Review 6 Flashcards
Furtively
/ˈfɝː.t̬ɪv.li/
secretly and often dishonestly:
As she turned away I saw him sniff furtively under his arm.
She saw him talking furtively to another man.
She glanced furtively at the papers on his desk.
Furtive
/ˈfɝː.t̬ɪv/
done or acting secretly and quietly to avoid being noticed:
They exchanged furtive gestures and words of encouragement.
I saw him cast a furtive glance at the woman at the table to his right.
He made one or two furtive phone calls.
There was something furtive about his behaviour and I immediately felt suspicious.
Fatuous
/ˈfætʃ.u.əs/ formal
vacuous
stupid, not correct, or not carefully thought about:
a fatuous idea
They chattered fatuously about old movies.
Vacuous
/ˈvæk.ju.əs/ formal
not expressing or showing intelligent thought or purpose:
a vacuous remark/question/expression/smile
To seem real to your readers, your characters must not be vacuous, but complex human beings with ordinary difficulties and goals.
He stared down at her, grinning vacuously.
They spent their time with me staring vacuously into space.
Seance
/ˈseɪ.ɑːns/
a meeting where people try to talk with dead people:
They’re holding a séance this evening.
Exacerbate
/ɪɡˈzæs.ɚ.beɪt/
to make something that is already bad even worse:
This attack will exacerbate the already tense relations between the two communities.
Her allergy was exacerbated by the dust.
Allay
/əˈleɪ/ formal
If you allay a strong emotion felt by someone, such as fear or worry, you cause them to feel it less or to feel calm again:
The government is trying to allay public fears/concern about the spread of the disease.
I was nervous, but seeing her allayed my fears.
Manifest
/ˈmæn.ə.fest/ formal
to show something clearly, through signs or actions:
The workers chose to manifest their dissatisfaction in a series of strikes.
The illness first manifested itself in/as severe stomach pains.
Lack of confidence in the company manifested itself in a fall in the share price.
Contraction
/kənˈtræk·ʃən/
a reduction in size or amount:
[ C ] an economic contraction
[ U ] Heat differences cause rapid expansion and contraction of the gas.
A contraction is a shortening of a muscle intentionally, or a sudden, unexpected, and often painful shortening of a muscle:
[ C ] voluntary/involuntary contractions
[ U ] Contraction of the muscle raises your arm.
[ C ] Researchers think olive oil may slow stomach contractions.
Subside
(of a condition) to become less strong, or (of an activity or disagreement) to become less violent:
When her pain didn’t subside, Matt drove her to the hospital.
Friction between the groups subsided gradually.
There is a danger that many homes will subside because of the drought.
Eventually the flood waters began to subside.
Byproduct
/ˈbɑɪˌprɑd·əkt, -ʌkt/
something that is produced as a result of making something else, or something unexpected that happens as a result of something else:
The deep depression he fell into was a byproduct of his disease.
Debilitate
/dɪˈbɪl.ə.teɪt/ formal
enfeeble
to make someone or something physically weak:
Chemotherapy exhausted and debilitated him.
a debilitating condition/disease
Enfeeble
/ɪnˈfiː.bəl/ formal
to make someone or something very weak
A longing which was indistinguishable from loneliness enfeebled him.
Come away from here, that the sight of this child may not yet more enfeeble your heart.
Prevalent
/ˈprev.əl.ənt/
rife predominant
existing very commonly or happening often:
These diseases are more prevalent among young children.
Trees are dying in areas where acid rain is most prevalent.
Rife
/raɪf/ formal
If something unpleasant is rife, it is very common or happens a lot:
Dysentery (โรคบิด) and malaria are rife in the refugee camps.
Graft and corruption were rife in city government.
rife with sth
full of something unpleasant:
The office was rife with rumours.
Graft
to take and put in place a graft:
Skin was removed from her leg and grafted on/onto her face.
[ T ] to join or add something new:
The management tried unsuccessfully to graft new working methods onto the existing ways of doing things.
[ U ] mainly us the act of getting money or advantage through the dishonest use of political power and influence:
The whole government was riddled with graft, bribery, and corruption.
He has had a skin graft on his badly burned arm.
Multifarious
/ˌmʌl.tɪˈfer.i.əs/ formal
of many different types:
The newspaper report detailed the fraudster’s multifarious business activities.
Reciprocate
/rɪˈsɪp·rəˌkeɪt/ fml
to do something for someone because the person has done something similar for you:
[ I ] We gave them information, but they didn’t reciprocate.
[ T ] Hemingway loved Stein and she reciprocated his love.
Sadly, my feelings for him were not reciprocated.
We invited them to dinner and a week later they reciprocated.
specialized engineering If a part of a machine reciprocates, it moves backwards and forwards:
Some electric razors have reciprocating heads.
Orate
Make a speech, especially pompously or at length.
‘Hamlet thinks, speaks, orates, and acts’
‘He orates to overcapacity crowds on his favourite themes: ideology, psychoanalysis, religion and love.’
Pompously
/ˈpɑːm.pəs.li/ disapproving
in a way that is too serious and shows that you think you are very important:
He strode around pompously, telling everyone what to do.
Pompous
/ˈpɑːm.pəs/ disapproving
too serious and full of importance:
He’s a pompous old prig who’s totally incapable of taking a joke.
He can sometimes sound a little pompous when he talks about acting.
Pomposity
Pompousness
disapproving
the quality of being too serious and showing that you think you are very important:
His pomposity and arrogance became clear in the interview.
See
Overcapacity
/ˌəʊvəkəˈpæsəti/ US
a situation in which companies in an industry can make and supply more products than customers buy or are expected to buy:
He blamed the profit collapse on overcapacity which led to the excessive discounting of holiday packages.
Vindictive
/vɪnˈdɪk.tɪv/ disapproving
revengeful vengeful
having or showing a wish to harm someone because you think that they harmed you; unwilling to forgive:
In the movie “Cape Fear”, a lawyer’s family is threatened by a vindictive former prisoner.
She sprayed red paint all over his car in one last vengeful act before leaving him for good.
Baleful
/ˈbeɪl.fəl/ literary threatening to do something bad or to hurt someone: He gave me a baleful look. his baleful influence
Synonym
menacing
Rotund
/roʊˈtʌnd/
corpulent /ˈkɔːr.pjə.lənt/ formal
rounded or fat:
a rotund piglet/man
Plump
/plʌmp/
C2 having a pleasantly soft, rounded body or shape:
a nice plump chicken
plump juicy grapes
a child with plump rosy cheeks
C2 polite word for fat:
He’s got rather plump since I last saw him.
to shake and push something to make it round and soft:
My aunt was busy straightening furniture and plumping cushions.
Excruciating
/ɪkˈskruː.ʃi.eɪ.t̬ɪŋ/ extremely painful: an excruciating pain in the lower back extremely boring or embarrassing: excruciating boredom
His confession, when it came, was excruciating.
Immerse
/ɪˈmɜrs/
to involve someone completely in an activity:
She immersed herself wholly in her work.
To immerse something is also to put it completely under the surface of a liquid:
Immerse the egg in boiling water.
The course offers total immersion in English.
Endogenous
/enˈdɑː.dʒə.nəs/ specialized
found or coming from within something, for example a system or a person’s body or mind:
Endogenous insulin levels decrease over time in people with type 2 diabetes.
There are those who see the origins of the crisis as endogenous to the region.
Exogenous
/ɪkˈsɑː.dʒə.nəs/
Having an external cause or origin.
‘technological changes exogenous to the oil industry’
(of a disease or symptom) attributable to an agent or organism outside the body.
‘exogenous depression’
Multifaceted
/ˌmʌl.tiˈfæs.ɪ.t̬ɪd/
having many different parts or sides:
It’s a multifaceted business, offering a range of services.
Disposition
/ˌdɪs.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/
C2 [ C usually singular ] the particular type of character that a person naturally has:
She is of a nervous/cheerful/sunny disposition.
[ S + to infinitive ] formal a natural tendency to do something, or to have or develop something:
a disposition to deceive
Debridement
/dɪˈbriːd.mənt/ specialized
a treatment in which dead tissue is removed from wounds such as burns in order to help them get better:
chemical debridement
Concussion
/kənˈkʌʃ.ən/
temporary damage to the brain caused by a fall or hit on the head or by violent shaking:
uk He’s been dizzy and confused since the accident. Do you think he has concussion?
us He’s been dizzy and confused since the accident. Do you think he has a concussion?
Silver bullet
a simple solution to a complicated problem:
There was no silver bullet that could have prevented the atrocities.
Panacea
/ˌpæn.əˈsiː.ə/
something that will solve all problems:
Technology is not a panacea for all our problems.
Books are not meant to be a panacea for an illness or loss.
Stark
/stɑːrk/
empty, simple, or obvious, especially without decoration or anything that is not necessary:
It was a stark room with a bed and chair as the only furniture.
The stark reality is that we are operating at a huge loss.
In the suburbs the spacious houses stand in stark (= extreme) contrast to the slums of the city’s poor.
completely or extremely:
The children were splashing in the river, stark naked.
If I didn’t exercise, I think I’d go raving mad (uk also stark staring mad) from sitting at a desk all day.
Raving
/ˈreɪ.vɪŋ/ informal
complete or extreme, or completely or extremely:
He must be a raving idiot/lunatic.
Her last book was a raving best-seller/success.
She’s no raving beauty.
I think you’re (stark) raving mad to agree to do all that extra work without being paid for it.
Comply
/kəmˈplaɪ/ formal
Follow
C1 to act according to an order, set of rules, or request:
He’s been ordered to have the dog destroyed because it’s dangerous, but he refuses to comply.
There are serious penalties for failure to comply with the regulations.
to obey an order, rule, or request:
Comosa says he will comply with the judge’s ruling.
The company said that it had always acted in compliance with environmental laws.
Foster
Encourage
to encourage the development or growth of ideas or feelings:
I’m trying to foster an interest in classical music in my children.
They were discussing the best way to foster democracy and prosperity in the former communist countries.
Mindfulness
/ˈmaɪnd.fəl.nəs/
the practice of being aware of your body, mind, and feelings in the present moment, thought to create a feeling of calm:
Mindfulness can be used to alleviate feelings of anxiety and depression.
Catastrophize
/kəˈtastrəfʌɪz/
View or present a situation as considerably worse than it actually is.
‘traumatic experiences can predispose people to catastrophize’
I tend to catastrophize.
Predispose
/ˌprid·ɪˈspoʊz/
to influence someone to behave or think in a particular way or to have a particular condition:
Individualism predisposes many people to look for individual solutions to social problems.
Your family history can help a doctor determine if you are predisposed to developing heart disease.
Scourge
/skɝːdʒ/
The bane of sth
something or someone that causes great suffering or a lot of trouble:
the scourge of war/poverty/drugs
Pop-up ads have been described as the scourge of the Internet.
Smallpox, that scourge of previous generations, now is effectively extinct.
Verb
The country has been scourged by (= has suffered very much because of) famine in recent years.
Bane of sth
The bane of sth
a cause of continuous trouble or unhappiness:
Keeping noise levels low is the bane of airport administration.
That cat is the bane of my life!
Instead of doing his homework, my son is always playing computer games – they’re the bane of my existence these days.
Gynecologist
/ˌɡaɪ.nəˈkɑː.lə.dʒɪst/
a doctor skilled in the treatment of women’s diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs
Incubate
When a bird, etc. incubates its eggs, it keeps them warm until the young come out, and when eggs incubate, they develop to the stage at which the young come out:
The female bird incubates the eggs for about 16 days.
ระยะฟักตัว
The incubation period varies depending on the time of year when the eggs were laid.
In smallpox, there is an incubation period of 8–18 days between initial infection and first symptoms.
Antenatal
/ˌæn.tiˈneɪ.t̬əl/ uk us prenatal
relating to the medical care given to pregnant women before their babies are born:
antenatal care/classes
the antenatal clinic
Some foetal abnormalities can be detected antenatally.
Intravenous
/ˌɪn.trəˈviː.nəs/ abbreviation IV
into or connected to a vein:
intravenous feeding/fluids
an intravenous drip/injection
Intravenous drug users are at particular risk of contracting the disease.
The antibiotic was given in a fluid intravenously.
Promiscuous
/prəˈmɪs.kju.əs/ disapproving
(of a person) having a lot of different sexual partners or sexual relationships, or (of sexual habits) involving a lot of different partners:
I suppose I was quite promiscuous in my youth.
It’s a fallacy that gay men are more promiscuous than heterosexuals.
Fallacy
/ˈfæl.ə.si/ formal
an idea that a lot of people think is true but is in fact false:
[ + that ] It is a common fallacy that women are worse drivers than men.
Preponderant
/prɪˈpɑːn.dɚ.eɪt/ formal
to be more important or larger in size or number than other people or things in a group:
Although it was a mixed class, girls preponderated.
The evidence preponderates heavily against the verdict.
Stigmatize
/ˈstɪɡ.mə.taɪz/
to treat someone or something unfairly by disapproving of him, her, or it:
People should not be stigmatized on the basis of race.
Gabrielle felt stigmatized in math class because she was not seen as one of “the smart kids.”
Seclusion
She spent her days in the seclusion of her room.
Secluded /səˈkluː.dɪd/ C2 quiet, private, and not near people, roads, or buildings: a secluded beach a secluded house in the forest
Concession
/kənˈseʃ.ən/
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.
[ U ] the act of admitting defeat:
The former president’s concession came even before all the votes had been counted.
a concession speech
uk a reduction in the usual price of something, made available to students, old people, etc.:
You can get travel concessions if you are under 26.
Stigmatization
/ˌstɪɡ.mə.t̬əˈzeɪ.ʃən/
the act of treating someone or something unfairly by publicly disapproving of them:
Care needs to be taken to ensure there is no stigmatization of children based on their home circumstances.
She kept her medical condition a secret for fear of stigmatization and discrimination.
Affiliate
/əˈfɪl.i.eɪt/
to cause a group to become part of or form a close relationship with another, usually larger, group, or organization:
a college affiliated to the University of Mumbai
The school is affiliated with a national association of driving schools.
[ T ] I’m not affiliated with any political party.
[ I ] The two schools will affiliate next year.
The group has affiliations with several organizations abroad.
Spearhead
/ˈspɪr.hed/
to lead something such as an attack or a course of action:
British troops spearheaded the invasion.
Joe Walker will be spearheading our new marketing initiative.
American troops formed the spearhead of the attack.
He is the spearhead of the project.
Forthcoming
[ before noun ] happening soon:
We have just received the information about the forthcoming conference.
friendly and helpful, willing to give information or to talk:
I had difficulty getting any details. He wasn’t very forthcoming.
[ after verb ] produced, supplied, or given:
No explanation for his absence was forthcoming.
Will financial support for the theatre project be forthcoming?
Earmark
/ˈɪr.mɑːrk/
Apportion allocate
to keep or intend something for a particular purpose:
Five billion dollars of this year’s budget is already earmarked for hospital improvements.
earmark sth for sth
The money had been earmarked for airport improvements.
earmark sth as sth
Africa was earmarked as a growth area.
earmark sth to do sth
Around 100 stores are earmarked to be sold.
a characteristic or feature that is typical of a person or thing:
He said the plan had all the earmarks of an economic disaster because it would increase customer costs.
Apportion
/əˈpɔːr.ʃən/ formal
to give or share out something, especially blame or money, among several people or things:
When we know how much is profit, then we can apportion the money among/between us.
The investigation into the air crash would inevitably apportion blame to certain members of the crew.
Guise
/ɡaɪz/
the appearance of someone or something, especially when intended to deceive:
The men who arrived in the guise of drug dealers were actually undercover police officers.
The company has been accused of trying to sell their products under the guise of market research.
Poky
uk informal A poky room, house, or other place is unpleasantly small and uncomfortable:
They live in a poky little flat.
us informal slow:
I wish you wouldn’t be so poky when you’re getting ready.
uk informal (of a car) fast: a poky two-litre petrol engine
Versality
/ˌvɝː.səˈtɪl.ə.t̬i/
the quality of being versatile (= able to change easily or to be used for different purposes):
I have chosen these recipes to show the versatility of vegetables.
He wanted to challenge the actors and demonstrate their versatility.
He’s a very versatile young actor who’s as happy in highbrow dramas as he is in TV comedies.
A leather jacket is a timeless and versatile garment that can be worn in all seasons.
Highbrow
/ˈhaɪ.braʊ/ mainly disapproving
(of books, plays, etc.) involving serious and complicated or artistic ideas, or (of people) interested in serious and complicated subjects
a person who is only interested in serious art or complicated subjects:
This is a film for highbrows.
Lowbrow
/ˈloʊ.braʊ/ mainly disapproving
(of entertainment) not complicated or demanding much intelligence to be understood:
He regards the sort of books I read as very lowbrow.
I like a lowbrow action movie once in a while.
Middlebrow
/ˈmɪd.əl.braʊ/ mainly disapproving
Middlebrow music, literature, art, and films are of good quality, interesting, and often popular, but can be understood quite easily.
One-off
/ˌwʌnˈɑːf/ uk
us one-shot
something that happens or is made or done only once:
Will you be doing more talks in the future or was that just a one-off?
They gave him a one-off payment to compensate for the extra hours that he had to work.
Facelift
treatment to make something look more attractive, for example a building:
The bank is planning to give its 1930s building a complete facelift.
After two years of bad sales, our priority is to give all our stores a facelift.
Credentials
/krɪˈden·ʃəlz/
documents that state the abilities and experience of a person and show that the person is qualified for a particular job or activity:
I got my teaching credentials from San Jose State.
abilities and experience that make someone suitable for a particular job or activity:
business/educational/professional credentials
He is keen for people to know his business credentials.
Press credentials will be required to attend Wednesday’s news conference.
Before giving you the job, they will check your credentials.
excellent/impeccable/impressive credentials
She possesses impressive credentials and practical experience in both state and federal court.
Outrider
/ˈaʊtˌraɪ.dɚ/
a person, especially a police officer, who rides on a motorcycle next to or in front of an official vehicle
Practicality
quality of being suitable for a particular occasion or use:
I bought these shoes for their practicality, not their appearance.
approving the quality of being able to provide effective solutions to problems:
Jonathan has demonstrated enormous practicality in his successful management of the store.
the possibility of being put into practice:
Your suggestion is appealing in theory, but it lacks practicality.
[ plural ]
the conditions that result from an idea becoming a real situation:
The practicalities of having two young children and working full time meant we had to employ a nanny.
It sounds like a good idea, but you should consider the practicalities before you put it into action.
Retrospective
/ˌret.rəˈspek.tɪv/
a show of the work an artist has done in their life so far:
a Hockney retrospective/a retrospective of Hockney’s work
relating to or thinking about the past:
a retrospective album of solo Freddie Mercury tracks
He was the subject of a retrospective exhibit.
Chagrin
/ˈʃæɡ.rɪn/ formal
disappointment or anger, especially when caused by a failure or mistake:
My children have never shown an interest in music, much to my chagrin.
She was chagrined to discover her mistake.
Surefire
/ˈʃʊr.faɪr/ informal
certain or likely, especially to succeed:
The film looks a surefire Oscar winner.
Running into the street like that is a surefire way to get hurt.
magisterial
/ˌmædʒ.əˈstɪr.i.əl/ formal
having or seeming to have complete authority:
his magisterial presence
Jenkins’s magisterial biography of Gladstone
Figurehead
/ˈfɪɡ·jərˌhed/
someone who has the position of a leader but who has no real power:
The company chairman is basically a figurehead.
Juncture
/ˈdʒʌŋk.tʃɚ/ formal
a particular point in time:
At this juncture, it is impossible to say whether she will make a full recovery.
a particular point in time or stage in a series of events:
Negotiations are at a critical juncture.
Interjection
/ˌɪn.t̬ɚˈdʒek.ʃən/ formal
[ C or U ] an occasion when someone interrupts someone else, or the interruptions themselves:
Her controversial speech was punctuated with noisy interjections from the audience.
Summation
/ˌsəmˈeɪ.ʃən/
formal a short, clear description that gives the main facts or ideas about something:
He offered his own concise summation of the problem.
formal something that represents a complete account or impression of what someone or something is like:
The scene where the two characters dance is the perfect summation of the love and desire between them.
us specialized law a speech made by a judge or lawyer to the jury towards the end of a trial, telling them again about the main matters they should consider in the case:
the prosecutor’s final summation
