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Blow up

literally means “to destroy by explosion”

• The restaurant blew up and police said that it is due to a faulty electrical connection.
• The demolition team blew up the entire building.

image from faqs.org

also means “to inflate”

• Let’s blow up your balloon Kevin.

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delineate [di-lin-ee-eyt]

v. to trace or sketch
to describe precisely
word form: delineated, delineating

image from delineate.wahgnube.org

The politician had a clear, delineated platform of government.

She was delineating the state boundary in a big map.

The president delineated his objectives and company goals for the next 5 years.

She was complaining and delineating her unseen performance when the boss suddenly arrived.

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fiasco [fee-as-koh]

image from api.ning.com

n. a complete failure
word form: pl- fiascos, fiascoes

• You were responsible for last month’s fiasco so we suggest that you get off from this project.
• Knowing that my brother can’t sing well, my mother hid the microphone to avoid a fiasco.
• The event became a total fiasco when the wild animal was released accidentally from its cage.

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abdicate

v. surrender or give-up formally
word forms: abdicated, abdicating, abdicates

You may be tempted to abdicate responsibility in difficult times.

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streamline [streem-lahyn]

v. made easier, made efficient, simplified

Word form: v. streamlined, streamlining,  streamlines

• The new policy streamlined the company’s procedures.
• Streamlining data-collection will increase our productivity.

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diligence [dil-i-juhns]

• n. earnest effort to reach a goal
• syn. perseverance, industrious, tireless, hard work

Word Form: diligent adj., diligently adv.

• Everyone appreciated my mother’s diligence.
• She diligently pays for her bills on time.
• A person who lacks diligence never succeeds.
• The company was saved from lawsuits because their diligent record-keeping proved otherwise.

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repugnant [ri-puhg-nuhnt]

• adj. offensive, objectionable
• syn. disgusting

• This is illegal, I find this idea as repugnant.
• The repugnant smell of the herb drives the pests away.
• I need to change my repugnant character.
• Sleeping around with boys is morally repugnant.
• Murders by Hitler was a repugnant act.

 

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tremulous [trem-yuh-luhs]

• adj. trembling because of fear,
• syn. frightened, quivering

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intersection [in-ter-sek-shuhn]

• n. where two roads meet usually in a highway
• syn. crossroads, crossing corner

• Please slow down when you reach the intersection.
• The car accident happened on this intersection.

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