English Exam Practice Vocabulary Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards derived from the practice exam transcript, covering idioms, legal terms, personality traits, and collocations.

Maiden name

A woman's original surname before she gets married and adopts her spouse's name.

Make a killing

To make a very large and sudden profit, often enabling someone to retire or stop working.

Opinion is divided

A situation where people have completely different or opposing views on a subject.

Trust your instincts

To follow your natural feelings or gut reactions rather than just logical thinking.

Plead guilty

To formally admit in a court of law that you have committed a crime.

Narrow-minded

Being intolerant of alternative opinions or different perspectives.

Dawn raid

A police operation carried out at daybreak to seize evidence or suspects.

Learning curve

The rate of a person's progress in gaining new skills or experience, often described as 'steep' when something is difficult to learn.

Previous convictions

A record of crimes that a person has been found guilty of in the past.

Eye-opening

An experience that is surprising and teaches you something new or changes your perspective.

Learn the ropes

To learn how to do a specific job or task.

To be king in name only

To have the title of a king but possess no real power or authority.

Appeal against a sentence

A legal process where a person asks a higher court to change a decision or punishment made by a lower court.

Alibi

Proof or a statement that a person was in another place at the time a crime was committed.

Brought to justice

To be caught and punished for a crime by the legal system.

Pain in the neck

An idiom describing a person or thing that is very annoying or troublesome.

Play devil’s advocate

To argue against an idea or plan even if you agree with it, simply to test its validity or start a discussion.

Household name

A person or brand that is famous and well-known by the general public.

Protest innocence

To claim or insist firmly that one is not guilty of a crime.

Beat about the bush

To avoid talking about the main point or what is important.

Matter of opinion

A subject where there is no right or wrong answer because it depends on personal belief.

Speak your mind

To say exactly what you think in a very direct way.

Easygoing

A relaxed person who is not easily upset, worried, or annoyed.

Second thoughts

Feelings of doubt about a decision that has already been made.

Sit on the fence

To delay making a decision or refuse to choose between two sides of an argument.

Half-baked idea

A plan or theory that has not been properly thought out or developed.

Dark horse

A person who keeps their interests and talents secret, or someone whose success is unexpected.

Food for thought

Information or ideas that are worth thinking about seriously.

Hard to swallow

Difficult to accept or believe.

At a crossroads

A point in a career or life where an important decision must be made to determine the future direction.

Opinionated

Characterized by having very strong and certain views that the person refuses to change.

Traffic congestion

A condition on roads where vehicles move slowly or stop due to high volume, making it hard to move around.

Wet blanket

A person who is not enthusiastic and discourages the fun or excitement of others.

Regurgitate ideas

To repeat what has been heard or learned without thinking about it or understanding it.

Entitled to an opinion

Having the moral or legal right to hold a particular personal view.

Gregarious

A person who is very social and enjoys being with other people.

Co-authored

When a book or piece of work is written by two or more people together.

Chatterbox

An informal term for a person who talks excessively.

Amenities

Facilities such as sports clubs or parks that make a place more comfortable or pleasant to live in.

Iconic

Something that is widely recognized and considered to represent a particular time, place, or culture.

Solitary

A person who prefers to spend a lot of time alone.

Evocative

Something that brings strong images, memories, or feelings to mind.

Rebellious

Someone who regularly refuses to do what they are told or follow rules.

Life and soul of the party

A person who is very lively, fun, and the center of attention at social events.

Conscientious

A person who is very careful and puts a lot of effort into their work to ensure it is done correctly.

Inspirational

Someone or something that provides original ideas or encourages others to excel.

Perceptive

Able to notice things quickly and understand people’s hidden feelings.

Apathetic

Showing or feeling no interest, enthusiasm, or concern for work or tasks.

Tranquil

Completely peaceful and quiet, such as an empty beach.

Temperamental

Someone whose mood changes very quickly and unpredictably.

Scoop

A sensational, headline-making news story published by a newspaper before its competitors.

Court injunction

A legal order from a court that prevents a person from doing a specific action, such as contacting someone.

Spill the beans

To reveal a secret or private information.

Keep schtum

An idiom meaning to stay quiet or keep a secret.

Let the cat out of the bag

To accidentally or carelessly reveal a secret.

Without a shadow of a doubt

To be absolutely certain about something.

Narrow down the options

To reduce the number of possibilities to a smaller, more manageable amount.

Insensitive

Lacking feeling or concern for the feelings of others.

Neurotic

A person who worries excessively about small or ridiculous things.

Trial held behind closed doors

A legal trial where the public and media are not allowed to attend.

Hazard a guess

To make a guess even though you are not certain.

Capital punishment

The practice of killing someone as a legal punishment for a crime.

Pensioned off

To be forced to retire from a job with a pension.

Planned obsolescence

The business practice of designing a product with a limited useful life so it will become unfashionable or unusable after a certain period.

E-waste

Electronic waste, including items like discarded mobile phones and computers.

Phishing

A type of online fraud where attackers send messages to trick people into revealing personal data.

Identity theft

The crime of obtaining the personal or financial information of another person to use their identity for fraud.