The Campaigns of Napoleon Flashcards
off the cuff
If you speak off the cuff, you say something without having prepared or thought about your words first:
I hadn’t prepared a speech so I just said a few words off the cuff.
an off-the-cuff remark
retort
to answer someone quickly in an angry or funny way:
“That doesn’t concern you!” she retorted.
bereavement
the death of a close relation or friend:
She has recently suffered a bereavement.
frugal
careful when using money or food, or (of a meal) cheap or small in amount:
a frugal lifestyle
a frugal meal of bread and soup
dabble
to take a slight and not very serious interest in a subject, or try a particular activity for a short period:
He first dabbled in politics when he was at law school.
She dabbled with drugs at university.
mollify
to make someone less angry or upset:
I tried to mollify her by giving her flowers.
profuse
produced or given in large amounts:
She was admitted to St Mary’s Hospital with profuse bleeding.
The company accepted blame and sent us profuse apologies.
ludicrous
stupid or unreasonable and deserving to be laughed at:
a ludicrous idea/suggestion
He looked ludicrous in that suit!
compunction
a slight guilty feeling about something you have done or might do:
I wouldn’t have any compunction about telling him to leave.
remorse
a feeling of sadness and being sorry for something you have done:
He felt no remorse for the murders he had committed.
After the argument, she was filled with remorse.
acquiesce
to accept or agree to something, often unwillingly:
Reluctantly, he acquiesced to/in the plans.
ad lib
said without any preparation or practice:
I’d forgotten the notes for my speech so I had to do it ad lib.
dogged
very determined to do something, even if it is very difficult:
Her ambition and dogged determination ensured that she rose to the top of her profession.
pertinacious
very determined and refusing to be defeated by problems:
Like most successful politicians, she is pertinacious and single-minded in the pursuit of her goals.
unyielding
completely unwilling to change a decision, opinion, demand, etc.:
Korea is unyielding in its demands for a new treaty.
extemporize
to speak or perform without any preparation or thought:
I’d lost my notes and had to extemporize.
detour
a different or less direct route to a place that is used to avoid a problem or to visit somewhere or do something on the way:
You’d be wise to make a detour to avoid the roadworks.
by dint of sth
as a result of something:
She got what she wanted by dint of pleading and threatening
exert
to use something such as authority, power, influence, etc. in order to make something happen:
If you were to exert your influence they might change their decision.
Some managers exert considerable pressure on their staff to work extra hours without being paid.
chafe
to be or become annoyed or lose patience because of rules or limits:
We have been chafing under petty regulations for too long.
erstwhile
previous:
Also, there were comings and goings, and the erstwhile placid atmosphere of the cabin was vexed with strange perturbations and unrest.
Besides, he sought only the obscure hotels, where he was not likely to meet any of his erstwhile fellow passengers.
appreciate
to understand a situation and realize that it is important:
We appreciate the need for immediate action.
I appreciate that it’s a difficult decision for you to make.
amid
in the middle of or surrounded by:
On the floor, amid mounds of books, were two small envelopes.
The new perfume was launched amidst a fanfare of publicity.
heartily
enthusiastically, energetically, and often loudly:
She laughed heartily at the joke.
the mists of time
used to show that something happened a very long time ago and is difficult to remember clearly:
The precise details of what happened have been lost in the mists of time.
rankle
to make someone annoyed or angry for a long time:
The unkind way in which his girlfriend left him still rankled with him long after.
It still rankles that she got promoted, and I didn’t.
sorely
extremely; very much:
I was sorely tempted to say exactly what I thought of his offer.
You’ll be sorely missed by everyone here, and we wish you success in your new job.
nominal
name or thought but not in fact or not as things really are:
She’s the nominal head of our college - the real work is done by her deputy.
missive
an official, formal, or long letter:
She sent a ten-page missive to the committee, detailing her objections.
