Word List 1

divulge [dɪˈvʌldʒ]

【释】v. 泄露 to make known something private or secret

【例】Despite pressure from reporters to discuss the scandal in which Senator Scottsdale was embroiled, the press secretary would not divulge the details of the senator's upcoming public address.

【反】keep secret

inadvertent [ˌɪnədˈvɜːrtənt]

【释】adj. 粗心的，不留意的 marked by or resulting from carelessness; negligent

【例】Online shopping increases the chances of inadvertent ordering due to its increased convenience and accessibility.

【反】careful, intentional

【派】advertent（adj. 注意的，小心的）

【释】adj. 不是故意的 not deliberate or considered; unintentional

【例】The student made an inadvertent call to her parents when the cell phone in her back pocket pressed against the wall.

panegyric [ˌpænəˈdʒɪrɪk]

【释】n. 赞文，赞美 a formal eulogistic composition intended as a public compliment

【例】The president delivers a panegyric at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers every year on Veteran's Day.

【派】panegyrical（adj. 赞美的）

draconian [drəˈkoʊniən]

【释】adj. 极其严苛的 exceedingly harsh or very severe

【例】The unusually severe ordinances banning all rehearsals in private venues were denounced by musicians as draconian.

【选】stringent, rigorous

hodgepodge [ˈhɑːdʒpɑːdʒ]

【释】n. 混杂，混合物 a mixture of different things

【例】The Senator tried to increase his chances of winning by proposing a hodgepodge of measures appealing to different interests in the Democratic Party rather than enforcing a singular message.

【选】patchwork, welter, pastiche

incontrovertible [ˌɪnkɑːntrəˈvɜːrtəbl]

【释】adj. 不容置疑的 impossible to dispute

【例】Age may be an incontrovertible number, but “old” is just a state of mind to me.

【派】controvert（v. 反驳，争论）

impartial [ɪmˈpɑːrʃl]

【释】adj. 公正的，不偏不倚的 not partial or biased

【例】Judges play an important role in a country's system of justice as impartial decision-makers who are not swayed by emotions, relations or selfish gains.

【选】disinterested, fair, detachment

【派】partial（adj. 有偏见的，偏袒的）

endemic [enˈdemɪk]

【释】adj. 地方性的，流行的 prevalent in or limited to a particular locality, region, or people

【例】Almost all the organisms in the Western Ghats are endemic to India and need to be conserved to ensure their continued survival for future generations.

【选】native, domestic, indigenous

【反】exotic, imported, introduced

【释】adj. （问题、情形）常见的 common in or inherent to an enterprise or situation

【例】The endemic corruption that had long crippled Nigeria was clamped down when Muhammadu Buhari took the office in 2015 and prosecuted hundreds of people.

minuscule [ˈmɪnəskjuːl]

【释】adj. 微小的 very small and tiny

【例】Singapore may be a minuscule country, but it sure is a crowded one with almost 8,000 people per square kilometer!

【选】diminutive

lucrative [ˈluːkrətɪv]

【释】adj. 盈利的，赚钱的 producing wealth

【例】Although many novelists write for artistic reasons, others are lured by the money as popular success in writing can also be extremely lucrative.

compensate [ˈkɑːmpenseɪt]

【释】v. 弥补 to offset an error, defect, or undesired effect

【例】In order to compensate for the loss of natural wetlands used by migrating snow geese, conservationists in the 1960s and 1970s established wetland refuges in the northern prairies.

【释】v. 抵消 to serve as or provide a substitute or counter balance

【例】The baker intelligently compensated for the lack of baking powder by using carbonated water in the pancake recipe.

【选】offset

discursive [dɪsˈkɜːrsɪv]

【释】adj. 杂乱无章的 moving from topic to topic without order; rambling

【例】This biography of Charles Dickens is not a succinct portrait of the writer as it is padded with many undigested and discursive excerpts from his personal writings and letters.

【选】aimless, digressional, rambling

【释】adj. 推论的 marked by analytical reasoning

【例】The mathematician excelled professionally due to his discursive mind, but his lack of empathy made him a loner in his personal life.

presuppose [ˌpriːsəˈpoʊz]

【释】v. 假定 to require as an antecedent in logic or fact

【例】The burnt timbers and broken pottery found by the archaeologists presupposed the destruction of a previous settlement.

intermediary [ˌɪntərˈmiːdieri]

【释】adj. （作为）中间人（的） acting as a mediator

【例】Many Hong Kong banks make use of their extensive customer networks and familiarity with conditions in China to serve as intermediary organizations between Chinese and overseas businessmen.

derogate [ˈderəɡeɪt]

【释】v. 贬低 to cause to seem inferior

【例】It was not right of the construction supervisor to derogate the foreign workers in such a demeaning manner for a trivial mistake that could have been made by anyone.

【派】derogatory（adj. 贬低的）

overbearing [ˌoʊvərˈberɪŋ]

【释】adj. 专横的，压倒性的 often trying to control the behavior of other people in an annoying or unwanted way

【例】My sister eventually moved out of the house as her mother-in-law was too overbearing and always restricted her choices and decisions.

【选】dominant

zealous [ˈzeləs]

【释】adj. 对（某人或偶像）狂热的 marked by fervent partisanship for a person, a cause, or an ideal

【例】The politician was too zealous in his push for implementing large-scale social initiatives and ended up losing votes from other minority populations.

【选】impassioned, fervent, fiery, passionate

【派】zealotry（n. 狂热的态度或行为）

extraneous [ɪkˈstreɪniəs]

【释】adj. 不重要的，不相关的 not important

【例】Deleting my social media accounts has allowed me to cut out extraneous activities so I can focus on what really matters.

【选】irrelevant

【释】adj. 外部的 coming from the outside

【例】The attendants were on the lookout for people attempting to smuggle extraneous food and drinks into the stadium.

rehash [ˈriːhæʃ]

【释】v. （没有实质改变地）重提 to bring forth again in another form without significant alteration

【例】As Jerry had to deliver a speech this morning on a very short notice, he decided to rehash a talk that he had already given last week at the University of Cambridge.

【选】recycle

perfunctory [pərˈfʌŋktəri]

【释】adj. 敷衍的，草率的 acting with indifference, showing little interest or care

【例】Manuel was so solitary and aloof that he would gladly spend months with just perfunctory contact with other people.

【选】cursory, casual

compound [ˈkɑːmpaʊnd]

【释】v. 混合，合成 to form by combining separate things

【例】Many words in Creole languages are formed by compounding different parts of words from various native dialects.

【释】v. 使…变糟糕 to make worse

【例】The instability of the regime, compounded by global economic woes, unfortunately led to a national debacle.

envy [ˈenvi]

【释】v. 嫉妒 to feel a desire to have what someone else has

【例】The girl envied her best friend for having received the most expensive Barbie doll for Christmas.

【选】covet

【派】enviable（adj. 令人嫉妒的）

defensive [dɪˈfensɪv]

【释】adj. 被动防守的，防御的 in a situation which you are forced to defend or protect someone or something

【例】Xin grew very defensive of her younger brother and vehemently maintained his innocence when the crowd started accusing him of being a thief.

unbounded [ʌnˈbaʊndɪd]

【释】adj. 不受限制的，无限的 not limited in any way

【例】Many parents are reluctant to expose their children to the internet too early as they fear that the unbounded space of online culture would lead them astray.

【选】immoderate, expansive

specious [ˈspiːʃəs]

【释】adj. 似是而非的，假的 falsely appearing to be right

【例】The senator's claim that he is not interested in running for a second term is specious given the extremely visible fund-raising activities of his campaign committee.

【选】artificial, forged, fabricated, spurious

【反】valid, veritable, impeccable

aimless [ˈeɪmləs]

【释】adj. 漫无目的的 not having a goal or purpose

【例】The college sophomore sampled different courses and activities in an aimless fashion as he had not decided on his future career path.

【选】discursive

ingenuous [ɪnˈdʒenjuəs]

【释】adj. 纯朴的，真诚的 having or showing the innocence, trust, and honesty characteristic of young people

【例】She was too ingenuous to have wholeheartedly believed every single word that the salesman said in his sales pitch.

【选】simple

【反】guileful

intrinsic [ɪnˈtrɪnsɪk]

【释】adj. 固有的，本质的，内在的 belonging to the essential nature of a thing

【例】Some people argue that greed is such an intrinsic part of being human that it is the basis of all evil acts and can never be eradicated from any society.

【选】inherent

inevitable [ɪnˈevɪtəbl]

【释】adj. 不可避免的，必然的 sure to happen

【例】When a witness describes a crime scene, it is inevitable that some details will be forgotten or misremembered.

【选】unavoidable, preordained, ineluctable

intransigent [ɪnˈtrænzɪdʒənt]

【释】adj. 不妥协的，固执的 completely unwilling to change

【例】The company was so intransigent with its “no social media” policy that it gradually lost its competitive edge in the market and was trampled over by the new startups.

【选】resolute, obduracy

detached [dɪˈtætʃt]

【释】adj. 不受感情影响的，公正的 not influenced by emotions or personal interest

【例】Unlike coworkers who delighted in office gossip, Felicia remained detached and appeared completely indifferent to these matters.

【释】adj. 脱离的 not joined or connected

【例】Some of the housemates ended up burning themselves while cooking as the skillet had long been detached from its handle but no one had bothered informing the housekeeper.

inveterate [ɪnˈvetərət]

【释】adj. 根深蒂固的 firmly and long established; deep-rooted

【例】Kenji was an inveterate procrastinator who put off doing his work until the last minute for nearly every task.

【反】casual

【释】adj. 习惯性的 persisting in an ingrained habit; habitual

【例】The stray cat became an inveterate beggar in the restaurant and could be seen pestering customers for food every night.

backhanded [ˌbækˈhændɪd]

【释】adj. 不直接的 oblique or indirect

【例】Even though Agee's letters seemed harsh and critical, they actually provided backhanded encouragement to the young writer.

【释】adj. 含沙射影的，讽刺挖苦的 having derogatory or insulting impli-cations

【例】Although the woman thought she was praising the man's weight loss, he interpreted her comments as a backhanded compliment and stormed off.

affable [ˈæfəbl]

【释】adj. 和蔼可亲的 easy and pleasant to speak to

【例】Jaelyn and Sean are temperamental opposites as Jaelyn is outgoing and affable, while Sean is reserved and aloof.

【选】easygoing, cordial, genteel

【反】irascible

whimsy [ˈwɪmzi]

【释】n. 突发奇想 an unusual, unexpected, or fanciful idea

【例】Her paintings of bullfights are so successful as they convey both a sense of whimsy and a deep respect for the long-held tradition.

【选】capriciousness

【派】whimsical（adj. 突发奇想的，多变的）

tenacious [təˈneɪʃəs]

【释】adj. 坚定的 very determined to do something

【例】His peers respected him as a tenacious and diplomatic man who could remain steadfast in his beliefs yet tactful in his negotiations.

【选】resolve, endurance

【派】tenacity（n. 坚定）

【释】adj. 持续的 continuing for a long time

【例】Evolution is a tenacious process that began with appearance of life on Earth.

sardonic [sɑːrˈdɑːnɪk]

【释】adj. 嘲讽的，讥笑的 scornfully or cynically mocking

【例】The comedian's sardonic wit is hilarious as long as one is not the object of his rant.

skullduggery [skʌlˈdʌɡəri]

【释】n. 欺骗，作假 secret or dishonest behavior or activity

【例】For all its corporate skullduggery, it's hard to deny that Uber has some clever promotions at times.

legitimate [lɪˈdʒɪtɪmət]

【释】adj. 合法的 being in compliance with the law

【例】The birth of his only son by his wife left King Henry with a legitimate heir.

【释】adj. 合理的 valid or justifiable

【例】African Americans' discontent during the civil rights movement was legitimate because they suffered from a lack of freedom and equality.

【释】v. 使…合理，合法 to make (something) real, accepted, or official or to show that (something) is fair or reasonable

【例】A scientist should not automatically reject folkways that might at first seem silly or superstitious; scientific qualifications are not a license for smugness nor do they legitimate prejudice or bias.

plagiarize [ˈpleɪdʒəraɪz]

【释】v. 抄袭 to reproduce or otherwise illegitimately use as one's own

【例】Despite accusations to the contrary, it is unlikely that he intended to plagiarize the articles since he had cited them in his bibliography.

disavow [ˌdɪsəˈvaʊ]

【释】v. 否认 to say that one is not responsible for or does not support something

【例】It is common for politicians to disavow their earlier promises to suit the current political atmosphere in the country.

deplete [dɪˈpliːt]

【释】v. 耗尽 to use most or all of

【例】The battery life on the new phone is excellent and is never depleted even after a full day's use.

【派】depletion（n. 耗尽）

ridicule [ˈrɪdɪkjuːl]

【释】v. 嘲笑，耻笑 to laugh at and make jokes about

【例】The unusual designs of John Harrison were always ridiculed by his peers until they were finally recognized as some of the best in the history of clock making.

【选】deride

【派】ridiculous（adj. 荒谬的）

undermine [ˌʌndərˈmaɪn]

【释】v. 削弱 to make (someone or something) weaker or less effective

【例】The tumbling of equity markets around the world has erased wealth and undermined confidence.

【选】subvert, impair, undercut, weaken

self-serving [ˌselfˈsɜːrvɪŋ]

【释】adj. 自私的 having or showing concern only about one's own needs and interests

【例】Professor Fernandez was dubious about the so-called humanitarian aspects of the colonial government and insisted that their actions were actually self-serving.

perishable [ˈperɪʃəbl]

【释】adj. 易消亡的，短暂的 likely to spoil or decay quickly

【例】This kind of wood is very perishable when exposed to weather, but keeps extremely well in dry conditions.

【派】perish（v. 消亡）

capricious [kəˈprɪʃəs]

【释】adj. 变化多端的 changing often and quickly

【例】Kate's impulsive nature and sudden whims led her friends to label her capricious.

【选】impulsive, cavalier, fickle, versatile, volatile, flighty, erratic

【反】resolute, steadfast

【派】caprice（n. 突发奇想，怪念头）

egotism [ˈiːɡoʊɪzəm]

【释】n. 自大 an inflated sense of one's own importance

【例】His character, notwithstanding the egotism which often made him act selfishly, had an amiable and engaging side.

unqualified [ˌʌnˈkwɑːlɪfaɪd]

【释】adj. 完全的 complete or total

【例】The launch of the iPad was an unqualified success for Apple.

【选】unalloyed

【释】adj. 不合格的 not having the skills, knowledge, or experience needed to do a particular job or activity

【例】Apple labeled the prospective employee as unqualified for the position after noticing a lack of technical experience on his resume.

magisterial [ˌmædʒɪˈstɪriəl]

【释】adj. 权威的 authoritative

【例】Wanting desperately to be perceived as learned and authoritative despite his young age, Johnson adopted a magisterial tone when speaking in public.

chauvinistic [ˌʃoʊvɪˈnɪstɪk]

【释】adj. 极端爱国的 believing that one's country, gender or other group is better than any other

【例】Many right-wing Americans hate cosmopolitanism and hold a chauvinistic belief in their country's superiority.

sleek [sliːk]

【释】adj. 光滑的，线条流畅的 straight and smooth in design or shape

【例】Despite the convertible's sleek appearance, the car was slower than an 18-wheeler truck.

【释】adj. 时髦的，吸引人的 stylish and attractive

【例】Alfred has created a reputation among his fellow lawyers for his choice of sleek suits whenever he has to make an appearance at the Supreme Court.

astringent [əˈstrɪndʒənt]

【释】adj. 严厉的，尖刻的 very critical in a sharp and often clever way

【例】The professor's astringent insight into the debate on global warming influenced his students to support alternative energy.

ambivalent [æmˈbɪvələnt]

【释】adj. （情感、态度）矛盾的 having simultaneous and contradictory attitudes or feelings toward an object, person, or action

【例】After having a big fight with his girlfriend, Richard was ambivalent about going through with his plans to propose to her.

ameliorate [əˈmiːliəreɪt]

【释】v. 改善，提升 to make better or more tolerable

【例】Ameliorating the effects of climate change only creates temporary solutions against the more deep-rooted problems that continue to pervade the environment.

【选】improve

exemplar [ɪɡˈzemplɑːr]

【释】n. 典型 a typical example

【例】The Notre Dame cathedral in Paris is an exemplar of French Gothic architecture with its use of pointed arches and flying buttresses.

【选】model

grudge [ɡrʌdʒ]

【释】v. 不愿给予或承认 to be unwilling to give or admit

【例】He grudged the time and energy needed to deliver the boring, mandatory weekly reports to his boss.

【释】n. 怨恨 a deep-seated feeling of resentment or rancor

【例】Despite their handshakes at the end of the match, the hockey players on opposing teams bore harsh grudges against each other and fought shortly after.

sweeping [ˈswiːpɪŋ]

【释】adj. 广泛的 extensive

【例】From the top of the hill, Brandon could see a sweeping view of the lake and a nearby village.

【释】adj. 全面的 marked by wholesale and indiscriminate inclusion

【例】The mayor's sweeping generalizations about the rival community bred anger among the citizens of both towns.

extirpate [ˈekstərpeɪt]

【释】v. 根除 to destroy or remove completely

【例】While some locals think that the squirrels are cute, environmentalists say they are an invasive species and should be extirpated.

【选】eliminate

【反】propagate

【派】extirpation（n. 消灭，根除）

parity [ˈpærəti]

【释】n. 平等 equality

【例】Achieving gender parity is important for workplaces because it fosters a positive outlook for its employees and sends the right message to the larger community.

【选】equality

utilitarian [ˌjuːtɪlɪˈteriən]

【释】adj. 实用的 made to be useful rather than to be decorative or comfortable

【例】Some people place emphasis on the looks of a car, but others only see it as a utilitarian asset to help them commute.

【选】functional

【反】decorative, embellishing

【释】adj. 功利的，实用主义的 of or relating to utilitarianism

【例】The politician advocated utilitarian ideals of increasing the overall good and reducing the amount of suffering across the entire population.

elicit [iˈlɪsɪt]

【释】v. 引起 to call forth or draw out

【例】The article that criticized millennials as stupid and foolhardy elicited hundreds of angry responses when it first appeared in the newspaper.

【选】draw

intoxicate [ɪnˈtɑːksɪkeɪt]

【释】v. 使…陶醉，沉醉 to excite or elate to the point of enthusiasm or frenzy

【例】The young king was intoxicated by the huge extent of power and control he possessed upon his sudden reign.

inchoate [ɪnˈkoʊət]

【释】adj. 早期的 being in a beginning or early stage

【例】The inchoate design of the research project will be refined and improved as researchers narrow down their goals.

【反】completely formed

【释】adj. （在早期）混乱的 imperfectly informed or developed

【例】The egg contained the inchoate embryo of a chick that would never survive hatching.

【反】explicit

rebuff [rɪˈbʌf]

【释】n. （粗鲁的）回复 a blunt or abrupt repulse or refusal

【例】His request for the director's meeting to be rescheduled was met by a stark rebuff from the secretary who refused to assist him.

【释】v. （粗鲁地）拒绝 to reject bluntly, often disdainfully

【例】Rose rebuffed her boyfriend's proposal and refused to accept the ring.

construe [kənˈstruː]

【释】v. 理解 to understand the meaning of

【例】Amber could not construe the meaning of the difficult SAT word even after the professor's multiple explanations.

【选】interpret

【派】construction（n. 理解）

fallacy [ˈfæləsi]

【释】n. 错误，谬论 a false or mistaken idea

【例】The fallacy in this argument lies in the author's deep-seated bias in his choices of evidence.

【反】validity

【派】fallacious（adj. 错误的）

increment [ˈɪŋkrəmənt]

【释】n. 增长，递增 the action or process of increasing especially in quantity or value

【例】The annual increment in study loan interests means that students are faced with insurmountable debts at the end of their studies.

【派】incremental（adj. 增加的）

deteriorate [dɪˈtɪriəreɪt]

【释】v. 恶化 to make (something) worse

【例】When the brilliant writer Oliver Sacks was diagnosed with cancer, his condition deteriorated very quickly and the doctors could not help him.

【选】worsen, decline

【反】improve

【派】deterioration（n. 恶化）

grandiose [ˈɡrændioʊs]

【释】adj. 宏伟壮观的 impressive because of uncommon largeness, scope, effect, or grandeur

【例】Beyoncé's birthday party was grandiose and extravagant, with white swans and a chocolate fountain made of solid gold.

【释】adj. 妄自尊大的 characterized by excessive self-importance or affected grandeur

【例】Kanye West has a grandiose sense of importance which he unabashedly announces to the world.

truncate [ˈtrʌŋkeɪt]

【释】v. 缩短 to make shorter

【例】The resourceful teacher truncated her usual lectures into snippets that her busy students could study while riding the bus or waiting in line.

【选】shorten, foreshorten

haphazard [hæpˈhæzərd]

【释】adj. 无序的，凌乱的 having no plan, order, or direction

【例】The shooting victim felt so disoriented after the attack that he started moving in a haphazard fashion and was unable to walk in a straight line.

【选】helter-skelter, random

quizzical [ˈkwɪzɪkl]

【释】adj. 好奇而疑惑的 expressive of puzzlement, curiosity, or disbelief

【例】When the statistics teacher introduced the idea of standard deviation, a few of the students nodded in comprehension while others gave her quizzical looks.

provincial [prəˈvɪnʃl]

【释】adj. 眼光狭隘的 limited in outlook

【例】After encountering a wide range of perspectives at college, Emma began to question if her previous outlook had been too provincial and conservative.

【选】insular

【释】adj. 乡下的 lacking the polish of urban society

【例】After moving to the city, Jon realized that his hometown theater was only a provincial imitation of Broadway.

insensitive [ɪnˈsensətɪv]

【释】adj. 漠视的，不在乎的 not responsive or susceptible

【例】Emma was gradually alienated by her colleagues due to her insensitive behavior and lack of empathy.

shackle [ˈʃækl]

【释】v. 阻碍 to deprive of freedom especially of action by means of restrictions or handicaps

【例】The prisoners were rendered immobile as their limbs were cruelly shackled to the poles with thick metal chains.

【选】stifle

cumbersome [ˈkʌmbərsəm]

【释】adj. 笨拙的 unwieldy because of heaviness and bulk

【例】The train journey was uncomfortable because the lady seated next to me was carrying some cumbersome baggage that she refused to store away in the roof rack.

【选】unwieldy

【派】cumber（v. 阻碍，挡路）

encomium [enˈkoʊmiəm]

【释】n. 赞美 glowing and warmly enthusiastic praise

【例】Sir John Rose, the former boss of Rolls-Royce, deserves the encomium he receives from the public as he is a truly tremendous business leader.

【选】tribute

【反】invective

decelerate [ˌdiːˈseləreɪt]

【释】v. 减缓 to decrease the rate of progress of

【例】The software company decided to decelerate their pace of introducing new products, and focus on improving existing ones.

revitalize [ˌriːˈvaɪtəlaɪz]

【释】v. 使…复活 to make active, healthy, or energetic again

【例】The shampoo commercial dishonestly claimed that the product could revitalize tired hair and cure split ends.

indisputable [ˌɪndɪˈspjuːtəbl]

【释】adj. 不容置疑的 impossible to question or doubt

【例】Given the indisputable video-replay evidence, the referee had no choice but to overturn the touchdown.

【反】refutable

roost [ruːst]

【释】v. 栖息 to settle down for rest or sleep

【例】Some species of birds prefer to roost in the shady woods during the day as they are kept safe from predators due to the use of camouflage.

corroborate [kəˈrɑːbəreɪt]

【释】v. 佐证，提供证据证明 to support with evidence or authority

【例】Scientists' theories about the origin of the universe were later corroborated by solid evidence.

【反】controvert, deny

proclivity [prəˈklɪvəti]

【释】n. 倾向，偏好 a strong natural liking for something

【例】William's only weakness lies in his overly trusting nature and proclivity to see everyone as a friend.

【选】predilection, penchant, preference

hysteria [hɪˈstɪriə]

【释】n. 歇斯底里，情绪失控 excessive or uncontrollable emotion, such as fear or panic

【例】A journalist should not contribute to mass hysteria by reporting rumors or sensationalist stories.

speculate [ˈspekjuleɪt]

【释】v. 推测，猜测 to think about something and make guesses about it

【例】At this point, we can only speculate about the election results as a portion of the votes remain uncounted.

【选】conjecture

conducive [kənˈduːsɪv]

【释】adj. 有益的，有帮助的 tending to promote or assist

【例】The loud and hectic atmosphere of the coffee shop was not conducive to studying for the exam.

vexation [vekˈseɪʃn]

【释】n. 烦恼 something that worries or annoys a person

【例】Commuting to work through the heavy morning traffic has proven to be a source of daily vexation for many Londoners.

【选】chagrin

【派】vexatious（adj. 令人烦恼的），vex（v. 使烦恼）

disdain [dɪsˈdeɪn]

【释】v. 蔑视，鄙视 to strongly dislike or disapprove of (someone or something)

【例】People who were born and raised in Brooklyn typically disdain the expensive new lofts and fancy stores that are being built.

【选】opprobrium, contempt

caterwaul [ˈkætərwɔːl]

【释】v. 发出难听的声音 to make a very loud and unpleasant sound

【例】I was able to fall asleep even though the neighbor's cats were caterwauling through the night.

【选】shriek

【释】v. 严厉抗议 to protest or complain noisily

【例】The hungry preschoolers caterwauled for lunch to be served.

efficacious [ˌefɪˈkeɪʃəs]

【释】adj. 有效果的 having the power to produce a desired result or effect

【例】Copying your notes by hand may seem tedious, but it is an efficacious way of revising for the exam.

alienate [ˈeɪliəneɪt]

【释】v. 疏远 to cause (someone) to feel that she or he no longer belongs in a particular group, society, etc.

【例】Being rude alienates people who might otherwise be open to dialogue with the opposing side.

【反】reunite

【派】alien（adj. 陌生的）

【释】v. 使…变得不友好 to cause (someone) to stop being friendly, helpful, etc., towards one

【例】Having alienated his former friends, the recluse relied only on his books for company.

analgesic [ˌænəlˈdʒiːzɪk]

【释】n. 止痛药 a drug that relieves pain

【例】Many use aspirin as an analgesic for daily aches and pains.

【释】adj. 止痛的 capable of relieving pain

【例】Time is nature's best analgesic drug to help us relieve the pain from losing loved ones.

anatomize [əˈnætəˌmaɪz]

【释】v. 解剖 to cut in pieces in order to display or examine the structure and use of the parts

【例】The Body Worlds exhibitions present human bodies that are preserved and anatomized for various purposes.

【释】v. 分析 to analyze

【例】After anatomizing the structural framework of the bridge on the digital model, the engineer discovered the flaws in the original design.

embargo [ɪmˈbɑːrɡoʊ]

【释】n. 贸易禁令 a government order that limits trade in some way

【例】Because of the long-standing US-Cuba trade embargo, most Cubans are forced to maintain their original 1950s automobiles.

contemplate [ˈkɑːntəmpleɪt]

【释】v. 深入思考 to think deeply or carefully about

【例】Lina Wertmuller's film Love and Anarchy contemplates the two concepts in its title without taking a position on them.

【选】ponder

dogmatic [dɔːɡˈmætɪk]

【释】adj. 教条的 expressing personal opinions or beliefs as if they are certainly correct and cannot be doubted

【例】The young religious believer was too dogmatic in his views and ended up alienating many of his old friends.

【选】doctrinaire, rigid

concrete [ˈkɑːŋkriːt]

【释】adj. 真实的 existing in reality or in real experience; perceptible by the senses; real

【例】The use of the CERN lab led to a number of concrete discoveries that revealed the nature of sub-atomic particles.

【释】adj. 具体的 of or relating to an actual, specific thing or instance; particular

【例】The concrete details of the new agricultural law give large corporations more power than the local farmers had originally believed.

equitable [ˈekwɪtəbl]

【释】adj. 平等的，公平的 just or fair

【例】The brothers wanted to reach an equitable agreement on how to divide the inheritance from their parents.

fervent [ˈfɜːrvənt]

【释】adj. 情感强烈的，热烈的 exhibiting or marked by great intensity of feeling

【例】The presidential candidate won over voters by showing a fervent desire to change existing housing policies.

alleviate [əˈliːvieɪt]

【释】v. 减轻 to reduce the pain or trouble of

【例】Some environmentalists fear that the practices contributing to global warming are so established in industrialized nations that there are no simple ways to alleviate their effects.

【选】mitigate

【反】aggravate, exacerbate

contagious [kənˈteɪdʒəs]

【释】adj. 传染的，有感染力的 communicable by contact

【例】Wang had to stay at home for two weeks while he had chicken pox as it is a contagious illness and can be easily passed to others by physical contact.

pedantic [pɪˈdæntɪk]

【释】adj. 卖弄知识的，迂腐的 narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned

【例】The host of the new science TV show has become so popular because he explains complex ideas without being pedantic or boring.

unwieldy [ʌnˈwiːldi]

【释】adj. 体积庞大而笨重的 difficult to handle, control, or deal with because of being large, heavy, or complex

【例】I bought my grandmother an electric hand-held blender after she complained that using the heavy mortar has proven to be too unwieldy for her in recent years.

【选】cumbersome

vociferous [voʊˈsɪfərəs]

【释】adj. 吵吵嚷嚷的 expressing feelings or opinions in a very loud or forceful way

【例】Even students who were usually quiet and obedient were vociferous in their opposition to the dress code.

profess [prəˈfes]

【释】v. 宣称 to say or declare (something) openly

【例】Some business owners continue to profess their interests in finding foreign expertise for well-paying positions despite massive unemployment in the country.

【选】proclaim

obeisance [oʊˈbiːsns]

【释】n. 尊敬，敬意 respect for someone or something

【例】The new employee paid obeisance to all his superiors and older coworkers by bowing to each of them.

diffuse [dɪˈfjuːs]

【释】v. 扩散 to spread about or scatter; disseminate

【例】It was hard to contain the biological attack as the poisonous gas diffused quickly around the city due to high temperatures.

【选】disperse, spread

【释】adj. 啰嗦的 characterized by verbosity; wordy

【例】The journal reviewers rejected her article as they found the overall argumentative framework too diffuse and unclear.

【选】wordy

fulminate [ˈfʌlmɪneɪt]

【释】v. 抨击，辱骂，愤怒，谴责 to utter or send out with denunciation

【例】The politicians fulminate about defeating the terrorists, but they don't talk much about the costs or sacrifices that will be required.

【反】praise

【派】fulmination（n. 严厉谴责）

voluble [ˈvɑːljəbl]

【释】adj. 健谈的，话多的 talking a lot in an energetic and rapid way

【例】The normally voluble Mr. Bell was uncharacteristically cryptic in discussing the film in an interview last week.

sterling [ˈstɜːrlɪŋ]

【释】adj. 符合最高标准的，优秀的 conforming to the highest standard

【例】The board of directors assert that their priority is hiring someone with a sterling reputation for honesty.

surmount [sərˈmaʊnt]

【释】v. 克服，战胜 to prevail over

【例】Negotiations were suspended indefinitely as all parties could not find solutions to surmount the impasse.

【派】insurmountable（adj. 无法战胜的）

【释】v. 站在…的顶峰 to stand or lie at the top of

【例】In order to surmount Mount Everest, the hiker had to spend weeks training and getting used to the elevation.