D_20/02/21(Manhattan 8 --> TC --> Intro + Drill Easy ) Flashcards
sermon
noun [ C ]
a part of a Christian church ceremony in which a priest gives a talk on a religious or moral subject, often based on something written in the Bible:
The Reverend William Cronshaw delivered/preached the sermon.
Today’s sermon was on the importance of compassion.
disapproving
a long talk in which someone advises other people how they should behave in order to be better people:
I really don’t think it’s a politician’s job to go delivering sermons on public morality.
utterly
adverb
completely or extremely:
What an utterly stupid thing to do!
She was utterly devastated when her husband died.
revolve
verb [ I or T ]
to move or cause something to move around a central point or line:
The earth revolves around the sun.
The gun turret revolved until the gun was aimed at the advancing soldiers.
revolution
noun
a change in the way a country is governed, usually to a different political system and often using violence or war:
The French Revolution changed France from a monarchy to a republic.
The country seems to be heading towards revolution.
a circular movement:
The revolution of the earth around the sun was proposed by Copernicus.
evolve
verb [ I or T ]
to develop gradually, or to cause something or someone to develop gradually:
Did humans evolve from apes?
The company has evolved over the years into a multi-million dollar organization.
Bacteria are evolving resistance to antibiotics.
devolve
verb [ T ]
to (cause power or responsibility to) be given to other people:
To be a good manager, you must know how to devolve responsibility downwards.
formal Those duties will necessarily devolve on/upon me.
to change something large into several smaller parts of a similar type:
A key proposal would devolve the central investigative unit into six regional bodies.
to change from one thing to another, often to something bad:
The stage is set for the country to devolve into military dictatorship, and few seem to care
congregation
noun [ C, + sing/pl verb ]
a group of people who have come together in a religious building for worship and prayer:
The priest asked the congregation to kneel.
notwithstanding
preposition, adverb formal
despite the fact or thing mentioned:
Notwithstanding some members’ objections, I think we must go ahead with the plan.
Injuries notwithstanding, the team won the semifinal.
execrable
adjective formal
very bad:
an execrable performance
Some critics praised the acting, but all condemned the execrable plot.
euphuism/euphuistic
any stylish affectation in speech or writing, esp a rhetorical device or expression
an artificial prose style of the Elizabethan period, marked by extreme use of antithesis, alliteration, and extended similes and allusions
euphemism
noun [ C or U ] LANGUAGE
a word or phrase used to avoid saying an unpleasant or offensive word:
“Senior citizen” is a euphemism for “old person”.
The article made so much use of euphemism that often its meaning was unclear.
eulogistic
adjective formal
relating to a speech, piece of writing, poem, etc. containing great praise, especially for someone who has recently died:
He had been eulogistic, poetic, in his praise.
Her eulogistic tribute was delivered in a mournful voice.
slew
a large amount or number:
Savino has been charged with three murders as well as a whole slew of other crimes.
divagate
VERB
(intransitive) rare
to digress or wander
assignation
An assignation is a secret meeting with someone, especially with a lover.
[formal]
She had an assignation with her boyfriend. [+ with]
countenance
- VERB
If someone will not countenance something, they do not agree with it and will not allow it to happen.
[formal]
Jake would not countenance Janis’s marrying while still a student. [VERB noun]
…the military men who refused to countenance the overthrow of the president. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: tolerate, sanction, endorse, condone More Synonyms of countenance - COUNTABLE NOUN
Someone’s countenance is their face.
[literary]
He met each inquiry with an impassive countenance.
Synonyms: face, features, expression, look
bastion
something that keeps or defends a belief or a way of life that is disappearing or threatened: British public schools are regarded as one of the last bastions of upper-class privilege.
forbidding
adjective
unfriendly and likely to be unpleasant or harmful:
a forbidding row of security guards
With storm clouds rushing over them, the mountains looked dark and forbidding.
anthropologist
noun [ C ] SOCIAL SCIENCE
someone who scientifically studies humans and their customs, beliefs, and relationships
infallibility
noun [ U ]
the fact of never being wrong, failing, or making a mistake:
His stubborn belief in his own infallibility kept him from listening to others.
A surgeon must project confidence and infallibility.
literal
adjective
The literal meaning of a word is its original, basic meaning:
The literal meaning of “television” is “seeing from a distance”.
You will need to show more than just a literal understanding of the text.
indiscernible
adjective
impossible to see, see clearly, or understand:
an indiscernible change/shape/reason
grim
adjective
worrying, without hope:
The future looks grim.
waggish
adjective old-fashioned informal
(of a person) funny in a clever way :
The piece, as one waggish writer put it, “begins like Bach and ends like Offenbach.”
using or expressing humour in a clever way:
The Beatles also appeared in two wildly successful and waggish films directed by Richard Lester.
Behind the author’s sometimes waggish prose is considerable scholarship.
staid
adjective
serious, boring, and slightly old-fashioned:
In an attempt to change its staid image, the newspaper has created a new section aimed at younger readers.
sycophantic
adjective formal disapproving
(of a person or of behaviour) praising people in authority in a way that is not sincere, usually in order to get some advantage from them:
There was sycophantic laughter from the audience at every one of his terrible jokes.
thematic
adjective
elating to or based on subjects or a theme:
In her study, the author has adopted a thematic rather than a chronological approach.
defunct
adjective formal
no longer existing, living, or working correctly:
members of a now defunct communist organization
humorous I think this TV is defunct!
sated
ADJECTIVE [verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If you are sated with something, you have had more of it than you can enjoy at one time.
[formal]
…children happily sated with ice cream. [+ with]
inveigle
verb [ T ] formal
to persuade someone to do something in a clever and dishonest way, when they do not want to do it:
Her son tried to inveigle her into giving him the money for a car.
opine
verb [ T ] formal
to express an opinion:
[ + speech ] Power grows from the barrel of a gun, opined Mao.
[ + that ] Ernest Rutherford opined that his work on radioactive substances would be of little or no practical use.
needle
noun [ C ]
to annoy someone, especially by repeated criticism:
His mother was always needling him about getting a job.
a thin metal pin, used in sewing, that is pointed at one end and has a hole called an eye at the other end for thread:
fulminate
verb [ I usually + adv/prep ] formal
to criticize strongly:
I had to listen to Michael fulminating against the government.
coronation
noun [ C ]
a ceremony at which a person is made king or queen:
He was present at the coronation of Queen Victoria.
protégé
noun [ C ]
a young person who is helped and taught by an older and usually famous person:
The young composer regarded himself as Berg’s protégé.
vassal
- COUNTABLE NOUN
In feudal society, a vassal was a man who gave military service to a lord, in return for which he was protected by the lord and received land to live on. - COUNTABLE NOUN [usually singular]
If you say that one country is a vassal of another, you mean that it is controlled by it.
[written, disapproval]
The question is whether the country is destined to end up as a vassal of its larger northern neighbour. [+ of]
serf
noun [ C ]
a member of a low social class in medieval times who worked on the land and had to obey the person who owned that land
precursor
noun [ C ] formal
something that happened or existed before another thing, especially if it either developed into it or had an influence on it:
Sulphur dioxide is the main precursor of acid rain.
Biological research has often been a precursor to medical breakthroughs.
minion
noun [ C ] usually disapproving
a person who is not important and who has to do what another person of higher rank orders them to do:
He sent one of his minions to do something about it.
incur
verb [ T ] formal
to experience something, usually something unpleasant, as a result of actions you have taken:
to incur debts/fines/bills
The play has incurred the wrath/anger of both audiences and critics.
Please detail any costs/expenses incurred by you in attending the interview.
obviate
VERB
To obviate something such as a problem or a need means to remove it or make it unnecessary.
[formal]
Our old-fashioned push-mower, for instance, obviates the needs for extension leads. [VERB noun]
This deferral would obviate pressure on the rouble exchange rate. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: avert, avoid, remove, prevent
mien
noun [ C ] literary
a person’s appearance, especially the typical expression on their face:
His aristocratic mien and expensive clothes singled him out.
prognosis
noun [ C ]
a statement of what is judged likely to happen in the future, especially in connection with a particular situation:
I was reading a gloomy economic prognosis in the paper this morning.
poised
adjective
If an object or a part of your body is poised, it is completely still but ready to move at any moment:
My pencil was poised over the page, ready to take down her words.
[ after verb ]
ready to do a particular thing at any moment:
[ + to infinitive ] The company is poised to launch its new advertising campaign.
The military forces are poised for attack.
penitent
adjective formal
showing that you are sorry for something you have done because you feel it was wrong:
“I’m sorry,” she said with a penitent smile.
It was hard to be angry with him when he looked so penitent.
adroit
adjective
very skilful and quick in the way you think or move:
an adroit reaction/answer/movement of the hand
She became adroit at dealing with difficult questions.
heterogeneous
adjective formal
consisting of parts or things that are very different from each other:
Switzerland is a heterogeneous confederation of 26 self-governing cantons.
fretful
adjective
behaving in a way that shows you are unhappy, worried, or uncomfortable:
By midnight the children were tired and fretful (= complaining a lot because they were unhappy).
looming
adjective
(of something unwanted or unpleasant) about to happen soon and causing worry:
the looming crisis
ecumenical
adjective formal
tending to support and encourage unity among different religions:
an ecumenical movement
outclass verb [ T ]
to be much better than someone or something: The company's latest mountain bikes outclass all the competition.
sap
verb [ T ]
sap
noun
sap
noun
to make someone weaker or take away strength or an important quality from someone, especially over a long period of time:
Constant criticism saps you of your confidence.
Taking care of her dying mother had sapped all her energy.
the liquid that carries food to all parts of a plant:
Maple syrup is obtained from the sap of the sugar maple tree.
a stupid person who can easily be tricked or persuaded to do something:
He’ll lie around and let some other poor sap do all the work.
libelous
adjective mainly US (UK usually libellous)
A piece of writing that is libelous contains bad and false statements about a person:
libelous accusations
The court ruled that the article was false and libelous.
avow
verb [ T ] formal
to admit something or say something publicly:
[ + that ] He avowed that he regretted what he had done.
It is a society in which homosexuality is rarely avowed.
nullify
verb [ T ]
formal
to make a legal agreement or decision have no legal force:
The state death penalty law was nullified in 1977.
to cause something to have no value or effect:
All my hard work was nullified when I lost my notes.
forfeit
verb [ T ]
- VERB
If you forfeit something, you lose it or are forced to give it up because you have broken a rule or done something wrong.
He was ordered to forfeit more than £1.5m in profits. [VERB noun]
He argues that murderers forfeit their own right to life. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: relinquish, lose, give up, surrender More Synonyms of forfeit - VERB
If you forfeit something, you give it up willingly, especially so that you can achieve something else.
He has forfeited a lucrative fee but feels his well-being is more important. [VERB noun]
Do you think that they would forfeit profit in the name of safety? [VERB noun]
defendant
noun [ C ] LAW specialized
a person in a law case who is accused of having done something illegal
kingpin
noun [ C ]
the most important person within a particular organization
ulterior
adjective
(of a reason) hidden or secret:
She had no ulterior motive for helping them out – she just wanted to do it.
recidivist
noun [ C ] LAW specialized
a criminal who continues to commit crimes even after they have been punished
decrepitude
noun [ U ] formal
the fact of being in very bad condition because of being old, or not having been cared for, or having been used a lot:
a state of decrepitude
Her mother was in the final stages of senile decrepitude.
nonchalant
adjective
behaving in a calm manner, often in a way that suggests you are not interested or do not care:
a nonchalant manner/shrug
apotheosis
noun [ C usually singular ] formal
the best or most extreme example of something:
Most people agree that her acting career achieved its apotheosis in this movie.
Bad taste in clothes reached its apotheosis in the 1970s.
autonomy
noun [ U ]
the right of an organization, country, or region to be independent and govern itself:
Demonstrators demanded immediate autonomy for their region.
The universities want to preserve their autonomy from central government.
the ability to make your own decisions without being controlled by anyone else
hubristic
adjective literary
too proud:
He has a hubristic resistance to admitting he is wrong.
hedonism
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Hedonism is the belief that gaining pleasure is the most important thing in life.
[formal]
Synonyms: pleasure-seeking, gratification, sensuality, self-indulgence
bluster
verb [ I ]
to speak in a loud, angry, or offended way, usually with little effect:
[ + speech ] “You had no right to do it, no right at all,” he blustered.
demeanor
noun [ U ] US formal (UK demeanour)
a way of looking and behaving:
There was nothing in his demeanor that suggested he was anxious.
She has the demeanor of a woman who is contented with her life.
exalt
verb [ T ]
to praise someone a lot, or to raise someone to a higher rank or more powerful position
swagger
verb [ I ]
to walk or behave in a way that shows that you are very confident and think that you are important:
They swaggered into the room.
A group of young men swaggered around outside the bar.
His swaggering self-confidence irritates many people.
pretension
- VARIABLE NOUN
If you say that someone has pretensions, you disapprove of them because they claim or pretend that they are more important than they really are.
[disapproval]
Her wide-eyed innocence soon exposes the pretensions of the art world. [+ of]
We like him for his honesty, his lack of pretension.
Synonyms: affectation, hypocrisy, conceit, show
proclivity
noun [ C ] formal
the fact that someone likes something or likes to do something, especially something considered morally wrong:
the sexual proclivities of celebrities
his proclivity for shapely blondes
salutary
adjective formal
causing improvement of behaviour or character:
a salutary experience
a salutary reminder of the dangers of mountain climbing
A salutary experience is good for you, even though it may seem difficult or unpleasant at first.
[formal]
It was a salutary experience to be in the minority.
The letter had a particularly salutary effect.
Synonyms: beneficial, useful, valuable, helpful
odious
adjective formal
extremely unpleasant and causing or deserving hate:
an odious crime
an odious little man
edible
adjective
suitable or safe for eating:
Only the leaves of the plant are edible.
delectable
adjective
looking or tasting extremely good, and giving great pleasure:
a delectable cheesecake
instigate
verb [ T ]
to cause an event or situation to happen by your actions:
Changes in the orientation program were instigated by the new director.
lull
verb [ T ]
to cause someone to feel calm or to feel that they want to sleep:
The motion of the car almost lulled her to sleep.
codify
verb [ T ] formal
to arrange something such as laws or rules into a formal system for people to follow:
The essential function of our organization is to codify best banking practice.
codify sth into sth We don’t object to better standards, but we don’t want them codified into state law.
officiate
verb [ I ]
to be in charge of a sports event and make decisions about the rules of play, or to lead a ceremony or other public event:
Lambert was a football official for three decades and officiated in ten postseason games.
A judge officiated at the wedding.
officious
adjective disapproving
too eager to tell people what to do and having too high an opinion of your own importance:
He’s an officious little man and widely disliked in the company.
trimester
- COUNTABLE NOUN
The first trimester of a pregnancy is the first three months of the pregnancy. The second trimester is the period from three months to six months, and the third trimester is the period from six months to nine months.
At the end of the first trimester, the fetus is about three inches long. - COUNTABLE NOUN
In colleges and universities in some countries, a trimester is one of the three main periods into which the year is divided.
…the proposed school’s trimester calendar.
allergen
a substance that can cause an allergy (= condition of the body reacting badly to something) but is not harmful to most people
detractor
noun [ C ]
someone who criticizes something or someone, often unfairly:
His detractors claim that his fierce temper makes him unsuitable for leadership.
claque
noun [ C ]
a group of people who admire and support a person very strongly and agree with what he or she says or does:
Even in her darkest hours Margaret Thatcher had her passionate advocates, her loud claque of admirers.
deprecatory
expressing disapproval
malfeasance
noun [ U ] LAW specialized
an example of dishonest and illegal behaviour, especially by a person in authority:
Several cases of malpractice and malfeasance in the financial world are currently being investigated.
ramification
noun [ C usually plural ]
the possible results of an action:
Have you considered all the ramifications of your suggestion?
resonance
noun
a feeling, thought, memory, etc. that a piece of writing or music makes you have, or the quality in a piece of writing, etc. that makes this happen:
This poem has many resonances for me
the quality of being loud and clear
[ C or U ] PHYSICS specialized
the production of a sound as a result of vibration (= shaking) of another object:
magnetic resonance
abbot
noun [ C ]
a man who is in charge of a monastery
vestige
noun [ C ] formal
COUNTABLE NOUN
A vestige of something is a very small part that still remains of something that was once much larger or more important.
These old buildings are the last vestiges of a colonial past.
There is now no vestige of hope that the missing children will be found alive.
habiliment
dress or attire
transcendent
ADJECTIVE
Something that is transcendent goes beyond normal limits or boundaries, because it is more significant than them.
…the idea of a transcendent God who stood apart from mankind.
Synonyms: unparalleled, unique, extraordinary, superior
iridescent
Something that is iridescent has many bright colours that seem to keep changing.
[literary]
…iridescent bubbles.
Synonyms: shimmering, pearly, opalescent, shot
drab
adjective disapproving
oring, especially in appearance; having little colour and excitement:
She walked through the city centre with its drab, grey buildings and felt depressed.
I feel so drab in this grey uniform.
lenient
ADJECTIVE
When someone in authority is lenient, they are not as strict or severe as expected.
He believes the government already is lenient with drug traffickers. [+ with]
Professor Oswald takes a sightly more lenient view.
Synonyms: merciful, sparing, gentle, forgiving
libertine
a person, usually a man, who lives in a way that is not moral, having sexual relationships with many people
rogue
adjective [ before noun ]
behaving in ways that are not expected or not normal, often in a way that causes damage:
old-fashioned humorous
a person who behaves badly but who you still like:
“Come here, you little rogue!” chuckled my uncle.
The women all think he’s a lovable old rogue.
A rogue animal is a dangerous wild animal that lives apart from the rest of its group.
solecism
a. the nonstandard use of a grammatical construction
b. any mistake, incongruity, or absurdity
2. a violation of good manners
behaviour that is a social mistake or is not polite:
to commit a social solecism
LANGUAGE
a grammatical mistake:
a grammatical solecism
divest
verb [ I or T ] mainly US
to sell something, especially a business or a part of a business:
The company is divesting its less profitable business operations.
She has divested herself of (= sold) some of her share-holdings.
degenerate
verb [ I ]
to become worse in quality:
Educational standards are degenerating year by year because of a lack of funds.
What was intended as a peaceful demonstration rapidly degenerated into violence.
having low standards of behaviour:
a degenerate young man
reprisal
VARIABLE NOUN
If you do something to a person in reprisal, you hurt or punish them because they have done something violent or unpleasant to you.
There were fears that some of the Western hostages might be killed in reprisal.
Witnesses are unwilling to testify through fear of reprisals.
Synonyms: retaliation, revenge, vengeance, retribution
ponder
verb [ I or T ] formal
to think carefully about something, especially for a noticeable length of time:
She sat back for a minute to ponder her next move in the game.
cerebration
noun [ U ]
the operation of the brain
formal
the process of thinking
banish
verb [ T ]
to send someone away, especially from their country, and not allow them to come back:
He was banished to an uninhabited island for a year.
They were banished (= sent out) from the library for making a noise.
