Confusing Words Flashcards
altar /ˈɔːltə(r)/
a holy table in a church or temple
“He placed the candles on the altar.”
“Helen and Tony kneeled at the altar.”
provident
careful in planning for the future, providing for future needs
SYNONYM prudent
“She might be proud, but she had learned to be provident!”
“The more provident of them had taken out insurance against flooding.”
OPPOSITE improvident
CPF: Central Provident Fund
allusion
An allusion is an indirect reference to someone or something.
The title is perhaps an allusion to the author’s childhood.
allusive [adj]: containing allusions (= indirect references)
allude to: to mention something in an indirect way
“The problem had been alluded to briefly in earlier discussions.”
intercede /ˌɪntəˈsiːd/
to speak to somebody in order to persuade them to be kind to somebody else or to help settle an argument
SYNONYM intervene
“They interceded with the authorities on behalf of the detainees.”
“He had occasionally tried to intercede for me.”
intercept: If you intercept someone or something that is travelling from one place to another, you stop them before they get to their destination.
“His letter was intercepted by the Secret Service. “
relegate [verb] /ˈrelɪɡeɪt/
to give somebody a lower or less important position, rank, etc. than before
“She was then relegated to the role of assistant.”
“He relegated the incident to the back of his mind.”
conduit [noun] /ˈkɒndjuɪt/
- a pipe, channel or tube through which liquid, gas or electrical wire can pass
- a person, an organization or a country that is used to pass things or information to other people or places
“The organization had acted as a conduit for money from the arms industry.”
“He was welcomed and used as a trusted conduit for information.”
hovel [noun] /ˈhɒvl/
(disapproving) a house or room that is not fit to live in because it is dirty or in very bad condition
“Your house is a miserable hovel compared with my palace.”
“They lived in a squalid hovel for the next five years.”
solder /ˈsəʊldə(r)/
[noun, uncountable] a mixture of metals that is heated and melted and then used to join metals, wires, etc. together
[verb] to join pieces of metal or wire with solder
“These wires must be soldered to the pins.”
discomfit, discomfiture
discomfit [verb] /dɪsˈkʌmfɪt/ to make somebody feel confused or embarrassed
“He was not noticeably discomfited by the request.”
“He was discomfited by her silence.’
discomfiture [noun] /dɪsˈkʌmfɪtʃə(r)/a feeling of being confused or embarrassed
“He was clearly taking delight in her discomfiture.”
inure to
/ɪˈnjʊə(r)/ (phrasal verb)
(formal) to make somebody/yourself get used to something unpleasant so that they/you are no longer strongly affected by it
“The prisoners quickly became inured to the harsh conditions.”
“He gradually inured himself to her absence.”
“Nurses soon become inured to the sight of suffering.”
“Michael has grown inured to the fast pace of vocabulary building”
confidante /ˈkɒnfədænt/
a female confidant (a person that you trust and who you talk to about private or secret things)
“Sally is her closest friend and confidante.”
guarantor /ˌɡærənˈtɔː(r)/
A guarantor is a person who gives a guarantee, who agrees to be responsible for somebody or for making sure that something happens or is done
“The United Nations will act as guarantor of the peace settlement.”
assuage [verb] /əˈsweɪdʒ/
to make an unpleasant feeling less painful or severe
SYN relieve
“His reply did little to assuage my suspicions.”
“Nothing could assuage his guilt.”
“Her mother’s presence alone would be assuaging to her.”
discrete /dɪˈskriːt/
clearly separate or different in shape or form; independent of other things of the same type
SYNONYM separate
“The organisms can be divided into discrete categories.”
“Manufacturing a car, bicycle, TV, mobile phones, etc., is discrete, whereas producing tomato ketchup, shampoos, paints, lubricants, juices, etc., is process manufacturing.”
creditable /ˈkredɪtəbl/
of a quite good standard and deserving praise or approval
SYNONYM praiseworthy
“It was a very creditable result for the team.”
“Although they struggled, they ended up coming a creditable second.”
“The chairman welcomed the company’s creditable performance in the previous year.”
balmy vs barmy
balmy /ˈbɑːmi/ [adj]: (of the air, weather, etc.) warm and pleasant. SYNONYM mild
“There was hardly any wind, just a balmy breeze.”
“They stepped off the plane into warm, balmy air.”
“We went walking in the balmy summer evenings.”
barmy /ˈbɑːrmi/ [adj]: behaving strangely, or slightly crazy:
“The music is driving me barmy.”
“Not another one of her barmy ideas!”
“We were going barmy trying to get everything finished on time.”
canon vs cannon
canon [1]: a generally accepted rule, standard or principle by which something is judged
“These pictures offended the canons of American good taste.”
canon [2]: a Christian priest with special duties in a cathedral
cannon: a gun, or an old type of large, heavy gun
incipient /ɪnˈsɪpiənt/
[adj] just beginning, starting to happen or exist
“signs of incipient unrest”
“At a young age, he has an incipient potbelly.”
canvass /ˈkænvəs/
[verb] 1. to ask people to support a particular person, political party
“He spent the whole month canvassing for votes.”
“He has been out canvassing for the PAP every evening this week.”
[verb] 2. to ask people about something in order to find out what they think about it
“People are being canvassed for their views on the proposed new road.”
[noun] 1. the process of going around an area and talking to people, especially to ask for support for a particular person, political party, etc.
[noun] 2. the process of asking people what they think about a particular subject
caste /kɑːst/
a system of dividing Hindu society into classes, or any of these classes
“He belongs to one of the highest castes.”
“low-caste families”
autonomy /ɔːˈtɒnəmi/
- the freedom for a country, a region or an organization to govern itself independently
“Demonstrators demanded immediate autonomy for their region.” - the ability to act and make decisions without being controlled by anyone else
“Schools have gained greater autonomy from government control.”
autonomous [adj]
“Head office is giving the regional offices more autonomy.”
horde vs hoard
horde /hɔːrd/ [noun]: a large crowd of people
“There are always hordes of tourists here in the summer.”
hoard /hɔːrd/ [noun]: a collection of money, food, valuable objects, etc., especially one that somebody keeps in a secret place so that other people will not find or steal it.
hoard [verb]: to collect and keep large amounts of food, money, etc., often secretly
“The prisoners used to hoard scraps of food in secret places.”
squalid
/ˈskwɒlɪd/
1. (of places and living conditions) very dirty and unpleasant
SYNONYM filthy
- (of situations or activities) involving low moral standards or dishonest behaviour
SYNONYM sordid
“It was a squalid affair involving prostitutes and drugs.”
pestle /ˈpesl/
a short rod with a thick round end. It is used for crushing things such as herbs, spices, or grain in a bowl called a mortar.
invoke [verb]
- to mention or use a law, rule, etc. as a reason for doing something
“Police can invoke the law to regulate access to these places.” - to mention a person, a theory, an example, etc. to support your opinions or ideas, or as a reason for something
“She invoked several eminent scholars to back up her argument.”
cue
a signal for someone to do something
“They started washing up, so that was our cue to leave the party.”
“This remark provided the cue for the crowd to start jeering.”
collude [verb] /kəˈluːd
to work together secretly or illegally in order to trick other people
“They colluded with terrorists to overthrow the government.”
“The president accused his opponents of colluding with foreigners.”
collusion [noun]
collusive [adj]
mannequin vs manikin
mannequin [noun] /ˈmænɪkɪn/ a model of a human body, used for displaying clothes in shops
manikin [noun] /ˈmænɪkɪn/ a model of the human body that is used for teaching art or medicine
vile
disgusting, wicked, unpleasant, immoral, and unacceptable
“There was a vile smell coming from the locked room.”
“He’s in a vile mood/temper today.”
“This vile policy of ethnic cleansing must be stopped.”
impudent /ˈɪmpjədənt/
rude; not showing respect for other people
SYNONYM impertinent (impolite, rude and not showing respect)
“an impudent young fellow”
“an impudent remark”
“Comments of that description are both intolerant and impudent.”
impudence [noun]
kennel
(US) doghouse (UK) kennels
a small, usually wooden, shelter for a dog to sleep in outside
“(UK) We put the dog in kennels when we go away”
“(US) We left our dog at the kennel when we went away.”
billiard
used for or connected with the game of billiards (a game)
“a billiard table”
“a billiard ball”
loon
- (also loony) (informal, offensive) a person who is crazy, silly, or strange
- a large North American bird that eats fish and makes a noise like a laugh
errant /ˈerənt/
[adj] doing something that is wrong; not behaving in an acceptable way
“Usually his cases involved errant husbands and wandering wives. “
“His errant son at Dartmouth ran up debts of £2250.”
compare errand (do an errand)
physique /fɪˈziːk/
[noun] the size and shape of a person’s body
SYNONYM build
“He has the physique of a rugby player.”
“She doesn’t have the physique to be a dancer.”
suite /swiːt/
a set of rooms, especially in a hotel
“Paragon Suites @ CIQ’
“They had a fabulous time during their week in a suite at the Paris Hilton.”
deliverance /dɪˈlɪvərəns/
[uncountable] deliverance (from something): the state of being rescued from danger, evil or pain
“The opening scene shows them celebrating their sudden deliverance from war. “
“She prayed to God for deliverance.”
“We pray for deliverance from our sins.”
elicit /ɪˈlɪsɪt/
to get information or a reaction from somebody, often with difficulty
“I could elicit no response from him.”
“Her tears elicited great sympathy from her audience.”
“He spoke for a long time, trying to elicit some comment or response from her.”
“The questionnaire was intended to elicit information on eating habits.”
“They were able to elicit the support of the public.”
serial
[noun] a story that is broadcast or published in several separate parts on television, on the radio, on the internet, in a magazine, etc.
“a classic drama serial”
“a new six-part drama serial”
[adj] done in the same way several times
“He is wanted for serial murder.”
“Such people can be described as serial monogamists (a person who advocates or practises monogamy).”
unfurl /ˌʌnˈfɜːl/
when something that is curled or rolled tightly unfurls, or you unfurl it, it opens
“The leaves slowly unfurled.”
“The protesters tried to unfurl a banner.”
“Once outside the inner breakwater, we began to unfurl all the sails.”
fowl
a bird, especially one that can be eaten as food, such as a duck or a chicken.
“a variety of domestic fowl”
“fowl such as turkeys and ducks”
“I now eat more fish and fowl and less red meat.”
implicit
- suggested without being directly expressed
“These assumptions are implicit in his writing.”
“He interpreted her comments as an implicit criticism of the government.” - forming part of something (although perhaps not directly expressed)
“The ability to listen is implicit in the teacher’s role.”
“The experiment was designed to measure implicit racial bias.” - complete and not doubted SYNONYM absolute
“She had the implicit trust of her staff.”
“All her life she had implicit faith in socialism.”
compare explicit
gait /ɡeɪt/
a particular way of walking or running
“Her gait was slow and stately.”
“I could always recognize her by the briskness of her gait.”
“He walked with a slow stiff gait.”
“His movements were clumsy, and his gait peculiarly awkward.”
gild
[verb] to make something look bright, or cover with a thin layer of gold or gold paint
“Sunlight gilded the children’s faces.’
“The golden light gilded the sea.”
“Carve the names and gild them.”
gilded [adjective] /ˈɡɪldɪd/ covered with a thin layer of gold or gold paint
eradicate
to destroy or get rid of something completely, especially something bad
SYNONYM wipe out
“Mosquitos are very difficult to eradicate.”
“We are determined to eradicate racism from our society.”
“Effective action is needed to eradicate terrorism, drug-trafficking and corruption.”
heckle
to interrupt a speaker at a public meeting by shouting out questions or rude remarks
SYNONYM barrack
“He was booed and heckled throughout his speech.”
heckler: a person who heckles
heckling [noun] the act of heckling SYNONYM barracking
hew (hewed, hewn)
(formal) to make or shape something large by cutting
“The statues were hewn out of solid rock.”
“They hewed a path through the forest.”
“The cave has been hewn out of the hillside.”
hale and hearty
(especially of an old person) strong and healthy
“Her grandfather was hale and hearty, walking five miles each day before breakfast.”
malign /məˈlaɪn/
[verb] to say bad things about somebody/something publicly
SYNONYM slander
“She feels she has been much maligned by the press.”
“Those who malign him in this way are simply being dishonest.”
[adj] causing harm COMPARE benign
“Foreign domination had a malign influence on local politics.”
“She describes pornography as “a malign industry”.”
detract from
/dɪˈtrækt/ to make something seem less good or fun
SYNONYM take away from
“All that make-up she wears actually detracts from her beauty, I think.”
“He was determined not to let anything detract from his enjoyment of the trip.”
“The publicity could detract from our election campaign.”
ingenuous
/ɪnˈdʒenjuəs/ (formal, sometimes disapproving)
honest, innocent and willing to trust people, sometimes in a way that seems silly
SYNONYM naive
“With ingenuous sincerity, he captivated his audience.”
“It was rather ingenuous of him to ask a complete stranger to take care of his luggage.”
“It is ingenuous to suppose that money did not play a part in his decision.”
[noun] ingenuity: the ability to invent things or solve problems in clever new ways. SYNONYM inventiveness
“The problem tested the ingenuity of even the most imaginative students.”
COMPARE disingenuous
disingenuous
/ˌdɪsɪnˈdʒenjuəs/ not sincere, especially when you pretend to know less about something than you really do
“It would be disingenuous of me to claim I had never seen it.”
“It would be disingenuous to claim that this is great art.”
“It was disingenuous of her to claim she had no financial interest in the case.”
COMPARE ingenuous
knotty
- complicated and difficult to solve
SYNONYM thorny
“The new management team faces some knotty problems.” - having parts that are hard and twisted together
“the knotty roots of the old oak tree”
gaol
/dʒeɪl/ = jail
diffident
not having much confidence in yourself; not wanting to talk about yourself
“He was modest and diffident about his own success.”
“You shouldn’t be so diffident about your achievements - you’ve done really well!”
loath vs loathe
loath adjective /ləʊθ/ not willing to do something
“He was loath to admit his mistake.”
“They were obviously loath to let her leave.”
loathe verb /ləʊð/ to dislike somebody/something very much
SYNONYM detest
“He loathed hypocrisy.”
“Many of the people fear and loathe the new government.”
“Whether you love or loathe their music, you can’t deny their talent.”
hatter
(old-fashioned) a person who makes and sells hats
Idioms: (as) mad as a hatter:
(of a person) with crazy ideas or behaviour; very silly
magnate
/ˈmæɡneɪt/ a person who is rich, powerful and successful, especially in business
“The company was owned by shipping magnate Fred Olsen.”
remonstrate
UK /ˈremənstreɪt/ US /rɪˈmɑːnstreɪt/
remonstrate (with somebody) (about something): to protest or complain about something/somebody
“I went to the boss to remonstrate against the new rules.”
“The editor remonstrated with him about the inaccuracies in the story.”
“They remonstrated with the official about the decision.”
pseudonym
/ˈsuːdənɪm/, /ˈsjuːdənɪm/
a name used by somebody, especially a writer, instead of their real name
“She writes under a pseudonym.”
“The rebel chief uses the pseudonym ‘Tigrillo’.”
pseudo-
not what somebody claims it is; false or pretended
pseudo-intellectual
pseudoscience
anomalous
different from what is normal or expected
“He is in an anomalous position as the only part-time worker in the firm.”
“They could find no explanation for the seemingly anomalous data.”
anomaly [noun]: thing, situation, etc. that is different from what is normal or expected
“The government does computer checks of tax returns to find anomalies that might indicate fraud.”
outlay /ˈaʊtleɪ/
money spent for a particular purpose, especially as a first investment in something
“The project would require little financial outlay.”
“The railway had made a considerable capital outlay on new rolling stock.”
abet [verb] /əˈbet/
to help or encourage someone to do something wrong or illegal
“He was abetted in the deception by his wife.”
“His accountant had aided and abetted him in the fraud.”
bail
[noun] money that somebody agrees to pay if a person accused of a crime does not appear at their trial. When bail has been arranged, the accused person is allowed to go free until the trial.
“He was released/remanded on bail (of $100,000).”
“Because of a previous conviction, the judge refused to grant bail (= allow the accused person to be released).”
[verb] to release somebody on bail
“He was bailed to appear in court on 15 March.”
officious /əˈfɪʃəs/
(disapproving)
too ready to tell people what to do or to use the power you have to give orders
“He’s an officious little man and widely disliked in the company.”
a hand plane
a tool used to make wooden surfaces and edges flat and smooth by removing small strips of the wood
deprecate /ˈdeprəkeɪt/
1) to feel and express strong disapproval of something
“We deprecate this use of company funds for political purposes.”
2) to say that you think something is of little value or importance:
“He always deprecates my achievements.”
“Self-deprecating humor” is a form of humor where you point out your own flaws, actions, or personality in a funny or sarcastic way
penance
(especially in particular religions) an act that you give yourself to do, or that a priest gives you to do, in order to show that you are sorry for something you have done wrong
“She kneeled at her mother’s feet in penance.”
“He decided to do public penance for his sins.”
“He devoted his life to helping the poor as a penance for his past crimes.”
pennant
a flag in the shape of a triangle, a long narrow pointed flag to show that a particular baseball team is the winner in its league
“Divisional winners meet in the final to decide the pennant.”
niggle [verb] [noun]
1) to annoy somebody slightly; to make somebody slightly worried
SYNONYM bother
“It niggled him that she had not phoned back.”
“One thought kept niggling at her.”
2) to argue about something unimportant; to criticize somebody for something that is unimportant
SYNONYM quibble
“I hate to niggle about little mistakes.”
“We needn’t niggle over whose turn it is.”
deference /ˈdefərəns/
behaviour that shows that you respect somebody/something
“The women wore veils in deference to the customs of the country.”
“The flags were lowered out of deference to the bereaved family.”
“Why do you treat your boss with such deference?”
stimulus
something that helps somebody/something to develop better or more quickly
“Foreign investment has been a stimulus to the industry.”
“The book will provide a stimulus to research in this very important area.”
fritter away
to waste time or money on things that are not important
“He frittered away the millions his father had left him.”
“If I’ve got money in my pocket, I tend to fritter it away.”
“She fritters so much money away on expensive make-up.”
fritter [noun]: a slice of fruit, vegetable, or meat covered with batter (= a mixture of flour, egg, and milk) and then fried. 古老肉，炸藕盒
appraise
to examine someone or something in order to judge their qualities, success, or needs
“Her eyes coolly appraised him.”
“She stepped back to appraise her workmanship.”
apprise someone of something
to tell or inform somebody of something
“He saw no reason to apprise the committee of what had happened.”
“We were fully apprised of the situation.”
“His representatives kept him fully apprised of important developments.”
“The look on my wife’s face apprised me of just how serious the situation had become.”
remediable vs remedial
remediable /rɪˈmiːdiəbl/ that can be solved or cured
SYNONYM curable
“remediable problems/diseases”
remedial /rɪˈmiːdiəl/ aimed at solving a problem, especially when this involves correcting or improving something that has been done wrong
“The building needs urgent remedial work to make it safe.”
remedy [noun] /ˈremədi/ a successful way of curing an illness or dealing with a problem or difficulty
“an effective herbal remedy for headaches”
“The best remedy for grief is hard work.”
temporal
- connected with the real physical world, not spiritual matters
“Although the spiritual leader of millions of people, the Pope has no temporal power.”
“Our physical bodies are just a temporal, passing reality.” - connected with or limited by time
“a universe which has spatial and temporal dimensions”
“The drug reduces spatial and temporal awareness.” - relating to the temple (= the side of the head behind the eyes) or the temporal bone of the skull beneath the temple
“the right temporal lobe of the brain”
gaffe
/ɡæf/ [noun]
a mistake that a person makes in public or in a social situation, especially something embarrassing
SYNONYM faux pas /ˌfəʊ ˈpɑː/
“I made a real gaffe - I called his new wife “Judy”, which is the name of his ex-wife.”
“You started eating before anyone else had been served? What a gaffe!”
“I made some remark about his wife’s family, and then realized I’d made a serious faux pas.”
gaffer
/ˈɡæfə(r)/ a person who is in charge of a group of people, for example, workers in a factory, a sports team, etc.
SYNONYM boss
refer to gaffe
appreciable
If an amount or change is appreciable, it is large or noticeable enough to have an important effect:
SYNONYM considerable
“The new regulations will not make an appreciable difference to most people.”
“The increase in salary will be appreciable.”
“There has been an appreciable increase in profits.”
impute /ɪmˈpjuːt/
- impute to:
to say, often unfairly, that somebody is responsible for something or has a particular quality
SYNONYM attribute
“I denied the motives that my employer was imputing to me.” - impute:
to calculate something when you do not have exact information, by comparing it to something similar
“No data, however, are imputed for opinions, such as ideology.”
“Quarterly imputed wages are almost perfectly collinear with the seasonal dummies and so are omitted.”
aural
connected with hearing and listening
“aural and visual images”
“aural comprehension tests”
“She doesn’t speak English well, but her aural comprehension is good.”
veracity vs voracity
veracity [noun] /vəˈræsəti/ the quality of being true; the habit of telling the truth
SYNONYM truth, truthfulness
“They questioned the veracity of her story.”
“They had no reason to doubt his veracity.”
voracity [noun] /vəˈræsəti/ the fact that an animal or a person wants to eat a large amount of food, or the state of being very eager to have a lot of something
“The young insects feed with astonishing voracity.”
“The scale and voracity of his betting was shocking.”
[adj] voracious /vəˈreɪʃəs/
pertain to
to be connected with a particular subject, event, or situation:
“We are only interested in the parts of the proposals that pertain to local issues.”
“regulations pertaining to high-tech industries”
flout vs flaunt
flout [verb] /flaʊt/ to intentionally not obey a rule, law, or custom
“Many motorcyclists flout the law by not wearing helmets.”
flaunt /flɔːnt/ to show something you are proud of to other people, in order to impress them
“He did not believe in flaunting his wealth.”
“She openly flaunted her affair with the senator.”
froth
a mass of small bubbles, especially on the surface of a liquid
SYNONYM foam
“a glass of beer with thick froth on top”
[adj] frothy. “frothy coffee”
seeming attractive and fun but having no real value, not serious
“Her first novel was a frothy romantic comedy.”
libellous /ˈlaɪbələs/
(US libelous) containing bad and false statements about a person
“Bloggers should take care to avoid making libellous remarks.”
“We reserve the right to remove anything potentially libellous.”
libel /ˈlaɪbl/ [verb] to publish a written statement about somebody that is not true
“He claimed he had been libelled in an article the magazine had published.”
COMPARE slander
libel [noun] /ˈlaɪbl/ a piece of writing that contains bad and false things about a person
lessor vs lessee
lessor noun /leˈsɔː(r)/
a person who gives somebody the use of a building, an area of land, etc. on a lease
SYNONYM landlord
“An asset may be repossessed by the lessor in the event of a default on the lease payments.”
lessee [noun] /leˈsiː/ a person who has use of a building, an area of land, etc. on a lease
SIMILAR to Tenant
“After three years, the lessees may sell their lease.”
foment
/fəˈment/ or /fəʊˈment/ to create trouble or violence or make it worse
SYNONYM incite
“They accused him of fomenting political unrest.”
“The song was banned on the grounds that it might foment racial tension.”
immanent /ˈɪmənənt/
present as a natural and permanent part of something
“Love is a force immanent in the world.”
“No anthropologist can ever ‘see’ a social relationship: such relations are immanent in their effects.”
“The basic assumption behind the ritual, of course, was that justice was immanent in nature and in the human body.”
whet [verb] /wet/
to increase your desire for or interest in something (often to follow by appetite)
“The book will whet your appetite for more of her work.”
“The long walk had whetted my appetite.”
“This success whetted my appetite to go in for more competitions.”
vale
a valley, or used in the name of some valleys:
“a cloud that floats on high o’er hills and vales”
“the Vale of the White Horse”
tenable
- (of a theory, an opinion, etc.) easy to defend against attack or criticism
OPPOSITE untenable
“The old idea that this work was not suitable for women was no longer tenable.”
“His theory is no longer tenable in the light of the recent discoveries.” - (of a job, position, etc., especially in a university) that can be held for a particular period of time
“The lectureship is tenable for a period of three years.”
“How long is the post tenable for?”
telephony vs telepathy
telephony /təˈlefəni/: the activity or process of communicating by phone:
“We provide support for users of mobile and fixed-line telephony.”
telepathy /təˈlepəθi/: the ability to know what is in someone else’s mind, or to communicate with someone mentally, without using words or other physical signals
“Now suppose that there are certain states of mind which are detectable only by telepathy.”
boorish /ˈbʊərɪʃ/
rude and not considering other people’s feelings
“The boorish behaviour of some tourists is embarrassing.”
boor /bʊə/ [noun countable] a man who behaves in a very rude way
palatial vs palatable
palatial [adj] /pəˈleɪʃl/ (of a room or building) very large and impressive, like a palace
SYNONYM splendid
palatable [adj] /ˈpælətəbl/
1. (of food or drink) having a pleasant or acceptable taste
“Hospitals must serve palatable and healthy food.”
2. pleasant or acceptable to somebody OPPOSITE unpalatable
“Some of the dialogue has been changed to make it more palatable to an American audience.”
easterly vs easterner
easterly: 1. [only before noun] in or towards the east
“travelling in an easterly direction”
easterly: 2. (of winds) blowing from the east
“a cold easterly wind”
easterner: a person who comes from a country in Asia:
“He said that Americans need to understand the East, and Easterners need to understand the West.”
haunch noun /hɔːntʃ/
a back leg of an animal with four legs and the part of the back near its tail, or a piece of meat of this part
“Meerkats have the charming habit of sitting up on their haunches and basking in the early morning sun.”
diction vs dictum
diction: 1. the way that somebody pronounces words
“It is very helpful for a language teacher to have good diction.”
diction: 2. (specialist) the choice and use of words in literature
“The editor rejected poetic diction in favour of ordinary language.”
dictum: a short statement, especially one expressing advice or a general truth
“He followed the famous American dictum “Don’t get mad, get even”.”
credo vs credence
credo noun /ˈkriːdəʊ/ a set of beliefs. SYNONYM creed
credence noun /ˈkriːdns/ the belief that something is true
“I’m not prepared to give credence to anonymous complaints.”
“They could give no credence to the findings of the survey.”
corpus /ˈkɔːrpəs/
a collection of written or spoken texts
“a corpus of 100 million words of spoken English”
“the whole corpus of Renaissance poetry”
bridle vs bridal
bridle noun /ˈbraɪdl/
a set of leather straps that are put around a horse’s head to allow its rider to control it
bridal adjective /ˈbraɪdl/
of a woman about to be married, or of a marriage ceremony
“The magazine had a section on bridal wear “
bough
noun /baʊ/
(formal or literary) a large branch of a tree
deport
/dɪˈpɔːrt/ to force somebody to leave a country, usually because they have broken the law or because they have no legal right to be there
“He was convicted of drug offences and deported.”
“Many refugees were forcibly deported back to the countries they had come from.”
berth vs betrothal
berth: a bed in a boat, train, etc., or a place for a ship or boat to stay in a port
“She booked a berth on the ferry from Palermo to Naples.”
betrothal noun /bɪˈtrəʊðl/ (formal or old-fashioned)
an agreement or a formal promise to marry someone. SYNONYM engagement
“The ring had become a requisite element of betrothal.”
“After six months’ betrothal, plans for the wedding are moving ahead.”
artiste
/ɑːrˈtiːst/ a skilled performer, especially a dancer, singer, or actor
“a popular 19th-century music hall artiste”
vocation vs vacation
vocation noun /vəʊˈkeɪʃn/
a type of work that you feel you are suited to doing and to which you give much of your time and energy
“Most teachers regard their profession as a vocation, not just a job.”
“To work in medicine, you should have a vocation for it.”
aerate verb /ˈeəreɪt/
to add a gas to liquid, especially a drink, or to allow air to act on something
“aerated water”
“Earthworms help to aerate the soil.”’
factitious
adjective /fækˈtɪʃəs/ not real but created deliberately and made to appear to be true. artificial rather than natural.
“The excitement was largely factitious and confined to the media.”
“The great gap separating races is largely factitious.”
disseminate
to spread information, knowledge, etc. so that it reaches many people
“Their findings have been widely disseminated.”
“One of the organization’s aims is to disseminate information about the disease.”
implausible
not seeming reasonable or likely to be true, or difficult to believe
OPPOSITE plausible
“The whole plot of the film is ridiculously implausible.”
“The only plausible explanation is that he forgot.”
staunch
always showing strong support in your opinions and attitude
SYNONYM faithful
“a staunch supporter of the monarchy”
“He gained a reputation as being a staunch defender/supporter of civil rights.”
haggle
to argue about the price of something in an attempt to make the seller reduce it
“I left him in the market haggling over the price of a shirt.”
“You can sometimes haggle a good discount.”
“ I managed to haggle the price down.”
barter
to exchange goods, property, services, etc. for other goods, etc. without using money
“The prisoners tried to barter with the guards for items like writing paper and books.”
“The local people bartered wheat for tools.”
statuette
noun /ˌstætʃuˈet/ a statue that is small enough to stand on a table or shelf
“A china statuette of a shepherdess stood on the table.”
stockpile
[verb] to collect and keep a large supply of something
“Consumers began to stockpile fuel amid fears of a shortage.”
“The government has stockpiled food in warehouses as a buffer against economic crises.”
[noun] a large supply of something that is kept to be used in the future if necessary
“How large is the world’s stockpile of nuclear weapons?”
scrimp
to spend very little money on the things that you need to live, especially so that you can save it to spend on something else
“They scrimped and saved to give the children a good education.”
“One-fifth of the population are so poor that they scrimp themselves of the very necessities of life.”
blatant /ˈbleɪtnt/
(of actions that are considered bad) done in an obvious and open way without caring if people are shocked
SYNONYM flagrant /ˈfleɪ.ɡrənt/ shocking because of being so bad and so obvious
“He just blatantly lied about it.”
“His behavior showed a blatant lack of respect.”
“a flagrant violation of the rules”
enact
to put something into action, especially to make something law
“A package of economic sanctions is to be enacted against Russia.”
“This involves identifying problems and enacting solutions.”
emulate /ˈemjuleɪt/
to try to do something as well as somebody else because you admire them
“They hope to emulate the success of other software companies.”
“She hopes to emulate her sister’s sporting achievements.”
vouch
to be able from your knowledge or experience to say that something is true:
“As a medical examiner I can vouch that his death was accidental.”
vouch for [phrasal verb]
“Are you willing to vouch for him?”
“I was in bed with the flu. My wife can vouch for that.”
accredit
to officially recognize, accept, or approve of someone or something
“The Arabs are usually accredited with the discovery of distillation.”
“Institutions that do not meet the standards will not be accredited for teacher training.”
“The agency was not accredited by the government to offer contracts to foreign firms.”
gravitate + to/toward
to be attracted to or move toward something
“People tend to gravitate to the beaches here.”
“Many young people gravitate to the cities in search of work.”
untoward /ˌʌntəˈwɔːd/
unusual and unexpected, and usually unpleasant
“That’s the plan—unless anything untoward happens.”
“He had noticed nothing untoward.”
“The dose can be increased slightly without any untoward effects.”
affix /əˈfɪks/
[verb] to fasten or stick one thing to another
“She affixed a stamp to the envelope.”
“The label should be firmly affixed to the package.”
[noun] “The prefix un- in unhappy and the suffix -less in careless are both affixes.”
scour
- to search a place or thing very carefully in order to try to find something
“He had been scouring the papers for weeks, looking for a job.”
“The police are scouring the area for the missing child.”
“I scoured the shops for a blue and white shirt, but I couldn’t find one anywhere.” - to remove dirt from something by rubbing it hard with something rough
scour out: “I had to scour out the pans.”
“You’ll have to scour out those old cooking pots before you use them.”
furbish
to make something, especially a room or building, look clean, new and in good condition
“The homes are in the process of being refurbished.”
“We were given a tour of the newly furbished news room.”
“They built the hotel but did not furbish it.”
secrete
[verb] /sɪˈkriːt/
1. (of part of the body or a plant) to produce a liquid substance
“Saliva is a liquid secreted by glands in or near the mouth.”
2. to put something in a place where it is unlikely to be found
“The drugs were secreted in the lining of his case.”
sketchy
- not complete or detailed and therefore not very useful
SYNONYM rough
“He gave us a very sketchy account of his visit.”
“So far we only have sketchy information about what caused the explosion.” - (North American English, informal) that people consider to be dishonest or bad
“a sketchy neighborhood”
“He was a man with a sketchy past and even sketchier morals.”
waive
to not demand something you have a right to, or not cause a rule to be obeyed
SYNONYM forgo
“He waived his right to appeal against the verdict.”
“We have decided to waive the tuition fees in your case.”
“The bank manager waived the charge, as we were old and valued customers.”
abduct
to take somebody away illegally, especially using force
SYNONYM kidnap
“He had attempted to abduct the two children.”
appropriate vs misappropriate [verb]
appropriate [verb]: to take something for your own use, usually without permission
“He was accused of appropriating club funds.”
“He lost his job when he was found to have appropriated some of the company’s money.”
misappropriate [verb]: to steal something that you have been trusted to take care of and use it for your own good. SYNONYM embezzle
“He is accused of misappropriating money from the company’s pension fund.”
refute
to say or prove that a person, statement, opinion, etc. is wrong or false
“Are you refuting the evidence?”
“She refutes any suggestion that she behaved unprofessionally.”
atone /əˈtəʊn/
to act in a way that shows you are sorry for doing something wrong in the past
SYNONYM make amends
“a desire to atone”
“The director of the company has expressed a wish to atone for her past sins.”
cull
to kill a number of wild animals from a group, especially in order to stop the group from becoming too large
“The plan to cull large numbers of baby seals has angered environmental groups.”
hound [verb]
[noun] a dog that can run fast and has a good sense of smell, used for hunting
“The hounds picked up the scent of the fox.”
[verb] to keep following somebody and not leave them alone, especially in order to get something from them or ask them questions
SYNONYM harass
“The reporters wouldn’t stop hounding her.”
“I’m constantly being hounded for autographs.”
patronize /ˈpeɪtrənaɪz/
- (disapproving) to treat somebody in a way that seems friendly, but which shows that you think that they are not very intelligent, experienced, etc.
“Stop patronizing me - I understand the play as well as you do.”
“Some television programmes tend to patronize children.” - patronize something (formal): to be a regular customer of a shop, restaurant, etc.
“The club is patronized by students and locals alike.”
masquerade /ˌmæskəˈreɪd/
[noun] behaviour that is intended to prevent the truth about something unpleasant or not wanted from becoming known
“He was tired of the masquerade and wanted the truth to come out.”
[verb] to pretend to be something that you are not
“In this business, there are a lot of unqualified people masquerading as experts.”
“commercial advertisers masquerading as private individuals”
“ (figurative) The local paper is full of gossip masquerading as news.”
delve
to reach inside a bag, container, etc. to search for something
SYNONYM dig
“She delved in her handbag for a pen.”
brazen
(disapproving) open and without shame, usually about something that shocks people
SYNONYM shameless
“She had become brazen about the whole affair.”
“his brazen admission that he was cheating”
“They showed a brazen disregard for the law.”
“There were several instances of brazen cheating.”
disburse
to pay money to somebody from a large amount that has been collected for a purpose
“The funds were to be disbursed in two instalments.”
“The regional council disburses grants to local writers.”
reinstate
1. reinstate somebody/something (in/as something) to give back a job or position that had been taken away from somebody
“He was reinstated in his post.”
2. reinstate something (in/as something) to return something to its previous position or status
SYNONYM restore
“There have been repeated calls to reinstate the death penalty.”
insinuate
- (disapproving) to suggest indirectly that something unpleasant is true
SYNONYM imply
“The article insinuated that he was appointed because of family connections.”
“Are you insinuating (that) I’m losing my nerve?” - (formal, disapproving) to gradually gain someone’s love, trust etc by pretending to be friendly and sincere
“He managed to insinuate his way into her affections.”
“He insinuated himself into Mehmet’s confidence.”
blabber
blabber (on) (about something) to talk in a way that other people think is silly and annoying
“What was she blabbering on about this time?”
“He’s always blabbering on about computers.”
repository
/rɪˈpɒzətri/ a place where something is stored in large quantities, or
a person or book that is full of information
“My father is a repository of family history.”
“The site is near an underground repository for radioactive waste.”
contortion
a movement that twists the face or body out of its natural shape; the state of being twisted in this way
“His facial contortions amused the audience of schoolchildren.”
“Their bodies had suffered contortion as a result of malnutrition.”
[verb] contort
“His face contorted with anger.”
swivel
[verb] [adjecive] turning around a central point to face in another direction
“She swivelled round to look out of the window.”
“Kennedy swiveled around in his seat.”
“a swivel chair”
stiletto /stɪˈletəʊ/
stiletto heel: 高跟鞋的跟
stiletto knife: a sharp short knife
loafer
- a flat leather shoe that you can put on your foot without fastening it
- a person who wastes their time rather than working
“an idle loafer”
stilt
- one of a set of long pieces of wood or metal used to support a building so that it is above the ground or above water:
“The houses are built on stilts to protect them from the annual floods.” - one of two long pieces of wood that have a step on the side that you can stand on, so that you can walk above the ground
“a circus performer on stilts”
prodigy /ˈprɒdədʒi/
a young person whose intelligence or skill is unusually good for their age
“Mozart was an infant prodigy, composing music at the age of four.”
“The 12-year-old prodigy will play America’s reigning chess champion next week.”
oddball
[adj] [noun: a person] behaving in a strange or unusual way
“The oddball superstar’s habits include watching TV with his chimpanzee.”
Synonym: eccentric (STRANGE)
pundit
a person who knows a lot about a particular subject and who often talks about it in public
“Wall Street pundits are divided over whether the economy is slowing down.”
“The collapse was not predicted by any of the financial pundits”
SYNONYM expert
porter
a person whose job is carrying people’s bags and other loads, especially at a train station, an airport or in a hotel
“There aren’t any porters, so we’ll have to find a trolley for the luggage.”
concierge /ˌkɒn.siˈeəʒ/
a person in a hotel whose job is to help guests by giving them information, arranging theatre tickets, etc.
“Other hotel staff who expect a tip include a concierge who books tickets for a show and a doorman who hails a taxi.”
“She worked as a concierge in the first-class lounge at Dulles International Airport.”
alias
used when giving the name that a person is generally known by, after giving their real name
Liu MinWei @William Liu
namesake
a person or thing that has the same name as somebody/something else
“Unlike his more famous namesake, this Gordon Brown has little interest in politics.”
tramp
- (also hobo) [countable] a person with no home or job who travels from place to place, usually asking people in the street for food or money
“An old tramp was sitting on a bench.” - the sound of somebody’s heavy steps
“the tramp of marching feet” - a long walk, SYNONYM trek
“We had a long tramp home.”
[verb]: to walk, tread, or step especially heavily
wallflower
- a type of garden flower
- (informal) a person who does not dance at a party because they do not have somebody to dance with or because they are too shy
arid /ˈærɪd/
- very dry and without enough rain for plants:
“The desert is so arid that nothing can grow there.” - (formal) with nothing new or interesting in it
“an arid discussion”
“I found his writing extremely arid.”
“After several arid years, the company has started to become successful.”
deluxe
of a higher quality and more expensive than usual
SYNONYM luxury
“a deluxe hotel”
“The deluxe edition is bound in leather.”
beacon
a light that is placed somewhere to guide vehicles and warn them of danger
a navigation beacon
“The tower had a flashing beacon that people could see from miles away.”
(figurative) “He was a beacon of hope for the younger generation.”
hoax
[noun] [verb]
a plan to deceive someone, such as telling the police there is a bomb somewhere when there is not one, or a trick:
“The bomb threat turned out to be a hoax.”
“A fake website was set up and a number of people were hoaxed.”
patent
the official legal right to make or sell an invention for a particular number of years
“The newly invented device was protected by patent.”
“The company took out/filed a patent on a genetically engineered tomato.”
pageant /ˈpædʒənt/
(North American English) a competition for young women in which their beauty, personal qualities and skills are judged
“a beauty pageant”
upheaval
The loss of his high-paying job caused enormous domestic upheaval.
The country has undergone a major political upheaval.
“The loss of his high-paying job caused enormous domestic upheaval.”
“The country has undergone a major political upheaval.”
accolade
praise or an award for an achievement that people admire
“Four restaurants have been awarded the highest accolade of a three-star rating.”
“He was finally awarded the ultimate accolade —British Hairdresser of the Year—in 2007.”
exaltation
[verb] exalt
1. to make somebody rise to a higher rank or position, sometimes to one that they do not deserve
“His son was exalted to a high position in the government through family connections.”
2. exalt somebody/something to praise somebody/something very much
“He was exalted as a pillar of the community.”
[noun] exaltation: a feeling of very great joy or happiness; or an act of raising something/somebody to a high position or rank
“a moment of extreme joy and exaltation”
innate /ɪˈneɪt/
(of a quality, feeling, etc.) that you have when you are born
SYNONYM inborn
“He never lost his innate sense of fun.”
“Her dance expresses the innate beauty of the human spirit.”
bunting
rows of brightly coloured small flags, often in the colours of a country’s flag, that are hung across roads or rooms, or above a stage, as decoration for special occasions or political events:
“The room was decked with festive bunting.”
“He stood on a stage decked out in red, white and blue bunting.”
garland
a circle of flowers and leaves that is worn on the head or around the neck or is hung in a room as decoration
“The office was decked with garlands for the party.”
alibi /ˈæləbaɪ/
- evidence that proves that a person was in another place at the time of a crime and so could not have committed it
“The suspects all had alibis for the day of the robbery.” - an excuse for something that you have done wrong
“You’re late again – what’s your alibi this time?”
insolvency
the state of not having enough money to pay what you owe
SYNONYM bankruptcy
“The company is close to insolvency.”
“The country will face insolvency unless the government adopts cost-cutting measures.”
mania /ˈmeɪniə/
an extremely strong desire or enthusiasm for something, often shared by a lot of people at the same time
SYNONYM craze
“She attacked fashion’s mania for thinness.”
“This is another example of Hollywood’s new mania for ghost movies.”
interlude
- a period of time between two events during which something different happens
“She knew that their romantic interlude would soon be drawing to a close.”
“Apart from a brief interlude of peace, the war lasted nine years.” - a short period of time between the parts of a play, film, etc.
“There will now be a short interlude.”
uncouth /ʌnˈkuːθ/
(of a person or their behaviour) rude or socially unacceptable
“She thought he was loud-mouthed and uncouth.”
“I know how rough and uncouth seamen can be, but they are generous people”
hallowed /ˈhæləʊd/
- (especially of old things) respected and important
SYNONYM sacred
“one of the theatre’s most hallowed traditions”
“He stood on the hallowed ground of Yankee Stadium.” - that has been made holy
SYNONYM sacred
“to be buried in hallowed ground”
affinity
- a strong feeling that you understand somebody/something and like them or it
SYNONYM rapport
“Humans have a special affinity for dolphins.”
“Most children will show an affinity for something, whether this is music, numbers or drawing.”
“It’s important that you share an affinity with your wife.” - a close relationship between two people or things that have similar qualities, structures or features
“There are several close affinities between the two paintings.”
liaison /liˈeɪzn/
- a person whose job is to make sure there is a good relationship between two groups or organizations
“She served as a liaison between the different groups.” - communication between people or groups who work with each other
“He blamed the lack of liaison between the various government departments.”
hearsay [U]
information that you have heard but do not know to be true
“We can’t make a decision based on hearsay and guesswork.”
“They started to piece the story together from hearsay.”
“Her evidence was dismissed as hearsay.”
folly /ˈfɒli/
(mostly [U]) the fact of doing something stupid; an activity or idea that shows a lack of judgement
SYNONYM stupidity
“These facts demonstrate the folly of the policy.”
“They have finally seen the folly of their ways.”
“It would be folly for the country to become involved in the war.”
accentuate
to emphasize something or make it easier to notice
“Her short hair accentuated her huge eyes.”
“Her dress was tightly belted, accentuating the slimness of her waist.”
“The fundamental patterns of inequality have remained and have been accentuated by the war.”
miscue
a mistake, especially an occasion when a sports player makes a mistake
“The play’s miscue was ugly and the ball skewed off-target.”
“The president was better known for his verbal miscues than his policymaking.”
hallmark
a feature or quality that is typical of somebody/something
“Police said the explosion bore all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack.”
“Simplicity is a hallmark of this design.”
“An independent press is one of the hallmarks of a free society.”
stigma
a strong feeling of disapproval that most people in a society have about something, especially when this is unfair:
“There is no longer any stigma to being divorced.”
“Being an unmarried mother no longer carries the social stigma that it used to.”
“He feels there is still a lot of stigma attached to being single.”
“Wider knowledge of the disease removed some of the stigma from it.”
preamble
an introduction to a book or a written document, or something you say (speech).
“She gave him the bad news without preamble.”
“The agreement between the warring parties to talk may be a preamble to peace.”
dominion /dəˈmɪnjən/
(literary) authority to rule; control over a country or people
“Man has dominion over the natural world.”
“Soon the whole country was under his sole dominion.”
finitude
the state of having a limit or end
“The finitude of human life is a blessing for every individual.”
OPP: infinitude
(compare finite vs infinite)
din [S]
a loud, unpleasant noise that lasts for a long time
SYNONYM racket
“The children were making an awful din.”
“She could not be heard above the din of the crowd.”
decadence /ˈdekədəns/
behaviour, attitudes, etc. that show a fall in standards; low moral standards and behaviour
“Man’s total conquest of nature, it seems, has led to decadence.”
[adj] decadent /ˈdekədənt/
“The US was widely condemned as a decadent society.”
propriety /prəˈpraɪəti/
- moral and social behaviour that is considered to be correct and acceptable
OPPOSITE impropriety
“She was careful always to behave with propriety.”
“Critics questioned the propriety of the senator’s appearance at a political fundraiser with a convicted criminal.” - proprieties [plural] the rules of correct behaviour
SYNONYM etiquette
“They’d invited us to dinner so we thought we’d better observe the proprieties and invite them back.”
guise /ɡaɪz/
the appearance of someone or something, especially when intended to deceive:
“The men who arrived in the guise of drug dealers were actually undercover police officers.”
“His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism.”
post-mortem
a medical examination of the body of a dead person in order to find out how they died
SYNONYM autopsy /ˈɔːtɒpsi/
“The post-mortem on the child revealed that she had been poisoned.’
tutelage /ˈtjuːtəlɪdʒ/
- help, advice, or teaching about how to do something
SYNONYM tuition
“Under his tutelage, she started reading widely again.” - the state of being protected or controlled by another person, organization or country
“parental tutelage”
“Global policy networks are usually under the tutelage of richer nations.”
“Marriageable women who choose not to remarry are usually under their male relatives’ tutelage”
abode /əˈbəʊd/
the place where somebody lives
“homeless people of no fixed abode (= with no permanent home)”
“You are most welcome to my humble abode.”
paddock /ˈpædək/
a small field where animals, especially horses, are kept
“The houses are located in grassy paddocks with each one having around 1000 chickens in each shed.”
“The sheep were left to fend for themselves in the open paddocks”
harangue /həˈræŋ/
[verb] to speak loudly and angrily in a way that criticizes somebody/something or tries to persuade people to do something
“He walked to the front of the stage and began to harangue the audience.”
“A drunk in the station was haranguing passers-by.”
[noun] “He launched into yet another harangue defending his war policy.”
the brunt of something
the main force of something unpleasant
“Schools will bear the brunt of cuts in government spending.”
“The infantry has taken/borne the brunt of the missile attacks.”
“Small companies are feeling the full brunt of the recession.”
ardour [U] /ˈɑːrdər/
very strong feelings of enthusiasm or love
SYNONYM passion
“They sang with real ardour.”
“His ardour for her cooled after only a few weeks.”
erosive
caused by or likely to suffer from erosion
“Natural erosive forces are causing damage to the building.”
“Erosive inflammatory disease such as arthritis may cause severe pain.”
uncanny
strange or mysterious, often in a way that is slightly frightening
“I had an uncanny feeling I was being watched.”
“It was uncanny the way that she always knew what I was thinking.”
“She bears an uncanny resemblance to her father’s best friend.”
atrocious /əˈtrəʊʃəs/
very bad or unpleasant; or, very cruel, violent and shocking
“The weather has been atrocious all week.”
“Conditions in the prison were atrocious.”
“atrocious acts of brutality”, “an atrocious crime”
meek
quiet, gentle, and not willing to argue or express your opinions in a forceful way
“They called her Miss Mouse because she was so meek and mild.”
“They hung their heads in meek submission.”
solicit /səˈlɪsɪt/
to ask someone for support, money, information, or help
“to solicit donations for a charity”
“It is illegal for public officials to solicit gifts or money in exchange for favours.”
“Several members were persuaded to solicit for his removal from office.”
vex
to annoy or worry somebody
“The memory of their conversation still vexed him.”
“This issue looks likely to continue to vex the government.”
cogent /ˈkəʊdʒənt/
strongly and clearly expressed, so persuasive that people tend to believe
SYNONYM convincing
“She put forward some cogent reasons for abandoning the plan.”
[noun] “Her writing combines fluency with cogency.”
germane /dʒɜːrˈmeɪn/
(of ideas, remarks, etc.) connected with something in an important or appropriate way
SYNONYM relevant
“remarks that are germane to the discussion”
“The report contains matters that are germane to the case.”
“This issue may or may not be regarded as germane.”
tenuous
- A tenuous connection, idea, or situation is weak and possibly does not exist:
“The police have only found a tenuous connection between the two robberies.”
“His links with the organization turned out to be, at best, tenuous.” - (physically) extremely thin and easily broken, or rare, as air at high altitudes; not dense
bolster /ˈbəʊlstər/
to improve something or make it stronger
(bolster something to bolster somebody’s confidence/courage/morale)
“I needed to stress the bus driver’s evidence in order to bolster my case.”
“Falling interest rates may help to bolster up the economy.”
“She tried to bolster my confidence/morale by telling me that I had a special talent.”
“They need to do something to bolster their image.”
duvet /ˈduːveɪ/
a large, soft, flat bag filled with feathers or artificial material used as a covering on a bed 羽绒被
“She pulled the duvet over her head to try to shut out the light.”
“I was just snuggling down into my warm duvet when my phone rang.”
hectic
full of activity, or very busy and fast
“a hectic schedule”
“The job gets a bit hectic at times.”
“The area has become a haven for people tired of the hectic pace of city life.”
ailing
experiencing difficulty and problems: OR weak and suffering from illness
“measures to help the ailing economy”
“A new art gallery will give a boost to this ailing industrial city.”
“The ailing company shut down two of its smaller plants in an attempt to trim costs.”
“She looked after her ailing father.”
haggard
looking very tired because of illness, worry or lack of sleep
SYNONYM drawn
“He looked pale and haggard.”
“He’d been drinking the night before and was looking a bit haggard.”
cloistered [adj
protected from the problems and dangers of normal life; separated from the outside world
“If you have a cloistered way of life, you live quietly and are not involved in the normal busy life of the world around you.”
“the cloistered world of the university”
“These academics lead such a cloistered life”
cloistered [adj
protected from the problems and dangers of normal life; separated from the outside world
“If you have a cloistered way of life, you live quietly and are not involved in the normal busy life of the world around you.”
“the cloistered world of the university”
“These academics lead such a cloistered life”
inbound
travelling towards a place rather than leaving it
OPPOSITE outbound
“inbound flights/passengers”
“The company receives around 100 inbound calls per day.”
callow
young and without experience
SYNONYM inexperienced
“Mark was just a callow youth of 16 when he arrived in Paris.”
suave /swɑːv/
confident, attractive and polite, sometimes in a way that does not seem sincere
“The manager was suave and sophisticated.”
“You need to deal suavely with a company’s senior managers.”
