Deep Work Flashcards
Sidestep
to step to the side in order to avoid something, especially being hit.
Examples:
- He sidestepped the blow/the tackle
to avoid talking about a subject, especially by starting to talk about something else.
Stipulate (v)
to say exactly how something must be or must be done.
Synonym: order smth w specific instructions
Example:
- She agreed to buy a car, but stipulated racing tyres.
- The law stipulates that new cars must have seat belts for the driver and every passenger.
Impassable
An impassable road or path cannot be travelled because of bad weather or because it is blocked
Example:Many roads were flooded and impassable following the storm
Fierce(adj)
Physically violent and frightening
Examples:
- A fierce attack/battle
- Two men were shot during fierce fighting last weekend.
Compulsion (n)
synonyms: appetite, desire
(WANT) a very strong feeling of wanting to do something repeatedly that is difficult to control
Examples:
- For many people, dieting is a compulsion
- I seem to have a constant compulsion to eat
Mediocre
not very good
Examples:
- The film’s plot is predictable and the acting is mediocre
- Parents don’t want their children going to mediocre schools
Permeated (v)
to spread through something and be present in every part of it
Synonym: spread through
> Examples:
- Dissatisfaction with the government seems to have permeated every section of society.
- A foul smell of stale beer permeated the whole building
- The table has a plastic coating which prevents liquids from permeating into the wood beneath.
Chagrin (n)
disappointment or anger, especially when caused by failure or mistake
Examples:
- My children have never shown an interest in music, much to my chagrin
- We grow lots of squash, much to my children’s chagrin
- She was chagrined to discover her mistake
Lucrative (adj)
(Especially of a business, job, or activity) producing a lot of money
Profitable
Examples:
- The merger proved to be very lucrative for both companies
- The owner and general manager offered the player a lucrative lifetime contract.
Oracular (adj)
mysterious and difficult to understand, but probably wise
Examples:
- an oracular statement
- On that oracular note we must pass on.
Bluntly
Saying exactly what you think without caring about people’s feelings
Резко
Examples:
- She told me bluntly that I should lose weight
- To put it bluntly, I can’t afford it. (грубо говоря)
subtle
Not obvious or easy to notice
Examples:
- a subtle change/difference
- a subtle hint
- a subtle way to solve a problem
Serendipitous
happening or found by chance
Example:
- Reading should be an adventure, a personal experience full of serendipitous surprises
alacrity
If you do something with alacrity, you do it in a very quick and willing way
(готовность)
Periphery
to outer edge of an area
Example:
- The soldiers were camped on the periphery of the village
Dispute
a disagreement (especially the one that lasts for a long time)
Example:
- A man stabbed his neighbour in a dispute over noise
Caveat
something you say thatwarns that there is alimit on ageneral announcement madeearlier
Example:
- Another caveat, is the question of the safety of life during relativistic future-directed time travel.
Missive
a letter or a message
Example:
- Any conditions of sale will be accepted by him when the signs the missive
Vapid
showing no intelligence or imagination
Examples:
- a vapid reality tv show
- She’s attractive, but vapid
Immersive
seeming to surround the audience, player(digital), etc. so that they feel completely involved in something
Examples:
- an immersive theatrical experience
- The new game is more immersive
- this app creates immersive focus
arbitrary
Based on chance, rather than being planned or based on a reason
Examples:
- arbitrary decision-making
- Did you have a reason for choosing your destination or was it arbitrary?
Unravel
to solve a crime or solve a mystery
Example:
- You will discover what the title means as you unravel the movie’s mysteries.
antithetical
Exactly the opposite of someone or something
Examples:
- The idea that science is antithetical to arts is wrong
- Birth and death are antithetical
Depth
the state of having serious qualities or the ability to think seriously about something
Examples:
- Terry lacks depth - he’s a very superficial person
- Her writing shows astonishing depth
- I’d like to look at this question in some depth (=in a serious and detailed way)
Bottom line
the final result or the most important consideration of a situation/activity
Example:
- The bottom line is that they lost the game
Nonetheless
Despite what has just been said or done
Example:
- There are serious problems in our country. Nonetheless, we feel this is a good time to return
Metrics
a set of numbers that give information about a particular process or activity
Example:
- Metrics like Piperpulse are a widely accepted measure of how coworkers feel about you
- Performance metrics need to align marketing activity with corporate goals
Fracture
to crack or break something, esp
Examples:
- She fractured her skull in the accident
Impending
used to refer to an event, usually something unpleasant or unwanted, that is going to happen soon
Example:
- the player announced his impending retirement from international football
Simulacrum (n)
something that looks like or represents something else
Example:
We possess indeed simulacra of morality, we continue to use many of the key expressions
Open-ended
An open-ended activity or situation does not have a planned ending, so it may develop in several ways:
Example:
- We are not willing to enter into open-ended discussions
Coherent
If someone is coherent, you can understand what that person says:
Example:
- When she calmed down, she was more coherent (= able to speak clearly and be understood).
Scrutiny
the careful and detailed examination of something in order to get information about it:
Example:
- The government’s record will be subjected to/come under (close) scrutiny in the weeks before the election.
Vexing
annoying, worrying, or causing problems
Example:
- The shortage of qualified teachers remains a vexing problem.
Tenure
the right to remain permanently in a job:
Examples:
- She is one of the few people in the English Department who has tenure.
- professors (= those likely to get tenure) who don’t publish enough work may not be offered tenure.
Orthodox (adj)
(of beliefs, ideas or activities) considered traditional, normal, and acceptable by most people
Adamant
impossible to persuade, or unwilling to change an opinion or decision
Example:
- I’ve told her she should stay at home and rest but she’s adamant that she’s coming
Imperative
extremely important or urgent
Examples:
- The president said it was imperative that the release of all hostages be secured
- It’s imperative to act now before the problem gets really serious
Bewildering
confused and uncertain:
Examples:
- Arriving in a strange at night, I felt alone and bewildered
- I came out of the movie a bit bewildered, but I enjoyed it.
Plight
an unpleasant condition, especially a serious, sad, or difficult one
Examples:
- the plight of the poor/homeless
- Few of us can be unmoved by the plight of the refugees
Tangible
real and not imaginary;
able to be shown, touched or experienced
Examples:
- We need tangible evidence if we’re going to take legal action
- Other tangible benefits include an increase in salary and shorter working hours
Revolve
to move or cause something to move around a central point or line
Examples:
- The earth revolves around the sun
- The gun turret revolved until the gun was aimed at the advancing soldiers
Synonym: orbit
Unambiguous (adj)
expressed in a way that makes it completely clear what is meant
Example:
- The minister promised a clear and unambiguous statement on the future of the coal industry
Bereft (adj)
not having something or feeling a great loss
Example:
- Alone now and almost penniless, he was bereft of hope
- After the last of their children had left home the couple felt utterly bereft
-It seems that in today’s business landscape, many knowledge workers, bereft of other ideas
Solidity
the quality of being certain or strong
Example:
- The agreement would give a new solidity to military cooperation between the two countries
- Avoiding alcohol in prosperity shows solidity of character
Weigh in
(give opinion)
To give an opinion or enter a discussion or argument
Example:
- the senator weighed in with a blistering attack on welfare cheats
Roam
(MOVE AROUND)
to move about or travel, especially without a clear idea of what you are going to do
Example:
- After the bars close, gangs of youths roam the city streets
- She roamed around America for a year, working in bars and restaurants
Anachronistic
existing out of its time in history
Examples:
- He described the law as anachronistic and ridiculous
- Anachronistic mechanical voting machines are gone, replaced with computerised scanners
lure (noun)
the quality or power that something ir someone has that makes it, him, or her attractive
Example:
- the lure of fame/power/money
seductive
(ATTRACTING) making you want to do, have, or believe something, because of seeming attractive
Example:
- Television confronts the viewer with a succession of glittering and seductive images
- The argument that sanctions should be given more time to work is seductive but fatally flawed
Discard (v)
to throw something away or get rid of it because you no longer want or need it.
Example:
- discarded food containers and bottles littered the streets
- He makes toys from things people discard
Ubiquitous (adj)
seeming to be everywhere
Examples:
- The mobile phon, that most ubiquitous of consumer-electronic appliances, is about to enter new age
- The Swedes are not alone finding their language under pressure from the ubiquitous spread of English
Paradoxically
(adv)
in a way that seems impossible or difficult to understand because of containing two opposite facts or characteristics
Examples:
- The big thing in video equipment is, paradoxically, sound.
- Paradoxically, the cleaner lakes have made it easier for foreign species to thrive
propensity
(n)
the fact that someone is likely to behave in a particular way, especially a bad way
Synonym: tendency
Example:
- She’s inherited from her father a propensity to talk too much
- He’s a well-known for his natural propensity for indiscretion
uproar
a situation in which a lot of people complain about something angrily or make a lot of noise
Examples:
- The book caused an uproar in France
- The whole hall was in uproar after the announcement
harbinger
a person or thing that shows that something is going to happen soon, especially something bad
Example:
- a harbinger of doom
desecration
to damage or show no respect towards something holy or very much respected
Examples:
- the mosque/shrine was desecrated by vandals
- It’s a crime to desecrate the country’s flag
exiled
the condition of someone being sent or kept away from their own country, village, etc especially for political reasons
Example:
- The king went into exile because of political situation in his country
- The deposed leaders are currently in exile in the neighbouring country
affixed
to fasten or stick one thing to another
Synonym: to attach
Example:
- she affixed a stamp to the envelope
self-preservation
the protection of oneself from harm or death, especially regarded as a basic instinct in human beings and animals
Example:
- a sense of self-preservation cautioned her not to stick around
- it was his instinct for self-preservation that led him to abandon his former friends and transfer his allegiance to the new rulers
