Words 0007

Question 1

Exult

Answer 1

to express great pleasure or happiness, especially at someone else’s defeat or failure

• They exulted at/over their victory.
• She seems to exult in her power.

Question 2

Be no slouch

Answer 2

If you say that someone is no slouch at a particular activity, you mean that they work hard at it and produce good results

• She’s no slouch when it comes to organising parties.

Question 3

Patter [verb]

Answer 3

to make the sound of a lot of things gently and repeatedly hitting a surface

I heard the rain patter against/on the window.
We could hear mice pattering about/around looking for food.

Question 4

Strut

Answer 4

to walk in a proud way trying to look important

• The boys strutted around trying to get the attention of a group of girls who were nearby.

Question 5

Guise

Answer 5

the appearance of someone or something, especially when intended to deceive

The men who arrived in the guise of drug dealers were actually undercover police officers.
The company has been accused of trying to sell their products under the guise of market research.

Question 6

Patter [noun]

Answer 6

continuous and sometimes funny speech or talk, especially used by someone trying to sell things or by an entertainer

He should succeed - he dresses well and his sales patter is slick and convincing.

Question 7

Endemic

Answer 7

especially of a disease or a condition, regularly found and very common among a particular group or in a particular area

• Malaria is endemic in many of the hotter regions of the world.
• The disease is endemic among British sheep/to many British flocks.
• There is endemic racism/poverty/violence in many of the country’s cities.

Question 8

Perennial

Answer 8

lasting a very long time, or happening repeatedly or all the time

The film ‘White Christmas’ is a perennial favourite.
We face the perennial problem of not having enough money.

Question 9

Wanton

Answer 9

formal (of something bad, such as damage, cruelty, waste) extreme and showing no care at all

• wanton destruction of human life
• a wanton disregard for safety
• wanton extravagance

Question 10

Forlorn

Answer 10

Pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely

Question 11

Wilt

Answer 11

(of a plant) to become weak and begin to bend towards the ground, or (of a person) to become weaker, tired or less confident

• Cut flowers will soon wilt without water.
• After only an hour’s walking they were beginning to wilt in the heat.

Question 12

Sublime

Answer 12

• extremely good, beautiful or enjoyable

sublime beauty
The book contains sublime descriptive passages.

• very great

He possesses sublime self-confidence.

Question 13

Tawdry

Answer 13

Looking bright and attractive, but in fact cheap and of low quality

Question 14

Repent

Answer 14

to be very sorry for something bad you have done in the past and wish that you had not done it

• He repented (of his sins) just hours before he died.

Question 15

Trudge

Answer 15

• to walk slowly with a lot of effort, especially over a difficult surface or while carrying something heavy

We trudged back up the hill.

I’d had to trudge through the snow.

Question 16

Lambaste

Answer 16

Criticise something harshly

Question 17

Amble

Answer 17

to walk in a slow and relaxed way

• He was ambling along the beach.

Question 18

Egalitarian

Answer 18

believing that all people are equally important and should have the same rights and opportunities in life

an egalitarian society
The party’s principles are basically egalitarian.

Question 19

slaphappy

Answer 19

happily careless and not thinking about the results of your actions

• He’s slaphappy in his approach to rules and regulations.

Question 20

slap-up

Answer 20

describes a meal that is especially large and good

• We went for a slap-up meal on our wedding anniversary.