10-11 Flashcards
Earnest
(A) Having a sincere and enthusiastic manner or attitude.
Jack always sounds earnest when he talks about football.
SYN: Fervent, passionate, honest, serious
ANT: Insincere, frivolous, superficial, flippant
Scrawny
Thin
Sobbing
Crying
Humorous
Amusing, funny, comical, jocular
Drew
Past tense of draw
Designs
Check spelling
Detailed
Sp
Interrupted
Paused, stopped
Mitigate
(V) To make something less serious or painful
Together, we can mitigate the impact of this disaster
SYN: Ease, diminish, alleviate
ANT: Intensify, enhance, strengthen
Noxious
(A) Poisonous or dangerous to living things
SYN: Harmful, deadly, toxic
ANT: Safe, harmless, innocuous
Obsolete
(A) No longer needed, used or produced usually because it has been replaced
SYN: outdated, antiquated, discontinued
ANT: Current, modern, contemporary
Nourishment
(N) Either the food and nutrients needed for life, growth and good health, or the act of providing them
Soil gives plants the nourishment they need to grow
SYN: sustenance, nutriment, nutrition
ANT: Deprivation, starvation
Necessary
(A) Needed for something to happen
SYN: Essential, required, vital, mandatory
ANT: Superfluous, dispensable, redundant
(A) Unavoidable
SYN: Inevitable, inescapable, certain
ANT: Avoidable, uncertain, doubtful
Obstinate
(A) Inflexible, despite persuasion or reason
Femi’s obstinate daughter refused to put on her coat.
SYN: stubborn, determined, obdurate
ANT: compliant, submissive, amenable
(A) Difficult to move, remove or change
The obstinate tree had survived many fires and storms.
SYN: tenacious, unyielding, persistent
ANT: yielding, unresisting, pliant
Ewe
A female sheep
Fowl
A farm bird
Reinstate
To put something or someone back to its original state
Impose
An unwelcome decision or ruling on someone
Innovative
A new way of doing something
Redeem
To pay something off
Credible
It was credible that Sebastian scored two goals.
SYN: believable plausible
Disparage
Saying bad things about someone
He disparaged his effort in the rugby match.
Simultaneous
Happening or existing at the same time.
The two boys answered simultaneously
SYN: Coinciding, concurrent, in parallel
Arduous (a)
Difficult or Hard going
Jake dreaded the arduous climb to the summit.
SYN: Exhausting, taxing, laborious, gruelling
ANT: Effortless, unchallenging
Onerous
Hard going and tough
Scrutinise
To look closely, carefully or critically at something
The teacher scrutinised my work.
SYN: Study, inspect, analyse
ANT: Glance at, ignore, neglect
Haughty
Stuck up and posh
Preoccupy
To exclude other thoughts
Frail
Week and delicate
Hearty
Strong and healthy
Meek
Quiet and gentle manner
Overbearing
Unpleasantly overpowering
Resent
To feel bitterness
Begrudge
To feel bitter about something
Wane
To lessen
Zealous
Very keen and devoted
Decrepit
Old and worn out
Infirm
Unfit and unwell
Stout
Something rather heavy and strong
Universal
Common to everyone
Religiously
Consistently and without question
Raw
Uncooked /unfinished
Cold and bitter weather
Waylaid
Distracted
I got waylaid watching the horses in the field on the way to see my friends
Oppress
To treat cruelly and deprive of opportunity.
The wicked stepmother continued to oppress the prince.
SYN: exploit, subjugate, persecute, maltreat
ANT: emancipate, liberate
To make someone uneasy or depressed.
The caves eerie silence started to oppress the group.
SYN: torment, burden, daunt
ANT: comfort, cheer, calm
Disused (a)
No longer used.
We improved the Disused school bus by painting it.
SYN: abandoned deserted neglected
ANT: in use
Deteriorate
To get worse
The storm caused the hiker’s mood to deteriorate.
SYN: worsen decline decay
ANT: improve recover
Diagnose
To identify a problem,e.g. a medical condition or fault with something.
The doctor was unable to diagnose the mysterious illness.
SYN: pinpoint determine
ANT: overlook disregard neglect
Diligence
Thorough and careful effort
Val’s exam results show that her diligence has paid off.
SYN: attentiveness assiduousness
ANT: neglect inattention
Disastrous
Having very bad consequences.
SYN: catastrophic, devastating, terrible
ANT: beneficial, favourable, successful
Discontent
Unhappiness with a situation
There is discontent at home about the biscuit shortage.
SYN: dissatisfaction displeasure
ANT: satisfaction happiness
Dissatisfied
Annabel was discontent with the shabby hotel room.
SYN: unhappy displeased disappointed
ANT: satisfied pleased happy
Jocular
Funny, humorous. Cheerful and joking, usually making people laugh.
Sam’s jocular mood really brightened my day.
SYN: Jovial, jolly, droll, comical, playful
ANT: Serious, solemn, humourless
Discrepancy
A difference between things that should match
There is a discrepancy between Sara and Peter’s statements
SYN: Inconsistency, disparity
ANT: Similarity, resemblance
Dishearten
To make someone lose hope or morale
The Captain feared that the news would dishearten the crew
SYN: Dismay, demoralise, discourage
ANT: Encourage, boost
Dispense
To give out
the pharmacy will dispense the medicine you need
SYN: Distribute, supply, provide
ANT: Retain, keep, withhold
To make a choice to manage without or not to use something
My boss and I wanted to dispense with formal greetings
SYN: Get rid of, do without
Distraction
Something that takes attention away from what you should be doing
The alien invasion was a welcome distraction from exams
SYN: Interruption, disturbance, diversion
Malign
(V) To insult or criticise someone unfairly
They will continue to malign him despite his innocence
SYN: slander, disparage, vilify, defame
ANT: praise, applaud, commend, laud
…………………
(A) Evil and harmful
They must be punished for this malign act
SYN: Destructive, spiteful, malevolent, vicious
ANT: Kind, honourable, benevolent
Majestic
Impressive or admirable in beauty or size.
The majestic banquet hall seemed to go on forever
SYN: Grand, stately, magnificent, imposing
ANT: Modest, ordinary, humble, unassuming
Magnitude
Extreme size or scale
It’s hard to picture the magnitude of the Himalayas
SYN: Vastness, immensity, enormity
ANT: Smallness, minuteness, diminutiveness
…………………………..
Great significance
An achievement of this magnitude is inspirational
SYN: importance, weight, eminence, distinction
ANT: insignificance, triviality
Lethargy
A lack of energy or enthusiasm
Peter was overcome with intense lethargy
SYN: Sluggishness, drowsiness, torpor
ANT: vitality, vigour, liveliness
Lenient
Less severe than expected
Peter was relieved that his punishment was lenient
SYN: Merciful, tolerant, forgiving
ANT: Harsh, strict stern
Latent
Hidden, but with the potential to be revealed in the future
Perhaps her latent music talents will be revealed soon
SYN: Dormant, inactive, veiled, lurking
ANT: Conspicuous, obvious, evident, realised
Judicious
Showing good judgment in actions or decisions
Your judicious planning has contributed to our success
SYN: Sensible, reasonable, rational, prudent
ANT: Thoughtless, rash, ignorant, careless
Milestone
(N) A significant event in history or someone’s life
Learning to walk is a big milestone in a child’s life
SYN: Landmark, breakthrough, achievement
…………………………..
(N) A stone at the side of a road that marks the distance in miles to or from somewhere
He walked past six milestones today.
Mesmerise
(V) To capture someone’s attention completely
The ballet dancers mesmerise their audience every night
SYN: Captivate, hypnotise, entrance, transfix
ANT: Bore, tire, disenchant, repel
Melancholy
(A) Full of thoughtful sorrow
Peter felt melancholy as he trudged through the rain
SYN: mournful, sombre, glum, despondent
ANT: Cheerful, glad, bright, merry, joyful
………………………..
(N) Intense and thoughtful sorrow
There was a great sense of melancholy at the funeral
SYN: Woe, gloom, desolation
ANT: Joy, delight, pleasure, happiness
Allegation
A claim of wrongdoing usually without proof.
I am certain that the allegation against Kat is false
SYN: accusation assertion statement charge
Aloof
Having a distant or detached personality.
We thought Aaqib was aloof but actually he is just shy
SYN: reserved cold unfriendly haughty
ANT: warm sociable friendly amiable
Architecture
The planning and construction of a building.
I want to study architecture when I am older
SYN: design
…………………………..
The style in which a building is designed
The city’s architecture seems to have Greek influences.
Alluring
Attractive and enticing
The turquoise ocean was alluring in the intense sun.
SYN:captivating enchanting tempting
ANT: repellent repulsive
Appease
To calm someone usually by satisfying their demands.
He vacuumed up the mess to appease his angry mother.
SYN: soothe pacify allay placate
ANT: provoke frustrate incite rile
Appreciative
Feeling or expressing either gratitude or recognition for something.
Jasmine was appreciative of your kind gesture.
SYN: thankful grateful responsive
ANT: thankless ungrateful
Apprehensive
Tense or fearful that something bad is going to happen.
Aiden felt apprehensive as he neared the haunted castle
SYN: uneasy afraid anxious concerned.
ANT: confident composed assured bold.
Indulge
To treat yourself to something special.
I will indulge myself in another box of chocolates.
SYN: spoil wallow in
ANT: stifle
Animosity
To dislike someone.
I felt animosity towards him.
SYN: dislike hatred enmity
ANT: peace
ComPOUND
To make worse
If you take this action it will compound your problems.
SYN: worsen
ANT: make better mitigate
Candidate
A person seeking a new job or election for a position.
SYN: contender nominee
A person taking a test or exam.
A person or thing regarded as suitable.
SYN: possible suitable
Career
A professional occupation or job.
SYN: occupation profession vocation
To rush in an uncontrolled way.
SYN: hurtle dash tear
Category
A class or group of things or people.
SYN: class classification group variety species
Caution
To take care
SYN: heed prudence forethought vigilant
ANT: reckless
A formal warning given to a person suspected of an offence.
SYN: warning reprimand advise
Cease
To bring or come to an end.
SYN: halt stop conclude terminate discontinued
ANT: continue
Cemetery
A place where the dead are buried
SYN: graveyard
Chaos
Complete disorder or confusion
SYN: confusion disorder disarray disorganised, in pandemonium
Initiate
To start something.
The coach’s whistle will initiate the match.
SYN:commence launch establish
ANT: finish
Odious
Extremely unpleasant.
The rugby team was odious.
SYN:revolting repulsive disgusting foul
ANT:delightful
Consternation
A feeling of dismay at something unexpected.
She felt consternation when her car wouldn’t start.
SYN: Dismay distress astonishment
ANT: satisfaction
Repress
To restrain and prevent something.
The patient takes medication to repress muscle pain.
SYN: subdue suppress control
ANT: liberate free
Apprentice
A person who is working for a trained professional in order to learn their skills
Andrea is an apprentice to the local carpenter.
SYN: trainee student
ANT: master expert teacher
Apt
Appropriate in a given circumstance.
Nick’s report is an apt summary of the situation.
SYN: suitable relevant fitting pertinent
ANT: improper unsuitable unfit
………………………………………………………………….
Able to learn or understand things quicker.
My teacher told my parents that I am an apt student.
SYN: competent clever bright sharp astute
ANT: incapable unskilled inept
Aptitude
A natural talent or ability to do something well.
Successful candidates will have an aptitude for cooking.
SYN: gift flair knack proficiency
ANT: ineptitude incompetence short comings
Artefact
A man made object of cultural or historical interest.
Ebele delivered the priceless artefact to the museum
SYN: relic antique
Assiduous
Hard working and thorough.
The assiduous detective never missed a clue.
SYN: diligent attentive studious industrious
ANT: careless negligent idle
Assortment
A group of things or People that are similar but have some recognisable differences.
We ate an assortment of cheeses for dessert.
SYN: variety mixture selection medley array
Asunder
Into pieces usually by force.
The pineapple was split asunder when you tried to catch it.
SYN: apart
Audition
A trial performance
Populated
Lived in by people or animals
SYN: inhabited occupied
Placid
Calm and peaceful in nature and appearance
SYN: tranquil mild serene
ANT: wild agitated turbulent stormy
Pioneer
A person who is one of the first to go somewhere or do something.
He was a pioneer of exploration in the Kalahari desert.
SYN: trailblazer
………………………………………..
To be one of the first to do something.
Orla will pioneer this new form of medicine.
SYN: develop invent spearhead launch trail-blaze.
Pilfer
To steal usually inexpensive items in a small quantities.
She has a tendency to pilfer peaches from the market.
SYN: pinch loot thieve purloin
Peculiar
Different or out of the ordinary.
SYN: strange weird distinct
ANT: ordinary commonplace normal
Paraphrase
To express what someone has said or written in a different way often to make it clearer.
I’ll paraphrase what he said as it is complicated.
SYN: reword rephrase
ANT: quote cite
A rewording to make something clearer.
This paraphrase of what she wrote is easier to read.
SYN: rendition rendering interpretation
ANT: quotation citation
Ostentatious
Excessively grand or luxurious usually designed to Impress
The decor in Dale’s house is ostentatious and expensive.
SYN: pretentious flamboyant extravagant,vain
ANT: understand modest conservative
Catastrophe
(N) A sudden event causing destruction and suffering
The effects of this catastrophe will upset many people
SYN: Disaster, crisis, calamity, tragedy
ANT: Miracle, success
Campaign
(N) A course of action or activities organised with the aim of achieving a specific goal
The school’s campaign for a new library was going well
SYN: Effort, drive, operation, movement
(V) To carry out activities to reach a specific goal
Seb wants to campaign for better public transport
SYN: Petition, lobby
Citizen
(N) A legal resident of a country, town or city
Every British citizen will argue about how to say ‘scone’
SYN: National, native
(N) People who live in a specific place
If you are a citizen of York, you may attend the meeting
SYN: Inhabitant, resident
Collide
(V) to crash into something while moving
The two cars will collide if no one brakes
SYN: Hit, impact
ANT: Miss
(V) To disagree or come into conflict with
Our opinions collide on the topic of the best chocolate
SYN: Clash, differ, oppose
ANT: Harmonise, correspond
Committee
(N) A group of people who represent and make decision for a larger organisation or group
The committee met to debate new grammar rules
SYN: Panel, commission, board
Complemented
(V) Combined in a way that positively highlights the different qualities of each thing
The sweet pastry complemented the sour lemon filling
SYN: Enhanced, improved, heightened, boosted
ANT: Clashed with, contrasted
Compliment
(N) A remark showing admiration or appreciation
Fiona’s compliment about Seb’s home made him smile
SYN: Praise, flattery
ANT: Reproach, criticism, complaint
(V) To praise or congratulate someone
Harry wanted to compliment Emily on her performance
SYN: Flatter, laud, commend
ANT: Insult, criticise
Component
(N) An individual part of something larger
Seb screwed the final component of his time machine into place
SYN: Element, piece, unit
(A) forming part of something larger
Our fridges are made up of over 500 component parts
SYN: Constituent
Composed
(A) Calm and in control of one’s feelings
Frank was composed as he walked onto the stage to sing
SYN: Relaxed, collected, serene, poised
ANT: Agitated, uneasy, flustered
(V) Wrote or created something E.g. art or music
Shakespeare composed many masterpieces in his life
SYN: Devised, drafted, penned
Comrade
(N) A friend or associate in an organisation E.g. armed forces
Jim and his comrade had fought many battles together
SYN: Ally, companion , colleague
ANT: Rival, enemy, foe, adversary
Hearse
A vehicle used to carry a coffin to the grave.
Indifferent
(A) Not thinking about or interested in someone or something.
(A) Not good, but not very bad.
He found it very hard teaching a class full of indifferent teenagers.
SYN: Apathetic, detached, disinterested
ANT: interested, heedful, caring
Persecution
(N) Unfair or cruel treatment over a long period of time because of race, religion or political beliefs.
SYN: Oppression, victimisation, maltreatment
ANT: Comfort, consolation
Consternation
Feeling dismay at something unexpected.
Instantly
Immediately.
With E-mail you can send a message across the world almost immediately.
SYN: forthwith, straightaway
Blight (v)
To cause suffering or disappointment.
Every day the blight of aircraft noise affects me.
SYN: menace, trouble , pest , nuisance
Sentiment
A general feeling, attitude or opinion about something.
Since the death of the king there has been a shift in sentiment against the royal family.
SYN: feelings
Profess
To claim something sometimes falsely
They professed to have no knowledge of the event
Misgiving
A feeling of doubt
Clandestine
Planned or done in secret
She undertook several clandestine operations for the police.
SYN: secret, undercover, surreptitious
Diminish
to reduce or be reduced in size or importance
Avariciously
(Ad) In a way that shows an extremely strong wish to get or keep money or possessions.
The robber avariciously stuffed money into a bag.
Proclaim (v)
To announce publicly.
The messengers proclaimed the good news
SYN: declare, announce, broadcast, state
Accosted
to go up to or stop and speak to someone in a threatening way
Succumb
To lose the determination to oppose something; to accept defeat
SYN: yield, submit, surrender, capitulate
Skillet
A frying pan
Thither
to that place, in that direction
Avert
To turn away
Prevent
Nook
A small space
Somber
(A) Serious, sad, and without humour or entertainment.
(A) Dark and plain
A somber atmosphere, voice, face
He wore a somber black suit
Haunt
To visit a person or place in the form of a ghost.
SYN: patronise, trouble, worry
Festooning
Hanging.
SYN: hang, drape
Hermit
person living in solidarity
SYN: loner,
Considerable
Large or of noticeable importance
Contentment
Happiness and satisfaction.
His face wore a look of pure contentment.
SYN: satisfaction, gratification,
ANT: unsatisfied
Assent
To agree.
SYN: agreement, approval, acceptance
Noble
He was from a noble family as he was closely related to the queen.
SYN: aristocratic
ANT: humble
The tall tree looked noble on the horizon.
SYN: magnificent, splendid
Fighting against poverty is a noble cause.
SYN: honourable, ethical, moral
Pathos
A feeling of sympathy or pity.
The actor injected his customary, humour and pathos.
SYN: tragedy sadness pitifulness.
Custom
Usual or habitual practice, long standing habits
SYN: tradition
Imminent
Likely to happen soon.
Her arrival is imminent.
SYN: close , looming
Purloin
To steal
Plausible
SYN: credible, believable, tenable, conceivable,
Truce
Agree to stop fighting.
SYN: ceasefire, respite,
Spoil
To cause damage to something.
To become unfit for consumption.
To comply unrestrainedly to demands.
Abstain
To choose to not do something.
SYN: refrain, avoid
Feat
Remarkable skilful or daring action
The first electric car was a feat of engineering.
SYN: achievement attainment venture exploit
Exploit
Notable deed or feat.
To take an advantage of a person or situation for your own gain.
To make the best use of.
Expire
To end, finish or die.
To breath out.
Expose
To display for viewing/exhibit or to air.
To divulge identity or unmask.
To expose a photo negative to light.
Expunge
To delete or erase.
The criminal’s record was expunged so it no longer shows his crimes
Dubious
SYN: Untrustworthy and doubtful or uncertain.
ANT: trustworthy truthful
Revelry
Noisy and wild partying /celebration
Exhibit
To display something or show
To behave foolishly in front of others.
SYN: display demonstrate present
Garment
An item of clothing.
Excursion
A short journey for sight seeing.
When the cruise ship arrived at the port we went on an excursion to the local town.
Exemplar
A person or a thing to be copied or imitated.
Seb’s behaviour was exemplar and should be copied by the other children.
SYN: perfect example, epitome
Deterrent
A barrier or obstacle.
The lock on the door is a deterrent to thieves.
Deviate
To differ or turn away from the main road.
The backroad deviated away from the motorway.
SYN: differ digress
Hail
(N) Small pieces of ice.
(V) To call someone in order to attract their attention.
Shall we hail a taxi?
They hailed him as their hero
Chose
Past tense of choose
Saturate
To completely cover with water
SYN: Soak
Destiny
Predetermined course
It is my destiny to be prime minister
SYN: fate, fortune,
Flaunt
To show off
SYN: brandish
Prohibit
(V) To stop or disallow something
We decided to prohibit dogs from coming to the cafe
SYN: Ban, forbid, outlaw
ANT: Allow, welcome, encourage
Ascent
To move upwards.
Hillary was the first to ascent Mount Everest.
SYN: climb scale rise
ANT: descent, drop
Savvy
To understand or get the sense of an idea.
SYN: shrewdness, sharpness of mind.
Sprawl
To lie with one’s limbs spread out.
An urban area formed by the expansion of a town.
SYN: spread
Pressed
To harass or to urge.
Press on / to keep going.
Vain
Very proud of one’s appearance.
SYN: conceited.
ANT: modest.
Senseless or futile. - “ in vain”
SYN: pointless , without success.
ANT: successful,
Esteem
To have great respect or high regard for.
She was held in high esteem.
SYN: respect, admiration.
Extensive
Large and considerable.
Extensive knowledge/ comprehensive.
Compassion
Feeling pity for the misfortune or suffering of someone else.
SYN: pity, empathy
ANT: indifference, cruelty
Indelible
Incapable of being erased or obliterated.
SYN: permanent, lasting, persisting, enduring.
Prominent
(A) Important or significant
SYN: Leading, distinguished, notable
ANT: Unimportant, insignificant, ordinary
(A) Sticking out or standing out noticeably
The building is the most prominent on the street
SYN: Obvious, evident, conspicuous
ANT: Obscure, inconspicuous
Unwavering
Never looking or moving away from something
Sebastian was unwavering in the shop, he knew he wanted a red car not a blue car.
SYN: steady, resolute
ANT: unsteady, irresolute
Pacifist
Somebody that believes that violence of any kind is unjustified.
SYN: peace lover
ANT: war monger
Perplex
Difficult puzzles perplex me.
SYN: confuse, bewilder,baffle, mystify, bemuse,
Intellectual
The capacity to understand think and reason. He possessed a great intellect.
SYN: mind, intelligence, brainpower, wisdom
Synonymous
Closely associated with.
SYN: same, equal.
Steadfastness
Fixed with intensity or direction.
SYN: loyal, devoted, dedicated
Seldom
Rarely, almost never
Laura seldom goes to the forest since the day the fox bit her
SYN: rarely, infrequently, scarcely, sporadically
ANT: Often, frequently, regularly
Exclaim
To cry or to speak out suddenly.
SYN: shout, yell
Futile
No effective result.
SYN: pointless, vain, useless, ineffective
Meagre
(A) (of amounts or numbers) very small or not enough
The prisoners existed on a meagre diet
SYN: stingy, scarce, inadequate
Civil
Polite and courteous
SYN: pleasant, cordial
ANT: rude
Mourn
To feel or express sadness for the death or loss of someone.
SYN: grieve, deplore
Prophet
A fortune teller (n)
Stationary
Something that is still / not moving
SYN: static, unchanging, constant
Stationery.
Writing materials.
Draught
A current of air or breeze.
Draft
First or second go at a piece of writing / not the last.
Console
To comfort someone who is disappointed or sad.
SYN: comfort, solace
ANT: upset
A cabinet or a piece of furniture
Consolidate
To combine to bring things together.
Conspire
(V) To plan secretly with other people to do something bad, illegal or against someone’s wishes.
They admitted to conspiring to steal cars.
SYN: plot, scheme, collude
Constrict
To make smaller or narrower.
SYN: compress, restrict, impede, limit
ANT: expand, dilate
Uncanny
Unnatural.
Seb had an uncanny ability to jump super high.
SYN: eerie, extraordinary, remarkable, abnormal.
Relinquish
To give up abandoned or surrender.
Sebastian relinquished his hope of becoming chess champion after losing his first two matches.
SYN: renounce, give up, let go,
Merits
Worthy or superior quality.
SYN: excellence, calibre, bonuses.
Ploy
A strategy in a game.
SYN: tactic, move, strategy
Plethora
SYN: abundance, excess, surplus
Receptacle
An object that holds something.
SYN: container, holder
Condescend
The teachers tone was condescending even thought the children understood.
SYN: patronise, to talk down to, look down at one’s nose.
Reap
To harvest a crop.
Terminate
To put a stop to.
SYN: to end,
Poultry
A group of domestic foul / chickens
Paltry
Meagre insignificant.
SYN: small, meagre, inadequate
Wretched
Unfortunate or in a bad situation
The wretched man was determined to improve his life
SYN: pitiable, miserable, hopeless, unhappy
ANT: Fortunate, blessed
Poor quality
I don’t accept your wretched excuse for being late
SYN: worthless, pathetic, terrible
ANT: excellent, decent, worthy
Turmoil
A state of disruption or confusion
After the earthquake, the village was in turmoil
SYN: chaos, confusion, unrest
ANT: Calm, composure, peace
Twilight
Near sunset/ sunrise
Vincent admired the sky’s changing colours at twilight
SYN: Dusk, evening dawn morning
The final part gradual decline of something.
Penelope is now in the twilight of her career.
SYN: waning, Autumn
ANT: Peak, height
Verify
To confirm that something is correct
Mildly ate the entire cake to verify that it tasted good
SYN: check, substantiate
ANT: Disprove, contradict
Uncouth
Rude or lacking decency
SYN: Coarse, vulgar, boorish, uncivilised
ANT: Polite, dignified, refined, courteous
Vapour
Gas or small drops of liquid that form a fine mist in the air
A foul- smelling vapour was coming from dad’s bum
SYN: Gas, steam, fumes
Versatile
Having many uses or skills
You can wear this versatile dress to a party or the beach
SYN: Flexible, multifunctional, multifaceted
ANT: Inflexible, useless, limited
Vicinity
The area around a place
The thick fog started to form in the vicinity of the treasure
SYN: surroundings, region district, proximity
Wholesome
Good for wellbeing or health usually in a physical, emotional or moral way
I like to go for a wholesome stroll after a long day at work
SYN: beneficial, healthy
ANT: indecent, immoral, unhealthy
Texture
(N) The feel of a material or substance
Neil’s cake had the perfect fluffy texture
SYN: consistency, touch
(V) To add a raised or rough feel to something
Marina wanted to texture the sculpture to make it more realistic
SYN: roughen, pattern
Tedium
(N) The state of being boring or bored
Seb found many ways to overcome the tedium of studying
SYN: Monotony, boredom, dullness
ANT: Excitement
Tactful
(A) Being careful not to offend or upset anyone
Peter tried to think of a tactful way to tell Ben that his shoes were too big.
SYN: considerate, thoughtful, sensitive
ANT: Tactless, careless, thoughtless
Sincerity
(N) Genuine honesty or a lack of pretence
Ava spoke with such sincerity that Molly had to believe her
SYN: Candour, truthfulness, integrity
ANT: Dishonesty, deception, deceit, hypocrisy
Skirmish
(N). A short period of fighting or disagreement
SYN: Altercation, dispute, confrontation
ANT: Peace, harmony, accord
(V) To fight
The brothers skirmish over who can play on the swing
SYN: Clash, tussle, battle, spar
ANT: Yield, surrender, agree
Solitary
(A) alone or isolated by choice or force
Moles are solitary animals who live underground
SYN: reclusive, unsociable
ANT: Outgoing, gregarious, extroverted
(A) One person or thing
I see a solitary figure walking towards me
SYN: single, alone, sole
ANT: multiple, numerous
Sophisticated
(A) Complex or advanced
The machine had a sophisticated internal structure
SYN: Elaborate, complicated, intricate
ANT: Basic, rudimentary, primitive
(A) Very cultured or fashionable
The girl had matured into a sophisticated young woman
SYN: Refined, worldly, cosmopolitan, civilised
ANT: Naive, gauche, ignorant
Stagnate
(V) To stop progressing or changing
Without training, Ewan’s progress will start to stagnate
SYN: Languish, stall, stifle
ANT: Flourish ,improve, grow
(V) To become foul or stale from not moving
The water in the pond will stagnate if we don’t change it
SYN: Fester
Stalemate
(N) A situation in which neither progress nor victory is possible
Your inability to compromise has caused this stalemate
SYN: Impasse, standstill, deadlock, tie
ANT: Headway, advancement
Stupendous
(A) Very impressive
The stupendous film won many awards at the ceremony
SYN: Phenomenal, superb, astounding
ANT: Average, mediocre, ordinary
(A) Extremely large, usually causing surprise
He couldn’t believe the stupendous castle was his home
SYN: Staggering, colossal, immense
ANT: Minuscule, minute, tiny
Suave
(A) Elegant and charming
Ben’s suave look impressed all of his friends
SYN: Sophisticated, poised, debonair
ANT: Rude, awkward, clumsy, unrefined
Substantial
(A) Large in size or value
There has been a substantial increase in seagull attacks
SYN: Significant, considerable, ample, generous
ANT: Meagre, inadequate, paltry, small
(A) Sturdy or strong
The substantial houses have stood for over a century
SYN: Solid, well-built, durable
ANT: Rickety, unstable, fragile
Recycle
(V) To process something so it can be used again rather than thrown away
Let’s recycle as much plastic and cardboard as possible.
SYN: Reuse, reclaim, reprocess, repurpose
ANT: Discard, scrap
Remedy
(N) A cure or resolution for something
Isla had discovered a remedy for boredom
SYN: Antidote, solution
(V) To cure or resolve something
My mum made me a cup of tea to remedy my bad mood
SYN: Solve, rectify
ANT: worsen, aggravate
Remorse
(N) Regret for a previous action
Lola felt remorse for knocking over Sam’s sandcastle
SYN: Guilt, penitence, repentance
ANT: Indifference, impenitence, unrepentance
Reimburse
(V) To give back money that has already been spent
The zoo offered to reimburse the customer’s ticket costs as the show had been cancelled
SYN: Refund, compensate, repay
Reproach
(N) A visual or verbal expression of disapproval
The teacher gave the noisy pupils a look of reproach
SYN: Criticism, admonishment, rebuke
ANT: Approval, praise
(V) To tell someone off
I found it hard not to reproach him for his carelessness
SYN: Chastise, scold, chide, criticise
ANT: Praise, flatter
Rendition
(N) An interpretation or performance of something e.g. a poem, song or play
Their rendition of the story didn’t quite match the original
SYN: Presentation, portrayal
Reputation
(N) The way someone is commonly thought of by other people
Keith’s reputation as an excellent cook is well deserved
SYN: Stature, standing, fame, notoriety
Confer
(V) To exchange opinions or ideas in order to make a decision.
I want to confer with my teammates before the match.
SYN: discuss, consult, deliberate
(V) To give an official title, honour or power.
The team captain will confer the man of the match.
SYN: bestow, award, grant, present
ANT: withhold, refuse, deny
Congested
(A) Very crowded with people or cars, making it difficult to move around.
The motorway is always congested near Birmingham.
SYN: blocked, gridlocked, packed, crammed
ANT: empty, clear, unobstructed
(A) (for body parts) full of fluid or mucus
Steam can help clear a congested nose.
SYN: blocked, stuffed, clogged
ANT: clear, unblocked
Conscience
(N) Internal sense of right and wrong
My conscience won’t let me sleep if I feel guilty
SYN: Morals, principles, ethics
Contempt
(N) A lack of respect for someone or something
I gave Eleanor a look of contempt after our argument
SYN: scorn, derision, loathing, disdain
ANT: Esteem, admiration
Contort
(V) to twist or bend in an abnormal way.
I had to contort my body when I went caving.
SYN: distort, deform
ANT: straighten, uncoil
Feint
(V) To pretend to move, or to make a move, in a particular direction in order to deceive an opponent, especially in sports such as football or boxing.
An action taken in order to deceive someone about what you intend to do, for example in war or politics.
He feinted a shot to the left.
SYN: ruse, bluff
Faint
To fall over because you’ve been standing too long
Guffaw
Crude and boisterous laugh.
SYN: laugh, roar, bellow, cackle
Nostalgic
A yearning for past circumstances, events,
SYN: reminiscence, remembrance, regret
Sentimental
Tending to indulge the emotions excessively / deep feelings
SYN: emotional, nostalgic, affectionate
Mewl
To cry weakly.
SYN: sob, whimper, whine
Confine
To keep within bounds.
SYN: limit, restrict, imprison,trap
Adverse
Unfavourable to one’s interests
The medicine had adverse effects and I got a headache.
SYN: harmful, dangerous
(A) Insolent
Imprudent or disrespectful or rude.
Leo’s mother punished him for being insolent.
SYN: Impertinent, discourteous, rude, uncivil, impudent
ANT: Polite, civil, submissive, deferential
Solvent
Capable of meeting financial obligations.
I could pay my bills as I was solvent.
A chemical.
SYN: debt-free, in credit.
ANT: bankrupt
Deny
To forbid
SYN:refuse, reject, repulse
To say something is not true.
SYN: contradict, challenge, contest
ANT: agree
Consent (n)
To give permission or agree.
SYN: agreement, approval, acceptance
ANT: dissent, object
Object
(N) A tangible or visible thing.
SYN: item, article
(V) To provide an argument against.
ANT: consent
Upbeat
Cheerful and optimistic.
SYN: cheerful, optimistic
ANT: pessimistic, negative
Tangible
Capable of being touched or felt.
Your thoughts are not tangible.
SYN: actual, real, palpable, physical, solid
ANT: abstract
Lament(v)
To feel or express sorrow, remorse or regret.
SYN: mourn, grieve, wail
ANT: celebrate
Desolate
Uninhabited or deserted.
The house was desolate and had not been lived in for years.
Without friends.
She is desolate as she is sad and alone
SYN: bleak, miserable, abandoned
ANT: populated, joyful
Content
Everything inside a container. The chapters of a book. Things held or included in something.
Satisfied pleased fulfilled
ANT: dissatisfied
Myriad
A very large number of something.
He had a myriad of choices
SYN: horde, quantity, mass
Scanty
Smaller in size or amount than is considered necessary or is hoped for.
There was scanty information so they could not make the decision.
SYN: scarce, inadequate, and not enough
Trifle
Slightly or a little bit
I’m a trifle confused about the arrangements for tonight.
Amend
To change something, especially the words of a text.
The builders are going to amend the layout of the house to make it suitable for a bigger family.
Veto
To refuse to allow something
My mum vetoed me taking my bike on the blue trail.
SYN: disallow, reject, prohibit.
ANT: approve
Warp
To bend.
If the wood gets wet it will warp and be to bent to use.
SYN: bend, distort, flex, bow
ANT: straighten
Soiled
To make something dirty.
SYN: dirty,
His bad behaviour soiled our reputation.
SYN: dishonour
Condemn
To criticise something or someone strongly.
SYN: criticise, censure, denounce
Legitimate
Allowed according to law, or reasonable and acceptable.
The man had a legitimate reason for speeding and the police didn’t fine him.
SYN: legal, lawful, authorise
Subtle
Not loud, bright, noticeable, or obvious.
There are only subtle differences between the two colours and I can’t tell the difference between them.
SYN: delicate, indistinct,
ANT: obvious
Profit
Gains in money through trading or business.
She made a profit of 1000 pounds when she sold her house.
SYN: gains, earnings, benefit
ANT: disadvantage
Unique
The only existing one of its type.
I’d recognise your handwriting anywhere it’s unique.
SYN: individual, special, single, uncommon,
ANT: common
Modest
Not usually talking about or making obvious your own abilities and achievements.
He’s very modest about his achievements.
SYN: humble, unassuming, unostentatious
ANT: vain, ostentatious
Sage
Wise, especially as a result of great experience.
I went to see my sage old grandfather.
SYN: wise, sensible
ANT:
Inane
Extremely silly or with no real meaning or importance.
He’s always making inane remarks.
SYN: silly, foolish, ludicrous
ANT: sensible
Shrewd
Able to judge a situation accurately and turn it to your own advantage.
I made a shrewd business decision which made me lots of money.
SYN: astute, clever, intelligent
Advocate
To publicly support or suggest an idea
I advocate everyone gets to wear home clothes to school on a Friday.
SYN: suggest, advise, recommend
Nuance
A very slight difference in appearance, meaning, sound, etc.:
Linguists explore the nuances of language
SYN: differences
Raise
To lift something to a higher position.
He raised the window and leaned out.
The shop is going to raise the price of milk.
SYN: lift, increase, elevate
Dread
A strong feeling of fear or worry.
Going to the dentist filled him with dread.
SYN: fear, apprehension
ANT: confidence
Evaluation
To estimate or judge the value or importance of something, or test something
The doctors evaluate the patient’s condition.
All the students will have an evaluation to assess their maths performance.
SYN: assessment, judge, appraise
Indigenous
Existing naturally or having always lived in a place
The Aborigine people are the indigenous people of Australia.
SYN: native, original
Ornate
Having a lot of complicated decoration.
The vase is heavily decorated and is ornate.
SYN: elaborate,
ANT: plain,
Promise (n)
The idea that someone or something is likely to develop successfully and that people expect this to happen.
The young footballer showed great promise.
SYN: potential,
ANT: hopeless,
Savage
Extremely violent, wild, or frightening.
The wolf is a savage killer.
SYN: ferocious, vicious, fierce,
ANT: tame, mild,
Memoir
A written record of a person’s knowledge of events or of a person’s own experiences.
He is writing his memoirs of when he was young.
SYN: account. Autobiography, record,
Perceptive
Very good at noticing and understanding things that many people do not notice.
The detective is very perceptive which allows him to find the clues.
SYN: insightful, observant
ANT: obtuse
Correspondence
Communication by letters.
I still have regular correspondence with my pen pal
SYN: agreement, consistency
Portray (v)
To represent or describe someone or something in a painting, film, book, etc:
In the film the king was portrayed as a caring leader.
SYN: represent, depict
Sleuth
An informal word for detective.
His inquisitive mind made him the perfect sleuth.
SYN: detective
Commandeer
To seize for public or military reason.
The police officer commandeered the man’s motorbike to chase the burglar
Infamous
Famous for something considered bad.
The great train robbers were infamous criminals.
SYN: notorious
ANT: honourable
Virulent
A virulent disease is dangerous and spreads quickly.
OR
Full of hate and violent opposition.
SYN: poisonous, infectious
SYN: vicious, hostile
ANT: harmless, amicable
Denounce
To criticise something or someone strongly and publicly.
We must denounce bad behaviour in school.
SYN: condemn, criticise, decry
ANT: praised,
Spiritual
Relating to deep feelings and beliefs, especially religious beliefs.
She went to India on a spiritual quest
SYN: religious, intangible,
ANT: physical,
Grievous
Having very serious affects or causing great pain.
SYN: serious, severe
ANT: slight
Concord
Agreement and peace between countries and people.
After WWII Britain and Germany live in concord.
SYN: agreement, treaty
ANT: discord
Supernatural
Caused by forces that cannot be explained by science.
Ghosts and evil spirits are supernatural.
SYN: paranormal, unnatural,
Heinous
Very bad and shocking.
Murder is a heinous crime.
SYN: wicked, odious
ANT: admirable
Finance
To provide the money needed for something to happen.
My parents will finance me when I go to university.
SYN: fund, support
Vial
A small glass bottle, especially one containing liquid medicine.
The doctor gave the patient a vial of medicine.
Sporadically
Sometimes but not regularly or consistent.
We sporadically do cooking at school.
SYN: occasionally, irregular,
ANT: steady, continuous,
Decisive
Able to make decisions quickly and confidently.
He was decisive and was able to make decisions quickly.
SYN: resolute, determined,
Trivial
Having little value or importance.
His efforts in the football match were trivial as he let in 3 goals.
SYN: unimportant, insignificant, minor, trifle,
ANT: important, significant, serious,
Alchemy
A type of chemistry that dealt with with changing ordinary metals into gold.
He was an alchemist and tried to turn metal into gold.
SYN: chemistry, magic,
Imminent
Coming or likely to happen very soon.
The weather forecast said a rain storm was imminent
SYN: impending, close, approaching, looming,
Pinnacle
The most successful point of or the peak of a mountain.
The Olympic Games represent the pinnacle of athletic achievement.
SYN: peak, apex, top
Ambiguous
Having or expressing more than one possible meaning, sometimes intentionally.
The question was very ambiguous and there wasn’t a clear answer.
SYN: unclear, equivocal, dubious, doubtful,
ANT: clear,
Condense
To reduce something, such as a speech or piece of writing, in length.
My story was a thousand words but I need to condense it to 500.
Water condenses on cold windows.
SYN: abridge, shorten, abbreviate, précis, truncate,
Revolutionise (v)
To transform something
Peter’s new technique could revolutionise fishing
SYN: Reform, reshape
Sacred (a)
Idolised by a religion, group or individual.
Jaguars were sacred to the Aztec civilisation
SYN: Holy, Devine, blessed, venerable
ANT: Profane, secular, cursed
Too important to be interfered with
His weekends are sacred, so he refuses to work.
SYN: Sacrosanct, untouchable
ANT: Unimportant, irrelevant, trivial
Sacrificed (v)
Given something up for the greater good
Ethal had sacrificed many things for her children.
SYN: Relinquished, forfeited, foregone
Killed as an offering to a god.
SYN: Offered
Scarcity (n)
A lack or shortage of something
There is a scarcity of apples, so we’ll eat pears instead.
SYN: Insufficiency, deficiency, poverty, dearth
ANT: Surplus, abundance, excess
Sculpture (n)
Art produced by carving or shaping materials
A marble sculpture of a lion stood by the entrance
SYN: Statue, figure, carving, model
Thwart (v)
To stop someone succeeding at something
We managed to thwart his attempt to take over the world
SYN: Defeat, hinder, foil, prevent
ANT: Aid, help, support
Surveillance (n)
Careful and close observation
I think we need better surveillance around the windows to stop burglary
SYN: Monitoring, supervision, vigilance
Swindled (v)
Deceived someone to take their money or possessions
Ray swindled people out of thousands of pounds
SYN: Conned, cheated, scammed, duped
Sullen (a)
Bad tempered or gloomy
Felix looked sullen as he refused to talk to Harry
SYN: Morose, dour, sulky, brooding, glowering
ANT: Cheerful, amiable, pleasant, sociable
Sufficient (a)
Enough for a specific purpose
We have sufficient snacks to last us on our journey
SYN: Adequate, ample, satisfactory
ANT: Scant, meagre, deficient,
Succinct (a)
Clearly expressed in few words
Ivan’s succinct report was very helpful
SYN: Concise, brief , pithy, terse, compact
ANT: Rambling, convoluted, lengthy, verbose
Threadbare (a)
Looking old, thin or damaged due to being used a lot
SYN: Worn, tattered, ragged, frayed
ANT: Pristine, immaculate, unused
Cultivate (v)
To actively develop a quality or skill
Iris wanted Alba to cultivate her passion for skiing
SYN: Foster, establish, acquire
ANT: Prevent, stifle
……………………………………………….
To prepare land and use it for growing crops or gardening
I want to cultivate a huge vegetable patch in my garden
SYN: Tend, farm, work, plant
ANT: Neglect, abandon
Custodian (n)
A person in charge of protecting something
The museum’s custodian patrols the halls carefully
SYN: Keeper, warden, caretaker,guardian
Cumbersome (a)
Heavy, large and difficult to move or use
Carl hadn’t expected Ali’s luggage to be so cumbersome
SYN: Unwieldly, bulky, awkward, weighty
ANT: Manageable, light, practical, compact
Debris (n)
The scattered pieces of something that has been broken up or destroyed
When the cheese factory exploded, debris was everywhere
SYN: Rubble, detritus, wreckage
Destitute (a)
Severely lacking in money and possessions
The charity helped destitute families find homes
SYN: Impoverished, deprived, poor
ANT: Affluent, wealthy, rich
Despise (v)
To dislike something strongly
I think my horse pretends to despise walking through the river
SYN: Hate, detest, abhor
ANT: Adore, love
Delude (v)
To let yourself believe, or make someone else believe something untrue
He managed to delude himself into thinking he was the king
SYN: Deceive, mislead, trick
Deduce (v)
To come to a logical conclusion about something based on facts or reasoning
We were able to deduce that the cat had stolen the food
SYN: Conclude, figure out, infer
Decipher (v)
To work out the meaning of something that isn’t clear
The writing on the Mayan tomb was difficult to decipher
SYN: Solve, decode, interpret
ANT: Encode, scramble
Curiosity (n)
A desire to know or discover something
Overwhelmed with curiosity, she peered though the door
SYN: Interest, inquisitiveness
ANT: Disinterest, indifference
………………………………….
An interesting and unusual object
There was a curiosity in every corner of the antique shop
SYN: Trinket, Knick-knack, oddity
Reconcile (v)
To reunite after a disagreement
We hope we can reconcile our friends after their bitter feud
SYN: Pacify, conciliate
ANT: Alienate, estrange
……………………
To make two opposing thoughts work together
They couldn’t find a way to reconcile their differences
SYN: Resolve, settle, marry
I
ANT: Clash, conflict
Prosperous (a)
Doing very well
After years of struggle Mr Smith’s business was now prosperous
SYN: Thriving, flourishing, successful
ANT: Failing, declining, unsuccessful
…………………..
Wealthy
She is the spoilt daughter of a very prosperous family
SYN: Affluent, rich
ANT: Poor, impoverished, destitute
Provoke (v)
To try to cause a reaction
The protests will hopefully provoke a great change
SYN: Incite, induce, prompt
ANT: Stop, prevent, hinder
She was provocative
……………………
To deliberately anger or annoy
It’s a very bad idea to provoke a queen bee
SYN: Goad, aggravate, irritate
ANT: Pacify, comfort, soothe
Punctual (a)
Arriving or starting on time
Natasha is always pleased when her school bus is punctual
SYN: Timely, prompt
ANT: Late, tardy
Quench (v)
To satisfy thirst or a desire
Helen bought a lemonade to quench her thirst
SYN: Assuage, alleviate
ANT: Intensify, exacerbate
…………………
To put out a fire or candle
The brave fire crew was able to quench the blaze
SYN: Extinguish, smother, douse, quell
ANT: Light, start
Quaint (a)
Pleasantly old fashioned or unusual
The little seaside town had several quaint tea shops
SYN: Charming, antiquated, whimsical
ANT: Modern, contemporary, ordinary
Convenient (a)
Useful for a person’s needs or plans
Living close to a supermarket is convenient
SYN: Advantageous, helpful, beneficial
ANT: Inconvenient, unhelpful, troublesome
Contradict (v)
To suggest that something is wrong by offering an alternative idea or statement
Stan always tries to contradict what Harriet says
SYN: Refute, dispute, counter
ANT: Agree, verify, concur, endorse
Controversy (n)
Widespread and prolonged disagreement about something
There is intense controversy over what to call a bread roll.
SYN: Debate, contention, strife, dispute
ANT: Accord, agreement, harmony
Cryptic (a)
Having an obscure or hidden meaning
It took Peter six hours to decipher the cryptic message
SYN: Mysterious, puzzling, vague, enigmatic
ANT: Clear, obvious, straightforward, explicit
Correspond (v)
To have a close connection or similarity
Each picture should correspond to a word on the board
SYN: Correlate, match
ANT: Differ, diverge, clash
……………………….
To write letters or emails to someone
Seb and Harry correspond with each other regularly to share their news
SYN: conmunicate
Adversary (n)
A rival in a competition, dispute or combat
Fred knew that he was no match for his adversary
SYN: opponent, foe, enemy, antagonist
ANT: Ally, friend, supporter, teammate
Abduct (v)
To take someone against their will using force or deception
The alarms prevented their attempt to abduct the Prince
SYN: Kidnap, capture, seize, snatch
ANT: Release, liberate
Absurd (a)
Without any sense or reason
Mrs Jones says that it is absurd not to revise for exams
SYN: Nonsensical, preposterous, ludicrous
ANT: Sensible, logical, rational
…………………….
…
Ridiculous often in a humorous way
We laughed about how absurd the dog looked in my hat
SYN: Silly, zany, comical, foolish
ANT: Reasonable, sensible, normal
Affinity (n)
A natural attraction or understanding
Betty had an incredible affinity with dogs
SYN: Penchant, proclivity, predilection
ANT: Aversion, dislike
………………………………
A similarity to something else
There is a clear affinity between the two paintings
SYN: Resemblance, likeness
ANT: Difference, disparity
Adequate (a)
Of acceptable quality or quantity
This is an adequate supply of pizza
SYN: Satisfactory, sufficient, suitable
ANT: Unsuitable, deficient, meagre
Adjacent (a)
Positioned next to or nearby
Peter and Paul had adjacent rooms in the house
SYN: Adjoining, neighbouring, bordering
ANT: Remote, distant, detached
Acquaint (v)
To make yourself, or someone else familiar with something
Please acquaint yourselves with all the emergency exits
SYN: Familiarise, inform, enlighten
ANT: Ignore, mislead
Accompany (v)
To go somewhere with someone, often as a guide or guardian
I’m going to accompany my grandparents to the market
SYN: Escort, chaperone, usher
………………..
To complement or go with something else
This textbook will accompany your online course
SYN: Supplement, support
Adhere (to) (v)
To act in accordance with something
All students must adhere to the rules set by the teacher
SYN: Follow, observe, obey, heed
ANT: Disobey, ignore, disregard
……………………..
To stick or affix to something
Press firmly on the plaster to help it adhere to your skin
SYN: Fasten, attach, cling
Abundance (n)
A very large quantity or supply of something
There used to be an abundance of pumpkins in this field
SYN: Wealth, mass, profusiom, bounty
ANT: Shortage, scarcity, deficiency
Brusque (a)
Rudely abupt in speech or behaviour
Ariana gave a brusque reply to her brother’s question
SYN: Curt, blunt, short, sharp, terse
ANT: Cordial, genial, affable, amiable
Bemoan (v)
To express regret, sorrow or dissatisfaction about something
Alex will bemoan the loss of his loyal companion
SYN: Lament, mourn, complain about, denounce
ANT: Celebrate, rejoice, praise
Barren (a)
Having a dry and bare landscape that is unsuitable to support life
The once lively rainforest was now barren and silent
SYN: Desolate, arid
ANT: Fertile, lush
Audacity (n)
Disrespectful behaviour
He had the audacity to storm out of class
SYN: Impertinence, gall, nerve, shamelessness
ANT: Repect, politeness
…………….
A willingness to take daring risks
Medieval knights were known for their audacity
SYN: Courage, nerve, dauntlessness
ANT: Fear, timidity
Feign (v)
To pretend to feel or think something
I tried to feign suprise when I opened the gift
SYN: Fake, simulate
Gregarious (a)
Fond of company
Emma’s gregarious nature made her popular at parties
SYN: Sociable, outgoing, friendly, affable
ANT: Solitary, withdrawn, reserved, standoffish
Gratitude ( n)
To express thankfulness.
She was full of gratitude as she opened the present
SYN: Appreciation, recognition, indebtedness
ANT: Ingratitude, thanklessness
Flippant (a)
Thoughtless and disrespectful in attitude.
Isla got in trouble for making another flippant remark
SYN: Glib, frivolous, insincere
ANT: Respedtful, earnest, sincere, serious
Forecast (v) (n)
A prediction, of what is going to happen
The weather forecast wasn’t particularly accurate.
SYN: Projection, estimate
…………………
To predict what is going to happen.
It’s difficult to forecast if the tickets will sell well.
SYN: Project, estimte, anticipate
Foreign (a)
From a different country.
Jayden collects foreign coins whenever he goes on holiday.
SYN: overseas
ANT: Local, native, domestic, indigenous
………………..
Not familiar
The scientific formulae were foreign to me.
SYN: Unfamiliar, strange
ANT: Familiar, known
Forthcoming (a)
Due to happen.
The forthcoming fancy-dress party will be advertised on the web.
SYN: Approaching, upcoming, anticipated
…………………….
Open and willing to give information.
My sister is very forthcoming with other people’s secrets
SYN:communicative, responsive
ANT: Evasive, uncommunicative, guarded
Frugal (a)
Careful not to spend much money or be wasteful in any way
Ben was always frugal, except when it came to icecream
SYN: Thrifty, economical
ANT: Wasteful, extravagant, lavish
Fortuitous (a)
Happening by chance, in a positive or successful way
Funding a hidden tin of beans when I was hungry was incredibly fortuitous
SYN: Lucky, fortunate, serendipitous
ANT: Unlucky, unfortunate, planned, intentional
Glutonous (a)
Very greedy
I regret leaving the gluttonous dog alone in the kitchen
SYN: Insatiable, voracious,
ANT: Frugal, moderate
Mortified
very embarrassed
Periphery
The edge of an area.
The road runs round the periphery of the city.
SYN: edge, perimeter, rim
Tempest
A violent storm
When I went on a ferry there was a tempest and I couldn’t sleep.
SYN: storm, gale, hurricane.
Undulate
To have a continuous up and down movement like the waves.
The road undulates for 5 miles.
SYN: oscillate, wobble, heave.
Estuary
The part of a river where it joins the sea.
Fresh water and salt water mix at an estuary.
SYN: river mouth, firth
Rift
A large crack in the ground.Or a gap between two people due to an argument.
At the bottom of the sea there are lots of rifts.
SYN: chasms, crack, split, fissure, fracture
SYN: breach, division, quarrel, dispute
Abyss
A hole that seems to have no bottom.
There are more than 200 under ground caves and abysses.
SYN: chasm, gorge, ravine, canyon, fissure,rift, crevasse
Dignified (a)
Having or showing a composed and respectfull manner
SYN: noble, distinguished, stately
ANT: crass, uncouth, silly
Memento
Something that reminds one of past events - souvenir
SYN: keepsake, remembrance
Dejected
(A) Unhappy, disappointed, or without hope.
He looked a bit dejected when they told him he didn’t make the team.
SYN: depressed, despondent, downcast, miserable
Detest
(V) To hate someone or something very much.
SYN: hate, loathe, despise
Commiserate
(V) To express sympathy to someone about some bad luck.
I began by commiserating with her over the defeat.
SYN: sympathesize
Chastise
(V) To criticise someone severely.
(V) To punish someone, especially by hitting them.
Charity organisations have chastised the government for not doing enough to prevent the latest famine in Africa.
SYN: attack, condemn, criticise, denounce
Inconsequential
(A) Not important.
Most of what she said was pretty inconsequential.
SYN: meaningless, derisory, peripheral
Sequential
(A) Following a particular order.
SYN: consecutive, successive, serial, subsequent
ANT: nonsequential
Paramount
(A) More important than anything else.
SYN: overriding, preponderant,
ANT: inferior, unimportant
Demonic
Wild and evil
Pertinent
Relating to the subject being considered
Merely
(Ad) Used to emphasise that you mean exactly what you are saying and nothing more.
Used to emphasise that something is not large, important, or effective when compared to something else.
I wasn’t complaining, I merely said that I was tired.
SYN: only, purely, simply, solely
Unduly
Excessively
SYN: unjustified
Reverberate
(V) If a loud, deep sound reverberates, it continues to be heard around an area, so that the area seems to shake.
If an event or idea reverberates somewhere, it has an effect on everyone or everything in a place or group.
The narrow street reverberated with the sound of the workmen’s drills.
SYN: shaking, vibrating
Stole
The past tense of steal
Record
The act of permanently storing information
OR
The information
SYN: document, evidence, archive
Associate
To link two things in your head
SYN: connect, relate
To mix socially
SYN: mingle
Gargantuan
Huge enormous
SYN: vast, gigantic, colossal, immense monumental
Remnant
A small piece or amount of something that is left from a larger original piece or amount.
Obscure
(A) Not known to many people.
(A) Not clear and difficult to understand or see.
(V) To prevent something from being seen or heard.
(V) To make something difficult to discover and understand.
An obscure island in the Pacific.
His answers were obscure and confusing.
The sun was obscured by clouds.
SYN: unknown, unfamiliar, ambiguous
ANT: clear, obvious
Abate
To become less strong
SYN: diminish, decrease, dwindle, subside
ANT: increase, intensify
Artisan
A skilled workman / craftsman.
He was an artisan painter.
Suburban
Living in a residential district situated on the edge of a town
He lived in the London suburbs / he lived in suburbia
SYN: commuter belt - where commuters live
Dull
Not intresting
She had a dull and boring personality.
SYN: bland, unimaginative,
A dull morning — overcast.
Dull colours — drab, dreary
Dull sound — muffled, stifled
Dull metal — not shiny
Mumps
An acute contagious disease
Idle
Unemployed, unoccupied, inactive.
The boy sat on the sofa idly.
SYN: lazy
Veneer
A thin layer of wood, plastic etc.
To give a decorative appearance.
The kitchen looks expensive but it is only a veneer of oak on the outside.
Figurative:
Superficial appearance
The boy had a veneer of confidence but inside he was nervous.
SYN: facade, masquerade
Ease
(V) To make or become less severe, difficult, unpleasant, painful etc.
(V) To move or to make something move slowly and carefully in a particular direction or into a particular position.
(N) The state of experiencing no difficulty, effort, pain etc.
These pills should ease the pain.
She eased the key into the lock.
She won the 400m race with ease.
Effortless — he could run a mile with ease.
Stifled
(V) To (cause to) be unable to breathe because you have no air.
(V) To prevent something from happening, being expressed, or continuing
We almost stifled in the heat of the city.
Eleanor stifled a giggle.
SYN: hinder, hold back, suppress,constrain.
Tardy
Happening or arriving late.
The bus was always tardy on a Wednesday so we were late for school.
SYN: late, belated, delayed,
ANT: punctual,
Genteel
Being very polite or graceful.
He was always polite and acted in a genteel way.
SYN: respectable, polite, courteous, dignified,
ANT: uncouth
Innocuous
Harmless
The mushrooms looked Innocuous but were actually poisonous.
SYN: inoffensive, harmless, bland, anodyne,
Learned
Past tense of learn.
Having a great knowledge.
My learned friend.
SYN: scholarly, erudite
Erudite
Having or showing intensive study.
He’s the author of an erudite book on history.
SYN: scholarly
Copious
Abundant and excessive
There were copious amounts of cake at the party
Option
Being able to chose.
SYN: choice, alternative,
Novel
A long fictional book written by a novelist.
Not seen before - new
SYN: innovative,pioneering, revolutionary, new,unusual
Rhythm
Sp
Albino
(N) A person or animal with white skin and hair and pink eyes.
Harsh
Stern severe cruel
The judge was very harsh and sent the criminal to prison for a long time.
SYN: cruel
To strong bright or
loud
Spawned
To cause something new or many new things to grow or start suddenly.
Her story spawned dozens of films.
SYN: start
Spurned
To refuse to accept something.
She spurned my offers to help.
SYN: disdain, reject, scorn
Shirk
To avoid work or a duty.
I will not shirk from my obligations.
SYN: avoid, evade, dodge
Abiding
A feeling or memory you have had for a long time.
My abiding memory is of him in the garden.
SYN: durable, lasting, ingrained
Span/ spanned
The period of time that something exists or happens
An average lifeSPAN
SYN: session
Bask
To lie or sit enjoying the warmth especially of the sun.
We could see seals on the rocks basking in the sun.
Accolade
Praise and approval.
He’s been granted the ultimate accolade - his face on a postage stamp.
SYN: award, honour
Impartial
Not supporting any sides involved in an argument
A trial must be fair and impartial.
SYN: neutral.
Endorsed
To make a public statement of your approval or support for something or someone.
The Council is expected to endorse the committee’s recommendations.
SYN: support, approve
ANT: oppose
Phantom
Like a ghost or something that appears real but is actually not.
The phantom sweet eater has been around.
SYN: spirit, ghost
Perplexed
Confused
Incite
To encourage or stir up
Cite
Give an example
Quote a book or author
SYN: refer to, make reference to
Insight
(N) (the ability to have) a clear, deep, and sometimes sudden understanding of a complicated problem or situation.
It was an interesting book, full of fascinating insights into volcanoes.
SYN: understanding
Endeavour
(N) An attempt to achieve something
Good luck in your endeavour to climb Mount Everest.
SYN: Pursuit, undertaking, bid, venture
(V) To try hard to do something
I will endeavour to eat as many peas as possible.
SYN: Strive, attempt, undertake
Delectable
Looking or tasting extremely good.
We ate a delectable cheesecake for desert.
SYN: delicious, delightful, scrumptious
Assured
certain to be achieved or obtained
Now that the financing has been secured, the production of the film is assured.
Ensured
to make something certain to happen
The airline is taking steps to ensure safety on its aircraft.
Insured
having insurance
While the owner might be insured to drive his car, friends and relatives are not.
Faith
great trust or confidence in something or someone
She has no faith in modern medicine
Aware
Sp
Din
Loud confused note.
SYN: noise, cacophony, racket
Communal
Belonging to a community rather than an individual
SYN: shared joint common
ANT: private, individual
Attribute
A quality or feature of a person or thing.
Self confidence is a rare attribute in a 17-year-old.
SYN: trait
Prevalant
Existing very commonly or happening often.
Trees are dying in areas where acid rain is most prevalent.
SYN: widespread, prevailing, common, rife
Illustrious
Famous well respected and admired.
He was an illustrious soldier with many medals.
SYN: distinguished, acclaimed, renowned, famous, of distinction, held in high esteem
Opt
To decide
Cavernous
If something is cavernous, there is a very large open space inside it
A cavernous 4000 seat theatre
SYN: vast, huge, immense
Plush
Soft to touch
He sank into the chair’s plush cushion.
SYN: luxurious, deluxe
Flimsy/ flimsiest
Sp
Outlay
An amount of money spent for a particular purpose especially as a first investment in something
For an initial outlay of $2,000 to buy the equipment, you can earn up to $500 a month if the product sells well
SYN: expenditure, out goings
Fiendish
Evil and cruel
He took fiendish delight in making them wait
SYN: wicked, vicious, villainous
Solemn
Serious and without any humour.
Everyone looked very solemn.
SYN: dignified, ceremonious, stately
Gala
A sports competition, especially in swimming
In year 3 we had a swimming gala.
Impoverished
Very poor
An impoverished young actor.
Slumber
Sleep
Prided
To value a skill or good quality that you have.
He prides himself on his loyalty to his friends.
Sheen
A bright smooth surface.
The polished floor had a beautiful sheen to it.
SYN: shine lustre
Coax
To persuade someone gently
SYN: persuade, wheedle
Roam
Travel aimlessly
Pursuit
An activity that you spend time doing.
I enjoy outdoor pursuits like hiking
Burly
Large and strong
The two burly men pushed the car to the side of the road.
SYN: strapping, brawny, sturdy
Sprightly
(Especially of old people) energetic and in good health
He’s a sprightly old man of 75
Braid
A thin strip of cloth or twisted threads that is attached to clothed .
The captain of the ship wore a cap decorated with gold braid.
SYN: cord, bullion
Reside
To live, have your home, or stay in a place.
All the team skill resides in one player.
SYN: location / located in
Suite
(N) A set of connected rooms, especially in a hotel.
(N) A set of furniture for one room, of matching design and colour
(N) A piece of music with several parts, usually in the same key.
They have a whole suite of offices on the 14th floor.
I’ve ordered a new three piece suite for the lounge.
SYN: Apartment, rooms
ANT: Individual, whole, one
Too
more than is needed or wanted - too much
Also - he went to the cinema too
Feral
Wild and untamed
Contentious
Causing or likely to cause disagreement and argument.
The referee made a contentious decision and not all the players agreed.
SYN: controversial, disputable, debatable.
Deceit
Dishonest
Contrary (to)
Opposite to
Curt and curtail
To stop something before it has finished.
We curtailed our camping trip because it was raining.
SYN: reduce, lessen
Curt
Speech rude as a result of being quick.
Andy was very Curt with him.
SYN: brusque, laconic, terse
Staunch
Loyal and committed
Exquisite
(A) Very refined and sophisticated. Particularly beautiful or fine.
Her dress was made of the most exquisite silk.
SYN: Gorgeous, striking
ANT: Ugly, imperfect, unrefined
Crude
Not refined
Eclectic
Gathered from a wide range of sources
Exploit
To use something in a way that helps you
The winning football team always exploit their chances
Liability
Having legal responsibilities for something
Emulate
(V) To copy someone else in an attempt to match their success or achievements
Ruby tries to emulate her parents as best she can.
SYN: Mimic, imitate
Pretence
an attempt to make something not true appear true
She made absolutely no pretence of being interested.
Obtrusive
Noticeable or prominent in an unwelcomed way
The new building is ugly and obtrusive
He was obtrusive and stopped me getting my way
Hitch
Problem
The ceremony went off without a hitch.
A type of knot
Tether
A rope or chain used to tie an animal to a post.
You must tether your dogs-dog outside before entering the shop.
Affair
An event.
Their wedding was a boring affair.
Guru
A person skilled in something who gives advice.
Tiger Woods is a golf guru
Prodigy
Someone with a very great ability that usually shows itself when that person is young.
The 16 year old tennis prodigy is the youngest player ever to reach the Olympic finals
Blanket Ban
A ban on everything.
There is a blanket ban on ball sports.
Appreciate
To recognise how good someone or something is and to value him, her ,or it.
There’s no point buying him expensive wines - he doesn’t appreciate them.
Stricken
Suffering severely from the effects of something unpleasant.
All the oil from the stricken tanker has now leaked into the ocean.
Unprecedented
Never having happened or existed in the past.
This century has witnessed environmental destruction on an unprecedented scale.
Branch out
To start to do something different from what you usually do.
This designer has recently branched out into children’s wear.
Whim
A sudden wish or idea especially one that cannot be reasonably explained.
We booked the trip on a whim
Impulse
A sudden strong wish to do something.
I had this sudden impulse to shout out “Nonsense!” In the middle of her speech
Pretentious
Trying to appear or sound more important or clever than you are.
He was a pretentious art critic.
Prolific
Producing a great number or amount of something.
He was probably the most prolific songwriter of his generation.
Thirsty
(A) Needing to drink
He felt very thirsty today
SYN: Parched, dry, dehydrated
ANT: Satisfied, quenched
(A) Wanting something badly
The fox was thirsty for power
SYN: Eager, hungry, greedy
ANT: Uninterested, unenthusiastic
Criminal
(A) Connected to crime or morally wrong
SYN: Illegal, unlawful, corrupt, illicit
ANT: Legal, right, innocent, honourable
(N) Someone who commits a crime
SYN: Lawbreaker, convict, offender, fugitive
Attract
(V) To draw someone or something to you
The cafe is giving out free muffins to attract customers
SYN: Entice, tempt, interest, lure
ANT: Repel, repulse, disgust
Nimble
(A) Moving quickly and lightly
The nimble gymnast impressed the judges
SYN: Agile, dexterous, deft, sprightly
ANT: Awkward, clumsy, stiff
(A) Quick to think or understand something
I can rely on your nimble mind to find a solution
SYN: Sharp, bright, alert, keen
ANT: Oblivious, unaware, dense, simple
Money
(N) Coins or notes used to buy and sell things
SYN: Cash, funds, currency, wealth
Prejudice
(N) An unreasonable opinion about something or someone that is not based on fact
His prejudice stopped him from speaking to the students from the other school
SYN: Judgment, bigotry, bias, injustice
(V) To cause someone to have prejudice
It is not fair to prejudice the judge against the witness
SYN: Bias, influence
Prospective
(A) Possible or likely to be
The prospective prison guards waited for their interviews
SYN: Potential, expected, probable
Proficient
(A) Skilled at something
SYN: Adept, accomplished, able
ANT: Incompetent, unskillful, inept
Procure
(V) To gain possession of something, usually with effort or determination
He has managed to procure the rare baking ingredients
SYN: Obtain, get, acquire
ANT: Lose
Privilege
(N) An advantage which is only held by a certain person or group
Only lions have the privilege of using this watering hole
SYN: Benefit, entitlement
ANT: Disadvantage, restriction
Orchestrate
(V) To organise something carefully, and often secretly, to achieve a desired result or effect
We have started to orchestrate a rescue mission
SYN: Coordinate, arrange, engineer, mastermind
Implore
(V) To ask desperately or forcefully
I implore you to consider the implications of your actions.
SYN: Beg, beseech, plead, supplicate
Inaudible
(A) Unable to be heard
The dog’s snoring made the thief’s footsteps inaudible
SYN: Imperceptible, stifled, muted
ANT: Clear, loud, discernible
Intangible
(A) Difficult to define or understand, usually due to not having a physical presence.
The shadowy shapes were intangible but still frightening.
SYN: Abstract, incorporeal, vague, indefinite
ANT: Concrete, clear, solid, distinct, evident
Inkling
(N) A vague suspicion or idea about something.
I have an inkling about where my present is hidden.
SYN: Hunch, notion, suggestion, hint, whisper
Insomnia
(N) The inability to sleep
Jake suffers from insomnia when he’s stressed.
SYN: Sleeplessness, wakefulness, restlessness
Invaluable
(A) Extremely useful or valuable
Rob’s gardening experience turned out to be invaluable.
SYN: Priceless, indispensable, irreplaceable
ANT: Worthless, cheap, useless
Investigate
(V) To do research or make inquiries about something
Ben must thoroughly investigate the crime scene.
SYN: Scrutinise, study, examine
ANT: Ignore, neglect, forget
Jargon
(N) Words specific to a certain profession or group of people that others may not understand
The computer manual was full of complicated jargon.
SYN: Terminology, parlance
Wade
(V) To walk with difficulty through liquid, usually water or mud
Chloe had to wade across a river on her hike.
SYN: Cross, ford, trudge, paddle
Wandered
(V) Moved around slowly with no particular aim
The cat wandered the streets near home
SYN: Roamed, walked, drifted, strolled, meandered
(V) Moved away from a place or an idea
Will’s thoughts wandered back to his holidays.
SYN: Strayed, roamed, drifted, digressed
ANT: Stayed, remained, focused
Submit
(V) To present something for consideration, E.g. a report or an application
You have until the end of the day to submit your ideas.
SYN: Propose, present, offer, tender
ANT: Withdraw, retract
(V) To give in to something unwillingly
I had to submit to my daughter’s demands
SYN: Surrender, yield, bow
ANT: Refuse, deny, fight
Accidental
(A) Not intended
The accidental release of the monkeys caused chaos
SYN: Unintentional, inadvertent
ANT: Intentional, deliberate
Wrapped
(A) Covered with paper or material
There was a stack of wrapped presents in the corner.
SYN: Packed, packaged
ANT: Unwrapped, uncovered, unpacked
(V) Covered something or someone in material
My Dad wrapped my baby sister in a blanket
SYN: Enclosed, bundled, folded, swathed
ANT: Opened, uncovered, unfolded
Abroad
(Ad) In or to a different country.
Josh liked to pretend that he was on holiday abroad.
SYN: Overseas
Countless
(A) Too many to count
He had lost countless chess games.
SYN: Innumerable, numerous, limitless
ANT: Few, limited
Recent
(A) Happening a short time ago
Georgia gained a friend during her recent holiday.
SYN: New, fresh, just gone, contemporary
ANT: Old, past, long ago
Thoughtful
(A) Quiet because you are thinking
Zoe was thoughtful when they told her the riddle.
SYN: Reflective, pensive, contemplative
ANT: Inattentive, distracted
(A) Thinking about and caring for other people
The thoughtful boy comforted his sister when she was upset.
SYN: Considerate, kind, sensitive, attentive
ANT: Thoughtless, insensitive, inconsiderate
Today
(AV) On this day or at the present time.
Technology today is improving all the time.
SYN: Now, nowadays, currently
(N) This day or the present time
Today is Joe’s tenth birthday and he’s having a party
Eagerness
(N) The state of being very keen to do something
In her eagerness to go to space, Kim forgot her co-pilot.
SYN: Willingness, enthusiasm
ANT: Reluctance, indifference
Divulge
(V) To reveal something secret or private
The thief must divulge the location of the diamonds at once.
SYN: Disclose, make known, reveal
ANT: Conceal, hide, withhold
Resplendent
(A) Having a very bright or beautiful appearance.
The queen’s resplendent purple robes.
SYN: Glorious, splendid, splendiferous
ANT: Dark, dull
Enamour
(V) To cause someone to feel love, interest or fascination
The giant water slide is guaranteed to enamour the children.
SYN: Captivate, delight, infatuate, dazzle
ANT: Disgust, offend, pain, displease
Inundation
(N) A flood, or the fact of being flooded with water.
(N) A large number of people or things that arrive somewhere and are difficult to deal with
The dam saved the area from inundation.
The town is preparing for the annual inundation of tourists.
SYN: Flood, torrent, tide
ANT: outflow, drain, escape
Embroil
(V) To involve in a difficult situation, E.g. a fight or argument
I’m fed up of you trying to embroil me in your fight.
SYN: Entangle, implicate, enmesh
ANT: Exclude, free
Impair
(V) To spoil something or make it weaker so that it is less effective.
A recurring knee injury may have impaired his chances of winning the tournament.
SYN: Damaged, defective, flawed, harmed
ANT: Perfect, unbroken
Elude
(V) To avoid something or someone
The bank robber has managed to elude the police for years.
SYN: Evade, dodge
ANT: Approach, attract, confront
Eloquence
(N) Clear and fluent use of language, often delivering a persuasive or powerful message.
We were awed by the eloquence of his speech.
SYN: Fluency, clarity, oratory
ANT: Inarticulateness, awkwardness
Elected
(V) Chose something, usually by voting.
We elected Lily to be the group leader
SYN: Voted, appointed
(A) Chosen by a vote
Oliver is the elected leader of the Extreme Ironing Society.
SYN: Selected, named, appointed
ANT: Unelected
Vacant
(A) Not occupied.
She soon realised why the seat had been vacant.
SYN: Empty, free, available
ANT: Taken, full, inhabited
(A) Lacking in understanding or interest
I knew she wasn’t listening from the vacant look on her face.
SYN: Blank, absent, thoughtless, vague
ANT: Animated, expressive, thoughtful, engaged
Wealth
(N) Having lots of money or riches.
The business created a lot of wealth for its workers.
SYN: Fortune, plenty, affluence, prosperity
ANT: Want, need, poverty
(N) A large amount of a good thing.
The library has a wealth of interesting books.
SYN: Abundance, store, bounty
ANT: Scarcity, shortage, lack
Student
(N) Someone who learns, particularly at secondary school or university
The student struggled to pay attention to his classmate.
SYN: Scholar, learner, pupil, undergraduate
ANT: Teacher, lecturer, tutor
Whimpered
(V) Made small, weak crying noises
The Viking whimpered when he hurt his foot.
SYN: Moaned, whined, sobbed, blubbered
Wipe
(V) To slide something against a surface to clean it.
Iris had to wipe her shoes on the mat before entering.
SYN: Sponge, swab, rub, dust
(N) A piece of soft, wet cloth or paper used for cleaning
Ellis used a wipe to clean up the mess in the kitchen.
Bully
(N) Someone who frightens or harms others.
Greta knew exactly how to stand up to the bully.
SYN: Tyrant, oppressor, tormentor
(V) To deliberately harm or upset someone, often by making them do something they don’t want to.
You should never bully anyone.
SYN: Harass, oppress, threaten, terrorise
Immaculate
(A) Flawless in appearance or performance.
Nothing was out of place in his immaculate home.
SYN: Impeccable, spotless, perfect, unsullied
ANT: Tainted, contaminated, flawed, tarnished
Grotesque
(A) Very ugly or unpleasant in appearance.
I used to be scared of the grotesque statutes in the park.
SYN: Monstrous, hideous, distorted, twisted
ANT: Attractive, pleasant, beautiful
(A) Unbelievably shocking or upsetting
We are stunned by the grotesque inequality in the world.
SYN: Outrageous, astonishing, ludicrous
ANT: Believable, realistic, unsurprising
Grudge
(N) Bitterness towards someone for past actions
Emma held a terrible grudge against her brother.
SYN: Resentment, animosity, rancour
ANT: Goodwill, forgiveness, friendliness
(V) To do or allow something unwillingly.
I grudge the time spent cleaning my bedroom.
SYN: Begrudge, resent, mind
ANT: Welcome, encourage
Guarantee
(N) An assurance that something will be fulfilled.
I need a guarantee that you will keep my secret to yourself.
SYN: Promise, contract, agreement
(V) To ensure that something will happen.
I guarantee that you won’t regret your decision
SYN: Swear, pledge, vow, undertake
Guarded
(A) Unwilling to reveal feelings or information.
Bertie is always guarded around strangers.
SYN: Reserved, cautious, prudent, restrained
ANT: Open, bold, extroverted
(V) Watched over and protected against harm.
The knights guarded the impressive fortress diligently.
SYN: Defended, shielded, supervised
ANT: Endangered, neglected, abandoned
Hapless
(A) Unlucky or unfortunate
The hapless actor fell off the stage for the third time.
SYN: Cursed, doomed, forlorn, Ill-fated
ANT: Favoured, fortunate, charmed, blessed
Harmonious
(A) Pleasant sounding
Harmonious sounds were coming from his headphones.
SYN: Dulcet, tuneful, melodious
ANT: Discordant, grating, shrill
(A) Friendly and without conflict
This agreement can start a harmonious relationship
SYN: Peaceful, amicable, cordial
ANT: Unfriendly, hostile
Hindrance
(N) Something that obstructs or delays progress.
This incident is a hindrance to our travel plans.
SYN: Obstacle, hurdle, barrier, setback
ANT: Catalyst, help, assistance
Idyllic
(A) Peaceful, safe and scenic
Rebecca didn’t want to leave the idyllic beach.
SYN: Heavenly, picturesque, charming, utopian
ANT: Hellish, chaotic, frightening, appalling
Heated
(A) Angry and passionate
The argument quickly became heated.
SYN: Impassioned, fierce, furious, intense
ANT: Calm, cool, indifferent, mild
(V) Warmed something up
I heated the leftover lasagne in the microwave.
SYN: Cooked, baked, boiled, roasted
ANT: Cooled, chilled, froze
Confidant
(N) A person you trust and share your feelings and secrets with.
Her brother is her closest confidant.
SYN: mentor, adviser, counsellor
ANT: enemy, foe, stranger
Backer
(N) Someone who gives support to someone or something with money or words.
We need financial backers for the project.
SYN: promoter, financier
ANT: adversary, antagonist, opponent
Counsellor
(N) A person who has been trained to do the job of listening to people who have problems or who want to achieve something.
Revise
(V) To look at or consider again an idea in order to correct or improve it.
(V) To change or correct something.
His publishers made him revise his story three times.
SYN: amend, correct, update
Rigid
(A) Stiff or fixed; not able to be bent or moved.
The steel bar was rigid and you couldn’t bend it.
SYN: stiff, hard, firm
ANT: pliable, flexible
Pliable
(A) A pliable substance bends easily without breaking.
(A) A pliable person is easily influenced and controlled by other people.
Some kinds of plastic become pliable if they are heated.
SYN: flexible, bendy
ANT: rigid, stiff, hard, firm
Impair
(V) To spoil something or make it weaker so that it is less effective.
A knee injury may have impaired his chances of winning the tournament.
SYN: reduce, lessen, damage.
ANT: improve, enhance
Listlessness
(N) The feeling of having no energy and enthusiasm and being unwilling to do anything needing effort.
A lack of iron in the body can lead to listlessness and a lack of concentration.
SYN: lethargy, laziness
ANT: enthusiastic
Resplendent
(A) Having a very bright or beautiful appearance.
The queen has resplendent purple robes.
SYN: splendid, magnificent, brilliant, glorious
ANT: bad, gloomy
Eradicate
(V) To get rid of something completely or destroy something bad.
The disease that once claimed millions of lives has now been eradicated.
SYN: eliminate, remove
Intrepid
(A) Extremely brave and showing no fear of dangerous situations.
A team of intrepid explorers rescued the children.
SYN: brave, fearless, courageous
Unabashed
(A) Without any worry about possible criticism or embarrassment.
I am unabashed about wearing an orange T-shirt to a wedding.
SYN: shameless, unashamed
ANT: abashed, ashamed
Disfigure
(V) To spoil the appearance of something or someone, especially their face.
She was disfigured by burns.
SYN: blemish, deface
Invigorate
(V) To make someone feel fresher, healthier, and more energetic.
We were invigorated by our walk.
SYN: energise, restore
Goad
(V) To make a person or animal react or do something by continuously annoying or upsetting them.
He refused to be goaded by their insults.
A group of children were goading another child in the school playground.
SYN: provoke
Impel
(V) To make someone feel that they must do something.
I wonder what impels him to do exercise all the time.
SYN: drive, boost
Manuscript
(N) The original copy of a book before it is printed.
(N) An old document or book written by hand in the times before printing was invented.
He sent the 400 page manuscript to his publisher.
SYN: document, script, text
Appropriate
(A) Suitable or right for a particular situation or occasion.
(V) To take something for your own use, usually without permission.
Is this film appropriate for small children?
He lost his job when he was found to have appropriated some of the company’s money.
SYN: suitable, apt, fitting
ANT: Inappropriate, irrelevant, unfitting
ANT:
Acrid
(A) A strong or bitter smell or taste that causes a burning feeling in the throat.
Clouds of acrid smoke issued from the building.
Flustered
(A) Upset and confused
If I look flustered it’s because I’m trying to do so many things at once.
SYN: perturbed
Slander
(N) A false, spoken statement about someone that damages their reputation.
The popstar is suing the paper for slander.
She was accused of slandering the UK beef industry on her television show.
SYN: libel
Depression
(N) Extreme sadness and without hope for the future.
I was overwhelmed by feelings of depression.
(N) An area where the air pressure is low.
The deep depression over the mid-Atlantic will gradual,y move eastwards during the day.
(N) Part of a surface that is slightly lower than the rest.
There was a depression in the sand where he’d been lying.
Euphoria
(N) Extreme happiness.
They were in a state of euphoria for days after they won the prize.
Selfish
(A) Someone who only thinks of their own advantage.
It would be a bit selfish to keep all the sweets for myself.
SYN: egoistic
ANT: altruistic, unselfish
Amicable
(A) Relating to behaviour between people that is pleasant and friendly.
(A) An amicable agreement is achieved without arguments or anger.
I hope we can settle this amicably.
Tolerant
(A) Willing to accept behaviour and beliefs that are different from your own, although you might not agree with or approve of them.
(A) Able to deal with something unpleasant or annoying.
Compared to other plants, rye is more tolerant of drought.
Altruistic/Altruism
(N) Willingness to do things that bring advantages to others, even if it results in disadvantage for yourself.
Stark
(A) Empty, simple, or obvious, especially without decoration or anything that is not necessary.
It was a stark room with a bed and chair as the only furniture.
SYN: austere, plain, severe
(A) Completely clear.
The dim halls made a stark contrast with the bright, sun-drenched apartment.
Sinister
(A) Making you feel that something bad or evil might happen.
There was a sinister under tone in his words.
The ruined house had a sinister appearance.
SYN: menacing, evil, wicked
ANT: innocent
Fathom
(V) To understand something difficult or problematic after thinking about it carefully.
Few people can fathom the enormous size of the Universe.
SYN: Comprehend, grasp
ANT: Confuse, misunderstand
Entice
(V) To attract or tempt someone.
The sweet shop window was designed to entice children.
SYN: Allure, invite, persuade, appeal
ANT: Repel, repulse, discourage
Evacuate
(V) To leave, or send someone else away from, a dangerous place or situation.
Everyone must evacuate the area before the earthquake.
SYN: Flee, escape, vacate, empty
ANT: Remain, stay
Evident
(A) Clear to see or understand.
It was evident who was responsible for creating the mess.
SYN: Obvious, conspicuous, apparent
ANT: Unclear, ambiguous, obscure
Evolve
(V) To develop gradually over time.
Scientists discovered that fish could evolve to breathe air.
SYN: Grow, progress, change
ANT: Regress, revert
Exaggerate
(V) To make something sound more extreme than it actually is.
He always tries to exaggerate how large the fish was.
SYN: Overstate, dramatise, embellish, hyperbolise
ANT: Understate, downplay
Exaggerate
(V) To make something sound more extreme than it actually is.
He always tries to exaggerate how large the fish was.
SYN: Overstate, dramatise, embellish, hyperbolise
ANT: Understate, downplay
Exaggerate
(V) To make something sound more extreme than it actually is.
He always tries to exaggerate how large the fish was.
SYN: Overstate, dramatise, embellish, hyperbolise
ANT: Understate, downplay
Exaggerate
(V) To make something sound more extreme than it actually is.
He always tries to exaggerate how large the fish was.
SYN: Overstate, dramatise, embellish, hyperbolise
ANT: Understate, downplay
Exaggerate
(V) To make something sound more extreme than it actually is.
He always tries to exaggerate how large the fish was.
SYN: Overstate, dramatise, embellish, hyperbolise
ANT: Understate, downplay
Exaggerate
(V) To make something sound more extreme than it actually is.
He always tries to exaggerate how large the fish was.
SYN: Overstate, dramatise, embellish, hyperbolise
ANT: Understate, downplay
Exaggerate
(V) To make something sound more extreme than it actually is.
He always tries to exaggerate how large the fish was.
SYN: Overstate, dramatise, embellish, hyperbolise
ANT: Understate, downplay
Exaggerate
(V) To make something sound more extreme than it actually is.
He always tries to exaggerate how large the fish was.
SYN: Overstate, dramatise, embellish, hyperbolise
ANT: Understate, downplay
Existence
(N) The state of being or existing.
I don’t believe in the existence of ghosts.
SYN: Presence
ANT: Absence, non-existence
(N) A way of life
It was a difficult existence, but they made the best of it.
SYN: Life, situation, lifestyle
Existence
(N) The state of being or existing.
I don’t believe in the existence of ghosts.
SYN: Presence
ANT: Absence, non-existence
(N) A way of life
It was a difficult existence, but they made the best of it.
SYN: Life, situation, lifestyle
Existence
(N) The state of being or existing.
I don’t believe in the existence of ghosts.
SYN: Presence
ANT: Absence, non-existence
(N) A way of life
It was a difficult existence, but they made the best of it.
SYN: Life, situation, lifestyle
Existence
(N) The state of being or existing.
I don’t believe in the existence of ghosts.
SYN: Presence
ANT: Absence, non-existence
(N) A way of life
It was a difficult existence, but they made the best of it.
SYN: Life, situation, lifestyle
Fabricate
(V) To make something up and pretend it’s true.
Let’s fabricate a story about how the hamster ate my homework.
SYN: Falsify, invent, forge
(V) To make something.
She will fabricate a new hat from purple velvet.
SYN: Build, manufacture, construct
Vehicle
(N) Something used to transport people or things, usually with wheels and an engine.
They had a vehicle waiting to get away quickly.
SYN: Automobile
(N) A way to achieve or express something.
The film was a vehicle for the director’s views on cheese.
SYN: Medium, means, channel
Calming
(V) Making someone or something more relaxed.
Joseph’s gentle words were calming the angry dog.
SYN: Relaxing, pacifying, soothing, settling
ANT: Exciting, disturbing, aggravating
Camera
(N) A piece of equipment for taking photographs or recording images.
Chloe loved taking wildlife photos with his camera.
SYN: Camcorder
Bliss
(N) Complete happiness
Relaxing in his garden was Sam’s idea of bliss.
SYN: Joy, delight, ecstasy, heaven
ANT: Sadness, unhappiness, misery
Concentrate
(V) To focus your attention on a particular activity.
I’m going to concentrate on my writing for a while.
OR
(V) To bring or come together in a large number or amount.
In the dry season, the animals tend to concentrate in the areas where there is water.
OR
(V) To make a liquid or substance stronger by removing water from it.
Fruit-juice concentrate.
Dissipate
(V) To cause to gradually disappear.
The heat gradually dissipates into the atmosphere.
SYN: dissolve, disappear, disperse
Vandalise
(V) To intentionally damage property belonging to other people.
Bored teenagers went around vandalising phone boxes.
Variant
(N) Something that is slightly different from other similar things.
There are many colas on the market now, all variants on the original drink.
(N) A form of a virus or disease that is slightly different from other forms.
The delta variant of COVID 19 was spreading across the globe.
Raze (to the ground)
(V) To completely destroy a city, building, etc.
The town was razed to the ground in the bombing raid.
SYN: destroy, level
Analogous /analogy
(A) Having similar features to another thing and therefore able to be compared to it.
The emergency vehicle for the international space station is analogous to a lifeboat.
Loyal
(A) Firm and not changing in your friendship, or your belief in your principles.
He is a loyal friend.
SYN: committed, dedicated, devoted
ANT: disloyal
(A) A loyal customer always buys the same product, uses the same shop etc.
Supermarkets should reward their most loyal customers.
Tyrant / tyrannise
(N) Tyrant - a ruler who has unlimited power over other people and uses it unfairly and cruelly.
Their teacher was a tyrant, feared by all the children.
SYN: dictator
(V) Tyrannise - to treat someone cruelly, controlling everything they do.
In school, he was the big bully who tyrannised the whole playground.
Naïve
(A) Too willing to believe that someone is telling the truth, that people’s intentions are good, or that life is simple and fair.
It was naive of you to believe the thief would not take your money.
Feline
(A) Belonging or relating to the cat family.
A wildlife park with tigers and various other felines.
Bovine
(A) Connected with animals from the cattle group e.g. cows, buffalo and bison.
The animals in the picture are bovines and they are eating grass.
Canine
(A) Of or relating to dogs.
The city’s canine population (=the number of dogs in the city) has grown dramatically over recent years.
Alpine
(A) Relating to the Alps
(A) relating to high mountain areas
(N) A plant that grows naturally in high mountain areas where trees are unable to grow
Our window looked out on a beautiful alpine scene.
Close
(V) To change from being open to not being open.
I went out and forgot to close the window.
(A) When a shop, restaurant, or public place closes, people cannot go into it.
The museum closes at 17:30.
(V) To end.
I closed that bank account when I moved to London.
(A) Having direct family connections.
There weren’t many people at the party, just close family and friends.
Interrogate
(V) To ask someone a lot of questions for a long time in order to get information, sometimes using threats or violence.
The police will interrogate the criminal later.
SYN: question
Mundane
(A) Very ordinary and therefore not interesting.
Mundane matters such as shopping for food do not interest her.
SYN: unremarkable
Attest
(V) To show something or to say or prove that something is true.
His goal scoring record attests he was a world class player.
Lofty
(A) High or near the top
A lofty wall.
He had lofty expectations of becoming president.
Opulent
(A) Expensive and luxurious.
He lived an opulent lifestyle that included fast cars and enormous houses.
SYN: grand, luxurious, sumptuous
Pulpit
(N) A thing a vicar stands behind
The vicar gave his sermon from behind the pulpit.
SYN: podium, rostrum
Reverent
(A) Showing great respect and admiration.
A reverent silence fell over the crowd as the names of the dead were read out.
Boisterous
(A) Noisy, energetic and rough
The boisterous boys were told to calm down by the teacher.
SYN: rambunctious
Arrayed
(A) Dressed in a particular way especially in beautiful clothes.
She was arrayed in purple velvet.
Retinue
(N) A group of people who travel with an important person to help them.
The queen travels with a large retinue of aides and bodyguards.
SYN: entourage
Premature
(A) Happening or done too soon.
He started speaking out prematurely.
Racket
(N) Object used for hitting a ball in various sports.
(N) An unpleasant loud continuous noise.
They were making such a racket outside that I couldn’t get to sleep.
(N) Illegal activity carried out for profit.
They were jailed from running a drugs racket.
Innocent
(A) Not guilty of a particular crime.
He firmly believes that she is innocent of the crime.
(A) Having no knowledge of the unpleasant things in life.
(A) (of a thing) to intended to harm anyone.
It was an innocent remark, I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings.
Serial
(A) Describes a person who repeatedly commits a similar crime or bad act.
A serial killer.
(A) Shown or published in several separate parts, one after another.
She is currently filming a serious drama for the BBC.
Source
(N) The place something comes from or starts at.
Oranges are a good source of vitamin C.
OR
(N) Someone or something that supplies information.
The journalist refused to reveal his sources.
Ore, awe , oar
Ore - (N) Rock or which metal can be obtained.
Awe - (N) A feeling of great respect sometimes mixed with fear or surprise.
As children we were rather in awe of our grandfather.
Oar - (N) A long pole with a wide, flat part at one end, used for boat.
Rescind
(V) To make a law, order, or decision no longer have any legal power.
The policy of charging air travellers for vegetarian meals proved unpopular and has already been rescinded.
SYN: revoke, repeal, cancel
Cantankerous
(A) Grumpy or disagreeable. Arguing and complaining a lot.
He’s getting a bit cantankerous in his old age.
SYN: crotchety, cranky, irritable
Wrathfully
(Ad) In an extremely angry way.
Mr Jones marched along the corridor, glaring wrathfully.
Burgeon
(V) To develop or grow rapidly.
Product placement has burgeoned to the extent that brand logos are now found in most films.
SYN: flourish
Quarry
(N) A large artificial hole in the ground where stone, sand etc. is dug for building material.
(N) A person or animal being hunted or looked for.
The dogs pursued their quarry into an empty warehouse.
Serene
(A) Peaceful and calm; worried by nothing.
He wrote of the beauty and serenity of the great river.
Heedful
(A) Paying careful attention to something or someone.
The boys should be heedful of the fast flowing river.
SYN: attentive
ANT: carelessly, reckless
Manual
(N) Book of instructions.
Read through the instruction manual before you start.
OR
(A) Doing something by hand rather than using a machine.
The mail can be sorted faster by machine than by manual sorting.
Ground
(N) Earth’s surface.
I sat down on the ground.
OR
(N) A reason, cause, or argument.
We have grounds to believe that you have been lying to us.
(V) If aircraft are grounded, they are prevented from flying or ordered not to fly.
The snowstorm meant that all planes were grounded.
Stride
(N) A long step when walking or running.
She attributes her record breaking speed to the length of her stride.
(N) An important positive development.
The group has made strides to expand internationally.
Pail
(N) Bucket
Fill the pail with sand.
Fused
(A) To join things together (often by melting).
OR
(A) An electrical device containing a fuse.
Sturdy
(A) Strongly and solidly built.
A sturdy table.
(N) Strong and determined.
They put up a sturdy defence of their proposal.
Proper
(A) Correct, real, satisfactory or suitable.
If you’re going to walk long distances you need proper walking boots.
(A) Showing standards of behaviour that are socially and morally acceptable.
My grandmother was very proper - she’d never go out without wearing her hat and gloves.
Hoard
(V) To collect large amounts of something and keep it for yourself.
There would be enough food on a daily basis if people were not hoarding.
We found a huge hoard of tinned food in the basement.
SYN: stash
Stingy
(A) Unwilling to spend money.
He’s really stingy and never buys anyone a drink when we go out.
SYN: mean, tight
Disown
(V) To stop having a connection with someone you were closely connected with.
It’s a story set in the last century about a girl whose parents disowned her when she married a foreigner.
Miser/miserly
(N) Someone who has a strong wish to have money and hates to spend it.
My father was pretty miserly.
Populous
(A) A populous country, area, or place has a lot of people living in it.
China is the world’s most populous country.
Dismal
(A) Sad and without hope.
A dismal expression.
(A) Very bad.
After dismal holiday sales, the shop filed for bankruptcy.
Pucker
(V) To tighten skin or cloth until small folds appear or to form small folds.
(N) A small tight fold in the skin or a piece of cloth.
She puckered her lips and gave grandma a kiss.
Puckers were sewn in the sleeves of the blouse.
Wan
(A) (of a person’s face) more pale than usual and tired-looking.
Unsullied
(A) Not damaged or made dirty by anything.
An unsullied reputation.
SYN: unspoilt
Furtive
(A) (of people) behaving secretly and often dishonestly, or (of actions) done secretly and often dishonestly.
There was something furtive about his behaviour and I immediately felt suspicious.
Unscrupulous
(A) Behaving in a way that is dishonest or unfair in order to get what you want.
An unscrupulous salesman.
SYN: dishonest
ANT: scrupulous
Macabre
(A) Used to describe something that is very strange and unpleasant because it is connected with death or violence.
She has a pretty macabre sense of humour.
SYN: Gruesome, ghastly, grim
Putrid
(A) Decayed and having an unpleasant smell.
The putrid body of a dead fox.
Wily
(A) (of a person) intelligent, having a very good understanding of situations, possibilities, and people, and often willing to use tricks to achieve an aim.
The wily fox will not go into a bit of wire sticking out on the open hillside.
SYN: cunning, clever, slick, tricky
Gorge
(N) Deep valley with steep sides.
SYN: abyss, chasm, crevasse, ravine
(V) To eat until you are unable to eat any more.
If you gorge yourself on snacks like that, you won’t eat your dinner.
SYN: binge, overeat
Scrap
(V) Throw away
(V) To have a fight or an argument.
(N) Small piece
We scrapped out plans for a trip to America.
Do you have a scrap of paper I could write on?
Legend
(N) A very old story or set of stories from ancient times.
She is writing a book on Irish legend and mythology.
SYN: myth
(N) Someone very famous and admired, usually because of their ability in a particular area.
Jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald once sang in this bar.
Scrawl
(V) To write something quickly. Without trying to make your writing tidy or easy to read.
Someone had scrawled graffiti across the wall.
SYN: scribble
Wring
(V) To hold something tightly with both hands and twist it by turning your hands in opposite directions.
She wrung out the flannel and hung it out to dry.
Squawk
(V) (of a bird) to make an unpleasantly loud, sharp noise.
As the fox came into the yard, the chickens began squawking in alarm.
(V) To shout, scream, or cry in a loud, unpleasant way.
The baby never stopped squawking all night.
Grief
(N) Very great sadness, especially at the death of someone.
Her grief at her father’s death was terrible.
SYN: pain, hurt
Supple
(A) Bendy or flexible, not stiff.
I’m not supple enough to touch the floor.
(A) Able to change quickly and successfully to suit different situations.
She has shown that she has a supple mind.
Thaw
(V) To cause to change from a solid, frozen state to a liquid or soft one, because of an increase in temperature.
Allow the meat to thaw completely before cooking it.
(V) To become friendlier or more relaxed.
The report shows that relations between the two enemies may be thawing.
Exposed
(A) Having no protection from bad weather.
The house is in a very exposed position.
(A) Not covered; able to be seen.
He left some exposed wires that should be covered up.
Thrive
(V) To grow, develop, or be successful.
He seems to thrive on stress.
SYN: burgeon, prosper
Brassic
(A) Poor
