Yds Flashcards
Insurgent
1 : a person who revolts against civil authority or an established government; especially : a rebel not recognized as a belligerent
2 : one who acts contrary to the policies and decisions of one’s own political party
Examples
Insurgents are trying to gain control of the country’s transportation system.
the government subjected the insurgents to the most inhuman torture imaginable
İsyan, isyancı
Elate
to fill with joy or pride
The discovery has elated researchers.
the winning of the state basketball championship elated the whole town
Sevindirmek, coşturmak.
Vanquish
to defeat (someone) completely in a war, battle, etc.
Examples
They were vanquished in battle.
vanquished nation after nation in his relentless conquest of Europe
Yenmek, mağlup etmek
Take charge
to assume care, custody, command, or control
İdareyi ele geçirmek, hükmetmeye başlamak.
Throng
a large group of people
Examples
grabbed a megaphone and addressed the vast throng
Kalabalık, güruh
Clamour
a loud continuous noise (such as the noise made when many people are talking or shouting)
a loud or strong demand forsomething by many people
Examples
A clamor outside woke them in the night.
city streets filled with clamor
a public clamor for an arrest in the case
Spur
: to encourage (someone) to do or achieve something
: to cause (something) to happen or to happen more quickly
Teşvik etmek, kışkırtmak
Roil
: to upset (someone or something) very much : to cause (someone or something) to become very agitated or disturbed
: to move in a violent and confused way
Examples
Financial markets have been roiled by the banking crisis.
the waters of the gulf tossed and roiled as the hurricane surged toward the shore
Bulandırmak, sinirlendirmek.
Aspire
: to want to have or achieve something (such as a particular career or level of success)
Example
aspire to great deeds, and you have a better chance of doing good deeds
a tower aspiring towards the heavens
Heveslenmek, arzulamak
Merely
—used to say that something or someone is small, unimportant, etc.
—used to say that something small is important or has a big effect or influence
Examples
the mere idea of your traveling alone to Europe is ridiculous
Sadece, yalnızca
Deride
: to subject to usually bitter or contemptuous ridicule or criticism
//politicians deriding their opponents
: to express a lack of respect or approval of
//were derided as the weaker sex
Alay etmek, alaya almak.
Stooge
: one who plays a subordinate or compliant role to a principal
Muhbir, alet olan kimse
Sectarian
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a sect or sectarian
2 : limited in character or scope
Examples
Adjective
//The country was split along sectarian lines.
//there are people on both the left and the right who have staked out unyielding sectarian positions in this debate
Tutucu bağnaz.
Infidel
: not holding the faith of a given religion
//Either they must come to terms with surrounding infidel tribes or they must conquer the hinterland.
Kafir, imansız kimse
Tap into
: to make a strong or advantageous connection with
//trying to tap into a new market
Faydalanmak, istifade etmek
Persecution
: the act or practice of persecuting especially those who differ in origin, religion, or social outlook
2 : the condition of being persecuted, harassed, or annoyed
specifically : to cause to suffer because of belief
Zulmetme, eziyet etme
Unjust
: characterized by injustice : UNFAIR
Adaletsiz, vicdansız
Plunder.
: to make extensive use of as if by plundering : use or use up wrongfully
//plunder the land
Yağmalama, talan etme
Detest.
: to feel intense and often violent antipathy toward : LOATHE
//detests politics
//They seem to truly detest each other.
Nefret etmek, iğrenmek
Pious
firm in one’s allegiance to someone or something
//a pious supporter of his school’s athletic teams, during winning and losing seasons alike
Dindar, saygılı
Ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
//an office supervisor with a ruthless disregard for others’ feelings
Gaddar, acımasız
Compromise
the act or practice of each side giving up something in order to reach an agreement
//eventually we reached a compromise on the number of hours per week that would be devoted to piano practice
Anlaşmaya varmak
Alienate
to cause to change from friendly or loving to unfriendly or uncaring
//her changed position on the issue surprised and alienated many of her supporters
Uzaklaştırmak, aralarını açmak.
Foster
to help the growth or development of
//the head librarian firmly declared that it is indeed the duty of local government to foster learning and a love of reading
Bakmak, beslemek.
Despise
to dislike strongly
//I despise anchovies on pizza, and I refuse to eat them!
Hor görmek, küçümsemek
Soar
to rise abruptly and rapidly
//gas prices soared overnight because of the shortage
Hızla yükselmek
Inept
He made some particularly inept remarks.
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job
//a well-meaning but inept secretary who can’t seem to keep the boss’s appointments straight
Yeteneksiz, hünersin
Resilient
able to recover quickly after something unpleasant such as shock, injury, etc.
•He’ll get over it—young people are amazingly resilient.
•These plants are very resilient to rough handling.
•a pretty resilient plant
•a remarkably resilient woman
Benign
not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt
//around campus he’s known as a real character, but one whose eccentricities are entirely benign
: having no significant effect : HARMLESS
//environmentally benign
Sevecen, merhametli
Pasture
: plants (such as grass) grown for the feeding especially of grazing animals
2 : land or a plot of land used for grazing
//horses grazing in a fenced pasture
Otlatmak, gütmek
Seductive
having an often mysterious or magical power to attract
//people always remarked on the cult leader’s seductive personality
Baştan çıkarıcı, tahrik edici
Revise
to make different in some way
//with the snow, we’ll need to revise our travel plans
Düzeltme yapmak.
Inquiry.
an official process to find out the cause of something or to find out information about something
•a murder inquiry
•inquiry into something a public inquiry into the environmental effects of the proposed new road
•to hold/conduct/launch an inquiry into the affair
Araştırma, soruşturma
Implication
a possible effect or result of an action or a decision
•They failed to consider the wider implications of their actions.
•implication (of something) for something The development of the site will have implications for the surrounding countryside.
•Now they realized the full implications of the new system.
•The broader implications of the plan were discussed.
•The research has far-reaching implications for medicine as a whole.
•These results have important practical implications.
•You need to consider the legal implications before you publish anything.
•the constitutional implications of a royal divorce
Çıkarım, (bir kimseyi olumsuz bir şeye) karıştırma/bulaştırma
Convincing
: satisfying or assuring by argument or proof
//a convincing test of a new product
İkna edici bir şekilde
on behalf of or in behalf of
in order to help somebody
•We collected money in behalf of the homeless.
I wrote the letter on behalf of my client.
Adına, namına
Therefore
for this or that reason
//it’s snowing hard; therefore I think we should stay home
Bu sebeple
Accommodate
: to give consideration to : to allow for
//trying to accommodate the special interests of various groups
Uzlaştırmak, uyum sağlamak
Forensic.
: relating to or dealing with the application of scientific knowledge to legal problems
//forensic medicine
Adli, münazaraya ait
Come up with
: to come to attention or consideration
//the question never came us
Bulmak, üretmek
In case of
: a set of circumstances or conditions
//is the statement true in all three cases
Olduğu takdirde
Heritability
: the proportion of observed variation in a particular trait (such as height) that can be attributed to inherited genetic factors in contrast to environmental ones
Mirasçı olma
Hiss
to make a sound like that of stretching out the speech sound \s\
//the frightened kitten hissed at us when we tried to pick it up
Alaylı şekilde tıslamak, beğenmeyerek tıslamak
Dissuade
: to advise (a person) against something
//… dissuading us from base thoughts, low ends, ignoble gains …
Caydırmak, aklını çelmek
Run over
to do over and over so as to become skilled
//let’s run over this dance number one more time
Tekrarlamak, gözden geçirmek
Tactile
formal relating to the sense of touch
//The thick brushstrokes give the painting a t
dokunma duyusuyla algılanabilen
Omit
to not include something/somebody, either deliberately or because you have forgotten it/them
SYNONYM leave somebody/something out
•omit something/somebody If you are a student, you can omit questions 16–18.
•omit something/somebody from something People were surprised that Smith was omitted from the team.
•Some important details were deliberately omitted from the report.
•This fact had been conveniently omitted from his account of events.
•This scene is usually cut down or omitted altogether.
Koymayı unutmak, dahil etmemek
Blend
to mix two or more substances together
•blend A with B Blend the flour with the milk to make a smooth paste.
•blend A and B (together) Blend together the eggs, sugar and flour.
Karışmak, kaynaşmak
Scoff
: to show contempt by derisive acts or language
//scoffed at the idea
Alay etmek
Ebb and flow
Alçalıp yükselmek
Shrink
to become smaller in size or volume through the drawing together of particles of matter
//the sweater will shrink a little when washed
Küçülmek
Balmy
marked by temperatures that are neither too high nor too low
//a balmy spring day
Ilık, sıcacık
Succumb
to give up and cease resistance (as to a liking, temptation, or habit)
//refused to succumb to her fears and defiantly walked through the dark cemetery
Karşı koyamamak, direnememek
Emerge
: to become manifest : become known
//new problems emerged
Ortaya çıkmak
Lush
: growing vigorously especially with luxuriant foliage
//lush grass
Cafcaflı
Vivid
: producing a strong or clear impression on the senses : SHARP, INTENSE
specifically : producing distinct mental images
//a vivid description
Parlak, canlı
Exorbitant
: exceeding the customary or appropriate limits in intensity, quality, amount, or size
Fahiş fiyat, aşırı yüksek
Verdant
: green in tint or color
Yemyeşil
Scintillate
to emit sparks : SPARK
Işıldamak
Evocate
evoking or tending to evoke an especially emotional response
//settings … so evocative that they bring tears to the eyes
Çağırmak, ortaya koymak
Dispute
to question whether something is true or legally or officially acceptable
•dispute something These figures have been disputed.
•to dispute a decision/claim
•The family wanted to dispute the will.
•dispute that… No one is disputing that there is a problem.
•dispute whether, how, etc… | it is disputed whether, how, etc… It is disputed whether the law applies in this case.
Tartışmak
Assertion
a statement saying that you strongly believe something to be true
SYNONYM claim
•He was correct in his assertion that the minister had been lying.
•Do you have any evidence to support your assertions?
•Your assertion is not supported by the facts.
•Researchers have recently challenged these assertions.
•The argument needs to progress beyond the simple assertion that criminals are made not born.
•They made sweeping assertions about the role of women in society.
İddia, bildiri
Beneficiary
someone who inherits something when someone dies
//He named his only child as the beneficiary on his life insurance policy.
Hak sahibi, yararlanan
Enrich
: to add beauty to : ADORN
Zenginleştirmek, değerini arttırmak
Inscribe
to write, engrave, or print as a lasting record
İçine çizmek, yazmak(yazıt)
Shed
: to rid oneself of temporarily or permanently as superfluous or unwanted
//shed her inhibitions
Dökmek(gözyaşı, yaprak), ışık tutmak
Hail
to declare enthusiastic approval of
//the museum director hailed the artist’s new installation as a groundbreaking work of genius
Selamlamak, takdir etmek
Undulate
: to present a wavy appearance
İnişli çıkışlı olmak, dalgalanarak gitmek
Sprawl
: to lie or sit with arms and legs spread out
2 : to spread or develop irregularly or without restraint
//bushes sprawling along the road
Çok geniş bir alana yayılmak
Convulse
to shake or agitate violently
especially : to shake with or as if with irregular spasms
//was convulsed with laughter
Şiddetle sarsmak
Instigate
to cause something bad to happen
•They were accused of instigating racial violence.
•Those found guilty of instigating the unrest will be punished.
PROVOKE
Teşvik etmek, kışkırtmak
Overturn
: to cause to turn over : UPSET
//overturned the vase
Tersini çevirmek, altüst etmek
Disuse
lack of use
//since the car has experienced years of disuse, starting it up won’t be easy
Kullanmamak, terketmek
Revive
to bring back to life, practice, or activity
//an effort to revive the once-common custom of celebrating May 1 as a springtime festival of games and dances
Canlandırmak, ihya etmek
Preservation
the act or activity of keeping something in an existing and usually satisfactory condition
//each curator is responsible for the preservation of the works of art within his or her department
Koruma, muhafaza
Trove
: a valuable collection : TREASURE
also : HAUL, COLLECTION
Hzine, buluntu
Notoriety
a person who is widely known and usually much talked about
//a television show featuring a rogues’ gallery of notorieties from 20 years of overhyped scandals
Kötü şöhrert, dile düşme
Cut down
: to reduce or curtail volume or activity
//cut down on smoking
Kısıntı yapmak, azalmak
Call off
to draw the attention or mind to something else
//she was about to tell me the big news when her attention was called off by the arrival of another guest
Son vermek, durdurmak
Take in
: to receive into the mind : PERCEIVE
//took in the view
: ATTEND
//take in a movie
Anlamak, küçültmek, içeri almak
Haphazard
with no particular order or plan; not organized well
•The books had been piled on the shelves in a haphazard fashion.
•The government’s approach to the problem was haphazard.
•The town had grown in a somewhat haphazard way.
•In the early years training was haphazard.
•It was the result of rather haphazard planning.
Raslantı, tesadüf
Culinary
: of or relating to the kitchen or cookery
//culinary arts
Yemek pişirme ile ilgili
Exemplify
: to show or illustrate by example
//anecdotes exemplifying those virtues
Örneklemek
Comprehensive
covering everything or all important points
//a comprehensive overview of European history since the French Revolution😂
Etraflı, kapsamlı
Garnish
to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming
//a chef who never served any dish without first garnishing it
Süslemek
Despite
without being prevented by
//we went to the party despite the bad weather outside
E rağmen
Elaborate
made or done with great care or with much detail
//elaborate festivities for the 200th anniversary of the town’s founding
Detaylandırmak, özen göstermek
Embroil
: to throw into disorder or confusion
2 : to involve in conflict or difficulties
//embroiled in controversy
Bozmak, karıştırmak
İnsatiable
: incapable of being satisfied : QUENCHLESS
//had an insatiable desire for wealth
Açgözlü, doyumsuz
Cater
to provide a supply of food
//cater for a large party
2 : to supply what is required or desired
//catering to middle-class tastes
Temin etmek, ihtiyacını karşılamak
Admitted
to accept the truth or existence of (something) usually reluctantly
//the host of the talk show eventually admitted that she hadn’t actually read the book
//you can’t bring yourself to admit your mistakes
Kabul edilen, herkesçe bilinen
Defer
to assign to a later time
//we agreed to defer a discussion of the issue until we had more information
Sonraya bırakmak
Accomplice
one associated with another in wrongdoing
//the thief and his accomplices were eventually caught and brought to justice
Suç ortağı
Perseverance
the quality that allows someone to continue trying to do something even though it is difficult
//His perseverance was rewarded: after many rejections, he finally found a job.
//Perseverance is required to perfect just about any skill.
Sebat,azim
Culminate
to end with a particular result, or at a particular point
•a gun battle which culminated in the death of two police officers
•Months of hard work culminated in success.
•Their summer tour will culminate at a spectacular concert in London.
En son noktaya erişmek, sonuçlanmak
Deplorable
arousing or deserving of one’s loathing and disgust
//we will not tolerate such deplorable behavior in a house of worship
Acınacak, müessif
Warrant
the approval by someone in authority for the doing of something
//some employees suspected that the supervisor had no warrant from the CEO for instituting the draconian work rules
Garanti etmek, izin vermek
Confiscate
to take ownership or control of (something) by right of one’s authority
//anything that might be used as a weapon will be confiscated by the security guards
El koymak, haciz koymak
Deciduous
lasting only for a short time
//he chose not to fret about the deciduous discomforts of his existence
Geçici
Dissipate
to gradually become or make something become weaker until it disappears
•Eventually, his anger dissipated.
•dissipate something Her laughter soon dissipated the tension in the air.
2[transitive] dissipate something to waste something, such as time or money, especially by not planning the best way of using it
SYNONYMsquander
•She was determined to achieve results and not to dissipate her energies.
Boşa harcamak
Awning
a raised covering over something for decoration or protection
//stayed under the awning outside the shop during the rainstorm
Tente,branda
İnsulation
the state of being alone or kept apart from others
//she had grown up in such rural insulation that she’d never met anyone of a different race
Tecrit, yalıtım
Attic
a room or unfinished space directly beneath the roof of a building
//rented the attic out to a college student
Tavan arası
Sear
to burn on the surface
//lightly sear the steaks, but don’t cook them all the way through
Kavurtmak, yakmak
Prevaile
to achieve victory (as in a contest)
//we shall prevail despite the overwhelming odds
Üstün gelmek, yenmek
Sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
//her sarcastic comments that my singing reminded her of the time her dog was sick
Kinayeli, alaylı
Sceptical
Kuşkucu
Splurge
informal to spend more money than usual on something for yourself
//You should let yourself splurge once in a while.
Savurganlık yapmak
JANITOR
a person who takes care of a property sometimes for an absent owner
//got a job as the night janitor at the elementary school
Warden, custody
OPT
to come to a judgment about after discussion or consideration
after that near catastrophe, they opted to reinstate the telephone service
Conclude, determine
Ornery
having or showing a habitually bad temper
//an ornery old man who always yells at the neighborhood kids to keep off his lawn
Acid, bearish
Amass
to bring together in one body or place
//amassed a truckload of donations in the course of their canned food drive
Accumulate, assemble
Excerpt
a part taken from a longer work
//he’ll read an excerpt from the novel at the book signing
extract, passage
Procure
the act of obtaining (something)
//The museum is touting the procurement of several recently discovered artifacts.
accession, acquisition, obtainment
Swivel
to turn or move your body, eyes or head around quickly to face another direction
SYNONYM swing
•He swivelled around to look at her.
The man’s eyes swivelled away towards the window.
giggle
to laugh in a silly way because you are embarrassed or nervous or you think that something is funny
•They giggled about their teacher’s accident.
•We were giggling over some old photos.
Mock
that is a copy of something; not real
•a mock election
Stutter
to have difficulty speaking because you cannot stop yourself from repeating the first sound of some words several times
I managed to stutter a reply
Stammer syn
Plunge into
to start doing something in an enthusiastic way, especially without thinking carefully about what you are doing
•She was about to plunge into her story when the phone rang.
•He’s always plunging in at the deep end (= becoming involved in difficult situations without being well enough prepared).
Spout
to speak a lot about something; to repeat something in a boring or annoying way
She could do nothing but spout insults.
•The article was full of the usual clichés spouted by fashion editors.
Flaunt
flaunt something to show something you are proud of to other people, in order to impress them
She openly flaunted her affair with the senator.
•openly flaunting their wealth
Rein
to start to control somebody/something more strictly
SYNONYMcheck
•We need to rein back public spending.
•She kept her emotions tightly reined in.
Bolster
to improve something or make it stronger
•bolster something to bolster somebody’s confidence/courage/morale
Reinstate
to return something to its previous position or status
SYNONYMrestore
•There have been repeated calls to reinstate the death penalty.
•Tennis has now been reinstated as an Olympic sport.
Stroll
to walk somewhere in a slow relaxed way
•People were strolling along the beach.
He hummed to himself as he strolled leisurely through the streets.
•They strolled down to the canal.
Cynic
a person who believes that people only do things to help themselves, rather than for good or sincere reasons
•Don’t be such a cynic!
Atrophy
if a part of the body atrophies, it becomes weak because it is not used or because it does not have enough blood
•patients whose muscles have atrophied
•(figurative) Memory can atrophy through lack of use.
Delve sth
to try hard to find out more information about something
•She had started to delve into her father’s distant past.
•We must delve back into history to find the reason.
İndictment
a sign that a system, society, etc. is very bad or very wrong
•The poverty in our cities is a damning indictment of modern society.
•This research is a terrible indictment on the medical profession.
Riposte
a course of action that takes place in response to something that has happened
•The US delivered an early riposte to the air attack.
Misdeed
a bad or evil act
SYNONYMwrongdoing
•He will have to answer for his misdeeds in a court of law.
Acolyte
a person who follows and helps a leader
•the Emperor’s faithful acolytes
Dupe
to trick or cheat somebody
•dupe somebody They soon realized they had been duped.
•dupe somebody into doing something He was duped into giving them his credit card.
Resent
to feel bitter or angry about something, especially because you feel it is unfair
•resent something/somebody I deeply resented her criticism.
•The children resented the new woman in their father’s life.
I resent the implication that I don’t care about my father.
•I resent the insinuation that I’m only interested in the money.
Afterglow
the light that is left in the sky after the sun has set
•the lingering sunset which left a distinctive purple afterglow
Exult
to feel and show that you are very excited and happy because of something that has happened
•exult (at/in something) He leaned back, exulting at the success of his plan.
•+ speech ‘We won!’ she exulted.
Dissenter
a person who does not agree with opinions that are officially or generally accepted
•The dissenters at the meeting were shouted down.
Dismay
dismay somebody to make somebody feel shocked and disappointed
•Their reaction dismayed him.
Misdemeanour
(formal) an action that is bad or unacceptable, but not very serious
•youthful misdemeanours
Decipher
decipher something to succeed in finding the meaning of something that is difficult to read or understand
•Can anyone decipher his handwriting?
•She watched the girl’s expression closely, trying to decipher her meaning.
Hint
to suggest something in an indirect way
•hint at something What are you hinting at?
•hint (that)… They hinted (that) there might be more job losses.
He hinted strongly that he would be resigning soon.
•She even hinted that she might resign.
Controversial
causing a lot of angry public discussion and disagreement
•a highly controversial topic
•one of the most controversial of London’s new office blocks
•A controversial plan to build a new road has met with protests.
Tumultuous
involving many difficulties and a lot of change and often violence
SYNONYMtempestuous
•the tumultuous years of the English Civil War
•It was a tumultuous time in her life.
Disparage
disparage somebody/something to suggest that somebody/something is not important or valuable
SYNONYMbelittle
•I don’t mean to disparage your achievements.
Broadly
generally, without considering details
•Broadly speaking, I agree with you.
•broadly similar/comparable/equivalent/consistent
Uptick
a small increase in the level or value of something
•The futures market is showing an uptick.
OPPOSITEdowntick
Plea
a serious emotional request, especially for something needing action now
•plea for something She made an impassioned plea for help.
•plea (to somebody) (to do something) a plea to industries to stop pollution
•He refused to listen to her tearful pleas.
Hamper
hamper somebody/something to prevent somebody from easily doing or achieving something
SYNONYMhinder
•High winds hampered the rescue attempt.
•Our efforts were severely hampered by a lack of money.
•This has hampered the growth of the export market.
•Indecision on local taxation is hampering councils from planning their budgets.
•Millions of mothers are hampered in their careers by lack of adequate childcare.
Dovish
preferring to use peaceful discussion rather than military action in order to solve a political problem
OPPOSITEhawkish
(On your) conscience
making you feel guilty for doing or failing to do something
•I’ll write and apologize. I’ve had it on my conscience for weeks.
•It’s still on my conscience that I didn’t warn him in time.
Predicament
a difficult or an unpleasant situation, especially one where it is difficult to know what to do
SYNONYMquandary
•the club’s financial predicament
•I’m in a terrible predicament.
•Many young people find themselves in this predicament.
•Now I really was in a dire predicament.
•Other companies are in an even worse predicament than ourselves.
•She was searching for the right words to explain her predicament.
•When I was your age, I was in a similar predicament.
•He explained his predicament to the librarian.
•They are not to blame for their current predicament.
Unravel
I had to unravel one of the sleeves because I realized I’d knitted it too small.
(of a system, plan, relationship, etc.) to start to fail or no longer stay together as a whole
Başarısızlığa uğramak, sökmek
Devolve into
to give a duty, responsibility, power, etc. to somebody who has less authority than you
•The central government devolved most tax-raising powers to the regional authorities.
Rosy
likely to be good or successful
SYNONYMhopeful
•The future is looking very rosy for our company.
•She painted a rosy picture of their life together in Italy (= made it appear to be very good and perhaps better than it really was).
•You make everything sound very rosy.
Undermine
to make something, especially somebody’s confidence or authority, gradually weaker or less effective
•Our confidence in the team has been seriously undermined by their recent defeats.
•This crisis has undermined his position.
•Recent changes have undermined teachers’ morale.
•The director saw this move as an attempt to undermine his authority.
•It’s all a plot to undermine me.
Admissibility
how much something can be allowed or accepted, especially in court
•His lawyers plan to challenge the admissibility of this evidence.
Warily
carefully, because you think there may be a danger or problem or you do not trust somebody/something
SYNONYMcautiously
•The cat eyed him warily.
Eschew
eschew something to deliberately avoid or keep away from something
•He had eschewed politics in favour of a life practising law.
Unprecedented
that has never happened, been done or been known before
•The situation is unprecedented in modern times.
•There were unprecedented scenes of violence in the city’s main square.
Quash
quash something to take action to stop something from continuing
SYNONYMsuppress
•The rumours were quickly quashed.
•The government moved quickly to quash the revolt.
Inherit
inherit something (from somebody) if you inherit a particular situation from somebody, you are now responsible for dealing with it, especially because you have replaced that person in their job
•policies inherited from the previous administration
•I inherited a number of problems from my predecessor.
Cozy
warm, comfortable and safe, especially in a small space
SYNONYMsnug
•a cozy little room
•a cozy feeling
•I felt warm and cozy sitting by the fire.
Guise
a way in which somebody/something appears, often in a way that is different from usual or that hides the truth about them/it
•in a… guise The story appears in different guises in different cultures.
•in somebody’s guise as something She had been invited to the conference in her guise as a professional counsellor.
•under the guise of something His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism.
Intractable
(of a problem or a person) very difficult to deal with
•Unemployment was proving to be an intractable problem.
•There was no pleasing this intractable man.
OPPOSITEtractable
Debt
[countable] a sum of money that somebody owes
•to pay/repay a debt
•I need to pay off all my debts.
•I’ve finally cleared all my debts.
•After settling his debts he was left with just £2000.
•an outstanding debt of £300
•He had run up huge credit card debts.
•They had incurred debts of over $1 million.
Indebtedness
indebtedness (to somebody) (formal) the feeling of being grateful to somebody/something for their help, advice, influence, etc.
•His deep indebtedness to Karen Burton is acknowledged in this book.
Stagger
[intransitive, transitive] to walk with weak unsteady steps, as if you are about to fall
SYNONYMtotter
•(+ adv./prep.) The injured woman staggered to her feet.
•He staggered home, drunk.
•We seem to stagger from one crisis to the next.
•(figurative) The company is staggering under the weight of a £10m debt.
•stagger something I managed to stagger the last few steps.
•She staggered blindly off into the darkness.
•She staggered to her feet and tottered unsteadily across the room.
•He was staggering, as if he was drunk.
•I managed to stagger to my feet.
•She staggered over to him, swaying slightly.
•The injured woman staggered to the side of the road.
•The man staggered around the square before collapsing.
Discord
[uncountable] (formal) disagreement; arguing
•marital/family discord
•A note of discord surfaced during the proceedings.
•The contrasts between rich and poor nations are a source of discord.
OPPOSITEconcord
Cadre
a small group of people who are specially chosen and trained for a particular purpose
•a cadre of scientific experts
Surreptitious
done secretly or quickly, in the hope that other people will not notice
SYNONYMfurtive
•She sneaked a surreptitious glance at her watch.
•They were seen leaving the premises in a surreptitious manner.
Distort
distort something to change facts, ideas, etc. so that they are no longer correct or true
•Newspapers are often guilty of distorting the truth.
Brush
o remove or try to remove something from a place or surface with a brush or with your hand
•brush something + adv./prep. He brushed the dirt off his jacket.
• He pulled out a handkerchief and brushed away the tears.
•Gail brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes.
•She brushed the fly away.
•brush + adv./prep. Lucille brushed at the blood on his jacket.
to clean, polish or make something smooth with a brush
•brush something to brush your hair/teeth
•to brush your shoes
•brush something + adj. A tiled floor is easy to brush clean.
Inordinate
far more than is usual or expected
SYNONYMexcessive
•They spent an inordinate amount of time and money on the production.
•The strike has led to inordinate delays.
Predecessor
a person who did a job before somebody else
•The new president reversed many of the policies of his predecessor.
•his immediate predecessor in the post
•my predecessor at the Ministry of Defence
Unlike
different from a particular person or thing
•Music is quite unlike any other art form.
•The sound was not unlike that of birds singing.
Intensify
to increase in degree or strength; to make something increase in degree or strength
SYNONYMheighten
•Violence intensified during the night.
•The fighting in the area has intensified sharply.
Hardliner
a person who has very fixed beliefs and who is unlikely or unwilling to change them
•a Republican hardliner
Beligerent
aggressive and unfriendly
SYNONYMhostile
•a belligerent attitude
•He is always very belligerent towards me.
Empower
to give somebody the power or authority to do something
SYNONYMauthorize
•be empowered (to do something) The courts were empowered to impose the death sentence for certain crimes.
Bicker
bicker (about/over something) to argue about things that are not important
SYNONYMsquabble
•The children are always bickering about something or other.
•They bicker over whose fault it was.
Internecine
happening between members of the same group, country or organization
•internecine struggles/warfare/feuds
her iki taraf için de öldürücü olan
Pervasive
existing in all parts of a place or thing; spreading gradually to affect all parts of a place or thing
•a pervasive smell of damp
•Her influence is all-pervasive (= it affects everyone and everything).
•A sense of social change is pervasive in her novels.
•the increasingly pervasive subculture in modern society
Unwitting
not aware of what you are doing or of the situation you are involved in
•He became an unwitting accomplice in the crime.
•She was the unwitting cause of the argument.
•They had been made unwitting tools of the regime.
Pawn
a person or group whose actions are controlled by more powerful people
•The hostages are being used as political pawns.
•The prince became a pawn in the game of power politics.
Vagueness
the fact of not having or giving enough information or details about something
•the unhelpful vagueness of the definition
Murky
(of people’s actions or character) not clearly known and suspected of not being honest
•He had a somewhat murky past.
•He was involved in the murky world of arms dealing.
He had an extremely murky past.
•What are you talking about? Some dark secret from your murky past?
Scarcity
if there is a scarcity of something, there is not enough of it and it is difficult to obtain it
SYNONYMshortage
•a time of scarcity
•a scarcity of resources
•In times of scarcity, lions will travel great distances in search of food.
•Old properties in the town have acquired a scarcity value.
•There is a great scarcity of food in the drought-stricken areas.
•The job was made more difficult because of a scarcity of data.
Preponderance
if there is a preponderance of one type of people or things in a group, there are more of them than others
SYNONYMpredominance
•There is still a preponderance of male managers in the profession.
Çoğunluk
Thy
a word meaning ‘your’, used when talking to only one person
•Honour thy father and thy mother.
Overcome
overcome something to succeed in dealing with or controlling a problem that has been preventing you from achieving something
•She overcame injury to win the Olympic gold medal.
•The two parties managed to overcome their differences on the issue.
•He finally managed to overcome his fear of flying
•He overcame a strong temptation to run away.
Painstaking
done with a lot of care, effort and attention to detail
SYNONYMthorough
•painstaking research
•The event had been planned with painstaking attention to detail.
Gratify
to please or satisfy somebody
•it gratifies somebody to do something It gratified him to think that it was all his work.
•gratify somebody I was gratified by their invitation.
İmpasse
a difficult situation in which no progress can be made because the people involved cannot agree what to do
SYNONYMdeadlock
•to break/end the impasse
•Negotiations have reached an impasse.
•The Governor attempted to resolve Minnesota’s current budget impasse.
•The proposal offered both sides a way out of the diplomatic impasse.
Tedious
lasting or taking too long and not interesting
SYNONYMboring
•The journey soon became tedious.
•We had to listen to the tedious details of his operation.
Poignant
having a strong effect on your feelings, especially in a way that makes you feel sad
SYNONYMmoving
•a poignant image/moment/memory, etc.
•Her face was a poignant reminder of the passing of time.
•It was the city’s street children who provided some of the most poignant images.
•The performances are by turns uproarious and oddly poignant.
•The presence of the rest of the family made John’s absence even more poignant.
•Alan’s return to the city of his childhood was particularly poignant.
Lambast
lambast somebody/something to attack or criticize somebody/something very severely, especially in public
SYNONYMlay into somebody/something
Pervade
pervade something to spread through and be easy to notice in every part of something
SYNONYMpermeate
•a pervading mood of fear
•the sadness that pervades most of her novels
•The entire house was pervaded by a sour smell.
Rabid
(of a type of person) having very strong feelings about something and acting in an unacceptable way
•rabid right-wing fanatics
•the rabid tabloid press
Vocal
telling people your opinions or protesting about something loudly and with confidence
•He has been very vocal in his criticism of the government’s policy.
•The protesters are a small but vocal minority.
−Extra Examples
•a highly vocal opposition group
•criticized by a small but increasingly vocal minority
•women who are very vocal about men’s failings
Antagonize
antagonize somebody to do something to make somebody angry with you
•Not wishing to antagonize her further, he said no more.
Muster
muster something (up) to find as much support, courage, etc. as you can
SYNONYMsummon
•We mustered what support we could for the plan.
•She left the room with all the dignity she could muster.
•He could muster only 154 votes at the election.
Cultivate
cultivate something to grow plants or crops
SYNONYMgrow
•The people cultivate mainly rice and beans.
•Olives have been cultivated successfully in southern Australia.
3cultivate somebody/something (sometimes disapproving) to try to get somebody’s friendship or support
•He purposely tried to cultivate good relations with the press.
•It helps if you go out of your way to cultivate the local people.
4cultivate something to develop an attitude, a way of talking or behaving, etc.
•She cultivated an air of sophistication.
•This modern image is actively cultivated by the company.
Decry
decry somebody/something (as something) to strongly criticize somebody/something, especially publicly
SYNONYMcondemn
•The measures were decried as useless.
Expletive
a word, especially a rude word, that you use when you are angry, or in pain
SYNONYMswear word
•He dropped the book on his foot and muttered several expletives under his breath.
•‘Why don’t you just [expletive deleted] (= used when you edit out a rude word when reporting what somebody has said)?’
Blithely
in a way that shows you do not care or are not anxious about what you are doing
•He was blithely unaware of the trouble he’d caused.
•‘It’ll be easy,’ she said blithely.
Silicate
any compound containing silicon and oxygen
•aluminium silicate
Debunk
The writer’s aim was to debunk the myth that had grown up around the actress.
debunk something to show that an idea, a belief, etc. is false; to show that something is not as good as people think it is
•His theories have been debunked by recent research.
•Let’s start by debunking a few myths.
•She attempts to debunk unrealistic expectations about marriage.
Gerçeği göstermek
Brim with
to be full of something; to fill something
•Tears brimmed in her eyes.
•brim with something Her eyes brimmed with tears.
•The team were brimming with confidence before the game.
•a young man brimming with confidence
Scant
hardly any; not very much and not as much as there should be
•I paid scant attention to what she was saying.
•The firefighters went back into the house with scant regard for their own safety.
•There is scant evidence for this view.
Unfathomable
too strange or difficult to be understood
•an unfathomable mystery
•We are confronted with the unfathomable nature of human motivation.
Coerce
to force somebody to do something by using threats
•coerce somebody She hadn’t coerced him in any way.
•coerce somebody into (doing) something They were coerced into negotiating a settlement.
•coerce somebody to do something They tried to coerce him to sign away his rights.
Nonetheless
despite this fact
SYNONYMnevertheless
•The book is too long but, nonetheless, informative and entertaining.
•The problems are not serious. Nonetheless, we shall need to tackle them soon.
Subvert
subvert something to challenge somebody’s ideas or expectations and make them consider the opposite
SYNONYMundermine
•The film subverts notions of male and female identity.
Bravado
a confident way of behaving that is intended to impress people, sometimes as a way of hiding a lack of confidence
•an act of sheer bravado
•‘Don’t threaten me,’ she whispered with false bravado.
•He behaved aggressively out of bravado.
Garner
garner something to obtain or collect something such as information, support, etc.
SYNONYMgather, acquire
•All the information that we garnered has been kept on file.
Grovelling
showing too much respect to somebody who is more important than you or who can give you something you want
•a grovelling letter of apology
Unfurl
when something that is curled or rolled tightly unfurls, or you unfurl it, it opens
•The leaves slowly unfurled.
•unfurl something to unfurl a flag
•The protesters tried to unfurl a banner.
Divvy up
to divide something, especially money into two or more parts
Stubble
the short, stiff hairs that grow on a man’s face when he has not shaved recently
•He had a two-day growth of dark stubble on his chin.
Stubble
the short, stiff hairs that grow on a man’s face when he has not shaved recently
•He had a two-day growth of dark stubble on his chin.
İffy
not certain
•The weather looks slightly iffy
Suss
I’ll visit the college and suss it out before I decide whether to apply or not.
to realize something; to understand the important things about somebody/something
•suss (somebody/something) I think I’ve got him sussed (= now I understand him).
•He cheated on her for years, but she never sussed.
•suss somebody/something out If you want to succeed in business you have to suss out the competition.
•suss that… She quickly sussed that it was my first time at the club.
•suss what, how, etc… They have sussed what the situation is.
İncelemek, keşfetmek
Rumple
rumple something to make something untidy or not smooth and neat
•She rumpled his hair playfully.
•The bed was rumpled where he had slept.
•a rumpled linen suit
Avail
to little/no aˈvail
(formal) with little or no success
•The doctors tried everything to keep him alive but to no avail.
•They worked hard to win the project but all to no avail.
Ignominious
that makes, or should make, you feel ashamed
SYNONYMdisgraceful, humiliating
•an ignominious defeat
•He made one mistake and his career came to an ignominious end
Disconcert
disconcert somebody to make somebody feel anxious, confused or embarrassed
SYNONYMdisturb
•His answer rather disconcerted her.
Strew
to cover a surface with things
SYNONYMscatter
•strew A on, over, across, etc. B Clothes were strewn across the floor.
•He put the bag on the ground and strewed some dead leaves over it.
•strew B with A The floor was strewn with clothes.
•The streets were strewn with corpses.
•(figurative) The way ahead is strewn with difficulties.
Undertake
Students are required to undertake simple experiments.
undertake something to make yourself responsible for something and start doing it
•to undertake a task/project
•University professors both teach and undertake research.
•The company has announced that it will undertake a full investigation into the accident.
to agree or promise that you will do something
•He undertook to finish the job by Friday.
Glean
glean something (from somebody/something) to obtain information, knowledge, etc., sometimes with difficulty and often from various different places
•These figures have been gleaned from a number of studies.
Fete
a special occasion held to celebrate something
•a charity fete
Petrified
petrified trees, insects, etc. have died and been changed into stone over a very long period of time
•a petrified forest
Sideline
to prevent somebody from playing in a team, especially because of an injury
•be sidelined (by something) The player has been sidelined by a knee injury.
Bog
to prevent somebody from making progress in an activity
•We mustn’t get bogged down in details.
Outlying
far away from the cities of a country or from the main part of a place
•outlying areas
Outlying
far away from the cities of a country or from the main part of a place
•outlying areas
Unaminity
complete agreement about something among a group of people
•There is no unanimity of opinion among the medical profession on this subject.
•We won’t all agree, but we need to achieve a degree of unanimity.
Shimmer
to shine with a soft light that seems to move slightly
•The sea was shimmering in the sunlight.
•The surface of the road shimmered in the midday heat.
•She was wearing a shimmering white gown.
Skywards
also sky·ward
towards the sky; up into the sky
•She pointed skywards.
•The rocket soared skywards.
Plausible
(of an excuse or explanation) reasonable and likely to be true
•Her story sounded perfectly plausible.
•The only plausible explanation is that he forgot.
OPPOSITEimplausible
Harbinger
harbinger (of something) a sign that shows that something is going to happen soon, often something
Irrevocable
that cannot be changed
SYNONYMfinal
•an irrevocable decision/step
Worthwhile
important, pleasant, interesting, etc.; worth spending time, money or effort on
•It was in aid of a worthwhile cause (= a charity, etc.)
•a worthwhile discussion/job
•The smile on her face made it all worthwhile.
•We all felt we had done something worthwhile for the local community.
•worthwhile for somebody to do something High prices in the UK make it worthwhile for buyers to look abroad.
•worthwhile to do something It is worthwhile to include really high-quality illustrations.
•worthwhile doing something It didn’t seem worthwhile writing it all out again.
Proprietary
(of goods) made and sold by a particular company and protected by a registered trademark
•a proprietary medicine
•proprietary brands
•a proprietary name
OPPOSITEnon-proprietary
Juxtaposition
the fact of putting people or things together, especially in order to show a contrast or a new relationship between them
•the juxtaposition of realistic and surreal situations in the novel
Swelter
to be very hot in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable
•Passengers sweltered in temperatures of over 90°F.
Perspiration
During the break between games, she had a drink of water and wiped the perspiration off her face and arms with a towel.
drops of liquid that form on your skin when you are hot
SYNONYMsweat
•Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead.
•Her skin was damp with perspiration.
in the throes of something/of doing something
in the middle of an activity, especially a difficult or complicated one
•The country was in the throes of revolutionary change.
•We’re in the throes of moving to a new office, so the place is in chaos at the moment.
Wobble
to move from side to side in an unsteady way; to make something do this
•This chair wobbles.
•(figurative) Her voice wobbled with emotion.
•wobble something Don’t wobble the table—I’m trying to write.
−Extra Examples
•His legs began to wobble under him.
•The vase wobbled and then crashed to the ground.
Perspire
to produce sweat on your body
SYNONYMsweat
•The game of squash left me perspiring profusely.
•He mopped his perspiring face with a handkerchief.
•She was perspiring a little with the heat.
Strenuous
needing great effort and energy
SYNONYM arduous
•a strenuous climb
•Avoid strenuous exercise immediately after a meal.
•How about a stroll in the park? Nothing too strenuous.
•Avoid tasks which require strenuous physical activity.
Opaque
difficult to understand; not clear
SYNONYMimpenetrable
•The jargon in his talk was opaque to me.
•Both question and answer are rather opaque.
•The complex administrative arrangements mean that the decision-making process remains somewhat opaque.
•The system is completely opaque to non-specialists.
Curriculum
the subjects that are included in a course of study or taught in a school, college, etc.
•The school curriculum should be as broad as possible.
•on the curriculum (British English) Spanish is on the curriculum.
•in the curriculum (North American English) Spanish is in the curriculum.
Focal
central; very important; connected with or providing a focus
•The Student Liaison Officer acts as a focal point for student political activity.
•The focal symbol of sovereignty is, of course, the crown.
Entrepreneur
a person who makes money by starting or running businesses, especially when this involves taking financial risks
•A creative entrepreneur, he was continually dreaming up new projects.
•a recent MBA graduate and budding entrepreneur
Slink
to move somewhere very quietly and slowly, especially because you are ashamed or do not want to be seen
SYNONYMcreep
•John was trying to slink into the house by the back door.
•The dog howled and slunk away.
•She slunk out of the room, feeling like a criminal.
Traipse
to walk somewhere slowly when you are tired and unwilling
•We spent the afternoon traipsing around the town.
•I’m not traipsing all that way just to see your sister.
Remediate
to improve something or correct something that is wrong, especially to change or stop damage to the environment
•The problems need to be detected and remediated quickly.
•Plants can remediate contaminated soil.
•a course designed to remediate English and math skills
Pile
a number of things that have been placed on top of each other
•pile of something a pile of clothes/paper
•I found it in a pile of documents on his desk.
•in/into a pile The hats were stacked in neat piles.
•I’ve sorted the books into three separate piles.
Subtle
not very obvious or easy to notice
•subtle colours/flavours/smells, etc.
•There are subtle differences between the two versions.
•The fragrance is a subtle blend of jasmine and sandalwood.
•She’s been dropping subtle hints about what she’d like as a present.
−Extra Examples
•For a natural glow to your skin mix a subtle shade of blusher with loose powder.
•Her paintings are characterized by sweeping brush strokes and subtle colours.
•making infinitely subtle distinctions
Adjacent
next to something
•The planes landed on adjacent runways.
•numbers that are adjacent in the sequence
•adjacent to something Our farm land was adjacent to the river.
•The vineyards of Verzy lie adjacent to those of Verzenay.
•There is a row of houses immediately adjacent to the factory.
Abut
to be next to something or to have one side touching the side of something
•His land abuts onto a road.
Permeate
to spread to every part of an object or a place
•permeate something The smell of leather permeated the room.
•The air was permeated with the odour of burning rubber.
•+ adv./prep. rainwater permeating through the ground
Whisk
whisk something to mix liquids, eggs, etc. into a stiff, light mass, using a fork or special tool
SYNONYMbeat
•Whisk the egg whites until stiff.
•Lightly whisk the eggs and then add them to the mixture.
•Whisk all the ingredients together
whisk somebody/something + adv./prep. to take somebody/something somewhere very quickly and suddenly
•Jamie whisked her off to Paris for the weekend.
•The waiter whisked away the plates before we had finished.
Oppressor
a person or group of people that treats somebody in a cruel and unfair way, especially by not giving them the same rights, etc. as other people
•They cannot forget the humiliation they suffered at the hands of their oppressors.
Trample
to ignore somebody’s feelings or rights and treat them as if they are not important
•The government is trampling on the views of ordinary people.
•She would not let him trample over her any longer.
Despite
used to show that something happened or is true although something else might have happened to prevent it
SYNONYMin spite of
•Her voice was shaking despite all her efforts to control it.
•Despite applying for hundreds of jobs, he is still out of work.
•She was good at physics despite the fact that she found it boring.
Peddler
a person who in the past travelled from place to place trying to sell small objects
Captivate
to keep somebody’s attention by being interesting, attractive, etc.
SYNONYMenchant
•be captivated (by something) The children were captivated by her stories.
•Men were captivated by her charm.
Equivalent
a thing, amount, word, etc. that is equal in value, meaning or purpose to something else
•Send €20 or the equivalent in your own currency.
•equivalent of something the modern equivalent of the Roman baths
•Is there a French word that is the exact equivalent of the English word ‘home’?
•equivalent of doing something Breathing such polluted air is the equivalent of (= has the same effect as) smoking ten cigarettes a day.
•equivalent to something The German ‘Gymnasium’ is the closest equivalent to the grammar school in England.
Distinguish
[transitive] (not used in the progressive tenses) distinguish A (from B) to be a characteristic that makes two people, animals or things different
•What was it that distinguished her from her classmates?
•The male bird is distinguished from the female by its red beak.
•The adult bird can be readily distinguished by its orange bill.
•Does your cat have any distinguishing marks?
•The power of speech distinguishes human beings from animals.
[transitive] (not used in the progressive tenses) distinguish something to be able to see or hear something
SYNONYMdifferentiate, make out
•I could not distinguish her words, but she sounded agitated.
•She could not distinguish the make and colour of the car in the fading light.
4[transitive] distinguish yourself (as something) to do something so well that people notice and admire you
•She has already distinguished herself as an athlete.
Rural
connected with or like the countryside
•rural areas
•Belarus is predominantly rural.
•the rural community/population
•a rural economy
•rural America
•a rural way of life
•a small, quiet, rural village
•a rural development program
Bereave
if somebody is bereaved, a relative or close friend has just died
•The ceremony was an ordeal for those who had been recently bereaved.
Revitalize
revitalize something to make something stronger, more active or more healthy
•measures to revitalize the inner cities
•The local economy has been revitalized.
•Gentle massage will revitalize your skin.
Canlandırmak, diriltmek
Intermediary
helping other people or organizations to make an agreement by being a means of communication between them
•to play an intermediary role in the dispute
Tap
tap (something) if you tap your fingers, feet, etc. or they tap, you hit them gently against a table, the floor, etc., for example to the rhythm of music
•He kept tapping his fingers on the table.
•The music set everyone’s feet tapping.
[transitive, intransitive] to make use of a source of energy, knowledge, etc. that already exists
•tap something We need to tap the expertise of the people we already have.
•tap into something The movie seems to tap into a general sentimentality about animals.
Debunk
debunk something to show that an idea, a belief, etc. is false; to show that something is not as good as people think it is
•His theories have been debunked by recent research.
•Let’s start by debunking a few myths.
•She attempts to debunk unrealistic expectations about marriage.
Amend
amend something to change a law, document, statement, etc. slightly in order to correct a mistake or to improve it
•He asked to see the amended version.
•The law has been amended to read as follows:…
•Parliament will vote to amend the constitution.
Insist
to demand that something happen or that somebody agree to do something
•I didn’t really want to go but he insisted.
•Stay and have lunch. I insist!
•‘Please come with us.’ ‘Very well then, if you insist.’
•insist on somebody/something doing something She insisted on him wearing a suit
•insist on somebody’s/something’s doing something (formal) She insisted on his wearing a suit
•insist that… He insists that she come.
•(British English also) He insists that she should come.
Synonyms demand
Get into
to arrive at a place
•The train got in late.
•What time do you get into Heathrow?
Litterally
in a literal way
SYNONYMexactly
•The word ‘planet’ literally means ‘wandering body’.
•When I told you to ‘get lost’ I didn’t expect to be taken literally.
•Idioms usually cannot be translated literally into another language.
2used to emphasize the truth of something that may seem surprising
•There are literally hundreds of prizes to win.
3(informal) used to emphasize a word or phrase, even if it is not actually true in a literal sense
•I literally jumped out of my skin.
Unilateral
(of an action or decision) done by or affecting only one person, group or country involved in a situation without the agreement of the others
•a unilateral decision
•a unilateral declaration of independence
•They were forced to take unilateral action.
•They had campaigned vigorously for unilateral nuclear disarmament (= when one country gets rid of its nuclear weapons without waiting for other countries to do the same).
Denial
a statement that something is not true or does not exist; the action of denying something
•denial (of something) the prisoner’s repeated denials of the charges against him
•The terrorists issued a denial of responsibility for the attack.
•denial that… There was an official denial that there would be an election before the end of the year.
•in denial She shook her head in denial.
•His question was greeted with a chorus of denials.
•Jefferson made no denial of his actions on that night.
•The chairman of the company issued a denial of the allegations.
•The document contains an explicit denial that the company ever sold arms.
•When I asked if she had cheated in the exam, she answered with a vehement denial.
•a denial from senior officials
Death row
the cells in a prison for prisoners who are waiting to be killed as punishment for a serious crime
•prisoners on death row
Discernible
that can be recognized or understood
SYNONYMperceptible
•There is often no discernible difference between rival brands.
Callously
in a way that shows no care for other people’s feelings, pain or problems
SYNONYMcruelly
•They callously disregarded the concerns of ordinary people.
Discretion
the freedom or power to decide what should be done in a particular situation
•I’ll leave it up to you to use your discretion.
•How much to tell terminally ill patients is left to the discretion of the doctor.
•‘Do you want me to do the job myself or hire a photographer?’ ‘I’ll leave it to your discretion.’
•Judges should be given more discretion over sentencing.
•She has considerable discretion as to how the money is spent.
•The courts exercise discretion in the area of minor traffic violations.
•The president used his executive discretion to pardon the two men.
•The school governors have absolute discretion over which pupils they admit.
•They give themselves complete discretion as to what information they will hand out.
•They would like local authorities to be given greater discretion as to how the money is spent.
•We have discretion about how much to charge.
Jurisprdence
the scientific study of law
•a professor of jurisprudence
Tout
to try to persuade people that somebody/something is important or valuable by praising them/it
•be touted (as something) She’s being touted as the next leader of the party.
•Their much-touted expansion plans have come to nothing.
Övmek
Forfeiture
the act of giving something up as a consequence of something that you have done
•the forfeiture of property
•Failure to meet repayments leads automatically to forfeiture of the lease.
Flaunt
He’s got a lot of money but he doesn’t flaunt it.
to show something you are proud of to other people, in order to impress them
•He did not believe in flaunting his wealth.
•She openly flaunted her affair with the senator.
•openly flaunting their wealth
Gösteriş yapmak
Lurid
presented in a way that is intended to shock
•lurid headlines
•The paper gave all the lurid details of the murder.
Assail
to attack somebody/something violently, either physically or with words
•His attacker assailed him with fierce blows to the head.
•The proposal was assailed by the opposition party.
•(figurative) A vile smell assailed my nostrils.
Heinous
morally very bad
•a heinous crime
Gnash
gnash your ˈteeth
to press or hit your teeth together because you feel angry; to feel very angry and upset about something, especially because you cannot get what you want
•He’ll be gnashing his teeth when he hears that we lost the contract.
•The news caused great wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Snarl
to speak in a rough, low, angry voice
•+ speech (at somebody) ‘Get out of here!’ he snarled.
•snarl something (at somebody) She snarled abuse at anyone who happened to walk past.
•snarl (at somebody) He snarled savagely at her.
Prolifically
in a way that produces many works of art, literature, etc.
•to write prolifically
Literature
pieces of writing or printed information on a particular subject
•sales literature
•literature on something a review of the scientific literature on the topic
•I’ve read all the available literature on keeping rabbits.
•literature about something I picked up some literature about pensions.
•Chapter 1 reviews the literature and discusses the main types of sources available.
Collaborate
to work together with somebody in order to produce or achieve something
•Researchers around the world are collaborating to develop a new vaccine.
•collaborate (with somebody) (on something) We have collaborated on many projects over the years.
•collaborate (with somebody) (in something/in doing something) She agreed to collaborate with him in writing her biography.
Bluster
talk that is aggressive and threatening , but has little effect
•I wasn’t frightened by what he said—it was all bluster.
Propose
to suggest a plan, an idea, etc. for people to think about and decide on
•propose something The government proposed changes to the voting system.
•The Board of Directors is proposing an amendment to Article I.
•The three countries had proposed a plan for him to hand over power to a chosen successor.
•What would you propose?
•Other services will not be affected by the proposed legislation.
•It is one of several proposed hospital developments around town.
•Since the idea was first proposed, no action has been taken.
•a proposed reform/rule/law/project
•This year we propose a tax increase of 3.9 percent.
Lament
to have or express very sad feelings about somebody/something
SYNONYMbemoan, bewail
•In the poem he laments the destruction of the countryside.
•She sat alone weeping, lamenting her fate.
Reluctant
hesitating before doing something because you do not want to do it or because you are not sure that it is the right thing to do
•He finally gave a reluctant smile.
•They nodded in reluctant agreement.
•reluctant to do something She was reluctant to admit she was wrong.
•a reluctant hero (= a person who does not want to be called a hero)
OPPOSITEeager
•For a moment, he felt almost reluctant to leave.
•She was curiously reluctant to talk about the experience.
•Students may feel reluctant to ask questions.
•The monarchy was notoriously reluctant to embrace change.
•He was understandably reluctant to act as a witness.
Bid
(used especially in newspapers) an effort to do something or to obtain something
•bid for something a bid for power
•bid to do something a desperate bid to escape from his attackers
−Extra Examples
•He attacked his guards in a desperate bid for freedom.
•This play was her last bid for recognition.
•It was a bid by the president to boost his popularity.
•They failed in their bid to buy the company.
Impasse
a difficult situation in which no progress can be made because the people involved cannot agree what to do
SYNONYMdeadlock
•to break/end the impasse
•Negotiations have reached an impasse.
•The Governor attempted to resolve Minnesota’s current budget impasse.
•The proposal offered both sides a way out of the diplomatic impasse.
Impasse
a difficult situation in which no progress can be made because the people involved cannot agree what to do
SYNONYMdeadlock
•to break/end the impasse
•Negotiations have reached an impasse.
•The Governor attempted to resolve Minnesota’s current budget impasse.
•The proposal offered both sides a way out of the diplomatic impasse.
Pummel
to keep hitting somebody/something hard, especially with your fists (= tightly closed hands)
•pummel somebody/something (with something) He pummelled the pillow with his fists.
•(figurative) She pummelled (= strongly criticized) her opponents.
•He saw the other man being pummelled by the crowd.
•pummel (at something) Her fists pummelled at his chest.
Extraction
the act or process of removing or obtaining something from something else
•oil/mineral/coal, etc. extraction
•the extraction of salt from the sea
•Commercial peat extraction is destroying many threatened habitats.
•Methods of extraction vary from mine to mine.
2[uncountable] of… extraction (formal) having a particular family origin
•an American of Hungarian extraction
•a young American lawyer of Irish extraction
Resign
to officially tell somebody that you are leaving your job, an organization, etc.
•She was forced to resign due to ill health.
•resign as something He resigned as manager after eight years.
•resign from something Two members resigned from the board in protest.
•resign over something Some judges have threatened to resign over this issue.
•resign something My father resigned his directorship last year.
Pacifism
the belief that war and violence are always wrong
Dismemberment
the act of cutting or tearing the dead body of a person or an animal into pieces
•He was found guilty of the murder and dismemberment of two men.
(formal) the act or process of dividing a country, an organization, etc. into smaller parts
•This conflict led to the permanent dismemberment of the kingdom.
Decapitation
the action of cutting off somebody’s head; the fact of somebody’s head being cut off
SYNONYMbeheading
•The child narrowly escaped decapitation by the propellers.
Dread
to be very afraid of something; to fear that something bad is going to happen
•dread something This was the moment he had been dreading.
•dread doing something I dread being sick.
•dread somebody doing something She dreads her husband finding out.
•dread to do something I dread to think what would happen if there really was a fire here.
•dread that… I both hoped and dreaded that he would come.
•He had always dreaded being singled out.
•I have to go to the dentist tomorrow and I’m absolutely dreading it!
Snub
snub somebody to show a lack of respect for somebody, especially by ignoring them when you meet
SYNONYMcold-shoulder
•I tried to be friendly, but she snubbed me completely.
•He was not invited to the party, and felt snubbed.
Overturn
if something overturns, or if somebody overturns it, it turns into a position in which the top of it is where the bottom of it normally is or on its side
•The car skidded and overturned.
•overturn something He stood up quickly, overturning his chair.
overturn something to officially decide that a legal decision, etc. is not correct, and to make it no longer legally recognized
•to overturn a decision/conviction/verdict
•His sentence was overturned by the appeal court.
•He hopes that councillors will overturn the decision.
Allude
alˈlude to somebody/something
(formal) to mention something in an indirect way
•The problem had been alluded to briefly in earlier discussions.
SEE ALSOallusion
Depreciation
a decrease in value over a period of time
•currency depreciation
•The currency suffered steep depreciations in the exchange rate.
OPPOSITEappreciation
Rake in
to earn a lot of money, especially when it is done easily
•The movie raked in more than $300 million.
•She’s been raking it in since she started her new job.
Restraint
a rule, a fact, an idea, etc. that limits or controls what people can do
•The government has imposed export restraints on some products.
•social restraints on drinking alcohol
•The government imposed restraints on spending.
•They balked at the notion of prior restraints on research.
•We did the best we could within the limited time restraints.
•What happens when the conventional restraints on human cruelty are removed?
•agreements on voluntary export restraints
•There are certain social restraints on drinking alcohol.
Seclusion
the state of being private or of having little contact with other people
•the seclusion and peace of the island
•He spends much of his time in seclusion in the mountains.
•She fled to a life of quiet seclusion, living on a farm in rural Virginia.
•She liked to sunbathe in the seclusion of her own garden.
•seclusion from the outside world
•For the long summer vacation, I prefer the relative seclusion of the countryside.
•They could hardly wait to get back to the seclusion of their own house.
Divest
divest somebody/something of something to take something away from somebody/something
•After her illness she was divested of much of her responsibility.
Grassroots
ordinary people in society or in an organization, rather than the leaders or people who make decisions
•the grassroots of the party
•We need support at grassroots level.
Endorse
to say publicly that you support a person, statement or course of action
•I wholeheartedly endorse his remarks.
•Members of all parties endorsed a ban on land mines.
Ally
a person who helps and supports somebody who is in a difficult situation, especially a politician
•a close ally and friend of the prime minister
•her most powerful political ally
•His sister was his ally against their grandparents.
Punitive
intended as punishment
•There are calls for more punitive measures against people who drink and drive.
•Punitive action will be taken against the hooligans.
Restorative
making you feel strong and healthy again
•the restorative power of fresh air
Disparity
a difference, especially one connected with unfair treatment
•disparity between A and B The wide disparity between rich and poor was highlighted.
•disparity (in something) There are growing regional disparities in economic prosperity.
•the glaring economic disparities between different groups in our society
•The great disparity between the teams did not make for an entertaining game.
•America should address the racial disparities in its criminal justice system.
•the disparity in their salaries
•the issue of gender disparity in the student population
•a disparity of resources
Dire
very serious
•They were living in dire poverty.
•dire warnings/threats
•Such action may have dire consequences.
•We’re in dire need of your help.
•The firm is in dire straits (= in a very difficult situation) and may go bankrupt.
Lunge
to make a powerful forward movement, especially in order to attack somebody or take hold of something
•lunge at somebody/something He took out a knife and lunged at her.
•lunge forward She lunged forward and snatched the letter from me.
•lunge towards somebody/something He sprang from his seat and lunged towards her.
•lunge for somebody/something She lunged for the door, but it was locked.
İncite
to encourage somebody to do something violent, illegal or unpleasant, especially by making them angry or excited
•incite something to incite crime/racial hatred/violence
•incite somebody (to something) They were accused of inciting the crowd to violence.
•incite somebody to do something He incited the workforce to come out on strike.
•The governor blamed foreign groups for inciting the violence.
•There is legislation to ban material that incites racial hatred.
Aid and abet
(law) to help somebody to do something illegal or wrong
•She stands accused of aiding and abetting the crime.
•He was charged with aiding and abetting the robbers.
İndict
to officially charge somebody with a crime
•be indicted (for something) The senator was indicted for murder.
•be indicted on charges/on a charge of something She was indicted on charges of corruption.
•They were indicted on a number of corruption charges.
Travesty
something that does not have the qualities or values that it should have, and as a result is often considered wrong or offensive
SYNONYMparody
•The trial was a travesty of justice.
•His claim is a travesty of the facts.
•a travesty of a marriage
Pundit
a person who knows a lot about a particular subject and who often talks about it in public
•Political pundits agree that the government has scored a major victory.
•Football pundit Ron Atkinson has resigned from his TV job.
•I’d rather watch the soccer than listen to a bunch of TV pundits arguing about it.
•The financial gains to be made fell far short of what many pundits had predicted.
Subservience
the fact of being too willing to obey other people
•his subservience to his brother
Poignant
having a strong effect on your feelings, especially in a way that makes you feel sad
SYNONYMmoving
•a poignant image/moment/memory, etc.
•Her face was a poignant reminder of the passing of time.
•It was the city’s street children who provided some of the most poignant images.
•The performances are by turns uproarious and oddly poignant.
•The presence of the rest of the family made John’s absence even more poignant.
•Alan’s return to the city of his childhood was particularly poignant.
Üzücü
Wary
careful when dealing with somebody/something because you think that there may be a danger or problem
SYNONYMcautious
•wary (of somebody/something) Be wary of strangers who offer you a ride.
•wary (of doing something) She was wary of getting involved with him.
•He gave her a wary look.
•The police will need to keep a wary eye on this area of town (= watch it carefully, in case there is trouble).
•Paula frowned, suddenly wary.
•The Venetians knew to keep a wary eye on Spanish imperial ambitions.
•The chip manufacturers are keeping a wary eye on the market.
•The strange look in his eyes made me wary of accepting his offer.
•You should be very wary of people offering cheap tickets.
Sue
to make a claim against a person or an organization in court about something that they have said or done to harm you
•They threatened to sue if the work was not completed.
•sue (somebody/something) for something to sue somebody for breach of contract
•to sue somebody for $10 million (= in order to get money from somebody)
•to sue somebody for damages
•He threatened to sue the company for negligence.
•sue somebody/something The water authority was successfully sued over his illness.
Burn out
to stop working or to make something stop working because it gets too hot or is used too much
•The clutch has burnt out.
Outreach
the activity of an organization that provides a service or advice to people in the community, especially those who cannot or are unlikely to come to an office, a hospital, etc. for help
•an outreach and education programme
•outreach workers
•efforts to expand the outreach to black voters
Galore
in large quantities
•There will be games and prizes galore.
Celibate
not married and not having sex, especially for religious reasons
•celibate priests
not having sex
•I’ve been celibate for the past six months.
Perplex
if something perplexes you, it makes you confused or worried because you do not understand it
SYNONYMpuzzle
•They were perplexed by her response.
Guile
the use of clever but dishonest behaviour in order to trick people
SYNONYMdeceit
•George was a man completely lacking in guile.
Middling
of average size, quality, status, etc.
SYNONYMmoderate, unremarkable
•a golfer of middling talent
•‘Do you like your coffee weak or strong?’ ‘Oh, middling, please.’
−Extra Examples
•The tax affects 40 million people on middling incomes.
•There was a transfer of wealth from the very rich to the middling rich.
Though
used especially at the end of a sentence or clause to add a fact or an opinion that makes the previous statement less strong or less important
•Our team lost. It was a good game though.
•‘Have you ever been to Australia?’ ‘No. I’d like to, though.’
•At first, it can all be a bit confusing. Don’t worry though, my instructions page is here to help!
•She wanted to talk to him. First, though, she had to talk to Clayton.
Forestall
forestall something/somebody to prevent something from happening or somebody from doing something by doing something first
•Try to anticipate what your child will do and forestall problems.
•Any plans for a peaceful settlement were forestalled by the intervention of the army.
−Extra Examples
•They have tried to forestall criticism by keeping people fully informed of what they are doing.
•He opened his mouth to speak but Richard forestalled him.
•Let me start with a couple of explanations to forestall any possible misunderstandings.
Extravagant
spending a lot more money or using a lot more of something than you can afford or than is necessary
•I felt very extravagant spending £200 on a dress.
•She’s got very extravagant tastes.
•extravagant with something Residents were warned not to be extravagant with water, in view of the low rainfall this year.
•I go to that restaurant for lunch if I’m feeling extravagant.
•You mustn’t be so extravagant with other people’s money
Exert
to use power or influence to affect somebody/something
•He exerted all his authority to make them accept the plan.
•The moon exerts a force on the earth that causes the tides.
Impetus
something that encourages a process or activity to develop more quickly
SYNONYMstimulus
•The debate seems to have lost much of its initial impetus.
•impetus to something/to do something to give (a) new/fresh impetus to something
•The Prime Minister’s support will give (an) added impetus to the campaign against crime.
•impetus for something His articles provided the main impetus for change.
•Each new rumour added fresh impetus to the smear campaign.
•His disappointment in the World Championships provided the necessary impetus to give everything for this final race.
•The movement is steadily gaining impetus.
•The riots lent impetus to attempts to improve conditions for prisoners.
Nurture
to have a feeling, an idea, a plan, etc. for a long time and encourage it to develop
•She secretly nurtured a hope of becoming famous.
•He had long nurtured a deep hatred of his brother.
Lay
to put somebody/something in a particular position, especially when it is done gently or carefully
•lay somebody/something + adv./prep. He laid a hand on my arm.
•Relatives laid wreaths on the grave.
•She laid the baby down gently on the bed.
•Red roses were laid at the memorial.
•She noticed some paintings laid against the far wall.
•The horse laid back its ears.
•lay something His mother visited the murder scene yesterday to lay flowers.
•lay somebody/something + adj. The cloth should be laid flat.
Articulate
to express or explain your thoughts or feelings clearly in words
•She struggled to articulate her thoughts.
•It is the school’s duty to articulate its practices to parents.
−Extra Examples
•She cannot articulate her feelings very well.
•You need to articulate clearly what you are trying to achieve.
Retread
a book, film, song, etc. that contains ideas that have been used before
•It was just a retread of other recent movies with a dance theme.
Admonish
to tell somebody strongly and clearly that you do not approve of something that they have done
SYNONYMreprove
•She was admonished for chewing gum in class.
Stark
unpleasant; real, and impossible to avoid
SYNONYMbleak
•The author paints a stark picture of life in a prison camp.
•The government faced a stark choice between civil war and martial law.
•The remains of the building stand as a stark reminder of the fire.
•He now faces the stark reality of life in prison.
•The stark truth is that there is not enough money left.
•The stark fact is that even with more time, we still couldn’t raise enough money.
Disrupt
to make it difficult for something to continue in the normal way
•Demonstrators succeeded in disrupting the meeting.
•Bus services will be disrupted tomorrow because of the bridge closure.
•The bad weather has seriously disrupted supplies of food.
•They warned that climate change could potentially disrupt economic activity.
•I’m not going to let him disrupt my life any longer.
•Public transport services are likely to be severely disrupted tomorrow.
•The award ceremony was completely disrupted by a technicians’ strike.
•The refusal of the US to participate threatened to disrupt the negotiations.
Institution
a large important organization that has a particular purpose, for example a university or bank
•The deal is backed by one of the country’s largest financial institutions.
•He has worked as a visiting lecturer for various educational institutions.
•The system is targeted mainly at academic and research institutions.
•the Smithsonian Institution
•institution of something The region boasts several institutions of higher education.
•The College is one of the most prestigious medical institutions in the country.
•We need to create institutions that benefit our community.
•a course at an institution of higher education
•cultural institutions such as the Danish Institute
•examination procedures within educational institutions
•young people who attend higher-education institutions
Civic
connected with the people who live in a town or city
•a sense of civic pride (= pride that people feel for their town or city)
•civic duties/responsibilities
•The competition would be an opportunity to foster civic pride.
•Voting should be a matter of civic duty.
Cede
to give somebody control of something or give them power, a right, etc., especially unwillingly
•Cuba was ceded by Spain to the US in 1898.
Insist
to demand that something happen or that somebody agree to do something
•I didn’t really want to go but he insisted.
•Stay and have lunch. I insist!
•‘Please come with us.’ ‘Very well then, if you insist.’
•insist on somebody/something doing something She insisted on him wearing a suit
•insist on somebody’s/something’s doing something (formal) She insisted on his wearing a suit
•insist that… He insists that she come.
Grapple
to take a strong hold of somebody/something and struggle with them
•grapple (with somebody/something) Passers-by grappled with the man after the attack.
•grapple somebody/something (+ adv./prep.) They managed to grapple him to the ground.
Pariah
a person who is not acceptable to society and is avoided by everyone
SYNONYMoutcast
Grisly
extremely unpleasant and frightening and usually connected with death and violence
•a grisly crime
Thus
in this way; like this
•Many scholars have argued thus.
•The universities have expanded, thus allowing many more people the chance of higher education.
•She rarely gave interviews and thus avoided being asked questions she would rather not answer.
As a result of something just mentioned
SYNONYMhence, therefore
•He is the eldest son and thus heir to the title.
•We do not own the building. Thus, it would be impossible for us to make any major changes to it.
Gusher
a person who expresses too much praise or emotion about somebody/something and does not seem sincere
Controversy
public discussion and argument about something that many people strongly disagree about, think is bad, or are shocked by
•to arouse/cause controversy
•a bitter controversy over/about the site of the new airport
•The controversy surrounding his latest movie continues.
•The President resigned amid considerable controversy.
•Controversy exists as to how safe these drugs are.
•Controversy is raging over the route of the new motorway.
•He has resigned amid continuing controversy over his expense claims.
•His views have excited a lively controversy among fellow scientists.
•Ms Benjamin, who is no stranger to controversy herself, said the scandal could have serious repercussions.
•Much controversy surrounds the new exam.
•Public funding could resolve the controversy surrounding campaign finance.
•The book raised a storm of controversy.
•The controversy centred on the issue of compensation for the victims.
•The minister has resigned amid continuing controversy over his education proposals.
•The network ran into controversy over claims of faked documentary footage.
•The president seemed anxious to avoid controversy about these appointments.
•The singer deliberately courts controversy with his racist and sexist lyrics.
•There has been a lot of controversy over the use of these drugs.
•This year’s championships have been dogged by controversy.
•Today, the controversy continues over whether Shakespeare wrote all his plays.
•What they are doing is bound to stir up controversy.
•controversy among historians
•controversy between the two leaders
•her long-running controversy with fellow academics
•the bitter controversy surrounding the introduction of the new regulations
•This is a subject that always causes controversy.
Berate
to criticize or speak angrily to somebody because you do not approve of something they have done
•She berated herself for being a bad mother.
•The minister was berated by angry demonstrators as he left the meeting.
Azarlamak
Rappochement
a situation in which the relationship between two countries or groups of people becomes more friendly after a period during which they were enemies
•rapprochement (with somebody) policies aimed at bringing about a rapprochement with China
•rapprochement (between A and B) There now seems little chance of rapprochement between the warring factions.
Rappochement
a situation in which the relationship between two countries or groups of people becomes more friendly after a period during which they were enemies
•rapprochement (with somebody) policies aimed at bringing about a rapprochement with China
•rapprochement (between A and B) There now seems little chance of rapprochement between the warring factions.
Grope
to try and find something that you cannot see, by feeling with your hands
•He groped around in the dark for his other sock.
•She groped for the railing to steady her as she fell.
•(figurative) ‘It’s so…, so…’ I was groping for the right word to describe it.
−Extra Examples
•She groped blindly for the door handle.
•I groped for the light switch.
Embroil
to involve somebody/yourself in an argument or a difficult situation
•be/become embroiled (in something) He became embroiled in a dispute with his neighbours.
•embroil somebody/yourself (in something) I was reluctant to embroil myself in his problems.
Undoing
the reason why somebody fails at something or is unsuccessful in life
SYNONYM downfall
•That one mistake was his undoing.
Prompt
to make somebody decide to do something; to cause something to happen
SYNONYM provoke
•prompt something The discovery of the bomb prompted an increase in security.
•His speech prompted an angry outburst from a man in the crowd.
•prompt somebody to do something The thought of her daughter’s wedding day prompted her to lose some weight.
Deceit
dishonest behaviour that is intended to make somebody believe something that is not true; an example of this behaviour
SYNONYM deception
•He was accused of lies and deceit.
•Everyone was involved in this web of deceit.
•Their marriage was an illusion and a deceit.
•She realized that their whole relationship had been based on lies and deceit.
Mendacity
the act of not telling the truth
SYNONYM lying
•politicians accused of hypocrisy and mendacity
Woo
to try to get the support of somebody
•Voters are being wooed with promises of lower taxes.
•Selected items are being sold at half price to woo customers into the store.
Reinvent
o present yourself/something in a new form or with a new image
•The former wild man of rock has reinvented himself as a respectable family man.
Disdain
to think that somebody/something is not good enough to deserve your respect
•She disdained his offer of help.
•Immigrants accept the jobs disdained by the local workforce.
•He disdained all people less well educated than himself.
Tromp
to walk with heavy or noisy steps, especially for a long time
•(+ adv./prep.) We tramped across the wet grass to look at the statue.
•the sound of tramping feet
•tramp something She’s been tramping the streets looking for a job.
−Extra Examples
•He used to tramp miles across the mountains.
•I’m fed up with all these reporters tramping in and out.
•Miners tramped up the hill to the pithead.
Engulf
engulf somebody/something to surround or to cover somebody/something completely
•He was engulfed by a crowd of reporters.
•The vehicle was engulfed in flames.
engulf somebody/something to affect somebody/something very strongly
•Fear engulfed her.
Nag
to keep complaining to somebody about their behaviour or keep asking them to do something
SYNONYMpester
•Stop nagging—I’ll do it as soon as I can.
•nag at somebody You’re always nagging at me.
•nag somebody (to do something) She had been nagging him to paint the fence.
•nag on about something I do wish you’d stop nagging on about the garden.
•nag (away) at somebody (to do something) For weeks his father had been nagging away at him to get a job.
•nag somebody about something She constantly nagged her daughter about getting married.
−Extra Examples
•She had been nagging at him to have his hair cut.
•The children kept nagging her to take them to the zoo.
•He nagged me until I wrote the letter and posted it off.
•He’s always nagging at her for wearing too much make-up.
•Mum’s always nagging me about studying.
Banter
to joke with somebody
•He bantered with reporters and posed for photographers.
Scarce
if something is scarce, there is not enough of it and it is only available in small quantities
•scarce resources
•Details of the accident are scarce.
•Food was becoming scarce.
•Money was extremely scarce after the war.
•Skilled workers were becoming increasingly scarce.
•Butterflies are getting scarcer and scarcer in industrialized areas.
•Land suitable for building on is scarce.
Wane
to become gradually weaker or less important
SYNONYMdecrease, fade
•Her enthusiasm for the whole idea was waning rapidly.
•Their popularity waned during that period.
•Demand for the product shows no signs of waning.
Apt
suitable or appropriate in the circumstances
•a particularly apt description/name/comment
•The song would have been more apt for a bass voice.
•It was a particularly apt name for someone with his skills.
•That question seemed quite apt in the circumstances.
Wilt
to become weak or tired or less confident
SYNONYMflag
•The spectators were wilting visibly in the hot sun.
•He was wilting under the pressure of work.
•By half-time, the team was wilting under the pressure.
•The passengers were visibly wilting with the heat and movement of the bus.
Somber
sad and serious
SYNONYMmelancholy
•Paul was in a sombre mood.
•The year ended on a sombre note.
•His eyes grew sombre.
•The funeral cortège passed, to suitably sombre music.
•The mood in Parliament remained sombre.
•Her expression was sombre.
Implausible
not seeming reasonable or likely to be true
•an implausible claim/idea/theory
•It was all highly implausible.
•Her explanation is not implausible.
OPPOSITEplausible
Shrewd
clever at understanding and making judgements about a situation
SYNONYMastute
•a shrewd businessman
•She is a shrewd judge of character.
•Paul was too shrewd to be taken in by this argument.
Shaky
not seeming very successful; likely to fail
SYNONYMuncertain
•Business is looking shaky at the moment.
•After a shaky start, they fought back to win 3–2.
•The future looks shaky for the present government.
