Words I come across daily II Flashcards
if people in a theatre, cinema etc are ?ing in the ? , they are laughing a lot
be rolling in the aisles
if people in a theatre, cinema etc are rolling in the aisles, they are laughing a lot
? a ? in (?)
to get a chance to say something
Once George starts talking it’s difficult to ______.
get a word in (edgeways)
to get a chance to say something
Once George starts talking it’s difficult to get a word in edgeways.
? the ? ? the ?
to bravely or confidently deal with a difficult, dangerous, or unpleasant problem
Nora decided to _ and organize things for herself.
take the bull by the horns
to bravely or confidently deal with a difficult, dangerous, or unpleasant problem
Nora decided to take the bull by the horns and organize things for herself.
verb [intransitive, transitive]
if a boat _, or if you _it, it turns over in the water
cap‧size /kæpˈsaɪz $ ˈkæpsaɪz/ verb [intransitive, transitive]
if a boat capsizes, or if you capsize it, it turns over in the water
if someone or something is ??, it has everyone’s attention, or is very important
Anne’s sculpture took _at the show.
The UN has moved to the _ of world politics.
centre stage
if someone or something is centre stage, it has everyone’s attention, or is very important
Anne’s sculpture TOOK centre stage at the show.
The UN has MOVED TO the centre stage of world politics.
* As she says herself, this is one lady born to be centre stage.
adjective
angry and surprised because you feel insulted or unfairly treated
_ at/about
Liz was _ at the way her child had been treated.
an _reply
in‧dig‧nant /ɪnˈdɪɡnənt/ adjective
angry and surprised because you feel insulted or unfairly treated
indignant at/about
Liz was indignant at the way her child had been treated.
an indignant reply
—indignantly adverb
‘Of course I didn’t tell her!’ Sasha said indignantly.
adjective
bad-tempered, unhappy, and silent
Daniel seems very _ and gloomy.
mo‧rose /məˈrəʊs $ -ˈroʊs/ adjective
bad-tempered, unhappy, and silent
Daniel seems very morose and gloomy.
(I notice that I tend to be quite morose at the end of my cycle.)
—morosely adverb
He stared morosely at the floor.
—moroseness noun [uncountable]
(of the weather) unpleasantly warm and humid.
“it was a hot, very _ evening”
mug·gy
/ˈmʌɡi/
= humid
(of the weather) unpleasantly warm and humid.
“it was a hot, very muggy evening”
polite, confident, and relaxed, sometimes in an insincere way SYN smooth
suave /swɑːv/ adjective
someone who is suave is polite, confident, and relaxed, sometimes in an insincere way SYN smooth
a suave and sophisticated gentleman
—suavely adverb
—suavity /ˈswɑː.və.ti/, suaveness noun [uncountable]
adjective
friendly but quite polite and formal
cordial adjective
/ˈkɔːdiəl $ ˈkɔːrdʒəl/
friendly but quite polite and formal
The talks were conducted in a cordial atmosphere.
—cordiality /ˌkɔːdiˈæləti $ ˌkɔːrdʒiˈæ-, kɔːrˈdʒæ-/ noun [uncountable]
? noun
1 [countable] a valuable bright green stone that is often used in jewellery
2 [uncountable] a bright green colour
em‧e‧rald /ˈemərəld/ noun
1 [countable] a valuable bright green stone that is often used in jewellery (ngọc lục bảo)
2 [uncountable] a bright green colour
hard ? = hard work
[uncountable] especially British English informal hard work
Our success has been due to sheer hard graft.
??
used to emphasize that someone is the best of a particular group
bar none
used to emphasize that someone is the best of a particular group
He’s the most talented actor in the country, bar none.
having a lot of knowledge or information about a particular subject
en‧cy‧clo‧pe‧dic (also encyclopaedic British English) /ɪnˌsaɪkləˈpiːdɪk◂/ adjective
having a lot of knowledge or information about a particular subject
an encyclopedic knowledge of medieval literature
< => en‧cy‧clo‧pe‧di‧a (also encyclopaedia British English) /ɪnˌsaɪkləˈpiːdiə/ ●○○ noun [countable]
a book or CD, or a set of these, containing facts about many different subjects, or containing detailed facts about one subject
the Encyclopedia of Music
adverb formal
in a way that is very noticeable or unusual
sin‧gu‧lar‧ly /ˈsɪŋɡjələli $ -lərli/ adverb formal
in a way that is very noticeable or unusual
a singularly foolish plan
He has singularly failed to live up to his promises.
So weirdly, the singularly pleasurable part about teaching is learning.
? a ?
informal make a rude sound by putting your tongue out and blowing
blow a raspberry (also give a raspberry American English)
informal a rude sound that you make by putting your tongue out and blowing
She blew a raspberry at him as he drove off.
?
(mainly US informal)
having strong, well-developed muscles, especially as a result of working out (= exercising in order to improve the strength or appearance of your body):
jacked
adjective mainly US informal
UK /dʒækt/ US /dʒækt/
having strong, well-developed muscles, especially as a result of working out (= exercising in order to improve the strength or appearance of your body):
He was trying to get himself jacked for the photoshoot.
These female weightlifters are absolutely jacked.
adj
having your attention completely held by something, so that you cannot think about anything else
spellbound
adjective
UK /ˈspel.baʊnd/ US /ˈspel.baʊnd/
having your attention completely held by something, so that you cannot think about anything else:
The children listened to the story spellbound.
He held his audience spellbound.
Synonym
fascinated
phrasal verb
(CONFUSE)
to cause an amount to be wrong or a person to be confused
throw off something/someone
phrasal verb
(CONFUSE)
to cause an amount to be wrong or a person to be confused:
They left very rich people out of the study so their spending would not throw off the results.
A busy morning can throw off my entire daily schedule.
phrasal verb
UK /kʊk/ US /kʊk/
informal
to invent a story, plan, etc., usually dishonestly:
cook something up
phrasal verb
UK /kʊk/ US /kʊk/
informal
to invent a story, plan, etc., usually dishonestly:
She cooked up some weird scheme that was going to earn her a fortune.
I had to cook up an excuse about my car breaking down.
typical of a person:
on brand
typical of a person:
Always late - that’s so on-brand.
I came with a duffel bag and left with a big suitcase - very on-brand for me.
adjective
strongly believing in religion, and living in a way that shows this belief:
pious
adjective
UK /ˈpaɪ.əs/ US /ˈpaɪ.əs/
(RELIGIOUS)
strongly believing in religion, and living in a way that shows this belief:
She is a pious follower of the faith, never missing her prayers.
a child who is regularly absent from school without permission
truant
noun
UK /ˈtruː.ənt/ US /ˈtruː.ənt/
[ C ] a child who is regularly absent from school without permission:
Police reports showed that the vast majority of crime committed by children was carried out by truants.
play truant UK (US usually play hooky)
to be regularly absent from school without permission:
Most parents are horrified when they discover their children have been playing truant from school.
Pronounce ‘high’ and ‘higher’
high
adjective
UK /haɪ/ US /haɪ/
higher
adjective
UK /ˈhaɪ.ər/ US /ˈhaɪ.ɚ/
decided or controlled by law:
_____ obligations
statutory
adjective
UK /ˈstætʃ.ə.tər.i/ US /ˈstætʃ.ə.tɔːr.i/
decided or controlled or required by law:
statutory obligations
In France everybody is entitled to a statutory 25 days a year holiday.
You have no statutory authority to order anybody to make a refund.
statutory duty/obligations/responsibilities
When managing agents are dealing with other people’s money, it is vital that this is covered by statutory regulation.
Unions want a statutory right to time off for training.
The Board of Management will submit the annual statutory accounts.
The government wants to increase the turnover threshold above which companies are required to have a statutory audit of their annual accounts.
the physical punishment of people, especially of children, by hitting them
corporal punishment
noun [ U ]
uk /ˌkɔː.pər.əl ˈpʌn.ɪʃ.mənt/ us /ˌkɔːr.pɚ.əl ˈpʌn.ɪʃ.mənt/
the physical punishment of people, especially of children, by hitting them
(of a person) very intelligent and skilful, or (of a thing) skilfully made or planned and involving new ideas and methods:
ingenious
adjective
uk /ɪnˈdʒiː.ni.əs/ us /ɪnˈdʒiː.ni.əs/
(of a person) very intelligent and skilful, or (of a thing) skilfully made or planned and involving new ideas and methods:
an ingenious idea/method/solution
Johnny is so ingenious - he can make the most remarkable sculptures from the most ordinary materials.
Synonyms
clevercunning
honest, sincere, and trusting, sometimes in a way that seems silly:
ingenuous
adjective formal
uk /ɪnˈdʒen.ju.əs/ us /ɪnˈdʒen.ju.əs/
honest, sincere, and trusting, sometimes in a way that seems silly:
It has to be said it was rather ingenuous of him to ask a complete stranger to take care of his luggage.
Opposite
disingenuous formal
If you could do something ? your ? ?/?, you could do it very easily because you have done it many times:
noticing nothing:
with your eyes closed/shut
idiom
If you could do something with your eyes closed or shut, you could do it very easily because you have done it many times:
I could do that journey with my eyes shut.
noticing nothing:
Half the time you go around with your eyes shut.
C2
thought not to be completely true or not able to be trusted:
C2
feeling doubt or not feeling certain:
dubious
adjective
uk /ˈdʒuː.bi.əs/ us /ˈduː.bi.əs/
Add to word list
C2
thought not to be completely true or not able to be trusted:
These claims are dubious and not scientifically proven.
He has been associated with some dubious characters.
dubious distinction Ruth Ellis has the dubious (= bad) distinction of being the last woman to be hanged in Britain.
C2
feeling doubt or not feeling certain:
dubious about I’m dubious about his promises to change his ways.
very unpleasant or rude:
Synonym
objectionable formal
obnoxious
adjective disapproving
uk /əbˈnɒk.ʃəs/ us /əbˈnɑːk.ʃəs/
very unpleasant or rude:
Some of his colleagues say that he’s loud and obnoxious.
When she’s in a bad mood she’s obnoxious to everyone.
Synonym
objectionable formal
If you drink something to the ?, you drink all of it:
to the dregs
collocation
If you drink something to the dregs, you drink all of it:
He drained his glass to the dregs and asked for another.
She had drunk her evening cocoa to its dregs.
often disapproving
until only very few parts of something are left, often the worst parts:
By this time the company was down to the dregs of its cash reserves.
Now the team has been reduced to the dregs.
the small solid pieces that sink to the bottom of some liquids, such as wine or coffee, that are not usually drunk:
sometimes disapproving
parts of something that are left after most of it has gone:
dregs
noun [ plural ]
uk /dreɡz/ us /dreɡz/
the small solid pieces that sink to the bottom of some liquids, such as wine or coffee, that are not usually drunk:
I wanted a last drink of coffee, but there were only dregs left.
dregs of He emptied the dregs of his tea into the sink.
to the dregs She had drunk her coffee down to the dregs (= finished it).
sometimes disapproving
parts of something that are left after most of it has gone:
dregs of She was still suffering from the dregs of a flu virus.
to the dregs By this time the company was down to the dregs of its cash reserves.
They get all the best food and we get the dregs.
C2 [ U ]
a sad feeling of accepting something that you do not like because you cannot easily change it:
resignation
noun
uk /ˌrez.ɪɡˈneɪ.ʃən/ us /ˌrez.ɪɡˈneɪ.ʃən/
resignation noun (JOB)
C2 [ U ]
a sad feeling of accepting something that you do not like because you cannot easily change it:
They received the news with resignation.
C2 [ C or U ]
the act of telling your employer that you are leaving your job:
There have been calls for his resignation.
I handed in/gave in/sent in my resignation this morning.
