3 Flashcards
To prod
poke (someone) with a finger, foot, or pointed object
“he prodded her in the ribs to stop her snoring”
Reinhabit
inhabit (a place) again
“the island was reinhabited in 1715 by Greeks from Kardamyla”
To blaze (blaze)
burn fiercely or brightly
“plumes of smoke rose from fires blazing around the city”
(a very large or fiercely burning fire)
“twenty firemen fought the blaze”
To lavish (lavish)
bestow something in generous or extravagant quantities on
“the media couldn’t lavish enough praise on the film”
sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious
“a lavish banquet”
To thrust
push suddenly or violently in a specified direction
“she thrust her hands into her pockets”
Wiry
resembling wire in form and texture
“his wiry black hair”
(of a person) lean, tough, and sinewy
“Bernadette was a small, wiry woman”
Showy
having a striking appearance or style, typically by being excessively bright, colourful, or ostentatious
“showy flowers”
Flock
a number of birds of one kind feeding, resting, or travelling together
“a flock of gulls”
To brim
be full to the point of overflowing
“my eyes brimmed with tears”
To snark (snark)
make critical or mocking comments in an indirect or sarcastic way
“they even snark about her family background”
(critical or mocking comments made in an indirect or sarcastic way)
“a little more research and a little less snark might have made this an interesting post”
Expectantly
with an excited feeling that something is about to happen, especially something good
“she waited expectantly for his answer”
To creep (crept, crept)
move slowly and carefully in order to avoid being heard or noticed
“he crept downstairs, hardly making any noise”
Chutzpah
Хутспах
extreme self-confidence or audacity
“love him or hate him, you have to admire Cohen’s chutzpah”
Malevolent
having or showing a wish to do evil to others
“the glint of dark, malevolent eyes”
Astoundingly
surprisingly impressively or notably
“both cars handle competently and precisely, if not astoundingly”
To sneer (sneer)
smile or speak in a contemptuous or mocking manner
“she had sneered at their bad taste”
(a contemptuous or mocking smile, remark, or tone)
“he acknowledged their presence with a condescending sneer”
To tug (tugboat)
To pull hard
To clench (clench)
(with reference to the fingers or hand) close into a tight ball, especially as a manifestation of extreme anger
“she clenched her fists, struggling for control”
a contraction or tightening of part of the body
“she saw the anger rise, saw the clench of his fists”
Anguished
experiencing or expressing severe mental or physical pain or suffering
“he gave an anguished cry”
Tersely
in an effectively concise manner; succinctly
“his phenomenally prolific creator of tersely plotted psychological thrillers deserves to be on your bookshelves”
Abyss
a deep, immeasurable space, gulf, or cavity; vast chasm
anything profound, unfathomable, or infinite
“the abyss of time”
Excerpt
a short extract from a film, broadcast, or piece of music or writing
“she read out excerpts from an article in the Times”
To excruciate (excruciating)
torment (someone) physically or mentally
“I stand back, excruciated by the possibility”
To snigger
laugh in a half-suppressed, typically scornful way
“the boys at school were sure to snigger at him behind his back”
To whittle (whittling)
carve (wood) into an object by repeatedly cutting small slices from it
“he was sitting at the tent door, whittling a piece of wood with a knife”
Ominous
giving the worrying impression that something bad is going to happen; threateningly inauspicious
“there were ominous dark clouds gathering overhead”
To reverberate
(of a loud noise) be repeated several times as an echo
“her deep booming laugh reverberated around the room”
Whorl
a pattern of spirals or concentric circles
“Shelley drew larger and larger dark whorls on her notepad”
Fraudulent
obtained, done by, or involving deception, especially criminal deception
“fraudulent share dealing”
To nurture
care for and protect (someone or something) while they are growing
“Jarrett was nurtured by his parents in a close-knit family”
To pat (pat)
touch quickly and gently with the flat of the hand
“he patted him consolingly on the shoulder”
a quick, light touch with the hand
“giving him a friendly pat on the arm, she went off to join the others”
Rueful
expressing sorrow or regret, especially in a wry or humorous way
“she gave a rueful grin”
Bleary
(of the eyes) looking or feeling dull and unfocused from sleep or tiredness
“Boris opened a bleary eye”
To bloat
make or become swollen with fluid or gas
“the fungus has bloated their abdomens”
