Decimated

1 [USUALLY PASSIVE] decimate something to kill large numbers of animals, plants or people in a particular area. The rabbit population was decimated by the disease. 2 decimate something (INFORMAL) to severely damage something or make something weaker. Cheap imports decimated the British cycle industry. decimation

denigrate somebody/something (FORMAL) to criticize somebody something

Denigrated unfairly! to say somebody something does not have any value or is not important .

Synonym :BELITTLE I didn't intend to denigrate her achievements.

denigration 1 [TRANSITIVE, INTRANSITIVE] dominate (somebody/something) to control or have a lot of influence over somebody something, especially in an unpleasant way. As a child he was dominated by his father. He tended to dominate the conversation. She always says a lot in meetings but she doesn't dominate. 2 [TRANSITIVE] dominate something to be the most important or noticeable feature of something. The train crash dominated the news. 3 [TRANSITIVE] dominate something to be the largest, highest or most obvious thing in a place. The cathedral dominates the city. 4 [TRANSITIVE, INTRANSITIVE] dominate (something) (SPORT) to play much better than your opponent in a game. Arsenal dominated the first half of the match. domination political domination companies fighting for domination of the software mar!et 1 to give special importance to something

Dominated

Synonym: STRESS. emphasize something . His speech emphasi"ed the

importance of attracting industry to the town. emphasize that She emphasi"ed that their plan would mean sacrifices and hard wor!. emphasize how, what, etc He emphasi"ed how little was !nown about the disease.it must/should be emphasized that It should be emphasi"ed that this is only one possible e#planation.+ speech $This must be our top priority % he emphasi"ed. "mphasized 2 emphasize something to make something more noticeable. She swept her hair bac! from her face to emphasi"e her high chee!bones. The rising tone of his voice emphasi"ed his panic. 3 emphasize something to give e#tra force to a word or phrase when you are speaking, especially to show that it is important

emphasisHighlighting an important point Usage note: stressemphasize

Usage note:
$esurrected 1 resurrect something to bring back into use something, such as a belief, a practice, etc, that had disappeared or been forgotten .
I E The campaign for spelling reform has been resurrected. He has succeeded in resurrecting his career in television.

Synonym: RE

resurrect somebody to bring a dead person back to life .

"R#$ THE DE!D

Synonym: R!ISE

ascendancy (over somebody/something) (FORMAL) the position of having power

%scendancy or influence over somebody something moral/political/intellectual ascendancy The opposition party was in the ascendancy (& gaining control).

a type of literature that describes imaginary people and events, not real ones. a wor! of popular fiction historical&romantic fiction 'iction

pposite:

%#%&"I'TI#%

see also S'IE%'E

"I'TI#%

2 [COUNTABLE, UNCOUNTABLE] a thing that is invented or imagined and is not true. 'or years he managed to !eep up the fiction that he was not married.

!dioms: see truth is stranger than "iction at TR(TH

so interesting or e#citing that it holds your attention completely $iveting

Synonym: E%)R#SSI%). As usual she gave a riveting performance. (

It was hardly the most riveting of lectures was it(

UMOROUS)

(onniving

behaving in a way that secretly hurts others or deliberately fails to prevent others from being hurt making people feel very frightened a fearsome dinosaur He has a fearsome reputation as a fighter. 1 irritate somebody to annoy somebody, especially by something you continuously do or by something that continuously happens. The way she puts on that accent really irritates me. 2 irritate something to make your skin or a part of your body sore or painful. Some drugs can irritate the lining of the I found her e#tremely irritating. an irritating habit. an irritating cough&rash irritatingl* 1 [USUALLY SIN!ULAR] cult (o" something) a way of life, an attitude, an idea, etc. that has become very popular. the cult of physical fitness. An e#traordinary personality cult had been created around the leader. 2 a small group of people who have e#treme religious beliefs and who are not part of any established religion. Their son ran away from home and )oined a cult. 3 (FORMAL) a system of religious beliefs and practices. the Chinese cult of ancestor worship if people, things or situations are +ormida,le, you feel fear and or respect for them, because they are impressive or powerful, or because they seem very difficult. In debate he was a formidable opponent. Somehow the small but formidable woman fought her way through the crowd to reach her son. She has a formidable list of *ualifications. The two players together ma!e a formidable combination. The tas! was a formidable one. They had to overcome formidable obstacles. +ormida,l*

'earsome

)rritating

(ult

'ormidable

He now has the chance to prove himself in a formidably difficult role. She's formidably intelligent. 1 (o+ten the norm) [SIN!ULAR] a situation or a pattern of behaviour that is usual or e#pected .

Synonym: R(LE. a departure from the norm. +lder parents seem to be the
norm rather than the e#ception nowadays. *orm 2 norms [PLURAL] standards of behaviour that are typical of or accepted within a particular group or society. social/cultural norms. She considered people to be products of the values and norms of the society they lived in. 3 [COUNTABLE] a re+uired or agreed standard, amount, etc. detailed education norms for children of particular ages. The government claims that bac!ground radioactivity is well below international norms. 1. a snowstorm with very strong winds bli""ard conditions. The bli""ard struc! the north,east yesterday causing serious damage. a raging/howling blizzard 2. a large +uantity of things that may seem to be attacking you. a bli""ard of documents. 1 that you cannot avoid or prevent

,lizzard

Synonym: (%!

#ID!BLE . It was an inevitable conse*uence of the decision. It was inevitable that there would be )ob losses. A rise in the interest rates seems inevitable.

)nevitability

2 [ONLY BEFORE NOUN] (OFTEN UMOROUS) so fre+uent that you always e#pect it. the -nglish and their inevitable cups of tea 3 the ine-ita,le NOUN [SIN!ULAR] something that is certain to happen. .ou have to accept the inevitable.The inevitable happened/I forgot my passport. ine-ita,ilit* the inevitability of death. There was an inevitability about their defeat.

'erocity

violence! aggressive behaviour The police were shoc!ed by the ferocity of the attac!.

milder, mildest
1 not severe or strong. a mild form of the disease a mild punishment/criticism. It's safe to ta!e a mild sedative.0se a soap that is mild on the s!in. 2 (OF "EAT ER) not very cold, and therefore pleasant. the mildest winter since records begana mild climate #ompare H!RD 3 (OF FEELIN!S) not great or e#treme -ildness

Synonym: SLI)HT. mild irritation/amusement/disapproval . a mild state

of shoc!. She loo!ed at him in mild surprise. 4 (OF PEOPLE OR T violent
EIR BE AVIOUR)

gentle and kind! not usually getting angry or

Synonym: E.(!BLE . a mild woman who never shouted

/ (OF A FLAVOUR) not strong, spicy or bitter. a mild curry. mild cheese

pposite
H#Tmildness

NOUN [UNCOUNTABLE]the mildness of a sunny spring day

her mildness of manner

prototype ("or/o" something) the first design of something from which other
.rototype forms are copied or developed. the prototype of the modern bicycle. Scientists have developed a wor!ing prototype for a voice translation machine. 0rotot*pical 1 [USUALLY BEFORE NOUN] involving doing something together or working together with others towards a shared aim. Cooperative activity is essential to effective community wor!. (ooperative 2 helpful by doing what you are asked to do. -mployees will generally be more cooperative if their views are ta!en seriously.

pposite:

(%'##0ER!TI E

3 [USUALLY BEFORE NOUN] (BUSINESS) owned and run by the people involved, with the profits shared by them. a cooperative farm. The cooperative movement started in Britain in the 12th century. 'ooperati-el* $easoned (OF AN AR!UMENT$ OPINION$ ETC.) presented in a logical way that shows careful thought. His claims were supported with proofs and reasoned argument. She argued her point in a reasoned and intelligent manner. done deliberately
I%TE%DED. I'm sorry I left you off the list/it wasn't intentional. an intentional act of cruelty

Synonym: DELIBER!TE,
)ntentional

pposite:

(%I%TE%TI#%!L

intentionall* : She would never intentionally hurt anyone. I !ept my statement intentionally vague. a person/s particular way of behaving, thinking, etc, especially when it is unusual! an unusual feature )diosyncrasy

Synonym: E''E%TRI'IT1. 3earing a raincoat even on a hot day is one of her

idiosyncrasies. The car has its little idiosyncrasies. idios*ncratic His teaching methods are idiosyncratic but successful.

precursor (o"/to something) (FORMAL) a person or thing that comes before

.recursor

somebody something similar and that leads to or influences its development

Synonym: "#RER(%%ER. a stringed instrument that was the precursor of the

guitar. events that were precursors to revolution. the highest point or end of something, usually happening after a long time The reforms mar!ed the successful culmination of a long campaign. the state of being complete or whole! the whole number or amount The seriousness of the situation is difficult to appreciate in its totality. The totality of -nglish grammar is too great to be studied in detail.

(ulmination

0otality

past te%se$ past parti#iple o& SEE2

1ought to look for something somebody. see# something/somebody 4rivers are advised to see! alternative routes. see# "or something/somebody (BRITIS EN!LIS ) They sought in vain for somewhere to shelter. 1 memoirs [PLURAL] an account written by somebody, especially somebody famous, about their life and e#periences

$emoir

2 [COUNTABLE] (FORMAL) a written account of somebody/s life, a place, or an event, written by somebody who knows it well 1 [UNCOUNTABLE] a state of peaceful e#istence and agreement. the need to be in harmony with our environment. to live together in perfect harmony. social/racial harmony #ompare DIS'#RD 2 [UNCOUNTABLE, COUNTABLE] (MUSIC) the way in which different notes that are played or sung together combine to make a pleasing sound. to sing in harmony. to study four,part harmony. passionate lyrics and stunning vocal harmonies #ompare DIS'#RD 3 [COUNTABLE, UNCOUNTABLE] a pleasing combination of related things. the harmony of colour in nature. The designer's aim is to produce a harmony of shape and te#ture. to state firmly or publicly that something is true or that you support something strongly. %ffirm

2armony

Synonym: '#%"IR$. a""irm something Both sides affirmed their commitment

to the ceasefire. The decision was affirmed by the Court of Appeal. that I can affirm that no one will lose their )ob. a++irmation She nodded in affirmation. 1 reconcile something (with something) to find an acceptable way of dealing with two or more ideas, needs, etc. that seem to be opposed to each other. an attempt to reconcile the need for industrial development with concern for the environment. It was hard to reconcile his career ambitions with the needs of his children.

a""irm

$econciled

2 [USUALLY PASSIVE] to make people become friends again after an argument or a disagreement . reconcile somebody The pair were reconciled after 5ac!son made a public apology. reconcile somebody with somebody He has recently been reconciled with his wife. 3 reconcile somebody/yoursel" (to something) to make somebody yourself accept an unpleasant situation because it is not possible to change it

Synonym: RESI)%
(onfined

1#(RSEL" T#

. He could not reconcile himself to the prospect

of losing her. reconcila,le (OF A SPACE OR AN AREA) small and surrounded by walls or sides. It is cruel to !eep animals in confined spaces. (before an ad4ective) too! very 3verly

Synonym: E3'ESSI
overly optimistic.

EL1

I'm not overly fond of pasta. 3e thin! you are being

1 done carefully and with a lot of attention to detail

Synonym: TH#R#()H. a rigorous analysis. 'ew people have gone into the
$igorous

topic in such rigorous detail. The second team adopted a much more rigorous approach to the problem. 2 demanding that particular rules, processes, etc. are strictly followed

Synonym: STRI'T. The wor! failed to meet their rigorous standards.

rigoro4sl*

The country's press is rigorously controlled.

-edieval

connected with the -iddle %ges (about %D 5666 to %D 5786) medieval architecture&castles&manuscripts. the literature of the late medieval period

1 to say in a will that you want somebody to have your property, money, etc. after you die

Synonym: LE!
Be54eathing

E. be$ueath something (to somebody) . He be*ueathed his entire estate (& all his money and property) to his daughter.

be$ueath somebody something He be*ueathed his daughter his entire estate. 2 be$ueath something (to somebody)9 be$ueath somebody something to
leave the results of your work, knowledge, etc. for other people to use or deal with, especially after you have died. The previous government had be*ueathed a legacy of problems.

Be54ests

money or property that you ask to be given to a particular person when you die He left a be*uest to each of his grandchildren.

scarcer, scarcest if something is scarce, there is not enough of it and it is

only available in small +uantities. scarce resources. 4etails of the accident are scarce. 'ood was becoming scarce. 1carce Idioms

ma6e *o4rsel+ scarce

(INFORMAL) to leave somewhere and stay away for a time in order to avoid an unpleasant situation. I could see he was annoyed so I made myself scarce. 0angential 1 (FORMAL) having only a slight or indirect connection with something. a tangential argument. 2 (!EOMETRY) of or along a tangent. tangentiall* 1 if something is c4stomar*, it is what people usually do in a particular place or situation (ustomary

Synonym: (S(!L. Is it customary to tip hairdressers in this country(

2 typical of a particular person

Synonym: H!BIT(!L. She arranged everything with her customary efficiency.

c4stomaril*

1 the freedom or power to decide what should be done in a particular situation. I'll leave it up to you to use your discretion. How much to tell terminally ill patients is left to the discretion of the doctor. 2 care in what you say or do, in order to keep something secret or to avoid causing embarrassment to or difficulty for somebody! the +uality of being discreet. This is confidential but I !now that I can rely on your discretion. 5ane is the soul of discretion (& you can trust her). 0se the utmost discretion when you tal! to her. #ompare I%DIS'RETI#%

Discretion

Idioms

at some,od*7s discretion

according to what somebody decides or wishes to do Bail is granted at the discretion of the court.There is no service charge and tipping is at your discretion.

discretion is the ,etter part o+ -alo4r

(SAYIN!) you should avoid danger and not take unnecessary risks

copyright (in/on something) if a person or an organization holds the

(opyright

cop*right on a piece of writing, music, etc, they are the only people who have the legal right to publish, broadcast, perform it, etc, and other people must ask their permission to use it or any part of it. 3ho owns the copyright on this song(. Copyright e#pires seventy years after the death of the author. They were sued for breach/infringement of copyright.

entrench something (SOMETIMES 'ISAPPROVIN!) to establish something very

"ntrench firmly so that it is very difficult to change. Se#ism is deeply entrenched in our society. entrenched attitudes/interests/opposition . This idea had firmly entrenched itself in his consciousness. 1 to e#pect something . anticipate something 3e don't anticipate any ma)or problems. +ur anticipated arrival time is 6.78. The eagerly anticipated movie will be released ne#t month. anticipate doing something They anticipate moving to bigger premises by the end of the year. anticipate something doing something I don't anticipate it being a problem. anticipate that 3e anticipate that sales will rise ne#t year.it is anticipated that It is anticipated that inflation will stabili"e at 79. #ompare (%!%TI'I0!TED 2 to see what might happen in the future and take action to prepare for it anticipate something 3e need someone who can anticipate and respond to changes in the fashion industry.anticipate what, how, that, etc Try and anticipate what the interviewers will as!. 3 anticipate (doing) something9 anticipate (something doing) something to think with pleasure and e#citement about something that is going to happen. 3e eagerly anticipated the day we would leave school. The more I anticipated arriving somewhere the more disappointed I was. 4 anticipate somebody (doing something) (FORMAL) to do something before it can be done by somebody else

!nticipated

Synonym: "#REST!LL 3hen Scott reached the South :ole he found that
Amundsen had anticipated him. anticipator* to commit a crime or do something wrong or evil perpetrate something to perpetrate a crime/fraud/massacre. security breaches perpetrated by people wor!ing for the company. perpetrate something against/upon/on somebody violence perpetrated against women and children. perpetration related to or based on ideas. a conceptual framewor! within which children's needs are assessed. a conceptual model. 'oncept4all* conceptually similar&distinct

0erpetrated

(onceptual

(onvenience

1 [UNCOUNTABLE] the +uality of being useful, easy or suitable for somebody. 3e have provided seats for the convenience of our customers. For (the sake of) convenience the two groups have been treated as one in this report. The position of the house combines *uietness and convenience. In this resort

you can en)oy all the comfort and convenience of modern tourism. #ompare I%'#% E%IE%'E see also "L!) #" '#% E%IE%'E, $!RRI!)E #" '#% E%IE%'E 2 [COUNTABLE] something that is useful and can make things easier or +uicker to do, or more comfortable. It was a great convenience to have the school so near.The house had all the modern conveniences (& central heating, etc.) that were unusual at that time. see also 0(BLI' '#% E%IE%'E Idioms

at some,od*7s con-enience
(FORMAL) at a time or a place which is suitable for somebody. Can you telephone me at your convenience to arrange a meeting(

more at at your earliest convenience at E!RL1 adjective

1 [INTRANSITIVE, TRANSITIVE] if two or more things intert8ine or are intert8ined, they are twisted together so that they are very difficult to separate. intertwining branches intertwine something (with something) a nec!lace of rubies intertwined with pearls. 2 [TRANSITIVE, USUALLY PASSIVE, INTRANSITIVE] intertwine (something) to be or become very closely connected with something somebody else. Their political careers had become closely intertwined. 1 connected with a person/s mind and the way in which it works . the psychological development of children. Abuse can lead to both psychological and emotional problems. Her symptoms are more psychological than physical (& imaginary rather than real). ;ictory in the last game gave them a psychological advantage over their opponents. a psychological novel (& one that e#amines the minds of the characters) .sychological 2 connected with the study of psychology. :sychological research ps*chologicall* psychologically harmful. :sychologically the defeat was devastating. Idioms

)ntertwined

the ps*chological moment

the best time to do something in order for it to be successful The tric! is in finding the <right= psychological moment to as! him for more money. %dolescent 0ercept4al a young person who is developing from a child into an adult. adolescents between the ages of 17 and 16 and the problems they face adolescent . adolescent boys/girls/experiences relating to the ability to perceive things or the process of perceiving. perceptual s!ills erceive> to notice or ,ecome a8are o+ something. perceive something . I perceived a change in his behaviour. perceive that She perceived that all was not well. perceive somebody/something to be/have something The patient was perceived to have difficulty in breathing. 2 to understand or think of somebody something in a particular way

Synonym: SEE perceive somebody/something/yoursel" (as something) This

discovery was perceived as a ma)or brea!through. She did not perceive herself as disabled. A science degree and artistic interests are often perceived as incompatible. perceive somebody/something to be/have something . They were widely perceived to have been unluc!y. Idios*ncraticall*

1. A structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group. 2. A physiological or temperamental peculiarity. 3. An unusual individual reaction to food or a drug.
the refusal to obey orders or show respect for somebody who has a higher rank

)nsubordinate

Synonym: DIS#BEDIE%'E
Two officers were reported for insubordination. ins4,ordinate before this time.

Hereto+ore

Up to the present time; before this; previously.

an organization that has a particular purpose, especially one that is connected with education or a particular profession! the building used by this organization. a research institute. the Institute of Chartered Accountants. institutes of higher education

)nstituted

a. To establish, organize, and set in operation. b. To initiate; begin.

%eopardize something/somebody (FORMAL) to risk harming or destroying

:eopardized something somebody .

Synonym: E%D!%)ER. He would never do anything to )eopardi"e his career.

contravene something (FORMAL) to do something that is not allo8ed ,* a

la8 or r4le & 'ontra-ened

Synonym: I%"RI%)E. The company was found guilty of contravening safety

regulations. contra-ention law.

Synonym: I%"RI%)E$E%T. These actions are in contravention of -uropean

,ettered 1 (OF A PERSON) able to do many different things. He's a versatile actor who has played a wide variety of parts. ;ersatile 2 (OF FOO'$ A BUIL'IN!$ ETC.) having many different uses. -ggs are easy to coo! and are an e#tremely versatile food. -ersatilit* She is a designer of e#traordinary versatility. 1 a system, especially in a society or an organization, in which people are organized into different levels of importance from highest to lowest. the social/political hierarchy. She's *uite high up in the management hierarchy. 2 the group of people in control of a large organization or institution 3 a system that ideas or beliefs can be arranged into. a hierarchy of needs .lural of 1tratum< 1 (!EOLO!Y) a layer or set of layers of rock, earth, etc . a thic! stratum of flintlimestone strata. -#cavated coins can often be dated from other ob)ects in the same stratum.

2ierarchy

1trata

2 (FORMAL) a class in a societ*. people from all social strata 1 reconcile something (with something) to find an acceptable way of dealing with two or more ideas, needs, etc. that seem to be opposed to each other. an attempt to reconcile the need for industrial development with concern for the environment. It was hard to reconcile his career ambitions with the needs of his children. $econcile 2 [USUALLY PASSIVE] to make people become friends again after an argument or a disagreementreconcile somebody The pair were reconciled after 5ac!son made a public apology.reconcile somebody with somebody He has recently been reconciled with his wife. 3 reconcile somebody/yoursel" (to something) to make somebody yourself accept an unpleasant situation because it is not possible to change it

Synonym: RESI)%

1#(RSEL" T# .

He could not reconcile himself to the prospect

of losing her. reconcila,le 6ind9 genero4s and +orgi-ing, especially towards an enemy or a rival. -agnanimity a magnanimous gesture. He was magnanimous in defeat and praised his opponent's s!ill. magnanimit* She accepted the criticism with magnanimity. magnanimo4sl* 1 . small and 4nimportant

Synonym: $I%#R. petty s*uabbles petty crime/theft (& that is not very
.ettiness

serious)a petty criminal/thief! a petty bureaucrat/official (& who does not have much power or authority, although they might pretend to) 2 . caring too much about small and unimportant matters, especially when this is unkind to other people

Synonym: S$!LL&$I%DED. How could you be so petty(pettiness

)nsolence e:tremel* r4de and sho8ing a lac6 o+ respect. an insolent child&smile. insolence Her insolence cost her her )ob.

Usage note:

r()echee6* insolent disrespect+4l impolite

impertinent disco4rteo4s0hese are all words for people showing

a lack of respect for other people.r4de having or showing a lack of respect for other people and their feelings< 3hy are you so rude to your mother( It's rude to spea! when you're eating.chee6* (British -nglishinformal) (especially of children) rude in an amusing or an annoying way< .ou chee!y mon!ey? a chee!y grininsolent (rather formal) very rude, especially to somebody who is older or more important Insolent is used especially to talk about the behaviour of children towards adults. disrespect+4l (rather formal) showing a lack of respect for somebody something< Some people said he had been disrespectful to the :resident in his last speech. impolite (rather formal) not behaving in a pleasant way that follows the rules of society< Some people thin! it is impolite to as! someone's age. Impolite is often used in the phrases It seemed impolite and It would be impolite.impertinent (rather formal) not showing respect for somebody who is older or more important Impertinent is often used by people such as parents and teachers when they are telling children that they are angry with them for being rude< 4on't be impertinent?disco4rteo4s (formal) having bad manners and not showing respect< He didn't wish to appear

discourteous.rude cheeky disrespectful impolite discourteous to somebodyrude impolite impertinent to do something

1 [UNCOUNTABLE] (FORMAL) behaviour or attitudes that show high moral standards. He led a life of virtue. She was certainly no paragon of virtue? 2 [COUNTABLE] a particular good +uality or habit. :atience is not one of her virtues I'm afraid. As a politician he always emphasi"ed the virtues of compromise and conciliation. 3 [COUNTABLE,
UNCOUNTABLE ]

an attractive or useful +uality

Synonym: !D

!%T!)E. The plan has the virtue of simplicity. He was e#tolling the virtues of the Internet. They could see no virtue in discussing it further.

Idioms irt4e

,*;in -irt4e o+ something

(FORMAL) by means of or because of something. She got the )ob by virtue of her greater e#perience.

ma6e a -irt4e o+ necessit*

to manage to gain an advantage from something that you have to do and cannot avoid She decided to ma!e a virtue of necessity and combined a business trip to :aris with a visit to her cousins there.

-irt4e is its o8n re8ard

(SAYIN!) the reward for acting in a moral or correct way is the knowledge that you have done so, and you should not e#pect more than this, for e#ample praise from other people or payment

more at o" easy virtue at E!S1 adjective

)nattention lack of attention The accident was the result of a moment's inattention. 1 (FORMAL) to bring or get something back, especially from a place where it should not be

Synonym: RE'#

$etrieve

ER. retrieve something "rom somebody/something She bent to retrieve her comb from the floor.The dog retrieved the ball from the water.retrieve something The police have managed to retrieve some of the stolen money. 2 (COMPUTIN!) to find and get back data or information that has been stored in the memory of a computer. retrieve something "rom somebody/something to retrieve information from the database retrieve something . The program allows you to retrieve items *uic!ly by searching under a !eyword. 3 retrieve something to make a bad situation better! to get back something that was lost. .ou can only retrieve the situation by apologi"ing. -mployers are an#ious to retrieve the investment they have made in training their employees. retrie-a,le

1carcer

scarcer, scarcest if something is scarce, there is not enough of it and it is

only available in small +uantities. scarce resources. 4etails of the accident are scarce. 'ood was becoming scarce.

Idioms

ma6e *o4rsel+ scarce

(INFORMAL) to leave somewhere and stay away for a time in order to avoid an unpleasant situationI could see he was annoyed so I made myself scarce. e#isting in large +uantities! more than enough %bundant

Synonym: 0LE%TI"(L 'ish are abundant in the la!e. 3e have abundant

evidence to prove his guilt. 1 (OF AN ARTIST$ A "RITER$ ETC.) producing many works or results, etc. a prolific author. a prolific goalscorer. one of the most prolific periods in her career. :icasso was e#tremely prolific during his Cubist years. 'ew composers can match his prolific output.

0roli+ic

2 (OF PLANTS$ ANIMALS$ ETC.) producing a lot of fruit, flowers, young, etc. prolific plant growth 3 able to produce enough food, etc. to keep many animals and plants alive. prolific rivers 4 e#isting in large numbers. a pop star with a prolific following of teenage fans . proli+icall* . to write prolifically. animals that breed prolifically to involve in something that cannot be avoided
#L E . entail something The )ob entails a lot of hard wor!. be entailed in something The girls learn e#actly what is entailed in caring for a newborn baby.entail (somebody) doing something It will entail driving a long

Synonym: I%
Entail

distance every day. 1 to suggest that something is true or that you feel or think something, without saying so directly. imply (that) Are you implying <that= I am wrong(imply something I disli!ed the implied criticism in his voice. His silence seemed to imply agreement. it is implied that It was implied that we were at fault. 2 to make it seem likely that something is true or e#ists )mplies

Synonym: S())EST. imply (that) The survey implies <that= more people are
moving house than was thought.it is implied that It was implied in the survey that@imply something The fact that she was here implies a degree of interest. 3 imply something (OF AN I'EA$ ACTION$ ETC.) to make something necessary in order to be successful

Synonym: $E!% The pro)ect implies an enormous investment in training. Sustainable development implies a long,term perspective. see also I$0LI'!TI#%
to repeat something that you have already said, especially to emphasize it

Reiterates

reiterate something to reiterate an argument&a demand&an offer reiterate that Aet me reiterate that we are fully committed to this policy.+ speech $I
said BmoneyC % he reiterated. reiteration a reiteration of her previous statement

Belies

1 belie something to give a false impression of somebody something. Her energy and youthful good loo!s belie her DE years. 2 belie something to show that something cannot be true or correct. Fovernment claims that there is no poverty are belied by the number of homeless people on the streets. 1 [INTRANSITIVE] to become calmer or +uieter. She waited nervously for his anger to subside. 3hen the rain had subsided we continued our wal!. I too! an aspirin and the pain gradually subsided. He waited until the laughter had subsided before continuing his story. 2 [INTRANSITIVE] (OF "ATER) to go back to a normal level. The flood waters gradually subsided. 3 [INTRANSITIVE] (OF LAN' OR A BUIL'IN!) to sink to a lower level! to sink lower into the ground. 3ea! foundations caused the house to subside. 1 a piece of cloth with a special coloured design on it that may be the symbol of a particular country or organization, or may have a particular meaning. % flag can be attached to a pole or held in the handthe Italian flagthe flag of ItalyThe hotel flies the -uropean 0nion flag.The American flag was flying.All the flags were at half mast (& in honour of a famous person who has died).The blac! and white flag went down and the race began. see also BL(E "L!)2 used to refer to a particular country or organization and its beliefs and valuesto swear allegiance to the flagHe was wor!ing under the flag of the 0nited Gations. 3 a piece of cloth that is attached to a pole and used as a signal or marker in various sports4 a flower that is a type of iris and that grows near water. yellow flags 1 that cannot be trusted! intending to harm you

1ubsides

'lags

0reacherous

Synonym: DE'EIT"(L. He was wea! cowardly and treacherous. lying

treacherous words. 2 dangerous, especially when seeming safe. The ice on the roads made driving conditions treacherous. treachero4sl* paying a lot of money remunerative wor!. 3riting proved to be more remunerative than teaching. 1 not moving! not intended to be moved. I remained stationary.The car collided with a stationary vehicle. a stationary e#ercise bi!e

Rem4nerati-e

1tationary

pposite:

$#BILE

2 not changing in condition or +uantity

Synonym: ST!TI' a stationary population

1 (OF "OR*$ ACTIVITIES$ ETC.) in which you spend a lot of time sitting down. a sedentary "ob/occupation/lifestyle 2 (OF PEOPLE) spending a lot of time sitting down and not moving. He became increasingly sedentary in later life. 3 (TEC NICAL) (OF PEOPLE OR ANIMALS ) that stay and live in the same place or area. Hhinos are largely sedentary animals. a sedentary population producing a large amount of money! making a large profit a lucrative business/contract/market. Had the plan wor!ed it would have proved highly lucrative. l4crati-el* 1 not intended to offend or upset anyone

1edentary

=ucrative Innoc4o4s

Synonym: H!R$LESS. It seemed a perfectly innocuous remar!.

2 not harmful or dangerous. an innocuous substance feeling or showing that you are sad or sorry R4e+4l a rueful smile . r4e+4ll* He laughed ruefully.$ So this is goodbye % she said ruefully. He ruefully admitted that he envied her. honest, innocent and willing to trust people Ingen4o4s
E .ou're too ingenuous. an ingenuous smile. It is ingenuous to suppose that money did not play a part in his decision. #ompare DISI%)E%(#(S ingen4o4sl*

Synonym: %!I

trying to harm or upset somebody, or showing that you want to, because you think that they have harmed you. indicti-e

Synonym: S0ITE"(L. He accused her of being vindictive. a vindictive comment.

-indicti-el* $It serves them right % he thought vindictively. -indicti-eness not influenced by emotion

Dispassionate

Synonym: I$0!RTI!L. ta!ing a calm dispassionate view of the situation. a

dispassionate observer. The case needs to be e#amined dispassionately at a public in*uiry. a person who is able to suffer pain or trouble without complaining or showing what they are feeling.

1toic

stoic (also stoical ) her stoic endurance. his stoical acceptance of death . stoicall* They reacted stoically to the news. 'rom the Stoics, a group of ancient >reek
philosophers, who believed that wise people should not allow themselves to be affected by painful or pleasant e#periences.

commensurate (with something) (FORMAL) matching something in size,

'ommens4rate

importance, +uality, etc. Salary will be commensurate with e#perience.

pposite:

I%'#$$E%S(R!TE

commens4ratel*

substantiate something (FORMAL) to provide information or evidence to prove

1ubstantiated that something is true. The results of the tests substantiated his claims. They made accusations which could not be substantiated. s4,stantiation 1 [OFTEN PASSIVE] circumscribe something (FORMAL) to limit somebody something/s freedom, rights, power, etc. (ircumscribed

Synonym: RESTRI'T The power of the monarchy was circumscribed by the new
law. 2 circumscribe something (TEC circ4mscription
NICAL)

to draw a circle around another shape.

1. Corresponding in character or kind; appropriate or harmonious. 2. Mathematics Congruent.

'ongr4o4s

congruent (with something) (FORMAL) suitable for something! appropriate in a

particular situation. The measures are congruent with the changes in management policy.

1egregated

1 segregate somebody ("rom somebody) to separate people of different races, religions or se#es and treat them in a different way. a culture in which women are segregated from men. 3hites and blac!s were segregated into different parts of town. a racially segregated community. a segregated school (& one for students of one race or religion only)

pposite:

I%TE)R!TE

2 segregate something ("rom something) to keep one thing separate from another. In all our restaurants smo!ing and non,smo!ing areas are segregated from each other. 1 (BIOLO!Y) the relationship between two different living creatures that live close together and depend on each other in particular ways, each getting particular benefits from the other. The birds live in symbiosis with the cattle pic!ing insects from their s!in to eat. 2 a relationship between people, companies, etc. that is to the advantage of both. She imagined us living in a perfect mother and daughter symbiosis. s*m,iotic a symbiotic relationship to confuse somebody completely! to be too difficult or strange for somebody to understand or e#plain. ba""le somebody His behaviour baffles me. be ba""led (as to) why, how, where, etc I'm baffled as to why she hasn't called. I'm baffled why she hasn't called. ,a++lement His reaction was one of bafflement. ,a++ling Some of the country's customs are baffling to outsiders. 1 showing sudden changes in attitude or behaviour

S*m,iotic

,affling

Synonym: (%0REDI'T!BLE a movie star who was capricious and difficult to

'apricio4s please. 2 changing suddenly and +uickly

Synonym: 'H!%)E!BLE . a capricious climate. capricio4sl*

E3ER'ISE & 2 $enewed happening again with increased interest or strength Henewed fighting has been reported on the border. with renewed enthusiasm

antedate something + 0RED!TE. The crypt antedates the rest of the building by
several centuries. %ntedated

To assign to a date earlier than that of the actual occurrence. To date as of a time before that of actual execution: antedate a contract; antedate a check. A date given to an event or a document that is earlier than the actual date.
to praise somebody something very much e'tol somebody/something . 4octors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. e'tol somebody/something as something& She was e#tolled as a genius.

E:tol 0ransmute

transmute (something) (into something) (FORMAL) to change, or make

something change, into something different

Synonym:

TR!%S"#R$

gold. transm4tation

. It was once thought that lead could be transmuted into

1 a competition in which people try to win something, a singing contest. a talent contest. to enter/win/lose a contest see also BE!(T1 '#%TEST

(ontest

2 contest ("or something) a struggle to gain control or power. a contest for the leadership of the party

Idioms

,e no contest
used to say that one side in a competition is so much stronger or better than the other that it is sure to win easily "nigma *aivete a person, thing or situation that is mysterious and difficult to understand.

Synonym: $1STER1,

0(<<LE

-ven after years he still remains an enigma to me.

The state or quality of being naive.

1 (OFTEN 'ISAPPROVIN!) refusing to change your opinions, way of behaving, etc. when other people try to persuade you to! behaviour that shows this

Synonym:
3bstinacy

ST(BB#R%. He can be very obstinate when he wants to be?. her obstinate refusal to comply with their re*uest

2 [USUALLY BEFORE NOUN] difficult to get rid of or deal with

Synonym:

ST(BB#R%.

the obstinate problem of unemployment. an obstinate

stain. o,stinac*
NOUN [UNCOUNTABLE]an act of sheer obstinacy o,stinatel*

He obstinately refused to consider the future.

+ DE'ISI#% ,(-All her decisiveness disappeared when she met Iar!.

Decisive:
Decisiveness 1 very important for the final result of a particular situation. a decisive factor/victory/battle. Climate was a decisive factor in establishing where the tournament should be held. She has played a decisive role in the peace negotiations. a decisive step (& an important action that will change a situation) towards a cleaner environment 2 able to decide something +uickly and with confidence. decisive management. The government must ta!e decisive action on gun control.

ingenious
)ngeniousness

1 (OF AN OB.ECT$ A PLAN$ AN I'EA$ ETC.) very suitable for a particular purpose and resulting from clever new ideas. an ingenious device. ingenious ways of saving energy. His plots are always very ingenious. 2 (OF A PERSON) having a lot of clever new ideas and good at inventing things. an ingenious coo!. She's very ingenious when it comes to finding e#cuses. Ingenio4sl*. ingeniously designed very ordinary and containing nothing that is interesting or important.

,anal

a banal conversation about the weather. 1 (OFTEN 'ISAPPROVIN!) not studying or looking at something thoroughly! seeing only what is obvious. a superficial analysis. The boo! shows only a superficial understanding of the historical conte#t. 2 appearing to be true, real or important until you look at it more carefully. superficial differences&similarities. 3hen you first meet her she gives a superficial impression of warmth and friendliness. 1uperficial 3 (OF A "OUN' OR 'AMA!E) only affecting the surface and therefore not serious. superficial in)ury. superficial burns 4 ('ISAPPROVIN!) not concerned with anything serious or important and lacking any depth of understanding or feeling a

Synonym:

SH!LL#= a superficial friendship.The guests engaged in superficial chatter.She's so superficial?

/ (TEC NICAL) of or on the surface of something. superficial veins. a superficial deposit of acidic soils 1 a thing that is added to something else to improve or complete it. vitamin/dietary supplements (& vitamins and other foods eaten in addition to what you usually eat)supplement to something& Industrial sponsorship is a supplement to government funding. 2 an e#tra separate section, often in the form of a magazine, that is sold with a newspaper. the Sunday colour supplements 1upplemented 3 supplement (to something) a book or a section at the end of a book that gives e#tra information or deals with a special sub4ect. the supplement to the +#ford -nglish 4ictionary. a supplement to the main report 4 (BRITIS EN!LIS ) an amount of money that you pay for an e#tra service or item, especially in addition to the basic cost of a holiday vacation

Synonym:

S(R'H!R)E There is a J18 supplement for a single room. Safety deposit bo#es are available at a supplement.

?ndermine

1 undermine something to make something, especially somebody/s confidence or authority, gradually weaker or less effective. +ur confidence in the team has been seriously undermined by their recent defeats. This crisis has undermined his position. Hecent changes have undermined teachers' morale. 2 undermine something to make something weaker at the base, for e#ample by digging under it.

divert somebody/something ("rom something) (to something) 1 to make

somebody something change direction. Gorthbound traffic will have to be diverted onto minor roads. The course of the stream has now been diverted. 2 divert something to use money, materials, etc. for a different purpose from their original purpose Diverted 3 divert something to take somebody/s thoughts or attention away from something

Synonym:
4 1

DISTR!'T

The war diverted people's attention away from the

economic situation.

divert somebody (FORMAL) to entertain people. Children are easily diverted. redeem somebody/something to make somebody something seem less bad
'#$0E%S!TE "#R.

Redeemed

Synonym:

The e#cellent acting wasn't enough to redeem a

wea! plot. The only redeeming feature of the )ob (& good thing about it) is the salary. She seems to have no redeeming *ualities (& good aspects of her character) at all. 2 redeem yoursel" to do something to improve the opinion that people have of you, especially after you have done something bad. He has a chance to redeem himself after last wee!'s mista!es. 3 redeem somebody (in (hristianity) to save somebody from the power of evil. 5esus Christ came to redeem us from sin. 4 redeem something to pay the full sum of money that you owe somebody! to pay a debt. to redeem a loan/mortgage / redeem something to e#change something such as shares or vouchers for money or goods. This voucher can be redeemed at any of our branches. > redeem something to get back a valuable ob4ect from somebody by paying them back the money you borrowed from them in e#change for the ob4ect. He was able to redeem his watch from the pawnshop. ? redeem a pledge/promise (FORMAL) to do what you have promised that you will do !melioration

ameliorate something (FORMAL) to make something better. Steps have been

ta!en to ameliorate the situation. amelioration 1 (OF A PERSON OR AN ANIMAL) not easily e#cited or irritated. a placid baby&horse

pposite: HI)H&S0IRITED
.lacid 2 calm and peaceful, with very little movement

Synonym:

TR!%.(IL. the placid waters of the la!e +f course % said Helen placidly. The river spar!led placidly in the sun.

1 ('ISAPPROVIN!) lacking e#perience of life, knowledge or good 4udgement and willing to believe that people always tell you the truth. to be politically naKve. I can't believe you were so naive as to trust him?. a naive *uestion 2 (APPROVIN!) (OF PEOPLE AN' T
EIR BE AVIOUR)

innocent and simple

Synonym:
*a@ve

!RTLESS.

Their approach to life is refreshingly naive. #ompare

S#0HISTI'!TED

3 (TEC NICAL) (OF ART) in a style which is deliberately very simple, often uses bright colours and is similar to that produced by a child . nai-el* (also na@-el*) . I naively assumed that I would be paid for the wor!. nai-et* (also na@-et*) They laughed at the naivety of his suggestion. She has lost none of her naivety. His wor! is a curious blend of sophistication and naivety.

Stim4lation

1 stimulate something to make something develop or become more active! to encourage something. The e#hibition has stimulated interest in her wor!.The article can be used to stimulate discussion among students. a government pac!age designed to stimulate economic growth. 2 to make somebody interested and e#cited about something stimulate somebody . :arents should give children boo!s that stimulate them. Both men and women are stimulated by erotic photos (& se#ually).stimulate somebody to do something .The conference stimulated him to study the sub)ect in more depth. 3 stimulate something (TEC NICAL) to make a part of the body function. The women were given fertility drugs to stimulate the ovaries. stim4lation

sensory&intellectual&se#ual&visual&physical stimulation 1 done +uickly and with a lot of activity, but in a way that is not very well organized.

Synonym:
"rantic

HE'TI'. a frantic dash/search/struggle. They made frantic attempts to revive him. Things are frantic in the office right now. They wor!ed with frantic haste.

2 unable to control your emotions because you are e#tremely frightened or worried about something

Synonym:

BESIDE 1#(RSEL". frantic with worry. Aet's go bac!. .our parents must be getting frantic by now. The children are driving me frantic (& making me very annoyed). +ranticall*

They wor!ed frantically to finish on time. 1 [INTRANSITIVE, TRANSITIVE] to continue to do something despite difficulties or opposition, in a way that can seem unreasonable. persist (in doing something) 3hy do you persist in blaming yourself for what happened( persist (in something) She persisted in her search for the truth. persist (with something) He persisted with his *uestioning.+ speech $So did you agree or not(% he persisted. 2 to continue to e#ist. The belief that the earth was flat persisted for many centuries. If the symptoms persist consult your doctor. not varying! the same in all parts and at all times. uniform rates of pay. The walls were a uniform grey. Frowth has not been uniform across the country. uniform lines of terraced houses (& they all looked the same)4ni+ormit* ?niformity They tried to ensure uniformity across the different departments. the drab uniformity of the houses 4ni+orml* The principles were applied uniformly across all the departments. The *uality is uniformly high. :ressure must be uniformly distributed over the whole surface. 1 the e#act match in size and shape between two halves, parts or sides of something. the perfect symmetry of the garden design 2 the +uality of being very similar or e+ual. the increasing symmetry between men's and women's )obs

.ersist

1ymmetry

Denegerate 1 [UNCOUNTABLE, COUNTABLE, USUALLY PLURAL] (BRITIS EN!LIS ) the situation when somebody has to leave their 4ob because there is no more work available for them. Thousands of factory wor!ers are facing redundancy. to accept&ta!e voluntary redundancy (& to offer to leave your 4ob). the threat of compulsory redundancies. redundancy payments. L88 wor!ers have been issued with redundancy notices. see also L!1&#"" 2 [UNCOUNTABLE] (FORMAL or TEC NICAL) the state o+ not ,eing necessar* needed or 4se+4l. Gatural language is characteri"ed by redundancy (& words are used that are not really necessary for somebody to understand the meaning). 1 (BRITIS EN!LIS ALSO sil-er +oil) [UNCOUNTABLE] metal made into very thin sheets that is used for covering or wrapping things, especially food< ( BRITIS EN!LIS ) aluminium foil (NORT AMERICAN EN!LIS ) aluminum foilCover the fish loosely with foil and ba!e for 78 minutes. see also TI%"#IL 2 [UNCOUNTABLE] paper that is covered in very thin sheets of metal. The chocolates are individually wrapped in gold foil.

$edundancy

'oil

3 [COUNTABLE] "oil ("or somebody/something) a person or thing that contrasts with, and therefore emphasizes, the +ualities of another person or thing. The pale walls provide a perfect foil for the furniture. His mellow guitar techni*ue is the ideal foil for her soaring voice. 4 [COUNTABLE] a long thin light sword used in the sport of fencing 1

repress something to try not to have or show an emotion, a feeling, etc.

Synonym:
Repress

'#%TR#L. to repress a smile. He burst in ma!ing no effort to repress his fury. 'or years he had successfully repressed the painful memories of childhood.

2 [OFTEN PASSIVE] repress somebody/something to use political and or military force to control a group of people and restrict their freedom

Synonym:

0(T D#=%, S(00RESS.

The government was *uic! to repress any

opposition. 1 [TRANSITIVE] Dramatize

dramatize something to present a book, an event, etc. as a play

or a film movie5ane Austen's $-mma% was dramati"ed on television recently. 2 [TRANSITIVE, INTRANSITIVE] dramatize (something) to make something seem more e#citing or important than it really is. 4on't worry too much about what she said/she tends to dramati"e things. a television dramati"ation of the trial. She has a tendency to dramati"ation 1 condemn somebody/something ("or/as something) to e#press very strong disapproval of somebody something, usually for moral reasons. The government issued a statement condemning the !illings.The editor of the newspaper was condemned as lac!ing integrity.

!"#$!%& T! 'U() *"#(T

2 [USUALLY PASSIVE] to say what somebody/s punishment will be

Synonym:

SE%TE%'E. condemn somebody (to something) He was condemned to death for murder and later hanged.condemn somebody to do something She was condemned to hang for !illing her husband.

!"#$!%& T! %)++)CU,T
(ondemn

)TUAT)!(

3 [USUALLY PASSIVE] condemn somebody to something to force somebody to accept a difficult or unpleasant situation

Synonym:

D##$. He was condemned to a life of hardship.They were condemned to spend every holiday on a rainy campsite.

!"#T*)(- %A(-#.!U
4 [USUALLY PASSIVE] condemn something (as something) to say officially that something is not safe enough to be used a condemned buildingThe meat was condemned as unfit to eat.

*!/ -U),T
/

condemn somebody to show or suggest that somebody is guilty of

somethingShe is condemned out of her own mouth (& her own words show that she is guilty). 1 distort something to change the shape, appearance or sound of something so that it is strange or not clear. a fairground mirror that distorts your shape. The loudspea!er seemed to distort his voice. 2 distort something to twist or change facts, ideas, etc. so that they are no longer correct or true. Gewspapers are often guilty of distorting the truth. The article gave a distorted picture of his childhood. modern alloys that are resistant to wear and distortion. a distortion of the facts

Distort

divulge something (to somebody)9 divulge what, whether, etc (FORMAL) to

Divulge give somebody information that is supposed to be secret

Synonym:

RE E!L

. :olice refused to divulge the identity of the suspect.

to hide somebody something

conceal somebody/something . The paintings were concealed beneath a thic!

(onceal layer of plaster. Tim could barely conceal his disappointment. She sat down to conceal the fact that she was trembling. conceal somebody/something "rom somebody/something& 'or a long time his death was concealed from her.

")0
1 [TRANSITIVE] to move a li+uid or substance around, using a spoon or something similar, in order to mi# it thoroughly stir something She stirred her tea.Stir the paint before you use it.stir something into something The vegetables are stirred into the rice while it is hot. stir something in Stir in the mil! until the sauce thic!ens.

"!1#
2 [INTRANSITIVE, TRANSITIVE] to move, or to make something move, slightly. She heard the baby stir in the ne#t room.stir something/somebody A slight bree"e was stirring the branches.A noise stirred me from sleep. 3 [INTRANSITIVE, TRANSITIVE] to move, or to make somebody move, in order to do something .ou haven't stirred from that chair all evening?stir yoursel"/somebody Come on stir yourself. .ou're late?Their complaints have finally stirred him into action.

1tir

+##,)(4 [TRANSITIVE] stir somebody (to something) to make somebody e#cited or make them feel something strongly. a boo! that really stirs the imagination. She was stirred by his sad story. / [INTRANSITIVE] (OF A FEELIN! OR A MOO') to begin to be feltA feeling of guilt began to stir in her.Gew optimism was stirring throughout the country.

CAU # T.!U$,#
> [TRANSITIVE, INTRANSITIVE] stir (it) (BRITIS EN!LIS , INFORMAL, cause trouble. .ou're )ust stirring it? see also STIRRER
'ISAPPROVIN!)

to try to

(ellular

1 connected with or consisting of the cells of plants or animals cellular structure/processes 2 connected with a telephone system that works by radio instead of wires. a cellular networ!. cellular radio 3 (BRITIS EN!LIS ) (OF CLOT ) loosely woven for e#tra warmth. cellular blan!ets not suitable or appropriate in a particular situation inappropriate behaviour/languageinappropriate ("or somebody/something) (to do something) It would be inappropriate for me to comment. inappropriate to/"or something clothes inappropriate to the occasion. 1 [COUNTABLE, USUALLY PLURAL] sanction (against somebody) an official order that limits trade, contact, etc. with a particular country, in order to make it do something, such as obeying international law. Trade sanctions were imposed against any country that refused to sign the agreement. The economic sanctions have been lifted.

)nappropriate

1anctioned

2 [UNCOUNTABLE] (FORMAL) official permission or approval for an action or a change

Synonym:

!(TH#RI<!TI#% . These changes will re*uire the sanction of the court. Their ideas received official sanction at the meeting.

3 [COUNTABLE] sanction (against something) a course of action that can be used, if necessary, to make people obey a law or behave in a particular way

Synonym:

0E%!LT1. The ultimate sanction will be the closure of the restaurant. 3e now have an effective sanction against the !illing of whales.

1 [NOT USUALLY BEFORE NOUN] dubious (about something)/(about doing something) (OF A PERSON) not certain and slightly suspicious about something! not knowing whether something is good or bad

Synonym:
Dubious

D#(BT"(L.

I was rather dubious about the whole idea.

2 ('ISAPPROVIN!) probably not honest

Synonym:

S(S0I'I#(S. They indulged in some highly dubious business practices to obtain their current position in the mar!et.

3 that you cannot be sure about! that is probably not good. They consider the plan to be of dubious benefit to most families. (IRONIC) She had the dubious honour of being the last woman to be hanged in -ngland (& it was not an honour at all).d4,io4sl* a state of complete confusion and lack of order economic&political&domestic chaos. Heavy snow has caused total chaos on the roads. The house was in chaos after the party. The country was thrown/plunged into chaos by the :resident's death. difficult to control or manage ?nruly

(haos

Synonym: DIS#RDERL1. an unruly class. unruly behaviour. unruly hair (&

difficult to keep looking neat). He struggled hard to control his unruly emotions. (nr4liness 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.

%ppease

2 appease somebody/something to give a country what it wants in order to avoid war. appeasement. a policy of appeasement. "#tolled to praise somebody something very much e'tol somebody/something . 4octors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. e'tol somebody/something as something . She was e#tolled as a genius. 1 [INTRANSITIVE, TRANSITIVE] to change from a gas into a li+uid! to make a gas change into a li+uid. condense (into something) Steam condenses into water when it cools. condense something (into something) The steam was condensed rapidly by in)ecting cold water into the cylinder. 2 [INTRANSITIVE, TRANSITIVE] condense (something) if a li+uid condenses or you condense it, it becomes thicker and stronger because it has lost some of its water

(ondensed

Synonym:

RED('E.

Condense the soup by boiling it for several minutes.

3 [TRANSITIVE] condense something (into something) to put something such as a piece of writing into fewer words! to put a lot of information into a small space. The article was condensed into )ust two pages.The author has condensed a great deal of material into )ust 188 pages. >lorified making somebody something seem more important or better than they are. The restaurant was no more than a glorified fast,food cafe. to increase in degree or strength! to make something increase in degree or strength )ntensified

Synonym: HEI)HTE%. ;iolence intensified during the night. intensi"y something

The opposition leader has intensified his attac!s on the government. Intensi+ication

disparage somebody/something (FORMAL) to suggest that somebody something

is not important or valuable . Disparaged

Synonym:

BELITTLE

. I don't mean to disparage your achievements.

disparagement Disparaging. disparaging remar!s. disparagingl* He spo!e disparagingly of his colleagues.

proponent (o" something) (FORMAL) a person who supports an idea or course of

0roponents action.

Synonym:
(acophony

!D #'!TE

a mi#ture of loud unpleasant sounds 'acophono4s 1 arranged or organized in a neat, careful and logical way

Synonym:
3rderly

TID1. a calm and orderly life. vegetables planted in orderly rows. a woman with an orderly mind.

2 behaving well! peaceful. an orderly demonstration. The elections were conducted in a peaceful and orderly fashion.

pposite: DIS#RDERL1 . orderliness

.aucity

paucity (o" something) (FORMAL) a small amount of something! less than

enough of something. a paucity of information 1 a person who e#presses opinions about the good and bad +ualities of books, music, etc . a music/theatre/literary! etc. critic. The critics loved the movie. 2 a person who e#presses disapproval of somebody something and talks about their bad +ualities, especially publicly. She is one of the ruling party's most outspo!en critics. a critic of private health care containing a libel about somebody a libellous statement Li,elo4s

(ritics

libel
the act of printing a statement about somebody that is not true and that gives people a bad opinion of them. He sued the newspaper for libel. a libel action (& a case in a court of law) #ompare SL!%DER

rehash something ('ISAPPROVIN!) to arrange ideas, pieces of writing or pieces of

$ehash film into a new form but without any great change or improvement. He )ust rehashes songs from the D8s. rehash The movie is )ust a rehash of the best T; episodes. a +act9 an action or a 8a* o+ ,eha-ing that is not 4s4al9 and that ma* ,e 4naccepta,le. a temporary aberration of his exhausted mind. # childless woman was regarded as an aberration! almost a social outcast. not following one style or set of ideas but choosing from or using a wide variety. "clecticism She has very eclectic tastes in literature. His house is an eclectic mi#ture of the anti*ue and the modern.

!,erration

: Her wor! draws eclectically on psychoanalysis and mythology. eclecticism : Critics praised the originality and eclecticism of her wor!.
eclecticall* 1 the food and drink that people, animals and plants need to live and stay healthy. There's not much sustenance in a bowl of soup. (FI!URATIVE) Arguing would only give further sustenance to his allegations. 2 sustenance (o" something) the process of making something continue to e#ist. -lections are essential for the sustenance of parliamentary democracy. the moral ideas and attit4des that ,elong to a partic4lar gro4p or societ*. an ethos of public service. the carefree Californian ethos. 1 the ,elie+ that a per+ect li+e9 sit4ation9 etc. can ,e achie-ed9 e-en 8hen this is not -er* li6el*. $e was full of youthful idealism. Idealism has no place in modern politics. 2 (P ILOSOP Y) the belief that our ideas are the only things that are real and that we can know about #ompare $!TERI!LIS$, RE!LIS$. idealist He's too much of an idealist for this government. 1 [COUNTABLE] a person, thing or situation that has two opposite features and therefore seems strange. He was a parado#/a loner who loved to chat to strangers. It is a curious parado# that professional comedians often have unhappy personal lives.

1ustenance

Ethos

)dealism

.arado#es

2 [COUNTABLE, UNCOUNTABLE] a statement containing two opposite ideas that make it seem impossible or unlikely, although it is probably true! the use of this in writing$Iore haste less speed% is a well,!nown parado#. It's a wor! full of parado# and ambiguity.parado:ical It is parado#ical that some of the poorest people live in some of the richest areas of the country. parado:icall* :arado#ically the less she ate the fatter she got.

1 [UNCOUNTABLE] essence (o" something) the most important +uality or feature of something, that makes it what it is. His paintings capture the essence of 'rance. In essence (& when you consider the most important points) your situation isn't so different from mine. 2 [UNCOUNTABLE, COUNTABLE] a li+uid taken from a plant, etc. that contains its smell and taste in a very strong form. essence of rosewood (BRITIS EN!LIS ) coffee/vanilla/almond essence see also E3TR!'T

"ssence

Idioms

o+ the essence
necessary and very important In this situation time is of the essence (& we must do things as +uickly as possible). happening or done at the same time as something else There were several simultaneous attac!s by the rebels. Any ceasefire would be simultaneous with the withdrawal of 0S forces. simultaneous translation/interpreting likely to be understood or en4oyed 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 re*uired to understand some of the more esoteric te#ts. the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another transition ("rom something) (to something) the transition from school to full, time wor!. He will remain head of state during the period of transition to democracy.transition (between ) and *) 3e need to ensure a smooth transition between the old system and the new one.This course is useful for students who are in transition (& in the process of changing) from one training programme to another. a transitional period. a transitional government 1 very great! felt or e#perienced very strongly. profound changes in the earth's climate. Iy father's death had a profound effect on us all. The news came as a profound shoc!. The report has profound implications for schools. Her sense of disappointment was profound. 2 showing great knowledge or understanding. profound insights. a profound boo! 3 needing a lot of study or thought. profound *uestions about life and death 4 (ME'ICAL) very serious! complete. profound disability.

1imultaneous

Esoteric

Transitional

0ro+o4nd

>enerality

1 [COUNTABLE, USUALLY PLURAL] a statement that discusses general principles or issues rather than details or particular e#amples. to spea! in broad generalities. As usual he confined his comments to generalities. 2 the generalit* [SIN!ULAR / SIN!ULAR OR PLURAL VERB] (FORMAL) most of a group of people or things. This view is held by the generality of leading scholars. 3 [UNCOUNTABLE] (FORMAL) the +uality of being general rather than detailed or e#act. An account of such generality is of little value. 1 [UNCOUNTABLE, SIN!ULAR] the process or result of 4oining two or more things together to form one. the fusion of copper and "inc to produce brass. The movie displayed a perfect fusion of image and sound. 2 (also n4clear +4sion) [UNCOUNTABLE] (P YSICS) the act or process of combining the nuclei (& central parts) of atoms to form a heavier nucleus, with energy being released #ompare "ISSI#% 3 [UNCOUNTABLE] music that is a mi#ture of different styles, especially 4azz and rock 4 [UNCOUNTABLE] cooking that is a mi#ture of different styles. 'renchMThai fusion 1 [COUNTABLE] (LITERARY) a deep crack or opening in the ground

'usion

'hasm

2 [SIN!ULAR] chasm (between ) and *) (FORMAL) a very big difference between two people or groups, for e#ample because they have different attitudes .

Synonym:
Dichotom* Reciprocit* (ommonality

)(L"

the yawning chasm of the generation gap

dichotomy (between ) and *) (FORMAL) the separation that e#ists between two
groups or things that are completely opposite to and different from each other a situation in which two people, countries, etc. provide the same help or advantages to each other

%vert

1 avert something to prevent something bad or dangerous from happening. A disaster was narrowly averted. He did his best to avert suspicion. Tal!s are ta!ing place in an attempt to avert a stri!e. 2 avert your eyes/gaze/"ace ("rom something) to turn your eyes, etc. away from something that you do not want to see. She averted her eyes from the terrible scene in front of her.

humiliate somebody/yoursel"/something to make somebody feel ashamed or

2umiliated stupid and lose the respect of other people. I didn't want to humiliate her in front of her colleagues. I've never felt so humiliated. How could I humiliate myself li!e that(The party was humiliated in the recent elections. a humiliating defeat. It was the most humiliating night of his life. 1 [UNCOUNTABLE] the loss of other people/s respect and approval because of the bad way somebody has behaved

Synonym:
Disgraced

SH!$E. Her behaviour has brought disgrace on her family.The swimmer was sent home from the +lympics in disgrace. There is no disgrace in being poor. Sam was in disgrace with his parents.

2 [SIN!ULAR] a disgrace (to somebody/something) a person or thing that is so bad that people connected with them or it feel or should feel ashamed. .our homewor! is an absolute disgrace.That sort of behaviour is a disgrace to the legal profession.The state of our roads is a national disgrace. It%s a disgrace that (& it is very wrong that) they are paid so little. 0antalized

tantalize somebody/something to make a person or an animal want something

that they cannot have or do. tantalizing, &ising The tantali"ing aroma of fresh coffee wafted towards them. a tantalizing glimpse of the future tantalizingl*, &isingl*

The branch was tantali"ingly out of reach.

spurn somebody/something to re4ect or refuse somebody something,

especially in a proud way 1purned
SH(%. -ve spurned Iar!'s invitation. a spurned lover. The president spurned the tight security surrounding him and adopted a more intimate style of campaigning.

Synonym:

'ortify

1 "orti"y something (against somebody/something) to make a place more able to resist attack, especially by building high walls a fortified townThey fortified the area against attac!. 2 "orti"y somebody/yoursel" (against somebody/something) to make somebody yourself feel stronger, braver, etcHe fortified himself against the cold with a hot drin!.Although fortified by its election success the government remains cautious in its policies. 3 to make a feeling or an attitude strongerThe news merely fortified their determination. 4 "orti"y something (with something) to increase the strength or +uality of food or drink by adding something to itSherry is fortified wine (& wine with e#tra alcohol added).cereal fortified with e#tra vitamins 1 a small simple building, usually built of wood or metal, used for keeping things ina bicycle shed (BRITIS EN!LIS ) a garden shed2 (BRITIS EN!LIS ) a large industrial building, used for working in or keeping e+uipment an engine shed3 (AUSTRALIAN EN!LIS , NE" 0EALAN' EN!LIS ) a building with open sides where the wool is cut off sheep (& they are sheared ) or where cows are milked see also '#=SHED, 0#TTI%) SHED, =##DSHED

1hedding

1. To cause to pour forth: shed tears. 2. To diffuse or radiate; send forth or impart: shed light. 3. To repel 2ithout allo2ing penetration: A duck's feathers shed water. 4. a. To lose by natural process: a snake shedding its skin. b. To rid oneself of 3something not 2anted or needed4: I shed 25 pounds as a result of my new diet. 1. To lose a natural gro2th or covering by natural process. 2. To pour forth5 fall off5 or drop out: All the leaves have shed.. 1. omething that sheds5 especially an elevation in the earth6s surface from 2hich 2ater flo2s in t2o directions; a 2atershed. 2. omething that has been shed.
1 [TRANSITIVE, INTRANSITIVE] to buy insurance so that you will receive money if your property, car, etc. gets damaged or stolen, or if you get ill sick or dieinsure something/yoursel" ("or something) The painting is insured for N1 million.insure something/yoursel" (against something) The car is insured against fire and theft.Auc!ily he had insured himself against long,term illness. (FI!URATIVE) Having a lot of children is a way of insuring themselves against loneliness in old age.insure against something 3e strongly recommend insuring against sic!ness or in)ury. 2 [TRANSITIVE] insure somebody/something to sell insurance to somebody for

)nsuring

somethingThe company can refuse to insure a property that does not have window loc!s. 3 (ESPECIALLY NORT AMERICAN EN!LIS ) + E%S(RE 1 rein"orce something to make a feeling, an idea, etc. stronger. The e#perience reinforced my sense of loss.Such )o!es tend to reinforce racial stereotypes.The climate of political confusion has only reinforced the country's economic decline.Success in the tal!s will reinforce his reputation as an international statesman. 2 rein"orce something to make a structure or material stronger, especially by adding another material to it. All buildings are now reinforced to withstand earth*ua!es. reinforced steel 3 rein"orce something to send more people or e+uipment in order to make an army, etc. stronger. The 0G has underta!en to reinforce its military presence along the borders. 1 developing, growing, etc. gradually and in an even and regular way

$einforcing

Synonym:'#%ST!%T . five years of steady economic growtha steady decline in

numbers3e are ma!ing slow but steady progress.The castle receives a steady stream of visitors. 2 not changing and not interrupted

Synonym:

RE)(L!R. His breathing was steady.a steady "ob/incomeShe drove at a steady E8 mph.They set off at a steady pace.a steady boyfriend/girlfriend (& with whom you have a serious relationship or one that has lasted a long time)to have a steady relationship.

1teadily

3 firmly fi#ed, supported or balanced! not shaking or likely to fall down He held the boat steady as she got in.I met his steady ga"e.Such fine wor! re*uires a good eye and a steady hand.She's not very steady on her feet these days.

pposite: (%STE!D1
4 (OF A PERSON) sensible! who can be relied on. steadil*
A'VERBThe company's e#ports have been increasing steadily.The situation got

steadily worse.He loo!ed at her steadily.The rain fell steadily. steadiness Idioms

AasB stead* as a roc6

e#tremely steady and calm! that you can rely on

more at ready, steady, go+ at RE!D1 adjective

?nsteadily very small and therefore unable to be seen or felt!

)mperceptibly

pposite: 0ER'E0TIBLE . imperceptible changes in temperature. The differences were imperceptible to all but the most trained eye.There was an almost imperceptible pause as she gathered her breath to spea!.
impercepti,l* A'VERBThe daylight faded almost imperceptibly into night.

.recarious

1 (OF A SITUATION) not safe or certain! dangerous. He earned a precarious living as an artist.The museum is in a financially precarious position.The world is a precarious and unstable place. 2 likely to fall or cause somebody to fall. That ladder loo!s very precarious.The path down to the beach is very precarious in wet weather. precario4sl* A'VERBThe economy is precariously close to recession.He balanced the glass

precariously on the arm of his chair. precario4sness happening only occasionally or at intervals that are not regular

Synonym: I%TER$ITTE%T. sporadic fighting/gunfire/violence! etc.sporadic

1poradically outbrea!s of the disease. sporadicall* for two months. E3ER'ISE & 3
A'VERBShe attended lectures only sporadically. 'ighting continued sporadically

that cannot be trusted or depended on The trains are notoriously unreliable.He's totally unreliable as a source of information. ?nreliable

pposite: RELI!BLE
4nrelia,ilit* the unreliability of some statistics secret and mysterious and therefore difficult to understand. the arcane rules of cric!et behaving in a proud, unpleasant way, showing little thought for other people arrogantl* 1 in or connected with the first stages of a course of study. an elementary -nglish course. a boo! for elementary students. at an elementary level #ompare 0RI$!R1, SE'#%D!R1 2 of the most basic kindthe elementary laws of economics. an elementary mista!e 3 very simple and easy. elementary *uestions 1 (OF I'EAS) obtained by using your feelings rather than by considering the factsHe had an intuitive sense of what the reader wanted.

%rcane %rrogant

"lementary

)ntuitive

2 (OF PEOPLE) able to understand something by using feelings rather than by considering the facts 3 (OF COMPUTER SOFT"ARE$ ETC.) easy to understand and to useint4iti-el* Intuitively she !new that he was lying. 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

e'trapolate ("rom/to something) The figures were obtained by e#trapolating

"#trapolate from past trends.

e'trapolate something ("rom/to something) 3e have e#trapolated these

results from research done in other countries.The results cannot be e#trapolated to other patient groups.

e:trapolation Their age can be determined by e#trapolation from their growth rate. 0ranscribe 1 to record thoughts, speech or data in a written form, or in a different written form from the originaltranscribe something Cler!s transcribe everything that is said in court.The interview was recorded and then transcribed. transcribe

something into something How many official documents have been

transcribed into Braille for blind people( 2 transcribe something (TEC NICAL) to show the sounds of speech using a special phonetic alphabet 3 transcribe something ("or something) to write a piece of music in a different form so that it can be played by another musical instrument or sung by another voice. a piano piece transcribed for the guitar 1 [TRANSITIVE] ampli"y something to increase something in strength, especially soundto amplify a guitar/an electric current/a signal %mplify 2 [INTRANSITIVE, TRANSITIVE] (FORMAL) to add details to a story, statement, etc. She refused to amplify further.ampli"y something .ou may need to amplify this point.ampli+ication electronic amplification. That comment needs some amplification. 1 [UNCOUNTABLE] (APPROVIN!) the ability to see and understand the truth about people or situations. a writer of great insight. 3ith a flash of insight I reali"ed what the dream meant. 2 [COUNTABLE, UNCOUNTABLE] insight (into something) an understanding of what something is like. The boo! gives us fascinating insights into life in Ie#ico. I hope you have gained some insight into the difficulties we face. 1 (OFTEN 'ISAPPROVIN!) refusing to change your opinions, way of behaving, etc. when other people try to persuade you to! behaviour that shows this

)nsight

Synonym:
3bstinacy

ST(BB#R%. He can be very obstinate when he wants to be?. her obstinate refusal to comply with their re*uest2 [USUALLY BEFORE NOUN] difficult to get rid of or deal with

Synonym:ST(BB#R% the obstinate problem of unemployment. an obstinate

stain . o,stinac* o,stinatel*

: an act of sheer obstinacy

He obstinately refused to consider the future.

)ntrospection

the careful e#amination of your own thoughts, feelings and reasons for behaving in a particular way These situations are best resolved with the minimum of introspection or self, analysis. the ability or willingness to believe that something is real or true. The plot of the novel stretches credulity to the limit (& it is almost impossible to believe). 1 (OF A STATEMENT OR PIECE OF "RITIN!) clear and easy to understandHe gave me very e#plicit directions on how to get there. 2 (OF A PERSON) saying something clearly, e#actly and openly

(redulity

Synonym:
"#plicit

"R!%2

She was *uite e#plicit about why she had left.

3 said, done or shown in an open or direct way, so that you have no doubt about what is happening. The reasons for the decision should be made e#plicit. She made some very e#plicit references to my personal life. a se#ually e#plicit film #ompare I$0LI'IT. e:plicitl*

: The report states e#plicitly that the system was to blame. #ompare
e:plicitness

I$0LI'ITL1.

He didn't li!e the degree of se#ual e#plicitness in the film. )nfer 1 to reach an opinion or decide that something is true on the basis of

information that is available

Synonym:

DED('E. in"er something ("rom something) Iuch of the meaning must be inferred from the conte#t. Headers are left to infer the !iller's motives. in"er that It is reasonable to infer that the government !new about these deals.

2 in"er (that)9 in"er something (NON1STAN'AR') to suggest indirectly that something is true. Are you inferring <that= I'm not capable of doing the )ob(

Usage note: i%&er 2 impl3In+er and impl* have opposite meanings. 0he
two words can describe the same event, but from different points of view. )f a speaker or writer implies something, they suggest it without saying it directly< The article implied that the pilot was responsible for the accident. )f you in+er something from what a speaker or writer says, you come to the conclusion that this is what he or she means< I inferred from the article that the pilot was responsible for the accident.In+er is now often used with the same meaning as impl*. 2owever, many people consider that a sentence such as Are you inferring that I%m a liar( is incorrect, although it is fairly common in speech. 1 to know, recognize or understand something, especially something that is not obvious

Synonym:

Discerned

DETE'T. discern something It is possible to discern a number of different techni*ues in her wor!.He discerned a certain coldness in their welcome.discern how, whether, etc It is often difficult to discern how widespread public support is.discern that I *uic!ly discerned that something was wrong.

discern something to see or hear something, but not very clearly

$!2E #(T.

Synonym: Synonym:

3e could )ust discern the house in the distance.

discerni,le
0ER'E0TIBLEThere is often no discernible difference between rival brands.His face was barely discernible in the gloom

needing great effort! causing trouble or worry 3nerous

Synonym: T!3I%). an onerous duty/task/responsibility

hesitating before doing something because you do not want to do it or because you are not sure that it is the right thing to do reluctant agreement.

reluctant (to do something) She was reluctant to admit she was wrong.He
$eluctant finally gave a reluctant smile. a reluctant hero (& a person who does not want to be called a hero)rel4ctance

reluctance (to do something) There is still some reluctance on the part of

employers to become involved in this pro)ect.They finally agreed to our terms with a certain reluctance.It was with great reluctance that she too! early retirement. rel4ctantl* : 3e reluctantly agreed to go with her. Heluctantly he started the engine and drove off.

Definitive

1 final! not able to be changed. A definitiveagreement/answer/statement. The definitive version of the te#t is ready to be published.

2 [USUALLY BEFORE NOUN] considered to be the best of its kind and almost impossible to improvethe definitive biography of -instein. the definitive guide to the golf courses of -urope . de+initi-el* Derivative a word or thing that has been developed or produced from another word or thing . $Happiness% is a derivative of $happy%. Crac! is a highly potent and addictive derivative of cocaine. 1 from the earliest period of the history of the world, very ancient. primeval forests. primeval soup (& the mi#ture of gases and substances that is thought to have e#isted when the earth was formed and from which life started). 2 (FORMAL) (OF A FEELIN!$ OR A 'ESIRE) very strong and not based on reason, as if from the earliest period of human life. primeval urges 1 [COUNTABLE] a god or goddessFree!&Homan&Hindu deities 2 the Deit* [SIN!ULAR] (FORMAL) >od. plural deities 1 [USUALLY BEFORE NOUN] done alone! without other peopleShe en)oys long solitary wal!s.He led a solitary life. 2 (OF A PERSON OR AN ANIMAL) en4oying being alone! fre+uently spending time aloneHe was a solitary child.Tigers are solitary animals. 1olitary 3 (OF A PERSON$ T
IN! OR PLACE)

.rimeval

Deities

alone, with no other people or things around

Synonym: Synonym:

SI%)LE. a solitary farm. A solitary light burned dimly in the hall. 4 [USUALLY BEFORE NOUN] (especially in negative sentences and +uestions) only one SI%)LE.

There was not a solitary shred of evidence (& none at all).

solitariness 'laccid -usculature

: -ven as a boy he was given to solitariness.

soft and weak! not firm and hard. flaccid breasts the system of muscles in the body or part of the body

The system or arrangement of muscles in a body or a body part

happening as a result of something

(onse+uent

Synonym: RES(LT!%Tthe lowering of ta#es and the conse*uent increase in

spending. conse$uent on/upon upon the arrival of a new child

something the responsibilities conse*uent

=inger

1 [INTRANSITIVE] to continue to e#ist for longer than e#pected. The faint smell of her perfume lingered in the room.linger on The civil war lingered on well into the 1278s. 2 [INTRANSITIVE] (+ adverb/preposition) to stay somewhere for longer because you do not want to leave! to spend a long time doing something. She lingered for a few minutes to tal! to Gic!. 3e lingered over brea!fast on the terrace. 3 [INTRANSITIVE] linger (on somebody/something) to continue to look at somebody something or think about something for longer than usual. His eyes lingered on the diamond ring on her finger. 4 [INTRANSITIVE] linger (on) to stay alive but become weaker. He lingered on for several months after the heart attac!. 1 [COUNTABLE, USUALLY PLURAL] implication (o" something) ("or something) a possible effect or result of an action or a decision They failed to consider the wider implications of their actions.The development of the site will have implications for the surrounding countryside. 2 [COUNTABLE,
UNCOUNTABLE]

)mplication

something that is suggested or indirectly stated (&

something that is implied). The implication in his article is that being a housewife is greatly inferior to every other occupation.He critici"ed the 4irector and by implication the whole of the organi"ation. 3 [UNCOUNTABLE] implication (o" somebody) (in something) the fact of being involved, or of involving somebody, in something, especially a crime

Synonym:

I% #L E$E%T.

He resigned after his implication in a se# scandal.

1 the Renaissance the period in "urope during the 57th, 58th and 5Ath centuries when people became interested in the ideas and culture of ancient >reece and $ome and used these influences in their own art, literature, etc. Henaissance art $enaissance 2 a situation when there is new interest in a particular sub4ect, form of art, etc. after a period when it was not very popular

Synonym:

RE I !LThe British film industry is currently en)oying something of a renaissance. to e#perience a renaissance

0ranscendental

going beyond the limits of human knowledge, e#perience or reason, especially in a religious or spiritual way. a transcendental e#perience 1 to say that something that somebody else has said is wrong, and that the opposite is true. contradict something All evening her husband contradicted everything she said. contradict somebody/yoursel" .ou've )ust contradicted yourself (& said the opposite of what you said before).contradict (somebody) + speech $Go it's not % she contradicted <him=. 2 contradict something9 contradict each other (OF STATEMENTS OR PIECES OF EVI'ENCE) to be so different from each other that one of them must be wrong. The two stories contradict each other.This version of events was contradicted by eye,witness reports.

(ontradict

Usage note: e4i)e%#e)i-ing proo+&here is clear evidence that T;

advertising influences what children buy. It is clear from numerous studies that T; advertising influences what children buy.Hecent research demonstrates that T; advertising influences children's spending habits.Iany parents thin! that T; advertising influences their children. This view is supported by the findings of a recent study which show a clear lin! between television advertisements and children's spending habits.The findings also reveal that most children are unaware of the persuasive purpose of advertising.&here is little evidence that children understand the persuasive intent of advertising.The results contradict claims that advertising is unrelated to children's spending habits.Ianufacturers argue that it is difficult to prove that advertising alone influences what children buy. =anguage ,anks at !R)(E, E.)., ILL(STR!TE one of the large number of complicated and une#pected results that follow an action or a decision

$amifications

Synonym: '#$0LI'!TI#%. These changes are bound to have widespread social

ramifications. to become worse Her health deteriorated rapidly and she died shortly afterwards. deteriorating weather conditions

Deteriorate

deteriorate into something& The discussion *uic!ly deteriorated into an angry

argument.deterioration a serious deterioration in relations between the two countries "nervating

enervate somebody (FORMAL) to make somebody feel weak and tired. an

enervating disease&climate. ener-ation 1 contrary to something different from something! against something. 'ontrary to popular belief many cats disli!e mil!.The government has decided that the publication of the report would be $contrary to the public interest%.Contrary to e#pectations and the weather forecast we had a fine day for the e#periment. 2 [ONLY BEFORE NOUN] completely different in nature or direction

(ontrary

Synonym:#00#SITE. contrary advice/opinions/arguments. The contrary

view is that prison provides an e#cellent education/in crime. 1 a group of people at a meeting or an event who have something in common, especially the place they come from, that is not shared by other people at the event. The largest contingent was from the 0nited States. A strong contingent of local residents were there to bloc! the proposal. 2 a group of soldiers that are part of a larger force. the 'rench contingent in the 0G peace!eeping force the attitude or behaviour of people who seem very easily shocked by things connected with se# 1 [UNCOUNTABLE] criminal activities that involve se# or drugs. plain,clothes detectives from the vice s*uad 2 [UNCOUNTABLE, COUNTABLE] evil or immoral behaviour! an evil or immoral +uality in somebody/s character. The film ended most satisfactorily> vice punished and virtue rewarded.Freed is a terrible vice. ( UMOROUS) Cigarettes are my only vice. 3 (BRITIS EN!LIS ) (NORT AMERICAN EN!LIS -ise) [COUNTABLE] a tool with two metal blocks that can be moved together by turning a screw. 0he vice is used to hold an ob4ect firmly while work is done on it. He held my arm in a vice(like (& very firm) grip. 1 to order somebody not to do something! to order that something must not be done"orbid somebody ("rom doing something) He forbade them from mentioning the sub)ect again."orbid something Her father forbade the marriage."orbid somebody to do something .ou are all forbidden to leave."orbid somebody something Iy doctor has forbidden me sugar."orbid (somebody) doing something She !new her mother would forbid her going.

(ontingent

.rudery

;ice

pposite: !LL#=,
'orbid

0ER$IT

2 "orbid something9 "orbid somebody difficult or impossible to do something

to do something (FORMAL) to make it

Synonym:0R#HIBIT. Aac! of space forbids further treatment of the topic here.

Idioms

)od;Hea-en +or,id AthatCB

(INFORMAL) used to say that you hope that something will not happen. $Iaybe you'll end up as a lawyer li!e me.% $Fod forbid?%

Help 1ome people find this use offensive. 1 [OFTEN PASSIVE] to stop something from being done or used especially by law

Synonym:

"#RBID.

.rohibit

prohibit something a law prohibiting the sale of alcohol prohibit somebody "rom doing something Soviet citi"ens were prohibited from travelling abroad.prohibit (somebody) doing something The policy
prohibits smo!ing on school grounds. 2 prohibit something impossible to do

/ somebody "rom doing something to make something

Synonym:

0RE E%T. The high cost of e*uipment prohibits many people from ta!ing up this sport.

Demise

1 the end or failure of an institution, an idea, a company, etc. 2 (FORMAL or UMOROUS) deathhis imminent/sudden/sad demise 1 (FORMAL, OFTEN 'ISAPPROVIN!) speech or writing that is intended to influence people, but that is not completely honest or sincere. the rhetoric of political slogans. empty rhetoric. His speech was dismissed as mere rhetoric by the opposition. 2 (FORMAL) the skill of using language in speech or writing in a special way that influences or entertains people

$hetoric

Synonym:

EL#.(E%'E, #R!T#R1

disrupt something to make it difficult for something to continue in the normal

Disrupt way. 4emonstrators succeeded in disrupting the meeting. Bus services will be disrupted tomorrow because of the bridge closure. disr4ption < 3e aim to help you move house with minimum disruption to yourself. disruptions to rail services. The stri!e caused serious disruptions. 1 the +uality of using few words when speaking or writing ,revity

Synonym:

'#%'ISE%ESS. The report is a masterpiece of brevity. Charles 4ic!ens was not !nown for his brevity. 'or the sa!e of brevity I'd li!e to ma!e )ust two points.

2 the fact of lasting a short time. the brevity of human life . see also BRIE"

mar something to damage or spoil something good

-arred

Synonym:
fans.

BLI)HT, R(I%.

The game was marred by the behaviour of drun!en

marring, marred

denunciation (o" somebody/something) (FORMAL) an act of criticizing

Denunciations

somebody something strongly in public. an angry denunciation of the government's policies. All parties )oined in bitter denunciation of the terrorists.

see also DE%#(%'E

%ccusations a statement saying that you think a person is guilty of doing something wrong, especially of committing a crime! the fact of accusing somebody. I don't want to make an accusation until I have some proof. There was a hint of accusation in her voice.

accusation o" something accusations of corruption&cruelty&racism accusation against somebody Go one believed her wild accusations against her
husband.

accusation that He denied the accusation that he had ignored the problems.
to prevent something from happening or somebody from doing something! to make something impossible preclude something Aac! of time precludes any further discussion. .our failure to become a member this year does not preclude the possibility of your applying ne#t year. preclude somebody "rom doing something Iy lac! of interest in the sub)ect precluded me from gaining much en)oyment out of it. preclude (somebody) doing something His religious beliefs precluded him&his serving in the army. 1 [COUNTABLE, UNCOUNTABLE] (FORMAL) a long and serious treatment or discussion of a sub4ect in speech or writing. a discourse on issues of gender and se#uality. He was hoping for some lively political discourse at the meeting. 2 [UNCOUNTABLE] (LIN!UISTICS) the use of language in speech and writing in order to produce meaning! language that is studied, usually in order to see how the different parts of a te#t are connectedspoken/written discourse. discourse analysis 1 [TRANSITIVE] contend in an argument

.reclude

Discourse

that (FORMAL) to say that something is true, especially

Synonym:
this point. (ontend

$!I%T!I%.

I would contend that the minister's thin!ing is flawed on

2 [INTRANSITIVE] contend ("or something) to compete against somebody in order to gain something. Three armed groups were contending for power.

0hrasal -er,s

contend 8ith something;some,od*

to have to deal with a problem or with a difficult situation or person Gurses often have to contend with violent or drun!en patients. 1 not interested in money or the things that it buys 2 lacking e#perience of life ?nworldly

Synonym:

%!I E

pposite: =#RLDL1. She was young and hopelessly unworldly.

3 having +ualities that do not seem to belong to this world. The landscape had a star! unworldly beauty.

%cademe (onvention

the world of learning, teaching, research, etc. at universities, and the people involved in it. leading figures from academia and industry 1 [COUNTABLE, UNCOUNTABLE] the way in which something is done that most people in a society e#pect and consider to be polite or the right way to do it. social conventions. )y convention the deputy leader was always a woman.She is a young woman who en)oys flouting conventions.Convention demands that a club member

should resign in such a situation. 2 [COUNTABLE] a large meeting of the members of a profession, a political party, etc.

Synonym:

'#%"ERE%'E. to hold a convention. the 4emocratic :arty Convention (& to elect a candidate for president)

3 [COUNTABLE] an official agreement between countries or leaders the Feneva conventionthe 0nited Gations convention on the rights of the child 4 [COUNTABLE, UNCOUNTABLE] a traditional method or style in literature, art or the theatrethe conventions of Free! tragedy of various different sorts. The meat is served with salad or assorted vegetables. The )umper comes in assorted colours. The children arrived bac! from the game with their assorted friends.a bo# of assorted chocolates.

%ssort

1. To separate into groups according to kind; classify. 2. To supply 2ith 3an appropriate variety or assortment5 as of goods4.
.lussed 1 (OF A C the s!in (austic
EMICAL SUBSTANCE)

able to destroy or dissolve other substances

Synonym:

'#RR#SI E.

a caustic cleaning product. caustic li*uid which blisters

2 critical in a bitter or sarcastic way

Synonym:

S'!THI%)

caustic comments/wit* Her speech was a caustic attac! on government officials. ca4sticall* $.ou are no help at all % she said caustically. lasting longer than e#pected or longer than usual .rotracted

Synonym: 0R#L#%)ED. protracted delays/disputes/negotiations

1 ill sick and weak, especially over a long period or as a result of being old. to grow old and infirm 2 the in+irm NOUN [PLURAL] people who are weak and ill sick for a long period. care for the elderly and infirm statements, especially about moral or religious issues, that are not sincere and that you cannot trust

)nfirm

(ant

Synonym:

H10#'RIS1.

His speech was full of political social and religious cant.

independent of other things of the same type Discrete

Synonym: SE0!R!TE. The organisms can be divided into discrete categories.

discretel*
A'VERB discreteness

"mbroidered

1 [TRANSITIVE, INTRANSITIVE] to decorate cloth with a pattern of stitches usually using coloured thread.

embroider ) on * She embroidered flowers on the cushion covers. embroider * with ) She embroidered the cushion cover with flowers.The
sleeves were embroidered in gold.

embroider (something) an embroidered blouse. She sat in the window

embroidering. 2 [TRANSITIVE] embroider something to make a story more interesting by adding details that are not always true

Synonym:
.arable %cerbic

E$BELLISH.

He is inclined to embroider the facts.

a short story that teaches a moral or spiritual lesson, especially one of those told by :esus as recorded in the ,ible . critical in a direct and rather cruel way. The letter was written in her usual acerbic style. acer,it* that you can rely on to always be there and always be the same

?nfailingly

unfailing support. She fought the disease with unfailing good humour. 4n+ailingl* : unfailingly loyal&polite. His )ob was to coo! the meals which he did unfailingly every day. %lthough. He finally agreed albeit reluctantly to help us. 1 (OF AN ARRAN!EMENT$ A!REEMENT$ ETC.) not definite or certain because you may want to change it later3e made a tentative arrangement to meet on 'riday.tentative conclusions

%lbeit

0entative

2 not behaving or done with confidence

Synonym:

HESIT!%T. a tentative greeting. Her -nglish is correct but tentative. I'm ta!ing the first tentative steps towards fitness.

tentati-el* < They have tentatively agreed to our proposal. She smiled tentatively. tentati-eness a small yellow bird with a beautiful song, often kept in a cage as a pet. (anary

!dioms see li#e the cat that got/ate/swallowed the canary at '!T plural canaries
not controlled or restricted. an unfettered free mar!et. unfettered by regulations 1 easily broken or damagedfragile china&glass&bones. Be careful not to drop itO it's very fragile. 2 weak and uncertain! easily destroyed or spoilt a fragile alliance/ceasefire/relationshipThe economy remains e#tremely fragile.In her )ob she was used to dealing with actors' fragile egos.

?nfettered

'ragile

3 delicate and often beautiful. fragile beauty. The woman's fragile face bro!e into a smile. 4 not strong and likely to become ill sick Her father is now 6D and in fragile health. (BRITIS EN!LIS , INFORMAL) I'm feeling a bit fragile after last night (& not well, perhaps because of drinking too much alcohol) . +ragilit* < the fragility of the human body. There was an air of fragility about him. the state of not having any energy or enthusiasm for doing things
I%ERTI!. The report critici"es the lethargy shown by employers when it comes to )ob creation.

=ethargic

Synonym: LISTLESS%ESS,

lethargic < The weather made her lethargic. e#pecting people to obey you and treating them as if they are not as important as you )mperious The professor was as imperious as ever. She put out an imperious hand to stop him. an imperious gesture/voice/command. imperio4sl* $eaffirmation

$Fet it now % she demanded imperiously.

rea""irm something to state something again in order to emphasize that it is

still true. The :resident reaffirmed his commitment to democratic elections. rea++irmation 1 a small part of something that still e#ists after the rest of it has stopped e#isting ;estiges

Synonym:

TR!'E.

the last vestiges of the old colonial regime

2 usually used in negative sentences, to say that not even a small amount of something e#ists. There's not a vestige of truth in the rumour. His report offered not a vestige of comfort.

.recursors

precursor (o"/to something) (FORMAL) a person or thing that comes before somebody something similar and that leads to or influences its development
"#RER(%%ER. a stringed instrument that was the precursor of the guitar. events that were precursors to revolution

Synonym:

not leading to a definite decision or result )nconclusive inconclusive evidence&results&tests. inconclusive discussions. A coalition government was formed following an inconclusive general election.

pposite: '#%'L(SI
)mpair

inconcl4si-el*

The last meeting had ended inconclusively.

impair something (FORMAL) to damage something or make something worse.

His age impaired his chances of finding a new )ob.

Usage note:

)ama5eh4rt harm impair0hese words all mean to

have a bad effect on somebody something. damage to cause physical harm to something, making it less attractive, useful or valuable! to have a bad effect on somebody something/s life, health, happiness or chances of success< The fire badly damaged the town hall. emotionally damaged childrenh4rt (rather informal) to have a bad effect on somebody something/s life, health, happiness or chances of success< Hard wor! never hurt anyone.harm to have a bad effect on somebody something/s life, health, happiness or chances of success< :ollution can harm marine life.damage9 h4rt or harmDH4rt is slightly less formal than damage or harm, especially when it is used in negative statements< It won't hurt him to have to wait a bit. It won't damage&harm him to have to wait a bit. Harm is also often used to talk about ways in which things in the natural world such as wildlife and the environment are affected by human activity.impair (rather formal) to damage somebody/s health, abilities or chances< -ven one drin! can impair driving performance. to damage hurt harm impair somebody/s chancesto damage hurt harm somebody/s interests;rep4tationto damage harm impair somebody/s

healthto serio4sl*;greatl* damage hurt harm impair somebody something

con"late ) and/with * (FORMAL) to put two or more things together to make

(onflate one new thing. The issues of race and class are separate and should not be conflated. con+lation 1 not well known

Synonym:
3bscure

(%2%#=%. an obscure Ferman poet. 3e went to see one of Sha!espeare's more obscure plays. He was born around 1DE8 but his origins remain obscure.

2 difficult to understand. I found her lecture very obscure. For some obscure reason he failed to turn up. The meaning of his comment was obscure to everyone but himself. o,sc4rel* < They were ma!ing her feel obscurely worried (& for reasons that were difficult to understand). 1 (BIOLO!Y) the gradual development of plants, animals, etc. over many years as they adapt to changes in their environment. the evolution of the human species. 4arwin's theory of evolution 2 the gradual development of something. In politics Britain has preferred evolution to revolution (& gradual development to sudden violent change). 1 [UNCOUNTABLE, SIN!ULAR] susceptibility (to something) the state of being very likely to be influenced, harmed or affected by something. susceptibility to disease.

"volution

1usceptibility

2 s4scepti,ilities [PLURAL] a person/s feelings which are likely to be easily hurt

. Synonym:
SE%SIBILITIES . It was all carried out without any consideration for the susceptibilities of the bereaved family.

1ynthesis

1 [UNCOUNTABLE, COUNTABLE] synthesis (o" something) the act of combining separate ideas, beliefs, styles, etc! a mi#ture or combination of ideas, beliefs, styles, etc. the synthesis of art with everyday life. a synthesis of traditional and modern values 2 [UNCOUNTABLE] (TEC NICAL) the natural chemical production of a substance in animals and plants. protein synthesis. the synthesis of nucleic acids 3 [UNCOUNTABLE] (TEC NICAL) the artificial production of a substance that is present naturally in animals and plants. the synthesis of penicillin 4 [UNCOUNTABLE] (TEC NICAL) the production of sounds, music or speech by electronic means. speech synthesis

%esthetics

1. (used with a sing. ver ! a. The branch of philosophy that deals 2ith the nature and expression of beauty5 as in the fine arts. b. )n 7antian philosophy5 the branch of metaphysics concerned 2ith the la2s of perception. 2. (used with a sing. ver ! The study of the psychological responses to beauty and artistic experiences. 3. (used with a sing. or pl. ver ! A conception of 2hat is artistically valid or beautiful: minimalist aesthetics. 4. (used with a sing. or pl. ver ! An artistically beautiful or pleasing appearance: "#hey're looking for $uality construction% not aesthetics" (&on 'chram!.
to make it difficult for somebody to do something or for something to happen

2indered

Synonym: H!$0ER

hinder somebody/something a political situation that hinders economic

growth. Some teachers felt hindered by a lac! of resources. was hindering him from playing his best. see also HI%DR!%'E 1 concerning the most basic and important parts of something! thorough and complete

hinder somebody/something "rom something/"rom doing something An in)ury

Synonym:

"!R&RE!'HI%). the need for radical changes in education. demands for radical reform of the law. radical differences between the se#es

$adicalism

2 new, different and likely to have a great effect radical ideas. a radical solution to the problem. radical proposals 3 in favour of thorough and complete political or social change. the radical wing of the party. radical politicians&students&writers 4 (OL'1FAS
IONE',

NORT AMERICAN EN!LIS ,

SLAN!)

very goodradicall*

A'VERBThe new methods are radically different from the old.

belief in radical ideas and principles 1 [INTRANSITIVE] hasten to do something to say or do something without delay. She saw his frown and hastened to e#plain. He has been described as a $charmless bore%/not by me I hasten to add. 2astened 2 [TRANSITIVE] hasten something (FORMAL) to make something happen sooner or more +uickly. The treatment she received may in fact have hastened her death. Gews of the scandal certainly hastened his departure from office. 3 [INTRANSITIVE] +uickly

+ adverb/preposition (LITERARY) to go or move somewhere

. 3e hastened bac! to Home.

Synonym:

H(RR1

(onservatism

1 the tendency to resist great or sudden change. the innate conservatism of older people. 2 (also 'onser-atism) the political belief that society should change as little as possible. an e#amination of the political theories of conservatism and liberalism. 3 (4s4all* 'onser-atism) the principles of the (onservative .arty in ,ritish politics 1 (OF A COUNTRY OR STATE) placed under the rule of another country. mandated territories 2 re+uired by law. a mandated curriculum 3 having a mandate to do something. a mandated government +andate* 1 the authority to do something, given to a government or other organization by the people who vote for it in an election mandate (to do something) The election victory gave the party a clear mandate to continue its programme of reform.mandate ("or something) a mandate for an end to the civil war 2 the period of time for which a government is given power. The presidential mandate is limited to two terms of four years each. 3 mandate (to do something) (FORMAL) an official order given to somebody to perform a particular task. The ban! had no mandate to honour the che*ue. 4 the power given to a country to govern another country or region, especially in the past. The Coo! Islands mandate was given to Gew Pealand.

-andated

1 relegate somebody/something (to something) to give somebody a lower or less important position, rank, etc. than before. She was then relegated to the role of assistant. He relegated the incident to the bac! of his mind. $elegated 2 [USUALLY PASSIVE] relegate something (ESPECIALLY BRITIS EN!LIS ) to move a sports team, especially a football ( soccer ) team, to a lower position within an official league

pposite: 0R#$#TE. relegation

teams threatened with relegation 1 the fact of being the most important person or thing. a belief in the primacy of the family . This college emphasi"es the primacy of teaching over research.This approach gives primacy to facts. 2 [COUNTABLE] the position of an archbishop 1 to state clearly and firmly that something is true assert that She continued to assert that she was innocent. assert something She continued to assert her innocence.The Ferman Chancellor was an#ious to assert his government's commitment to further -uropean unity.+ speech $That is wrong % he asserted. it is asserted that It is commonly asserted that older people prefer to receive care from family members. 2 assert yoursel" to behave in a confident and determined way so that other people pay attention to your opinions. .ou're too timid/you must try to assert yourself more. 3 assert something to make other people recognize your right or authority to do something, by behaving firmly and confidently. to assert your independence/rights. I was determined to assert my authority from the beginning. 4 assert itsel" to start to have an effect. Food sense asserted itself. 1 contemporary (with somebody/something) belonging to the same time3e have no contemporary account of the battle (& written near the time that it happened).He was contemporary with the dramatist Congreve. (ontemporary 2 belonging to the present time

.rimacy

%ssert

Synonym:

$#DER%.

life in contemporary Britain.

contemporary fiction/music/dance e#pressed strongly and effectively, in a clear way 0renchant

Synonym:

I%'ISI E

trenchantl*

His trenchant views on the sub)ect are well !nown.

complacent (about somebody/something) (USUALLY 'ISAPPROVIN!) too

(omplacent satisfied with yourself or with a situation, so that you do not feel that any change is necessary! showing or feeling complacency. a dangerously complacent attitude to the increase in unemployment. 3e must not become complacent about progress. complacentl* a word used to emphasize that somebody something can be compared to somebody something else that is more e#citing, more impressive, etc.

;eritable

Synonym:

0#SITI E.

The meal that followed was a veritable ban*uet.

"+uivocal

1 (OF "OR'S OR STATEMENTS) not having one clear or definite meaning or intention!

able to be understood in more than one way

Synonym:

!$BI)(#(S. She gave an e*uivocal answer typical of a politician.3omen were less e*uivocal than men on the sub)ect of fidelity in marriage.

2 (OF ACTIONS OR BE AVIOUR) difficult to understand or e#plain clearly or easily. The e#periments produced e*uivocal results. see also (%E.(I #'!L

supersede something/somebody [OFTEN PASSIVE] to take the place of

1uperseded something somebody that is considered to be oldBfashioned or no longer the best available. The theory has been superseded by more recent research. BeholdE

,eholder

1. a. To perceive by the visual faculty; see: eheld a tiny figure in the distance. b. To perceive through use of the mental faculty; comprehend: "(ehold the man of the future" ()erry Adler!. 2. To look upon; ga8e at: *e eheld a eautiful vista efore us. !dioms see beauty is in the eye o" the beholder at BE!(T1
1 (OF I'EAS$ T OU! TS$ AR!UMENTS$ ETC.) logical and well organized! easy to understand and cleara coherent narrative/account/explanation. a coherent policy for the transport system

(oherent

2 (OF A PERSON) able to talk and e#press yourself clearly. She only became coherent again two hours after the attac!.

pposite:I%'#HERE%T.
coherentl*

: to e#press yourself coherently

.odium

1 a small platform that a person stands on when giving a speech or conducting an orchestra, etc.

Synonym:

R#STR($

2 (NORT AMERICAN EN!LIS ) + LE'TER% an event or a situation that is a complete failure and causes embarrassment Debacle

1. A sudden5 disastrous collapse5 do2nfall5 or defeat; a rout. 2. A total5 often ludicrous failure. 3. The breaking up of ice in a river. 4. A violent flood.

dearth (o" something) a lack of something! the fact of there not being enough
Dearth of something

Synonym:

S'!R'IT1

. There was a dearth of reliable information on the sub)ect.

showing no interest or enthusiasm %pathetic The illness made her apathetic and unwilling to meet people. apatheticall* Cealous

: He loo!ed at me apathetically.

showing great energy and enthusiasm for something, especially because you feel strongly about it a "ealous reformer. zealo4sl*

concur
(oncurred

conc4rring, conc4rred
[INTRANSITIVE, TRANSITIVE] concur (with somebody) (in something)9 concur (with something)9 concur (that)9 (+ speech) (FORMAL) to agree. Historians have concurred with each other in this view.The coroner concurred with this assessment. a group of people who travel with an important person the :resident and members of his immediate entourage. adoring fans. an entourage of

"ntourage

'lamboyant

1 (OF PEOPLE OR T EIR BE AVIOUR) different, confident and e#citing in a way that attracts attentiona flamboyant gesture/style/personality. He was flamboyant and temperamental on and off the stage. 2 brightly coloured and noticeable. flamboyant clothes/designs. +lam,o*ance < He lac!ed the flamboyance of other members of the band. "lam,o*antl*. to e#ist or to apply in a particular situation or at a particular time. Aiving conditions are vastly different from those pertaining in their country of origin.Those laws no longer pertain.

.ertained

0hrasal -er,s

pertain to something;some,od*
(FORMAL) to be connected with something somebodythe laws pertaining to adoption 1 an animal that kills and eats other animals. Some animals have no natural predators. the relationship between predator and prey 2 ('ISAPPROVIN!) a person or an organization that uses weaker people for their own advantage. to protect domestic industry from foreign predators 1 instrumental (in something/in doing something) important in making something happen. He was instrumental in bringing about an end to the conflict. 2 made by or for musical instruments. instrumental music. instr4mentall*

.redator

)nstrumental

repelling, repelled
1 [TRANSITIVE] repel somebody/something (FORMAL) to successfully fight somebody who is attacking you, your country, etc. and drive them away to repel an attack/invasion/invader. Troops repelled an attempt to infiltrate the south of the island. (FI!URATIVE) . The reptile's pric!ly s!in repels nearly all of its predators. $epel 2 [TRANSITIVE] repel something to drive, push or keep something awaya cream that repels insectsThe fabric has been treated to repel water. 3 [TRANSITIVE] repel somebody (not used in the progressive tenses) to make somebody feel horror or disgust

Synonym
DIS)(ST, RE0(LSEI

was repelled by the smell.

4 [TRANSITIVE,

INTRANSITIVE]

repel (something) (TEC

NICAL)

if one thing repels

another, or if two things repel each other, an electrical or magnetic force pushes them apart. Ai!e poles repel each other.

pposite
!TTR!'T

see also RE0(LSI#%,

RE0(LSI E

lure somebody (+ adverb/preposition) ('ISAPPROVIN!) to persuade or trick

=ure

somebody to go somewhere or to do something by promising them a reward

Synonym:

E%TI'E.

The child was lured into a car but managed to escape.

.oung people are lured to the city by the prospect of a )ob and money.

unnerve somebody to make somebody feel nervous or frightened or lose

?nnerve confidence. His silence unnerved us. She appeared strained and a little unnerved. 4nner-ing < an unnerving e#perience 4nner-ingl* The models were unnervingly lifeli!e. (omplaisance ready to accept other people/s actions and opinions and to do what other people want. She was a complaisant wife and dutiful daughter. complaisance 1 courage, especially in a battle. a medal for gallantry 2 polite attention given by men to women. $I li!e to thin! that gallantry isn't dead % he said !issing her hand. having a strong effect on your feelings, especially in a way that makes you feel sad

>allantry

Synonym:
.oignant

$# I%)

a poignant image/moment/memory! etc. Her face was a poignant reminder of the passing of time. poignanc* the poignancy of parting and separation. +f particular poignancy was the photograph of their son with his sisters ta!en the day before he died. poignantl* sounding sad, especially in a weak complaining way

.laintive

Synonym: $#(R%"(L. a plaintive cry/voiceplainti-el*

$3hat about me(% she as!ed plaintively. lacking courage

(raven

Synonym: '#=!RDL1 pposite: BR!

Ec

ra-enl*

the +uality of being e#act, accurate and careful

Synonym: !''(R!'1. done with mathematical precision. Her writing is

.recision

imaginative but lac!s precision. Historians can't estimate the date with any (degree of) precision. He chose his words with precision. precision instruments/tools

Diversify

di-ersi+ies, di-ersi+*ing, di-ersi+ied, di-ersi+ied

diversi"y (something) (into something) (ESPECIALLY OF A to develop a wider range of products, interests, skills, etc. in order to be more successful or reduce risk
1 [INTRANSITIVE,
TRANSITIVE] BUSINESS OR COMPANY)

Synonym:

BR!%'H #(T. 'armers are being encouraged to diversify into new crops. 2 [INTRANSITIVE, TRANSITIVE] to change or to make something change so that there is greater variety. :atterns of family life are diversifying. diversi"y something The culture has been diversified with the arrival of immigrants. di-ersi+ication

1 [INTRANSITIVE, TRANSITIVE] to suppose that something is true, although you do not have actual proof

Synonym:
%presume

!SS($E.

They are very e#pensive I presume($. Is he still abroad(%

$I presume so.

(that) I presumed <that= he understood the rules. it is presumed that Aittle is !nown of the youngest sonO it is presumed that
he died young. her husband. 2 [TRANSITIVE] to accept that something is true until it is shown not to be true, especially in courtpresume somebody/something + ad%ective Twelve passengers are missing presumed dead.In -nglish law a person is presumed innocent until proved guilty.presume something 3e must presume innocence until we have proof of guilt. presume somebody/something to be/have something 3e must presume them to be innocent until we have proof of guilt.

presume somebody/something to be/have something I presumed him to be

.resumed

3 [TRANSITIVE] presume something (FORMAL) to accept something as true or e#isting and to act on that basisThe course seems to presume some previous !nowledge of the sub)ect.

4 [INTRANSITIVE] presume to do something (FORMAL) to behave in a way that shows a lack of respect by doing something that you have no right to do I wouldn't presume to tell you how to run your own business.

0hrasal -er,s

pres4me on;4pon some,od*;something

(FORMAL) to make use of somebody/s friendship by asking them for more than you shouldpresume to do something I felt it would be presuming on our personal relationship to !eep as!ing her for help. (ynical 1 believing that people only do things to help themselves rather than for good or honest reasons. 4o you have to be so cynical about everything(. a cynical view&smile. 2 not believing that something good will happen or that something is important. I'm a bit cynical about the benefits of the plan. Her e#periences with men have made her thoroughly cynical about love. 3 not caring that something might hurt other people, if there is some advantage for you. a cynical disregard for the safety of others. a deliberate

and cynical foul. c*nicall* 1 [COUNTABLE, UNCOUNTABLE] conviction ("or something) the act of finding somebody guilty of a crime in court! the fact of having been found guilty. She has si# previous convictions for theft. He plans to appeal against his conviction. an offence which carries on conviction a sentence of not more than five years' imprisonment

pposite: !'.(ITT!L
(onviction 2 [COUNTABLE, UNCOUNTABLE] conviction (that) a strong opinion or belief. strong political/moral convictions. She was motivated by deep religious conviction. a conviction that all would be well in the end 3 [UNCOUNTABLE] the feeling or appearance of believing something strongly and of being sure about it. $Got true?% she said with conviction. He said he agreed but his voice lac!ed conviction.The leader's speech in defence of the policy didn't carry much conviction.

!dioms: see have/lac# the courage o" your convictions at '#(R!)E

1 the ability to make sensible decisions and give good advice because of the e#perience and knowledge that you have. a woman of great wisdom. words of wisdom

2 wisdom o" something/o" doing something how sensible something is I ,uestion the wisdom of giving a child so much money.

Disdom

3 the knowledge that a society or culture has gained over a long period of timethe collective wisdom of the Gative American people

Idioms

con-entional;recei-ed 8isdom
the view or belief that most people hold. Conventional wisdom has it that riots only ever happen in cities.

in his;her;its9 etc. Ain+initeB 8isdom

used when you are saying that you do not understand why somebody has done something The government in its wisdom has decided to support the ban.

more at pearl o" wisdom at 0E!RL

di""ident (about something) not having much confidence in yourself! not

wanting to talk about yourself Diffidence

Synonym:

SH1. a diffident manner/smile. He was modest and diffident about his own success.di++idence

She overcame her natural diffidence and spo!e with great fran!ness. di++identl* $eticence unwilling to tell people about things

Synonym:

RESER ED, (%'#$$(%I'!TI E

She was shy and reticent.

reticent about something He was e#tremely reticent about his personal life.
reticence : That night she had overcome her natural reticence and tal!ed about their married life. 2arbingers

harbinger (o" something) (FORMAL or LITERARY) a sign that shows that something
is going to happen soon, often something bad. 1 correctly stating or showing what will happen in the future. Iany of his warnings proved prophetic. 2 like or connected with a prophet or prophets. the prophetic boo!s of the +ld Testament. propheticall* suggesting that something bad is going to happen in the future

.rophetic

3minous

Synonym: "#REB#DI%). There were ominous dar! clouds gathering overhead.

She pic!ed up the phone but there was an ominous silence at the other end. omino4sl* showing signs that something is likely to be successful in the future

%uspicious

0R#$ISI%). an auspicious start to the new school year. It was an auspicious date for a wedding. Their first meeting was hardly auspicious.

Synonym:

pposite: I%!(S0I'I#(S
1 based on your own ideas or opinions rather than facts and therefore sometimes unfair. a highly sub)ective point of view. -veryone's opinion is bound to be sub)ective. 2 e#isting in somebody/s mind rather than in the real world 1ub4ective 3 the s4,Fecti-e case is the one which is used for the sub4ect of a sentence

pposite: #BGE'TI

s4,Fecti-el* : :eople who are less sub)ectively involved are better )udges. sub)ectively perceived changes s4,Fecti-it* "nraptured

: There is an element of sub)ectivity in her criticism.

filled with great pleasure or 4oy

Synonym: E%'H!%TED

elated (at/by something) very happy and e#cited because of something good
"lated that has happened, or will happen. They were elated at the result. I was elated by the prospect of the new )ob ahead 1 implicit (in something) suggested without being directly e#pressed. 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 e#pressed)The ability to listen is implicit in the teacher's role. 3 complete and not doubted.

)mplicit

Synonym:

!BS#L(TE.

She had the implicit trust of her staff. #ompare E30LI'IT

implicitl* : It reinforces implicitly or e#plicitly the idea that money is all, important. I trust 5ohn implicitly. 1yntactic connected with synta#

syntactic rules&structures s*ntacticall*

to be syntactically correct

1 based on general ideas and not on any particular real person, thing or situation. abstract knowledge/principles. The research shows that pre, school children are capable of thin!ing in abstract terms. #ompare '#%'RETE

adjective ,(%bstract 2 e#isting in thought or as an idea but not having a physical reality. 3e may tal! of beautiful things but beauty itself is abstract. 3 (OF ART) not representing people or things in a realistic way, but e#pressing the artist/s ideas about them. the wor! of American abstract e#pressionists li!e Iar! Hoth!o #ompare "I)(R!TI E ,(-, RE0RESE%T!TI#%!La,stractl* 1 including all, or almost all, the items, details, facts, information, etc, that may be concerned (omprehensive

Synonym:

'#$0LETE, "(LL. a comprehensive list of addresses. a comprehensive study. comprehensive insurance (& covering all risks)

2 designed for students of all abilities in the same school. comprehensi-eness

E3ER'ISE & 4 1alvage .rocurement ,ask Despair >loat 1hrug %stonishment ;e#ation %llusion *otion 3verwhelming ;ariance .ropound (onform ;ague %ssertive ;icious

%pparently )ntricate (onvoluted %morphous )llusory 0echnocrats (ounterproductive 'oreseen %scertained "#acerbated -andated (ompliance )ntend =iteral 1crupled 'iegned ,ucolic 1erenity *ostalgia 1hackle Devoid Dary )mpervious ;ulnerable ?phold )mpaired )mplicit "mbrace .ersuasion 0otalitarianism $epudiated (oercion

Deliberated 'eat %esthetes (ollaborative 2ieroglyph )mitation $eviled $evered Distinctive ;indicate %ssimilation )diosyncratic "#tenuate "nthrallment .eculiar $ationalize %ntecedents *uanced "pitomized 1crutiny .ronounce -ystified ;ividly -omentous (riti+ue 1ymbolic (ursorily Ein (ompatriots (ognizance 1olely )nhabitants )nterplay

$eciprocity "pitome ,izarre ;ulgarity (ivility (oarseness ?rbanity )mprudence (onsensus %utonomy ?nanticipated 1pectacular )nstrumental 0acit (apitulate $ecapitulate "legance *ovelty >entility