Useful C2 Expressions (C2) — English But Better

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Verbs

Word	Definition	Example
suffuse	To spread through or over something completely, especially light, colour, or emotion.	A warm glow suffused the room as the sun began to set.
languish	To remain in an unpleasant or difficult situation for a long time without improvement.	The proposal has been languishing on his desk for months.
admonish	To firmly warn or criticize someone about their behavior, often gently or formally.	The teacher admonished the students for talking during the test.
ensnare	To trap someone, often through trickery.	The fraudulent scheme ensnared hundreds of unsuspecting investors.
dally	To spend time in a leisurely or aimless way, often delaying something.	Stop dallying and get to the point.
beseech	To ask someone urgently and with strong emotion to do something (formal/literary).	She beseeched the judge to show mercy.
beset	To trouble or threaten someone or something persistently.	The expedition was beset by problems from the very first day.
unmoor	To release a boat from where it is tied; also, to make someone feel unstable or lost.	The scandal left the whole company feeling unmoored.
secede	To formally withdraw from a country, state, or organization.	Several southern states threatened to secede from the union.
levy	To officially demand and collect a payment, such as a tax.	The government decided to levy a new tax on imported goods.

Word	Definition	Example
divest	To give up ownership of something, such as an investment or property.	The company decided to divest its holdings in fossil fuels.
bequeath	To leave property or money to someone in your will.	She bequeathed the house to her youngest daughter.
eviscerate	Literally to remove the internal organs of; more commonly, to severely criticize or destroy an argument.	The critic's review eviscerated the director's latest film.
placate	To make someone feel less angry by doing or saying something to please them.	He brought flowers to try to placate his upset partner.
vindicate	To prove that someone was right about something, or that they were unfairly accused.	New evidence eventually vindicated the man who had been wrongly convicted.
acquiesce	To accept something reluctantly, without arguing.	After hours of debate, she finally acquiesced to their demands.
disparage	To speak about someone or something in a way that shows you think they have little value.	He's always disparaging his coworkers behind their backs.
exonerate	To officially state that someone is not guilty of a crime they were blamed for.	DNA evidence eventually exonerated him after fifteen years in prison.
subjugate	To conquer and control a group of people, often by force.	The empire subjugated several neighboring territories over the centuries.
capitulate	To stop resisting and accept the demands of an opponent.	After weeks of protest, the company finally capitulated and reversed its decision.

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Adjectives

Word	Definition	Example
slipshod	Careless and not organized or thorough.	The report was so slipshod that half the figures were wrong.
inordinate	Much more than is normal or necessary; excessive.	She spends an inordinate amount of time checking her phone.
gratuitous	Done without good reason, especially something unpleasant like violence.	The film was criticized for its gratuitous violence.
lurid	Shockingly vivid or sensational, especially describing something unpleasant.	The newspaper published lurid details about the crime.
cagey	Deliberately vague or unwilling to give information, often out of caution.	He was pretty cagey when I asked about his new job.
verminous	Infested with vermin, or resembling a pest.	The old warehouse was damp, dark, and verminous.
collusive	Involving secret cooperation, especially for an illegal or dishonest purpose.	Investigators found evidence of collusive pricing between the two companies.
ignoble	Not honorable; morally low or shameful.	He left the company under rather ignoble circumstances.
even-keeled	Calm and steady, not easily upset by problems or stress.	She's remarkably even-keeled, even during the most stressful deadlines.
boorish	Rude, loud, and lacking good manners.	His boorish behavior at the dinner embarrassed everyone at the table.

Word	Definition	Example
ostentatious	Expensive or noticeable in a way that is intended to impress people.	Their new mansion felt a little too ostentatious for such a quiet neighborhood.
pernicious	Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or not easily noticed way.	Social media can have a pernicious effect on teenagers' self-esteem.
ephemeral	Lasting for only a very short time.	Fame in this industry can be incredibly ephemeral.
insidious	Proceeding in a gradual, harmful way that is not easily noticed until it's too late.	The disease's effects are insidious, often going unnoticed for years.
obsequious	Showing too much eagerness to please or obey someone, in an insincere way.	The obsequious waiter kept complimenting every choice we made.
ubiquitous	Seeming to be everywhere at the same time; very common.	Smartphones have become truly ubiquitous over the past decade.
capricious	Changing mood or behavior suddenly and unpredictably.	The weather in the mountains can be incredibly capricious.
taciturn	Tending to say very little; reserved and quiet.	He was a taciturn man who rarely spoke unless spoken to.
vindictive	Having or showing a strong desire for revenge.	She wrote a vindictive email after being passed over for the promotion.
sanctimonious	Pretending to be more morally superior than other people.	His sanctimonious lecture about diet came from a man who eats fast food daily.

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Nouns

Word	Definition	Example
paramour	A lover, especially the secret partner of someone married to someone else (literary).	Rumors spread quickly about the senator's secret paramour.
attrition	A gradual reduction in the number or strength of something, often through continuous pressure.	The company reduced staff numbers through natural attrition rather than layoffs.
parlance	A particular way of speaking or using words, typical of a certain group.	In legal parlance, this is known as 'reasonable doubt'.
purview	The range of someone's authority, knowledge, or responsibility.	That decision falls outside the purview of this department.
penchant	A strong liking or habitual preference for something.	He has a penchant for expensive Italian shoes.
due diligence	Careful research and investigation done before making a decision, especially in business.	Investors are expected to do their due diligence before buying shares.
in the brig	In a ship's prison; informally, in trouble or detention.	The sailor spent the night in the brig for missing curfew.
acumen	The ability to make good, quick decisions, especially in business or money matters.	Her financial acumen helped the company survive the recession.
connoisseur	Someone with expert knowledge and appreciation of a particular subject, especially food, art, or drink.	He considers himself a connoisseur of fine wine.
quandary	A state of confusion or uncertainty about what to do.	She was in a real quandary about whether to accept the job offer.

Word	Definition	Example
vicissitude	A change of circumstances, especially an unwelcome or difficult one (usually plural).	They stayed together through all the vicissitudes of a long marriage.
chicanery	The use of clever but dishonest methods to achieve something.	The election result was overturned after evidence of chicanery came to light.
subterfuge	Deceptive tricks or strategies used to hide the truth or achieve a goal secretly.	They gained access to the building through subterfuge, pretending to be inspectors.
panache	A stylish, confident, and slightly showy way of doing something.	She handled the difficult interview with real panache.
exigency	An urgent need or demand that requires immediate attention.	The sudden exigency of the situation forced them to act quickly.
hubris	Excessive pride or confidence, especially the kind that leads to someone's downfall.	His hubris eventually cost him the company he had built.
nadir	The lowest or worst point of something.	The team's defeat marked the nadir of an already difficult season.
zenith	The highest or most successful point of something.	The band reached the zenith of their popularity in the late nineties.
machination	A secret or complicated plan intended to achieve something harmful (usually plural).	The novel is full of political machinations and betrayal.
proclivity	A natural tendency to behave in a particular way, often something slightly negative.	He has a proclivity for exaggerating his achievements.

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Idioms & Phrases

Word	Definition	Example
of someone's own volition	Done by choice, without being forced or persuaded.	She resigned entirely of her own volition.
it becomes you	Formal/old-fashioned: something suits or is appropriate for you.	That kind of arrogance doesn't become you.
in/into a tizzy	In a state of nervous excitement or confusion.	She got herself into a tizzy trying to organize the whole event alone.
strike one's colors	To surrender or admit defeat (originally a naval term about lowering a flag).	After months of losses, the company finally struck its colors and closed.
hitherto undreamt of	Not previously imagined or thought possible (formal/literary).	The technology opened up possibilities hitherto undreamt of.
afoul of	Into conflict or trouble with, especially the law or authority.	The business ran afoul of local regulations within its first year.
apropos	With reference to; connected with what has just been said (formal).	Apropos of nothing, have you seen my keys?
vis-à-vis	In relation to; in comparison with (formal).	The report examines our sales figures vis-à-vis last year's.
whence	From where or from which (formal/archaic).	He returned to the village whence he came.
lest	In order to prevent something happening; for fear that (formal/literary).	She spoke carefully, lest she offend anyone.

Word	Definition	Example
nay	Used to introduce a stronger or more accurate word than the one just used (formal/literary).	It was unusual, nay, unheard of, for a woman to hold that position back then.
unduly	More than is necessary or reasonable.	There's no need to worry unduly about the results just yet.
burn the midnight oil	To work late into the night.	She's been burning the midnight oil all week to finish the thesis.
throw down the gauntlet	To challenge someone to compete or fight.	The smaller company threw down the gauntlet by cutting its prices in half.
a Pyrrhic victory	A victory that costs the winner so much that it is almost like a defeat.	Winning the lawsuit was a Pyrrhic victory — the legal fees nearly bankrupted them.
rest on one's laurels	To stop trying hard because you're satisfied with what you have already achieved.	After winning the award, he seemed content to rest on his laurels.
par for the course	What you would normally expect in a particular situation, especially something annoying.	Delays like this are par for the course when you're renovating an old house.
muddy the waters	To make a situation more confusing or complicated, sometimes deliberately.	His comments only muddied the waters further.
add fuel to the fire	To make an already bad situation worse, especially an argument.	Bringing up old grievances just added fuel to the fire.
be at a crossroads	To be at a point where an important decision must be made.	At thirty, she felt she was at a crossroads in her career.

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