壬辰英语学习帖

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physical：related to someone's body rather than their mind or emotions
She was in constant physical pain.
the physical and emotional needs of young adults
people with severe physical disabilities
Don't be put off by his physical appearance .
He was obsessed with physical fitness .

gaiety：when someone or something is cheerful and fun
Lars enjoyed the warmth and gaiety of these occasions.

grief：extreme sadness, especially because someone you love has died
grief over/at
The grief she felt over Helen's death was almost unbearable.
with grief
Charles was overcome with grief.

orchestra：a large group of musicians playing many different kinds of instruments and led by a conductor
the Berlin Symphony Orchestra
the school orchestra

legendary：very famous and admired
Lonnie Johnson, the legendary blues guitarist
Her singing was legendary.

athletic：physically strong and good at sport
a tall athletic man

stature：someone's height or size
Bernard was short in stature, with a large head.

outburst：something you say suddenly that expresses a strong emotion, especially anger
He later apologized for his outburst.
emotional/violent/angry outburst
his father's violent outbursts of temper
outburst of
an outburst of anger

timid：not having courage or confidence
I was a timid child.
a policy that is both timid and inadequate

compromise：to do something which is against your principles and which therefore seems dishonest or shameful
compromise your principles/standards/integrity etc
As soon as you compromise your principles you are lost.
compromise yourself
She had already compromised herself by accepting his invitation.

decorum：behaviour that shows respect and is correct for a particular situation, especially a formal occasion
He was disciplined for breaching the Senate's rules of decorum.

victim：someone who suffers because of something bad that happens or because of an illness
victim of
victims of age discrimination
He was the victim of an administrative error.
a massive aid programme for the famine victims
AIDS victims and other patients who are terminally ill
All these people are innocent victims .
He was used to being in charge, not being the victim of circumstance .
Saying that the unemployed 'don't want to work' is a classic case of blaming the victim .

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fit：a time when you feel an emotion very strongly and cannot control your behaviour
fit of
She killed him in a fit of temper.
He quit his job in a fit of drunken depression.

rehearsal：a time when all the people involved in a big event practise it together before it happens
a wedding rehearsal

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.

baton：a short thin stick used by a conductor (=the leader of a group of musicians) to direct the music

possessed：if someone is possessed, their mind is controlled by something evil
She was convinced he was possessed by the devil .
like a man/woman possessed  (=with a lot of energy or violence)

furious：very angry
furious at/about
Residents in the area are furious at the decision.
furious with
She was furious with herself for letting things get out of hand.
furious that
Her family are furious that her name has been published by the press.
She was absolutely furious .

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.

exaggerated：if something is exaggerated, it is described as better, larger etc than it really is
The revenue figures may be slightly exaggerated .
grossly/greatly/wildly exaggerated
The danger had been greatly exaggerated.

obsequious：very eager to please or agree with people who are powerful - used in order to show disapproval
an obsequious smile

irritable：getting annoyed quickly or easily
Jo was tired, irritable, and depressed.

strike：if a group of workers strike, they stop working as a protest against something relating to their work, for example how much they are paid, bad working conditions etc
In many countries, the police are forbidden to strike.

resignation： when you officially announce that you have decided to leave your job or an organization, or a written statement that says you will be leaving
The governor refused to accept Cox's resignation .
a letter of resignation
hand in/tender your resignation (=officially say that you want to resign)

ingratitude：the quality of not being grateful
I've never seen such ingratitude!

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mankind：all humans considered as a group
Since earliest times, mankind has been fascinated by fire.
one of the most important events in the history of mankind

vigorous：strong and healthy
a vigorous young man

peroration：a long speech that sounds impressive but does not have much meaning

ingenious：someone who is ingenious is very good at inventing things or at thinking of new ideas

occupied：busy doing something
occupied with
His time was occupied with the children.
She's fully occupied with work.
The museum has enough exhibits to keep anyone occupied for an hour or two.
I kept myself occupied by watching television.

invent：to make, design, or think of a new type of thing
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876.

experiment：to do a scientific test to find out if a particular idea is true or to obtain more information
experiment with/on
I would defend the right of scientists to experiment on animals.

improvement：the act of improving something or the state of being improved
improvement in/on/to
There's been a big improvement in the children's behaviour.
an improvement on earlier models
We need to carry out some improvements to the system.
dramatic/major/significant/substantial etc improvement
a marked improvement in her condition
It could be quite some time before we see any improvement .
This month's sales figures show some improvement .
Your English is much better, but there's still room for improvement (=it could be even better) .

compose：to write a piece of music
Barrington has composed the music for a new production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.

store：set great/considerable etc store by something
to consider something to be important
Patrick has never set much store by material things.

glory：an achievement that is greatly admired or respected, or makes you very proud
glory of
one of the finest artistic glories of Florence
monuments to past glories
Becoming a Supreme Court judge was the crowning glory (=most successful part) of her career.

congested：a part of your body that is congested is very full of liquid, usually blood or mucus

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genius：a very high level of intelligence, mental skill, or ability, which only a few people have
The film reveals Fellini's genius.
work/writer/man etc of genius
Wynford was an architect of genius.
a stroke of genius (=a very clever idea)
At the time, his appointment seemed a stroke of genius.
a work of pure genius

manuscript：a book or piece of writing before it is printed
in manuscript
I read his novel in manuscript.
Unfortunately, parts of the original manuscript have been lost.

phrase：a short group of musical notes that is part of a longer piece

rag：a small piece of old cloth, for example one used for cleaning things
He wiped his boots dry with an old rag.
an oily rag

piece：to use all the information you have about a situation in order to discover the truth about it
Police are trying to piece together his movements before the murder.
Her early life has been pieced together from several different sources.

haphazard：happening or done in a way that is not planned or organized
a haphazard way/manner/fashion
I continued my studies in a rather haphazard way.
Educational provision in the country is haphazard.

inspiration：a good idea about what you should do, write, say etc, especially one which you get suddenly
The Malvern Hills have provided inspiration for many artists and musicians over the decades.
He raised his eyes to the altar as if seeking inspiration .
He draws inspiration from ordinary scenes.
Mary Quant's inspiration comes from the glam style of the 70s.
He had a sudden flash of inspiration .
He has always been a source of inspiration for me.

melody：a tune
They played some lovely melodies.
a haunting melody

region：a particular part of someone's body
the lower back region
region of
a region of the brain

illustrious：famous and admired because of what you have achieved
She has had an illustrious career.
Wagner was just one of many illustrious visitors to the town.

mute：a small piece of metal, rubber etc that you place over or into a musical instrument to make it sound softer

stammer：to speak with a lot of pauses and repeated sounds, either because you have a speech problem, or because you are nervous, excited etc
Whenever he was angry he would begin to stammer slightly.
Ben stammered out an apology.

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deceive：deceive yourself
to refuse to believe that something is true because the truth is unpleasant
I thought she loved me, but I was deceiving myself.
deceive yourself that
He didn't deceive himself that he and Ruth could remain friends.

eloquent：able to express your ideas and opinions well, especially in a way that influences people
an eloquent appeal for support

orator：someone who is good at making speeches and persuading people

sore：a painful, often red, place on your body caused by a wound or infection
They were starving and covered with sores.

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.

profound：showing strong, serious feelings
a profound sense of guilt

dignity：the ability to behave in a calm controlled way even in a difficult situation
with dignity
The family faced their ordeal with dignity and courage.
an appearance of quiet dignity

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.

emphatic：expressing an opinion, idea etc in a clear, strong way to show its importance
an emphatic denial
emphatic that
Wilde was emphatic that the event should go ahead.
emphatic about
He was pretty emphatic about me leaving.

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.

servile：very eager to obey someone because you want to please them - used to show disapproval
a servile attitude

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看着你们都用洋文回复，我真的很想用拼音回复啊

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superior：someone who has a higher rank or position than you, especially in a job
He had a good working relationship with his immediate superior (=the person directly above him) .

lofty：lofty ideas, beliefs, attitudes etc show high standards or high moral qualities - use this to show approval
lofty ideals of equality and social justice
He had set himself the lofty goal of reaching the world's top five.

desire：a strong hope or wish
desire to do something
a strong desire to win
desire for
a desire for knowledge

inpendence：the freedom and ability to make your own decisions in life, without having to ask other people for permission, help, or money
ways of helping old people maintain their independence
Having a job gives you financial independence .

docile：quiet and easily controlled
Labradors are gentle, docile dogs.

pretension：an attempt to seem more important, more intelligent, or of a higher class than you really are
pretension to
Lilith resented Adam's pretensions to superiority.
the humbleness and lack of pretension of Jordan's cafe

conceivable：able to be believed or imagined
It is conceivable that you may get full compensation, but it's not likely.
We were discussing the problems from every conceivable angle.

superstition：a belief that some objects or actions are lucky or unlucky, or that they cause events to happen, based on old ideas of magic
the old superstition that walking under a ladder is unlucky

timid：not having courage or confidence
I was a timid child.
a policy that is both timid and inadequate

transfer：to move from one place, school, job etc to another, or to make someone do this, especially within the same organization
transfer (from something) to something
Swod transferred from MI6 to the Security Service.
transfer somebody (from something) to something
They're transferring him to a special unit at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
You'll be transferred to the Birmingham office.

gift：an ability that is given to you by God
gift of
He was said to have possessed the gift of prophecy.
the use of spiritual gifts

facility：rooms, equipment, or services that are provided for a particular purpose
All rooms have private facilities (=private bathroom and toilet) .
The hotel has its own pool and leisure facilities .
toilet facilities
childcare facilities

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acquire：to gain knowledge or learn a skill
He spent years acquiring his skills as a surgeon.
Elsie acquired a good knowledge of Chinese.

virtuosity：a very high degree of skill in performing

idol：someone or something that you love or admire very much
idol of
She is the idol of countless teenagers.
She had made an idol of her husband.
a pop idol

heavily：if you do or say something heavily, you do it slowly and with a lot of effort, especially because you are sad or bored
He was walking heavily, his head down.
Emily sighed heavily.
'I suppose so,' she said heavily.

built：used to describe someone's size or shape
She is built like a dancer.
a heavily-built man

feature：a part of someone's face, such as their eyes, nose etc
He had fine delicate features.
Her eyes were her best feature.

ecstatic：feeling extremely happy and excited
an ecstatic welcome from the thousands who lined the streets

vietuoso：someone who is a very skilful performer, especially in music
violin virtuoso Stephane Grappelli
a virtuoso performance
a virtuoso pianist

tour de force：something that is done very skilfully and successfully, and is very impressive
His speech to the Democratic Convention was a tour de force.

properly：completely or fully
Is the chicken properly defrosted?
The allegations were never properly investigated.

mediocre：not very good
I thought the book was pretty mediocre.
a mediocre student

comedian：someone who is amusing
You'll like Matt. He's a real comedian.

inflexion：the way the sound of your voice goes up and down when you are speaking

vanity：too much pride in yourself, so that you are always thinking about yourself and your appearance
Sabrina had none of the vanity so often associated with beautiful women.

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anxiety：the feeling of being very worried about something
anxiety about/over
There is considerable anxiety among staff about job losses.
There is growing public anxiety over levels of air pollution in our cities.
deep/acute/great anxiety
The fear of unemployment can be a source of deep anxiety to people.
his feelings of anxiety
A high level of anxiety was created by the introduction of cameras into the factory.
It can help if you discuss your anxieties with someone.

constant：happening regularly or all the time
There was a constant stream of visitors to the house.
Amy lived in constant fear of being attacked.
He kept in constant contact with his family while he was in Australia.

stage：the raised area in a theatre which actors or singers stand on when they perform

pose：behaviour in which someone pretends to have a quality or social position they do not really have, usually in order to make other people notice them or admire them
Her confidence was merely a pose to hide her uncertainty.

convention：a large formal meeting for people who belong to the same profession or organization or who have the same interests
a teachers' convention
the city's new convention center
a convention for science fiction fans

irregular：not happening or done at the normal time for doing something
Funeral directors often work long, irregular hours .

chaotic：a chaotic situation is one in which everything is happening in a confused way
a chaotic mixture of images

eccentricity：strange or unusual behaviour
Kate's mother had a reputation for eccentricity.

attribute：attribute something to somebody/something
to believe or say that a situation or event is caused by something
The fall in the number of deaths from heart disease is generally attributed to improvements in diet.

extravagant：spending or costing a lot of money, especially more than is necessary or more than you can afford
Would it would be too extravagant to buy both?
an extravagant lifestyle

instinct：a natural tendency to behave in a particular way or a natural ability to know something, which is not learned
instinct for
Animals have a natural instinct for survival.
instinct to do something
the human instinct to form relationships
by instinct
Birds build nests by instinct.
sexual/maternal/survival instinct
Her instinct told her that something was wrong.
somebody's first instinct (=what someone feels like doing first when something happens)

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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.

give：give yourself up to something
to allow yourself to feel an emotion completely, without trying to control it
He gave himself up to despair.

neglect：to fail to look after someone or something properly
She smoked and drank, neglected the children, and left the clothes unmended.
a neglected garden
The building has been badly neglected.

secure：a situation that is secure is one that you can depend on because it is not likely to change
There are no secure jobs these days.
We want a secure future for our children.
United's position at the top of the league seems relatively secure.

superiority：an attitude that shows you think you are better than other people - used to show disapproval
Janet always spoke with an air of superiority.
his sense of superiority

bitter：feeling angry, jealous, and upset because you think you have been treated unfairly
bitter about
I feel very bitter about what has happened.
a bitter and vindictive old man

rouse：to make someone start doing something, especially when they have been too tired or unwilling to do it
rouse yourself
She roused herself stiffly from her chair.
rouse somebody to something/to do something
a campaign designed to rouse the younger generation to action

rebuff：an unkind or unfriendly answer to a friendly suggestion or offer of help
He received a humiliating rebuff from his manager.

avenge：to do something to hurt or punish someone because they have harmed or offended you
He wanted to avenge his brother's death.

rival：a person, group, or organization that you compete with in sport, business, a fight etc
This gives the company a competitive advantage over its rivals.
rival for
his chief rival for the job
He finished 39 seconds ahead of his main rival .
She was 2 minutes faster than her nearest rival .
a game against their old rivals , Manchester United
They still remain bitter rivals (=hate each other) .
Their sales have now overtaken those of their arch-rival (=main or strongest rival) .
rival company/firm/team etc
Sheena left her job and went to work for a rival company.

conceit：an attitude that shows you have too high an opinion of your own abilities or importance
The conceit of the woman!

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count：to depend on someone or something, especially in a difficult situation
count on (somebody/something) doing something
We're all counting on winning this contract.
They were counting on him not coming out of hospital.

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.

genius：someone who has an unusually high level of intelligence, mental skill, or ability
Freud was a genius.
musical/comic/mathematical etc genius
a genius at (doing) something
My father was a genius at storytelling.

take something ↔ on
to begin to have a particular quality or appearance
Her face took on a fierce expression. His life had taken on a new dimension.

esteem：a feeling of respect for someone, or a good opinion of someone
hold somebody in high/great esteem
The critics held him in high esteem as an actor.
token/mark of somebody's esteem (=a sign of their respect)
Please accept the small gift we enclose as a mark of our esteem.
esteem for
my father's complete lack of esteem for actors

gradually：slowly, over a long period of time
Jill gradually became aware of an awful smell.
Gradually, my ankle got better.

vanity：too much pride in yourself, so that you are always thinking about yourself and your appearance
Sabrina had none of the vanity so often associated with beautiful women.

purse：a bag in which a woman carries her money and personal things
I locked the door and dropped the keys in my purse.

resource：all the money, property, skills etc that you have available to use when you need them
She had no financial resources .
Only limited resources are available to the police.

reverse：the exact opposite of what has just been mentioned
quite/just/precisely/exactly the opposite
I didn't mean to insult her - quite the reverse (=in fact, I meant to praise her) .
I owe you nothing. If anything, the reverse is true (=you owe me) .

moral：based on your ideas about what is right, rather than on what is legal or practical
The book places a high moral value on marriage and the family unit.
The UN feels that it has the moral authority (=influence because people accept that its beliefs are right) to send troops to the area.
moral duty/obligation/responsibility
A man has a moral duty to obey the law.
It isn't just lack of moral fibre (=lack of the emotional strength to do what you believe is right) which leads to a rising divorce rate.

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possess：to have or own something
Neither of them possessed a credit card.
Campbell was found guilty of possessing heroin.

affection：a feeling of liking or love and caring
affection for
Bart had a deep affection for the old man.
She looked back on those days with affection .
Their father never showed them much affection .
The church was held in great affection (=loved and cared about a lot) by the local residents.

kin：your family
next of kin
formal your most closely related family
We'll have to notify the next of kin of his death.

sacrifice：to willingly stop having something you want or doing something you like in order to get something more important
sacrifice something for something
A Labour government chose to sacrifice defence for welfare.
sacrifice something to do something
He sacrificed a promising career to look after his kids.
sacrifice yourself (for something)
mothers who sacrifice themselves for their children

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.

fulfilled：happy and satisfied because your life is interesting and you are doing useful or important things
Adult education helps people achieve more fulfilled lives.

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.

clutch：to hold something tightly because you do not want to lose it
She was clutching a bottle of champagne.

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)

maternal：typical of the way a good mother behaves or feels
Annie was wonderfully warm and maternal.
She seems to have a strong maternal instinct (=desire to have babies and take care of them) .

advantage：take advantage of somebody
to treat someone unfairly in order to get what you want, especially someone who is generous or easily persuaded
Don't lend them the car - they're taking advantage of you!

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slap：to hit someone with the flat part of your hand
Sarah slapped Aaron across the face.

magnanimous：kind and generous, especially to someone that you have defeated
a magnanimous gesture

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.

tease：to comb your hair in the opposite direction to which it grows, so that it looks thicker

howl：to shout or demand something angrily
howl for
Republicans have been howling for military intervention.

oppose：to disagree with something such as a plan or idea and try to prevent it from happening or succeeding
Congress is continuing to oppose the President's healthcare budget.

whim：a sudden feeling that you would like to do or have something, especially when there is no important or good reason
on a whim
I didn't leave just on a whim (=for no good reason) .
at the whim of somebody
At work they are at the whim of the boss.
somebody's every whim
Their father had always indulged her every whim.
at whim
He appeared and disappeared at whim.

malicious：very unkind and cruel, and deliberately behaving in a way that is likely to upset or hurt someone
a spiteful and malicious girl
malicious gossip/rumour
I think I know who is responsible for these malicious rumours.

prank：a trick, especially one which is played on someone to make them look silly
a childish prank

spill：if you spill a liquid, or if it spills, it accidentally flows over the edge of a container
Katie almost spilled her milk.
spill something down/on/over something
Oh no! I've spilt coffee all down my shirt!
spill on/over etc
He slipped and the wine spilled all over the carpet.

frock：a woman's or girl's dress
a party frock

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.

praise：to say that you admire and approve of someone or something, especially publicly
Jane was praised by her teacher.
praise somebody/something for (doing) something
The Mayor praised the rescue teams for their courage.
a highly praised novel
praise somebody/something to the skies (=praise someone or something very much)

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scold：to angrily criticize someone, especially a child, about something they have done
Do not scold the puppy, but simply and firmly say 'no.'
scold somebody for (doing) something
Her father scolded her for upsetting her mother.

injured：injured look/expression etc
a look that shows you feel you have been treated unfairly

havoc：a situation in which there is a lot of damage or a lack of order, especially so that it is difficult for something to continue in the normal way
cause/create havoc
A strike will cause havoc for commuters.
policies that would wreak havoc on the country's economy
Rain has continued to play havoc with sporting events.

mortified：extremely offended, ashamed, or embarrassed
mortified to hear/find etc
Nora was mortified to discover that her daughter had been out drinking.

baptismal：a Christian religious ceremony in which someone is touched or covered with water to welcome them into the Christian faith, and sometimes to officially name them

conception：an idea about what something is like, or a general understanding of something
conception of
the conception of parliamentary democracy
changing conceptions of the world
have (no) conception of something
They have no conception of what women really feel and want.

obstacle：an object which blocks your way, so that you must try to go around it

perceive：to notice, see, or recognize something
That morning, he perceived a change in Franca's mood.
Cats are not able to perceive colour.
perceive that
He perceived that there was no other way out of the crisis.

crisis：a situation in which there are a lot of problems that must be dealt with quickly so that the situation does not get worse or more dangerous
The country now faces an economic crisis .
The Prime Minister was criticized for the way in which he handled the crisis .
the current debt crisis
a major political crisis
I was relieved that we had averted yet another financial crisis .
Oil companies were heavily criticized when they made large profits during the oil crisis of the 1970s.
The car industry is now in crisis .
He doesn't seem to be very good at crisis management .

ingenuity：skill at inventing things and thinking of new ideas

account：put/turn something to good account
to use something for a good purpose
Perhaps she could put some of her talents to good account by helping us.

abashed：embarrassed or ashamed because you have done something wrong or stupid
She looked rather abashed.

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swagger：to walk proudly, swinging your shoulders in a way that shows you are very confident - used to show disapproval
He swaggered over towards me.

porch：an entrance covered by a roof outside the front door of a house or church

patronizing：someone who is patronizing talks to you in a way that shows they think you are less intelligent or important than them
a patronizing attitude a patronizing tone I don't mean to sound patronizing.

blush：to become red in the face, usually because you are embarrassed
Wilson saw she was watching him and blushed.
Joan blushed at the unexpected compliment.
Kate blushed scarlet.

ironically：in a way that shows you really mean the opposite of what you are saying
'Oh, no problem!' said Terry, ironically.

emphasize：to say something in a strong way
The report emphasizes the importance of improving safety standards.
Logan made a speech emphasizing the need for more volunteers.
emphasize that/how
The Prime Minister emphasized that there are no plans to raise taxes.

familiarly：in an informal or friendly way
Charles, familiarly known as Charlie

humiliate：to make someone feel ashamed or stupid, especially when other people are present
Her boss humiliated her in front of all her colleagues.

brushwood：small dead branches broken from trees or bushes

shelter：protection from danger or from wind, rain, hot sun etc
shelter of
We eventually reached the shelter of the caves.
in/into/under etc the shelter of something
They were standing under the shelter of a huge tree.
The men took shelter in a bombed-out farmhouse.
All around me, people were running for shelter .
shelter from
An old hut gave shelter from the storm.

exclamation：a sound, word, or short sentence that you say suddenly and loudly because you are surprised, angry, or excited
exclamation of
horrified exclamations of disgust

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.

apron：a piece of clothing that covers the front part of your clothes and is tied around your waist, worn to keep your clothes clean, especially while cooking

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peep：to look at something quickly and secretly, especially through a hole or opening
peep into/through/out etc
The door was ajar and Helen peeped in.
Henry peeped through the window into the kitchen.

saucepan：a deep round metal container with a handle that is used for cooking
Heat the oil and garlic in a large saucepan.

recipe：a set of instructions for cooking a particular type of food
recipe for
a recipe for tomato soup
a recipe book

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.

swell：swell with pride/anger etc
to feel very proud, angry etc
His heart swelled with pride as he watched his daughter collect her prize.

adorn：to decorate something
adorn something with something
church walls adorned with religious paintings

rustle：if leaves, papers, clothes etc rustle, or if you rustle them, they make a noise as they rub against each other
She moved nearer, her long silk skirt rustling around her.
He rustled the papers on his desk.

stuff：used when you are talking about things such as substances, materials, or groups of objects when you do not know what they are called, or it is not important to say exactly what they are
I've got some sticky stuff on my shoe.
How do you think you're going to fit all that stuff into the car?
I felt sorry for the ones who had to eat the awful stuff.
Where's all the camping stuff?

suspicious：making you think that something bad or illegal is happening
They found a suspicious package under the seat.
a suspicious death
He was behaving in a highly suspicious manner.
a suspicious-looking character
something/anything/nothing suspicious
Call the police if you see anything suspicious.
Her mother had died in suspicious circumstances .

brush：to touch someone or something lightly when passing them
Something brushed her shoulders.
brush against
I felt her hair brush against my arm.
brush past
Nell brushed past him in the doorway.

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improper：dishonest, illegal, or morally wrong
it is improper (for somebody) to do something
He realised that it was improper for a police officer to accept gifts.
improper behaviour/conduct/dealings etc
allegations of improper banking practices
improper sexual conduct

dryly：if you say something dryly, you say something that is amusing but you appear to be completely serious
'I hear you're a hero,' Philip said dryly.

abrupt：seeming rude and unfriendly, especially because you do not waste time in friendly conversation
Sorry, I didn't mean to be so abrupt.

humble：not considering yourself or your ideas to be as important as other people's
a modest and humble man

present：to give something or someone a particular appearance or style
The restaurant likes to present food with style.

break：break away
to move away from someone who is holding you
She started crying and tried to break away.
break away from
She broke away from him and ran to the door.

flee：to leave somewhere very quickly, in order to escape from danger
His attackers turned and fled.
Masaari spent six months in prison before fleeing the country .
flee to/from/into
Many German artists fled to America at the beginning of World War II.

instinctive：based on instinct and not involving thought
a mother's instinctive love
He knew instinctively that she would not forgive him.

instinct：a natural tendency to behave in a particular way or a natural ability to know something, which is not learned
instinct for
Animals have a natural instinct for survival.
instinct to do something
the human instinct to form relationships
by instinct
Birds build nests by instinct.
sexual/maternal/survival instinct
Her instinct told her that something was wrong.
somebody's first instinct (=what someone feels like doing first when something happens)
His first instinct was to rush back to Isobel.

resume：to start doing something again after stopping or being interrupted
She hopes to resume work after the baby is born.
The rebels have resumed hostilities against government troops.
resume doing something
He will resume training as soon as the injury is better.

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patronizing：someone who is patronizing talks to you in a way that shows they think you are less intelligent or important than them
a patronizing attitude
a patronizing tone
I don't mean to sound patronizing.

piety：when you behave in a way that shows respect for your religion
an act of Christian piety

waistcoat：a piece of clothing without sleeves that has buttons down the front and is worn over a shirt, often under a jacket as part of a man's suit

crease：a line on a piece of cloth, paper etc where it has been folded, crushed, or pressed
She smoothed the creases from her skirt.
I'll have to iron out the creases.

slaughter：when people kill animals, especially for their meat
the export of live animals for slaughter

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.

advent：the advent of something
the time when something first begins to be widely used
the advent of the computer

diversion：something that stops you from paying attention to what you are doing or what is happening
Two prisoners created a diversion to give the men time to escape.

nudge：to push someone gently, usually with your elbow, in order to get their attention
Jill nudged him in the ribs.

titter：to laugh quietly in a high voice, especially because you are nervous
At the word 'breast', some of the class tittered.

plait：to twist three long pieces of hair or rope over and under each other to make one long piece
She plaited her hair hurriedly.
a plaited leather belt

stop dead/short/in your tracks (=stop walking suddenly)
Sally saw the ambulance and stopped short.

assertion：something that you say or write that you strongly believe
assertion that
the assertion that house prices are falling
assertion of
her assertion of independence
assertion about
her assertions about the murder of her father
She makes very general assertions about marriage in the poem.

denial：a condition in which you refuse to admit or believe that something bad exists or has happened
in denial
His girlfriend is in denial, and refuses to admit that he will soon die.

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inspection：a careful examination of something to find out more about it or to check for anything wrong
for inspection
Copies of the documents are available for inspection (=people can look at them) at local libraries.
(on) close/closer inspection (=when looked at in detail)
However, on closer inspection, a number of problems emerged.
Close inspection of the plane's engines revealed several small defects.

crimson：if you go crimson, your face becomes red because you are very angry or embarrassed
go/turn/flush/blush crimson
The boy blushed crimson.
crimson with
Her face was crimson with embarrassment.

pout：to push out your lower lip because you are annoyed or unhappy, or in order to look sexually attractive
He sounded like a pouting child.
Her full lips pouted slightly.

resent：to feel angry or upset about a situation or about something that someone has done, especially because you think that it is not fair
resent (somebody) doing something
I resented having to work such long hours.
bitterly/deeply/strongly resent
She bitterly resented his mother's influence over him.
Paul resented the fact that Carol didn't trust him.

combat：to try to stop something bad from happening or getting worse - used especially in news reports
combat inflation/crime/racism etc
In order to combat inflation, the government imposed strict controls on foreign currency.
new strategies for combatting terrorism

insulting：very rude and offensive to someone
insulting remarks
insulting to
Sexist language is insulting to women.

stammer：to speak with a lot of pauses and repeated sounds, either because you have a speech problem, or because you are nervous, excited etc
Whenever he was angry he would begin to stammer slightly.
Ben stammered out an apology.

choke：to be unable to talk clearly because you are feeling a strong emotion
choke with
He was choking with rage.
I was too choked with emotion to speak.
Her voice was choked with rage.

esteem：to respect and admire someone or something
Peden was greatly esteemed by the people of Ayrshire.
He was esteemed as a literary wit.

patronizing：someone who is patronizing talks to you in a way that shows they think you are less intelligent or important than them
a patronizing attitude
a patronizing tone
I don't mean to sound patronizing.

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revolt：to refuse to accept someone's authority or obey rules or laws
revolt against
Some members of the government may revolt against this proposed legislation.

icy：extremely cold
an icy wind
The bath water was icy cold.

encourage：to give someone the courage or confidence to do something
I want to thank everyone who has encouraged and supported me.
encourage somebody to do something
Cooder was encouraged to begin playing the guitar by his father.
encourage somebody in something
Fleur encouraged Dana in her ambition to become a model.

conceive：to imagine a particular situation or to think about something in a particular way
(cannot) conceive of (doing) something
Many people can't conceive of a dinner without meat or fish.
conceive that
He could not conceive that anything really serious could be worrying his friend.
conceive what/why/how etc
I can hardly conceive what it must be like here in winter.
conceive of something/somebody as something
Language may be conceived of as a process which arises from social interaction.

cruel：making someone suffer or feel unhappy
His death was a cruel blow .
Sometimes life seems unbearably cruel.

antipathy：a feeling of strong dislike towards someone or something
antipathy to/towards
a growing antipathy towards the government
antipathy between
There's always been a certain amount of antipathy between the two doctors.

torment：to deliberately treat someone cruelly by annoying them or hurting them
The older boys would torment him whenever they had the chance.

implacable：very determined to continue opposing someone or something
implacable enemies
The government faces implacable opposition on the issue of nuclear waste.

subtle：not easy to notice or understand unless you pay careful attention
The pictures are similar, but there are subtle differences between them.
The warning signs of the disease are so subtle that they are often ignored.
a subtle form of racism
subtle taste/flavour/smell etc
The flavour of the dried berries is more subtle.
The dish had a subtle hint of ginger.

obstacle：something that makes it difficult to achieve something
obstacle to
Fear of change is an obstacle to progress.
The tax puts obstacles in the way of companies trying to develop trade overseas.
Women still have to overcome many obstacles to gain equality.
We want to remove all obstacles to travel between the two countries.
the single biggest obstacle to a Conservative victory in the next election
There are formidable obstacles on the road to peace.