THIS MARVELLOUS INVENTION

Manifold

(adj)

various, many and different

= diverse, varied, numerous

Structure: manifold + plural noun

Ex: Modern technology has created manifold opportunities for people to access education and develop new skills

Take pride of place

(idiom)

to occupy the most important or prominent position

= take centre stage, hold a prominent position

Structure: take pride of place in/among + N

Ex: Environmental protection should take pride of place in government policies

Embark on

(v)

to start something new, especially something difficult or exciting

= undertake, begin, set out on

Structure: embark on + N/V-ing

Ex: Many university graduates embark on their professional careers with high expectations

Ascent

(n)

the process of rising or becoming more powerful or successful

= rise, climb, advancement

Structure: the ascent to + N

Ex: The rapid ascent of artificial intelligence has transformed numerous industries

Unparalleled

(adj)

better or greater than anything else of the same kind

= unmatched, unequalled, unprecedented

Structure: unparalleled + N

Ex: The internet provides unparalleled access to information and educational resources

Sophistication

(n)

the quality of being complex, advanced or highly developed

= complexity, refinement, advancement

Structure: the sophistication of + N

Ex: The sophistication of modern technology has transformed the way people communicate

Infinite

(adj)

extremely great in amount or impossible to measure because it has no limit

= limitless, endless, boundless

Structure: an infinite number of + plural noun

Ex: The internet offers an almost infinite number of opportunities for self-directed learning

Disclose

(v)

to reveal information that was previously secret or unknown

= reveal, uncover, divulge

Structure: disclose information/details about + N

Ex: Companies should disclose information about their environmental impact to the public

Penetrate

(v)

to enter or pass through something, or to understand something deeply

= enter, permeate, grasp

Structure: penetrate + N / penetrate into + N

Ex: Advertising can penetrate consumers' subconscious minds and influence their purchasing decisions

Stirring of our soul

(phrase)

the awakening of deep emotions or feelings within us

= emotional awakening, deep feelings, inner excitement

Structure: a stirring of + possessive adjective + soul

Ex: Music can create a stirring of the soul and help people express emotions that words cannot convey

Eloquently

(adv)

in a fluent, expressive and persuasive manner

= articulately, expressively, persuasively

Structure: express/describe/demonstrate something eloquently

Ex: The speaker eloquently explained why equal access to education is essential for social development

Magnitude

(n)

the great size, extent or importance of something

= scale, extent, significance

Structure: the magnitude of + N

Ex: The magnitude of the climate crisis requires immediate action from governments worldwide

Homage

(n)

respect or admiration expressed towards someone or something

= tribute, honour, recognition

Structure: pay homage to + N

Ex: The documentary pays homage to the scientists whose discoveries changed the world

Critical

(adj)

extremely important because a future situation may depend on it

= crucial, essential, vital

Structure: be critical to/for + N

Ex: Effective communication is critical to the success of any international business

Incongruity

(n)

a situation in which things do not fit together or are inconsistent

= inconsistency, mismatch, incompatibility

Structure: the incongruity between A and B

Ex: The incongruity between environmental campaigns and companies' actual practices has raised public concerns

Configuration

(n)

the shape or arrangement of the parts of something

= arrangement, structure, layout

Structure: the configuration of + N

Ex: The configuration of a workspace can influence employees' productivity and creativity

Haphazard

(adj)

random, disorganized or lacking a clear plan

= random, chaotic, unsystematic

Structure: a haphazard approach to + N

Ex: A haphazard approach to studying is unlikely to produce consistent academic results

Interminable

(adj)

seemingly endless or continuing for an excessively long time

= endless, never-ending, incessant

Structure: interminable + N

Ex: The interminable delays in public transport can discourage people from commuting by bus

Unravelling

(v)

to discover or explain something complicated or mysterious

= solve, decipher, untangle

Structure: unravel the mystery/complexity of + N

Ex: Scientists are working on unravelling the complex causes of climate change

Deceptive

(adj)

giving a false impression or making something appear different from reality

= misleading, illusory, inaccurate

Structure: a deceptive appearance/impression

Ex: The apparent convenience of fast fashion can be deceptive because its environmental costs are substantial

Exertion

(n)

the use of physical or mental effort to do something

= effort, strain, endeavour

Structure: physical/mental exertion

Ex: Achieving academic excellence requires considerable mental exertion and sustained concentration

Triumph

(n/v)

a great victory, achievement or success

= victory, accomplishment, success

Structure: a triumph of + N / triumph over + N

Ex: The development of effective vaccines represents a triumph of modern medical science

Estrangement

(n)

the state of being separated or becoming distant from someone or something

= alienation, separation, detachment

Structure: estrangement from + N

Ex: Excessive dependence on digital devices may contribute to estrangement from family members

Exotic

(adj)

unusual or originating from a distant or foreign place

= unusual, foreign, unfamiliar

Structure: exotic + N

Ex: Tourism allows visitors to experience exotic cuisines and unfamiliar cultural traditions

Outlandish

(adj)

strange, unusual or difficult to believe

= bizarre, eccentric, extraordinary

Structure: an outlandish idea/claim

Ex: Some initially outlandish scientific theories have eventually become widely accepted

Showy stunt

(n phrase)

an action designed mainly to attract attention or impress people

= publicity stunt, attention-seeking act, spectacle

Structure: perform/pull off a showy stunt

Ex: Some influencers perform showy stunts on social media to attract followers and increase engagement

Pull off

(v)

to succeed in doing something difficult

= accomplish, achieve, manage

Structure: pull off + N

Ex: Despite limited resources, the team managed to pull off a successful international event

Monstrosity

(n)

something extremely ugly, abnormal or excessively large

= eyesore, abomination

Structure: a monstrosity of + N

Ex: Critics described the enormous concrete building as an architectural monstrosity

Squash

(v)

to press something into a smaller space or force things together

= compress, squeeze, crush

Structure: squash A into B

Ex: Some languages can squash complex ideas into a single word that requires a whole sentence in another language

Trim

(v)

to make something neater, shorter or smaller

= shorten, reduce, cut down

Structure: trim something down / trim something to + size/length

Ex: Businesses can trim operating costs by improving inventory management and reducing waste

Thrifty

(adj)

careful about spending money and avoiding waste

= economical, frugal, cost-conscious

Structure: be thrifty with + N

Ex: Being thrifty with household resources can help families reduce their monthly expenses

Compactness

(n)

the quality of being small, closely arranged and occupying little space

= density, space efficiency

Structure: the compactness of + N

Ex: The compactness of modern electronic devices makes them convenient to carry and use

Sleek

(adj)

smooth, elegant and attractively designed

= streamlined, stylish, elegant

Structure: a sleek design/appearance

Ex: The company introduced a sleek new product design to appeal to younger consumers

Fine-tune

(v)

to make very small adjustments to something to improve its performance

= adjust, refine, optimize

Structure: fine-tune + N

Ex: Companies must fine-tune their marketing strategies to meet changing consumer preferences

Nifty

(adj)

clever, effective and useful

= ingenious, smart, handy

Structure: a nifty way/trick/solution to + V

Ex: Using a digital calendar is a nifty way to organize assignments and avoid missing deadlines

Do justice to SO/ST

(idm)

to represent, treat or portray someone or something accurately and fairly so as to show their true quality

= represent accurately, show in a true light, appreciate fully

Structure: do justice to + N

Ex: A brief summary cannot do justice to the depth and complexity of the original research

distill

to extract the essential meaning, ideas or most important aspects of something

= extract, condense, summarize

Structure: distill something (down) into + N

Ex: The author managed to distill complex academic research into clear, accessible language