Vocabulary builder workbook

Question 1

an introduction to text (to a formal document)

Answer 1

preamble

Question 2

A long speech full of complaints.

Answer 2

jeremiad (n.) jerəˈmīəd

Question 3

Developing early (usually in terms of ability).

Answer 3

precocious (adj.) prəˈkōSHəs

Question 4

A person who is hostile toward arts and culture.

Answer 4

philistine (n.) filəˌstēn

Paul was an outright philistine, claiming that looking at paintings is a waste of time. In the Old Testament, this word refers to the people of Philistia, who were enemies of the Israelites. A confrontation in the sixteenth century between university students and townspeople had the former describing the latter as lacking in culture and civilization, alluding to the biblical Philistines.

Question 5

To indicate something (usually bad) is about to happen.

Answer 5

presage (v.) presij

Question 6

A feeling that something (typically bad) is about to happen.

Answer 6

presentiment (n.) prəˈzentəmənt

Question 7

To be based on.

Answer 7

predicate (v.) ˈpredəkāt

Question 8

An unstoppable, destructive force or thing.

Answer 8

juggernaut (n.) jəgərˌnôt

Question 9

Overly self-pitying, often used to describe someone who becomes sentimental when intoxicated.

Answer 9

maudlin (adj.) môdlən

Question 10

talk to (someone) in a bullying way.

Answer 10

Hector

late Middle English: from the Trojan warrior Hector. Originally denoting a hero, the sense later became ‘braggart or bully’ (applied in the late 17th century to a member of a gang of London youths), hence ‘talk to in a bullying way’.

Question 11

Trickery or deception, usually in politics or where money is involved.

Answer 11

chicanery (n.) SHəˈkān(ə)rē

The mayor was known for his chicanery, over the years cheating the public out of millions. Chicanery comes from a French verb meaning “to trick.” Good synonyms to know are duplicity and subterfuge, which also describe kinds of deception.

Question 12

Difficult to control.
difficult to control or predict because of wilful or perverse behaviour.

adjective

1. своенравный
2. сбившийся с пути

Answer 12

wayward (adj.) wāwərd

“a wayward adolescent”

Question 13

The concluding part of something.

the concluding passage of a piece or movement, typically forming an addition to the basic structure.

the concluding section of a dance, especially of a pas de deux or the finale of a ballet in which the dancers parade before the audience.

a concluding event, remark, or section.

Answer 13

coda (n.) kōdə

The coda to the esteemed director’s career was a 15-minute compilation of highlights from his many beloved films. The Italian for “tail” is the source of this word, and describes the last section of a composition, often musical.

“the first movement ends with a fortissimo coda”

“She completed the difficult series of fouettes in the coda of the Black Swan pas de deux which even more senior ballerinas sometimes cannot manage as well.”

“his new novel is a kind of coda to his previous books”

Question 14

Sweet sounding.

adjective

1. сладкозвучный
2. медоточивый

Answer 14

mellifluous (adj.) məˈliflo əs

The middle movements of Mozart’s piano concertos offer themes so mellifluous that it is easy to see why many regard him as divinely blessed. From the Latin for “flowing like honey,” this word doesn’t have a direct musical reference, though it usually refers to something very pleasant sounding.

Question 15

Pretending to be religious and holy, but doing so as a pretext to look down on others.

adjective

1. ханжеский
2. лицемерный

Answer 15

sanctimonious (adj.) saNG(k)təˈmōnēəs

The inquisitor pointed at the condemned and gave them a sanctimonious lecture about the importance of faith. From the Latin meaning “holy in character.” Holier-than-thou is an informal way of saying sanctimonious.

Question 16

having a ready insight into and understanding of things.

adjective
1. проницательный

Answer 16

perspicacious
/ˌpəːspɪˈkeɪʃəs/

early 17th century: from Latin perspicax, perspicac- ‘seeing clearly’ + -acious.

Question 17

strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling way.

Answer 17

uncanny
/ʌnˈkani/

“an uncanny feeling that she was being watched”

1. сверхъестественный
2. жуткий

Question 18

provide money to pay (a cost or expense).

Answer 18

defray
/dɪˈfreɪ/

late Middle English (in the general sense ‘spend money’): from French défrayer, from dé- (expressing removal) + obsolete frai ‘cost, expenses’ (from medieval Latin fredum ‘a fine for breach of the peace’).

verb

1. оплачивать
2. возмещать
3. покрывать издержки

Question 19

a structure built to support the lateral pressure of an arch or span, e.g. at the ends of a bridge.

Answer 19

abutment
/əˈbʌtm(ə)nt/
Learn to pronounce
noun

“the first bridge was of timber with stone abutments”
the process of supporting something with an abutment.
“efficient abutment is needed at this point”
a point at which something abuts against something else.
“a mirror with a delicate border of engraved blue glass in ten sections, each abutment masked by a thin metal strip”

noun

1. опора
2. устой

Question 20

The buildup of something.

Answer 20

accretion (n.) əˈkrēSHən

The accretion of debris at the river mouth caused a blockage, and water began to trickle where before it had flowed. Comes from the Latin for “to become larger.” The word accrue, which means “to build up over time,” is related to accretion.

noun

1. прирост
2. срастание

Question 21

Comprehensive but concise.

Answer 21

compendious (adj.) kəmˈpendēəs

Her survey of Roman history is compendious, touching all the main parts without going into unnecessary detail. This is from the Latin for “brief and advantageous.” The related word compendium describes a large book that contains comprehensive information on a certain subject.

late Middle English: from Old French compendieux, from Latin compendiosus ‘advantageous, brief’, from compendium ‘profit, saving, abbreviation’.

adjective

1. краткий
2. сжатый

Question 22

1.
reigning; ruling.

2.
FORMAL
currently having the greatest influence; dominant.

early 17th century: from Latin regnant- ‘reigning’, from the verb regnare .

Answer 22

regnant
/ˈrɛɡnənt/

“a queen regnant”

“the regnant belief”

adjective

1. царствующий
2. преобладающий
3. широко распространенный

Question 23

To warn and criticize at the same time.

warn or reprimand someone firmly.

Answer 23

admonish (v.) ədˈmäniSH

warn or reprimand someone firmly.
“she admonished me for appearing at breakfast unshaven”

Magoosh; Lele, Chris. The Vocabulary Builder Workbook: Simple Lessons and Activities to Teach Yourself Over 1,400 Must-Know Words (p. 182). Zephyros Press. Kindle Edition.

Question 24

To show to be false, contradict.

Answer 24

belie (v.) biˈlī

Her calm demeanor belied the anger raging inside her.

From Old English for “to lie.” “To be at odds with” is another way of thinking of this word.

verb

1. не оправдывать
2. давать неверное представление

Question 25

.
able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action.

sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way.

Answer 25

caustic
/ˈkɔːstɪk,ˈkɒstɪk/

“a caustic cleaner”

“the players were making caustic comments about the refereeing”

late Middle English: via Latin from Greek kaustikos, from kaustos ‘combustible’, from kaiein ‘to burn’.

adjective

1. едкий
2. каустический

Question 26

Ill-tempered.

bad-tempered, argumentative, and uncooperative.

(from Anglo-Irish origin)

adjective

1. сварливый
2. придирчивый

Answer 26

cantankerous (adj.) kanˈtaNGkərəs

The later it got the more cantankerous Uncle Phil became, berating his nephews for no reason at all. From an Anglo-Irish word made up of cankerous and rancorous. Irascible and choleric are two other ways of thinking about this word, whereas grumpy is a more straightforward description.

Question 27

To do something one thinks is below them, to stoop.

verb

1. соблаговолить
2. изволить

Answer 27

deign (v.) dān

She did not even deign to reply to the man’s impertinent comment.

Middle English: from Old French degnier, from Latin dignare, dignari ‘deem worthy’, from dignus ‘worthy’.

Question 28

To shun, avoid using.

deliberately avoid using; abstain from.

verb

1. избегать
2. сторониться

Answer 28

eschew (v.) esˈcho

She eschewed all forms of merrymaking while training for the triathlon. From the German for “to shun.” Abstain is an important synonym to know.

late Middle English: from Old French eschiver, ultimately of Germanic origin and related to German scheuen ‘shun’, also to shy1.

Question 29

To get something through trickery.

verb

1. надувать
2. обжуливать

Answer 29

finagle (v.) fəˈnāgəl

Charming and witty, Patty was usually able to finagle free drink refills at the burger joint. This word is of an uncertain origin but likely popped up in the United States around 100 years ago. Finagle is typically used informally.

1920s (originally US): from dialect fainaigue ‘cheat’; perhaps from Old French fornier ‘deny’.