100 Years Of Solitude Flashcards
1
Q
Lugubrious
A
sad and serious:
a lugubrious face
2
Q
Consternation
A
a feeling of worry, shock, or confusion:
The prospect of so much work filled him with consternation.
To his consternation, when he got to the airport he found he’d forgotten his passport.
3
Q
Concupiscence
A
sexual desire
4
Q
Perversion
A
sexual behaviour that is considered strange and unpleasant by most people:
The novels of the Marquis de Sade deal with sexual perversion.
Taiberus had perverse sex life
5
Q
Perverse
A
strange and not what most people would expect or enjoy:
Jack was being perverse and refusing to agree with anything we said.
She took a perverse pleasure in hearing that her sister was getting divorced.
6
Q
Plague
A
to cause worry, pain, or difficulty to someone or something over a period of time:
Financial problems have been plaguing their new business partners.
My shoulder’s been plaguing me all week.
7
Q
Irrevocably
A
in a way that is impossible to change:
Closing the factory would irrevocably alter the character of the local community for the worse.
He came back from the war irrevocably changed.
8
Q
Decrepit
A
in very bad condition because of being old, or not having been cared for, or having been used a lot:
Most of the buildings were old and decrepit.
A decrepit old man sat on a park bench.
9
Q
Irremediable
A
impossible to correct or cure:
The merits of this plan outweighed several obvious flaws in it, which were irremediable.
10
Q
Indecipherable
A
unable to be read or understood:
Her handwriting is virtually indecipherable.
11
Q
Despotism
A
he rule of a despot (= a ruler with unlimited power, often one who is unfair and cruel):
After years of despotism, the country is now moving towards democracy.
During his reign, he earned a reputation for despotism.
12
Q
Vigilance
A
more careful attention, especially in order to notice possible danger:
The police said that it was thanks to the vigilance of a neighbour that the fire was discovered before it could spread.
13
Q
Prostration
A
the act or position of lying with the face down and arms stretched out, especially as a sign of respect or worship:
Approaching the main statue, he threw himself in full prostration before it.
Some people performed prostrations, a sign of respect for the teacher.
14
Q
Delirium
A
a state of being unable to think or speak clearly because of fever or mental confusion:
fever accompanied by delirium
15
Q
Insidious
A
(of something unpleasant or dangerous) gradually and secretly causing harm:
High blood pressure is an insidious condition which has few symptoms.
16
Q
Interrogate
A
to ask someone a lot of questions for a long time in order to get information, sometimes using threats or violence:
Thousands of dissidents have been interrogated or imprisoned in recent weeks.
17
Q
Covet
A
to want to have something very much, especially something that belongs to someone else:
She always coveted power but never quite achieved it.
The Booker Prize is the most coveted British literary award.
18
Q
Bestial
A
cruel or like an animal:
The soldiers were accused of bestial acts against unarmed civilians.
19
Q
Belching
A
to allow air from the stomach to come out noisily through the mouth:
He belched noisily.
20
Q
Inconceivable
A
impossible to imagine or think of:
The idea that they might not win was inconceivable to them.
It would be inconceivable for her to change her mind.
21
Q
Haste (hasty = speedy)
A
(too much) speed:
Unfortunately the report was prepared in haste and contained several inaccuracies.
[ + to infinitive ] In her haste to get up from the table, she knocked over a cup.
His father had just died and he didn’t want to marry with indecent haste
22
Q
Concatenation
A
a series of events, ideas, or things that are connected:
a concatenation of circumstances/events
23
Q
subterfuge
A
a trick or a dishonest way of achieving something:
It was clear that they must have obtained the information by subterfuge.
24
Q
forge
A
to make an illegal copy of something in order to deceive:
a forged passport
a forged signature
A number of forged works of art have been sold as genuine
25
subversion
the act of trying to destroy or damage an established system or government:
He was found guilty of subversion and imprisoned
26
instigation
the action of causing an event or situation to happen by making a set of actions or a formal process begin:
The inquiry was begun at the instigation of a local MP.
They were arrested on suspicion of the instigation of acts of terrorism
27
terseness
the use of few words to say something, sometimes in a way that seems rude or unfriendly:
He answered with uncharacteristic terseness, "Yes, to both"
28
predilection
If someone has a predilection for something, they like it a lot:
Ever since she was a child, she has had a predilection for spicy food.
29
abrogate
to end a law, agreement, or custom formally:
| The treaty was abrogated in 1929
30
succumb
to lose the determination to oppose something; to accept defeat:
The town finally succumbed last week after being pounded with heavy artillery for more than two months.
I'm afraid I succumbed to temptation and had a piece of cheesecake.
I felt sure it would only be a matter of time before he succumbed to my charms
to die or suffer badly from an illness:
Thousands of cows have succumbed to the disease in the past few months.
31
delirium
a state of being unable to think or speak clearly because of fever or mental confusion:
fever accompanied by delirium
a state of extreme excitement or happiness:
I've never seen such delirium at a football game before.
32
Complicity
involvement in a crime or some activity that is wrong:
| She is suspected of complicity in the fraud.
33
Voracious
very eager for something, especially a lot of food:
He has a voracious appetite (= he eats a lot).
He's a voracious reader of historical novels (= he reads a lot of them eagerly and quickly).
34
Colossus
a person or thing of great size, influence, or ability:
| She has been described as the creative colossus of the literary world.
35
Usurp
to take control of a position of power, especially without having the right to:
Local control is being usurped by central government.
36
Barrack
to shout loudly in order to interrupt someone that you disagree with:
Every time the minister got up to speak he was barracked mercilessly.
37
Convalesce
to rest in order to get better after an illness:
| After your operation, you'll need to convalesce for a week or two.
38
Decrepitude
the fact of being in very bad condition because of being old, or not having been cared for, or having been used a lot:
a state of decrepitude
Her mother was in the final stages of senile decrepitude.
39
Stupefaction
the condition of being unable to think clearly, usually because someone is extremely tired or bored, or has taken drugs:
Because of the drugs, he was in a state of stupefaction by the time we found him.
He was intoxicated to the point of stupefaction.
40
Stoicism
the quality of experiencing pain or trouble without complaining or showing your emotions:
He endured the pain of his wounds with great stoicism.
41
Teremity
a willingness to do or say something that shocks or upsets other people:
[ + to infinitive ] She had the temerity to call me a liar.
42
Desist
to stop doing something, especially something that someone else does not want you to do:
The soldiers have been ordered to desist from firing their guns.
The high winds are expected to desist tomorrow.
43
Trousseau
a collection of personal possessions, such as clothes, that a woman takes to her new home when she gets married
44
Temerity
a willingness to do or say something that shocks or upsets other people:
[ + to infinitive ] She had the temerity to call me a liar.
Shaken always speaks with great temerity to relatives because he wants to show himself/ his character, and shock them and make impression.
45
Tenacious
holding tightly onto something, or keeping an opinion in a determined way:
The baby took my finger in its tenacious little fist.
There has been tenacious local opposition to the new airport.
46
Respite
a pause or rest from something difficult or unpleasant:
| We worked for hours without respite.
47
Obscene
offensive, rude, or shocking, usually because of being too obviously related to sex or showing sex:
In the raid, police found several boxes of obscene DVDs.
He was jailed for making obscene phone calls (= ones in which unwanted sexual suggestions were made to the listener).
obscene language/graffiti
48
Gibberish
spoken or written words that have no meaning:
| I was so nervous, I just started talking gibberish.
49
Cynicism
believing that people are only interested in themselves and are not sincere:
She has a pretty cynical view of men.
I've always been deeply cynical about politicians.
50
Itinerary
a detailed plan or route of a journey:
| The tour operator will arrange transport and plan your itinerary.
51
Tardy
slow or late in happening or arriving:
| Dinner was somewhat delayed on account of David's rather tardy arrival.
52
Stench
a strong, unpleasant smell:
the stench of rotting fish/burning rubber/cigarette smoke
an overpowering stench
a bad effect that follows an unpleasant event or situation and is noticeable for a long time:
For some time after the minister's resignation, the stench of scandal hung over the government.
53
Rotten
Very bad, decayed
Rotten weather
Rotten vegetables
54
Aridity
he state of being very dry and without enough rain for plants:
the aridity of much of the Australian interior
the state of not being interesting or successful:
the aridity of a life without love
55
Unguent
a thick substance, usually with a pleasant smell, used to treat skin problems or make the skin soft:
She smelled powerfully of bath salts and unguents.
56
Avalanche
too many things that arrive or happen at the same time:
| We were swamped by an avalanche of letters/phone calls/complaints.
57
Plebeian
belonging to a low social class:
He used to make fun of what he called her "plebeian origins".
He retained a plebeian taste in food and drink.
58
Calamity
a serious accident or bad event causing damage or suffering for many people:
A series of calamities ruined them - floods, a failed harvest, and the death of a son.
59
Complaisance
willingness to please others by being polite and fitting in with their plans
60
Malice
the wish to harm or upset other people:
There certainly wasn't any malice in her comments.
formal I bear him no malice (= do not want to harm or upset him).
61
Audacity
courage or confidence of a kind that other people find shocking or rude:
[ + to infinitive ] It took a lot of audacity to stand up and criticize the chairman.
disapproving He had the audacity to blame me for his mistake!
62
Sloth
unwillingness to work or make any effort:
| The report criticizes the government's sloth in tackling environmental problems.
63
Stentorian
using a very loud voice, or (of a voice) very loud:
a stentorian preacher
Suddenly a stentorian voice boomed across the room.
64
Complicity
involvement in a crime or some activity that is wrong:
| She is suspected of complicity in the fraud.
65
Shudder
to shake suddenly with very small movements because of a very unpleasant thought or feeling:
The sight of so much blood made him shudder.
She shuddered at the thought of kissing him.
the act of shuddering:
He gave a slight shudder as he considered how close he had come to death.
She recalled with a shudder how her boss had once tried to kiss her.
66
Vindicate
to prove that what someone said or did was right or true, after other people thought it was wrong:
The decision to include Morris in the team was completely vindicated when he scored two goals.
The investigation vindicated her complaint about the newspaper.
67
Furtive
(of people) behaving secretly and often dishonestly, or (of actions) done secretly and often dishonestly:
I saw him cast a furtive glance at the woman at the table to his right.
He made one or two furtive phone calls.
There was something furtive about his behaviour and I immediately felt suspicious.
68
Voracious
very eager for something, especially a lot of food:
He has a voracious appetite (= he eats a lot).
He's a voracious reader of historical novels (= he reads a lot of them eagerly and quickly).
69
Sonorous
having a deep, pleasant sound:
| a sonorous voice
70
Linger
to take a long time to leave or disappear:
After the play had finished, we lingered for a while in the bar hoping to catch sight of the actors.
The smell from the fire still lingered days later.
It's impossible to forget such horrific events - they linger (on) in the memory forever.
71
Precipice
a dangerous situation that could lead to harm or failure:
This latest tax increase may push many small companies over the financial precipice.
a very steep side of a cliff or a mountain:
The film opens with a shot of a climber dangling from a precipice.
72
Docility
the quality of being quiet and easy to influence, persuade, or control:
Children were believed to owe docility and obedience to their parents.
This breed of cattle is known for its docility.
73
Ailment
an illness:
| Treat minor ailments yourself.
74
Mischievous
behaving in a way, or describing behaviour, that is slightly bad but is not intended to cause serious harm or damage:
She has a mischievous sense of humour.
a book about the mischievous antics of his ten-year-old daughter
75
Tirade
a long, angry speech expressing strong disapproval:
She launched into an angry/furious tirade about how she had been unfairly treated.
In a furious tirade of abuse, the opposition spokesperson demanded the minister's resignation.
76
Scald
to burn the skin with boiling liquid or steam:
I dropped a pan of boiling water and scalded my leg.
to put something in boiling water or steam in order to make it completely clean:
Scald the needles to sterilize them.
77
Rectification
the act of correcting something or making something right:
These faults may require rectification.
With the rectification of this error, the profits will increase.
78
Taint
to spoil something or give it an unpleasant quality:
His reputation was permanently tainted by the financial scandal.
He warned of toxins such as mercury tainting some fish.
to damage the quality, taste, or value of something:
Bacteria had tainted the meat.
His reputation was permanently tainted by the scandal.
79
Rancor
a feeling of hate and continuing anger about something in the past:
They cheated me, but I feel no rancor toward/against them.
80
Farcical
very silly, unlikely, or unreasonable, often in a way that is humorous:
The whole situation has become farcical.
There were farcical scenes at the meeting.
81
Vigor
strength, energy, or enthusiasm:
| They went to work with youthful vigor and enthusiasm.
82
Tribulation
a problem or difficulty
83
Vulgar
not suitable, simple, dignified or beautiful; not in the style preferred by the upper classes of society:
a vulgar patterned shirt
Isn't it rather vulgar to talk about how much money you earn?
humorous I've no idea how much the clothes cost because there was nothing so vulgar as a price tag in evidence.
not polite or socially acceptable; not suitable or acceptable in style:
His manners were coarse and vulgar.
84
Indignant
angry because of something that is wrong or not fair:
She wrote an indignant letter to the paper complaining about the council's action.
He became very indignant when it was suggested he had made a mistake.
85
Bilious
relating to an illness, caused by too much bile, that can cause vomiting:
She suffered from bilious attacks.
86
Remorse
a feeling of sadness and being sorry for something you have done:
He felt no remorse for the murders he had committed.
After the argument, she was filled with remorse.
a strong feeling of guilt and regret about something you have done:
Judges took account of the prisoner’s remorse.
87
Alibis
proof that someone who is thought to have committed a crime could not have done it, especially the fact or statement that they were in another place at the time it happened:
He has a cast-iron (= very strong) alibi - he was in hospital the week of the murder.
an excuse for something bad or for a failure:
After eight years in power, the government can no longer use the previous government's policy as an alibi for its own failure.
88
Incandescent
extremely bright:
The mountain's snow-white peak was incandescent against the blue sky.
showing extreme anger or happiness:
He was incandescent with rage.
Her beauty had an incandescent quality to it.
89
Seraphic
beautiful in a way that suggests that someone is morally good and pure:
a seraphic smile
90
Glow
to look attractive because you are happy or healthy, especially with eyes that are shining:
The children's faces were glowing with excitement.
They came back from their week at the beach, glowing with health.
continuous light and/or heat that is produced by something:
the glow of the fire
Neon emits a characteristic red glow
91
Pit
a large hole in the ground, or a slightly low area in any surface:
They'd dug a shallow pit and left the bodies in it.
These pits in my skin are from when I had chickenpox.
a very untidy or dirty place:
I'm afraid my room is a complete pit!
92
Indolence
the state of showing no real interest or effort:
After a sudden burst of activity, the team lapsed back into indolence.
The people feel trapped between the indolence and apathy of the authorities and fear of the criminals.
93
Cloistered
separated from and communicating little with the outside world:
These academics lead such a cloistered life/existence.
94
Torrential
used to refer to very heavy rain:
torrential rain
a torrential downpour/storm
95
Sacrilegious
treating something holy or important without respect:
sacrilegious practices/acts
The performance is not sacrilegious or blasphemous.
96
Inculcate
to fix beliefs or ideas in someone's mind, especially by repeating them often:
Our coach has worked hard to inculcate a team spirit in/into the players.
97
Wreath
an arrangement of flowers and leaves in a circular shape, used as a decoration or as a sign of respect and remembrance for a person who has died:
a holly/laurel wreath
The bride wore a veil with a wreath of silk flowers.
There were two large wreaths on the coffin.
The president ended his visit by laying a wreath at the war memorial.
98
Irreverence
the quality of not showing the expected respect for official, important, or holy things:
The book is written with good humour and irreverence.
Such behaviour is typical of the cheeky irreverence the band display onstage.
99
Senility
the quality of being senile (= showing poor mental ability because of old age):
Low levels of selenium in the elderly are linked with an increased risk of dementia and senility.
The hormone can damage brain cells and lead to premature senility.
100
Decadent
A decadent person or group has low moral standards:
a decadent society
the decadent court surrounding the king
humorous Champagne and chocolates for breakfast - how decadent!
101
Penance
an act that shows that you feel sorry about something that you have done, sometimes for religious reasons:
As a penance, she said she would buy them all a box of chocolates.
They are doing penance for their sins.
102
Mortification
a feeling of being very embarrassed:
| To the mortification of the show's organizers, the top performer withdrew at the last minute.
103
languid
moving or speaking slowly with little energy, often in an attractive way:
a languid manner/voice
104
Retaliation
to hurt someone or do something harmful to someone because they have done or said something harmful to you:
If someone insults you, don't retaliate as it only makes the situation worse.
The demonstrators threw rocks at the police, who retaliated by firing blanks into the crowd.
The terrorists retaliated against the government with a bomb attack.
China vowed retaliation after US forced the closure of houston consulate
105
mend
to repair something that is broken or damaged:
Could you mend this hole in my shirt?
UK I've left my watch at the jeweller's to be mended.
UK The plumber came to mend the burst pipe.
The country's president is seeking to mend relations with the United States.
106
canopy
a cover fixed over a seat or bed, etc. for shelter or decoration
107
taffeta
a stiff, shiny cloth made from silk or artificial material, used especially for dresses to be worn at special events:
a taffeta ball gown
108
sordidness
the quality of being dirty and unpleasant:
He vividly describes the sordidness of middle-class poverty.
the sordidness of factory smoke and hovels
109
foreboding
a feeling that something very bad is going to happen soon:
There's a sense of foreboding in the capital, as if fighting might at any minute break out.
Her forebodings about the future were to prove justified.
[ + (that) ] He had a strange foreboding (that) something would go wrong.
110
unfathomable
impossible to understand:
| For some unfathomable reason they built the toilet next to the kitchen.
111
something in TATTERS
badly damaged or completely spoiled, torn pieces
112
fugitive
a person who is running away or hiding from the police or a dangerous situation:
Thousands of fugitives are fleeing from the war-torn area.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were fugitives from justice (= they ran away to avoid being tried in court).
Thesaurus: synonym
113
throes
difficulties or pain:
He was in the throes of despair after losing his job.
in the throes of sth
experiencing or doing something that is difficult, unpleasant, or painful:
The country is presently in the throes of the worst recession since the Second World War.
He's in the throes of a mid-life crisis that makes him pretty hard to live with.
114
antagonize
to make someone dislike you or feel opposed to you:
| It's a very delicate situation and I've no wish to antagonize him.
115
evoke
to cause something to be remembered or expressed:
The smell of chalk always evokes memories of my school days.
to make someone remember something or feel an emotion:
That smell always evokes memories of my old school.
a detergent designed to evoke the fresh smell of summer meadows
116
dissect
to examine or consider something in detail:
| He's the kind of person who watches a movie and then dissects it for hours
117
pernicious
having a very harmful effect or influence:
| The cuts in government funding have had a pernicious effect on local health services.
118
diligence
the quality of working carefully and with a lot of effort:
She hoped that her diligence would be noticed at work.
The exhibition has been researched with extraordinary diligence.
119
hermetic
so tightly closed that no air can leave or enter
If a particular group is hermetic, the people who live within it don't often communicate with those who live outside it:
He entered the hermetic world of the monastery at a young age.
120
pastime
an activity that is done for enjoyment:
Do-it-yourself is the nation's most popular pastime.
figurative Suing people, especially doctors, is becoming a national pastime (= common activity) in America.
121
conceive
to imagine something:
I think my uncle still conceives of me as a four-year-old.
He couldn't conceive of a time when he would have no job.
[ + question word ] I can't conceive (= it is too shocking to imagine) how anyone could behave so cruelly.
[ + that ] I find it hard to conceive (= it is too shocking to imagine) that people are still treated so badly
122
Squelch
to make a sucking sound like the one produced when you are walking on soft, wet ground:
He got out of the car and squelched through the mud to open the gate.
to quickly end something that is causing you problems:
A spokeswoman at the White House has squelched rumors about the president's ill health.
to silence someone by criticizing them:
The senator thoroughly squelched the journalist who tried to interrupt him during his speech.
123
Torment
great mental suffering and unhappiness, or great physical pain:
The family said they had endured years of torment and abuse at the hands of their neighbours.
Waiting for the result of the medical tests was sheer torment.
He spent the night in torment, trying to decide what was the best thing to do.
124
repudiate
to refuse to accept something or someone as true, good, or reasonable:
He repudiated the allegation/charge/claim that he had tried to deceive them.
I utterly repudiate those remarks.
125
petrify
to frighten someone a lot, especially so that they are unable to move or speak:
I think you petrified poor Frazer - he never said a word the whole time you were here
126
scrutinize
to examine something very carefully in order to discover information:
He scrutinized the men's faces carefully/closely, trying to work out who was lying.
127
meekness
the quality of being quiet, gentle, and unwilling to argue or express your opinions:
Under this culture ordinary people are bullied into silence and meekness.
They bore their suffering with meekness and humility
128
eternal
lasting forever or for a very long time:
The company is engaged in the eternal search for a product that will lead the market.
Will you two never stop your eternal arguing!
129
tedium
the quality of being boring for a long time:
Soldiers often say that the worst thing about fighting is not the moments of terror, but all the hours of tedium in between.
130
crumble
to break, or cause something to break, into small pieces:
She nervously crumbled the bread between her fingers.
The cliffs on which the houses are built are starting to crumble.
131
dove
a person in politics who prefers to solve problems using peaceful methods instead of force or violence
bird type
132
coo
to speak in a soft, gentle, or loving way:
The baby lay in his cot, cooing and gurgling.
It's sickening the way she coos over those cats of hers.
[ + speech ] "How wonderful to see you again, darling," she cooed.
133
meticulous
very careful and with great attention to every detail:
| Many hours of meticulous preparation have gone into writing the book.
134
affray
a fight in a public place:
| Wallace was charged with causing an affray at a Southampton nightclub.
135
gambol
to run and jump in a happy way:
| Lambs were gambolling (about/around) in the spring sunshine.
136
caress
to touch or kiss someone in a gentle and loving way:
| Gently he caressed her cheek.
137
commotion
a sudden, short period of noise, confusion, or excited movement:
His arrival caused quite a commotion.
He looked up to see what all the commotion was about.
138
interweave
to twist together or combine two or more things so that they cannot be separated easily:
She has created an intriguing story by skilfully interweaving fictional and historical events
139
imbecility
the quality of being extremely stupid:
The absolute imbecility of this show has to be seen to be believed.
The kids were giggling and acting goofy to the point of imbecility.
140
evanescent
lasting for only a short time, then disappearing quickly and being forgotten
141
annihilation
complete destruction, so that nothing or no one is left:
| During the Cold War the threat of nuclear annihilation was always on people's minds.
142
ardor
great enthusiasm or love:
| His ardor for her cooled after only a few weeks.
143
fickleness
the quality of being likely to change your opinion or your feelings suddenly and without a good reason:
He had a reputation for fickleness and broken promises.
the fickleness of success in the movie business
The athletes were aware of the fickleness of the crowd.
the fickleness of the art market
We are at the mercy of the weather's fickleness.
144
uproarious
extremely noisy and confused:
| an uproarious debate
145
salacious
causing or showing a strong interest in sexual matters:
| a salacious book/joke/comment
