some words 1

Question 1

fondly

Answer 1

in a way that shows love

Question 2

hunch

Answer 2

to bend the top part of your body forward and raise your shoulders and back
(+ adv./prep.) She leaned forward, hunching over the desk.
hunch something He hunched his shoulders and thrust his hands deep into his pockets.

Question 3

overweening

Answer 3

​showing that you are too confident or proud

Question 4

conjecture

Answer 4

an opinion or idea that is not based on definite knowledge and is formed by guessing
SYNONYM guess
​[uncountable] the act of forming an opinion or idea that is not based on definite knowledge
What was going through the killer’s mind is a matter for conjecture.

Question 5

compellingly

Answer 5

1)in a way that makes you think something is true
The book is intelligently written and compellingly argued.
2)​in a way that is so strong that you cannot resist it
compellingly attractive
3) ​in a way that makes you pay attention to something because it is so interesting and exciting
a compellingly entertaining book

Question 6

philistine

Answer 6

​a person who does not like or understand art, literature, music, etc.
In artistic matters he’s a complete philistine.
She dismissed critics of her work as philistines.

Question 7

​quench

Answer 7

​quench your thirst to drink so that you no longer feel thirsty
​quench something (formal) to stop a fire from burning
SYNONYM extinguish
Firemen tried to quench the flames raging through the building.

Question 8

vigorous

Answer 8

​very active, determined or full of energy
SYNONYM energetic
They conducted a vigorous campaign against tax fraud.
She was a vigorous opponent of the government.
Take vigorous exercise for several hours a week.

Question 9

carve

Answer 9

1) [transitive, intransitive] to make objects, patterns, etc. by cutting away material from a piece of wood or stone, or another hard material
carve something a carved doorway
2) carve something (on something) to write something on a surface by cutting into it
They carved their initials on the desk.
​enlarge image
3) [transitive, intransitive] to cut a large piece of cooked meat into smaller pieces for eating
carve (something) | carve (somebody) something Who’s going to carve the turkey?
4) [transitive, no passive] to work hard in order to have a successful career, reputation, etc.
carve something (out) He succeeded in carving out a career in the media.

Question 10

hoarding

Answer 10

1) a large board on the outside of a building or at the side of the road, used for displaying advertisements
advertising hoardings
2) ​[countable] (British English) a temporary fence made of boards that is placed around an area of land until a building has been built
3) ​[uncountable] the act of collecting and keeping large amounts of food, money, etc., often secretly
Consumer hoarding of limited goods, such as gasoline and paper, is creating shortages in stores.

Question 11

belch

Answer 11

] to let air come up noisily from your stomach and out through your mouth
SYNONYM burp
He wiped his hand across his mouth, then belched loudly.
​[intransitive, transitive] belch (out/forth) (something) to send out large amounts of smoke, flames, etc.; to come out of something in large amounts

Question 12

defile

Answer 12

defile something to make something dirty or no longer pure, especially something that people consider important or holy
Many victims of burglary feel their homes have been defiled.
The altar had been defiled by vandals.

Question 13

wade

Answer 13

​[intransitive, transitive] to walk with an effort through something, especially water or mud
(+ adv./prep.) He waded into the water to push the boat out.
Sometimes they had to wade waist-deep through mud.
The men waded ashore.
We waded across the stream.
wade something They waded the river at a shallow point.

Question 14

awe

Answer 14

​feelings of respect and slight fear; feelings of being very impressed by something/somebody
awe and respect
awe and wonder
with awe He speaks of her with awe.
in awe ‘It’s magnificent,’ she whispered in awe.

Question 15

edgy

Answer 15

​1)nervous, especially about what might happen
She’s been very edgy lately.
After the recent unrest there is an edgy calm in the capital.
I’m feeling a bit edgy about the exam tomorrow.
2)(of a film, book, piece of music, etc.) having a sharp exciting quality
a clever, edgy film
the Ska beat, faster than reggae and a bit edgier

Question 16

ploy

Answer 16

words or actions that are carefully planned to get an advantage over somebody else
SYNONYM manoeuvre
a clever marketing ploy
ploy to do something It was all a ploy to distract attention from his real aims.
ploy for doing something a ploy for deflecting criticism

Question 17

endorsement

Answer 17

a public statement or action showing that you support somebody/something
The election victory is a clear endorsement of their policies.
a letter of endorsement
This is hardly a ringing endorsement of the plan.

a statement made in an advertisement, usually by somebody famous or important, saying that they use and like a particular product
We are happy to give the product our full endorsement.

Question 18

dwell

Answer 18

adv./prep. to live somewhere
He dwelt in a ruined cottage on the hillside.
For ten years she dwelled among the nomads of North America.
The gorillas dwell in the high rainforests of Rwanda.

Question 19

bummer

Answer 19

a disappointing or unpleasant situation

It’s a real bummer that she can’t come.

Question 20

rendition

Answer 20

[countable] the performance of something, especially a song or piece of music; the particular way in which it is performed
SYNONYM interpretation
The band gave a live rendition of their latest single.

(also extraordinary rendition) [uncountable] (especially in the US) the practice of sending foreign suspects to be questioned in another country where the laws about the treatment of prisoners are less strict
They claimed that there had been rendition flights via Scotland.

Question 21

penchant

Answer 21

penchant for something a special liking for something
SYNONYM fondness
She has a penchant for champagne.

Question 22

sloppy

Answer 22

​1)that shows a lack of care, thought or effort
sloppy thinking
Regional accents are great; sloppy speech is not.
​2)(of clothes) loose and without much shape
a sloppy T-shirt
​(informal, especially British English) 3)romantic in a silly or embarrassing way
a sloppy love story
4)​containing too much liquid
Don’t make the mixture too sloppy.
(informal) She gave him a big sloppy kiss.

Question 23

establishment

Answer 23

[countable] (formal) an organization, a large institution or a hotel
The visa is for foreign nationals wishing to study at a university, college or similar educational establishment.
(usually the Establishment)
[singular + singular or plural verb] (often disapproving) the people in a society or a profession who have influence and power and who usually do not support change
the medical/military/political, etc. establishment
young people rebelling against the Establishment
[uncountable] the act of starting or creating something that is meant to last for a long time
The speaker announced the establishment of a new college.

Question 24

resemble

Answer 24

​resemble somebody/something to look like or be similar to another person or thing
She closely resembles her sister.
So many hotels resemble each other.

Question 25

precise

Answer 25

clear and accurate SYNONYM exact precise details/instructions/measurements [only before noun] used to emphasize that something happens at a particular time or in a particular way We were just talking about her when, at that precise moment, she walked in. taking care to be exact and accurate, especially about small details SYNONYM meticulous a skilled and precise worker small, precise movements

Question 26

skim

Answer 26

1) to remove fat, cream, etc. from the surface of a liquid skim something off/from something Skim the scum off the jam and let it cool. skim something Skim the jam and let it cool. 2)to move quickly and lightly over a surface, not touching it or only touching it occasionally; to make something do this skim along/over, etc. something We watched the birds skimming over the lake. 3) to read something quickly in order to find a particular point or the main points skim through/over something He skimmed through the article trying to find his name. 4) skim something (from something) (informal) to steal small amounts of money frequently over a period of time She’d been skimming money from the store’s accounts for years. 5) skim (something) to illegally copy electronic information from a credit card in order to use it without the owner’s permission It is estimated that skimming now accounts for almost 50% of credit card fraud.

Question 27

compulsory

Answer 27

that must be done because of a law or a rule SYNONYM mandatory English is a compulsory subject at this level. compulsory education/schooling The strikers are protesting against the threat of compulsory redundancies.

Question 28

sorrow

Answer 28

sorrow (at/for/over something) (rather formal) a feeling of being very sad because something very bad has happened SYNONYM grief He expressed his sorrow at the news of her death. a very sad event or situation the joys and sorrows of childhood

Question 29

adjust

Answer 29

1) to change something slightly to make it more suitable for a new set of conditions or to make it work better adjust something Watch out for sharp bends and adjust your speed accordingly. This button is for adjusting the volume. 2)to get used to a new situation by changing the way you behave and/or think SYNONYM adapt They'll be fine—they just need time to adjust. adjust to something After a while his eyes adjusted to the dark. 3) adjust something to move something slightly so that it looks neater or feels more comfortable He smoothed his hair and adjusted his tie.

Question 30

immensely

Answer 30

extremely; very much SYNONYM enormously immensely popular/difficult/grateful We enjoyed ourselves immensely.