Chapter 1

Inundate (v) to give someone so much work or so many things that they cannot deal with it
all
-We have been inundated with requests for help.
(v) to flood an area with water
-If the dam breaks, it will inundate large parts of the town.

Scatter (v) to (cause to) move far apart in different directions

-The protesters scattered at the sound of gunshots.
-The soldiers came in and scattered the crowd.
(v) to cover a surface with things that are far apart and in no particular arrangement
-I scattered grass seed all over the lawn

Crumble (v) to break, or cause something to break, into small pieces

-She nervously crumbled the bread between her fingers.
-The cliffs on which the houses are built are starting to crumble.
(V) to become weaker in strength or influence
-Support for the government is crumbling.

Crumple (v) to become, or cause something to become, full of folds that are not equal in
size
-This shirt crumples easily
(v) If someone's face crumples, it becomes full of lines because of a strong emotion
-Her face crumpled with laughter.
(v) If someone crumples, they fall to the ground suddenly
-The bullet hit him and he crumpled into a heap on the floor.

Dupe (v) to deceive someone, usually by making that person do something that they did not
intend to do
-The girls were duped by drug smugglers into carrying heroin for them.
(n) someone who has been tricked
-an innocent dupe
(n) a short form of duplicate that is used to refer to a product made to look like a
more expensive or high-quality product
-I found a Gucci dupe belt online.

Stunned (adj) very shocked or surprised

-I am stunned and saddened by this news.

Ignorant (adj) not having enough knowledge, understanding, or information about

something
-Many teenagers are surprisingly ignorant about current politics.

Chapter 2
Commotion (n) a sudden, short period of noise, confusion, or excited movement
-His arrival caused quite a commotion.
-He looked up to see what all the commotion was about.

Gossip (n) conversation or reports about other people's private lives that might be unkind,
disapproving, or not true
-I've got some juicy gossip for you.
(v) to talk about other people's private lives
-People have started to gossip about us.

Dazzle (v) If light dazzles you, it makes you unable to see for a short time
-I was dazzled by the sunlight.
(v) If you are dazzled by someone or something, you think they are extremely good
and exciting
-I was dazzled by his charm and good looks.

Bogus (adj) false, not real, or not legal

-She produced some bogus documents to support her application.

Outlandish (adj) strange and unusual and difficult to accept or like

-an outlandish hairstyle/outfit

Discreet (adj) careful not to cause embarrassment or attract too much attention, especially
by keeping something secret
-They are very good assistants, very discreet - they wouldn't go talking to the press.

Sulk (v) to be silent and refuse to smile or be pleasant to people because you are angry
about something that they have done
-He's sulking in his room because I wouldn't let him have any more chocolate.
 (n) a period of time when someone refuses to smile or be pleasant because they are
angry about something
-He spent the whole day in a sulk.

Chapter 3
Sprawl (v) to spread the arms and legs out carelessly and untidily while sitting or lying down
-I knocked into her in the corridor and sent her sprawling (= knocked her over).
(v) (especially of a city) to cover a large area of land with buildings, especially
gradually over a period of time
-The refugee camps sprawl across the landscape.
Sprawled (adj) lying or sitting with your arms and legs spread out carelessly and
untidily
-He was sprawled (out) on the floor.
Sprawling (adj) (of a city) covered with buildings across a large area, often ones that
have been added gradually over a period of time
-Somewhere in this sprawling metropolis, there is a secret military laboratory.

Vigorous (adj) very forceful or energetic

-a vigorous debate
(adj) healthy and strong
-Cutting the bush back in the autumn will help promote vigorous growth in the spring.

Dazed (adj) very confused and unable to think clearly

-a dazed expression
Daze (n) (in a daze) unable to think clearly
-She was wandering around in a daze this morning.

Agony (n) extreme physical or mental pain or suffering

-She lay there screaming in agony.

Ferocity (n) the state of being frightening and violent

-The ferocity of the attack shocked a lot of people.

Intruder (n) someone who enters a place without permission in order to commit a crime
-Intruders had entered the house through a back window.

Idiot (n) a stupid person or someone who is behaving in a stupid way

-Some idiot left the tap running in the bathroom and there's water everywhere.

Chapter 4
Sarcastic (adj) using remarks that clearly mean the opposite of what you say, in order to
hurt someone's feelings or to humorously criticize something
-Are you being sarcastic?

Languid (adj) moving or speaking slowly with little energy, often in an attractive way
-a languid manner/voice

Dilemma (n) a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two
different things you could do
-The president is clearly in a dilemma about/over how to tackle the crisis.

Pacify (v) to cause someone who is angry or upset to be calm and satisfied
-He pacified his crying child with a bottle.

Shrewd (adj) having or based on a clear understanding and good judgement of a situation,
resulting in an advantage
-He was shrewd enough not to take the job when there was the possibility of getting a better
one a few months later.

Dispel (v) to remove fears, doubts, and false ideas, usually by proving them wrong or
unnecessary
-I'd like to start the speech by dispelling a few rumours that have been spreading recently.

Bewilder (v) to confuse someone

-The instructions completely bewildered me.

Chapter 5
Abuser (n) someone who treats another person in a cruel, violent, or unfairway
-a child abuser
(v) to use something for the wrong purpose in a way that is harmful or morally wrong
-I never expected that he would abuse the trust I placed in him.

Lashing (n) the punishment of being hit with a whip

-He was sentenced to receive a lashing.
(v) to hit with a lot of force
-The prisoners were regularly lashed with electric cables.

Beam (n) a line of light that shines from a bright object

-The rabbit stopped, mesmerized by the beam of the car's headlights.
(v) to send out a line of light
-The sun beamed down on the ball field.
(v) to smile with obvious pleasure
-The child beamed at his teacher as he received the award.

Thrash (v) to hit a person or animal hard many times as a punishment

-His father used to thrash him when he was a boy.
(v) to move from side to side in a violent or uncontrolled way
-He was screaming and thrashing around on the floor.
(v) to defeat someone very easily in a game or sports competition
-We thrashed the visiting team 6–0.

Abandon (v) to leave behind or run away from someone or something, or to give up
something
-Air attacks forced the villagers to abandon their homes.

Dispirited (adj) not feeling much hope about a particular situation or problem
-The troops were dispirited and disorganized.
Dispiriting (adj) causing you to not have much hope about a particular situation or
problem
-It was a bit dispiriting to see so few people at the meeting.

Ignominious (adj) (especially of events or behaviour) embarrassing because of being a

complete failure
-an ignominious defeat/failure/retreat

Chapter 6
Perspiration (n) sweat
-Beads (= drops) of perspiration glistened on his brow.

Strenuous (adj) needing or using a lot of physical or mental effort or energy

-He rarely does anything more strenuous than changing the channels on the television.

Jostling (n) the action of knocking or pushing roughly against someone in order to move
past them or get more space when you are in a crowd of people
-There was a lot of jostling among photographers for the perfect spot.
Jostle (v)

Transfix (v) to make a person or animal unable to move or stop looking at something
because they are so interested, surprised, or frightened
-The conference delegates were transfixed by her speech.
(v) to push a long, pointed object through someone or something
-A body lay in the corner, transfixed by a spear.

Stipulate (v) to say exactly what must be done

-The law stipulates that new cars must have seat belts for the driver and every passenger.

Quiver (v) to shake slightly, often because of strong emotion

-Lennie's bottom lip quivered and tears started in his eyes.

Placate (v) to stop someone from feeling angry

-Outraged minority groups will not be placated by promises of future improvements.

Dissipate (v) to (cause to) gradually disappear or waste

-The heat gradually dissipates into the atmosphere.
-His anger dissipated as the situation became clear.
Dissipated (adj) spending too much time enjoying physical pleasures and harmful
activities such as drinking a lot of alcohol
-He recalled his dissipated youth spent in nightclubs and bars.

Chapter 7
Wander (v) to walk around slowly in a relaxed way or without any clear purpose or direction
-He was here a minute ago but he wandered off somewhere.

Amused (adj) showing that you think something is funny

-She was very amused by/at your comments.
Amuse (v) to entertain someone, especially by humorous speech or action or by
making them laugh or smile
-I think it amuses him to see people make fools of themselves.

Fend for oneself: to take care of and provide for yourself without depending on anyone else
-The corporation will no longer receive a government subsidy, and must fend for itself
financially.

Crook (n) a very dishonest person, especially a criminal or a cheat

-These politicians are just a bunch of crooks.
Crook (v) to bend your arm or finger
-She delicately crooked her little finger as she picked up her cup.
Crooked (adj) done through cheating or other dishonest behaviour
-Their efforts centred on crooked deals in which officials took bribes.

Relief (n) a feeling of happiness that something unpleasant has not happened or has ended
-After the exam, I felt an incredible sense of relief.
(n) food, money, or services that provide help for people in need
-an international relief operation

Dignity (n) calm, serious, and controlled behaviour that makes people respect you
-He is a man of dignity and calm determination.
(n) the importance and value that a person has, that makes other people respect
them or makes them respect themselves
-He longs for a society in which the dignity of all people is recognized.

Soundly (adv) completely

-The committee soundly rejected all of the proposed changes.

Chapter 8
Soot (n) a black powder composed mainly of carbon, produced when coal, wood, etc. is
burned
-It can be dangerous to let too much soot accumulate inside a chimney.

Clasp (v) to hold someone or something firmly in your hands or arms

-He was clasping the vase tightly, terrified of dropping it.

Occupied (adj) An occupied place is being controlled by an army or group of people that
has moved into it
-She spent two years in occupied Paris (= Paris when it was under foreign control) during the
war.
(adj) being used by someone; with someone in it
-The bathroom at the back of the plane was occupied, so I waited.
(adj) busy or interested
-At that time I was fully occupied taking care of my elderly mother.

Fetch (v) to go to another place to get something or someone and bring it, him, or her back
-Could you fetch me my glasses/fetch my glasses for me from the other room, please?
(v) to be sold for a particular amount of money
-The paintings fetched over a million dollars.
(v) to hit someone with the hand
-I fetched him a smart blow on the ear!

Emaciated (adj) very thin and weak, usually because of illness or extreme hunger
-There were pictures of emaciated children on the cover of the magazine.

Cloud (v) to fill with clouds or with something that looks like a cloud
-Smoke clouded the sky.
(v) If something clouds a situation or feeling, it makes it less clear
-The fact that Jack was an old friend clouded her judgement.

Long (v) to want something very much

-She longed to see him again.
-I'm longing for news of him.

Chapter 9
Grateful (adj) showing or expressing thanks, especially to another person
-I'm so grateful (to you) for all that you've done.

Confine (v) to limit an activity, person, or problem in some way

-Let's confine our discussion to the matter in question, please!
(v) to keep someone closed in a place, often by force
-The hostages had been confined for so long that they couldn't cope with the outside world.

Painstaking (adj) extremely careful and correct, and involving a lot of effort
-It took months of painstaking research to write the book.
Sullen (adj) angry and unwilling to smile or be pleasant to people
-His daughters stared back at him with an expression of sullen resentment.

Benefactor (n) someone who gives money to help an organization, society, or person
-They hope to find a benefactor, and turn the factory into a museum.

Taciturn (adj) tending not to speak much (quiet)

-He's a reserved, taciturn person.

Jolt (v) to (cause something or someone to) move suddenly and violently
-The train stopped unexpectedly and we were jolted forward.
(v) to shock someone in order to change their behaviour or way of thinking
-The charity used photos of starving children in an attempt to jolt the public conscience (=
make people feel guilty and take action).
(n) a sudden violent movement
-I woke up with a jolt as I thought I heard my bedroom door being pushed open.

Embarrass (v) to cause someone to feel nervous, worried, or uncomfortable

-You're embarrassing him with your compliments!

Chapter 10
Shrivelled (adj) dry, smaller than normal, and covered with lines as if by crushing or folding
-Two shrivelled bunches of flowers mark the spot where he died.
Shrivel (v) to become dry, smaller, and covered with lines as if by crushing or folding,
or to make something do this
-You ought to pick that lettuce before it shrivels (up) and dies.

Turmoil (n) a state of confusion, uncertainty, or disorder (ភាពចលាចល)

-The Stock Exchange is in turmoil following a huge wave of selling.

Drenched (adj) extremely wet:

-We had no umbrellas so we got drenched to the skin in the pouring rain.
Drench (v) to make someone or something extremely wet
-She likes to eat her popcorn drenched in chilli sauce.

Urchin (n) a small child, especially one who behaves badly and is dirty or untidily dressed
-a street urchin

Smoulder (v) to burn slowly with smoke but without flames

-The fire was started by a smouldering cigarette.
(v) If a problem or unpleasant situation smoulders, it continues to exist and may
become worse at any time
-The dispute is still smouldering, five years after the negotiations began.

Pedestrian (n) a person who is walking, especially in an area where vehicles go

-The death rate for pedestrians hit by cars is unacceptably high.
(n) not interesting; showing very little imagination
-His speech was long and pedestrian.

Dismal (adj) sad and without hope

-a dismal expression
(adj) very bad
-What dismal weather!

Dwindle (v) to become smaller in size or amount, or fewer in number

-The community had dwindled to a tenth of its former size.
Dwindling (adj) gradually becoming smaller in size or amount, or fewer in number
-We are dealing with dwindling resources and aging buildings.

Treacherous (adj) If the ground or sea is treacherous, it is extremely dangerous, especially

because of bad weather conditions
-Snow and ice have left many roads treacherous, and drivers are warned to use caution.
(adj) A person who is treacherous deceives someone who trusts them, or has no
loyalty
-Vargas plays the part of a treacherous aristocrat who betrays his king and country.

Chapter 11
Withered (adj) dry and decaying
-withered leaves/flowers
(adj) A withered arm or leg has not grown to its correct size because of disease.
Wither (v) (also wither away) (to cause) to become weak and dry and decay
-Grass had withered in the fields.
Wither (v) to slowly disappear, lose importance, or become weaker
-This country is in danger of allowing its industrial base to wither away.

Cherished (adj) bringing the pleasure of love or caring about someone or something that is
important to you
-My cherished wife
Cherish (v) to love, protect, and care for someone or something that is important to
you
-Although I cherish my children, I do allow them their independence.
Cherish (v) to keep hopes, memories, or ideas in your mind because they are
important to you and bring you pleasure
-I cherish the memories of the time we spent together.

Fragile (adj) A fragile object is easily damaged or broken

-Be careful with that vase - it's very fragile.
(adj) easily destroyed, ended, or made to fail
-Seasonal illnesses expose how fragile the region's healthcare infrastructure is.
(adj) weak or in poor health, physically or mentally
-He looked rather fragile after his operation.

Humiliation (n) the feeling of being ashamed or losing respect for yourself, or an occasion
when you have this feeling
-Imagine the humiliation of having to apologize.
-I felt a deep humiliation and wanted the ground to swallow me up.

Gloom (n) feelings of great unhappiness and loss of hope

-Bergman's films are often full of gloom and despair.
(n) darkness or near darkness
-A figure emerged from the gloom of the corridor.

Mouldy (adj) covered with mould

-mouldy bread/cheese

Frolic (v) to play and behave in a happy way (past:frolicked, continuous: frolicking)
-A group of suntanned children were frolicking on the beach.

Immerse (v) (immerse yourself in something) to become completely involved in something

-She immersed herself wholly in her work.
(v) to put something or someone completely under the surface of a liquid
-The shells should be immersed in boiling water for two minutes.

Chapter 12
Suffocating (adj) Something that is suffocating makes you feel uncomfortably hot or unable
to breathe
-I've got to open the window - it's suffocating in here!

Inadequate (adj) not good enough or too low in quality

-This work is woefully (= extremely) inadequate - you'll have to do it again.
(adj) too small in amount
-She rejected the $2 million offer as totally inadequate.
(adj) not confident enough to deal with a situation
-Maddie's a real expert on art, so I feel completely inadequate whenever I talk to her about it.

Hubbub (n) a loud noise, especially caused by a lot of people all talking at the same time
-I could hardly hear myself speak above all the hubbub in the bar.
(n) general excitement and activity
-Once the hubbub of the election had died down, it was back to normal for the president.

Boast (v) to speak too proudly or happily about what you have done or what you own
-Parents are always boasting about how smart their children are.
-They boasted that they had never lost a single game.
(v) (have) to have or own something to be proud of
-Ireland boasts beautiful beaches, great restaurants, and friendly locals.
(n) something you are proud of and like to tell people about
-It was his proud boast that he had run over 20 marathons.

Delight (n) (something or someone that gives) great pleasure, satisfaction, or happiness
-I read your letter with great delight.
(v) to give someone great pleasure or satisfaction
-Peter's academic success delighted his family.

Haggle (v) to argue about the price of something in an attempt to make the seller reduce it
-It's traditional that you haggle over/about the price of things in the market.
Hurl (v) to throw something with a lot of force, usually in an angry or violent way
-Youths hurled stones at the soldiers.

Gleam (v) to produce or reflect a small, bright light

-He polished the table until it gleamed.
(v) When eyes gleam, they shine in a way that expresses a particular emotion
-His eyes gleamed with/in triumph.
(n) an occasion when something gleams
-the gleam of silver candlesticks

Chapter 13
Dismay (v) to make someone feel unhappy and disappointed
-The prospect of more road-building dismays environmentalists.
(n) a feeling of unhappiness and disappointment
-The fans watched in dismay as their team lost 42–11.

Shriek (v) to make such a cry

-We shrieked with laughter when we realized how stupid we'd been.
(n) a short, loud, high cry, especially one produced suddenly as an expression of a
powerful emotion
-shrieks of delight

Accustomed (v) to make someone familiar with new conditions

-It takes awhile to accustom yourself to working at night.
(adj) be familiar with new conditions
-She’s accustomed to waking at 6 a.m.

Console (v) to make someone who is sad or disappointed feel better, usually by giving them
comfort or sympathy
-Her friends tried to console her, telling her "Everything will be fine."

Hint (n) something that you say or do that shows what you think or want, usually in a way
that is not direct
-He's dropped (= given) several hints to the boss that he'll quit if he doesn't get a promotion.
(v) to say or do something that shows what you think or want, usually in a way that is
not direct
-My parents have hinted that they’ll pay for a European Vacation after I graduate from
college.
Hint of something : a very small amount of something
-There's just a hint of brandy in the sauce.

Blob (n) a fat, round drop, usually of something sticky or thick

-a blob of glue/paint

Enslave (v) to control someone by keeping the person in a bad or difficult situation where
the person is not free, or to make a slave (= person legally owned) of someone
-The early settlers enslaved or killed much of the native population.
(v) to control someone's actions, thoughts, emotions, or life completely
-We are increasingly enslaved by technology.

Abrupt (adj) sudden and not expected, often with unpleasant results
-There was an abrupt change in her mood.
-We came to an abrupt curve in the road.
(adj) not friendly or polite; showing little interest in talking to other people
-His abrupt manner makes me uncomfortable.
Abruptly (adv) in a sudden, unexpected, and sometimes unpleasant way
-He stood up abruptly and went outside.
Abruptly (adv) in a way that seems rude and unfriendly, especially by using very few
words when talking
-I know I sometimes speak and act abruptly.