F Flashcards
fade
fade [feɪd] verb intransitive or transitive [fades fading faded] < > to (cause to) lose colour, brightness or strength gradually • If you hang your clothes out in the bright sun, they will fade. • My suntan is already fading. • They arrived home just as the light was fading (= as it was going dark) . • The sun had faded the blue walls. Thesaurus+: ↑Pale and colourless and causing colour to fade • Many of these problems may simply fade into irrelevance when the new rules come into force. • My memory of childhood fades as time goes by. • Her worries about her job have faded into the background since she learnt about her father’s illness. • Hope is fading that the missing child is still alive. • As she drifted into sleep, the doctor’s face began to blur and fade.
faint
faint [feɪnt] adjective [fainter faintest] SLIGHT 1. < > not strong or clear; slight • a faint sound/noise/smell • The lamp gave out a faint glow. • She gave me a faint smile of recognition. • There’s not the faintest hope of ever finding him. • She bears a faint resemblance to my sister. • I have a faint suspicion that you may be right! Thesaurus+: ↑Weakness and vulnerability 2. not have the faintest idea informal used to emphasize that you do not know something • “Is she going to stay?” “I haven’t the faintest idea.” • I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about! Thesaurus+: ↑Unaware • The first faint signs of an agreement began to glimmer through. • She heard a faint, almost imperceptible cry. • They said the printing was too faint to reproduce well. • She felt a faint stirring of envy when she heard that one of her colleagues had been promoted. • A gap between the curtains admitted the faint glow of a street lamp. BECOMING UNCONSCIOUS 3. feel faint to feel weak, as if you are about to become unconscious • She felt faint with hunger. Thesaurus+: ↑Losing consciousness Idiom: Faint heart never won fair lady verb intransitive < > to suddenly become unconscious for a short time, usually falling down • He faints at the sight of blood. • I nearly fainted in the heat. • She took one look at the hypodermic needle and fainted (dead) away (= became unconscious immediately) . Thesaurus+: ↑Losing consciousness • His face went pale and he looked as if he might faint. • You gave us a real scare when you fainted, you know. • He caught me at the precise moment that I fainted. • By the middle of the next day she was almost fainting from hunger. • I stood up too quickly and very nearly fainted. noun only singular when someone suddenly becomes unconscious • On receiving the news, she fell into a dead faint.
fancy
fancy [ˈfæn t.si] verb [fancies fancying fancied] LIKE 1. < > transitive mainly UK to want to have or do something • Do you fancy a drink this evening? • + -ing verb I didn’t fancy swimming in that water. Thesaurus+: ↑Wanting things ↑Hoping and hopefulness 2. transitive mainly UK informal to be sexually attracted to someone • He could tell she fancied him. Thesaurus+: ↑Sexual attraction ↑Attractive 3. fancy yourself mainly UK disapproving to think you are very attractive or important • That Dave really fancies himself, doesn’t he? Thesaurus+: ↑Showing arrogance and conceit ↑Confidence and self-assurance ↑Boasting • Do you fancy coming on a day trip to Bath next Saturday? • Do you fancy going out for a meal after work? • What shall we do foodwise - do you fancy going out to eat? • I thought he fancied me, but I’d completely misread the signals. • She knew he fancied her, but preferred to keep their relationship platonic. IMAGINE 4. intransitive or transitive to imagine or think that something is so • + (that) UK I fancied (that) I saw something moving in the corner. • reflexive He fancies himself as a bit of a singer. • + to infinitive Who do you fancy to win the Cup this year? • UK old-fashioned This isn’t the first time this has happened, I fancy. Thesaurus+: ↑Imagining and conceiving 5. fancy! (also fancy that!) UK old-fashioned an expression of surprise • “They have eight children.” “Fancy that! Thesaurus+: ↑Expressions of surprise Idiom: fancy somebody’s chances adjective DECORATIVE 1. decorative or complicated • I wanted a simple black dress, nothing fancy. • The decor was rather fancy for my tastes. • fancy cakes Thesaurus+: ↑Complexity ↑Difficult to understand EXPENSIVE 2. informal expensive • We stayed in a fancy hotel near the Champs-Élysées. • a fancy restaurant Thesaurus+: ↑Expensive and luxurious ↑Costing too much noun STH/SB YOU LIKE 1. passing fancy something that you like very much for a short period • But for me, parachuting was no passing fancy. Thesaurus+: ↑Passionate or passing interests 2. take a fancy to sth/sb to start liking something or someone very much • Laura’s taken a fancy to Japanese food. Thesaurus+: ↑Liking 3. take/tickle your fancy informal If something takes/tickles your fancy, you like it and want to have or do it • I looked in a lot of clothes shops but nothing really tickled my fancy. Thesaurus+: ↑Liking IMAGINATION 4. uncountable literary the imagination
fare
fare [feə r ] [fer] noun [fares] PAYMENT 1. < > countable the money that you pay for a journey on a vehicle such as a bus or train • Train fares are going up again. Thesaurus+: ↑Costs and expenses 2. < > countable someone who pays to be driven somewhere in a taxi Thesaurus+: ↑Travellers and visitors • Take some foreign currency to cover incidentals like the taxi fare to your hotel. • Train fare increases of 5% are envisaged for the next year. • Please tender the exact fare. • Government sources estimate a long-term 50% increase in rail fares. • The airline’s decision to cut air fares is likely to unsettle the market. FOOD 3. uncountable slightly old-fashioned the type of food that is served in a restaurant • a pub serving traditional British fare Thesaurus+: ↑Food - general words verb intransitive usually + adverb or preposition slightly old-fashioned to succeed or be treated in the stated way • How did you fare in your exams? • Low-paid workers will fare badly/well under this government.
fatigue
fatigue [fəˈtiːg] noun TIREDNESS/WEAKNESS 1. uncountable formal extreme tiredness • She was suffering from fatigue and a stress-related illness. Thesaurus+: ↑Tired and making tired 2. uncountable specialized weakness in something, such as a metal part or structure, often caused by repeated bending • The crash was caused by metal fatigue in one of the propeller blades. See also compassion fatigue Thesaurus+: ↑Metals and metalworking ↑Chemical elements ↑Physical and chemical processes ARMY 3. fatigues A. specialized a loose brownish green uniform worn by soldiers • army fatigues Thesaurus+: ↑Clothes worn for a particular job or activity B. work such as cleaning or cooking, done by soldiers, often as punishment • Get dressed right now or you’ll find yourself on fatigues. Thesaurus+: ↑Military training and ceremonies verb transitive old use or formal to make someone extremely tired • The journey had fatigued him. Thesaurus+: ↑Tired and making tired
feasible
feasible [ˈfiː.zə.bl ̩] slightly formal adjective 1. able to be made, done or achieved • With the extra resources, the scheme now seems feasible. • + to infinitive It may be feasible to clone human beings, but is it ethical? Thesaurus+: ↑Achievable 2. possible or reasonable • It’s quite feasible (that) we’ll get the money. Thesaurus+: ↑Achievable
feast
feast [fiːst] noun [feasts] FOOD 1. countable a special meal with very good food or a large meal for many people • “What a feast!” she said, surveying all the dishes on the table. • a wedding feast Thesaurus+: ↑Meals and parts of meals ↑Celebrations, parties and special occasions ↑Specific holidays and festivals ENJOYABLE THING 2. only singular a very enjoyable experience for the senses, especially a visual or musical experience • a visual feast • His food is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. Thesaurus+: ↑Pleasure and happiness ↑Celebrations, parties and special occasions ↑Specific holidays and festivals 3. only singular a collection of something to be enjoyed • The team contains a veritable feast of international talent. Thesaurus+: ↑Groups and collections of things ↑Variety and mixtures CELEBRATION 4. countable a day on which a religious event or person is remembered and celebrated • the Feast of St James/the Passover • a Muslim feast day Thesaurus+: ↑Religious festivals ↑Celebrations, parties and special occasions verb Idiom: feast your eyes on somebody
feat
feat [fiːt] noun countable [feats] something difficult needing a lot of skill, strength, bravery, etc. to achieve it • The Eiffel Tower is a remarkable feat of engineering. • She’s performed remarkable feats of organization for the office.
feeble
feeble [ˈfiː.bl ̩] adjective [feebler feeblest] 1. weak and without energy, strength or power • He was a feeble, helpless old man. • The little lamp gave only a feeble light. • Opposition to the plan was rather feeble. Thesaurus+: ↑Weakness and vulnerability 2. not effective or good • a feeble joke/excuse Thesaurus+: ↑Useless and futile
fence
fence [fen t s] noun countable [fences] STRUCTURE 1. < > a structure which divides two areas of land, similar to a wall but made of wood or wire and supported with posts Thesaurus+: ↑Fences and rails • The house was surrounded by a tall, wooden fence. • A cat was walking along the top of the fence. • The gale-force wind had blown the fence down. • Variegated ivies are a popular choice for covering fences. • The children crawled through an opening space in the fence. CRIMINAL 2. old-fashioned slang a person who buys and sells stolen goods Thesaurus+: ↑Miscellaneous criminals verb intransitive to fight as a sport with a long thin sword
ferocious
ferocious [fəˈrəʊ.ʃəs] [-ˈroʊ-] adjective frightening and violent • a ferocious dog • a ferocious battle • She’s got a ferocious (= very bad) temper. • The president came in for some ferocious criticism.
ferry
ferry [ˈfer.i] noun countable (also ferry boat) [ferries] < > a boat or ship for taking passengers and often vehicles across an area of water, especially as a regular service • a car ferry • We’re going across to France by/on the ferry. • We took the ferry to Calais. Thesaurus+: ↑Passenger, cargo and military ships ↑Boats and sailing craft • Almost all the passengers on the ferry were French. • We took the ferry across the Channel and then joined the Paris train at Calais. • The ferry service has been suspended for the day because of bad weather. • The strike has led to the cancellation of some ferry services and left hundreds of passengers stranded at the docks. • Our ferry was two hours late because of the strike. verb transitive usually + adverb or preposition to transport people or goods in a vehicle, especially regularly and often • I spend most of my time ferrying the children about.
fetch
fetch [fetʃ] verb [fetches fetching fetched] GET 1. < > transitive to go to another place to get something or someone and bring them back • + two objects Could you fetch me my glasses/fetch my glasses for me from the other room, please? • I have to fetch my mother from the station. Thesaurus+: ↑Transferring and transporting objects • This glass has been used - please fetch me a clean one. • Would you like to wait out here, and the doctor will come and fetch you in a minute? • She fetched another chair from the dining room. • He fetches the children from school on Mondays and Fridays. • That looks uncomfortable. I’ll go and fetch a cushion for you. SELL 2. transitive to be sold for a particular amount of money • The paintings fetched over a million dollars. • The house didn’t fetch as much as she was hoping it would. Thesaurus+: ↑Business and commerce - general words HIT 3. transitive + two objects old-fashioned informal to hit someone with the hand • I fetched him a smart blow on the ear! Thesaurus+: ↑Hitting and beating ↑Punishing by causing pain Idiom: fetch and carry for somebody
fierce
fierce [fɪəs] [fɪrs] adjective [fiercer fiercest] 1. < > physically violent and frightening • a fierce attack/battle • Two men were shot during fierce fighting last weekend. Thesaurus+: ↑Violent or aggressive ↑Unkind, cruel and unfeeling ↑Treating people or animals badly 2. < > strong and powerful • Fierce winds/seas prevented the race from taking place. • Fire fighters had to retreat from the fierce heat. Thesaurus+: ↑Physically strong and powerful 3. < > showing strong feeling or energetic activity • The expansion plans will face fierce opposition/resistance from environmentalists. • There is fierce competition to join the Special Branch. Thesaurus+: ↑Energetic and lively ↑Strong feelings 4. US informal difficult • The chemistry exam was fierce! Thesaurus+: ↑Complicated and difficult to do ↑Difficult to understand • There was fierce combat between the two sides. • His detractors claim that his fierce temper makes him unsuitable for party leadership. • Despite fierce competition she made a gallant effort to win the first medal of the championships. • She has published a fierce anti-war polemic. • There’s fierce rivalry for the job.
filthy
filthy [ˈfɪl.θi] adjective [filthier filthiest] DIRTY 1. < > extremely or unpleasantly dirty • Wash your hands - they’re filthy! • Look at this cloth - it’s filthy! • I’ve never smoked - it’s a filthy habit. • figurative That girl just gave me a filthy look (= looked at me in a very unpleasant, disapproving way) . • UK He was in a filthy (= a very bad) temper/mood. Thesaurus+: ↑Dirty and untidy • The tourists were appalled at the filthy conditions. • Take your filthy hands off my nice clean washing! • This carpet’s filthy! Who has been bringing mud in on their shoes? • Wash your face before you go out - it’s filthy. • When we pulled the fridge out, it was absolutely filthy behind there! OFFENSIVE 2. containing sexually offensive words or pictures • filthy language • a filthy joke • humorous You’ve got a filthy mind! Thesaurus+: ↑Relating to sex and sexual desire ↑Rude and cheeky adverb 1. filthy dirty extremely dirty Thesaurus+: ↑Dirty and untidy 2. filthy rich informal extremely rich
flabby
flabby [ˈflæb.i] adjective [flabbier flabbiest] FAT 1. informal disapproving soft and fat • flabby arms/thighs • I was starting to get a bit flabby around my waist. Thesaurus+: ↑Fat or well-built WEAK 2. weak and without force • a flabby argument
flap
flap [flæp] verb [-pp-] [flapping flapped flaps] WAVE 1. intransitive or transitive to wave something, especially wings when or as if flying • A small bird flapped its wings furiously and flew upwards. • Flags flapped in the breeze above their tents. Thesaurus+: ↑Shaking, swinging and vibrating BEHAVE NERVOUSLY 2. intransitive informal to behave in a nervous and excited way • Don’t flap - there’s plenty of time to cook before they arrive. • Stop flapping about/around! Thesaurus+: ↑Causing anxiety and worry ↑Making people sad, shocked and upset noun ADDITIONAL PIECE 1. countable a piece of cloth or other material fixed along one edge, especially used for covering or closing something • a pocket flap • a tent flap (= a piece of cloth which acts like a door) • A small flap of skin can be seen above the wound. Thesaurus+: ↑Lids, covers and stoppers NERVOUS STATE 2. only singular informal a state of nervous excitement • She’s in a flap because her parents are coming to visit. Thesaurus+: ↑Anxious and worried AIRCRAFT PART 3. countable specialized part of the back of an aircraft wing which can be moved up or down to help the aircraft go up or down Thesaurus+: ↑Parts of aeroplanes WAVE 4. countable when a bird waves its wings when flying, or when something else moves in this way • A few flaps of its long wings and the bird was gone.
flare
flare [fleə r ] [fler] verb [flares flaring flared] BURN BRIGHTLY 1. intransitive to burn brightly either for a short time or not regularly • The flame above the oil well flared (up) into the dark sky. Thesaurus+: ↑Burning, burnt and on fire GET WORSE 2. intransitive (also flare up) When something bad such as violence, pain or anger flares (up), it suddenly starts or gets much worse • Violence flared up again last night. • Tempers flared after a three-hour delay at Gatwick Airport yesterday. Thesaurus+: ↑Exploding and erupting MAKE WIDER 3. intransitive or transitive to (cause to) become wider • The horse’s nostrils flared. • The skirt fits tightly over the hips and flares just below the knees. Thesaurus+: ↑Enlarging and inflating ↑Becoming bigger noun BRIGHTNESS 1. countable a sudden increase in the brightness of a fire • There was a sudden flare when she threw the petrol onto the fire. Thesaurus+: ↑Fire and flame ↑Fire service 2. countable a very bright light or coloured smoke which can be used as a signal, or a device which produces this • We set off a flare to help guide our rescuers. Thesaurus+: ↑Specific signs and symbols ↑Signs, signals and symbols CLOTHES 3. flares UK trousers that get wider below the knee See picture Thesaurus+: ↑Trousers 4. countable usually singular when something, especially clothing, becomes wider at one end • This skirt has a definite flare.
