Vocabulary C1/C2

Question 1

Pester (verb)

Answer 1

to behave in an annoying manner towards someone by doing or asking for something repeatedly
annoy
badger
bug
aggravate
aggrieve
alienate

Question 2

align (Verb)

Answer 2

to put two or more things into a straight line:
You need to align the numbers properly in a column.
Business leaders are aligned with (= agree with) the president on this issue.
alignment (noun)

Question 3

alienness
(noun )

Answer 3

the quality of seeming very strange and not at all familiar:

Question 4

unleash (verb)

Answer 4

let loose
release
free
set free
loose
unloose
unbridle
untie

Question 5

orchestrate (verb)

Answer 5

organize
arrange
put together
plan
set up
bring about
manage
mobilize
mount
stage
stage-manage
mastermind
choreograph
coordinate
direct

Question 6

evolve (verb)

Answer 6

develop
progress
make progress
advance
move forward

Question 7

dwindle (verb)

Answer 7

to gradually become less, smaller, or lower in level:
dwindle from sth to sth The municipality’s population has dwindled from 40,000 to 24,000.
dwindling funds/resources/stocks
Companies are having recruitment difficulties as they battle it out for a dwindling number of skilled staff.

Question 8

summon (verb)

Answer 8

send for
call for
ask for
request the presence of

Question 9

Halt (verb) (noun)

Answer 9

to (cause to) stop moving or doing something or happening:
“Halt!” called the guard. “You can’t go any farther without a permit.”
Production has halted at all of the company’s factories because of the pay dispute.
Security forces halted the demonstrators by blocking the road.
an occasion when something stops moving or happening:
halt in the recent halt in production
bring something to a halt Severe flooding has brought trains to a halt
come to a halt The bus came to a halt (= stopped) just in time to avoid hitting the wall.
grind to a halt If traffic increases beyond a certain level, the city grinds to a halt (= stops completely).
screech to a halt The car screeched to a halt (= stopped suddenly and noisily) just as the lights turned red.

Question 10

Inhibit (verb)

Answer 10

to prevent someone from doing something by making them feel nervous or embarrassed :
be inhibited (from) Some workers were inhibited (from speaking) by the presence of their managers.

Question 11

Decipher (verb)

Answer 11

to discover the meaning of something written badly or in a difficult or hidden way:
Can you decipher the writing on this envelope?
Compare
decode
decrypt

Question 12

Retrieve (verb)

Answer 12

to find and bring back something:
We taught our dog to retrieve a ball.
Computers are used to store and retrieve information efficiently.

Question 13

Abolish ( verb)

Answer 13

to end an activity or custom officially:
I think bullfighting should be abolished.
Congress abolished the draft in 1973, at the end of the Vietnam War.

Question 14

Manifest (verb)

Answer 14

to show something clearly, through signs or actions:
manifest something in something The workers chose to manifest their dissatisfaction in a series of strikes.
manifest itself in/as The illness first manifested itself in/as severe stomach pains.
manifest itself in Lack of confidence in the company manifested itself in a fall in the share price.
Synonyms
demonstrate (SHOW)
reveal
show (MAKE SEEN)

Question 15

Leverage (noun)

Answer 15

the relationship between the amount of money that a company owes to banks and the value of the company (business)
the action or advantage of using a lever:
Using ropes and wooden poles for leverage, they haul sacks of cement up the track.

Question 16

Ambush (verb)

Answer 16

to suddenly attack someone after hiding and waiting for them:
Five soldiers died after their bus was ambushed on a country road.
He was ambushed by gunmen on his way to work.
Synonym
waylay ( to lurk)

Question 17

unearth (verb)

Answer 17

to discover proof or some other information, especially after careful searching:
A private detective has unearthed some fresh evidence.

Question 18

uneager
(adjective)

Answer 18

not eager to do or have something:
Most local residents are very uneager to have the area sold to developers.
She stood patiently waiting for her turn with a calm, uneager face.

Question 19

Arduous (adjective)

Answer 19

Difficult, needing a lot of effort and energy:
an arduous climb/task/trip
Synonyms
backbreaking
gruelling mainly UK

Question 20

ambiguous
(adjective)

Answer 20

having or expressing more than one possible meaning, sometimes intentionally:
His reply to my question was somewhat ambiguous.
The wording of the agreement is ambiguous.
The government has been ambiguous on this issue.
Synonyms
ambivalent
equivocal formal

Question 21

conspicuous
(adjective)

Answer 21

very noticeable or attracting attention, often in a way that is not wanted:
In China, her blonde hair was conspicuous.
He tried not to look conspicuous and moved slowly along the back of the room.
Opposite
inconspicuous

Question 22

Nefarious (Adjective)

Answer 22

(especially of activities) morally bad:
The company’s CEO seems to have been involved in some nefarious practices/activities.
Synonyms
evil
villainous
abhorrent
abhorrently
amoral
amorality
anomie
turpitude

Question 23

perilous
(adjective)

Answer 23

extremely dangerous:
The country roads are quite perilous.
Synonyms
dangerous
hazardous
high-risk
risky

Question 24

responsive
(adjective)

Answer 24

saying or doing something as a reaction to something or someone, especially in a quick or positive way,:
a responsive engine
a responsive audience
She wasn’t responsive to questioning.

Question 25

Reactive (adjective)

Answer 25

reacting to events or situations rather than acting first to change or prevent something:
Unfortunately, the police have dealt with the problem of car theft in a reactive rather than a proactive way.
They seem only capable of being negatively reactive to other people’s suggestions.
Related word
reactively

Question 26

Wield (verb)

Answer 26

to hold a weapon or tool and look as if you are going to use it:
She was confronted by a man wielding a knife.
wield influence, power, etc.
to have a lot of influence or power over other people:
He still wields enormous influence in politics.

Question 27

reckon
(verb)

Answer 27

to think or believe:
I reckon it’s going to rain.
How much do you reckon (that) it’s going to cost?
Can you fix my car today?
I reckon not/so (= probably not/probably).”

Question 28

disenfranchise (verb)

Answer 28

to take away power or opportunities, especially the right to vote, from a person or group

Question 29

fickle
(adjective)

Answer 29

likely to change your opinion or your feelings suddenly and without a good reason:
She’s so fickle - she’s never been interested in the same man for more than a week!
The world of popular music is notoriously fickle.

Question 30

thinly
(adverb)

Answer 30

made or done so that something is not thick:
thinly-sliced ham

Question 31

dim
(adjective)

Answer 31

not giving or having much light:
The lamp gave out a dim light.
He sat in a dim corner of the waiting room.
We could see a dim (= not easily seen) shape in the fog.

Question 32

untenable
(adjective)

Answer 32

If a theory or argument is untenable, it cannot be supported or defended against criticism.
An untenable situation cannot continue as it is:
If three people in four no longer support the president, isn’t this an untenable situation?

Question 33

Elude

Answer 33

to evade or scam

Question 34

Allude

Answer 34

Reference something indirectly

Question 35

Stationary

Answer 35

not moving or not intended to be moved

Question 36

Stationery

Answer 36

Is a noun used to describe a collection of office items such as envelopes, papers and cards.

Question 37

Tyro

Answer 37

amateur, dilettante, dabbler, tyro mean a person who follows a pursuit without attaining proficiency or professional status.

Question 38

capricious

Answer 38

is an adjective to describe a person or thing that’s impulsive and unpredictable, like a bride who suddenly leaves her groom standing at the wedding altar.

Question 39

e.g

Answer 39

exempli gratia, for example

Question 40

i.e

Answer 40

id est, that is

Question 41

Acumen (noun)

Answer 41

Ability to make good judgements, astuteness, shrewdness, acuity, sharpness

Question 42

I.Q/ E.Q

Answer 42

Intelligence quotient/ Emotional quotient

Question 43

Override ( Verb)

Answer 43

to use one’s authority to reject or cancel (a decision, view, etc.).
“the courts will ultimately override any objections”

Question 44

Setback ( noun)

Answer 44

a reversal or check in progress. Hitch, complication, issue

Question 45

Pledge ( verb) ( noun)

Answer 45

a solemn promise or undertaking. Give as security on a loan.

Question 46

Countenance (Verb)

Answer 46

to grant approval of. “she was giving her specific countenance to the occasion”

Question 47

Paradigm ( noun)

Answer 47

a pattern on which to base other things

Question 48

Chivalry ( noun)

Answer 48

courteous behavior, especially by men to
women. Marked by honor, generosity, and courtesy

Question 49

Glean ( verb)

Answer 49

to get information, often after a struggle, obtain, get. “the information is gleaned from press cuttings”

Question 50

Covert ( adjective)

Answer 50

in secret; stealthy. “covert operations against the dictatorship”

Question 51

Revel (verb)(noun)

Answer 51

to rejoice in; savor. enjoy oneself in a lively and noisy way, especially with drinking and dancing. Celebrate, “they spent the evening revelling with their guests”

Question 52

Transient (adjective)

Answer 52

brief; not lasting

Question 53

Quaff ( verb)

Answer 53

to drink quickly; to chug. “Law and religion forbid us to quaff the flowing wine”

Question 54

Vie ( verb)

Answer 54

to compete for [something]. “the athletes were vying for a place in the British team”

Question 55

Spontaneous ( adjective)

Answer 55

happening without prior planning

Question 56

Altruist (noun)

Answer 56

someone who cares deeply and
unselfishly for others

Question 57

Manifest ( verb)

Answer 57

to appear; to become apparent

Question 58

Laudatory ( adjective)

Answer 58

praising; congratulatory. “Your dog is the cutest, nicest pooch in North America,” I am saying laudatory things about your dog.

Question 59

Perilous ( Adjective)

Answer 59

dangerous, risky “a perilous journey south”

Question 60

Pithy (adjective)

Answer 60

succinct, terse, concise, compact,short
short and sweet, brief, short and meaningful. “His characteristically pithy comments”

Question 61

Wrangle (verb)

Answer 61

to dispute or argue over

Question 62

Hindsight(noun)

Answer 62

understanding of a situation or event only after it has happened or developed.
“with hindsight, I should never have gone”

Question 63

Coin(verb) (noun)

Answer 63

invent (a new word or phrase).
“he coined the term ‘desktop publishing’”

Question 64

Shriek

Answer 64

utter a high-pitched piercing sound or words, especially as an expression of terror, pain, or excitement.
“the audience shrieked with laughter”

Question 65

Smear

Answer 65

To smear something is to smudge or blur it. You might literally smear your pen-and-ink drawing, or figuratively have your reputation smeared by getting caught in a lie.