Deck001T Flashcards
be·lit·tle
verb
BrE /bɪˈlɪtl/
NAmE /bɪˈlɪtl/
belittle somebody/something to make somebody or the things that somebody does seem unimportant
She felt her husband constantly belittled her achievements.
By saying this, I do not mean to belittle the importance of his role.
ris·qué
adjective
BrE /ˈrɪskeɪ/
NAmE /rɪˈskeɪ/
a risqué performance, comment, joke, etc. is a little shocking, usually because it is about sex
mis·chiev·ous
adjective
BrE /ˈmɪstʃɪvəs/
NAmE /ˈmɪstʃɪvəs/
1 enjoying playing tricks and annoying people
➔ SYNONYM naughty
a mischievous boy
a mischievous grin/smile/look
Her eyes danced with mischievous amusement.
She looked slightly mischievous.
2 (formal) (of an action or a statement) causing trouble, such as damaging somebodyʼs reputation
mischievous lies/gossip
▼︎ Word Origin
Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French meschevous, from Old French meschever ‘come to an unfortunate endʼ
ma·levo·lent
```
adjective
BrE /məˈlevələnt/
NAmE /məˈlevələnt/
[usually before noun]
formal
~~~
having or showing a desire to harm other people
➔ SYNONYM malicious, wicked
malevolent intentions/thoughts
his dark malevolent eyes
➔ OPPOSITE benevolent
▼︎ Word Origin
early 16th cent.: from Latin malevolent- ‘wishing evilʼ, from male ‘illʼ + volent- ‘wishingʼ (from the verb velle).
in·ex·pe·di·ent
```
adjective
BrE /ˌɪnɪkˈspiːdiənt/
NAmE /ˌɪnɪkˈspiːdiənt/
[not usually before noun]
formal
~~~
(of an action) not fair or right
It would be inexpedient to raise taxes further.
➔ OPPOSITE expedient
bla·tant
adjective
BrE /ˈbleɪtnt/
NAmE /ˈbleɪtnt/
disapproving
(of actions that are considered bad) done in an obvious and open way without caring if people are shocked
➔ SYNONYM flagrant
a blatant attempt to buy votes
It was a blatant lie.
can·did
adjective
BrE /ˈkændɪd/
NAmE /ˈkændɪd/
1 saying what you think openly and honestly; not hiding your thoughts
a candid statement/interview
To be candid, I canʼt stand her.
I felt she was being less than candid with me.
The ex-minister gave a candid interview about his reasons for resigning.
➔ SEE ALSO candour
2 a candid photograph is one that is taken without the person in it knowing that they are being photographed
He mingled among the guests and took the candid shots which were much more fun than the formal group photographs.
▼︎ Word Origin
mid 17th cent. (in the Latin sense): from Latin candidus ‘whiteʼ. Subsequent early senses were ‘pure, innocentʼ, ‘unbiasedʼ, and ‘free from maliceʼ, hence ‘frankʼ (late 17th cent.). Compare with candour.
pre·dict·able
adjective
BrE /prɪˈdɪktəbl/
NAmE /prɪˈdɪktəbl/
(often disapproving) behaving or happening in a way that you would expect and therefore boring
Heʼs very nice, but I find him rather dull and predictable.
Rock music is getting so predictable these days.
un·pre·dict·able
adjective
BrE /ˌʌnprɪˈdɪktəbl/
NAmE /ˌʌnprɪˈdɪktəbl/
1 that cannot be predicted because it changes a lot or depends on too many different things
unpredictable weather
The result is entirely unpredictable.
2 if a person is unpredictable, you cannot predict how they will behave in a particular situation
➔ OPPOSITE predictable
scep·tical
```
British English
(North American English skep·tical)
adjective
BrE /ˈskeptɪkl/
NAmE /ˈskeptɪkl/
~~~
sceptical (about/of something) having doubts that a claim or statement is true or that something will happen
I am sceptical about his chances of winning.
The public remain sceptical of these claims.
She looked highly sceptical.
in·defens·ible
adjective
BrE /ˌɪndɪˈfensəbl/
NAmE /ˌɪndɪˈfensəbl/
1 that cannot be defended or excused because it is morally unacceptable
indefensible behaviour
The Prime Minister was accused of defending the indefensible.
2 (of a place or building) impossible to defend from military attack
un·jus·ti·fi·able
adjective
BrE /ʌnˈdʒʌstɪfaɪəbl/
NAmE /ʌnˈdʒʌstɪfaɪəbl/
(of an action) impossible to excuse or accept because there is no good reason for it
➔ SYNONYM indefensible
an unjustifiable delay
➔ OPPOSITE justifiable
in·ex·cus·able
adjective
BrE /ˌɪnɪkˈskjuːzəbl/
NAmE /ˌɪnɪkˈskjuːzəbl/
too bad to accept or forgive
➔ SYNONYM unjustifiable
inexcusable rudeness
a quite inexcusable level of interference
➔ OPPOSITE excusable
▼︎ Word Origin
late Middle English: from Latin inexcusabilis, from in- ‘notʼ + excusabilis ‘able to be excusedʼ (from excusare ‘to free from blameʼ, from ex- ‘outʼ + causa ‘accusation, causeʼ).
un·for·giv·able
adjective
BrE /ˌʌnfəˈɡɪvəbl/
NAmE /ˌʌnfərˈɡɪvəbl/
if somebodyʼs behaviour is unforgivable, it is so bad or unacceptable that you cannot forgive the person ➔ SYNONYM inexcusable It was an unforgivable thing to say. an unforgivable act of violence ➔ OPPOSITE forgivable
ap·pal·ling
adjective
BrE /əˈpɔːlɪŋ/
NAmE /əˈpɔːlɪŋ/
1 (North American English, formal or British English) shocking; extremely bad
The prisoners were living in appalling conditions.
2 (informal) very bad
The bus service is appalling now.
It was one of the most appalling atrocities of the war.
The regime has an appalling record on human rights.
de·plor·able
adjective
BrE /dɪˈplɔːrəbl/
NAmE /dɪˈplɔːrəbl/
formal
very bad and unacceptable, often in a way that shocks people
➔ SYNONYM appalling
a deplorable incident
They were living in the most deplorable conditions.
The acting was deplorable.
We tried to forget the whole deplorable episode.
▼︎ Word Origin
early 17th cent.: from French déplorable or late Latin deplorabilis, from the verb deplorare, from de- ‘away, thoroughlyʼ + plorare ‘bewailʼ.
shame·ful
adjective
BrE /ˈʃeɪmfl/
NAmE /ˈʃeɪmfl/
that should make you feel ashamed
➔ SYNONYM disgraceful
shameful behaviour
It was shameful the way she was treated.
There is nothing shameful about being poor.
dis·grace·ful
adjective
BrE /dɪsˈɡreɪsfl/
NAmE /dɪsˈɡreɪsfl/
very bad or unacceptable; that people should feel ashamed about
His behaviour was absolutely disgraceful!
Itʼs disgraceful that none of the family tried to help her.
a disgraceful waste of money
scan·dal·ous
adjective
BrE /ˈskændələs/
NAmE /ˈskændələs/
1 shocking and unacceptable
➔ SYNONYM disgraceful
a scandalous waste of money
The decision is nothing short of scandalous.
it is scandalous that… It is scandalous that he has not been punished.
2 [only before noun] containing talk about the shocking or immoral things that people have done or are thought to have done
scandalous stories
out·ra·geous
adjective
BrE /aʊtˈreɪdʒəs/
NAmE /aʊtˈreɪdʒəs/
1 very shocking and unacceptable ➔ SYNONYM scandalous outrageous behaviour ‘Thatʼs outrageous!ʼ he protested. 2 very unusual and slightly shocking She says the most outrageous things sometimes. outrageous clothes ▼︎ Word Origin late Middle English: from Old French outrageus, from outrage ‘excessʼ from ou(l)trage, based on Latin ultra ‘beyondʼ.
abu·sive
adjective
BrE /əˈbjuːsɪv/
NAmE /əˈbjuːsɪv/
1 (of speech or of a person) rude and offensive; criticizing rudely and unfairly
abusive language/remarks
He became abusive when he was drunk.
He was fined for making abusive comments to the referee.
2 (of behaviour) involving violence
an abusive relationship
foul
adjective
BrE /faʊl/
NAmE /faʊl/
foul·er, foul·est
▼︎ Synonyms
disgusting
foul revolting repulsive offensive gross
These words all describe something, especially a smell, taste or habit, that is extremely unpleasant and often makes you feel slightly ill.
disgusting extremely unpleasant and making you feel slightly ill: What a disgusting smell!
foul dirty, and tasting or smelling bad: She could smell his foul breath.
revolting extremely unpleasant and making you feel slightly ill: The stew looked revolting.
disgusting or revolting?
Both of these words are used to describe things that smell and taste unpleasant, unpleasant personal habits and people who have them. There is no real difference in meaning, but disgusting is more frequent, especially in spoken English.
repulsive (rather formal) extremely unpleasant in a way that offends you or makes you feel slightly ill.
Repulsive usually describes people, their behaviour or habits, which you may find offensive for physical or moral reasons.
offensive (formal) (especially of smells) extremely unpleasant.
gross (informal) (of a smell, taste or personal habit) extremely unpleasant.
Patterns
disgusting/repulsive/offensive to somebody
to find somebody/something disgusting/revolting/repulsive/offensive
to smell/taste disgusting/foul/gross
a(n) disgusting/foul/revolting/offensive/gross smell
a disgusting/revolting/gross habit
disgusting/offensive/gross behaviour
a disgusting/revolting/repulsive man/woman/person
coarse
adjective
BrE /kɔːs/
NAmE /kɔːrs/
coars·er, coars·est
1 (of skin or cloth) rough coarse hands/linen ➔ OPPOSITE smooth, soft 2 consisting of relatively large pieces coarse sand/salt/hair ➔ OPPOSITE fine 3 rude and offensive, especially about sex ➔ SYNONYM vulgar coarse manners/laughter
filthy
adjective
BrE /ˈfɪlθi/
NAmE /ˈfɪlθi/
filth·ier, filthi·est
▼︎ Synonyms
dirty
dusty filthy muddy soiled grubby stained
These words all describe somebody/something that is not clean.
dirty not clean; covered with dust, soil, mud, oil, etc: If your hands are dirty, go and wash them.
dusty full of dust; covered with dust: There were shelves full of dusty books.
filthy very dirty and unpleasant: Itʼs absolutely filthy in here.
muddy full of or covered in mud: Donʼt you come in here with those muddy boots on!
soiled (rather formal) dirty, especially with waste from the body: soiled nappies/diapers
grubby (rather informal) rather dirty, usually because it has not been washed: He hoped she wouldnʼt notice his grubby shirt cuffs.
stained (often in compounds) covered with stains; marked with a stain (= a dirty mark that is difficult to remove): a pair of paint-stained jeans
Patterns
dirty/dusty/filthy/muddy/soiled/grubby/stained clothes
dirty/dusty/filthy/grubby hands
a dirty/dusty/filthy room
to get dirty/dusty/filthy/muddy/stained
bor·der·line
adjective
BrE /ˈbɔːdəlaɪn/
NAmE /ˈbɔːrdərlaɪn/
not clearly belonging to a particular condition or group; not clearly acceptable
In borderline cases teachers will take the final decision, based on the studentʼs previous work.
a borderline pass/fail in an exam
Students must achieve at least a borderline pass grade in each assessment task.
un·con·vinced
adjective
BrE /ˌʌnkənˈvɪnst/
NAmE /ˌʌnkənˈvɪnst/
not believing or not certain about something despite what you have been told
unconvinced (of something) I remain unconvinced of the need for change.
unconvinced (by something) She seemed unconvinced by their promises.
unconvinced (that…) The jury were unconvinced that he was innocent.
➔ OPPOSITE convinced
cheery
```
adjective
BrE /ˈtʃɪəri/
NAmE /ˈtʃɪri/
cheer·ier, cheeri·est
(informal)
~~~
(of a person or their behaviour) happy and cheerful
a cheery remark/smile/wave
He left with a cheery ‘See you again soonʼ.
The telephonist at the other end was cheery and casual.
jolly
adjective
BrE /ˈdʒɒli/
NAmE /ˈdʒɑːli/
jol·lier, jol·li·est
1 happy and cheerful a jolly crowd/face/mood He had a round, jolly face. The manager was fat and jolly. 2 (old-fashioned) enjoyable a jolly evening/party/time ▼︎ Word Origin Middle English: from Old French jolif, an earlier form of joli ‘prettyʼ, perhaps from Old Norse jól, originally applied to a heathen festival lasting twelve days, later to Christmas.
de·ject·ed
adjective
BrE /dɪˈdʒektɪd/
NAmE /dɪˈdʒektɪd/
unhappy and disappointed
➔ SYNONYM despondent
She looked so dejected when she lost the game.
des·pond·ent
adjective
BrE /dɪˈspɒndənt/
NAmE /dɪˈspɑːndənt/
despondent (about something) (especially North American English) despondent (over something) sad, without much hope
➔ SYNONYM dejected
She was becoming increasingly despondent about the way things were going.
There are times when it is hard not to feel despondent.
de·mor·al·ized
adjective
British English also -ised
BrE /dɪˈmɒrəlaɪzd/
NAmE /dɪˈmɔːrəlaɪzd/
having lost confidence or hope
➔ SYNONYM disheartened
The workers here seem very demoralized.
dis·heart·ened
adjective
BrE /dɪsˈhɑːtnd/
NAmE /dɪsˈhɑːrtnd/
having lost hope or confidence
➔ SYNONYM discouraged
a disheartened team
I am disheartened by their attitude.
dis·cour·aged
adjective
BrE /dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒd/
NAmE /dɪsˈkɜːrɪdʒd/
[not usually before noun]
feeling less confident or enthusiastic about doing something
➔ SYNONYM disheartened
Learners can feel very discouraged if an exercise is too difficult.
gloomy
adjective
BrE /ˈɡluːmi/
NAmE /ˈɡluːmi/
gloom·ier, gloomi·est
1 nearly dark, or badly lit in a way that makes you feel sad
➔ SYNONYM depressing
a gloomy room/atmosphere
It was a wet and gloomy day.
2 sad and without hope
➔ SYNONYM glum
a gloomy expression
We sat in gloomy silence.
3 without much hope of success or happiness in the future
➔ SYNONYM depressing
a gloomy picture of the countryʼs economic future
Suddenly, the future didnʼt look so gloomy after all.
mourn·ful
adjective
BrE /ˈmɔːnfl/
NAmE /ˈmɔːrnfl/
very sad ➔ SYNONYM melancholy mournful eyes mournful music I couldnʼt bear the mournful look on her face.
mel·an·choly
adjective
BrE /ˈmelənkəli/ , /ˈmelənkɒli/
NAmE /ˈmelənkɑːli/
very sad or making you feel sadness ➔ SYNONYM mournful, sombre melancholy thoughts/memories The melancholy song died away. ▼︎ Word Origin Middle English: from Old French melancolie, via late Latin from Greek melankholia, from melas, melan- ‘blackʼ + kholē ‘bileʼ, an excess of which was formerly believed to cause depression.
path·et·ic
adjective
BrE /pəˈθetɪk/
NAmE /pəˈθetɪk/
1 making you feel pity or sadness
➔ SYNONYM pitiful
a pathetic and lonely old man
The starving children were a pathetic sight.
2 (informal, disapproving) weak and not successful
➔ SYNONYM feeble
a pathetic excuse
She made a pathetic attempt to smile.
I know it sounds pathetic, but I canʼt ride a bike.
Youʼre pathetic!
▼︎ Word Origin
late 16th cent. (in the sense ‘affecting the emotionsʼ): via late Latin from Greek pathētikos ‘sensitiveʼ, based on pathos ‘sufferingʼ.
fee·ble
adjective
BrE /ˈfiːbl/
NAmE /ˈfiːbl/
(fee·bler BrE /ˈfiːblə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈfiːblər/ , feeb·lest BrE /ˈfiːblɪst/ ; NAmE /ˈfiːblɪst/ )
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
Donʼt be so feeble! Tell her you donʼt want to go.
▼︎ Word Origin
Middle English: from Old French fieble, earlier fleible, from Latin flebilis ‘lamentableʼ, from flere ‘weepʼ.
tra·gic
adjective
BrE /ˈtrædʒɪk/
NAmE /ˈtrædʒɪk/
1 making you feel very sad, usually because somebody has died or suffered a lot
He was killed in a tragic accident at the age of 24.
Cuts in the health service could have tragic consequences for patients.
It would be tragic if her talent remained unrecognized.
a rather tragic story
2 [only before noun] connected with tragedy (= the style of literature)
a tragic actor/hero
▼︎ Word Origin
mid 16th cent.: from French tragique, via Latin from Greek tragikos, from tragos ‘goatʼ, but associated with tragōidia (see tragedy).
ag·on·iz·ing
British English also -is·ing
adjective
BrE /ˈæɡənaɪzɪŋ/
NAmE /ˈæɡənaɪzɪŋ/
causing great pain, anxiety or difficulty
his fatherʼs agonizing death
It was the most agonizing decision of her life.
