1 Flashcards
disillusionment
the state of being disillusioned
SYNONYM disenchantment
There is widespread disillusionment with the present government.
Disillusionment among the young is worrying for schools.
infallibility
the fact that somebody/something is never wrong or never fails
his belief in the infallibility of dreams as a guide to the future
retreat
to move away from a place or an enemy because you are in danger or because you have been defeated
The army was forced to retreat after suffering heavy losses.
We retreated back down the mountain.
They retreated to a safe distance from the fighting.
OPPOSITE advance
superstructure
a structure that is built on top of something, for example the upper parts of a ship or the part of a building above the ground
notably
especially
aspiration
a strong desire to have or do something
I didn’t realize you had political aspirations.
take up
continue
contradiction
a lack of agreement between facts, opinions, actions, etc.
contradiction (between A and B) There is a contradiction between the two sets of figures.
How can we resolve this apparent contradiction?
in contradiction to something His public speeches are in direct contradiction to his personal lifestyle.
subservient
subservient (to somebody/something) (disapproving) too willing to obey other people
The press was accused of being subservient to the government.
Women were expected to take subservient roles.
spectacle
[countable, uncountable] a performance or an event that is very impressive and exciting to look at
The carnival parade was a magnificent spectacle.
[countable] a sight or view that is very impressive to look at
The sunset was a stunning spectacle.
The wide plain, with thousands of wildebeest on the move, was an awesome spectacle.
[singular] an unusual or surprising sight or situation that attracts a lot of attention
I remember the sad spectacle of her standing in her wedding dress, covered in mud.
the sad spectacle of him struggling to keep up with the younger players
burden
a duty, responsibility, etc. that causes worry, difficulty or hard work
to bear/carry/ease/reduce/share the burden
the burden (of something) The main burden of caring for old people falls on the state.
burden on somebody the heavy tax burden on working people
a burden to somebody I don’t want to become a burden to my children when I’m old.
propel(v)
propel something (+ adv./prep.) to move, drive or push something forward or in a particular direction mechanically propelled vehicles He succeeded in propelling the ball across the line.
propel somebody + adv./prep. to force somebody to move in a particular direction or to get into a particular situation
He was grabbed from behind and propelled through the door.
This picture propelled her to international stardom.
to be propelled into the limelight/spotlight
plausible
reasonable and likely to be true
Her story sounded perfectly plausible.
infilict
to make somebody/something suffer something unpleasant.
inflict something on/upon somebody/something They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team.
Heavy casualties were inflicted on the enemy.
(humorous) Do you have to inflict that music on us?
inflict something They surveyed the damage inflicted by the storm.
Stowaway (noun)
a person who hides in a ship or plane before it leaves, in order to travel without paying or being seen