Moja lekcja

impervious

If someone is impervious to something, they are not influenced or affected by something: He is impervious to criticism and rational argument./impenetrable

covet

to want to have something very much, especially something that belongs to someone else: She always coveted power but never quite achieved it.

entice

to persuade someone to do something by offering them something pleasant: The ads entice the customer into buying things they don't really want.

bolt

to move very fast, especially as a result of being frightened: Frightened by the car horn, the horse bolted./to eat food very quickly: Don't bolt your food like that - you'll get indigestion.

rejoice

to feel or show great happiness about something: Everyone rejoiced at the news of his safe return.

thwart

to stop something from happening or someone from doing something: Our vacation plans were thwarted by the airline pilots' strike

anchor

weigh/drop anchor. to lower an anchor into the water in order to stop a boat from moving away

curb

to control or limit something that is not wanted: The government should act to curb tax evasion.

dismantle

to show that a claim, statement or explanation is not true or correct: If you disagree, then dismantle the argument with some sort of well-argued counter-proposition. You need to sharpen your abilities to dismantle his excuses.

servile

eager to serve and please someone else in a way that shows a lack of respect for yourself: As a waiter, you want to be pleasant to people without appearing servile.

be up and about

feeling well enough to get out of bed and move around

give vent to something

to express a negative emotion in a forceful and often unfair way: The meeting will be an opportunity for everyone to give vent to their feelings.

speak volumes

If something speaks volumes, it makes an opinion, characteristic, or situation very clear without the use of words: She said very little but her face spoke volumes.

drive somebody up the wall

to make someone extremely angry: My roommate is driving me up the wall.

make waves

to be very active so that other people notice you, often in a way that intentionally causes trouble: It's probably not a good idea to start making waves in your first week in a new job.

get wind of something

to hear a piece of information that someone else was trying to keep secret: I don't want my colleagues to get wind of the fact that I'm leaving.

a race against time

work fast in order to do something on time

rampage

rampageto go through an area making a lot of noise and causing damage: The demonstrators rampaged through the town, smashing windows and setting fire to cars.

be raring to do something

to be very enthusiastic about starting something: I've bought all the paint for decorating the bedrooms and I'm raring to get started.

get a raw deal

be treated unfairly

take someone for a ride

to deceive or cheat someone: I think we've been taken for a ride.

penalize

to cause someone a disadvantage: The present tax system penalizes poor people... to punish

averse

strongly disliking or opposed to: Few people are averse to the idea of a free vacation. I'm not averse to (= I like) the occasional glass of champagne myself.

improbable

not likely to happen or be true: It's highly improbable that Norris will agree. an improbable-sounding excuse

tremble

to shake slightly in a way that you cannot control, for example because you are frightened, angry, or excited, or because of illness:

shudder

to shake suddenly with very small movements because of a very unpleasant thought or feeling: The sight of so much blood made him shudder. She shuddered at the thought of kissing him.

quake

to shake because you are very frightened or find something very funny, or to feel or show great fear: Every time I get on a plane, I quake with fear.

overhaul

to completely change something, especially by getting rid of some people or things and replacing them with others: The restaurant has overhauled its menu, cutting portions and eliminating items with lots of calories.

pry

to try to find out private facts about a person: As a reporter, I was paid to pry into other people's lives. I hope you don't think I'm prying, but has your boyfriend ever lived with anyone before?

scour

to remove dirt from something by rubbing it hard with something rough: You'll have to scour out those old cooking pots before you use them.

flit

to fly or move quickly and lightly: In the fading light we saw bats flitting around in the garden. figurative She's always flitting from one thing to another (= changing her activities).

prune

to cut off branches from a tree, bush, or plant, especially so that it will grow better in the future: She spent the afternoon pruning roses. to reduce something by removing things that are not necessary:

scrape

scrapeto remove an unwanted covering or a top layer from something, especially using a sharp edge or something rough: [+ obj + adj ] Scrape your boots clean before you come in.

austere

very simple, with only the things that are absolutely necessary, especially because of severe limits on money or goods: an austere childhood during the war(n austerity)

hard up

having very little money: We're a bit hard up at the moment so we're not thinking about vacations. [before noun ] hard-up pensioners

poignant

causing or having a very sharp feeling of sadness: The photograph awakens poignant memories of happier days. It is especially poignant that he died on the day before the wedding.

humility

the quality of not being proud because you are aware of your bad qualities: He doesn't have the humility to admit when he's wrong.

indefinable

impossible to clearly describe or explain: She had that indefinable something that went beyond mere sex appeal.

be in the same boat

to be in the same unpleasant situation as other people: She's always complaining that she doesn't have enough money, but we're all in the same boat.

it goes without saying

it goes without sayingused to mean that something is obvious: Of course, it goes without saying that you'll be paid for the extra hours you work.

for a song

very cheaply: She bought the bed for a song at an auction.

smell a rat

to recognize that something is not as it appears to be or that something dishonest is happening: He's been working late with her every night this week - I smell a rat!

on a shoestring

If you do something on a shoestring, you do it with a very small amount of money: The movie was made on a shoestring.

a drop in the bucket

a very small amount compared to the amount needed: My letter of protest was just a drop in the bucket.

every so often

sometimes but not often: Every so often I treat myself to a meal in an expensive restaurant.

to overflowing

so that water or another substance is almost coming over the top: Someone had filled the sink to overflowing.

on second thought

used when you want to change a decision you have made: Can I have a cup of coffee, please? - actually, on second thought, I'll have a beer.

red tape

official rules and processes that seem unnecessary and delay results: We must cut through the red tape.

touch and go

If a situation is touch-and-go, it is uncertain: The doctor says that it's touch-and-go whether Mary will be okay.

put two and two together

to guess the truth about a situation from what you have seen or heard:

through thick and thin

through thick and thinyou always support or stay with him or her, even if there are problems or difficulties: She has stuck with me through thick and thin.

ahead of your time

having very modern ideas: He was way ahead of his time in realizing the importance of being able to record sound.

for the time being

at this time: The union voted not to strike for the time being.

paint the town red

to go out and enjoy yourself by drinking alcohol, dancing, laughing with friends, etc.: I'm ready to paint the town red with a few of my closest friends.

keep somebody posted

to continue giving someone the most recent information about a situation that involves them: I'll keep you posted on any new developments with the deal.

be in deep water

to be in or get into serious trouble: The director knew he'd be in deep water if he didn't mention his wife in his acceptance speech.

old wives' tale

a piece of advice or a theory, often related to matters of health, that was believed in the past but is now known to be wrong

have it both ways

to get advantages from two opposing things: You can't have it both ways - you either work longer and get paid more or have more leisure time and get paid less.

the pot calling the kettle black

something you say that means people should not criticize someone else for a fault that they have themselves: Elliott accused me of being selfish. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

see red

to become very angry: People who don't finish a job really make me see red.

red herring

red ha fact, idea, or subject that takes people's attention away from the central point being considered: The police investigated many clues, but they were all red herrings. erring

the air was blue

a person or people is swearing a lot (= using rude words): "I used some very strong words." "I imagine you did. I imagine the air was blue." He gets angry so easily - I bet the air was blue.

wallow

(especially of some animals) to lie or roll around slowly in deep, wet earth, sand, or water: a hippopotamus wallowing in mud

sole

being one only; single: sole survivor/not shared with anyone else: She has sole responsibility for the project. I have sole charge of both children all day.

shrivel

to become dry, smaller, and covered with lines as if by crushing or folding, or to make something do this: The lack of rain has shriveled the crops. You ought to pick that lettuce before it shrivels (up) and dies.

enunciate

to pronounce words or parts of words clearly: He doesn't enunciate (his words) very clearly.

refute

to say or prove that a person, statement, opinion, etc. is wrong or false: to refute a person/theory/argument/claim

engrave

to cut words, pictures, or patterns into the surface of metal, stone, etc.: The jeweler skillfully engraved the initials on the ring. The bracelet was engraved with his name and date of birth.

despatch

to send something, especially goods or a message, somewhere for a particular purpose: Two loads of cloth were dispatched to the factory on December 12.

infer

to form an opinion or guess that something is true because of the information that you have: What do you infer from her refusal? [+ that ] I inferred from her expression that she wanted to leave.

gobble

to eat food too fast: She gobbled her dinner (up).

scant

very little and not enough: He pays scant attention to the needs of his children. scant regard for the truth/almost

aptitude

a natural ability or skill: My son has no/little aptitude for sports. We will take your personal aptitudes and abilities into account.

penchant

a liking for, an enjoyment of, or a habit of doing something, especially something that other people might not like: a penchant for melodrama/skiing/exotic clothes