1. incompetent /ɪnˈkɑm·pə·t̬ənt/ adj.
lacking the skills or knowledge to do a job or perform an action correctly or to a satisfactory standard:
Cowden was incompetent and incapable of administering the duties of secretary of the association.
2. prejudice /ˈpredʒ·ə·dɪs/ n.
an unfair and unreasonable opinion or feeling formed without enough thought or knowledge:
The experience merely confirmed all his prejudices about living in the city.
3. concur /kənˈkɜr/ v.
to agree or have the same opinion as someone else: He said the mayor should not be reelected, and the voters concurred.
4. subterranean /ˌsʌb·təˈreɪ·ni·ən/ adj.
under the ground: a subterranean passage/river
5. detention /dɪˈten·tʃən/ n.
the act or condition of being officially forced to stay in a place:
He claimed that his detention by the authorities was unlawful.
6. dismiss /dɪsˈmɪs/ v.
to decide that something or someone is not important and not worth considering: Let’s not dismiss the idea without discussing it.
7. frightful /ˈfrɑɪt·fəl/ adj.
great or extreme:
The weather is just too frightful to go out.
8. poisonous /ˈpɔɪ·zə·nəs/ adj.
a substance that causes illness or death if swallowed, absorbed, or breathed into the body:
The mushrooms they picked were poisonous.
9. illuminate /ɪˈlu·məˌneɪt/ v
to put light in or on something:
The buildings were illuminated at night.
10. intramural /ˌɪn·trəˈmjʊər·əl/ adj.
happening within or involving the members of one school:
At college she was active in intramural sports.
11. amphibious /æmˈfɪb·i·əs/ adj.
able to live on land and in water:
amphibious creatures
Amphibious also means able to operate on land and in water: We toured the harbor in an amphibious bus.
12. luminary /ˈlu·məˌner·i/ n.
a person who is famous and important in a particular area of activity:
The speaker is a luminary in the field of cancer research.
13. penitentiary /ˌpen·ɪˈten·tʃər·i/ n.
a prison: a federal/state penitentiary
14. incognito /ˌɪn.kɒɡˈniː.təʊ/ adv.
avoiding being recognized, by changing your name or appearance:
The prince often travelled abroad incognito.
15. manipulate /məˈnɪp·jəˌleɪt/ v.
to influence or control someone to your advantage, often without that person knowing it:
Her success is partly due to her ability to manipulate the media.
16 .finale /fəˈnæl·i/ n.
the last part of something, esp. a musical or theater performance: a grand finale
17. cognizance /ˈkɒɡ.nɪ.zəns/ n.
take cognizance of sth
to take notice of and consider something, especially when judging:
The lawyer asked the jury to take cognizance of the defendant's generosity in giving to charity.
18. hazardous /ˈhæz·ər·dəs/ adj.
something dangerous and likely to cause damage:
a hazardous road
19. belligerent /bəˈlɪdʒ·ər·ənt/ adj.
eager to fight or argue:
She was so belligerent that I gave up trying to explain.
20. recluse /ˈrek·lus/ n.
a person who lives alone and avoids going outside or talking to other people
21. ambivalence /æmˈbɪv·ə·lənt/ adj.
having two opposing feelings at the same time, or being uncertain about how you feel:
My wife loves the opera, but I have ambivalent feelings about it.
22. dauntless /ˈdɔːnt.ləs/ adj.
showing determination and no fear:
In spite of the scale of the famine, the relief workers struggled on with dauntless optimism.
23. penance /ˈpen·əns/ n.
activity that shows you regret some previous action, sometimes for religious reasons: They are doing penance for their sins.
24. elucidate /ɪˈlu·sɪˌdeɪt/ v.
to explain or make clear:
I hope my book will elucidate the complex issues we face.
25. introspection /ˌɪn.trəˈspek.ʃən/ n.
examination of and attention to your own ideas, thoughts, and feelings:
His defeat in the world championship led to a long period of gloomy introspection.
