words L 64 -142 Flashcards
brusque
quick and rude in manner or speech:
- His secretary was a little brusque with me.
irascible
made angry easily:
- She’s becoming more and more irascible as she grows older.
synonyms : bad tempered , choleric , short tempered
exhilarated
very excited and happy:
- At the end of the race I was exhilarated
blithe
happy and without worry:
- She shows a blithe disregard for danger.
light-hearted
ambivalent
having two opposing feelings at the same time, or being uncertain about how you feel:
-I felt very ambivalent about leaving home.
-He has fairly ambivalent feelings towards his father.
-an ambivalent attitude to exercise
ambiguous,equivocal
melancholic
expressing feelings of sadness:
-a melancholic expression
- melancholic songs
sad
dour
(usually of a person’s appearance or manner) unfriendly, unhappy, and very serious:
- The normally dour Mr James was photographed smiling and joking with friends.
morose
abstruse
not known or understood by many people:
-an abstruse philosophical essay
recondite , obsure
pellucid
very clear and shining , very clear in meaning and easy to understand:
- the pellucid light of a spring morning
- the pellucid water
- He writes in pellucid prose.
recondite
not known about by many people and difficult to understand:
-We had to work from material that was both complex and recondite.
abstruce
arcane
mysterious and known only by a few people:
- He was the only person who understood all the arcane details of the agreement.
-This argument may seem arcane to those not closely involved in the world of finance.
morose
unhappy, annoyed, and unwilling to speak or smile
-a morose expression
-Why are you so morose these days?
dour , glum , saturnine
saturnine
serious and unfriendly:
-a saturnine character/look
morose
fortnight
a period of two weeks
-a fortnight’s holiday
-once a fortnight
bimonthly
happening or appearing every two months or twice a month:
-a bimonthly publication/report
antediluvian
extremely old-fashioned:
-My mother has some hopelessly antediluvian ideas about the role of women.
antiquated
fin-de-siècle
relating to the end of the 19th century, especially the art, culture, and morals of the period:
- The novel begins with an evocative description of fin-de-siècle Paris.
crepuscular
relating to or like the time of day just before the sun goes down, when the light is not bright
- Deer are crepuscular, meaning that they are most active at dawn and at dusk.
insipid
not having a strong taste or character, or having no interest or energy:
- a pale insipid wine
-He’s an insipid old bore.
-Why anyone buys music with such insipid lyrics is a mystery.
vapid
showing no intelligence or imagination:
-a vapid reality TV show
-He’s attractive, but vapid.
succulent
Succulent food is pleasantly juicy:
- a succulent peach.
- a big piece of succulent steak
briny
salty,the sea:
- Do you fancy a dip in the briny?
acrid
An acrid smell or taste is strong and bitter and causes a burning feeling in the throat:
-Clouds of acrid smoke issued from the building.
toothsome
attractive or pleasant
palatable
Palatable food or drink has a pleasant taste:
- a very palatable wine
ennui
a feeling of being bored and mentally tired caused by having nothing interesting or exciting to do:
-The whole country seems to be affected by the ennui of winter.
boredrom
stultifying
preventing new ideas from developing:
- These countries are trying to shake off the stultifying effects of several decades of state control.
effervescent
An effervescent liquid produces bubbles of gas,active, positive, and full of energy:
- She’s one of those effervescent personalities that you often see hosting TV game shows.
- effervescent vitamin C supplements
buoyant
successful or making a profit,happy and confident::
-The housing market remains buoyant.
- After reading the letter he was in a buoyant mood.
insufferable
very annoying, unpleasant, or uncomfortable, and therefore extremely difficult to bear:
-She disliked the president, whom she once described as an “insufferable bore”.
-The underground is insufferable in this heat.
unconscionable
morally unacceptable:
-To make people feel shame or guilt for being ill is unconscionable.
impertinent
rude and not showing respect, especially towards someone older or in a higher position than you:
- I hope he didn’t think I was being impertinent when I asked him about his private life.
immaterial
not important, or not relating to the subject you are thinking about:
- immaterial (to) Whether the book is well or badly written is immaterial (to me) - it has an important message.
inflammable
An inflammable substance or material burns very easily:
-a highly inflammable liquid such as petrol
unnerve
to make someone feel less confident and slightly frightened:
- I think it unnerved me to be interviewed by so many people.
cogent
Clear and persuasive.
-He makes a cogent argument for improving early childhood education.
buttress
to build buttresses to support a building or structure:
- It was decided to buttress the crumbling walls.
garish
unpleasantly bright:
- a pair of garish Bermuda shorts
hapless
unlucky and usually unhappy:
- hapless victim Many children are hapless victims of this war
panache
a stylish, original, and very confident way of doing things that makes people admire you:
- The orchestra played with great panache.
- He dressed with panache.
fatuous
stupid, not correct, or not carefully thought about:
a fatuous idea
protean
easily and continuously changing:
- the protean talents of this comedian
cerulean
deep blue in colour
chartreuse
Yellowish green.
The stained-glass windows were a mix of chartreuse and burgundy.
mauve
Pale purple.
In the morning light, the clouds dotting the horizon were little daubs of mauve.
maroon
to leave someone in a place from which they cannot escape:
Blackbeard deliberately wrecked his ship and marooned his men before making off with their treasure.
flamboyant
very confident in your behaviour, and liking to be noticed by other people, for example because of the way you dress, talk, etc.:
- a flamboyant gesture
- The writer’s flamboyant lifestyle was well known.
blackball
to vote against allowing someone to be a member of an organization or group:
- He was initially blackballed because of a dispute he once had with a couple of the committee members.
cynosure
a person or thing that is so good or beautiful that it attracts a lot of attention
blue
feeling or showing sadness
उदास
He’s been a bit blue since she left him.
outlandish
strange and unusual and difficult to accept or like:
an outlandish hairstyle/outfit
Ruddy
used to avoid saying bloody to express anger:
- Ruddy hell!
purple
Describing writing that tries to be too elaborate and fancy.
frugal
careful when using money or food, or (of a meal) cheap or small in amount:
- a frugal lifestyle
- a frugal meal of bread and soup
magnanimous
very kind and generous towards an enemy or someone you have defeated:
- The team’s manager was magnanimous in victory, and praised the losing team.
munificent
very generous with money:
- A former student has donated a munificent sum of money to the college.
miserly
someone who has a great desire to possess money and hates to spend it, sometimes living like a poor person because of this:
- On environmental spending, the president is a miser.
largesse
willingness to give money, or money given to poor people by rich people:
- The medical foundation will be the main beneficiary of the millionaire’s largesse.
hedonist
someone who tries to have as much pleasure as possible, according to the belief that the most important thing in life is to enjoy yourself:
- The Marquis de Sade was a hedonist who believed there should be no limits on human behaviour.
- Wilson, a bachelor, is a heavy drinker and a womanizer, but he’s not a simple hedonist.
prodigal
spending or using large amounts of money, time, energy, etc., especially in a way that is not very wise:
The prodigal landlord spends the money as fast as he receives it.
sybarite
A person who indulges in highly luxurious and sensual things.
A sybarite could easily spend all day at a spa, getting one luxurious treatment after another
profligate
spending money or using something in a way that wastes it and is not wise:
She is well-known for her profligate spending habits.
The profligate use of antibiotics has led to the evolution of resistant bacteria.
extravagant,spendthrift
epicurean
getting pleasure from food and drink of high quality
-Her sandwiches include such epicurean delights as liverwurst and jelly.
hamstring
to limit the amount of something that can be done or the ability or power of someone to do something:
The company was hamstrung by traditional but inefficient ways of conducting business.
aquiline
of or like an eagle (= large bird):
an aquiline nose (= a nose curved like an eagle’s beak)
He is tall and slender, with black hair, dark blue eyes, and an aquiline nose.
sanguine
(of someone or someone’s character) positive and hoping for good things:
They are less sanguine about the prospects for peace.
choleric
very angry or easily annoyed
bilious
If someone is bilious, they are always in a bad mood,extremely unpleasant::
- a bilious old man
- His shirt was a bilious shade of green.
sartorial
relating to the making of clothes, usually men’s clothes, or to a way of dressing:
sartorial elegance
narcissist
someone who has too much admiration for himself or herself
Herculean
needing great strength and determination:
- Herculean effort I sometimes feel so weak that even getting out of bed is a Herculean effort.
- Herculean task She faces the Herculean task of bringing up four children single-handedly.
chimera
a hope or dream that is very unlikely ever to come true:
Is the ideal of banishing hunger throughout the world just a chimera?
Elysian
relating to heaven:
- the Elysian fields of the next world
apollonian
Relating to people’s rational side.
cherub
a beautiful and well-behaved child
-Here he painted an arbor pierced by oculi opening to glimpses of playful cherubs.
sublime
extremely good, beautiful, or enjoyable:
sublime beauty
The book has sublime descriptive passages.
ethereal
light and delicate, especially in an unnatural way:
an ethereal being
ethereal beauty
ethereal music
an ethereal beauty
seraphic
beautiful in a way that suggests that someone is morally good and pure:
a seraphic smile
theodicy
the question of how God can exist when there is evil in the world, or a good reason or explanation for this :
-Theodicy is the problem of how to reconcile a just God with a world containing evil.
-It is impossible for her to produce a theodicy for horrendous infant suffering.
empyrean
relating to heaven or the sky.
“the empyrean domain where human will and God’s will became as one”
numinous
having a deep spiritual (= religious) quality or connection:
the numinous mysteries of Mozart, Schumann, and Mahler
cleave
to separate or divide, or cause something to separate or divide, often violently:
- With one blow of the knight’s axe, he clove the rock in twain (= into two pieces).
sanction
To penalize, punish or to allow, authorize.
-The rogue regime was sanctioned by trade embargos from neighboring countries hoping to force the dictator out of power.
buckle
To fasten or to collapse.
The racecar drivers buckled their belt harnesses to protect them in the event of a crash.
naive
Lacking in worldly experience, innocent of the true ways of the world.
-When the scammer called telling him he’d won a prize, Chester naïvely coughed up his credit card number
ingenuous
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.
conniving
A conniving person deceives others for their own advantage:
He’s a conniving bastard!
disingenuous
(of a person or their behaviour) slightly dishonest, or not speaking the complete truth:
- It was disingenuous of her to claim she had no financial interest in the case.
duplicity
dishonest talk or behaviour, especially by saying different things to two people:
- duplicity in They were accused of duplicity in their dealings with both sides.
mendacious
not telling the truth:
Some of these statements are misleading and some are downright mendacious.
savant
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill, especially someone who is less able in other ways:
There are musical savants who are very awkward physically - until they sit at the piano.
neophyte
A person who is new to learning something.
-She was a Microsoft Excel neophyte one day, fiddling with simple equations, and a virtual savant the next, working pivot tables.
polymath
One who is learned in a variety of different fields.
Mike was a true polymath, able to talk about medieval history one moment and quantum physics the next.
novice
a person who is not experienced in a job or situation:
- I’ve never driven a car before - I’m a complete novice.
- This plant can be difficult for novice gardeners to grow.
maven
expert :
Walter’s a baseball maven and knows Hank Aaron’s statistics by heart.
greenhorn
a person who is not experienced
-I’m a greenhorn when it comes to skiing.
sagacious
having or showing understanding and the ability to make good judgments:
a sagacious person/comment/choice
tyro
a person who is new to an activity:
I look forward to seeing this young tyro’s next ballet.
destitute
without money, food, a home, or possessions:
The floods left thousands of people destitute.
affluent
having a lot of money or owning a lot of things
संपन्न, धनी
affluent nations/neighbourhoods
fasten
to make or become firmly attached or closed:
[ I ] This skirt fastens at the back.
[ T ] Fasten your seatbelt.
cupidity
a strong feeling of wanting to have something, especially money or possessions
-Her theme is that a mixture of ignorance and cupidity on both sides produced a great many boomerang effects.
avarice
opulent
expensive and luxurious:
an opulent lifestyle
an opulent hotel
avarice
an extremely strong wish to get or keep money or possessions:
Her business empire brought her wealth beyond the dreams of avarice (= an extremely large amount of money).
penurious
extremely poor
impecunious
having very little money:
- impecunious student I first knew him as an impecunious student living in a tiny apartment.
muckraker
a person, especially one in a news organization, who tries to find out unpleasant information about people or organizations in order to make it public:
-He made a name for himself as a celebrity muckraker in this relatively quiet little city.
-Muckrakers aren’t likely to dredge secrets from his past.
incumbent
One currently holding a political office.
In the United States, a sitting president can be reelected as an incumbent only once, since no president can serve more than two terms.
canvass
to try to get political support or votes, especially by visiting all the houses in an area:
I’ve been out canvassing for the Labour Party every evening this week.
inaugurate
To signal, usually with a ceremony, the beginning of a person’s term.
- American presidents are always inaugurated on 20 January .
-The European Community inaugurated the Single European Market in 1993.
-The change of government inaugurated a new era of economic prosperity.
barnstorm
to travel to a lot of small towns and make political speeches to try to get people’s votes or support:
He plans to barnstorm across the state to generate public support.
mudslinging
the act of saying insulting or unfair things about someone, especially to try to damage their reputation:
- political mud-slinging
interregnum
a period when a country or organization does not have a leader,
The period between one ruler leaving office and another taking over, or a slight pause in the government if a person in power is voted in for another term.
partisan
strongly supporting a person, principle, or political party, often without considering or judging the matter very carefully:
- The audience was very partisan, and refused to listen to her speech.
- partisan politics
filibuster
to make a long speech in order to delay or prevent a new law being made:
- Conceivably, supporters of the law could filibuster to prevent it from being revised.
demagogue
A leader who manipulates the public’s emotions for his or her own ends.
- Demagogues tend to be gifted orators who can rouse a crowd’s emotions.
lame duck
an unsuccessful person or thing
apparatchik
A blindly loyal official in an (often political) organization.
A former apparatchik in the Communist Party, she became a diplomat.
To some political leaders, the results have shown the envoys to be nothing more than overrated apparatchiks who have made little difference.
Most ex-guerilla fighters are in their forties now and have become party apparatchiks.
She criticized him as a White House apparatchik who always backs the president.
plenary
A plenary meeting is one at which all the members of a group or organization are present, especially at a conference:
a plenary session of the UN Security Council
insurrection
an organized attempt by a group of people to defeat their government and take control of their country, usually by violence:
armed insurrection
quell
to stop something, especially by using force:
Police in riot gear were called in to quell the disturbances/unrest.
This latest setback will have done nothing to quell the growing doubts about the future of the club.
foment
to cause trouble to develop:
The song was banned on the grounds that it might foment racial tension.
insurgency
an occasion when a group of people attempt to take control of their country by force:
The government is reported to be concerned about the growing insurgency in the south.
agitate
to make someone feel worried or angry:
I didn’t want to agitate her by telling her.
seditious
intending to persuade other people to oppose their government:
She was arrested after making a speech that the government considered to be seditious.
advent
the fact of an event happening, an invention being made, or a person arriving:,The beginning of a major event or phenomenon.:
-With the advent of television, the dominance of radio ended seemingly overnight.
-Life was transformed by the advent of the steam engine.
scapegoat
a person who is blamed for something that someone else has done:
The captain was made a scapegoat for the team’s failure.
epiphany
A sudden realization or insight.
After years working in a large corporation, Carla had an epiphany that she wanted to start her own business.
idolatry
very great admiration or respect for someone, often too great:
idolatry of The youngster makes no attempt to conceal his idolatry of his team-mate,the act of praying to a picture or object as part of a religion:
- Newton was revered to the point of idolatry.
- Father Brown considers the notes and flowers left near the statue to be close to idolatry.
atonement
something that you do to show that you are sorry for something bad that you did:
He said that young hooligans should do community service as atonement for their crimes.
pestilence
a serious and growing problem:
The report states that vandalism is a pestilence that must be stamped out.
leviathan
something or someone that is extremely large and powerful:
The US is seen as an economic leviathan.
chortle
to laugh, showing pleasure and satisfaction:
She chortled with glee at the news.
irreverent
not showing the expected respect for official, important, or holy things:
- an irreverent comment/approach/attitude
irreverent thoughts
sardonic
humorous in an unkind way that shows you do not respect someone or something:
a sardonic smile/look/comment
parody
something that so obviously fails to achieve the effect that was intended that it is stupid:
-“It was a parody of a trial,” said one observer.
guffaw
to laugh loudly, especially at something stupid that someone has said or done:
-He guffawed with delight when he heard the news.
wry
showing that you find a bad or difficult situation slightly funny:
a wry smile/comment
uproarious
extremely noisy and confused , extremely funny:
- an uproarious debate
- It’s a very amusing play with an uproarious final act.
flippant
not serious about a serious subject, in an attempt to be funny or to appear clever:
- a flippant remark/attitude
- It’s easy to be flippant, but we have a serious problem to deal with here.
- I think she just thought I was being flippant.
grave
Extremely serious.
His expression was grave when he reported the people who’d gone missing.
lament
To mourn and wail, or to express deep regret.
As an old man, he lamented all the opportunities he’d wasted while younger.
decorum
behaviour that is controlled, calm, and polite:
As young ladies we were expected to act/behave with proper decorum.
dirge
a slow sad song or piece of music, sometimes played because someone has died
propriety
correct moral behaviour or actions:
-The director insisted that there was no question as to the propriety of how the funds were raised.
-She was careful always to behave with propriety.
disconsolate
-extremely sad and disappointed:
The players were disconsolate after losing what should have been an easy game.
elegiac
Extremely mournful,relating to or similar to an elegy (= a sad poem or song, especially remembering someone who has died or something in the past):
-She is a talented poet and it shows in her elegiac prose.
-The music is elegiac and pessimistic but also passionately eloquent and uplifting.
obscure
not known to many people:
-an obscure island in the Pacific
illustrious
famous, well respected, and admired:
-She comes from an illustrious political family that includes two former Cabinet ministers.
nonentity
a person without strong character, ideas, or influence:
- She was once a political nonentity, but has since won a formidable reputation as a determined campaigner.
notoriety
the state of being famous for something bad:
He achieved/gained notoriety for being difficult to work with as an actor.
fanfare
great attention to and interest in something:
much fanfare The new laws were passed after much fanfare.
snub
to insult someone by not giving them any attention or treating them as if they are not important:
-Lawrence attempted to draw me into conversation, but I snubbed him, and went to another part of the room.
cipher
A person of no importance.
irresolute
not able or willing to take decisions or actions:
an irresolute reply
obdurate
used to describe a person who refuses to change their mind, or someone or something that is difficult to deal with or change:
-Union leaders remain obdurate that working conditions and pay improve.
-Several obdurate facts/differences remain, preventing a compromise solution.
acquiesce
to accept or agree to something, often unwillingly:
- Reluctantly, he acquiesced to/in the plans.
insubordinate
(of a person) not willing to obey orders from people in authority, or (of actions and speech, etc.) showing that you are not willing to obey orders:
an insubordinate child
impressionable
easily influenced by other people, especially because you are young:
-at that impressionable age He’s at that impressionable age when he’s very easily led by other children.
amenable
willing to accept or be influenced by a suggestion:
She might be more amenable to the idea if you explained how much money it would save.
pliant
Pliant people are easily influenced or controlled by other people:
I don’t think it’s a good thing for children to be too pliant.
intransigent
refusing to change your opinions or behaviour:
Unions claim that the management continues to maintain an intransigent position.
ruthless
not thinking or worrying about any pain caused to others; cruel
निष्ठुर
ruthless ambition
scrupulous
extremely honest :
A scrupulous politician would not lie about her business interests.
nefarious
(especially of activities) morally bad:
The company’s CEO seems to have been involved in some nefarious practices/activities.
irreproachable
without fault and therefore impossible to criticize:
Her conduct throughout was irreproachable.
incorruptible
morally strong enough not to be persuaded to do something wrong:
Most politicians genuinely believe they are incorruptible.
diabolical
extremely bad or shocking:
Conditions in the prison were diabolical.
His driving is diabolical!
turpitude
evil:
acts/crimes of moral turpitude
flunk
to fail an exam or course of study:
I flunked my Biology exam.
kowtow
to show too much respect to someone in authority, always doing what you are told and changing what you do in order to please them:
He has never kowtowed to the mainstream, but has remained true to his convictions.
They were accused of kowtowing to a corrupt government.
imperious
unpleasantly proud and expecting to be obeyed,Extremely bossy and commanding, often without basis.:
-an imperious manner/voice
-She sent them away with an imperious wave of the hand.
supercilious
behaving as if you are better than other people, and that their opinions, beliefs, or ideas are not important:
He spoke in a haughty, supercilious voice.
imperious
deferential
polite and showing respect:
She is always extremely deferential towards anyone in authority.
impudent
rude and not showing respect, especially towards someone who is older or in a more important position:
an impudent remark/child
haughty
unfriendly and seeming to consider yourself better than other people:
She has a rather haughty manner.
arrogant,supercilious
peremptory
expecting to be obeyed immediately and without any questions:
He started issuing peremptory instructions.
She was highly critical of the insensitive and peremptory way in which the cases had been handled.
imperious
nonplussed
surprised, confused, and not certain how to react:
I was completely nonplussed by his reply.
contrite
feeling very sorry and guilty for something bad that you have done:
a contrite apology/expression
atonement , remorseful ,rueful
histrionic
very emotional and energetic, but not sincere or without real meaning:
a histrionic outburst
She put on a histrionic display of grief at the funeral.
melodramatic
confound
to confuse and very much surprise someone, so that they are unable to explain or deal with a situation:
- An elderly man from Hull has confounded doctors by recovering after he was officially declared dead.
-The singer confounded her critics with a remarkable follow-up album.
ponderous
slow and awkward because of being very heavy or large:
He had a slow and ponderous manner.
chutzpah
behavior that is extremely confident and often rude, with no respect for the opinions or abilities of anyone else:
-The movie was made with a little money and a lot of chutzpah.
-I wonder who had the chutzpah to disagree with him?
klutz
A clumsy person.
Her cast and crutches turned her into a total klutz, knocking over things every few seconds.
nebbish
a person who is considered to be weak and lacking in confidence or courage:
-A nebbish could never gain real power.
-Sandler reprises once again his clueless, well-meaning nebbish who wants to be liked.
schmaltzy
A schmaltzy song, book, film, etc. is intended to make people feel romantic or sad but has no real artistic value,Excessively sentimental:
schmaltzy love songs
kibitz
To chat, speak informally with someone.
shtick
the type of humour typical of a comedian (= person whose job is to make people laugh):
Pratfalls and other physical gags are typical of Carey’s shtick.
kvetch
to complain:
He was kvetching about the price.
maelstrom
a situation in which there is great confusion, violence, and destruction:
The country is gradually being sucked into the maelstrom of civil war.
bazaar
A marketplace, typically outdoors.
She was able to find some exotic souvenirs at the bazaar.
clairvoyant
a person who says they have powers to see the future or see things that other people cannot see:
She went to see a clairvoyant who said he could communicate with her dead husband.
saga
a long story about past events over a long period of time:
Her new novel is a lengthy and compelling family saga.
berserk
very angry or out of control:
My mother will go berserk (= be extremely angry) when she finds out I’ve ruined her favourite dress.
mecca
a place to which many people are attracted:
His Indiana bookstore became a Mecca for writers and artists.
The plans would transform the park into a tourist Mecca.
mediocre
not very good:
The film’s plot is predictable and the acting is mediocre.
Parents don’t want their children going to mediocre schools.
cardinal
of great importance:
a cardinal rule/error/sin
penultimate
second from the last:
It’s the penultimate episode of the series tonight.
abysmal
very bad:
abysmal working conditions
The food was abysmal.
mundane
very ordinary and therefore not interesting:
Mundane matters such as paying bills and shopping for food do not interest her.
nonpareil
better than any other:
her nonpareil beauty
catalyst
an event or person that causes great change:
The high suicide rate acted as a catalyst for change in the prison system.
fulcrum
the main thing or person needed to support something or to make it work or happen:
fulcrum of the debate/argument The fulcrum of the debate/argument is the individual’s right to choose.
entropy
Disorganization, randomness.
The school year had an entropic quality for Sarah; though organized and predictable at the beginning, it became increasingly chaotic and unmanageable toward the end.
hypothesize
to give a possible but not yet proved explanation for something:
hypothesize that We hypothesized that children of alcoholic fathers will demonstrate more behavioural problems.
hypothesize about There’s no point hypothesizing about how the accident happened, since we’ll never really know.
This discovery led experts to hypothesize a different path of evolution for early man.
empirical
based on what is experienced or seen rather than on theory:
empirical data/evidence This theory needs to be backed up with solid empirical data/evidence.
empirical study Empirical studies show that some forms of alternative medicine are extremely effective.
centripetal
moving towards the point around which it is turning:
centripetal force
irrefutable
impossible to prove wrong:
an irrefutable argument
irrefutable evidence of health risks
pervasive
present or noticeable in every part of a thing or place:
The influence of Freud is pervasive in her books.
a pervasive smell of diesel
Reforms are being undermined by the all-pervasive corruption in the country.
ubiquitous
seeming to be everywhere:
Leather is very much in fashion this season, as is the ubiquitous denim.
The Swedes are not alone in finding their language under pressure from the ubiquitous spread of English.
The mobile phone, that most ubiquitous of consumer-electronic appliances, is about to enter a new age.
ascendant
increasingly successful or powerful:
He’s very much in the ascendant in Hollywood.
predominate
to be the largest in number or the most important:
In industrial areas, the dark-coloured variety of the moth now predominates.
sparse
small in numbers or amount, often spread over a large area:
a sparse population/audience
sparse vegetation/woodland
a sparse beard
rampant
(of something bad) getting worse quickly and in an uncontrolled way:
rampant corruption
Rampant inflation means that our wage increases soon become worth nothing.
He said that he had encountered rampant prejudice in his attempts to get a job.
Disease is rampant in the overcrowded city.
rife
If something unpleasant is rife, it is very common or happens a lot:
Dysentery and malaria are rife in the refugee camps.
diminish
to reduce or be reduced in size or importance:
I don’t want to diminish her achievements, but she did have a lot of help.
These memories will not be diminished by time.
What he did has seriously diminished him in many people’s eyes.
petulant
easily annoyed and complaining in a rude way like a child.
When his wishes were not immediately satisfied, the lead actor became petulant.
peevish
easily annoyed:
a peevish, bad-tempered person
entreat
to try very hard to persuade someone to do something:
[ + to infinitive ] We would spend every meal time entreating the child to eat her vegetables.
supplicate
to ask for something in a humble way,To beg for something earnestly.:
I knew I could not go on supplicating for more.
remonstrate
to complain to someone or about something:
- I went to the boss to remonstrate against the new rules.
- The editor remonstrated with him about the inaccuracies in the story.
gainsay
to refuse to accept something as the truth:
- Certainly there’s no gainsaying (= it is not possible to doubt) the technical brilliance of his performance.
adjure
to ask or order someone to do something:
The judge adjured him to answer truthfully.
thwart
to stop something from happening or someone from doing something:
Our holiday plans were thwarted by the airline pilots’ strike
galvanize
to cause someone to suddenly take action, especially by shocking or exciting them in some way:
Western charities were galvanized by TV pictures of starving people.
galvanize someone into action The prospect of his mother coming to stay galvanized him into action and he started cleaning the house.
stymie
to prevent something from happening or someone from achieving a purpose:
In our search for evidence, we were stymied by the absence of any recent documents.
inexorable
Incapable of being stopped.continuing without any possibility of being stopped:
the inexorable progress of science
tonic
something that makes you feel stronger or happier:
The magazine is lively and interesting - the pictures alone are a tonic.
indomitable
used to say that someone is strong, brave, determined, and difficult to defeat or frighten:
The indomitable Mrs Furlong said she would continue to fight for justice.
armistice
a formal agreement between two countries or groups at war to stop fighting for a particular time, especially to talk about possible peace:
A two-week armistice has been declared between the rival factions.
entente
a friendly agreement or relationship between two countries
-There is an entente between many prosperous nations today not to wage war against the other.
cede
To give up or surrender,to allow someone else to have or own something, especially unwillingly or because you are forced to do so:
Hong Kong was ceded to Britain after the Opium War.
accord
(a formal) agreement:
peace accord On 31 May the two leaders signed a peace accord.
in accord with The project is completely in accord with government policy.
A vague murmur of accord rose from around the table.
annex
to take possession of an area of land or a country, usually by force or without permission:
The UK annexed this small island west of Scotland in 1955.
maraud
go about in search of things to steal or people to attack.
“war parties crossed the river to maraud”
raid
martial
relating to soldiers, war, or life in the armed forces
revanchism
a policy of seeking to retaliate, especially to recover lost territory.
“a recipe for deep future resentment, revanchism and renewed conflict”
cordial
friendly, but formal and polite:
a cordial smile/greeting/welcome/reception
Relations between the two leaders are said to be cordial.
aloof
not friendly or willing to take part in things:
She seemed rather aloof when in fact she was just shy.
misanthrope
A person who hates other people and shuns their company.
He might have seemed a misanthrope in public—always scowling when others tried smiling at him—but at home he was a doting father
congenial
friendly and pleasant:
congenial company/surroundings
amiable
pleasant and friendly:
He seemed an amiable young man.
So amiable was the mood of the meeting that a decision was soon reached.
abominable
very bad or unpleasant:
The prisoners are forced to live in abominable conditions.
The weather’s been abominable all week.
odious
extremely unpleasant and causing or deserving hate:
an odious crime
an odious little man
curmudgeon
an old person who is often in a bad mood:
Are you going to turn curmudgeon, too, like George and the rest of them?
But he’s a crusty old curmudgeon, and I never hanker much to have him around.
lambaste
to criticize someone or something severely:
His first novel was well and truly lambasted by the critics.
acrimonious
full of anger, arguments, and bad feeling:
an acrimonious dispute
Their marriage ended eight years ago in an acrimonious divorce.
excoriate
To criticize extremely harshly.:
His latest novel received excoriating reviews.
The president excoriated the Western press for their biased views.
invidious
likely to cause unhappiness or be unpleasant, especially because it is unfair:
Such a difficult choice placed her in an invidious position.
aspersion
a criticism, suggestion, or remark that damages another person’s reputation:
She shrugs off the aspersions as an inevitable part of public life.
rail
to complain angrily:
He railed against/at the injustices of the system.
inveigh
to strongly criticize something or someone:
There were politicians who inveighed against immigrants to get votes.
vituperative
A vituperative spoken or written attack is full of angry criticism:
Miss Snowden yesterday launched a vituperative attack on her ex-boss and former lover.
immaculate
perfectly clean or tidy:
dressed in an immaculate white suit
an immaculate garden
defile
to spoil something or someone so that that thing or person is less beautiful or pure:
It’s a shame that such a beautiful area has been defiled by a rubbish dump.
The soldiers deliberately defiled all the holy places.
adulterate
to make food or drink weaker or to lower its quality, by adding something else:
There were complaints that the beer had been adulterated with water.
degrade
to cause people to feel that they or other people have no value and do not have the respect or good opinion of others:
Pornography degrades women.
maxim
a brief statement of a general truth, principle, or rule for behavior:
She lived by the maxim, “Do right, risk consequences.”
precept
a rule for action or behaviour, especially obtained from moral thought:
This policy goes against common precepts of decency.
bromide
a drug used to calm people who are very unhappy or worried:
He took a/some bromide to calm his nerves.
abate
to become less strong:
The storm/wind/rain has started to abate.
The fighting in the area shows no sign of abating.
exacerbate
to make something that is already bad even worse:
This attack will exacerbate the already tense relations between the two communities.
truncate
to make something shorter or quicker, especially by removing the end of it:
Television coverage of the event was truncated by a technical fault.
escalate
to become or make something become greater or more serious:
His financial problems escalated after he became unemployed.
The row could escalate into full-blown conflict.
curtail
to stop something before it is finished, or to reduce or limit something:
to curtail your holiday/spending
With all the snow, our daily walks have been severely curtailed.
assuage
to make unpleasant feelings less strong:
The government has tried to assuage the public’s fears.
augment
to increase the size or value of something by adding something to it:
He would have to find work to augment his income.
cessation
ending or stopping:
Religious leaders have called for a total cessation of the bombing campaign.
self-aggrandizing
doing or saying things to make yourself seem more powerful or important:
His opponents sought to portray him as a self-aggrandizing fantasist.
It’s more difficult to make the case for yourself if you appear self-aggrandising.
self-deprecating
trying to make yourself, your abilities, or your achievements seem less important:
a self-deprecating manner/remark
self-deprecating humour/jokes
altruistic
showing a wish to help or bring advantages to others, even if it results in disadvantage for yourself:
I doubt whether her motives for donating the money are altruistic - she’s probably looking for publicity.
modest
not large in size or amount, or not expensive:
They live in a fairly modest house, considering their wealth.
There has been a modest improvement/recovery in housing conditions for the poor.
The party made modest gains in the elections, but nothing like the huge gains that were predicted.
selfless
caring more for what other people need and want rather than for what you yourself need and want:
selfless devotion to duty
egotistical
thinking only about yourself and considering yourself better and more important than other people:
Finding herself world-famous by the time she was 18 only encouraged the actress’s egotism.
self-effacing
not making yourself noticeable, or not trying to get the attention of other people:
The captain was typically self-effacing when questioned about the team’s successes, giving credit to the other players.
self-abnegation
the act or habit of not allowing yourself to have what you like or want, often so that other people can have it :
He seemed to believe that he could be purified through self-abnegation.
This soulful portrait of grief, self-abnegation, and recovery seemed to appeal particularly to women.
eke
to use something slowly or carefully because you only have a small amount of it:
There wasn’t much food left, but we just managed to eke it out.
eke out a living He managed to eke out a living (= earn just enough to live on) one summer by selling drinks on a beach.
mar
to spoil something, making it less good or less enjoyable:
Sadly, the text is marred by careless errors.
It was a really nice day, marred only by a little argument in the car on the way home.
I hope the fact that Louise isn’t coming won’t mar your enjoyment of the evening.
imp
a child that behaves badly, but in a way that is funny rather than serious:
Come here, you little imp!
ire
anger:
Petty restrictions easily raised/aroused the ire of such a creative artist.
vie
to compete with other people to achieve or get something:
Six candidates are currently vying for the Democratic presidential nomination.
The two older children tend to vie with the younger one for their mother’s attention.
woe
extreme sadness:
Her face was lined and full of woe.
tale of woe He told me a real tale of woe about how he had lost both his job and his house in the same week.
nub
the most important or basic part of something:
What do you think is the nub of the problem?
char
to burn and become black or to burn something so that it becomes black:
Grill the peppers until the skin starts to char.
pith
The essence of something.
The pith of agnosticism is that, ultimately, there is no way of determining whether a higher being truly exists
carp
To complain constantly over trivial matters.
He carped at his colleagues, pointing out every small mistake they made.
moil
work hard ,confusion
“men who moiled for gold”
“the moil of his intimate thoughts”
foil
to prevent someone or something from being successful:
The prisoners’ attempt to escape was foiled at the last minute when police received a tip-off.
curt
If someone’s manner or speech is curt, it is rude as a result of being very quick:
to give a curt nod/reply
Andy was very curt with him.
deft
skilful, clever, or quick:
Her movements were deft and quick.
She answered the journalist’s questions with a deft touch.
crux
the most important or serious part of a matter, problem, or argument:
The crux of the country’s economic problems is its foreign debt.
The issue of an arms embargo will be at the crux of the negotiations in Geneva.
indefatigable
always determined and energetic in trying to achieve something and never willing to admit defeat:
Annie was an indefatigable campaigner for better community services.
infinitesimal
extremely small:
The amounts of radioactivity present were infinitesimal.
commensurate
in a correct and suitable amount compared to something else:
commensurate with I am looking for a salary that is commensurate with my skills and experience.
disenchantment
a feeling of no longer believing in the value of something, especially having learned of the problems with it:
disenchantment with There is growing disenchantment with the way the club is being run.
Young people felt locked out of politics, which led to apathy and disenchantment.
prognostication
a judgment or the act of making a judgment about what is likely to happen in the future:
optimistic economic prognostications
his powers of prognostication
indemnification
the act of protecting someone against legal responsibility for their actions:
All of our employees receive indemnification against legal action.
Before I will say anything, I want full indemnification.
unprepossessing
not interesting, attractive, or impressive:
We were disappointed at the unprepossessing exterior of the hotel.
pulchritudinous
beautiful:
Last year a pulchritudinous gal from Ohio won the competition.
Her pulchritudinous likeness adorns everything from bestselling books to ski boards.
cumbersome
awkward because of being large, heavy, or not effective:
cumbersome equipment
cumbersome bureaucracy
palpable
so obvious that it can easily be seen or known, or (of a feeling) so strong that it seems as if it can be touched or physically felt:
a palpable effect
Her joy was palpable.
gossamer
very delicate and light:
gossamer wings
a gossamer veil
indiscernible
impossible to see, see clearly, or understand:
an indiscernible change/shape/reason
insubstantial
not enough or not strong enough:
an insubstantial meal
intangible
impossible to touch, to describe exactly, or to give an exact value:
She has that intangible quality which you might call charisma.
intangible assets such as goodwill
translucent
If an object or a substance is translucent, it is almost transparent, allowing some light through it in an attractive way:
translucent plastic/glass
This china is so fine and delicate that it’s translucent.
Laura’s skin has a translucent quality.
fracas
a noisy argument or fight:
He was injured in a Saturday-night fracas outside a disco.
fracas over The prime minister has joined the fracas over the proposed changes.
furor
a sudden excited or angry reaction to something by a lot of people:
The government’s decision to raise taxes has caused a great furor.
furor over the furor over his latest movie
détente
an improvement in the relationship between two countries that in the past were not friendly and did not trust each other:
détente between The talks are aimed at furthering détente between the two countries.
hullabaloo
a loud noise made by people who are angry or annoyed; a lot of angry comments made in public about someone or something:
make a hullabaloo There’s a crowd of angry demonstrators making a real hullabaloo outside the Houses of Parliament.
ado
a lot of activity, worry, or excitement that is unnecessary or greater than the situation deserves:
Most state flags were adopted with little ado many years ago.
Without ado, it became the most widely used system in the world.
fuss
fiasco
something planned that goes wrong and is a complete failure, usually in an embarrassing way:
The show was a fiasco - one actor forgot his lines and another fell off the stage.
reconciliation
a situation in which two people or groups of people become friendly again after they have argued:
It took hours of negotiations to bring about a reconciliation between the two sides.
rift
a serious disagreement that separates two people who have been friends and stops their friendship continuing:
The marriage caused a rift between the brothers and they didn’t speak to each other for ten years.
derivative
If something is derivative, it is not the result of new ideas, but has been developed from or copies something else:
His painting/style is very derivative.
orthodox
considered traditional, normal, and acceptable by most people:
orthodox treatment/methods
orthodox views/opinions
We would prefer a more orthodox approach/solution to the problem.
pedestrian
not interesting; showing very little imagination:
Her books, with few exceptions, are workmanlike but pedestrian.
His speech was long and pedestrian.
banal
boring, ordinary, and not original:
He just sat there making banal remarks all evening.
banal pop songs
hackneyed
A hackneyed phrase or idea has been said or used so often that it has become boring and has no meaning:
The plot of the film is just a hackneyed boy-meets-girl scenario.
trite
expressed too often to be interesting or seem sincere:
His lyrics about love and peace are too trite for me to take them seriously.
I know it will sound trite, but I’ve loved being part of this club.
prosaic
without interest, imagination, and excitement:
If only she’d been called Camilla or Flavia instead of the prosaic Jane.
He asked if I’d got my black eye in a fight - I told him the prosaic truth that I’d banged my head on a door.
quotidian
ordinary:
Television has become part of our quotidian existence.
everyday,mundane
pioneering
using ideas and methods that have never been used before:
pioneering techniques
a pioneering surgeon
avant-garde
Avant-garde ideas, styles, and methods are very original or modern in comparison to the period in which they happen:
avant-garde art/cinema/painting
It was one of the first avant-garde works to appeal to a wide audience.
maverick
a person who thinks and acts in an independent way, often behaving differently from the expected or usual way:
a political maverick
He was considered as something of a maverick in the publishing world.
visionary
with the ability to imagine how a country, society, industry, etc. will develop in the future:
a visionary author
visionary thinking
unconventional
different from what is usual or from the way most people do things:
an unconventional childhood/lifestyle/marriage
radical
believing or expressing the belief that there should be great or extreme social or political change:
He was known as a radical reformer/thinker/politician.
These people have very radical views.
nudge
to encourage or persuade someone to do something in a way that is gentle rather than forceful or direct:
He cleverly nudges us towards the conclusion he himself has reached.
Do you find your parents nudging you in the direction of further study?
coerce
to persuade someone forcefully to do something that they are unwilling to do:
be coerced into The court heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession.
force
duress
threats used to force a person to do something:
under duress He claimed that he signed the confession under duress.
coax
to persuade someone gently to do something or go somewhere, by being kind and patient, or by appearing to be:
coax someone into doing something Perhaps you could coax your father into taking you to the station.
coax someone to do something I coaxed her to eat a little bit.
A mother was coaxing her reluctant child into the water.
a coaxing voice
goad
to make a person or an animal react or do something by continuously annoying or upsetting them:
goad someone into something She seemed determined to goad him into a fight.
He refused to be goaded by their insults.
be goaded on The runner was goaded on by his desire to keep up with the others.
A group of children were goading (= laughing at or pushing) another child in the school playground.
induce
to persuade someone to do something:
induce someone to do something They induced her to take the job by promising editorial freedom.
nothing could induce Nothing could induce me (= I definitely cannot be persuaded) to climb a mountain/ride a bike.
cajole
to persuade someone to do something they might not want to do, by pleasant talk and promises, sometimes ones which are false:
cajole someone into something/doing something He really knows how to cajole people into doing what he wants.
I managed to cajole her out of leaving too early.
The most effective technique is to cajole rather than to threaten.
blandishment
a flattering or pleasing statement or action used as a means of gently persuading someone to do something.
“the blandishments of the travel brochure”
perplexed
confused, because something is difficult to understand or solve:
The students looked perplexed, so the teacher tried to explain once again.
Police were perplexed by the killing because there didn’t seem to be any motive.
equanimity
a calm mental state, especially after a shock or disappointment or in a difficult situation:
He received the news of his mother’s death with remarkable equanimity.
Three years after the tragedy she has only just begun to regain her equanimity.
imperturbable
staying calm and controlled despite problems or difficulties:
He was imperturbable in a crisis.
poised
ready to do a particular thing at any moment:
[ + to infinitive ] The company is poised to launch its new advertising campaign.
The military forces are poised for attack.
flummox
to confuse someone so much that they do not know what to do:
I have to say that last question flummoxed me.
baffle,puzzle
discombobulated
to confuse someone or make someone feel uncomfortable
aplomb
confidence and style:
Rosalind conducted the meeting with characteristic aplomb/with her usual aplomb.
baffle
to cause someone to be completely unable to understand or explain something:
She was completely baffled by his strange behaviour.
speculation
the activity of guessing possible answers to a question without having enough information to be certain:
Rumours that they are about to marry have been dismissed as pure speculation.
Speculation about his future plans is rife.
[ + that ] News of the president’s illness fuelled/prompted speculation that an election will be held later in the year.
conjecture
a guess about something based on how it seems and not on proof:
There’s been a lot of conjecture in the media recently about the marriage.
presumption
the act of believing that something is true without having any proof:
The presumption of innocence is central to American law.
There is no scientific evidence to support such presumptions.
[ + that ] The decision is based on the presumption that all information must be freely available.
aver
to say that something is certainly true:
The lawyer averred her client’s innocence.
[ + speech ] “He’s guilty, I tell you,” she averred.
[ + that ] She averred that he was guilty.
postulate
to suggest a theory, idea, etc. as a basic principle from which a further idea is formed or developed:
[ + that ] It was the Greek astronomer, Ptolemy, who postulated that the earth was at the centre of the universe.
posit
to suggest something as a basic fact or principle from which a further idea is formed or developed:
[ + that ] If we posit that wage rises cause inflation, it follows that we should try to minimize them.
innocuous
completely harmless (= causing no harm):
Some mushrooms look innocuous but are in fact poisonous.
insidious
(of something unpleasant or dangerous) gradually and secretly causing harm:
High blood pressure is an insidious condition which has few symptoms.
salubrious
A salubrious place is pleasant, clean, and healthy to live in:
He doesn’t live in a very salubrious part of town.
revitalize
to give new life, energy, activity, or success to something:
Japanese investment has revitalized this part of Britain.
pernicious
having a very harmful effect or influence:
The cuts in government funding have had a pernicious effect on local health services.
restorative
something that makes you feel better or more energetic if you are feeling tired or ill:
After a hard day at the office, a hot bath is a welcome restorative.
deleterious
harmful:
These drugs have a proven deleterious effect on the nervous system.
indignant
angry because of something that is wrong or not fair:
She wrote an indignant letter to the paper complaining about the council’s action.
He became very indignant when it was suggested he had made a mistake.
bristle
to react angrily:
She bristled at the suggestion that she had in any way neglected the child.
disgruntled
unhappy, annoyed, and disappointed about something:
A disgruntled former employee is being blamed for the explosion.
disgruntled with The players were disgruntled with the umpire.
dissatisfied
incensed
extremely angry:
incensed at The villagers are incensed at the decision to close the railway station.
He was incensed by the suggestion that he’d leaked details of a confidential conversation
peeve
to annoy someone:
What peeved her most was his thoughtlessness.
[ + that ] It peeves me that she didn’t bother to phone.
piqued
slightly angry, especially because someone has damaged your feeling of being proud of yourself:
The scientists were piqued because science and hard work made their colleague wealthy.
She felt piqued at being excluded from the meeting.
irate
very angry:
We have received some irate phone calls from customers.
wrath
extreme anger:
The people feared the wrath of God.
intrepid
extremely brave and showing no fear of dangerous situations:
a team of intrepid explorers
formidable
causing you to have fear or respect for something or someone because that thing or person is large, powerful, or difficult:
a formidable obstacle/task
a formidable adversary/enemy/opponent
a formidable intellect
craven
very cowardly (= not at all brave):
a craven act of terrorism
Politicians are too craven to tackle this problem
undaunted
still determined and enthusiastic, despite problems or no success:
Undaunted by the cold and the rain, people danced until 2 a.m.
The team remain undaunted, despite three defeats in a row.
plucky
brave:
It was plucky of you to chase after the burglar.
brave
valorous
showing great courage:
She will receive the Bronze Star Medal for exceptionally valorous actions while under enemy fire.
pusillanimous
weak and cowardly (= not brave); frightened of taking risks:
He’s too pusillanimous to stand up to his opponents.
redoubtable
very strong, especially in character; producing respect and a little fear in others:
Tonight he faces the most redoubtable opponent of his boxing career.
edict
an official order, especially one that is given in a forceful and unfair way:
The City Council issued an edict against spitting in the street.
a religious edict
decree,flat , proclamation
abrogate
to end a law, agreement, or custom formally,to avoid something that you should do::
The treaty was abrogated in 1929.
Companies are really abrogating responsibility for safety.
He seemed to abrogate his duty to uphold law and order.
promulgate
to announce something publicly, especially a new law:
The new law was finally promulgated in the autumn of last year.
enact
to put something into action, especially to make something law:
A package of economic sanctions is to be enacted against the country.
annul
to officially announce that something such as a law, agreement, or marriage no longer exists:
His second marriage was annulled because he never divorced his first wife.
fiat
an order given by a person in authority:
by fiat No company can set industry standards by fiat.
rescind
to make a law, agreement, order, or decision no longer have any (legal) power:
The policy of charging air travellers for vegetarian meals proved unpopular and has already been rescinded.
annul
obtuse
stupid and slow to understand, or unwilling to try to understand:
The answer’s obvious - or are you being deliberately obtuse?
niche
One’s special area of expertise.
His niche was go-kart racing, and he had at one point taken part in a national competition.
astute
able to understand a situation quickly and see how to take advantage of it:
an astute investor/businesswoman
his astute handling of the situation
an astute observer of human behaviour
acumen
skill in making correct decisions and judgments in a particular subject, such as business or politics:
She has considerable business/financial acumen.
shrewd
having or based on a clear understanding and good judgment of a situation, resulting in an advantage:
[ + to infinitive ] He was shrewd enough not to take the job when there was the possibility of getting a better one a few months later.
She is a shrewd politician who wants to avoid offending the electorate unnecessarily.
It was a shrewd move to buy your house just before property prices started to rise.
acute
very serious, extreme, or severe:
-The area has an acute water shortage.
used to describe intelligence, senses, etc. that are very good, accurate, and able to notice very small differences:
acute eyesight/hearing
an acute sense of smell
a woman of acute intelligence/judgment
bailiwick
the area that a person or an organization is interested in, is responsible for, or controls:
He had been commenting on matters that were, strictly speaking, outside his bailiwick.
benign
pleasant and kind; not harmful or severe:
a benign smile
His humor was benign, never cruel or hurtful.
benefactor
someone who gives money to a person or organization, usually without expecting anything back in return:
They hope to find a benefactor, and turn the factory into a museum.
benediction
A blessing.
The new converts traveled thousands of miles to hear the benediction of their religious leader.
beneficial
helpful, useful, or good:
The improvement in sales figures had a beneficial effect/influence on the company as a whole.
A stay in the country will be beneficial to his health.
benevolence
the quality of being kind and helpful:
His sunny, calm tone suggested a man of deep benevolence.
beneficiary
a person or group who receives money, advantages, etc. as a result of something else:
Her wife was the chief beneficiary of her will.
malaria
A disease carried by mosquitos.
Malaria is endemic in many parts of Africa.
malfeasance
an example of dishonest and illegal behaviour, especially by a person in authority:
Several cases of malpractice and malfeasance in the financial world are currently being investigated.
malapropism
An unintended—usually humorous—misuse of a word or words.
He was notorious for his malapropism, once claiming he hated “oven guard” (not avant-garde) art, especially because the art had nothing to do with ovens.
malodorous
having an unpleasant smell:
The town is built on a malodorous swamp.
malady
a disease:
All the rose bushes seem to be suffering from the same mysterious malady.
malice
the wish to harm or upset other people:
There certainly wasn’t any malice in her comments.
formal I bear him no malice (= do not want to harm or upset him).
malign
causing or intending to cause harm or evil:
Foreign domination had a malign influence on local politics.
She describes pornography as “a malign industry”.
maleficent
bad or harmful:
He denied any maleficent intent.
telephone
Literally “distant sound” (think of telepathy, or the ability to read
minds).
You’ve probably heard telephone countless times. But you might not have known that it relies on the root tele-, meaning “distant,” and phon-, meaning “sound.”
phonetic
Relating to the way words are spoken.
He was able to learn Spanish phonetically, listening to how it was spoken without having to rely on a book.
Pronunciations are shown in this dictionary using the International Phonetic Alphabet.
cacophony
an unpleasant mixture of loud sounds:
What a cacophony!
As we entered the farmyard we were met with a cacophony of animal sounds.
symphony
a long piece of music for an orchestra, usually with four movements (= parts):
Mahler’s ninth symphony
homophone
a word that sounds the same as another word but has a different meaning, or a different spelling and meaning:
The words “sow” and “sew” are homophones.
Readers often wrote in to complain about homophones (complement, not compliment) and poor grammar.
francophone
speaking French as the main or official language:
francophone Africa
anglophone
a person who speaks English, especially in countries where other languages are also spoken
phoneme
A unit of sound in a language.
The difference between “pin” and “pan” depends on the vowel, i.e. the different phonemes /ɪ/ and /æ/.
euphoria
extreme happiness, sometimes more than is reasonable in a particular situation:
They were in a state of euphoria for days after they won the prize.
euphemism
a word or phrase used to avoid saying an unpleasant or offensive word:
“Senior citizen” is a euphemism for “old person”.
The article made so much use of euphemism that often its meaning was unclear.
eugenics
the idea that it is possible to improve humans by allowing only particular people to produce children, which most people now do not accept or support because of the idea’s connection with racist and Nazi theories and actions:
Eugenics is a philosophy rather than a science.
There was concern that genetic profiling might lead to a form of eugenics, in which parents are told which children they can bring into the world.
euthanasia
the act of killing someone who is very ill or very old so that they do not suffer any more:
Although some people campaign for the right to euthanasia, it is still illegal in most countries.
mercy killing
eulogy
a speech, piece of writing, poem, etc. containing great praise, especially for someone who recently died or retired from work:
He was the most self-effacing of men - the last thing he would have relished was a eulogy.
The song was a eulogy to the joys of travelling.
eureka
used to show that you have been successful in something you were trying to do:
“Eureka!” she shouted as the engine started.
euphony
the quality of having a pleasant sound:
The poet has chosen her words more for euphony than factual accuracy.
Every word in Swahili ends in a vowel, giving it an unparalleled euphony.
eudaemonic
producing happiness
anthropology
The study of humankind.
The anthropology major decided to spend the summer in Papua New Guinea, studying a forest tribe that had been “discovered” only a few years earlier
anthropocentric
Viewing humankind as the center of the universe.
If we are alone in the universe, an anthropocentric stance seems reasonable, but even the existence of one alien species would cast our primacy into doubt.
Literally “man center.” The noun form of anthropocentric is anthropocentrism.
anthropomorphic
treating animals, gods, or objects as if they are human in appearance, character, and behaviour:
His drawings of birds are vaguely anthropomorphic.
anthropomorphic sculptures/robots
anthropogenic
caused by humans or their activities:
anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases
anthropophagy
the eating of human flesh by human beings.
Anthropocene
The current geological age :
=Arguments occur as to when, if at all, the Holocene ended and the Anthropocene began.
=To assign a specific date to the onset of the “Anthropocene” seems somewhat arbitrary, but we propose the latter part of the 18th century.
=The Anthropocene represents a new phase in the history of both humankind and of the Earth, when natural forces and human forces became intertwined.
circumspect
careful not to take risks:
Officials were circumspect about saying what the talks had achieved.
circumvent
To figure out a way around an obstacle.:
Ships were registered abroad to circumvent employment and safety regulations.
Some citizens have circumvented the ordinance against putting garbage in the recycling bin by putting the garbage in first and then covering it with recyclables.
circumscribe
to limit something:
Their movements have been severely circumscribed since the laws came into effect.
There followed a series of tightly circumscribed visits to military installations.
circumlocution
(an example of) an indirect way of saying something, especially something unpleasant:
“Economical with the truth” is a circumlocution for “lying”.
Politicians are experts in circumlocution.
circumstance
a fact or event that makes a situation the way it is:
under the circumstances I think she coped very well under the circumstances.
Obviously we can’t deal with the problem until we know all the circumstances.
suspicious circumstances She died in suspicious circumstances.
circumambulate
To walk around something.
bureaucracy
a system for controlling or managing a country, company, or organization that is operated by a large number of officials employed to follow rules carefully:
I had to deal with the university’s bureaucracy when I was applying for financial aid.
autocracy
A dictatorship.
Not all autocracies are malevolent; in fact, some are benign as long as the prevailing order goes unchallenged.
plutocracy
a system of government in which the richest people in a country rule or have power:
It’s time we put an end to plutocracy.
aristocracy
a class of people who hold high social rank:
members of the aristocracy
theocracy
a country that is ruled by religious leaders
technocracy
a government or social system that is controlled or influenced by experts in science or technology; the fact of a government or social system being influenced by such experts :
We live in a technocracy where progress involves the mastering of increasingly complex data.
In her opinion, technocracy was not incompatible with democracy.
gerontocracy
Rule by old people.
dichotomy
the division of two things that are completely different:
I try to examine the dichotomy between what people think they are and what they do.
The dichotomy between art and technology is not as clear-cut as we think— take the latest smartphone, for instance, which combines elegance with function.
dilate
to (cause a part of the body to) become wider or further open:
The pupils of the eyes dilate as darkness increases.
This drug will dilate the arteries.
diurnal
being active or happening during the day rather than at night:
The Ethiopian wolf is mostly diurnal, but becomes nocturnal in areas where it is persecuted.
diurnal activity
diverse
including many different types of people or things:
Students from countries as diverse as Colombia and Lithuania use Cambridge textbooks.
New York is a very culturally/ethnically diverse city.
diverge
to follow a different direction, or to be or become different:
They walked along the road together until they reached the village, but then their paths diverged.
Although the two organizations have worked together for many years, their objectives have diverged recently.
dissect
to examine or consider something in detail:
He’s the kind of person who watches a movie and then dissects it for hours.
dilute
to reduce the strength of a feeling, action, etc.:
These measures are designed to dilute public fears about the product’s safety.
diagnosis
a judgment about what a particular illness or problem is, made after examining it:
“What was the diagnosis?” “Arthritis in both joints.”
make a diagnosis The doctor has made an initial diagnosis.
diagnosis of Diagnosis of the disease is difficult in the early stages.
diorama
A small model representing a scene in three dimensions.
Dioramas are three-dimensional.
At the museum there was a diorama of local wildlife.
diadem
a small crown (= a circular decoration for the head) with jewels in it
diachronic
relating to the changes in something, especially a language, that happen over time
diapason
a burst of sound
diapasons of laughter
epidemic
the appearance of a particular disease in a large number of people at the same time:
a flu epidemic
epitome
the typical or highest example of a stated quality, as shown by a particular person or thing:
Even now in her sixties, she is the epitome of French elegance.
He was the epitome of the fashionable gentleman.
epistolary
involving or consisting of letter writing:
She wrote an epistolary novel.
They had an epistolary relationship.
They’ve published their epistolary relationship in a book.
Woven throughout the film are poignant epistolary reflections of life before the war.
The first story takes the epistolary form
epitaph
A phrase written on a tombstone.
epithet
an adjective added to a person’s name or a phrase used instead of it, usually to criticize or praise them:
The singer’s 104-kilo frame earned him the epithet of “Man Mountain” in the press.
a racial epithet
His stubbornness earned him the epithet “Senator No.”
epigram
a short saying or poem that expresses an idea in a clever, funny way:
One of Oscar Wilde’s most frequently quoted epigrams is “I can resist everything except temptation”.
epigraph
words that are written on or cut into a surface:
The value of the bronzes was directly dependent on whether they carried epigraphs.
extant
used to refer to something very old that is still existing:
We have some extant parish records from the 16th century.
Extant recordings of great nineteenth-century musicians exist, though the quality is not very good.
exquisite
very beautiful and delicate:
an exquisite piece of china
Look at this exquisite painting.
She has exquisite taste.
a vase of exquisite workmanship
excommunicate
To banish or no longer allow a person to be part of a group.
For questioning the legitimacy of the pope, the iconoclastic priest was excommunicated.
exert
to use something such as authority, power, influence, etc. in order to make something happen:
exert your influence If you were to exert your influence they might change their decision.
exert pressure on Some managers exert considerable pressure on their staff to work extra hours without being paid.
exempt
to excuse someone or something from a duty, payment, etc.:
be exempted from Small businesses have been exempted from the tax increase.
exact
to demand and get something, sometimes using force or threats:
to exact revenge on someone
The blackmailers exacted a total of $100,000 from their victims.
excruciating
extremely painful:
excruciating pain an excruciating pain in the lower back
exemplar
a typical or good example of something:
exemplar of It is an exemplar of a house of the period.
I’ve never regarded myself as an exemplar of virtue.
exhume
To dig up out of the ground.
Sally and her friend had buried a toy jewelry box with a friendship bracelet and exhumed it a year later to find it intact.
exorcise
To remove or purge something undesirable.
By lowering interest rates, the Fed has exorcised any concerns that it would raise them.
It will take a long time to exorcise the memory of the accident.
expatriate
living in a country that is not your own country, or relating to people that do this:
an expatriate Scot
expatriate communities
The group was expatriated from Europe and now lives near the river.
expedient
helpful or useful in a particular situation, but sometimes not morally acceptable:
It might be expedient not to pay him until the work is finished.
The management has taken a series of expedient measures to improve the company’s financial situation.
expeditious
quick:
The bank was expeditious in replying to my letter.
expend
to use or spend something, esp. time, effort, or money:
They expend all their energy fixing up their house.
explicate
to explain something in detail, especially a piece of writing or an idea:
This is a book which clearly explicates Marx’s later writings.
exploit
to use something in a way that helps you:
exploit your resources We need to make sure that we exploit our resources as fully as possible.
exposé
A piece of usually sensational journalism that uncovers corruption and scandal.
The exposé revealed what many in the town had long known: that the water running through the old mill was toxic.
extemporaneous
done or said without any preparation or thought:
an extemporaneous speech
expostulate
to express disagreement or complaint:
expostulate with someone about something Walter expostulated with the waiter about the size of the bill.
extort
to get something by force or threats, or with difficulty:
extort something from someone He had been extorting money from the old lady for years.
Police have not so far been able to extort a confession from the people accused of the bombing.
extradite
to make someone return for trial to another country or state where they have been accused of doing something illegal:
be extradited from He was extradited from Greece earlier this year..
be extradited to He will be extradited to Arizona from Florida.
expository
explaining or describing something:
expository writing
exult
to express great pleasure or happiness, especially at someone else’s defeat or failure:
exult at They exulted at their victory.
exult over Campaigners exulted over the ruling announced yesterday.
extricate
to remove something or set something free with difficulty:
extricate something from something It took hours to extricate the car from the sand.
I tried to extricate myself from the situation.
imbibe
to drink, especially alcohol:
Have you been imbibing again?
impeach
To charge with wrongdoing.
The op-ed columnist impeached the business mogul’s integrity, implying that all of his charity had been self-serving.
The governor was impeached for wrongful use of state money.
immerse
to become completely involved in something:
She got some books out of the library and immersed herself in Jewish history and culture.
impair
to spoil something or make it weaker so that it is less effective:
A recurring knee injury may have impaired his chances of winning the tournament.
impart
to communicate information to someone:
to impart the bad news
I was rather quiet as I didn’t feel I had much wisdom to impart on the subject.
imbue
to fill something or someone with a particular feeling, quality, or idea,something/someone with something:
His poetry is imbued with deep, religious feeling.
impel
to make someone feel that they must do something:
[ + to infinitive ] She was in such a mess I felt impelled to (= felt I had to) offer your services.
impel someone to do something I wonder what it is that impels him to exercise all the time.
impenetrable
impossible to see through or go through:
Outside, the fog was thick and impenetrable.
an impenetrable barrier
implausible
difficult to believe, or unlikely:
The whole plot of the film is ridiculously implausible.
implore
to beg : ,
implore someone to do something She implored her parents not to send her away to school.
imponderable
difficult to grasp
There are too many imponderables to make an accurate forecast.
impoverished
very poor:
an impoverished young actor
impuissant
Not powerful.
inadvertent
not intentional:
All authors need to be wary of inadvertent copying of other people’s ideas.
accidental
inculcate
to fix beliefs or ideas in someone’s mind, especially by repeating them often:
inculcate something in/into someone Our coach has worked hard to inculcate a team spirit in/into the players.
infuse
inamorata
a woman someone is in love with:
He’s had a tattoo with the name of a former lover removed, to avoid hurting the feelings of his current inamorata.
inane
extremely silly or with no real meaning or importance:
He’s always making inane remarks.
There are too many inane quiz shows on television these days.
inapt
not suitable for the situation:
His comments were perhaps inapt.
incandescent
extremely bright:
The mountain’s snow-white peak was incandescent against the blue sky.
inadmissible
unable to be accepted in a law court:
Her confession was ruled inadmissible as evidence because it was given under pressure from the police.
incarcerate
To imprison.
He’d been incarcerated several times before he was 25, when he finally turned his life around
inclement
(of weather) unpleasant, esp. cold or stormy:
The concert in the park was postponed because of the inclement weather.
incipient
just beginning:
signs of incipient public frustration
incentivize
to make someone want to do something,To provide rewards to stimulate one to action.
:
We need to incentivize our sales managers to achieve these targets.
inception
the beginning of an organization or official activity:
since something’s inception Since its inception in 1968, the company has been at the forefront of computer development.
incinerate
to burn something completely:
to incinerate waste
The spacecraft and its crew were incinerated by the billion-degree temperatures generated by the fireball.
incite
to encourage someone to do or feel something unpleasant or violent:
She incited racial hatred by distributing anti-Semitic leaflets.
[ + to infinitive ] She was expelled for inciting her classmates to rebel against their teachers.
incite someone to something They denied inciting the crowd to violence.
incongruous
unusual or different from what is around or from what is generally happening:
The new computer looked incongruous in the dark book-filled library.
seem incongruous It seems incongruous to have a woman as the editor of a men’s magazine.
inconsolable
so sad or disappointed that it is impossible for anyone to make you feel better:
They were inconsolable after the death of their young son.
incorrigible
An incorrigible person or incorrigible behaviour is bad and impossible to change or improve:
an incorrigible liar/rogue
Niles was an incorrigible nail-biter, working his way through an entire thumb during a red light.
incredulous
not wanting or not able to believe something, and usually showing this:
A few incredulous spectators watched on as Paterson, ranked 23rd in the world, beat the champion.
indiscriminate
not showing careful choice or planning, especially so that harm results:
an indiscriminate terrorist attack on civilians
The indiscriminate use of fertilizers can cause long-term problems.
incontrovertible
impossible to doubt because of being obviously true:
incontrovertible proof/evidence
Her logic is utterly incontrovertible.
indulgent
allowing someone to have or do what they want, especially when this is not good for them:
indulgent relatives
an indulgent smile
He had been a strict father but was indulgent to/towards his grandchildren.
ineffable
causing so much emotion, especially pleasure, that it cannot be described:
ineffable joy/beauty
indoctrinate
to often repeat an idea or belief to someone until they accept it without criticism or question:
indoctrinate someone in something Some parents were critical of attempts to indoctrinate children in green ideology.
They have been indoctrinated by television to believe that violence is normal.
infectious
(of a disease) able to be passed from one person, animal, or plant to another:
an infectious disease
inter
to bury a dead body:
be interred in Many of the soldiers were interred in unmarked graves.
inequity
the fact that a situation is not fair, or something that is not fair in a situation:
inequities in the healthcare system
gender inequity in the classroom
inimical
harmful or limiting:
inimical to Excessive managerial control is inimical to creative expression.
iniquity
a very wrong and unfair action or situation:
They fought long and hard against the iniquities of apartheid.
The writer reflects on human injustice and iniquity.
insinuate
to suggest, without being direct, that something unpleasant is true:
[ + (that) ] Are you insinuating (that) I’m losing my nerve?
What are you insinuating, Daniel?
incapacitate
to make someone unable to work or do things normally, or unable to do what they intended to do:
The accident left me incapacitated for seven months.
Rubber bullets are designed to incapacitate people rather than kill them.
inhibit
to slow down a process or the growth of something:
This drug inhibits the growth of tumours.
innumerable
too many to be counted:
The project has been delayed by innumerable problems.
countless , infinte
instigate
To start something, usually bad.:
The government will instigate new measures to combat terrorism.
The revolt in the north is believed to have been instigated by a high-ranking general.
intersperse
to mix one thing in with another in a way that is not regular:
The documentary intersperses graphical animations with film clips of the actual event.
Her handwritten notes were interspersed throughout the text.
interrogate
to ask someone a lot of questions for a long time in order to get information, sometimes using threats or violence:
Thousands of dissidents have been interrogated or imprisoned in recent weeks.
intercede
to use your influence to persuade someone in authority to forgive another person, or save this person from punishment:
intercede with Several religious leaders have interceded with the authorities on behalf of the condemned prisoner.
interdict
To prohibit.
interim
temporary and intended to be used or accepted until something permanent exists:
an interim solution
An interim government was set up for the period before the country’s first free election.
interject
to say something while another person is speaking:
[ + speech ] “That’s absolutely ridiculous!” Mary interjected.
