P251-300 Vocabulary Flashcards
Shabby
shabby clothes, places, or objects are untidy and in bad condition because they have been used for a long time
a shabby little restaurant
– Canon
a list of books or pieces of music that are officially recognized as being the work of a certain writer
the Shakespearean canon
– Grab
be up for grabs
if a job, prize, opportunity etc is up for grabs, it is available for anyone who wants to try to have it
her seat would be up for grabs.
Malordorous
smelling unpleasant
SYN smelly
Plumage
the feathers covering a bird’s body:
the parrot’s brilliant blue plumage
Security
something such as property that you promise to give someone if you cannot pay back money you have borrowed from them
Reiss used his Brooklyn home as security for the loan.
Prop up
to help an economy, industry, or government so that it can continue to exist, especially by giving money:
The government introduced measures to prop up the stock market.
Cue
a long straight wooden stick used for hitting the ball in games such as billiards and pool
Conundrum /kəˈnʌndrəm/
a confusing and difficult problem:
the conundrum of our purpose on Earth
Florid
a florid face is red in colour
a middle-aged man with a florid complexion
Satire
a way of criticizing something such as a group of people or a system, in which you deliberately make them seem funny so that people will see their faults
a comedy group that does political satire
Presage
to be a sign that something is going to happen, especially something bad:
The large number of moderate earthquakes that have occurred recently could presage a larger quake soon.
Ram
- [intransitive and transitive] to run or drive into something very hard
He lost control of his truck and rammed into a van, killing two people. - [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to push something into a position, using great force:
In 2015, when Mr. Abe rammed through Parliament legislation that expanded the role of Japan’s military.
Presage
to be a sign that something is going to happen, especially something bad:
The large number of moderate earthquakes that have occurred recently could presage a larger quake soon.
Renounce
if you renounce an official position, title, right etc, you publicly say that you will not keep it any more
SYN give up
Edward renounced his claim to the French throne.
Vexing
to make someone feel annoyed or worried
And the vexing problem quickly passed.
Taint
if something bad taints a situation or person, it makes the person or situation seem bad:
Baker argues that his trial was tainted by negative publicity.
– Immunity
the state or right of being protected from particular laws or from unpleasant things
They were granted immunity from prosecution.
Exempt
to give someone permission not to do or pay something
a document that exempts the owner from liability in case of accidents.
– Slot
■an amount of time which is officially allowed for a single event in a planned order of activities or events
*The program will occupy that half-hour slot before the nine o’clock news.
Taunt
to try to make someone angry or upset by saying unkind things to them ⇨ tease
The other children taunted him about his weight.
– Quality
very good – used especially by people who are trying to sell something:
quality child-care at prices people can afford
Rant
to speak or shout in a loud, uncontrolled or angry way, often saying confused or silly things
Two women arrested for invading gay politician’s home to rant about drag queen.
Bigotry
having such strong opinions about a group of people that you are unwilling to listen to anyone else’s opinions
SYN prejudice:
sensational news stories that just encourage bigotry
▪ prejudice
▪ discrimination
▪ intolerance an unreasonable refusal to accept beliefs, customs, and ways of thinking that are different from your own: religious intolerance | There is an atmosphere of intolerance in the media.
▪ bigotry
▪ sexism the belief that one sex, especially women, is weaker, less intelligent etc than the other, especially when this results in someone being treated unfairly: sexism in language | She accused him of sexism.
▪ ageism (also agism American English) unfair treatment of people because they are old: The new law aims to stop ageism in the workplace.
▪ homophobia prejudice towards or hatred of gay people: homophobia in the armed forces
▪ xenophobia /ˌzenəˈfəʊbiə $ -ˈfoʊ-/ hatred and fear of foreigners: the xenophobia of the right-wing press
Silhouette
a dark image, shadow, or shape that you see against a light background
a person dancing, maybe doing extraordinary moves, but in silhouette.
Conflagration
a very large fire that destroys a lot of buildings, forests etc
con + falgrant(fire) + ion
Extradite
to use a legal process to send someone who may be guilty of a crime back to the country where the crime happened in order to judge them in a court of law
They are expected to be extradited to Britain to face trial.
Hearsay
something that you have heard about from other people but do not know to be definitely true or correct
I wouldn’t take any notice of it – it’s just hearsay.
Mull
mull something ↔over
to think about a problem, plan etc for a long time before making a decision
SYN-Consider
Trump taxes: House panel mulls releasing long-sought returns.
Proxy
by proxy if you do something by proxy, you arrange for someone else to do it for you:
You can vote by proxy.
Reprieve
■an official order that stops or delays the punishment, especially by death, of a prisoner
He was sentenced to death but was granted a last-minute reprieve.
■an escape from a bad situation or experience
The injection provided a temporary reprieve from the pain.
Mangle
to destroy something by twisting it with force or tearing it into pieces so that its original form is completely changed
His arm was mangled in the machine.
Truce
an agreement between enemies to stop fighting or arguing for a short time, or the period for which this is arranged ⇨ ceasefire:
They agreed to call a truce.
▪ peace a situation in which there is no war or fighting: There has been peace in the region for six years now.
▪ truce
▪ ceasefire an agreement to stop fighting for a limited period of time, especially in order to discuss making peace: The two sides agreed to a ceasefire which would come into force immediately.
– Shore
to help or support something that is likely to fail or is not working well
SYN bolster:
attempts to shore up the struggling economy
Mogul
■an important person who is very rich or powerful
movie/media/industry moguls
Outage
a period of time during which a service such as the electricity supply cannot be provided
a power outage
Apex
- the top or highest part of something pointed or curved
the apex of a pyramid - formal the most successful part of something
SYN peak:
He was at the apex of his career.
Onlooker
someone who watches something happening without being involved in it:
A crowd of onlookers had gathered at the scene of the accident.
Whip up
to quickly make something to eat
this version whips up rapidly with the use of jarred roasted red peppers and a food processor.
Pulse
to push a button on a food processor to make the machine go on and off regularly, rather than work continuously:
Pulse several times until the mixture looks like oatmeal.
Puree
if you puree food, you crush it so that it is almost liquid
Use a processor to puree the apricots.
– Span v.
to include all of a particular space or area:
Together they welcome about 300 million visitors each year and span some 85 million acres.
Crumble not=stumble
if something, especially something made of stone or rock, is crumbling, small pieces are breaking off it:
crumbling colonial buildings
▪ break verb [intransitive] to become damaged and separate into pieces: Plastic breaks quite easily.
▪ smash verb [intransitive] to break after being hit with a lot of force: The bowl smashed as it hit the floor.
▪ shatter verb [intransitive] to break into a lot of small pieces: The glass shattered all over the pavement.
▪ crack verb [intransitive] if something cracks, a line appears on the surface, which means that it could later break into separate pieces: The ice was starting to crack.
▪ burst verb [intransitive] if a tyre, balloon, pipe etc bursts, it gets a hole and air or liquid suddenly comes out of it: She blew up the balloon until it burst.
▪ split verb [intransitive] to break in a straight line: The damp had caused the wood to split.
▪ crumble verb [intransitive] to break into a powder or a lot of small pieces: The cork just crumbled in my hand.
Rushmore
a mountain in South Dakota, US, where the rock has been cut into the shape of the faces of four US presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt
Mock-up
a full-size model of something, made before the real thing is built, or made for a film, show etc
he ended up filming the remainder of the movie on a mock-up of the monument.
Pristine
not spoiled or damaged in any way
Yellowstone is home of some of the most pristine aquatic ecosystems.
Plaster of Paris
a mixture of a white powder and water that dries fairly quickly and is used for making plaster casts and to decorate buildings
Roster
a list of the names of people on a sports team, in an organization etc
The campaign has a roster of 500 volunteers.
Mint n./v.
a place where coins are officially made:
coins issued by the Royal Mint
v. to make a coin
Legal tender minted by the U.S. MINT.
Voracious
■very eager for something, especially a lot of food
Sophia had been a gifted student and, even at a very young age, was a voracious and sensitive reader.
-vorous
omnivorous / locavore / devour / carnivorous
Inculcate /ˈɪŋkʌlkeɪt $ ɪnˈkʌl-/
to fix ideas, principles etc in someone’s mind
try to inculcate a sense of responsibility in my children.
Modesty
a modest way of behaving or talking:
‘Anyone else would have done the same thing,’ he said with typical modesty.
– Employ
to use a particular object, method, skill etc in order to achieve something
In 1955, King was given an opportunity to employ XX’s techniques during XXXX.
Barley
a plant that produces a grain used for making food or alcohol
Rye
a type of grain that is used for making bread and whisky
rye bread
Facet
one part of a subject, situation, etc. that has many parts
Government funds every facet of the program, from the instruments to the teachers.
Plaintiff
someone who makes a legal complaint against someone else in
Defendant
the person in a court of law who has been accused of doing something illegal ⇨ plaintiff
■ In a court ▪ *defendant* the person who is on trial for a crime ▪ *the defence* British English, the defense American English the lawyers who are working for the defendant ▪ *the prosecution* the lawyers who are trying to prove that the defendant is guilty ▪*judge* the official in charge of a court who decides how criminals should be punished ▪*jury* a group of people, usually 12 people, who listen to the facts and decide whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty ▪ *witness* someone who describes in a court of law what he or she knows about a crime ▪ *testimony* a formal statement made in a court of law about a particular situation or action ▪ *verdict* the decision of the jury as to whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty
Divulge
to give someone information that should be secret
SYN reveal
The plaintiffs divulged that, ranther than appointing a qualified engineer to oversee the tank’s seam.
Seam
a line where two pieces of cloth, leather etc have been stitched together:
She was repairing Billy’s trousers, where the seam had come undone.
Hindrance
something which makes it more difficult for you to do something or for something to develop
I’ve never considered my disability a hindrance, but other people have.
Garner
to take or collect something, especially information or support ⇨ glean:
The party garnered 70 percent of the vote.
– Fruitful
producing good results
OPP fruitless:
While her technique is unorthodox, Behar finds her work fruitful when she allows her own experience to shape her understanding of the stories she hears.
Fret
to worry about something, especially when there is no need
Asian shares muted as investors fret over China reopening.
Strait
a narrow passage of water between two areas of land, usually connecting two seas
The Taiwan Strait
Tacit
tacit agreement, approval, support etc is given without anything actually being said
SYN unspoken:
a tacit agreement between the three big companies
Reticent
unwilling to talk about what you feel or what you know
She’s strangely reticent about her son.
■ not saying much
▪ quiet ▪ silent ▪ taciturn ▪ reticent
Round-the-clock
happening all the time, both day and night
Caring for seriously ill patients needing round-the-clock attention during the pandemic has added layers of commitment.
Weather
if rock, wood, or someone’s face is weathered by the wind, sun, rain etc, or if it weathers, it changes colour or shape over a period of time
The brick has weathered to a lovely pinky-brown.
Overhaul
to change a system or method in order to improve it:
All the community’s decision-making institutions need to be overhauled.
Decibel
a unit for measuring the loudness of sound:
noise levels exceeding 85 decibels
Bartender
someone who makes, pours, and serves drinks in a bar or restaurant
Irk v. /ɜːk $ ɜːrk/
if something irks you, it makes you feel annoyed
SYN annoy
The negative reply to my complaint really irked me. - irksome
– Aside
a remark that someone makes in a quiet voice because they do not want everyone to hear it
*a whispered aside
Preponderance
if there is a preponderance of people or things of a particular type in a group, there are more of that type than of any other:
There is a preponderance of female students in the music department.
Meadow /ˈmedəʊ $ -doʊ/
a field with wild grass and flowers
▪ field noun [countable] an area of land in the country, especially one where crops are grown or animals feed on grass: a wheat field | Cows were grazing in the field.
▪ meadow noun [countable] a field with wild grass and flowers: alpine meadows
▪ pasture noun [uncountable and countable] land or a field that is covered with grass and is used for cattle, sheep etc to feed on: large areas of rough upland pasture | cow pastures
Repercussion
the effects of an action or event, especially bad effects that continue for some time ⇨ consequence
These levels are known to impact both human experience in national parks and have a range of repercussions for wildlife.
Fodder
■people or things that are useful for the stated purpose
Any personal anecdote or social media report from China – scarce medicines, overrun hospitals, overflowing crematories – is possible fodder for researchers’ model.
About-face
a complete change in the way someone thinks or behaves
SYN U-turn:
The about face on China’s messaging is also complicating scientists’ assessments.
Vigilant
giving careful attention to what is happening, so that you will notice any danger or illegal activity:
vigil (watchful awake) surveillance
Please remain vigilant at all times and report anything suspicious.
Gallantry
courage, especially in a battle:
An army board eventually reinstated Walker’s award posthumously, reciting her “distinguished gallantry, self-sacrifice, patriotism, dedication; and unflinching loyalty to her country.”
Unflinching
not changing or becoming weaker, even in a very difficult or dangerous situation
un + flinch(tu turn) + ing
It is a brave and unflinching account for person life.
Defect
a fault or a lack of something that means that something or someone is not perfect:
All the cars are tested for defects before they leave the factory.
Crescent
(something with) a curved shape that has two narrow pointed ends, like the moon when it is less than half of a circle
New – waxing crescent – first quarter – waxing gibbous – full – waning gibbous – last quarter – waning crescent - new
Grope
- [intransitive] to try to find something that you cannot see by feeling with your hands
We groped around in the darkness. - grope for something
to try hard to find the right words to say or the right solution to a problem but without any real idea of how to do this
She hesitated, seeming to grope for words.
Wrestle with
■to try very hard to deal with a problem or to make a difficult decision
Although Eliot continued to wrestle with revisions until the last moment, XXX was finally published at the end of 2022.
Pare
- to cut off the outer layer of something, using a sharp knife – peel
Pare the rind from the fruit. - to reduce the amount, number, or size of something as much as you can:
The firm has not been able to pare costs fast enough to match competitors.
Rind
■the hard outer layer or covering of particular fruits and foods
*lemon/orange rind
Crippling
causing so much damage or harm that something no longer works or is no longer effective:
the crippling effects of war on the economy
Depot
a place where goods are stored until they are needed:
the company’s distribution depot
Chafe
a part of your body chafes or if something chafes it, it becomes sore because of something rubbing against it:
Wear a T-shirt under your wet suit to stop it chafing.
Panorama
an impressive view of a wide area of land
panorama of
The tower offers a panorama of the city.
Unparalleled
bigger, better, or worse than anything else:
an achievement unparalleled in sporting history
Sumptuous
very impressive and expensive:
a sumptuous feast
Allegiance /əˈliːdʒəns/
loyalty to a leader, country, belief etc
You owe allegiance (=have a duty to give allegiance) to your king.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.
Ornate [adj.] - ornament
covered with a lot of decoration
an ornate gold mirror
Plaudit n.
praise
She’s received plaudits for her work with homeless people.
Applaud / plausible
Quiver
to shake slightly because you are cold, or because you feel very afraid, angry, excited etc
SYN tremble
Her mouth quivered slightly as she turned away.
Neon
a colourless gas that is found in small quantities in the air and is used in glass tubes to produce a bright light in electric advertising signs. It is a chemical element: symbol Ne
the neon lights of Las Vegas
Permeate
- if liquid, gas etc permeates something, it enters it and spreads through every part of it
- [transitive] if ideas, beliefs, emotions etc permeate something, they are present in every part of it
Racism continues to permeate our society.
Nocturnal
an animal that is nocturnal is active at night:
Hamsters are nocturnal creatures.
Pentagon
a flat shape with five sides and five angles
Robust
- a robust person is strong and healthy
He looks robust and healthy enough. - a robust system, organization etc is strong and not likely to have problems:
The formerly robust economy has begun to weaken.
Drench
to make something or someone extremely wet
In the early morning they had got drenched in the grass.
drink-drench
Sleek
- a vehicle or other object that is sleek has a smooth attractive shape:
the sleek lines of the new Mercedes - sleek hair or fur is straight, shiny, and healthy-looking
The cat had sleek fur.
Sleek
▪ shiny looking bright and smooth, and reflecting light: Her hair was now washed and shiny.
▪ glossy used about hair or fur that looks shiny and healthy. Glossy magazines and books use expensive shiny paper: The plant’s leaves were still glossy.
▪ sleek shiny and smooth in a way that looks very attractive – used especially about hair, fur, a car or machine, or about someone’s body
▪ *silky *very soft and smooth to touch, like silk – used about hair, fur, skin, or material: Her skirt and jacket were made of smooth, silky fabric.
▪ gleaming very shiny and clean – used especially about something that has just been polished: A gleaming motorcycle stood parked outside the bar.
▪ glistening literary something that is glistening is shiny, especially because it is wet: her glistening eyes | I recognized his dark glistening skin.
▪ polished polished shoes, floors, tables etc are shiny because they have been rubbed until they shine: a highly polished floor
Yolk
the yellow part in the centre of an egg
Moor
to tie a boat so that it stays in the same place
We moored in and waited for high tide.
Shroud
- to cover or hide something:
Joseph was shrouded under a dark blanket. - to keep information secret so that people do not know what really happened
be shrouded in something
The incident has always been shrouded in mystery.
Temperate
■(of weather conditions) neither very hot nor very cold
*a temperate climate
Turnpike
a large road for fast traffic that drivers have to pay to use:
the New Jersey Turnpike
Oasis
a peaceful or pleasant place that is very different from everything around it
SYN haven
The park was an oasis of peace.
Penmanship
the art of writing by hand, or skill in this art:
children are practicing their penmanship
Effluent [n.]
liquid waste, especially chemicals or sewage
Effluents from local factories are finding their way into the river.
Ex / ek / ec / af (out) + fluent (to flow)
Lethargic
feeling as if you have no energy and no interest in doing anything
SYN lazy
OPP energetic:
The hot weather was making us all lethargic.
Buoyant
FLOATING
■able to float Cork is light and buoyant.
HAPPY
■happy and confident
After reading the letter he was in a buoyant mood.
Pit sb/sth against sb/sth
■to cause one person, group or thing to fight against or be in competition with another
From a new space race pitting billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos against each other to big advancements in AI.
– Whisk
take someone or something quickly away from a place
The vision of a self-driving car that whisks us to work while we read the news.
Lane
a narrow road in the countryside ⇨ path:
Tesla’s autopilot tool can help you stay in your lane.
Stymie
to prevent someone from doing what they have planned or want to do
SYN thwart:
Privacy concerns may stymie the promise of kicking back on your commute.
Plainly
in a way that is easy to understand or recognize
Put plainly, the metaverse is a 3D virtual space that can be accessed through XX.
– Contagious
if a feeling, attitude, or action is contagious, other people are quickly affected by it and begin to have it or do it ⇨ infectious:
her contagious confidence
Hysteria
extreme excitement that makes people cry, laugh, shout etc in a way that is out of control
In a fit of hysteria, Silvia blamed me for causing her father’s death.
Lap
the upper part of your legs when you are sitting down
SYN knee
Look on your lap!
Stench
a very strong bad smell
SYN stink:
the stench of urine
Invigilate
■to watch people taking an examination in order to check that they do not cheat
Miss Jekyll will be invigilating (your chemistry exam) today.
Doable
able to be done or completed
We’ve got to think first whether this plan is doable.
– Agreeable
pleasant
We spent a most agreeable couple of hours.
Frivolity
something that is silly and unimportant
Try not to be distracted by the frivolities of the world.
Launder - laundry
to put money which has been obtained illegally into legal businesses and bank accounts, so that you can hide it or use it
The company has been the subject of a money laundering probe by U.S. prosecutors.
Hitch
a small problem that makes something difficult or delays it for a short time
technical/slight/last-minute hitch
In spite of some technical hitches, the first program was a success.
▪ snag informal a problem, especially one that you had not expected: There’s a snag – I don’t have his number.
▪ hitch a small problem that delays or prevents something: There have been a few last-minute hitches.
▪ trouble when something does not work in the way it should: The plane developed engine trouble.
– Score
to get something
Wall Street’s Big banks score $1 trillion of profit in a decade.
Daze [n.]
feeling confused and not able to think clearly:
She wandered round in a daze, not quite sure what to do.
Courtship
the period of time during which a man and woman have a romantic relationship before marrying
They had a passionate courtship and a long, loving marriage.
Trickle v.
- if liquid trickles somewhere, it flows slowly in drops or in a thin stream
trickle down/into/out
The tears trickled down her cheeks. / sands trickle through fingers. - if people, vehicles, goods etc trickle somewhere, they move there slowly in small groups or amounts
trickle in/into/away
The first few fans started to trickle into the stadium.
Trickle n.
- [countable] a thin slow flow of liquid:
A trickle of melted butter made its way down his chin. - [singular] a movement of people, vehicles, goods etc into a place in very small numbers or amounts
Recent legislation has reduced immigration to a trickle.
To the exclusion of something
to do something so much that you do not do, include, or have time for other things:
We smiled and eventually found ourselves in a conversation that lasted the entire evening, to the exclusion of everyone else.
Tumultuous /tjuːˈmʌltʃuəs $ tuː-/
very loud, or full of confusion, change or uncertainty
After the tumultuous events of 1990, Eastern Europe was completely transformed.
– Skinny
FOOD AND DRINK ■low in fat
*a skinny latte
Shriek /ʃriːk/
- to make a very high loud sound, especially because you are afraid, angry, excited, or in pain
SYN scream:
They were dragged from their homes, shrieking and weeping. - [transitive] to say something in a high loud voice because you are excited, afraid, or angry
SYN scream:
‘I’m pregnant,’ she shrieked.
Holistic
considering a person or thing as a whole, rather than as separate parts:
a holistic approach to design
Caucus
an organized group of people who have similar aims or interests, especially political ones
Most of the lawmaker who voted against Mr. McCarthy – at least 95 percent – are members of the House Freedom Caucus or were recently endorsed by its campaign arm.
Spasm
an occasion when your muscles suddenly become tight, causing you pain back/shoulder/throat etc spasm
I must have had a spasm in my leg.
Pucker
■to tighten skin or cloth until small folds appear or (of skin or cloth) to form small folds
So I stool tall, closed my eyes tight, puckered my lips and faced upward.
Rhetoric
language that is used to persuade or influence people, especially language that sounds impressive but is not actually sincere or useful:
I was swayed by her rhetoric into donating all my savings to the charity.
Backbone
the most important part of an organization or group of people:
Farmers are the backbone of this community.
Devise
to plan or invent a new way of doing something
She devised a method for quicker communications between offices.
Establish
to make people accept that you can do something, or that you have a particular quality
establish yourself (as/in)
He’d already begun to establish quite a reputation as a journalist.
Be subject to
be subject to sth
■to have or experience a particular thing, especially something unpleasant
The inquiry found that they had been subjected to unfair treatment.
Parameter /pəˈræmətə
a set of facts or a fixed limit which establishes or limits how something can or must happen or be done
The researchers must keep within the parameters of the experiment.
Manifold mani+fold
many and of different kinds:
The reasons for this situation are manifold.
mani(many)
– Demonstrate
EXPRESS
■to express or show that you have a particular feeling, quality or ability
*His answer demonstrated a complete lack of understanding of the question.
Equivocal
if you are equivocal, you are deliberately unclear in the way that you give information or your opinion
SYN ambiguous:
His answer was equivocal.
Compound
to make a difficult situation worse by adding more problems
X problems were compounded by his lack of concentration.
Delve
to try to find more information about someone or something
delve into
research that delves deeply into this issue
▪ investigate ▪ look into something ▪ explore
▪ probe ▪ delve
Sloth
- [countable] an animal in Central and South America that moves very slowly, has grey fur, and lives in trees
- [uncountable] formal laziness
The report criticizes the government’s sloth in tackling environmental problems.
Percolate
- [intransitive] if an idea, feeling, or piece of information percolates through a group, it gradually spreads
These ideas were slow to percolate. - [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if liquid, light, or air percolates somewhere, it passes slowly through a material that has very small holes in it
percolate through/down/into
Rainwater percolates down through the rock.
Supersonic
faster than the speed of sound:
supersonic aircraft
Pretension
■a claim or belief that you can succeed or that you are important or have serious value
*United’s championship pretensions took a dent when they were beaten 5-1.
Amenity /əˈmiːnɪti $ əˈme-/
something that makes a place comfortable or easy to live in
houses that lack basic amenities (=basic things that people need, such as heat and running water)
Modulate
to change a process or activity to make it more controlled, slower, less strong etc:
These drugs modulate the disease process.
Facade
■a false appearance that is more pleasant than the reality
*Behind that amiable facade, he’s a deeply unpleasant man.
Charter
■a formal statement of the rights of a country’s people, or of an organization or a particular social group, which is agreed by or demanded from a ruler or government
a charter of rights**
**Education is one of the basic human rights written into the United Nations Charter.
Impart
to give a particular quality to something
impart something to something
Use a piece of fresh ginger to impart a Far-Eastern flavor to simple ingredients.
Ponderous
- slow or awkward because of being very big and heavy:
an elephant’s ponderous walk - boring, very serious, and seeming to progress very slowly:
a ponderous and difficult book
Prose
written language in its usual form, as opposed to poetry
Surcharge n.
money that you have to pay in addition to the basic price of something
surcharge on
a 10% surcharge on airline tickets
Frugal
careful to buy only what is necessary
OPP extravagant:
As children we were taught to be frugal and hard-working.
Burrow
■to move yourself into a position where you can feel warm, comfortable or safe
*Suddenly shy, our young daughter burrowed her head into my shoulder.
Spurn
to refuse to accept something or someone, especially because you are too proud
SYN reject:
She spurned all offers of help.
Exhort
to try very hard to persuade someone to do something
SYN urge
exhort somebody to do something
Police exhorted the crowd to remain calm.
Eschew
to avoid something intentionally, or to give something up
*We won’t have discussions with this group unless they eschew violence.
Grit your teeth
to bite your teeth together, especially when you are in pain, angry, or under pressure
Ben gritted his teeth, hoping Sasha wouldn’t notice his fear.
Assail
■to attack someone violently or criticize someone strongly
*The victim had been assailed with repeated blows to the head and body.
*He was assailed with insults and abuse as he left the court.
Recoil [v.]
- to move back suddenly and quickly from something you do not like or are afraid of
recoil from/at
She recoiled from his touch as if she had been slapped. - to feel such a strong dislike of a particular situation that you want to avoid it
recoil from/at
He recoils from everything in life that demands hard work.
Recoil [n.]
n. 3. if a gun recoils, it moves backwards very quickly after it has been fired
The recoil of the gun sent him flying backwards.
Serrated
having a sharp edge made of a row of connected points like teeth:
Use a knife with a serrated edge.
Morose /məˈrəʊs $ -ˈroʊs/
bad-tempered, unhappy, and silent:
A lot of businesses are feeling morose about where the economy is heading.
– Minutes
MEETING minutes [plural] an official written record of what is said and decided at a meeting:
Has everyone seen the minutes of last month’s meeting?
Demise
- formal the end of something that used to exist
demise of
the imminent demise (=happening soon) of the local newspaper - formal or law death:
the mystery surrounding Elena’s untimely demise (=when death happens sooner than is normal or expected)
Steer clear of xxx
to avoid someone or something unpleasant or difficult:
Steer clear of sticky snacks.
Ward off
to do something to try to protect yourself from something bad, such as illness, danger, or attack:
some steps you can take to ward off tooth decay.
Erratic
something that is erratic does not follow any pattern or plan but happens in a way that is not regular
Mr. Musk’s management of Twitter has been erratic: he is fired workers, refused to pay invoices, changed content moderation policies, allowed banned users back on to the platform, temporarily suspended some journalists’ accounts, been accused of neglecting his other companies and said he would resign as C.E.O.
Hangout
a place someone likes to go to often:
I walked into the latest hangout and who do you suppose I see sitting at the bar, but my old kissing partner.
Crispy
food that is crispy is pleasantly hard on the outside
a piece of crispy fried bread
Crunchy
food that is crunchy is firm and makes a noise when you bite it – usually used to show approval
a delicious crunchy salad
Contort
if you contort something, or if it contorts, it twists out of its normal shape and looks strange or unattractive
contort with/in
But she just stood there blocking the doorway – hands on hips, face contorted with anger and said: XXXX
Delinquent
being or behaving in ways that are illegal or not acceptable
People looked at us like we are crazy delinquents for not being home in bed at such a late hour.
Yearn
to have a strong desire for something, especially something that is difficult or impossible to get
SYN long
Hannah yearned for a child.
Bolt
to suddenly run somewhere very quickly, especially in order to escape or because you are frightened:
Yearning to bolt the 10 feet – so close, so far – between me and the safety of my room.
Churn - churning
MOVE/MIX
■to mix something, especially a liquid, with great force
*The sea was churned up by heavy winds.
churning
Just by the time I got home, her worry and stress and churning imagination – combined with her fatigue and relief.
– Explode
to suddenly express strong feelings such as anger
explode with explode into
She exploded with grief and anger.
Roll around
if a time, event etc that happens regularly rolls around, it arrives or takes place again:
When friend night rolled around, I gathered mt formal dress and my favorite heels and my stockings and shoved them into a bag.
– Rack
to cause physical or mental pain, or trouble, to someone or something
I was so racked with guilty for having taken it out on my mom.
Sunken
■having fallen to the bottom of the sea
*They’re diving for sunken treasure.
■at a lower level than the surrounding area
*Standing there in the middle of some stranger’s sunken living room where people were dancing.
■(of eyes or cheeks) seeming to have fallen further into the face, especially because of tiredness, illness or old age
*She looked old and thin with sunken cheeks and hollow eyes.
Litany
a long list of problems, excuses etc – used to show disapproval
litany of
I listened to the litany of crimes against his soul: his parents’ divorce and the death of his dog.
Beside the point
not relevant or important to the subject you are discussing
Stephen had certainly lied to her, but that was beside the point.
Scuff
■to make a rough mark on a smooth surface, especially on a shoe or floor
*Please wear trainers in the gym, to avoid scuffing the floor.
His shoes are always scuffed and his socks almost never match.
Pectorals /ˈpektərəlz/
your chest muscles
Render
to cause someone or something to be in a particular state
*[+ adj] His rudeness rendered me speechless.
*New technology has rendered my old computer obsolete.
– Opinion
■a judgment about someone or something
She has a good/high opinion of his abilities (= thinks he is good)**.
**I have a rather bad/low/poor opinion of my sister’s boyfriend
Trim [adj.]
a person who is trim is thin in an attractive healthy way
SYN slim:
He was tall, trim and really good-looking.
Jock
someone, especially a student, who plays a lot of sport and is often considered to be stupid
Subside
if a feeling, pain, sound etc subsides, it gradually becomes less and then stops
The pressure from his jock friends had subsided and we became very close friends.
Dismissive
■showing that you do not think something is worth considering
*He’s so dismissive of anybody else’s suggestions.
Pun
an amusing use of a word or phrase that has two meanings, or of words that have the same sound but different meanings
no pun intended (=used to show you do not mean to make a joke about something)
Groan
- [intransitive] to make a long deep sound because you are in pain, upset, or disappointed, or because something is very enjoyable
SYN moan:
The kids all groaned when I switched off the TV. - [intransitive and transitive] to complain about something
SYN moan:
I’m tired of him moaning and groaning all the time.
Thorn
a sharp point that grows on the stem of a plant such as a rose
Squash
STOP SOMETHING [transitive] informal to use your power or authority to stop something
the house squashed a motion to adjourn until Monday and instead opted to continue voting in a 15th.
Ascendancy
■a position of power, strength or success
*Supporters of the proposal are currently in the ascendancy over its opponents (= are more powerful than them).
