PD_23/07/20(SE: 1-15 ; 5lb) Flashcards
peddle
- VERB
Someone who peddles things goes from place to place trying to sell them.
[old-fashioned]
His attempts to peddle his paintings around London’s tiny gallery scene proved unsuccessful. [VERB noun] - VERB
Someone who peddles drugs sells illegal drugs.
He offered the youngster $100 to peddle drugs. [VERB noun]
peddling UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
The war against drug peddling is all about cash. - VERB
If someone peddles an idea or a piece of information, they try very hard to get people to accept it.
[disapproval]
They even set up their own news agency to peddle anti-isolationist propaganda. [VERB noun]
steward
- COUNTABLE NOUN
A steward is a man who works on a ship, plane, or train, looking after passengers and serving meals to them. - COUNTABLE NOUN
A steward is someone who has the responsibility for looking after property.
The Earl didn’t have the money or good judgement to employ a steward to manage the place for him.
Synonyms: custodian, warden, caretaker, curator More Synonyms of steward - COUNTABLE NOUN
A steward is a man or woman who helps to organize a race, march, or other public event.
The steward at the march stood his ground while the rest of the marchers decided to run.
upend
VERB
If you upend something, you turn it upside down.
He upended the can, and swallowed. [VERB noun]
husband
VERB
If you husband something valuable, you use it carefully and do not waste it.
[literary]
Husbanding precious resources was part of rural life. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: conserve, budget, use sparingly, save
procure
VERB
If you procure something, especially something that is difficult to get, you obtain it.
[formal]
It remained very difficult to procure food, fuel and other daily necessities. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: obtain, get, find, buy
piercing
- ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A piercing sound or voice is high-pitched and very sharp and clear in an unpleasant way.
A piercing scream split the air.
…a piercing whistle.
Synonyms: penetrating, sharp, loud, shattering - ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
If someone has piercing eyes or a piercing stare, they seem to look at you very intensely.
[written]
…his sandy blond hair and piercing blue eyes.
He fixes you with a piercing stare.
Synonyms: perceptive, searching, aware, bright - GRADED ADJECTIVE [ADJECTIVE noun]
If you describe a quality or feeling as piercing, you mean that it makes you experience a feeling, especially sadness, very strongly.
[literary]
She was aware of a sharp piercing regret. - ADJECTIVE
A piercing wind makes you feel very cold.
galley
- COUNTABLE NOUN
On a ship or aircraft, the galley is the kitchen.
counterfactual
thinking about what did not happen but could have happened, or relating to this kind of thinking :
Thoughts about how an embarrassing event might have turned out differently are known to psychologists as counterfactual thinking.
budding
- ADJECTIVE [ADJECTIVE noun]
If you describe someone as, for example, a budding businessman or a budding artist, you mean that they are starting to succeed or become interested in business or art.
The forum is now open to all budding entrepreneurs.
Budding writers are told to write about what they know.
Synonyms: developing, beginning, growing, promising - ADJECTIVE [ADJECTIVE noun]
You use budding to describe a situation that is just beginning.
Our budding romance was over.
…Russia’s budding democracy.
troupe
COUNTABLE NOUN [with singular or plural verb]
A troupe is a group of actors, singers, or dancers who work together and often travel around together, performing in different places.
…troupes of travelling actors. [+ of]
Synonyms: company, group, band, cast
seasoned
ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
You can use seasoned to describe a person who has a lot of experience of something. For example, a seasoned traveller is a person who has travelled a lot.
The author is a seasoned academic.
He began acting with the confidence of a seasoned performer.
Synonyms: experienced, veteran, mature, practised
lithe
ADJECTIVE
A lithe person is able to move and bend their body easily and gracefully.
…a lithe young gymnast.
His walk was lithe and graceful.
Synonyms: supple, flexible, agile, limber
torpid
ADJECTIVE
If you are torpid, you are mentally or physically inactive, especially because you are feeling lazy or sleepy.
[formal]
Synonyms: inactive, lazy, sluggish, languid
gloss over
PHRASAL VERB
If you gloss over a problem, a mistake, or an embarrassing moment, you try and make it seem unimportant by ignoring it or by dealing with it very quickly.
Some foreign governments appear happy to gloss over continued human rights abuses. [VERB PARTICLE noun]
retrospective
- COUNTABLE NOUN
A retrospective is an exhibition or showing of work done by an artist over many years, rather than his or her most recent work.
The actress will preside over a retrospective of her films.
They honoured him with a retrospective exhibition in 1987.
Synonyms: review, revision, another look, reassessment - ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
Retrospective feelings or opinions concern things that happened in the past.
Afterwards, retrospective fear of the responsibility would make her feel almost faint.
paean
COUNTABLE NOUN
A paean is a piece of music, writing, or film that expresses praise, admiration, or happiness.
[literary]
…a paean to deep, passionate love. [+ to]
evoke
verb [ T ]
to make someone remember something or feel an emotion:
That smell always evokes memories of my old school.
a detergent designed to evoke the fresh smell of summer meadows
flagging
adjective [ before noun ]
becoming weaker, slower, or less effective:
He’s trying to revive his flagging career.
Several economists point to flagging demand as a reason that prices haven’t risen as expected.
Pressure is mounting for a cut in interest rates to revive the flagging economy.
We have to find ways to boost our flagging sales.
hale
ADJECTIVE [usually verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If you describe people, especially people who are old, as hale, you mean that they are healthy.
[old-fashioned]
She is remarkable and I’d like to see her remain hale and hearty for years yet.
Synonyms: healthy, well, strong, sound
lissome
ADJECTIVE
bending or moving gracefully or with ease and lightness; lithe, supple, limber, agile, etc.
loathsome
ADJECTIVE
If you describe someone or something as loathsome, you are indicating how much you dislike them or how much they disgust you.
…the loathsome spectacle we were obliged to witness.
Synonyms: hateful, offensive, nasty, disgusting
medley
- COUNTABLE NOUN [usually NOUN of noun]
A medley of different foods or other things is a mixture of them.
…a medley of four fish in a cream sauce.
We communicated in a medley of foreign words and universal gestures. - COUNTABLE NOUN
In music, a medley is a collection of different tunes or songs that are played one after the other as a single piece of music.
…a medley of traditional songs. [+ of]
Synonyms: mixture, confusion, jumble, assortment,olio
melange
COUNTABLE NOUN
A melange of things is a mixture of them, especially when this is attractive or exciting.
[written]
…a successful melange of music styles, from soul and rhythm and blues to rap. [+ of]
…a wonderful melange of flavours. [+ of]
Synonyms: mixture, mix, jumble, assortment
bald
- ADJECTIVE [ADJECTIVE noun]
A bald statement is in plain language and contains no extra explanation or information.
The announcement came in a bald statement from the official news agency.
The bald truth is he’s just not happy.
Synonyms: plain, direct, simple, straight
rhetorical
ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
Rhetorical language is intended to be grand and impressive.
[formal]
These arguments may have been used as a rhetorical device to argue for a perpetuation of a United Nations role.
Synonyms: oratorical, verbal, linguistic, stylistic
prig
COUNTABLE NOUN
If you call someone a prig, you disapprove of them because they behave in a very moral way and disapprove of other people’s behaviour as though they are superior.
[disapproval]
Synonyms: goody-goody [informal], puritan, prude, pedant
equable
- ADJECTIVE
If you describe someone as equable, you mean that they are calm, cheerful, and fair with other people, even in difficult circumstances.
He was a man of the most equable temper.
He was a fine person to work with and he was very equable and a patient man.
Synonyms: even-tempered, calm, composed, agreeable - GRADED ADJECTIVE
An equable climate stays at an even temperature and has no sudden changes.
[technical]
The climate has grown more equable and the crop yields have risen.
Synonyms: constant, regular, stable, even
mainstream
COUNTABLE NOUN [usually singular]
People, activities, or ideas that are part of the mainstream are regarded as the most typical, normal, and conventional because they belong to the same group or system as most others of their kind.
…people outside the economic mainstream.
This was the company’s first step into the mainstream of scientific and commercial computing.
The show wanted to attract a mainstream audience.
frontier
- COUNTABLE NOUN [usually plural, adjective NOUN]
The frontiers of something, especially knowledge, are the limits to which it extends.
…pushing back the frontiers of science. [+ of]
…technological frontiers. - COUNTABLE NOUN
A frontier is a border between two countries.
[British]
It wasn’t difficult then to cross the frontier.
subvert
VERB
To subvert something means to destroy its power and influence.
[formal]
…an alleged plot to subvert the state. [VERB noun]
…a last attempt to subvert culture from within. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: overturn, destroy, undermine, upset
prejudice
- VARIABLE NOUN
Prejudice is an unreasonable dislike of a particular group of people or things, or a preference for one group of people or things over another.
Ghaffur alleged that he was repeatedly subjected to unnecessary prejudice.
There is widespread prejudice against workers over 45.
He said he hoped the Swiss authorities would investigate the case thoroughly and without prejudice.
adversity,fanaticism - VERB
If you prejudice someone or something, you influence them so that they are unfair in some way.
I think your South American youth has prejudiced you. [VERB noun]
The report was held back for fear of prejudicing his trial. [VERB noun]
He claimed his case would be prejudiced if it became known he was refusing to answer questions. [V be V-ed]
Synonyms: bias, influence, colour, poison
somber
- ADJECTIVE
If someone is somber, they are serious or sad.
Spencer cried as she described the somber mood of her co-workers. - ADJECTIVE
Somber colors and places are dark and dull.
His room is somber and dark.
inhibited
ADJECTIVE
If you say that someone is inhibited, you mean they find it difficult to behave naturally and show their feelings, and that you think this is a bad thing.
[disapproval]
We are rather inhibited about touching each other. [+ about]
Synonyms: shy, reserved, guarded, withdrawn
puckish
ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
If you describe someone as puckish, you mean that they play tricks on people or tease them.
[old-fashioned, written]
He had a puckish sense of humour.
Synonyms: mischievous, teasing, naughty, sly
prurient
ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
If you describe someone as prurient, you mean that they show too much interest in sexual matters.
[formal, disapproval]
We read the gossip written about them with prurient interest.
wry
showing that you find a bad or difficult situation slightly funny:বিকৃত
a wry smile/comment
dated
ADJECTIVE
Dated things seem old-fashioned, although they may once have been fashionable or modern.
…people in dated dinner-jackets.
Synonyms: old-fashioned, outdated, out of date, obsolete
puritanical
ADJECTIVE
If you describe someone as puritanical, you mean that they have very strict moral principles, and often try to make other people behave in a more moral way.
[disapproval]
If you describe someone as puritanical, you mean that they have very strict moral principles, and often try to make other people behave in a more moral way.
…puritanical fathers.
He has a puritanical attitude towards sex.
Synonyms: strict, forbidding, puritan, stuffy
ingenious
ADJECTIVE
Something that is ingenious is very clever and involves new ideas, methods, or equipment.
…a truly ingenious invention.
Gautier’s solution to the puzzle is ingenious.
Synonyms: creative, original, brilliant, clever
mores
PLURAL NOUN
The mores of a particular place or group of people are the customs and behaviour that are typically found in that place or group.
[formal]
…the accepted mores of British society.
…profound changes in social and sexual mores.
spontaneous
- ADJECTIVE
Spontaneous acts are not planned or arranged, but are done because someone suddenly wants to do them.
Their spontaneous outbursts of song were accompanied by lively music.
I joined in the spontaneous applause.
Synonyms: unplanned, impromptu, unprompted, willing
naught
nil,nothing,unimportant
gore
জমাট বাঁধা রক্ত
vacillating
ADJECTIVE inclined to waver; indecisive দোলায়মান unstable She said nothing for a moment -- vacillating perhaps -- then she shook her head.
polemics
disputation
fledgling
NOUN 1. a young bird just fledged 2. an inexperienced person ADJECTIVE 3. young, new, or inexperienced a fledgling diver Within four months the fledgling business collapsed.
crescendo
চড়া সুরে ত্তঠে এমনভাবে
1. COUNTABLE NOUN [usually singular]
A crescendo is a noise that gets louder and louder. Some people also use crescendo to refer to the point when a noise is at its loudest.
She spoke in a crescendo: ‘You are a bad girl! You are a wicked girl! You are evil!’.
The crescendo of noise was continuous.
The applause rose to a crescendo and cameras clicked.
2. COUNTABLE NOUN [usually singular]
People sometimes describe an increase in the intensity of something, or its most intense point, as a crescendo.
[journalism]
There was a crescendo of parliamentary and press criticism. [+ of]
And now the story reaches a crescendo.
3. COUNTABLE NOUN [usually singular]
In music, a crescendo is a section of a piece of music in which the music gradually gets louder and louder.
tirade
NOUN
1. a prolonged outburst of bitter, outspoken denunciation
a tirade against smoking
2. a long, vehement speech
a tirade in the Senate
3. a passage dealing with a single theme or idea, as in poetry
the stately tirades of Corneille
She faced a tirade of abuse after insisting that she was too beautiful to be liked.
panacea
NOUN
1. a remedy for all disease or ills; cure-all
2. an answer or solution for all problems or difficulties
His economic philosophy is a good one, but he tries to use it as a panacea
philippic
NOUN
a bitter or impassioned speech of denunciation; invective,tirade
He delivered a rousing philippic against the dictator.
eulogy
NOUN
Word forms: plural ˈeulogies
1. speech or writing in praise of a person, event, or thing; esp., a formal speech praising a person who has recently died
2. high praise; commendation
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈtribute
Yet the interview now reads like the funeral eulogy that he could not entrust to anyone else.
enervated
ADJECTIVE
literary
having been deprived of strength or vitality
Warm winds make many people feel enervated and depressed.
paucity
poverty,shortage
dearth
SINGULAR NOUN
If there is a dearth of something, there is not enough of it.
…the dearth of good fiction by English authors. [+ of]
Synonyms: lack, want, need, absence More Synonyms of dearth
pilfering
VERB
If someone pilfers, they steal things, usually small cheap things.
Staff were pilfering behind the bar. [VERB]
When food stores close, they go to work, pilfering food for resale on the black market. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: steal, take, rob, lift [informal] More Synonyms of pilfer
pilfering UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Precautions had to be taken to prevent pilfering.
punctilious
ADJECTIVE
Someone who is punctilious is very careful to behave correctly.
[formal]
He was punctilious about being ready and waiting in the entrance hall exactly on time.
He was a punctilious young man.
Synonyms: particular, careful, strict, exact More Synonyms of punctilious
punctiliously ADVERB
Given the circumstances, his behaviour to Laura had been punctiliously correct.
redoubtable
very strong, especially in character; producing respect and a little fear in others:
Tonight he faces the most redoubtable opponent of his boxing career.
indefatigable
ADJECTIVE
You use indefatigable to describe someone who never gets tired of doing something.
[formal]
His indefatigable spirit helped him to cope with his illness.
He was indefatigable in his efforts to secure funding for new projects.
Synonyms: tireless, dogged, persevering, patient ,unflagging
feckless
ADJECTIVE
If you describe someone as feckless, you mean that they lack determination or strength, and are unable to do anything properly.
[formal, disapproval]
He regarded the young man as feckless and irresponsible.
Synonyms: irresponsible, useless [informal], hopeless [informal], incompetent
supersede
VERB [usually passive]
If something is superseded by something newer, it is replaced because it has become old-fashioned or unacceptable.
Hand tools are relics of the past that have now been superseded by the machine.
philander
পরকীয়া
