331 TOEFL Word List (Cram) Flashcards
administer
[T] 1 to give, (syns.) to dispense, mete out: The doctor administered medicine to the patient. 2 to manage, supervise: She ~ed the committee meeting to make sure that everything worked smoothly.
injection
n. [] a liquid passed through a needle or small opening: My car’s engine gets an ~ of gas when I step on the pedal. Thesaurus: a shot of s.t./ vaccination, immunization, inoculation
interpret
1 [] to translate (usu. orally) from one language into another: She ~s the French museum guide’s words for American tourists. 2 [T] to decide on the meaning of s.t. that is not very clear: I ~ your nod to mean that you agree with me. 3 [T] to show one’s own artistic ideas and ability through painting, music, writing, etc.: She is a violinist who ~s Bach brilliantly. Thesaurus: 1 to explain to, decipher 2 to understand, read, construe frml. Ant. to misinterpret
alleviate
frml. [T] –ated, –ating, –ates to make less difficult (painful, etc.), (syn.) to relieve: The medicine ~d the pain.
aspire
frml. [I] –pired, –piring, –pires to desire strongly, hope to do or to be: He ~s to be a great actor someday.
hinder
[T] to slow the progress of s.t., (syn.) to impede: Lack of modern equipment ~s efficient manufacturing.
unsure
adj. 1 not sure, uncertain: I am ~; I think it might rain today. 2 unsure of oneself: insecure, lacking confidence in oneself: When I play golf, I am ~ of myself, because I can’t hit the ball very well.
significance
n. [U] 1 the importance of s.t.: The end of the war was an event of great ~. 2 the meaning of s.t.: I don’t understand the ~ of your wearing black all the time; are you sad? Thesaurus: 1 consequence 2 the point, implication
application
n. 1 [C] a document or blank form for writing down information for a specific purpose, such as requesting a job or a loan: I filled out an ~ for a job at the factory. 2 [C] a use in s.t.: Mathematics has ~s in science. 3 [] the act of putting s.t. on: An ~ of paint improved the appearance of the house. Thesaurus: 1 a request for (job, driver’s license) 2 the relevance to (or) of, suitability of 3 spreading on, a treatment with (paint, face cream)
closure
n. [] frml. a finish of s.t., (syn.) a conclusion: We achieved ~ on an agreement after months of talks.
ambiguity
n. [] when something has more than one possible meaning: Legal documents must be free of ~.
emphasis
n. –ses /siz/ special importance placed on s.t.: She put great ~ on beginning work immediately.
exterior
n. 1 the outside of s.t., surface: The ~ of the house needs painting. 2 appearance, looks: He has a rough ~, but inside, he has a heart of gold. adj. outside: The ~ walls of the building are made of glass and steel.
effectively
ad 1 in a way that is successful and achieves what you want: Teachers need to be able to communicate ideas ~. 2 used when you describe what the real result of a situation is: His illness ~ ended his career.
ruin
[T] 1 to damage s.t., make s.t. no longer useful: She spilled coffee on her white silk dress and ~ed it. 2 to spoil s.t., to take the fun or usefulness out of s.t., esp. an event: His stupid behavior ~ed our party. 3 to destroy s.t., such as breaking, burning, or knocking s.t. down: A fire ~ed everything inside the museum. 4 to cause s.o. to lose all of his or her money: The stock market crash ~ed him, so he has no money. n. 1 [] a state of destruction, anything unusable because of damage: After the fire, the museum lay in ~s. 2 broken parts of historical buildings that still exist after thousands of years: We went to Greece to see the ~s of ancient temples.
pertain
[I] to belong or be related to s.t.: These financial records ~ to this year’s tax returns.
impact
n. 1 a forceful contact: The meteor made a large ~ when it crashed to earth. 2 effect, impression: Poverty has a bad ~ on people’s health. infrml. [] to affect: Lack of food ~ed the starving nation. Thesaurus: 1 a shock, jolt, collision 2 an influence
evoke
[T] evoked, evoking, evokes to bring out a feeling, response, (syn.) to elicit: The poetry ~d a feeling of love in the reader.
penetrate
–trated, –trating, –trates 1 [] to pass or cut a way into or through: The child cried as the doctor’s needle ~d his skin.||Searchlights ~d the darkness. 2 [T] to break or enter into with force: The army ~d the city’s walls. 3 [T] to see into, understand, esp. s.t. difficult: A spy ~d the secrets of the Defense Department. 4 [] to spread through s.t., (syn.) to permeate: The smell of frying fish ~d the hallway.
conservative
adj. 1 having a political view toward keeping old and often proven ways of doing things: In the USA, Republicans are the ~ party. 2 slow to change, cautious 3 not too much or too high: She is ~ in her spending.||He made a ~ estimate of the costs. 4 not showy, restrained in manner and dress: Tomiko is a banker who wears a ~ business suit to work. n. a person who is a ~ Thesaurus: 2 conventional, old–fashioned, wary 3 careful, prudent, moderate 4 traditional, dark– colored. Ant. showy
emphasis
n. –ses /siz/ special importance placed on s.t.: She put great ~ on beginning work immediately.
vital
adj. 1 most important, absolutely necessary: Water is ~ to life. 2 energetic, lively: She has a ~ personality. n.pl. ~s important organs, such as the heart, lungs, and digestive system: His ~s are in bad condition.
staunch
adj. firm, dedicated: a ~ supporter of the political party [T] to stop or slow bleeding: We ~ed the flow of blood with a shirt until we could get to the hospital.
judiciary
n. –ies 1 the court system: The ~ is a branch of government. 2 judges as a group
legendary
adj. 1 based on legend, (syn.) mythical: ~ stories are passed down from parents to children. 2 famous, (syn.) renowned: Great Olympic athletes have become ~.
foresee
[T] –saw /s/, –seen /sin/, –seeing, –sees to have knowledge of future events, (syns.) to predict, foretell: She ~(past) the troubles ahead and took steps to avoid them.
repercussion
n. a reaction to s.t., esp. bad events: When he yelled at his boss, the repercussion was that he was fired.
miscellany
n. Thesaurus: assortment– a group of different types of something
dimension
n. 1 [C] a measurement of s.t. in one direction: The ~s of a room (package, building lot, etc.) are its length, width, and depth (or height). 2 [] size: a problem of great ~
innovation
n. [] s.t. new made or improved with creativity: Cellular telephones were an ~ in the 1990s, but now they are very common.
representative
n. 1 a person who represents s.o. or s.t.: She is a sales ~ for a large company. 2 a member of the US House of Representatives: We will elect a new ~ in the next election. adj. meaning, showing, or illustrating s.t.: Many of Renoir’s paintings are ~ of French Impressionism. Thesaurus: 1 an agent, associate/ delegate 2 a congressman, congresswoman, legislator –adj. typical, characteristic of s.o. or s.t. Ant. atypical
subsidize
[T] –dized, –dizing, –dizes to give money to a person, group, or business that is not self–supporting: The City Opera is ~d by individual and corporate donations.
render
[T] 1 to give s.t. or do s.t., (syn.) to provide: That store ~s good service to its customers. 2 to give in return as payment: He ~ed thanks to God for his health and his family. 3 to put into another language, translate: It is difficult to ~ poetry into another language. 4 to cause a change, make s.t. become true: He was ~ed speechless when his sister told him she was having a baby.||She was ~ed helpless when she broke her leg. 5 frml. to give an opinion or decision: The judge will ~ his decision tomorrow. 6 to draw s.t., to sketch: I had an artist ~ a picture of my house to put in the paper since the house is for sale.
spearhead
[T] to lead an attack or series of actions: to ~ a campaign
infuse
1 [T] to fill someone or something with a lot of a particular emotion or quality: His work is ~d with a love for tradition. 2 [I,T] to put something into a liquid so that its taste goes into the liquid
overwhelming
adj. very strong in effect or large in amount: They won by an ~ majority.
evidence
n. 1 [U] words or objects that support the truth of s.t., proof: The lawyer presented the murder weapon as ~ in court. 2 present and easily seen: There were reporters in ~ at the scene of the crime. frml. [T] –denced, –dencing, –dences to show, demonstrate: The murder suspect ~d surprise upon seeing the weapon in court. Thesaurus: 1 support, confirmation/facts, data – to display, express
unanimous
adj. completely in agreement: Everyone on the committee agreed in a ~ decision.
prophetic
adj. related to predicting the future, esp. by inspiration of God: She made a ~ prediction that a woman would soon become President.
intangible
adj. not able to be felt with touch, sight, or hearing, but still sensed: My grandmother, who died last year, is an ~ presence in my life.
indispensable
adj. necessary, essential: Warm clothing is ~ in cold weather.
witness
[T] –nesses 1 to see, observe an incident: He ~ed the auto accident and wrote a report. 2 to sign a document as a witness: They asked me to ~ their contract. n. 1 a person who saw s.t. and can tell about it, (syn.) an observer: I was a ~ to the accident. 2 a person who attests or certifies that s.t. is real or genuine: I signed as a ~ to the authenticity of the will.
intentional
adj. done on purpose, (syn.) deliberate: Meeting for dinner at a vegetarian restaurant was ~; I am a vegetarian. –ad ~ly
relentless
adj. 1 without stopping, (syn.) persistent: The sound of the rain was ~ for hours on the roof. –ad ~ly 2 trying very hard to succeed, esp. to hurt s.o., (syn.) pitiless: The politician suffered ~ criticism from the press after she was elected.
seeming
adj. appearing obvious or true, but maybe not so: His~ reaction was happiness, but I think the smile hid tears. –ad ~ly
respectively
ad in that order, (syn.) consecutively: He likes coffee and tea, black and with cream, respectively.
evoke
[T] evoked, evoking, evokes to bring out a feeling, response, (syn.) to elicit: The poetry ~d a feeling of love in the reader.
facilitate
[T] –tated, –tating, –tates to help, (syn.) to expedite: The tourist office sent us a guide who ~d our travel through Japan.
encompass
[T] 1 to include: My history course ~es the 19th and 20th centuries. 2 frml. to encircle, surround: The wall ~es the entire college campus.
grasp
[T] 1 to hold firmly, take hold of: I ~ed the door handle with both hands and pulled hard. 2 to succeed in understanding s.t. often complex: After reading the text again, I finally ~ed the main points of the story. n. 1 a firm hold on s.t.: I got a ~ on the stuck faucet and forced it open. 2 understanding, comprehension: She has a good ~ of the facts in the situation.||This problem is beyond her ~. Thesaurus: – 1 to seize, grab, grip s.t. Ant. to let loose 2 to comprehend, catch on to s.t./get it infrml. Ant. to not nderstand –n.1 a grip, handhold. Ant. a slip 2. knowledge, mastery. Ant. ignorance 1
involved
adj. 1 with many complex details, (syn.) intricate: That mystery novel is very ~; I can’t explain the plot in five minutes. 2 with s.o. romantically: Are you two ~? I thought you were just friends! 3 participating in: He was ~ in a car accident in which the other driver was drunk.
subjective
adj. related to personal feeling and opinion, rather than facts: He must be ~ about the difficult girl; she’s his daughter and he loves her.
objective
adj. 1 not influenced by emotions or personal beliefs, fair, (syn.) impartial: The economist gave an ~ report of the economy’s problems. 2 existing outside the mind, real: People, buildings, and streets are part of ~ reality, not imagined. n. a goal, purpose: Our ~ in doing market research is to develop useful new products.
indispensable
adj. necessary, essential: Warm clothing is ~ in cold weather.
diligent
adj. hard–working, (syns.) persevering, dedicated: He raised his grades by being a very ~ student.
unsatisfactory
adj. unacceptable, not meeting standards: We received an ~ offer for the property, so we didn’t sell it. Thesaurus: unsuitable, inappropriate
pertain to
[I] to belong or be related to s.t.: These financial records ~ ~ this year’s tax returns.
reflect on
1 [T] s.o. or s.t.: to affect the quality or reputation of: Students who do well on exams ~ well ~ thir teachers. 2 [I] s.t.: to think deeply about, (syn.) to ponder: An old man ~ed ~ what he had done in his lifetime.
collude
[I] to do something secretly with another person or group, in order to deceive or cheat others: The company ~ with competitors to fix prices.
relegate
frml. [T] –gated, –gating, –gates to move s.t. to a lower position, throw away, (syns.) to dismiss, discard: After his old car broke down five times, he ~d it to the junkyard.
contemplate
frml. [T] –plated, –plating, –plates 1 to think about s.t. seriously: The manager ~d the results of the report for hours. 2 to look forward to, (syn.) to anticipate: She ~s a good future in business after her graduation from college.
utilize
[T] –lized, –lizing, –lizes to use, to bring into use: We ~d an old building to store our business files.
intimidate
[T] –dated, –dating, –dates to make s.o. fearful or timid by showing power or making threats: An older boy ~d the little children when he took their lunch money.
formidable
adj. strong, difficult to defeat, (syn.) daunting: The people of that country must overcome ~ obstacles to win their freedom.
horrendous
adj. extreme, terrible: He is having ~ difficulty with his health.
rugged
adj. 1 hilly, referring to land that is difficult to travel over: The Rocky Mountains have ~ mountains and roads. 2 strong, healthy, (syn.) vigorous: Football players must be ~.
diligent
adj. hard–working, (syns.) persevering, dedicated: He raised his grades by being a very ~ student.
accusation
n. a charge of crime or wrongdoing, (syn.) an indictment: The judge read ~s of theft to the criminal.
recognize
[T] –nized, –nizing, –nizes 1 to recall, remember s.o. or s.t. when one sees or hears that person or thing: I ~d an old friend in a crowd and waved to her. 2 in a formal meeting, to give s.o. a chance to speak: The chairwoman ~d me and I told the committee my opinion. Thesaurus: 1 to notice s.o., spot s.o. infrml., identify s.o. 2 to acknowledge s.o.
predisposition
n [C] when you are likely to have a medical problem or to behave in a particular way: People with a ~ to heart disease
implication
n. 1 [U] an indication of participation or involvement of others, esp. in a crime: The woman’s ~ of her brother sent him to jail. 2 [C] an indirect suggestion: John made ~s that Mr. Lu had faked his wife’s signature.
tension
n. 1 [] a state of stress, nervousness: The ~ in a hospital emergency room can be very high. 2 tautness, rigidity: The ~ in steel bridge cables is measured after they are installed.
imitation
n. 1 [C] a copy, a duplication, esp. a fake copy: She bought an ~ of a famous painting. 2 [] copying of s.o.’s behavior: My friend does a funny ~ of me.
exclusive
adj. 1 limited to people with a lot of money and high social position, (syns.) restricted, prestigious: an ~ club||an ~ neighborhood 2 belonging to one person, company, or contract: Our company has the ~ rights to distribute that product. 3 ~ of: not including or considering n.fig. a sole right: We have an ~ on that product; no one else can sell it.
apparent
adj. obvious, clear: He’s very unhappy, and it is ~ that he wants to leave now. Thesaurus: evident, noticeable. Ant. unclear
resolution
n. 1 [C] a solution to a problem, result of an action: Diplomats tried to find a ~ to the problems between their countries. 2 [U] the quality of believing s.t. strongly and not changing one’s mind: Everyone admired his ~ when he quit smoking and never touched another cigarette.
narrative
adj. related to storytelling, in the form of a story: a ~ tale n. a story, a description of events: The police asked her for a ~ of her activities the day of the murder.
loyalty
n. [] –ties faithfulness, devotion, (syn.) allegiance: The ~ of dogs to their owners is well–known. Thesaurus: trustworthiness, reliability, fidelity frml.
reverence
n. 1 [U] great admiration: The child looked up at his father with ~. 2 [U] respect for s.t. as sacred, holy, worthy to be worshiped: Religious people have ~ for their church.
devotion
n. [U] 1 dedication, loyalty: The soldier won praise for his ~ to duty. 2 loving attention: She is full of ~ to her family.
abstract
adj. 1 related to ideas, feelings, etc. (not concrete things): “Beauty” and “truth” are ~ ideas. 2 unclear, vague: He has ~ ideas about what to do, but no specific thoughts.
influential
adj. having a lot of influence: an ~ figure in modern jazz
legendary
adj. 1 based on legend, (syn.) mythical: ~ stories are passed down from parents to children. 2 famous, (syn.) renowned: Great Olympic athletes have become ~.
apparently
adj. 1 used to say that you have read or been told something although you are not certain it is true: ~ it’s going to rain today. 2 used to say that something seems to be true, although it is not certain: There were two ~ unrelated deaths.
inevitably
adj. necessarily There was an accident on the way. ~, the bus was late.
extent
n.sing. [U] an amount, degree: Inflation has slowed to a great (small, certain, etc.) ~.
fortitude
n. [U] courage in the face of difficulties: He showed ~ in his battle against cancer.
magnitude
n. [U] 1 the size or importance of s.t.: The economy is slowing down, but economists don’t know the ~ of this change yet. 2 (in science) the degree of brightness of a star or force of an earthquake: The ~ of the earthquake in California was 5.0 on the Richter scale.
essence
n. 1 [U] the central point (issue, idea, etc.) of a subject, its substance: The ~ of the matter is that the two people really love each other. 2 [] a pure substance made by crushing or boiling s.t., (syns.) a concentrate, an extract: The liquid from crushed rose petals is the ~ we use.
grasp
[T] 1 to hold firmly, take hold of: I ~ed the door handle with both hands and pulled hard. 2 to succeed in understanding s.t. often complex: After reading the text again, I finally ~ed the main points of the story.
vague
adj. vaguer, vaguest unclear, (syn.) inexplicit: He has some ~ ideas about what to do, but nothing specific.
blockage
n. [] s.t. that prevents flow or movement, (syn.) an obstruction: That man had a ~ in a blood vessel and almost had a heart attack.
hurdle
n. 1 a low barrier: Runners jump over ~s. 2 an obstacle, (syn.) hindrance: In starting a new company, many ~s must be crossed. [T] –dled, –dling, –dles to jump over a ~ or other barrier: The runner ~d the fence.
overpower
[T] 1 to defeat s.o. by greater power: Police ~ed the criminal and took him away. 2 to be too strong for one’s feelings or senses, make one feel helpless: The smell of the garbage ~ed me.
retain
[T] 1 to keep s.t., maintain possession of s.t.: The wife ~ed most of her dead husband’s property, but some went to the children. 2 to pay a professional for services: When his neighbor drove a car into his house, he ~ed a lawyer.
subdue
[T] –dued, –duing, –dues 1 to beat, (syn.) to conquer: The army ~d the enemy. 2 to make calmer or quieter: He ~d the screaming baby with soft music.
crucial
adj. extremely important, (syns.) critical, decisive: It is of ~ importance that we sign that contract for our future success.
diplomatic
adj. 1 related to diplomacy: a ~ service (mission, channel, corps, etc.) 2 showing skill at handling people sensitively: She gave a ~ response to a hostile question and brought calm to the situation.
impede
[T] –peded, –peding, –pedes to get in the way of, slow down: A large ship in the port ~d the movement of many smaller boats.
hinder
[T] to slow the progress of s.t., (syn.) to impede: Lack of modern equipment ~s efficient manufacturing.
differentiate
–ated, –ating, –ates 1 [] to describe or show differences: The speaker ~d between a partnership and a corporation as types of business ownership. 2 [] to see, or (syn.) to discern, differences: These two plans seem the same; I can’t ~ between them. 3 [T] to make (develop, manufacture, etc.) differences: We have ~d our product from the competition by its higher quality.
distinguish
–es 1 [] to see or understand differences, (syn.) to discriminate: That child cannot ~ between right and wrong! 2 [T] to show as different, set apart: What ~es our company from our competitors is our excellent record of customer satisfaction. 3 [T] to distinguish oneself: to gain notice, honor, or respect: He ~ed himself as a leading writer of books.
embody
[T] –ied, –ying, –ies to express, symbolize: The Statue of Liberty ~ies the hope of a better life for all.
encompass
[T] 1 to include: My history course ~es the 19th and 20th centuries. 2 frml. to encircle, surround: The wall ~es the entire college campus.
inaugurate
[T] –rated, –rating, –rates 1 to put in public office with a ceremony: The governor was ~d two months after her election. 2 to open, begin with a ceremony: A jazz band ~d the festivities with a lively song.
condense
–densed, –densing, –denses 1 [T] to shorten: The writer ~d his letter from six pages to two pages. 2 [T] to make thicker, esp. by removing water 3 [] to form liquid from a gas: Moisture ~d (out of the air) on the window.
alleviate
frml. [T] –ated, –ating, –ates to make less difficult (painful, etc.), (syn.) to relieve: The medicine ~d the pain.
discredit
[T] 1 to show that s.t. is of little or no truth or value: Scientists have ~ed many popular beliefs, like the belief the world was flat. 2 to cause a loss of trust or belief (in s.o.): After the scandal, the Minister was ~ed and he then resigned from the government.
diligence
n. [U] continuous effort and dedication, esp. to one’s work, (syn.) perseverance: She works with ~ because she loves her work.
disparage
[T] –aged, –aging, –ages to speak of (s.o. or s.t.) as having little value or importance, (syn.) to belittle: He called his opponent a fool and ~d his abilities.
distinctive
adj. different from others, special: Spices give that dish its ~ flavor.
detrimental
adj. to the detriment of sth: a ~ effect
preeminent
adj.frml. outstanding, most famous: She is the ~ soprano in the opera today.
emblem
n. a sign or symbol for decoration or for a purpose: Her shirt has the company ~ on it. –adj. ~atic.
immerse
[T] –mersed, –mersing, –merses 1 to put s.t. in water until it’s covered: The cook ~d the potatoes in boiling water. 2 to become absorbed in, (syn.) to delve into: Students ~ themselves in their studies.
weak havoc
to do violence (destruction, punishment, etc.): The hurricane ~ed ~ on the coastal area.
harass
[T] to criticize or attack s.o. again and again, (syn.) to badger: She ~ed me for days about the mistake I made.
manipulate
[T] –lated, –lating, –lates 1 to handle, change the position of s.t.: A worker ~s the levers of the bulldozer.||A musician ~d the strings of a guitar. 2 to influence s.o. or s.t. secretly, esp. for one’s own advantage: He ~d the price of a stock so he could buy it cheaply.
predispose
frml. –posed, –posing, –poses 1 [T] to make more likely to suffer from, (syn.) to make vulnerable: Her family history may ~ her to heart disease. 2 [] to incline s.o. in advance to do s.t. or to have a particular attitude: She is ~d to taking a vacation in Mexico, not Canada.
permissive
adj. allowing too much freedom, esp. in matters of pleasure that could lead to harm, (syn.) indulgent: ~ parents||a ~ society
contradict
1 [] to tell s.o. what he or she says isn’t true, (syn.) to dispute: They ~ each other all the time:when he says, “It’s white,” she says, “It’s black.” 2 [T] to be different, (syn.) to disagree: The police report about the crime ~s what a witness says about it. –adj. ~ory
dramatic
adj. 1 related to drama: He has written ~ works for the stage. 2 related to a high emotional point: a ~ scene in a play 3 making a big impression, (syn.) striking: She wore an amazing dress for a ~ entrance into the theater.
unsure
adj. 1 not sure, uncertain: I am ~; I think it might rain today. 2 ~ of oneself: insecure, lacking confidence in oneself: When I play golf, I am ~ of myself, because I can’t hit the ball very well.
tolerant
adj. accepting of different beliefs and behavior: The boy’s parents are ~ of his naughty behavior.
literary
adj. related to literature and writing: ~ magazines have few readers compared to news magazines.
destruction
n. [U] 1 terrible and complete ruin: A hurricane causes great ~ to buildings and trees. 2 the act of pulling or breaking down: The ~ of the old building will take two weeks. Thesaurus: 1 devastation, desolation, havoc 2 demolition|downfall(of people). Ant. construction
implement
[T] to start, put into action: The meat company ~ed a new advertising plan for low–fat beef. n. a tool or piece of equipment: With the right ~s, I can unlock a door without a key.
ensure
[T] –sured, –suring, –sures to make sure: He ~d that all the doors were locked before he left his apartment.||Your passport ~s your entry into your home country. Thesaurus: to make certain, assure oneself|guarantee s.t. is s.o. Ant. to leave s.t. in doubt
enable
[T] –bled, –bling, –bles to make possible for, (syn.) to empower: Their earnings ~d them to retire early.
attribute
n. a characteristic, quality of a person or thing: He is a handsome man with many other good ~s. [T] –uted, –uting to credit, be the reason for: I ~ his success to his talent and hard work.
vice
n. [] sin or crime, including illegal drugs and prostitution: There is a lot of ~ in big cities.
gesture
n. 1 a body movement to show s.t. (a feeling, an idea, etc.): She made a ~ to the right with her hand to show the direction of the park. 2 s.t. you do or say to show your feelings: We gave some money to the hospital as a ~ of support. [I] –tured, –turing, –tures to make a movement with your hand or head to show s.t.: He ~d to me to sit down.