PD_30/9/20 --> kaplan --> TC Basic Flashcards
(87 cards)
1
Q
clergy
A
PLURAL NOUN
The clergy are the official leaders of the religious activities of a particular group of believers.
These proposals met opposition from the clergy.
Synonyms: priesthood, ministry, clerics, clergymen or women
2
Q
herd
noun [ C, + sing/pl verb ]
A
a large group of animals of the same type that live and feed together:
a herd of cattle/elephants/goats
3
Q
laggard
noun [ C ] old-fashioned
A
a company, organization, etc. that does something later, or improves less quickly, than others:
Mexico, long a laggard in financial reform, is at last putting its banks in order.
Steel companies are still considered laggards compared to high-tech manufacturers.
someone or something that is very slow
4
Q
calf
noun [ C ]
A
a young cow, or the young of various other large mammals such as elephants and whales
5
Q
lexicon
A
- SINGULAR NOUN
The lexicon of a particular subject is all the terms associated with it. The lexicon of a person or group is all the words they commonly use.
…the lexicon of management. [+ of]
Chocolate equals sin in most people’s lexicon. - COUNTABLE NOUN
A lexicon is an alphabetical list of the words in a language or the words associated with a particular subject. - COUNTABLE NOUN
A lexicon is a dictionary, especially of a very old language such as Greek or Hebrew.
6
Q
verbiage
A
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
If you refer to someone’s speech or writing as verbiage, you are critical of them because they use too many words, which makes their speech or writing difficult to understand.
[formal, disapproval]
Many mission statements are nothing but empty verbiage.
Synonyms: verbosity, repetition, tautology, redundancy
7
Q
unfounded
adjective
A
If a claim or piece of news is unfounded, it is not based on fact:
Our fears about the weather proved totally unfounded.
8
Q
understate
verb [ T ]
A
to describe something in a way that makes it seem less important, serious, bad, etc. than it really is:
She believes the research understates the amount of discrimination women suffer.
9
Q
disparity
noun [ C or U ] formal
A
a lack of equality or similarity, especially in a way that is not fair:
the growing disparity between rich and poor
10
Q
hindsight
noun [ U ]
A
the ability to understand an event or situation only after it has happened:
With (the benefit/wisdom of) hindsight, I should have taken the job.
In hindsight, it would have been better to wait.
11
Q
competence
noun [ C or U ]
A
the ability to do something well:
Her competence as a teacher is unquestionable.
He reached a reasonable level of competence in his English.
12
Q
discreet
adjective
A
careful not to cause embarrassment or attract too much attention, especially by keeping something secret:
The family made discreet enquiries about his background.
They are very good assistants, very discreet - they wouldn’t go talking to the press.
13
Q
indiscretion
noun
A
the quality of being indiscreet:
Jones was censured for indiscretion in leaking a secret report to the press.
14
Q
rebuttal
noun [ C ] formal
A
a statement that says that something is not true:
She issued a point-by-point rebuttal of the company’s accusations.
15
Q
disavowal
noun [ C or U ]
A
the action of saying that you know nothing about something, or that you have no responsibility for or connection with something:
Despite his repeated disavowals, he seems ambitious for power.
Not everyone is convinced by the group’s disavowal of criminality and violence.
16
Q
jape
A
COUNTABLE NOUN
A jape is a silly trick that you play on someone which is quite funny and which does not really involve upsetting them.
[old-fashioned]
17
Q
long-standing
A
A long-standing situation has existed for a long time.
They are on the brink of resolving their long-standing dispute over money.
…long-standing economic links between Europe and much of Africa.
Synonyms: established, fixed, enduring, abiding
18
Q
nonpartisan
A
ADJECTIVE
A person or group that is nonpartisan does not support or help a particular political party or group.
…a nonpartisan organization that does economic research for business and labor groups.
…the president’s Thanksgiving Day call for a nonpartisan approach to the problem.
19
Q
dispossess
A
VERB
If you are dispossessed of something that you own, especially land or buildings, it is taken away from you.
…people who were dispossessed of their land under apartheid. [be VERB-ed + of]
They settled the land, dispossessing many of its original inhabitants. [VERB noun]
Droves of dispossessed people emigrated to Canada. [VERB-ed]
[Also V n + of/from]
Synonyms: strip, deprive More Synonyms of dispossess
The dispossessed are people who are dispossessed.
…the plight of the poor and the dispossessed.
20
Q
recompense
A
- UNCOUNTABLE NOUN [in NOUN]
If you are given something, usually money, in recompense, you are given it as a reward or because you have suffered.
[formal]
He demands no financial recompense for his troubles. [+ for]
Substantial damages were paid in recompense.
Synonyms: compensation, pay, payment, satisfaction More Synonyms of recompense - VERB
If you recompense someone for their efforts or their loss, you give them something, usually money, as a payment or reward.
[formal]
The fees offered by the health service do not recompense dental surgeons for their professional time. [VERB noun + for]
If they succeed in court, they will be fully recompensed for their loss. [VERB noun for noun]
Synonyms: compensate, reimburse, redress, repay More Synonyms of recompense
21
Q
diminutive
A
- ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A diminutive person or object is very small.
She noticed a diminutive figure standing at the entrance.
Synonyms: small, little, tiny, minute More Synonyms of diminutive - COUNTABLE NOUN
A diminutive is an informal form of a name. For example, ‘ Jim’ and ‘ Jimmy’ are diminutives of ‘ James’. - COUNTABLE NOUN
A diminutive is a suffix which is added to a word to show affection or to indicate that something is small. For example, ‘-ie’ and ‘-ette’ are diminutives, for example in ‘doggie’ and ‘ statuette’.
22
Q
Seismic
A
- ADJECTIVE [ADJECTIVE noun]
Seismic means caused by or relating to an earthquake.
Earthquakes produce two types of seismic waves.
The latest seismic activity was also felt in northern Kenya. - ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A seismic shift or change is a very sudden or dramatic change.
I have never seen such a seismic shift in public opinion in such a short period of time.
23
Q
viable
A
- ADJECTIVE
Something that is viable is capable of doing what it is intended to do.
They struggled initially to make the business viable.
The goal has been to establish and sustain a nation of viable family farms.
…commercially viable products.
Synonyms: workable, practical, feasible, suitable More Synonyms of viable
viability (vaɪəbɪlɪti ) UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
…the shaky financial viability of the nuclear industry. [+ of] - ADJECTIVE
Foetuses, seeds, or eggs are described as viable if they are capable of developing into living beings without outside help.
[technical]
Five viable pregnancies were established.
24
Q
culpable
A
ADJECTIVE
If someone or their conduct is culpable, they are responsible for something wrong or bad that has happened.
[formal]
Their decision to do nothing makes them culpable.
…manslaughter resulting from culpable negligence.
Synonyms: blameworthy, wrong, guilty, to blame More Synonyms of culpable
culpability (kʌlpəbɪlɪti ) UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
He added there was clear culpability on the part of the government.
Synonyms: fault, blameworthiness, blame, responsibility
25
foremost
1. ADJECTIVE
The foremost thing or person in a group is the most important or best.
He was one of the world's foremost scholars of ancient Indian culture.
Foremost among the military government's enemies are the foreign media.
Synonyms: leading, best, first, top
26
plenitude
1. UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Plenitude is a feeling that an experience is satisfying because it is full or complete.
[formal]
The music brought him a feeling of plenitude and freedom.
...the safety and plenitude of their life.
Synonyms: completeness, fullness, amplitude, repletion More Synonyms of plenitude
2. SINGULAR NOUN
If there is a plenitude of something, there is a great quantity of it.
[formal]
What is the use of a book about interior design without a plenitude of pictures in color? [+ of]
Synonyms: abundance, wealth, excess, bounty
27
plague
1. COUNTABLE NOUN [oft supplement NOUN]
A plague is a very infectious disease that spreads quickly and kills large numbers of people.
A cholera plague had been killing many prisoners of war at the time.
Synonyms: disease, infection, epidemic, contagion More Synonyms of plague
2. UNCOUNTABLE NOUN [oft the NOUN]
Plague or the plague is a very infectious disease which usually results in death. The patient has a severe fever and swellings on his or her body.
...a fresh outbreak of plague.
...illnesses such as smallpox, typhus and the plague.
3. COUNTABLE NOUN
A plague of unpleasant things is a large number of them that arrive or happen at the same time.
The city is under threat from a plague of rats. [+ of]
Last year there was a plague of robbery and housebreaking.
Synonyms: infestation, invasion, epidemic, influx More Synonyms of plague
4. COUNTABLE NOUN [usually singular]
If you describe something as a plague, you mean that it causes a great deal of trouble or harm.
Inflation will remain a recurrent plague.
Tim seems to have escaped the cynicism which is the absolute plague of our generation.
Synonyms: bane, trial, cancer, evil More Synonyms of plague
5. VERB
If you are plagued by unpleasant things, they continually cause you a lot of trouble or suffering.
She was plagued by weakness, fatigue, and dizziness. [be VERB-ed + by]
Fears about job security plague nearly half the workforce. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: torment, trouble, pain, torture More Synonyms of plague
6. VERB
If someone plagues you, they keep bothering you or asking you for something.
I'm not going to plague you with a lot more questions. [VERB noun with noun]
Tommy Cook had been plaguing Pinner for months. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: pester, trouble, bother, disturb
28
disparaged
VERB
If you disparage someone or something, you speak about them in a way which shows that you do not have a good opinion of them.
[formal]
Many people will disparage what you are trying to achieve. [VERB noun]
The tax cut is widely disparaged by senators from both parties as a budget gimmick. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: run down, dismiss, put down, criticize
29
profiled
1. COUNTABLE NOUN
Your profile is the outline of your face as it is seen when someone is looking at you from the side.
His handsome profile was turned away from us.
Synonyms: outline, lines, form, figure More Synonyms of profile
2. UNCOUNTABLE NOUN [in NOUN]
If you see someone in profile, you see them from the side.
This picture shows the girl in profile.
3. COUNTABLE NOUN
A profile of someone is a short article or programme in which their life and character are described.
A newspaper published profiles of the candidates. [+ of]
Synonyms: biography, sketch, vignette, characterization More Synonyms of profile
4. VERB
To profile someone means to give an account of that person's life and character.
[journalism]
Tamar Golan, a Paris-based journalist, profiles the rebel leader. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: describe, outline, write about, portray More Synonyms of profile
profiling (proʊfaɪlŋ ) UNCOUNTABLE NOUN [usually with supplement]
...a former FBI agent who pioneered psychological profiling in the 1970s.
DNA profiling has aided the struggle against crime.
5. COUNTABLE NOUN
Your profile on a social media website is the part where you post your name, picture, and personal information.
He lied about himself on his profile.
30
emulate
VERB
If you emulate something or someone, you imitate them because you admire them a great deal.
[formal]
Sons are traditionally expected to emulate their fathers. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: imitate, follow, copy, mirror More Synonyms of emulate
emulation (emjʊleɪʃən ) UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
...a role model worthy of emulation.
Synonyms: imitation, following, copying, mirroring
31
cede
VERB
If someone in a position of authority cedes land or power to someone else, they let them have the land or power, often as a result of military or political pressure.
[formal]
Only a short campaign took place in Puerto Rico, but after the war Spain ceded the island to America. [VERB noun + to]
The General had promised to cede power by January. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: surrender, grant, transfer, abandon
32
rationalize
1. VERB
If you try to rationalize attitudes or actions that are difficult to accept, you think of reasons to justify or explain them.
He rationalized his activity by convincing himself that he was promoting peace. [VERB noun]
I poured my thoughts out on paper in an attempt to rationalize my feelings. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: reason out, resolve, think through, elucidate More Synonyms of rationalize
rationalization (ræʃənəlaɪzeɪʃən )
Word forms: plural rationalizations
VARIABLE NOUN
...this rationalization of his bedside grief.
2. VERB [usually passive]
When a company, system, or industry is rationalized, it is made more efficient, usually by getting rid of staff and equipment that are not essential.
[mainly British, business]
The network of 366 local offices is being rationalised to leave the company with 150 larger branch offices. [be VERB-ed]
33
assertion
NOUN
1. a positive statement, usually made without an attempt at furnishing evidence
2. the act of asserting
34
plenum
COUNTABLE NOUN
| A plenum is a meeting that is attended by all the members of a committee or conference.
35
paucity
SINGULAR NOUN
If you say that there is a paucity of something, you mean that there is not enough of it.
[formal]
Even the film's impressive finale can't hide the first hour's paucity of imagination. [+ of]
...the paucity of good British women sprinters. [+ of]
Synonyms: scarcity, lack, poverty, shortage
36
plethora
SINGULAR NOUN
A plethora of something is a large amount of it, especially an amount of it that is greater than you need, want, or can cope with.
[formal]
A plethora of new operators will be allowed to enter the market. [+ of]
Synonyms: excess, surplus, glut, profusion
37
paradigm
1. VARIABLE NOUN
A paradigm is a model for something which explains it or shows how it can be produced.
[formal]
...a new paradigm of production. [+ of]
2. COUNTABLE NOUN
A paradigm is a clear and typical example of something.
[formal]
He had become the paradigm of the successful man. [+ of]
Synonyms: model, example, original, pattern
38
tallied
1. COUNTABLE NOUN [usually singular]
A tally is a record of amounts or numbers which you keep changing and adding to as the activity which affects it progresses.
They do not keep a tally of visitors to the palace, but it is very popular. [+ of]
The final tally was 817 votes for her and 731 for him.
Synonyms: record, score, total, count More Synonyms of tally
2. VERB
If one number or statement tallies with another, they agree with each other or are exactly the same. You can also say that two numbers or statements tally.
Its own estimate of three hundred tallies with that of another survey. [VERB + with]
This description didn't seem to tally with what we saw. [VERB with noun]
The figures didn't seem to tally. [VERB]
Synonyms: agree, match, accord, fit More Synonyms of tally
3. VERB
If you tally numbers, items, or totals, you count them.
...as we tally the number of workers who have been laid off this year. [VERB noun]
When the final numbers are tallied, sales will almost certainly have fallen. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: count up, total, compute, keep score More Synonyms of tally
Tally up means the same as tally.
39
tenets
COUNTABLE NOUN
The tenets of a theory or belief are the main principles on which it is based.
[formal]
Non-violence and patience are the central tenets of their faith. [+ of]
The judge's ruling was based on the simple commonsense tenet that no man is above the law.
Synonyms: principle, rule, doctrine, creed
40
tout
1. VERB
If someone touts something, they try to sell it or convince people that it is good.
[disapproval]
It has the trappings of an election campaign in the United States, with slick television ads touting the candidates. [VERB noun]
...a popular advertising industry practice of using performers to tout products. [VERB noun]
He was being touted as the most interesting thing in pop. [beV-ed as n/adj/-ing]
The product is touted as being completely natural. [beV-ed as n/adj/-ing]
...a couple of highly touted novels. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: praise, tip, promote, urge More Synonyms of tout
2. VERB
If someone touts for business or custom, they try to obtain it.
[mainly British]
He visited Thailand and Singapore to tout for investment. [VERB + for]
Minicabs are not allowed to tout for hire on the streets. [VERB for noun]
Synonyms: solicit, canvass, drum up, bark [US, informal] More Synonyms of tout
3. VERB
If someone touts tickets, they sell them outside a sports ground or theatre, usually for more than their original value.
[British]
...a man who made his money touting tickets. [VERB noun]
The queue stretches several hundred yards and tickets are touted for a tenner. [VERB noun]
REGIONAL NOTE:
in AM, use scalp
4. COUNTABLE NOUN
A tout is someone who sells things such as tickets unofficially, usually at prices which are higher than the official ones.
[British]
REGIONAL NOTE:
in AM, use scalper
More Synonyms of tout
41
ingrain
| verb [ T ]
to establish something such as a belief so firmly that it is not likely to change:
We want to ingrain good financial habits in people.
42
coherent
1. ADJECTIVE
If something is coherent, it is well planned, so that it is clear and sensible and all its parts go well with each other.
He has failed to work out a coherent strategy for modernising the service.
The President's policy is perfectly coherent.
Synonyms: consistent, reasoned, organized, rational More Synonyms of coherent
coherence UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
The campaign was widely criticised for making tactical mistakes and for a lack of coherence.
Synonyms: consistency, rationality, concordance, consonance More Synonyms of coherent
Synonyms: intelligibility, comprehensibility More Synonyms of coherent
coherently ADVERB [ADVERB with verb, ADVERB adjective]
The government has to convince voters it is proceeding coherently toward its goals.
2. ADJECTIVE [verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If someone is coherent, they express their thoughts in a clear and calm way, so that other people can understand what they are saying.
He's so calm when he answers questions in interviews. I wish I could be that coherent.
Synonyms: articulate, lucid, comprehensible, intelligible
43
constringe
(transitive) rare
| to shrink or contract
44
preeminent
ADJECTIVE
If someone or something is preeminent in a group, they are more important, powerful, or capable than other people or things in the group.
[formal]
...some of the preeminent names in baseball.
preeminence (priɛmɪnəns ) UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Europe was poised to reassert its traditional preeminence in Western art.
45
preternatural
ADJECTIVE [ADJECTIVE noun]
Preternatural abilities, qualities, or events are very unusual in a way that might make you think that unknown forces are involved.
[formal]
Parents had an almost preternatural ability to understand what was going on in their children's minds.
Synonyms: supernatural, odd, strange, unusual More Synonyms of preternatural
46
middling
ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
If you describe a quality such as the size of something as middling, you mean that it is average.
The Beatles enjoyed only middling success until 1963.
...a man of middling height.
Synonyms: moderate, medium, average, fair
47
rigorous
1. ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A test, system, or procedure that is rigorous is very thorough and strict.
The selection process is based on rigorous tests of competence and experience.
...a rigorous system of blood analysis.
...rigorous military training.
Synonyms: strict, hard, firm, demanding More Synonyms of rigorous
rigorously ADVERB
...rigorously conducted research.
2. ADJECTIVE [usually verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If someone is rigorous in the way that they do something, they are very careful and thorough.
He is rigorous in his control of expenditure. [+ in]
Synonyms: thorough, meticulous, painstaking, scrupulous
48
spartan
ADJECTIVE
A spartan lifestyle or existence is very simple or strict, with no luxuries.
Their spartan lifestyle prohibits a fridge or a phone.
Felicity's bedroom was spartan but functional.
49
lacrosse
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Lacrosse is an outdoor game in which players use long sticks with nets at the end to catch and throw a small ball, in order to try and score goals.
50
wager
1. VERB
If you wager on the result of a horse race, football match, or other event, you give someone a sum of money which they give you back with extra money if the result is what you predicted, or which they keep if it is not.
[journalism]
Just because people wagered on the Yankees did not mean that they liked them. [VERB + on]
He never wagered money on games involving his own team. [VERB noun + on]
Wager is also a noun.
There have been various wagers on certain candidates since the Bishop announced his retirement. [+ on]
2. VERB
If you say that you will wager that something is the case, you mean you are confident that it is the case.
She was willing to wager that he didn't own the apartment he lived in. [VERB that]
I'll wager she'll still make the same impact when she's 70.
51
pep
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Pep is liveliness and energy.
[informal, old-fashioned]
Many say that, given a choice, they would opt for a holiday to put the pep back in their lives.
Synonyms: energy, life, spirit, zip [informal]
52
digressed
VERB
If you digress, you move away from the subject you are talking or writing about and talk or write about something different for a while.
I've digressed a little to explain the situation so far, so let me now recap. [VERB]
She digressed from her prepared speech to pay tribute to the President. [VERB + from]
Synonyms: wander, drift, stray, depart More Synonyms of digress
digression (daɪgreʃən )
Word forms: plural digressions
VARIABLE NOUN
The text is dotted with digressions.
Synonyms: departure, aside, diversion [British], wandering
53
morphed
VERB
If one thing morphs into another thing, especially something very different, the first thing changes into the second.
[informal]
Mild-mannered Stanley morphs into a confident, grinning hero.
54
imprecations
VARIABLE NOUN
An imprecation is something rude, angry, or hostile that is said to or about someone.
[formal]
Synonyms: curse, denunciation, anathema, blasphemy
55
superfluous
ADJECTIVE
Something that is superfluous is unnecessary or is no longer needed.
My presence at the afternoon's proceedings was superfluous.
I rid myself of many superfluous belongings and habits that bothered me.
Synonyms: excess, surplus, redundant, remaining
56
nugatory
ADJECTIVE
1. of little value; trifling
2. not valid
a nugatory law
57
preponderance
SINGULAR NOUN
If there is a preponderance of one type of person or thing in a group, there is more of that type than of any other.
...a preponderance of bright, middle-class children in one group. [+ of]
...Bath, with its preponderance of small businesses.
58
prolixity
ADJECTIVE
1. (of a speech, book, etc) so long as to be boring; verbose
2. indulging in prolix speech or writing; long-winded
59
perpetual
1. ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A perpetual feeling, state, or quality is one that never ends or changes.
...the creation of a perpetual union.
perpetually ADVERB [ADVERB with verb]
They were all perpetually starving.
They would be compelled to live perpetually as second-class citizens.
2. ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A perpetual act, situation, or state is one that happens again and again and so seems never to end.
I thought her perpetual complaints were going to prove too much for me.
perpetually ADVERB [ADVERB with verb]
...a perpetually renewed miracle.
He perpetually interferes in political affairs.
60
recurring
ADJECTIVE
(Accounting: Basic)
If something is recurring, it happens at regularly occurring intervals.
More than 60 percent of recurring costs were attributable directly to materials, products, and services purchased from external suppliers.
Include in the expenses accrued for the period all recurring fees that are charged to all shareholder accounts in proportion to the length of the base period.
If something is recurring, it happens at regularly occurring intervals.
61
sporadic
ADJECTIVE
Sporadic occurrences of something happen at irregular intervals.
...a year of sporadic fighting over northern France.
The sound of sporadic shooting could still be heard.
Synonyms: intermittent, occasional, scattered, isolated More Synonyms of sporadic
62
abstruse
ADJECTIVE
You can describe something as abstruse if you find it difficult to understand, especially when you think it could be explained more simply.
[formal, disapproval]
...fruitless discussions about abstruse resolutions.
Synonyms: obscure, complex, confusing, puzzling
63
doomed
1. ADJECTIVE [verb-link ADJECTIVE, ADJECTIVE to-infinitive]
If something is doomed to happen, or if you are doomed to a particular state, something unpleasant is certain to happen, and you can do nothing to prevent it.
Their plans seemed doomed to failure. [+ to]
He knew that if he lived, he would be doomed to spend the war as a prisoner.
2. ADJECTIVE
Someone or something that is doomed is certain to fail or be destroyed.
Fireman battled through the smoke in a doomed attempt to rescue the children.
I used to pour time and energy into projects that were doomed from the start.
Synonyms: hopeless, condemned, ill-fated, fated
adjective
likely to have an unfortunate and inescapable outcome; ill-fated.
"the moving story of their doomed love affair"
64
quagmire
| noun [ C ]
an area of soft, wet ground that you sink into if you try to walk on it:
At the end of the game, the pitch was a real quagmire.
a difficult and dangerous situation:
Since the coup, the country has sunk deeper into a quagmire of violence and lawlessness.
65
onerous
| adjective formal
difficult to do or needing a lot of effort:
the onerous task of finding a peaceful solution
She found the duties of motherhood onerous.
66
sequestration
| noun [ U ]
the act of taking temporary possession of someone's property until they have paid money that is owed or obeyed a court order:
This would do nothing to halt the sequestration of property in the former colony.
The union was ordered to to withdraw the instruction or face the sequestration of its funds and assets.
67
remuneration
| noun [ S or U ] formal
payment for work or services:
They demanded adequate remuneration for their work.
In return for some caretaking duties, we are offering a free apartment and a small remuneration.
a remuneration package
68
regimen
| noun [ C ] formal
any set of rules about food and exercise that someone follows, especially in order to improve their health:
After his heart attack the doctor put him on a strict regimen.
69
nebulous
ADJECTIVE
If you describe something as nebulous, you mean that it is vague and not clearly defined or not easy to describe.
The notions we children were able to form of the great world beyond were exceedingly nebulous.
Music is such a nebulous thing.
70
dichotomy
| noun [ C usually singular ] formal
a difference between two completely opposite ideas or things:
There is often a dichotomy between what politicians say and what they do.
71
antics
| noun [ plural ]
funny, silly, or strange behaviour:
But the rock star, whose stage antics used to include smashing guitars, is older and wiser now.
The crowds were once again entertained by the number-one tennis player's antics on and off the court.
72
accustomed
| adjective
familiar with something:
She quickly became accustomed to his messy ways.
I'm not accustomed to being treated like this.
73
scalable
| adjective BUSINESS specialized (also scaleable)
used to describe a business or system that is able to grow or to be made larger:
To receive funding they will have to demonstrate that their idea is scalable from school level to state level.
able to be made larger in size:
There are 13 scaleable fonts built into the printer.
74
register
| verb
to put information, especially your name, into an official list or record:
I registered the car in my name.
Within two weeks of arrival all foreigners had to register with the local police.
Students have to register for the new course by the end of April.
to record, show, or express something:
The Geiger counter registered a dangerous level of radioactivity.
The earthquake was too small to register on the Richter scale.
formal His face registered extreme disapproval of what he had witnessed.
If you register a letter or parcel, you send it using a special postal service, so that it will be dealt with in a special way and not be lost:
a registered letter
If something registers, someone realizes it and if someone registers something, they realize it:
I did mention the address but I'm not sure that it registered (with him).
I scarcely registered the fact that he was there.
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mendacity
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Mendacity is lying, rather than telling the truth.
[formal]
...an astonishing display of cowardice and mendacity.
Synonyms: lying, lie, perjury, deceit
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case in point
a specific, appropriate, or relevant instance or example
77
raillery
NOUN
Word forms: plural -leries
1. light-hearted satire or ridicule; banter
2. an example of this, esp a bantering remark
78
unwavering
ADJECTIVE
If you describe a feeling or attitude as unwavering, you mean that it is strong and firm and does not weaken.
She has been encouraged by the unwavering support of her family.
...his unwavering commitment to public education.
His attitude was unwavering.
Synonyms: steady, consistent, staunch, determined
79
inveterate
ADJECTIVE [ADJECTIVE noun]
If you describe someone as, for example, an inveterate liar or smoker, you mean that they have lied or smoked for a long time and are not likely to stop doing it.
...an inveterate gambler.
...the inveterate laziness of these boys.
Synonyms: deep-rooted, entrenched, ingrained, deep-seated
80
impertinent
ADJECTIVE
If someone talks or behaves in a rather impolite and disrespectful way, you can say that they are being impertinent.
Would it be impertinent to ask where exactly you were?
I don't like strangers who ask impertinent questions.
Synonyms: rude, forward, cheeky [informal], saucy [informal]
81
afflict
| verb [ T ]
If a problem or illness afflicts a person or thing, they suffer from it:
It is an illness that afflicts women more than men.
a country afflicted by civil war
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proliferate
VERB
If things proliferate, they increase in number very quickly.
[formal]
Computerized data bases are proliferating fast. [VERB]
In recent years commercial, cultural, travel and other contacts have proliferated between Europe and China. [VERB]
Synonyms: increase, expand, breed, mushroom
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proprietary
1. ADJECTIVE [ADJECTIVE noun]
Proprietary substances or products are sold under a trade name.
[formal]
...some proprietary brands of dog food.
We had to take action to protect the proprietary technology.
2. ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
If someone has a proprietary attitude towards something, they act as though they own it.
[formal]
Directors weren't allowed any proprietary airs about the product they made.
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fiscal
1. ADJECTIVE [ADJECTIVE noun]
Fiscal is used to describe something that relates to government money or public money, especially taxes.
...last year, when the government tightened fiscal policy.
Synonyms: financial, money, economic, monetary More Synonyms of fiscal
fiscally ADVERB [usually ADVERB adjective, oft ADVERB after verb]
The scheme would be fiscally dangerous.
Many members are determined to prove that they are fiscally responsible.
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stagnation
VERB
If something such as a business or society stagnates, it stops changing or progressing.
[disapproval]
Industrial production is stagnating. [VERB]
His career had stagnated. [VERB]
Synonyms: vegetate, decline, deteriorate, rot More Synonyms of stagnate
stagnation (stægneɪʃən ) UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
...the stagnation of the steel industry.
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propriety
correct moral behaviour or actions:
The director insisted that there was no question as to the propriety of how the funds were raised.
She was careful always to behave with propriety.
proprieties [ plural ] formal
the rules of polite social behaviour:
They'd invited us to dinner so we thought we'd better observe the proprieties and invite them back.
87
proprietor
COUNTABLE NOUN
The proprietor of a hotel, shop, newspaper, or other business is the person who owns it.
[formal]
...the proprietor of a local restaurant. [+ of]
He was the sole proprietor with total management control.
Synonyms: owner, landowner, freeholder, possessor
