Week Nine Flashcards
Impresario
N: a person who arranges different types of public entertainment, such as theatre, musical, and dance events; one who presents cultural series; organizer
Example:
theatrical impresario: London’s leading theatrical impresario
Scurrilous
Adj: rude and cruel, and sometimes damaging
Example:
scurrilous remarks
Extortion
N: the act of getting something, especially money, by force or threats
Example:
-He was found guilty of obtaining the money by extortion.
-She’s trying to protect her son from extortion.
Adverse
Adj: going against something, or causing harm
Example:Her policies may have adverse effects on the economy
Asset
N: a useful or valuable quality, skill, or person
Example:
-He’ll be a great asset to the team.
-Knowledge of languages is a real asset in this sort of work.
-His eyes are his best asset (= most attractive feature).
Rabble-rouser
N: a person who excites others to anger, hate, or violence
Example: Johnson was unpopular with the management because he was a well-known rabble-rouser.
Bigot
N: a person who has strong, unreasonable beliefs and who does not like other people who have different beliefs or a different way of life; a narrow-minded; prejudiced person
Example:
a religious bigot
Eminent
Adj: famous, respected, or important
Example:
-an eminent historian
-The commission consisted of fifteen eminent political figures.
Blatant
Adj: very obvious and intentional, when this is a bad thing
Example:
-a blatant lie
-The whole episode was a blatant attempt to gain publicity.
Lunatic fringe
N: the members of a group whose opinions are extreme and different from those of the rest of the group
Example:
Roosevelt attacked the reformers as a lunatic fringe.
Hatemonger
N: someone who tries to encourage people to hate other people or groups
Example:He was labelled a hatemonger and a bigot.
Entourage
N: the group of people who travel with and work for an important or famous person
Example:The star arrived in London with her usual entourage of dancers and backing singers.
Virulent
Adj: full of hate and violent opposition
Example:She is a virulent critic of US energy policy.
Agitator
N: someone who tries to make people take part in protests and political activities, especially ones that cause trouble
Example:It is thought that the strike was the work of undercover political agitators.
Sensationalism
N: the act by newspapers, television, etc. of presenting information in a way that is shocking or exciting
Example:The newspaper has been accused of sensationalism in its coverage of the murders.
Demolish
V: to completely destroy buildings or other structures
Example:Most of the town was demolished by the tornado.
Venom
N: poison; spite; malice(the wish to harm or upset other people)
Example: His diary was full of venom and hate for everyone in authority.
Spew
V: to flow or let out in large amounts
Example:The volcano spewed (out) a giant cloud of ash, dust, and gases into the air.
Plague
N: a serious disease which kills many people
Example: Europe’s population was afflicted by a virulent plague known as the Black Death
Headquarter
V: to have the main offices of an organization in a particular place
Example:
-be headquartered in: The airline is headquartered in Seattle.
-We don’t have many major companies headquartered here.
Discourteous
Adj: rude and not considering other people’s feelings
Example:The employees were unhelpful and discourteous.
Bereaved
N: the bereaved:
the person or people whose close relation or friend has recently died
Example:
It is generally accepted that the bereaved benefit from counselling.
Cherish
V: to love, protect, and care for someone or something that is important to you
Example: Although I cherish my children, I do allow them their independence.
Loath
Adj: unwilling; reluctant
be loath to do something = to be unwilling to do something
Example:
I’m loath to spend it all at once.
Preach
V: to try to persuade other people to believe in a particular belief or follow a particular way of life
Example:They preach the abolition of established systems but propose nothing to replace them.
Hatred
N: a strong feeling of dislike; hate
Example:He has an extreme hatred of taxes and tolls.
Abusive
Adj: using rude and offensive words
Example:
-an abusive letter/phone call
-He was apparently abusive to the flight attendants.
Solicit
V: to ask someone for money, information, or help
Example:
-to solicit donations for a charity
-It is illegal for public officials to solicit gifts or money in exchange for favors.
Contribution
N: money, support, or other help
Example: He made a substantial contribution to the building fund.
Astute
Adj: able to understand a situation quickly and see how to take advantage of it
Example:
-an astute investor/businesswoman
-his astute handling of the situation
-an astute observer of human behaviour
Advocate
V: to publicly support or suggest an idea, development, or way of doing something
Example:
-She advocates taking a more long-term view.
-He advocates the return of capital punishment.
Quarantine
N: a general period of time in which people are not allowed to leave their homes or travel freely, so that they do not catch or spread a disease
Example:
-I’ve been doing a lot of baking during quarantine.
-The country has been hit hard, with many people under quarantine and food supplies scarce.
Warmth
N: a friendly and enthusiastic quality in someone or something
Example:I still remember the warmth of their welcome.
In the spotlight
(of a person) receiving a lot of public attention
Example:
The senator has been in the spotlight recently since the revelation of his tax frauds.
Ineffectual
Adj: not effective
Example:
-an ineffectual leader
-ineffectual at: The teachers were ineffectual at maintaining discipline.
Warped
Adj: strange and unpleasant
Example:
-I shouldn’t really laugh about the accident - it’s my warped sense of humour!
-In their warped minds I was to blame for my own victimization.
Earnestly
Adv: in a serious and determined way, often without humour
Example:
-He hopes school officials will continue to work earnestly to ensure the rights of their minority students.
-He stood with his hands on his hips, his head tilted slightly as he listened earnestly to questions.
Scrutinize
V: to examine something very carefully in order to discover information
Example:He scrutinized the men’s faces carefully/closely, trying to work out who was lying.
Nefarious
Adj: (especially of activities) morally bad
Example:
The company’s CEO seems to have been involved in some nefarious practices/activities.
Furnish
V: to provide something
Example:
-furnish information/details
-furnish sb with sth: We aim to furnish our business customers with all their IP solutions.
-furnish sth to sb: The fund may include information on its investment results in reports furnished to present or prospective shareholders.
Amicable
Adj: pleasant and friendly, often despite a difficult situation
Example:
-His manner was perfectly amicable but I felt uncomfortable.
-an amicable debate
Inquirer
N: a person who asks for information about something
Induce
V: to persuade someone to do something
Example:
-induce someone to do something :They induced her to take the job by promising editorial freedom.
-nothing could induce: Nothing could induce me (= I definitely cannot be persuaded) to climb a mountain/ride a bike.
Vexatious
Adj: difficult to deal with and causing a lot of anger, worry, or argument; annoying
Example:
This settlement will resolve one of the most vexatious problems in the field of industrial relations.
Counteract
V: to reduce or remove the effect of something unwanted by producing an opposite effect
Example:
-What can be done to counteract this trend?
-counteract the effect of: Drinking a lot of water counteracts the dehydrating effects of hot weather.
Malady
N: a disease
Example: All the rose bushes seem to be suffering from the same mysterious malady.
Run its course
Idiom: to develop and finish naturally
Example:
-The doctor’s advice is to let the fever run its course.
-I had to accept that the relationship had run its course.
