Vocabulary Flashcards
un‧god‧ly / ʌnɡɒdli $ -ɡɑd- / adjective
2 literary showing a lack of respect for God
scorn‧ful / skɔnf ə l $ skɔrn- / adjective
feeling or showing scorn :
a scornful look
scornful of
He was scornful of the women’s movement.
— scornfully adverb
scorn 1 / skɔn $ skɔrn / noun [ uncountable ]
1 the feeling that someone or something is stupid or does not deserve respect SYN contempt
scorn for
He felt scorn for his working-class parents.
with scorn
Rachel looked at me with scorn.
vain / veɪn / adjective
1 someone who is vain is too proud of their good looks, abilities, or position – used to show disapproval SYN conceited :
Men can be just as vain as women.
2 in vain
a) without success in spite of your efforts :
Police searched in vain for the missing gunman.
b) without purpose or without positive results :
Altman swore that his son’s death would not be in vain. → take sb’s name in vain at name 1 ( 12 )
3 a vain attempt, hope, or search fails to achieve the result you wanted
vain attempt/effort/bid
The young mother died in a vain attempt to save her drowning son.
4 vain threat/promise etc literary a threat, promise etc that is not worrying because the person cannot do what they say they will.
cord 1 / kɔd $ kɔrd / noun
1 [ uncountable and countable ] a piece of thick string or thin rope :
The robe was held at the waist by a cord.
He pulled explosives and some tangled cord from his bag.
2 cords [ plural ] trousers made from a thick strong cotton cloth with thin raised lines on it
3 [ uncountable and countable ] an electrical wire or wires with a protective covering, usually for connecting electrical equipment to the supply of electricity :
the phone cord
an extension cord
de‧ri‧sion / dɪrɪʒ ə n / noun [ uncountable ]
when you show that you think someone or something is stupid or silly :
His speech was greeted with derision by opposition leaders.
be‧got‧ten / bɪɡɒtn $ bɪɡɑtn /
the past participle of beget
be‧get / bɪɡet / verb ( past tense begot / -ɡɒt $ -ɡɑt / , past participle begotten / -ɡɒtn $ -ɡɑtn / , present participle begetting ) [ transitive ]
1 old use to become the father of a child
2 to cause something or make it happen :
Hunger begets crime.
— begetter noun [ countable ]
rod / rɒd $ rɑd / noun [ countable ]
1 a long thin pole or bar
steel/iron/wooden etc rod
The walls are reinforced with steel rods.
a measuring rod
2
a long thin pole used with a line and hook for catching fish SYN fishing rod
→ hot rod , lightning rod , → rule somebody/something with a rod of iron at rule 2 ( 5 )
dash 1 / dæʃ / verb
1 [ intransitive always + adverb/preposition ] to go or run somewhere very quickly :
Olive dashed into the room, grabbed her bag, and ran out again.
2 dash sb’s hopes to disappoint someone by telling them that what they want is not possible :
Hopkins’ hopes were dashed when his appeal was denied.
4 [ intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition ] written to throw or push something violently against something, especially so that it breaks
dash something against/on something
The ship was dashed against the rocks.
dash against
Waves were dashing against the sea wall.
struck 1 / strʌk /
Tthe past tense and past participle of strike 1
strike 1 S3 W3 / straɪk / verb ( past tense and past participle struck / strʌk / )
1 hit [ transitive ] written to hit or fall against the surface of something :
She fell heavily, striking her head against the side of the boat.
A snowball struck him on the back of the head.
Several cars were struck by falling trees.
The last rays of the setting sun struck the windows.
Register
In everyday English, people usually say hit rather than strike :
I hit my head on the shelf.
He was hit by a rock.
2 hit with hand/weapon etc [ transitive ] formal to deliberately hit someone or something with your hand or a weapon :
She struck him hard across the face.
strike something with something
The victim had been struck with some kind of wooden implement.
Paul struck him a blow to the head.
The assassin’s bullet struck home (= hit exactly where it should ) .
cheek‧bone / tʃikbəʊn $ -boʊn / noun [ countable usually plural ]
One of the two bones above your cheeks, just below your eyes :
She had high cheekbones and green eyes.
false‧hood / fɔlshʊd $ fɒls- / noun formal
1 [ countable ] a statement that is untrue SYN lie :
Saunders is deliberately telling a falsehood.
2 [ uncountable ] the practice of telling lies SYN lying :
No one had accused me of falsehood before.
3 [ uncountable ] the state of not being true OPP truth :
Most people believe in right and wrong, truth and falsehood.
heed 1 / hid / verb [ transitive ] formal
To pay attention to someone’s advice or warning :
If she had only heeded my warnings , none of this would have happened.
boast‧ful / bəʊstf ə l $ boʊst- / adjective
Talking too proudly about yourself OPP modest
— boastfully adverb
— boastfulness noun [ uncountable ]
