Unit 126

deign / deify / deity

deign v. 屈尊 (to do something that you think you should not have to do because you are too important) / deɪn/

• The movie star graciously deigned to sign several autographs while walking the red carpet.

deify v. 神话，把…奉若神明 (to treat someone or something like a god or goddess) /ˈdiːɪfʌɪ/

• Argentine coach and player Diego Maradona has been deified by his fans who consider him a soccer god.

deity n. 神 (a god or goddess) /ˈdiːɪti/

• Many Hindu shrines are decorated with carvings of the deities they are meant to honor.

countermand / counteract / counterbalance / counterproductive / counter / countenance

countermand v. 撤销（命令） (to cancel (an order), especially by giving a new order) /ˌkaʊntəˈmɑːnd/

• The general's order to attack countermanded the commander's attempt to withdraw his troops.

counteract v. 抵消，对抗 (to cause something to have less of an effect or to have no effect at all) / kaʊntərˈakt/

• Jason took an aspirin in order to counteract his headache.

counterbalance v. 对…起平衡作用 (to balance something by being opposite) /ˌkaʊntəˈbal(ə)ns/

• Hubert drank a glass of antacid to counterbalance the acid in his stomach.

counterproductive adj. 起反作用的，事与愿违的 (tending to hinder the attainment of a desired goal) /ˌkaʊntəprəˈdʌktɪv/

• Trying to multitask is counterproductive because humans find it difficult to focus on more than one thing at a time.

counter adj. 事与愿违 (an opposite response) /ˈkaʊntə/

• The seller responded to our bid for the house with a slightly higher counter offer.

countenance v. 支持，赞成 (to sanction) /ˈkaʊnt(ə)nəns/

• It is amazing that the international community continues to countenance Russia's annexation of Crimea.