Chapter 8 Flashcards
piecemeal
done or happening a little at a time
- A piecemeal approach to dealing with the problem
shut out
leave or move out
- Don’t forget to shut the cat out when you leave for work.
anticipate
to expect that something will happen
- We had some difficulties along the way that we didn’t anticipate.
kinship
a feeling of being close to somebody because you have similar origins or attitudes
- He felt a real sense of kinship with his fellow soldiers.
subside
less strong, lower level
- The storm gradually subsided.
vibrant
- full of life and energy
- (of colors) very bright and strong
- A vibrant city.
- The room was decorated in vibrant reds and yellows.
gracious
behaving in pleasant, polite, calm way
- He was gracious enough to thank me.
benign
- pleasant and kind. not causing damage or harm
- (of tumors) not dangerous (OPPOSITE - malignant)
- A benign old lady.
- She is recovering after surgery to remove a benign tumor.
anguish
extreme pain or suffering
- He groaned in anguish.
jaunty
showing that you are happy and confident
- He scampered jauntily down the stairs.
stir
mix, move, to make somebody excited
- Stir the sauce gently until it begins to boil.
- She was stirred by his sad story.
gasp
to take a short, quick breath through the mouth, especially because of surprise, pain or shock
- The cold made her gasping.
awe
a feeling of great respect sometimes mixed with fear or surprise
- As children, we were rather in awe of our grandfather.
solemn
serious and without any humor (OPPOSITE- cheerful)
- Everyone looked very solemn.
toddler
a young child, especially one who is learning or has recently learned to walk
- Are these toys suitable for toddlers?
dwell on
to think or talk a lot about something, especially something it would be better to forget
- So you made a mistake, but there is no need to dwell on it.
crescendo
a gradual increase in loudness, or the moment when noise or piece of music is at its loudest
- The music reached a crescendo.
hasty
hasty actions are done in a hurry, sometimes without the necessary care or thought
- He warned against making hasty desicions.
painstaking
extremely careful and correct and involving a lot of effort
- It took months of painstaking research to write the book.
playful
funny and not serious
- He was in a playful mood.
indolent
not wanting to work (SYNONYM - lazy)
- I was an indolent creature who could not imagine action.
unanimous
if a decision or an opinion is unanimous, it is agreed or shared be everyone in the group
- The decision must be a unanimous.
fleeting
brief or quick, lasting only a short time
- he had a fleeting moment of panic but quickly recovered.
meticulous
very careful and with great attention to every detail (SYNONYM - careful)
- Many hours on meticulous preparation have gone into writing the book.
transgress
to break a law or moral rule
- Those are the rules and anybody who transgresses will be severely punished.
consolidate
- to become or cause something to become stronger and more certain
- to combine several things
- She hoped that marriage would consolidate their relationship.
- The two firms consolidated to form a single company.
endeavor
an effort or attempt to do something
- Writing is a very different endeavor than teaching.
ensure vs reassure
- to make something certain to happen
- to comfort someone and stop them from worrying
- The company’s sole concern is to ensure the safety of its employees.
- He reassured me (that) my check would arrive soon.
chastisement
a severe criticism or punishment
- His bad behavior invited chastisement.
- The scolding was a rare public chastisement be the committee.
undergo
to experience something that is unpleasant or has a strong effect.
- Only one of us here today has ever undergone the rigorous training required of a Receiver.
rigorous
done very carefully and with great attention to detail
- Only one of us here today has ever undergone the rigorous training required of a Receiver.
