Words pertinent to CPE Flashcards
(n.) something that differs from the norm (In 1974, Poland won the World Cup, but the success turned out to be an –, and Poland have not won a World Cup since).
Aberration
(v.) to hate, detest (Because he always wound up getting hit in the head when he tried to play cricket, Marcin began to – the sport).
Abhor
(v.) to agree without protesting (Though Mr. Pospieszny wanted to stay outside and work in his garage, when his wife told him that he had better come in to dinner, he – to her demands.)
Acquiesce
(n.) eagerness, speed (For some reason, Simon loved to help his girlfriend whenever he could, so when his girlfriend asked him to set the table he did so with –.)
Alacrity
(adj.) friendly (An – fellow, Neil got along with just about everyone.)
Amiable
(v.) to calm, satisfy (When Jerry cries, his mother gives him chocolate to – him.) NOT PLACATE
Appease
(adj.) obscure, secret, known only by a few (The professor is an expert in – Kashubian literature.)
Arcane
(n.) excessive greed (The banker’s – led him to amass an enormous personal fortune.)
Avarice
(adj.) excessively bold, brash, clear and obvious (Critics condemned the writer’s – attempt to plagiarise Frankow-Czerwonko’s work.)
Brazen
(adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive (Simon’s – manner sometimes offends his colleagues.)
Brusque
(v.) to urge, coax (Magda’s friends – her into drinking too much.)
Cajole
(adj.) harsh, cold, unfeeling (The murderer’s – lack of remorse shocked the jury.)
Callous
(n.) honesty, frankness (We were surprised by the – of the politician’s speech because she is usually rather evasive.)
Candor
(v.) to voice disapproval (Hania – Gregory for his vulgar habits and sloppy appearance.)
Chide
(adj.) cautious (Though I promised Marta’s father I would bring her home promptly by midnight, it would have been more – not to have specified a time.)
Circumspect
(adj.) secret (Announcing to her boyfriend that she was going to the library, Maria actually went to meet George for a – liaison.)
Clandestine
(v.) to make somebody do something by force or threat (The court decided that David Beckham did not have to honor the contract because he had been – into signing it.)
Coerce
(adj.) logically consistent, intelligible (William could not figure out what Harold had seen because he was too distraught to deliver a – statement.)
Coherent
(n.) self-satisfied ignorance of danger (Simon tried to shock his friends out of their – by painting a frightening picture of what might happen to them.)
Complacency
(n.) a person entrusted with secrets (Shortly after we met, he became my chief – .)
Confidant
(v.) to plot, scheme (She – to get me to give up my plans to start up a new business.)
Connive
(adj.) increasing, building upon itself (The – effect of hours spent using the World English website was a vast improvement in his vocabulary and general level of English.)
Cumulative
(v.) to lower the quality or esteem of something (The large raise that he gave himself – his motives for running the charity.)
Debase
(v.) to criticize openly (Andrzej Lepper, the leader of the Polish Self Defence party – the appaling state of Polish roads.)
Decry
(adj.) showing respect for another’s authority (Donata is always excessively – to any kind of authority figure.)
Deferential
(adj.) quiet, modest, reserved (Though everyone else at the party was dancing and going crazy, she remained – .)
Demure
(v.) to laugh at mockingly, scorn (The native speaker often – the other teacher’s accent.)
Deride
(adj.) showing care in doing one’s work (The – researcher made sure to double check her measurements.)
Diligent
(adj.) overjoyed, thrilled (When he found out he had won the lottery, the postman was – .)
Elated
(adj.) expressive, articulate, moving (The best man gave such an – speech that most guests were crying.)
Eloquent
(v.) to steal money by falsifying records (The accountant was fired for – ,000 of the company’s funds.)
Embezzle
(n.) sensitivity to another’s feelings as if they were one’s own (I feel such – my dog when she’s upset so am I!)
Empathy
(n.) ill will, hatred, hostility (John and Scott have clearly not forgiven each other, because the – between them is obvious to anyone in their presence.)
Enmity
(adj.) learned (My English teacher is such an – scholar that he has translated some of the most difficult and abstruse Old English poetry.)
Erudite
(v.) to praise, revere (Kamila – the virtues of a vegetarian diet to her meat-loving boyfriend.)
Extol
(v.) to make up, invent (When I arrived an hour late to class, I –some excuse about my car breaking down on the way to work.)
Fabricate
(adj.) wild, savage (That beast looks so – that I would fear being alone with it.)
Feral
(adj.) astounded (Whenever I read an Agatha Christie mystery novel, I am always – when I learn the identity of the murderer.)
Flabbergasted
(v.) to give up, renounce (I won’t – my conservative principles.)
Forsake
(adj.) troublesome or irritable (Although the child insisted he wasn’t tired, his – behaviour - especially his decision to crush his jam sandwiches all over the floor - convinced everyone present that it was time to put him to bed.)
Fractious
(adj.) secretive, sly (Claudia’s placement of her drugs in her sock drawer was not as – as she thought, as the sock drawer is the first place most parents look.)
Furtive
(n.) overindulgence in food or drink (Helen’s fried chicken tastes so divine, I don’t know how anyone can call – a sin.)
Gluttony
(adj.) uncalled for, unwarranted (Every evening the guy at the fish and chip shop gives me a – helping of vinegar.)
Gratuitous
(adj.) disdainfully proud (The superstar’s – dismissal of her co-stars will backfire on her someday.)
Haughty
(n.) pretending to believe what one does not (Once the politician began passing legislation that contradicted his campaign promises, his – became apparent.)
Hypocrisy
(adj.) exemplary, flawless (If your grades were as – as your brother’s, then you too would receive a car for a graduation present.)
Impeccable
(adj.) rude, insolent (Most of your comments are so – that I don’t wish to dignify them with an answer.) NOT IMPUDENT
Impertinent
(adj.) incapable of being appeased or mitigated (Watch out: once you shun Grandmother’s cooking, she is totally – .)
Implacable
(adj.) casually rude, insolent, impertinent (The – young woman looked her teacher up and down and told him he was hot.)
Impudent
(adj.) clear, sharp, direct (The discussion wasn’t going anywhere until her – comment allowed everyone to see what the true issues were.)
Incisive
(adj.) lazy (Why should my – children, who can’t even pick themselves up off the sofa to pour their own juice, be rewarded with a trip to Burger King?)
Indolent
(adj.) not suitable or capable, unqualified (She proved how – she was when she forgot two orders and spilled a pint of cider in a customer’s lap.)
Inept
(n.) notoriety, extreme ill repute (The – of his crime will not lessen as time passes.)
Infamy
(v.) to prevent, restrain, stop (When I told you I needed the car last night, I certainly never meant to – you from going out.)
Inhibit
(adj.) inborn, native, inherent (His incredible athletic talent is – , he never trains, lifts weights, or practices.)
Innate
(adj.) incapable of being satisfied (My – appetite for blondes was a real problem on my recent holiday in Japan!)
Insatiable
(adj.) separated and narrow-minded; tight-knit, closed off (Because of the sensitive nature of their jobs, those who work for MI5 must remain – and generally only spend time with each other.)
Insular
(adj.) brave in the face of danger (After scaling a live volcano prior to its eruption, the explorer was praised for his – attitude.)
Intrepid
(adj.) stubbornly established by habit (I’m the first to admit that I’m an – cider drinker—I drink four pints a day.)
Inveterate
(adj.) extremely joyful, happy (The crowd was – when the firefighter carried the woman from the flaming building.)
Jubilant
(n.) the solemn sound of a bell, often indicating a death (Echoing throughout our village, the funeral – made the grey day even more grim.)
Knell
(adj.) graceful, flexible, supple (Although the dancers were all outstanding, Joanna’s control of her – body was particularly impressive.)
Lithe
(adj.) ghastly, sensational (Barry’s story, in which he described a character torturing his neighbour’s tortoise, was judged too – to be published on the English Library’s website.)
Lurid
(n.) an independent, nonconformist person (John is a real – and always does things his own way.)
Maverick
(n.) a common saying expressing a principle of conduct (Ms. Stone’s etiquette – are both entertaining and instructional.)
Maxim
(adj.) extremely careful with details (The ornate needlework in the bride’s gown was a product of – handiwork.)
Meticulous
(n.) a small amount of something (Refusing to display even a – of sensitivity, Magda announced her boss’s affair to the entire office.)
Modicum
(adj.) gloomy or sullen (David’s – nature made him very unpleasant to talk to.)
Morose
(adj.) consisting of a very great number (It was difficult to decide what to do on Saturday night because the city presented us with – possibilities for fun.)
Myriad
(n.) the lowest point of something (My day was boring, but the – came when my new car was stolen.)
Nadir
(adj.) trifling, insignificant (Because he was moving the following week and needed to get rid of his furniture more than he needed money, Kim sold everything for a – price.) NOT TRIFLING
Nominal
(n.) a slight variation in meaning, tone, expression (The – of the poem were not obvious to the casual reader, but the teacher was able to point them out.)
Nuance
(adj.) lacking consciousness or awareness of something (– to the burning smell emanating from the kitchen, my father did not notice that the rolls in the oven were burned until much too late.)
Oblivious
(adj.) excessively compliant or submissive (Donald acted like Susan’s servant, obeying her every request in an – manner.)
Obsequious
(adj.) lacking quickness of sensibility or intellect (Political opponents warned that the prime minister’s – approach to foreign policy would embroil the nation in mindless war.)
Obtuse
(n.) a tendency, partiality, preference (Fiona’s dinner parties quickly became monotonous on account of her – for Indian dishes.)
Penchant
(n.) a careful examination, review (The actor agreed to accept the role after a three-month – of the movie script.)
Perusal
(n.) an abundance, excess (The wedding banquet included a – of oysters piled almost three feet high.)
Plethora
(n.) a preference or inclination for something (James has a – for eating toad in the whole with tomato ketchup.) NOT PROCLIVITY OR PROPENSITY
Predilection
(adj.) charmingly old-fashioned (Mary was delighted by the – bonnets she saw in Romania.)
Quaint
(adj.) hasty, incautious (It’s best to think things over calmly and thoroughly, rather than make – decisions.)
Rash
(v.) to restore, clean up (After being – the old Triumph motorcycle commanded the handsome price of $6000.)
Refurbish
(v.) to reject, refuse to accept (Tom made a strong case for an extension of his curfew, but his mother – it with a few biting words.)
Repudiate
(adj.) abundant (Surprisingly, the teacher’s writing was – with spelling errors.)
Rife
(adj.) significant, conspicuous (One of the – differences between Alison and Helen is that Alison is a couple of kilos heavier.)
Salient
(n.) luck, finding good things without looking for them (In an amazing bit of – , penniless Mark found a $50 bill on the back seat of the bus.)
Serendipity
(adj.) sedate, serious, self-restrained (The – butler never changed his expression no matter what happened.)
Staid
(adj.) exceeding what is necessary (Samantha had already won the campaign so her constant flattery of others was – .)
Superfluous
(n.) one who flatters for self-gain (Some see the people in the cabinet as the Prime Minister’s closest advisors, but others see them as – .)
Sycophant
(adj.) not inclined to talk (Though Magda never seems to stop talking, her brother is quite –.)
Taciturn
(adj.) ready to fight, cruel (This club doesn’t really attract the dangerous types, so why was that bouncer being so – ?)
Truculent
(n.) resentment, offence (He called me a lily-livered coward, and I took – at the insult.)
Umbrage
(adj.) deserving of respect because of age or achievement (The – High Court judge had made several key rulings in landmark cases throughout the years.)
Venerable
(v.) to confuse or annoy (My boyfriend – me by pinching my bottom for hours on end.)
Vex
(adj.) loud, boisterous (I’m tired of his – whining so I’m breaking up with him.)
Vociferous
(adj.) undisciplined, lewd, lustful (Joanna’s – demeanor often made the frat guys next door very excited.)
Wanton
(n.) the highest point, culminating point (I was too nice to tell Emily that she had reached the absolute – of her career with that one top 10 hit of hers.)
Zenith
nödläge) an urgent need or demand: women worked long hours when the – of the family economy demanded i
exigency
skjuta ut( extend beyond or above a surface: something like a fin – from the water
protrude
kräsen) very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail: he chooses his words with – care.
OR • very concerned about matters of cleanliness: the child seemed – about getting her fingers sticky or dirty
fastidious
rentvå show or declare that (someone) is not guilty of wrongdoing: the article – the mayor.
exculpate
aning / a slight superficial knowledge of a language or subject: Edward had only a – of Spanish
OR a small amount of something: a – of snow.
smattering
försköna) increase the power, status, or wealth of: an action intended to – the Frankish dynasty
OR • enhance the reputation of (someone) beyond what is justified by the facts: he hoped to – himself by dying a hero’s death
aggrandize
främmande) (of a person) no longer close or affectionate to someone; alienated: Harriet felt more – from her daughter than ever | her – father.
estranged
“bekvämt satta” establish or settle (someone) in a comfortable, safe, or secret place: Agnes – herself in their bedroom | spectators who were once comfortably – in the old stadium’s box seats.
ensconce
Critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of scripture
Exegesis
Usel badly made or done. “we’re not paying good money for – goods”
Shoddy
oförskämdhet) insolent or impertinent behavior: one juror had the – to challenge the coroner’s decision.
effrontery
dum) silly; foolish: don’t ask such – questions.
daft
lättsinnig) not having any serious purpose or value: rules to stop – lawsuits.
frivolous
saftighet
succulence
undue
otillbörlig) unwarranted or inappropriate because excessive or disproportionate: this figure did not give rise to – concern.
slipprig) (of writing, pictures, or talk) treating sexual matters in an indecent way and typically conveying undue interest in or enjoyment of the subject: – stories.
salacious
in excellent order
“he said to tell you everything is …”
copacetic
bävan (I felt fear and –)
trepidation
avsägelse the formal rejection of something, typically a belief, claim, or course of action: entry into the priesthood requires – of marriage
renunciation
effektivitet) the ability to produce a desired or intended result: there is little information on the – of this treatment.
efficacy
döende
(of a person) at the point of death.
(of a thing) in terminal decline; lacking vitality or vigor.
“the … commercial property market”
moribund
(of a person) at the point of death.
(of a thing) in terminal decline; lacking vitality or vigor.
“the … commercial property market”
Having or showing knowledge of events before they take place
Prescient
Bitter criticism or sarcasm (noun) NOT DIATRIBE
vitriol
Beset with difficulties (adjective)
beleaguered
“the board is supporting the … director amid calls for his resignation”
genljuda) (of a loud noise) be repeated several times as an echo: her deep booming laugh – around the room.
OR • (of a place) appear to vibrate or be disturbed because of a loud noise: the hall – with gaiety and laughter.
reverberate
sharing in the knowledge of (something secret or private)
OR a person having a part or interest in any action, matter, or thing.
privy
Omöjligt att genomföra
imperceptible
“his head moved in an almost … nod”
Hostile and aggressive
belligerent
(Samtidig) naturally accompanying or associated:
she loved travel, with all its – worries | – with his obsession with dirt was a desire for order
OR Noun: a phenomenon that naturally accompanies or follows something: some of us look on pain and illness as – of the stresses of living.
concomitant
Outsäglig) too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words: the – natural beauty of the Everglades.
OR • not to be uttered: the – Hebrew name that gentiles write as Jehovah.
Ineffable
experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person: I could glean – pleasure from the struggles of my imaginary film friends.
vicarious
Motsägelsefull he duffel coat looked – with the black dress she wore underneath.
Incongruous
ifrågasätta) dispute the truth, validity, or honesty of (a statement or motive); call into question: the father does not – her capacity as a good mothe
Impugn
remove matter thought to be objectionable or unsuitable from (a book or account)
Expurgate
To hurt or harm someone or something.
expression
do a number on
Oerhört (dåligt)
“… abuses of copyright”
egregious
cause (someone) to feel drained of energy or vitality (göra kraftlös)
“the – slightness of his frail form”
“… heat”
Enervate
Understood by few
“arcane procedures for electing people”
Arcane
(of a comment, event, or fact) cause annoyance or resentment that persists
“the casual manner of his dismissal still …”
Rankle
Svärta ner
“doom and gloom merchants who … their own country”
Denigrate
Nedvärdera (regard or represent as being of little worth) NOT DENIGRATE
“he never missed an opportunity to … his competitors”
Disparage
given to moralizing in a pompous or affected manner (moraliserande)
“he tried to encourage his men with … rhetoric”
Sententious
a long speech or piece of writing, typically one regarded as tedious.
Screed
bitter
typically of speech or discussion) angry and bitter.
“an … dispute about wages”
Acrimonious
not showing due respect for another person; impertinent (fräck)
he could have strangled this – upstart. NOT IMPERTINENT
Impudent
Dvala
“he spent most of the journey in a state of …”
torpor
Obeveklig impossible to persuade by request or entreaty
“the doctors were inexorable, and there was nothing to be done”
OR
impossible to stop or prevent.
“the seemingly inexorable march of new technology”
Inexorable
Att utsväva
- recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.
“… consumers of energy”
- licentious; dissolute.
“he succumbed to drink and a … lifestyle”
- a licentious, dissolute person. (noun
“he is a drunkard and a …”
Profligate
NOUN: very small in size or amount OR ADJ: – my – musical resources.
Exiguous
sentimental in an exaggerated or false way.
“a … ode to parenthood”
sentimental in a feeble or sickly way
Mawkish
having a limited or narrow outlook or scope
“… attitudes”
OR
of or relating to a church paris
“the … church council”
Parochial
Ställa sig in (hos någon)
bring oneself into favour with someone by flattering or trying to please them.
“a sycophantic attempt to … herself with the local aristocracy”
Ingratiate
Högröstad
expressing or characterized by vehement opinions; loud and forceful.
“he was a … opponent of the takeover”
Vociferous
