Week Six Flashcards
Affluent
Adj: having a lot of money or owning a lot of things
Example:
affluent nations/neighbourhoods
Feasible
Adj: possible, reasonable, or likely
Example:It’s no longer feasible to fund this research.
Discern
V: to see, recognize, or understand something that is not clear
Example:
-I could just discern a figure in the darkness.
-It is difficult to discern any pattern in these figures.
Sally
V: suddenly rush forth
Consternation
N: a feeling of worry, shock, or confusion; dismay
Example:
-fill someone with consternation: The prospect of so much work filled him with consternation.
-to someone’s consternation:To his consternation, when he got to the airport he found he’d forgotten his passport.
Dismay
N: a feeling of unhappiness and disappointment
Example:
be filled with dismay:Aid workers were said to have been filled with dismay by the appalling conditions that the refugees were living in.
Swallow
V: to accept something without question or without expressing disagreement
Example:
-Not surprisingly, this excuse was too much for them to swallow.
-He swallowed her story whole.
Percocious
Adj: (especially of children) showing mental development or achievement much earlier than usual
Example:
-A precocious child, she went to university at the age of 15.
-She recorded her first album at the precocious age of twelve.
Wizard
N: a man who is believed to have magical powers and who uses them to harm or help other people:
Inspire
V: to fill someone with confidence and desire to do something
Example:She inspired her students to do the best they could.
Perfunctory
Adj: done quickly and without showing that you care or have much interest
Example:She asked a few perfunctory questions about my family and then ended the conversation.
Chagrin
N: disappointment or anger, especially when caused by a failure or mistake
Example:My children have never shown an interest in music, much to my chagrin.
Snort
V: To snort is also to express strong negative feelings, esp. by making a sound
Example:She snorted her disapproval and walked away.
Perverse
Adj: strange and not what most people would expect or enjoy
Example:
-Jack was being perverse and refusing to agree with anything we said.
-She took a perverse pleasure in hearing that her sister was getting divorced.
Dealer
N: a person who trades in something
Example:a second-hand car dealer
Deride
V: to show that you think someone or something is ridiculous or of no value
Example:His blustery style is derided by many political pros.
Rejoicing
N: the act or feeling of showing great happiness about something
Example:There was much rejoicing at/over the good news.
Patent
N: the official legal right to make or sell an invention for a particular number of years
Example:In 1880 Alexander Graham Bell was granted a patent on an apparatus for signalling and communicating called a Photophone.
Disparage
V: to criticize someone or something in a way that shows a lack of respect
Example:He disparages his business competitors, saying they are all a bunch of amateurs compared to him.
Laudable
Adj: (of actions and behaviour) deserving praise, even if there is little or no success
Example:
-a laudable goal/ambition
-The recycling programme is laudable, but does it save much money?
Objectionable
Adj: used to describe people or things that you dislike or oppose because they are so unpleasant or wrong
Example:
-an objectionable smell
-I found the violence in that film really objectionable.
Triumph
N: a complete victory or success achieved esp. after great difficulties, making the result particularly satisfying
Example:The elimination of smallpox was one of medicine’s greatest triumphs
Inclined
Adj: likely or wanting to do something
Example:
-inclined to: Tom is inclined to be lazy.
-No one seemed inclined to help.
Blunder
N: a serious mistake, usually caused by not taking care or thinking
Example:
-He said that the tax was a major political blunder.
-I made a blunder by getting his name wrong.
Fiasco
N: something planned that goes wrong and is a complete failure, usually in an embarrassing way
Example:The show was a fiasco - one actor forgot his lines and another fell off the stage.
Devouring
Adj: a devouring emotion is extremely strong and usually causes damage
Example:She is driven by a devouring ambition/passion.
Devour
V: to eat something eagerly and in large amounts so that nothing is left
Example:The young cubs hungrily devoured the deer.
Masticate
V: to chew (= crush with the teeth) food
Bite into something
Phrasal verb: to reduce the number or amount of something
Example:Investment in product development has bitten into the company’s profits.
Sundae
N: ice cream with a topping of sweet sauce, nuts, and cream
Eschew
V: to avoid something intentionally, or to give something up
Example:
-We won’t have discussions with this group unless they eschew violence.
-He eschewed the trappings of wealth, wearing scruffy clothes and travelling around by bus.
Despicable
Adj: very unpleasant or bad, causing strong feelings of dislike
Example:
-despicable behaviour
-He’s a despicable human being!
-It was despicable of her to lie about her friend.
Rivalry
N: a situation in which people, businesses, etc. compete with each other for the same thing
Example:
-There’s such rivalry among/between my three sons.
-There’s fierce rivalry for the job/to get the job.
The limelight
N: public attention and interest
Example:She’s been in the limelight recently, following the release of her controversial new film.
Quell
V: to completely stop or end something
Example:The police were called in to quell the riot.
Wear(something) out
Phrasal verb: to use something so much that it is damaged and cannot be used any more, or to become damaged in this way
Example:Moving parts in engines wear out much more quickly than stationary parts.
Stocking
N: one of a pair of tight-fitting coverings for the feet and legs made of thin material and often worn under skirts and dresses
Example:nylon/silk stockings.
Tear
V: to pull or be pulled apart, or to pull pieces off
Example:
-You have to be very careful with books this old because the paper tears very easily.
-I tore my skirt on the chair as I stood up.
Voluble
Adj: speaking a lot, with confidence and enthusiasm
Example:She was a voluble, smart, funny interviewee.
Confidant
N: a person you trust and share your feelings and secrets with
Example:a close confidant
Whisper
V: to speak very quietly, using the breath but not the voice, so that only the person close to you can hear you
Example:
-She leaned over and whispered something in his ear.
-What are you two girls whispering about?
Obsolescence
N: the process of becoming no longer useful or needed
Example:Older versions had passed into obsolescence and a new version was already on the market.
Dubious
Adj: doubtful
Example: These claims are dubious and not scientifically proven.
Dupe
N: someone who has been tricked
Example:an innocent dupe
Serene
Adj: peaceful and calm; worried by nothing
Example:
She has a lovely serene face.
Disturbance
N: something that interrupts someone or makes someone feel worried
Example:
-Residents are tired of the disturbance caused by the nightclub.
-Phone calls are the biggest disturbance at work.
Pound
V: to hit or beat repeatedly with a lot of force, or to crush something by hitting it repeatedly
Example:
I could feel my heart pounding as I went on stage to collect the prize.
Ringleader
N: the leader of a group of people who are doing something harmful or illegal
Example:
The ringleaders of the plot were arrested and punished.
Pigsty
N: a dirty or messy place
Example:
Your bedroom’s a pigsty!
Inexcusable
Adj: (of behavior) too bad to be accepted
Example:
It was inexcusable for them to leave so early.
Tick something off
Phrasal verb(us): to name items in a list
Example:She ticked off six reasons for saying no.
Conduct
N: behavior:
Example:
-bad/excellent/disgraceful conduct
-The club has a strict code (= set of rules) of conduct.
Chasten
V: to make someone aware of failure or of having done something wrong
Example: He was chastened by the defeat and determined to work harder.
