grain：a single very small piece of a substance such as sand or salt
grain of
a grain of sand
There were crumbs and grains of sugar on the table.
midst：in the midst of something
a) if you are in the midst of an event or situation, it is happening around you
The government is in the midst of a major crisis.
b) in the middle of a place or a group of things or people
We were sitting in the midst of an elegant and well-dressed audience.
turmoil：a state of confusion, excitement, or anxiety
political/emotional/economic/religious etc turmoil
the prospect of another week of political turmoil
in (a) turmoil
Ashley gazed at him, her thoughts in turmoil.
weary：very tired or bored, especially because you have been doing something for a long time
She found Rachel in the kitchen, looking old and weary.
She sat down with a weary sigh.
weary of (doing) something
He was weary of the constant battle between them.
overcome：to successfully control a feeling or problem that prevents you from achieving something
He struggled to overcome his shyness.
Her financial problems could no longer be overcome.
lap：the upper part of your legs when you are sitting down
on somebody's lap
Shannon sat on her mother's lap.
in somebody's lap
His hands were folded in his lap.
buzz：a) to move around in the air making a continuous sound like a bee
Bees were buzzing around the picnic tables.
b) to move quickly around a place
Pamela buzzed around checking that everything was ready.
There were all sorts of rumours buzzing through the office.
cast：to make light or a shadow appear somewhere
cast something over/on/across something
The flames cast dancing shadows on the walls.
the shade cast by low-hanging branches
fleeting：lasting for only a short time
a fleeting smile
For one fleeting moment , Paula allowed herself to forget her troubles.
I caught a fleeting glimpse of them as they drove past.
Carol was paying a fleeting visit to Paris.
penetrate：to enter something and pass or spread through it, especially when this is difficult
bullets that penetrate thick armour plating
Sunlight barely penetrated the dirty windows.
penetrate into
Explorers penetrated deep into unknown regions.
labyrinth：a large network of paths or passages which cross each other, making it very difficult to find your way
labyrinth of
a labyrinth of underground tunnels
infinite：very great in amount or degree
a woman of infinite patience
an infinite number/variety of something
There was an infinite variety of drinks to choose from.
jolly：happy and enjoying yourself
Everybody was in a very relaxed and jolly mood.
severe：someone who is severe behaves in a way that does not seem friendly or sympathetic, and is very strict or disapproving
His slightly severe expression softened.
lest：in order to make sure that something will not happen
She turned away from the window lest anyone see them.
spite：in spite of yourself
if you do something in spite of yourself, you do it although you did not expect or intend to do it
The picture made her laugh in spite of herself.
naughty：a naughty child does not obey adults and behaves badly
You're a very naughty boy! Look what you've done!
weathercock：a weather vane in the shape of a male chicken
creak：if something such as a door, wooden floor, old bed, or stair creaks, it makes a long high noise when someone opens it, walks on it, sits on it etc
The floorboards creaked as she walked across the room.
The door creaked open.
gurgle：if water gurgles, it flows along gently with a pleasant low sound
We could hear the stream gurgling down in the valley.
foregather：to meet in a group
ivy：a climbing plant with dark green shiny leaves
clad：snow-clad/ivy-clad etc
covered in a particular thing
an armour-clad ship
deafening：very loud
a deafening roar
shrill：a shrill sound is very high and unpleasant
'That's not true,' she protested in a shrill voice.
a shrill whistle
Fran uttered a shrill scream.
band：a group of people formed because of a common belief or purpose
band of
a small band of volunteers
bands of soldiers
coo：when doves or pigeons coo, they make a low soft cry
abandon：abandon yourself to something
to feel an emotion so strongly that you let it control you completely
She abandoned herself to grief.
lullaby：a slow, quiet song sung to children to make them go to sleep
hum：to sing a tune by making a continuous sound with your lips closed
hum to yourself
Tony was humming to himself as he drove along.
He began to hum a tune.
exasperation：when you feel annoyed because someone continues to do something that is upsetting you
Carol sighed in exasperation.
humiliate：to make someone feel ashamed or stupid, especially when other people are present
Her boss humiliated her in front of all her colleagues.
humiliated
I've never felt so humiliated in all my life.
immitate：to copy the way someone behaves, speaks, moves etc, especially in order to make people laugh
She was a splendid mimic and loved to imitate Winston Churchill.
bray：if someone brays, they laugh or talk in a loud, slightly annoying way
whip：to move quickly and violently, or to make something do this
The wind whipped her hair into her eyes.
whip across/around/past etc
Rain whipped across the window pane.
whip something about/around
The branches were being whipped about in the storm.
whip round/around
He whipped round to face them.
to hit someone or something with a whip
He whipped the horse into a canter.
shed：shed tears
to cry
She had not shed a single tear during the funeral.
budge：to move, or to make someone or something move
She leaned on the door, but it wouldn't budge.
budge from
Will hasn't budged from his room all day.
The horse refused to budge an inch.
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.
queer：strange or difficult to explain
She gave a queer laugh.
Hank was beginning to feel a little queer.
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.
awkward：difficult to do, use, or deal with
It'll be awkward getting cars in and out.
The new financial arrangements were awkward to manage.
A good carpenter can make a cupboard to fit the most awkward space.
She was afraid he was going to ask an awkward question.
tile：on the tiles
out drinking, dancing etc for enjoyment until late at night
collapse：if a building, wall etc collapses, it falls down suddenly, usually because it is weak or damaged
Uncle Ted's chair collapsed under his weight.
The roof had collapsed long ago.
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
gloomy：dark, especially in a way that makes you feel sad
It was a gloomy room with one small window.
cross：angry or annoyed
get/be cross (with somebody)
She gets cross when he goes out drinking.
Sometimes I get very cross with the children.
cross at/about
She was cross at being interrupted.
grow：to gradually change your opinions and have a feeling that you did not have before
grow to like/hate/respect etc
After a while the kids grew to like Mr Cox.
the city he had grown to love
relief：a feeling of comfort when something frightening, worrying, or painful has ended or has not happened
I felt a huge surge of relief and happiness.
with relief
He watched with relief as the girl nodded.
in relief
He laughed in relief.
No one was hurt, and we all breathed a sigh of relief .
it is a relief to see/have/know etc something
I hate to say it, but it was a relief to have him out of the house.
to somebody's relief
To my relief, they spoke English.
what a relief/that's a relief
The doctor said it was just the flu. What a relief!
boredom：the feeling you have when you are bored, or the quality of being boring
a game to relieve the boredom of a long journey
the sheer boredom of being in jail
boredom with
his boredom with life in a small town
disposal：at somebody's disposal
available for someone to use
Tanner had a lot of cash at his disposal .
somebody is at your (complete) disposal (=someone is ready to help you in any way)
balance：to be in or get into a steady position, without falling to one side or the other, or to put something into this position
balance something on something
She was balancing a plate of food on her knees.
balance on
He turned around, balancing awkwardly on one foot.
twist：a) to turn a part of your body around or change your position by turning
He twisted his head slightly, and looked up at her.
twist round/around
She twisted round, so that she could see the dog better.
b) if you twist your mouth or features, you smile in an unpleasant way or look angry, disapproving etc
His mouth twisted in a humourless smile.
investigate：to try to find out the truth about or the cause of something such as a crime, accident, or scientific problem
The state police are investigating the incident.
The study investigates the impact of violent TV programming on children.
I heard a noise and went downstairs to investigate.
yawn：to open your mouth wide and breathe in deeply because you are tired or bored
Alan stretched and yawned.
jaw：one of the two bones that your teeth are in
a broken jaw
lower/upper jaw
an animal with two rows of teeth in its lower jaw
dislocate：to move a bone out of its normal position in a joint, usually in an accident
I dislocated my shoulder playing football.
deluge：a large amount of something such as letters or questions that someone gets at the same time
deluge of
Viewers sent a deluge of complaints about the show.
organ： also pipe organ
a large musical instrument used especially in churches, with keys like a piano and large pipes that air passes through to produce the sound
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
chin：the front part of your face below your mouth
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
bewildering：confusing, especially because there are too many choices or things happening at the same time
a bewildering variety/array/range
a bewildering variety of choices
dazzling：a light that is dazzling is very bright and makes you unable to see properly for a short time
tiresome：making you feel annoyed or impatient
the whole tiresome business of filling out the forms
suspend：be suspended in something
if something is suspended in a liquid or in air, it floats in it without moving
arch：a structure with a curved top and straight sides that supports the weight of a bridge or building
reverberate：if a loud sound reverberates, it is heard many times as it is sent back from different surfaces
reverberate through/around etc
The bang reverberated through the house.
skim：to remove something from the surface of a liquid, especially floating fat, solids, or oil
skim something off/from something
After simmering the meat, skim the fat from the surface.
hither：here
Coloured fish darted hither and thither (=backwards and forwards) .
thither：in that direction
abandon yourself to something
to feel an emotion so strongly that you let it control you completely
She abandoned herself to grief.
Mass：the main ceremony in some Christian churches, especially the Roman Catholic Church, which celebrates the last meal that Jesus Christ ate
What time do you go to mass ?
morning/evening/midnight etc Mass
Will I see you at morning Mass? S
ay/celebrate Mass (=perform this ceremony as a priest)
doormat：a piece of material inside or outside a door for you to clean your shoes on
someone who lets other people treat them badly and never complains
Don't let him treat you like a doormat .
all but：almost completely
Britain's coal industry has all but disappeared.
His left arm was all but useless.
drown：to have a very strong feeling or a serious problem that is difficult to deal with
drown in
Relief agencies are drowning in frustration.
The country is drowning in debt.
skirt：a piece of outer clothing worn by women and girls, which hangs down from the waist like the bottom part of a dress
She wore a white blouse and a plain black skirt.
leather/pleated/cotton etc skirt
a green velvet skirt
short/long skirt
a short skirt and high heels
vex：to make someone feel annoyed or worried
dramatic：connected with acting or plays
the amateur dramatic society
the dramatic arts
hum：to sing a tune by making a continuous sound with your lips closed
hum to yourself
Tony was humming to himself as he drove along.
He began to hum a tune.
composition：the art or process of writing pieces of music, poems etc
The Journals contain accounts of literary composition.
grave：looking or sounding quiet and serious, especially because something important or worrying has happened
Turnbull's face was grave as he told them about the accident.
dribble：to let liquid come out of your mouth onto your face
Watch out, the baby is dribbling on your shirt!
He was dribbling tea onto his tie.
contemplation：quiet, serious thinking about something
The monks spend an hour in contemplation each morning.
crack：a very narrow space between two things or two parts of something
crack between
He squeezed into a crack between two rocks.
crack in
He could see them through a crack in the door.
She opened the door a crack and peeped into the room.
grimace：an expression you make by twisting your face because you do not like something or because you are feeling pain
His face twisted in a grimace of pain.
a grimace of disgust
imperceptible：almost impossible to see or notice
Such changes are imperceptible to even the best-trained eye.
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.
fauna：all the animals living in a particular area or period in history
entertainment：things such as films, television, performances etc that are intended to amuse or interest people
The town provides a wide choice of entertainment.
There will be live entertainment (=performed then, not recorded) throughout the day.
light entertainment (=comedy)
The dolphins give good entertainment value (=a lot of amusement and interest) .
the entertainment industry/business/world
centipede：a small creature like a worm with a lot of very small legs
nail：your nails are the hard smooth layers on the ends of your fingers and toes
I've broken my nail .
Stop biting your nails !
She sat painting her nails (=putting a coloured substance on them) .
He still had dirt under his nails.
inspection：an official visit to a building or organization to check that everything is satisfactory and that rules are being obeyed
inspection of
regular inspections of the prison
An inspection was carried out at the school.
tour of inspection (=an official visit to inspect something)
marvel：something or someone that is extremely useful or skilful
engineering marvel
I don't know how he did it - he's an absolute marvel!
marvel of
the marvels of modern science
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.
roughly：not gently or carefully
He grabbed her roughly.
advantage：take advantage of somebody
to treat someone unfairly in order to get what you want, especially someone who is generous or easily persuaded
Don't lend them the car - they're taking advantage of you!
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
only so many/much
used to say that there is only a limited quantity of something
There’s only so much that anybody’s brain can handle at any one time. There are only so many hours in the working day.
deliberately：done or said in a slow careful way
He shook his head slowly and deliberately.
(every) now and then/now and again
sometimes
I hear from him every now and then.
hop：to move by jumping on one foot
The little girl ran off, hopping and skipping as she went.
brushwood：small dead branches broken from trees or bushes
abrupt：sudden and unexpected
an abrupt change of plan
come to an abrupt end/halt etc
The bus came to an abrupt halt.
variation：something that is done in a way that is different from the way it is usually done
trifle：something unimportant or not valuable
There's no point in arguing over trifles.
fruitful：producing good results
Today's meeting proved more fruitful than last week's.
a busy and fruitful time
Annual business reports were a fruitful source of information.
bough：a main branch on a tree
hedge：a row of small bushes or trees growing close together, usually dividing one field or garden from another
lance：a long thin pointed weapon that was used in the past by soldiers riding on horses
brandish：to wave something around in a dangerous or threatening way, especially a weapon
A man leapt out brandishing a kitchen knife.
aloft：high up in the air
hold/bear something aloft
He emerged, triumphantly holding a baby aloft.
spring：to move suddenly and quickly in a particular direction, especially by jumping
spring out of/from
Tom sprung out of bed and ran downstairs.
spring out at somebody
Two men sprang out at me as I was walking through the park.
He sprang to his feet (=stood up suddenly) and rushed after her.
spring to somebody's aid/assistance (=move quickly to help someone)
One of the young policemen sprang to her assistance.
general：an officer of very high rank in the army or air force
assault：a military attack to take control of a place controlled by the enemy
assault on
an unsuccessful assault on the enemy lines
The refugee camp came under assault again last night.
a powerful assault rifle
flexible：a person, plan etc that is flexible can change or be changed easily to suit any new situation
We can be flexible about your starting date.
extremely/highly/fairly etc flexible
Our new computer software is extremely flexible.
The government needs a more flexible approach to education.
whip：a long thin piece of rope or leather with a handle, that you hit animals with to make them move or that you hit someone with to punish them
The coachman cracked his whip and the carriage lurched forward.
leap：to jump high into the air or to jump in order to land in a different place
She leapt over the fence.
The smaller animals can easily leap from tree to tree.
precipice：a very steep side of a high rock, mountain or cliff
A loose rock tumbled over the precipice.
mount：a horse that you ride on
slip：to slide a short distance accidentally, and fall or lose your balance slightly
Wright slipped but managed to keep hold of the ball.
slip on
He slipped on the ice.
ditch：a long narrow hole dug at the side of a field, road etc to hold or remove unwanted water
bark：to rub the skin off your knee, elbow etc by falling or knocking against something
I barked my shin against the step.
lithe：having a body that moves easily and gracefully
the strong lithe bodies of gymnasts
orchestra：a large group of musicians playing many different kinds of instruments and led by a conductor
the Berlin Symphony Orchestra
the school orchestra
conductor：someone who stands in front of a group of musicians or singers and directs their playing or singing
salute：to move your right hand to your head, especially in order to show respect to an officer in the army, navy etc
The two soldiers saluted Lieutenant Cecil.
The men jumped to their feet and saluted.
stride：a long step you make while you are walking
Paco reached the door in only three strides.
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.
bid：to order or tell someone what to do
bid somebody (to) do something
The queen bade us enter.
convinced：feeling certain that something is true
Molly agreed, but she did not sound very convinced.
be convinced (that)
I was convinced that we were doing the right thing.
convinced of
Researchers are convinced of a genetic cause for the disease.
firmly/totally/fully etc convinced
Herschel was firmly convinced of the possibility of life on other planets.
grasshopper：an insect that has long back legs for jumping and that makes short loud noises
hare：an animal like a rabbit but larger, which can run very quickly
rune：a magic song or written sign
bar：to prevent people from going somewhere by placing something in their way
She ran back, but Francis barred her way .
A locked gate barred my entrance to the wood.
belly：the front part of your body between your chest and your legs
She was lying on her belly.
contortion：a twisted position or movement that looks surprising or strange
I could not force my body into the contortions required by classical ballet.
facial contortions
occur：occur to somebody
if an idea or thought occurs to you, it suddenly comes into your mind
it occurs to somebody to do something
I suppose it didn't occur to you to phone the police?
It never seems to occur to my children to contact me.
it occurs to somebody (that)
It had never occurred to him that he might be falling in love with her.
cast：to throw something somewhere
Sparks leapt as he cast more wood on the fire.
bait：food used to attract fish, animals, or birds so that you can catch them
We used worms as bait.
The fish wouldn't take the bait .
exception：something or someone that is not included in a general statement or does not follow a rule or pattern
It's been cold, but today's an exception.
with the exception of somebody/something
We all laughed, with the exception of Maggie.
without exception
Each plant, without exception, contains some kind of salt.
notable/important/significant exception
With one or two notable exceptions , there are few women conductors.
minor/major exception
With a few minor exceptions, the new edition is much like the previous one.
The law applies to all EU countries; Britain is no exception .
We don't usually accept checks, but for you we'll make an exception (=not include you in this rule) .
The spelling of this word is an interesting exception to the rule .
Successful two-career couples are still the exception, not the rule (=used to emphasize that something is unusual) .
inexhaustible：something that is inexhaustible exists in such large amounts that it can never be finished or used up
She has an inexhaustible supply of funny stories.
a man of inexhaustible energy
confidence：if you tell someone something in confidence, you tell them something on the understanding that they will not tell anyone else
in confidence
I'll tell you about Moira - in confidence, of course.
in strict/the strictest confidence
Any information given during the interview will be treated in the strictest confidence .
breach of confidence (=when someone tells someone something that they were told in confidence)
Lawyers are satisfied that no breach of confidence took place.
grating：a metal frame with bars across it, used to cover a window or hole
Leaves clogged the grating over the drain.
sewer：a pipe or passage under the ground that carries away waste material and used water from houses, factories etc
draw：to move someone or something in a particular direction by pulling them gently
draw somebody/something aside/up/across etc
Bobby drew a chair up to the table.
Hussain drew me aside to whisper in my ear.
draw the curtains/a blind etc (=close them by pulling them gently)
cord：a specific quantity of wood cut for burning in a fire
We use three cords of wood in a winter.
blot：blot something ↔ out
to cover or hide something completely
Thick white smoke blotted out the sun.
conscious：thinking a lot about or concerned about something
politically/environmentally/socially etc conscious
environmentally conscious consumers
health-conscious/fashion-conscious etc
Many employers are becoming more safety-conscious.
conscious of
She was very conscious of security.
unawares：take/catch somebody unawares
if something takes you unawares, it happens when you are not expecting it and are not prepared
The question caught me completely unawares.
void：a feeling of great sadness that you have when someone you love dies or when something is taken from you
Running the business helped to fill the void after his wife died.
bewildered：totally confused
a bewildered expression on his face
trot：if a person or animal trots, they run fairly slowly, taking short regular steps
She came trotting down the steps from the library.
chirp：if a bird or insect chirps, it makes short high sounds
crow：a large shiny black bird with a loud cry
poise：to put or hold something in a carefully balanced position, especially above something else
poise something over/above something
He poised the bottle over her glass. 'More wine?'
burn：be burning with rage/desire etc
to feel a particular emotion very strongly
She was burning with curiosity.
episode：a television or radio programme that is one of a series of programmes in which the same story is continued each week
Watch next week's thrilling episode!
episode of
the first episode of a new drama series
emphatic：expressing an opinion, idea etc in a clear, strong way to show its importance
an emphatic denial
emphatic that
Wilde was emphatic that the event should go ahead.
emphatic about
He was pretty emphatic about me leaving.
emotion：a strong human feeling such as love, hate, or anger
Her voice was full of emotion .
conflicting/mixed emotions
Sara listened with mixed emotions.
She was good at hiding her emotions .
Kim received the news without showing any visible sign of emotion .
stifle：if you are stifled by something, it stops you breathing comfortably
He was almost stifled by the fumes.
outburst：a sudden short increase in an activity
outburst of
an outburst of creative energy
outbursts of violence
eloquent：showing a feeling or meaning without using words
The photographs are an eloquent reminder of the horrors of war.
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.
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 .
incredible：extremely good, large, or great
The view is just incredible.
There was blood everywhere and the pain was incredible.
deed：something someone does, especially something that is very good or very bad
After the morning's good deeds he deserved a rest.
She tried to strangle her baby and her lover helped her finish the evil deed .
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
renterhooks：be on tenterhooks
to feel nervous and excited because you are waiting to find out something or for something to happen
She had been on tenterhooks all night, expecting Joe to return at any moment.
thrilling：interesting and exciting
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.
blow：blow your nose
to clean your nose by forcing air through it into a cloth or a piece of soft paper
impatience：great eagerness for something to happen, especially something that is going to happen soon
impatience to do something
She was bursting with impatience to tell Natalia what had happened.
method：a planned way of doing something, especially one that a lot of people know about and use
traditional teaching methods
I think we should try again using a different method.
method of/for (doing) something
Today’s methods of birth control make it possible for a couple to choose whether or not to have a child.
effective methods for the storage and retrieval of information
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.
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) .
wicked：behaving in a way that is morally wrong
lthe wicked stepmother in 'Hansel and Gretel'
altogether：used to emphasize that something has been done completely or has finished completely
an old custom that has vanished altogether
Congress could ban the procession altogether.
leap：to move very quickly and with a lot of energy
I leapt up the stairs three at a time.
He leapt out of bed.
She leapt to her feet (=stood up quickly) and started shouting.
swell：to become larger and rounder than normal - used especially about parts of the body
Her ankle was already starting to swell.
The window frame was swollen shut.
swell with pride/anger etc
to feel very proud, angry etc
His heart swelled with pride as he watched his daughter collect her prize.
interpolate：to put additional words into a piece of writing
pathetic：making you feel pity or sympathy
The child looked a pathetic sight.
abstruse：unnecessarily complicated and difficult to understand
Maths is a mix of abstruse theory and detailed calculations.
discourse：serious conversation or discussion between people
Candidates should engage in serious political discourse.
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.
trace：to find the origins of when something began or where it came from
trace something (back) to something
They've traced their ancestry to Scotland.
The style of these paintings can be traced back to early medieval influences.
trite：a trite remark, idea etc is boring, not new, and insincere
Her remarks sounded trite and ill-informed.
involved：having so many different parts that it is difficult to understand
The plot was so involved that very few people knew what was going on.
fear：the possibility or danger that something bad might happen
There's no fear of revolt now.
habitual：doing something from habit, and unable to stop doing it
habitual criminal/offender/felon etc
habitual drinker/gambler etc
emphatic：expressing an opinion, idea etc in a clear, strong way to show its importance
an emphatic denial
emphatic that
Wilde was emphatic that the event should go ahead.
emphatic about
He was pretty emphatic about me leaving.
stop：stop sth↔ up
to block a hole or pipe so that water, smoke etc cannot go through it
punctuate：to be interrupted by something, especially when this is repeated
The silence was occasionally punctuated by laughter.
inappropriate：not suitable or right for a particular purpose or in a particular situation
wholly/totally/completely etc inappropriate
His comments were wholly inappropriate on such a solemn occasion.
it is inappropriate (for somebody) to do something
It would be inappropriate for me to comment until we know more of the facts.
inappropriate for
an inappropriate gift for a child
inappropriate to
marketing techniques that are totally inappropriate to education
inappropriate behaviour/response/language etc
gesture：a movement of part of your body, especially your hands or head, to show what you mean or how you feel
in a ... gesture (of something)
Jim raised his hands in a despairing gesture.
Luke made an obscene gesture with his finger.
gesture of
She shook her head with a gesture of impatience.
profound：having a strong influence or effect
profound effect/influence/impact/consequence etc
Tolstoy's experiences of war had a profound effect on his work.
The mother's behaviour has a profound impact on the developing child.
profound changes in society
respect：when you admire someone, especially because of their personal qualities, knowledge, or skills
respect for
I have the greatest respect for Jane's work.
win/earn/gain the respect of somebody
She has earned the respect of her fellow athletes.
He commands (=has and deserves) the respect of everyone in the profession.
eloquent：able to express your ideas and opinions well, especially in a way that influences people
an eloquent appeal for support
fabulousextremely good or impressive
You look fabulous!
a fabulous meal
The room has fabulous views across the lake.
legend：an old, well-known story, often about brave people, adventures, or magical events
legend of
the legend of St George and the dragon
ancient Greek legends
according to legend
According to legend, he escaped by leaping from the cliffs into the sea.
Legend has it that prisoners were brought here to be executed.
adversary：a country or person you are fighting or competing against
his old adversary
fate：a power that is believed to control what happens in people's lives
Fate plays cruel tricks sometimes.
a twist/quirk of fate (=something unexpected that happens)
By a strange twist of fate Smith's first match is against the team that gave him the sack last season.
decree：to make an official judgment or give an official order
decree (that)
The King decreed that there should be an end to the fighting.
league：an ancient unit for measuring distance, equal to 3 miles or about 4828 metres on land, and three nautical miles or 5556 metres at sea
panic：a sudden strong feeling of fear or nervousness that makes you unable to think clearly or behave sensibly
in (a) panic
The children fled in panic.
a feeling of sheer panic (=complete panic)
She got into a panic when she couldn't find the tickets.
The whole nation is in a state of panic following the attacks.
She suffers from terrible panic attacks .
disperse：if a group of people disperse or are dispersed, they go away in different directions
Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
flee：to leave somewhere very quickly, in order to escape from danger
His attackers turned and fled.
Masaari spent six months in prison before fleeing the country .
flee to/from/into
Many German artists fled to America at the beginning of World War II.
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) .