Word List 03

stratagem / ˈstrætədʒəm / 阅

n. 战略，计谋 deceptive scheme

The sudden withdrawal of the enemy was nothing but a stratagem intended to lure us away.

aggregate ● / ˈæɡrɪɡeɪt / 阅

v. 使聚集，积聚 gather; accumulate

With this amount of fund, the company’s investment will aggregate to a large sum.

apposite / ˈæpəzɪt /

adj. 适当的，恰当的 appropriate; fitting

He could always make the apposite reply to the clients.

validate / ˈvælɪdeɪt / 阅

v. 确认；证实 confirm; ratify

These results of the experiments validated his theory.

credo / ˈkreɪdoʊ / 阅

n. 信条 creed

“Honesty is the best policy” is his credo in life.

disingenuous / ˌdɪsɪnˈdʒenjuəs / 阅

adj. 不真诚的，不坦率的 lacking genuine candor; insincere

His disingenuous apology made his girlfriend more dissatisfied with him.

slander / ˈslændər / 阅

n. 诽谤 defamation; utterance of false and malicious statements

The defendant countercharged the prosecutor with vicious slander.

liability / ˌlaɪəˈbɪləti / 阅

n. 不利条件，障碍；债务，负债 drawback; debts

Her slight accent was a liability that she was eventually able to overcome.

accessible ■ / əkˈsesəbl / 阅

adj. 易接近的，易得到的 easy to approach; obtainable

These comments are not accessible to students.

deviate / ˈdiːvieɪt / 阅

v. 背离，偏离 turn away from (a principle, norm); depart; diverge

The plane had to deviate from its normal flight path.

prolong / prəˈlɔːŋ / 阅

v. 延长，拖延 make longer; draw out; lengthen

Scientists all over the world are dedicated to discovering drugs that can prolong human life.

centrifugal / senˈtrɪfjəɡl /

adj. 离心的 radiating; departing from the center

Centrifugal force is actually a form of inertia.

erode / ɪˈroʊd / 阅

v. 侵蚀，腐蚀，削弱 eat away

The famous history site has been eroded away by wind and rain over thousands of years.

dishearten / dɪsˈhɑːrtn /

v. 使沮丧，使失去勇气或希望 discourage; cause to lose courage or hope

Jack’s failure to pass the final exam disheartened him.

mnemonic / nɪˈmɑːnɪk / 阅

adj. 记忆的，记忆性的 pertaining to memory

Fiona can use mnemonic tricks to master many new words at a time.

convert 阅

/ ˈkɑːnvɜːrt / n. 皈依者 one who has adopted a different religion or opinion

/ kənˈvɜːrt / v. 皈依；使改变 to persuade or induce to adopt a particular religion, faith, or belief; to change (something) from one use, function, or purpose to another; adapt to a new or different purpose

He becomes a complete convert to Buddhism.

acrid ● / ˈækrɪd / 阅

adj. 尖刻的，辛辣的 sharp; bitterly pungent

The writer is famous for her essays with acrid flavor.

retroactive / ˌretroʊˈæktɪv / 阅

adj. 有追溯效力的 taking effect before its enactment (as a law) or imposition (as a tax)

It is unknown whether the new regulations are retroactive or not.

congruent / ˈkɑːŋɡruənt / 阅

adj. 一致的 in agreement; corresponding

For them, there are many areas of congruent interests.

emendation / ˌiːmenˈdeɪʃn / 阅

n. 修改，改善 correction of errors; improvement

He said there would be some emendations to the statement.

duplicity ■ / duːˈplɪsəti / 阅

n. 口是心非，搞两面派，欺骗；虚伪 double-dealing; hypocrisy

She was furious at his duplicity and never believed him.

foster / ˈfɔːstər /

v. 抚育；鼓励 rear; encourage

She has fostered the orphan for eight years.

arcane / ɑːrˈkeɪn / 阅

adj. 神秘的；晦涩难懂的 secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated

To many westerners the oriental culture is still very arcane.

defunct / dɪˈfʌŋkt / 阅

adj. 已死的，已灭绝的；失效的 dead; no longer in use or existence

A family name becomes defunct when the only heir dies.

tactile / ˈtæktl / 阅

adj. 触觉的，有触觉的 pertaining to the organs or sense of touch

Some animals have well-developed olfactory organs, while others have well-developed tactile organs.

multilingual / ˌmʌltiˈlɪŋɡwəl /

adj. 使用多种语言的 having many languages

Switzerland is a multilingual country.

artless / ˈɑːrtləs /

adj. 无虚饰的；朴实的 without guile; open and honest

Jill is an artless and naive girl.

etymology / ˌetɪˈmɑːlədʒi /

n. 词源学 study of word parts

Knowing about the etymologies of words is a good way to remember them.

verbose ■ / vɜːrˈboʊs / 阅

adj. 啰嗦的，唠叨的 wordy

Your report is too long and verbose.

vilify ■ / ˈvɪlɪfaɪ / 阅

v. 诽谤，诋毁 slander

He was vilified, hounded, and forced into exile by the FBI.

apprehension ■ / ˌæprɪˈhenʃn / 阅

n. 恐惧 fear

Her apprehension about the future grows stronger and stronger.

dictum / ˈdɪktəm /

n. 正式声明，权威意见；名言，格言 authoritative and weighty statement;saying; maxim

Webster’s dictum has been regarded as a principle of international law.

quench / kwentʃ / 阅

v. 熄灭，抑制（欲望）；满足 douse or extinguish; assuage or satisfy

I would rather drink cold water to quench my thirst instead of tea or coffee.

expedient ■ / ɪkˈspiːdiənt / 阅

adj. 权宜之计的；有利的 suitable; practical n. 权宜之计 action

It was an expedient to employ some part-time staff.

corrode ● / kəˈroʊd / 阅

v. 侵蚀 destroy by chemical action

Water causes metal to corrode.

rejuvenate / rɪˈdʒuːvəneɪt /

v. 使返老还童，使恢复活力 make young again

It still remains a mystery why this medicine can rejuvenate the aged.

pivotal / ˈpɪvətl / 阅

adj. 关键的 crucial; key; vital

These regulations are pivotal to our economic interests in U.S.

notoriety ■ / ˌnoʊtəˈraɪəti /

n. 恶名，臭名昭著 disrepute; ill fame

His severe family violence has won him an unenviable notoriety.

prototype / ˈproʊtətaɪp / 阅

n. 原型，样板 original work used as a model by others

Technicians have begun testing a prototype of the new smart phone.

practicable / ˈpræktɪkəbl /

adj. 能实行的，行得通的 feasible

The couple agreed that the only practicable way for the time being was to sell the house.

impending / ɪmˈpendɪŋ / 阅

adj. 迫近的，即将来临的 nearing; approaching

We should get prepared for the impending financial crisis as soon as possible.

unimpeachable / ˌʌnɪmˈpiːtʃəbl / 阅

adj. 无可指摘的，可作模范的 blameless and exemplary

He is a man of unimpeachable character and conduct.

codify / ˈkɑːdɪfaɪ / 阅

v. 编成法典，编纂；整理 arrange (laws, rules) as a code; classify

These procedures codify lessons from years of experience.

discount ■ / dɪsˈkaʊnt / 阅

v. 不考虑，忽视，漠视 disregard; dismiss

Parents should not discount what their child said.

brandish / ˈbrændɪʃ / 阅

v. 挥舞；炫耀 wave around; flourish

The man who is brandishing a chopper is completely out of control.

animated / ˈænɪmeɪtɪd / 阅

adj. 活生生的，活泼的 lively; spirited

We held an animated discussion over next year’s plans yesterday.

deplete / dɪˈpliːt / 阅

v. 用完，耗尽 reduce; exhaust

Mankind must take care not to deplete the Earth of its natural resources.

felicity / fəˈlɪsəti / 阅

n. 幸福；恰当，巧妙 happiness; appropriateness (of a remark, choice, etc.)

Different people have different definitions of felicity.

circumscribe / ˈsɜːrkəmskraɪb / 阅

v. 限制 limit; confine

The new traffic rules circumscribed some actions of the drivers.

rant ● / rænt / 阅

v. 咆哮，大声责骂；激昂地说，夸夸其谈 rave; scold; talk excitedly; make a grandiloquent speech

When he heard that his little boy lied at school, the father began to rant at his son with wild fury.

foolhardy ● / ˈfuːlhɑːrdi /

adj. 愚勇的，莽撞的 rash

It is foolhardy if we work against the giant company at this point.

decoy / ˈdiːkɔɪ /

n. 引诱；诱饵 lure or bait v. 诱捕 lure or entrap by or as if by a decoy

As soon as the ducks got near his decoy, the hunter fired.

domineer / ˌdɑːməˈnɪr/

v. 专横跋扈 rule over tyrannically

The officer often domineered over his inferiors.

adulterate / əˈdʌltəreɪt / 阅

v. 掺杂 make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances

It is illegal for the sellers to adulterate milk with water.

awe / ɔː / 阅

n. 敬畏 solemn wonder

He stood there motionlessly in awe of his uncle.

ascetic ■ / əˈsetɪk / 阅

adj. 修道的，苦行的 practicing self-denial; austere

Monks in China stand for a kind of ascetic lifestyle.

retract ■ / rɪˈtrækt /

v. 缩进；收回 withdraw; take back

The victim of the rape declared that she would never retract her statement regardless of any threat.

adroit / əˈdrɔɪt / 阅

adj. 熟练的，机敏的 skillful

We chose Jack because he is an adroit negotiator.

stolid ● / ˈstɑːlɪd /

adj. 不易激动的，感觉迟钝的 unruffled; impassive; dull

Ted and Chris are twin brothers. Ted is a romantic and passionate young man, while Chris is stolid and unimaginative.

succumb / səˈkʌm / 阅

v. 屈服，屈从；死 yield; give in; die

My father is addicted to smoking and succumbs to temptation whenever he sees a cigarette.

forum / ˈfɔːrəm /

n. 公共集会场地；讨论会 place of assembly to discuss public concerns; meeting for discussion

This program provided a valuable forum for students to exchange different ideas on cross-cultural communication.

petty / ˈpeti / 阅

adj. 琐碎的，不重要的，小的 trivial; unimportant; very small

The couple started having squabbles over petty little things only one month after their marriage.

uniformity ■ / ˌjuːnɪˈfɔːməti / 阅

n. 同样，一致 sameness; monotony

Though they showed no uniformity of dress, they did have favored styles and armament.

cater to 阅

迎合 supply something desired (whether good or bad)

Their website was designed to cater to young mothers.

prestige / preˈstiːʒ / 阅

n. 声望，威望 impression produced by achievements or reputation

Hosting the 2008 Olympic Games greatly added to China’s international prestige.

haphazard / hæpˈhæzərd / 阅

adj. 偶然的，随意的；杂乱无章的 random; unsystematic; aimless

The rescue operation seemed to be totally haphazard.

synoptic / sɪˈnɑːptɪk / 阅

adj. 提要的，摘要的 providing a general overview; summary

The author made a synoptic analysis of the development of cloning technology in the article.

seismic / ˈsaɪzmɪk /

adj. 地震的 pertaining to earthquakes

The frequent seismic activities in the past year have disturbed the citizens throughout the country.

extol ■ / ɪkˈstoʊl / 阅

v. 赞美，颂扬 praise; glorify

They extolled Sam’s carving techniques.

embrace / ɪmˈbreɪs /

v. 拥抱；欣然采纳；包括 to hug; to accept sth readily; to include

He embraced an opportunity to get promoted.

amnesia / æmˈniːʒə / 阅

n. 记忆缺失，健忘症 loss of memory

An accident resulted in her suffering from amnesia.

comeuppance / kʌmˈʌpəns /

n. 报应 rebuke; deserts

The Buddhists believe in comeuppance.

lethal / ˈliːθl / 阅

adj. 致命的 deadly

Have you seen the movie named Lethal Weapon?

vindicate ■ / ˈvɪndɪkeɪt / 阅

v. 证明无罪；为…辩护，支持 clear from blame; exonerate; justify or support

He tried hard to vindicate his innocence.

indifferent ■ / ɪnˈdɪfrənt / 阅

adj. 冷漠的，不关心的；一般的，中等的 unmoved or unconcerned by; mediocre

People has become more and more indifferent to each other nowadays.

anticlimax / ˌæntiˈklaɪmæks /

n. 突降，虎头蛇尾 letdown in thought or emotion

The beginning of the film was fine, but the rest was actually an anticlimax.

material / məˈtɪriəl / 阅

adj. 物质的；具体的；重要的 made of physical matter; unspiritual; important

Reporters nicknamed the new singer the Material Girl.

modicum / ˈmɑːdɪkəm / 阅

n. 少量，一点点 limited quantity

Henry only has a modicum of privacy in the face of his wife.

maverick / ˈmævərɪk / 阅

n. 持不同意见者，独来独往者 rebel; nonconformist

She was too much of a maverick ever to make many friends.

spendthrift / ˈspendθrɪft /

n. 挥霍者 someone who wastes money

Compared with his extravagant father, he is far from being a spendthrift.

incriminate / ɪnˈkrɪmɪneɪt / 阅

v. 控告…有罪，使负罪 accuse

Both of them were incriminated to the jury.

feign / feɪn / 阅

v. 假装，装（睡、病等） pretend

He feigned illness at home in order not to take part in the activity.

brawn / brɔːn / 阅

n. 肌肉的力量；强壮 muscular strength; sturdiness

Both brains and brawn are important in completing this job.

bane / beɪn /

n. 祸根，灾星 cause of ruin; curse

Money is the bane of evil.

thwart / θwɔːrt / 阅

v. 阻挠；妨碍 prevent; frustrate; oppose and defeat

My younger brother’s ambition to join the army was thwarted by poor eyesight.

archaeology / ˌɑːrkiˈɑːlədʒi / 阅

n. 考古学 study of artifacts and relics of early mankind

The professor is the authority in the field of archaeology.

addle / ˈædl /

v. 使糊涂；腐坏 muddle; drive crazy; become rotten

Some fruit addles quickly in summer.

pious / ˈpaɪəs / 阅

adj. 虔诚的；宗教的 devout; religious

How to be pious without becoming hypocritical is a huge challenge for church people.

optimist ■ / ˈɑːptɪmɪst / 阅

n. 乐观主义者 person who looks on the good side

The pessimist thinks that the glass is half-empty; while the optimist considers that it is half-full.

impeccable ■ / ɪmˈpekəbl /

adj. 无瑕疵的 faultless

His manners were impeccable.

alacrity / əˈlækrəti / 阅

n. 敏捷，轻快；爽快，乐意 cheerful promptness; eagerness

I proposed to my son that he finish his assignments first, and then watch cartoon. He accepted that with alacrity.

simplistic / sɪmˈplɪstɪk / 阅

adj. 过分单纯化的 oversimplified

The expert’s assessment of the complex relationship between the two countries sounds rather simplistic.

ancestry / ˈænsestri / 阅

n. 祖先；世系 family descent

In recent years many African Americans have started to trace their ancestry in the African continent.

reputed / rɪˈpjuːtɪd /

adj. 一般认为的，普遍认定的，号称的 supposed

No one is sure whether the reputed father is his biological father or not.

fervor ■ / ˈfɜːrvər / 阅

n. 热情，热烈 glowing ardor; intensity of feeling

He threw himself into the work he loved with all fervor.

accommodate / əˈkɑːmədeɪt / 阅

v. 帮助；调节；使适应 oblige or help someone; adjust or bring into harmony; adapt

As a freshman, I need to accommodate to the new timetable.

astute ■ / əˈstuːt / 阅

adj. 机敏的；狡猾的 wise; shrewd; keen

Foxes are described as very astute in the stories.

pantomime / ˈpæntəmaɪm / 阅

n. 哑剧 acting without dialogue

Some people feared that Chaplin’s pantomime art was under threat.

permeate / ˈpɜːrmieɪt / 阅

v. 渗透，弥漫 pass through; spread

Eventually, the water will permeate through the surrounding concrete.

exemplify ■ / ɪɡˈzemplɪfaɪ / 阅

v. 作为…的范例 serve as an example of; embody

All these recipes exemplify my cooking healthy, delicious and quick.