UNITS 25&26 • TOPIC Flashcards
addiction
uk |əˈdɪk.ʃən| us |əˈdɪk.ʃən|
noun
1. an inability to stop doing or using something, especially something harmful
* “[addiction to] He developed an addiction to painkillers.”
* “[drug addiction] He had a problem with drug addiction, but has been better since getting treatment.”
* “[alcohol addiction] many of the prison inmates had drug or alcohol addictions.”
* “[gambling addiction] She praised their efforts to treat gambling addiction.”
* “For people with OCD, cleaning can become an addiction.”
adore
uk |əˈdɔːr| us |əˈdɔːr|
verb
1. to love someone very much, especially in a way that shows a lot of admiration or respect, or to like something very much
* “She has one son and she adores him.”
* “I absolutely adore chocolate.”
* ”[+ -ing verb] Don’t you just adore lying in a hot bath?”
2. to worship [formal]
* “Let us adore God for all his works.”
anticipation
uk |ænˌtɪs.ɪˈpeɪ.ʃən| us |ænˌtɪs.əˈpeɪ.ʃən|
noun
1. a feeling of excitement about something that is going to happen in the near future
* “As with most pleasures, it’s not so much the experience itself as the anticipation that is enjoyable.”
* “The postponement of the film’s sequel has held cinemagoers in eager anticipation for several months.”
appeal
uk |əˈpiːl| us |əˈpiːl|
noun
1. a request to the public for money, information, or help [C]
* “They’re launching (= starting) an appeal to raise money for famine victims.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] The police have issued an appeal to the public to stay away from the area over the weekend.”
appeal
uk |əˈpiːl| us |əˈpiːl|
verb
1. to make a serious or formal request, especially to the public, for money, information, or help [I]
* “They’re appealing for clothes and blankets to send to the devastated region.”
* “The police are appealing to the public for any information about the missing girl.”
* “I tried to appeal to (= ask for support based on) his sense of loyalty, stressing how good the company had been to him.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] Church leaders have appealed to the government to halt the war.”
arbitrary
uk |ˈɑː.bɪ.trər.i| us |ˈɑːr.bə.trer.i|
adjective
1. based on chance rather than being planned or based on reason
* “arbitrary decision-making”
* “Did you have a reason for choosing your destination or was it arbitrary?”
2. using unlimited personal power without considering other people’s rights or wishes [disapproving]
* “an arbitrary ruler”
* “The company has been the subject of an arbitrary take-over.”
aspiration
uk |ˌæs.pɪˈreɪ.ʃən| us |ˌæs.pəˈreɪ.ʃən|
noun
1. something that you hope to achieve [C usually plural, U]
* “I’ve never had any political aspirations.”
* “It’s a story about the lives and aspirations of poor Irish immigrants.”
bear
uk |beər| us |ber|
verb
1. to accept, tolerate, or endure something, especially something unpleasant [T]
* “The strain must have been enormous but she bore it well.”
* “Tell me now! I can’t bear the suspense!”
* ”[+ to infinitive] He couldn’t bear to see the dog in pain.”
* ”[+ -ing verb] I can’t bear being bored.”
2. to be responsible for something [T]
* “[bear responsibility] It’s your decision - you have to bear the responsibility if things go wrong.”
* “[bear the burden] They say that landlords should bear the burden of these repairs and not tenants.”
* “[bear the cost] I suggest you claim on your insurance rather than bearing the cost yourselves.”
compulsory
uk |kəmˈpʌl.sər.i| us |kəmˈpʌl.sɚ.i|
adjective
1. If something is compulsory, you must do it because of a rule or law
* “Swimming was compulsory at my school.”
* “The law made wearing seat belts in cars compulsory.”
content
uk |kənˈtent| us |kənˈtent|
adjective
1. pleased with your situation and not hoping for change or improvement
* “[content with] He seems fairly content with (his) life.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] They’re content to socialize with a very small circle of people.”
content
uk |kənˈtent| us |kənˈtent|
verb
1. to make someone feel happy and satisfied
* “You’re quite easily contented, aren’t you?”
* “My explanation seemed to content him.”
content
uk |kənˈtent| us |kənˈtent|
noun
1. a happy and satisfied feeling
* “Once had he resolved what to do, there followed almost immediately a feeling of content.”
craving
uk |ˈkreɪ.vɪŋ| us |ˈkreɪ.vɪŋ|
noun
1. a strong feeling of wanting something
* “[craving for] I have a craving for chocolate.”
decline
uk |dɪˈklaɪn| us |dɪˈklaɪn|
verb
1. to gradually become less, worse, or lower [I]
* “His interest in the project declined after his wife died.”
* “The party’s popularity has declined in the opinion polls.”
* “[formal] The land declines sharply away from the house.”
2. to refuse [I/T formal]
* “I invited him to the meeting but he declined.”
* “He declined my offer.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] They declined to tell me how they had obtained my address.”
3. If a noun, pronoun, or adjective declines, it has different forms to show if it is the subject or object, etc. of a verb or if it is singular or plural, etc. If you decline such a word, you list its various forms [I/T language specialized]
* “In Latin we learned how to decline nouns.”
decline
uk |dɪˈklaɪn| us |dɪˈklaɪn|
noun
1. the process or fact of something becoming less in amount, importance, quality, or strength
* “industrial decline”
* “Home cooking seems to be in decline (= not so many people are doing it).”
* “It is clear that teenage smoking is on the decline.”
* “[decline in] a decline in the number of unemployed”
2. the process or fact of someone becoming physically or mentally weaker
* “We all experience physical and cognitive decline over time.”
* “Vitamin B may guard against mental decline.”
* “Now his health is in decline and his ambitions have been crushed.”
* “She seemed to be recovering and then she went into a decline.”
dedicated
uk |ˈded.ɪ.keɪ.tɪd| us |ˈded.ə.keɪ.t̬ɪd|
adjective
1. believing that something is very important and giving a lot of time and energy to it
* “a dedicated father/teacher”
* “[dedicated to] She’s completely dedicated to her work.”
* “The Green Party is dedicated to protecting the environment.”
delight
uk |dɪˈlaɪt| us |dɪˈlaɪt|
noun
1. a feeling of great pleasure, satisfaction, or happiness [U]
* “Her face had a look of pure delight.”
* “[with delight] I read your letter with great delight.”
* “[in delight] The children squealed in delight when they saw all the presents under the Christmas tree.”
* “[delight at] His delight at seeing her again was obvious.”
* “[to someone’s delight] To my delight, I was proved right.”
* “[to the delight of] She played all her biggest hits, to the delight of the crowd.”
* “[take delight in] He seems to take great delight in (= enjoys) teasing his sister.”
2. something or someone that gives great pleasure, satisfaction, or happiness [C usually singular]
* “My sister’s little boy is a real delight.”
* “The film is a delight from start to finish.”
* “[it is a delight to] It was a delight to see her so happy and relaxed.”
delight
uk |dɪˈlaɪt| us |dɪˈlaɪt|
verb
1. to give someone great pleasure or satisfaction
* “Peter’s academic success delighted his family.”
desire
uk |dɪˈzaɪər| us |dɪˈzaɪr|
verb
1. to want something, especially strongly
* “I desire only to be left in peace.”
* “The hotel had everything you could possibly desire.”
* “[desire someone to do/desire of] What does her Ladyship desire me to do/desire of me?”
* ”[+ to infinitive] The president desires to meet the new prime minister.”
2. to have a strong sexual attraction to someone
desire
uk |dɪˈzaɪər| us |dɪˈzaɪr|
noun
1. a strong feeling that you want something [C/U]
* “[have no desire] I certainly have no desire to have children.”
* “[desire for] There is a strong desire for peace among the people.”
* “[satisfy someone’s desire for something] He needed to satisfy his desire for revenge.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] She had a burning/strong desire to go back to her home country before she died.”
* “[express a desire to] Several people have expressed a desire to see the report.”
devote something to something/someone
uk |dɪˈvəʊt| us |dɪˈvoʊt|
verb
1. to give all of something, especially your time, effort, or love, or yourself, to something you believe in or to a person
* “He left the Senate to devote more time to his family.”
* “She has devoted all her energies/life to the care of homeless people.”
* “At the age of 25, he decided to devote himself to God.”
2. to use a space, area, time, etc. for a particular purpose [passive]
* “Over half his speech was devoted to the issue of unemployment.”
* “The report recommends that more resources be devoted to teaching four-year-olds.”
differentiate
uk |ˌdɪf.əˈren.ʃi.eɪt| us |ˌdɪf.əˈren.ʃi.eɪt|
verb
1. to show or find the difference between things that are compared [I/T]
* “[differentiate between] We do not differentiate between our employees on the basis of their race, religion, or national origin.”
* “[differentiate something from something] Most consumers have no trouble differentiating our brand’s cereal from our leading competitor’s.”
* “Service providers are all keen to differentiate themselves from their competitors.”
2. to make someone or something different [T]
* “[differentiate something from something] The slate roof differentiates this house from others in the area.”
* “We look for features that differentiate the products.”
3. (of cells or tissue) to develop specialized structures or functions [I biology specialized]
* “The cell divides and differentiates to form new, specialized tissue.”
* “[differentiate into] Embryonic stem cells are able to differentiate into any cell type.”
* “[differentiate to] Such cell lines can be induced to differentiate to cells that produce insulin.”
envy
uk |ˈen.vi| us |ˈen.vi|
verb
1. to wish that you had something that another person has
* “I envy her ability to talk to people she’s never met before.”
* ”[+ two objects] I don’t envy you the job of cooking for all those people.”
envy
uk |ˈen.vi| us |ˈen.vi|
noun
1. the feeling that you wish you had something that someone else has
* “I watched with envy as she set off for the airport.”
fancy
uk |ˈfæn.si| us |ˈfæn.si|
verb
1. to want to have or do something [T UK]
* “Do you fancy a drink this evening?”
* ”[+ -ing verb] I didn’t fancy swimming in that water.”
2. to be sexually attracted to someone [T UK informal]
* “He could tell she fancied him.”
fancy
uk |ˈfæn.si| us |ˈfæn.si|
adjective
1. decorative or complicated
* “I wanted a simple black dress, nothing fancy.”
* “The decorations were a little too fancy for my tastes.”
* “fancy cakes”
2. expensive [informal]
* “We stayed in a fancy hotel near the Champs-Élysées.”
* “a fancy restaurant”
fascination
uk |ˌfæs.ənˈeɪ.ʃən| us |ˌfæs.ənˈeɪ.ʃən|
noun
1. the fact of finding someone or something fascinating
* “[fascination with] Miller’s fascination with medieval art dates from her childhood.”
* “[hold a fascination for] Mass murders hold a gruesome fascination for the public.”
favour
uk |ˈfeɪ.vər| us |ˈfeɪ.vɚ|
noun
1. the support or approval of something or someone [U]
* “These plans are unlikely to find favour unless the cost is reduced.”
* “[in favour of] The Council voted in favour of a £200 million housing development.”
* “[out of favour with] She is out of favour (= unpopular) with her colleagues.”
* “[in favour with] Her economic theories are in favour (= popular) with the current government.”
* “[win someone’s favour] He sent her presents in an attempt to win her favour.”
favour
uk |ˈfeɪ.vər| us |ˈfeɪ.vɚ|
verb
1. to support or prefer one particular possibility
* “These are the running shoes favoured by marathon runners.”
* “[favour something over something] In the survey, a majority of people favoured higher taxes and better public services over (= rather than) tax cuts.”
* ”[+ -ing verb] I generally favour travelling by night, when the roads are quiet.”
2. to give an advantage to someone or something, in an unfair way
* “A strong wind will favour the bigger boats.”
* “She always felt that her parents favoured her brother.”
3. to protect or avoid using one leg, hand, arm, etc. because it is painful, injured, etc.
* “He limped slightly, favouring his left leg.”
* “She was leaning against the table to favour her sprained ankle.”
4. to look similar to a parent or other relation, or to look more similar to the family of one of your parents than to the family of the other [US/old-fashioned UK]
* “I had not inherited my father’s good looks, but favoured my mother’s side of the family.”
greedy
uk |ˈɡriː.di| us |ˈɡriː.di|
adjective
1. wanting a lot more food, money, etc. than you need [disapproving]
* “greedy, selfish people”
* “[greedy for] He’s greedy for power/success.”
impulse
uk |ˈɪm.pʌls| us |ˈɪm.pʌls|
noun
1. a sudden strong wish to do something [C + to infinitive]
* “[impulse to] I had this sudden impulse to shout out “Nonsense!” in the middle of her speech.”
inclined
uk |ɪnˈklaɪnd| us |ɪnˈklaɪnd|
adjective
1. likely or wanting to do something
* “[inclined to] Tom is inclined to be lazy.”
* “No one seemed inclined to help.”
liking
uk |ˈlaɪ.kɪŋ| us |ˈlaɪ.kɪŋ|
noun
1. a feeling that you like someone or something; the fact of liking someone or something
* “She has a liking for fine wines.”
* “I’m developing quite a liking for jazz.”
* “The dessert was too sweet for my liking (= I like it less sweet).”
* “[formal] Is the room to your liking, Sir (= are you satisfied with it)?”
mediocre
uk |ˌmiː.diˈəʊ.kər| us |ˌmiː.diˈoʊ.kɚ|
adjective
1. not very good
* “The film’s plot is predictable and the acting is mediocre.”
* “Parents don’t want their children going to mediocre schools.”
motive
uk |ˈməʊ.tɪv| us |ˈmoʊ.t̬ɪv|
noun
1. a reason for doing something
* “Why would she have killed him? She has no motive.”
* “Does he have a motive for lying about where he was?”
* “What is the motive behind (= the reason for) the bombing?”
* “I think you should examine/question their motives in offering to lend you the money.”
* “She denies that she has an ulterior (= secret) motive for making the donation.”
motive
uk |ˈməʊ.tɪv| us |ˈmoʊ.t̬ɪv|
adjective
1. (of power or force) causing movement or action
mundane
uk |mʌnˈdeɪn| us |mʌnˈdeɪn|
adjective
1. very ordinary and therefore not interesting
* “Mundane matters such as paying bills and shopping for food do not interest her.”
obsessed
uk |əbˈsest| us |əbˈsest|
adjective
1. unable to stop thinking about something; too interested in or worried about something
* “Why are people so obsessed with money?”
* “As a society we’re obsessed by sex.”
optional
uk |ˈɒp.ʃən.əl| us |ˈɑːp.ʃən.əl|
adjective
1. If something is optional, you can choose if you want to do it, pay it, buy it, etc.
* “English is compulsory for all students, but art and music are optional.”
passion
uk |ˈpæʃ.ən| us |ˈpæʃ.ən|
noun
1. a very powerful feeling, for example of sexual attraction, love, hate, anger, or other emotion
* “Football arouses a good deal of passion among its fans.”
* “At school, his early interest in music developed into an abiding passion.”
* “Politics and philosophy were his lifelong passions.”
the Passion
uk |ˈpæʃ.ən| us |ˈpæʃ.ən|
noun
1. in Christianity, the suffering and death of Jesus Christ
praise
uk |preɪz| us |preɪz|
verb
1. to express admiration or approval of the achievements or characteristics of a person or thing
* “He should be praised for his honesty.”
* “My parents always praised me when I did well at school.”
* “He was highly praised for his research on heart disease.”
2. to honour, worship, and express admiration for a god
* “They sang hymns praising God.”
praise
uk |preɪz| us |preɪz|
noun
1. things that you say that express your admiration and approval of someone or something
* “They deserve praise for all their hard work.”
* “His economic policies have won widespread praise for reducing government debt.”
* “Praise from Adrian is (high) praise indeed. (= praise from him is particularly special because he rarely praises anyone.)”
2. an expression of respect and worship to a god [formal]
* “As we give praise to God, let us remember those who are less fortunate than ourselves.”
resolve
uk |rɪˈzɒlv| us |rɪˈzɑːlv|
verb
1. to solve or end a problem or difficulty [T]
* “[resolve the problem] Have you resolved the problem of transport yet?”
* “The couple resolved their differences and made an effort to get along.”
2. to make a decision formally or with determination [I formal]
* ”[+ that] She resolved that she would never speak to him again.”
* ”[+ adv/prep] After hours of argument, they resolved against taking legal action.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] The company resolved to take no further action against the thieves.”
3. If a note or a chord (= group of notes played at the same time) resolves or is resolved, it moves from dissonance (= a strange or unpleasant combination of sounds) to harmony (= a pleasant combination of sounds). [I/T music specialized]
* “The pianissimo piano chords gradually resolve.”
* “The third of the final chord is then resolved into the fifth.”
resolve
uk |rɪˈzɒlv| us |rɪˈzɑːlv|
noun
1. strong determination
* “[weaken/strengthen/test someone’s resolve] I faced many challenges that week which all served to weaken/strengthen/test my resolve.”
sacrifice
uk |ˈsæk.rɪ.faɪs| us |ˈsæk.rə.faɪs|
verb
1. to give up something that is valuable to you in order to help another person [T]
* “[sacrifice something for something] Many women sacrifice interesting careers for their families.”
2. in baseball, to use your turn to bat (= try to hit the ball) to intentionally hit the ball in a way that will end your turn, in order to allow another player to run to the next base or score a run (= point) [T]
* “He sacrificed the runner to third base.”
3. to kill an animal or a person and offer them to a god or gods [I/T]
sacrifice
uk |ˈsæk.rɪ.faɪs| us |ˈsæk.rə.faɪs|
noun
1. the act of giving up something that is valuable to you in order to help someone else
* “[make a sacrifice] We had to make sacrifices in order to pay for our children’s education.”
* “[at great sacrifice] They cared for their disabled son for 27 years, at great personal sacrifice.”
2. in baseball, an occasion when a player uses their turn to bat (= try to hit the ball) to intentionally hit the ball in a way that will end their turn, in order to allow another player to run to the next base or score a run (= point)
* “A sacrifice sent the runner to third base.”
strive
uk |straɪv| us |straɪv|
verb
1. to try very hard to do something or to make something happen, especially for a long time or against difficulties
* ”[+ to infinitive] Mr Roe has kindled expectations that he must now strive to live up to.”
* “In her writing she strove for a balance between innovation and familiar prose forms.”
taste
uk |teɪst| us |teɪst|
noun
1. the flavour of something, or the ability of a person or animal to recognize different flavours [C/U]
* “[taste of] I love the taste of garlic.”
* “[acquired taste] Olives are usually an acquired taste (= you only like them after you have become familiar with their taste).”
* “[sense of taste] When you have a cold you often lose your sense of taste.”
taste
uk |teɪst| us |teɪst|
verb
1. to put food or drink in your mouth to find out what flavour it has
* “Taste this sauce and tell me if it needs seasoning.”
* “What is this? I’ve never tasted anything like it.”
tempting
uk |ˈtemp.tɪŋ| us |ˈtemp.tɪŋ|
adjective
1. If something is tempting, you want to do or have it
* “a tempting offer”
* “That pie looks very tempting.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] It’s tempting to blame video games for violent behaviour in young men.”
urge
uk |ɜːdʒ| us |ɝːdʒ|
noun
1. a strong wish, especially one that is difficult or impossible to control
* “The two of them seem unable to control their sexual urges.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] The urge to steal is very strong in some of these young men.”
urge
uk |ɜːdʒ| us |ɝːdʒ|
verb
1. to strongly advise or try to persuade someone to do a particular thing
* ”[+ to infinitive] Lawyers will urge the parents to take further legal action.”
* ”[+ that] Investigators urged that safety procedures at the site should be improved.”
* “Police urged continued vigilance in the fight against crime.”
* “The dogs are urged into fighting more fiercely by loud shouts from the crowd.”
* “We will continue to urge for leniency to be shown to these prisoners.”
welcome
uk |ˈwel.kəm| us |ˈwel.kəm|
verb
1. to be pleased about and encourage or support something
* “The new appointment has been widely welcomed.”
2. to meet and speak to someone in a friendly way when they arrive
* “[be warmly welcomed] The visitors were warmly welcomed by the head of the department.”
* “Browning stood at the door, welcoming newcomers with a large smile and a pat on the arm.”
* “Please welcome (= please clap for) our guest of honour, George Taylor.”
welcome
uk |ˈwel.kəm| us |ˈwel.kəm|
adjective
1. If someone is welcome, you are pleased when they visit you
* “Come and see us whenever you’re in town - you’re always welcome/you’ll always be welcome.”
* “[welcome guest] Their tradition is that the traveller is a welcome guest.”
welcome
uk |ˈwel.kəm| us |ˈwel.kəm|
noun
1. the way in which someone is met and spoken to when they arrive in a place [C/U]
* “[be given a warm welcome] They were given a warm (= very friendly) welcome.”
* “[hero’s/heroine’s welcome] The leader of the political protests returned to a hero’s/heroine’s welcome after seven years in exile.”
* “[speech of welcome/welcome speech] She referred to his previous visit in her speech of welcome/welcome speech.”
worthwhile
uk |ˌwɜːθˈwaɪl| us |ˌwɝːθˈwaɪl|
adjective
1. useful, important, or good enough to be a suitable reward for the money or time spent or the effort made
* “She considers teaching a worthwhile career.”
* “The time and expense involved in keeping up to date with all the changes has been worthwhile.”
* “If you need him on this project, you’ve got to make it financially worthwhile for him (= you will have to pay him a suitable amount of money for the amount of work involved).”
yearn
uk |jɜːn| us |jɝːn|
verb
1. to wish very strongly, especially for something that you cannot have or something that is very difficult to have
* “Despite his great commercial success he still yearns for critical approval.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] Sometimes I just yearn to be alone.”
absorbing
uk |əbˈzɔː.bɪŋ| us |əbˈzɔːr.bɪŋ|
adjective
1. Something that is absorbing is very interesting and keeps your attention
* “I read her last novel and found it very absorbing.”
casual
uk |ˈkæʒ.ju.əl| us |ˈkæʒ.uː.əl|
adjective
1. Casual clothes are not formal or not suitable for special occasions
* “He was dressed in casual clothes - sneakers, blue jeans, and a t-shirt.”
2. not taking or not seeming to take much interest
* “The psychologist’s attitude seemed far too casual, even brutal.”
* “Security around the conference hotel seemed almost casual.”
* “Although close to tears, she tried to make her voice sound casual.”
3. not regular or fixed [before noun]
* “They were having casual sex, but it never became a serious relationship.”
* “casual labour/labourers/workers”
4. not serious, considered, or planned [before noun]
* “To a casual observer, everything might appear normal.”
* “It was just a casual comment - I didn’t mean it to be taken so seriously.”
exhilarating
uk |ɪɡˈzɪl.ə.reɪ.tɪŋ| us |ɪɡˈzɪl.ə.reɪ.t̬ɪŋ|
adjective
1. making you feel very excited and happy
* “an exhilarating walk in the mountains”
fatigue
uk |fəˈtiːɡ| us |fəˈtiːɡ|
noun
1. extreme tiredness [U formal]
* “[suffer from fatigue] She was suffering from fatigue.”
2. weakness in something, such as a metal part or structure, often caused by repeated bending [U engineering specialized]
* “[metal fatigue] The crash was caused by metal fatigue in one of the propeller blades.”
fatigue
uk |fəˈtiːɡ| us |fəˈtiːɡ|
verb
1. to make someone extremely tired
* “The journey had fatigued him.”
indulge
uk |ɪnˈdʌldʒ| us |ɪnˈdʌldʒ|
verb
1. to allow yourself or another person to have something enjoyable, especially more than is good for you [I/T]
* “The soccer fans indulged their patriotism, waving flags and singing songs.”
* “I love champagne but I don’t often indulge myself.”
* “[indulge in] We took a deliberate decision to indulge in a little nostalgia.”
2. to give someone anything they want and not to mind if they behave badly [T]
* “My aunt indulges the children dreadfully.”
lifestyle
uk |ˈlaɪf.staɪl| us |ˈlaɪf.staɪl|
noun
1. someone’s way of living; the things that a person or particular group of people usually do
* “He doesn’t have a very healthy lifestyle.”
* “She needs a pretty high income to support her lifestyle.”
* “an alternative lifestyle”
leave
uk |liːv| us |liːv|
verb
1. to go away from someone or something, for a short time or permanently [I/T]
* “I’ll be leaving at five o’clock tomorrow.”
* “He left the house by the back door.”
* “She left the group of people she was with and came over to speak to us.”
* “The bus leaves in five minutes.”
2. to not take something or someone with you when you go, either intentionally or by accident [T]
* “Hey, you’ve left your keys on the table.”
* “Can I leave a message for Sue?”
* “Why don’t you leave the kids with me on Friday?”
3. If something leaves something else, a part or effect of it stays after it has gone or been used
* “His shoes left muddy marks on the floor.”
* ”[+ two objects] If I give you €50 that won’t leave me enough cash to pay the bill.”
* ”[+ obj + adj] Far from improving things, the new law has left many people worse off (= they are now in a worse situation) than before.”
4. If you leave something in a particular condition, you do not touch it, move it, or act to change it in any way, so that it stays in the same condition [T]
* “Leave that chair where it is.”
* “He left most of his dinner (= did not eat much of it).”
* ”[+ obj + adj] The family were left (= became and continued to be) homeless.”
* “I’ll have to go back - I think I’ve left the iron on.”
* “You can leave the window open.”
* “Leave your sister alone (= stop annoying her).”
5. If you leave something or someone doing something, he, she, or it is still doing it when you go away [T + obj + -ing verb]
* “I left the children watching television.”
* “He left the engine running.”
6. to not eat or use all of something [T]
* “They’d eaten all the cake, but they’d left some sandwiches.”
* “Make sure you leave enough hot water for the rest of us.”
leave
uk |liːv| us |liːv|
noun
1. time allowed away from work for a holiday or illness [U]
* “How much annual/paid leave do you get?”
* “She’s (gone) on leave (= holiday).”
* “I’ve asked if I can take a week’s unpaid leave.”
outing
uk |ˈaʊ.tɪŋ| us |ˈaʊ.t̬ɪŋ|
noun
1. a short journey made by a group of people, usually for pleasure or education [C]
* “Every year the professor takes her students on an outing to the archives of the Library of Congress.”
* “[UK] Rosie’s going on a class/school outing to the Wildlife Park.”
2. an occasion when it is made public that a famous person is gay when he or she wanted to keep this information private [C/U]
* “There have been several outings of well-known movie stars recently.”
pastime
uk |ˈpɑːs.taɪm| us |ˈpæs.taɪm|
noun
1. an activity that is done for enjoyment
* “Do-it-yourself is the nation’s most popular pastime.”
* “[figurative] Suing people, especially doctors, is becoming a national pastime (= common activity) in America.”
pursue
uk |pəˈsjuː| us |pɚˈsuː|
verb
1. to follow someone or something, usually to try to catch him, her, or it
* “The car was pursued by helicopters.”
* “The hunters spent hours pursuing their prey.”
* “He was killed by the driver of a stolen car who was being hotly pursued by the police.”
2. to try very hard to persuade someone to accept a job
* “The company has been pursuing Holton for some time, but so far he has rejected all their offers.”
3. to try to discover information about a subject
* “We will not be pursuing this matter any further.”
* “The police are currently pursuing several lines of inquiry into the case.”
* “I don’t think this idea is worth pursuing any further.”
* “The press has pursued this story relentlessly.”
4. to try very hard to persuade someone to have a relationship with you
* “He’s been pursuing her for months and yet she’s so clearly not interested.”
5. If you pursue a plan, activity, or situation, you try to do it or achieve it, usually over a long period of time
* “He decided to pursue a career in television.”
* “We need to decide soon what marketing strategy we should pursue for these new products.”
* “Michael Evans is leaving the company to pursue his own business interests.”
* “She is ruthless in pursuing her goals.”
recreation
uk |ˌrek.riˈeɪ.ʃən| us |ˌrek.riˈeɪ.ʃən|
noun
1. (a way of) enjoying yourself when you are not working
* “His favourite recreations are golf and playing Scrabble.”
* “Emma’s only form of recreation seems to be shopping.”
recreation
uk |ˌriː.kriˈeɪ.ʃən| us |ˌriː.kriˈeɪ.ʃən|
noun
1. the act of making something exist or happen again [C/U]
* “a recreation of one of the most famous events in history”
* “The evening will be devoted to stand-up comedy, not the re-creation of classic skits.”
2. something that has been made or done to be the same as something that happened or existed in the past [C]
* “From this opening tune, it was clear that hers would not be a historically obsessed re-creation.”
* “The rest of the collection is arranged in a horseshoe around a re-creation of a drive-in movie theatre.”
respite
uk |ˈres.paɪt| us |ˈres.pət|
noun
1. a pause or rest from something difficult or unpleasant [U]
* “We worked for hours without respite.”
2. a useful delay before something unpleasant happens [S]
* “Their teacher was away, so they had a day’s respite before their essays were due.”
sedentary
uk |ˈsed.ən.tər.i| us |ˈsed.ən.ter.i|
adjective
1. involving little exercise or physical activity
* “a sedentary job/occupation”
* “My doctor says I should start playing sport because my lifestyle is too sedentary.”
2. used to refer to organisms that do not ever or often move from one position or place [biology specialized]
* “This is quite a sedentary species and this is the longest journey for a female we know of.”
* “Beneath the kelp there are sedentary organisms such as molluscs of many types.”
socialize
uk |ˈsəʊ.ʃəl.aɪz| us |ˈsoʊ.ʃə.laɪz|
verb
1. to spend time when you are not working with friends or with other people in order to enjoy yourself [I]
* “I tend not to socialize with my colleagues.”
* “I hope Adam’s actually doing some work at college - he seems to spend all his time socializing!”
2. to train people or animals to behave in a way that others in the group think is suitable [T]
* “Here at the school we make every effort to socialize these young offenders.”
solitude
uk |ˈsɒl.ɪ.tʃuːd| us |ˈsɑː.lə.tuːd|
noun
1. the situation of being alone without other people
* “a life of solitude”
* “After months of solitude at sea it felt strange to be in company.”
* “It provides one with a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude.”
tedious
uk |ˈtiː.di.əs| us |ˈtiː.di.əs|
adjective
1. boring
* “a tedious job”
* “The problem is I find most forms of exercise so tedious.”
trivial
uk |ˈtrɪv.i.əl| us |ˈtrɪv.i.əl|
adjective
1. having little value or importance
* “I don’t know why he gets so upset about something so trivial.”
* “Sexual harassment in the workplace is not a trivial matter.”
2. A trivial problem is easy to solve
* “Getting computers to understand human language is not a trivial problem.”
unwind
uk |ʌnˈwaɪnd| us |ʌnˈwaɪnd|
verb
1. If you unwind something that is wrapped around an object, you unfasten it, and if it unwinds, it becomes unfastened [I/T]
* “In a nearby medical tent, a US Army doctor gently unwinds Metruk’s bandage.”
2. to relax and allow your mind to be free from worry after a period of work or some other activity that has made you worried [I (also wind down)]
* “A glass of wine in the evening helps me to unwind after work.”
venue
uk |ˈven.juː| us |ˈven.juː|
noun
1. the place where a public event or meeting happens
* “The hotel is an ideal venue for conferences and business meetings.”
* “The stadium has been specifically designed as a venue for World Cup matches.”
2. the city or county in which a trial happens [law US specialized]
