gaiety ：when someone or something is cheerful and fun
Lars enjoyed the warmth and gaiety of these occasions.
talent ：a natural ability to do something well
He has a lot of talent , and his work is fresh and interesting.
talent for
She showed a talent for acting at an early age.
a persuasive speaker with a natural talent for leadership
His latest book reveals hidden talents .
Sadly, she inherited none of her father's musical talent .
Your brother is a man of many talents .
There's a wealth of talent in English football.
talent for
She showed a talent for acting at an early age.
virtuoso ：someone who is a very skilful performer, especially in music
violin virtuoso Stephane Grappelli
a virtuoso performance
a virtuoso pianist
recite ：to say a poem, piece of literature etc that you have learned, for people to listen to
She recited a poem that she had learnt at school.
eulogy ：a speech or piece of writing in which you praise someone or something very much, especially at a funeral
The minister delivered a long eulogy.
boast ：something that you like telling people because you are proud of it
It is the company's proud boast that it can deal with all a customer's needs in one phone call.
Philip's boast is that he started out without any outside financial backing.
an empty/idle/vain boast (=a false statement that something is good or possible)
She claimed that she could beat anyone, but it was an empty boast.
'Making knowledge work' is the university's phrase, and it is no idle boast (=not a boast, but true) .
linen ：sheets, tablecloths etc
bed linen
table linen
plunge ：plunge in
to start talking or doing something quickly and confidently, especially without thinking about it first
It's a difficult situation. You can't just plunge in and put everything right.
'I don't agree,' she said, plunging into the conversation.
disheveled ：if someone's appearance or their clothes, hair etc is dishevelled, they look very untidy
Pam arrived late, dishevelled and out of breath.
caper ：a planned activity, especially an illegal or dangerous one
I'm too old for this sort of caper.
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.
plump ：plump (yourself) down
to sit down suddenly and heavily
buffoon ：someone who does silly things that make you laugh
blink ：to shut and open your eyes quickly
I blinked as I came out into the sunlight.
crimson ：deep red in colour
The leaves turn crimson in autumn.
a crimson dress
gurgle ：if a baby gurgles, it makes a happy low sound in its throat
stock-still ：not moving at all
Oscar stood stock-still and listened.
budge ：to change your opinion, or to make someone change their opinion
The government has refused to budge.
budge on
He won't budge on the issue.
budge from
Treacy refuses to budge from his principles
panic-stricken ：so frightened that you cannot think clearly or behave sensibly
Lucy suddenly looked panic-stricken.
gobble ：to make a sound like a turkey
fowl ：a bird, such as a chicken, that is kept for its meat and eggs, or the meat of this type of bird
flop ：to hang or fall loosely, in an uncontrolled way
His head flopped back pathetically.
babble ：to speak quickly in a way that is difficult to understand or sounds silly
I have no idea what he was babbling on about.
incoherent ：speaking in a way that cannot be understood, because you are drunk, feeling a strong emotion etc
Ben, drunk and incoherent, slumped in a chair.
irritable ：getting annoyed quickly or easily
Jo was tired, irritable, and depressed.
cloud ：if someone's face or eyes cloud, or if something clouds them, they start to look angry, sad, or worried
Ann's eyes clouded with the pain.
Then suspicion clouded his face.
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 .
snigger ：to laugh quietly in a way that is not nice at something which is not supposed to be funny
swing ：to make regular movements forwards and backwards or from one side to another while hanging from a particular point, or to make something do this
Let your arms swing as you walk.
a sign swinging in the wind
He was swinging his bag back and forth .
She swung her legs from side to side .
swing something by something
He marched around, swinging the gun by its handle.
inexpressible ：an inexpressible feeling is too strong to be described in words
inexpressible gratitude
upheaval ：a very big change that often causes problems
political upheaval
Moving house is a major upheaval .
limp ：to walk slowly and with difficulty because one leg is hurt or injured
Moreno limped off the field with a foot injury.
babble ：to speak quickly in a way that is difficult to understand or sounds silly
I have no idea what he was babbling on about.
senseless ：happening or done for no good reason or with no purpose
Her death seemed such a senseless waste of life.
a senseless crime
unconscious ：a feeling or thought that is unconscious is one that you have without realizing it
unconscious feeling/desire/need etc
an unconscious need to be loved
shudder ：to shake for a short time because you are afraid or cold, or because you think something is very unpleasant
Maria shuddered as she stepped outside.
shudder with
I shudder with embarrassment whenever I think I think about it.
shudder at
She shuddered at the thought that she could have been killed.
creep ：to move in a quiet, careful way, especially to avoid attracting attention
creep into/over/around etc
Johann would creep into the gallery to listen to the singers.
He crept back up the stairs, trying to avoid the ones that creaked.
least ：at the (very) least
used when mentioning the least extreme thing that happens, is needed etc
Computer viruses are at the very least annoying and often actually destructive.
topple ：to become unsteady and then fall over, or to make something do this
topple over
A stack of plates swayed, and began to topple over.
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.
glue ：be glued to something
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.
stretch ：to straighten your arms, legs, or body to full length
Carl sat up in bed, yawned, and stretched.
Always stretch before exercising.
sober ：to become more serious in behaviour or attitude, or to make someone become more serious
His expression sobered instantly.
curse ：to say or think bad things about someone or something because they have made you angry
He cursed his bad luck in arriving just after she'd left.
curse somebody/something for (doing) something
Elsa cursed herself for believing his lies.
swear ：to use rude and offensive language
Don't swear in front of the children.
swear at
He turned round and swore at me.
thump ：to hit against something loudly
His feet thumped loudly on the bare boards.
He thumped his cup down on the table.
vain ：a vain attempt, hope or search fails to achieve the result you wanted
vain attempt/effort/bid
The young mother died in a vain attempt to save her drowning son.
surrounding ：near or around a particular place
Troops sealed off the surrounding area .
We decided to explore the surrounding countryside .
stir ：to move slightly or to make something move slightly
The crowd began to stir as they waited for the band to start.
A gentle breeze stirred the curtains
limb ：an arm or leg
stutter ：to speak with difficulty because you cannot stop yourself from repeating the first consonant of some words
'I'm D-d-david,' he stuttered.
deliver ：to take goods, letters, packages etc to a particular place or person
The morning mail has just been delivered.
Do you deliver on Saturdays?
deliver something to somebody
They set off to deliver supplies to an isolated village.
I'm having some flowers delivered for her birthday.
homily ：advice about how to behave that is often unwanted
due ：your due
your due is what you deserve, or something it is your right to have
He accepted all the praise he received as his due.
Freddy, to give him his due (=to be fair to him) , always tried to be honest.
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.
thought ：something that you think of, remember, or realize
Erika had a sudden thought . 'Why don't you come with me?'
The thought occurred to me that he might not be telling the truth.
A thought struck her and she asked, 'Luke, are you married?'
To be honest, the thought had never crossed my mind .
Children sometimes need help expressing their thoughts and feelings.
Her thoughts turned to Edward, and she remembered what he had said to her.
Of course, the thought that I might not have a job next year is a bit troubling.
Just the thought of more food made her feel sick.
The very thought of going back there filled him with dread.
The fact that this country spends more on its military than on education and health care combined is a sobering thought .
Louis could not bear the thought of losing her.
rattle ：rattle something ↔ off
to say several pieces of information or a list quickly and easily from memory
An officer rattled off some statistics about the aid program.
wriggle ：to twist your body from side to side with small quick movements
Stop wriggling and let me put your T-shirt on.
wriggle under/through/into
He wriggled through the window.
The dog wriggled free and ran off.
melancholy ：very sad
The music suited her melancholy mood.
commiserate ：to express your sympathy for someone who is unhappy about something
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.
rock ：to move gently backwards and forwards or from side to side, or to make something do this
She covered her face, rocking to and fro in her grief.
The waves rocked the boat from side to side .
Paul sat gently rocking the child in his arms.
Jim rocked with laughter when he heard what had happened.
intone ：to say something slowly and clearly without making your voice rise and fall much as you speak
The priest intoned the blessing.
stifle ：to stop a feeling from being expressed
He stifled an urge to hit her.
stifle a yawn/smile/grin etc
I tried to stifle my laughter.
bosom ：the front part of a woman's chest
She cradled the child to her bosom.
hiccough ：a sudden repeated stopping of the breath, usually caused by eating or drinking too fast
get/have hiccups BrE ; get/have the hiccups American English
Don't drink so fast - you'll get hiccups.
repulsive ：extremely unpleasant, in a way that almost makes you feel sick
Many people find slugs repulsive.
agony ：a very sad, difficult, or unpleasant experience
It was agony not knowing if she would live.
agony of
He was in agonies of remorse.
disgust ：a strong feeling of dislike, annoyance, or disapproval
with disgust
Joan looked at him with disgust.
in disgust
Sam threw his books down in disgust and stormed out of the room.
to somebody's disgust
Much to my disgust , I found that there were no toilets for the disabled.
disgust with
Nelson's disgust with US politics
disgust at
The fans didn't hide their disgust at the umpire's decision.
age ：a long time
Simon! I haven't seen you for ages .
That recipe takes ages .
it's ages since/before/until etc something
It's ages since we've played that game.
violence ：extreme force
the tremendous violence of a tornado
incredible ：too strange to be believed or very difficult to believe
It's incredible that he survived the fall.
It's incredible how much Tom has changed since he met Sally.
I find it almost incredible that no-one noticed these errors.
wrench ：to twist and pull something roughly from the place where it is being held
I wrenched the packet from his grasp.
The door had been wrenched open.
startle ：to make someone suddenly surprised or slightly shocked
Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.
be startled to do something
I was startled to see Amanda.
ruin ：to spoil or destroy something completely
This illness has ruined my life.
His career would be ruined.
All this mud’s going to ruin my shoes.
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.
caress ：to touch someone gently in a way that shows you love them
His hands gently caressed her body.
sob ：to cry noisily while breathing in short sudden bursts
He began sobbing uncontrollably .
kneel ：to be in or move into a position where your body is resting on your knees
Tom knelt down and patted the dog.
kneel on
She knelt on the floor and put more wood on the fire.
cure ：cure somebody of something
to make someone stop behaving in a particular way or stop them having a particular feeling or attitude
Nothing could cure her of her impatience with Anna.
feverish ：very excited or worried about something
They waited in a state of feverish anxiety for their mother to come home.
The show was about to begin and backstage there were signs of feverish activity (=activity that is done very quickly because there is not much time) .
snore ：to breathe in a noisy way through your mouth and nose while you are asleep
He could hear the old man snoring.
thump ：to hit against something loudly
His feet thumped loudly on the bare boards.
He thumped his cup down on the table.
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!
allusion ：something said or written that mentions a subject, person etc indirectly
allusion to
The committee made no allusion to the former President in its report.
literary/classical/cultural etc allusions
Eliot's poetry is full of biblical allusions.
In his poetry we find many allusions to the human body.
comment ：an opinion that you express about someone or something
Does anyone have any questions or comments?
comment on/about
his comments about asylum seekers
He was fined for making abusive comments to the referee.
fair comment (=criticism that is reasonable or deserved)
lucid ：expressed in a way that is clear and easy to understand
You must write in a clear and lucid style.
vigorous ：using a lot of energy and strength or determination
Your dog needs at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise every day.
Environmentalists have begun a vigorous campaign to oppose nuclear dumping in the area.
a vigorous debate
Vigorous efforts are being made to find a solution to the problem.
The measures provoked vigorous opposition in right-wing circles.
livid ：extremely angry
She was absolutely livid that he had lied.
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.
trash ：to criticize someone or something very severely
The researchers are angry that attempts have been made to trash their work.
imposition ：something that someone expects or asks you to do for them, which is not convenient for you
I know it's an imposition, but could I use your bathroom?
storm ：to go somewhere in a noisy fast way that shows you are extremely angry
storm out of/into/off etc
Alan stormed out of the room.
frigid ：not friendly or kind
The guard looked at us with a frigid stare.
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
thrash ：to beat someone violently, especially in order to punish them
My poor brother used to get thrashed for all kinds of minor offences.
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 .
bid ：to order or tell someone what to do
bid somebody (to) do something
The queen bade us enter.
clench ：clench your fists/teeth/jaw etc
to hold your hands, teeth etc together tightly, usually because you feel angry or determined
Jody was pacing the sidelines, her fists clenched.
charge ：be in/under somebody's charge
if someone or something is in your charge, you are responsible for looking after them
teachers that do their best for the children in their charge
The files were left in your charge.
methodical ：a methodical way of doing something is careful and uses an ordered system
He always checked every detail in a methodical way.
a methodical approach to answering questions
provocative ：provocative behaviour, remarks etc are intended to make people angry or upset, or to cause a lot of discussion
provocative comment/remark/statement
The minister's provocative remarks were widely reported in the press.
a provocative act by a terrorist group
She was accused of being deliberately provocative .
tug ：to pull with one or more short, quick pulls
The woman gently tugged his arm.
tug at/on something
Joe was tugging at her sleeve.
strangle ：to kill someone by pressing their throat with your hands, a rope etc
strangle with
The victim had been strangled with a belt.
impervious ：not affected or influenced by something and seeming not to notice it
impervious to
His ego was impervious to self-doubt.
inherit ：to have the same character or appearance as your parents
inherit something from somebody
Mr. Grass inherited his work ethic from his father.
I inherited my mother's curly hair.
robust ：a robust object is strong and not likely to break
a robust metal cabinet
constitution ：your health and your body's ability to fight illness
(have) a strong/good/weak etc constitution
She's got a strong constitution - she'll recover in no time.
mollycoddle ：to treat someone too kindly and to protect them too much from anything unpleasant
He had been mollycoddled as a young boy.
bareheaded ：without a hat or other covering on your head
You can't go out bareheaded in this weather.
bravado ：behaviour that is deliberately intended to make other people believe you are brave and confident
youthful bravado
disdain ：a complete lack of respect that you show for someone or something because you think they are not important or good enough
with disdain
She watched me with disdain.
a look of complete disdain
disdain for
his disdain for capitalism
swell ：to increase in amount or number
swell to
The crowd swelled to around 10,000.
The river was swollen with melted snow.
swell the ranks/numbers of something (=increase the number of people in a particular situation)
Large numbers of refugees have swollen the ranks of the unemployed.
thump ：if your heart thumps, it beats very strongly and quickly because you are frightened or excited
My heart was thumping inside my chest.
scorn ：the feeling that someone or something is stupid or does not deserve respect
scorn for
He felt scorn for his working-class parents.
with scorn
Rachel looked at me with scorn.
brutality ：cruel and violent behaviour, or an event involving cruel and violent treatment
allegations of police brutality
brutality of
the brutalities of war
urchin ：a poor dirty untidy child
harden ：if your attitude hardens, or if something hardens it, you become more strict and determined and less sympathetic
Attitudes towards the terrorists have hardened even more since the attack.
blow ：a hard hit with someone's hand, a tool, or a weapon
She died from a heavy blow to the head.
He struck a blow which threw her to the floor.
Martin received a blow on the nose.
He had been struck a glancing blow (=a blow that did not hit him directly) by the car.
blow to
He gave her a violent blow to the head.
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.
wrench ：to twist and pull something roughly from the place where it is being held
I wrenched the packet from his grasp.
The door had been wrenched open.
suffocate ：to die or make someone die by preventing them from breathing
The animal seizes its prey by the throat and suffocates it to death.
One of the puppies suffocated inside the plastic bag.
fierce ：a fierce person or animal is angry or ready to attack, and looks very frightening
fierce guard dogs
She turned round, looking fierce.
tussle ：to fight or struggle without using any weapons, by pulling or pushing someone rather than hitting them
tussle with
He was tussling with the other boys.
adversary ：a country or person you are fighting or competing against
this old adversary
savage ：very violent or cruel
a savage dog
a savage murder
bang ：to put something down or against something with a lot of force, making a loud noise
bang something down
She banged the phone down hard.
bang something on/against something
He banged a teapot and some cups on the table.
unto ：to
Thanks be unto God.
suffering ：serious physical or mental pain
the suffering of the refugees after the war
the pain and suffering caused by road accidents
gnaw ：to keep biting something hard
Dexter gnawed his pen thoughtfully.
A rat had gnawed a hole in the box.
gnaw at/on
The puppy was gnawing on a bone.
gnaw (away) at somebody/something phrasal verb
to make someone feel worried or frightened, over a period of time
Something was gnawing at the back of his mind.
Doubt was gnawing away at her confidence.
disease ：an illness which affects a person, animal, or plant
She suffers from a rare disease of the brain.
Heart disease runs in our family.
filthy conditions that cause disease
She contracted the disease while she was abroad on holiday.
The government has taken steps to halt the spread of the disease .
vaccinations against infectious diseases such as measles
'Mad cow disease' is a fatal degenerative disease of the nervous system.
The first symptoms of the disease are vomiting and a slight fever.
lurk ：if something such as danger, a feeling etc lurks somewhere, it exists, but you may not see it or know about it
a dark formless danger, lurking in the shadows
relic ：an old object or custom that reminds people of the past or that has lived on from a past time
Roman relics found in a field
relic of
the books and photos, relics of Rob's university days
Everything in the house seemed old and untouched, like relics of an ancient time.
hallucination ：something which you imagine you can see or hear, but which is not really there, or the experience of this
The patients suffered hallucinations caused by the drug.
emerge ：to appear or come out from somewhere
The flowers emerge in the spring.
emerge from
The sun emerged from behind the clouds.
chaos ：a situation in which everything is happening in a confused way and nothing is organized or arranged in order
The country was plunged into economic chaos.
complete/utter/absolute etc chaos
There was total chaos on the roads.
in chaos
The kitchen was in chaos.
slumber ：sleep
He passed into a deep slumber.
womb ：the part of a woman's or female animal's body where her baby grows before it is born
larva ：a young insect with a soft tube-shaped body, which will later become an insect with wings
garret ：a small uncomfortable room at the top of a house, just under the roof
distinctly ：clearly
Speak clearly and distinctly.
He distinctly remembered the day his father left.
rattle ：to make someone lose confidence or become nervous
His mocking smile rattled her more than his anger.
It was hard not to get rattled when the work piled up.
His confidence was rattled by the accident.
rag ：in rags
wearing old torn clothes
Children in rags begged money from the tourists.
errand ：a short journey in order to do something for someone, for example delivering or collecting something for them
I seemed to spend my life running errands for people.
She was always sending me on errands .
on an errand
I couldn't stop because I was on an errand.
He quickly set out on his errand of mercy (=journey to help someone in danger) .
twist ：if a road, river etc twists, it changes direction in a series of curves
The road twisted between spectacular mountains.
deserted ：empty and quiet because no people are there
The streets were deserted.
The old mine now stands completely deserted .
hedge ：a row of small bushes or trees growing close together, usually dividing one field or garden from another
slope ：if the ground or a surface slopes, it is higher at one end than the other
slope up/down/away etc
a pleasant garden that slopes down to the river
slope off phrasal verb
to leave somewhere quietly and secretly, especially when you are avoiding work
Mike sloped off early today.
gleam ：a small pale light, especially one that shines for a short time
gleam of
They saw a sudden gleam of light.
oppressive ：a situation that is oppressive makes you unhappy, worried, or uncomfortable
an oppressive silence
an oppressive atmosphere
gaunt ：a building, mountain etc that is gaunt looks very plain and unpleasant
a gaunt cathedral
grotesque ：extremely ugly in a strange or unnatural way
a grotesque figure with a huge head
stark ：very plain in appearance, with little or no colour or decoration
In the cold dawn light, the castle looked stark and forbidding.
the stark beauty of New Mexico
dwarf ：an imaginary creature that looks like a small man
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
ditch ：a long narrow hole dug at the side of a field, road etc to hold or remove unwanted water
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.
anguish ：mental or physical suffering caused by extreme pain or worry
the anguish of not knowing what had happened to her
fearsome ：very frightening
a fearsome weapon
leap ：if your heart leaps, you feel a sudden surprise, happiness, or excitement
My heart leaped when I saw Paul at the airport.
bosom ：a word meaning someone's feelings and emotions, used especially when these are bad or unpleasant
Drury harboured bitterness in his bosom.
bedstead ：the wooden or metal frame of a bed
artificial ：not real or not made of natural things but made to be like something that is real or natural
artificial flowers
artificial light
artificial fertilizers
mantelpiece ：a wooden or stone shelf which is the top part of a frame surrounding a fireplace
The clock on the mantelpiece struck 10.
frame ：to surround something with something else so that it looks attractive or can be seen clearly
Sarah's face was framed by her long dark hair.
She stood there, framed against the doorway.
vile ：extremely unpleasant or bad
This coffee tastes really vile .
a vile smell
She has a vile temper .
higgledy-piggledy ：things that are higgledy-piggledy are mixed together in an untidy way
geranium ：a plant with red, pink, or white flowers and round leaves
hammering ：the sound of someone hitting something with a hammer or with their hands
There was a loud hammering at the door.
plane ：if you plane a piece of wood, you make it smoother or smaller, using a plane
He planed the edge of the door.
idiot ：a stupid person or someone who has done something stupid
It was all your fault, you idiot.
improvise ：to do something without any preparation, because you are forced to do this by unexpected events
I forgot to bring my notes, so I had to improvise.
potpourri ：a mixture of things that are not usually put together, for example different pieces of music or writing
potpourri of
a potpourri of literary styles
scrap ：a small piece of paper, cloth etc
scrap of
He wrote his address on a scrap of paper.
a rug made out of old scraps of material
chant ：words or phrases that are repeated again and again by a group of people
Others in the crowd took up the chant (=began chanting) .
chant of
chants of 'oh no, we won't go'
sentimental ：someone who is sentimental is easily affected by emotions such as love, sympathy, sadness etc, often in a way that seems silly to other people
She said a sentimental goodbye.
sentimental about
People can be very sentimental about animals.
refuge ：shelter or protection from someone or something
take/seek refuge (in something)
During the frequent air-raids, people took refuge in their cellars.
die ：die down
if something dies down, it becomes less strong, active, or violent
Don't worry, the gossip will soon die down.
when the excitement had died down
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.
vague ：unclear because someone does not give enough detailed information or does not say exactly what they mean
The governor gave only a vague outline of his tax plan.
vague about
Julia was vague about where she had been and what she had been doing.
rumble ：to move slowly along while making a series of long low sounds
We watched the tanks rumbling past the window.
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.
presentiment ：a strange feeling that something is going to happen, especially something bad
presentiment of
a presentiment of disaster
shudder ：to shake for a short time because you are afraid or cold, or because you think something is very unpleasant
Maria shuddered as she stepped outside.
shudder with
I shudder with embarrassment whenever I think I think about it.
shudder at
She shuddered at the thought that she could have been killed.
aspect ：one part of a situation, idea, plan etc that has many parts
aspect of
Dealing with people is the most important aspect of my work.
Alcoholism affects all aspects of family life.
properly ：completely or fully
Is the chicken properly defrosted?
The allegations were never properly investigated.
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.
remote ：far from towns or other places where people live
a remote border town
a fire in a remote mountain area
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.
plant ：to put something firmly in or on something else
plant something in/on etc something
He came up to her and planted a kiss on her cheek.
She planted her feet firmly to the spot and refused to move.
perch ：be perched on/above etc something
to be in a position on top of something or on the edge of something
a house perched on a cliff above the town
siege ：a situation in which an army or the police surround a place and try to gain control of it or force someone to come out of it
The siege lasted almost four months.
a three-day police siege at a remote country cottage
siege of
the siege of Leningrad
end/lift/raise a siege (=end a siege)
provisions ：food, drink, and other supplies, especially for a journey
We had enough provisions for two weeks.
profound ：showing strong, serious feelings
a profound sense of guilt
temptation ：a strong desire to have or do something even though you know you should not
temptation to do something
There might be a temptation to cheat if students sit too close together.
Resist the temptation to buy the item until you're certain you need it.
I finally gave in to the temptation and had a cigarette.
skeleton ：a set of these bones or a model of them, fastened in their usual positions, used for example by medical students
writhe ：to twist your body from side to side violently, especially because you are suffering pain
writhe in pain/agony etc
He lay writhing in pain.
disembowel ：to remove someone's bowels
trumpet ：a musical instrument that you blow into, which consists of a curved metal tube that is wide at the end, and three buttons you press to change the notes
utensil ：a thing such as a knife, spoon etc that you use when you are cooking
kitchen utensils
corpse ：the dead body of a person
The corpse was found by children playing in the woods.
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.
disgust ：a strong feeling of dislike, annoyance, or disapproval
with disgust
Joan looked at him with disgust.
in disgust
Sam threw his books down in disgust and stormed out of the room.
to somebody's disgust
Much to my disgust , I found that there were no toilets for the disabled.
disgust with
Nelson's disgust with US politics
disgust at
The fans didn't hide their disgust at the umpire's decision.
draw ：draw on/upon something
to use information, experience, knowledge etc for a particular purpose
His work draws heavily on learning theories of the 1980s.
She has 20 years' teaching experience to draw on.
furtive ：behaving as if you want to keep something secret
There was something furtive about his actions.
furtive glances/looks
Chris kept stealing furtive glances at me.
stir ：to cause trouble between people by spreading false or secret information
Ben's always stirring!
fold ：the fold
the group of people that you belong to and share the same beliefs and ideas as
return/come back to the fold
The Church will welcome him back into the fold.
stray from/leave the fold
a former advocate of free market economics who had strayed from the fold
anatomy ：the scientific study of the structure of human or animal bodies
a professor of anatomy
human/animal anatomy
Knowledge of human anatomy is essential to figure drawing.
medley ：a mixture of different types of the same thing which produces an interesting or unusual effect
medley of
an exotic medley of smells
a medley of architectural styles
grim ：making you feel worried or unhappy
the grim reality of rebuilding the shattered town
When he lost his job, his future looked grim.
Millions of Britons face the grim prospect (=something bad that will probably happen) of dearer home loans.
We received the grim news in silence.
etch ：if someone's face is etched with pain, sadness etc, you can see these feelings from their expression
etch with
Her face was etched with tiredness.
Craig saw lines of pain etched around her mouth.
creative ：involving the use of imagination to produce new ideas or things
This job is so boring. I wish I could do something more creative.
I teach creative writing at Trinity College.
the creative process of writing a poem
Diaghilev did his great creative work in France.
a creative solution to the problem
inherent ：a quality that is inherent in something is a natural part of it and cannot be separated from it
inherent in
I'm afraid the problems you mention are inherent in the system.
Every business has its own inherent risks.
meager ：a meagre amount of food, money etc is too small and is much less than you need
a meagre diet of bread and beans
meagre income/earnings/wages etc
He supplements his meager income by working on Saturdays.
a school with meagre resources
daub ：a small amount of a soft or sticky substance
daub of
a daub of paint
reality ：what actually happens or is true, not what is imagined or thought
the distinction between fantasy and reality
TV is used as an escape from reality .
I think the government has lost touch with reality (=no longer understands what is real or true) .
political realities
harsh/grim/stark reality
Millions of people live with the harsh realities of unemployment.
the reality is that
The reality is that young people will not go into teaching until salaries are higher.
The paperless office may one day become a reality .
influence ：the power to affect the way someone or something develops, behaves, or thinks without using direct force or orders
There is no doubt that Bohr's influence was immense.
influence on/over
the unions' influence over local politics
under somebody's influence/under
the influence of somebody/something
They had come under the influence of a strange religious sect.
have/exert/exercise influence
The Council had considerable influence over many government decisions.
They were accused of interfering with voters or exerting undue influence (=too much influence) .
cellar ：a room under a house or other building, often used for storing things
a coal cellar
manhole ：a hole in the surface of a road covered by a lid. It is used to examine underground pipes, wires etc
grin ：to smile widely
grin at
She grinned at me, her eyes sparkling.
grin broadly/widely
He walked out of the pool, grinning widely.
grin like
He was grinning like an idiot (=grinning in a silly way) .
grin from ear to ear (=grin very widely)
stealthy ：moving or doing something quietly and secretly
the stealthy approach of the soldiers
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.
bind ：to tie someone so that they cannot move or escape
They bound my arms and legs with rope.
bound and gagged (=tied up, and with cloth tied around your mouth so you cannot speak)
gag ：to put a piece of cloth over someone's mouth to stop them making a noise
Thugs gagged her and tied her to a chair.
He left his victim bound and gagged (=tied up and with something over their mouth that stops them speaking) .
loathsome ：very unpleasant or cruel
that loathsome little man
grip ：someone whose job is to move the cameras around while a television show or film is being made
suffocate ：be suffocating
to feel uncomfortable because there is not enough fresh air
Can you open a window? I'm suffocating.
chatter ：if your teeth are chattering, you are so cold or frightened that your teeth are knocking together
agony ：a very sad, difficult, or unpleasant experience
It was agony not knowing if she would live.
agony of
He was in agonies of remorse.
rid ：be rid of somebody/something
to have taken action so that something or someone is no longer there to worry or annoy you
The clerical part of his job was tedious, and he was glad to be rid of it.
He was a bully, and we're well rid of him (=it is good that he has gone) .
rod ：a long thin pole used with a line and hook for catching fish
stifle ：if you are stifled by something, it stops you breathing comfortably
He was almost stifled by the fumes.
hallucination ：something which you imagine you can see or hear, but which is not really there, or the experience of this
The patients suffered hallucinations caused by the drug.
infinitely ：very much - used especially when comparing things
This school is infinitely better than the last one I went to.
Being on your own is infinitely preferable to being in an unhappy relationship.
someone with infinitely more experience
magnify ：to make something much worse or more serious
The results of economic mismanagement were magnified by a series of natural disasters.
tension ：a nervous worried feeling that makes it impossible for you to relax
The tension was becoming unbearable, and I wanted to scream.
reduce/relieve/ease etc tension
Exercise is the ideal way to relieve tension after a hard day.
delirium ：a state in which someone is delirious, especially because they are very ill
Before she died she had fits of delirium.
delirious ：talking continuously in an excited or anxious way, especially because you are ill
He suffered an attack of malaria and was delirious.
border ：to form a border along the edge of something
a path bordered by a high brick wall
border on something
to be very close to being something extreme
His confidence bordered on arrogance.
plank ：one of the main features or principles of an argument etc
plank of an argument/policy/campaign etc
the main plank of their argument
a central plank of our policy
a five-plank campaign including raising the minimum wage
proportion ：a part of a number or amount, considered in relation to the whole
proportion of
The proportion of women graduates has increased in recent years.
Every parent is asked to contribute a proportion of the total cost.
high/large/small etc proportion
The decision affects a significant proportion of the population.
Although the majority of offenders are men, a small proportion - about 5 percent - are women.
monstrous ：unusually large
a monstrous nose
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.
gasp ：to breathe quickly in a way that can be heard because you are having difficulty breathing
gasp for air/breath
Brendan climbed slowly, gasping for breath.
楼主好有定力啊 我也准备提高自己的水平 我打算今天开始从简单的英文读物看起
努力啊！
nudge ：to push someone gently, usually with your elbow, in order to get their attention
Jill nudged him in the ribs.
moan ：to complain in an annoying way, especially in an unhappy voice and without good reason
'I feel seasick already,' she moaned.
moan about
A lot of people moaned about the parking problems.
moan at
My mum never stops moaning at me.
moan that
He's always moaning that we use too much electricity.
He moaned and groaned all the way there.
feverish ：very excited or worried about something
They waited in a state of feverish anxiety for their mother to come home.
The show was about to begin and backstage there were signs of feverish activity (=activity that is done very quickly because there is not much time) .
timorous ：lacking confidence and easily frightened
She was no helpless, timorous female.
glide ：to move smoothly and quietly, as if without effort
glide across/over/down etc
couples gliding over the dancefloor
distinguish ：to recognize and understand the difference between two or more things or people
distinguish between
His attorney argued that Cope could not distinguish between right and wrong.
distinguish somebody/something from
a method of distinguishing cancer cells from normal tissue
vow ：to make a serious promise to yourself or someone else
vow to do something
Supporters have vowed to continue the protest until Adams is released.
vow (that)
I vowed that I would never drink again.
give way to ：to agree to do what someone else wants, instead of what you want, especially after a lot of discussion or argument
Despite growing pressure, the Minister of State refused to give way.
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.
least ：it's the least I can do
used to say that you are very willing to do something or to reply to someone's thanks
I'll look after them - it's the least I can do.
phantom ：the image of a dead person or strange thing that someone thinks they see
twilight ：the period just before the end of the most active part of someone's life
twilight of
in the twilight of her acting career
Depression in the twilight years (=the last years of your life) is usually related to illness.
blot ：if you blot out an unpleasant memory, a thought etc, you deliberately try to forget it
She said she took drugs to blot out her problems.
preen ：to look proud and feel pleased because of something you have done
preen yourself
He enjoyed the applause, preening himself like a pop star.
rummage ：to search for something by moving things around in a careless or hurried way
rummage in/through etc
Looks like someone's been rummaging around in my desk.
frock ：a woman's or girl's dress
a party frock
bonnet ：a warm hat that a baby wears which ties under its chin
strip ：to take off your clothes or take off someone else's clothes
Jack stripped and jumped into the shower.
The prisoner was stripped and beaten.
strip off something
He stripped off his sweater and threw it onto the couch.
Eric stood in the hot sun, stripped to the waist (=not wearing any clothes on the top half of his body) .
Terry stripped down to her bra and pants (=removed all her clothes except her bra and pants) and tried on the dress.
The boys stripped naked and jumped in the pond
triumph ：to gain a victory or success after a difficult struggle
triumph over
In the end, good shall triumph over evil.
vexed ：annoyed or worried
bid ：to order or tell someone what to do
bid somebody (to) do something
The queen bade us enter.
snatch ：to take something away from someone with a quick, often violent, movement
The thief snatched her purse and ran.
snatch something away/back from somebody
Keith snatches toys away from the other children.
rouse ：to make someone feel a particular emotion, such as anger or fear
We don't want to rouse any suspicions.
rouse somebody to something
Paul strode forward, roused to anger.
curiosity ：the desire to know about something
I opened the packet just to satisfy my curiosity.
The news aroused a lot of curiosity among local people.
She decided to follow him out of curiosity.
Margaret looked at him with curiosity .
curiosity about
Children have a natural curiosity about the world around them.
a man of immense intellectual curiosity
It was idle curiosity that made me ask.
ply ：ply somebody with questions
to keep asking someone questions
aback ：be taken aback (by something)
to be very surprised or shocked by something
For a moment, I was completely taken aback by her request.
sensible ：reasonable, practical, and showing good judgment
She seems very sensible.
sensible advice
It's sensible to keep a note of your passport number.
Moving house seemed like the sensible thing to do .
readily ：quickly, willingly, and without complaining
Jack readily agreed to help.
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.
sulk ：to be silently angry and refuse to be friendly or discuss what is annoying or upsetting you - used to show disapproval
Nicola sulked all morning.
scrap ：a small amount of information, truth etc
scrap of
He obtained every scrap of information available.
There isn't a single scrap of evidence.