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50 Cards in this Set
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daredevil:
a person who does dangerous things especially in order to get attention |
He has always been a bit of a daredevil.
They love danger and the daredevil. In fact, these powerful waterfalls with anaaverage height of 170feet and a waterflow of 150000 gallons per second are still irresistible to a variety of daredevils. |
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hullabaloo: 1 : a very noisy and confused situation 2 : a situation in which many people are upset and angry about something
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▪ The announcement caused quite a hullabaloo. ▪ The announcement caused a lot of hullabaloo.
] ▪ There was a hullabaloo over his controversial statements. |
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irresistible : impossible to resist especially because of strength or attractiveness
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▪ The force of the waves was irresistible. ▪ She had an irresistible [=very strong] craving for chocolate. ▪ Women find him irresistible.
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motivate: 1 : to give (someone) a reason for doing something 2 : to be a reason for (something)
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▪ No one knows what motivated him to act in such a violent way. ▪ The company has used a number of methods to motivate its employees (to work harder). ▪ He denied that political pressures had motivated his decision.
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pull off
1 : to remove (something) from something else : to take off (something)2 informal : to do (something difficult) successfully |
▪ He pulled off the covers of the bed. ▪ She pulled her boots off.
▪ We were doubtful the plan would work, but he managed to pull it off. |
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stunt: 1 : something that is done to get attention or publicity 2 : a difficult and often dangerous action
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▪ Some people say that the announcement of his retirement was just a stunt. ▪ a promotional/publicity stunt
▪ a pilot doing loops and other dangerous stunts |
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confirmation
1 [noncount] : proof which shows that something is true or correct 2 : a response which shows that information is received and understood 3 [noncount] : the act of giving official approval to something or someone 4 : a ceremony in which someone becomes a full, adult member of a religion [noncount] |
▪ Reporters awaited confirmation from the army about the battle.▪ You will receive an e-mail confirmation of your order. ▪ Many senators are opposed to his confirmation as a federal judge.
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equilibrium
1 : a state in which opposing forces or actions are balanced so that one is not stronger or greater than the other 2 : a state of emotional balance or calmness |
▪ Supply and demand were in equilibrium ▪ It took me several minutes to recover my equilibrium.
3.the government must keep the equilibrium of development and econimy. |
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fasting
to eat no food for a period of time |
▪ She always fasts on Yom Kippur. ▪ Patients must fast for six hours before having the procedure.
3.i think fasting is terrible for me. |
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humiliate
to make (someone) feel very ashamed or foolish |
▪ I hope I don't humiliate myself during the presentation. ▪ He accused her of trying to humiliate him in public. ▪ She was hurt and deeply humiliated by the lies he told about her.
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infected:
1 a : containing germs that cause disease b : having a disease caused by germs2 : affected by a computer virus |
▪ If you're sick you should stay home to avoid infecting other people in the office. ▪ The virus has infected many people. ▪ They were unable to prevent bacteria from infecting the wound.
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ordeal :
an experience that is very unpleasant or difficult —usually singular |
▪ Being trapped in the elevator was a harrowing ordeal for the shoppers. ▪ I need to find a way to make traveling less of an ordeal. 3. I was forced to face the ordeal of the withdrawal symptoms.
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suitor:
1 old-fashioned : a man who wants to marry a particular woman2 technical : a company that wants to take over another company |
▪ He was her most persistent suitor, and she eventually agreed to marry him.
▪ An unwanted suitor is buying up the company's stock. 3.She can't make up her mind which of her many suitors she should marry. |
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tribal:
of or relating to a tribe or tribes |
▪ Their society is tribal. ▪ The land is tribally owned.
Vincent's father is a tribal chief. |
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plagiarism:
: the act of using another person's words or ideas without giving credit to that person : the act of plagiarizing something |
▪ The student has been accused of plagiarism.▪ The student is accused of being a plagiarist.
3.plagiarism is very serious in academic essay. |
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dissertation:
a long piece of writing about a particular subject that is done to earn an advanced degree at a university |
He wrote his dissertation on an obscure 16th-century poet.
We spend the final term writing our dissertations. 3.Don't be so extravagant, spend your money more carefully. |
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extravagant :
1 a : more than is usual, necessary, or proper b : very fancy 2 a : very expensive and not necessary b : spending a lot of money |
▪ He went to extravagant ▪ The company has been making extravagant claims/promises about the drug's effectiveness. ▪ We're going on a less extravagant vacation this year.
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elegant:
1 : showing good taste : graceful and attractive 2 : simple and clever |
She's known for her elegance.
She has a life of elegant ease. It was her natural elegance that struck me. |
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defuse :
1 : to make (something) less serious, difficult, or tense2 : to remove the part of (an explosive) that makes it explode : to remove the fuse from (an explosive) |
▪ Skilled negotiators helped defuse the crisis/situation. ▪ Her joke diffused the tension in the room.
The two groups will meet next week to try to defuse the crisis/situation/tension. |
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extrovert:
a friendly person who likes being with and talking to other people |
▪ He is the most extroverted [=outgoing] member of the family.
Most sales people are extroverts. 3.It is very easy to make friend with extrovert. |
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garrulous:
tending to talk a lot : very talkative |
▪ He became more garrulous after drinking a couple of beers.
2.A person who is garrulous always make others feel bad. 3.A garrulous is a person who tendind to talk a lot. |
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effusive:
expressing a lot of emotion |
▪ They offered effusive thanks for our help. ▪ He was effusive in praising their work.
They gave us such an effusive welcome it was quite embarrassing. |
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dabble:
1 [no obj] : to take part in an activity in a way that is not serious 2 : to play or move around in water |
▪ She works as an accountant but dabbles in poetry. ▪ He dabbled in politics as a college student.
▪ She sat by the pool, dabbling her feet in the cool water. |
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constituency :
1 : a group of people who support or who are likely to support a politican or political party 2 a : the people who live and vote in an area 3 : a group of people who support, are served by, or are represented by an organization, business, etc |
▪ Analysts say she has a good chance of being elected because she appeals to a broad constituency. ▪ The senator's constituency includes a large minority population. ▪ He was elected to represent a Liverpool constituency.
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legislation:
1 : a law or set of laws made by a government 2 : the action or process of making laws |
▪ They passed new state legislation this week. ▪ Two new pieces of legislation are being considered. ▪ One of the important functions of government is legislation.
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illiteracy :
1 [noncount] : the state of not knowing how to read or write2 [noncount] : the state of not having knowledge about a particular subject 3 [count] : a mistake that is made in the use of language : an illiterate statement or expression |
▪ the government's efforts to reduce illiteracy
▪ His letters contain many misspellings and illiteracies. 3.It is encouraging to read that illiteracy is declining. |
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malnutrition:
the unhealthy condition that results from not eating enough food or not eating enough healthy food |
Many of the refugees are suffering from severe malnutrition.
In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition. Refugees are suffering from malnutrition. |
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perjury:
the crime of telling a lie in a court of law after promising to tell the truth |
▪ He was found guilty of perjury.
She was sentenced to two years in jail for committing perjury. The witness perjured himself. |
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harass:
1 : to annoy or bother (someone) in a constant or repeated way2 : to make repeated attacks against (an enemy) |
▪ She was constantly harassed by the other students. ▪ He claims that he is being unfairly harassed by the police. ▪ He was accused of sexual harassment.
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thumbnail:
1 : the hard covering at the end of a thumb2 computers : a very small copy of a larger picture on a computer |
▪ You can see a larger version of the picture by clicking on the thumbnail.
He cut his thumbnail by himself. Try opening the packet with your thumbnail. |
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hobble:
1:to walk with difficulty because of injury or weakness 2 [+ obj] : to slow the movement, progress, or action of (someone or something) 3 [+ obj] : to keep (an animal) from straying or wandering by tying two legs together |
▪ She picked up her cane and hobbled across the room.
▪ Critics say that his policies will hobble economic growth. ▪ She is sometimes hobbled by self-doubt. |
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virtual:
1 : very close to being something without actually being it 2 : existing or occurring on computers or on the Internet |
▪ The country is ruled by a virtual dictator. ▪ Her victory is a virtual certainty. ▪ The Web site provides a virtual tour of the stadium.
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glitch:
an unexpected and usually minor problem |
▪ Glitches in the speaker's schedule caused some delays. ▪ A technical glitch caused a temporary shutdown.
There is a glitch in the comprter program somewhere. |
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settlement :
1 a [count] : a formal agreement or decision that ends an argument or dispute 2 [noncount] : the act of paying back money that is owed 3 a [count] : a place where people have come to live and where few or no people lived before |
▪ I got the house in the divorce settlement. ▪ The parties have not been able to reach/negotiate a settlement in the case. ▪ This was the island's first colonial settlement.
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Turbulent :
1 : moving in an irregular or violent way 2 : full of confusion, violence, or disorder : not stable or steady |
▪ Turbulent waters caused the boat to capsize.
▪ The sixties were a turbulent period in American history. 3. The current is trubulent. |
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ultimate:
: happening or coming at the end of a process, series of events, etc. 2 : greatest or most extreme 3 —used to refer to the original or basic source or cause of something 4 : most distant in space or time |
▪ Their ultimate fate has not yet been decided. ▪ I never doubted their ultimate success.▪ He says that dying for your country is the ultimate act of patriotism
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impending:
happening or likely to happen soon |
▪ She's worried about an impending business trip. ▪ We need to prepare for their impending arrival.
War was impending over the young republic. |
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ravenous:
very hungry |
▪ By the time dinner was ready, we were ravenous. ▪ After hiking all day, I had a ravenous appetite.. ▪ The birds were feeding ravenously after their long flight.
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hilarious :
very funny |
▪ Some people don't like his comedy, but I think he's hilarious. ▪ She gave us a hilarious account of her first days as a teacher.
3.The party got quite hilarious after they brought more wine. |
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elite:
1 : the people who have the most wealth and status in a society2 US : a person who is a member of an elite |
▪ The country's elite is/are opposed to the new ruler.
▪ Many business elites oppose the new policy. 3. The elite are most ignorant. |
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ruminat:
1 formal : to think carefully and deeply about something 2 technical of an animal : to bring up and chew again what has already been chewed and swallowed |
▪ The question got us ruminating on the real value of wealth. ▪ He ruminated over/about the implications of their decision.
▪ Cows break down their food by rumination. |
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threshold:
1 : a piece of wood, metal, or stone that forms the bottom of a door and that you walk over as you enter a room or building 2 : the point or level at which something begins or changes |
▪ He stepped across the threshold. ▪ When they were married he carried her over the threshold. ▪ If your income rises above a certain threshold, your tax rate also rises.
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gracious:
1 : very polite in a way that shows respect 2 : having or showing the attractive things (such as charm, good taste, and comfort) that are associated with having a lot of money3 old-fashioned —used as an interjection to express mild surprise or for emphasis |
▪ It was very gracious▪ The magazine promotes gracious living. ▪ Gracious, I never expected to see you here! of him to offer us a place to stay.
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precise:
1.very accurate and exact 2.very careful and exact about the details of something |
▪ Be sure to take precise measurements before you cut the cloth. ▪ The dating of very old materials has become more precise with new instruments. ▪ She quietly closed the door to the baby's room, and at just that precise moment the phone began to ring.
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interced:
to try to help settle an argument or disagreement between two or more people or groups |
▪ Their argument probably would have become violent if I hadn't interceded. ▪ When the boss accused her of lying, several other employees interceded on her behalf. ▪ She thanked them for their intercessions on her behalf.
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refute:
1 : to prove that (something) is not true 2 : to say that (something) is not true |
▪ The lawyer refuted the testimony of the witness. ▪ He refutes the notion that he's planning to retire soon. ▪ She refuted the allegations against her.
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incise:
to cut or carve (letters, patterns, etc.) into a surface |
▪ The design is incised into the clay. ▪ The clay is incised to create a design.
3.Incise an inscription on a stone. |
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condemn:
1 : to say in a strong and definite way that someone or something is bad or wrong 2 a : to give (someone) a usually severe punishment 3 : to close (a building, house, etc.) for not being safe or clean enough for people to use |
▪ We strongly condemn this attack against our allies. ▪ The government condemns all acts of terrorism. ▪ The jury quickly convicted her and condemned [=sentenced] her to death.
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implicit:
1 : understood though not clearly or directly stated 2 : not affected by doubt |
▪ Their plans are based on the implicit [=implied] assumption that the proposal will be accepted. ▪ There is a sense of moral duty implicit in her writings. ▪ In his criticism of the court he implicitly condemns the entire legal system.
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purge:
1 : to remove people from an area, country, organization, etc., often in a violent and sudden way 2 : to cause something to leave the body |
▪ High-ranking officials were purged from the company following the merger.
▪ He purged himself of his old fears. 3.Purge the mind from prefudices. |
