vain：in vain
without success in spite of your efforts
Police searched in vain for the missing gunman.
endeavour：to try very hard
endeavour to do something
We always endeavor to please our customers.
rally：to come together, or to bring people together, to support an idea, a political party etc
rally to
Fellow Republicans rallied to the President's defense.
rally to do something
Surely the local business community could have rallied to raise the cash.
an attempt to rally support for the party
fugitive：someone who is trying to avoid being caught by the police
fugitive from
a fugitive from US justice
morrow：the next day
on the morrow
They were to arrive on the morrow.
rout：a complete defeat in a battle, competition, or election
The battle turned into a rout.
put somebody to rout (=defeat somebody completely)
exploit：a brave and exciting adventure that someone has had
exploit of
the daring exploits of the British Parachute Regiment
delight：to give someone great satisfaction and enjoyment
Her fabulous recipes will delight anyone who loves chocolate.
delight somebody with something
He is delighting audiences with his wit and humour.
delight in something phrasal verb
to enjoy something very much, especially something that other people think is not nice
He delights in complicating everything.
She delighted in interesting conversation.
marvelous：extremely good, enjoyable, impressive etc
'How was your holiday?' 'Marvellous!'
We had a marvellous time.
I can't stand him, but my wife thinks he’s marvellous.
It's marvellous what they can do these days.
innumerable：very many, or too many to be counted
She's served on innumerable committees.
vent：give vent to something
to do something violent or harmful to express feelings of anger, hatred etc
Children give vent to their anger in various ways.
He knew that if he gave full vent to his feelings, it would upset Joanna.
hurl：hurl yourself at/against etc somebody/something
also hurl yourself down
to throw yourself at someone or something with a lot of force
She wanted to hurl herself into his arms.
swarm ：a crowd of people who are moving quickly
swarm of
Swarms of tourists jostled through the square.
flight：when something flies through the air
in flight
pelicans in flight
In 1968, the first supersonic airliner took flight (=began flying) .
fill：fill something ↔ out
to add more details to a description or story
abide：abide by something
to accept and obey a decision, rule, agreement etc, even though you may not agree with it
You have to abide by the referee's decision.
intersperse：intersperse something with something
to put something in between pieces of speech or writing, parts of a film etc
be interspersed with something
if something is interspersed with a particular kind of thing, it has a lot of them in it
sunny periods interspersed with showers
enthusiastic：feeling or showing a lot of interest and excitement about something
enthusiastic about (doing) something
All the staff are enthusiastic about the project.
The singer got an enthusiastic reception. an enthusiastic supporter of reform
narrative：a description of events in a story, especially in a novel
At several points in the narrative the two stories cross.
indignant：angry and surprised because you feel insulted or unfairly treated
indignant at/about
Liz was indignant at the way her child had been treated.
I got an indignant reply from Mr Norris.
indignantly
'Of course I didn't tell her!' Sasha said indignantly.
apostrophe：a) the sign (') that is used in writing to show that numbers or letters have been left out, as in 'don't' (=do not) and '86 (=1986)
b) the same sign used before 's' to show that something belongs to someone or something, or is connected with them, as in 'John's book', or 'Charles' mother', or 'Henry's first year as a teacher'
c) the same sign used before 's' to show the plural of letters and numbers as in 'Your r's look like v's.'
address：if you address an envelope, package etc, you write on it the name and address of the person you are sending it to
address something to somebody
That letter was addressed to me.
Send a stamped, self-addressed envelope (=with your address on it so it can be sent back to you) .
patriot：someone who loves their country and is willing to defend it - used to show approval
defeat：failure to win or succeed
She was a woman who hated to admit defeat .
The Democratic Party candidate has already conceded defeat .
defeat in
The socialist party suffered a crushing defeat in the French elections.
The captain offered no excuses for his team's humiliating defeat .
Italy's narrow defeat in their game with Germany
They inflicted a heavy defeat on the Government’s plans to tighten asylum controls.
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.
contemptuous：showing that you think someone or something deserves no respect
Benedict threw her a contemptuous glance.
contemptuous of
He was openly contemptuous of his elder brother.
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) .
stoop：to stand with your back and shoulders bent forwards
stoop to something
to do something bad or morally wrong, which you do not normally do
stoop to doing something
I didn't expect you to stoop to lying.
stoop to somebody's/that level
Don't stoop to her level.
rascal：a dishonest man
immoral：morally wrong
Deliberately making people suffer is immoral.
It's immoral to be rich while people are starving and homeless.
intend：to have something in your mind as a plan or purpose
intend to do something
I intend to spend the night there.
intend somebody/something to do something
I didn't intend her to see the painting until it was finished.
I never intended things to turn out the way they did.
intend that
It is intended that these meetings will become a regular event.
intend doing something
We intend looking at the situation again.
I fully intend (=definitely intend) to return home next year.
restore：to make something return to its former state or condition
restore something to something
The government promises to restore the economy to full strength.
She was hoping that the Mediterranean climate would restore her to full health.
The National Guard was called in to restore order (=make people stop fighting and breaking the law) when riots broke out.
initiatives to restore peace in the Middle East
restore (diplomatic) relations with somebody
Vietnam restored diplomatic relations with South Korea on December 22.
restore somebody's sight/hearing (=make someone who cannot hear or who is blind, hear or see again)
justice：fairness in the way people are treated
Children have a strong sense of justice .
His people came to him, demanding justice .
confess：to admit something that you feel embarrassed about
confess (that)
Marsha confessed that she didn't really know how to work the computer.
confess to (doing) something
He confessed to having a secret admiration for his opponent.
I (have to/must) confess (=used when admitting something you feel slightly embarrassed about)
I must confess I don't visit my parents as often as I should.
conclusion：something you decide after considering all the information you have
These are the report's main conclusions.
conclusion (that)
I soon came to the conclusion that she was lying.
It is still too early to reach a conclusion on this point.
There are perhaps two main conclusions to be drawn from the above discussion.
All the evidence pointed to the conclusion that he was guilty.
It's important not to jump to conclusions .
The police came to the inescapable conclusion that the children had been murdered.
morality：beliefs or ideas about what is right and wrong and about how people should behave
sexual morality
public/private/personal morality
the decline in standards of personal morality
The authorities are protectors of public morality.
conventional/traditional morality
a lack of concern for conventional morality
suspect：to think that something is probably true, especially something bad
suspect (that)
I suspected that there was something wrong with the engine.
She strongly suspected he was lying to her.
She's not going to be very happy about this, I suspect .
ponder：to spend time thinking carefully and seriously about a problem, a difficult question, or something that has happened
He continued to ponder the problem as he walked home.
ponder on/over/about
The university board is still pondering over the matter.
ponder how/what/whether
Jay stood still for a moment, pondering whether to go or not.
patron：someone who supports the activities of an organization, for example by giving money
a wealthy patron
patron of
a patron of the arts
lavish：large, impressive, or expensive
a royal palace on a lavish scale
a lavish lifestyle
The food was lavish.
obsequious：very eager to please or agree with people who are powerful - used in order to show disapproval
obsequious smile
blush：to feel ashamed or embarrassed about something
blush to do something
I blush to admit that I haven't read it.
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.
doze：to sleep lightly for a short time
Grandad was dozing in his chair.
doze off
to go to sleep, especially when you did not intend to
I must have dozed off.
heap：a large untidy pile of things
a rubbish heap
heap of
There was a heap of stones where the building used to be.
in a heap
The envelopes for posting lay in a heap on her desk.
We piled the branches into heaps for burning.
milestone：a stone next to a road that shows the distance in miles to the next town
peculiar：strange, unfamiliar, or a little surprising
There was a peculiar smell in the kitchen.
Something peculiar is going on.
It seems very peculiar that no one noticed Kay had gone.
wag：to move your finger or head from side to side, especially to show disapproval
'You naughty girl!' Mom said, wagging her finger at me.
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.
oxen：a bull whose sex organs have been removed, often used for working on farms
landscape：a picture showing an area of countryside or land
English landscape artists
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.
devour：to read something quickly and eagerly, or watch something with great interest
He devoured science fiction books as a teenager.
grotesque：extremely ugly in a strange or unnatural way
a grotesque figure with a huge head
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 .
fidget：to keep moving your hands or feet, especially because you are bored or nervous
The kids had started to fidget.
fidget with
Stop fidgeting with your pens!
wink：to close and open one eye quickly to communicate something or show that something is a secret or joke
wink at
He winked mischievously at Erica.
He winked an eye at his companion.
murmur：to make a soft, low sound
The wind murmured through the trees.
faint：difficult to see, hear, smell etc
She gave a faint smile.
a very faint noise
the faint light of dawn
hover：if a bird, insect, or helicopter hovers, it stays in one place in the air
hover over/above
flies hovering above the surface of the water
boom：if business, trade, or a particular area is booming, it is increasing and being very successful
Business was booming , and money wasn't a problem.
Tourism on the island has boomed.
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
grasshopper：an insect that has long back legs for jumping and that makes short loud noises
chirp：if a bird or insect chirps, it makes short high sounds
vault：a room where people from the same family are buried, often under the floor of a church
woodpecker：a bird with a long beak that it uses to make holes in trees
peasant：an insulting word for someone who does not behave politely in social situations or is not well-educated
harangue：to speak in a loud angry way, often for a long time, in order to criticize someone or to persuade them that you are right
harangue somebody about something
He stood on the street corner, haranguing passers-by about the stupidity of the forthcoming war.
furrow：a wide deep line made in the surface of something, especially the ground
the regular furrows of a plowed field
The river cuts a long straight furrow between the hills.
consciousness：the condition of being awake and able to understand what is happening around you
David lost consciousness (=went into a deep sleep) at eight o'clock and died a few hours later.
She could faintly hear voices as she began to regain consciousness (=wake up) .
twig：a small very thin stem of wood that grows from a branch on a tree
rigid：used to describe someone who cannot move, especially because they are very frightened, shocked, or angry
rigid with
I heard a noise and woke up rigid with terror.
gradually：slowly, over a long period of time
Jill gradually became aware of an awful smell.
Gradually, my ankle got better.
fantastic：a fantastic story, creature, or place is imaginary and is very strange and magical
fantastic tales of dragons and fairy queens
tumble：to fall down quickly and suddenly, especially with a rolling movement
tumble over/backwards/down
She lost her balance and tumbled backwards.
A few stones came tumbling down the cliff.
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.
Pine-needle：a leaf of the pine tree, which is thin and sharp like a needle
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
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
respect：with (the greatest) respect/with (all) due respect
say this before disagreeing with someone when you want to be polite
With respect, I think you're wrong.
estranged：no longer seeing or talking to a relative or good friend, because of an argument
estranged from
Mill became estranged from his family after the marriage.
rut：a deep narrow track left in soft ground by a wheel
geographical：relating to the place in an area, country etc where something or someone is
geographical area/location/position
a large geographical area
their geographical proximity to Japan (=nearness to Japan)
ditch：a long narrow hole dug at the side of a field, road etc to hold or remove unwanted water
hillock：a little hill
region：a large area of a country or of the world, usually without exact limits
efforts to bring peace to the region
region of
the Choco region of Columbia
coastal/border/central etc region
Flooding is likely in some coastal regions of the Northeast during the early part of the week.
furrow：a wide deep line made in the surface of something, especially the ground
the regular furrows of a plowed field
The river cuts a long straight furrow between the hills.
gang：a group of criminals who work together
Several gangs were operating in the area. Armed gangs have hijacked lorries.
gang of
a gang of smugglers
navvy：an unskilled worker who does physical work, such as building roads
peasant：a poor farmer who owns or rents a small amount of land, either in past times or in poor countries
Most villagers are peasant farmers.
crush：to press something so hard that it breaks or is damaged
His leg was crushed in the accident.
Two people were crushed to death in the rush to escape.
hitch：to fasten an animal to something with wheels so that the animal can pull it forwards
I hitched up the horse and drove out into the fields.
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.
pinch：to press a part of someone's skin very tightly between your finger and thumb, especially so that it hurts
We have to stop her pinching her baby brother.
He pinched her cheek.
repulse：if something or someone repulses you, you think that they are extremely unpleasant
The very thought of his cold clammy hands repulsed me.
rolling：done or happening regularly over a period of time, not all at once
We recommend a rolling programme of machine upgrading.
drowsy：so peaceful that you feel relaxed and almost asleep
a drowsy summer afternoon
hover：to stay nervously in the same place, especially because you are waiting for something or are not certain what to do
Her younger brother hovered in the background watching us.
hover around/about
I noticed several reporters hovering around outside the courtroom.
gaily：in a happy way
'Morning, Albert,' she called gaily.
rhythm：a regular repeated pattern of sounds or movements
Drums are basic to African rhythm.
complicated dance rhythms
rhythm of
She started moving to the rhythm of the music.
the steady rhythm of her heartbeat
superb：extremely good
The food was superb.
superb weather
heed：pay heed to something/take heed of something
to pay attention to something, especially something someone says, and seriously consider it
The government was taking little heed of these threats.
Tom paid no heed to her warning.
key：a scale of notes that begins with one particular note, or the quality of sound this scale has
a tune in the key of A minor
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.
irritable：getting annoyed quickly or easily
Jo was tired, irritable, and depressed.
deafen：if a noise deafens you, it is so loud that you cannot hear anything else
trumpet：to tell everyone about something that you are proud of, especially in an annoying way
They are proudly trumpeting the fact that they are creating more jobs.
take your breath away
to be very beautiful, exciting, or surprising
blush：to feel ashamed or embarrassed about something
blush to do something
I blush to admit that I haven't read it.
mortified：extremely offended, ashamed, or embarrassed
mortified to hear/find etc
Nora was mortified to discover that her daughter had been out drinking.
offened：someone who is offended is angry and upset by someone's behaviour or remarks
feel/look/sound offended
Stella was beginning to feel a little offended.
I knew that Piers would be deeply offended .
I get very offended when he talks to me like that.
radio listeners who are easily offended
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) .
imbecile：someone who is very stupid or behaves very stupidly
He looked at me as if I was a total imbecile.
sublime：used to describe feelings or behaviour that are very great or extreme, especially when someone seems not to notice what is happening around them
an air of sublime contentment
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.
rick：a large pile of straw or grass that is kept in a field until it is needed
snout：the long nose of some kinds of animals, such as pigs
flatten：to make something flat or flatter, or to become flat or flatter
Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough.
The land flattened out as we neared the coast.
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.
trample：to step heavily on something, so that you crush it with your feet
trample on/over/through etc
There was a small fence to stop people trampling on the flowers.
trample somebody/something underfoot
The children were in danger of being trampled underfoot in the crowd.
trample somebody to death (=kill someone by stepping heavily on them)
Several people were nearly trampled to death in the rush to get out.
支持！！！
object：the purpose of a plan, action, or activity
object of
The object of the game is to improve children's math skills.
My object was to explain the decision simply.
The customer will benefit most, and that is the object of the exercise (=the purpose of what you are doing) .
meditation：the practice of emptying your mind of thoughts and feelings, in order to relax completely or for religious reasons
Yoga involves breathing exercises, stretching, and meditation.
barrier：a type of fence or gate that prevents people from moving in a particular direction
Crowds burst through the barriers and ran onto the pitch.
phantom：the image of a dead person or strange thing that someone thinks they see
melancholy：a feeling of sadness for no particular reason
He sank into deep melancholy.
grotesque：a picture, sculpture etc of someone who is strangely ugly
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.
axle：the bar connecting two wheels on a car or other vehicle
cease：to stop doing something or stop happening
cease to do something
He ceased to be a member of the association.
The things people will do for charity never cease to amaze me (=I am always surprised by them) .
cease doing something
the decision to cease using CFCs in packaging
The rain ceased and the sky cleared.
cease trading/production/operations etc (=stop operating a business)
The company ceased production at their Norwich plant last year.
cease fire! (=used to order soldiers to stop shooting)
uneasy：not comfortable, peaceful, or relaxed
She eventually fell into an uneasy sleep.
blow：come to blows (with somebody)
if two people come to blows, they start arguing or hitting each other because they disagree about something
come to blows (with somebody) over
They almost came to blows over the money.
passion：a very strong feeling of sexual love
His eyes were burning with passion.
passion for
her passion for a married man
agitated：so nervous or upset that you are unable to keep still or think calmly
Amanda was getting visibly agitated.
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.
fury：extreme, often uncontrolled anger
I was shaking with fury .
Jenny stepped forward, her eyes blazing with fury .
The report was leaked to the press, much to the president's fury.
sunken：built or placed at a lower level than the surrounding floor or ground
Steps led down to a sunken garden.
a sunken bath
dip：to move down, or to make something move down, usually for just a short time
We watched the sun dip below the horizon.
She dipped her head and spoke into the microphone.
yield：to move, bend, or break because of physical force or pressure
Ideally, the surface should yield slightly under pressure.
crackle：to make repeated short sounds like something burning in a fire
logs crackling on the fire
An announcement crackled over the tannoy.
gnat：a small flying insect that bites
draw：to move in a particular direction
She drew away, but he pulled her close again.
The boat drew alongside us and a man appeared on the deck.
I arrived just as the train was drawing into the station.
current：a continuous movement of water in a river, lake, or sea
ocean/sea/tidal etc current
Strong currents can be very dangerous for swimmers.
stride：to walk quickly with long steps
stride across/into/down etc
He strode toward her.
suck：to pull someone or something with great power and force into or out of a particular place
suck something into something
A bird was sucked into one of the jet's engines.
suck somebody/something under/down
The river sucked him under.
suck something out of/from something
The fluid was sucked from his lungs.
cricket：a small brown insect that can jump, and that makes a rough sound by rubbing its wings together
chirp：if a bird or insect chirps, it makes short high sounds
threshold：the entrance to a room or building, or the area of floor or ground at the entrance
She opened the door and stepped across the threshold.
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.
melody：a tune
They played some lovely melodies.
a haunting melody
tuneful：pleasant to listen to
tuneful melodies
steam：the hot mist that water produces when it is boiled
Steam rose from the hot tub.
glue：to not move because you are very interested, surprised, frightened etc
We were glued to our chairs, listening intently to every word.
be glued to the spot
Sarah was glued to the spot, terrified by the scene in front of her.
occupation：a job or profession
Please state your name, address and occupation.
professional and managerial occupations
manual occupations
refuge：a place that provides shelter, or protection from danger
a wildlife refuge
refuge from
A huge oak tree provided a refuge from the storm.
refuge for
a refuge for battered wives
flare：to suddenly begin to burn, or to burn more brightly for a short time
The fire flared up again.
crisp：to become crisp or make something become crisp by cooking or heating it
Cook the chicken until the skin is nicely crisped.
scent：a pleasant smell that something has
a yellow rose with a lovely scent
scent of
the sweet scent of ripe fruit
incomparable：extremely good, beautiful etc, and much better than others
an incomparable view of San Marco
a wine of incomparable flavour
religious：believing strongly in your religion and obeying its rules carefully
a deeply religious person
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 .
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)
languid：slow or lazy and involving very little energy or activity
He greeted Charles with a languid wave of his hand.
We spent a languid afternoon by the pool.
fatigue：very great tiredness
with fatigue
Sam's face was grey with fatigue.
from fatigue
He's suffering from physical and mental fatigue.
digestion：your ability to digest food easily
Too much tea is bad for your digestion.
plunge：plunge something ↔ in
also plunge something into something
to push something firmly and deeply into something else
He open the bag and plunged his hand in.
Plunge the pasta into boiling water.
Repeatedly she plunged the knife into his chest.
ecstasy：a feeling of extreme happiness
in (an) ecstasy
She was in an ecstasy of love.
go into ecstasies (=become very happy and excited)
lampshade：a cover fixed over a light bulb for decoration and in order to reduce or direct its light
tongue：something that has a long thin shape
tongue of
Huge tongues of fire were licking the side of the building.
overcome：if an emotion overcomes someone, they cannot behave normally because they feel the emotion so strongly
overcome with
Charles was overcome with grief.
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.
buzz：to make a continuous sound, like the sound of a bee
a loud buzzing noise
intermingle：to mix together or mix something with something else
The pain and the anger were intermingled.
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.
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
drowsy：tired and almost asleep
The drug can make you drowsy.
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.
overflow：to have a very strong feeling
overflow with
My heart was overflowing with gratitude.
strangle：to kill someone by pressing their throat with your hands, a rope etc
strangle with
The victim had been strangled with a belt.
cricket：a small brown insect that can jump, and that makes a rough sound by rubbing its wings together
hearth：the area of floor around a fireplace in a house
cheep：if a young bird cheeps, it makes a weak, high noise
baby birds cheeping for food
abundance：a large quantity of something
abundance of
an abundance of wavy red hair
in abundance
One quality the team possessed in abundance was fighting spirit.
superfluous：more than is needed or wanted
a modern building with no superfluous decoration
cease：to stop doing something or stop happening
cease to do something
He ceased to be a member of the association.
The things people will do for charity never cease to amaze me (=I am always surprised by them) .
cease doing something
the decision to cease using CFCs in packaging
The rain ceased and the sky cleared.
cease trading/production/operations etc (=stop operating a business)
The company ceased production at their Norwich plant last year.
cease fire! (=used to order soldiers to stop shooting)
salamander：a small animal similar to a lizard, which lives on land and in the water
bubble：to produce bubbles
Heat the cheese until it bubbles.
bubble up
The cola bubbled up when I unscrewed the lid.
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
drunken：drunk or showing that you are drunk
McBride was a drunken bully.
She was lying in a drunken stupor (=nearly unconscious from being drunk) on the sidewalk.
unending：something, especially something bad, that is unending seems as if it will continue for ever
an unending stream of people
infinite：without limits in space or time
The universe is infinite.
passion：a very strong belief or feeling about something
with passion
He spoke with considerable passion about the importance of art and literature.
The issue arouses strong passions .
cling：to hold someone or something tightly, especially because you do not feel safe
cling to/on/at etc
He wailed and clung to his mother. Passengers clung desperately onto the lifeboats.
originally：in the beginning, before other things happened or before things changed
The family originally came from France.
The building was originally used as a prison.
We originally intended to stay for just a few days.
Originally, we had planned a tour of Scotland but we didn't go in the end.
freak：someone who is considered to be very strange because of the way they look, behave, or think
These glasses make me look like a freak.
Women who studied engineering used to be considered freaks.
violent：showing very strong angry emotions or opinions
violent quarrel/argument/row etc
They had a violent quarrel and John stormed out.
devilish：very bad, difficult, or unpleasant
devilish schemes to cheat people
pugnacious：very eager to argue or fight with people
The professor had been pugnacious and irritable.
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.
appreciation：a feeling of being grateful for something someone has done
show/express your appreciation
The chairman asked me to express our appreciation of all your hard work.
He was presented with a watch in appreciation of his long service.
placid：a placid person does not often get angry or upset and does not usually mind doing what other people want them to
a large, placid baby
She sat still, placid and waiting.
passion：a very strong liking for something
passion for
his passion for football
Gardening was her great passion.
venerate：to honour or respect someone or something because they are old, holy, or connected with the past
a symbol of Arab courage, to be venerated for generations
venerate somebody as something
These children are venerated as holy beings.
equal：be equalled (only) by something
used to say that two things are as strong or as important as each other
Her distaste for books was equalled only by her dislike of people.
amity：friendship, especially between countries
a spirit of perfect amity
bemoan：to complain or say that you are disappointed about something
He was bemoaning the fact that lawyers charge so much.
bemoan the lack/absence/loss of something
an article bemoaning the lack of sports facilities in the area
robust：a robust person is strong and healthy
a robust man of six feet four
bereavement：when someone loses a close friend or relative because they have died
depression caused by bereavement or divorce
confusion：when you do not understand what is happening or what something means because it is not clear
confusion about/over/as to
There was some confusion as to whether we had won or lost.
create/lead to confusion
This complicated situation has led to considerable confusion .
equilibrium：a state in which you are calm and not angry or upset
She struggled to recover her equilibrium.
disturb：to change a normal situation in a way that causes problems
My hormone balance is disturbed by my pregnancy.
New procedures often disturb the comfortable habits of the workforce.
misfortune：very bad luck, or something that happens to you as a result of bad luck
It seems the banks always profit from farmers' misfortunes.
have the misfortune to do/of doing something
The French soldiers had the misfortune to be caught in the crossfire.
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
repugnance：a strong feeling of dislike for something