Week Seven Flashcards
Ado
N: a lot of activity, worry, or excitement that is unnecessary or greater than the situation deserves
Example:
-Most state flags were adopted with little ado many years ago.
-Without ado, it became the most widely used system in the world.
Showdown
N: an event, such as a meeting or fight, that ends a disagreement or decides who will win
Example:
-a military showdown
-Sunday’s showdown will decide whether Mexico or Italy is the world soccer champion.
Impalacable
Adj: unable to be changed, satisfied, or stopped
Example:an implacable enemy
Foe
N: an enemy
Example:The two countries have united against their common foe.
Nonconformist
N: someone who lives and thinks in a way that is different from other people
Paroxysm
N: a sudden and powerful expression of strong feeling, especially one that you cannot control
Example:
-In a sudden paroxysm of jealousy he threw her clothes out of the window.
-paroxysms of laughter
Spy
V: to see or notice someone or something usually when it involves looking hard
Example:I think I’ve just spied Andrew in the crowd.
Reprimand
N: strong official criticism of a person or their behaviour
Example:
-His boss gave him a severe reprimand for being late.
-I received one written reprimand in three years.
Reprehensible
Adj: If someone’s behaviour is reprehensible, it is extremely bad or unacceptable
Example:
reprehensible conduct/actions
Jurisdiction
N: the authority of a court or official organization to make decisions and judgments
Example:The court has no jurisdiction in/over cases of this kind.
Skirmish
N: a short argument
Example:There was a short skirmish between the two of them over who would pay for the meal.
Take on
Phrasal verb: to begin to have a particular quality
Example:Her voice took on a troubled tone.
Tempest
N: a violent storm
Spill out
Phrasal verb: to flow or fall out of a container
Example:
-All the shopping had spilled out of my bag.
-The contents of the truck spilled out across the road.
Delinquent
N: a person, usually young, who behaves in a way that is illegal or not acceptable to most people
Example:Our neighbor hated children and just thought we were a bunch of delinquents.
Hood
N: a poor neighbourhood
Example:
When he started he was just a poor boy from the hood - now he’s a multimillionaire.
Clean-cut
Adj: A clean-cut man is tidy in appearance and behaves well
Example:
Julie’s fiancé is a nice clean-cut young man.
Harass
V: to continue to annoy or upset someone over a period of time
Example:
Stop harassing me!
Monolithic
Adj: very large, united, and difficult to change
Example: monolithic state-run organizations
Caustic
Adj: A caustic remark or way of speaking is hurtful, critical, or intentionally unkind
Example:
-caustic comments
-She’s famous in the office for her caustic wit.
Arbitrary
Adj: using unlimited personal power without considering other people’s rights or wishes
Example;
-an arbitrary ruler
-The company has been the subject of an arbitrary take-over.
Indigent
Adj: very poor
Example: an indigent family
Fray
N: a fight or argument, esp. one in which several people take part
Example: A third buyer has entered the fray.
Stipulate
V: to state exactly what must be done
Example:State laws stipulate that public education be free.
Fellow
Adj: used to refer to someone who has the same job or interests as you, or is in the same situation as you
Example:She introduced me to some of her fellow students.
Dilemma
N: a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two different things you could do
Example:
face a dilemma: She faces the dilemma of disobeying her father or losing the man she loves.
Stymie
V: to prevent something from happening or someone from achieving a purpose
Example:In our search for evidence, we were stymied by the absence of any recent documents.
Marshal
V: to gather or organize people or things, esp. in order to achieve a particular aim
Example:The president is trying to marshal support for his plan.
Wayward
Adj: not behaving or moving as expected
Example:
-He was a wayward kid.
-A wayward ball bounced into the yard.
Lad
N: a boy or young man
Example:
-A group of young lads were standing outside the shop.
-He’s a nice lad.
Effigy
N: a model of a person; a likeness(usually of a hated person)
Example: Crowds marched through the streets carrying burning effigies of the president.
Villiainous
Adj: A villainous person or an action is evil
Example:
a villainous dictator
Swipe
N: a criticism of someone or something, or an attempt to annoy them or damage it
Example:
In a recent interview, she takes a swipe at the theatre management.
Flout
V: to intentionally disobey a rule or law, or to intentionally avoid behavior that is usual or expected
Example:
-They think they can flout the law and get away with it.
-He conducted business in his pajamas to flout convention
Cognizant
Adj: understanding or realizing something; aware
Example:
We should be cognizant of the fact that every complaint is not a justified complaint.
Turbulent
Adj: involving a lot of sudden changes, arguments, or violence
Example:
-a turbulent marriage
-This has been a turbulent week for the administration.
Overwhelm
V: to defeat someone or something by using a lot of force
Example: The boxer relied on his power, pace, and pressure to overwhelm opponents.
Terminate
V: to (cause something to) end or stop
Example:They terminated my contract in October.
Forthwith
Adv: immediately
Example:We expect these practices to cease forthwith.
Disrupt
V: to prevent something, esp. a system, process, or event, from continuing as usual or as expected
Example:A heavy fall of snow disrupted traffic during the rush hour.
Bar
V: to prevent someone from doing something or going somewhere
Example:Protesters tried to break into the building, but the police barred their way.
Exacerbate
V: to make something that is already bad even worse
Example:
This attack will exacerbate the already tense relations between the two communities.
Take the sting out of something
Idiom: If something takes the sting out of an unpleasant situation, it makes it less unpleasant
Example:
The new policy of shorter working hours will serve to take the sting out of the pay cut.
A sigh of relief
Idiom: a feeling of comfort after worrying about something
Example:Residents in coastal areas are breathing a sigh of relief now that the storm has passed.
Revert
V: return; to reply
Example:
Please revert by email.
Oust
V: to force someone to leave a job, position of power, place, etc.
Example;
-Shareholders successfully agitated to oust the company’s chief executive last summer.
-It is not the first time he has been ousted from a company.
Patron
N: a person who uses a particular shop, restaurant, hotel, etc., especially regularly
Example:
Will patrons kindly note that this restaurant will be closed on 17 July .
Immediate
Adj: closely related to you, for example as a parent, child, husband, or wife
Example:
-Employees are allowed time off to care for members of their immediate family.
-He lived with friends as he had no immediate family in the country.
Deceased
Adj: dead
Example: the recently deceased Member of Parliament
Draw something up
Phrasal verb: to prepare something, usually something official, in writing
Example:
-draw up a list: I’ve drawn up a list of candidates that I’d like to interview.
Attired
Adj: dressed in clothes of a particular type:
Example:
-She was attired from head to foot in black.
-All of the guests at the awards ceremony were elegantly/fashionably attired.
Alimony
N: a regular amount of money that a law court orders a person to pay to his or her partner after a divorce (= the legal ending of a marriage)
Put something off
Phrasal verb: to decide or arrange to delay an event or activity until a later time or date
Example;
-The meeting has been put off for a week.
-I can’t put off going to the dentist any longer.
Fare
N: the money that you pay for a journey in a vehicle such as a bus or train
Example:
-train fare: Train fares are going up again.
-air fare
-bus fare
-taxi fare
-cab fare
-return fare
-round-trip fare
-fare hike
-fare increase
-fare rise
The remainder
N: the part of something that is left after the other parts have gone, been used, or been taken away
Example:I ate most of it and gave the remainder to the dog.
Supreme
Adj: very great, or the best
Example:
-For me, dieting requires a supreme effort of will.
-She was awarded a medal for showing supreme bravery.
