200 Wordlist With Ans.

Published on June 2016 | Categories: Documents | Downloads: 95 | Comments: 0 | Views: 383
of 49
Download PDF   Embed   Report

Comments

Content

SRM UNIVERSITY Career Guidance Cell

1

1. Abate 2. Aberrant 3. Abeyance 4. abscond

5. abstemious 6. admonish 7. adulterate 8. aesthetic 9. aggregate 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. alacrity alleviate amalgamate ambiguous ambivalence ameliorate anachronism analogous anarchy anomalous antipathy apathy appease apprise approbation appropriate arduous artless ascetic assiduous

2

30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39.

assuage attenuate audacious austere autonomous aver banal belie beneficent bolster

40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57.

bombastic boorish burgeon burnish buttress cacophonous capricious castigation catalyst caustic chicanery coagulate coda cogent commensurate compendium complaisant compliant

3

58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86.

conciliatory condone confound connoisseur contention contentious contrite conundrum converge convoluted craven daunt decorum default deference delineate denigrate deride derivative desiccate desultory deterrent diatribe dichotomy diffidence diffuse digression dirge disabuse

4

87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99.

discerning discordant discredit discrepancy discrete disingenuous disinterested disjoined dismiss disparage disparate dissemble disseminate 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. dissolution dissonance distend distill diverge divest document dogmatic dormant dupe ebullient eclectic efficacy effrontery elegy elicit

5

116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143. 144.

embellish empirical emulate endemic enervate engender enhance ephemeral equanimity equivocate erudite esoteric eulogy euphemism exacerbate exculpate exigency extrapolation facetious facilitate fallacious fatuous fawning felicitous fervor flag fledgling flout foment

6

145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 154. 155. 156. 157. 158. 159. 160. 161. 162. 163. 164. 165. 166. 167. 168. 169. 170. 171. 172. 173.

forestall frugality futile gainsay garrulous goad gouge grandiloquent gregarious guileless gullible harangue homogeneous hyperbole iconoclastic idolatry immutable impair impassive impede impermeable imperturbable impervious implacable implicit implode inadvertently inchoate incongruity

7

174. 175. 176. 177. 178. 179. 180. 181. 182. 183. 184. 185. 186. 187. 188. 189. 190. 191. 192. 193. 194. 195. 196. 197. 198. 199. 200. 1.ABATE

inconsequential incorporate indeterminate indigence indolent inert ingenuous inherent innocuous insensible insinuate insipid insularity intractable intransigence inundate inured invective irascible irresolute itinerary laconic lassitude latent laud lethargic levee

8

to become less strong; to make something less strong The storm showed no signs of abating. They waited for the crowd's fury to abate.

abate something Steps are to be taken to abate pollution.

2.ABERRANT not usual or not socially acceptable aberrant behaviour 3.ABEYANCE in abeyance (formal) not being used, or being stopped for a period of timeLegal proceedings are in abeyance, while further enquiries are made. 4.ABSCOND abscond (from something) to escape from a place that you are not allowed to leave without permission. She absconded from every childrens home they placed her in. 2 abscond (with something) to leave secretly and take with you something, especially money, that does not belong to you. He absconded with the company funds 5.ABSTEMIOUS not allowing yourself to have much food or alcohol, or to do things that are enjoyable He was a hard-working man with abstemious habits. 6.ADMONISH 1 admonish somebody (for something/for doing something)| + speech to tell somebody firmly that you do not approve of something that they have done Synonym reprove She was admonished for chewing gum in class. 2 admonish somebody (to do something) to strongly advise somebody to do something. A warning voice admonished him not to let this happen.
9

7.ADULTERATE (often passive] adulterate something (with something) to make food or drink less pure by adding another substance to it Synonym contaminate The water supply had been adulterated with chemicals from the soil. 8. AESTHETIC 1 concerned with beauty and art and the understanding of beautiful things an aesthetic appreciation of the landscape The benefits of conservation are both financial and aesthetic. 2 made in an artistic way and beautiful to look at Their furniture was more aesthetic than functional 9. AGGREGATE 1 [countable] a total number or amount made up of smaller amounts that are collected together a record aggregate of 285 points. The three smaller parties gained an aggregate of 25 per cent of the vote. 2 [uncountable, countable] (technical) sand or broken stone that is used to make concrete or for building roads, etc. 10. ALACRITY great willingness or enthusiasm They accepted the offer with alacrity. 11. ALLEVIATE alleviate something to make something less severe Synonym ease to alleviate suffering A number of measures were taken to alleviate the problem. 12. AMALGAMATE

10

1 [intransitive, transitive] if two organizations amalgamate or are amalgamated, they join together to form one large organization Synonym merge A number of colleges have amalgamated to form the new university 2 [transitive] amalgamate something (into/with something) to put two or more things together so that they form one Synonym merge This information will be amalgamated with information obtained earlier. 13. AMBIGUOUS 1 that can be understood in more than one way; having different meanings an ambiguous word/term/statement Her account was deliberately ambiguous .2 not clearly stated or defined. His role has always been ambiguous 14. AMBIVALENCE ambivalent (about/towards somebody/something) having or showing both good and bad feelings about somebody/something She seems to feel ambivalent about her new job. He has an ambivalent attitude towards her. 15. AMELIORATE ameliorate something (formal) to make something better Steps have been taken to ameliorate the situation 16. ANACHRONISM 1 a person, a custom or an idea that seems old-fashioned and does not belong to the present The monarchy is seen by many people as an anachronism in the modern world. She said nuclear weapons were an anachronism in the post cold war era. 2 something that is placed, for example in a book or play, in the wrong period of history

11

The book is full of anachronisms which suggests there were parts rewritten in later centuries 17. ANALOGOUS (formal) analogous (to/with something) similar in some way to another thing or situation and therefore able to be compared with it Sleep has often been thought of as being in some way analogous to death. The two processes are not analogous. 18. ANARCHY a situation in a country, an organization, etc. in which there is no government, order or control The overthrow of the military regime was followed by a period of anarchy. There was complete anarchy in the classroom when their usual teacher was away. 19. ANOMALOUS Different from what is normal or expected He is in an anomalous position as the only part-time worker in the firm. They couldn't find an explanation for the seemingly anomalous results of the experiment. 20. ANTIPATHY Antipathy (between A and B)| antipathy (to/toward(s) somebody/something) (formal) a strong feeling of dislike Synonym hostility personal/mutual antipathy/a growing antipathy towards the idea His professional judgement was coloured by his personal antipathies. 21. APATHY the feeling of not being interested in or enthusiastic about something, or things in general There is widespread apathy among the electorate. Public/political/student apathy

12

22. APPEASE 1 appease somebody to make somebody calmer or less angry by giving them what they want The move was widely seen as an attempt to appease critics of the regime 2 appease somebody/something to give a country what it wants in order to avoid war 23. APPRISE Apprise somebody of something (formal) to tell or inform somebody of something He saw no reason to apprise the committee of what had happened. We were fully apprised of the situation.

24. APPROBATION Approval or agreement a shout of approbation The King received the official approbation of the church. 25. APPROPRIATE Suitable, acceptable or correct for the particular circumstances an appropriate response/measure/method Now that the problem has been identified, appropriate action can be taken. Is now an appropriate time to make a speech? Please debit my MasterCard/Visa/American Express card (delete as appropriate) (= cross out the options that do not apply). 26. ARDUOUS Involving a lot of effort and energy, especially over a period of time An arduous journey across the Andes The work was arduous.

13

Arduously adverb They searched arduously for clues. 27. ARTLESS 1 simple, natural and honest The artless sincerity of a young child 2 made without skill or art 28. ASCETIC Not allowing yourself physical pleasures, especially for religious reasons; related to a simple and strict way of living The monks lived a very ascetic life. Living hidden away in the mountains suited his ascetic character. Ascetic noun – Monks, hermits and ascetics 29. ASSIDUOUS Working very hard and taking great care that everything is done as well as it can be Synonym diligent One of the most assiduous members of the team Their assiduous efforts and attention to detail She was assiduous in her duties. 30. ASSUAGE Assuage something (formal) to make an unpleasant feeling less severe His reply did little to assuage my suspicions. To assuage your guilt/fears 31. ATTENUATE Attenuate something (formal) to make something weaker or less effective The drug attenuates the effects of the virus. 32. AUDACIOUS

14

Willing to take risks or to do something shocking Synonym daring An audacious decision 33. AUSTERE 1 simple and plain; without any decorations Her austere bedroom with its simple narrow bed Their clothes were always austere. 2 (of a person) strict and serious in appearance and behaviour My father was a distant, austere man. 3 allowing nothing that gives pleasure; not comfortable The monks' austere way of life 34. AUTONOMOUS 1 (of a country, a region or an organization) able to govern itself or control its own affairs Synonym independent An autonomous republic/state/province A federation of autonomous groups 2. (Of a person) able to do things and make decisions without help from anyone else Teachers aim to help children become autonomous learners. 35. AVER Aver that…| aver something| + speech (formal) to state firmly and strongly that something is true Synonym assert, declare She averred that she had never seen the man before. 36. BANAL Very ordinary and containing nothing that is interesting or important A banal conversation about the weather 37. BELIE

15

1. Belie something to give a false impression of somebody/something Her energy and youthful good looks belie her 65 years. 2 belie something to show that something cannot be true or correct Government claims that there is no poverty are belied by the number of homeless people on the streets.

38. BENEFICENT Giving help; showing kindness Synonym generous The beneficent powers of Nature 39. BOLSTER To improve something or make it stronger Bolster something to bolster somebody's confidence/courage/morale Bolster something up Falling interest rates may help to bolster up the economy. 40. BOMBASTIC Words which sound important but have little meaning, used to impress people His speech was full of bombast. 41. BOORISH (of people and their behaviour) very unpleasant and rude

42. BURGEON To begin to grow or develop rapidly adjective a burgeoning population/burgeoning demand 43. BURNISH Burnish something (formal) to polish metal until it is smooth and shiny
ADJECTIVE [USUALLY BEFORE NOUN] burnished gold/copper

16

44. BUTTRESS a stone or brick structure that supports a wall 45. CACOPHONOUS a mixture of loud unpleasant sounds 46. CAPRICIOUS 1 showing sudden changes in attitude or behaviour Synonym unpredictable a movie star who was capricious and difficult to please 2 changing suddenly and quickly Synonym changeable a capricious climate 47. CASTIGATION Castigate somebody/something/yourself (for something) (formal) to criticize somebody/something severely He castigated himself for being so stupid. 48. CATALYST 1 (chemistry) a substance that makes a chemical reaction happen faster without being changed itself Chlorine will act as a catalyst. 2 catalyst (for something) a person or thing that causes a change see my role as being a catalyst for change. The riots were later seen as the catalyst for the new political developments. 49. CAUSTIC 1 (of a chemical substance) able to destroy or dissolve other substances Synonym corrosive a caustic cleaning product/caustic liquid which blisters the skin 2 critical in a bitter or sarcastic way Synonym scathing

17

Caustic comments/wit Her speech was a caustic attack on government officials. 50. CHICANERY The use of complicated plans and clever talk in order to trick people 51. COAGULATE [Intransitive, transitive] coagulate (something) if a liquid coagulates or something coagulates it, it becomes thick and partly solid Synonym congeal Blood began to coagulate around the edges of the wound. 52. CODA The final passage of a piece of music : (figurative) the final two months were a miserable coda to the President's first period in office. 53. COGENT Strongly and clearly expressed in a way that influences what people believe Synonym convincing She put forward some cogent reasons for abandoning the plan. 54. COMMENSURATE Commensurate (with something) (formal) matching something in size, importance, quality, etc Salary will be commensurate with experience 55. COMPENDIUM A collection of facts, drawings and photographs on a particular subject, especially in a book 56. COMPLAISANT Ready to accept other people's actions and opinions and to do what other people want She was a complaisant wife and dutiful daughter. 57. COMPLIANT

18

1 (usually disapproving) too willing to agree with other people or to obey rules By then, Henry seemed less compliant with his wife's wishes than he had six months before. We should not be producing compliant students who do not dare to criticize. 2 In agreement with a set of rules This site is HTML compliant 58. CONCILIATORY Having the intention or effect of making angry people calm A conciliatory approach/attitude/gesture/move 59. CONDONE Condone something| condone (somebody) doing something to accept behaviour that is morally wrong or to treat it as if it were not serious Terrorism can never be condoned. The college cannot condone any behaviour that involves illicit drugs. 60. CONFOUND 1 confound somebody to confuse and surprise somebody Synonym baffle The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists .2 confound somebody/something To prove somebody/something wrong To confound expectations She confounded her critics and proved she could do the job. 3 confound somebody (old-fashioned) to defeat an enemy 61. CONNOISSEUR An expert on matters involving the judgement of beauty, quality or skill in art, food or music a connoisseur of Italian painting

19

a wine connoisseur The exhibition will be a delight for the collector and connoisseur of silver ornaments. 62. CONTENTION 1 [uncountable] angry disagreement between people Synonym dispute One area of contention is the availability of nursery care. a point of contention 2 [countable] contentions (that…) a belief or an opinion that you express, especially in an argument It is our client's contention that the fire was an accident. I would reject that contention. 63. CONTENTIOUS 1 likely to cause disagreement between people a contentious issue/topic/subject Both views are highly contentious. Try to avoid any contentious wording. Opposite uncontentious 2 liking to argue; involving a lot of arguing A contentious meeting 64. CONTRITE Very sorry for something bad that you have done Her expression was contrite. He looked so contrite that for a moment she nearly believed he really was sorry about what he had said A look of contrition 65. CONUNDRUM 1 a confusing problem or question that is very difficult to solve 2 a question, usually involving a trick with words, that you ask for fun

20

Synonym riddle 66. CONVERGE 1 [intransitive] converge (on…) (of people or vehicles) to move towards a place from different directions and meet Thousands of supporters converged on London for the rally .2 [intransitive] (of two or more lines, paths, etc.) to move towards each other and meet at a point There was a signpost where the two paths converged .3 [intransitive] if ideas, policies, aims, etc. converge, they become very similar or the same Opposite diverge 67. CONVOLUTED 1 extremely complicated and difficult to follow A convoluted argument/explanation A book with a convoluted plot 2 (formal) having many twists or curves A convoluted coastline 68. CRAVEN Lacking courage Synonym cowardly, Opposite brave 69. DAUNT (usually passive] daunt somebody to make somebody feel nervous and less confident about doing something Synonym intimidate She was a brave woman but she felt daunted by the task ahead. Daunting Synonym intimidating She has the daunting task of cooking for 20 people every day.

21

Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect. 70. DECORUM Polite behaviour that is appropriate in a social situation Synonym propriety A sense of decorum 71. DEFAULT [uncountable, countable] failure to do something that must be done by law, especially paying a debt The company is in default on the loan. Mortgage defaults have risen in the last year. 2 [uncountable, countable, usually singular] (computing) what happens or appears if you do not make any other choice or change The default option is to save your work every five minutes. On this screen, 256 colours is the default. 72. DEFERENCE Behaviour that shows that you respect somebody/something. The women wore veils in deference to the customs of the country. The flags were lowered out of deference to the bereaved family. 73. DELINEATE Delineate something (formal) to describe, draw or explain something in detail Our objectives need to be precisely delineated. The ship's route is clearly delineated on the map. 74. DENIGRATE Denigrate somebody/something (formal) to criticize somebody/something unfairly; to say somebody/something does not have any value or is not important Synonym belittle I didn't intend to denigrate her achievements.

22

75. DERIDE [Often passive] deride somebody/something (as something)| + speech (formal) to treat somebody/something as ridiculous and not worth considering seriously Synonym mock His views were derided as old-fashioned. The play was derided by the critics. 76. DERIVATIVE A word or thing that has been developed or produced from another word or thing ‘Happiness’ is a derivative of ‘happy’. Crack is a highly potent and addictive derivative of cocaine.

77. DESICCATE 1. To dry out thoroughly. 2. To preserve (foods) by removing the moisture. 3. To make dry, dull, or lifeless. 1 (of food) dried in order to preserve it Desiccated coconut 2 (technical) completely dry Treeless and desiccated soil 78. DESULTORY Going from one thing to another, without a definite plan and without enthusiasm I wandered about in a desultory fashion. a desultory conversation 79. DETERRENT Deterrent (to somebody/something) a thing that makes somebody less likely to do something (= that deters them)

23

Hopefully his punishment will act as a deterrent to others. The country's nuclear deterrents (= nuclear weapons that are intended to stop an enemy from attacking) 80. DIATRIBE Diatribe (against somebody/something) (formal) a long and angry speech or piece of writing attacking and criticizing somebody/something He launched a bitter diatribe against the younger generation. 81. DICHOTOMY Dichotomy (between A and B) (formal) the separation that exists between two groups or things that are completely opposite to and different from each other 82. DIFFIDENCE Diffident (about something) not having much confidence in yourself; not wanting to talk about yourself Synonym shy A diffident manner/smile He was modest and diffident about his own success 83. DIFFUSE 1 spread over a wide area Diffuse light A diffuse community 2 not clear or easy to understand; using a lot of words A diffuse style of writing 1 [transitive, intransitive] diffuse (something) (formal) to spread something or become spread widely in all directions The problem is how to diffuse power without creating anarchy. Technologies diffuse rapidly.

24

2 [intransitive, transitive] diffuse (something) (technical) if a gas or liquid diffuses or is diffused in a substance, it becomes slowly mixed with that substance 3 [transitive] diffuse something (formal) to make light shine less brightly by spreading it in many directions The moon was fuller than the night before, but the light was diffused by cloud. The diffusion of Marxist ideas The rate of diffusion of a gas 84. DIGRESSION To start to talk about something that is not connected with the main point of what you are saying After several digressions, he finally got to the point. 85. DIRGE 1 a song sung in the past at a funeral or for a dead person 2 (informal, disapproving) any song or piece of music that is too slow and sad 86. DISABUSE Disabuse somebody (of something) (formal) to tell somebody that what they think is true is, in fact, not true 87. DISCERNING Able to show good judgement about the quality of somebody/something The discerning customer will recognize this as a high quality product. 88. DISCORDANT 1 [usually before noun] (formal) not in agreement; combining with other things in a way that is strange or unpleasant Discordant views The functional modernity of the computer struck a discordant note amid the elegant eighteenth-century furniture.

25

2 (of sounds) not sounding pleasant together Opposite harmonious 89. DISCREDIT 1 discredit somebody/something to make people stop respecting somebody/something The photos were deliberately taken to discredit the President. a discredited government/policy 2 discredit something to make people stop believing that something is true; to make something appear unlikely to be true These theories are now largely discredited among linguists. This new evidence discredits earlier findings. (Uncountable] (Formal) damage to somebody's reputation; loss of respect Violent football fans bring discredit on the teams they support. Britain, to its discredit, did not speak out against these atrocities. My brother's behaviour did great discredit to the family. 90. DISCREPANCY A difference between two or more things that should be the same Discrepancy (in something) wide discrepancies in prices quoted for the work Discrepancy (between A and B) What are the reasons for the discrepancy between girls' and boys' performance in school? 91. DISCRETE Independent of other things of the same type Synonym separate The organisms can be divided into discrete categories. 92. DISINGENUOUS Not sincere, especially when you pretend to know less about something than you really do

26

It would be disingenuous of me to claim I had never seen it. Compare ingenuous Honest, innocent and willing to trust people Synonym naive You're too ingenuous. An ingenuous smile It is ingenuous to suppose that money did not play a part in his decision. 93. DISINTERESTED 1 not influenced by personal feelings, or by the chance of getting some advantage for yourself Synonym impartial, objective, unbiased A disinterested onlooker/spectator Her advice appeared to be disinterested. 2 (informal) not interested 94. DISJOINED To undo the joining of; separate. To become separated. Not communicated or described in a clear or logical way; not connected Synonym disconnected, incoherent The novel suffers from a disjointed plot and pale, insignificant characters. 95. DISMISS 1 to decide that somebody/something is not important and not worth thinking or talking about Synonym wave aside Dismiss somebody/something I think we can safely dismiss their objections. Dismiss somebody/something as something Vegetarians are no longer dismissed as cranks. He dismissed the opinion polls as worthless.

27

The suggestion should not be dismissed out of hand (= without thinking about it) 2 to put thoughts or feelings out of your mind Dismiss something Dismissing her fears, she climbed higher Dismiss somebody/something from something He dismissed her from his mind. 3 dismiss somebody (from something) to officially remove somebody from their job Synonym fire, sack She claims she was unfairly dismissed from her post. 96. DISPARAGE Disparage somebody/something (formal) to suggest that somebody/something is not important or valuable Synonym belittle I don't mean to disparage your achievements. Adjective disparaging remarks Adverb He spoke disparagingly of his colleagues. 97. DISPARATE 1 made up of parts or people that are very different from each other A disparate group of individuals 2 (of two or more things) so different from each other that they cannot be compared or cannot work together A critical study that aims to cover such disparate forms as Anglo-Saxon poetry and the modern novel. 98. DISSEMBLE (intransitive, transitive] dissemble (something) (formal) to hide your real feelings or intentions, often by pretending to have different ones She was a very honest person who was incapable of dissembling 99. DISSEMINATE

28

Disseminate something (formal) to spread information, knowledge, etc. so that it reaches many people Their findings have been widely disseminated. 100. DISSOLUTION (uncountable] dissolution (of something) (formal)1 the act of officially ending a marriage, a business agreement or a parliament 2 the process in which something gradually disappears The dissolution of barriers of class and race 3 the act of breaking up an organization, etc. 101. DISSONANCE 1 [countable, uncountable] (music) a combination of musical notes that do not sound pleasant together Opposite consonance 2 [uncountable] (formal) lack of agreement Adjective dissonant voices/notes 102. DISTEND [Intransitive, transitive] distend (something) (formal or medical) to swell or make something swell because of pressure from inside Starving children with huge distended bellies 103. DISTILL Remove impurities from, increase the concentration of, and separate through the process of distillation; "purify the water" 1 distil something (from something) to make a liquid pure by heating it until it becomes a gas, then cooling it and collecting the drops of liquid that form To distil fresh water from sea water Distilled water 2 distil something to make something such as a strong alcoholic drink in this way

29

The factory distils and bottles whisky. 3 distil something (from/into something) (formal) to get the essential meaning or ideas from thoughts, information, experiences, etc The notes I made on my travels were distilled into a book. The distillation process The movie is a perfect distillation of adolescence. 104. DIVERGE 1 [intransitive] to separate and go in different directions The parallel lines appear to diverge. We went through school and college together, but then our paths diverged. Diverge from something The coastal road diverges from the freeway just north of Santa Monica. Many species have diverged from a single ancestor. 2 [intransitive] diverge (from something) (formal) (of opinions, views, etc.) to be different Opinions diverge greatly on this issue. 3 [intransitive] diverge from something to be or become different from what is expected, planned, etc To diverge from the norm He diverged from established procedure. Divergent paths/opinions

105. DIVEST 1 divest somebody/yourself of something to remove clothes He divested himself of his jacket. 2 divest yourself of something to get rid of something The company is divesting itself of some of its assets. 3 divest somebody/something of something to take something away from somebody/something

30

After her illness she was divested of much of her responsibility. 106. DOCUMENT 1 document something to record the details of something Causes of the disease have been well documented. The results are documented in Chapter 3. 2 document something to prove or support something with documents Documented evidence 107. DOGMATIC Being certain that your beliefs are right and that others should accept them, without paying attention to evidence or other opinions A dogmatic approach There is a danger of becoming too dogmatic about teaching methods. He was strident and dogmatic in giving his opinions. 108. DORMANT Not active or growing now but able to become active or to grow in the future Synonym inactive A dormant volcano During the winter the seeds lie dormant in the soil. 109. DUPE To trick or cheat somebody Dupe somebody They soon realized they had been duped. Dupe somebody into doing something He was duped into giving them his credit card. 110. EBULLIENT Full of confidence, energy and good humour The Prime Minister was in ebullient mood. He was accompanied by an ebullient, talkative blonde. The ebullient Mr. Clarke was not to be discouraged

31

111. ECLECTIC Not following one style or set of ideas but choosing from or using a wide variety She has very eclectic tastes in literature. His house is an eclectic mixture of the antique and the modern. Her work draws eclectically on psychoanalysis and mythology. Critics praised the originality and eclecticism of her work. 112. EFFICACY The ability of something, especially a drug or a medical treatment, to produce the results that are wanted Synonym effectiveness To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the treatment 113. EFFRONTERY Behaviour that is confident and very rude, without any feeling of shame Synonym nerve He had the effrontery to accuse me of lying! 114. ELEGY A poem or song that expresses sadness, especially for somebody who has died 115. ELICIT Elicit something (from somebody) (formal) to get information or a reaction from somebody, often with difficulty I could elicit no response from him. Her tears elicited great sympathy from her audience. 116. EMBELLISH 1 embellish something to make something more beautiful by adding decorations to it Synonym decorate The huge carved door was embellished with brass door knockers.

32

2 embellish something to make a story more interesting by adding details that are not always true Synonym embroider His account of his travels was embellished with details of famous people he met. 117. EMPIRICAL (Formal) based on experiments or experience rather than ideas or theories Empirical evidence/knowledge/research An empirical study Opposite theoretical 118. EMULATE 1 emulate somebody/something (formal) to try to do something as well as somebody else because you admire them She hopes to emulate her sister's sporting achievements. 2 emulate something (computing) (of a computer program, etc.) to work in the same way as another computer, etc. and perform the same tasks 119. ENDEMIC Regularly found in a particular place or among a particular group of people and difficult to get rid of Endemic (in…) Malaria is endemic in many hot countries. Corruption is endemic in the system. Endemic (among…) an attitude endemic among senior members of the profession Endemic (to…) species endemic to (= only found in) Madagascar The endemic problem of racism pandemic A disease that spreads over a whole country or the whole world A pandemic disease Epidemic

33

1 a large number of cases of a particular disease happening at the same time in a particular community The outbreak of a flu epidemic An epidemic of measles Effectively, tobacco companies will be exporting an epidemic of smokingrelated diseases, the campaign suggests. 2 a sudden rapid increase in how often something bad happens An epidemic of crime in the inner cities 120. ENERVATE Enervate somebody (formal) to make somebody feel weak and tired An enervating disease/climate 121. ENGENDER Engender something (formal) to make a feeling or situation exist The issue engendered controversy. Problems engendered by the restructuring of the company 122. ENHANCE Enhance something to increase or further improve the good quality, value or status of somebody/something This is an opportunity to enhance the reputation of the company. the skilled use of make-up to enhance your best features 123. EPHEMERAL Lasting or used for only a short period of time Synonym short-lived Ephemeral pleasures Leaflets, handouts and other ephemeral material 124. EQUANIMITY A calm state of mind which means that you do not become angry or upset, especially in difficult situations She accepted the prospect of her operation with equanimity.

34

125. EQUIVOCATE [Intransitive, transitive] (+ speech) (Formal) to talk about something in a way that is deliberately not clear in order to avoid or hide the truth 126. ERUDITE Having or showing great knowledge that is gained from academic study Synonym learned She could turn any conversation into an erudite discussion. 127. ESOTERIC Likely to be understood or enjoyed by only a few people with a special knowledge or interest A programme of music for everyone, even those with the most esoteric taste Specialist dictionaries may be required to understand some of the more esoteric texts. 128. EULOGY 1 eulogy (of/to somebody/something) a speech or piece of writing praising somebody/something very much A eulogy to marriage 2 eulogy (for/to somebody) (especially North American English) a speech given at a funeral praising the person who has died 129. EUPHEMISM euphemism (for something) an indirect word or phrase that people often use to refer to something embarrassing or unpleasant, sometimes to make it seem more acceptable than it really is ‘Pass away’ is a euphemism for ‘die’. ‘User fees’ is just a politician's euphemism for taxes. Adjective Euphemistic language ‘We're letting you go’ is a euphemistic way of saying ‘You're fired.’

35

The prison camps were euphemistically called ‘retraining centres’. 130. EXACERBATE Exacerbate something (formal) to make something worse, especially a disease or problem Synonym aggravate His aggressive reaction only exacerbated the situation. The symptoms may be exacerbated by certain drugs. 131. EXCULPATE Exculpate somebody (formal) to prove or state officially that somebody is not guilty of something The defendant was able to exculpate himself from liability. 132. EXIGENCY An urgent need or demand that you must deal with Synonym demand The exigencies of war Financial exigencies

133. EXTRAPOLATION To estimate something or form an opinion about something, using the facts that you have now and that are valid for one situation and supposing that they will be valid for the new one Extrapolate (from/to something) The figures were obtained by extrapolating from past trends. Extrapolate something (from/to something) We have extrapolated these results from research done in other countries. The results cannot be extrapolated to other patient groups. Their age can be determined by extrapolation from their growth rate. 134. FACETIOUS

36

Trying to appear amusing and intelligent at a time when other people do not think it is appropriate, and when it would be better to be serious Synonym flippant A facetious comment/remark Stop being facetious; this is serious. 135. FACILITATE Facilitate something (formal) to make an action or a process possible or easier The new trade agreement should facilitate more rapid economic growth. Structured teaching facilitates learning. 136. FALLACIOUS Wrong; based on a false idea A fallacious argument 137. FATUOUS Stupid A fatuous comment/grin 138. FAWNING [Intransitive] fawn (on/over somebody) (disapproving) to try to please somebody by praising them or paying them too much attention He seemed unaware of the girl's fawning admiration. 139. FELICITOUS (Especially of words) chosen well; very suitable; giving a good result Synonym apt, happy A felicitous turn of phrase 140. FERVOR Very strong feelings about something Synonym enthusiasm She kissed him with unusual fervor. Religious/patriotic fervor

37

141. FLAG 1. [Transitive] flag something to put a special mark next to information that you think is important I've flagged the paragraphs that we need to look at in more detail. 2 [intransitive] to become tired, weaker or less enthusiastic It had been a long day and the children were beginning to flag. Her confidence had never flagged. Flagging support/enthusiasm 142. FLEDGLING 1 a young bird that has just learnt to fly 2 (usually before another noun) a person, an organization or a system that is new and without experience Fledgling democracies 143. FLOUT Flout something to show that you have no respect for a law, etc. by openly not obeying it Synonym defy Motorists regularly flout the law. To flout authority/convention 144. FOMENT Foment something (formal) to create trouble or violence or make it worse Synonym incite They accused him of fomenting political unrest. 145. FORESTALL Forestall something/somebody (formal) to prevent something from happening or somebody from doing something by doing something first Try to anticipate what your child will do and forestall problems. Any plans for a peaceful settlement were forestalled by the intervention of the army.

38

146. FRUGALITY 1 using only as much money or food as is necessary A frugal existence/life He has always been hard-working and frugal. Opposite extravagant A frugal Methodist background 2 (of meals) small, plain and not costing very much Synonym meagre A frugal lunch of bread and cheese 147. FUTILE Having no purpose because there is no chance of success Synonym pointless A futile attempt/exercise/gesture Their efforts to revive him were futile. It would be futile to protest. My appeal proved futile. 148. GAINSAY Gainsay something (formal) (often used in negative sentences) to say that something is not true; to disagree with or deny something Synonym deny Nobody can gainsay his claims.

149. GARRULOUS Talking a lot, especially about unimportant things Synonym talkative He became positively garrulous after a few glasses of wine. 150. GOAD To keep irritating or annoying somebody/something until they react Goad somebody/something Goaded beyond endurance, she turned on him and hit out.

39

Goad somebody/something into something/into doing something He finally goaded her into answering his question. 151. GOUGE 1 gouge something (in something) to make a hole or cut in something with a sharp object in a rough or violent way The lion's claws had gouged a wound in the horse's side. He had gouged her cheek with a screwdriver. 2 gouge somebody/something (North American English) to force somebody to pay an unfairly high price for something; to raise prices unfairly Housing shortages permit landlords to gouge their renters. Price gouging is widespread. 152. GRANDILOQUENT Using long or complicated words in order to impress people Synonym pompous 153. GREGARIOUS 1 liking to be with other people Synonym sociable She's very outgoing and gregarious. 2 (biology) (of animals or birds) living in groups 154. GUILELESS Behaving in a very honest way; not knowing how to trick people She had the guileless innocence of a child. 155. GULLIBLE Too willing to believe or accept what other people tell you and therefore easily tricked Synonym naive The advertisement is aimed at gullible young women worried about their weight.

40

156. HARANGUE Harangue somebody to speak loudly and angrily in a way that criticizes somebody/something or tries to persuade people to do something He walked to the front of the stage and began to harangue the audience.

157. HOMOGENEOUS Consisting of things or people that are all the same or all of the same type A homogeneous group/mixture/population Opposite heterogeneous 158. HYPERBOLE A way of speaking or writing that makes something sound better, more exciting, dangerous, etc. than it really is Synonym exaggeration The film is being promoted with all the usual hyperbole. He's not usually given to hyperbole. 159. ICONOCLASTIC Criticizing popular beliefs or established customs and ideas 160. IDOLATRY 1 the practice of worshipping statues as gods 2 (formal) too much love or admiration for somebody/something Football fans whose support for their team borders on idolatry 161. IMMUTABLE That cannot be changed; that will never change Synonym unchangeable This decision should not be seen as immutable. 162. IMPAIR Impair something (formal) to damage something or make something worse His age impaired his chances of finding a new job.

41

163. IMPASSIVE Not showing any feeling or emotion Synonym emotionless Her impassive expression/face The two men remained impassive throughout the trial. 164. IMPEDE [Often passive] impede something (formal) to delay or stop the progress of something Synonym hinder, hamper Work on the building was impeded by severe weather. 165. IMPERMEABLE Impermeable (to something) (technical) not allowing a liquid or gas to pass through Impermeable rock Opposite permeable The insulating material should be impermeable to water vapour.

166. IMPERTURBABLE Not easily upset or worried by a difficult situation; calm His normally imperturbable secretary burst into tears. 167. IMPERVIOUS 1 impervious to something not affected or influenced by something Impervious to criticism/pain 2 (technical) not allowing a liquid or gas to pass through An impervious rock/layer Impervious to something impervious to moisture 168. IMPLACABLE 1 (of strong negative opinions or feelings) that cannot be changed Implacable hatred

42

2 (of a person) unwilling to stop opposing somebody/something An implacable enemy She remained implacable (= she would not change her feelings and opinions). 169. IMPLICIT 1 implicit (in something) suggested without being directly expressed Implicit in his speech was the assumption that they were guilty. Implicit criticism 2 implicit (in something) forming part of something (although perhaps not directly expressed) The ability to listen is implicit in the teacher's role. 3 complete and not doubted Synonym absolute 170. IMPLODE 1 [intransitive] to burst or explode and collapse into the centre 2 [intransitive] (of an organization, a system, etc.) to fail suddenly and completely 171. INADVERTENTLY By accident; without intending to Synonym unintentionally We had inadvertently left without paying the bill. 172. INCHOATE Just beginning to form and therefore not clear or developed Inchoate ideas 173. INCONGRUITY The quality of disagreeing; being unsuitable and inappropriate Strange, and not suitable in a particular situation Synonym inappropriate Such traditional methods seem incongruous in our technical age.

43

The two of them made an incongruous couple. She was struck by the incongruity of the situation.
Incongruously dressed

174. INCONSEQUENTIAL Not important or worth considering Synonym trivial Inconsequential details Inconsequential chatter Opposite consequential 175. INCORPORATE 1 to include something so that it forms a part of something Incorporate something The new car design incorporates all the latest safety features. Incorporate something in/into/within something We have incorporated all the latest safety features into the design. Many of your suggestions have been incorporated in the plan. 2 [often passive] incorporate something (business) to create a legally recognized company The company was incorporated in 2008. 176. INDETERMINATE That cannot be identified easily or exactly She was a tall woman of indeterminate age. 177. INDIGENCE Very poor Poverty; neediness. 178. INDOLENT Not wanting to work Synonym lazy 179. INERT
44

1 (formal) without power to move or act He lay inert with half-closed eyes. The president has to operate within an inert political system. 2 (chemistry) without active chemical or other properties (= characteristics) 180. INGENUOUS Honest, innocent and willing to trust people Synonym naive You're too ingenuous. An ingenuous smile It is ingenuous to suppose that money did not play a part in his decision. 181. INHERENT Inherent (in somebody/something) that is a basic or permanent part of somebody/something and that cannot be removed Synonym intrinsic The difficulties inherent in a study of this type Violence is inherent in our society. An inherent weakness in the design of the machine
An inherently unworkable system

182. INNOCUOUS 1 not intended to offend or upset anyone Synonym harmless It seemed a perfectly innocuous remark. 2 not harmful or dangerous An innocuous substance Synonym harmless

183. INSENSIBLE

45

1 [not before noun] insensible (to something) unable to feel something or react to it Insensible to pain/cold 2 [not before noun] insensible (of something) not aware of a situation or of something that might happen Synonym unaware They were not insensible of the risks. Opposite sensible 3 unconscious as the result of injury, illness, etc He drank himself insensible. 184. INSINUATE 1 to suggest indirectly that something unpleasant is true Synonym imply Insinuate that… The article insinuated that he was having an affair with his friend's wife. Insinuate something What are you trying to insinuate? An insinuating smile 2 insinuate yourself into something (formal, disapproving) to succeed in gaining somebody's respect, affection, etc. so that you can use the situation to your own advantage In the first act, the villain insinuates himself into the household of the man he intends to kill. 3 insinuate yourself/something + adverb/preposition (formal) to slowly move yourself or a part of your body into a particular position or place She insinuated her right hand under his arm.

185. INSIPID 1 having almost no taste or flavour

46

Synonym flavourless A cup of insipid coffee 2 not interesting or exciting Synonym dull After an hour of insipid conversation, I left. The group is an insipid imitation of the Beatles. 186. INSULARITY 1 (disapproving) only interested in your own country, ideas, etc. and not in those from outside The British are often accused of being insular. 2 (technical) connected with an island or islands The coastal and insular areas 187. INTRACTABLE (Of a problem or a person) very difficult to deal with Unemployment was proving to be an intractable problem. Opposite tractable 188. INTRANSIGENCE (Of people) unwilling to change their opinions or behaviour in a way that would be helpful to others Synonym stubbornan intransigent attitude 189. INUNDATE 1. Inundate somebody (with something) to give or send somebody so many things that they cannot deal with them all Synonym overwhelm, swamp We have been inundated with offers of help. 2 inundate something (formal) to cover an area of land with a large amount of water Synonym flood

47

Flood waters inundate the river plain each spring. 190. INURED Phrasal verbs Inure somebody/yourself to something (Formal) to make somebody/yourself get used to something unpleasant so that they/you are no longer strongly affected by it The prisoners quickly became inured to the harsh conditions. 191. INVECTIVE Rude language and unpleasant remarks that somebody shouts when they are very angry The gesture infuriated him and he let out a stream of invective. A speech full of invective against the government 192. IRASCIBLE Becoming angry very easily Synonym irritable 193. IRRESOLUTE Not able to decide what to do Opposite resolute 194. ITINERARY A plan of a journey, including the route and the places that you visit A detailed itinerary Visits to four different countries are included in your itinerary. 195. LACONIC Using only a few words to say something A laconic comment Adverb ‘Family reasons,’ he said laconically. 196. LASSITUDE A state of feeling very tired in mind or body; lack of energy I was overcome by lassitude.

48

197. LATENT Existing, but not yet very noticeable, active or well developed Latent disease These children have a huge reserve of latent talent 198. LAUD Laud somebody/something (formal) to praise somebody/something He was lauded for his courage. 199. LETHARGIC The state of not having any energy or enthusiasm for doing things Synonym listlessness, inertia The report criticizes the lethargy shown by employers when it comes to job creation Adjective. The weather made her lethargic. 200. LEVEE 1 a low wall built at the side of a river to prevent it from flooding 2 a place on a river where boats can let passengers on or off

49

Sponsor Documents

Or use your account on DocShare.tips

Hide

Forgot your password?

Or register your new account on DocShare.tips

Hide

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive a link to create a new password.

Back to log-in

Close