Vocabulary Flashcards
prune
to cut off branches from a tree, bush, or plant, especially so that it will grow better in the future:
She spent the afternoon pruning roses.
to reduce something by removing things that are not necessary:
Arco has reacted to the loss in revenue by pruning (back) its expansion plans.
I felt his essay needed a little pruning.
clamp down (on something)
to take strong action to stop or limit a harmful or unwanted activity:
The government is clamping down on teenage drinking.
deaden
to make something less painful or less strong:
Morphine is often used to deaden the pain of serious injuries.
Double glazing has helped to deaden the noise from the road.
upkeep
the cost or process of keeping something, such as a building, in good condition:
The upkeep of larger old properties is very expensive.
Council employees are responsible for the upkeep of the gardens.
outlay
an amount of money spent for a particular purpose, especially as a first investment in something:
For an initial outlay of $2,000 to buy the equipment, you can earn up to $500 a month if the product sells well.
Few are able to afford the cash outlay.
accompany
to go with someone or to be provided or exist at the same time as something:
accompanied by The course books are accompanied by four CDs.
Depression is almost always accompanied by insomnia.
The salmon was accompanied by (= served with) a fresh green salad.
climbdown
an occasion when you change your opinion or admit that you were wrong:
Saying she was wrong was a difficult climbdown for Sarah.
turn-off
something that you dislike or that you do not find interesting or sexually exciting:
This system may provide a powerful tool for adults who find computers a turn-off yet need to learn to use them.
Rudeness is, for me, the ultimate turn-off.
let-down
decepción
The bad news was a let-down.
write-off
(verb)
to damage a vehicle so badly that it cannot be repaired:
His car was completely written off in the accident.
(noun)
a vehicle that is too damaged to be worth repairing:
She wasn’t hurt, but the car’s a complete write-off.
giveaway
something that tells or shows something secret, often without intending to:
a dead giveaway He said he’d given up smoking, but the empty packs in the bin were a dead giveaway (= clearly showed the secret truth).
hold-up
a delay:
Come on, let’s go. What’s the hold-up?
turn out
If people turn out for an event, they go to be there or to watch:
Thousands of people turned out to welcome the team home.
to come, appear, or be present:
A lot of actors turned out for the audition.
make over
to improve something or someone by working on or changing various parts:
Ed Carey has been chosen to make over the losing football team.
The shop’s had a make over, and it’s now much more modern
set something back
to reduce something to a weaker or less advanced state:
This defeat has set back their chances of winning the competition.
paean
a song, film, or piece of writing that praises someone or something very enthusiastically:
The song is a paean to solitude and independence.
rallying cry
words that inspire coming together (grito de guerra)
The call to “defund the police” has become a rallying cry at protests across America this week
owing
still to be paid:
You have the option of paying off the whole amount owing, without it costing you a penny in interest.
There is $4,000 owing on my loan
dreary
boring and making you feel unhappy, dull:
a dreary little town
She had spent another dreary day in the office.
break-in
an occasion when a building is entered illegally by a criminal or criminals, usually by damaging a window or door, especially in order to steal something
handout
a document given to students or reporters that contains information about a particular subject:
On page two of your handout you will find a list of the books that I have referred to during the lecture.
crackdown
a situation in which someone starts to deal with bad or illegal behaviour in a more severe way:
There has been a series of government crackdowns on safety in factories.
dropout
a person who leaves school, college, or university before completing a qualification, or a person who lives in an unusual way:
a high school/college dropout
He was a loner and a dropout.
hang-up
a permanent and unreasonable feeling of anxiety about a particular feature of yourself:
He’s got a hang-up about lifts.
sexual hang-up He says he’s looking for an attractive woman who has “no sexual hang-ups”.
hang-up about He’s one of these men who went bald very young and has a terrible hang-up about it.
