HOT WORDS No. 51 (Jan 6, 2012)
Any number of
A lot of(多数の)
→“Oh, there could be any number of reasons why the experiment failed.”
→“I can do long jump, high jump, sprint, weight lifting and any number of other athletic activities.”
Bully
To mark someone for targeted abuse or attack, either physical or psychological; to pressure someone into doing something against their will(いじめる、圧力をかけて本人の意思に反した行動をさせる)
→“I told my son never to take any bullying from anyone.”
→“I quit my previous company because my boss tried to bully me into working on the weekends.”
Disarray
Lack of union or order(団結や秩序の欠けた状態)
→“The latest economic crisis threw the EU into total disarray.”
→“Republicans are in disarray, not able to present a coherent party platform.”
Eureka
An expression of happiness at finding the answer or solution(回答や解決策を見つけた時の嬉しさを表す表現)
→“The child had a eureka moment when he opened the exam and saw a question about what he had just learnt the night before.”
→“There she was with her eureka look.”
Freewheeling
Unconcerned about the future; defying rules and regulations(先のことを気に掛けない、規則・規定を無視した)
→“Younger people look at me with envy because of my freewheeling lifestyle, but I got plenty of problems of my own.”
→“Government is trying to rein in freewheeling Internet activities.”
Go the whole hog
To do something completely and thoroughly(何かを完全・徹底にする)
→“The conservative candidate went the whole hog and called for the elimination of all social welfare programs.”
→“I am going the whole hog in defending my family’s honor.”
Hazing
Bullying of junior members(新メンバーのしごき)
→“Hazing is a big problem in the military as well as in colleges across the nation.”
→“When I joined the school baseball team, I was subjected to humiliating hazing rituals.”
Lurid
Sensational and shocking(センセーショナルでショッキングな)
→“There was a lurid picture of the crime scene on the front page of the paper.”
→“He described the accident in lurid detail.”
Miffed
Slightly annoyed or upset(少し気分を害した)
→“I am miffed that you are late.”
→“Why are you sitting there, looking miffed? What happened?”
Panegyric
An elaborate and profuse praise(凝った賞賛)
→“When the audience started throwing panegyric at the singer, she blushed and walked off stage.”
→“Everything the reporter has written about the prime minister has been panegyric.”
Rhetoric
Exaggerated words designed to convince others to accept a certain point of view(同意を得るために多少誇張した言い回し)
→“The conservatives are attacking Obama’s healthcare law with the rhetoric of big government.”
→“With an eye on Iran, the politician revived Cold War rhetoric.”
Sapient
Wise(賢い)
→“The sapient child began to appear in TV quiz shows as a regular.”
→“She looked very sapient as she explained the concept to me.”
Turmoil
Chaos; confusion; mess(混乱、混沌)
→“With the rioters causing trouble every day, the city is in turmoil.”
→“Experts are striving to size up the current economic turmoil against the Great Depression in the 1930s.”
Watchdog
A monitoring agency for the purpose of protecting the rights and interests of affected parties(番犬的な役割をする団体)
→“The environmental watchdog protested the new bill.”
→“Internal discord plagues the labor watchdog.”