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95 Cards in this Set
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- Back
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realm
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/ relm / n
[written] a general area of knowledge, activity, or thought Ex:the spiritual realm Ex: an idea that belongs in the realm of science fiction Ex:Cooking would clearly seem to be a field that lies exclusively Ex: within women's realm. |
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annals
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/ ˈænlz / n
in the annals of something in the whole history of something Ex:one of the most unusual cases in the annals of crime Ex:yet the annals of cookery are replete with masculine names |
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compound
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/kəmˈpaʊnd / v
to make a difficult situation worse by adding more problems Ex: Helmut's problems were compounded by an unsatisfactory relationship with his landlady. Ex:To compound the puzzle |
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tinge
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/ tɪndʒ / n
a very small amount of a colour, emotion, or quality EX: There was a tinge of sadness in her voice. Ex: There has rarely been a tinge of rumor or scandal |
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implore
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/ ɪmˈplɔː $ -ɔːr / v formal
to ask for something in an emotional way syn:beg Ex: 'Don't go,' I implored her. |
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drudgery
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/ ˈdrʌdʒəri / n
hard boring work Ex:when she implores him for some assistance with the household drudgery |
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interminable
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/ɪnˈtɜr·mə·nə·bəl/ adj
very long and boring syn:endless Ex:interminable delays Ex:an interminably long speech |
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perceive
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/ pəˈsiːv $ pər- / v
[written] to understand or think of something or someone in a particular way Ex:Even as a young woman she had been perceived as a future chief executive. [formal] to notice, see, or recognize something Ex:That morning, he perceived a change in Franca's mood. |
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pretext
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/ ˈpriːtekst / n
a false reason given for an action, in order to hide the real reason Ex: The incident provided the pretext for war. Ex: Tom called at her apartment on the pretext of asking for a book. |
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fabricate
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/ ˈfæbrɪkeɪt / v
to invent a story, piece of information etc in order to deceive someone Ex: The police were accused of fabricating evidence . |
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adroit
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/ əˈdrɔɪt /
clever and skilful, especially in the way you use words and arguments Ex: an adroit negotiator Ex: He was so adroit at lying that he got away with it. |
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gesticulate
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/ dʒeˈstɪkjəleɪt / v
to make movements with your arms and hands, usually while speaking, because you are excited, angry, or cannot think of the right words to use syn: gesture Ex: Jane gesticulated wildly and shouted 'Stop! Stop!' |
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vigilant
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/ ˈvɪdʒələnt / adj
giving careful attention to what is happening, so that you will notice any danger or illegal activity Ex: Please remain vigilant at all times and report anything suspicious. |
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avid
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ˈævəd / adj
doing something as much as possible ￚsyn: keen Ex:an avid collector of old jazz records Ex:an avid reader Ex: an avid football fan. |
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cajole
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/kəˈdʒəʊl $ -ˈdʒoʊl / v
to gradually persuade someone to do something by being nice to them, or making promises to them Ex: Aid workers do their best to cajole rich countries into helping. |
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rudimentary
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/ ˌruːdəˈmentəri◂ / adj
a rudimentary knowledge or understanding of a subject is very simple and basic ￚopp: sophisticated Ex:Gradually, I acquired a rudimentary knowledge of music. Ex: my rudimentary German |
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nuance
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/ˈnjuːɑːns $ ˈnuː- / n
a very slight, hardly noticeable difference in manner, colour, meaning etc Ex: He was aware of every nuance in her voice. Ex: It certainly does enhance your appreciation of football when you are aware of every nuance of the sport. |
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infamous
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/ ˈɪnfəməs / adj
well known for being bad or evil Ex: an infamous killer Ex: Los Angeles' infamous smog |
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jostle
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/ ˈdʒɒsəl $ ˈdʒɑː- / v
to push or knock against someone in a crowd, especially so that you can get somewhere or do something before other people jostle for Ex:Followers of the president jostled for position in front of the TV cameras. Ex:Eddie's technique was to jostle a victim toward a confederate |
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dupe
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/ djuːp $ duːp / n
someone who is tricked, especially into becoming involved in something illegal Ex:Eddie was stammering an apology to the confused dupe dupe v [transitive usually passive] to trick or deceive someone dupe somebody into doing something Ex: Consumers are being duped into buying faulty electronic goods. Ex: They all feel that they were duped into supporting a no-fly zone over Libya. |
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incipient
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/ ɪnˈsɪpiənt / adj [formal]
starting to happen or exist Ex:a sign of incipient madness Ex: Within a week the incipient crimewave came to an end |
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inadvertently
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/ ˌɪnədˈvɜːtəntli $ -ɜːr- / adv
without realizing what you are doing ￚsyn: accidentally Ex: Viruses can be spread inadvertently by email users. Ex: Robinson's name was inadvertently omitted from the list. |
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ominous
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/ ˈɒmənəs $ ˈɑː- / adj
making you feel that something bad is going to happen Ex: 'How long will she be ill?' he asked. There was an ominous silence . Ex: The car is making an ominous rattling sound. |
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tremulous
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/ ˈtremjələs / adj [literary]
shaking slightly, especially because you are nervous Ex: a tremulous voice |
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repudiate
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/ rɪˈpjuːdieɪt / v [formal]
to refuse to accept or continue with something ￚsyn: reject Ex: He repudiated all offers of friendship. |
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cessation
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/ seˈseɪʆən / n [formal]
a pause or stop Ex: a cessation of hostilities (=when the fighting stops in a war) Ex:the judge demanded a cessation of the noise. |
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bristle
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/ ˈbrɪsəl / v
to behave in a way that shows you are very angry or annoyed bristle with rage/indignation etc Ex: John pushed back his chair, bristling with rage. Ex: the district attorney bristled with anger |
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tangible
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tan‧gi‧ble / ˈtændʒəbəl / adj
1. clear enough or definite enough to be easily seen or noticed ￚopp: intangible Ex: The scheme must have tangible benefits for the unemployed. tangible evidence/proof Ex: He has no tangible evidence of John's guilt. |
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laceration
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la‧ce‧ra‧tion / ˌlæsəˈreɪʆən / n [u & c]
[technical] a cut in your skin laceration to Ex: multiple lacerations to the upper arms Ex: a deep laceration over his eyebrow |
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castigate
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cast‧i‧gate / ˈkæstəgeɪt / v [t]
[formal] to criticize or punish someone severely ￚcastigation / ˌkæstəˈgeɪʆən / n [u] Ex: the judge castigated Mullins |
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sordid
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sor‧did / ˈsɔːdəd $ ˈsɔːr- / adj
1. involving immoral or dishonest behaviour sordid business/affair/story etc Ex: The whole sordid affair came out in the press. Ex: She discovered the truth about his sordid past. Ex: I want to hear all the sordid details! 2. very dirty and unpleasant Ex: the judge castigated Mullins for the sordid incident. |
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octogenarian
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oc‧to‧ge‧nar‧i‧an / ˌɒktəʊdʒəˈneəriən, -tə- $ ˌɑːktoʊ- / n [c]
someone who is between 80 and 89 years old Ex: Mullins was required to make a public apology to the octogenarian. |
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solace
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sol‧ace / ˈsɒləs $ ˈsɑː- / n [formal]
1. [u] a feeling of emotional comfort at a time of great sadness or disappointment seek/find solace in something Ex: After the death of her son, Val found solace in the church. 2. be a solace to somebody to bring a feeling of comfort and calmness to someone, when they are sad or disappointed Ex: Mary was a great solace to me after Arthur died. |
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aspirant
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as‧pi‧rant / əˈspaɪərənt, ˈæspərənt $ əˈspaɪr-,ˈæsp- / n [c] [formal]
someone who hopes to get a position of importance or honour Ex: Once a highly respected aspirant for the lightweight crown,... |
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dregs
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dregs / dregz / n
1 [plural] a small amount of a drink, sometimes with bits in, left at the bottom of a cup, glass, or bottle 2. the dregs of society/humanity [not polite] an offensive expression used to describe the people that you consider are the least important or useful in society Ex: he now found himself associating with the dregs of Skid Row |
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frenzy
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fren‧zy / ˈfrenzi / n
1. [u&c] a state of great anxiety or excitement, in which you cannot control your behaviour Ex: He would work himself into an alcoholic frenzy. |
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trumpet
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trum‧pet / ˈtrʌmpət / v
1. [t] to tell everyone about something that you are proud of, especially in an annoying way Ex: They are proudly trumpeting the fact that they are creating more jobs. Ex: he would trumpet scurrilous attacks on the champ, the old manager, and the judge. |
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egregious
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e‧gre‧gious / ɪˈgriːdʒəs / adj [formal]
an egregious mistake, failure, problem etc is extremely bad and noticeable ￚegregiously adverb Ex*:our football captain, made the egregious mistake of getting caught cheating on a midterm exam. |
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distraught
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dis‧traught / dɪˈstrɔːt $ -ˈstrɒːt / adj
so upset and worried that you cannot think clearly Ex: Relatives are tonight comforting the distraught parents. Ex*: The distraught coach asked the principal to overlook Art's duplicity |
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duplicity
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du‧plic‧i‧ty / djuːˈplɪsəti $ duː- / n [U]
dishonest behaviour that is intended to deceive someone ￚduplicitous adjective |
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acrimonious
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ac‧ri‧mo‧ni‧ous / ˌækrəˈməʊniəs◂ $ -ˈmoʊ- / adj
an acrimonious meeting or discussion is one in which people argue a lot and get very angry Ex: The meeting ended in an acrimonious dispute. ￚacrimoniously adverb ￚacrimoniousness noun [uncountable] Ex*: Mr. Dorsey replied in an acrimonious fashion |
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paucity
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pau‧ci‧ty / ˈpɔːsəti $ ˈpɒː- / n [singular] [formal]
less than is needed of something syn: lack paucity of Ex: a paucity of information Ex*: the players had been given ''a plethora" of athletic instruction but a paucity of moral guidance |
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overlook
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o‧ver‧look / ˌəʊvəˈlʊk $ ˌoʊvər- / v [T]
1. to not notice something, or not see how important it is ￚsyn: miss Ex: It is easy to overlook a small detail like that. 2. to forgive someone's mistake, bad behaviour etc and take no action Ex: She found him entertaining enough to overlook his faults. 3. if a house, room etc overlooks something, it has a view of it, usually from above Ex: Our room overlooks the ocean. |
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elicit
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e‧li‧cit / ɪˈlɪsət / v [T]
to succeed in getting information or a reaction from someone, especially when this is difficult Ex: When her knock elicited no response , she opened the door and peeped in. elicit something from somebody Ex: The test uses pictures to elicit words from the child. ￚelicitation / ɪˌlɪsəˈteɪʆən / n [U] Ex*: Mr. Dorsey summoned a representative group of teachers and student leaders to his office in order to elicit their reactions to the suspension of the football captain. |
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pernicious
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per‧ni‧cious / pəˈnɪʆəs $ pər- / adj [formal]
very harmful or evil, often in a way that you do not notice easily Ex: the pernicious effects of poverty Ex: the media's pernicious influence ￚperniciously adverb Ex*: He told them that cheating was a pernicious disease that could not be tolerated at our school. |
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impunity
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im‧pu‧ni‧ty / ɪmˈpjuːnəti / n
do something with impunity if someone does something bad with impunity, there is no risk that they will be punished for it Ex: It's astonishing that these criminals are free to walk the streets with impunity. Ex*: The student body would construe the incident as an open invitation to cheat with impunity. |
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summon
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sum‧mon / ˈsʌmən / [T] [formal]
1. to order someone to come to a place Ex: Robert summoned the waiter for the bill. summon somebody to something Ex: The president summoned Taylor to Washington. summon somebody to do something Ex: He was summoned to attend an emergency meeting. 2. to officially order someone to come to a court of law Ex: Hugh was summoned to appear before the magistrate. 3. to try very hard to have enough of something such as courage, energy, or strength, because you need it Ex: He had to summon the energy to finish the race. 4. summon a meeting/conference etc to arrange for a meeting to take place and order people to come to it Ex: He summoned a meeting of business leaders. |
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pay off
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phrasal verb
if something you do pays off, it is successful or has a good result Ex: Teamwork paid off. Ex*: Mr. Dorsey's inexorable campaign against the wrong-doers seemed to be paying off. |
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sally (v)
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sal‧ly / ˈsæli / v
sally forth [phrasal verb] to go out in order to do something, especially something that you expect to be difficult or dangerous - often used humorously Ex: Each morning they sallied forth in search of jobs. Ex*:Now, equipped with a rigid head covering he can sally forth to face the elements. |
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consternation
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con‧ster‧na‧tion / ˌkɒnstəˈneɪʆən $ ˌkɑːnstər- / n [U]
a feeling of worry, shock, or fear Ex: The government's plans have caused considerable consternation among many Americans. Ex: A new power station is being built much to the consternation of environmental groups (=they are very worried about it) . in consternation Ex: He looked at her in consternation. Ex*: To the consternation of the umbrella manufacturers, it has been enjoying a brisk sale. Ex*: To the consternation of the sergeant, there was a paucity of volunteers for the dangerous mission. |
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brisk
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brisk / brɪsk / adj
trade or business that is brisk is very busy, with a lot of products being sold Ex: The public bar was already doing a brisk trade. Ex: a brisk sale |
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precocious
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pre‧co‧cious / prɪˈkəʊʆəs $ -ˈkoʊ- / adj
a precocious child shows intelligence or skill at a very young age, or behaves in an adult way - sometimes used to show disapproval in British English a precocious child who walked and talked early ￚprecociously adverb ￚprecociousness also precocity / prɪˈkɒsəti $ -ˈkɑː- / noun [uncountable] Ex*: My buddy Verne, a precocious automotive wizard, and I were inspired to do some inventing on our own. Ex*: The children in Shakespeare's plays are so precocious that they all sound like grandparents. |
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automotive
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au‧to‧mo‧tive / ˌɔːtəˈməʊtɪv◂ $ ˌɒːtəˈmoʊ- / adj [only before noun]
relating to cars Ex: automotive technology Ex*: automotive wizard |
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wizard
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wiz‧ard / ˈwɪzəd $ -ərd / n [C]
1. a man who is supposed to have magic powers 2. someone who is very good at something Ex: a financial wizard wizard at Ex: Ben's a real wizard at chess. |
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curb
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curb / kɜːb $ kɜːrb / n [C]
1. an influence which helps to control or limit something curb on Ex: We are trying to keep a curb on their activities. 2. [American English] the raised edge of a road, between where people can walk and cars can drive British Equivalent: kerb |
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perfunctory
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per‧func‧to‧ry / pəˈfʌŋktəri $ pər- / adj [formal]
a perfunctory action is done quickly, and is only done because people expect it Ex: She gave him a perfunctory smile. Ex: The applause was perfunctory. ￚperfunctorily adverb Ex*:After a perfunctory glance at our plans Ex*: Edith gave only perfunctory attention to the new millennium, skipping our New Year's Eve party. |
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chagrin
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chag‧rin / ˈʆægrɪn $ ʆəˈgrɪn / n [U]
annoyance and disappointment because something has not happened the way you hoped to somebody's chagrin Ex: The area was declared a wildlife reserve, much to the chagrin of developers. Ex*: To the chagrin of many taxpayers, some citizens seem to cheat the government with impunity. |
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deride
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de‧ride / dɪˈraɪd / v [T] formal
to make remarks or jokes that show you think someone or something is silly or useless ￚsynonym mock Ex: You shouldn't deride their efforts. deride somebody as something Ex: The party was derided as totally lacking in ideas. Ex*:perverse automobile dealers who like to deride the efforts of junior geniuses. Ex*: The Wright brothers didn't become distraught* when a skeptic would deride their work. |
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stymie
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sty‧mie / ˈstaɪmi / v [transitive]
[informal] to prevent someone from doing what they have planned or want to do -syn: thwart Ex: Investigators have been stymied by uncooperative witnesses. Ex*: The school authorities were stymied. Ex*: CAUSE OF CANCER CONTINUES TO STYMIE DOCTORS. |
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effigy
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ef‧fi‧gy / ˈefədʒi / n [C]
a model of a person Ex*: the principal was either hanged in effigy or pictured in cartoons Ex*: “COACH OF LOSING TEAM HANGED IN EFFIGY.” |
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flout
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flout / flaʊt / v [transitive]
to deliberately disobey a law, rule etc, without trying to hide what you are doing Ex: Some companies flout the rules and employ children as young as seven. deliberately/openly flout something Ex: The union had openly flouted the law. Ex*: But the officials could not allow Ron and Len to flout their authority with impunity. Ex*: MANY MOTORISTS FLOUT TRAFFIC LAWS, STUDY REVEALS. |
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cognizant
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cog‧ni‧zant / ˈkɒgn ə z ə nt $ ˈkɑːg- / adj [not before noun] formal
if someone is cognizant of something, they know about it and understand it cognizant of Ex: He was cognizant of the peculiarities of the case. Ex*: they were cognizant of the popular support for the boys. EX*: FBI COGNIZANT OF CLANDESTINE GANGLAND MEETING. |
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turbulent
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tur‧bu‧lent / ˈtɜːbjələnt $ ˈtɜːr- / adj
1. a turbulent situation or period of time is one in which there are a lot of sudden changes Ex: the turbulent times of the French Revolution Ex: He has had a turbulent political career. 2. turbulent air or water moves around a lot Ex: the dark turbulent waters of the river Ex*: a compromise was called for to resolve the turbulent situation. Ex*: TURBULENT ATMOSPHERE IN ANGRY SENATE CHAMBER |
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forthwith
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forth‧with / fɔːθˈwɪð, -ˈwɪθ $ fɔːrθ- / adv formal
immediately Ex: He was fined £40, with 28 days' imprisonment if the money was not produced forthwith. Ex*: the school board ordered the principal to terminate the suspension and to send the boys back to class forthwith. Ex*: Upon seeing the show, he called the TV studio forthwith to protest. |
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exacerbate
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ex‧a‧cer‧bate / ɪgˈzæsəbeɪt $ -sər- / [transitive]
to make a bad situation worse Ex: The recession has exacerbated this problem. Ex: I don't want to exacerbate the situation. exacerbation / ɪgˌzæsəˈbeɪʆən $ -sər- / noun [uncountable] Ex*: The principal whose irritation was exacerbated by the ruling. Ex*: The arrest of the spy did much to exacerbate relations between the two countries. |
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revert
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re‧vert / rɪˈvɜːt $ -ɜːrt / v
revert to somebody/something [phrasal verb] 1. to change back to a situation that existed in the past - syn: go back to Ex: The city reverted to its former name of St Petersburg. Ex: After a few weeks, everything reverted to normal . 2. [formal] to return to an earlier subject of conversation - syn: go back to Ex: To revert to the question of exams, I'd like to explain further. 3. [law] if land or a building reverts to its former owner, it becomes their property again Ex*: Just as things were about to revert to normalcy. Ex*: After taking the drug, she began to revert to the days of her childhood. |
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wayward
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way‧ward / ˈweɪwəd $ -wərd /
behaving badly, in a way that is difficult to control Ex: a wayward teenager - waywardness noun [uncountable] |
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marshal (v)
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mar‧shal / ˈmɑːʆəl $ ˈmɑːr- / v [transitive]
1. to organize your thoughts, ideas etc so that they are clear, effective, or easy to understand marshal your thoughts/arguments etc Ex: Briggs paused for a moment as if to marshal his thoughts. 2. to organize all the people or things that you need in order to be ready for a battle, election etc Ex: The general marshalled his forces for a major offensive. Ex: Senator Bryant attempted to marshal support for the measure. 3. to control or organize a large group Ex: Gently, Ginny marshalled her guests in a better position. Ex*: Public opinion had been marshaled against them. |
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ubiquitous
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u‧biq‧ui‧tous / juːˈbɪkwətəs / adj [formal]
seeming to be everywhere - sometimes used humorously Ex: Coffee shops are ubiquitous these days. Ex: a French film, starring the ubiquitous Gérard Depardieu -ubiquitously [adverb] - ubiquity [noun] [uncountable] Ex*: the ubiquitous Dooley turned up in the remote village of Muong Sing. Ex*: Sprinting all over the court, the ubiquitous referee called one foul after another. |
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remote
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re‧mote / rɪˈməʊt $ -ˈmoʊt / adj
1. ▶FAR AWAY◀ far from towns or other places where people live -synonym: isolated Ex: a remote border town Ex: a fire in a remote mountain area Ex*: Ben's reprehensible* table manners led his fraternity brothers to seat him in a remote corner of the dining room. |
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thwart
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thwart / θwɔːt $ θwɔːrt / v [transitive] formal
to prevent someone from doing what they are trying to do Ex: Fierce opposition thwarted the government's plans. Ex: thwarted ambition Ex*: attempting to thwart his traditional enemies disease Ex*: In an attempt to thwart the voracious* ants, he surrounded his house with a moat of burning oil. |
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harbinger
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har‧bin‧ger / ˈhɑːbɪndʒə $ ˈhɑːrbɪndʒər / n [countable] literary or formal
a sign that something is going to happen soon harbinger of Ex: These birds are considered to be harbingers of doom . EX*: the pain in his chest and back was a harbinger of a malignant cancer Ex*: The excellent soup was a harbinger of the delicious meal to follow. |
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malignant
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ma‧lig‧nant / məˈlɪgnənt / adj
1. medical a malignant disease is one such as cancer, which can develop in an uncontrolled way and is likely to cause someone's death -opposite: benign Ex: She developed a malignant tumour in her breast. 2. [formal] showing that you hate someone Ex: a malignant look Ex*: The surgeon finally located the malignant tumor that had afflicted* his patient for many months. |
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excruciating
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ex‧cru‧ci‧at‧ing / ɪkˈskruːʆieɪtɪŋ / adj
1. extremely painful Ex: When I bend my arm, the pain is excruciating. 2. if something is excruciating, it is extremely unpleasant, for example because it is boring or embarrassing Ex: Helen described the events of the night before in excruciating detail. -excruciatingly [adverb] Ex: His poetry is excruciatingly bad. Ex*: Dooley suffered almost continuous, excruciating pain. Ex*: With excruciating slowness, the minute hand inched its way around the clock. |
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respite
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res‧pite / ˈrespɪt, -paɪt $ -pɪt / n [singular,uncountable]
1. a short time when something bad stops happening, so that the situation is temporarily better respite from Ex: The trip was a welcome respite from the pressures of work. Ex: a brief respite from persecution without respite Ex: The pain went on without respite. 2. a short period of time before you have to do something that you do not like Ex: We have a few days' respite before we have to pay them. Ex*: Dr. Dooley worked without respite on behalf of MEDICO Ex*: The voluble insurance salesman gave my father no respite. |
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reverberating
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re‧ver‧be‧rate / rɪˈvɜːbəreɪt $ -ɜːr- / [intransitive]
1. if a loud sound reverberates, it is heard many times as it is sent back from different surfaces - synonym: echo reverberate through/around etc Ex: The bang reverberated through the house. 2. if a room, building etc reverberates, it seems to shake because of a loud sound reverberate with Ex: The room reverberated with laughter. 3. if an event, action, or idea reverberates, it has a strong effect over a wide area and for a long time reverberate through/around etc Ex: The traumas of the last week will reverberate through history. Ex*: The lines of Robert Frost kept reverberating in his mind during those fretful days. Ex*: The rescue team heard the miner’s voice reverberating through the caves. |
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fretful
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fret‧ful / ˈfretfəl / adj
anxious and complaining, and unable to relax Ex: The child was tired and fretful. fretfully [adverb] fretfulness [noun] [uncountable] Ex*: Around income tax time fretful faces are ubiquitous. |
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succumb
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suc‧cumb / səˈkʌm / v [intransitive] formal
1. to stop opposing someone or something that is stronger than you, and allow them to take control -synonym: give in succumb to Ex: Succumbing to pressure from the chemical industry, Governor Blakely amended the regulations. Ex: Gina succumbed to temptation and had a second serving of cake. 2. if you succumb to an illness, you become very ill or die of it succumb to Ex: About 400,000 Americans succumb each year to smoking-related illnesses. Ex*: When he finally succumbed, millions throughout the world were stunned and grief-stricken by the tragedy. Ex*: Besieged by debts, the corporation finally had no succumb to bankruptcy. (!! I’m dubious about the correctness of the use of succumb in this sentence!!) |
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warped
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warped / wɔːpt $ wɔːrpt / adj
1. someone who is warped has ideas or thoughts that most people think are unpleasant or not normal Ex: a warped mind Ex: You really have a warped sense of humour (=think strange and unpleasant things are funny) . 2. something that is warped is bent or twisted so that it is not the correct shape Ex*: Debating with such warped minds is not feasible* and only tends to exacerbate* the situation. |
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ineffectual
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in‧ef‧fec‧tu‧al / ˌɪnəˈfektʆuəl◂ / adj
not having the ability, confidence, or personal authority to get things done Ex: an ineffectual leader Ex: She remembered her ineffectual efforts to comfort him. -ineffectually adverb Ex*: he feels that the bigot will freeze and become ineffectual Ex*: The play was so blatantly* bad that the impresario* fired its ineffectual director. |
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astute
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as‧tute / əˈstjuːt $ əˈstuːt / adj
able to understand situations or behaviour very well and very quickly, especially so that you can get an advantage for yourself -syn: clever Ex: an astute politician Ex: astute investments - astutely [adverb] - astuteness [noun] [uncountable] Ex*: My neighbor was astute enough to discern the adverse features of the mortgage. |
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solicit
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so‧li‧cit / səˈlɪsət / v
1. [intransitive usually progressive] to offer to have sex with someone in exchange for money Ex: She was arrested for soliciting. 2. [intransitive and transitive] [formal] to ask someone for money, help, or information Ex: Morgan is accused of illegally soliciting campaign contributions. solicit something from somebody Ex: The governor sent two officials to Mexico City to solicit aid from the President.. 3. [intransitive and transitive] [American English] to try to sell a product or service by taking it to homes or businesses and showing it to the people there Ex: No soliciting on company premises is allowed. Ex*: to rent halls, conduct meetings, publish abusive literature, and solicit contributions. Ex*: Daily the volunteers went out to solicit funds for the indigent families. |
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loath
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loath loth / ləʊθ $ loʊθ / adj
be loath to do something [formal] to be unwilling to do something -syn: reluctant Ex: Sarah was loath to tell her mother what had happened. Ex*: we are loath to deny the request, even if he preaches hatred. Ex*: Since we felt that the ruling was arbitrary,* we were loath to obey it. |
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cherish
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cher‧ish / ˈtʆerɪʆ / v [transitive]
1. if you cherish something, it is very important to you Ex: He was a man who cherished his privacy. Ex: I still cherish the memory of that day. cherish a hope/an idea/a dream etc Ex: a willingness to re-examine cherished beliefs 2. to love someone or something very much and take care of them well Ex: In marriage, a man promises to cherish his wife. Ex: his most cherished possession Ex*: Since we cherish freedom of speech |
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sensationalism
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sen‧sa‧tion‧al‧is‧m / senˈseɪʆənəlɪzəm / n [uncountable]
a way of reporting events or stories that makes them seem as strange, exciting, or shocking as possible - used in order to show disapproval - sensationalist adjective Ex*: TV producers and radio executives, seeking for sensationalism, |
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grounds
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REASON◀
grounds[ plural] a good reason for doing, believing, or saying something grounds for (doing) something Ex: Mental cruelty can be grounds for divorce . Ex: There are strong grounds for believing his statement. have grounds to do something Ex: Did the police have reasonable grounds to arrest him? on moral/legal/medical etc grounds Ex: The proposal was rejected on environmental grounds. on (the) grounds of something Ex: Flying was ruled out on grounds of cost. Ex: 'You're under arrest.' 'On what grounds?' on the grounds that Ex: We oppose the bill, on the grounds that it discriminates against women. Ex*: on the grounds that they are newsworthy |
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-monger
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-monger / mʌŋgə $ mɑːŋgər, mʌŋ- / suffix [in nouns]
1. someone who sells a particular thing Ex: a fishmonger 2. rumour-monger/gloom-monger/doom-monger etc someone who says unpleasant things Ex: The rumour-mongers have been busy again. Ex: the economic gloom-mongers |
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publicity
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pub‧lic‧i‧ty / pʌˈblɪsəti / n [uncountable]
1. the attention that someone or something gets from newspapers, television etc Standards in education have received much publicity over the last few years. bad/good/unwelcome etc publicity Ex: It's important to gain good publicity for the school. Ex: The adverse publicity had damaged sales. 2. the business of making sure that people know about a new product, film etc or what a particular famous person is doing Ex: Who's going to do the show's publicity? Ex: The Government has launched a publicity campaign . Ex: Is their much-reported romance just a publicity stunt (=something that is only done to get publicity) ? Ex*: I will estimate the value of your services as a publicity agent. |
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nefarious
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ne‧far‧i‧ous / nɪˈfeəriəs $ -ˈfer- / adj [formal]
evil or criminal Ex: the nefarious activities such as drug trafficking and fraud Ex*: the nefarious activities of hate-mongers Ex*: We were distraught* upon hearing the venom* spewed* forth by the nefarious bigot*. |
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scrutinize
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scru‧ti‧nize also scrutinise British English /ˈskruːtənaɪz/ v [transitive]
to examine someone or something very carefully Ex: He scrutinized the document closely. Ex: She scrutinized his face. Ex*: Prof. Fineberg urges community-relations organizations to scrutinize the nefarious activities of hate-mongers Ex*: No sooner did the lawyer scrutinize the extortion* note than she called the police. |
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amicable
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am‧i‧ca‧ble / ˈæmɪkəbəl /
an amicable agreement, relationship etc is one in which people feel friendly towards each other and do not want to quarrel Ex: Their relationship hasn't always been amicable. amicable settlement/agreement Ex: The two parties have reached an amicable settlement. ￚamicably [adverb] Ex: In the end, the matter was resolved amicably. Ex*: to furnish information about them to amicable inquirers. Ex*: Our amicable relations with Latin America are an asset* to hemispheric trade. |
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vexatious
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vex‧a‧tious / vekˈseɪʆəs / adj [old-fashioned]
making you feel annoyed or worried ￚvexatiously adverb Ex*: Bigger than the vexatious immediate problem is the need to find out the cause for such bigotry. Ex*: The vexatious buzzing of the mosquitoes as they surged* about our heads nearly drove us insane. |
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malady
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mal‧a‧dy / ˈmælədi / n [countable]
plural: maladies 1. [formal] a serious problem in society 2. [old use] an illness Ex*: to counteract this sinister* malady that afflicts a segment of our society. Ex*: Once the virulent* malady had run its course, my temperature dropped. |
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furnish
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fur‧nish / ˈfɜːnɪʆ $ ˈfɜːr- / v [transitive]
1. to put furniture and other things into a house or room Ex: Having bought the house, they couldn't afford to furnish it. furnish something with something Ex: a room furnished with a desk and swivel chair 2. [formal] to supply or provide something Ex: Will these finds furnish more information on prehistoric man? furnish somebody/something with something Ex: John was furnished with a list of local solicitors. ￚfurnished adjective Ex: The bedrooms are elegantly furnished. Ex: a fully furnished flat |
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rabble-rouser
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ˈrabble-ˌrousing n [uncountable]
when someone deliberately makes a crowd of people angry and violent, especially in order to achieve political aims Ex: He accused union leaders of rabble-rousing. ￚrabble-rousing [adjective] Ex: a rabble-rousing speech ￚrabble-rouser [noun] [countable] Ex*: When a rabble-rouser is coming, those organizations should privately expose him to opinion-molders. |
