 Rebuke verb [ T ] uk /rɪˈbjuːk/ us /rɪˈbjuːk/ formal

To speak angrily to someone because you disapprove of what they have said or done:
I was rebuked by my manager for being late

 Impasse noun [ U ] uk /æmˈpæs/ us /ˈɪm.pæs/

A situation in which progress is impossible, especially because the people involved cannot
agree:
The dispute had reached an impasse, as neither side would compromise.

 Ravening adjective uk /ˈræv.ən.ɪŋ/ us /ˈræv.ən.ɪŋ/

literary (especially of wild animals) violently hunting for food: ravening wolves
A ravening group of people try to get what they want in a forceful way:
She said that she was tired of being pursued by ravening journalists.

 Resolute adjective uk /ˈrez.ə.luːt/ us /ˈrez.ə.luːt/ formal

determined in character, action, or ideas:
Their resolute opposition to new working methods was difficult to overcome.
She's utterly resolute in her refusal to apologize.

 Delirious adjective uk /dɪˈlɪr.i.əs/ us /dɪˈlɪr.i.əs/

unable to think or speak clearly because of fever or mental confusion: She had a high
temperature and was delirious.
extremely happy or excited:
The team arrived home to a delirious reception from its fans.

 Stellar adjective uk /ˈstel.ər/ us /ˈstel.ɚ/

of a star or stars: a stellar explosion, stellar light informal Stellar people or activities are of an
extremely high standard:
a stellar performance/player/team

 Apt adjective (SUITABLE) uk /æpt/ us /æpt/ apt adjective

suitable or right for a particular situation: an apt comment/description

 Apt adjective (ABLE) formal having a natural ability or skill:

We have some particularly apt students in the class this year.

 Apt adjective (LIKELY)

be apt to do sth/be apt to be sth to be likely to do something or to often do something:
The kitchen roof is apt to (= likely to) leak when it rains.
She's in her eighties now and apt to be a little forgetful.
 Snarled up adjective uk /ˌsnɑːld ˈʌp/ us /ˌsnɑːrld ˈʌp/ UK US snarled
Snarled-up traffic is a long line of traffic that is unable to travel forward because something
is blocking the road:
The traffic was snarled up in both directions for two miles because of the accident.

 Stampede noun [ C ] uk /stæmˈpiːd/ us /stæmˈpiːd/

an occasion when many large animals or many people suddenly all move quickly and in an
uncontrolled way, usually in the same direction at the same time, especially because of
fear:
Two shoppers were injured in the stampede as shop doors opened on the first day of the sale.

 Stampede verb [ I or T ] uk /stæmˈpiːd/ us /stæmˈpiːd/

When animals or people stampede, they all move quickly in the same direction, often because they
are frightened:
A loud clap of thunder made the herd stampede. figurative
No amount of pressure will stampede (= force) this committee into making hasty decisions.

 Nuzzle verb [ I + adv/prep, T ] uk /ˈnʌz.əl/ us /ˈnʌz.əl/

to touch, rub, or press something or someone gently and/or in a way that shows your love,
especially with the head or nose, usually with small repeated movements:
My dog came and nuzzled my foot to try and cheer me up.
The kittens like to nuzzle up against/up to their mother.

 Constrain verb [ T often passive ] uk /kənˈstreɪn/ us /kənˈstreɪn/

C2 to control and limit something:
The country's progress was constrained by a leader who refused to look forward.

 Constrain verb [ T ] /kənˈstreɪn/

to limit someone's freedom, or to limit the way something develops or grows:
Rising energy costs are constraining consumer and business spending.

 Dismal adjective uk /ˈdɪz.məl/ us /ˈdɪz.məl/

sad and without hope: a dismal expression, informal very bad:
The acting was dismal, wasn't it? What dismal weather!

 Heinous adjective uk /ˈheɪ.nəs/ us /ˈheɪ.nəs/ formal

very bad and shocking: a heinous crime.
 Instigate verb [ T ] uk /ˈɪn.stɪ.ɡeɪt/ us /ˈɪn.stə.ɡeɪt/ formal
to cause an event or situation to happen by making a set of actions or a formal process begin:
The government will instigate new measures to combat terrorism. The revolt in the north is believed to
have been instigated by a high-ranking general.

 Sceptical adjective UK US skeptical uk

/ˈskep.tɪ.kəl/ us /ˈskep.tɪ.kəl/
C2 doubting that something is true or useful: Many experts remain sceptical about/of his
claims.

 Scepticism noun [ U ] US skepticism uk/ˈskep.tɪ.sɪ.zəm/ us /ˈskep.tɪ.sɪ.zəm/

The company's environmental claims have been greeted/regarded/treated with scepticism
by conservationists.

 Felicitations noun [ plural ] uk /fəˌlɪs.ɪˈteɪ.ʃənz/ us /fəˌlɪs.əˈteɪ.ʃənz/ old-fashioned or humorous

an expression used to wish someone happiness, or to praise or show approval:
May I offer my felicitations on your engagement.

 Disseminate verb [ T ] uk /dɪˈsem.ɪ.neɪt/ us /dɪˈsem.ə.neɪt/ formal

to spread or give out something, especially news, information, ideas, etc., to a lot of people:
One of the organization's aims is to disseminate information about the disease.

 Dismantle verb uk /dɪˈsmæn.təl/ us /dɪˈsmæn.t̬əl/

[ I or T ] to take a machine apart or to come apart into separate pieces:
She dismantled the washing machine to see what the problem was, but couldn't put it back together
again. The good thing about the bike is that it dismantles if you want to put it in the back of the car.

[ T ] to get rid of a system or organization, usually over a period of time:

Over the next three years, we will be gradually dismantling the company and selling off the profitable
units. Unions accuse the government of dismantling the National Health Service.

 Disavow verb [ T ] Disavowal noun [ C ] uk /ˌdɪs.əˈvaʊ/ us /ˌdɪs.əˈvaʊ/ formal

to say that you know nothing about something, or that you have no responsibility for or connection
with something:
They were quick to disavow the rumour. She tried to disavow her past.

 Vow verb [ T ] uk /vaʊ/ us /vaʊ/

 C2 to make a determined decision or promise to do something:
[ + (that) ] The guerrillas vowed (that) they would overthrow the government. [ + to infinitive ] After
the awful meals we had last Christmas, I vowed to do more of the cooking myself.

 Relish verb [ T ] uk /ˈrel.ɪʃ/ us /ˈrel.ɪʃ/ formal

C2 to like or enjoy something: I always relish a challenge. [ + -ing verb ] I don't relish telling her
that her son has been arrested.
If you relish the idea or thought of something, you feel pleasure that it is going to happen:
She's relishing the prospect of studying in Bologna for six months.

 Treacherous adjective uk /ˈtretʃ.ər.əs/ us /ˈtretʃ.ɚ.əs/

Treacherous adjective (DANGEROUS)
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.

 Trepidation noun [ U ] uk /ˌtrep.ɪˈdeɪ.ʃən/ us /ˌtrep.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/ formal

fear or worry about what is going to happen: We view future developments with some trepidation.

 Hefty adjective uk /ˈhef.ti/ us /ˈhef.ti/ large in amount, size, force, etc.:

a hefty bill/fine Her salary will go up by a hefty 13 percent.
a hefty book containing a lot of information

 Embattled adjective uk /ɪmˈbæt.əld/ us /ɪmˈbæt̬.əld/

having a lot of problems or difficulties: an embattled government, embattled teachers

 Torrid adjective uk /ˈtɒr.ɪd/ us /ˈtɔːr.ɪd/ torrid adjective (EMOTIONS)

involving strong emotions, especially those of sexual love: a torrid romance

 torrid adjective (WEATHER) formal extremely hot: the torrid heat of August.

 torrid adjective uk /ˈtɒrɪd/ us informal

a torrid period of time is full of difficult problems: The manufacturing sector is going through torrid
times. These were a torrid few days for Spanish investors.

 torrid adjective [ not gradable ] (PERFORMING WELL) performing or doing something extremely well:
He kept up his torrid hitting pace with a sixth homer in eight days. After a couple of months of torrid
sales, business began to settle down.
 Tarnish verb (of metal surfaces) to become less bright or a different color: [ I ] Silver tarnishes easily.
If something tarnishes your opinion of someone or something, you no longer believe the person or
thing is as good as you had thought: [ T ] The scandal has tarnished the agency’s reputation.

 tarnish verb (GOOD OPINION) [ T ] to make people think that someone or something is less good: By
this time a series of scandals had severely tarnished the candidate's image/reputation.

 Deprecate verb formal

deprecate verb (NOT APPROVE) T not continuous ] to not approve of something or say that you do not
approve of something: We deprecate this use of company funds for political purposes.

 deprecate verb (NOT VALUE) [ T ] to say that you think something is of little value or importance: He
always deprecates my achievements.

 Strenuous adjective uk /ˈstren.ju.əs/ us /ˈstren.ju.əs/ C2 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.
His doctor advised him not to do any strenuous exercise.
Strenuous efforts were made throughout the war to disguise the scale of civilian casualties.

 strenuously adverb uk /ˈstren.ju.əs.li/ us /ˈstren.ju.əs.li/ He strenuously denies all the allegations against him.
Most local residents strenuously object to the building proposals.

 Manoeuvre noun UK US maneuver uk /məˈnuː.vər/ us /məˈnuː.vɚ/ manoeuvre noun

(MOVEMENT) [ C ] a movement or set of movements needing skill and care: Reversing round a corner
is one of the manoeuvres you are required to perform in a driving test.

 manoeuvre noun (CLEVER ACTION) [ C ] a cleverly planned action that is intended to get an advantage: A series
of impressive manoeuvres by the chairman had secured a lucrative contract for the company.
 Acclimatize verb [ I or T ] UK usually acclimatise uk /əˈklaɪ.mə.taɪz/ us /əˈklaɪ.mə.t̬aɪz/ US also
acclimate, us /ˈæk.lə.meɪt/ uk to (cause to) change to suit different conditions of life, weather, etc.:
More time will be needed for the troops and equipment to become acclimatized to desert conditions.

We found it impossible to acclimatize ourselves to the new working conditions.

The defending champion has acclimatized to the 90°F sunshine by spending the past month in Florida.
"Why is it that it rains all the time in England?" "Don't worry - you'll soon acclimatize."

 Travesty noun [ C ] UK formal

Something that fails to represent the values and qualities that it is intended to represent, in a way that
is shocking or offensive:
Their production of "Sweeney Todd" was the worst I've ever seen - it was a travesty. Langdale
described the court ruling as a travesty of justice.

 Travesty noun  [ C ] 

Something that completely fails to do what it is intended or expected to do,
and therefore seems ridiculous:
The police chief called the judge’s ruling a travesty of justice.

 Decriminalize verb 
to make a particular act no longer illegal by changing a law decriminalization noun [ U ] US  /ˌdi
ˌkrɪm·ə·nəl·əˈzeɪ·ʃən/ decriminalization of minor offenses

 Incumbent adjective [ before noun ]

officially having the named position:
The incumbent president faces problems which began many years before he took office.

 Frantic adjective
frantic adjective (VERY WORRIED/FRIGHTENED)
almost out of control because of extreme emotion, such as worry:
Where on earth have you been? We've been frantic with worry.

 Arduous adjective
 needing a lot of effort to do: an arduous journey/task

 Maestro noun [ C ] 
someone who is very good at something, especially playing music

 Loiter verb 
to stand in a place or walk slowly around without any purpose:
A gang of youths were loitering outside the cinema.

 Cordon noun [ C ]
a line of police, soldiers, vehicles, etc around an area, protecting it or keeping people out

 Superfluous adjective 
not needed, or more than is needed: superfluous details/information
- Our new mayor plans to eliminate superfluous programs.
- Much of the school day is wasted on superfluous activities.

 Intrinsically adverb
in a way that is an extremely important and basic characteristic of a person or thing:
The college and the community are intrinsically linked.
There's something intrinsically wrong with taking advantage of children.

 Delineate verb
past tense: delineated; past participle: delineated

describe or portray (something) precisely.

"the law should delineate and prohibit behaviour which is socially abhorrent

 Transpire
tranˈspʌɪə,trɑːnˈspʌɪə/ verb
past tense: transpired; past participle: transpired
1. (of a secret or something unknown) come to be known; be revealed.

"it transpired that millions of dollars of debt had been hidden in a complex web of transactions"
 Reprieve
noun [ C ] UK  /rɪˈpriːv/ US  /rɪˈpriːv/

an official order that stops or delays the punishment, especially by death, of aprisoner:
He was  sentenced to death but was granted a  last-minute  reprieve.

an escape from a bad situation or experience:
The  injection  provided a  temporary  reprieve from  the  pain.

 Plummet
verb [ I ] UK  /ˈplʌm.ɪt/ US  /ˈplʌm.ɪt/: to fall very quickly and suddenly:

House prices have plummeted in recent months.

Several large  rocks were sent plummeting  down the mountain.
She plummeted  to the  ground.

 Beefed Up
phrasal verb with beef us /bif/ verb [ I ] slang.
to make something stronger or more effective, esp. by adding more support: The company has beefed up its
e-mail service.

 Delinquent
/dɪˈlɪŋkw(ə)nt/ s adjective
1. (typically of a young person) tending to commit crime, particularly minor crime.
"delinquent teenagers". synonyms: lawless, lawbreaking, criminal, offending; More

a delinquent person.
"juvenile delinquents" synonyms: offender, wrongdoer, malefactor, lawbreaker, culprit, criminal;
More

 futile
adjective
incapable of producing any useful result; pointless. "a futile attempt to keep fans from mounting the stage"

 inundate verb
3rd person present: inundates
1. overwhelm (someone) with things or people to be dealt with.
"we've been inundated with complaints from listeners"
synonyms: overwhelm, overpower, overburden, overrun, overload, swamp, bog down, besiege, snow
under, bury, bombard, glut. "we have been inundated by complaints"
2. flood. "the islands may be the first to be inundated as sea levels rise"
synonyms: flood, deluge, overflow, overrun, swamp, submerge, engulf, drown, immerse, cover; More
 staunch adjective
Staunch; comparative adjective: stauncher; superlative adjective: staunchest
1. very loyal and committed in attitude.
"a staunch supporter of the anti-nuclear lobby"

stalwart, loyal, faithful, trusty, committed, devoted, dedicated, dependable, reliable, steady,
constant, hard-working, vigorous, stable, firm, steadfast, redoubtable, resolute, unswerving,
synonyms:
unwavering, unhesitating, unfaltering
"a staunch supporter of the cause"
antonyms: disloyal, unfaithful, unreliable

2. (of a wall) of strong or firm construction

 Exponential adjective, adjective: exponential

(of an increase) becoming more and more rapid. "the social security budget was rising at an exponential
rate"

Mathematics of or expressed by a mathematical exponent.

- "an exponential curve"

 Writhe verb, past tense: writhed; past participle: writhed

make twisting, squirming movements or contortions of the body.
- "he writhed in agony on the ground"
respond with great emotional or physical discomfort to (an intense or unpleasant feeling or thought).

 Heed verb
to pay attention to something, especially advice or a warning:
- The airline has been criticized for failing to heed advice/warnings about lack of safety
routines.

 Avert verb [T] (PREVENT)

to prevent something bad from happening
- to avert a crisis/conflict/strike/famine
- to avert disaster/economic collapse

 Disperse verb
to scatter or move away over a large area, or to cause this to happen:
- It took several hours for the crowd to disperse.
 Disperse verb
to spread across or move away over a large area, or to make something do this:
- When the rain came down the crowds started to disperse.
- Police dispersed the crowd that had gathered.
 Zealot noun [ C ]
a person who has very strong opinions about something, and tries to make other people have them
too:
- a religious zealot
 incite verb
to encourage someone to do or feel something unpleasant or violent:
- She incited racial hatred by distributing anti-Semitic leaflets.
- She was expelled for inciting her classmates to rebel against their teachers.
- They denied inciting the crowd to violence.
 Worsen verb (Worsened)
to become worse or to make something become worse:
- As the company's financial problems worsened, several directors resigned.
- The continued supply of arms to the region will only worsen the situation.

 Implication noun
the conclusion that can be drawn from something although it is not explicitly stated.
- "the implication is that no one person at the bank is responsible"
the action or state of being involved in something.
- "our implication in the problems"
-
 Explicit adjective
stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt.

- the arrangement had not been made explicit"

 flout verb
to intentionally not obey a rule, law, or custom:
- Many motorcyclists flout the law by not wearing helmets.

 Exonerate verb 
to show or state that someone or something is not guilty of something:
- The report exonerated the crew from all responsibility for the collision.
 Riveting adjective
extremely interesting:
- It was a riveting story.
 Emphatically adverb
in a forceful way:
- Johnson has emphatically denied the allegations against him.
- "The violence must stop, and it will stop," he said emphatically.

used to emphasize what you are saying:

- He most emphatically does not speak for me.

- I would say very emphatically that I have never uttered one disrespectful word.

 Innumerable adjective
too many to be counted:
- The project has been delayed by innumerable problems.
 Oblivious adjective
not conscious of something, especially what is happening around you:
- Absorbed in her work, she was totally oblivious of her surroundings.
- The mayor seems oblivious to the likely effects of the new legislation.

 Exonerate verb
past tense: exonerated; past participle: exonerated

1. (of an official body) absolve (someone) from blame for a fault or wrongdoing.
- an inquiry exonerated those involved"
Similar: absolve, clear, acquit, declare innocent, pronounce not guilty, discharge, vindicate
Opposite: charge, convict
2. Release someone from (a duty or obligation).
- "Pope Clement V exonerated the king from his oath to the barons"