary/ˈlɪtərəri $ ˈlɪtəreri/
relating to literature
ادبی
disapproving
expressing an unfavorable opinion.
he shot a disapproving glance at her
unfavorable
expressing or showing a lack of approval or support.
single mothers are often the target of unfavorable press attention
wicked
evil or morally wrong.
the wicked stepmother in ‘Hansel and Gretel’
behaving badly in a way that is amusing
Tara hasn’t lost her wicked sense of humour.
pejorative
a word or expression that is pejorative is used to show disapproval or to insult someone
تحقیر آمیز،
For hard-line Republicans, the word ‘liberal’ had become a pejorative term.
permissive
not strict, and allowing behaviour that many other people would disapprove of
parents who are too permissive
easygoing,