Vocabulary Revision (Week 2) Flashcards
to find oneself doing sth
to be in a situation, often unintentionally
to be in disbelief
to have difficulty accepting something as true
to m___ a significant progress ___ sth
to make a significant progress in sth
to come cheap
to be inexpensive or affordable
to step into the spotlight
to gain public attention or focus
tranquil
calm, peaceful, and serene
to hark back to sth
to revisit or refer to sth from the past
the minute sb does sth / has done sth
as soon as sb does sth / has done sth
a taste ___ sth
a taste in sth
to be in the limelight
to be the focus of (public) attention
deafening
extremely loud or overwhelming in sound
to tag along with sb to sth
to accompany sb to sth (often without proper invitation)
an e___ of access
an ease of access
a setback
a problem or delay hindering progress
to concede
to acknowledge the opponent’s point in argument
a deterrent to/against sth
something that discourages action or behavior
a track record
history of achievements or past performance
self-sufficient
independent and able to provide for oneself
wilderness
uncultivated, natural area with minimal human presence
to provide sb ___ sth
to provide sb with sth
to converge
to come together a single point and become one
mediocre
of average quality; not good or bad
to resonate ___ sth
to resonate with sth
notorious
famous for negative reasons; infamous
enmeshed
tangled or deeply involved in something complicated
to turn sth out
to produce or create something, often quickly
to be bound to do/be sth
to be certain to happen
to reach a wider audience
to connect with more diverse or numerous people
jaded
lacking enthusiasm/excitement (due to overexposure)
to have come a long way
to have made significant improvement or progress
to surge
to rise suddenly or powerfully
to go off
(as a phone/alarm) to ring
to g___ interest
to generate interest
to find sth (adj.)
to view sth to have a quality of (adj.)
to work towards sth
to make efforts or progress toward a goal
to get one’s teeth into sth
to tackle or engage deeply in something challenging
to set the bar (high/low)
to establish a standard or expectation (high/low)
“sb was ___ (blame) for sth”
“sb was to blame for sth”
to ravage sth
to severely damage or devastate something
antepenultimate
third to last in a sequence
to take to sth
to start liking or becoming skilled at something
an inducement
sth that leads to an action; a motivation to act
to strut
to walk proudly or confidently
a queue
a line or sequence of people waiting
to point sth out
to highlight or draw attention to something
sartorial
related to fine clothing
an understudy
a replacement apprentice performer
a thirst ___ sth
a thirst for sth
to enable ___ sth
to enable sth
to falter
to hesitate, weaken, or lose momentum
lavish
extravagant, luxurious, or over-the-top
to g___ a grounding/experience
to gain a grounding/experience
to be alleged to do/be sth
to be accused of wrongdoing, often without proof
harnessing
act of utilizing or controlling something effectively
cutting edge
highly advanced, innovative, or pioneering
to r___ money/funds
to raise money/funds
to sample sth
to try or test something briefly
to be a prerequite for sth
be necessary before something can happen
to make a comeback
to regain success or popularity
to be (highly) touted
to be considered (very) valuable
tranquility
the state of being calm or peaceful
clamour (to clamour)
loud indistinct sound (usually of people)
to do sth on cue
to do something when required (even with little/no warning)
tatty
old, worn out or run down in appearance
to play sth by ear
to act without a fixed plan; improvise
to deliver ___ sth
to deliver sth
resurgent
continuing to revive after a period of inactivity
to stand to do/be sth
to be likely to do/be something
to brag about sth
to talk proudly, often arrogantly, about sth
to reassure sb of sth
to give sb confidence or faith in sth
straightforward
simple, clear, or easy to understand
a standing ovation
audience’s applause while standing, expressing great approval
to harness sth
to control and utilize something (e.g. resource, power, etc.)
in contrast ___ sth
in contrast with sth
in turn (adv.)
consequently or as a result
a pet peeve
one’s favourite subject of casual complaint
to (just) about to do sth
to be (very) close to doing sth
to run dry (to go dry)
to be depleted (as resource)
to be hard-pressed
to be pressured
to i___ coma/pain
to induce coma/pain
to keep track of sth
to monitor or maintain awareness of something
a sedentary lifestyle
an inactive lifestyle with little physical activity
a prerequisite
a requirement
to be good/bad ___ sb/sth
to be good/bad for sb/sth
to resurge
to return or revive after a decline
untapped
not yet utilized or exploited
to adopt sth
to make sth one’s own
subtleties
small, delicate details or nuances
to be recognized as sth
socially accepted as sth
to ___ harm to sb
to do/bring harm to sb
solidarity
unity or mutual support within a group
unprecedented
never done or known before
penultimate
second to last in a sequence
to change one’s tune
to alter one’s opinion or position (often drastically or unexpectedly)
to adapt to sth
to change oneself to better fit into sth
backbreaking
physically demanding or exhausting
but for sth
except for sth
to be symptomatic ___ sth
to be symptomatic of sth (to be a symptom of sth)
stage fright
nervousness before a performance
to date back to sth
to come from a specific past time
to be lined up to do sth
to be scheduled to do something
to form an opinion about sth
to develop a judgment or view on something
a talent ___ sth
a talent for sth
to be intent on doing sth
to be determined to achieve something
to counteract sth
to act against sth (a previous action) to neutralize its effect
to ring a bell
to seem familiar or recognizable
“to name a few” (adv.)
(expression used to give examples)
to boast sth
to proudly show sth; to be well known for sth
catch-22
a contradictory situation with no clear solution, often in the system
an adaptation of sth
a modified version of something (usually across format/platform/language/etc.)
to thrive on sth
to be successful or well thanks to sth; to enjoy sth greatly
a curtain call
a performer’s final bow after a show
mediocrity
a quality of being average or lacking excellence
to dabble with sth
to try something casually or sporadically
to thrive ___ sth
to thrive on sth
to pull out all stops
to use maximum effort or resources
to lavish A with B
to generously give A an abundance of B
to be recognizable as sth
having a familiar or identifiable quality of sth
an insistence ___ sth
an insistence on sth
to may/could/might well do/be sth
to be quite likely to do/be sth
to be h___ competitive
to be highly competitive
to dredge sth up
to dig sth up (old memories, buried objects, etc.)
to take off
(as progress) to become successful; (as an aeroplane) to achieve lift
to yet to do sth
to not have done something yet
questionable
possibly inappropriate
to be hard-pressed ___ sth
to be hard-pressed to do sth / for sth
an interpretation ___ sth
an interpretation of sth
a dress rehearsal
near-final practice before a performance
a concession
a compromise or acknowledgment of the opponent in argument
a tributary
a river or stream flowing into a larger body
to be passable as sth
to be adequately or acceptably similar to sth
a shipwright
a person who builds or repairs ships
to turn up (show up) at sth
to appear or arrive at a place
to wallow in sth
to lie in water; to indulge in negative emotions (e.g. sadness)
to tout sth
to promote or praise something enthusiastically
a harness
a device for securing or controlling
emotional recall
reliving past emotions to enhance performance
to fret
to worry or feel anxious
to flaunt sth
to show off something to impress others
to retain sth
to keep sth or not lose sth
a stint (a run)
a short, defined period of activity or work (e.g. a 10-year stint, one’s first/second stint)
a reason ___ sth
a reason for sth / to do sth
to allow ___ sth
to allow for sth
a precedent
an earlier example that guides future actions
to fit in with sth
to blend harmoniously with something
rambunctious
energetic, noisy, and difficult to control
to have had enough (of sth)
to no longer be able to tolerate or endure something
to originate ___ sth
to originate in sth
hustle
busy and vigorous work
a playwright
a person who writes plays
to underact/overact
to perform with too little or too much emotion
