Empower p 8. Vocabulary

play it by ear: 

 

 

 

to do something without special preparation. E.g. I don't know how they'll react to our proposal, so we'll just have to play it by ear and hope for the best. I learned French entirely by ear. I’m not sure how many people are expected—we’ll just have to play it by ear.

 

memorable: 

 

 

 

 /ˈmemərəbl/ worth remembering or easy to remember, especially because of being special or unusual. Unforgettable. E.g. We want to make this a truly memorable day for the children.

 

relate to sb: 

 

 

 

to understand someone and be able to have a friendly relationship with them. E.g. Many parents find it hard to relate to their children when they are teenagers. The biggest reward for learning a second language is being able to relate to people from another culture.

 

systematically: 

 

 

 

 /ˌsɪstəˈmætɪkli/ in a way that is done according to an agreed set of methods or organized plan. E.g. (approving) They aim to systematically tackle the root causes of the disease. (disapproving) The organization was accused of systematically deleting incriminating files.

 

a love affair with: 

 

 

 

a) a romantic and sexual relationship between two people who are not married to each other 

b) a strong liking for a particular activity or place. E.g. Her love affair with ballet began when she was ten

 

cuisine: 

 

 

 

 /kwɪˈziːn/ a style of cooking. E.g. Italian cuisine.

 

basically: 

 

 

 

 /ˈbeɪsɪkli/ used when referring to the main or most important characteristic or feature of something. Essentially. E.g. Basically, (= the most important thing is that) they want a lot more information about the project before they'll put any money into it."So what's the difference between these two TVs?" "Well, they're basically the same, but the more expensive one has 3D."The car's basically OK, but the paintwork needs some attention.The village has remained basically unchanged for over 300 years.

 

drink sth in: 

 

 

 

 to look at or listen to something with great interest and pleasure. E.g. We just stood there drinking in the scenery. The audience drank in the words of the speaker.

 

earthy: 

 

 

 

down to earth. Uncomplicated. Unpretentious. Sp. no pretencioso. E.g. Janice's earthy personality is suited perfectly for a management job.   

 

pick up: 

 

 

to get information or a skill by chance rather than by making a deliberate effort. E.g. to pick up bad habits. Here's a tip I picked up from my mother. She picked up Spanish when she was living in Mexico.

 

resonate: 

 

 

/ˈrezəneɪt/ (of a voice, an instrument, etc.) to make a deep, clear sound that continues for a long time. E.g. Her voice resonated through the theatre.

 

draw somebody in: 

 

 

to get someone involved in something. E.g. We should use the demonstration as an opportunity to draw more supporters in. Despite himself, he found himself being drawn in by the man’s warmth and ease. 

 

brush up (on) sth: 

 

 

to improve your knowledge of something already learned but partly forgotten. E.g. I thought I'd brush up (on) my French before going to Paris. I must brush up (on) my Spanish before I go to Seville.

 

nuance:  

 

 

/ˈnjuːɑːns/ a very slight difference in appearance, meaning, sound, etc. E.g. The painter has managed to capture every nuance of the woman's expression. Linguists explore the nuances of language. You need to be able to convey the subtle nuances of meaning of each word.

 

mannerism: 

 

 

/ˈmænərɪzəm/ a way of speaking or moving that is typical of a particular person. Sp. gestos. E.g. He has the same mannerisms as his father. nervous/odd/irritating mannerisms.

 

involuntarily: 

 

 

 

 /ɪnˈvɒləntrəli/ in a way that is not willing, intentional, or by choice. E.g. Many nurses said they needed to work overtime, sometimes involuntarily. Arthur shivered involuntarily as he came out of the building.

 

somewhat:  

 

 

 

/ˈsʌmwɒt/ (adv) to some degree. Rather. E.g. The resort has changed somewhat over the last few years. She's somewhat more confident than she used to be. We were somewhat tired after our long walk. I was somewhat surprised to see him. What happened to them remains somewhat of a mystery. My options are somewhat limited. 

 

read sth from cover to cover: 

 

 

to read a book, magazine, etc. all the way through from the beginning to the end. E.g. I was able to read the book cover to cover.

 

grasp: 

 

 

 

 to understand something completely. E.g. grasp something They failed to grasp the importance of his words. grasp how, why, etc… She was unable to grasp how to do it. grasp that… It took him some time to grasp that he was now a public figure.

 

shaky:  

 

 

 

/ˈʃeɪki/ not seeming very successful; likely to fail. Uncertain. E.g. The economy is looking shaky at the moment. After a shaky start, they fought back to win 3–2.The future looks shaky for the present government.

 

rusty: 

 

 

 

(of a sport, skill, etc.) not as good as it used to be, because you have not been practising. E.g. My tennis is very rusty these days. I haven't played the piano for ages—I may be a little rusty.

 

stint:  

 

 

 

 a period of time that you spend working somewhere or doing a particular activity. E.g. He did a stint abroad early in his career. He hated his two-year stint in the Navy. I’ve done my stint in the kitchen for today. The longest stint I've had in Edinburgh has been three months.