Chapter 6 Flashcards
Apathy
Meaning: lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
Examples: There is a growing sense of apathy among teens and a feeling that there are no opportunities.
To this list one might add apathy, disrespect, recklessness, insensitivity, and dishonesty.
They may develop apathy or resistance if they view their boss as oppressive.
Proportional
Meaning: in correct relation to.
Examples: Weight is proportional to size.
How far you go is directly proportional to how fast you go (= as one thing increases, the other increases at exactly the same rate).
The degree of punishment is meant to be proportional to the seriousness of the crime.
There’s a false idea that physical prowess and intellectual ability are inversely proportional.
Obsolete
Meaning: no longer produced or used; out of date.
Examples: Gas lamps became obsolete when electric lighting was invented.
Traditional retailing is in danger of being rendered obsolete by the internet.
We need to replace some obsolete equipment.
Rapid technological change soon makes systems obsolete.
Deplete
Meaning: to reduce something in size or amount, especially supplies of energy, money, etc.; (use up/ consume/ exhaust)
Examples: If we continue to deplete the earth’s natural resources, we will cause serious damage to the environment.
The illness depletes the body of important vitamins.
That last holiday seriously depleted my bank account!
Cumbersome
Meaning: 1. awkward because of being large, heavy, or not effective. 2. difficult to do or manage and taking a lot of time and effort.
Examples: Although the machine looks cumbersome, it is easy to use.
Critics say that the process for amending the Constitution is cumbersome.
This approach allows faster initial deployment, but maintenance of the application becomes cumbersome with a growing number of cases.
Pathetic
Meaning: 1. causing feelings of sadness or sympathy. 2. useless or not effective in an annoying way.
Examples: I think it’s pathetic that only half of the eligible voters tend to vote.
Are you telling me you’re frightened to speak to her?
Don’t be so pathetic! The refugees were a pathetic sight - starving, frightened and cold.
Perpetual
Meaning: continuing forever in the same way. Occurring repeatedly; so frequent as to seem endless and uninterrupted
Examples: They lived in perpetual fear of being discovered.
He has hard, cold eyes and his mouth is set in a perpetual sneer.
She resented his perpetual complaining about her cooking.
Clara could recall her mother’s perpetual nagging at her father.
Dwindle
Meaning: diminish gradually in size, amount, or strength.
Examples: The community has dwindled to a tenth of its former size in the last two years.
Her hopes of success in the race dwindled last night as the weather became worse.
While public interest in Ebola continues to dwindle , the epidemic itself continues to soar.
Recalibrate
Meaning: to change the way you do or think about something.
Examples: You need to recalibrate your expectations.
The administration appears to have recalibrated its strategy.
Frequently, users must recalibrate the data at their home sites to take advantage of better calibration files or software.
Upsurge
Meaning: (noun) a sudden and usually large increase in something.
Examples: Department stores report a recent upsurge in credit-card fraud.
An upsurge of/in violence in the district has been linked to increased unemployment.
Why, after all, have we had this great upsurge in population over the last two centuries?
Phase out
Meaning: to gradually eliminate or remove someone or something.
Examples: When was the two-dollar bill phased out of circulation?
Of course I’m worried—the corporate office is phasing out all of the jobs in our department!
We will gradually phase the old schedule out to create a more efficient one.
Boisterous
Meaning: 1. noisy, energetic, and cheerful. 2. (of weather or water) wild or stormy.
Examples: To this humorous “wet” joke, the audience burst into a boisterous laughter.
An argument developed between the soldiers and some civilian men and women who objected to their boisterous behaviour.
Children’s parties, featuring fortune-telling and boisterous games, have long been part of the Halloween tradition in America.
Pre-empt
Meaning: take action in order to prevent (an anticipated event) happening; forestall.
Examples: The authorities concerned were advised to take measures to pre-empt any untoward incident.
The minister held a press conference in order to pre-empt criticism in the newspapers.
The group raised its offer in an attempt to pre-empt a possible counterbid from a rival.
Makeshift
Meaning: (adjective) acting as an interim and temporary measure.
Examples: Thousands of refugees are living in makeshift camps.
Steven was forced to use a rock as a makeshift hammer.
The solution - makeshift, as usual - simply exacerbated the existing problem.
Build up
Meaning: 1. to increase or develop something gradually. 2. to encourage or flatter someone. 3. to become stronger.
Examples: I’ve been putting $50 aside every month in an attempt to build up my savings.
Not getting that job left my son really discouraged, so I’ve been trying to build him up. (2)
I’m trying to build up my leg muscles so that I can run even faster.
