Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

English Vocabulary Builder > Words > Flashcards

Words Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Proverbs and Idioms flashcards Vocab Builder flashcards
1
Q

Soars

  • Whenever in this place, your confidence soars and all seems right with the world…
  • the bird spread its wings and soared into the air
A
  1. Fly or rise high in the air

2. Maintain height in the air without flapping wings or using engine power.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Wither

  • the grass had withered to an unappealing brown
  • it is not true that old myths either die or wither away
A
  1. (of a plant) become dry and shrivelled.

2. fall into decay or decline.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Gripe

  • it’s no use griping about your boss or your pay
  • spasmodic griping pains
  • a minor complaint
A
  1. complain about something in a persistent, irritating way.
  2. affect with gastric or intestinal pain.
  3. grasp tightly; clutch
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Shred

  • her dress was torn to shreds
  • we have not a shred of evidence to go on
  • we want to hear everything from country and western to blisteringly fast guitar shredding
A
  1. a strip of material, such as paper, cloth, or food, that has been torn, cut, or scraped from something larger
  2. a very small amount
  3. play a very fast, intricate style of rock lead guitar
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Strew

  • a small room with newspapers strewn all over the floor
  • the table was strewn with books and papers
  • leaves strewed the path
A
  1. scatter or spread (things) untidily over a surface or area
  2. cover (a surface or area) with untidily scattered things
  3. be scattered or spread untidily over (a surface or area)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Prey

  • A hawk hovered in the air before swooping on its prey.
A
  1. An animal that is hunted or killed by another for food
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Hover

  • I heard the noise of a helicopter hovering overhead.
  • A waiter hovered at the table, ready to take our order.
  • Inflation is hovering at three percent.
A
  1. to stay in one place in the air, usually by moving the wings quickly
  2. to stand somewhere, especially near another person, eagerly or nervously waiting for their attention
  3. to stay at or near a particular level
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Swoop

  • The eagle swooped down to snatch a young rabbit.
  • Undercover police swooped on three houses in the city at 5.00 this morning.
A
  1. to move very quickly and easily through the air, especially down from a height in order to attack
  2. to make a sudden attack on a place or group of people in order to surround and catch them
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Snatch

  • He snatched the photos out of my hand before I had a chance to look at them.
  • She had her purse snatched (= stolen) while she was shopping.
  • Maybe you’ll be able to snatch a couple of hours’ sleep before dinner.
A
  1. to take hold of something suddenly and roughly
  2. to take something or someone away by force
  3. to do or get something quickly because you only have a short amount of time
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Toil

  • Lindi has achieved her comfortable life only after years of hard toil
A
  1. hard work, especially work that makes you feel physically tired
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Endowment

  • The school has received an endowment of $50,000 to buy new books for the library.
  • There are tests that can establish a baby’s genetic endowment.
A
  1. money that is given to a college, hospital, etc. in order to provide it with an income, or the giving of this money
  2. something that you have from birth, often a quality
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Tacky

  • The shop sold tacky souvenirs and ornaments.
  • The pain was still tacky
A
  1. of cheap quality or in bad style

2. (especially of paint or glue) not completely dry

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Scum

  • The lake near the factory was covered with grey, foul-smelling scum.
  • People who organize dog fights are scum in my opinion!
A
  1. a layer of unpleasant or unwanted material that has formed on the top of a liquid
  2. a very bad or immoral person or group of people
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Gobsmacked

  • He was completely gobsmacked when he won the award.
A
  1. so surprised that you cannot speak
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Nuance

  • The painter has managed to capture every nuance of the woman’s expression.
A
  1. a very slight difference in appearance, meaning, sound, etc
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Haggard

  • He’d been drinking the night before and was looking a bit haggard.
A
  1. looking ill or tired, often with dark skin under the eyes
17
Q

Chuck sth away/out

  • I’ve chucked out all my old clothes.
A
  1. to throw something away
18
Q

Eerie

  • She heard the eerie noise of the wind howling through the trees
A
  1. strange in a frightening and mysterious way
19
Q

Twitch

  • He tried to suppress a smile but felt the corner of his mouth twitch
A
  1. to make a sudden small movement with a part of the body, usually without intending to
20
Q

Dwindle

  • The community has dwindled to a tenth of its former size in the last two years.
A
  1. to become smaller in size or amount, or fewer in number
21
Q

Spooky

  • It was a spooky coincidence.
A
  1. strange and frightening
22
Q

Garrison

  • The 100-strong garrison had received no supplies for a week.
A
  1. a group of soldiers living in or defending a town or building, or the buildings that the soldiers live in
23
Q

Hermit

  • he was living in the countryside for such a long time that looked like a hermit
A
  1. a person who lives alone and apart from the rest of society, especially for religious reasons
24
Q

Wrath

  • The people feared the wrath of God.
A
  1. extreme anger
25
Q

Contrived

  • I enjoyed the film but felt the ending was a bit contrived.
A
  1. artificial and difficult to believe
26
Q

Sloppy

  • Spelling mistakes always look sloppy in a formal letter
  • The batter was a bit sloppy so I added some more flour.
  • A sloppy love song
A
  1. not taking care or making an effort
  2. (of a substance) more liquid than it should be, often in a way that is unpleasant
  3. expressing feelings of love in a way that is silly or embarrassing
27
Q

Hasty

  • He warned against making hasty decisions.
A
  1. Hasty actions are done in a hurry, sometimes without the necessary care or thought
28
Q

Scab

  • I would just have scars once the scabs healed over, Mal would have serious problems for the rest of her life
A
  1. A dry, rough protective crust that forms over a cut or wound during healing.
29
Q

Rejoice

  • We spent the evening rejoicing at our victory.
A
  1. Feel or show great joy or delight
30
Q

Thrifty

  • Through the years we were very thrifty and spent and invested wisely,’ she says.
A
  1. Using money and other resources carefully and not wastefully.
31
Q

Acquaint

  • New staff should be acquainted with fire exit routes
A
  1. Make someone aware of or familiar with
32
Q

Pique

  • a white cotton piqué shirt
  • he left in a fit of pique
A
  1. Stiff fabric, typically cotton, woven in a strongly ribbed or raised pattern.
  2. A feeling of irritation or resentment resulting from a slight, especially to one’s pride.
33
Q

Bewildered

  • He sat up in bed, bewildered, unsure of where he was.
A
  1. confused and uncertain

English Vocabulary Builder (2 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions