World 2 Flashcards
Decent
Adj
socially acceptable or good:
Everyone should be entitled to a decent wage/standard of living.
I thought he was a decent person.
It was very decent (= kind) of you to help.
It made quite a decent-sized (= large) hole.
After the recent scandal, the priest is expected to do the decent thing and resign from his position.
tenable
adjective
(of an opinion or position) able to be defended successfully or held for a particular period of time:
His theory is no longer tenable in the light of the recent discoveries.
The fellowship is tenable for (= lasts for) three years.
priority
noun
something that is very important and must be dealt with before other things:
The management did not seem to consider office safety to be a priority.
My first/top priority is to find somewhere to live.
You have to learn to get your priorities right/straight (= decide which are the most important jobs or problems and deal with them first).
Repairing the plumbing is a priority task (= more important than other jobs).
Banks normally give priority to large businesses when deciding on loans (= they deal with them first because they consider them most important).
Official business requirements obviously take/have priority over personal requests (= official business matters will be dealt with first).
authority
noun
the moral or legal right or ability to control:
The United Nations has used/exerted/exercised its authority to restore peace in the area.
We need to get the support of someone in authority (= an important or high-ranking person).
They’ve been acting illegally and without authority (= permission) from the council.
[ + to infinitive ] I’ll give my lawyers authority (= permission) to act on my behalf.
He has no authority over (= ability to control) his students.
She spoke with authority (= as if she was in control or had special knowledge).
C1 [ C ]
a group of people with official responsibility for a particular area of activity:
the health authority
the local housing authority
exposure
noun
the fact of experiencing something or being affected by it because of being in a particular situation or place:
You should always limit your exposure to the sun.
Even a brief exposure to radiation is very dangerous.
dispatch
verb [ T ] (UK also despat
to send something, especially goods or a message, somewhere for a particular purpose:
Two loads of cloth were dispatched to the factory on 12 December.
disposable
adjective
C2 A disposable product is intended to be thrown away after use: disposable nappies a disposable camera daily disposable contact l
notion
noun
a belief or idea:
[ + that ] The show’s director rejects the notion that seeing violence on television has a harmful effect on children.
I have only a vague notion of what she does for a living.
Synonyms
conceptconceptionconstruct formalidea (KNOWLEDGE)thought
vague
adjective
not clearly expressed, known, described, or decided:
I do have a vague memory of meeting her many years ago.
The patient had complained of vague pains and backache.
C1
not clear in shape, or not clearly seen:
Through the mist I could just make out a vague figure.
C2
A vague person is not able to think clearly, or gives an impression of not thinking clearly in order to hide their real thoughts:
My aunt is incredibly vague - she can never remember where she puts things.
Their report is studiously/deliberately vague on future economic prospects.
peel
verb
to remove the skin of fruit and vegetables:
Peel, core, and chop the apples.
staple
adjective [ before noun ]
basic or main; standard or regular:
The staple diet here is mutton, fish and boiled potatoes.
Prices of staple foods such as wheat and vegetables have also been increasing.
Her latest film is the staple offering of action and comedy that we have come to expect.
staple
adjective [ before noun ]
basic or main; standard or regular:
The staple diet here is mutton, fish and boiled potatoes.
Prices of staple foods such as wheat and vegetables have also been increasing.
Her latest film is the staple offering of action and comedy that we have come to expect.
consumption
noun [ U ]
the amount used or eaten:
As a nation, our consumption of junk food is horrifying.
We need to cut down on our fuel consumption by having fewer cars on the road.
comprehensive
adjective
complete and including everything that is necessary:
We offer you a comprehensive training in all aspects of the business.
Is this list comprehensive or are there some names missing?
He has written a fully comprehensive guide to Rome.
Comprehensive insurance gives financial protection against most risks, for example including damage to a driver’s own vehicle as well as to other vehicles:
It is a common misconception that car hire insurance is comprehensive.
The trend is towards less comprehensive health insurance.
daring
adjective
brave and taking risks:
a daring escape
This is a daring new film (= one willing to risk criticism) by one of our most original modern directors.
She was wearing a fairly daring (= short) skirt that barely covered her bottom.
Synonyms
audaciousbold (BRAVE)venturesome formal
revival
noun
the process of becoming more active or popular again:
Recently, there has been some revival of (interest in) ancient music.
An economic/artistic revival is sweeping the country.
[ C ]
a performance of a play that has not been seen for a long time:
We’re staging a revival of a 1950s play.
[ C or U ]
a time when interest in religion starts again in a stronger way than before, or a meeting or series of meetings organized to encourage this to happen
devotion
noun [ U ]
loyalty and love or care for someone or something:
He inspired respect and devotion from his students.
She will be remembered for her selfless/unstinting devotion to the cause.
the fact of following religious teachings, or religious worship:
He knelt in humble devotion.
cultivate
verb [ T ]
to prepare land and grow crops on it, or to grow a particular crop:
Most of the land there is too poor to cultivate.
The villagers cultivate mostly corn and beans.
to try to develop and improve something:
She has cultivated an image as a tough negotiator.
If you cultivate a relationship, you make a special effort to establish and develop it, because you think it might be useful to you:
The new prime minister is cultivating relationships with East Asian countries.
gasp
verb [ I ]
to take a short, quick breath through the mouth, especially because of surprise, pain, or shock:
When she saw the money hidden in the box she gasped in surprise.
[ + speech ] “Help me!” he gasped.
C2
to breathe loudly and with difficulty, trying to get more air:
He pulled her aboard the boat and she sprawled on the deck, coughing and gasping for breath.
imitate
verb [ T ]
to behave in a similar way to someone or something else, or to copy the speech or behaviour, etc. of someone or something:
Some of the younger pop bands try to imitate their musical heroes from the past.
They produce artificial chemicals which exactly imitate particular natural ones.
commute
verb
to make the same journey regularly between work and home:
It’s exhausting commuting from Brighton to London every day.
to change one thing into another:
People used to believe that you could commute base metals into gold.
[ T ] FINANCE & ECONOMICS specialized
to exchange one type of payment for a different type:
I think I’ll commute my life insurance into an annuity.
[ T ] LAW specialized
to change a punishment to one that is less severe:
Her sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.
commute
verb
US /kəˈmjut/
commute verb (TRAVEL)
[ I ]
to travel regularly a distance between work and home:
She commutes to the city by car every day.
commute verb (CHANGE)
[ T ]
to change a punishment into another that is less severe:
The governor commuted the sentence and released the prisoner.
on top of sth
in addition to something, especially something unpleasant:
We missed our flight, and on top of that we had to wait seven hours for the next one.
dweller
noun
city, town, cave, etc. dweller
a person who lives in a city, town, cave, etc.
Synonyms
denizen literaryinhabitant
desperate
adjective
very serious or bad:
desperate poverty
a desperate shortage of food/supplies
The situation is desperate - we have no food, very little water and no medical supplies.
very great or extreme:
The earthquake survivors are in desperate need of help.
He has a desperate desire to succeed.
informal I’m in a desperate h
desperate adjective (WANTING)
B2 [ usually after verb ] needing or wanting something very much: They are desperate for help. UK humorous I'm desperate for a drink! [ + to infinitive ] UK humorous He was desperate to tell someone his good news.
desperate adjective (RISKY)
B2
feeling that you have no hope and are ready to do anything to change the bad situation you are in:
The doctors made one last desperate attempt/effort to save the boy’s life.
Desperate measures are needed to deal with the growing drug problem.
They made a desperate plea for help.
willing to be violent, and therefore dangerous:
This man is desperate and should not be approached since he may have a gun.
logger
noun [ C ]
a person who cuts down trees for wood
Synonyms
lumberjack
lumberman
dominate
verb
dominate verb (HAVE CONTROL)
B2 [ I or T ]
to have control over a place or person:
He refuses to let others speak and dominates every meeting.
They work as a group - no one person is allowed to dominate.
dominate verb (BE IMPORTANT)
C1 [ T ]
to be the largest, most important, or most noticeable part of something:
The cathedral dominates the landscape for miles around.
The dispute is likely to domi
colony
noun [ C ]
colony noun [C] (GROUP)
a country or area controlled politically by a more powerful country that is often far away:
Australia and New Zealand are former British colonies.
a group of people who live in a colony
a group of people with a shared interest or job who live together in a way that is separate from other people:
an artists’ colony
a nudist colony
BIOLOGY specialized
a group of animals, insects, or plants of the same type that live together:
a colony of ants/termites/bacteria
subsistence
noun [ U ] formal
the state of having what you need in order to stay alive, but no more:
The money is intended to provide a basic subsistence and should not be paid to someone who receives other income.
The family was living at subsistence level.
enough money or food to keep yourself alive
primarily
adverb
We’re primarily concerned with keeping expenditure down.
Baseball is primarily a summer game.
Synonyms
chieflyin the mainmainlyprincipally
abandon
verb [ T ]
to leave a place, thing, or person, usually forever:
We had to abandon the car.
By the time the rebel troops arrived, the village had already been abandoned.
As a baby he was abandoned by his mother.
We were sinking fast, and the captain gave the order to abandon ship.
degrade
verb
degrade verb (LOSE RESPECT)
[ T ]
to cause people to feel that they or other people have no value and do not have the respect or good opinion of others:
Pornography degrades women.
degrade verb (SPOIL)
[ T ]
to spoil or destroy the beauty or quality of something:
Every day the environment is further degraded by toxic wastes.
[ I or T ] ELECTRONICS specialized
If the quality of something electrical or electronic degrades or is degraded, it becomes less good or less correct.
US/dɪˈɡreɪd/ to reduce the quality of something: degrading water/air quality degraded sound quality The state is funding projects to restore degraded wetlands.
CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS US/dɪˈɡreɪd/
A substance that degrades changes to chemical structures that are more simple.
grade verb [T] (LESSEN WORTH)
US /dɪˈɡreɪd/
to cause someone to seem to be worth less and lose the respect of others:
His depiction in the movie degrades him.
harvest
noun [ C or U ]
the time of year when crops are cut and collected from the fields, or the activity of cutting and collecting them, or the crops that are cut and collected:
the grain/potato/grape harvest
We had a good harvest this year.
Farmers are reporting a bumper (= very big) harvest this year.
It won’t be long now till harvest (time).
harvest
verb
US /ˈhɑːr.vəst/ UK /ˈhɑː.vɪst/
harvest verb (CROPS)
[ T or I ]
to pick and collect crops, or to collect plants, animals, or fish to eat:
In the U.S., winter wheat is harvested in the early summer.
Farmers sort the vegetables when they harvest.
decay
verb
to become gradually damaged, worse, or less; to cause something to do this:
Sugar makes your teeth decay.
The role of the extended family has been decaying for some time.
Pollution has decayed the surface of the stonework on the front of the cathedral.
the smell of decaying meat
[ I ] PHYSICS specialized
If a radioactive substance decays, it changes to a different form, producing radiation:
Radioactive uranium decays into stable lead at a known rate.
As the actinium-225 decays, it gives off short-lived, highly energized alpha particles.
jot sth down
— phrasal verb with jot verb [ T u
To write something quickly on a piece of paper so that you remember it:
I carry a notebook so that I can jot down any ideas.
attentive
adjective
attentive adjective (LISTENING)
listening carefully:
an attentive audience
