24 Jan Flashcards
alms
Alms are money, food, or other material goods donated to people living in poverty. Providing alms is often considered an act of virtue or charity. The act of providing alms is called almsgiving and it is a widespread practice in a number of different religions and cultures
predilection
a preference or special liking for something; a bias in favour of something.
smear
damage the reputation of (someone) by false accusations; slander.
besmirch ; sully
tainted
polluted
mercenary
A mercenary, sometimes known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, who takes part in military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military.
legatee
a person who receives a legacy.
beneficiary; inheritor;payee
geostrategy
Geostrategy, a subfield of geopolitics, is a type of foreign policy guided principally by geographical factors as they inform, constrain, or affect political and military planning
elephant in the room
a major problem or controversial issue which is obviously present but is avoided as a subject for discussion.
accentuate
make more noticeable or prominent.
tame
make less powerful and easier to control.
subdue; bring to heel
sagacity
wisdom;intelligence
perennial
lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring.
prune
reduce the extent of (something) by removing superfluous or unwanted parts.
scuttle
run hurriedly or furtively with short quick steps.
skip;scurry;bustle
rogue
a dishonest or unprincipled man.
become a cropper
If you say that someone has come a cropper, you mean that they have had an unexpected and embarrassing failure
being buoyant
able to rise and float in the air or on the top of a liquid buoyant cork. 2 : able to keep a body afloat. 3 : lighthearted, cheerful a buoyant mood.
juncture
a particular point in events or time.
a place where things join.
stuck in slapstick
Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such as saws and ladders.
rough humour
serendipity
the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
genealogy
the study and tracing of lines of descent.
pedigree; lineage
arsenal
a collection of weapons and military equipment.
an array of resources available for a certain purpose.
sapient
wise, or attempting to appear wise.
relating to the human species ( Homo sapiens ).
gall
bold and impudent behaviour.
insolence;impertinence
repertoire
a stock of skills or types of behaviour that a person habitually uses.
a stock of plays, dances, or items that a company or a performer knows or is prepared to perform.
the whole body of items which are regularly performed.
came to the fore
phrase. If someone or something comes to the fore in a particular situation or group, they become important or popular. A number of low-budget independent films brought new directors and actors to the fore.
abrasive
showing little concern for the feelings of others; harsh.
caustic;grating;vitriolic
handout
a quantity of financial or other material aid given to a person or organization.
a piece of printed information provided free of charge, especially to accompany a lecture or advertise something.
berate
scold or criticize (someone) angrily.
unremitting
never relaxing or slackening; incessant.
continuous
detractor
a person who disparages someone or something.
critic
tirade
a long, angry speech of criticism or accusation.
diatribe;invective;polemic;rant
apologist
a person who offers an argument in defence of something controversial.
insignia
a sign or token of something.
a distinguishing badge or emblem of military rank, office, or membership of an organization.
dirge
a lament for the dead, especially one forming part of a funeral rite.
a mournful song, piece of music, or sound.
milieu
a person’s social environment.
hounding
harass, persecute, or pursue relentlessly.
grist
useful material, especially to support an argument.
rabid
having or proceeding from an extreme or fanatical support of or belief in something.
siege
a military operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building, cutting off essential supplies, with the aim of compelling those inside to surrender.
hector
talk to (someone) in a bullying way. intimidate;chivvy;browbeat
barbarism
absence of culture and civilization.
absence of culture and civilization.
fiend
an evil spirit or demon.
an enthusiast or devotee of a particular thing.
iniquitous
grossly unfair and morally wrong.
blasphemy
Blasphemy, as defined in some religions or religion-based laws, is an insult that shows contempt, disrespect or lack of reverence concerning a deity, a sacred object or something considered inviolable. Some religions consider blasphemy to be a religious crime
travesty
a false, absurd, or distorted representation of something.
archaic
very old or old-fashioned.
barrack
a building or group of buildings used to house a specific group of people, such as labourers or prisoners, in austere conditions.
a large, ugly building.
remit
cancel or refrain from exacting or inflicting (a debt or punishment).
splinter
break or cause to break into small sharp fragments.
protectionism
Protectionism is the economic policy of restricting imports from other countries through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, import quotas, and a variety of other government regulations.
avowed
that has been asserted, admitted, or stated publicly.
onslaught
a fierce or destructive attack.
an overwhelmingly large number of people or things.
tabloid
A tabloid is a newspaper with a compact page size smaller than broadsheet. … The term tabloid journalism refers to an emphasis on such topics as sensational crime stories, astrology, celebrity gossip and television, and is not a reference to newspapers printed in this format.
veracity
conformity to facts; accuracy.
sombre
having or conveying a feeling of deep seriousness and sadness.
solemn;dark coloured
ode
a lyric poem, typically one in the form of an address to a particular subject, written in varied or irregular metre.
rebuffed
reject (someone or something) in an abrupt or ungracious manner.
