Révisions Anglais 2022 - A Flashcards
(formal) to make sth. necessary or appropriate in a particular situation
syn.: ?
to warrant
/ˈwɒrənt/
syn.: to justify
to warrant sth. The TV appearance was so brief that it hardly warranted comment.
They do not consider the case serious enough to warrant a government enquiry.
to warrant (sb./sth.) doing sth. The situation scarcely warrants their/them being dismissed.
to perplex or confuse sb., especially by a complexity, variety, or multitude of objects or considerations
[usually passive] to bewilder sb.
/bɪˈwɪldə(r)/
- She was totally bewildered by his sudden change of mood.*
- His complete lack of interest in money bewilders his family.*
- He was rather bewildered at seeing her there.*
the act of carefully watching a person suspected of a crime or a place where a crime may be committed
syn.: ?
surveillance
/sərˈveɪləns/
syn.: observation
/ˌɒbzəˈveɪʃn/
- surveillance cameras/equipment*
- The images were covertly captured on surveillance tape.*
- The police are keeping the suspects under constant surveillance.*
(noun) how large, important, serious, etc. sth. is
[countable, usually singular; uncount.] extent
/ɪkˈstent/
- I was amazed at the extent of his knowledge.*
- It is difficult to assess the full extent of the damage.*
- She was exaggerating the true extent of the problem.*
(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.*
to feel or show that you think sb./sth. is stupid and you do not respect them or it
syn.: ?
to scorn sb./sth.
/skɔːn/
syn.: to dismiss
/dɪsˈmɪs/
- His brother had always scorned him.*
- She scorned their views as old-fashioned.*
- Such methods are scorned by reputable practitioners.*
to do things in a particular way
syn.: ?
[intransitive] to behave + adv./prep.
/bɪˈheɪv/
syn.: to act
/ækt/
- He behaved like a true gentleman.*
- The doctor behaved very unprofessionally.*
- He behaved as if/though nothing had happened.*
(formal) to force sb. to do sth.; to make sth. necessary
[transitive, intr.] to compel
/kəmˈpel/
to compel sb. to do sth. The law can compel fathers to make regular payments for their children.
The court has powers to compel witnesses to attend.
to compel sth. Last year ill health compelled his retirement.
the state of not being able to decide what to do in a difficult situation
plur.: ?
syn.: ?
[usually singular] quandary
/ˈkwɒndəri/
plur.: quandaries
syn.: dilemma
/dɪˈlemə/
in a quandary. George was in a quandary—should he go or shouldn’t he?
- The government appears to be in a quandary about what to do with so many people.*
- This placed the government in something of a quandary.*
that makes you pay attention to it because it is so interesting and exciting
compelling
/kəmˈpelɪŋ/
- Her latest book makes compelling reading.*
- a frighteningly violent yet compelling film*
- Her eyes were her best feature, wide-set and compelling.*
(old-fashioned or formal) difficult or delicate
vexing
/ˈveksɪŋ/
- He might have fallen into the veteran’s trap of looking for easy solutions to vexing problems.*
- We will be returning to this theme, which is particularly vexing to modern readers, in subsequent chapters.*
(formal or specialist) the act of putting together different items, amounts, etc. into a single group or total
[countable, uncount.] aggregation
/ˌæɡrɪˈɡeɪʃn/
- the aggregation of data*
- Installation art - the aggregation of objects in a space – has long dominated the visual arts.*
- Strategic networks are an aggregation of autonomous organizations that retain their own identity.*
(especially British English) to show that sb. is right or that sth. is true
[phrasal verb; not used in the progressive tenses] to bear (sb./sth. ↔) out
/beə(r) aʊt/
- The other witnesses will bear me out.*
- The other witnesses will bear out what I say.*
- The theory that free trade would increase prosperity was borne out in the postwar economic boom.*
an arrangement, a promise or a contract made with sb.
agreement
/əˈɡriːmənt/
- an international peace agreement*
- The agreement* (= the document recording the agreement) was signed during a meeting at the UN.
agreement with sb. They have entered into a free trade agreement with Australia.
agreement between A and B. An agreement was finally reached between management and employees.
agreement to do sth. They had an agreement never to talk about work at home.
under an agreement. The software is provided under a license agreement and may not be copied without permission.
to search a place, making it look untidy and causing damage
syn.: ?
[phrasal verb] to tear sth. apart
/teə(r) əˈpɑːt/
syn.: to rip sth. apart
/rɪp əˈpɑːt/
They tore the room apart, looking for money.
to develop in a successful way
[phrasal verb] to work out
/wɜːk aʊt/
- My first job didn’t work out.*
- Things have worked out quite well for us.*
- I told her I didn’t think things would work out between us.*
to help sth. to happen or develop
syn.: ?
to promote
/prəˈməʊt/
syn.: to encourage
/ɪnˈkʌrɪdʒ/
- policies to promote economic growth*
- The exhibition was intended to promote interest in contemporary sculpture.*
- We think football can help to promote the idea of a multicultural and multiethnic society.*
the importance of sth., especially when this has an effect on what happens in the future
[countable, uncount.] significance
/sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/
- a decision of major political significance*
- They discussed the statistical significance of the results.*
- We should be fully aware of the significance of television in shaping our ideas.*
to try hard to find a solution to a problem
[intransitive] to grapple
/ˈɡræpl/
to grapple with sth. A government trying to grapple with inflation.
an attempt to grapple with this very difficult issue
to grapple to do sth. I was grappling to find an answer to his question.
the act of stopping sth. from continuing in the normal way
[countable, uncount.] disruption (to sb./sth.)
/dɪsˈrʌpʃn/
- disruptions to rail services*
- The strike caused serious disruptions.*
- We aim to help you move house with minimum disruption to yourself.*
(adj.) not behaving or done with confidence
syn.: ?
tentative
/ˈtentətɪv/
syn.: hesitant
/ˈhezɪtənt/
- a tentative greeting*
- Her English is correct but tentative.*
- She did not return his tentative smile.*
- My first attempts at complaining were rather tentative.*
to give sth. to sb. or allow them to use sth. that belongs to you, which they have to return to you later
syn.: ?
to lend
/lend/
syn.: to loan
/ləʊn/
to lend sth. They will lend equipment free of charge.
to lend sth. to sb. I’ve lent the car to a friend.
to lend out sth. The gallery has been willing to lend out works of art in the past.
to lend sb. sth. Can you lend me £10?
to lend out sth. to sb. The charity lends out toys to children with special needs and disabilities.
(formal) to be the basis or cause of sth.
[no passive] to underlie sth.
/ˌʌndəˈlaɪ/
- These ideas underlie much of his work.*
- Try to figure out what feeling underlies your anger.*
- It is a principle that underlies all the party’s policies.*
likely to have a lot of influence or many effects
far-reaching
/ˌfɑː ˈriːtʃɪŋ/
- far-reaching implications*
- far-reaching changes/reforms*
- The decision by the European Court will have far-reaching consequences.*
to finish sth. that you have started
[phrasal verb] to follow through (with sth.)
/ˈfɒləʊ θruː/
- We must be prepared to follow through with that threat if everything else fails.*
- Once the assessment is done and the plan in place, it’s up to you to follow through.*
- The leadership has been unwilling to follow through the implications of these ideas.*
to accept behaviour that is morally wrong or to treat it as if it were not serious
to condone sth. | to condone sb. doing sth.
/kənˈdəʊn/
- Terrorism can never be condoned.*
- I have never encouraged nor condoned violence.*
- The college cannot condone any behaviour that involves illicit drugs.*
easily seen
syn.: ?
prominent
/ˈprɒmɪnənt/
syn.: noticeable
/ˈnəʊtɪsəbl/
- The church tower was a prominent feature in the landscape.*
- The story was given a prominent position on the front page.*
- New books are displayed in a prominent position on tables at the front of the store.*
to make ideas, feelings, etc. known to sb.
syn.: ?
to convey
/kənˈveɪ/
syn.: to communicate
/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/
to convey sth. Colours like red convey a sense of energy and strength.
(formal) to convey sth. to sb. Please convey my apologies to your wife.
to convey how, what, etc… He tried desperately to convey how urgent the situation was.
to convey that… She did not wish to convey that they were all at fault.
a person who sees sth. that is happening but is not involved
syn.: 2
bystander
/ˈbaɪstændə(r)/
syn.: onlooker, witness
/ˈɒnlʊkə(r)/ , /ˈwɪtnəs/
- Three innocent bystanders were killed in the crossfire.*
- The suspect was pictured wielding a knife in a photograph taken by a bystander.*
- Finally he found a pleasant square where he took some pictures of buildings and then asked a bystander to take one of himself.*
to try to persuade sb. to do sth. by suggesting that it is a fair, reasonable or honest thing to do
[intransitive] to appeal (to sth.)
/əˈpiːl/
They needed to appeal to his sense of justice.
(adv.) used to introduce an idea that is different or opposite to the idea that you have stated previously
rather
/ˈrɑːðə(r)/
- The walls were not white, but rather a sort of dirty grey.*
- The problem is not in the whole system, but rather in one small part.*
- But there must be no talk of final victory; rather, the long, hard slog to a solution.*
to appear or happen, especially when it is not expected
syn.: ?
[phrasal verb] to crop up
/krɒp ʌp/
syn.: to come up
/kʌm ʌp/
- His name just cropped up in conversation.*
- I’ll be late—something’s cropped up at home.*
- Problems will crop up and hit you before you are ready.*
to state your opinions publicly, especially in opposition to sth. and in a way that takes courage
to speak out
/’spiːk aʊt/
- I will continue to speak out on matters of public concern.*
- Viktor Shklovsky spoke out in defence of the book.*
to speak out against sth. He was the only one to speak out against the decision.
that you cannot be sure about; that is probably not good
dubious
/ˈdjuːbiəs/
- They consider the plan to be of dubious benefit to most families.*
- some highly dubious information*
(ironic) She had the dubious honour of being the last woman to be hanged in England (= it was not an honour at all).
He has the dubious distinction of being the world’s most famous gangster.
to make sb. decide to do sth. ; to cause sth. to happen
syn.: ?
[transitive] to prompt
/prɒmpt/
syn.: to provoke
/prəˈvəʊk/
to prompt sb. to do sth. The thought of her daughter’s wedding day prompted her to lose some weight.
to prompt sth. The discovery of the bomb prompted an increase in security.
His speech prompted an angry outburst from a man in the crowd.
an idea or explanation of sth. that is based on a few known facts but that has not yet been proved to be true or correct
plural: ?
syn.: ?
[countable] hypothesis
/haɪˈpɒθəsɪs/
plural: [countable] hypotheses
/haɪˈpɒθəsiːz/
syn.: theory
/ˈθɪəri/
- to formulate/confirm a hypothesis*
- a hypothesis about the function of dreams*
- There is little evidence to support these hypotheses.*
to make sb. start to talk about or do sth. that is different from the main thing that they are supposed to be talking about or doing
[usually passive] to sidetrack sb. (into doing sth.)
/ˈsaɪdtræk/
- Don’t be sidetracked into discussing individual cases.*
- I was supposed to be writing a letter but I’m afraid I got sidetracked.*
- This last-minute agreement must not, however, sidetrack us from the reasons we are sitting at such a late hour.*
(of a situation, problem, etc.) to have sth. as a main or basic part
[phrasal verb - not used in the progressive tenses] to boil down to (sth.)
/bɔɪl daʊn tə/
- The argument/question/issue boils down to this:…*
- In the end, what it all boils down to is money, or the lack of it.*
- According to realists, every state’s national interest boils down simply to getting more power.*
to think that sth. is the same as sth. else or is as important
to equate sth. (with sth.)
/iˈkweɪt/
- Money cannot be equated with happiness.*
- I don’t see how you can equate the two things.*
- It might seem dubious to equate the causes of World War I with the causes of World War II.*
(formal) sth. that can show what will happen in the future
[countable] predictor
/prɪˈdɪktə(r)/
- Cholesterol level is not a strong predictor of heart disease in women.*
- Opinion polls are an unreliable predictor of election outcomes.*
- Reading ability at 15 is a major predictor of success, happiness and wealth.*
