vocab Flashcards
(181 cards)
1
Q
Absolve
A
declare (someone) free from guilt, obligation, or punishment
2
Q
Abstract
A
existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence
relating to or denoting art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but rather seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, colours, and textures
3
Q
Acquit
A
1 [with object] free (someone) from a criminal charge by a verdict of not guilty: she was acquitted on all counts | the jury acquitted Bream of murder.
2 (acquit oneself) conduct oneself or perform in a specified way: the goalkeeper acquitted himself well.
• (acquit oneself of) archaic discharge (a duty or responsibility): they acquitted themselves of their charge with vigilance.
4
Q
Acrimony
A
noun [mass noun]
bitterness or ill feeling:
5
Q
Advent
A
the arrival of a notable person or thing
6
Q
Aerate
A
introduce air into (a material)
7
Q
Affable
A
friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to
8
Q
Affinity
A
1 a natural liking for and understanding of someone or something: he had a special affinity with horses.
• a similarity of characteristics suggesting a relationship, especially a resemblance in structure between animals, plants, or languages: a semantic affinity between two words.
• [mass noun] relationship, especially by marriage as opposed to blood ties: the distinction between kinship and affinity is not always clear-cut.
2 chiefly Biochemistry the degree to which a substance tends to combine with another: the bacterial proteins bind to these molecules with high affinity.
9
Q
Affluence
A
the state of having a great deal of money; wealth
10
Q
Alleviate
A
make (suffering, deficiency, or a problem) less severe
11
Q
Ambivalence
A
the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone
12
Q
Amenable
A
open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled
(amenable to) capable of being acted upon in a particular way
13
Q
Antagonism
A
active hostility or opposition:
14
Q
Apathy
A
lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern
15
Q
Appellate
A
(especially of a court) concerned with or dealing with applications for decisions to be reversed: courts of appellate jurisdiction.
16
Q
Arcane
A
adjective
understood by few; mysterious or secret: arcane procedures for electing people.
17
Q
Aversion
A
a strong dislike or disinclination: they made plain their aversion to the use of force.
• someone or something that arouses a strong dislike or disinclination: my dog’s pet aversion is visitors, particularly males.
18
Q
Avert
A
1 turn away (one’s eyes or thoughts): she averted her eyes while we made stilted conversation.
2 prevent or ward off (an undesirable occurrence): talks failed to avert a rail strike.
19
Q
Benign
A
1 gentle and kind: his benign but firm manner.
• (of a climate or environment) mild and favourable: the climate becomes more benign as we move nearer to the Black Sea.
• not harmful to the environment: the cycle as a benign form of transport | [in combination] : an ozone-benign refrigerant.
2 Medicine (of a disease) not harmful in effect: a benign condition.
• (of a tumour) not malignant: benign growths.
20
Q
Blight
A
a plant disease, typically one caused by fungi such as mildews, rusts, and smuts: the vines suffered blight and disease | potato blight.
2 [in singular] a thing that spoils or damages something: her remorse could be a blight on that happiness.
• the degeneration of a landscape or urban area as a result of neglect: the city’s high-rise social housing had become synonymous with urban blight.
21
Q
Blithe
A
showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper: a blithe disregard for the rules of the road.
• literary happy or carefree: a blithe seaside comedy.
22
Q
Brittle
A
adjective
hard but liable to break easily: her bones became fragile and brittle.
• (of a person’s voice) unpleasantly hard and sharp and showing signs of instability or nervousness: a brittle laugh.
• appearing decisive or cheerful but unstable or nervous within: her manner was artificially bright and brittle.
23
Q
Buoyant
A
adjective
1 able or tending to keep afloat or rise to the top of a liquid or gas.
• (of a liquid or gas) able to keep something afloat: buoyant water.
2 cheerful and optimistic: the conference ended with the party in a buoyant mood.
3 (of an economy, business, or market) involving or engaged in much successful trade or activity: car sales were buoyant.
24
Q
Candour
A
the quality of being open and honest; frankness:
25
Charlatan
a person falsely claiming to have a special knowledge or skill
26
Chauvinism
exaggerated or aggressive patriotism.
| • excessive or prejudiced support for one's own cause, group, or sex. See also male chauvinism.
27
Chronicle
noun
a factual written account of important or historical events in the order of their occurrence: a vast chronicle of Spanish history | the rebels' demands for personal freedom are conspicuous in the chronicles.
• a fictitious or factual work describing a series of events: a chronicle of his life during the war years.
verb [with object]
record (a series of events) in a factual and detailed way: his work chronicles 20th-century migration.
28
Circumscribe
```
verb [with object]
1 restrict (something) within limits: the minister's powers are circumscribed both by tradition and the organization of local government.
2 Geometry draw (a figure) round another, touching it at points but not cutting it: if a hexagon is circumscribed about a circle the lines joining opposite vertices meet in one point. Compare with inscribe.
```
29
Circumspect
adjective
| wary and unwilling to take risks: the officials were very circumspect in their statements.
30
Coalesce
verb [no object]
come together to form one mass or whole: the puddles had coalesced into shallow streams.
• [with object] combine (elements) in a mass or whole: his idea served to coalesce all that happened into one connected whole.
31
Commendation
formal or official praise: the film deserved the highest commendation | [count noun] : the book gives commendations for initiative.
• [count noun] an award given for very good performance: the detectives received commendations for bravery.
• [count noun] a very good result in an examination or competition.
32
Commensurate
adjective
corresponding in size or degree; in proportion: salary will be commensurate with age and experience | such heavy responsibility must receive commensurate reward.
33
Congenial
adjective
(of a person) pleasing or liked on account of having qualities or interests that are similar to one's own: his need for some congenial company.
• (of a thing) pleasant or agreeable because suited to one's taste or inclination: he went back to a climate more congenial to his cold stony soul.
34
Consternation
a feeling of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected: to her consternation her car wouldn't start.
35
Contentious
causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial: a contentious issue.
• involving heated argument: the socio-economic plan had been the subject of contentious debate.
• (of a person) given to provoking argument.
• Law relating to or involving differences between contending parties.
36
Contingency
noun (plural contingencies)
a future event or circumstance which is possible but cannot be predicted with certainty: a detailed contract which attempts to provide for all possible contingencies.
• a provision for a possible event or circumstance: stores were kept as a contingency against a blockade.
• an incidental expense: allow an extra fifteen per cent on the budget for contingencies.
• [mass noun] the absence of certainty in events: the island's public affairs can occasionally be seen to be invaded by contingency.
• [mass noun] Philosophy the absence of necessity; the fact of being so without having to be so.
37
Countervailing
verb [with object] (usually as adjective countervailing)
offset the effect of (something) by countering it with something of equal force: the dominance of the party was mediated by a number of countervailing factors.
38
Curtail
verb [with object]
reduce in extent or quantity; impose a restriction on: civil liberties were further curtailed.
• (curtail someone of) archaic deprive someone of (something): I that am curtailed of this fair proportion.
39
Dawdle
verb [no object]
waste time; be slow: she mustn't dawdle—she had to make the call now.
• [with adverbial of direction] move slowly and idly in a particular direction: Ruth dawdled back through the wood.
40
Defamation
noun [mass noun]
| the action of damaging the good reputation of someone; slander or libel: she sued him for defamation.
41
Delineate
verb [with object]
1 describe or portray (something) precisely: the law should delineate and prohibit behaviour which is socially abhorrent.
2 indicate the exact position of (a border or boundary): his finger found a precisely outlined section delineated in red marker.
42
Demean
verb [with object]
cause a severe loss in the dignity of and respect for (someone or something): I had demeaned the profession.
• (demean oneself) do something that is beneath one's dignity: good potential MPs would not demean themselves by setting out to acquire popularity.
43
Derision
noun [mass noun]
| contemptuous ridicule or mockery: my stories were greeted with derision and disbelief.
44
Derivative
adjective
1 imitative of the work of another artist, writer, etc., and usually disapproved of for that reason: an artist who is not in the slightest bit derivative.
• originating from, based on, or influenced by: Darwin's work is derivative of the moral philosophers.
2 [attributive] Finance (of a product) having a value deriving from an underlying variable asset: equity-based derivative products.
noun
1 something which is based on another source: the aircraft is a derivative of the Falcon 20G.
• a word derived from another or from a root in the same or another language: ‘fly-tip’ is a derivative of the phrase ‘on the fly’.
• a substance that is derived chemically from a specified compound: crack is a highly addictive cocaine derivative.
2 (often derivatives) Finance an arrangement or product (such as a future, option, or warrant) whose value derives from and is dependent on the value of an underlying asset, such as a commodity, currency, or security: [as modifier] : the derivatives market.
3 Mathematics an expression representing the rate of change of a function with respect to an independent variable.
45
Despoliation
noun [mass noun]
the action of despoiling or the condition of being despoiled; plunder: the despoliation of the resources of the natural world.
46
Despotism
noun [mass noun]
the exercise of absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way: the ideology of enlightened despotism.
• [count noun] a country or political system where the ruler holds absolute power: some nations are democracies, others are despotisms.
47
Deterrent
noun
a thing that discourages or is intended to discourage someone from doing something: cameras are a major deterrent to crime.
• a nuclear weapon or weapons system regarded as deterring an enemy from attack: Britain's nuclear deterrent.
adjective
able or intended to deter: the deterrent effect of heavy prison sentences.
48
Devise
verb [with object]
1 plan or invent (a complex procedure, system, or mechanism) by careful thought: a training programme should be devised | a complicated game of his own devising.
2 Law leave (something, especially real estate) to someone by the terms of a will.
noun Law
a clause in a will leaving something, especially real estate, to someone.
49
Digression
noun
a temporary departure from the main subject in speech or writing: let's return to the main topic after that brief digression.
50
Disinter
```
verb (disinters, disinterring, disinterred) [with object]
dig up (something that has been buried, especially a corpse): his corpse was disinterred and dumped in a pit.
• discover (something that is well hidden): he has disinterred an important collection of writings.
```
51
Disparage
verb [with object]
| regard or represent as being of little worth: he never missed an opportunity to disparage his competitors.
52
Disparate
adjective
essentially different in kind; not able to be compared: they inhabit disparate worlds of thought.
• containing elements very different from one another: a culturally disparate country.
53
dispel
make (a doubt, feeling, or belief) disappear: the brightness of the day did nothing to dispel Elaine's dejection.
54
Dissent
noun [mass noun]
the holding or expression of opinions at variance with those commonly or officially held: there was no dissent from this view.
• (also Dissent) refusal to accept the doctrines of an established or orthodox Church; nonconformity: rural communities with a long tradition of Dissent.
• (in sport) the offence of expressing disagreement with the referee's decision: he was sent off for dissent.
55
dissipate
verb
1 (with reference to a feeling or emotion) disappear or cause to disappear: [no object] : the concern she'd felt for him had wholly dissipated | [with object] : he wanted to dissipate his anger.
• disperse or scatter: the cloud of smoke dissipated.
2 [with object] waste or fritter away (money, energy, or resources): he inherited, but then dissipated, his father's fortune.
56
Edifice
noun formal
1 a large, imposing building.
2 a complex system of beliefs: the concepts on which the edifice of capitalism was built.
57
Elated
verb [with object] (usually as adjective elated)
make (someone) ecstatically happy: I felt elated at beating Dennis.
adjective archaic
in high spirits; exultant or proud: their elate and animated faces.
58
err
verb [no object] formal
be mistaken or incorrect; make a mistake: the judge had erred in ruling that the evidence was inadmissible.
• (often as adjective erring) sin; do wrong: the erring brother who had wrecked his life
59
Eschew
verb [with object]
| deliberately avoid using; abstain from: he appealed to the crowd to eschew violence.
60
Esoteric
adjective
intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest: esoteric philosophical debates.
61
Espouse
verb [with object]
1 adopt or support (a cause, belief, or way of life): she espoused the causes of justice and freedom for all.
2 archaic marry: Edward had espoused the lady Grey.
• (be espoused to) (of a woman) be engaged to (a particular man): she was secretly espoused to his son, Peter | a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph.
62
Expedite
verb [with object]
| make (an action or process) happen sooner or be accomplished more quickly: he promised to expedite economic reforms.
63
Facsimile
noun
an exact copy, especially of written or printed material: a facsimile of the manuscript | [as modifier] : facsimile editions.
• another term for fax1.
64
Fallacious
adjective
| based on a mistaken belief: fallacious arguments.
65
Fastidious
adjective
very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail: she dressed with fastidious care.
• very concerned about matters of cleanliness: the child seemed fastidious about getting her fingers dirty.
66
Fervour
noun
1 [mass noun] intense and passionate feeling: he talked with all the fervour of a new convert.
2 archaic intense heat.
67
Flippant
adjective
| not showing a serious or respectful attitude: a flippant remark.
68
Formidable
adjective
| inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense, or capable: a formidable opponent.
69
Forthright
1 (of a person or their manner or speech) direct and outspoken: his most forthright attack yet on the reforms.
70
Garrulous
adjective
| excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters: a garrulous cab driver.
71
Gregarious
adjective
(of a person) fond of company; sociable: he was a popular and gregarious man.
• (of animals) living in flocks or loosely organized communities: gregarious species forage in flocks from colonies or roosts.
• (of plants) growing in open clusters or in pure associations: in the wild, trees are usually gregarious plants.
72
Heed
verb [with object]
pay attention to; take notice of: he should have heeded the warnings.
noun [mass noun]
careful attention: if he heard, he paid no heed | we must take heed of the suggestions
73
Iconoclastic
adjective
criticizing or attacking cherished beliefs or institutions: an iconoclastic filmmaker who has pushed the boundaries with every film he's made.
74
Impede
verb [with object]
| delay or prevent (someone or something) by obstructing them; hinder: the sap causes swelling which can impede breathing.
75
Implacable
adjective
unable to be appeased or placated: he was an implacable enemy of Ted's.
• unable to be stopped; relentless: the implacable advance of the enemy.
76
Imprimatur
noun
an official licence issued by the Roman Catholic Church to print an ecclesiastical or religious book: the imprimatur for this edition was granted by Cardinal O'Casey.
• a person's authoritative approval: the original LP enjoyed the imprimatur of the composer.
77
Inadvertently
adverb
| without intention; accidentally: his name had been inadvertently omitted from the list.
78
Incongruity
the state of being incongruous; incompatibility: the incongruity of his fleshy face and skinny body disturbed her | [count noun] : the movie presents numerous incongruities and reversals.
79
Indict
formally accuse of or charge with a crime: his former manager was indicted for fraud.
80
Inept
adjective
| having or showing no skill; clumsy: the referee's inept handling of the match.
81
Infallible
adjective
incapable of making mistakes or being wrong: doctors are not infallible.
• never failing; always effective: infallible cures.
• (in the Roman Catholic Church) credited with papal infallibility: for an encyclical to be infallible the Pope must speak ex cathedra
82
ingenious
adjective
| (of a person) clever, original, and inventive: he was ingenious enough to overcome the limited budget.
83
Ingenuous
adjective
(of a person or action) innocent and unsuspecting: he eyed her with wide, ingenuous eyes | she's staggeringly ingenuous, or possibly very cunning indeed
84
Ingrate
noun
| an ungrateful person
85
Inimical
adjective
tending to obstruct or harm: the policy was inimical to Britain's real interests.
• unfriendly; hostile: an inimical alien power.
86
Innocuous
adjective
| not harmful or offensive: it was an innocuous question.
87
Inscrutable
adjective
| impossible to understand or interpret: Guy looked blankly inscrutable.
88
Intermittent
adjective
| occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady: intermittent rain.
89
Irradiate
verb [with object]
1 expose (someone or something) to radiation.
• expose (food) to gamma rays to kill microorganisms.
2 illuminate (something) by or as if by shining light on it: happiness filled her, irradiating her whole face.
90
Judicious
adjective
| having, showing, or done with good judgement or sense: the judicious use of public investment.
91
Laud
verb [with object] formal
praise (a person or their achievements) highly: the obituary lauded him as a great statesman and soldier | (as adjective, with submodifier lauded) : her much-lauded rendering of Lady Macbeth.
noun [mass noun] archaic
praise: all glory, laud, and honour to Thee Redeemer King.
92
Levity
the treatment of a serious matter with humour or lack of due respect: as an attempt to introduce a note of levity, the words were a disastrous flop.
93
Litigate
verb [no object]
resort to legal action to settle a matter; be involved in a lawsuit: the plaintiff is prepared to litigate.
• [with object] take (a claim or a dispute) to a law court: even a claim which is litigated and defended successfully involves high legal costs.
94
Lugubrious
adjective
| looking or sounding sad and dismal: his face looked even more lugubrious than usual.
95
Manifold
adjective formal or literary
many and various: the implications of this decision were manifold.
• having many different forms or elements: the appeal of the crusade was manifold.
96
mantle
noun
1 a loose sleeveless cloak or shawl, worn especially by women: she was wrapped tightly in her mantle.
• a covering of a specified sort: the houses were covered with a thick mantle of snow.
• Ornithology a bird's back, scapulars, and wing coverts, especially when of a distinctive colour: many gulls are all white except for dark grey mantle and wings.
• Zoology (in molluscs, cirripedes, and brachiopods) a fold of skin enclosing the viscera and secreting the shell.
2 an important role or responsibility that passes from one person to another: the second son has now assumed his father's mantle. [with allusion to the passing of Elijah's cloak (mantle) to Elisha (2 Kings 2:13).]
97
Misanthropic
adjective
having or showing a dislike of other people; unsociable: a misanthropic drunken loner | with his misanthropic outlook, he was an ugly character.
98
Mitigate
verb [with object]
make (something bad) less severe, serious, or painful: drainage schemes have helped to mitigate this problem.
• lessen the gravity of (an offence or mistake): (as adjective mitigating) : he would have faced a prison sentence but for mitigating circumstances.
99
adducing
to present
100
accrue
1. (of a benefit or sum of money) be received by someone in regular or increasing amounts over time."financial benefits will accrue from restructuring"
* accumulate or receive (payments or benefits) over time."they accrue entitlements to holiday pay"
* make provision for (a charge) at the end of a financial period for work that has been done but not yet invoiced."at 31 December the amount due for the final quarter is accrued"
101
Mollify
appease the anger or anxiety of (someone): nature reserves were set up around the power stations to mollify local conservationists.
• rare reduce the severity of (something): the women hoped to mollify the harsh wilderness environment.
102
Monolithic
```
1 formed of a single large block of stone: later Byzantine columns were monolithic and usually made of marble.
• (of a building) very large and characterless: IPC moved the paper from Covent Garden to the monolithic King's Reach Tower.
2 (of an organization or system) large, powerful, indivisible, and slow to change: rejecting any move towards a monolithic European superstate.
3 Electronics (of a solid-state circuit) composed of active and passive components formed in a single chip: a video converter on a single monolithic chip.
```
103
Monotony
noun [mass noun]
lack of variety and interest; tedious repetition and routine: you can become resigned to the monotony of captivity.
• sameness of pitch or tone in a sound or utterance: depression flattens the voice almost to monotony.
104
Morass
noun
1 an area of muddy or boggy ground: in midwinter the track beneath this bridge became a muddy morass.
2 a complicated or confused situation: she would become lost in a morass of lies and explanations.
105
Moribund
adjective
(of a person) at the point of death: on examination she was moribund and dehydrated.
• (of a thing) in terminal decline; lacking vitality or vigour: the moribund commercial property market.
106
Morose
adjective
| sullen and ill-tempered: she was morose and silent when she got home.
107
Mudslinging
noun [mass noun] informal
the use of insults and accusations, especially unjust ones, with the aim of damaging the reputation of an opponent: politicians seem to rely on mud-slinging instead of argument.
108
Multifarious
adjective
many and of various types: multifarious activities.
• having many varied parts or aspects: a vast multifarious organization.
109
Municipal
adjective
| relating to a town or district or its governing body: national and municipal elections | municipal offices.
110
Munificent
adjective
| characterized by or displaying great generosity: a munificent bequest | a munificent patron of the arts.
111
Mutability
liability or tendency to change: the incessant mutability of species | the very diversity of his fans suggest his mutability.
112
Myopia
noun [mass noun]
the quality of being short-sighted: he wore spectacles to correct a mild degree of myopia.
• lack of foresight or intellectual insight: the company's corporate myopia.
113
Myriad
1 a countless or extremely great number of people or things: myriads of insects danced around the light above my head.
114
Nebulous
in the form of a cloud or haze; hazy: a giant nebulous glow.
• another term for nebular.
2 (of a concept) vague or ill-defined: nebulous concepts like quality of life.
115
Nefarious
(typically of an action or activity) wicked or criminal: the nefarious activities of the organized-crime syndicates.
116
Neologism
noun
a newly coined word or expression.
• [mass noun] the coining or use of new words.
117
Nominal
adjective
1 (of a role or status) existing in name only: Thailand retained nominal independence under Japanese military occupation.
• relating to or consisting of names: the streets have names like Third Avenue, but the resemblance to Manhattan is only nominal | a nominal roll of the Grenadier Company shows a total of 86 men.
2 (of a price or charge) very small; far below the real value or cost: they charge a nominal fee for the service.
3 (of a quantity or dimension) stated or expressed but not necessarily corresponding exactly to the real value: EU legislation allowed variation around the nominal weight (that printed on each packet).
• Economics expressed in terms of current prices or figures, without making allowance for changes over time: the nominal exchange rate.
4 Grammar relating to or functioning as a noun: a nominal group.
5 informal (chiefly in the context of space travel) functioning normally or acceptably.
118
Obtuse
1 annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand: he wondered if the doctor was being deliberately obtuse.
• difficult to understand, especially deliberately so: some of the lyrics are a bit obtuse.
2 (of an angle) more than 90° and less than 180°: an obtuse angle of 150°.
3 not sharp-pointed or sharp-edged; blunt: it had strange obtuse teeth.
119
Obviate
remove (a need or difficulty): the presence of roller blinds obviated the need for curtains.
• avoid or prevent (something undesirable): a parachute can be used to obviate disaster.
120
Officious
adjective
assertive of authority in a domineering way, especially with regard to trivial matters: the security people were very officious.
• intrusively enthusiastic in offering help or advice; interfering: an officious bystander.
121
Oligarchy
a small group of people having control of a country or organization: the ruling oligarchy of military men around the president.
• a country governed by an oligarchy: he believed that Britain was an oligarchy.
• [mass noun] government by an oligarchy.
122
Onerous
adjective
(of a task or responsibility) involving a great deal of effort, trouble, or difficulty: he found his duties increasingly onerous.
• Law involving heavy obligations: an onerous lease.
123
Opulent
ostentatiously costly and luxurious: the opulent comfort of a limousine.
• wealthy: his more opulent tenants.
124
Ostensible
stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so: the real dispute which lay behind the ostensible complaint.
125
Ostensibly
apparently
126
Ostentatious
adjective
characterized by pretentious or showy display; designed to impress: a simple design that is glamorous without being ostentatious.
127
Paucity
noun [in singular]
| the presence of something in only small or insufficient quantities or amounts: a paucity of information.
128
Perfunctory
adjective
| (of an action) carried out without real interest, feeling, or effort: he gave a perfunctory nod.
129
Pervasive
adjective
(especially of an unwelcome influence or physical effect) spreading widely throughout an area or a group of people: ageism is pervasive and entrenched in our society.
130
Petulant
adjective
(of a person or their manner) childishly sulky or bad-tempered: he was moody and petulant | a petulant shake of the head.
131
Polemic
noun
a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something: his polemic against the cultural relativism of the Sixties | [mass noun] : a writer of feminist polemic.
• (usually polemics) the practice of engaging in controversial debate or dispute: the history of science has become embroiled in religious polemics.
132
Potency
1 the power of something to influence or make an impression: a myth of enormous potency.
• the strength of an intoxicant or drug, as measured by the amount needed to produce a certain response: the unexpected potency of the rum punch | the potency of these drugs paralleled their effectiveness.
• [count noun] (in homeopathy) the number of times a remedy has been diluted and succussed, taken as a measure of the strength of the effect it will produce: she was given a low potency twice daily.
• Genetics the extent of the contribution of an allele towards the production of a phenotypic characteristic.
• Biology a capacity in embryonic tissue for developing into a particular specialized tissue or organ.
2 a male's ability to achieve an erection or to reach orgasm: the myth of declining sexual potency with increasing age.
133
Premonition
a strong feeling that something is about to happen, especially something unpleasant: he had a premonition of imminent disaster.
134
Promulgate
verb [with object]
promote or make widely known (an idea or cause): these objectives have to be promulgated within the organization.
• put (a law or decree) into effect by official proclamation: in January 1852 the new Constitution was promulgated.
135
Propensity
noun (plural propensities)
an inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way: his propensity for violence | [with infinitive] : their innate propensity to attack one another.
136
Propound
```
verb [with object]
put forward (an idea or theory) for consideration by others: he began to propound the idea of a ‘social monarchy’ as an alternative to Franco.
```
137
Proscription
noun [mass noun]
the action of forbidding something; banning: the proscription of the party after the 1715 Rebellion.
• condemnation or denunciation of something: he plays a the priest whose moral proscriptions lead only to catastrophe.
138
Protract
verb [with object]
| prolong: he had certainly taken his time, even protracting the process.
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Querulous
adjective
| complaining in a rather petulant or whining manner: she became querulous and demanding.
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Quixotic
adjective
| extremely idealistic; unrealistic and impractical: a vast and perhaps quixotic project.
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Remit
cancel or refrain from exacting or inflicting (a debt or punishment): the excess of the sentence over 12 months was remitted.
• Theology forgive (a sin): God's act of remitting the sins of guilty men.
2 send (money) in payment or as a gift: the income they remitted to their families.
3 refer (a matter for decision) to an authority: the request for an investigation was remitted to a special committee.
• Law send back (a case) to a lower court.
• Law send (someone) from one tribunal to another for a trial or hearing: it remits an offender to another court after convicting him.
• archaic postpone: the movers refused Mr Tierney's request to remit the motion.
• archaic consign again to a previous state: thus his indiscretion remitted him to the nature of an ordinary person.
4 [no object] archaic diminish: phobias may remit spontaneously without any treatment.
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Repertory
1 [mass noun] the performance of various plays, operas, or ballets by a company at regular short intervals: [as modifier] : a repertory actor.
• repertory theatres regarded collectively: his long apprenticeship in repertory was as satisfying as what he is doing now.
• [count noun] a repertory company: regional repertories and touring companies.
2 another term for repertoire: a fair conspectus of Ferrier's repertory has been preserved for posterity.
• a repository or collection, especially of information: most countries produce several periodical repertories of useful information.
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Repudiate
verb [with object]
1 refuse to accept; reject: she has repudiated policies associated with previous party leaders.
• chiefly Law refuse to fulfil or discharge (an agreement, obligation, or debt): breach of a condition gives the other party the right to repudiate a contract.
• (in the past or in non-Christian religions) disown or divorce (one's wife): Philip was excommunicated in 1095 because he had repudiated his wife.
2 deny the truth or validity of: the minister repudiated allegations of human rights abuses.
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Reticent
adjective
| not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily: she was extremely reticent about her personal affairs.
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Reverent
adjective
| feeling or showing deep and solemn respect: a reverent silence.
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Salutary
adjective
(especially with reference to something unwelcome or unpleasant) producing good effects; beneficial: it failed to draw salutary lessons from Britain's loss of its colonies.
• archaic health-giving: the salutary Atlantic air.
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Surefootedness
adjective
unlikely to stumble or slip: tough, sure-footed hill ponies.
• confident and competent: the challenges of the 1990s demand a responsible and sure-footed government.
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Surreptitious
adjective
kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of: low wages were supplemented by surreptitious payments from tradesmen.
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Taciturn
adjective
(of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little: after such gatherings she would be taciturn and morose.
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Thwart
verb [with object]
prevent (someone) from accomplishing something: he never did anything to thwart his father | he was thwarted in his desire to punish Uncle Fred.
• oppose (a plan, attempt, or ambition) successfully: the government had been able to thwart all attempts by opposition leaders to form new parties.
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Torpor
noun [mass noun]
| a state of physical or mental inactivity; lethargy: they veered between apathetic torpor and hysterical fanaticism.
152
Transient
adjective
lasting only for a short time; impermanent: a transient cold spell.
• staying or working in a place for a short time only: the transient nature of the labour force in catering.
153
Trepidation
noun [mass noun]
1 a feeling of fear or anxiety about something that may happen: the men set off in fear and trepidation.
2 archaic trembling movements or motion.
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Ubiquitous
adjective
present, appearing, or found everywhere: his ubiquitous influence was felt by all the family | cowboy hats are ubiquitous among the male singers.
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Unctuous
adjective
1 excessively flattering or ingratiating; oily: he seemed anxious to please but not in an unctuous way.
2 (chiefly of minerals) having a greasy or soapy feel.
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Unremitting
adjective
| never relaxing or slackening; incessant: unremitting drizzle.
157
Unwitting
adjective
1 (of a person) not aware of the full facts: an unwitting accomplice.
2 not done on purpose; unintentional: we are anxious to rectify the unwitting mistakes made in the past.
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Usurp
verb [with object]
take (a position of power or importance) illegally or by force: Richard usurped the throne.
• take the place of (someone in a position of power) illegally; supplant: the Hanoverian dynasty had usurped the Stuarts.
• [no object] (usurp on/upon) archaic encroach or infringe upon (someone's rights): the Church had usurped upon the domain of the state.
159
Vagrancy
noun [mass noun]
| the state of living as a vagrant; homelessness: a descent into vagrancy and drug abuse.
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Verisimilitude
noun [mass noun]
| the appearance of being true or real: the detail gives the novel some verisimilitude.
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vernacular
```
noun
1 (usually the vernacular) the language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people of a country or region: he wrote in the vernacular to reach a larger audience.
• [with adjective or noun modifier] informal the terminology used by people belonging to a specified group or engaging in a specialized activity: [mass noun] : gardening vernacular.
2 [mass noun] architecture concerned with domestic and functional rather than public or monumental buildings: buildings in which Gothic merged into farmhouse vernacular.
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Vicarious
adjective
1 experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person: this catalogue brings vicarious pleasure in luxury living.
2 acting or done for another: a vicarious atonement.
163
Vicissitude
noun
1 (usually vicissitudes) a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant: her husband's sharp vicissitudes of fortune.
2 [mass noun] literary alternation between opposite or contrasting things: the vicissitude of the seasons.
164
Vignette
noun
1 a brief evocative description, account, or episode: a classic vignette of embassy life.
2 a small illustration or portrait photograph which fades into its background without a definite border.
3 a small ornamental design filling a space in a book or carving, typically based on foliage.
verb [with object]
portray (someone) in the style of a vignette.
• produce (a photograph) in the style of a vignette by softening or shading away the edges of the subject: (as adjective vignetted) : instructions had been sent to the shop to make a cropped, oval, vignetted copy of a family group portrait.
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Vindicate
verb [with object]
clear (someone) of blame or suspicion: hospital staff were vindicated by the inquest verdict.
• show or prove to be right, reasonable, or justified: more sober views were vindicated by events.
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Virtuoso
1 a person highly skilled in music or another artistic pursuit: a celebrated clarinet virtuoso | [as modifier] : virtuoso guitar playing.
2 a person with a special knowledge of or interest in works of art or curios.
167
Virulent
adjective
1 (of a disease or poison) extremely severe or harmful in its effects: a virulent strain of influenza | the poison is so virulent that it kills a fish instantly.
• (of a pathogen, especially a virus) highly infective: Staphylococcus aureus is a common organism whose virulent strains are causing problems.
2 bitterly hostile: a virulent attack on liberalism.
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Wanton
adjective
1 (of a cruel or violent action) deliberate and unprovoked: sheer wanton vandalism.
2 (especially of a woman) sexually immodest or promiscuous: her cheeks burned as she recalled how forward she had been, how wanton.
3 archaic
growing profusely; luxuriant: where wanton ivy twines.
• lively; playful: a wanton fawn.
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wayward
adjective
difficult to control or predict because of wilful or perverse behaviour: a wayward adolescent | figurative : his wayward emotions.
170
Wistful
adjective
| having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing: a wistful smile.
171
Zeal
great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective: his zeal for privatization | Laura brought a missionary zeal to her work.
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Zenith
1 the time at which something is most powerful or successful: in 1977, punk was at its zenith.
2 Astronomy the point in the sky or celestial sphere directly above an observer. The opposite of nadir.
• the highest point reached by a given celestial object: the sun was well past the zenith.
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Zest
noun [mass noun]
1 great enthusiasm and energy: they campaigned with zest and intelligence | [in singular] : she had a great zest for life.
• a quality of excitement and piquancy: I used to try to beat past records to add zest to my monotonous job.
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laudable
of an action, idea or claim deserving praise and commendation
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idiosyncrasy
1 a mode of behaviour or way of thought peculiar to an individual: one of his little idiosyncrasies was always preferring to be in the car first.
• a distinctive or peculiar feature or characteristic of a place or thing: the idiosyncrasies of the prison system.
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prevaricate
speak or act in an evasive way: he seemed to prevaricate when journalists asked pointed questions.
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vehemence
great forcefulness or intensity of feeling or expression: the vehemence of his reaction.
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incumbent
adjective
1 (incumbent on/upon) necessary for (someone) as a duty or responsibility: the government realized that it was incumbent on them to act.
2 [attributive] (of an official or regime) currently holding office: the incumbent President was defeated.
3 [attributive] (of a company) having a sizeable share of a market: powerful incumbent airlines.
noun
the holder of an office or post: the present incumbent will soon be retiring.
• Christian Church the holder of an ecclesiastical benefice.
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tacit
adjective
| understood or implied without being stated: your silence may be taken to mean tacit agreement.
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bulwark
noun
1 a defensive wall.
• a person or thing that acts as a defence: the security forces are a bulwark against the breakdown of society.
2 (usually bulwarks) an extension of a ship's sides above the level of the deck: the ships met, their crews lining the bulwarks.
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deleterious
deleterious | ˌdɛlɪˈtɪərɪəs |
adjective formal
causing harm or damage: divorce is assumed to have deleterious effects on children.
