Day 25 Flashcards
Unravel
If a piece of knitted or woven cloth, a knot, or a mass of thread unravels, it separates into a single thread, and if you unravel it, you separate it into a single thread:
- You’d better mend that hole before the whole sweater starts to unravel.
- I had to unravel one of the sleeves because I realized I’d knitted it too small.
Inert
not moving or not able to move:
- The inert figure of a man could be seen lying in the front of the car.
Subsequent
happening after something else:
- The book discusses his illness and subsequent resignation from politics.
- Those explosions must have been subsequent to our departure, because we didn’t hear anything.
To gauge
To falter
to lose strength or purpose and stop, or almost stop:
- The dinner party conversation faltered for a moment.
- Her friends never faltered in their belief in her.
- Nickie’s voice faltered and he stopped speaking.
Stake
a share or a financial involvement in something such as a business:
- He holds (= owns) a 40 percent stake in/of the company.
Dogged
very determined to continue doing something, or trying to do something, even when this is difficult or takes a long time:
- She was a dogged advocate of the struggle against injustice.
- He is dogged in his pursuit of his dreams.
Baffled
to cause someone to be completely unable to understand or explain something:
- She was completely baffled by his strange behaviour.
Prescribe
(of a doctor) to say what medical treatment someone should have:
- The drug is often prescribed for ulcers.
- [ + two objects ] I’ve been prescribed painkillers.
To comb
a flat piece of plastic, wood, or metal with a thin row of long, narrow parts along one side, used to tidy and arrange your hair
- I can’t find my brush, but I still have my comb.
- Can I borrow your comb?.
Conversely
in an opposite way:
- Poor health is accepted as an attribute of normal ageing. Conversely, youth is depicted as a time of vitality and good health.
- The staff of any organisation are its best ambassadors or conversely may be its worst.
Hinge
a folding device, usually made of metal, that is attached to a door, gate, or lid on one side, allowing it to open and close
Coercion
to persuade someone forcefully to do something that they are unwilling to do:
- The court heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession.
Devise
to invent a plan, system, object, etc., usually using your intelligence or imagination:
- He’s good at devising language games that you can play with students in class.
- The cartoon characters Snoopy and Charlie Brown were devised by Charles M. Schultz.
To persist
If an unpleasant feeling or situation persists, it continues to exist:
- If the pain persists, consult a doctor.
- The cold weather is set to persist throughout the week.
C2
to try to do or continue doing something in a determined but often unreasonable way:
- If he persists in asking awkward questions, then send him to the boss.
- The government is persisting with its ambitious public works programme.
Deprive
to take something, especially something necessary or pleasant, away from someone:
- He claimed that he had been deprived of his freedom/rights.
- You can’t function properly when you’re deprived of sleep.
Deprivation
a situation in which you do not have things or conditions that are usually considered necessary for a pleasant life:
- They used sleep deprivation as a form of torture.
- There is awful deprivation in the shanty towns.
- There were food shortages and other deprivations during the Civil War.
Embrace
to accept something enthusiastically:
- This was an opportunity that he would embrace.
Adhere
to stick firmly:
- A smooth, dry surface helps the tiles adhere to the wall.
Oblivion
the state of being completely forgotten:
- He was another minor poet who was consigned to oblivion.
- These toys will be around for a year or two, then fade/slide/sink into oblivion.
Genuinely
really and sincerely:
- I’m genuinely sorry for what I said.
- She was genuinely pleased when he arrived.
the state of being completely destroyed:
- The planes bombed the city into oblivion.
Venture
a new activity, usually in business, that involves risk or uncertainty:
- She advised us to look abroad for more lucrative business ventures.
- There are many joint ventures between American and Japanese companies.
Maverick
a person who thinks and acts in an independent way, often behaving differently from the expected or usual way:
- a political maverick
- He was considered as something of a maverick in the publishing world.
Bestow
to give something as an honour or present:
- The George Cross is a decoration that is bestowed upon/on British civilians for acts of great bravery.
Flesh out
to add more details or information to something:
- These plans need to be fleshed out with some more figures.
Ultimately
finally, after a series of things have happened:
- Everything will ultimately depend on what is said at the meeting with the directors next week.
- Ultimately, of course, he’d like to have his own business but that won’t be for some time.
C2
used to emphasize the most important fact in a situation:
- Ultimately, he’ll have to decide.
