Review 10 Flashcards
(203 cards)
1
Q
Bash
A
/bæʃ/ bash verb (HIT)
[ I or T ] informal
to hit hard:
He bashed his arm against a shelf.
UK I could hear her bashing away on the computer (= hitting the keys loudly).
to criticize someone severely:
He kept bashing local government officials.
informal
a party:
He had a big bash for his 18th birthday.
2
Q
Glittery
A
/ˈɡlɪt̬.ɚ.i/
glittering sparkly
producing a lot of small flashes of reflected light:
glittery eye shadow
a glittery dress
3
Q
-adjacent
A
-adjacent US
used in compounds to show that something is not exactly the thing mentioned, but very similar to it:
For fans looking for some excellent horror-adjacent movies, I’ve put together the list below.
“There are an enormous number of science-adjacent and science-related careers for you to choose from,” he explained.
4
Q
Burnish
A
If you burnish something such as your public image, you take action to improve it and make it more attractive:
The company is currently trying to burnish its socially responsible image.
5
Q
Burnished
A
smooth and shiny, usually because of being polished (= rubbed):
The case is burnished aluminium.
burnished mahogany doors
(of a colour) shining in a warm way:
Their children have burnished olive skin.
having had improvements made to it:
Nothing in political prose has been so burnished as his acceptance speech.
6
Q
Hobnob
A
informal disapproving
/ˈhɑːb.nɑːb/
to spend time being friendly with someone who is important or famous:
She often has her picture in the papers, hobnobbing with the rich and famous.
7
Q
Complement
A
A complement is a number of people or things that makes something complete:
We had a full complement of reporters and photographers along.
to make something else seem better or more attractive when combining with it:
Strawberries and cream complement each other perfectly.
The music complements her voice perfectly.
8
Q
Bleep
A
bleep sth (out)
(on TV, etc.) to replace a swear word with an electronic sound so that people will not hear the swear word and be offended :
Oops! Can you bleep that?
9
Q
Corporate
A
/ˈkɔːr.pɚ.ət/
C1 [ before noun ] relating to a large company: corporate finance a corporate merger corporate executives
formal
of or shared by a whole group and not just of a single member:
All adults take corporate responsibility for the upbringing of the tribe’s children.
10
Q
Pursuit
A
an activity that you spend time doing, usually when you are not working:
I enjoy outdoor pursuits, like hiking and riding.
I don’t have much opportunity for leisure pursuits these days.
the act of following someone or something to try to catch him, her, or it:
Three people have been killed in high-speed pursuits by the police recently.
The robbers fled the scene of the crime, with the police in pursuit.
11
Q
Viable
A
able to work as intended or able to succeed:
In order to make the company viable, it will unfortunately be necessary to reduce staffing levels.
I am afraid your plan is not commercially/economically/financially/politically viable.
The company had to seek other ways to remain viable.
He would be a viable candidate for any office he wanted to run for.
12
Q
Faux
A
/foʊ/
not real, but made to look or seem real:
faux fur
a faux-brick wall
13
Q
Conspirator
A
/kənˈspɪr·ə·t̬ər/
Plotter
a person who plans secretly with other people to do something bad, illegal, or against someone’s wishes
14
Q
Conspire
A
collude
to plan secretly with other people to do something bad, illegal, or against someone’s wishes:
[ + to infinitive ] He felt that his colleagues were conspiring together to remove him from his job.
As girls, the sisters used to conspire with each other against their brother.
15
Q
Collude
A
Conspire
/kəˈluːd/
to act together secretly or illegally in order to deceive or cheat someone:
It was suspected that the police had colluded with the witnesses.
16
Q
Attune
A
/əˈtuːn/
to make someone able to understand or recognize something:
My ears are beginning to attune to the subtle differences in intonation.
His previous experience attuned him to the limitations and possibilities of government service.
17
Q
Deaden
A
/ˈded.ən/
to make something less painful or less strong:
Morphine is often used to deaden the pain of serious injuries.
Double glazing has helped to deaden the noise from the road.
to reduce the severity or effect of something:
He asked for some stronger medication to deaden the pain.
18
Q
Alias
A
Preposition
/ˈeɪ.li.əs/
used when giving the name that a person is generally known by, after giving their real name:
Malcolm Little, alias Malcolm X
a false name, especially one used by a criminal:
He travels under (= using) an alias.
He admitted that the name Rupert Sharp was an alias.
Paul Sopworth, alias (= also known as) Rupert Sharp, went to prison today.
19
Q
Catch on
A
to become fashionable or popular:
I wonder if the game will ever catch on with young people?
20
Q
Expunge
A
/ɪkˈspʌndʒ/
to rub off or remove information from a piece of writing:
His name has been expunged from the list of members.
to cause something to be forgotten:
She has been unable to expunge the details of the accident from her memory.
21
Q
Intern
A
to put someone in prison for political or military reasons, especially during a war:
Many foreigners were interned for the duration of the war.
22
Q
Wail
A
/weɪl/
[ I or T ]
to make a long, high cry, usually because of pain or sadness:
The women gathered around the coffin and began to wail, as was the custom in the region.
[ + speech ] “My finger hurts,” wailed the child.
Informal
to complain loudly or strongly:
[ + that ] Business people wailed that their trade would be ruined.
23
Q
Bawl
A
to shout in a very loud voice:
She bawled at me to sit down.
to cry loudly:
He was bawling his eyes out.
24
Q
Nonexistent
A
completely absent:
Crime is virtually nonexistent around here.
25
Spatial
Spacial
/ˈspeɪ.ʃəl/
relating to the position, area, and size of things:
This task is designed to test children's spatial awareness (= their understanding of where things are in relation to other things).
26
Awakening
/əˈweɪ.kən.ɪŋ/
the act of starting to understand something or feel something:
a religious awakening
the awakening of public concern about the environment
He's in for a rude awakening (= will be shocked) when he starts work!
27
Therapeutic
/ˌθer.əˈpjuː.t̬ɪk/
Curative
causing someone to feel happier and more relaxed or to be more healthy:
I find gardening very therapeutic.
For arthritis sufferers, moderate exercise is therapeutic.
28
Curative
Therapeutic
able to cure or cause to get better:
Do you believe in the curative powers of the local mineral water?
29
Pate
/pæˈteɪ/
a thick, smooth, soft mixture made from meat, fish, or vegetables:
liver/salmon/vegetarian pâté
Dated & humurous
the top of a person’s head:
A hat covered his bald pate.
30
Ensnare
/ɪnˈsner/
to catch or get control of something or someone:
Spiders ensnare flies and other insects in their webs.
They wanted to make a formal complaint about their doctor, but ended up ensnared in the complexities of the legal system.
31
Commendation
/ˌkɑː.mənˈdeɪ.ʃən/
formal
praise, or an official statement that praises someone:
Several of the firefighters received commendation for their bravery.
an honour such as a prize given to someone because they have done something that people admire:
He was very proud when his daughter received a commendation for her achievement.
32
Cap
C1 [ T often passive ]
to put a limit on the amount of money that can be charged or spent in connection with a particular activity:
High spending councils have all been (rate/charge) capped.
Our mortgage is capped at 8.75 percent for five years.
to play for your national team in a particular sport:
She's been capped for Scotland nine times.
to cover the top of something:
The mountain was capped with snow.
have your teeth capped (= protected with an artificial covering)
33
Bid
an attempt to achieve or get something:
Her bid for re-election was unsuccessful.
The company has managed to fight off a hostile takeover bid (= an attempt by another company to take control of it).
They have reduced the cost of borrowing in a bid to get the economy moving again.
34
Exile
the condition of someone being sent or kept away from their own country, village, etc., especially for political reasons:
The king went into exile because of the political situation in his country.
The deposed leaders are currently in exile in the neighbouring country.
to send someone away from their own country, village, etc., especially for political reasons:
The monarch was exiled because of the coup.
35
Ramp up
a large increase in activity or in the level of something:
They saw a ramp-up in orders.
As assemblers are needed to support the production ramp-up, the total number of jobs is expected to grow to around 20.
If a business ramps up its activity, it increases it:
The company announced plans to ramp up production to 10,000 units per month.
To stay competitive, they'll have to ramp up product development as well as cut prices.
to increase the speed, power, or cost of something:
Announcement of the merger is expected to ramp up share prices over the next few days.
Mitsubishi has ramped up the speed of its new micro-controllers.
36
Circuity
(of speech, reasoning, etc) a roundabout or devious quality
37
Devious
If you describe someone as devious you do not like them because you think they are dishonest and like to keep things secret, often in a complicated way.
[disapproval]
Newman was devious, prepared to say one thing in print and another in private.
By devious means she tracked down the other woman.
38
Imposition
/ˌɪm.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/
(EXPECTING)
a situation in which someone expects another person to do something that they do not want to do or that is not convenient:
Would it be too much of an imposition to ask you to pick my parents up from the airport?
the introduction of a new law or system:
the imposition of the death penalty/martial law/sanctions
39
Undermine
/ˌʌn.dɚˈmaɪn/
C2
to make someone less confident, less powerful, or less likely to succeed, or to make something weaker, often gradually:
The president has accused two cabinet members of working secretly to undermine his position/him.
Criticism just undermines their confidence.
40
Toll
a small amount of money that you have to pay to use a road, cross a bridge, etc.:
Tolls are now collected electronically on most motorways.
the money a long-distance phone call costs:
Is Bayonne a toll call (= a more expensive phone call) from New York?
suffering, deaths, or damage:
Independent sources say that the death toll from the earthquake runs into thousands.
41
Defuse
to prevent a bomb from exploding:
Bomb disposal experts have defused a 110-pound bomb at a subway station this afternoon.
to make a difficult or dangerous situation calmer by reducing or removing its cause:
The two groups will meet next week to try to defuse the crisis/situation/tension.
42
Attribute
a quality or characteristic that someone or something has:
Organizational ability is an essential attribute for a good manager.
Self-confidence is a rare attribute in a 17-year-old.
She has the physical attributes to become a championship swimmer.
to say or think that something is the result of a particular thing:
attribute sth to sth Her success can be attributed to three main factors.
43
Refinery
/rɪˈfaɪ.nɚ.i/
a factory where substances in their natural state, such as oil or sugar, are made pure:
There were two huge oil refineries on the coast.
an oil/sugar refinery
Jobs may be lost at the refinery.
44
Offset
to balance one influence against an opposing influence, so that there is no great difference as a result:
The extra cost of travelling to work is offset by the lower price of houses here.
UK He keeps his petrol receipts because petrol is one of the expenses that he can offset against tax (= can show to the government as being a business cost, and so not pay tax).
to pay for things that will reduce carbon dioxide in order to reduce the damage caused by carbon dioxide that you produce:
We offset all our long-haul flights.
45
Concession
something that is allowed or given up, often in order to end a disagreement, or the act of allowing or giving this:
Both sides involved in the conflict made some concessions in yesterday's talks.
He stated firmly that no concessions will be made to the terrorists.
46
Laureate
/ˈlɔːr.i.ət/
a person who has been given a very high honour because of their ability in a subject of study:
a Nobel laureate
47
Cash-starved
used to describe an organization that does not have enough money, especially because it has not been given enough by a government:
The cash-starved hospital faces financial failure.
48
Wistful
/ˈwɪst.fəl/
Pensive
sad and thinking about something that is impossible or in the past:
a wistful smile
I thought about those days in Spain and grew wistful.
She cast a wistful glance at the bridal gowns in the window.
49
Pensive
/ˈpen.sɪv/
Ruminative
thinking in a quiet way, often with a serious expression on your face:
She became withdrawn and pensive, hardly speaking to anyone.
James was more pensive than usual.
50
Withdrawn
/wɪðˈdrɑːn/
C2
shy and quiet and preferring to be alone rather than with other people:
Following her son's death, she became quiet and withdrawn and rarely went out.
During the winter, she became depressed and withdrawn.
51
Ruminative
/ˈruː.mə.neɪ.t̬ɪv/
thinking deeply and for a long period:
a quiet and ruminative temperament
Her writing is less descriptive, more ruminative.
52
Temperament
/ˈtem.pɚ.ə.mənt/ /ˈtem.prə.mənt/
the part of your character that affects your moods and the way you behave:
a fiery temperament
Their temperaments are very different.
[ U ] Trudy has the nicest temperament of all our dogs.
53
Binge
an occasion when an activity is done in an extreme way, especially eating, drinking, or spending money:
a drinking/eating/spending binge
He went on a five day drinking binge.
to eat too much of something:
I tend to binge on chocolate when I'm watching TV.
54
Tillage
/ˈtɪl.ɪdʒ/
the act of preparing land for growing crops:
traditional methods of tillage
55
Yonder
in the place or direction shown; over there:
| She lives in that town yonder.
56
Jubilee
/ˈdʒuː.bə.liː/ /ˌdʒuː.bəˈliː/
(the celebration of) the day on which an important event happened many years ago:
the Queen's diamond jubilee
57
Tidings
/ˈtaɪ.dɪŋz/
news:
tidings of great joy
58
Situate
Locate place
/ˈsɪtʃ.u.eɪt/
to put something in a particular position:
They plan to situate the bus stop at the corner of the road.
To understand this issue, it must first be situated in its context.
59
Startle
/ˈstɑːr.t̬əl/
to do something unexpected that surprises and sometimes worries a person or animal:
She was concentrating on her book and his voice startled her.
The noise of the car startled the birds and the whole flock flew up into the air.
Her article on diet startled many people into changing their eating habits.
60
Wean
/wiːn/
to cause a baby or young animal to stop feeding on its mother's milk and to start eating other food, especially solid food, instead:
The studies were carried out on calves that had been weaned at five weeks of age.
the act or process of causing a baby or young animal to stop feeding on its mother's milk and to start eating other food:
A lot of mothers find early weaning from breast milk more convenient.
Though some toddlers may give up their bottle easily, weaning can take up to six months.
61
Even out
to become regular or equal, or to make something do this:
Adding money to your portfolio a little at a time will even out a lot of unpredictable fluctuations.
Investors are waiting for the housing market to even itself out.
These differences in pay tend to even out over time.
62
Caesarean
/sɪˈzer.i.ən/
(also caesarean section); (C-section)
an operation in which a woman's uterus is cut open to allow a baby to be born:
I had to have a caesarean.
The baby was born by caesarean.
a caesarean birth/delivery
63
Prickly
unfriendly and easily offended or annoyed:
| She was asked a couple of questions about her private life and got a little prickly.
64
Prickle
/ˈprɪk.əl/
one of several thin, sharp points that stick out of a plant or animal:
The fruit can be eaten once the prickles have been removed.
a feeling as if a lot of little points are sticking into your body:
I felt a hot prickle of embarrassment spread across my cheeks.
65
Outstrip
/ˌaʊtˈstrɪp/
-pp-
Outdistance outperform
to be or become greater in amount, degree, or success than something or someone:
The demand for food in the war zone now far outstrips supply.
outstrip expectations/forecasts/predictions
Group sales were up 6% to $5.8 billion, outstripping Wall Street expectations of $5.47 billion.
66
Outdistance
to be faster in a race than other competitors, or (more generally) to be much better than someone:
The company outdistance their nearest business competitors by a long way.
He easily outdistanced the other runners.
67
Outperform
to do well in a particular job or activity compared to others of a similar type:
The company has consistently outperformed its rivals this season.
Technology stocks are outperforming the rest of the market.
68
Legwork
practical work that needs to be done, as in gathering information, and that usually involves a lot of walking from place to place:
Months of legwork enabled detectives to uncover a new lead.
69
Herculean
/ˌhɝː.kjuˈliː.ən/
needing great strength and determination:
a Herculean effort
She faces the herculean task of bringing up four children single-handedly.
70
Viable
able to work as intended or able to succeed:
In order to make the company viable, it will unfortunately be necessary to reduce staffing levels.
I am afraid your plan is not commercially/economically/financially/politically viable.
71
Gynaecologist
/ˌɡaɪ.nəˈkɑː.lə.dʒɪst/
a doctor skilled in the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs
72
Obstetrician
/ˌɑːb.stəˈtrɪʃ.ən/
(US informal OB)
a doctor with special training in how to care for pregnant women and help in the birth of babies
73
Epitome
/ɪˈpɪt̬.ə.mi/
the epitome of sth
the typical or highest example of a stated quality, as shown by a particular person or thing:
Even now in her sixties, she is the epitome of French elegance.
He was the epitome of the fashionable gentleman.
/ɪˈpɪt̬·əˌmɑɪz/
His recordings came to epitomize American popular singing at its finest.
74
Formidable
strong and powerful, and therefore difficult to deal with if opposed to you:
There were formidable obstacles to reaching an early settlement of the dispute.
a formidable obstacle/task
a formidable adversary/enemy/opponent
a formidable intellect
disapproving the director and his formidable wife
75
Tumult
noise and excitement, or a state of confusion, change, or uncertainty:
[ U ] mental tumult
[ C usually sing ] a tumult of emotion
[ U ] The garden sits amid the tumult of downtown Vancouver.
You couldn't hear her speak over the tumult from the screaming fans.
From every direction, people were running and shouting and falling over each other in a tumult of confusion.
The financial markets are in tumult.
The honoree received tumultuous applause.
76
Destitute
/ˈdes.tə.tuːt/
poverty-stricken indigent
without money, food, a home, or possessions:
The floods left thousands of people destitute.
These groups gathered clothing, schoolbooks, and medical supplies for the destitute flood victims.
77
Poverty-stricken
A poverty-stricken person or place is suffering from the effects of being extremely poor:
Some beggars are neither poverty-stricken nor homeless.
There are few jobs for the peasants who have flooded into the cities from the poverty-stricken countryside in search of work.
78
Indigent
/ˈɪn·dɪ·dʒənt/
having no money or anything else of value:
an indigent family
We are a non-profit agency that provides legal services to indigent clients.
79
Incest
/ˈɪn.sest/
sexual activity involving people who are closely related and not legally allowed to marry:
a victim of incest
80
Retaliate
/rɪˈtæl.i.eɪt/
to hurt someone or do something harmful to someone because they have done or said something harmful to you:
If someone insults you, don't retaliate as it only makes the situation worse.
The demonstrators threw rocks at the police, who retaliated by firing blanks into the crowd.
The terrorists retaliated against the government with a bomb attack.
She said she was fired in retaliation for her reports of illegal business practices earlier this year.
81
Erudite
/ˈer.jə.daɪt/
Learned well-read
having or containing a lot of knowledge that is known by very few people:
He's the author of an erudite book on Scottish history.
She is a scholarly and erudite person.
/ˌer.juˈdɪʃ.ən/
the state of having or containing a lot of knowledge that is known by few people:
a work of great erudition
She was known for her wit and erudition.
82
Learned
A learned person has studied for a long time and has a lot of knowledge:
a learned professor
Learned behaviour has been copied from others:
This sort of aggression is learned behaviour.
83
Deserter
/dɪˈzɜr·t̬ər/
a person who leaves the armed forces without permission and with no intention of returning
84
Twee
artificially attractive or too perfect:
| The village has escaped all modern developments, without becoming twee.
85
Cistern
/ˈsɪs.tɚn/
a container in which water is stored, especially one connected to a toilet or in the roof of a house
a large container for storing water, esp. one kept on the roof of a large building to catch rain
86
Garish
showy or too brightly colored:
The coffee shop, painted a garish pink, is a landmark in the neighborhood.
having too many bright colors:
He was wearing a gaudy Hawaiian shirt.
87
Edifice
/ˈed.ə.fɪs/
a large building, especially an impressive one:
The town hall is the only edifice surviving from the 15th century.
The state capitol is an imposing edifice topped by a large dome.
a system that has been established for a long time:
It looks as if the whole political edifice of the country is about to collapse.
88
Imposing
having an appearance that looks important or causes admiration:
an imposing mansion
He was an imposing figure on stage.
89
Edification
/ˌed.ə.fəˈkeɪ.ʃən/
the improvement of the mind and understanding, especially by learning:
I tend to watch the television for pleasure rather than edification.
90
Fine-tune
/ˌfaɪnˈtuːn/
to make very small changes to something in order to make it work as well as possible:
She spent hours fine-tuning her speech.
The training program helped him fine-tune his skill set.
The company's aim is to fine-tune its manufacturing system.
There is some fine-tuning to be done, but the majority of the work on the marketing concept has been done.
91
The like of sth./so.
(also the likes of sb/sth)
a person, thing, or group similar in character or quality to the one mentioned:
Boxing hasn't seen the likes of Muhammad Ali since he retired.
He was a very great actor - we won't see his like again.
He described a superlative meal, the like of which he'd never eaten before.
They're competing with the likes of Microsoft.
```
not for the type of people mentioned:
First-class travel is for rich people - it's not for the likes of us.
```
92
Converge
/kənˈvɝːdʒ/
If lines, roads, or paths converge, they move towards the same point where they join or meet:
The paths all converge at the main gate of the park.
Due to roadworks, three lanes of traffic have to converge into two.
If ideas and opinions converge, they gradually become similar.
to come from other places to meet in a particular place:
Ambulances, police cars, and fire engines all converged on the scene.
100,000 people are expected to converge on the town for the festival.
93
Convergence
the fact that two or more things, ideas, etc. become similar or come together:
a convergence of interests/opinions/ideas
The convergence of pop-cultural trends and technological progress gave us camera phones and the "selfie".
94
Reference (v)
to refer to someone or something:
He spoke about his ambitious plans, referencing writer and motivator Dale Carnegie.
See Diagram 3.1 referenced above.
95
Odious
extremely unpleasant; causing and deserving hate:
| an odious person/task
96
Veto
disallow
an official power or right to refuse to accept or allow something:
The president has the power of veto over any bill that comes across his desk.
In theory the British government could use its veto to block this proposal.
to refuse to allow something:
In 1961, President De Gaulle vetoed Britain's entry into the Common Market.
[ + -ing verb ] My boss vetoed my taking any more time off this year.
97
Disallow
veto
to say officially that something cannot be accepted because it has not been done in the correct way:
All protests have been disallowed in the city.
The England team had two goals disallowed.
98
Duress
Formal /duːˈres/
coercion
threats used to force a person to do something:
He claimed that he signed the confession under duress.
99
Coercion
Duress
/koʊˈɝː.ʃən/
the use of force to persuade someone to do something that they are unwilling to do:
He claimed the police had used coercion, threats, and promises to obtain the statement illegally.
100
Whiff
a slight smell, carried on a current of air:
He leaned towards me and I caught/got a whiff of garlic.
During the first few months of pregnancy the slightest whiff of food cooking made my stomach turn.
I got a whiff of perfume as she walked by.
fig. A whiff of scandal was in the air.
a whiff of sth
a slight sign of something:
They regularly hold elections without a whiff of corruption or violence.
101
Rancid
/ˈræn.sɪd/
(of butter, oil, etc.) tasting or smelling unpleasant because of not being fresh
102
Essence
the basic or most important idea or quality of something:
The essence of his argument was that education should continue throughout life.
Yet change is the very essence of life.
in essence C2 formal
relating to the most important characteristics or ideas of something:
In essence, both sides agree on the issue.
be of the essence formal
to be the most important thing:
In any of these discussions, of course, honesty is of the essence.
Time is of the essence.
103
Putrid
/ˈpju·trɪd/
decayed and having an unpleasant smell:
the putrid body of a dead fox
What's that putrid smell?
informal
very unpleasant or ugly:
a dress in a putrid shade of yellow
104
Urbanite
someone who lives in a city or enjoys the type of life in a city:
China's increasingly affluent urbanites embrace all the trappings of the modern world.
105
Avid
extremely eager or interested:
an avid football fan
an avid supporter of the arts
He took an avid interest in the project.
formal She hadn't seen him for six months and was avid for news.
106
Leaf through something
to turn pages quickly and read only a little:
| Three patients sat leafing through magazines in the doctor’s waiting room.
107
Amass
to get a large amount of something, especially money or information, by collecting it over a long period:
She has amassed a huge fortune from her novels.
Some of his colleagues envy the enormous wealth that he has amassed.
108
Hardwired
If someone or something is hardwired to do a particular thing, they automatically do it and cannot change that behaviour:
Humans are hardwired to love fattening foods.
109
Malleable
/ˈmæl.i.ə.bəl/
A malleable substance is easily changed into a new shape:
Lead and tin are malleable metals.
easily influenced, trained, or controlled:
He had an actor's typically malleable features.
Europe saw its colonies as a source of raw material and a malleable workforce.
110
Plasticity
/plæsˈtɪs.ə.t̬i/
the quality of being soft enough to be changed into a new shape
In the case of reading, plasticity enables the brain to form new connections among the structures underlying vision, hearing, cognition and language.
111
Immediacy
/ɪˈmiː.di.ə.si/
the fact that something seems real and important, so that you feel involved with it:
Pre-recorded TV programmes have so much less immediacy and warmth than live theatre.
112
Tangential
(of a subject or activity) different from or not directly connected with the one you are talking about or doing:
a tangential issue
113
Placate
/ˈpleɪ.keɪt/
Assuage
to stop someone from feeling angry:
Outraged minority groups will not be placated by promises of future improvements.
She’s more easily placated than her husband.
114
Rowdy
/ˈraʊ.di/
raucous
noisy and possibly violent:
a rowdy party
rowdy behavior
The theater was full of rowdy teenagers throwing popcorn and yelling.
115
Raucous
Rowdy
loud and unpleasant:
I heard the raucous call of the crows.
Raucous laughter came from the next room.
The party was becoming rather raucous.
116
Fickle
/ˈfɪk.əl/
disapproving
likely to change your opinion or your feelings suddenly and without a good reason:
She's so fickle - she's never been interested in the same man for more than a week!
The world of popular music is notoriously fickle.
Fickle conditions are likely to change suddenly and without warning:
Fickle winds made sailing conditions difficult.
117
Penchant
/ˈpen.tʃənt/
predilection
a liking for, an enjoyment of, or a habit of doing something, especially something that other people might not like:
a penchant for melodrama/skiing/exotic clothes
Her penchant for disappearing for days at a time worries her family.
Ives had a penchant for musical experimentation.
118
Predilection
/ˌpred.əlˈek.ʃən/
If someone has a predilection for something, they like it a lot:
Ever since she was a child, she has had a predilection for spicy food.
119
Veritable
/ˈver.ə.t̬ə.bəl/
used to describe something as another, more exciting, interesting, or unusual thing, as a way of emphasizing its character:
My garden had become a veritable jungle by the time I came back from holiday.
The normally sober menswear department is set to become a veritable kaleidoscope of colour this season.
If current projections hold, Montgomery County will experience a veritable explosion in its school-age population (= it will have many more students).
120
Kaleidoscope
/kəˈlaɪ.də.skoʊp/
a changing and enjoyable mixture or pattern:
The street bazaar was a kaleidoscope of colours, smells, and sounds.
121
Be of
Possess intrinsically; give rise to
‘this work is of great interest and value’
The problem of veritable smartphone addiction among children is of grave concern to experts.
122
Wean off
to make someone gradually stop using something that is bad for them:
It's difficult to wean addicts off cocaine once they're hooked.
The whole scheme is intended to wean people off welfare dependency.
123
Oftentimes
/ˈɑːf.ən.taɪmz/
on many occasions:
Oftentimes a company will contribute toward an employee's moving expenses.
He would oftentimes prefer to be alone.
Oftentimes it is simple boredom that compels children and teens to reach for their smartphones.
124
Compel
to force someone to do something:
[ + to infinitive ] As a schoolboy he was compelled to wear shorts even in winter.
formal The new circumstances compelled a change in policy.
formal
to produce a strong feeling or reaction:
Over the years her work has compelled universal admiration and trust.
125
Disruptive
causing trouble and therefore stopping something from continuing as usual:
His teacher described him as a noisy, disruptive influence in class.
BUSINESS specialized
changing the traditional way that an industry operates, especially in a new and effective way:
disruptive technologies
126
Fidget
to make continuous small movements because you are uncomfortable or bored:
Children can’t sit still for long without fidgeting.
127
Undivided attention
complete attention:
If you just wait till I've finished this bit of work you will have/I will give you my undivided attention.
Nor can they give lessons their undivided attention while fidgeting with their phone.
128
Senescence
/sɪˈnes.əns/
the fact of becoming older, and therefore being in less good condition and less able to function well:
Senescence refers to gradual deterioration with age and in animals is typically very obvious under zoo conditions.
Information technology has come to dominate much of our lives from youth to senescence.
129
Senescent
becoming old, and therefore in less good condition and less able to function well:
When the cell can't divide any more, it becomes senescent, or terminally old.
Disease is favoured by wet and damp conditions and is found most commonly on mature or senescent leaves.
130
Mushroom
to increase very quickly:
The number of computers in schools has mushroomed in recent years.
If your business were to mushroom, would you be happy?
Low-cost airlines have mushroomed in recent years.
mushroom into sth
The walkout mushroomed into a large-scale battle.
mushroom from sth to sth
Area budgets mushroomed from $3.7 billion in 2005 to more than $6.3 billion this fiscal year.
131
Trailblazer
a person who is the first to do something that other people do later:
She was a trailblazer as the only woman in the US Senate.
Britain must become the tax-cutting trailblazers of the European Union.
She was a trailblazer in bringing nursing into a degree program.
132
As of
starting from a particular time or date:
| As of next month, all the airline's fares will be going up.
133
The onus
the responsibility or duty to do something:
[ + to infinitive ] The onus is on the landlord to ensure that the property is habitable.
We are trying to shift the onus for passenger safety onto the government.
134
Futile
/ˈfjuː.t̬əl/
Fruitless
(of actions) having no effect or achieving nothing:
Attempts to get supplies to the region are futile because troops will not allow the aid convoy to enter the city.
It's completely futile trying to reason with him - he just won't listen.
All my attempts to cheer her up proved futile.
135
Unavailing
/ˌʌn.əˈveɪ.lɪŋ/ formal
Futile abortive
When an attempt to do something is unavailing, it is unsuccessful or has no positive effect:
Diplomatic efforts at peace-making have so far proved unavailing.
136
Abortive
/əˈbɔːr.t̬ɪv/ formal
Unavailing Ineffectual
An abortive attempt or plan has to be stopped because it has failed:
He made two abortive attempts on the French throne.
137
Ineffectual
/ˌɪn.ɪˈfek.tʃu.əl/ Formal
Unavailing abortive
not skilled at achieving, or not able to produce, good results:
an ineffectual leader
The teachers were ineffectual at maintaining discipline.
138
Befall
/bɪˈfɑːl/
befell | befallen
(of something bad) to happen to a person or place:
Should any harm befall me on my journey, you may open this letter.
Many natural disasters have befallen that region.
139
The wherewithal
/ˈwer.wɪ.ðɑːl/
the money necessary for a particular purpose:
I'd like to buy a bigger house, but I don't have the wherewithal.
[ + to infinitive ] Poor families lack the wherewithal to hire good lawyers.
Yet some studies show that many teachers lack both the technical wherewithal and the emotion drive to teach the subject sufficiently well.
140
Taciturn
/ˈtæs.ə.tɝːn/
quiet
tending not to speak much:
He's a reserved, taciturn person.
141
Tight-lipped
/ˌtaɪtˈlɪpt/
Someone who is tight-lipped is pressing their lips together to avoid showing anger, or is refusing to speak about something:
He's been very tight-lipped about what happened at the meeting.
refusing to say very much about something:
He remained tight-lipped about whether the union would declare a strike.
142
Eloquent
/ˈel.ə.kwənt/
well- spoken
giving a clear, strong message:
She made an eloquent appeal for action.
The pictures were an eloquent reminder of the power of the volcano.
When required, he could be an eloquent speaker, but preferred talking to small groups.
143
Loquacious
/loʊˈkweɪ.ʃəs/
long-winded
Someone who is loquacious talks a lot.
144
Long-winded
/ˌlɑːŋˈwɪn.dɪd/
Loquacious
A long-winded speech, letter, article, etc. is too long, or uses too many words.
145
Garrulous
/ˈɡer.əl.əs/
Loquacious long-winded
having the habit of talking a lot, esp. about unimportant things:
I had talked too much about myself and felt like a garrulous old fool.
146
Parlance
/ˈpɑːr.ləns/
a group of words or style of speaking used by a particular group of people:
Oral contraceptives are referred to as "the pill" in common parlance.
business/legal parlance
147
Serviceable
/ˈsɝː.vɪ.sə.bəl/
suitable for use:
The shoes are slightly worn, but still serviceable.
If this fan is still serviceable, we could use it in the office.
148
Highfalutin
/ˌhɑɪ·fəˈlu·tən/
trying to seem very important or serious without having a good reason for doing so; pretentious:
highfalutin language
149
Pretentious
/prɪˈten.ʃəs/
trying to appear or sound more important or clever than you are, especially in matters of art and literature:
a pretentious art critic
The novel deals with grand themes, but is never heavy or pretentious.
150
Pretension
/prɪˈten.ʃən/
[ C usually plural ]
a claim or belief that you can succeed or that you are important or have serious value:
The Chronicle has pretensions to being a serious newspaper.
The NY Giants' Super Bowl pretensions were dashed when they were beaten last week.
He has no pretensions for higher office.
151
Redound
/rɪˈdaʊnd/
to have a result that is an advantage to someone:
A good relationship with one's colleagues redounds to everyone's benefit.
Anything dramatic in the war may redound to the president.
The move has only redounded to Daley's credit in the public view.
152
Correlation
/ˌkɔːr.əˈleɪ.ʃən/
a connection or relationship between two or more facts, numbers, etc.:
There's a correlation between smoking and cancer.
There is a proven correlation between educational level and income.
153
Demonstrable
/dɪˈmɑːn.strə.bəl/
able to be proved:
The report contains numerous demonstrable errors.
Mr. Ambrose, to be credible, needed some demonstrable facts.
Governments must make demonstrable progress toward this goal by next year.
154
Factual
/ˈfæk.tʃu.əl/
using or consisting of facts:
She gave a clear, factual account of the attack to the police.
155
Denote
/dɪˈnoʊt/
to represent something:
The colour red is used to denote passion or danger.
His angry tone denoted extreme displeasure.
156
Connotation
/ˌkɑː.nəˈteɪ.ʃən/
a feeling or idea that is suggested by a particular word although it need not be a part of the word's meaning, or something suggested by an object or situation:
The word "lady" has connotations of refinement and excessive femininity that some women find offensive.
"Resolute" means stubborn, but with a more positive connotation.
157
Denotation
the main meaning of a word, not including the feelings or ideas that people may connect with the word
Synonyms come with different connotations beyond their denotations, which can let you express yourself clearly with only a few choice of words.
denotational meaning
158
Balk / baulk
to be unwilling to do something or to allow something to happen:
I balked at the prospect of spending four hours on a train with him.
English dictionary with its countless words may cause anyone to despair and baulk at the daunting task of trying to learn them.
159
Divine
to guess something:
[ + that ] I divined from his grim expression that the news was not good.
By seeing new words in proper contexts, learners can often divine their meaning with relative ease and remember them better later on.
160
Jitter
Informal
/ˈdʒɪt̬.ɚz/
a feeling of nervousness that you experience before something important happens:
I always get the jitters the morning before an exam.
figurative The collapse of the company has caused jitters in the financial markets.
161
Inundate
to give someone so much work or so many things that they cannot deal with it all:
We have been inundated with requests for help.
After appearing on TV they were inundated with telephone calls for a week.
We were inundated with complaints when the show had to be canceled.
formal
to flood an area with water:
If the dam breaks it will inundate large parts of the town.
162
Stool
a piece of solid waste from the body:
| He told the doctor he had been passing bloody stools.
163
Flicker
to shine with a light that is sometimes bright and sometimes weak:
I felt a cold draft and the candle started to flicker.
[ I or T ]
to appear for a short time or to make a sudden movement:
A smile flickered across her face.
He'd been in a coma for weeks, when all of a sudden he flickered an eyelid.
a feeling or expression of an emotion or quality that does not last very long:
There was a flicker of hope in his eyes.
164
Pry
disapproving
to try to find out private facts about a person:
As a reporter, I was paid to pry into other people's lives.
I hope you don't think I'm prying, but has your boyfriend ever lived with anyone before?
She wanted a private holiday away from prying eyes (= where no one would be trying to see her).
to move or lift something by pressing a tool against a fixed point:
[ + adj ] The car trunk had been pried open and all her equipment was gone.
165
Indication
Imputation Intimation
a sign that something exists, is true, or is likely to happen:
There are few indications (that) the economy is on an upswing.
Helen's face gave no indication of what she was thinking.
166
Imputation
a suggestion that someone is guilty of something, or that something is the cause of something else:
an imputation against sb/sth
Nothing in the report carried any imputations against the company.
an imputation of sth
There was no evidence to support the imputation of embezzlement of funds.
167
Intimation
the action of making clear what you think or want without saying it directly, or something that makes something clear in this way:
His suicide attempt was the first intimation that he was seriously depressed.
The book's title gives a fair enough intimation of its subject.
168
Set on
[ often passive ]
to attack someone:
He was set upon by a vicious dog.
to surround or catch someone and prevent them from escaping:
As he left the theatre, the singer was set upon by fans desperate for autographs.
169
Dole
Informal
the money that the government gives to people who are unemployed:
Young people on (= receiving) the dole are often bored and frustrated.
If I can't find any work within a month, I'll have to go on the dole.
170
Spur
to encourage an activity or development or make it happen faster:
Rising consumer sales have the effect of spurring the economy to faster growth.
Spurred (on) by her early success, she went on to write four more novels in rapid succession.
171
Canter
If a horse canters, it moves at quite a fast but easy and comfortable speed:
The riders cantered round the field a few times.
172
Svelte
/svelt/
attractively thin, graceful, and stylish
When their microbiota are transplanted into the guts of lean mice, the svelte recipients gain weight.
173
Desiccated
/ˈdes.ə.keɪ.t̬ɪd/
dried, with the moisture removed:
100 g of desiccated coconut
disapproving
not interesting or completely without imagination:
All the party seems to have to offer is the same desiccated old ideas.
174
Desicate
to remove the moisture from something so it becomes completely dry; to lose all moisture and become completely dry:
Intensive farming has dessicated the land.
Some plants wither quickly and lose their power of recovery if allowed to desiccate.
to become damaged or destroyed by losing an important quality; to damage or destroy something in this way:
The global economy is desiccating by the day.
He was politically and emotionally desiccated by the scandal.
175
Cocktail
[ C usually singular ]
a mixture of different things, often an unexpected, dangerous, or exciting one:
The inquest heard that the guitarist died from a cocktail of drink and drugs.
Cars produce a lethal cocktail of gasses.
176
Dislodge
to remove something or someone, especially by force, from a fixed position:
The earthquake dislodged stones from the walls and the roof.
The Red Sox need two wins to dislodge the Yankees from first place.
177
Equilibrium
/ˌiː.kwəˈlɪb.ri.əm/ /ˌek.wəˈlɪb.ri.əm/
a state of balance:
The disease destroys much of the inner ear, disturbing the animal's equilibrium.
the country's economic equilibrium
a calm mental state:
Yoga is said to restore one's inner equilibrium.
178
Scramble
to move or climb quickly but with difficulty, often using your hands to help you:
She scrambled up the steep hillside and over the rocks.
He scrambled into his clothes (= put them on quickly) and raced to get help.
As the burning plane landed, the terrified passengers scrambled for the door (= tried to reach the door quickly).
[ I ]
to compete with other people for something there is very little of:
[ + to infinitive ] People are scrambling to buy property before prices rise even further.
179
Patchwork
a mixture of different things:
| We looked out of the aircraft window down onto the patchwork of fields below.
180
Outright
completely or immediately:
I think cigarette advertising should be banned outright.
The driver and all three passengers were killed outright.
181
Tailor
to make or prepare something following particular instructions:
We tailor any of our products to your company's specific needs.
to adjust something to suit a particular need or situation:
Their services are tailored to clients’ needs.
182
Aggravate
to make a bad situation worse:
Attempts to restrict parking in the city centre have further aggravated the problem of traffic congestion.
to make a disease worse:
The treatment only aggravated the condition.
183
Localized
happening in or limited to a particular area:
localized flooding
HSBC moved from being a localized Asian Bank to a major force in global banking.
Real estate has always been a localized business.
184
Radiate
to spread out in all directions from a central point:
Flows of lava radiated out from the volcano's crater.
Just before the breeding season, these birds radiate outwards to warmer climates.
to show an emotion or quality, or (of an emotion or quality) to be shown or felt:
He was radiating joy and happiness.
Enthusiasm was radiating from her.
185
Attribute
to say or think that something is the result of a particular thing:
attribute sth to sth
Her success can be attributed to three main factors.
186
Invigorate
/ɪnˈvɪɡ.ɚ.eɪt/
to make someone feel fresher, healthier, and more energetic:
We were invigorated by our walk.
to give new energy or strength to someone or something:
They argued that a cut in the tax rate would invigorate the economy.
187
Compactness
/kəmˈpækt.nəs/
the quality of using very little space:
I thought the compactness of this house was wonderful.
I picked a laptop for its portability and compactness.
188
Ambience
the character of a place or the quality it seems to have:
| Despite being a busy city, Dublin has the ambience of a country town.
189
Theatrical
belonging or relating to the theatre, or to the performance or writing of plays, opera, etc.:
theatrical make-up
Theatrical behaviour is not sincere and too extreme and that is intended to attract attention:
a theatrical gesture
He threw out both arms to greet me in a theatrical gesture.
190
Decidedly
certainly and obviously:
He was decidedly careful about what he told me.
An agreement is looking decidedly difficult according to the newspapers.
191
at the helm
officially controlling an organization or company:
| With Steve Lewis at the helm, we are certain of success.
192
Truncate
to make something shorter or quicker, especially by removing the end of it:
Television coverage of the event was truncated by a technical fault.
193
Dishevelled
/dɪˈʃev·əld/
(of people or their appearance) not neat; messy:
disheveled hair/clothes
194
Socialite
someone, usually of high social class, who is famous for going to a lot of parties and social events:
a wealthy socialite
195
Ruffled
upset:
We spent a lot of time soothing the author’s ruffled feelings.
decorated with a ruffle or ruffles:
a blouse with a ruffled neck
196
Dressy
Dressy clothes are suitable for formal occasions:
I need something a bit more dressy for the wedding.
A dressy occasion is one at which people wear very formal clothes:
a dressy affair/occasion
197
Denunciation
the act of accusing someone in public of something bad:
his denunciation as a traitor
a strong, public criticism:
[ C ] He gave a ringing denunciation of fascism.
198
Decamp
Abscond
to leave suddenly and unexpectedly, usually without telling anyone:
He decamped from the hotel with someone else's luggage.
to go away suddenly and secretly in order to escape from somewhere:
Two prisoners absconded last night.
She absconded from boarding school with her boyfriend.
199
Vigil
an act of staying awake, especially at night, in order to be with a person who is very ill or dying, or to make a protest, or to pray:
His parents kept vigil beside his bed for weeks before he died.
Supporters of the peace movement held an all-night candlelit vigil outside the cathedral.
200
Clamour
to make a loud complaint or demand:
The children were all clamouring for attention.
[ + to infinitive ] She clamours to go home as soon as she gets to school.
After the bombing, there was a public clamour for vengeance.
formal
loud noise, especially made by people's voices:
the clamour of the city
a clamour of voices
201
Vengeance
/ˈven.dʒəns/
the punishing of someone for harming you or your friends or family, or the wish for such punishment to happen:
On the day after the terrorist attack, the overall mood in the town was one of vengeance.
As he cradled his daughter's lifeless body in his arms, he swore (to take) vengeance on her killers.
With a vengeance
with great force or extreme energy:
He's been working with a vengeance over the past few weeks to make up for lost time.
Flared trousers are back with a vengeance (= very popular again) this summer.
202
Banns
/bænz/
Marriage proclamation
a public announcement made in a church, especially in the UK, that two people are going to get married:
The banns were published in their local parish church.
203
Repulsive
Hideous
/rɪˈpʌl.sɪv/
extremely unpleasant or unacceptable:
What a repulsive old man!
I think rats and snakes are repulsive.
a repulsive odor/crime
