NON-AWL VOCAB Flashcards
Abolitionist
(N). someone who wants to end a system or law
Absorb
1 [liquid/gas] to take in liquid, gas, or another substance from the surface or space around something:
> Plants absorb nutrients from the soil.
absorb something into something
> Water and salts are absorbed into our blood stream.
2 [information] to read or hear a large amount of new information and understand it:
> Her capacity to absorb information is amazing.
3 [interest] to interest someone so much that they do not pay attention to other things:
> The movement and noise of the machines absorbed him completely.
be absorbed in something
> Judith lay on the settee, absorbed in her book.
4 [become part of something] to become part of something larger:
> California absorbs many of the legal immigrants to the US.
be absorbed into something
> We were soon absorbed into local village life.
5 [light/heat/energy/noise] if something absorbs light, heat, energy, or noise, it takes it in:
> Darker surfaces absorb heat.
6 [deal with change/costs] if something absorbs changes or costs, it accepts them and deals with them successfully:
> The beer industry had absorbed a doubling of federal tax in 1991.
7 [money/time] if something absorbs money, time etc, it uses a lot of it:
> Defence spending absorbs almost 20% of the country’s wealth.
8 [force] to reduce the effect of a sudden violent movement:
> A well-designed sports shoe should absorb the impact on your feet.
Accomplishment
1 [countable] something successful or impressive that is achieved after a lot of effort and hard work
SYN achievement:
impressive/ significant/ great etc accomplishment
> Cutting the budget was an impressive accomplishment.
> It was a major accomplishment for a player who had been injured so recently.
2 [uncountable] the act of finishing or achieving something good:
accomplishment of
> the accomplishment of policy goals
3 [uncountable and countable] an ability to do something well, or the skill involved in doing something well:
> Playing the piano is one of her many accomplishments.
Accuse
[CRIME]
to say that you believe someone is guilty of a crime or of doing something bad:
accuse somebody of (doing) something
> He was accused of murder.
> Smith accused her of lying.
> The professor stands accused of (=has been accused of) stealing his student’s ideas and publishing them.
—accuser noun[countable]
Adopt
1 [child] [intransitive and transitive] [FAMILY]
to take someone else’s child into your home and legally become its parent ➔ foster:
> Sally was adopted when she was four.
> The couple are unable to have children of their own, but hope to adopt.
2 adopt an approach/ policy/ attitude etc
to start to deal with or think about something in a particular way:
> The courts were asked to adopt a more flexible approach to young offenders.
> The store recently adopted a drug testing policy for all new employees.
> California has adopted a tough stance on the issue.
3 [style/manner] [transitive] to use a particular style of speaking, writing, or behaving, especially one that you do not usually use:
> Kim adopts a southern accent when speaking to family back home.
4 [law/rule] [transitive] to formally approve a proposal, amendment etc, especially by voting:
> Congress finally adopted the law after a two-year debate.
5 [name/country etc] [transitive] to choose a new name, country, custom etc, especially to replace a previous one:
> Stevens became a Muslim and adopted the name Yusuf Islam.
> Becoming a member of a society means adopting its values.
6 [election] [transitive] BrE
VOTING
to officially choose someone to represent a political party in an election
—adopter noun [countable]
—adoptee noun [countable]
Adorn
[formal] to decorate something:
adorn something with something
> church walls adorned with religious paintings
Advent
[CHRISTIANITY]
the period of four weeks before Christmas in the Christian religion
(N) [written] the advent of something the time when something first begins to be widely used SYN coming > the advent of the computer
Adverse
(Adj.)
1 not good or favourable:
> They fear it could have an adverse effect on global financial markets.
> Miller’s campaign has received a good deal of adverse publicity.
2 adverse conditions
conditions that make it difficult for something to happen or exist:
> The expedition was abandoned because of adverse weather conditions.
—adversely adv:
> developments which had adversely affected their business
Advice
(noun) [uncountable] an opinion you give someone about what they should do: > You should have followed my advice. advice on/ about > advice on saving energy > I need some advice about my computer. on somebody’s advice > On her doctor’s advice (=because her doctor advised her) Smith decided to take early retirement.
Advise
(verb)
1 [intransitive and transitive] to tell someone what you think they should do, especially when you know more than they do about something:
> She needed someone to advise her.
> ‘Make sure that you keep the documents in a safe place,’ Otley advised him.
advise somebody to do something
> Evans advised him to leave London.
> You are strongly advised to take out medical insurance when visiting China.
advise somebody against (doing) something
> I’d advise you against saying anything to the press.
advise that
> Experts advise that sunscreen be reapplied every one to two hours.
advise caution/ patience/ restraint etc (=advise people to be careful, patient etc)
> The makers advise extreme caution when handling this material.
2 [intransitive and transitive] to be employed to give advice on a subject about which you have special knowledge or skill:
advise on
> She’s been asked to advise on training the new sales team.
advise somebody on something
> He advises us on tax matters.
3 [transitive] (formal) to tell someone about something:
advise somebody of something
> We’ll advise you of any changes in the delivery dates.
> Keep us advised of (=continue to tell us about) any new developments.
advise somebody that
> They advised him that the tour would proceed.
4 you would be well/ ill advised to do something
used to tell someone that it is wise or unwise to do something:
> You would be well advised to stay in bed and rest.
Afflict
(verb) [transitive often passive] (formal)
to affect someone or something in an unpleasant way, and make them suffer:
afflict with/ by
> a country afflicted by famine
Afford
(verb) [transitive]
1 can/ could afford [usually negative]
a) PAY FOR
to have enough money to buy or pay for something:
afford (to do) something
> We can’t afford to go on vacation this year.
> I couldn’t afford the rent on my own.
> How can she afford to eat out every night?
b)TIME/HAVE TIME
to have enough time to do something:
> Dad can’t afford any more time off work.
c) CAN
if you cannot afford to do something, you must not do it because it could cause serious problems for you:
afford (to do) something
> We can’t afford to wait any longer or we’ll miss the plane.
⚠ Afford can be followed by an infinitive with to, but not an ‘-ing’ form: > I can’t afford to buy (NOT can’t afford buying) a car.
2 (formal) to provide something or allow something to happen:
> The room affords a beautiful view over the city.
afford (somebody) an opportunity/ chance
> It afforded her the opportunity to improve her tennis skills.
> The new law will afford protection to employees.
—affordable (adjective):
affordable housing
Aggravate
1 to make a bad situation, an illness, or an injury worse
OPP improve
> Their money problems were further aggravated by a rise in interest rates.
> Building the new road will only aggravate the situation.
2 to make someone angry or annoyed
SYN irritate
> What really aggravates me is the way she won’t listen.
—aggravating (adjective)
—aggravatingly (adverb)
—aggravation (noun) [uncountable and countable]
Allude
allude to somebody/ something
(phrasal verb)
(formal) to mention something or someone indirectly:
> Rick didn’t want to discuss his past, though he alluded darkly to ‘some bad things that happened.’
Allusion
(noun)
something said or written that mentions a subject, person etc indirectly:
allusion to
> The committee made no allusion to the former President in its report.
literary/ classical/ cultural etc allusions
> Eliot’s poetry is full of biblical allusions.
> In his poetry we find many allusions to the human body.
—allusive (adjective) [only before noun]
Amoral
(adjective) having no moral standards at all OPP moral ➔ immoral: > a completely amoral person
—amorality (noun) [uncountable]
Anatomical
(adjective) [HUMAN]
relating to the structure of human or animal bodies:
> an anatomical examination
—anatomically (adverb)
Antagonism
(noun)
1 hatred between people or groups of people
SYN hostility:
antagonism between
> the antagonism between the army and other military groups
2 opposition to an idea, plan etc:
antagonism to/ towards
> his antagonism towards the press
Anthem
1 [MUSIC]
a formal or religious song
➔ national anthem
2 [MUSIC]
a song that a particular group of people consider to be very important:
> The Rolling Stones’ ‘Satisfaction’ was an anthem for a generation.
Antipathy
(noun) (formal) a feeling of strong dislike towards someone or something
SYN hostility:
antipathy to/ towards
> a growing antipathy towards the government
antipathy between
> There’s always been a certain amount of antipathy between the two doctors.
Appraise
1 (formal) to officially judge how successful, effective, or valuable something is
SYN evaluate
> Greenpeace has been invited to appraise the environmental costs of such an operation.
2 [literary] to look carefully at someone or something to make an opinion about them:
> His eyes appraised her face.
Approval
1 [uncountable and countable] when a plan, decision, or person is officially accepted:
> The president has already given his approval to the plan.
> It is just three months since we received official approval to go ahead with the project.
> A company cannot be sold without the approval of the shareholders.
> The bill will be submitted for approval by Congress.
> The President would appoint the Council of Ministers, subject to the approval of the National Assembly.
> The IMF has given its seal of approval to the government’s economic strategy.
> appointments requiring parliamentary approval
2 [uncountable] (formal) when someone likes something or someone and thinks that they are good
OPP disapproval
> A murmur of approval passed through the crowd.
nod/ smile/ clap etc in approval
> They clapped their hands in approval.
> His ideas have won widespread public approval (=many people agree with them and think they are good).
> Does the design meet with your approval (=do you like it?) ?
> Children are always seeking approval from their parents.
> She looked to Greg for approval.
3 on approval [TRADE]
if you buy something on approval, you have the right to return it to the shop if you decide you do not want it
Arbitrate
to officially judge how an argument between two opposing sides should be settled:
arbitrate between
> A committee will arbitrate between management and unions.
arbitrate in
> The tribunal arbitrates in disputes.
—arbitrator (noun) [countable]
Artificial
(adjective) [usually before noun] 1 not real or not made of natural things but made to be like something that is real or natural SYN false OPP natural > artificial flowers > artificial light > artificial fertilizers
2 an artificial situation or quality exists because someone has made it exist, and not because it is really necessary:
> artificial distinctions
> artificial barriers of gender and race
3 artificial behaviour is not sincere – used to show disapproval
OPP genuine
> an artificial smile
—artificially adv:
Food prices are being kept artificially low.
—artificiality (noun) [uncountable]
Ascend
1 [intransitive] (formal) to move up through the air
OPP descend
> The plane ascended rapidly.
2 [transitive] (written) to climb something or move to a higher position
OPP descend
> Without a word, he began to ascend the stairs.
Register
Ascend is used mostly in literary or technical contexts. In everyday English, people usually say climb or go up:
> We started to climb the mountain.
> She slowly went up the stairs.
3 [intransitive] (written) to lead up to a higher position
OPP descend
> The road ascends steeply from the harbour.
4 [intransitive and transitive] (formal) to move to a more important or powerful job:
> The number of women decreases as you ascend the professional hierarchy.
5 ascend the throne [GOVERNMENT]
to become king or queen
6 in ascending order
if a group of things are arranged in ascending order, each thing is higher, or greater in amount, than the one before it
Ascertain
(verb) [intransitive and transitive]
(formal) to find out something
SYN establish
> A postmortem was ordered to try to ascertain the cause of death.
ascertain whether/what/how etc
> Tests were conducted to ascertain whether pollution levels have dropped.
ascertain that
> Police had ascertained that the dead man knew his killer.
ascertain something from somebody/something
> You should ascertain the level of insurance cover from the car rental company.
—ascertainable (adjective)
Register
Ascertain is used mainly in formal or technical contexts. In everyday English, people usually say find out:
> We need to find out exactly what happened before we jump to any conclusions.
Assent
(noun) [uncountable] (formal) approval or agreement from someone who has authority: > a nod of assent assent of > the assent of the Board of Governors assent to > Parliament gave its assent to war.
(verb) [intransitive] (formal)
to agree to a suggestion, idea etc after considering it carefully:
assent to
> They assented to his request to work from home.
Assert
(verb) [transitive]
1 to state firmly that something is true:
> French cooking, she asserted, is the best in the world.
assert that
> He asserted that nuclear power was a safe and non-polluting energy source.
2 assert your rights/ independence/ superiority etc
to state very strongly your right to something:
> Native Americans asserting their rights to ancestral land
3 assert yourself
to behave in a determined way and say clearly what you think:
> Women began to assert themselves politically.
4 assert itself
if an idea or belief asserts itself, it begins to influence something:
> National pride began to assert itself.
Assimilate
1 [transitive] to completely understand and begin to use new ideas, information etc
SYN absorb
> It will take time to assimilate all these facts.
2 [intransitive and transitive] if people assimilate, or are assimilated into a country or group, they become part of that group and are accepted by the people in that group:
assimilate into
> Refugees find it difficult to become assimilated into the community.
Aural
[EDUCATION]
relating to the sense of hearing, or someone’s ability to understand sounds:
> an aural stimulus
—aurally (adverb)
Autonomy
[GOVERNMENT]
freedom that a place or an organization has to govern or control itself
SYN independence
> campaigners who want greater autonomy for Corsica
2 the ability or opportunity to make your own decisions without being controlled by anyone else
SYN independence
> Teachers are given considerable individual autonomy.
Averse
(adjective)
1 not be averse to something
to quite enjoy something, especially something that is slightly wrong or bad for you:
> I was not averse to fighting with any boy who challenged me.
2 (formal) unwilling to do something or not liking something:
be averse to (doing) something
> Jim is averse to using chemicals in the garden.
> Some banks are risk averse (=do not like taking a risk).
Boost
(verb)
1 to increase or improve something and make it more successful:
> The new resort area has boosted tourism.
boost somebody’s confidence/ morale/ ego
> The win boosted the team’s confidence.
2 (also boost up) to help someone reach a higher place by lifting or pushing them:
> He boosted her up.
3 if a rocket or motor boosts a spacecraft, it makes it go up into space or go in a particular direction
4 (AmE) (informal) to steal something
(noun)
1 [singular] something that gives someone more confidence, or that helps something increase, improve, or become successful:
boost to
> a major boost to the economy
boost for
> a multimillion-pound boost for the British film industry
> Add a little more vanilla, to give the flavor a boost.
get/ receive a boost
> The community will get a boost from a new library and recreation center.
morale/ ego boost
> The poll provided a morale boost for the Conservatives.
2 give somebody a boost (up)
to lift someone so that they can reach a higher place:
> If I give you a boost, could you reach the window?
3 [uncountable] [ELECTRICITY] [GAS, COAL, OIL]
an increase in the amount of power available to a rocket, piece of electrical equipment etc
Bombard
1 [MILITARY]
to attack a place for a long time using large weapons, bombs etc:
> I had been in action, bombarding the Normandy coast.
2 to do something too often or too much, for example criticizing or questioning someone, or giving too much information:
> The office was bombarded by telephone calls.
bombard somebody with something
> They bombarded him with questions.
> Today we are bombarded with advice on what to eat and what to avoid.
Bureaucratic
(adjective)
involving a lot of complicated official rules and processes
—bureaucratically (adverb)
Burgeon
(formal) to grow or develop quickly:
> the burgeoning market for digital cameras
Canvas
(noun)
1 [uncountable] [MATERIAL & TEXTILES]
strong cloth used to make bags, tents, shoes etc:
> a canvas bag
2 [countable] [PAINTING AND DRAWING]
a painting done with oil paints, or the piece of cloth it is painted on:
> The gallery has a canvas by Paul Cézanne.
> ‘Four Women on a Bench’, oil on canvas, 1991
3 a broader/ wider/ larger canvas
the whole of a situation, and not just a part of it:
> These questions must be considered on a broader canvas.
4 under canvas (BrE) [OUTDOOR]
in a tent
Canvass
1 [intransitive and transitive]
[GOVERNMENT] [BASICS]
to try to persuade people to support a political party, politician, plan etc by going to see them and talking to them, especially when you want them to vote for you in an election:
> Candidates from all three parties were out canvassing in Darlington today.
canvass for
> Chapman spent the rest of May canvassing for votes.
> The US has been canvassing support from other Asian states.
2 [intransitive and transitive] to ask people about something in order to get their opinion or to get information:
> Police canvassed the neighborhood, but didn’t find any witnesses.
3 [transitive]
[GOVERNMENT] [BASICS]
to talk about a problem, suggestion etc in detail:
> A committee was set up to canvass the city’s educational options.
—canvasser (noun) [countable]
—canvass (noun) [countable]
Capital
(noun)
1 [city] [countable] [GOVERNMENT]
an important city where the main government of a country, state etc is:
> Washington D.C., the capital of the United States
2 (money) [singular, uncountable] [BASICS]
money or property, especially when it is used to start a business or to produce more wealth:
> The government is eager to attract foreign capital.
➔ working capital,
venture capital
3 (letter) [countable] [LETTERS & PUNCTUATION]
a letter of the alphabet written in its large form, used for example at the beginning of someone’s name
➔ lower case, upper case
4 (centre of activity) [countable] a place that is a centre for an industry, business, or other activity:
> Hollywood is the capital of the movie industry.
5 make capital from/ out of something
to use a situation or event to help you get an advantage
6 (building) [countable] (technical) the top part of a column (=a long stone post used in some buildings)
(adjective) 1 [LETTERS & PUNCTUATION] a capital letter is one that is written or printed in its large form ➔ lower case, upper case: capital ‘B’
2 relating to money that you use to start a business or to make more money:
> capital investments
3 capital offence/ crime [LAW]
an offence that is punished by death
4 trouble with a capital T, fast with a capital F etc informal
used with any word in order to emphasize that you are talking about an extreme type of something
5 (old-fashioned) excellent
Capitol
- the building in Washington, D.C. where the US Congress meets
- the building that each US state has in its capital city, where government officers meet to discuss new laws and make decisions for that state
Capitulate
(verb)
1 (formal) to accept or agree to something that you have been opposing for a long time
SYN give in
> Helen finally capitulated and let her son have a car.
2 (formal) to accept defeat by your enemies in a war
SYN surrender
—capitulation (noun) [uncountable and countable]
Catalyst
(noun) [countable]
1 [technical] [CHEMISTRY]
a substance that makes a chemical reaction happen more quickly without being changed itself
2 something or someone that causes an important change or event to happen:
catalyst for
> They hope his election will act as a catalyst for reform.
—catalytic (adjective)
Catastrophe
(noun)
1 [uncountable and countable] a terrible event in which there is a lot of destruction, suffering, or death
SYN disaster:
environmental/ nuclear/ economic etc catastrophe
> The Black Sea is facing ecological catastrophe as a result of pollution.
prevent/ avert a catastrophe
> Sudan requires food immediately to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.
2 [countable] an event which is very bad for the people involved
SYN disaster:
catastrophe for
> If the contract is cancelled, it’ll be a catastrophe for everyone concerned.
—catastrophic (adjective):
> a catastrophic fall in the price of rice
> The failure of the talks could have catastrophic consequences.
—catastrophically (adverb)
Cede
(formal) [GOVERNMENT]
to give something such as an area of land or a right to a country or person, especially when you are forced to:
cede something to somebody
> Hong Kong was ceded to Britain in 1842.
➔ cession
Ceremony
(plural ceremonies)
1 [countable] an important social or religious event, when a traditional set of actions is performed in a formal way➔ ceremonial:
> a wedding ceremony
> the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games
2 [uncountable] the special actions and formal words traditionally used on particular occasions:
> The queen was crowned with due ceremony.
3 without ceremony
in a very informal way, without politeness:
> He wished me good luck in the future and left without further ceremony.
Chronicle
(noun)
a written record of a series of events, especially historical events, written in the order in which they happened:
chronicle of
>a chronicle of his life during the war years
(verb)
to describe events in the order in which they happened:
> His life is chronicled in a new biography published last week.
> The book chronicles the events leading up to the war.
Chivalry
(noun)
1 behavior that is honourable, kind, generous, and brave, especially men’s behaviour towards women
2 [HISTORY]
a system of religious beliefs and honourable behaviour that knights in the Middle Ages were expected to follow
Climactic
(adjective)
forming a very exciting or important part of an event or story, especially near the end of it➔ climax:
> a climactic moment
Climatic
[METEOROLOGY]
relating to the weather in a particular area:
> climatic conditions
Clutter
(alsoclutter up)
(verb) [transitive]
1 to cover or fill a space or room with too many things, so that it looks very untidy:
> Piles of books and papers cluttered his desk.
be cluttered (up) with something
> The walls were cluttered with paintings and prints.
2 to fill your mind with a lot of different things:
the everyday tasks that clutter our lives
—cluttered (adjective)
Coerce
to force someone to do something they do not want to do by threatening them:
coerce somebody into (doing) something
> The rebels coerced the villagers into hiding them from the army.
Collaborate
1 to work together with a person or group in order to achieve something, especially in science or art➔ collaborator:
collaborate on
> The two nations are collaborating on several satellite projects.
collaborate with
> During the late seventies, he collaborated with the legendary Muddy Waters.
collaborate to do something
> Researchers are collaborating to develop the vaccine.
collaborate in (doing) something
> Elephants collaborate in looking after their young.
Register
In everyday English, people usually say they work together on something rather than collaborate on something:
They are working together on some new songs.
2 to help a country that your country is fighting a war with, especially one that has taken control of your country➔ collaborator:
collaborate with
> Vigilantes began combing the city for anyone known to have collaborated with the enemy.
