The Great War

getaway (noun)

/ˈɡet̬·əˌweɪ/

A getaway is also a place where you go for a vacation:

a getaway in the Poconos

window (noun)

/ˈwɪndəʊ/

a period when there is an opportunity to do something:

I'm busy this week but there might be a window on Friday.

If a window of opportunity (= an opportunity) should present itself, I'd take advantage of it.

insightful (adjective)

/ˈɪn.saɪt.fəl/

(approving) showing a clear and usually original understanding of a complicated problem or situation:

She has written an insightful account of the modern art world.

He was, of course, very funny and insightful.

multiple (adjective)

/ˈmʌl.tə.pəl/

very many of the same type, or of different types:

The young man died of multiple burns.

We made multiple copies of the report.

We offer multiple (= many different) payment options.

well-rounded (adjective)

/ˌwel ˈraʊn.dɪd/

involving or having experience in a wide range of ideas or activities:

The article is well rounded and is fair to both sides of the dispute.

[ before noun ] She describes herself as a "well-rounded individual" who works hard but has a varied social life.

tapestry (noun)

/ˈtæp.ə.stri/

something that is made of many different parts:

The instruments blend together, weaving tapestries of sound, while the pace of the music changes constantly.

They all have contributed to the rich tapestry of mankind.

fusion (noun)

/ˈfjuː.ʒən/

an occasion when two or more things join or are combined:

nuclear fusion

Their music is described as "an explosive fusion of Latin American and modern jazz rhythms."

reverence (noun)

/ˈrev.ɚ.əns/

a feeling of respect or admiration for someone or something:

She has/shows/feels great reverence for her professors.

confucian (adjective)

/kənˈfjuː.ʃən/

based on or believing in the ideas of the Chinese philosopher Confucius: nho giáo

In Confucian tradition, 60th birthdays are particularly significant.

Confucian scholars

filial (adjective)

/ˈfɪl.i.əl/

(formal) of a son or daughter:

filial duty/respect/affection

At least Jamie recognised some filial bond.

filial piety

the idea that parents, grandparents, and older people should be treated with honor and respect:

Filial piety has historically been a traditional Chinese virtue.

pivotal (adjective)

/ˈpɪv.ə.t̬əl/

central and important:

a pivotal figure/role/idea

hierarchical (adjective)

/ˌhaɪˈrɑːr.kɪ.kəl/

arranged according to people's or things' level of importance, or relating to such a system:

The military has a hierarchical rank structure.

It's a very hierarchical organization in which everyone's status is clearly defined.

communal (adjective)

/ˈkɑː.mjə.nəl/ /kəˈmjuː.nəl/

belonging to or used by a group of people rather than one single person:

communal facilities/food/property

We each have a separate bedroom but share a communal kitchen.

communal (adjective)

/ˈkɑː.mjə.nəl/ /kəˈmjuː.nəl/

A communal society is one in which everyone lives and works together and property and possessions are shared rather than being owned by a particular person.

exquisite (adjective)

/ɪkˈskwɪz.ɪt/

very beautiful and delicate:

an exquisite piece of china

Look at this exquisite painting.

fragrant (adjective)

/ˈfreɪ.ɡrənt/

with a pleasant smell:

fragrant flowers

The sauce itself was light, fragrant and slightly sweet.

culinary (adjective)
/ˈkʌl.ə.ner.i/

(formal) connected with cooking or kitchens:

culinary delight the culinary delights (= good food) of Beijing

culinary skill My culinary skills are limited to boiling water (= I am not very good at cooking).

excruciating (adjective)

/ɪkˈskruː.ʃi.eɪ.t̬ɪŋ/

extremely painful:

excruciating pain an excruciating pain in the lower back

ingrain (verb)

/ɪnˈɡreɪn/

to establish something such as a belief so firmly that it is not likely to change:

ingrain something in someone We want to ingrain good financial habits in people.

ingrained (adjective)

/ɪnˈɡreɪnd/

(of beliefs) so firmly held that they are not likely to change:

Such ingrained prejudices cannot be corrected easily.

deeply ingrained in The belief that you should own your house is deeply ingrained in our society.

captivate (verb)

/ˈkæptɪveɪt/

to hold the attention of someone by being extremely interesting, exciting, pleasant, or attractive:

With her beauty and charm, she captivated film audiences everywhere.

captivating (adjective)

/ˈkæptɪveɪtɪŋ/

holding your attention by being extremely interesting, exciting, pleasant, or attractive:

a captivating performance

Her voice was utterly/absolutely captivating.

resilient (adjective)

/rɪˈzɪl.jənt/

able to be happy, successful, etc. again after something difficult or bad has happened:

She's a resilient girl - she won't be unhappy for long.

Optimists argue that the economy may prove more resilient.

be prone to something/do something

likely to show a particular characteristic, usually a negative one, or to be affected by something bad, such as damage or an illness :

I've always been prone to headaches.

He was prone to depression even as a teenager.

She's prone to exaggerate, that's for sure.

proactive (adjective)

/ˌproʊˈæk.tɪv/

taking action by causing change and not only reacting to change when it happens:

Companies are going to have to be more proactive about environmental management.

a proactive approach/role

incidence (noun)

/ˈɪn.sɪ.dəns/

(formal) the rate at which something, especially a disease, happens:

incidence of They found an increased incidence of cancer near nuclear power stations.

Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease and the incidence varies from country to country.

blatant (adjective)

/ˈbleɪ.tənt/

very obvious and intentional, when this is a bad thing:

a blatant lie

The whole episode was a blatant attempt to gain publicity.

inconspicuous (adjective)

/ˌɪn.kənˈspɪk.ju.əs/

not easily or quickly noticed or seen, or not attracting attention:

This type of bird is very inconspicuous because of its dull feathers.

At parties, he always stands in a corner and tries to look inconspicuous.

spar (verb)

/spɑːr/

to argue:

Frank and Jill always spar with each other at meetings, but really they're good friends.

be versed in something

to know a lot about a particular subject or be experienced in a particular skill:

I'm not sufficiently versed in XML to understand what you're saying.

scoff (verb)

/skɑːf/

to laugh and talk about a person or idea in a way that shows that you think they are stupid or silly:

The critics scoffed at his paintings.

Years ago people would have scoffed at the idea that cars would be built by robots.

level-headed (adjective)

/ˌlev.əlˈhed.ɪd/

calm and able to deal easily with difficult situations

revere (verb)

/rɪˈvɪr/

(formal) to very much respect and admire someone or something:

Nelson Mandela is revered for his brave fight against apartheid.

spiel (noun)

/ʃpiːl/

(informal disapproving) a speech, especially one that is long and spoken quickly and is intended to persuade the person listening about something:

a sales spiel

They gave us a long spiel about why we needed to install double glazing in our house.

conductive (adjective)

/kənˈdʌk.t̬ɪv/

A conductive substance allows heat or electricity to travel through it:

Aluminum is a conductive metal.

A gas that has been ionised becomes highly conductive.

repercussion (noun)

/ˌriː.pɚˈkʌʃ.ən/

the effect that an action, event, or decision has on something, especially a bad effect:

Any decrease in tourism could have serious repercussions for the local economy.

President Kennedy's assassination had far-reaching repercussions.

leper (noun)

/ˈlep.ɚ/

a person who is strongly disliked and avoided by other people because of something bad that he or she has done:

She claimed that the rumors had made her a social leper.

sentiment (noun)

/ˈsen.t̬ə.mənt/

a thought, opinion, or idea based on a feeling about a situation, or a way of thinking about something:

Nationalist sentiment has increased in the area since the bombing.

I don't think she shares my sentiments.

His son was overwhelmed by the sentiments of love and support in the cards and letters he received.

altercation (noun)

/ˌɑːl.tɚˈkeɪ.ʃən/

(formal) a loud argument or disagreement:

According to witnesses, the altercation between the two men started inside the restaurant.

manipulation (noun)

/məˌnɪp.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/

(mainly disapproving) controlling someone or something to your own advantage, often unfairly or dishonestly:

They have been accused of fraud and stock market manipulations.

There's been so much media manipulation of the facts that nobody knows the truth of the matter.

vie (verb)

/vaɪ/

to compete with other people to achieve or get something:

Six candidates are currently vying for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The two older children tend to vie with the younger one for their mother's attention.

[ + to infinitive ] The two groups of scientists are vying to get funding for their research projects.

deserted (adjective)

/dɪˈzɝː.t̬ɪd/

If a place is deserted, there are no people in it:

a deserted building/street

The coastal resorts are deserted in the winter.

be in (good) working order

a machine or piece of equipment that is in good working order works safely and effectively:

All our vehicles are in good and efficient working order.

embarrass (verb)

/ɪmˈber.əs/

to cause someone to feel nervous, worried, or uncomfortable:

You're embarrassing him with your compliments!

I didn't want to embarrass her in front of her friends.

except that

used to give a reason why something is not possible or true:

I want to go, except that I'm tired.

The exam went pretty well, except that I misread the final question.

excepted (adjective)
/ɪkˈsept.ɪd/

(before noun) (formal) not included:

present company excepted I can't stand academics - present company excepted (= not including those who are being talked to).

excepting (prep,conjuncion)

/ɪkˈsep.tɪŋ/

(formal) not including:

All the people who were on the aircraft have now been identified, excepting one.

exception (noun)

/ɪkˈsep.ʃən/

someone or something that is not included in a rule, group, or list or that does not behave in the expected way:

Men are usually quite good at map-reading but Tim is the exception.

exception to There are exceptions to every rule.

with the exception of I like all kinds of movies, with the exception of (= but not) horror movies.

no exception Her books are always entertaining and this one is no exception.

without exception You must report here every Tuesday without exception.

 make an exception

to not treat someone or something according to the usual rules:

We don't usually accept late applications, but in this case we will make an exception.

take exception to something/someone

to be offended or made angry by something or someone:

Why did you take exception to what he said? He was only joking.

the exception that proves the rule

something that emphasizes the general truth of a statement by disagreeing with it:

Most company directors are middle-aged men, but this 28-year-old woman is an exception that proves the rule.

exception to something (collocation)

someone or something that is not included in a rule:

There are exceptions to every rule.

Her parents requested an exception to the school's uniform policy.

exceptionable (adjective)

/ɪkˈsep.ʃən.ə.bəl/

(formal) offensive or upsetting:

exceptionable behavior

exceptional(ly) (adjective)
/ɪkˈsep.ʃən.əl/

(approving) much greater than usual, especially in skill, intelligence, quality, etc.:

an exceptional student

exceptional powers of concentration

The company has shown exceptional growth over the past two years.

exceptional items (noun)

(also exceptionals)

amounts of money shown in a company's accounts that relate to unusual events that do not happen regularly: những khoản thu chi tiêu bất thường

Including exceptional items, related to the sale this year of its 34 US businesses, pretax profit fell 7.1%.

exceptional loss (noun)

a loss shown in a company's accounts that relates to an unusual event that does not happen regularly: khoản lỗ lớn và bất thường

The group suffered a £6m exceptional loss on the sale of 90 stores.

exceptionalism (noun)

/ɪkˈsep.ʃən.ə.lɪ.zəm/

the idea that a person, country or political system can be allowed to be different from, and perhaps better than, others: chủ nghĩa ngoại lệ

American exceptionalism the popular belief in American exceptionalism

be losing it

(informal) to start to become crazy:

That's the third time this week I've lost my keys - I think I must be losing it.

be lost for words

to be so shocked, surprised, full of admiration, etc. that you cannot speak:

Mary was lost for words when she was awarded the prize.

be lost in something

giving so much attention to what you are doing that you are not conscious of anything else that is happening around you:

Ann was completely lost in her book.

I was lost in my own thoughts and didn't notice her approaching.

We were lost in wonder at the incredible architecture.

She was gazing into the far distance, lost in thought.

be lost on someone

If a joke or remark is lost on someone, they do not understand it.

be lost without someone/something

to be unable to live or work without someone or something:

I'm lost without my computer.

I'd be lost without you.

lose face

to lose the respect of other people because of something you have done:

Both companies are denying responsibility for the crisis, as neither wants to lose face.

lose ground

to become less popular, fall in value, or be given less support:

California still tops the 50 states in tech exports but is losing ground.

The stock started losing ground with the rest of the market in midmorning and closed down 18p.

lose sight of something

to forget about an important idea or fact because you are thinking about other things:

In their attempts to increase profits, they have lost sight of the importance of customer satisfaction.

lose count of something

to not be able to remember a total:

I’ve lost count of how many times she’s been late for work this month.

lose it

(informal) to stop being able to control your emotions and suddenly start to shout, cry, or laugh:

I'd been trying so hard to stay calm but in the end I just lost it.

lose-lose (adjective)

/ˌluːzˈluːz/

(before) A lose-lose situation or result is one that is bad for everyone who is involved:

He said that going ahead with the strike would be a lose-lose situation for all concerned.

loss-making (adjective)

/ˈlɑːsˌmeɪ.kɪŋ/

not making a profit:

loss-making businesses/companies

lossless (adjective)

/ˈlɑːs.ləs/

not involving the loss of data or electrical energy:

Lossless compression algorithms reduce file size with no loss in image quality.

lossy (adjective)

/ˈlɔːsi/

involving the loss of data or of electrical energy :

Lossy file compression results in lost data and quality from the original version.

loss (noun)

/lɑːs/

the fact that you no longer have something or have less of something:

Many parents feel a sense of loss when their children leave home.

loss (noun)

/lɑːs/

a disadvantage caused by someone leaving or by something being taken away:

It would be a great loss to the department if you left.

loss of life

an occasion when a number of people die:

The plane crashed with serious loss of life.

lost (adjective)

/lɑːst/

not knowing where you are and how to get to a place:

I got lost in the New York subway system.

You look lost - can I help you?

lost (adjective)

/lɑːst/

If something is lost, no one knows where it is:

Things tend to get lost when you move.

Lost: black cat with white paws.

Mikey turned up with the lost book.

lost (adjective)

/lɑːst/

not confident and not knowing what to do in a particular situation:

It was his first day in the office and he seemed a little lost.

lost cause (noun)

/ˌlɑːst ˈkɑːz/

someone or something that has no chance of succeeding:

I used to try to get him to do some exercise but then decided he was a lost cause.

lost generation (noun)

/ˌlɑːst dʒen.əˈreɪ.ʃən/

a generation (= all the people around a particular age) who have been affected by a difficult social or economic period:

There is a lost generation who have never been taught grammar, punctuation, or spelling.

lost generation of Religious leaders answered a variety of challenging questions, and talked about today's "lost generation" of young people.

lost in the shuffle

If something or someone gets lost in the shuffle, that thing or person does not get the attention they deserve:

Refugee children in the big camps just get lost in the shuffle and are sometimes left without food.

qualifiable (adjective)

/ˌkwɑː.ləˈfaɪ.ə.bəl/

able to be qualified (= limited in strength or meaning):

These arguments have been revealed as eminently qualifiable, if not downright false.

Objectives must be qualifiable and achievable.

qualifiable (adjective)

/ˌkwɑː.ləˈfaɪ.ə.bəl/

qualifying as something (= having all the necessary features of it):

The pieces in his new book are not really qualifiable as short stories.

It is questionable whether this sort of jazz is really qualifiable as popular music.

qualification (noun)

/ˌkwɑː.lə.fəˈkeɪ.ʃən/

an ability, characteristic, or experience that makes you suitable for a particular job or activity:

Some nursing experience is a necessary qualification for this job.

[ + to infinitive ] One of the qualifications you need to work here is a sense of humor!

qualification (noun)

/ˌkwɑː.lə.fəˈkeɪ.ʃən/

success in getting into a competition:

The win earned them qualification for the World Cup finals.

qualification (noun)

/ˌkwɑː.lə.fəˈkeɪ.ʃən/

[ + that ] The doctor said I can leave hospital today, but with the qualification that I have to come back every day to get the dressing changed.

qualified (adjective)

/ˈkwɑː.lə.faɪd/

having finished a training course, or having particular skills, etc.:

Tim is now a qualified architect.

What makes you think that you are qualified for this job?

qualified (adjective)

/ˈkwɑː.lə.faɪd/

limited:

There seems to be qualified support for the idea.

qualify (verb)

/ˈkwɑː.lə.faɪ/

to successfully finish a training course so that you are able to do a job; to have or achieve the necessary skills, etc.:

She hopes to qualify (as a lawyer) at the end of the year.

[ + obj + to infinitive ] This course qualifies you to teach in any high school.

qualify (verb)

/ˈkwɑː.lə.faɪ/

to have the legal right to have or do something because of the situation you are in, or to cause someone to have such a right:

She doesn't qualify for maternity leave because she hasn't been in her job long enough.

qualify (verb)

/ˈkwɑː.lə.faɪ/

to limit the strength or meaning of a statement:

I'd like to qualify my criticisms of the school's failings, by adding that it's a very happy place.

slander (noun)

/ˈslæn.dɚ/

a false spoken statement about someone that damages their reputation, or the making of such a statement:

The doctor is suing his partner for slander.

She regarded his comment as a slander on her good reputation.

report (verb)

/rɪˈpɔːrt/

to go to a place or a person and say that you are there:

I report for (= am ready for and at) work/duty at 8 a.m. every morning.

by nature, profession, trade, etc.

used when describing someone's character, job, etc.:

She is, by nature, a sunny, positive kind of person.

He's a plumber by trade.

She was, by profession, a lawyer.

He is cautious and risk-averse by nature.

on speaking terms

friendly enough to talk:

We had an argument, but we’re back on speaking terms now.

herd (noun)

/hɝːd/

a large group of animals of the same type that live and feed together:

a herd of cattle/elephants/goats

sheer (adjective)

/ʃɪr/

used to emphasize how very great, important, or powerful a quality or feeling is; nothing except:

The suggestion is sheer nonsense.

His success was due to sheer willpower/determination.

It was sheer coincidence that we met.

plow (verb)

/plaʊ/

to dig land with a plow:

Farmers start plowing in the spring.

We're going to plow the top field next week.

Large areas of grazing land have been plowed up to grow wheat.

husbandry (noun)

/ˈhʌz.bən.dri/

farming:

He gave a lecture on crop and animal husbandry.

quarry (noun)

/ˈkwɔːr.i/

a large artificial hole in the ground where stone, sand, etc. is dug for use as building material: mỏ đá

a granite/limestone/marble/slate quarry