GRE 3000 list 1-22

herald

1 : to give notice of : ANNOUNCE 2 a : to greet especially with enthusiasm : HAIL <doctors are heralding a new drug> b : PUBLICIZE 3 : to signal the approach of : FORESHADOW

begrudge

1 : to give or concede reluctantly or with displeasure <begrudge money> <begrudged the weeks spent away from home> 2 : to look upon with disapproval <begrudge their rivals' success>

perfunctory

(adj.) Done in a superficial or halfhearted manner; without interest or enthusiasm

axiomatic

(adj.) Self-evident, expressing a universally accepted principle or rule based on or involving an axiom or system of axiom

incontrovertible

(adj.) Unquestionable, beyond dispute (adj.) indisputable (Only stubborn Tina would attempt to disprove the incontrovertible laws of physics.

anomalous

(adj.) abnormal, irregular, departing from the usual

audacious

(adj.) bold, adventurous, recklessly daring

lucrative

(adj.) bringing in money; profitable, producing a great deal of profit

bucolic

(adj.) characteristic of the countryside, rural; relating to shepherds and cowherds, pastoral

winsome

(adj.) charming, attractive, pleasing (often suggesting a childlike charm and innocence

ribald

(adj.) coarsely, crudely humorous (While some giggled at the ribald joke involving a parson's daughter, most sighed and rolled their eyes.

consummate

(adj.) complete or perfect in the highest degree; (v.) to bring to a state of completion or perfection

poignant

(adj.) deeply affecting, touching; keen or sharp in taste or smell A keen sense of sadness or regret.

overbearing

(adj.) domineering, haughty, bullying; overpowering, predominant having or showing an arrogant superiority to and disdain for those one views as inferior or unworthy

moribund

(adj.) dying, on the way out adjective: being on the point of death; declining rapidly losing all momentum in progress

tentative

(adj.) experimental in nature; uncertain, hesitant

munificent

(adj.) extremely generous, lavish

virulent

(adj.) extremely poisonous; full of malice; spiteful Extremely infectious, poisonous, etc.; hateful, bitterly hostile

auspicious

(adj.) favorable; fortunate

despondent

(adj.) feeling depressed, discouraged, hopeless (Having failed the first math test, the despondent child saw no use in studying for the next and failed that one too.

genial

(adj.) friendly, affable (Although he's been known to behave like a real jerk, I would say that my brother is an overall genial guy.

profligate

(adj.) given over to dissipation and self-indulgence, immoral; recklessly extravagant; (n.) a person given to self-indulgent and wild spending

macabre

(adj.) grisly, gruesome; horrible, distressing; having death as a subject

vitriol

(adj.) having a caustic quality (When angry, the woman would spew vitriolic insults. bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting (like a strong acid)

ethereal

(adj.) heavenly, exceptionally delicate or refined (In her flowing silk gown and lace veil, the bride looked ethereal. (adj.) - heavenly, exceptionally delicate or refined

pertinent

(adj.) related to the matter at hand, to the point applicable, appropriate

agnostic agnosticism

(n.) one who believes that nothing can be known about God; a skeptic; (adj.) without faith, skeptical

potentate

(n.) one who has great power, a ruler (All the villagers stood along the town's main road to observe as the potentate's procession headed towards the capital.

decorum

(n.) proper behavior, good taste; orderliness

umbrage

(n.) resentment, offense (He called me a lily-livered coward, and I took umbrage at the insult.

derelict

(n.) someone or something that is abandoned or neglected; (adj.) left abandoned; neglectful of duty

animosity

(n.) strong dislike; bitter hostility

celerity

(n.) swiftness, rapidity of motion or action

inception

(n.) the beginning, start, earliest stage of some process, institution, etc.

verisimilitude

(n.) the quality of appearing to be true, real, likely, or probable

propriety

(n.) the quality or state of being proper, decent (Erma's old-fashioned parents believed that her mini-skirt lacked the propriety expected of a "nice" girl.

veracity

(n.) truthfulness, accuracy (With several agencies regulating the reports, it was difficult for Latifah to argue against its veracity.

complicit

(n/a.) involvement in wrongdoing; the state of being an accomplice

misnomer

(noun) an unsuitable or misleading name

expansive

(of a person) outgoing and sociable; broad and extensive; able to increase in size adjective: communicative, and prone to talking in a sociable manner

laconic

(of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words.

hack

(of a phrase or idea) lacking significance through having been overused; unoriginal and trite. a writer, especially of newspaper articles, who does a lot of low quality work and does not paid much

hitchhike

(v) to travel by standing on the side of the road and solicit rides from passing vehicles

annex

(v.) To add to, attach: to incorporate;(n.) An attachment or addition

remonstrate

(v.) to argue or plead with someone against something, protest against, object to

render

(v.) to cause to become; to performed; to deliver officially; to process, extract

curtail

(v.) to cut short, bring to a halt or end sooner than expected; to reduce

enjoin

(v.) to direct or order; to prescribe a course of action in an authoritative way; to prohibit

debasement

1 : to lower in status, esteem, quality, or character 2 a : to reduce the intrinsic value of (a coin) by increasing the base-metal content b : to reduce the exchange value of (a monetary unit)

sclerotic

1 : being or relating to the sclera 2 : of, relating to, or affected with sclerosis( an inability or reluctance to adapt or compromise <political sclerosis>) ossified

allot

1 : to assign as a share or portion <allot 10 minutes for the speech> 2 : to distribute by or as if by lot <allot seats to the press>

connote

1 : to be associated with or inseparable from as a consequence or concomitant <the remorse so often connoted by guilt> 2 a : to convey in addition to exact explicit meaning <all the misery that poverty connotes> b : to imply as a logical connotation

appeasement

1 : to bring to a state of peace or quiet : CALM 2 : to cause to subside : ALLAY <appeased my hunger> 3 : PACIFY, CONCILIATE; especially : to buy off (an aggressor) by concessions usually at the sacrifice of principles synonyms see PACIFY

overshadow

1 : to cast a shadow over 2 : to exceed in importance : OUTWEIGH

sling

1 : to cast with a sudden and usually sweeping or swirling motion <slung the sack over my shoulder> 2 : to throw with or as if with a sling <slinging punches> <political campaigners slinging mud> 3 : to serve (food) to a customer <had a job slinging hamburgers> synonyms see THROW

entrap

1 : to catch in or as if in a trap 2 : to lure into a compromising statement or act synonyms see CATCH

halt

1 : to cease marching or journeying 2 : DISCONTINUE, TERMINATE <the project halted for lack of funds>

snub

1 : to check or stop with a cutting retort : REBUKE 2 a : to check (as a line) suddenly while running out especially by turning around a fixed object (as a post or a cleat); also : to check the motion of by snubbing a line <snub the anchor> b : to restrain the action of : SUPPRESS <snub a vibration> 3 : to treat with contempt or neglect <snub an old acquaintance> 4 : to extinguish by stubbing <snub out a cigarette>

sate

1 : to cloy with overabundance : GLUT 2 : to appease (as a thirst) by indulging to the full synonyms see SATIATE

grovel

1 : to creep with the face to the ground : CRAWL 2 a : to lie or creep with the body prostrate in token of subservience or abasement b : to abase oneself 3 : to give oneself over to what is base or unworthy : WALLOW <groveling in self-pity>

notch

1 : to cut or make a notch in 2 a : to mark or record by a notch b : SCORE, ACHIEVE sometimes used with up

coexist

1 : to exist together or at the same time 2 : to live in peace with each other especially as a matter of policy "This figment of the author may coexist with, but should never be mistaken for, the 'figure of the author.'"

pore

1 : to gaze intently 2 : to read or study attentively usually used with over 3 : to reflect or meditate steadily

fester

1 : to generate pus 2 : PUTREFY, ROT 3 a : to cause increasing poisoning, irritation, or bitterness : RANKLE <dissent festered unchecked> b : to undergo or exist in a state of progressive deterioration <allowed slums to fester> transitive verb : to make inflamed or corrupt

discard

1 : to get rid of especially as useless or unwanted <a pile of discarded tires> 2 a : to remove (a playing card) from one's hand b : to play (any card except a trump) from a suit different from the one led

promulgate

1 : to make (as a doctrine) known by open declaration : PROCLAIM 2 a : to make known or public the terms of (a proposed law) b : to put (a law) into action or force synonyms see DECLARE

reciprocate

1 : to make a return for something <we hope to reciprocate for your kindness> 2 : to move forward and backward alternately <a reciprocating valve>

hamstring

1 : to make ineffective or powerless : CRIPPLE <hamstrung by guilt> 2 : to cripple by cutting the leg tendons

intimate

1 : to make known especially publicly or formally : ANNOUNCE 2 : to communicate delicately and indirectly : HINT synonyms see SUGGEST

ennoble

1 : to make noble : ELEVATE <seemed ennobled by suffering> 2 : to raise to the rank of nobility

scuttle

1 : to move in or as if in a brisk pace : SCAMPER 2 : to move around in an agitated, confused, or fluttering manner

steel

1 : to overlay, point, or edge with steel 2 a : to cause to resemble steel (as in looks or hardness) b : to fill with resolution or determination <steeled herself to face the crisis>

dismiss

1 : to permit or cause to leave <dismissed the visitors> 2 : to remove from position or service : DISCHARGE <dismissed the thievish servant> 3 a : to reject serious consideration of <dismissed the thought> b : to put out of judicial consideration <dismissed all charges>

concoct

1 : to prepare by combining raw materials <concoct a recipe> 2 : DEVISE, FABRICATE <concoct an explanation>

bastardize

1 : to reduce from a higher to a lower state or condition : DEBASE 2 : to declare or prove to be a bastard 3 : to modify especially by introducing discordant or disparate elements

derision

Contemptuous ridicule or mockery a strong feeling that sb or sth is ridiculous and do not worth considering seriously, shown by laughing in an unkind way or by making remarks; scorn

incessantly

Continuing without interruption

jubilant

EXULTANT : filled with or expressing great joy or triumph : JUBILANT <an exultant cheer> <exultant fans>

alacrity

Eager and enthusiastic willingness

conspicuous

Easily seen or noticed, obvious; apparent

termination

Ends the employment relationship between a company and an employee

maudlin

Excessively sentimental, showing sadness or some other emotion in a foolish or silly way

meticulous

Extremely careful about details

meticulous

Extremely careful about details extremely careful; fastidious; painstaking

mishmash

HODGEPODGE, JUMBLE(a : a mass of things mingled together without order or plan b : a state of confusion )

normalcy

Harding wanted a return to "normalcy" - the way life was before WW I. A return to "normal" life .

innocuous

Harmless, inoffensive

impecunious

Having little or no money

insinuate

Hint, suggest slyly; introduce (an idea) into someone's mind in a subtle, artful way to suggest indirectly or subtly (I wish Luke and Spencer would stop insinuating that my perfect report card is the result of anything other than my superior intelligence and good work habits.

interplay

INTERACTION <the interplay of opposing forces> "We are just beginning to fathom the subtle interplay of these minuscule forces."

intermingle

INTERMIX transitive verb : to mix together intransitive verb : to become mixed together

humdrum

MONOTONOUS, DULL

protagonist

Main character in a story

calumny

Malicious lie intended to hurt someone's reputation; the act of telling such lies

hygiene

Measures contributing to cleanliness and good health

augury

OMEN, PORTENT prophecy; prediction of events

overt

Obvious, easily observed (adj.) open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized

riparian

On or near the bank of water areas. The land area and plants that are influenced by the adjacent water.

provenance

Place of origin; derivation; the history of the ownership of an object, especially when documented or authenticated

canned

Prepared in advance in standardized form for nonspecific use or wide distributional lacking originality or individuality

idyll

Presenting a positive, peaceful view of rural life (as poetry or prose); pleasant in a natural, simple way

pedantic

Putting unnecessary stress on minor or purely academic knowledge

exception

QUESTION, OBJECTION <witnesses whose authority is beyond exception — T. B. Macaulay> an oral or written legal objection

purported

REPUTED, ALLEGED <took gullible tourists to purported ancient sites> Synonyms ALLEGED, ostensible, pretended, professed, so-called, supposed Related Words postulated, presupposed; suppositional, suppositive; academic, speculative, theoretical; reputed, rumored; suspected 据称的，传言的

dicey

RISKY, UNPREDICTABLE <a dicey proposition> <dicey weather>

meteorological

Relating to the branch of science concerned with the processes and phenomena of the atmosphere, especially as a means of forecasting the weather

asperity

Rigor, severity; harshness or sharpness of tone; roughness of surface

anoint

Rub or sprinkle oil on; make sacred, such as by a ceremony that includes applying oil to someone, select

vicarious

SUBSTITUTIONARY <a vicarious sacrifice> experienced or realized through imaginative or sympathetic participation in the experience of another； occurring in an unexpected or abnormal part of the body instead of the usual one <vicarious menstruation manifested by bleeding from the

chide

Scold (v.) to blame; scold

pore over

Scrutinize to examine or read something very carefully

eclectic

Selecting from or made up from a variety of sources

discrete

Separate, distinct, detached, existing as individual parts adjective: constituting a separate entity or part

solipsism

a theory holding that the self can know nothing but its own modifications and that the self is the only existent thing; also : extreme egocentrism 唯心主义

inducement

a thing that persuades or influences someone to do something the positive motivational influence

apostasy

a total desertion of or departure from one's religion, principles, party, cause, etc.

broadside

a volley of abuse or denunciation

tapestry

a wall hanging of heavy handwoven fabric with pictorial designs n. A fabric to which a pattern is applied with a needle, designed for ornamental hangings.

aquifer

a water-bearing stratum of permeable rock, sand, or gravel

slant

a way of thinking about something

doyenne

a woman who is the senior member of a group

pervasive

a. penetrante pervade, v. Synonyms PERMEATE, charge, compenetrate, impenetrate, impregnate, interpenetrate, penetrate, percolate, saturate, transfuse

secularist

an advocate of secularism; someone who believes that religion should be excluded from government and education

permutation

an alteration; a rearrangement of elements, especially in mathematics An arrangement of objects in which order is important

predilection

an established preference for something synonyms PREDILECTION, PREPOSSESSION, PREJUDICE, BIAS mean an attitude of mind that predisposes one to favor something. PREDILECTION implies a strong liking deriving from one's temperament or experience <a predilection for travel>. PREPOSSESSION suggests a fixed conception likely to preclude objective judgment of anything counter to it <a prepossession against technology>. PREJUDICE usually implies an unfavorable prepossession and connotes a feeling rooted in suspicion, fear, or intolerance <a mindless prejudice against the unfamiliar>. BIAS implies an unreasoned and unfair distortion of judgment in favor of or against a person or thing <a strong bias toward the plaintiff>.

propensity

an often intense natural inclination or preference synonyms see LEANING

pariah

an outcast (n.) one who is rejected by a social group or organization

archaic

ancient; old-fashioned Characteristic of an earlier period, ancient, primitive

hare

any of various swift long-eared lagomorph mammals (family Leporidae and especially genus Lepus) that are usually solitary or sometimes live in pairs and have the young open-eyed and furred at birth compare RABBIT

contention

assertion; claim; thesis; struggling; competition

sycophantic

attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery behaving or done in an obsequious way in order to gain advantage.

veritable

being in fact the thing named and not false, unreal, or imaginary often used to stress the aptness of a metaphor <a veritable mountain of references>

ultramodern

beyond what is ordinary, proper, or moderate : excessively : extremely <ultramodern> ultrabright

acrimony

bitterness and ill will

insouciance

blithe lack of concern; nonchalance.

forwardness

boldness or lack of appropriate modesty, confidence, presumptuousness

unorthodox

breaking with convention or tradition; not orthodox

round up

bring people together; a summary of facts or figures

undo

bringing to ruin or destruction; the cause of ruin; unfastening or loosening

ingratiating

calculated to please or gain favor

halcyon

calm and peaceful, carefree; prosperous, successful, happy

scrutable

capable of being deciphered : COMPREHENSIBLE

solicitude

care or concern for something or someone an attitude expressing excessive attentiveness

debonair

carefree and self-confident in manner; elegant and gracious

wary

careful, cautious, doubt, because you think that there may be a danger or problem

thoroughgoing

carried out to the full extent; thorough; complete; unqualified.

telling

carrying great weight and producing a marked effect : EFFECTIVE, EXPRESSIVE <the most telling evidence>

disastrous

catastrophic

nettlesome

causing annoyance or difficulty

astounding

causing astonishment or amazement <an astounding revelation>

polemical

causing debate or argument

heartrending

causing mental pain or grief

guarded

cautious; careful Cautious and having possible reservations; shielding oneself from others' responses by withdrawing, isolating, or being selective about sharing information

gerrymander

change voting district lines in order to favor a political party; N. CF. Elbridge Gerry + (sala)mander

panglossian

characterized by or given to extreme, unwarranted optimism.

intrepid

characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance <an intrepid explorer>

protracted

extended in time; prolonged lasting for a long time or longer than expected or usual

fieldwork

extended period of close involvement with the people in whose language or way of life an anthropologist is interested; time during which anthropologists collect most of their data

fallacious

incorrect, misleading (Emily offered me cigarettes on the fallacious assumption that I smoked.

telltale

indicating or revealing information

dissolute

indifferent to moral constraints; given to immoral or improper conduct; dissipated; licentious.

oblique

indirect or evasive; misleading or devious

prying

inquisitive in an annoying, officious, or meddlesome way synonyms see CURIOUS

intelligentsia

intellectuals who form an artistic, social, or political vanguard or elite

scowl

intransitive verb 1 : to contract the brow in an expression of displeasure 2 : to exhibit a threatening aspect transitive verb : to express with a scowl

cavil

intransitive verb : to raise trivial and frivolous objection transitive verb : to raise trivial objections to

simper

intransitive verb : to smile in a silly manner transitive verb : to say with a simper <simpered an apology>

swerve

intransitive verb : to turn aside abruptly from a straight line or course : DEVIATE transitive verb : to cause to turn aside or deviate

trudge

intransitive verb : to walk or march steadily and usually laboriously <trudged through deep snow> transitive verb : to trudge along or over

emaciate

intransitive verb : to waste away physically transitive verb 1 : to cause to lose flesh so as to become very thin <cattle emaciated by illness> 2 : to make feeble

vexed

irritated; annoyed, frustrated, worried

galling

irritating causing irritation or annoyance

banal

lacking originality, freshness, or novelty : TRITE synonyms see INSIPID

insentient

lacking perception, consciousness, or animation

arrhythmic

lacking rhythm or regularity <arrhythmic locomotor activity>

cravenness

lacking the least bit of courage; cowardly; contemptibly timid; pusillanimous

suboptimal

less than optimal <a suboptimal diet> <a suboptimal dose of a drug>

diminution

lessening; reduction in size

disenchanted

losing fondness for; disillusioned

staunch

loyal; faithful; dependable

grandeur

magnificence; splendor impressiveness; stateliness; majesty

disbar

make (a lawyer) leave the bar or the legal profession

contemptuous

manifesting, feeling, or expressing contempt

interim

noun an intervening time : INTERVAL adjective Synonyms TEMPORARY, acting, ad interim, pro tem, pro tempore, supply

host

noun 1 : ARMY 2 : a great number : MULTITUDE

bravura

noun 1 : a musical passage requiring exceptional agility and technical skill in execution 2 : a florid brilliant style 3 : a show of daring or brilliance

planetologist

planetology: a branch of astronomy that deals with the condensed matter of the solar system and especially with the planets and their moons

krill

planktonic crustaceans and their larvae (order or suborder Euphausiacea and especially genus Euphausia) that constitute the principal food of baleen whales

badinage

playful repartee : BANTER 1 : to speak to or address in a witty and teasing manner 2 archaic : DELUDE 3 chiefly Southern & Midland : CHALLENGE

piquancy

pleasantly stimulating or exciting to the mind.

piercing

poignant

patrolman

policía masculine or feminine, guardia masculine or feminine

overweening

presumptuously arrogant, overbearing, immoderate

insidious

proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects

trumpet

proclaim, announce, broadcast, declare to talk about something in a proud or enthusiastic way

lucrative

producing wealth : PROFITABLE

proscription

prohibition Any act of condemnation and rejection from favor and privilege.

respite

providing or being temporary care in relief of a primary caregiver <respite care> <a respite worker>

refined

purified, clarified, distilled 1.) Having or showing good manners, taste, ease, etc. that are expected from wide social experience; cultured; genteel; fastidious; free from coarseness, vulgarity, etc. 2.) Very subtle, precise or exact; delicate. 3.) Freed from impurities.

dismiss

put away from consideration; reject fire, sack, terminate

concealed

put out of sight; hidden

garrulity

quality of chattering on and on about trivia, or with little meaning

subdued

quiet and rather reflective or depressed

celeritous

rapid

proliferation

rapid increase in numbers, a large number

anthropological

referring to the study of human beings and their cultures

reactionary

relating to, marked by, or favoring reaction; especially : ultraconservative in politics

convivial

relating to, occupied with, or fond of feasting, drinking, and good company <a convivial host> <a convivial gathering>

conviviality

relating to, occupied with, or fond of feasting, drinking, and good company <a convivial host> <a convivial gathering>

conical

resembling a cone especially in shape

treacly

resembling treacle（chiefly British : MOLASSES ） (as in quality or appearance) <treacly sentimentality> treacle: 1 : a medicinal compound formerly in wide use as a remedy against poison 2 chiefly British a : MOLASSES b : a blend of molasses, invert sugar, and corn syrup used as syrup called also golden syrup 3 : something (as a tone of voice) heavily sweet and cloying

childlike

resembling, suggesting, or appropriate to a child or childhood; especially : marked by innocence, trust, and ingenuousness <childlike delight>

saintliness

sanctity, holiness

debris

scattered fragments, wreckage

elegance

scientific precision, neatness, and simplicity <the elegance of a mathematical proof>

excoriate

scold with biting harshness; censure strongly; strip the skin off

vet

screen, to check the contents, quality, etc. of sth carefully

unscrupulous

scrupulous: 1 : having moral integrity : acting in strict regard for what is considered right or proper 2 : punctiliously exact : PAINSTAKING <working with scrupulous care> synonyms see UPRIGHT, CAREFUL not scrupulous : UNPRINCIPLED

asceticism

severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.

reprehensible

shameful; very bad deserving blame or punishment, deserving rebuke (Jean's cruel and reprehensible attempt to dump her boyfriend on his birthday led to tears and recriminations.

epilogue

short speech at conclusion of dramatic work an afterword; a short concluding chapter of a book; a short speech at the end of a play

brevity

shortness of duration; especially : shortness or conciseness of expression

smug

showing offensive satisfaction with oneself

diffidence

shyness; lack of confidence

thrall

slave a slave or bondman; a person under the moral or psychological domination of something or someone; slavery A loss of one's ability to act freely; a state over which one appears to have no control

wrest

to gain with difficulty by or as if by force, violence, or determined labor

invigorate

to give life and energy to : ANIMATE; also : STIMULATE 1

cede

to give or formally surrender to another

laud

to give praise; to glorify, to applaud, to extol

smack

to hit someone or something forcefully with the flat inside part of your hand, producing a short, loud noise, especially as a way of punishing a child

subsume

to include, incorporate to put into or include with a larger class or category. Category: parts of bigger things. verb All his thinking could be subsumed under the title of his last writing.

meddle

to interest oneself in what is not one's concern : interfere without right or propriety

quack

to make the characteristic cry of a duck a noise made by quacking 1 : CHARLATAN 2 2 : a pretender to medical skill 江湖骗子

sulk

to mope around or pout in a bad or nasty mood

swarm

to move in large numbers

budge

to move slightly, to make sth/sb move slightly to change your opinion about sth; to make sb change their opinion

glide

to move smoothly and easily

don

to put on

sideline

to put out of action : put on the sidelines

bristle

to react in an angry or offended manner to show irritation

convalesce

to recover from illness; to recuperate

attenuate

to reduce in force or degree; to weaken

abstain

to refrain deliberately and often with an effort of self-denial from an action or practice <abstain from drinking>

foreshadow

to represent, indicate, or typify beforehand : PREFIGURE

lambaste

to reprimand or berate harshly; censure

upbraid

to scold or berate

muckrake

to search out and publicly expose real or apparent misconduct of a prominent individual or business

fawn

to seek favor or attention by flattery and obsequious behavior

peddle

to sell or offer for sale from place to place : HAWK; broadly : SELL to offer or promote as valuable

instate

to set or establish in a rank or office:INSTALL She was not at once instated in her rights.

empathize

to show or feel understanding of another's feelings or problems

snap at

to speak or say sth to sb in an impatient, angry voice

bloviate

to speak pompously (verb)to orate verbosely and windily

rant

to speak wildly and noisily; loud, violent talk

brook

to stand for : TOLERATE <he would brook no interference with his plans>

hug

to stay close to <the road hugs the river> "Thus they were able to make the long journey by hugging the coast as far south as to what is today British Columbia. "

dissect

to study sth closely and/or discuss it in great detail

insofar

to such extent or degree

beleaguer

to surround; to besiege; to harass

appropriate

to take without permission; to set aside for a particular use

prate

to talk long and idly : CHATTER

trounce

to thrash or punish severely; especially : to defeat decisively

ream

to treat somebody unfairly or cheat them

hoax

to trick into believing or accepting as genuine something false and often preposterous

contort

to twist; to distort

covert

to want sth very much, especially sth that belongs to sb else

muted

toned down or silenced of low intensity or volume being or made softer or less loud or clear

abandon

total lack of inhibition careless, often reckless disregard for consequences

quisling

traitor a person who betrays his or her own country by aiding an invading enemy.

couch

transitive verb to place or hold level and pointed forward ready for use to phrase or express in a specified manner <the comments were couched in strong terms> intransitive verb 1 : to lie down or recline for sleep or rest 2 : to lie in ambush

reconnoiter

transitive verb : to make a reconnaissance of intransitive verb : to engage in reconnaissance: a preliminary survey to gain information; especially : an exploratory military survey of enemy territory

ameliorate

transitive verb : to make better or more tolerable intransitive verb : to grow better synonyms see IMPROVE

plodding

walking slowly; working slowly at a boring task

profligacy

wasteful and immoral behavior dissolute indulgence in sensual pleasure

fete

welcome, praise, to honor with a banquet or feast

bog

wet spongy ground; especially : a poorly drained usually acid area rich in accumulated plant material, frequently surrounding a body of open water, and having a characteristic flora (as of sedges, heaths, and sphagnum)

rabble-rousing

when someone deliberately makes a crowd of people angry and violent, especially in order to achieve political aims

obliging

willing to do favors : HELPFUL synonyms see AMIABLE Synonyms AMIABLE 1, complaisant, easy, good-humored, good-natured, good-tempered, lenient, mild Antonyms disobliging

US-South Korean war games

美韩军事演习

definitive

(adj.) conclusive, final, representing the limit of what can be done

egregious

(adj.) conspicuous, standing out from the mass (used particularly in an unfavorable sense) Extraordinary or conspicuously bad; glaring

commensurate

(adj.) corresponding in size or amount (Ahab selected a very long roll and proceeded to prepare a tuna salad sandwich commensurate with his enormous appetite.

rustic

(adj.) country-like; simple, plain; awkward; (n.) one who lives in the country

somber

(adj.) dark, gloomy; depressed or melancholy in spirit

elusive

(adj.) difficult to catch or to hold; hard to explain or understand

unscrupulous

(adj.) dishonest; not guided or controlled by moral principles

wayward

(adj.) disobedient, willful; unpredictable, capricious

pernicious

(adj.) extremely harmful; deadly, fatal, in a way that is not easily seen or noticed

adamant

(adj.) firm in purpose or opinion, unyielding, obdurate, implacable, inflexible; (n.) an extremely hard substance

inveterate

(adj.) firmly established, long-standing; habitual (adj.) stubbornly established by habit (I'm the first to admit that I'm an inveterate coffee drinker—I drink four cups a day.

porous

(adj.) full of tiny holes; able to be penetrated by air or water

divergent

(adj.) going in different directions; different from each other; departing from conversation, deviant

taciturn

(adj.) habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little

vituperative

(adj.) harshly abusive, severely scolding

volatile

(adj.) highly changeable, fickle; tending to become violent or explosive; changing readily from the liquid to the gaseous state

prodigious

(adj.) immense; extraordinary in bulk, size, or degree, colossal

nascent

(adj.) in the process of being born or coming into existence (Unfortunately, my brilliant paper was only in its nascent form on the morning that it was due.

irreparable

(adj.) incapable of being repaired or rectified

tangential

(adj.) incidental, peripheral, divergent (I tried to discuss my salary, but the boss kept veering off into tangential topics.

squeamish

(adj.) inclined to nausea; easily shocked or upset; excessively fastidious or refined

ingenuous

(adj.) innocent, simple; frank, sincere

jejune

(adj.) lacking in nutritive value; lacking in interest or substance; immature, juvenile

feckless

(adj.) lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable adjective: lazy and irresponsible

churl

(adj.) lacking politeness or good manners; lacking sensitivity; difficult to work with or deal with; rude

churlish

(adj.) lacking politeness or good manners; lacking sensitivity; difficult to work with or deal with; rude

perennial

(adj.) lasting for a indefinitely long time, persistent; (n.) a plant that lives for many years

gregarious

(adj.) living together in a herd or group; sociable, seeking the company of others

forlorn

(adj.) lonely, abandoned, sad, hopeless (Even though I had the flu, my family decided to go skiing for the weekend and leave me home alone, feeling feverish and forlorn.

vociferous

(adj.) loud and noisy; compelling attention

vociferous

(adj.) loud and noisy; compelling attention Crying out noisily

indigent

(adj.) needy, impoverished (adj.) very poor, impoverished (I would rather donate money to help the indigent population than to the park sculpture fund.)

remiss

(adj.) neglectful in performance of one's duty, careless

blatant

(adj.) noisy in a coarse, offensive way; obvious or conspicuous, especially in an unfavorable sense Very obvious, egregious

indelible

(adj.) not able to be erased or removed; memorable

spurious

(adj.) not genuine, not true, not valid (adj.) false but designed to seem plausible (Using a spurious argument, John convinced the others that he had won the board game on a technicality.

unassuming

(adj.) not putting on airs, unpretentious; modest

stagnant

(adj.) not running or flowing; foul from standing still; inactive, sluggish, dull

immutable

(adj.) not subject to change, constant

sporadic

(adj.) occurring at irregular intervals, having no set plan or order

picayune

(adj.) of little value or importance, paltry, measly; concerned with trifling matters, small-minded

sartorial

(adj.) of or pertaining to a tailor or his work; having to do with clothes or dress (especially men's)

susceptible

(adj.) open to; easily influenced; lacking in resistance

ebullient

(adj.) overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement; boiling, bubbling

cadaverous

(adj.) pale, gaunt, resembling a corpse

discursive

(adj.) passing aimlessly from one place or subject to another, rambling, roving, nomadic

supercilious

(adj.) proud and contemptuous; showing scorn because of a feeling of superiority

cryptic

(adj.) puzzling, mystifying, or enigmatic

germane

(adj.) relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting

staid

(adj.) sedate, serious, self-restrained (The staid butler never changed his expression no matter what happened.

sententious

(adj.) self-righteous, characterized by moralizing; given to use of maxims or adages; saying much in few words, pithy

disparate

(adj.) sharply differing, containing sharply contrasting elements (Having widely varying interests, the students had disparate responses toward the novel.)

refulgent

(adj.) shining, radiant, resplendent

deferential

(adj.) showing respect for another's authority (His deferential attitude toward her made her more confident in her ability to run the company.

deferential

(adj.) showing respect for another's authority (His deferential attitude toward her made her more confident in her ability to run the company.

precocious

(adj.) showing unusually early development (especially in talents and mental capacity)

dumbfounded

(adj.) so amazed that one is unable to speak, bewildered as if struck dumb with astonishment and surprise

malevolent

(adj.) spiteful, showing ill will (adj.) wanting harm to befall others (The malevolent old man sat in the park all day, tripping unsuspecting passersby with his cane.

parsimonious

(adj.) stingy, miserly; meager, poor, small

stringent

(adj.) strict, severe; rigorously or urgently binding or compelling; sharp or bitter to the taste

spasmodic

(adj.) sudden and violent but brief; fitful; intermittent

soporific

(adj.) tending to cause sleep, relating to sleepiness or lethargy; (n.) something that induces sleep

dilatory

(adj.) tending to delay or procrastinate, not prompt; intended to delay or postpone Slow, late; procrastinating or stalling for time

inchoate

(adj.) unformed or formless, in a beginning stage (The country's government is still inchoate and, because it has no great tradition, quite unstable.

incontrovertible

(adj.) unquestionable, beyond dispute

disgruntle

(adj.) upset, not content (The child believed that his parents had unjustly grounded him, and remained disgruntled for a week.

profuse

(adj.) very abundant; given or flowing freely

heinous

(adj.) very wicked, offensive, hateful, shockingly wicked, repugnant (The killings were made all the more heinous by the fact that the murderer first tortured his victims for three days.

prodigal

(adj.) wastefully extravagant; lavishly or generously abundant; (n.) one who is wasteful and self-indulgent

amenable

(adj.) willing to follow advice or authority, tractable, submissive; responsive; liable to be held responsible

protean

(adj.)able to change shape; displaying great variety adjective: readily taking on different roles; versatile Peter Sellers was a protean actor----in Doctor Strangerlove he played three very different roles: a jingoist general, a sedate President and a deranged scientist

oblivious

(adj.)forgetful; lacking consciousness or awareness of something (Oblivious to the burning smell emanating from the kitchen, my father did not notice that the rolls in the oven were burned until much too late.

awry

(adj., adv.) in a turned or twisted position or direction; wrong, out of the right or hoped-for course

askew

(adj., adv.) twisted to one side, crooked; disapprovingly

avowed

(adj., part.) declared openly and without shame, acknowledged

unjustifiably

(adv.) cannot be justified not able to be shown to be right or reasonable

parsimony

(n.) frugality, stinginess (Many relatives believed that my aunt's wealth resulted from her parsimony.

enmity

(n.) ill will, hatred, hostility (Mark and Andy have clearly not forgiven each other, because the enmity between them is obvious to anyone in their presence.

chagrin

(n.) irritation or humiliation caused by disappointment or frustration; (v.) to cause such a feeling

extrapolate

(v) conjecture about an unknown by projecting information about something known; predict by projecting past experience verb: draw from specific cases for more general cases

divine

(v) discover through divination or supernatural means; perceive by insight godly, exceedingly wonderful

recast

(v) to change the form of something, or to change an actor in a play or film

aver

(v.) to affirm, declare confidently

dither

(v.) to be indecisive (Not wanting to offend either friend, he dithered about which of the two birthday parties he should attend.) "Stop dithering," said the mother to her daughter. "Pick which sweater you want so I can pay for it and we can get out of here." / The haunted house brought the children to a dither from which it was difficult for their parents to calm them down.

avail

(v.) to be of use or benefit to; to make use of; to take advantage of; to profit or benefit; (n.) use, benefit, or value

wilt

(v.) to become limp and drooping (as a flower), wither; to loose strength and vigor

beseech

(v.) to beg, plead, implore (The servant beseeched the king for food to feed his starving family.

inter

(v.) to bury, commit to the earth; to consign to oblivion

admonish

(v.) to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty To warn

garbled

(v.) to confuse or distort to the point of that the result is misleading or incomprehensible mixed up; jumbled; distorted

tally

(v.) to count up; to keep score; to make entries for reckoning; to correspond or agree; (n.) a total or score

procrastinate

(v.) to delay, put off until later postpone doing what one should be doing

regale

(v.) to feast, entertain agreeably

misconstrue

(v.) to interpret wrongly, mistake the meaning of, misinterpret

attenuate

(v.) to make thin or slender; to weaken or lessen in force, intensity, or value

exploit

(v.) to make use of, develop; to make improper use of for personal profit; (n.) a feat, deed

hoodwink

(v.) to mislead by a trick, deceive

conciliate

(v.) to overcome the distrust of, win over; to appease, pacify; to reconcile, make consistent

entail

(v.) to put a burden on, impose, require, involve; to restrict ownership of property by limiting inheritance; (n.) such a restriction

recapitulate

(v.) to review a series of facts; to sum up, repeat (Before the final exam, the teacher recapitulated the semester's material.

calumniate

(v.) to slander; to accuse falsely and maliciously

vacillate

(v.) to swing indecisively from one idea or course of action to another; to waver weakly in mind or will alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive.

exhort

(v.) to urge strongly, advise earnestly

retract

(v.) withdraw (As the media worked itself into a frenzy, the publicist hurriedly retracted his client's sexist statement. verb: pull inward or towards a center; formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure

antiseptic

(adj.) clean, sterile (The antiseptic hospital was very bare, but its cleanliness helped to keep patients healthy.

plebeian

(adj.) common, vulgar; belonging to the lower class; (n.) a common person, member of the lower class

assemblage

1 : a collection of persons or things : GATHERING 2 : the act of assembling : the state of being assembled 3 a : an artistic composition made from scraps, junk, and odds and ends (as of paper, cloth, wood, stone, or metal) b : the art of making assemblages

epigrammatic

1 : a concise poem dealing pointedly and often satirically with a single thought or event and often ending with an ingenious turn of thought 2 : a terse, sage, or witty and often paradoxical saying 3 : epigrammatic expression

lassitude

1 : a condition of weariness or debility : FATIGUE 2 : a condition of listlessness : LANGUOR

penury

1 : a cramping and oppressive lack of resources (as money); especially : severe poverty 2 : extreme and often niggardly frugality synonyms see POVERTY

cornucopia

1 : a curved goat's horn overflowing with fruit and ears of grain that is used as a decorative motif emblematic of abundance 2 : an inexhaustible store : ABUNDANCE 3 : a receptacle shaped like a horn or cone

gash

1 : a deep long cut in flesh 2 : a deep narrow depression or cut <cut a gash through the forest> <a gash in the hull> transitive verb : to make a gash in intransitive verb : to make a gash : CUT

renegade

1 : a deserter from one faith, cause, or allegiance to another 2 : an individual who rejects lawful or conventional behavior

hagiography

1 : biography of saints or venerated persons 2 : idealizing or idolizing biography

willy-nilly

1 : by compulsion : without choice 2 : in a haphazard or spontaneous manner

tractable

1 : capable of being easily led, taught, or controlled : DOCILE <a tractable horse> 2 : easily handled, managed, or wrought : MALLEABLE synonyms see OBEDIENT

unyielding

1 : characterized by firmness or obduracy 2 : characterized by lack of softness or flexibility

perfunctory

1 : characterized by routine or superficiality : MECHANICAL <a perfunctory smile> 2 : lacking in interest or enthusiasm

racket

1 : confused clattering noise : CLAMOR 2 a : social whirl or excitement b : the strain of exciting or trying experiences 3 a : a fraudulent scheme, enterprise, or activity b : a usually illegitimate enterprise made workable by bribery or intimidation c : an easy and lucrative means of livelihood d slang : OCCUPATION, BUSINESS

saline

1 : consisting of or containing salt <a saline solution> 2 : of, relating to, or resembling salt : SALTY <a saline taste> 3 : consisting of or relating to the salts of the alkali metals or of magnesium <a saline cathartic>

pallid

1 : deficient in color : WAN <a pallid countenance> 2 : lacking sparkle or liveliness : DULL <a pallid entertainment>

belated

1 : delayed beyond the usual time 2 : existing or appearing past the normal or proper time

precarious

1 : depending on the will or pleasure of another 2 : dependent on uncertain premises : DUBIOUS <precarious generalizations> 3 a : dependent on chance circumstances, unknown conditions, or uncertain developments b : characterized by a lack of security or stability that threatens with danger synonyms see DANGEROUS

intent

1 : directed with strained or eager attention : CONCENTRATED 2 : having the mind, attention, or will concentrated on something or some end or purpose <intent on their work>

prowess

1 : distinguished bravery; especially : military valor and skill 2 : extraordinary ability <his prowess on the football field>

voluble

1 : easily rolling or turning : ROTATING 2 : characterized by ready or rapid speech : GLIB, FLUENT synonyms see TALKATIVE

precocious

1 : exceptionally early in development or occurrence <precocious puberty> 2 : exhibiting mature qualities at an unusually early age <a precocious child>

rapacious

1 : excessively grasping or covetous 2 : living on prey 3 : RAVENOUS <a rapacious appetite> synonyms see VORACIOUS

potential

1 : existing in possibility : capable of development into actuality <potential benefits> 2 : expressing possibility; specifically : of, relating to, or constituting a verb phrase expressing possibility, liberty, or power by the use of an auxiliary with the infinitive of the verb (as in »it may rain¼) synonyms see LATENT

vis-a-vis

1 : face-to-face with 2 : in relation to 3 : as compared with

forage

1 : food for animals especially when taken by browsing or grazing 2 [2forage] : the act of foraging : search for provisions

jocular

1 : given to jesting : habitually jolly or jocund 2 : characterized by jesting : PLAYFUL synonyms see WITTY

aquatic

1 : growing or living in or frequenting water <aquatic mosquito larvae> 2 : taking place in or on water <aquatic sports>

morose

1 : having a sullen and gloomy disposition 2 : marked by or expressive of gloom synonyms see SULLEN

scrupulous

1 : having moral integrity : acting in strict regard for what is considered right or proper 2 : punctiliously exact : PAINSTAKING <working with scrupulous care> synonyms see UPRIGHT, CAREFUL

brusque

1 : markedly short and abrupt 2 : blunt in manner or speech often to the point of ungracious harshness synonyms see BLUFF

microfauna

1 : minute animals; especially : those invisible to the naked eye <the soil microfauna> 2 : a small or strictly localized fauna (as of a microenvironment )

salient

1 : moving by leaps or springs : JUMPING 2 : jetting upward <a salient fountain> 3 a : projecting beyond a line, surface, or level b : standing out conspicuously : PROMINENT; especially : of notable significance <similar to . . . Prohibition, but there are a couple of salient differences — Tony Gibbs> synonyms see NOTICEABLE

conspicuous

1 : obvious to the eye or mind <conspicuous changes> 2 : attracting attention : STRIKING <a conspicuous success> 3 : marked by a noticeable violation of good taste synonyms see NOTICEABLE

anodyne

1 : serving to alleviate pain 2 : not likely to offend or arouse tensions : INNOCUOUS

magnanimous

1 : showing or suggesting a lofty and courageous spirit <the irreproachable lives and magnanimous sufferings of their followers — Joseph Addison> 2 : showing or suggesting nobility of feeling and generosity of mind <too sincere for dissimulation, too magnanimous for resentment — Ellen Glasgow>

indisposed

1 : slightly ill 2 : AVERSE

supposition

1 : something that is supposed : HYPOTHESIS 2 : the act of supposing

homely

1 : suggestive or characteristic of a home 2 : being something familiar with which one is at home <satisfy themselves with houses, furniture, books and clothes that were worn and homely and friendly to the touch — Brendan Gill> 3 a : unaffectedly natural : SIMPLE b : not elaborate or complex <homely virtues> 4 : plain or unattractive in appearance

abject

1 : sunk to or existing in a low state or condition <to lowest pitch of abject fortune thou art fallen — John Milton> 2 a : cast down in spirit : SERVILE, SPIRITLESS <a man made abject by suffering> b : showing hopelessness or resignation <abject surrender> 3 : expressing or offered in a humble and often ingratiating spirit <abject flattery> <an abject apology> synonyms see MEAN 绝望的；凄楚的；卑鄙的

iota

1 : the 9th letter of the Greek alphabet see ALPHABET table 2 : an infinitesimal amount : JOT <did not show an iota of interest> Synonyms PARTICLE, atom, bit, crumb, grain, mite, molecule, ounce, ray, smidgen

delusion

1 : the act of deluding : the state of being deluded 2 a : something that is falsely or delusively believed or propagated b : a persistent false psychotic belief regarding the self or persons or objects outside the self that is maintained despite indisputable evidence to the contrary; also : the abnormal state marked by such beliefs

verdict

1 : the finding or decision of a jury on the matter submitted to it in trial 2 : OPINION, JUDGMENT

foible

1 : the part of a sword or foil blade between the middle and point 2 : a minor flaw or shortcoming in character or behavior : WEAKNESS <admired their teacher despite his foibles> synonyms see FAULT

clairvoyance

1 : the power or faculty of discerning objects not present to the senses 2 : ability to perceive matters beyond the range of ordinary perception : PENETRATION

palter

1 : to act insincerely or deceitfully : EQUIVOCATE 2 : HAGGLE, CHAFFER synonyms see LIE

canonize

1 : to declare (a deceased person) an officially recognized saint 2 : to make canonical 3 : to sanction by ecclesiastical authority 4 : to attribute authoritative sanction or approval to 5 : to treat as illustrious, preeminent, or sacred 正式封为圣者，把......当作圣者，把...视为典范

enjoin

1 : to direct or impose by authoritative order or with urgent admonition <enjoined us to be careful> 2 a : FORBID, PROHIBIT <was enjoined by conscience from telling a lie> b : to prohibit by a judicial order : put an injunction on <a book had been enjoined prior to publication — David Margolick> synonyms see COMMAND

unseat

1 : to dislodge from one's seat especially on horseback 2 : to remove from a place or position; especially : to remove from political office

repudiate

1 : to divorce or separate formally from (a woman) 2 : to refuse to have anything to do with : DISOWN 3 a : to refuse to accept; especially : to reject as unauthorized or as having no binding force <repudiate a contract> b : to reject as untrue or unjust <repudiate a charge> 4 : to refuse to acknowledge or pay <repudiate a debt> synonyms see DECLINE

underscore

1 : to draw a line under : UNDERLINE 2 : to make evident : EMPHASIZE, STRESS <arrived early to underscore the importance of the occasion> 3 : to provide (action on film) with accompanying music

elicit

1 : to draw forth or bring out (something latent or potential) <hypnotism elicited his hidden fears> 2 : to call forth or draw out (as information or a response) <her remarks elicited cheers> synonyms see EDUCE

depletion

1 : to empty of a principal substance 2 : to lessen markedly in quantity, content, power, or value

forgo

1 : to give up the enjoyment or advantage of : do without 2 archaic : FORSAKE

coalesce

1 : to grow together 2 a : to unite into a whole : FUSE <separate townships have coalesced into a single, sprawling colony — Donald Gould> b : to unite for a common end : join forces <people with different points of view coalesce into opposing factions — I. L. Horowitz> 3 : to arise from the combination of distinct elements <an organized and a popular resistance immediately coalesced — C. C. Menges>

inaugurate

1 : to induct into an office with suitable ceremonies 2 a : to dedicate ceremoniously : observe formally the beginning of <inaugurate a new school> b : to bring about the beginning of synonyms see BEGIN

implicate

1 : to involve as a consequence, corollary, or natural inference : IMPLY 2 archaic : to fold or twist together : ENTWINE 3 a : to bring into intimate or incriminating connection <evidence that implicates him in the bombing> b : to involve in the nature or operation of something

despise

1 : to look down on with contempt or aversion <despised the weak> 2 : to regard as negligible, worthless, or distasteful

vilify

1 : to lower in estimation or importance 2 : to utter slanderous and abusive， to make untrue and harmful statements about see SLANDER statements against : DEFAME synonyms see MALIGN

conciliatory

Appeasing; soothing; showing willingness to reconcile

haughty

Arrogantly superior and disdainful

crusade

A series of holy wars from 1096-1270 AD undertaken by European Christians to free the Holy Land from Muslim rule. Holy wars

respite

A short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant

lucid

1 a : suffused with light : LUMINOUS b : TRANSLUCENT <snorkeling in the lucid sea> 2 : having full use of one's faculties : SANE 3 : clear to the understanding : INTELLIGIBLE synonyms see CLEAR

overbearing

1 a : tending to overwhelm : OVERPOWERING b : decisively important : DOMINANT 2 : harshly and haughtily arrogant synonyms see PROUD

apprehension

1 a : the act or power of perceiving or comprehending <a person of dull apprehension> b : the result of apprehending mentally : CONCEPTION <according to popular apprehension> 2 : seizure by legal process : ARREST <apprehension of a criminal> 3 : suspicion or fear especially of future evil : FOREBODING <an atmosphere of nervous apprehension>

flattery

1 a : the act or practice of flattering b (1) : something that flatters (2) : insincere or excessive praise 2 obsolete : a pleasing self-deception

dissuade

1 a : to advise (a person) against something b archaic : to advise against (an action) 2 : to turn from something by persuasion <unable to dissuade him from going>

facile

1. (adj.) easy, requiring little effort (This game is so facile that even a four-year- old can master it. 2. (adj.) superficial, achieved with minimal thought or care, insincere (The business was in such shambles that any solution seemed facile at best; nothing could really helpit in the long-run.

enlist

1. sign up for the army; 2. obtain (v2) to ask for and get help or support from someone

neoclassicism

A style of art and architecture that emerged in the later 18th century. Part of a general revival of interest in classical cultures, Neoclassicism was characterized by the utilization of themes and styles from ancient Greece and Rome.

transfigure

: to give a new and typically exalted or spiritual appearance to : transform outwardly and usually for the better

relapse

A falling back into an old illness or bad habit

disciple

A follower of a person or belief

speculation

A guess or theory

syncretic

A religion that combines several traditions the combination of different forms of belief or practice.

antithetical

Directly opposed, opposite; involving antithesis (the rhetorical act of placing two phrases opposite one another for contrast, as in love me or hate me adjective: sharply contrasted in character or purpose

antithetical

Directly opposed, opposite; involving antithesis (the rhetorical act of placing two phrases opposite one another for contrast, as in love me or hate me)

tendentious

Biased in perspective; preferring one view over another

haphazard

By chance, not planned; lacking order

speculate

Contemplate; make a guess or educated guess about; engage in a risky business transaction, gamble

exploit

DEED, ACT; especially : a notable or heroic act synonyms see FEAT

sleuth

DETECTIVE

precarious

Dangerous; risky; lacking in security or stability

remorse

Deep and painful regret for wrongdoing

propitious

Favorable, giving good signs for the future, likely to work out; kind or forgiving adj. presenting favorable circumstances

cutting edge

Fig. the most forward part of a trend; the leading part of a trend. (Alludes to the edge of a sword. See also on the cutting edge. See also on the bleeding edge.) <Fred's invention put him on the cutting edge of the computer chip business.>

inimical

Hostile, unfriendly

redress

Setting something right after a misdeed, compensation or relief for injury or wrongdoing (noun); correct, set right, remedy (verb)

austere

Severe in manner or appearance; very self-disciplined, ascetic; without luxury or ease; sober or serious

concerti

Solo instruments which play in opposition to whole orchestra called tutti

smitten

Struck with a powerful feeling; inspired with love

exclusionary

Synonyms EXCLUSIVE 1, exclusory having or exercising the power to limit or exclude <a tangle of exclusive laws> "Dickens's great subject was nothing so subjective or so exclusionary, but as much of the world as he could render. "

saintliness

Synonyms HOLINESS, sanctity Related Words righteousness, worthiness

puckish

Synonyms PLAYFUL 1, antic, impish, larkish, mischievous, prankish, roguish, sportive, waggish, wicked

savvy

Synonyms SHREWD( marked by clever discerning awareness and hardheaded acumen <the captain was a shrewd judge of character> ), argute, astucious, astute, cagey, heady, perspicacious, sagacious

self-effacing

Synonyms SHY 1, backward, bashful, diffident, modest, rabbity, retiring, timid, unassertive, unassured

uniform

The same all the way through; consistent

cryptozoology

The study of evidence tending to substantiate the existence of, or the search for, creatures whose reported existence is unproved, as the Abominable Snowman or the Loch Ness monster.

forsake

To abandon (v.) to give up, renounce (My New Year's resolution is to forsake smoking and drinking.

unwittingly

Unknowingly; without awareness

secular

Non-religious Not religious or holy; pertaining to worldly things, living among ordinary people rather than a religious community

recondite

Not easily understood, hidden, dealing with an obscure topic

persnickety

Overparticular about certain details fastidious; fussy

bearing

PRESSURE, THRUST a : the situation or horizontal direction of one point with respect to another or to the compass b : a determination of position c plural : comprehension of one's position, environment, or situation d : RELATION, CONNECTION; also : PURPORT

fleeting

Passing quickly, transitory lasting a very short time

undergird

Provide support or a firm basis for support, strengthen

potentate

RULER, SOVEREIGN; broadly : one who wields great power or sway

laypeople

Regular people, non-specialists.

synoptic

Relating to a synopsis or summary; giving a general view

disambiguate

Remove uncertainty of meaning from (an ambiguous sentence, phrase, or other linguistic unit

discount

a : to leave out of account : DISREGARD b : to minimize the importance of <shouldn't discount his contributions> c (1) : to make allowance for bias or exaggeration in (2) : to view with doubt <discount a rumor> d : to take into account (as a future event) in present calculations intransitive verb : to give or make discounts

plunder

a : to take the goods of by force (as in war) : PILLAGE, SACK <invaders plundered the town> b : to take by force or wrongfully : STEAL, LOOT <plundered artifacts from the tomb>

table

a British : to place on the agenda b : to remove (as a parliamentary motion) from consideration indefinitely c : to put on a table

archbishop

a bishop（主教） at the head of an ecclesiastical province or one of equivalent honorary rank 大主教

fortress

a building with strong walls to defend against attack; a fort

onus

a burden; a responsibility

vicissitude

a change or variation; ups and downs (n.) event that occurs by chance (The vicissitudes of daily life prevent me from predicting what might happen from one day to the next.

chum

a close friend : PAL

crony

a close friend especially of long standing : PAL

arriviste

a person who has recently acquired unaccustomed status, wealth, or success, especially by dubious means and without earning concomitant esteem.

parvenu

a person who has recently or suddenly acquired wealth, importance, position, or the like, but has not yet developed the conventionally appropriate manners, dress, surroundings, etc.

heretic

a person who holds religious beliefs in conflict with the dogma of the Roman Catholic Church noun: a person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field (not merely religion

contrarian

a person who takes a contrary position or attitude; specifically : an investor who buys shares of stock when most others are selling and sells when others are buying

playwright

a person who writes plays

downpour

a pouring or streaming downward; especially : a heavy rain

manifesto

a public declaration of beliefs or principles, usually political ones

dais

a raised platform (as in a hall or large room)

autodidact

a self-taught person

phantasmagorical

a series of images that seem as though they are out of a dream, real or in one's head

patina

a sheen on a surface resulting from age and use

mortgage

a specific type of loan that is used to buy real estate

nuanced

a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound. a very singular ~ of a boy's character

countermine

a tunnel for intercepting an enemy mine

metafiction

a type of play,, novel, etc. in which the author deliberately reminds the audience, reader, etc. that it is FICTION and not real life

armoire

a usually tall cupboard or wardrobe

split-second

a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat

tempest

a violent storm

manifesto

a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer

ancillary

accessory, subordinate, helping, auxiliary

addendum

addition; appendix to book; something that is added (as at the end of a speech or book)

hew to

adhere to; insist to follow or obey

probity

adherence to the highest principles and ideals : UPRIGHTNESS synonyms see HONESTY

mellifluous

adjective: smooth and sweet-sounding

epiphany

an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being a (1) : a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something (2) : an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking (3) : an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure b : a revealing scene or moment

triathlete

an athlete who competes in a triathlon：a long-distance race consisting of three phases (as swimming, bicycling, and running)

cynicism

an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness n: an inclination to believe that people are motivated purely by self-interest; skepticism

intuit

an effortless, immediate, automatic feeling or thought, as contrasted with explicit, conscious reasoning

nabob

any very wealthy, influential, or powerful person

redoubtable

arousing fear awe-inspiring; worthy of honor 1. (adj.) formidable (The fortress looked redoubtable set against a stormy sky. 2. (adj.) commanding respect (The audience greeted the redoubtable speaker with a standing ovation.

pompous

arrogant (adj.) overly self-important in speech and manner; excessively stately or ceremonious

sacerdotal

associated with the priesthood or priests

librettist

author of words to be set to music in an opera or operetta

understated

avoiding obvious emphasis or embellishment <a powerful understated performance>

sullen

bad-tempered and sulky; gloomy

illusory

based on or producing illusion : DECEPTIVE <illusory hopes> synonyms see APPARENT

befit

be suitable to or appropriate for

betray

be unfaithful; reveal (unconsciously or unwillingly); Ex. Her trembling hands betray her anxiety.

sclerotic

becoming rigid and unresponsive; losing the ability to adapt ossified

inchoate

being only partly in existence or operation : INCIPIENT; especially : imperfectly formed or formulated : FORMLESS, INCOHERENT <misty, inchoate suspicions that all is not well with the nation — J. M. Perry>

salvation

being saved from sin; in Christianity, to be specifically saved by Jesus, the source of salvation

beholden

being under obligation for a favor or gift : INDEBTED <I'm beholden to you>

intergalactic

between or among galaxies

acerbic

bitter, sharp in taste or temper

capacious

containing or capable of containing a great deal synonyms see SPACIOUS

extent

degree; magnitude; scope (n.) the point or degree to which something extend

arch

deliberately teasing

hinge upon

depend very much or completely

contingent

dependent on conditions or circumstances; conditional; possible

turpitude

depravity, moral corruption

sadistic

deriving pleasure from inflicting pain on others

obscure

difficult to understand; partially hidden Not clearly expressed; hard to understand

probing

diligent and thorough in inquiry or investigation

introverted

directing one's interest inward shy; not sociable

distinguishable

discernible able to see and able to recognize

crestfallen

discouraged, dejected, downcast

disenfranchise

disfranchise; deprive of a civil right; OP. enfranchise Eg: The imposition if the poll tax effectively disenfranchised poor Southern blacks, who lost their right to vote.

fulsome

disgustingly excessive; offensively flattering; Ex. ~ praise/expressions of admire excessive, overdone, sickeningly abundant

chagrin

disquietude or distress of mind caused by humiliation, disappointment, or failure

untiring

dogged, characterized by hard work and perseverance

dispatch

done quickly and efficiently

melodrama

dramatic or literary work in which the plot, which is typically sensational and designed to appeal strongly to the emotions, takes precedence over detailed characterization

erode

eat away; wear away gradually by abrasion; Ex. The sea erodes the rocks.

oddity

eccentricity Anomaly a strange or unusual person or thing; the quality or state of being strange or unusual

chic

elegant and stylish

come into being

emerge Generate to begin to exist : to come to be <The story of how the university came into being is quite fascinating.>

braggadocio

empty boasting; bragging; a boasting person; braggart.

compromise

endanger the interests or reputation of; put into danger, disrepute, or a dishonorable position; Ex. compromise one's principle; N.

stonewall

engage in delaying tactics, discussion or decision by refusing to answer questions or by talking a lot

luminary

enlightening person eminent person

brio

enthusiastic vigor : VIVACITY, VERVE

adulation

excessive or slavish admiration or flattery

dilapidated

falling apart or ruined, run-down, ramshackle falling to pieces; in a bad condition; ruined because of neglect; Ex. dilapidated old car/castle; N. dilapidation

conversant

familiar with; having knowledge of

zealot

fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal

captivating

fascinating attractive capable of attracting or holding interest

sympathetic

favorably inclined : APPROVING <not sympathetic to the idea>

obsequiousness

fawning, excessively eager to please or obey

affectionately

feeling or showing a great liking for a person or thing

vanity

feelings of excessive pride

repine

fret, complain

fecund

fruitful, fertile; capable of abundantly producing offspring, vegetation, or creative or intellectual work

mettlesome

full of courage and fortitude

spirited

full of life and vigor; courageous Having much energy; lively

mettlesome

full of mettle : SPIRITED full of energy, animation, or courage <a spirited discussion>

take exception to

gainsay object strongly to; be offended by

rake up

gather

meddlesome

given to meddling Synonyms IMPERTINENT 2, busy, intrusive, änebby, obtrusive, officious, polypragmatic

permissive

giving people a lot of freedom or too much freedom to do what they want to do

capricious

governed or characterized by caprice : IMPULSIVE, UNPREDICTABLE synonyms see INCONSTANT

necropolis

graveyard

austerity

great self-denial, especially when refraining from spending

tribulation

great trouble or suffering

irreconcilable

impossible to reconcile; incompatible; not able to be resolved

incomprehensible

impossible to understand

extemporize

improvise perform without preparation

dander

is one's temper a feeling of anger and animosity noun - small scales from animal skins or hair or bird feathers that can cause allergic reactions in some people

little more than

just, only

secluded

kept apart from others; closed off; private isolated

arcane

known or knowable only to the initiate : SECRET <arcane rites>; broadly : MYSTERIOUS, OBSCURE <arcane explanations>

oblivious

lacking awareness

ham-handed

lacking dexterity or grace : HEAVY-HANDED

disingenuous

lacking in candor; also : giving a false appearance of simple frankness : CALCULATING

vapid

lacking liveliness, tang, briskness, or force : FLAT, DULL <a gossipy, vapid woman, obsessed by her own elegance — R. F. Delderfield> <London was not all vapid dissipation — V. S. Pritchett> synonyms see INSIPID

prodigal

lavish; wasteful

straitened

limited; restricted; restrained characterized by poverty; restricted in range or scope lacking money

transgression

an act, process, or instance of transgressing : as a : infringement or violation of a law, command, or duty b : the spread of the sea over land areas and the consequent unconformable deposit of sediments on older rocks 侵犯，违法；海侵，海进

rhetoric

n. using language effectively to please or persuade high-flown style; excessive use of verbal ornamentation 同义词: grandiosity | magniloquence | ornateness | grandiloquence loud and confused and empty talk "mere rhetoric" 同义词: palaver | hot air | empty words | empty talk study of the technique and rules for using language effectively (especially in public speaking)

junta

n. a group of military officers ruling a country after seizing power

pre-emptive

n. 先买的;有先买权的 先发制人的 The order for a "pre-emptive nuclear strike of justice" was made in a statement put out by Pyongyang.

dystopian

nightmarish; grim It describes an imaginary society that is as dehumanizing and as unpleasant as possible.

revelry

noisy partying or merrymaking

untended

not cared for or looked after; neglected.

unvarnished

not covered with varnish plain; clear; straightforward free from any effort to soften to disguise

indecorous

not decorous : conflicting with accepted standards of good conduct or good taste

base

not having moral principles or rules

lackey

noun/verb 1 a : FOOTMAN 2, SERVANT b : someone who does menial tasks or runs errands for another 2 : a servile follower : TOADY

awe

noun/verb: 1 : an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime <stood in awe of the king> <regard nature's wonders with awe> 2 archaic a : DREAD, TERROR b : the power to inspire dread

peripatetic

noun: 1 capitalized : a follower of Aristotle or adherent of Aristotelianism 2 : PEDESTRIAN, ITINERANT 3 plural : movement or journeys hither and thither adjective: 1 capitalized : ARISTOTELIAN 2 a : of, relating to, or given to walking b : moving or traveling from place to place : ITINERANT

lampoon

noun: SATIRE 1; specifically : a harsh satire usually directed against an individual verb: to make the subject of a lampoon : RIDICULE

tact

noun: consideration in dealing with others and avoiding giving offense

bonhomie

noun: good-natured easy friendliness

schadenfreude

noun: joy from watching the suffering of other people satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune.

bellwether

one that takes the lead or initiative : LEADER; also : an indicator of trends

nautical

of, relating to, or associated with seamen, navigation, or ships "Could not a similar Siberian culture, if not the pre-Clovis people themselves, have displayed equal nautical sophistication?"

pedagogical

of, relating to, or befitting a teacher or education

patriarchal

of, relating to, or being a patriarch or patriarchy Synonyms VENERABLE 1, revered, reverend, reverential 族长的，家长的

dissembler

one who hides himself or puts on a false appearance

turncoat

one who switches to an opposing side or party; specifically : TRAITOR

exclusively

only, entirely, solely, totally

overt

open to view : MANIFEST <overt hostility>

rival

opponent a person or thing competing with another

sweltering

oppressively hot and humid

quixotic

overly idealistic; impractical

petulant

peevish, annoyed by trifles, easily irritated and upset

subtlety

perceptiveness; ingenuity; delicacy, not obvious but important

sacerdotal

pertaining to priests and priesthood. Category: religion. adjective

pervasive

pervading or tending to pervade <a pervasive odor>

formulae

plural of 'formula'

lug

transitive verb 1 : DRAG, PULL 2 : to carry laboriously <lugged the bags to the car> 3 : to introduce in a forced manner <lugs my name into the argument> intransitive verb 1 : to pull with effort : TUG 2 : to move heavily or by jerks <the car lugs on hills> 3 of a racehorse : to swerve from the course toward or away from the inside rail

millennium

plural: millennia 1 a : the thousand years mentioned in Revelation 20 during which holiness is to prevail and Christ is to reign on earth b : a period of great happiness or human perfection 2 a : a period of 1000 years; especially : one reckoned from the beginning of the Christian era <at the start of the third millennium> b : a 1000th anniversary or its celebration

poseur

poerson who affects an attitude to impress others (n) a person who pretends to be what he or she is not

sensible

reasonable pragmatic Smart and practical

foolhardy

reckless; bold without judgement, marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequence

cower

recoil in fear or servility; shrink away from to crouch or shrink away from in fear or shame

depletion

reduction in the number or quantity of something

refugia

refugium: an area of relatively unaltered climate that is inhabited by plants and animals during a period of continental climatic change (as a glaciation) and remains as a center of relict forms from which a new dispersion and speciation may take place after climatic readjustment

rebuttal

refutation; response with contrary evidence

rue

regret, remorse (noun); to feel regret or remorse (verb)

paternal

relating to or characteristic of a father

pastoral

relating to the countryside in a pleasant scene bucolic

aloof

removed or distant either physically or emotionally <he stood aloof from worldly success — John Buchan> synonyms see INDIFFERENT

gavel

rent or tribute in medieval England a mallet used (as by a presiding officer or auctioneer) for commanding attention or confirming an action (as a vote or sale)

retiring

reserved, shy

provocative

serving or tending to provoke , excite, or stimulate <a provocative question>

imprint

something imprinted or printed: as a : a mark or depression made by pressure <the fossil imprint of a dinosaur's foot> b : an identifying name (as of a publisher) placed conspicuously on a product; also : the name under which a publisher issues books c : an indelible distinguishing effect or influence

omission

something left out, not done, or neglected

figment

something made up or contrived Synonyms FICTION, fable, fabrication Related Words daydream, dream, fancy, nightmare; bubble, chimera, illusion; creation "I want to make an even odder claim and insist that the person who writes never appears to us except as a figment of our imagination."

partiality

state of being partial; inclination; favorable bias; special fondness; preference

cohesive

sticking together connected logical, unifying

inclement

stormy, harsh; severe in attitude or action

bering strait

strait at narrowest point 53 miles (85 kilometers) wide separating Asia (Russia) from North America (Alaska)

pronounced

strongly marked; clearly indicated

aghast

struck with terror, amazement, or horror : SHOCKED

flounder

struggle and thrash about; proceed clumsily or falter (as in water, mud, snow, etc.); proceed in confusion

obstinate

stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so.

obstinacy

stubbornness

predisposition

tendency, inclination

evasive

tending or intended to evade : EQUIVOCAL <evasive answers>

evanescent

tending to vanish like vapor synonyms see TRANSIENT "The figment of the author that attends us in our reading tends to be evanescent, but is never insubstantial in its impact upon us."

exhaustive

testing all possibilities or considering all elements : THOROUGH <conducted an exhaustive investigation>

attempted

that sb has tried to to do sth but without success

liquidity

the ability of assets that are readily convertible to cash. A measure of the ease with which an asset can be converted into money without a significant loss of value.

graft

the acquisition of gain (as money) in dishonest or questionable ways; also : illegal or unfair gain

subjugation

the act of conquering or bringing under control; enslavement

infraction

the act of infringing : VIOLATION

prevarication

the act of not telling the truth by not directly answering a question Evasiveness, lie

foreboding

the act of one who forebodes; also : an omen, prediction, or presentiment especially of coming evil : PORTENT

repudiation

the act of repudiating : the state of being repudiated; especially : the refusal of public authorities to acknowledge or pay a debt

juxtaposition

the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side; also : the state of being so placed

perserverance

the act or habit of holding to a course of action or belief; ersistence; steadfastness

transpiration

the act or process or an instance of transpiring; especially : the passage of watery vapor from a living body (as of a plant) through a membrane or pores

redemption

the act, process, or an instance of redeeming

navel-gazing

the activity of spending too much time considering your own thoughts, feelings, or problems

fauna

the animals of a given region or period considered as a whole; a treatise on the animals of a given region or period.

obscurity

the condition of being unknown

ethos

the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution; also : ETHIC 2c 道德思想，道德观

brink

the edge of a steep place, pushing a dangerous situation to the limit before stopping

vanguard

the foremost part of an army; the leading position in any field

zeitgeist

the general spirit of the time

pantheon

the gods of a people; especially : the officially recognized gods a group of illustrious or notable persons or things

wherewithal

the necessary means (especially financial means

papacy

the office or authority of the pope.

demise

the time when something ends

zeitgeist

the trend or spirit of the times

seafaring

the use of the sea for travel or transportation

mull over

think carefully about something over a period of time

tinge

to add a bit of color; to affect slightly; a slight coloration

remodel

to alter the structure of : REMAKE

harry

to annoy or upset by continuously asking them questions or for sth

ratify

to approve and sanction formally : CONFIRM <ratify a treaty>

maintain

to assert to sustain against opposition or danger : uphold and defend <maintain a position> to continue or persevere in : CARRY ON, KEEP UP <couldn't maintain his composure>

steer/keep/stay clear of sb/sth

to avoid

attend

to be present with : ACCOMPANY "The figment of the author that attends us in our reading tends to be evanescent, but is never insubstantial in its impact upon us."

befit

to be proper or becoming to <clothing that befits the occasion>

trounce

to beat severely, defeat censure severely or angrily

pervade

to become diffused throughout every part of

renew

to begin sth again after a pause or an interruption, resume

imperil

to bring into peril : ENDANGER

impugn

to call into question; to attack verbally to express doubts about whether something is right, honest, etc; challenge

mollify

to calm or make less severe to calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity

countermand

to cancel or reverse one order or command with another that is contrary to the first

nonplus

to cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do : PERPLEX synonyms see PUZZLE

bridle

to check to show hostility or resentment (as to an affront to one's pride or dignity) especially by drawing back the head and chin

purport

to claim; to have or to give the false impression of being (v.) - to present an intention that is often FALSE

baffle

to confuse

skewer

to criticize or ridicule sharply and effectively

dupe

to deceive, to trick or swindle Person who is easily fooled or used (noun); to fool or exploit (verb)

demean

to do sth that makes people have less respect for you, degrade (n.) the way a person behaves, overall impression made by comportment, manner, etc.; facial appearance

primp

to dress or groom with careful attention to detail

repast

to eat or feast (verb) the food served and eaten at one time

quibble

to evade the point of an argument by caviling about words 1 : to find fault with something usually on minor grounds <was a peevish critic, always ready to quibble> Synonyms cavil, chicane, hypercriticize 2 Synonyms ARGUE 2, argufy, bicker, dispute, hassle, squabble,

palpate

to examine by touch especially medically

outweigh

to exceed in weight, value, or importance <the advantages outweigh the disadvantages>

pertain

to exist or to apply in a particular situation or at a particular time

exorcise

to expel evil spirits; free from bad influences

invigorate

to fill with vigor, life, energy, or strength

unbridle

to free or loose from a bridle; broadly : to set loose : free from restraint

counsel

to give advice

dub

to give somebody or something a particular name

accord

to give sth or sb authority, status, or a particular type of treatment

bungle

to handle badly; to botch or mess up (v.) to act or work clumsily and awkwardly; to ruin something through clumsiness

heckler

to harass and try to disconcert with questions, challenges, or gibes : BADGER synonyms see BAIT

find

to have a particular feeling or opinion about sth

deem

to have as an opinion; to consider

chortle

to laugh or chuckle especially in satisfaction or exultation transitive verb : to say or sing with a chortling intonation

waylay

to lie in wait for or attack from ambush

qualify

to limit, modify, or restrict

eavesdrop

to listen secretly to what is said in private

glower

to look or stare with sullen annoyance or anger

curtail

to make less by or as if by cutting off or away some part <curtail the power of the executive branch> <curtail inflation> synonyms see SHORTEN

perpetuate

to make permanent or long lasting

temper

to make sth less severe by adding sth that has the opposite effect

incense

to make very angry

pass over

to not consider somebody for promotion in a job, especially the they deserve it or think that they deserve it <He was passed over in favor of a younger man.>

condone

to overlook, pardon, or disregard forgive; give tacit approval; excuse

subvert

to overthrow; to cause the downfall, ruin, or destruction of; to undermine the principles of; corrupt.

disregard

to pay no attention to, ignore; to treat without due respect or attentiveness

imbue

to permeate or influence as if by dyeing <the spirit that imbues the new constitution> ENDOW 3 <Spanish missions imbue the city with Old World charm — Scott Pendleton>

peg

to place in a definite category : IDENTIFY <was pegged as an intellectual>

stymie

to present an obstacle to : stand in the way of <stymied by red tape>

engender

to produce, cause, or bring about

savvy

understand

unsolicited

unrequested not asked for and sometimes not wanted

studied

unspontaneous; deliberate; thoughtful; prepared

hitherto

up to this or that time

brandish

verb/noun 1 : to shake or wave (as a weapon) menacingly 2 : to exhibit in an ostentatious or aggressive manner synonyms see SWING

postulate

verb: 1 : DEMAND, CLAIM 2 a : to assume or claim as true, existent, or necessary : depend upon or start from the postulate of b : to assume as a postulate or axiom (as in logic or mathematics) noun: 1 : a hypothesis advanced as an essential presupposition, condition, or premise of a train of reasoning 2 : AXIOM 3

stifle

transitive verb 1 a : to kill by depriving of oxygen : SUFFOCATE b (1) : SMOTHER (2) : MUFFLE 2 a : to cut off (as the voice or breath) b : to withhold from circulation or expression : REPRESS <stifled our anger> c : DETER, DISCOURAGE intransitive verb : to become suffocated by or as if by lack of oxygen : SMOTHER <stifling in the heat>

groove

transitive verb 1 a : to make a groove in b : to join by a groove 2 : to perfect by repeated practice <grooved her golf swing> 3 : to throw (a pitch) in the groove intransitive verb 1 : to become joined or fitted by a groove 2 : to form a groove 3 : to enjoy oneself intensely 4 : to interact harmoniously <contemporary minds and rock groove together — Benjamin DeMott>

constrict

transitive verb 1 a : to make narrow or draw together b : COMPRESS, SQUEEZE <constrict a nerve> 2 : to stultify, stop, or cause to falter : INHIBIT intransitive verb : to become constricted synonyms see CONTRACT

warped

twisted; distorted having ideas that most people think are strange or unpleasant. not in the normal state

implacable

unable to be calmed down or made peaceful (adj.) incapable of being appeased or mitigated (Watch out: once you shun Grandma's cooking, she is totally implacable.

befuddled

unable to think clearly; confused

betray

verb: to reveal or make known something against one's desire or will, usually unintentionally

perfidy

(n.) faithlessness, treachery

unassailable

adjective: immune to attack; without flaw

antedate

Be older than, precede in time; assign to an earlier date

deflect

turn aside; turn away from a straight course

penury

(n.) extreme poverty; barrenness, insufficiency

intrepid

(adj) fearless, brave, enduring in the face of adversity

morose

(adj) having a gloomy or sullen manner; not friendly or sociable

conflagration

1 : FIRE; especially : a large disastrous fire 2 : CONFLICT, WAR

harangue

A long, strongly expressed speech or lecture

humility

A modest or low view of one's own importance; humbleness

epiphany

A moment of sudden revelation or insight The celebration of the manifestation of God in human form; the manifestation of Jesus to the Gentiles or non-Jews.

foreshadow

A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.

entreaty

A plea, an earnest request

persona

A pattern of relatively permanent traits, dispositions, or characteristics that give some consistency to people's behavior.

martyr

A person who sacrifices his or her life for a principle or cause Someone who dies for their faith

outset

BEGINNING, START

curmudgeon

Bad-tempered, difficult person; grouchy an ill-tempered person full of resentment and stubborn notions

viable

Capable of living (or growing, developing, etc.; practical, workable

deliberation

Careful consideration

offbeat

ECCENTRIC, UNCONVENTIONAL <an offbeat style>

parable

EXAMPLE; specifically : a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle

fidelity

Faithfulness; loyalty

eatery

LUNCHEONETTE, RESTAURANT

uncouth

Lacking good manners (adj.) unrefined, crude; awkward or clumsy

parochial

Limited in range or scope, narrow, provincial

strident

Loud and harsh

Bolshevik

Marxists whose goal was to seize state power and establish a dictatorship of the proletariat; Soviet Communists

deposition

Process in which sediment is laid down in new locations.

jargon

Special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand

extant

Still in existence

refrain

Stop oneself from doing something to hold oneself back, forbear To hold back

remediate = remedial

The act or process of remedying something that is undesirable or deficient

deconstruct

a critical approach that debunks single definitions of meaning based on the instability of language. It "is not a dismantling of a structure of a text, but a demonstration that it has already dismantled itself." A movement in literary criticism which denies that literature has any objective, enduring, or universal meaning (cf. nihilism). The reduction of literary meaning to political motives, power struggles and subjective emotions.

surliness

a disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger

pyrrhic

adjective: describing a victory that comes at such a great cost that the victory is not worthwhile

apocryphal

of questionable authority or authenticity (of a story) widely believed but untrue

extenuating

adjective: making less guilty or more forgivable

unflappable

adjective: not easily perturbed or excited or upset; marked by extreme calm and composure

lift

to use sb's ideas or words without asking permission or without saying where they come from

slander

to utter slander against : DEFAME synonyms see MALIGN

toil

to work long and hard

gel

to work well together; to form a successful group

jot

to write briefly or hurriedly : set down in the form of a note <jot this down>

powwow

an informal meeting or discussion

unbounded

having no limits Having no boundaries Unfettered

hauteur

noun: overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferior

venality

noun: the condition of being susceptible to bribes or corruption

neophyte

novice; beginner

take exception to

object to be offended by

unnerve

verb: to make nervous or upset

curious

very careful about details, thorough

nothing more than

不多于，完全是，确实是

not so much as

与其说是...不如说是... <It wasn't so much the clothes as the man himself who impressed immediately.>

precede

a previous occurrence used as a guide

factious

inclined to form factions; causing dissension

comprised

included; consisted of

torrid

(adj) very hot, parching, burning; passionate

estimable

(adj) worthy of esteem, admirable; able to be estimated

portentous

(adj.) - foreboding or foreshadowing evil, ominous; Marvelous, amazing

puerile

1 : JUVENILE 2 : CHILDISH, SILLY <puerile remarks>

retort

a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)

clime

a region considered with reference to its climate (usu. ~s)

quip

a remark or reply that is witty or sarcastic

panacea

a remedy for all ills or difficulties : CURE-ALL

instantiation

a representation of an idea in the form of an instance of it

mogul

a rich or powerful person

outfit

a set of clothes for a particular event or activity

regimen

a set of rules, usually followed for therapeutic effect a plan or set of rules about food, exercise, etc., to make someone become or stay healthy

vignette

a short, descriptive literary sketch

apothegm

a short, pithy, and instructive saying or formulation : APHORISM

modicum

a small amount, especially of sth good or pleasant (n.) a small amount of something (Refusing to display even a modicum of sensitivity, Henrietta announced her boss's affair in front of the entire office.

philistine

a smugly ignorant person with no appreciation of intellectual or artistic matters

camaraderie

a spirit of friendly good-fellowship

premise

a statement that is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn assumption; postulate

rapier

a straight 2-edged sword with a narrow pointed blade

precis

a summary, a short version of a speech or a piece of writing that gives the main points of ideas

affidavit

a sworn statement in writing made especially under oath or on affirmation before an authorized magistrate or officer

disproportionate

out of proportion; too much or too little

gregarious

outgoing; sociable, BUT not necessarily talkative

histrionic

overly dramatic, theatrical, deliberately affected

immaculate

perfectly clean spotless; flawless; absolutely clean

choreographer

person creating and arranging dances for stage performances

fickle

(adj.) Changeable, shifting in character, inconstant (In Greek dramas, the fickle gods help Achilles one day, and then harm him the next.

fraught

(adj.) (usually used with "with") filled or accompanied with (Her glances in his direction were fraught with meaning, though precisely what meaning remained unclear.

unseemly

(adj) improper, inappropriate, against the rules of taste or politeness

incessant

(adj) never stopping, going on all the time continuing without pause or interruption

reticent

(adj) not talking much; private (of a person), restrained, reserved

impregnable

(adj.) resistant to capture or penetration (Though the invaders used battering rams, catapults, and rain dances, the fortress proved impregnable and resisted all attacks. not able to be conquered; impenetrable

restive

(adj.) restless, hard to manage, balky

impertinent

(adj.) rude, insolent (Most of your comments are so impertinent that I don't wish to dignify them with an answer

impertinent

(adj.) rude, insolent (Most of your comments are so impertinent that I don't wish to dignify them with an answer.

boorish

(adj.) rude, unrefined; clumsy

paucity

(n) scarcity, the state of being small in number

brush

(n) small bushes and trees that cover an area of land: He lay down in the green grass near the round tub at the ___________ line.

default

(n, v) failure to act, neglect (noun); fail to fulfill an obligation, especially a financial one (verb) what happens or appears if you do not make any other change

obeisance

(n.) A deep bow or other body movement indicating respect or submission; deference, homage

diatribe

(n.) a bitter and prolonged verbal attack

aspersion

(n.) a damaging or derogatory statement; the act of slandering or defaming

reprobate

(n.) a depraved, vicious, or unprincipled person, scoundrel; (adj.) wicked, corrupt, or unprincipled; (v.) to disapprove of, condemn

pillory

(n.) a device for publicly punishing offenders; a means for exposing one to public contempt or ridicule; (v.) to expose to public contempt or ridicule criticize harshly or violently

canard

(n.) a false rumor, fabricated story

misgiving

(n.) a feeling of fear, doubt, or uncertainty

deluge

(n.) a great flood; a heavy fall of rain; anything that comes in vast quantity (like a flood); (v.) to flood

inkling

(n.) a hint; a vague notion A slight suspicion; a vague idea

ferret

(n.) a kind of weasel; (v.) to search for something persistently

legion

(n.) a large military force; any large group or number; (adj.) many, numerous

semblance

(n.) a likeness; an outward appearance; an apparition noun: an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading

juggernaut

(n.) a massive and inescapable force or object that crushes whatever is in its path

misanthrope

(n.) a person who hates or despises people

cobble

(n.) a person who makes or repairs shoes (I had my neighborhood cobbler replace my worn-out leather soles with new ones.

caricature

(n.) a representation (especially in drawing) in which the subject's characteristic features are deliberately exaggerated; (v.) to present someone or something in a deliberately distorted way

bonanza

(n.) a rich mass of ore in a mine; something very valuable, profitable, or rewarding; a source of wealth or prosperity; a very large amount; sudden profit or gain

prerogative

(n.) a special right or privilege; a special quality showing excellence

oration

(n.) a speech delivered in a formal or ceremonious manner (The prime minister was visibly shaken when the unruly parliament interrupted his oration about failed domestic policies.

invective

(n.) a strong denunciation or condemnation; abusive language; (adj.) abusive, vituperative

foreboding

(n.) a warning or feeling that something bad will happen; (adj.) marked by fear, ominous

calumny

(n.) an attempt to spoil someone else's reputation by spreading lies (The local official's calumny ended up ruining his opponent's prospect of winning the election.)

cupidity

(n.) an eager desire for something; greed

subterfuge

(n.) an excuse or trick for escaping or hiding something

lagniappe

(n.) an extra or unexpected gift or gratuity

maverick

(n.) an independent, nonconformist person (Andreas is a real maverick and always does things his own way.

reprisal

(n.) an injury done in return for injury retaliation Revenge noun: a retaliatory action against an enemy in wartime

tenet

(n.) an opinion, belief, or principle held to be true

debacle

(n.) an overwelming defeat, rout; a completecollapse or failure

strife

(n.) bitter disagreement; fighting, struggle vigorous or bitter conflict, discord, or antagonism; a quarrel, struggle, or clash; competition or rivalry.

sangfroid

(n.) composure or coolness, especially in trying circumstances

asperation

(n.) damaging or derogatory statement; the act of slandering or defaming

detritus

(n.) loose bits and pieces of material resulting from disintegration or wearing away; fragments that result from any destruction

serendipity

(n.) luck, finding good things without looking for them (In an amazing bit of serendipity, penniless Paula found a $20 bill in the subway station.)

clemency

(n.) mercy, humaneness; mildness, moderateness

precipitate

(v.) to fall as moisture; to cause or bring about suddenly; to hurl down from a great height, to give distinct form to; (adj.) characterized by excessive haste; (n.) moisture; the product of an action or process

cavil

(v.) to find fault in a petty way, carp; (n.) a trivial objection or criticism

renounce

(v.) to give up or resign something

cede

(v.) to give up, surrender; to hand over to another

preclude

(v.) to make impossible, prevent, shut out

augment

(v.) to make larger, increase

mitigate

(v.) to make milder or softer, to moderate in force or intensity (v) make less severe; lessen or moderate (damage, grief, pain, etc.)

rehabilitate

(v.) to make over in good form; to restore to good condition or to a former position

peruse

(v.) to read thoroughly and carefully read over quickly

blanch

(v.) to remove the color from; to make or turn pale; to parboil turn pale, as if in fear

oust

(v.) to remove, drive out of a position or place to eject; to expel; to banish

rescind

(v.) to repeal, to cancel

eradicate

(v.) to root out, get rid of, destroy completely

calibrate

(v.) to set, standardize (The mechanic calibrated the car's transmission to make the motor run most efficiently.

eschew

(v.) to shun, avoid (George hates the color green so much that he eschews all green food.

exhort

(v.) to urge, prod, spur (Henry exhorted his colleagues to join him in protesting against the university's hiring policies.

forthwith

1 Synonyms AWAY 3, at once, directly, immediately, instanter, instantly, now, right away, straightaway, straightway 2 Synonyms SHORT 1, abruptly, asudden, sudden, suddenly

paltry

1 Synonyms CHEAP 2, base, common, mean, poor, rubbishy, shoddy, sleazy, tatty, trashy Related Words beggarly, shabby; pitiful 2 Synonyms LITTLE 2, borné, ineffectual, limited, mean, narrow, set, small Related Words base, low, low-down, vile 3 Synonyms PETTY 2, measly, Mickey Mouse, picayune, picayunish, piddling, puny, trifling, trivial, unconsequential Related Words insignificant, unimportant

suspend

1 Synonyms EXCLUDE, bar, bate, count out, debar, eliminate, except, rule out 2 Synonyms DEFER, delay, hold off, hold up, intermit, postpone, prorogue, put off, shelve, stay 3 Synonyms HANG 1, dangle, depend, sling

dour

1 Synonyms GRIM 2, austere, bleak, hard, harsh, severe, stringent Related Words rigid, rigorous, strict; implacable 2 Synonyms SULLEN, crabbed, ädorty, gloomy, glum, morose, saturnine, sulky, surly, ugly

wield

1 Synonyms HANDLE 2, dispense, maneuver, manipulate, ply, swing Related Words conduct, control 2 Synonyms EXERT, exercise, ply, put out, throw

discountenance

1 : ABASH, DISCONCERT 2 : to look with disfavor on : discourage by evidence of disapproval <discountenanced all bellicose statements>

categorical

1 : ABSOLUTE, UNQUALIFIED <a categorical denial> 2 a : of, relating to, or constituting a category b : involving, according with, or considered with respect to specific categories

wont

1 : ACCUSTOMED, USED <got up early as he is wont to do> 2 : INCLINED, APT <revealing as letters are wont to be — Gladys M. Wrigley>

append

1 : ATTACH, AFFIX 2 : to add as a supplement or appendix (as in a book)

brash

1 : BRITTLE <brash wood> 2 a : heedless of the consequences : AUDACIOUS <a brash adventurer> b : done in haste without regard for consequences : RASH <brash acts> 3 a : full of fresh raw vitality <a brash frontier town> b : uninhibitedly energetic or demonstrative : BUMPTIOUS <a brash comedian> 4 a : lacking restraint and discernment : TACTLESS <brash remarks> b : aggressively self-assertive : IMPUDENT <brash to the point of arrogance> 5 : piercingly sharp : HARSH <a brash squeal of brakes> 6 : marked by vivid contrast : BOLD <brash colors> 无礼的，鲁莽的，草率的，自以为是的，浮华的

edifice

1 : BUILDING; especially : a large or massive structure 2 : a large abstract structure <holds together the social edifice — R. H. Tawney>

pedestrian

1 : COMMONPLACE, UNIMAGINATIVE 2 a : going or performed on foot b : of, relating to, or designed for walking <a pedestrian mall>

baton

1 : CUDGEL, TRUNCHEON; specifically : BILLY CLUB 2 : a staff borne as a symbol of office 3 : a narrow heraldic bend 4 : a slender rod with which a leader directs a band or orchestra 5 : a hollow cylinder carried by each member of a relay team and passed to the succeeding runner 6 : a hollow metal rod with a weighted bulb at one or both ends that is flourished or twirled by a drum major or drum majorette

cavalier

1 : DEBONAIR (a : SUAVE, URBANE <a debonair performer> b : LIGHTHEARTED, NONCHALANT ) 2 : marked by or given to offhand and often disdainful dismissal of important matters <a cavalier attitude toward money> 3 a capitalized : of or relating to the party of Charles I of England in his struggles with the Puritans and Parliament b : ARISTOCRATIC c capitalized : of or relating to the English Cavalier poets of the mid-17th century don't care 骑手，绅士；漫不经心的，无忧无虑的，傲慢的，轻蔑的

dynamo

1 : GENERATOR 3 2 : a forceful energetic individual

haven

1 : HARBOR, PORT 2 : a place of safety : REFUGE 3 : a place offering favorable opportunities or conditions <a haven for artists>

mischievous

1 : HARMFUL, INJURIOUS <mischievous gossip> 2 a : able or tending to cause annoyance, trouble, or minor injury b : irresponsibly playful <mischievous behavior>

trenchant

1 : KEEN, SHARP 2 : vigorously effective and articulate <a trenchant analysis>; also : CAUSTIC <trenchant remarks> 3 a : sharply perceptive : PENETRATING <a trenchant view of current conditions> b : CLEAR-CUT, DISTINCT <the trenchant divisions between right and wrong — Edith Wharton>

antiquated

1 : OBSOLETE <an antiquated calendar> 2 : outmoded or discredited by reason of age : being out of style or fashion <antiquated methods of farming> 3 : advanced in age synonyms see OLD

pundit

1 : PANDIT 2 : a learned man : TEACHER 3 : a person who gives opinions in an authoritative manner usually through the mass media : CRITIC

boor

1 : PEASANT 2 : a rude or insensitive person

pliant

1 : PLIABLE 1a 2 : easily influenced : YIELDING 3 : suitable for varied uses synonyms see PLASTIC

politic

1 : POLITICAL 2 : characterized by shrewdness in managing, contriving, or dealing 3 : sagacious in promoting a policy 4 : shrewdly tactful synonyms see EXPEDIENT, SUAVE 精明的；明智的

precipitous

1 : PRECIPITATE 2 2 a : very steep, perpendicular, or overhanging in rise or fall <a precipitous slope> b : having precipitous sides <a precipitous gorge> c : having a very steep ascent <a precipitous street> synonyms see STEEP

precipitous

1 : PRECIPITATE 2 2 a : very steep, perpendicular, or overhanging in rise or fall <a precipitous slope> b : having precipitous sides <a precipitous gorge> c : having a very steep ascent <a precipitous street> synonyms see STEEP 1 Synonyms PRECIPITATE 1, abrupt, hasty, headlong, hurried, impetuous, precipitant, rushing, subitaneous, sudden 2 Synonyms STEEP 1, abrupt, arduous, precipitate, sheer, sideling, steepdown, steep-to, steep-up, ästickle

arch

1 : PRINCIPAL, CHIEF <your arch opponent> 2 a : MISCHIEVOUS, SAUCY b : marked by a deliberate and often forced playfulness, irony, or impudence <known for her arch comments> <decided to answer them by being teacherly in a sort of arch, Olympian way — Gerald Early>

demure

1 : RESERVED, MODEST 2 : affectedly modest, reserved, or serious : COY

asperity

1 : RIGOR, SEVERITY 2 a : roughness of surface : UNEVENNESS; also : a tiny projection from a surface b : roughness of sound 3 : roughness of manner or of temper : HARSHNESS <asked with some asperity just what they were implying>

hangdog

1 : SAD, DEJECTED 2 : SHEEPISH

cryptical

1 : SECRET, OCCULT 2 a : having or seeming to have a hidden or ambiguous meaning : MYSTERIOUS <cryptic messages> b : marked by an often perplexing brevity <cryptic marginal notes> 3 : serving to conceal <cryptic coloration in animals>; also : exhibiting cryptic coloration <cryptic animals> 4 : not recognized <a cryptic infection> 5 : employing cipher or code synonyms see OBSCURE

numinous

1 : SUPERNATURAL, MYSTERIOUS 2 : filled with a sense of the presence of divinity : HOLY 3 : appealing to the higher emotions or to the aesthetic sense : SPIRITUAL

peat

1 : TURF 2b 2 : partially carbonized vegetable tissue formed by partial decomposition in water of various plants (as mosses of the genus Sphagnum)

miscreant

1 : UNBELIEVING, HERETICAL 2 : DEPRAVED, VILLAINOUS <miscreant behavior>

opulence

1 : WEALTH, AFFLUENCE 2 : ABUNDANCE, PROFUSION

interdict

1 : a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical censure withdrawing most sacraments and Christian burial from a person or district 2 : a prohibitory decree 1 : to lay under or prohibit by an interdict 2 : to forbid in a usually formal or authoritative manner 3 a : to destroy, damage, or cut off (as an enemy line of supply) by firepower to stop or hamper an enemy b : INTERCEPT 2a <interdict drug shipments> synonyms see FORBID 禁止，封锁；强制令

lexicon

1 : a book containing an alphabetical arrangement of the words in a language and their definitions : DICTIONARY 2 a : the vocabulary of a language, an individual speaker or group of speakers, or a subject b : the total stock of morphemes in a language 3 : REPERTOIRE, INVENTORY "The simplest color lexicons (such as the DugermDani language of New Guinea) distinguish only black/dark and white/light."

gambit

1 : a chess opening in which a player risks one or more pawns or a minor piece to gain an advantage in position 2 a (1) : a remark intended to start a conversation or make a telling point (2) : TOPIC b : a calculated move : STRATAGEM 开局让棋；开场白；策略

myopia

1 : a condition in which the visual images come to a focus in front of the retina of the eye resulting especially in defective vision of distant objects 2 : a lack of foresight or discernment : a narrow view of something

pillory

1 : a device formerly used for publicly punishing offenders consisting of a wooden frame with holes in which the head and hands can be locked 2 : a means for exposing one to public scorn or ridicule

meditation

1 : a discourse intended to express its author's reflections or to guide others in contemplation 2 : the act or process of meditating

hierarchy

1 : a division of angels 2 a : a ruling body of clergy organized into orders or ranks each subordinate to the one above it; especially : the bishops of a province or nation b : church government by a hierarchy 3 : a body of persons in authority 4 : the classification of a group of people according to ability or to economic, social, or professional standing; also : the group so classified 5 : a graded or ranked series <a hierarchy of values>

treatise

1 : a systematic exposition or argument in writing including a methodical discussion of the facts and principles involved and conclusions reached <a treatise on higher education> 2 obsolete : ACCOUNT, TALE

sluggish

1 : averse to activity or exertion : INDOLENT; also : TORPID 2 : slow to respond (as to stimulation or treatment) 3 a : markedly slow in movement, flow, or growth b : economically inactive or slow

pessimistic

a tendency to stress the negative or unfavorable. gloomy; having a negative outlook; expecting the worst

deterioration

1 : a falling from a higher to a lower level (as of quality or character) <the deterioration of business during the depression> Synonyms atrophy, decadence, declension, declination, decline, degeneracy, degeneration, dégringolade, devaluation, devolution, downfall, downgrade, ruin Related Words impairment, spoiling; crumbling, decay, decaying, decomposition, disintegration, dissolution, dry rot, rotting; debasement, degradation; depreciation, lessening; dislocation, disruption Contrasted Words betterment, help; enhancement, heightening, improvement Antonyms amelioration 2 Synonyms FAILURE 4, declination, decline, ebbing, waning Contrasted Words convalescence, recovering, recuperation Antonyms improvement

runoff

1 : a final race, contest, or election to decide an earlier one that has not resulted in a decision in favor of any one competitor 2 : the portion of precipitation on land that ultimately reaches streams often with dissolved or suspended material

crampon

1 : a hooked clutch or dog for raising heavy objects usually used in plural 2 : a climbing iron used especially on ice and snow in mountaineering. usually used in plural "Additionally, they were believed to have fashioned a primitive form of crampon so that they would be able to dock in these refugia and avail themselves of the microfauna. "

abeyance

1 : a lapse in succession during which there is no person in whom a title is vested 2 : temporary inactivity : SUSPENSION

statute

1 : a law enacted by the legislative branch of a government 2 : an act of a corporation or of its founder intended as a permanent rule 3 : an international instrument setting up an agency and regulating its scope or authority synonyms see LAW

parody

1 : a literary or musical work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule 2 : a feeble or ridiculous imitation synonyms see CARICATURE

calumny

1 : a misrepresentation intended to harm another's reputation 2 : the act of uttering false charges or misrepresentations maliciously calculated to harm another's reputation

chaperone

1 : a person (as a matron) who for propriety accompanies one or more young unmarried women in public or in mixed company 2 : an older person who accompanies young people at a social gathering to ensure proper behavior; broadly : one delegated to ensure proper behavior 3 : any of a class of proteins that facilitate the proper folding of proteins by binding to and stabilizing unfolded or partially folded proteins called also molecular chaperone

binder

1 : a person or machine that binds something (as books) 2 a : something used in binding b : a usually detachable cover (as for holding sheets of paper) 3 : something (as tar or cement) that produces or promotes cohesion in loosely assembled substances 4 : a temporary insurance contract that provides coverage until the policy is issued 5 : something (as money) given in earnest; also : the agreement arrived at 6 : a tobacco leaf wrapped between the filler and wrapper of a cigar

agnostic

1 : a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and probably unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god 2 : a person unwilling to commit to an opinion about something <political agnostics>

anarchist

1 : a person who rebels against any authority, established order, or ruling power 2 : a person who believes in, advocates, or promotes anarchism or anarchy; especially : one who uses violent means to overthrow the established order

elegy

1 : a poem in elegiac couplets 2 a : a song or poem expressing sorrow or lamentation especially for one who is dead b : something (as a speech) resembling such a song or poem 3 a : a pensive or reflective poem that is usually nostalgic or melancholy b : a short pensive musical composition

buttress

1 : a projecting structure of masonry or wood for supporting or giving stability to a wall or building 2 : something that resembles a buttress: as a : a projecting part of a mountain or hill b : a horny protuberance on a horse's hoof at the heel see HOOF illustration c : the broadened base of a tree trunk or a thickened vertical part of it 3 : something that supports or strengthens <a buttress of the cause of peace>

corollary

1 : a proposition inferred immediately from a proved proposition with little or no additional proof 2 a : something that naturally follows : RESULT b : something that incidentally or naturally accompanies or parallels

saga

1 : a prose narrative recorded in Iceland in the 12th and 13th centuries of historic or legendary figures and events of the heroic age of Norway and Iceland 2 : a modern heroic narrative resembling the Icelandic saga 3 : a long detailed account <a saga of the Old South>

loaf

1 : a shaped or molded mass of bread 2 : a shaped or molded often symmetrical mass of food 3 slang British : HEAD, MIND

fanfare

1 : a short and lively sounding of trumpets 2 : a showy outward display

bistro

1 : a small or unpretentious restaurant 2 a : a small bar or tavern b : NIGHTCLUB

nugget

1 : a solid lump; especially : a native lump of precious metal 2 : TIDBIT 2 <nuggets of wisdom> 3 : a small usually rounded piece of food <chicken nuggets>

renown

1 : a state of being widely acclaimed and highly honored : FAME 2 obsolete : REPORT, RUMOR

calamity

1 : a state of deep distress or misery caused by major misfortune or loss 2 : a disastrous event marked by great loss and lasting distress and suffering <calamities of nature> <an economic calamity>

qualm

1 : a sudden attack of illness, faintness, or nausea 2 : a sudden access of usually disturbing emotion (as doubt or fear) 3 : a feeling of uneasiness about a point especially of conscience or propriety

foray

1 : a sudden or irregular invasion or attack for war or spoils : RAID 2 : a brief excursion or attempt especially outside one's accustomed sphere <the novelist's foray into nonfiction>

abrogate

1 : to abolish by authoritative action : ANNUL 2 : to treat as nonexistent <abrogating their responsibilities> synonyms see NULLIFY

pantheon

1 : a temple dedicated to all the gods 2 : a building serving as the burial place of or containing memorials to the famous dead of a nation 3 : the gods of a people; especially : the officially recognized gods 4 : a group of illustrious or notable persons or things "Freudianism sits alongside Marxism and Darwinism in the pantheon of modern theories held to be so revelatory that they not only gained the adherence of Western intelligentsia but shaped the broader culture. "

veneer

1 : a thin sheet of a material: as a : a layer of wood of superior value or excellent grain to be glued to an inferior wood b : any of the thin layers bonded together to form plywood c : a plastic or porcelain coating bonded to the surface of a cosmetically imperfect tooth 2 : a protective or ornamental facing (as of brick or stone) 3 : a superficial or deceptively attractive appearance, display, or effect : FACADE, GLOSS <a veneer of tolerance>

addenda

1 : a thing added : ADDITION 2 : a supplement to a book often used in plural but sing. in constr.

plantation

1 : a usually large group of plants and especially trees under cultivation 2 : a settlement in a new country or region <Plymouth Plantation> 3 a : a place that is planted or under cultivation b : an agricultural estate usually worked by resident labor

motif

1 : a usually recurring salient thematic element (as in the arts); especially : a dominant idea or central theme 2 : a single or repeated design or color

fledgling

1 : a young bird just fledged 2 : an immature or inexperienced person 3 : one that is new <a fledgling company>

stony

1 : abounding in or having the nature of stone : ROCKY 2 a : insensitive to pity or human feeling : OBDURATE b : manifesting no movement or reaction : DUMB, EXPRESSIONLESS c : fearfully gripping : PETRIFYING 3 archaic : consisting of or made of stones 4 British : stone broke

auspicious

1 : affording a favorable auspice : PROPITIOUS <made an auspicious beginning> 2 : attended by good auspices : PROSPEROUS <an auspicious year> synonyms see FAVORABLE

deportation

1 : an act or instance of deporting 2 : the removal from a country of an alien whose presence is unlawful or prejudicial

subdivision

1 : an act or instance of subdividing 2 : something produced by subdividing : as a : a subordinate part of a larger whole <political subdivisions> b : a tract of land surveyed and divided into lots for purposes of sale; especially : one with houses built on it 3 : a category in botanical classification ranking below a division and above a class

amalgam

1 : an alloy of mercury with another metal that is solid or liquid at room temperature according to the proportion of mercury present and is used especially in making tooth cements 2 : a mixture of different elements 混合物，汞合金

amphibian

1 : an amphibious organism; especially : any of a class (Amphibia) of cold-blooded vertebrates (as frogs, toads, or salamanders) intermediate in many characters between fishes and reptiles and having gilled aquatic larvae and air-breathing adults 2 : an amphibious vehicle; especially : an airplane designed to take off from and land on either land or water

sophism

1 : an argument apparently correct in form but actually invalid; especially : such an argument used to deceive 2 : SOPHISTRY 1

pathos

1 : an element in experience or in artistic representation evoking pity or compassion the play is famous for the pathos of the final play 2 : an emotion of sympathetic pity

autopsy

1 : an examination of a body after death to determine the cause of death or the character and extent of changes produced by disease called also necropsy 2 : a critical examination, evaluation, or assessment of someone or something past

malaise

1 : an indefinite feeling of debility or lack of health often indicative of or accompanying the onset of an illness 2 : a vague sense of mental or moral ill-being <a malaise of cynicism and despair — Malcolm Boyd>

prognostication

1 : an indication in advance : FORETOKEN 2 a : an act, the fact, or the power of prognosticating : FORECAST b : FOREBODING

protocol

1 : an original draft, minute, or record of a document or transaction 2 a : a preliminary memorandum often formulated and signed by diplomatic negotiators as a basis for a final convention or treaty b : the records or minutes of a diplomatic conference or congress that show officially the agreements arrived at by the negotiators 3 a : a code prescribing strict adherence to correct etiquette and precedence (as in diplomatic exchange and in the military services) <a breach of protocol> b : a set of conventions governing the treatment and especially the formatting of data in an electronic communications system <network protocols> c : CONVENTION 3a,b 4 : a detailed plan of a scientific or medical experiment, treatment, or procedure 礼仪；协议；实验报告

tortoise

1 : any of a family (Testudinidae) of terrestrial turtles; broadly : TURTLE 2 : someone or something regarded as slow or laggard

blase

1 : apathetic to pleasure or excitement as a result of excessive indulgence or enjoyment : WORLD-WEARY 2 : SOPHISTICATED, WORLDLY-WISE 3 : UNCONCERNED

methodical

1 : arranged, characterized by, or performed with method or order <a methodical treatment of the subject> 2 : habitually proceeding according to method : SYSTEMATIC <methodical in his daily routine>

apropos

1 : at an opportune time : SEASONABLY 2 : by way of interjection or further comment : with regard to the present topic being both relevant and opportune <apropos comments> synonyms see RELEVANT

personification

1 : attribution of personal qualities; especially : representation of a thing or abstraction as a person or by the human form 2 : a divinity or imaginary being representing a thing or abstraction 3 : EMBODIMENT, INCARNATION "On the other hand, the figment, being a subjective creation and not a rhetorical or literary personification, has a different reality and possesses a different importance in the mind of the reader. "

fast

1 : to abstain from food 2 : to eat sparingly or abstain from some foods

malleable

1 : capable of being extended or shaped by beating with a hammer or by the pressure of rollers 2 a : capable of being altered or controlled by outside forces or influences b : having a capacity for adaptive change synonyms see PLASTIC

palpable

1 : capable of being touched or felt : TANGIBLE 2 : easily perceptible : NOTICEABLE <a palpable difference> 3 : easily perceptible by the mind : MANIFEST synonyms see PERCEPTIBLE

profligate

1 : completely given up to dissipation and licentiousness 2 : wildly extravagant : PRODIGAL

pithy

1 : consisting of or abounding in pith 2 : having substance and point : tersely cogent synonyms see CONCISE

subterfuge

1 : deception by artifice or stratagem in order to conceal, escape, or evade 2 : a deceptive device or stratagem synonyms see DECEPTION

preternatural

1 : existing outside of nature 2 : exceeding what is natural or regular : EXTRAORDINARY <wits trained to preternatural acuteness by the debates — G. L. Dickinson> 3 : inexplicable by ordinary means; especially : PSYCHIC <preternatural phenomena>

bleak

1 : exposed and barren and often windswept 2 : COLD, RAW <a bleak November evening> 3 a : lacking in warmth, life, or kindliness : GRIM b : not hopeful or encouraging : DEPRESSING <a bleak outlook> c : severely simple or austere synonyms see DISMAL

tacit

1 : expressed or carried on without words or speech <the blush was a tacit answer — Bram Stoker> 2 : implied or indicated (as by an act or by silence) but not actually expressed <tacit consent> <tacit admission of guilt>

propitious

1 : favorably disposed : BENEVOLENT 2 : being a good omen : AUSPICIOUS <propitious sign> 3 : tending to favor : ADVANTAGEOUS synonyms see FAVORABLE "Nonetheless, Meade and Pizinsky claim that a propitious geologic accident could account for this discrepancy"

prickly

1 : full of or covered with prickles; especially : distinguished from related kinds by the presence of prickles 2 : marked by prickling : STINGING <a prickly sensation> 3 a : TROUBLESOME, VEXATIOUS <prickly issues> b : easily irritated <had a prickly disposition

hoary

1 : gray or white with or as if with age 2 : extremely old : ANCIENT <hoary legends>

querulous

1 : habitually complaining 2 : FRETFUL, WHINING <a querulous voice>

macabre

1 : having death as a subject : comprising or including a personalized representation of death 2 : dwelling on the gruesome 3 : tending to produce horror in a beholder synonyms see GHASTLY

intricate

1 : having many complexly interrelating parts or elements : COMPLICATED <intricate machinery> <an intricate plot> 2 : difficult to resolve or analyze synonyms see COMPLEX

seamless

1 : having no seams 2 a : having no awkward transitions, interruptions, or indications of disparity <a seamless fusion of beauty and intelligence — Jack Kroll et al.> b : PERFECT, FLAWLESS <a seamless performance>

ill-fated

1 : having or destined to a hapless fate : UNFORTUNATE <an ill-fated expedition> 2 : that causes or marks the beginning of misfortune

knowing

1 : having or reflecting knowledge , information, or intelligence 2 a : shrewdly and keenly alert : ASTUTE <a knowing observer> b : indicating possession of exclusive inside knowledge or information <a knowing smile> 3 : COGNITIVE 4 : DELIBERATE <knowing interference in the affairs of another>

apathetic

1 : having or showing little or no feeling or emotion : SPIRITLESS 2 : having little or no interest or concern : INDIFFERENT synonyms see IMPASSIVE

barefaced

1 : having the face uncovered: a : having no whiskers : BEARDLESS b : wearing no mask 2 a : OPEN, UNCONCEALED <barefaced impudence> b : having or showing a lack of scruples <a

bilateral

1 : having two sides 2 : affecting reciprocally two nations or parties <a bilateral treaty> <a bilateral trade agreement> 3 a : of, relating to, or affecting the right and left sides of the body or the right and left members of paired organs <bilateral nephrectomy> b : having bilateral symmetry

recondite

1 : hidden from sight : CONCEALED 2 : difficult or impossible for one of ordinary understanding or knowledge to comprehend : DEEP <a recondite subject> 3 : of, relating to, or dealing with something little known or obscure <recondite fact about the origin of the holiday — Floyd Dell>

hardwired

1 : implemented in the form of permanent electronic circuits; also : connected or incorporated by or as if by permanent electrical connections <a hardwired phone> <concepts of attractiveness may be universal and hardwired into the human brain — Jane E. Brody> 2 : genetically or innately determined : INBORN <creature whose every action is a reflexive, hardwired response — Natalie Angier>; also : genetically or innately predisposed <a human being who is hardwired to be sociable — Forbes>

indigestion

1 : inability to digest or difficulty in digesting something 2 : a case or attack of indigestion marked especially by a burning sensation or discomfort in the upper abdomen cannot understand

insolent

1 : insultingly contemptuous in speech or conduct : OVERBEARING 2 : exhibiting boldness or effrontery : IMPUDENT synonyms see PROUD

ostensible

1 : intended for display : open to view 2 : being such in appearance : plausible rather than demonstrably true or real <the ostensible purpose for the trip> synonyms see APPARENT

ostensible

1 : intended for display : open to view 2 : being such in appearance : plausible rather than demonstrably true or real <the ostensible purpose for the trip> synonyms see APPARENT 表面上的，宣称的

sedulous

1 : involving or accomplished with careful perseverance <sedulous craftsmanship> 2 : diligent in application or pursuit <a sedulous student> synonyms see BUSY

lambast

1 : to assault violently : BEAT, WHIP 2 : to attack verbally : CENSURE <critics lambasted his performance>

inept

1 : lacking in fitness or aptitude : UNFIT <inept at sports> 2 : lacking sense or reason : FOOLISH 3 : not suitable to the time, place, or occasion : inappropriate often to an absurd degree <an inept metaphor> 4 : generally incompetent : BUNGLING <inept leadership> synonyms see AWKWARD

unequivocal

1 : leaving no doubt : CLEAR, UNAMBIGUOUS 2 : UNQUESTIONABLE <production of unequivocal masterpieces — Carole Cook>

amenable

1 : liable to be brought to account : ANSWERABLE <citizens amenable to the law> 2 a : capable of submission (as to judgment or test) : SUITED <the data is amenable to analysis> b : readily brought to yield, submit, or cooperate <a government not amenable to change> c : WILLING 1 <was amenable to spending more time at home> synonyms see RESPONSIBLE, OBEDIENT

largesse

1 : liberal giving (as of money) to or as if to an inferior; also : something so given 2 : GENEROSITY

provident

1 : making provision for the future : PRUDENT 2 : FRUGAL, SAVING Synonyms SPARING, canny, chary, economical, frugal, saving, Scotch, stewardly, thrifty, unwasteful Antonyms improvident

sordid

1 : marked by baseness or grossness : VILE <sordid motives> 2 a : DIRTY, FILTHY b : WRETCHED, SQUALID 3 : meanly avaricious : COVETOUS 4 : of a dull or muddy color synonyms see MEAN

covetous

1 : marked by inordinate desire for wealth or possessions or for another's possessions 2 : having a craving for possession <covetous of power>

desultory

1 : marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose <a dragged-out ordeal of . . . desultory shopping — Herman Wouk> 2 : not connected with the main subject 3 : disappointing in progress, performance, or quality <a desultory fifth place finish> <a desultory wine>

penurious

1 : marked by or suffering from penury 2 : given to or marked by extreme stinting frugality synonyms see STINGY

tumultuous

1 : marked by tumult <tumultuous applause> 2 : tending or disposed to cause or incite a tumult <the laws . . . were violated by a tumultuous faction — Edward Gibbon> 3 : marked by violent or overwhelming turbulence or upheaval <tumultuous passions> Synonyms TURBULENT 1, boisterous, disorderly, raucous, rowdy, rowdydowdy, rowdyish, rumbustious, termagant, unruly

obstreperous

1 : marked by unruly or aggressive noisiness : CLAMOROUS <obstreperous merriment> 2 : stubbornly resistant to control : UNRULY synonyms see VOCIFEROUS

remiss

1 : negligent in the performance of work or duty : CARELESS 2 : showing neglect or inattention : LAX synonyms see NEGLIGENT

untenable

1 : not able to be defended <an untenable position> 2 : not able to be occupied <untenable apartments>

uncalled-for

1 : not called for or needed : UNNECESSARY 2 : being or offered without provocation or justification <an uncalled-for display of temper> <uncalled-for insults>

impeccable

1 : not capable of sinning or liable to sin 2 : free from fault or blame : FLAWLESS <spoke impeccable French>

intractable

1 : not easily governed, managed, or directed <intractable problems> 2 : not easily manipulated or wrought <intractable metal> 3 : not easily relieved or cured <intractable pain> synonyms see UNRULY

inadvertent

1 : not focusing the mind on a matter : INATTENTIVE 2 : UNINTENTIONAL <an inadvertent omission>

tentative

1 : not fully worked out or developed <tentative plans> 2 : HESITANT, UNCERTAIN <a tentative smile>

impertinent

1 : not pertinent : IRRELEVANT 2 a : not restrained within due or proper bounds especially of propriety or good taste <impertinent curiosity> b : given to or characterized by insolent rudeness <an impertinent answer>

wanting

1 : not present or in evidence : ABSENT 2 a : not being up to standards or expectations b : lacking in ability or capacity : DEFICIENT

illustrious

1 : notably or brilliantly outstanding because of dignity or achievements or actions : EMINENT 2 archaic a : shining brightly with light b : clearly evident synonyms see FAMOUS

benign

1 : of a gentle disposition : GRACIOUS <a benign teacher> 2 a : showing kindness and gentleness <benign faces> b : FAVORABLE, WHOLESOME <a benign climate> 3 a : of a mild type or character that does not threaten health or life; especially : not becoming cancerous <a benign lung tumor> b : having no significant effect : HARMLESS <environmentally benign>

blithe

1 : of a happy lighthearted character or disposition 2 : lacking due thought or consideration : CASUAL, HEEDLESS <blithe unconcern> synonyms see MERRY

spurious

1 : of illegitimate birth : BASTARD 2 : outwardly similar or corresponding to something without having its genuine qualities : FALSE <the spurious eminence of the pop celebrity> 3 a : of falsified or erroneously attributed origin : FORGED b : of a deceitful nature or quality <spurious excuses>

machiavellian

1 : of or relating to Machiavelli or Machiavellianism 2 : suggesting the principles of conduct laid down by Machiavelli; specifically : marked by cunning, duplicity, or bad faith

partial

1 : of or relating to a part rather than the whole : not general or total <a partial solution> 2 : inclined to favor one party more than the other : BIASED 3 : markedly fond of someone or something used with to <partial to pizza>

avuncular

1 : of or relating to an uncle 2 : suggestive of an uncle especially in kindliness or geniality <avuncular indulgence>

fiscal

1 : of or relating to taxation, public revenues, or public debt <fiscal policy> 2 : of or relating to financial matters

fractious

1 : tending to be troublesome : UNRULY <a fractious crowd> 2 : QUARRELSOME, IRRITABLE "To understand why this occurred and what it means for American culture, one must study the fractious history of the mental health field over the last six decades. "

kinetic

1 : of or relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces and energy associated therewith 2 a : ACTIVE, LIVELY b : DYNAMIC, ENERGIZING <a kinetic performer> 3 : of or relating to kinetic art " Oft-ignored details of motion begin to matter: sliding friction, chemical bonding, damping of kinetic energy, etc. "

ponderous

1 : of very great weight 2 : unwieldy or clumsy because of weight and size 3 : oppressively or unpleasantly dull : LIFELESS <ponderous prose> synonyms see HEAVY

hectic

1 : of, relating to, or being a fluctuating but persistent fever (as in tuberculosis) 2 : having a hectic fever 3 : RED, FLUSHED 4 : characterized by activity, excitement, or confusion <the hectic days before the holidays>

pedantic

1 : of, relating to, or being a pedant 2 : narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned 3 : UNIMAGINATIVE, PEDESTRIAN

autocratic

1 : of, relating to, or being an autocracy : ABSOLUTE <an autocratic government> 2 : characteristic of or resembling an autocrat : DESPOTIC <an autocratic ruler> 独裁的，专制的

cellular

1 : of, relating to, or consisting of cells 2 : containing cavities : having a porous texture <cellular rocks> 3 : of, relating to, or being a radiotelephone system in which a geographical area (as a city) is divided into small sections each served by a transmitter of limited range <cellular phones>

Apollonian

1 : of, relating to, or resembling the god Apollo 2 : harmonious, measured, ordered, or balanced in character compare DIONYSIAN

melancholic

1 : of, relating to, or subject to melancholy : DEPRESSED 2 : of or relating to melancholia 3 : tending to depress the spirits : SADDENING

cinematic

1 : of, relating to, suggestive of, or suitable for motion pictures or the filming of motion pictures <cinematic principles and techniques> 2 : filmed and presented as a motion picture <cinematic fantasies>

seismic

1 : of, subject to, or caused by an earthquake; also : of or relating to an earth vibration caused by something else (as an explosion or the impact of a meteorite) 2 : of or relating to a vibration on a celestial body (as the moon) comparable to a seismic event on earth 3 : having a strong or widespread impact : EARTHSHAKING <seismic social changes>

inverse

1 : opposite in order, nature, or effect 2 : being an inverse function <inverse sine>

ascetic

1 : practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline 2 : austere in appearance, manner, or attitude synonyms see SEVERE

wholesome

1 : promoting health or well-being of mind or spirit 2 : promoting health of body 3 a : sound in body, mind, or morals b : having the simple health or vigor of normal domesticity 4 a : based on well-grounded fear : PRUDENT <a wholesome respect for the law> b : SAFE <it wouldn't be wholesome for you to go down there — Mark Twain> synonyms see HEALTHFUL, HEALTHY

volatile

1 : readily vaporizable at a relatively low temperature 2 : flying or having the power to fly 3 a : LIGHTHEARTED, LIVELY b : easily aroused <volatile suspicions> c : tending to erupt into violence : EXPLOSIVE <a volatile temper> 4 a : unable to hold the attention fixed because of an inherent lightness or fickleness of disposition b : characterized by or subject to rapid or unexpected change <a volatile market> 5 : difficult to capture or hold permanently : EVANESCENT, TRANSITORY

credulous

1 : ready to believe especially on slight or uncertain evidence <accused of swindling credulous investors> 2 : proceeding from credulity <credulous superstitions>

affinity

1 : relationship by marriage 2 a : sympathy marked by community of interest : KINSHIP b (1) : an attraction to or liking for something <people with an affinity to darkness — Mark Twain> <pork and fennel have a natural affinity for each other — Abby Mandel> (2) : an attractive force between substances or particles that causes them to enter into and remain in chemical combination c : a person especially of the opposite sex having a particular attraction for one 3 a : likeness based on relationship or causal connection <found an affinity between the teller of a tale and the craftsman — Mary McCarthy> <this investigation, with affinities to a case history, a psychoanalysis, a detective story — Oliver Sacks> b : a relation between biological groups involving resemblance in structural plan and indicating a common origin synonyms see ATTRACTION

withdrawn

1 : removed from immediate contact or easy approach : ISOLATED 2 : socially detached and unresponsive : exhibiting withdrawal : INTROVERTED <a shy and withdrawn child>

stealthy

1 : slow, deliberate, and secret in action or character 2 a : intended to escape observation : FURTIVE b : designed to produce a very weak radar return <a stealthy airplane> synonyms see SECRET

paucity

1 : smallness of number : FEWNESS 2 : smallness of quantity : DEARTH

muck

1 : soft moist farmyard manure 2 : slimy dirt or filth 3 a : defamatory remarks or writings b : RUBBISH, NONSENSE <mindless muck> 4 a (1) : dark highly organic soil (2) : MIRE, MUD b : something resembling muck : GUNK 5 : material removed in the process of excavating or mining

nonentity

1 : something that does not exist or exists only in the imagination 2 : NONEXISTENCE 3 : a person or thing of little consequence or significance

bounty

1 : something that is given generously 2 : liberality in giving : GENEROSITY 3 : yield especially of a crop 4 : a reward, premium, or subsidy especially when offered or given by a government: as a : an extra allowance to induce entry into the armed services b : a grant to encourage an industry c : a payment to encourage the destruction of noxious animals d : a payment for the capture of or assistance in the capture of an outlaw

breezy

1 : swept by breezes <breezy beaches> <a breezy day> 2 a : briskly informal <a breezy essay> b : AIRY, NONCHALANT <breezy indifference>

cannibalism

1 : the usually ritualistic eating of human flesh by a human being 2 : the eating of the flesh of an animal by another animal of the same kind 3 : an act of cannibalizing something

lamentable

1 : that is to be regretted or lamented : DEPLORABLE 2 : expressing grief : MOURNFUL 1 Synonyms DEPLORABLE, afflictive, calamitous, dire, distressing, grievous, heartbreaking, regrettable, unfortunate, woeful 2 Synonyms MELANCHOLY 2, doleful, dolesome, dolorous, lugubrious, mournful, plaintive, rueful, sorrowful,

inclusion

1 : the act of including : the state of being included 2 : something that is included : as a : a gaseous, liquid, or solid foreign body enclosed in a mass (as of a mineral) b : a passive usually temporary product of cell activity (as a starch grain) within the cytoplasm or nucleus 3 : a relation between two classes that exists when all members of the first are also members of the second compare MEMBERSHIP 3 4 : the act or practice of including students with disabilities in regular school classes

predation

1 : the act of preying or plundering : DEPREDATION 2 : a mode of life in which food is primarily obtained by the killing and consuming of animals

cutoff

1 : the act or action of cutting off 2 a : the new and relatively short channel formed when a stream cuts through the neck of an oxbow b : SHORTCUT 1 c : a channel made to straighten a stream 3 : a device for cutting off 4 a : something cut off b plural : shorts originally made from jeans with the legs cut off at the knees or higher 5 : the point, date, or period for a cutoff

digression

1 : the act or an instance of digressing in a discourse or other usually organized literary work 2 archaic : a going aside

sprint

1 : the act or an instance of sprinting 2 a : DASH 6b b : a burst of speed

portrayal

1 : the act or process or an instance of portraying : REPRESENTATION 2 : PORTRAIT

disposition

1 : the act or the power of disposing or the state of being disposed : as a : ADMINISTRATION, CONTROL b : final arrangement : SETTLEMENT <the disposition of the case> c (1) : transfer to the care or possession of another (2) : the power of such transferal d : orderly arrangement 2 a : prevailing tendency, mood, or inclination b : temperamental makeup c : the tendency of something to act in a certain manner under given circumstances

adherence

1 : the act, action, or quality of adhering 2 : steady or faithful attachment : FIDELITY

illumination

1 : the action of illuminating or state of being illuminated : as a : spiritual or intellectual enlightenment b (1) : a lighting up (2) : decorative lighting or lighting effects c : decoration by the art of illuminating 2 : the luminous flux per unit area on an intercepting surface at any given point 3 : one of the decorative features used in the art of illuminating or in decorative lighting

assessment

1 : the action or an instance of assessing : APPRAISAL 2 : the amount assessed

proxy

1 : the agency, function, or office of a deputy who acts as a substitute for another 2 a : authority or power to act for another b : a document giving such authority; specifically : a power of attorney authorizing a specified person to vote corporate stock 3 : a person authorized to act for another : PROCURATOR 代理权；代理人；代替物

pandemonium

1 : the capital of Hell in Milton's Paradise Lost 2 : the infernal regions : HELL 3 not capitalized : a wild uproar : TUMULT

peroration

1 : the concluding part of a discourse and especially an oration 2 : a highly rhetorical speech

periphery

1 : the perimeter of a circle or other closed curve; also : the perimeter of a polygon 2 : the external boundary or surface of a body 3 a : the outward bounds of something as distinguished from its internal regions or center : CONFINES

gradualism

1 : the policy of approaching a desired end by gradual stages 2 : the evolution of new species by gradual accumulation of small genetic changes over long periods of time; also : a theory or model of evolution emphasizing this compare PUNCTUATED EQUILIBRIUM

disposal

1 : the power or authority to dispose or make use of as one chooses <the car was at my disposal> 2 : the act or process of disposing : as a : orderly placement or distribution b : REGULATION, ADMINISTRATION c : the act or action of presenting or bestowing something <disposal of favors> d : systematic destruction; especially : destruction or transformation of garbage 3 [garbage disposal unit] : a device used to reduce waste matter (as by grinding)

accretion

1 : the process of growth or enlargement by a gradual buildup: as a : increase by external addition or accumulation (as by adhesion of external parts or particles) b : the increase of land by the action of natural forces 2 : a product of accretion; especially : an extraneous addition <accretions of grime>

discretion

1 : the quality of being discreet : CIRCUMSPECTION; especially : cautious reserve in speech 2 : ability to make responsible decisions 3 a : individual choice or judgment <left the decision to his discretion> b : power of free decision or latitude of choice within certain legal bounds <reached the age of discretion> 4 : the result of separating or distinguishing

solitude

1 : the quality or state of being alone or remote from society : SECLUSION 2 : a lonely place (as a desert)

perfidy

1 : the quality or state of being faithless or disloyal : TREACHERY 2 : an act or an instance of disloyalty

spontaneity

1 : the quality or state of being spontaneous 2 : voluntary or undetermined action or movement; also : its source

bedrock

1 : the solid rock underlying unconsolidated surface materials (as soil) 2 a : lowest point : NADIR b : BASIS "In short, asteroids larger than a kilometer across may look like nuggets of hard rock but are more likely to be aggregate assemblages—or even piles of loose rubble so pervasively fragmented that no solid bedrock is left."

philologist

1 : the study of literature and of disciplines relevant to literature or to language as used in literature 2 a : LINGUISTICS; especially : historical and comparative linguistics b : the study of human speech especially as the vehicle of literature and as a field of study that sheds light on cultural history. "In the 1860s, the German philologist Lazarus Geiger proposed that the subdivision of color always follows the same hierarchy. "

palliate

1 : to reduce the violence of (a disease); also : to ease (symptoms) without curing the underlying disease 2 : to cover by excuses and apologies 3 : to moderate the intensity of <trying to palliate the boredom>

codify

1 : to reduce to a code 2 a : SYSTEMATIZE b : CLASSIFY

annul

1 : to reduce to nothing : OBLITERATE 2 : to make ineffective or inoperative : NEUTRALIZE <annul the drug's effect> 3 : to declare or make legally invalid or void <wants the marriage annulled> synonyms see NULLIFY

pound

1 : to reduce to powder or pulp by beating 2 a : to strike heavily or repeatedly b : to produce with or as if with repeated vigorous strokes usually used with out <pound out a story on the typewriter> c : to inculcate by insistent repetition : DRIVE <day after day the facts were pounded home to them — Ivy B. Priest> d : to move, throw, or carry forcefully and aggressively <pound the ball down the field> 3 : to move along heavily or persistently <pounded the pavement looking for work> 4 : to drink or consume rapidly : SLUG <pound down some beers>

understate

1 : to represent as less than is the case <understate taxable income> 2 : to state or present with restraint especially for effect

wallow

1 : to roll oneself about in a lazy, relaxed, or ungainly manner <hogs wallowing in the mud> 2 : to billow forth : SURGE 3 : to devote oneself entirely; especially : to take unrestrained pleasure : DELIGHT 4 a : to become abundantly supplied : LUXURIATE <a family that wallows in money> b : to indulge oneself immoderately <wallowing in self-pity> 5 : to become or remain helpless <allowed them to wallow in their ignorance>

reprove

1 : to scold or correct usually gently or with kindly intent 2 : to express disapproval of : CENSURE <it is not for me to reprove popular taste — D. W. Brogan>

truncate

1 : to shorten by or as if by cutting off 2 : to replace (an edge or corner of a crystal) by a plane

fawn

1 : to show affection used especially of a dog 2 : to court favor by a cringing or flattering manner

disseminate

1 : to spread abroad as though sowing seed <disseminate ideas> 2 : to disperse throughout

besiege

1 : to surround with armed forces 2 a : to press with requests : IMPORTUNE b : to cause worry or distress to : BESET <doubts besieged him>

rescind

1 : to take away : REMOVE 2 a : TAKE BACK, CANCEL <refused to rescind the order> b : to abrogate (a contract) and restore the parties to the positions they would have occupied had there been no contract 3 : to make void (as an act) by action of the enacting authority or a superior authority : REPEAL

slight

1 : to treat as slight or unimportant : make light of 2 : to treat with disdain or indifference <slight a guest> 3 : to perform or attend to carelessly and inadequately <don't slight your work> synonyms see NEGLECT

pare

1 : to trim off an outside, excess, or irregular part of <pare apples> <paring his nails> 2 : to diminish or reduce by or as if by paring <pare expenses> <the novel was pared down to 200 pages>

equivocate

1 : to use equivocal language especially with intent to deceive 2 : to avoid committing oneself in what one says synonyms see LIE

waddle

1 : to walk with short steps swinging the forepart of the body from side to side 2 : to move clumsily in a manner suggesting a waddle

smug

1 : trim or smart in dress : SPRUCE 2 : scrupulously clean, neat, or correct : TIDY 3 : highly self-satisfied

prolix

1 : unduly prolonged or drawn out : too long 2 : marked by or using an excess of words synonyms see WORDY

temerity

1 : unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger or opposition : RASHNESS, RECKLESSNESS 2 : an act or instance of temerity

belligerent

1 : waging war; specifically : belonging to or recognized as a state at war and protected by and subject to the laws of war 2 : inclined to or exhibiting assertiveness, hostility, or combativeness

decrepit

1 : wasted and weakened by or as if by the infirmities of old age 2 a : impaired by use or wear : WORN-OUT b : fallen into ruin or disrepair 3 : DILAPIDATED, RUN-DOWN synonyms see WEAK

havoc

1 : wide and general destruction : DEVASTATION 2 : great confusion and disorder <the blackout caused havoc in the city>

timeworn

1 : worn or impaired by time <timeworn mansions> 2 a : AGE-OLD, ANCIENT <timeworn procedures> b : HACKNEYED, STALE <a timeworn joke>

rendering

1 Synonyms INTERPRETATION 2, reading, rendition, version 2 Synonyms VERSION 1, paraphrase, restatement, translation "Dickens is so brilliant a stylist, his vision of the world so idiosyncratic and yet so telling, that one might say that his subject is his unique rendering of his subject,"

inauspicious

1 Synonyms OMINOUS, baleful, baneful, dire, fateful, ill-boding, ill-omened, threatening, unlucky, unpropitious Antonyms auspicious 2 Synonyms EVIL 6, bad

quill

1 a (1) : a bobbin, spool, or spindle on which filling yarn is wound (2) : a hollow shaft often surrounding another shaft and used in various mechanical devices b : a roll of dried bark <cinnamon quills> 2 a (1) : the hollow horny shaft of a feather see FEATHER illustration (2) : FEATHER; especially : one of the large stiff feathers of the wing or tail b : one of the hollow sharp spines of a porcupine or hedgehog c : 3PEN 3 3 : something made from or resembling the quill of a feather; especially : a pen for writing 4 : a float for a fishing line

throng

1 a : a multitude of assembled persons b : a large number : HOST 2 a : a crowding together of many persons b : a pressing increase of activity <this throng of business — S. R. Crockett> synonyms see CROWD

cumbersome

1 dialect : BURDENSOME, TROUBLESOME 2 : unwieldy because of heaviness and bulk 3 : slow-moving : PONDEROUS synonyms see HEAVY

cane

1 a (1) : a hollow or pithy and usually slender and flexible jointed stem (as of a reed) (2) : any of various slender woody stems; especially : an elongated flowering or fruiting stem (as of a rose) usually arising directly from the ground b : any of various tall woody grasses or reeds: as (1) : any of a genus (Arundinaria) of coarse grasses (2) : SUGARCANE (3) : SORGHUM 2 : cane dressed for use: as a : a cane walking stick; broadly : WALKING STICK b : a cane or rod for flogging c : RATTAN; especially : split rattan for wickerwork or basketwork 3 : a tiny glass rod used in decorative glasswork (as in millefiori and paperweights

vestige

1 a (1) : a trace, mark, or visible sign left by something (as an ancient city or a condition or practice) vanished or lost (2) : the smallest quantity or trace b : FOOTPRINT 1 2 : a bodily part or organ that is small and degenerate or imperfectly developed in comparison to one more fully developed in an earlier stage of the individual, in a past generation, or in closely related forms synonyms see TRACE

facile

1 a (1) : easily accomplished or attained <a facile victory> (2) : SHALLOW, SIMPLISTIC <I am not concerned . . . with offering any facile solution for so complex a problem — T. S. Eliot> b : used or comprehended with ease c : readily manifested and often lacking sincerity or depth <facile tears> 2 archaic : mild or pleasing in manner or disposition 3 a : READY, FLUENT <facile prose> b : POISED, ASSURED synonyms see EASY

magisterial

1 a (1) : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a master or teacher : AUTHORITATIVE (2) : marked by an overbearingly dignified or assured manner or aspect b : of, relating to, or required for a master's degree 2 : of or relating to a magistrate or a magistrate's office or duties synonyms see DICTATORIAL

incarnation

1 a (1) : the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form (2) capitalized : the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ b : a concrete or actual form of a quality or concept; especially : a person showing a trait or typical character to a marked degree <she is the incarnation of goodness> 2 : the act of incarnating : the state of being incarnate 3 : a particular physical form or state : VERSION <in another incarnation he might be a first vice-president — Walter Teller> <TV and movie incarnations of the story> 化身

redress

1 a (1) : to set right : REMEDY <looked to charity, not to legislation, to redress social wrongs — W. R. Inge> (2) : to make up for : COMPENSATE b : to remove the cause of (a grievance or complaint) c : to exact reparation for : AVENGE 2 archaic a : to requite (a person) for a wrong or loss b : HEAL synonyms see CORRECT

morph

1 a : ALLOMORPH b : a distinctive collocation of phones (as a portmanteau form) that serves as the realization of more than one morpheme in a context (as the French du for the sequence of de and le) 2 a : a local population of a species that consists of interbreeding organisms and is distinguishable from other populations by morphology or behavior though capable of interbreeding with them b : a phenotypic variant of a species 形态；变化

ramification

1 a : BRANCH, OFFSHOOT b : a branched structure 2 a : the act or process of branching b : arrangement of branches (as on a plant) 3 : CONSEQUENCE, OUTGROWTH <the ramifications of the decision>

snide

1 a : FALSE, COUNTERFEIT b : practicing deception : DISHONEST <a snide merchant> 2 : unworthy of esteem : LOW <a snide trick> 3 : slyly disparaging : INSINUATING <snide remarks> 险恶的，不诚实的；伪造的

predetermined

1 a : FOREORDAIN, PREDESTINE b : to determine beforehand 2 : to impose a direction or tendency on beforehand

seemly

1 a : GOOD-LOOKING, HANDSOME b : agreeably fashioned : ATTRACTIVE 2 : conventionally proper : DECOROUS <not seemly to brag about oneself> 3 : suited to the occasion, purpose, or person : FIT

inconsequential

1 a : ILLOGICAL b : IRRELEVANT 2 : of no significance : UNIMPORTANT

strain

1 a : LINEAGE, ANCESTRY b : a group of presumed common ancestry with clear-cut physiological but usually not morphological distinctions <a high-yielding strain of winter wheat>; broadly : a specified infraspecific group (as a stock, line, or ecotype) c : KIND, SORT <discussions of a lofty strain> 2 a : inherited or inherent character, quality, or disposition <a strain of madness in the family> b : TRACE, STREAK <a strain of fanaticism> 3 a : TUNE, AIR b : a passage of verbal or musical expression c : a stream or outburst of forceful or impassioned speech 4 a : the tenor, pervading note, burden, or tone of an utterance or of a course of action or conduct b : MOOD, TEMPER 世系，品系；血统；品质；类型 拉紧

stilted

1 a : POMPOUS, LOFTY b : FORMAL, STIFF 2 : having the curve beginning at some distance above the impost <a stilted arch>

slumber

1 a : SLEEP b : a light sleep 2 : LETHARGY, TORPOR

barbarous

1 a : UNCIVILIZED b : lacking culture or refinement : PHILISTINE 2 : characterized by the occurrence of barbarisms <barbarous language> 3 : mercilessly harsh or cruel <barbarous crimes> synonyms see FIERCE

magnetism

1 a : a class of physical phenomena that include the attraction for iron observed in lodestone and a magnet , are inseparably associated with moving electricity, are exhibited by both magnets and electric currents, and are characterized by fields of force b : a science that deals with magnetic phenomena 2 : an ability to attract or charm

homage

1 a : a feudal ceremony by which a man acknowledges himself the vassal of a lord b : the relationship between a feudal lord and his vassal c : an act done or payment made in meeting the obligations of vassalage 2 a : expression of high regard : RESPECT often used with pay b : something that shows respect or attests to the worth or influence of another : TRIBUTE <his long life filled with international homages to his unique musical talent — People> synonyms see HONOR

dispensation

1 a : a general state or ordering of things; specifically : a system of revealed commands and promises regulating human affairs b : a particular arrangement or provision especially of providence or nature 2 a : an exemption from a law or from an impediment, vow, or oath b : a formal authorization 3 a : the act of dispensing b : something dispensed or distributed

endeared

Cause to be loved or liked

outlet

1 a : a place or opening through which something is let out : EXIT, VENT b : a means of release or satisfaction for an emotion or impulse <sexual outlets> c : a medium of expression or publication d : a publication or broadcast organization <media outlets> 2 : a stream flowing out of a lake or pond 3 a : a market for a commodity b : an agency (as a store) through which a product is marketed <retail outlets> 4 : a receptacle for the plug of an electrical device

inertia

1 a : a property of matter by which it remains at rest or in uniform motion in the same straight line unless acted upon by some external force b : an analogous property of other physical quantities (as electricity) 2 : indisposition to motion, exertion, or change : INERTNESS

canon

1 a : a regulation or dogma decreed by a church council b : a provision of canon law 2 [Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin, from Latin, model] : the most solemn and unvarying part of the Mass including the consecration of the bread and wine 3 [Middle English, from Late Latin, from Latin, standard] a : an authoritative list of books accepted as Holy Scripture b : the authentic works of a writer c : a sanctioned or accepted group or body of related works <the canon of great literature> 4 a : an accepted principle or rule b : a criterion or standard of judgment c : a body of principles, rules, standards, or norms 5 [Late Greek kann, from Greek, model] : a contrapuntal musical composition in which each successively entering voice presents the initial theme usually transformed in a strictly consistent way synonyms see LAW

premium

1 a : a reward or recompense for a particular act b : a sum over and above a regular price paid chiefly as an inducement or incentive c : a sum in advance of or in addition to the nominal value of something <bonds callable at a premium of six percent> d : something given free or at a reduced price with the purchase of a product or service 2 : the consideration paid for a contract of insurance 3 : a high value or a value in excess of that normally or usually expected <put a premium on accuracy>

cadence

1 a : a rhythmic sequence or flow of sounds in language b : the beat, time, or measure of rhythmical motion or activity 2 a : a falling inflection of the voice b : a concluding and usually falling strain; specifically : a musical chord sequence moving to a harmonic close or point of rest and giving the sense of harmonic completion 3 : the modulated and rhythmic recurrence of a sound especially in nature 节律，节奏，起落 <The small towns fortunes rose and fell in cadence with the mine's.>

roster

1 a : a roll or list of personnel b : such a list giving the order in which a duty is to be performed <a duty roster> c : the persons listed on a roster 2 : an itemized list

apparatus

1 a : a set of materials or equipment designed for a particular use b : a group of anatomical or cytological parts functioning together <mitotic apparatus> c : an instrument or appliance designed for a specific operation 2 : the functional processes by means of which a systematized activity is carried out <the apparatus of society>: as a : the machinery of government b : the organization of a political party or an underground movement. "In this view our perceptual apparatus has evolved to ensure that we make "sensible"—that is, useful—choices of what to label with distinct words: we are hardwired for practical forms of language."

hymn

1 a : a song of praise to God b : a metrical composition adapted for singing in a religious service 2 : a song of praise or joy 3 : something resembling a hymn : PAEAN transitive verb : to praise or worship in or as if in hymns <the heroes hymned in this book> intransitive verb : to sing a hymn

torpor

1 a : a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility b : a state of lowered physiological activity typically characterized by reduced metabolism, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature that occurs in varying degrees especially in hibernating and estivating animals 2 : APATHY, DULLNESS synonyms see LETHARGY

grip

1 a : a strong or tenacious grasp b : strength in gripping c : manner or style of gripping 2 a : a firm tenacious hold typically giving control, mastery, or understanding b : mental grasp 3 : a part or device for gripping 4 : a part by which something is grasped; especially : HANDLE 5 : SUITCASE 6 : STAGEHAND

vitriol

1 a : a sulfate of any of various metals (as copper, iron, or zinc); especially : a glassy hydrate of such a sulfate b : OIL OF VITRIOL 2 : something felt to resemble vitriol especially in caustic quality; especially : virulence of feeling or of speech 辛辣，尖刻，强烈

epitome

1 a : a summary of a written work b : a brief presentation or statement of something 2 : a typical or ideal example : EMBODIMENT <the British monarchy itself is the epitome of tradition — Richard Joseph> 3 : brief or miniature form usually used with in

patina

1 a : a usually green film formed naturally on copper and bronze by long exposure or artificially (as by acids) and often valued aesthetically for its color b : a surface appearance of something grown beautiful especially with age or use 2 : an appearance or aura that is derived from association, habit, or established character 3 : a superficial covering or exterior

condor

1 a : a very large American vulture (Vultur gryphus) of the high Andes having the head and neck bare and the plumage dull black with a downy white neck ruff and white patches on the wings called also Andean condor b : CALIFORNIA CONDOR 2 plural condors or conydoyres \kn-dr-s\ : a coin (as the centesimo of Chile) bearing the picture of a condor

caveat

1 a : a warning enjoining one from certain acts or practices b : an explanation to prevent misinterpretation c : a modifying or cautionary detail to be considered when evaluating, interpreting, or doing something 2 : a legal warning to a judicial officer to suspend a proceeding until the opposition has a hearing

genuine

1 a : actually having the reputed or apparent qualities or character <genuine vintage wines> b : actually produced by or proceeding from the alleged source or author <the signature is genuine> c : sincerely and honestly felt or experienced <a deep and genuine love> d : ACTUAL, TRUE <a genuine improvement> 2 : free from hypocrisy or pretense : SINCERE synonyms see AUTHENTIC

gratuitous

1 a : given unearned or without recompense b : not involving a return benefit, compensation, or consideration c : costing nothing : FREE 2 : not called for by the circumstances : UNWARRANTED <gratuitous insolence> <a gratuitous assumption>

parenthesis

1 a : an amplifying or explanatory word, phrase, or sentence inserted in a passage from which it is usually set off by punctuation b : a remark or passage that departs from the theme of a discourse : DIGRESSION 2 : INTERLUDE, INTERVAL 3 : one or both of the curved marks ( ) used in writing and printing to enclose a parenthetical expression or to group a symbolic unit in a logical or mathematical expression

rubric

1 a : an authoritative rule; especially : a rule for conduct of a liturgical service b (1) : NAME, TITLE; specifically : the title of a statute (2) : something under which a thing is classed : CATEGORY <the sensations falling under the general rubric, "pressure" — F. A. Geldard> c : an explanatory or introductory commentary : GLOSS; specifically : an editorial interpolation 2 : a heading of a part of a book or manuscript done or underlined in a color (as red) different from the rest 3 : an established rule, tradition, or custom "Indeed, Don Giovanni falls more under the rubric of opera serie than opera buffo, the latter typically featuring light endings in which the entire cast sings in an upbeat, major key. "

gusto

1 a : an individual or special taste <different gustoes> b : enthusiastic and vigorous enjoyment or appreciation c : vitality marked by an abundance of vigor and enthusiasm 2 archaic : artistic style

mimicry

1 a : an instance of mimicking b : the action, practice, or art of mimicking 2 : a superficial resemblance of one organism to another or to natural objects among which it lives that secures it a selective advantage (as protection from predation)

ardor

1 a : an often restless or transitory warmth of feeling <the sudden ardors of youth> b : extreme vigor or energy : INTENSITY c : ZEAL d : LOYALTY 2 : sexual excitement synonyms see PASSION

hedgehog

1 a : any of a subfamily (Erinaceinae) of Eurasian and African nocturnal insectivores that have both hair and spines which they present outwardly by rolling themselves up when threatened b : any of several spiny mammals (as a porcupine) 2 a : a military defensive obstacle (as of barbed wire) b : a well-fortified military stronghold 难相处的人

lurid

1 a : causing horror or revulsion : GRUESOME b : MELODRAMATIC, SENSATIONAL; also : SHOCKING <paperbacks in the usual lurid covers — T. R. Fyvel> 2 a : wan and ghastly pale in appearance b : of any of several light or medium grayish colors ranging in hue from yellow to orange 3 : shining with the red glow of fire seen through smoke or cloud synonyms see GHASTLY

indolent

1 a : causing little or no pain b : slow to develop or heal <indolent tumors> <indolent ulcers> 2 a : averse to activity, effort, or movement : habitually lazy b : conducive to or encouraging laziness <indolent heat> c : exhibiting indolence <an indolent sigh> synonyms see LAZY

artifice

1 a : clever or artful skill : INGENUITY <believing that characters had to be created from within rather than with artifice — Garson Kanin> b : an ingenious device or expedient 2 a : an artful stratagem : TRICK b : false or insincere behavior <social artifice> synonyms see TRICK, ART

bereft

1 a : deprived or robbed of the possession or use of something usually used with of <both players are instantly bereft of their poise — A. E. Wier> b : lacking something needed, wanted, or expected used with of <the book is . . . completely bereft of an index — Times Literary Supplement> 2 : BEREAVED <a bereft mother>

esoteric

1 a : designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone <a body of esoteric legal doctrine — B. N. Cardozo> b : requiring or exhibiting knowledge that is restricted to a small group <esoteric terminology> <esoteric strategies>; broadly : difficult to understand <esoteric subjects> 2 a : limited to a small circle <engaging in esoteric pursuits> b : PRIVATE, CONFIDENTIAL <an esoteric purpose> 3 : of special, rare, or unusual interest <esoteric building materials>

tumult

1 a : disorderly agitation or milling about of a crowd usually with uproar and confusion of voices : COMMOTION b : a turbulent uprising : RIOT 2 : HUBBUB, DIN 3 a : violent agitation of mind or feelings b : a violent outburst

clemency

1 a : disposition to be merciful and especially to moderate the severity of punishment due b : an act or instance of leniency 2 : pleasant mildness of weather synonyms see MERCY

furtive

1 a : done by stealth : SURREPTITIOUS b : expressive of stealth : SLY <had a furtive look about him> 2 : obtained underhandedly : STOLEN synonyms see SECRET

integral

1 a : essential to completeness : CONSTITUENT <an integral part of the curriculum> b (1) : being, containing, or relating to one or more mathematical integers (2) : relating to or concerned with mathematical integrals or integration c : formed as a unit with another part <a seat with integral headrest> 2 : composed of integral parts 3 : lacking nothing essential : ENTIRE

mannerism

1 a : exaggerated or affected adherence to a particular style or manner : ARTIFICIALITY, PRECIOSITY <refined almost to the point of mannerism — Winthrop Sargeant> b often capitalized : an art style in late 16th century Europe characterized by spatial incongruity and excessive elongation of the human figures 2 : a characteristic and often unconscious mode or peculiarity of action, bearing, or treatment synonyms see POSE

dire

1 a : exciting horror <dire suffering> b : DISMAL, OPPRESSIVE <dire days> 2 : warning of disaster <a dire forecast> 3 a : desperately urgent <dire need> b : EXTREME <dire poverty>

titular

1 a : existing in title only; especially : bearing a title derived from a defunct ecclesiastical jurisdiction (as an episcopal see) <a titular bishop> b : having the title and usually the honors belonging to an office or dignity without the duties, functions, or responsibilities <the titular head of a political party> 2 : bearing a title : TITLED 3 : of, relating to, or constituting a title <the titular hero of the play>

explicit

1 a : fully revealed or expressed without vagueness, implication, or ambiguity : leaving no question as to meaning or intent <explicit instructions> b : open in the depiction of nudity or sexuality <explicit books and films> 2 : fully developed or formulated <an explicit plan> <an explicit notion of our objective> 3 : unambiguous in expression <was very explicit on how we are to behave> 4 of a mathematical function : defined by an expression containing only independent variables compare IMPLICIT

sullen

1 a : gloomily or resentfully silent or repressed <a sullen crowd> b : suggesting a sullen state : LOWERING <a sullen countenance> 2 : dull or somber in sound or color 3 : DISMAL, GLOOMY <a sullen morning> 4 : moving sluggishly <a sullen river>

splendor

1 a : great brightness or luster : BRILLIANCY b : MAGNIFICENCE, POMP 2 : something splendid <the splendors of the past>

eternal

1 a : having infinite duration : EVERLASTING <eternal damnation> b : of or relating to eternity c : characterized by abiding fellowship with God <good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? — Mark 10:17 (Revised Standard Version)> 2 a : continued without intermission : PERPETUAL <an eternal flame> b : seemingly endless <eternal delays> 3 archaic : INFERNAL <some eternal villain . . . devised this slander — Shakespeare> 4 : valid or existing at all times : TIMELESS <eternal verities>

informed

1 a : having information <informed sources> <informed observers> b : based on possession of information <an informed opinion> 2 : EDUCATED, KNOWLEDGEABLE <what the informed person should know>

amorphous

1 a : having no definite form : SHAPELESS <an amorphous cloud mass> b : being without definite character or nature : UNCLASSIFIABLE <an amorphous segment of society> c : lacking organization or unity <an amorphous style of writing> 2 : having no real or apparent crystalline form <an amorphous mineral>

corruption

1 a : impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle : DEPRAVITY b : DECAY, DECOMPOSITION c : inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means (as bribery) d : a departure from the original or from what is pure or correct 2 archaic : an agency or influence that corrupts 3 chiefly dialect : PUS

underlying

1 a : lying beneath or below <the underlying rock is shale> b : BASIC, FUNDAMENTAL <an investigation of the underlying issues> 2 : evident only on close inspection : IMPLICIT 3 : anterior and prior in claim <underlying mortgage> 4 : of or being present in deep structure <underlying word order> "It showed a universal regularity underlying the apparently arbitrary way language is used to describe the world."

discursive

1 a : moving from topic to topic without order : RAMBLING b : proceeding coherently from topic to topic

flaccid

1 a : not firm or stiff; also : lacking normal or youthful firmness <flaccid muscles> b of a plant part : deficient in turgor 2 : lacking vigor or force <flaccid leadership>

meteoric

1 a : of or relating to a meteor b : resembling a meteor in speed or in sudden and temporary brilliance <a meteoric rise to fame> 2 : of, relating to, or derived from the earth's atmosphere <meteoric water>

ethereal

1 a : of or relating to the regions beyond the earth b : CELESTIAL, HEAVENLY c : UNWORLDLY, SPIRITUAL 2 a : lacking material substance : IMMATERIAL, INTANGIBLE b : marked by unusual delicacy or refinement <this smallest, most ethereal, and daintiest of birds — William Beebe> c : suggesting the heavens or heaven 3 : relating to, containing, or resembling a chemical ether

visionary

1 a : of the nature of a vision : ILLUSORY b : incapable of being realized or achieved : UTOPIAN <a visionary scheme> c : existing only in imagination : UNREAL 2 a : able or likely to see visions b : disposed to reverie or imagining : DREAMY 3 : of, relating to, or characterized by visions or the power of vision 4 : having or marked by foresight and imagination <a visionary leader> <a visionary invention> synonyms see IMAGINARY

visionary

1 a : of the nature of a vision : ILLUSORY b : incapable of being realized or achieved : UTOPIAN <a visionary scheme> c : existing only in imagination : UNREAL 2 a : able or likely to see visions b : disposed to reverie or imagining : DREAMY 3 : of, relating to, or characterized by visions or the power of vision 4 : having or marked by foresight and imagination <a visionary leader> <a visionary invention> synonyms see IMAGINARY — viysionyaryiyness \--ns\ noun

metallic

1 a : of, relating to, or being a metal b : made of or containing a metal c : having properties of a metal 2 : yielding metal 3 : resembling metal : as a : having iridescent and reflective properties <metallic paint> b : having an acrid quality like that of metal <the tea has a metallic taste> 4 a : having a harsh resonance : GRATING <a metallic voice> b : having an impersonal or mechanical quality <a metallic smile>

imperative

1 a : of, relating to, or constituting the grammatical mood that expresses the will to influence the behavior of another b : expressive of a command, entreaty, or exhortation c : having power to restrain, control, and direct 2 : not to be avoided or evaded : NECESSARY <an imperative duty> synonyms see MASTERFUL 必要的，紧急的，命令的，强制的，具有抑制力的

monolithic

1 a : of, relating to, or resembling a monolith : HUGE, MASSIVE b (1) : formed from a single crystal <a monolithic silicon chip> (2) : produced in or on a monolithic chip <a monolithic circuit> 2 a : cast as a single piece <a monolithic concrete wall> b : formed or composed of material without joints or seams <a monolithic floor covering> c : consisting of or constituting a single unit 3 a : constituting a massive undifferentiated and often rigid whole <a monolithic society> b : exhibiting or characterized by often rigidly fixed uniformity <monolithic party unity> "Such colossal impacts would not just gouge out a crater—they would break any monolithic body into pieces."

otherworldly

1 a : of, relating to, or resembling that of a world other than the actual world b : devoted to preparing for a world to come 2 : devoted to intellectual or imaginative pursuits

saccharine

1 a : of, relating to, or resembling that of sugar <saccharine taste> b : yielding or containing sugar <saccharine vegetables> 2 : overly or sickishly sweet <saccharine flavor> 3 : ingratiatingly or affectedly agreeable or friendly 4 : overly sentimental : MAWKISH <a saccharine love story>

apologetic

1 a : offered in defense or vindication <the apologetic writings of the early Christians> b : offered by way of excuse or apology <an apologetic smile> 2 : regretfully acknowledging fault or failure : CONTRITE <replied in an apologetic tone>

surrender

Cede to give up sth/sb when you are forced to

colloquial

Characteristic of ordinary conversation rather than formal speech or writing

correspondent

1 a : one who communicates with another by letter b : one who has regular commercial relations with another c : one who contributes news or commentary to a publication (as a newspaper) or a radio or television network often from a distant place <a war correspondent> 2 : something that corresponds

timing

1 a : placement or occurrence in time <the timing of the sale couldn't have been better> b : the ability to select the precise moment for doing something for optimum effect <a boxer with impeccable timing> 2 : observation and recording (as by a stopwatch) of the elapsed time of an act, action, or process

spasmodic

1 a : relating to or affected or characterized by spasm b : resembling a spasm especially in sudden violence <a spasmodic jerk> 2 : acting or proceeding fitfully : INTERMITTENT <spasmodic activity> 3 : subject to outbursts of emotional excitement : EXCITABLE synonyms see FITFUL

relevance

1 a : relation to the matter at hand b : practical and especially social applicability : PERTINENCE <giving relevance to college courses> 2 : the ability (as of an information retrieval system) to retrieve material that satisfies the needs of the user "People associate global warming with temperature, but the phrase is misleading—it fails to mention the relevance of water."

figurative

1 a : representing by a figure or resemblance : EMBLEMATIC b : of or relating to representation of form or figure in art <figurative sculpture> 2 a : expressing one thing in terms normally denoting another with which it may be regarded as analogous : METAPHORICAL <figurative language> b : characterized by figures of speech <a figurative description> 比喻的，象征的

uncanny

1 a : seeming to have a supernatural character or origin : EERIE, MYSTERIOUS b : being beyond what is normal or expected : suggesting superhuman or supernatural powers <an uncanny sense of direction> 2 chiefly Scottish : SEVERE, PUNISHING synonyms see WEIRD

distinctive

1 a : serving to distinguish <the distinctive flight of the crane> b : having or giving style or distinction <a distinctive table setting> 2 : capable of making a segment of utterance different in meaning as well as in sound from an otherwise identical utterance synonyms see CHARACTERISTIC

recumbent

1 a : suggestive of repose : LEANING, RESTING b : lying down 2 : representing a person lying down <a recumbent statue> synonyms see PRONE She was comfortably recumbent against a tree.

flank

1 a : the fleshy part of the side between the ribs and the hip; broadly : the side of a quadruped b : a cut of meat from this part of an animal see BEEF illustration 2 a : SIDE b : the right or left of a formation 3 : the area along either side of a heraldic shield

parsimony

1 a : the quality of being careful with money or resources : THRIFT b : the quality or state of being stingy 2 : economy in the use of means to an end; especially : economy of explanation in conformity with Occam's razor

multiplicity

1 a : the quality or state of being multiple or various b : the number of components in a system (as a multiplet or a group of energy levels) 2 : a great number 3 : the number of times a root of an equation or zero of a function occurs when there is more than one root or zero <the multiplicity of x = 2 for the equation (x 2)3 = 0 is 3>

redundancy

1 a : the quality or state of being redundant : SUPERFLUITY b : the use of redundant components; also : such components c chiefly British : dismissal from a job especially by layoff 2 : PROFUSION, ABUNDANCE 3 a : superfluous repetition : PROLIXITY b : an act or instance of needless repetition 4 : the part of a message that can be eliminated without loss of essential information

belabor

1 a : to attack verbally b : to beat soundly 2 : to explain or insist on excessively <belabor the obvious>

conflate

1 a : to bring together : FUSE b : CONFUSE 2 : to combine (as two readings of a text) into a composite whole

snag

1 a : to catch and usually damage on or as if on a snag b : to halt or impede as if by catching on a snag 2 : to hew, trim, or cut roughly or jaggedly 3 : to clear (as a river) of snags 4 : to catch or obtain usually by quick action or good fortune

rebuke

1 a : to criticize sharply : REPRIMAND b : to serve as a rebuke to 2 : to turn back or keep down : CHECK synonyms see REPROVE

divest

1 a : to deprive or dispossess especially of property, authority, or title b : to undress or strip especially of clothing, ornament, or equipment c : RID, FREE 2 : to take away from a person

garner

1 a : to gather into storage b : to deposit as if in a granary <volumes in which he has garnered the fruits of his lifetime labors — Reinhold Niebuhr> 2 a : to acquire by effort : EARN b : ACCUMULATE, COLLECT

hover

1 a : to hang fluttering in the air or on the wing b : to remain suspended over a place or object 2 a : to move to and fro near a place : fluctuate around a given point <unemployment hovered around 10 percent> b : to be in a state of uncertainty, irresolution, or suspense "During the first half of the twentieth century, an air of intrigue and mystery hovered around Freud's newly anointed practitioners: psychotherapists. "

circumvent

1 a : to hem in b : to make a circuit around 2 : to manage to get around especially by ingenuity or stratagem <the setup circumvented the red tape — Lynne McTaggart>

straiten

1 a : to make strait or narrow b : to hem in : CONFINE 2 archaic : to restrict in freedom or scope : HAMPER 3 : to subject to distress, privation, or deficiency <in straitened circumstances>

doff

1 a : to remove (an article of wear) from the body b : to take off (the hat) in greeting or as a sign of respect 2 : to rid oneself of : put aside

stance

1 chiefly Scottish a : STATION b : SITE 2 a : a way of standing or being placed : POSTURE b : intellectual or emotional attitude <took an antiwar stance> 3 a : the position of the feet of a golfer or batter preparatory to making a swing b : the position of both body and feet from which an athlete starts or operates

urbanity

Civility; courtesy; politeness

sequester

1 a : to set apart : SEGREGATE <sequester a jury> b : SECLUDE, WITHDRAW <widely spaced homes are forbiddingly grand and sequestered — Don Asher> 2 a : to seize especially by a writ of sequestration b : to place (property) in custody especially in sequestration 3 : to hold (as a metallic ion) in solution usually by inclusion in an appropriate coordination complex <Currently, technology that would capture carbon dioxide emitted by power plants and sequester it harmlessly underground or undersea instead of releasing it into the atmosphere might double the cost of generating electricity.>

vernacular

1 a : using a language or dialect native to a region or country rather than a literary, cultured, or foreign language b : of, relating to, or being a nonstandard language or dialect of a place, region, or country c : of, relating to, or being the normal spoken form of a language 2 : applied to a plant or animal in the common native speech as distinguished from the Latin nomenclature of scientific classification <the vernacular name> 3 : of, relating to, or characteristic of a period, place, or group; especially : of, relating to, or being the common building style of a period or place <vernacular architecture>

incandescent

1 a : white, glowing, or luminous with intense heat b : strikingly bright, radiant, or clear c : marked by brilliance especially of expression <incandescent wit> d : characterized by glowing zeal : ARDENT <incandescent affection> 2 a : of, relating to, or being light produced by incandescence b : producing light by incandescence She was incandescent with rage. 炽热的，耀眼的，感情激烈的

sage

1 a : wise through reflection and experience b archaic : GRAVE, SOLEMN 2 : proceeding from or characterized by wisdom, prudence, and good judgment <sage advice> synonyms see WISE

notable

1 a : worthy of note : REMARKABLE b : DISTINGUISHED, PROMINENT 2 archaic : efficient or capable in performance of housewifely duties

copious

1 a : yielding something abundantly <a copious harvest> <copious springs> b : plentiful in number <copious references to other writers> 2 a : full of thought, information, or matter b : profuse or exuberant in words, expression, or style <a copious talker> 3 : present in large quantity : taking place on a large scale <copious weeping> <copious food and drink> synonyms see PLENTIFUL

stigmatize

1 a archaic : BRAND b : to describe or identify in opprobrious terms 2 : to mark with stigmata

prodigious

1 a obsolete : being an omen : PORTENTOUS b : resembling or befitting a prodigy : STRANGE, UNUSUAL 2 : exciting amazement or wonder 3 : extraordinary in bulk, quantity, or degree : ENORMOUS synonyms see MONSTROUS

gospel

1 a often capitalized : the message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation b capitalized : one of the first four New Testament books telling of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; also : a similar apocryphal book c : an interpretation of the Christian message <the social gospel> 2 capitalized : a lection from one of the New Testament Gospels 3 : the message or teachings of a religious teacher 4 : something accepted or promoted as infallible truth or as a guiding principle or doctrine <took her words as gospel> <spreading the gospel of conservation — R. M. Hodesh> 5 : gospel music

preclude

1 archaic : CLOSE 2 : to make impossible by necessary consequence : rule out in advance

garble

1 archaic : CULL 1 2 : to sift impurities from 3 a : to so alter or distort as to create a wrong impression or change the meaning <garble a story> b : to introduce textual error into (a message) by inaccurate encipherment, transmission, or decipherment

egregious

1 archaic : DISTINGUISHED 2 : CONSPICUOUS; especially : conspicuously bad : FLAGRANT <egregious errors> <egregious padding of the evidence — Christopher Hitchens>

culpable

1 archaic : GUILTY, CRIMINAL 2 : meriting condemnation or blame especially as wrong or harmful <culpable negligence> synonyms see BLAMEWORTHY

curmudgeon

1 archaic : MISER 2 : a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man

carouse

1 archaic : a large draft of liquor : TOAST 2 : a drunken revel

trepidation

1 archaic : a tremulous motion : TREMOR 2 : timorous uncertain agitation : APPREHENSION <trepidation about starting a new job> synonyms see FEAR

flagrant

1 archaic : fiery hot : BURNING 2 : conspicuously offensive <flagrant errors>; especially : so obviously inconsistent with what is right or proper as to appear to be a flouting of law or morality <flagrant violations of human rights>

permissive

1 archaic : granted on sufferance : TOLERATED 2 a : granting or tending to grant permission : TOLERANT b : deficient in firmness or control : INDULGENT, LAX 3 : allowing discretion : OPTIONAL <reduced the permissive retirement age from 65 to 62>

outright

1 archaic : straight ahead : DIRECTLY 2 : in entirety : COMPLETELY <rejected the proposal outright> 3 : without restraint or reservation <laughed outright> 4 : on the spot : INSTANTANEOUSLY <was killed outright> 5 : without lien or encumbrance <purchased the property outright for cash>

stultify

1 archaic : to allege or prove to be of unsound mind and hence not responsible 2 : to cause to appear or be stupid, foolish, or absurdly illogical 3 a : to impair, invalidate, or make ineffective : NEGATE b : to have a dulling or inhibiting effect on

hobnob

1 archaic : to drink sociably 2 : to associate familiarly

divulge

1 archaic : to make public : PROCLAIM 2 : to make known (as a confidence or secret) synonyms see REVEAL

detract

1 archaic : to speak ill of 2 archaic : to take away 3 : DIVERT <detract attention> intransitive verb : to diminish the importance, value, or effectiveness of something often used with from <small errors that do not seriously detract from the book>

toil

1 archaic a : STRUGGLE, BATTLE b : laborious effort 2 : long strenuous fatiguing labor synonyms see WORK

risk communication

Communicating information about risks to decision makers and the public.

heave

1 obsolete : ELEVATE 2 : LIFT, RAISE <heaved the trunk onto the table> 3 : THROW, CAST <heaving rocks> 4 a : to cause to swell or rise b : to displace (as a rock stratum) especially by a fault 5 : to utter with obvious effort or with a deep breath <heave a sigh of relief> 6 : HAUL, DRAW

ingenuous

1 obsolete : NOBLE, HONORABLE 2 a : showing innocent or childlike simplicity and candidness <her ingenuous thirst for experience — Christopher Rawson> b : lacking craft or subtlety <ingenuous in their brutality> synonyms see NATURAL

approbation

1 obsolete : PROOF 2 a : an act of approving formally or officially b : COMMENDATION, PRAISE

approbatory

1 obsolete : PROOF 2 a : an act of approving formally or officially b : COMMENDATION, PRAISE

specious

1 obsolete : SHOWY 2 : having deceptive attraction or allure 3 : having a false look of truth or genuineness : SOPHISTIC <specious reasoning>

grievance

1 obsolete : SUFFERING, DISTRESS 2 : a cause of distress (as an unsatisfactory working condition) felt to afford reason for complaint or resistance 3 : the formal expression of a grievance : COMPLAINT synonyms see INJUSTICE

gloat

1 obsolete : to look or glance admiringly or amorously 2 : to observe or think about something with triumphant and often malicious satisfaction, gratification, or delight <gloat over an enemy's misfortune>

conspiratorial

1 of, relating to, or suggestive of a conspiracy 2 suggesting that a secret is being shared "Unbidden, she suddenly became forthcoming, even conspiratorial, as the detectives, who had been stymied and had all but given up on extracting an iota of evidence from her, took sedulous notes."

buck

1 or plural buck : a male animal; especially : a male deer or antelope 2 a : a male human being : MAN b : a dashing fellow : DANDY 3 or plural buck : ANTELOPE 4 a : BUCKSKIN; also : an article (as a shoe) made of buckskin b (1) : DOLLAR 3b (2) : a sum of money especially to be gained <make a quick buck>; also : MONEY usually used in plural 5 [short for sawbuck sawhorse] a : a supporting rack or frame b : a short thick leather-covered block for gymnastic vaulting

incremental

1 proceeding or changing by steps or degrees see GRADUAL 2 produced by a series of additions of identical or similar things; see CUMULATIVE

incumbent

1. (n.) one who holds an office (The incumbent senator is already serving his fifth term. 2. (adj.) obligatory (It is incumbent upon this organization to offer aid to all who seek it.

proverbial

1. Of the nature of a proverb. 2. Expressed in a proverb. 3. Widely referred to, as if the subject of a proverb; famous

incorrigible

:incapable of being corrected or amended: as a (1) : not reformable : DEPRAVED (2) : DELINQUENT b : not manageable : UNRULY c : UNALTERABLE, INVETERATE

indicator

:one that indicates : as a : an index hand (as on a dial) : POINTER b (1) : GAUGE 2b, DIAL 4a (2) : an instrument for automatically making a diagram that indicates the pressure in and volume of the working fluid of an engine throughout the cycle " Nearly every significant indicator of hydrological activity—rainfall, snowmelt, glacial melt—is changing at an accelerating pace (one can arbitrarily pick any point of the hydrological cycle and notice a disruption). "

cosset

:to treat as a pet : PAMPER

verge

<the line where sentiment verges on mawkishness — Thomas Hardy> 1 Synonyms BORDER 1, bound, edge, fringe, hem, margin, outline, rim, skirt, surround Related Words approach; incline, lean, tend (to or toward); touch (on or upon) 2 Synonyms ADJOIN, abut, border, butt (on or against), communicate, join, line, march, neighbor, touch 3 Synonyms BORDER 3, approach, trench

anything but

= not not at all

municipality

A city, town, etc. having its own incorporated government for local affairs.

ensemble

A coordinated outfit or costume; a musical group

petition

A formal message requesting something that is submitted to an authority

ritual

A prescribed form or order for some kind of ceremony; something that is regularly and faithfully practiced

pilot

A small study to test a new intervention with a small number of subjects before testing with larger samples; adopting an innovation on a trial basis. a sample or prototype episode of a new TV series, which might fail and be dropped, or succeed and continue

Mafia

A term borrowed from Italy and widely used in Russia to describe networks of organized criminal activity that pervade both economic and governmental securities in that country as well as activities. such as the demanding of protection money, bribe taking by government officials, contract killing, and extortion.

contrived

ARTIFICIAL, LABORED <a contrived plot>

imminent

About to happen

unmitigated

Absolute; unqualified not diminished or moderated in intensity or severity

finagled

Achieve something by means of trickery or devious methods

coliseum

An elliptical amphitheater in the center of the city of Rome, Italy; the largest ever built in the Roman Empire

subterfuge

An excuse or trick for escaping or hiding something

discharge

An outflow of water from a stream, pipe, groundwater aquifer, or watershed; the opposite of recharge. The release of an employee from the company due to inappropriate work behavior. emission, release

creep into

Become noticeable in something. An angry tone CREPT INTO her voice.

brazen

Bold and without shame

concise

Brief, to the point (adj.) expressing much in a few words

dysphoric

Someone who feels dysphoric is unhappy and full of anxiety. If your friend spends most of his time sighing, moping, and crying, he's probably dysphoric — and you should probably see if he wants to talk.

scaffolding

Support mechanism that helps a learner successfully perform a task within his or her zone of proximal development. a framework, the grounds, basis for an argument

labyrinthine

Synonyms COMPLEX 2, Byzantine, complicated, daedal, elaborate, gordian, intricate, involved, knotty, sophisticated 1 : of, relating to, or resembling a labyrinth : INTRICATE, INVOLVED 2 : of, relating to, affecting, or originating in the internal ear <labyrinthine lesions>

artfulness

Synonyms CUNNING 2, art, artifice, cageyness, canniness, craft, craftiness, foxiness, slyness, wiliness

circumscribed

Synonyms DEFINITE 1, determinate, fixed, limited, narrow, precise, restricted Related Words bound, bounded, finite; confined, cramped, strait

untenable

Synonyms INEXCUSABLE（ being without excuse or justification <an inexcusable blunder> ）, indefensible, inexpiable, unforgivable, unjustifiable, unpardonable

incontrovertible

Synonyms POSITIVE 3, certain, incontestable, indisputable, indubitable, uncontestable, undeniable, undisputable, unequivocal, unquestionable Antonyms controvertible

faltering

Synonyms VACILLATING 2, halting, hesitant, irresolute, shilly-shallying, tentative, uncertain, vacillatory, wiggle-waggle, wobbly

commendable

Synonyms WORTHY 1, admirable, deserving, estimable, laudable, meritable, meritorious, praisable, praiseworthy, thankworthy

tired

TRITE, HACKNEYED boring because it's too familiar or has been used too much

hypotenuse

The side opposite the right angle in a right triangle.

disparage

To belittle, speak slightingly of; to undervalue

castigate

To criticize or punish severely

parcel

To divide into parts and distribute

ebb

To fade away, recede to decline, to lessen

chastise

To inflict physical punishment as a means of correction; to scold severely (v.) to criticize severely (After being chastised by her peers for mimicking Britney Spears, Miranda dyed her hair black and affected a Gothic style.

droning

To make a deep and continuous humming or buzzing

rile

To make angry, to arouse resentment

ameliorate

To make better; to improve

lurch

To move forward or to one side suddenly and unexpectedly

outreach

To reach or go beyond.

relinquish

To retire from; give up or abandon, especially unwillingly

deride

To speak of or treat with contempt; to mock; belittle

defenestrate

To throw (a person or thing) out of a window

railing

To utter abusive language; act of abuse; to rally against.

ignorant

UNAWARE, UNINFORMED may imply a general condition or it may apply to lack of knowledge or awareness of a particular thing <an ignorant fool> <ignorant of nuclear physics>

rococo

Very elaborate and ornate (in decorating or metaphorically, as in speech and writing); relating to a highly ornate style of art and architecture in 18th-century France

meandering

Winding back and forth; rambling, serpentine; walking or talking without any particular aim

so...as...

[否定句]像......那样...... "She was not so churlish as to begrudge the mathematician the fanfare he received after purportedly solving a hitherto intractable problem in number theory; "

sublime

a (1) : to elevate or exalt especially in dignity or honor (2) : to render finer (as in purity or excellence) b : to convert (something inferior) into something of higher worth psychoanalysis

grotesque

a : FANCIFUL, BIZARRE b : absurdly incongruous c : departing markedly from the natural, the expected, or the typical synonyms see FANTASTIC

wanton

a : MERCILESS, INHUMANE <wanton cruelty> b : having no just foundation or provocation : MALICIOUS <a wanton attack>

shrewd

a : SEVERE, HARD <a shrewd knock> b : SHARP, PIERCING <a shrewd wind> a : marked by clever discerning awareness and hardheaded acumen <shrewd common sense> b : given to wily and artful ways or dealing <a shrewd operator>

register

a : a set of organ pipes of like quality : STOP b (1) : the range of a human voice or a musical instrument (2) : a portion of such a range similarly produced or of the same quality c : any of the varieties of a language that a speaker uses in a particular social context

barb

a : a sharp projection extending backward (as from the point of an arrow or fishhook) and preventing easy extraction; also : a sharp projection with its point similarly oblique to something else b : a biting or pointedly critical remark or comment

scant

a : barely or scarcely sufficient; especially : not quite coming up to a stated measure <a scant teaspoon> b : lacking in amplitude or quantity <scant growth> having a small or insufficient supply <he's fat, and scant of breath — Shakespeare>

oblique

a : not straightforward : INDIRECT; also : OBSCURE b : DEVIOUS, UNDERHANDED

disinclination

a preference for avoiding something : slight aversion

composition

a : the manner in which something is composed b : general makeup <the changing ethnic composition of the city — Leonard Buder> c : the qualitative and quantitative makeup of a chemical compound 3 : mutual settlement or agreement

scalp

a : the part of the integument of the human head usually covered with hair in both sexes b : the part of an animal (as a wolf or fox) corresponding to the human scalp

temperament

a : the peculiar or distinguishing mental or physical character determined by the relative proportions of the humors according to medieval physiology b : characteristic or habitual inclination or mode of emotional response <a nervous temperament> c : extremely high sensibility; especially : excessive sensitiveness or irritability

dissipate

a : to break up and drive off (as a crowd) b : to cause to spread thin or scatter and gradually vanish <one's sympathy is eventually dissipated — Andrew Feinberg> c : to lose (as heat or electricity) irrecoverably "It will absorb and dissipate a large fraction of the energy of an impact; the far side might hardly feel a thing. "

reduce

a : to draw together or cause to converge : CONSOLIDATE <reduce all the questions to one> b (1) : to diminish in size, amount, extent, or number <reduce taxes> <reduce the likelihood of war> (2) : to decrease the volume and concentrate the flavor of by boiling <add the wine and reduce the sauce for two minutes> c : to narrow down : RESTRICT <the Indians were reduced to small reservations> d : to make shorter : ABRIDGE

glean

a : to gather (as information) bit by bit b : to pick over in search of relevant material <gleaning old files for information> FIND OUT

trope

a common or overused theme or device : CLICHÉ <the usual horror movie tropes> a phrase or verse added as an embellishment or interpolation to the sung parts of the Mass in the Middle Ages

grievance

a complaint about a (real or imaginary) wrong that causes resentment and is grounds for action

gourmet

a connoisseur of food and drink; broadly : CONNOISSEUR 2 <a film gourmet> synonyms see EPICURE

plight

a dangerous, difficult, or otherwise unfortunate situation

complaisance

a desire or disposition to please <the complaisance of his girlfriend is such that she goes along with everything he says> Synonyms amenability, amiability, good-naturedness

panegyric

a eulogistic oration or writing; also : formal or elaborate praise synonyms see ENCOMIUM

grim

a facial distortion to show feeling such as pain, disgust, etc looking or sounding very serious; unpleasant and depressing

ennui

a feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction : BOREDOM

presentiment

a feeling that something will or is about to happen : PREMONITION

ultimatum

a final proposition, condition, or demand; especially : one whose rejection will end negotiations and cause a resort to force or other direct action

libertine

a free thinker, usually used disparagingly; one without moral restraint (n) morally or sexually unrestrained person; freethinker (regarding religion)

subcontinent

a large landmass smaller than a continent; especially : a major subdivision of a continent <the Indian subcontinent>

spate

a large number or amount (n) sudden outpouring or rush; flood

bonfire

a large outdoor fire

swathe

a large strip or area of sth; a long strip of land, especially one on which the plants or crops have been cut

grandiloquence

a lofty, extravagantly colorful, pompous, or bombastic style, manner, or quality especially in language

litany

a long and tedious account of something

slot

a long narrow opening, into which you put or fit sth a position, a time or an opportunity for somebody or something

fang

a long pointed tooth

lothario

a man whose chief interest is seducing women

councilman

a member of a council (as of a town or city)

altercation

a noisy heated angry dispute; also : noisy controversy synonyms see QUARREL

merit

a obsolete : reward or punishment due b : the qualities or actions that constitute the basis of one's deserts c : a praiseworthy quality : VIRTUE d : character or conduct deserving reward, honor, or esteem; also : ACHIEVEMENT

tutti

a passage or section performed by all the performers

swath

a path clearly cut; a row or line of grass, grain, or crop as it lies when mown or reaped. Category: appearance. noun

quirk

a peculiarity of behavior; an unaccountable act or event a peculiar characteristic of a person; a sudden twist or turn

recurrence

a periodic or frequent returning <the recurrence of the nightmare upset him> Synonyms： reappearance, reoccurrence, return Related Words： repetition, reproduction; crebrity, frequency

sybarite

a person indulges in pleasure and luxury

aviator

a person who flies an airplane

culprit

a person who has committed a crime or is guilty of some misconduct; an offender

tabloid

a popular press newspaper, with stories about sex, famous people, etc. and not much serious new

fad

a practice or interest followed for a time with exaggerated zeal : CRAZE synonyms see FASHION — faddish adjective

enforceable

able to be enforced "They would argue that 'Ninth Amendment rights' are a misconceived notion: the amendment does not, by itself, create federally enforceable rights. " 可实施的，可强制执行的，可强迫的，可加强的

forthcoming

about to appear; available when needed; communicative

kafkaesque

absurdity we have to deal with living in a world of faceless bureaucracies

diurnal

active during the day Occurring every day; happening in the daytime (rather than at night)

veritable

adj. being truly named; real or genuine

amuck

adj. frenzied, esp. violently

nightmarish

adj. frightening, terrifying, horrible, like a nightmare

beleaguered

adj. harassed; besieged

coarse

adj. not fine or smooth; not delicate

apocalyptic

adj. prophetic; pertaining to revelations especially of disaster; N. apocalypse describing the very serious damage and destruction in past or future events

meek

adj. quiet and obedient; spiritless

Iranian

adj. 伊朗的；伊朗人的；伊朗语的 - n. 伊朗人；伊朗语

unbounded

adj.having no boundaries or limits

retiring

adj: to be shy, and to be inclined to retract from company

scurvy

adjective arousing disgust or scorn : CONTEMPTIBLE, DESPICABLE <a scurvy trick> noun a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C and characterized by spongy gums, loosening of the teeth, and a bleeding into the skin and mucous membranes

quotidian

adjective 1 : occurring every day <quotidian fever> 2 a : belonging to each day : EVERYDAY <quotidian routine> b : COMMONPLACE, ORDINARY <quotidian drabness>

roundabout

adjective: CIRCUITOUS, INDIRECT <had to take a roundabout route> noun: 1 : a circuitous route : DETOUR 2 British : MERRY-GO-ROUND 3 : a short close-fitting jacket worn by men and boys especially in the 19th century 4 British : ROTARY 2

tempestuous

adjective: as if driven by turbulent or conflicting emotions; highly energetic and wildly changing or fluctuating

edifying

adjective: enlightening or uplifting so as to encourage intellectual or moral improvement

penurious

adjective: lacking money; poor (adj.) miserly, stingy (Stella complained that her husband's penurious ways made it impossible to live the lifestyle she felt she deserved.)

lascivious

adjective: lecherous; sexually perverte, libidinous, prurient feeling or revealing an overt and often offensive sexual desire

elaborate

adjective: marked by complexity and richness of detai To explain in greater detail

genteel

adjective: marked by refinement in taste and manner

incumbent

adjective: necessary (for someone) as a duty or responsibility

contemptuous

adjective: scornful, looking down at others with a sneering attitud

provisional

adjective: serving for the time being : TEMPORARY <a provisional government> noun: a postage stamp for use until a regular issue appears compare DEFINITIVE

diabolical

adjective: to be extremely wicked like the devil

blinkered

adjective: to have a limited outlook or understanding, Narrow-minded

provisional

adjective: under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed upon

provisional

adjective: under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed upon conditional; temporary; tentative

autonomously

adverb: In an autonomous or self-governing manner acting independently

myopic

affected by a condition in which the visual images come to a focus in front of the retina of the eye resulting especially in defective vision of distant objects <so myopic that he used glasses even to read> Synonyms： nearsighted, shortsighted

truculence

aggressiveness; ferocity

vigilant

alertly watchful especially to avoid danger synonyms see WATCHFUL

posterity

all future generations

disarming

allaying criticism or hostility : INGRATIATING <a disarming smile>

all but

almost very nearly all except

querulous

always complaining

opera buffo

an 18th century farcical comic opera with dialogue in recitative

opera serie

an 18th century opera with a heroic or legendary subject

screed

an abusive rant that has since become tedious and hackneyed

recrimination

an accusation in response to one from someone else

malapropism

an act or habit of misusing words ridiculously, especially by the confusion of words that are similar in sound.

edification

an act or process of edifying (to instruct and improve especially in moral and religious knowledge : UPLIFT; also : ENLIGHTEN, INFORM)

consiglieri

an advisor, especially to a crime boss noun - A counselor or advisor, especially to Mafia bosses.

prudent

characterized by, arising from, or showing prudence : as a : marked by wisdom or judiciousness <prudent advice> b : shrewd in the management of practical affairs <prudent investors> c : marked by circumspection : DISCREET d : PROVIDENT, FRUGAL synonyms see WISE

philanthropy

charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness (n) efforts to improve the well-being of humankind, generally through giving money

tawdry

cheap and gaudy in appearance or quality; also : IGNOBLE <a tawdry attempt to smear his opponent> synonyms see GAUDY

stunted

checked in natural growth, held back in growth prevent from growing or developing properly

paramount

chief in importance, above all others

Canterbury

city SE England in Kent population 34,404

Jerusalem

city SW Asia NW of Dead Sea; divided 194867 between Jordan (old city) & Israel (new city); capital of Israel since 1950 & formerly capital of ancient kingdoms of Israel & Judah; old city under Israeli control since 1967 population 657,500

limpid

clear; transparent

scrutiny

close examination; minute inspection; a careful watch

maladroit

clumsy; unskillful

corral

collect or gather

consummate

complete or perfect in the highest degree; to bring to a state of completion or perfection

chaotic

completely unordered and unpredictable and confusing extremely disorderly

imbroglio

complicated situation; an entanglement noun: a confusing and potentially embarrassing situation

agrarian

concerning farms, farmers, or the use of land

coda

concluding part of a literary or musical composition; something that summarizes or concludes

denouement

conclusion; resolution; the falling action of a story after its climax the final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.

clash

conflict a state of conflict between persons, colors, objects

confound

confuse; puzzle

granular

consisting of or appearing to consist of granules : GRAINY 颗粒状的

extant

continue to exsist

ascendancy

controlling influence; position of controlling influence; CF. in the ascendant noun: the state that exists when one person or group has power over another

plucky

courageous; spunky

exegesis

critical explanation or interpretation of a text or portion of a text, especially of the Bible.

execrate

curse or declare to be evil or anathema or threaten with divine punishment

protuberant

curving outward ~ eyes bulging outward

fell

cut or knock down (a tree or a person); bring down (with a missile) cruel; (of a disease) deadly

topical

dealing with current subject matter; relevant

decadent

decaying overly luxurious and lacking moral discipline; excessive (adj) decaying or decayed, especially in terms of morals

specious

deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious

contrite

deeply sorrowful and repentatnt for a wrong

unpopulated

desolate, (of a place) having no inhabitants

demolition

destruction the act or process of wrecking or destroying, especially destruction by explosives

didacticism

didactic. a 1 a : designed or intended to teach b : intended to convey instruction and information as well as pleasure and entertainment <didactic poetry> 2 : making moral observations

abstruse

difficult to understand; obscure

rambling

disconnected, not keeping with the subject to walk or go from one place to another place without a specific goal, purpose, or direction

sardonic

disdainfully or skeptically humorous : derisively mocking <a sardonic comment> synonyms see SARCASTIC

disenfranchisement

disenfranchise: to deprive of a franchise, of a legal right, or of some privilege or immunity; especially : to deprive of the right to vote

tantamount

equivalent in value, significance, or effect <a relationship tantamount to marriage>

doting

excessively fond, loving to excess

gleeful

excited and happy because sth you have done or as a result of someone elses mistake

motile

exhibiting or capable of movement a person whose prevailing mental imagery takes the form of inner feelings of action

cohesive

exhibiting or producing cohesion or coherence <a cohesive social unit> <cohesive soils>

ubiquitous

existing or being everywhere at the same time : constantly encountered : WIDESPREAD <a ubiquitous fashion>

derisive

expressing or causing derision <derisive laughter> derision: 1 a : the use of ridicule or scorn to show contempt b : a state of being derided 2 : an object of ridicule or scorn

retroactive

extending in scope or effect to a prior time or to conditions that existed or originated in the past; especially : made effective as of a date prior to enactment, promulgation, or imposition <retroactive tax>

phenomenal

extraordinary, exceptional, remarkable, unusual

wrath

extreme anger (n.) vengeful anger, punishment (Did you really want to incur her wrath when she is known for inflicting the worst punishments legally possible?

irate

extremely angry

excruciating

extremely painful agonizing, torturing

physiognomy

facial features

mulct

fine someone; swindle or defraud someone

trenchant

forceful or vigorous, effective, keen; caustic, sharp (adj.) effective, articulate, clear-cut (The directions that accompanied my new cell phone were trenchant and easy to follow.

prescience

foreknowledge of events: a : divine omniscience b : human anticipation of the course of events : FORESIGHT

prescience

foreknowledge of events; knowing of events prior to their occurring noun: the power to foresee the future

prophetic

foretelling events as if by divine inspiration.

dissertation

formal essay; treatise A formal and long paper, written for a degree at a university or college

interrogation

formal questioning by persons in authority, especially in the church

aggregate

formed by the collection of units or particles into a body, mass, or amount : COLLECTIVE: as a (1) : clustered in a dense mass or head <an aggregate flower> (2) : formed from several separate ovaries of a single flower <aggregate fruit> b : composed of mineral crystals of one or more kinds or of mineral rock fragments c : taking all units as a whole <aggregate sales>

nonpartisan

free from party ties or bias

guileless

free of cunning or deceit; artless frank; straightforward; honest

ice-free

free of ice, no ice

latitude

freedom from normal restraints and limitations, to choose what you do and the way you do it

disenchantment

freeing from false belief or illusions

pristine

fresh and clean; uncorrupted

unstinting

giving generously; not holding back stint intransitive verb 1 archaic : STOP, DESIST 2 : to be sparing or frugal <not stinting with their praise> transitive verb 1 archaic : to put an end to : STOP 2 a archaic : to limit within certain boundaries b : to restrict with respect to a share or allowance <stinted herself of luxuries>

satisfactory

giving satisfaction : ADEQUATE <a satisfactory performance> Synonyms DECENT 4, acceptable, adequate, all right, good, sufficient, tolerable, unexceptionable, unexceptional, unimpeachable

obdurate

hardening in feeling; resistant to persuasion unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; stubbornly resistant to moral influence; persistently impenitent.

contumely

harsh language or treatment arising from haughtiness and contempt; also : an instance of such language or treatment

cacophony

harsh or discordant sound : DISSONANCE 2; specifically : harshness in the sound of words or phrases

misanthropic

hating mankind (Hostile), hating mankind in general, believing the worst of human nature and motives

precedented

having a precedent - a previous act/decision/case that's serves as a guide for subsequent situations Supported by having a precedent

on the bleeding edge

having the most advanced technology; knowing about the most advanced technology. (Alludes to the cutting edge of a sword.) <This gadget is brand new. It's really on the bleeding edge.>< Tom is on the leading edge when it comes to optical storage technology.>

riveting

having the power to fix the attention : ENGROSSING, FASCINATING <a riveting story>

audible

heard or capable of being heard

halting

hesitant; faltering characterized by starting and stopping; uncertain and lacking confidence

demur

hesitate; refuse

enticing

highly attractive and able to arouse hope or desire

agog

highly excited by eagerness

obnoxious

highly offensive, arousing strong dislike

foil

hinder or prevent of, thwart noun: a piece of thin and flexible sheet metal

stymy

hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of

cornucopia

horn overflowing with fruit and grain; state of abundance

choleric

hot-tempered; quick to anger

afoul

in a state of entanglement

congruent

in agreement; harmonious; corresponding; coinciding exactly; CF. congruous

incorrigible

incapable of being corrected or amended: as a (1) : not reformable : DEPRAVED (2) : DELINQUENT b : not manageable : UNRULY c : UNALTERABLE, INVETERATE

ineffable

incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible; not to be spoken because of its sacredness; unutterable. It is said that the experience of playing with a dolphin is ineffable and can only be understood through direct encounter.

coalesce

intransitive verb 1 : to grow together 2 a : to unite into a whole : FUSE <separate townships have coalesced into a single, sprawling colony — Donald Gould> b : to unite for a common end : join forces <people with different points of view coalesce into opposing factions — I. L. Horowitz> 3 : to arise from the combination of distinct elements <an organized and a popular resistance immediately coalesced — C. C. Menges> transitive verb : to cause to unite <sometimes a book coalesces a public into a mass market — Walter Meade> synonyms see MIX

revolt

intransitive verb 1 : to renounce allegiance or subjection (as to a government) : REBEL 2 a : to experience disgust or shock b : to turn away with disgust transitive verb : to cause to turn away or shrink with disgust or abhorrence

echo

intransitive verb 1 : to resound with echoes 2 : to produce an echo transitive verb 1 a : REPEAT, IMITATE <children echoing their teacher's words> b : to restate in support or agreement <his successor echoed his opinion> c : to be reminiscent of : EVOKE <music that echoes an earlier time> 2 : to send back (a sound) by the reflection of sound waves

subscribe

intransitive verb 1 : to sign one's name to a document 2 a : to give consent or approval to something written by signing <unwilling to subscribe to the agreement> b : to set one's name to a paper in token of promise to give something (as a sum of money); also : to give something in accordance with such a promise c : to enter one's name for a publication or service; also : to receive a periodical or service regularly on order <subscribed to many magazines> d : to agree to purchase and pay for securities especially of a new offering <subscribed for 1000 shares> 3 : to feel favorably disposed <I subscribe to your sentiments> synonyms see ASSENT

lapse

intransitive verb 1 a : to fall from an attained and usually high level (as of morals or manners) to one much lower; also : to depart from an accepted pattern or standard b : SINK, SLIP <lapsed into unconsciousness> 2 : to go out of existence : CEASE <after a few polite exchanges, the conversation lapsed> 3 : to pass from one proprietor to another or from an original owner by omission or negligence <allowed the insurance policy to lapse> 4 : to glide along : PASS <time lapses> transitive verb : to let slip : FORFEIT <all of those who have lapsed their membership — AAUP Bulletin>

tumble

intransitive verb 1 a : to fall suddenly and helplessly b : to suffer a sudden downfall, overthrow, or defeat c : to decline suddenly and sharply (as in price) : DROP <the stock market tumbled> d : to fall into ruin : COLLAPSE 2 a : to perform gymnastic feats in tumbling b : to turn end over end in falling or flight 3 : to roll over and over, to and fro, or end over end : TOSS 4 : to issue forth hurriedly and confusedly 5 : to come by chance : STUMBLE 6 : to come to understand : CATCH ON <didn't tumble to the seriousness of the problem> transitive verb 1 : to cause to tumble (as by pushing or toppling) 2 a : to throw together in a confused mass b : RUMPLE, DISORDER 3 : to whirl in a tumbling barrel

jar

intransitive verb 1 a : to make a harsh or discordant sound b : to have a harshly disagreeable or disconcerting effect c : to be out of harmony; specifically : BICKER 2 : to undergo severe vibration transitive verb : to cause to jar: as a : to affect disagreeably : UNSETTLE b : to make unstable or loose : SHAKE <jar the ball free>

falter

intransitive verb 1 a : to walk unsteadily : STUMBLE b : to give way : TOTTER <could feel my legs faltering> c : to move waveringly or hesitatingly 2 : to speak brokenly or weakly : STAMMER <her voice faltered> 3 a : to hesitate in purpose or action : WAVER <he never faltered in his determination> b : to lose drive or effectiveness <the business was faltering> transitive verb : to utter hesitatingly or brokenly synonyms see HESITATE

sprawling

intransitive verb 1 a archaic : to lie thrashing or tossing about b : to creep or clamber awkwardly 2 : to lie or sit with arms and legs spread out 3 : to spread or develop irregularly or without restraint <bushes sprawling along the road> <sprawling suburbs> <a sprawling narrative> transitive verb : to cause to spread out carelessly or awkwardly <sprawled out her books on the table>

quail

intransitive verb 1 a chiefly dialect : WITHER, DECLINE b : to give way : FALTER <his courage never quailed> 2 : to recoil in dread or terror : COWER <the strongest quail before financial ruin — Samuel Butler died 1902> transitive verb archaic : to make fearful synonyms see RECOIL 鹌鹑；胆怯，退缩

dwindle

intransitive verb : to become steadily less : SHRINK transitive verb : to make steadily less synonyms see DECREASE

convene

intransitive verb : to come together in a body transitive verb 1 : to summon before a tribunal 2 : to cause to assemble synonyms see SUMMON

schmooze

intransitive verb : to converse informally : CHAT; also : to chat in a friendly and persuasive manner especially so as to gain favor, business, or connections transitive verb : to engage in schmoozing with <she schmoozed her professors>

dispute

intransitive verb : to engage in argument : DEBATE; especially : to argue irritably or with irritating persistence transitive verb 1 a : to make the subject of disputation <legislators hotly disputed the bill> b : to call into question <her honesty was never disputed> 2 a : to struggle against : OPPOSE <disputed the advance of the invaders> b : to contend over <both sides disputed the bridgehead>

hie

intransitive verb : to go quickly : HASTEN transitive verb : to cause (oneself) to go quickly

hobble

intransitive verb : to move along unsteadily or with difficulty; especially : to limp along transitive verb 1 : to cause to limp : make lame : CRIPPLE 2 [probably alteration of hopple to hobble] a : to fasten together the legs of (as a horse) to prevent straying : FETTER b : to place under handicap : HAMPER, IMPEDE

machinate

intransitive verb : to plan or plot especially to do harm transitive verb : to scheme or contrive to bring about : PLOT

sap

intransitive verb : to proceed by digging a sap transitive verb 1 : to subvert by digging or eroding the substratum or foundation : UNDERMINE 2 a : to gradually diminish the supply or intensity of <sapped her strength> b : to weaken or exhaust the energy or vitality of <the illness sapped him of his stamina> 3 : to operate against or pierce by a sap synonyms see WEAKEN

regolith

mantlerock, unconsolidated residual or transported material that overlies the solid rock on the earth, moon, or a planet 风化层 " Those imaged at high-resolution show evidence for copious regolith despite the weak gravity。"

deadpan

marked by an impassive matter-of-fact manner, style, or expression <a deadpan comedy>

madcap

marked by capriciousness, recklessness, or foolishness

disheveled

marked by disorder or disarray <disheveled hair>

chivalrous

marked by honor, courtesy, and courage; knightly

punctilious

marked by or concerned about precise accordance with the details of codes or conventions

punctilious

marked by or concerned about precise accordance with the details of codes or conventions synonyms see CAREFUL

contemplative

marked by or given to contemplation; specifically : of or relating to a religious order devoted to prayer and penance

vociferous

marked by or given to vehement insistent outcry

abstemious

marked by restraint especially in the consumption of food or alcohol; also : reflecting such restraint <an abstemious diet>

sparse

meager, scant; scattered, not dense

peccadillo

minor sin or offense

malfeasance

misconduct or wrongdoing, especially by a public official

nothing if not

more than anything else， very

progressive

moving forward; a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties. in favor of new ideas, modern methods and change

manoeuvre

n. a plan for attaining a particular goal 同义词: tactic | tactics | maneuver a military training exercise 同义词: maneuver | simulated military operation a deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity and skill 同义词: maneuver | play a move made to gain a tactical end 同义词: maneuver | tactical maneuver | tactical manoeuvre an action aimed at evading an opponent 同义词: maneuver | evasive action v. act in order to achieve a certain goal 同义词: maneuver | manoeuver direct the course; determine the direction of travelling 同义词: steer | maneuver | manoeuver | direct | point | head | guide | channelize | channelise perform a movement in military or naval tactics in order to secure an advantage in attack or defense 同义词: manoeuver | maneuver | operate

scrutiny

n. the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes) 同义词: examination a prolonged intense look

efflorescence

n. The state of being flowery, or a flowery appearance. Flower, the period of greatest prosperity and productivity

melee

n. a noisy, confused fight

bustle

n. energetic, often noisy, activity; a stir; v. to move about energetically v. To hurry.

eclat

n. great brilliance, as of performance or achievement; conspicuous success

venue

n. the location where something takes place, esp. a trial

derelict

negligent; (of someone) neglectful of duty; (of something) deserted by an owner; abandoned; N: abandoned property; homeless or vagrant person (adj.) abandoned, run-down (Even though it was dangerous, the children enjoyed going to the deserted lot and playing in the derelict house.)

jar

nonsensical talk; specialized language

nary

not a, no

unbidden

not bidden : UNASKED, UNINVITED <barged in unbidden>

inimitable

not capable of being imitated : MATCHLESS <her own inimitable style> "Yet among English writers Dickens is, as he once called himself, part-jesting and part-serious, 'the inimitable.'"

demanding

not easily satisfied or please

untoward

not favorable, troublesome, unruly

spuriously

not genuine, false, fake or phony

unimpeachable

not impeachable: as a : reliable beyond a doubt <unimpeachable evidence> <an unimpeachable source> b : not liable to accusation : IRREPROACHABLE <an unimpeachable reputation> cannot deny or question

dispassionate

not influenced by strong feeling; especially : not affected by personal or emotional involvement <a dispassionate critic> <a dispassionate approach to an issue> synonyms see FAIR

illicit

not permitted : UNLAWFUL

implacable

not placable : not capable of being appeased, significantly changed, or mitigated <an implacable enemy>

irrevocable

not possible to revoke : UNALTERABLE <an irrevocable decision>

inscrutable

not readily investigated, interpreted, or understood : MYSTERIOUS <an inscrutable smile> <inscrutable motives>

ineluctable

not to be avoided, changed, or resisted : INEVITABLE <an ineluctable fate>

inexorable

not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped : RELENTLESS <inexorable progress>

inviolate

not violated or profaned; especially : PURE that has been, or must be, respected and cannot be attacked or destroyed

urbane

notably polite or polished in manner synonyms see SUAVE

hoard

noun a supply or fund stored up and often hidden away verb to keep (as one's thoughts) to oneself

rupture

noun 1 : breach of peace or concord; specifically : open hostility or war between nations 2 a : the tearing apart of a tissue <rupture of the heart muscle> <rupture of an intervertebral disk> b : HERNIA 3 : a breaking apart or the state of being broken apart verb 1 a : to part by violence : BREAK, BURST b : to create or induce a breach of 2 : to produce a rupture in

duress

noun 1 : forcible restraint or restriction 2 : compulsion by threat; specifically : unlawful constraint

palaver

noun 1 a : a long parley usually between persons of different cultures or levels of sophistication b : CONFERENCE, DISCUSSION 2 a : idle talk b : misleading or beguiling speech intransitive verb 1 : to talk profusely or idly 2 : PARLEY transitive verb : to use palaver to : CAJOLE 交涉；空谈；奉承，恭维

goldbrick

noun 1 a : a worthless brick that appears to be of gold b : something that appears to be valuable but is actually worthless 2 : a person who shirks assigned work transitive verb : SWINDLE ( to obtain money or property by fraud or deceit ) intransitive verb : to shirk duty or responsibility

tiff

noun Synonyms QUARREL, altercation, bickering, dispute, falling-out, miff, rhubarb, run-in, spat, squabble verb

perusal

noun peruse 1 a : to examine or consider with attention and in detail : STUDY b : to look over or through in a casual or cursory manner 2 : READ; especially : to read over in an attentive or leisurely manner

husk

noun, a : an outer layer : SHELL b : an emptied shell : REMNANT c : a supporting framework verb, to strip the husk from

myriad

noun, adjective 1 : INNUMERABLE <those myriad problems>; also : both numerous and diverse <myriad topics> 2 : having innumerable aspects or elements <the myriad activity of the new land — Meridel Le Sueur

sop

noun,verb 1 chiefly dialect : a piece of food dipped or steeped in a liquid 2 : a conciliatory or propitiatory bribe, gift, or gesture

languor

noun. Lack of physical or mental energy the state or feeling, often pleasant, of tiredness or inertia

drivel

noun. nonsense; foolishness; V: talk nonsense

interface

noun/transitive verb 1 : to connect by means of an interface <interface a machine with a computer> 2 : to serve as an interface for intransitive verb 1 : to become interfaced 2 : to interact or coordinate harmoniously

marshal

noun/verb 1 : to place in proper rank or position <marshaling the troops> 2 : to bring together and order in an appropriate or effective way <marshal arguments> 3 : to lead ceremoniously or solicitously : USHER <marshaling her little group of children down the street> intransitive verb : to take form or order <ideas marshaling neatly> synonyms see ORDER

raconteur

noun: a person skilled in telling anecdote

arriviste

noun: a person who has recently reached a position of power; a social climber a person who has recently acquired unaccustomed status, wealth, or success, especially by dubious means and without earning concomitant esteem.

perquisite

noun: a right reserved exclusively by a particular person or group (especially a hereditary or official right

smattering

noun: a slight or superficial understanding of a subject; a small amount of something

palimpsest

noun: something that has been changed numerous times but on which traces of former iterations can still be see

travail

noun: use of physical or mental energy; hard work; agony or anguish

gorge

noun／verb： 1 : THROAT often used with rise to indicate revulsion accompanied by a sensation of constriction <my gorge rises at the sight of blood> 2 a : a hawk's crop b : STOMACH, BELLY 3 : the entrance into an outwork (as a bastion) of a fort 4 : a narrow passage through land; especially : a narrow steep-walled canyon or part of a canyon 5 : a primitive device used instead of a fishhook that consists of an object (as a piece of bone attached in the middle of a line) easy to swallow but difficult to eject 6 : a mass choking a passage <a river dammed by an ice gorge> 7 : the line on the front of a coat or jacket formed by the crease of the lapel and collar

sporadic

occurring occasionally, singly, or in irregular or random instances <sporadic protests> <a sporadic disease> synonyms see INFREQUENT

moot

of no matter or consequence, not important. (adj.) open to discussion and debate, unresolved; (v.) to bring up for discussion; (n.) a hypothetical law case argued by students

Solutrean

of or relating to an Upper Paleolithic culture characterized by leaf-shaped finely flaked stone implements Solutre: a village in center France

narcissistic

of or relating to narcissism : 1 : EGOISM, EGOCENTRISM 2 : love of or sexual desire for one's own body

revelatory

of or relating to revelation : serving to reveal something

spherical

of or relating to the shape of a sphere

despotic

of, relating to, or characteristic of a despot 1 a : a Byzantine emperor or prince b : a bishop or patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church c : an Italian hereditary prince or military leader during the Renaissance 2 a : a ruler with absolute power and authority b : a person exercising power tyrannically

quarry

one that is sought or pursued : PREY

thriller

one that thrills; especially : a work of fiction or drama designed to hold the interest by the use of a high degree of intrigue, adventure, or suspense

crusader

one who is intensely or excessively devoted to a cause see ZEALOT (one who is intensely or excessively devoted to a cause <some people called John a zealot because he was always crusading for human rights> Synonyms crusader, fanatic, militant, partisan )

prescribed

order, given

stagger

so great as to cause one to stagger : ASTONISHING, OVERWHELMING <a staggering feat> <staggering medical bills> Synonyms MARVELOUS 1, amazing, astonishing, astounding, miraculous, spectacular, strange, surprising, wonderful, wondrous "It is a complicated story, with a staggering variety of terms, schools, leaders, and techniques, so any overview must necessarily leave out many important details. "

pugilist

someone who fights with fists for sports fighter, boxer

plodder

someone who moves slowly, not a quick thinker

nuanced

something possessed of fine or subtle distinction, slight differences Describing an argument having *subtle differences in meaning*; sophisticated, having many sides, *complex*

provocation

something that incites or provokes action or speech that makes someone annoyed or angry, especially deliberately

stopgap

something that serves as a temporary expedient : MAKESHIFT <stopgap measures> synonyms see RESOURCE

ailing

somewhat ill or prone to illness

intertribal

songs or dances based on the Plains styles with which traditions of various other tribes are combined

scintillating

sparkling, twinkling, exceptionally brilliant

pontificate

speak pompously or dogmatically

submissive

submitting to others <submissive employees> Synonyms TAME, domestic, domesticated, domitae naturae, subdued Related Words complying, conformable, obeying; bowing down, un-erect; menial, servile, slavish, subservient Antonyms rebellious 2 Synonyms PASSIVE 2, acquiescent, nonresistant, nonresisting, resigned, unresistant, unresisting, yielding

bilious

suffering from indigestion; sick from having too much bile; irritable; easily irritated

lachrymose

suggestive of or tending to cause tears; mournful; tearful. showing sorrow

pouty

sulky, depressed, somber, angry

synopsis

summary (n.) a brief statement giving a general view of some subject, book, etc.; a summary

conducive

supportive; encouraging; helping to bring about

capitulation

surrender under stated conditions

sway

swing from side to side; influence (someone) to change one's opinion to move slowly from side to side

plagiarism

taking credit for someone else's writing or ideas, Copying someone else's words or ideas without permission or giving proper credit to the person

conducive

tending to cause or bring about

convergent

tending to move toward one point or to approach each other

reminiscent

tending to remind : SUGGESTIVE to recall to mind of a long-forgotten experience or fact

oeuvre

the complete work of an artist, composer, or writer

elevation

the height to which something is elevated : as a : the angular distance of something (as a celestial object) above the horizon b : the degree to which a gun is aimed above the horizon c : the height above the level of the sea : ALTITUDE "He was aware that it was bilaterally symmetrical and subdivided into four lobes."

leatherback

the largest existing sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) distinguished by its flexible carapace composed of a mosaic of small bones embedded in a thick leathery skin

espionage

the practice of spying or using spies to obtain information about the plans and activities especially of a foreign government or a competing company <industrial espionage>

delivery

the presentation of a speech to an audience

magnanimity

the quality of being generously noble in mind and heart, esp. in forgiving

reportage

the reporting of news, for the press and the broadcast media; factual presentation in a book or other text, especially when this adopts a journalistic style.

legalese

the specialized language of the legal profession <replaced legalese with plain talk — Steve Weinberg>

inception

the start of an institution, an organization, etc

paleontology

the study of fossils or extinct organisms

effect

to bring about, to make happen

rehash

to bring back in another similar form To rework old material into a new form

push the envelope

to expand the definition, categorization, dimensions, or perimeters of something. <The engineers wanted to completely redesign the product, but couldn't push the envelope because of a very restricted budget.> Exceed the limits of what is normally done, be innovative, as in <They are pushing the envelope in using only new fabrics for winter clothing. > This idiom comes from aviation, the envelope alluding to the technical limits of a plane's performance, which, on a graph, appear as a rising slope as limits of speed and stress are approached and falls off when the capacity is exceeded and the pilot loses control; safety lies within these limits, or envelope, and exceeding them exposes pilot and plane to risk.

carp

to find fault or complain querulously

navigate

to find one's way to deal with a difficult or complicated situation

redeem

to free from what distresses or harms: as a : to free from captivity by payment of ransom b : to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental c : to release from blame or debt : CLEAR d : to free from the consequences of sin

coagulate

transitive verb 1 : to cause to become viscous or thickened into a coherent mass : CURDLE, CLOT 2 : to gather together or form into a mass or group intransitive verb : to become coagulated to alter by chemical reaction from a liquid to a more or less firm jelly <the blood coagulated and closed the wound> Synonyms clot, congeal, gel, gelate, gelatinize, jell, jellify, jelly, set

congeal

transitive verb 1 : to change from a fluid to a solid state by or as if by cold 2 : to make viscid or curdled : COAGULATE 3 : to make rigid, fixed, or immobile intransitive verb : to become congealed : SOLIDIFY

conjure

transitive verb 1 : to charge or entreat earnestly or solemnly 2 a : to summon by or as if by invocation or incantation b (1) : to affect or effect by or as if by magic (2) : IMAGINE, CONTRIVE often used with up <we conjure up our own metaphors for our own needs — R. J. Kaufmann> (3) : to bring to mind <words that conjure pleasant images> often used with up <conjure up memories> "To describe a style as Faulknerian or Beckettian or Nabakovian conjures up a host of literary moods, dispositions, and temperaments that coalesce to form an imprint as distinctive as a genetic code."

dampen

transitive verb 1 : to check or diminish the activity or vigor of : DEADEN <the heat dampened our spirits> 2 : to make damp <the shower barely dampened the ground> 3 : DAMP 1c intransitive verb 1 : to become damp 2 : to become deadened or depressed

decree

transitive verb 1 : to command or enjoin by or as if by decree <decree an amnesty> 2 : to determine or order judicially <decree a punishment> intransitive verb : ORDAIN 法令，敕令，颁布

taint

transitive verb 1 : to contaminate morally : CORRUPT <scholarship tainted by envy> 2 : to affect with putrefaction : SPOIL 3 : to touch or affect slightly with something bad <persons tainted with prejudice> intransitive verb 1 obsolete : to become weak 2 : to become affected with putrefaction : SPOIL synonyms see CONTAMINATE

demise

transitive verb 1 : to convey (as an estate) by will or lease 2 : obsolete : CONVEY, GIVE 3 : to transmit by succession or inheritance intransitive verb 1 : DIE, DECEASE 2 : to pass by descent or bequest <the property has demised to the king's heirs>

jockey

transitive verb 1 : to deal shrewdly or fraudulently with 2 a : to ride or drive (a horse) as a jockey b : DRIVE, OPERATE 3 a : to maneuver or manipulate by adroit or devious means <was jockeyed out of the job> b : to change the position of by a series of movements <jockey a truck into position> intransitive verb 1 : to act as a jockey 2 : to maneuver for advantage often used in the phrase jockey for position

tarnish

transitive verb 1 : to dull or destroy the luster of by or as if by air, dust, or dirt : SOIL, STAIN 2 a : to detract from the good quality of : VITIATE <his fine dreams now slightly tarnished> b : to bring disgrace on : SULLY <the scandal has tarnished his reputation> intransitive verb : to become tarnished

rear

transitive verb 1 : to erect by building : CONSTRUCT 2 : to raise upright 3 a (1) : to breed and raise (an animal) for use or market (2) : to bring to maturity or self-sufficiency usually through nurturing care <reared five children> <birds rearing their young> b : to cause (as plants) to grow 4 : to cause (a horse) to rise up on the hind legs intransitive verb 1 : to rise high 2 of a horse : to rise up on the hind legs synonyms see LIFT

conciliate

transitive verb 1 : to gain (as goodwill) by pleasing acts 2 : to make compatible : RECONCILE 3 : APPEASE intransitive verb : to become friendly or agreeable synonyms see PACIFY

consign

transitive verb 1 : to give over to another's care 2 : to give, transfer, or deliver into the hands or control of another; also : to commit especially to a final destination or fate <a writer consigned to oblivion> 3 : to send or address to an agent to be cared for or sold intransitive verb obsolete : AGREE, SUBMIT synonyms see COMMIT

beguile

transitive verb 1 : to lead by deception 2 : HOODWINK 3 : to while away especially by some agreeable occupation; also : DIVERT 2 4 : to engage the interest of by or as if by guile intransitive verb : to deceive by wiles synonyms see DECEIVE

perforate

transitive verb 1 : to make a hole through <an ulcer perforates the duodenal wall>; especially : to make a line of holes in to facilitate separation 2 : to pass through or into by or as if by making a hole intransitive verb : to penetrate a surface

modify

transitive verb 1 : to make less extreme : MODERATE 2 a : to limit or restrict the meaning of especially in a grammatical construction b : to change (a vowel) by umlaut 3 a : to make minor changes in b : to make basic or fundamental changes in often to give a new orientation to or to serve a new end <the wing of a bird is an arm modified for flying> intransitive verb : to undergo change synonyms see CHANGE "point out a factor that may modify the extent of certain findings"

mollify

transitive verb 1 : to soothe in temper or disposition : APPEASE <mollified the staff with a raise> 2 : to reduce the rigidity of : SOFTEN 3 : to reduce in intensity : ASSUAGE, TEMPER intransitive verb archaic : SOFTEN, RELENT synonyms see PACIFY

tout

transitive verb 1 : to spy on : WATCH 2 a British : to spy out information about (as a racing stable or horse) b : to give a tip or solicit bets on (a racehorse) 3 : to solicit, peddle, or persuade importunately <not meant to tout you off the movie — Russell Baker> 4 : to make much of : PROMOTE, TALK UP <touted as the summer's blockbuster movie> <the college's much touted women's studies program> intransitive verb 1 : to solicit patronage 2 a chiefly British : to spy on racehorses in training to gain information for betting b : to give a tip or solicit bets on a racehorse

prophesy

transitive verb 1 : to utter by or as if by divine inspiration 2 : to predict with assurance or on the basis of mystic knowledge 3 : PREFIGURE intransitive verb 1 : to speak as if divinely inspired 2 : to give instruction in religious matters : PREACH 3 : to make a prediction synonyms see FORETELL

interweave

transitive verb 1 : to weave together 2 : to mix or blend together <interweaving his own insights . . . with letters and memoirs — Phoebe Adams> intransitive verb : INTERTWINE, INTERMINGLE

huddle

transitive verb 1 British : to arrange carelessly or hurriedly 2 a : to crowd together b : to draw (oneself) together : CROUCH 3 : to wrap closely in (as clothes) intransitive verb 1 a : to gather in a close-packed group b : to curl up : CROUCH 2 a : to hold a consultation b : to gather in a huddle in football

mesh

transitive verb 1 a : ENMESH, ENTANGLE b : to catch in the openings of a net 2 : to cause to resemble network 3 a : to cause (as gears) to engage b : to coordinate closely : INTERLOCK intransitive verb 1 : to become entangled in or as if in meshes 2 : to be in or come into mesh used especially of gears 3 : to fit or work together properly

hail

transitive verb 1 a : SALUTE, GREET b : to greet with enthusiastic approval : ACCLAIM 2 : to greet or summon by calling <hail a taxi> intransitive verb : to call out; especially : to call a greeting to a passing ship

purge

transitive verb 1 a : to clear of guilt b : to free from moral or ceremonial defilement 2 a : to cause evacuation from (as the bowels) b (1) : to make free of something unwanted <purge a manhole of gas> <purge yourself of fear> (2) : to free (as a boiler) of sediment or relieve (as a steam pipe) of trapped air by bleeding c (1) : to rid (as a nation or party) by a purge (2) : to get rid of <the leaders had been purged> <His first act as leader was to purge the party of extremists.><He purged extremists from the party.> intransitive verb 1 : to become purged 2 : to have or produce frequent evacuations 3 : to cause purgation

dispense

transitive verb 1 a : to deal out in portions b : ADMINISTER <dispense justice> 2 : to give dispensation to : EXEMPT 3 : to prepare and distribute (medication) intransitive verb archaic : to grant dispensation synonyms see DISTRIBUTE

deploy

transitive verb 1 a : to extend (a military unit) especially in width b : to place in battle formation or appropriate positions 2 : to spread out, utilize, or arrange for a deliberate purpose <deploy a sales force> <deploy a parachute> intransitive verb : to move, spread out, or function while being deployed <the troops deployed along the front> <the parachute failed to deploy> 展开；部署；利用

hemmed

transitive verb 1 a : to finish with a hem b : BORDER, EDGE 2 : to surround in a restrictive manner : CONFINE usually used with in <hemmed in by enemy troops> intransitive verb : to make a hem in sewing

groove

transitive verb 1 a : to make a groove in b : to join by a groove 2 : to perfect by repeated practice <grooved her golf swing> 3 : to throw (a pitch) in the groove intransitive verb 1 : to become joined or fitted by a groove 2 : to form a groove 3 : to enjoy oneself intensely 4 : to interact harmoniously <contemporary minds and rock groove together — Benjamin DeMott> 沟，渠，槽

broach

transitive verb 1 a : to pierce (as a cask) in order to draw the contents; also : to open for the first time b : to open up or break into (as a mine or stores) 2 : to shape or enlarge (a hole) with a broach 3 a : to make known for the first time b : to open up (a subject) for discussion intransitive verb : to break the surface from below synonyms see EXPRESS

reform

transitive verb 1 a : to put or change into an improved form or condition b : to amend or improve by change of form or removal of faults or abuses 2 : to put an end to (an evil) by enforcing or introducing a better method or course of action 3 : to induce or cause to abandon evil ways <reform a drunkard> 4 a : to subject (hydrocarbons) to cracking b : to produce (as gasoline or gas) by cracking intransitive verb : to become changed for the better synonyms see CORRECT

parse

transitive verb 1 a : to resolve (as a sentence) into component parts of speech and describe them grammatically b : to describe grammatically by stating the part of speech and explaining the inflection and syntactical relationships 2 : to examine in a minute way : analyze critically <having trouble parsing . . . explanations for dwindling market shares — R. S. Anson> intransitive verb 1 : to give a grammatical description of a word or a group of words 2 : to admit of being parsed

imbibe

transitive verb 1 archaic : SOAK, STEEP 2 a : to receive into the mind and retain <imbibe moral principles> b : to assimilate or take into solution 3 a : DRINK b : to take in or up <a sponge imbibes moisture> intransitive verb 1 : DRINK 2 2 a : to take in liquid b : to absorb or assimilate moisture, gas, light, or heat

detract

transitive verb 1 archaic : to speak ill of 2 archaic : to take away 3 : DIVERT <detract attention> intransitive verb : to diminish the importance, value, or effectiveness of something often used with from <small errors that do not seriously detract from the book>

endeavor

transitive verb 1 archaic : to strive to achieve or reach 2 : to attempt (as the fulfillment of an obligation) by exertion of effort <endeavors to finish the race> intransitive verb : to work with set purpose synonyms see ATTEMPT

renege

transitive verb : DENY, RENOUNCE intransitive verb 1 obsolete : to make a denial 2 : REVOKE 3 : to go back on a promise or commitment

vaccinate

transitive verb : to administer a vaccine to usually by injection intransitive verb : to perform or practice vaccination

behoove

transitive verb : to be necessary, proper, or advantageous for <it behooves us to go> intransitive verb : to be necessary, fit, or proper

derogative

transitive verb : to cause to seem inferior : DISPARAGE intransitive verb 1 : to take away a part so as to impair : DETRACT 2 : to act beneath one's position or character

deem

transitive verb : to come to think or judge : CONSIDER <deemed it wise to go slow> intransitive verb : to have an opinion : BELIEVE

dissimulation

transitive verb : to hide under a false appearance <smiled to dissimulate her urgency — Alice Glenday> intransitive verb : DISSEMBLE

repose

transitive verb : to lay at rest intransitive verb 1 a : to lie at rest b : to lie dead <reposing in state> c : to remain still or concealed 2 : to take a rest 3 archaic : RELY 4 : to rest for support : LIE

all but

very nearly : ALMOST <would be all but impossible>

minuscule

very small

devolved

transitive verb : to pass on (as responsibility, rights, or powers) from one person or entity to another <devolving to western Europe full responsibility for its own defense — Christopher Lane> intransitive verb 1 a : to pass by transmission or succession <the estate devolved on a distant cousin> b : to fall or be passed usually as a responsibility or obligation <the responsibility for breadwinning has devolved increasingly upon women — Barbara Ehrenreich> 2 : to come by or as if by flowing down <his allegedly subversive campaigns . . . devolve from his belief in basic American rights — Frank Deford> 3 : to degenerate through a gradual change or evolution <where order devolves into chaos — Johns Hopkins Magazine>

plagiarize

transitive verb : to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's production) without crediting the source intransitive verb : to commit literary theft : present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source

tantalize

transitive verb : to tease or torment by or as if by presenting something desirable to the view but continually keeping it out of reach intransitive verb : to cause one to be tantalized Synonyms WORRY 1, annoy, bedevil, beleaguer, gnaw, hagride, harass, harry, pester, plague Related Words badger, bait; frustrate

premeditate

transitive verb : to think about and revolve in the mind beforehand intransitive verb : to think, consider, or deliberate beforehand

scrawl

transitive verb : to write or draw awkwardly, hastily, or carelessly <scrawled his name> intransitive verb : to write awkwardly or carelessly

imperil

transitive verb. to put at risk; endanger; synonyms: endanger, hazard, jeopardize

coddle

treat gently; indulge excessively; pamper; mollycoddle; baby; cook in water just below boiling point; Ex. coddled eggs

stratagem

trick designed to deceive an enemy a clever trick used to deceive or outwit

grueling

trying or taxing to the point of exhaustion : PUNISHING <a grueling race>

hindsight

understanding the nature of an event after it has actually happened

stolid

unemotional; lacking sensitivity Charles's stolid reaction to his wife's funeral differed from the passion he showed at the time of her death.

inadvertently

unintentionally; by oversight; carelessly

affectation

unnatural or artificial behavior, usually intended to impress behavior that is assumed rather than natural; artificially

heretofore

up to this time : HITHERTO

heretofore

up to this time; before this time

corroborate

v. establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts 同义词: confirm | sustain | substantiate | support | affirm give evidence for 同义词: validate support with evidence or authority or make more certain or confirm 同义词: underpin | bear out | support

thwart

v. prervent, stop, hinder (v.) to oppose successfully; to prevent, frustrate

behoove = behove

v. to be necessary or proper for

hedge

v. to protect against possible loss by taking compensatory measures; to avoid making a direct statement any barrier or boundary; an act or means of preventing complete loss of a bet, an argument, an investment, or the like, with a partially counterbalancing or qualifying one; to prevent or hinder free movement; obstruct.

batter

v/n 1 a : to beat with successive blows so as to bruise, shatter, or demolish b : BOMBARD 2 : to subject to strong, overwhelming, or repeated attack <battered by forces of change> 3 : to wear or damage by hard usage or blows <a battered old hat> intransitive verb : to strike heavily and repeatedly : BEAT synonyms see MAIM "a porous body such as a rubble pile can withstand a battering much better than an integral object."

potential

v/n possible, the possibility of sth happening or being developed or used; qualities that exist and can be developed

underpin

v/n. to support; foundation

wag

verb to move to and fro or up and down especially with quick jerky motions to move in chatter or gossip <scandal caused tongues to wag> noun 1 : WIT, JOKER 2 obsolete : a young man : CHAP

obscure

verb 1 : to make dark, dim, or indistinct 2 : to conceal or hide by or as if by covering 3 : to reduce (a vowel) to the value \\

balk

verb 1 : to stop short and refuse to proceed 2 : to refuse abruptly used with at <Congress balked at putting up the money — Thomas Fleming> 3 : to commit a balk in sports

heighten

verb to make or become high or higher; to make or become more extreme or intense

rave

verb, noun 1 a : to talk irrationally in or as if in delirium b : to speak out wildly c : to talk with extreme enthusiasm <raved about its beauty> 2 : to move or advance violently : STORM <the iced gusts still rave and beat — John Keats>

importuned

verb: beg persistently and urgently

hail

verb: enthusiastically acclaim or celebrate something to greet with praise and enthusiasm

guffaw

verb: laugh boisterously noun: a loud or boisterous burst of laughter

hector

verb: to bully or intimidate

defray

verb: to help pay the cost of, either in part of full

stem

verb: to hold back or limit the flow or growth of something

vituperation

verbal abuse or castigation; violent denunciation or condemnation.

decisively

very important for at the final result of a particular situation. able to decide sth quickly and with confidence