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英语中的遣词造句也有正式和非正式之分，正式场合用的英语可以是书面的，如报告、商业书信、条规等中用的语言。比较规范，有时甚至比较文气。口头上也可以使用这种语言如演讲、讲课、正式作报告等。非正式场合使用的英语，指的是比较随便的英语，口头上用得最多，写信、甚至写文章也可能用这种语文。在这一部分，我们从单词的角度来说明英语使用中的正式和非正式之分，我们举出表达同一含义的几组同义词，在每组同义词中，有的只能用于正式场合，有的只能用口语，有的是一般的词汇，在我们平时的学习中要注意观察和区分。

anger verb

惹怒：When the visitors teased the monkeys,it angered the zoo-keeper.

游客戏弄猴子惹怒了动物管理员。

incense 激怒，这是一个比anger正式的词汇。

The accused man’s lawyer incensed the judge with his interruptions.

被告律师打断了法官的话，激怒了法官。

enrage 使人非常生气

Her cheeky questions enraged the teacher.

他无礼的问题使老师非常生气。

infuriate 使狂怒，与engrage意思非常相似，可以换用。

The workers infuriated their boss when they refused to work overtime.

工人们拒绝加班，惹的老板大动肝火。

drive someone up the wall 惹的某人非常气愤，多适用于口语。

That noise you are making is really driving me up the wall.

 

annoy verb

令人讨厌：Very loud music annoys me.太响的音乐令我讨厌。

aggravage 恼人

Don’t aggravate the teacher by shuffling you feet.

别拖着脚走，以免惹恼了老师。

exasperate 使人气恼

Kevin exasperates us with his stubbornness.

凯文非常固执，这让老师非常气恼。

hassle 烦人，通常是用于口语

Don’t hassle me when I am tired.

我累的时候不要打扰我。

rub up the wrong way 讨人嫌，一般适用于口语

That girl always rubs me up the wrong way with the silly questions she asks.

那女孩尽问一些傻乎乎的问题，实在令我讨厌。

get on someone’s nerves  让人受不了，多适用于口语

He gets on my nerves when he complains all the time.

他没完没了的埋怨，实在让我受不了。

 

approve verb

赞成：We approved the idea of having a holiday on the farm. 我们赞成在农场度假的想法。

endorse赞成，支持

Do you endorse the cutting down of trees in the rain forest?

你赞同砍伐雨林中的树木吗？

sanction 准许，批准，这是一个相当正式的词汇。

The headmaster sanctioned our plan to hold a fete to raise money. 

校长批准了我们举办义卖筹集资金的计划。

advocate 拥护，提倡

In my speech I advocated peace not war.

我在讲话中提倡和平而不是战争。

bless 祝福

He blessed our decision.

他为我们的决定祝福。

hold with 赞成

I don’t hold with the new rule.

我不赞成这个新规定。

 

argue verb

We argued about what colour car we should buy.

我们就买什么颜色的汽车发生了争执。

quarrel 吵架

We quarrelled over who would have the fiest ride.

我们为确定谁第一个乘坐吵了起来。

squabble 口角

Children often squabble during card games.

孩子们在玩牌时常发生口角。

row 争吵，多适用于口语。

The new neighbour rowed so much someone called the police.

新来的邻居老是吵架，有人报了警。

clash （在重要的事上）有冲突

They clashed over what school the children should go to.

他们就孩子上哪所学校的问题吵翻了。

conflict 吃互相冲突的看法，与clash类似

Our ideas conflict about that because we are so different.

因为我们有许多不同，所以我们在那一点上的看法相互冲突。

 

argumentative adjective

爱争辩的：Some people are argumentative if they are criticised. 有些人受到批评时总爱争辩。

quarrelsome 动不动就吵架的

The children were quarrelsome because they were bored.

孩子们感到很烦，动不动就吵架。

cantankerous 坏脾气的

The cantankerous bus driver rouse on the childrenfor singing.

那个坏脾气的公共汽车司机因为孩子们唱歌而骂他们。

stroppy 爱发牢骚的，一般适用于口语

She was strppy because she couldn’t have her own way.

她因为不能随心所欲而爱发牢骚。

contrary （持）相反（意见）的

He is sure to be contrary nomatter what we suggest.

不管我们提出什么建议，他总是唱反调。

 

attack verb

攻击：They attacked the enemy wih all their strength. 他们全力向敌人发起攻击。

assault 袭击

The thugs assaulted the old man and he had to be taken to hospital.

那帮歹徒袭击了老人，人们不得不把他送进医院。

charge 冲锋

The bull charged us and we just managed to escape in time.

公牛朝我们猛冲过来，我们勉强来得及逃跑。

mug 抢劫

someone mugged her in the lonely park at night.

黑夜公园里人迹稀少，有人抢劫了她的钱财。

beat up 打，一般适用于口语

She cried when the bully beat her up.

那个流氓打了她一顿，她哭了起来。

get stuck into 使劲地打，一般适用于口语

We all got stuck into the bully and sat on him.

我们把那个流氓狠狠地走了一顿，并制服了他。

 

attempt noun

尝试：This will be our final attempt to reach the top of the mountain.这将使我们最后一次登上山顶的尝试。

effort 努力尝试

Our effort to reach the top took all of our strength.

为了登上山顶，我们尽了全身的力气。

endeavour 努力

We knew our endeavours had been worthwhile when we finally reached the peak.

当最后登抵顶峰时，我们才明白我们的努力是值得的。

crack （可能会失败的）尝试，一般用于口语

After I tried to take the lid off, he had a crack at it.

我试着打开盖子后，他也试了一下。

stab（不太有成功希望的）尝试，多适用于口语

Can you make a stab at the answer.

你能否使这答答看。

burl （不经意的）尝试，多适用于口语

I don’t really want to climb this tree but I’ll give it a burl anyway.

其实我并不像爬这棵树，但是让我试试看吧。

 

betray verb

背叛：The spy betrayed his country. 这个间谍背叛了自己的国家。

doublecross 欺骗，不守信用

She said she would keep my secret but she doublecrossed me.

她说了要替我保密，可是她骗了我。

sell out 出卖，多用于口语

He would sell out his friends if he thought he could get himself out of trouble.

如果他认为可以使自己摆脱麻烦，他就会出卖朋友。

give up 告发

I had to give you up because they threatened to tell my parents otherwise.

我只好告发你，因为他们威胁说，不然的话他们就要告诉我父母。

report 报告

We reported our neighbours to the councilfor having an unfenced pool.

我们向参议会报告了我们邻居有个池塘没有加围栏的事。

dob on 出卖，告发，多适用于口语

You can’t trust that girl because she dovs on her friends.

你不能信任那个女孩，因为她连自己的朋友都出卖。

 

blab verb

（不慎）泄露：She was angry when I blabbed the name of her boyfriend to everyone.我无意中向大家泄漏了她男朋友的名字，她很生气。

let slip （无意地）泄露

You just let slip all the information about my secret experiments.

你把我秘密试验的消息全都给泄露出去了。

spill 捅出去，抖搂出去，一般适用于口语

Don’t trust him next time because he has just spilt everything we told him.

下次别再信任他了，他把我们告诉他的事全给抖搂出去了。

let out （说出）秘密等

How dare youlet out the fact that my parents have just got a divorce.

你怎么能把我父母离婚的事说出去了呢？

give away 透漏，说出

You have just given the hiding place away and now they will find the sweets.

你把藏东西的地方说了出去，现在他们会找到糖果了。

 

boast verb

吹嘘：He boasted about winning the tennis tournament.

他大肆吹嘘赢得网球锦标赛的事。

brag 夸口，与boast意思非常相似，可以换用

No one likes him because he brags about how rich his family is.

没有人喜欢他，因为他老是夸口他家多有钱。

crow 夸耀

She wouldn’t stop crowing about the way her team won the debate.

他不停地夸耀他们队如何在辩论中获胜。

skite 吹牛，多适用于口语

She skites about her beautiful house and all the toys she has.

她老是吹牛，说她的房子如何漂亮，她的玩具如何多。

blow your own trumpet 自吹自擂，多适用于口语

She isn’t interested in what I do because she’s too busy blowing her own trumpet.

她对我的事不感兴趣，因为她整天忙着自吹自擂。

talk big 说大话，多适用于口语

He talks big but he doesn’t do very much.

他老说大话，可是做得很少。

 

bold adjective

卤莽的：That was a bold thing to say to a teacher.

跟老师讲那件事可是够卤莽的。

fresh 放肆的

Don’t get fresh with me!

别在我面前那么放肆。

pert 没礼貌的

I don’t like your pert way of speaking.

我不喜欢你那说话没礼貌的样子。

saucy 无礼的，多适用于口语

That’s a saucy answer to give your mother.

那样回答你母亲是无礼的。

brazen 厚颜无耻的

Her brazen behaviour embarrassed us all.

她那厚颜无耻的行为使我们都感到难堪。

forward 恣意（引人注目）的

She was so forward ikn front of the visitors that her parents sent her from the room.

她在客人们面前太恣意引人注目了，她父母亲让她离开了房间。

 

bungle verb

笨拙地做事：He bungled the whole job.

他把整个事弄得一塌糊涂。

botch 弄坏

She botched the cake by using too much sugar.

她放了太多的糖，把蛋糕给弄坏了。

fumble 笨手笨脚地做

The wicket-keeper fumbled the ball and dropped it.

那个（板球）守门员居然笨手笨脚地脱手失掉了球。

muff 漏（球），多适用于口语

I muffed my chance of being in the team when I dropped the ball.

我漏掉了球，失去了留在队里的机会。

muck up 弄乱，多适用于口语

He was cross when his little brother mucked up his stamp collection.

他弟弟把他的邮集弄得乱七八糟，他很恼火。

fluff 失误，多适用于口语

The actress fluffed her lines.

那个女演员背错了台词。

 

chic adiective

别致的：Your hair is very chic.

你的发式真别致。

elegant 优雅的

She’s a very elegant woman, especially in the way she dresses.

她是个优雅的女人，尤其在穿着方面。

smart 帅，有派的

That’s a smart new suit you have.

你这套新衣服真帅。

dapper 衣冠楚楚的

He’s very dapper in his spotless white shirt and new bow-tie.

他穿着一尘不染的白衬衫，打着新的蝴蝶结领带，显得衣冠楚楚。

fashionable 时髦的

Pierced ears are very fashionable.

穿耳朵很时髦。

nifty 漂亮的，多适用于口语

I bought some nifty new clothes fore the disco.

我为去参加迪斯科舞会买了一些漂亮的衣服。

 

city noun

城市：Thousands of people work in the many offices and factories in the city.

成千上万的人在城市里的机关和工厂上班。

metropolis 大都市

Sydney is the biggest metropolis in New South Wales.

悉尼是新南威尔士州最大的都市。

suburb （有购物中心、学校等的）近郊

We would rather live in a waterside suburb.

我们宁可住在河边的近郊。

big smoke 城里（澳大利亚农村人对城市的称呼），多适用于口语

Let’s go to the big smoke for a holiday.

咱们到城里去度假吧。

concrete jungle “混凝土丛林”人们对城市的一种称呼，因为城市里人太多、房子太挤，很不舒服

My parents say they want to leave the concrete jungle when they retire and live in the country.

我父母亲说，他们退休后要离开“混凝土丛林”，住到乡下。

 

lift verb

举起，抬起：Please lift this heavy box for me.

请帮我抬一下这个很重的箱子。

raise 抬起，与lift意思非常相似，可以换用

She was so tired that she couldn’t raise her head from the pillow.

她累坏了，连把头从枕头上抬起来的力气都没有。

elevate 抬高，举起，这一意义主要用于较正式的语言

The priest elevated the holy cup so that everyone in the church could see it.

神父高举圣杯，让教堂里所有的人都能看得到。

hoist 用力提起

Santa Claus hoisted the sack onto his shoulders.

圣诞老人用力把口袋背上肩。

lever 用杠杆抬起

The workman levered the boulder out of the way.

那个工人用杠杆把碍事的大圆石撬开。

jack up 用千斤顶抬起

We had to jack up the car so that we could change the tyre.

我们只好用千斤顶把汽车抬了起来，以便换轮胎。

 

meal noun

（一日三餐）饭：Breakfast is my favourite meal.

一日三餐中我最喜欢吃早饭。

snack 小吃，点心

I have a snack every afternoon after school.

每天下午放学后我吃一点点心。

feast 宴会

They held a feast after the wedding.

他们在婚礼后举办了宴会。

spread 酒席，意思与feast相似，但多适用于口语

They put on a wonderful spread to welcome their friends from overseas.

他们举办丰盛的酒席，款待来自海外的朋友。

feed 一顿饭，多适用于口语

I need a good feed after all that exercise.

那么大运动量后我需要好好吃一顿。

repast 餐，膳食，这是一个略老式或正式的词

Let us sit down to our evening to our evening repast.

咱们坐下用晚餐吧。

 

mean adjective

小气的：She is too mean to share her lollies. 她很小气，不肯把糖果分给别人吃。

stingy 吝啬的

The stingy man would not buy his children ice-creams.

那个吝啬的男人不肯给自己的孩子买冰激淋吃。

tight 抠门，与stingy意思非常相似，可以换用

He’s so tight weith ihis money that he won’t give anyone birthday presents.

他在钱上特抠门，不给任何人送生日礼物。

miserly守财奴的

He is so miserly he won’t buy things he relly needs.

他是个守财奴，连自己确实需要的东西都舍不得买。

penny-pinching 一毛不拔的，非常小气的

She is too penny-pinching to buy a raffle ticket.

她这个人真小气，连一张彩票也不卖。

mingy小家子气的，多适用于口语

You’re mingy to give me such a small piece of cake.

你真小气，就给我这么一小块蛋糕。

 

mediocre adjective

一般的：It was a mediocre film but we watched it to the end.这部电影很一般，但我们还是看完了。

indifferent中等的

I am a very indifferent chess palyer.

我的棋艺马马虎虎。

second-rate二流的

He’s a second-rate actor and is often out of work.

他是个二流演员，常常找不到工作。

midding 普通的，一般适用于口语

She’s only middling at tennis.

她只是一名普普通通的网球运动员。

banal老一套的

The plot of the TV soap opera was so banal we didn’t watch it.

这部电视肥皂剧的情节完全是老一套，我们没有看。

mundane平庸的

We rejected his mundane suggestion when Sarah made a better one.

由于萨拉提出了一个更好的想法，我们否定了他平庸而没有新意的建议。