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1100 Words > Week Twenty One > Flashcards

Week Twenty One Flashcards

1
Q

Ivory

A

N: the hard yellowish-white substance that forms the tusks of some animals such as elephants, used especially in the past to make decorative objects

Example:
-Ivory is a softer material than you might imagine.
-a ban on ivory trading

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2
Q

Scion

A

N: a young member of a rich and famous family

Example:
He’s the scion of a very wealthy newspaper-publishing family.

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3
Q

Indoctrinate

A

V: to often repeat an idea or belief to someone until they accept it without criticism or question; to teach certain principles

Example:
-indoctrinate someone in something: Some parents were critical of attempts to indoctrinate children in green ideology.
-They have been indoctrinated by television to believe that violence is normal.

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4
Q

Assume

A

V: to accept something to be true without question or proof

Example:
-We mustn’t assume the suspects’ guilt.
-I assumed (that) you knew each other because you went to the same school.

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5
Q

Opulence

A

N: the quality of being expensive and luxurious; wealth; riches

Example:
-He says living in such opulence makes him uneasy.
-She stared around her in awe at the sheer opulence of the room.

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6
Q

Shield

A

V: to protect someone or something

Example:
-She held her hand above her eyes to shield them from the sun.
-They are accused of trying to shield the General from US federal investigators.

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7
Q

Obsiquious

A

Adj: too eager to serve or obey someone; seeking favor; fawning

Example:
She is embarrassingly obsequious to anyone in authority.

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8
Q

Tutor

A

N: a teacher who teaches a child outside of school, especially in order to give the child extra help with a subject he or she finds difficult

Example:
-His parents got him a tutor to help with his maths.
-home tutor: During my illness I was taught by a series of home tutors.

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9
Q

Fencing

A

N: the sport of fighting with long, thin swords

Example:
-a fencing tournament/mask
-I did a little bit of fencing while I was at college.

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10
Q

Lavish something on someone/something

A

Phrasal verb: to give someone a lot, or too much, of something such as money, presents, or attention

Example:
-She lavishes money on her grandchildren.
-The committee lavished praise on the project.

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11
Q

Fulsome

A

Adj: expressing a lot of admiration or praise for someone, often too much, in a way that does not sound sincere; excessive; insincere

Example:
-fulsome praise: Her new book has received fulsome praise from the critics.
-fulsome in: Our guests were fulsome in their compliments about the food.

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12
Q

Gullible

A

Adj: easily deceived or tricked, and too willing to believe everything that other people say

Example:
There are any number of miracle cures on the market for people gullible enough to buy them.

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13
Q

Lush

A

Adj: A lush area has a lot of green, healthy plants, grass, and trees; luxurious; elaborate

Example:
lush green valleys

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14
Q

Profoundly

A

Adv: deeply or extremely

Example:
-Society has changed so profoundly over the last 50 years.
-We are all profoundly grateful for your help and encouragement.

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15
Q

Misery

A

N: great unhappiness

Example:
-We have witnessed the most appalling scenes of human misery.
-Ten years of marriage to him have made her life a misery.

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16
Q

Destitution

A

N: the state of being without money, food, a home, or possessions; extreme poverty

Example:
-Destitution has become a major problem in the capital.
-They both died in poverty and destitution.

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17
Q

Excruciating

A

Adj: extremely painful

Example:
excruciating pain: an excruciating pain in the lower back

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18
Q

Retiring

A

Adj: unwilling to be noticed or to be with other people

Example:
to be shy and retiring

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19
Q

Ponder

A

V: to think carefully about something, especially for a noticeable length of time; to consider carefully

Example:
She sat back for a minute to ponder her next move in the game.

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20
Q

Supplicate

A

V: to ask for something in a humble way

Example:
I knew I could not go on supplicating for more.

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21
Q

Decadence

A

N: a state of low standards in a society; social decay

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22
Q

Amends

A

N:
-make amends
to do something good to show that you are sorry about something you have done

Example:
-She tried to make amends by inviting him out to dinner.
-I wanted to make amends for the worry I’ve caused you.

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23
Q

Fraternity

A

N: a group of people who have the same job or interest

Example:
-the legal fraternity (= lawyers)
-the criminal fraternity (= criminals)

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24
Q

Rife

A

Adj: If something unpleasant is rife, it is very common or happens a lot

Example:
Graft and corruption were rife in city government.

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25
Penance
N: an act that shows that you feel sorry about something that you have done, sometimes for religious reasons; atonement for sin Example: -As a penance, she said she would buy them all a box of chocolates. -They are doing penance for their sins.
26
Ascetic
Adj: avoiding physical pleasures and living a simple life, often for religious reasons; one who practices self-denial and devotion Example: They live a very ascetic life.
27
Desultory
Adj: without a clear plan or purpose and showing little effort or interest; occurring by chance; disconnected Example: -She made a desultory attempt at conversation. -He wandered around, cleaning up in a desultory way.
28
Disciple
N: a person who believes in the ideas of a leader, esp. a religious or political one, and tries to live according to those ideas; follower Example: Jesse Jackson was a disciple of Martin Luther King, Jr.
29
Torment
N: great mental suffering and unhappiness, or great physical pain Example: -endure torment: The family said they had endured years of torment and abuse at the hands of their neighbors. -Waiting for the result of the medical tests was sheer torment.
30
Metamorphosis
N: a complete change Example: Under the new editor, the magazine has undergone a metamorphosis.
31
Enlightened
Adj: 1.showing understanding, acting in a positive way, and not following old-fashioned or false beliefs Example: -The school has an enlightened policy of teaching boys to cook. -These days she's much more enlightened in her views on education. 2.knowing the truth about existence Example: Buddha was an enlightened being.
32
Diatribe
N: an angry speech or piece of writing that severely criticizes something or someone Example: launch into a diatribe against: He launched into a long diatribe against the lack of action in Congress.
33
Mendacity
N: the act of not telling the truth Example: Politicians are often accused of mendacity.
34
Impose
V: to force someone to accept something, especially a belief or way of living Example: -impose something on someone: I don't want them to impose their religious beliefs on my children. -We must impose some kind of order on the way this office is run.
35
Mansion
N: a very large, expensive house Example: The street is lined with enormous mansions where the rich and famous live.
36
Supplication
N: earnest request Example: Larry’s composition proceed in a desultory manner despite the supplication of his English teacher
37
Implore
V: to ask someone to do or not do something in a very sincere, emotional, and determined way Example: implore someone to do something: She implored her parents not to send her away to school.
38
Desist
V: to stop doing something Example: She was ordered to desist from playing music after 11 p.m.
39
Self-torment
N: great mental suffering and unhappiness caused by your own thoughts Example: -After months of self-torment and indecision, he achieved some sort of peace. -She carried a heavy weight of guilt and self-torment.
40
BONA FIDE
Adj: real, not false Example: Make sure you are dealing with a bona fide company.
41
Salvation
N: (a way of) being saved from danger, loss, or harm; deliverance from ruin Example: -After the diagnosis, getting to know Mary was his salvation. -a marriage beyond salvation
42
Repudiate
V: to refuse to accept or obey something or someone; reject Example: The evidence presented at the trial has since been repudiated.
43
Materialism
N: the belief that having money and possessions is the most important thing in life; attention to worldly things and neglect of spiritual needs Example: So have we become a self-centred society, preoccupied with materialism?
44
Nurture
V: to take care of, feed, and protect someone or something, especially young children or plants, and help him, her, or it to develop; to nourish; to support Example: -She wants to stay at home and nurture her children. -a carefully nurtured garden
45
Preach
V: to give a religious speech Example: The minister preached a sermon on the need for forgiveness.
46
Nirvana
N: a state of freedom from all suffering that Buddhists believe can be achieved by removing all personal wishes; freedom from care and pain; Buddhist heaven
47
Idolize
V: to admire and respect someone very much, often too much Example: She idolized her father.
48
Solace
N: help and comfort when you are feeling sad or worried Example: She found solace in her memories of her grandmother.
49
Celebrated
Adj: famous for some special quality or ability Example: a celebrated opera singer/city/novel
50
Indelible
Adj: An indelible mark or substance is impossible to remove by washing or in any other way Example: -indelible ink -indelible mark: The blood had left an indelible mark on her shirt.
51
Illiterate
Adj: unable to read and write Example: A surprising percentage of the population is illiterate.
52
Stray
V: to travel along a route that was not originally intended, or to move outside a limited area Example: -A herd of cattle had strayed into the road. -They got lost when they strayed too far from the path. -The ship strayed off course during the storm.
53
Sleepy
Adj: A sleepy place is quiet and without much activity or excitement Example: They retired to a sleepy little town in the south of Italy.
54
Vow
V: to make a firm promise or decision to do something Example: -They vowed (that) they would never forget her kindness. -After my illness I vowed to exercise every day.
55
Fervent
Adj: showing strong and sincere feelings or beliefs Example: She was a fervent supporter of art and culture.
56
Gallant
Adj: 1. (of a man) polite and kind towards women, especially when in public Example: That wasn't very gallant of you, Paul, pushing a young lady out of the way like that! 2. showing no fear of dangerous or difficult things Example: Despite fierce competition, she made a gallant effort to win the first medal of the championships.
57
Treachery
N: things that are done to deceive someone who trusts you Example: a play about treachery and betrayal
58
Martyrdom
N: an occasion when someone suffers or is killed because of their religious or political beliefs
59
Peasant
N: a member of a low social class of farm workers and owners of small farms
60
Exploit
V: to use something in a way that helps you Example: exploit resources: We need to make sure that we exploit our resources as fully as possible.
61
Conquest
N: the act of conquering a country, area, or situation

1100 Words (26 decks)

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