Double Letter Words [advanced]
Adjective
having a large amount of wealth
Enduring symbols of the Olympics are everywhere in London, but the Olympic flame, the most recognizable symbol, is invisible to all but those lucky or affluent enough to buy tickets to the Olympic Stadium.
Verb
make pain or hardship more bearable or less severe
New approaches to treatment are relying on technology, such as virtual reality, to alleviate the psychologically damaging effects of PTSD.
Noun
ability to attract, interest, or amuse
The physical sensation of being immersed in a world shaped by a mathematical idea has lasting appeal at the Museum of Math. Sensuous displays are reconciled with the abstract concepts they demonstrate.
Verb
state a fact or belief confidently and forcefully
Individuals, particularly those in stressful situations - such as under arrest or police interrogation - need assistance in understanding and asserting their constitutional rights.
Verb
crash together with violent impact
Trojan asteroids are objects that exist in gravitationally stable regions in front of or behind another body. The asteroid shares the same orbit with Earth, but the two will never collide.
Noun
public act of protest
So instead of acknowledging applause, I stand there unmoving while they take part in the boldest form of dissent they can manage. Silence. Which says we do not agree. We do not condone. All of this is wrong.
Verb
discourage from doing something
President Mahmoud Abbas handed in an application asking the UN to recognize Palestine as a member state, rebuffing the United States' efforts to dissuade him.
Verb
argue over a price or terms
You could say that nights in Cairo are electric. Midnight comes and goes, but men and women still haggle with shop owners, merchants hawk their wares, and waiters serve coffee and juice to their 24-hour clientele.
Noun
loud confused noise from many sources
A hubbub's been building up about the maple leaf on Canada's new $20 bills. Botanists say that it's a leaf from the invasive Norway maple, not the familiar sugar maple that graces the nation's flag.
Adjective
giving no sign of feeling or emotion
It took Usain Bolt 9.63 seconds to break the 100 meter record. Impassive as ever, Bolt said no one should have been surprised. Asked what it meant, he responded coolly, "It means I'm one step closer to becoming a legend."
Adjective
not harmful or offensive
Using your cell may seem like an innocuous act, but research has shown that, by fulfilling the fundamental need to connect with others, it naturally reduces our inclination to feel empathy or engage in helping behavior.
Verb
deal with several things at the same time
People who think they multitask well test high for traits like risk-taking, sensation-seeking and impulsiveness. They are in fact less likely to be good at juggling things, as they are more easily distracted.
Adjective
incredibly large in size
An avalanche occurs when massive slabs of snow break loose from a mountainside, shattering like broken glass as they race downhill.
Noun
person's ability to face and deal with difficulties
In the era before anesthesia and antisepsis surgeons faced great constraints, and patients required a great deal of mettle.
Adjective
(of breathing) taking in little air
Whenever you notice you’re feeling tense and uptight check and see how you’re breathing. Most people under stress either alternate holding their breath with short breaths, or take rapid shallow breaths.
Verb
make pain or discomfort less severe
Some birds "ant" during molting. That is, they rub themselves all over with mouthfuls of mashed ants. The ant secretions are like bath oil; they soothe the skin during feather replacement.
Verb
ask to come
Uber, the San Francisco start-up that offers a smartphone app for summoning cars, is expanding its service to ice cream trucks in seven cities for a one-day test on Friday.
Verb
cause an event or situation to happen
Anything can trigger memories... a song, a smell, or a few words from a 6-year-old boy. In the instant, we relive in vivid detail and feel the emotions again as though they were new.
Verb
say something out loud
While talking about the ranch, Barbara Walters expressed discomfort at saying the word (which was swiftly muted out) and confused awe that Whoopi (Goldberg) could utter the word repeatedly.
Noun
large boat
Sea explorers announced the discovery of a new sunken treasure. In 1917, a German torpedo sank the vessel and its cargo of an estimated 20 tons of silver... more than a mile down.