week 3

Question 1

loathe /loʊð/ sb,sth/doing sth

Answer 1

(v) to hate, DETEST /dɪˈtest/

Ex: I loathe spinach, but I love other green vegetables.

Question 2

reprimand/ ˈreprɪmænd/ (v)

Answer 2

(v) REBUKE /rɪˈbjuːk/, to show sharp disapproval

Ex: When Ed arrived late, he knew that the grocer would reprimand him.

Question 3

lackluster /ˈlæklʌstər/ (a)

Answer 3

(a) not interesting or exciting; dull

Ex: In a lackluster article, the drama critic savaged the hapless actors.
Ex: a lackluster performance

Question 4

caustic /ˈkɔːstɪk/ (a)

Answer 4

(a) scathing /ˈskeɪðɪŋ/ (criticizing somebody or something very severely in a way that shows no respect), SARCASTIC/sɑːrˈkæstɪk/, biting

Ex: Speaking in a monotone, the politician was booed for his caustic address.

Question 5

wrest /rest/ sth from sb/sth

Answer 5

(v) to take by force, o take something such as power or control from somebody/something with great effort

Ex: They attempted to wrest control of the town from government forces.
Ex: With the help of his brother he was able to wrest the leadership of the company from his partner.

Question 6

crocodile /ˈkrɑːkədaɪl/ tears (I)

Answer 6

(I) insincere tears

Ex: When the football player broke his leg, his substitute wept crocodile tears.

Question 7

infamous /ˈɪnfəməs/ (a)

Answer 7

(a) having a bad reputation, NOTORIOUS /noʊˈtɔːriəs/

Ex: The bombing of Pearl Harbor was referred to as an infamous deed.

Question 8

jostle /ˈdʒɑːsl/ (v)

Answer 8

(v) to bump into, to push roughly against somebody in a crowd

Ex: When he attempted to jostle the old lady, she stuck him with her umbrella.
Ex: Eddie’s technique was to jostle a victim toward a partner in crime who would then slip the man’s wallet out of his back pocket while Eddie was stammering an apology to the confused dupe.

Question 9

dupe /duːp/ (v)

Answer 9

(n) person easily tricked

Ex: Eddie’s technique was to jostle a victim toward a partner in crime who would then slip the man’s wallet out of his back pocket while Eddie was stammering an apology to the confused dupe.

Question 10

consent /kənˈsent/ (v)

Answer 10

(v) to agree to something or give your permission for something

Ex: The dupe consented to buy the often-sold Brooklyn Bridge
Ex: He reluctantly consented to his daughter’s marriage.
Ex: She finally consented to answer our questions.

Question 11

incipient /ɪnˈsɪpiənt/ (a)

Answer 11

(a) just beginning to exist

Ex: By telling the truth, we stopped the incipient rumor from spreading.
Ex: Within a week the incipient crimewave came to an end

Question 12

inadvertent /ˌɪnədˈvɜːrtnt/ (a)

Answer 12

(a) unintentional
Ex: Within a week the incipient crimewave came to an end when Slippery Eddie inadvertently chose the chief of police for his victim.

Question 13

carry the day (I)

Answer 13

(I) to win the approval of the majority

Ex: The secretary’s motion that we adjourn for lunch carried the day, and we headed for the restaurant.

Question 14

ominous /ˈɑːmɪnəs/ (a)

Answer 14

(a) FOREBODING /fɔːrˈboʊdɪŋ/, suggesting that sth bad is going to happen in the future

Ex: She picked up the phone but there was an ominous silence at the other end.

Question 15

tremulous /ˈtremjələs/ (a)

Answer 15

(a) QUIVERING, trembling

Ex: The widow’s tremulous hands revealed her nervousness.
Ex: Her lip quivered and then she started to cry

Question 16

repudiate /rɪˈpjuːdieɪt/ (v)

Answer 16

(v) to REJECT, decline

Ex: The general attempted to repudiate the testimony of the lieutenant, claiming that the young officer was not an authority on low-level bombing

Question 17

cessation /seˈseɪʃn/ (n)

Answer 17

(n) the stopping of something; a pause in something

Ex: The cessation of the bombing in Irag was urged by the United Nations

Question 18

bristle /ˈbrɪsl/ (v)

Answer 18

(v) to stiffen with fear or anger/ (with something) (at something) to suddenly become very annoyed or offended at what somebody says or does

Ex: Upon seeing the snake, the cat began to bristle with fear

Question 19

paint oneself into a corner (I)

Answer 19

(I) leave no means of escape or room to maneuver

Ex: With her three-year unbreakable contract, Donna had painted herself into a corner, unable to take a better job when it came along.

Question 20

euphemism /ˈjuːfəmɪzəm/ (n)

Answer 20

(n) less offensive term

Ex: “Pass away” is a euphemism for “die”

Question 21

mundane /mʌnˈdeɪn/ (a)

Answer 21

(a) dull, ordinary /ˈɔːrdneri/

Ex: The philosophy dealt with spiritual things, ignoring the mundane ones
Ex: There are any number of people who try to find more respectable or glamorous titles for the mundane jobs they hold

Question 22

incongruous /ɪnˈkɑːŋɡruəs/ (a)

Answer 22

(a) out of place/ strange/ not suitable in a particular situation (inappropriate)

Ex: His outburst seemed incongruous to those who knew him as a patient man.
Ex: Such traditional methods seem incongruous in our technical age.

Question 23

stipulate /ˈstɪpjuleɪt/ (v)

Answer 23

(v) to SPECIFY a condition

Ex: We repudiated the contract because it did not stipulate the cost of living bonus.
Ex: The job advertisement stipulates that the applicant must have three years’ experience.

Question 24

condolence /kənˈdoʊləns/ (n)

Answer 24

(n) sympathy that you feel for somebody when a person in their family or that they know well has died; an expression of this sympathy, PITY

Ex: When my neighbor’s dog was run over, we sent a condolence card.
Ex: Our condolences go to his wife and family.

Question 25

go up in smoke (I)

Answer 25

(I) to come to no practice result

Ex: The mayor’s plans to get the gubernatorial /ˌɡuːbərnəˈtɔːriəl/ nomination went up in smoke when he couldn’t end the costly strike.