ABANDON: To give up completely - abandoned the sinking ship.

Synonyms: relinquish, forgo, forsake

Bỏ rơi, ruồng bỏ

ABASH: To lose self-confidence; to confuse, put to shame – abashed before the assembled dignitaries.

Làm bối rối, làm lúng túng

Synonyms: fluster, disconcert, discomfit, discompose

Antonym: (adj.) self-possessed

ABDICATE: To give up claim to - abdicated the throne

Từ bỏ (quyền lợi địa vị) thoái ngôi

Synonyms: renounce, abandon, relinquish

ABET: To encourage -or support - treacherously abetted the enemy.

Xúi làm bậy, tiếp tay làm bậy

Synonyms: spur, incite

Antonym: deter

ABRIDGE: To shorten - abridged his lengthy speech.

Làm ngắn, tóm gọn, bớt quyền, lấy, tước.

Synonyms: curtail, diminish, retrench

Anthonyms: protract, elongate, amplify

ABROGATE: To abolish or render void - a treaty abrogated by mutual consent.

Bãi bỏ, hủy bỏ, bài trừ

Synonyms: annul, nullify, rescind, void

ABSTEMIOUS: Moderate in the use of food or drink - abstemious in his habits.

Tiết chế, điều độ, đạm bạc /abstí mi ợt/

Synonym: temperate

ACADEMIC: Pertaining to school; theoretical academic interests; an academic discussion, with no practical implications.

Synonym: scholastic

ACCEDE: To agree to -accede to a request.

Synonym: assent

Antonym: demur

ACCELERATE: - To quicken, speed tip - took an accelerated course in order to graduate early.

Synonym: expedite (adj. expeditious)

Antonym: retard

BANAL: Lacking in freshness, originality, or vigor-bored by his banal remarks.

Sáo rỗng tầm thường vô vị à ~ praise / bờ na l/

Synonyms:commonplace, hackneyed, prosaic, trite, stereotyped, vapid

Antonyms:racy, original, vivid

BANEFUL (noun: BANE: poison; source of harm): Destructive, poisonous - a baneful effect, causing serious injury.

Tai hại, xấu xa

Synonyms: deleterious, pernicious, virulent, noxious, toxic

Antonym:beneficent

BANTER: Good-natured teasing or ridicule-The two wits I exchanged banter, to the amusement of the audience.

Sự nói đùa, giễu cợt

Synonyms:raillery, chaff

BATON: A stick or staff - The conductor wielded his baton gracefully.

Dùi cui

BELIE: To give a false idea of - His gracious manner belled his. evil purpose.

Gây một ấn tượng sai lầm à his manners belie his true character /bì lai/

Synonym:misrepresent

BELLICOSE; Inclined to quarrel; warlike - His bellicose attitude often got John into fights.

Hiếu chiến, thích đánh nhau, hay gây gỗ

Synonyms: pugnacious, contentious, disputatious

Antonyms: pacific, conciliatory

BELLIGERENT: Engaged in war - two belligerent nations warring fiercely.

Tham chiến (a) (n) /bì lí trơ rần/

BENEVOLENT: Kindly; charitable - like a benevolent monarch, bestowing many favors.

Synonyms: benign, benignant, gracious, magnanimous

Antonyms: malevolent, malignant

BEREAVE: To deprive or leave desolate by loss - a widow just bereaved of her husband.

Lấy đi của ai bằng cái chết /bì riv/ be ~d of parents, ~ husband, ~ sb of sb

BESMIRCH: To soil or dirty - besmirched his opponent's good name with vile epithets.

Synonyms: stilly, defile, smirch, bespatter

Bôi bẩn, lem luốc, dèm pha, nói xấu /bì smớch/

CABAL: A small group of persons engaged in plotting - a cabal of prominent persons united to overthrow the government.

Âm mưu (n) (v) bè đảng chính trị (n) /cờ bae l/

Synonyms: junto, faction

CACOPHONOUS: Unharmonious sounding - a cacophonous blare of trumpets, noisy and discordant.

Nghe chói tai /kaè có fơ nợts/

Synonyms: dissonant, discordant, blatant, strident, raucous Antonyms: mellifluous, euphonious, dulcet

CADAVEROUS: Corpselike; hence, haggard, pale -His face appeared cadaverous from long imprisonment.

Tái nhợt, trông như xác chết /cờ đé vơ rợts/

Synonyms: ghastly, gaunt, pallid (noun: pallor), wan, ashen

Antonyms: rubicund, florid

CALLOUS: Unfeeling or insensitive - made callous by long suffering.

Thành chai (chân tay), nhẫn tâm /ké lợts/

Synonyms: insensible, obdurate

CALUMNIATE: To accuse falsely or maliciously in order to injure another's reputation; slander - calumniated his political opponent by spreading false rumors.

Nói xấu vu khống /cờ lum mi nâyt/

Synonyms: asperse, vilify, defame, scandalize

CANDID (noun: CANDOR): Frank, outspoken; impartial a candid reply that could hardly be more forthright.

Thật thà ngay thẳng trung thực

Synonyms: artless, ingenuous, unbiased

Antonyms: guileful, evasive

CANTANKEROUS: Ill-natured; quarrelsome – showed a cantankerous and sullen disposition.

Khó tính hay gắt gỏng /kèn tén kơ rợts/

Synonyms:petulant, peevish, contentious, pugnacious, testy, choleric, fretful

Antonyms:amiable, affable, equable

CAPRICIOUS: Inclined, through some whim or fancy change the mind, purpose, or actions suddenly - a capricious person, undependable in mood or temper.

Thất thường, đồng bong /kờ pri sợts/

Synonyms:fickle, fitful, changeable, erratic, inconstant, crotchety, whimsical, mercurial

Antonyms:steadfast, constant, even-tempered

CAPTIOUS: Quick to find fault about trifles /trai fồ/ chuyện lặt vặt - a captious critic pouncing on slight laws.

Xảo trá, ngụy biện /kép sợts/

Synonyms:hypercritical, carping, carviling, censorious

CARICATURE: A picture or other description of a person which exaggerates ludicrously one or more of his distinctive features - not a realistic portrait but a malicious caricature.

Tranh biếm họa /ké ri cờ triu ồ/

DEARTH: Scarcity - a dearth of news, brought about by censorship.

Sự thiếu, khan hiếm /đớ th/

Antonyms: plethora, abundance

DEFERENCE: Submitting to the wishes or judgment of another - yielded out of deference to the old man.

Sự chiều ý, tôn trọng /đé fơ rầns/

Synonyms: respect, complaisance, veneration

Antonym: recalcitrance

DEITY: A god -The sun was a deity to ancient peoples.

Vị thần

Synonym: divinity

DELECTABLE: Very pleasing - a delectable meal, tastefully prepared.

Ngon lành thú vị khoái trá /đì léc tơ bồ/

DELETE: To erase or cancel, take out or remove - deletedan offensive phrase.

Synonyms: expunge, censor, efface, eradicate

DELINEATE: To sketch or portray - striking features, delineated by a master artist.

Vạch ra, mô tả, phác họa /đì lí ni âyt/

DELINQUENT (noun): An offender - found to be a delinquent by the court.

-          Có tội

-          Chểnh mảng nhiệm vụ

-          Không trả đúng kì hạn (~ taxes)

(adj.): Failing to fulfill an obligation - too many people who are delinquent in meeting their civic duties.

Synonym: derelict

DELUGE: A great flood; downpour - a spring deluge which caused the river to overflow.

Trận đại hồng thủy /đé lìuge/

DEMAGOGUE: A leader who tries to stir the passions of people for his own purposes - the mob roused by an unprincipled demagogue.

Kẻ mị dân /đé mơ gạc/

DEMEANOR: Behavior; bearing - carrying himself with a proud demeanor.

Synonyms: deportment, mien

Thái độ, cách hành xử /Đì mi nờ/

ECCLESIASTIC (adj.): Pertaining to the clergy or the church - recognized as an authority in ecclesiastic matters. Antonyms: secular, lay

Thuộc giáo hội (a), giáo sĩ (n) /ịg cli zi ats tịc/

(noun): A clergyman - an ecclesiastic of liberal views.

EDICT: A public command or proclamation issued by an authority - proclaimed by royal edict.

Chỉ dụ, sắc lệnh /í dịct/

Synonym: decree

EDIFY: To instruct or uplift, particularly in morals or religion - a story that edifiesthe reader, as well as entertains him

Khai trí, soi sang /é đi fai/

EFFETE: No longer productive; hence, lacking in or, worn out - powerful in ancient days, now an effete civilization.

Kiệt sức, mòn mỏi, hết thời / ì fít/

EGOTISTIC: Conceited - an egotisticperson, flourishing on praise.

Thuyết ta là nhất, tự cao tự đại, ích kỉ

Synonyms: egocentric, vain

Antonym: altruistic

EGREGIOUS: Outstandingly bad an egregiousmistake with serious implications.

Quá tệ , quá xá /ì grí tri ợts/

EJACULATE: To exclaim or utter suddenly - ejaculateda cry of horror.

Thốt lên, xuất tinh /ì traé kiu lâyt/

ELICIT: To draw out - elicitedno response from the audience.

Khơi ra, gợi ra, moi

Synonyms: evoke, extract, extort

ELUCIDATE: To make clear; to explain - elucidatedhis theory so that even a schoolboy could understand it.

Làm sang tỏ, giải thích /ì lu ci đâyt/

Synonym: clarify

EMISSARY: A person sent on an errand or mission - delegated his emissary to conclude a pact.

Phái viên sứ thần /é mi sờ rì/

FACADE: Front or face, especially of a building - a facade of marble.

Mặt chính mặt tiền, bề ngoài vẻ ngoài /fờ sa/

FACETIOUS: Given to joking or inappropriate gaiety; said in fun - brightened the evening with his facetious remarks.

Hay khôi hài /fờ xí sợts/

Synonyms: jocose, droll, flippant, frivolous

Antonyms: solemn, grave, saturnine

FALLACIOUS (noun: FALLACY): Unsound; misleading; deceptive - led astray by fallacious reasoning and plans.

Sai lầm lầm lạc /fờ lây sợts/

FALLIBLE: Liable to make mistakes or be deceived - Being human, Tom was naturally fallible.

Có thể sai lầm có thể là sai /fé lờ bồ/

Antonyms: infallible, unerring

FATHOM: To penetrate and understand - difficult to fathom his mysterious actions.

Sải (bơi) (n)

Thăm dò (v)

/fé đờm/

FATUOUS: Foolish; silly - a fatuous suggestion that struck us as stupid.

Ngu ngốc đần độn /fé tiu ợts/

Synonyms: inane, vacuous, puerile

Antonyms: judicious, sagacious, sage

FEALTY: Faithfulness - The soldiers were pledged to fealty to their ruler.

Sự trung thành /fí ơ tì/

Synonyms: allegiance, constancy, fidelity

Antonyms: disloyalty; infidelity, treachery

FEASIBLE: Workable - a feasible plan, proved practical by - previous experience.

Doable /fí zơ bồ/

Antonym: impracticable

FEIGN (noun: FEINT): To pretend - He feigned to be angry, but we saw through his pretense.

Giả đò giả vờ /fein/

to feign illness/madness/ignorance/innocence

Synonyms: dissemble, sham, dissimulate, affect

FELICITY (adj.: FELICITOUS):

Hạnh phúc lớn, sự diễn đạt thích hợp, ăn nói đúng nơi đúng lúc.

(1) A state of happiness - promoted felicity in the nation.

Synonym: bliss

(2) A high ability - lie has a felicity of language, mastery of the well-chosen phrase.