Interesting vocabulary for the C2 level

hello: /hə ˈləʊ/  /he- /
hullo: /hə ˈləʊ/ /(ˌ)hʌ- /

bow-legged: having legs that curve out at the knees. E.g. I'm so bow-legged that my older brother says I look like I've been riding a bull since the day I was born.

begrudge: /bɪˈɡrʌdʒ/ 1. to feel unhappy that somebody has something because you do not think that they deserve it. E.g. begrudge somebody something You surely don't begrudge him his happiness. begrudge somebody doing something I don't begrudge her being so successful. 2. to feel unhappy about having to do, pay or give something begrudge something I begrudge every second I spent trying to help him. begrudge doing something They begrudge paying so much money for a second-rate service.

pinnacle: /ˈpɪnəkl/ pinnacle of something the most important or successful part of something. E.g. the pinnacle of her career. He spent more than twenty years at the pinnacle of his profession. Formula One is the pinnacle of motor racing. She is at the pinnacle of her profession. the pinnacle of fame/success Sp. la cumbre or la cúspide de la fama/del éxito.

recoup something /rɪˈkuːp/ (formal) to get back an amount of money that you have spent or lost. Recover. E.g. We hope to recoup our initial investment in the first year. The firm is hoping to recoup losses on car sales in the UK with this new model.

legionnaires’ disease: /ˌliːdʒəˈneəz dɪziːz/ a serious lung disease caused by bacteria, especially spread by air conditioning and similar systems. E.g. One dead and 17 Brits infected following Legionnaire’s outbreak in Mallorca

rapt: /ræpt/ so interested in one particular thing that you are not aware of anything else. E.g. a rapt audience. She listened to the speaker with rapt attention. He watched her with a rapt expression. Jill stared at them blankly, rapt in thought

a great many: A very large number of (people, things, etc.). E.g. A great many people have joined the protest to voice their concerns over increased taxes.

a good many: a lot of. E.g. There are still a good many empty seats.

take a shine to somebody/something (informal) to begin to like somebody very much as soon as you see or meet them. E.g. He seems to have taken a shine to you.

misanthropic: /ˌmɪsənˈθrɒpɪk/ hating and avoiding other people. E.g. his next-door neighbour is a misanthropic Vietnam veteran with a gambling addiction.

numbrous: /ˈnʌmbrəs/ (rare) Numerous, plentiful.

redeem: /rɪˈdiːm/
1. redeem somebody/something to make somebody/something seem less bad. Compensate. E.g. The excellent acting wasn't enough to redeem a weak plot. The only redeeming feature of the job (= good thing about it) is the salary. She seems to have no redeeming qualities (= good aspects of her character) at all. In an attempt to redeem the situation, Jed offered to help sell tickets.
2. redeem sth/ yourself to do something to improve the opinion that people have of you, especially after you have done something bad. E.g. He has a chance to redeem himself after last week's mistakes. Everyone thought badly of Alan when he was caught stealing from his employer, but he mended his ways and eventually redeemed his reputation. Tess got off to a bad start with her parents-in-law, but she redeemed herself by offering to do the washing up.
3. redeem somebody (in Christianity) to save somebody from the power of evil. E.g. Jesus Christ came to redeem us from sin. He was a sinner, redeemed by the grace of God. Christians believe Christ redeemed mankind.
4. redeem something to pay the full sum of money that you owe somebody; to pay a debt. E.g. to redeem a loan/mortgage. Tim and Abigail redeemed their mortgage last year.
5. redeem something to exchange something such as shares or vouchers for money or goods. E.g. This voucher can be redeemed at any of our branches. If you're going to the supermarket, you might as well redeem this voucher while you're there. Roberta redeemed a voucher for a bottle of wine at the supermarket.
6. redeem something to get back a valuable object from somebody by paying them back the money you borrowed from them in exchange for the object. E.g. He was able to redeem his watch from the pawnshop. Bill had pawned his watch and didn't have enough money to redeem it.
7. redeem a pledge/promise (formal) to do what you have promised that you will do. Sp. cumplir. E.g. Kirsty's father asked for his ashes to be scattered on his favourite beach and, after his death, she redeemed her promise to do so.

toe to toe: (of two people) standing directly in front of one another, especially in order to fight or argue. E.g. ‘there's little skill involved—you just stand toe to toe and hit each other!’

sine qua non: /ˌsɪneɪ kwɑː ˈnəʊn/ [singular] sine qua non (of/for something) (from Latin, formal) something that is essential before you can achieve something else. E.g. TV coverage is the sine qua non of a sport if it is to thrive. Trust is a sine qua non for any counselling.

rise through the ranks: E.g. He rose through the ranks to become managing director.

extemporaneously:/ɪkˌstɛmpəˈreɪnɪəsli/ Carried out or performed with little or no preparation. E.g. I'm going to pose to each of them a question to which they will respond extemporaneously - no PowerPoint presentations, no viewgraphs.

extemporaneous: Carried out or performed with little or no preparation. E.g. an extemporaneous piano recital.

impromptu: /ɪmˈprɒmptjuː/ done without preparation or planning. E.g. an impromptu speech. They often held impromptu meetings in their house.

the patter of tiny feet (informal or humorous) a way of referring to children when somebody wants, or is going to have, a baby. E.g. We can't wait to hear the patter of tiny feet.

patter: the sound that is made by something repeatedly hitting a surface quickly and lightly. E.g. the patter of feet/footsteps. the patter of rain on the roof. I could hear the pitter-patter of feet in the corridor.

pitter-patter: (also pit-a-pat) with quick light steps or beats. E.g. Her heart went pit-a-pat.

gem: a person, place or thing that is especially good. E.g. This picture is the gem (= the best) of the collection. a gem of a place. She's a real gem!

trustworthy
untrustworthy
trusting: tending to believe that other people are good, honest, etc. E.g. If you're too trusting, other people will take advantage of you. There is a need for a trusting relationship between client and consultant.
trustful: Having or marked by a total belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone.‘a trustful acceptance of authority’.
trusty: that you have had a long time and have always been able to rely on. E.g. a trusty friend She spent years touring Europe with her trusty old camera.
mistrustful: having no confidence in somebody/something because you think they may be harmful; not trusting somebody/something E.g. mistrustful (of somebody/something) Some people are very mistrustful of computers. Since the accident he has become withdrawn and mistrustful.
mistrust somebody/something to have no confidence in somebody/something because you think they may be harmful; to not trust somebody/something. Distrust. E.g. She mistrusts anyone in a position of authority.
distrust somebody/something to feel that you cannot trust or believe somebody/something. E.g. She distrusted his motives for wanting to see her again.
distrustful unwilling to trust somebody/something. E.g. He has always been distrustful of authority.

impressed: E.g. + by The manager was favourably impressed by Jo's work. + with He was very impressed with her house.

baccalaureate: /ˌbækəˈlɔːriət/ the last secondary school exam in France and some other countries, and in some international schools. E.g. to sit/take/pass/fail your baccalaureate.

noteworthy: /ˈnəʊtwɜːði/ deserving to be noticed or to receive attention because it is unusual, important or interesting. Significant. E.g. a noteworthy feature. It is noteworthy that only 15% of senior managers are women. The bridge is noteworthy for its sheer size. the thing that makes this era so noteworthy.

excursion  VERB + EXCURSION go on, make We decided to make an all-day excursion to the island. | arrange, organize |

regarding somebody/something: concerning somebody/something; about somebody/something. E.g. She has said nothing regarding your request. Call me if you have any problems regarding your work.

take advantage of something/somebody: to make use of something well; to make use of an opportunity. E.g. She took advantage of the children's absence to tidy their rooms. We took full advantage of the hotel facilities.

put your best foot forward to make a great effort to do something, especially if it is difficult or you are feeling tired. to try as hard as you can.  E.g. You really need to put your best foot forward in the interview if you want to get this job. I try to put my best foot forward whenever I meet someone for the first time.

class: E.g. conduct, give, take, teach Who's taking the class today?

bland:
1. with little colour, excitement or interest; without anything to attract attention. E.g. bland background music.
2. not having a strong or interesting taste. E.g. a rather bland diet of soup, fish and bread.

season (something) (with something) to add salt, pepper, etc. to food in order to give it more flavour. E.g. Season the lamb with garlic. Add the mushrooms, and season to taste (= add as much salt, pepper, etc. as you think is necessary). Season the meat well with salt and pepper. highly seasoned food.

sewage works, sewage plant, sewage farm: a place where sewage is treated so that it can be safely got rid of or changed into fertilizer

water-treatment plant, waterworks: a system of buildings and pipes in which a public supply of water is stored and treated and from which it is sent out.

Interesting vocabulary for the C2 level

change up (British English) to start using a higher gear when driving a car, etc. E.g. Change up into fifth.

change something up (informal) to do something in a different way. E.g. The team needs to change things up and engage a new player.

devolved: /dɪˈvɒlvd/ if power or authority is devolved, it has been passed to somebody who has less power. Sp. transferido. E.g. devolved responsibility. a system of devolved government.

prowl: /praʊl/ 1. (+ adv./prep.) | prowl something (of an animal) to move quietly and carefully around an area, especially when hunting. E.g. The tiger prowled through the undergrowth. 2. (+ adv./prep.) | prowl something to move quietly and carefully around an area, especially with the intention of committing a crime. E.g. A man was seen prowling around outside the factory just before the fire started. 3. prowl something | (+ adv./prep.) to walk around a room, an area, etc., especially because you are bored, anxious, etc., and cannot relax. E.g.  He prowled the empty rooms of the house at night.

bevy: /ˈbevi/
a large group of people or things of the same kind. E.g. a bevy of beauties (= beautiful young women) A bevy of movie stars arrived at the White House.

tails [plural] (also tailcoat [countable]) a long jacket divided at the back below the waist into two pieces that become narrower at the bottom, worn by men at very formal events. E.g. The men all wore top hat and tails.

tail: a person who is sent to follow somebody secretly and find out information about where that person goes, what they do, etc. E.g. The police have put a tail on him. We picked up a tail.

lint: 1. small soft pieces of wool, cotton, etc. that stick on the surface of cloth. Sp. pelusa. E.g. John picked some lint out of his pocket and threw it away. lint remover n (gadget for getting rid of fibres) Sp. quita pelusas
2. a type of soft cotton cloth used for covering and protecting wounds. Sp. venda adhesiva. E.g. The medic dressed the wound with some lint to stop the bleeding.

consist in something

(formal) to have something as the main or only part or feature. E.g. The beauty of the city consists in its magnificent buildings. The beauty of air travel consists in its speed and ease. consist in doing something True education does not consist in simply being taught facts. For her, happiness consists in watching television and reading magazines

consist of somebody/ consist of something to be formed from the people or things mentioned. E.g. The committee consists of ten members. Their diet consisted largely of vegetables. Their conversation consisted almost entirely of gossip. a gas station that basically consists of two gas pumps and a vending machine. consist of doing something Most of the fieldwork consisted of making tape recordings.

licentious: /laɪˈsenʃəs/ behaving in a way that is considered sexually immoral. E.g. the ruler's tyrannical and licentious behaviour

licentiousness: /laɪˈsenʃəsnəs/ behaviour that is considered sexually immoral. E.g. The drink merely lubricated the licentiousness

debacle: /deɪˈbɑːkl/ /dɪˈbɑːkl/
an event or a situation that is a complete failure and causes embarrassment. Sp. desastre. E.g. He should take responsibility for the debacle and resign. Let’s hope this is the end of the debacle over player transfer fees. The ceremony ended up being a debacle because of poor planning and bad luck

hardwired: /ˌhɑːdˈwaɪəd/ (of a skill, quality or type of behaviour) present when you are born and not changing during your life Many aspects of morality appear to be hardwired in the brain. Anxiety is a hardwired response that everyone experiences. There is evidence that we are hardwired to be musical.

Bank freeze:  freezing of financial assets. Sp.corralito.

gritty:
1. containing or like grit (Sp. arenilla, gravilla). Sp. arenoso. E.g. a layer of gritty dust. The gritty sandpaper worked well to remove the old paint from the wood.
2. showing the courage and determination to continue doing something difficult or unpleasant. Sp. valiente. E.g.  gritty determination (Sp.obstinada determinación). a gritty performance from the British player. Tottenham’s gritty fightback was rewarded by a goal in the closing minutes. The gritty soldier kept going despite the explosions.
3. showing something unpleasant as it really is. realistic, unidealized. Sp. crudo. E.g. a gritty description of urban violence. gritty realism. A gritty industrial city.

profusely: /prəˈfjuːsli/ in large amounts, To a great degree. E.g. to bleed profusely. to apologize profusely. the book is profusely illustrated with period photos. the waiter was profusely apologetic.

kayaking: E.g. the centre is ideal for kayaking.

pull your socks up

(British English, informal) to try to improve your performance, work, behaviour, etc. E.g. You're going to have to pull your socks up.

nudge: /nʌdʒ/ a slight push, usually with the elbow. E.g. She gave me a gentle nudge in the ribs to tell me to shut up. (figurative) He can work hard but he needs a nudge now and then.

nudge somebody/something + adv./prep. to push somebody/something gently or gradually in a particular direction. E.g. He nudged the ball past the goalie and into the net. She nudged me out of the way. (figurative) He nudged the conversation towards the subject of money. (figurative) She tried to nudge him into changing his mind (= persuade him to do it).

remnant: /ˈremnənt/ a part of something that is left after the other parts have been used, removed, destroyed, etc. E.g. The woods are remnants of a huge forest which once covered the whole area. Many of the traditions are remnants of a time when most people worked on the land.

tenable: /ˈtenəbl/ (of a theory, an opinion, etc.) easy to defend against attack or criticism. Sp. sostenible. E.g. a tenable position The old idea that this work was not suitable for women was no longer tenable.

brainy: /ˈbreɪni/ very intelligent. E.g. He’s a brainy kid.

vicissitude: one of the many changes and problems in a situation or in your life, that you have to deal with. E.g. the vicissitudes of family life.

profitable, fruitful, productive: Sp. Fructífero

creak: to make the sound that a door sometimes makes when you open it or that a wooden floor sometimes makes when you step on it. Sp. chirriar. E.g. She heard a floorboard creak upstairs. a creaking bed/gate/stair. The table creaked and groaned under the weight. The timbers creaked as the boat set sail. + adj. The door creaked open.

impregnable: /ɪmˈpreɡnəbl/ 1. an impregnable building is so strongly built that it cannot be entered by force. Sp. impenetrable. E.g. an impregnable fortress. 2. strong and impossible to defeat or change. Invincible. E.g. The team built up an impregnable 5–1 lead. the seemingly impregnable Nazi regime.

blight something to spoil or damage something, especially by causing a lot of problems. Sp. arruinar, frustrar. E.g.  His career has been blighted by injuries. an area blighted by unemployment. His life was blighted by alcohol.

adept: (adj) /əˈdept/
adept (at/in something) | adept (at/in doing something) good at doing something that is quite difficult. Skilful. E.g. He became adept at getting even the shyest students to talk.

adept: (N) /ˈædept/ a person who is good at doing something that is quite difficult. E.g. He was an adept at concealing the truth. to be an adept at sth/at doing sth Sp. ser experto or maestro en algo/en hacer algo.

trough: /trɒf/ a period of time when the level of something is low, especially a time when a business or the economy is not growing. E.g. There have been peaks and troughs in the long-term trend of unemployment. be persistent and take the peaks with the troughs. Economists believe we are past the trough of the recession. Investing small amounts regularly is a good way of smoothing out the peaks and troughs of the stock market.

emblem: /ˈembləm/ a design or picture that represents a country or an organization. E.g. America’s national emblem, the bald eagle. the club emblem.

unbelief: lack of belief, or the state of not believing, especially in God, a religion, etc. The fact of not having religious belief. E.g. He claimed that all sin originated from unbelief and pride.

disbelief: the feeling of not being able to believe something. E.g. He stared at me in disbelief. To enjoy the movie you have to suspend your disbelief (= pretend to believe something, even if it seems very unlikely).

custodial: /kʌˈstəʊdiəl/ involving sending somebody to prison. E.g. The judge gave him a custodial sentence (= sent him to prison).

landmark (in something) an event, a discovery, an invention, etc. that marks an important stage in something. E.g. The ceasefire was seen as a major landmark in the fight against terrorism. a landmark decision/ruling (decision that sets legal precedent) Sp. jurisprudenciain. A landmark hearing.

Interesting vocabulary for the C2 level

trade-off (between something and something) the act of balancing two things that are opposed to each other.E.g. a trade-off between increased production and a reduction in quality. There is a trade-off between the benefits of the drug and the risk of side effects.

punch above your weight

to be or try to be more successful than others in doing something that normally requires more skill, experience, money, etc. than you have. E.g. This player seems to be able to constantly punch above his weight. He punched above his weight as the party’s foreign affairs spokesman.

at somebody’s behest /bɪˈhest/

(old use or formal) because somebody has ordered or requested it. E.g. at the King’s behest/at the behest of the King.

wind somebody /wɪnd/ to make somebody unable to breathe easily for a short time. E.g. He was momentarily winded by the blow to his stomach. 

haggard: /ˈhæɡəd/ looking very tired because of illness, worry or lack of sleep. Drawn. E.g.
He looked pale and haggard. A haggard face.

drawn:
(of a person or their face) looking pale and thin because the person is ill/sick, tired or worried. E.g. She looked very pale and drawn. Jo looked drawn and strained after her long night’s work.

iridescent: /ˌɪrɪˈdesnt/
showing many bright colours that seem to change in different lights. E.g. a bird with iridescent blue feathers. Her latest fashion collection features shimmering iridescent materials. They are often iridescent, giving them a spectacular array of colours.’The iridescent feathers of the peacock fascinated the small children.  Las iridiscentes plumas del pavo real fascinaron a los niños.

blood-curdling: /ˈblʌd kɜːdlɪŋ/
(of a sound or a story) filling you with horror; extremely frightening. Sp. espeluznante. E.g. a blood-curdling scream/story. Janice let out a blood- curdling scream when she saw the ghostly figure.
Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un trade blood-curdling threats against each other's countries.

catfish: to pretend to be somebody else on a social networking website in order to deceive other people. Lure (someone) into a relationship by means of a fictional online persona. E.g. ‘he was being catfished by a cruel prankster’

‘a victim of catfishing’

holler: /ˈhɒlə(r)/ to shout loudly. E.g. holler (at somebody) Don't holler at me! He hollered something I couldn't understand. He was hollering something about seeing a snake.

holler: (N) A loud cry or shout. E.g. He let out a holler as he fell. Give me a holler.
‘the audience responded with whoops and hollers.

whoop: a loud cry expressing joy, excitement, etc. Sp. hurras, vivcas. E.g. whoops of delight

Interesting vocabulary for the C2 level

hew: /hjuː/ (hew, hewed/hewn, hewed/hewn) hew something (old-fashioned) to cut something large with a tool. E.g. to hew wood. The stones were hewn by the Incas.

hew something (out of something) (formal) to make or shape something large by cutting roughly. E.g. hewn timber frames. The statues were hewn out of solid rock. They hewed a path through the forest. The cave has been hewn out of the hillside.

pull the wool over somebody’s eyes

(informal) to try to trick somebody; to hide your real actions or intentions from somebody. To deceive sb. E.g. She was pulling the wool over our eyes. He doesn't have any special powers – he's just trying to pull the wool over your eyes

conundrum: /kəˈnʌndrəm/
1. a confusing problem or question that is very difficult to solve. Sp. problema, misterio, enigma. E.g. The role of clouds is one of the big conundrums of climatology. The proposition has raised a constitutional conundrum. Sp. La propuesta ha generado un problema constitucional.
2. a question, usually involving a trick with words, that you ask for fun. Riddle. Sp. acertijo, adivinanza. Conundrums are nearly impossible to translate. Sp. Los acertijos son casi imposibles de traducir.

spanking: (N) a series of hits on the bottom, given to somebody, especially a child, as a punishment. E.g. to give somebody a spanking. I don't agree with spanking.

spanking: (adv) when you say that something is spanking new, etc. you are emphasizing that it is very new, etc. Very, completely. E.g. a spanking white Rolls-Royce. A spanking new suit. Spanking white sheets.

spanking: (adj) very fast, good or impressive. Very quick. E.g. They raced by at a spanking pace. The horse set off at a spanking pace. We had a spanking time last night.

lull (in something) /lʌl/ a quiet period between times of activity. E.g. a lull in the conversation/ fighting. Just before an attack everything would go quiet but we knew it was just the lull before the storm (= before a time of noise or trouble).

wrought something (formal or literary) (used only in the past tense)(Wrought is an old form of the past tense of work.) caused something to happen, especially a change. Sp. causado, provocado, originado. E.g. This century wrought major changes in our society. The storm wrought havoc in the south. The destruction wrought by the earthquake was unbelievable. Sp. La destrucción causada por el terremoto fue increíble. The destruction that has been wrought by the hurricane is unprecedented.

gazebo: /ɡəˈziːbəʊ/ a small building with open sides in a garden/yard, especially one with a view. a small decorated building or temporary structure, usually in a garden, that can be used for relaxing or entertaining guests. Sp. kiosko. E.g. The ceremony will be held at the gazebo in the center of town. Sp. La ceremonia tomará lugar en la glorieta que esta en el centro de la ciudad.

pergola: /ˈpɜːɡələ/
an arch in a garden/yard with a frame for plants to grow over and through.

trellis: /ˈtrelɪs/ a light frame made of long narrow pieces of wood that cross each other, used to support climbing plants. A light frame made of bars of wood or metal crossed over each other, attached to a wall for plants to grow up.

furnish
1. furnish something to put furniture in a house, room, etc. E.g. The room was furnished with antiques.
2. furnish somebody/something with something | furnish something (formal) to supply or provide somebody/something with something; to supply something to somebody. E.g. She furnished him with the facts surrounding the case. Foreign investors furnished most of the capital for the project.


rig something to arrange or influence something in a dishonest way in order to get the result that you want. Fix. E.g. He said the election had been rigged. A commission was appointed to ensure the lottery was not rigged. to rig the market (= to cause an artificial rise or fall in prices, in order to make a profit) a rigged match.

char:
char (something) to become black by burning; to make something black by burning it. E.g. Grill the peppers until the skin starts to char.