Advanced English Vocabulary Modules

Comprehensive practice flashcards defining key vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and collocations across various thematic units, including work culture, psychology, linguistics, and social topics.

an academic

A person who teaches or does research at a university.

contrived

Artificial or forced rather than natural.

exclusive high-end experience

A costly, high-quality activity available to a select group.

high-status experiences

An experience valued mainly for the social prestige it brings.

outsource smth

To have work or a task done by an outside supplier rather than doing it oneself.

performance indicators

Measurable values used to judge how successful something is.

ultra-luxe

Extremely luxurious.

was accounted for

Was included in a detailed plan, leaving no time unplanned.

(a term) denotes smth

To mean or indicate something specific.

assertive

Confident and direct in stating your opinions or needs, without being aggressive.

conceive of the world

To form an idea or mental image of the world in a particular way.

gendered languages

Languages that assign nouns to grammatical gender categories.

identifiable categories

Groups or classes that can be clearly recognized or distinguished.

Whorfian hypothesis

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

conduct a study

To organise and carry out research.

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.

decimation

Severe damage or destruction affecting a large part of something.

deliverables

The specific outputs or results that a job or project must produce.

go above and beyond

To do more than is normally expected or required.

hit a raw nerve

To upset someone by touching on a sensitive subject.

tight labour market

A labour market in which employers have difficulty finding enough workers.

untether smth from smth

To free one thing from a close connection with another.

appease smb

To calm or satisfy someone by giving them what they want.

beg the question

To make an obvious question arise, as used in this article.

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.

a swath of smth

A large section of a group or a broad area of something.

taskmasking

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

achieve one's full potential

To develop and use one's abilities as fully as possible.

be backed up by federal law

To be supported by national legislation.

Down's syndrome

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

an inherited condition

A health condition passed genetically from parents to children.

learning disabilities

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

restrictive

Limiting what someone can do or choose.

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.

amend smth

To formally change or correct a document or law.

an encampment

A place where people live temporarily in tents or shelters.

permanent registration

Official registration of a person's permanent address, in this context.

skyrocketing housing costs

Housing expenses that are increasing very rapidly.

brain drain

The departure of skilled people to other countries or regions.

bridge the gap

To reduce a difference or fill a missing connection.

dilute the value of

To reduce the importance or worth of something.

a dismal failure

A complete and disappointing failure.

knowledge economy

An economy driven by knowledge, information and expertise.

social mobility

Movement between social or economic positions.

stifle creativity

To prevent creative ideas from developing.

academic dishonesty

Dishonest behaviour in study or research.

bespoke assignments

Assignments specially produced for a particular customer.

cognitive dissonance

Mental discomfort caused by conflicting beliefs or actions.

cut corners

To save effort, time or money by omitting necessary steps.

ghostwriting

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

a magic bullet

A simple solution believed to solve a difficult problem completely.

a whistleblower

Someone who reveals wrongdoing within an organisation.

arbitrary

Based on personal choice rather than a clear reason or system.

beauty is in the eye of the beholder

What is beautiful depends on the person looking.

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 prodigy

A young person with exceptional ability.

a quantifiable trait

A characteristic that can be expressed numerically.

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.

deepen empathy

To strengthen the ability to understand others' feelings.

voice-altering technology

Technology that changes how a person's voice sounds.

compulsive behaviour

Repeated behaviour that a person finds difficult to control.

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.

accountability

Responsibility for your actions and a duty to explain them.

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.