Random words to learn (2) Flashcards
(169 cards)
noun
tendency
/ˈten.dən.si/
- If someone has a tendency to do or like something, they will probably do it or like it
- If there is a tendency for something to happen, it is likely to happen or it often happens
xu hướng
- His tendency to exaggerate is well known.
- There is a growing tendency to regard money more highly than quality of life.
- There is a tendency for unemployment to rise in the summer.
verb
exaggerate
/ɪɡˈzædʒ.ə.reɪt/
to make something seem larger, more important, better, or worse than it really is
phóng đại, nói quá
- The threat of attack has been greatly exaggerated.
- Don’t exaggerate - it wasn’t that expensive.
verb
tread
/tred/
UK: trod, US: treaded | UK: trodden, US: trod
- [mainly UK] to put your foot on something or to press something down with your foot
- to walk
giẫm, đạp/ đi
- I kept treading on his toes when we were dancing.
- Yuck! Look what I’ve just trodden in!
- A load of food had been trodden into the carpet.
- Before the days of automation, they used to tread grapes to make wine.
- He trod heavily and reluctantly up the stairs.
- I sometimes see him flash past in his sports car as I tread my weary way (= walk in a tired way) to work.
noun
tread
/tred/
- the pattern of raised lines on a tyre that prevents a vehicle from sliding on the road
- the sound that your feet make on the ground as you walk
- the horizontal part of a step on which you put your foot
đường gân bánh xe/ tiếng bước chân/ mặt phẳng ngang của sàn
- The tread on your tyres is very worn.
- Then I heard someone’s tread on the stairs.
adjective
weary
/ˈwɪə.ri/
very tired, especially after working hard for a long time
kiệt quệ, mệt mỏi, uể oải
- I think he’s a little weary after his long journey.
- Here, sit down and rest your weary legs.
Synonym: exhausted
adjective
weary of
/ˈwɪə.ri/
bored with something because you have experienced too much of it
nhàm chán
I’ve been going out with the same people to the same places for years and I’ve just grown weary of it.
Synonym: bored
be tired of
to be bored with an activity or person
chán lắm rồi
- I’m so tired of doing the same job, day after day.
- Don’t you get tired of arguing all the time?
- I’m sick and tired of you telling me what to do all the time.
verb
weary
/ˈwɪə.ri/
- to make someone feel tired
- to start to feel that something or someone is boring
- Children weary me with their constant questions and demands.
- Some people never seem to weary of eating the same type of food every day
adjective
monotonous
/məˈnɒt.ən.əs/
not changing and therefore boring
đơn điệu gây nhàm chán
- a monotonous job
- a monotonous voice
- The music became monotonous after a while.
adjective
turgid
/ˈtɜː.dʒɪd/
- (of speech or writing) too serious and very boring
- (of water) not flowing easily
(giọng viết) ngang, cứng, thô, không có vần/ (nước) khó chảy
- a couple of pages of turgid prose
- The river rolled darkly brown and turgid.
prose
written language in its ordinary form rather than poetry
văn xuôi
I’ve always preferred reading prose to poetry.
verb
swell
/swel/
swelled | swollen
to become larger and rounder than usual; to (cause to) increase in size or amount
lớn hơn, xưng lên
- It was obvious she had broken her toe, because it immediately started to swell (up).
- The group recruited more members, swelling its ranks (= increasing its size) to more than 1.3 million.
- literary His heart/breast swelled with pride (= he felt very proud) as he stood watching his son graduate.
- If music swells, it becomes louder.
noun
swell
/swel/
the slow up and down movement of the sea with large but smooth waves
noun
groundswell
/ˈɡraʊnd.swel/
a growth of strong feeling among a large group of people
(nghĩa bóng) làn sóng
There is a groundswell of opinion against the new rules
adjective
firm
/fɜːm/
- not soft but not completely hard
- well fixed in place or position
- fixed at the same level or opinion and not changing
- strong and tight
cứng/ cố định/ giữ nguyên, ở mức cố định/ cứng rắn, chặt
- I’d rather sleep on a firm mattress than a soft one.
- These pears are still too firm to eat.
- The bridge provided a firm platform for the bungee jumpers.
- The government remains firm in its opposition to tax reform.
- a firm handshake
- figurative No one seems to have a firm grip on the company at the moment.
- figurative You need a firm grasp of mathematics to become an astronaut.
verb
grip
/ɡrɪp/
- to hold very tightly
- to keep someone’s attention completely
- When an emotion such as fear grips you, you feel it strongly
giữ chặt, bám chắc/ thu hút sự chú ý/ bị cảm xúc chế ngự
- The baby gripped my finger with her tiny hand.
- Old tyres won’t grip (= stay on the surface of the road) in the rain very well.
- This trial has gripped the whole nation.
- I was gripped throughout the entire two hours of the film.
- Then he turned towards me, and I was suddenly gripped by fear.
noun
grip
/ɡrɪp/
- control over something or someone
- a tight hold on something or someone
nắm quyền kiểm soát ai đó hay cái gì đó/ nắm chặt
- Rebels have tightened their grip on the city.
- He will do anything to keep his grip on power.
- She tightened her grip on my arm.
- She would not loosen her grip on my arm.
idiom
get a grip (on oneself)
to make an effort to control your emotions and behave more calmly
I just think he ought to get a grip on himself - he’s behaving like a child.
idiom
be in the grip of something
to be experiencing something unpleasant that you have no control over
đang trải qua (thời kỳ, sự việc xấu)
The country is currently in the grip of the worst recession in 20 years.
idiom
come/get to grips with something
to make an effort to understand and deal with a problem or situation
cố gắng giải quyết, xử lý vấn đề
- The president has failed to come to grips with the two most important social issues of our time.
- I can’t seem to get to grips with this problem.
noun
recession
/rɪˈseʃ.ən/
a period when the economy of a country is not successful and conditions for business are bad
thời kỳ khủng hoảng, kinh tế suy sụp
- The country is mired in recession.
- The country is sliding into the depths of (a) recession.
- The Japanese economy is experiencing its worst recession in 20 years.
Synonym: depression
verb
giggle
/ˈɡɪɡ.əl/
to laugh repeatedly in a quiet but uncontrolled way, often at something silly or rude or when you are nervous
cười khúc khích
Stop that giggling in the back row!
Synonym: (mainly UK) titter
noun
giggle
/ˈɡɪɡ.əl/
- a nervous or silly laugh
- something that is funny, often when it involves laughing at someone else
- the giggles: an occasion when you can’t stop giggling
cười khúc khích
- There were a few nervous giggles from people in the audience.
- I tried to stifle a giggle.
- Just for a giggle, we hid his trousers while he was in the water.
- I got the giggles in the lecture.
verb
stifle
/ˈstaɪ.fəl/
- to (cause to) be unable to breathe because you have no air
- to prevent something from happening, being expressed, or continuing
ngạt, gây gạt, bóp ngạt/ ngăn, dừng
- He is said to have stifled his victim with a pillow.
- We almost stifled in the heat of the city.
- She stifled a cough/yawn/scream/sneeze.
- I don’t know how I managed to stifle my anger.
- We should be encouraging new ideas, not stifling them.
- She stifled a cough/yawn/scream/sneeze.