PD_25/07/20(Official ETS: SE Only) Flashcards
phoney
- ADJECTIVE
If you describe something as phoney, you disapprove of it because it is false rather than genuine.
[informal, disapproval]
He’d phoned with some phoney excuse she didn’t believe for a minute.
He didn’t really have that moustache. It was phoney.
He used a phoney accent.
Synonyms: fake, affected, assumed, trick More Synonyms of phoney - ADJECTIVE
If you say that someone is phoney, you disapprove of them because they are pretending to be someone that they are not in order to deceive people.
[informal, disapproval]
He looks totally phoney to me.
…phoney ‘experts’.
Synonyms: bogus, false, fake, pseudo [informal]
liberal
respecting and allowing many different types of beliefs or behaviour:
a liberal society/attitude
Her parents were far more liberal than mine.
Synonyms: tolerant, enlightened, open-minded, permissive
stingy
ADJECTIVE
If you describe someone as stingy, you are criticizing them for being unwilling to spend money.
[informal, disapproval]
The West is stingy with aid.
Winston was not a stingy man.
Synonyms: mean, penny-pinching [informal], miserly, near [informal]
fanciful
ADJECTIVE
If you describe an idea as fanciful, you disapprove of it because you think it comes from someone’s imagination, and is therefore unrealistic or unlikely to be true.
[disapproval]
…fanciful ideas about Martian life.
Designing silicon chips to mimic human organs sounds fanciful.
Synonyms: unreal, wild, ideal, romantic
shore up
PHRASAL VERB
If you shore up something that is weak or about to fail, you do something in order to strengthen it or support it.
The democracies of the West may find it hard to shore up their defences. [VERB PARTICLE noun]
[Also VERB noun PARTICLE]
electorate
COUNTABLE NOUN [with singular or plural verb]
The electorate of a country or area is all the people in it who have the right to vote in an election.
He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.
…the Maltese electorate.
aloof
- ADJECTIVE [usually verb-link ADJECTIVE]
Someone who is aloof is not very friendly and does not like to spend time with other people.
[disapproval]
He seemed aloof and detached.
Synonyms: distant, cold, reserved, cool - ADJECTIVE
If someone stays aloof from something, they do not become involved with it.
[formal]
The Government is keeping aloof from the controversy. [+ from]
I will hold myself aloof from wrong and corruption.
skittish
ADJECTIVE
If you describe a person or animal as skittish, you mean they are easily made frightened or excited.
The declining dollar gave heart to skittish investors.
Synonyms: nervous, lively, excitable, jumpy
plead
VERB
When someone charged with a crime pleads guilty or not guilty in a court of law, they officially state that they are guilty or not guilty of the crime.
Morris had pleaded guilty to robbery. [VERB adjective]
VERB
If you plead with someone to do something, you ask them in an intense, emotional way to do it.
The woman pleaded with her daughter to come back home. [VERB + with]
He was kneeling on the floor pleading for mercy. [VERB + for]
‘Do not say that,’ she pleaded. [VERB with quote]
I pleaded to be allowed to go. [VERB to-infinitive]
[Also V, V that]
Synonyms: appeal, ask, request, beg
Plea
- COUNTABLE NOUN [NOUN to-infinitive]
A plea is an appeal or request for something, made in an intense or emotional way.
[journalism]
Mr Nicholas made his emotional plea for help in solving the killing. [+ for]
…an impassioned plea to mankind to act to save the planet.
Synonyms: appeal, request, suit, prayer More Synonyms of plea - COUNTABLE NOUN [usually adjective NOUN, N of adj]
In a court of law, a person’s plea is the answer that they give when they have been charged with a crime, saying whether or not they are guilty of that crime.
The judge questioned him about his guilty plea.
We will enter a plea of not guilty.
Her plea of guilty to manslaughter through provocation was rejected.
Synonyms: suit, cause, action, allegation More Synonyms of plea - COUNTABLE NOUN
A plea is a reason which is given, to a court of law or to other people, as an excuse for doing something or for not doing something.
The jury rejected his plea of insanity. [+ of]
Mr Dunn’s pleas of poverty are only partly justified.
Pledge
- COUNTABLE NOUN [usually NOUN to-infinitive]
When someone makes a pledge, they make a serious promise that they will do something.
The meeting ended with a pledge to step up cooperation between the six states of the region.
…a £1.1m pledge of support from the Spanish ministry of culture. [+ of]
Synonyms: promise, vow, assurance, word More Synonyms of pledge - VERB
When someone pledges to do something, they promise in a serious way to do it. When they pledge something, they promise to give it.
Mr Dudley has pledged to give any award to charity. [VERB to-infinitive]
Philip pledges support and offers to help in any way that he can. [VERB noun]
I pledge that by next year we will have the problem solved. [VERB that]
Synonyms: promise, vow, vouch, swear More Synonyms of pledge - VERB
If you pledge a sum of money to an organization or activity, you promise to pay that amount of money to it at a particular time or over a particular period.
The French President is pledging $150 million in French aid next year. [VERB noun]
The government has now pledged £170m over the next six years for improving primary care. [VERB noun]
Pledge is also a noun.
…a pledge of forty-two million dollars a month. [+ of] - VERB
If you pledge yourself to something, you commit yourself to following a particular course of action or to supporting a particular person, group, or idea.
He has pledged himself to assist Mr. Williams with money. [VERB pronoun-reflexive to-infinitive]
He has pledged himself to Everton Football Club for another three years. [V pron-refl to n]
The treaties renounce the use of force and pledge the two countries to co-operation. [VERB noun + to] - VERB
If you pledge something such as a valuable possession or a sum of money, you leave it with someone as a guarantee that you will repay money that you have borrowed.
He asked her to pledge the house as security for a loan. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: bind, guarantee, mortgage, engage More Synonyms of pledge
