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English vocab. > Deck 2 > Flashcards

Deck 2 Flashcards

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1
Q

brandish

/ˈbrændɪʃ/

A

to hold or wave something, especially a weapon, in an aggressive or excited way

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2
Q

bewilder

/bɪˈwɪldər/

A

to confuse someone
- She was totally bewildered by his sudden change of mood.
- His complete lack of interest in money bewilders his family.
synonym bemuse

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3
Q

tousle

/ˈtaʊzl/ , /ˈtaʊsl/

A

to make someone’s hair messy

tousled (adjective)
- a boy with blue eyes and tousled hair

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4
Q

drone

/droʊn/

A
  1. a continuous low noise
    - the distant drone of traffic
  2. a male bee that does not work
  3. a person who is lazy and gives nothing to society while others work
    - The medieval lord of the manor was what some today would call a drone.
  4. an aircraft without a pilot, controlled from the ground

(verb)
to make a continuous low noise
- A plane was droning in the distance.
- a droning voice

drone on (phrasal verb)
to talk for a long time in a boring way

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5
Q

wistful

/ˈwɪstfl/

A

thinking sadly about something that you would like to have, especially something in the past that you can no longer have
- a wistful smile

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5
Q

glower

/ˈɡlaʊər/

A

to look in an angry, aggressive way
synonym glare
- She glowered across the table at me.
- Nicola stared at Tom, who glowered back.
- He stood behind her, eyes glowering.

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6
Q

bustle

/ˈbʌsl/

A

to move around in a busy way or to hurry someone in a particular direction
- She bustled around in the kitchen.
- The nurse bustled us out of the room.

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6
Q

slobber

/ˈslɑbər/

A

to let saliva come out of your mouth
synonym dribble
- The baby was slobbering all over her bib.
- great slobbering kisses

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7
Q

perturb

/pərˈtərb/

A

to make someone worried or anxious
synonym alarm
- Her sudden appearance did not seem to perturb him in the least.
- I was perturbed by his lack of interest.

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8
Q

squelch

/skwɛltʃ/

A
  1. to make a wet sucking sound
    - The mud squelched as I walked through it.
    - Her wet shoes squelched at every step.
    - We squelched across the muddy field.
  2. to stop something from growing, increasing, or developing
    synonym squash
    - to squelch a rumor/strike/fire
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9
Q

retch

/rɛtʃ/

A

to make sounds and movements as if you are vomiting although you do not actually do so
- The smell made her retch.

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10
Q

genial

/ˈdʒinyəl/ , /ˈdʒiniəl/

A

friendly and cheerful
synonym affable
- a genial person
- a genial smile

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11
Q

boulder

/ˈboʊldər/

A

a very large rock which has been shaped by water or the weather
- huge granite boulders underneath the cliff
- fallen rocks and boulders

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12
Q

snort

/snɔrt/

A
  1. to make a loud sound by breathing air out noisily through your nose, especially to show that you are angry or amused
    - The horse snorted and tossed its head.
    - to snort with laughter
    - She snorted in disgust.
    - “You!” he snorted contemptuously.
  2. to take drugs by breathing them in through the nose
    - to snort cocaine
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13
Q

keen

/kin/

A
  1. wanting to do something or wanting something to happen very much
    synonym eager
    - John was very keen to help.
    - I wasn’t too keen on going to the party.
  2. enthusiastic about or interested in an activity or idea, etc.
    - a keen fisherman
    - one of the keenest supporters of the team
    - She was a star pupil—keen, confident and bright.
  3. quick to understand
    synonym acute, sharp
    - a keen mind/intellect
  4. strong or deep
    - a keen sense of tradition
    - He took a keen interest in his grandson’s education.
  5. highly developed
    synonym sharp
    - Dogs have a keen sense of smell.
    - My friend has a keen eye for (= is good at noticing) a bargain.
  6. involving people competing very hard with each other for something
    - There is keen competition to be admitted to the university.
    - They were keen rivals.
    - It was the subject of keen debate.
  7. (literary) extremely cold
  8. (literary) having a sharp edge or point
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14
Q

on tenterhooks

/ˈtɛntərˌhʊks/

A

(to be) very anxious or excited while you are waiting to find out something or see what will happen
- I’ve been on tenterhooks all week waiting for the results.

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15
Q

gaunt

/ɡɔnt/

A
  1. (of a person) very thin, usually because of illness, not having enough food, or worry
    - a gaunt face
    - She looked gaunt and exhausted.
  2. (of a building) not attractive and without any decoration
    - the gaunt ruin of the old castle
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16
Q

berth

/bərθ/ (=birth)

A
  1. a place to sleep on a ship or train, or in a camper
    synonym bunk
    - a cabin with three berths
  2. a place where a ship or boat can stop and stay, usually in a harbor
    - a berth in dock
    - Water and electricity are supplied at each berth.

give somebody/something a wide berth
to not go too near someone or something; to avoid someone or something
- He gave the dog a wide berth

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17
Q

maggot

/ˈmæɡət/

A

a creature like a small short worm, that is the young form of a fly and is found in decaying meat and other food. Maggots are often used as bait on a hook to catch fish.

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18
Q

putrid

/ˈpyutrəd/

A
  1. (of dead animals or plants) decaying and therefore smelling very bad
    synonym foul
    - the putrid smell of rotten meat
  2. (informal) very unpleasant
    - a putrid pink color
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19
Q

sly

/slaɪ/

A
  1. (disapproving) acting or done in a secret or dishonest way, often intending to trick people
    synonym cunning
    - a sly political move
    - (humorous) You sly old devil! How long have you known?
  2. suggesting that you know something secret that other people do not know
    synonym knowing
    - a sly smile/grin/look/glance, etc.
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20
Q

anguish

/ˈæŋɡwɪʃ/

A

severe pain, mental suffering, or unhappiness
- He groaned in anguish.
- Tears of anguish filled her eyes.

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21
Q

pelt

/pɛlt/

A
  1. to attack someone by throwing things at them
    - The children pelted him with snowballs.
    - We were pelted with rotten tomatoes.
  2. (of rain) to fall very heavily
    - By now the rain was pelting down.
  3. to run somewhere very fast
    synonym dash
    - We pelted down the hill after the car.
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22
Q

lamented

/ləˈmɛntəd/

A

(of someone or something that has died or disappeared) missed very much
- her late lamented husband
- the last edition of the much lamented newspaper

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23
Q

grisly

/ˈɡrɪzli/

A

extremely unpleasant and frightening and usually connected with death and violence
- a grisly crime

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24
Q

loom

/lum/

A
  1. to appear as a large shape that is not clear, especially in a frightening or threatening way
    - A dark shape loomed up ahead of us.
  2. to appear important or threatening and likely to happen soon
    - There was a crisis looming.
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25
Q

much as

A

although
- Much as I would like to stay, I really must go home.
- Much as I would like to help you, I’m simply too busy at the moment.

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26
Q

procure

/prəˈkyʊr/ , /proʊˈkyʊr/

A
  1. (formal) to obtain something, especially with difficulty
    - She managed to procure a ticket for the concert.
    - They procured a copy of the report for us.
    - They procured us a copy of the report.
  2. procure (somebody) to provide a prostitute for someone
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27
Q

stifle

/ˈstaɪfl/

A
  1. to prevent something from happening; to prevent a feeling from being expressed
    synonym suppress
    - She was unable to stifle a yawn.
    - They hope the new rules will not stifle creativity.
    - The government failed to stifle the unrest.
  2. to feel unable to breathe, or to make someone unable to breathe, because it is too hot and/or there is no fresh air
    synonym suffocate
    - I felt I was stifling in the airless room.
    - Most of the victims were stifled by the fumes.
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28
Q

unrest

/ʌnˈrɛst/

A

a political situation in which people are angry and likely to protest or fight
- civil/social/political/popular/industrial unrest
- There is growing unrest in the south of the country.

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29
Q

shrivel

/ˈʃrɪvl/

A

to become or make something dry and wrinkled as a result of heat, cold, or being old
- The leaves on the plant had shriveled up from lack of water.
- The hot weather shriveled the grapes in every vineyard.

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30
Q

pry

/praɪ/

A
  1. (also prize) to use force to separate something from something else
    - He pried her fingers from the bag and took it from her.
    - She used a knife to pry open the lid.
  2. to try to find out information about other people’s private lives in a way that is annoying or rude
    - I’m sick of you prying into my personal life!
    - I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.
    - She tried to keep the children away from the prying eyes of the world’s media.
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31
Q

persecute

/ˈpərsəˌkyut/

A
  1. to treat someone in a cruel and unfair way, especially because of their race, religion, or political beliefs
    - Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs.
    - persecuted minorities
  2. to deliberately annoy someone all the time and make their life unpleasant
    synonym harass
    - Why are the media persecuting him like this?

persecution n.
/ˌpərsəˈkyuʃn/
- the victims of religious persecution
- They fled to America to escape persecution.

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32
Q

bleary

/ˈblɪri/

A

(of eyes) not able to see clearly, especially because you are tired
- She had bleary, red eyes from lack of sleep.

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33
Q

gullible

/ˈɡʌləbl/

A

too willing to believe or accept what other people tell you and therefore easily tricked
synonym naive
- The advertisement is aimed at gullible young women worried about their weight.

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34
Q

torpor

/ˈtɔrpər/

A

the state of not being active and having no energy or enthusiasm
synonym lethargy
- In the heat they sank into a state of torpor.

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35
Q

fumble

/ˈfʌmbl/

A
  1. to use your hands in an awkward way when you are doing something or looking for something
    - She fumbled in her pocket for a tissue.
    - He fumbled with the buttons on his shirt.
    - She was fumbling around in the dark looking for the light switch.
    - I fumbled to zip up my jacket.
  2. to express yourself or deal with something in an awkward or nervous way
    - During the interview, she fumbled helplessly for words.
    - The company fumbled the marketing campaign.
  3. (especially in sports) to drop a ball or to fail to stop or kick it
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36
Q

shrill

/ʃrɪl/

A
  1. (of sounds or voices) very high and loud, in an unpleasant way
    synonym piercing
    - a shrill voice
  2. loud and determined but often unreasonable
    - shrill demands/protests
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37
Q

gruesome

/ˈɡrusəm/

A

very unpleasant and filling you with horror, usually because it is connected with death or injury
- a gruesome murder
- gruesome pictures of dead bodies
- (humorous) We spent a week in a gruesome apartment in Miami.

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38
Q

churn

/tʃərn/

A
  1. if water, mud, etc. churns, or if something churns it (up), it moves or is moved around violently
    - The water churned beneath the huge ship.
    - Huge crowds had churned the field into a sea of mud.
  2. if your stomach churns or if something churns your stomach, you feel a strong, unpleasant feeling of worry, disgust, or fear
    - My stomach churned as the names were read out.
  3. to feel or to make someone feel upset or emotionally confused
    - Conflicting emotions churned inside him.
  4. to turn and stir milk in a special container in order to make butter
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39
Q

rue

/ru/

A

(formal) to feel bad about something that happened or something that you did because it had bad results
synonym regret
- He rued the day they had bought such a large house.

40
Q

leaden

/ˈlɛdn/

A
  1. dull gray in color, like lead
    - leaden skies
  2. dull, heavy, or slow
    - a leaden heart (= because you are sad)
    - On leaden feet he made his way down the stairs.
41
Q

forfeit

/ˈfɔrfət/

A

to lose something or have something taken away from you because you have done something wrong
- If you cancel your flight, you will forfeit your deposit.
- He has forfeited his right to be taken seriously.

42
Q

telltale

/ˈtɛlteɪl/

A

[only before noun]
showing that something exists or has happened
- telltale clues/marks/signs/sounds
- The telltale smell of cigarettes told her that he had been in the room.

43
Q

careen

/kəˈrin/

A

(of a person or vehicle) to move forward very quickly, especially in a way that is dangerous or uncontrolled
synonym hurtle

(formal career)
- The vehicle careered across the road and hit a pedestrian.

44
Q

heed

/hid/

A

to pay careful attention to someone’s advice or warning
synonym notice
- They failed to heed the lessons of history.
- If only they had heeded his warnings!
- Calls for more legislation to protect tenants were not heeded.

45
Q

ebb

/ɛb/

A

the period of time when the ocean flows away from the land
- the ebb tide

(verb)
1. (formal) (of the tide in the ocean) to move away from the land
synonym go out
opposite flow
2. to become gradually weaker or less
synonym decrease
- The pain was ebbing.
- As night fell, our enthusiasm began to ebb away.

the ebb and flow of the tide

46
Q

lowly

/ˈloʊli/

A

low in status or importance
synonym humble, obscure
- a lowly government clerk
- How should I know? I’m just a lowly employee.

47
Q

dregs

/drɛɡz/

A
  1. the last drops of a liquid, mixed with little pieces of solid material that are left in the bottom of a container
    - coffee dregs
  2. the worst and most useless parts of something
    - the dregs of society
  3. (literary) the last parts of something
    - the last dregs of daylight
48
Q

distraught

/dɪˈstrɔt/

A

extremely upset and anxious so that you cannot think clearly
- She’s still too distraught to speak about the tragedy.
- The child’s distraught parents pleaded for witnesses to contact the police.

49
Q

feeble

/ˈfibl/

A
  1. very weak
    - a feeble old man
    - The heartbeat was feeble and irregular.
  2. not effective; not showing determination or energy
    - a feeble argument/excuse/joke
    - a feeble attempt to explain
50
Q

retaliate

/rɪˈtæliˌeɪt/

A

to do something harmful to someone because they have harmed you first
synonym revenge
- to retaliate against an attack
- The boy hit his sister, who retaliated by kicking him.

51
Q

sneer

/snɪr/

A

to show that you have no respect for someone by the expression on your face or by the way you speak
synonym mock
- He sneered at people who liked pop music.
- a sneering comment
- “You? A writer?” she sneered.

52
Q

lob

/lɑb/

A
  1. (informal) to throw something so that it goes quite high through the air
    - She lobbed a snowball at her brother.
  2. (sport) to hit or kick a ball in a high curve through the air, especially so that it lands behind the person you are playing against
    - He lobbed the ball over the defender’s head.
53
Q

blunder

/ˈblʌndər/

A

a stupid or careless mistake
- to make a terrible blunder
- a series of political blunders

54
Q

lumber

/ˈlʌmbər/

A

(noun)
(also timber) wood that is prepared for use in building, etc.
- a lumber mill

(verb)
to move in a slow, heavy, and awkward way
- A family of elephants lumbered by.
- The huge convoy of trucks lumbered out of the city.

55
Q

froth

/frɔθ/

A
  1. a mass of small bubbles, especially on the surface of a liquid
    synonym foam
    - a glass of beer with thick froth on top
    - The horse’s bit was covered with white froth.
  2. ideas, activities, etc. that seem attractive and enjoyable but have no real value
  3. something that looks like a mass of small bubbles on liquid
    - a froth of black lace
56
Q

beckon

/ˈbɛkən/

A
  1. to give someone a signal using your finger or hand, especially to tell them to move nearer or to follow you
    synonym signal
    - He beckoned to the waiter to bring the check.
    - He beckoned her over with a wave.
    - The boss beckoned him into her office.
    - She beckoned him to come and join them.
  2. to appear very attractive to someone
    - The clear blue sea beckoned.
    - The thought of a month without work was beckoning her.
  3. to be something that is likely to happen or will possibly happen to someone in the future
    - For many kids leaving college the prospect of unemployment beckons.
57
Q

twirl

/twərl/

A
  1. to move or dance around and around; to make someone do this
    - She twirled around in front of the mirror.
    - He held her hand and twirled her around.
  2. to make something turn quickly and lightly around and around
    synonym spin
    - He twirled his hat in his hand.
    - She sat twirling the stem of the glass in her fingers.
  3. to twist or curl something with your fingers
    - He kept twirling his mustache.
58
Q

sprawl

/sprɔl/

A
  1. to sit or lie with your arms and legs spread out in a relaxed or awkward way
    - He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV.
    - Something hit her and sent her sprawling to the ground.
    - I tripped and went sprawling.
  2. to spread in a messy way; to cover a large area
    - The town sprawled along the side of the lake.
59
Q

squeal

/skwil/

A
  1. to make a long high sound
    - The pigs were squealing.
    - The car squealed to a halt.
    - Children were running around squealing with excitement.
  2. to speak in a very high voice, especially when you are excited or nervous
    - “Don’t!” she squealed.
  3. squeal (on somebody) (informal) (disapproving) to give information, especially to the police, about something illegal that someone has done
    - Someone must have squealed on him.
60
Q

totter

/ˈtɑt̮ər/

A
  1. to walk or move with weak, unsteady steps, especially because you are drunk or sick
    synonym stagger
    - She managed to totter back to her seat.
  2. to be weak and seem likely to fall
    - the tottering walls of the castle
    - (figurative) a tottering dictatorship
61
Q

shrewd

/ʃrud/

A
  1. very good at understanding and making judgments about a situation
    synonym astute
    - a shrewd businessman
    - She is a shrewd judge of character.
  2. showing good judgment and likely to be right
    - a shrewd move
    - He made a shrewd observation about them just now.
62
Q

salient

/ˈseɪliənt/

A

most important or noticeable
- She pointed out the salient features of the new design.
- He summarized the salient points.

63
Q

poignant

/ˈpɔɪnyənt/

A

having a strong effect on your feelings, especially in a way that makes you feel sad
synonym moving
- a poignant image/moment/memory, etc.
- Her face was a poignant reminder of the passing of time.

64
Q

succinct

/səkˈsɪŋkt/

A

(approving) expressed clearly and in a few words
synonym concise
- Keep your answers as succinct as possible.
- a succinct explanation

65
Q

pertinent

/ˈpərtn̩ənt/

A

(formal) appropriate to a particular situation
synonym relevant
- a pertinent question/fact
- Please keep your comments pertinent to the topic under discussion.

66
Q

reprove

/rɪˈpruv/

A

(formal) to tell someone that you do not approve of something that they have done
synonym rebuke
- He reproved her for rushing away.

  • a reproving glance
  • His tone was mildly reproving.
  • “You’re late,” she said reprovingly.
67
Q

gag

/ɡæɡ/

A
  1. a piece of cloth that is put over or in someone’s mouth to stop the person from speaking
  2. (informal) a joke or action that makes people laugh, especially in a show or movie
    synonym joke
    - a running gag (= one that is regularly repeated during a performance)
    - a sight gag (= one that does not involve speaking)
  3. a trick you play on someone
    - It was just a gag—we didn’t mean to upset anyone.

(verb)
1. to put a piece of cloth in or over someone’s mouth to prevent them from speaking or shouting
- The hostages were bound and gagged.
2. to prevent someone from speaking freely or expressing their opinion
- The new laws are seen as an attempt to gag the press.
3.to have the unpleasant feeling in your mouth and stomach as if you are going to vomit
synonym retch
- She gagged on the blood that filled her mouth.
- The stench of rotting meat made him gag.

68
Q

decrepit

/dɪˈkrɛpət/

A

(of a thing or person) very old and not in good condition or health
- a decrepit building/vehicle
- a decrepit old man

69
Q

baleful

/ˈbeɪlfl/

A

(literary)
threatening to do something evil or to hurt someone
- a baleful look/influence

70
Q

stupefy

/ˈstupəˌfaɪ/

A

to surprise or shock someone; to make someone unable to think clearly
- He was stupefied by the amount they had spent.
- She was stupefied with cold.

71
Q

incredulous

/ɪnˈkrɛdʒələs/

A

not willing or not able to believe something; showing an inability to believe something
- “Here?” said Kate, incredulous.
- an incredulous look
compare credulous

72
Q

trifle

/ˈtraɪfl/

A
  1. something that is not valuable or important
    - There’s no point worrying over such trifles.
    - $1,000 is a mere trifle to her.
  2. a trifle (used as an adverb) (formal or humorous) slightly
    - She seemed a trifle anxious.
    - He was just a trifle too friendly for my liking.
73
Q

petulant

/ˈpɛtʃələnt/

A

bad-tempered and unreasonable, especially because you cannot do or have what you want
- He behaved like a petulant child and refused to cooperate.
- Her tone of voice became abrupt and petulant.

74
Q

barge

/bɑrdʒ/

A

a large boat with a flat bottom, used for carrying goods and people on canals and rivers

(verb)
to move in an awkward way, pushing people out of the way or crashing into them
synonym push
- He barged past me to get to the bar.
- They barged their way through the crowds.

75
Q

mirth

/mərθ/

A

(formal)
happiness, fun, and the sound of people laughing
synonym merriment
- The performance produced much mirth among the audience.

76
Q

slouch

/slaʊtʃ/

A

to stand, sit, or move in a lazy way, often with your shoulders and head bent forward
- Several students were slouching against the wall.
- Sit up straight. Don’t slouch.
- He slouched across the room and collapsed in a chair.

77
Q

inept

/ɪˈnɛpt/

A

acting or done with no skill
- She was left feeling inept and inadequate.
- an inept remark

78
Q

flaunt

/flɔnt/

A

(disapproving)
to show something you are proud of to other people, in order to impress them
- He did not believe in flaunting his wealth.
- She openly flaunted her affair with the senator.

if you’ve got it, flaunt it (humorous) (saying)
used to tell someone that they should not be afraid of allowing other people to see their qualities and abilities or their beauty

79
Q

mutinous

/ˈmyutn̩əs/

A
  1. refusing to obey the orders of someone in authority; wanting to do this
    synonym rebellious
    - mutinous workers
    - a mutinous expression
    - She was beginning to feel mutinous.
  2. taking part in a mutiny
80
Q

hubbub

/ˈhʌbʌb/

A
  1. the loud sound made by a lot of people talking at the same time
    - It was difficult to hear what he was saying over the hubbub.
    - It was some time before the hubbub of laughter died down.
  2. a situation in which there is a lot of noise, excitement, and activity
    - the hubbub of city life
    - He was left wondering what all the hubbub had been about.
81
Q

teeter

/ˈtit̮ər/

A

to stand or move in an unsteady way so that you look as if you are going to fall
- She teetered after him in her high-heeled shoes.

teeter on the brink/edge of something
to be very close to a very unpleasant or dangerous situation
- The country is teetering on the brink of civil war.

82
Q

wan

/wɑn/

A

looking pale and weak
- his gray, wan face
- She gave me a wan smile (= showing no energy or enthusiasm).
- the wan sunlight of a winter’s morning

83
Q

fleeting

/ˈflit̮ɪŋ/

A

lasting only a short time
synonym brief
- a fleeting glimpse/smile
- a fleeting moment of happiness
- We paid a fleeting visit to San Antonio.

fleet (adjective)
able to run fast
- fleet of foot
- fleet-footed

84
Q

scamper

/ˈskæmpər/

A

(especially of children or small animals) to move quickly with short light steps

85
Q

fervent

/ˈfərvənt/

A

having or showing very strong and sincere feelings about something
synonym ardent
- a fervent admirer/believer/supporter
- a fervent belief/hope/desire

86
Q

inkling

/ˈɪŋklɪŋ/

A

a slight knowledge of something that is happening or about to happen
synonym suspicion
- He had no inkling of what was going on.
- The first inkling I had that something was wrong was when I found the front door wide open.

87
Q

scrunch

/skrʌntʃ/

A
  1. to make a loud sound like the one that is made when you walk on gravel (= small stones)
    synonym crunch
    - The snow scrunched underfoot.
  2. to squeeze something into a small round shape in your hands
    - He scrunched up the note and threw it on the fire.
  3. to squeeze something into a smaller shape or into a smaller space
    - The armadillo scrunched itself up into a ball.
    - She scrunched up her eyes in the midday sun.
    - Our coats were all scrunched up in the corner.
  4. to create a hairstyle with loose curls by squeezing the hair with the hands
88
Q

musty

/ˈmʌsti/

A

smelling damp and unpleasant because of a lack of fresh air
synonym dank
- a musty room
- a musty smell of old books
- These clothes smell musty.

89
Q

filter

/ˈfɪltər/

A

(noun)
- an air/oil filter
- a coffee/water filter
- He smokes cigarettes without filters.
- The camera has an anti-glare filter.

(verb)
1. to pass liquid, light, etc. through a special device, especially to remove something that is not wanted
- All drinking water must be filtered.
- Use a sun block that filters UVA effectively.
2. to use a special program to check the content of e-mails or websites before they are sent to your computer
3. (of people) to move slowly in a particular direction
- The doors opened and people started filtering in.
4. (of information, news, etc.) to slowly become known
- More details about the crash are filtering through.
5. (of light or sound) to come into a place slowly or in small amounts
- Sunlight filtered in through the curtains.

90
Q

bungle

/ˈbʌŋɡl/

A

to do something badly or without skill; to fail at something
synonym botch
- They bungled the job.
- a bungled robbery/raid/attempt

91
Q

rein

/reɪn/

A
  1. a long, narrow, leather band that is attached to a bit (= a metal bar in a horse’s mouth) and is held by the rider in order to control the horse
    - She pulled gently on the reins.
  2. the reins the state of being in control or the leader of something
    - It was time to hand over the reins of power (= to give control to someone else).
    - The vice president was forced to take up the reins of office.
92
Q

slog

/slɑɡ/

A

(informal)
1. to work hard and steadily at something, especially something that takes a long time and is boring or difficult
- He’s been slogging away at that piece of music for weeks.
- The teacher made us slog through long lists of vocabulary.
- My mother slogged all her life for us.
- She slogged her way through four piles of ironing.
2. to walk or travel somewhere steadily, with great effort or difficulty
- I’ve been slogging around the downtown area all day.
- He started to slog his way through the undergrowth.
3. to hit a ball very hard but often without skill

93
Q

blab

/blæb/

A

(informal)
to tell someone information that should be kept secret
- Someone must have blabbed to the police.

94
Q

relish

/ˈrɛlɪʃ/

A

to get great pleasure from something; to want very much to do or have something
synonym enjoy
- to relish a fight/challenge/debate
- to relish the idea/thought of something
- I don’t relish the prospect of getting up early tomorrow.
- Nobody relishes cleaning the oven.

95
Q

swell

/swɛl/

A
  1. to become bigger or rounder
    - Her arm was beginning to swell up where the bee had stung her.
    - Bacteria can cause gums to swell and bleed.
    - Cook the lentils for 20 minutes until they swell and soften.
  2. to curve out or make something curve out
    - The sails swelled (out) in the wind.
    - The wind swelled (out) the sails.
  3. to increase or make something increase in number or size
    - Last year’s profits were swelled by a fall in production costs.
    - Crowds of commuters were swelled by Christmas shoppers.
    - We are looking for more volunteers to swell the ranks (= increase the number) of those already helping.
    - Membership has swelled to over 20,000.
    opposite shrink
  4. (of a sound) to become louder
    - The cheering swelled through the arena.
  5. to be filled with a strong emotion
    - to swell with pride
    - Her heart swelled as she turned to face him.
96
Q

whiz

/wɪz/

A
  1. to move very quickly, making a high continuous sound
    - A bullet whizzed past my ear.
    - He whizzed down the road on his motorcycle.
  2. to do something very quickly
    - She whizzed through the work.
97
Q

litter

/ˈlɪt̮ər/

A
  1. small pieces of garbage such as paper, cans, and bottles, that people have left lying in a public place
    - There will be fines for people who drop litter.
  2. a number of things that are lying in a messy way
    - The floor was covered with a litter of newspapers, clothes, and empty cups.
  3. a dry substance that is put in a shallow open box for pets, especially cats, to use as a toilet when they are indoors
    - cat litter
    - a litter box
  4. a number of baby animals that one mother gives birth to at the same time
    - a litter of puppies
    - the runt (= the smallest and weakest baby) of the litter
  5. the substance, especially straw, that is used for farm animals to sleep on
  6. a kind of chair or bed that was used in the past for carrying important people

(verb)
- Piles of books and newspapers littered the floor.
- Broken glass littered the streets.
- The floor was littered with papers.
- He was arrested for littering.
- Your essay is littered with spelling mistakes.

98
Q

stuck-up

A

(informal) (disapproving)
thinking that you are more important than other people and behaving in an unfriendly way toward them
synonym snobbish

English vocab. (3 decks)

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