lol stories Flashcards
Legion
a large group of soldiers that forms part of an army, especially the one that existed in ancient Rome
the French Foreign Legion
Caesar’s legions
column
a long, moving line of people or vehicles
a long column of troops and tanks
to march in columns
limp
to walk slowly or with difficulty because one leg is injured
She had twisted her ankle and was limping.
+ adv./prep. Matt limped painfully off the field.
Extra Examples
He limped away from his car.
By the time we got back home she was limping badly.
He was still limping slightly from his knee injury.
watchful
paying attention to what is happening in case of danger, accidents, etc.
Her expression was watchful and alert.
His mother kept a watchful eye on him.
The children played under the watchful eye of their teacher.
She seemed watchful and slightly worried.
mutter
to speak or say something in a quiet voice that is difficult to hear, especially because you are annoyed about something
+ speech ‘How dare she,’ he muttered under his breath.
mutter (something) (to somebody/yourself) (about something) She just sat there muttering to herself.
I muttered something about needing to get back to work.
mutter that… He muttered that he was sorry.
‘I don’t need a drink, ’ she muttered through clenched teeth.
He was muttering incoherently to himself.
Helen began muttering darkly about hospitals.
She heard him mutter an oath under his breath.
She muttered something about the incompetence of the office staff.
sturdy
(of an object) strong and not easily damaged
SYNONYM robust
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a sturdy pair of boots
a sturdy table
The vehicle is sturdy enough to withstand rough terrain.
hoof
the hard part of the foot of some animals, for example horses
The horse tossed its head and stamped its hooves nervously.
gaze
+ adv./prep. to look steadily at somebody/something for a long time, either because you are very interested or surprised, or because you are thinking of something else SYNONYM stare ================== She gazed at him in amazement. He sat for hours just gazing into space. Synonyms stare Extra Examples Every one gazed at her beautiful jewels. He gazed absently at the passing crowd. He gazed out over the lake. They gazed in wonder at the mighty peaks.
gleam
to shine with a pale clear light
The moonlight gleamed on the water.
Her eyes gleamed in the dark.
Synonyms shine
The knife’s blade gleamed dully in the dark.
A light gleamed faintly from a first floor window.
The evening light gleamed softly through the window
gruelling
very difficult and making you very tired, needing great effort for a long time
a gruelling journey/schedule
I’ve had a gruelling day.
It had been a gruelling season, but the final result made it worthwhile.
a gruelling work schedule
a sporting event that represents a gruelling test of endurance
the gruelling journey on foot from London to Rome
fervently
in a way that shows very strong and sincere feelings about something
She prayed fervently for his complete recovery.
We fervently hope they will succeed.
garner something
to obtain or collect something such as information, support, etc.
SYNONYM gather, acquire
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All the information that we garnered has been kept on file.
defiance
the act of openly refusing to obey somebody/something
a look/an act/a gesture of defiance
in defiance of something Nuclear testing was resumed in defiance of an international ban.
She held up a clenched fist in a gesture of defiance.
They organized a street demonstration in complete defiance of the government ban.
I left the room untidy out of sheer defiance.
She held up a clenched fist in defiance.
blatant defiance of the rules
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Word Family
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defy verb
defiance noun
defiant adjective
heft
heft something (+ adv./prep.) to lift or carry something heavy from one position to another
The two men hefted the box into the car.
overhead
above your head; in the sky ================= Planes flew overhead constantly. Thunder boomed in the sky overhead. Storm clouds were gathering overhead. The moon was high overhead. The seagulls circled overhead. The storm must be directly overhead.
notoriety
the state of being famous for being bad in some way
notoriety (for something) She achieved notoriety for her affair with the senator.
This make of car has a certain notoriety for rust problems.
notoriety as something He gained a certain notoriety as a gambler.
banner
a long piece of cloth with a message on it that is carried between two poles or hung in a public place to show support for something
A huge banner over the street said ‘Welcome home’.
Protesters carried a banner reading ‘Save our Wildlife’.
Extra Examples
Banners demanded the leader’s resignation.
The demonstrators carried banners bearing various slogans.
They marched forward with banners waving in the wind.
A banner strung across the road read, ‘Welcome home, boys!’
crave
to have a very strong desire for something
SYNONYM long for
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crave (for) something She has always craved excitement.
to crave alcohol/drugs/sweet food/carbohydrates/cigarettes/coffee
crave to do something They craved to return to their homeland.
adulation
great praise, especially when it is greater than necessary
The band enjoy the adulation of their fans wherever they go.
stalemate
a disagreement or a situation in a competition in which neither side is able to win or make any progress
The talks ended in (a) stalemate.
proposals aimed at breaking (= ending) the political stalemate
The strike has once again reached stalemate.
Efforts to break the stalemate in the peace talks continue.
The stalemate in the trade talks continues.
The talks reached (a) stalemate.
a stalemate between management and unions
a stalemate over economic issues
ambush
the act of hiding and waiting for somebody and then making a surprise attack on them
Two soldiers were killed in a terrorist ambush.
They were lying in ambush, waiting for the aid convoy.
The government was defeated in its attempt to pass the law by an opposition ambush.
We ran into an ambush in the valley.
The soldiers set up an ambush on the road.
They staged an ambush on an army patrol.
vicious
violent and cruel SYNONYM brutal ==================== a vicious attack a vicious criminal She has a vicious temper. Police described the robbery as particularly vicious. Extra Examples a particularly vicious and brutal crime He was set upon by vicious thugs. This was a particularly vicious assault.
attrition
a process of making somebody/something, especially your enemy, weaker by repeatedly attacking them or creating problems for them
It was a war of attrition.
These were the economics not of efficiency but of attrition.
veteran
a person who has a lot of experience in a particular area or activity
the veteran American actor, Clint Eastwood
The speech was given by the veteran British actor and producer, Sir Richard Attenborough.
He’s a seasoned veteran of the political establishment.
He’s the seasoned veteran, who has taken the children to the museum many times.
a veteran of numerous political campaigns
an eight-year veteran of the New York Yankees
prestigious
respected and admired as very important or of very high quality
a prestigious award
a highly prestigious university
My parents wanted me to go to a more prestigious university.
the city’s most prestigious and exclusive hotel
The Gold Cup is one of the most prestigious events in the racing calendar.
irony
the funny or strange aspect of a situation that is very different from what you expect; a situation like this
It was one of life’s little ironies.
the irony (is) that… The irony is that when he finally got the job, he discovered he didn’t like it.
It is a nice irony that the Minister of Transport missed the meeting because her train was delayed.
The ultimate irony is that the revolution, rather than bringing freedom, actually ended it completely.
There is a certain irony in the situation.
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the use of words that say the opposite of what you really mean, often as a joke and with a tone of voice that shows this
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‘England is famous for its food,’ she said with heavy irony.
There was a note of irony in his voice.
She said it without a hint/trace of irony.
He thanked us all without a touch of irony.
She congratulated him with gentle irony.
She tried to ignore the heavy irony in his voice.
His writing is rich in irony.
bouncers
a person employed to stand at the entrance to a club, pub, etc. to stop people who are not wanted from going in, and to throw out people who are causing trouble inside
The bouncers threw him out when he became aggressive.
adhere to something
(formal) to behave according to a particular law, rule, set of instructions, etc.; to follow a particular set of beliefs or a fixed way of doing something
For ten months he adhered to a strict no-fat low-salt diet.
She adheres to teaching methods she learned over 30 years ago.
Staff should adhere strictly to the safety guidelines.
The diet will work if it is adhered to.
The guidelines were not always fully adhered to.
This principle must be strictly adhered to.
We adhere to the company’s code of practice.
temper
to make something less severe by adding something that has the opposite effect
be tempered with something Justice must be tempered with mercy.
be tempered by something The hot sunny days were tempered by a light breeze.
His delight was tempered by regret.
reluctantly
in a way that involves hesitating before doing something because you do not want to do it or because you are not sure that it is the right thing to do
We reluctantly agreed to go with her.
Reluctantly, he started the engine and drove off.
flare
to burn brightly, but usually for only a short time or not steadily
The match flared and went out.
The fire flared into life.
(figurative) Colour flared in her cheeks.
His dark eyes flared angrily.
pound
pound
predatory
(specialist) (of animals) living by killing and eating other animals
stalk
stalk
pale beside/next to something | pale in/by comparison (with/to something) | pale into insignificance
to seem less important when compared with something else
Last year’s riots pale in comparison with this latest outburst of violence.
Our problems pale into insignificance when compared to theirs.
