Common Words 5

Front 1

Consignment

Back 1

An amount of goods that is sent somewhere

Hint 1

The most recent consignment of cloth was faulty

Front 2

Tenacious

Back 2

1. Holding tightly onto something or keeping an opinion in a determined way

2. Unwilling to accept defeat

Hint 2

1. There has been tenacious local opposition to the new airport

2. She is a tenacious opponent

Front 3

Placebo

Back 3

1. A substance that is given who is told that it is a particular medicine, to make a person feel as if they are getting better

2. Something that is given to try to satisfy a person who has not been given what they really want

Hint 3

1. She has only been given a placebo, but she claimed she got better- that's the placebo effect

2. The small concessions have been made as a placebo to stop workers from making further demands

Front 4

Guile

Back 4

Clever but dishonest behaviour used to deceive someone

Hint 4

The president has to use all her political guile to stay in power

Front 5

Guileless

Back 5

Honest, not able to deceive

Hint 5

She regarded him with wide, guileless blue eyes

Front 6

Innuendo

Back 6

A remark that suggests something but do not refer to it directly

Hint 6

There's always an element of sexual innuendo in our conversations

Front 7

Perpetual

Back 7

Continuing forever in the same way

Hint 7

They lived in the perpetual fear of being discovered

Front 8

Petrify

Back 8

To frighten someone a lot especially so that they are unable to move or speak

Hint 8

I think you petrified poor Fraser, he never said a word the whole time you are here

Front 9

Dire

Back 9

Extreme

Hint 9

They are in dire need of help

Front 10

Complacency

Back 10

Feeling of calm satisfaction with your own abilities that prevents you from trying hard

Hint 10

There is no room for complacency if we want to stay in the competition

Front 11

Manifest

Back 11

To show clearly through signs or action

Hint 11

The workers chose to manifest their dissatisfaction in a series of strikes

Front 12

Mortified

Back 12

To make someone feel embarrassed

Hint 12

The thought of the incident still mortified her

Front 13

Pious

Back 13

Strong belief in the religion

Hint 13

She is a pious follower of the faith, never missing her prayers

Front 14

Blasphemy

Back 14

Lack of respect to god or religion

Hint 14

His writing has been condemned for blasphemy

Front 15

Transcend

Back 15

To go beyond the limit

Hint 15

The best films are those which transcend the social or cultural barriers

Front 16

Boulevard

Back 16

Wide road in a city, usually with trees on each side or along the centre

Hint 16

we strolled along the boulevard

Front 17

Bludgeon

Back 17

1. To hit someone hard and repeatedly with the heavy weapon

2. To force someone to do something

Hint 17

1. The two boys had been mercilessly bludgeoned to death

2. The managers bludgeoned us into agreeing with the changes

Front 18

Skitter

Back 18

to move very quickly and lightly

Hint 18

When I removed the log, there were beetles skittering under it

Front 19

grovel

Back 19

Too much respect towards someone to show that you are very eager to please them

Hint 19

She sent a grovelling note of apology

Front 20

Heinous

Back 20

Very bad and shocking

Hint 20

Heinous crime

Front 21

Commotion

Back 21

Sudden, short period of noise confusion or movement

Hint 21

His arrival caused quite a commotion

Front 22

Repugnant

Back 22

Causing a strong feeling of dislike or disgust

Hint 22

I find your attitude towards women quiet repugnant

Front 23

Abominable

Back 23

Very bad and unpleasant condition

Hint 23

The prisoners are forced to live in abominable conditions

Front 24

Meddle

Back 24

Try to change or have an influence on things that are not your responsibility

Hint 24

I don't want him meddling in my affairs

Front 25

Yonder

Back 25

At some distance in the direction indicated; over there

Hint 25

There's Ford South of here, about nine miles yonder

Front 26

Discern

Back 26

To see or understand something that is not clear

Hint 26

It is difficult to discern any pattern in these figures

Front 27

Diction

Back 27

The manner in which words are pronounced

Hint 27

It is very important for language teacher to have a good diction

Front 28

Disapprobation

Back 28

Strong feelings of not approving

Hint 28

She feared her father's disapprobation

Front 29

Begrudge

Back 29

1. Feeling unhappy because someone has something that you think they don't deserve

2. Feeling unhappy about spending money on something

3. Feeling unhappy about spending time doing something

Hint 29

1. I begrudge his freedom

2. she begrudged paying so much for an ice cream cone

3. They begrudged everyday they had to stay with their father

Front 30

Misdemeanor

Back 30

Crime considered to be one of the lesser serious crimes

Hint 30

He was convicted in a Court on misdemeanor charges

Front 31

farce

Back 31

Disorganised or ridiculous

Hint 31

The meeting turned out to be a farce as no one had prepared for anything

Front 32

Fractious

Back 32

1. Easily upset or annoyed

2. Tending to complain, argue or fight

Hint 32

1. A fractious child

2. Fractious relationships

Front 33

Receptive

Back 33

Willing to accept and listen to New ideas

Hint 33

The government is not receptive to the idea proposed by citizens

Front 34

Diurnal

Back 34

Being active or Happening during the day rather than night

Front 35

Oblivion

Back 35

1. Being completely forgotten

2. being completely destroyed

3. Being unconscious or lack of awareness

Hint 35

1. He was another minor poet who was consigned to Oblivion

2. The planes bombed the City into Oblivion

3. She sought Oblivion in a bottle of whiskey

Front 36

Brevity

Back 36

Brief

Front 37

Stupefy

Back 37

1. To tire or bore someone so much that they cannot think or do anything

2. Shock someone

Hint 37

1. His classes totally stupefied me

2. He was stupefied to learn that he was fired

Front 38

Formidable

Back 38

Strong and powerful and therefore difficult to deal with if opposed to you

Hint 38

She is a formidable figure who commands in great deal of respect

Front 39

Larceny

Back 39

Crime of taking something that doesn't belong to you, but not in a way that involves force

Hint 39

As a pick pocket he was charged with larceny

Front 40

Slob

Back 40

Lazy, untidy and often rude person

Hint 40

He's a big fat slob of a man

Front 41

Privy

Back 41

To be told information that is not told to many people

Hint 41

I was never privy to conversations between top management

Front 42

Obscene

Back 42

1. Offensive, rude or shocking usually because of being related to sex

2. Morally wrong

Hint 42

In the raid, the police found various boxes of obscene dvds

Front 43

Nefarious

Back 43

Morally bad

Hint 43

The CEO was involved in some nefarious activities

Front 44

Fraught with

Back 44

1. Full of problems and unpleasant things

2. Having extreme worry or anxiety

Hint 44

1 . From the beginning to the end, the airlift was fraught with risks

2. The atmosphere in the office was rather fraught

Front 45

Obliterate

Back 45

1. To remove or destroy all the signs

2. Making an idea or feeling disappear

Hint 45

1. The hurricane obliterated the entire town

2.she gets drunk to obliterate painful memories

Front 46

Contemplate

Back 46

To spend time considering a possible future action, or to consider one particular thing for a long time in a serious and quite way

Hint 46

I'm contemplating going abroad for a year

Front 47

Tempestuous

Back 47

Emotional

Turbulent

Tumultuous

Hint 47

They finally stopped seeing each other, ending their tempestuous relationship.

Front 48

Tumultuous

Back 48

very loud, or full of confusion, change, or uncertainty

Hint 48

After the tumultuous events of 1990, Europe was completely transformed.

Front 49

Turbulent

Back 49

involving a lot of sudden changes, arguments, or violence:

2. full of confusion; lacking order:

Hint 49

a turbulent marriageThis has been a turbulent week for the administration.

2. His book discusses the turbulent years of the civil rights struggle.

Front 50

Subterfuge

Back 50

a trick or a dishonest way of achieving something

Hint 50

It was clear that they must have obtained the information by subterfuge

Front 51

Ingratiate

Back 51

to try to make yourself especially pleasant in order to get someone to like or approve of you, and often to influence someone to do something for you

Hint 51

He tries to ingratiate himself with the boss by saying that all her ideas are brilliant.

Front 52

Filch

Back 52

to steal something of little value

Pilfer

Hint 52

Who's filched my pencils?

Front 53

Seethe

Back 53

to feel very angry

To boil

to move around energetically in a small space

Hint 53

She was still seething, remembering how rudely she was treated.

The grey ocean seethed

The streets were seething (= busy and crowded) with tourists.

Front 54

Taxing

Back 54

needing too much effort

Hint 54

After the surgery, I could not do anything too taxing for a while.

Front 55

Marriage

Back 55

a combination of two or more things

Hint 55

His music is a marriage of jazz, blues, and pop.

Front 56

Commingle

Back 56

Mix, blend

Hint 56

He had to answer questions about the commingling of endowment funds with other museum funds.

Front 57

Declaim

Back 57

to express something with strong feeling, especially in a loud voice or with forceful language

Hint 57

"The end of the world is at hand!" the poster declaimed.

Front 58

Adduce

Back 58

to give reasons why you think something is true

Hint 58

None of the evidence adduced in court was conclusive.

Front 59

Colloquium

Back 59

a meeting in which a lot of people discuss something formally

Hint 59

She attended a colloquium on climate change in Greenland

Front 60

Symposium

Back 60

Colloquium

Hint 60

Experts gathered for an international symposium on Internet addiction.

Front 61

Cloister

Back 61

1. to seclude from the world (v)

2. a covered stone passage around the four sides of a courtyard (= a square or rectangular space) especially in a religious building such as a church or monastery (n)

Hint 61

1. The women were cloistered at home

2. The courtyard is surrounded with a cloister.

Front 62

Mirth

Back 62

laughter or amusement

Hint 62

Chen could not contain his mirth.

Front 63

Jouissance

Back 63

Physical or intellectual pleasure

Ecstacy

Hint 63

don't chase after jouissance

Front 64

Xenophobic

Back 64

showing an extreme dislike or fear of people from foreign countries

Racist

Hint 64

There have been outbursts of xenophobic violence.

Front 65

Fiat

Back 65

an order given by a person in authority

Hint 65

No company can set industry standards by fiat.

Front 66

Tenuous

Back 66

weak, thin or easily broken

unimportant

Hint 66

The aging dictator’s hold on power is tenuous.

Front 67

Tenable

Back 67

able to be defended successfully or held for a particular period of time

Hint 67

His theory is no longer tenable in the light of the recent discoveries.

Front 68

Tenacious/ tenacity

Back 68

holding tightly onto something, or keeping an opinion in a determined way

Hint 68

The baby took my finger in its tenacious little fist.

Front 69

Pertinacious/ pertinacity

Back 69

very determined and refusing to be defeated by problems

stubbornly tenacious

Hint 69

Like most successful politicians, she is pertinacious and single-minded in the pursuit of her goals.

Front 70

Sobriety

Back 70

Seriousness, solemnity

Soberness

Hint 70

She speaks with such sobriety, it is clear that she speaks the truth

Front 71

Tepid

Back 71

Lukewarm

Unenthusiastic

Hint 71

The applause was tepid

Front 72

Secular

Back 72

Earthly

Worldly

Non religious

Hint 72

Secular buildings/music

Front 73

Categorical

Back 73

without any doubt or possibility of being changed

Unequivocal

Unambiguously explicit and direct

Hint 73

The president issued a categorical denial

Front 74

Dissemble

Back 74

to hide your real intentions and feelings or the facts

Feign

Hint 74

He accused the government of dissembling

Front 75

Dissimulate

Back 75

to hide your real feelings, character, or intentions

Dissemble

Hint 75

They did not try to dissimulate their grief

Front 76

Transgression

Back 76

an action that breaks a law or rule

Contravention

Hint 76

It is hard to keep the transgressions of famous people out of the news

Front 77

hortatory

Back 77

trying to strongly encourage or persuade someone to do something

Hint 77

He delivered his speeches in a formal, hortatory style.

Front 78

exhort

Back 78

to strongly encourage or try to persuade someone to do something

Exhortatory

Hortatory

Entreaty

Hint 78

The governor exhorted the prisoners not to riot.

Front 79

Homily

Back 79

a piece of spoken or written advice about how someone should behave

Homiletic

Hint 79

He launched into a homily on family relationships

Front 80

Bespeak

Back 80

to suggest or show, indicate

Hint 80

His letter bespeaks his willingness to help

Front 81

Polarize

Back 81

to cause people in a group to have opposing positions

Hint 81

The property tax issue polarized the city council.

Front 82

Morass

Back 82

1. something that is extremely complicated and difficult to deal with, making any advance almost impossible

2. an area of soft, wet ground in which it is easy to get stuck

Hint 82

1. The morass of rules and regulations is delaying the start of the project.

2. The track beneath the bridge became muddy morass

Front 83

Zesty

Back 83

1. Full of flavor

2. Full of enthusiasm , gusto, piquant

Hint 83

They campaigned with zest and intelligence

Front 84

Regale

Back 84

to entertain someone with stories or jokes

Hint 84

Grandpa regaled us with tales of his small-town childhood.

Front 85

Supplication

Back 85

the act of asking a god or someone who is in a position of power for something in a humble way:

Supplicant- a person who asks god

Hint 85

Inside the temple, worshippers were kneeling in supplication.

Front 86

Entreaty

Back 86

an attempt to persuade someone to do something

Implore

Importune

Hint 86

She refused to become involved with him despite his passionate entreaties.

Front 87

Implore

Back 87

to ask for something in a sincere and emotional way

Entreaty

Beseech

Exhortation

Hint 87

She clasped her hands, and glancing upward, seemed to implore divine assistance.

Front 88

Beseech

Back 88

to ask for something in a way that shows you need it very much

Hint 88

Stay a little longer, I beseech you!

Front 89

Importune

Back 89

to make repeated, forceful requests for something, usually in a way that is annoying or causing slight problems

to ask for sex with someone in return for payment

Hint 89

As a tourist, you are importuned for money the moment you step outside your hotel.

He was arrested for importuning a young boy outside the station.

Front 90

Amorphous

Back 90

having no fixed form or shape

Hint 90

an amorphous mass of jelly

Front 91

Remission

Back 91

a period of time when an illness is less severe or is not affecting someone:

a reduction of the time that a person has to stay in prison

the fact of being forgiven for breaking religious laws or rules:

the process of reducing the amount of money that is owed for something or stating that it no longer needs to be paid:

Hint 91

Her cancer has been in remission for several years.

He was given three months' remission for good behaviour.

He believes that redemption is based on remission of sins.

Campaigners claim that people receiving benefits should be entitled to automatic remission of fees.

Front 92

Incense

Back 92

to cause someone to be extremely angry:

a substance that is burnt to produce a sweet smell, especially as part of a religious ceremony:

Hint 92

The editor felt readers would be incensed by my article.

an incense burner/stick

Front 93

Bane

Back 93

Causing great distress or annoyance

Scourge

Hint 93

Instead of doing his homework, my son is always playing computer games – they’re the bane of my existence these days.

Front 94

Ardor

Back 94

Enthusiasm

Passion

Hint 94

Her ardor for basketball impressed me.

Front 95

Fervor

Back 95

strong, sincere feelings:

Ardor

Hint 95

The country was swept by patriotic fervor

Front 96

Avidity

Back 96

the quality of being extremely eager or interested:

Hint 96

He studied Indian history with avidity

Front 97

Cadence

Back 97

a regular rise and fall of sound, esp. of the human voice:

Hint 97

She spoke in the lyrical cadence of her East African accent

Front 98

Ostracize

Back 98

To exclude someone intentionally from a group or society

Hint 98

His colleagues ostracized him after he criticized the company in public.

Front 99

Foment

Back 99

to cause trouble to develop:

Instigate

Incite

Stir up

Provoke

Hint 99

The song was banned on the grounds that it might foment racial tension

Front 100

Heyday

Back 100

the most successful or popular period of someone or something:

Peak, prime, zenith

Hint 100

In their heyday, they sold as many records as all the other groups in the country put together.

Front 101

Chagrin

Back 101

a feeling of being upset, disappointed, or annoyed, esp. because of a failure or mistake

Annoyance, irritation, vexation

Exasperation

Hint 101

My children have never shown an interest in music, much to my chagrin.

Front 102

Mortification

Back 102

a feeling of being very embarrassed

Hint 102

To the mortification of the show's organizers, the top performer withdrew at the last minute.

Front 103

Exasperation

Back 103

the feeling of being annoyed, especially because you can do nothing to solve a problem:

Hint 103

There is growing exasperation within the government at the failure of these policies to reduce unemployment.