word list 1 Flashcards
abhor
v. hate
“he abhorred sexism in every form”
bigot
n. narrow-minded, prejudiced person
“don’t let a few small-minded bigots destroy the good image of the city”
counterfeit
adj, n, v. fake; false
adj: “counterfeit £10 notes”
n: “he knew the tapes to be counterfeits”
v: “my signature is extremely hard to counterfeit”
enfranchise
v. give voting right
“a proposal that foreigners should be enfranchised for local elections”
hamper
v. hinder; obstruct
“their work is hampered by lack of funds”
kindle
v. to start a fire
“he kindled a fire of dry grass”
noxious
adj. harmful; poisonous; lethal
“they were overcome by the noxious fumes”
placid
adj. calm; peaceful
“a placid, contented man”
“the placid waters of a small lake”
remuneration
n. payment for work done
“they work in excess of their contracted hours for no additional remuneration”
talisman
n. lucky charm
“those rings, so fresh and gleaming, were their talismans”
abrasive
adj, n. rough; coarse; harsh
“the wood should be rubbed down with fine abrasive paper”
“the refrigerator is easily damaged by abrasives”
bilk
v. cheat; defraud
“some businesses bilk thousands of dollars from unsuspecting elderly consumers”
covert
adj. hidden; undercover
“covert operations against the dictatorship”
engender
v. cause
“the issue engendered continuing controversy”
hangar
n. storage area (like a garage) for a plane
knotty
adj. complex, difficult to solve
“a knotty legal problem”
nuance
n. something subtle; a fine shade of meaning
“he was familiar with the nuances of the local dialect”
plagiarism
n. taking credit for someone else’s writing or ideas
“there were accusations of plagiarism”
renown
n. fame
“authors of great renown”
tangent
n. going off the main subject
“Loretta’s mind went off at a tangent”
abasement
n. humiliation; degradation
“the dog flattened himself at Mark’s feet, tail thumping in abject abasement”
billowing
v. swelling; fluttering; waving
“her dress billowed out around her”
“smoke was billowing from the chimney-mouth”
cower
v. recoil in fear of servility; shrink away from
“children cowered in terror as the shoot-out erupted”
enhance
v. improve; make better or cleaner
“his refusal does nothing to enhance his reputation”
harangue
n, v. noisy, attacking speech
n: “they were subjected to a ten-minute harangue by two border guards”
v: “he harangued the public on their ignorance”
labyrinth
n. a maze
“you lose yourself in a labyrinth of little streets”
nullify
v. to counter; make unimportant
“judges were unwilling to nullify government decisions”
plaintiff
n. petitioner (in court of law)
“the plaintiff commenced an action for damages”
replete
adj. full
“sensational popular fiction, replete with adultery and sudden death”
“I went out into the sun-drenched streets again, replete and relaxed”
tangible
adj, n. can be touched
adj: “the atmosphere of neglect and abandonment was almost tangible”
n: “these are the only tangibles upon which an assessment can be made”
abrogate
v. cancel; deny; repeal
“a proposal to abrogate temporarily the right to strike”
blasphemy
n. speech which offends religious sentiments
“he was detained on charges of blasphemy”
credible
adj. believable
“few people found his story credible”
enigma
n. puzzle; mystery
“Madeleine was still an enigma to him”
harbingers
n. indicators; bringers of warnings
“witch hazels are the harbingers of spring”
labyrinthine
adj. complicated; highly convoluted
“labyrinthine streets and alleys”
“labyrinthine plots and counterplots”
nuzzle
v. cuddle; snuggle
“she nuzzled up against me”
plaudit
n. statement giving strong praise
“the network has received plaudits for its sports coverage”
reprehensible
adj. shameful; very bad
“his complacency and reprehensible laxity”
tardy
adj. slow; late; overdue; delayed
“please forgive this tardy reply”
“this makes the car feel tardy in quick manoeuvres”
