munificent [ myoo-NIF-uh’-suh’ nt ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. very generous; liberal in giving
2. marked by generosity
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The munificent bequest made by the industrialist was lauded by the media.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The recently-established Chair in Indian History and Culture, funded by a munificent benefaction from the Government of India, is helping to make Indian Studies ever more central to the University's academic mission.
University of Oxford, Oxford University establishes formal links with Hindu Centre, 26 June 2006
defray [ di-FREY ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
to pay, take care of or bear all the expenses
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He defrayed the hospital costs in spite of having limited funds.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Today, several middle-class Punekars staying in joint families are taking the opportunity to purchase a house for the future and leasing them out to partially defray the home loan equated monthly instalments (EMIs).
The Times of India, Reap rich returns, 29 Jan 2005
enthral [ en-THRAWL ]
[ transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. to enchant, charm or delight
2. to reduce to slavery
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The movie enthralled viewers of all ages.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
An exploration of the books full of fantastical worlds that enthral children.
The Herald, Today's Picks, 14 July 2009
cloying [ KLOI-ing ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. causing or tending to cause disgust because of excess
2. causing aversion through excess
3. excessively ingratiating or sentimental
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The cloying sweetness of her perfume succeeded in keeping men at bay.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Soon a cloying miasma of Cantal permeated its way up two flights of stairs into our attic bedroom where it delivered night after night of mildly harrowing dreams.
CNN, Cycling the Tour de Cheese, Barry Neild, 27 August 2008.
garish [ GAIR-ish, GAR- ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. crudely showy or tastelessly colourful
2. elaborate or excessively ornate
3. gaudy or dressed in bright colours
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Due to the absence of a formal dress code, many students wore garish clothes to college.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The production is saddled with garish costumes and over-emphatic scenery.
The Telegraph, The Royal Ballet's Cinderella at Covent Garden, review, Sarah Crompton, 12 April 2010.
Spelled Pronunciation Key
Stress marks: [ CAPS ] indicates the primary stressed syllable,
as in newspaper [NOOZ-pey-per ] and information [ in-fer-MEY-shuh' n ]
CONSONANTS
[b] boy, baby, rob
[d] do, ladder, bed
[f] food, offer, safe
[g] get, bigger, dog
[h] happy, ahead
[j] jump, budget, age
[k] can, speaker, stick
[l] let, follow, still
[m] make, summer, time
[n] no, dinner, thin
[ng] singer, think, long
[p] put, apple, cup
[r] run, marry, far, store
[s] sit, city, passing, face
[sh] she, station, push
[t] top, better, cat
[ch] church, watching, nature, witch
[th] thirsty, nothing, math
[th'] this, mother, breathe
[v] very, seven, love
[w] wear, away
[hw] where, somewhat
[y] yes, onion
[z] zoo, easy, buzz
[zh] measure, television, beige
VOWELS
[a] apple, can, hat
[ey] aid, hate, day
[ah] arm, father, aha
[air] air, careful, wear
[aw] all, or, talk, lost, saw
[e] ever, head, get
[ee] eat, see, need
[eer] ear, hero, beer
[er] teacher, afterward, murderer
[i] it, big, finishes
[ahy] I, ice, hide, deny
[o] odd, hot, woffle
[oh] owe, road, below
[oo] ooze, food, soup, sue
[oo'] good, book, put
[oi] oil, choice, toy
[ou] out, loud, how
[uh] up, mother, mud
[uh'] about, animal, problem, circus
[ur] early, bird, stirring
FOREIGN SOUNDS
[a*] Fr. ami
[kh*] Scot. loch, Ger. ach or ich
[œ] Fr. feu, Ger. schön
[r*] Fr. au revoir, Yiddish rebbe
[uh*] Fr. oeuvre
[y*] Fr. tu, Ger. über
SAMPLE NASALIZED VOWELS
[an*] Fr. bien
[ahn*] Fr. croissant
[awn*] Fr. bon
[œn*] Fr. parfum
[in*] Port. Principe
