Comprehensive Advanced English Vocabulary Modules

Practice vocabulary flashcards defining core terms, academic expressions, collocations, and idiomatic phrases across thirteen thematic lecture units.

an academic

A person who teaches or does research at a university.

contrived

Artificial or forced rather than natural.

high-status experiences

An experience valued mainly for the social prestige it brings.

ultra-luxe

Extremely luxurious.

(a term) denotes smth

To mean or indicate something specific.

gendered languages

Languages that assign nouns to grammatical gender categories.

Whorfian hypothesis

The idea that the language people speak influences how they think.

elicit

To bring out or produce a response or reaction.

interchangeable

Able to be exchanged or used in place of one another.

trolley

A vehicle that runs on rails; the runaway vehicle in the moral dilemma.

vivid mental imagery

Clear, detailed pictures formed in the mind.

bear the brunt of smth

To suffer the largest or worst share of something unpleasant.

a career break

A period away from paid employment during a person's working life.

decimation

Severe damage or destruction affecting a large part of something.

untether smth from smth

To free one thing from a close connection with another.

game the system

To use rules or weaknesses in a system to gain an unfair advantage.

performative productivity

Activity intended to look productive rather than produce useful results.

surveil smb / smth

To watch a person or place systematically to gather information.

taskmasking

Making yourself look busy at work without doing much useful work.

Down's syndrome

A genetic condition associated with an extra copy of chromosome 21.

learning disabilities

Difficulties with particular learning skills, such as reading, in this US text.

restrictive

Limiting what someone can do or choose.

speech impaired

Having difficulty producing speech.

an adaptation centre

A support centre helping people adjust to more stable living conditions, in this text.

alleviate a shortage of smth

To make a lack of something less severe.

an encampment

A place where people live temporarily in tents or shelters.

skyrocketing housing costs

Housing expenses that are increasing very rapidly.

brain drain

The departure of skilled people to other countries or regions.

dilute the value of

To reduce the importance or worth of something.

knowledge economy

An economy driven by knowledge, information and expertise.

social mobility

Movement between social or economic positions.

academic dishonesty

Dishonest behaviour in study or research.

cognitive dissonance

Mental discomfort caused by conflicting beliefs or actions.

ghostwriting

Writing material that is presented as someone else's work.

a whistleblower

Someone who reveals wrongdoing within an organisation.

a halo effect

The influence of an overall impression on judgements of particular qualities.

heritable

Capable of being passed genetically from parents to offspring.

a quantifiable trait

A characteristic that can be expressed numerically.

beauty is in the eye of the beholder

What is beautiful depends on the person looking.

accent neutralisation

Changing an accent to make regional features less noticeable.

an AI engine

The core software that performs artificial intelligence processing.

cater to

To satisfy particular needs, wishes or demands.

voice-altering technology

Technology that changes how a person's voice sounds.

news addiction

A hard-to-control habit of repeatedly checking news.

sensationalised coverage

News reporting that exaggerates shocking or exciting aspects.

a state of high alert

A condition of being especially watchful for danger.

a vicious cycle

A situation in which one problem causes another that makes the first worse.

an inner critic

The self-critical thoughts that judge your actions and abilities.

overprogram children

To arrange too many organised activities for children.

self-compassion

Kindness and understanding towards yourself when you struggle or make mistakes.

underslept

Having had less sleep than needed.