HOT WORDS No. 53 (Jan 20, 2012)
Abeyance
A state of restraint or disuse(制御された又は不使用の状態)
→“He kept his temper in abeyance while he listened to his staff member’s words of apology.”
→“She was so satisfied that her habitual melancholy was in abeyance.”
→“That expression has fallen into abeyance.”
Buck
To defy or oppose(無視する、対抗する)
→“The venture capital bucked the trend and scored a big success.”
→“The mayor bucked the central government on local taxation policy.”
Deficit
The gap between what you need and what you actually have(必要量に満たない不足分)
→“Intelligence deficit is leaving the surrounding nations guessing about the regime’s next step.”
→“Our society has a deplorable deficit in kindness.”
Excoriate
To harshly criticize(強く批判する)
→“The president excoriated the regime for its human rights violations.”
→“My new book received an excoriating review in the New York Times.”
Float
To present or suggest an idea or a plan(アイデアやプランを提案する)
→“I first floated the idea to the client two months ago but they rejected it out of hand.”
→“The departing CEO floated a counterproposal over new board members to be selected.”
Hark back to
To be similar to something or someone from the past; to reminisce something from the past(過去の何か又は人物に似る、過去の出来事を回想する)
→“The new leader is trying to hark back to the previous president.”
→“This film harks back to rural life in the late 19th century.”
→“Instead of starting a new life, she keeps harking back to her previous marriage.”
Lambast
To severely criticize(強く叱責する)
→“The opposition party lambasted the prime minister’s new tax proposal.”
→“The nation lambasted the credit ratings agency over its sovereign-debt downgrade.”
Mettle
Strength or determination, particularly exhibited during an ordeal or under pressure(試練の時に発揮する底力、根性、勇気)
→“The long and heated question & answer session following the lecture really tested my mettle as a lecturer.”
→“The leader showed her mettle during the unprecedented financial crisis.”
→“I am proud of my own mettle.”
Parlay
To leverage one’s skills and opportunities to enhance one’s advantage(才能や機会を活用して自分の優位をさらなるものにする)
→“Right after the war, the man bought lots of lands for depreciated prices and then parlayed them into apartment complexes.”
→“She was able to parlay her TV fame into a personal fortune.”
Romp
To play, run or act in a lively and noisy way; to win easily(はつらつに騒がしく遊ぶ・走り回る・振舞う、楽勝する)
→“We had tea on the porch as our son romped with the puppies in the back yard.”
→“The frontrunner romped to a victory in the New Hampshire presidential primary.”
Superannuated
Old-fashioned; disqualified for old age(古すぎて使い道のない・機能の落ちた)
→“My storage room is packed with superannuated electronic appliances.”
→“She may look old but she is far from being a superannuated spinster.”
Trample
To crush underfoot(踏みにじる)
→“There are still many parts of the world where the people’s basic rights are trampled by authoritarian regimes.”
→“The ugly incident trampled her naive optimism.”
Wince
To feel uncomfortable or embarrassed in reaction to something(何らかの事柄に反応して動揺したり恥ずかしく思ったりする)
→“When I remember that man’s angry face and threatening tone of voice, I still wince.”
→“European nations wince as the US declares it will cut its troop levels in Europe.”