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C2 noun /ˈniːəˌfaɪt/

neophyte

néophyte
Meaning
A beginner or novice in a subject, skill, or belief.
Example
As a neophyte in programming, she often asked for guidance from her mentor.
En tant que néophyte en programmation, elle demandait souvent des conseils à son mentor.
C2 verb /dɒf/

doff

ôter (un chapeau) en signe de respect
Meaning
to take off an item of clothing, especially a hat, as a sign of respect
Example
He doffed his hat as the procession passed.
Il ôta son chapeau tandis que la procession passait.
C2 adjective /ˈpɑːrləs/

parlous

périlleux
Meaning
Full of danger or risk; precarious.
Example
The company is in a parlous financial state.
L'entreprise est dans un état financier précaire.
C2 adjective /ˌvælɪˈdɪktəri/

valedictory

de départ
Meaning
Serving as a farewell or parting; relating to a valediction.
Example
He delivered a valedictory speech at the conference.
Il a prononcé un discours de départ à la conférence.
C2 adjective /əˈbɪs.əl/

abyssal

relatif à l'océan profond
Meaning
Related to or characteristic of the deep ocean, especially the zone below 4000 meters.
Example
Abyssal creatures survive in extreme pressure conditions.
Les créatures abyssales survivent dans des conditions de pression extrême.
C2 adjective ˌnjʊəroʊˈkɒɡnɪtɪv

neurocognitive

neurocognitif
Meaning
Related to brain information processing and memory power
Example
Neurocognitive functions decline due to lack of sleep.
Les fonctions neurocognitives déclinent en raison du manque de sommeil.
C2 adjective /ˈməʊdɪʃ/

modish

à la mode
Meaning
conforming to or following current fashion or style
Example
She wore a modish outfit that caught everyone’s attention.
Elle portait une tenue modish qui attirait l'attention de tout le monde.
C2 noun /ˈhɛdʒɪrə/ or /hɪˈdʒaɪrə/

hegira

exode, migration
Meaning
a journey, especially when undertaken to escape from a dangerous or undesirable situation
Example
The refugees began their hegira across the desert.
Les réfugiés ont commencé leur exode à travers le désert.
C2 noun /ˈɑːrbɪtər/

arbiter

arbitre
Meaning
a person who has the authority to settle a dispute or decide an issue
Example
The principal acted as the arbiter in the conflict between the students.
Le principal a agi en tant qu'arbitre dans le conflit entre les élèves.
C2 verb /əˈbreɪd/

abrade

usiner par friction
Meaning
to scrape or wear away the surface by friction or erosion
Example
The rough cloth can easily abrade the skin.
Le tissu rugueux peut facilement user la peau.
C2 adjective /ˈdɛsɪkeɪtɪd/

desiccated

desséché
Meaning
completely dried, having had all moisture removed
Example
The museum displayed desiccated specimens of plants.
Le musée a exposé des spécimens desséchés de plantes.
C2 adjective /bjuːˈkɒlɪk/

bucolic

bucolique
Meaning
Relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life.
Example
They enjoyed a bucolic picnic by the river.
Ils ont apprécié un pique-nique bucolique au bord de la rivière.
C2 verb /ˈmɔːndər/

maunder

parler de manière incohérente
Meaning
To speak or move aimlessly and incoherently.
Example
He maundered on about his old memories.
Il parlait de manière incohérente de ses vieux souvenirs.
C2 noun /ˈrɛk.tɪ.tjuːd/

rectitude

rectitude
Meaning
Morally correct behavior or thinking; righteousness and integrity.
Example
His rectitude earned him respect in society.
Sa rectitude lui a valu le respect dans la société.
C2 verb /ˈæntɪkweɪt/

antiquate

antiquée
Meaning
To make something old-fashioned or obsolete.
Example
The rise of digital cameras antiquated traditional film photography.
L'essor des appareils photo numériques a rendu obsolète la photographie sur film traditionnelle.
C2 verb /ˈblækˌbɔːl/

blackball

exclure
Meaning
to exclude someone socially or vote against their membership in a group or club
Example
He was blackballed from the club after the controversy.
Il a été exclu du club après la controverse.
C2 noun /sɛnˈsɔːrɪəm/

sensorium

centre sensoriel
Meaning
The part of the brain or mind concerned with the reception and interpretation of sensory stimuli.
Example
The patient’s sensorium was clouded after the accident.
Le sensorium du patient était brouillé après l'accident.
C2 noun /ˈkrɪptəɡræm/

cryptogram

code secret
Meaning
a text written in code or cipher
Example
The detective solved the cryptogram hidden in the letter.
Le détective a résolu le cryptogramme caché dans la lettre.
C2 verb /ɪnˈdɒktrɪˌneɪt/

indoctrinate

endoctriner
Meaning
To teach someone to fully accept a set of beliefs or ideas without question.
Example
The regime tried to indoctrinate the youth with propaganda.
Le régime a tenté d'endoctriner la jeunesse avec de la propagande.
C2 noun /ˈʌŋɡwənt/

unguent

onguent
Meaning
A soothing or healing ointment applied to the skin.
Example
The doctor applied an unguent to heal the burn.
Le médecin a appliqué un onguent pour guérir la brûlure.
C2 adjective /dɪˈsɛnʃənt/

dissentient

dissident
Meaning
Expressing or holding opinions that are opposed to the majority or official view.
Example
Only a few dissentient voices were heard during the debate.
Seules quelques voix dissidentes ont été entendues lors du débat.
C2 verb /ˌpriːɔːrˈdeɪn/

preordain

prédéterminer
Meaning
To decide or determine an outcome in advance, especially by fate or divine will.
Example
They believed their meeting was preordained by destiny.
Ils croyaient que leur rencontre était prédestinée par le destin.
C2 adjective /ˌrɛpərˈtɔːriəl/

repertorial

répertorial
Meaning
Relating to or characteristic of a repertoire, especially in journalism or performance contexts.
Example
The journalist's repertorial style captured every detail of the unfolding story.
Le style répertorial du journaliste a capturé chaque détail de l'histoire en cours.
C2 noun /ˌaɪ.diˈeɪ.ʃən/

ideation

Le processus de création et de développement de nouvelles idées ou concepts par la pensée créative et le brainstorming.
Meaning
The process of forming and developing new ideas or concepts through creative thinking and brainstorming.
Example
The team engaged in ideation sessions to generate new product ideas.
L'équipe a participé à des sessions de génération d'idées pour créer de nouvelles idées de produits.
C2 verb /ˈsʌpjʊˌreɪt/

suppurate

supurer
Meaning
to form or discharge pus, usually as a result of infection
Example
The wound began to suppurate after a few days.
La plaie a commencé à suppurer après quelques jours.
C2 adjective /ʌkˈsɔːriəs/

uxorious

excessivement dévoué à sa femme
Meaning
excessively fond of or submissive to one's wife
Example
He was so uxorious that he agreed with everything his wife said.
Il était tellement uxorien qu'il était d'accord avec tout ce que sa femme disait.
C2 adjective /ˌɪrɪˈlɪdʒəs/

irreligious

irréligieux
Meaning
Indifferent or hostile to religion
Example
Some people in the community consider him irreligious because he never attends religious services.
Certaines personnes dans la communauté le considèrent comme irréligieux car il ne va jamais aux services religieux.
C2 noun /bænˈdænə/

bandanna

grand foulard coloré
Meaning
A large, often brightly colored handkerchief, typically worn on the head or around the neck.
Example
He tied a red bandanna around his neck.
Il a attaché un foulard rouge autour de son cou.
C2 noun /ˌɡaɪnəˈkɒkrəsi/

gynecocracy

gynécocratie
Meaning
a society or government ruled by women
Example
The ancient tribe was known for its gynecocracy, where women held all positions of power.
La tribu ancienne était connue pour sa gynécocratie, où les femmes détenaient toutes les positions de pouvoir.
C2 noun /ˌænɪˈmɒmɪtər/

anemometer

anémomètre
Meaning
An instrument used to measure the speed and direction of wind.
Example
The scientist used an anemometer to record the wind speed during the storm.
Le scientifique a utilisé un anémomètre pour enregistrer la vitesse du vent pendant la tempête.
C2 noun /skæd/

scad

scad poisson
Meaning
A type of fish of the jack family; also informally means a large number or quantity.
Example
The fisherman caught a scad in the net.
Le pêcheur a attrapé un scad dans le filet.
C2 noun /ˌtɜːsənˈtɛnəri/

tercentenary

tercentenaire
Meaning
The 300th anniversary of an event.
Example
The city celebrated its tercentenary with a grand festival.
La ville a célébré son tercentenaire avec un grand festival.
C2 verb /ˌsɜːrkəmˈnævɪɡeɪt/

circumnavigate

faire le tour du monde
Meaning
to travel all the way around something, especially the earth
Example
Magellan was the first to circumnavigate the globe.
Magellan fut le premier à faire le tour du monde.
C2 noun ˌɒbfəsˈkeɪʃən

obfuscation

obfuscation, confusion
Meaning
The action of making something obscure, unclear, or unintelligible.
Example
The obfuscation of the data made it difficult to interpret.
L'obfuscation des données a rendu leur interprétation difficile.
C2 adjective /ˌɛvɪˈdɛnʃəl/

evidential

évidentiel
Meaning
relating to or providing evidence
Example
The lawyer presented evidential support for her claims.
L'avocat a présenté un soutien évident pour ses revendications.
C2 adjective /ˌdɪsəˈfɛktɪd/

disaffected

mécontent
Meaning
Dissatisfied and rebellious, especially against authority or leadership.
Example
The reforms were introduced to calm the disaffected youth.
Les réformes ont été introduites pour calmer la jeunesse mécontente.
C2 noun /ˌdɪspjuːˈteɪʃən/

disputation

dispute
Meaning
a formal debate or argument
Example
The disputation between the two scholars lasted for hours.
La disputation entre les deux érudits a duré des heures.
C2 noun /kəˈlɒsəs/

colossus

colosse
Meaning
A person or thing of enormous size, importance, or ability.
Example
Einstein was a colossus in the world of science.
Einstein était un colosse dans le monde de la science.
C2 noun /ˌmɒnəˈmeɪniə/

monomania

monomanie
Meaning
Excessive concentration or obsession with a single subject or idea.
Example
His monomania for collecting stamps worried his family.
Sa monomanie pour collectionner des timbres inquiétait sa famille.
C2 noun /ˈrɛkwiəm/

requiem

messe de requiem
Meaning
A mass, music, or ceremony for the repose of the souls of the dead.
Example
The choir performed a requiem in memory of the late leader.
Le chœur a interprété un requiem en mémoire du leader décédé.
C2 adjective /ɪmˌpɜːrˈsweɪdəbl/

impersuadable

impossible à persuader
Meaning
not able to be convinced or persuaded
Example
She remained impersuadable despite all our arguments.
Elle est restée impossible à persuader malgré tous nos arguments.
C2 adjective /ˈæməˌtɔːri/

amatory

amoureux
Meaning
Relating to or expressing sexual love.
Example
The poet’s verses were filled with amatory themes.
Les vers du poète étaient remplis de thèmes amoureux.
C2 noun /ˈtaɪroʊ/

tyro

débutant
Meaning
A beginner or novice in a field or activity.
Example
As a tyro in programming, she needed constant guidance.
En tant que débutant en programmation, elle avait besoin d'une orientation constante.
C2 noun /ˌɪn.təˈvɛn.ʃə.nɪ.zəm/

interventionism

interventionnisme
Meaning
Government policy of active involvement in economic affairs.
Example
The central bank's interventionism helped stabilize inflation.
L'interventionnisme de la banque centrale a aidé à stabiliser l'inflation.
C2 verb /ɪnˈfætʃueɪt/

infatuate

fasciner
Meaning
to inspire with an intense but short-lived passion or admiration
Example
He was infatuated with her beauty.
Il était fasciné par sa beauté.
C2 verb /ɪˈmæskjʊleɪt/

emasculate

émasculer
Meaning
To make someone weaker or less effective; to deprive of strength or vigor.
Example
The constant criticism emasculated his confidence.
La critique constante a émoussé sa confiance.
C2 verb /lɔːd/

laud

louer
Meaning
To praise someone or something highly, especially in public.
Example
The critic lauded the actor's performance as a masterpiece.
Le critique a loué la performance de l'acteur comme un chef-d'œuvre.
C2 noun, verb /ˈpɑːrli/

parley

parole
Meaning
a discussion between opposing sides, especially to negotiate terms
Example
The generals met to parley over the terms of surrender.
Les généraux se sont rencontrés pour discuter des conditions de la reddition.
C2 noun /ˈbriːzˌweɪ/

breezeway

passage couvert
Meaning
A roofed outdoor passage, often connecting two buildings.
Example
The breezeway connected the house to the garage.
Le passage couvert reliait la maison au garage.
C2 verb /sweɪð/

swathe

envelopper
Meaning
To wrap or cover closely or completely.
Example
She swathed the baby in a soft blanket.
Elle enveloppa le bébé dans une couverture douce.
C2 noun /ˈfriːˌbuːtər/

freebooter

flibustier
Meaning
A pirate or plunderer who roams freely in search of wealth.
Example
The freebooter raided the merchant ships along the coast.
Le flibustier a attaqué les navires marchands le long de la côte.
C2 adjective /ˈhæriːd/

harried

épuisé ou stressé
Meaning
feeling strained or stressed due to being overworked or constantly bothered
Example
The harried teacher struggled to calm the noisy classroom.
L'enseignant épuisé luttait pour calmer la salle de classe bruyante.
C2 noun ˈfaɪ.təʊˌnjuː.tri.ənts

phytonutrients

phytonutriments
Meaning
Bioactive compounds found in plants that have health benefits beyond basic nutrition.
Example
Green tea contains powerful phytonutrients.
Le thé vert contient des phytonutriments puissants.
C2 noun /ˌrɛtəˈrɪʃən/

rhetorician

rhéteur
Meaning
A person who is skilled in the art of rhetoric or persuasive speaking/writing.
Example
The rhetorician captivated the audience with his eloquence.
Le rhéteur a captivé l'auditoire avec son éloquence.
C2 adjective /ˌsuːpərˈnuːmərɛri/

supernumerary

supplémentaire
Meaning
Exceeding the usual number; extra or unnecessary.
Example
The play included several supernumerary actors to fill the background scenes.
La pièce a inclus plusieurs acteurs supplémentaires pour remplir les scènes de fond.
C2 noun /ænˈtɪlədʒi/

antilogy

antilogie
Meaning
A contradiction in terms or ideas; inconsistency in speech or writing.
Example
The politician's statement was criticized for its antilogy.
La déclaration du politicien a été critiquée pour son antilogie.
C2 adjective /ˈvɛdʒɪtəl/

vegetal

végétal
Meaning
relating to or consisting of plants or vegetation
Example
The soup had a distinct vegetal flavor.
La soupe avait une saveur végétale distincte.
C2 noun /ˈɔːrzmən/

Oarsman

rameur
Meaning
a person who rows a boat, especially as a member of a racing crew
Example
The experienced oarsman rowed the boat across the river.
Le rameur expérimenté a ramé le bateau à travers le fleuve.
C2 verb /ˈnɪtˌpɪk/

nitpick

chercher des défauts
Meaning
To find and criticize small or unimportant faults in someone or something.
Example
She tends to nitpick about every little detail.
Elle a tendance à critiquer chaque petit détail.
C2 verb /ˈkɒsɪt/

cosset

choyer
Meaning
to care for and protect in an overindulgent way
Example
The little girl was cosseted by her grandparents.
La petite fille était choyée par ses grands-parents.
C2 noun /ɪnˈfriːkwəns/

infrequence

infréquence
Meaning
The state of occurring rarely or at long intervals.
Example
The infrequence of their meetings made it hard to maintain close ties.
L'infréquence de leurs réunions rendait difficile le maintien de liens étroits.
C2 noun /ˈsɪkəfənt/

sycophant

flagorneur
Meaning
A person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage.
Example
The manager was surrounded by sycophants who agreed with everything he said.
Le manager était entouré de flagorneurs qui étaient d'accord avec tout ce qu'il disait.
C2 noun /ˈdændi/

dandy

homme qui accorde trop d'attention à son apparence et à ses vêtements
Meaning
a man who gives too much attention to his appearance and clothes
Example
The young dandy spent hours grooming himself before the party.
Le jeune dandy a passé des heures à se préparer avant la fête.
C2 noun /ˈprɑːflɪɡəsi/

profligacy

dépense excessive
Meaning
reckless wastefulness or extravagance
Example
His profligacy with money led him to bankruptcy.
Sa dépense excessive l'a conduit à la faillite.
C2 noun

Kinsfolk

famille, proches
C2 verb /bɪlk/

bilk

escroquer
Meaning
To cheat or defraud someone of money or rights.
Example
The scammer tried to bilk elderly people out of their savings.
L'escroc a essayé de soutirer de l'argent aux personnes âgées en leur volant leurs économies.
C2 verb /ˌaʊtməˈnuːvər/

outmaneuver

surpasser habilement
Meaning
to gain an advantage over an opponent by skillful or clever action
Example
The smaller company managed to outmaneuver its larger rival.
La petite entreprise a réussi à surpasser habilement son grand concurrent.
C2 noun /tɔːˈtɒlədʒi/

tautology

répétition inutile
Meaning
the unnecessary repetition of the same idea in different words
Example
The phrase 'it will happen or it won’t' is a tautology.
L'expression 'ça va arriver ou ça n'arrivera pas' est une tautologie.
C2 noun /ˈdɒɡərəl/

doggerel

vers ridicule
Meaning
Comic or irregular verse, often poorly constructed and lacking in artistic quality.
Example
The poet’s work was dismissed as mere doggerel by the critics.
Le travail du poète a été rejeté comme simple vers ridicule par les critiques.
C2 noun /ˈhʌm.ək/

hummock

butte
Meaning
A small hill, mound, or ridge of earth or ice.
Example
The hikers rested on a grassy hummock by the river.
Les randonneurs se sont reposés sur une butte herbeuse près de la rivière.
C2 verb /kənˈvoʊk/

convoke

convocation
Meaning
to call together or summon a meeting or assembly
Example
The committee convoked an emergency session to discuss the crisis.
Le comité a convoqué une session d'urgence pour discuter de la crise.
C2 adjective, adverb /ˈsaɪdlɔːŋ/

sidelong

regard oblique
Meaning
Directed to the side; indirect, furtive, or not straightforward.
Example
She gave him a sidelong glance across the room.
Elle lui lança un regard oblique à travers la pièce.
C2 verb /kəˈraʊz/

carouse

faire la fête bruyamment
Meaning
to drink and enjoy oneself noisily, often with others
Example
They stayed up all night to carouse after the victory.
Ils sont restés éveillés toute la nuit pour faire la fête après la victoire.
C2 verb /bɪˈlaɪ/

belie

démentir
Meaning
To give a false impression of something; to contradict.
Example
His calm face belied his inner anxiety.
Son visage calme démentait son anxiété intérieure.
C2 adjective /krʌˈsteɪʃəs/

crustaceous

à carapace dure
Meaning
relating to or having a hard shell like a crustacean
Example
The scientist studied the crustaceous fossils.
Le scientifique a étudié les fossiles à carapace dure.
C2 noun /hɑrˈmoʊniəm/

Harmonium

harmonium
Meaning
a keyboard musical instrument similar to an organ, using air to produce sound
Example
She played devotional songs on the harmonium at the temple.
Elle jouait des chants dévotionnels sur l'harmonium au temple.
C2 adjective /mjuːˈnɪfɪsənt/

munificent

munificent
Meaning
extremely generous; giving freely and abundantly
Example
She made a munificent donation to the orphanage.
Elle a fait un don munificent à l'orphelinat.
C2 adjective /ˈdɪsəluːt/

dissolute

dissolu
Meaning
lacking moral restraint; indulging excessively in sensual pleasures
Example
He led a dissolute life filled with parties and gambling.
Il a mené une vie dissolue remplie de fêtes et de jeux d'argent.
C2 verb /ˈsʌplɪˌkeɪt/

supplicate

supplier
Meaning
To ask for something earnestly or humbly, often in a religious context.
Example
The villagers supplicated the gods for rain during the drought.
Les villageois supplièrent les dieux pour la pluie pendant la sécheresse.
C2 verb /ɪˈdjuːs/

educe

extraire
Meaning
To draw out or bring forth something latent or hidden.
Example
The teacher tried to educe a response from the shy student.
Le professeur a essayé d'éduire une réponse de l'étudiant timide.
C2 verb /səˈbɔːrn/

suborn

suborner
Meaning
to bribe or induce someone unlawfully to perform an act, especially to commit perjury
Example
The lawyer was accused of trying to suborn a witness.
L'avocat a été accusé d'avoir tenté de suborner un témoin.
C2 verb /ɪnˈɡrɑːft/

ingraft

implanter
Meaning
To implant or fix deeply, often used in the sense of grafting an idea or quality.
Example
The teacher tried to ingraft good manners in the students.
Le professeur a essayé d'implanter de bonnes manières chez les étudiants.
C2 noun /ˈbeɪlɔːr/

bailor

bailleur
Meaning
a person who temporarily transfers possession of goods or property to another under a bailment agreement
Example
The bailor entrusted the valuable artwork to the museum for safekeeping.
Le bailleur a confié l’œuvre d’art au musée.
C2 verb /ɛksˈproʊprieɪt/

expropriate

exproprier
Meaning
To take property from its owner, especially by authority or for public use.
Example
The government decided to expropriate the land for a new highway.
Le gouvernement a décidé d'exproprier la terre pour une nouvelle autoroute.
C2 noun /ˈboʊsən/

boatswain

officier de bord
Meaning
a ship's officer in charge of equipment and the crew
Example
The boatswain supervised the sailors on deck.
Le bôt-swên a supervisé les marins sur le pont.
C2 adjective /ˈɪndələnt/

indolent

paresseux
Meaning
Wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy.
Example
The indolent cat slept in the sun all afternoon.
Le chat paresseux a dormi au soleil toute l'après-midi.
C2 verb /ɪnˈskɒns/

ensconce

s'installer confortablement, cacher
Meaning
to settle comfortably or securely in a place; to hide or shelter firmly
Example
She ensconced herself in a cozy armchair by the fireplace.
Elle s'est installée confortablement dans un fauteuil près de la cheminée.
C2 noun /ˈbrɛviˌɛri/

breviary

livre de prières
Meaning
A book containing the service for each day, used in Christian liturgy.
Example
The monk read from the breviary during morning prayers.
Le moine a lu du livre de prières pendant les prières du matin.
C2 noun /ˈklɔɪstər/

cloister

cloître
Meaning
a covered walk in a convent, monastery, or cathedral, typically with a wall on one side and a colonnade open to a quadrangle on the other.
Example
The monks walked silently through the cloister.
Les moines marchaient silencieusement à travers le cloître.
C2 verb /ˈbækbaɪt/

backbite

médire
Meaning
to speak negatively about someone who is not present; to slander behind someone’s back
Example
It is wrong to backbite your colleagues behind their backs.
Il est mal de médire de ses collègues en leur absence.
C2 adjective /ˌnɒnˈtrɪviəl/

nontrivial

non trivial
Meaning
Not simple or easy; requiring effort or significant thought.
Example
Solving the equation turned out to be a nontrivial task.
Résoudre l'équation s'est avéré être une tâche non triviale.
C2 noun /ˈbɜːrɡər/

burgher

bourgeois
Meaning
A citizen of a town, typically a member of the wealthy middle class.
Example
The burgher was respected as a prosperous merchant in the city.
Le bourgeois était respecté comme un marchand prospère dans la ville.
C2 noun /ˈɪnroʊd/

inroad

progrès
Meaning
An advance or significant progress, often at the expense of something else.
Example
The company made significant inroads into the mobile market.
L'entreprise a réalisé des progrès significatifs sur le marché mobile.
C2 phrase /lɛt ðɛm ˈθɪə.ri/

let them theory

théorie de laisser les autres penser ce qu'ils veulent
Meaning
A philosophy of not trying to control others' actions or opinions and allowing them to be themselves.
Example
He follows the Let them theory and ignores negativity.
Il suit la théorie de 'les laisser' et ignore la négativité.
C2 verb /dɪsˈmɛmbər/

dismember

dismembrer
Meaning
to cut or tear the limbs from a body; to divide into separate parts
Example
The king ordered his enemies to be dismembered.
Le roi a ordonné que ses ennemis soient dismembrés.
C2 adjective /ˌɪnˈekspɜːrt/

inexpert

inexpérimenté
Meaning
not skilled or experienced; lacking expertise
Example
The inexpert handling of the machine caused several mistakes.
La manipulation inexpérimentée de la machine a causé plusieurs erreurs.
C2 adjective /ˈdɪfɪdənt/

diffident

diffident
Meaning
Shy or lacking confidence in one's own abilities.
Example
He was too diffident to ask a question in class.
Il était trop diffident pour poser une question en classe.
C2 adjective /heɪl/

hale

vital
Meaning
strong and healthy, especially of an elderly person
Example
Despite his age, the man remained hale and active.
Malgré son âge, l'homme est resté en bonne santé et actif.
C2 noun /kənˈkɔːrdəns/

concordance

concordance
Meaning
Agreement; also an alphabetical index of the principal words in a book.
Example
There is a strong concordance between the two reports.
Il y a une forte concordance entre les deux rapports.
C2 noun /naɪt kwiːn/

Night queen

reine de la nuit
Meaning
a fragrant white flower that blooms at night and releases strong sweet scent
Example
The night queen flowers filled the garden with their sweet fragrance.
Les fleurs de la reine de la nuit ont rempli le jardin de leur douce fragrance.
C2 verb /ɪkˈspʌndʒ/

expunge

effacer
Meaning
To erase or remove completely, often something unwanted.
Example
He managed to expunge the embarrassing memory from his mind.
Il a réussi à effacer le souvenir embarrassant de son esprit.
C2 adjective /ˈsteɪ.dʒi/

stagy

trop théâtral
Meaning
Overly theatrical, artificial, or exaggerated in manner or style.
Example
Her performance felt stagy and unnatural.
Sa performance semblait trop théâtrale et artificielle.
C2 adjective /ɪnˈɡreɪʃiˌeɪtɪŋ/

ingratiating

flatteur
Meaning
Charming or flattering in a way intended to gain favor.
Example
His ingratiating smile made everyone trust him quickly.
Son sourire flatteur a fait en sorte que tout le monde lui fasse rapidement confiance.
C2 adjective /ˈdɪsənənt/

dissonant

dissonant
Meaning
Harsh and lacking harmony; conflicting.
Example
The orchestra produced a dissonant sound during rehearsal.
L'orchestre a produit un son dissonant pendant la répétition.
C2 adjective /ˌtaɪtˈfɪstɪd/

tightfisted

avare
Meaning
unwilling to spend money; stingy
Example
He is so tightfisted that he refuses to tip at restaurants.
Il est tellement avare qu'il refuse de donner un pourboire dans les restaurants.
C2 adjective /ləˈkɒnɪk/

laconic

laconiques
Meaning
using very few words; concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious
Example
His laconic reply ended the conversation quickly.
Sa réponse laconiques a rapidement mis fin à la conversation.
C2 noun /fɔːn/

faun

faune (créature mythologique)
Meaning
a mythological creature that is half human and half goat
Example
The sculpture depicted a playful faun dancing in the forest.
La sculpture représentait un faune dansant et jouant dans la forêt.
C2 noun /rɪˈsɪdɪˌvɪzəm/

recidivism

récidivisme
Meaning
The tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend or relapse into criminal behavior.
Example
The government introduced new programs to reduce recidivism among former inmates.
Le gouvernement a mis en place de nouveaux programmes pour réduire le récidivisme chez les anciens détenus.
C2 adjective /ˈvjuː.ləs/

Viewless

invisible; sans opinions
Meaning
invisible; having no views or opinions
Example
The ghost remained viewless to most people in the haunted house.
Le fantôme est resté invisible pour la plupart des gens dans la maison hantée.
C2 adjective /ˈʃɑːpwɔːrn/

shopworn

usé / vieilli
Meaning
worn or faded from being displayed in a shop; no longer fresh or original
Example
The shopworn shoes were sold at a discount.
Les chaussures shopworn ont été vendues à prix réduit.
C2 adjective /nɑːrld/

gnarled

tordu
Meaning
Twisted, rough, and knotted, especially with age.
Example
The old man had gnarled hands from years of hard work.
L'homme âgé avait les mains tordues à force d'années de travail acharné.
C2 verb /dʒɛˈstɪkjʊleɪt/

gesticulate

gesticuler
Meaning
to use gestures, especially dramatic ones, instead of speaking or to emphasize one's words
Example
He gesticulated wildly to get their attention.
Il gesticulait sauvagement pour attirer leur attention.
C2 adjective /ˈæpəzɪt/

apposite

approprié
Meaning
highly appropriate or relevant to what is being discussed
Example
Her remark was particularly apposite to the situation.
Son commentaire était particulièrement approprié à la situation.
C2 adjective /ˈbɪz.ən.taɪn/ or /ˈbaɪ.zənˌtiːn/

byzantine

complexe
Meaning
Extremely complicated and detailed; relating to the Byzantine Empire or its style.
Example
The new tax regulations are so byzantine that few understand them.
Les nouvelles réglementations fiscales sont tellement complexes que peu de gens les comprennent.
C2 noun /pɛnˈtæmɪtər/

pentameter

pentamètre
Meaning
A line of verse consisting of five metrical feet.
Example
Shakespeare often wrote his plays in iambic pentameter.
Shakespeare écrivait souvent ses pièces en pentamètre iambique.
C2 noun /ˈbɪɡ.ə.mi/

bigamy

bigamie
Meaning
The act of marrying one person while still legally married to another.
Example
He was charged with bigamy after his second marriage was discovered.
Il a été accusé de bigamie après que son second mariage ait été découvert.
C2 verb /bɪˈhuːv/

behoove

être nécessaire ou approprié pour que quelqu'un fasse quelque chose
Meaning
to be necessary, proper, or appropriate for someone to do
Example
It would behoove you to study before the exam.
Il serait approprié que tu étudies avant l'examen.
C2 noun /ˌkæl.sɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/

calcification

calcification
Meaning
The process of calcium accumulation in soil, making it hard.
Example
Calcification reduces soil permeability and affects crop growth.
La calcification réduit la perméabilité du sol et affecte la croissance des cultures.
C2 noun /ˈwɑːmpəm/

wampum

colliers en coquillage
Meaning
beads made by Native Americans from shells, used as money or decoration
Example
The tribe traded furs for wampum.
La tribu a échangé des fourrures contre des colliers en coquillage.
C2 noun /əˈfreɪ/

affray

bagarre publique
Meaning
A public fight or noisy disturbance that causes alarm.
Example
The police were called to break up an affray outside the stadium.
La police a été appelée pour arrêter une altercation à l'extérieur du stade.
C2 adjective /suːˈpɜːrnəl/

supernal

céleste
Meaning
Relating to the heavens; celestial or divine.
Example
The painting captured a supernal beauty that felt otherworldly.
La peinture a capturé une beauté céleste qui semblait d'un autre monde.