2012.09.18 TOEFL Words

voyeur /voɪˈɚ/ noun

plural voyeurs

[count] 1 : a person who gets sexual pleasure from secretly watching other people have sex

2 : a person who likes seeing and talking or writing about something that is considered to be private
▪ political voyeurs

— voyeurism /voɪˈɚrɪzəm/ noun [noncount]
▪ the cheap voyeurism of reality television shows

— voyeuristic /ˌvojɚˈɪstɪk/ adjective [more voyeuristic; most voyeuristic]
▪ voyeuristic pleasures

docile /ˈdɑ:səl, Brit ˈdəʊˌsaɪl/ adjective

[more docile; most docile] : easily taught, led, or controlled
▪ His students were docile and eager to learn.  

▪ a docile, well-behaved pet

— docilely adverb
▪ The horses behaved docilely.

— docility /dɑˈsɪləti, Brit dəʊˈsɪləti/ noun [noncount]
▪ This breed is known for its gentleness and docility.

 

vitiate /ˈvɪʃiˌeɪt/ verb

vitiates; vitiated; vitiating

[+ obj] formal : to make (something) less effective : to ruin or spoil (something)
▪ The impact of the film was vitiated by poor acting.

narrative /ˈnerətɪv/ noun plural narratives

[count] formal : a story that is told or written
▪ He is writing a detailed narrative of his life on the island.  

▪ People have questioned the accuracy of his narrative.  

▪ fictional narratives

 narrative adjective  always used before a noun

1 : of or relating to the process of telling a story
▪ her narrative style/technique [=the way she tells a story]

2 : having the form of a story
▪ a narrative poem

derision /dɪˈrɪʒən/ noun

[noncount] formal : the feeling that people express when they criticize and laugh at someone or something in an insulting way
▪ yells of derision  

▪ The governor's plan was greeted with derision [=ridicule] by most journalists and pundits.  

▪ One of the students laughed/snorted in derision at my error.  

▪ The team's awful record has made it an object of derision in the league.  

▪ “Nerd” is a term of derision.

— derisive /dɪˈraɪsɪv/ adjective [more derisive; most derisive]
▪ derisive [=scornful] laughter  

▪ a derisive [=derogatory] term

— de·ri·sive·ly adverb
▪ laughing derisively [=scornfully]

cu·pid·i·ty /kjuˈpɪdəti/ noun

[noncount] formal : a strong desire for money or possessions : greed
▪ The evidence revealed the cupidity of the company's directors.

savory (US) or Brit savoury /ˈseɪvəri/ adjective

[more savory; most savory] formal 1 : having a pleasant taste or smell
▪ a savory aroma

2 : having a spicy or salty quality without being sweet
▪ They prepared an assortment of both sweet and savory foods.

3 : morally good — usually used in negative statements  

▪ His reputation was anything but savory. [=his reputation was unsavory]  

▪ her less savory friend

savory (US) or Brit savoury noun plural savor·ies

[count] formal : a small serving of food that is spicy or salty but not sweet : a savory food
▪ They prepared assorted sweets and savories.

rank /ˈræŋk/ noun plural ranks

1 a : a position in a society, organization, group, etc. [noncount]  

▪ people of high rank and profession  

▪ She's not concerned about rank or wealth.  

▪ Unlike in chess, all the game pieces in checkers are of equal rank. [=value] [count] 

▪ officers with the rank of captain  

▪ He rose to the rank of partner in the law firm. 

▪ He longed to join the upper social ranks.  

▪ military ranks such as private, corporal, and sergeant  

▪ He moved up/rose through the ranks to become vice president of the company.  

▪ a photographer in the front rank [=an excellent photographer]  

▪ a writer of the first rank [=an excellent writer]
b [noncount] : a high position in a society, organization, group, etc. — usually used after of  

▪ Expensive cars are sometimes seen as a badge of rank. 

▪ The guest lecturer is a novelist of rank [=of high regard; of esteem] who has won many prestigious awards.

2 ranks [plural] a : the people or things that belong to a particular organization or group
▪ A company spokesperson announced that the company will be decreasing its ranks by 200. [=laying off 200 employees]  

▪ The organization's ranks have doubled in the past two years.  
▪ The restaurant has made it to the city's front ranks. [=the restaurant is one of the best in the city] — often + of  
▪ More older adults are choosing to join the ranks of college students.  
▪ the growing/swelling ranks of vegetarians
b : the people in the army, navy, air force, etc., who are not officers
▪ The flu swept through the ranks, infecting almost every soldier. 
 ▪ Several men were selected from the ranks.

3 [count] : a row of people or things
▪ The troops stood in ranks.  
▪ Twelve soldiers stood in the front rank. — compare ⁵file

4 [count] Brit : taxi stand

break ranks also break rank

1 : to step out of a line
▪ The soldier was disciplined for breaking ranks.

2 : to no longer agree with or support a person or group — often + with 
▪ The senator decided to break ranks with others in his party and support the proposal.  
▪ One scientist has broken ranks with her colleagues and questioned the research.

close ranks

: to join together to support or protect someone or something that is in trouble
▪ The police officers closed ranks when their captain was being investigated for misconduct. 
▪ The family closed ranks to protect one of their own.

pull rank

: to use your high position in a society, organization, group, etc., to order someone to do something or to get special treatment or privileges
▪ He's their boss, but he doesn't like to pull rank (on them) if he can avoid it.

 

quisling /ˈkwɪzlɪŋ/ noun

plural quis·lings

[count] old-fashioned : a person who helps an enemy that has taken control of his or her country : traitor — often used before another noun  

▪ a quisling regime/government

 

tact /ˈtækt/ noun

[noncount] : the ability to do or say things without offending or upsetting other people
▪ The peace talks required great tact on the part of both leaders.  

▪ I was surprised by his lack of tact.

 

 

fallacious /fəˈleɪʃəs/ adjective

[more fallacious; most fallacious] formal : containing a mistake : not true or accurate
▪ a fallacious [=false] set of assumptions 

▪ fallacious [=misleading] arguments

— fallaciously adverb

— fallaciousness noun [noncount]

 trim /ˈtrɪm/ verb trims; trimmed; trimming

[+ obj] 1 a : to cut (something) off something else : to remove (something) by cutting — often + away, from, or off  

▪ She trimmed away the dead branches.  

▪ She trimmed the fat from/off the meat.
b : to make (something) neat by cutting it
▪ He trimmed his mustache. 

▪ The hedges need to be trimmed.

2 : to make the size, amount, or extent of (something) smaller
▪ They are looking for ways to trim the budget.

3 : to decorate (something) especially around the edges with ribbons, ornaments, etc.
▪ We trimmed the Christmas tree.  

▪ a pillow trimmed in/with lace

4 : to adjust (a boat's sails) in order to move faster
▪ The sailors trimmed the sails.

trim down [phrasal verb]

: to become thinner : to lose weight
▪ He trimmed down over the summer.

— trimmer /ˈtrɪmɚ/ noun, plural trimmers [count]
▪ a mustache trimmer

 trim adjective trimmer; trimmest

1 : neat and orderly
▪ a trim lawn

2 : slim and healthy
▪ She has a trim figure.  

▪ He keeps fit and trim by biking.

— trimly adverb

 

trim noun plural trims

1 [count] : an act of trimming something (such as hair) — usually singular  

▪ He went to the barber for a trim.  

▪ The lawn needs a trim.

2 : material (such as ribbons, lace, etc.) that is used for decorating something especially around its edges [noncount] 

 ▪ a skirt with lace trim 

 ▪ The house is gray with black trim. [=the pieces of wood around the doors, windows, etc., are painted black] [count] — usually singular 

 ▪ The fabric has a gold trim.

in trim: in good condition

▪ He's been exercising to get in trim for the season.

 

 

compartment /kəmˈpɑɚtmənt/ noun

plural compartments

[count] 1 : an enclosed space or area that is usually part of something larger and is often used to hold a specific thing

▪ The suitcase has a zippered compartment for personal items.  

▪ The refrigerator has a separate compartment for meats.

2 : one of the separate areas of an automobile, train, or airplane
▪ the baggage compartments  

▪ the passenger compartment 

▪ the engine compartment — see also glove compartment

— compartmental /kəmˌpɑɚtˈmɛntl̟/ adjective
▪ a compartmental design

— compartmented /kəmˈpɑɚtˌmɛntəd/ adjective
▪ compartmented metal trays [=metal trays that have separate compartments]

2012.9.17 TOEFL Words

punctilious /ˌpʌŋkˈtɪlijəs/ adjective

[more punctilious; most punctilious] formal : very careful about behaving properly and doing things in a correct and accurate way
▪ She's very punctilious about grammar.  

▪ a punctilious [=meticulous] caretaker

— punctiliously adverb
▪ They do their jobs punctiliously.

— punctiliousness noun [noncount]

imbecile /ˈɪmbəsəl, Brit ˈɪmbəˌsi:l/ noun

plural imbeciles

[count] : a very stupid person : an idiot or fool
▪ He drank too much and started acting like a complete imbecile.

— imbecile or imbecilic /ˌɪmbəˈsɪlɪk/ adjective [more imbecile; most imbecile]
▪ imbecilic behavior

— imbecility /ˌɪmbəˈsɪləti/ noun, plural imbecilities
[noncount] ▪ the imbecility of his behavior 

[count] ▪ He was repeating all his usual imbecilities about politics.

rebuke /rɪˈbju:k/ verb

rebukes ; rebuked ; rebuking

[+ obj] formal : to speak in an angry and critical way to (someone) — often + for  

▪ She was rebuked [=reprimanded] for being late. 

▪ The boss rebuked us for talking too much.

— rebuke noun, plural rebukes [count]
▪ He was stunned by the harsh rebuke from his father.

facile /ˈfæsəl, Brit ˈfæsaɪl/ adjective

[more facile; most facile] formal 1 disapproving : too simple : not showing enough thought or effort
▪ a facile explanation 

▪ This problem needs more than just a facile solution.

2 always used before a noun, disapproving : done or achieved in a way that is too easy
▪ a facile [=effortless] victory

3 always used before a noun, chiefly US, approving : working, moving, or performing well and very easily
▪ He is a wonderfully facile writer.

— facilely adverb

hardy /ˈhɑɚdi/ adjective

hardier; hardiest

1 : able to live through difficult conditions (such as a cold winter or a drought)
▪ a hardy rose  

▪ the hardiest plants/animals

2 : strong and able to accept difficult or unpleasant conditions
▪ Most of the soldiers were hardy young men.  

▪ Hardy fans stuck with the team through good times and bad.  

▪ Only the hardiest pilgrims made the journey.

— har·di·ness /ˈhɑɚdinəs/ noun [noncount]
▪ the hardiness of the rose 

▪ cattle bred for hardiness

penury /ˈpɛnjəri/ noun

[noncount] formal : the state of being very poor : extreme poverty
▪ struggling with penury  

▪ living in penury

 

venal /ˈvi:nəl/ adjective

[more venal; most venal] formal : willing to do dishonest things in return for money : corrupt
▪ a venal court official

— venality /vɪˈnæləti/ noun [noncount]

flit /ˈflɪt/ verb flits; flitted; flitting

[no obj] : to move or fly quickly from one place or thing to another
▪ butterflies flitting around the garden  

▪ The hummingbird flitted from flower to flower. 

 ▪ She was always flitting around the kitchen.  

▪ writers who flit [=bounce] from topic to topic

 

magnate /ˈmægˌneɪt/ noun

plural magnates

[count] : a person who has great wealth and power in a particular business or industry
▪ a railroad magnate

botch /ˈbɑ:tʃ/ verb botches; botched; botching

[+ obj] : to do (something) badly : to ruin (something) because of carelessness or a lack of skill
▪ The store botched the order—I received only half the books I paid for. 

▪ They clearly botched the investigation.  

▪ a botched robbery/experiment — sometimes + up  

▪ He really botched up [=messed up] the speech.

botch noun plural botches

[count] : a bad job : a poorly done piece of work
▪ a botch job  

▪ The plumbers made a botch of the pipes. [=the plumbers did a poor job with the pipes]

citadel /ˈsɪtədl̟/ noun

plural citadels

[count] : a castle or fort that in past times was used to protect the people of a city if the city was attacked
▪ We visited a medieval citadel in Italy. — often used figuratively 

▪ The magazine has become a citadel [=stronghold] of liberalism/conservatism. 

▪ the citadels of power ◊In the U.S., The Citadel is the name of a well-known military college.

libidinous /ləˈbɪdənəs/ adjective

[more libidinous; most libidinous] formal : feeling or relating to strong sexual desires
▪ libidinous urges

mendicant /ˈmɛndɪkənt/ noun

plural mendicants

[count] formal : someone (such as a member of a religious group) who lives by asking people for money or food
▪ wandering mendicants

— mendicant adjective
▪ mendicant friars  

▪ a mendicant monk

2012.09.16 TOEFL Words

betoken /bɪˈtoʊkən/ verb

betokens; betokened ; betokening

[+ obj] formal : to show (something) : to be a sign of (something)
▪ His strong handshake betokens [=indicates, bespeaks] his self-confidence.

aviary /ˈeɪviˌeri, Brit ˈeɪviəri/ noun

plural aviaries

[count] : a place (such as a large cage or a building) where many birds are kept
▪ The zoo has a new outdoor aviary.

waggish /ˈwægɪʃ/ adjective

: silly and playful
▪ waggish pranks ▪ waggish humor ▪ a waggish writer

— waggishly adverb

— waggishness noun [ noncount]

prank /ˈpræŋk/ noun

plural pranks

[count] : a trick that is done to someone usually as a joke
▪ a childish prank  

▪ He enjoys playing pranks on his friends. 

▪ (US) He's always pulling pranks.

adapt /əˈdæpt/ verb

adapts; adapt·ed; adapting

1 : to change your behavior so that it is easier to live in a particular place or situation [no obj]  

▪ When children go to a different school, it usually takes them a while to adapt. — usually + to  

▪ These fish all adapt easily to colder water. 

▪ She has adapted to college life quite easily. [+ obj]  

▪ She has adapted herself to college life quite easily.

2 [+ obj] : to change (something) so that it functions better or is better suited for a purpose
▪ The teachers adapted [=modified] the curriculum so that students of all abilities will benefit  

   from it.  

▪ The camera has been adapted for underwater use.  

▪ The clock was adapted to run on batteries.

3 [+ obj] : to change (a movie, book, play, etc.) so that it can be presented in another form
▪ He adapted the novel for the stage. [=he rewrote the novel as a play] 

▪ The movie was adapted from the book of the same title. 

▪ adapting the movie for television

bugaboo /ˈbʌgəˌbu:/ noun

plural bugaboos

[count] US, often disapproving : something that makes people very worried or upset
▪ politicians complaining about that old bugaboo, high oil prices

foliage /ˈfoʊlijɪʤ/ noun

[noncount] : the leaves of a plant or of many plants
▪ a tree with pretty foliage

▪ the thick green foliage of the jungle 

▪ colorful autumn foliage

 

satellite /ˈsætəˌlaɪt/ noun

plural satellites

1 a [count] : an object (such as a moon) that moves around a much larger planet
b : a machine that is sent into space and that moves around the earth, moon, sun, or a planet ◊Satellites are used for radio, television, and other types of communication and for studying the objects they move around. [count] 

 ▪ Satellites help meteorologists predict the weather. [noncount]  

▪ Images of the planet are sent by satellite. — often used before another noun 

 ▪ satellite broadcasting/channels/images/radio/TV

2 [count] : a country, organization, etc., that is controlled by a larger and more powerful country, organization, etc.

bungle /ˈbʌŋgəl/ verb

bungles; bungled; bungling

: to make mistakes in doing (something) : to not do (something) well or successfully [+ obj]  

▪ The police bungled [=botched] the investigation and the crime was never solved. [no obj]  

▪ The government bungled badly in planning the campaign.

— bungle noun, plural bungles [count]
▪ They blamed him for the bungle.

— bungled adjective
▪ a bungled robbery

— bungler noun, plural bunglers [count]
▪ hapless bunglers

— bungling adjective
▪ a bungling attempt at humor

— bungling noun [noncount]
▪ The investigation was ruined by their bungling.

reinstate /ˌri:jənˈsteɪt/ verb

reinstates; reinstated; reinstating

[+ obj] 1 : to put (someone) back in a job or position that had been taken away
▪ After his name was cleared, he was reinstated as committee chairperson.  

▪ The company promised to reinstate [=rehire] the employees that had been laid off.

2 : to begin using or dealing with (a law, policy, system, etc.) again
▪ The school board voted to reinstate the school's uniform policy.  

▪ the year the death penalty was reinstated  

▪ The court case was dismissed by the judge but reinstated [=reopened] on appeal.

— reinstatement /ˌri:jənˈsteɪtmənt/ noun [noncount]
▪ the reinstatement of the death penalty

mnemonic /nɪˈmɑ:nɪk/ noun

plural mnemonics

[count] : something (such as a word, a sentence, or a song) that helps people remember something (such as a rule or a list of names)
▪ HOMES is used as a mnemonic for the names of the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.

— mnemonic adjective
▪ a mnemonic device

 conscript /kənˈskrɪpt/ verb conscripts; conscripted; con·scripting

[+ obj] : to force (someone) to serve in the armed forces : draft
▪ The government is conscripting men for the army.  

▪ He was conscripted into the army.

con·script /ˈkɑ:nˌskrɪpt/ noun plural conscripts

[count] : a person who is forced to serve in the armed forces : draftee

— con·script /ˈkɑ:nˌskrɪpt/ adjective always used before a noun
▪ conscript soldiers 

▪ a conscript army [=an army made up of conscripts]

contend /kənˈtɛnd/ verb

contends; contended; contending

1 [+ obj] : to argue or state (something) in a strong and definite way
▪ These people contend that they have earned the right to the land.  

▪ She contends [=maintains, asserts] the new law will only benefit the wealthy.

2 [no obj] : to compete with someone or for something
▪ A number of groups are contending (with each other) for power in the new government. : to compete with a good chance of winning 

 ▪ The team is expected to contend for the championship this year.

contend with [phrasal verb]

contend with (something) : to deal with (something difficult or unpleasant)
▪ Customers should not have to contend with the problems caused by these delays.  

▪ He's had a lot to contend with recently. [=he's had many problems to deal with]

functional /ˈfʌŋkʃənl̟/ adjective

1 : designed to have a practical use
▪ They worked outside, so they preferred wearing functional clothes. 

▪ The building's design is not only functional but also beautiful.  

▪ functional and decorative pottery

2 medical : affecting the way a part of your body works
▪ a functional heart disorder

3 : working properly
▪ The flashlight was still functional after I dropped it.  

▪ The computer network is fully functional.

4 : of or relating to the use or function of something
▪ the functional differences between the departments

— functionally adverb

資料來源 : Merriam-Webster.com