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English Vocabulary builder for CAE > New words > Flashcards

New words Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards Vocab Builder flashcards
1
Q

bustling

A

If a place is bustling, it is full of busy activity.

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2
Q

narrow-minded

A

Not willing to accept ideas or ways of behaving that are different from your own.

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3
Q

down-to-earth

A

practical, reasonable, and friendly:

She’s a down-to-earth woman with no pretensions.

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4
Q

knowledgeable

A

well-informed. well-versed: He is very knowledgeable in his job.

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5
Q

conscientious

A

hardworking, very careful, thorough.

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6
Q

greedy

A

wanting a lot more food, money, etc. than you need: Don’t be so greedy, you’ve eaten enough!

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7
Q

sceptical

A

uncertain, unconvinced, distrustful

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8
Q

tactless

A

not careful about saying or doing something that could upset someone, thoughtless:
It was tactless of you to invite his ex-girlfriend.

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9
Q

fussy

A

not easily satisfied, or having very high standards about particular things: All my kids were fussy eaters.

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10
Q

mean

A

not willing to give or share things, especially money: my best friend is incredibly mean with money.

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11
Q

to thrive

A

to grow, develop, prosper or be successful:

His business thrived in the years before the war.

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12
Q

to abet

A

to help or encourage someone to do something wrong or illegal: His accountant had aided and abetted him in the fraud.

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13
Q

ravishing

A

very beautiful, delightful.

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14
Q

boastful

A

having a tendency to praise yourself and what you have done.

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15
Q

to heed

A

to pay attention to something, especially advice or a warning:
The airline has been criticized for failing to heed advice/warnings about lack of safety routines.

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16
Q

pinnacle

A

the most successful or admired part of a system or achievement:
By the age of 32 she had reached the pinnacle of her career.

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17
Q

abnegation

A

the act of not allowing yourself to have something, especially something you like or want:
They believe it is the duty of women to live for others in complete abnegation of themselves.

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18
Q

abstruse /æbˈstrúːs/

A

not known or understood by many people:

an abstruse philosophical essay

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19
Q

abysmal

A

very bad:
abysmal working conditions
The food was abysmal.

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20
Q

acrimonious /ˌæk.rɪˈməʊ.ni.əs/

A

full of anger, arguments, and bad feeling:
an acrimonious dispute
Their marriage ended eight years ago in an acrimonious divorce.

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21
Q

to juggle (with)

A

to succeed in arranging your life so that you have time to involve yourself in two or more different activities or groups of people:
Many parents find it hard to juggle children and a career.

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22
Q

to adjure

A

to ask or order someone to do something:

The judge adjured him to answer truthfully.

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23
Q

hastily /heistili/

A

too quicky: I hastily dropped my copy

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24
Q

giddiness

A

dizzy feeling

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25
Q

summon

A

to order someone to come to or be present at a particular place, or to officially arrange a meeting of people: “my dream was interrupted by the alarm summoning me to our summit attempt”

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26
Q

apprehension

A

worry about the future, or a fear that something unpleasant is going to happen:
It’s normal to feel a little apprehension before starting a new job.

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27
Q

apparent

A

able to be seen or understood:

Her unhappiness was apparent to everyone.

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28
Q

manifold

A

many and of several different types:

Despite her manifold faults, she was a strong leader.

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29
Q

rugged

A

(of land) wild and not even; not easy to travel over:
rugged landscape/terrain/hills/cliffs
a straight o a rugged path

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30
Q

fleetingly

A

in a way that lasts only a short time:
I glimpsed her fleetingly through the window.
The subject was mentioned only fleetingly.

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31
Q

startle

A

to do something unexpected that surprises and sometimes worries a person or animal:
She was concentrating on her book and his voice startled her.

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32
Q

remarkable

A

unusual or special and therefore surprising and worth mentioning

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33
Q

retiring

A

unwilling to be noticed or to be with other people:

to be shy and retiring

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34
Q

astounding

A

very surprising or shocking:
an astounding fact/decision/revelation
an astounding (= very great) victory/achievement/success

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35
Q

barred

A

If a door is barred, a bar of wood or metal has been put across it so that it cannot be opened:
They arrived at the house to find the door locked and barred.

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36
Q

to hail

A

to publicly praise or show approval for a person or an achievement:
Heppner has been hailed as one of the finest tenors in the operatic world today.

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37
Q

meteoric

A

used to describe something that develops very fast and attracts a lot of attention:
The group had a meteoric rise to fame in the 70s.

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38
Q

snatch

A

to take hold of something suddenly and roughly:

He snatched the photos out of my hand before I had a chance to look at them. (steal)

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39
Q

freakish

A

very unusual or unexpected, especially in an unpleasant or strange way:
Freakish weather conditions have caused massive traffic jams in the area.

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40
Q

boldly

A

in a brave and confident way, without showing any fear:

He advanced boldly and knocked on the door.

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41
Q

flourish

A

to grow or develop successfully:
My tomatoes are flourishing this summer - it must be the warm weather.
Watercolour painting began to flourish in Britain around 1750.

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42
Q

the remainder /rɪˈmeɪn.dər/

A

the part of something that is left after the other parts have gone, been used, or been taken away:
I ate most of it and gave the remainder to the dog.

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43
Q

purported

A

that has been stated to be true or to have happened, although this may not be the case:
A recent study into the purported health benefits of the drink was not conclusive.

44
Q

to counterbalance

A

to have an equal but opposite effect on something so that it does not have too much of a particular characteristic:
The ugliness of the resort is counterbalanced by the excellence of the skiing.

45
Q

to circumscribe, circumscribed

A

to limit something:
Their movements have been severely circumscribed since the laws came into effect.
There followed a series of tightly circumscribed visits to military installations.

46
Q

aghast

A

suddenly filled with strong feelings of shock and worry:

He looked at her aghast.

47
Q

foolhardy

A

brave in a silly way, taking unnecessary risks:
a foolhardy decision
Sailing the Atlantic in such a tiny boat wasn’t so much brave as foolhardy.
It would be foolhardy to try and predict the outcome of the talks at this stage.

48
Q

ground rules

A

the principles on which future behaviour is based:

In all relationships a few ground rules have to be established.

49
Q

tenable

A

(of an opinion or position) able to be defended successfully or held for a particular period of time:
His theory is no longer tenable in the light of the recent discoveries.
The fellowship is tenable for (= lasts for) three years.

50
Q

disruption

A

the action of preventing something, especially a system, process, or event, from continuing as usual or as expected:
The accident brought widespread disruption on the roads.
It would cause a tremendous disruption to our work schedule to install a different computer system.

51
Q

law-abiding

A

Someone who is law-abiding obeys the law:

Such actions against law-abiding citizens will not be tolerated.

52
Q

compelling

A

If a reason, argument, etc. is compelling, it makes you believe it or accept it because it is so strong:
compelling evidence
It’s a fairly compelling argument for going.

53
Q

reluctant, reluctantly

A

(reluctant) not willing to do something and therefore slow to do it:
I was having such a good time I was reluctant to leave.
Many parents feel reluctant to talk openly with their children.
She persuaded her reluctant husband to take a trip to Florida with her.

54
Q

benchmark

A

used as a standard when comparing other things (punto de referencia) // to measure the quality of something by comparing it with something else of an accepted standard:
His reports said that all schools should be benchmarked against the best. / I don’t have anything to benchmark it against.

55
Q

unnerving

A

troubling, making someone feel less confident and slightly frightened:
Meeting a twin brother I didn’t know I had was an unnerving experience. I find spiders unnerving.

56
Q

thrust

A

the main idea, subject, or opinion that is discussed or written about:
The main thrust of her argument was that women are compromised by the demands of childcare.

57
Q

drawback

A

a disadvantage or the negative part of a situation:

One of the drawbacks of living with someone is having to share a bathroom.

58
Q

adumbrate

A

to give only the main facts and not the details about something, especially something that will happen in the future:
The project’s objectives were adumbrated in the report.

59
Q

affable /ˈæf.ə.bəl/

A

(down-to earth) friendly and easy to talk to:
He struck me as an affable sort of a man.
She was quite affable at the meeting.

60
Q

affectation

A

behaviour or speech that is not sincere:
She has so many little affectations.
His manner reeks of affectation.

61
Q

peril, perilous

A

great danger, or something that is very dangerous:
I never felt that my life was in peril.
extremely dangerous:
The country roads are quite perilous.

62
Q

deceit, deceitful, deceitfully, deceitfulness

A

(an act of) keeping the truth hidden, especially to get an advantage:
The story is about theft, fraud, and deceit on an incredible scale.

63
Q

straightforward (adj.)

A

easy to understand or simple:

Just follow the signs to Bradford - it’s very straightforward.

64
Q

devoid (be devoid of sth)

A

to lack or be without something that is necessary or usual:

Their apartment is devoid of all comforts. He seems to be devoid of compassion.

65
Q

self-evident (adj.)

A

clear or obvious without needing any proof or explanation:

Solutions which seem self-evident to humans are often beyond the grasp of computers.

66
Q

inventiveness

A

the quality of showing or having new and original ideas:
Her performance was full of wit and inventiveness.
In his best stories his sheer inventiveness is a treat.

67
Q

well-endowed (adj.) /ˌwel ɪnˈdaʊd/

A

having a lot of something, especially money or possessions:
The city is well endowed with modern medical facilities.
[ before noun ] It is a very well-endowed college.

68
Q

insightful (adj.)

A

showing a clear and usually original understanding of a complicated problem or situation:
She has written an insightful account of the modern art world.
He was, of course, very funny and insightful.

69
Q

tenacious (adj.)

A

holding tightly onto something, or keeping an opinion in a determined way:
The baby took my finger in its tenacious little fist.
There has been tenacious local opposition to the new airport.

70
Q

self-deprecation

A

the quality of trying to make yourself, your abilities, or your achievements seem less important:
She was unconcerned by fame and modest to the point of self-deprecation.

71
Q

ingenuity, ingenious, ingenuously

A

someone’s ability to think of clever new ways of doing something:
I was impressed by the ingenuity and energy of the contestants.

72
Q

deem, to be deemed

A

to consider or judge something in a particular way: Perhaps most especially if your child is deemed “different” by other people in society.

73
Q

poignant (adj.) /ˈpɔɪ.njənt/

A

causing or having a very sharp feeling of sadness:
The photograph awakens poignant memories of happier days.
It is especially poignant that he died on the day before the wedding.

74
Q

urging (noun)

A

the act of strongly advising or encouraging someone to do a particular thing:
With their dad’s urging, the girls started playing tennis at a young age.
It was only because of Michele’s urgings that he sold the house.

75
Q

ragged (adj.)

A

untidy, (of clothes) torn and not in good condition:

The children were wearing dirty, ragged clothes.

76
Q

sheepish, sheepishly, sheepishness

A

embarrassed because you know that you have done something wrong or silly:
She gave me a sheepish smile and apologized.

77
Q

wager (noun)

A

bet, an amount of money that you risk in the hope of winning more, by trying to guess something uncertain, or the agreement that you make to take this risk:
She put a cash wager of £50 on the race.
He tried to eat 50 hard-boiled eggs, for a wager.

78
Q

frightfully

A

very:

I’m frightfully sorry about the noise last night.

79
Q

slumber (noun)

A

sleep:
I fell into a gentle slumber.
I didn’t want to rouse you from your slumbers.
slumber party

80
Q

frenzy (noun)

A

uncontrolled and excited behaviour or emotion that is sometimes violent: In a frenzy of rage she hit him.
The audience worked/whipped themselves into a frenzy as they waited for her to come on stage.
There was a frenzy of activity in the financial markets yesterday.
In a moment of jealous frenzy, she cut the sleeves off all his shirts.

81
Q

enact (v.), enactment (noun)

A

to put something into action, especially to make something law:
A package of economic sanctions is to be enacted against the country.

82
Q

officious (adj.), officiously, officiousness

A

too eager to tell people what to do and having too high an opinion of your own importance:
He’s an officious little man and widely disliked in the company.

83
Q

oppressive (adj.), oppression, oppressor

A

cruel and unfair

84
Q

big-headed (adj.), bighead (noun)

A

thinking that you are more important or more intelligent than you really are:
She’s so bigheaded!

85
Q

outlaw (v.)

A

to make something illegal or unacceptable:

The new law will outlaw smoking in public places.

86
Q

ravenous (adj.)

A

very hungry, starving

87
Q

weary (adj.), wearily, weariness

A

very tired or bored, especially because you have been doing something for a long time

88
Q

flamboyant, flamboyantly, flamboyance

A

behaving in a confident or exciting way that makes people notice you
flamboyant style/character/personality

89
Q

outrageous, outrageously, outrage

A

very shocking and extremely unfair or offensive

90
Q

albeit /ɔːlˈbiːɪt/ (formal conjunction)

A

used to add information that reduces the force or importance of what you have just said SYN although

91
Q

flawless, flawlessly

A

having no mistakes or marks, or not lacking anything SYN perfect

92
Q

appalling /əˈpɔːlɪŋ/, appallingly

A

very unpleasant and shocking SYN terrible

93
Q

heart-wrenching, heart-wrenchingly

A

causing great sadness or sympathy:
These are heart-wrenching decisions.
Having to spend so much time away from home is heart-wrenching.

94
Q

hapless, haplessly

A

unlucky and usually unhappy:

Many children are hapless victims of this war.

95
Q

detrimental (adj.) detriment (noun)

A

causing harm or damage:

These chemicals have a detrimental effect/impact on the environment.

96
Q

blasé (adj.)

A

bored or not very interested:

How could she be so blasé about her victory?

97
Q

thwart, thwarted

A

to stop something from happening or someone from doing something:
Our holiday plans were thwarted by the airline pilots’ strike

98
Q

sulk, sulkiness, sulkily, sulked, sulking

A

to be silent and refuse to smile or be pleasant to people because you are angry about something that they have done:
He’s sulking in his room because I wouldn’t let him have any more chocolate.

99
Q

dabble

A

to take a slight and not very serious interest in a subject, or try a particular activity for a short period:
He first dabbled in politics when he was at law school.
She dabbled with drugs at university.

100
Q

ill-equipped (adj.)

A

without the ability, qualities, or equipment to do something: He seems to me ill-equipped to cope with the responsibility.
Some kids leave school ill-equipped for adult life.

101
Q

parrot-fashion

A

If you learn or repeat a piece of text parrot-fashion, you learn or repeat the exact words, usually without understanding them.

102
Q

hackneyed (adj.)

A

A hackneyed phrase or idea has been said or used so often that it has become boring and has no meaning:
The plot of the film is just a hackneyed boy-meets-girl scenario.

103
Q

gratuitous, gratuitously, gratuitousness (adj.)

A

(of something such as bad behaviour) not necessary, or with no cause:
A lot of viewers complained that there was too much gratuitous sex and violence in the film.

104
Q

engrossing (adj.)

A

very interesting and needing all your attention:
an engrossing book/story
I found the movie completely engrossing from beginning to end. (thrilled, gripped)

105
Q

absorbing (adj.)

A

Something that is absorbing is very interesting and keeps your attention:
I read her last novel and found it very absorbing. (absorbing, gripping, engrossing)

106
Q

cutting-edge (adj.)

A

very modern, and with all the newest features:

cutting-edge companies/designs/products

107
Q

hundrum (adj.)

A

having no excitement, interest, or new and different events:

We lead such a humdrum life/existence.

English Vocabulary builder for CAE (6 decks)

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