Wordlist 30
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xederaWordlist 30
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xederaexploit – something unusual, brave, or funny that someone has done:
- She was telling me about her exploits while travelling around Africa.
the real deal - the facts about something:
- The booklet gives you the real deal on smoking.
disconcert – to make someone feel suddenly uncertain and worried:
- The whole experience had disconcerted him.
hunt – B2 to try to find something or someone:
- I've hunted all over the place, but I can't find that book.
- They are still hunting for the missing child.
sickening – extremely unpleasant and causing you to feel shock and anger:
- The slaves were treated with sickening cruelty.
spiny – covered with spines (= long, sharp points like needles)
grotesque – strange and unpleasant, especially in a silly or slightly frightening way:
- By now she'd had so much cosmetic surgery that she looked quite grotesque.
elongated – longer and thinner than usual:
- In the photo her face was slightly elongated.
exotic – B2 unusual and often exciting because of coming (or seeming to come) from far away,
especially a tropical country:
- exotic flowers/food/designs
dual – C1 with two parts, or combining two things:
- This room has a dual purpose, serving as both a study and a dining room.
experimental – C2 relating to tests, especially scientific ones:
- The drug is still at the experimental stage (= is still being tested).
fascinating – B2 extremely interesting:
- The book offers a fascinating glimpse of the lives of the rich and famous.
archipelago – a group of small islands or an area of sea in which there are many small islands:
- the Hawaiian archipelago
boast – C2 to have or own something to be proud of:
- Ireland boasts beautiful beaches, great restaurants, and friendly locals.
bizarre – B2 very strange and unusual:
- a bizarre situation
penetrate – to move into or through something:
- Amazingly, the bullet did not penetrate his brain.
extinct – C1 not now existing:
- There is concern that the giant panda will soon become extinct.
relieved – B2 happy that something unpleasant has not happened or has ended:
- I'm so relieved to find you - I thought you'd already gone
vulnerable – C2 able to be easily physically, emotionally, or mentally hurt, influenced, or
attacked:
- I felt very vulnerable, standing there without any clothes on.
decimate – to kill a large number of something, or to reduce something severely:
- Populations of endangered animals have been decimated.
bring sth on – to make something happen, usually something bad:
- The loud music brought on another one of his headaches.
catastrophe – C2 a sudden event that causes very great trouble or destruction:
- They were warned of the ecological catastrophe to come.
cliché – C2 a saying or remark that is very often made and is therefore not original and not
interesting:
- My wedding day - and I know it's a cliché - was just the happiest day of my life.
a treasure trove of sth – a place that is full of something good:
- a treasure trove of information
- Though small, this museum is a veritable treasure trove of history.
conserve – to keep and protect something from damage, change, or waste:
- To conserve electricity, we are cutting down on our central heating.
constitute – C1 to be or be considered as something:
- This latest defeat constitutes a major setback for the government.
ephemeral – lasting for only a short time:
- Fame in the world of rock and pop is largely ephemeral.
arresting – very attractive in a way that attracts a lot of attention:
- an arresting-looking woman
raconteur – someone who tells funny or interesting stories:
- He was a brilliant raconteur.
spice sth up – to add excitement or interest to a speech, story, or performance:
- He'd spiced up his speech with a few rude jokes.
plough UK (US plow) – to dig land with a plough:
- Farmers start ploughing in the spring.
infuriate – to make someone extremely angry:
- His sexist attitude infuriates me.
unearth – to discover something in the ground:
- Building at the site was halted after human remains were unearthed earlier this month.
lurk – to wait or move in a secret way so that you cannot be seen, especially because you are
about to attack someone or do something wrong:
- Someone was lurking in the shadows.
foray – a short visit, especially with a known purpose:
- I made a quick foray into town before lunch to get my sister a present.
fetch up – to arrive somewhere, especially without intending to:
- After a whole hour of driving, we fetched up back where we started.
at the expense of sb (also at sb's expense) – C2 making another person look silly:
- Would you stop making jokes at my expense?
exaggeration – C1 the fact of making something seem larger, more important, better, or worse
than it really is:
- Sal reckons over 60 people were there but I think that's a slight exaggeration.
crag – a high, rough mass of rock that sticks out from the land around it
swamp – (an area of) very wet, soft land:
- an alligator-infested swamp
relieve yourself – polite word for urinate:
- He proceeded to relieve himself against a tree.
levity (formal) – humour or lack of seriousness, especially during a serious occasion:
- a brief moment of levity amid the solemn proceedings
dung – solid waste from animals, especially cattle and horses
sacred – C1 considered to be holy and deserving respect, especially because of a connection
with a god:
- sacred relics/temples
vivid – B2 Vivid descriptions, memories, etc. produce very clear, powerful, and detailed images
in the mind:
- He gave a very vivid and often shocking account/description of his time in prison.
