unconscious：a feeling or thought that is unconscious is one that you have without realizing it
unconscious feeling/desire/need etc
an unconscious need to be loved
stutter：to speak with difficulty because you cannot stop yourself from repeating the first consonant of some words
'I'm D-d-david,' he stuttered.
flounder：to not know what to say or do because you feel confused or upset
I found myself floundering as I tried to answer her questions.
'I'm sorry,' she floundered helplessly .
check：to ask someone whether something is correct, true, or allowed
I'm not authorized to give you a refund - I'll have to check first.
check (that)
Make a phone call to check that you are writing to the right person.
check whether/how/who etc
I'll call the factory to check whether the beds can be delivered today.
check with
It's wise to check with your doctor before going on a diet.
malicious：very unkind and cruel, and deliberately behaving in a way that is likely to upset or hurt someone
a spiteful and malicious girl
malicious gossip/rumour
I think I know who is responsible for these malicious rumours.
dismiss：to tell someone that they are allowed to go, or are no longer needed
The class will be dismissed early today.
crush：to make someone feel extremely upset or shocked
Sara was crushed by their insults.
offense：no offence
used to tell someone that you hope that what you are going to say or do will not offend them
No offense, but this cheese tastes like rubber.
recur：if something, especially something bad or unpleasant, recurs, it happens again
There is a danger that the disease may recur.
Love is a recurring theme in the book.
recurring dream/nightmare
grudge：a feeling of dislike for someone because you cannot forget that they harmed you in the past
grudge against
Is there anyone who might have had a grudge against her?
Mr Gillis was not normally a man to bear grudges .
I'm not harbouring some secret grudge against you.
It could be the work of someone with a grudge against the company.
You let nasty little personal grudges creep in.
rack：to make someone suffer great mental or physical pain
Great sobs racked her body .
be racked by/with something
Her face was racked with pain.
Liza was racked by guilt.
remorse：a strong feeling of being sorry that you have done something very bad
Throughout the trial, he had shown no remorse .
remorse for
She felt a pang of remorse for what she had done.
be full of remorse/be filled with remorse
Filled with remorse, Dillon decided to resign.
quicken：if a feeling quickens, or if something quickens it, it becomes stronger or more active
This policy served only to quicken anti-government feeling.
idealize：to imagine or represent something or someone as being perfect or better than they really are
Society continues to idealize the two-parent family.
an idealized view of marriage
disgusting：extremely unpleasant and making you feel sick
Rubbish was piled everywhere - it was disgusting.
Smoking is a really disgusting habit.
intoxicated：drunk
The driver was clearly intoxicated.
illusion：an idea or opinion that is wrong, especially about yourself
illusion that
They suffer from the illusion that they cannot solve their problems.
She was under no illusion that he loved her.
It is an illusion that the Arctic is dark in winter.
She had no illusions about her physical attractions.
'I hate to shatter your illusions,' he said.
towering：in a towering rage
very angry
entreaty：a serious request in which you ask someone to do something for you
scene：a loud angry argument, especially in a public place
There were angry scenes in parliament today.
I was mad, but I didn't want to make a scene .
received：accepted or considered to be correct by most people
received opinion/wisdom etc (=the opinion most people have)
The received wisdom is that he will retire within the next year.
concern：if a story, book, report etc concerns someone or something, it is about them
This study concerns couples' expectations of marriage.
The report concerns the drug traffic on the Mexican-US border.
suppress：to stop people from opposing the government, especially by using force
The uprising was ruthlessly suppressed.
boast：to talk too proudly about your abilities, achievements, or possessions
'I wouldn't be afraid,' she boasted.
boast that
Amy boasted that her son was a genius.
boast about
He's boasting about how much money he has made.
boast of
The company is inclined to boast of its success.
initiative：the ability to make decisions and take action without waiting for someone to tell you what to do
I wish my son would show more initiative .
Don't keep asking me for advice. Use your initiative .
Lt. Carlos was not obeying orders. He acted on his own initiative (=he was not told what to do) .
sacrifice：when you decide not to have something valuable, in order to get something that is more important
The minister stressed the need for economic sacrifice.
The workforce were willing to make sacrifices in order to preserve jobs.
She brought three children up single-handedly, often at great personal sacrifice .
extract：to get something which you want from someone, such as information, money, help etc, especially when they do not want to give it to you
extract something from somebody
She had extracted a promise from him.
They used torture to extract information about their families.
device：a plan or trick, especially for a dishonest purpose
device to do something
Their proposal was only a device to confuse the opposition.
take：take somebody/something ↔ in
be taken in
to be completely deceived by someone who lies to you
Don't be taken in by products claiming to help you lose weight in a week.
intimidated：feeling worried and lacking confidence because of the situation you are in or the people you are with
I was shy, and felt intimidated by the older students.
avenge：to do something to hurt or punish someone because they have harmed or offended you
He wanted to avenge his brother's death.
stealthy：moving or doing something quietly and secretly
the stealthy approach of the soldiers
cabaret：entertainment, usually with music, songs, and dancing, performed in a restaurant or club while the customers eat and drink
a cabaret singer
discharge：to do or pay what you have a duty to do or pay
discharge your duties/responsibilities/obligations etc
The trustees failed to discharge their duties properly.
stout：brave and determined
stout defence/support/resistance
He put up a stout defence in court.
formidable：difficult to deal with and needing a lot of effort or skill
formidable task/challenge
the formidable task of local government reorganization
resort：resort to something
to do something bad, extreme, or difficult because you cannot think of any other way to deal with a problem
Officials fear that extremists may resort to violence .
resort to doing something
Vets have had to resort to killing the animals.
charity：an organization that gives money, goods, or help to people who are poor, sick etc
Several charities sent aid to the flood victims.
charity event/walk/concert etc (=an event organized to collect money for a charity)
pull：pull (somebody) through
to succeed in doing something very difficult, or to help someone to do this
He relied on his experience to pull him through.
triumphant：having gained a victory or success
the triumphant army
The Nationalists emerged triumphant from the political crisis.
obtain：to get something that you want, especially through your own effort, skill, or work
obtain something from somebody/something
Further information can be obtained from head office.
You will need to obtain permission from the principal.
obtain something through something
the results obtained through these surveys
patroness：a woman who supports the activities of a person or organization, by giving money or using their name in advertising
meager：a meagre amount of food, money etc is too small and is much less than you need
a meagre diet of bread and beans
meagre income/earnings/wages etc
He supplements his meager income by working on Saturdays.
a school with meagre resources
gloomy：dark, especially in a way that makes you feel sad
It was a gloomy room with one small window.
vexed：annoyed or worried
clumsy：a clumsy action or statement is said or done carelessly or badly, and likely to upset someone
David made a clumsy attempt to comfort us.
a clumsy piece of diplomacy
budge：to change your opinion, or to make someone change their opinion
The government has refused to budge.
budge on
He won't budge on the issue.
budge from
Treacy refuses to budge from his principles.
retort：to reply quickly, in an angry or humorous way
'It's all your fault!' he retorted.
napkin：a square piece of cloth or paper used for protecting your clothes and for cleaning your hands and lips during a meal
fling： to throw something somewhere using a lot of force
fling something into something
He flung the box into the river.
People cheered and flung their hats into the air.
poseur： someone who pretends to have a quality or social position they do not really have, usually in order to make people notice or admire them
You meet a lot of posers in this job.
portion：an amount of food for one person, especially when served in a restaurant
Do you have any children's portions?
portion of
a huge portion of roast beef
He served generous portions (=large portions) of soup from a black pot.
livelihood：the way you earn money in order to live
a means/source of livelihood
Fishing is the main source of livelihood for many people in the area.
It's difficult to earn a livelihood as an artist.
Bates says he will lose his livelihood if his driving licence is taken away.
reputation： the opinion that people have about someone or something because of what has happened in the past
reputation for
Judge Kelso has a reputation for being strict but fair.
reputation as
In her last job she acquired a reputation as a troublemaker.
earn/gain/establish a reputation as something
His approach had won him a reputation as a tough manager.
a good/bad reputation
a hotel with a good reputation for its food
The service at Heron Lodge failed to live up to its reputation (=be as good or bad as people say it is) .
patronage：the support, especially financial support, that is given to an organization or activity by a patron
clientele：all the people who regularly use a shop, restaurant etc
The restaurant attracts a young clientele.
coquetry：behaviour that is typical of a coquette
madden：to make someone very angry or annoyed
The unfortunate animal was maddened with pain.
clumsy：a clumsy action or statement is said or done carelessly or badly, and likely to upset someone
David made a clumsy attempt to comfort us.
a clumsy piece of diplomacy
keen：a keen feeling is one that is strong and deep
As she walked away, Joe felt a keen sense of loss.
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.
mock：to laugh at someone or something and try to make them look stupid by saying unkind things about them or by copying them
Opposition MPs mocked the government's decision.
'Running away?' he mocked.
It's easy for you to mock, but we put a lot of work into this play.
torture：severe physical or mental suffering
The waiting must be torture for you.
severe：severe problems, injuries, illnesses etc are very bad or very serious
His injuries were quite severe.
She's suffering from severe depression.
The US faces severe economic problems.
The storm caused severe damage.
countenance：your face or your expression
All colour drained from her countenance.
remark：something that you say when you express an opinion or say what you have noticed
The Senator denied making the remark .
a sexist/critical/personal etc remark
He was fired for making racist remarks during an interview.
ridiculous：very silly or unreasonable
That's a ridiculous idea!
Don't be ridiculous!
I'd look ridiculous in a dress like that.
absolutely/totally/utterly ridiculous
It's an absolutely ridiculous decision.
it is ridiculous that
It's ridiculous that we have to wait six weeks.
reproach：criticism, blame, or disapproval
'You don't need me,' she said quietly, without reproach
avenge：to do something to hurt or punish someone because they have harmed or offended you
He wanted to avenge his brother's death.
blush：to become red in the face, usually because you are embarrassed
Wilson saw she was watching him and blushed.
Joan blushed at the unexpected compliment.
Kate blushed scarlet.
ordeal：a terrible or painful experience that continues for a period of time
ordeal of
She then had to go through the ordeal of giving evidence.
She was forced to face the ordeal of withdrawal symptoms.
He was beginning to wonder if he would survive the ordeal .
Teresa had a transplant in 1989 and was just recovering from that ordeal when she suffered a brain hemorrhage.
Soon the whole terrifying ordeal would be over.
malicious：very unkind and cruel, and deliberately behaving in a way that is likely to upset or hurt someone
a spiteful and malicious girl
malicious gossip/rumour
I think I know who is responsible for these malicious rumours.
stiff：if someone or a part of their body is stiff, their muscles hurt and it is difficult for them to move
stiff from doing something
Her legs were stiff from kneeling.
stiff with
Her fingers were stiff with cold.
stiff neck/back/joint etc
Alastair woke with a stiff neck.
I never felt stiff after training until I was in my thirties.
The next morning I was as stiff as a board (=very stiff) .
cramp：to get or cause cramp in a muscle
He cramped in the last 200 metres of the race.
Sitting still for so long had cramped her muscles.
hasten：to do or say something quickly or without delay
hasten to do something
I hastened to assure her that there was no danger.
rehearsal：a time when all the people in a play, concert etc practise before a public performance
rehearsal for/of
a rehearsal for 'Romeo and Juliet'
in rehearsal
The dialogue was worked out by actors in rehearsal.
interval：a short period of time between the parts of a play, concert etc
We can get some drinks in the interval.
conductor：someone who stands in front of a group of musicians or singers and directs their playing or singing
perceive：to notice, see, or recognize something
That morning, he perceived a change in Franca's mood.
Cats are not able to perceive colour.
perceive that
He perceived that there was no other way out of the crisis.
rhapsody：a piece of music that is written to express emotion, and does not have a regular form
Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue
masterpiece： a work of art, a piece of writing or music etc that is of very high quality or that is the best that a particular artist, writer etc has produced
Mary Shelley was just 18 when she wrote the horror masterpiece 'Frankenstein'.
improvise： to invent music, words, a statement etc from your imagination, rather than planning or preparing it first
I just started playing, and the other guys started improvising around me.
an improvised sketch
sentimental： a story, film, book etc that is sentimental deals with emotions such as love and sadness, sometimes in a way that seems silly and insincere
a sentimental story set in Russia
theme：the main subject or idea in a piece of writing, speech, film etc
The book's theme is the conflict between love and duty.
main/central/major etc theme
Campbell has made health care a central theme in his campaign.
Nature is a recurrent theme (=a theme that appears repeatedly) in Frost's poetry.
Most of Kurt's other pictures were variations on the same theme .
worn out：very tired because you have been working hard
You must be absolutely worn out.
splash： to make someone or something wet with a lot of small drops of water or other liquid
splash something on/over/with etc something
He splashed cold water on his face.
puddle： a small pool of liquid, especially rain water
Children splashed through the puddles.
puddle of
He had fallen asleep, his head resting in a puddle of beer.
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.
attic：a space or room just below the roof of a house, often used for storing things
a small attic room
stifling：a room or weather that is stifling is very hot and uncomfortable, so that it seems difficult to breathe
a stifling, crowded train
the stifling heat of the tropics
halter： a rope or leather band that fastens around a horse's head, usually used to lead the horse
deprive： deprive somebody of something
to prevent someone from having something, especially something that they need or should have
A lot of these children have been deprived of a normal home life.
poison：to give someone poison, especially by adding it to their food or drink, in order to harm or kill them
She was accused in 1974 of poisoning her second husband, Charles.
He killed several people by poisoning their tea.
poison somebody with something
Helms attempted to poison his whole family with strychnine.
restraint： a rule or principle that limits what people can do
restraint on
Opposition politicians have called for restraints on public spending.
The government has imposed restraints on corporate mergers.
hamper：to make it difficult for someone to do something
She tried to run, but was hampered by her heavy suitcase.
An attempt to rescue the men has been hampered by bad weather.
banal： ordinary and not interesting, because of a lack of new or different ideas
conversations about the most banal subjects
obstacle： an object which blocks your way, so that you must try to go around it
abandon： abandon yourself to something
to feel an emotion so strongly that you let it control you completely
She abandoned herself to grief.
voluptuous：something that is voluptuous gives you pleasure because it looks, smells, or tastes good
the voluptuous fragrance of a summer garden
saunter： to walk in a slow relaxed way, especially so that you look confident or proud
saunter along/around/in etc
He came sauntering down the road with his hands in his pockets.
adolescence： the time, usually between the ages of 12 and 18, when a young person is developing into an adult
discipline： a way of training your mind or learning to control your behaviour
Martial arts teach respect, discipline, and cooperation.
discipline for
Learning poetry is a good discipline for the memory.
confine： to keep someone or something within the limits of a particular activity or subject
confine something to something
The police cadet's duties were confined to taking statements from the crowd.
We confined our study to 10 cases.
confine yourself to (doing) something
Owen did not confine himself to writing only one type of poem.
bound：bounds
the limits of what is possible or acceptable
within the bounds of something
We are here to make sure that the police operate within the bounds of the law.
be/go beyond the bounds of credibility/reason/decency etc
The humor in the movie sometimes goes beyond the bounds of good taste.
be within/beyond the bounds of possibility (=be possible/not possible)
It was not beyond the bounds of possibility that they could meet again.
unshakable： an unshakeable faith, belief etc is very strong and cannot be changed or destroyed
sobriety： behaviour that shows a serious attitude to life
dole： dole something ↔ out
to give something such as money, food, advice etc to more than one person
dole something ↔ out to
Vera was doling out candy to all the kids.
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.
essential： extremely important and necessary
essential for/to
A good diet is essential for everyone.
it is essential (that)
It is essential that our pilots are given the best possible training.
it is essential to do something
It is essential to book in advance.
Window locks are fairly cheap and absolutely essential .
Even in small companies, computers are an essential tool.
pressure： a way of working or living that causes you a lot of anxiety, especially because you feel you have too many things to do
pressure of
I feel I'm not able to cope well with the pressures of life.
pressure on
The pressure on doctors is increasing steadily.
under pressure
I'm under constant pressure at work.
The pressures of work can make you ill.
a high pressure job athletes who show grace under pressure (=who behave well when they are anxious)
yoke：a frame that you put across your shoulders so that you can carry two equal loads which hang from either side of it
stock： take stock (of something)
to think carefully about the things that have happened in a situation in order to decide what to do next
While in hospital, Jeremy took stock of his life.
liberty： the freedom and the right to do whatever you want without asking permission or being afraid of authority
the fight for liberty and equality
individual/personal liberty
threats to individual liberty
religious/political/economic liberty
struggles for political liberty
fritter： fritter something ↔ away
to waste time, money, or effort on something small or unimportant
fritter something ↔ away on
He frittered away a fortune on fast cars and gambling.
tendency： if someone or something has a tendency to do or become a particular thing, they are likely to do or become it
a tendency to do something
Greg's tendency to be critical made him unpopular with his co-workers.
The drug is effective but has a tendency to cause headaches.
tendency to/towards
Some people may inherit a tendency to alcoholism.
tendency for
Researchers believe that the tendency for diabetes is present at birth.
diffuse：using a lot of words and not explaining things clearly and directly
His writing is diffuse and difficult to understand.
caprice： a sudden and unreasonable change of mind or behaviour
the caprices of a spoilt child
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
indiscriminate： an indiscriminate action is done without thinking about what harm it might cause
indiscriminate attacks/killing/violence/bombing etc
terrorists responsible for indiscriminate killing
the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers
Even so-called ‘tactical' nuclear weapons are indiscriminate in their effect.
moral： based on your ideas about what is right, rather than on what is legal or practical
The book places a high moral value on marriage and the family unit.
The UN feels that it has the moral authority (=influence because people accept that its beliefs are right) to send troops to the area.
moral duty/obligation/responsibility
A man has a moral duty to obey the law.
It isn't just lack of moral fibre (=lack of the emotional strength to do what you believe is right) which leads to a rising divorce rate.
loathe： to hate someone or something very much
He loathes their politics.
loathe doing something
I absolutely loathe shopping.
acquire： to get or gain something
The college acquired a reputation for very high standards.
impose： to force someone to have the same ideas, beliefs etc as you
impose something on somebody
parents who impose their own moral values on their children
intuition： the ability to understand or know something because of a feeling rather than by considering the facts
feminine intuition
Intuition told her it was unwise to argue.
strip：to remove something that is covering the surface of something else
Strip the beds and wash the sheets.
strip something off/from something
We need to strip the wallpaper off the walls first.
strip something of something
tall windows stripped of curtains
garment： a piece of clothing
She pulled the garment on and zipped it up.
garment industry/factory/district etc
She works in the garment district of Manhattan.
a beautiful range of hand knitted garments
outer/upper garment
The outer garment was a loose-fitting robe.
purge： to remove something that is thought to be harmful or unacceptable
purge something of somebody/something
an initiative to purge the PC market of software pirates
Local languages were purged of Russian words.
purge somebody/something from something
It's hard to imagine now that Lawrence's novels were purged from public libraries.
vague： unclear because someone does not give enough detailed information or does not say exactly what they mean
The governor gave only a vague outline of his tax plan.
vague about
Julia was vague about where she had been and what she had been doing.
foreboding：a strong feeling that something bad is going to happen soon
She waited for news with a grim sense of foreboding .
rid： rid somebody/something of something
to take action so that a person, place etc is no longer affected by something bad or no longer has it
a promise to rid the country of nuclear weapons
Will science finally rid us of this disease?
rid yourself of something
He struggled to rid himself of his fears.
rage： to feel very angry about something and show this in the way you behave or speak
rage at/against
He was sorry he had raged at her earlier.
'How was I to know!' Jenny raged.
wretched：someone who is wretched is very unhappy or ill, and you feel sorry for them
the poor, wretched girl
inferior： not good, or not as good as someone or something else
I felt very inferior among all those academics.
wine of inferior quality
inferior goods
inferior to
I always felt slightly inferior to her.
Their performance was inferior to that of other teams.
resign：resign yourself to (doing) something
to make yourself accept something that is bad but cannot be changed
Josh resigned himself to the long walk home.
At sixteen, I resigned myself to the fact that I'd never be a dancer.
passionate：someone who has a passionate belief believes something very strongly
a passionate supporter of women's rights
He had a passionate belief in justice.
illusion：an idea or opinion that is wrong, especially about yourself
illusion that
They suffer from the illusion that they cannot solve their problems.
She was under no illusion that he loved her.
It is an illusion that the Arctic is dark in winter.
She had no illusions about her physical attractions.
'I hate to shatter your illusions,' he said.
crown：to make something perfect or complete, by adding an achievement etc
crown somebody with something
a long career crowned with a peaceful retirement
humiliation：a feeling of shame and great embarrassment, because you have been made to look stupid or weak
the humiliation of having to ask her parents for money
mediocre：not very good
I thought the book was pretty mediocre.
a mediocre student
preserve：to save something or someone from being harmed or destroyed
We must encourage the planting of new trees and preserve our existing woodlands.
concerto：a piece of classical music, usually for one instrument and an orchestra
cantata：a piece of religious music for singers and instruments
expense：the amount of money that you spend on something
legal/medical/living/travel etc expenses (=the money that you spend for a particular purpose)
He borrowed
impudent：rude and showing no respect to other people
deplorable：very bad, unpleasant, and shocking
The prisoners were held in deplorable conditions .
His conduct was deplorable.
suspected：suspected burglar/terrorist/spy etc
someone who is thought to be guilty of a crime
a suspected child killer
steady：someone who is steady is sensible and you can depend on them
a steady worker
sly：someone who is sly cleverly deceives people in order to get what they want
superior：better, more powerful, more effective etc than a similar person or thing, especially one that you are competing against
Fletcher's superior technique brought him victory.
superior to
Your computer is far superior to mine.
He loves making fun of women.
It makes him feel superior .
a vastly superior (=very much better, stronger etc) army
espouse：to support an idea, belief etc, especially a political one
espouse a cause/policy etc
He espoused a variety of scientific, social and political causes.
absurd：completely stupid or unreasonable
quite/slightly/completely etc absurd
It seems quite absurd to expect anyone to drive for 3 hours just for a 20 minute meeting.
It seems an absurd idea.
imitation：when you copy the way someone speaks or behaves, especially in order to be funny
She acted, she danced, she did imitations .
imitation of
his imitation of an American accent
affected：not sincere or natural
an affected laugh
despise：to dislike and have a low opinion of someone or something
She despised her neighbours.
chafe：to feel impatient or annoyed
chafe at/against/under
Some hunters are chafing under the new restrictions.
lecture：an act of criticizing someone or warning them about something in a long, serious talk, in a way that they think is unfair or unnecessary
lecture on/about
My father caught me and gave me a long lecture about the dangers of drink.
rebel：to oppose or fight against someone in authority or against an idea or situation which you do not agree with
rebel against
teenage boys rebelling against their parents
lusty：strong and healthy
the lusty cry of a new-born baby
her strong, lusty young husband
consciousness：your mind and your thoughts
The painful memories eventually faded from her consciousness.
Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness .
research into human consciousness
packing：send somebody packing
to tell someone who is not wanted that they must leave at once
After his four years as governor, the voters sent him packing.
abuse：to say rude or offensive things to someone
Many soldiers in Belfast are verbally abused .
He came to the help of another driver who was being racially abused by three white passengers.
credulity：willingness or ability to believe that something is true
Advertisers were accused of exploiting consumers' credulity.
strain/stretch credulity (=seem very difficult to believe)
It strained credulity to believe that a nuclear war would not lead to the destruction of the planet.
trap：a clever trick that is used to catch someone or to make them do or say something that they did not intend to
lay/set a trap (for somebody)
Mr Smith has walked straight into a trap laid by the Tories.
fall/walk into a trap
Police had set a trap for hooligans at the match.
invariably：if something invariably happens or is invariably true, it always happens or is true
It invariably rains when I go there.
The security guards were invariably ex-servicemen.
extort：to illegally force someone to give you something, especially money, by threatening them
extort something from somebody
Rebels extorted money from local villagers.
barefaced：used to describe a remark or action that is clearly untrue or unpleasant, and that shows that you do not care about offending someone
Why are you telling such barefaced lies ?
affectionate：showing in a gentle way that you love someone and care about them
affectionate towards
Jo is very affectionate towards her.
an affectionate hug
take：be taken in
to be completely deceived by someone who lies to you
Don't be taken in by products claiming to help you lose weight in a week.
rancor：a feeling of hatred and anger towards someone you cannot forgive because they harmed you in the past
without rancour
He spoke openly about the war without a trace of rancour.
cruel：making someone suffer or feel unhappy
His death was a cruel blow .
Sometimes life seems unbearably cruel.
hypocritical：behaving in a way that is different from what you claim to believe - used to show disapproval
it's hypocritical (of somebody) to do something
It’s hypocritical of these universities to call their football players student-athletes.
covet：to have a very strong desire to have something that someone else has
The Michelin Awards are coveted by restaurants all over the world.
tendency：if someone or something has a tendency to do or become a particular thing, they are likely to do or become it
a tendency to do something
Greg's tendency to be critical made him unpopular with his co-workers.
The drug is effective but has a tendency to cause headaches.
tendency to/towards
Some people may inherit a tendency to alcoholism.
tendency for
Researchers believe that the tendency for diabetes is present at birth.
thrash：to beat someone violently, especially in order to punish them
My poor brother used to get thrashed for all kinds of minor offences.
soundly：soundly defeated/beaten/thrashed
completely defeated or severely punished
The Republicans were soundly defeated.
bait：to put bait on a hook to catch fish or in a trap to catch animals
bitter：feeling angry, jealous, and upset because you think you have been treated unfairly
bitter about
I feel very bitter about what has happened.
a bitter and vindictive old man
store：in store (for somebody)
if something unexpected such as a surprise or problem is in store for someone, it is about to happen to them
There's a real treat in store for you this Christmas!
As we left, I wondered what the future held in store .
officious：too eager to tell people what to do - used to show disapproval
an officious traffic warden
boast：to talk too proudly about your abilities, achievements, or possessions
'I wouldn't be afraid,' she boasted.
boast that
Amy boasted that her son was a genius.
boast about
He's boasting about how much money he has made.
boast of
The company is inclined to boast of its success.
jealous：feeling angry and unhappy because someone has something that you wish you had
jealous of
Why are you so jealous of his success? You're just jealous of her.
decry：to state publicly that you do not approve of something
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) .
embittered：angry, sad, or full of hate because of bad or unfair things that have happened to you
a sick, embittered, and lonely old man
downfall：complete loss of your money, moral standards, social position etc, or the sudden failure of an organization
the scandal that led to the president's downfall
melancholy：very sad
The music suited her melancholy mood.
bond：something that unites two or more people or groups, such as love, or a shared interest or idea
bond between
the emotional bond between mother and child
bond with
the United States' special bond with Britain
bond of
lifelong bonds of family and friendship
drive：to make a person or animal work hard
drive yourself
Don't drive yourself too hard.
fulfilling：making you feel happy and satisfied because you are doing interesting, useful, or important things
Nursing is still one of the most fulfilling careers.
destruction：the act or process of destroying something or of being destroyed
destruction of
the destruction of the rainforest
weapons of mass destruction
the environmental destruction caused by the road building programme
The floods brought death and destruction to the area.
deform：if you deform something, or if it deforms, its usual shape changes so that its usefulness or appearance is spoiled
Wearing badly-fitting shoes can deform your feet.
endow：to give a college, hospital etc a large sum of money that provides it with an income
be endowed with something
to naturally have a good feature or quality
She was endowed with both good looks and brains.
constitution：your health and your body's ability to fight illness
(have) a strong/good/weak etc constitution
She's got a strong constitution - she'll recover in no time.
subject：be subject to something
if someone or something is subject to something, especially something bad, it is possible or likely that they will be affected by it
All flights are subject to delay.
Prices are subject to change .
convulsion：a shaking movement of your body that you cannot control, which happens because you are ill
His temperature was very high and he went into convulsions .
vomit：to bring food or drink up from your stomach out through your mouth, because you are ill
He had swallowed so much sea water he wanted to vomit.
I knew I was really in trouble when I began vomiting blood.
vomit up
I vomited up most of my dinner.
encounter：to experience something, especially problems or opposition
encounter problems/difficulties
They encountered serious problems when two members of the expedition were injured.
encounter opposition/resistance
The government has encountered strong opposition to its plans to raise income tax.
The doctor had encountered several similar cases in the past.
skull：the bones of a person's or animal's head
leaden：if your body feels leaden, you move slowly, because you are tired, unhappy etc
She stumbled forward, her legs leaden.
pierce：to make a small hole in or through something, using an object with a sharp point
Steam the corn until it can easily be pierced with a fork.
Rose underwent emergency surgery after a bullet pierced her lung.
pierce a hole in/through something
Pierce small holes in the base of the pot with a hot needle.
festival：an occasion when there are performances of many films, plays, pieces of music etc, usually happening in the same place every year
the Newport Jazz festival
festival of
the Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts
moist：slightly wet, especially in a way that is pleasant or suitable
Make sure the soil is moist before planting the seeds.
a rich, moist chocolate cake
warm moist air
Her eyes were moist (=she was almost crying) .
sunbeam：a beam of light from the sun
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.
effort：the physical or mental energy that is needed to do something
Lou lifted the box easily, without using much effort.
make the effort (to do something)
He made the effort to say something pleasant.
it takes effort (to do something)
It takes a lot of time and effort to get an exhibition ready.
An automatic car takes all the effort out of driving (=it makes driving very easy) .
Frank put a lot of effort into the party.
Visit the cathedral when you're there. It's well worth the effort (=it is definitely worth doing) .
classify：to decide what group something belongs to
classify something as/under something
In law, beer is classified as a food product.
We'd classify Drabble's novels under 'Romance'.
Families are classified according to the father's occupation.
tile：to cover a roof, floor etc with tiles
a flat square piece of baked clay or other material, used for covering walls, floors etc
bathroom tiles
antics：behaviour that seems strange, funny, silly, or annoying
We're all growing tired of his childish antics.
stammer：a speech problem which makes someone speak with a lot of pauses and repeated sounds
Jeff spoke with a slight stammer.
immaterial：not important in a particular situation
If you sign a document, it is wholly immaterial whether you have read it carefully or not.
dizzy：feeling unable to stand steadily, for example because you are looking down from a high place or because you are ill
The heat and the champagne made him feel dizzy .
She started to suffer from dizzy spells (=a short period when you feel dizzy) .
dizzy with
Ruth felt dizzy with relief.
insufficient：not enough, or not great enough
Insufficient resources have been devoted to the health service.
insufficient for
His salary was insufficient for their needs.
insufficient (something) to do something
The heating is insufficient to kill the bacteria.
At the moment, there's insufficient evidence to arrest anyone.
unsound：an unsound building or structure is in bad condition
The houses are structurally unsound .
irregular：not obeying the usually accepted legal or moral rules
It would be highly irregular (=extremely irregular) for a minister to accept payments of this kind.
rack：to make someone suffer great mental or physical pain
Great sobs racked her body .
be racked by/with something
Her face was racked with pain.
Liza was racked by guilt.
internal：inside your body
internal organs/injuries
diarrhea：an illness in which waste from the bowels is watery and comes out often
alarming：making you feel worried or frightened
an alarming increase in violent crime
The rainforest is disappearing at an alarming rate.
agony：very severe pain
the agony of arthritis
in agony
I was in agony. He groaned in agony.
lump：a lump in/to somebody's throat
a feeling that you want to cry
There was a lump in her throat as she gazed at the child.
dissect：to examine something carefully in order to understand it
books in which the lives of famous people are dissected
enlarge：if you enlarge something, or if it enlarges, it increases in size or scale
an operation to enlarge her breasts
Police will have the pictures enlarged in an attempt to identify the thief.
enlarge somebody's understanding/knowledge etc
A good way to enlarge your vocabulary is to read a daily newspaper.
enlarge on/upon something
to provide more information about something you have already mentioned
Mrs Maughan did not enlarge on what she meant.
giddy：feeling slightly sick and unable to balance, because everything seems to be moving
Greg stared down from the seventh floor and began to feel giddy .
obsess：if something or someone obsesses you, you think or worry about them all the time and you cannot think about anything else - used to show disapproval
be obsessed by/with something/somebody
A lot of young girls are obsessed by their weight.
Jody's been obsessed with some lifeguard for months.
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.
aware：if you are aware of something, you notice it, especially because you can see, hear, feel or smell it
aware of
She was aware of a tall dark figure watching her.
He was aware of the wind in his face.
aware that
Bill became aware that he was still holding his glass.
fatigue：very great tiredness
with fatigue
Sam's face was grey with fatigue.
from fatigue
He's suffering from physical and mental fatigue.
morass：a complicated and confusing situation that is very difficult to get out of
We're trying to drag the country out of its economic morass.
morass of
They were stuck in a morass of paperwork.
stagnant：not changing or making progress, and continuing to be in a bad condition
a government plan to revive the stagnant economy
foreknowledge：knowledge that something is going to happen before it actually does
dim：fairly dark or not giving much light, so that you cannot see well
in the dim light of the early dawn
a dim glow
mediocre：not very good
I thought the book was pretty mediocre.
a mediocre student
wrap：to put paper or cloth over something to cover it
wrap something in something
The present was beautifully wrapped in gold paper.
wrap something around somebody/something
Ella wrapped a thick coat around her shoulders.
He wrapped a bandage around my injured wrist.
I've still got a few Christmas presents to wrap up.
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
broad：a road, river, or part of someone's body etc that is broad is wide
We went along a broad passage.
He was six feet tall, with broad shoulders.
six feet/three metres etc broad
The room is three metres long and two metres broad.
prominent：something that is prominent is large and sticks out
a prominent nose
sunken：sunken cheeks/eyes etc
cheeks or eyes that have fallen inwards, especially because of age or illness
Her eyes looked dull and sunken.
sullen：angry and silent, especially because you feel life has been unfair to you
Bill sat in sullen silence and refused to eat his lunch. a look of sullen resentment
vulgar：not showing good judgment about what is beautiful or suitable
a vulgar check suit
foreign：be foreign to somebody
to be not typical of someone's usual character
Aggression is completely foreign to his nature .
foul：fall foul of somebody/something
to do something which makes someone angry or which breaks a rule, with the result that you are punished
He is worried that his teenage kids will fall foul of the law .
vain：a vain attempt, hope or search fails to achieve the result you wanted
vain attempt/effort/bid
The young mother died in a vain attempt to save her drowning son.
mortify：to cause someone to feel extremely embarrassed or ashamed
endure：to remain alive or continue to exist for a long time
friendships which endure over many years
certainty：something that is definitely true or that will definitely happen
He usually does quite well, but it's not a certainty.
The only certainty is that there will need to be major changes.
presentiment：a strange feeling that something is going to happen, especially something bad
presentiment of
a presentiment of disaster
contain：to control strong feelings of anger, excitement etc
Jane couldn't contain her amusement any longer.
contain yourself
He was so excited he could hardly contain himself.
faith：a strong feeling of trust or confidence in someone or something
have faith (in somebody/something)
I still have faith in him.
'Have faith, Alexandra,' he said.
lose faith (in somebody/something)
The public has lost faith in the government.
destroy/restore somebody's faith (in somebody/something)
It's really helped restore my faith in human nature.
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.
cunning：behaviour or actions that are cunning are clever but dishonest and unfair, and are used to get what you want
a cunning plan
steer：to control the direction a vehicle is going, for example by turning a wheel
He was steering with only one hand.
steer for/towards etc
Steer toward the left.
helm：at the helm
in charge of something
We have a new prime minister at the helm.
refuge：shelter or protection from someone or something
take/seek refuge (in something)
During the frequent air-raids, people took refuge in their cellars.
topple：to become unsteady and then fall over, or to make something do this
topple over
A stack of plates swayed, and began to topple over.
speck：a very small mark, spot, or piece of something
speck of
a speck of dust
garret：a small uncomfortable room at the top of a house, just under the roof
cast：cast something ↔ up
if the sea casts something up, it carries it onto the shore
A body had been cast up on the rocks.
strain：to try very hard to do something using all your strength or ability
strain (something) to do something
She was straining to keep her head above the water.
strain for
Bill choked and gasped, straining for air.
strain your ears/eyes (=try very hard to hear or see)
I strained my ears, listening for any sound in the silence of the cave.
dumb：unable to speak, because you are angry, surprised, shocked etc
He stared at the burnt-out car in dumb disbelief.
She was struck dumb with terror.
perceive：to understand or think of something or someone in a particular way
perceive something/somebody as something
Even as a young woman she had been perceived as a future chief executive.
perceive something/somebody to be something
Often what is perceived to be aggression is simply fear.
Children who do badly in school tests often perceive themselves to be failures.
ecstasy：a feeling of extreme happiness
in (an) ecstasy
She was in an ecstasy of love.
go into ecstasies (=become very happy and excited)
overflow：to have a very strong feeling
overflow with
My heart was overflowing with gratitude.
glorious：having or deserving great fame, praise, and honour
We have in our grasp a truly glorious future.
a glorious victory
aflame：filled with strong emotions or excitement
illusion：an idea or opinion that is wrong, especially about yourself
illusion that
They suffer from the illusion that they cannot solve their problems.
She was under no illusion that he loved her.
It is an illusion that the Arctic is dark in winter.
She had no illusions about her physical attractions.
'I hate to shatter your illusions,' he said.
shade：slight darkness or shelter from the direct light of the sun made by something blocking it
a plant that needs a lot of shade
in the shade (of something)
Let's find a table in the shade.
She was sitting in the shade of a large oak tree.
The temperature was over 90 degrees in the shade.
frankly：honestly and directly
She answered all our questions frankly.
Nicholas frankly admitted that the report was a pack of lies.
bobble：to walk with difficulty, especially because your legs or feet hurt
He hobbled into the room on crutches.
ostentation：when you deliberately try to show people how rich or clever you are, in order to make them admire you
Her lifestyle was remarkably free from ostentation.
flannel：soft cloth, usually made of cotton or wool, used for making clothes
a flannel shirt
absorb：to interest someone so much that they do not pay attention to other things
The movement and noise of the machines absorbed him completely.
be absorbed in something
Judith lay on the settee, absorbed in her book.
curt：using very few words in a way that seems rude
With a curt nod, he turned away and sat down.
a curt note
obsequious：very eager to please or agree with people who are powerful - used in order to show disapproval
an obsequious smile
fuss：to pay too much attention to small unimportant details
fuss with/around/about
Paul was fussing with his clothes, trying to get his tie straight.
flattered：pleased because someone has shown you that they like or admire you
We were flattered by all the attention.
spectacle：a very impressive show or scene
a multimedia dance and opera spectacle
bank：land along the side of a river or lake
bank of
the banks of the River Dee
They walked home along the river bank.
bluff：to pretend something, especially in order to achieve what you want in a difficult or dangerous situation
You wouldn't really tell her. You're bluffing!
bluff your way out of/through/past etc somebody/something (=go somewhere or succeed in doing something by deceiving someone)
I hope we'll be able to bluff our way past the guard
'I was with Don,' she said, deciding to bluff it out (=continue to pretend something) .
bluff somebody into (doing) something (=make someone do something by deceiving them)
vine：a plant with long thin stems that attach themselves to other plants, trees, buildings etc
legendary：very famous and admired
Lonnie Johnson, the legendary blues guitarist
Her singing was legendary.
crown：be crowned with something
having something on top
Almost every hill is crowned with a little walled village.
gothic：the Gothic style of building was common in Western Europe between the 12th and 16th centuries and included tall pointed arches and windows and tall pillars
a Gothic church
belch：to send out a large amount of smoke, flames etc, or to come out of something in large amounts
a line of chimneys belching out smoke
Flames belched from the wreckage.
ecstasy：a feeling of extreme happiness
in (an) ecstasy
She was in an ecstasy of love.
go into ecstasies (=become very happy and excited)
choke：to be unable to breathe properly because something is in your throat or there is not enough air
choke on
He choked on a piece of bread.
Six people choked to death on the fumes.
timid：not having courage or confidence
I was a timid child.
a policy that is both timid and inadequate