UNIT 3

Vocabulary list
collocations example sentences

acclaim (v) be critically acclaimed, be Once acclaimed as a brilliant scholar, Crocker-

highly/internationally/widely Harris is now sour and unpopular.
acclaimed

The critically acclaimed show was nominated for a

record 22 Emmy Awards in 2009.

advance ~ considerably, greatly, Resolving this issue would considerably advance

significantly, rapidly our understanding of brain function.

He used his good looks to advance rapidly in

society and overcame low expectations.
affable* - Stephen King is an affable, funny, gracious,
effortlessly conversational fellow.

Singleton described him as affable, a man who likes

to tell jokes all the time.

agreeable be, look, sound ~ However, if you're too agreeable, you won't be

able to keep all your commitments.

highly, most, particularly,

very ~ Jackson points out that being less agreeable is not
always a negative human trait.
align ~ accurately, correctly, My goals closely align with the projects that I
properly, fully mentioned in the above question.

~ along India, however, does not align with specific

countries in the realm of politics.
~ with

aloof* be, look, seem, find sb ~ A pragmatist, he remains aloof from ideological

disputes and factional politics.

a bit, a little, somewhat ~

Philippe was considered aloof and awkward, with
the charisma of a civil servant.
amiable be, look, seem, sound ~ Modest and amiable, Johansson isn't comfortable
shining the spotlight on himself. 

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 She is an amiable girl, but without common sense
or discernible attention span.

arrogant - I find the attitude of most anti-immigration

advocates to be extremely arrogant.

I argue only against those union officials who

are arrogant, greedy and selfish.
assert ~ boldly, confidently, She is intelligent, but she has the good sense not
emphatically, forcefully, to boldly assert it.
strongly

Postmodernism asserts anti foundationalism and

~ directly, explicitly, the death of the grand narrative.
repeatedly, rightly

assertion bold, confident, proud, This confident assertion, however, may be

sweeping, unfounded, undermined by more recent revelations.
unsubstantiated,
unsupported ~
That's a very strong assertion about the future, for
which you provide no evidence. 
make, justify, support,
reject, refute ~

~ about
assertive - Women are just as assertive and dominant as men
in pursuing or refusing a lover. 

Another reason for its popularity, I suspect, is a

bolder, more assertive look. 

attainment - Educational attainment is one of the most

prominent determinants of class status.

My response is, what exactly do I have to gain by

the attainment of this goal?
averse ~ to On the whole the party, like Japan itself, is
conservative and averse to change.

Nuclear power is an alternative, but our

environmental heroes are averse to this. 

bulldoze - If you come and consult us about it and bulldoze us

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 into it, that's one thing.

It looked like something a newly empowered

president could bulldoze through.

candid very, extraordinarily, People will often give you a positive response if
remarkably, perfectly, quite you're candid with them.
~

The Kremlin has become more candid about the

~ about severity of their economic condition.  

~ with
chauvinistic - The older man is formal and courteous, the
younger is chauvinistic and brutal.

It is demeaning and shallow to view Edwards from

such a chauvinistic point of view.

conceited - He doesn't say it in a conceited sort of way or a

way where he is over-confident. 

Are you just plain fed up with dull

conversation, conceited men or demanding
women? 
contend - Other critics contend that psychics never speak in
specifics, only generalities.

They contend the markets eventually will look

beyond the bad news to a recovery.

contention Main ~ I go back to my main contention that reconciliation

should be primarily about the future, not solely
about the past.
Support, reject ~

The verdict seemed

to support Firestone's contention that Ford was
partly to blame for the accidents.
curb (n) impose, introduce, put, act Democrats acknowledge curbs in Medicare will
as ~ have to be part of any budget deal.

~ on Did the lawmakers intend such a curb on economic

growth in undeveloped regions?

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dauntless* - He was impetuous and even head-strong, for by
nature he was eager, passionate, and dauntless.

Dauntless I was, despite all things, for he had now

fixed me with a rather cold, reptilian gaze.

diligent - Yesterday, he praised his former political rival as a

smart and diligent leader.

Meghan is a diligent student and always earns top

grades in each of her classes.
disconcerting Be, become, find sth ~ Disconcerting in its inconsistency, he then missed a
handful of approaches left. 

highly, very, a bit, a little,

rather, slightly, somewhat ~ It is very disconcerting that households can choose
to live under so much burden.

discreet* - Laguna tends to be discreet about its wealth,

whereas parts of Newport flaunt it. 

I'm a fairly discreet person, and it took the editors

of this site some coaxing to convince me to share
my thoughts. 
disgruntled - Disgruntled independent voters are the obvious
swing vote in the 2012 election. 

Don't risk coming across as a disgruntled person to

future potential employers. 

dishevelled - Fellow passengers said McAfee looked tired

and dishevelled at the end of the flight.

He appeared sweaty and dishevelled, his face

covered with tiny lacerations.
effervescent* - The economic crisis effectively stamped out the last
of these effervescent fables. 

He credits his effervescent wife with bringing him

out of his shell as a teenager.

egalitarianism - Common forms of egalitarianism include political,

philosophical, and religious.

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 Egalitarianism is fundamentally opposed to
discrimination of any kind. 

eloquent extremely, very, quite ~ Neither eloquent oratory nor military victories can

decide the rights of people. 

~ about, on
Three of the responses were
particularly eloquent and with very different
views. 
emanate ~ from Warmth and coziness emanate from this very
elegant and contemporary restaurant.  

He thinks change must emanate from civil society

and not be dependent on the King.

emphasis considerable, great, Several state entities are putting an emphasis on

increased, strong ~ improving transition services.

give, lay, place, put, shift ~ Emphasis should be placed on educating

Americans on a healthy diet and exercise.

~ on/upon
emphasize - Powell said he will emphasize discipline,
consistency and strong defensive play.

He wants to emphasize the importance of

information security to economic growth.

exuberant - As a young man, Arpino was crude, exuberant and

totally in tune with the moment. 

Exuberant he may be, but for James Horwill action

still speaks louder than words.
fall prey to - The immune system collapses, and
victims fall prey to one infection after another.  

They will be out on the streets where they

could fall prey to drugs or gang culture. 

feisty* - Enola is a feisty but thoughtful character that

mystery-loving girls will adore. 

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 Her feisty spirit comes through as a lobbyist, said
Pettibone's boss, Kim Stone. 

from rags to - Their journey from rags to riches, if it happens, is

riches often a round-trip ticket. 

You can go from rags to riches then back to

shirtless inside of two years. 
garrulous* - She has long blond hair, blue eyes, and a
confident, garrulous, firm nature. 

A garrulous storyteller, he was quick with a joke,

and Evelyn was his foil. 

genial - Could Feynman really have been as genial and

entertaining a fellow as he seemed?

Genial and enthusiastic, Randolph at times seems

as much impresario as teacher. 
glum* - Plenty of Americans, some glum, some relieved,
have reached the same conclusion. 

It was quite a contrast to the glum atmosphere it

was on Saturday after a loss.

gregarious* be, seem, become ~ Gregarious, with thick, caterpillar-like eyebrows,

Wolfgang is from Long Island. 

highly, very ~
Lions are odd because of all the living cats, only
they are socially gregarious.
grouchy* - Liberals, who dared to dream before election day,
turned grouchy the day after.

Rachel Zucker is a wife, a mother, a teacher, a

doula and a grouchy subway rider.

gullible* - Fortunately, most voters are not as gullible as he

and many politicians believe.

If Americans believe that story, they are the

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 most gullible people in the world.

haughty* - People here are proud, but they aren't accepting

of haughty behavior or attitudes.

Service is professional and not stuffy, although the

reservationist can be haughty. 
have a card up - Newt Gingrich or Rick Perry may still have a card or
your sleeve two up their sleeves. 

hyperbole - It was hyperbole, of course, but it came from a

deep, wide well of astonishment.

It's not hyperbole to say Marc Vetri is one of the

finest chefs in the country.
impeccable - As well as showing impeccable timing, he was
canny in his choice of destination. 

It is impeccable in its details, and yet it breathes

with spontaneity and ardor.

implication considerable, crucial, The implication is, once they learn, it can then be

enormous, important, left to themselves to do it.
fundamental, profound,
broad, far-reaching ~
The implications of these facts are a cause for
concern for any thinking person.
direct, clear, obvious,
underlying ~

commercial, constitutional,
economic, educational,
environmental, ethical,
financial, ideological, legal,
moral, philosophical,
political, psychological,
social ~

carry, have ~

~ about, ~ for

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imply clearly, heavily, strongly, I did not mean to imply other species could not
generally, automatically, not evolve to do this in the future.
necessarily ~

In no way does this imply that Monaco causes

in no way ~ people to be rich or that all Monaco people are
rich. 

indulge ~ in In which case, Henry and his All Blacks

cannot indulge in premature celebration.

Turkey is also gleefully using the trial to indulge in a

bout of Greece-bashing.
industrious - Most of the Greeks I know are hard-
working, industrious, and progressive people. 

She is incredibly industrious and helpful and loves

doing work for the church. 

insipid - If the coffee tastes a little bit weak and insipid, you

need to fine the grind. 

The insipid gravy hid a taste bud numbing cocktail

of gristle, fat and sinew. 
intransigent - Little criticism is directed towards
the intransigent Democratic leader Senator Reid.

It is time to remove these intransigent, extremist

Republican congressmen. 

intrepid - The key to his fortunes was an intrepid approach to

leverage and securitization. 

She was an intrepid traveler and once took a trip

around the world by herself. 
jovial* - Despite his jovial laugh and bulging bag of
balloons, Joel Wilkinson is no clown. 

The banquet was a jovial feast with endless meat

dishes, roast fowl and rabbit.

languid* - The canal has been enlarged several times, and

today looks like a languid river. 

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 Languid, seductive and purring, this type of person
is unselfish in relationships.

laudatory - I am offended as well by what might be

a laudatory memorial to a terrorist incident. 

Raucous applause followed

every laudatory statement from the stage. 
litigious - Cruise was a notoriously litigious member of a
notoriously litigious institution.

Sometimes the breakup is amicable, although it can

often be hostile and litigious. 

maintain have to, need to, strive to, Today, Montgomery continued to maintain silence,
be able to, be difficult to ~ as he has for the entire trial.

Management said it was important to stay listed

to maintain customer confidence. 
mediate - Thank you for stepping in with your offer
to mediate the conflict at Quiverfull.

There are always users willing to mediate and

arbitrate disputes between others.

meek* - By the time they return to her father's home, the

woman is meek and submissive.  

President Obama sounded humble, almost meek,

at his news conference Wednesday. 
messianic * - The film-maker was populist and subversive, a
storyteller with messianic resolve. 

The messianic idealist who sets the plot in motion

is a curiously bland figure.

negligent - Brufach, 19, also was charged with causing injury

by negligent use of explosives.

Negligent government food inspectors are also

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 targeted for criminal punishment.

nonchalant - You acted nonchalant about your inaugural, as if it

is just another inauguration. 

In the past oil companies often adopted

a nonchalant approach to the environment. 
nondescript - How do you keep your 40,000 stores from
becoming just another nondescript chain? 

Since it's tucked into the corner of

a nondescript strip mall, I needed the cue. 

nuisance Great, awful, bloody He has a responsibility to maintain them so that

they are not a nuisance to you. 
(taboo) ~

He's got a really good work rate, so he's more of

private, public, statutory ~
a nuisance than anything else. 
obnoxious - He's confident in himself without being obnoxious,
deferring at the right times.

She's abusive, spoiled and obnoxious, and yes my

friend helped her get that way.  

observation careful, close, detailed, He was an early advocate

systematic, empirical, of careful observation and scientific method in
scientific ~ medicine.

The boy had been under observation by doctors

while recovering from dehydration.
observe ~ carefully, closely, secretly, For those who closely observe politics or work in
experimentally the business, none of this is surprising.

The organization encourages breast cancer

survivors to watch, observe and train. 

obstinate - Sanctions can also strangle ordinary citizens

instead of obstinate world leaders. 

This fact is routinely ignored by obstinate skeptics

and dogmatic materialists. 
pep talk - Selig said he would wish them luck, but he had no

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 interest in giving a pep talk. 

Obama's comments amounted to part pep talk,

part defense of his economic agenda.

petulant* - He sounds like a petulant teenager in some god-

awful American high school rom com. 

Problem is, Baker looks less angry than irked, not

so much passionate as petulant.
pinpoint ~ exactly, precisely Both disorders often seem mysterious in that their
origins are hard to pinpoint.

Currently, Midfield cannot pinpoint the location of

an incoming cell phone call.

prudent* extremely, very, reasonably Nan Fung has always been prudent and cautious
~ when calculating risk in business.

How this prudent attitude can be used for the

usual German bashing is beyond me.
psyche - We just have a very fragile group and I am
concerned about their overall psyche.

It is our most profound and oldest regret, a tender

spot on the American psyche. 
put forward - Another component involves problems that
are put forward in the online platform.

The share exchange was put forward in February

as part of Citi's third bail-out. 
quarrelsome - However, he worried that the quarrelsome nature
of the two would split the empire.

Is there really an inconsistency between artistic

creation and a quarrelsome nature? 

reckless - Some spent millions on campaigns to entice you to

change your reckless behavior.

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 They say they need to end payment systems that
can trigger reckless risk-taking. 

reticent - They were proud, modest, eager to talk, reticent,

skeptical, flattered, patient.

He was a very quiet man, a little reticent, and I

think he was always like that. 
stolid* - An oddly reflective and gallant captive, he seems to
be consoling the stolid hero.

Stolid in appearance, sometimes slow of speech,

he was easy to underestimate. 

supercilious* - Mike has an aloof, supercilious manner and, as it

turns out, a secret agenda. 

Pop art's real genius is its acute critique of high

culture's supercilious conceits. 
surly* - Readers have reported that at this time of year
staff can be surly and unhelpful.

Saddled with a surly husband and disrespectful

son, she tries to remain cheerful.

tenacious - Are you a tenacious information gatherer with a

passion for getting things done? 

What I call tenacious, persistent reforming you call

fireworks, and vice versa.
typify - Alamedans might typify the state's Democrats,
who reflexively balk at spending cuts.

This mean spirit seems to typify conservative

leaders at both state and federal level. 

uncouth - An uncouth but charismatic Russian millionaire,

Dima, demands a match with Perry. 

Until he was too rich to ignore, high society wrote

him off as uncouth and illiterate.  
unilateral - The Europeans said they didn't like George W Bush

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 because he was too unilateral.

London regarded this state

of unilateral declaration of independence as illegal.

unscrupulous completely, quite, Some unscrupulous sellers send accomplices to

thoroughly, pretty ~ make fake bids to swell the price.

I'm sorry for making an unscrupulous and

irrelevant edit to a Wikipedia article. 
unswerving - Finally, Trenchard had an unswerving belief in the
importance of offensive action.

Yet as Swinton tells it,

this unswerving commitment to filmmakers is what
she does best. 

valiant* - Half a million Britons are missing, despite a valiant

attempt to track them down.

There is nothing valiant about not seeking medical

help if you really need it. 
verbosity - Their guitarist and brains, Pete Townshend, had an
inclination for verbosity. 

It found that verbosity can lead to

misunderstandings that could cost lives. 

vivacious* - She was a vivacious host and a great storyteller,

always up for a riotous laugh.

Friends said they remember Aasiya Hassan as

a vivacious and intelligent woman. 
yield ~ results, benefits That means the same batch can yield both positive
and negative results, he said. 

And they've been shown to yield only

marginal benefits in human clinical trials.

zealous (zeal)* - They are, in general, so zealous for the truth and

for the spread of the Gospel.

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Apple's army is prepped, already backed by over 3
million zealous iPad owners.

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