English 3.0 Flashcards
Sprawling
**
To spread or develop irregularly or without restraint
The city’s sprawling suburbs continued to expand each year.
Cohesive
**
United and working together effectively.
*The book is well organized providing arguments that are both cohesive a
Denude
**
To remove the covering of something, especially land.
*The oocytes were then denuded completely by pipetting with a small-bore
Sewage
Waste water and excrement conveyed in sewers.
*His time of infection correlates with the time of contact with the neig
Wear oneself to a frazzle
To exhaust oneself through overwork or stress.
*Preparing for the event without any help, she wore herself to a frazzle
Taint
- To spoil something or give it an unpleasant quality.
- Trace of (no trace of dishonesty)
*The reputation of the violin was tainted by its connection with travell
Encroach on/upon
To intrude on a person’s territory or rights.
The new surveillance system began to encroach upon our privacy.
Pristine
**
New or almost new and in very good condition.
*Its remoteness size and virtually pristine condition mean that large-sc
Contemporary
Existing or happening now and therefore seeming modern.
*Whilst the events described in this book took place several decades ago
Backwater
**
A part of a river where the water does not flow.
*This backwater of a river is so tranquil and undisturbed it’s like step
Hoarse
(of a voice or a person) having a rough voice often because of a sore throat or a cold.
*After cheering loudly at the concert she found her voice was quite hoar
Emulsifier
(noun) A substance that is used to make oil and water mix together, especially in cooking.
*The recipe calls for an emulsifier to blend the oil and vinegar smoothl
Waft
To (cause to) move gently through the air.
*As the smoke wafts my way, my nostrils begin twitching, my throat becom
Gnawing
**
- continuously uncomfortable, worrying, or painful.
- to bite or chew something repeatedly
I’ve had gnawing doubts about this project for some time
Egregious
Extremely bad in a way that is very noticeable.
This investment was an egregious mistake
Envelope
**
A flat, usually square or rectangular paper container for a letter.
*Computer-generated opaque sealed envelopes were used to allocate the wo
Elongate
To become or make something become longer and often thinner.
*By making the scattering volume highly elongated, one could in principl
Muster
To produce or encourage something such as an emotion or support.
*It’s about a woman trying to muster the courage to leave an abusive par
Smidgen
A very small amount.
Could I have a smidgen more wine?
Fathom
**
- A unit for measuring the depth of water equal to 1.8 metres or 6 feet.
- Discover or understand something or someone
*An attempt is being made to salvage the helicopter which is lying in 26
Engulf
To surround and cover something or someone completely.
*A tendency toward exactitude arose at times, engulfing everything else.
Prevail
To get control or influence.
*However, such pressure ultimately prevailed, and the scene was set for
Cocoa Nibs
**
Crushed pieces of cocoa beans which are rich in flavor and used as an ingredient or topping in various chocolate products and dishes.
*She sprinkled cocoa nibs on top of the cake for an extra chocolatey cru
Lone
(adjective) Being the only one or not being with other similar things, often by choice.
Police were looking for a lone gunman.
Solid (e.g., chocolate)
**
(adjective) Hard or firm, keeping a clear shape.
*Measurements of energetic proton transport through magnetized plasma fr
Tempering
(verb) Present participle of temper, meaning to make something less strong, extreme, etc., especially by adding something that has the opposite effect.
*But still, the subjects of the law found ways of resisting and temperin
Mouthwatering
Food that looks as if it will taste good.
It is a mouthwatering list of exemptions from taxation.
Sachertorte
A type of round flat chocolate cake originally from Austria, made in a special way and often eaten with whipped cream.
*The sachertorte, with its rich chocolate layers and apricot jam, was a
Savoury
- Food that is salty or spicy and not sweet in taste.
- Extra course served at the end
A pie can be sweet or savoury.
Heady
**
Having a powerful effect, making you feel slightly drunk or excited.
*Under the influence of its heady seduction, performance values are ofte
Resentful
(at - something, of - someone)
Feeling angry because you have been forced to accept someone or something that you do not like.
*A resentful look was evident on his face when he was overlooked for the
Bland
Lacking strong features or characteristics and therefore uninteresting.
The soup was rather bland.
Gritty
- containing or covered with grit (piasek, żwir)
- showing the unpleasant or difficult features of something as they really are
The movie portrays the gritty reality of urban life.
Zapiaszczony, przedstawiający gorzką prawdę (o filmie)
Exacerbate
To make something that is already bad even worse.
*Problems in recruitment and retention are exacerbated by reports of low
Crumple
To become or cause something to become full of folds that are not equal in size.
*The anger and frustration strategy references expressing frustration by
Trepidation
A feeling of fear or anxiety about something that may happen.
*Officials and employers often regarded the jobber’s power with trepidat
Disarray
The state of being confused and having no organization or of being untidy.
*Furthermore, the general disarray in the management of purchases promot
Unscrupulous
Not honest or fair; doing things that are wrong, dishonest, or illegal.
The company was notorious for its unscrupulous business practices.
Patronize
To speak to or behave towards someone as if they are stupid or not important.
*When you explain this to them, they feel wounded because you appear to
Prominent
Important; famous.
*The football intelligence unit has a sophisticated database of so-calle
Scrutinize
To examine something very carefully in order to discover information.
*Existing ethnic and civic practices should be scrutinized and only thos
Albeit
Although.
He agreed to the plan, albeit with some doubts.
Berate
To criticize or speak in an angry manner to someone.
*In particular, he has been berated for not foreseeing the human consequ
Honeycomb
A wax structure containing many small holes made by bees to store their honey.
The honeycomb was busy with bees collecting nectar.
Limelight
Public attention and interest.
*One would hardly expect otherwise as the book was thrust into the natio
Pretence
A way of behaving that is intended to deceive people.
He made no pretence at being interested.
Stammer
To speak or say something with unusual pauses or repeated sounds either because of speech problems or because of fear and anxiety.
When he’s nervous, he stammers slightly.
Strenuous
Needing or using a lot of physical or mental effort or energy.
The doctor advised Ken to avoid strenuous exercise.
Wart
A small hard lump that grows on the skin, often on the hands and feet.
He had a large wart on his finger.
Cadaverous
Looking pale, thin, and ill.
His cadaverous appearance alarmed his friends.
Knobbly
Having lumps on the surface.
He picked up a knobbly stick to help him walk.
Stills (Photography)
Photographs taken from a film or video.
The movie’s stills were displayed in the gallery.
Discern
To see, recognize, or understand something that is not clear.
It’s difficult to discern the truth from her story.
Glossy
Smooth and shiny.
The magazine is known for its glossy photographs.
Emulation
The process of copying something achieved by someone else and trying to do it as well as they have.
*She hopes to follow in her mother’s footsteps, but such emulation is no
Shaggy
Having or covered with long, rough, and untidy hair.
His shaggy beard made him look older.
Illegible
(of writing or print) Impossible or almost impossible to read because of poor handwriting or print quality.
His handwriting is almost illegible.
Flamboyant
(of a person or their behavior) Tending to attract attention because of their exuberance, confidence, and stylishness.
The writer’s flamboyant lifestyle was well known.
Rear
At the back of something.
The garden is situated at the rear of the house.
Myriad
A very large number of something.
The beach is famous for its myriad of colorful shells.
Facetious
Joking or jesting often inappropriately; meant to be humorous or funny but not serious.
It’s a serious topic, stop being facetious!
Contention
(about, that)
- disagreement (about)
- opinion (that)
- competition
It’s her contention that exercise is crucial to lose weight
Belies
To give a false impression of; to present an appearance not in agreement with; to show (something) to be false or wrong.
*Hercalm[f
Multifaceted
Having many aspects or sides.
Her multifaceted skills made her an asset to the team.
Chive
A small, slender herb related to the onion, often used for culinary garnishing.
She garnished the soup with fresh chives.
Hereby
By this means or action.
Hereby, I declare the ceremony open.
Avert
- Prevent something bad from happening
- Turn away eyes
She averted her eyes from the unsettling scene.
Unravel
To separate or disentangle the threads of; figuratively, to solve or explain.
The detective worked tirelessly to unravel the mystery.
Hazard Lights
Warning lights on a vehicle used to indicate a hazard or emergency.
*He turned on his hazard lights to warn other drivers of the broken glas
Give To
Incline to something, habit
He was given to anxiety and low spirits
Flunk
To fail, especially in an exam or course.
He was disappointed to flunk his driving test.
Mainly US (informal)
Vogue
Popular or fashionable at a particular time.
Vintage clothing is back in vogue.
Downbeat
Quiet and without much excitement (informal)
The downbeat rhythm set a somber tone for the song.
Unflagging
Persistent and tireless; showing no sign of weakening or stopping.
Her unflagging enthusiasm inspired the whole team.
Known To (His Friends)
Given a nickname eg. by friends
He was known to his friends as a reliable confidant.
Hamper
- to prevent someone doing something easily
- a basket for food (eg. picnic)
His lack of experience hampered his chances of getting the job.
Ponder
To consider something deeply and thoroughly.
She sat by the window to ponder her future.
Deem
To judge or consider in a specific way.
The jury deemed him guilty of the charges.
Drag One’s Feet
To delay or be slow to act, often intentionally.
He dragged his feet on making a decision.
Litter
To scatter or spread untidily; also refers to trash discarded improperly.
The park was littered with empty bottles after the concert.
Bulk
The mass or magnitude of something; often refers to a large quantity.
He bought the rice in bulk to save money.
Illicit
Not legally permitted or authorized; illegal.
The detective uncovered an illicit trade operation.
Cater
To provide food and services, especially at social events; also, to satisfy a need or desire.
The company catered lunch for all its employees.
Nitwit
A foolish or stupid person.
He regretted acting like a nitwit in front of his colleagues.
Notion
An idea, belief, or opinion.
She had a notion to start her own business.
Pops (Paternal Figure)
A casual or affectionate term for a father or father figure.
She thanked her pops for his unwavering support.
Sass
To speak impudently or disrespectfully; cheeky or lively talk.
The child got in trouble for sassing her teacher.
Hue
A color or shade.
The artist was fascinated by the hue of the sunset.
Snake Eyes (Gamble)
A term in dice games for a roll of two ones; often signifies bad luck.
He rolled snake eyes and lost the game.
Immense
Extremely large or great in scale or degree.
The immense size of the ocean left him in awe.
Veneer
[of]
- something that hides something unpleasant or unwanted:
- A thin decorative covering of fine material applied to something more common;
The table’s rich veneer hid its cheap wooden core.
Przykrywka
Heist
A robbery or theft, especially one carried out in a daring or bold manner.
The movie was about a daring bank heist.
Hoist
To raise or lift, especially by mechanical means.
They used a crane to hoist the heavy cargo.
Sweep
- to clean or clear a surface by brushing away debris
- a comprehensive victory or success.
She used a broom to sweep the kitchen floor.