My Random Words 5

Front 1

ordeal

Back 1

1 : a primitive means used to determine guilt or innocence by submitting the accused to dangerous or painful tests believed to be under supernatural control <ordeal by fire>
2 : a severe trial or experience

The hostages' ordeal came to an end when soldiers stormed the building.

嚴峻考驗;苦難,折磨

Front 2

unscathed

Back 2

adjective [after verb]
without injuries or damage being caused:
Her husband died in the accident but she, amazingly, escaped unscathed.

Front 3

impugn

Back 3

1 : to assail by words or arguments : oppose or attack as false or lacking integrity <impugned the defendant's character>

Front 4

assail

Back 4

verb FORMAL
1 [T] to attack someone violently or criticize someone strongly:
The victim had been assailed with repeated blows to the head and body.
He was assailed with insults and abuse as he left the court.

2 [T often passive] to cause someone to experience a lot of unpleasant things:
to be assailed by doubts/fears/problems

Front 5

tarnish

Back 5

verb [T]
- to spoil the reputation of someone or something:
By this time a series of scandals had severely tarnished the leader's image/reputation.

verb [I or T]
to make or (especially of metal) become less bright or a different colour

Front 6

sully

Back 6

verb [T] FORMAL
1 to spoil something or someone's perfect reputation or purity:
His reputation, he said, had been unfairly sullied by allegations, half-truths and innuendos.

2 to make something dirty:
No speck of dirt had ever sullied his hands.

Front 7

defile

Back 7

verb [T] FORMAL
to spoil the beauty, importance, purity, etc. of something or someone:
It's a shame that such a beautiful area has been defiled by a rubbish dump.
The soldiers deliberately defiled all the holy places.

Front 8

assimilate

Back 8

1 a: to take in and utilize as nourishment : absorb into the system b: to take into the mind and thoroughly comprehend

2 a: to make similar b: to alter by assimilation c: to absorb into the culture or mores of a population or group3: compare, liken

Front 9

dogmatic

Back 9

adjective DISAPPROVING
- If someone is dogmatic, they are certain that they are right and that everyone else is wrong.

- of or related to a fixed, especially religious, belief or set of beliefs that people are expected to accept without any doubts

Front 10

merit

Back 10

noun [C or U]
1 FORMAL the quality of being good and deserving praise:
an entertaining film with little artistic merit
Her ideas have merit.
Brierley's book has the merit of being both informative and readable.

2 the merits of sth the advantages something has compared to something else:
We discussed the merits of herbal tea.

verb [T] FORMAL
If something merits a particular treatment, it deserves or is considered important enough to be treated in that way:
This plan merits careful attention.
The accident merited only a small paragraph in the local paper.

Front 11

petulant

Back 11

1 : insolent or rude in speech or behavior

2 : characterized by temporary or capricious ill humor : peevish

Front 12

modulate

Back 12

- to change the style, loudness, etc. of something such as your voice in order to achieve an effect or express an emotion:
His gentle introductory tone modulates into a football coach's pre-game pep talk.

- to change something, such as an action or a process, to make it more suitable for its situation:
An elected committee will meet monthly to modulate the council's energy policy.

- to vary the amplitude, frequency, or phase of (a carrier wave or a light wave) for the transmission of information (as by radio); also : to vary the velocity of electrons in an electron beam

1. 調整;控制;緩和
2.【音】使變調
3. 聲調抑揚地唱
4.【無】調制

Front 13

differentiate

Back 13

2 : to become distinct or different in character
3 : to undergo differentiation

Front 14

inquisitive

Back 14

adjective
wanting to discover as much as you can about things, sometimes in a way that annoys people:
an inquisitive child
an inquisitive mind
She could see inquisitive faces looking out from the windows next door.

Front 15

presumptuous

Back 15

adjective
A person who is presumptuous shows a lack of respect for others by doing things they have no right to do:
It would be presumptuous of me to comment on the matter.

放肆的;冒昧的;專橫的

Front 16

undercut

Back 16

to weaken or damage something or to cause it to fail; undermine:
He suspected it was an attempt to undercut his authority.

Front 17

drone

Back 17

noun [S]
a low continuous noise which does not change its note:
the drone of an engine
Outside the tent I could hear the constant drone of insects.
The drone of his voice made me feel sleepy.

Front 18

monotonous

Back 18

adjective
staying the same and not changing and therefore boring:
a monotonous job
a monotonous voice
The music became monotonous after a while.

Front 19

faultfinding

Back 19

disposed to find fault : captiously critical

Front 20

commendable

Back 20

adjective FORMAL
deserving praise:
commendable efforts/behaviour/bravery

Front 21

obligatory

Back 21

adjective
1 describes something you must do because of a rule or law, etc:
The medical examination before you start work is obligatory.
[+ to infinitive] The statute made it obligatory for all fit males between 12 and 60 to work.

2 expected because it usually happens:
Some secret service agents turned up, all wearing the obligatory raincoat and hat.

Front 22

dawdle

Back 22

verb [I]
to do something or go somewhere very slowly, taking more time than is necessary:
Stop dawdling! You'll be late for school!

Front 23

toil

Back 23

1: to work hard and long
2: to proceed with laborious effort : plod

Front 24

irksome

Back 24

tending to make weary, irritated, or bored : tedious <an irksome task>

Front 25

courteous

Back 25

adjective
polite and respectful; well-mannered:
Although she often disagreed with me, she was always courteous.

Front 26

preamble

Back 26

noun
1 [C] SPECIALIZED an introduction to a speech or piece of writing

2 [U] talk or activity not connected with the most important matter

Front 27

expand

Back 27

1: to open out : spread

2: to increase in extent, number, volume, or scope

3: to speak or write fully or in detail <expanded on the theme>
4: to feel generous or optimistic

Front 28

volume

Back 28

noun
1 [C or U] the amount of space that is enclosed within an object or solid shape:
Which of these bottles do you think has the greater volume?

2 [U] the number or amount of something in general:
It's the sheer volume of traffic in the city that is causing the problems.

Front 29

proliferate

Back 29

1 : to grow by rapid production of new parts, cells, buds, or offspring 2 : to increase in number as if by proliferating : multiply

Front 30

abut

Back 30

1: to touch along a border or with a projecting part <land abuts on the road>

2 a: to terminate at a point of contact b: to lean for support

- 鄰接;毗連;緊靠

Front 31

contiguous

Back 31

1: being in actual contact : touching along a boundary or at a point
2 of angles : adjacent
3: next or near in time or sequence
4: touching or connected throughout in an unbroken sequence <contiguous row houses>

Front 32

coincide

Back 32

1 a: to occupy the same place in space or time b: to occupy exactly corresponding or equivalent positions on a scale or in a series

2: to correspond in nature, character, or function

3: to be in accord or agree
ment : concur

Front 33

garment

Back 33

noun [C] FORMAL
a piece of clothing

Front 34

millinery

Back 34

1 : women's apparel for the head

2 : the business or work of a milliner

milliner
noun [C]
a person who makes or sells women's hats

Front 35

prohibitive

Back 35

1 : tending to prohibit or restrain

2 : tending to preclude use or purchase <prohibitive costs>

3 : almost certain to perform as predicted <a prohibitive favorite>

Front 36

preclude

Back 36

verb [T] FORMAL
to prevent something or make it impossible, or prevent someone from doing something:
His contract precludes him from discussing his work with anyone outside the company.
The fact that your application was not successful this time does not preclude the possibility of you applying again next time.

Front 37

peremptory

Back 37

adjective
expecting to be obeyed immediately and without questioning:
He started issuing peremptory instructions.
She was highly critical of the insensitive and peremptory way in which the cases had been handled.

斷然的,不容置辯的

Front 38

irrevocable

Back 38

not possible to revoke : unalterable <an irrevocable decision>

Front 39

incongruous

Back 39

adjective
unusual or different from the surroundings or from what is generally happening:
The new computer looked incongruous in the dark book-filled library.
It seems incongruous to have a woman as the editor of a men's magazine.

Front 40

amalgamate

Back 40

verb [I or T]
to join or unite to form a larger organization or group, or to make separate organizations do this:
The electricians' union is planning to amalgamate with the technicians' union.
The different offices will be amalgamated as/into employment advice centres.

Front 41

arrhythmic

Back 41

lacking rhythm or regularity <arrhythmic locomotor activity>

Front 42

blithe

Back 42

1 : of a happy lighthearted character or disposition 2 : lacking due thought or consideration : casual, heedless <blithe unconcern>

Front 43

disposition

Back 43

noun
1 [C usually singular] the particular type of character which a person naturally has:
She is of a nervous/cheerful/sunny disposition.

2 [S + to infinitive] FORMAL a natural tendency to do something, or to have or develop something:
a disposition to deceive

Front 44

conceited

Back 44

adjective DISAPPROVING
too proud of yourself and your actions and abilities:
Without wishing to sound conceited, I am the best salesperson in the company.

Front 45

sturdy

Back 45

adjective
1 physically strong and solid or thick, and therefore unlikely to break or be hurt:
sturdy walking boots
a sturdy table
sturdy little legs

2 [before noun] LITERARY strong and determined:
They put up a sturdy defence of their proposal.

Front 46

grave

Back 46

adjective
seriously bad:
a grave situation

Front 47

polemical

Back 47

1 a: an aggressive attack on or refutation of the opinions or principles of another b: the art or practice of disputation or controversy —usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction

2: an aggressive controversialist : disputant

爭論的;好爭論的

Front 48

conciliate

Back 48

1 : to gain (as goodwill) by pleasing acts

2 : to make compatible : reconcile

3 : appease

Front 49

precipitate

Back 49

1. to make something happen suddenly or sooner than expected:
An invasion would certainly precipitate a political crisis.
Fear of losing her job precipitated (= suddenly forced) her into action.

2. to throw someone or something from a height with great force

3.【化】使沈澱;使沈降; 【氣】使(水汽)凝結成雨(或雪等)

Front 50

deference

Back 50

respect and esteem due a superior or an elder; also : affected or ingratiating regard for another's wishes
synonym see HONOR

deferential
- respectful and polite:
She is always extremely deferential to/towards anyone in authority.

Front 51

contempt

Back 51

noun [U]
a strong feeling of combined dislike and lack of respect:
At school she had complete contempt for all her teachers.
You should treat those remarks with the contempt that they deserve.
She's beneath contempt (= I have no respect for her)!

Front 52

untoward

Back 52

1 : difficult to guide, manage, or work with : UNRULY, INTRACTABLE
2 a : marked by trouble or unhappiness : UNLUCKY b : not favorable : ADVERSE, UNPROPITIOUS <untoward side effects>
3 : IMPROPER, INDECOROUS

Front 53

opprobrious

Back 53

noun [U] FORMAL
severe criticism and blame:
International opprobrium has been heaped on the country following its attack on its neighbours.

opprobrious
adjective FORMAL

Front 54

meretricious

Back 54

adjective FORMAL
seeming attractive but really false or of little value:
He claims that a lot of journalism is meretricious and superficial.

1.(裝飾、文體)俗氣的;浮華的
2. 欺騙性的

Front 55

innocuous

Back 55

1 : producing no injury : HARMLESS
2 : not likely to give offense or to arouse strong feelings or hostility : INOFFENSIVE, INSIPID

Front 56

irreproachable

Back 56

adjective FORMAL APPROVING
without fault and therefore impossible to criticize:
Her conduct throughout was irreproachable.

Front 57

veritable

Back 57

adjective [before noun]
used to describe something as another, more exciting, interesting or unusual thing, as a way of emphasizing its character:
My garden had become a veritable jungle by the time I came back from holiday.
The normally sober menswear department is set to become a veritable kaleidoscope of colour this season.

真可稱得上的;真正的,名副其實的[Z]

Front 58

impetuous

Back 58

adjective
1 tending to act on a sudden idea or wish, without considering the results of your actions:
He's so impetuous - why can't he think things over before he rushes into them?

2 An impetuous word or action is said or done suddenly, without considering the likely results:
The Prime Minister may now be regretting her impetuous promise to reduce unemployment by half.

性急的,魯莽的;衝動的

Front 59

pernicious

Back 59

adjective FORMAL
having a very harmful effect or influence:
The cuts in government funding have had a pernicious effect on local health services.

Front 60

specious

Back 60

adjective FORMAL DISAPPROVING
seeming to be right or true, but really wrong or false:
a specious argument/claim
specious allegations/promises

Front 61

ascendancy

Back 61

governing or controlling influence : DOMINATION

1. 優勢,優越
2. 權勢

Front 62

decimate

Back 62

a : to reduce drastically especially in number <cholera decimated the population>

b : to cause great destruction or harm to <firebombs decimated the city> <an industry decimated by recession>

Front 63

denigrate

Back 63

1 : to attack the reputation of : DEFAME <denigrate one's opponents>
2 : to deny the importance or validity of : BELITTLE <denigrate their achievements>

Front 64

fabricate

Back 64

1 a : INVENT, CREATE b : to make up for the purpose of deception <accused of fabricating evidence>

2 : CONSTRUCT, MANUFACTURE; specifically : to construct from diverse and usually standardized parts

Front 65

jockey

Back 65

a : to maneuver or manipulate by adroit or devious means <was jockeyed out of the job>

b : to change the position of by a series of movements <jockey a truck into position>

Front 66

efficacy

Back 66

an ability, especially of a medicine or a method of achieving something, to produce the intended result; effectiveness:
They recently ran a series of tests to measure the efficacy of the drug.

efficacious
able to produce the intended result; effective

效力,功效

Front 67

borrowing

Back 67

something borrowed; especially : a word or phrase adopted from one language into another

Front 68

riveting

Back 68

having the power to fix the attention : ENGROSSING, FASCINATING <a riveting story>

Front 69

engrossing

Back 69

taking up the attention completely : ABSORBING

Front 70

conniving

Back 70

adjective
describes a person who deceives others for their own advantage:
He's a conniving bastard!

Front 71

upholstery

Back 71

noun [U]
1 the cloth used for covering a seat and/or the substance used for filling it:
an old sofa with faded green upholstery

2 the activity of upholstering objects

室內裝潢品;(沙發等的)墊襯物

Front 72

dyslexia

Back 72

a difficulty with reading and writing caused by the brain's inability to see the difference between some letter shapes

Front 73

hemophilia

Back 73

a rare blood disease in which blood continues to flow after a cut or other injury because one of the substances which causes it to thicken does not work correctly

血友病

Front 74

deride

Back 74

1 : to laugh at contemptuously
2 : to subject to usually bitter or contemptuous ridicule

Front 75

fidget

Back 75

uneasiness or restlessness as shown by nervous movements -- usually used in plural

Front 76

cower

Back 76

to lower your head or body in fear, often while moving backwards:
Stop cowering! I'm not going to hit you.

Front 77

menace

Back 77

1 : a show of intention to inflict harm : THREAT

2 a : one that represents a threat : DANGER b : a person who causes annoyance

Front 78

slouch

Back 78

1 a : an awkward fellow : LOUT b : one that is unimpressive; especially : a lazy or incompetent person -- used in negative constructions <was no slouch at cooking>

2. to stand, sit or walk with the shoulders hanging forward and the head bent slightly over so that you look tired and bored

低頭垂肩的姿勢;沒精打采的姿態;懶散的樣子

Front 79

vigilant

Back 79

alertly watchful especially to avoid danger

vigilance
the quality or state of being vigilant

Front 80

reprimand

Back 80

a severe or formal reproof (criticism for a fault : REBUKE)

Front 81

humility

Back 81

the quality or state of being humble

Front 82

supplicant

Back 82

one who supplicates.

2: to ask for earnestly and humbly


懇求者, 懇求的
- to make a humble entreaty (to plead with especially in order to persuade); especially : to pray to God
- to ask humbly and earnestly of

Front 83

dilettante

Back 83

1 : an admirer or lover of the arts
2 : a person having a superficial interest in an art or a branch of knowledge : DABBLER
synonym see AMATEUR

Front 84

inveigle

Back 84

1 : to win over by wiles : ENTICE
2 : to acquire by ingenuity or flattery : WANGLE <inveigled her way into a promotion>

Front 85

interest

Back 85

1 : to induce or persuade to participate or engage
2 : to engage the attention or arouse the interest of

Front 86

barter

Back 86

to trade by exchanging one commodity for another

Front 87

correspond

Back 87

1 a : to be in conformity or agreement <the ideal failed...to correspond with the reality -- J. R. Sutherland> b : to compare closely : MATCH -- usually used with to or with c : to be equivalent or parallel

2 : to communicate with a person by exchange of letters

Front 88

parry

Back 88

1 : to ward off a weapon or blow
2 : to evade or turn aside something

2 : to evade especially by an adroit answer <parried the question>

Front 89

shirk

Back 89

1 : to go stealthily : SNEAK
2 : to evade the performance of an obligation
transitive verb : AVOID, EVADE <shirk one's duty>

Front 90

fauna

Back 90

all the animals that live wild in a particular area:

Front 91

particulate

Back 91

of or relating to minute separate particles

Front 92

sedentary

Back 92

1 : not migratory : SETTLED <sedentary birds> <sedentary civilizations>
2 a : doing or requiring much sitting <a sedentary job> b : not physically active <a sedentary lifestyle>
3 : permanently attached <sedentary barnacles>

- 坐著的,需要(或慣於)久坐的
- (鳥等)定棲的;(貝殼)固定附著的

Front 93

nomadic

Back 93

1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of nomads (遊牧民) <a nomadic tribe>
2 : roaming about from place to place aimlessly, frequently, or without a fixed pattern of movement

Front 94

fracas

Back 94

a noisy quarrel : BRAWL

Front 95

rapture

Back 95

1 : an expression or manifestation of ecstasy or passion
2 a : a state or experience of being carried away by overwhelming emotion b : a mystical experience in which the spirit is exalted to a knowledge of divine things

- 使狂喜,使歡天喜地
- 著迷,癡迷

Front 96

grate

Back 96

3 : FRET, IRRITATE
- annoys

Front 97

inerrancy

Back 97

exemption from error : INFALLIBILITY <the question of biblical inerrancy>

Front 98

taboo

Back 98

(an action or word) avoided for religious or social reasons