Essential vocabulary

1. avoid vt to keep away from, as to avoid a person, speaking to smb, meeting smb, mentioning smth, mistakes, bad company, a quarrel, an argument, a scandal, a difficulty (difficulties), an attack, danger, evil, a punishment, an accident, answering, etc.: What have I done? Why are you avoiding me? We only just avoid­ ed an accident. The doctor told her to avoid fatty meat (eating much fat).

avoidable a that can be avoided: I'm sure the quarrel was quite avoidable, your interference spoiled everything.

Ant. unavoidable: The accident was unavoidable, the man ran out into the street too suddenly for the driver to stop the car.

2. avert vt 1) to prevent, as to avert a blow, failure, controversy, evil, the gathering storm (fig.), etc.: / did my best to avert the danger. Wasn't it possible to avert the accident? War was averted by a timely peace mission.

Syn. avoid

2) to turn away, as to avert one's gaze, face, thoughts, attention (from smth): She averted her eyes (gaze) from the terrible sight.

3. slight a 1) slender, slim: She is a slight girl. 2) not serious, not important: / hardly felt that slight scratch. He has a slight cold. She had a slight attack of fever.

not the slightest not the least: / haven't the slightest idea (doubt) about it.

slightly adv somewhat; to a slight degree: The child is only slightly hurt.

slight vt to pay too little attention to smb; to treat disrespectfully: Mary felt slighted because she was not invited to the party. Although the author's work was slighted during his life time, he became quite pop­ular after his death. Aileen was slighted and insulted.

Syn. hurt

4. disgust n a very strong feeling of dislike: A great feeling of dis­ gust overwhelmed her. She turned away in disgust when she saw the drunk man. He left the room in disgust over their petty quarrel.

disgust vt to cause disgust in smb: The smell of a bad egg disgusts most people. Your vulgar slang disgusts me. He was disgusted at (by) her answer. How could you say such a thing? I'm disgusted.

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disgusting a causing disgust: What a disgusting smell. I find cruel treatment of animals disgusting. Look at the mess he has made of the place. It's disgusitng.

5. humiliate vt to lower the dignity or self-respect of smb; to put to shame: That child who behaved badly when guests were present hu­ miliated hisparenis. We felt humiliated by our failure.

humiliation n humiliating or being humiliated: I shall never forget

that humiliation.

humiliating a that humiliates: Such a humiliating experience was

good for his egoism.

6. conceit и too much pride in oneself: Her self-praising letter seemed to be motivated more by conceit than a desire to communicate. The braggart's letter was full of conceit.

conceited a full of conceit: Many performers become conceit­ed after only modest success. The conceited man is rarely a happy man.

7. glare vi 1) to shine with a light so bright as to hurt the eyes. The sun glared down on us all day. The frozen snow glared in the morning sunlight. A single naked bulb glared pitilessly in the centre of the room. 2) to stare angrily or fiercely: He glared at me like a bull at a red rag. A

tiger glares at its prey.

glare и 1) a very bright light, so strong that it is unpleasant or blinding: The unshaded bulbs threw a yellow glare over the walls. We shielded our eyes from the glare of the sun on the water. She hates the glare of publicity. 2) an angry or fierce look or stare: He looked at me with an angry glare (gave me a glare) when I said he couldn't be trusted

with the job.

glaring a 1) unpleasantly bright: The glaring headlights of a car blinded me for a moment. There were glaring neon signs over the build­ing. 2) angry or fierce: Her glaring eyes were suggestive of her anger. 3) easily seen, obvious: How could you overlook it? It is a glaring mis­take (error). There are several glaring defects in your plan.

8. extravagant a 1) spending much more than is necessary or wise; wasteful: Dora was an extravagant wife and could never make both ends meet. She was extravagant in everything she bought.

2) excessively high, as extravagant expenses, claims, etc.: The price is extravagant, I shall never pay so much.

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