23rd July Flashcards
compound
If you compound a problem you add something to it to make it worse, like say, putting water on a grease fire.
Make more intense, stronger or more marked.
colossal
Colossal describes something so large it makes you say, “Whoa!” You might have a colossal amount of homework, or see a colossal pyramid while vacationing in Egypt.
The colossal and historic investment is expected to cut child poverty in half, according to an analysis from Columbia University’s Center on Poverty and Social Policy.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity on Tuesday because they were not authorized to comment publicly, they said a colossal effort was now needed to bring lifesaving aid to Tigray.
decimation
Decimation is the near-total destruction of a group.
Decimation implies that nearly all of a population has been destroyed or killed.
You might be angry about the decimation of the rainforest in a region of South America
The decimation of the coral in a reef where you’d hoped to snorkel some day.
West Coast within three decades, a demise brought on by indiscriminate international fishing, the decimation of nesting grounds and climate change.
The most worrying thing in Bangladesh is the decimation of the electoral system,” said Ali Riaz, an expert on South Asia who teaches political science at Illinois State University.
inkling
Is someone yapping on and on and you only have the vaguest idea of what they’re talking about? Then you understood just an inkling — a glimmer, a fraction — of what they were saying.
Inkling can also mean a sly suggestion or faint implication.
dispatch
The property of being prompt and efficient.
Dispose rapidly and without delay and efficiently.
creditable
Deserving of praise but not that amazing.
Critics agreed the movie was creditable, but few gave it more than three out of five stars.
balk
To balk means to refuse to go along with.
Show unwillingness towards
She said nearly all of the recent hospitalizations are among unvaccinated persons and deaths are “certainly” occurring among those who’ve balked at the shots.
The students were willing to clean up the broken glass,but when the teacher asked them to mop the entire floor, they balked, citing the reasons why they needed to leave.
besiege
To besiege means to attack with an army, or to pester with many requests.
Harass, as with questions or requests
When all your teachers ask you to hand in assignments on the same day, you can end up feeling besieged.
snub
To snub is to ignore or refuse to acknowledge someone
When you snub someone, you deliver an insult by pretending to not even notice someone that you know..
A key group of international diplomats on Saturday appeared to snub the man currently running Haiti by urging another politician, the designated prime minister, to form a government following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
Alcohol, the United States’ most commonly abused substance, is notably snubbed; it would be ludicrous, after all, to bar athletes from consuming a legal product that does little to boost athletic achievement.
cumbersome
Difficult to handle or use especially because of size or weight.
deliberate
To deliberate means to carefully think or talk something through. Weigh the pros and cons about an issue.
Ms Anderson found this was a deliberate decision to impede the investigation.
boorish
An adjective used for people with bad manners and a sloppy appearance.
His boorish tone, inability to express empathy and unwillingness to admit mistakes are not qualities that most women find attractive.
