small steps count. Flashcards
pithy
≠ long-winded
a series of pithy quotations
mirage
illusion/ an effect caused by hot air in a desert, which makes you think that you can see objects when they are not actually there
despair
to feel that there is no hope at all
Despite his illness, Ron never despaired.
mighty
very strong and powerful, or very big and impressive
high and mighty
talking or behaving as if you think you are better or more important than other people
Don’t get high and mighty with me.
aphorism
a short phrase that contains a wise idea
trivial
not serious, important, or valuable
trivial problem/matter/complaint etc
top-down
a top-down way of understanding or explaining something starts with a general idea and adds details later
representational
a representational painting or style of art shows things as
they actually appear in real life SYN figurative
probe
to ask questions in order to find things out, especially things that other people do not want you to know
probe into
I don’t want to probe too deeply into your personal affairs.
Police probed claims that he had sold drugs.
deficit(n)
a temporary or permanent lack in someone’s ability to operate normally
cognitive deficits
deficit in speech production
rehabilitation / rehab
the process of returning to a healthy or good way of life, or the process of helping someone to do this after they have been in prison, been very ill
a rehab clinic (for drugs)
Many amputees in the early stages of their rehabilitation feel despair.
nuance
a very slight difference in appearance, meaning, sound, etc.:
nuance of The painter has managed to capture every nuance of the woman’s expression.
intact (adj)
not broken, damaged, or spoiled
Only the medieval tower had remained intact
wrinkle (v)(n)
[intransitive] if a piece of clothing wrinkles, it
gets small untidy folds in it SYN crease
4) The trouble with linen is that it wrinkles so easily.
introspection (n)
the process of thinking deeply about your own thoughts, feelings, or behaviour
prosthesis (prostheses)
medical an artificial leg, tooth, or other part of the body which takes the place of a missing part
subject
subject somebody/something to something
to force someone or something to experience something very unpleasant, especially over a long time
Police subjected him to hours of questioning.
subject somebody to an ordeal/abuse/harassment
Barker subjected his victim to awful abuse.
hostile
angry and deliberately unfriendly towards someone, and ready to argue with them
prudent
sensible and careful, especially by trying to avoid unnecessary risks
prudent house buyers
it is prudent (for somebody) to do something
It might be prudent to get a virus detector for the network.
you are very good at covert ops
someone is very good at keeping secrets or handling situations discreetly without drawing attention.
cumulative
increasing gradually as more of something is added or happens
Learning is a cumulative process.
cumulative effect (of something)
Depression is often caused by the cumulative effects of stress and overwork.
stifle
to stop something from happening or developing OPP encourage
rules and regulations that stifle innovation
How can this party stifle debate on such a crucial issue?
insensitive
not noticing, or not taking the care to notice, other people’s feelings, and not realizing when they are upset or when something that you do will upset them
unprejudiced
able to be fair because you are not influenced by an unreasonable opinion of someone or something:
Manifest (v, t)
Formal, to show sth clearly through signs of actions.
Manifest something in something
Manifest itself in/as
The illness first manifested itself in severe stomach pains
know(n)
to have more information about something than anyone else has
know(n)
in the know informal having more information about something than most people
impede (v)
to make it difficult for someone or something to move forward or make progress
to make it difficult for someone or something to move forward or make progress
there were a few minor errors, but they did not impede understanding
get the hang of something
informal to learn how to do something or use something
you’ll soon get the hang of this useful method of communicating
Ubiquity (n)
ubiquitous(adj)
seeming to be everywhere – sometimes used humorously
Coffee shops are ubiquitous these days.
repercussion(n)
the effects of an action or event, especially bad effects that continue for some time
The collapse of the company had repercussions for the whole industry.
repercussion on
There were serious repercussions on his career.
repercussion of
the repercussions of the crisis
political/social/economic etc repercussions
the advent of something
written
the time when something first begins to be widely used
spike(n)
a sudden large increase in the number or rate of something
spike in
a spike in interest rates
Fragrant (adj)
having a pleasant smell
pep talk
informal a short speech intended to encourage someone to work harder, win a game etc
be on the cusp of something
to be at the time when a situation or state is going to change
The country was on the cusp of economic expansion.
the upshot (of something)
the final result of a situation
The upshot was that after much argument they all agreed to help her
repercussion
the effects of an action or event, especially bad effects that continue for some time
ˌill-ˈmannered adjective formal
not polite and behaving badly in social situations OPP well-mannered
re‧trieve(v)
retrieve something from something
It took four days to retrieve all the bodies from the crash.
“Efforts to retrieve native plant species have shown significant improvements in local biodiversity and air quality within urban green spaces, helping to mitigate the broader environmental problems caused by urbanization.
bid (n)
an attempt to achieve or obtain something
bid for
a bid for power
a bid to do something
a desperate bid to free herself from a loveless marriage
touch (n)
detail/addition [countable]
a small detail that improves or completes something
put the final/finishing touches to something
Emma was putting the finishing touches to the cake.
There was a vase of flowers in the room, which was a nice touch.
Brass pans added a decorative touch to the plain brick wall.
to add homey touches
hue(n)
a colour or type of colour ➔ tint, shade
I would balance it with warm hues for furnishings and fabrics
