Hot Words No.47

At bay

発音：

[ət béi]

意味：

何かを防ぐ又は遠ざける

Preventing or keeping away something

例文1：

The fence is designed to hold crimes at bay.

例文2：

The humid air masses held the sea breeze at bay.

Bleak

発音：

[blíːk]

意味：

寒く不快な、先行きが暗い

Cold and unpleasant; not promising

例文1：

The poet wrote this poem on a bleak February morning in rainy Scotland.

例文2：

Faced with bleak prospects of admission at top colleges, some students apply to overseas academic institutions.

On the cusp

発音：

[άn ðə kʌ́sp]

意味：

転換期

To be at the point of change

例文1：

The school is on the cusp of large-scale personnel changes.

例文2：

The authoritarian regime is on the cusp amidst the mounting domestic protests and international criticism.

Dire

発音：

[dáiər]

意味：

恐ろしい、差し迫って大変な

Terrible; serious

例文1：

If you don’t take care of your health now, there will be dire consequences later.

例文2：

His financial situation is dire.

Ember

発音：

[émbər]

意味：

残り火、前の時期・時代からの残留物

Remains of fire or of some former substance

例文1：

You should make sure to splash enough water on the campfire. Don’t leave any embers.

例文2：

Some say that belief in heaven is a dying ember left over from the Middle Ages.

例文3：

He sat and contemplated on the embers of his past glory.

Flip-flop

発音：

[flíp-flὰp]

意味：

1. 自分の意見や姿勢を極端に変える

(As verb) To make a surprising change in one’s opinion or position on something

2. 自分の意見や姿勢を極端に変えること

(As noun) A surprising change in one’s opinion or position

1の例文：

Towards the end of her life, the writer flip-flopped about her view on abortion.

2の例文：

His recent flip-flop could spell doom for the presidential candidate’s election prospects.

Gall

発音：

[ɡɔ́ːl]

意味：

イライラさせる、怒らせる

Irritate; vex

例文1：

His arrogance galled her.

例文2：

It galls me to see that man being so successful.

Lather

発音：

[lǽðər]

意味：

泡立たせる

To make bubbles

例文1：

He took the shampoo and lathered his hair.

例文2：

This antibacterial hand soap is highly effective, though it doesn’t lather well.