game stories Flashcards
shackle
shackle somebody/something to prevent somebody from behaving or speaking as they want
She is opposed to shackling the press with privacy laws.
masquerade
masquerade as something to pretend to be something that you are not
commercial advertisers masquerading as private individuals
(figurative) The local paper is full of gossip masquerading as news.
dawn (of something)
the beginning or first signs of something
the dawn of civilization/time/history
Peace marked a new dawn in the country’s history.
the dawn of a golden age in European art
We are seeing the dawn of a new era.
This sudden success may prove to be a false dawn.
This appointment marked the dawn of a productive era in her scientific career.
volition
the power to choose something freely or to make your own decisions
(free will)
==============
They left entirely of their own volition (= because they wanted to).
ring a bell
(informal) to sound familiar to you, as though you have heard it before
His name rings a bell but I can’t think where we met.
geezer
(North American English, disapproving) an old man, especially one who is rather strange
stunt
a dangerous and difficult action that somebody does to entertain people, especially as part of a film =============== He did all his own stunts. a stunt pilot a stunt flying team
role-play
to behave in the way somebody else would behave in a particular situation as part of a learning activity
=======================
The children sang songs in French and role-played with puppets.
role-play something/doing something The team role-played working as a company.
a damsel in distress
(humorous) a woman who needs help
informant
a person who gives secret information about somebody/something to the police or the media
(informer)
=======================
a police informant
The journalist refused to reveal the identity of his informant.
big time
on a large scale; to a great extent
This time they’ve messed up big time!
give somebody the runaround
(informal) to treat somebody badly by not telling them the truth, or by not giving them the help or the information they need, and sending them somewhere else
You know where she is, don’t you, but you’re just giving me the runaround.
embrace
embrace something to accept an idea, a proposal, a set of beliefs, etc., especially when it is done with enthusiasm
to embrace democracy/feminism/Islam
It is unlikely that such countries will embrace capitalist ideas.
the only party which fully embraces the concept of a united Europe
Soccer has become more widely embraced by Americans.
She embraced the feminist cause with enthusiasm.
disrupt
disrupt something to make it difficult for something to continue in the normal way
Demonstrators succeeded in disrupting the meeting.
Bus services will be disrupted tomorrow because of the bridge closure.
The bad weather has seriously disrupted supplies of food.
They warned that climate change could potentially disrupt economic activity.
I’m not going to let him disrupt my life any longer.
Public transport services are likely to be severely disrupted tomorrow.
The award ceremony was completely disrupted by a technicians’ strike.
The refusal of the US to participate threatened to disrupt the negotiations.
spectre (of something)
(US English specter)
spectre (of something) something unpleasant that people are afraid might happen in the future
===============
The country is haunted by the spectre of civil war.
These weeks of drought have once again raised the spectre of widespread famine.
The terrible spectre of civil war hung over the country once again.
Wall Street’s collapse raised spectres of the 1987 stock market crash.
an attempt to exorcize the spectre of poverty
the looming spectre of a financial crisis
the twin spectres of addiction and violence
resurrect
resurrect something to bring back into use something such as a belief, a practice, etc. that had disappeared or been forgotten
(revive)
===========================
The campaign for spelling reform has been resurrected.
He has succeeded in resurrecting his career in television.
———————————–
resurrect somebody to bring a dead person back to life
impulsive
(of people or their behaviour) acting suddenly without thinking carefully about what might happen because of what you are doing
an impulsive decision/gesture
You’re so impulsive!
He has an impulsive nature.
He told me not to be impulsive but to think it over.
retribution
retribution (for something) severe punishment for something seriously wrong that somebody has done
People are seeking retribution for the latest terrorist outrages.
fear of divine retribution (= punishment from God)
His armies invaded their lands in retribution.
Members of Parliament clearly feared retribution from their constituents.
Political retribution will fall swiftly on any president who fails in that task.
Retribution will be swift if you cross me.
She saw the sentence as just retribution on the man who had assaulted her.
The celebrity couple clearly feared retribution from their fans.
The victim did not report the incident for fear of retribution.
Violent retribution soon followed.
retribution against wrongdoers
The public demanded swift justice and retribution.
forsake
forsake somebody/something (for somebody/something) to leave somebody/something, especially when you have a responsibility to stay
(abandon)
==================
He had made it clear to his wife that he would never forsake her.
restraint
the quality of behaving calmly and with control
(self-control)
==================
The police appealed to the crowd for restraint.
He exercised considerable restraint in ignoring the insults.
treacherous
dangerous, especially when seeming safe
The ice on the roads made driving conditions treacherous.
the mountain’s notoriously treacherous rocky crest
ruinous
causing serious problems or damage (devastating) =================== The decision was to prove ruinous. Such action would be ruinous to her career. a ruinous mistake
initiative
a new plan for dealing with a particular problem or for achieving a particular purpose
a United Nations peace initiative
Most policy initiatives come from the White House.
to launch an initiative
The money was intended to support initiatives in bilingual education.
initiative to do something new initiatives to improve animal welfare
a government initiative to combat unemployment
initiative by somebody/something a joint initiative by the Scottish and UK governments
initiative for something an initiative for peace and human rights
glorify
glorify something (often disapproving) to make something seem better or more important than it really is
He denies that the movie glorifies violence.
indiscretion
an act or remark that reveals something secret or that could be embarrassing or offensive
youthful indiscretions
jeopardize
jeopardize something/somebody to risk harming or destroying something/somebody
(endanger)
================
He would never do anything to jeopardize his career.
This scandal could seriously jeopardize his chances of being re-elected.
oath
a formal promise to do something or a formal statement that something is true
to take/swear an oath of allegiance
Before giving evidence, witnesses in court have to take the oath (= promise to tell the truth).
The next US president will take the oath of office in January.
All members had to swear a solemn oath never to reveal the secrets of the organization.
You are bound by oath to tell the truth.
fuse
when one thing fuses with another, or two things fuse or are fused, they are joined together to form a single thing
fuse (together) As they heal, the bones will fuse together.
fuse (into something) Our different ideas fused into a plan.
Their lips fused in a passionate kiss.
fuse with something The sperm fuses with the egg to begin the process of fertilization.
fuse something (into something) The two companies have been fused into a single organization.
Atoms of hydrogen are fused to make helium.
sole
only; single
the sole surviving member of the family
My sole reason for coming here was to see you.
This is the sole means of access to the building
disgrace
to behave badly in a way that makes you or other people feel ashamed
disgrace yourself I disgraced myself by drinking far too much.
disgrace somebody/something He had disgraced the family name.
reign
reign (over somebody/something) to be the best or most important in a particular situation or area of skill
She will face the reigning champion in her first round match.
In the field of classical music, he still reigns supreme.
a show in which the music reigns supreme
A handful of families have reigned over Bangkok’s economy for many years.
concede
to admit that something is true, logical, etc. after first denying it or resisting it
+ speech ‘Not bad,’ she conceded grudgingly.
concede (that)… He was forced to concede (that) there might be difficulties.
concede something I had to concede the logic of this.
concede something to somebody He reluctantly conceded the point to me.
concede somebody something He reluctantly conceded me the point.
it is conceded that… It must be conceded that different judges have different approaches to these cases.
revitalize something
to make something stronger, more active or more healthy
measures to revitalize the inner cities
The local economy has been revitalized.
Gentle massage will revitalize your skin.
delegation
a group of people who represent the views of an organization, a country, etc.
the Dutch delegation to the United Nations
a delegation of teachers
A well-known academic will head the delegation.
The British delegation walked out of the discussions in protest.
The Prime Minister met with an all-party delegation from the city council.
The delegation included representatives from nine nations.
The delegation will visit several Middle Eastern countries for talks.
The government invited an international delegation to inspect the plant.
a delegation representing the new regime
an official delegation from Austria
We have arranged a meeting with a high-powered delegation of Asian business leaders.
reconvene (something)
if a meeting, parliament, etc. reconvenes or if somebody reconvenes it, it meets again after a break
pressing
needing to be dealt with immediately
(urgent)
=====================
I’m afraid I have some pressing business to attend to.
There is a pressing need for more specialist nurses.
The government seems to think that international problems are more pressing than domestic ones.
intruder
a person who enters a building or an area illegally
The intruder fired at least one more shot at the guard, then fled.
Intruder alarms are being fitted in many schools as a way of improving security.
He found a masked intruder in the kitchen.
He was stabbed when he tackled an intruder armed with a knife.
Intruders had forced their way into the house.
Staff were instructed to repel intruders with physical force, if need be.
merchandise
goods that are bought or sold; goods that are for sale in a shop
a wide selection of merchandise
These tokens can be exchanged for merchandise in any of our stores.
a substandard piece of merchandise
excellent deals on quality merchandise
wager
to bet money
(bet)
====================
wager on something She always wagered on an outsider.
wager something (on something) to wager £50 on a horse
wager something/somebody that… I had wagered a great deal of money that I would beat him.
comply
comply (with something) to obey a rule, an order, etc.; to meet particular standards
They refused to comply with the UN resolution.
All furniture must comply with the fire safety regulations.
When requested to leave, they refused to comply.
What sanctions can they take against us if we fail to comply?
portal
a large, impressive gate or entrance to a building
The castle’s portals have opened to many famous guests.
esteem
hold somebody/something in great, high, low, etc. esteem
great respect and approval; a good opinion of somebody
She is held in high esteem by her colleagues.
Over the years, he has earned our affection and esteem.
Please accept this small gift as a token of our esteem.
amusement
the feeling that you have when you enjoy something that is funny
She could not hide her amusement at the way he was dancing.
to somebody’s amusement To my amusement he couldn’t get the door open.
with amusement Her eyes twinkled with amusement.
His son was a continuous source of amusement and delight to him.
He kept the diaries for his own personal amusement.
He seemed to be deriving amusement from her discomfort.
Her wide mouth twitched in amusement.
The play was written for the amusement of the other students.
There was a note of amusement in her voice.
What do you do for amusement around here?
What can we provide for your amusement?
(ironic) I am happy to have afforded you amusement (= said when you are annoyed that somebody is laughing at you).
grant
to agree to give somebody what they ask for, especially formal or legal permission to do something
grant something My request was granted.
the rights expressly granted by the terms of the lease
The judge granted an injunction preventing the newspaper from printing the names.
grant somebody something I was granted permission to visit the palace.
She was granted a divorce.
The court granted him leave to appeal.
He was granted a licence to mine in the area.
The bank finally granted me a £500 loan.
grant something to somebody/something The bank finally granted a £500 loan to me.
These lands had been granted to the family in perpetuity.
Permission is hereby granted to reproduce this material.
Planning permission was finally granted in October.
The judge refused to grant him bail.
The law effectively grants the company immunity from prosecution.
Her wish was granted.
Planning permission for the development was granted last week.
The contract was granted to an Australian company.
brazenly
openly and without shame, usually about something that shocks people
(shamelessly)
======================
She had brazenly admitted allowing him back into the house.
intercept somebody/something
to stop somebody/something that is going from one place to another from arriving
Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave the hotel.
The letter was intercepted.
Hurst intercepted a pass intended for Julio Jones.
begone
a way of telling somebody to go away immediately
upbraid somebody (for something/for doing something)
to criticize somebody or speak angrily to them because you do not approve of something that they have said or done
scold
to speak angrily to somebody, especially a child, because they have done something wrong
scold somebody (for doing something) He scolded them for arriving late.
scold somebody for something Rose scolded the child gently for her bad behaviour.
+ speech ‘Don’t be such a baby!’ he scolded.
despicable
very unpleasant or evil ================ a despicable act/crime I hate you! You're despicable. Police have condemned the theft from an elderly widow as despicable. To fail was considered despicable. What I find particularly despicable is their neglect of old people. That was a despicable act.
abomination
a thing that is hated and considered extremely offensive
a concrete abomination masquerading as a hotel
A strict Puritan, he regarded all theatres and play acting as an abomination.
confess
to admit, especially formally or to the police, that you have done something wrong or illegal
After hours of questioning, the suspect confessed.
confess to (doing) something She confessed to the murder.
confess (that)… He confessed that he had stolen the money.
confess to somebody (that)… She confessed to me that she had known his true identity for some time.
confess your crime, error, etc. We persuaded her to confess her crime.
weakling
a person who is not physically strong
make amends (to somebody) (for something/for doing something)
to do something for somebody in order to show that you are sorry for something wrong or unfair that you have done
She tried to make amends for what she had said to her mother by buying her some flowers.
The team is desperate to make amends for two successive defeats.
pursuer
a person who is following or going after somebody
pursue somebody/something
to follow or go after somebody/something, especially in order to catch them
She left the theatre, hotly pursued by the press.
Police pursued the car at high speed.
Jake has been pursuing her (= trying to have a relationship with her) for months.
jerk
[countable] (informal) a stupid person who often says or does the wrong thing
He was acting like a complete jerk.
He silently swore at himself for being such a jerk.
What kind of a jerk pays that money?
tainted
dirty or no longer pure; no longer pleasant or safe to eat, drink or use
tainted drinking water
strip
to remove a layer from something, especially so that it is completely exposed
strip something (off) Strip off all the existing paint.
After the guests had gone, I stripped all the beds (= removed all the sheets in order to wash them).
strip A off/from B Deer had stripped all the bark off the tree.
strip B of A Deer had stripped the tree of its bark.
triumph
a great success, achievement or victory
one of the greatest triumphs of modern science
triumph over somebody/something It was a personal triumph over her old rival.
Hollywood’s favourite actor was modest about his latest triumph.
The team enjoyed a memorable triumph last night.
their recent triumph against Brazil
The union scored a triumph in negotiating a minimum wage within the industry.
They hailed the signing of the agreement as a major diplomatic triumph.
the triumph of the human spirit
The birth of the red panda cub is being hailed as a triumph for the zoo’s breeding programme.
triumph against seemingly insuperable odds
heir (to something) | heir (of somebody)
a person who has the legal right to receive somebody’s property, money or title when that person dies
to be heir to a large fortune
the heir to the throne (= the person who will be the next king or queen)
the son and heir of the Earl of Lancaster
At the age of twenty he fell heir to a large estate.
He has no heir to leave his fortune to.
He left most of his property to his eldest son and heir.
He planned to marry and produce an heir for his estate.
On his brother’s death he became heir apparent to the title.
On his deathbed he named his second son as his heir.
When the Earl of Surrey died in 1347 he left no direct heir.
in (a)… fashion
(formal) in a particular way
How could they behave in such a fashion?
I strive to get my work done in a timely fashion.
The troops embarked in an orderly fashion.
Each chapter is structured in a similar fashion.
She was proved right, in dramatic fashion, when the whole department resigned.
Address me in a proper fashion.
Application for the course can be made in the normal fashion.
Costs and revenues are assumed to behave in a linear fashion.
He asked questions in a direct fashion
He delivered his speech in classic fashion.
He has a small vocabulary and is only able to express himself in a limited fashion.
He insisted the meeting be held, in true spy novel fashion, in the open air.
He presents it in an entertaining fashion.
Karpov struck back in no uncertain fashion to win the seventh game.
Light and sound are recorded in such different fashions.
Please proceed in an orderly fashion to the promenade deck.
She laid out her argument in a convincing fashion.
She was strolling in a leisurely fashion in the opposite direction.
She writes in a serious fashion about the future
She has corrected that oversight in fine fashion.
The convention proceeded in the normal fashion.
The descent of the footpath starts in easy fashion.
The story moves in circular fashion.
They act in a purposeful and deliberate fashion.
They celebrated their win in traditional fashion by spraying champagne everywhere.
We had just gone out when, in typical fashion, the rain came down.
We need to tackle this problem in a coordinated fashion.
Why are they behaving in such a ridiculous fashion?
magnanimous
kind, generous and forgiving, especially towards an enemy or competitor
a magnanimous gesture
He was magnanimous in defeat and praised his opponent’s skill.
The regime had to decide whether to be magnanimous in victory.
weary
(literary) making you feel tired or bored
a weary journey
weary hours spent in negotiation
banged up
(North American English, informal) injured or damaged ================ Two days after the accident she still looked pretty banged up. a banged-up old truck
defection
defection (from A) (to B) the act of leaving a political party, country, etc. to join another that is considered to be an enemy
There have been several defections from the ruling party.
interrogation
the act of asking somebody a lot of questions over a long period of time, especially in an aggressive way
under interrogation He confessed after four days under interrogation.
She hated her parents’ endless interrogations about where she’d been.
formidable
if people, things or situations are formidable, you feel fear and/or respect for them, because they are impressive or powerful, or because they seem very difficult
In debate he was a formidable opponent.
Somehow the small but formidable woman fought her way through the crowd to reach her son.
She has a formidable list of qualifications.
The two players together make a formidable combination.
The task was a formidable one.
They had to overcome formidable obstacles.
corrupt (somebody)
to have a bad effect on somebody and make them behave in a way that is not honest or moral
He was corrupted by power and ambition.
the corrupting effects of great wealth
substitute
a person or thing that you use or have instead of the one you normally use or have
a meat substitute
a substitute family
substitute for somebody/something Paul’s father only saw him as a substitute for his dead brother.
The course teaches you the theory but there’s no substitute for practical experience.
The local bus service was a poor substitute for their car.
His teacher acted as a father substitute.
The company produces substitutes for lead in petrol.
The television is a poor substitute for human companionship.
There’s no substitute for hard work.
treachery
behaviour that involves hurting somebody who trusts you, for example by telling their secrets to other people; an example of this
an act of treachery
He was punished for his treacheries.
Rumours of treachery and conspiracy began to circulate in the Queen’s court.
fiend
a very cruel or unpleasant person
fearsome
making people feel very frightened ================ a fearsome dinosaur He has a fearsome reputation as a fighter. a fearsome expression/sight
peril
serious danger
in peril The country’s economy is now in grave peril.
The heroine finds herself in mortal peril.
She seemed blissfully unaware of the peril she was in.
They warned that his life was in imminent peril.
peril of doing something We face the immediate peril of being bought out by another
momentarily
for a very short time (briefly) ================ He paused momentarily. She was momentarily blinded by the light.
