Napoleon's Campaigns in Italy Flashcards
ease
the state of experiencing no difficulty, effort, pain, etc.:
She won the 400 metre race with ease.
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.
beset
having a lot of trouble with something, or having to deal with a lot of something that causes problems:
With the amount of traffic nowadays, even a trip across town is beset by/with dangers.
parlous
very bad, dangerous, or uncertain:
Relations between the two countries have been in a parlous state for some time.
I’d like to buy a new car, but my finances are in such a parlous state that I can’t afford to.
sporadic
happening sometimes; not regular or continuous:
sporadic gunfire
a sporadic electricity supply
bolster
to support or improve something or make it stronger:
More money is needed to bolster the industry.
She tried to bolster my confidence/morale (= encourage me and make me feel stronger) by telling me that I had a special talent.
relinquish
to give up something such as a responsibility or claim:
He has relinquished his claim to the throne.
She relinquished control of the family investments to her son.
tail off
to reduce in amount or become lower in level:
His voice tailed off as he drifted into sleep.
The profits tailed off after a few years.
whiff
a slight smell, carried on a current of air:
He leaned towards me and I caught/got a whiff of garlic.
tender
gentle, loving, or kind:
a tender look/smile
What you need is some tender loving care.
encumbered
prevented from making quick progress by having to carry heavy objects or deal with important duties and responsibilities:
She was encumbered by concern over her husband’s health.
detriment
harm or damage:
Are you sure that I can follow this diet without detriment to my health?
She was very involved with sports at college, to the detriment of (= harming) her studies.
assiduously
in a way that involves great care and attention to detail:
I assiduously avoid buying imported products.
She cultivated her friends assiduously into her old age.
cast off
If a boat casts off, it leaves the shore:
The ship was scheduled to cast off at 8 p.m.
emaciated
very thin and weak, usually because of illness or extreme hunger:
There were pictures of emaciated children on the cover of the magazine.
dejected
unhappy, disappointed, or without hope:
She looked a bit dejected when they told her she didn’t get the job.
parsimony
the quality of not being willing to spend money or to give or use a lot of something:
She criticised government parsimony with defence investment.
Her stepfather’s parsimony was well known.
esteem
respect for or a good opinion of someone:
There has been a drop in public esteem for teachers.
Because of their achievements they were held in (= given) (high) esteem.
flock
a group of sheep, goats, or birds:
a flock of sheep/goats/geese
hinder
to limit the ability of someone to do something, or to limit the development of something:
High winds have hindered firefighters in their efforts to put out the blaze.
Her progress certainly hasn’t been hindered by her lack of experience.
coarse
rough and not smooth or soft, or not in very small pieces:
coarse sand/breadcrumbs
Linen is a coarse-grained fabric
plunge
to (cause someone or something to) move or fall suddenly and often a long way forward, down, or into something:
We ran down to the beach and plunged into the sea.
The car went out of control and plunged over the cliff.
conceal
to prevent something from being seen or known about:
The listening device was concealed in a pen.
I tried to conceal my surprise when she told me her age.
accordingly
in a way that is suitable or right for the situation:
When we receive your instructions we will act accordingly.
mundane
very ordinary and therefore not interesting:
Mundane matters such as paying bills and shopping for food do not interest her.
heartening
making you feel happier and more positive:
It was heartening to see so many people at the rally.
imbue something/someone with something
to fill something or someone with a quality or feeling:
Her poetry was imbued with a love of the outdoors.
dispirited
not feeling much hope about a particular situation or problem:
The troops were dispirited and disorganized.
stern
severe, or showing disapproval:
a stern look/warning/voice
She is her own sternest critic.
Journalists received a stern warning not to go anywhere near the battleship.
despondency
the quality of being unhappy, with no hope or enthusiasm:
A mood of despondency had set in.
There is a general air of despondency about the state of our democracy
lest
in order to prevent any possibility that something will happen:
They were afraid to complain about the noise lest they annoyed the neighbours.
extricate
to remove something or set something free with difficulty:
It took hours to extricate the car from the sand.
I tried to extricate myself from the situation.
unprepossessing
not interesting, attractive, or impressive:
We were disappointed at the unprepossessing exterior of the hotel.
unsightly
not attractive; ugly:
He had undone the buttons of his shirt, exposing an unsightly expanse of white flesh.
countenance
the appearance or expression of someone’s face:
He was of noble countenance.
deception
the act of hiding the truth, especially to get an advantage:
He was found guilty of obtaining money by deception.
morrow
the next day, or tomorrow:
They arranged to meet on the morrow.
entranced
If you are entranced by someone or something that is very interesting or beautiful, you cannot stop watching him, her, or it:
The children sat silent on the carpet, entranced by the puppet show.
in rags
clothes that are old and torn:
an old man dressed in rags.
Their clothes were in rags (= torn).
hustle
to make someone move quickly by pushing or pulling them along:
After giving his speech, Johnson was hustled out of the hall by bodyguards.
crumpled
full of folds:
crumpled clothes
the crumpled charm of linen
stall
to delay taking action or avoid giving an answer in order to have more time to make a decision or get an advantage:
She says she’ll give me the money next week but I think she’s just stalling (for time).
circuitous
not straight or direct:
a circuitous route/path
a circuitous (= long and indirect) explanation
feint
to pretend to move, or to make a move, in a particular direction in order to deceive an opponent, especially in sports such as football or boxing:
Callas feinted to pass the ball and then shot it into the net.
He feinted a shot to the left.
daunt
to make someone feel slightly frightened or worried about their ability to achieve something:
She was not at all daunted by the size of the problem.
zeal
great enthusiasm or eagerness:
reforming/missionary/religious zeal
a zeal for money-making
relentless
continuing in a severe or extreme way:
relentless criticism/pressure
relentless heat
toil
hard work, especially work that makes you feel physically tired:
Lindi has achieved her comfortable life only after years of hard toil.
Well, after a day’s toil in the office I like to relax a little.
ruthless
not thinking or worrying about any pain caused to others; cruel:
ruthless ambition
a ruthless dictator
Some people believe that to succeed in this world you have to be ruthless.
feasible
able to be made, done, or achieved:
With the extra resources, the project now seems feasible.
[ + to infinitive ] It may be feasible to clone human beings, but is it ethical?
jeopardize
to put something such as a plan or system in danger of being harmed or damaged:
She knew that by failing her finals she could jeopardize her whole future.
imperil
to put something or someone at risk or in danger of being harmed or destroyed:
A police raid would imperil the lives of the hostages.
stiff
firm or hard:
stiff cardboard
a stiff collar
His clothes were stiff with dried mud.
The general is a tall man with steel spectacles and a stiff, pompous manner.
severe and difficult:
The athlete was given a stiff punishment for using drugs.
They are campaigning for stiffer penalties for people who drink and drive.
pompous
too serious and full of importance:
He’s a pompous old prig who’s totally incapable of taking a joke.
He can sometimes sound a little pompous when he talks about acting.
waddle
(usually of a person or animal with short legs and a fat body) to walk with short steps, moving the body from one side to the other:
The ducks waddled down to the river.
A short, fat waiter waddled over.
demeanor
a way of looking and behaving:
There was nothing in his demeanour that suggested he was anxious.
She has the demeanour of a woman who is contented with her life.
indomitable
used to say that someone is strong, brave, determined, and difficult to defeat or frighten:
The indomitable Mrs Furlong said she would continue to fight for justice.
preclude
to prevent something or make it impossible, or prevent someone from doing something:
His contract precludes him from discussing his work with anyone outside the company.
The fact that your application was not successful this time does not preclude the possibility of you applying again next time.
perilous
extremely dangerous:
The country roads are quite perilous.
maul
If an animal mauls someone, it attacks that person and injures them with its teeth or claws (= long sharp nails):
A small boy was mauled by the neighbour’s dog.
to criticize something or someone severely:
Both films were mauled by the critics.
hiatus
a short pause in which nothing happens or is said, or a space where something is missing:
The company expects to resume production of the vehicle again after a two-month hiatus.
