Wolf Hall Flashcards
Expiate
to show that you are sorry for bad behaviour by doing something or accepting punishment:
Uxorious
showing too much love for your wife:
The most openly uxorious husband is almost always the one who is having an affair.
Scruple
a feeling that prevents you from doing something that you think is morally wrong or makes you uncertain about doing it:
Robin Hood had no scruples about robbing the rich to give to the poor.
He is a man without scruple - he has no conscience.
Heed
to pay attention to something, especially advice or a warning:
The airline has been criticized for failing to heed advice/warnings about lack of safety routines.
Veil
something that prevents you from knowing what is happening:
We want to lift the veil of secrecy that surrounds government decisions.
Gloating
feeling or expressing great pleasure or satisfaction because of your own success or good luck, or someone else’s failure or bad luck:
The gloating expression in his eyes had been replaced by curiosity.
He glanced at it, then at Michael, with a gloating expression.
demur
to express disagreement or refuse to do something:
The lawyer requested a break in the court case, but the judge demurred.
quibble
to argue about, or say you disapprove of, something that is not important:
There’s no point quibbling about/over a couple of dollars.
Our heated fight with Aigerim started when i quibbled over a dinner order.
conjure
to make something appear by magic, or as if by magic:
In an instant, the magician had conjured (up) a dove from his hat.
Linger
to take a long time to leave or disappear:
After the play had finished, we lingered for a while in the bar hoping to catch sight of the actors.
The smell from the fire still lingered days later.
It’s impossible to forget such horrific events - they linger (on) in the memory forever.
Pillory
to severely criticize someone, especially in a public way:
Although regularly pilloried by the press as an obnoxious loudmouth, he is, nonetheless, an effective politician.
Sedition
language or behaviour that is intended to persuade other people to oppose their government
Koke is obsessed with Ablyazov’s seditions
Relish
to like or enjoy something:
I always relish a challenge.
[ + -ing verb ] I don’t relish telling her that her son has been arrested.
Thwart
to stop something from happening or someone from doing something:
Our holiday plans were thwarted by the covid outbreak
Chastity
the state of not having sexual relationships or never having had sex:
As a monk, he took vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience.
Traditional kazakh families consider a woman’s chastity very seriously
Prudence
behaviour that is careful and avoids risks:
The firm was commended for its financial prudence.
Everyone agreed that panic wasn’t called for, prudence was.
Fortitude
courage over a long period:
I thought she showed remarkable fortitude during that period.
Skirmish
to fight for a short time with a small group of people, away from the main area of fighting in a war:
Police and protesters skirmished in the chilly rain.
Rebels skirmished with nearby American forces.
to argue for a short time:
Although many legal disputes were resolved, lawyers still were skirmishing yesterday in a few places.
The parties skirmished about attorney fees.
Penitent
showing that you are sorry for something you have done because you feel it was wrong:
“I’m sorry,” she said with a penitent smile.
It was hard to be angry with him when he looked so penitent.
Exasperated
annoyed, especially because you can do nothing to solve a problem:
He’s becoming increasingly exasperated with the situation.
Surreptitiously
secretly, without anyone seeing or knowing:
Joe surreptitiously had a look in the answer book.
an audiotape of the surreptitiously recorded conversation
Gape
to look in great surprise at someone or something, especially with an open mouth:
They stood gaping at the pig in the kitchen.
Stagger
to walk or move with difficulty as if you are going to fall:
After he was attacked, he managed to stagger to the phone and call for help.
figurative The company is staggering under a $15 million debt and will almost certainly collapse by the end of the year.
Abstain
to not do something, especially something enjoyable that you think might be bad:
He took a vow to abstain from alcohol/smoking/sex.
Abjure
to say formally or publicly that you no longer agree with a belief or way of behaving:
He abjured his religion/his life of dissipation.
Secular
not having any connection with religion:
We live in an increasingly secular society, in which religion has less and less influence on our daily lives.
secular education
a secular state
Scant
very little and not enough:
He pays scant attention to the needs of his children.
scant regard for the truth
in thrall
in thrall literary
If you are in thrall to someone or something, or in the thrall of someone or something, he, she, or it has a lot of power to control you:
Her love for him was like a madness, and she was completely in its thrall.
Retinue
a group of people who travel with an important person to help them:
The president travels with a large retinue of aides and bodyguards.
Gnaw
to bite or chew something repeatedly, usually making a hole in it or gradually destroying it:
Babies like to gnaw hard objects when they’re teething.
A dog lay under the table, gnawing on a bone.
Tread
to put your foot on something or to press something down with your foot:
I kept treading on his toes when we were dancing.
Yuck! Look what I’ve just trodden in!
A load of food had been trodden into the carpet.
Before the days of automation, they used to tread grapes to make wine.
Ardent
showing strong feelings:
an ardent supporter of Manchester United
an ardent feminist
Opprobrious
expressing severe criticism and blame:
We denied the opprobrious charges published against us.
They called me by opprobrious names.
Zamira puts opprobrious charches on you if you quibble with her over something unimportant.
Hound
to chase someone or to refuse to leave someone alone, especially because you want to get something from them:
The reporters wouldn’t stop hounding her.
brace
something that is used to support or connect things, or to make something stronger:
He was recently fitted with a brace for his bad back.
compunction
a slight guilty feeling about something you have done or might do:
I wouldn’t have any compunction about telling him to leave.
ablaze
burning very strongly:
The house was ablaze, and the flames and smoke could be seen for miles around.
confer
to exchange ideas on a particular subject, often in order to reach a decision on what action to take:
I need some time to confer with my lawyer
inchoate
only recently or partly formed, or not completely developed or clear:
She had a child’s inchoate awareness of language.
Jaded
not having interest or losing interest because you have experienced something too many times:
Flying is exciting the first time you do it, but you soon become jaded.
Perhaps some caviar can tempt your jaded palate.
frivolity
behaviour that is silly and not serious, or things that are silly and not important:
You shouldn’t treat such a serious subject with frivolity.
I’m far too busy to waste time on frivolities like going to the cinema.
During my senior year at the university, I have got rid of my frivolities and other procrastinating activities.
untether
to release a person, animal, or thing so that he, she, or it can move or act freely:
He untethered the pony and threw a blanket on him.
When success came, he untethered himself from his longtime literary agent.
genuflection
the act of showing respect:
Contemporary Hollywood movies often make subtle genuflections to the great film-makers of the past.
confinement
the situation in which a person or animal is kept somewhere, usually by force:
She spent most of those years under house arrest or close confinement.
prowess
great ability or skill:
athletic/sporting prowess
He’s always boasting about his sexual prowess.
emulate
to copy something achieved by someone else and try to do it as well as they have:
They hope to emulate the success of other software companies.
Fitzgerald is eager to emulate Martin’s record of three successive world titles.
chasten
to make someone understand that they have failed or done something wrong and make them want to improve:
He was chastened by the defeat and determined to work harder.
fickle
likely to change your opinion or your feelings suddenly and without a good reason:
She’s so fickle - she’s never been interested in the same man for more than a week!
The world of popular music is notoriously fickle.
imperturbable
always staying calm and controlled, even in difficult situations that would cause other people to worry
convivial
friendly and making you feel happy and welcome:
a convivial atmosphere/host
in the convivial days between Christmas and New Year
congenial
friendly and pleasant:
congenial company/surroundings
Chortle
to laugh, showing pleasure and satisfaction:
She chortled with glee at the news.
“… and Wolsey vanishes, with chortle
inveterate
an inveterate liar, gambler, etc.
someone who does something very often and cannot stop doing it:
I never trust anything he says - the man’s an inveterate liar.
snap
to suddenly become unable to control a strong feeling, especially anger:
When she asked me to postpone my trip to help her move to her new house, I just snapped (= got angry)
to cause something that is thin to break suddenly and quickly with a cracking sound:
You’ll snap that ruler if you bend it too far.
Some vandal’s snapped off my car aerial again.
duress
threats used to force a person to do something:
He claimed that he signed the confession under duress.
caress
to touch or kiss someone in a gentle and loving way:
Gently he caressed her cheek.
Aigerim caresses me a lot and I quite like it!
feral
existing in a wild state, especially describing an animal that was previously kept by people:
feral dogs/cats
snub
to insult someone by not giving them any attention or treating them as if they are not important:
Lawrence attempted to draw me into conversation, but I snubbed him, and went to another part of the room.
I think she felt snubbed because Anthony hadn’t bothered to introduce himself.
Maxim has been snubbing me since I joined the firm, but I hope it will get better.
Munificence
the quality of being very generous with money:
I thanked them for their munificence.
His fellow guests did not share his munificence.
My dad is munificent man!
Giblets
the inside parts and neck of a bird, for example a chicken, usually removed before it is cooked, that are often used to flavour sauces, etc.
conciliate
to end a disagreement or someone’s anger by acting in a friendly way or slightly changing your opinions, or to satisfy someone who disagrees with you by acting in this way:
An independent adviser has been brought in to conciliate between the two sides involved in the conflict.
These changes have been made in an attempt to conciliate critics of the plan.
In school, when two of your friends start fighting you go and conciliate them.
contempt
a strong feeling of disliking and having no respect for someone or something:
At school she had complete contempt for all her teachers.
You should treat those remarks with the contempt that they deserve.
She’s beneath contempt (= I have no respect for her)!
saliva
the liquid produced in your mouth to keep the mouth wet and to help to prepare food to be digested
fornicate
to have sex with someone who you are not married to
Foe
an enemy:
The two countries have united against their common foe.
They were bitter foes for many years.
Foes of the government will be delighting in its current difficulties.
