Words Flashcards
Objection
N
the act of expressing or feeling opposition to or dislike of something or someone:
Her objection to/against the plan is based on incorrect facts.
A couple of people raised/voiced objections to the proposal.
[ + that ] I have no objection except that it may cost more than expected.
Shrug off
to treat something as if it is not important or not a problem:
The stock market shrugged off the economic gloom and rose by 1.5 percent.
You’re a father and you can’t simply shrug off your responsibility for your children.
Debate
N
(a) serious discussion of a subject in which many people take part:
Education is the current focus of public debate.
How we proceed from here is a matter for debate.
Over the year we have had several debates about future policy.
Significant
adj
important or noticeable:
There has been a significant increase in the number of women students in recent years.
The talks between the USA and the USSR were very significant for the relationship between the two countries.
Versus
Preposition
used to say that one team or person is competing against another:
Tomorrow’s game is Newcastle versus Arsenal.
fierce
adjective
physically violent and frightening:
a fierce attack/battle
Two men were shot during fierce fighting last weekend.
controversy
noun
a lot of disagreement or argument about something, usually because it affects or is important to many people:
There was a big controversy surrounding/over the use of drugs in athletics.
The policy has caused fierce/heated controversy ever since it was introduced.
reiterate
verb [ T ] formal
to say something again, once or several times:
The government has reiterated its refusal to compromise with terrorists.
[ + that ] She reiterated that she had never seen him before.
Synonyms
repeat restate
proponent
noun [ C ]
a person who speaks publicly in support of a particular idea or plan of action:
He is one of the leading proponents of capital punishment.
Synonyms
advocate exponentsupporter
Compare
opponent
cautious
adjective
Someone who is cautious avoids risks:
He’s a cautious driver.
neuroticism
noun [ U ]
the condition of often feeling worried and nervous, often because of a mental illness:
Researchers found that high levels of neuroticism were linked to lower life expectancy.
Compare
neurosis
entitlement
noun
U ]
something that you have a right to do or have, or the right to do or have something:
pension/holiday entitlements
Managers have generous leave entitlement.
[ U ] disapproving
the feeling that you have the right to do or have what you want without having to work for it or deserve it, just because of who you are:
a classic case of male entitlement
rivalry
noun [ C or U ]
C2
a situation in which people, businesses, etc. compete with each other for the same thing:
There’s such rivalry among/between my three sons.
There’s fierce rivalry for the job/to get the job.
Synonyms
competition
contention
mediator
noun [ C ]
a person whose job is to mediate in a disagreement (= talk to the people or groups involved to help them find a solution):
The governor appointed a mediator and asked both sides to return to the bargaining table.
Trained mediators are extremely effective and have reduced bullying dramatically.
See
mediate
insignificant
adjective
small or not noticeable, and therefore not considered important :
Why bother arguing about such an insignificant amount of money?
The difference between the two results was insignificant.
tendency
noun [ C ]
Meaning of tendency in English
tendency
noun [ C ]
UK /ˈten.dən.si/ US /ˈten.dən.si/
C1
If someone has a tendency to do or like something, they will probably do it or like it:
[ + to infinitive ] His tendency to exaggerate is well known.
Synonyms
inclination (FEELING)persuasion (BELIEFS)
If there is a tendency for something to happen, it is likely to happen or it often happens:
There is a tendency for unemployment to rise in the summer.
If there is a tendency to do something, it starts to happen more often or starts to increase:
[ + to infinitive ] There is a growing tendency to regard money more highly than quality of life.
appeal
noun
a request to the public for money, information, or help:
They’re launching (= starting) an appeal to raise money for famine victims.
[ + to infinitive ] The police have issued an appeal to the public to stay away from the area over the weekend.
Synonyms
entreatyplea (REQUEST) formalprayerrequest
accuse
V
to say that someone has done something morally wrong, illegal, or unkind:
“It wasn’t my fault.” “Don’t worry, I’m not accusing you.”
He’s been accused of robbery/murder.
Are you accusing me of lying?
The surgeon was accused of negligence.
negligence
N
the fact of not giving enough care or attention to someone or something:
medical negligence
dominant
adjective
more important, strong, or noticeable than anything else of the same type:
a dominant military power
Unemployment will be a dominant issue at the next election.
BIOLOGY specialized A dominant gene is one that always produces a particular characteristic in a person, plant, or animal: The gene for brown eyes is dominant. Compare recessive
PSYCHOLOGY specialized
liking to take control in a group and having natural authority:
The females breed with dominant males that establish and defend territories.
You can have a dominant personality without being a bully.
transcend
verb [ T ] formal
to go further, rise above, or be more important or better than something, especially a limit:
The best films are those which transcend national or cultural barriers.
The underlying message of the film is that love transcends everything else.
entrepreneur
noun [ C ]
someone who starts their own business, especially when this involves seeing a new opportunity:
He was one of the entrepreneurs of the 80s who made their money in property.
cerebral
adjective
relating to the brain or the cerebrum:
He suffered a cerebral haemorrhage.
The patients frequently had a history of disease leading to cerebral damage.
formal
demanding or involving careful thinking and mental effort rather than feelings:
She makes cerebral films that deal with important social issues.
Chess is cerebral; video games are visceral.
formal
intelligent and serious, and enjoying serious thought rather than emotion:
His problem wasn’t his policies; it was his personality. He was simply too cerebral and too out of touch with Middle America.
visceral
adjective
based on deep feeling and emotional reactions rather than on reason or thought:
visceral hatred/excitement
His approach to acting is visceral rather than intellectual.
anguish
noun [ U ]
extreme unhappiness caused by physical or mental suffering:
His anguish at the outcome of the court case was very clear.
In her anguish she forgot to leave a message.
confrontation
noun
confrontation
noun [ C or U ]
UK /ˌkɒn.frʌnˈteɪ.ʃən/ US /ˌkɑːn.frənˈteɪ.ʃən/
C2
a fight or argument:
Some couples seem to like confrontation, but Josh and I hardly ever argue.
There were violent confrontations between police and demonstrators.
Synonym
showdown
de-escalate
verb [ I or T ]
to (cause to) become less dangerous or difficult:
The government has taken these measures in an attempt to de-escalate the conflict.
There are signs that the confrontation is beginning to de-escalate.
Synonym
wind (sth) down
Opposite
escalate
Meaning of all-inclusive in English
all-inclusive
adjective
including everything:
a seven-night all-inclusive package
an all-inclusive resort
Caribbean
belonging to or relating to Caribbean islands and countries, or their people:
Caribbean food
evaluate
verb [ T ]
to judge or calculate the quality, importance, amount, or value of something:
It’s impossible to evaluate these results without knowing more about the research methods employed.
[ + question word ] We shall need to evaluate how the new material stands up to wear and tear.
dispute
noun [ C or U ]
an argument or disagreement, especially an official one between, for example, workers and employers or two countries with a common border:
a bitter/long-running dispute
a border dispute
a pay/legal/trade dispute
They have been unable to settle/resolve the dispute over working conditions.
The unions are in dispute with management over pay.
interpretation
noun [ C or U ]
an explanation or opinion of what something means:
The dispute is based on two widely differing interpretations of the law.
The rules are vague and open to interpretation.
It is difficult for many people to accept a literal interpretation of the Bible.
prosperous
adjective
successful, usually by earning a lot of money:
In a prosperous country like this, no one should go hungry.
Synonyms
flourishingwell-to-do
hence
adverb forma
that is the reason or explanation for:
His mother was Italian, hence his name - Luca.
Synonym
therefore
flee
verb [ I or T,
to escape by running away, especially because of danger or fear:
She fled (from) the room in tears.
In order to escape capture, he fled to the mountains.
expel
verb [ T ]
UK /ɪk
to force someone to leave a school, organization, or country:
The new government has expelled all foreign diplomats.
My brother was expelled from school for bad behaviour.
short of something
not having enough of something:
I’m a little short of cash right now, so I can’t lend you anything.
She ran a little farther and then stopped, feeling short of breath (= felt as if she did not have enough air).
Short of something also means not including something:
There must be some punishment you can give him short of expelling him from school.
approach
verb
to come near or nearer to something or someone in space, time, quality, or amount:
We could just see the train approaching in the distance.
If you look out of the window on the left, you’ll see that we’re now approaching the Eiffel Tower.
I see it’s approaching lunchtime, so let’s take a break.
In my opinion, no other composers even begin to approach (= come near in quality to) Mozart.
The total amount raised so far is approaching (= almost) $1,000.
He’s very active for a man approaching 80 (= who is almost 80 years old).
to deal with something:
I’m not sure how to approach the problem.
to speak to, write to, or visit someone in order to do something such as make a request or business agreement:
We’ve just approached the bank for/about a loan.
She’s been approached by a modelling agency.
approach
noun
a way of considering or doing something:
Since our research so far has not produced any answers to this problem, we need to adopt a different approach to it.
I’ve just read an interesting book which has a new approach to Shakespeare.
Michael is always very logical in his approach.
steep
adjective
of a slope) rising or falling at a sharp angle:
a steep slope
It’s a steep climb to the top of the mountain, but the view is worth it.
The castle is set on a steep hill/hillside.
C1
A steep rise or fall is one that goes very quickly from low to high or from high to low:
There has been a steep increase/rise in prices.
demand
verb [ T ]
to ask for something forcefully, in a way that shows that you do not expect to be refused:
I demanded an explanation.
The union is demanding a seven percent pay rise this year.
He has always demanded the highest standards of behaviour from his children.
[ + speech ] “And where do you think you’re going?” demanded the police officer.
[ + to infinitive ] I demand to see the manager.
[ + that ] She demanded that he return the books he borrowed from her.
currency
noun
the money that is used in a particular country at a particular time:
foreign currency
recession
noun [ C or U ]
a period when the economy of a country is not successful and conditions for business are bad:
The country is sliding into the depths of (a) recession.
persistent
Adj
lasting for a long time or difficult to get rid of:
a persistent smell/skin rash
Symptoms of the illness include a high temperature and a persistent dry cough.
There have been persistent rumours that the principal might take early retirement.
C2
Someone who is persistent continues doing something or tries to do something in a determined but often unreasonable way:
Be persistent - don’t give up.
He has been a persistent critic of the president.
She is a persistent offender and has been arrested five times this year for shoplifting.
determine
verb
1 [ T often passive ]
to control or influence something directly, or to decide what will happen:
The number of staff we can take on will be determined by how much money we’re allowed to spend.
Your health is determined in part by what you eat.
Eye colour is genetically determined.
[ + question word ] formal Officials will determine whether or not the game will be played.
People should be allowed to determine their own future.
[ T ] formal
to make a strong decision:
[ + that ] She determined that one day she would be an actor.
[ + to infinitive ] On leaving jail, Joe determined to reform.
offender
noun [ C ] LAW
2 a person who is guilty of a crime: first-time offenders sex offenders young offenders Synonyms criminal crook (CRIMINAL) informalculpritevildoerfelon specializedthe guilty party
close-knit
adjective
If a group of people are close-knit, they all help and support each other:
a close-knit family/community
curious
adjective
B1
interested in learning about people or things around you:
I was curious to know what would happen next.
Babies are curious about everything around them.
“Why did you ask?” “I was just curious.”
UK
strange and unusual:
There was a curious-looking man standing outside.
A curious thing happened to me yesterday.
It’s curious (that) Billy hasn’t phoned when he promised he would.
Synonyms
bizarreeccentric (STRANGE)eerie
take after sb
— phrasal verb with take verb
to be similar to an older member of your family in appearance or character:
He takes after his mother/his mother’s side of the family.
resemble
verb [ T ]
to look like or be like someone or something:
You resemble your mother very closely.
After the earthquake, the city resembled a battlefield.
lousy
adjective
very bad: lousy food/service a lousy book I had a lousy weekend. I feel lousy - I'm going home.
furious
adjective
2
extremely angry:
I was late and he was furious with me.
He’s furious about/at the way he’s been treated.
We had a furious debate about the death penalty.
Synonyms
angry (EMOTIONAL)apoplecticbe beside yourselfcross mainly UKincandescent (QUALITY)incensediratelivid (ANGRY)mad (ANGRY) informalseething (angry)sore (ANGRY) US informalwrathful
offended
adjective
upset and angry, often because someone has been rude:
Many staff members were deeply offended by his email.
bicker
verb [ I ]
to argue about things that are not important:
Will you two stop bickering!
They’re always bickering with each other about/over their personal problems.
Synonym
quibble disapproving
bicker
verb [ I ]
to argue about things that are not important:
Will you two stop bickering!
They’re always bickering with each other about/over their personal problems.
Synonym
quibble disapproving
mortgage
noun [ C ]
an agreement that allows you to borrow money from a bank or similar organization, especially in order to buy a house, or the amount of money itself:
They took out a £40o,000 mortgage (= they borrowed £40o,000) to buy the house.
a monthly mortgage payment
penalize
verb [ T ] (UK usually penalise)
UK
to cause someone a disadvantage:
The present tax system penalizes poor people.
The system should ensure that borrowers are not penalized by sudden rises in mortgage rates.
distinctive
adjective
Something that is distinctive is easy to recognize because it is different from other things:
a distinctive smell/taste
She’s got a very distinctive voice.
vicious
adjective
Vicious people or actions show an intention or wish to hurt someone or something very badly:
a vicious thug
a vicious dog
The police said that this was one of the most vicious attacks they’d ever seen.
He gave her a vicious look.
veer
verb [ I + adv/prep ]
UK
to change direction:
All of a sudden, the car veered off the road.
Moments before crashing, the jet was seen veering sharply to the right.
Three men were feared dead last night after a helicopter veered off course into an oil platform.
Our talk soon veered onto the subject of money.
avert
verb [ T ]
to prevent something bad from happening: to avert a crisis/conflict/strike/famine to avert disaster/economic collapse Synonym avoid
crisis
noun
a time of great disagreement, confusion, or suffering:
The country’s leadership is in crisis.
an economic/financial crisis
We have a family crisis on my hands - my 16-year-old sister is pregnant.
[ C ]
an extremely difficult or dangerous point in a situation:
crisis talks
A mediator has been called in to resolve the crisis.
constant
adjective
happening a lot or all the time:
He’s in constant trouble with the police.
machines that are in constant use
volatile
adjective
likely to change suddenly and unexpectedly, especially by getting worse:
Food and fuel prices are very volatile in a war situation.
The situation was made more volatile by the fact that people had been drinking a lot of alcohol.
fluctuate
verb [ I ]
to change, especially continuously and between one level or thing and another:
Vegetable prices fluctuate according to the season.
Her wages fluctuate between £150 and £200 a week.
Her weight fluctuates wildly.
fluctuating prices
projection
noun
a calculation or guess about the future based on information that you have:
The company has failed to achieve last year’s sales projections by 30 percent.
partial
adjective
not complete:
The general has ordered a partial withdrawal of troops from the area.
withdrawal
noun
when you take money out of a bank account:
The bank became suspicious after several large withdrawals were made from his account in a single week.
[ C or U ]
the process or action of a military force moving out of an area:
The commander-in-chief was given 36 hours to secure a withdrawal of his troops from the combat zone.
the act or process of taking something away so that it is no longer available, or of someone stopping being involved in an activity:
Doctors demanded the withdrawal of the drug (from the market) after several cases of dangerous side-effects were reported.
Her sudden withdrawal from the championship caused a lot of press speculation about her health
. behaviour in which someone prefers to be alone and does not want to talk to other people:
Withdrawal is a classic symptom of depression.
withdrawal
noun [ C/U ]
US /wɪθˈdrɔ·əl, wɪð-/
an act of taking something back, removing something, or moving something back:
[ C ] a troop withdrawal
[ C ] He had made several large withdrawals from his bank account (= He had taken out a lot of money).
[ C ] Her sudden withdrawal from the competition surprised everyone.
