Charles XII and the Collapse of the Swedish Empire Flashcards
levity
humour or lack of seriousness, especially during a serious occasion:
a brief moment of levity amid the solemn proceedings
through thick and thin
If you support or stay with someone through thick and thin, you always support or stay with them, even if there are problems or difficulties:
She has stuck with me through thick and thin.
be chafing at the bit
to be very eager to do something:
As soon as the kids saw the pool, they were chafing at the bit to get in.
thwart
to stop something from happening or someone from doing something:
Our holiday plans were thwarted by the airline pilots’ strike
piety
strong belief in a religion that is shown in the way someone lives
the bare minimum
the least possible amount:
She eats only the bare minimum to stay alive.
stir
If something stirs you, it makes you feel a strong emotion:
I was deeply stirred by her performance.
The speech stirred the crowd to take action.
perch on/in sth
to sit on or near the edge of something:
We perched on bar stools and had a beer.
A blackbird was perching on the gate.
sheer
used to emphasize how very great, important, or powerful a quality or feeling is; nothing except:
The suggestion is sheer nonsense.
His success was due to sheer willpower/determination.
fritter away something
to waste money, time, or an opportunity:
Retirees must plan how to fill their hours or they risk frittering the time away.
surreptitiously
secretly, without anyone seeing or knowing:
Joe surreptitiously had a look in the answer book.
an audiotape of the surreptitiously recorded conversation
faintness
the quality of not being strong or clear:
The faintness of the handwriting made the manuscript difficult to read.
bracing
(of weather) cold and perhaps windy; (of an activity) making you feel full of energy because it is done outside when the weather is cold and perhaps windy:
We enjoyed a bracing walk on the beach.
throng
a crowd or large group of people:
A huge throng had gathered around the speaker.
sloth
unwillingness to work or make any effort:
The report criticizes the government’s sloth in tackling environmental problems.
frivolity
behaviour that is silly and not serious, or things that are silly and not important:
You shouldn’t treat such a serious subject with frivolity.
I’m far too busy to waste time on frivolities like going to the cinema.
grudging
A grudging action or feeling is one that you do or have unwillingly:
She won the grudging respect of her boss.
lame
(especially of an excuse or argument) weak and unsatisfactory:
a lame excuse
tacit
understood without being expressed directly:
tacit agreement/approval/support
masquerade
behaviour that is intended to prevent the truth about something unpleasant or not wanted from becoming known:
They kept up the masquerade of being happily married for over 30 years.
boor
a person who is rude and does not consider other people’s feelings
knack
a skill or an ability to do something easily and well:
a knack for remembering faces
She has the knack of making people feel comfortable.
bliss
perfect happiness:
Lying on a sunny beach is my idea of sheer bliss.
wedded/domestic bliss
shrewdness
clear understanding and good judgment of a situation, usually resulting in an advantage:
She was a woman of great courage and political shrewdness.
He has approached the task with commitment, intelligence, and shrewdness.
dim-witted
stupid:
Marilyn was portrayed as some sort of dim-witted blonde.
perfunctory
done quickly, without taking care or interest:
His smile was perfunctory.
cram
to do many things in a short period of time:
I had to cram three countries into a week’s business trip.
stricture
a statement of severe criticism or disapproval:
The strictures of the United Nations have failed to have any effect on the warring factions.
warring
Warring countries or groups of people are at war with each other:
warring tribes
taciturn
tending not to speak much:
He’s a reserved, taciturn person.
despoil
to make a place less attractive especially by taking things away from it by force:
Many of the tombs had been despoiled.
remonstrance
a complaint to someone or about something:
He didn’t attempt any further remonstrance.
Leila paid no real attention to my remonstrances.
nonchalance
calm behaviour that suggests you are not interested or do not care:
He leaned back in his chair with apparent nonchalance.
I may feign nonchalance on the phone to my mum, but actually I am terrified.
mingle
to mix or combine, or be mixed or combined:
The excitement of starting a new job is always mingled with a certain apprehension.
The two flavours mingle well.
mingle
to move around and talk to other people at a social event:
You’ve been talking to Roger all evening - you really ought to be mingling with the other guests.
remonstrance
a complaint to someone or about something:
He didn’t attempt any further remonstrance.
Leila paid no real attention to my remonstrances.
surly
often in a bad mood, unfriendly, and not polite:
We were served by a very surly waiter.
He gave me a surly look.
hoodwink
to deceive or trick someone:
He hoodwinked us into agreeing.
bide your time
to wait patiently for a good opportunity to do something:
He’s just biding his time until a permanent job opens up.
peculation
the act of illegally taking or using money, especially public money, that you are responsible for managing:
The cabinet minister is being held on charges of peculation of government funds.
a rash of sth
a large number of unpleasant events of the same type:
There has been a rash of robberies/accidents/complaints in the last two months.
acute
If a bad situation is acute, it causes severe problems or damage:
She felt acute embarrassment/anxiety/concern at his behaviour.
The problem of poverty is particularly acute in rural areas.
garrulous
having the habit of talking a lot, especially about things that are not important
voluble
speaking a lot, with confidence and enthusiasm:
She was a voluble, smart, funny interviewee.
loquacious
Someone who is loquacious talks a lot.
chatty
liking to talk a lot in a friendly, informal way
talkative
talking a lot:
She’s a lively, talkative person.
