Vacab P6 (14-30) Flashcards
(153 cards)
1
Q
recede
A
/rɪˈsiːd/ to move gradually away from a previous position, move back
“The sound of the truck receded into the distance.”
(especially of a problem, feeling or quality) to become gradually weaker or smaller
“The prospect of bankruptcy has now receded (= it is less likely).”
“The pain was receding slightly.”
2
Q
raze
A
to completely destroy a building, town, etc. so that nothing is left
“The woodland was razed by fire.”
3
Q
a spate of sth
A
a large number of unpleasant things, happening suddenly within a short period of time
“The bombing was the latest in a spate of terrorist attacks.”
“a recent spate of killings/thefts”
4
Q
blitz
A
[noun] a sudden and intensive attack
“Five shops were damaged in a firebomb blitz.”
[verb] to attack or defeat with or as if with a blitz:
5
Q
empower
A
to give power or authority to. SYNONYM authorize
“I empowered my agent to make the deal for me. “
6
Q
denounce
A
to strongly criticize somebody/something that you think is wrong, illegal. To publicly say sth is not true.
“to denounce a politician as morally corrupt.”
7
Q
calamity
A
an event that causes great damage to people’s lives, property, etc.
SYNONYM disaster
“The country suffered a series of calamities during the 1980s.”
[adj] calamitous SYNONYM disastrous
8
Q
estranged
A
/ɪˈstreɪndʒd/
Couple no longer live together. “He is being questioned in connection with the death of his estranged wife.”
no longer friendly or in contact. “He became estranged from his family after the argument.”
9
Q
farce
A
- a funny play for the theatre based on silly and unlikely situations and events; this type of writing or performance
“I think that we should stop this farce, here and now.” - a situation or an event that is so unfair or badly organized that it becomes silly
“She admitted that the interview had been a complete farce from start to finish.”
“The elections have been reduced to a farce.”
10
Q
sage
A
[noun] a very wise person. Synonyms: philosopher, guru
“ancient Chinese sages.”
[adj] very wise, especially as a result of a lot of experience
“He was famous for his sage advice to younger painters. “
11
Q
monologue
A
a long speech by one person. refer to: dialogue
“Henry looked up, then continued his monologue.”
“No one wants a boss’ rambling, spur of the minute monologue at the end of the day.”
“He went into a long monologue about life in Singapore.”
12
Q
caricature /ˈkærɪkətʃər/
A
[noun] a funny drawing or picture of somebody that exaggerates some of their features, and makes them seem silly
The caricature is crude, but recognisable.
“The poster showed a caricature of him with a devil’s horns and tail.”
“The film gives a crude caricature of African history.”
[verb] to produce a caricature of somebody
“She was unfairly caricatured as a dumb blonde.” “He was caricatured as a turnip.”
13
Q
contentious /kənˈtenʃəs/
A
likely to cause people to disagree, argue. SYN controversial
“Both views are highly contentious.”
“In liquor he became sullen and contentious.”
“Animal welfare did not become a contentious issue until the late 1970s.”
14
Q
wile
A
[noun] trickery, cunning, or craftiness
[verb] to trick someone, to lure, beguile, or entice
“The music wiled him from his study”
[adj] wily /waili/ cunning
15
Q
amass /əˈmæs/
A
to gradually collect a large amount of something, gradually accumulate a lot of it
“How had he amassed his fortune? He amassed a fortune from silver mining.”
“They amassed enough evidence to convict her.”
16
Q
grievous /ˈɡriːvəs/
A
very serious and often causing great pain or difficulty
“He had been the victim of a grievous injustice.”
“a grievous shortage of hospital beds”
“a grievous shortage of hospital beds”
“He survived in spite of suffering grievous injuries.”
17
Q
roll call
A
the reading of a list of names to a group of people to check who is there.
“Roll call will be at 7 a.m.”
“We had to stand in the snow every morning for roll call. “
“Her list of pupils read like a roll-call of the great and good.”
18
Q
cite
A
to mention something as a reason or an example, to support what you are saying.
“He cited personal reasons for his decision to resign.”
“Their method is similar to those used by many studies cited in this report.”
“Several factors have been cited as the cause of the unrest.”
19
Q
assailant /əˈseɪlənt/
A
a person who attacks somebody, especially physically. SYNONYM attacker
“The alleged assailants appeared in court.” “Other party-goers rescued the injured man from his assailant.” “Sleep came to him like an unseen assailant.”
assail [verb] to attack somebody/something violently
“The proposal was assailed by the opposition party.”
“(figurative) A vile smell assailed my nostrils.”
20
Q
conspicuous <> inconspicuous
A
easy to see or notice; likely to attract attention.
“Mary’s red hair always made her conspicuous at school.”
“I felt very conspicuous in my new car.”
“The award is given for notable or conspicuous achievement in science.”
“She tried to look as inconspicuous as possible.”
“Its dull brown feathers make the bird inconspicuous.”
21
Q
distinguish
A
to recognize the difference between two people or things. SYNONYM differentiate
“English law clearly distinguishes between murder and manslaughter.”
“The male bird is distinguished from the female by its red beak.”
[adj] distinguished:
- very successful and admired by other people. “He has had a long and distinguished career in medicine.”
- looking very important, noble and respectable. “a tall distinguished figure in a dark suit”
22
Q
concoct /kənˈkɒkt/
A
- to make food or drink, by mixing different things. “The soup was concocted from up to a dozen different kinds of fish.” “Jean concocted a great meal from the leftovers.”
- to invent a story, an excuse, etc. or create a plan, especially for a dishonest purpose
SYNONYM cook up, make up
“She concocted some elaborate story to explain her absence.” “the prisoner concocted the story to get a lighter sentence.”
23
Q
confer /kənˈfɜːr/
A
- to discuss something with somebody, in order to exchange opinions or get advice
“He wanted to confer with his colleagues before reaching a decision.”
“Franklin leant over and conferred with his attorneys.” - to give somebody an award, a university degree or a particular honour
“An honorary degree was conferred on him by Oxford University in 2019.”
“Never imagine that rank confers genuine authority.”
24
Q
decimate /ˈdesɪmeɪt/
A
- to kill large numbers of animals, plants or people.
“The rabbit population was decimated by the disease.” “The army sent to meet this threat was decimated at Adrianople: the road to Rome now lay open to the barbarians.” - to severely damage something or make something weaker
“Cheap imports decimated the British cycle industry.” “Legal aid for the poor is being decimated.”
25
disintegrate /dɪsˈɪntɪɡreɪt/
to break into small parts or pieces and be destroyed
"The plane disintegrated as it fell into the sea."
"The wall just disintegrated in a shower of fragments and dust."
26
denote
to mean something, to represent or be a sign of something. SYN indicate, represent
"A very high temperature often denotes a serious illness."
"What does the word ‘curriculum’ denote that ‘course’ does not?"
"In this example ‘X’ denotes the time taken and ‘Y’ denotes the distance covered."
"The red triangle denotes danger."
27
flame somebody
to send somebody an angry or offensive message by email or on the internet.
"Our website gets a lot of flame mails, but they’re usually so childish that we just laugh at most of them."
"Flaming your boss really isn't a good idea, however angry you are."
28
be / come under fire
to be severely criticized for something you have done.
"Rail chiefs came under fire after raising train fares."
"The president's plan first came under fire from critics who said he didn't include enough spending cuts."
29
anecdote /ˈænɪkdəʊt/
a short, interesting or funny story about a real person or event.
"amusing anecdotes about his brief career as an actor"
"The book is full of amusing anecdotes about his life in Japan."
"Pete was telling them an anecdote about their mother."
"This research is based on anecdote, not fact."
30
do something up
1. to fasten a coat, skirt, etc. "Do up your coat or you’ll get cold." He never bothers to do his jacket up.
2. to make something into a package: "She was carrying a package done up in brown paper."
3. to repair and decorate a house, etc. "He makes money by buying old houses and doing them up."
4. to make yourself look neat and attractive: "Sue spent ages doing herself up."
31
blow over
1. to fade/go away without having a serious effect: "The storm blew over in the night."
"The scandal will soon blow over."
"They weren’t speaking to each other, but I think it’s blown over now."
2. if something blows over, the wind makes it fall
"Our fence blew over in the storm"
32
pass over
1. if you are passed over for a job, do not get the job or position and someone younger or less experienced is chosen instead.
"she was repeatedly passed over for promotion." "He was passed over in favour of a younger man."
2. pass over something: to ignore or avoid something
"I want to pass over this quite quickly." "They seem to think her crimes should be passed over in silence."
33
drop off
1. to fall into a light sleep
"I dropped off and missed the end of the film." "She kept dropping off at her desk."
2. drop somebody/something off: "I’ll drop you off on my way home."
3. to become fewer or less
"Traffic in the town has dropped off since the bypass opened." "The number of graduates going into teaching has dropped off sharply."
34
drop out
1. to stop doing sth: "He has dropped out of active politics."
2. to leave school, college, etc. without finishing your studies
"She started a degree but dropped out after only a year."
[noun] a person who leaves school or college before they have finished their studies
"Michael Dell is a college dropout"
35
hold out
1. to withstand and last, especially in a difficult situation
"We can stay here for as long as our supplies hold out." I didn’t know how much longer I could hold out against their relentless questioning.
2. to resist or survive in a dangerous or difficult situation
"The rebels held out in the mountains for several years." ""He can only hold out a few more weeks
36
catch on
to become popular or fashionable
"He invented a new game, but it never really caught on." "The idea caught on fast."
2. to begin to understand or realize something
"It was a long time before the police caught on to what he was really doing." "It's not that hard, once you catch on to it." "She catches on fast and will soon be promoted."
37
appeal to
1. + for + to: make a formal / public request
"Church and community leaders have appealed for calm." "Farmers have appealed to the government for help." Appealing to the referee does not often result in a decision being changed.""
2. if someone or something appeals to you, it's attractive and interesting
"The programme appeals to young children."
"The idea of working abroad really appeals to me."
38
iron out
to get rid of problems or difficulties, especially small ones
"We need to iron out a few problems first."
"There are still a few details that need ironing out."
"The two parties need to iron out their differences."
39
rule out
to make it impossible for something to happen.
"The mountainous terrain rules out most forms of agriculture."
"She has refused to rule out the possibility of singing again."
"Police have not ruled out the possibility that the man was murdered."
"The proposed solution was ruled out as too expensive."
40
clamp down
to take firm action to stop a particular type of crime
"The US government is clamping down on drugs."
"The police are clamping down on drink-driving offenders."
"Police are clamping down on drivers who exceed the speed limit."
41
disengage <> engage
1. to stop being involved or interested in something
"Too many young people disengage from learning."
"After the Gulf War, the U.S. disengaged quickly from the Middle East."
2. make it move away from another part that it was connected to
"John gently disengaged himself from his sister's tearful embrace."
"Disengage the gears when you park the car."
"He tapped in the code and the lock disengaged."
42
figment
somebody’s imagination; something merely imagined or made up in the mind
"True, the commercially successful electric car is still a figment."
"The noises in the attic were just a figment of her imagination"
43
hanker
to have a strong desire for something
"She hankered for a new life in a different country."
"She hankered to go back to Australia."
compare with hunker (hunker down: squat, stay somewhere for a long time)
44
hammer home sth
to repeatedly emphasize a point, an idea, etc. so that people fully understand it
"The school tries to hammer home the importance of homework."
"The message must be hammered home that crime doesn’t pay."
45
learning curve
the rate at which you learn a new subject or a new skill; the process of learning from the mistakes you make
"We have all been through a steep learning curve to master the new procedures. (have to learn very quickly)"
""There is a learning curve in the process of seeking employment.
46
think the world of
to like or love someone very much, to be extremely fond of or hold in very high esteem
"The children think the world of their mother".
"Very quiet woman but a good worker, We think the world of her."
47
rake up
SYN dredge up
to mention something unpleasant that happened in the past and that other people would like to forget
"Raking up the past will only make things worse."
"It upsets Dad when that story is raked up again.""
Rake in:: to earn a lot money
48
comb through sth
to examine or search something very carefully
"We spent weeks combing through huge piles of old documents."
" They have combed through the suspect's correspondence, his computer files and old letters."
49
cruise /kruːz/
to move at a steady speed in a car, aircraft etc.
"We were cruising along at 50 miles per hour."
" We fly at a cruising speed of 500 mph."
"Try cruising around the Greek islands in a traditional fishing boat."
50
be endowed with
to naturally have a particular feature, quality, etc.
"She was endowed with intelligence and wit." "She was endowed with good looks." "He was endowed too with a very strong male chemistry. ""Shakespeare was an adult genius in that he was endowed with it at birth."
[verb] endow: to give a college, hospital etc a large sum of money
51
well-rounded
well developed in many different aspects.
"You have to be a well-rounded individual to succeed."
"She has a well-rounded background in management."
At Cornell University, she received a well-rounded education.""
52
stitch
to sew two pieces of cloth together, or to sew a decoration onto a piece of cloth
"A pocket was stitched to the front of the jacket."
"The cut (wound) will need to be stitched."
53
flip (out)
(informal) to become very angry, excited or unable to think clearly
"She finally flipped under the pressure."
"He completely flipped when he saw the mess in the kitchen."
54
floor someone
1. to surprise or confuse somebody so that they are not sure what to say or do:
"His reply completely floored me." A couple of the questions completely floored me.""
2. to make somebody fall down by hitting them, especially in a sport
"He was floored in the first round of the fight.." "He was floored twice in the second round."
55
temper [verb]
to neutralize or counterbalance something, to make something less severe or extreme.
"Justice must be tempered with mercy."
"The heat in this coastal town is tempered by cool sea breezes."
"His delight was tempered by regret."
2. to make metal as hard as it needs to be by heating and then cooling it
56
flare (up)
1. (of a person) to suddenly become angry and violent
"She flares up at the slightest provocation."
"Rioting has flared up in several towns."
2. (of a a disease or illness) flares up, it suddenly becomes worse
"The injury has flared up again, keeping him out of today’s game."
"Students often find that their acne flares up before and during exams."
57
wisp
1. a wisp of hair, grass, hay etc.
"A wisp of hair had escaped from under her hat."
2. a wisp of smoke, cloud, mist etc is a small thin line of it that rises upwards
"Wisps of smoke rose into the air."
58
substantial
significant or large in amount, value or importance
"We were able to see a substantial improvement."
"The document requires substantial changes."
"A substantial number of houses were damaged by the floods."
59
squander
to waste money, time, etc. in a stupid or careless way
"He squandered all his money on gambling."
"She squandered her chances of winning."
"They squandered the profits on expensive cars."
60
flounder
1. to not know what to say or do because you feel confused or upset
"I found myself floundering as I tried to answer her questions." "‘I’m sorry, ’ she floundered helplessly."
2. to have a lot of problems and be likely to fail completely
"More and more firms are floundering because of the recession."
3. to move unsteadily or unable to move easily in water, mud, etc.
"She was floundering around in the deep end of the swimming pool." "A man came floundering through the snow towards us."
61
stark
1. very plain in appearance, with little or no colour or decoration
"I think white would be too stark for the bedroom." "The hills stood stark against the winter sky."
2. unpleasant; real, and impossible to avoid. SYNONYM bleak
"The author paints a stark picture of life in a prison camp." "The stark truth is that there is not enough money left."
3. very different from something in a way that is easy to see
"The good weather was in stark contrast to the storms of previous weeks."
62
lull
to make somebody relaxed and calm. SYNONYM soothe
"He was lulled by the peaceful sound of the rain." "She lulled the baby back to sleep." "The police lulled me into believing that they did not suspect us."
[noun] lull: a quiet period between times of activity. "the lull before the storm"
[noun] lullaby. "She sang her baby a lullaby."
63
frolic [verb] (frolicked, frolicking)
to play and move around in a lively, happy way.
"children frolicking on the beach" "Lambs frolicked in the next field." "Tourists sunbathe and frolic in the ocean."
[noun] frolic: a fun enjoyable game or activity. "Everyone joined in the Saturday night frolics."
64
lug
to carry or drag something heavy with a lot of effort
"I had to lug my bags up to the fourth floor." "She began to lug her suitcase up the stairs." "We lugged our suitcases up the hotel steps."
refer to: luggage, from lug (verb) + -age.
65
gripe /ɡraɪp/
1. to complain about somebody/something in an annoying way
"He's always griping about the people at work." "Throughout history, Americans have griped about taxes." "Joe came in griping about how cold it was."
2. [noun] a complaint about something.
"My only gripe about the hotel was the food."
66
frenzy [noun] frenzied [adj]
frenzy [noun] a state of great anxiety or excitement, in which you cannot control your behaviour:
"She tore the letter open in a frenzy." "Get out!' she ordered in a frenzy." "The country was gripped by a frenzy of nationalism."
frenzied [adj] Frenzied activities or actions are wild, excited, and uncontrolled.
"The man was stabbed to death in a frenzied attack." "As he arrived at the court, he was surrounded by frenzied fans."
67
squeamish
easily upset by unpleasant sights or situations.
"I am terribly squeamish about blood." "I'm quite squeamish. I can't bear gory (involving violence & bloodshed) films."
[noun] "When you've got over your squeamishness, there will be no stopping you."
68
ditch (verb)
[verb] to get rid of something/somebody
"I decided to ditch the sofa bed." "He ditched his girlfriend." "The government has ditched plans to privatise the prison."
69
plant somebody (in something)
to send somebody to join a group, etc., especially in order to make secret reports on its members
"The police had planted an informer in the gang."
70
commodity
a raw material or a product that is bought and sold
"rice, flour and other basic commodities"
"Crude oil is the world's most important commodity."
"basic agricultural commodities"
"Commodity prices increased sharply."
71
syndicate
a group of people or companies who join together in order to achieve a particular aim.
"a crime syndicate"
"hey formed a syndicate to buy the car in which they competed in the race."
"The syndicates see these children as easy candidates to force into child labour."
72
faction
a small group of people within a larger group, who have different ideas from the other members.
"There are rival factions within the administration." "struggles between the different factions within the party"
73
forthright
direct and honest in manner and speech
SYNONYM frank, straightforward
"She’s always been very forthright about her preferences."
74
outright
1. complete and total.
"an outright ban/rejection/victory" "She was the outright winner." "No one party is expected to gain an outright majority."
2. open and direct, rather than indirect.
"There was outright opposition to the plan." "He finally resorted to an outright lie."
75
downright
[adv] used to emphasize that something is completely bad or untrue
"It’s downright disgusting!" "She couldn't think of anything to say that wasn't downright rude." It's not just stupid—it's downright dangerous."
76
in a bind
in a difficult situation that you do not know how to get out of.
" In my particular case, the airline was caught in a bind."
"If we go to questions, we're really going to be in a bind at lunch."
77
slapstick
humorous acting in which the performers fall over, throw things at each other etc
"a slapstick comedy" "I don't think slapstick is funny."
78
notch
a level on a scale, often marking quality or achievement
"The quality of the food here has dropped a notch recently."
"My spirits lifted a few notches when I heard the good news."
"Jackson raised his voice by a notch."
79
confidant /ˈkɒnfɪdænt/ /ˌkɒnfɪˈdɑːnt/
a person that you trust and who you talk to about private or secret things
"a close confidant of the president. "
"There were times when a semi-stranger was a better confidante than a close friend."
80
conspirator
a person who is involved in a conspiracy
"The emperor pardoned five of the conspirators."
conspiracy: a secret plan by a group of people to do something harmful or illegal
"They were charged with conspiracy to murder."
"There were many conspiracy theories"
81
endow
[verb] to give someone something, or to give a college, hospital etc a large sum of money that provides it with an income
82
laid-back
calm and relaxed; seeming not to worry about anything. SYNONYM easy-going
"She’s very laid-back about her exams."
"He loved the laid-back Caribbean lifestyle."
83
peer [verb]
to look closely or carefully at something, especially when you cannot see it clearly
"We peered into the shadows." "She kept peering over her shoulder." "He peered closely at the photograph."
84
psychic /ˈsaɪkɪk/
[adj],[noun]
[adj] connected with strange powers of the mind and not able to be explained by natural laws
"a spiritual healer with psychic powers" "a documentary on psychic phenomena"
[noun] someone who is psychic has the ability to know the future
"You don’t have to be psychic to know what Maggie is thinking."
85
helping
[noun] an amount of food given to somebody at a meal
SYNONYM serving
"a small/generous helping"
"We all had a second helping of pie."
"He held out his bowl for another helping."
86
encore /ˈɑːnkɔːr/
an extra short performance given at the end of a concert or other performance; a request for this made by an audience calling out
"She played a Chopin waltz as an encore."
"The group got three encores."
"He took several encores before the crowd finally began to leave.
The audience called for an encore."
87
quarters
quarters [plural] the rooms that are given to someone to live in as part of their job, especially servants or soldiers, workers
"The corporal and his family lived in married quarters."
"the servants'/officers' quarters"
"The top floor provided living quarters for the kitchen staff."
88
dashing
)a man who is dashing) wears nice clothes and is very attractive and confident
"a dashing young doctor"
"She married a dashing young lawyer from the city."
"The actor cuts a dashing figure as a young Jack Kennedy."
89
plucky /ˈplʌki/
brave and determined, having a lot of courage – often used in newspapers
"Plucky Denise saved her younger sister’s life."
"The plucky youngster had four operations during her long battle against the illness."
90
stout /staʊt/
1 .fairly fat and heavy, or having a thick body
"a short, stout man"
"She was a stout woman with an Austrian accent."
2. (literary) strong and thick SYN sturdy
"a stout pair of shoes"
"She stoutly denied the rumours."
91
gallant
1. [adj] (a man who is gallant): kind and polite towards women, showing polite attention to women
"you left her standing in the rain... that wasn’t very gallant of you."
"Having observed her recovery, the gallant youth departed."
2. (literary) brave, especially in a very difficult situation
SYNONYM heroic
" And his gallant countrymen were beaten at last."
"She made a gallant attempt to hide her tears."
92
a rule of thumb
a rough figure or method of calculation, based on practical experience
"As a general rule of thumb, children this age should not spend more than one hour on homework.?
"As a rule of thumb, you should cook a chicken for 20 minutes for each pound of weight."
"You should tip bellmen $1- $2 per bag, as a rule of thumb."
93
as a matter of course
(as) the usual way of dealing with something, the usual and correct thing to do
"We always check people's addresses as a matter of course."
"We will contact your former employer as a matter of course."
94
deadlock
a complete failure to reach agreement or settle an argument
SYNONYM stalemate
"The strike appeared to have reached deadlock."
"The talks have reached a complete deadlock."
"Negotiations ended in deadlock."
"a last-ditch (final) effort to break the deadlock"
95
gridlock
1. a situation in which streets in a city are so full of cars that they cannot move
"The protest march created gridlock."
"roads that are prone to gridlocks"
2. (usually in politics) a situation in which people with different opinions are not able to agree with each other and so no action can be taken
"Congress is in gridlock."
"The battle over spending led to gridlock."
96
pit stop
1. (in motor racing) an occasion when a car stops during a race for more fuel, etc.
"The cars made two pit stops during the race."
2. make a pit stop (American English informal)
to stop when driving on a long journey, for food, petrol, or to go to the toilet
"We made a pit stop to buy a bottle of water."
97
whim
a sudden wish to do or have something, especially when it is something unusual or unnecessary
"He was forced to pander to her every whim."
on a whim: "We bought the car on a whim."
at whim: "She hires and fires people at whim."
at the whim of sb: "My duties seem to change daily at the whim of the boss."
98
pander to
(disapproving) to do what somebody wants, or try to please them, especially when this is not acceptable or reasonable
"to pander to somebody’s wishes"
"He refuses to pander to the latest fashions."
"Highly trained staff will pander to your every whim.'
99
furore (UK) = furor (US) /ˈfjʊərɔː(r)/
great anger or excitement shown by a number of people, usually caused by a public event
SYNONYM uproar
"Her choice of words created quite a furore."
"His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians."
"the recent furore over the tax increases"
"The security leaks have caused a widespread furore."
100
craze (+for)
a fashion, game, type of music etc that becomes very popular for a short time SYN fad
"She started a craze for this type of jewellery."
""The princess started a craze for huge earrings."'
" At that time, scooters were the latest craze."
"Is this interest in health foods just a passing craze?"
101
laud
to praise somebody/something. "He was lauded for his courage."
laudable SYNONYM commendable
"It was a laudable attempt to end the stalemate in the talks."
"Laudable though these aims are, they are not likely to succeed."
102
dabble
to take part in a sport, an activity, etc. but not very seriously
"She is a talented musician but is content to just dabble."
"people who dabble in painting as a way of relaxing"
"He dabbles in local politics."
2. Move hands feet in water
"She dabbled her toes in the stream."
"children dabbling their feet in the sea"
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dally /ˈdæli/ verb (dallied, dallying, dallies)
1 to take too long to do something, especially to make a decision
"After months of dallying, the government has finally agreed to allow the plan to go ahead."
2. to act playfully, ot to deal lightly
"accused him of dallying with a serious problem"
3. to spend some time in a place, on your way to somewhere else
"He dallied in the Lake District for a while, then crossed to Belgium."
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blemish
a mark on the skin or on an object that makes it look less beautiful or perfect
"Her skin didn't have a single blemish."
"The police say the suspect has a slight blemish on his left cheek."
(figurative) "His reputation is without a blemish."
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speckle
a small coloured mark or spot on a background of a different colour
"a black bird with white speckles"
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superficial
1. (often disapproving) not studying or looking at something carefully or completely; seeing only what is obvious
"The book shows only a superficial understanding of the history."
"They had a superficial knowledge of the topic."
2. (disapproving) not serious or important and not having any depth of understanding or feeling. SYNONYM shallow
"a superficial friendship." "She's so superficial!"
"The guests engaged in superficial chatter."
3. seeming to have a particular quality, although this is not true or real
"Despite their superficial similarities, the two novels are, in fact, very different."
" Beneath his refined manners and superficial elegance lay something treacherous."
4. (of a wound or damage) only affecting the surface and therefore not serious
"She escaped with only superficial cuts and bruises."
"The storm only caused superficial damage to the building."
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grouse /ɡraʊs/
1. a complaint or a gripe (objecting) about something
"His main grouse is that he isn’t paid enough."
2. a bird with a fat body
grouse [verb]: complain, grumble
"She's been grousing to her boss about the working conditions."
"Fans have groused that the higher prices are unfair."
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rant
[noun] a loud and angry complaint
"He launched into a long rant about the unfairness of it all."
"a hysterical rant against the government"
[verb] complain about something in a loud and/or angry way
"She was ranting on about the unfairness of it all."
"Stop ranting at me!"
"‘It's not fair! They never give us a chance!’ he ranted."
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hold + up, fast
hold up: to remain strong and in good condition
"She's holding up well under the pressure."
hold fast: to continue to believe in an idea, etc. despite difficulties
"she had held fast to her principles."
"Bush urged the party to hold fast to its traditions."
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integral
forming a necessary & essential part of something,
"Vegetables are an integral part of our diet."
"Music should be an integral part of children's education."
"Cooperation is integral to the success of the program."
111
expatriate /ˌeksˈpætriət/
someone who lives in a foreign country
"American expatriates in Singapore"
"My family lived as expatriates in Hong Kong before I was born."
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vagabond /ˈvæɡəbɒnd/
a person who has no home or job and who travels from place to place
SYN tramp
"be wary of the vagabonds in that corner of the city"
"after they retired, the couple bought an RV and became footloose vagabonds"
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itinerant
[adj] travelling from place to place, especially to work
"itinerant labourers"
"an itinerant musician can see a lot of the world"
114
reprise /rɪˈpriːz/
[noun] a repeated part of something, especially a piece of music
"They ended their performance with a reprise of the opening number."
" The team is hoping to avoid a reprise of last year's defeat."
[verb] to act the same part again, play the same tune again etc
"He will reprise his role in the play."
" the prosecutor's closing statement effectively reprised the case against the defendant"
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emigrate /ˈemɪɡreɪt/
immigrate /ˈɪmɪɡreɪt/
emigrate [verb] to leave your own country to go and live permanently in another country
"My father emigrated from China to Singapore in the 1990s."
immigrate [verb] to come and live permanently in a (foreign) country
"About 6.6 million people immigrated to the United States in the 1970s."
[noun] emigrant: a person who leaves their country to live permanently in another
[noun] immigrant: a person who has come to live permanently in a different country
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congregate /ˈkɒŋɡrɪɡeɪt/
to come together in a group OPP disperse
"Crowds began to congregate to hear the president’s speech."
"Young people often congregate in the main square in the evenings."
"It's a place where the homeless congregate."
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stall [verb]
1. if a process stalls, or if someone stalls it, it stops making progress
"Talks have stalled and both sides are preparing for war."
"The peace process remained stalled last night."
2. if a vehicle or its engine stalls, it stops working because of a lack of power or speed
"The truck stalled on the hill."
"He struggled and stalled the car twice before finally driving away."
"An inexperienced pilot may easily stall a plane."
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deprive of (deprive somebody of something)
to prevent somebody from having or doing something that is important
"They were imprisoned and deprived of their basic rights."
"Why should you deprive yourself of such simple pleasures?"
"the risk of injury when the brain is deprived of oxygen"
"working those long hours was depriving him of his sleep"
119
disintegrate
to break into small parts or pieces and be destroyed
"The plane disintegrated as it fell into the sea."
"The wall just disintegrated in a shower of fragments and dust."
"a society disintegrating under economic pressures"
"The authority of the central government was rapidly disintegrating."
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degrade
1. to treat someone without respect and make them lose respect for themselves
"How can you degrade yourself by writing such trash?"
"This poster is offensive and degrades women."
"He felt degraded by their remarks."
2. to make a situation or the condition of something worse
"The dolphin’s habitat is being rapidly degraded."
"Scratches on a camera lens will degrade the image."
"Pollution has degraded air quality."
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faculty
1. a department or group of related departments within a university
"the Faculty of Law"
"the Engineering Faculty"
2. all the teachers in a faculty of a college or university
"the Law School faculty" "a faculty meeting"
"Both faculty and students oppose the measures."
3. a particular ability or skill that someone has SYN talent
"She had a great faculty for absorbing information."
"He had a faculty for seeing his own mistakes."
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rote [noun, but often adjective]
by rote: to learn by rote
Rote learning is the process of memorizing information based on repetition.
"In old-fashioned schools, much learning was by rote."
"You cannot fully understand a subject through rote learning."
"The teaching methods were based on rote memorization."
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eminent
1. (of people in a profession) famous and respected
"an eminent architect/artist/painter"
"an eminent scientist/poet/writer/historian/philosopher/scholar/professor."
2. (of good qualities) unusual; excellent
"a man of eminent good sense"
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evict
to force somebody to leave a house or land, especially when you have the legal right to do so
"A number of tenants have been evicted for not paying the rent."
"The council has tried to get them evicted."
"Police had to evict demonstrators from the building."
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swayed
influenced by sth and will tend to believe it
"He's easily swayed."
"She wasn't swayed by his good looks or his clever talk."
126
unfeasible
not feasible. not possible to do or achieve
"The teachers’ demands were economically unfeasible."
"That might have been possible 20 years ago, but now appears unfeasible even for a couple who both have high-paying jobs."
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ambitious
1. determined to be successful, rich, powerful, etc.
"a fiercely ambitious young manager"
"They were very ambitious for their children (= they wanted them to be successful)."
2. needing a lot of effort, money or time to succeed
"the government’s ambitious plans for social reform"
"Jogging every morning? That’s very ambitious, isn’t it?"
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interim
intended to last for only a short time until somebody/something more permanent is found
"an interim government/measure/report"
"The vice-president took power in the interim period before the election."
"He only holds the post on an interim basis."
129
spin a tale/story/yarn
spin a tale/story/yarn
to tell a story, especially using a lot of imagination
"She spun a story about a trip to Athens to meet one of the authors."
130
heinous
abominable
morally very bad, hatefully or shockingly evil : Syn: ABOMINABLE
"a heinous crime" "These murders were especially heinous."
Abominable: SYNONYM appalling, disgusting
"The judge described the attack as an abominable crime."
"We were served the most abominable coffee."
"I think you are utterly selfish and your behaviour has been abominable."
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abscond /əbˈskɒnd/
1. abscond (from something) to escape from a place that you are not allowed to leave without permission
"She absconded from every children’s home they placed her in."
2. abscond (with something) to leave secretly and take with you something, especially money, that does not belong to you
"He absconded with the company funds."
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pilfer
to steal things of little value or in small quantities, especially from the place where you work
"He was caught pilfering."
"She regularly pilfered stamps from work."
"She was sacked after being caught pilfering from the cashier machine."
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double as
to have another use or function as well as the main one
"The kitchen doubles as a dining room."
"The school doubled as a hospital during the war."
"the restaurant was short-handed, that the cashier had to double as a waiter as well"
134
pose as someone
to pretend to be someone else, in order to deceive people
"Bryce was caught posing as a lawyer."
135
purport
profess
purport: to claim to be something or to have done something, when this may not be true
SYNONYM profess
"Two undercover officers purporting to be dealers infiltrated the gang."
"The document is purported to be 300 years old."
profess: o claim that something is true or correct, especially when it is not
"The government professes to care about the poor."
"He professed to be an expert on Islamic art."
136
dearth
a lack of something; the fact of there not being enough of something
SYNONYM scarcity
"There was a dearth of reliable information on the subject."
"There is a dearth of qualified technicians."
137
appeal
appealing
[verb] to make a deeply felt request
"Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward."
[noun]
"The girl’s family have made a public appeal for help to try and catch her killer."
appealing: attractive or interesting
"Brightly coloured packaging made the pens especially appealing to children."
"The large salary made their offer even more appealing to him."
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prominent
1. important or well known
"a prominent politician"
"He played a prominent part in the campaign."
"She was prominent in the fashion industry."
2. easily seen SYNONYM noticeable.
"The church tower was a prominent feature in the landscape."
"The story was given a prominent position on the front page."
139
pertinent
appropriate to a particular situation
SYNONYM relevant
Please keep your comments pertinent to the topic under discussion.""
140
with respect to (something)
(formal or business) in connection with, concerning sth
"The two groups were similar with respect to income and status."
141
strain [verb]
(all meanings)
to strain: separate solid from liquid
"Use a colander to strain the vegetables after washing."
"Strain the juice from the cherries into a small saucepan."
142
intrepid /ɪnˈtrepɪd/
very brave; not afraid of danger or difficulties
SYNONYM fearless
"Traders and missionaries often proved themselves to be intrepid explorers."
143
gusty
with wind blowing in strong sudden movements
"a cold gusty October night"
144
seasoned
(of a person) having a lot of experience of a particular activity
"He is a seasoned traveller "
"Artie was by then a seasoned musician with six albums to his credit."
145
gastronomic
connected with cooking and eating food SYN culinary
"the gastronomic delights of Thailand"
"a gastronomic tour of European restaurants"
146
conventional
tending to follow what is done or considered acceptable by society (perhaps not very interesting). OPP: unconventional
"She's very conventional in her views."
"His views on dating are more conventional than those of some of his friends."
147
simplistic
excessively simple or simplified : treating a problem or subject with false simplicity by omitting or ignoring complicating factors or details
"a naïve and simplistic view of the world"
"His interpretation of the figures is far too simplistic."
"The simplistic headlines of the press can be very misleading."
148
listless
having no energy or enthusiasm
SYNONYM lethargic
"The illness left her feeling listless and depressed."
"The heat was making me listless."
149
bludgeon /ˈblʌdʒən/
1. to hit somebody several times with a heavy object
"She had been bludgeoned to death."
"He broke into the old man's house and bludgeoned him with a hammer."
2. to force somebody to do something, especially by arguing with them
"They tried to bludgeon me into joining their protest."
"She was determined not to be bludgeoned into submission."
"Their approach simply bludgeons you into submission."
150
plague /pleɪɡ/
(Verb)
[verb] to cause pain or trouble to somebody/something over a period of time
SYNONYM trouble
"Financial problems are plaguing the company."
"The team has been plagued by injury this season."
[noun] a disease spread by rats, or any disease that spreads quickly and kills a lot of people
"a decline in population following outbreaks of plague"
151
prevailing
existing or most common at a particular time
SYNONYM current, predominant
"the prevailing economic conditions"
"the attitude towards science prevailing at the time"
"The prevailing view seems to be that they will find her guilty."
152
probe
[verb] to ask questions in order to find out secret or hidden information
SYNONYM investigate
"He didn't like the media probing into his past."
"I don’t want to probe too deeply into your personal affairs."
"Police probed claims that he had sold drugs."
[noun] a complete and careful investigation of something
153
scope
[noun] 1. the range of things that a subject, an organization, an activity, etc. deals with
"This subject lies beyond the scope of our investigation."
"These issues were outside the scope of the article."
[noun] 2. the opportunity or ability to do or achieve something
SYNONYM potential
"Her job offers very little scope for promotion."
"There is considerable scope for further growth in the economy."
[verb] 1. to look at or examine something carefully and completely
"His eyes scoped the room, trying to spot her in the crowd."
[verb] 2. to examine something carefully before you start work
"The information helped us scope the project."
"They had already scoped out project needs and costs."
