Révision 1 anglais Flashcards
(formal) to gradually get into a bad state
[phrasal verb; no passive] to descend into sth.
/dɪˈsend ˈɪntu/
- The country was descending into chaos.*
- Sri Lanka has descended into even greater violence and a more furious civil war*
- I came from a good family, my parents loved me, but they were helpless as I descended into this nightmare.*
to have sb./sth. as parts or members
syn.: ?
to comprise
/kəmˈpraɪz/
syn.: consist of
/kənˈsɪst əv/
to comprise sth. The collection comprises 327 paintings.
MCC’s main committee comprises 18 members.
to be comprised of sb./sth.The committee is comprised of representatives from both the public and private sectors.
The task force is comprised of congressional leaders and cabinet heads.
(formal) a person who supports a political party or set of ideas
syn.: ?
[countable] adherent
/ədˈhɪərənt/
syn.: supporter
/səˈpɔːtə(r)/
- The movement has many enthusiastic adherents.*
- We should not show animosity to adherents of other faiths.*
adherent to sth. Prescriptive grammarians are seen as blind adherents to outdated norms of formal usage.
(of two or more people) to disagree with sb.
[intransitive] to differ
/ˈdɪfə(r)/
The two parties differ on all the major issues.
to differ (with sb.) about/on/over sth. I have to differ with you on that.
to differ (as to sth.) Medical opinion differs as to how to treat the disease.
(finance) the act of giving money to sb. on condition that they pay it back over a period of time and pay interest on it.
[uncountable] lending
/ˈlendɪŋ/
- Lending by banks rose to $10 billion last year.*
- UK mortgage lending fell by a record £2.3bn in April.*
lending to sb. Lending to borrowers with lower credit scores increased sharply during 2005-6.
(specialist) to divide sth. into different parts
[often passive] to segment (sth.)
/seɡˈment/
- Market researchers often segment the population on the basis of age and social class.*
- The worm has a segmented body* (= with different sections joined together).
very unfriendly or aggressive and ready to argue or fight
hostile
/ˈhɒstaɪl/
The speaker got a hostile reception from the audience.
hostile to/towards sb./sth. She was openly hostile towards her parents.
The experience has made him generally hostile to women.
to resist sb.; to not accept bad treatment from sb. without complaining
[phrasal verb] to stand up to sb.
/’stænd ʌp tu/
- It was brave of her to stand up to those bullies.*
- Women are now aware of their rights and are prepared to stand up to their employers.*
- He hit me, so I hit him back–the first time in my life I’d stood up to him.*
the regular way in which sth. happens or is done
[countable] pattern
/ˈpætn/
- changing patterns of behaviour*
- Their actions follow a very predictable pattern.*
- The murders all seem to follow a pattern* (= happen in the same way).
sth. that is difficult to understand or explain; a complicated problem
syn.: ?
[usually singular] puzzle
/ˈpʌzl/
syn.: mystery
/ˈmɪstri/
- They are trying to solve the puzzle of how gravity works.*
- The deeper meaning of the poem remains a puzzle.*
- The detectives were beginning to solve the murder. All the pieces in the puzzle were falling neatly into place.*
(formal) to argue or state earnestly
syn.: ?
[transitive] to contend that…
/kənˈtend/
syn.: to maintain
/meɪnˈteɪn/
- I would contend that the minister’s thinking is flawed on this point.*
- The government contends that he is fundamentalist.*
- ‘You were just looking,’ contends Samantha. ‘I was the one doing all the work.’*
in a way that can convince sb. to do sth. or make them believe sth.
persuasively
/pəˈsweɪsɪvli/
- They argue persuasively in favour of a total ban on handguns.*
- We have good arguments and we can present them persuasively.*
- The public service must find its own ways to persuasively demonstrate progress to internal and external constituencies in each area.*
to vary between two particular amounts, sizes, etc., including others between them
[intransitive] to range
/reɪndʒ/
to range from A to B. Accommodation ranges from tourist class to luxury hotels.
to range in sth. His four daughters range in age from 9 to 15.
to range between A and B. Estimates of the damage range between $1 million and $5 million.
(of a person) believing strongly in a particular religion and obeying its laws and practices
devout
/dɪˈvaʊt/
- a devout Christian/Muslim*
- The devout churchgoer goes to mass every Sunday.*
- Anti-clerical in his youth, he became passionately devout in his later years.*
(prep.; formal) used to show the basis or reason for sth.
syn.: ?
/!: ?
upon
/əˈpɒn/
syn.: on
/ɒn/
/!: Although the word upon has the same meaning as on, it is usually used in more formal contexts or in phrases such as once upon a time.
- The decision was based upon two considerations.*
- Although the word upon has the same meaning as on, it is usually used in more formal contexts or in phrases such as once upon a time and row upon row of seats.*
(formal; of ideas, opinions, etc.) to be accepted, especially after a struggle or an argument
syn.: ?
[intransitive] to prevail
/prɪˈveɪl/
syn.: [intr.] to triumph
/ˈtraɪʌmf/
Fortunately, common sense prevailed.
to prevail over sth. Justice will prevail over tyranny.
to prevail against sth. The wishes of 20 million people ought to prevail against those of 200 thousand.
(esp. in contexts involving tangible description of things) to some extent; not completely
compare: ?
partly
/ˈpɑːtli/
compare: (esp. used to describle a more tangible thing) partially
/ˈpɑːʃəli/
- He was only partly responsible for the accident.*
- Two factors at least partly explain her success.*
- Some people are unwilling to attend the classes partly because of the cost involved.*
all people in the world, thought about as one large group
[uncountable] humankind
/ˌhjuːmənˈkaɪnd/
- These advances should be used for the benefit of all humankind.*
- This could mean a safer future, not just for humankind, but for the planet as a whole.*
- This could provide new clues about the origins of humankind.*
similar to sb./sth. else
comparable
/ˈkɒmpərəbl/
A comparable house in the south of the city would cost twice as much.
comparable to/with sb./sth. The situation in the US is not directly comparable to that in the UK.
Inflation is now at a rate comparable with that in other European countries.
comparable in sth. The two machines are comparable in size.
(idiom.; informal) at risk
(to put sth.) on the line
/ɒn ðə laɪn/
- If we don’t make a profit, my job is on the line.*
- He wouldn’t put his career on the line to help a friend.*
- Police officers put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe.*
to mention a subject or start to talk about it
syn.: ?
[phrasal verb] to bring (sth.) up
/ˈbrɪŋ ʌp/
syn.: to raise
/reɪz/
- Bring it up at the meeting.*
- Why are you bringing it up now?*
- He brought up a subject rarely raised during the course of this campaign.*
(prep.) before a particular period of time has passed; during a particular period of time
within
/wɪˈðɪn/
- You should receive a reply within seven days.*
- The ambulance arrived within minutes of the call being made.*
- Two elections were held within the space of a year.*
the state of suffering and death caused by having no food
[uncountable] starvation
/stɑːˈveɪʃn/
- to die of/from starvation*
- Millions will face starvation next year as a result of the drought.*
- a starvation diet* (= one in which you do not have much to eat)
- They were on starvation wages* (= extremely low wages).
(adj.) that lasted 10 years
decade-long
/ˈdekeɪd lɒŋ/
- The penalty is the latest battle in a decade-long war between the Commission and Microsoft.*
- This follows on from a decade-long conflict, which has cost 11 000 lives.*
- The great tragedy is that this decade-long saga of corruption and mismanagement is funded by the poor old taxpayers.*
(formal) the action of making sb. do sth. that they do not want to do, using force or threatening to use force
[uncountable] coercion
/kəʊˈɜːʃn/
- He claimed he had only acted under coercion.*
- The army returned to more violent means of coercion.*
- The party dictatorship had terrifying powers of coercion.*
to take control of a place or situation, often suddenly and violently
[transitive] to seize (from sb)
/siːz/
- They seized the airport in a surprise attack.*
- The army has seized control of the country.*
- He seized power in a military coup.*
(of a plant) to grow its parts under the ground; to cause or encourage a plant to grow these parts
to root
/ruːt/
The trees failed to root and so died.
(fig.) Much violence in the world today is rooted in civil conflicts.
When the poor have an economic stake, then civil society and democracy will take root.
a way of acting in or dealing with a particular situation
also: ?
[countable] course
/kɔːs/
also: course of action
/ˌkɔːs əv ˈækʃn/
- The wisest course would be to say nothing.*
- If re-elected, the government would pursue the same course.*
- What course of action would you recommend ?*
- It was the best course of action to take in the circumstances.*
(not used with a negative) to some degree
syn.: ?
(rather informal) syn.: ?
quite
/kwaɪt/
syn.: fairly
/ˈfeəli/
(rather informal) syn.: pretty
/ˈprɪti/
- He plays quite well.*
- I quite enjoyed the film to be honest.*
quite a… He’s quite a good player.
in a way that is certain or that shows that you are certain
definitely
/ˈdefɪnətli/
- The date of the move has not been definitely decided yet* (= it may change).
- Please say definitely whether you will be coming or not.*
- I’m definitely going to get in touch with these people.*
the quality or state of being steady and not changing or being disturbed in any way
opp.: ?
[uncountable] stability
/stəˈbɪləti/
opp.: instability
/ˌɪnstəˈbɪləti/
- political/economic/social stability*
- price stability*
- the stability of the dollar on the world’s money markets*
- The country is now enjoying a period of relative stability and prosperity.*
to give sb. the wrong idea or impression and make them believe sth. that is not true
syn.: ?
[transitive, intr.] to mislead
/ˌmɪsˈliːd/
syn.: to deceive
/dɪˈsiːv/
- They were naive and easily misled.*
- Misleading the court in a trial is a serious offence.*
- Statistics taken on their own are liable to mislead.*
to mislead (sb.) (about sth.) He deliberately misled us about the nature of their relationship.
to mislead sb. into doing sth. The company misled hundreds of people into investing their money unwisely.
to have an image or idea of sth./sb. in your mind
[phrasal verb] to think of sb./sth.
/θɪŋk ɒv/
- When I said that I wasn’t thinking of anyone in particular.*
- I often think of Jane.*
to find out information and facts about a subject or problem by study or research
[transitive] to investigate
/ɪnˈvestɪɡeɪt/
to investigate sth. Scientists are investigating the effects of diet on fighting cancer.
The board will investigate the project’s feasibility.
to investigate how, what, etc… The research investigates how foreign speakers gain fluency.
We also continue to investigate what other new security measures may be appropriate.
(adj.) existing or happening over a large area or among many people
widespread
/ˈwaɪdspred/
- a geographically widespread species*
- The plan received widespread support throughout the country.*
- The use of steroids was widespread in many sports.*
a situation, number or quantity that can vary or be varied
[countable] variable
/ˈveəriəbl/
- Decisions could be made on the basis of price, delivery dates, or any other variable.*
- With so many variables, it is difficult to calculate the cost.*
- The temperature remained constant while pressure was a variable in the experiment.*
a statement, fact, or situation that tells you why sth. happened; a reason given for sth.
[countable, uncount.] explanation
/ˌekspləˈneɪʃn/
The most likely explanation is that his plane was delayed.
explanation for sth. I can’t think of any possible explanation for his absence.
explanation for doing sth. She didn’t give an adequate explanation for being late.
explanation of sth. The book opens with an explanation of why some drugs are banned.
explanation as to why… an explanation as to why he had left early
without explanation. She left the room abruptly without explanation.
to judge the importance, value or effect of sth.
syn.: ?
to measure
/ˈmeʒə(r)/
syn.: to assess
/əˈses/
to measure sth. It is difficult to measure the success of the campaign at this stage.
to measure how, what, etc… We have to measure what we have now and what we do better.
Valéry, a famous name in history, wrote that one can measure how great a civilization is by how it treats its minorities.
(of a person or an organization with authority) to say what should be done or how sth. should be done
(formal) syn.: ?
to prescribe
/prɪˈskraɪb/
(formal) syn.: to stipulate
/ˈstɪpjuleɪt/
to prescribe sth. The prescribed form must be completed and returned to this office.
to prescribe that… Police regulations prescribe that an officer’s number must be clearly visible.
to prescribe which, what, etc… The syllabus prescribes precisely which books should be studied.
to encourage sb. to do sth. or to encourage them to try harder to achieve sth.
to spur
/spɜː(r)/
to spur sb./sth. (on) to sth./to do sth. Her difficult childhood spurred her on to succeed.
My trainer spurred me to keep up a pace of four miles an hour.
to spur sb./sth. into sth. I was spurred into action by the letter.
to spur sb./sth. (on) The band has been spurred on by the success of their last single.
(formal) to make sth. clearer or easier to understand
syn.: ?
to illuminate
/ɪˈluːmɪneɪt/
syn.: to clarify
/ˈklærəfaɪ/
- This text illuminates the philosopher’s early thinking.*
- These confessions serve to illuminate his argument.*
- His explanation obscured more than it illuminated.*
in a way that is unpleasant, real and impossible to avoid ; completely
starkly
/ˈstɑːkli/
- These theories contrast starkly with the reality of everyday life.*
- We are starkly aware of the risks.*
the fact of sharing features or qualities
plural: ?
[countable, uncount.] commonality
/kɒməˈnalɪti/
plur.: commonalities
- We don’t have the same commonality of interest.*
- There is an amazing number of commonalities between systems.*
- A commonality between all of the studies reviewed, is the propensity for street gangs to be involved with drugs.*
to defeat sb./sth. by winning a larger number of votes
syn.: ?
[usually passive] to outvote (sb./sth.)
/ˌaʊtˈvəʊt/
syn.: to vote sb./sth. down
/vəʊt daʊn/
- His proposal was outvoted by 10 votes to 8.*
- I didn’t want to sell, but was outvoted by my half-siblings.*
- Twice his colleagues have outvoted him.*
evidence that helps to show that sth. is true or correct
[uncountable] support
/səˈpɔːt/
This suggestion lacks convincing experimental support.
support for sth.The statistics offer further support for our theory.
in support of sth. There is little evidence in support of this hypothesis.
a thing that is true, that is considered to be true
[countable] certainty
/ˈsɜːtnti/
- political/moral certainties*
- Her return to the team now seems a certainty.*
- The end of the Cold War marked the collapse of many old political certainties.*
at the most basic and important level; used to emphasize the most important fact in a situation
ultimately
/ˈʌltɪmətli/
- All life depends ultimately on oxygen.*
- Ultimately, however, films come down to their stories and characters.*
belonging to or part of the real nature of sth./sb.
(formal) compare: ?
intrinsic
/ɪnˈtrɪnzɪk/
(formal) compare: extrinsic
/eksˈtrɪnzɪk/
- the intrinsic value of education*
- These tasks were repetitive, lengthy and lacking any intrinsic interest.*
intrinsic to sth. Small local shops are intrinsic to the town’s character.
in a way that has different parts that all agree with each other
opp.: ?
consistently
/kənˈsɪstəntli/
opp.: inconsistently
/ˌɪnkənˈsɪstəntli/
- Studies have not consistently demonstrated any benefit.*
- Principles such as “conducting its business with integrity” and “managing conflicts of interest fairly” are difficult to interpret consistently when there is no overarching corporate guidance for the regulators.*
the conditions and facts that are connected with and affect a situation, an event or an action
[countable, usually plural] circumstance
/ˈsɜːkəmstəns/
Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the boy’s death.
under … circumstances. Under normal circumstances, your white blood cells are able to fight infections.
in … circumstances. The company reserves the right to cancel this agreement in certain circumstances.
mainly true in a particular situation; mainly
syn.: ?
primarily
/praɪˈmerəli/
syn.: chiefly
/ˈtʃiːfli/
- The person primarily responsible is the project manager.*
- a course designed primarily for specialists*
- Her view is that prejudice is caused primarily by ignorance.*
a meeting of people for a particular purpose
[countable] gathering
/ˈɡæðərɪŋ/
- a family gathering*
- He was asked to speak at a gathering of religious leaders.*
- We all go to my parents’ at Christmas for the annual gathering of the clan.*
about sth. happening or being true on some occasions or at some moments
at times
/æt taɪmz/
- The rain will become heavy at times in the afternoon.*
- He can be rather moody at times.*
- He can be really bad-tempered at times. At other times* (= le reste du temps), he’s nice.
(formal) that is correct, right or legal
syn.: ?
[only before noun] rightful
/ˈraɪtfl/
syn.: [only before noun] proper
/ˈprɒpə(r)/
- The stolen car was returned to its rightful owner.*
- Every book and ornament was in its rightful place.*
- He had been denied what he believed to be his rightful position at the center of things.*
difficult to understand because it contains a lot of information
comparative, superlative: ?
dense
/dens/
comparative, superlative: denser, densest
- a dense piece of writing*
- His prose is vigorous and dense, occasionally to the point of obscurity.*
to spend a long time thinking and worrying about a difficult situation or problem
(US English) also: ?
[intransitive] to agonise (over/about sth.)
/ˈæɡənaɪz/
(US English) also: to agonize
- I spent days agonising over whether to take the job or not.*
- Young people agonize over jobs.*
- They shouldn’t agonise too much about this.*
to mention sth. that you think is important and/or the reason why a particular situation exists
[phrasal verb] to point to sth.
/pɔɪnt tu/
- The board of directors pointed to falling productivity to justify their decision.*
- Pointing to the results of a recent survey, he claimed voters were most interested in education and unemployment.*
- She points to the fact that organic wine won’t give you a headache.*
(formal) that is true and cannot be disagreed with, discussed or denied
syn.: ?
incontrovertible
/ˌɪnkɒntrəˈvɜːtəbl/
syn.: indisputable
/ˌɪndɪˈspjuːtəbl/
- incontrovertible evidence/proof*
- The facts were incontrovertible.*
- There is one incontrovertible argument in favour of the changes.*
that can be believed or trusted
syn.: ?
credible
/ˈkredəbl/
syn.: convincing
/kənˈvɪnsɪŋ/
- a credible explanation/witness*
- It is just not credible that she would cheat.*
- You need imagination to make what you write fully credible.*
in a very direct way, without trying to be polite or kind
bluntly
/ˈblʌntli/
- To put it bluntly, I want a divorce.*
- ‘Is she dead?’ he asked bluntly.*
- Put bluntly, many countries must dedicate substantially more funds from national budgets - or increasingly suffer the consequences.*
(usually disapproving) without criticizing sb./sth. or judging whether sb./sth. is right or wrong
opp.: ?
uncritically
/ˌʌnˈkrɪtɪkli/
opp.: critically
/ˈkrɪtɪkli/
- These official statistics should not be accepted uncritically.*
- She admires the students, but not uncritically.*
- Over the last forty years the world has uncritically accepted the market logic and business values.*
(formal) to find or employ measures to obtain or accomplish sth.; to do sth. or try to achieve sth. over a period of time
to pursue
/pəˈsjuː/
- Certain goals are worth pursuing*
- She wishes to pursue a medical career.*
- We intend to pursue this policy with determination.*
in a state of developing or being developed
developmental
/dɪˌveləpˈmentl/
- The product is still at a developmental stage.*
- clinical trials during the developmental phases of a medicinal product*
- The quad principle, which was part of the root of our program, was quality, universality, affordability and developmental.*
(formal) to make sb. do or have sth., especially because it is necessary according to a particular law or set of rules
[not usually used in the progressive tenses; often passive] to require
/rɪˈkwaɪə(r)/
to require sth. I just require a signature on the form.
to require sb./sth. to do sth. True marriage requires us to show trust and loyalty.
to require that… The situation required that he be present.
(British English) The situation required that he should be present.
to require doing sth. Lentils do not require soaking before cooking.
to repeat the exact words that another person has said or written
[transitive, intr.] to quote
/kwəʊt/
to quote sth. to quote Shakespeare
to quote sth. from sth. He quoted a passage (/ˈpæsɪdʒ/) from the minister’s speech.
to quote from sth. They quoted from the Bible.
to quote sb./sth. in sth. Quote this reference number in all correspondence.
to quote sb. to quote an expert/an official/a source
to quote sb. as doing sth. The President was quoted in the press as saying that he disagreed with the decision.
to quote sb. on sth. ‘It will all be gone tomorrow.’ ‘Can I quote you on that?’
to quote + speech ‘The man who is tired of London is tired of life,’ he quoted.
(formal) describing or setting standards or rules of behaviour
normative
/ˈnɔːmətɪv/
- Human rights are thematic, systematic and, above all, normative.*
- The banks defined a regulatory framework for payments.*
- The struggle for justice is a moral, ethical, social and normative struggle.*
to give a statement of the main points of sth.
(US English) also: ?
[transitive, intr.] to summarise (sth.)
/ˈsʌməraɪz/
(US English) also: to summarize
- The results of the research are summarised at the end of the chapter.*
- This essay briefly summarises some of our approaches.*
- To summarise, the main conclusions are as follows…*
- The argument can be summarized as follows:…*
to have the most influence or importance
to predominate (over sb./sth.)
/prɪˈdɒmɪneɪt/
- Private interest was not allowed to predominate over the public good.*
- Sometimes there is the impression that regional interests predominate over common interests.*
- Much sociological research on religion was based on societies in which a single religion overwhelmingly predominated.*
difficult to deal with or to understand; not certain to be successful
(more frequent) also: ?
opp.: ?
(less frequent) opp.: ?
problematical
/ˌprɒbləˈmætɪkl/
(more frequent) also: problematic
opp.: unproblematic
/ˌʌnˌprɒbləˈmætɪk/
(less frequent) opp.: unproblematical
/ˌʌnˌprɒbləˈmætɪkl/
- The questions concerning access to this information remain problematical.*
- The situation is more problematic* than we first thought.
- Which are the most problematical countries in the world for journalists?*
the way in which words are employed in a language
[countable, uncount.] usage
/ˈjuːsɪdʒ/
- It’s not a word in common usage.*
- a book on current English usage*
- The term ‘eco-tourism’ entered common usage in the 1990s.*
a fault in sb.’s character, a plan, a system, etc.
syn.: ?
[usually plural] shortcoming
/ˈʃɔːtkʌmɪŋ/
syn.: defect
/ˈdiːfekt/
- She made me aware of my own shortcomings.*
- Despite a number of shortcomings, the project will still go ahead.*
- There were obvious shortcomings in the report.*
(of two events) to start before the other one has finished
[transitive, intr.] to overlap
/ˌəʊvəˈlæp/
to overlap sth. The elimination of the overlapping operations led to an immediate improvement of productivity.
to overlap each other. Some of the data blocks intermittently overlapped each other.
(formal) the state of being more than one
[countable, usually singular] plurality
/plʊəˈræləti/
- a plurality of influences*
- There was a marked plurality of opinions/views among the people attending the meeting.*
- This plurality in the field of languages is a sign of the plurality of the cultures.*
(formal) to support or suggest an idea, development, or way of doing sth. publicly
to advocate
/ˈædvəkeɪt/
to advocate sth. The group does not advocate the use of violence.
to advocate (sb.) doing sth. Many experts advocate rewarding your child for good behaviour.
to advocate that… The report advocated that all buildings be fitted with smoke detectors.
giving the reasons for sth.; intended to describe how sth. works or to make sth. easier to understand
[usually before noun] explanatory
/ɪkˈsplænətri/
- There are explanatory notes at the back of the book.*
- The explanatory texts have been specially adapted for young people.*
- An explanatory statement by the Commission.*
to make people in a country, an organization or other place fight or argue with each other
[phrasal verb] to tear apart (sth.)
/teər əˈpɑːrt/
- Racial strife is tearing our country apart.*
- The quarrel tore the party apart.*
- War and revolution have torn families apart.*
(especially in North American English; formal) connected with the particular way in which the meaning of sth. is given or sth. is performed
(British English) also: ?
[usually before noun] interpretive
/ɪnˈtɜːprɪtɪv/
(British English) also: interpretative
/ɪnˈtɜːprətətɪv/
- an interpretive clause*
- In applying this interpretive approach to the facts of the complaint, the Tribunal concluded that…*
- History is an interpretive process.*
a period of ten years, especially a continuous period, such as 1910–1919 or 2000–2009
decade
/ˈdekeɪd/
- the early decades of the nineteenth century*
- The nineties were a decade of rapid advances.*
over a decade. He’s changed a lot over the past decade.
for decades. The war may be short but the environmental impacts could last for decades.
a general study, view or description of sth.; a description of the whole of a subject
[countable] survey
/ˈsɜːveɪ/
- a comprehensive survey of modern music*
- a historical survey of children’s clothing*
- A survey of the literature on substitution of homecare services for hospital services identified 14 projects*
to give special importance to sth.
(US English) also: ?
syn.: ?
to emphasise
/ˈemfəsaɪz/
(US English) also: to emphasize
syn.: to stress
/stres/
to emphasise sth. His speech emphasised the importance of attracting industry to the town.
to emphasise that… She emphasised that their plan would mean sacrifices and hard work.
it must/should be emphasised that… It should be emphasised that this is only one possible explanation.
to emphasise how, what, etc… He emphasised how little was known about the disease.
to emphasise + speech. ‘This must be our top priority,’ he emphasised.
to mention or speak about sb./sth.
[phrasal verb] to refer to (sb./sth.)
/rɪˈfɜː(r) tu/
- The victims were not referred to by name.*
- He referred to the fact that the vessel had not undergone a refit since 1987.*
- You know who I’m referring to.*
- She always referred to Ben as ‘that nice man’.*
to have a strong desire to achieve or to become sth.
to aspire
/əˈspaɪə(r)/
to aspire (to sth.) She aspired to a scientific career.
people who aspire to public office
to aspire to be/do sth. He aspired to be their next leader.
They aspired to be gentlemen, though they fell far short of the ideal.
a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest
(officially) also: ?
capital: ?
Syria
/ˈsɪriə/
(officially) also: the Syrian Arab Republic
capital: Damascus
Syria was ranked last on the Global Peace Index from 2016 to 2018, making it the most violent country in the world due to the war.
a particular subject or activity that sb. works in or is interested in
syn.: ?
[countable] field
/fiːld/
syn.: area
/ˈeəriə/
Child development is such an interesting field.
in a field. All of them are experts in their chosen field.
in the field of sth. I enjoy meeting people in other fields of business.
field of sth. This discovery has opened up a whole new field of study.
(formal) the presence of a number of competing actors or ideas
[uncountable] pluralism
/ˈplʊərəlɪzəm/
- cultural pluralism*
- Declaration of the Council of Europe: “media pluralism is essential for democracy and cultural diversity”.*
- Democracy, pluralism, respect for human rights, civil liberties, the rule of law and core labour standards are all essential.*
many times; over and over again; constantly
repeatedly
/rɪˈpiːtɪdli/
- The victim had been stabbed repeatedly in the chest.*
- After his appeals were repeatedly ignored, the painter sued the cultural bureau for administrative inaction.*
- Both men have repeatedly denied the allegations.*
a close connection with the subject you are discussing or the situation you are thinking about
also: ?
opp.: ?
[uncountable] relevance
/ˈreləvəns/
also: relevancy
/ˈreləvənsi/
opp.: irrelevance
/ɪˈreləvəns/
- I could not see the relevance of his argument.*
- I don’t see the relevance of your question.*
relevance to sth. What he said has no direct relevance to the matter in hand.
the act of spending or using money; the total amount of money that a government or person spends
[countable, uncount.] expenditure
/ɪkˈspendɪtʃə(r)/
- a reduction in public/government/military expenditure*
- plans to increase expenditure on health*
- The budget provided for a total expenditure of £27 billion.*
(formal) having the intention or effect of making angry people calm; when you are willing to end a disagreement with someone
conciliatory
/kənˈsɪliətəri/
- She had been too conciliatory towards her staff.*
- His tone was quite conciliatory.*
- a conciliatory approach/attitude/gesture/move*
an attempt of a group to take control of their country by force
plural: ?
syn.: ?
[countable, uncount.] insurgency
/ɪnˈsɜːdʒənsi/
plural: insurgencies
syn.: rebellion
/rɪˈbeljən/
- The government faces continuing insurgency in the north-east.*
- The 23-year insurgency had cost an estimated 21 000 lives.*
- Small arms are the weapons of choice in most conventional conflicts and insurgencies.*
(formal) to send or pass goods or information to sb.
to forward
/ˈfɔːwəd/
to forward sth. to sb. We will be forwarding our new catalogue to you next week.
to forward sb. sth. We will be forwarding you our new catalogue next week.
I’m forwarding you this email that I had from Jeff.
to forward sth. to forward a request/complaint/proposal
an increase in the amount or number of sth. that there is, or in the area that is affected by sth.
[uncountable] spread
/spred/
- One disadvantage is the company’s lack of geographical spread.*
- measures to halt the spread of the disease*
- The treaty has proved rather effective at limiting the spread of nuclear weapons.*
very great; felt or experienced very strongly
profound
/prəˈfaʊnd/
- profound changes in the earth’s climate*
- The news came as a profound shock.*
- The report has profound implications for schools.*
to form an opinion of the amount, value or quality of sth. after thinking about it carefully
syn.: ?
to evaluate
/ɪˈvæljueɪt/
syn.: to assess
/əˈses/
to evaluate sth. The trial will evaluate the effectiveness of the different drugs.
to evaluate sb./sth. for sth. The cheeses are evaluated for flavour, texture and colour.
to evaluate sb./sth. on sth. Candidates are evaluated on their ability to think independently.
to evaluate how, whether, etc… We need to evaluate how well the policy is working.
The study will critically evaluate whether this technology is useful.
(formal) to stop sth. from having any effect
syn.: ?
to negate
/nɪˈɡeɪt/
syn.: to nullify
/ˈnʌlɪfaɪ/
- Alcohol negates the effects of the drug.*
- A healthy diet can negate the risk of disease.*
- Peace dissipates evil and negates its strength.*
(adv.) in the place of sb./sth.; as an alternative or substitute
/!\ ≠: ?
instead
/ɪnˈsted/
/!\ ≠: (preposition) instead of
- Lee was ill so I went instead.*
- He didn’t reply. Instead, he turned on his heel and left the room.*
- She said nothing, preferring instead to save her comments till later.*
to force sb. out of a job or position of power, especially in order to take their place
to oust
/aʊst/
She is a strong supporter of the recently ousted president.
to oust sb. (as sth.) He was ousted as chairman.
to oust sb. (from sth.) The rebels (/ˈreblz/) finally managed to oust the government from power.
(formal) a plan or a suggestion for making sth. happen or for improving it; rules or a situation that will have a particular effect
[countable] prescription (for sth.)
/prɪˈskrɪpʃn/
- The company’s reorganization could be a prescription for disaster.*
- Both parties will be outlining their prescription for economic recovery.*
- So what is his prescription for success?*
to experience sth. bad
[phrasal verb] to run into
/rʌn ˈɪntu/
- to run into danger/trouble/difficulties*
- Be careful not to run into debt.*
- They agreed to sell last year after they ran into financial problems.*
- But the government’s plans have run into strong opposition from civil rights campaigners.*
the view or belief that most people hold
also: 2
[uncountable] conventional wisdom
/kənˈvenʃənl ˈwɪzdəm/
also: received wisdom, popular wisdom
/rɪˈsiːvd ˈwɪzdəm/ , /ˈpɒpjələ(r) ˈwɪzdəm/
- the conventional wisdom that soccer is a minor sport in America*
- Conventional wisdom has it that riots only ever happen in cities.*
- Contrary to conventional wisdom, stress is not a bad thing.*
