Day 23 Flashcards
Fall behind
to fail to do something fast enough or on time:
- He was ill for six weeks and fell behind with his schoolwork.
- I’ve fallen behind on the mortgage payments.
Rival
Competitor
Eminent
famous, respected, or important:
- an eminent historian
To firm
Gauge
to calculate an amount, especially by using a measuring device:
- Use a thermometer to gauge the temperature.
- I tried to gauge (= guess) the weight of the box.
Baffled
to cause someone to be completely unable to understand or explain something:
She was completely baffled by his strange behaviour.
Yield
to supply or produce something positive such as a profit, an amount of food or information:
- an attempt to yield increased profits
- The investigation yielded some unexpected results.
- Favourable weather yielded a good crop.
To stroll
to walk in a slow relaxed way, especially for pleasure:
- We could stroll along the beach after dinner.
- An elderly couple strolled hand in hand in the park.
Leisurely
used to describe an action that is done in a relaxed way, without hurrying:
- We enjoyed a leisurely picnic lunch on the lawn.
Intent
giving all your attention to something:
- an intent stare
- She had an intent look on her face.
To crack a joke
I cracked a few jokes to try to cheer everyone up.
Trudge
to walk slowly with a lot of effort, especially over a difficult surface or while carrying something heavy:
- We trudged back up the hill.
- I’d had to trudge through the snow.
Suspect
to think or believe something to be true or probable:
- So far, the police do not suspect foul play.
- [ + (that) ] We had no reason to suspect (that) he might try to kill himself.
= “Do you think she’ll have told them?” “I suspect not/so.”
To berate
to criticize or speak in an angry manner to someone:
- As he left the meeting, he was berated by angry demonstrators.
- Doctors are often berated for being poor communicators, particularly when they have to give patients bad news.
Summit
an important formal meeting between leaders of governments from two or more countries:
- a summit meeting
- World leaders will meet next week for their annual economic summit.
Unquantifiable
not able to be measured:
- unquantifiable benefits/liabilities/risks Finance people can’t value employee attitudes, working environment, or other indirect variables with unquantifiable benefits.
Flustered
upset and confused:
- She seemed a little flustered.
- If I look flustered it’s because I’m trying to do so many things at once.
Work off
If you work off an unpleasant feeling, you get rid of it by doing something energetic:
- She works off stress by running for at least half an hour every day.
Jolt
to (cause something or someone to) move suddenly and violently:
- The train stopped unexpectedly and we were jolted forwards.
- The truck jolted along the rough track through the field.
Groggy
weak and unable to think clearly or walk correctly, usually because of tiredness or illness:
- I felt a little bit groggy for a couple of days after the operation.
Plead
to make an urgent, emotional statement or request for something:
- He was on his knees, pleading for mercy/forgiveness.
- She appeared on television to plead with the kidnappers.
- [ + speech ] “Give us more time,” they pleaded.
Cultivate
to prepare land and grow crops on it, or to grow a particular crop:
- Most of the land there is too poor to cultivate.
- The villagers cultivate mostly maize and beans.
Revelation
the act of making something known that was secret, or a fact that is made known:
- a moment of revelation
- [ + that ] His wife divorced him after the revelation that he was having an affair.
- Shocking revelations about their private life appeared in the papers.
Grief
very great sadness, especially at the death of someone:
- Her grief at her son’s death was terrible.
- Newspapers should not intrude on people’s private grief.
- newspaper pictures of grief-stricken relatives
- She describes the anxieties and griefs caused by war.
Temptation
the wish to do or have something that you know you should not do or have:
- [ + to infinitive ] As a young actress, she resisted the temptation to move to Hollywood.
