大一英文隨手記

1.charge

Pronunciation: \ˈchärj\

Origin:

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from charger

First Known Use: 13th century

Definition:

• an amount of electricity

• the amount of an explosive material (such as dynamite) that is used in a single blast

• the responsibility of managing or watching over something

Sample sentence:

He has charge of the building.

Synonyms and related words:

complaint, count, indictment, rap

2.foe

Pronunciation: \ˈfō\

Origin:

Middle English fo, from Old English fāh, from fāh, adjective, hostile; akin to Old High German gifēh hostile

First Known Use: before 12th century

Definition:

an enemy

Sample sentence:

Many considered him a foe of democracy.

Synonyms and related words:

adversary, antagonist, enemy, hostile, opponent

Antonyms:

amigo, friend

3.formidable

Pronunciation: \ˈfȯr-mə-də-bəl; fȯr-ˈmi-, fər-ˈmi-\

Origin:

Middle English, from Latin formidabilis, from formidare to fear,

from formido terror, bogey; akin to Greek mormō bogey

First Known Use: 15th century

Definition:

• very powerful or strong : deserving serious attention and respect

• very difficult to deal with

• large or impressive in size or amount

Sample sentence:

He has mastered a formidable amount of material.

Synonyms and related words:

alarming, dire, direful, dread, dreadful

Antonyms:

cheap, easy, effortless, facile, light

4.frailty

Pronunciation: \ˈfrāl-tē\

Origin:

First Known Use of FRAILTY   h century

Definition:

physical weakness : the quality or state of being frail

weakness of character that causes a person to do things that are morally wrong

Sample sentence:

We can no longer be surprised by the frailties of our political leaders.

Synonyms and related words:

demerit, dereliction, failing, foible, fault

Antonyms:

merit, virtue

5.grunt

Pronunciation: \ˈgrənt\

Origin:

Middle English, from Old English grunnettan, frequentative of grunian, of imitative origin

First Known Use: before 12th century

Definition:

to make a short, low sound : to make a grunt

to say (something) with a grunt

Sample sentence:

The workers were grunting with effort as they lifted the heavy furniture.

Synonyms and related words:

chunter [British], mumble, mouth, murmur, mutter

Antonyms:

speak out, speak up

6.majestic

Pronunciation: \mə-ˈjes-tik\

Origin:

First Known Use of MAJESTIC 01

Definition:

large and impressively beautiful

Synonyms and related words:

classy, courtly, fine, graceful, handsome, elegant

Antonyms:

dowdy, graceless, inelegant, styleless, tasteless

7.menacing

Pronunciation:\ˈme-nəs\

Origin:

Middle English manace, from Anglo-French manace, menace, from Latin minacia,

from minac-, minax threatening, from minari to threaten — more at mount

First Known Use: 14th century

Definition:

a dangerous or possibly harmful person or thing

someone who causes trouble or annoyance

a dangerous or threatening quality

Sample sentence:

There was an atmosphere of menace in the city.

Synonyms and related words:

hazard, imminence, danger, peril, pitfall, risk, threat, trouble

8.retreat

Pronunciation: \ri-ˈtrēt\

Origin:

Middle English retret, from Anglo-French retrait, from past participle of retraire to withdraw,

from Latin retrahere, from re- + trahere to draw

First Known Use: 14th century

Definition:

movement by soldiers away from an enemy because the enemy is winning or has won a battle

movement away from a place or situation especially because it is dangerous, unpleasant, etc.

the act of changing your opinion or position on something because it is unpopular

Synonyms and related words:

pullback, pullout, recession, retirement, withdrawal

Antonyms:

advance, advancement

9.sideways

Pronunciation: \-ˌwāz\

Origin:

First Known Use of SIDEWAYS 1577

Definition:

with one side facing forward

to or toward the right or left side

10.snarl

Pronunciation: \ˈsnär(-ə)l\

Origin:

Middle English, to trap, entangle, probably frequentative of snaren to snare

First Known Use: 14th century

Definition:

to make excessively complicated

11.fundamental

Pronunciation: \ˌfən-də-ˈmen-t^əl\

Origin:

First Known Use of FUNDAMENTAL 15th century

Definition:

forming or relating to the most important part of something

of or relating to the basic structure or function of something

Sample sentence:

There's a fundamental difference between these two political parties.

Synonyms and related words:

abecedarian, basal, basic, beginning, elemental

Antonyms:

advanced

12.ranger

Pronunciation: \ˈrān-jər\

Origin:

First Known Use of RANGER 14th century

Definition:

• a person in charge of managing and protecting part of a public forest

• a person in charge of managing and protecting part of a national park

• a soldier in the U.S. Army who has special training especially in fighting at close range

Sample sentence:

She's now a ranger at a national forest in Montana.

13.weapon

Pronunciation: \ˈwe-pən\

Origin:

Middle English wepen, from Old English wǣpen; akin to Old High German wāffan weapon, Old Norse vāpn

First Known Use: before 12th century

Definition:

something (such as a skill, idea, or tool) that is used to win a contest or achieve something

Sample sentence:

The pitcher's slider is his most effective weapon.

14.despair

Pronunciation: \di-ˈsper\

Origin:

Middle English despeiren, from Anglo-French desperer, from Latin desperare, from de- + sperare to hope; akin to Latin spes hope

First Known Use: 14th century

Definition:

to no longer have any hope or belief that a situation will improve or change

Synonyms and related words:

despond, lose heart

Antonyms:

brighten, cheer (up), perk (up)

15.fury

Pronunciation: \ˈfyu̇r-ē\

Origin:

Middle English furie, from Latin furia, from furere to rage

First Known Use: 14th century

Definition:

violent anger

wild and dangerous force

Sample sentence:

Nothing could contain his fury over their accusations.

16.intent

Pronunciation: \in-ˈtent\

Origin:

Middle English entente, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin intentus, from Latin, act of stretching out, from intendere

First Known Use: 13th century

Definition:

the thing that you plan to do or achieve : an aim or purpose

Sample sentence:

She thinks I'm trying to make things difficult for her, but that's not my intent.

17.outlast

Pronunciation:/ˌaʊtˈlɑːst/

Definition:

to live or exist, or to stayenergetic and determined, longer than another personor thing

Sample sentence:

The Orioles outlasted the Yankees, finallywinning 10 to 9.

18.petrifying

Pronunciation:\ˈpe-trə-ˌfī\

Origin:

Middle French petrifier, from petr- + -ifier -ify

First Known Use: 1594

Definition:

• to make (someone) very afraid

• to slowly change (something, such as wood) into stone or a substance like stone over a very long period of time

19.rusty

Pronunciation:\ˈrəs-tē\

Origin:

First Known Use of RUSTY fore 12th century

Definition:

affected by or as if by rust; especially:  stiff with or as if with rust

20.tame

Pronunciation: \ˈtām\

Origin:

Middle English, from Old English tam; akin to Old High German zam tame, Latin domare to tame, Greek damnanai

First Known Use: before 12th century

Definition:

• not wild : trained to obey people

• not afraid of people

• not exciting or interesting

21.twitch

Pronunciation: \ˈtwich\

Origin:

Middle English twicchen; akin to Old English twiccian to pluck, Old High German gizwickan to pinch

First Known Use: 14th century

Definition:

to make a slight, sudden movement that is not controlled or deliberate

:to move or pull (something) with a sudden motion

22.discover

Pronunciation: \dis-ˈkə-vər\

Origin:

Middle English, from Anglo-French descoverir, descovrir, from Late Latin discooperire,

from Latin dis- + cooperire to cover

First Known Use: 14th century

Definition:

• to see, find, or become aware of (something) for the first time

• to show the presence of (something hidden or difficult to see) : to make (something) known

• to learn or find out (something surprising or unexpected)

23.rustle

Pronunciation: \ˈrə-səl\

Origin:

Middle English rustelen

First Known Use: 14th century

Definition:

• to make a soft, light sound because parts of something are touching or rubbing against each other

• to cause (something) to make a soft, light sound

• to steal (animals) from a farm or ranch

24.melodiously

Pronunciation: \mə-ˈlō-dē-əs\

Origin:

First Known Use of MELODIOUS

14th century

Definition:

having a pleasing melody : having or making a pleasant musical sound

25.pneumonia

Pronunciation: \nu̇-ˈmō-nyə, nyu̇-\

Origin:

New Latin, from Greek, from pneumōn lung, alteration of pleumōn — more at pulmonary

First Known Use: 1603

Definition:

medical : a serious disease that affects the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe