TO 6-2 Flashcards
insurmountable adjective
BrE /ˌɪnsəˈmaʊntəbl/ ; NAmE /ˌɪnsərˈmaʊntəbl/ (formal)
(of difficulties, problems, etc.) that cannot be dealt with successfully
synonym insuperable
ex) Hunger, extreme poverty: these often seem like gigantic, insurmountable problems, too big to solve.
The age barrier appeared insurmountable.
They were now faced with seemingly insurmountable technical problems.
lever noun
BrE /ˈliːvə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈlevər/
2) a long piece of wood, metal, etc. used for lifting or opening something by somebody placing one end of it under an object and pushing down on the other end
ex) Archimedes was an ancient Greek thinker, and he taught us that if we lean on the right levers, we can move the world.
We had to use a lever to prise open the window.
stunt verb
BrE /stʌnt/ ; NAmE /stʌnt/
stunt somebody/something to prevent somebody/something from growing or developing as much as they/it should
ex) Amongst the extreme poor, one in three children are permanently stunted from a lifetime of not eating enough.
The constant winds had stunted the growth of plants and bushes.
His illness had not stunted his creativity.
radiate verb
BrE /ˈreɪdieɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈreɪdieɪt/
1) [transitive, intransitive] radiate (something) | radiate (from somebody) if a person radiates a particular quality or emotion, or if it radiates from them, people can see it very clearly
ex) Look at the strength and the will radiating from this woman.
He radiated self-confidence and optimism.
the energy that seemed to radiate from her
smallholder noun
BrE /ˈsmɔːlhəʊldə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈsmɔːlhoʊldər/ (British English)
- smallholding noun
BrE /ˈsmɔːlhəʊldɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈsmɔːlhoʊldɪŋ/
a person who owns or rents a small piece of land for farming
ex) There’s just one problem: many smallholder farmers lack access to basic tools and knowledge.
* a small piece of land used for farming
ex) They live on a 13-acre smallholding in Wales.
till verb
BrE /tɪl/ ; NAmE /tɪl/
till something (old use) to prepare and use land for growing crops
ex) Currently, they take a little bit of saved food grain from the prior year, they plant it in the ground and they till it with a manual hand hoe.
호미
hoe noun
BrE /həʊ/ ; NAmE /hoʊ/
a garden tool with a long handle and a blade, used for breaking up soil and removing weeds (= plants growing where they are not wanted)
ex) Currently, they take a little bit of saved food grain from the prior year, they plant it in the ground and they till it with a manual hand hoe.
pollinate verb
BrE /ˈpɒləneɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈpɑːləneɪt/
pollinate something to put pollen into a flower or plant so that it produces seeds
ex) If you naturally pollinate a high-yielding variety together with a drought-resistant variety, you get a hybrid that inherits positive traits from both of its parents.
flowers pollinated by bees/the wind
farm inputs
The resources that are used in farm production, such as chemicals, equipment, feed, seed, and energy
ex) Farm inputs need to be combined with good practice.
at a loss
not knowing what to say or do
ex) The shocking shooting spree by a soldier left the whole country at a loss not long ago.
His comments left me at a loss for words.
I’m at a loss what to do next.
sport verb
BrE /spɔːt/ ; NAmE /spɔːrt/
1) [transitive] sport something to have or wear something in a proud way
synonym wear
ex) A while ago, I saw a young teenager walking on the street, ‘sporting’ tattoos on his arms and legs.
to sport a beard
She was sporting a T-shirt with the company’s logo on it.
booze-up noun
British English, informal
an occasion when people drink a lot of alcohol
ex) When Moon Su-jong, a web designer at a mid-sized South Korean chaebol, or conglomerate, joined a late-night company booze-up and declined alcohol, her bosses guessed that she was pregnant.
berate verb
BrE /bɪˈreɪt/ ; NAmE /bɪˈreɪt/
berate somebody/yourself (formal) to criticize or speak angrily to somebody because you do not approve of something they have done
ex) They berated her for burdening her colleagues, who would have to shoulder her work in her absence, and asked her when she would quit.
She berated herself for being a bad mother.
The minister was berated by angry demonstrators as he left the meeting.
shoulder verb
BrE /ˈʃəʊldə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈʃoʊldər/
1) [transitive] shoulder something to accept the responsibility for something
ex) They berated her for burdening her colleagues, who would have to shoulder her work in her absence, and asked her when she would quit.
to shoulder the responsibility/blame for something
women who shoulder the double burden of childcare and full-time work
spunky adjective
BrE /ˈspʌŋki/ ; NAmE /ˈspʌŋki/ (informal)
1) brave and determined; full of enthusiasm
ex) Its spunky protagonist, Mi-so, struggles to combine long, rigid work hours with child care.
She is bright, tough and spunky.
2) (Australian English, informal) sexually attractive
ex) a top babe with a spunky boyfriend
lose out to somebody | lose out to something
(informal) to not get business, etc. that you expected or used to get because somebody/something else has taken it
ex) She loses out on a promotion to a colleague whose mother-in-law looks after her grandchild (South Koreans call this a “mum lifeline”).
Small businesses are losing out to the large chains.
juggle verb
BrE /ˈdʒʌɡl/ ; NAmE /ˈdʒʌɡl/
2) [transitive, intransitive] juggle (something) (with something) to try to deal with two or more important jobs or activities at the same time so that you can fit all of them into your life
ex) Women in South Korea find it hard to juggle family and a career.
Working mothers are used to juggling their jobs, their children’s needs and their housework.
I’m sure I can juggle things around to fit you in.
name and shame
(British English) to publish the names of people or organizations who have done something wrong or illegal
ex) Park Geun-hye, the first woman to lead an east Asian country when she assumed South Korea’s presidency in 2013, has vowed to create 1.7m jobs for women, lift their employment rate by seven percentage points, to 62%, and name and shame companies with too few female employees.
creep verb
BrE /kriːp/ ; NAmE /kriːp/
3) [intransitive] (+ adv./prep.) to move or develop very slowly
ex) The share of working-age South Korean women who have jobs crept above 50% in 2000, and has risen only five percentage points in the past two decades.
Her arms crept around his neck.
A slight feeling of suspicion crept over me.
stubbly adjective
BrE /ˈstʌbli/ ; NAmE /ˈstʌbli/
covered with or consisting of stubble (2) (= the short stiff hairs that grow on a man’s face when he has not shaved recently)
ex) That South Korea now has men’s-rights groups is a sign that women have made advances - the stubblier sex no longer takes its dominance for granted.
a stubbly chin/beard
menial adjective
BrE /ˈmiːniəl/ ; NAmE /ˈmiːniəl/
(usually disapproving) (of work) not skilled or important, and often boring or badly paid
ex) Girls often left school and took menial jobs to support their brothers’ education.
menial jobs/work
menial tasks like cleaning the floor
sideline verb
BrE /ˈsaɪdlaɪn/ ; NAmE /ˈsaɪdlaɪn/ [usually passive]
2) sideline somebody to prevent somebody from having an important part in something that other people are doing
ex) But the workplace has been slow to adapt, and huge numbers of capable female candidates are being overlooked or sidelined.
The vice-president is increasingly being sidelined.
incredulous adjective
BrE /ɪnˈkredjələs/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈkredʒələs/
not willing or not able to believe something; showing an inability to believe something
ex) The boss is incredulous: “Do you think this will end with you? Once you do this, others will follow!” Maybe they will.
‘Here?’ said Kate, incredulous.
an incredulous look
stickler noun
BrE /ˈstɪklə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈstɪklər/
stickler (for something) a person who thinks that a particular quality or type of behaviour is very important and expects other people to think and behave in the same way
ex) Donald Trump is a stickler for words - other people’s words.
a stickler for punctuality
abet verb
BrE /əˈbet/ ; NAmE /əˈbet/
abet somebody to help or encourage somebody to do something wrong
ex) That’s why he figured he could accuse the president of tolerating terrorist attacks - or, he hinted darkly, abetting them.
He was abetted in the deception by his wife.
cavalier adjective
BrE /ˌkævəˈlɪə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˌkævəˈlɪr/ [usually before noun]
not caring enough about something important or about the feelings of other people
ex) It’s incredible, and not a little terrifying, that a candidate for president could be that cavalier, but let’s try to figure out what he means.
The government takes a cavalier attitude to the problems of prison overcrowding.
dish something↔up
to offer something to somebody, especially something that is not very good
ex) Trump merely dished up a version of the usual lie propagated by anti-gun control forces, saying that Clinton wants to revoke the Second Amendment.
jingoism noun
BrE /ˈdʒɪŋɡəʊɪzəm/ ; NAmE /ˈdʒɪŋɡoʊɪzəm/ uncountable
a strong belief that your own country is best, especially when this is expressed in support of war with another country
ex) Trump offered his usual stew of fear, jingoism and hatred.
locus noun
BrE /ˈləʊkəs/ ; NAmE /ˈloʊkəs/ (pl. loci BrE /ˈləʊsaɪ/ ; NAmE /ˈloʊsaɪ/ )(specialist or formal)
the exact place where something happens or which is thought to be the centre of something
ex) He repeated his call for “a ban” on Muslim immigration into the United States, expanding it to immigrants from countries that are the locus of terrorism.
bigotry noun
BrE /ˈbɪɡətri/ ; NAmE /ˈbɪɡətri/ [uncountable]
the state of feeling, or the act of expressing, strong, unreasonable beliefs or opinions
ex) Let’s be absolutely clear. This is not just about bigotry.
When religious people show bigotry and intolerance, they are in fact betraying the religion they uphold.
decimate verb
BrE /ˈdesɪmeɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈdesɪmeɪt/
1) [usually passive] decimate something to kill large numbers of animals, plants or people in a particular area
ex) That is how the Turks committed genocide against Armenians in the early 20th century, how the United States government decimated some Native American tribes and how Stalin killed millions of his own citizens.
The rabbit population was decimated by the disease.
exhaustive adjective
BrE /ɪɡˈzɔːstɪv/ ; NAmE /ɪɡˈzɔːstɪv/
including everything possible; very thorough or complete
ex) This is not an exhaustive list; I’m probably missing 307 items.
exhaustive research/tests
This list is not intended to be exhaustive.
reckon with somebody | reckon with something
1) [usually passive] to consider or treat somebody/something as a serious opponent, problem , etc.
ex) Haters are a force to be reckoned with.
They were already a political force to be reckoned with.
But the point is, we have to reckon with the haters.
2) (usually used in negative sentences) to consider something as a possible problem that you should be prepared for
synonym take something into account
ex) I didn’t reckon with getting caught up in so much traffic.
taxonomy noun
BrE /tækˈsɒnəmi/ ; NAmE /tækˈsɑːnəmi/ (pl. taxonomies)
1) [uncountable] the scientific process of classifying things (= arranging them into groups)
ex) So what I’ve done is created a highly scientific Taxonomy of Haters.
plant taxonomy
Petri dish noun
BrE /ˈpetri dɪʃ/ ; NAmE /ˈpetri dɪʃ/ ; BrE /ˈpiːtri dɪʃ/ ; NAmE /ˈpiːtri dɪʃ/
a shallow covered dish used for growing bacteria, etc. in
ex) I basically took all of the haters, I put them in a petri dish, like a scientist, and this is what I found.
garden-variety adjective
BrE ; NAmE (North American English)
(British English common or garden)
[only before noun]
ordinary; with no special features
ex) First off, we have the trolls. These are your garden-variety digital haters.
He is not one of your garden-variety criminals.
bigot noun
BrE /ˈbɪɡət/ ; NAmE /ˈbɪɡət/
a person who has very strong, unreasonable beliefs or opinions about race, religion or politics and who will not listen to or accept the opinions of anyone who disagrees
ex) The next category is the mission-oriented-bigot- whose-group-affiliation- gives-them-cover-for-hating hater.
a religious/racial bigot
stick verb
BrE /stɪk/ ; NAmE /stɪk/
3) [transitive] stick something + adv./prep. (informal) to put something in a place, especially quickly or carelessly
ex) And in that moment of openness, a good social justice comedian can stick in a whole bunch of information, and if they’re really skilled, a rectal exam.
Stick your bags down there.
He stuck his hands in his pockets and strolled off.
Can you stick this on the noticeboard?
Peter stuck his head around the door and said, ‘Coffee, anyone?’
(informal) Stick ‘em up! (= Put your hands above your head—I have a gun!)
encase verb
BrE /ɪnˈkeɪs/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈkeɪs/
Verb Forms
[often passive] encase something (in something) (formal) to surround or cover something completely, especially to protect it
ex) Three, it’s funny but sneaky, like you could be hearing an interesting treatise on income inequality, that’s encased in a really sophisticated poop joke.
The reactor is encased in concrete and steel.
His upper body was completely encased in bandages.
treatise noun
BrE /ˈtriːtɪs/ ; NAmE /ˈtriːtɪs/ ; BrE /ˈtriːtɪz/ ; NAmE /ˈtriːtɪz/
treatise (on something) (formal) a long and serious piece of writing on a particular subject
ex) Three, it’s funny but sneaky, like you could be hearing an interesting treatise on income inequality, that’s encased in a really sophisticated poop joke.
‘A Treatise of Human Nature’ by David Hume
Any of these questions would deserve a lengthy treatise, perhaps even a small book.
muzzie noun
(plural muzzies)
(slang, offensive, religious slur) a Muslim
ex) And we went around the country to places like Alabama, Arizona, Tennessee, Georgia – places where they love the Muzzies – and we did stand-up shows.
dirtbag noun
/ˈdərtbæɡ/ (informal)
a dirty or very unpleasant person
ex) So basically, what I’m saying is a couple of dirt-bag comedians took on a major New York City agency and the comedians won.
take somebody↔on
2) [no passive] to play against somebody in a game or contest; to fight against somebody
ex) So basically, what I’m saying is a couple of dirt-bag comedians took on a major New York City agency and the comedians won.
to take somebody on at tennis
The rebels took on the entire Roman army.
indulge verb
BrE /ɪnˈdʌldʒ/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈdʌldʒ/
3) [transitive] to be too generous in allowing somebody to have or do whatever they like
ex) The bank managers would indulge us for 30-45 seconds before calling security.
She did not believe in indulging the children with presents.
His questions were annoying but it was easier to indulge him than try and protest.
Her father had always indulged her every whim.
squeal verb
BrE /skwiːl/ ; NAmE /skwiːl/
1) [intransitive] to make a long, high sound
ex) Security would come out, brandish their weapons, and then we would squeal with fear and run away, because – and this is the last rule of social justice comedy – sometimes it makes you want to take a dump in your pants.
The pigs were squealing.
The car squealed to a halt.
Children were running around squealing with excitement.
have/take a dump
to pass the contents of the bowels out of the body
ex) Security would come out, brandish their weapons, and then we would squeal with fear and run away, because – and this is the last rule of social justice comedy – sometimes it makes you want to take a dump in your pants.
분수에 맞는/맞지 않는 생활을 하다
live beyond/within your means
live on more/less money than you have or earn
수입[자산] 조사
means test
field verb
BrE /fiːld/ ; NAmE /fiːld/
4) [transitive] field something to receive and deal with questions or comments
ex) But, after publishing a video about the economics of marriage, he was surprised to field criticism online from a character called “Turd Flinging Monkey.”
The BBC had to field more than 300 phone calls after last night’s programme.
gynocentric adjective
/ˌɡīnəˈsentrik/
centered on or concerned exclusively with women; taking a female (or specifically a feminist) point of view.
ex) Better to eschew “gynocentric” conventions in favour of self-sovereignty, the logic goes.
turd noun
BrE /tɜːd/ ; NAmE /tɜːrd/ (taboo, slang)
1) a lump of solid waste from the bowels
ex) But, after publishing a video about the economics of marriage, he was surprised to field criticism online from a character called “Turd Flinging Monkey.”
dog turds
2) an offensive word for an unpleasant person
manosphere
The manosphere (portmanteau of man and blogosphere) or androsphere (from the Greek “aner” meaning “man”) is a name given to a loose and informal network of blogs, websites, and internet commentators that focus on issues relating to men and masculinity, often in opposition to feminism or as a male counterpart to it.
ex) “Save a male and stop a wedding” is an unregistered trademark of MGTOW.com, one of many websites and blogs that form the manosphere, a diffuse and nebulous corner of the internet.
diffuse adjective
BrE /dɪˈfjuːs/ ; NAmE /dɪˈfjuːs/
1) spread over a wide area
ex) “Save a male and stop a wedding” is an unregistered trademark of MGTOW.com, one of many websites and blogs that form the manosphere, a diffuse and nebulous corner of the internet.
diffuse light
a diffuse community
nebulous adjective
BrE /ˈnebjələs/ ; NAmE /ˈnebjələs/ (formal)
not clear
synonym vague
ex) “Save a male and stop a wedding” is an unregistered trademark of MGTOW.com, one of many websites and blogs that form the manosphere, a diffuse and nebulous corner of the internet.
a nebulous concept
a raw deal
the fact of somebody being treated unfairly
ex) The groups sometimes overlap and sometimes feud; their aims range from fighting for fathers’ rights in family courts, where they believe men get raw deals, to trading in tips about how to seduce women.
Older workers often get a raw deal.
ire noun
BrE /ˈaɪə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈaɪər/ uncountable
anger
synonym wrath
ex) One keyboard Don Juan, Roosh V, has won fame (and ire) for publisihng books like “Day Bang: How to Casually Pick up Girls During the Day” and “Bang Poland: How To Make Love With Polish Girls in Poland.”
to arouse/raise/provoke the ire of local residents
(US English) to draw the ire of local residents
The plans provoked the ire of the conservationists.
bang noun
BrE /bæŋ/ ; NAmE /bæŋ/
5) (taboo, slang) an act of sexual intercourse
ex) One keyboard Don Juan, Roosh V, has won fame (and ire) for publisihng books like “Day Bang: How to Casually Pick up Girls During the Day” and “Bang Poland: How To Make Love With Polish Girls in Poland.”
사기꾼
conman noun
BrE /ˈkɒnmæn/ ; NAmE /ˈkɑːnmæn/ (pl. conmen BrE /ˈkɒnmen/ ; NAmE /ˈkɑːnmen/ )(informal)
con artist
a man who tricks others into giving him money, etc.
ex) The screenplay focuses on the friendship between a dim-witted stud and a petty conman.
snap verb
BrE /snæp/ ; NAmE /snæp/
3) [transitive, intransitive] to speak or say something in an impatient, usually angry, voice
ex) When Mr. Elam inquired why, he says his male and female colleagues snapped at him.
‘Don’t just stand there,’ she snapped.
I was tempted to snap back angrily at him.
He snapped a reply.
simian adjective
BrE /ˈsɪmiən/ ; NAmE /ˈsɪmiən/ (specialist)
like a monkey or an ape; connected with monkeys or apes
ex) For his part, Mr. Wilcox, the simian provoker and professor, thinks the movement is related to the decline of the traditional family unit.
simian arms
a simian virus
retort verb
BrE /rɪˈtɔːt/ ; NAmE /rɪˈtɔːrt/
to reply quickly to a comment, in an angry, offended or humorous way
ex) Mr. Elam retorts that Mr. Wilcox’s view are sexist towards men.
‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ Pat retorted angrily.
‘How dare you!’ he retorted angrily.
Sam retorted that it was my fault as much as his.
woman up
1) Be a courageous and strong mature woman by appropriately taking action and responsibility.
ex) “You would never tell a woman to ‘woman up’ and get married if she didn’t want to. But that’s what he’s telling men to do.”
indignantly adverb
BrE /ɪnˈdɪɡnəntli/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈdɪɡnəntli/
in an angry or surprised way because you think that you have been treated unfairly
ex) The hen picked herself up, shook her feathers indignantly and walked back to the barn.
‘I’m certainly not asking him!’ she retorted indignantly.
carnage noun
BrE /ˈkɑːnɪdʒ/ ; NAmE /ˈkɑːrnɪdʒ/ [uncountable]
the violent killing of a large number of people
synonym slaughter
ex) If we’re trying to prevent carnage like that of Orlando, we need to be vigilant not only about infiltration by the Islamic State, and not only about American citizens poisoned into committing acts of terrorism.
a scene of carnage
the carnage of the First World War
How can we reduce the carnage on our roads?
infiltration noun
BrE /ˌɪnfɪlˈtreɪʃn/ ; NAmE /ˌɪnfɪlˈtreɪʃn/ [uncountable]
1) infiltration (of somebody) (into something) the act of entering a place or an organization secretly, especially in order to get information that can be used against it
ex) If we’re trying to prevent carnage like that of Orlando, we need to be vigilant not only about infiltration by the Islamic State, and not only about American citizens poisoned into committing acts of terrorism.
the infiltration of terrorists from across the border
acolyte noun
BrE /ˈækəlaɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈækəlaɪt/
1) (formal) a person who follows and helps a leader
ex) We empower ISIS when we permit acolytes like the Orlando killer, investigated repeatedly as a terrorist threat, to buy a Sig Sauer MCX and a Glock 17 handgun on consecutive days.
the Emperor’s faithful acolytes
wellspring noun
BrE /ˈwelsprɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈwelsprɪŋ/ (literary)
a supply or source of a particular quality, especially one that never ends
ex) But it is important to hold accountable Gulf states like Saudi Arabia that are wellsprings of religious zealotry, intolerance and fanaticism.
zealotry noun
BrE /ˈzelətri/ ; NAmE /ˈzelətri/ uncountable
- zealot noun
BrE /ˈzelət/ ; NAmE /ˈzelət/ (often disapproving)
the attitude or behaviour of a zealot
religious zealotry
- a person who is extremely enthusiastic about something, especially religion or politics
synonym fanatic
ex) But it is important to hold accountable Gulf states like Saudi Arabia that are wellsprings of religious zealotry, intolerance and fanaticism.
slip away
to stop existing; to disappear or die
ex) But I feel like I kind of have to, because these days, it feels like little bits of my time kind of slip away from me, and when that happens, it feels like parts of my life are slipping away.
Their support gradually slipped away.
bulldoze verb
BrE /ˈbʊldəʊz/ ; NAmE /ˈbʊldoʊz/
2) [TRANSITIVE] INFORMAL to force someone to do something that they do not really want to do by being very determined and ignoring what they do to oppose you
ex) That’s what we’re doing all the time, bulldozing each other’s attention, left and right.
abrasive adjective
BrE /əˈbreɪsɪv/ ; NAmE /əˈbreɪsɪv/
- abrasion noun
BrE /əˈbreɪʒn/ ; NAmE /əˈbreɪʒn/ (specialist)
2) (of a person or their manner) rude and unkind; acting in a way that may hurt other people’s feelings
ex) He joked in our conversation that what if, instead of a spell check, you had a compassion check, meaning, you might highlight a word that might be accidentally abrasive – perceived as abrasive by someone else.
an abrasive style/tone/comment
Throughout his career he was known for his abrasive manner.
- 1) [countable] a damaged area of the skin where it has been rubbed against something hard and rough
ex) He suffered cuts and abrasions to the face.
2) [uncountable] damage to a surface caused by rubbing something very hard against it
ex) Diamonds have extreme resistance to abrasion.
subtract verb
BrE /səbˈtrækt/ ; NAmE /səbˈtrækt/
[transitive, intransitive] subtract (something) (from something) to take a number or an amount away from another number or amount
synonym take (12)
opposite add
ex) And they subtract from those positive hours the amount of time people spent on the website, because that’s a cost to people’s lives.
6 subtracted from 9 is 3
If you subtract 6 from 9, you get 3.
orchestrate verb
BrE /ˈɔːkɪstreɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈɔːrkɪstreɪt/
2) orchestrate something to organize a complicated plan or event very carefully or secretly
synonym stage-manage
ex) And what you were left with is something they refer to as “net orchestrated conviviality,” or, really, just a net “Good Times” created.
a carefully orchestrated publicity campaign
The group is accused of orchestrating violence at demonstrations.
conviviality noun
BrE /kənˌvɪviˈæləti/ ; NAmE /kənˌvɪviˈæləti/
the quality of being cheerful and friendly in atmosphere or character
synonym sociability
ex) And what you were left with is something they refer to as “net orchestrated conviviality,” or, really, just a net “Good Times” created.
실종 되다
- 길을 잃다
go missing
- get lost
cf) 20 people are now unaccounted for. –> 행방 불명. 죽었는지 살았는지 모름…
aberration noun
BrE /ˌæbəˈreɪʃn/ ; NAmE /ˌæbəˈreɪʃn/ countable, uncountable
a fact, an action or a way of behaving that is not usual, and that may be unacceptable
ex) School bullying and violence in the military aren’t an aberration that just happens to hit the community at issue but an age-old culture that requires an overhaul of the system.
a temporary aberration of his exhausted mind
A childless woman was regarded as an aberration, almost a social outcast.
be at issue
to be the most important part of the subject that is being discussed
ex) School bullying and violence in the military aren’t an aberration that just happens to hit the community at issue but an age-old culture that requires an overhaul of the system.
What is at issue is whether she was responsible for her actions.
under the auspices of somebody/something
with the help, support or protection of somebody/something
ex) The issue is a grave concern particularly because it is hitting the two most important institutions under the direct auspices of the state.
The community centre was set up under the auspices of a government initiative.
a peacekeeping force under United Nations auspices
pass as somebody | pass as something | pass for somebody | pass for something
to be accepted as somebody/something
ex) Especially in barracks out of a constant supervision of officers, senior soldiers pass as the ‘ultimate’ ruler.
He speaks the language so well he could easily pass for a German.
We had some wine—or what passes for wine in that area.
alive and well/kicking
1) still living and healthy or active, especially when this is surprising
ex) He was found alive and well after three days.
2) still existing and not gone or forgotten, especially when this is surprising
ex) A chaotic and lawless anarchy unthinkable in a modern society is alive and well in the military.
The idea of marriage is still alive and kicking.
live on
to continue to live or exist
ex) So in a sense, bullying in the military lives on in a vicious cycle.
She died ten years ago but her memory lives on.
He lived on for fifteen years after his wife died.
peevish adjective
BrE /ˈpiːvɪʃ/ ; NAmE /ˈpiːvɪʃ/
easily annoyed by unimportant things; bad-tempered
synonym irritable
ex) The peevishness of the campaigning has obscured the importance of what is at stake.
Sebastian was a sickly, peevish child.
gouge verb
BrE /ɡaʊdʒ/ ; NAmE /ɡaʊdʒ/
1) gouge something (in something) to make a hole or cut in something with a sharp object in a rough or violent way
ex) The loss of one of the EU’s biggest members would gouge a deep wound in the rest of Europe.
The lion’s claws had gouged a wound in the horse’s side.
He had gouged her cheek with a screwdriver.
sclerotic adjective
BrE /skləˈrɒtɪk/ ; NAmE /skləˈrɑːtɪk/
2) (formal, disapproving) losing the ability to change and adapt
ex) Quitting the sclerotic, undemocratic EU, the Brexiteers say, would set Britain free to reclaim its sovereign destiny as an outward-looking power.
The movement was becoming increasingly sclerotic and bureaucratic.
creed noun
BrE /kriːd/ ; NAmE /kriːd/
1) [countable] a set of principles or religious beliefs
ex) Many of these people claim the mantle of liberalism - the creed that this newspaper has long championed.
people of all races, colours and creeds
discrimination on the basis of race, colour or creed
What is his political creed?
red tape noun
BrE ; NAmE uncountable
official rules that seem more complicated than necessary and prevent things from being done quickly
ex) They make the right noises about small government and red tape.
bureaucratic red tape
You have to go through endless red tape to get a residence permit.
parochial adjective
BrE /pəˈrəʊkiəl/ ; NAmE /pəˈroʊkiəl/
2) (disapproving) only concerned with small issues that happen in your local area and not interested in more important things
ex) Far from reclaiming its global outlook, it will become less influential and more parochial.
They need to be better informed and less parochial in their thinking.
pact noun
BrE /pækt/ ; NAmE /pækt/
pact (between A and B) | pact (with somebody) (to do something) a formal agreement between two or more people, groups or countries, especially one in which they agree to help each other
ex) Europe has dozens of trade pacts that Britain would need to replace.
a non-aggression pact
They have made a pact with each other not to speak about their differences in public.
a suicide pact (= an agreement by two or more people to kill themselves at the same time)
The two parties agreed an electoral pact.
grinding adjective
BrE /ˈɡraɪndɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈɡraɪndɪŋ/
(of a difficult situation) that never ends or improves
ex) The timetable would not be under its control, and the slow, grinding history of trade liberalisation shows that mercantilists tend to have the upper hand.
grinding poverty
unshackle verb
/ˌənˈSHakəl/
release from shackles, chains, or other physical restraints; liberate; set free
ex) Nor is unshackling Britain from the EU likely to release a spate of liberal reforms at home.
His feet were unshackled.
spate noun
BrE /speɪt/ ; NAmE /speɪt/
[usually singular] spate of something a large number of things, which are usually unpleasant, that happen suddenly within a short period of time
ex) Nor is unshackling Britain from the EU likely to release a spate of liberal reforms at home.
The bombing was the latest in a spate of terrorist attacks.
a recent spate of killings/thefts
run/take its course
to develop in the usual way and come to the usual end
ex) As the campaign has run its course, the Brexit side has stoked voters’ prejudices and pandered to a Little England mentality.
When her tears had run their course, she felt calmer and more in control.
With minor ailments the best thing is often to let nature take its course.
pander to somebody | pander to something
(disapproving) to do what somebody wants, or try to please them, especially when this is not acceptable or reasonable
ex) As the campaign has run its course, the Brexit side has stoked voters’ prejudices and pandered to a Little England mentality.
to pander to somebody’s wishes
The speech was pandering to racial prejudice.
He refuses to pander to the latest fashions.
blatantly adverb
BrE /ˈbleɪtəntli/ ; NAmE /ˈbleɪtəntli/
in an obvious and open way without caring if people are shocked
synonym flagrantly
ex) Leave has warned that millions of Turks are about to invade Britain, which is blatantly false.
a blatantly unfair decision
He just blatantly lied about it.
exchequer noun
BrE /ɪksˈtʃekə(r)/ ; NAmE /ɪksˈtʃekər/ [singular]
1) (also the Exchequer) (in Britain) the government department that controls public money
synonym treasury
ex) It has blamed strains on public services like health care and education on immigration, when immigrants, who are net contributors to the exchequer, help Britain foot the bill.
2) the public or national supply of money
ex) This resulted in a considerable loss to the exchequer.
foot the bill
(informal) to be responsible for paying the cost of something
ex) It has blamed strains on public services like health care and education on immigration, when immigrants, who are net contributors to the exchequer, help Britain foot the bill.
Once again it will be the taxpayer who has to foot the bill.
Who will be footing the bill for the party?
statesman noun
BrE /ˈsteɪtsmən/ ; NAmE /ˈsteɪtsmən/ (pl. statesmen BrE /ˈsteɪtsmən/ ; NAmE /ˈsteɪtsmən/ )
a wise, experienced and respected political leader
ex) Indeed, economists, businesspeople and statesmen from around the world have queued up to warn Britain that leaving would be a mistake (though Mr. Trump is a fan).
the party’s elder statesman
scorn verb
BrE /skɔːn/ ; NAmE /skɔːrn/
1) scorn somebody/something to feel or show that you think somebody/something is stupid and you do not respect them or it
synonym dismiss
ex) Thus the Leave campaign scorns the almost universally gloomy economic forecasts of Britain’s prospects outside the EU as the work of “experts” (as if knowledge was a hindrance to understanding).
She scorned their views as old-fashioned.
Such methods are scorned by reputable practitioners.
His brother had always scorned him.
hindrance noun
BrE /ˈhɪndrəns/ ; NAmE /ˈhɪndrəns/
1) [countable, usually singular] a person or thing that makes it more difficult for somebody to do something or for something to happen
ex) Thus the Leave campaign scorns the almost universally gloomy economic forecasts of Britain’s prospects outside the EU as the work of “experts” (as if knowledge was a hindrance to understanding).
To be honest, she was more of a hindrance than a help.
The high price is a major hindrance to potential buyers.
figurehead noun
BrE /ˈfɪɡəhed/ ; NAmE /ˈfɪɡjərhed/
1) a person who is in a high position in a country or an organization but who has no real power or authority
ex) And it dismisses the Remain camp for representing the elite (as if Boris Johnson, its figurehead and an Oxford-educated old Etonian, personified the common man).
The president of the club is not just a figurehead.
personify verb
BrE /pəˈsɒnɪfaɪ/ ; NAmE /pərˈsɑːnɪfaɪ/
1) personify something to be an example of a quality or characteristic, or to have a lot of it
synonym typify
ex) And it dismisses the Remain camp for representing the elite (as if Boris Johnson, its figurehead and an Oxford-educated old Etonian, personified the common man).
These children personify all that is wrong with the education system.
He is kindness personified.
corrosive adjective
BrE /kəˈrəʊsɪv/ ; NAmE /kəˈroʊsɪv/
2) (formal) tending to damage something gradually
ex) The most corrosive of these illusions is that the EU is run by unaccountable bureaucrats who trample on Britain’s sovereignty as they plot a superstate.
Unemployment is having a corrosive effect on our economy.
vexed adjective
BrE /vekst/ ; NAmE /vekst/
1) vexed question/issue a problem that is difficult to deal with
synonym thorny
ex) So long as Britain does not run away and hide, it has every reason to think that it will continue to have a powerful influence, even over the vexed subject of immigration.
The conference spent days discussing the vexed question of border controls.
loggerheads noun
BrE /ˈlɒɡəhedz/ ; NAmE /ˈlɔːɡərhedz/ , /ˈlɑːɡerhedz/
at loggerheads (with somebody) (over something)
in strong disagreement
ex) But he put himself in a weak position by asking for help at the last minute, when governments were at loggerheads over the single currency and refugees.
The two governments are still at loggerheads over the island.
edifice noun
BrE /ˈedɪfɪs/ ; NAmE /ˈedɪfɪs/ (formal)
a large impressive building; a complicated system or policy
ex) Some Britons see this as a reason to get out, before the doomed edifice comes tumbling down.
The whole edifice of EU environmental policy is threatened by this bill.
an imposing edifice
(figurative) Their new manifesto hardly threatens to bring the whole edifice of capitalism crashing down.
(figurative) an edifice of lies
tumble (down)
if a building or other structure tumbles, it falls to the ground; if an organization or system tumbles, it suddenly stops existing
ex) Some Britons see this as a reason to get out, before the doomed edifice comes tumbling down.
It seemed that the walls had tumbled from the inside.
The scaffolding tumbled down, burying him under it.
maddening adjective
BrE /ˈmædnɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈmædnɪŋ/
making you feel extremely annoyed
synonym infuriating
ex) Over the years this newspaper has found much to criticise in the EU. It is an imperfect, at times maddening club.
maddening delays
He found her behaviour maddening.
archaic adjective
BrE /ɑːˈkeɪɪk/ ; NAmE /ɑːrˈkeɪɪk/
2) very old-fashioned
synonym outdated
ex) When we think of government systems, we tend to think that they’re archaic, set in their ways, and perhaps, the leadership is just too bureaucratic to be able to change things.
The system is archaic and unfair and needs changing.
be set in your ways
to have habits or opinions that you have had for a long time and that you do not want to change
ex) When we think of government systems, we tend to think that they’re archaic, set in their ways, and perhaps, the leadership is just too bureaucratic to be able to change things.
fly at somebody
(of a person or an animal) to attack somebody suddenly
ex) But anyway, we jumped right in and as we jumped in, all sorts of ideas started flying at us.
He flew at me without warning.
scale verb
BrE /skeɪl/ ; NAmE /skeɪl/
4) scale something (from something) (to something) (specialist) to change the size of something
ex) But what was also interesting was that none of them actually scaled.
Text can be scaled from 4 points to 108 points without any loss of quality.
scalable adjective
(British English scaleable)
BrE /ˈskeɪləbl/ ; NAmE /ˈskeɪləbl/
2) designed to work on a large or small scale, according to needs
ex) So right at the beginning of the project, what we said was, “Whatever we have to do has to be scalable, it has to work in all 15,000 schools.”
The printer has 80 scaleable fonts.
scalable graphics
reinvent [recreate] the wheel
to waste time and effort trying to do something that someone else has already done well
ex) We obviously did not want to recreate the wheel, so we said, “Let’s look around and see what we can find.”
abacus noun
BrE /ˈæbəkəs/ ; NAmE /ˈæbəkəs/ (pl. abacuses BrE /ˈæbəkəsɪz/ ; NAmE /ˈæbəkəsɪz/ )
a frame with small balls which slide along wires. It is used as a tool or toy for counting. 주판
ex) Children shouldn’t memorize things from books, they should do activities, and that’s a more effective way to learn. Which basically means giving students things like beads, learning rods, abacuses.
backtrack verb
BrE /ˈbæktræk/ ; NAmE /ˈbæktræk/
2) [intransitive] to change an earlier statement, opinion or promise because of pressure from somebody/something
ex) It said the dust levels were something like 28 times worse than levels considered safe.
elder abuse noun
BrE ; NAmE [uncountable]
the crime of harming or stealing from an old person, committed by somebody who is trusted to care for or help them
ex) Elder abuse cases are growing.
victims of elder abuse
recognizing the signs of elder abuse
abuser noun
BrE /əˈbjuːzə(r)/ ; NAmE /əˈbjuːzər/
2) a person who treats another person or animal in a cruel or violent way, especially sexually
ex) What’s surprising is 30% of the abusers were the victims’ son.
a child abuser
mistreat verb
BrE /ˌmɪsˈtriːt/ ; NAmE /ˌmɪsˈtriːt/
mistreat somebody/something to treat a person or an animal in a cruel, unkind or unfair way
synonym ill-treat, maltreat
ex) And in 70% of the cases, the victims were mistreated by their own family members.
animals that have been mistreated by their owners
sternly adverb
BrE /ˈstɜːnli/ ; NAmE /ˈstɜːrnli/
1) in a serious and often disapproving way; in a way that shows you expect somebody to obey you
ex) If a case is confirmed, the abuser must be sternly punished and the victim should be protected.
‘This’, she said sternly, ‘is what we believe.’
a sternly worded letter
play host to
to provides the things that are needed for (an event, such as a meeting or convention)
ex) In the show, local cities bid to play host to a tourism-development conference.
Each year, the city plays host to the film festival for one week.
take to somebody | take to something
3) to develop an ability for something
ex) For most of them, it has been their first experience of speaking to live cameras. They have taken to it like naturals.
She took to tennis as if she’d been playing all her life.
soldier on
to continue with what you are doing or trying to achieve, especially when this is difficult or unpleasant
ex) The party chief of Yucheng suffered a slipped disc but soldiered on, rehearsing her speech flat on her back.
His partner left and he had to soldier on alone.
(flat) on your back
(informal) in bed because you are ill/sick
ex) The party chief of Yucheng suffered a slipped disc but soldiered on, rehearsing her speech flat on her back.
She’s been flat on her back for over a week now.
(figurative) The UK market was flat on its back (= business was very bad).
take somebody to task (for/over something)
to criticize somebody strongly for something they have done
ex) Viewers love seeing judges take officials to task.
The local newspaper has been taking the city council to task over its transport policy.
misdemeanour noun
(especially US English misdemeanor)
BrE /ˌmɪsdɪˈmiːnə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˌmɪsdɪˈmiːnər/
1) (formal) an action that is bad or unacceptable, but not very serious
ex) youthful misdemeanours
2) (law, especially US English) a crime that is not considered to be very serious
ex) A 2001 study by the violence prevention research program at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine suggested that California’s ban on sales of handguns to people convicted of violent misdemeanors reduced their likelihood of committing a future firearm crime or other violent offense.
spell verb
BrE /spel/ ; NAmE /spel/
present simple I / you / we / they spell BrE /spel/ ; NAmE /spel/
he / she / it spells BrE /spelz/ ; NAmE /spelz/
past simple spelt BrE /spelt/ ; NAmE /spelt/
past participle spelt BrE /spelt/ ; NAmE /spelt/
past simple spelled BrE /speld/ ; NAmE /speld/
past participle spelled BrE /speld/ ; NAmE /speld/
-ing form spelling BrE /ˈspelɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈspelɪŋ/
4) [transitive] spell something (for somebody/something) to have something, usually something bad, as a result; to mean something, usually something bad
ex) The idea is that texting spell the decline and fall of any kind of serious literacy, or at least writing ability, among young people in the United States and now the whole world today.
The crop failure spelt disaster for many farmers.
This defeat spelt the end of his hopes of winning the title again.
miraculous adjective
BrE /mɪˈrækjələs/ ; NAmE /mɪˈrækjələs/
like a miracle; completely unexpected and very lucky
synonym extraordinary, phenomenal
ex) The fact of the matter is that it just isn’t true, and it’s easy to think that it is true, but in order to see it in another way, in order to see that actually texting is a miraculous thing, not just energetic, but a miraculous thing, a kind of emergent complexity that we’re seeing happening right now, we have to pull the camera back for a bit and look at what language really is, in which case, one thing that we see is that texting is not writing at all.
miraculous powers of healing
She’s made a miraculous recovery.
A teenage boy had a miraculous escape from death last night when he fell into an ice cold-river.
come along
1) to arrive; to appear
ex) So first there’s speech, and then writing comes along as a kind of artifice.
When the right opportunity comes along, she’ll take it.
artifice noun
BrE /ˈɑːtɪfɪs/ ; NAmE /ˈɑːrtɪfɪs/ uncountable, countable
3) skill; cleverness
ex) So first there’s speech, and then writing comes along as a kind of artifice.
bleed verb
BrE /bliːd/ ; NAmE /bliːd/
present simple I / you / we / they bleed BrE /bliːd/ ; NAmE /bliːd/
he / she / it bleeds BrE /bliːdz/ ; NAmE /bliːdz/
past simple bled BrE /bled/ ; NAmE /bled/
past participle bled BrE /bled/ ; NAmE /bled/
-ing form bleeding BrE /ˈbliːdɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈbliːdɪŋ/
5) [intransitive] bleed (into something) to spread from one area of something to another area
ex) Now of course, as history has gone by, it’s been natural for there to be a certain amount of bleed between speech and writing.
Keep the paint fairly dry so that the colours don’t bleed into each other.
lend itself to something
to be suitable for something
ex) The problem was just that in the material, mechanical sense, that was harder back in the day for the simple reason that materials don’t lend themselves to it.
Her voice doesn’t really lend itself well to blues singing.
baggy adjective
BrE /ˈbæɡi/ ; NAmE /ˈbæɡi/ (baggier, baggiest)
(of clothes) fitting loosely
opposite tight
ex) We see this general bagginess of the structure, the lack of concern with rules and the way that we’re used to learning on the blackboard, and so we think that something has gone wrong.
a baggy T-shirt
substrate noun
BrE /ˈsʌbstreɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈsʌbstreɪt/ (specialist)
a substance or layer which is under something or on which something happens, for example the surface on which a living thing grows and feeds
ex) But if you text now, or if you are someone who is aware of the substrate of texting the way it’s become, you’ll notice that LOL does not mean laughing out loud anymore.
guffaw verb
BrE /ɡəˈfɔː/ ; NAmE /ɡəˈfɔː/
[intransitive, transitive] (+ speech) to laugh noisily
ex) Then Susan says “lol, I know,” again more guffawing than we’re used to when you’re talking about these inconveniences.
They all guffawed at his jokes.
The man guffawed at her remark.
환경 미화원 (도로, 가로)
A street sweeper or street cleaner may refer to a a person’s occupation, or a machine that cleans streets. A street sweeper cleans the streets, usually in an urban area. Street sweepers have been employed in cities since sanitation and waste removal became a priority.
ex) That oddly got me thinking of the hard work of street sweepers.
recipe noun
BrE /ˈresəpi/ ; NAmE /ˈresəpi/
2) recipe for something a method or an idea that seems likely to have a particular result
synonym formula
ex) You throw a cigarette butt out the window. It might end up in the car behind you. A perfect recipe for disaster.
His plans are a recipe for disaster.
What’s her recipe for success?
fall back on somebody | fall back on something
[no passive] to go to somebody for support; to have something to use when you are in difficulty
ex) After all, many of them are left with little money to fall back on after they retire.
I have a little money in the bank to fall back on.
She fell back on her usual excuse of having no time.
legion noun
BrE /ˈliːdʒən/ ; NAmE /ˈliːdʒən/
2) (formal) a large number of people of one particular type
ex) A year ago few people imagined that the legions of Britons who love to whinge about the European Union - silly regulations, bloated budgets and pompous bureaucrats - would actually vote to leave the club of countries that buy nearly half of Britain’s exports.
legions of photographers
whinge verb
BrE /wɪndʒ/ ; NAmE /wɪndʒ/
[intransitive] whinge (about somebody/something) (British English, informal, disapproving) to complain in an annoying way
ex) A year ago few people imagined that the legions of Britons who love to whinge about the European Union - silly regulations, bloated budgets and pompous bureaucrats - would actually vote to leave the club of countries that buy nearly half of Britain’s exports.
She’s always whingeing about how unfair everything is.
pompous adjective
BrE /ˈpɒmpəs/ ; NAmE /ˈpɑːmpəs/ (disapproving)
showing that you think you are more important than other people, especially by using long and formal words
synonym pretentious
ex) A year ago few people imagined that the legions of Britons who love to whinge about the European Union - silly regulations, bloated budgets and pompous bureaucrats - would actually vote to leave the club of countries that buy nearly half of Britain’s exports.
a pompous official
His speech sounded very pompous and self-congratulatory.
break free [loose]
2) to escape from an unpleasant person or situation that controls your life
ex) Scots, most of whom voted to Remain, may now be keener to break free of the United Kingdom, as they nearly did in 2014.
She’ll never be happy until she breaks free of her family.
grievous adjective
BrE /ˈɡriːvəs/ ; NAmE /ˈɡriːvəs/ (formal)
very serious and often causing great pain or suffering
ex) The EU, an institution that has helped keep the peace in Europe for half a century, has suffered a grievous blow.
He had been the victim of a grievous injustice.
dexterity noun
BrE /dekˈsterəti/ ; NAmE /dekˈsterəti/ [uncountable]
- ambidextrous adjective
BrE /ˌæmbiˈdekstrəs/ ; NAmE /ˌæmbiˈdekstrəs/
skill in using your hands or your mind
ex) Managing the aftermath, which saw the country split by age, class and geography, will need political dexterity in the short run; in the long run it may require a redrawing of traditional political battle-lines and even subnational boundaries.
You need manual dexterity to be good at video games.
mental/verbal dexterity
- able to use the left hand or the right hand equally well
jubilation noun
BrE /ˌdʒuːbɪˈleɪʃn/ ; NAmE /ˌdʒuːbɪˈleɪʃn/ [uncountable]
a feeling of great happiness because of a success
ex) But amid Brexiteers’ jubilation and Remain’s recriminations, two questions stand out: what does the vote mean for Britain and Europe? And what comes next?
There were scenes of jubilation among her supporters.
her jubilation at reaching the final
recrimination noun
BrE /rɪˌkrɪmɪˈneɪʃn/ ; NAmE /rɪˌkrɪmɪˈneɪʃn/ [countable, usually plural, uncountable]
an angry statement that somebody makes accusing somebody else of something, especially in response to a similar statement from them
ex) But amid Brexiteers’ jubilation and Remain’s recriminations, two questions stand out: what does the vote mean for Britain and Europe? And what comes next?
bitter recriminations
We spent the rest of the evening in mutual recrimination.
outpouring noun
BrE /ˈaʊtpɔːrɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈaʊtpɔːrɪŋ/
1) [usually plural] a strong and sudden expression of feeling
ex) The vote to Leave amounts to an outpouring of fury against the “establishment.”
spontaneous outpourings of praise
Her death prompted huge outpourings of grief.
2) a large amount of something produced in a short time
ex) a remarkable outpouring of new ideas
establishment noun
BrE /ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt/ ; NAmE /ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt/
2) (also the Establishment) [singular + singular or plural verb] (often disapproving) the people in a society or a profession who have influence and power and who usually do not support change
ex) The vote to Leave amounts to an outpouring of fury against the “establishment.”
the medical/military/political, etc. establishment
young people rebelling against the Establishment
orthodox Establishment views
entreaty noun
BrE /ɪnˈtriːti/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈtriːti/ (pl. entreaties)countable, uncountable
a serious and often emotional request
ex) Their entreaties were spurned by voters who rejected not just their arguments but the value of “experts” in general.
Despite her entreaties, he left.
She held up her arms in entreaty.
spurn verb
BrE /spɜːn/ ; NAmE /spɜːrn/
spurn somebody/something to reject or refuse somebody/something, especially in a proud way
synonym shun
ex) Their entreaties were spurned by voters who rejected not just their arguments but the value of “experts” in general.
Eve spurned Mark’s invitation.
a spurned lover
The president spurned the tight security surrounding him and adopted a more intimate style of campaigning.
bear (bear-bears-bore-borne), take, etc. the brunt of something
to get the greater amount or larger part of something bad; to receive the worst part of something unpleasant or harmful, such as an attack
ex) Large chunks of the British electorate that have borne the brunt of public-spending cuts and have failed to share in Britain’s prosperity are now in thrall to an angry populism.
Schools will bear the brunt of cuts in government spending.
Ordinary citizens will bear the brunt of higher taxes.
The oldest parts of the town bore the brunt of the missile attacks.
electorate noun
BrE /ɪˈlektərət/ ; NAmE /ɪˈlektərət/
1) [countable + singular or plural verb] the people in a country or an area who have the right to vote, thought of as a group
ex) Large chunks of the British electorate that have borne the brunt of public-spending cuts and have failed to share in Britain’s prosperity are now in thrall to an angry populism.
Only 60% of the electorate voted in the last election.
share in something
take part in, be involved in, contribute to, participate in, have a hand in, partake in, use in common
ex) Large chunks of the British electorate that have borne the brunt of public-spending cuts and have failed to share in Britain’s prosperity are now in thrall to an angry populism.
Everybody shares in the cooking chores.
in (somebody’s/something’s) thrall, in thrall to somebody/something
(literary) controlled or strongly influenced by somebody/something
ex) Large chunks of the British electorate that have borne the brunt of public-spending cuts and have failed to share in Britain’s prosperity are now in thrall to an angry populism.
His gaze held her in thrall.
She was in thrall to her emotions.
deal-breaker noun
something that causes somebody to reject a deal in politics or business
ex) But the deal-breaking feature of EU membership for Britain seemed to be the free movement of people.
The candidate’s support for the war is the deal-breaker (= people will not vote for the candidate because of it).
I would have bought the house, but the small backyard was the deal-breaker for me.
of your own accord
without being asked, forced or helped; by one’s own choice, without coercion.
ex) While a deal is being done, the economy will suffer and immigration will fall of its own accord.
He came back of his own accord.
The symptoms will clear up of their own accord.
I wish that Sally would choose to do it of her own accord.
I’ll have to order her to do it because she won’t do it of her own free will.
priesthood noun
BrE /ˈpriːsthʊd/ ; NAmE /ˈpriːsthʊd/
1) the priesthood [singular] the job or position of being a priest
ex) to enter the priesthood (= to become a priest)
2) all the priests of a particular religion or country
ex) The high-priesthood in Brussels has lost touch with ordinary citizens - and not just in Britain.
bent on something/on doing something
determined to do something (usually something bad)
ex) Acting on age-old talk of returning powers, including labour-market regulation, to national governments would show that the EU is not bent on acquiring power no matter what.
She seems bent on making life difficult for me.
lose touch (with somebody/something)
2) to no longer understand something, especially how ordinary people feel
ex) The high-priesthood in Brussels has lost touch with ordinary citizens - and not just in Britain.
shrivel verb
BrE /ˈʃrɪvl/ ; NAmE /ˈʃrɪvl/ [intransitive, transitive]
present simple I / you / we / they shrivel BrE /ˈʃrɪvl/ ; NAmE /ˈʃrɪvl/
he / she / it shrivels BrE /ˈʃrɪvlz/ ; NAmE /ˈʃrɪvlz/
past simple shrivelled BrE /ˈʃrɪvld/ ; NAmE /ˈʃrɪvld/
past participle shrivelled BrE /ˈʃrɪvld/ ; NAmE /ˈʃrɪvld/
(US English) past simple shriveled BrE /ˈʃrɪvld/ ; NAmE /ˈʃrɪvld/
(US English) past participle shriveled BrE /ˈʃrɪvld/ ; NAmE /ˈʃrɪvld/
-ing form shrivelling BrE /ˈʃrɪvlɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈʃrɪvlɪŋ/
(US English) -ing form shriveling BrE /ˈʃrɪvlɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈʃrɪvlɪŋ/
to become or make something dry and wrinkled as a result of heat, cold or being old
ex) It would be bad for everyone if Great
shrivel (up) The leaves on the plant had shrivelled up from lack of water.
shrivel something (up) The hot weather had shrivelled the grapes in every vineyard.
value verb
BrE /ˈvæljuː/ ; NAmE /ˈvæljuː/
2) [usually passive] value something (at something) to decide that something is worth a particular amount of money
ex) They were recently recognized as the world’s most innovative company and valued at over a billion dollars.
The property has been valued at over $2 million.
pass something↔on (to somebody)
to give something to somebody else, especially after receiving it or using it yourself
ex) So the first reason that I passed on Warby Parker was they were really slow getting off the ground.
Pass the book on to me when you’ve finished with it.
I passed your message on to my mother.
Much of the discount is pocketed by retailers instead of being passed on to customers.
get (something) off the ground
to start happening successfully; to make something start happening successfully
ex) So the first reason that I passed on Warby Parker was they were really slow getting off the ground.
Without more money, the movie is unlikely to get off the ground.
to get a new company off the ground
procrastinate verb
BrE /prəʊˈkræstɪneɪt/ ; NAmE /proʊˈkræstɪneɪt/ intransitive
- precrastinate
to delay doing something that you should do, usually because you do not want to do it
ex) I have my most creative ideas when I’m procrastinating.
People were dying of starvation while governments procrastinated.
- the act of planning procrastination.
ex) And sure enough, the precrastinators like me, who rush in and do everything early are rated as less creative than people who procrastinate moderately.
goof off
(North American English, informal) to spend your time doing nothing, especially when you should be working
ex) You actually do see that the people who wait until the last minute are so busy goofing off that they don’t have any new ideas.
sweet spot noun
2) a location or combination of characteristics that produces the best results
ex) There’s a sweet spot where originals seem to live.
This series aims to hit a sweet spot between romantic comedy and thriller.
If you want the best sound, I’d say the sweet spot is about three metres from your speakers.
original noun
BrE /əˈrɪdʒənl/ ; NAmE /əˈrɪdʒənl/
2) (formal) a person who thinks, behaves, dresses, etc. in an unusual way
ex) There’s a sweet spot where originals seem to live.
divergent adjective
BrE /daɪˈvɜːdʒənt/ ; NAmE /daɪˈvɜːrdʒənt/ (formal)
2) (of opinions, views, etc.) different; no longer similar
ex) Procrastination gives you time to consider divergent ideas, to think in nonlinear ways, to make unexpected leaps.
There are divergent opinions on this issue.
non-linear adjective (specialist)
that does not develop from one thing to another in a single smooth series of stages
opposite linear
ex) Procrastination gives you time to consider divergent ideas, to think in nonlinear ways, to make unexpected leaps.
toil verb
BrE /tɔɪl/ ; NAmE /tɔɪl/ (formal)
1) [intransitive] to work very hard and/or for a long time, usually doing hard physical work
synonym slave
ex) Take Leonardo da Vinci. He toiled on and off for 16 years on the Mona Lisa.
Hundreds of men toiled for years at building the pyramid.
She toils tirelessly for various charities.
model verb
BrE /ˈmɒdl/ ; NAmE /ˈmɑːdl/
5) to arrange studio lighting so that highlights and shadows emphasize the desired features of a human form or an inanimate object
ex) But some of the diversions h3e took in optics transformed the way that he modeled light and made him into a much better painter.
carved/set in stone
(of a decision, plan, etc.) unable to be changed
ex) And because the text wasn’t set in stone, he had freedom to improvise.
People should remember that our proposals aren’t set in stone.
feat noun
BrE /fiːt/ ; NAmE /fiːt/
an action or a piece of work that needs skill, strength or courage; something impressive and often dangerous that someone does
ex) That was an astounding feat when you consider Saudi Arabia.
The tunnel is a brilliant feat of engineering.
to perform/attempt/achieve astonishing feats
feats of strength/endurance/skill
That was no mean feat (= it was difficult to do).
be no mean feat (=not be easy to achieve): We’ve remained profitable for 27 years, and that’s no mean feat.
welcome news
good news, cheerful news
가난에서 구제하다
lift [get] sb out of poverty
long johns noun
BrE ; NAmE plural
warm underpants with long legs down to the ankles
ex) Getting homes moderately heated and a pair of long johns are enough.
a pair of long johns
균형을 잃다
go [get] out of balance
make it through something
to not die as a result of an illness or an accident
ex) No wonder then that mosquitoes are making it through winter.
She’s made it through the worst of the illness now.
한파
cold spell noun
a period when the weather is colder than usual
ex) Less cold spells and heat waves speak volumes for this.
혹서, 폭염
heatwave noun
BrE /ˈhiːtweɪv/ ; NAmE /ˈhiːtweɪv/
a period of unusually hot weather
ex) Less cold spells and heat waves speak volumes for this.
speak volumes (about/for something/somebody)
to tell you a lot about something/somebody, without the need for words
ex) Less cold spells and heat waves speak volumes for this.
His achievement speaks volumes for his determination.
What you wear speaks volumes about you.
outwit verb
BrE /ˌaʊtˈwɪt/ ; NAmE /ˌaʊtˈwɪt/
outwit somebody/something to defeat somebody/something or gain an advantage over them by doing something clever
synonym outsmart
ex) But although AI systems are impressive, they can perform only very specific tasks: a general AI capable of outwitting its human creators remains a distant and uncertain prospect.
the amusing story of a bird outwitting a cat
Somehow he always manages to outwit his opponents.
perishable adjective
BrE /ˈperɪʃəbl/ ; NAmE /ˈperɪʃəbl/
(especially of food) likely to decay or go bad quickly
ex) When jobs are perishable, technologies come and go and people’s working lives are longer, social skills are a foundation.
perishable goods/foods
Many fresh foods are highly perishable.
tout verb
BrE /taʊt/ ; NAmE /taʊt/
present simple I / you / we / they tout BrE /taʊt/ ; NAmE /taʊt/
he / she / it touts BrE /taʊts/ ; NAmE /taʊts/
past simple touted BrE /ˈtaʊtɪd/ ; NAmE /ˈtaʊtɪd/
past participle touted BrE /ˈtaʊtɪd/ ; NAmE /ˈtaʊtɪd/
-ing form touting BrE /ˈtaʊtɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈtaʊtɪŋ/
1) [transitive] tout somebody/something (as something) to try to persuade people that somebody/something is important or valuable by praising them/it
ex) Once scheme widely touted as a panacea is a “basic income,” paid to everybody regardless of their situation.
She’s being touted as the next leader of the party.
Their much-touted expansion plans have come to nothing.
panacea noun
BrE /ˌpænəˈsiːə/ ; NAmE /ˌpænəˈsiːə/
panacea (for something) something that will solve all the problems of a particular situation
ex) Once scheme widely touted as a panacea is a “basic income,” paid to everybody regardless of their situation.
There is no single panacea for the problem of unemployment.
