26/8 Flashcards
fulsome
expressing a lot of admiration or praise for someone, often too much, in a way that does not sound sincere
combustion
the process of burning
aggravate
to make a bad situation worse
“ Attempts to restrict parking in the city centre have further aggravated the problem of traffic congestion
strain something/yourself
to injure yourself or part of your body by making it work too hard
to strain a muscle
repel somebody/something
(formal) to successfully fight somebody who is attacking you, your country, etc. and drive them away
to repel an attack/invasion/invader
toll
when a bell tolls or somebody tolls it, it is rung slowly many times, especially as a sign that somebody has died
toll (for somebody) The Abbey bell tolled for those killed in the war.
juxtaposition
the fact of putting people or things together, especially in order to show a contrast or a new relationship between them
the juxtaposition of realistic and surreal situations in the novel
propaganda
transparency
moral outrage
censorship
misinformation
bedridden patients
nascent
beginning to exist; not yet fully developed
a nascent industry
pivot
pivot (something) (+ adv./prep.) to turn or balance on a central point (= a pivot); to make something do this
Once the virus was so serious that it could no longer be denied, the Chinese media pivoted to a tone of relentless positivity, valorising medical heroes who were beating back the pandemic.
infamous
well known for being bad or evil
SYNONYM notorious
a general who was infamous for his brutality
downplay
downplay something to try to make something seem less important than it really is
SYNONYM play down
The coach is downplaying the team’s poor performance.
chocolatier
a person who creates chocolate and everything made out of chocolate
confectioner
person who works with candy and sweets
apocalyptic
describing very serious damage and destruction in past or future events
an apocalyptic view of history
apocalyptic warnings of the end of society
