Vocab1

Front 1

resort

Back 1

to do something that you do not want to do because you cannot find any other way of achieving something >I'm sorry I ------ed to calling you jackass just now, but I'm very upset!

Front 2

puddle

Back 2

a small pool of liquid on the ground, especially from rain

Front 3

hail

Back 3

to call someone in order to attract their attention >Shall we ---- a taxi?

Front 4

mansion

Back 4

a very large expensive house >The street is lined with enormous -------s where the rich and famous live.

Front 5

kerb, curb

Back 5

the edge of a raised path nearest the road

Front 6

tentative

Back 6

(of a plan or idea) not certain or agreed, or (of a suggestion or action) said or done in a careful but uncertain way because you do not know if you are right >I have made ------- plans to take a trip to Seattle in July.

Front 7

trap

Back 7

a mouth >Oh, shut your ---- (= stop talking) - I'm bored of listening to you!

Front 8

tick

Back 8

a very short time >Hold on/Hang on a ---- - I'm not quite ready

Front 9

dig

Back 9

to like or understand something >You --- my meaning, man?

Front 10

relate to

Back 10

to understand someone and be able to have a friendly relationship with them >Many parents find it hard to -------- -- their children when they are teenagers.

Front 11

crotch

Back 11

the part of your body where your legs join at the top, or the part of trousers or underwear which covers this area

Front 12

stand-up

Back 12

describes comedy performed by a single person telling jokes >--------- comedy

Front 13

shrug

Back 13

to raise your shoulders and then lower them in order to express a lack of knowledge or interest >"Where's Dad?" "How should I know?" replied my brother, -------ing.

Front 14

growl

Back 14

to make a low rough sound, usually in anger >The dog ------ed at her and snapped at her ankles.

Front 15

siren

Back 15

a device for making a loud warning noise >In big cities you hear police -----s all the time.

Front 16

caring

Back 16

describes someone who is kind and gives emotional support to others >I've always thought of Jo as a very ------ person.

Front 17

enunciate

Back 17

to state and explain a plan or principle clearly or formally >In the speech, the leader --------ed his party's proposals for tax reform.

Front 18

exasperated

Back 18

annoyed >He's becoming increasingly ---------ed with the situation.

Front 19

dire

Back 19

INFORMAL very bad >I'm afraid our situation is ----.

Front 20

duo

Back 20

a pair, especially of singers, musicians or other performers >the comedy ---- Laurel and Hardy

Front 21

mill around(about)

Back 21

If a group of people mill around, they move about with no particular purpose or in no fixed direction, sometimes while waiting for someone >In the village square, people were -----ing -----in the sunshine.

Front 22

sneak

Back 22

to go somewhere secretly, or to take someone or something somewhere secretly >He said my dad was gonna ----- into my room naked one night and beat me up.

Front 23

commotion

Back 23

a sudden short period of noise, confusion or excited movement >His arrival caused quite a ---------.

Front 24

nut

Back 24

a person who is mentally ill or who behaves in a very foolish or stupid or strange way >What kind of --- would leave a car on a railway track?

Front 25

splash

Back 25

If a liquid splashes or if you splash a liquid, it falls on or hits something or someone >She --------ed her face with cold water.

Front 26

hood

Back 26

part of a piece of clothing which can be pulled up to cover the top and back of the head >The coat has a detachable -----.

Front 27

fluke

Back 27

something good that has happened that is the result of chance instead of skill or planning >The first goal was just a ------.

Front 28

indignant

Back 28

angry because of something which is wrong or not fair >She wrote an ------- letter to the paper complaining about the council's action.

Front 29

seethe

Back 29

to feel very angry but to be unable or unwilling to express it clearly >The class positively -------ed with indignation when Julia won the award.

Front 30

renege

Back 30

to fail to keep a promise or an agreement, etc >If you ------- on the deal now, I'll fight you in the courts.

Front 31

protean

Back 31

easily and continually changing;variable >the ------- talents of this comedian

Front 32

hard-won

Back 32

If something is hard-won, it was only achieved after a lot of effort >a ------- battle

Front 33

grueling

Back 33

extremely tiring and difficult, and demanding great effort and determination >Junior doctors often have to work a -------- 100-hour week.

Front 34

gruel

Back 34

a cheap simple food made especially in the past by boiling oats with water or milk

Front 35

grudge

Back 35

a strong feeling of anger and dislike for a person who you feel has treated you badly, which often lasts for a long time >I don't bear any ------- against you.

Front 36

emeritus

Back 36

no longer having a position, especially in a college or university, but keeping the title of the position >She became -------- Professor of Linguistics when she retired.

Front 37

embellish

Back 37

to make something more beautiful or interesting by adding something to it >The ceiling was --------ed with flowers and leaves.

Front 38

murmur

Back 38

to speak or say very quietly >He was --------ing to himself.

Front 39

narcotics

Back 39

illegal drug such as heroin or cocaine >He faces three years in jail for selling -------.

Front 40

baton, nightstick

Back 40

a thick heavy stick used as a weapon by police officers

Front 41

marijuana

Back 41

a usually illegal drug made from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant, which produces a feeling of pleasant relaxation if smoked or eaten

Front 42

the fray

Back 42

an energetic and often not well organized effort, activity, fight or disagreement >With a third country about to enter (= take part in) --------, the fighting looks set to continue.

Front 43

bloke

Back 43

a man, often one who is considered to be ordinary >He's a funny (sort of) -----.

Front 44

haemorrhage

Back 44

a sudden or serious loss >The higher salaries paid overseas have caused a ------------ of talent from this country.

Front 45

devour

Back 45

to eat something eagerly and in large amounts so that nothing is left >The young cubs hungrily ------ed the deer.

Front 46

intrigue

Back 46

to interest someone a lot, especially by being strange, unusual or mysterious >Throughout history, people have been ------ed by the question of whether there is intelligent life elsewhere in the universe.

Front 47

recur

Back 47

to happen many times or to happen again >The theme of freedom -----s throughout her writing.

Front 48

lament

Back 48

to express sadness and regret about >My grandmother, as usual, -------ed the decline in moral standards in today's society.

Front 49

adrenaline

Back 49

a hormone produced by the body when you are frightened, angry or excited, which makes the heart beat faster and prepares the body to react to danger >These arguments always get my -------- going (= make me excited or angry)

Front 50

choppy

Back 50

(of sea, lakes or rivers) with lots of small, rough waves caused by the wind >----- waters

Front 51

treacherous

Back 51

If the ground or sea is -----------, it is extremely dangerous, especially because of bad weather conditions >Snow and ice have left many roads ----------, and motorists are warned to drive slowly.

Front 52

rappel

Back 52

to go down a very steep slope by holding on to a rope which is fastened to the top of the slope >She ------ed down the rock face.

Front 53

mollusk

Back 53

any animal which has a soft body, no spine and is often covered with a shell. Many ----uscs live in water >Oysters are ------s, as are snails and cuttlefish.

Front 54

frigid

Back 54

(of weather conditions or the conditions in a room) extremely cold >Few plants can grow in such a ------ environment.

Front 55

muse

Back 55

to think about something carefully and for a long time >I began to ---- about/on the possibility of starting my own business.

Front 56

pussyfoot

Back 56

to avoid making a decision or expressing an opinion because you are uncertain or frightened about doing so >Stop -------ing around/about and tell me what you really think.

Front 57

protagonist

Back 57

one of the main characters in a story or a play

Front 58

myriad

Back 58

a very large number of something >And now ------s of bars and hotels are opening up along the coast.

Front 59

flock

Back 59

to move or gather together in large numbers >Hundreds of people -----ed to the football match.

Front 60

rest on your laurels

Back 60

to be satisfied with your achievements and not to make an effort to do anything else >Just because you've got your degree doesn't mean you can ----- -- your ------.

Front 61

ferocious

Back 61

fierce and violent >She's got a -------- (= very bad) temper.

Front 62

sporadic

Back 62

happening irregularly; not regular or continuous >More than 100 people have been killed this year in ------- outbursts of ethnic violence.

Front 63

beige

Back 63

(of) a pale creamy brown colour

Front 64

glossy

Back 64

smooth and shiny >She has wonderfully ------ hair.a dog with a ----- coat.

Front 65

name-calling

Back 65

when someone insults someone else by calling them rude names

Front 66

cynical

Back 66

describes a tendency to use someone's feelings or emotions to your own advantage >It is ------ to declare that the war is lost because you believe it gives you political advantage

Front 67

rhetoric

Back 67

speech or writing which is intended to be effective and persuasive >How far the president will be able to translate his campaign ------- into action remains to be seen.

Front 68

caucus

Back 68

in the US, a meeting held to decide which candidate a political group will support in an election

Front 69

foray

Back 69

a short visit, especially with a known purpose >I made a quick ----- into town before lunch to get my sister a present.

Front 70

remnant

Back 70

a small piece or amount of something that is left from a larger original piece or amount >the -------s of last night's meal

Front 71

wipe out

Back 71

to destroy something completely >Whole villages were -----ed ---- in the fighting.

Front 72

secede

Back 72

to become independent of a country or area of government >There is likely to be civil war if the region tries to ----- from the south.

Front 73

wobble

Back 73

to be uncertain what to do or to change frequently between two opinions >The government can't afford to ------ on this issue.

Front 74

conceivable

Back 74

possible to imagine or to believe >It's just --------- (= possible although difficult to imagine) (that) the hospital made a mistake.

Front 75

faint

Back 75

not strong or clear; slight >a ----- sound/noise/smell.The lamp gave out a ------ glow.

Front 76

plunge

Back 76

to (cause someone or something to) move or fall suddenly and often a long way forward, down or into something >We ran down to the beach and -------ed into the sea.The car went out of control and -------ed over the cliff.

Front 77

thrilled

Back 77

extremely pleased >I was -------- that so many people turned up to the party.

Front 78

conceive

Back 78

to become pregnant, or to cause a baby to begin to form >The baby was --------ed in March, so will be born in December.

Front 79

canvass

Back 79

to try to discover information or opinions by asking people >The survey ----------ed reaction to a wide range of popular games.

Front 80

vigilant

Back 80

always being careful to notice things, especially possible danger >Following the bomb scare at the airport, the staff have been warned to be extra --------.

Front 81

concede

Back 81

to admit, often unwillingly, that something is true >"Well okay, perhaps I was a little hard on her, " he -------ed.

Front 82

desensitize

Back 82

to cause someone to experience something, usually an emotion or a pain, less strongly than before >Seeing too much violence on television can -------- people to it.

Front 83

exhailarating

Back 83

making you feel very excited and happy >an ----------- walk in the mountains

Front 84

barbarian

Back 84

DISAPPROVING a person with little education who has no interest in art and culture >How can you call those ---------s your friends?

Front 85

stubble

Back 85

the short hair which grows on a man's face if he has not cut the hair for a few days >With the back of his hand, he rubbed the ------ on his chin.

Front 86

pinnacle

Back 86

a small pointed tower on top of a building, or the top part of a mountain >The ---------s of the Himalayas were visible above the clouds.

Front 87

guzzle

Back 87

to eat or drink quickly, eagerly and usually in large amounts >You're bound to get indigestion if you ------ like that!

Front 88

bolster

Back 88

to support or improve something or make it stronger >More money is needed to ------ the industry.

Front 89

blockbuster

Back 89

a book or film that is very successful, especially because of its exciting contents >a ---------- movie/novel

Front 90

wary

Back 90

not completely trusting or certain about something or someone >I'm a bit ------ of/about giving people my address when I don't know them very well

Front 91

tepid

Back 91

describes a reaction which is not enthusiastic >I got a ------ response to my suggestion that we should start work earlier.

Front 92

unorthodox

Back 92

different from what is usual or expected in behaviour, ideas, methods, etc >Steiner was recognized as an original if -------- thinker.

Front 93

cuddle

Back 93

to put your arms around someone and hold them in a loving way, or (of two people) to hold each other close for affection or comfort >She ------ed the baby and eventually it stopped crying.

Front 94

bleed

Back 94

to lose blood >He was ----ing heavily.

Front 95

usher in

Back 95

to be at the start of a new period, especially when important changes or new things happen, or to cause important changes to start happening >Yesterday's match between Arsenal and Spurs ------ --- the start of the new football season.

Front 96

shush

Back 96

used to tell someone to be quiet >------! I want to listen to the news.