English Vocabulary

1.put/set sth in motion to start a machine or process:

Once the printing processes have been put in motion, theyre not so easy
to stop.
We filled in a form to set the whole process in motion.
2.for that matter used to show that a statement is true in another
situation:
Mings never been to Spain, or to any European country for that matter.
He doesnt like young women, or any women for that matter.
3.live on sth if you live on an amount of money, that is the money that
you use to buy the things you need:
We lived on very little when we first got married.
To only eat a particular type of food:
I more or less live on pasta.
4.Course of action the things that you choose to do in a particular
situation:
What course of action do you recommend ?
The best/safest etc course is to do sth: The safest course is to avoid
alcohol.
5.dissect/dasekt/ - to cut open sth, especially a dead body or a plant, and study
its structure:
In biology classes we used to dissect rats.

To examine or consider sth in detail:

Hes the kind of person who watches a movie and then dissects it for
hours.
6.By all means/C2/ - used to give permission:
May I borrow this book? By all means.

7.Coax /kks/ - to persuade someone gently to do sth or go somewhere, by being

kind and patient, or by appearing to be:

Perhaps you could coax your father into taking you to the station.
He has some information I want, so Im going to try to coax it out of him
over a drink.
A mother was coaxing her reluctant child into the water.
A coaxing voice
8.reluctant /rlk.tnt/ C1 not willing to do sth and therefore slow to do
it:
I was having such a good time I was reluctant to leave.
Many parents feel reluctant to talk openly with their children.
She persuaded her reluctant husband to take a trip to Florida with her.
Im a bit reluctant to get involved.
She reluctantly agreed to step down as managing director.
9.Current - a movement of water, air, or electricity in a particular direction:
To swim against/with the current
He was swept out to sea by the strong current.
Switch off the electric current before changing the bulb.
10.Overpowering/.vpa.r/ - too strong;
Firefighters were driven back by the overpowering heat of the flames.
Theres an overpowering smell of garlic in the kitchen.
Hes suffering from operpowering feelings of guilt.

11. more or less mostly:

The project was more or less a success.
Approximately: Its 500 kilos, more or less.
Almost: He more or less admitted hed done it.

12. wash sb/sth up/ashore/overboard (of the sea) to carry sth or

someone to or away from a place:
Overnight the waves had washed up a lot of rubbish.
More than 400 dead dolphins had been washed ashore.
A Spanish crew member had been washed overboard (= carried off a ship
into the sea by the force of water) in the storm.
13. on the spot at the place where an event is happening or has recently
happened:
The police were called and they were on the spot within three minutes.
Immediately/c20/ : You can be sacked on the spot for stealing.
14. dice/das/noun - a small cube(=object with six equal square sides) with a
different number of spots on each side, used in games involving chance:
We need two dice to play the game.
You roll/throw the dice and whoever gets the highest score goes first.
A small square piece of sth: Cut the potatoes into small dice.
Dice/verb/ - to cut food into small squares: Peel and dice the
potatoes. Diced carrots
15. in respect of sth/with respect to sth in connection with something:
I am writing with respect to your letter of 15 June.
16. creepy strange or unnatural and making you feel frightened:
A creepy film; a creepy smile;
17.Waffle /wf.l/ - talk or writing that uses a lot of words but does not give
any useful information:
What did he say? Oh, it was a load of waffle nothing important at all.
If you dont know the answer, its no good just waffling (on) for pages
and pages.
To be unable to make a decision: I waffled a lot before finally deciding
to take the job.

18.Shambles/m.blz/ - a state of confusion, bad organization, or

untidiness, or sth that is in this state:
After the party, the house was a total/complete shambles.
Our economy is in a shambles.
The way these files are arranged is the biggest shambles Ive ever seen.
19.Scaremongering/ske(r)mr/ - the process of saying or doing sth
in order to deliberately make people feel frightened or worried, especially so
that you can gain an advantage:
There has been a lot of scaremongering about possible job losses.
Scaremonger/skem.r/ - a person who spreads stories that
cause public fear;
20.Grapple with sth to try hard to understand a difficult idea or to solve
a difficult problem:
The government continued to grapple with the issue of public transport.
Today, many Americans are stil grappling with the issue of race.
21. deliberate /dlb.r.t/adj. - (often of sth bad) intentional or planned:
A deliberate attack/insult/lie
We made a deliberate decision to live apart for a while.
A deliberate movement, action, or thought is done carefully without
hurrying:
From her slow, deliberate speech I guessed she must be drunk.
I didnt take a deliberate decision to lose weight! It just happened.
Deliberate /verb/ - to think or talk seriously and carefully about sth:
Hes deliberating whether or not to accept the new job that hes been
offered.
22. beforehand /adverb/ - earlier (than a particular time):
I knew she was coming that afternoon because she had phoned
beforehand to say so.
If you do most of the cooking beforehand, youll enjoy the evening more.

23. pick out something/someone to choose, find, or recognize sth or

someone in a group:
From all the puppies, we picked out the smallest one to take home.
We could pick our parents out easily in the old photos.
Have you picked out a dress for the party ?
24. quandary /kwn.dri/ - a state of not being able to decide what to do
about a situation in which you are involved:
Ive had two job offers, and Im in a real quandary about/over which one to
accept.
25. windfall/wnd.fl/ - an amount of money that you win or receive from
someone unexpectedly:
Investors each received a windfall of 3000$.
The government is hoping to collect a windfall tax (= extra tax on a large
unexpected company profit) from British electric.
A piece of fruit blown down from a tree:
I tend to leave the windfalls for the birds to pick at.
26. indulge /ndld/ C2 to allow yourself or another person to have sth
enjoyable , especially more than is good for you:
The soccer fans indulged their patriotism, waving flags and singing songs.
I love champagne but I dont often indulge myself.
An opportunity to indulge in leisure activities like reading
Indulge yourself come on a gourmet food weekend.
The new job gave him the chance to indulge his passion for music.
27. pull up When a car or someone driving a car pulls up, the driver stops
the car, often for a short time:
A car pulled up outside my house.
Their taxy pulled up outside the chirch.

28. Bank on sb/sth - to expect sth or depend on sth happening :

Can I bank on your support ?
[+ing verb] I wouldnt bank on him being there.
Do you think shell come ? I wouldnt bank on it.
Theyre banking on him to safe the match.
29. heartless /adj/ - cruel and not worrying about other people:
Dont be so heartless!
30. hearty /adj//h.ti/ - enthusiastic, energetic, and often loudly expressed:
A hearty welcome/ a hearty laugh
Large or (especially of food) in large amounts:
We ate a hearty breakfast before we set off.
Shes got a hearty appetite(=she eats a lot).
Very great: She has a hearty dislike of any sort of office work.
31. Disheartening /dshrtn/ - causing a person to lose confidence,
hope, and energy; discouraging:
The new injury, after he had come back from the last, was disheartening.
Disheartened : She was very disheartened by the results of the test.
32. set of to start on a trip:
What time do we set off tomorrow ?
33. by no means (not by any means) - not at all:
It is by no means certain that well finish the project by June.
It was by no means excellent but still better than last year.
I woudnt say I was an expert, not by any means.
34. jot sth down to write sth quickly on a piece of paper so that you
remember it:
I carry a notebook so that I can jot down any ideas.

35.Assertive /s.tv/ C2 someone who is assertive behaves confidently

and is not frightened to say what they want or believe:
If you really want the promotion, youll have to be more assertive.
Ive had to train myself to be more assertive at work.
Ive become a lot more assertive as Ive got older, and will no longer put up
with bad service.
Assertively We should not be afraid to assertively condemn such
actions.
36. Bubble up to rise to the surface or become obvious:
Tension could bubble up again at any time.
Interesting ideas about education and healthcare are bubbling up all over
the country.
She laughs, a tinkling musical childs laugh, bubbling up out of her.
37. beloved/adj/ - loved very much: Her beloved husband died last year.
Eric was a gifted teacher beloved by all those he taught over the years.
Beloved/noun/ Hes sending some flowers to his beloved.
38. jacket potato a potato cooked with its skin on;
39.soft-spoken speaking or said in a quiet gentle voice:
A soft-spoken reply to an angry question
40. confine to limit an activity , person, or problem in some way:
Lets confine our discussion to the matter in question, please!
Please confine your use of the phone to business calls.
By closing the infected farms were hoping to confine the disease to the
north of the region.

 To keep someone closed in a place, often by force: The hostages had

been confined for so long that they couldnt cope with the outside
world.
Be confined to somewhere/sth : to exist only in a particular area or
group of people:
Meh have always played an active part in leading worship while women
have been confined to more passive roles.
We confined our research to families with only one autistic child.
It was terrible for our research to be confined by lack of money.
41. insult /n.slt/ - an offensive remark or action : She made several insults
about my appearance;
The instructions are so easy to follow theyre an insult to your intelligence
(=they seem to suggest you are not clever if you need to use them);
To say or do sth to someone that is rude or offensive :
First he drank all my wine and then he insulted all my friends.
42. Take its toll/take a toll/ take its toll on to harm or damage
someone or sth, especially in a gradual way:
The recession has taken a heavy toll.
The stress was beginning to take its toll on their marriage.
The constant stress takes its toll on emergency room workers.
43 Chore/tr/ C1 a job or piece of work that is often boring or unpleasant
but needs to be done regularly:
Ill go shoping when Ive done my chores (=done the jobs in or around the
house).
I find writing reports a real chore (=very boring).
You can go and play after youve done your chores.
44. pack (sth) up to collect all your things together when you have
finished doing sth:
Im about to pack up my things and go home.
45. pack up (sth) to stop working or doing another regular activity:
She packed up her job, and went off to Australia.

{+ing verb} Its time you packed up smoking.

46. toll/tl/ C1 a small amount of money that you have to pay to use a
road, cross a bridge, etc.:
Tolls are now collected electronically on most motorways.
C2 suffering, deaths, or damage : Independent sources say that the
death toll from the earthquake runs into thousands.
47. confound/knfand/ - to confuse and very much surprise someone, so
that they are unable to explain or deal with a situation:
An elderly man from Hull has confounded doctors by recovering after he
was officially declared dead.
The singer confounded her critics with a remarkable follow-up album.
48.mellow /mel./ - smooth and soft, or not too sharp, bright, new, or
rough:
Mellow flavours/ mellow sounds/ mellow autumn sunlight
Relaxed and pleasant or not severe : a mellow mood/atmosphere
To become softer and more developed in a pleasing way: The brickwork
will mellow over the years so that it blends with the surroundings.
49.plummet /plm.t/ - to fall very quickly and suddenly:
House prices have plummeted in recent months.
Several large rocks were sent plummeting down the mountain.
She plummeted to the ground.
50. exert /zt/ - to use sth such as authority, power, influence, etc. in
order to make sth happen:
If you were exert to your influence they might change their decision.
Some managers exert considerable pressure on their staff to work extra
hours without being paid.
Exert yourself to make a mental or physical effort:
I was too tired to exert myself.

51. Stroke /strk/ - a sudden change in the blood supply to a part of the brain,
sometimes causing a loss of the ability to move particular parts of the body:

She suffered/had a stroke that left her unable to speak.

An act of moving your hand , another part of the body, or an object
gently over sth or someone, usually repeatedly and for pleasure:
Dont be frightened, just give the horse a stroke.
A stroke of luck, genius, etc. C2 sth that happens or succeeds
suddenly because of luck, intelligence, etc.:
By a stroke of luck, someone else was walking along the trail and heard
my shouts for help.
52.pluck up your courage (pluck up (the ) courage to do sth)C2 to force
yourself to be brave enough to do sth , although youre frightened or
worried about it:
He finally plucked up the courage to ask her to marry him.
Id love to do a parachute jump, but I cant pluck up the/enough courage .
53. live up to sth to achieve what is expected, esp. high standarts:
We expected a lot of her, and her performance lived up to our expectations.
To be as good as sth:
The concert was brilliant it lived up to all our expectations.
I feel its impossible to live to his mother.
The film was OK but it didnt really live up to all the hype.
54. pull sbs leg to try to persuade someone to believe sth that is not
true, as a joke:
Is it really your car or are you pulling my leg ?
55. blend in/ blend into sth to look or seem the same as surrounding
people or things and therefore not be easily noticeable:
We tried to blend into the crowd.
They have adopted local customs and tried to blend in with the
community.

 Blend into the scenery to behave in the same way as people

around you, so that youre not noticed;
56.phenomenon/fnm..nn/ pl. phenomena sth that exists and can be
seen, felt, tasted, etc.,especially sth unusual or interesting:
Gravity is natural phenomenon.
Geophisycal and geological phenomena
Someone or sth that is extremely successful, often because of special
qualities or abilities:
The Beatles were a phenomenon nobody had heard anything like
them before.

57.hit the nail on the head to describe exactly what is causing a

situation or problem:
I think Mick hit the nail on the head when he said that whats lacking in this
company is a feeling of confidence.
58. riddle/rd.l/ - a type of question that describes sth in a difficult and
confusing way and has a clever or funny answer, often asked as a game;
> sth that is confusing, or a problem that is difficult to solve:
Scientists may have solved the riddle of Saturns rings.
Talk/speak in riddles : to say things in a confusing way
59.hand sth of/hand sth of to sb to give responsibility for sth to
someone else:
A key reason for the slowdown in health spending is that employers are
handing off more health costs to employees.
60. by far by a great amount: They are by far the best students in the
class.
61. errand /er.nd/ - a short journey either to take a message or to take or
collect sth:
Ill meet you at six, Ive got some errands to do/run first.

 Run errands to go out to buy or do sth:

After school he runs errands for his father.
Fools errand an effort that is unlikely to be successful:
Its a fools errand trying to get Lena to join in anything.
62. be in the know to have knowledge about sth that most people do not
have:
This resort is considered by those who are in the know to have the best
downhill skiing in Europe.
63.drive sb around the bend/send sb around the bendC2 to make
someone very bored or very angry:
My mothers been driving me around the bend.
Staying at home all day was driving her around the bend.

64.send of sth to mail sth: She sent the manuscript off to her publisher.
65.set/put sbs mind at rest/ease C1 to stop someone from worrying
about sth:
Chris phoned to say theyd arrived safely, so that really put my mind at
ease.
He chose his words carefully to put his mothers mind at ease.
To put his mind at rest, I offered to make one final check.
66. tear sb apart to make someone very unhappy:
Seeing the children suffer really tears me apart.
It just tears me apart to see you suffering like this.
67. in principle C2 If you agree with or believe sth in principle, you agree
with the idea in general, although you might not support it in reality or in
every situation:
In principle I agree with the idea, but in practice its not always possible.
They have approved the changes in principal.

 Principle a basic idea or rule that explains or controls how sth

happens or works:
The principles of the criminal justice system
The country is run on socialist principles.
Principle a moral rule or standart of good behaviour :
She doesnt have any principles.
Anyway, I cant deceive him its against all my principles.
I never gamble, as a matter of principle (because I believe it is
wrong).
Shed never as to borrow money, on principle.
68. Fizzle out to gradually end, often in a disappointing or weak way:
They went to different universities and their relationship just fizzled out.
The groups efforts at reform fizzled out after their leader left.
69. Extortionate/kst.n.t/ - extremely expensive:
The price of books nowadays is extortionate.
70. take sth in C2 to understand completely the meaning or importance
of sth:
I had to read the letter twice before I could take it all in.
It was an interesting exhibition, but there was too much to take in at once.
71.compelled /kmpeld/ C1 - having to do sth, because youre forced to
or feel it is necessary:
He felt compelled to report the incident.
The order compelled him to appear as a witness.
I feel compelled to write to thank you.
Compelling If a reason, argument,etc is compelling, it makes you
believe it or accept it because it is so strong:
Compelling evidence
Compelling very exciting and interesting and making you want to
watch or listen:
I found the whole film very compelling.
A compelling story.
72. on the dot C2 exactly at the stated or expected time:

The plane landed at two oclock on the dot.

He arrived at 8 oclock on the dot.
I was there on the dot of four, as agreed.
73.enhance /nhns/ C1 to improve the quality, amount, or strength of
sth:
These scandals will not enhance the organizations reputation.
Its things like this that enhance the quality of life.
A number of our clients want to look younger to enhance their career
prospects.
74. thrive /rav/ C1 to grow,develop, or be successful :
His business thrived in the years before the war.
She seems to thrive on stress.
A thriving economy

75.asset /s.et/C1 a useful or valuable quality, skill, or person:

Hell be a great asset to the team.
He eyes are her best asset (=most attractive feature)
Knowledge of languages is a real asset in this sort of work.
Sth valuable belonging to a person or organization that can be used for
the payment of debts:
A companys assets can consist of cash, investments, specialist
knowledge, or copyright material.
76.detest to hate someone or sth very much:
I detest any kind of cruelty.
I detest having to get up when its dark outside.
Detestation /di.teste.n/ noun

77. catch up with sb C2 if sth bad that you have done or that has been
happening to you catches you up with you, it begins to cause problems for
you:
His lies will catch up with him one day.
If people in authority catch up with you, they discover that you have
been doing sth wrong and often punish you for it:
They had been selling stolen cars for years before the police caught up
with them.
78. doze of if you doze off, you start to sleep, especially during the day:
The office was so hot I nearly dozed off at my desk.
79. plant to put a bomb somewhere so that it will explode there:
The bomb was planted in the station waiting room.
To put sth or someone in a position secretely, especially in order to
deceive someone:
She insisted that the drugs had been planted on her without her
knowledge.
To put sth strongly and firmly in a particular place:
My brother planted himself on the sofa in front of the TV.
He planted a kiss on her forehead/ a blow on his opponents jaw.
To cause an idea or story to exist:
That incident planted doubts about him in my mind.
Who planted these rumours ?
80. saturated /st.r.e.td/ - completely wet:
Its pouring down outside Im absolutely saturated.

patronize,Brush sth off,Go along with sb/sth,Do sth up(repair),hiccup,Get

hold of ,scourge,teeming,Stand the test of time,succumb,pledge,tenacity,
Self-restraint, In your heart of hearts
edgy, assignment, infuse, soaked, vintage, snip, fill sth up, snoop, put your
heart and soul, hamper, marinade, times up, nevertheless, tirelessly, woody,
texture, burn off sth, snap sth up, on impulse; smug