4000 Essential English Words 6 Unit 16: The Brute and the Billionaire
Word List
- amid [əˈmid] prep.
If something is amid something else, then it is in the middle of it.
→ The bee was busily flying amid the flowers in the garden.
- backstage [ˈbækˈsteidʒ] adv.
If something happens backstage, it occurs behind a theater’s stage.
→ After the show, the director went backstage and thanked the actors.
- billionaire [biljəˈnɛər] n.
A billionaire is someone who has at least one billion dollars.
→ The sale of his inventions made the inventor a billionaire.
- brute [bruːt] n.
A brute is someone who behaves or looks like a violent animal.
→ My older brother can act like a brute when he doesn’t get his way.
- clumsy [ˈklʌmzi] adj.
If someone is clumsy, then they are awkward in handling things.
→ The businessman was clumsy and dropped his work files.
- collide [kəˈlaid] v.
To collide with something means to hit into it while moving.
→ The two cars collided with each other because their drivers were not careful.
- culprit [ˈkʌlprit] n.
A culprit is someone who did a crime or other bad deed.
→ The police were still searching for the culprit from the robbery.
- evacuate [iˈvækjueit] v.
To evacuate means to leave a place of danger to a place of safety.
→ During the flood, many families were evacuated to higher ground.
- flammable [ˈflæməbəl] adj.
If something is flammable, then it is able to catch on fire.
→ Be careful with that blanket near the candle. It is extremely flammable.
- mob [mɒb] n.
A mob is a large crowd of people that often wants to cause violence.
→ The copier was destroyed by a mob of angry workers.
- premature [ˈprimətʃuər] adj.
If something is premature, then it is done too early or before the proper time.
→ Mark’s celebration was premature because the ball hadn’t fallen in the hole.
- resent [riˈzent] v.
To resent something means to have bad feelings about it.
→ She resented the fact that she had never been able to play an instrument.
- satire [ˈsætaiər] n.
A satire is a work of art that uses humor and irony to make fun of something.
→ This book is a satire of what life was like in the army.
- scrutiny [ˈskruːtəni] n.
Scrutiny is the careful examination of something.
→ A scientist should always practice scrutiny with their work.
- segregate [ˈsegrigeit] v.
To segregate something means to place it in a group apart from other things.
→ In gym class, the children were segregated into two groups: boys and girls.
- subject [səbˈdʒekt] v.
To subject someone to something means to force them to do or experience it.
→ The officers subjected everyone to a careful search before they left the plane.
- testify [ˈtestəfai] v.
To testify means to give evidence as a witness.
→ The judge listened while the victim testified about the robbery.
- tumult [ˈtjuːmʌlt] n.
A tumult is a loud and confused noise made by a large crowd of people.
→ She couldn’t hear her friend over the tumult of the other excited guests.
- underestimate [ˈʌndərˈestəmeit] v.
To underestimate something or someone means to think they are not important.
→ Ne lost the game because we underestimated the other team’s skill.
- uproar [ˈʌprɔːr] n.
Uproar is loud noise caused by people who are very angry or upset.
→ The fans made a great uproar when their team lost the game.
