Vocabulary 5 Flashcards
reckon (v.)
to think or believe
I reckon it’s going to rain.
How much do you reckon that’s going to cost?
overlap (v.)
1) to partly cover something with a layer of something else
2) to have some parts or features that are the same
- The edges of the wallpaper should overlap slightly.
- My musical tastes don’t overlap with my brother’s at all.
instill (v.)
to put a feeling, idea, or principle gradually into someone’s mind, so that it has a strong influence on the way that person thinks or behaves
It is part of a teacher’s job to instill confidence in/into his or her students.
bureau (n.)
an organization or a business that collects or provides information
The FBI stands for the Federal Bureau of Investigation
nuisance (n.)
something or someone that annoys you or causes trouble for you
I’ve forgotten my umbrella - what a nuisance!
metaphor (n.)
an expression, often found in literature, that describes a person or object by referring to something that is considered to have similar characteristics to that person or object
“The mind is an ocean” and “the city is a jungle” are both metaphors.
saturate (v.)
to make something or someone completely wet, or to make a place completely full of something
Water thoroughly to saturate the soil.
Contemporary U.S. culture is completely saturated with technology.
ridicule (v.)
to laugh at someone in an unkind way
He was ridiculed for his ideas.
bashful (adj.)
often feeling uncomfortable with other people and easily embarrassed
She gave a bashful smile as he complimented her on her work.
pious (adj.)
strongly believing in religion, and living in a way that shows this belief
She is a pious follower of the faith, never missing her prayers.
relic (n.)
an object, tradition, or system from the past that continues to exist
During the dig, the archaeological team found some relics from the Stone Age.
fraud (n.)
the crime of getting money by deceiving people
They spent ten years in jail for fraud.
leer (v.)
to look at someone in an unpleasant or offensive way
He was always leering at female members of staff.
eradicate (v.)
to get rid of something completely or destroy something bad
The government claims to be doing all it can to eradicate corruption
gloomy (adj.)
unhappy and without hope
The cemetery is a gloomy place.
reminiscent (adj.)
making you remember a particular person, event, or thing
USE: reminiscent of someone/something
That song is so reminiscent of my adolescence.
punctuate (v.)
to regularly interrupt something that is happening
The president spoke at length in a speech punctuated by applause
pioneer (n.)
a person who is one of the first people to do something:
He was a pioneer in big-band jazz.
harmonize (v.)
1) to add harmonies to a tune
2) to be suitable together, or to make different people, plans, situations, etc. suitable for each other
- I can sing a tune, but I find it hard to harmonize.
- The garden has been designed to harmonize with the natural landscape.
prune (v.)
1) to cut off branches from a tree, bush, or plant, especially so that it will grow better in the future
2) to reduce something by removing things that are not necessary:
- She spent the afternoon pruning roses.
- I felt his essay needed a little pruning.
admittance (n.)
permission to enter a place:
refuse admittance:
The club has the right to refuse admittance to anyone.
gain admittance:
The enquiry centered on how the assassin had gained admittance to (= succeeded in entering) the building.
The sign read “Private - no admittance”.
edible (adj.)
suitable or safe for eating:
Only the leaves of the plant are edible.
treacherous (adj.)
If the ground or sea is treacherous, it is extremely dangerous, especially because of bad weather conditions:
Snow and ice have left many roads treacherous, and drivers are warned to use caution.
flirtatious (adj.)
behaving as if you are interested in someone, in a not serious way
She’s very flirtatious.
square with (phrasal verb)
to match or agree with something, or to think that one thing is acceptable together with another thing
Her story doesn’t quite square with the evidence.
stack up (phrasal v.)
to compare with another thing of a similar type:
The new model of this car just doesn’t stack up against previous models (= is not as good as previous models).
tuck (something) away (phrasal v.)
to put something in a private, safe place:
Grandma always kept a little of money tucked away in case of an emergency.
doze off (phrasal v.)
If you doze off, you start to sleep, especially during the day:
The office was so hot I nearly dozed off at my desk.
flow (v)
(especially of liquids, gases, or electricity) to move in one direction, especially continuously and easily
The teacher drew a diagram showing how the blood flows through the heart.
The road was blocked for two hours after the accident, but traffic is now flowing smoothly again.
greet (v)
to welcome someone with particular words or a particular action, or to react to something in the stated way:
He greeted me at the door.
The teacher greeted each child with a friendly “Hello!”
issue (n)
a subject or problem that people are thinking and talking about:
environmental/ethical/personal issues
As employers we need to be seen to be addressing (= dealing with) these issues sympathetically.
Don’t worry about who will do it - that’s just a side issue (= not the main problem).
Animal experimentation is a highly emotive issue.
nod (v)
to move your head down and then up, sometimes several times, especially to show agreement, approval, or greeting, or to show something by doing this:
Many people in the audience nodded in agreement.
When I suggested a walk, Elena nodded enthusiastically.
She looked up and nodded for me to come in.
argument (n)
a disagreement, or the process of disagreeing:
The children had an argument about/over what game to play.
He got into an argument with Jeff in the pub last night.
A decision was finally made after some heated argument.
