Week Eight Flashcards
Distinguish yourself
V:to do something so well that you are admired and praised for it
Example:
-He distinguished himself as a writer at a very early age.
-At school, she distinguished herself as an outstanding debater.
Emaciated
Adj: very thin and weak, usually because of illness or extreme hunger
Example:There were pictures of emaciated children on the cover of the magazine.
Emaciated
Adj: very thin and weak, usually because of illness or extreme hunger
Example:There were pictures of emaciated children on the cover of the magazine.
Break out
Phrasal verb: If something dangerous or unpleasant breaks out, it suddenly starts
Example:
-War broke out in 1914.
-Fighting has broken out all over the city.
Surge
V:
1.to increase suddenly and strongly
Example:
The company’s profits have surged.
2.to move quickly and powerfully
Example:
An angry crowd surged through the gates of the president’s palace.
Scatter
V: to (cause to) move far apart in different directions
Example:
-The protesters scattered at the sound of gunshots.
-The soldiers came in and scattered the crowd.
Lieutenant
N: (the title of) an officer of middle rank in the armed forces
Example:
-first/second lieutenant
-He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.
Tranquil
Adj: calm, quiet, and peaceful
Example:
I lay on the dock under a tranquil blue sky.
Sanctuary
N: protection or a safe place, esp. for someone or something being chased or hunted
Example:The storm’s survivors took sanctuary in the church.
Ascend
V: to rise to a position of higher rank
Example:
He eventually ascended to the position of chief executive.
Aboard
Adverb and preposition: on or onto a ship, aircraft, bus, or train
Example:
The flight attendant welcomed us aboard.
Destiny
N: the things that will happen in the future
Example:
destiny of: The destiny of our nation depends on this vote!
shape someone’s destiny: She felt that her destiny had been shaped by her gender.
control/determine your destiny: People want to control/determine their own destinies.
Malnutrition
N: physical weakness and bad health caused by a lack of food or by a lack of food that is good for you
Example: Many of the refugees are suffering from severe malnutrition.
Afflict
V: If a problem or illness afflicts a person or thing, they or it suffer from it
Example:
-It is an illness that afflicts women more than men.
-a country afflicted by civil war
Propaganda
N: information or ideas that are spread by an organized group or government to influence people’s opinions, esp. by not giving all the facts or by secretly emphasizing only one way of looking at the facts
Example:
-political/wartime propaganda
-At school we were fed communist/right-wing propaganda.
-One official dismissed the ceasefire as a mere propaganda exercise.
Pitch in
Phrasal verb: to start to do something as part of a group, especially something helpful
Example:
-If we all pitch in together, it shouldn’t take too long.
-When I bought this house, all my friends pitched in to help fix it up.
Besiege
V: to surround a place, especially with an army, to prevent people or supplies getting in or out
Example:
The town had been besieged for two months but still resisted the aggressors.
Unconcerned
Adj: not worried or not interested, especially when you should be worried or interested
Example:
-The baby was apparently unconcerned by the noise.
-Are you as unconcerned about the situation as you seem to be?
Privation
N: a lack of the basic things that are necessary for an acceptable standard of living
Example:
-Economic privation is pushing the poor towards crime.
-Several villages suffered serious privations during their long isolation during the war.
Endure
V: to suffer something difficult, unpleasant, or painful
Example:
-We had to endure a nine-hour delay at the airport.
-She’s already had to endure three painful operations on her leg
Plight
N: an unpleasant condition, especially a serious, sad, or difficult one
Example:
-the plight of the poor/homeless
-Few of us can be unmoved by the plight of the refugees.
Sinister
Adj: evil, or suggesting that something evil is going to happen
Example:She has dark, sinister eyes that make you nervous when she looks at you.
Menace
N: danger, or someone or something that is likely to cause harm:
Example:
That boy is a menace to himself and his friends.
Stool pigeon
N: a person, often a criminal, who gives information in secret to the police so that they can catch other criminals
Personnel
N: the people who are employed in a company, organization, or one of the armed forces
Example:
-The new director is likely to make major changes in personnel.
-military personnel
Ubiquitous
Adj: seeming to be everywhere
Example:Leather is very much in fashion this season, as is the ubiquitous denim.
Denim
N: a thick, strong cotton cloth, often blue in colour, used especially for making jeans
Example:a denim jacket and jeans
Turn up (somewhere)
Phrasal verb: to arrive or appear somewhere, usually unexpectedly or in a way that was not planned
Example:
-Do you think many people will turn up?
-She turned up at my house late one night.
Remote
Adj: far away in distance
Example:
-Australia is large, and remote from the great centres of population of the world.
-remote galaxies
Thwart
V: to stop something from happening or someone from doing something;to hinder; defeat
Example:
Our holiday plans were thwarted by the airline pilots’ strike
Harbinger
N: a person or thing that shows that something is going to happen soon, especially something bad
Example:a harbinger of doom
Malignant
Adj: likely to cause death
Shrewd
Adj: able to judge people and situations well and make good decisions
Example:
My one big regret is about money - I wish I’d been more shrewd.
Simon is an extremely shrewd businessman.
Delegate
N: a person chosen or elected by a group to represent the group, esp. at a meeting
Example:Each state chooses delegates to the national convention.
Sprint
V: to run as fast as you can over a short distance, either in a race or because you are in a great hurry to get somewhere
Example:We had to sprint to catch the bus.
Excruciating
Adj: extremely painful
Example:
excruciating pain: an excruciating pain in the lower back
Respite
N: a pause or rest from something difficult or unpleasant
Example:We worked for hours without respite.
Act for/on behalf of somebody or something
Parasal verb: to represent a person, company, etc. or deal with their business for them
Example:
-She was authorized by the Commission to act on its behalf.
Reverberate
V: (of sound) to continue to be heard; to echo repeatedly; reechoing; resounding
Example:The loud music reverberated off the walls.
Fretful
Adj: behaving in a way that shows you are unhappy, worried, or uncomfortable; worrisome; irritable
Example:
By midnight the children were tired and fretful (= complaining a lot because they were unhappy).
Succumb
V: to give way; yield
Example: I’m afraid I succumbed to temptation and had a piece of cheesecake.
Stunned
Adj: very shocked or surprised
Example:
I am stunned and saddened by this news.
Grief
N: very great sadness, especially at the death of someone
Example:Her grief at her son’s death was terrible.
Red herring
N: a fact, idea, or subject that takes people’s attention away from the central point being considered
Example:The police investigated many clues, but they were all red herrings
Wrest
V: to get something with effort or difficulty
Example:
The shareholders are planning to wrest control of the company (away) from the current directors.
Sanitary
Adj: relating to being clean and healthy, esp. to the protection of health by the removal of dirt and waste, including human waste
Example:He worked to improve sanitary conditions in New Orleans.
Fundamentalist
N: someone who believes in traditional forms of a religion, or believes that what is written in a holy book, such as the Christian Bible, is completely true
Example:
Muslim/Christian fundamentalists
Calamity
N: a serious accident or bad event causing damage or suffering
Example:
A series of calamities ruined them - floods, a failed harvest, and the death of a son.
Occurrence
N: something that happens
Example:
Street-fights are an everyday occurrence in this area of the city.
Faith
N: a particular religion
Example:
the Muslim/Christian/Jewish/Buddhist faith
They were persecuted for their faith.
Convert
N: someone who changes their beliefs, habits, or way of living
Example:
-a Christian/Buddhist convert
-convert to: I’m a recent convert to vegetarianism/organic gardening, and I need some advice.
