Unit 52

mortify / fortify

mortify v. 使...尴尬 (to cause (someone) to feel very embarrassed and foolish) / ˈmɔrdəˌfaɪ /

• Olga was mortified when she realized that she had spent the day walking around with her skirt tucked into her stockings.

fortify v. 加固，增强 (to strengthen a place by building military defense; to make stronger) / ˈfɔrdəˌfaɪ /

• The Parisian cathedral La Notre Dame was fortified with flying buttresses to stabilize the structure's great height.

bumble / crumble / humble / mumble / bungle / fumble / grumble

bumble v. 踉跄 (to move clumsily) / ˈbəmbəl /

• The bee bumbled about the garden, moving clumsily from flower to flower.

crumble v. 崩溃，瓦解 (to break down completely; to stop functioning) / ˈkrəmbəl /

• We had to rebuild the garden wall because the bricks were so old that they crumbled into dust when we touched them.

humble adj. 谦逊的 (not proud; not thinking of yourself as better than other people) / ˈhəmbəl /

• Even though Adam Sandler is a famous movie star, he seems like a fairly humble guy who prefers hanging out at home to the jet set life style.

mumble v. 咕哝 (to say something quietly in an unclear way that makes it difficult for people to understand) / ˈməmbəl /

• Edna mumbled a few choice words furiously beneath her breath so that the children would not hear her profanity.

bungle v. 搞砸 (to not do (something) well or successfully) / ˈbəŋɡəl /

• Jason bungled the experiment after he accidentally put sulfuric acid instead of water into the beaker.

fumble v. 笨拙地做 (to handle something in an awkward or clumsy way) / ˈfəmbəl /

• The crowds roared with disappointment as the rugby player fumbled the ball.

grumble v. 抱怨 (to complain about something) / ˈɡrəmbəl /

• The students grumbled loudly about the piles of homework that their teachers had assigned for the holidays.