The Diary Of A Young Girl Flashcards
finicky
adjective
- (of a person) fussy about their needs or requirements
• a finicky eater. - showing or requiring great attention to detail
• his finicky copperplate hand.
obnoxious
adjective
extremely unpleasant
• obnoxious odours
• he found her son somewhat obnoxious.
snivel
I. verb — [no obj.]
- cry and sniffle
• Kate started to snivel, looking sad and stunned. - complain in a whining or tearful way
• he shouldn’t snivel about his punishment
• (as adj. snivelling) you snivelling little brat!
II. noun an act or sound of snivelling
• Lucy’s torrent of howls weakened to a snivel.
capitulation
noun — [ mass noun]
- the action of ceasing to resist an opponent or demand
• she gave a sigh of capitulation
• [ count noun] a capitulation to wage demands. - ( capitulations) — ‹historical› an agreement or set of conditions.
enamour
verb — ( be enamoured of/with/by)
- be filled with love for
• it is not difficult to see why Edward is enamoured of her. - have a liking or admiration for
• she was truly enamoured of New York.
ardour
noun — [ mass noun]
- great enthusiasm or passion
• the rebuff did little to dampen his ardour.
• he kissed her with an ardour that left her breathless.
incorrigible
adjective
(of a person or their behaviour) not able to be changed or reformed
• she’s an incorrigible flirt.
sweltering
adjective
uncomfortably hot
• a sweltering English summer
• the sweltering heat outside.
hypochondriac
noun
a person who is abnormally anxious about their health.
abominable
I. adjective
- causing moral revulsion
• the uprising was suppressed with abominable cruelty. - very bad; terrible
• what an abominable mess!
revulsion
noun — [ mass noun]
- a sense of disgust and loathing
• news of the attack will be met with sorrow and revulsion.
loathing
noun — [ mass noun]
- a feeling of intense dislike or disgust; hatred
• the thought filled him with loathing.
bungle
I. verb — [with obj.]
- carry out (a task) clumsily or incompetently
• she had bungled every attempt to help
• (as adj. bungled) a bungled bank raid. - [no obj.] (usu. as adj. bungling) — make or be prone to making many mistakes
• the work of a bungling amateur.
II. noun
a mistake or badly carried out action
• a government bungle over state pensions.
engross
verb — [with obj.]
- (often be engrossed in) — absorb all the attention or interest of
• they seemed to be engrossed in conversation
• the notes totally engrossed him
• (as adj. engrossing) the most engrossing parts of the book. - ‹archaic› gain or keep exclusive possession of.
• the country had made the best of its position to engross trade. - [Law] produce (a legal document, especially a deed or statute) in its final form.
• the solicitors will submit a draft conveyance and engross the same after approval.
incessant
adjective
(of something regarded as unpleasant) continuing without pause or interruption
• the incessant beat of the music.
ignoramus
I. noun
an ignorant or stupid person.
• assume that your examiner is an ignoramus and explain everything to him.
appendage
noun
- a thing that is added or attached to something larger or more important
• they treat Scotland as a mere appendage of England.
nuisance
noun
- a person or thing causing inconvenience or annoyance
• it’s a nuisance having all those people clomping through the house
• I hope you’re not going to make a nuisance of yourself. - [Law] an act which is harmful or offensive to the public or a member of it and for which there is a legal remedy.
admonition
noun
a firm warning or reprimand
• he received numerous admonitions for his behaviour.
tirade
I. noun
a long, angry speech of criticism or accusation
• a tirade of abuse.
bicker
I. verb — [no obj.]
- argue about petty and trivial matters
• couples who bicker over who gets what from the divorce. - ‹literary› (of water) flow or fall with a gentle repetitive noise; patter.
• against the glass the rain did beat and bicker. - (of a flame or light) flash, gleam, or flicker.
• the restless wheels whose flashing spokes bicker and burn.
barbaric
I. adjective
- savagely cruel
• he carried out barbaric acts in the name of war. - primitive; unsophisticated
• the barbaric splendour he found in civilizations since destroyed. - uncivilized and uncultured.
• drinking undiluted wine was considered barbaric.
diffidence
noun — [ mass noun]
- modesty or shyness resulting from a lack of self-confidence
• I say this with some diffidence.
prudish
I. adjective
having or revealing a tendency to be easily shocked by matters relating to sex or nudity; excessively concerned with sexual propriety
• the prudish moral climate of the late 19th century.
paragon
I. noun
- a person or thing regarded as a perfect example of a particular quality
• it would have taken a paragon of virtue not to feel viciously jealous. - a person or thing viewed as a model of excellence
• your cook is a paragon. - a perfect diamond of 100 carats or more.
virtue
I. noun
- [ mass noun] — behaviour showing high moral standards
• paragons of virtue. - [ count noun] — a quality considered morally good or desirable in a person
• patience is a virtue. - [ count noun] — a good or useful quality of a thing
• Mike was extolling the virtues of the car
• [ mass noun] there’s no virtue in suffering in silence.
II. phrases
- by (or in) virtue of
because or as a result of.
• they achieved pre-eminence by virtue of superior military strength.
• in virtue of his position he was impartial. - make a virtue of
derive benefit or advantage from submitting to (an unwelcome obligation or unavoidable circumstance).
lamentation
noun — [ mass noun]
- the passionate expression of grief or sorrow; weeping
• scenes of lamentation.
perspire
I. verb — [no obj.]
- give out sweat through the pores of the skin as a result of heat, physical exertion, or stress
• Will was perspiring heavily.
insolent
I. adjective
showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect
• she hated the insolent tone of his voice.
derision
I. noun — [ mass noun]
- contemptuous ridicule or mockery
• my stories were greeted with derision and disbelief.
II. phrases
hold (or have) in derision
‹archaic› regard with mockery.
reproach
I. verb — [with obj.]
- express to (someone) one’s disapproval of or disappointment in their actions
• her friends reproached her for not thinking enough about her family
• [with direct speech] ‘You know that isn’t true,’ he reproached her. - ( reproach someone with) — accuse someone of
• his wife reproached him with cowardice. - ‹archaic› censure or rebuke (an offence).
II. noun — [ mass noun]
- the expression of disapproval or disappointment
• he gave her a look of reproach
• [ count noun] a farrago of warnings and pained reproaches. - ( a reproach to) — a thing that makes the failings of (someone or something else) more apparent
• his elegance is a living reproach to our slovenly habits.
III. phrases above (or beyond)
reproach such that no criticism can be made; perfect.
• his integrity is beyond reproach.
spunk
I. noun — [ mass noun]
- ‹informal› courage and determination
• she’s got no spunk, or she’d have left him long ago. - ‹informal› (Brit.) ‹vulgar slang› semen.
- [ count noun] — ‹informal› (Austral.) a sexually attractive person.
emancipation
noun — [ mass noun]
- the fact or process of being set free from legal, social, or political restrictions; liberation
• the social and political emancipation of women. - the freeing of someone from slavery.
• the early struggle for emancipation from slavery.
grouchy
I. adjective
irritable and bad-tempered; grumpy; complaining
• the old man grew sulky and grouchy.
above board
adjective, adverb
legitimate, honest, and open
[as adj.]
• certain transactions were not totally above board
• [as adv.] the accountants acted completely above board.
aloof
I. adjective
- not friendly or forthcoming; cool and distant
• they were courteous but faintly aloof
• an aloof and somewhat austere figure. - conspicuously uninvolved
• he stayed aloof from the bickering.
clandestine
I. adjective
kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit
• she deserved better than these clandestine meetings.
impertinent
I. adjective
- not showing proper respect; rude
• an impertinent question. - ‹formal› not pertinent to a particular matter; irrelevant
• talk of ‘rhetoric’ and ‘strategy’ is impertinent to this process.
incensed
adjective
very angry; enraged
• Leonora glared back at him, incensed.
relinquish
I. verb — [with obj.]
- voluntarily cease to keep or claim; give up
• he relinquished his managerial role to become chief executive.
deluge
I. noun
- a severe flood.
• this may be the worst deluge in living memory. - ( the Deluge) — the biblical Flood (recorded in Genesis 6–8).
• the world appeared to be emerging still from the waters of the Deluge. - a heavy fall of rain
• a deluge of rain hit the plains. - a great quantity of something arriving at the same time
• a deluge of complaints.
pedantic
I. adjective
excessively concerned with minor details or rules; overscrupulous
• his analyses are careful and even painstaking, but never pedantic.
indignant
I. adjective
feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment
• he was indignant at being the object of suspicion.
tumultuous
I. adjective
- making an uproar or loud, confused noise
• tumultuous applause. - excited, confused, or disorderly
• a tumultuous crowd
• a tumultuous personal life.
