Lesson 20 Y words Flashcards
(41 cards)
stumble
verb
UK /ˈstʌm.bəl/ US /ˈstʌm.bəl/
спотыкаться, запинаться, оступаться
stumble verb (WALK)
C2 [ I ]
to step awkwardly while walking or running and fall or begin to fall:
- Running along the beach, she stumbled on a log and fell on the sand.
[ I usually + adv/prep ]
to walk in a way that does not seem controlled:
- We could hear her stumbling about/around the bedroom in the dark.
- He pulled on his clothes and stumbled into the kitchen.
ошибиться, запинаться, замяться
stumble verb (PAUSE)
C2 [ I ]
to make a mistake, such as repeating something or pausing for too long, while speaking or playing a piece of music:
- When the poet stumbled over a line in the middle of a poem, someone in the audience corrected him.
stumble across/on/upon sth/sb
to discover something by chance, or to meet someone by chance:
- Workmen stumbled upon the mosaic while digging foundations for a new building.
stumble into something
- Fry says he stumbled into guitarmaking.
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
gradual
adjective
UK /ˈɡrædʒ.u.əl/ US /ˈɡrædʒ.u.əl/
B2
happening or changing slowly over a long period of time or distance:
- There has been a gradual improvement in our sales figures over the last two years.
- As you go further south, you will notice a gradual change of climate.
changing or developing slowly or by small degrees:
- He has suffered a gradual decline in health over the past year.
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
steady
adjective
UK /ˈsted.i/ US /ˈsted.i/
устойчивый, постоянный, неуклонный, равномерный
steady adjective (GRADUAL)
B2
happening in a smooth, gradual, and regular way, not suddenly or unexpectedly:
- The procession moved through the streets at a steady pace.
- Orders for new ships are rising, after several years of steady decline.
- Over the last ten years he has produced a steady flow/stream/trickle of articles and papers.
- Progress has been slow but steady.
steady adjective (FIRM)
B2
not moving or changing suddenly:
- I’ll hold the boat steady while you climb in.
- Most rental prices have held steady this year.
- Young people assume that if you are in a steady relationship, you don’t have to worry about HIV.
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
comprehend
verb [ I or T, not continuous ] formal
UK /ˌkɒm.prɪˈhend/ US /ˌkɑːm.prəˈhend/
to understand something completely:
- He doesn’t seem to comprehend the scale of the problem
- [ + question word ] I’ll never comprehend why she did what she did.
- [ + that ] I don’t think he fully comprehends that she won’t be here to help him.
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
douse
verb [ T ] (also dowse)
UK /daʊs/ US /daʊs/
to make something or someone wet by throwing a lot of liquid over it, him, or her:
- We watched as demonstrators doused a car in/with petrol and set it alight.
to stop a fire or light from burning or shining, especially by putting water on it or by covering it with something
- Efforts to douse the flames were hampered by high winds.
- Douse the lights (= turn off the lights).
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
extinguish
verb [ T ]
UK /ɪkˈstɪŋ.ɡwɪʃ/ US /ɪkˈstɪŋ.ɡwɪʃ/
extinguish verb [T] (FIRE/LIGHT)
to stop a fire or a light burning:
- It took the firefighters several hours to extinguish the flames.
- to extinguish a cigarette
extinguish verb [T] (FEELING/IDEA)
literary
to stop or get rid of an idea or feeling:
- Nothing could extinguish his love for her.
extinguish | BUSINESS ENGLISH
LAW
аннулировать
to take something away, for example a right to do something:
- A deed restriction extinguishes the right to use or develop a property for certain things.
FINANCE
выплачивать, погашать долг
to decide that a debt does not have to be paid:
- With interest the debt doubled and was not finally extinguished until years later.
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
struggle
verb
UK /ˈstrʌɡ.əl/ US /ˈstrʌɡ.əl/
struggle verb (EFFORT)
B2 [ I ]
to experience difficulty and make a very great effort in order to do something:
- [ + to infinitive ] The dog had been struggling to get free of the wire noose.
- I’ve been struggling to understand this article all afternoon.
- Fish struggle for survival when the water level drops in the lake.
struggle along, through, out, etc.
to move somewhere with great effort:
- He struggled along the rough road holding his son.
- By this time he’d managed to struggle out of bed.
[ I ] informal
to be in danger of failing or being defeated:
- After the first half, United were really struggling.
struggle verb (FIGHT)
B2 [ I ]
to fight, especially with your hands:
- He struggled with his attacker who then ran away.
struggle | BUSINESS ENGLISH
to try or fight very hard in order to do or get something:
(struggle with/against sth)
- For years she struggled with the department to get her ideas accepted.
(struggle for sth)
- Women struggle for equal rights.
to find it extremely difficult to succeed or to achieve something:
- In the current climate many small businesses are struggling.
(struggle to do sth)
- The Government will struggle to achieve its target of 15% of electricity from renewables.
(struggle along/through)
- The company may struggle along on its own but a merger with a stronger company would be better for its pension holders.
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
wreckage
noun [ U ]
UK /ˈrek.ɪdʒ/ US /ˈrek.ɪdʒ/
C2
a badly damaged object or the separated parts of a badly damaged object:
- Two children were trapped in the wreckage.
- The wreckage of the car was scattered over the roadside.
- Experts were sent to inspect the plane’s wreckage.
what is left of something that has been spoiled or that has failed:
- Kate was still clinging to the wreckage of her failed marriage.
wreckage | BUSINESS ENGLISH
a situation in which something has been badly damaged or destroyed:
- The bank’s directors should not be allowed to walk away from the financial wreckage they created.
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
dull
adjective
UK /dʌl/ US /dʌl/
dull adjective (BORING) B1 not interesting or exciting in any way: - She wrote dull, respectable articles for the local newspaper. - He's pleasant enough, but deadly dull
dull adjective (NOT BRIGHT)
C1
not clear, bright, or shiny:
- We could just see a dull glow given off by the fire’s last embers.
dull adjective (NOT SHARP)
A dull sound or pain is not sharp or clear:
- I heard a dull thud from the kitchen and realized she must have fainted.
- The dull rumble of traffic woke her.
- She felt a dull ache at the back of her head.
- a dull knife
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
dull
verb [ T ]
UK /dʌl/ US /dʌl/
притупить
to make something less severe:
- Homeless children sniff glue to dull their hunger pains.
to make something less sharp or clear:
- Lack of sleep will dull your reflexes.
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
charcoal
noun [ U ]
UK /ˈtʃɑː.kəʊl/ US /ˈtʃɑːr.koʊl/
древесный уголь
a hard, black substance similar to coal that can be used as fuel or, in the form of sticks, as something to draw with:
- lamb grilled on charcoal
- charcoal for the barbecue
- a charcoal drawing
- with a thick charcoal he traced out the line of the front
Charcoal gray is a dark gray color:
- a charcoal gray suit
- his charcoal sweater
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
toad
noun [ C ]
UK /təʊd/ US /toʊd/
жаба, гадина
a small, brown animal, similar to a frog, that has big eyes and long back legs for swimming and jumping:
- Toads have drier, lumpier skins than frogs and spend less time in the water.
toad noun [C] (MAN)
informal
an extremely unpleasant man, especially one who is not very physically attractive:
- [ as form of address ] You lying toad!
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
rod
noun [ C ]
UK /rɒd/ US /rɑːd/
жезл, прут, стержень, штанга
rod noun [C] (POLE)
a long, thin pole made of wood or metal:
- He was given a fishing rod for his birthday.
- The concrete is strengthened with steel rods.
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
skyrocket
verb [ I ]
UK /ˈskaɪˌrɒk.ɪt/ US /ˈskaɪˌrɑː.kɪt/
to rise extremely quickly or make extremely quick progress towards success:
- Housing prices have skyrocketed in recent months.
skyrocket | BUSINESS ENGLISH
to rise or become successful extremely quickly:
- San Diego electricity prices skyrocketed to 20¢ per kilowatt hour.
skyrocketing
adjective [ before noun ]
- Borrowers now face skyrocketing payments.
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
bid
verb
UK /bɪd/ US /bɪd/
bid verb (OFFER)
C2 [ I or T ] present participle bidding | past tense bid | past participle bid
to offer a particular amount of money for something that is for sale and compete against other people to buy it, especially at a public sale of goods or property:
- She knew she couldn’t afford it, so she didn’t bid.
- The communications group has shown an interest in bidding for the company.
- A foreign collector has bid $500,000 for the portrait.
[ + two objects ]
- What am I bid for this fine vase?
[ I ] present participle bidding | past tense bid | past participle bid
If two or more people bid for a job, they compete with each other to do the work by offering to do it for a particular amount of money:
- The department is trying to ensure fairer competition among firms bidding for city contracts.
[ T + to infinitive ] present participle bidding | past tense bid | past participle bid
If someone bids to do something, they compete with other people to do it:
- Paris is bidding to host the next Olympics.
bid | BUSINESS ENGLISH
[ I or T ] COMMERCE, FINANCE
to compete to buy something by offering a particular amount of money for it:
- We have a keen interest in the property, although we have not made any definite decision to bid.
(bid for sth)
- Potential buyers must register and bid for items online before the cutoff dates.
(bid sth for sth)
- The previously unknown company bid $9.3 billion for the oil fields.
[ I ]
to compete for work by offering to do it for a particular price:
(bid for sth)
- Taylor-Stanley yesterday confirmed it had bid for the contract.
(bid on sth)
- Follow these steps to bid successfully on a government contract.
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
airfare
noun [ C ]
UK /ˈeə.feər/ US /ˈer.fer/
стоимость авиабилетов
the money that someone pays to travel by plane:
- Transatlantic airfares are going up.
- a first-class/round-trip airfare
(average/higher/lower airfares)
- The number of people entering the United States has soared in recent years, thanks to lower airfares.
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
halt
verb [ I or T ]
UK /hɒlt/ US /hɑːlt/
to (cause to) stop moving or doing something or happening:
- “Halt!” called the guard. “You can’t go any further without a permit.”
- Production has halted at all of the company’s factories because of the pay dispute.
- Security forces halted the demonstrators by blocking the road.
- [ T ] Congress voted additional funds in an effort to halt the spread of the disease.
- [ T ] Nationwide, mail delivery was halted by the strike.
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
halt
noun [ S ]
UK /hɒlt/ US /hɑːlt/
an occasion when something stops moving or happening:
- the recent halt in production
- Severe flooding has brought trains to a halt (= prevented them from moving) on several lines in Scotland.
- The bus came to a halt (= stopped) just in time to avoid hitting the wall.
- If traffic increases beyond a certain level, the city grinds to a halt (= stops completely).
- The car screeched to a halt (= stopped suddenly and noisily) just as the lights turned red.
call a halt to sth
to prevent something from continuing:
- How many more people will have to die before they call a halt to the fighting?
<a>isweareenglis grind to a halt</a><br></br><a>isweareenglis call a halt to</a><br></br><a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
acute
adjective
UK /əˈkjuːt/ US /əˈkjuːt/
острая, резка, сильная
acute adjective (EXTREME)
If a bad situation is acute, it causes severe problems or damage:
- She felt acute embarrassment/anxiety/concern at his behaviour.
- The problem of poverty is particularly acute in rural areas.
An acute pain or illness is one that quickly becomes very severe:
- acute abdominal pains
- an acute attack of appendicitis
Compare chronic (LONG-LASTING)
acute adjective (ACCURATE/CLEVER) used to describe intelligence, thinking, feeling, hearing, seeing, smelling, or tasting, etc. that are very good, accurate, and able to notice very small differences: - acute eyesight/hearing - an acute sense of smell - a woman of acute intelligence/judgment
acute adjective (ANGLE) An acute angle is less than 90 degrees. Compare obtuse (ANGLE) specialized; reflex
acute | BUSINESS ENGLISH
if a bad situation is acute, it causes severe problems or damage:
- The problem is particularly acute for small businesses.
- an acute conflict/crisis/need
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
ease
verb
UK /iːz/ US /iːz/
ease verb (MAKE LESS)
[ I or T ]
to make or become less severe, difficult, unpleasant, painful, etc.:
- To ease the problem of overcrowding, new prisons will be built.
- These pills should ease the pain.
- After the arrival of the United Nations soldiers, tension in the area began to ease.
ease verb (MOVE)
[ T + adv/prep ]
to move or to make something move slowly and carefully in a particular direction or into a particular position:
- She eased the key into the lock, anxious not to wake anyone.
- I eased myself out of the chair.
ease sb’s mind
to stop someone from worrying:
- If it eases your mind, I’ll have a word with Charlotte for you.
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
ease up/off
— phrasal verb with ease verb
UK /iːz/ US /iːz/
(STOP)
to gradually stop or become less:
- At last the rain began to ease off.
(WORK LESS)
to start to work less or do things with less energy:
- As he got older, he started to ease up a little.
(TREAT LESS SEVERELY)
to start to treat someone less severely:
- I wish his supervisor would ease up on him a bit.
<a>isweareenglish</a><br></br><a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
ease sb out
— phrasal verb with ease verb
UK /iːz/ US /iːz/
to make someone leave a job or powerful position:
- The head teacher was eased out of his job after teachers and parents accused him of being autocratic.
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
exceed
verb [ T ]
UK /ɪkˈsiːd/ US /ɪkˈsiːd/
C1
to be greater than a number or amount, or to go past an allowed limit:
- The final cost should not exceed $5,000.
- The success of our campaign has exceeded our wildest expectations.
- She was found guilty on three charges of exceeding the speed limit.
exceed | BUSINESS ENGLISH
to go past the level, limit, rate, etc. that you are allowed:
- Customers who exceed their credit limits will be charged a fee.
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
jab
verb
UK /dʒæb/ US /dʒæb/
-bb-
[ I or T, usually + adv/prep ]
to push or hit something forcefully and quickly, often with a thin or sharp object:
- The doctor jabbed the needle into the dog’s leg.
- Watch out! You nearly jabbed me in the eye with your umbrella!
- He was jabbing a finger at (= towards) them and shouting angrily.
[ T ] UK informal
to use a needle and syringe (= small tube) to put a liquid such as a drug into a person’s body:
- By the end of May, we will have jabbed more than 10,000 people.
- Thanks to the good folk at Queens Medical Centre for jabbing me.
[ I ]
to make quick forceful hits with your fist (= closed hand) when boxing
[ T ]
to kick a ball hard and quickly:
- He jabbed the ball into the net in the final minute of the game.
<a>Cambridge</a><br></br><a>Listen</a>
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