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)
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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.
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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)
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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.
