cringe

Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense cringes , present participle cringing , past tense, past participle cringed

• If you cringe at something, you feel embarrassed or disgusted, and perhaps show this feeling in expression or by making a slight movement.
  Molly had cringed[感到難堪] when Ann picking up the guitar.

sneak

Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense sneaks , present participle sneaking , past tense, past participle sneaked

• If you sneak somewhere, you go there very quietly on foot, trying to avoid being seen or heard.
  Sometimes he would sneak out of his house late at night to be with me.
• If you sneak something somewhere, you take it there secretly.
  She reckons[覺得] she could sneak you some free nachos[墨西哥玉米片].
• If you sneak a look at someone or something, you secretly have a quick look at them.
  You sneak a look at your watch to see how long you've got to wait.

reinvent

Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense reinvents , present participle reinventing , past tense, past participle reinvented

• To reinvent something means to change it so that it seems different and new.
  He was determined to reinvent himself as a poet and writer.

the benefit of the doubt

• It's basically means to believe the best of someone or something, even if you are not quite sure at the time.Most of the time we would use this to talk about a person, more than a place or a thing.

flake out

• If you flake out, you collapse, got to sleep, or totally relax because you are very tired.
  If he flake out before I get back, just cover him with a blanket.

blow ... off

• If you blow something off, you ignore it or choose not to deal with it.
  I don't think we can afford just blow this off.

chore

Word forms: plural chores

• (countable noun) A chore is a task you must do but that you find unpleasant and boring.
  Making pasta[意大利面食] by hand with a rolling pin can be a real chore.
• (countable noun) Chores are tasks such as washing, cleaning, and ironing[熨燙] that have to be done regularly at home.
  My husband and I both go out to work so we share the household chores.

throughout

• If you say something happens throughout a particular period of time, you mean it happens during the whole time of that period.
  The national tragedy of rival[競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手] groups killing each other continued throughout 1990.
• If you say something happens or exists throughout a particular place, you mean that it happens or exists in all parts of that place.
  These terms will be used throughout the book.

stretched

• under pressure and doing as much as feasible.
  The system is very stretched.

take on

• If you take on a job, or a responsibility especially a difficult one, you accept it.
  No other organization was able or willing to take on the job.
• If you take someone on, you employ them to do a job.
  The party has been taking on staff, including temporary organizers.
• If you take someone on, you fight them or complete against them, especially they are bigger or more powerful than you are.
  *Liverpool are taking on Arsenal in the Cup Final.

walk (all) over

• If someone walks over you, they treat you very badly.
  Do you think you can walk over me? Well, you won't, ever!

sift

Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense sifts , present participle sifting , past tense, past participle sifted

• If you sift a powder[粉末] such as flour[面粉] or sand, you put it through a sieve[篩子] in order to remove large pieces or lumps[塊].
  Sift the flour and baking powder into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
• If you sift through something such as evidence[uncountable noun], you examine it thoroughly[徹底的].
  Police officers have continued sift through the wreckage following yesterday's bomb attack.

resent

Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense resents , present participle resenting , past tense, past participle resented

• If you resent someone or something, you feel bitter or angry about them.
  She resents her mother for being so though on her.

cranky

Word form: comparative crankier, superlative crankiest

• If you describe ideas or ways of behaving as cranky, you disapprove of them, because you think they are strange.
• Cranky means bad-tempered.

moderation

• If you say someone's behavior shows moderation, you approve of them because they act in a way that you think is reasonable and not extreme.
  The United Nations Secretary General called on all parties to show moderation.

stray

Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense strays , present participle straying , past tense, past participle strayed

• (verb) If someone strays somewhere, they wander away from where they supposed to be.
  A railway line crosses the park, so children must not be allowed to stray.
• (adj) A stray dog or cat has wandered away from their owner's home.
  A stray dog came up to him.
• (verb) If your mind or eyes stray, you do not concentrate on or look at one particular subject, but start thinking about or looking at other things.
  Even with the simplest cases, I find my mind straying.
• (adj) You use stray to describe something that exists separated from other similar things.
  An eight-year-old boy was killed by a stray bullet.