Bussines Results Lessons1-2 Flashcards
incur
in·cur \ɪnˈkɚ\
verb
[+ obj] formal : to cause yourself to have or experience (something unpleasant or unwanted)
incur expenses/debt
What did he do to incur such wrath?
Other forms: in·curs; in·curred; in·cur·ring
pompous
pomp·ous \ˈpɑ:mpəs\
adjective
[more pompous; most pompous] disapproving : having or showing the attitude of people who speak and behave in a very formal and serious way because they believe that they are better, smarter, or more important than other people
a pompous [=self-important] politician
a pompous remark
She found it difficult to talk about her achievements without sounding pompous.
pom·pos·i·ty \ˌpɑ:mˈpɑ:səti\ noun plural pom·pos·i·ties
[noncount]
theatrical pomposity
[count]
the pomposities [=pompous remarks and actions] of elected officials
pomp·ous·ly adverb
a suggestion she had pompously dismissed
Synonyms: cavalier, haughty, highfalutin, high-handed, high-hat, imperious, important, lofty, lordly, masterful, overweening, peremptory, arrogant, presumptuous, pretentious, supercilious, superior, uppish, uppity
Antonyms: humble, modest
contingency
con·tin·gen·cy \kənˈtɪnʤənsi\
noun
[count] : something (such as an emergency) that might happen
In making our business plans, we tried to prepare for any contingency that might hurt sales.
a contingency plan [=a plan that can be followed if an original plan is not possible for some reason]
a contingency fund [=an amount of money that can be used to pay for problems that might happen]
Other forms: plural con·tin·gen·cies
Synonyms: case, event, eventuality, possibility
assumption
as·sump·tion \əˈsʌmpʃən\
noun
1 [count] : something that is believed to be true or probably true but that is not known to be true : something that is assumed
I made the assumption that he was coming, so I was surprised when he didn’t show up.
He will come home tomorrow. At least, that’s my assumption.
Many scientific assumptions about Mars were wrong.
We are operating on/under/with the assumption that the loan will be approved. [=we are assuming that the loan will be approved; we are behaving as though we know that the loan will be approved]
I’m telling you our arrival time on the assumption that you will check to see whether or not our flight is on time before you come to the airport.
Her plan is based on the underlying assumption that the economy will improve in the near future.
2 [noncount] : the act of assuming something: such as a : the act of beginning a role, duty, etc.
her assumption of the presidency
b : the act of taking or beginning to have power, control, etc., in a job or situation
the assumption of control/authority
c : the act of accepting a responsibility, debt, etc.
the buyer’s assumption of debt
Other forms: plural as·sump·tions
Synonyms: postulate, premise, presumption, presupposition, supposition
remuneration
re·mu·ner·a·tion \rɪˌmju:nəˈreɪʃən\
noun
formal : an amount of money paid to someone for the work that person has done
[noncount]
an increase in remuneration
a remuneration package
[count]
She was given generous remunerations for her work.
Other forms: plural re·mu·ner·a·tions
Synonyms: compensation, disbursement, giving, paying, remitment, remittance, payment
Antonyms: nonpayment, repudiation
ingenuity
in·ge·nu·ity\ˌɪnʤəˈnu:wəti, Brit ˌɪnʤəˈnju:wəti\
noun
1 [noncount] : skill or cleverness that allows someone to solve problems, invent things, etc.
She showed amazing ingenuity in finding ways to cut costs.
It will take considerable/much/some ingenuity to fix these problems.
2 [count] : a clever device or method
musical ingenuities
Other forms: plural in·ge·nu·ities
Synonyms: creativeness, imaginativeness, ingeniousness, creativity, invention, inventiveness, originality
sustain
sus·tain \səˈsteɪn\
verb
[+ obj]
1 : to provide what is needed for (something or someone) to exist, continue, etc.
There is not enough oxygen to sustain [=support] life at very high altitudes.
Hope sustained us during that difficult time.
The movie sustained our interest [=kept us interested] from beginning to end.
The country is enjoying a period of sustained [=continuing] economic growth.
a sustained discussion/effort
2 formal : to hold up the weight of (something)
The roof, unable to sustain the weight of all the snow, collapsed.
3 formal : to deal with or experience (something bad or unpleasant) : suffer
The army sustained heavy losses.
He sustained serious injuries in the accident.
4 law : to decide or state that (something) is proper, legal, or fair
The judge sustained the motion.
The lawyer’s objection was sustained.
5 formal : to show that (something) is true or correct : to confirm or prove (something)
The report sustains their story/claims.
The evidence does not sustain a guilty verdict.
Other forms: sus·tains; sus·tained; sus·tain·ing
Synonyms: nourish, nurture
Open-minded
open–mind·ed \ˌoʊpənˈmaɪndəd\ adjective [more open–mind*ed; most open–mind*ed] : willing to consider different ideas or opinions Try to be open-minded about the changes. He's one of the most open-minded people I've ever met. — opposite closed-minded open–mind·ed·ness noun [noncount] Synonyms: broad-minded, open, receptive Antonyms: narrow-minded
Out-of-the-way
out–of–the–way \ˌaʊtəðəˈweɪ\
adjective
[more out–of–the–way; most out–of–the–way] : located far from other places that are well-known
We had dinner at this little out-of-the-way place.
out-of-the-way restaurants
Synonyms: bizarre, curious, far-out, funny, kinky, outlandish, out-of-the-way, outré, peculiar, quaint, queer, queerish, quirky, remarkable, screwy, strange, wacky, way-out, weird, wild
Antonyms: common, ordinary, usual
Up-and-coming
up–and–com·ing \ˌʌpəndˈkʌmɪŋ\ adjective [more up–and–com*ing; most up–and–com*ing] : becoming more successful, important, and well known an up-and-coming young actor an up-and-coming new technology
Run-of-the-mill
run–of–the–mill \ˌrʌnɚvðəˈmɪl\
adjective
often disapproving : average or ordinary
a run-of-the-mill performance
Synonyms: average, common, commonplace, everyday, garden, normal, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual, workaday
Antonyms: abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary, odd, out-of-the-way, strange, unusual
Down-to-earth
down–to–earth
adjective
[more down–to–earth; most down–to–earth]
1 : informal and easy to talk to
a down-to-earth person
He’s very down-to-earth despite his fame.
2 : practical and sensible
down-to-earth advice
Students liked the teacher’s down-to-earth approach.
Synonyms: down-to-earth, earthy, hardheaded, matter-of-fact, practical, pragmatic (also pragmatical)
Antonyms: idealistic, impractical, unrealistic, utopian, visionaryl
Easygoing
easy·go·ing \ˌi:ziˈgowɪŋ\
adjective
[more easygoing; most easygoing] : relaxed and informal
an easygoing boss
a boss with an easygoing [=easy] manner
Synonyms: affable, breezy, devil-may-care, happy-go-lucky, laid-back, low-pressure, mellow
Antonyms: uptight
Low-key
low–key \ˈloʊˈki:\ adjective Variants: also low–keyed \ˈloʊˈki:d\ [more low–key; most low–key] : quiet and relaxed : not very forceful, emotional, or noticeable a politician with a low-key style The party was a low-key affair. a low-key approach to management
Jettison
jet·ti·son \ˈʤɛtəsən\
verb
[+ obj]
1 : to drop (something) from a moving ship, airplane, etc.
The captain gave orders to jettison the cargo.
They jettisoned the fuel and made an emergency landing.
2 : to get rid of (something)
We should jettison these old computers and get new ones.
: to reject (something, such as a plan or idea)
They jettisoned plans for a vacation.
Other forms: jet·ti·sons; jet·ti·soned; jet·ti·son·ing
Synonyms: cast, ditch, dump, fling (off or away), discard, junk, lose, reject, scrap, shed, shuck (off), slough (also sluff), throw away, throw out, unload, dispose of, set aside
Entail
en·tail \ɪnˈteɪl\
verb
[+ obj] : to have (something) as a part, step, or result
I’ll need to know a little more about what the job entails. [=involves]
The procedure does entail [=carry] certain risks.
He accepted the responsibility, with all that it entails.
Other forms: en·tails; en·tailed; en·tail·ing
Synonyms: carry, comprehend, contain, embrace, encompass, include, involve, number, subsume, take in
Antonyms: exclude, omit
Paradigm
par·a·digm \ˈperəˌdaɪm\
noun
[count] formal
1 : a model or pattern for something that may be copied
Her recent book provides us with a new paradigm for modern biography.
2 : a theory or a group of ideas about how something should be done, made, or thought about
the Freudian paradigm of psychoanalysis
a new study that challenges the current evolutionary paradigm
Other forms: plural par·a·digms
par·a·dig·mat·ic \ˌperədɪgˈmætɪk\ adjective [more paradigmatic; most paradigmatic]
a paradigmatic example
Awe
awe \ˈɑ:\
noun
[singular] : a strong feeling of fear or respect and also wonder
It was a sight that filled me with awe and reverence.
a person who inspires feelings of awe in others
an awe-inspiring sight
— often used after in
We watched in awe as the building collapsed.
They stared in awe at their hero.
— often used in the phrase in awe of
She is still in awe of her teacher.
I stand in awe of their courage.
Synonyms: admiration, amazement, astonishment, wonder, wonderment
2
awe
verb
[+ obj] : to fill (someone) with awe
Her style both awes and perplexes me.
— often used as (be) awed
He was awed [=awestruck] by the natural beauty of the place.
Other forms: awes; awed; aw·ing
awed adjective
a moment of awed surprise
Phony
pho·ny (US)
adjective
Variants: or chiefly Brit pho·ney \ˈfoʊni\
informal
1 : not true, real, or genuine : intended to make someone think something that is not true
He gave a phony name to the police. = The name he gave the police was phony.
a phony [=(more commonly) counterfeit] $100 bill
She’s been talking in a phony [=fake] Irish accent all day.
2 of a person : not honest or sincere : saying things that are meant to deceive people
phony politicians
Other forms: pho·ni·er; pho·ni·est
pho·ni·ness noun [noncount]
I recognized the phoniness of her accent.
Synonyms: bogus, fake, false, forged, inauthentic, counterfeit (also phoney), sham, spurious, unauthentic
Antonyms: authentic, bona fide, genuine, real
2
phony (US)
noun
Variants: or chiefly Brit phoney
[count] informal
1 : a person who pretends to be someone else or to have feelings or abilities that he or she does not really have : a person who is not sincere
According to him, politics is full of phonies.
I don’t think she ever meant to help us. What a phony!
2 : something that is not real or genuine
The painting is a phony. [=fake]
Other forms: plural pho·nies
Synonyms: counterfeit, forgery, hoax, humbug, fake (also phoney), sham
Succumb
suc·cumb \səˈkʌm\
verb
[no obj] somewhat formal
1 : to stop trying to resist something
They will pressure you, and you must try not to succumb.
— often + to
Try not to succumb to the pressure.
It’s easy to succumb [=give in] to the temptation to oversimplify this kind of problem.
2 : to die
The patient eventually succumbed.
— usually + to
He succumbed to his injuries. [=he died because of his injuries]
She fought a good fight but finally succumbed to cancer.
Other forms: suc·cumbs; suc·cumbed; suc·cumb·ing
Synonyms: bow, budge, capitulate, concede, give in, knuckle under, quit, submit, yield, surrender
Antonyms: resist
Feasible
fea·si·ble \ˈfi:zəbəl\
adjective
[more feasible; most feasible] : possible to do
This plan for a new town library is not economically feasible. [=it costs too much money]
looking for a feasible way to create new jobs
a feasible goal
fea·si·bil·i·ty \ˌfi:zəˈbɪləti\ noun [noncount]
She questions the feasibility of the plan.
a feasibility study [=a study to show if something can be done]
fea·si·bly \ˈfi:zəbli\ adverb
Synonyms: achievable, attainable, doable, possible, practicable, realizable, viable, workable
Antonyms: hopeless, impossible, impracticable, unattainable, unworkable
Feasible
fea·si·ble \ˈfi:zəbəl\
adjective
[more feasible; most feasible] : possible to do
This plan for a new town library is not economically feasible. [=it costs too much money]
looking for a feasible way to create new jobs
a feasible goal
fea·si·bil·i·ty \ˌfi:zəˈbɪləti\ noun [noncount]
She questions the feasibility of the plan.
a feasibility study [=a study to show if something can be done]
fea·si·bly \ˈfi:zəbli\ adverb
Synonyms: achievable, attainable, doable, possible, practicable, realizable, viable, workable
Antonyms: hopeless, impossible, impracticable, unattainable, unworkable
