Word List 10

illegitimacy /ˌɪləˈdʒɪtəməsi/

【释】n. 非法性 (the quality or state of being illegal)

【反】legitimacy

【释】n. 私生；非婚生

【例】She had learned of her illegitimacy while rummaging through old family records in the attic.

【近】bastardy

【形】illegitimate

impassive /ɪmˈpæsɪv/

【释】adj. 面无表情的；冷漠的 (not feeling or showing emotion)

【例】Impassive passersby ignore the performers.

【近】blank, stony

【反】expressive

mollify /ˈmɑːlɪfaɪ/

【释】v. 抚慰 (appease the anger or anxiety of)

【例】Say something to mollify his anger.

【近】soothe, mitigate, ease, moderate

【形】mollifying

vicissitude /vɪˈsɪsɪtuːd/

【释】n. 变迁；推移，交替 (alternation between opposite or contrasting things)

【例】the vicissitude of the seasons

【近】change, alteration, shift

ineffable /ɪnˈefəbl/

【释】adj. 不可言喻的；难以容形的 (too great or extreme to be expressed or described)

【例】An ineffable beauty descends upon the canyon as the sun begins to set.

【近】breathtaking, awesome

【反】communicable, definable

spellbind /ˈspelˌbaɪnd/

【释】v. 使入迷 (hold the complete attention of (someone) as though by magic)

【例】The acrobats held the audience spellbound.

【近】arrest, bedazzle

【形】spellbinding

scrawny /ˈskrɔːni/

【释】adj. 瘦巴巴的

【例】scrawny teenage girls addicted to dieting

【近】thin, lean

【反】fat

flabbergast /'flæbəˌgɑːst/

【释】v. 使大吃一惊

【例】a policy that will flabbergast most people

【近】astonish

perplexity /pərˈpleksəti/

【释】n. 困惑

【例】He scratched his head in perplexity.

【近】confusion, complexity

【反】assurance, certainty

acolyte /ˈækəlaɪt/

【释】n. 追随者；随从

【例】a highly influential economist whose acolytes can be found at many major universities

【近】assistant, helper

【释】n. [宗教]侍祭

empathetic /empə'θetɪk/

【释】adj. 移情作用的；感情移入的

【例】She’s compassionate and empathetic towards her daughter.

efficacious /ˌefɪˈkeɪʃəs/

【释】adj. 有效的 (successful in producing a desired or intended result)

【例】The vaccine has proved both efficacious and safe.

【近】effective, successful

【反】fruitless, ineffective

ulterior /ʌlˈtɪriər/

【释】adj. 隐秘的

【例】His ulterior objectives were disguised by feigned concern.

【近】secret, personal, private

【反】overt

pensive /ˈpensɪv/

【释】adj. 沉思的 (engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought)

【例】He became so pensive that she didn’t like to break into his thought.

【近】mood, thoughtful, introspective

flippant /ˈflɪpənt/

【释】adj. 轻率无礼的 (not showing a serious or respectful attitude)

【例】His flippant remarks only made the judge angrier.

【近】irreverent, disrespectful

【反】serious, respectful

defile /dɪˈfaɪl/

【释】v. 污染；玷污，亵渎

【例】The land was defiled by a previous owner.

【近】spoil, desecrate, profane

【反】purify

equanimity /ˌekwəˈnɪməti/

【释】n. 镇静 (mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper)

【例】She confronted the crises with equanimity.

【近】calm, tranquility

【反】anxiety

colossus /kəˈlɑːsəs/

【释】n. 巨人；大人物

【例】The Russian Empire was the colossus of European politics.

【近】jumbo, whopper, giant

【释】n. 巨型雕像

snobbish /ˈsnɑːbɪʃ/

【释】adj. 势利的

【例】They had a snobbish dislike for their intellec-tual and social inferiors.

【近】snobby

【形】snob

alliteration /əˌlɪtəˈreɪʃn/

【释】n. 头韵

omnipotent /ɑːmˈnɪpətənt/

【释】adj. 无所不能的；全能的

【例】the worship of omnipotent deities

【近】all-powerful, almighty, supreme

lighthearted /ˈlaɪtˈhɑːtɪd/

【释】adj. 轻松愉快的 (having or showing a cheerful and happy nature)

【例】His lighthearted attitude in the face of danger was the source of some concern.

【近】carefree, lightsome

【反】grave

【释】adj. 随便的，漫不经心的 (not serious)

【反】earnest, serious

cataclysmic /ˌkætəˈklɪzmɪk/

【释】adj. 灾难性的 (something that causes great destruction, violence, etc.)

【例】Few had expected that change to be as cataclysmic as it turned out to be.

【近】disastrous, catastrophic

bane /beɪn/

【释】n. 祸根；死因

【例】Scurvy was the bane of these seafarers.

【形】baneful

facetious /fəˈsiːʃəs/

【释】adj. 乱开玩笑的 (treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor)

【例】I wasn’t being facetious.

【近】humorous, jocular

【反】serious

antithetical /ˌæntɪˈθetɪkl/

【释】adj. 对立的

【例】Your theories are antithetical to mine.

【近】contrary, contradictory, incompatible

【反】identical, like

mimicry /ˈmɪmɪkri/

【释】n. 模仿 (the activity or art of copying the behavior or speech of other people)

【形】mimic

expunge /ɪkˈspʌndʒ/

【释】v. 清除；删除

【例】Time and the weather have expunged any evidence that a thriving community once existed here.

【近】remove, delete

【反】conserve, preserve

fallible /ˈfæləbl/

【释】adj. 会出错的 (capable of making mistakes or being wrong)

【例】We’re all fallible.

sulfuric /sʌl'fjʊrɪk/

【释】adj. 含硫磺的 (of, relating to, or containing sulfur especially with a higher valence than sulfurous compounds)

【例】sulfuric acid

stealthy /ˈstelθi/

【释】adj. 偷偷摸摸的 (quiet and secret in order to avoid being noticed)

【例】Cats are among the stealthiest stalkers.

【近】furtive, shady

【反】overt, public

irksome /ˈɜːrksəm/

【释】adj. 令人恼怒的 (irritating; annoying)

【例】an irksome task

【近】abrasive, aggravating, bothersome

【反】delightful, pleasing

indigent /ˈɪndɪdʒənt/

【释】adj. 贫穷的 (lacking money; very poor)

【例】Because he was indigent, the court appointed a lawyer to defend him.

【近】penniless, penurious, poverty-stricken

【反】affluent, deep-pocketed

impetuous /ɪmˈpetʃuəs/

【释】adj. 鲁莽的 (acting quickly without thought or care)

【例】Her friend was headstrong and impetuous.

【近】hasty, reckless, precipitous

【反】cautious

convivial /kənˈvɪviəl/

【释】adj. 欢乐的，快活的 (cheerful and friendly in atmosphere or character)

【例】The atmosphere was quite convivial.

【近】companionable, extroverted

【反】unsociable, introverted

rancor /ˈræŋkər/

【释】n. 怨恨 (an angry feeling of hatred or dislike for someone who has treated you unfairly)

【例】In the end, the debate created a degree of rancor among the committee members.

【近】animosity, animus, antagonism

【反】amity

forbear /fɔːrˈber/

【释】v. 克制 (politely or patiently restrain an impulse to do something)

【例】He modestly forbears to include his own work.

【近】avoid

【反】persist

tenable /ˈtenəbl/

【释】adj. 站得住脚的 (able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection)

【例】O’Leary’s confession has certainly made Cohn’s alibi more tenable.

【近】reasonable, sensible, rational, viable

【释】adj. 可保持的 (able to be held or used)

【例】a scholarship tenable for up to three years

illegible /ɪˈledʒəbl/

【释】adj. 无法辨认的 (not clear enough to read)

【例】Illegible signatures on the petition will be disregarded.

【近】undecipherable, unreadable

【反】decipherable, legible

osmosis /ɑːzˈmoʊsɪs/

【释】n. 潜移默化 (an ability to learn and understand things gradually without much effort)

【例】She seems to learn foreign languages by osmosis.

【释】n. 渗透 (biology: the process that causes a liquid (especially water) to pass through the wall of a living cell)

invulnerable /ɪnˈvʌlnərəbl/

【释】adj. 无懈可击的；不会受侵害的 (impossible to harm, damage, or defeat)

【例】The candidate seems to be in an invulnerable position.

【近】bulletproof, impregnable

【反】exposed, imperiled, insecure

chauvinism /ˈʃoʊvɪnɪzəm/

【释】n. 盲目的爱国主义 (the belief that one’s own country, race, etc., is better than any other)

【例】Their ingrained chauvinism has blinded them to their country’s faults.

【近】jingoism, nationalism, super patriotism

【反】internationalism

effusive /ɪˈfjuːsɪv/

【释】adj. 过于热情的 (expressing a lot of emotion)

【例】They offered effusive thanks for our help.

【近】demonstrative, emotional

【反】constrained, quiet, reticent

credulous /ˈkredʒələs/

【释】adj. 轻信的 (having or showing too great a readiness to believe things)

【例】You must be credulous if she fooled you with that story.

【近】innocent, unsophisticated

【反】suspicious

edify /ˈedɪfaɪ/

【释】v. 教化 (teach sb. in a way that improves the mind or character)

【例】These books will both entertain and edify readers.

【近】enlighten, educate, illume

【反】confuse, perplex, puzzle

bombastic /bɑːmˈbæstɪk/

【释】adj. 华而不实的 (pompous, overblown)

【例】A bombastic speech intended to impress the voters in her congressional district.

【近】rhetorical, flatulent, fustian

【形】bombast

defame /dɪˈfeɪm/

【释】v. 诽谤 (hurt the reputation of (someone or something) especially by saying things that are false or unfair)

【例】He says he was defamed by reports that falsely identified him as a former gangster.

【近】asperse, blacken, calumniate

【反】absolve, acquit, clear

imprudent /ɪmˈpruːdnt/

【释】adj. 轻率的 (not wise or sensible)

【例】It’s politically imprudent to stir up such controversy during an election year.

【近】indiscreet, inadvisable, indelicate

【反】advisable, discreet, judicious

anticlimax /ˌæntiˈklaɪmæks/

【释】n. 令人扫兴的结尾 (something that is much less exciting or dramatic than it was expected to be)

【例】The last chapter of the book was an anticlimax.

seditious /sɪˈdɪʃəs/

【释】adj. 煽动性的；扰乱治安的 (disposed to arouse or take part in or guilty of sedition)

【例】Several dissidents were jailed for leading protests that the government branded as seditious.

【近】incendiary, inflammatory

【反】conciliatory, pacific, diplomatic

【形】sedition

decorous /ˈdekərəs/

【释】adj. 端庄稳重的 (keeping with good taste and propriety)

【例】dancing with decorous space between partners

【近】proper, decent, appropriate

【反】improper, inappropriate, incorrect

【形】decorum

plagiarize /ˈpleɪdʒəraɪz/

【释】v. 剽窃；抄袭

【例】The poem employs as its first lines a verse plagiarized from a billboard.

【近】copy, steal, rip off

adroit /əˈdrɔɪt/

【释】adj. 机敏的，灵巧的 (clever or skillful in using the hands or mind)

【例】She is a remarkably adroit and determined politician.

【近】skillful, adept, deft

blindside /ˈblaɪndsaɪd/

【释】v. [橄榄球]攻击(对方)无防备的一侧 (hit (someone who is facing in another direction) suddenly and very hard)

【例】The quarterback was blindsided just as he was about to throw a pass.

【释】v. 使不愉快地感到意外 (surprise or shock (someone) in a very unpleasant way)

【例】We were all blindsided by the news of her sudden death.

abstruse /əbˈstruːs/

【释】adj. 深奥的 (hard to understand)

【例】You’re not the only one who finds Einstein’s theory of relativity abstruse.

【近】profound, arcane, esoteric

【反】shallow, superficial

fallacious /fəˈleɪʃəs/

【释】adj. 谬误的 (containing a mistake: not true or accurate)

【例】It’s fallacious to say that something must exist because science hasn’t proven its nonexistence.

【近】illogical, illegitimate, inconsequent

【反】logical, rational, reasonable

discernible /dɪˈsɜːrnəbl/

【释】adj. 看得清的 (able to be discerned)

【例】Roads were dusty tracks scarcely discernible from the adjacent desert.

【近】perceptible, detectable

【形】discern, discerning

conciliate /kənˈsɪlieɪt/

【释】v. 安抚；调解 (stop (someone) from being angry or discontented)

【例】to conciliate between management and strikers

【近】soothe, mediate

【反】provoke

【形】conciliation, conciliatory

benediction /ˌbenɪˈdɪkʃn/

【释】n. [宗教]赐福祈祷

【例】The priest offered a benediction for the missing children.

【近】prayer, grace

【反】hex

【释】n. 祝福

【例】depart with one’s parents’ benediction

【反】hoodoo, jinx

ingenuous /ɪnˈdʒenjuəs/

【释】adj. 天真的 (innocent and unsuspecting)

【例】her ingenuous thirst for experience

【近】innocent, simple

【反】sophisticated

commodious /kəˈmoʊdiəs/

【释】adj. 宽敞的 (having a lot of space)

【例】a commodious closet

【近】spacious, capacious, ample

gluttony /ˈɡlʌtəni/

【释】n. 贪吃，暴饮暴食 (the act or habit of eating or drinking too much)

【例】The view is that gluttony is a serious failure in self-discipline.

【近】edacity, overeating

【反】abstemiousness

execrable /ˈeksɪkrəbl/

【释】adj. 恶劣的 (extremely bad or unpleasant)

【例】Accusing us of being disloyal to cover his sorry behavior is truly execrable.

【近】awful, dreadful

【反】admirable

curmudgeon /kɜːrˈmʌdʒən/

【释】n. 脾气坏的人 (a person (especially an old man) who is easily annoyed or angered and who often complains)

【例】Only a curmudgeon would object to the nursing home’s holiday decorations.

【近】bear, bellyacher, complainer

【反】optimist

unswerving /ʌnˈswɜːrvɪŋ/

【释】adj. 直的 (not swerving or turning aside)

【例】set an unswerving course

【释】adj. 坚定不移的 (not changing or becoming weaker)

【例】unswerving loyalty

preeminence /priːˈemɪnəns/

【释】n. 杰出，卓越 (the quality or state of being preeminent)

【例】The restaurant is known for the preeminence of its seafood dishes.

【近】superiority, distinction, excellency

【反】averageness, badness, inferiority

【形】preeminent

provident /ˈprɑːvɪdənt/

【释】adj. 节俭的；有远见的 (careful in planning for the future, especially by saving money)

【例】He is provident of his money.

【近】prudent

【反】prodigal, profligate, spendthrift

【形】providential

ceremonious /ˌserəˈmoʊniəs/

【释】adj. 隆重的；正式的 (formal and serious)

【例】She read the announcement in a very ceremonious way.

【近】correct, decorous, formal

【反】casual, easygoing, informal

【形】ceremony

counterargument /ˈkaʊntərɑːrɡjumənt/

【反】【释】n. 相论点 (an argument offered in oppo-sition to another argument)

【例】The data presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology at least represent a strong counterargument to those concerns.

【近】debate, dispute, controversy

【反】agreement

acme /ˈækmi/

【释】n. 顶点 (the highest point of something)

【例】The acme of their basketball season was their hard-won victory over last year’s state champs.

【近】summit, peak, climax

【反】bottom, base

abase /əˈbeɪs/

【释】v. 使谦卑；使出丑 (humble or belittle)

【例】I certainly don’t abase myself when I do good, honest manual labor.

【近】debase, bastardize

【反】elevate, ennoble, uplift

account for

【释】对…做出解释 (show what happened to (someone or something))

【例】We have to account for the time we spend on each activity.

aggrandize /əˈɡrænˌdaɪz/

【释】v. 增加，增大 (make great or greater)

【例】A generous grant enabled the library to significantly aggrandize its collection of books on tape.

【近】exalt, enlarge

【释】v. 吹捧 (praise highly)

【例】He always aggrandized the one and dispa-raged the other.

【近】deify

【反】abase, degrade

【释】v. 提高财富、权利 (enhance the power, wealth, position, or reputation of)

【例】exploited the situation to aggrandize himself

【形】aggrandizement

ambivalent /æmˈbɪvələnt/

【释】adj. 矛盾的；犹豫不决的 (having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone)

【例】She remains ambivalent about her marriage.

【近】uncertain, ambiguous

【反】certain

amount to

【释】总计 (produce (a total) when added together)

【例】The bill amounted to 10 dollars.

【近】add up to, be equivalent

antiquated /ˈæntɪkweɪtɪd/

【释】adj. 陈旧的；过时的 (old-fashioned and outdated)

【例】Do we really want a return to an antiquated system of privilege and elitism?

【近】outdated

【反】modern, fresh

appealing /əˈpiːlɪŋ/

【释】adj. 有吸引力的 (having qualities that people like)

【例】an appealing design

【近】alluring, fascinating, attractive

【反】repelling, repugnant, repulsive

【形】appeal

avant-garde /ˌævɑːŋˈɡɑːrd/

【释】n./adj. 前卫派(的) (a group of people who develop new and often very surprising ideas in art, literature, etc.)

【例】avant-garde writers

bizarre /bɪˈzɑːr/

【释】adj. 古怪的 (odd)

【例】She wore a bizarre outfit.

【近】absurd, fantastic, crazy

【反】realistic, reasonable

calligraphy /kəˈlɪɡrəfi/

【释】n. 书法

【例】She specializes in scrollwork with beautiful calligraphy.

【近】handwriting, manuscript, penmanship

【反】print, type, typewriting

【形】calligrapher

chance on

【释】偶然找到 (find something or meet someone by chance)

【例】She chanced on an original copy of the book in her grandfather’s attic.

cling to

【释】抓紧 (hold onto something or someone very tightly)

【例】The frightened child clung to her mother.

【释】黏着 (stick to something or someone)

【例】The mud clung to her shoes.

close-knit

【释】adj. 密切的 (bound together by intimate social or cultural ties or by close economic or political ties)

【例】close-knit families

【近】intimate

【反】aloof

compelling /kəmˈpelɪŋ/

【释】adj. 引人入胜的 (able to capture and hold your attention)

【例】The novel was so compelling that I couldn’t put it down.

【释】adj. 令人信服的 (capable of causing someone to believe or agree)

【例】I would need a very compelling reason to leave my job.

【近】forceful, convincing

【反】unconvincing

【形】compel

composed /kəmˈpoʊzd/

【释】adj. 镇静的 (calm and in control of your emotions)

【例】The composed pianist gave a flawless concert.

【近】calm, self-possessed, coolheaded

【反】agitated, discomposed, disturbed

【形】compose

combustion /kəmˈbʌstʃən/

【释】n. 燃烧

【例】combustion point

【近】burning

congruous /ˈkɑŋɡruəs/

【释】adj. 一致的 (having the parts agreeably related)

【例】a manner congruous with one’s position

【近】balanced, harmonious, consonant

【反】disordered, irregular

contented /kənˈtentɪd/

【释】adj. 满意的

【例】a contented expression on the child’s face

【近】pleased, happy, satisfied

【形】contentment

craving /ˈkreɪvɪŋ/

【释】n. 渴望 (a strong wish for something)

【例】A pregnant woman with a craving for pickles.

【近】appetite, desire, drive

【反】abomination, allergy, aversion

【形】crave

delve into

【释】探索 (search through or into)

【例】We uncovered many interesting stories as we delved into the history of the house we were restoring.

detached /dɪˈtætʃt/

【释】adj. 冷漠的 (having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others)

【例】There is a detached observer at company parties, taking it all in and saying very little.

【释】adj. 单独的 (not physically attached to another unit)

【例】a detached garage on the side of the house

【近】aloof, separate, disconnected

【反】companionable, adjoining

【形】detach

discriminate /dɪˈskrɪmɪneɪt/

【释】v. 区别

【例】The human eye can discriminate between very slight gradations of color.

【近】differentiate, discern, distinguish

【反】confuse, mistake

【形】discriminating

disinterested /dɪsˈɪntrəstɪd/

【释】adj. 公正的，非利益相关的 (free of bias and self-interest)

【例】a disinterested witness and observer

【近】unbiased, impartial, neutral, objective, fair

【释】adj. 不感兴趣的 (not interested; indifferent)

【例】They are supremely disinterested in all efforts to find a peaceful solution

disproportionate /ˌdɪsprəˈpɔːrʃənət/

【释】adj. 不成比例的 (too large or too small)

【例】A disproportionate number of the students are poor.

distinguishing /dɪˈstɪŋgwɪʃɪŋ/

【释】adj. 区别性的 (serving to identify a species or group)

【例】We were asked to describe any identifying marks or distinguishing features.

【近】identifying

【反】confusing

【形】distinguish, distinguishment

draw on

【释】临近 (approach)

【例】Night draws on.

【释】导致 (be the cause of)

【例】The general’s imprudent remarks drew on a public rebuke by the secretary of defense.

enterprising /ˈentərpraɪzɪŋ/

【释】adj. 有事业心的 (having or showing initiative and resourcefulness)

【例】Some enterprising girls organized a sponsored walk.

【近】ambitious

enticing /ɪnˈtaɪsɪŋ/

【释】adj. 诱人的 (attracting (someone) especially by offering or showing something that is appealing, interesting, etc.)

【例】an enticing opportunity

【近】alluring

【形】entice, enticement

excursion /ɪkˈskɜːrʒn/

【释】n. 远足 (a short journey or trip)

【例】They went on a brief excursion to the coast.

【近】jaunt, outing, ramble

exhilarating /ɪɡˈzɪləreɪtɪŋ/

【释】adj. 令人高兴的 (making lively and cheerful)

【例】the exhilarating feeling of flying that hang gliding offers

【近】snappy, gratifying

【形】exhilarate

fleeting /ˈfliːtɪŋ/

【释】adj. 快速经过的 (moving or passing quickly)

【例】For a fleeting moment she felt almost envious.

furnished /ˈfɜːrnɪʃt/

【释】adj. 配有家具的 (provided with furniture or equipment)

【例】We drank tea in his sparsely furnished house.

【近】equipped

【形】furnish

haven /ˈheɪvn/

【释】n. 避风港；避难所

【例】The inn is a haven for weary travelers.

【近】refuge, sanctuary

imposing /ɪmˈpoʊzɪŋ/

【释】adj. 壮观的，使人印象深刻的 (very large or impressive)

【例】He’s an imposing man with a powerful voice.

【近】distinguished, dignified

【反】indecent

ingrained /ɪnˈɡreɪnd/

【释】adj. 根深蒂固的 (existing for a long time and very difficult to change; firmly established)

【例】These attitudes are very deeply ingrained in the culture.

【近】built-in, constitutional

【反】alien, foreign

inhibiting /ɪn'hɪbɪtɪŋ/

【释】adj. 约束的 (prohibiting from doing sth.)

【例】inhibiting effect

【近】restraining, prohibiting

【形】inhibitive

intriguing /ɪnˈtriːɡɪŋ/

【释】adj. 引人入胜的 (extremely interesting)

【例】The offer is very intriguing.

【近】absorbing, arresting

【反】boring, dull

【形】intrigue

irreversible /ˌɪrɪˈvɜːrsəbl/

【释】adj. 不可逆转的 (not able to be undone or altered)

【例】The crisis has done irreversible harm to the countries’ relations.

【近】irrecoverable, irredeemable

【反】correctable, corrigible, fixable

jot down

【释】草草记下 (write briefly or hurriedly)

【例】I jot down their names and requests.

【近】scrawl

late boomer

【释】婴儿潮后出生的人

lingering /ˈlɪŋɡərɪŋ/

【释】adj. 拖延的 (the act of tarrying)

【例】a painful, lingering death

【近】dilatory

【反】hurry

【形】linger

long /lɔŋ/

【释】n./v. 渴望 (a yearning desire)

【例】She longed for a little more excitement.

【近】appetite, craving, drive

【反】abomination, aversion

maxim /ˈmæksɪm/

【释】n. 格言 (an often stated observation regarding something from common experience)

【例】It’s a common maxim that “A watched pot never boils,” but that’s not literally true.

【近】saying, proverb

marvel /ˈmɑːrvl/

【释】n. 奇迹 (a wonderful or astonishing person or thing)

【例】This miniature TV is the latest technological marvel from Japan.

【近】prodigy, miracle

【释】v. 惊叹 (be filled with wonder or astonishment)

【例】Finally satisfied, I sat down once again, and stared out to the horizon, marveling at the wonders of the natural world.

【形】marvelous

outmoded /ˌaʊtˈmoʊdɪd/

【释】adj. 过时的 (old-fashioned)

【例】The fax machine we got three years ago is already outmoded.

【近】outdated, obsolete

oval /ˈoʊvl/

【释】adj. 椭圆形的

【近】elliptical

overbearing /ˌoʊvərˈberɪŋ/

【释】adj. 专横的

【例】My husband can be quite overbearing with our son.

【近】tyrannical

overrate /ˌoʊvərˈreɪt/

【释】v. 高估 (rate, value, or praise (someone or something) too highly)

【例】The coach tends to overrate the players on his own team.

【近】overestimate, overvalue

【反】underestimate, underrate

pedestrian /pəˈdestriən/

【释】n. 行人 (a person traveling on foot)

【例】a pedestrian street

【释】adj. 乏味的，缺乏想象力的 (not interesting or unusual)

【近】dull

【反】absorbing, engaging

prevailing /prɪˈveɪlɪŋ/

【释】adj. 流行的，普遍的 (most frequent or common)

【例】This reflects attitudes and values prevailing in society.

【近】predominating

【形】prevail

precede /prɪˈsiːd/

【释】v. 先于 (happen, go, or come before)

【例】But research has now shown that so-called responses to rhythm actually precede the external beat.

【近】forego, preexist

【反】follow, succeed

【形】precedence

prosperity /prɑːˈsperəti/

【释】n. 繁荣 (well-being)

【例】a period of prosperity for our nation

【近】flourish

【反】fail

【形】prosper, prosperous

refined /rɪˈfaɪnd/

【释】adj. 精炼的，提炼的 (free of unwanted substances)

【例】refined sugar

【近】developed, evolved

【反】backward, primitive

【释】adj. 优雅的 (having or showing the good education, polite manners, etc.)

【例】He has very refined manners.

【释】adj. 精妙的，精细的 (improved to be more precise or exact)

【例】refined and elegant works of art

reflective /rɪˈflektɪv/

【释】adj. 反射的 (causing light, sound, or heat to move away)

【例】the reflective glare of the shiny metal

【反】unreflective

【释】adj. 沉思的 (thinking carefully about sth.)

【例】She was in a very reflective mood.

【近】cogitative, meditative

【反】unreflective

【形】reflect, reflection

renowned /rɪˈnaʊnd/

【释】adj. 著名的 (known and admired by many people for some special quality)

【例】a restaurant renowned for its wine list

【近】famous, celebrated

【形】renown

reserved /rɪˈzɜːrvd/

【释】adj. 矜持的 (not openly expressing feelings or opinions)

【例】She is a very reserved young woman.

【近】silent, reticent

【反】communicative, conversational

【释】adj. 留作专用的 (kept for use only by a particular person or group)

【例】The front row is reserved for faculty.

【形】reserve

resolved /rɪˈzɑːlvd/

【释】adj. 坚决的 (determined)

【例】She is resolved to lose weight.

【近】resolute

【反】hesitating, irresolute

【形】resolve, resolving

scared /skerd/

【释】adj. 惊恐的 (nervous or frightened)

【例】I am really scared about speaking in front of the class.

【近】fearful, frightened

【反】fearless, unafraid

【形】scare

self-aggrandizing /ˌsɛlf əɡˈrændaɪzɪŋ/

【释】adj. 自夸的，自我扩张的 (exhibiting self-importance)

【例】A self-aggrandizing dictator can have someone killed at the snap of a finger.

【近】boastful

【反】humble

self-effacement /ˌsɛlf ɪˈfeɪsmənt/

【释】n. 谦逊 (unwillingness to talk about oneself or draw attention to oneself)

【例】He was modest to the point of self-effacement.

【近】modesty, humility

【反】proud, self-aggrandizing

self-satisfied /ˌsɛlf ˈsætɪsˌfaɪd/

【释】adj. 沾沾自喜的 (feeling or showing self-satisfaction)

【例】Verona in particular was a full-employment town, as confident and self-satisfied as you could imagine.

sophisticated /səˈfɪstɪkeɪtɪd/

【释】adj. 精密的 (ahead in development; complex or intricate)

【例】Honeybees use one of the most sophisti-cated communication systems of any insect.

【释】adj. 老于世故的 (having or appealing to those having worldly knowledge and refinement and savoir faire)

【例】These people are very sophisticated observers of the foreign policy scene.

【近】suave

【反】inexperienced

【形】sophistry

spelunker /spɪˈlʌŋkər/

【释】n. 洞穴探险爱好者

start from scratch

【释】从头开始 (begin from a point at which nothing has been done yet)

【例】Nothing like this had ever been done before, so we had to start from scratch.

status quo

【释】现状 (the current situation)

【例】He is content with the status quo and does not like change.

strained /streɪnd/

【释】adj. 焦虑的 (feeling or showing the effect of too much work, use, effort, etc.)

【例】It’s just becoming incredibly strained for them to do the work that needs to get done.

【释】adj. 不自然的 (not natural and sincere)

【例】He made a strained attempt at being polite.

【近】artificial, unnatural

【反】automatic

【形】strain

stumble upon

【释】偶然发现 (find or learn about (something) unexpectedly)

【例】I stumbled upon this book by chance.

stunning /ˈstʌnɪŋ/

【释】adj. 震惊的 (very surprising or shocking)

【例】Researchers have made a stunning discovery.

【近】amazing, astonishing

【反】unsurprising

【释】adj. 绝妙的 (very beautiful or pleasing)

【例】Our room had a stunning view of the lake.

【近】scrumptious

【形】stun, stunner

stymie /ˈstaɪmi/

【释】v. 阻碍

【例】Progress on the project has been stymied by lack of money.

【近】restrain, prohibit

【反】promote

subject to

【释】受…影响 (affected by or possibly affected by (something))

【例】The firm is subject to state law.

【释】遭受 (likely to do, have, or suffer from (something))

【例】My cousin is subject to panic attacks.

【释】受制于 (dependent on something else)

【例】The sale of the property is subject to approval by the city council.

take for granted

【释】认为…理所当然 (accept without verification or proof)

【例】One of the government services that most of us take for granted is weather forecasting.

tangle up

【释】缠在一起 (become or cause (something) to become twisted together)

【例】The wires have got all tangled up.

tap into

【释】接近 (make a strong or advantageous connection with)

【例】trying to tap into a new market

teem with

【释】充满 (be full of (life and activity))

【例】The river teems with fish.

trappings /ˈtræpɪŋz/

【释】n. 装饰，服饰

【例】She is surrounded by the trappings of royalty.

【近】ornamentation, adornment

【释】n. 马饰

travail /træˈveɪl/

【释】n. 艰苦劳动 (a difficult experience or situation involving a lot of hard work)

【例】They finally succeeded after many months of travail.

【近】affliction, agony

undertaking /ˌʌndərˈteɪkɪŋ/

【释】n. 任务，工作 (an important or difficult task or project)

【例】The restoration of the old theater is a huge undertaking.

【近】task

【释】n. 企业 (the business of an undertaker)

【例】a prosperous undertaking

【释】n. 承诺 (an agreement to do or not do sth.)

【例】We will stand by all our undertakings.

【近】promise

【形】undertake

utopia /juːˈtoʊpiə/

【释】n. 乌托邦 (an imaginary place in which the government, laws, and social conditions are perfect)

【例】It’s a nice place to live, but it’s not Utopia.

【近】fantasyland, heaven

【反】anti-utopia, hell

wretched /ˈretʃɪd/

【释】adj. 悲惨的，可怜的 (very unhappy, ill, etc.)

【例】in wretched health

【释】adj. 破旧的，恶劣的 (very poor in quality or ability)

【例】the wretched conditions of the refugee camp

【近】awful, dismal, execrable

【反】marvelous, wonderful

【形】wretch