english vocab: ted talks

back-breaking labor

needing a lot of hard, physical effort and making you feel extremely tired

lo and behold

an expression you use when you tell someone about something surprising that happened

tenacious

holding on to something, keeping an opinion in a determined way

hierloom

a valuable object that has been passed down the generations of a family

disenfranchised

having no power to make people listen to you or to affect the society you live in

crank out

produce sth in large amounts

congressional

belonging or relating to a national legislative body, especially that of the US

make living wage

be able to afford all necessary goods and fulfill needs

sedum

a widely distributed fleshy-leaved plant with small star-shaped yellow, pink, or white flowers, grown as an ornamental

handicap

a circumstance that makes progress or success difficult

to behold

to see or observe sth, especially if it's impressive

tremendous

very great in amount, scale, or intensity

to grasp

to seize and hold firmly

abatement

the reduction or removal of a nuisance

borough

city

destitute

extremely poor and lacking the ability to provide for oneself

scholastic

concerning schools and education

poised

ready

bounty

a lot of money, usually as a reward

encounter

face something hostile or difficult unexpectedly

legislation

laws, considered collectively or the process of making laws

fidget

make small movements, especially of hands and feet through nervousness or impatience

facilitate

make easier

anticipate

regard as probable, expect or predict

to light a spark of

to give beginning to

to give equal weights to

to pay as much importance to some aspects

clerical work

mundane, repetitive, and unengaging work

flourish

grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way

to mop up the damage

to fix or correct the negative effects of something

the length and breadth of somewhere

to travel to every place of a certain country, the whole extent of sth

lifeblood

a factor that is vital for the continuing success of sth

to fine-tune sth

to make small changes in order to make something work as well as possible

to obstruct

to block a passage, road, etc. or to prevent something from happening by putting difficulties in its way

headwind

a wind that is blowing from the opposite direction to the one you are moving in

wandering

travelling aimlessly from place to place

conformity

compliance with standards, rules

stifle sth

prevent sth from happening

standardized

systematized

halved

separated into two equal parts

blown away

very impressed

play out

happen take place

see the blood running from one's face

to be embarrassed, shocked

pin someone to the wall

to be left without any other options

a huge vested interest

a personal reason for involvement in an undertaking or situation

private-based learning

self-conducted education

contractor

company providing service/delivery

real-life learning tools

tools facilitating learning real-life skills

workforce

the people engaged in or available for work

shelving

a construction of multiole