in use vocabulary Flashcards
subtle (adjective)
not very obvious or easy to notice
subtle colours/flavours/smells, etc.
There are subtle differences between the two versions.
The fragrance is a subtle blend of jasmine and sandalwood.
She’s been dropping subtle hints about what she’d like as a present.
For a natural glow to your skin mix a subtle shade of blusher with loose powder.
Her paintings are characterized by sweeping brush strokes and subtle colours.
making infinitely subtle distinctions
(which make it possible to express subtle shades of meaning)
a minor (n)
f(it means a person who is legally under-age)
It is an offence to serve alcohol to minors.
alight (from something)
to get out of a bus, a train or other vehicle
(get off)
=============
Do not alight from a moving bus.
Alight here for the National Conference Centre.
She alighted at a little station at the foot of the hill.
to feel gutted
British English, informal
extremely sad or disappointed
a felon
especially North American English, law)(formal
a person who has committed a serious crime such as murder or rape
felons who have served their sentence
The law requires convicted felons entering the state to register their address with the police.
to bug someone (informal)
to annoy somebody
Stop bugging me!
It’s something that’s been bugging me a lot recently.
She’s really beginning to bug me.
What’s the matter? Is there something bugging you?
to zone out
informal
to lose concentration
I just zoned out for a moment.
shade / shadow
Shade [U] is an area or a part of a place that is protected from the heat of the sun and so is darker and cooler:
Let’s sit in the shade for a while.
=======
A shadow [C] is the dark shape made when a light shines on a person or an object:
As the sun went down we cast long shadows on the lawn.
articulate something (to somebody) (formal)
to express or explain your thoughts or feelings clearly in words
She struggled to articulate her thoughts.
It is the school’s duty to articulate its practices to parents.
She cannot articulate her feelings very well.
You need to articulate clearly what you are trying to achieve.
convey
to make ideas, feelings, etc. known to somebody
(communicate)
============
convey something Colours like red convey a sense of energy and strength.
convey something to somebody (formal) Please convey my apologies to your wife.
convey how, what, etc… He tried desperately to convey how urgent the situation was.
convey that… She did not wish to convey that they were all at fault.
He managed to convey his enthusiasm to her.
The novel vividly conveys the experience of growing up during the war.
put yourself/something across (to somebody)
to communicate your ideas, feelings, etc. successfully to somebody
She’s not very good at putting her views across.
screwdriver
a tool with a narrow blade (= metal part) that has a special shape at the end, used for turning screws(مفك)
burnt out
feeling as if you have done something for too long and need to have a rest
I’m feeling burnt-out at work—I need a holiday.
blogosphere
informal
all the personal websites that exist on the internet, viewed as a network of people communicating with each other
It’s one of the top stories in the blogosphere.
the growing influence of the political blogosphere
The story moved from the blogosphere to the mainstream press.
The blogs are part of a constantly expanding blogosphere.
count on somebody/something
to trust somebody to do something or to be sure that something will happen
‘I’m sure he’ll help.’ ‘Don’t count on it.’
count on somebody/something to do something I’m counting on you to help me.
count on doing something Few people can count on having a job for life.
count on somebody/something doing something We can’t count on this warm weather lasting.
be snowed under (with something)
to have more things, especially work, than you feel able to deal with
I’d love to come but I’m completely snowed under at the moment.
Latecomer
a person who arrives late
Latecomers will not be admitted until the interval.
They made space at the table for the latecomers.
out of breath
having difficulty breathing after exercise
We were out of breath after only five minutes.
I’m a bit out of breath after my run.
yawn
to open your mouth wide and breathe in deeply through it, usually because you are tired or bored
He stood up, stretched and yawned.
We couldn’t help yawning during the speech.
+ speech ‘Wow,’ she yawned, ‘a customer.’
He got fed up of people yawning at him when he talked about his job.
He sat up and yawned hugely.
chilly
too cold to be comfortable
It’s chilly today.
I was feeling chilly.
deprive somebody/something of something
to prevent somebody from having or doing something, especially something important
They were imprisoned and deprived of their basic rights.
Why should you deprive yourself of such simple pleasures?
perfect (verb)
perfect something to make something perfect
As a musician, she has spent years perfecting her technique.
They have perfected the art of winemaking.
informative
giving useful information
The talk was both informative and entertaining.
Findings suggest that while television is more informative than the press, it is less persuasive.
economize
to use less money, time, etc. than you normally use
Old people often try to economize on heating, thus endangering their health.
mislay (v)
mislay something to put something somewhere and then be unable to find it again, especially for only a short time
I seem to have mislaid my keys.
Our luggage was temporarily mislaid.
misplace
misplace something to put something somewhere and then be unable to find it again, especially for a short time
(mislay)
foe
an enemy
She was unsure as yet whether he was friend or foe.
He knew that Carlton could be an implacable foe.
His newspaper articles criticized friend and foe alike.
In the final, they will play against their old foes, Italy.
commitment
a promise to do something or to behave in a particular way; a promise to support somebody/something; the fact of committing yourself
I’m not ready to make a long-term commitment.
They have failed to honour their commitments.
commitment to somebody/something The company has shown a commitment to diversity over the years.
He questioned the government’s commitment to public services.
We’re looking for a (firm commitment) from both sides.
commitment to do/doing something This project demonstrates our commitment to improving the quality of the city’s green spaces.
They reaffirmed their commitment to work for peace.
commitments under something Australia is determined to meet its commitments under the agreement.
Extra Examples
The company is making a long-term commitment to breaking into the American market.
The government avoided giving any commitments on pensions.
The government has managed to gain the commitment of employers to the scheme.
The president made a firm commitment to increasing spending on health.
Is the government going to honour its commitments on the reduction of air pollution?
This is part of the farm’s continued commitment to preserving wildlife.
The company’s commitment to providing quality at a reasonable price has been vital to its success.
She doesn’t want to make a big emotional commitment to Steve at the moment.
grip
to hold something tightly
(grasp)
============
grip something ‘Please don’t go,’ he said, gripping her arm.
grip on to something She gripped on to the railing with both hands.
hurtful
making you feel upset and offended
(unkind)
============
I cannot forget the hurtful things he said.
She made some very hurtful remarks.
hurtful to somebody The bad reviews of her new book were very hurtful to her.
What he said was deeply hurtful to me.
absorbing
interesting and fun and holding your attention completely
an absorbing book/game
Fishing can be a totally absorbing hobby.
Chess can be an extremely absorbing game.
engrossing
so interesting that you give it all your attention and time
an engrossing problem
entrancing
making somebody admire and like somebody/something very much so they give them/it all their attention
(enthralling)
===========
entrancing music
gripping
exciting or interesting in a way that keeps your attention
a gripping story
His books are always so gripping.
The film was absolutely gripping.
The film is a gripping account of the early days of the revolution.
riveting
so interesting or exciting that it holds your attention completely
(engrossing)
================
As usual, she gave a riveting performance.
It was hardly the most riveting of lectures, was it?
Life in a little Norfolk village was hardly riveting.
The play was absolutely riveting!
bewitching
so beautiful or interesting that you cannot think about anything else
a bewitching girl/smile
a bewitching performance
captivating
taking all your attention; very attractive and interesting
(enchanting)
=============
He found her captivating.
We spent a week relaxing on the captivating island of Capri.
enchanting
attractive and pleasant (delightful) ============== an enchanting view Dinah looked as enchanting as ever. She is a lovely child, quite enchanting. What an enchanting little town!
enthralling
so interesting, beautiful, etc. that it attracts all your attention
(entrancing)
================
an enthralling performance
misty
with clouds of small drops of water in the air,
making it difficult to see things in the distancea misty morning
==============
She peered through the misty light at the approaching car.
damp
slightly wet, and not pleasant or comfortable
frost
a weather condition in which the temperature drops below 0° Celsius (= freezing point) so that a thin white layer of ice forms on the ground and other surfaces, especially at night
It will be a clear night with some ground frost.
a sharp/hard/severe frost
There were ten degrees of frost (= the temperature dropped to -10° Celsius) last night.
frost damage
thaw
melt
The snow started to thaw as the temperature kept up.
If a pipe (= the water in a pipe) has frozen, it can be thawed out with a hairdryer.
tropical
very hot, as in countries near the Equator
humid
warm and slightly wet
These ferns will grow best in a humid atmosphere.
The island is hot and humid in the summer.
They were not prepared for the humid heat of the tropical forest.
The day was hot and humid.
The weather had become very humid.
stifling
making you feel unable to breathe, because it is too hot and/or there is no fresh air
a stifling room
‘It’s stifling in here—can we open a window?’
muggy
w
heatwaves
a period of unusually hot weather
A long summer heatwave had caused most of the crops to die.
The demand for water rises sharply during a heatwave.
They said on the news the heatwave is going to continue for weeks.
torrential
(of rain) falling in large amounts
torrential rain
overcast
covered with clouds; not bright ========== an overcast sky/day Today it will be dull and overcast. The sky was overcast and we needed to use artificial light.
breeze
a light wind ============ a sea breeze The flowers were gently swaying in the breeze. A light breeze was blowing.
hurricane
a violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean
A powerful hurricane hit the Florida coast.
Hurricane Sandy devastated the area.
The hurricane season does not end until November.
hurricane victims
hurricane-force winds
The proceeds will go to hurricane relief.
prior to
before something
during the week prior to the meeting
earlier on
e
Formerly
e
throughout
during the whole period of time of something
The museum is open daily throughout the year.
The ceremony lasted two hours and we had to stand throughout.
Following
after
subsequently
afterwards; later; after something else has happened
The original interview notes were subsequently lost.
Subsequently, new guidelines were issued to all employees.
He subsequently became chairman of the party.
thereafter
after the time or event mentioned
She married at 17 and gave birth to her first child shortly thereafter.
as/so long as
only if
We’ll go as long as the weather is good.
unless
used to say that something can only happen or be true in a particular situation
You won’t get paid for time off unless you have a doctor’s note.
I won’t tell them—not unless you say I can.
Unless I’m mistaken, she was back at work yesterday.
He hasn’t got any hobbies—unless you call watching TV a hobby.
what if…?
what would happen if?
What if the train is late?
What if she forgets to bring it?
prerequisite
that must exist or happen before something else can happen or be done
prerequisite knowledge
owing to
because of
The game was cancelled owing to torrential rain.
Owing to his illness, he could not continue with his studies.
spark (off)
to cause something to start or develop, especially suddenly
spark something The proposal would spark a storm of protest around the country.
Winds brought down power lines, sparking a fire.
The organizers are hoping to spark some interest in young people.
spark something off The riots were sparked off by the arrest of a local leader.
provoke something
to cause a particular reaction or have a particular effect
( generate / gave rise to)
=============
The announcement provoked a storm of protest.
The article was intended to provoke discussion.
Dairy products may provoke allergic reactions in some people.
bring something about
to make something happen
(cause)
=============
What brought about the change in his attitude?
stem from something
(not used in the progressive tenses)
to be the result of something
================
Most people’s insecurities stem from something that happened in their childhood.
arise (out of/from something)
(rather formal) to happen as a result of a particular situation
injuries arising out of a road accident
Emotional or mental problems can arise from a physical cause.
Are there any matters arising from the minutes of the last meeting?
Some learning difficulties arise from the way children are taught at school.
The current debate arose out of the concerns of parents.
Violence typically arises out of anger.
prompt
to make somebody decide to do something; to cause something to happen
(provoke)
===============
prompt something The discovery of the bomb prompted an increase in security.
His speech prompted an angry outburst from a man in the crowd.
prompt somebody to do something The thought of her daughter’s wedding day prompted her to lose some weight.
The accusation prompted the resignation of the education minister.
The discussion was prompted by a chance remark.
The earth tremors prompted worries of a second major earthquake.
The incident prompted a full-scale review of police procedures.
The news prompted speculation that prices will rise further.
What prompted you to choose this area?
the upshot
the final result of a series of events
(outcome)
===========
The upshot of it all was that he left college and got a job.
ensue
to happen after or as a result of another event
An argument ensued.
The riot police swooped in and chaos ensued.
