Michael Sec 2 Vol II (Adv Vacab Part 1) Flashcards
prolific vs profligate
prolific [adj] producing a large number of works
profligate [adj] spends too much money or uses too much of something
pugilistic /ˌpjuːdʒɪˈlɪstɪk/
[adj] connected with boxing or boxers
pugilism [noun] the art, practice, or profession of fighting with the fists; boxing
wayfaring
[adj] [noun] traveling, esp. on foot
paucity
[noun] a small amount of something; less than enough of something
[SYN] insufficiency; dearth [OPP] plethora
“a paucity of information”
“The authorities had to cope with the paucity of information about the effects of the storm.”
“The extremities, however, must be treated with caution due to paucity of data.”
dissemination
[noun] the act or process of distributing or scattering something widely
“the internet’s role in the dissemination of knowledge”
seepage
[noun] the process by which a liquid flows slowly and in small quantities through something
“Water gradually escapes by seepage through the ground.”
“Oil spills and seepage from refineries are common.”
misnomer /ˌmɪsˈnəʊmə(r)/
If you say that a word or name is a misnomer, you mean that it describes something incorrectly.
“Herbal ‘tea’ is something of a misnomer because these drinks contain no tea at all. “
“It was the scruffiest place I’ve ever stayed in, so “Grand Hotel” was a complete misnomer.”
scruffy /ˈskrʌf.i/ untidy and looking a little dirty
nomenclature /ˈnəʊmənkleɪtʃər/
The nomenclature of a particular set of things is the system of naming those things.
“…mistakes arising from ignorance of the nomenclature of woody plants.”
nonentity /nɒnˈentəti/
If you refer to someone as a nonentity, you mean that they are not special or important in any way. [disapproval]
synonym nobody
“She was written off then as a political nonentity.”
abound /əˈbaʊnd/ abounding
[verb] to exist in great numbers or quantities
“Stories about his travels abound.”
“Venice abounds in famous hotels.”
abounding [adj] very plentiful; abundant.
““his abounding creative talent””
libel /ˈlaɪbl/
[verb] to publish a written statement about somebody that is not true [SIMILAR TO] slander
“He claimed he had been libelled in an article the magazine had published.”
[noun] “He sued the newspaper for libel.”
siphon /ˈsaɪfn/
[verb] 1) siphon liquid: “Surgeons siphoned off fluid from his left lung.” 2) siphon money or resources: “They siphon foreign aid money into their personal bank accounts.”
[noun] a tube that is used to move liquid from one container down into another, lower container
insouciance, insouciant
Insouciance /ɪnˈsuːsiəns/ is lack of concern shown by someone about something which they might be expected to take more seriously. synonym nonchalance
“He replied with characteristic insouciance: ‘So what?’ “
“She hid her worries behind an air of insouciance.”
insouciant /ɪnˈsuːsiənt/ [adj] lack of concern about something which they might be expected to take more seriously.
“Programme-makers seem irresponsibly insouciant about churning out violence.”
sobriety /səˈbraɪəti/
the state of being sober rather than drunk; or completely stopped drinking alcohol, especially after being an alcoholic
[opposite] insobriety
“I can assure you I’m in a state of complete sobriety.”
“It’s been a long hard road to sobriety for her.”
“…the values society depends upon, such as honesty, sobriety and trust.”
palpable
something as palpable when it is obvious or intense and easily noticed
“The tension in the room was almost palpable.”
“There is an almost palpable feeling of hopelessness.”
innocuous
not at all harmful or offensive; not intended or likely to offend or upset anyone
[synonym] harmless [opp] nocuous
“The question appeared innocuous enough, but I still did not trust her.”
“Both mushrooms look innocuous but are in fact deadly. “
“Even seemingly innocuous words are offensive in certain contexts.”
nefarious /nɪˈfeəriəs/
criminal; extremely bad; wicked and immoral.
“hey can hack your account and use the information for nefarious purposes.”
“The company’s CEO seems to have been involved in some nefarious activities.”
commiserate /kəˈmɪzəreɪt/
[verb] If you commiserate with someone, you show them pity or sympathy when something unpleasant has happened to them.
“When I lost, he commiserated with me.”
“I began by commiserating with her over the defeat.”
extraneous /ɪkˈstreɪniəs/
not directly connected with or related to something
“We do not want any extraneous information on the page.”
“All extraneous information has been removed from the report.”
“These questions are extraneous to the issue being discussed.”
aboriginal /ˌæbəˈrɪdʒənl/
[adj] relating to the original people, animals, etc. of a place and to a period of time before Europeans arrived
“the aboriginal peoples of Canada”
“…Aboriginal art. “
“…a protest over Aboriginal land rights.”
expatriate /ˌeksˈpætriət/
An expatriate is someone who is living/working in a country which is not their own.
“My family lived as expatriates in Hong Kong before I was born.”
“There are a lot American expatriates in Singapore”
avionics
the science of electronics used in aviation, OR
the electronic devices in an aircraft or a spacecraft
manifold /ˈmænɪfəʊld/
[adj] many; of many different types
“The possibilities were manifold.”
“The difficulties are manifold.”
“Despite her manifold faults, she was a strong leader.”
depraved
[adj] morally bad
synonym wicked, evil
“Someone who can kill a child like that must be totally depraved.”
“She described it as the work of depraved and evil criminals.”
deprave [ verb] to make someone depraved
melodramatic /ˌmelədrəˈmætɪk/
showing much stronger emotions than are necessary or usual for a situation; behaving or reacting to something in an exaggerated way
“a melodramatic speech”
“‘Don’t you think you’re being rather melodramatic?’ Jane asked.”
“
circumvent [verb]
1) to circumvent a rule or restriction: to avoid having to obey the rule or restriction, in a clever and perhaps dishonest way.
“They found a way of circumventing the law.”
“Military planners tried to circumvent the treaty.”
2) to circumvent someone: cleverly prevent them from achieving something, especially when they are trying to harm you.
outflank
1) (in a battle) to move forward past an enemy position in order to attack it from the side or from the back
“Instead of confronting the enemy directly, Napoleon simply outflanked them.”
2) (outflank someone) succeed in getting into a position where you can win, for example in an argument
“The government has outflanked the opposition by cutting taxes.”
penury [noun] /ˈpenjəri/
the state of being extremely poor.
[synonym] poverty
“He died in penury.”
“They were reduced to penury.”
“He was brought up in penury, without education.”
plutocracy /pluːˈtɒkrəsi/
[formal] A plutocracy is a country which is ruled by its wealthiest people, or a class of wealthy people who rule a country.
“Financial, not moral, considerations will prevail in a plutocracy. “
“It’s time we put an end to plutocracy.”
garrison
1) A garrison is a group of soldiers whose task is to guard the town or building where they live.
“The 100-strong garrison had received no supplies for a week.”
2) A garrison is the buildings which the soldiers live in.
“The approaches to the garrison have been heavily mined.”
mendacious
[adj] not telling the truth [synonym] lying
- A mendacious person is someone who tells lies.
- A mendacious statement is one that is a lie.
“Remember that you started all this for your own mendacious ends.”
“Some of these statements are misleading and some are downright mendacious.”
tenet /ˈtenɪt/
one of the principles or beliefs that a theory or larger set of beliefs is based on
“They are an extreme sect with their own tenets and doctrines.”
“Non-violence and patience are the central tenets of their faith.”
“It is a tenet of contemporary psychology that an individual’s mental health is supported by having good social networks.”
prerequisite /ˌpriːˈrekwəzɪt/
[noun] If one thing is a prerequisite for another, it must happen or exist before the other thing is possible.
“Good self-esteem is a prerequisite for a happy life.”
“Passing a written test is a prerequisite for taking the advanced course.”
[adj] that must exist or happen before something else can happen or be done
“prerequisite knowledge”
felon, felony
A felon is a person who is guilty of committing a felony, such as murder or rape.
“The law requires convicted felons entering the state to register their address with the police.”
felony is the act of committing a serious crime such as murder or rape; a crime of this type
“He pleaded guilty to six felonies.”
cognizant /ˈkɒɡnɪzənt/
[adj] If someone is cognizant of something, they are aware of it or understand it.
“We should be cognizant of the fact that every complaint is not a justified complaint.”
“And judging by the repeated glances the woman gave the sky, she too was cognizant of the failing light.”
cognizance [noun]
throng
[verb] to go somewhere or be present somewhere in large numbers
“The children thronged into the hall.”
“The narrow streets were thronged with summer visitors.”
“Tourists throng the beaches between late June and early August.”
[noun] a crowd or large group of people:
“A huge throng had gathered around the speaker.”
brimful
brimful of something: completely full of something
“She’s certainly brimful of energy.”
“The United States is brimful with highly paid doctors.”
“Nobody could call this year’s Cannes film festival brimful of wonderful surprises.”
brim [noun] the top edge of a cup, bowl, glass, etc.
“two wine glasses, filled to the brim”
“(figurative) She felt suddenly alive and full to the brim with enthusiasm.”
unblemished, blemish
unblemished: not spoiled, harmed, damaged or marked in any way
“He had an unblemished reputation.”
“her pale unblemished skin”
“The team had a previously unblemished record (= they had not lost any games).”
blemish [noun] [ verb]
“make-up to cover blemishes”
“(figurative) His reputation is without a blemish.”
“He wasn’t about to blemish that pristine record.”
commiserative
of or relating to feelings or expressions of sympathy or compassion for others
Adjective form for commiserate: to feel or express sympathy or compassion (for) someone, + with
parsimonious
[formal] extremely unwilling to spend money or use a lot of something
[synonym] mean
“She’s too parsimonious to heat the house properly.”
“I think that politicians are often parsimonious with the (= do not tell the complete) truth.”
“Even the most parsimonious student who goes through university will enter the job market weighed down by debt.”
iniquitous /ɪˈnɪkwɪtəs/
[formal] very unfair or morally bad.
[synonym] wicked
“In an iniquitous twist of fate, what should have protected him had ultimately cost him his life.”
“Non-transparent, iniquitous and inefficient taxation distorts resource allocation and hampers the growth of trade.”
forsake [forsook | forsaken]
1) to leave somebody/something, especially when you have a responsibility to stay
[synonym] abandon
“He had made it clear to his wife that he would never forsake her.”
“I still love him and I would never forsake him.”
2) to stop doing something, or leave something, especially something that you enjoy
[synonym] renounce
“She forsook the glamour of the city and went to live in the countryside.”
“He decided to forsake politics for journalism.”
forswear [forswore | forsworn]
If you forswear something, you promise that you will stop doing it, having it, or using it.
[synonym] renounce
“The group forswears all worldly possessions.”
“The country has not forsworn the use of chemical weapons.”
expiate /ˈekspieɪt/
[formal] If you expiate guilty feelings or bad behaviour, you do something to indicate that you are sorry for what you have done.
“Alice was expiating her father’s sins with her charity work.”
“He had a chance to confess and expiate his guilt.”
“I am here to expiate my own sin of not paying the necessary attention.”
antithesis /ænˈtɪθəsɪs/ [noun]
antithetical /ˌæntɪˈθetɪkl/ [adj]
1) [formal] The antithesis of something is its exact opposite.
“Love is the antithesis of selfishness.”
“She is slim and shy - the very antithesis of her sister.”
“He is the exact antithesis of what I find attractive in men.”
“The little black dress is the antithesis of fussy dressing.”
2) [formal] If there is an antithesis between two things, there is a contrast between them.
“There is an antithesis between the needs of the state and the needs of the people.”
“Thanks to the collapse of communism the political antithesis between Left and Right is less important.”
Something that is antithetical to something else is the opposite of it and is unable to exist with it.
“A culture of violence is antithetical to the church’s traditional teaching.”
interloper /ˈɪntələʊpə(r)/
Someone who has come into a situation or a place where they are not wanted or do not belong.
[synonym] intruder
“She felt like an interloper in her own family.”
“Security did not prevent an interloper from getting onto the stage at the opening ceremony.”
“He can spot any interlopers among the stars immediately.”
“Sadly, it has been stolen by some foul interloper!”
antipathy /ænˈtɪpəθi/
[formal] a strong feeling of dislike or hostility towards someone or something.
“Her antipathy towards/toward swimming dates back to childhood.”
“There was a lot of antipathy between the two doctors.”
“I feel a profound antipathy to using any weapon.”
sedentary [adj]
(of lifestyle or job) siting down a lot of the time and not taking much exercise.
“My doctor says I should start playing sport because my lifestyle is too sedentary.”
“Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle has been linked with an increased risk of heart disease.”
“He became increasingly sedentary in later life.”
pugnacious
always ready to quarrel or start a fight.
inveigle /ɪnˈveɪɡl/
[formal] cleverly (sometimes dishonestly) persuade someone to do it when they do not really want to.
“He inveigled himself into her affections (= dishonestly made her love him).”
“Her son tried to inveigle her into giving him the money for a car.”
“She managed to inveigle her way into the club.”
Compare: coax; cajole; wheedle (disapproving)
wheedle
to persuade somebody to give you something or do something by saying nice things that you do not mean
[synonym] coax
“The kids can always wheedle money out of their father.”
“She wheedled me into lending her my new coat.”
“I tried different approaches - I wheedled, threatened, demanded, cajoled.”
incendiary /ɪnˈsendiəri/
1) designed to cause fires
“Five incendiary devices were found in her house.”
“(fig.) Thai food often is incendiary (= spicy hot).”
2) (formal) causing strong feelings or violence
“Some incendiary issues should simply be avoided.”
“His incendiary talk has been matched by others in his administration.”
oration
a formal speech made in public, especially as part of a ceremony
“a brief funeral oration”
comatose /ˈkəʊmətəʊs/
1) (medical) deeply unconscious; in a coma
“The right side of his brain had been so severely bruised that he was comatose for a month.”
2) (humorous) extremely tired and having no energy; sleeping deeply
“Grandpa lies comatose on the sofa.”
“By midnight I was virtually comatose.”
histrionics [noun] /ˌhɪstriˈɒnɪks/
[disapproval] very emotional, dramatic and exaggerated behaviour that is intended to attract attention in a way that does not seem sincere
“I’d had enough of Lydia’s histrionics.”
“Sorry about the histrionics, Bunny,” he said apologetically.”
“So, if we’re through with the histrionics, perhaps we can start again.”
“When I explained everything to my mum and dad, there were no histrionics.”
ancillary
additional, or providing additional support or help:
[synonym] auxiliary
“ancillary workers in the health service such as cooks and cleaners”
“Ancillary charges are at least $30 per day. “
“Scientific development meant the growth of numerous professions ancillary to medicine.”
suburban
1) in or connected with a suburb
“They live in suburban Washington.”
2) dull and conventional.
“His clothes are conservative and suburban.”
mawkish /ˈmɔːkɪʃ/
[adj] showing emotion or love in an awkward or embarrassing way; sentimental and silly.
“The film lapses into mawkish sentimentality near the end.”
“A sordid, sentimental plot unwinds, with an inevitable mawkish ending.”
inner sanctum /ˈsæŋktəm/
a private (sometimes secret )place or room where someone is never interrupted
“His bedroom’s his inner sanctum.”
“She once allowed me into her inner sanctum.”
“She never presumed on her friendship with Eve by expecting to be let in to the inner sanctum.”
fratricide; matricide; patricide; parricide
fratricide: the crime of killing one’s brother or sister, or or killing members of one’s own group or country
matricide: the crime of killing one’s mother
patricide: the crime of killing one’s father
parricide: the crime of killing father, mother or siblings
regicide /ˈredʒɪsaɪd/
[noun] the crime of killing a king or queen; a person who is guilty of this crime
incest /ˈɪnsest/
Incest is the crime of two members of the same family having sexual intercourse
sequester = sequestrate
sequestered [adj]
[verb] to take temporary possession of someone’s property until they have paid money that is owed or until they have obeyed a court order
“He tried to prevent union money from being sequestrated by the courts.”
[adj] A sequestered place is quiet and far away from busy places.
“I found a sequestered spot in the park and lay down with my book.”
aural
[adj] connected with hearing and listening
“He became famous as an inventor of astonishing visual and aural effects.”
reverent /ˈrevərənt/
showing deep respect
[synonym] respectful [Opposite] irreverent
“A reverent silence fell over the crowd.”
“an irreverent attitude to tradition”
“His irreverence for authority marks him out as a troublemaker.”
indubitable
[adj] definite and cannot be doubted
[OPP] dubitable: open to doubt
[Compare] dubious: doubtful or suspicious (probably not honest)
“an indubitable fact”
communion
a close relationship with someone in which feelings and thoughts are exchanged:
“He found spiritual communion with her.”
“He lived in close communion with nature/God.”
vocation
a type of work that you feel you are suited to doing and to which you give much of your time and energy
“To work in medicine, you should have a vocation for it.”
“He is desperate to follow his vocation as an artist.”
“She is a doctor with a strong sense of vocation.”
“They are set on living out their vocation as priests.”
salubrious /səˈluːbriəs/
(of a place) pleasant to live in; clean and healthy
[opposite] insalubrious
“He doesn’t live in a very salubrious part of town.”
“We had to move to a house in a less salubrious area.”
“In the less salubrious neighbourhoods of Bombay it was a very different story.”
lugubrious
sad rather than lively or cheerful
[synonym] doleful
“He played some passages so slowly that we all became lugubrious”
“That long, lugubrious howl rose on the night air again!”
“He remembered the merchant, long, lanky, and lugubrious of countenance.”
imbibe /ɪmˈbaɪb/
1) To drink, especially alcohol
“Have you been imbibing again?”
“They were used to imbibing enormous quantities of alcohol.”
“No one believes that current nondrinkers should be encouraged to start imbibing.”
2) If you imbibe ideas or arguments, you listen to them, accept them, and believe that they are right or true.
“As a clergyman’s son he’d imbibed a set of mystical beliefs from the cradle.”
subsume /səbˈsjuːm/
to include something in a larger group and not consider it separately
“Soldiers from many different countries have been subsumed into the United Nations peace-keeping force.”
“All these different ideas can be subsumed under just two broad categories.”
“All the statistics have been subsumed under the general heading “Facts and Figures”.”
imbue
to fill somebody/something with strong feelings, opinions or values
[synonym] infuse
“Her voice was imbued with an unusual seriousness.”
“He was imbued with a desire for social justice.”
“His poetry is imbued with deep, religious feeling.”
fetter [verb]
to keep someone within limits or stop them from making progress;
“He felt fettered by petty rules and regulations.”
“He felt fettered by a nine-to-five office existence.”
to tie someone to a place by putting chains around their ankles
“A man lay fettered on the floor of the prison cell.”
bulwark /ˈbʊlwɜːrk/
[noun] something that protects you from dangerous or unpleasant situations
“Law is the bulwark of society.”
“Democracy is a bulwark of freedom.”
“My savings were to be a bulwark against unemployment.”
“At the time fascism had many supporters in the West, who saw it as a bulwark against communism.”
iridescent /ˌɪrɪˈdesnt/
showing many bright colours that change with movement
“a bird with iridescent blue feathers”
“Her latest fashion collection features shimmering iridescent materials.”
obituary /əˈbɪtʃuəri/
an article about somebody’s life and achievements, that is printed in a newspaper soon after they have died
“I read your brother’s obituary in the Times.”
incorrigible /ɪnˈkɒrɪdʒəbl/ <> corrigible
incorrigible: having bad habits/behaviours that cannot be changed or improved
[synonym] incurable
“Those who are possessed of the view of emptiness are said to be incorrigible.”
“ Incorrigible inmates should at least be excluded from most benefits.”
corrigible: capable of being corrected
perfidious /pəˈfɪdiəs/
having betrayed someone before hence cannot be trusted
[synonym] treacherous
“Woman is proven perfidious and disingenuous.”
“She described the new criminal bill as a perfidious attack on democracy.”
“When Caesar realized that Brutus had betrayed him, he reproached his perfidious friend.”
lascivious /ləˈsɪviəs/
(formal, disapproving) feeling or showing strong sexual desire
“The man was lascivious, sexually perverted and insatiable.”
“In his old age Marcus Porcius Cato became lascivious and misconducted himself with a woman slave.”
pliable /ˈplaɪəbl/
1) If something is pliable, you can bend it easily without cracking or breaking it
[synonym] flexible
“The plant has long pliable stems.”
“Some kinds of plastic become pliable if they’re heated.”
“As your baby grows bigger, his bones become less pliable.”
2) If someone who is pliable, he/she can be easily influenced and controlled by other people.
[synonym] impressionable
“He wanted a sweet, pliable, obedient wife.”
flak
[uncountable noun] [informal] strong & severe criticism or opposition
“He’s taken a lot of flak for his political views.”
“She took some flak from her parents about her new dress.”
“In recent years they have attracted more than their fair share of flak from the press.”
fodder /ˈfɒdə(r)/
- (disapproving) (often after a plural noun)
people or things that are considered to have only one use
“People’s fear of the unknown haws provided entertainment FODDER for screenwriters pf mystery thrills and horror movies.”
“Without education, these children will end up as factory fodder (= only able to work in a factory).”
“He regarded lists of rules, regulations and procedures as dustbin fodder (= only fit to be thrown away).”
“Old movies were the cheapest broadcast fodder.”
“This story will be more fodder for the gossip columnists.” - food for horses and farm animals
foliage /ˈfəʊliɪdʒ/
The leaves of a plant are referred to as its foliage.
“…shrubs with grey or silver foliage.”
“The dense foliage overhead almost blocked out the sun.”
confute /kənˈfjuːt/
(formal) to prove a person or an argument to be wrong, invalid, or mistaken
“He confuted his opponents by facts and logic.”
“The lawyer confuted the testimony of the witness by showing actual photographs of the accident.”
deleterious /ˌdeləˈtɪəriəs/
harmful and damaging
“the deleterious effect of stress on health”
“These drugs have a proven deleterious effect on the nervous system.”
“Petty crime is having a deleterious effect on community life. “
wanderlust
[noun] a strong desire to travel far away and to many different places
“In July wanderlust takes over the whole nation in the US.”
“His wanderlust would not allow him to stay long in one spot.”
evince /ɪˈvɪns/ evincive
[verb] to show clearly that you have a feeling or quality (often indirectly)
“He evinced a strong desire to be reconciled with his family.”
“She evinced little enthusiasm for the outdoor life.”
“The new president has so far evinced no such sense of direction.”
“They have never evinced any readiness or ability to negotiate.”
“In all the years I knew her, she never evinced any desire to do such a thing.”
evincive [adj] serving to evince; indicative
salient /ˈseɪliənt/
most important or easy to notice
“She pointed out the salient features of the new design.”
“He summarized the salient points.”
“Chronic fatigue is also one of the salient features of depression.”
“The article presented the salient facts of the dispute clearly and concisely.”
panacea /ˌpænəˈsiːə/
something that will solve all the problems of a particular situation
usually used as “not a panacea”
“Technology is not a panacea for all our problems.”
“There is no single panacea for the problem of unemployment.”
“The proposal is not a panacea for Britain’s economic problems.”
“Western aid may help but will not be a panacea.”
panache /pəˈnæʃ/
[uncountable noun] If you do something with panache, you do it in a confident, stylish, and elegant way.
“She carried off the performance with panache.”
“The orchestra played with great panache.”
“He dressed with panache.”
“Her panache at dealing with the world’s media is quite astonishing. “
euthanasia /ˌjuːθəˈneɪziə/ /ˌjuːθəˈneɪʒə/
the practice of killing someone who is very ill and will never get better in order to end their suffering, usually done at their request or with their consent.
[synonym] mercy killing
“Although some people campaign for the right to euthanasia, it is still illegal in most countries.”
“They argued in favour of legalizing voluntary euthanasia”
contumacy /ˈkɒn.tjʊ.mə.si/ /ˌkənˈtuː.mə.si/
the act of refusing to obey or respect the law in a way that shows contempt
“He was found guilty of contumacy.”
“Twenty ministers were summoned to the court and charged with contumacy.”
“Failure to respond to the summons was regarded as an act of contumacy.”
[adj] contumacious
“The court has the power to apply sanctions for contumacious conduct.”
foreordained = preordained
already decided or planned by God or by fate (inevitable; predestined or established beforehand)
[synonym] predestined
“They seemed preordained to meet.”
“Nora was adamant that all events are foreordained by God”
“Some people believe that fate has preordained whether they will be happy or unhappy.”
shoal [noun] /ʃəʊl/
A shoal of fish is a large group of them swimming together.
“shoals of herring”
“Squid travel in shoals.”
“Among them swam shoals of fish. “
bobble
[verb 1, British] If a ball bobbles, it moves in an irregular and uncontrolled way.
“The ball somehow bobbled into the net.”
[verb 2, US] If a player bobbles a ball, they drop it or fail to control it.
“She tried to catch the ball but bobbled it.”
[noun] a small soft ball made of wool
amnesty /ˈæmnəsti/
[noun 1] an official pardon granted to a group of prisoners by the state.
“The president granted a general amnesty for all political prisoners.”
“Guerrilla groups have accepted the government’s offer of amnesty and have begun demobilizing.”
[noun 2] a period of time during which people can admit to a crime or give up weapons without being punished.
“2 000 knives have been handed in during the month-long amnesty.”
“The government has announced an immediate amnesty for rebel fighters.”
amity /ˈæməti/
a friendly relationship between people or countries
“He wished to live in amity with his neighbour.”
“The two groups had lived in perfect amity for many years before the recent troubles.”
“She was not met with amity when she faced the younger of the two women.”
gastronomic /ˌɡæstrəˈnɒmɪk/
connected with cooking and eating good food
“This dish is a gastronomic delight.”
“Paris is the gastronomic capital of the world. “
“She is sampling gastronomic delights along the coastline.”
sinuous /ˈsɪnjuəs/
[adj] moving with smooth twists and turns; OR having many smooth turns and curves.
“He enjoyed watching the sinuous bodies of the dancers.”
“…the silent, sinuous approach of a snake through the long grass.”
“The hikers followed the sinuous path through the trees.”
“I drove along sinuous mountain roads.”
indocile <> docile /ˈdəʊsaɪl/ /ˈdɑːsl/
docile: quiet and easy to influence, persuade, or control
indocile: not docile; not easy to teach or discipline
“The animal looked remarkably docile.”
“It is a cheap and docile workforce.”
“The once docile population has finally risen up against the ruthless regime.”
recalcitrance /rɪˈkælsɪtrəns/
[noun] the quality of unwilling to obey rules or follow instructions, difficult to deal with
“a fear of teenage recalcitrance”
[adj] recalcitrant
“He was like a teacher encouraging a recalcitrant pupil.”
“One option is to threaten recalcitrant ministers with the sack.”
corpulence /ˈkɔːpjələns/
[noun] the fact of being fat. obesity
“He was nicknamed “Hippo” because of his corpulence.”
“We know King Henry VIII for his wives, perhaps, or for his corpulence.”
[adj] corpulent: (of a person) fat
“He is a short, somewhat corpulent, man.”
jaunty /ˈdʒɔːnti/
[adj] showing that you are feeling confident, full of energy and pleased n happy
“When he came back his hat was at a jaunty angle and he was smiling.”
“The drum-major was terrific, with his jaunty swagger, and the lads loved it.”
“They love him … all that golden hair and the jaunty moustache.”
