Review 8 Flashcards
(202 cards)
1
Q
Municipality
A
/mjuːˌnɪs.əˈpæl.ə.t̬i/
a city or town with its own local government, or the local government itself:
The municipality provides services such as water and rubbish collection.
2
Q
Manhole
A
a covered opening in a road that a worker can enter in order to reach underground pipes, wires, or drains that need to be examined or repaired:
a manhole cover
3
Q
Exert
A
/ɪɡˈzɜrt/
to use power or the ability to make something happen:
To cut costs, health-insurance plans are exerting tighter control over paying for medical care.
If you were to exert your influence they might change their decision.
Some managers exert considerable pressure on their staff to work extra hours without being paid.
to cause yourself to make an effort:
She will have to exert herself a lot more if she wants to succeed in this business.
Physical exertion isn’t always a good thing in a hot climate.
4
Q
Infest
A
/ɪnˈfest/
(of insects and some animals) to be present in large numbers, sometimes causing disease or damage:
When we first moved in, the apartment was infested with cockroaches.
The barn was infested with rats.
a flea infestation
an infestation of cockroaches/head lice
5
Q
Blast off
A
(esp. of a spacecraft) to take off:
The space shuttle blasted off on schedule.
the moment when a spacecraft leaves the ground:
Five seconds to blast-off!
6
Q
Dent
A
If you dent someone’s confidence or pride, you make them feel less confident or proud:
His confidence was badly dented when he didn’t get the job.
7
Q
On edge
A
nervous and not relaxed:
Is something wrong? You seem a bit on edge this morning.
8
Q
Arbitration
A
/ˌɑr·bɪˈtreɪ·ʃən/
the formal process of having an outside person, chosen by both sides to a disagreement, end the disagreement:
Both labor and management have agreed to arbitration.
Both sides in the dispute have agreed to go to arbitration (= to have the disagreement solved by an arbitrator).
9
Q
Arbitrate
A
/ˈɑːr.bə.treɪt/
mediate
to make a judgment in an argument, usually because asked to do so by those involved:
I’ve been asked to arbitrate between the opposing sides.
An outside adviser has been brought in to arbitrate the dispute between the management and the union.
/ˈɑr·bɪˌtreɪ·t̬ər/ (also arbiter)
The independent arbitrator has the approval of both sides in the dispute.
10
Q
Mediate
A
/ˈmid·iˌeɪt/
to help solve a disagreement by talking to the separate people or groups involved, or to communicate information between people:
[ T ] to mediate a dispute
Negotiators were called in to mediate between the two sides.
The two envoys have succeeded in mediating an end to the war.
Last-minute attempts at mediation failed, and the workers went on strike.
The governor appointed a mediator and asked both sides to return to the bargaining table.
11
Q
Bedridden
A
having to stay in bed because of illness or injury:
His aunt was 93 and bedridden.
12
Q
Vial
A
a small bottle used to hold a liquid:
The store gave away vials of their new perfume.
13
Q
Palliative
A
/ˈpæl.i.ə.t̬ɪv/
medical specialized (of a drug or medical treatment) reducing pain without curing the cause of the pain:
Older people facing a terminal illness may want to choose palliative care over treatment.
The success of chemotherapy as a form of palliative treatment depends on the type of tumour.
formal making a problem seem less serious but not solving the problem or making it disappear:
Short-term, palliative measures were taken which gave the appearance that the problems were being addressed.
Some of the palliative strategies do not make sense.
14
Q
Paramount
A
/ˈpær·əˌmɑʊnt/
more important than anything else:
Everybody agrees that education is the paramount issue.
There are many priorities, but reducing the budget deficit is paramount/is of paramount importance.
15
Q
Harrowing
A
extremely upsetting because connected with suffering:
His book tells the harrowing story of how they climbed Mt. Everest.
For many women, the harrowing prospect of giving evidence in a rape case can be too much to bear.
16
Q
Misogynist
A
/mɪˈsɑː.dʒən.ɪst/ (also misogynistic)
showing feelings of hating women or a belief that men are much better than women:
She left the Church because of its misogynist teachings on women and their position in society.
a misogynistic attitude/writer
a man who hates women or believes that men are much better than women
There’s a disturbing misogyny in his films.
17
Q
Incarcerate
A
/ɪnˈkɑːr.sə.reɪt/
formal to put or keep someone in prison or in a place used as a prison:
Thousands of dissidents have been interrogated or incarcerated.
to keep someone in a closed place and prevent them from leaving it:
We were incarcerated in that broken elevator for four hours.
18
Q
Shell-shocked
A
extremely tired and nervous or frightened, especially after an unpleasant and unexpected event, or extremely surprised:
After the crash, the passengers were shell-shocked but there were no serious injuries.
They were shell-shocked by the news.
19
Q
Trivialize
A
/ˈtrɪv·i·əˌlɑɪz/
to make something unusual seem ordinary or unimportant:
My boss tends to take good ideas and trivialize them.
I don’t want to trivialize the problem, but I do think there are more important matters to discuss.
20
Q
Thrive
A
Prosper
to grow, develop, or be successful:
His business thrived in the years before the war.
She seems to thrive on stress.
21
Q
Prosper
A
/ˈprɑː.spɚ/
(of a person or a business) to be or become successful, especially financially:
Lots of microchip manufacturing companies prospered at that time.
As the company prospered, we prospered.
a period of increasing prosperity
a prosperous business
22
Q
Retinue
A
/ˈret·ənˌu/
Entourage
a group of people who help and who travel with an important person:
He jets around the country with a retinue of aides and attorneys.
The president travels with a large retinue of aides and bodyguards.
23
Q
Entourage
A
/ˌɑn·tʊˈrɑʒ/
the group of people who travel with and work for an important or famous person:
Her usual entourage includes musicians, backup singers, and technicians.
24
Q
Squander
A
Waste
/ˈskwɑːn.dɚ/
C2 to waste money or supplies, or to waste opportunities by not using them to your advantage:
They’ll quite happily squander a whole year’s savings on two weeks in the sun.
Ireland squandered several chances, including a penalty that cost them the game.
Government should not squander the taxpayers’ money.
Don’t squander your opportunities when you are young.
25
Ecstasy
/ˈek·stə·si/
a state of extreme happiness or pleasure:
We shared a moment of ecstasy as the chocolate melted on our tongues.
She threw her head back as if in ecstasy.
26
Rapture
[ U ] extreme pleasure and happiness or excitement:
He listened to the music with an expression of pure rapture on his face.
The prime minister's supporters greeted her speech with rapture.
raptures [ plural ]
an expression of extreme pleasure and happiness or excitement:
She went into raptures at the news of her success.
She was in raptures about/over her first visit to Paris.
27
Strikingly
/ˈstraɪ.kɪŋ.li/
in a way that is very unusual or easily noticed, and therefore attracts a lot of attention:
Her latest novel is strikingly different from her earlier work.
They gave a strikingly original performance of the play.
Her husband is strikingly handsome.
28
Dovetail
/ˈdʌv.teɪl/
to cause something to fit exactly together:
Their results dovetail nicely with ours.
We tried to dovetail our plans with theirs.
29
Exhaustive
Thorough
/ɪɡˈzɑː.stɪv/
C1 complete and including everything:
an exhaustive study/report
The survey was exhaustively documented.
30
Caveat
Proviso
a statement that limits a more general statement:
Behind every set of statistics there's always a caveat.
31
Proviso
/prəˈvaɪ.zoʊ/ plural provisos
a statement in an agreement, saying that a particular thing must happen before another can:
[ + that ] He was released from prison with/on the proviso that he doesn't leave the country.
You can buy back or sell the shares at any point - the only proviso is that any loss or money owed is within your account limit.
with/on the proviso that The firm will pay only half the fine on the proviso that it does not breach regulations again.
32
At best
even if the best possible result happens:
| If he drops the course now, at best he’ll get an incomplete, and he could fail.
33
-laden
used in adjectives to show that something has or is carrying a lot of something:
debt-laden banks
They were accused of driving waste-laden trucks with no cover over them.
Others can eat salt-laden meals and their blood pressure will hardly budge.
34
Haemorrhoids
/ˈhem.ɚ.ɔɪdz/
ริดสีดวงทวาร
a medical condition in which the veins at the anus become swollen and painful and sometimes bleed
Synonym
piles
35
Bulge
/bʌldʒ/
a curved shape sticking out from the surface of something:
I wondered what the bulge in her coat pocket was.
Her bags were bulging with shopping.
a sudden increase that soon returns to the usual level:
There was a bulge in spending in the early part of the year.
She dragged her bulging (= very full) suitcase up the stairs.
big, bulging (= sticking out) eyes
36
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).
37
Placard
a large piece of card, paper, etc. with a message written or printed on it, often carried in public places by people who are complaining about something:
Demonstrators marched past holding/waving placards that said "Send food, not missiles!"
38
Reverberate
/rɪˈvɜr·bəˌreɪt/
(of sound) to continue to be heard; to echo repeatedly:
The loud music reverberated off the walls.
The narrow street reverberated with/to the sound of the workmen's drills.
[ I + adv/prep ] If an event or idea reverberates somewhere, it has an effect on everyone or everything in a place or group:
News of the disaster reverberated around the organization.
The surge in US share prices reverberated across the globe.
39
Behemoth
/bɪˈhiː.mɑːθ/
something that is extremely large and often extremely powerful:
a grocery chain behemoth
The motivation was to create a $70 billion behemoth out of two embattled phone-equipment companies, so together they could survive.
a corporate/financial/industrial behemoth
40
Upend
/ʌpˈend/
to push or move something so that the part that usually touches the ground is not touching the ground any more:
She upended the chessboard halfway through the game because she was losing.
41
Flagrant
/ˈfleɪ.ɡrənt/
egregious Glaring
(of a bad action, situation, person, etc.) shocking because of being so obvious:
a flagrant misuse of funds/privilege
a flagrant breach of trust
a flagrant disregard for the law
He flagrantly broke the law.
42
Egregious
/ɪˈɡriː.dʒəs/
flagrant glaring
extremely bad in a way that is very noticeable:
It was an egregious error for a statesman to show such ignorance.
A glaring injustice
43
Espionage
the activity of secretly collecting and reporting information, especially secret political, military, business, or industrial information:
engage in/conduct/commit espionage Three people were also accused of engaging in espionage against a rival firm.
corporate/industrial/economic espionage
44
Repatriate
/ˌriːˈpeɪ.tri.eɪt/
to send or bring someone, or sometimes money or other property, back to the country that he, she, or it came from:
The government repatriated him because he had no visa.
Repatriation of refugees is essential to rebuilding the country.
45
Full-brown
/ˈfʊlˈbloʊn/
in its most developed or advanced form:
Aspirin reduces your chances of having a full-blown stroke.
46
Excruciating
```
/ɪkˈskruː.ʃi.eɪ.t̬ɪŋ/
extremely painful:
an excruciating pain in the lower back
extremely boring or embarrassing:
excruciating boredom
His confession, when it came, was excruciating.
```
47
Coincide
/ˌkoʊ.ɪnˈsaɪd/
C2 to happen at or near the same time:
I timed my holiday to coincide with the children's.
If the heavy rain had coincided with an extreme high tide, serious flooding would have resulted.
C2 to be the same or similar:
Our views coincide on a range of subjects.
If our schedules coincide, we'll go to Spain together.
48
Jump ship
jump ship informal
to leave a company or organization in order to work for another, especially in order to get a higher salary or better working conditions:
Loyalty bonuses were paid to staff so they wouldn't jump ship.
49
Jump on the bandwagon
jump on the bandwagon
to become involved in an activity that a lot of others are already involved in because it is successful:
More and more companies have jumped on the broadband discount bandwagon.
50
Bombshell
/ˈbɑmˌʃel/
a shocking piece of news:
He dropped a bombshell when he announced he would resign.
51
Severity
seriousness:
Even the doctors were shocked by the severity of his injuries.
I don't think you quite understand the severity of our financial problems.
the quality of being very unkind or unpleasant:
He spoke with great severity.
The severity of the punishment should match the seriousness of the crime.
52
Demonize
/ˈdiː.mə.naɪz/
to try to make someone or a group of people seem as if they are evil:
The Nazis used racist propaganda in an attempt to demonize the Jews.
The mayor demonizes anyone who disagrees with him.
53
Communicable
/kəˈmjuː.nə.kə.bəl/
contiguous
able to be given from one person to another:
In this period, there were 974 outbreaks of communicable disease attributed to the consumption of raw milk.
communicable ideas/emotions
54
Excise
/ˈek.saɪz/
a tax made by a government on some types of goods produced and used within their own country:
The excise (duty) on beer was increased under the last government.
to remove something, especially by cutting:
During a three-hour operation six tumours were excised from the wall of the patient's stomach.
The official censors have excised the controversial sections of the report.
55
Jaded
Adj
/ˈdʒeɪ.dɪd/
not having interest or losing interest because you have experienced something too many times:
Flying is exciting the first time you do it, but you soon become jaded.
Perhaps some caviar can tempt your jaded palate.
56
Tactful
/tækt.fəl/
discreet
C2 careful not to say or do anything that could upset someone:
Mentioning his baldness wasn't very tactful.
The family made discreet enquiries about his background.
They are very good assistants, very discreet - they wouldn't go talking to the press.
57
Circumspect
careful not to take risks:
Officials were circumspect about saying what the talks had achieved.
This is a very sensitive case requiring extreme circumspection.
58
Curtail
to reduce or limit something:
to curtail your holiday/spending
With all the snow, our daily walks have been severely curtailed.
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates slightly to curtail inflation.
The last government severely curtailed trade union rights.
They will not willingly accept any curtailment of their civil liberties.
59
Abscond
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.
They absconded with £10,000 of the company's money.
60
Crotchety
/ˈkrɑː.tʃə.t̬i/
informal
cantankerous
often in a bad mood and easily annoyed:
By the time the meal began, the youngest children were getting tired and crotchety.
After ten hours in the car, we were all getting crotchety.
61
Cantankerous
/ˌkænˈtæŋ.kɚ.əs/
crotchety ornery
arguing and complaining a lot:
He's getting a bit cantankerous in his old age.
By dinner, we were all tired and cantankerous.
62
Ornery
/ˈɔːr.nɚ.i/
likely to get angry and argue with people:
He had been in an ornery mood all day, arguing with everyone who got in his way.
He’s ornery and opinionated, but he doesn’t lie.
63
Opinionated
/əˈpɪn.jə.neɪ.t̬ɪd/
An opinionated person is certain about their beliefs, and expresses their ideas strongly and often:
He was opinionated and selfish, but undeniably clever.
She’s seven years old and she’s already pretty opinionated.
64
Connotation
a feeling or idea that is suggested by a word in addition to its basic meaning, or something suggested by an object or situation:
"Resolute" means stubborn, but with a more positive connotation.
65
Connote
/kəˈnoʊt/
If a word, object, or situation connotes something, it makes you think of a feeling or an idea that is more than its basic meaning:
To me, chocolate connotes pleasure and indulgence.
The number 8 connotes prosperity in Chinese.
66
Exonerate
/ɪɡˈzɑː.nɚ.eɪt/
exculpate
to show or state that someone or something is not guilty of something:
The report exonerated the crew from all responsibility for the collision.
We have proof which will completely exonerate him.
exonerate sb from sth I do not wholly exonerate her from blame.
The pilot of the aircraft will surely be exculpated when all the facts are known.
67
Contrarian
/kənˈtrer.i.ən/
someone such as a writer or politician who likes to disagree with other people and express opinions that are unpopular:
He is a contrarian who frequently writes controversial opinion pieces.
Among academics in the field, she takes a contrarian view.
68
Layperson
someone who is not an expert in or does not have a detailed knowledge of a particular subject:
Any layperson can sit down at this console and begin doing productive work in minutes.
To the layman these rules may seem unnecessarily complex.
Can you explain in layman's terms exactly what your job involves?
69
Malign
/məˈlaɪn/
causing or intending to cause harm or evil:
Foreign domination had a malign influence on local politics.
She describes pornography as "a malign industry".
70
Confer
to talk together and exchange ideas, often with the intention of reaching a decision about something:
I need to confer with my lawyer.
to give an honor, official title, or ability to someone:
The US Constitution confers certain powers on the president.
An honorary doctorate was conferred on him by Columbia University.
71
Kidney stone
นิ่วในไต
a solid mass of hard material that can form in the kidney and cause pain
72
Satiety
/səˈtaɪə.t̬i/
the state of being completely satisfied, especially with food or pleasure, so that you could not have any more
eating beyond the point of satiety
73
Definitive
/dɪˈfɪn·ət̬·ɪv/
firm, final, and complete; not to be questioned or changed:
There is no definitive scientific evidence that coffee is harmful.
not able to be changed or improved:
a definitive judgment/ruling
There are no definitive answers/solutions to this problem.
The police have no definitive proof of her guilt.
considered to be the best of its type:
He's written the definitive guide to Thailand.
74
Lament
/ləˈment/
to express sadness and regret about something:
He lamented his students’ lack of interest in the classics.
Baker’s lament was that his schedule kept him away from his family too often.
75
Incur
to experience something bad as a result of actions you have taken:
We incurred heavy expenses to repair the poor work done by the builder.
to incur debts/fines/bills
The play has incurred the wrath/anger of both audiences and critics.
Please detail any costs/expenses incurred by you in attending the interview.
76
Bolster
/ˈboʊl.stɚ/
to support or improve something or make it stronger:
More money is needed to bolster the industry.
She tried to bolster my confidence/morale (= encourage me and make me feel stronger) by telling me that I had a special talent.
They need to do something to bolster their image.
77
Earnest
/ˈɜr·nəst/
sincere and serious:
She made an earnest attempt to convert me to her point of view.
in earnest
I thought he was joking - I didn't realize he was in earnest.
If something is done in earnest, it is done seriously:
Work on the building began, in earnest, in late spring.
These fanatics are in deadly earnest when they say they want to destroy all forms of government.
78
Invert
/ɪnˈvɝːt/
to turn something upside down or change the order of two things:
In some languages, the word order in questions is inverted (= the verb comes before the subject of the sentence).
Invert the cake onto a wire rack and let it cool.
Cover the bowl with an inverted plate.
The building is shaped like an inverted pyramid.
79
Credential
/krɪˈden.ʃəl/
credentials [ plural ]
the abilities and experience that make someone suitable for a particular job or activity, or proof of someone's abilities and experience:
All the candidates had excellent academic credentials.
She was asked to show her press credentials.
80
Repository
a place where things are stored:
a nuclear waste repository
fig. The proverbs amounted to a repository of wisdom.
She's a repository of knowledge about our family history.
81
Iteration
/ˌɪt̬.əˈreɪ.ʃən/
formal the process of doing something again and again, usually to improve it, or one of the times you do it:
the repetition and iteration that goes on in designing something
The software is on its fifth iteration.
82
Armada
/ɑːrˈmɑː.də/
a large group of armed ships that fight wars at sea:
The Spanish Armada was sent by the king of Spain to invade England in 1588.
83
Lithe
/lɑɪð, lɑɪθ/
(of a body) thin and attractive, and able to move easily and gracefully, or (of movements) easy and graceful:
He was a fabulous athlete, full of lithe, quick movements.
She represented the era's ideal of lithe, athletic, modern American womanhood.
He had the lithe, athletic body of a ballet dancer.
84
Horrendous
/həˈren·dəs/
so bad as to be shocking; extremely unpleasant:
Exhibits show how horrendous the living conditions there were.
Conditions in the refugee camps were horrendous.
The firm made horrendous (= very big) losses last year.
85
Pulsate
```
/ˈpʌl·seɪt/
to make sounds or movements with a regular rhythm:
A light pulsates in the distance.
The whole room was pulsating with music.
```
86
Sagacious
```
Wise
/səˈɡeɪ.ʃəs/
having or showing understanding and the ability to make good judgments:
a sagacious person/comment/choice
```
87
Leaven
/ˈlev.ən/
to add a substance to bread or another food made with flour to make it increase in size when it is cooked
formal to make something less boring:
Even a speech on a serious subject should be leavened with a little humour.
88
Reparation
/ˌrep·əˈreɪ·ʃən/
payment for harm or damage:
[ C ] The company paid reparations to the victims of the explosion.
The company had to make reparation to those who suffered ill health as a result of chemical pollution.
89
Renegade
```
Traitor turncoat apostate
/ˈren·ɪˌɡeɪd/
a person who has changed from supporting esp. one political, religious, or national group to supporting another:
a renegade state
She’s always been a renegade.
```
90
Pail
/peɪl/
a container, usually with a curved handle attached to opposite sides of the top edge:
She carried a pail of water.
Fill the pail with sand.
It took several pails of water (= the amount a pail contains) to put out the fire.
91
Gospel
Unquestionable truth
```
The gospel (truth) is the complete truth:
I don't know what happened to the money, that's the gospel truth.
```
92
Ply
a layer of something such as wood or paper, or a thread that is wrapped with other threads to form yarn (= wool cord) or rope:
two-ply facial tissue
to work at something regularly:
New buses plied the city's bus routes this week.
Extreme-sports athletes ply their craft (= their skill or job) in especially difficult conditions.
93
Fledgling
/ˈfledʒ·lɪŋ/
new and not experienced:
Still in his teens, he pursued his fledgling career in journalism.
a young bird that has grown feathers and is learning to fly
94
Fawn
to give someone a lot of attention and praise in order to get that person’s approval:
Big movie stars are fawned over by the waiters at the restaurant.
A young deer
95
Colt
A young male horse
96
Filly
A young female horse
97
Springy
/ˈsprɪŋ.i/
returning quickly to the usual shape, after being pulled, pushed, crushed, etc.:
The turf feels very springy underfoot.
98
Turf
a surface layer of land consisting of grass and the earth in which its roots grow:
Lush turf lined the river’s banks.
Turf is also ground cover that looks like grass:
artificial turf
informal a subject in which a person or group has a lot of knowledge or influence:
Antiques are very much her turf.
[ U ] informal the area that a group considers its own:
Judges feel that the courtroom is their private turf.
The gymnastics team won the championship on their home turf.
99
Preeminent
/priˈem·ə·nənt/
more important or powerful than all others:
He was the preeminent scientist of his day.
Before the 19th century, China’s preeminence in Asia was never challenged.
100
Cornerstone
something of great importance on which everything else depends:
Funds for the school system were the cornerstone of his budget proposal.
All the parties to the dispute agree that ready access to the law is a cornerstone of democracy.
In most countries, the family unit is still the cornerstone of society.
101
Daunting
/ˈdɑːn.t̬ɪŋ/
intimidating
making you feel slightly frightened or worried about your ability to achieve something:
The country was faced with the daunting prospect of overcoming four decades of division.
an intimidating array of weapons
an intimidating manner
She can be very intimidating when she's angry.
102
Up the ante
up the ante
(also raise the ante)
to increase your risks or demands in order to get a greater advantage:
The governor upped the ante in her war of words with the mayor, by calling him "dangerous" for the city.
The government has upped the ante by refusing to negotiate until a ceasefire has been agreed .
103
Standoff
/ˈstændˌɔf/
a situation in which neither side has won a competition or argument, or an occasion when someone prevents officials from acting, usually by threatening violence:
The battle of wills between teacher and student was a standoff.
She locked herself in the house, but after a brief standoff, police convinced her to come out.
104
Stalemate
/ˈsteɪlˌmeɪt/
a situation in which nothing can change or no action can be taken:
[ U ] Stalemate in Congress over education reform has made voters angry.
The arrival of fresh troops broke the military stalemate.
Tomorrow's meeting between the two leaders is expected to break a diplomatic stalemate that has lasted for ten years.
Despite long discussions, the workers and the management remain locked in stalemate.
105
Constituent
a person represented by an elected official:
The senator mails a newsletter to his constituents every two months.
one of the parts that a substance or mixture is made of:
Oxygen is a constituent of air.
What are the basic constituents of the mixture?
```
a voter (= person who can vote) in a particular area of the country:
The MP worked hard, always talking to his constituents and listening to their problems.
```
106
Punitive
/ˈpju·nɪ·t̬ɪv/
intended as a punishment:
No punitive action was taken against Dawkins after he smashed the backboard during warmups.
The UN has imposed punitive sanctions on the invading country.
She is suing the newspaper for $5 million punitive damages, claiming they knew the article about her was untrue.
used to describe costs that are so high they are difficult to pay:
The president has threatened to impose punitive import duties/tariffs on a variety of foreign goods.
107
Renege
/rɪˈnɪɡ, -ˈneɡ/
to not do what you previously agreed to do; to fail to keep a promise or agreement:
He reneged on his offer.
If you renege on the deal now, I'll fight you in the courts.
108
Shudder
/ˈʃʌd.ɚ/
C2 to shake suddenly with very small movements because of a very unpleasant thought or feeling:
The sight of so much blood made him shudder.
She shuddered at the thought of kissing him.
When something shudders, it shakes violently and quickly:
I heard a massive explosion and the ground shuddered beneath me.
There was a screech of brakes and the bus shuddered to a halt (= shook violently and stopped).
America's second biggest supermarket chain has sent a shudder through (= has had a strong effect on) its rivals by slashing its prices.
109
Ominously
/ˈɑː.mə.nəs.li/
in a way that suggests that something unpleasant is likely to happen:
I went into the kitchen and found him lying ominously still on the floor.
There was an ominous silence when I asked whether my contract was going to be renewed.
The engine had been making an ominous sound all the way from my parents' house.
ominous dark clouds
110
Rappelling
/ræpˈel.ɪŋ/ (uk abseiling)
the act of going down a very steep slope by holding on to a rope that is fastened to the top of the slope:
The kids get to try everything from scuba diving to rappelling to off-road cycling.
111
Expulsion
/ɪkˈspʌl·ʃən/
the act of forcing someone, or of being forced, to leave somewhere:
The government ordered the expulsion of foreign journalists.
They threatened him with expulsion from school.
This is the second expulsion of a club member this year.
112
Festoon
/fesˈtuːn/
to decorate a room or other place for a special occasion by hanging coloured paper, lights, or flowers around it, especially in curves:
The hall was festooned with Christmas lights and holly.
113
Intwine
/ɪnˈtwɑɪn/
to twist together or around something:
The old-fashioned porch was entwined with many creeping plants.
fig. In the old days, moviemaking was entwined with political and social life.
114
Douse
/dɑʊs, dɑʊz/
to throw water or another liquid on someone or something:
To get rid of weeds, I douse them with plain white vinegar.
fig. The room was doused in light.
To douse something is also to end it, esp. to extinguish (= stop) a fire by putting water on it:
Efforts to douse the flames were hampered by high winds.
Douse the lights (= turn off the lights).
115
Spat
an argument about something not important:
This was a spat, not a serious fight.
She was having a spat with her brother about who should do the washing up.
116
Dissolution
```
/ˌdɪs.əˈluː.ʃən/
the act or process of ending an official organization or legal agreement:
the dissolution of parliament
the dissolution of their marriage
```
After the dissolution of communist rule in 1989, things began to open up.
The party says it will call for the dissolution of the state assembly in a vote next Tuesday.
117
Confiscate
/ˈkɑn·fəˌskeɪt/
to officially take private property away from someone, usually by legal authority:
Customs agents confiscated her bags.
confiscation
noun [ C/U ] US /ˌkɑn·fəˈskeɪ·ʃən/
[ U ] The law allows for confiscation of vehicles used in crimes.
118
Conglomerate
a very large business organization consisting of several companies that often sell different types of product or service:
a large conglomerate with more than $1 billion in net assets
a media/financial/industrial conglomerate
119
Outlook
the likely future situation:
The outlook for the economy is bleak.
The outlook for today is cloudy and dry at first with showers later.
a person's way of understanding and thinking about something:
He has a fairly positive outlook on life.
formal what you can see from a particular place:
From the top of the tower, the outlook over the city was breathtaking.
120
Fallout
the unpleasant results or effects of an action or event:
He blamed the political fallout from the scandal on the Republicans.
The political fallout of the revelations has been immense.
The fallout from the banking crisis has been global.
121
Clad
/klæd/
literature (of people) dressed, or (of things) covered;
A strange figure appeared in the doorway, clad in white.
an ivy-clad wall
an armour-clad vehicle
122
Patent pending
patent pending (also patent applied for)
used to show that the person who has made or is selling a product has asked for a patent on it:
The company has a patent pending on the machine.
123
Patent
to get the legal right to be the only person or company to make or sell a product for a particular number of years:
patent a device/process The company has designed and patented a device which it claims will sharply reduce pollution emissions from older cars.
If you don't patent your invention, other people may make all the profit out of it.
the official legal right to make or sell an invention for a particular number of years:
In 1880 Alexander Graham Bell was granted a patent on an apparatus for signalling and communicating called a Photophone.
The company took out/filed a patent on a genetically engineered tomato.
very obvious:
a patent lie
a patent disregard of the law
"No," he replied, with patent distaste.
124
Potty
a bowl, sometimes with a handle, that young children sit on and use as a toilet:
Don't forget to sit Jamie on the potty before you take him to the zoo.
Informal
silly or slightly crazy:
She must have been potty to sell that car so cheaply.
I'd go potty if I had to work here all the time.
be potty about sth/sb
to like something or someone very much:
He's potty about old cars.
125
Chair
to be the person in charge of a meeting, etc.:
| Would you like to chair tomorrow's meeting?
126
Respite
/ˈres·pɪt, rɪˈspɑɪt/
a pause or rest from something difficult or unpleasant:
We worked for hours without respite.
[ S ] a useful delay before something unpleasant happens:
Their teacher was away, so they had a day's respite before their essays were due.
127
Overkill
much more of something than is needed or suitable:
Running so fast with the competition so far behind might seem like overkill, but that’s Gardner.
much more of something than is needed, resulting in less effectiveness:
Should I add an explanation, or would that be overkill?
128
Reminiscent
/ˌrem.əˈnɪs.ənt/
reminiscent of sb/sth
evocative
making you remember a particular person, event, or thing:
That song is so reminiscent of my adolescence.
129
Evocative
/ɪˈvɑː.kə.t̬ɪv/
reminiscent
making you remember or imagine something pleasant:
evocative music
a sound evocative of the sea
130
Redolent
/ˈred.əl.ənt/
smelling strongly of something or having qualities (especially smells) that make you think of something else:
The album is a heartfelt cry, redolent of a time before radio and television.
The mountain air was redolent with the scent of pine needles.
131
Superfluous
/sʊˈpɜr·flu·əs/
more than is needed; extra and not necessary:
Our new mayor plans to eliminate superfluous programs.
Much of the school day is wasted on superfluous activities.
The report was marred by a mass of superfluous detail.
132
Mar
to spoil something, making it less good or less enjoyable:
Water will mar the finish of polished wood.
Sadly, the text is marred by careless errors.
It was a really nice day, marred only by a little argument in the car on the way home.
I hope the fact that Louise isn't coming won't mar your enjoyment of the evening.
133
Upside
/ˈʌpˌsɑɪd/
the positive part of a situation:
It’s too bad we can’t go until Thursday, but the upside is that we get to stay through the weekend.
134
Cumbersome
/ˈkʌm·bər·səm/
difficult to do or manage and taking a lot of time and effort:
Critics say that the process for amending the Constitution is cumbersome, but others defend it.
awkward because of being large, heavy, or not effective:
cumbersome equipment
cumbersome bureaucracy
135
Abysmal
/əˈbɪz·məl/
very bad:
This experiment could help a lot of people, or it could be an abysmal failure.
abysmal working conditions
The food was abysmal.
The standard of the students' work is abysmal.
136
Avert
Avoid
to prevent something bad from happening; avoid:
The last-minute agreement averted renewed fighting.
to avert a crisis/conflict/strike/famine
to avert disaster/economic collapse
137
Newfangled
/ˈnuˈfæŋ·ɡəld/
disapproving recently made for the first time, but not always an improvement on what existed before:
I really don't understand these newfangled computer games that my grandchildren play.
I hate those newfangled alarm clocks that buzz.
138
Fad
a style, activity, or interest that is very popular for a short period of time:
the latest health fad
uk There was a fad for wearing ripped jeans a few years ago.
139
Engorged
/ɪnˈɡɔːrdʒ/
If a part of the body is engorged, it has become swollen or filled with a liquid, especially blood.
140
Manipulator
/məˈnɪp.jə.leɪ.t̬ɚ/
a person who controls people to their own advantage, often unfairly or dishonestly:
She was, said the judge, a ruthless and scheming manipulator.
141
Vacate
/ˈveɪ·keɪt, veɪˈkeɪt/
to leave a place or position:
When he left the university, he had to vacate his university-provided housing.
Hotel guests are requested to vacate their rooms by noon.
Denis vacates his job at the end of the week.
142
Repentant
/rɪˈpen.tənt/
Penitent
feeling sorry for something that you have done
143
Penitent
/ˈpen.ə.tənt/
repentant
showing that you are sorry for something you have done because you feel it was wrong:
"I'm sorry," she said with a penitent smile.
It was hard to be angry with him when he looked so penitent.
144
Unrepentant
/ˌʌn.rɪˈpen.tənt/
impenitent
```
not repentant (= feeling sorry for something that you have done)
He remained unrepentant up until the end of his life.
```
145
Impenitent
/ɪmˈpen.ə.tənt/
Unrepentant
not sorry or ashamed about something bad you have done:
To this day she remains impenitent about her criminal past.
146
Pummel
to hit someone or something repeatedly, esp. with your fists:
She hates watching boxers pummel and be pummeled in the ring.
fig. The region was pummeled by its second storm in less than a week.
147
Uphill
leading to a higher place on a slope:
The runners began the uphill climb to the finish line.
As we started driving uphill, the car made a strange noise.
fig.Uphill can also mean difficult and needing a large amount of effort:
Recovering from the accident will be an uphill battle for her, but she’s doing well.
It'll be an uphill struggle/battle/fight to get the new proposals accepted.
148
Downhill
toward or going toward the bottom of something or to a lower place:
a steep downhill path
She let the bike coast downhill.
If something goes downhill, it becomes worse or worth less money:
The automobile industry started to go downhill.
149
Reiterate
/riˈɪt̬·əˌreɪt/
repeat restate
to say something again:
He reiterated his view that it was time to withdraw from the region.
The government has reiterated its refusal to compromise with terrorists.
[ + that ] She reiterated that she had never seen him before.
He restated his belief that the sanctions need more time to work.
150
Retaliate
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.
151
Revamp
informal
to change something to make it more modern and efficient:
We need to revamp our image to reach a younger market.
They plan to revamp the HR system.
the process of changing something to make it more modern and efficient:
Their promotional material is in urgent need of a revamp.
All their stores are undergoing a revamp.
152
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.
See
concede (ADMIT)
[ U ] the act of admitting defeat:
The former president's concession came even before all the votes had been counted.
a concession speech
153
Galvanize
/ˈɡæl.və.naɪz/
to cause someone to suddenly take action, especially by shocking or exciting them in some way:
Western charities were galvanized by TV pictures of starving people.
The prospect of his mother coming to stay galvanized him into action and he started cleaning the house.
154
Reparation
payment for harm, loss, or damage that has been caused to a person or an organization, or the fact of making such a payment:
The likelihood of the company making financial reparations seems distant.
call for/pay/seek reparation
155
Decanter
a decorative glass container for wine and other alcoholic drinks, with a part that fits into the top for closing it:
a cut-glass sherry decanter
156
Lithe
Supple
/lɑɪð, lɑɪθ/
(of a body) thin and attractive, and able to move easily and gracefully, or (of movements) easy and graceful:
He was a fabulous athlete, full of lithe, quick movements.
She represented the era's ideal of lithe, athletic, modern American womanhood.
157
Gratify
/ˈɡræt̬·əˌfɑɪ/
pander
to please someone, or to satisfy a wish or need:
[ + to infinitive ] He was gratified to see how well his students had done.
We were gratified by the response to our appeal.
[ + to infinitive ] He was gratified to see how well his students had done.
158
Pander
/ˈpæn.dɚ/
disapproving
to do or provide exactly what a person or group wants, especially when it is not acceptable, reasonable, or approved of, usually in order to get some personal advantage:
It's not good the way she panders to his every whim.
Political leaders almost inevitably pander to big business.
159
Patently
```
/ˈpeɪ.tənt.li/
in a way that is clear:
She was patently lying.
It's patently obvious that he doesn't care.
```
160
Send up
/ˈsend.ʌp/
ridicule
an act of making someone or something seem stupid by copying him, her, or it in a funny way:
He does a brilliant send-up of the prime minister.
161
Privet
| an evergreen bush (= one that never loses its leaves), often grown as a hedge around the edges of gardens
162
Dart
```
to move quickly or suddenly:
I darted behind the sofa and hid.
dart a glance/look at sb
to look quickly at someone:
She darted an angry look at me.
```
163
Dab hand
Informal
someone who is very good at a particular activity:
She was a dab hand at tennis and played for her school.
Carlo's a dab hand in the kitchen (= good at cooking), isn't he?
164
Squander
Waste
/ˈskwɑn·dər/
to waste money, or to use something valuable that you have a limited amount of in a bad or foolish way:
Government should not squander the taxpayers’ money.
Don’t squander your opportunities when you are young.
165
Asunder
Apart
/əˈsʌn.dɚ/
into forcefully separated pieces:
Their lives were torn asunder by the tragedy.
166
Adroit
/əˈdrɔɪt/
very skillful and quick in the way you think or move:
She became adroit at dealing with difficult people.
an adroit reaction/answer/movement of the hand
167
Maladroit
/ˌmæl.əˈdrɔɪt/
clumsy
awkward in movement or unskilled in behaviour or action:
She can be a little maladroit in social situations.
168
Dexterity
/dekˈster.ə.t̬i/
the ability to perform a difficult action quickly and skilfully with the hands:
He caught the ball with great dexterity.
Young children lack the dexterity to brush their teeth effectively.
169
Incentivize
/ɪnˈsen.t̬ə.vaɪz/
to make someone want to do something:
We need to incentivize our sales managers to achieve these targets.
They incentivized workers to adopt the less expensive health care plan by giving more paid vacation.
Headquarters has incentivized employees with free offers of tickets to sporting events.
170
Incentive
/ɪnˈsen.t̬ɪv/
Inducement
C2 something that encourages a person to do something:
Tax incentives have been very effective in encouraging people to save and invest more of their income.
[ + to infinitive ] There is little incentive for people to leave their cars at home when public transport remains so expensive.
Bonus payments provide an incentive to work harder.
171
Disincentive
/ˌdɪs.ɪnˈsen.t̬ɪv/
something that makes people not want to do something or not work hard:
High taxes are a disincentive to business.
172
Inducement
/ɪnˈduːs.mənt/
an act or thing that is intended to persuade someone or something:
financial/cash inducements
Those tenants are not going to swap lifetime security for shorter-term leases without some inducement.
[ + to infinitive ] They offered voters a massive inducement to oust the president by announcing that sanctions would be lifted if there was "democratic change".
173
Reword
Rephrase
/ˌriːˈwɝːd/
to write something again in different words:
She reworded sensitive areas of the report so that it wouldn't be so controversial.
174
Desertification
the process by which land changes into desert, for example because there has been too much farming activity on it or because a lot of trees have been cut down:
Trees help to prevent desertification, as well as providing shade and firewood.
175
Cry wolf
to ask for help when you do not need it, which may prevent people from helping you when you do need it:
The administration has cried wolf so many times, it's difficult to know if there's a problem or not.
If you cry wolf too often, people will stop believing you.
176
Perk
a special advantage or benefit, in addition to the money you are paid, that you are given because of your job:
Free child care for preschool children of employees was a popular perk.
A company car and a mobile phone are some of the perks that come with the job.
177
Shy away
to move away from or try to avoid something:
| He never shied away from a fight, no matter how powerful the foe.
178
Rollout
/ˈroʊlˌɑʊt/
the act of making something, esp. a product or service, available for the first time:
Since its rollout in fall of 1999, PayPal has gained millions of members.
179
Spoof
/spuf/
parody
an original work that copies the style of another work in a way meant to be ridiculous or humorous:
The book ends with a hilarious spoof of an academic conference.
They did a spoof on/of the Nine O'Clock News.
It was a spoof cowboy film.
180
Lampoon
/læmˈpuːn/
to criticize a famous person or a public organization in a piece of writing, a drawing, etc., in a humorous way, allowing their or its bad qualities to be seen and making them or it seem stupid:
Many celebrities are lampooned on this satirical website.
The skit brilliantly lampoons upper-class society.
a piece of writing, a drawing, etc. that criticizes a famous person or a public organization in a humorous way, allowing their or its bad qualities to be seen and making them or it seem stupid:
The magazine is famed for its merciless political lampoons.
181
Skit
a short, funny play that makes a joke of something:
I thought the skit on politicians was really funny.
I wrote a skit for my English class.
182
Trajectory
/trəˈdʒek·tə·ri/
physics the curved path an object follows after it is thrown or shot into the air, or of an object that is traveling through space:
The missile came in on a very low trajectory.
183
Hush-hush
infml secret:
I can’t tell you anything about it – it’s all hush-hush.
In the end he was forced to resign but it was all very hush-hush.
184
Clandestine
/klænˈdes.tɪn/
planned or done in secret, especially describing something that is not officially allowed:
The group held weekly clandestine meetings in a church.
He has been having a clandestine affair with his secretary for three years.
She undertook several clandestine operations for the CIA.
185
Surreptitious
/ˌsɝː.əpˈtɪʃ.əs/
done secretly, without anyone seeing or knowing:
She seemed to be listening to what I was saying, but I couldn't help noticing her surreptitious glances at the clock.
186
Agog
/əˈɡɑːɡ/
excited and eager to know or see more:
We waited agog for news.
187
Oblong
Rectangular
/ˈɑː.blɑːŋ/
uk having a flat shape with four sides and four angles of 90° and opposite sides of equal length:
an oblong box
Violet sat down at the oblong oak table that was against the wall.
188
Confine
/kənˈfaɪn/
C2 [ T ] to limit an activity, person, or problem in some way:
Let's confine our discussion to the matter in question, please!
Please confine your use of the phone to business calls.
By closing the infected farms we're hoping to confine the disease to the north of the region (= stop it from spreading to other areas).
C2 [ T usually passive ] to keep someone closed in a place, often by force:
The hostages had been confined for so long that they couldn't cope with the outside world.
189
Give notice
give sb notice (uk also give sb their notice)
to ask someone who works for you to leave their job, usually after a particular period of time:
My boss gave me a month's notice.
They gave me my notice yesterday.
hand in your notice (uk also give in your notice)
C2 to tell your employer that you intend to leave your job after a particular period of time:
I handed in my notice yesterday.
190
Elucidate
/ɪˈlu·sɪˌdeɪt/
Explain clarify
to explain or make clear:
[ T ] I hope my book will elucidate the complex issues we face.
I don't understand. You'll have to elucidate.
The reasons for the change in weather conditions have been elucidated by several scientists.
These figures need elucidation.
191
Obfuscate
/ˈɑːb.fə.skeɪt/
Obscure
to make something less clear and harder to understand, especially intentionally:
She was criticized for using arguments that obfuscated the main issue.
They accused the White House of obstruction and obfuscation.
She criticised the company's deliberate obfuscation of its finances.
192
Muddy the waters
Obfuscate
to make a situation unnecessarily complicated and less clear:
His suggestions just muddied the waters further, rather than helping the situation.
193
Immobilize
Pinion
to stop something or someone from moving:
You can immobilize the car by removing the spark plugs.
The broken limb must be immobilized as soon as possible.
194
Pinion
/ˈpɪn·jən/
to hold or tie someone by the arms to prevent the person from moving:
He was pinioned to the wall by the two men.
195
Impetuous
Rash
/ɪmˈpetʃ·u·əs/
acting or done suddenly without much thought:
Then, impetuous as I was, I bought a new car before I even got a job.
He's so impetuous - why can't he think things over before he rushes into them?
The governor may now be regretting her impetuous promise to reduce unemployment by half.
196
Quash
/kwɑʃ/
to stop or block something from happening:
The Secretary of Defense tried to quash speculation that he was planning to resign following the disastrous military defeat.
The revolt was swiftly quashed by government troops.
The company moved quickly to quash rumours/speculation that it is losing money.
197
Resolutely
/ˈrez.ə.luːt.li/
in a determined way:
She resolutely refused to learn about computers.
The whole team were resolutely optimistic.
I admired her resolute optimism in those difficult times.
Their resolute opposition to new working methods was difficult to overcome.
She's utterly resolute in her refusal to apologize.
198
Foray
a short period of time being involved in an activity that is different from and outside the range of a usual set of activities:
She made a brief foray into acting before becoming a teacher.
The opera company has made curious forays into contemporary music in recent seasons.
199
Expedite
/ˈek·spɪˌdɑɪt/
to cause something to be done or progress more quickly:
We’ve got to expedite this order because they need it by tomorrow.
Something needs to be done to expedite the process.
200
Dispense
/dɪˈspens/
to give out or provide an item or substance:
Is there a tourism agency that dispenses city maps?
This gasoline pump is capable of dispensing eight blends of gasoline.
There is a vending machine on the platform that dispenses snacks.
to prepare and give out medicine:
uk a dispensing chemist
201
Expatriate
Expat
someone who does not live in their own country:
A large community of expatriates has settled there.
202
Deductible
/dɪˈdʌk·tə·bəl/
an amount of money that you are responsible for paying before your insurance (= protection against loss) will pay you for an expense:
Judy’s car insurance policy had a $500 deductible.
