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68 Cards in this Set
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- Back
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Abberation |
Noun, a departure from what is normal, usual or expected |
“The Fed will probably need convincing that the latest Labour-market report was an aberration before tightening policy.” |
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Abreast |
Adj. up to date with the latest news, ideas and information Sym: in touch with, plugged into |
“These daily updates were designed to help readers keep abreast of the markets...” |
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Abstain |
Verb, restrain ones self from doing or enjoying something Syn: refrain, hold back, desist |
“The decision to abstain from such techniques, just and wise though it was, came at a cost.” |
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Abyss |
Noun, a deep or seemingly bottomless chasm |
“Whose dire warnings about risks... seem most believable? Which abyss looks darker and deeper?” |
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Adept |
Adj. very skilled or proficient at something. |
“An abundance of clever people- adept in English law as much as in finance- draws in banks, fund managers and so forth...” |
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Agog |
Adj. very eager or curious to hear or see something |
“We are now agog to know when, on the basis of its forecasts, the Bank will push up interest rates..” |
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Austere |
Adj. having an extremely plain and simple style or appearance |
“Not all Western airports have austere arrival concourses; many have eateries and bars..” |
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Blight |
Noun. A thing that spoils or damages somthing |
“Yet the USFS predicts that within a couple of decades, because of slowing growth and climate related blights, the forests will become an emissions source.” |
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Allure |
Noun. The quality of being powerfully and mysteriously attractive or fascinating |
“Yet it was the allure of the Model T for millions of consumers that finally drove the horse off the road.” |
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Altruism |
Noun. The belief in or practice of selfless concern for the well-being of others. |
“Dr. Decety is not the first to wonder, in a scientific way, about the connection between religion and altruism.” |
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Ambivalent |
Adj. having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone |
“The first was a chronic lack of focus. Right from the start Yahoo was ambivalent about whether it should be a media or a technology company.” |
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Annul |
Verb. Declare invalid |
“Last month’s election was a re-run of a vote in October 2015, the result of which were annulled after several candidates alleged electoral malpractice.” |
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Apathy |
Noun. Lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern |
“Perhaps most difficult will be overcoming the cynicism, and apathy of the public.” |
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Arbitrary |
Adj. Based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system |
“The prevailing believe among linguists had been that the sounds used to form those words were arbitrary.” |
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Arbiter |
Noun. A person who settles a dispute or has ultimate authority in a matter |
“The viewer is, ultimately, the arbiter of influence: either partaking in the objectification, or actively challenging the power dynamic.” |
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Artless |
Adj. without guile or deception Syn: direct |
“He is loveably artless and embarrassing awkward in his unstoppable cheerful attempts to win over the frosty members of the band..” |
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Audacious |
Adj. showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks |
“It was as audacious as any heist and yet unlikely material for a Hollywood blockbuster.” |
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Blithe |
Adj. showing a casual or cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper; blasé |
“Mr. Cameron’s government was too posh, too cocky, too blithe about globalization’s merits, too metropolitan. Too Notting Hill.” |
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Blowhard |
Noun. A person who blisters and boasts in an unpleasant way |
“His name conjured up associations such as ‘arrogant’ and ‘blowhard’..” |
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Blowhard |
Noun. A person who blisters and boasts in an unpleasant way |
“His name conjured up associations such as ‘arrogant’ and ‘blowhard’..” |
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Bolster |
Verb. Support or strengthen |
“If the results are confirmed, they will bolster voters’ belief in the system.” |
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Bombastic |
Adj. high-sounding but with little meaning; inflated |
“Cynics may ascribe Mr. Rubio’s mild tone to the diverse population of his home state, and the fact that bombastic Mr. Trump trails in the polls there |
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Boycott |
Noun. A punitive ban that forbids relations with certain groups |
“Conversely some prominent black women have called for boycott, seeing Mr. Parker’s last as a disqualifying stain.” |
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Burlesque |
Noun. A variety show |
“Madame JoJo’s, a burlesque bar in London’s Soho, had its license revoked in 2014 after 2 bouncers brandished a baseball bat at a rowdy crowd.” |
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Burlesque |
Noun. A variety show |
“Madame JoJo’s, a burlesque bar in London’s Soho, had its license revoked in 2014 after 2 bouncers brandished a baseball bat at a rowdy crowd.” |
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Cacophony |
Noun. A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds |
“In 1957 New York’s subway contained a haphazard mishmash of fonts, both serif and sans, and a typographic designer, sick of the visual cacophony, submitted a brief to the New York City transit authority..” |
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Chronic |
Adj. (of a problem) long lasting and difficult to eradicate |
“Pessimists think the productivity problem is chronic. Technology advances, they say, are ever-less revolutionary..” |
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Coda |
Noun. A concluding event, remark or section; ending, finale |
“With distinct ballad, opera and hard rock sections- and a pensive intro and coda, for good measure- the sing was not for listeners in a hurry.” |
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Confound |
Verb. Prove (a theory, expectation, or prediction) wrong; contradict, counter |
“Yet in another sense, the Fed has confounded predictions- at least, those it made itself.” |
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Deign |
Verb. Do something that one considers to be beneath one’s dignity |
“If the senate deigns to consider and confirm a nominee, do not expect changes overnight.” |
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Disingenuous |
Adj. not candid or sincere; dishonest, deceitful |
“But shamelessly self- interested and probably contrary to his real views on the EU though it is, the mayor’s move is perhaps not entirely disingenuous.” |
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Docile |
Adj. ready to accept control or instruction; submissive, obedient |
“Docile with humans, they are fierce defenders or territory and their young.” |
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Doff |
Verb. Remove (an item of clothing); lay hold of, take hold of |
“To don shoes, to doff them, or even to throw them at somebody?” |
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Dote |
Verb. Be extremely and uncritically fond of |
“Falling birth-rates allowed parents to dote in fewer children, who were increasingly likely to go to school.” |
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Endow |
Verb. Provide with a quality, ability or asset; bless, give |
“Good and inspiring teachers, meanwhile such as... jk Rowling’s Minerva McGonagall, are portrayed as endowed with supernatural gifts...” |
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Ephemeral |
Adj. lasting for a very short time |
“One was Song Dong, just 19 and studying oil painting which he quickly and abandoned. Now he is known for his performances and his ephemeral- sometimes edible- installations.” |
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Ethos |
Noun. The characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community; climate, atmosphere |
“Mr. Cotton presented himself as a member of the generation moved by the patriotic spirit.. leaving civilian careers to join the army and learn a ‘warrior ethos.” |
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Facetious |
Adj. treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor |
“More disturbing,’ says Mr. Hart, I didn’t note that his column was facetious. In tone, it was indeed, and I should have noted that.” |
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Faction |
Noun. a small, organized, dissenting group within a larger one, especially in politics; sector |
“One particular separatist faction is now widely accepted to have been responsible for a string of small bombs which detonated in August..” |
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Fallow |
Adj. inactive; dormant, slack |
“Their fickle attention might waver for a few fallow years of rebuilding, but Angel Stadium will still be standing..” |
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Falter |
Verb. Move unsteadily or in a way that shows lack of confidence; fumble |
“His early steps were faltering, and a frailer soul might have been daunted by his mentors’ fate..” |
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Flail |
Verb. Flounder; struggle uselessly; squirm |
“This means that, a good accent, rhythm and grammar notwithstanding, the intermediate- to- advanced learner is likely to flail..” |
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Fluke |
Noun. Unlikely chance occurrence, especially a surprising piece of luck; accident |
“Was this a fluke? Mr. Baker is not the first to notice the anomaly.” |
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Forage |
Verb. (Of a person or animal) search widely for food or provisions; scavenge |
“And you must be ready to abandon tired orthodoxies of the left and right and forage for good ideas across the political spectrum.” |
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Fortuitous |
Adj. happening by a lucky chance |
“Thanks to these sensible policies, and the fortuitous tailwind is higher productivity growth, the economy boomed and prosperity was shared.” |
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Fringe |
Noun. The unconventional, extreme, or marginal wing of a group or sphere of activity; unorthodox |
“Fringe beliefs reinforced in these ways can establish themselves and persist long after outsiders deem them debunked....” |
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Garner |
Verb. Gather or collect (something, especially information or approval); assemble |
“Labs that garnered more pay-offs were more likely to pass in their methods to other newer labs...” |
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Gist |
Noun. The substance or essence of a speech or text; main idea |
“Machine translation, too, has gone from terrible to usable for getting the gist of a text..” |
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Gossamer |
Adj. used to refer to something very light, thin, and insubstantial or delicate |
“Like a saintly relic, the gossamer threads that tie the two halves offer the promise of miraculous healing by evoking the vulnerability of the suffering body.” |
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Grovel |
Verb. Act in an obsequious manner in order to obtain someone’s forgiveness or favor; suck up |
“She writes... in the knowledge that some of these lovers will snoop into her diary to see what she’s written. (‘Does she get a kick out of my groveling in the last two years?)” |
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Harangue |
Noun. A lengthy and aggressive speech; rant |
“State-run China central television has broadcast harsh criticisms of some multinationals, including an absurd harangue over Starbucks’ prices...” |
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Impetuous |
Adj. acting or done quickly and without thought or care |
“The report holds many lessons, including for this newspaper, which supported the invasion of Iraq: about the danger of impetuous decision- making..” |
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Indictment |
Noun. A formal charge or accusation of a serious crime; citation |
“A criminal indictment would, in all likelihood, force the prime minister to resign.” |
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Inert |
Adj. lacking vigor |
“America’s founders, he argued, put their faith in reasoned discussion among citizens and believed that the ‘greatest menace to freedom is an inert people.’l |
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Ingrate |
Noun. An ungrateful person |
“Greater liberty... over the past generation is abused by ingrates who think it’s funny to depict their leaders pant less...” |
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Insipid |
Adj. lacking vigor or interest; dull |
“It was a stultifying procession of patriotic songs.. insipid skits and bald propaganda.” |
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Lax |
Adj. not sufficiently strict, sever or careful; slack |
“Mario Draghi has faced attacks from critics in Germany for being too lax and Greece for being too tight.” |
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Listless |
Adj. of a person or their manner lacking energy or enthusiasm; lackadaisical |
“Ukraine is brimming with weapons and thousands of militiamen, angry with a corrupt and listless government they feel has hijaked the revolution.” |
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Livid |
Adj. furiously angry |
“A livid Vladimir Putin minced no words in his response, calling the downing a ‘stab in the back’ |
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Loll |
Verb. Sit, lie, or stand in a lazy, relaxed way |
“The pair loll on a green hillside at Murnau south of Munich where Münter had bought a house.” |
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Lurid |
Adj. presented in vividly shocking or sensational terms; exaggerated |
“Their absence from the public eye, especially in a western country with an abundant supply of good hospitals, tends to spark lurid rumors of illness and even death.” |
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Mar |
Verb. impair the quality or appearance of; damage |
“These oversights mar an otherwise engaging and interesting account, but perhaps it is natural that a history of space should have a few gaping holes.” |
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Mince |
Verb. Use polite or moderate expressions to indicate disapproval |
“President Barack Obama didn’t mince his words in an tweet in June 21st, the day after the Senate failed to pass four proposals..” |
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Minion |
Noun. A follower or underlying of a powerful person; lackey |
“Its minions have set up thousands of social-media “bots” and other spamming weapons to down out other content.” |
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Mirth |
Noun. Amusement, especially as expressed in laughter |
“A further proposal, to cut the salaries of senior public managers by 25%, has caused both anger and mirth.” |
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Modest |
Adjective. Not excessively large, elaborate, or expensive; plain, simple |
“They can be seen in the modest dress, office decor and eating habits of Angel Merkel, the daughter of a Lutheran pastor..” |
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Morose |
Adj. sullen and ill-tempered |
“Mr.Macron’s can-do political energy stands out in morose France, home to 10% unemployment and growth last year of just 1.1%.” |
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Muse |
Noun. A person or personified force who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist; influence |
“Mr. Blackwell’s mother was Fleming’s mistress, muse and supposedly the model for Pussy Galore.” |
