recalcitrant	resisting authority, disobedient
phantom	a thing that is not real but only imagined
adulation	excessive admiration or praise, flattery
ambidexterous	able to use both hands equally well
sacrosanct	considered to be too important to be changed, argued about
impregnable	impossible to be taken by force
dirt cheap	very cheap
to warrant	to guarantee, to justify, to deserve
self-effacing	modest, not drawing attention to oneself
conducive to sth	helping or allowing sth
to receive good grounding in sth	teaching the basics of a subject
intractable	difficult to be solved, dealt with
to do with flying colours	to manage to do with sth easily
upshot	the final result, outcome
by dint	by means of sth
to wane	to gradually lose power or importance
to be at variance with sth	to disagree with sth
state-of-the-art	the most modern, advanced, developed
to turn up one's nose at sth	to treat sth with contempt
mental acuity	sharpness of mind
sprawling	a widespread, untidy area (usually of buildings)
to spurn	to refuse with contempt
to perpetrate	to commit
to pit one's wits	to test oneself/sth in a struggle/competition
to be on alert	to make oneself/sb ready to use
to be in the melting pot	to be in the process of changing
unscathed	unharmed (of people)
to jump on the bandwagon	to join others in doing sth that is likely to be successful
collusion	a secret agreement
to detract	to make sth less enjoyable, to deprieve sb of sth
to estrange	to cause sb formerly friendly to become unfriendly
to add insult to injury	to make sth already bad even worse
galling	annoying, humiliating
to take leave of sb's senses	to start behaving abnormally
exquisite	beautiful, delicate
to be in good stead	to be useful, helpful to sb when needed
to rampage	to rush around wildly and violently
nemesis	deserved punishment of wrongdoing
prowess	outstanding skill, expertise
perfunctory	done as a duty without interest or care
to indict	to charge sb formally
to be at a premium	to be rare, difficult to obtain and therefore more valued
insolvent	not having enough money to pay what one owes
inebriated	drunk, intoxicated
to reciprocate	to have the same feelings about sb or behave in the same way
to remunerate	to reward; to pay sb for work or trouble
to recuperate	to get well again after an illness
to come in thick and fast	to come quickly and in great quantities
veritable	rightly named, called/ real
conscientious objector	a person that refuses to serve in the army
to have vested interest in sth	to expect to benefit from sth
teetotaller	a person that never drinks alcohol
stalwart	a person that is loyal, dependable and always ready to give his support
wide of the mark	to be inaccurate, far from the point intended
lapse	a small error caused by forgetfulness
unadulterated	not mixed with other substances
onslaught	a fierce attack
at sb's expense	causing harm to others