1. obsess [əbˈses]
phrase. If something obsesses you of if you obsess about something, you keep thinking about it and find it difficult to think about anything else.
Evans early was obsessed by the possibilities of mechanized production and steam power.
2. utter [ˈʌtə(r)]
(1). v. If someone utters sounds or words, they say them.
(2). adj. You use utter to emphasize that something is great in extent, degree, or amount.
He didn't utter a word during lunch.
3. abortive [əˈbɔ:tɪv]
adj. An abortive attempt or action is unsuccessful.
Tom tried to unlock the door, but his attempt proved abortive.
4. catholic [ˈkæθlɪk]
(1). adj. The Catholic Church is the branch of the Christian Church that accepts the Pope as its leader and is based in the Vatican in Rome.
(2). n. A Catholic is a member of the Catholic Church.
(3). adj. If you describe a collection things or people as catholic, you emphasizing that they are very varied.
One of the world's largest religions, Christianity, later split into Catholic and Protestant.
5. retrospective [ˌretrəˈspektɪv]
(1). n. A retrospective is an exhibition or showing of work done by an artist over many years, rather than his or her most recent work.
(2). adj. Retrospective feelings or opinions concern things that happened in the past.
(3). adj. Retrospective laws or legal actions take effect from a date before the date when they are officially approved.
I went to an exhibition that is a retrospective review of many famous artists' works.
整理自《柯林斯詞典》、《新東方託福詞彙》，侵刪歉。