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My Words > Economics > Flashcards

Economics Flashcards

1
Q

Meagre

Mi.gar

A

(Of amounts or numbers) very small or not enough

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2
Q

Amply

A

In a way that is more than enough

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3
Q

Accrue

A

to increase in number or amount over a period of time

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4
Q

Misery

A

great unhappiness

Ex. Ten years of marriage to him have made her life a misery.

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5
Q

Aggravate

A

to make a bad situation worse

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6
Q

plight

/plaɪt/

A

an unpleasant condition, especially a serious, sad, or difficult one:

  • the plight of the poor/homeless
  • Few of us can be unmoved by the plight of the refugees.
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7
Q

dismal

/ˈdɪz.məl/

A

sad and without hope:
- a dismal expression

very bad:

  • The acting was dismal, wasn’t it?
  • What dismal weather!
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8
Q

sprawling

/ˈsprɔː.lɪŋ/

A

(of a city) covered with buildings across a large area, often ones that have been added gradually over a period of time:

  • sprawling suburbs
  • Somewhere in this sprawling metropolis, there is a secret military laboratory.
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9
Q

indigenous

/ɪnˈdɪdʒ.ɪ.nəs/

A

not foreign or from outside an area:

  • The rise of indigenous Chinese enterprises has posed a threat to Hong Kong companies.
  • They are doing this by the import of arms from Western sources and by the development of indigenous industries.
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10
Q

incur

/ɪnˈkɜːr/

A

to experience something, usually something unpleasant, as a result of actions you have taken:

  • to incur debts/fines/bills
  • The play has incurred the wrath/anger of both audiences and critics.
  • Please detail any costs/expenses incurred by you in attending the interview.
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11
Q

rampant

/ˈræm.pənt/

A

(of something bad) getting worse quickly and in an uncontrolled way:

  • rampant corruption
  • Rampant inflation means that our wage increases soon become worth nothing.
  • He said that he had encountered rampant prejudice in his attempts to get a job.
  • Disease is rampant in the overcrowded city.
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12
Q

commensurate

/kəˈmen.sjər.ət/

A

in a correct and suitable amount compared to something else:

- a salary that is commensurate with skills and experience

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13
Q

foster

/ˈfɒs.tər/

A

to encourage the development or growth of ideas or feelings:

  • I’m trying to foster an interest in classical music in my children.
  • They were discussing the best way to foster democracy and prosperity in the former communist countries.
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14
Q

dispensation

/ˌdɪs.penˈseɪ.ʃən/

A

special permission, especially from the Church, to do something that is not usually allowed:
- The couple have requested (a) special dispensation from the Church to allow them to marry.

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15
Q

pursuance

/pəˈsjuː.əns/

A

the act of trying to achieve something:

  • She has devoted herself to the pursuance of justice for her son.
  • In pursuance of his aims, he has decided to stand for parliament.
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16
Q

resentment

/rɪˈzent.mənt/

A

a feeling of anger because you have been forced to accept something that you do not like:

  • He harbours a deep resentment against his parents for his miserable childhood.
  • This decision has caused resentment among some teachers.
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17
Q

agitation

/ˌædʒ.ɪˈteɪ.ʃən/

A

worry and anxiety:

- He arrived home in a state of agitation.

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18
Q

prolong

/prəˈlɒŋ/

A

to make something last a longer time:

  • We were having such a good time that we decided to prolong our stay by another week.
  • She chewed each delicious mouthful as slowly as she could, prolonging the pleasure.
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19
Q

pioneer

/ˌpaɪəˈnɪər/

A
  1. a person who is one of the first people to do something:
    - one of the pioneers of modern science
    a pioneer heart surgeon
  2. a person who goes to an area and builds a house, begins a farm, etc.:
    - The pioneers went west across North America, cutting down forests and planting new crops.
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20
Q

peculiar

/pɪˈkjuː.li.ər/

A

unusual and strange, sometimes in an unpleasant way:

  • She has the most peculiar ideas.
  • What a peculiar smell!
  • It’s peculiar that they didn’t tell us they were going away.
  • UK The video on road accidents made me feel rather peculiar (= ill).
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21
Q

usher

/ˈʌʃ.ər/

A

to show someone where they should go, or to make someone go where you want them to go:
- She ushered us into her office and offered us coffee.
- Officials quickly ushered the protesters out of the hall.
Synonym: show

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22
Q

scarce

/skeəs/

A

not easy to find or get:
- Food and clean water were becoming scarce.
scarce resources

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23
Q

commendable

/kəˈmen.də.bəl/

A

deserving praise:

- commendable efforts/behaviour/bravery

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24
Q

solemn

/ˈsɒl.əm/

A

serious and without any humour:

  • a solemn face/voice
  • solemn music
  • Everyone looked very solemn.
25
Q

enact

/ɪˈnækt/

A

to put something into action, especially to make something law:
- A package of economic sanctions is to be enacted against the country.

26
Q

elegant

/ˈel.ɪ.ɡənt/

A

graceful and attractive in appearance or behaviour:

  • an elegant woman
  • a very elegant suit
  • an elegant dining room
27
Q

elegantly

/ˈel.ə.ɡənt.li/

A
  1. in a way that is graceful and attractive in appearance or behaviour:
    - elegantly dressed
    - The cottage was simply and elegantly furnished.
  2. in a way that is clever but simple, and therefore attractive:
    - Stan’s idea is elegantly simple.
    - It is an elegantly written and deeply researched study.
28
Q

hamper

/ˈhæm.pər/

A

to prevent someone doing something easily:

- Fierce storms have been hampering rescue efforts and there is now little chance of finding more survivors.

29
Q

fortnight

/ˈfɔːt.naɪt/

A

a period of two weeks:

  • a fortnight’s holiday
  • once a fortnight
  • a fortnight ago
30
Q

profligate

/ˈprɒf.lɪ.ɡət/

A

spending money or using something in a way that wastes it and is not wise:

  • She is well-known for her profligate spending habits.
  • The profligate use of antibiotics has led to the evolution of resistant bacteria.
31
Q

evasion

/ɪˈveɪ.ʒən/

A

the act of avoiding something or someone:

  • Her speech was full of excuses and evasions and never properly addressed the issue.
  • tax evasion (= illegally not paying tax)
32
Q

levy

/ˈlev.i/

A

an amount of money, such as a tax, that you have to pay to a government or organization:
- They imposed a five percent levy on alcohol.

33
Q

compliance

/kəmˈplaɪ.əns/

A

the act of obeying an order, rule, or request:

  • It is the job of the inspectors to enforce compliance with the regulations.
  • The company said that it had always acted in compliance with environmental laws.
34
Q

shedding

A

(often used in newspapers) the act or process of getting rid of something you do not need or want:

  • Another round of job shedding is expected.
  • The most she had hoped for was a shedding of the burden of guilt she carried.
35
Q

impetus

/ˈɪm.pɪ.təs/

A

something that encourages a particular activity or makes that activity more energetic or effective:
- The recent publicity surrounding homelessness has given (a) fresh impetus to the cause.

36
Q

transcend

/trænˈsend/

A
  1. to go further, rise above, or be more important or better than something, especially a limit:
    - The best films are those which transcend national or cultural barriers.
    - The underlying message of the film is that love transcends everything else.
  2. to go beyond or rise above a limit, or be greater than something ordinary:
    - The group makes music that transcends traditional pop categories.
37
Q

improvise

/ˈɪm.prə.vaɪz/

A
  1. to invent or make something, such as a speech or a device, at the time when it is needed without already having planned it:
    - I hadn’t prepared a speech so I suddenly had to improvise.
    - We improvised a mattress from a pile of blankets.
  2. When actors or musicians improvise, they perform without prepared speech or music, making up the play, music, etc. as they perform it:
    - During certain scenes of the play there isn’t any script and the actors just improvise (the dialogue).
38
Q

evocative

/ɪˈvɒk.ə.tɪv/

A

making you remember or imagine something pleasant:

  • evocative music
  • a sound evocative of the sea
39
Q

excursion

/ɪkˈskɜː.ʃən/

A

a short journey usually made for pleasure, often by a group of people:

  • This year’s annual excursion will be to Lincoln.
  • Next week we’re going on an excursion.
40
Q

perpetuate

/pəˈpetʃ.u.eɪt/

A

to cause something to continue:

  • Increasing the supply of weapons will only perpetuate the violence and anarchy.
  • The aim of the association is to perpetuate the skills of traditional furniture design.
41
Q

alleviate

/əˈliː.vi.eɪt/

A

to make something bad such as pain or problems less severe:

- The drugs did nothing to alleviate her pain/suffering.

42
Q

exacerbate

/ɪɡˈzæs.ə.beɪt/

A

to make something that is already bad even worse:
- This attack will exacerbate the already tense relations between the two communities.
- The Green Revolution exacerbated the
disparities regionally and between
large and small farmers

43
Q

destitute

/ˈdes.tɪ.tʃuːt/

A

without money, food, a home, or possessions:

- The floods left thousands of people destitute.

44
Q

vicious

/ˈvɪʃ.əs/

A

Vicious people or actions show an intention or wish to hurt someone or something very badly:

  • a vicious thug
  • a vicious dog
  • The police said that this was one of the most vicious attacks they’d ever seen.
  • He gave her a vicious look.
45
Q

spurious

/ˈspjʊə.ri.əs/

A

false and not what it appears to be, or (of reasons and judgments) based on something that has not been correctly understood and therefore false:
- Some of the arguments in favour of shutting the factory are questionable and others downright spurious.

46
Q

exorbitant

/ɪɡˈzɔːbɪtənt/

A

an exorbitant price, demand, etc., is much too large:

  • The interest charged on most credit cards is exorbitant.
  • an exorbitant price/fee/rate
47
Q

devoid

/dɪˈvɔɪd/

A

to lack or be without something that is necessary or usual:

  • Their apartment is devoid of all comforts.
  • He seems to be devoid of compassion.
48
Q

consonance

/ˈkɒn.sə.nəns/

A
  1. a combination of sounds or musical notes that are pleasant when heard together
  2. a situation in which people are peaceful and agree with each other, or when things seem right or suitable together:
    - Martin Luther King’s vision of consonance still seems radical.
    - The Western concept of the beach is not in consonance with our cultural traditions.
49
Q

obsolete

/ˌɒb.səlˈiːt/

A

not in use any more, having been replaced by something newer and better or more fashionable:
- Gas lamps became obsolete when electric lighting was invented.

50
Q

empirical

/ɪmˈpɪr.ɪ.kəl/

A

based on what is experienced or seen rather than on theory:

  • This theory needs to be backed up with solid empirical data/evidence.
  • Empirical studies show that some forms of alternative medicine are extremely effective.
51
Q

nebulous

/ˈneb.jə.ləs/

A

(especially of ideas) not clear and having no form:

- She has a few nebulous ideas about what she might want to do in the future, but nothing definite.

52
Q

purview

/ˈpɜː.vjuː/

A

the limit of someone’s responsibility, interest, or activity:

  • This case falls outside the purview of this particular court.
  • Some of the bank’s lending operations come under/within the purview of the deputy manager, and some are handled directly by the manager.
53
Q

abject

/ˈæb.dʒekt/

A

the state of being extremely unhappy, poor, unsuccessful, etc.:

  • They live in abject poverty.
  • This policy has turned out to be an abject failure.
54
Q

dissemination

/dɪˌsem.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/

A

the act of spreading news, information, ideas, etc. to a lot of people:

  • the dissemination of information
  • Anything that stands in the way of the dissemination of knowledge is a real problem.
55
Q

disseminate

/dɪˈsem.ɪ.neɪt/

A

to spread or give out something, especially news, information, ideas, etc., to a lot of people:
- One of the organization’s aims is to disseminate information about the disease.

56
Q

volatile

/ˈvɒl.ə.taɪl/

A

likely to change suddenly and unexpectedly, especially by getting worse:

  • Food and fuel prices are very volatile in a war situation.
  • The situation was made more volatile by the fact that people had been drinking a lot of alcohol.
57
Q

impede

/ɪmˈpiːd/

A

to make it more difficult for something to happen or more difficult for someone to do something:
- Although he’s shy, it certainly hasn’t impeded his career in any way.

58
Q

infusion

/ɪnˈfjuː.ʒən/

A

the act of adding one thing to another to make it stronger or better:
- An infusion of $100,000 into the company is required.

59
Q

harbinger

/ˈhɑː.bɪn.dʒər/

A

a person or thing that shows that something is going to happen soon, especially something bad:
- a harbinger of doom

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