8 T3 S1
Seldom(Adverb) Synonym: Rarely
Not often
· He had seldom seen a child with so much talent.
· She seldom, if ever, goes to the theatre.
· They seldom watch television these days.
· (literary) Seldom had he seen such beauty.
Thunderstorm(Noun) Synonym: Downpour
A storm with thunder and lightning and usually very heavy rain
· He slept well, unaware of the thunderstorms which filled the night.
· The church was struck by lightning during a violent thunderstorm.
Roll in (phrasal verb) Synonym: Appear
(informal)to arrive in great numbers or amounts
· Offers of help are still rolling in.
To arrive late at a place, without seeming worried or sorry
· Steve rolled in around lunchtime.
Neutralize (verb) Synonym: Counteract
Neutralize something to stop something from having any effect
· The latest figures should neutralize the fears of inflation.
· This strategy effectively neutralizedwhat the Conservatives had hoped would be a vote-winner.
Neutralize something (chemistry) to make a substance neutral
· Lime was used to neutralize the acidity of the soil.
Neutralize something to make a country or an area neutral
· The treaty neutralized the Black Sea.
Precise (adjective) Synonym: Exact
Clear and accurate
· Precise details/instructions/measurements
· Can you give a more precise definition of the word?
· I can be reasonably precise about the time of the incident.
[only before noun] used to emphasize that something happens at a particular time or in a particular way
· We were just talking about her when, at that precise moment, she walked in.
· Doctors found it hard to establish the precise nature of her illness.
Taking care to be exact and accurate, especially about small details
· A skilled and precise workersmall,
· Precise movements
· (disapproving) She's rather prim and precise.
Someplace (adverb, pronoun) Synonym: Place
· It has to go someplace.
· Can't you do that someplace else?
· We need to find someplace to live.
Reveal (Verb) Synonym: Disclose
To make something known to somebody
Reveal something (to somebody)
· To reveal a secret
· Details of the murder were revealed by the local paper.
· The doctors did not reveal the truth to him.
· Salted peanuts were recently revealed as the nation’s favourite snack.
· Her expression revealed nothing.
Reveal (that)…
· The report reveals (that) the company made a loss of £20 million last year.
It is revealed that…
· It was revealed that important evidence had been suppressed.
Reveal how, what, etc…
· Officers could not reveal how he died.
Reveal somebody/something to be/have something
· Salted peanuts were recently revealed to be the nation's favourite snack.
To show something that previously could not be seen
Reveal something
· He laughed, revealing a line of white teeth.
· The door opened to reveal a cosy little room.
· X-rays revealed a fracture.
Reveal yourself
· She crouched in the dark, too frightened to reveal herself.
Brewing(verb) Synonym: Seethe
[transitive, intransitive] brew something to make beer.
· This beer is brewed in the Czech Republic.
[transitive] brew something to make a hot drink of tea or coffee
· Freshly brewed coffee
[intransitive] (especially British English) (of tea or coffee) to be mixed with hot water and become ready to drink
· Always let tea brew for a few minutes.
[intransitive] brew (up) (usually used in the progressive tenses) if something unpleasant is brewing or brewing up, it seems likely to happen soon
· Trouble has been brewing for some time now.
· A storm was brewing up out at sea.
Stumble(noun) Synonym: Adapt
(informal) a problem or temporary failure when you are on the way to achieving something
· There were good reasons for the team's first-round stumble against Los Angeles…
An act of falling or almost falling, especially because you hit your foot against something
· After a slight stumble backwards, he regained his balance.
A mistake that causes you to stop when you are reading, speaking or playing music
· Verbal stumbles
Reckon(verb) Synonym: Evaluate
[transitive, intransitive] reckon (that)… (informal, especially British English) to think something or have an opinion about something
· I reckon (that) I’m going to get that job.
· He'll be famous one day.
· What do you reckon (= do you agree)?
· It's worth a lot of money, I reckon.
· ‘They'll never find out.’ ‘You reckon?’ (= I think you may be wrong about that)
Avalanche(noun) Synonym: Landslide
A mass of snow, ice and rock that falls down the side of a mountain
· Alpine villages destroyed in an avalanche
· He was killed in an avalanche while skiing.
· (figurative) We received an avalanche of letters in reply to our advertisement.
Forecast( Noun) Synonym: Predict
A statement about what will happen in the future, based on information that is available now
· Sales forecasts
· It is difficult to make long-term forecasts for a fast-growing industry.
· The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers.
· The shipping forecast gave warnings of gales
Menace (Noun) Synonym: Threat
[countable, usually singular] menace (to somebody/something) a person or thing that causes, or may cause, serious damage, harm or danger
· A new initiative aimed at beating the menace of illegal drugs
· The communists remain a potential menace to the stability of the government.
[uncountable] an atmosphere that makes you feel threatened or frightened
· A sense/an air/a hint of menace in his voice
[countable, usually singular] (informal) a person or thing that is annoying or causes trouble
Menaces [plural] (law, British English) threats that somebody will cause harm if they do not get what they are asking for
· To demand money with menaces
Hailstones(noun) Synonym: Ice
A small ball of ice that falls like rain
· Britain’s biggest recorded hailstone weighed 5 oz.
· We struggled up the hill in a wind full of dust and hailstones.