wretched：making you feel annoyed or angry
Where is that wretched boy?
hurl：to throw something with a lot of force, especially because you are angry
Demonstrators were hurling bricks through the windows.
He hurled a chair across the set, smashing lamps and vases.
desperate：willing to do anything to change a very bad situation, and not caring about danger
I had no money left and was desperate.
Time was running out and we were getting desperate .
the missing teenager's desperate parents
desperate with
She was desperate with fear.
torment：to deliberately treat someone cruelly by annoying them or hurting them
The older boys would torment him whenever they had the chance.
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
coward：someone who is not at all brave
Try it. Don't be such a coward.
toppled：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.
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
elsewhere：in, at, or to another place
She is becoming famous in Australia and elsewhere.
Kerala has less crime and alcoholism than elsewhere in India.
despise：to dislike and have a low opinion of someone or something
She despised her neighbours.
persecute：to treat someone cruelly or unfairly over a period of time, especially because of their religious or political beliefs
The Puritans left England to escape being persecuted.
rage：a strong feeling of uncontrollable anger
Sobbing with rage, Carol was taken to the hospital.
in a rage
Sam became quite frightening when he was in a rage.
cry/scream/roar etc of rage
Just then, she heard Mr Evan's bellow of rage.
red/dark/purple with rage
His face was red with rage.
trembling/shaking with rage
Forester stared at his car, trembling with rage.
seething/incandescent with rage (=as angry as a person can possibly be)
Animal rights supporters were incandescent with rage.
Richens was 17 when he flew into a rage and stabbed another teenager.
多谢了，很不错的
感动中，激励中。
bruise：if part of your body bruises or if you bruise part of your body, it gets hit or hurt and a bruise appears
She fell off her bike and bruised her knee.
catastrophe：an event which is very bad for the people involved
catastrophe for
If the contract is cancelled, it'll be a catastrophe for everyone concerned.
revolt：a refusal to accept someone's authority or obey rules or laws
The prime minister is now facing a revolt by members of his own party.
revolt against
a revolt against authority
revolt over
a revolt over the proposed spending cuts
in revolt
French farmers are in revolt over cheap imports.
injustice：a situation in which people are treated very unfairly and not given their rights
injustice of
the injustice of slavery
injustice against
innumerable injustices against the black population
The movie deals with injustices suffered by Native Americans.
He had developed a deep sense of social injustice .
plunge (somebody/something) into something
to suddenly experience a difficult or unpleasant situation, or to make someone or something do this
A strike would plunge the country into chaos.
The house was suddenly plunged into darkness .
After the war, the family plunged into debt.
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.
roll：roll (somebody) over
to turn your body over once so that you are lying in a different position, or to turn someone's body over
Ben rolled over and kissed her.
roll (somebody) over onto
The guards rolled him over onto his front.
assault：the crime of physically attacking someone
a case of robbery and assault
for assault
He was jailed for assault.
sexual/indecent assault
victims of indecent assault
assault on/against
sexual assaults on women
Several soldiers have been charged with assault .
butt：to hit or push against something or someone with your head
bowl：bowl somebody ↔ over
to accidentally hit someone and knock them down because you are running in a place that is full of people or things
howl：to make a long loud cry because you are unhappy, angry, or in pain, or because you are amused or excited
Upstairs, one of the twins began to howl (=cry) .
howl in/with
Somewhere, someone was howling in pain.
He makes audiences howl with laughter .
piercing：a sound that is piercing is high, sharp, and unpleasant
He grinned and let out a piercing whistle.
a piercing scream
slam：if a door, gate etc slams, or if someone slams it, it shuts with a loud noise
We heard a car door slam.
He slammed the door shut .
crime：it's a crime
said when you think something is very wrong, and someone should not do it
It would be a crime to waste all that good food.
reduce：to make something smaller or less in size, amount, or price
The governor announced a new plan to reduce crime.
The helmet law should reduce injuries in motorcycle accidents.
Small businesses will need to reduce costs in order to survive.
reduce something by something
The workforce has been reduced by half.
reduce something (from something) to something
All the shirts were reduced to
beg：I beg your pardon
used to say sorry when you have made a mistake, or said something wrong or embarrassing
Oh, I beg your pardon. I thought you said 15 pence, not 50.
slap：a quick hit with the flat part of your hand
Julia gave Roy a slap on the cheek.
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.
nook：a small space in a corner of a room
the table in the breakfast nook
hurl：hurl yourself at/against etc somebody/something
to throw yourself at someone or something with a lot of force
She wanted to hurl herself into his arms.
resolve：to find a satisfactory way of dealing with a problem or difficulty
resolve a dispute/conflict/problem etc
The crisis was resolved by negotiations.
Barnet was desperate for money to resolve his financial problems.
flight：a journey in a plane or space vehicle, or the plane or vehicle that is making the journey
He immediately booked a flight to Toulouse.
Bernstein caught the first flight out of Washington.
We need to hurry or we'll miss our flight .
All flights out of Chicago were cancelled .
Many people have trouble sleeping after a long flight .
a short flight in a hot air balloon
Soon smoking will be banned on all domestic flights .
The number of international flights fell last year.
British Airways offers non-stop flights from London to Tehran.
We only had 20 minutes to make our connecting flight .
bump：to hit or knock against something
bump against
I ran after him, bumping against people in my hurry.
bump into
Tim was a clumsy boy, always bumping into the furniture.
bump something on something
She bumped her arm on the table.
The roof was so low he bumped his head (=his head hit the roof) .
folly：a very stupid thing to do, especially one that is likely to have serious results
Somerville bitterly regretted his folly at becoming involved.
it would be folly to do something
It would be sheer folly to reduce spending on health education.
the follies of aristocratic society
peace：hold/keep your peace
to keep quiet even though you would like to say something
vie：to compete very hard with someone in order to get something
vie for
Simon and Julian were vying for her attention all through dinner.
vie with
There are at least twenty restaurants vying with each other for custom.
vie to do something
All the photographers vied to get the best pictures
reproach：a remark that expresses criticism, blame, or disapproval
He argued that the reproaches were unfair.
chastise：to criticize someone severely
'You're a fool,' she chastised herself.
maintain：to strongly express your belief that something is true
maintain (that)
Critics maintain that these reforms will lead to a decline in educational standards.
maintain your innocence (=say that you did not commit a crime)
He maintained his innocence and said the allegations were 'ridiculous'.
brute：a man who is cruel, violent, and not sensitive
closet：a cupboard built into the wall of a room from the floor to the ceiling
a closet full of beautiful clothes
detest：to hate something or someone very much
Liz and Mo detested each other.
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.
injustice：a situation in which people are treated very unfairly and not given their rights
injustice of
the injustice of slavery
injustice against
innumerable injustices against the black population
The movie deals with injustices suffered by Native Americans.
He had developed a deep sense of social injustice .
degradation：an experience or situation that makes you feel ashamed and angry
a life of poverty and degradation
contemptible：not deserving any respect at all
They were portrayed as contemptible cowards.
cowardice：lack of courage
cowardice in the face of danger
vaguely：slightly
I vaguely remember a woman in a red dress standing outside the door.
There was something vaguely familiar about him.
I was vaguely aware of another figure by the door.
conscious：noticing or realizing something
conscious of (doing) something
I became conscious of someone watching me.
I was very conscious of the fact that I had to make a good impression.
conscious that
She was conscious that Marie was listening to every word.
这样学习英语水平提高不上去才怪呢。祝你成功！
ignoble：ignoble thoughts, feelings, or actions are ones that you should feel ashamed or embarrassed about
ignoble feelings of intense jealousy
religious：relating to religion in general or to a particular religion
I don't share her religious beliefs .
a religious school
the dates of major religious observances such as Easter or Christmas
inspire：to encourage someone by making them feel confident and eager to do something
We need someone who can inspire the team.
inspire somebody to do something
He inspired many young people to take up the sport.
inspire somebody to something
I hope this success will inspire you to greater efforts.
Inspired by the sunny weather, I decided to explore the woods.
respect：to admire someone because they have high standards and good qualities such as fairness and honesty
respect somebody for (doing) something
She respected him for his honesty.
I respect his views, although I do not agree with them.
moral：relating to the principles of what is right and wrong behaviour, and with the difference between good and evil
It is easy to have an opinion on a moral issue like the death penalty for murder.
moral philosophy
moral standards/values/principles
I think you can run a business to the highest moral standards.
If we accept that certain babies should be allowed to die, we place doctors in a moral dilemma .
Man is gifted with a moral sense by which he distinguishes good from evil.
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.
cataclysm：a violent or sudden event or change, such as a serious flood or earthquake
crush：to make someone feel extremely upset or shocked
Sara was crushed by their insults.
brute：brute force/strength
physical strength rather than intelligence and careful thinking
Discussion can be more effective than the use of brute force.
choked：very upset
I was really choked when I heard he'd died.
stiffen：if you stiffen, your body suddenly becomes firm, straight, or still because you feel angry or anxious
He touched her, and she stiffened.
revolt：a refusal to accept someone's authority or obey rules or laws
The prime minister is now facing a revolt by members of his own party.
revolt against
a revolt against authority
revolt over
a revolt over the proposed spending cuts
in revolt
French farmers are in revolt over cheap imports.
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 .
vie：to compete very hard with someone in order to get something
vie for
Simon and Julian were vying for her attention all through dinner.
vie with
There are at least twenty restaurants vying with each other for custom.
vie to do something
All the photographers vied to get the best pictures.
yield：to move, bend, or break because of physical force or pressure
Ideally, the surface should yield slightly under pressure.
suspicion：a feeling you have that someone is probably guilty of doing something wrong or dishonest
I can't say for definite who did it, but I certainly have my suspicions .
Police suspicions were confirmed when the stolen property was found in his flat.
I wondered how I could leave early without arousing anyone's suspicions .
on suspicion of (doing) something
She was arrested on suspicion of murder.
under suspicion
He felt he was still under suspicion.
Mitchell later came under suspicion of assaulting two young girls.
above/beyond suspicion
She felt that she ought to be above suspicion (=so honest that no one could think that she had done anything wrong) .
take against somebody/something
to begin to dislike someone or something, especially without a good reason
Voters took against the relationship between the government and the unions in the 1970s.
exhaust：to make someone feel extremely tired
A full day's teaching exhausts me.
exhaust yourself
He'd exhausted himself carrying all the boxes upstairs.
incredible：extremely good, large, or great
The view is just incredible.
There was blood everywhere and the pain was incredible.
somewhat：more than a little but not very
somewhat larger/higher/newer etc
The price is somewhat higher than I expected.
Things have changed somewhat since then.
somewhat of
To say that I was surprised is somewhat of an understatement.
wear：wear somebody out
to make someone feel extremely tired
All this shopping has worn us out.
wear yourself out
Illness and death came suddenly; over the years she had simply worn herself out.
torpor：a state of being not active because you are lazy or sleepy
She tried to rouse him from the torpor into which he had sunk.
Semi-：exactly half
a semicircle
disdainful：showing that you do not respect someone or something, because you think that they are not important or good enough
a disdainful look
disdainful of
university professors who are disdainful of popular entertainment
hatred：an angry feeling of extreme dislike for someone or something
A look of pure hatred flashed across her face.
hatred of/for/towards
his intense hatred of all foreigners
Abby made no secret of her hatred for her father.
passionate/intense/deep etc hatred
Ellis was a sick young man with a deep hatred of women.
the old hatreds and prejudices that simmered below the surface
savage：very violent or cruel
a savage dog
a savage murder
pardon：to forgive someone for behaving badly
pardon somebody for something
He could never pardon her for the things she had said.
Consume：if a feeling or idea consumes you, it affects you very strongly, so that you cannot think about anything else
She was scared by the depression which threatened to consume her.
be consumed with something
He was consumed with guilt after the accident.
desire：a strong hope or wish
desire to do something
a strong desire to win
desire for
a desire for knowledge
desire that
It was Harold's desire that he should be buried next to his wife.
express/show a desire
She expressed a desire to visit us.
have no desire to do something (=used to emphasize that you do not want to do something)
I have no desire to cause any trouble.
overwhelming/burning desire (=very strong desire)
Paul had a burning desire to visit India.
humiliate：to make someone feel ashamed or stupid, especially when other people are present
Her boss humiliated her in front of all her colleagues.
console：to make someone feel better when they are feeling sad or disappointed
No one could console her when Peter died.
console yourself with something
She consoled herself with the fact that no one else had done well in the exam either.
console yourself that
He consoled himself that he would see Kate again soon.
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.
spurn：to refuse to accept something or someone, especially because you are too proud
She spurned all offers of help.
a spurned lover
gaily：in a happy way
'Morning, Albert,' she called gaily.
anguish：mental or physical suffering caused by extreme pain or worry
the anguish of not knowing what had happened to her
narrative：a description of events in a story, especially in a novel
At several points in the narrative the two stories cross.
fragment：a small piece of something that has broken off or that comes from something larger
glass fragments
fragment of
fragments of broken pottery
grief：something that makes you feel extremely sad
Every change in our lives brings with it griefs.
introduce：to put something carefully into something else
introduce something into something
Fuel was introduced into the jet pipe.
dame：a woman
sunken：sunken cheeks/eyes etc
cheeks or eyes that have fallen inwards, especially because of age or illness
Her eyes looked dull and sunken.
marvelous：extremely good, enjoyable, impressive etc
l'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.
bid：to order or tell someone what to do
bid somebody (to) do something
The queen bade us enter.
recover：to get better after an illness, accident, shock etc
After a few days of fever, she began to recover.
recover from
He's in hospital, recovering from a heart attack.
consent：permission to do something
He took the car without the owner's consent .
Her parents gave their consent to the marriage.
A patient can refuse consent for a particular treatment at any time.
Most owners are happy to have their names used for publicity if this is done with their prior consent .
Informed consent was obtained from all participants before the study began.
draw：draw something ↔ out
to mention a particular piece of information and explain it clearly and in detail
There are two major themes to be drawn out in this discussion.
gesture：something that you say or do, often something small, to show how you feel about someone or something
They decided it would be a nice gesture to send her a card.
Tearing up the price list was simply a symbolic gesture.
gesture of
As a gesture of goodwill, we have decided to waive the charges on this occasion.
gesture towards
The Queen has now made a gesture towards public opinion.
predecessor：a machine, system etc that existed before another one in a process of development
The new BMW has a more powerful engine than its predecessor.
injustice：a situation in which people are treated very unfairly and not given their rights
injustice of
the injustice of slavery
injustice against
innumerable injustices against the black population
The movie deals with injustices suffered by Native Americans.
He had developed a deep sense of social injustice .
straitened：not having enough money, especially not as much as you had before
the straitened circumstances of post-war Japan
circumstance：the conditions in which you live, especially how much money you have
economic/financial/personal etc circumstances
Whether or not you qualify for a loan will depend on your financial circumstances.
people living in difficult social circumstances
in reduced circumstances(=with much less money than you used to have)
meagre：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
sensible：be sensible of something
to know or realize that something exists or is true
He was very sensible of the difficult situation she was in.
serve：to give someone food or drink, especially as part of a meal or in a restaurant, bar etc
The waiter was serving another table.
Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.
serve something with something
Serve the soup with crusty bread.
serve breakfast/lunch/dinner
Breakfast is served until 9 a.m.
serve something to somebody
Meals can be served to you in your room.
serve something hot/cold etc
Teacakes should be served hot with butter.
beforehand：before something else happens or is done
The police need to be briefed beforehand on how to deal with this sort of situation.
When you give a speech, it's natural to feel nervous beforehand.
summon：summon something up
to try very hard to have enough of something such as courage, energy, or strength, because you need it
He had to summon the energy to finish the race.
put out：upset or offended
She felt put out that she hadn't been consulted.
peel：to remove the skin from fruit or vegetables
Peel and dice the potatoes.
reproach：to blame or criticize someone in a way that shows you are disappointed at what they have done
reproach somebody for/with something
He publicly reproached his son for his behavior.
obstinate：determined not to change your ideas, behaviour, opinions etc, even when other people think you are being unreasonable
He was the most obstinate man I've ever met.
Don't be so obstinate!
an obstinate refusal to obey
detest：to hate something or someone very much
Liz and Mo detested each other.
burden：something difficult or worrying that you are responsible for
burden of
The burden of taxation has risen considerably.
burden on
I don't like being a burden on other people.
Nothing can lift the burden from my shoulders .
the tax/financial/debt burden
later on
at some time after the present time
I can't eat all of this - I'll finish it later on.
cruel：making someone suffer or feel unhappy
His death was a cruel blow .
Sometimes life seems unbearably cruel.
fast：a period during which someone does not eat, especially for religious reasons
Gandhi drank some orange juice to break (=end) his three-week fast .
robust：a robust object is strong and not likely to break
robust metal cabinet
agony：very severe pain
the agony of arthritis
in agony
I was in agony.
He groaned in agony.
gimlet：a tool that is used to make small holes in wood so that you can put screws in easily
twist：to bend or turn something, such as wire, hair, or cloth, into a particular shape
twist something into something
She twisted her handkerchief into a knot.
twist something together
Twist the two ends of the wire together.
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) .
clutch ：clutch at somebody's heart
if something clutches at your heart, you suddenly feel fear or nervousness
vaguely ：slightly
I vaguely remember a woman in a red dress standing outside the door.
There was something vaguely familiar about him.
I was vaguely aware of another figure by the door.
reject ：to refuse to accept, believe in, or agree with something
Sarah rejected her brother's offer of help.
reject something as something
Gibson rejected the idea as 'absurd'.
Dexter flatly rejected (=completely rejected) calls for his resignation.
His proposal was rejected outright (=completely rejected) .
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.
privation ：a lack or loss of the things that everyone needs, such as food, warmth, and shelter
the privations of wartime
suspected ：suspected burglar/terrorist/spy etc
someone who is thought to be guilty of a crime
a suspected child killer
frail ：someone who is frail is weak and thin because they are old or ill
frail elderly people
her frail health
frail body/physique
mentally/physically frail
skein ：a long loosely wound piece of thread, wool, or yarn
passionate ：showing or involving very strong feelings of sexual love
He had a brief but passionate love affair with an older woman.
a very passionate young man
a passionate lover
a passionate kiss
fling ：to move yourself or part of your body quickly, using a lot of force
He flung himself down on the bed.
She flung her arms round Louise.
desperately ：in a desperate way
The doctors tried desperately to save her life.
He looked round desperately for someone to help him.
embrace ：to put your arms around someone and hold them in a friendly or loving way
Jack warmly embraced his son.
Maggie and Laura embraced.
intemperate ：regularly drinking too much alcohol
exceed ：to go beyond what rules or laws say you are allowed to do
He was fined for exceeding the speed limit.
The riot police had exceeded their authority .
tolerable ：a situation that is tolerable is not very good, but you are able to accept it
The apartment is really too small, but it's tolerable for the time being.
brutish ：cruel and not sensitive to people's feelings
outburst ：a sudden short increase in an activity
outburst of
an outburst of creative energy
outbursts of violence
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.
drum ：to make a sound similar to a drum by hitting a surface again and again
I could hear the rain drumming against the windows.
Lisa drummed her fingers impatiently on the table.
shrink ：to move back and away from something, especially because you are frightened
She listened, shrinking under the blankets, to their shouts.
Meredith was scared of him and shrank back.
His anger was enough to make the others shrink away from him.
coarse ：talking in a rude and offensive way, especially about sex
oarse jokes
blush ：something that would make somebody blush
something so shocking that it would shock someone who is not normally easily shocked
language that would make a sailor blush
gaiety ：when someone or something is cheerful and fun
Lars enjoyed the warmth and gaiety of these occasions.
melancholy ：very sad
The music suited her melancholy mood.
folly ：a very stupid thing to do, especially one that is likely to have serious results
Somerville bitterly regretted his folly at becoming involved.
it would be folly to do something
It would be sheer folly to reduce spending on health education.
the follies of aristocratic society
antics ：behaviour that seems strange, funny, silly, or annoying
We're all growing tired of his childish antics.
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)
keen ：someone who is keen on something is very interested in it or enjoys doing it very much
a keen photographer
keen golfers
keen on
Daniel's very keen on tennis.
mad keen on something (=very keen on something)
I was mad keen on dinosaurs when I was little.
She takes a keen interest in politics and current affairs.
imperious ：giving orders and expecting to be obeyed, in a way that seems too proud
She raised her hand in an imperious gesture.
justice ：fairness in the way people are treated
Children have a strong sense of justice .
His people came to him, demanding justice .
eternal ：continuing for ever and having no end
the Christian promise of eternal life
She's an eternal optimist (=she always expects that good things will happen) .
accomplish ：to succeed in doing something, especially after trying very hard
We have accomplished all we set out to do.
Mission accomplished (=we have done what we intended to do) .
desire ：a strong hope or wish
desire to do something
a strong desire to win
desire for
a desire for knowledge
desire that
It was Harold's desire that he should be buried next to his wife.
express/show a desire
She expressed a desire to visit us.
have no desire to do something (=used to emphasize that you do not want to do something)
I have no desire to cause any trouble.
overwhelming/burning desire (=very strong desire)
Paul had a burning desire to visit India.
avenger ：to do something to hurt or punish someone because they have harmed or offended you
He wanted to avenge his brother's death.
abdicate ：abdicate (your) responsibility
to refuse to be responsible for something, when you should be or were before
The government has largely abdicated its responsibility in dealing with housing needs.
mingle ：if two feelings, sounds, smells etc mingle, they mix together with each other
Add the mint and allow the flavours to mingle.
mingle with
Her perfume mingled with the smell of woodsmoke from the fire.
be mingled with something
Her excitement was mingled with a slight feeling of fear.
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.
cast ：cast about/around for something phrasal
to try hard to think of the right thing to do or say
She cast about frantically for an excuse.
Telecoms companies are casting around for ways of recouping huge losses.
figure ：someone with a particular type of appearance or character, especially when they are far away or difficult to see
a tall figure in a hat
Through the window I could see the commanding figure of Mrs Bradshaw