Words & Expressions Flashcards
further from the truth.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Mischief
1
: a specific injury or damage attributed to a particular agent
the polished floor … often causes mischiefs—bruises, sprains, dislocations
Herbert Spencer
2
: a cause or source of harm, evil, or irritation
especially : a person who causes mischief
He’s a real mischief to his family.
3
a
: action that annoys or irritates
Halloween mischiefs
b
: the quality or state of being mischievous : MISCHIEVOUSNESS
had mischief in his eyes
For all the mischief this caused
broach
broach
1 of 3
noun
ˈbrōch
1
: BROOCH
wore a lovely broach on her lapel
2
: any of various pointed or tapered tools, implements, or parts: such as
a
: a spit for roasting meat
b
: a tool for tapping casks
c
: a cutting tool for removing material from metal or plastic to shape an outside surface or a hole
broach
2 of 3
verb (1)
broached; broaching; broaches
transitive verb
1
a
: to pierce (something, such as a cask) in order to draw the contents
also : to open for the first time
b
: to open up or break into (a mine, stores, etc.)
2
: to shape or enlarge (a hole) with a broach (see BROACH entry 1 sense 2c)
3
a
: to make known for the first time
b
: to open up (a subject) for discussion
a good time to broach the subject
intransitive verb
: to break the surface from below
the whale broached
broacher noun
broach
3 of 3
verb (2)
broached; broaching; broaches
intransitive verb
nautical : to veer or yaw dangerously so as to lie broadside to the waves —often used with to
Our ship broached to.
That the eventual reply to this motion didn’t even broach the subject of the alleged connection between the judge’s wife and the defendant undersocred for the court just how spurious this all was.
spurious
spurious v. adj. （声明、论据等）站不住脚的，谬误的；虚假的，伪造的
throw their hats into the ring
throw/toss one’s hat in/into the ring
idiom
: to announce that one is going to try to win a contest (such as an election)
Scholars from across the country will likely throw their hats into the ring, but don’t discount an NYU insider getting the nod.
getting the nod
Scholars from across the country will likely throw their hats into the ring, but don’t discount an NYU insider getting the nod.
decompress
decompressed; decompressing; decompresses
transitive verb
1
: to release from pressure or compression
2
: to convert (something, such as a compressed file or signal) to an expanded or original size
intransitive verb
: to undergo release from pressure
especially : RELAX
need a week off to decompress
Karp says the firm has not only turned away work and pushed back on client demands in the name of its attorneys’ health and wellness, but it has also forced lawyers and staff to take vacations to decompress
adamant
adamant
1 of 2
adjective
ad·a·mant ˈa-də-mənt -ˌmant
: unshakable or insistent especially in maintaining a position or opinion : UNYIELDING
an adamant insistence on doing things his own way
was adamant about making the change
adamant
2 of 2
noun
1
: a stone (such as a diamond) formerly believed to be of impenetrable hardness
2
: an unbreakable or extremely hard substance
“Trust not in your gold and silver, trust not in your high fortresses; for, though the walls were of iron, and the fortresses of adamant, the Most High shall put terror into your hearts and weakness into your councils …”
George Eliot
He was adamant through his deposition, however, that he did not recall ever talking to competitors about their supply and that such discussions were not the kind in which he would have engaged.
benchmarking
benchmark
1 of 2
noun
bench·mark ˈbench-ˌmärk
1
a
: something that serves as a standard by which others may be measured or judged
a stock whose performance is a benchmark against which other stocks can be measured
b
: a point of reference from which measurements may be made
c
: a standardized problem or test that serves as a basis for evaluation or comparison (as of computer system performance)
2
usually bench mark : a mark on a permanent object (such as a concrete post set into the ground) indicating elevation and serving as a reference in topographic surveys and tidal observations
benchmark
2 of 2
verb
benchmarked; benchmarking; benchmarks
transitive verb
business : to study (something, such as a competitor’s product or business practices) in order to improve the performance of one’s own company
He explained that such surveys would show your company’s relative competitive position and would also contain information about the rest of the industry that would serve as a benchmarking tool.
salvage
salvage
1 of 2
noun
sal·vage ˈsal-vij
1
a
: compensation paid for saving a ship or its cargo from the perils of the sea or for the lives and property rescued in a wreck
b
: the act of saving or rescuing a ship or its cargo
c
: the act of saving or rescuing property in danger (as from fire)
2
a
: property saved from destruction in a calamity (such as a wreck or fire)
b
: something extracted (as from rubbish) as valuable or useful
salvage
2 of 2
verb
salvaged; salvaging
transitive verb
: to rescue or save especially from wreckage or ruin
salvageability
ˌsal-vi-jə-ˈbi-lə-tē
noun
salvageable
ˈsal-vi-jə-bəl
adjective
salvager noun
Noun
The ship was beyond salvage.
the salvage from the wrecked ship
Verb
Divers salvaged some of the sunken ship’s cargo.
Few of their possessions were salvaged from the fire.
He is trying to salvage his marriage.
How can we salvage it? = how can we save it
iron out
1
: to make smooth or flat by or as if by pressing
2
: to resolve or work out a solution to
ironed out their differences
offbeat
offbeat
noun - an unaccented beat or portion of a beat in a musical measure
adjective - different fro the ordinary, usual or expected in usually an appealing way
He’s a comic with an offbeat sense of humor.
Her ideas are a little offbeat, but they are fresh and clever.
Antonyms conventional, ordinary
Similar Words eccentric, queer
Related Words: anomalous, bizarre, curious, daring, irregular, odd, original, outlandish, peculiar, quizzical, strange, unusual, weird
conglomerate
Syllables: con·glom·er·ate
Parts of speech: noun, adjective, transitive verb, intransitive verb
Features: Word Combinations (noun)
ramp-up
The term ramp up refers to when a company substantially increases its output in response to increased demand or an expected increase in the near-term
Armchair General
纸上谈兵
