C2 (Proficient)

optimism

op‧ti‧mis‧m /ˈɒptəmɪzəm, ˈɒptɪmɪzəm $ ˈɑːp-/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: optimisme, from Latin optimum; ⇨ ↑optimum]
a tendency to believe that good things will always happen OPP pessimism
grounds/cause/reason for optimism
Recent results must give some cause for optimism.
There are grounds for cautious optimism.
mood/sense of optimism
a new sense of optimism in the country
optimism (that)
There was optimism that an agreement could be reached.
optimism about
I don’t share his optimism about our chances of success.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ adverbs
▪ great optimism The team was in a mood of great optimism.
▪ considerable optimism These figures indicate that we can go into next year with considerable optimism.
▪ cautious/guarded optimism (=the belief that a future situation will be good or better than before, although you cannot be not sure) The U.N. sees cause for cautious optimism in what has been achieved so far. | He expressed guarded optimism about the company's future.
▪ false optimism (=optimism based on wrong ideas or information) In his speech he warned against false optimism about the immediate future.
▪ initial/early optimism (=optimism that you feel at the start of a process, especially when it does not continue) There was initial optimism about a breakthrough in relations between the two countries.
▪ new/renewed optimism (=optimism that you start to feel again, after you stopped feeling it) The new leadership has brought renewed optimism.
■ verbs
▪ express optimism Diplomats expressed optimism about the progress of the talks.
▪ share somebody's optimism (=feel the optimism that someone else feels) After so many problems, I found it hard to share his optimism.
▪ optimism grows His optimism grew as the time came nearer for his release.
▪ optimism prevails/reigns (=optimism is the strongest feeling) Despite the crisis, optimism prevailed.
■ phrases
▪ be grounds/cause/reason for optimism The lower crime figures are certainly grounds for optimism.
▪ a mood/sense of optimism A mood of optimism prevails in the White House.
▪ a wave/surge of optimism (=a sudden strong feeling of optimism) The team are riding a wave of optimism after their recent victory.
▪ be (little/no) room for optimism (=have a possibility that things might get better) There is little room for optimism in the current financial situation.
▪ be full of optimism (=be feeling that good things will happen) The 1970s began full of optimism and confidence about world development .

dim

I. dim¹ /dɪm/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative dimmer, superlative dimmest)
[Language: Old English]
1. DARK fairly dark or not giving much light, so that you cannot see well OPP bright:
in the dim light of the early dawn
a dim glow
2. SHAPE a dim shape is one which is not easy to see because it is too far away, or there is not enough light:
The dim outline of a building loomed up out of the mist.
3. take a dim view of something to disapprove of something:
Miss Watson took a dim view of Paul’s behaviour.
4. dim recollection/awareness etc a memory or understanding of something that is not clear in your mind SYN vague:
Laura had a dim recollection of someone telling her this before.
5. EYES literary dim eyes are weak and cannot see well:
Isaac was old and his eyes were dim.
6. FUTURE CHANCES if your chances of success in the future are dim, they are not good:
Prospects for an early settlement of the dispute are dim.
7. in the dim and distant past a very long time ago – used humorously
8. NOT INTELLIGENT informal not intelligent:
You can be really dim sometimes!
—dimly adverb:
a dimly lit room
She was only dimly aware of the risk.
—dimness noun [uncountable]
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THESAURUS
▪ dark if a place is dark, there is little or no light: The room was very dark. | No, you can’t play outside, it’s too dark. | It was a dark night with clouds covering the moon.
▪ dimly-lit a dimly-lit building or place is fairly dark because the lights there are not very bright: a dimly-lit restaurant | The church was dimly lit.
▪ dim a dim light is fairly dark: The camera can take good pictures even in dim lighting. | The evening sky grew dim.
▪ darkened a darkened room or building is darker than usual, especially because its lights have been turned off or the curtains have been drawn: The prisoner lay in a darkened room. | The play starts with a darkened stage, and the sound of a woman singing softly.
▪ gloomy a gloomy place or room is not at all bright or cheerful: The bar was gloomy and smelled of stale cigar smoke.
▪ murky dark and difficult to see through – used especially about water: the murky waters of the lake | I could hardly see him in the murky light of the bar.
▪ pitch-dark/pitch-black completely dark, so that nothing can be seen: It was pitch-dark inside the shed.
▪ shady a shady place is cooler and darker than the area around it, because the light of the sun cannot reach it: It was nice and shady under the trees. | They found a shady spot for a picnic.

fraud

fraud /frɔːd $ frɒːd/ BrE AmE noun
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: fraude, from Latin fraus 'deceiving']
1. [uncountable and countable] the crime of deceiving people in order to gain something such as money or goods
tax/insurance/credit card etc fraud
He’s been charged with tax fraud.
electoral fraud
She was found guilty of fraud.
2. [countable] someone or something that is not what it is claimed to be:
I felt like a fraud.
The police exposed the letter as a fraud.
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THESAURUS
■ crimes of stealing
▪ robbery noun [uncountable and countable] the crime of stealing from a bank, shop etc: £100,000 was stolen in the robbery. | The gang carried out a string of daring robberies.
▪ burglary noun [uncountable and countable] the crime of breaking into someone’s home in order to steal things: There have been several burglaries in our area.
▪ theft noun [uncountable and countable] the crime of stealing something: Car theft is a big problem. | thefts of credit cards
▪ shoplifting noun [uncountable] the crime of taking things from shops without paying for them: They get money for drugs from shoplifting.
▪ fraud noun [uncountable and countable] the crime of getting money from people by tricking them: He’s been charged with tax fraud. | credit card fraud
▪ larceny noun [uncountable] especially American English law the crime of stealing something: He was found guilty of larceny.
▪ phishing noun [uncountable] the activity of tricking people into giving their personal details, bank numbers etc on the Internet, in order to steal money from them: One in four computer users reports that they have been hit by phishing attempts.