Ielts Ryan Vocab 1

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

accomplish verb [T ] to finish something successfully or to achieve something The students accomplished the task in less than ten minutes. She accomplished such a lot during her visit. I feel as if I've accomplished nothing since I left my job. account (to s b ) for s t h phrasal verb to explain the reason for something or the cause of something Can you account for your absence last Friday? She was unable to account for over $5 000 (= she could not explain where the money was). He has to account to his manager for (= tell his manager about and explain) all his movements. movements.

afford verb GIVE 2. [T] FORMAL to allow someone to have something pleasant or necessary The hut afforded little protection from the elements. [+ two objects] Her seat afforded her an uninterrupted view of the stage.

affront noun [C ] a remark or action intended to insult or offend someone He regarded the comments as an affront t o his dignity.

affront verb [T usually usually passive passive ] FORMAL to insult or offend someone I was most affronted b y his comments. an affronted look/glance

aid verb [T ] 1.

to help Huge projects designed to aid poorer countries can sometimes do more harm than good. His excuse for drinking brandy is that it's said to aid digestion. 2. aid and abet s b LEGAL LEGAL OR HUMOR HUMOROU OUS S to help someone to do something illegal or wrong Three tax inspectors were accused of aiding and abetting the men charged with fraud.

alarming adjective causing worry or fear alarming news There has been an alarming rise in t he rate of inflation.

alter verb CHANGE 1.

[I or T] to change change somet somethin hing, g, usuall usually y slightl slightly, y, or to cause cause the the charac character terist istics ics of of somethi something ng to change We've had to alter some of our plans. Although long-distance phone calls are going up, the charge for local calls will not alter. Giving up our car has radically altered our lifestyle. 2. [T] to change change the size size of clothes clothes so that that they fit better better I took the coat back to the shop to have it altered.


arrangement noun PLAN 1.

[C usually plural] a plan for how something will happen They'd m a d e all the arrangements f o r the party. [+ to infinitive] Arrangements were made t o move the prisoners to another jail. What are your current child-care arrangements? 2. [C or U] an agreement between two people or groups about how something happens or will happen [+ that] We h a d an arrangement t h a t he would clean the house and I would cook. I'm sure we can c o m e t o an arrangement (= reach an agreement). You can only withdraw money from this account by ( p r i o r ) arrangement (= after making plans to do so) w i t h the bank.

avenue noun [C ] POSSIBILITY 3. a method or way of doing something; a possibility We should e x p l o r e / p u r s u e every avenue in the search for an answer to this problem. Only two avenues are o p e n to us - either we accept his offer or we give up the fight completely.

balloon verb [I ] 1. to get bigger and rounder I ballooned when I became pregnant with my second baby. 2. to quickly increase in size, weight or importance The rumours soon ballooned i n t o a full-grown scandal. beef s t h up phrasal verb [M ] to make something stronger or more important We need to find some new players to beef up the team. The company has plans to beef up its production. Your report on the new car park is fine, but why don't you beef it up a bit w i t h some figures?

body noun GROUP OF PEOPLE 7.

[C + singular or plural verb] a group of people who have joined together for a particular reason a governing body an advisory body The RSPCA is a respected body working for animal welfare. There is a large body o f people who are unaware of their basic rights. 8. in a body FORMAL If people do something in a body, they do it together as a group, in an official way The cleaning staff went in a body to the manager to complain.

bring s t h about phrasal verb [M ] to cause something to happen He brought about his company's collapse by his reckless spending.

bypass verb [T ] 1. to avoid something by going around it We were in a hurry so we decided to bypass Canterbury because we knew there'd be a lot of traffic. 2. to ignore a rule or official authority They bypassed the committee and went straight to senior management.


conform verb [I ] to behave according to the usual standards of behaviour which are expected by a group or society At our school, you were required to conform, and there was no place for originality.

contest verb [T ] ARGUE 1. If you contest a formal statement, a claim, a judge's decision, or a legal case, you say formally that it is wrong or unfair and try to have it changed We will certainly contest any claims made against the safety of our products.

convince verb [T ] to persuade someone or make them certain He managed to convince the jury o f his innocence. [+ (that)] It's useless trying to convince her ( t h at ) she doesn't need to lose any weight. [+ to infinitive] I hope this will convince you t o change your mind.

convincing adjective 1. able to make you believe that something is true or right a convincing argument/explanation convincing evidence I didn't find the ending of the film very convincing. 2. a convincing win/victory a win or victory in which the person or team that wins is much better than the person or team they are competing against They won a convincing victory.

correlate verb [T] Stress levels and heart disease are strongly correlated (= connected).

correspond verb [I ] MATCH 1.

to match or be similar or equal The money I've saved corresponds roughly t o the amount I need for my course. The American FBI corresponds t o the British MI5. His story of what happened that night didn't correspond w i t h the witness's version.

corresponding adjective similar, or resulting from something else Company losses were 50 per cent worse than in the corresponding period last year. As the course becomes more difficult, there's usually a corresponding drop in attendance.

counter verb [I or T ] to react to something with an opposing opinion or action; to defend y ourself against something The Prime Minister countered the opposition's claims about health service cuts b y say i n g that the government had increased spending in this area. When criticisms were made of the school's performance, the parents' group countered w i t h details of its examination results. Extra police have been moved into the area to counter the risk of violence.

counterproductive adjective having an effect which is opposite to the one that is intended or wanted


Improved safety measures in cars can be counterproductive as they encourage people to drive faster.

course noun DEVELOPMENT 3.

[S] the often gradual development of something, or the way something happens, or a way of doing something Did the scandal have any effect on the course of the election? D u r i n g t h e / I n t h e course o f (= During) the interview it became clear that he was not suitable for the job. What would be an appropriate course ( o f a ct io n ) in such a situation? If our rivals are spending more on advertising, we'll have to follow the same course. The defendants are also accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice. 4. in the course of time UK after a period of time I expect they plan to have c hildren in the course of time. 5. in/with the course of time gradually With the course of time, I've learned to live with my disability.

curb verb [T ] to control or limit something that is not wanted The Government should act to curb tax evasion.

deem verb [T not continuous ] FORMAL to consider or judge something in a particular way [+ object + noun or adjective] The area has now been deemed safe. [+ noun or adjective] We will provide help whenever you deem it appropriate. [+ object + to infinitive] Anyone not paying the registration fee by 31 March will be deemed t o have withdrawn from the scheme.

demographics plural noun the quantity and characteristics of the people who live in a particular area, especially in relation to their age, how much money they have and what they spend it on T h e demographics o f the country have changed dramatically in recent years. No one has exact demographics on (= information about the quantity and characteristics of the people who live in) the area.

depict verb [T ] to represent or show something in a picture or story Her paintings depict the lives of ordinary people in the last century. In the book, he depicts his father a s a tyrant. [+ -ing verb] People were shocked by the advertisement which depicted a woman beat i n g her husband.

derive verb derive s t h from s t h to get something from something else The institute derives all its money from foreign investments. She derives great pleasure/satisfaction from playing th e violin.

differ verb [I ]


1.

to be not like something or someone else, either physically or in another way The twins look alike, but they differ i n temperament. His views differ considerably f r o m those of his parents. The findings of the various studies differ s ig n if ic a n t ly / m a r k ed ly / r a d ic a ll y . The incidence of the illness differs greatly b et w e en men and women. 2. FORMAL to disagree Economists differ o n the cause of inflation. I b e g t o differ w i t h you on that point.

disorder noun ILLNESS 2. [C or U] an illness of the mind or body a b lo o d disorder The family have a history of m e n t a l disorder.

diverse adjective varied or different Students from countries as diverse as Colombia and Lithuania use Cambridge textbooks. New York is a very cu lt u r al ly / e t h n ic a ll y diverse city.

eager adjective wanting very much to do or have something, especially something interesting or enjoyable the children's eager faces [+ to infinitive] She sounded very eager t o meet you. They crowded round the spokesperson, eager f o r any news.

embodiment noun the embodiment of s t h someone or something that represents a quality or an idea exactly He was the embodiment of the English g entleman. She was portrayed in the papers as the embodiment of evil.

embody verb [T ] FORMAL 1. to represent a quality or an idea exactly She embodied good sportsmanship on the playing field. 2. to include as part of something Kennett embodied in one man an unusual range of science, music and religion.

employ verb USE 2. [T] FORMAL to use something Sophisticated statistical analysis was employed to obtain these results.

employ verb SPEND TIME 3. be employed in doing s t h FORMAL to spend time doing something He was busily employed in lacing up his shoes.

encourage verb [T ] 1.

to make someone more likely to do something, or to make something more likely to happen [T + to infinitive] We were encouraged t o learn foreign languages at school.


The council is encouraging the development of the property for both employment and recreation. 2. to talk or behave in a way that gives someone confidence to do something They've always encouraged me i n everything I've wanted to do.

energize , UK USUALLY energise verb [T ] to make someone feel energetic or eager I felt very energized after my holiday.

entice verb [T ] to persuade someone to do something by offering them something pleasant The adverts entice the customer i n t o buy i n g things they don't really want. People are being enticed a w ay f r o m the profession by higher salaries elsewhere. [+ to infinitive] A smell of coffee in the doorway enticed people t o enter the shop.

exhibit verb [I or T ] to show something publicly He frequently exhibits at the art gallery. In the summer the academy will exhibit several prints w hich are rarely seen. He exhibited great self-control considering her rudeness.

experimentation noun [U ] the process of trying methods, activities, etc. to discover what effect they have Children need the opportunity for experimentation. Extensive experimentation is needed before new drugs can be so ld. Experimentation w i t h illegal drugs is dangerous. fall apart phrasal verb STOP WORKING 2. If an organization, system or agreement falls apart, it fails or stops working effectively The deal fell apart because of a lack of financing. Their marriage fell apart when she found out about her husband's affair.

foothold noun [C ] STRONG POSITION 2. a strong first position from which further progress can be made We are still trying to g et / g a i n a foothold in the Japanese market.

fore noun to the fore to public attention or into a noticeable position Various ecological issues have c o m e t o the fore since the discovery of the hole in the Earth's ozone layer. The prime minister has deliberately b r o u g h t t o the fore those ministers with a more caring image.

fortify verb [T ] to strengthen something, especially in order to protect it a fortified town They hurriedly fortified the village w i t h barricades of carts. The argument had fortified her resolve to prove she was right. He fortified himself w i t h a drink and a sandwich before driving on. a fruit drink fortified w i t h vitamin C (= with vitamin C added)


fulfil (-ll-) , US

USUALLY fulfill verb

[T ] MAKE HAPPEN 1. to do something that is expected, hoped for or promised or to cause it to happen A school fails if it does not fulfil the n ee d s / r e q u i r e m e n t s of its pupils. At the age of 45, she finally fulfilled her a m b i t i o n to run a marathon. Zoos fulfil an important f u n c t i o n in the protection of rare species. He has failed to fulfil his d u t i e s as a father. We're looking for a very specific sort of person and this woman seems to fulfil all of our c r it er ia . So did the course fulfil all your e x p e ct a t i o n s ? We're suing our suppliers for failing to fulfil their contract.

fulfilling adjective making you feel happy and satisfied Nursing is hard work, but it can be very fulfilling.

grim adjective (grimmer, grimmest) WITHOUT HOPE 1.

worrying, without hope The future l o o k s grim.

humanity noun PEOPLE 1. [U] people in general The massacre was a crime against humanity.

incite verb [T ] to encourage someone to do or feel something unpleasant or violent She incited racial hatred by distributing anti-Semitic leaflets. [+ to infinitive] She was expelled for inciting her classmates t o rebel against their teachers. They denied inciting the crowd t o violence.

influx noun [U ] the arrival of a large number of people or things at the same time Turkey is expecting an influx o f several thousand refugees over the next few days.

initiate verb [T ] START 1. SLIGHTLY FORMAL to cause something to begin Who initiated the violence?

initiate verb [T ] TEACH 2. to teach someone about an area of knowledge, or to allow someone into a group by a special ceremony At the age of eleven, Harry was initiated i n t o the art of golf by his father. Each culture had a special ritual to initiate boys i n t o manhood.

inroads plural noun make inroads to start to have a direct and noticeable effect (on something) The government is definitely making inroads i n t o the problem of unemployment.

landmass noun [C ] SPECIALIZED


a large area of land that is in one piece and not broken up by seas

linear adjective CONNECTION 3. FORMAL involving a series of events or thoughts in which one follows another one directly These mental exercises are designed to break linear thinking habits and encourage the creativity that is needed for innovation. 4. FORMAL describes a relationship between two things that is direct or clear Is there a linear relationship between salaries and productivity?

manner noun WAY 1.

[S] the way in which something is done She stared at me i n an accusing manner. He was elected i n the normal manner. It was the manner o f her death that stuck in the public's mind. 2. in the manner of s t h in the style of something Her latest film is a suspense thriller very much in the manner of Hitchcock.

meltdown noun NUCLEAR 1. [C or U] an extremely dangerous situation in a nuclear power station in which the nuclear fuel becomes very hot and melts through its container and escapes into the environment

merit noun [C or U ] 1. FORMAL the quality of being good and deserving praise an entertaining film with little a r t is t ic merit Her ideas have merit. Brierley's book has the merit of being both informative and readable. 2. the merits of s t h the advantages something has compared to something else We discussed the merits of herbal tea. 3. on y o u r (own) merits according to the qualities you have or have shown, without considering any other information or comparing you to someone else The committee say they will co n si d e r / j u d g e each applicant on his or her own merits.

notably adverb 1.

especially or most importantly

They have begun attracting investors, most notably big Japanese financial houses. 2. to an important degree, or in a way which can or should be noticed The newspapers are notably biased.

noteworthy adjective SLIGHTLY FORMAL deserving attention because important or interesting a noteworthy example/event It is noteworthy t h a t one-third of students do not pay any tuition fees. King Darius I is noteworthy f o r his administrative reforms, military conquests, and religious toleration.

nourish verb [T ] 1. to provide people or living things with food in order to make them grow and keep them healthy


Children need plenty of good fresh food to nourish them. She looks happy and well nourished. This cream is supposed to help nourish your skin. 2. FORMAL If you nourish a feeling, belief or plan, you think about it a lot and encourage it Lisa has long nourished the hope of becoming a famous writer.

nourishing adjective A nourishing drink or food makes you healthy and strong Sweets aren't very nourishing.

nourishment noun [U ] food that someone needs to make them grow and keep them healthy Young babies obtain all the nourishment they need from their mother's milk.

outweigh verb [T ] to be greater or more important than s omething else The benefits of this treatment far outweigh any risks.

palatable adjective TASTE 1. FORMAL describes food or drink that has a pleasant taste a very palatable wine The meal was barely palatable.

palate noun 1. [C] the top part of the inside of your mouth 2. [C usually singular] a person's ability to taste and judge good food and wine a d is cr im in at in g palate pertain to s t h phrasal verb FORMAL to be connected with a particular subject, event or situation We are only interested in the parts of the proposals that pertain to local issues.

plausible adjective 1. seeming likely to be true, or able to be believed a plausible explanation/excuse 2. DISAPPROVING describes someone who appears to be honest and telling the truth, even if they are not a plausible salesman

pose verb CAUSE 1.

[T] to cause something, especially a problem or difficulty Nuclear weapons pose a t h r e a t to everyone. The mountain terrain poses particular problems for civil engineers.

precedent noun 1.

[C] an action, situation or decision which has already happened and which can be used as a reason why a similar action or decision should be performed or taken There are several precedents f o r promoting people who don't have formal qualifications. Some politicians fear that agreeing to the concession would s e t a dangerous precedent.


2.

[U] the way that something has been done in the past which therefore shows that it is the correct way Would it be b r e a k i n g w i t h precedent for the bride to make a speech? 3. [C] LEGAL a decision about a particular law case which makes it likely that other similar cases will be decided in the same way The judgment on pension rights has e s t a b l i s h e d / s e t a precedent.

precursor noun [C ] SLIGHTLY

FORMAL

something which happened or existed before another thing, especially if it either developed into it or had an influence on it Sulphur dioxide is the main precursor o f acid rain. Biological research has often been a precursor t o medical breakthroughs.

preventive adjective [before noun ] (ALSO preventative) intended to stop something before it h appens In the past 10 years, preventive m e as u r e s have radically reduced levels of tooth decay in children. preventative m ed ic in e

promote verb ENCOURAGE 1.

[T] to encourage the popularity, sale, development or existence of something Advertising companies are always having to think up new ways to promote products. The Institute is intended to promote an understanding of the politics and culture of the Arab world. Greenpeace works to promote awareness of the dangers that threaten our planet today. It has long been known that regular exercise promotes all-round good health.

proximity noun [U ] FORMAL the state of being near in space or time The best thing about the location of the house is its proximity t o the town centre. put s t h in/put s t h into s t h phrasal verb [M ] to spend a lot of time or effort doing something You've obviously put a lot of w o r k in o n your garden. If I put in some extra hours (= spend some extra hours working) today, I can have some time off tomorrow. We've put a lot of time and effort into mak i n g the house look nice.

ramification noun [C usually plural ] the possible results of an action Have you considered all the ramifications o f your suggestion?

regardless adverb despite; not being affected by something The plan for a new office tower went ahead regardless o f local opposition. She knew it was dangerous to visit him except at night, but she set out regardless ( o f t h e r i sk ). This job is open to all, regardless o f previous experience.

reliant adjective He's completely reliant o n his wheelchair to get about.


remote adjective DISTANT 1.

far away in distance, time or relation remote galaxies It happened in the remote p a s t , so no one worries about it any more. They take little interest in a conflict far from their homes and remote f r o m their everyday problems. 2. describes an area, house or village that is a long way from any towns or cities a remote mountain village

result noun BECAUSE OF 1.

[C or S] something that happens or exists because of something else The road has been widened, but t h e result is just more traffic. His broken leg is t h e direct result o f his own carelessness. I tried to repaint the kitchen walls w i t h disastrous results. To ensure g o o d / t h e b e s t results, use Italian tomatoes and fresh basil. 2. as a result of s t h because of something Profits have declined as a result of the recent drop in sales. 3. [C usually plural] a good or pleasing effect We've spent a lot of money on advertising and we're beginning to see the results. She's an excellent coach who knows how to g e t results.

rewarding adjective giving a reward, especially by making you feel satisfied that you have done something important or useful, or done something well Is it a rewarding job? Textbook writing can be an intellectually and financially rewarding activity.

satisfaction noun 1.

[C or U] a pleasant feeling which you get when you receive something you wanted, or when you have done something you wanted to do She looked at the finished painting w i t h satisfaction. She derived/obtained great satisfaction f r o m / o u t o f helping other people. For me, j o b satisfaction is more important than the money. She h a d the satisfaction o f know i n g that she'd done everything she could. 2. [U] FORMAL when your complaint or problem is dealt with in a way you consider acceptable You've sold me a faulty product and I d em a n d satisfaction (= you must return my money or give me a new product). 3. [U] fulfilment (= achievement) of a need or wish the satisfaction o f one's sexual desires 4. to s b ' s satisfaction a. in a way that a particular person can believe or accept The boy explained to the satisfaction of the court why he had lied. b. in a way that a particular person feels pleased or satisfied with He won't get paid until he co mpletes the job to my satisfaction.

shift verb MOVE OR CHANGE 1.

[I or T] to (cause something or someone to) move or change from one position or direction to another, especially slightly She shifted (her weight) uneasily f r o m one foot t o the other. The wind is expected to shift ( t o the east) tomorrow.


Media attention has shifted recently o n t o environmental issues. 2. [T] MAINLY US to move the gears of a vehicle into different positions in order to make it go faster or slower In cars that are automatics, you don't have to bother with shifting g e a r s .

shrink verb (shrank, shrunk) BECOME SMALLER 1.

[I or T] to become smaller, or to make something smaller Your sweater will shrink if you wash it at too high a temperature. The company's profits have shrunk f r o m £5.5 million t o £1.25 million. The productivity improvements have shrunk our costs b y 25%.

sizeable , sizable adjective large a sizeable amount/area/house

stimulating adjective 1. If something is stimulating, it encourages new ideas a stimulating discussion Universities have been asked to make their courses more attractive and stimulating. 2. describes someone who makes you feel enthusiastic and full of ideas a really stimulating teacher 3. If an activity is stimulating, it causes your body to be active Aerobics is one of the most stimulating forms of exercise.

stupendous adjective very surprising, usually in a pleasing way, especially by being large in amount or size He ran up stupendous debts through his extravagant lifestyle. Stupendous news! We've won £500 000!

throughout preposition , adverb in every part, or during the whole period of time People throughout the country are out of work. He yawned throughout the performance. The school has been repainted throughout.

trait noun [C ] a particular characteristic that can produce a particular type of behaviour His sense of humour is one of his better traits. Arrogance is a very unattractive p e r so n a li t y / ch ar ac t e r trait.

tune noun UNDERSTANDING 4. be in/out of tune with s b / s t h If you are in tune with people or ideas, you understand or agree with them, and if you are out of tune with them, you do not Much of his success comes from being in tune with what his customers want. Her theories were out of tune with the scientific thinking of the time.

unpalatable adjective FORMAL 1. describes a fact or idea that is unpleasant or shocking and therefore difficult to accept


the unpalatable truth/facts about the war 2. describes food that is unpleasant to taste or eat

unprecedented adjective never having happened or existed in the past This century has witnessed environmental destruction o n a n unprecedented s c a l e .

uphold verb [T ] (upheld, upheld) to defend or keep a principle or law, or to state that a decision which has already been made, especially a legal one, is correct As a police officer you are expected to uphold the law whether you agree with it or not. Judge Davis upheld the county court's decision.

viability noun [U ] 1. ability to work as intended or to succeed Rising costs are threatening the viability o f many businesses. 2. SPECIALIZED ability to continue to exist or develop as a living being As the world population of Hawaiian geese has shrunk to very small numbers, the bird's continuing viability is in doubt.

viable adjective 1.

able to work as intended or able to succeed In order to make the company viable, it will unfortunately be necessary to reduce staffing levels. I am afraid your plan is not commercially/economically/financially/politically viable. 2. SPECIALIZED able to continue to exist as or develop into a living being There is a continuing debate about the age at which a human fetus can be considered viable.

vicinity noun [S ] the immediately surrounding area There are several hotels i n the i m m e d i a t e vicinity o f the station.

witness verb [T ] HAPPEN 3. FORMAL When a place or period witnesses a particular event, the event happens in that place or during that period This university has witnessed quite a few changes over the years. The past few years have witnessed momentous changes throughout Eastern Europe.

witness verb [T ] SHOW 4. to show or give proof of something This year's charity ball was the most successful one ever, a s witnessed b y the number of tickets sold. The programme aroused strong feelings - witness the number of letters received.

Ielts Ryan Vocab 1

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