Vacab P6 (1-13) Flashcards
stimulate
to make something develop or become more active; to encourage something
exuberant
full of energy, excitement and happiness. an exuberant personality/imagination
charismatic
having charisma; having a natural charm attractive to others
individualistic
doing things in your own way;
believing that individual people in society should have the right to make their own decisions
assertive
confidently expressing opinions or desires strongly. can be positive or negative.
guileless
behaving in a very honest way
guile [noun]: clever but dishonest behaviour in order to trick people
witty
[adj] clever and humorous
wily (wilier, wiliest)
/ˈwaɪli/
clever at getting what you want, and willing to trick people
SYNONYM cunning
unassuming
not proud. not wanting to draw attention to yourself or to your abilities or status
SYNONYM modest
competent
capable to do something well. “She is highly competent at her job.”
unbecoming
not suiting a particular person
SYNONYM unflattering
not appropriate or acceptable
SYNONYM inappropriate
uninhibited
behaving or expressing yourself freely without worrying about what other people think
SYNONYM unrestrained
OPPOSITE inhibited: unable to relax or express your feelings
lenient
not as strict as expected when punishing somebody or when making sure that rules are obeyed
frugal
using only as much money or food as is necessary
OPPOSITE extravagant: spending a lot more money than you can afford
charitable
helping people who are poor or in need
amicable
friendly, not argumentative. done or achieved in a polite or friendly way
sociable
friendly and outgoing. enjoying spending time with other people.
dedicated
devoted and committed. working hard & focused at something
aspect
a particular part or feature of a situation, an idea, a problem
undertaking
a task or project, especially one that is important and/or difficult
SYNONYM venture; endeavour
gruesome
very unpleasant to the sense of horror, “gruesome pictures of dead bodies”
grotesque
strange in a way that is unpleasant or offensive. “a grotesque distortion of the truth”
extremely ugly in a strange way that is often frightening or funny. “dancers wearing grotesque masks”
malicious
showing a desire to harm or hurt, caused by a feeling of hate. “malicious gossip/lies/rumours”
SYNONYM malevolent, spiteful
filled with malice (a desire to harm somebody)
oppressive
treating people in a cruel and unfair way with no proper freedom, rights
“oppressive laws”, “an oppressive regime”
eccentric
strange or unusual. “eccentric behaviour/clothes”
inferior
not good or not as good as somebody/something else
“of inferior quality” “inferior goods” “to make somebody feel inferior”
morbid
having a strong interest in disease or death.
“He had a morbid fascination with blood.” “My mind was filled with morbid thoughts of death.”
indiscreet
not careful about what you say or do, revealing something secret
“It was indiscreet of him to disclose that information.”
OPPOSITE discreet
unruly
difficult to control or manage, “He struggled hard to control his unruly emotions.”
SYNONYM disorderly
ethical
morally correct or acceptable
OPPOSITE unethical
unscrupulous
without moral principles; not honest or fair
SYNONYM unprincipled
OPPOSITE scrupulous (careful about paying attention to every detail) SYNONYM meticulous
conceited
being too proud of yourself and what you do, arrogant.
“It’s very conceited of you to assume that your work is always the best.”
aloof
not friendly or interested in other people
SYNONYM distant, remote
pompous
showing that you think you are more important than other people
pretentious
trying to appear important, intelligent, etc. trying to be something that you are not
OPPOSITE unpretentious
devious
behaving in a dishonest or indirect way, or tricking people. “He got rich by devious means.”
SYNONYM deceitful, underhand
superstitious
having the belief that particular events happen in a way that cannot be explained by reason or science.
“According to superstition, breaking a mirror brings bad luck.”
obliging
very willing to help
SYNONYM accommodating, helpful
[noun] obligation SYNONYM commitment
petty
(disapproving) small and unimportant
(disapproving) caring too much about small and unimportant matters
quirky
(of personality or behaviour) a little strange, eccentric
callous
not caring about other people’s feelings, pain or problems. “a callous disregard or comment” “a callous indifference to suffering”
SYNONYM cruel, unfeeling, heartless
rowdy
a person who is noisy and disorderly, and likely to cause trouble
goad
to keep annoying somebody/something until they react. “He finally goaded her into answering his question.”
SYNONYM incite or rouse
concur
to agree. “Historians have concurred with each other in this view.”
acquiesce
to accept something without arguing, even if you do not really agree with it
“She explained her plan and reluctantly he acquiesced.”
reticent
inclined to be silent or uncommunicative
SYNONYM reserved
unwilling to tell people about things
condone
to accept behaviour that is morally wrong or to treat it as if it were not serious
“the government is accused of condoning racism”
“we do not condone acts of violence”
coincide
(of two or more events) to take place at the same time.
If two people’s views coincide, it means they agree.
vein
a particular style or manner. “in the similar or same vein”
inapplicable
that cannot be used, or that does not apply
OPPOSITE applicable
unreserved
having no reservation or doubt about something, being frank and open.
“We had the unreserved support from our principal about our green project”
not limited or partial, but complete.
“He offered us his unreserved apologies.”
unending
seeming to last forever
“Hours went by and the desert in front of us was unending.”
facet
a particular part or aspect of something
“The report examines every facet of the prison system.”
incensed
very angry
“Workers were incensed by the decision to lengthen working hours.”
dignified
calm confident and serious, deserving respect. "Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence." OPPOSITE undignified (causing you to look silly and to lose the respect of other people)
apathetic
indifferent, showing no interest or enthusiasm
“We need to reach those children who are apathetic about school.”
pathetic
making you feel sad. “a pathetic and lonely old man”
SYNONYM pitiful
objectionable
unpleasant or offensive
zealous
showing great energy and enthusiasm for something
/ˈzeləs/
[noun] zeal /ziːl/ (great energy or enthusiasm)
strident
having a loud, rough and unpleasant sound
euphoric
extremely happy or excited. “My euphoric mood could not last.”
incoherent
unable to express yourself clearly, often because of emotion. "She broke off, incoherent with anger." OPPOSITE coherent (logical and well organized; easy to understand and clear)
bereaved
suffering the death of a family member or relative or close friend. “bereaved families of the victims”
/bɪˈriːvd/
debilitate
to make somebody’s body or mind weaker. “The troops were severely debilitated by hunger and disease.”
to make a country, an organization, etc. weaker. “Prolonged Covid control debilitated the Chinese economy.”
/dɪˈbɪlɪteɪt/
despondent
sad, without much hope, depressed
SYNONYM dejected
/dɪˈspɒndənt/
contemptuous
feeling or showing that you have no respect for somebody/something. “She gave him a contemptuous look.”
SYNONYM scornful
/kənˈtemptʃuəs/
placid
not easily excited or annoyed. “The cattle are placid, so easy to work with.”
calm and peaceful, with very little movement. “the placid waters of the lake”
SYNONYM tranquil
/ˈplæsɪd/
livid
extremely angry
SYNONYM furious
preach
to give advice or opinion on issues, which may be religious or moral in nature. “He preached the virtues of capitalism to us.”
formidable
(things or people) impressive or powerful, and you feel fear and/or respect for them
/fərˈmɪdəbl/
dilapidated
(of furniture and buildings) old and in very bad condition
SYNONYM ramshackle. “a ramshackle house”
far-fetched
very difficult to believe, improbable. “The whole story sounds very far-fetched.”
retain
keep, to continue to have something
embarkation
the act of getting onboard a ship or plane
prospect
the possibility that something will happen. “They faced the prospect of defeat in the elections.”
the elements
[plural] the weather, especially bad weather
Are we going to brave the elements and go for a walk?
counsel
advice, especially given by older people or experts; a piece of advice. “Listen to the counsel of your elders.”
balm
something that makes you feel calm or relaxed. “The gentle music was a balm to his spirit.”
lull
a quiet period between times of activity. a lull in something:
“a lull in the conversation/fighting”
communal
shared by, or for the use of, a number of people, especially people who live together. “As a student he tried communal living for a few years.”
SYNONYM shared
commune with
to communicate intimately
“commune with nature”, “he stands communing with his soul on a bridge”, “But in college there is no time to commune with one’s thoughts”
rash
reckless, acting or done without careful consideration of the possible consequences; SYNONYM impetuous /ɪmˈpetʃuəs/, impulsive
novel
[adj] new, fresh and different
appalling
extremely bad, especially from a moral point of view. “It was one of the most appalling atrocities of the war.”
SYNONYM shocking
well-trodden
(of a road or path) much used, people have trodden on it alot
amputate
to cut off somebody’s arm, leg, finger or toe in a medical operation
detain
to keep somebody in an official place and prevent them from leaving
buck up
telling someone to try harder. to become encouraged
SYNONYM cheer up
prognosis
an opinion, based on medical experience, of the likely development of a disease or an illness
vital
necessary or essential
rake in
to earn a lot of money, especially when it is done easily. “The movie raked in more than $300 million.”
spout
[verb] to speak a lot about something. “What are you spouting on about now”
[noun] the spout of a teapot, or a water fountain
drill
[verb] to teach somebody to do something by making them repeat it a lot of times
“The children were drilled to leave the classroom quickly when the fire bell rang.”
authentic
real and original, not a copy
OPPOSITE inauthentic
counterfeit
fake or forged, not genuine
mortgage
housing loan or home loan.
/ˈmɔːrɡɪdʒ/
fraud
the crime of cheating somebody in order to get money or goods illegally
“She was charged with credit card fraud.”
bribery
[noun] the giving or taking of bribes.
Bribing someone or a bribe, is a sum of money that you give to somebody to persuade him to help you, by doing something dishonest
feign
[verb] to pretend. “He survived the massacre by feigning death.”
massacre /ˈmæsəkər/: the killing of a large number of people
nought
/nɔːt/ zero or nothing = naught [America]
tycoon
a highly successful business man who is very rich and powerful
/taɪˈkuːn/
docent
/ˈdəʊsnt/ a person whose job is to show tourists around a museum
a teacher at some universities who is not a regular member of the department
usher
a person who shows people where to sit in a theater, public hall/event
tally
be the same with something or match up with something
“Her report of what happened tallied exactly with the story of another witness.”
“The two accounts tally precisely/closely/fairly well.”
legacy
money or property that is given to you by somebody when they die
SYNONYM inheritance
a situation existing now because of events, actions, that took place in the past
“Future generations will be left with a legacy of pollution and destruction.”
curate
/kjʊˈreɪt/ choose/organize things for a display, usually at exhibitions or museums
to collect, select and present information or items such as pictures, video, music, etc. for people to use or enjoy
unfounded
not based on reason or fact
“Speculation about a divorce proved totally unfounded.”
unrivalled
/ʌnˈraɪvld/ better or greater than any others. no rival or competitor
unprecedented
that has never happened, been done or been known before
“The situation is unprecedented in modern times.”
deprive of
to prevent somebody from having or doing something, especially something important
“They were imprisoned and deprived of their basic rights.”
“Why should you deprive yourself of such simple pleasures?”
acquainted
familiar with something, maybe you’ve read, seen or experienced it
“The students are already acquainted with the work of Shakespeare.”
“Employees should be fully acquainted with emergency procedures.”
acquaintance: a person that you know but who is not a close friend
“I bumped into an old acquaintance on the train.”
aisle
a passage between rows of seats
“an aisle seat (= in a plane or train)”
get round to
to find the time to do something
“I meant to do the ironing but I didn’t get round to it.”
“I hope to get round to bringing you out to the zoo next week.”
saddled
burdened with something hard to bear.
“I’ve been saddled with organizing the conference.”
“The company was saddled with debts of £12 million.”
ousted
removed from a job or position of power, by another competing party.
“The rebels finally managed to oust the government from power.”
“She is a strong supporter of the recently ousted president.”
ardent
very enthusiastic and showing strong feelings about something/somebody
SYNONYM passionate
“an ardent supporter of PAP”
radical
extreme, very different from the usual or traditional
“the need for radical changes in education”
“a truly radical concept”
fanatical = fanatic [adj]
/fəˈnætɪkl/ (disapproving) having extreme or dangerous opinions
“a fanatical cult”
[noun] fanatic: SYNONYM extremist
spine-tingling
very exciting and frightening at the same time
dogged
dogged [adj] /ˈdɔːɡɪd/ not giving up easily. SYNONYM tenacious
dog [verb] to cause you trouble for a long time.
be dogged /dɔːɡd/ by something: be troubled by something
“He had been dogged by ill health all his life.” “Her career was dogged by misfortune.”
buff
informal word for “fan’” or “enthusiast”. e.g. “a movie buff”
newspaper column
article written by the same reporter. such reporters are called columnists.
obituary
*** /əʊˈbɪtʃueri/ (plural obituaries)
announcement of a person’s death in a newspaper
tabloid
[noun] usually plural: small newspapers not focusing on serious news
[adj] “a tabloid newspaper”, “the tabloid press”, “tabloid journalists”
“The story made the front page in all the tabloids.”
“You shouldn’t believe everything you read in the tabloids.”
rave
rave about: to talk or write about something in a very enthusiastic way
“The critics raved about his performance in ‘Hamlet’.”
rave at: shout loudly in an emotional way
“My parents both raved at me.”
lukewarm /ˌluːkˈwɔːrm/
slightly warm, not hot not cold. SYNONYM tepid /ˈtepɪd/
“Heat the milk until it is just lukewarm.”
not interested or enthusiastic. “She was lukewarm about the plan.”
byline
a line at the start of an article stating the reporter's name Ref dateline (time, place)
exposé /ˌekspəʊˈzeɪ/
an article revealing shocking details about a person or situation
“a damning exposé of police corruption”
descend on
suddenly appearing in large numbers , as if in an attack
“Hundreds of football fans descended on the city.”
candid
saying what you think openly and honestly; not hiding your thoughts
“The ex-minister gave a candid interview about his reasons for resigning.”
cordial /ˈkɔːdiəl/ /ˈkɔːrdʒəl/
pleasant and friendly. “The talks took place in a cordial atmosphere.”
[noun] liqueur or sweet fruity drink
intriguing
making your wonder about it, very interesting as being unusual or no obvious answer
“These discoveries raise intriguing questions.”
“He found her intriguing.”
savoury
tasting of salt; not sweet. “What’s in the pastry? Is it sweet or savoury?”
having a pleasant taste or smell. “a savoury smell from the kitchen”
unsavoury
unpleasant or offensive; not considered morally acceptable
“Her friends are all pretty unsavoury characters.”
lacking taste or savour: Insipid, tasteless
stale
(food) no longer fresh and therefore unpleasant to eat. “this bread’s going stale.”
(air) no longer fresh; smelling unpleasant. “The atmosphere was stale with cigarette smoke.”
bland
with little colour, excitement or interest. “bland background music”
SYN insipid; unsavoury; tasteless
tasteless. “a rather bland diet of soup, fish and bread”
mushy
soft and wet.
(disapproving) too emotional in a way that is embarrassing
SYNONYM sentimental
“mushy romantic novels”
notorious
famous and well known for being bad
“a location made notorious by battles between local gangs”
culinary
connected with cooking or food
“culinary skills”
grating
unpleasant or annoying to listen to
“The sound of his grating voice complaining all day was driving me crazy.”
acrid
having a strong, bitter smell or taste that is unpleasant
SYNONYM pungent
“acrid smoke from burning rubber.” “acrid remark”
tart
bitter, sharp and sour. “a tart apple”
marked by a biting, acrimonious, or cutting quality
“a tart rejoinder (sharp witty reply”
succulent /ˈsʌkjələnt/
containing a lot of juice and tasting good
SYNONYM juicy
saccharine /ˈsækərɪn/
ingratiatingly or affectedly agreeable or friendly
Excessive sweet and sentimental
too emotional in a way that seems exaggerated. “a saccharine smile”
SYNONYM sentimental
of or containing sugar. “saccharine vegetables”
acclaim
[verb] to praise or welcome publicly. “the drawing was acclaimed as a masterpiece.”
[noun] praise and approval especially for an artistic achievement. “he won acclaim for taking the photograph of a dying soldier”
prestigious
well recognized and highly respected
“My parents wanted me to go to a more prestigious university.”
renowned
famous, well known also respected. “a renowned author”
accolade
a title, praise or an award. “a string of accolades”
statuette /ˌstætʃuˈet/
a small statue
“A china statuette of a shepherdess stood on the table.”
pomp, pompous
[noun] a show of magnificence; a ceremonial or festival display; a vain display
[adj] pompous: showing that you think you are more important than others
SYNONYM pretentious, arrogant
“He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities.”
rite, ritual
rite: a ceremony performed by a particular group of people, often for religious purposes
“funeral rites”
ritual: a religious service. “She objects to the ritual of organized religion.”
revel /ˈrevl/
[verb] to party, to have fun, to spend time enjoying yourself
“Revelling in her freedom, she took a hotel room and stayed for several days.”
stirring
[adj] moving and touching emotionally; exciting
SYNONYM inspirational
refine
to improve something by removing impure or negative things
“The process of refining oil produces several useful chemicals.”
downplay
to try to make something seem less important than it really is.
“The government is trying to downplay the violence.”
conservative
preferring traditional styles and values. “My father’s style of dress is always conservative.”
(of an estimate) lower than the real amount or number
“The gloomy forecasts are based on overly conservative projections of growth.”
unprecedented
never happened, been done or been known before
bleak
of little hope, depressing
“the future is rather bleak…” She lamented.
