SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS VOCAB

a dysfunctional family

Family not following the normal patterns of social behaviour TRY TO UNDERSTAND HIM; HE GREW UP IN A DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY.

dire poverty

DIRE - extremely serious or terrible HE COULDN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT THE DIRE POVERTY OF THAT SMALL VILLAGE.

to forsake

to leave sb, esp when you should stay because they need you SYN abandon I COULD NEVER FORGIVE MYSELF IF I EVER FORSAKEN MY KID.

joint family

a type of extended family composed of parents, their children, and the children's spouses and offspring in one household. HE'S LUCKY TO BE LIVING IN A JOINT FAMILY. I HATE LIVING ON MY OWN.

to make a comeback

to become popular again after being unpopular for a long time THE MINISKIRT MADE A COMEBACK IN THE LATE 1980s.

a tenant

sb who lives in a house, room etc and pays rent to the person who owns it THIS DESK WAS LEFT BY THE PREVIOUS TENANT.

irreconcilable differences

IRRECONCILABLE - so strongly opposed to each other that it is impossible for them to reach an agreement THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE LANDOWNERS AND THE CONSERVATIONISTS WERE IRRECONCILABLE FROM THE START.

mood swings

big, rather rapid changes in moods THE DRUG CAN CAUSE MOOD SWINGS.

to relish a prospect

RELISH - to enjoy an experience or the thought of sth that is going to happen I REALLY DO RELISH THE PROSPECT OF GOING TO SPAIN ON SUMMER HOLIDAYS.

to meet obligations

to do sth that you have a duty to do THE COMPANY HAS BEEN UNABLE TO MEET ITS FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS.

to grant custody

to give sb the right to take care of a child during the parents' divorce SHE WAS GRANTED CUSTODY OF HER SON.

to strip of parental rights

to take away the right to take care of their child from a parent HE COULDN'T BELIEVE SHE HAD STRIPPED HIM OF PARENTAL RIGHTS.

born out of wedlock

if a child is born out of wedlock, its parents are not married when it's born OBVIOUSLY MY FATHER HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FACT THAT HIS GRANDCHILD WAS BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK.

turn to welfare for support

turn for help that is provided for people who have personal or social problems SHE CONSIDERED TURNING TO WELFARE FOR SUPPORT, BUT IN THE END SHE MANAGED ON HER OWN.

for the sake of sb/sth

in order to help, improve, or please sb/sth THEY DECIDED NOT TO DIVORCE FOR NOW FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR CHILDREN.

distraught

so upset and worried that you cannot think clearly. RELATIVES ARE TONIGHT COMFORTING THE DISTRAUGHT PARENTS.

spouse

a husband or wife SPOUSES WERE INVITED TO THE COMPANY PICNIC.

to default on financial responsibilities

to fail to pay money that you owe at the right time HE DEFAULTED ON CHIS CHILD'S SUPPORT PAYMENTS.

illegitimate offspring

born to parents that are not married HE HAS RECENTLY MET HIS ILLEGITIMATE SON.

abuse

cruel or violent treatment of sb MANY CHILDREN SUFFER RACIAL ABUSE AT SCHOOL.

interference with nature

to do sth that is contrary to the laws of nature THE CHURCH'S ARGUMENT AGAINST IN-VITRO IS THAT IT IS INTERFERENCE WITH NATURE.

foster parent

parent who take sb else's child into their family for a period of time without becoming their real parent. THE COUPLE WANTED TO ADOPT A BLACK CHILD THEY HAD BEEN FOSTERING.

orphanage

a large house where children who are orphans live and are taken care of HE WAS RAISED IN AN ORPHANAGE.

to create a legal stir

to cause discussion and strong emotions over a legal issue ADOPTION BY GAY COUPLES HAS CREATED A LEGAL STIR A LONG TIME AGO.

to be entitled to

to have an official right to do sth FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES ARE ENTITLED TO RECEIVE HEALTH INSURANCE.

tomboy

a girl who likes playing the same games aas boy AT YOUR AGE I WAS QUITE A TOMBOY.

to batter

to hit sb many times in a way that hurts or damages them HE WAS BATTERED TO DEATH

breadwinner

a member of the family responsible for earning the money to support the others AFTER HIS FATHER'S DEATH HE BECAME THE BREADWINNER OF HIS VAST FAMILY.

assault

the crime of physically attacking sb A CASE OF ROBBERY AND ASSAULT

to disclose helplessness

DISCLOSE - to make sth publicly known, esp when it has been previously kept secret SYN reveal

to dispel a myth

to make sth go awa, esp a belief, idea or feeling WE WANT TO DISPEL THE MYTH THAT YOU CANNOT EAT WELL IN BRITAIN

to press charges

to say officially that sb has done sth illegal and must go to court YOU MUST PRESS CHARGES AGAINST HIM, OTHERWISE HE WILL KEEP DOING IT UNPUNISHED

to escape one's plight

PLIGHT - a very bad situation that sb is in I HAVE STILL NO IDEA HOW COULD WE HELP HIM ESCAPE HIS DESPERATE PLIGHT.

to hush up

to prevent people from knowing about sth dishonest or immoral THE WHOLE AFFAIR WAS HUSHED UP BY THE GOVERNMENT

to mollycoddle

to treat sb too kindly and to protect them too much from anything unpleasant HE HAD BEEN MOLLYCODDLED AS A YOUNG BOY.

guarded secret

MY GRANDMA'S RECIPE OF HER FAMOUS CHEESECAKE IS A GUARDED SECRET

indecent molestation

INDECENT - shocking and offensive, usually because it involves sex or shows parts of the body that are usually covered. INDECENT ASSAULT - act of molestation

a sissy

a boy that other boys dislike because he prefers doing things that girls enjoy HE WANTED TO GO TO DANCE CLASSE, BUT HE WAS AFRAID THE OTHER BOYS WOULD CALL HIM A SISSY

vicious circle

a situation in which one problem causes another, that then causes the first problem again, so that the whole process continues to be repeated. I NEED TO FIND A WAY TO BREAK THE VICIOUS CIRCLE. THE SITUATION IS BECOMING MORE THAN TIRING.

for fear of retaliation

RETALIATION - action against sb who has done sth bad to you (revenge)