Week Twenty One Flashcards
Ivory
N: the hard yellowish-white substance that forms the tusks of some animals such as elephants, used especially in the past to make decorative objects
Example:
-Ivory is a softer material than you might imagine.
-a ban on ivory trading
Scion
N: a young member of a rich and famous family
Example:
He’s the scion of a very wealthy newspaper-publishing family.
Indoctrinate
V: to often repeat an idea or belief to someone until they accept it without criticism or question; to teach certain principles
Example:
-indoctrinate someone in something: Some parents were critical of attempts to indoctrinate children in green ideology.
-They have been indoctrinated by television to believe that violence is normal.
Assume
V: to accept something to be true without question or proof
Example:
-We mustn’t assume the suspects’ guilt.
-I assumed (that) you knew each other because you went to the same school.
Opulence
N: the quality of being expensive and luxurious; wealth; riches
Example:
-He says living in such opulence makes him uneasy.
-She stared around her in awe at the sheer opulence of the room.
Shield
V: to protect someone or something
Example:
-She held her hand above her eyes to shield them from the sun.
-They are accused of trying to shield the General from US federal investigators.
Obsiquious
Adj: too eager to serve or obey someone; seeking favor; fawning
Example:
She is embarrassingly obsequious to anyone in authority.
Tutor
N: a teacher who teaches a child outside of school, especially in order to give the child extra help with a subject he or she finds difficult
Example:
-His parents got him a tutor to help with his maths.
-home tutor: During my illness I was taught by a series of home tutors.
Fencing
N: the sport of fighting with long, thin swords
Example:
-a fencing tournament/mask
-I did a little bit of fencing while I was at college.
Lavish something on someone/something
Phrasal verb: to give someone a lot, or too much, of something such as money, presents, or attention
Example:
-She lavishes money on her grandchildren.
-The committee lavished praise on the project.
Fulsome
Adj: expressing a lot of admiration or praise for someone, often too much, in a way that does not sound sincere; excessive; insincere
Example:
-fulsome praise: Her new book has received fulsome praise from the critics.
-fulsome in: Our guests were fulsome in their compliments about the food.
Gullible
Adj: easily deceived or tricked, and too willing to believe everything that other people say
Example:
There are any number of miracle cures on the market for people gullible enough to buy them.
Lush
Adj: A lush area has a lot of green, healthy plants, grass, and trees; luxurious; elaborate
Example:
lush green valleys
Profoundly
Adv: deeply or extremely
Example:
-Society has changed so profoundly over the last 50 years.
-We are all profoundly grateful for your help and encouragement.
Misery
N: great unhappiness
Example:
-We have witnessed the most appalling scenes of human misery.
-Ten years of marriage to him have made her life a misery.
Destitution
N: the state of being without money, food, a home, or possessions; extreme poverty
Example:
-Destitution has become a major problem in the capital.
-They both died in poverty and destitution.
Excruciating
Adj: extremely painful
Example:
excruciating pain: an excruciating pain in the lower back
Retiring
Adj: unwilling to be noticed or to be with other people
Example:
to be shy and retiring
Ponder
V: to think carefully about something, especially for a noticeable length of time; to consider carefully
Example:
She sat back for a minute to ponder her next move in the game.
Supplicate
V: to ask for something in a humble way
Example:
I knew I could not go on supplicating for more.
Decadence
N: a state of low standards in a society; social decay
Amends
N:
-make amends
to do something good to show that you are sorry about something you have done
Example:
-She tried to make amends by inviting him out to dinner.
-I wanted to make amends for the worry I’ve caused you.
Fraternity
N: a group of people who have the same job or interest
Example:
-the legal fraternity (= lawyers)
-the criminal fraternity (= criminals)
Rife
Adj: If something unpleasant is rife, it is very common or happens a lot
Example:
Graft and corruption were rife in city government.
Penance
N: an act that shows that you feel sorry about something that you have done, sometimes for religious reasons; atonement for sin
Example:
-As a penance, she said she would buy them all a box of chocolates.
-They are doing penance for their sins.
Ascetic
Adj: avoiding physical pleasures and living a simple life, often for religious reasons; one who practices self-denial and devotion
Example:
They live a very ascetic life.
Desultory
Adj: without a clear plan or purpose and showing little effort or interest; occurring by chance; disconnected
Example:
-She made a desultory attempt at conversation.
-He wandered around, cleaning up in a desultory way.
Disciple
N: a person who believes in the ideas of a leader, esp. a religious or political one, and tries to live according to those ideas; follower
Example:
Jesse Jackson was a disciple of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Torment
N: great mental suffering and unhappiness, or great physical pain
Example:
-endure torment: The family said they had endured years of torment and abuse at the hands of their neighbors.
-Waiting for the result of the medical tests was sheer torment.
Metamorphosis
N: a complete change
Example:
Under the new editor, the magazine has undergone a metamorphosis.
Enlightened
Adj:
1.showing understanding, acting in a positive way, and not following old-fashioned or false beliefs
Example:
-The school has an enlightened policy of teaching boys to cook.
-These days she’s much more enlightened in her views on education.
2.knowing the truth about existence
Example:
Buddha was an enlightened being.
Diatribe
N: an angry speech or piece of writing that severely criticizes something or someone
Example:
launch into a diatribe against: He launched into a long diatribe against the lack of action in Congress.
Mendacity
N: the act of not telling the truth
Example:
Politicians are often accused of mendacity.
Impose
V: to force someone to accept something, especially a belief or way of living
Example:
-impose something on someone: I don’t want them to impose their religious beliefs on my children.
-We must impose some kind of order on the way this office is run.
Mansion
N: a very large, expensive house
Example:
The street is lined with enormous mansions where the rich and famous live.
Supplication
N: earnest request
Example:
Larry’s composition proceed in a desultory manner despite the supplication of his English teacher
Implore
V: to ask someone to do or not do something in a very sincere, emotional, and determined way
Example:
implore someone to do something: She implored her parents not to send her away to school.
Desist
V: to stop doing something
Example:
She was ordered to desist from playing music after 11 p.m.
Self-torment
N: great mental suffering and unhappiness caused by your own thoughts
Example:
-After months of self-torment and indecision, he achieved some sort of peace.
-She carried a heavy weight of guilt and self-torment.
BONA FIDE
Adj: real, not false
Example:
Make sure you are dealing with a bona fide company.
Salvation
N: (a way of) being saved from danger, loss, or harm; deliverance from ruin
Example:
-After the diagnosis, getting to know Mary was his salvation.
-a marriage beyond salvation
Repudiate
V: to refuse to accept or obey something or someone; reject
Example:
The evidence presented at the trial has since been repudiated.
Materialism
N: the belief that having money and possessions is the most important thing in life; attention to worldly things and neglect of spiritual needs
Example:
So have we become a self-centred society, preoccupied with materialism?
Nurture
V: to take care of, feed, and protect someone or something, especially young children or plants, and help him, her, or it to develop; to nourish; to support
Example:
-She wants to stay at home and nurture her children.
-a carefully nurtured garden
Preach
V: to give a religious speech
Example:
The minister preached a sermon on the need for forgiveness.
Nirvana
N: a state of freedom from all suffering that Buddhists believe can be achieved by removing all personal wishes; freedom from care and pain; Buddhist heaven
Idolize
V: to admire and respect someone very much, often too much
Example:
She idolized her father.
Solace
N: help and comfort when you are feeling sad or worried
Example:
She found solace in her memories of her grandmother.
Celebrated
Adj: famous for some special quality or ability
Example:
a celebrated opera singer/city/novel
Indelible
Adj: An indelible mark or substance is impossible to remove by washing or in any other way
Example:
-indelible ink
-indelible mark: The blood had left an indelible mark on her shirt.
Illiterate
Adj: unable to read and write
Example:
A surprising percentage of the population is illiterate.
Stray
V: to travel along a route that was not originally intended, or to move outside a limited area
Example:
-A herd of cattle had strayed into the road.
-They got lost when they strayed too far from the path.
-The ship strayed off course during the storm.
Sleepy
Adj: A sleepy place is quiet and without much activity or excitement
Example:
They retired to a sleepy little town in the south of Italy.
Vow
V: to make a firm promise or decision to do something
Example:
-They vowed (that) they would never forget her kindness.
-After my illness I vowed to exercise every day.
Fervent
Adj: showing strong and sincere feelings or beliefs
Example:
She was a fervent supporter of art and culture.
Gallant
Adj:
1. (of a man) polite and kind towards women, especially when in public
Example:
That wasn’t very gallant of you, Paul, pushing a young lady out of the way like that!
- showing no fear of dangerous or difficult things
Example:
Despite fierce competition, she made a gallant effort to win the first medal of the championships.
Treachery
N: things that are done to deceive someone who trusts you
Example:
a play about treachery and betrayal
Martyrdom
N: an occasion when someone suffers or is killed because of their religious or political beliefs
Peasant
N: a member of a low social class of farm workers and owners of small farms
Exploit
V: to use something in a way that helps you
Example:
exploit resources: We need to make sure that we exploit our resources as fully as possible.
Conquest
N: the act of conquering a country, area, or situation
