stellar (adj)
1 of a star or stars:
Use : a stellar explosion
stellar light
2 INFORMAL describes people or their activities that are of an extremely high standard:
Use : a stellar performance by rock band made the show a hit
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scale (CLIMB) verb [T]
to climb up a steep surface, such as a wall or the side of a mountain, often using special equipment:
Use : The prisoner scaled the high prison wall and ran off.
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discerning (adj) FORMAL APPROVING
showing good judgement, especially about style and quality:
Use: a discerning customer
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observant (adj)
good or quick at noticing things:
Use : “That’s a new dress, isn’t it?” “Yes, you are observant!”
—
resort (ACTION) noun [U]
when you have to do something because there is no other way of achieving something:
Use : He got hold of the money legally, without resort to violence.
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confront Show phonetics
verb [T]
to face, meet or deal with a difficult situation or person:
Use: As she left the court, she was confronted by angry crowds who tried to block her way.
It’s an issue we’ll have to confront at some point, no matter how unpleasant it is.
I thought I would remain calm, but when I was confronted with/by the TV camera, I became very nervous.
confrontation noun [C or U]
a fight or argument:
Use : She actually enjoys confrontation, whereas I prefer a quiet life.
There were violent confrontations between police and demonstrators.
confrontational Show phonetics
adjective
He’s got a rather aggressive, confrontational manner.
repressed (adj)
repression (noun)
1 of a star or stars:
Use : a stellar explosion
stellar light
2 INFORMAL describes people or their activities that are of an extremely high standard:
Use : a stellar performance by rock band made the show a hit
—
scale (CLIMB) verb [T]
to climb up a steep surface, such as a wall or the side of a mountain, often using special equipment:
Use : The prisoner scaled the high prison wall and ran off.
—
discerning (adj) FORMAL APPROVING
showing good judgement, especially about style and quality:
Use: a discerning customer
—
observant (adj)
good or quick at noticing things:
Use : “That’s a new dress, isn’t it?” “Yes, you are observant!”
—
resort (ACTION) noun [U]
when you have to do something because there is no other way of achieving something:
Use : He got hold of the money legally, without resort to violence.
—-
confront Show phonetics
verb [T]
to face, meet or deal with a difficult situation or person:
Use: As she left the court, she was confronted by angry crowds who tried to block her way.
It’s an issue we’ll have to confront at some point, no matter how unpleasant it is.
I thought I would remain calm, but when I was confronted with/by the TV camera, I became very nervous.
confrontation noun [C or U]
a fight or argument:
Use : She actually enjoys confrontation, whereas I prefer a quiet life.
There were violent confrontations between police and demonstrators.
confrontational Show phonetics
adjective
He’s got a rather aggressive, confrontational manner.
repressive
• adjective inhibiting or restraining personal freedom; oppressive.
repress (verb)
1 to not allow something, especially feelings, to be expressed:
Use : He repressed a sudden desire to cry.
2 to control what people do, especially by using force
repressed (adj)
repressed anger/sexuality
Use : English people are notoriously repressed and don’t talk about their feelings.
repression (noun)
1 when people are controlled severely, especially by force:
Use : The political repression in this country is enforced by terror.
2 the process and effect of keeping particular thoughts and desires out of your conscious mind in order to defend or protect it:
an attitude of unhealthy sexual repression
repressive (adj)
a repressive (= cruel) military regime
sexually repressive
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Friable
1. easily crumbled.
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toothsome
• adjective 1 (of food) temptingly tasty. 2 informal attractive; alluring.
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tractable (adj). (formal) easy to deal with or control
syn manageable:
Use : This approach helps to make the issues more tractable.
opp intractable
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persuade (verb)
1.to make someone do or believe something by giving them a good reason to do it or by talking to them and making them believe it:
Use : If she doesn’t want to go, nothing you can say will persuade her.
[+ (that)] It’s no use trying to persuade him (that) you’re innocent.
[+ to infinitive] He is trying to persuade local and foreign businesses to invest in the project.
Using a bunch of bananas, the zoo-keeper persuaded the monkey back into its cage.
FORMAL The first priority is to persuade the management of the urgency of this matter.
Her legal advisers persuaded her into/out of mentioning (= to mention/not to mention) the names of the people involved in the robbery.
persuasion (noun) [U]
It took a lot of persuasion to convince the committee of the advantages of the new scheme.
She will help you – she just needs a bit of gentle persuasion.
The occasion will be a test of the senator’s powers of persuasion (= his ability to persuade people).
persuasive (adj)
making you want to do or believe a particular thing:
a persuasive speaker/speech
Your arguments are very persuasive.
He can be very persuasive.
—
obdurate (adj). (formal, usually disapproving)
1.refusing to change your mind or your actions in any way
syn stubborn:
Use: an obdurate attitude
to remain obdurate
Some members of the committee are likely to prove obdurate on this matter.
—
pliant (adj).
1 (of a person or their body) soft and giving way to sb, especially in a sexual way:
Use : her pliant body
She lay pliant in his arms.
2 (sometimes disapproving) willing to accept change; easy to influence or control:
Use : He was deposed and replaced by a more pliant successor.
The government wanted to make the press more pliant.
terse (adj)
using few words, sometimes in a way that seems rude or unfriendly:
Use : “Are you feeling any better?” “No, ” was the terse reply.
His answers were as terse as his folded arms in a press conference
–
eloquent (adj)
giving a clear, strong message:
Use : She made an eloquent appeal for action before it was too late.
Use : The pictures were an eloquent reminder of the power of the volcano.
He spoke eloquently.
eloquence (noun)
She was renowned for her eloquence and beauty.
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surreal (adj)
strange; not like reality; like a dream:
USe : Driving through the total darkness was a slightly surreal experience.
Buñuel’s films have a surreal quality.
Surrealism (noun)
Use : a type of 20th century art and literature in which unusual or impossible things are shown happening
Surrealist noun [C], adjective SPECIALIZED
surrealistic adjective
not like reality; very unusual or impossible
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perch (SIT) verb
perch in/on, etc. sth to sit on or near the edge of something:
Use : We perched on bar stools and had a beer.
A blackbird was perching on the gate.
2 to be in a high position or in a position near the edge of something, or to put something in this position:
The village is perched on top of a high hill.
perch
noun [C] plural perch or US ALSO perches
1 a place where a bird sits, especially a thin rod in a cage
2 a seat or other place high up, often giving a good view of something below:
We watched the parade from our perch on the scaffolding.
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sullen (adj)
angry and unwilling to smile or be pleasant to people:
Use : His daughters stared back at him with an expression of sullen resentment.
LITERARY She looked up at the sullen (= dark and unpleasant) sky and shuddered.
sullenly (adv)
She turned her back to him and stared sullenly out of the window.
sullenness Show phonetics
noun [U]
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aficionado noun [C] plural aficionados FORMAL
someone who is very interested in and enthusiastic about a particular subject:
Use : a club for model railway aficionados
Use : an aficionado of French films
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deadpan (adj)
looking or seeming serious when you are telling a joke:
Use : a deadpan expression/voice
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ambivalent (adj)
having two opposing feelings at the same time, or being uncertain about how you feel:
Use : I felt very ambivalent about leaving home.
He has fairly ambivalent feelings towards his father.
an ambivalent attitude to exercise
ambivalence
noun [U]
Use : her ambivalence towards men
ambivalently
adverb
