Charles XII and the Collapse of the Swedish Empire Flashcards

1
Q

levity

A

humour or lack of seriousness, especially during a serious occasion:
a brief moment of levity amid the solemn proceedings

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2
Q

through thick and thin

A

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.

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3
Q

be chafing at the bit

A

to be very eager to do something:

As soon as the kids saw the pool, they were chafing at the bit to get in.

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4
Q

thwart

A

to stop something from happening or someone from doing something:
Our holiday plans were thwarted by the airline pilots’ strike

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5
Q

piety

A

strong belief in a religion that is shown in the way someone lives

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6
Q

the bare minimum

A

the least possible amount:

She eats only the bare minimum to stay alive.

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7
Q

stir

A

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.

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8
Q

perch on/in sth

A

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.

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9
Q

sheer

A

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.

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10
Q

fritter away something

A

to waste money, time, or an opportunity:

Retirees must plan how to fill their hours or they risk frittering the time away.

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11
Q

surreptitiously

A

secretly, without anyone seeing or knowing:
Joe surreptitiously had a look in the answer book.
an audiotape of the surreptitiously recorded conversation

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12
Q

faintness

A

the quality of not being strong or clear:

The faintness of the handwriting made the manuscript difficult to read.

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13
Q

bracing

A

(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.

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14
Q

throng

A

a crowd or large group of people:

A huge throng had gathered around the speaker.

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15
Q

sloth

A

unwillingness to work or make any effort:

The report criticizes the government’s sloth in tackling environmental problems.

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16
Q

frivolity

A

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.

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17
Q

grudging

A

A grudging action or feeling is one that you do or have unwillingly:
She won the grudging respect of her boss.

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18
Q

lame

A

(especially of an excuse or argument) weak and unsatisfactory:
a lame excuse

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19
Q

tacit

A

understood without being expressed directly:

tacit agreement/approval/support

20
Q

masquerade

A

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.

21
Q

boor

A

a person who is rude and does not consider other people’s feelings

22
Q

knack

A

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.

23
Q

bliss

A

perfect happiness:
Lying on a sunny beach is my idea of sheer bliss.
wedded/domestic bliss

24
Q

shrewdness

A

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.

25
dim-witted
stupid: | Marilyn was portrayed as some sort of dim-witted blonde.
26
perfunctory
done quickly, without taking care or interest: | His smile was perfunctory.
27
cram
to do many things in a short period of time: | I had to cram three countries into a week's business trip.
28
stricture
a statement of severe criticism or disapproval: | The strictures of the United Nations have failed to have any effect on the warring factions.
29
warring
Warring countries or groups of people are at war with each other: warring tribes
30
taciturn
tending not to speak much: | He's a reserved, taciturn person.
31
despoil
to make a place less attractive especially by taking things away from it by force: Many of the tombs had been despoiled.
32
remonstrance
a complaint to someone or about something: He didn't attempt any further remonstrance. Leila paid no real attention to my remonstrances.
33
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.
34
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.
35
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.
36
remonstrance
a complaint to someone or about something: He didn't attempt any further remonstrance. Leila paid no real attention to my remonstrances.
37
surly
often in a bad mood, unfriendly, and not polite: We were served by a very surly waiter. He gave me a surly look.
38
hoodwink
to deceive or trick someone: | He hoodwinked us into agreeing.
39
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.
40
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.
41
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.
42
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.
43
garrulous
having the habit of talking a lot, especially about things that are not important
44
voluble
speaking a lot, with confidence and enthusiasm: | She was a voluble, smart, funny interviewee.
45
loquacious
Someone who is loquacious talks a lot.
46
chatty
liking to talk a lot in a friendly, informal way
47
talkative
talking a lot: | She's a lively, talkative person.