Sir Faisal Amin

308. Charity (n) [countable] An organization that gives money, goods, or help to people who are poor, sick etc [↪ charitable]:
Several charities sent aid to the flood victims.
Refugees living on charity(=money or gifts given to help people who are poor, sick etc)
Her pride wouldn't allow her to accept charity.

309. I’ll get you nowhere (adv)  (=to have no success or make no progress)
A negative attitude will get you nowhere.
I soon realized that being tough was getting me nowhere fast (=was not helping me achieve anything).


310. blank face/look/expression/eyes
Zoe looked at me with a blank expression.
She gazed at him in blank astonishment.
311. Parting (v)
He gave her a light kiss on parting.
An emotional parting at the airport(=an occasion when two people leave each other)
The moment of parting
312. Confide (v) BrE / kənfaɪd / NAmE / kənfaɪd /
to tell sb secrets and personal information that you do not want other people to know
~ sth (to sb) She confided all her secrets to her best friend.
~ (to sb) that… He confided to me that he had applied for another job.
+ speech ‘It was a lie,’ he confided.
Confide in sb to tell sb secrets and personal information because you feel you can trust them
It is important to have someone you can confide in.
She used to confide in him whenever she had a problem.

313. Have an accident (v)
She  had an accident last year.
314. Counter (v)
to do something in order to prevent something bad from happening or to reduce its bad effects:
Exercise helps to counter the effects of stress.
He was determined to counter the bribery allegations.(= to say something in order to try to prove that what someone said was not true or as a reply to something)
315. Pamper (v) to look after someone very kindly, for example by giving them the things that they want and making them feel warm and comfortable:
She spent her childhood as the pampered daughter of a wealthy family.

316. Accuse sb of sth/doing sth (v)
He was accused of murder.
Smith accused her of lying.
The professor stands accused of (=has been accused of) stealing his student's ideas and publishing them.


317. Anyway (adv)= in spite of the fact that you have just mentioned:
Catherine wasn't sure the book was the right one, but she bought it anyway.
This idea probably won't work, but let's try it anyway.
►Used when adding something that corrects or slightly changes what you have just said:
Let's think about it for a while, for a few days anyway.
There seems to have been a technical problem - anyway, that's what they told me.
318. Cuddle/hug/embrace (v)
to hold someone or something very close to you with your arms around them, especially to show that you love them [↪ hug]:
Both friends were cuddling on the sofa.
cuddle up (phrasal verb)
to lie or sit very close to someone or something
cuddle up to/together
The children cuddled up to each other for warmth.
We stood there crying and hugging each other(=to put your arms around someone and hold them tightly to show love or friendship) (= embrace)
She went to her daughter and hugged her tightly.

319. I’ve splitting headache.(=a very bad headache)
320. Wave (v)
She turned to wave to the approaching soldiers.
Enid waved at us and we waved back.
The nurses came out to wave Grand dad goodbye. (=say goodbye to someone by waving to them)
321. Bring disgrace on sb (v)
His actions brought disgrace on the family.(= the loss of other people's respect because you have done something they strongly disapprove of)
The UK rail system is a national disgrace.(= used to say that something or someone is so bad or unacceptable that the people involved with them should feel ashamed)
You are a disgrace to the medical profession.
It's an absolute disgrace, the way he treats his wife.
322. Come up to sth (Phrv)
This doesn't come up to the standard of your usual work.(= to reach a particular standard or to be as good as you expected)
The resort certainly failed to come up to expectations.

323. Forgive (v)
I've tried to forgive him.
He never forgave her for walking out on him(=to leave your husband, wife etc suddenly and go and live somewhere else)
If anything happened to the kids I'd never forgive myself.
He didn't look the sort of man to forgive and forget (=forgive someone and no longer think about it).

324. Mislead (v)
Politicians have misled the public.
Don't be misled by appearances, he's a good worker.
Don't be misled into thinking that scientific research is easy.
325. Hide and seek (n)
A children's game in which one player shuts their eyes while the others hide, and then goes to look for them.
326. Naughty/puckish (adj)
You're a very naughty boy! Look what you've done!(= a naughty child does not obey adults and behaves badly)
327. Opportunity (n)
This is an ideal opportunity to save money on a holiday to Switzerland.
Games and songs provide the perfect opportunity for classroom interaction and language development.
When the opportunity for promotion came, I wanted to be ready.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your hard work.
The view of America as a land of opportunity
Our window of opportunity for winning the championship is the next couple of seasons.

328. Fragile /delicate (adj)
fragile bones(=easily broken or damaged)
Be careful with that vase - it's very fragile.
The country's fragile economy (=a fragile situation is one that is weak or uncertain, and likely to become worse under pressure)
Relations between the two countries are in a fragile state.
The party's fragile unity.

329. Fray (v) if cloth or other material frays, or if something frays it, the threads become loose because the material is old
The collar had started to fray on Ed's coat.
He had frayed the bottom of his jeans.
330. Frayed (adj)
The carpet was badly frayed.

331. Embroil (v) to involve someone or something in a difficult situation
I became embroiled in an argument with the taxi driver.

332. Take revenge on sb (v)
He took revenge on his employers by setting fire to the factory.
333. Baffle (v) if something baffles you, you cannot understand or explain it at all
The question baffled me completely.
334. Rely/rest/bank/count on sb/sth/ (Phrv)
Many working women rely on relatives to help take care of their children
Many people now rely on the Internet for news.
They have to rely on the river for their water (=to depend on something in order to continue to live or exist)
(formal) Success in management ultimately rests on good judgment.
I was banking on being able to get some coffee on the train.
You can count on me.
We're all counting on winning this contract.
They were counting on him not coming out of hospital.


335. Breeze/Mickey-mouse-job/doddle (n,Idm, n)
Don't think that learning English will be a breeze.

336. Simultaneous (adj) BrE / sɪmlteɪniəs /  NAmE / saɪmlteɪniəs /
happening or done at the same time as sth else
There were several simultaneous attacks by the rebels.
Any ceasefire would be simultaneous with the withdrawal of US forces.
simultaneous translation/interpreting
simultaneity / BrE sɪmltəneɪəti ; NAmE saɪmltəniəti / noun [ uncountable ]
simultaneously / BrE sɪmlteɪniəsli ; NAmE saɪmlteɪniəsli / adverb
The game will be broadcast simultaneously on TV and radio.

337. Beat about the bush (Idm) to avoid or delay talking about something embarrassing or unpleasant:
Don't beat around the bush. Ask for your account.
338. Exploit(v) /ûk"spléût/ [transitive] to treat someone unfairly by asking them to do things for you, but giving them very little in return - used to show disapproval:
Home workers can easily be exploited by employers.
To try to get as much as you can out of a situation, sometimes unfairly:
The violence was blamed on thugs(=a violent man) exploiting the situation.
To use something fully and effectively:
The new TV companies are fully exploiting the potential of satellite transmission.
To develop and use minerals, forests, oil etc for business or industry:
The urgent need to exploit the resources of the Irish Sea.

339. Be(hell) bent on doing sth (Idm)
very determined to do something, especially something that other people do not approve of
Young people who are hell-bent on having a good time.
340. Expletive (n) ( formal ) BrE / ɪksplitɪv / NAmE / eksplətɪv /
A rude word that you use when you are angry or in pain, for example 'shit' [= swear word]
He smoked and drank heavily, and his language was rich in expletives
He dropped the book on his foot and muttered several expletives under his breath.

341. It is beyond me.
To be too difficult for someone to understand:
The whole problem was quite beyond him.
Why Joan ever married such an idiot in the first place is beyond me.

342. Bicker over sth with sb (v)
to argue, especially about something very unimportant:
I wish you two would stop bickering.
Bicker about/over
They kept bickering over who should answer the phone.
343. Bingo! (interj) used when you have just done something successfully and are pleased:
Bingo! That's the one I've been looking for.

344. Think/Speak ill of sb (Idm) (formal) to think or say unpleasant things about someone:
She really believes you should never speak ill of the dead.

345. Behind sb’s back (Idm) without sb’s knowledge or permission:
Have you been talking about me behind my back.

346. Blaze up/flare up (Phrv) to suddenly become very angry.
When I heard the new I blazed up.

347. Blind man’s buff/bluff (Idm) a children's game in which one player whose eyes are covered tries to catch the others

348. Blind fold (v,n) to cover someone's eyes with a piece of cloth:
Blindfold the prisoner!
The hostages were tied up and blindfolded.
(Noun) a piece of cloth that covers someone's eyes to prevent them from seeing anything
(adjective, also blindfolded) With eyes covered.
The reporter was taken blindfold(ed) to a secret location.
(adverb) I could do that blindfold(=very easily, with no problems).
I knew the way home blindfold(=because it was so familiar)

349. Keep sth dark (Idm) to keep sth secret and not tell people about it.
He’s got two children? Well he has kept that dark, hasn’t he!

350. Blood shed (n) BrE / blʌdʃed / NAmE / blʌdʃed /
the killing or wounding of people, usually during fighting or a war
The two sides called a truce to avoid further bloodshed.
The march ended in violence and bloodshed.

351. Drag  somebody/something up (phrasal verb)
to mention an unpleasant or embarrassing story from the past, even though it upsets someone:
Why do you have to drag that up again?
drag something out (phrasal verb)
to make an event or situation last longer than is necessary:
Neither of them wanted to drag the divorce out longer than they had to.
Be dragged up (British English) if a child is dragged up, their parents do not teach them to behave properly - used humorously:
Those children have been dragged up, not brought up!
drag something out (phrasal verb)
To make an event or situation last longer than is necessary:
Neither of them wanted to drag the divorce out longer than they had to.
352 Split hair (Idm) to argue that there is a difference between two things, when the difference is really too  small to be important:
This is just splitting hairs.
353. Stone (v)to throw stones at someone or something:
Rioters blocked roads and stoned vehicles.
stone somebody to death to kill someone by throwing stones at them, used as a punishment
354. Pensive (adj)pensûv BrE / pensɪv /
thinking deeply about sth, especially because you are sad or worried
a pensive mood
to look pensive
pensively / BrE pensɪvli ; NAmE pensɪvli / adverb
thinking a lot about something, especially because you are worried or sad:
He gazed pensively out of the window.

355. You haven’t lived. you haven't lived (if/until...) (spoken) used to say that someone's life will be boring if they do not do a particular exciting thing:
You haven't lived until you've tasted champagne.
356. be in seventh heaven (idm,informal) to be extremely happy
Now that he’s promoted he’s in seventh heaven.

357. Deserted (adj) empty and quiet because no people are there:
The streets were deserted.
The old mine now stands completely deserted.
deserted wife/husband/child etc a wife etc who has been left by her husband etc

358. Bumpy (adj) BrE / bʌmpi / NAmE / bʌmpi / ( bump • ier , bumpi • est )
1 ( of a surface ) not even; with a lot of bumps
a bumpy road/track
bumpy ground
2 ( of a journey ) uncomfortable with a lot of sudden unpleasant movements caused by the road surface, weather conditions, etc
a bumpy ride/flight
Have/give sb a bumpy ride
to have a difficult time; to make a situation difficult for sb
359. Fag (n) BrE / fæɡ / NAmE / fæɡ /
1 [ countable ] ( BrE , informal ) = cigarette
2 [ singular ] ( BrE , informal ) something that is boring and tiring to do
It's too much of a fag to go out.
Travelling all that way to work every day is a real fag.
360. Gumption BrE / ɡʌmpʃn / NAmE / ɡʌmpʃn / noun
[ uncountable ] ( old-fashioned , informal )
1 the intelligence needed to know what to do in a particular situation
He didn't have the gumption to keep his mouth shut.
2 courage and determination
She won't tell him because she hasn't got the gumption.
361. Drowse (v)  BrE / draʊz / NAmE / draʊz / [ intransitive ]
to be in a light sleep or almost asleep
My mother was sitting on the porch drowsing in the sun.
362. Plod (v) BrE / plɒd / NAmE / plɑd / ( -dd- ) [ intransitive ,  transitive ]
to walk slowly with heavy steps, especially because you are tired =trudge
 Our horses plodded down the muddy track.
We plodded on through the rain.
Plod along/on to make very slow progress, especially with difficult or boring work.
363. Eradicate BrE / ɪrædɪkeɪt / NAmE / ɪrædɪkeɪt / verb =root sth out (Phrv)
to destroy or get rid of sth completely, especially sth bad =wipe out
~ sth from sth We are determined to eradicate racism from our sport.
eradica tion / BrE ɪrædɪkeɪʃn ; NAmE ɪrædɪkeɪʃn / noun [ uncountable ]
364. Get in sb’s hair (Idm) to annoy someone, especially by always being near them.
keep your hair on (British English) (spoken) used to tell someone to keep calm and not get annoyed:
All right, all right, keep your hair on! I'm sorry.

365. Rumble/see through sb/sth (v,Phrv)
to realize that someone is trying to deceive you:
I saw through his excuses.
I could never lie to her because I know she'd see through me straight away.
I can't bluff - she'd see right through me.

rumble(v) [transitive] (British English informal) to find out what someone is secretly intending to do:
How did you rumble them?
rumble on (phrasal verb)
if a disagreement rumbles on, it continues for a long time:
The row about pay is still rumbling on.
366. I’m in a rush/haste/hurry.
367. Repent (v) BrE / rɪpent / NAmE / rɪpent / [ intransitive ,  transitive ] ( formal )
to feel and show that you are sorry for sth bad or wrong that you have done
God welcomes the sinner who repents.
~ of sth She had repented of what she had done.
~ sth He came to repent his hasty decision (= wished he had not taken it) .

368. Shape up (Phrv)
1 to develop in a particular way, especially in a good way
Our plans are shaping up nicely (= showing signs that they will be successful) .
2 ( informal ) to improve your behaviour, work harder, etc
If he doesn't shape up, he'll soon be out of a job.
369. the accused BrE / əkjuzd / NAmE / əkjuzd / noun ( pl. the ac • cused )
a person who is on trial for committing a crime
The accused was found innocent.
All the accused have pleaded guilty.
370. Run  (v) BrE / rʌn / NAmE / rʌn /
run after sb/sth to run to try to catch sb/sth =pursue
run around with sb ( NAmE also run with sb ) ( usually disapproving ) to spend a lot of time with sb
He's always running around with older men.
run at sb [ no passive ] to run towards sb to attack or as if to attack them
He ran at me with a knife.
run away (from sb/…) to leave sb/a place suddenly; to escape from sb/a place
He ran away from home at the age of thirteen.
Looking at all the accusing faces, she felt a sudden urge to run away.

run away from sth to try to avoid sth because you are shy, lack confidence, etc
You can't just run away from the situation.

run away with you if a feeling runs away with you , it gets out of your control
Her imagination tends to run away with her.

run away/off with sb | run away/off (together) to leave home, your husband, wife, etc. in order to have a relationship with another person
She ran away with her boss.
She and her boss ran away together.

run away with sth
1 to win sth clearly or easily
2 to believe sth that is not true
I don't want you to run away with the impression that all I do is have meetings all day.

run back over sth to discuss or consider sth again =review
I'll run back over the procedure once again.

run down
1 to lose power or stop working
The battery has run down.
2 to gradually stop functioning or become smaller in size or number
British manufacturing industry has been running down for years.



run sth down
1 to make sth lose power or stop working
If you leave your headlights on you'll soon run down the battery.
2 to make sth gradually stop functioning or become smaller in size or number
The company is running down its sales force.

run sb/sth down
1 ( of a vehicle or its driver ) to hit sb/sth and knock them/it to the ground
2 to criticize sb/sth in an unkind way
He's always running her down in front of other people.
3 to find sb/sth after a search

run into sb ( informal ) to meet sb by chance
Guess who I ran into today!

run into sth
1 to enter an area of bad weather while travelling
We ran into thick fog on the way home.
2 to experience difficulties, etc
Be careful not to run into debt.
to run into danger/trouble/difficulties
3 to reach a particular level or amount
Her income runs into six figures (= is more than £100 000, $100 000, etc.) .

run into sb/sth to crash into sb/sth
The bus went out of control and ran into a line of people.

run sth into sb/sth to make a vehicle crash into sb/sth
He ran his car into a tree.
run off ( BrE ) ( of a liquid ) to flow out of a container
run off with sth to steal sth and take it away
The treasurer had run off with the club's funds.

run on to continue without stopping; to continue longer than is necessary or expected
The meeting will finish promptly—I don't want it to run on.

run out
1 if a supply of sth runs out , it is used up or finished
Time is running out for the trapped miners.
2 if an agreement or a document runs out , it becomes no longer valid =expire

run out (of sth) to use up or finish a supply of sth
We ran out of fuel.
Could I have a cigarette? I seem to have run out.

run out on sb ( informal ) to leave sb that you live with, especially when they need your help

run sb out [ often passive ] ( in cricket ) to make a player stop batting by hitting the wicket with the ball before the player has completed his or her run



run over if a container or its contents run over , the contents come over the edge of the container =overflow

run sb/sth over ( of a vehicle or its driver ) to knock a person or an animal down and drive over their body or a part of it
Two children were run over and killed.

run over sth to read through or practise sth quickly
She ran over her notes before giving the lecture.

run through sth
1 to discuss, repeat or read sth quickly
He ran through the names on the list.
Could we run through your proposals once again?
2 [ no passive ] to pass quickly through sth
An angry murmur ran through the crowd.
Thoughts of revenge kept running through his mind.
3 [ no passive ] to be present in every part of sth
A deep melancholy runs through her poetry.
4 to perform, act or practise sth
Can we run through Scene 3 again, please?
related noun run-through
5 to use up or spend money carelessly
She ran through the entire amount within two years.

run to sth
1 to be of a particular size or amount
The book runs to nearly 800 pages.
2 ( especially BrE ) if you or your money will not run to sth , you do not have enough money for sth
Our funds won't run to a trip abroad this year.

run up against sth to experience a difficulty
The government is running up against considerable opposition to its tax reforms.

run with sth to accept or start to use a particular idea or method
OK, let's run with Jan's suggestion.

371. Take  (v)
be taken aback (idm)
to be very surprised about something:
Emma was somewhat taken aback by his directness.
take after somebody (phrasal verb)
to look or behave like an older relative:
Jenni really takes after her mother.
take somebody/something apart (phrasal verb)
1) to separate something into all its different parts [≠ put together]:
Tom was always taking things apart in the garage.
2) to search a place very thoroughly:
The police took the house apart looking for clues.
3)  to beat someone very easily in a game, sport, fight etc
4) to show that someone is wrong or something is not true:
Tariq takes several gay myths apart in his book.
take against somebody/something (phrasal verb)
to begin to dislike someone or something, especially without a good reason:
Voters took against the relationship between the government and the unions in the 1970s.
take somebody/something ↔ away (phrasal verb)
1) to remove someone or something, or make something disappear:
She whisked the tray off the table and took it away.
He was taken away to begin a prison sentence.
This should take some of the pain away.
take away from something (phrasal verb)
to spoil the good effect or success that something has:
The disagreement between the two men should not take away from their accomplishments.
1) take something ↔ back
to admit that you were wrong to say something:
You'd better take back that remark!
2)  take something ↔ back
to take something you have bought back to a shop because it is not suitable:
If the shirt doesn't fit, take it back.
3)   to make you remember a time in the past:
Having the grandchildren around takes me back to the days when my own children were small.
take something ↔ down phrasal verb
1) to move something that is fixed in a high position to a lower position:
She made us take down all the posters.
2) to write down information:
Can I just take some details down?
take somebody/something ↔ in phrasal verb
1)  be taken in to be completely deceived by someone who lies to you:
Don't be taken in by products claiming to help you lose weight in a week.
2)  take somebody ↔ in
to let someone stay in your house because they have nowhere else to stay:
Brett's always taking in stray animals.
3)  take something ↔ in
to understand and remember new facts and information [= absorb]:
He watches the older kids, just taking it all in.
His eyes quickly took in the elegance of her dress.

4)  take something ↔ in (American English) to collect or earn a particular amount of money:
5)   to visit a place while you are in the area:
They continued a few miles further to take in Hinton House.
8)  take something ↔ in
to make a piece of clothing fit you by making it narrower [≠ let out]
take off phrasal verb
1) remove take something ↔ off
to remove a piece of clothing [≠ put on]:
He sat on the bed to take his boots off.
Charlie was taking off his shirt when the phone rang.
2) aircraft: if an aircraft takes off, it rises into the air from the ground [= lift off; ↪ takeoff]:
I felt quite excited as the plane took off from Heathrow.
3)success: to suddenly start being successful:
Mimi became jealous when Jack's career started taking off.
4) holiday: take something off (something) to have a holiday from work on a particular day, or for a particular length of time
take time off (work/school)
I rang my boss and arranged to take some time off.
take a day/the afternoon etc off
Dad took the day off to come with me.
5) copy somebody take somebody ↔ off (British English informal)
to copy the way someone speaks or behaves, in order to entertain people
take somebody/something ↔ on (phrasal verb)
1)  take somebody ↔ on to start to employ someone [↪ hire]:
We're taking on 50 new staff this year.
2)  take something ↔ on to agree to do some work or be responsible for something:
Don't take on too much work - the extra cash isn't worth it.
3)  take something ↔ on to begin to have a particular quality or appearance:
Her face took on a fierce expression.
His life had taken on a new dimension.
4)  take somebody ↔ on to compete against someone or start a fight with someone, especially someone bigger or better than you:
Nigeria will take on Argentina in the first round of the World Cup on Saturday.
He was prepared to take on anyone who laid a finger on us.
5)  take something ↔ on if a plane or ship takes on people or things, they come onto it:
We stopped to take on fuel.


take somebody/something ↔ out (phrasal verb)
1)  take somebody ↔ out to take someone as your guest to a restaurant, cinema, club etc
take somebody ↔ out for
We're taking my folks out for a meal next week.
2)  take something ↔ out to make a financial or legal arrangement with a bank, company, law court etc
take out a policy/injunction/loan etc
Before taking a loan out, calculate your monthly outgoings.
3)  take something ↔ out to get money from your bank account [= withdraw]:
How much would you like to take out?
4)  take something ↔ out to borrow books from a library:
You can take out six books at a time.
5)  take somebody/something ↔ out (informal) to kill someone or destroy something:
The building was taken out by a bomb.
take something out on somebody (phrasal verb)
to treat someone badly when you are angry or upset, even though it is not their fault:
Don't take it out on me just because you've had a bad day.
take your anger/frustration etc out on somebody
Irritated with herself, she took her annoyance out on Bridget.
take over (phrasal verb)
to take control of something [↪ takeover]
take something ↔ over
His only reason for investing in the company was to take it over.
Ruth moved into our apartment and promptly took over.
take to somebody/something phrasal verb
1) to start to like someone or something:
Sandra took to it straight away.
Charles was an odd character whom Kelly had never really taken to.
2)  to start doing something regularly
take to doing something
Dee's taken to getting up at 6 and going jogging.
3)  take to your bed: to get into your bed and stay there:
He was so depressed, he took to his bed for a week.
take something up (phrasal verb)
1)  take something ↔ up to become interested in a new activity and to spend time doing it:
Roger took painting up for a while, but soon lost interest.
2) to start a new job or have a new responsibility:
Peter will take up the management of the finance department.
take up a post/a position/duties etc
The headteacher takes her duties up in August.
3)  take something ↔ up if you take up a suggestion, problem, complaint etc, you start to do something about it:
Now the papers have taken up the story.
take something ↔ up with
The hospital manager has promised to take the matter up with the member of staff involved.
I am still very angry and will be taking it up with the authorities.
4)  to fill a particular amount of time or space
be taken up with something
The little time I had outside of school was taken up with work.
take up space/room
old books that were taking up space in the office
5)  take something ↔ up to accept a suggestion, offer, or idea:
Rob took up the invitation to visit.
take up the challenge/gauntlet
Rick took up the challenge and cycled the 250 mile route alone.
6) to move to the exact place where you should be, so that you are ready to do something:
The runners are taking up their positions on the starting line.
7)  take something ↔ up to make a piece of clothing shorter [≠ let down]
8)  take something ↔ up to continue a story or activity that you or someone else had begun, after a short break:
I'll take up the story where you left off.
take somebody up on something (phrasal verb)
to accept an invitation or suggestion
take somebody up on an offer/a promise/a suggestion etc
I'll take you up on that offer of a drink, if it still stands.
372. blink verb,  BrE / blɪŋk / NAmE / blɪŋk /
1 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] ~ (sth) when you blink or blink your eyes or your eyes blink , you shut and open your eyes quickly
He blinked in the bright sunlight.
Lucy blinked at him in astonishment.
I'll be back before you can blink (= very quickly) .
When I told him the news he didn't even blink (= showed no surprise at all) .
2 [ intransitive ] to shine with an unsteady light; to flash on and off
Suddenly a warning light blinked.

blink sth away/back to try to control tears or clear your eyes by blinking
She bravely blinked back her tears.


[ usually singular noun ]
the act of shutting and opening your eyes very quickly
in the blink of an eye
very quickly; in a short time
on the blink ( informal ) ( of a machine ) no longer working correctly
373. A loser always bites his lips. (  Khisyani billi khamba nochay )
374. A pot is calling the kettle black. ( Ulta chor kotwaal ko daantay )
375. A drowning man catches at a straw. ( Girtay ko tinkay ka sahara )
376. Eat to live but don’t live to eat. ( Jinay kay liay khao khanay kay liay na jeo
377. Live and let us live. ( Geo ur ginay do)

378. Flog BrE / flɒɡ / NAmE / flɑɡ / verb
1 [ often passive ] ~ sb to punish sb by hitting them many times with a whip or stick
He was publicly flogged for breaking the country's alcohol laws.
2 ( BrE , informal ) to sell sth to sb
~ sth (to sb) She flogged her guitar to another student.
~ sth (off) We buy them cheaply and then flog them off at a profit.
~ sb sth I had a letter from a company trying to flog me insurance.
flog a dead horse ( BrE , informal ) to waste your effort by trying to do sth that is no longer possible
flog sth to death ( BrE , informal ) to use an idea, a story, etc. so often that it is no longer interesting
The story has been flogged to death in the press.

379. Beauty with the beast (Idm) ( Hoor ki baghal main langoor )
380. Cast pearls before swine. ( Bhains kay agay been bajana )
381. Guilty conscious needs no accuser. ( Choor ki dari main tinka )

382. bad blood (between A and B) ( old-fashioned ) feelings of hatred or strong dislike
be after/out for sb's blood ( informal , often humorous ) to be angry with sb and want to hurt or punish them
be/run in your blood
to be a natural part of your character and of the character of other members of your family

blood is thicker than water ( saying ) family relationships are stronger than any others

sb's blood is up ( BrE ) somebody is very angry and ready to argue or fight

like getting blood out of/from a stone
almost impossible to obtain
Getting an apology from him was like getting blood from a stone.

make sb's blood boil
to make sb extremely angry
The way he treats his employees really makes my blood boil.
make sb's blood run cold
to make sb very frightened or fill them with horror
The sound of laughter in the empty house made my blood run cold.

new/fresh blood
new members or employees, especially young ones, with new ideas or ways of doing things
This company badly needs to bring in some new blood.

383. Steal the show/limelight/scene
to do something, especially when you are acting in a play, that makes people pay more attention to you than to other people:
As always, the children stole the show.
British bands stole the show at this year’s awards.
He stole the show with a marvellous performance.

384. Stay up/awake (adj)
I was finding it hard to stay awake.

385. be/get carried away
to get very excited or lose control of your feelings
I got carried away and started shouting at the television.
carry sb back (to sth) to make sb remember a time in the past
The smell of the sea carried her back to her childhood.

carry sth off
1 to win sth
He carried off most of the prizes.
2 to succeed in doing sth that most people would find difficult
She's had her hair cut really short, but she can carry it off .

carry on
1 ( especially BrE ) to continue moving
Carry on until you get to the junction, then turn left.
2 ( informal ) to argue or complain noisily
He was shouting and carrying on.

carry on (with sth) | carry sth on to continue doing sth
Carry on with your work while I'm away.
After he left I just tried to carry on as normal (= do the things I usually do) .
Carry on the good work!
~ doing sth He carried on peeling the potatoes.

carry sth out
1 to do sth that you have said you will do or have been asked to do
to carry out a promise/a threat/a plan/an order
2 to do and complete a task
to carry out an inquiry/an investigation/a survey
Extensive tests have been carried out on the patient.



carry sth over
to delay sth until a later time
The match had to be carried over until Sunday.

carry sb through | carry sb through sth to help sb to survive a difficult period
His determination carried him through the ordeal.

carry sth through to complete sth successfully
It's a difficult job but she's the person to carry it through.

carry through (on/with sth) ( NAmE ) to do what you have said you will do
He has proved he can carry through on his promises.

386. Brush (v)
2 [ transitive ] ~ sth + adv./prep. to remove sth from a surface with a brush or with your hand
He brushed the dirt off his jacket.
She brushed the fly away.
3 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] to touch sb/sth lightly while moving close to them/it
~ against/by/past sb/sth She brushed past him.
His hand accidentally brushed against hers.
~ sth The leaves brushed her cheek.
~ sth with sth He brushed her lips with his.
brush sb/sth aside to ignore sb/sth; to treat sb/sth as unimportant =dismiss
He brushed aside my fears.

brush sth down to clean sth by brushing it
to brush a coat/horse down

brush off to be removed by brushing
Mud brushes off easily when it is dry.

brush sb off to rudely ignore sb or refuse to listen to them
She brushed him off impatiently.

brush sb/yourself off
( BrE brush sb/yourself down )
to make sb/yourself tidy, especially after you have fallen, by brushing your clothes, etc. with your hands

brush sth up | brush up on sth to quickly improve a skill, especially when you have not used it for a time
I must brush up on my Spanish before I go to Seville.

387. Chuck sb out of sth / chuck sb off (Phrv)
To force sb to leave a place or job.
They got chucked off the bus.
You can’t just chuck him out.

388. Chapped (adj) BrE / tʃæpt / NAmE / tʃæpt /
( of the skin or lips ) rough, dry and sore, especially because of wind or cold weather
She noticed Sarah's chapped lips.
389. Calloused  (adj)  ( also cal • lused ) BrE / kæləst / NAmE / kæləst /
( of the skin ) made rough and hard, usually by hard work
calloused hands
He gripped her fingers against his calloused palm and led her forward.
390. Candid Photograph (adj) A candid photograph is one that is taken without the person in it knowing that they are being photographed.

391. Capacious/roomy/spacious (adj) BrE / kəpeɪʃəs / NAmE / kəpeɪʃəs / ( formal )
having a lot of space to put things in.
capacious pockets
The van was capacious and he decided to fill up the space with a couple of cartons of medicines.
392. trouble with a capital T, fast with a capital F etc (informal)
used with any word in order to emphasize that you are talking about an extreme type of something.

393. Capricious (adj)
1) likely to change your mind suddenly or behave in an unexpected way:
She was as capricious as her mother had been.
2)  (literary) changing quickly and suddenly:
a capricious wind
—capriciously adverb

394. Captivating (adj)
very attractive and interesting, in a way that holds your attention:
a captivating smile

395. burst/Prick the bubble (Idm) to make someone suddenly realize that something is not as good as they thought it was

396. Reveal /divulge/disclose (v) BrE / rɪvil / NAmE / rɪvil /
1 to make sth known to sb =disclose
~ sth (to sb) to reveal a secret
Details of the murder were revealed by the local paper.
The doctors did not reveal the truth to him.
Salted peanuts were recently revealed as the nation's favourite snack.
Her expression revealed nothing.
~ (that)… The report reveals (that) the company made a loss of £20 million last year.
it is revealed that… It was revealed that important evidence had been suppressed.
~ how, what, etc… Officers could not reveal how he died.
~ sb/sth to be/have sth Salted peanuts were recently revealed to be the nation's favourite snack.
2 to show sth that previously could not be seen =display
~ sth He laughed, revealing a line of white teeth.
The door opened to reveal a cosy little room.
X-rays revealed a fracture.
~ yourself She crouched in the dark, too frightened to reveal herself.

397. Get rid of sb/sth (Idm)
a) to throw away or destroy something you do not want any more:
It's time to get rid of all these old toys.
Governments should be encouraged to get rid of all nuclear weapons.
b) to take action so that you no longer have something unpleasant that you do not want:
I can't get rid of this cough.
He opened the windows to get rid of the smell.
c) to make someone leave because you do not like them or because they are causing problems:
Are you trying to get rid of me?
It can be difficult for schools to get rid of poor teachers.

398. Slavery (n)
1) the system of having slaves:
Attempts to abolish slavery (=officially end it)
2) the state of being a slave
sell somebody into slavery (=sell someone as a slave)

399. Couldern (n) daigh
400. Wok (n) karhai

401. Filch (v) to steal something small or not very valuable [= pinch, nick British English]
He filched a bottle of wine from the shop.

402. Sift  BrE / sɪft / NAmE / sɪft / verb
1 [ transitive ] ~ sth to put flour or some other fine substance through a sieve/sifter
Sift the flour into a bowl.
2 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] to examine sth very carefully in order to decide what is important or useful or to find sth important
~ sth We will sift every scrap of evidence.
Computers are being used to sift the information.
~ through sth Crash investigators have been sifting through the wreckage of the aircraft.
3 [ transitive ] ~ sth (out) from sth to separate sth from a group of things
He sifted the relevant data from the rest.
She looked quickly through the papers, sifting out from the pile anything that looked interesting.
sift sth out
1 to remove sth that you do not want from a substance by putting it through a sieve
Put the flour through a sieve to sift out the lumps.
2 to separate sth, usually sth you do not want, from a group of things
We need to sift out the applications that have no chance of succeeding.

403. Pull somebody's leg (idm) to tell someone something that is not true, as a joke:
I haven't won, have I? You're pulling my leg.

404. morsel BrE / mɔsl / NAmE / mɔrsl / noun
A small amount or a piece of sth, especially food
A tasty morsel of food
He ate it all, down to the last morsel.
405. Swallow verb, noun BrE / swɒləʊ / NAmE / swɑloʊ / ( Verb)
FOOD/DRINK
1 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] to make food, drink, etc. go down your throat into your stomach
~ (sth) Always chew food well before swallowing it.
I had a sore throat and it hurt to swallow.
~ sth + adj. The pills should be swallowed whole.

MOVE THROAT MUSCLES
2 [ intransitive ] to move the muscles of your throat as if you were swallowing sth, especially because you are nervous
She swallowed hard and told him the bad news.

COMPLETELY COVER
3 [ transitive ,  often passive ] to take sb/sth in or completely cover it so that they cannot be seen or no longer exist separately
~ sb/sth I watched her walk down the road until she was swallowed by the darkness.
~ sb/sth up Large areas of countryside have been swallowed up by towns.

USE UP MONEY
4 [ transitive ] ~ sb/sth (up) to use up sth completely, especially an amount of money
Most of my salary gets swallowed (up) by the rent and bills.

BELIEVE
5 [ transitive ] to accept that sth is true; to believe sth
~ sth I found her excuse very hard to swallow .
~ sth + adj. He told her a pack of lies, but she swallowed it whole .

FEELINGS
6 [ transitive ] ~ sth to hide your feelings
to swallow your doubts
You're going to have to swallow your pride and ask for your job back.

ACCEPT INSULTS
7 [ transitive ] ~ sth to accept insults, criticisms, etc. without complaining or protesting
I was surprised that he just sat there and swallowed all their remarks.
(Noun)
BIRD
1 a small bird with long pointed wings and a tail with two points, that spends the winter in Africa but flies to northern countries for the summer

OF FOOD/DRINK
2 an act of swallowing; an amount of food or drink that is swallowed at one time
She took a swallow of coffee.
one swallow doesn't make a summer ( saying ) you must not take too seriously a small sign that sth is happening or will happen in the future, because the situation could change

406. Vortex BrE / vɔteks / NAmE / vɔrteks / noun
( pl. vor • texes or vor • ti • ces / BrE vɔtɪsiz ; NAmE vɔrtɪsiz / )
1 ( technical ) a mass of air, water, etc. that spins around very fast and pulls things into its centre
whirlpool , whirlwind
2 ( literary ) a very powerful feeling or situation that you cannot avoid or escape from
They were caught up in a whirling vortex of emotion.
407. Spin verb, noun BrE / spɪn / NAmE / spɪn / verb( spin • ning , spun , spun / BrE spʌn ; NAmE spʌn / )   TURN ROUND QUICKLY
1 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] to turn round and round quickly; to make sth do this
(+ adv./prep.) The plane was spinning out of control.
a spinning ice skater
My head is spinning (= I feel as if my head is going around and I can't balance) .
His theories on economics are enough to make your head spin (= make you feel very confused) .
~ (round/around) The dancers spun round and round.
~ sth (round/around) to spin a ball/coin/wheel
We placed our bets and the croupier spun the roulette wheel.
2 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] ~ (sb) round/around | + adv./prep. to turn round quickly once; to make sb do this
He spun around to face her.
She spun on her heel and walked out.

MAKE THREAD
3 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] to make thread from wool, cotton, silk, etc. by twisting it
She sat by the window spinning.
~ sth to spin and knit wool
~ A into B spinning silk into thread
~ B from A spinning thread from silk

OF SPIDER/SILKWORM
4 [ transitive ] ~ sth to produce thread from its body to make a web or cocoon
a spider spinning a web
A silkworm spins a cocoon that can yield 800 metres of pure silk.

DRIVE/TRAVEL QUICKLY
5 [ intransitive ] + adv./prep. to drive or travel quickly
They went spinning along the roads on their bikes.

DRY CLOTHES
6 [ transitive ] ~ sth to remove the water from clothes that have just been washed, in a spin dryer

PRESENT INFORMATION
7 [ transitive ] ~ sth (as sth) to present information or a situation in a particular way, especially one that makes you or your ideas seem good
An aide was already spinning the senator's defeat as ‘almost as good as an outright win’.

spin (sb) a yarn, tale, etc.
to try to make sb believe a long story that is not true

spin sth out to make sth last as long as possible
noun

FAST TURNING MOVEMENT
1 [ countable ,  uncountable ] a very fast turning movement
the earth's spin
the spin of a wheel
The dance was full of twists and spins.
Give the washing a short spin.
We calculated the rate of spin.
2 [ countable ,  usually singular ] if an aircraft goes into a spin , it falls and turns round rapidly

IN CAR
3 [ countable ] ( informal , becoming old-fashioned ) a short ride in a car for pleasure
Let's go for a spin .
He asked if he could take the car for a spin.

IN TENNIS/CRICKET
4 [ uncountable ] the way you make a ball turn very fast when you throw it or hit it
She puts a lot of spin on the ball.
a spin bowler (= in cricket , a bowler who uses spin)
see also topspin

ON INFORMATION
5 [ singular ,  uncountable ] ( informal ) a way of presenting information or a situation in a particular way, especially one that makes you or your ideas seem good
Politicians put their own spin on the economic situation.

in a (flat) spin
very confused, worried or excited
Her resignation put her colleagues in a spin.

408. Sip verb, noun BrE / sɪp / NAmE / sɪp / verb ( -pp- ) [ intransitive ,  transitive ]
to drink sth, taking a very small amount each time
~ (at sth) She sat there, sipping at her tea.
~ sth He slowly sipped his wine.
(Noun)
a very small amount of a drink that you take into your mouth
to have/take a sip of water

409. cure verb, noun BrE / kjʊə(r) / NAmE / kjʊr / verb
1 ~ sb (of sth) to make a person or an animal healthy again after an illness
Will you be able to cure him, Doctor?
2 ~ sth to make an illness go away
TB is a serious illness, but it can be cured.
3 ~ sth to deal with a problem successfully
I finally managed to cure the rattling noise in my car.
4 ~ sb of sth to stop sb from behaving in a particular way, especially a way that is bad or annoying
5 ~ sth to treat food or tobacco with smoke, salt, etc. in order to preserve it
(Noun)
1 ~ (for sth) a medicine or medical treatment that cures an illness
the search for a cure for cancer
There is no known cure but the illness can be treated.
The only real cure is rest.
2 the act of curing sb of an illness or the process of being cured
Doctors cannot effect a cure if the disease has spread too far.
The cure took six weeks.
3 ~ (for sth) something that will solve a problem, improve a bad situation, etc
a cure for poverty
see prevention is better than cure at prevention

410. Treat verb, noun BrE / trit / NAmE / trit / verb

BEHAVE TOWARDS SB/STH
1 to behave in a particular way towards sb/sth
~ sb/sth (with sth) to treat people with respect/consideration/suspicion, etc.
Treat your keyboard with care and it should last for years.
~ sb/sth like sth My parents still treat me like a child.
~ sb/sth as sth) He was treated as a hero on his release from prison.

CONSIDER
2 ~ sth as sth to consider sth in a particular way
I decided to treat his remark as a joke.
All cases involving children are treated as urgent.
3 ~ sth + adv./prep. to deal with or discuss sth in a particular way
The question is treated in more detail in the next chapter.

ILLNESS/INJURY
4 ~ sb (for sth) (with sth) to give medical care or attention to a person, an illness, an injury, etc
She was treated for sunstroke.
The condition is usually treated with drugs and a strict diet.
The hospital treated forty cases of malaria last year.

USE CHEMICAL
5 ~ sth (with sth) to use a chemical substance or process to clean, protect, preserve, etc. sth
to treat crops with insecticide
wood treated with preservative

PAY FOR STH ENJOYABLE
6 ~ sb/yourself (to sth) to pay for sth that sb/you will enjoy and that you do not usually have or do
She treated him to lunch.
Don't worry about the cost—I'll treat you.
I'm going to treat myself to a new pair of shoes.
treatable / BrE ; NAmE / adjective
a treatable infection
treat sb like dirt ( informal ) to treat sb with no respect at all
They treat their workers like dirt.
treat sb to sth to entertain sb with sth special
The crowd were treated to a superb display of tennis.
noun
something very pleasant and enjoyable, especially sth that you give sb or do for them
We took the kids to the zoo as a special treat .
You've never been to this area before? Then you're in for a real treat.
When I was young chocolate was a treat.
Let's go out for lunch— my treat (= I will pay) .
a treat ( BrE , informal ) extremely well or good
His idea worked a treat (= was successful) .
I don't know whether she can act but she looks a treat.
more at trick or treat at trick   n.

411. Siege BrE / sidʒ / NAmE / sidʒ /
noun
1 a military operation in which an army tries to capture a town by surrounding it and stopping the supply of food, etc. to the people inside
the siege of Troy
The siege was finally lifted (= ended) after six months.
The police placed the city centre under a virtual state of siege (= it was hard to get in or out) .
2 a situation in which the police surround a building where people are living or hiding, in order to make them come out
The siege was finally brought to an end when the terrorists surrendered.
see also besiege
under siege
1 surrounded by an army or the police in a siege
The city was under siege for six months.
2 being criticized all the time or put under pressure by problems, questions, etc
The government is already under siege for its economic policy.
lay siege to sth
1 to begin a siege of a town, building, etc
The crusaders laid siege to Lisbon.
2 to surround a building, especially in order to speak to or question the person or people living or working there
Crowds of journalists laid siege to the star's apartment.

412. Snatch verb, noun BrE / snætʃ / NAmE / snætʃ / verb
1 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] to take sth quickly and often rudely or roughly
grab
~ sth (+ adv./prep.) She managed to snatch the gun from his hand.
Gordon snatched up his jacket and left the room.
(+ adv./prep.) Hey, you kids! Don't all snatch!
2 [ transitive ] ~ sb/sth (from sb/sth) to take sb/sth away from a person or place, especially by force; to steal sth

steal
The raiders snatched $100 from the cash register.
The baby was snatched from its parents' car.
3 [ transitive ] ~ sth to take or get sth quickly, especially because you do not have much time
I managed to snatch an hour's sleep.
The team snatched a dramatic victory in the last minute of the game.
snatch at sth
1 to try to take hold of sth with your hands
He snatched at the steering wheel but I pushed him away.
2 to take an opportunity to do sth
We snatched at every moment we could be together.
noun
1 a very small part of a conversation or some music that you hear
snippet
a snatch of music
I only caught snatches of the conversation.
2 an act of moving your hand very quickly to take or steal sth
a bag snatch
to make a snatch at sth
3 ( taboo , slang ) an offensive word for a woman's outer sex organs
in snatches
for short periods rather than continuously
Sleep came to him in brief snatches.

413. Unripe BrE / ʌnraɪp / NAmE / ʌnraɪp / adjective
not yet ready to eat
unripe fruit
ripe

414. Piggy bank
a container in the shape of a pig, with a narrow opening in the top for putting coins in, used by children to save money
compare money box

415. Grocery BrE / ɡrəʊsəri / NAmE / ɡroʊsəri / noun ( pl. gro • ceries ) 1 ( especially BrE )
( NAmE usually grocery store )
[ countable ] a shop/store that sells food and other things used in the home. In American English ‘ grocery store ’ is often used to mean ‘supermarket’.
2 groceries [ plural ] food and other goods sold by a grocer or at a supermarket
gro • cery adjective [ only before noun ]
the grocery bill



416. Ven tilate BrE / ventɪleɪt / NAmE / ventɪleɪt / verb
1 ~ sth to allow fresh air to enter and move around a room, building, etc
a well-ventilated room
The bathroom is ventilated by means of an extractor fan.
2 ~ sth ( formal ) to express your feelings or opinions publicly
air
ventilation / BrE ventɪleɪʃn ; NAmE ventɪleɪʃn / noun [ uncountable ]
a ventilation shaft
Make sure that there is adequate ventilation in the room before using the paint.

417. Put in a (good) word for sb (Idm)
to try to help someone get or achieve something by saying good things about them to someone else:
I got the job because Paul put in a good word for me.

418. Abandon verb, noun BrE / əbændən / NAmE / əbændən / verb
1 to leave sb, especially sb you are responsible for, with no intention of returning
~ sb The baby had been abandoned by its mother.
People often simply abandon their pets when they go abroad.
~ sb to sth The study showed a deep fear among the elderly of being abandoned to the care of strangers.
2 to leave a thing or place, especially because it is impossible or dangerous to stay
leave
~ sth Snow forced many drivers to abandon their vehicles.
He gave the order to abandon ship (= to leave the ship because it was sinking) .
~ sth to sb/sth They had to abandon their lands to the invading forces.
3 ~ sth to stop doing sth, especially before it is finished; to stop having sth
They abandoned the match because of rain.
She abandoned hope of any reconciliation.
We had to abandon any further attempt at negotiation.
4 to stop supporting or helping sb; to stop believing in sth
~ sb The country abandoned its political leaders after the war.
~ sth By 1930 he had abandoned his Marxist principles.
5 ~ yourself to sth ( literary ) to feel an emotion so strongly that you can feel nothing else
He abandoned himself to despair.
noun
 [ uncountable ] ( formal )
an uncontrolled way of behaving that shows that sb does not care what other people think
He signed cheques with careless abandon.
see with gay abandon at gay   adj.

419. Go astray (v)
a) to be lost or stolen:
The letter had gone astray in the post.
b) if a plan or action goes astray, it goes wrong:
The best-laid plans can go astray.
 lead somebody astray
a) to encourage someone to do bad or illegal things that they would not normally do:
The older boys led him astray.

b) to make someone believe something that is not true:
It's easy to be led astray by the reports in the papers.

420. Back to back/at a stretch /on the trot (Idm)
happening one after another:
They have had five back-to-back wins.
She rarely sleeps for eight hours at a stretch (=without stopping).

421. On the trot (British English,informal)
a) one directly following another:
The class has been cancelled three weeks on the trot now.
b) busy doing something [= on the go]:
I've been on the trot all day.

422. Stretch verb, noun BrE / stretʃ / NAmE / stretʃ / verb
 MAKE BIGGER/LOOSER
1 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] ~ (sth) to make sth longer, wider or looser, for example by pulling it; to become longer, etc. in this way
Is there any way of stretching shoes?
This sweater has stretched.
2 [ intransitive ] ( of cloth ) to become bigger or longer when you pull it and return to its original shape when you stop
The jeans stretch to provide a perfect fit.

PULL TIGHT
3 [ transitive ] to pull sth so that it is smooth and tight
~ sth Stretch the fabric tightly over the frame.
~ sth + adj. Make sure that the rope is stretched tight.

YOUR BODY
4 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] to put your arms or legs out straight and contract your muscles
He stretched and yawned lazily.
~ sth The exercises are designed to stretch and tone your leg muscles.

REACH WITH ARM
5 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] to put out an arm or a leg in order to reach sth
+ adv./prep. She stretched across the table for the butter.
~ sth + adv./prep. I stretched out a hand and picked up the book.

OVER AREA
6 [ intransitive ] + adv./prep. to spread over an area of land
extend
Fields and hills stretched out as far as we could see.
Beyond the mountains stretches a vast desert.


OVER TIME
7 [ intransitive ] + adv./prep. to continue over a period of time
The town's history stretches back to before 1500.
The training stretches over a period of 16 months.
Endless summer days stretched out before us.
The talks look set to stretch into a second week.

MONEY/SUPPLIES/TIME
8 [ intransitive ] ~ (to sth) ( used in negative sentences and questions about an amount of money ) to be enough to buy or pay for sth
I need a new car, but my savings won't stretch to it.
There are lots of things I'd like to buy, but our budget just won't stretch that far.
9 [ transitive ] ~ sb/sth to make use of a lot of your money, supplies, time, etc
The influx of refugees has stretched the country's resources to the limit .
We can't take on any more work—we're fully stretched as it is.

SB'S SKILL/INTELLIGENCE
10 [ transitive ] ~ sb/sth to make use of all sb's skill, intelligence, etc
I need a job that will stretch me.
She was never really stretched at school.
The book really stretches your imagination.

TRUTH/BELIEF
11 [ transitive ] ~ sth to use sth in a way that would not normally be considered fair, acceptable, etc
He admitted that he had maybe stretched the truth a little (= not been completely honest) .
stretch a point
to allow or do sth that is not usually acceptable, especially because of a particular situation
I was hoping they would stretch a point and let me stay on for a while.
stretch out | stretch yourself out to lie down, usually in order to relax or sleep
He stretched himself out on the sofa and fell asleep.

 OF BODY
4 [ countable ,  uncountable ] an act of stretching out your arms or legs or your body and contracting the muscles; the state of being stretched
We got out of the car and had a good stretch .
Only do these more difficult stretches when you are warmed up.
Stay in this position and feel the stretch in your legs.

at full stretch
using as much energy as possible, or the greatest possible amount of supplies
Fire crews have been operating at full stretch.
not by any stretch of the imagination | by no stretch of the imagination
used to say strongly that sth is not true, even if you try to imagine or believe it
She could not, by any stretch of the imagination, be called beautiful.
By no stretch of the imagination could the trip be described as relaxing.

423. Total/pitch/complete darkness
The room was in total darkness.
We lit our campfire as darkness fell (=it became night).
He stared out the window at the gathering darkness (=the night slowly coming).
424. Outage BrE / aʊtɪdʒ / NAmE / aʊtɪdʒ / noun ( NAmE )
a period of time when the supply of electricity, etc. is not working
a power outage
425. Damn sb/sth with faint praise (Idm)
Show that you think someone or something is not good by only praising them a little)
426. Sprain BrE / spreɪn / NAmE / spreɪn / verb
~ sth
to injure a joint in your body, especially your wrist or ankle, by suddenly twisting it
I stumbled and sprained my ankle.
sprain noun
a bad ankle sprain
427. Ram pant BrE / ræmpənt / NAmE / ræmpənt / adjective
1 ( of sth bad ) existing or spreading everywhere in a way that cannot be controlled
unchecked
rampant inflation
Unemployment is now rampant in most of Europe.
Pickpocketing is rampant in the downtown area.
Corruption soon became rampant
2 ( of plants ) growing thickly and very fast in a way that cannot be controlled
rampant ly / BrE ræmpəntli ; NAmE ræmpəntli / adverb

428. Labyrinth BrE / læbərɪnθ / NAmE / læbərɪnθ / noun ( formal )
a complicated series of paths, which it is difficult to find your way through
We lost our way in the labyrinth of streets.
( figurative ) a labyrinth of rules and regulations
compare maze
labyrinthine / BrE læbərɪnθaɪn ; NAmE læbərɪnθaɪn ; læbərɪnθɪn / adjective : ( formal ) labyrinthine corridors
labyrinthine legislation
429. Play goose berry (Idm) ( kabab main haddi banna )

430. Cut your coat according to your cloth (Proverb) ( Chadar dekh kar paoon phelana )
to spend only as much money as you can afford

431. Think before you leap (Proverb)
used to say that it is sensible to think about possible dangers or difficulties of something before doing it
432. Cram BrE / kræm / NAmE / kræm / verb
1 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] to push or force sb/sth into a small space; to move into a small space with the result that it is full
~ sb/sth into/onto sth He crammed eight people into his car.
~ sth in I could never cram in all that she does in a day.
~ sth + adv./prep. I managed to cram down a few mouthfuls of food.
~ sth Supporters crammed the streets.
~ sth full I bought a large basket and crammed it full of presents.
~ into/onto sth We all managed to cram into his car.
2 [ intransitive ] ~ (for sth) ( NAmE , informal or rather old-fashioned , BrE ) to learn a lot of things in a short time, in preparation for an exam
swot
He's been cramming for his exams all week.

433. Mug sth up (Phrv) to try to learn something in a short time, especially for an examination [= swot up]

434. Good mind good find (Proverb)
435. By hook or by crook (Idm)
if you are going to do something by hook or by crook, you are determined to do it, whatever methods you have to use:
The police are going to get these guys, by hook or by crook.
436. Hope sustains life (Proverb) ( Umeed pay dunyan qaim hay )
437. Don’t put off till tomorrow. ( Aj ka kaam kal per mat choro )
438. It’s no big deal (Infml) ( Yay koi bari baat naheen hay )
439. Barking dogs seldom bite. (Proverb) ( Jo garajtay hain wo barastay naheen )
440. Diamond cuts diamond. (Proverb) ( Loha lohay ko karta hay )
441. To add fuel to fire (Idm)
to make an argument or disagreement worse:
Rather than providing a solution, their statements merely added fuel to the fire.
442. It is useless to cry over spilt milk. (Idm)
443. Earn reward (v)
444. To err is human to forgive is divine (Idm) ( Insaan ka kaam galti karna aur Allah ka maaf karna )
445. Every cock fights best on his own dunghill. (Proverb) ( Apni gali main to kutta bhi sheer hota hay)
446. Remind BrE / rɪmaɪnd / NAmE / rɪmaɪnd / verb~ sb (about/of sth)
to help sb remember sth, especially sth important that they must do
~ sb I'm sorry, I've forgotten your name. Can you remind me?
That (= what you have just said, done, etc.) reminds me , I must get some cash.
‘You need to finish that essay.’ ‘ Don't remind me (= I don't want to think about it) .’
‘Don't forget the camera.’ ‘Remind me about it nearer the time.’
~ sb to do sth Remind me to phone Alan before I go out.
~ sb (that)… Passengers are reminded (that) no smoking is allowed on this train.
~ sb what, how, etc… Can someone remind me what I should do next?
~ sb + speech ‘You had an accident,’ he reminded her.
remind sb of sb/sth if sb/sth reminds you of sb/sth else, they make you remember or think about the other person, place, thing, etc. because they are similar in some way
You remind me of your father when you say that.
That smell reminds me of France.




447. flaw BrE / flɔ / NAmE / flɔ/ noun
1 a mistake in sth that means that it is not correct or does not work correctly
defect , fault
The argument is full of fundamental flaws.
~ in sth The report reveals fatal flaws in security at the airport.
There is still a basic flaw in your selection procedure.
2 ~ (in sth) a crack or fault in sth that makes it less attractive or valuable
The vase is in excellent condition except for a few small flaws in its base.
3 ~ (in sb/sth) a weakness in sb's character
There is always a flaw in the character of a tragic hero.

448. Enrage BrE / ɪnreɪdʒ / NAmE / ɪnreɪdʒ / verb
[ usually passive ] ~ sb
to make sb very angry
infuriate
She was enraged at his stupidity.
The newspaper article enraged him.

449. Put up with sb/sth (Phrv)
to accept an unpleasant situation or person without complaining:
She put up with his violent temper.
450. Compensate BrE / kɒmpenseɪt / NAmE / kɑmpenseɪt / verb
EXAMPLE BANK 
1 [ intransitive ] ~ (for sth) to provide sth good to balance or reduce the bad effects of damage, loss, etc.
make up for
Nothing can compensate for the loss of a loved one.
2 [ transitive ] ~ sb (for sth) to pay sb money because they have suffered some damage, loss, injury, etc
Her lawyers say she should be compensated for the suffering she had been caused.
com • pen • sa • tory / BrE ˌkɒmpenˈseɪtəri ; NAmE kəmˈpensətɔːri / adjective
He received a compensatory payment of $20 000.

451. Make up for sb/sth (Phrv)
to make a bad situation better, or replace something that has been lost:
The team will be anxious to make up for a disappointing start to the season.
I don't eat breakfast but I make up for it at lunch.
The good days more than make up for the bad ones.
452. Atone BrE / ətəʊn / NAmE / ətoʊn / verb [ intransitive ] ~ (for sth) ( formal )
to act in a way that shows you are sorry for doing sth wrong in the past
make amends
to atone for a crime
a desire to atone
atonement / BrE ətəʊnmənt ; NAmE ətoʊnmənt / noun [ uncountable ]
to make atonement for his sins
Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement

453. Retort verb, noun BrE / rɪtɔt / NAmE / rɪtɔrt / verb
to reply quickly to a comment, in an angry, offended or humorous way
+ speech ‘Don't be ridiculous!’ Pat retorted angrily.
~ that… Sam retorted that it was my fault as much as his.
(noun)
1 a quick, angry or humorous reply
rejoinder , riposte
She bit back (= stopped herself from making) a sharp retort.
2 a closed bottle with a long narrow bent spout that is used in a laboratory for heating chemicals
454. lethal BrE / liθl / NAmE / liθl / adjective
1 causing or able to cause death deadly , fatal
a lethal dose of poison
a lethal weapon
( figurative ) The closure of the factory dealt a lethal blow to the town.
The snake's venom is rarely lethal to humans.
2 ( informal ) causing or able to cause a lot of harm or damage
You and that car—it's a lethal combination!
lethally / BrE liθəli ; NAmE liθəli / adverb

455. Defile  BrE / dɪfaɪl / NAmE / dɪfaɪl / verb
~ sth ( formal or literary )
to make sth dirty or no longer pure, especially sth that people consider important or holy
Many victims of burglary feel their homes have been defiled.
The altar had been defiled by vandals.
defilement / BrE dɪfaɪlmənt ; NAmE dɪfaɪlmənt / noun [ uncountable ,  countable ]
456. Exploit verb, noun verb / BrE ɪksplɔɪt ; NAmE ɪksplɔɪt /
1 ~ sth ( disapproving ) to treat a person or situation as an opportunity to gain an advantage for yourself
He exploited his father's name to get himself a job.
She realized that her youth and inexperience were being exploited.
The opposition parties will always exploit government problems to their own advantage.
2 ~ sb ( disapproving ) to treat sb unfairly by making them work and not giving them much in return
What is being done to stop employers from exploiting young people?
3 ~ sth to use sth well in order to gain as much from it as possible
She fully exploits the humour of her role in the play.
Teachers should be exploiting computers in education.
~ sth for sth countries exploiting the rainforests for hardwood
exploiter noun [ countable ]
noun
/ BrE eksplɔɪt ; NAmE eksplɔɪt / [ usually plural ]
a brave, exciting or interesting act
the daring exploits of Roman heroes
The papers were full of her latest amorous exploits.

457. purify BrE / pjʊərɪfaɪ / NAmE / pjʊrɪfaɪ / verb
( puri • fies , puri • fy • ing , puri • fied , puri • fied )
1 ~ sth to make sth pure by removing substances that are dirty, harmful or not wanted
One tablet will purify a litre of water
2 ~ sb/sth/yourself to make sb pure by removing evil from their souls
Hindus purify themselves by bathing in the river Ganges.
to purify the soul
3 ~ sth (from sth) ( technical ) to take a pure form of a substance out of another substance that contains it
purification / BrE pjʊərɪfɪkeɪʃn ; NAmE pjʊrɪfɪkeɪʃn / noun [ uncountable ]
a water purification plant

458. Worth adjective, noun
BrE / wɜθ / NAmE / wɜrθ / adjective
[ not before noun ] ( used like a preposition, followed by a noun, pronoun or number, or by the -ing form of a verb )
1 ~ sth having a value in money, etc
Our house is worth about £100 000.
How much is this painting worth?
to be worth a bomb/packet/fortune (= a lot of money)
It isn't worth much.
If you answer this question correctly, it's worth five points.
2 used to recommend the action mentioned because you think it may be useful, enjoyable, etc.
~ sth The museum is certainly worth a visit.
~ doing sth This idea is well worth considering.
It's worth making an appointment before you go.
3 ~ sth/doing sth important, good or enjoyable enough to make sb feel satisfied, especially when difficulty or effort is involved
Was it worth the effort?
The new house really wasn't worth all the expense involved.
The job involves a lot of hard work but it's worth it .
The trip was expensive but it was worth every penny .
see also worthwhile
4 ~ sth ( of a person ) having money and possessions of a particular value
He's worth £10 million.
for all sb/it is worth
1 with great energy, effort and determination
He was rowing for all he was worth.
2 in order to get as much as you can from sb/sth
She is milking her success for all it's worth.
for what it's worth ( informal ) used to emphasize that what you are saying is only your own opinion or suggestion and may not be very helpful
I prefer this colour, for what it's worth.
(the game is) not worth the candle ( old-fashioned , saying ) the advantages to be gained from doing sth are not great enough, considering the effort or cost involved
If the price goes up again, he may decide that the game's not worth the candle.
not worth the paper it's written/printed on ( of an agreement or official document ) having no value, especially legally, or because one of the people involved has no intention of doing what they said they would
worth your/its salt
deserving respect, especially because you do your job well
Any teacher worth her salt knows that.
worth your/its weight in ˈgold
very useful or valuable
A good mechanic is worth his weight in gold.
worth sb's while
interesting or useful for sb to do
It will be worth your while to come to the meeting.
He'll do the job if you make it worth his while (= pay him well) .

noun
 [ uncountable ]
1 ten dollars', £40, etc. ~ of sth an amount of sth that has the value mentioned
The winner will receive ten pounds' worth of books.
a dollar's worth of change
2 a week's, month's, etc. ~ of sth an amount of sth that lasts a week, etc.
3 the financial, practical or moral value of sb/sth
Their contribution was of great worth.
The activities help children to develop a sense of their own worth.
A good interview enables candidates to prove their worth (= show how good they are) .
a personal net worth of $10 million

459. Try your damndest to do sth (Idm)
to try very hard to do something:
I'll do my damnedest to fix it, but I can't promise anything.
458. What’ s the damage (Idm,spoken) used humorously to ask how much you have to pay for something
460. Dare devil BrE / deədevl / NAmE / derdevl / noun
A person who enjoys doing dangerous things, in a way that other people may think is stupid
a reckless daredevil
dare • devil adjective [ only before noun ] Don't try any daredevil stunts.

461. Never darken my door again (Idm) said when you do not want to see someone again - now used humorously
462. Cut a dash (Idm) to look very impressive and attractive in particular clothes:
With her new image, she'll certainly cut a dash
463. Dash sb’s hopes (Idm)
to disappoint someone by telling them that what they want is not possible:
His hopes were dashed when his appeal was denied.
464. In a daze (Idm)
feeling confused and not able to think clearly:
She wandered round in a daze, not quite sure what to do.
465. Be a dead ringer for sb (Idm)
someone who looks exactly like someone else
Dave's a dead ringer for Paul McCartney.
466. Cut sb dead (Idm)
to deliberately ignore someone when you meet them:
I saw Ian in town but he cut me dead.
467. Dead beat (Spoken)
very tired [= exhausted]:
I'm beat.
Come and sit down, you must be dead beat.
468. debris BrE / debri / BrE / deɪbri / NAmE / dəbri / noun
[ uncountable ]
1 pieces of wood, metal, brick, etc. that are left after sth has been destroyed
Emergency teams are still clearing the debris from the plane crash.
Several people were injured by flying debris in the explosion.
2 ( formal ) pieces of material that are not wanted and rubbish/garbage that are left somewhere
Clear away leaves and other garden debris from the pond.
the debris of their lunch
469. defy BrE / dɪfaɪ / NAmE / dɪfaɪ / verb
EXAMPLE BANK 
( de • fies , defy • ing , de • fied , de • fied )
1 ~ sb/sth to refuse to obey or show respect for sb in authority, a law, a rule, etc
I wouldn't have dared to defy my teachers.
Hundreds of people today defied the ban on political gatherings.
2 ~ belief, explanation, description, etc. to be impossible or almost impossible to believe, explain, describe, etc
a political move that defies explanation
The beauty of the scene defies description.
3 ~ sth to successfully resist sth to a very unusual degree
The baby boy defied all the odds and survived (= stayed alive when it seemed certain that he would die) .
I defy you/anyone to do sth
used to say that sb should try to do sth, as a way of emphasizing that you think it is impossible to do it
I defy anyone not to cry at the end of the film.
I defy you to leave without buying something.

470. deliverance BrE / dɪlɪvərəns / NAmE / dɪlɪvərəns / noun
[ uncountable ] ~ (from sth) ( formal )
the state of being rescued from danger, evil or pain



471. demystify BrE / dimɪstɪfaɪ / NAmE / dimɪstɪfaɪ / verb
VERB FORMS 
( de • mys • ti • fies , de • mys • ti • fy • ing , de • mys • ti • fied , de • mys • ti • fied ) ~ sth
to make sth easier to understand and less complicated by explaining it in a clear and simple way
This book demystifies the male worlds of plumbing and carpentry.
demysti fication / BrE dimɪstɪfɪkeɪʃn ; NAmE dimɪstɪfɪkeɪʃn / noun [ uncountable ]
472. deprive BrE / dɪpraɪv / NAmE / dɪpraɪv / verb
deprive sb/sth of sth to prevent sb from having or doing sth, especially sth important
They were imprisoned and deprived of their basic rights.
Why should you deprive yourself of such simple pleasures?

473. detest BrE / dɪtest / NAmE / dɪtest / verb
( not used in the progressive tenses ) ~ sb/sth | ~ doing sth to hate sb/sth very much
loathe
They detested each other on sight.
detestation / BrE ditesteɪʃn ; NAmE ditesteɪʃn / noun [ uncountable ]

474. detoxify BrE / ditɒksɪfaɪ / NAmE / ditɑksɪfaɪ / verb
( detoxifies , detoxifying , detoxified , detoxified )
1 ~ sth to remove harmful substances or poisons from sth
2 ~ sb to treat sb in order to help them stop drinking too much alcohol or taking drugs
475. Dewy eyed (adj) ( disapproving )
showing emotion about sth, perhaps with a few tears in the eyes =sentimental
She gets slightly dewy-eyed as she talks about her early days in show business.
476. It’s beneath your dignity.(spoken)
He felt it would be beneath his dignity to comment(= not good enough or suitable for someone)

477. Dine out (Phrv)(formal) to eat dinner in a restaurant or in someone else's house:
They would dine out together once a month.
478. disen tangle BrE / dɪsɪntæŋɡl / NAmE / dɪsɪntæŋɡl /
1 ~ sth (from sth) to separate different arguments, ideas, etc. that have become confused
It's not easy to disentangle the truth from the official statistics.
It is important to disentangle all the factors that may be causing your stress.
2 ~ sth/sb (from sth) to free sb/sth from sth that has become wrapped or twisted around it or them
He tried to disentangle his fingers from her hair.
( figurative ) She has just disentangled herself from a painful relationship.
3 ~ sth to get rid of the twists and knots in sth
He was sitting on the deck disentangling a coil of rope.
compare entangle

479. Do without (phrasal verb)
1 )to live or do something without a particular thing:
I don't have any sugar so you'll have to do without.
You can do without a carpet but you've got to have somewhere to sit.
2) can do without something used to say that something is annoying you or causing you problems:
You can do without all that hassle.
Those are the type of stupid remarks I can do without.
480. Indolent BrE / ɪndələnt / NAmE / ɪndələnt / adjective ( formal )
not wanting to work
lazy
indolence / BrE ɪndələns ; NAmE ɪndələns / noun [ uncountable ]

481. off the cuff ( of speaking, remarks, etc. ) without previous thought or preparation
I'm just speaking off the cuff here—I haven't seen the results yet.
an off-the-cuff remark
482. Improvise BrE / ɪmprəvaɪz / NAmE / ɪmprəvaɪz / verb
1 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] to make or do sth using whatever is available, usually because you do not have what you really need
There isn't much equipment. We're going to have to improvise.
~ sth We improvised some shelves out of planks of wood and bricks.
2 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] to invent music, the words in a play, a statement, etc. while you are playing or speaking, instead of planning it in advance
‘It'll be ready some time next week, I expect,’ she said, improvising.
~ on sth He improvised on the melody.
~ sth an improvised speech
impro visation / BrE ɪmprəvaɪzeɪʃn ; NAmE ɪmprɑvəzeɪʃn / noun [ uncountable ,  countable ]

483. Put sth off (Phrv)
to delay doing something or to arrange to do something at a later time or date, especially because there is a problem or you do not want to do it now [= delay, procrastinate]:
The match has been put off until tomorrow because of bad weather.
484. Put sth out (Phrv)
The rescue services are still trying to put out the fire(=to make a fire etc stop burning [= extinguish]
485. writhe BrE / raɪð / NAmE / raɪð / verb [ intransitive ] ~ (about/around) (in/with sth)
to twist or move your body without stopping, often because you are in great pain
She was writhing around on the floor in agony.
The snake writhed and hissed.
( figurative ) He was writhing (= suffering a lot) with embarrassment.


486. Bully (n,v)
Bullies are often cowards(=someone who uses their strength or power to frighten or hurt someone who is weaker)
Don't let them bully you into working on Saturdays(=to put pressure on someone in order to make them do what you want)
487. hooligan BrE / hulɪɡən / NAmE / hulɪɡən / noun
a young person who behaves in an extremely noisy and violent way in public, usually in a group
English football hooligans
hooliganism / BrE hulɪɡənɪzəm ; NAmE hulɪɡənɪzəm / noun [ uncountable ]
488. broke BrE / brəʊk / NAmE / broʊk / adjective [ not before noun ] ( informal )
having no money
I'm always broke by the end of the month.
During the recession thousands of small businesses went broke (= had to stop doing business) .
flat/stony broke (= completely broke)
go for broke ( informal ) to risk everything in one determined effort to do sth
489. Destitute BrE / destɪtjut / NAmE / destɪtut / adjective
 1 without money, food and the other things necessary for life
When he died, his family was left completely destitute.
2 the destitute noun [ plural ] people who are destitute
3 ~ of sth ( formal ) lacking sth
They seem destitute of ordinary human feelings.
destitution / BrE destɪtjuʃn ; NAmE destɪtuʃn / noun [ uncountable ]
homelessness and destitution

490. Paternal BrE / pətɜnl / NAmE / pətɜrnl / adjective
1 connected with being a father; typical of a kind father
paternal love
He gave me a piece of paternal advice.
2 related through the father's side of the family
my paternal grandmother (= my father's mother)
paternally / BrE pətɜnli ; NAmE pətɜrnli / adverb
He smiled paternally at them.
compare maternal

491. Maternal BrE / mətɜnl / NAmE / mətɜrnl / adjective
1 having feelings that are typical of a caring mother towards a child
maternal love
I'm not very maternal.
She didn't have any maternal instincts.
2 connected with being a mother
Maternal age affects the baby's survival rate.
the effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy
3 [ only before noun ] related through the mother's side of the family
my maternal grandfather (= my mother's father)
maternally / BrE mətɜnəli ; NAmE mətɜrnəli / adverb
She behaved maternally towards her students.

492. Outspoken BrE / aʊtspəʊkən / NAmE / aʊtspoʊkən / adjective
saying exactly what you think, even if this shocks or offends people blunt
an outspoken opponent of the leader
outspoken comments
~ in sth She was outspoken in her criticism of the plan.
outspokenly / BrE aʊtspəʊkənli ; NAmE aʊtspoʊkənli / adverb
outspokenly critical
out spokenness / BrE ; NAmE / noun [ uncountable ]
I admire his outspokenness.
493. famine BrE / fæmɪn / NAmE / fæmɪn / noun [ countable ,  uncountable ]
a lack of food during a long period of time in a region
a severe famine
disasters such as floods and famine
the threat of widespread famine in the area
to raise money for famine relief

494. Make sth/sb out (phrv)
He could just make out a dark shape moving towards him.(= to be just able to see or hear something)
I couldn't make out what I had done to annoy her(=to understand)
He's a strange guy - I can't make him out at all(=to understand someone's character and the way they behave)
She was making out a list of people to invite(=to write something such as a bill or cheque)
495. Confiscate BrE / kɒnfɪskeɪt / NAmE / kɑnfɪskeɪt / verb ~ sth
to officially take sth away from sb, especially as a punishment
Their land was confiscated after the war.
The teacher threatened to confiscate their phones if they kept using them in class.
confiscation / BrE kɒnfɪskeɪʃn ; NAmE kɑnfɪskeɪʃn / noun [ uncountable ,  countable ]
If found guilty of this crime they face heavy fines, confiscation of goods and even imprisonment.

496. Extort BrE / ɪkstɔt / NAmE / ɪkstɔrt / verb ~ sth (from sb)
to make sb give you sth by threatening them
The gang extorted money from over 30 local businesses.
extortion / BrE ɪkstɔʃn ; NAmE ɪkstɔrʃn / noun [ uncountable ,  countable ]
He was arrested and charged with extortion.
497. Extor tionate BrE / ɪkstɔʃənət / NAmE / ɪkstɔrʃənət / adjective( rather informal , disapproving )
( of prices, etc. ) much too high excessive , outrageous
They are offering loans at extortionate rates of interest.
The prices they charge are extortionate.
extortionately / BrE ɪkstɔʃənətli ; NAmE ɪkstɔrʃənətli / adverb
extortionately priced

498. Live/Come up to sb’s expectation (Spoken)
His performance did not live up to our expectations(=was not as good as we expected)
499. fasten BrE / fɑsn / NAmE / fæsn / verb
1 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] to close or join together the two parts of sth; to become closed or joined together
do up
~ sth Fasten your seatbelts, please.
~ sth up He fastened up his coat and hurried out.
~ (up) The dress fastens at the back.
unfasten
2 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] ~ (sth) to close sth firmly so that it will not open; to be closed in this way
Fasten the gates securely so that they do not blow open.
The window wouldn't fasten.
unfasten
3 [ transitive ] ~ sth + adv./prep. to fix or place sth in a particular position, so that it will not move
He fastened back the shutters.
4 [ transitive ] ~ A to B | ~ A and B (together) to attach or tie one thing to another thing
He fastened the papers together with a paper clip.
5 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] if you fasten your arms around sb, your teeth into sth, etc, or if your arms, teeth, etc. fasten around, into, etc. sb/sth, you hold the person/thing firmly with your arms, etc
~ sth + adv./prep. The dog fastened its teeth in his leg.
+ adv./prep. His hand fastened on her arm.
6 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] ~ (sth) (on sb/sth) if you fasten your eyes on sb/sth or your eyes fasten on sb/sth, you look at them for a long time
He fastened his gaze on her face.
fasten on(to) sb/sth to choose or follow sb/sth in a determined way
latch on to sb/sth

500. Diction BrE / dɪkʃn / NAmE / dɪkʃn / noun [ uncountable ]
1 the way that sb pronounces words
clear diction
2 ( technical ) the choice and use of words in literature
Wordsworth rejected poetic diction in favour of ordinary language.
501. Sunken BrE / sʌŋkən / NAmE / sʌŋkən / adjective
1 [ only before noun ] that has fallen to the bottom of the sea or the ocean, or of a lake or river
submerged
a sunken ship
sunken treasure
2 ( of eyes or cheeks ) hollow and deep as a result of disease, getting old, or not having enough food
His eyes were dark and sunken.
3 [ only before noun ] at a lower level than the area around
a sunken garden
502. Agile BrE / ædʒaɪl / NAmE / ædʒl / adjective
1 able to move quickly and easily
nimble
a strong and agile athlete
2 able to think quickly and in an intelligent way
an agile mind/brain
agil ity / BrE ədʒɪləti ; NAmE ədʒɪləti / noun [ uncountable ]
He had the agility of a man half his age.

503. ill-treat verb
to treat sb in a cruel or unkind way
ill-treatment / BrE ; NAmE / noun [ uncountable ]
the ill-treatment of prisoners
504. quarrelsome
BrE / kwɒrəlsəm / NAmE / kwɔrəlsəm / NAmE / kwɑrəlsəm / adjective
 ( of a person ) liking to argue with other people
When he drinks too much he becomes moody and quarrelsome.

505.  agog
BrE / əɡɒɡ / NAmE / əɡɑɡ / adjective
[ not before noun ]
excited and very interested to find out sth
We were all agog with curiosity.

506.   prank BrE / præŋk / NAmE / præŋk / noun
a trick that is played on sb as a joke
a childish prank
The incident was a prank that went wrong.
prankster / BrE præŋkstə(r) ; NAmE præŋkstər / noun
Student pranksters have done considerable damage to the school buildings.

507.   blaspheme
BrE / blæsfim / NAmE / blæsfim / verb [ intransitive ,  transitive ] ~ (sb/sth)
to speak about God or the holy things of a particular religion in an offensive way; to swear using the names of God or holy things
blasphemer / BrE blæsfimə(r) ; NAmE blæsfimər / noun

508.   frightfully
BrE / fraɪtfəli / NAmE / fraɪtfəli / adverb ( old-fashioned , especially BrE )
very; extremely
awfully , frightfully
I'm frightfully sorry.

509. Blow out (Phrv)
if you blow a flame or a fire out, or if it blows out, it stops burning:
The match blew out in the wind.
blow something ↔ out
Blow out all the candles.
510. eager BrE / iɡə(r) / NAmE / iɡər / adjective
very interested and excited by sth that is going to happen or about sth that you want to do =keen
eager crowds outside the stadium
~ for sth She is eager for (= wants very much to get) her parents' approval.
~ to do sth Everyone in the class seemed eager to learn.
They're eager to please (= wanting to be helpful) .
eagerly / BrE ; NAmE / adverb
the band's eagerly awaited new CD
They eagerly accepted my offer of hospitality.
eagerness / BrE ; NAmE / noun [ uncountable ,  singular ]
I couldn't hide my eagerness to get back home.
511.    plunder verb, noun
BrE / plʌndə(r) / NAmE / plʌndər / verb [ intransitive ,  transitive ]
to steal things from a place, especially using force during a time of war =loot
The troops crossed the country, plundering and looting as they went.
~ sth (of sth) The abbey had been plundered of its valuables.
~ sth (from sth) Only a small amount of the money that he plundered from his companies has been recovered.
compare pillage
plunderer / BrE ; NAmE / noun
 [ uncountable noun ]
1 the act of plundering
2 things that have been stolen, especially during a war, etc
The army returned loaded down with plunder.

512.   bistro
BrE / bistrəʊ / NAmE / bistroʊ / noun ( pl. bis • tros )
a small informal restaurant

513.    deceive
BrE / dɪsiv / NAmE / dɪsiv / verb1 [ transitive ] to make sb believe sth that is not true
~ sb Her husband had been deceiving her for years.
~ sb into doing sth She deceived him into handing over all his savings.
2 [ transitive ] ~ yourself (that…) to refuse to admit to yourself that sth unpleasant is true
You're deceiving yourself if you think he'll change his mind.
3 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] ~ (sb) to make sb have a wrong idea about sb/sth
mislead
Unless my eyes deceive me, that's his wife.
see also deceptive
deceiver / BrE dɪsivə(r) ; NAmE dɪsivər / noun

514.   drown
BrE / draʊn / NAmE / draʊn / verb1 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] to die because you have been underwater too long and you cannot breathe; to kill sb in this way
Two children drowned after falling into the river.
He had attempted to rescue the drowning man.
~ sb/sth/yourself She tried to drown herself.
He was drowned at sea.
They had drowned the unwanted kittens.
2 [ transitive ] ~ sth (in sth) to make sth very wet; to completely cover sth in water or another liquid
drench
The fruit was drowned in cream.
3 [ transitive ] ~ sb/sth (out) ( of a sound ) to be louder than other sounds so that you cannot hear them
She turned up the radio to drown out the noise from next door.
drown • ing / BrE draʊnɪŋ ; NAmE draʊnɪŋ / noun [ uncountable ,  countable ]
death by drowning
Alcohol plays a part in an estimated 30% of drownings.
drown your fears/loneliness/sorrows, etc. ( especially humorous ) to get drunk in order to forget your problems

515. mischief BrE / mɪstʃɪf / NAmE / mɪstʃɪf / noun [ uncountable ]
1 bad behaviour (especially of children) that is annoying but does not cause any serious damage or harm
Those children are always getting into mischief .
I try to keep out of mischief .
It's very quiet upstairs; they must be up to some mischief !
2 the wish or tendency to behave or play in a way that causes trouble
Her eyes were full of mischief.
3 ( formal ) harm or injury that is done to sb or to their reputation
The incident caused a great deal of political mischief.
do yourself a mischief ( BrE , informal ) to hurt yourself physically
Watch how you use those scissors—you could do yourself a mischief!
make mischief
to do or say sth deliberately to upset other people, or cause trouble between them

516. Escape verb, noun BrE / ɪskeɪp / NAmE / ɪskeɪp / verb
1 [ intransitive ] to get away from a place where you have been kept as a prisoner or not allowed to leave
Two prisoners have escaped.
They were caught trying to escape.
~ from sb/sth He escaped from prison this morning.
2 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] to get away from an unpleasant or dangerous situation
~ (from sth) She managed to escape from the burning car.
~ (into sth) ( figurative ) As a child he would often escape into a dream world of his own.
~ sth They were glad to have escaped the clutches of winter for another year.
3 [ transitive ,  no passive ] to avoid sth unpleasant or dangerous
~ sth She was lucky to escape punishment.
The pilot escaped death by seconds.
There was no escaping the fact that he was overweight.
~ doing sth He narrowly escaped being killed.
4 [ intransitive ] to suffer no harm or less harm than you would expect
~ (with sth) I was lucky to escape with minor injuries.
+ adj. Both drivers escaped unhurt .
5 [ transitive ,  no passive ] ~ sb/sth to be forgotten or not noticed
Her name escapes me (= I can't remember it) .
It might have escaped your notice , but I'm very busy at the moment.
6 [ intransitive ] ( of gases, liquids, etc. ) to get out of a container, especially through a hole or crack
Put a lid on to prevent heat escaping.
toxic waste escaping into the sea
7 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] ~ (sth) ( of a sound ) to come out from your mouth without you intending it to
A groan escaped her lips.

(Noun)
1 [ countable ,  uncountable ] ~ (from sth) the act or a method of escaping from a place or an unpleasant or dangerous situation
an escape from a prisoner of war camp
I had a narrow escape (= I was lucky to have escaped) .
There was no hope of escape from her disastrous marriage.
He took an elaborate escape route from South Africa to Britain.
As soon as he turned his back, she would make her escape .
see also fire escape
2 [ singular ,  uncountable ] a way of forgetting sth unpleasant or difficult for a short time
For her, travel was an escape from the boredom of her everyday life.
3 [ countable ] the fact of a liquid, gas, etc. coming out of a pipe or container by accident; the amount that comes out
an escape of gas
4 [ uncountable ]
( also escape key [ countable ] )
( computing ) a button on a computer keyboard that you press to stop a particular operation or leave a program
Press escape to get back to the menu.
make good your escape ( formal ) to manage to escape completely
He made good his escape from a crowd of journalists by jumping over a barrier.
more at close, etc. the barn door after the horse has escaped at barn

517. ungrateful
BrE / ʌnɡreɪtfl / NAmE / ʌnɡreɪtfl / adjective
not showing or expressing thanks for sth that sb has done for you or given to you
grateful
ungratefully / BrE ʌnɡreɪtfəli ; NAmE ʌnɡreɪtfəli / adverb

518. divine adjective, verb BrE / dɪvaɪn / NAmE / dɪvaɪn / adjective
1 [ usually before noun ] coming from or connected with God or a god
divine law/love/will
divine intervention (= help from God to change a situation)
2 ( old-fashioned ) wonderful; beautiful
That mango tasted divine!
divinely / BrE dɪvaɪnli ; NAmE dɪvaɪnli / adverb
(verb)
EXAMPLE BANK 
1 [ transitive ] ~ what, whether, etc… | ~ sth ( formal ) to find out sth by guessing
She could divine what he was thinking just by looking at him.
2 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] ~ (sth) to search for underground water using a stick in the shape of a Y, called a divining rod

519. Diligent BrE / dɪlɪdʒənt / NAmE / dɪlɪdʒənt / adjective ( formal )
showing care and effort in your work or duties
a diligent student/worker
diligently / BrE dɪlɪdʒəntli ; NAmE dɪlɪdʒəntli / adverb
They worked diligently on the task they had been given.

520. Divine intervention (Coll) coming from or relating to God

521. straighten BrE / streɪtn / NAmE / streɪtn / verb
1 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] to become straight; to make sth straight
~ sth (out) I straightened my tie and walked in.
~ (out) The road bends here then straightens out.
2 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] to make your body straight and vertical
~ sth He stood up and straightened his shoulders.
~ sth/yourself up I straightened myself up to answer the question.
~ (up) Straighten up slowly, then repeat the exercise ten times.
straighten sb out to help sb to deal with problems or understand a confused situation
straighten sth out to deal with a confused situation by organizing things that are causing problems
I need time to straighten out my finances.
straighten sth up to make sth neat and tidy

522. behalf
BrE / bɪhɑf / NAmE / bɪhæf / noun
in behalf of sb | in sb's behalf ( US ) in order to help sb
We collected money in behalf of the homeless.
on behalf of sb | on sb's behalf
1 as the representative of sb or instead of them
On behalf of the department I would like to thank you all.
Mr Knight cannot be here, so his wife will accept the prize on his behalf.
2 in order to help sb
They campaigned on behalf of asylum seekers.
3 because of sb; for sb
Don't worry on my behalf.

523. in full view (of sb/sth)
completely visible, directly in front of sb/sth
He was shot in full view of a large crowd.
in view of sth ( formal ) considering sth
In view of the weather, the event will now be held indoors.
524. Circumstance
BrE / sɜkəmstəns / BrE / sɜkəmstɑns / BrE / sɜkəmstæns / NAmE / sɜrkəmstæns /
1 [ countable ,  usually plural ] the conditions and facts that are connected with and affect a situation, an event or an action
The company reserves the right to cancel this agreement in certain circumstances.
changing social and political circumstances
I know I can trust her in any circumstance.
Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the boy's death.
The ship sank in mysterious circumstances.
She never discovered the true circumstances of her birth.
2 circumstances [ plural ] the conditions of a person's life, especially the money they have
Grants are awarded according to your financial circumstances .
family/domestic/personal circumstances
3 [ uncountable ] ( formal ) situations and events that affect and influence your life and that are not in your control
a victim of circumstance (= a person who has suffered because of a situation that they cannot control)
He had to leave the country through force of circumstance (= events made it necessary) .
We were simply thrown together by circumstance on the long journey.
in/under the circumstances
used before or after a statement to show that you have thought about the conditions that affect a situation before making a decision or a statement
Under the circumstances, it seemed better not to tell him about the accident.
She did the job very well in the circumstances.
in/under no circumstances
used to emphasize that sth should never happen or be allowed
Under no circumstances should you lend Paul any money.
Don't open the door, in any circumstances.

525. Whole adjective, noun, adverb BrE / həʊl / NAmE / hoʊl / adjective1 [ only before noun ] full; complete
He spent the whole day writing.
We drank a whole bottle each.
The whole country (= all the people in it) mourned her death.
Let's forget the whole thing .
She wasn't telling the whole truth .
2 [ only before noun ] used to emphasize how large or important sth is
We offer a whole variety of weekend breaks.
I can't afford it—that's the whole point .
3 not broken or damaged
in one piece
Owls usually swallow their prey whole (= without chewing it) .
wholeness / BrE həʊlnəs ; NAmE hoʊlnəs / noun [ uncountable ]
see also wholly
Most idioms containing whole are at the entries for the nouns and verbs in the idioms, for example go the whole hog is at hog  .
a whole lot ( informal ) very much; a lot
I'm feeling a whole lot better.
a whole lot (of sth) ( informal ) a large number or amount
There were a whole lot of people I didn't know.
I lost a whole lot of money.
the whole lot
everything; all of sth
I've sold the whole lot.

(noun)
1 [ countable ] a thing that is complete in itself
Four quarters make a whole.
The subjects of the curriculum form a coherent whole.
2 [ singular ] the ~ of sth all that there is of sth
The effects will last for the whole of his life.
as a whole
as one thing or piece and not as separate parts
The festival will be great for our city and for the country as a whole.
on the whole
considering everything; in general
On the whole, I'm in favour of the idea.
(Adverb)
~ new/different/other… ( informal )
completely new/different
It's a whole new world out here.
That's a whole other story.
I suddenly saw him in a whole different light.

526. Bar gain noun, verb BrE / bɑɡən / NAmE / bɑrɡən / noun
1 a thing bought for less than the usual price
I picked up a few good bargains in the sale.
The car was a bargain at that price.
bargain prices
2 ~ (with sb) an agreement between two or more people or groups, to do sth for each other
He and his partner had made a bargain to tell each other everything.
I've done what I promised and I expect you to keep your side of the bargain (= do what you agreed in return) .
Finally the two sides struck a bargain (= reached an agreement) .
into the bargain ( BrE )
( NAmE in the bargain )
( used to emphasize an extra piece of information ) also; as well
Volunteers learn a lot and enjoy themselves into the bargain.

[verb intransitive ]
to discuss prices, conditions, etc. with sb in order to reach an agreement that is acceptable
negotiate
~ (with sb) (about/over/for sth) In the market dealers were bargaining with growers over the price of coffee.
He said he wasn't prepared to bargain.
bargain sth away to give sth away and not get sth of equal value in return
They felt that their leaders had bargained away their freedom.
bargain for/on sth ( usually in negative sentences ) to expect sth to happen and be prepared for it
We hadn't bargained for this sudden change in the weather.
When he agreed to answer a few questions, he got more than he bargained for (= he got more questions, or more difficult ones, than he had expected) .
~ doing sth I didn't bargain on finding them here as well.
~ sb doing sth I hadn't bargained on them being here.

527. Off and on (Idm)
for short periods but not regularly, over a long period of time:
We've been going out together for five years, off and on.

528. all to the good
used to say that if sth happens, it will be good, even if it is not exactly what you were expecting
If these measures also reduce unemployment, that is all to the good.
be no good | not be any/much good
1 to not be useful; to have no useful effect
This gadget isn't much good.
It's no good trying to talk me out of leaving.
Was his advice ever any good?
2 to not be interesting or enjoyable
His latest film isn't much good.
do good | do sb good
to have a useful effect; to help sb
Do you think these latest changes will do any good?
Don't you think talking to her would do some good?
I'm sure a few days off would do you a power of good (= improve your health) .
for good
( BrE also for good and all )
permanently
This time she's leaving for good (= she will never return) .
I'd like an excuse to get rid of him for good and all.
to the good
used to say that sb now has a particular amount of money that they did not have before
We are £500 to the good.
up to no good ( informal ) doing sth wrong or dishonest
Those kids are always up to no good.

529. From time to time (Idm) sometimes, but not regularly or very often:
These food safety scares happen from time to time.

530. At present (Idm) at this time [= now]:
The item you want is not available at present.
At present, the airport handles 110 flights a day.

531. All of a sudden (Idm) suddenly:
All of a sudden the lights went out.

532. In connection with something : Concerning or involving something
arrest/charge/question etc somebody
in connection with a crime
Two men have been arrested in connection with the attack.
visits made to Spain in connection with her business
his work in connection with refugees

533. In respect of something (formal) concerning or in relation to something:
This is especially true in respect of the UK.

534. With respect to something (formal)
a) concerning or in relation to something:
The freedom of a property owner to make a contract with respect to his property
b) used to introduce a new subject, or to return to one that has already been mentioned:
With respect to your request, I am not yet able to agree.
535. In one respect/in some respects etc used to say that something is true in one way, in some ways etc:
In many respects the new version is not as good as the old one.
Mum is very stubborn, and Kim takes after her in that respect.

536. be fond of (doing) something (adj) to like something, especially something you have liked for a long time:
I'm not overly fond of cooking.
I'd grown fond of the place and it was difficult to leave.

537. It's about time (also) it's high time (spoken) used to say strongly that you think something should happen soon or should already have happened:
It's about time our team won.
It's high time we had a party.

538. There's no harm in doing something/it does no harm to do something (spoken) used to suggest something to someone:
There's no harm in trying.
It does no harm to ask.

539. I’m in a rush/haste/hurry.

540. In rags (Idm) wearing old torn clothes:
Children in rags begged money from the tourists.

541. Destiny (n) the things that will happen to someone in the future, especially those that cannot be changed or controlled [= fate]
It was a country that he had no control over its destiny and needed the world's attention.
The government wants to give people more control over their own destinies.

542. Rebuff (noun,formal) an unkind or unfriendly answer to a friendly suggestion or offer of help:
He received a humiliating rebuff from his manager.
Rebuff [transitive verb]
He rebuffed all her suggestions.

543. Ransom (n) an amount of money that is paid to free someone who is held as a prisoner:
The kidnappers were demanding a ransom of $250,000.
The government refused to pay the ransom.
Hold somebody for ransom (also) hold somebody to ransom (British English) to keep someone prisoner until money is paid:
His daughter was kidnapped and held for ransom.
Ransom [verb]to pay an amount of money so that someone who is being held as a prisoner is set free:
They were all ransomed and returned unharmed.

544. Adequate (adj)
enough in quantity or of a good enough quality for a particular purpose [= sufficient; ≠ inadequate]:
Farmers have been slow to make adequate provision for their retirement.
Some creams we tested failed to give adequate protection against UV light.
The standard of his work is barely adequate.
The company has yet to provide an adequate explanation for its actions.
adequate for
Are the parking facilities adequate for 50 cars?
adequate to do something
The lunchtime menu is more than adequate to satisfy the biggest appetite.
2) fairly good but not excellent:
Her performance was adequate but lacked originality.

545. Pavement (n) a hard level surface or path at the side of a road for people to walk on [= sidewalk American English]
A small group of journalists waited on the pavement outside her house.
a pavement café

546. Pound/hit the pavement to work very hard to get something, especially a job, by going to a lot of different places:
He spent the next six months pounding the pavement in search of a job. Come about (Phrv)

547. Have a down on sb/sth (Idm) To have a bad opinion of a person or a thing.
For some reason, he had a down on me.

548. Down-to-earth (adj) practical and direct in a sensible honest way:
Fran's a friendly, down-to-earth person.
A chef with a down-to-earth approach to cooking

549. Be quick/fast on the draw ( informal )
to be quick to understand or react in a new situation
You can't fool him— he's always quick on the draw.
550. Be Dressed to kill (Idm)
wearing very attractive clothes so that everyone notices and admires you

551. It’s (like) chalk and cheese (Idm)
The two brothers are as different as chalk and cheese(=completely different from each other)

552. Drought (n) a long period of dry weather when there is not enough water for plants and animals to live.
A severe drought has caused most of the corn crop to fail.
Central Africa is suffering one of the worst droughts of the century.
553. Druggie (n) someone who often takes illegal drugs

554. Junkie (n) (1) someone who takes dangerous drugs and is dependent on them
2) A TV/sports etc junkie someone who likes something so much that they seem to be dependent on it - used humorously: eg) a technology junkie

555. Dub verb, noun BrE / dʌb / NAmE / dʌb / verb ( -bb- )
1 ~ sb + noun to give sb/sth a particular name, often in a humorous or critical way
The Belgian actor Jean–Claude Van Damme has been dubbed ‘Muscles from Brussels’.
2 ~ sth (into sth) to replace the original speech in a film/movie or television programme with words in another language an American movie dubbed into Italian compare subtitle
3 ~ sth ( especially BrE ) to make a piece of music by mixing sounds from different recordings
 [ uncountable noun ]
a type of West Indian music or poetry with a strong beat
556. Epithet
BrE / epɪθet / NAmE / epɪθet / noun
1 an adjective or phrase that is used to describe sb/sth's character or most important quality, especially in order to give praise or criticism
The film is long and dramatic but does not quite earn the epithet ‘epic’.
2 ( especially NAmE ) an offensive word or phrase that is used about a person or group of people
Racial epithets were scrawled on the walls.

557. Epitaph BrE / epɪtɑf / NAmE / epɪtæf / noun
1 words that are written or said about a dead person, especially words on a gravestone
His epitaph read: ‘A just and noble countryman’.
2 ~ (to sb/sth) something which is left to remind people of a particular person, a period of time or an event
These slums are an epitaph to the housing policy of the 1960s.
558. Dyspeptic (adj)
1) suffering from dyspepsia
2) (old-fashioned) bad-tempered
We can therefore discount(=to regard something as unlikely to be true or important) his dyspeptic remarks about Jim.

559. Be all ears (Idm) to be very keen to hear what someone is going to tell you:
As soon as I mentioned money, she was all ears.

560. Easy going (adj) not easily upset, annoyed, or worried:
Her easy-going nature made her popular.

561. Eat humble pie (Idm) (also) eat crow (American English) to admit that you were wrong and say that you are sorry.
His victory in the semi-final has forced many of her critics to eat humble pie.

562. Illegitimate (adj) not allowed or acceptable according to rules or agreements:
A distinction between legitimate and illegitimate trade.

563. Burn a hole in sb’s pocket (Idm) if money burns a hole in your pocket, you want to spend it as soon as you can

564. Industrious (adj) someone who is industrious works hard [= hard-working]
Most of the students I knew at college were serious and industrious.

565. Authentic BrE / ɔθentɪk / NAmE / ɔθentɪk / adjective
1 known to be real and genuine and not a copy
I don't know if the painting is authentic.
inauthentic
2 true and accurate
an authentic account of life in the desert
the authentic voice of young black Americans
inauthentic
3 made to be exactly the same as the original
an authentic model of the ancient town
Take a trip on an authentic Spanish galleon to the famous Papagayo beach.
authentically / BrE ɔθentɪkli ; NAmE ɔθentɪkli / adverb
authentically flavoured Mexican dishes
an authentically constructed Wild West town

566. Hypocrite
BrE / hɪpəkrɪt / NAmE / hɪpəkrɪt / noun
( disapproving )
a person who pretends to have moral standards or opinions that they do not actually have
Charles was a liar and a hypocrite who married her for money.
hypocritical / BrE hɪpəkrɪtɪkl ; NAmE hɪpəkrɪtɪkl / adjective
It would be hypocritical of me to have a church wedding when I don't believe in God.
hypocritically / BrE hɪpəkrɪtɪkli ; NAmE hɪpəkrɪtɪkli / adverb






567. Categorical
BrE / kætəɡɒrɪkl / NAmE / kætəɡɔrɪkl / adjective
[ usually before noun ] ( formal )
expressed clearly and in a way that shows that you are very sure about what you are saying
to make a categorical statement
to give a categorical assurance
categorically / BrE kætəɡɒrɪkli ; NAmE kætəɡɔrɪkli / adverb
He categorically rejected our offer.

568. Taunt verb, noun BrE / tɔnt / NAmE / tɔnt / verb ~ sb
to try to make sb angry or upset by saying unkind things about them, laughing at their failures, etc
The other kids continually taunted him about his size.
(noun)
an insulting or unkind remark that is intended to make sb angry or upset
Black players often had to endure racist taunts.
She ignored his taunt.
569. Criticize ( BrE also -ise )
BrE / krɪtɪsaɪz / NAmE / krɪtɪsaɪz / verb
1 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] to say that you disapprove of sb/sth; to say what you do not like or think is wrong about sb/sth
All you ever do is criticize!
~ sb/sth The decision was criticized by environmental groups.
~ sb/sth for sth The government has been criticized for not taking the problem seriously.
2 [ transitive ] ~ sth ( BrE ) to judge the good and bad qualities of sth
We were taught how to criticize poems.

570. Miracle BrE / mɪrəkl / NAmE / mɪrəkl / noun
1 [ countable ] an act or event that does not follow the laws of nature and is believed to be caused by God
wonder
2 [ singular ] ( informal ) a lucky thing that happens that you did not expect or think was possible
wonder
an economic miracle
It's a miracle (that) nobody was killed in the crash.
It would take a miracle to make this business profitable.
a miracle cure/drug
3 [ countable ] ~ of sth a very good example or product of sth
wonder
The car is a miracle of engineering.
work/perform miracles
to achieve very good results
Her exercise programme has worked miracles for her.

571. Rinse verb, noun BrE / rɪns / NAmE / rɪns / verb
EXAMPLE BANK 
1 ~ sth to wash sth with clean water only, not using soap
Rinse the cooked pasta with boiling water.
2 ~ sth to remove the soap from sth with clean water after washing it
3 ~ sth + adv./prep. to remove dirt, etc. from sth by washing it with clean water
She rinsed the mud from her hands.
I wanted to rinse the taste out of my mouth.
He showered quickly, rinsing away the dirt of the journey.
rinse sth out to make sth clean, especially a container, by washing it with water
Rinse the cup out before use.

(noun)
1 [ countable ] an act of rinsing sth
I gave the glass a rinse.
Fabric conditioner is added during the final rinse.
2 [ countable ,  uncountable ] a liquid that you put on your hair when it is wet in order to change its colour
a blue rinse
3 [ countable ,  uncountable ] a liquid used for cleaning the mouth and teeth

572. Paragon (n)
someone who is perfect or is extremely brave, good etc - often used humorously
paragon of
a paragon of beauty

573. Stuffy BrE / stʌfi / NAmE / stʌfi / adjective
( stuffier , stuffiest )
1 ( of a building, room, etc. ) warm in an unpleasant way and without enough fresh air
a stuffy room
It gets very hot and stuffy in here in summer.
2 ( informal , disapproving ) very serious, formal, boring or old-fashioned
a stuffy, formal family
plain, stuffy clothes
3 ( especially NAmE ) if you have a stuffy nose, your nose is blocked because you have a cold
stuffi ness / BrE stʌfinəs ; NAmE stʌfinəs / noun [ uncountable ]

574. Sultry
BrE / sʌltri / NAmE / sʌltri / adjective
( sul • trier , sul • tri • est )
1 ( of the weather or air ) very hot and uncomfortable
muggy
a sultry summer afternoon
The weather was still very heavy and sultry.
2 ( formal ) ( of a woman or her appearance ) sexually attractive; seeming to have strong sexual feelings
sexy
a sultry smile
a sultry singer
sultriness / BrE sʌltrinəs ; NAmE sʌltrinəs / noun [ uncountable ]



575. Suffocate BrE / sʌfəkeɪt / NAmE / sʌfəkeɪt / verb
1 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] to die because there is no air to breathe; to kill sb by not letting them breathe air
Many dogs have suffocated in hot cars.
~ sb/sth The couple were suffocated by fumes from a faulty gas fire.
He put the pillow over her face and suffocated her.
( figurative ) She felt suffocated by all the rules and regulations.
2 [ intransitive ] be suffocating if it is suffocating , it is very hot and there is little fresh air
Can I open a window? It's suffocating in here!
suffocation / BrE sʌfəkeɪʃn ; NAmE sʌfəkeɪʃn / noun [ uncountable ]
to die of suffocation
576. Go on rampage (Idm) rushing about in a wild and violent way, often causing damage:
Rioters went on the rampage through the town.

577. Gobsmacked BrE / ɡɒbsmækt / NAmE / ɡɑbsmækt / adjective( BrE , informal )
so surprised that you do not know what to say
I was gobsmacked when she told me the news.
578. Ridiculous BrE / rɪdɪkjələs / NAmE / rɪdɪkjələs / adjective
very silly or unreasonable
absurd , ludicrous
I look ridiculous in this hat.
Don't be ridiculous! You can't pay £50 for a T-shirt!
It was ridiculous that this should be so difficult to say.
They ate and drank a ridiculous amount.
ridiculously / BrE rɪdɪkjələsli ; NAmE rɪdɪkjələsli / adverb
The meal was ridiculously expensive.
She was wearing a pair of ridiculously high-heeled shoes.
ridiculousness / BrE rɪdɪkjələsnəs ; NAmE rɪdɪkjələsnəs / noun [ uncountable ]
The ridiculousness of the situation made us laugh.

579. Blister noun, verb BrE / blɪstə(r) / NAmE / blɪstər / noun
1 a swelling on the surface of the skin that is filled with liquid and is caused, for example, by rubbing or burning
These shoes have given me blisters on my heels.
see also fever blister
2 a similar swelling, filled with air or liquid, on metal, painted wood or another surface
(verb)
1 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] to form blisters ; to make sth form blisters
His skin was beginning to blister.
~ sth Her face had been blistered by the sun.
2 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] ~ (sth) when a surface blisters or sth blisters it, it swells and cracks
3 [ transitive ] ~ sb ( NAmE ) to criticize sb strongly
blistered / BrE blɪstəd ; NAmE blɪstərd / adjective
cracked and blistered skin
blistered paintwork



580. Unconscious adjective, noun
BrE / ʌnkɒnʃəs /  NAmE / ʌnkɑnʃəs / adjective
1 in a state like sleep because of an injury or illness, and not able to use your senses
She was knocked unconscious .
They found him lying unconscious on the floor.
2 ( of feelings, thoughts, etc. ) existing or happening without you realizing or being aware; not deliberate or controlled
unconscious desires
The brochure is full of unconscious humour.
compare subconscious
3 ~ of sb/sth not aware of sb/sth; not noticing sth; not conscious
oblivious to
She is unconscious of the effect she has on people.
He was quite unconscious of the danger.
conscious
noun
the unconscious [ singular ] ( psychology )
the part of a person's mind with thoughts, feelings, etc. that they are not aware of and cannot control but which can sometimes be understood by studying their behaviour or dreams
compare subconscious

581. Exclusive adjective, noun
BrE / ɪksklusɪv / NAmE / ɪkskusɪv / adjective
1 only to be used by one particular person or group; only given to one particular person or group
The hotel has exclusive access to the beach.
exclusive rights to televise the World Cup
His mother has told ‘The Times’ about his death in an exclusive interview (= not given to any other newspaper) .
2 ( of a group, society, etc. ) not very willing to allow new people to become members, especially if they are from a lower social class
He belongs to an exclusive club.
3 of a high quality and expensive and therefore not often bought or used by most people
an exclusive hotel
exclusive designer clothes
4 not able to exist or be a true statement at the same time as sth else
The two options are not mutually exclusive (= you can have them both) .
5 ~ of sb/sth not including sb/sth
The price is for accommodation only, exclusive of meals.
inclusive
exclusively / BrE ɪksklusɪvli ; NAmE ɪksklusɪvli / adverb
a charity that relies almost exclusively on voluntary contributions
exclusiveness / BrE ɪksklusɪvnəs ; NAmE ɪksklusɪvnəs / noun [ uncountable ]
noun
an item of news or a story about famous people that is published in only one newspaper or magazine
We feature an exclusive on the mothers whose babies were swapped at birth.

582. Gladden
BrE / ɡlædn /  NAmE / ɡlædn / verb
( old-fashioned )
to make sb feel pleased or happy
~ sth The sight of the flowers gladdened her heart .
it gladdens sb to do sth It gladdened him to see them all enjoying themselves.

583. Implore BrE / ɪmplɔ(r) / NAmE / ɪmplɔr / verb ( formal or literary )
to ask sb to do sth in an anxious way because you want or need it very much
beseech , beg
~ sb to do sth She implored him to stay.
~ (sb) + speech ‘Help me,’ he implored.
~ sb Tell me it's true. I implore you.
imploring / BrE ; NAmE / adjective
She gave him an imploring look.

584. pat verb, noun, adjective, adverb
BrE / pæt / NAmE / pæt / verb
( -tt- )
to touch sb/sth gently several times with your hand flat, especially as a sign of affection
~ sth She patted the dog on the head.
He patted his sister's hand consolingly.
~ sth + adj. Pat your face dry with a soft towel.
pat sb/yourself on the back ( informal ) to praise sb or yourself for doing sth well

(noun)
 1 [ usually singular ] a gentle friendly touch with your open hand or with a flat object
a pat on the head
He gave her knee an affectionate pat.
2 ~ of butter a small, soft, flat lump of butter
baked potatoes with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of paprika

a pat on the back (for sth/for doing sth) ( informal ) praise or approval for sth that you have done well
He deserves a pat on the back for all his hard work.
Give yourself a pat on the back!

(Adjective)
( usually disapproving ) ( of an answer, a comment, etc. )
too quick, easy or simple; not seeming natural or realistic
The ending of the novel is a little too pat to be convincing.
There are no pat answers to these questions.
(adverb)
have/know sth off pat ( BrE )
( NAmE have/know sth down pat )
to know sth perfectly so that you can repeat it at any time without having to think about it
He had all the answers off pat.
stand pat ( especially NAmE ) to refuse to change your mind about a decision you have made or an opinion you have

585. Gatecrash
BrE / ɡeɪtkræʃ / NAmE / ɡeɪtkræʃ /
( also informal crash ) verb
[ transitive ,  intransitive ] ~ (sth)
to go to a party or social event without being invited
gatecrasher / BrE ɡeɪtkræʃə(r) ; NAmE ɡeɪtkræʃər / noun

586. Dubi ous
BrE / djubiəs / NAmE / dubiəs / adjective
1 [ not usually before noun ] ~ (about sth)/(about doing sth) ( of a person ) not certain and slightly suspicious about sth; not knowing whether sth is good or bad
doubtful
I was rather dubious about the whole idea.
2 ( disapproving ) probably not honest
suspicious
They indulged in some highly dubious business practices to obtain their current position in the market.
3 that you cannot be sure about; that is probably not good
They consider the plan to be of dubious benefit to most families.
( ironic ) She had the dubious honour of being the last woman to be hanged in England (= it was not an honour at all) .
dubiouly / BrE djubiəsli ; NAmE dubiəsli / adverb

587. Suspicious
BrE / səspɪʃəs / NAmE / səspɪʃəs / adjective
1 ~ (of/about sb/sth) feeling that sb has done sth wrong, illegal or dishonest, without having any proof
They became suspicious of his behaviour and contacted the police.
a suspicious look
You have a very suspicious mind (= you always think that people are behaving in an illegal or dishonest way) .
2 making you feel that sth is wrong, illegal or dishonest
Didn't you notice anything suspicious in his behaviour?
She died in suspicious circumstances .
Police are not treating the fire as suspicious.
It might look suspicious if we arrived together.
It was all very suspicious.
3 ~ (of sb/sth) not willing or able to trust sb/sth
sceptical
I was suspicious of his motives.
Many were suspicious of reform.
see also suspect

588. Sun stroke
BrE / sʌnstrəʊk / NAmE / sʌnstroʊk / noun [ uncountable ]
an illness with fever, weakness, headache, etc. caused by too much direct sun, especially on the head

589. Stroke noun, verb BrE / strəʊk / NAmE / stroʊk / noun
  HITTING MOVEMENT
1 an act of hitting a ball, for example with a bat or racket
What a beautiful stroke!
He won by two strokes (= in golf , by taking two fewer strokes than his opponent) .
2 a single movement of the arm when hitting sb/sth
His punishment was six strokes of the cane.

IN SWIMMING/ROWING
3 any of a series of repeated movements in swimming or rowing
She took a few more strokes to reach the bank.
He swam with long powerful strokes.
4 ( often in compounds ) a style of swimming
Butterfly is the only stroke I can't do.
see also backstroke , breaststroke
5 the person who sets the speed at which everyone in a boat rows

GENTLE TOUCH
6 [ usually singular ] ( especially BrE ) an act of moving your hand gently over a surface, usually several times
He gave the cat a stroke.

OF PEN/BRUSH
7 a mark made by moving a pen, brush, etc. once across a surface
to paint with fine brush strokes
At the stroke of a pen (= by signing sth) they removed thousands of people from the welfare system.

ACTION
8 ~ (of sth) a single successful action or event
Your idea was a stroke of genius .
It was a stroke of luck that I found you here.
It was a bold stroke to reveal the identity of the murderer on the first page.
She never does a stroke (of work) (= never does any work) .
see also masterstroke

OF CLOCK
9 each of the sounds made by a clock or bell giving the hours
At the first stroke it will be 9 o'clock exactly.
on the stroke of three (= at 3 o'clock exactly)

ILLNESS
10 a sudden serious illness when a blood vessel (= tube) in the brain bursts or is blocked, which can cause death or the loss of the ability to move or to speak clearly
to have/suffer a stroke
The stroke left him partly paralysed.
at a (single) stroke | at one ˈstroke
with a single immediate action
They threatened to cancel the whole project at a stroke.
put sb off their stroke ( BrE ) to make sb make a mistake or hesitate in what they are doing
My speech was going well until I was put off my stroke by an interruption.

590. nasty BrE / nɑsti / NAmE / næsti / adjective
( nas • tier , nas • ti • est )
1 very bad or unpleasant
a nasty accident
The news gave me a nasty shock.
I had a nasty feeling that he would follow me.
He had a nasty moment when he thought he'd lost his passport.
This coffee has a nasty taste.
Don't buy that coat—it looks cheap and nasty .
2 unkind; unpleasant
mean
to make nasty remarks about sb
the nastier side of her character
to have a nasty temper
Don't be so nasty to your brother.
That was a nasty little trick.
Life has a nasty habit of repeating itself.
3 dangerous or serious
a nasty bend (= dangerous for cars going fast)
a nasty injury
4 offensive; in bad taste
to have a nasty mind
nasty jokes
see also video nasty
nastily / BrE nɑstɪli ; NAmE næstɪli / adverb
‘I hate you,’ she said nastily.
nastiness / BrE nɑstinəs ; NAmE næstinəs / noun [ uncountable ]
get/turn nasty
1 to become threatening and violent
You'd better do what he says or he'll turn nasty.
After the game, things turned nasty and there were fights in the streets.
2 to become bad or unpleasant
It looks as though the weather is going to turn nasty again.
a nasty piece of work ( BrE , informal ) a person who is unpleasant, unkind or dishonest
Don't trust him; he's a nasty piece of work.
more at leave a bad/nasty taste in the mouth at taste   n.

591. threshold
BrE / θreʃhəʊld / NAmE / θreʃhoʊld /
noun
WORD ORIGIN 
EXAMPLE BANK 
1 the floor or ground at the bottom of a doorway , considered as the entrance to a building or room
She stood hesitating on the threshold.
He stepped across the threshold.
2 the level at which sth starts to happen or have an effect
He has a low boredom threshold (= he gets bored easily) .
I have a high pain threshold (= I can suffer a lot of pain before I start to react) .
My earnings are just above the tax threshold (= more than the amount at which you start paying tax) .
3 [ usually singular ] the point just before a new situation, period of life, etc. begins
She felt as though she was on the threshold of a new life.

592. Disciple BrE / dɪsaɪpl / NAmE / dɪsaɪpl / noun
1 a person who believes in and follows the teachings of a religious or political leader
follower
a disciple of the economist John Maynard Keynes
2 (according to the Bible) one of the people who followed Jesus Christ and his teachings when he was living on earth, especially one of the twelve Apostles

593. gist BrE / dʒɪst / NAmE / dʒɪst / noun
( usually the gist ) [ singular ] ~ (of sth)
the main or general meaning of a piece of writing, a speech or a conversation
to get (= understand) the gist of an argument
I missed the beginning of the lecture—can you give me the gist of what he said?
I'm afraid I don't quite follow your gist (= what you really mean) .
Students are taught the skills of reading and listening for gist.

594. Perspire BrE / pəspaɪə(r) / NAmE / pərspaɪər / verb
[ intransitive ] ( formal )
to produce sweat on your body
sweat
The game of squash left me perspiring profusely.
He mopped his perspiring face with a handkerchief.

595. Pant
BrE / pænt / NAmE / pænt / verb
[ intransitive ,  transitive ] (+ speech)
to breathe quickly with short breaths, usually with your mouth open, because you have been doing some physical exercise, or because it is very hot
She finished the race panting heavily.
She could hear him panting up the stairs (= running up and breathing quickly) .
He found her panting for breath at the top of the hill.
pant noun [ usually plural ]
His breath came in short pants.
pant for/after sb/sth to want sth/sb very much
The end of the novel leaves you panting for more.

596. Fatal BrE / feɪtl / NAmE / feɪtl / adjective
EXAMPLE BANK 
1 causing or ending in death
a fatal accident/blow/illness
a potentially fatal form of cancer
If she gets ill again it could prove fatal .
compare mortal
2 causing disaster or failure
a fatal error/mistake
Any delay would be fatal.
There was a fatal flaw in the plan.
It'd be fatal to try and stop them now.
fatally / BrE feɪtəli ; NAmE feɪtəli / adverb
fatally injured/wounded
The plan was fatally flawed from the start.




597. Privilege noun, verb BrE / prɪvəlɪdʒ / NAmE / prɪvəlɪdʒ / noun
 1 [ countable ] a special right or advantage that a particular person or group of people has
Education should be a universal right and not a privilege.
You can enjoy all the benefits and privileges of club membership.
Try not to abuse the privilege of being allowed more freedom.
2 [ uncountable ] ( disapproving ) the rights and advantages that rich and powerful people in a society have
As a member of the nobility, his life had been one of wealth and privilege.
3 [ singular ] something that you are proud and lucky to have the opportunity to do
honour
I hope to have the privilege of working with them again.
It was a great privilege to hear her sing.
4 [ countable ,  uncountable ] ( technical ) a special right to do or say things without being punished
parliamentary privilege (= the special right of members of parliament to say particular things without risking legal action)
breach of privilege (= the breaking of rules about what a member of parliament can say and do)
verb
VERB FORMS 
WORD ORIGIN 
~ sb/sth ( formal )
to give sb/sth special rights or advantages that others do not have
favour
education policies that privilege the children of wealthy parents

598. sissy ( BrE also cissy ) BrE / sɪsi / NAmE / sɪsi / noun
( pl. sissies , BrE also cissies ) ( informal , disapproving )
a boy that other men or boys laugh at because they think he is weak or frightened, or only interested in the sort of things girls like
wimp
The other boys kept calling him a sissy and a wimp.
sissy adjective

599. Famished
BrE / fæmɪʃt / NAmE / fæmɪʃt / adjective
[ not usually before noun ] ( informal , becoming old-fashioned )
very hungry
starving
When's lunch? I'm famished!
famished refugees

600.     Don’t stand on ceremony. (Spoken)
Come on, Mal, don't stand on ceremony here at home(=to not worry about the formal rules of polite behaviour)
601. Abstain from sth (v)
to not do or have something you enjoy, especially alcohol or sex, usually for reasons of religion or health
Pilots must abstain from alcohol for 24 hours before flying.
Junior politicians are supposed to abstain from criticizing the government.
Most of the church members drink only moderately or abstain completely.
Three members of the committee abstained(=to choose not to vote for or against something)
602. Abuse noun, verb noun/ BrE əbjus ; NAmE əbjus /
1 [ uncountable ,  singular ] the use of sth in a way that is wrong or harmful
misuse
alcohol/drug/solvent abuse
The system of paying cash bonuses is open to abuse (= might be used in the wrong way) .
~ of sth He was arrested on charges of corruption and abuse of power .
What she did was an abuse of her position as manager.
2 [ uncountable ,  plural ] unfair, cruel or violent treatment of sb
child abuse
sexual abuse
reported abuses by the secret police
She suffered years of physical abuse.
3 [ uncountable ] rude and offensive remarks, usually made when sb is very angry
insults
to scream/hurl/shout abuse
a stream/torrent of abuse
The man burst into a torrent of foul-mouthed racist abuse.
verb
/ BrE əbjuz ; NAmE əbjuz /
1 ~ sth to make bad use of sth, or to use so much of sth that it harms your health
to abuse alcohol/drugs
He systematically abused his body with heroin and cocaine.
2 ~ sth to use power or knowledge unfairly or wrongly
She abused her position as principal by giving jobs to her friends.
He felt they had abused his trust by talking about him to the press (= tricked him, although he had trusted them) .
3 ~ sb/sth to treat a person or an animal in a cruel or violent way, especially sexually
All the children had been physically and emotionally abused.
He had abused his own daughter (= had sex with her) .
The boy had been sexually abused.
4 ~ sb to make rude or offensive remarks to or about sb
insult
The referee had been threatened and abused.
abuser / BrE əbjuzə(r) ; NAmE əbjuzər / noun
a drug abuser
a child abuser

603. Accommodate BrE / əkɒmədeɪt / NAmE / əkɑmədeɪt / verb
EXAMPLE BANK 
1 [ transitive ] ~ sb to provide sb with a room or place to sleep, live or sit
The hotel can accommodate up to 500 guests.
The aircraft is capable of accommodating 28 passengers.
2 [ transitive ] ~ sb/sth to provide enough space for sb/sth
Over 70 minutes of music can be accommodated on one CD.
The old town hall now accommodates a Folk Museum.
3 [ transitive ] ~ sth ( formal ) to consider sth, such as sb's opinion or a fact, and be influenced by it when you are deciding what to do or explaining sth
Our proposal tries to accommodate the special needs of minority groups.
She modified her views so as to accommodate the objections of American feminists.
4 [ transitive ] ~ sb (with sth) ( formal ) to help sb by doing what they want
oblige
I have accommodated the press a great deal, giving numerous interviews.
I'm sure the bank will be able to accommodate you.
5 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] ~ (sth/yourself) to sth ( formal ) to change your behaviour so that you can deal with a new situation better
I needed to accommodate to the new schedule.

604. Abide by sth ( formal ) to accept and act according to a law, an agreement, etc
You'll have to abide by the rules of the club.
We will abide by their decision.
605. comply BrE / kəmplaɪ / NAmE / kəmplaɪ / verb
( com • plies , com • ply • ing , com • plied , com • plied ) [ intransitive ] ~ (with sth)
to obey a rule, an order, etc
They refused to comply with the UN resolution.

606. Amiable BrE / eɪmiəbl / NAmE / eɪmiəbl / adjective
pleasant; friendly and easy to like
agreeable
an amiable tone of voice
Her parents seemed very amiable.
amiability / BrE eɪmiəbɪləti ; NAmE eɪmiəbɪləti / noun [ uncountable ]
amiably / BrE eɪmiəbli ; NAmE eɪmiəbli / adverb
‘That's fine,’ he replied amiably.

607. Track sb/sth down to find sb/sth after searching in several different places
The police have so far failed to track down the attacker.
I finally tracked the reference down in a book of quotations.

608. Be in your element
to be in a situation that you enjoy, because you are good at it:
Graham was in his element, cooking the steaks(=a large thick piece of any good quality red meat)
609. Elevate BrE / elɪveɪt / NAmE / elɪveɪt / verb
1 ( formal ) to give sb/sth a higher position or rank, often more important than they deserve
raise , promote
~ sb/sth (to sth) He elevated many of his friends to powerful positions within the government.
~ sth (into sth) It was an attempt to elevate football to a subject worthy of serious study.
2 ~ sth ( technical or formal ) to lift sth up or put sth in a higher position
It is important that the injured leg should be elevated.
3 ~ sth ( technical ) to make the level of sth increase
Smoking often elevates blood pressure.
4 ~ sth ( formal ) to improve a person's mood, so that they feel happy
The song never failed to elevate his spirits.




610. Elixir
BrE / ɪlɪksə(r) /  BrE / ɪlɪksɪə(r) / NAmE / ɪlɪksər / noun
( literary )
a magic liquid that is believed to cure illnesses or to make people live for ever
the elixir of life/youth

611. Embolden
BrE / ɪmbəʊldən / NAmE / ɪmboʊldən / verb
VERB FORMS 
1 [ usually passive ] ( formal ) to make sb feel braver or more confident
~ sb Emboldened by the wine, he went over to introduce himself to her.
~ sb to do sth With such a majority, the administration was emboldened to introduce radical new policies.
2 ~ sth ( technical ) to make a piece of text appear in bold print

612. Elope
BrE / ɪləʊp / NAmE / ɪloʊp / verb
[ intransitive ] ~ (with sb)
to run away with sb in order to marry them secretly
elopement / BrE ɪləʊpmənt ; NAmE ɪloʊpmənt / noun [ countable ,  uncountable ]

613. On an empty stomach (Coll) to do something when you have not eaten:
You shouldn't take the pills on an empty stomach.
614. Enchant  BrE / ɪntʃɑnt /  NAmE / ɪntʃænt / verb
1 ~ sb ( formal ) to attract sb strongly and make them feel very interested, excited, etc.
delight
The happy family scene had enchanted him.
2 ~ sb/sth to place sb/sth under a magic spell (= magic words that have special powers)
bewitch

615. Enchanting BrE / ɪntʃɑntɪŋ / NAmE / ɪntʃæntɪŋ / adjective
attractive and pleasing
an enchanting view
enchantingly / BrE ɪntʃɑntɪŋli ; NAmE ɪntʃæntɪŋli / adverb

616. Encroach BrE / ɪnkrəʊtʃ / NAmE / ɪnkroʊtʃ / verb ( formal )
1 [ intransitive ] ~ (on/upon sth) ( disapproving ) to begin to affect or use up too much of sb's time, rights, personal life, etc
I won't encroach on your time any longer.
He never allows work to encroach upon his family life.
2 [ intransitive ] ~ (on/upon sth) to slowly begin to cover more and more of an area
The growing town soon encroached on the surrounding countryside.
the encroaching tide (= that is coming in)
encroachment / BrE ɪnkrəʊtʃmənt ; NAmE ɪnkroʊtʃmənt / noun [ uncountable ,  countable ]
~ (on/upon sth) the regime's many encroachments on human rights





617. Arrogant BrE / ærəɡənt / NAmE / ærəɡənt / adjective
behaving in a proud, unpleasant way, showing little thought for other people
arrogantly / BrE ærəɡəntli ; NAmE ærəɡəntli / adverb

618. Have airs and graces ( BrE , disapproving ) a way of behaving that shows that sb thinks that they are more important, etc. than they really are
Even when he became a star he didn't have any airs and graces.
I hate the way she puts on airs .

619. float/walk on air
to feel very happy
Most couples feel they are walking on air on their wedding day.
in the air
felt by a number of people to exist or to be happening
There's romance in the air.
on/off (the) air
broadcasting or not broadcasting on television or radio
We will be back on air tomorrow morning at 7.
The programme was taken off the air over the summer.
up in the air
not yet decided
Our travel plans are still up in the air.

620. Talk at sb to speak to sb without listening to what they say in reply
You can't have a real conversation with him—he just talks at you all the time.
talk back (to sb) to answer sb rudely, especially sb in authority
related noun back talk
talk sth down to make sth seem less important or successful than it really is
You shouldn't talk down your own achievements.
talk down to sb to speak to sb as if they were less important or intelligent than you
talk sb into/out of sth to persuade sb to do/not to do sth
I didn't want to move abroad but Bill talked me into it.
~ doing sth She tried to talk him out of leaving.
talk sth out to discuss sth thoroughly in order to make a decision, solve a problem, etc
We need to talk out the issue with the others before making a decision.
talk sth over (with sb) to discuss sth thoroughly, especially in order to reach an agreement or make a decision
You'll find it helpful to talk things over with a friend.
They talked over the proposal and decided to give it their approval.
talk sb round (to sth) ( BrE ) to persuade sb to accept sth or agree to sth
We finally managed to talk them round to our way of thinking.

621. Cast somebody/something ↔ aside (phrasal verb)
to remove or get rid of someone or something because you no longer want or need them:
When Henry became King, he cast aside all his former friends.
cast aside inhibitions/doubts etc
Cast aside your fears.

622. Mend your ways (Idm)
If he doesn't mend his ways, he'll be asked to leave(=to improve the way you behave)
623.  Sun will discover the filth under the white snow (Saying) (Dudh ka dudh aur pani ka pani ho jai ga )
624.        Knock sb dead (Idm) (spoken) to surprise and please someone by being very impressive:
With that dress, you'll knock him dead.
625.        Stuck in a groove (Idm) to do something in the same way for a long time so that it becomes boring:
Our product range was stuck in a groove.
626. pluck up (the) courage (to do something) to force yourself to be brave and do something you are afraid of doing:
He finally plucked up enough courage to ask her out.
627.       Answer sb back (Phrv) to reply in a rude way to someone that you are supposed to obey
Don't answer me back young man!
628.       Enmity  BrE / enməti / NAmE / enməti / noun [ uncountable ,  countable ] ( pl. en • mities )
feelings of hatred towards sb
personal enmities and political conflicts
Her action earned her the enmity of two or three colleagues.
~ between A and B the traditional problem of the enmity between Protestants and Catholics
see also enemy

629.       Enslave  BrE / ɪnsleɪv /  NAmE / ɪnsleɪv / verb  [ usually passive ]
1 ~ sb to make sb a slave
2 ~ sb/sth (to sth) ( formal ) to make sb/sth completely depend on sth so that they cannot manage without it
Our civilization remains enslaved to materialism.
enslavement / BrE ɪnsleɪvmənt ; NAmE ɪnsleɪvmənt / noun [ uncountable ]
In the US the enslavement of Africans and their descendants continued well into the second half of the 19th century.
the enslavement of man by technology

630. Entangle
BrE / ɪntæŋɡl / NAmE / ɪntæŋɡl / verb
[ usually passive ]
1 ~ sb/sth (in/with sth) to make sb/sth become caught or twisted in sth
The bird had become entangled in the wire netting.
2 to involve sb in a difficult or complicated situation
~ sb in sth He became entangled in a series of conflicts with the management.
~ sb with sb She didn't want to get entangled (= emotionally involved) with him.

631.      Come up to something/somebody (phrasal verb)
1) to reach a particular standard or to be as good as you expected:
This doesn't come up to the standard of your usual work.
The resort certainly failed to come up to expectations.


632. Evasive BrE / ɪveɪsɪv / NAmE / ɪveɪsɪv / adjective
 not willing to give clear answers to a question
cagey
evasive answers/comments/replies
Tessa was evasive about why she had not been at home that night.
John, normally so honest, was now being evasive in the extreme.
evasively / BrE ɪveɪsɪvli ; NAmE ɪveɪsɪvli / adverb
‘I'm not sure,’ she replied evasively.
evasiveness / BrE ɪveɪsɪvnəs ; NAmE ɪveɪsɪvnəs / noun [ uncountable ]
Politicians are often accused of evasiveness.
take evasive action
to act in order to avoid danger or an unpleasant situation
The pilot had to take evasive action to avoid a mid-air collision.

633. Expostulate BrE / ɪkspɒstʃuleɪt /  NAmE / ɪkspɑstʃuleɪt / verb
[ intransitive ] (+ speech) ( formal )
to argue, disagree or protest about sth
ex postulation / BrE ɪkspɒstʃuleɪʃn ; NAmE ɪkspɑstʃuleɪʃn / noun [ uncountable ,  countable ]

634. Eye-catching adjective ( of a thing ) immediately noticeable because it is particularly interesting, bright or attractive
an eye-catching advertisement
beautiful clothes in eye-catching colours

635. Fabricate BrE / fæbrɪkeɪt /  NAmE / fæbrɪkeɪt / verb [ often passive ]
1 ~ sth to invent false information in order to trick people
make up
The evidence was totally fabricated.
The prisoner claimed the police had fabricated his confession.
2 ~ sth ( technical ) to make or produce goods, equipment, etc. from various different materials
manufacture
fabrication / BrE fæbrɪkeɪʃn ; NAmE fæbrɪkeɪʃn / noun [ countable ,  uncountable ] ( formal )
Her story was a complete fabrication from start to finish.

636. Facilitate BrE / fəsɪlɪteɪt /  NAmE / fəsɪlɪteɪt / verb ~ sth ( formal )
to make an action or a process possible or easier
The new trade agreement should facilitate more rapid economic growth.
Structured teaching facilitates learning.
facilitation / BrE fəsɪlɪteɪʃn ; NAmE fəsɪlɪteɪʃn / noun [ uncountable ,  singular ]
the facilitation of international communication

637. Far-sighted  adjective
1 having or showing an understanding of the effects in the future of actions that you take now, and being able to plan for them
the most far-sighted of politicians
a far-sighted decision

638. Festoon verb, noun BrE / festun / NAmE / festun / verb
[ usually passive ] ~ sb/sth (with sth)
to decorate sb/sth with flowers, coloured paper, etc, often as part of a celebration
The streets were festooned with banners and lights.
(noun)
WORD ORIGIN 
a chain of lights, coloured paper, flowers, etc, used to decorate sth

639.    Fetching BrE / fetʃɪŋ / NAmE / fetʃɪŋ / adjective( informal )
( especially of a person or their clothes ) attractive
She looked very fetching in a little red hat.
a fetching blue sweater
a fetching smile
fetchingly / BrE fetʃɪŋli ; NAmE fetʃɪŋli / adverb
Strands of hair hung fetchingly around her face.
640.     Figment of sb’s imagination: something that you imagine is real, but does not exist
These two men actually lived; they weren't figments of some writer's imagination.
641. Flutter verb, noun  BrE / flʌtə(r) / NAmE / flʌtər / verb
1 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] to move lightly and quickly; to make sth move in this way
Flags fluttered in the breeze.
Her eyelids fluttered but did not open.
~ sth He fluttered his hands around wildly.
She fluttered her eyelashes at him (= tried to attract him in order to persuade him to do sth) .
2 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] ~ (sth) when a bird or an insect flutters its wings, or its wings flutter , the wings move lightly and quickly up and down
3 [ intransitive ] + adv./prep. ( of a bird or an insect ) to fly somewhere moving the wings quickly and lightly
The butterfly fluttered from flower to flower.
4 [ intransitive ] ( of your heart, etc. ) to beat very quickly and not regularly
I could feel a fluttering pulse.
( figurative ) The sound of his voice in the hall made her heart flutter.
( figurative ) He felt his stomach flutter (= he felt nervous) when they called his name.
noun
1 [ countable ,  usually singular ] a quick, light movement
the flutter of wings
with a flutter of her long, dark eyelashes
( figurative ) to feel a flutter of panic in your stomach
2 [ countable ,  usually singular ] ~ (on sth) ( BrE , informal ) a small bet
to have a flutter on the horses
3 [ singular ] a state of nervous or confused excitement
Her sudden arrival caused quite a flutter.
to be in a flutter/to be all of a flutter
4 [ countable ] a very fast heartbeat , caused when sb is nervous or excited
Her heart gave a flutter when she saw him.
5 [ uncountable ] ( medical ) a medical condition in which you have a fast, unsteady heartbeat
6 [ uncountable ] ( technical ) rapid changes in the pitch or volume of recorded sound
compare wow

642. Twitch verb, noun  BrE / twɪtʃ / NAmE / twɪtʃ / verb
1 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] ~ (sth) if a part of your body twitches , or if you twitch it, it makes a sudden quick movement, sometimes one that you cannot control
Her lips twitched with amusement.
The cats watched each other, their tails twitching.
The animal lay on the ground, its whole body twitching and jerking.
2 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] ~ (sth) to give sth a short sharp pull; to be pulled in this way
He twitched the package out of my hands.
The curtains twitched as she rang the bell.
(noun)
1 a sudden quick movement that you cannot control in one of your muscles
She has a twitch in her left eye.
a nervous twitch
2 a sudden quick movement or feeling
He greeted us with a mere twitch of his head.
At that moment she felt the first twitch of anxiety.

643. Formulate BrE / fɔmjuleɪt /  NAmE / fɔrmjuleɪt / verb
1 to create or prepare sth carefully, giving particular attention to the details
~ sth to formulate a policy/theory/plan/proposal
The compost is specially formulated for pot plants.
~ sth to do sth This new kitchen cleaner is formulated to cut through grease and dirt.
2 ~ sth to express your ideas in carefully chosen words
She has lots of good ideas, but she has difficulty formulating them.
He struggled to formulate an answer.
formulation / BrE fɔmjuleɪʃn ; NAmE fɔrmjuleɪʃn / noun [ uncountable ,  countable ]
the formulation of new policies
new formulations of existing drugs

644. Wound  noun, verb
BrE / wund / NAmE / wund / noun
1 an injury to part of the body, especially one in which a hole is made in the skin using a weapon
a leg/head, etc. wound
a bullet/knife/gunshot/stab wound
an old war wound
The nurse cleaned the wound .
The wound healed slowly.
He died from the wounds he had received to his chest.
see also flesh wound
2 mental or emotional pain caused by sth unpleasant that has been said or done to you
After a serious argument, it can take some time for the wounds to heal.
Seeing him again opened up old wounds .

verb
 [ often passive ]
1 ~ sb/sth to injure part of the body, especially by making a hole in the skin using a weapon
He had been wounded in the arm.
2 ~ sb to hurt sb's feelings
She felt deeply wounded by his cruel remarks.


645. Daydream BrE / deɪdrim / NAmE / deɪdrim / noun
pleasant thoughts that make you forget about the present
She stared out of the window, lost in a daydream.
daydream verb [ intransitive ]
~ (about sb/sth) I would spend hours daydreaming about a house of my own.

646. fuzzy
BrE / fʌzi / NAmE / fʌzi / adjective
( fuzz • ier , fuzzi • est )
1 covered with short soft fine hair or fur
downy
2 ( of hair ) in a mass of tight curls
3 not clear in shape or sound
a fuzzy image
The soundtrack is fuzzy in places.
These photographs have come out fuzzy.
4 confused and not expressed clearly
fuzzy ideas/thinking
a somewhat fuzzy definition of ‘in the national interest’
fuzzily / BrE ; NAmE / adverb
fuzziness / BrE fʌzinəs ; NAmE fʌzinəs / noun [ uncountable ]

647.     Embezzle BrE / ɪmbezl / NAmE / ɪmbezl / verb [ transitive ,  intransitive ] ~ (sth)
to steal money that you are responsible for or that belongs to your employer
He was found guilty of embezzling $150 000 of public funds.
embezzlement / BrE ɪmbezlmənt ; NAmE ɪmbezlmənt / noun [ uncountable ]
She was found guilty of embezzlement.
embezzler / BrE ɪmbezlə(r) ; NAmE ɪmbezlər / noun
648. Dramatic BrE / drəmætɪk / NAmE / drəmætɪk / adjective
1 ( of a change, an event, etc. ) sudden, very great and often surprising
a dramatic increase/fall/change/improvement
dramatic results/developments/news
The announcement had a dramatic effect on house prices.
2 exciting and impressive
a dramatic victory
They watched dramatic pictures of the police raid on TV.
3 [ usually before noun ] connected with the theatre or plays
a local dramatic society
Students will study various plays and dramatic texts.
a dramatic monologue
4 exaggerated in order to create a special effect and attract people's attention
He flung out his arms in a dramatic gesture .
Don't be so dramatic!
dramat ically / BrE drəmætɪkli ; NAmE drəmætɪkli / adverb
Prices have fallen dramatically.
Prices have increased dramatically in the last few years.
Events could have developed in a dramatically different way.
‘At last!’ she cried dramatically.
The mountains rose dramatically behind them.

649. Deserve BrE / dɪzɜv / NAmE / dɪzɜrv / verb ( not used in the progressive tenses ) if sb/sth deserves sth, it is right that they should have it, because of the way they have behaved or because of what they are
~ sth You deserve a rest after all that hard work.
The report deserves careful consideration.
One player in particular deserves a mention.
What have I done to deserve this?
~ to do sth They didn't deserve to win.
He deserves to be locked up for ever for what he did.
~ doing sth Several other points deserve mentioning.
sb deserves a medal ( informal ) used to say that you admire sb because they have done sth difficult or unpleasant
She deserves a medal for teaching those 5-year-olds all day!
get what you deserve | deserve all/everything you ˈget ( informal ) used to say that you think sb has earned the bad things that happen to them

650. Worth adjective, noun BrE / wɜθ / NAmE / wɜrθ / adjective
[ not before noun ] ( used like a preposition, followed by a noun, pronoun or number, or by the -ing form of a verb )
1 ~ sth having a value in money, etc
Our house is worth about £100 000.
How much is this painting worth?
to be worth a bomb/packet/fortune (= a lot of money)
It isn't worth much.
If you answer this question correctly, it's worth five points.
2 used to recommend the action mentioned because you think it may be useful, enjoyable, etc.
~ sth The museum is certainly worth a visit.
~ doing sth This idea is well worth considering.
It's worth making an appointment before you go.
3 ~ sth/doing sth important, good or enjoyable enough to make sb feel satisfied, especially when difficulty or effort is involved
Was it worth the effort?
The new house really wasn't worth all the expense involved.
The job involves a lot of hard work but it's worth it .
The trip was expensive but it was worth every penny .

4 ~ sth ( of a person ) having money and possessions of a particular value
He's worth £10 million.
for all sb/it is worth
1 with great energy, effort and determination
He was rowing for all he was worth.
2 in order to get as much as you can from sb/sth
She is milking her success for all it's worth.
for what it's worth ( informal ) used to emphasize that what you are saying is only your own opinion or suggestion and may not be very helpful
I prefer this colour, for what it's worth.
(the game is) not worth the candle ( old-fashioned , saying ) the advantages to be gained from doing sth are not great enough, considering the effort or cost involved
If the price goes up again, he may decide that the game's not worth the candle.
not worth the paper it's written/printed on ( of an agreement or official document ) having no value, especially legally, or because one of the people involved has no intention of doing what they said they would
worth your/its salt
deserving respect, especially because you do your job well
Any teacher worth her salt knows that.
worth your/its weight in gold
very useful or valuable
A good mechanic is worth his weight in gold.
worth sb's while
interesting or useful for sb to do
It will be worth your while to come to the meeting.
He'll do the job if you make it worth his while (= pay him well) .
 (noun)
 [ uncountable ]
1 ten dollars', £40, etc. ~ of sth an amount of sth that has the value mentioned
The winner will receive ten pounds' worth of books.
a dollar's worth of change
2 a week's, month's, etc. ~ of sth an amount of sth that lasts a week, etc.
3 the financial, practical or moral value of sb/sth
Their contribution was of great worth.
The activities help children to develop a sense of their own worth.
A good interview enables candidates to prove their worth (= show how good they are) .
a personal net worth of $10 million

651. Pivotal BrE / pɪvətl / NAmE / pɪvətl / adjective
of great importance because other things depend on it
a pivotal role in European affairs
Accountancy, law and economics are pivotal to a successful career in any financial services area.

652. Peruse
BrE / pəruz /
NAmE / pəruz / verb
~ sth ( formal or humorous )
to read sth, especially in a careful way
A copy of the report is available for you to peruse at your leisure.
perusal / BrE pəruzl ; NAmE pəruzl / noun [ uncountable ,  singular ]
The agreement was signed after careful perusal.

653.  Make sure (of sth/that…)
1) to do sth in order to be certain that sth else happens
Make sure (that) no one finds out about this.
They scored another goal and made sure of victory.
Our staff will do their best to make sure you enjoy your visit.
2) to check that sth is true or has been done
She looked around to make sure that she was alone.
I think the door's locked, but I'll just go and make sure.

654. sure of yourself ( sometimes disapproving ) very confident
She seems very sure of herself.
sure thing ( informal , especially NAmE ) used to say ‘yes’ to a suggestion or request
‘Are you coming?’ ‘Sure thing.’
to be sure ( formal ) used to admit that sth is true
He is intelligent, to be sure, but he's also very lazy.
(adverb) 
( informal , especially NAmE )
1 used to say ‘yes’ to sb
‘Will you open the wine?’ ‘Sure, where is it?’
Did it hurt? Sure it hurt.
Sure, no problem.
2 used to emphasize sth that you are saying
Boy, it sure is hot.
‘Amazing view’. ‘Sure is.’
That song sure as hell sounds familiar.
He sure looked unhappy.
3 used to reply to sb who has just thanked you for sth
‘Thanks for the ride.’ ‘Sure—anytime.’
(as) sure as eggs is eggs ( old-fashioned , BrE , informal ) used to say that sth is definitely true
sure enough
used to say that sth happened as expected
I said he'd forget, and sure enough he did.
‘Stop,’ she said, ‘I can hear something.’ Sure enough, in the distance we could hear the sound of a car approaching.

655.     Imperil [transitive verb] (formal)
to put something or someone in danger [= endanger]:
Tax increases now might imperil economic recovery.