Vocabulary 1

reasonable and likely to be true or successful

plausible OPP implausible 

a plausible explanation

His story certainly sounds plausible. 

if one person does something single-handedly, they do it without help from anyone else

single-handedly (also single-handed) = alone

She brought up three children single-handedly.

disagreement or arguing between people

discord /ˈdɪskɔːd/

marital discord

There has always been discord over NATO's role in world conflict.

without being asked or forced to do something

of somebody’s/something’s own accord

He decided to go of his own accord. 

Optimists had hoped the answer was that opposition would ebb of its own accord as evidence of growth began.

to give your own meaning to something rather than what was intended (suy diễn)

read too much into: Don't read too much into her leaving so suddenly - she probably just had a train to catch.

I think you’re reading too much into his comments – he's not trying to trick anyone.

He arrived late, but don't read anything into it. The traffic was just bad.

the present situation

the status quo

maintain/preserve/defend the status quo

Will the West use its influence to maintain the status quo and not disrupt the flow of oil?

to think about something very carefully 

deliberate /dɪˈlɪbəreɪt/

The jury deliberated for four days before acquitting him (tha bổng)

to remove obstacles, finish minor tasks, or eliminate clutter to prepare for action

Xử lý xong các công việc tồn đọng để không bị vướng bận trước khi bắt đầu một dự án mới

clear the decks (idiom)

Clear the decks before you think of taking on any more responsibilities.

We need to clear the decks of any unfinished projects before the end of the year

to give an acceptable explanation for something that other people think is unreasonable

justify doing something: How can we justify spending so much money on arms?

justify yourself (=prove that what you are doing is reasonable): I don’t have to justify myself to you or anyone else.

to treat a person or group differently from another in an unfair way

discriminate against: Under federal law, it is illegal to discriminate against minorities and women.

discriminate on the grounds/basis of st

It was found that the company still discriminated on the basis of race in promotions.

to exist in or affect only a particular place or group

be confined to sb/st

The risk of infection is confined to medical personnel.

the disagreement that results from opposing arguments

contention

There's a lot of contention about that issue - for every person firmly in favor, there's somebody fiercely against it.

in contention The issue has been settled - it's no longer in contention.

If you split the difference, you agree on a number or amount that is exactly in the middle of the difference between two other numbers or amounts

split the difference

I wanted £50 for the table and she offered £30, so we agreed to split the difference.

Can't you simply split the difference between the amount the two sideswant?

infertile /ɪnˈfɜːtaɪl/

barren

Thousands of years ago the surface was barren desert.

unable to have babies

infertile /ɪnˈfɜːtaɪl/

infertile couples

unstoppable

inexorable /ɪnˈeksərəbəl/

the inexorable decline of Britain’s manufacturing industry

the difference between the amount you have and the amount you need or expect

shortfall

Parents have been asked to pay £30 each to cover the shortfall in the budget.

The center had projected a $38,000 shortfall for its $6.47 million budget.

to only affect a limited area, group etc

be restricted to sb/st

Access to this data is restricted to authorized personnel

Eligibility for five weeks’ holiday is restricted to senior management.

the difference between the amount of something that you have and the higher amount that you need 

deficit /ˈdefɪsɪt/

the country’s widening budget deficit 

the US’s foreign trade deficit (thâm hụt thương mại)

kiềm hãm - to prevent something from growing or developing well

inhibit sb from doing st

An unhappy family life may inhibit children’s learning.

ảm đạm

gloomy = depressing # bright

The report paints a gloomy picture of the economy.

bad-tempered, unhappy, and silent 

morose /məˈrəʊs/

Daniel seems very morose and gloomy.

angry and silent, especially because you feel life has been unfair to you

sullen

Bill sat in sullen silence and refused to eat his lunch.

friendly and easy to like

amiable /ˈeɪmiəbəl/

The driver was an amiable young man.

friendly and easy to talk to = pleasant

affable /ˈæfəbəl/

an affable guy

slightly fat in a fairly pleasant way - used especially about women or children

plump

The baby’s nice and plump.

 excessively fat

corpulent /ˈkɔːpjələnt/ formal

rather fat and heavy

stout

someone who is sturdy is strong, short, and healthy looking

sturdy /ˈstɜːdi/

an object that is sturdy is strong, well-made, and not easily broken

sturdy /ˈstɜːdi/

That chair doesn’t look very sturdy.

 worried and embarrassed about what you look like or what other people think of you: tự ti

self-conscious

Jerry’s pretty self-conscious about his weight.

sb who is perceptive notices things quickly and understands situations, people’s feelings etc well – used to show approval: nhạy bén

perceptive = insightful

ex:  a perceptive young man

highly perceptive comments

You’re right. That’s very perceptive of you.

 low self-esteem: mặc cảm tự ti

 inferiority complex

to make it difficult for something to develop or succeed (kiềm hãm)

hinder = hamper

His career has been hindered by injury.

to control or limit something in order to prevent it from having a harmful effect

curb (pollution, inflation, spread…)

ex: measures to curb the spread of the virus

The city is trying new measures to curb pollution

an occasion that causes you to consider the facts about a situation and not your opinions, ideas, or beliefs

reality check

okay reality check guys (Mọi người ơi, tỉnh mộng đi)

She needs a reality check

important

prominent

Mandela played a prominent role in the early years of the ANC.

easily seen

prominent place/position

The statue was in a prominent position outside the railway station.

famous

celebrated

a celebrated legal case

thông qua lăng kính

through the lens of

Just remember to open your hearts and view things through the lens of one another.

to compare something to other things so that it can be accurately and fairly judged:

put something in(to) perspective

Let's look at how some other businesses are doing to put our results in some sort of perspective.

thâm hụt ngân sách

fiscal deficit /ˈdefɪsɪt/

to take more time or money than intended 

Overrun

The final speaker overran by at least half an hour.

because of a particular fact or situation

on the basis of something

discrimination on the basis of sex

bị giam cầm

cooped up

to be reasonable and have good judgment (nhận ra/tỉnh ngộ)

see sense/reason (C2) = come to one’s senses

We talked to her for an hour, but we couldn't make her see sense.

to control a business or other organization firmly and effectively

run a tight ship

With a reputation for running a tight ship wherever he goes, the new CEO is sure to bring some much-needed order to the firm.

see sense/reason

come to one’s senses

It took him a while to come to his senses and realize he was making a mistake.

reasonable, practical, and showing good judgment

sensible

It’s sensible to keep a note of your passport number. 

Moving house seemed like the sensible thing to do.

to make an effort to remember something

make a mental note of something

I made a mental note of her address.

Okay, mental note taken.

lẽ thường (the basic level of practical knowledge and judgment that we all need to help us live in a reasonable and safe way)

common sense

Anyone with any common sense would have known what to do.

if a place is overrun by unwanted things or people, they spread over it in great numbers

be overrun by/with something 

a tiny island overrun by tourists 

The house was overrun with mice.

the situation in which someone loses their job

the axe/face the axe
Over 500 staff are facing the axe

to improve, increase, or enhance your level of effort, output, or capability

up one’s performance

All staff have been warned that they face the axe if productivity does not improve, and that no one, no matter how senior, is exempt from having to up their performance.

niêm yết hoặc lên sàn chứng khoán lần đầu (IPO)

Float on the stock exchange = IPO (Initial Public Offering)
Rumours abound that Maxwell Mining is about to float on the stock exchange.

to exist in very large numbers

abound: Rumors abound as to the reasons for his resignation.

abound with/in st: The forests abound with deer, birds, and squirrels.

an offer or attempt to take control of a company by buying enough of its shares to do this, or the amount of money offered

takeover bid (mua thôn tính)

The company said it would consider a takeover bid.

launch/make a takeover bid for sth: The billionaire investor launched a takeover bid for the company.

to decide to achieve st (C2)

set one’s sights on st
Jenny has set her tights on winning the competition

to start something, especially something new, difficult, or exciting

embark on/upon something

He embarked on a new career as a teacher.

to make it easier for a process or activity to happen

facilitate

Computers can be used to facilitate language learning.

bán tháo (trong hoảng loạn)

panic-selling

The company issued an unexpected profit warning on Monday sparking a two-thirds drop in its share price as investors engaged in panic-selling.

đóng cửa, thanh lý một doanh nghiệp

wind the business up/wind up the company

Lawyers were called in to wind up the company.

if a company is sold as a going concern, it is sold when it is operating normally

going concern

They will get a better price if they sell the restaurant as a going concern rather than closing it down.

thiết lập, hình thành một liên minh

form an alliance /əˈlaɪəns/

The two former rivals have formed an unlikely strategic alliance leaving everyone perplexed as to why they were at loggerheads for so long

arguing or strongly disagreeing

loggerheads

at loggerheads with sb They tried to run the company together, but were often at loggerheads with one another.

The issue put the government at loggerheads with the EU.

(kiến nghị) a proposal that is made formally at a meeting, and then is usually decided on by voting

motion

The motion was defeated by 201 votes to 15

put forward a motion: đưa ra 1 kiến nghị

to sell the assets (= valuable parts) of a company:

strip

He made his fortune as a young man by buying up large companies and stripping the assets.

to give false information about something, in order to avoid paying money or to get extra money (gian lận sổ sách)

fiddle

Bert had been fiddling his income tax for years.

sổ sách (công ty)

written records of the financial accounts of a business

books

An accountant will examine the company’s books

a small firm that is having problems balancing the books

to carefully plan and control how much money you spend and what you will buy with it

budget (v)

The additional expenditure arising from the snap decision made by the board to acquire Boovampe Limited had, naturally, not been budgeted for.

(tái cấp vốn) if a company recapitalizes or is recapitalized, it gets more capital or changes the way its capital is organized

recapitalize

Two of the country's biggest banks are being recapitalized by foreign investors, who are taking ownership shares for debt.

Sự quản lý yếu kém về tài chính

Financial mismanagement

Financial mismanagement has resulted in spending overrunning considerably for the second consecutive year.

(hoà vốn) to have no profit or loss at the end of a business activity

break even

Investors reacted favourably to the news that the company had succeeded in breaking even for the first time since the restructuring and cost-cutting measures were introduced.

polite and showing respect for other people

courteous
The staff are always courteous and helpful.
a courteous reply

a man who is chivalrous behaves in a polite, kind, generous, and honourable way, especially towards women (ga lăng/hào hiệp/quân tử)

chivalrous /ˈʃɪvəlrəs/

He was generous, courteous and chivalrous.

the quality of having enough courage to take risks or say impolite things

audacity /ɔːˈdæsəti/

have the audacity to do st: I can’t believe he had the audacity to ask me for more money

courageous, brave, audacious, fearless, chivalrous, bold, daring, intrepid, gallant

valiant /ˈvæliənt/

 Tarr threw himself in front of a train in a valiant effort to save the child.

courageous, brave, audacious, fearless, chivalrous, bold, daring, valiant, gallant

intrepid /ɪnˈtrepɪd/

intrepid explorers

to enjoy an experience or the thought of something that is going to happen

relish

relish the prospect/thought/idea: I don’t relish the thought of you walking home alone.

relish the chance/opportunity:  He relishes the chance to play Hamlet.

an eminent person is famous, important, and respected

eminent = illustrious

famous and admired because of what you have achieved

illustrious (formal) /ɪˈlʌstriəs/

She has had an illustrious career

showy (khoa trương)

Ostentatious /ˌɒstənˈteɪʃəs/

an ostentatious display of wealth

You're not supposed to display your wealth to Sabello in such an ostentatious manner.

obstacle, Stumbling block

hindrance

not strict or careful enough about standards of behaviour, work, safety etc

lax, poor, slack

Discipline was too lax/poor (slack không phổ biến với discipline)

friendly but quite polite and formal 

cordial

The talks were conducted in a cordial atmosphere.

shocking and offensive, usually because it involves sex

indecent

He was found guilty of possessing indecent photographs. 

You can’t go out in that dress – it’s positively indecent!

difficult to understand

obscure /əbˈskjʊə/

For some obscure reason, the group is very popular.

mysterious and difficult to understand

enigmatic /ˌenɪɡˈmætɪk/

enigmatic smile/expression

confusing, especially b/c there are too many choices at the same time

bewildering /bɪˈwɪldərɪŋ/

a bewildering variety/array/range

ngoan đạo

pious /ˈpaɪəs/

He was a quiet, pious man.

clearly refusing to do what someone tells you to do (thách thức)

defiant /dɪˈfaɪənt/

Mark smashed a fist on the desk in a defiant gesture.

clever

ingenious /ɪnˈdʒiːniəs/

Many fish have ingenious ways of protecting their eggs from predators.

likely to happen soon

imminent /ˈɪmɪnənt/

imminent danger/threat/death/disaster etc 

He was in imminent danger of dying.

linh cảm

hunch

have a hunch (that):  I had a hunch that something like this would happen.

somebody’s hunch: My hunch is that she’s his mother.

if something baffles you, you cannot understand or explain it at all 

baffle

The question baffled me completely.

not knowing facts or information that you ought to know

ignorant (about)

an ignorant and uneducated man

I'm very ignorant about politics.

nghịch lý (a situation that seems strange because it involves two ideas or qualities that are very different)

paradox

It’s a paradox that in such a rich country there can be so much poverty.

an idea, belief, or opinion (quan niệm)

notion (of)

misguided notions of male superiority 

The traditional notion of marriage goes back thousands of years.

consider (but formal)

ponder on/over/about

He continued to ponder the problem as he walked home.

The university board is still pondering over the matter.

assume

presume

‘Are his parents still alive?’ 'I presume so.’

presume sb/st to be sb/st: From the way he talked, I presumed him to be your boss.