Words 7 Flashcards
(25 cards)
abate
verb [ I ] formal
UK /əˈbeɪt/ US /əˈbeɪt/
Reduce or diminish.
Her stress over spending so much money on a house ABATED when the real estate broker told her about the property’s 15-year tax ABATEMENT.
Inflation is finally showing signs of ABATING.
to become less strong:
The storm/wind/rain has started to abate.
The fighting in the area shows no sign of abating.
aberration (anomaly, outlier)
noun [ C or U ] formal
UK /ˌæb.əˈreɪ.ʃən/ US /ˌæb.əˈreɪ.ʃən/
Something that stands out or is abnormal.
The election of a liberal candidate in the conservative county was an ABERRATION (or ANOMALY) made possible only by the sudden death of the conservative candidate two days before the election.
a temporary change from the typical or usual way of behaving:
In a moment of aberration, she agreed to go with him.
I’m sorry I’m late - I had a mental aberration and forgot we had a meeting today.
acclaim
noun [ U ]
UK /əˈkleɪm/ US /əˈkleɪm/
Great praise or approval.
Despite the critical ACCLAIM, the novel did not sell well.
He was publicly / widely / universally ACCLAIMED for his contribution to the discovery.
If he had understood business better, then he might have earned more ACCLAIM.
accord
noun [ C or U ]
UK /əˈkɔːd/ US /əˈkɔːrd/
Accord is agreement, and discord is disagreement.
Our management is IN ACCORD WITH regulatory agencies about tightening standards.
(a formal) agreement:
On 31 May the two leaders signed a peace accord.
UK Before 1987, the accord between the Labour government and the unions was a simple affair.
The project is completely in accord with government policy.
acquisitiveness
noun [ U ]
UK /əˈkwɪz.ɪ.tɪv.nəs/ US /əˈkwɪz.ə.t̬ɪv.nəs/
Desire to acquire more, especially an excessive desire.
The firm did well in buying up its competitors as a means of growth, but its ACQUISITIVENESS ultimately resulted in problems related to growing too quickly.
often disapproving
eagerness to own and collect things:
He was known for his acquisitiveness, buying any work of art that caught his eye.
Acreage
Land measured in acres.
Our property is large, but much of the ACREAGE is swampland not suitable for building.
What ACREAGE is her estate?
It was a huge hotel with substantial ACREAGE.
adhere to sth
— phrasal verb with adhere verb [ I ] formal
UK /ədˈhɪər/ US /ədˈhɪr/
To adhere to is to stick to (literally, such as with glue, or metaphorically, such as to plan or belief). An adherent is a person who sticks to a belief or cause.
Employees who do not ADHERE TO the policy will be subject to disciplinary action.
He has long been an ADHERENT of the Communist Party.
to continue to obey a rule or have a belief:
They failed to adhere to the terms of the agreement.
ad lib
adverb
UK /ˌæd ˈlɪb/ US /ˌæd ˈlɪb/
Make something up on the spot, give an unprepared speech.
Freely, as needed, according to desire.
We have ended our policy of rationing of supplies - pens may now be given to employees AD-LIB.
Said without any preparation or practice:
I’d forgotten the notes for my speech so I had to do it AD LIB
advent
noun [ S ]
UK /ˈæd.vent/ /ˈæd.vənt/ US /ˈæd.vent/ /ˈæd.vənt/
Arrival.
Before the ADVENT of the Internet, people often called reference libraries to look up information for them in the library’s reference section.
Transportation was transformed by the ADVENT of the internal combustion engine.
Life was transformed by the advent of the steam engine.
Agency
The ability to use power or influence.
Some global warming deniers acknowledge that the planet is heating up, but argue that human AGENCY doesn’t affect the climate.
She was freed from prison through the AGENCY of her doctor.
aggravate
verb [ T ]
UK /ˈæɡ.rə.veɪt/ US /ˈæɡ.rə.veɪt/
aggravate verb [T] (MAKE WORSE)
to make a bad situation worse:
Attempts to restrict parking in the city centre have further aggravated the problem of traffic congestion
Make worse:
Allowing your band to practice in our garage has greatly AGGRAVATED my headache.
altogether
adverb
UK /ˌɔːl.təˈɡeð.ər/ US /ˌɑːl.təˈɡeð.ɚ/
Completely, overall. Altogether is an adverb, and is one word. It’s not the same as all together, as in “let’s sing all together.”
It was an ALTOGETHER stunning new design.
I was ALTOGETHER exhausted.
In total:
That’ll be £10 ALTOGETHER, please.
Completely:
I’m not altogether sure I want that (= I have doubts about it).
ambivalent
adjective
UK /æmˈbɪv.ə.lənt/ US /æmˈbɪv.ə.lənt/
having two opposing feelings at the same time, or being uncertain about how you feel:
The health care plan has been met with AMBIVALENCE from lawmakers who would like to pass the bill but find supporting it to be politically impossible.
He has fairly ambivalent feelings towards his father.
analogous
adjective
UK /əˈnæl.ə.ɡəs/ US /əˈnæl.ə.ɡəs/
C2
Corresponding in a particular way, making a good analogy.
Our situation is ANALOGOUS to one in a case study I read in business school. Maybe what worked for that company will work for us.
The emergency vehicle for the International Space Station is ANALOGOUS to a lifeboat.
having similar features to another thing and therefore able to be compared with it:
The experience of mystic trance is in a sense analogous to sleep or drunkenness.
annihilate
verb [ T ]
UK /əˈnaɪ.ə.leɪt/ US /əˈnaɪ.ə.leɪt/
Completely destroy.
A city ANNIHILATED by an atomic bomb.
Kocaeli ANNIHILATED by the 1999 earthquake.
anoint
verb [ T ]
UK /əˈnɔɪnt/ US /əˈnɔɪnt/
to make someone holy in a religious ceremony by putting holy water or oil on them.
to make someone king or queen, especially as part of a religious ceremony:
[ + obj + noun ] In 751 Pepin was anointed king.
to put water or oil on someone in a religious ceremony:
The archbishop was anointed in a ceremony at the cathedral.
antithetical
adjective formal
UK /ˌæn.tɪˈθet.ɪ.kəl/ US /ˌæn.t̬əˈθet̬.ɪ.kəl/
(also antithetic, UK/ˌæn.tɪˈθet.ɪk/ US/ˌæn.t̬əˈθet̬.ɪk/)
exactly the opposite of someone or something or of each other:
The idea that science is antithetical to the arts is wrong.
Birth and death are antithetical.
The crimes of our chairman are ANTITHETICAL to what the Society for Ethical Leadership stands for.
archaic
adjective
UK /ɑːˈkeɪ.ɪk/ US /ɑːrˈkeɪ.ɪk/
Characteristic of an earlier period, ancient, primitive.
The school’s ARCHAIC computer system predated even floppy disks - it stored records on tape drives!
Sometimes, when you look a word up the dictionary, certain definitions are marked “ARCHAIC” - unless you’re a Shakespeare scholar, you can safely ignore those ARCHAISMS.
of or belonging to an ancient period in history:
an archaic system of government
an archaic law/rule/language
of or belonging to the past; from an ancient period in history:
Some people like to show off by using archaic words.
ascribe sth to sb
— phrasal verb with ascribe verb
UK /əˈskraɪb/ US /əˈskraɪb/
formal
(Atfetmek)
to believe or claim that something was said, written, or created by a particular person:
After years of research, scholars have finally ascribed this anonymous play to Christopher Marlowe.
To ascribe is to give credit; ascription is the noun form.
He ASCRIBED his good grades to diligent studying.
The boy’s mother was amused by the ASCRIPTION TO his imaginary friend of all the powers he wished he had himself - being able to fly, having dozens of friends, and never having to eat his broccoli.
a belief or decision that a particular quality or feature belongs to or is typical of someone or something:
Most teachers would reject the ascription of particular traits to whole groups of children on the basis of social class.
assert
verb [ T ]
UK /əˈsɜːt/ US /-ˈsɝːt/
To say that something is certainly true.
Affirm, claim, state, or express.
He ASSERTS that she stole money from him.
to state an opinion or claim a right forcefully:
[ + that clause ] The companies have asserted that everything they did was appropriate.
surmount
verb [ T ] formal
UK /səˈmaʊnt/ US /sɚˈmaʊnt/
surmount verb [T] (DEAL WITH)
to deal successfully with a difficulty or problem:
They managed to surmount all opposition to their plans.
She had to surmount the difficulties of bringing up five children on her own.
glide
verb
UK /ɡlaɪd/ US /ɡlaɪd/
glide verb (MOVE)
[ I usually + adv/prep ]
to move easily without stopping and without effort or noise:
She came gliding gracefully into the ballroom in a long, flowing gown.
I love my new pen - it just glides across/over the paper.
permeate
verb [ I usually + adv/prep, T ] formal
UK /ˈpɜː.mi.eɪt/ US /ˈpɝː.mi.eɪt/
to spread through something and be present in every part of it:
Dissatisfaction with the government seems to have permeated every section of society.
The smell of detergent and bleach permeated the air.
strain
noun
UK /streɪn/ US /streɪn/
strain noun (PRESSURE)
B2 [ C usually singular or U ]
a force or influence that stretches, pulls, or puts pressure on something, sometimes causing damage:
The hurricane put such a strain on the bridge that it collapsed.
As you get older, excess weight puts a lot of strain on the heart.
The recent decline in Turkish Lira has put a bigger strain on the Turkish economy.
