Voca Flashcards
Recede
[ri-seed]
- to go or move away; retreat; go to or toward a more distant point; withdraw.
- to become more distant.
- (of a color, form, etc., on a flat surface) to move away or be perceived as moving away from an observer, especially as giving the illusion of space.
Weather
[weth-er]
to bear up against and come safely through (a storm, danger, trouble, etc.): to weather a severe illness.
Put up with
to endure; tolerate; bear: I couldn’t put up with the noise any longer.
Grave
[greyv]
- serious or solemn; sober: a grave person; grave thoughts.
- weighty, momentous, or important: grave responsibilities.
- threatening a seriously bad outcome or involving serious issues; critical: a grave situation; a grave illness.
Envisage
[en-viz-ij]
- to contemplate; visualize: He envisages an era of great scientific discoveries.
- to conceive of as a possibility in the future; foresee
Edifice
[ed-uh-fis]
- a building, especially one of large size or imposing appearance.
- any large, complex system or organization.
Censure
[sen-sher]
- strong or vehement expression of disapproval: The newspapers were unanimous in their censure of the tax proposal.
- an official reprimand, as by a legislative body of one of its members.
verb (used with object) - to criticize or reproach in a harsh or vehement manner: She is more to be pitied than censured.
verb (used without object) - to give censure, adverse criticism, disapproval, or blame.
Vehement
[vee-uh-muhnt]
- zealous; ardent; impassioned: a vehement defense; vehement enthusiasm.
- characterized by rancor or anger; violent: vehement hostility.
- strongly emotional; intense or passionate: vehement desire.
- marked by great energy or exertion; strenuous: vehement clapping.
Reprimand
[rep-ruh-mand]
noun
1. a severe reproof or rebuke, especially a formal one by a person in authority.
verb (used with object)
2. to reprove or rebuke severely, especially in a formal way.
Cynical
[sin-i-kuhl]
- distrusting or disparaging the motives of others; like or characteristic of a cynic.
- showing contempt for accepted standards of honesty or morality by one’s actions, especially by actions that exploit the scruples of others.
- bitterly or sneeringly distrustful, contemptuous, or pessimistic.
Disparage
[dih-spar-ij]
- to speak of or treat slightingly; depreciate; belittle: Do not disparage good manners.
- to bring reproach or discredit upon; lower the estimation of: Your behavior will disparage the whole family.
Scruple
[skroo-puhl]
- a moral or ethical consideration or standard that acts as a restraining force or inhibits certain actions.
- a very small portion or amount.
Sneer
[sneer]
verb (used without object)
1. to smile, laugh, or contort the face in a manner that shows scorn or contempt: They sneered at his pretensions.
2. to speak or write in a manner expressive of derision or scorn.
verb (used with object)
3. to utter or say in a sneering manner.
noun
4. a look or expression of derision, scorn, or contempt.
5. a derisive or scornful utterance, especially one more or less covert or insinuative.
6. an act of sneering.
Contemptuous
[kuhn-temp-choo-uhs]
adjective
showing or expressing contempt or disdain; scornful; disrespectful.
Impotent
[im-puh-tuhnt]
adjective
- not potent; lacking power or ability.
- utterly unable (to do something).
- without force or effectiveness.
- lacking bodily strength or physically helpless.
- (of a male) unable to attain or sustain a penile erection.
Debilitate
[dih-bil-i-teyt]
verb (used with object)
to make weak or feeble; enfeeble: The siege of pneumonia debilitated her completely.
Prognosis
[prog-noh-sis]
- Medicine/Medical . a forecasting of the probable course and outcome of a disease, especially of the chances of recovery.
- a forecast or prognostication.
Renege
[ri-nig]
verb (used without object)
- Cards. to play a card that is not of the suit led when one can follow suit; break a rule of play.
- to go back on one’s word: He has reneged on his promise.
Collateral
[kuh-lat-er-uhl]
noun
1. security pledged for the payment of a loan: He gave the bank some stocks and bonds as collateral for the money he borrowed.
adjective
2. accompanying; auxiliary: He received a scholarship and collateral aid.
3. additional; confirming: collateral evidence; collateral security.
4. secured by collateral: a collateral loan.
Auxiliary
[awg-zil-yuh-ree]
adjective
1. additional; supplementary; reserve: an auxiliary police force.
2. used as a substitute or reserve in case of need: The hospital has an auxiliary power system in case of a blackout.
noun
3. a person or thing that gives aid of any kind; helper.
Brook
[brook]
verb (used with object)
to bear; suffer; tolerate: I will brook no interference.
“not brook sth / brook no sth”
Whinge
[hwinj]
verb (used without object)
to complain; whine.
Maverick
[mav-rik]
noun
1. a lone dissenter, as an intellectual, an artist, or a politician, who takes an independent stand apart from his or her associates: a modern-dance maverick. Synonyms: nonconformist, individualist; free thinker; loner, lone wolf.
2. a person pursuing rebellious, even potentially disruptive, policies or ideas: You can’t muzzle a maverick. Synonyms: rebel, cowboy; loose cannon.
adjective
3. unorthodox, unconventional, nonconformist: a maverick fiscal conservative willing to raise taxes.
Streak
[streek]
noun
- a long, narrow mark, smear, band of color, or the like: streaks of mud.
- a portion or layer of something, distinguished by color or nature from the rest; a vein or stratum: streaks of fat in meat.
- a vein, strain, or admixture of anything: a streak of humor.
- Informal.
a. a spell or run: a streak of good luck.
b. an uninterrupted series: The team had a losing streak of ten games. - a flash leaving a visible line or aftereffect, as of lightning; bolt.