Word 2 Flashcards
chaotic
adjective
in a state of chaos:
The house is a little chaotic at the moment - we have all these extra people staying and we’re still decorating.
He’s a chaotic sort of a person - always trying to do twenty things at once.
Synonyms
confuseddisorderlyhiggledy-piggledy informaltopsy-turvy informal
boast
verb
to speak too proudly or happily about what you have done or what you own:
He didn’t talk about his test scores in case people thought he was boasting.
Parents enjoy boasting about their children’s achievements.
[ + that ] They boasted that they had never lost a single game.
veteran
noun [ C ]
a person who has had a lot of experience of a particular activity:
a 20-year veteran of the New York Police Department
C2 (US informal vet) someone who has been in the armed forces during a war: a Vietnam veteran the surviving veterans of World War II
outrage
noun
a feeling of anger and shock:
These murders have provoked outrage across the country.
Many politicians and members of the public expressed outrage at the verdict.
C2 [ C ]
a shocking, morally unacceptable, and usually violent action:
The bomb, which killed 15 people, was the worst of a series of terrorist outrages.
[ + that ] It’s an outrage (= it is shocking and morally unacceptable) that so much public money should have been wasted in this way.
Synonyms
anger scandal
outraged
adjective
US /ˈaʊt.reɪdʒd/ UK /ˈaʊt.reɪdʒd/
feeling outrage: Outraged viewers jumped onto social media to complain about the ending of the series. She became outraged by poverty. See outrage
sew
verb
to join two pieces of cloth together by putting thread through them with a needle:
My grandmother taught me to sew.
I made this skirt just by sewing two pieces of material together.
He sewed the badge neatly onto his uniform.
outcry
noun [ C ]
a strong expression of anger and disapproval about something, made by a group of people or by the public:
The release from prison of two of the terrorists has provoked a public outcry.
inquiry
noun (UK also e
(the process of asking) a question:
I’ve been making inquiries about/into the cost of a round-the-world ticket.
formal Inquiry into the matter is pointless - no one will tell you anything.
surreal
adjective
strange; not seeming real; like a dream:
Driving through the total darkness was a slightly surreal experience.
Synonyms
dreamlikesurrealistic
preserve
verb [ T ]
to keep something as it is, especially in order to prevent it from decaying or being damaged or destroyed:
to preserve the environment
We want to preserve the character of the town while improving the facilities.
The agreement preserved our right to limit trade in endangered species.
Putting varnish on wood is a way of preserving it.
I need to get out of the house from time to time just to preserve (= prevent me from losing) my sanity.
See also
well preserved
to keep something as it is, especially in order to prevent it from decaying or being damaged or destroyed:
to preserve the environment
We want to preserve the character of the town while improving the facilities.
The agreement preserved our right to limit trade in endangered species.
Putting varnish on wood is a way of preserving it.
I need to get out of the house from time to time just to preserve (= prevent me from losing) my sanity.
See also
well preserved
to treat food in a particular way so that it can be kept for a long time without going bad:
preserved fruit
oranges preserved in brandy
lucrative
adjective
(especially of a business, job, or activity) producing a lot of money: The merger proved to be very lucrative for both companies. Synonyms profitableremunerative formal Opposite unprofitable Compare profitable
threaten
verb
to tell someone that you will kill or hurt them or cause problems if they do not do what you want:
They threatened the owner of the storewith a gun.
[ + to infinitive ] They threatened to kill him unless he did as they asked.
C1 [ T ]
to be likely to cause harm or damage to something or someone:
Changing patterns of agriculture are threatening the countryside.
C2 [ I ]
If something bad threatens to happen, it is likely to happen:
Look at those clouds! There’s a storm threatening.
anachronism
noun [ C ]
a person, thing, or idea that exists out of its time in history, especially one that happened or existed later than the period being shown, discussed, etc.:
For some people, marriage is an anachronism from the days when women needed to be protected.
colossal
adjective
extremely large:
In the center of the hall stood a colossal wooden statue, decorated in ivory and gold.
They were asking a colossal amount of money for the house.
Synonyms
prodigious formalstupendous
colossal
adjective [ not gradable ]
US /kəˈlɑs·əl/
(esp. of something bad) very great:
The whole business has been a colossal failure/mistake.
It was a colossal waste of time.
clientele
noun [ S, + sing/pl v
all the customers of a business when they are considered as a group:
The nightclub has a very fashionable clientele.
whim
noun [ C ]
a sudden wish or idea, especially one that cannot be reasonably explained:
We booked the trip on a whim.
You can add what you want to this mixture - brandy, whiskey, or nothing at all - as the whim takes you.
Oh for a husband who would indulge my every whim!
Synonym
caprice literary
soak sth up
— phrasal verb with soak verb
If a dry material or substance soaks up a liquid, it absorbs the liquid through its surface:
I tried to soak up most of the spilled milk with a dishcloth.
irrelevant
adjective
not related to what is being discussed or considered and therefore not important:
These documents are largely irrelevant to the present investigation.
Making a large profit is irrelevant to us - the important thing is to make the book available to the largest possible audience.
Opposite
relevant
glamor
noun [ U ] US (UK glamour)
the special exciting and attractive quality of a person, place, or activity:
Who can resist the glamor of Hollywood?
exclusivity
noun [ U ]
he right to have or do something that is limited to only one person or organization:
Newspapers buying a story will pay more for exclusivity.
Sponsors selling their wares at the Olympic Games demanded exclusivity.
the quality of being available only to a small number of people who are rich enough or considered good enough:
The exclusivity of the hotel is what attracts some people.
These schools thrive on an image of exclusivity.
Once defined by exclusiveness, luxury is now available to all.
invariably
adverb
always:
The train is invariably late.
dwindle
verb [ I ]
to become smaller in size or amount, or fewer in number:
The community has dwindled to a tenth of its former size in the last two years.
Her hopes of success in the race dwindled last night as the weather became worse.
roll out
— phrasal verb with roll verb
MARKETING
to make a new product, service, or system available for the first time:
A media campaign is expected to roll out early next year.
roll sth out The company plans to roll out the scheme across Europe in the coming months.
roll-out
noun [ C or U ] MARKETING (also rollout)
UK US
(also rolling launch)
contemporary
contemporary
adjective
existing or happening now:
contemporary literature/music
contemporary adjective (OF THE SAME PERIOD)
belonging to the same or a stated period in the past:
She’s been reading contemporary accounts of New York from the early 1900s.
contemporary
noun [ C ]
US /kənˈtem.pə.rer.i/ UK /kənˈtem.pər.ər.i/
someone living during the same period as someone else:
Was he a contemporary of Shakespeare’s?
a person who is of the same age as you:
She didn’t mix with her contemporaries, preferring the compa
preserve
verb [ T ]
to keep something as it is, especially in order to prevent it from decaying or being damaged or destroyed:
to preserve the environment
We want to preserve the character of the town while improving the facilities.
The agreement preserved our right to limit trade in endangered species.
Putting varnish on wood is a way of preserving it.
I need to get out of the house from time to time just to preserve (= prevent me from losing) my sanity.
See also
well preserved
sting
verb
If an insect, plant, or animal stings, it produces a small but painful injury, usually with a poison, by brushing against the skin or making a very small hole in the skin:
Do all types of bee sting?
I got stung by a wasp yesterday.
I didn’t see the poison ivy until I was stung by it.
swelling
noun [ C or U ]
a part of your body that has become bigger because of illness or injury:
Put your foot into cold water to help the swelling go down.
swell
verb
to become larger and rounder than usual; to (cause to) increase in size or amount:
It was obvious she had broken her toe, because it immediately started to swell (up).
The group recruited more members, swelling its ranks (= increasing its size) to more than 1.3 million.
literary His heart/breast swelled with pride (= he felt very proud) as he stood watching his son graduate.
[ I ]
If music swells, it becomes louder.
sore
adjective
painful and uncomfortable because of injury, infection, or too much use:
All the dust has made my eyes sore.
I have a sore back.
My feet were sore with all the walkin
rub
verb [ I or
to press or be pressed against something with a circular or up-and-down repeated movement:
She yawned and rubbed her eyes sleepily.
He rubbed (at) the stain on his pants and made it worse.
We rubbed some polish into the surface of the wood.
She gently rubbed the ointment in.
First rub the baking sheet well with butter.
[ + obj + adj ] Alice rubbed the blackboard clean for the teacher.
Your cat keeps on rubbing itself (up) against my leg.
She was rubbing her hands (together) at the thought of winning.
The branches rubbed against each other in the wind.
The chair legs have rubbed holes in the carpet.
My new shoes are rubbing (against/on my toe) and now I have blisters.
These marks will never rub off (= be cleaned off).
Alice rubbed the sums off (= cleaned them off) the blackboard for the teacher.
itching
noun [ U ]
the fact of having or producing an uncomfortable feeling on the skin that makes you want to rub it with your nails:
This cream will reduce the itching.
The itching is due to an allergic reaction to the mite.
See
itch
digest
verb
to change food in your stomach into substances that your body can use:
I find that I don’t digest meat easily.
Sit still and allow your meal to digest.
abdominal
adjective
in, forming, or relating to the abdomen: abdominal pains A membrane covers the abdominal cavity. This exercise works your abdominal muscles. See abdomen
vomiting
noun [ U ]
the act of emptying the contents of the stomach through the mouth:
There are a range of symptoms, including headache and vomiting.
See
vomit
tread
verb [ I or T, usually + adv/prep ]
US /tred/ UK /tred/
trod or US also treaded | trodden or US and Australian English also trod
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.
literary
to walk:
He trod heavily and reluctantly up the stairs.
I sometimes see him flash past in his sports car as I tread my weary way (= walk in a tired way) to work.
authoritative
adjective
showing that you are confident, in control, and expect to be respected and obeyed:
She has an authoritative manner that at times is almost arrogant.
containing complete and accurate information, and therefore respected:
The book is an authoritative account of the Second World War.
clarity
noun [ U ]
C2
the quality of being clear and easy to understand:
There has been a call for greater clarity in this area of the law.
content
adjective [ after
content
verb [ T ]
content
noun
contentment
noun [ U ]
pleased with your situation and not hoping for change or improvement:
He seems fairly content with (his) life.
[ + to infinitive ] They’re content to socialize with a very small circle of people.
to make someone feel happy and satisfied:
You’re quite easily contented, aren’t you?
My explanation seemed to content him.
the ideas that are contained in a piece of writing, a speech, or a movie:
It’s a very stylish and beautiful movie, but it lacks content.
We’ve discussed the unusual form of the book - now, what about the content?
happiness and satisfaction, often because you have everything you need:
His face wore a look of pure contentment.
More people were finding that material things do not bring contentment .
See
content
soaring
adjective
rising very quickly to a high level:
soaring real estate prices
The soaring price of natural gas is a serious concern, since many power plants are fueled by it.
originate
verb
to come from a particular place, time, situation, etc.:
Although the technology originated in the U.K., it has been developed in the U.S.
The game is thought to have originated among the native peoples of Alaska.
[ T ]
to start something or cause it to happen:
Who originated the saying “Small is beautiful?”
backlash
noun [ C ]
a strong feeling among a group of people in reaction to a change or recent events in society or politics:
the 60s backlash against bourgeois materialism
the backlash against feminism
backlash
noun [ C ]
US /ˈbækˌlæʃ/
a strong, negative reaction to something, esp. to change:
The mayor foresaw no political backlash against his proposal.
heritage
noun [ U ]
features belonging to the culture of a particular society, such as traditions, languages, or buildings, that were created in the past and still have historical importance:
These monuments are a vital part of the cultural heritage of South America.
ancestor
noun [ C ]
B2
a person related to you who lived a long time ago:
There were portraits of his ancestors on the walls of the room.
Compare
descendant
ancestral
adjective [ not gradable ] US /ænˈses·trəl/
He wanted to tour his family’s ancestral homeland, Germany.
ancestry
noun [ C usually sing ] US /ˈænˌses·tri, -səs-/
She was of Spanish and Iroquois ancestry.
