contempt ：a feeling that someone or something is not important and deserves no respect
contempt for
The contempt he felt for his fellow students was obvious.
utter/deep contempt
The report shows utter contempt for women's judgement.
open/undisguised contempt
She looked at him with undisguised contempt.
The public is treated with contempt by broadcasters.
How could she have loved a man who so clearly held her in contempt ?
beneath contempt
That sort of behaviour is simply beneath contempt (=does not deserve respect or attention) .
visit ：visit something on somebody/something
to do something to punish someone or show them that you are angry
God's wrath will be visited on sinners.
affair ：be somebody's affair
if something is your affair, it only concerns you and you do not want anyone else to get involved in it
What I do in my free time is my affair.
scowl ：to look at someone in an angry way
Patrick scowled, but did as he was told.
scowl at
Mum scowled at him and refused to say anything.
dictation ：when you say words for someone to write down
There were no secretaries available to take dictation (=write down what someone is saying) .
strain ：a particular quality which people have, especially one that is passed from parents to children
strain of
There's a strain of madness in his family.
instinctive ：based on instinct and not involving thought
a mother's instinctive love
inconsolable ：so sad that it is impossible for anyone to comfort you
The boy was inconsolable after the death of his dog.
scoff ：to laugh at a person or idea, and talk about them in a way that shows you think they are stupid
scoff at
David scoffed at her fears.
Officials scoffed at the idea.
'You, a scientist!' he scoffed.
disposed ：be well/favourably/kindly disposed (to/towards somebody/something)
to like or approve of someone or something
Management is favourably disposed to the idea of job-sharing.
crowning ：used to describe something that makes something complete or perfect, or is the best feature of something
The hotel's crowning glory was a stunning roof garden.
his crowning achievement
reproach ：criticism, blame, or disapproval
'You don't need me,' she said quietly, without reproach.
dessert ：sweet food served after the main part of a meal
for dessert
What are we having for dessert?
confiscate ：to officially take private property away from someone, usually as a punishment
Miss Williams confiscated all our sweets.
Many opposition supporters had their goods confiscated.
arm ：be up in arms
to be very angry and ready to argue or fight
Residents are up in arms about plans for a new road along the beach.
smack ：to hit someone, especially a child, with your open hand in order to punish them
the debate about whether parents should smack their children
fit ：a time when you feel an emotion very strongly and cannot control your behaviour
fit of
She killed him in a fit of temper.
He quit his job in a fit of drunken depression.
hurl ：to throw something with a lot of force, especially because you are angry
Demonstrators were hurling bricks through the windows.
He hurled a chair across the set, smashing lamps and vases.
whip ：to hit someone or something with a whip
He whipped the horse into a canter.
dine ：to eat dinner
He was dining with friends at the Ritz.
repast ：a meal
wrath ：extreme anger
He was scared of incurring his father's wrath .
bother ：to make someone feel slightly worried, upset, or concerned
Being in a crowd really bothers me.
It was very noisy, but that didn't bother me.
bother about
I try not to bother about what other people think.
bother somebody that
It really bothered me that he'd forgotten my birthday.
break ：break up
if a meeting or party breaks up, people start to leave
The party didn't break up until after midnight.
The meeting broke up without any agreement.
shuffle ：to walk very slowly and noisily, without lifting your feet off the ground
shuffle forward/over/back etc
The official signaled to one of the waiters, who shuffled forward.
With sore legs and aching chest he shuffled over to the bathroom.
slip ：to put something somewhere quietly or smoothly
Ann slipped the book into her bag.
A letter had been slipped under his door.
Carrie slipped her arm through her brother's.
worn ：very tired because you have been working hard
You must be absolutely worn out.
acute ：an acute feeling is very strong
acute pain
acute embarrassment
acute anxiety
haunted ：haunted expression/look
a very worried or frightened expression
mighty ：very strong and powerful, or very big and impressive
the mighty Mississippi river
a mighty army
beat ：the main rhythm that a piece of music or a poem has
a song with a beat you can dance to
a poem with a very regular beat
savage ：very violent or cruel
a savage dog
a savage murder
throb ：if your heart throbs, it beats faster or more strongly than usual
passionate ：showing or involving very strong feelings of sexual love
He had a brief but passionate love affair with an older woman.
a very passionate young man
a passionate lover
a passionate kiss
tumult ：a confused, noisy, and excited situation, often caused by a large crowd
I could simply not be heard in the tumult.
in tumult
The whole country is in tumult.
frantic ：extremely worried and frightened about a situation, so that you cannot control your feelings
get/become frantic
There was still no news of Jill, and her parents were getting frantic.
frantic with
Your mother's been frantic with worry wondering where you've been.
lash ：if the wind, sea etc lashes something, it hits it with violent force
Giant waves lashed the sea wall.
herculean ：needing great strength or determination
a herculean task
titanic ：very big, strong, impressive etc
a titanic struggle
limb ：an arm or leg
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colossal ：used to emphasize that something is extremely large
a colossal statue of the King
a colossal waste of money
proportions ：the size or importance of something
Try to reduce your tasks to more manageable proportions .
of immense/huge/massive etc proportions
an ecological tragedy of enormous proportions
of epic/heroic/mythic proportions
For most of us, Scott was a hero of mythic proportions.
crisis/epidemic proportions
The flu outbreak has reached epidemic proportions .
stride ：to walk quickly with long steps
stride across/into/down etc
He strode toward her.
rage ：if something such as a battle, a disagreement, or a storm rages, it continues with great violence or strong emotions
Civil war has been raging in the country for years.
A debate is raging about what form pensions should take.
Outside, a storm was raging.
rage on
The battle raged on (=continued) .
frail ：someone who is frail is weak and thin because they are old or ill
frail elderly people
her frail health
frail body/physique
mentally/physically frail
barque ：a sailing ship with three, four, or five masts (=poles that the sails are fixed to)
onwards ：forwards
He walked onwards to the head of the lake.
whirl ：to turn or spin around very quickly, or to make someone or something do this
We watched the seagulls whirling and shrieking over the harbour.
whirl about/around/toward etc
She whirled around and her look shook him.
whirl somebody/something about/around/away etc
He whirled her round in his arms.
inspired ：having very exciting special qualities that are better than anyone or anything else
an inspired leader
Wordsworth's most inspired poems
an inspired performance
proceed ：to continue to do something that has already been planned or started
proceed with
The government was determined to proceed with the election.
Before proceeding further, we must define our terms.
harmony ：notes of music combined together in a pleasant way
in harmony
a choir singing in perfect harmony
the gorgeous vocal harmonies on 'Mexicali Rose'
three-part harmonies
organist ：someone who plays the organ
a church organist
chord ：a combination of several musical notes that are played at the same time and sound pleasant together
harmonica ：a small musical instrument that you play by blowing or sucking and moving it from side to side near your mouth
thrill ：a sudden strong feeling of excitement and pleasure, or the thing that makes you feel this
Winning first place must have been quite a thrill.
the thrill of (doing) something
(=the excitement you get from something)
the thrill of travelling at high speeds
Even though I've been acting for years, I still get a thrill out of going on stage.
It gave Pat a thrill to finally see the group perform live.
a thrill of excitement/anticipation/fear etc
She felt a thrill of pride as her son stepped forward.
do something for the thrill of it
(=do something for excitement and not for any serious reason)
spine ：the row of bones down the centre of your back that supports your body and protects your spinal cord
forthcoming ：willing to give information about something
forthcoming about
IBM is usually pretty forthcoming about the markets for its products.
revolt ：a refusal to accept someone's authority or obey rules or laws
The prime minister is now facing a revolt by members of his own party.
revolt against
a revolt against authority
revolt over
a revolt over the proposed spending cuts
in revolt
French farmers are in revolt over cheap imports.
discipline ：the ability to control your own behaviour, so that you do what you are expected to do
Working from home requires a good deal of discipline.
conciliatory ：doing something that is intended to make someone stop arguing with you
conciliatory approach/tone/gesture etc
Perhaps you should adopt a more conciliatory approach.
Brooks felt in no mood to be conciliatory.
acidly ：if you say something acidly, you say it in a cruel or unkind way
'I'm sure you're right,' he said acidly.
procure ：to obtain something, especially something that is difficult to get
procure something for somebody
He was accused of procuring weapons for terrorists.
acquit ：acquit yourself well/honourably
to do something well, especially something difficult that you do for the first time in front of other people
probation ：a period of time, during which an employer can see if a new worker is suitable
a three month probation period
on probation
Some people are appointed on probation.
appoint ：to choose someone for a position or a job
officials appointed by the government
appoint somebody to something
He's been appointed to the State Supreme Court.
appoint somebody to do something
A committee was appointed to consider the plans.
appoint (somebody) as something
O'Connell was appointed as chairman.
affair ：things connected with your personal life, your financial situation etc
I am not prepared to discuss my financial affairs with the press.
intemperate ：regularly drinking too much alcohol
awamp ：to suddenly give someone a lot of work, problems etc to deal with
be swamped by/with something
We've been swamped with phone calls since the advert appeared.
melancholy ：very sad
The music suited her melancholy mood.
fulfil ：if you fulfil a hope, wish, or aim, you achieve the thing that you hoped for, wished for etc
Visiting Disneyland has fulfilled a boyhood dream .
Being deaf hasn't stopped Karen fulfilling her ambition to be a hairdresser.
It was then that the organization finally began to fulfill the hopes of its founders.
fulfil an aim/a goal/an objective
an analysis of how different countries are attempting to fulfill their political goals
valiant ：very brave, especially in a difficult situation
Tarr threw himself in front of a train in a valiant effort to save the child.
apt ：be apt to do something
to have a natural tendency to do something
Some of the staff are apt to arrive late on Mondays.
rouse ：to make someone feel a particular emotion, such as anger or fear
We don't want to rouse any suspicions.
rouse somebody to something
Paul strode forward, roused to anger.
render ：to cause someone or something to be in a particular condition
render somebody/something impossible/harmless/unconscious etc
He was rendered almost speechless by the news.
The blow to his head was strong enough to render him unconscious.
mop ：to dry your face by rubbing it with a cloth or something soft
It was so hot he had to keep stopping to mop his face.
The doctor mopped his brow (=removed sweat from his forehead) with a handkerchief.
brow ：the part of your face above your eyes and below your hair
mop/wipe your brow (=dry your brow with your hand or a cloth because you are hot or nervous)
your brow furrows/creases/wrinkles (=lines appear on your brow because you are thinking or are worried)
His brow furrowed. 'I don't understand,' he said.
gymnastics ：a sport involving physical exercises and movements that need skill, strength, and control, and that are often performed in competitions
a gymnastics display
We don't do gymnastics at school.
disgusted ：very annoyed or upset by something that is not acceptable
Disgusted onlookers claimed the driver was more concerned about his car than about the victim.
disgusted at/by/with
Most locals are disgusted by the anti-foreigner violence.
disgusted that
Animal welfare workers were disgusted that anyone could do this to a puppy.
scent ：a pleasant smell that something has
a yellow rose with a lovely scent
scent of
the sweet scent of ripe fruit
pension ：an amount of money paid regularly by the government or company to someone who does not work any more, for example because they have reached the age when people stop working or because they are ill
At what age can you start drawing your pension ?
If you are self-employed, you should think about taking out a private pension .
Many people find it hard to live on a basic state pension .
She pays a quarter of her salary into a pension plan .
grant ：to give someone something or allow them to have something that they have asked for
Britain could grant Spain's request .
I would love to be able to grant her wish.
grant somebody something
The council have granted him permission to build on the site.
grant something to somebody
A licence to sell alcohol was granted to the club.
grant that
(=used in prayers) Grant that we may know your presence and love.
distinguished ：successful, respected, and admired
a long and distinguished career
accustomed ：be accustomed to (doing) something
to be familiar with something and accept it as normal
We were accustomed to working together.
become/grow/get accustomed to something
Her eyes quickly became accustomed to the dark.
horrid ：behaving in a nasty unkind way
Don't be so horrid!
indifference ：lack of interest or concern
indifference to
his apparent indifference to material luxuries
Whether you stay or leave is a matter of total indifference to me (=I do not care) .
oppress ：to make someone feel unhappy, worried, or uncomfortable
The gloom in the chapel oppressed her.
air ：a way of behaving that shows someone thinks they are more important than they really are
put on airs/give yourself airs
Trudy is always putting on airs.
an actor with no airs and graces
suffocate ：to die or make someone die by preventing them from breathing
The animal seizes its prey by the throat and suffocates it to death.
One of the puppies suffocated inside the plastic bag.
overwhelm ：if someone is overwhelmed by an emotion, they feel it so strongly that they cannot think clearly
be overwhelmed by something
Harriet was overwhelmed by a feeling of homesickness.
be overwhelmed with something
The children were overwhelmed with excitement.
Grief overwhelmed me.
laden ：heavily loaded with something, or containing a lot of something
laden with
The tables were laden with food.
fully/heavily laden
The lorry was fully laden.
snow-laden branches
compliments ：praise or good wishes
This soup is delicious; my compliments to the chef.
menagerie ：a group of wild animals kept privately or for the public to see
morbid ：with a strong and unhealthy interest in unpleasant subjects, especially death
morbid fascination/curiosity
a morbid fascination with instruments of torture
The trip was made all the worse by Frankie’s morbid fear of flying.
offense ：the part of a game such as American football, which is concerned with getting points and winning, or the group of players who do this
The Bears are going to have work on their offense this season.
humiliate ：to make someone feel ashamed or stupid, especially when other people are present
Her boss humiliated her in front of all her colleagues.
看外文小说太恼火了吧，家里好些都没兴趣看
princely ：impressive or generous
princely buildings
A princely welcome awaited them.
dismiss ：to refuse to consider someone's idea, opinion etc, because you think it is not serious, true, or important
The government has dismissed criticisms that the country’s health policy is a mess.
dismiss something as something
He just laughed and dismissed my proposal as unrealistic.
It's an idea that shouldn't be dismissed out of hand (=dismissed immediately and completely) .
wretched ：someone who is wretched is very unhappy or ill, and you feel sorry for them
the poor, wretched girl
weigh ：weigh on somebody/something
to make someone feel worried and upset
The desire for peace will weigh heavily on the negotiators.
I'm sure there's something weighing on his mind .
The burden of responsibility weighed heavily on his shoulders .
cellar ：a room under a house or other building, often used for storing things
a coal cellar
injury ：damage to someone's feelings
injury to
He claimed serious injury to his reputation.
conceive ：to imagine a particular situation or to think about something in a particular way
(cannot) conceive of (doing) something
Many people can't conceive of a dinner without meat or fish.
conceive that
He could not conceive that anything really serious could be worrying his friend.
conceive what/why/how etc
I can hardly conceive what it must be like here in winter.
conceive of something/somebody as something
Language may be conceived of as a process which arises from social interaction.
society ：the fashionable group of people who are rich and powerful
a society wedding high society (=the richest, most fashionable etc people)
brag ：to talk too proudly about what you have done, what you own etc - used to show disapproval
'I came out top in the test,' he bragged.
brag about
Ben's always bragging about his success with women.
brag that
Julia used to brag that her family had a villa in Spain.
boon ：something that is very useful and makes your life a lot easier or better
The bus service is a real boon to people in the village.
independent ：confident and able to do things by yourself in your own way, without needing help or advice from other people
Now that my sons are becoming more independent, I have more time for myself.
a strong-willed, independent young woman
He's now helping other people with spinal injuries to lead an independent life.
independent of
By this age, the child becomes relatively independent of his mother.
democratic ：controlled by representatives who are elected by the people of a country
a democratic government
the role of the media in the democratic process
despise ：to dislike and have a low opinion of someone or something
She despised her neighbours.
distinction ：the quality of being excellent and important
No one today doubts Eliot's distinction as a poet.
unbounded ：extreme or without any limit
the child's unbounded energy
glow ：if your face or body glows, it is pink or hot because you are healthy, have been doing exercise, or are feeling a strong emotion
glow with
She looked exceptionally well, glowing with health .
contrive ：to succeed in doing something in spite of difficulties
contrive to do something
Schindler contrived to save more than 1,000 Polish Jews from the Nazis.
pretext ：a false reason given for an action, in order to hide the real reason
pretext for
The incident provided the pretext for war.
on/under the pretext of doing something
Tom called at her apartment on the pretext of asking for a book.
on/under the pretext that
He left immediately on the pretext that he had a train to catch.
He'll phone on some pretext or other.
ply ：ply somebody with something
to keep giving someone large quantities of food or drink
The local people plied me with beer, until I could barely move.
ply somebody with questions
to keep asking someone questions
idle ：not serious, or not done with any definite intention
She was not a woman to make idle threats .
idle chatter/talk/gossip etc
It was only from idle curiosity that she went into the barn.
seeming ：appearing to be something, especially when this is not actually true
a seeming piece of good luck, which later led to all kinds of trouble
hint ：something that you say or do to suggest something to someone, without telling them directly
There have been hints that he may take up coaching.
'Look, I can't tell you.' 'Oh, come on, give me a hint .'
hint about/as to
Miles had been dropping heavy hints about the cost of petrol.
I made it clear I wasn't interested in him, but he didn't take the hint .
ingenious ：an ingenious plan, idea, or object works well and is the result of clever thinking and new ideas
Many fish have ingenious ways of protecting their eggs from predators.
an ingenious device
compliment ：a remark that shows you admire someone or something
Being compared to Abba is a great compliment.
Rob Andrew had a quiet game, which is meant as a compliment .
All Félix's guests paid her extravagant compliments.
To Joe the greatest compliment was to be considered amusing.
flattery ：praise that you do not really mean
sort ：out of sorts
feeling a little ill or upset
Louise went back to work feeling rather out of sorts.
curt ：using very few words in a way that seems rude
With a curt nod, he turned away and sat down.
a curt note
sulk ：to be silently angry and refuse to be friendly or discuss what is annoying or upsetting you - used to show disapproval
Nicola sulked all morning.
thunderous ：looking or sounding very angry
a thunderous voice
hurl ：hurl abuse/insults/accusations etc (at somebody)
to shout at someone in a loud and angry way
He was accused of hurling abuse at the referee.
insult ：a remark or action that is offensive or deliberately rude
She was shouting insults at her boyfriend.
$200 for all that work? It's an insult.
Their offer was so low I took it as an insult (=thought it was meant to be an insult) .
scant ：not enough
The story has received scant attention in the press.
They produce goods with scant regard for quality.
respect ：when you regard something or someone as important and are careful not to harm them, treat them rudely etc
respect for
Out of respect for the wishes of her family, the affair was not reported in the media.
The boys showed a complete lack of respect for authority.
with respect
Old people deserve to be treated with respect .
rumpus ：a lot of noise, especially made by people quarrelling
There's a real rumpus going on upstairs.
inkling ：a slight idea about something
I had an inkling that she was pregnant.
inkling of
She had absolutely no inkling of what was going on.
otherwise ：it cannot be otherwise/how can it be otherwise?
used to say that it is impossible for something to be different from the way it is
Life in the military is hard - how can it be otherwise?
gulf ：a great difference and lack of understanding between two groups of people, especially in their beliefs, opinions, and way of life
gulf between
the huge gulf between management and unions
a growing gulf between old and young
exaggerate ：to make something seem better, larger, worse etc than it really is
I couldn't sleep for three days - I'm not exaggerating.
it's easy/difficult/impossible to exaggerate something
It's difficult to exaggerate the importance of sleep.
intimate ：relating to very private or personal matters
the publication of intimate details of their affair
intimacy ：a state of having a close personal relationship with someone
intimacy of
the intimacy of marriage
intimacy between
a close sense of intimacy between parent and child
discourage ：to persuade someone not to do something, especially by making it seem difficult or bad
attempts to discourage illegal immigration
discourage somebody from doing something
My father is a lawyer, and he discouraged me from entering the field.
erroneous ：erroneous ideas or information are wrong and based on facts that are not correct
His economic predictions are based on some erroneous assumptions.
superiority ：the quality of being better, more skilful, more powerful etc than other people or things
superiority of
the supposed superiority of the male sex
superiority over
the intellectual superiority of humans over other animals
superiority in
US superiority in air power
sincere ：a feeling, belief, or statement that is sincere is honest and true, and based on what you really feel and believe
sincere thanks/thank you/gratitude
I would like to say a sincere thank you to everyone who has helped and supported me.
Please accept my sincere apologies .
his sincere desire to find out the truth
frequent ：to go to a particular place often
The bar was frequented by actors from the nearby theatre.
vulgar ：not behaving politely in social situations
vulgar behaviour
revolting ：extremely unpleasant
The food was revolting!
What a revolting colour!
coarse ：consisting of threads or parts that are thick or large
The coarse sand was hot and rough under her feet.
tufts of coarse grass
indiscretion ：an action or remark that shows a lack of good judgment, especially one that is morally unacceptable
Earl describes his past links with the racist group as a youthful indiscretion .
rumours of the former president's sexual indiscretions
enthusiasm ：a strong feeling of interest and enjoyment about something and an eagerness to be involved in it
Gillian and Darren greeted the speakers with great enthusiasm .
We went along to the local diving club, full of enthusiasm .
They go about their tasks with little enthusiasm .
enthusiasm for
Britain's apparent lack of enthusiasm for such a scheme
Employers showed little enthusiasm for the new regulations.
He shares your enthusiasm for jazz.
I left university fired with enthusiasm for work.
A delay of two hours did not dampen their enthusiasm .
modesty ：a modest way of behaving or talking
'Anyone else would have done the same thing,' he said with typical modesty.
insulting ：very rude and offensive to someone
insulting remarks
insulting to
Sexist language is insulting to women.
stiffen ： if you stiffen, your body suddenly becomes firm, straight, or still because you feel angry or anxious
He touched her, and she stiffened.
solemn ：very serious and not happy, for example because something bad has happened or because you are at an important occasion
a solemn expression
Their faces suddenly grew solemn.
a solemn procession of mourners
fashion ：to shape or make something, using your hands or only a few tools
fashion something from something
He fashioned a box from a few old pieces of wood.
fashion something into something
Jamie could take a piece of wood and fashion it into a wonderful work of art.
melody ：a tune
They played some lovely melodies.
a haunting melody
hurl ：hurl abuse/insults/accusations etc (at somebody)
to shout at someone in a loud and angry way
He was accused of hurling abuse at the referee.
insult ：a remark or action that is offensive or deliberately rude
She was shouting insults at her boyfriend.
$200 for all that work? It's an insult.
Their offer was so low I took it as an insult (=thought it was meant to be an insult) .
dealer ：someone who buys and sells a particular product, especially an expensive one
car/antique/art etc dealer
dealer in
a dealer in modern art
contra- ：acting against something, or opposite to something
contraceptive devices (=against conception)
garrulous ：always talking a lot
Ian isn't normally this garrulous!
plunge ：plunge (somebody/something) into something
to suddenly experience a difficult or unpleasant situation, or to make someone or something do this
A strike would plunge the country into chaos.
The house was suddenly plunged into darkness .
After the war, the family plunged into debt.
interminable ：very long and boring
interminable delays
interval ：the period of time between two events, activities etc
He left the room, returning after a short interval with a message.
interval between
The interval between arrest and trial can be up to six months.
pretext ：a false reason given for an action, in order to hide the real reason
pretext for
The incident provided the pretext for war.
on/under the pretext of doing something
Tom called at her apartment on the pretext of asking for a book.
on/under the pretext that
He left immediately on the pretext that he had a train to catch.
He'll phone on some pretext or other.
engage ：to employ someone to do a particular job
engage somebody to do something
Her father engaged a tutor to improve her maths.
engage somebody as something
We'd be able to engage local people as volunteers.
religious ：relating to religion in general or to a particular religion
I don't share her religious beliefs .
a religious school
the dates of major religious observances such as Easter or Christmas
repugnant ：very unpleasant and offensive
deeply/utterly/wholly etc repugnant
I find his political ideas totally repugnant.
repugnant to
Animal experiments are morally repugnant to many people.
stepson ：a son that your husband or wife has from a relationship before your marriage
commercial ：related to business and the buying and selling of goods and services
Our top priorities must be profit and commercial growth.
partner ：one of the owners of a business
She's a partner in a law firm.
The senior partner has retired.
affectation ：a way of behaving, speaking etc that is not sincere or natural
Calling everyone 'darling' is just an affectation.
scoff ：to laugh at a person or idea, and talk about them in a way that shows you think they are stupid
scoff at
David scoffed at her fears.
Officials scoffed at the idea.
'You, a scientist!' he scoffed.
repudiate ：to refuse to accept or continue with something
He repudiated all offers of friendship.
idealism ：the belief that you should live your life according to high standards and principles, even when they are very difficult to achieve
the idealism of the younger generation
moral and religious idealism
intoxicated ：happy, excited, and unable to think clearly, especially as a result of love, success, power etc
intoxicated by/with
He rapidly became intoxicated with his own power.
conquest ：when you gain control of or deal successfully with something that is difficult or dangerous
conquest of
the conquest of space
cult ：a fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people's lives
cult of
Diet, exercise ... It's all part of this cult of self-improvement.
accustomed ：be accustomed to (doing) something
to be familiar with something and accept it as normal
We were accustomed to working together.
become/grow/get accustomed to something
Her eyes quickly became accustomed to the dark.
despise ：to dislike and have a low opinion of someone or something
She despised her neighbours.
spring ：spring up
to suddenly appear or start to exist
Fast-food restaurants are springing up all over town.
quotation ：a sentence or phrase from a book, speech etc which you repeat in a speech or piece of writing because it is interesting or amusing
quotation from
a quotation from the Bible
The following quotation is taken from a nineteenth century travel diary.
a dictionary of quotations
incident ：an event, especially one that is unusual, important, or violent
A spokesman said it was an isolated incident .
Am I at risk because of some incident in my sexual past?
shooting/stabbing incident
Many shooting incidents go unreported.
without incident
The plane landed without incident.
domestic ：relating to family relationships and life at home
Unfortunately his domestic life wasn't very happy.
domestic tasks/chores/responsibilities etc
Nowadays there is more sharing of domestic chores.
families that can afford domestic help (=help with cleaning, washing etc)
an organization that supports women facing domestic violence (=violence in a family, especially from a husband to his wife)
singular ：very great or very noticeable
He showed a singular lack of tact in the way he handled the situation.
a singular achievement
compound ：a substance containing atoms from two or more elements
man-made organic compounds
compound of
Sulphur dioxide is a compound of sulphur and oxygen.
conscience ：the part of your mind that tells you whether what you are doing is morally right or wrong
guilty/troubled conscience (=a guilty feeling, because you have done something wrong)
It was his guilty conscience that made him offer to help.
Well, at least I can face them all with a clear conscience (=when you know that you have done nothing wrong) .
a film with a social conscience (=a moral sense of how society should be)
prisoner of conscience (=someone who is in prison because of their political or religious beliefs)
I can't tell you what to do - it's a matter of conscience (=something that you must make a moral judgment about) .
a crisis of conscience among medical staff (=a situation in which it is very difficult to decide what is the right thing to do)
The dog's sad look pricked her conscience (=made her feel guilty) and she took him home.
self-interest ：when you only care about what is best for you, and do not care about what is best for other people
His offer was motivated solely by self-interest.
effort ：be an effort
to be difficult or painful to do
I was so weak that even standing up was an effort.
reconcile ：if you reconcile two ideas, situations, or facts, you find a way in which they can both be true or acceptable
The possibility remains that the two theories may be reconciled.
reconcile something with something
Bevan tried to reconcile British socialism with a wider international vision.
principle ：a moral rule or belief about what is right and wrong, that influences how you behave
Schools try to teach children a set of principles .
He prided himself on his high moral principles (=strong ideas about how it is right or wrong to behave)
He's got no principles at all!
He refused to give me any more money as a matter of principle .
against somebody's principles
It's against my principles to accept gifts from clients.
man/woman of principle (=a man or woman with strong moral ideas)
He considered himself to be a man of principle.
bourgeoisie ：the bourgeoisie
the people in a society who are rich, educated, own land etc, according to Marxism
cynic ：someone who is not willing to believe that people have good, honest, or sincere reasons for doing something
Even hardened cynics believe the meeting is a step towards peace.
repulsive ：extremely unpleasant, in a way that almost makes you feel sick
Many people find slugs repulsive.
flavor ：the particular taste of a food or drink
Which flavor do you want - chocolate or vanilla?
flavour of
a dry wine with flavors of honey and apricot
a nutty/smoky/bitter etc flavour
White poppy seeds have a distinctive nutty flavour .
a delicate/strong/rich etc flavour
The cheese is firm in texture and has a strong flavour .
hypocrisy ：when someone pretends to have certain beliefs or opinions that they do not really have - used to show disapproval
It would be sheer hypocrisy to pray for success, since I've never believed in God.
strive ：to make a great effort to achieve something
strive to do something
I was still striving to be successful.
strive for/after
We must continue to strive for greater efficiency.
avarice ：a desire to have a lot of money that is considered to be too strong
symbol ：someone or something that represents a particular quality or idea
symbol of
Space exploration provides a symbol of national pride.
loyalty ：a feeling of support for someone or something
local/regional/tribal/family etc loyalty/loyalties
In the rural areas, family and tribal loyalties continue to be important.
the agony of divided loyalties (=loyalty to two different or opposing people) for the children in a divorce
mark ：mark somebody/something down as something
to consider someone or something to be a particular type of person or thing
When I first saw Gilbert play I marked him down as a future England player.
revolt ：a refusal to accept someone's authority or obey rules or laws
The prime minister is now facing a revolt by members of his own party.
revolt against
a revolt against authority
revolt over
a revolt over the proposed spending cuts
in revolt
French farmers are in revolt over cheap imports.
fluent ：able to speak a language very well
fluent in
She was fluent in English, French, and German.
ridicule ：unkind laughter or remarks that are intended to make someone or something seem stupid
the ridicule of his peers
The government's proposals were held up to ridicule (=suffered ridicule) by opposition ministers.
He had become an object of ridicule among the other teachers.
generosity ：a generous attitude, or generous behaviour
an act of great generosity
generosity to/towards
his generosity to the poor
I shall never forget the generosity shown by the people of Bastaisk.
acts of generosity
hollow ：a place in something that is at a slightly lower level than its surface
Make a slight hollow in the middle of each cake.
ease ：ill at ease
not relaxed
You always look ill at ease in a suit.
impress ：to make someone feel admiration and respect
Steve borrowed his dad's sports car to impress his girlfriend.
impress somebody with/by something
We were very impressed by the standard of work.
One candidate in particular impressed us with her knowledge.
She was a simple girl, easily impressed by Tom's sophistication.
I think the chief exec was favourably impressed by your presentation.
'He's a lawyer?' Mum looked suitably impressed (=as impressed as you would expect) .
incapable ：not able to do something
incapable of
He seemed incapable of understanding how she felt.
75% of the electorate believe his party is incapable of government.
The stroke rendered her incapable of speech.
flatter ：to make something look or seem more important or better than it is
Lewis's novel doesn't flatter Midwestern attitudes and morals.
masterful ：controlling people or situations in a skilful and confident way
Klein handled the situation in a masterful way.
advantage ：take advantage of something (to do something)
to use a particular situation to do or get what you want
I took advantage of the good weather to paint the shed.
You'll want to take full advantage of the beachfront clubs.
meddle ：to deliberately try to influence or change a situation that does not concern you, or that you do not understand
meddle in
I don't like other people meddling in the way I run this prison.
He accused the US of meddling in China's internal affairs .
meddle with
I'm not the sort of newspaper owner who meddles with editorial policy.
attempt ：an act of trying to do something, especially something difficult
attempt to do something
All attempts to control inflation have failed.
The protesters made no attempt to resist arrest.
his first unsuccessful attempt to become an MP
In an attempt to diffuse the tension I suggested that we break off for lunch.
attempt at (doing) something
her feeble attempt at humour
at the first/second etc attempt
She passed her driving test at the first attempt.
assassination/suicide/murder attempt
conceal ：to hide something carefully
The shadows concealed her as she crept up to the house.
The path was concealed by long grass.
a concealed weapon
contempt ：a feeling that someone or something is not important and deserves no respect
contempt for
The contempt he felt for his fellow students was obvious.
utter/deep contempt
The report shows utter contempt for women's judgement.
open/undisguised contempt
She looked at him with undisguised contempt.
The public is treated with contempt by broadcasters.
How could she have loved a man who so clearly held her in contempt ?
beneath contempt
That sort of behaviour is simply beneath contempt (=does not deserve respect or attention) .
blazon ：be blazoned across/on/over something
to be written or shown on something in a very noticeable way
mere ：used to emphasize how small or unimportant something or someone is
She lost the election by a mere 20 votes.
He's a mere child.
It can't be a mere coincidence that they left at the same time.
humiliating ：making you feel ashamed, embarrassed, and angry because you have been made to look weak or stupid
a humiliating defeat
indulge ：to let yourself do or have something that you enjoy, especially something that is considered bad for you
indulge in
Most of us were too busy to indulge in heavy lunchtime drinking.
Eva had never been one to indulge in self-pity.
indulge yourself
Even if you're dieting, you can indulge yourself (=eat what you want) once in a while.
Ray has enough money to indulge his taste for expensive wines.
expense ：at somebody's expense
if you make jokes at someone's expense, you laugh about them and make them seem stupid or silly
Louis kept making jokes at his wife's expense.
coward ：someone who is not at all brave
Try it. Don't be such a coward.
single ：single somebody/something ↔ out
to choose one person or thing from among a group because they are better, worse, more important etc than the others
single somebody/something ↔ out for
I don't see why he should be singled out for special treatment.
single somebody/something ↔ out as
One programme was singled out as being particularly good.
butt ：be the butt of something
to be the person or thing that other people often make jokes about
Paul quickly became the butt of everyone's jokes.
jest ：something you say that is intended to be funny, not serious
I wasn't sure whether to treat her words as a jest.
in jest
His serious face told me that he was not speaking in jest.
grind ：grind your teeth
to rub your upper and lower teeth together, making a noise
tease ：to laugh at someone and make jokes in order to have fun by embarrassing them, either in a friendly way or in an unkind way
Don't get upset. I was only teasing .
He used to tease her mercilessly .
tease somebody about something
She used to tease me about my hair.
spit ：to force a small amount of saliva (=the liquid in your mouth) out of your mouth
Nick rolled down his window and spat.
spit at/on/into
A group of fans spat on the players as they left the field.
insult ：a remark or action that is offensive or deliberately rude
She was shouting insults at her boyfriend.
$200 for all that work? It's an insult.
Their offer was so low I took it as an insult (=thought it was meant to be an insult) .
monstrous ：unusually large
a monstrous nose
paralyzed ：unable to think clearly or deal with a situation
paralysed by/with
paralysed by fear
paralyzed with shock
He stood paralysed for a moment, and then ran away.
abuse ：rude or offensive things that someone says when they are angry
vandalism and verbal abuse directed at old people
a torrent/stream of abuse (=a series of rude or angry words)
shout/hurl/scream abuse at somebody
The other driver started hurling abuse at me.
petrified ：extremely frightened, especially so frightened that you cannot move or think
petrified of
I'm petrified of spiders.
petrified with fright/fear
He was petrified with fear when he saw the gun.
enormity ：the great size, seriousness, or difficulty of a situation, problem, event etc
enormity of
Even now, the full enormity of his crimes has not been exposed.
the enormity of the task
blow ：an action or event that causes difficulty or sadness for someone
Joe resigned, which was a severe blow because we needed him desperately.
His mother's death was a shattering blow .
The election result dealt a further blow to the party.
The factory closures came as a blow to the local economy.
The final blow for many firms was the government's abolition of import duties.
rain ：rain (down) blows/blows rain down
if you rain blows onto someone, you hit them many times
She attacked the man, raining blows on his head and shoulders.
jostle ：to push or knock against someone in a crowd, especially so that you can get somewhere or do something before other people
jostle for
Followers of the president jostled for position in front of the TV cameras.
debate ：to consider something carefully before making a decision
debate with yourself
I debated with myself whether I should tell anyone.
debate who/what/how etc
I'm still debating what to do.
debate doing something
For a moment Mary debated telling Rick the truth.
apparent ：easy to notice
it is apparent (that)
It soon became apparent that we had a major problem.
it is apparent from something that
It is apparent from scientific studies that the drug has some fairly nasty side effects.
it is apparent to somebody that
It was apparent to everyone that he was seriously ill.
The difference in quality was immediately apparent .
He left suddenly, for no apparent reason .
overwhelm ：if work or a problem overwhelms someone, it is too much or too difficult to deal with
be overwhelmed by something
We were overwhelmed by the number of applications.
overwhelm somebody with something
They would be overwhelmed with paperwork.
address ：if you address remarks, complaints etc to someone, you say or write them directly to that person
You will have to address your comments to our Head Office.
irreproachable ：something, such as someone's behaviour, that is irreproachable is so good that you cannot criticize it
unworthy ：not deserving respect, attention etc
unworthy of
an idea that's unworthy of serious consideration
sympathy ：the feeling of being sorry for someone who is in a bad situation
sympathy for
I have a lot of sympathy for her; she had to bring up the children on her own.
I have absolutely no sympathy for students who get caught cheating in exams.
She wrote a letter expressing her sympathy .
play on somebody's sympathy (=make someone feel sorry for you in order to gain an advantage for yourself)
We would like to pass on our deepest sympathy to Ken's wife Marjorie.
Our sympathies are with the families of the victims.
My sympathies go out to the boy's mother.
message/letter of sympathy
The victim's parents have received thousands of messages of sympathy.
chafe ：to feel impatient or annoyed
chafe at/against/under
Some hunters are chafing under the new restrictions.
restraint ：calm sensible controlled behaviour, especially in a situation when it is difficult to stay calm
The police were praised for their restraint in handling the demonstrators.
show/exercise restraint
He urged the millions of protesters to exercise restraint.
strive ：to make a great effort to achieve something
strive to do something
I was still striving to be successful.
strive for/after
We must continue to strive for greater efficiency.
respect ：to be careful not to do anything against someone's wishes, rights etc
She said she wanted to leave, and her father respected her wishes .
I would like you to respect my privacy.
the need to respect human rights
bump ：the sound or sudden movement of something hitting a hard surface
We heard a bump in the next room.
fall/sit down etc with a bump
Rose fell, landing with a bump.
possess ：to have or own something
Neither of them possessed a credit card.
Campbell was found guilty of possessing heroin.
discipline ：to teach someone to obey rules and control their behaviour
Different cultures have different ways of disciplining their children.
bourgeois ：belonging to the middle class
She came from a respectable bourgeois family.
bourgeois morality
tedious ：something that is tedious continues for a long time and is not interesting
The work was tiring and tedious.
formal ：a formal event is important, and people who go to it wear special clothes and behave very politely
I've met her twice but only on formal occasions .
a formal dinner
slide ：to move smoothly over a surface while continuing to touch it, or to make something move in this way
slide along/across/down etc
Francesca slid across the ice.
slide something across/along etc
He opened the oven door and slid the pan of cookies in.
He slid open the door of the glass cabinet.
slope ：a piece of ground or a surface that slopes
a steep slope
a gentle (=not steep) slope
She looked back up the grassy slope.
urchin ：a poor dirty untidy child
thwack ：a short loud sound like something hitting a hard surface
get ：if people get on, they like each other and have a friendly relationship with each other
get on with
I've always got on well with Henry.
The two boys get on well most of the time.
guttersnipe ：a dirty untidy badly-behaved child from a poor home
lusty ：strong and healthy
the lusty cry of a new-born baby
her strong, lusty young husband
consume ：if a feeling or idea consumes you, it affects you very strongly, so that you cannot think about anything else
She was scared by the depression which threatened to consume her.
be consumed with something
He was consumed with guilt after the accident.
assume ：assume a manner/air/expression etc
to behave in a way that does not show how you really feel, especially in order to seem more confident, happy etc than you are
Andy assumed an air of indifference whenever her name was mentioned.
indifference ：lack of interest or concern
indifference to
his apparent indifference to material luxuries
Whether you stay or leave is a matter of total indifference to me (=I do not care) .
consolation ：something that makes you feel better when you are sad or disappointed
consolation for/to
The only consolation for the team is that they get a chance to play the game again.
If it's any consolation , things do get easier as the child gets older.
He had the consolation of knowing that he couldn't have done any better.
be little/no consolation
The fact that there has been a reduction in crime is little consolation to victims of crime.
sympathize ：to support someone's ideas or actions
sympathize with
The public sympathized with the miners' strike.
independent ：confident and able to do things by yourself in your own way, without needing help or advice from other people
Now that my sons are becoming more independent, I have more time for myself.
a strong-willed, independent young woman
He's now helping other people with spinal injuries to lead an independent life.
tramp ：to walk somewhere slowly and with heavy steps
He tramped the streets looking for work.
tramp through/across/around etc
The walk involved tramping through mud.
implore ：to ask for something in an emotional way
'Don't go,' I implored her.
implore somebody to do something
She implored the soldiers to save her child.
savage ：a very offensive word for someone who has a simple, traditional way of life
truant ：a student who stays away from school without permission
persistent truants
slip ：to go somewhere, without attracting other people's attention
Ben slipped quietly out of the room.
One man managed to slip from the club as police arrived.
oar ：a long pole with a wide flat blade at one end, used for rowing a boat
arpeggio ：the notes of a musical chord played separately but quickly one after the other
chromatic ：related to a musical scale which consists of semitones
a chromatic scale
chromatic harmonies
scale ：a series of musical notes that become higher or lower, with fixed distances between each note
the scale of G major
vapor ：a mass of very small drops of a liquid which float in the air, for example because the liquid has been heated
water vapour
depth ：the depths of the ocean/countryside/forest etc
the part that is furthest away from people, and most difficult to reach
Astronomers may one day travel to the depths of space.
trill ：to make a short repeated high sound
birds trilling in the trees
The phone trilled sharply.
lark ：a small brown singing bird with long pointed wings
ascend ：to move up through the air
The plane ascended rapidly.
deceive ： to make someone believe something that is not true
He had been deceived by a young man claiming to be the son of a millionaire.
deceive somebody into doing something
He tried to deceive the public into thinking the war could still be won.
deceive somebody about something
I wouldn't deceive you about anything as important as this.
curt ：using very few words in a way that seems rude
With a curt nod, he turned away and sat down.
a curt note
enigmatic ：mysterious and difficult to understand
enigmatic smile/expression etc
skirt ：to go around the outside edge of a place or area
The old footpath skirts around the village.
ripple ：a small low wave on the surface of a liquid
ripples on the surface of the pond
She dived into the pool, making scarcely a ripple.
glide ：to move smoothly and quietly, as if without effort
glide across/over/down etc
couples gliding over the dancefloor
reed ：a type of tall plant like grass that grows in wet places
Reeds grew in clumps all along the river bank.
rustle ：if leaves, papers, clothes etc rustle, or if you rustle them, they make a noise as they rub against each other
She moved nearer, her long silk skirt rustling around her.
He rustled the papers on his desk.
ground ：if you ground a boat or if it grounds, it hits the bottom of the sea so that it cannot move
Both boats grounded on a mud bank.
teem ：teem down
to rain very heavily
It's been teeming down all day.
swarm ：if people swarm somewhere, they go there as a large, uncontrolled crowd
Photographers were swarming around the princess.
serpent ：a snake, especially a large one
fling ：to move yourself or part of your body quickly, using a lot of force
He flung himself down on the bed.
She flung her arms round Louise.
plunge ：to move, fall, or be thrown suddenly forwards or downwards
plunge off/into etc
Her car swerved and plunged off the cliff.
Both the climbers had plunged to their deaths .
spiral ：a line in the form of a curve that winds around a central point, moving further away from the centre all the time
dart ：to move suddenly and quickly in a particular direction
Jill darted forward and pulled him away from the fire.
hue ：a colour or type of colour
a golden hue
worn out ：very tired because you have been working hard
You must be absolutely worn out.
学习一下，英语是工具啊
betray ：to be disloyal to someone who trusts you so that they are harmed or upset
He felt that she had betrayed him.
betray somebody to somebody
What kind of man would betray his own sister to the police?
She had betrayed her parents' trust .
I would never betray a confidence (=tell a secret which someone has trusted me with) .
sally ：a sudden quick attack and return to a position of defence
contrive ：to succeed in doing something in spite of difficulties
contrive to do something
Schindler contrived to save more than 1,000 Polish Jews from the Nazis.
peddler ：someone who sells illegal drugs
scandalize ：to make people feel very shocked
His outspoken views scandalized the nation.
laborer ：someone whose work needs physical strength, for example building work
a farm laboure
affection ：a feeling of liking or love and caring
affection for
Bart had a deep affection for the old man.
She looked back on those days with affection .
Their father never showed them much affection .
The church was held in great affection (=loved and cared about a lot) by the local residents.
lecture ：to talk angrily or seriously to someone in order to criticize or warn them, in a way that they think is unfair or unnecessary
I wish you'd stop lecturing me!
lecture somebody about/on something
He began to lecture us about making too much noise.
vulgar ：not behaving politely in social situations
vulgar behaviour
lack ：to not have something that you need, or not have enough of it
Alex's real problem is that he lacks confidence.
dignity ：your dignity
your sense of your own value or importance
retain/lose your dignity
Old people need to retain their dignity and independence.
Arguing was beneath her dignity (=was something she thought she was too important to do) .
self-respect ：a feeling of being happy about your character, abilities, and beliefs
It's difficult to keep your self-respect when you have been unemployed for a long time.
penury ：the state of being very poor
He died in penury in 1644.
intemperate ：regularly drinking too much alcohol
tolerable ：a situation that is tolerable is not very good, but you are able to accept it
The apartment is really too small, but it's tolerable for the time being.
influence ：the power to affect the way someone or something develops, behaves, or thinks without using direct force or orders
There is no doubt that Bohr's influence was immense.
influence on/over
the unions' influence over local politics
under somebody's influence/under the influence of somebody/something
They had come under the influence of a strange religious sect.
have/exert/exercise influence
The Council had considerable influence over many government decisions.
They were accused of interfering with voters or exerting undue influence (=too much influence) .
extent ：to ... extent
used to say how true something is or how great an effect or change is
to a certain extent/to some extent/to an extent (=partly)
We all to some extent remember the good times and forget the bad.
I do agree with him to an extent.
to a great/large extent
Its success will depend to a large extent on local attitudes.
to a lesser/greater extent (=less or more)
It will affect farmers in Spain and to a lesser extent in France.
They examined the extent to which (=how much) age affected language-learning ability.
To what extent (=how much) did she influence his decision?
to such an extent that/to the extent that (=so much that)
Violence increased to the extent that residents were afraid to leave their homes.
vice ：a bad or immoral quality in a person, or bad or immoral behaviour
Jealousy is a vice.
to reward virtue and punish vice