Vocabulary

• at the end of the day: Ultimately; when everything else is considered.
• at least: As a minimum
• in the past: During a former period of time; previously.
• back down: To admit you were wrong; stop claiming
• answer to: To be responsible to someone and have to explain your actions to them.
• talking about: To discuss a particular topic.
• cut off: To end a process, e.g. a phone call
• turned out: To arrive for a public event or entertainment
• come onto: To approach someone with romantic intentions
• slow down: To reduce the speed
• to rights: Done correctly or properly, especially fixing problems.
• on the ground: Located on the surface of the earth.
• have to: Must do
• side with: To support one person or group against another in a disagreement.
• cracking down: To act forcefully in order to reduce crime, etc.
• know about: To have information or understanding of a subject or situation.
• as opposed to: In contrast to; rather than.
• no doubts: Certainly; without question (plural form).
• call for: To demand, need or require (an action or thing)
• number of people: The total count of individuals within a group or gathering.
• due to: Because of; owing to
• used to: Did regularly before, but don't do now
• stand out
• at the same time: Simultaneously; at the identical moment.
• same time: Occurring simultaneously or at the same point in time.
• on the brink of: Very near to experiencing something, usually something unpleasant.
• cut out: To leave out of something, e.g. a social event
• as a result of: Because of something; owing to.
• into perspective: To clarify or provide a broader understanding of a situation or issue.
• overwhelmed: To defeat something or someone completely
• extremely: In a way that is much more than usual or expected
• situation: Place, position or area that something is in
• scale: Size, level, or amount when compared
• severe: Very bad; harsh
• fear: Unpleasant feeling caused by being aware of danger
• current: Electricity flowing through wires
• previous: Existing or happening before the present time
• crack: Attempt to achieve a goal or objective
• overcome: To succeed in a struggle against; defeat
• portion: Serving of food that is intended for one person
• estimate: Guess or calculation of cost, size or value
• disrupt: To cause a disturbance in an activity in progress
• political: Being active or interested in government matters
• toll: Sound that a big bell makes, when it is rung
• paradigm: A set of ideas for understanding or explaining
• state: Region within a country, with its own government
• remain: To be left behind; to continue to exist
• regime: A system of management; a form of government
• democracy: System of government in which everyone is equal
• register: To record your name on an official list; sign up
• security: Department in a company in charge of protection
• involve: To have or be included as a part of something
• protest: To argue against something in a forceful way
• transition: Change from one state, movement, place to another
• mass: Religious ceremony in some Christian churches
• guess: To give an answer without knowing if it is correct
• major: High-ranking officer in the army
• mind: To be bothered or upset by something
• dire: (E.g. of consequences) very serious
• internal: Being or happening in the body
• social: Involving activity with people, e.g. in free time
• violent: Done with force; likely to produce physical damage
• stage: To organize an event to gain public interest
• speculate: To take risks that might lead to big profits
• supreme: Greatest in degree/nature/quality; absolute best
• authoritarian: Person expecting complete obedience
• condemn: To say that (a building) is too unsafe to be used
• revolutionary: Marking a significant change in something
• escalate: To increase in size, intensity, or scope
• important: Having power or authority
• obtain: To be given or to earn something through efforts
• hit: To have a negative impact on a person/place/thing
• ammunition: Supply of bullets, etc. that are fired from guns
• support: To give assistance or advice to someone
• public: Owned by the government
• government: Group of people and system that rule a nation
• middle: Place that is halfway between two things
• exile: State of being forced to leave your country
• unrest: Disturbance, e.g. of crowd in protest against
• change: To exchange one set of clothes for another
• blackout: When the electric power is off; outage
• question: To ask for or try to get information
• injustice: Unjust act; the practice of being unjust or unfair
• crackdown: Increased effort to enforce the law or a rule
• opposition: Act of disagreeing or trying to stop something
• nationwide: Including or existing in every part of a country
• complain: To say something is wrong and should be changed
• repression: Psych act of restricting or holding back emotions
• calculate: To find an answer using mathematics
• democrat: An advocate of democratic principles
• authoritarianism: Belief that the state should be all-powerful
• monolith: Large block of stone standing by itself