用法学习: 1. Glow-up ( = glo-up, = glo up.) 蜕变, 忽然成功, 大成功, 女大十八变 丑小鸭变白天鹅 is an informal term for a (perceived) dramatic positive change in someone or something's physical appearance. The related verb, to glow up, refers to undergoing or causing such a change. Being the woman you needed as a girl is the ultimate glow-up. I'm starting a glo up thread, let's see them before and now pic. If you say that someone glows up, you mean that they become more mature, confident, and attractive. It's time to glow up! glow up verb. To transform oneself in a significant way. The phrase can be applied to positive changes in one's appearance, but usually focuses more on one's successes in life and increased self-confidence. I feel like I really glowed up this year because I started a great new job, ended a toxic relationship, and became comfortable with being single. I really floundered after graduating from college last year—that's why I'm determined to glow up this year. New year, new me! Look at you—a manager! You've glowed up so much since you started here as an intern. noun. A significant self-transformation. The phrase can be applied to positive changes in one's appearance, but usually focuses more on one's successes in life and increased self-confidence. I feel like I really had a glow up this year because I started a great new job, ended a toxic relationship, and became comfortable with being single. Have you seen Ellie lately? She's stunning! She's had quite the glow up since middle school. If I have had a glow up, it's probably because of therapy. My anxiety isn't as crippling as it once was. haul/rake/drag somebody over the coals If a person in authority hauls or drags someone over the coals, they speak to them severely about something foolish or wrong that they have done. I heard later that Uncle Jim had been hauled over the coals for not letting anyone know where we were. The museum's P.R. man was going to be dragged over the coals for sure. 2. arrogate [ˈær.ə.ɡeɪt] 越权, 篡权, 攫取, 抢夺, 夺取, 夺去, 擅自拿走 [formal, disapproval] to take something without having the right to do so: They arrogate to themselves the power to punish people. If someone arrogates to themselves something such as a responsibility or privilege, they claim or take it even though they have no right to do so. To appropriate or lay claim to something for oneself without right. The assembly arrogated to itself the right to make changes. He arrogated the privilege to himself alone. What is remarkable about the challenged statute and rules is not that they address medical treatments with both risks and benefits but that they arrogate to the state the right to make that decision. Britain has spent 40-plus years arrogating more and more power to its centre – and now its centre has no idea of how to wield that power. That I think is the fundamental political and economic crisis we face today. Ruling in the immunity case, Chief Justice John Roberts seemed to serenely arrogate 让渡权利 to the Court an immense power to determine whether the president might ever face criminal consequence without worrying whether the emboldening of a rampaging executive might at some point place the authority of the judiciary in danger. defer [dɪˈfɜr] 推迟, 延迟, 暂缓 to arrange for something to happen at a later time than you had planned. If you defer an event or action, you arrange for it to happen at a later date, rather than immediately or at the previously planned time. Customers often defer payment for as long as possible. I'm not going to defer decisions just because they are not immediately politically popular. defer repayments My bank has agreed to defer the repayments on my loan. Can we defer making a decision until next week? tax-deferred taxed at a later time tax-deferred investments. defer action/a decision The committee decided to defer a decision on the takeover bid until a later date. defer tax/payment. defer doing sth The scheme enables investors to defer paying taxes on the gain. defer to someone/something (on sth) 听命于 to allow someone to make decisions or tell you what to do, or to accept their opinion or instructions, because of your respect for them or because of their higher rank, authority, knowledge, etc.: I have to defer to my boss on important decisions. I defer to your judgment. defer to 听话, 顺从, 遵从, 听命于, 听从于, 服从于 to accept someone's opinion or decision, especially because you respect them. If you defer to someone, you accept their opinion or do what they want you to do, even when you do not agree with it yourself, because you respect them or their authority. to let another person decide, or to accept another person's opinion, usually because you respect the knowledge or experience of that person: I deferred to Brian on the question of what to serve at the party. Doctors are encouraged to defer to experts. I will defer to Mr. Walters on this point. to allow another person or organization to make decisions for you because you respect them, or because of their higher rank, greater knowledge, etc.: For this type of decision, I usually defer to my boss. In the last few years, the authority mostly has deferred to private developers to handle warehousing and distribution projects, because this is not the area of their expertise. bring/call something/someone to heel 俯首听话, 服帖, 俯首帖耳, 迫使屈服, 强迫听话, 强迫服从命令 I. to order a dog to come close to you. II. to force someone to obey you. If you bring someone to heel, you force them to obey you. To compel someone to obey; to force someone into a submissive condition. It's still not clear how the president will use his power to bring the republics to heel. III. To cause to act in a disciplined manner. deference [ˈdef.ər.əns] respect and politeness. Deference is a polite and respectful attitude towards someone, especially because they have an important position. The old sense of deference and restraint in royal reporting has vanished. Out of deference to him, I lowered my head as he prayed. treat someone with deference He treats her with such deference. in deference to She covered her head in deference to (= because of a polite respect for) Muslim custom. recalcitrant [rɪˈkælsɪtrənt] 固执的, 强烈反抗的, 叛逆的, 不听话的, 不服管的 I. formal refusing to obey orders. having an obstinately uncooperative attitude towards authority or discipline. If you describe someone or something as recalcitrant, you mean that they are unwilling to obey orders or are difficult to deal with. "a class of recalcitrant fifteen-year-olds" A world away from what he's used to, Carmy must balance the soul-crushing reality of trading in Michelin star restaurants for the small business' kitchen filled with strong-willed and recalcitrant staff and his strained familial relationships, all while grappling with the impact of his brother's suicide. The danger is that recalcitrant local authorities will reject their responsibilities. He had a knack for coaxing even the most recalcitrant engine to life. ...the government's recalcitrance 不愿意, 不乐意 over introducing even the smallest political reform. a recalcitrant child. II. not operating or acting the way you want and therefore difficult to deal with. a recalcitrant computer. noun. a person with an obstinately uncooperative attitude. "a stiff-necked recalcitrant and troublemaker". vocabulary: If someone is so pig-headed that he won't budge on an issue, call him recalcitrant. Not that it will make a difference... Recalcitrant is from Latin calcitrare, meaning "to kick," so someone who is recalcitrant is kicking back against what's wanted of them. Synonyms are unruly, intractable, and refractory, all referring to what is difficult to manage or control. Writers are frequently referring to recalcitrant 自由主义的, 固执己见的 Democrats and Republicans, since many people are stubbornly loyal to their political parties and unwilling to change. recalcitrate [rɪˈkælsɪˌtreɪt] verb. I. to kick out or back, usually in a figurative sense. II. to be recalcitrant or to object strongly to something. pigheaded 固执的, 猪脑袋的, 猪一样头硬的 [disapproval] not willing to change your opinions or intentions, even when it is obvious that they are not right. If you describe someone as pig-headed, you are critical of them because they refuse to change their mind about things, and you think they are unreasonable. She, in her pig-headed way, insists that she is right and that everyone else is wrong. I am not sure whether this was courage or pig-headedness. big-headed behaving in a way that shows that you think you are very important or intelligent. lightheaded 头重脚轻的 feeling as though you might fall down or become unconscious, for example because you are drunk. dickheaded stupid, irritating, or ridiculous Wow, what a dickheaded person you are!. 3. shanty I. A shanty is a small rough hut which poor people live in, built from tin, cardboard, or other materials that are not very strong. a small, badly built house, usually made from pieces of wood, metal, or cardboard, in which poor people live: He lived in a little shanty in the desert, miles from anything else. II. A shanty is a song which sailors used to sing while they were doing work on a ship. a song that sailors sang in the past while they were working on a ship. ...one of my father's favourite sea-shanties. A shanty town贫民窟(shanty = chanty = chantey = shantey I. 茅草屋. 木板屋. A roughly built, often ramshackle cabin; a shack. a small, badly built house, usually made from pieces of wood, metal, or cardboard, in which poor people live: He lived in a little shanty in the desert, miles from anything else. II. (AU, NZ) a public house, esp an unlicensed one. ) (also called a squatter settlement) is a slum settlement (sometimes illegal or unauthorized) of impoverished people who live in improvised dwellings made from scrap materials: often plywood, corrugated metal and sheets of plastic. Shanty towns, which are usually built on the periphery of cities, often do not have proper sanitation, electricity, or telephone services. Shanty towns are mostly found in developing nations, or partially developed nations with an unequal distribution of wealth贫富不均 (or, on occasion, developed countries in a severe recession). In extreme cases, shanty towns have populations approaching that of a city. As of 2005, one billion people, one-sixth of the world's population, live in shanty towns. A shack 年久失修的小破房子 is a type of small house, usually in a state of disrepair. It was a common usage among people of Mexican ancestry throughout the U.S. southwest and was picked up by speakers of American English. It is possible that up to a billion people worldwide live in shacks. Fire is a key hazard in shack settlements. Shack settlements are also sometimes known as slums or shanty towns贫民窟. In Australia, particularly in Tasmania, shacks were originally holiday homes located on crown land such as along river banks (especially the Murray River) or near beaches. They were roughly built as they were likely to get washed away in floods, and had no legal title on the land they were built on. Now, a lot of the shack owners have freehold title to their land, and are subject to building codes to reduce the risk of damage or injury from floods and storms. Many are now quite grand holiday homes and summer houses. The New Zealand equivalent is called a bach. depraved [dɪˈpreɪvd] adjective morally corrupt; wicked. morally bad or evil. Depraved actions, things, or people are morally bad or evil. ...a disturbing and depraved film. She described it as the work of depraved and evil criminals. a depraved character/mind. Someone who can kill a child like that must be totally depraved. "he was a depraved lecher". depravity [dɪˈpræv.ə.ti] the state of being morally bad, or an action that is morally bad. deprivation [ˌdep.rɪˈveɪ.ʃən] a situation in which you do not have things or conditions that are usually considered necessary for a pleasant life. an absence or too little of something important: There were food shortages and other deprivations during the war. They used sleep deprivation as a form of torture. There is awful deprivation in the shanty towns. There were food shortages and other deprivations during the Civil War. 4. break somebody's power (broken power) to take away someone's position of power or control At last the power of the Church had been broken. broken record 啰里啰嗦的, 说话好重复的 a damaged record that repeats part of a recording over and over again —used figuratively in describing something (such as a statement or experience) that is frequently or tediously repeated. The Devil Rays' season of broken dreams has become a broken record. Loss after loss after loss after loss … I know I sound like a broken record but I'll say it again: I believe that it is virtually impossible to predict mortgage rates over the short term. It's beginning to sound like a broken record. fair and square I. 公平公正的. in an honest way and without any doubt: We won the match fair and square. He won the election for president fair and square. Our team was having a bad day and our opponents beat us fair and square. We followed all the rules and got the money fair and square. If I lose fair and square, I don't have a problem with it. II. 合理合法的. honestly and according to the rules: She won the election fair and square. III. (US squarely 打的准的, 正中的, 不偏不倚的) If you hit someone fair and square on a particular part of their body, you hit that person hard, exactly on that part: He hit me fair and square on the nose. The shot hit him fair and square between the eyes and he died instantly. Something struck her fair and square between the shoulder blades. The stone hit her squarely on the chest. A second then a third acorn struck him squarely from above and he looked up to find a monkey perched on a branch above him. in and of itself 本质上 (idiomatic) With respect to its intrinsic or inherent nature without consideration of extraneous factors; per se, intrinsically, inherently. in and of itself - with respect to its inherent nature; "this statement is interesting per se". Your idea in and of itself is not bad at all but it's not likely to work under these circumstances. With respect to its inherent nature, your idea is good, just not a good fit for the current situation. in/of itself 孤立地看, 就本身而言 considered separately from any other facts There is a slight infection in the lung, which in itself is not serious. 5. In American law, the unitary executive theory 单一行政权力理论 ( unitary authority Wales will be divided into 21 unitary authorities instead of eight counties and 37 districts.) is a Constitutional law theory according to which the President of the United States has sole authority over the executive branch. The theory often comes up in jurisprudential disagreements about the president's ability to remove employees within the executive branch; transparency and access to information; discretion over the implementation of new laws; and the ability to influence agencies' rule-making. There is disagreement about the doctrine's strength and scope. More expansive versions are controversial for both constitutional and practical reasons. Since the Reagan administration, the Supreme Court has embraced a stronger unitary executive, which has been championed primarily by its conservative justices, the Federalist Society, and the Heritage Foundation. The theory is largely based on the Vesting Clause, which vests the president with the "executive Power" and places the office atop the executive branch. Critics debate over how much power and discretion the Vesting Clause gives a president, and emphasize other countermeasures in the Constitution that provide checks and balances on executive power. In the 2020s, the Supreme Court held that, regarding the powers granted by the Vesting Clause, "the entire 'executive Power' belongs to the President alone". The Vesting Clause of Article II of the Constitution, perhaps the most cited clause in favor of a stronger executive, reads, "The executive Power [of the United States] shall be vested in a President of the United States of America." Because this language vests all executive power solely in the president, proponents of a unitary executive maintain that all government officials who wield executive power are thus subject to the president's direction and control, as no one else is granted those powers under the Constitution. Some have suggested that interpreting the Vesting Clause is difficult and that the clause may simply have been the founders' attempt to reject an executive council, which was widely discussed at the time, rather than advocating a strong executive. 6. sell someone a bill of goods 上当受骗 =UK sell someone a pup to deceive someone into buying or believing something that has no value. bill of goods 一单货物 I. a list of items for sale, consignment, shipment, etc. II. something that is fraudulently represented It turns out the Seattle art dealer was selling them a bill of goods. dichotomy [daɪˈkɒt.ə.mi] 不同, 大相径庭, 分立 a difference between two completely opposite ideas or things: dichotomy between the division of two things that are completely different: I try to examine the dichotomy between what people think they are and what they do. There is often a dichotomy between what politicians say and what they do. bifurcate [ˈbaɪ.fə.keɪt] 分叉, 分支, 一分为二 (of roads, rivers, branches, etc.) to divide into two parts: A sample of water was taken from the point where the river bifurcates. If something such as a line or path bifurcates or is bifurcated, it divides into two parts which go in different directions. A single furrow may bifurcate and form a letter Y. ...the bifurcation between high art and popular culture. Fire-stick farming, also known as cultural burning and cool burning, is the practice of Aboriginal Australians regularly using fire to burn vegetation, which has been practised for thousands of years. There are a number of purposes for doing this special type of controlled burning, including to facilitate hunting, to change the composition of plant and animal species in an area, weed control, hazard reduction, and increase of biodiversity. habitual line stepper 死不悔改的人, 习惯性破坏规矩的人, 习惯性踩线的人, 惯犯, 屡教不改的人 One who constantly steps over "the line" whatever that line may be. This has the effect of forcing you as an observer to set him or her straight with physical force or the threat of physical force. One who always goes over the line. One who always goes too far and exercises no apparant regard for the consequences. Term was coined by Charlie Murphy on Chapelle's Show when describing the antics of Rick James. RICK JAMES "Charlie Murphy!!! (punch to the head, leaving a mark) Then Charlie Murphy proceeds to kick Rick James' ass because he's gotta check that shit so it don't happen again, forcing him to stop being a habitual line stepper. Rick James was an habitual line stepper. Greg owes me utilities and just had sex with my girlfriend for the third time this week. That guy is such an habitual line stepper. faceplant 嘴啃泥, 狗吃屎 noun. a fall with your face moving towards the ground or a surface before the rest of your body: He took a faceplant completing the catch and briefly had to leave the field. I tried to do a handstand but did a faceplant. verb. to fall over with your face going towards the ground first. If you faceplant, you fall on your face. If you faceplant a surface, you hit it with your face. He faceplanted and broke his glasses. One bloke literally faceplanted in the road. When surf fans watch the pros catch an ocean wave, they are there on the board with them, anticipating and encouraging (or hoping they will faceplant). The performers move across the stage, shouting 'falling' before keeling over and being swept up again, just as they are about to faceplant the floor. vomitous [ˈvɒmɪtəs] adj I. arousing feelings of disgust. a vomitous ending. II. relating or connected to feeling or being sick a vomitous night on the town. 7. rankle 咬牙切齿, 气愤不已, 忿忿不平, 怒火中烧 to make someone annoyed or angry for a long time: The unkind way in which his girlfriend left him still rankled with him long after. It still rankles that she got promoted, and I didn't. to cause annoyance or anger that lasts a long time. If an event or situation rankles, it makes you feel angry or bitter afterwards, because you think it was unfair or wrong. They paid him only £10 for it and it really rankled. Britain's refusal to sell Portugal arms in 1937 still rankled with him. The only thing that rankles me is what she says about Ireland. The way she left him still rankles. alphabet soup 晦涩难懂的东西(都是缩写的) I. a type of soup that contains small pieces of pasta (= a food made from flour and water) in the shape of letters: With alphabet soup, children can practise spelling while enjoying a tasty meal. II. a confused mixture that is difficult to understand, often because it contains a lot of abbreviations (= short forms of words) and acronyms (= abbreviations formed from the first letters of each word in the name of something): Health plans have changed over the years into an alphabet soup of HMOs, PPOs, and now HSA and HRAs. word vomit 醉话, 气话 (slang, informal) The words that come out of one's mouth without any thought, often when one is drunk, embarrassed, angry, or given criticism in a social environment. speaking rapidly and incoherently, often without thinking, or when someone is drunk, embarrassed, angry, or under pressure in a social situation. It essentially refers to a stream of uncontrolled words, often rambling and without a clear purpose. describes speaking excessively and impulsively, often without thinking, and is frequently used in situations involving strong emotions like anger, embarrassment, or being under pressure. It's essentially a "spew of words" 脱口而出 without much thought or consideration. word salad 不知所云的话 (psychiatry) A nonsensical assemblage of words, typical of schizophrenia, Wernicke's aphasia, and some other mental disorders. Meaningless text generated by a computer. An intentionally nonsensical and voluminous statement. wordsmithing 措辞, 炼字, 字斟句酌, 斟酌字句, 推敲, 润色 The work of a wordsmith; skilful use of words; the making of changes to a text to improve clarity and style, as opposed to content. We've drafted an agreement, but there's still a bit of wordsmithing left to do. part company 分手, 分道扬镳 ( go their separate ways. go splitsville) If two people part company, they end their relationship. If you part company with someone, you end your association with them, often because of a disagreement. The tennis star has parted company with his Austrian trainer. We have agreed to part company after differences of opinion. The world's number one tennis player and his coach parted company earlier this month. If two or more people part company, they go in different directions after going in the same direction together. 道别. 别过. The three of them parted company at the bus stop. peel off or peel away [intransitive] 离去, 各奔东西. 分道扬镳. to start moving in a different direction from the people or vehicles that you are with. One by one the aircraft started to peel off. 8. all good in the hood (slang) Everything is all right; no problem; used to reassure someone. "Sorry about nearly breaking your vase, Carl." "I don't mind, man. All good in the hood." civic adj. I. of or relating to a town or city, or the people who live in it. You use civic to describe people or things that have an official status in a town or city. ...the local politicians and civic leaders of Manchester. ...Bromley Civic Centre. civic leader The prime minister met many civic leaders, including the mayor and the leaders of immigrant communities. civic pride The opera house is a great source of civic pride. The event was attended by various civic dignitaries 名流. II. relating to the behaviour of a good member of society: civic education 公民教育. civic engagement. You use civic to describe the duties or feelings that people have because they belong to a particular community. ...a sense of civic pride. civic duty: She felt it was her civic duty to tell the police. Growing civic consciousness about the environment has boosted the popularity of cycling to work. III. of a town or city or the people who live in it: A group of prominent civic leaders have been among the school system’s harshest critics. civics the study of the way in which a local government works and of the rights and duties of the people who live in the city. the study of the rights and duties of citizens. ...my high-school civics class. civil I. 非军事非宗教的. 民事的 not military or religious, but relating to the ordinary people of a country: Helicopters are mainly used for military rather than civil use. civil unrest. civil society. civil disorder. civil government. After ten years of military dictatorship, the country now has a civil government. civil ceremony 非宗教仪式的(婚礼等). We weren't married in church, but we had a civil ceremony in a registry office. civil pride: a feeling of belonging to and being proud of the town or city where you live: The opera house is a great source of civic pride. The motives of the wealthy families who built these bridges were a mixture of charity, civic pride, and self-interest. II. 民法的. 民事的. relating to private arguments between people or organizations rather than criminal matters: civil action/lawsuit/case, etc. The Chapter 11 action suspended a civil trial in which two plaintiffs sought compensation totaling more than $160 million. civil court The matter would be better dealt with in the civil court rather than by an expensive criminal proceeding. civil suit. civil case. civil law. civil action. III. polite and formal: His manner was civil, though not particularly friendly. 9. steeple 两手搭凉棚, 五指分别相碰, 状寺寺庙的塔尖 (transitive) To form something into the shape of a steeple. He steepled his fingers as he considered the question. noun. A tall tower, often on a church, normally topped with a spire. 9. kindling 小干柴 small dry sticks or other materials used to start a fire. Kindling is small pieces of dry wood and other materials that you use to start a fire. Then we find a huge tree fungus that cavemen used as kindling. tinder 引火, 引火柴, 引火物 small pieces of something dry that burns easily, used for lighting fires. a substance that burns easily, such as paper or thin sticks of wood, used to light fires. Tinder consists of small pieces of something dry, especially wood or grass, that burns easily and can be used for lighting a fire. Under these conditions trees and grasslands shrivel to tinder. We used some dry grass as tinder to light the campfire. The grass is tinder-dry (= so dry that it will burn easily), so there's a risk of fire. bastion [ˈbæs.ti.ən] I. 碉堡. 防线. 堡垒. something that keeps or defends a belief or a way of life that is disappearing or threatened. If a system or organization is described as a bastion of a particular way of life, it is seen as being important and effective in defending that way of life. Bastion can be used both when you think that this way of life should be ended and when you think it should be defended. ...a town which had been a bastion of White prejudice. ...a bastion of spiritual freedom. The army was still one of the last male bastions. British public schools are regarded as one of the last bastions of upper-class privilege British public schools are regarded as one of the last bastions of upper-class privilege. II. a part of the wall of a castle that sticks out from it in order to protect it. sander [ˈsæn.dər] = sanding machine 磨砂机, 打磨机 I. an electrical machine to which a sheet or disc of rough paper is fastened to rub other surfaces in order to make them smoother. a power-driven tool for smoothing surfaces, esp wood, plastic, etc, by rubbing with an abrasive disc. A sander is a machine for making wood or metal surfaces smoother. Invest in an electric sander to get a really smooth finish to paint on. II. a special vehicle that spreads sand on the roads when they are covered with ice. wiki: A sander is a power tool used to smooth surfaces by abrasion with sandpaper. Sanders have a means to attach the sandpaper and a mechanism to move it rapidly contained within a housing with means to handhold it or fix it to a workbench. Woodworking sanders are usually powered electrically, and those used in auto-body repair work are usually powered by compressed air. There are many different types of sanders for different purposes. Multipurpose power tools and electric drills may have sander attachments. A power tool 动力工具 is a tool that is actuated by an additional power source and mechanism other than the solely manual labor used with hand tools. The most common types of power tools use electric motors. Internal combustion engines and compressed air are also commonly used. Tools directly driven by animal power are not generally considered power tools. Power tools can produce large amounts of particulates, including ultrafine particles. 10. clutch/grasp at straws 抓住救命稻草 I. to be willing to try anything to improve a difficult or unsatisfactory situation, even if it has little chance of success. trying to find some way to succeed when nothing you choose is likely to work: We searched all the backup tapes, trying to find the missing files, but we knew we were grasping at straws. She offered to take a pay cut to keep her job, but she was just clutching at straws. II. 抓住一线希望. trying to find a reason to feel hopeful in a bad situation: I knew my mother was dying, but I was grasping at straws and denying reality. hang by a thread 命悬一线 ( someone's life hangs by a thread) If a serious situation hangs by a thread, it means that even a slight change can decide what will happen and that a bad result such as death, failure, etc. is likely. said to mean that someone is seriously ill and that they are very likely to die soon The baby was delivered by emergency Caesarean and the life of her mother hung by a thread. The mayor's political future has been hanging by a thread since the fraud scandal. 11. fleck [flek] 斑斑点点, 斑点 noun. a small mark, esp. of a different color. a very small patch of colour or light. Flecks are small marks on a surface, or objects that look like small marks. a small mark or spot: Blackbirds' eggs are pale blue with brown flecks on them. fleck of sth a very small piece of something: Fine flecks of dust are often carried more than two miles into the air. The vibrations shook loose some flecks of white paint. I got a few flecks of paint on the window. He went to the men's room to wash flecks of blood from his shirt. His hair is dark grey with flecks of ginger. "his blue eyes had grey flecks in them. I got a few flecks of paint on the window when I was painting the frames. a very small amount of a colour in an area of a different colour: There are some flecks of grey in his reddish hair. The soup was pale green with flecks of bright green throughout. verb mark or dot with small patches of colour or particles of something. "the minarets are flecked with gold leaf". Her hair is flecked with gray. Ransom Canyon: Great party. What can I say? I'd do anything for my nephew. Look at you. New dress. Brings out the amber flecks in your eyes. Thank you. I'll leave you to it. I, uh... I got a big birthday reveal in the works, so... "The amber flecks in your eyes"? He was just being nice. It's good to see you out off the ranch. It's been a while. That's what the doctor prescribes after your wife dies. Two years of heavy sulking ( sulk verb. to be silent and unpleasant because you are angry or annoyed. to be silent and refuse to smile or be pleasant to people because you are angry about something that they have done: He's sulking in his room because I wouldn't let him have any more chocolate. She pouts and sulks, and she almost never smiles or laughs. noun. a period of time when someone refuses to smile or be pleasant because they are angry about something: If she doesn't get what she wants she goes into a sulk just like a child. He spent the whole day in a sulk. sulky adj. She brought along a couple of sulky kids who didn't say a word the whole time. sulkiness behaviour in which you refuse to smile or be pleasant to people, especially because you are angry about something: I can't bear his sulkiness. If she is given an unintentional slight she will brood in sulkiness for days afterwards. sulkily in a way that is sulky (= refusing to smile or be pleasant to people, usually because you are angry about something): He replied sulkily that she had no interest at all in going with them. "I don't like her," said Clare sulkily. ), go all-out shut-in 大门不出, 深居简出, grow the beard out. 12. self-defeating 自己给自己挖坑的, 自掘坟墓的, 自毁长城的 (of an action) preventing rather than achieving a desired result; futile. causing the same problems that you were intending to solve. A plan or action that is self-defeating is likely to cause problems or difficulties instead of producing useful results. Dishonesty is ultimately self-defeating. ...self-defeating patterns of thought and behavior. "courage without wariness is ultimately self-defeating". To be sure, these attacks on Powell could prove empty threats. Trump may be blowing off steam or teeing up Powell as a scapegoat for a future tariff-driven 引发的 recession, said Krishna Guha, vice chairman of Evercore ISI, in a note. "But this is self-defeating," he writes. By publicly undermining Powell, Trump "risks putting upward pressure on inflation expectations, making it harder for the Fed to cut rates." hell house (in the US) a visitor attraction provided by fundamentalist Christians, in which each room contains a gruesome tableau of a sin and its divine punishment, intended to encourage the spectator to seek salvation in Christ. hell on earth 人间地狱 If you say that a place or a situation is hell on earth or a hell on earth, you are emphasizing that it is extremely unpleasant or that it causes great suffering. a place or a situation that is extremely unpleasant or that causes great suffering She believed she would die in the snake-infested sand dunes. She said: 'It was hell on earth.' Organizing it all has been hell on earth, but it's worked absolutely brilliantly.
despise, scorn, disdain, contempt 蔑视, 鄙视, 瞧不起 (补充: spite):
分析: Scorn and disdain are definitely judgments, while despising something can be totally visceral, not so much a judgment as just a reaction. She looked on his behaviour at the party with disdain. She treated all of his suggestions with disdain. I despise French onion soup. The beggar was looked upon with scorn. The rich lady regarded my old rusty car with pure disdain. Both scorn and disdain imply that an object, person, or idea is beneath one's notice or not worthy of respect. You don't like it and you don't think it's worthy of being liked, basically. Both words convey an idea of rejection as well -- you have been presented with something which is so horrible you reject it on strong terms. For example, there is the old-fashioned phrase 'a woman scorned' which refers to a woman whose partner (usually her husband) has broken up with her for somebody else. Another (older) example is from the novel Jane Eyre, published in 1847, when Jane tells another character: "I scorn the counterfeit sentiment you offer [...] and I scorn you when you offer it."
"A woman scorned 失爱的女人, 被抛弃的女人, 被背叛的女人" refers to a woman who has been rejected or betrayed, particularly in a romantic context. A "jilted lover" 受伤的女人, 受伤的恋人, 始乱终弃的女人 is someone who has been rejected by a romantic partner, typically suddenly and without warning. The term describes the experience of being abandoned in a romantic relationship, often feeling hurt, betrayed, and resentful. having suffered someone ending a romantic relationship with you suddenly and unkindly: Her jilted boyfriend has sworn revenge on her new husband. The jilted bride-to-be had to return the $17,000 engagement ring. used and abused 玩弄感情, 被利用, 始乱终弃 When a girl is used only for a guys sexual pleasures. And it usually ends with the guy slapping his cock on her face. Kara: Are you and Jake going out yet? Kelsey: No, I was used and abused. I feel used and abused. Throwaway 被始乱终弃的, 用完就丢的 husband Kris Humphries showed his face in public公开露面. bunny boiler (jilted lover) 疯狂报复行为, 无所不用其极的行为 I. (pejorative) An obsessive and dangerous former lover who stalks the person who spurned 无情拒绝, 回绝 them.
II. An excessively obsessive partner or significant other, especially
one who reacts in an extreme way to the ending of a relationship. spurn 拒绝求爱, 拒绝友谊
I. To reject disdainfully; contemn; scorn. to refuse to accept
someone's love or friendship. If you spurn someone or something, you
reject them. to refuse to accept something or someone because you feel
that thing or person is not worth having: She spurned my offers of help. Ellis plays the part of the young lover spurned by his mistress. He spurned the advice of management consultants. These gestures have been spurned. ...a spurned lover. II. To reject something by pushing it away
with the foot. to refuse to accept something, do something, or deal
with something. granny dumping 抛弃老人, 不养老人
The abandonment of an elderly relative in a public place or facility,
especially a hospital or care center, so as to relieve oneself of the
duty of caring or looking after him or her. While
I know how stressful caring for your elderly parents can be, I'll never
understand how anyone could consider granny dumping an acceptable
option. homeless/patient dumping 赶病人出院, 赶走病人
The premature discharge of indigent patients onto the streets by
hospital workers or care providers, due to the high cost of providing
care or shelter for them. A local
hospital is being investigated for a continual practice of homeless
dumping, with many who suffer from chronic addiction and health issues
being thrust straight back onto Skid Row.
1. Despise (verb): 强烈的恨和不满(disapprove)
Meaning: To feel deep hatred or disgust toward someone or something.
Tone: Strong and emotional.
Usage: Usually implies both moral disapproval and intense dislike.
He despises bullies. He not only disapproves of them, he really hates them.
verb. to feel a strong dislike for someone or something because you think that that person or thing is bad or has no value: The two groups despise each other. despise someone/yourself for something She despised him for the way he treated her sister. He despised himself for being such a coward.
2. Disdain (verb & noun): 表达不在乎的不满, 无所谓的不满不喜欢, 瞧不起, 看不上, 冷淡的但是优雅的
Meaning: A more formal, elegant way of expressing aloof, superior disapproval.
Tone: Cold, condescending, intellectual.
Usage: Often used when someone feels something is beneath them.
She looked at the cheap jewelry with disdain. She thinks it's not good enough for her, and she's unimpressed.
noun. the feeling of not liking someone or something and thinking that they do not deserve your interest or respect. dislike of someone or something that you feel does not deserve your interest or respect: The mayor's disdain for his opponents was well known. with disdain He regards the political process with disdain.
verb. to feel disdain for someone or something: He disdains the flashy trappings of many Dixieland bands, the striped shirts and straw hats and such. The older musicians disdain the new, rock-influenced music. disdain to do something 拒绝做事 formal to refuse to do something because you feel you are too important to do it: There were complaints that he disdained to mingle with the common people.
3. Scorn (verb & noun): 有嘲讽的意思.
Meaning: Open, sometimes mocking rejection or disapproval.
Tone: Sharp, sarcastic, cutting.
Usage: Often used when someone actively ridicules or mocks something.
He scorned their ideas as childish. He's not just rejecting the ideas — he's mocking them.
noun. a very strong feeling of no respect for someone or something that you think is stupid or has no value. a strong feeling that someone or something is of little or no worth and deserves no respect: These countries deserve our respect, not the scorn of a politician. She has nothing but scorn for the new generation of politicians. Why do you always pour/heap scorn on 嘲讽, 极尽蔑视之能事 (= criticize severely and unfairly) my suggestions? to pour scorn on something = heap scorn on 各种鄙视, 极尽嘲讽之词, 极尽嘲讽之能事 If you pour scorn on someone or something or heap scorn on them, you say that you think they are stupid and worthless. It is fashionable these days to pour scorn on those in public life. He used to heap scorn on Dr Vazquez's socialist ideas. scornful a scornful laugh/look.
verb. I. to show scorn for someone or something. to treat with a great lack of respect, or to refuse something because you think it is wrong or not acceptable: He was scorned by his classmates for his bad behavior. So does he respect the press and media, or does he secretly scorn them? You scorned all my suggestions. II. 拒绝接受 to refuse advice or an offer because you are too proud: She scorned all my offers of help. hell hath no fury like a woman scorned said to mean that women often react to something which hurts or upsets them by behaving very angrily and viciously Faithless husbands who doubt that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned should read Tolleck Winner's novel 'Love With Vengeance' and beware.
4. Contempt (noun only)
Meaning: A strong feeling that someone/something is worthless or beneath notice.
Tone: Deep, serious, and sometimes legal/formal.
Usage: Often refers to social or moral judgment, or in court (“contempt of court”).
She spoke of him with open contempt. She doesn't respect him at all — sees him as low and undeserving.
5. spite noun a feeling of anger towards another person that makes someone want to annoy, upset, or hurt them, especially in a small way. the desire to annoy, upset, or hurt someone: out of/from spite He's the sort of man who would let down the tyres on your car just out of/from spite. verb. to intentionally annoy, upset, or hurt someone: I almost think he died without making a will just to spite his family. spiteful adj. They were just spiteful gossips spreading rumors. in spite of something (used before one fact that makes another fact surprising) despite: In spite of his injury, Ricardo will play in Saturday's match. in spite of yourself 控制不住自己的, 情难自控的, 控制不住的 used when you do something that you do not intend to do and are trying not to do: She started to laugh, in spite of herself.
6. disparage [dɪˈspær.ɪdʒ] 贬低 ( = belittle) I. to bring reproach or discredit upon; lower the estimation of Your behavior will disparage the whole family. II. to disparage is to attempt to lower in esteem, as by insinuation, invidious comparison, faint praise, etc.; to criticize someone or something in a way that shows you do not respect or value him, her, or it. If you disparage someone or something, you speak about them in a way which shows that you do not have a good opinion of them. Many people will disparage what you are trying to achieve. The tax cut is widely disparaged by senators from both parties as a budget gimmick. Do not disparage good manners. be disparaged as The actor's work for charity has recently been disparaged in the press as an attempt to get publicity. He disparages his business competitors, saying they are all a bunch of amateurs compared to him. disparaging My distress has not stopped him from making other disparaging remarks. He spoke disparagingly of his political opponent. derogatory [dɪˈrɒɡ.ə.tər.i] = derogative, uk [dɪˈrɒɡ.ə.tɪv] showing strong disapproval and not showing respect: derogatory comment He made some derogatory comment about her appearance. Many people find this term derogatory and racist. expressing criticism or insult: She was upset by derogatory comments made about her clothes.
7. derogate [ˈder.ə.ɡeɪt] I. to talk about or treat someone or something in a way that shows you do not respect him, her, or it. II. to officially state that a law or rule no longer needs to be obeyed because it no longer has any authority. derogate from something to make something seem less good or important.
8. degenerate verb. [dɪ'dʒenəreɪt] If you say that someone or something degenerates, you mean that they become worse in some way, for example weaker, lower in quality, or more dangerous. Educational standards are degenerating year by year because of a lack of funds. degenerate into What was intended as a peaceful demonstration rapidly degenerated into violence. Inactivity can make your joints stiff, and the bones may begin to degenerate. From then on the whole tone of the campaign began to degenerate. ...a very serious humanitarian crisis which could degenerate into a catastrophe. ...various forms of physical and mental degeneration. ...the degeneration of our political system. adj. [dɪ'dʒenərət] ( = depraved ) [disapproval] If you describe a person or their behaviour as degenerate, you disapprove of them because you think they have low standards of behaviour or morality. ...a group of degenerate computer hackers. ...the degenerate attitudes he found among some of his fellow officers. noun. [dɪ'dʒenərət] 道德败坏的人 [disapproval] If you refer to someone as a degenerate, you disapprove of them because you think they have low standards of behaviour or morality. moral degenerate They're just moral degenerates with no sense of decency.
9. degrade I. to cause people to feel that they or other people have no value and do not have the respect or good opinion of others: Pornography degrades women. degrading 恶化的, 变差的 water/air quality. degraded sound quality. The state is funding projects to restore degraded wetlands. II. to spoil or destroy the beauty or quality of something: Every day the environment is further degraded by toxic wastes. III. electronics specialized If the quality of something electrical or electronic degrades or is degraded 老化, it becomes less good or less correct. IV. (of a substance) to change into a more simple chemical structure: degrade into 降解 These chemicals quickly degrade into harmless compounds.