PT3 T1.1 Part 2 Flashcards
plaintive
used to describe something that sounds slightly sad:
the plaintive sound of the bagpipes
“What about me?” came a plaintive voice.
mournful
very sad:
a mournful expression
mournful music
wander
to walk around slowly in a relaxed way or without any clear purpose or direction:
We spent the morning wandering around the old part of the city.
She was found several hours later, wandering the streets, lost.
desperate
very serious or bad:
desperate poverty
a desperate shortage of food/supplies
lamentation
sadness and feeling sorry, or something that expresses these feelings:
For all the lamentations that schools do not teach the game, it is still played in some areas.
crank
a person who has strange or unusual ideas and beliefs
conduit
someone or something that provides a way of passing something such as information or payments from one person to another:
The social media platform has served as a conduit for misinformation.
A captain is the conduit between the coach and the players.
screech
to make an unpleasant, loud, high noise:
She was screeching at him at the top of her voice.
He was screeching with pain/laughter.
utter
to say something or to make a sound with your voice:
She sat through the whole meeting without uttering a word.
in the main
generally or mostly:
Her friends are teachers in the main.
contest
a competition to do better than other people, usually in which prizes are given:
a dance/sports contest
She’s won a lot of beauty contests.
dispatch
to send something, especially goods or a message, somewhere for a particular purpose:
Two loads of cloth were dispatched to the factory on 12 December.
convey
to express a thought, feeling, or idea so that it is understood by other people:
His poetry conveys a great sense of religious devotion.
Please convey our condolences to the family.
pass
If you say a state or feeling will pass, you mean it will disappear:
Don’t worry, his depression is only temporary - it’ll soon pass.
size sth/sb up
to examine something or someone carefully and decide what you think about it, him, or her:
Voters are still sizing up the candidates.
The two cats walked in circles around each other, sizing each other up.
incumbent
officially having the named position:
The incumbent president faces problems which began many years before he took office.
oust
to force someone to leave a position of power, job, place, or competition:
The president was ousted (from power) in a military coup in January 1987.
Police are trying to oust drug dealers from the city .
a stroke of luck, genius, etc.
something that happens or succeeds suddenly because of luck, intelligence, etc.:
By a stroke of luck, someone else was walking along the trail and heard my shouts for help.
hit on/upon something
to think of an idea unexpectedly or unintentionally:
When we first hit on the idea, everyone told us it would never work.
ploy
something that is done or said in order to get an advantage, often dishonestly:
There are various ploys we can use if necessary.
[ + to infinitive ] He only said he had a meeting as a ploy to get her to leave.
inspirational
making you feel full of hope or encouraged:
He gave an inspirational reading of his own poems.
hazardous
dangerous:
a hazardous journey/occupation
impudent
rude and not showing respect, especially towards someone who is older or in a more important position:
an impudent remark/child
charm
to attract someone or persuade someone to do something because of your charm:
We were charmed by his boyish manner.
ebb
If a physical or emotional feeling ebbs, it becomes less strong or disappears:
He could feel his strength ebbing (away).
drowsy
being in a state between sleeping and being awake:
The room is so warm it’s making me feel drowsy.
irate
very angry:
We have received some irate phone calls from customers.
undercurrent
an emotion, belief, or characteristic of a situation that is hidden and usually negative or dangerous but that has some effect:
undercurrents of racism/anxiety/violence
Beneath the smooth surface of political life, there are powerful and dangerous undercurrents.
echo
to repeat details that are similar to, and make you think of, something else:
The design of the church echoes that of St. Paul’s Cathedral.
I’ve heard the prime minister’s view echoed throughout the party.
predicament
an unpleasant situation that is difficult to get out of:
She is hoping to get a loan from her bank to help her out of her financial predicament.
I’m in a bit of a predicament because I’ve accidentally accepted two invitations to dinner on the same night.
ostensibly
in a way that appears or claims to be one thing when it is really something else:
He has spent the past three months in Florida, ostensibly for medical treatment, but in actual fact to avoid prosecution.
The e-mail requested account information, ostensibly to help clear up a “billing error”.
stultify
to prevent something from developing, or prevent someone from developing new ideas:
She felt the repetitive exercises stultified her musical technique so she stopped doing them.
The new set of measures could stultify the industry.
