Deck 24 Flashcards
a modicum [S]
a small amount of something good such as truth or honesty
- ‘There’s not even a modicum of truth in her statement.’
rancor
bitter anger or unfriendly feelings
- ‘Can we settle this disagreement without rancour?’
to enrapture
to give delight to
- ‘The audience was enraptured by her performance.’
a jaunt
a short journey for pleasure, sometimes including a stay
to muse
to think about something carefully and for a long time
- ‘I began to muse about/on the possibility of starting my own business.’
placid
having a calm appearance or characteristics
- ‘a slow-moving and placid river’
languid
moving or speaking slowly with little energy, often in an attractive way
dissent
a strong difference of opinion on a particular subject, especially about an official suggestion or plan or a popular belief
absolution
the act of forgiving someone, especially in the Christian religion, for something bad that they have done or thought
to dilate
to (cause a part of the body to) become wider or further open
- ‘The pupils of the eyes dilate as darkness increases.’
levity
humour or lack of seriousness, especially during a serious occasion
a cranium
the hard bone case that gives an animal’s or a human’s head its shape and protects the brain
precognition / postcognition
Precognition is seeing the future, and postcognition is seeing the past.
a pre-cog
an individual who possesses precognition as a form of extra-sensory perception
a crucible
a situation of severe trial, or in which different elements interact, leading to the creation of something new
- ‘Their relationship was forged in the crucible of war.’
a breach
an act of breaking a law, promise, agreement, or relationship
- ‘They felt that our discussions with other companies constituted a breach of/in our agreement.’
primordial
existing at or since the beginning of the world or the universe
ooze
a thick brown liquid made of earth and water found at the bottom of a river or lake
recursion
something that is done or said several times in order to produce a particular result or effect; the act of doing something several times
to edify
to instruct and improve especially in moral and religious knowledge
- ‘These books will both entertain and edify readers.’
a bed of roses
used in reference to a situation or activity that is comfortable or easy
- ‘Farming is no bed of roses.’
to dust off
to get something ready to use that you have not used for a long time
to vault
to jump over something by first putting your hands on it or by using a pole
- ‘He vaulted over the gate.’
to gallop
to move or act quickly
sagacious
having or showing understanding and the ability to make good judgments
putrid
decayed and having an unpleasant smell
- ‘the putrid body of a dead fox’
germane
relevant to a subject under consideration
- ‘That is not germane to our theme.’
haphazard
not having an obvious order or plan
a debacle
a complete failure, especially because of bad planning and organisation
incipient
just beginning
- ‘He could feel incipient anger building up.’
to curb your appetite
to control or restrain your appetite
a rabble-rouser
a person who makes speeches that make people excited or angry, usually intentionally in order to make them act in a particular way
to take sth with a pinch of salt
to not completely believe something that you are told because you think it is unlikely to be true
a straight arrow
someone who is very honest and careful to behave in a socially acceptable way
the bottom line
the most important fact in a situation
in cahoots (with)
acting together with others for an illegal or dishonest purpose
- ‘It’s reckoned that someone in the government was in cahoots with the assassin.’
a cohort
a group of people who share a characteristic, usually age
atemporal
independent of or unaffected by time
to temporise
to delay making a decision or stating your opinion in order to get an advantage
benevolent
kind and helpful
to heave
to move something heavy using a lot of effort
- ‘He heaved the bag onto his shoulder.’
acumen [U]
skill in making correct decisions and judgments in a particular subject, such as business or politics
to atrophy
(of a part of the body) to be reduced in size and therefore strength, or, more generally, to become weaker
- ‘After several months in a hospital bed, my leg muscles had atrophied.’
to eulogise
to praise someone or something in a speech or piece of writing
outmoded
no longer modern, useful, or necessary
to broach
to begin a discussion of something difficult
- ‘At some point, we’ve got to discuss money but I don’t know how to broach the subject with him.’
brevity
concise and exact use of words in writing or speech
to get a/your foot in the door
to have an opportunity
- ‘This part-time work has allowed Frank to get his foot in the door and he hopes it will lead to a full-time job.’
loquacious
Someone who is loquacious talks a lot.
a bereavement
the death of a close relation or friend
a pinnacle
the most successful point; the culmination
- ‘He had reached the pinnacle of his career.’
a libel
a piece of writing that contains bad and false things about a person
- ‘She threatened to sue the magazine for libel.’
to peddle
to sell things, especially by taking them to different places
impropriety
behaviour that is dishonest, socially unacceptable, or unsuitable for a particular situation
a narrative
story or a description of a series of events
subversive
trying to destroy or damage something, especially an established political system
a blip
an unexpected, minor, and typically temporary deviation from a general trend
to console
to make someone who is sad or disappointed feel better by giving them comfort or sympathy
to consolidate
to become, or cause something to become, stronger, and more certain
a thicket
a dense group of bushes or trees
a forgery [C/U]
an illegal copy of a document, painting, etc. or the crime of making such illegal copies
- ‘These banknotes are forgeries.’
- ‘He increased his income by forgery.’
a scapegoat
a person who is blamed for something that someone else has done
to give someone lip
to speak to someone in an impertinent and offensive way
- ‘People get on here all day long and all they do is give me lip.’
to percolate
(of a liquid or gas) filter gradually through a porous surface or substance
- ‘Sea water percolates down through the rocks.’
hellish
very bad or unpleasant
to precipitate
to make something happen suddenly or sooner than expected
- ‘Fear of losing her job precipitated (= suddenly forced) her into action.’
bereft
not having something or feeling a great loss
- ‘Alone now and almost penniless, he was bereft of hope.’
to not have the stomach for sth
to not feel brave or determined enough to do something unpleasant
a noose
one end of a rope tied to form a circle that can be tightened round something such as a person’s neck to hang them
sea legs
a person’s ability to keep their balance and not feel seasick when on board a moving ship
- ‘Now I’ve found my sea legs I’ll be much more useful.’
disenfranchised
not having the right to vote, or a similar right, or having had that right taken away
servitude
the state of being under the control of someone else and of having no freedom
to cut to the chase
to talk about or deal with the important parts of a subject and not waste time with things that are not important
facade [fuh-sahd]
the front of a building, especially an imposing or decorative one
to make the cut
to succeed at something or meet a requirement
a crone
a withered old woman
boldface
a type or print that has thick, heavy lines, used for emphasis, headings, etc.
to gloat
to feel or express great pleasure or satisfaction because of your own success or good luck, or someone else’s failure or bad luck
- ‘She’s continually gloating over/about her new job.’
a prodigy
someone with a very great ability that usually shows itself when that person is a young child
to wallow
(especially of some animals) to lie or roll around slowly in deep, wet earth, sand, or water
to haggle
to attempt to decide on a price or conditions that are acceptable to the person selling the goods and the person buying them, usually by arguing
- ‘It’s traditional that you haggle over/about the price of things in the market.’
a hag
an ugly old woman
an inkling
a feeling that something is true or likely to happen, although you are not certain
nay
or rather = used to introduce a second and more extreme phrase in a sentence when the first phrase was not strong enough
- ‘It is my pleasure, nay (my) privilege, to introduce tonight’s guest speaker.’
a blight
something that spoils or has a very bad effect on something, often for a long time
- ‘His arrival cast a blight on the wedding day.’
a posse [pos-ee]
a group of people who have come together for the same purpose
to be on/off the table
offered for discussion/ not offered for discussion
- ‘Our offer is still on the table. Let us know if you want to take it.’
a miscreant
someone who behaves badly or does not obey rules
a shindig
a noisy event or situation, especially a large, energetic party, celebration, etc.
prissy
caring too much about behaving and dressing in a way that is considered correct and that does not shock
to corroborate
to add proof to an account, statement, idea, etc. with new information
sage
wise, especially as a result of great experience
scrutiny
the careful and detailed examination of something in order to get information about it
- ‘The government’s record will be subjected to/come under (close) scrutiny in the weeks before the election.’
to vet
to examine something or someone carefully to make certain that they are acceptable or suitable
sardonic
grimly mocking or cynical
a coroner
an official who examines the reasons for a person’s death, especially if it was violent or unexpected
irrevocable
impossible to change
- ‘an irrevocable decision’
solicitous
showing care and helpful attention to someone
to backslide
to revert to a worse condition
- ‘Smokers who quit often backslide within a year.’
to adhere
to stick firmly
- ‘A smooth, dry surface helps the tiles adhere to the wall.’
