61-80 Flashcards
To plummet
Verb
fall or drop straight down at high speed
“a climber was killed when he plummeted 300 feet down an icy gully”
To quench
Verb
satisfy (a desire or a desire)
“he only pursued her to quench an aching need”
To ransack
Verb
go through (a place) stealing things and causing damage in untidy way "burglars ransacked her home"
Reckless
Adj
heedless of danger or the consequences of one’s actions; rash or impetuous
“you mustn’t be so reckless”
To reek
Verb
smell strongly and unpleasantly (literally or figuratively); stink
“the yard reeked of wet straw and horse manure”
Salient
Adj
most noticeable or important
“it succinctly covered all the salient points of the case”
Scruffy
Adj
shabby and untidy or dirty
“a teenager in scruffy jeans and a baggy T-shirt”
Seamlessly
Adv
smoothly and continuously, with no apparent gaps or spaces between one part and the next
“each song is seamlessly integrated into the film”
Seldom
Adv
not often; rarely
“Islay is seldom visited by tourists”
Sheer
Adj
total and absolute, complete; nothing other than; unmitigated (used for emphasis).
“she giggled with sheer delight”
Slander / to slander
Noun / verb
the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person’s reputation
“he is suing the TV company for slander”
make false and damaging statements about (someone).
“they were accused of slandering the head of state”
Sliver
Noun
a small, thin piece of something cut or split off a larger piece.
“a sliver of cheese”
Snag
Noun
an unexpected or hidden obstacle or drawback.
“there’s one small snag”
To snoop
Verb
investigate or look around furtively in an attempt to find out something, especially information about someone’s private affairs
“your sister might find the ring if she goes snooping about”
Spate
Noun
a large number of similar things coming in quick succession
“a spate of attacks on holidaymakers”
To sprain
Verb
wrench or twist the ligaments of (an ankle, wrist, or other joint) violently so as to cause pain and swelling but not dislocation
“he left in a wheelchair after spraining an ankle”
To sway
Verb
control or influence (a person or course of action)
“he’s easily swayed by other people”
Tantalizingly / tantalizing
Adv / adj
in a way that makes you feel excited and hope that you might get or do something, especially when this does not in fact happen
“they came tantalizingly close to winning”
“cooking smells wafted tantalizingly in the air”
Tantamount
Adj
equivalent in seriousness to; virtually the same as
“the resignations were tantamount to an admission of guilt”
To tarnish
Verb
make or become less valuable or respected
“his regime had not been tarnished by human rights abuses”
lose or cause to lose lustre, especially as a result of exposure to air or moisture
“silver tarnishes too easily”
