Révision 3 anglais Flashcards
smallest in size, amount, degree, etc.
least (usually the least)
/liːst/
- He’s the best teacher, even though he has the least experience.*
- He gave (the) least of all towards the wedding present.*
the least of sth. How others see me is the least of my worries (= I have more important things to worry about).
(adj.) filled with sth.; with a full supply of sth.
[not before noun] replete (with sth.)
/rɪˈpliːt/
- After two helpings of dessert, Sergio was at last replete.*
- literature replete with drama and excitement*
- history is replete with examples of policy makers relying on historical analogies*
(adj.) filled with sth. unpleasant
fraught (with sth.)
/frɔːt/
- a situation fraught with danger/difficulty*
- The negotiations have been fraught with problems right from the start.*
- From beginning to end, the airlift was fraught with risks.*
(idiom.) in a way that suggests sth., when you are giving a possible explanation for them or saying that sth. appears to be the case when it is not.
also: ?
as though
/əz ðəʊ/
also: as if
/əz ɪf/
- It sounds as though you had a good time.*
- He behaved as if nothing had happened.*
- ‘Don’t say anything.’ ‘As if I would!’* (= surely you do not expect me to)
to surround a place, especially a port, in order to stop people or goods from coming in or out
to blockade (sth.)
/blɒˈkeɪd/
- All the ports had been blockaded.*
- Employees blockaded the entrance to the offices.*
- Truck drivers have blockaded roads to show their anger over new driving regulations.*
to have no confidence in sb./sth. because you think they may be harmful
syn.: ?
to mistrust (sb./sth.)
/ˌmɪsˈtrʌst/
syn.: to distrust (sb./sth.)
/dɪsˈtrʌst/
- She mistrusts anyone in a position of authority.*
- I’ve always mistrusted politicians.*
- He is a secretive man who mistrusts cameras.*
a security arrangement, political, regional, or global, in which each state in the system accepts that the security of one is the concern of all, and therefore commits to a collective response to threats to, and breaches to peace
collective security
/kəˈlektɪv sɪˈkjʊərəti/
- Collective security selectively incorporates the concept of both balance of power and global government.*
- Cardinal Richelieu proposed a scheme for collective security in 1629, which was partially reflected in the 1648 Peace of Westphalia.*
- We regret to empirically confirm yet again the shortcomings of our system of collective security.*
to be extremely angry about sth. but try not to show other people how angry you are
syn.: ?
[intransitive] to seethe
/siːð/
syn.: to fume
/fjuːm/
She seethed silently in the corner.
to seethe with sth. He marched off, seething with frustration.
to seethe at sth. Inwardly he was seething at this challenge to his authority.
the act of taking part in sth.
syn.: ?
[uncountable] involvement
/ɪnˈvɒlvmənt/
syn.: participation
/pɑːˌtɪsɪˈpeɪʃn/
The project needs full involvement from all members of the group.
involvement in sth. US involvement in European wars
Employees are demanding greater involvement in decision-making.
involvement with sb. When she was promoted, she missed the day-to-day involvement with customers.
completely lacking in sth.
devoid of sth.
/dɪˈvɔɪd/
- The letter was devoid of warmth and feeling.*
- The land is almost devoid of vegetation.*
- Furthermore, the contest encourages children to imagine a future full of hope and devoid of violence.*
to damage sth. badly
syn.: ?
[usually passive] to ravage sth.
/ˈrævɪdʒ/
syn.: to devastate
/ˈdevəsteɪt/
- a country ravaged by civil war*
- a recession that has ravaged the textile industry*
- the flood-/quake-/tornado-/war-ravaged country*
suddenly and by a large amount
sharply
/ˈʃɑːpli/
- Profits fell sharply following the takeover.*
- The road fell sharply to the sea.*
- The temperature drops sharply at night.*
used with plural nouns and a plural verb to mean ‘a small number’, ‘some’
few (usually a few) (+ countable)
/fjuː/
- We’ve had a few replies.*
- Quite a few people are going to arrive early.*
- I try to visit my parents every few weeks.*
(formal) to prevent sth. bad or dangerous from happening
to avert sth.
/əˈvɜːt/
- A disaster was narrowly averted.*
- Talks are taking place in an attempt to avert a strike.*
- He managed to avert the closure of the factory.*
(literary) the winner of a battle, competition, game, etc.
victor
/ˈvɪktə(r)/
- The team emerged as clear victors in the competition.*
- Since history is usually written by the victors, there is usually an untold story.*
- Iraq has no need of triumphalist victors who know what to do.*
(formal) by which; because of which
whereby
/weəˈbaɪ/
- They have introduced a new system whereby all employees must undergo regular training.*
- They’ve set up a plan whereby you can spread the cost over a two-year period.*
- They voted to accept a deal whereby the union will receive nearly three-quarters of a million pounds.*
(formal) to delay or stop the progress of sth.
syn.: 2
to impede
/ɪmˈpiːd/
syn.: to hinder, to hamper
/ˈhɪndə(r)/ , /ˈhæmpə(r)/
- Work on the building was impeded by severe weather.*
- A number of practical difficulties impeded the process.*
- In what ways did economic factors impede progress?*
(formal) to return to a former state; to start doing sth. again that you used to do in the past
[phrasal verb] to revert to sth.
/rɪˈvɜːt tə/
- Try not to revert to your old eating habits.*
- After her divorce she reverted to her maiden name.*
- For a while the children behaved well but they soon reverted to type* (= returned to their usual ways).
to make sth. such as a feeling or a reaction less strong
to dampen sth.
/ˈdæmpən/
- None of the setbacks could dampen his enthusiasm for the project.*
- She wasn’t going to let anything dampen her spirits today.*
- We should not dampen their pro-EU zeal.*
the act of joining two or more organizations or businesses into one
[countable, uncount.] merger
/ˈmɜːdʒə(r)/
If the merger goes through, thousands of jobs will be lost.
merger between/of A and B. a merger between the two banks
a merger of two suppliers may reduce buyer power
merger with. our proposed merger with the university
(formal) cheerful and confident about the future
syn.: ?
sanguine (about sth.)
/ˈsæŋɡwɪn/
syn.: optimistic
/ˌɒptɪˈmɪstɪk/
- They are less sanguine about the company’s long-term prospects.*
- He tends to take a sanguine view of the problems involved.*
- He’s remarkably sanguine about the problems involved.*
(adv.) with different amounts for each person or in each place
syn.: ?
unevenly
/ʌnˈiːvnli/
syn.: unequally
/ʌnˈiːkwəli/
- The population is unevenly distributed.*
- The main problem with regular backpacks is that the weight is unevenly distributed.*
- The benefits of progress have been distributed unevenly.*
an event or a period of time that marks an important change
[countable] watershed (in sth.)
/ˈwɔːtəʃed/
- The middle decades of the 19th century marked a watershed in Russia’s history.*
- With the strike, a historical watershed in the development of the trade union movement was reached.*
- a watershed year for Japan*
- The granting of the vote represented a watershed for the rights of women.*
that is true and cannot be disagreed with or denied
syn.: ?
indisputable
/ˌɪndɪˈspjuːtəbl/
syn.: undeniable
/ˌʌndɪˈnaɪəbl/
- It is indisputable that the crime rate has been rising.*
- indisputable evidence*
- an indisputable fact*
- The report should distinguish clearly between indisputable fact, firm opinion and mere speculation.*
(formal) belonging to a particular type of thing; natural in a particular situation or place
proper (to sth.)
/ˈprɒpə(r)/
They should be treated with the dignity proper to all individuals created by God.
to make sth. continue for some time without becoming less
syn.: ?
to sustain sth.
/səˈsteɪn/
syn.: to maintain
/meɪnˈteɪn/
- a period of sustained economic growth*
- the sustaining pedal of a piano* (= that allows a note to continue sounding for a long time)
- She managed to sustain everyone’s interest until the end of her speech.*
(formal) angry bitter feelings or words
[uncountable] acrimony
/ˈækrɪməni/
- The dispute was settled without acrimony.*
- The council’s first meeting ended in acrimony.*
- The acrimony of the dispute has shocked a lot of people.*
to prevent sth. from growing, developing or continuing
to suppress
/səˈpres/
- Nationalism had been suppressed, but not extinguished, in areas under communist control.*
- Transplant patients take drugs which suppress the immune system.*
- The medication effectively suppressed the pain.*
a situation in which there is a lot of damage, destruction or confusion
[uncountable] havoc
/ˈhævək/
- The floods caused havoc throughout the area.*
- The new tax could wreak havoc among smaller companies.*
- This new virus has created havoc for computer users.*
the activity of keeping order in a place with the dedicated public service
policing
/pəˈliːsɪŋ/
- the policing of public places*
- Richmond has established a model of community policing to give its residents a greater sense of safety.*
- The government has a very strong commitment to defence, to the military, but also to policing.*
to happen again or a number of times
[intransitive] to recur
/rɪˈkɜː(r)/
- This theme recurs several times throughout the book.*
- a recurring illness/problem*
- a recurring nightmare she has had since childhood.*
(formal; literary) to stop or get rid of an idea or feeling; to destroy sth.
to extinguish
/ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/
- News of the bombing extinguished all hope of peace.*
- You have extinguished that light in his mind suddenly and needlessly.*
- Nothing could extinguish his love for her.*
in a way that involves strong or deep feelings or awareness
syn.: ?
keenly
/ˈkiːnli/
syn.: acutely
/əˈkjuːtli/
- Both communities are keenly interested in a solution*
- We were keenly aware of the danger.*
- She remained keenly interested in international affairs.*
(formal) in a way that is the opposite or reverse of sth.
conversely
/ˈkɒnvɜːsli/
- You can add the fluid to the powder, or, conversely, the powder to the fluid.*
- In real life, nobody was all bad, nor, conversely, all good.*
- Poor health is accepted as an attribute of normal ageing. Conversely, youth is depicted as a time of vitality and good health.*
(of a person) sensible; who can be relied on
comparative, superlative: ?
steady
/ˈstedi/
comparative, superlative: steadier, steadiest
- She’s got a steady boyfriend.*
- He was firm and steady unlike other men she knew.*
- a politician who’s steady almost to the point of being boring*
(informal) extremely unpleasant and unacceptable
(less informal) syn. : ?
horrendous
/həˈrendəs/
(less informal) syn.: terrible
/ˈterəbl/
- the horrendous traffic around the city*
- They have horrendous financial problems.*
- The whole experience was just horrendous.*
(specialist) to support a wall by putting metal, concrete, (= béton), etc. under it
related noun: ?
to underpin sth.
/ˌʌndəˈpɪn/
related noun: underpinning (soutènement)
/ˌʌndəˈpɪnɪŋ/
- When restoring the building, the first priority was to underpin the exterior walls by adding wooden supports along the foundations.*
- ‘Traditional underpinning’, the mass concrete underpinning method is nearly 100 years in age, and the protocol has not changed.*
to discover sth. that was previously hidden or secret
to uncover sth.
/ʌnˈkʌvə(r)/
- Police have uncovered a plot to kidnap the President’s son.*
- It will be difficult to uncover the truth.*
- Archaeologists have uncovered an entire Roman city.*
the particular way in which sb. views sth.; knowledge of a particular thing
syn.: ?
[countable, uncount.] understanding (of sth.)
/ˌʌndəˈstændɪŋ/
syn.: interpretation
/ɪnˌtɜːprəˈteɪʃn/
- My understanding of the situation is different*
- It was our understanding that you had already been informed.*
- The statement is open to various understandings.*
a formal examination of evidence in court by a judge and often a jury, to decide if sb. accused of a crime is guilty or not
[countable, uncount.] trial
/ˈtraɪəl/
- a murder/criminal trial*
- They will lose their right to a jury trial.*
on trial. He’s on trial for murder.
She is awaiting trial on corruption charges.
