Day 30 Flashcards
Obsolete
not in use any more, having been replaced by something newer and better or more fashionable:
- Gas lamps became obsolete when electric lighting was invented.
To elucidate
to explain something or make something clear:
- I don’t understand. You’ll have to elucidate.
- The reasons for the change in weather conditions have been elucidated by several scientists.
Vice versa
used to say that what you have just said is also true in the opposite order:
- He doesn’t trust her, and vice versa (= she also doesn’t trust him).
Attorney
a lawyer :
- a defense attorney
- an attorney for the plaintiff
- a civil/criminal attorney
Frailty
weakness and lack of health or strength:
- Though ill for most of her life, physical frailty never stopped her from working.
[ C or U ]
moral weakness:
- Most of the characters in the novel exhibit those common human frailties - ignorance and greed.
- Tolerant of human frailty in whatever form, she almost never judged people.
Bolster
to support or improve something or make it stronger:
- More money is needed to bolster the industry.
- She tried to bolster my confidence/morale (= encourage me and make me feel stronger) by telling me that I had a special talent.
- They need to do something to bolster their image.
Blasphemy
considered offensive to God or religion:
- a blasphemous remark
Dismay
a feeling of unhappiness and disappointment:
- Aid workers were said to have been filled with dismay by the appalling conditions that the refugees were living in.
- The fans watched in/with dismay as their team lost 42–11.
- She discovered, to her dismay, that her exam was a whole month earlier than she’d expected.
Vent
a small opening that allows air, smoke, or gas to enter or leave a closed space:
- If you have a gas fire in a room, you should have some kind of outside vent.
Annihilate
to destroy something completely so that nothing is left:
- a city annihilated by an atomic bomb
Malady
a disease:
- All the rose bushes seem to be suffering from the same mysterious malady.
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.
Flaw
a fault, mistake, or weakness, especially one that happens while something is being planned or made, or that causes something not to be perfect:
- I returned the material because it had a flaw in it.
- There’s a fatal flaw in your reasoning.
- This report is full of flaws.
- a character flaw
Havoc
confusion and lack of order, especially causing damage or trouble:
- The storm wreaked (= caused) havoc in the garden, uprooting trees and blowing a fence down.
- The delay played (= caused) havoc with their travel arrangements.
To advocate
to publicly support or suggest an idea, development, or way of doing something:
- [ + -ing verb ] She advocates taking a more long-term view.
- He advocates the return of capital punishment.
Proponent
a person who speaks publicly in support of a particular idea or plan of action:
- He is one of the leading proponents of capital punishment.
Predecessor
someone who had a job or a position before someone else, or something that comes before another thing in time or in a series:
- My predecessor worked in this job for twelve years.
- The latest Ferrari is not only faster than its predecessors but also more comfortable.
Menace
something that is likely to cause harm:
- Drunk drivers are a menace to everyone.
- Dogs running loose are a public menace.
- the menace of industrial pollution
Infant
a baby or a very young child:
- a newborn infant
Infestation
a large number of animals and insects that carry disease, that are present where they are not wanted:
- a flea infestation
- an infestation of cockroaches/head lice
To afflict
If a problem or illness afflicts a person or thing, they suffer from it:
- It is an illness that afflicts women more than men.
- a country afflicted by civil war
Discretion
the ability to behave without causing embarrassment or attracting too much attention, especially by keeping information secret:
- “Can you trust him with this?” “Yes, he’s the soul of discretion (= he will not tell other people).”
Upheaval
a great change, especially causing or involving much difficulty, activity, or trouble:
- Yesterday’s coup brought further upheaval to a country already struggling with famine.
- I’m not sure it’s worth the upheaval of moving to gain just a little more space.
Supremacy
the leading or controlling position:
- The company has begun to challenge the supremacy of the current leading manufacturers in the textiles industry.
- The allies have established air supremacy (= military control of the sky).
