Week Twenty Five Flashcards
Awesome
Adj: causing feelings of great admiration, respect, or fear
Example:
-An awesome challenge/task lies ahead of them.
-awesome scenery
2.extremely good
Example:
You look totally awesome in that dress.
Eruption
N: an occasion when a volcano explodes, and flames and rocks come out of it, or the act of doing this
Example:
-a volcanic eruption
-Around the year 600, the eruption of a nearby volcano buried Ceren’s buildings.
Dwarf
V: If one thing dwarfs another, it makes it seem small by comparison
Example:
-The new skyscraper will dwarf all those near it.
-This new crisis may well dwarf most that have gone before
Puny
Adj: small; weak; not effective; unimportant
Example:
-a puny little man
-My car only has a puny little engine.
-The party’s share of the vote rose from a puny 13 percent in the last election to 21 percent this time.
Debris
N: broken or torn pieces of something larger; ruins; fragments
Example:
Debris from the aircraft was scattered over a large area.
Dispersed
Adj: spread across a large area; scattered; spread; broken up
Example:
-Internet technology allows us to work from anywhere and collaborate with geographically dispersed team members.
-It will be much harder to distribute food and clean water to dispersed communities.
Startlingly
Adv: in a way that is surprising and often slightly worrying
Example:
-High school dropout rates are startlingly high.
-startlingly poor results
Voracious
Adj: needing a lot of something to be satisfied
Example:
-Wolves are voracious eaters.
-As a child, I had a voracious appetite for books.
Obliterate
V: to remove all signs of something; destroy; erase; wipe out
Example:
The hurricane virtually obliterated this small coastal town.
Deplorable
Adj: very bad; sad; pitiable
Example:
-I thought his behaviour was absolutely deplorable.
-They are forced to live in deplorable conditions.
Initiate
V: to cause something to begin; start; set going
Example:
Who initiated the violence?
Conflagration
N:
1.a large fire that causes a lot of damage
2.a large and violent event, such as a war, involving a lot of people
Example:
The government has turned a minor local problem into a full-blown regional conflagration.
Envelop
V: to cover or surround something completely
Example:
The entire area was enveloped in fog.
Rue
V: to feel sorry about an event and wish it had not happened; regret
Mandatory
Adj: Something that is mandatory must be done, or is demanded by law; compulsory; obligatory
Example:
-The minister is calling for mandatory prison sentences for people who assault police officers.
-Athletes must undergo a mandatory drugs test before competing in the championship.
-In 1991, the British government made it mandatory to wear rear seat belts in cars.
Umpire
N: (in some sports) a person who controls a game and makes sure that the rules are followed
Take something for granted
Phrase: to believe something to be the truth without even thinking about it
Example:
-You just take it for granted that people over a certain age can drive.
-I guess we all took it for granted that water would always be freely available.
-I think he took it for granted that he’d be re-elected and it came as a shock when he lost.
Congenial
Adj: pleasant and friendly; producing a feeling of comfort or satisfaction; sympathetic; agreeable
Example:
We spent a relaxed evening with congenial friends.
Hoard
V: to collect large amounts of something and keep it for yourself, often in a secret place; hide; store; accumulate
Example:
-During the siege people began hoarding food and supplies.
-There would be enough food on a daily basis if people were not hoarding.
Conserve
V: to keep and protect something from damage, change, or waste
Example:
To conserve electricity, we are cutting down on our heating.
Dry spell
N: a period during which there is little business activity
Example:
Fears remain that the industry’s dry spell could last longer than expected.
Heed
V: to pay attention to something, especially advice or a warning
Example:
-heed advice/a warning:The airline has been criticized for failing to heed advice/warnings about lack of safety routines.
-Perhaps they should have heeded their own advice.
Sage
Adj: a person, especially an old man, who is wise; wise man; philosopher
Example:
-sage advice
-my sage old grandfather
Aegis
N: shield; protection; sponsorship
under the aegis of someone/something:
with the protection or support of someone or something, especially an organization
Example:
The project was set up under the aegis of the university.
Detriment
N: harm or damage
Example:
-without detriment to:Are you sure that I can follow this diet without detriment to my health?
-to the detriment of: She was very involved with sports at college, to the detriment of (= harming) her studies.
Dubious
Adj: probably not true or not completely true; doubtful
Example:
-These claims are dubious and not scientifically proven.
-He has been associated with some dubious characters.
Longevity
N: living for a long time
Example:
To what do you attribute your longevity?
Imbibe
V: to drink, especially alcohol
Example:
Have you been imbibing again?
Virile
Adj: A virile man, especially a young man, is full of sexual strength and energy in a way that is considered attractive
Example:
She likes her men young and virile.
Robust
Adj: (of a person or animal) strong and healthy, or (of an object or system) strong and unlikely to break or fail
Example:
He looks robust and healthy enough.
a robust pair of walking boots
a robust economy
Eternally
Adv: in a way that lasts forever or for a very long time
Example:
-the eternally changing seasons
-eternally weary/sad/cheerful
Sturdy
Adj: strong or solid
Example:
That ladder doesn’t look sturdy enough to hold you.
Senile
Adj: mentally confused as a result of old age; infirm; weak from old age
Example:
Her children couldn’t cope with her because she’s somewhat senile.
Specimen
N: something shown or examined as an example; a typical example
Example:
He has a collection of rare insect specimens.
Stereotype
N: a set idea that people have about what someone or something is like, especially an idea that is wrong
Example:
racial/sexual stereotypes
Doddering
Adj: trembling; shacking
