English Vocabulary in Use: Advanced Book with Answers and Enhanced eBook Vocabulary Reference and Practice 3rd Edition

yearns to be on her own with no family responsibilities. 
[if you 
yearn to 
do 
/
 yearn for 
/
 have a yearning for 
something, it means that you want something that you do not have 
and, often, can never have]
An Olympic gold medal is probably the most 
coveted sporting prize. 
[
to covet 
something means to 
want to possess it very much]
Reacting to other people’s emotions
Lottie tried to 
defuse the tension by changing the subject. 
[make a dangerous or tense situation calmer]
Tim was very angry with his daughter and it took her a long time to 
placate him. 
[stop someone 
feeling angry]
An independent advisor has been brought in to 
conciliate between the unions and the employer. 
[end a disagreement between two people or groups by acting in a friendly way towards both sides; 
formal
]
Although 
appeasing the enemy postponed the war for another year, it did not ultimately prevent 
it from happening. 
[end a disagreement by giving the other side an advantage that they are demanding 
(normally used in a disapproving way); 
formal
]
Language
 
help
A useful adjective from 
placate
is 
implacable
. It is used about someone’s opinions and feelings and 
means that they cannot be changed, e.g. 
I cannot understand the
implacable hatred
that he still 
feels for his old rival
. (Note: 
placable
doesn’t exist.)
Being extremely happy
exultant: feeling great pleasure and happiness, 
usually because of a success (more formal than 
ecstatic)
 
Sarah was in an