| a person whose job is to take care of passengers on a ship, an aircraft or a train and who brings them meals, etc. | steward |
| a ship that has sunk or that has been very badly damaged | They're going to try and raise the wreck from the seabed. |
| admonish somebody (for something/for doing something) | + speech to tell somebody strongly and clearly that you do not approve of something that they have done | She was admonished for chewing gum in class. |
| that can be heard clearly | Her voice was barely audible above the noise. |
| extreme pain, especially mental pain; a person or thing that causes this | She suffered years of mental torment after her son's death. |
| done completely; with great attention to detail | The police carried out a thorough investigation. |
| something that you enjoy doing when you are not working | Watching television is still the most popular national pastime |
| extreme physical or mental pain | Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. |
| (informal) to trick somebody, especially in order to get money from them or persuade them to do something for you | I was conned into buying a useless car. |
| a secret plan by a group of people to do something harmful or illegal | a conspiracy to overthrow the government |
| believing that people only do things to help themselves rather than for good or honest reasons | Do you have to be so cynical about everything? |
| (formal) to cause very strong feelings, especially anger or excitement, in a person or in a group of people | His comments have inflamed teachers all over the country. |
| [only before noun] (usually of an unpleasant event) that is going to happen very soon | warnings of impending danger/disaster |
| to refuse to obey or show respect for somebody in authority, a law, a rule, etc. | Hundreds of people today defied the ban on political gatherings. |
| a light wind | The flowers were gently swaying in the breeze. |
| to admit that something is true, logical, etc. after first denying it or resisting it | He reluctantly conceded the point to me. |
| a strong feeling of wanting something/somebody | longing (for somebody/something) a longing for home |
| (formal) to stop yourself from doing something, especially something that you want to do | refrain from doing something Please refrain from smoking. |
| (formal) to attract somebody strongly and make them feel very interested, excited, etc. | The happy family scene had enchanted him. |
| (disapproving) lure somebody (+ adv./prep.) to persuade or trick somebody to go somewhere or to do something by promising them a reward | The child was lured into a car but managed to escape. |
| too proud of your own appearance, abilities or achievements / that does not produce the result you want | She closed her eyes tightly in a vain attempt to hold back the tears. / She's too vain to wear glasses. |
| bad behaviour (especially of children) that is annoying but does not cause any serious damage or harm | Those children are always getting into mischief. |
| a small piece of glass, wood, etc., with a hole through it, that can be put on a string with others of the same type and worn as jewellery, etc. | a necklace of wooden beads |
| brew something to make beer / to make a hot drink of tea or coffee | This beer is brewed in the Czech Republic./ freshly brewed coffee |
| getting annoyed easily; showing your anger | She waved him away with an irritable gesture. |
| to break or break something into very small pieces | Rice flour makes the cake less likely to crumble. |
| (formal) reconcile something (with something) to find an acceptable way of dealing with two or more ideas, needs, etc. that seem to be opposed to each other | an attempt to reconcile the need for industrial development with concern for the environment |
| to suddenly break into small pieces; to make something suddenly break into small pieces | He dropped the vase and it shattered into pieces on the floor. |
| one of a pair of wooden or metal covers that can be closed over the outside of a window to keep out light or protect the windows from damage | to open/close the shutters |
| sift something to put flour or some other fine substance through a sieve / sifter | Sift the flour into a bowl. |
| to shake small pieces of something or drops of a liquid on something | sprinkle A on/onto/over B Sprinkle chocolate on top of the cake. |
| (formal) utter something to make a sound with your voice; to say something | She did not utter a word during lunch (= said nothing). |
| (formal) to tie somebody/something with rope, string, etc. so that they/it cannot move or are held together strongly | bind somebody/something to something She was bound to a chair. |
| to remove something from a surface by moving something sharp and hard like a knife across it | scrape something (+ adv./prep.) She scraped the mud off her boots. |
| one of the small lines of thread that you can see on a piece of cloth after it has been sewn; the action that produces this | Put a stitch in the corner of the pocket to keep it in place. |
| showing very strong feelings, especially anger | a vehement denial/attack/protest, etc. |
| (formal) ill and not improving | She looked after her ailing father. |
| to make somebody feel extremely shocked and feel very strongly that something is bad | appal somebody / The brutality of the crime has appalled the public / horrify |
| looking or sounding very serious / unpleasant and depressing | a grim face/look/smile |
| a job that you do for somebody that involves going somewhere to take a message, to buy something, deliver goods, etc. | He often runs errands for his grandmother. |
| hermit | a person who, usually for religious reasons, lives a very simple life alone and does not meet or talk to other people |
| (disapproving) (of people) not working hard / (of machines, factories, etc.) not in use | to lie/stand/remain idle |
| contingent (on/upon something) (formal) depending on something that may or may not happen / contingent worker/work/job (business) a person, or work done by a person, who does not have a permanent contract with a company | All payments are contingent upon satisfactory completion dates. / the spread of contingent work throughout the economy |
| exert something to use power or influence to affect somebody/something / exert yourself to make a big physical or mental effort | He exerted all his authority to make them accept the plan. / In order to be successful he would have to exert himself. |
| fond of somebody having warm or loving feelings for somebody, especially somebody you have known for a long time | Over the years, I have grown quite fond of her. |
| to pull something/somebody with a lot of effort | haul something/somebody + adv./prep. The car was hauled out of the river. |
| (formal) impair something to damage something or make something worse | His age impaired his chances of finding a new job. |
| food put on a hook to catch fish or in nets, traps, etc. to catch animals or birds | Live worms are used as bait. |
| a written record of events in the order in which they happened | Her latest novel is a chronicle of life in a Devon village. |
| to say very strongly that you think something is bad, usually for moral reasons | condemn somebody/something for/as something The editor of the newspaper was condemned as lacking integrity. |
| (formal) to reduce something by a large amount so that there is not enough left; to be reduced by a large amount | Food supplies were severely depleted. |
| to travel by asking for free rides in other people’s cars, by standing at the side of the road and trying to get passing cars to stop | They hitchhiked around Europe. |
| persecute somebody (for something) to treat somebody in a cruel and unfair way, especially because of their race, religion or political beliefs | Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. |
| used to show that you are disappointed about something | a pity (that…) It's a pity that you can't stay longer. |
| a person who made copies of written documents before printing was invented | Before paper was common, medieval scribes used parchment or vellum. |
| obscure something to make it difficult to see, hear or understand something | The view was obscured by fog. |
| (formal) heed somebody/something to pay careful attention to somebody’s advice or warning | They failed to heed the lessons of history. |
| (formal) [usually passive] to respect and admire somebody/something very much | be esteemed (by somebody) Many of these qualities are esteemed by managers. |
| distort something to change the shape, appearance or sound of something so that it is strange or not clear | The loudspeaker seemed to distort his voice. |
| to use one cost, payment or situation in order to cancel or reduce the effect of another | offset something/ Prices have risen in order to offset the increased cost of materials. |
| (formal) to make use of something, especially an opportunity or offer | Guests are encouraged to avail themselves of the full range of hotel facilities. |
| to be very afraid of something; to fear that something bad is going to happen | I dread being sick. |
| not willing or not able to believe something; showing a lack of ability to believe something | an incredulous look |
| to continue to exist for longer than expected | The civil war lingered on well into the 1930s. |
| (also the plague) (also bubonic plague) [uncountable] a disease spread by rats that causes a high temperature, swellings (= areas that are larger and rounder than usual) on the body and usually death | a decline in population following outbreaks of plague |
| to write something quickly and carelessly, especially because you do not have much time | He scribbled a note to his sister before leaving. |
| the state of being alone, especially when you find this pleasant | She longed for peace and solitude. |
| a place where people come to worship because it is connected with a holy person or event | shrine to somebody/something a shrine to the Virgin Mary / to visit the shrine of Mecca |
| unpleasant; real, and impossible to avoid | The author paints a stark picture of life in a prison camp. |
| summon somebody (to do something) (formal) to order somebody to appear in court | He was summoned to appear before the magistrates. |
| to include something so that it forms a part of something | incorporate something in/into/within something We have incorporated all the latest safety features into the design. |
| unkind comments that make fun of somebody/something or make them look silly | She is an object of ridicule in the tabloid newspapers. |
| certain to fail, suffer, die, etc. | The movie tells the story of a doomed love affair. |
| heir (to something) | heir (of somebody) a person who has the legal right to receive somebody’s property, money or title when that person dies | to be heir to a large fortune |
| chickens, ducks and geese, kept for their meat or eggs | He rears rabbits and poultry in the garden. |
| [intransitive] + adv./prep. to move quickly, especially with difficulty, using your hands to help you | She managed to scramble over the wall. |
| a member of one of the middle ranks in the army and the air force, below an officer | a powerful recruiting sergeant for terrorist organizations |
| stance (on something) the opinions that somebody has about something and expresses publicly | What is the newspaper's stance on the war? |
| [intransitive] to make a long, loud, high noise because you are sad or in pain | The little girl was wailing miserably. |
| a large cupboard for hanging clothes in, which is either a piece of furniture or (in British English) built into the wall | She hung the dress up in the wardrobe. |
