youtube vocab Flashcards
convulsion
a sudden shaking movement of the body that cannot be controlled
The child went into convulsions.
in convulsions He fell to the ground in convulsions.
Extra Examples
The patient lost consciousness and went into convulsions.
He felt a sudden convulsion of fear at the pit of his stomach.
She started to have convulsions again.
The drug can cause paranoia, memory loss and convulsions.
metabolism
the chemical processes in living things that change food, etc. into energy and materials for growth
The body’s metabolism is slowed down by extreme cold.
paradox
a person, thing or situation that has two opposite features and therefore seems strange
He was a paradox—a loner who loved to chat to strangers.
It is a curious paradox that professional comedians often have unhappy personal lives.
The author tackles one of the deepest paradoxes of life.
The facts pose something of a paradox.
the paradox in the relationship between creativity and psychosis
The paradox about time is that it seems to go faster as we become older and less active.
hover
to stay close to something, or to stay in an uncertain state ============= Temperatures hovered around freezing. He hovered on the edge of consciousness. A smile hovered on her lips. She was hovering between life and death.
harness
harness something to control and use the force or strength of something to produce power or to achieve something
attempts to harness the sun’s rays as a source of energy
We must harness the skill and creativity of our workforce.
How can this energy be harnessed effectively for the good of humankind?
They are attempting to harness the power of the sun.
intake
the amount of food, drink, etc. that you take into your body
high fluid intake
to reduce your daily intake of salt
Make sure you have a balanced intake of vitamins A, B, C and D.
One of the best ways to get to your ideal size is to cut fat intake right down.
You need to watch your alcohol intake.
You should maintain a low intake of fat.
your recommended daily intake of vitamin C
rhythm
a strong regular repeated pattern of sounds or movements
to dance to the rhythm of the music
I listened to the steady rhythm of her breathing.
music with a fast/slow/steady rhythm
I love these jazz rhythms.
abnormal heart rhythms
in rhythm He can’t seem to play in rhythm.
in rhythm with something The boat rocked up and down in rhythm with the sea.
a dancer with a natural sense of rhythm (= the ability to move in time to a fixed beat)
shiver
(of a person) to shake slightly because you are cold, frightened, excited, etc.
Don’t stand outside shivering—come inside and get warm!
He shivered at the thought of the cold, dark sea.
shiver with something to shiver with cold/fear/excitement/pleasure
His cruel and callous comments made me shiver.
I was shivering with cold.
She shivered involuntarily as he approached her.
constrict
to become tighter or narrower; to make something tighter or narrower
Her throat constricted and she swallowed hard.
constrict something a drug that constricts the blood vessels
unwind
unwind (something) (from something) if something that has been wrapped into a ball or around something unwinds or you unwind it, it becomes, or you make it, straight, flat or loose again
to unwind a ball of string
He unwound his scarf from his neck.
The bandage gradually unwound and fell off.
replenish
replenish something (with something) to make something full again by replacing what has been used (refill, refresh, restock) =================== to replenish food and water supplies Allow me to replenish your glass.
forage
forage (for something) (of a person or an animal) to search widely for food
The female only leaves the young when she forages for food.
The pigs are allowed to forage around in a large orchard.
blindfold
blindfold somebody to cover somebody’s eyes with a piece of cloth or other material so that they cannot see
The hostages were tied up and blindfolded.
vertebrate
(of an animal) having a backbone
swamp
an area of ground that is very wet or covered with water and in which plants, trees, etc. are growing
tropical swamps
The country contains around 700 square km of swamp.
buoyancy
the fact of floating, being able to float or able to keep things floating
a buoyancy aid (= something to help you float)
skyrocket
(of prices, etc.) to rise quickly to a very high level
Wages and prices have skyrocketed.
The economic boom sent property prices skyrocketing.
plummet
to fall suddenly and quickly from a high level or position
Share prices plummeted to an all-time low.
Her spirits plummeted at the thought of meeting him again.
The jet plummeted into a row of houses.
placental
having a placenta
placental mammals
top something off (with something)
to complete something successfully by doing or adding one final thing
The outfit was topped off with a large black hat.
gracefully
in a polite and kind way, especially in a difficult situation
I think we should just give in gracefully.
inflated
(especially of prices) higher than is acceptable or reasonable
inflated prices/salaries
The prices of meals are often artificially inflated.
Consumers are paying inflated prices for food.
These figures are grossly inflated.
company directors with inflated salaries
justify
to show that somebody/something is right or reasonable
justify doing something How can they justify paying such huge salaries?
justify somebody/something doing something The results of the inquiry did not justify them departing from their existing policy.
justify something Her success had justified the faith her teachers had put in her.
Extra Examples
Can you really justify the destruction of such a fine old building?
The decision is justified on the grounds that there is no realistic alternative.
The events that followed served to justify our earlier decision.
The extra effort involved would go a long way in helping to justify their high price tags.
The meagre result hardly justified the risks they took to get it.
The university could not easily justify spending the money on this.
It would be difficult for an employer to justify dismissing someone on those grounds.
unify
unify something to join people, things, parts of a country, etc. together so that they form a single unit
The new leader hopes to unify the country.
the task of unifying Europe
a unified transport system
Extra Examples
attempts to unify different groups into one political party
relatively unified societies
a step towards a complete, fully unified theory
attribute
attribute something to something to say or believe that something is the result of a particular thing
She attributes her success to hard work and a little luck.
The power failure was attributed to the recent storms and high winds.
brawl
a noisy and violent fight involving a group of people, usually in a public place
He got into a drunken brawl in a bar.
a pub/tavern/nightclub/barroom brawl
Police officers were injured in a mass brawl outside a nightclub.
Synonyms fight
regress
regress (to something) to return to an earlier or less advanced form or way of behaving
humility
the quality of not thinking that you are better than other people; the quality of being humble
Her first defeat was an early lesson in humility.
an act of genuine humility
manual
a book that tells you how to do or operate something, especially one that comes with a machine, etc. when you buy it
a computer/car/instruction manual
Why don’t you read the manual?
infantry
soldiers who fight on foot
infantry units
The infantry was/were guarding the bridge.
sprawl
to sit, lie or fall with your arms and legs spread out in a relaxed or careless way
He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV.
Something hit her and sent her sprawling to the ground.
I tripped and went sprawling.
She found him sprawled across the doorstep.
She lay sprawled across the bed.
She sprawled lazily in an armchair.
She went sprawling across the boat.
The blow sent him sprawling.
diligent
showing care and effort in your work or duties
(careful ,eager)
======================
a diligent student/worker
append
append something (to something) to add something to the end of a piece of writing
Footnotes have been appended to the document.
The principal has the right to append comments to the final report.
pull somebody/something out (of something)
to make somebody/something move away from something or stop being involved in it
SYNONYM withdraw
They are pulling their troops out of the war zone.
choke
choke somebody to make somebody stop breathing by pressing their throat, especially with your fingers
SYNONYM strangle
==============
He may have been choked or poisoned.
She had been choked to death when her necklace snagged on overhanging branches.
misogynist
a person who hates women
blueprint
blueprint (for something) a plan which shows what can be achieved and how it can be achieved
a blueprint for the privatization of healthcare
The charter should serve as a blueprint for cooperation.
The government does not have a blueprint for reform.
a blueprint for change
The government has published a blueprint for an integrated transport system.
They see the device as the blueprint for all future chip design.
appealing
attractive or interesting
Spending the holidays in Britain wasn’t a prospect that I found particularly appealing.
Brightly coloured packaging made the pens especially appealing to children.
The large salary made their offer even more appealing to him.
deliberate
done on purpose rather than by accident
SYNONYM intentional, planned
=============
a deliberate act of vandalism
The speech was a deliberate attempt to embarrass the government.
a deliberate lie/deception
I’m afraid that was a deliberate ploy on my part.
The emphasis on Europe was quite deliberate.
They have a deliberate policy to involve people of all ages in the project.
thrilled
very excited and pleased
‘Are you pleased?’ ‘I’m thrilled.’
thrilled about/at something He was thrilled at the prospect of seeing them again.
thrilled with something I’m really thrilled with the results.
thrilled to do something I was thrilled to be invited.
thrilled that…
reflex
an action or a movement of your body that happens naturally in response to something and that you cannot control; something that you do without thinking
The doctor tested her reflexes.
to have quick/slow reflexes
a reflex response/reaction
Only the goalkeeper’s reflexes (= his ability to react quickly) stopped the ball from going in.
Almost as a reflex action, I grab my pen as the phone rings.
Almost by reflex, he helped himself to a drink.
He reacts with lightning fast reflexes.
The rapid movement of an object close to the eye triggers an automatic reflex.
The training is designed to sharpen the fighter’s reflexes.
puff up | puff something up
to become bigger and rounder or to make something bigger and rounder, especially by filling it with air
Her cheeks puffed up.
The frog puffed itself up.
follicle
one of the very small holes in the skin that hair grows from
a hair follicle
absurd
extremely silly; not logical and sensible
SYNONYM ridiculous
=================
That uniform makes the guards look absurd.
Of course it’s not true, what an absurd idea.
Extra Examples
She found the whole concept faintly absurd.
Such beliefs are patently absurd.
Don’t be absurd! Why would he want to do a thing like that?
I must say I felt faintly absurd.
It’s absurd to suggest that I’m being unprofessional.
analogy
[countable] a comparison of one thing with another thing that has similar features; a feature that is similar
analogy (between A and B) The teacher drew an analogy between the human heart and a pump.
analogy (with something) There are no analogies with any previous legal cases.
Extra Examples
She suggested an analogy between the human heart and a pump.
The Wild West analogy does not fit here.
There is an analogy here with the way an engine works.
The computer is a useful analogy for the brain.
virtually
almost or very nearly, so that any slight difference is not important
to be virtually impossible
Virtually all students will be exempt from the tax.
He virtually admitted he was guilty.
This year’s results are virtually the same as last year’s.
The red squirrel has become virtually extinct in most of the country.
Her fear virtually imprisoned her in her home.
The reservoirs are all virtually full.
Their lives have been virtually destroyed by this tragedy.
craving
a strong desire for something
craving (for something) a craving for chocolate
Don’t give in to those food cravings.
craving to do something a desperate craving to be loved
He had a craving to see the world.
She skipped meals to satisfy her craving for chocolate.
a desperate craving for affection
I have this terrible craving for chocolate.
She felt a desperate craving to be loved.
entice
to persuade somebody/something to go somewhere or to do something, usually by offering them something
SYNONYM persuade
=====================
entice somebody/something (+ adv./prep.) The bargain prices are expected to entice customers away from other stores.
a plan to entice mothers back to work
The animal refused to be enticed from its hole.
entice somebody into doing something He was not enticed into parting with his cash.
entice somebody to do something Try and entice the child to eat by offering small portions of their favourite food.
mint
a plant whose leaves have a fresh smell and taste that are added to food and drinks and used in cooking as a herb. There are many types of mint.
mint-flavoured toothpaste
I decorated the fruit salad with a sprig of mint.
roast lamb with mint sauce
weave
to make cloth, a carpet, a basket, etc. by crossing threads or narrow pieces of material across, over and under each other by hand or on a machine called a loom
weave A from B The baskets are woven from strips of willow.
weave B into A The strips of willow are woven into baskets.
weave something together threads woven together
weave (something) Most spiders weave webs that are almost invisible.
She is skilled at spinning and weaving.
The carpet was specially woven to commemorate the 1 000th anniversary of the cathedral’s foundation.
The threads are woven together.
offspring
a child of a particular person or couple
the problems parents have with their teenage offspring
to produce/raise offspring
trait
a particular quality in your personality
personality traits
Awareness of class is a typically British trait.
She shares several character traits with her father.
We do not know which behavioural traits are inherited and which acquired.
a collection of traits associated with schizophrenia
reputable
that people consider to be honest; having a good reputation
SYNONYM respected
===============
a reputable dealer/company/supplier
COMPARE disreputable
Customers who are tired of waiting turn to less reputable suppliers.
He spent a lot of time hanging around the less reputable bars in Chicago.
Some of the men looked less than reputable.
a highly reputable company
Buy your car from a reputable dealer.
How do you know whether internet traders are reputable or not?
If you bought your computer from a reputable company, they should refund your money.
anomalous
different from what is normal or expected
He is in an anomalous position as the only part-time worker in the firm.
They couldn’t find an explanation for the seemingly anomalous results of the experiment.
Extra Examples
The legal status of these workers is at first sight rather anomalous.
They could find no explanation for the seemingly anomalous data.
We need to look again at any apparently anomalous cases.
cognition
the process by which knowledge and understanding is developed in the mind
child studies centring on theories of cognition
He has done extensive research into theories of human cognition.
The connections between cognition and language seem to be similar in all cultures.
deviation
deviation (from something) the act of moving away from what is normal or acceptable; a difference from what is expected or acceptable
deviation from the previously accepted norms
sexual deviation
This is a deviation from the original plan.
Modern examples of this type of weaving showed little deviation from traditional patterns.
a slight deviation from our planned route
bonkers
completely crazy and silly
I’ll go bonkers if I have to wait any longer.
He thought I was stark raving bonkers to give up my job.
I went a bit bonkers when he told me the news.
The noise nearly drove me bonkers.
The whole idea is just plain bonkers.
worked up (about something)
very excited or upset about something
There’s no point in getting worked up about it.
What are you so worked up about?
pamphlet
a very thin book with a paper cover, containing information about a particular subject
The government provides a pamphlet for all immigrants, outlining their rights.
He dismissed claims published in pamphlets that the King’s powers had been usurped.
accusations that were made in the pamphlet
hustle
busy noisy activity of a lot of people in one place
We escaped from the hustle and bustle of the city for the weekend.
compelling
that makes you pay attention to it because it is so interesting and exciting
(fascinating)
=================
Her latest book makes compelling reading.
His eyes were strangely compelling.
warfare
the activity of fighting a war, especially using particular weapons or methods
air/naval/guerrilla warfare
countries engaged in warfare
The rebels waged guerrilla warfare against the army.
warfare against other tribes
The fighting quickly turned into full-scale guerrilla warfare.
ridicule
ridicule somebody/something to make somebody/something look silly by laughing at them or it in an unkind way
SYNONYM make fun of somebody/something
====================
They ridicule the president as a man who has lost control of events.
At first, his theory was ridiculed and dismissed.
She suspected him of trying to ridicule her.
She was mercilessly ridiculed in the press for suggesting this.
zero in on somebody/something
to fix all your attention on the person or thing mentioned
They zeroed in on the key issues.
condescending
behaving as though you are more important and more intelligent than other people
He has a condescending attitude towards women.
Her tone of voice was always so condescending.
He looked around and made some condescending remark.
She ignored his condescending tone.
hillbilly
[countable] (offensive) a person who lives in the country and is thought to be stupid by people who live in the towns
circus
a group of people, sometimes with trained animals, who perform acts with skill in a show that travels around to different places
telltale
showing that something exists or has happened
telltale clues/marks/signs/sounds
The telltale smell of cigarettes told her that he had been in the room.
trail away/off
(of somebody’s speech) to become gradually quieter and then stop
His voice trailed away to nothing.
+ speech ‘I only hope…’, she trailed off.
aggravating
(informal) annoying somebody, especially deliberately
Her constant interruptions were very aggravating.
novice
a person who is new and has little experience in a skill, job or situation
I’m a complete novice at skiing.
computer software for novices/the novice user
The on-screen manual shows the novice user the basics of the program.
a novice in politics
Some ski resorts are ideal for novices.
sloppy
that shows a lack of care, thought or effort
(careless)
=================
sloppy thinking
Your work is sloppy.
a sloppy worker
Regional accents are great; sloppy speech is not.
stiff
difficult to bend or move
a sheet of stiff black cardboard
Scrub away any residue with a stiff brush.
The windows were stiff and she couldn’t get them open.
My trousers were getting stiff with mud.
She lay stiff and still beside him.
The captain stood as stiff as a board.
The clothes were stiff with dust and grease.
It was an old blanket, frayed and stiff with dirt.
The brown hair was coarse and stiff.
horrendous
terrible or extremely unpleasant
SYNONYM horrific, horrifying
=====================
She had sustained horrendous injuries.
The police officer said the attack was the most horrendous he had ever seen.
The conditions in the camp were absolutely horrendous.
