Review 10 Flashcards
Bash
/bæʃ/ bash verb (HIT)
[ I or T ] informal
to hit hard:
He bashed his arm against a shelf.
UK I could hear her bashing away on the computer (= hitting the keys loudly).
to criticize someone severely:
He kept bashing local government officials.
informal
a party:
He had a big bash for his 18th birthday.
Glittery
/ˈɡlɪt̬.ɚ.i/
glittering sparkly
producing a lot of small flashes of reflected light:
glittery eye shadow
a glittery dress
-adjacent
-adjacent US
used in compounds to show that something is not exactly the thing mentioned, but very similar to it:
For fans looking for some excellent horror-adjacent movies, I’ve put together the list below.
“There are an enormous number of science-adjacent and science-related careers for you to choose from,” he explained.
Burnish
If you burnish something such as your public image, you take action to improve it and make it more attractive:
The company is currently trying to burnish its socially responsible image.
Burnished
smooth and shiny, usually because of being polished (= rubbed):
The case is burnished aluminium.
burnished mahogany doors
(of a colour) shining in a warm way:
Their children have burnished olive skin.
having had improvements made to it:
Nothing in political prose has been so burnished as his acceptance speech.
Hobnob
informal disapproving
/ˈhɑːb.nɑːb/
to spend time being friendly with someone who is important or famous:
She often has her picture in the papers, hobnobbing with the rich and famous.
Complement
A complement is a number of people or things that makes something complete:
We had a full complement of reporters and photographers along.
to make something else seem better or more attractive when combining with it:
Strawberries and cream complement each other perfectly.
The music complements her voice perfectly.
Bleep
bleep sth (out)
(on TV, etc.) to replace a swear word with an electronic sound so that people will not hear the swear word and be offended :
Oops! Can you bleep that?
Corporate
/ˈkɔːr.pɚ.ət/
C1 [ before noun ] relating to a large company: corporate finance a corporate merger corporate executives
formal
of or shared by a whole group and not just of a single member:
All adults take corporate responsibility for the upbringing of the tribe’s children.
Pursuit
an activity that you spend time doing, usually when you are not working:
I enjoy outdoor pursuits, like hiking and riding.
I don’t have much opportunity for leisure pursuits these days.
the act of following someone or something to try to catch him, her, or it:
Three people have been killed in high-speed pursuits by the police recently.
The robbers fled the scene of the crime, with the police in pursuit.
Viable
able to work as intended or able to succeed:
In order to make the company viable, it will unfortunately be necessary to reduce staffing levels.
I am afraid your plan is not commercially/economically/financially/politically viable.
The company had to seek other ways to remain viable.
He would be a viable candidate for any office he wanted to run for.
Faux
/foʊ/
not real, but made to look or seem real:
faux fur
a faux-brick wall
Conspirator
/kənˈspɪr·ə·t̬ər/
Plotter
a person who plans secretly with other people to do something bad, illegal, or against someone’s wishes
Conspire
collude
to plan secretly with other people to do something bad, illegal, or against someone’s wishes:
[ + to infinitive ] He felt that his colleagues were conspiring together to remove him from his job.
As girls, the sisters used to conspire with each other against their brother.
Collude
Conspire
/kəˈluːd/
to act together secretly or illegally in order to deceive or cheat someone:
It was suspected that the police had colluded with the witnesses.
Attune
/əˈtuːn/
to make someone able to understand or recognize something:
My ears are beginning to attune to the subtle differences in intonation.
His previous experience attuned him to the limitations and possibilities of government service.
Deaden
/ˈded.ən/
to make something less painful or less strong:
Morphine is often used to deaden the pain of serious injuries.
Double glazing has helped to deaden the noise from the road.
to reduce the severity or effect of something:
He asked for some stronger medication to deaden the pain.
Alias
Preposition
/ˈeɪ.li.əs/
used when giving the name that a person is generally known by, after giving their real name:
Malcolm Little, alias Malcolm X
a false name, especially one used by a criminal:
He travels under (= using) an alias.
He admitted that the name Rupert Sharp was an alias.
Paul Sopworth, alias (= also known as) Rupert Sharp, went to prison today.
Catch on
to become fashionable or popular:
I wonder if the game will ever catch on with young people?
Expunge
/ɪkˈspʌndʒ/
to rub off or remove information from a piece of writing:
His name has been expunged from the list of members.
to cause something to be forgotten:
She has been unable to expunge the details of the accident from her memory.
Intern
to put someone in prison for political or military reasons, especially during a war:
Many foreigners were interned for the duration of the war.
Wail
/weɪl/
[ I or T ]
to make a long, high cry, usually because of pain or sadness:
The women gathered around the coffin and began to wail, as was the custom in the region.
[ + speech ] “My finger hurts,” wailed the child.
Informal
to complain loudly or strongly:
[ + that ] Business people wailed that their trade would be ruined.
Bawl
to shout in a very loud voice:
She bawled at me to sit down.
to cry loudly:
He was bawling his eyes out.
Nonexistent
completely absent:
Crime is virtually nonexistent around here.
Spatial
Spacial
/ˈspeɪ.ʃəl/
relating to the position, area, and size of things:
This task is designed to test children’s spatial awareness (= their understanding of where things are in relation to other things).
Awakening
/əˈweɪ.kən.ɪŋ/
the act of starting to understand something or feel something:
a religious awakening
the awakening of public concern about the environment
He’s in for a rude awakening (= will be shocked) when he starts work!
Therapeutic
/ˌθer.əˈpjuː.t̬ɪk/
Curative
causing someone to feel happier and more relaxed or to be more healthy:
I find gardening very therapeutic.
For arthritis sufferers, moderate exercise is therapeutic.
Curative
Therapeutic
able to cure or cause to get better:
Do you believe in the curative powers of the local mineral water?
Pate
/pæˈteɪ/
a thick, smooth, soft mixture made from meat, fish, or vegetables:
liver/salmon/vegetarian pâté
Dated & humurous
the top of a person’s head:
A hat covered his bald pate.
Ensnare
/ɪnˈsner/
to catch or get control of something or someone:
Spiders ensnare flies and other insects in their webs.
They wanted to make a formal complaint about their doctor, but ended up ensnared in the complexities of the legal system.
Commendation
/ˌkɑː.mənˈdeɪ.ʃən/
formal
praise, or an official statement that praises someone:
Several of the firefighters received commendation for their bravery.
an honour such as a prize given to someone because they have done something that people admire:
He was very proud when his daughter received a commendation for her achievement.
Cap
C1 [ T often passive ]
to put a limit on the amount of money that can be charged or spent in connection with a particular activity:
High spending councils have all been (rate/charge) capped.
Our mortgage is capped at 8.75 percent for five years.
to play for your national team in a particular sport:
She’s been capped for Scotland nine times.
to cover the top of something:
The mountain was capped with snow.
have your teeth capped (= protected with an artificial covering)
Bid
an attempt to achieve or get something:
Her bid for re-election was unsuccessful.
The company has managed to fight off a hostile takeover bid (= an attempt by another company to take control of it).
They have reduced the cost of borrowing in a bid to get the economy moving again.
Exile
the condition of someone being sent or kept away from their own country, village, etc., especially for political reasons:
The king went into exile because of the political situation in his country.
The deposed leaders are currently in exile in the neighbouring country.
to send someone away from their own country, village, etc., especially for political reasons:
The monarch was exiled because of the coup.
Ramp up
a large increase in activity or in the level of something:
They saw a ramp-up in orders.
As assemblers are needed to support the production ramp-up, the total number of jobs is expected to grow to around 20.
If a business ramps up its activity, it increases it:
The company announced plans to ramp up production to 10,000 units per month.
To stay competitive, they’ll have to ramp up product development as well as cut prices.
to increase the speed, power, or cost of something:
Announcement of the merger is expected to ramp up share prices over the next few days.
Mitsubishi has ramped up the speed of its new micro-controllers.
Circuity
(of speech, reasoning, etc) a roundabout or devious quality
Devious
If you describe someone as devious you do not like them because you think they are dishonest and like to keep things secret, often in a complicated way.
[disapproval]
Newman was devious, prepared to say one thing in print and another in private.
By devious means she tracked down the other woman.
Imposition
/ˌɪm.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/
(EXPECTING)
a situation in which someone expects another person to do something that they do not want to do or that is not convenient:
Would it be too much of an imposition to ask you to pick my parents up from the airport?
the introduction of a new law or system:
the imposition of the death penalty/martial law/sanctions
Undermine
/ˌʌn.dɚˈmaɪn/
C2
to make someone less confident, less powerful, or less likely to succeed, or to make something weaker, often gradually:
The president has accused two cabinet members of working secretly to undermine his position/him.
Criticism just undermines their confidence.
Toll
a small amount of money that you have to pay to use a road, cross a bridge, etc.:
Tolls are now collected electronically on most motorways.
the money a long-distance phone call costs:
Is Bayonne a toll call (= a more expensive phone call) from New York?
suffering, deaths, or damage:
Independent sources say that the death toll from the earthquake runs into thousands.
Defuse
to prevent a bomb from exploding:
Bomb disposal experts have defused a 110-pound bomb at a subway station this afternoon.
to make a difficult or dangerous situation calmer by reducing or removing its cause:
The two groups will meet next week to try to defuse the crisis/situation/tension.
Attribute
a quality or characteristic that someone or something has:
Organizational ability is an essential attribute for a good manager.
Self-confidence is a rare attribute in a 17-year-old.
She has the physical attributes to become a championship swimmer.
to say or think that something is the result of a particular thing:
attribute sth to sth Her success can be attributed to three main factors.
Refinery
/rɪˈfaɪ.nɚ.i/
a factory where substances in their natural state, such as oil or sugar, are made pure:
There were two huge oil refineries on the coast.
an oil/sugar refinery
Jobs may be lost at the refinery.
Offset
to balance one influence against an opposing influence, so that there is no great difference as a result:
The extra cost of travelling to work is offset by the lower price of houses here.
UK He keeps his petrol receipts because petrol is one of the expenses that he can offset against tax (= can show to the government as being a business cost, and so not pay tax).
to pay for things that will reduce carbon dioxide in order to reduce the damage caused by carbon dioxide that you produce:
We offset all our long-haul flights.
Concession
something that is allowed or given up, often in order to end a disagreement, or the act of allowing or giving this:
Both sides involved in the conflict made some concessions in yesterday’s talks.
He stated firmly that no concessions will be made to the terrorists.
Laureate
/ˈlɔːr.i.ət/
a person who has been given a very high honour because of their ability in a subject of study:
a Nobel laureate
Cash-starved
used to describe an organization that does not have enough money, especially because it has not been given enough by a government:
The cash-starved hospital faces financial failure.
Wistful
/ˈwɪst.fəl/
Pensive
sad and thinking about something that is impossible or in the past:
a wistful smile
I thought about those days in Spain and grew wistful.
She cast a wistful glance at the bridal gowns in the window.
Pensive
/ˈpen.sɪv/
Ruminative
thinking in a quiet way, often with a serious expression on your face:
She became withdrawn and pensive, hardly speaking to anyone.
James was more pensive than usual.
Withdrawn
/wɪðˈdrɑːn/
C2
shy and quiet and preferring to be alone rather than with other people:
Following her son’s death, she became quiet and withdrawn and rarely went out.
During the winter, she became depressed and withdrawn.
Ruminative
/ˈruː.mə.neɪ.t̬ɪv/
thinking deeply and for a long period:
a quiet and ruminative temperament
Her writing is less descriptive, more ruminative.
Temperament
/ˈtem.pɚ.ə.mənt/ /ˈtem.prə.mənt/
the part of your character that affects your moods and the way you behave:
a fiery temperament
Their temperaments are very different.
[ U ] Trudy has the nicest temperament of all our dogs.
Binge
an occasion when an activity is done in an extreme way, especially eating, drinking, or spending money:
a drinking/eating/spending binge
He went on a five day drinking binge.
to eat too much of something:
I tend to binge on chocolate when I’m watching TV.
Tillage
/ˈtɪl.ɪdʒ/
the act of preparing land for growing crops:
traditional methods of tillage
Yonder
in the place or direction shown; over there:
She lives in that town yonder.
Jubilee
/ˈdʒuː.bə.liː/ /ˌdʒuː.bəˈliː/
(the celebration of) the day on which an important event happened many years ago:
the Queen’s diamond jubilee
Tidings
/ˈtaɪ.dɪŋz/
news:
tidings of great joy
Situate
Locate place
/ˈsɪtʃ.u.eɪt/
to put something in a particular position:
They plan to situate the bus stop at the corner of the road.
To understand this issue, it must first be situated in its context.
Startle
/ˈstɑːr.t̬əl/
to do something unexpected that surprises and sometimes worries a person or animal:
She was concentrating on her book and his voice startled her.
The noise of the car startled the birds and the whole flock flew up into the air.
Her article on diet startled many people into changing their eating habits.
Wean
/wiːn/
to cause a baby or young animal to stop feeding on its mother’s milk and to start eating other food, especially solid food, instead:
The studies were carried out on calves that had been weaned at five weeks of age.
the act or process of causing a baby or young animal to stop feeding on its mother’s milk and to start eating other food:
A lot of mothers find early weaning from breast milk more convenient.
Though some toddlers may give up their bottle easily, weaning can take up to six months.
Even out
to become regular or equal, or to make something do this:
Adding money to your portfolio a little at a time will even out a lot of unpredictable fluctuations.
Investors are waiting for the housing market to even itself out.
These differences in pay tend to even out over time.
Caesarean
/sɪˈzer.i.ən/
(also caesarean section); (C-section)
an operation in which a woman’s uterus is cut open to allow a baby to be born:
I had to have a caesarean.
The baby was born by caesarean.
a caesarean birth/delivery
Prickly
unfriendly and easily offended or annoyed:
She was asked a couple of questions about her private life and got a little prickly.
Prickle
/ˈprɪk.əl/
one of several thin, sharp points that stick out of a plant or animal:
The fruit can be eaten once the prickles have been removed.
a feeling as if a lot of little points are sticking into your body:
I felt a hot prickle of embarrassment spread across my cheeks.
Outstrip
/ˌaʊtˈstrɪp/
-pp-
Outdistance outperform
to be or become greater in amount, degree, or success than something or someone:
The demand for food in the war zone now far outstrips supply.
outstrip expectations/forecasts/predictions
Group sales were up 6% to $5.8 billion, outstripping Wall Street expectations of $5.47 billion.
Outdistance
to be faster in a race than other competitors, or (more generally) to be much better than someone:
The company outdistance their nearest business competitors by a long way.
He easily outdistanced the other runners.
Outperform
to do well in a particular job or activity compared to others of a similar type:
The company has consistently outperformed its rivals this season.
Technology stocks are outperforming the rest of the market.
Legwork
practical work that needs to be done, as in gathering information, and that usually involves a lot of walking from place to place:
Months of legwork enabled detectives to uncover a new lead.
Herculean
/ˌhɝː.kjuˈliː.ən/
needing great strength and determination:
a Herculean effort
She faces the herculean task of bringing up four children single-handedly.
Viable
able to work as intended or able to succeed:
In order to make the company viable, it will unfortunately be necessary to reduce staffing levels.
I am afraid your plan is not commercially/economically/financially/politically viable.
Gynaecologist
/ˌɡaɪ.nəˈkɑː.lə.dʒɪst/
a doctor skilled in the treatment of women’s diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs
Obstetrician
/ˌɑːb.stəˈtrɪʃ.ən/
(US informal OB)
a doctor with special training in how to care for pregnant women and help in the birth of babies
Epitome
/ɪˈpɪt̬.ə.mi/
the epitome of sth
the typical or highest example of a stated quality, as shown by a particular person or thing:
Even now in her sixties, she is the epitome of French elegance.
He was the epitome of the fashionable gentleman.
/ɪˈpɪt̬·əˌmɑɪz/
His recordings came to epitomize American popular singing at its finest.
Formidable
strong and powerful, and therefore difficult to deal with if opposed to you:
There were formidable obstacles to reaching an early settlement of the dispute.
a formidable obstacle/task
a formidable adversary/enemy/opponent
a formidable intellect
disapproving the director and his formidable wife
Tumult
noise and excitement, or a state of confusion, change, or uncertainty:
[ U ] mental tumult
[ C usually sing ] a tumult of emotion
[ U ] The garden sits amid the tumult of downtown Vancouver.
You couldn’t hear her speak over the tumult from the screaming fans.
From every direction, people were running and shouting and falling over each other in a tumult of confusion.
The financial markets are in tumult.
The honoree received tumultuous applause.
Destitute
/ˈdes.tə.tuːt/
poverty-stricken indigent
without money, food, a home, or possessions:
The floods left thousands of people destitute.
These groups gathered clothing, schoolbooks, and medical supplies for the destitute flood victims.
Poverty-stricken
A poverty-stricken person or place is suffering from the effects of being extremely poor:
Some beggars are neither poverty-stricken nor homeless.
There are few jobs for the peasants who have flooded into the cities from the poverty-stricken countryside in search of work.
Indigent
/ˈɪn·dɪ·dʒənt/
having no money or anything else of value:
an indigent family
We are a non-profit agency that provides legal services to indigent clients.
Incest
/ˈɪn.sest/
sexual activity involving people who are closely related and not legally allowed to marry:
a victim of incest
Retaliate
/rɪˈtæl.i.eɪt/
to hurt someone or do something harmful to someone because they have done or said something harmful to you:
If someone insults you, don’t retaliate as it only makes the situation worse.
The demonstrators threw rocks at the police, who retaliated by firing blanks into the crowd.
The terrorists retaliated against the government with a bomb attack.
She said she was fired in retaliation for her reports of illegal business practices earlier this year.
Erudite
/ˈer.jə.daɪt/
Learned well-read
having or containing a lot of knowledge that is known by very few people:
He’s the author of an erudite book on Scottish history.
She is a scholarly and erudite person.
/ˌer.juˈdɪʃ.ən/
the state of having or containing a lot of knowledge that is known by few people:
a work of great erudition
She was known for her wit and erudition.
