220124 Flashcards
unctuous
friendly or giving praise in a way that is not sincere and that is therefore unpleasant (thảo mai)
The doctor was __ about when I could drive again after I had worn a plaster for two months
Rumors had it that although Nguyên Bình is popular among the students, she’s actually being unctuous
sinister
seeming evil or dangerous; making you think something bad will happen
There was something cold and sinister about him.
non-committal
not giving an opinion; not showing which side of an argument you agree with
Whenever our class got asked yes or no, most of us are non-committal since they fear criticism from others
invicible
C2
Opinion and argument
too strong to be defeated or changed
The team seemed invincible.
angst
a feeling of great worry about a situation, or about your life
On the threshold of adulthood, it is normal for a teenager to go through a period of ___________ with uncertainty and many worries dominating their minds.
acquittal
C2
Preferences and decisions
tuyên trắng án
attenuation
the action of making something weaker or less effective
Skipping meals frequently can lead to the attenuation of these pills
step up on the plate
hành động khi cần, dù điều đó rất khó
batten down the hatches
chuẩn bị cho tình huống khó khăn
down to the wire
until the last moment that it is possible to do something
I think the election will go right down to the wire (= be won at the last moment).
blot sth out
- to stop yourself thinking about something unpleasant
- to hide or block the light from something, especially the sun
Even though years have gone by, I still can’t blot that incident out
harp on sth
to talk or complain about something many times
My mom always harps on how untidy my room is
batten on sb
sống tốt dựa vào tiền của người khác
As you have matured into a man, stop __ your parents and go out to find a job
(in/ fall into) brown study
a mood in which you are very involved in your own thoughts and not paying attention to anything else
Coming home with a broken heart, he sank back on his pillow and fell into a __, not noticing my talking to him
rabbit warren
a building or part of a city with many narrow passages or streets
My neighborhood is a real rabbit warren. Not only is it difficult to find my way around but it’s also easy to get stuck in a narrow alley
bottomless pit
something that seems to have no limits, especially in how much money needs to be spent on it
It seems that if I continue to sate my desire for new cosmestics, I’ll only pour money into a bottomless pit
heavy going
~ opaque
difficult to read or understand
I liked The Davinci Code but it’s rather heavy-going
pit your wits against sb/ sth
to see if you can be cleverer than someone or something
I won’t ever try to pit my wits against BDL because he’s the GOAT