Day 35 Flashcards
Absquatulate
to leave suddenly
Outcry
a strong expression of anger and disapproval about something, made by a group of people or by the public:
- The release from prison of two of the terrorists has provoked a public outcry.
To redeem
to get something back:
- She managed to save enough money to redeem her jewellery from the pawn shop.
to make something or someone seem less bad:
- A poor game was redeemed in the second half by a superb performance from Anthony Edwards.
- He was an hour late, but he redeemed himself in her eyes by giving her a huge bunch of flowers.
- She took me to see a really dull film, the only redeeming feature of which (= the only thing which prevented it from being completely bad) was the soundtrack.
Pertain to something
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.
Tupperware
a brand name for a type of plastic containers, usually for storing food, and usually having lids that fit tightly
Sparingly
in small amounts, or without wasting any:
- There wasn’t enough coal during the war, so we had to use it sparingly.
- She created a natural look, using makeup sparingly.
Whistleblower
a person who tells someone in authority about something illegal that is happening, especially in a government department or a company
Aforementioned
mentioned earlier:
- The aforementioned Mr Parkes then entered the cinema.
To tinker
to make small changes to something, especially in an attempt to repair or improve it:
- He spends every weekend tinkering (around) with his car.
- I wish the government would stop tinkering with the health service.
Savage
extremely violent, wild, or frightening:
- a savage dog/beast
- a brutal and savage attack
Contrarian
someone such as a writer or politician who likes to disagree with other people and express opinions that are unpopular:
- He is a contrarian who frequently writes controversial opinion pieces.
Constrain
to control and limit something:
- The country’s progress was constrained by a leader who refused to look forward.
Bonkers
silly or stupid:
- She must be bonkers to do that.
Attorney
lawyer
Retribution
deserved and severe punishment:
- They fled because they feared retribution for the genocide.
- She was asked whether a civilian government should seek retribution against military officers involved in human rights abuses.
- Many saw her death as divine retribution (= punishment by God) for her crimes.
Sinister
making you feel that something bad or evil might happen:
- The ruined house had a sinister appearance.
- A sinister-looking man sat in the corner of the room.
Astonishing
very surprising:
- Her first novel enjoyed an astonishing success.
- [ + to infinitive ] It’s astonishing to think that only a few years ago he was a completely unknown actor.
To gravitate
to be attracted to or move toward something:
- People tend to gravitate to the beaches here.
- They gravitated towards familiar and simple activities, to ‘defaults ‘ like watching television or visiting shopping malls.
- Therefore, in practice, economic power gravitates back to the centre.
Attain
to reach or succeed in getting something:
- He has attained the highest grade in his music exams.
- We need to identify the best ways of attaining our objectives/goals.
- India attained independence in 1947, after decades of struggle.
Refuge
(a place that gives) protection or shelter from danger, trouble, unhappiness, etc.:
- These people are seeking/taking refuge from persecution.
- The climbers slept in a mountain refuge.
- She had fled from her violent husband to a women’s refuge.
Suffocate
to (cause someone to) die because of not having enough oxygen:
- The report said that the victims had suffocated in the fumes.
- She suffocated him by holding a pillow over his head.
Foolproof
(of a plan or machine) so simple and easy to understand that it is unable to go wrong or be used wrongly:
- I don’t believe there’s any such thing as a foolproof system for making money.
- This new recipe is supposed to be foolproof.
Seduce
to persuade or cause someone to do something that they would not usually consider doing by being very attractive and difficult to refuse:
- I wouldn’t normally stay in a hotel like this, but I was seduced by the fabulous location.
- They were seduced into buying the washing machine by the offer of a free flight.
Enchantress
a woman with magical powers
To Kneel
to go down into, or stay in, a position where one or both knees are on the ground:
- She knelt (down) beside the child.
- He knelt in front of the altar and prayed.
