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SYN: outdated, antiquated, discontinued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
Squalid
(A) Dirty and unpleasant
Many prisons are overcrowded and squalid places.
SYN: dirty, filthy, grimy
Dreary
(A) Boring and making unhappy.
It was a grey, dreary day, with periods of rain.
SYN: boring, drab, dull, tedious, uninteresting
Trepidation
(N) Fear or worry about what is going to happen.
With some trepidation, we set out to climb Mount Everest.
Dwindle
(V) To become smaller in size or amount.
Her hopes of success in the race dwindled last night as the weather became worse.
Feeble
(A) Weak and without energy, strength, or power.
(A) Not effective or good.
The little lamp gave only a feeble light.
That’s a feeble excuse.
SYN: Weak
Frenzied
(A) Uncontrolled and excited, sometimes violent.
As the evening wore on the dancing got more and more frenzied.
SYN: frantic, frenetic, manic
Communal
(A) Belonging to or used by a group or people rather than one single person.
We each have a separate bedroom but share a communal kitchen.
Bluff
(V) To deceive someone by making them think you’re going to do something you really have no intention of doing.
Is he going to jump or is he only bluffing?
SYN: trick
Concur
(V) To agree or have the same opinion.
The new report concurs with previous findings.
SYN: agree
(V) If two or more events concur, they happen at the same time.
SYN: coincide
Clarify
(V) Make something become clear, or easier to understand.
I hope this analysis will clarify the debate.
Morose
(A) Unhappy, annoyed, and unwilling to speak or smile.
Why are you so morose these days?
SYN: sullen, glum, moody
Exult
(V) To express great pleasure or happiness, especially at someone else’s defeat or failure.
She seems to exult in her power.
Ecstatic/Ecstasy
(A) Extremely happy.
The children were ecstatic when the ice cream van came to school.
SYN: enraptured, rapturous
Fret
(V) To be nervous or worried.
Don’t fret - I’m sure we’ll find the kitten.
SYN: anxious
Gripe
(N) A strong complaint.
Her main gripe is that she’s not being trained properly.
SYN: beef, complaint, grievance
Galoshes
(N) Waterproof shoes, usually make of rubber, for wearing over ordinary shoes in the rain or snow.
Strident
(A) A strident sound is loud, unpleasant, and rough.
People are out off by his strident voice.
(A) Expressing or expressed in forceful language that does not try to avoid upsetting other people.
A strident newspaper article.
Remonstrate
(V) To complain to someone or about something.
I went to the boss to remonstrate against the new rules.
SYN: complain, protest
Coincide
(V) To happen at the same time.
If rain coincides with a high tide it could cause flooding.
(V) To be the same or similar.
Our views coincide on a range of subjects.
Apex
(N) The highest point or the top of a shape or object.
He reached the apex of the mountain.
SYN: top, pinnacle, peak, summit
Obsessive
(A) Unable to stop thinking about something.
He is obsessed with video games.
Genesis
(N) The origin of something, when it is begun or starts to exist.
Some people believe the genesis of the universe was the Big Bang.
Circumspect
(A) Careful not to take risks.
We must be circumspect in drawing conclusions from a study based on one village.
SYN: cautious, prudent
Benevolence
(N) The quality of being kind and helpful.
(N) The act of giving money or help to people or organisations that need it.
Punctuate
(V) To add punctuation marks to writing.
(V) To happen or cause something to happen repeatedly while something else is happening; to interrupt.
The president spoke at length in a speech punctuated by applause.
Boil
(V) To reach the temperature at which a liquid starts to turn into a gas.
She scaled herself on some boiling water.
(V) To be extremely angry.
He was boiling with rage.
Tote
(V) To carry something, especially something heavy or awkward.
The building was surrounded with bodyguards toting sub-machine guns.
SYN: carry, drag
Bear
(V) To accept, tolerate, or endure something, especially something unpleasant.
He couldn’t bear to see the dog in pain.
(V) To have or continue to have something.
Their baby bears a strong resemblance to its grandfather.
(V) To hold or support something
The chair, too fragile to bear her weight, collapsed.
(V) To give birth to young.
Most animals bear their young in the spring.
(V) To carry and move something to a place.
At Christmas the family all arrive at the house bearing gifts.
(V) To change direction slightly so that you are going in a particular direction.
After you go past the church keep bearing left.
Basin
(N) An open, round container shaped like a bowl, used for holding food or liquid.
Run some water into the basin and wash your hands and face properly.
(N) The area of land from which streams run into a river, lake, or sea.
Cinch
(N) Something that is very easy and is therefore certain to be a success.
The exam was a cinch.
Refute
(V) To say or prove that something is wrong or false.
Are you refuting the evidence?
Contaminate
(V) To make less pure or make it poisonous.
Much of the coast has been contaminated by sewage.
SYN: pollute
ANT: decontaminate
Indolent
(A) Showing no real interest or effort.
An indolent wave of the hand.
SYN: lazy, slothful
ANT: hard-working, industrious
Shun
(V) To avoid something.
She has shunned publicity since she retired from acting.
SYN: avoid
ANT: confront
Forgo
(V) To not have or do something enjoyable.
I shall have to forgo the pleasure of hockey practice this week.
SYN: abstain, forfeit
Deteriorate
(V) To decline or become worse.
He was taken into hospital last week when his condition suddenly deteriorated.
SYN: degenerate
Urban
(A) Near a town or city.
Pollution has reached disturbingly high levels in some urban areas.
ANT: rural
Tepid
(A) Not very warm.
(A) A tepid reaction is not enthusiastic.
I got a tepid response to my suggestion.
Segregate
(V) To separate.
We have to segregate our recycling.
Inferior
(A) Of low quality
(A) Not good, or not as good as someone or something else.
These products are inferior to those we bought last year.
Contrary
(N) The opposite.
I was worried it might be too hard for me but it turned out the contrary was true.
Derelict
(A) Not cared for and in bad condition.
The theatre has been left to stand derelict.
SYN: decrepit, dilapidated, ramshackle, run-down
Dispute
(N) An argument or disagreement.
They have been unable to resolve the dispute over working conditions.
Few would dispute his status as the finest artist of the period.
SYN: argument, quarrel, row
Overt
(A) Done or shown publicly or in an obvious way and not secret.
There are no overt signs of damage.
SYN: open
ANT: Secret, covert
Omit
(V) To fail to include or do something.
She was omitted from the netball team.
SYN: exclude
ANT: include
Impel
(V) To make someone feel that they must do something.
I wonder what it is that impels him to exercise all the time.
Mediocre/Mediocrity
(A) Not very good, average, not special.
The film’s plot is predictable and the acting is mediocre.
SYN: middling, second-rate
ANT: extraordinary
Tyre / tire
Tyre - car or bike tyre
Tire - no energy needing to sleep
Candid
(A) Honest and telling the truth.
To be candid with you, I think you’re making a dreadful mistake.
SYN: forthright, honest
ANT: dishonest
Pensive
(A) Thinking in a quiet way often with a serious expression on your face.
He became withdrawn and pensive, hardly speaking to anyone.
SYN: ruminative, wistful
Remote
(A) Far away in distance.
(A) Not closely related to something.
They live in a remote corner of Scotland, mikes from the nearest shop.
Labour
(N) Practical work, involving physical effort.
The car parts themselves are not expensive, it’s the labour that costs the money.
Abridge
(V) To make a shortened version of a text by removing details and information that is not important.
The book was abridged for children.
SYN: concise
Discard
(V) To throw something away because you no longer want or need it.
Discarded water bottles littered the streets after the marathon.
Slack
(A) Not tight; loose.
These tent ropes are too slack - they need tightening.
(A) Not working hard.
Business is always slack at this time of the year.
Permit
(V) To allow something.
The game will. To permit you to enter without the correct password.
SYN: authorise, allow
ANT: prohibit
Probate
(N) The legal process of checking a person’s will has been made correctly.
(N) The process of managing the property, money etc. of someone who has died and giving it to the beneficiaries.
Dawdle
(V) To do something or go someone very slowly, taking more time than is necessary.
Stop dawdling! You’ll be late for school!
Flout
(V) To intentionally not obey a rule, law or custom.
Many motorcyclists flout the law by not wearing helmets.
SYN: contravene
ANT: observe
Hawk
(N) A large bird
(N) To sell goods informally in public places.
On every street corner there we’re traders hawking their wares.
Contrived
(A) Artificial and difficult to believe.
I enjoyed the film, but felt the ending was a bit contrived.
SYN: stilted
Tireless
(A) Working energetically and continuously.
The police have been tireless in their search for the burglar.
SYN: untiring
Pious
(A) Strongly believing in religion, and living in a way that shows this belief.
She is a pious follower of the faith, never missing her prayers.
(A) Pretending to have sincere feelings.
Quit the pious apologies - I know you don’t really care.
Temperate
(A) Not very hot or cold.
(A) If someone’s behaviour is temperate, it is calm and controlled.
The climate her is pretty temperate.
Irksome
(A) Annoying.
The vibration can become irksome after a while.
SYN: tiresome, vexing, irritating
Ignorant
(A) Not having enough knowledge, understanding, or information about something.
Many teenagers are surprisingly ignorant about current politics.
SYN: clueless, uninformed
Ignorance
(N) Lack of knowledge, understanding, or information about something.
Avert
(V) To prevent something bad from happening.
To avert a crisis.
SYN: avoid
(A) To turn away your eyes or thoughts.
We tried to avert our thoughts from our massive financial problems.
Deadlock
(N) A situation in which agreement cannot be reached because neither side will change its demands or accept the demands of the other side.
(N) Type of door lock
SYN: stalemate
Aisle
(N) A long passage between rows of seats or shelves in a shop.
Would you like an aisle seat or would you prefer to be by the window?
Dilate
(V) To become wider or further open.
The pupils of the eyes dilate as darkness increases.
Solace
(N) Help and comfort when you are feeling sad or worried.
Music was a great solace to me.
SYN: calm, peace, comforting, consolation
Circumference
(N) Perimeter of a circle
(N) The outside edge of an area or object that is round or curved
Brazen
(A) Obvious, without any attempt to be hidden.
He told me a brazen lie.
Berate
(V) To criticise or speak in an angry manner to someone.
As he left the meeting, he was berated by angry demonstrators.
SYN: chide, lambaste, reprimand
Imposing
(A) Having an appearance that looks important or causes admiration.
He was an imposing figure on stage.
Persecute
(V) To treat someone unfairly or cruelly over a long period of time because of their race, religion, or political beliefs.
(V) To annoy someone by refusing to leave them alone.
SYN: Oppress, abuse, victimise
Meticulous
(A) Very careful and with great attention to every detail.
Many hours of meticulous preparation have gone into writing the book.
SYN: careful, punctilious, thorough, diligence
Subsequent
(A) Happening after something else.
Those explosions must have been subsequent to our departure, because we didn’t hear anything.
SYN: following
Intimate
(A) Having, or being likely to cause, a very close friendship.
(A) (of knowledge or understanding) detailed, and obtained from a lot of studying or experience.
The restaurant has a very intimate atmosphere.
She has an intimate knowledge of Italy, where she has lived for 20 years.
Frightful
(A) Used to emphasise what you are saying’ especially how bad something is.
The weather outside was frightful.
SYN: atrocious, horrible
Affront
(N) A remark or action intended to insult or offend someone.
I was most affronted by his comments.
SYN: insult
Blatant
(A) Very obvious and intentional?
The whole episode was a blatant attempt to gain publicity.
Etiquette
(N) The set of rules or customs that control accepted behaviour.
Etiquette defines how you should behave.
Vulgar
(A) Not suitable, simple, dignified or beautiful.
(N) Not polite or socially acceptable.
Isn’t it rather vulgar to talk about how much money you earn?
Cranky
(A) Easily annoyed or upset.
He’s been cranky all day.
SYN: irritable, grumpy
Poetic
(A) Very beautiful or expressing emotion.
The language he uses is very poetic.
SYN: artistic, elegant, sensitive, beautiful
Industrious
(A) An industrious person works hard.
Every employee is expected to be competent and industrious.
Adage
(N) A wise saying.
He remembered the old adage “look before you leap”.
SYN: proverb, saying
Auditorium
(N) The place in a theatre where people who are watching sit.
No smoking in the auditorium.
Ethereal
(A) Light and delicate, as if not of this world.
Ethereal music.
Survey
(N) An examination of opinions made by asking people questions.
(V) Ti look at or examine all of something, especially carefully.
A recent survey showed that 58% of people did not know where their heart is.
He got out of the car to survey the damage.
SYN: check, inspect, examine
Resolute
(A) Determined in character, action, or ideas.
She’s utterly resolute in her refusal to apologise.
SYN: purposefully, determined, headstrong
Affliction
(N) Something that makes you suffer.
Malnutrition is one of the common afflictions of the poor.
Heeding
(V) To pay attention to something.
The airline has been criticised for failing to heed advice about lack of safety routines.
SYN: pay attention to, listen, mind
Atypical
(A) Different from all others of the same type.
The social behaviour of lions is considered atypical of the cat family.
SYN: untypical
Displaced
(A) Having been forced to leave your home, for example by a war or dangerous event.
Nearly four months after the hurricane, more than 10,000 families remain displaced.
(A) Move something from its proper or usual position.
The car crash left him with two displaced vertebrae in his neck.
Critical
(A) Saying that someone or something is bad or wrong.
The report is highly critical of safety standards at the factory.
(A) Of the greatest importance to the way things might happen.
What happens in the next 48 hours is critical.
Exasperated
(A) Annoyed, especially because you can do nothing to solve a problem.
He’s becoming increasingly exasperated with the situation.
SYN: cheesed off
Seethe
(V) To feel very angry but to be unable or unwilling to express it clearly.
The rest of the class seethed with indignation when Tom won the award.
Fume
(V) To be very angry.
I saw her a week after they’d had the argument and she was still fuming.
SYN: angry, irritated
Sulk
(V) To be silent and refuse to smile or be pleasant to people because you are angry about something that they have done.
He’s sulking in his room because I wouldn’t let him have any more chocolate.
Vengeful
(A) Expressing a strong wish to punish someone who has harmed you or your family or friends.
She sprayed red paint all over his car in one last vengeful act.
SYN: revengeful, vindictive
Villainous
(A) A villainous person or an action is evil.
SYN: evil, wicked
Culminates
(V) If an event culminates in something, it ends with it.
Their many years of research have finally culminated in a cure for the disease.
Implement
(V) To start using a plan or system.
(N) A tool that works by being moved by hand or by being pulled across a surface.
Shopkeepers are not supposed to sell knives and other sharp implements to children.
Hierarchy
(N) A system in which people or things are arranged according to their importance.
Some monkeys have a very complex social hierarchy.
Contemporary
(A) Existing or happening now, and therefore seeming modern.
I wanted to update my kitchen and put in something more contemporary.
(A) Belonging to the same period, or to a stated period in the past.
Most of the writers he was contemporary with were interested in the same subjects.
Flatter
(V) To say something nice about someone to make them feel attractive or important.
I knew he was only flattering me because he wanted to borrow some money.
Conform
(V) To follow the rules and standards of behaviour expected by society.
At school you were required to conform, and there was no place for originality.
Wood-burning stoves must conform to the fire code.
SYN: comply
ANT: rebel
Upkeep
(N) The cost or process of keeping something, such as a building, in good condition.
The upkeep of larger old properties is very expensive.
Warrant
(V) To make a particular activity necessary.
(N) Am official document that gives the police permission to search someone’s home, arrest a person or take other action.
Obviously what she did was wrong, but I don’t think it warranted such a severe punishment.
A search warrant.
Libel
(N) A piece of writing that contains bad and false things about a person.
She threatened to sue the magazine for libel.
SYN: slander
Behold
(V) To see or look at someone or something.
The new bridge is an incredible sight to behold.
Level
(N) The height of something
(N) The amount of something
(A) Flat or horizontal
(V) To make the surface flat
The top of the tree is level with his bedroom window.
To flatten - the workmen levelled the building.
Humility
(N) Having a modest opinion of yourself. Not being proud because you are aware of your bad qualities.
He doesn’t have the humility to admit when he is wrong.
Superficial
(A) Never thinking about things that are serious or important.
(A) Only on the surface of something.
He’s fun to be with but he’s very superficial.
The driver only received superficial cuts in the car accident.
SYN: trivial
ANT: deep
Regression
(N) A return to a previous and less advanced or worse state, condition, or way of behaving.
This is simply a regression to outdated attitudes.
Patriotism
(N) Loyalty to one’s country.
Today’s game will be played before a fiercely patriotic crowd.
Punctilious
(A) Very careful to behave correctly or to give attention to details.
He was always punctilious in his manners.
SYN: meticulous
Grant
(N) To give, award, or present somebody with an amount of money for a special purpose.
(V) To accept that something is true, often before expressing an opposite opinion.
(V) If you take situations or people for granted, you do not release or show that you are grateful for how much you get from them.
They gave her a grant to study abroad for one year.
I grant that it must have been upsetting but even so I think she overreacted.
Grate
(V) To rub food against a grater in order to cut it into a lot of small pieces.
(V) When two hard objects grate, they rub together, sometimes making a sharp unpleasant sound.
(V) When a noise or behaviour grates, it annoys you.
After a while her voice really started to grate on me.
Admit
(V) To agree that something is true, especially unwillingly.
At first he denied stealing the money but he later admitted to it.
SYN: avow, confess, own up
(V) To admit defeat - to accept that you have failed and give up.
After several attempts to untie the knot, I admitted defeat and cut through it with a knife.
(V) to allow in
Each ticket admits one members and one guest.
Outdo
(V) To be, or do something, better than someone else.
He always tries to outdo everybody else in the class.
SYN: eclipse, outshine
To question
(N) A sentence or phrase used to find out information.
The police asked me questions all day.
(N) Doubt or confusion.
Whether children are reading fewer books is open to questions (= there is some doubt about it).
There’s no question that he’s guilty (= it is certain)
Passage
(N) A usually long and narrow part of a building with rooms on one or both sides, or a covered path that connects places.
(N) A short piece of writing or music that is part of a larger piece of work.
A narrow passage led directly through the house into the garden.
Dilapidated
(A) Old and in poor condition
The hotel we stayed in was really dilapidated
SYN: ramshackle, derelict rickety
Parable / Fable
(N) A story in the bible about morals.
SYN: fable, moral, allegory
Delinquent
(N) A person, who behaves in a way that is illegal or not acceptable to most people.
Juvenile delinquents.
Liable
(A) A legal responsibility for something or someone
The law holds parents liable if a child does not attend school.
If we lose the case we may be liable for the costs of the whole trial.
SYN: duty, obligation, responsibility
Bore
(V) To talk or act on a way that makes someone lose interest.
(V) To make a hole in something using a tool.
“Am I boring you?” she asked anxiously.
He used a drill to bore a hole in the wall.
Foil
(N) A very thin sheet of metal, especially used to wrap food in to keep it fresh.
(V) To prevent someone or something from being successful
The prisoners’ attempt to escape was foiled at the last minute when police received a tip-off.
SYN: thwart
Peer
(V) To look carefully or with difficulty.
(N) A person who is the same age or has the same social position or the same abilities as other people in a group.
When no one answered the door, she peered through the window to see if anyone was there.
Moult
(V) (of a bird or animal) to lose feathers, skin, or hair
Residue
(N) The part that is left after the main part has gone or been taken away.
She cut off the best meat and threw away the residue.
Spare
(A) If something is spare, it is available to use because it is extra.
(A) Spare time - time when you are not working.
(V) To not hurt or destroy something or someone.
(V) To prevent someone from having to experience something unpleasant.
I like to keep a spare tyre in the back of the car.
Spare keys.
They asked him to spare the women and children.
Luckily, I was spared the embarrassment of having to sing in front of everyone.
Sanction
(N) A strong action to make people obey a rule or law, or a punishment given when they do not obey.
(V) To formally give permission for something.
Many nations have imposed sanctions on Russia because of its attacks on Ukraine.
The government was reluctant to sanction intervention in the crisis.
Custom
(N) A way of behaving or a belief that has been established for a long time.
(N) Something you usually do.
(Prefix) Used before another work to mean specially designed for a particular person or purpose.
In my country, it’s the custom for women to get married in white.
He left the house at nine exactly, as is his custom.
Custom-built house.
Doctor
(N) A person with a medical degree whose job it is to treat people who are ill or hurt.
(V) To change a document in order to deceive people
He was found to have provided the court with doctored evidence.
Cobble
(N) A rounded stone used on the surface of an old-fashioned road.
The cart rumbled over the cobbles.
Buckle
(N) A piece of metal, at one end of a belt or strap, used to fasten the two ends together.
(V) To bend something or become bent, often as a result of force, heat or weakness.
Both wheels on the bicycle had been badly buckled.
Cabinet
(N) A small group of the most important people in government, who make important decisions.
(N) A piece of furniture
Valuable pieces of china were on display in a glass-fronted cabinet.
Certain
(A) Without doubt.
(A) Impossible to avoid or extremely likely.
I feel certain that you’re doing the right thing.
The team looks almost certain to win the match.
Riot
(N) An occasion when a large number of people behave in a noisy, violent and uncontrolled way in public, often as a protest.
(N) A very funny or entertaining occasion or person.
Food protests and riots have erupted in more than 30 countries.
The party was great - we had a riot.
Reservation
(N) An arrangement which something such as a seat on an aircraft or a table at a restaurant is kept for you.
(N) A doubt or feeling of not being able to agree with or accept something completely
The children shared deep reservations about the wisdom of the school’s plans to change the uniform.
Momentous
(A) Very important because of effects on future events.
Whether or not to move overseas was a momentous decision for the family.
Pardon
(V) To forgive someone for something they have said or done.
(V) If someone who has committed a crime is pardoned, that person is officially forgiven and their punishment is stopped.
Large numbers of prisoners have been pardoned and released by the new prime minister.
Transmute
(V) To change something completely, especially into something different and better.
A few centuries ago alchemists thought they could transmute lead into gold.
SYN: change, alter, adapt
Instigate
(V) To make something start.
Prevail
(V) To get control or influence
(V) To be common among a group of people or area at a particular time.
I am sure that common sense will prevail in the end.
This attitude still prevails among teenagers.
SYN: triumph
Gaunt
(A) Very thin, especially because of sickness or hunger.
(A) Empty and not attractive
Her face was gaunt and grey.
The house looked gaunt and unwelcoming.
SYN: skinny, scrawny, thin
Delegate
(N) A person chosen or elected by a group to speak for them especially at a meeting.
(V) To give a particular job to someone else so that they do it for you.
Each union elects several delegates to the annual conference.
As a boss you have to delegate responsibilities to your staff.
Audit
(V) To make an official examination of the accounts of a business and produce a report.
Darn
(V) To repair a hole or a piece of clothing with long stitches across the hole and other stitches across them.
She still darns the holes in her socks.
Desert
(N) An area, often covered with sand or rocks, where there is very little rain and not many plants.
(V) To leave the armed forces without permission and with no intention of returning.
They were lost in the desert for nine days.
Soldiers who deserted and were caught were shot.
Dessert
(N) Sweet food eaten at the end of a meal.
Transgression
(N) Breaking a law or moral rule.
SYN: misbehave
Who has committed these transgressions?
Subdue
(V) To reduce the force of something, or to prevent something from existing or developing.
(V) To bring a person or group under control by using force.
The fire burned for eight hours before the fire crews could subdue it.
Their aim was to subdue security guards and cut the paintings from their frames.
Enunciate
(V) To speak clearly.
He doesn’t enunciate his words very clearly.
SYN: pronounce, articulate
Dereliction
(N) Failure to do what you should do.
(N) (especially of a building) a state of not being cared for.
What you did was a grave dereliction of duty.
The old railway station was in a state of dereliction.
SYN: neglect, dilapidated, disrepair
Vehemence
(N) Forceful expression of strong feelings.
He argued with such vehemence against the proposal that they decided to abandon it.
SYN: passion, force, forceful
Apathy
(N) Behaviour that shows no interest or energy and shows that someone is unwilling to take action, especially over something important.
Widespread apathy among students.
Culpable
(A) Deserving to be blamed or considered responsible for something bad.
He was held culpable for the car accident.
Unsullied
(A) Not damaged or made dirty by anything
SYN: unspoilt, pure
Attest
(V) To show something or to say or prove that something is true.
The number of old German cars still on the road attests to the excellence of their manufacture.
Simper
(V) To smile in a silly or annoying way
She gave her teacher a simpering smile.
SYN: smirk
Literate
(A) Able to read and write.
(A) Having knowledge of a particular subject, or a particular type of knowledge.
The man was bare,t literate and took a long time to write his name.
They wanted to make sure their child was computer literate.
Airy
(A) With a lot of light and space.
(A) Showing no worry or serious thought.
The new offices are light and airy.
“I don’t mind” he said, with an airy wave of the hand.
ANT: stuffy
Stuffy
(A) A room that is unpleasant because it has no fresh air.
(A) Old fashioned, formal and boring.
It’s really hot and stuffy in here - let’s open the window.
She is trying to promote a less stuffy image of librarians.
Entrust
(V) To give someone a thing or a duty for which they are responsible.
He didn’t look the sort of man you should entrust your luggage to.
Abode
(N) The place where someone lives.
Welcome to my humble abode!
SYN: dwelling
Affectionate
(A) Showing feelings of liking or love.
He’s an affectionate little boy.
SYN: fond, tender, warm
Ample
(A) More than enough.
You’ll have ample opportunity to ask questions after the talk.
SYN: abundant, plentiful
Antiquity
(N) The distant past (= a long time ago), especially before the sixth century ( 500ad )
(N) An object that was created a very long time ago.
Before creating this sculpture, she studied all the masterpieces of classical antiquity.
Under Greek law, all antiquities that are discovered in Greece belong to the government.
Artful
(A) Clever and skilful, especially in getting what you want.
The prime minister dealt with the interviewer’s questions in a very artful way.
Avowed
(A) Stated
The football coach’s avowed aim is to increase goals.
SYN: professed
Beck
(N) A small river.
SYN: stream
Belligerent
(A) Wishing to fight or argue.
(N) A country group, or person who is fighting a war.
A belligerent person.
Lee’s in a belligerent mood.
Many hoped the belligerents were finally on the road to peace.
Besieged
(V) To surround a place, especially with an army, to prevent people or supplies getting in or out.
(V) When someone is besieged, a lot of people surround them.
When the pop star tried to leave his hotel, he was besieged by waiting fans.
Clemency
(N) Kindness when giving a punishment.
The jury passed a verdict of guilty, with am appeal to the judge for clemency.
Compel
(V) To force someone to do something.
As a schoolboy he was compelled to wear a tie even in summer.
Convey
(V) To express a thought, feeling, or idea that is understood by other people.
(V) To take or carry someone or something to a particular place.
I tried to convey in my speech how grateful we all were for his help.
The goods are usually conveyed by rail.
Coy
(A) Intentionally keeping something secret.
She’s very coy about her age.
Divine
(A) Connected with a god, or like a god.
(V) To guess something.
Some fans seem to regard the divine beings.
I divined from m expression that the news was not good.
Divinity
(N) The state of being a god.
(N) A god or goddess.
How can you be a Christian and dispute the divinity of Jesus.
Flora
(N) All the plants of a particular place or from a particular time in history.
(N) All the bacteria and other organisms that live inside an animal.
The Stone Age flora.
In the normal, healthy person the gut flora is a balanced community of different organisms.
Frivolous
(A) Behaving in a silly way and not taking anything seriously.
(A) A frivolous activity or object is silly or not important rather than useful or serious.
I think he sees him as a frivolous young boy.
They waste their money on frivolous things.
Grotesque
(A) Strange and unpleasant
(A) Wring or unfair to a shocking degree.
Gothic churches are full of devils and grotesque figures.
This war has been a grotesque mistake.
SYN: ghastly, grim, hideous, ugly
Helix
(N) A curve that goes around a central tube or cone shape in the form of a spiral.
Idiosyncrasy
(N) A strange or unusual habit, way of behaving, or feature that someone or something has.
She often cracks her knuckles when she’s speaking - it’s one of her little idiosyncrasies.
One of the idiosyncrasies of this printer is that you can’t stop it once it has started.
Impudent
(A) Rude and not showing respect especially to someone older or in a more important position.
That was an impudent remark.
SYN: cheeky, disrespectful, insolent
ANT: respect
Inaugural
(A) An inaugural event is the first in a series of planned events.
The inaugural meeting of the fossil hunter society.
Inaugurate
(V) To put someone into an official position with a ceremony.
(V) To put something into use or action officially.
(V) To mark the beginning of a new period, style or activity.
American presidents are always inaugurated on 20 January.
Incision
(N) An opening that is made in something with a sharp tool.
The surgeon makes a small incision into which a tube is inserted.
Inferior
(A) Not good or not as good as someone or something else.
(N) Someone who is considered to be less important than other people.
These products are inferior to those we bought last year.
Innocuous
(A) Completely harmless.
Some mushrooms look innocuous but are in fact poisonous.
Lament
(V) To express sadness and feeling sorry about something.
The poem opens by lamenting over the death of a young man.
SYN: bemoan
Liberty
(N) The freedom to live as you wish or go where you want.
Of the ten men who escaped this morning from Dartmoor Prison, only two are still at liberty.
To be at liberty to do something.
I’m not at liberty to reveal any names.
Malady
(N) A disease.
All the rose bushes seem to be suffering from the same mysterious malady.
Matte
(A) Used to describe a surface or colour or paint that is not shiny.
The paint is available in a matte or gloss finish.
Mere
(A) Used to emphasise that something is not large or important.
(A) Used to emphasise how strongly someone feels about something.
It cost a mere £10.
People became excited at the mere mention of his name.
Meticulous
(A) Very careful and with attention to detail.
Many hours of meticulous preparation have gone into writing the book.
SYN: careful, punctilious, thorough
Orthodontist
(N) A person whose job is to correct the position of the teeth.
Painstaking
(A) Extremely careful and correct, and involving a lot of effort.
It took months of painstaking work to uncover the dinosaur skeleton.
SYN: careful, conscientious, meticulous, thorough
Physiotherapy
(N) The treatment of problems of the muscles, joints, or nerves.
He had been undergoing physiotherapy for a muscle problem.
Polarity
(N) The quality of being opposite.
The film is based on the polarity of the two main characters.
Pompous
(A) Too serious and full of importance.
He can sometimes sound a little pompous when he talks about acting.
SYN: arrogant, self-important, superior
Prosperous
(A) Successful, usually by earning a lot of money.
In a prosperous country like this, no one should go hungry.
SYN: flourishing, well-to-do
Raiment
(N) Clothes
Repent
(V) To be very sorry for something bad you have done in the past and wish that you had not done it.
Jenkins returned, to repent and face justice.
Reprimand
(V) To express to someone your strong official disapproval of them.
(N) Strong official criticism of a person or their behaviour.
Neala was reprimanded by her teacher for biting Eleanor.
His boss gave him a sever reprimand for being late.
SYN: berate, chide, rebuke
Reside
(V) To live, have your home, or stay in a place.
The family now resides in southern France.
Sane
(A) Having a healthy mind and not mentally ill.
(A) Showing good judgment and understanding.
The only thing which keeps me sane after a hard day at school is hockey!
It was a sane decision and one we all respected.
Satin
(N) A type of cloth that is shiny on one side but not on the other.
(N) A type of paint that is slightly shiny when it dries.
We used white satin for the woodwork rather than gloss.
Scripture
(N) The holy writings of a religion.
According to Holy Scripture (= the Bible), God created the world in six days.
Sermon
(N) A part of a Christian church ceremony in which a priest gives a talk on a religious or moral subject, often based on something written in the Bible.
Today’s sermon was on the importance of compassion.
Sober
(A) Not drunk or affected by alcohol.
(A) Serious and calm.
I’d had no beer all evening so I was completely sober.
Ben was in a very sober mood - I scarcely heard him laugh all night.
Clothes or colours that are sober are plain and not bright.
Subdued
(A) If a colour or light is subdued, it is not very bright.
(A) If a noise is subdued, it is not loud.
(A) If a person is subdued, they are not as happy as usual or they are quieter than usual.
Subterfuge
(N) A trick or dishonest way of achieving something.
It was clear that they must have obtained the information by subterfuge.
Torment
(N) Great mental suffering and unhappiness.
(V) To cause a person or animal to suffer or worry.
The family said they had endured years of torment and abuse at the hands of their neighbours.
The animals are tormented mercilessly by flies and mosquitoes.
Trivia
(A) Having little value or importance.
(A) A trivial problem is easy to solve.
I don’t know why he gets so upset about something so trivial.
Unorthodox
(A) Different from what is usual or expected in behaviour, ideas, methods etc.
Tom was recognised as an original if unorthodox thinker.
Venerable
(A) Deserving respect because of age, high position, or religious or historical importance.
She has worked at such venerable schools.
Vicarious
(A) Experienced as a result of watching, listening to, or reading about the activities of other people, rather than by doing the activities yourself.
She took a vicarious pleasure in her friend’s achievements.
Virtuous
(A) Having good moral qualities or behaviour.
He described them as virtuous and hard-working people.
SYN: good, honest, upstanding
Wholly
(Ad) Completely
A machine that is wholly British-made.
SYN: altogether, completely, entirely, totally
ANT: part, partly, partially
Embezzle
(V) To secretly take money that is in your care or that belongs to a business you work for.
She embezzled thousand of pounds from the charity.
SYN: misappropriate
Fervent
(A) Used to describe beliefs that are strongly and sincerely felt or people who have strong and sincere beliefs.
SYN: impassioned
Droll
(A) Funny in an unusual way
A droll remark, expression or person.
SYN: funny, humorous
Clamour
(V) To make a loud complaint or demand.
The children were all clamouring for attention.
Erratically
(Ad) In a way that is not regular, certain, or expected.
The machine is working erratically - there must be a loose connection.
Commonplace
(A) Happening often or often seen or experienced and so not considered to be special.
Electric cars are increasingly commonplace.
Aviator
(N) The pilot of an aeroplane.
Fortified
(A) Having healthy substances added.
(A) A fortified town has strong walls that can be defended against enemies.
Cereals are often fortified with vitamins.
Lukewarm
(A) Not too warm
(A) Not enthusiastic or interested
This coffee is lukewarm.
Her proposals got a lukewarm response.
Flair
(N) Natural ability to do something well.
(N) A situation in which something is done in an exciting and interesting way.
He has a flair for languages.
He played football with great imagination and flair.
SYN: aptitude, gift, talent
Dramatic
(A) Very sudden or noticeable, or full of action and excitement.
We watched scenes of the dramatic rescue on the news.
SYN: electrifying, exciting, exhilarating, gripping, thrilling
Tentative
(A) Hesitant
(A) (of a plan or idea) not certain or agreed, or (of a suggestion or action) said or done in a careful but uncertain way because you do not know if you are right.
I have tentative plans to take a trip to my grandparents.
SYN: provisional
Repellent
(A) Causing disgust or distaste.
(A) Able to repel a particular thing.
The mobile phone has a water-repellent coating.
Protruding
(V) To stick out from or through something.
A rotting branch protruded from the swamp like a ghostly arm.
SYN: jut, project, stick out
Blunt
(A) A blunt pencil, knife etc. is not sharp
(A) Saying what you think without trying to be polite or considering other people’s feelings.
I’ll be blunt - that last piece of work you did was terrible.
Puny
(A) Small; weak; not effective.
A puny little man.
My car only has a puny little engine.
Tender
(A) Gentle, loving, or kind.
(A) (of part of the body) painful, sore, or uncomfortable when touched.
(A) (of meat or vegetables) easy to cut or chew.
(A) Young
What you need is some tender loving care.
A tender look/smile.
My arm was very tender after the injection.
My steak was beautifully tender.
He was sent off to boarding school at the tender age of seven.
Deliberate
(A) (often of something bad) intentional or planned.
(A) A deliberate movement, action, or thought is done carefully without hurrying.
(V) To think or talk seriously and carefully about something.
We made a deliberate decision to avoid the motorway.
He’s deliberating whether or not to accept the place in the team.
Motive
(N) A reason for doing something.
(A) (of power or force) causing movement or action.
Does he have a motive for taking the chocolate?
SYN: reason, cause, grounds
Vocalise
(N) To express feelings or ideas in words.
Forthright
(A) Too honest or direct in behaviour.
His forthright manner can be mistaken for rudeness.
SYN: blunt, candid, frank, outspoken
Chiffon
(N) A very thin, almost transparent cloth of silk or nylon.
Timescale
(N) The period of time over which something happens.
Police officers are trying to construct the timescale of events leading up to the robbery.
Serendipity
(A) The fact of finding interesting or valuable things by chance.
There is a weak element of serendipity in archaeology.
Benign
(A) Pleasant and kind; not harmful or severe.
A benign old lady.
Melodrama
(N) A story, play, or film in which the characters show stronger emotions than real people usually do.
The car’s hardly damaged - there’s no need to make a melodrama out of it (= make the situation more important than it is).
Figment
(N) Something that seems real but is not.
Was it just a figment of my imagination or did I hear a voice in the other room?
Delinquent
(N) A person, usually young, who behaves in a way that is illegal or not acceptable to most people.
Juvenile delinquents.
Extol
(V) To praise something or someone very much.
His book extolling the benefits of vegetarianism sold thousands of copies.
SYN: glorify. Laud, praise
Ambivalent
(A) Having two opposing feelings at the same time, or being uncertain about how you feel.
I felt very ambivalent about leaving home.
SYN: equivocal, uncertain, unsure, doubtful
ANT: Unequivocal, certain
Speculate
(V) To guess possible answers to a question when you do not have enough information to be certain.
Or To buy and sell in the hope that the value of what you buy will increase and that it can then be sold at a higher price in order to make a profit.
SYN: Conjecture, theorize, hypothesize
ANT: Disregard, ignore, dismiss, neglect
Indiscretion
(N) The quality of being indiscreet
Jones was censured for indiscretion in leaking a secret report to the press.
SYN: misjudgment, error, gaffe, miscue
ANT: correction, judgment, thoughtfulness, discreetness, discretion
Insignia
(N) An object or mark that shows that a person belongs to a particular organisation or group, or has a particular rank.
SYN: badge, decoration, regalia, crest, paraphernalia
Redress
(V) To out right a wrong or give payment for a wrong that has been done.
SYN: Compensate, correct, right
ANT: penalty, sympathy, damage
Incessant
(A) Never stopping, especially in an annoying or unpleasant way.
SYN: ceaseless, constant, never-ending, perpetual
ANT: bounded, ceasing, completed, discontinuous, ending
Veracity
(N) The quality of being true, honest, or accurate.
Doubts were cast on the veracity of her alibi.
SYN: Truth, truthfulness
ANT: Deceit, dishonesty, falseness
Prevail
(V) To get control or influence
I am sure that common sense will prevail in the end.
To be common among a group of people or area at a particular time
This attitude still prevails among the middle classes
SYN: overcome, prove, reign, succeed, triumph
ANT: fail, forfeit, lose, surrender, yield
Gaunt
(A) Very thin, especially because of sickness or hunger
Empty and not attractive
Her face was gaunt and grey.
The house looked gaunt and unwelcoming.
SYN: Angular, bleak, emaciated, thin
ANT: Bright, cheerful, fat, hopeful
Transgress
(N) The act or process of breaking a law or moral rule
Who is supposed to have committed these transgressions.
SYN: Infringe, violate, contravene, disobey
ANT: Behave, obey
Enunciate
(V) To pronounce words or parts of words clearly.
To express and explain a plan or principle clearly or formally
SYN: Affirm, articulate
ANT: ask, be quiet, conceal, hide
Fidelity
(N) Honest or lasting support, or loyalty.
The degree to which the detail and quality of an original, such as a picture, sound or story, is copied exactly.
SYN: loyalty, devotion, constancy
ANT: enmity, infidelity, nonconformity, inconstancy
Connive
(V) To plan secretly and dishonestly for something to happen that will be to your advantage.
They connived to break the school rules at every opportunity.
To allow something bad to happen although you know about it.
SYN: plot, scheme, collude, conspire
Stalwart
(A) Loyal, especially for a long time; able to be trusted.
(Especially of a person) physically strong.
He has been a stalwart supporter of Spurs for many years.
SYN: committed, dedicated, devoted
ANT: disloyal
Adamant
(A) Impossible to persuade, or unwilling to change an opinion or decision.
I’ve told her to stay at home and rest but she is adamant that she’s coming.
SYN: strong-willed, determined, insistent, stubborn
ANT: flexible, willing, yielding, movable
Literate
(A) Able to read and write
Having knowledge of a particular subject, or a particular type of knowledge
SYN: educated, knowledgeable
ANT: uneducated, ignorant, inexperienced
Exonerate
(V) To show or state that someone or something is not guilty of something.
The report exonerated the crew from all responsibility for the collision.
SYN: clear, exculpate
ANT: convict
Acquit
(V) To decide officially in a law court that someone is not guilty of a particular crime.
Five months ago he was acquitted on a shoplifting charge.
SYN: Absolve, clear, exonerate, vindicate
ANT: Convict, accuse, incarcerate
Baroness
(N) A low ranking female member of the nobility (= a group of people from a high social class)
The wife of a baron.
SYN: Aristocrat, lady, peeress
Impeccable
(A) Perfect, with no problems or bad parts.
SYN: Faultless, flawless, immaculate, perfect
ANT: Flawed, imperfect, blemished
Abominably
(Ad) In a very bad or unpleasant way
I was abominably Ill-mannered as a child.
SYN: awkwardly, clumsily, poorly
ANT: adequately, morally
Languish
(V) To exist in an unpleasant or unwanted situation, often for a long time.
He has been languishing in jail for the past 20 years.
Siphon
(N) A tube that is bent in the shape of an “n”, with each end in a separate container at two different levels, so that liquid can be pulled up into it from the higher container and go down through it into the lower container
SYN: drain, funnel, pump, tube
Despondency
(N) The quality of being unhappy, with no hope or enthusiasm.
There is growing despondency at the way the war is progressing.
SYN: depression, despair, gloom
ANT: cheer, hopefulness, happiness
Audacious
(A) A willingness to take risks or offend people.
He described the plan as ambitious and audacious.
Repudiate
(V) To refuse to accept something or someone as true, good, or reasonable.
I utterly repudiate those remarks.
Revile
(V) To criticise someone strongly, or say unpleasant things to or about someone.
SYN: vilify
Integrity
(N) The quality of being honest.
He was a journalist of immense skill and integrity.
Incapacitate
(V) To make someone unable to work or do things normally, or unable to do what they intended to do.
Rubber bullets are designed to incapacitate people rather than kill them.
Decree
(N) An official statement that something must happen.
After the earthquake, the government decreed that all new buildings must be built according to the new standards.
SYN: edict, order
Pathetic
(A) Unsuccessful or showing no ability, effort, or bravery, so that people feel no respect.
Are you frightened of spiders? Don’t be so pathetic!
SYN: pitiful
Pitiful
(A) Used to say that you consider something to be very bad or not satisfactory or not enough.
The amount of time and money being spent on researching this disease is pitiful.
Surmise
(V) To guess something, without having much or any proof.
(N) A guess
The police surmise the robbers have fled the country.
My surmise turned out to be right.
SYN: conjecture, hypothesise, speculate, theorise
Mellow
(A) Smooth and soft, or not too sharp, bright, new, or rough.
(A) Relaxed and pleasant or not severe.
Mellow flavours, mellow sounds, mellow autumn sunlight.
A mellow mood or atmosphere.
Crass
(A) Stupid and without considering how people might feel.
He made crass comments about her worn-out clothes.
Semblance
(N) A situation or condition that is similar to what is wanted or expected, but is not exactly as hoped for.
The city has now returned to some semblance of normality after last night’s celebrations.
Evasion
(N) The act of avoiding something or someone.
Her speech was full of excuses and evasions and never properly addressed the issue.
Renounce
(V) To say formally or publicly that you no longer own or have a connection with something.
Gandhi renounced the use of violence.
Subservient
(A) Willing to do what other people want, or considering your wishes as less important than those of other people.
His other interests were subservient to his compelling passion for golf.
SYN: slavish
ANT: dominant
Sanctuary
(N) Protection or a safe place.
The storm’s survivors took sanctuary in the church.
Lucrative
(A) (especially of a business, job or activity) producing a lot of money.
The merger provide to be very lucrative for both companies.
SYN: profitable
ANT: unprofitable
Jovial
(A) (of a person) friendly and in a good mood, or (of a situation) enjoyable because of being friendly and pleasant.
He seemed a very jovial boy.
SYN: jolly, merry
Relish
(V) To like or enjoy something.
I always relish a challenge.
SYN: enjoy, love
Abhor
(V) To hate a way of behaving or thinking, often because you think it is not moral.
I abhor all forms of racism.
SYN: abominable, detest, loathe
Insipid
(A) Not having strong taste or character, or having no interest or energy.
This is an insipid cup of tea.
SYN: bland, tasteless
Gracious
(A) Behaving in a pleasant, polite, calm way.
The losing team was gracious in defeat.
Blasé
(A) Bored or not exited.
He flies first class so often, he’s become blasé about it.
SYN: board, weary of
Purport
(V) To pretend to be or do something, especially in a way that is not easy to believe.
They purport to represent the wishes of the majority of parents at the school.
Facade
(N) The front of a building, especially a large or attractive building.
(N) A false appearance that makes someone or something seem more pleasant or better than they really are.
The art gallery had an elegant 18th-century facade.
He kept his grumpiness hidden behind a friendly facade.
Prattle
(V) To talk in a silly way or like a child for a long time about things that are not important.
She’d have prattled on about her new house for the whole afternoon if I’d let her.
SYN: blabber, chatter, prate
Quibble
(V) To argue about, or say you disapprove of, something that is not important.
(N) A complaint or criticism about something that is not very important.
There’s no point quibbling over a couple of pounds.
My only quibble is that the colour isn’t very nice.
SYN: bicker
Elucidate
(V) To explain something or make something clear.
The reasons for the change in weather conditions have been elucidated by several scientists.
SYN: clarify, explain
ANT: obfuscate
Discharge
(V) To allow someone to leave somewhere.
Patients were discharged from the hospital because the beds were needed by other people.
Clairvoyant
(N) A person who says they have powers to see the future or see things that other people cannot see.
She went to see a clairvoyant who said he could communicate with her dead gran.
SYN: predictive prophetic, visionary
Primate
(N) A member of the most intelligent mammals, including humans, monkeys, and apes.
Boulevard
(N) A wide road in a city.
We strolled along the boulevard.
SYN: avenue
Calligraphy
(N) The art of producing beautiful writing, often created with a special pen or brush.
There’s some wonderful calligraphy in these old manuscripts.
Sagacity
(N) Being able to understand and make good judgments.
He showed wonderful sagacity in recognising the danger at first glance.
Attentive
(A) Listening carefully.
The audience was very attentive.
Supercilious
(A) Behaving as if you are better than other people, and that their opinions, beliefs, or ideas are not important.
He spoke in a haughty, supercilious voice.
SYN: haughty, imperious, sneering, snide, sniffy
Incur
(V) To experience something, usually something unpleasant, as a result of actions you have taken.
We incurred large expenses to repair the poor work done by the builder.
Waver
(V) To lose strength, determination, or purpose, especially temporarily.
(V) If you waver between two possibilities, you cannot decide which of them to choose or you keep choosing one way and then the other.
My concentration began to waver as lunch approached.
I’m wavering between the chicken and the beef.
Melee
(N) A large noisy uncontrolled crowd, in which people are moving in different directions and sometimes fighting with each other.
We lost sight of each other in the melee.
SYN: scrimmage, scrum
Thunderstruck
(A) Very surprised.
Joe was thunderstruck when he won the lottery.
SYN: dumbfounded
Gauge
(V) To calculate an amount, especially using a measuring device.
(V) To make a judgment about something, usually people’s feelings.
Use a thermometer to gauge the temperature.
A poll was conducted to gauge the class’ attitude to school lunches.
Forthright
(A) Too honest or direct in behaviour.
His forthright manner can be mistaken for rudeness.
SYN: blunt, candid, frank, outspoken
Quadrangle
(N) A flat shape with four straight sides.
Squares and rectangles are forms of quadrangles.
Inadvertent
(A) Not intentional.
All authors need to be wary of inadvertent copying of other people’s ideas.
SYN: accidental
Disprove
(V) To prove that something is not true.
The allegations have been disproved.
SYN: confute
Derision
(N) The situation in which someone or something is laughed at and considered stupid or of no value.
They treated his suggestion with derision.
Enthral/Enthralled
(V) To keep someone completely interested.
The baseball game completely enthralled the crowd.
SYN: delight, enchant
Convoluted
(A) Very twisted.
Convoluted sentences, explanations, arguments etc. are unreasonably long and difficult to understand.
Her book is full of long, convoluted sentences.
Passable
(A) Possible to travel on.
(A) Satisfactory but not excellent.
Because of the heavy snow, roads in the area were passable only with care.
Imply
(V) To communicate an idea or feeling without saying it directly.
I’m not implying anything about your cooking, but could we eat out tonight?
Designate
(V) To choose someone officially to do a particular job.
(V) To say officially that a place or thing has a particular character or purpose.
Tom has been designated team captain.
This area of the park has been specially designated for children.
Subliminal
(A) Not recognised or understood by the conscious mind, but still having an influence on it.
Subliminal advertising tries to influence people without them being aware of it, for example by showing messages for such a short time that people read them without realising that they have done so.
Dainty
(A) Small, delicate, and often moving in a careful way.
She was a small, dainty child, unlike her sister who was large and had big feet.
Harrowing
(A) Extremely upsetting because connected with suffering.
His book tells the harrowing story of how they climbed Mt. Everest.
SYN: agonising, excruciating, torturous
Bigotry
(N) The fact of having and expressing strong, unreasonable beliefs and disliking other people who have different beliefs or a different way of life.
Religious/racial bigotry
Accolade
(N) Praise and approval.
He’s been granted the ultimate accolade - his face on a postage stamp.
SYN: award, honour
Gallant
(A) (of a man) polite and kind towards women, especially when in public.
(A) Showing no fear of dangerous or difficult things.
Despite fierce competition, she made a gallant effort to win the first medal of the championships.
Vacuous
(A) Not expressing or showing intelligent thought or purpose.
A vacuous remark/question/expression/smile.
SYN: fatuous, inane
Prim
(A) Very formal and correct in behaviour and easily shocked by anything rude.
She’s much too prim and proper to drink pints of beer.
SYN: strait-laced
Inertia
(N) Lack of activity or interest, or unwillingness to make an effort to do anything.
(N) The physical force that keeps something in the same position or moving in the same direction.
Many teachers were reluctant to use computers in their classrooms simply out of inertia.
Flack
(N) A person chosen by a group or organisation that is in a difficult situation to speak officially for them to the public and answer questions and criticisms.
Vigour
(N) Strength, energy, or enthusiasm.
(N) Strength of thought, opinion, expression.
They set about their work with youthful vigour and enthusiasm.
He gave his side of the story with vigour.
Operative
(N) A worker, especially one who is skilled in working with their hands.
A factory operative.
(N) A person who works secretly for an organisation.
An MI5 operative.
Mole
(N) A small mammal that is almost blind, has dark fur, and lives in passages underground.
(N) A person who works for an organisation or government and secretly gives information to its competitor or enemy.
A mole inside the department had leaked secret proposals to the press.
SYN: spy
Convict
(N) Someone who is in prison because they are guilty of a crime.
(V) To decide officially in a law court that someone is guilty of a crime.
He has twice been convicted of arson.
There might not have been enough evidence to convict him.
Utilise
(V) To use something in an effective way.
The vitamins come in a form that is easily utilised by the body.
Feud
(N) An argument that has existed for a long time between two people or groups, causing a lot of anger or violence.
SYN: Argument, disagreement, quarrel, row
ANT: Agreement, concord, harmony
(V) To have a feud with someone
Humane
(A) Showing kindness, care, and sympathy towards others, especially those who are suffering.
The humane way of dealing with a suffering animal is to kill it quickly.
SYN: generous, charitable, considerate
ANT: inhumane, mean
Gaudy
(A) Unpleasantly bright in colour or decoration.
Gaudy plastic flowers.
SYN: flash, garish, showy
ANT: modest, tasteful, plain, simple
Scuffle
(N) A short and sudden fight, especially one involving a small number of people.
(V) To have a sudden short fight
SYN: fight, brawl, clash, struggle
ANT: calm, agreement, harmony
Extortionate
(A) Extremely expensive
The price of books nowadays is extortionate
SYN: exorbitant, steep
Scorn
(N) A very strong feeling of no respect for someone or something that you think is stupid or has no value.
(V) To show scorn for something
SYN: derision, disdain, mockery, ridicule
ANT: respect, approval
Revere
(V) To very much respect and admire someone or something.
Nelson Mandela is revered for his brave fight against apartheid.
SYN: admire, idolise, venerate
ANT: condemn, criticise
Beguile
(V) To persuade, attract, or interest someone, sometimes in order to deceive them.
The salesman beguiled him into buying a car he didn’t want.
SYN: captivate
Disdainful
(A) Showing that someone does not like someone or something and thinks that they do not deserve interest or respect.
She cast a disdainful glance at the food.
SYN: contemptuous
Disgrace
(N) Embarrassment and the loss of other people’s respect, or behaviour that causes this.
To be in a very bad situation.
(V) To make people stop respecting you or your family, team etc. by doing something very bad.
They were sent home in disgrace.
SYN: contempt, disrespect
ANT: admiration, approval, regard
Rebuke
(V) To speak angrily to someone because you disapprove of what they have said or done.
I was rebuked by my teacher for being late.
SYN: berate, chide, lambaste, reprimand
Deluge
(N) A very large amount of rain or water.
(V) To cover something with a lot of water.
This little stream can become a deluge when it rains heavily.
SYN: downpour, avalanche, barrage, inundation, cataclysm, torrent
Wilt
(V) (of a plant) to become weak and begin to bend towards the ground, or (of a person) to become weaker, tired, or less confident.
SYN: droop, fade
Drought
(N) A long period when there is little or no rain.
This year a severe drought has ruined he crops.
SYN: lack, scarcity
ANT: abundance, excess, surplus, monsoon
Desiccate
(V) To remove the moisture from something so it becomes completely dry; to lose all moisture and become completely dry.
Some plants wither quickly and lose their power of recovery if allowed to desiccate.
(V) To become damaged or destroyed by losing an important quality; to damage or destroy something in this way.
SYN: dehydrate, deplete
ANT: dampen, moisten, soak
Poise
(N) Calm confidence in a person’s way of behaving, or a quality of grace and balance in the way a person holds or moves their body.
He looked embarrassed for a moment, then quickly regained his poise.
SYN: aplomb, grace
Exhilarating
(A) Making you feel very excited and happy.
An exhilarating walk in the mountains.
SYN: exciting, gripping, riveting, thrilling
Nonchalantly
(Ad) In a calm manner, often in a way that suggests you are not interested or do not care.
I’m sure I’ll get into some football team, he said nonchalantly.
SYN: casually, indifferently
Devoid
(A) to lack or be without something that is necessary or usual.
SYN: empty, wanting, lacking
ANT: full, complete
Coerce
(V) To persuade someone forcefully to do something that they are unwilling to do.
SYN: force, pressure, bully, intimidate
ANT: encourage, aid
Epiphany
(N) A moment when you suddenly feel that you understand, or suddenly become conscious of, something that is very important to you.
A powerful religious experience.
SYN: insight, realisation, vision
Flaunt
(V) To show or make obvious something you are proud of in order to get admiration.
SYN: advertise, brandish, proclaim, boast
ANT: hide, conceal, cover
Fraudulent
(A) dishonest and illegal
(A) intended to deceive
A worrying trend for insurers has been a rise in fraudulent claims.
SYN: counterfeit, deceitful, dishonest
ANT: genuine, honest
Enamoured
(A) Liking something a lot
I have to say I am nor exactly enamoured with this part of the country.
Equitable
(A) Treating everyone fairly and in the same way.
SYN: fair, just
ANT: inequitable, unjust
Infatuated
(A) Having a very strong but not usually lasting feeling of love or attraction for someone or something.
SYN: smitten
Dogged
(A) Very determined to continue doing something, or trying to do something, even when this is difficult or takes a long time.
He is dogged in his pursuit of his dreams.
SYN: determined, persistent, resolved, resolute, single-minded
Ashen
(A) Without colour, or pale grey in colour.
Julie walked in, ashen-faced with shock.
SYN: colourless, pale
Chaste
(A) Used to describe decoration or style that is very simple and smooth
I like the simple, chaste lines of their architecture.
Gaffe
(N) A remark or action that is a social mistake and not considered polite.
You started eating before anyone else had been served? What a gaffe!
SYN: faux pas, slip, mistake, error, blunder
Omission
(N) The act of not including something or someone that should have been included, or something or someone that has not been included that should have been.
SYN: excluding, oversight
Spoof
(N) A funny and silly piece of writing, music, theatre etc. that copies the style of an original work.
(V) To try to make someone believe in something that is not true, as a joke
It was a spoof cowboy film.
SYN: lampoon, parody
Oblivion
(N) The state of being completely forgotten.
(N) The state of being completely destroyed.
These toys will be around for a year or two, then fade/slide/sink into oblivion.
The planes bombed the city into oblivion.
Pertinent
(A) Relating directly to the subject being considered.
Chapter one was pertinent to the post-war period.
SYN: relevant
ANT: irrelevant
Outmoded
(A) No longer modern, useful, or necessary.
SYN: old-fashioned, outdated
ANT: modern, up-to-date
Incentive
(N) Something that encourages a person to do something.
SYN: motivation
ANT: disincentive
Confounded
(A) Used to express anger.
What a confounded nuisance!
SYN: confused, perplexed
ANT: clear
Premonition
(N) A feeling that something, especially something unpleasant, is going to happen.
He had a premonition that his plane would crash, so he took the train.
SYN: Feeling, foreboding
Diffidence
(N) The quality of being shy and not confident of your abilities.
There was a diffidence in her soft voice.
Decorum
(N) Behaviour that is controlled, calm, and polite.
As private school pupils we were expected to act/behave with proper decorum.
SYN: correctness, decency, politeness
ANT: rudeness, bad manners, unsuitableness
Immature
(A) Not behaving in a way that is as calm and wise as people expect from someone of your age.
Not having much experience of something.
Not yet completely grown or developed.
Stop being so silly and immature.
While the animals are still immature, they do not breed.
SYN: childish, juvenile, puerile, premature
Infantile
(A) Typical of a child and therefore unsuitable for an adult.
Affecting babies or very young children.
Infantile behaviour.
Infantile diseases.
Juvenile
(A) Relating to a young person who is not yet old enough to be considered an adult.
Affecting children rather than adults.
Silly and typical of a child.
(N) A person who is not old enough to be considered an adult.
SYN: youthful
Aspiration
(N) Something that you hope to achieve.
It’s a story about the lives and aspirations of young racing drivers.
SYN: aim, ambition, goal, hope, intention, target, objective
Inhibit
(V) To prevent someone from doing something by making them feel nervous or embarrassed.
(V) To slow down a process or the growth of something.
SYN: prevent, impede, constrain
ANT: encourage, facilitate
Coherent
(A) If an argument, set of ideas, or a plan is coherent, it is clear and carefully considered, and each part of it connects or follows in a natural or reasonable way.
If someone is coherent, you can understand what that person says.
SYN: comprehensible, consistent, intelligible, logical
ANT: confused, disorderly, unmethodical
Demise
(N) The end of something that was previously considered to be powerful, such as a business, industry, or system.
The demise of the company was sudden and unexpected.
SYN: collapse, downfall, extinction
ANT: beginning, start
Eccentric
(A) Strange or unusual, sometimes in a humorous way: eccentric behaviour, eccentric clothes.
MATHS: Not perfectly circular
SYN: bizarre, odd, peculiar, strange
ANT: common, conventional, ordinary, standard
Parry
(V) To defend yourself from a weapon or an attack by pushing the weapon away or by putting something between your body and the weapon.
(V) To manage cleverly to avoid dealing with a difficult question or some criticism.
SYN: avoid, deflect
Utter
(V) To say something or to make a sound with your voice.
(A) complete or extreme
She sat through the whole meeting without uttering a word.
Utter nonsense
SYN: pure, sheer, unmitigated
STN: say, state, remark
Contemplate
(V) To spend time considering a possible future actions or to consider one particular thing for a long time in a serious and quiet way.
I am contemplating going abroad for a year.
SYN: muse, ponder, consider, reflect
ANT: neglect, reject, disregard
Eminent
(A) famous, respected or important
An eminent scientist.
SYN: renowned, celebrated, legendary, distinguished, esteemed
ANT: common, ordinary, unimportant
Boycott
(V) To refuse to buy a product or take part in an activity as a way of expressing strong disapproval.
People were urged to boycott the country’s products.
SYN: avoid, exclude, refuse, reject
ANT: allow, include, approve
Scintillating
(A) Funny, exciting and clever.
A scintillating personality/speech.
SYN: brilliant, dazzling, exciting
ANT: dull
Empower
(V) To give someone official authority or the freedom to do something.
SYN: allow, entrust, permit
ANT: deny, refuse, reject
Demote
(V) To lower someone or something in rank or position.
The captain was demoted to sergeant for failing to fulfil his duties.
SYN: relegate
ANT: advance, boost, elevate, promote
Annul/annulment
(V) To officially announce that something such as a law, agreement, or marriage no longer exists.
SYN: countermand, rescind
Venerate
(V) To honour or very much respect a person or thing.
Robert Burns is Scotland’s most venerated poet.
SYN: revere, worship, admire
Reprove
(V) To tell someone that you disapprove of their bad or silly behaviour.
The teacher gently reproved the boys for not paying attention.
SYN: admonish, scold, berate
ANT: compliment, praise
Exasperate
(V) To make someone very annoyed, usually when they can do nothing to solve a problem.
SYN: infuriate, annoy, irritate, aggravate
Competent
(A) Able to do something well.
I wouldn’t say he was brilliant but he is a competent golfer.
SYN: adept, capable, expert, good, skilful
ANT: incompetent
Misrepresent
(V) To describe falsely an idea, opinion, or situation, often in order to get an advantage.
SYN: confuse, disguise, distort
ANT: represent
Pragmatic
(A) Solving problems in a sensible way that suits the conditions that really exist now, rather than obeying fixed theories, ideas, or rules.
SYN: hard-nosed, practical, realistic
ANT: impractical, idealistic
Relinquish
(V) To give up something such as a responsibility or claim.
(V) To unwillingly stop holding or keeping something.
He has relinquished his claim to the throne.
She relinquished her grip on the steering wheel.
SYN: abandon, renounce
Delusion
(N) Belief in something that is not true.
He’s under the delusion that he will make the team.
SYN: fantasy, illusion, hallucination
ANT: fact, reality, truth
Govern
(V) To control and direct the public business of a country, city, group of people etc.
(V) To have a controlling influence on something.
A president needs popular support in order to govern effectively.
Prices of good are governed by the cost of the raw materials, as well as by the cost of production and distribution.
SYN: carry out, conduct, manage, oversee
Devise
(V) To invent a plan, system, object etc. usually using your intelligence or imagination.
The cartoon character Mickey Mouse was devised by Walt Disney.
SYN: create, design
Desist
(V) To stop doing something, especially something that someone else does not want you to do.
The soldiers have been ordered to desist from firing their guns.
SYN: abstain, refrain, cease
Ant: persist, continue
Terse
(A) Using few words, sometimes in a way that seems rude or unfriendly.
“Are you feeling better?” “No” was the terse reply.
SYN: curt, laconic, brusque
ANT: gentle, kind, polite, verbose
Hiatus
(N) A short pause in which nothing happens or is said, or a space where something is missing.
The company expects to resume production of the vehicle again after a two-month hiatus.
SYN: pause, interlude, interval
Conscientious
(A) Putting a lot of effort into your work.
SYN: painstaking, diligent, fastidious, meticulous
ANT: careless
Lackadaisical
(A) Showing little enthusiasm and effort.
The food was nice but the service was somewhat lackadaisical.
SYN: half-hearted, apathetic, lazy, laid-back
ANT: active, energetic, lively, interested
Lax
(A) Without much care, attention, or control.
(A) not severe or strong enough
(Of a speech sound) made without much force
He took a gun through baggage control to highlight the lax security.
SYN: careless, sloppy
ANT: attentive, careful
Irate
(A) Very angry.
We have received some irate phone calls from customers.
SYN: angry, cross, furious, livid
Legislate
(V) If the government legislates, it makes a new law.
They promised to legislate against cigarette advertising.
SYN: enact, constitute, pass
Subordinate
(A) Having a lower or less important position.
(N) A person who has a less important position than you in an organisation.
(N) A word whose meaning is included in the meaning of another word.
(V) To put someone or something into a less important position.
A subordinate role.
He left the routine checks to one of his subordinates.
Dog is a subordinate of the category pet.
Placate
(V) To stop someone from feeling angry.
SYN: appease, conciliate, pacify
Validate
(V) To make something officially acceptable or approved, especially after examining it.
To prove that something is correct.
The data is validated automatically by the computer after it has been entered.
SYN: approve, certify, confirm, corroborate, endorse
ANT: contradict, disprove, invalidate
Profligate
(A) Spending money or using something in a way that wastes it and is not wise.
(N) Someone who behaves in a way that is morally wrong or who spends and wastes a lot of money.
The profligate use of antibiotics has led to the evolution of resistant bacteria.
SYN: extravagant, spendthrift
ANT: careful, thrifty
Forth
(Ad) (from a place) out or away, or (from a point in time) forward.
They set forth on their travels in early June.
Lucid
(A) Clearly expressed and easy to understand, or (of a person) thinking or speaking clearly.
She gave a clear and lucid account of her plans for the company’s future.
SYN: unambiguous
ANT: confused, foggy, clouded
Lofty
(A) high
(A) Lofty ideas etc. are of a high moral standard.
If you have a lofty way of behaving or talking etc. you act as if you think you are better than other people.
A lofty ceiling/mountain/wall
SYN: high, tall, soaring
Aperture
(N) A small and often narrow opening, especially one that allows light into a camera.
Impenetrable
(A) Impossible to see through or go through.
Outside, the fog was thick and impenetrable.
SYN: impermeable, impervious
ANT: permeable
Impermeable
(A) Not allowing liquid or gas to go through.
SYN: impenetrable, impervious
ANT: permeable
Impervious
(A) Not allowing liquid to go through.
How does glue bond with impervious substances like glass and metal.
SYN: impenetrable, impermeable
ANT: permeable
Auspicious
(A) Suggesting a positive and successful future.
They won their first match of the season 5-1 which was an auspicious start.
SYN: propitious
ANT: adverse, inauspicious
Immerse
(V) Immerse yourself in something.
To become completely involved in something
To put something or someone completely under the surface of a liquid.
Negate
(V) To cause something to have no effect.
The increase in our profits has been negated by the rising costs of running the business.
SYN: cancel out, invalidate
Antagonise
(V) To make someone dislike you or feel opposed to you.
SYN: anger, irritated alienate
Paramount
(A) More important than anything else.
SYN: overriding, preponderant
ANT: inferior, unimportant
Perpetuate
(V) To cause something to continue.
Increasing.the supply of weapons will only perpetuate the violence.
SYN: bolster, maintain, preserve
ANT: discontinue
Eligible
(A) Having the necessary qualities or satisfying the necessary conditions
Only people over 18 are eligible to vote.
SYN: suitable, qualified
ANT: ineligible
Justify
(V) To give or to be a good reason for.
If you justify yourself you give a good reason for what you have done.
I can’t really justify taking another day off school.
SYN: defend, explain, condone
Fortitude
(N) Courage over a long period.
I thought she showed remarkable fortitude during that period.
SYN: bravery, courage, determination, endurance
ANT: laziness, weakness
Confidential
(A) Secret or private, often in a formal, business, or military situation.
All information will be treated as strictly confidential.
SYN: secret, private, classified
ANT: public
Imperative
(A) Extremely important or urgent.
The president said that it was imperative that the release of all the hostages be secured.
SYN: compulsory, critical, crucial, essential, important
ANT: insignificant, unimportant
Ancillary
(A) Providing support or help or additional support or help
Ancillary staff/workers.
SYN: additonal
Lout
(N) A young man who behaves in a very rude, offensive, and sometimes violent way.
SYN: brute, buffoon, slob
Bestow
(V) To give something as an honour or present.
The George Cross is a decoration that is bestowed upon British civilians for acts of great bravery.
SYN: confer, hand out
Besotted
(A) Completely in love with someone and always thinking of them.
Enmity
(N) A feeling of hate.
SYN: acrimony, animosity
Condiment
(N) A substance, such as salt, that you add to food to improve its taste.
Demean
(V) To cause someone to become less respected.
The entire family was demeaned by his behaviour.
SYN: degrade, disgrace
Averse
(A) Strongly disliking or opposed to
Few people are averse to the idea of a free holiday.
SYN: indisposed, loath, unwilling
ANT: willing, agreeable
Supple
(A) Bending or able to be bent easily; not stiff.
(A) Able to change quickly and successfully to suit different situations
The gloves were made of very supple leather.
SYN: agile, elastic, flexible, limber, lithe, malleable, pliable
ANT: brittle, inflexible, rigid, stiff
Callous
(A) Unkind, cruel, and without sympathy or feeling for other people.
It might sound callous, but I don’t care if he’s homeless.
SYN: cruel, brutal, savage
Amenable
(A) Willing to accept or be influenced by a suggestion.
She might be more amenable to the idea if you explained how much money it would save.
SYN: accommodating, compliant, malleable
Rectify
(V) To correct something or make something right.
Every effort is made to rectify any errors/mistakes before the book is printed.
SYN: amend, fix, improve, redress, remedy
Perpetuate
(V) To cause something to continue.
The aim of the association is to perpetuate the skills of traditional furniture design.
SYN: bolster, maintain, preserve
ANT: discontinue, give up, halt
Reactive
(A) Reacting to events or situations rather than acting first to change or prevent something.
Chemistry: Often taking part in chemical reactions.
Unfortunately the police have dealt with the problem of car theft in a reactive rather than proactive way.
Deference/deferential
(N) Respect and politeness
He treats her with such deference.
She covered her head out of deference to Muslin custom.
Obscene
(A) Offensive, rude, or shocking
(A) morally wrong, often describing something that is wrong because it is too large.
The salaries some bankers earn are obscene.
He eats an obscene amount of food.
SYN: crude, disgusting
Fret
(V) To be nervous or worried.
(N) Any of the small raised metal bars across the long, think part of a stringed musical instrument such as a guitar, that show you where to put your fingers on the strings in order to produce different notes.
Don’t fret - I’m sure he’s ok.
SYN: agonise, bother
ANT: be happy, ignore, not worry
Encrypt
(V) To change electronic information or signals into a secret code that people cannot understand or use on normal equipment.
Your financial information is fully encrypted and cannot be accessed.
SYN: encipher, code, encode,
ANT: decipher, decode, decrypt
Irrational
(A) Not using reason or clear thinking
It’s totally irrational, but I’m frightened of mice.
SYN: absurd, crazy, preposterous, ridiculous
ANT: logical, rational
Pliant
(A) Pliant people are easily influenced or controlled by other people.
Being able and willing to accept change or new ideas.
Able to bend easily without breaking.
I don’t think it’s a good thing for children to be too pliant.
These toys are made of pliant rubber so they won’t break.
SYN: accommodating, acquiescent, compliant, malleable
ANT: inflexible, unyielding
Pseudo
(Prefix) Pretended and not real
A pseudo-intellectual
Faux
(A) Not real, but made to look or seem real.
A faux-brick wall.
SYN: fake, false, imitation
Platonic
(A) (of love or friendship) intimate and affectionate
Detrimental
(A) Causing harm or damage.
These chemicals have a detrimental effect on the environment.
SYN: damaging, deleterious, harmful
ANT: harmless, innocuous
Practical
(A) Relating to experience, real situations, or actions rather than ideas or imagination.
(A) Suitable for the situation in which something is used.
(A) Able to provide effective solutions to problems.
(A) Able to be done or put into action
(N) A class or exam in a scientific or technical subject in which students do things rather than just write or talk about them.
Qualifications are important but practical experience is always a plus.
I tend to wear clothes that are practical rather than fashionable.
We need someone practical, who can cope with a crisis.
ANT: impractical
Convoluted
(A) Very twisted.
Convoluted sentences, explanations, arguments etc. are unreasonably long and difficult to understand.
Her book is full of long, convoluted sentences.
SYN: intricate, perplexing, puzzling
ANT: direct, simple, straightforward
Facile
(A) A facile remark or theory is too simple and has not been thought about enough.
A facile explanation.
SYN: glib, hasty
Bedlam
(N) A noisy situation with no order?
It was bedlam at the football stadium after the match was suspended.
SYN: pandemonium
Oscillate
(V) To move repeatedly from one position to another.
If you oscillate between feelings or opinions, you change repeatedly from one to the other.
The needle on the dial oscillated between full and empty.
My emotions oscillate between desperation and hope.
SYN: fluctuate, seesaw
ANT: remain, stay
Impediment
(N) Something that makes progress, movement, or achieving something difficult or impossible.
In a number of developing countries, war has been an additional impediment to progress.
SYN: deterrent, barrier, difficulty, disadvantage
ANT: advantage, aid, assistance
Assert
(V) To behave in a way that expresses your confidence, importance, or power and earns you respect from others.
To say that something is certainly true.
To do something or show that you have power.
She very quickly asserted her authority over the class.
He asserts that she stole money from him.
Toil
(N) Hard work, especially work that makes you feel physically tired.
(V) To move in a particular direction, slowly and with great effort.
After a day’s toil at school I like to relax a little.
I was toiling up the hill with four heavy bags when she took pity on me.
SYN: labour, work
Absolve
(V) (especially in religion or law) to free someone from guilt, responsibility for something.
The report absolved her from all blame for the accident.
SYN: acquit, exonerate, pardon, vindicate
ANT: accuse, blame
Dissociate
(V) To consider as separate and not related.
I can’t dissociate the man from his political opinions - they’re one and the same thing.
SYN: detach, disconnect
ANT: attach, connect, join, link
Encompass
(V) To include different types of things.
The festival is to encompass everything from music, theatre, and ballet to literature, and the visual arts.
SYN: cover, embrace
Incorporate
(V) To include something as part of something larger.
This aircraft incorporates several new features.
Affable
(A) Friendly and easy to talk to.
He struck me as an affable sort of a man.
SYN: amiable, cordial, genial
Commodity
(N) A substance or product that can be traded, bought, or sold.
The country’s most valuable commodities include tin and diamonds.
Regression
(N) A return to a previous and less advanced or worse state, condition, or way of behaving.
(N) A situation in which things get worse rather than better.
Regression to childhood.
SYN: relapse
Languid
(A) Moving or speaking slowly with little energy, often in an attractive way.
SYN: lethargic, listless
ANT: dynamic, energetic
Austerity
(N) The condition of living without unnecessary things and without comfort, with limited money or goods, or a practice, habit, or experience that is typical of this.
(N) A difficult economic situation caused by a government reducing the amount of money it spends.
(N) The quality of being austere in appearance or manner.
The wartime austerity of my early years prepared me for later hardships.
The austerity of her short hair and plan grey suit.
Augment
(V) To increase the size or value of something by adding something to it.
He would have to find work to augment his income.
SYN: add to, amplify, boost, enhance, expand
Fusion
(N) An occasion when two or more things join or are combined.
Nuclear fusion.
SYN: blend, synthesis
ANT: division, separation, disconnection
Fission
(N) The process of dividing the nucleus of an atom, resulting in the release of a large amount of energy.
(N) The division of a living cell as part of reproduction.
SYN: division, parting, severance
Imperious
(A) Unpleasantly proud and expecting to be obeyed.
She sent them away with an imperious wave of the hand.
SYN: arrogant, conceited, proud, superior
Unpretentious
(A) Simple and/or sincere.
The food is delicious and unpretentious.
SYN: understated
ANT: pretentious
Demure
(A) (especially of women) quiet and well behaved.
She gave him a demure smile.
SYN: coy, timid, unassuming
ANT: bold, brave
Hallmark
(N) A typical characteristic or feature of a person or thing.
(V) To put an official mark on an object made of gold or silver.
Simplicity is a hallmark of this design.
Exorbitant
(A) Exorbitant prices, demands, etc. are much too large.
The bill for dinner was exorbitant.
SYN: extortionate, outrageous, steep
Distress
(N) A feeling of extreme worry, sadness, or pain.
(N) A hitch you are suffering or are in great danger and therefore in urgent need of help.
Many of the horses were showing signs of distress at the end of the race.
Six people were rescued by helicopter from a fishing boat in distress off the coast.
SYN: alarm, concern, consternation, worry
Tenuous
(A) A tenuous connection, idea, or situation is weak and possibly does not exist.
The police have only found a tenuous connection between the two robberies.
SYN: delicate, dubious, flimsy, insubstantial
ANT: certain, definite, firm, strong
Jaded
(A) Not having interest or losing interest because you have experienced something too many times.
Flying is exciting the first time you do it, but you soon become jaded.
SYN: bored, tired, weary
ANT: fresh
Sagacious
(A) Having or showing understanding and the ability to make good judgments.
A sagacious person/comment/choice.
SYN: wise
Snub
(V) To insult someone by not giving them any attention or treating them as if they are not important.
I think she felt snubbed because Jack hadn’t bothered to introduce himself.
SYN: ignore, neglect
Furnish
(V) To put furniture in something.
(V) To provide something.
They’ve furnished the room very simply.
Furnish information/details.
Impart
(V) To communicate information to someone.
(V) To give something a particular feeling, quality, or taste.
To impart the bad news.
Preservatives can impart colour and flavour to a product.
Resonate
(V) To produce, increase, or fill with sound, by vibrating objects that are near.
(V) To be filled with a particular quality.
(V) To continue to have a powerful effect or value.
If an experience or memory resonates, it makes you think of another similar one.
His voice resonated in the empty church.
The building resonates with historic significance.
The significance of those great stories resonates down the centuries.
Diplomatic
(A) Involving diplomats or the management of the relationships between countries.
(A) Acting in a way that does not cause offence.
Ask him nicely - be diplomatic.
Dais
(N) A raised surface at one end of a meeting room that someone can stand on when speaking to a group.
SYN: podium, rostrum
Celestial
(A) Of or from the sky or outside this world.
The moon is a celestial body.
Impede
(V) To make it more difficult for something to happen or more difficult for someone to do something.
Although he is shy, it certainly hasn’t impeded his career in any way.
SYN: block, curb, hamper, interfere, disrupt
ANT: advance, aid encourage, assist
Vice
(Prefix) Used as part of the title of particular positions. The person who holds one of these positions is next below in authority to the person who holds the full position and can act for them.
(N) A moral fault or weakness in someone’s character.
(N) A tool with two parts that can be moved together by tightening a screw so that an object can be held firmly between them while it is being worked on.
The vice captain of the team.
My one real vice is chocolate.
Vices are often used to hold pieces of wood. That are being cut or smoothed.
Frigid
(A) (of weather conditions or the conditions in a room) extremely cold.
(A) Unfriendly or very formal.
Few plants can grow in such a frigid environment.
She turned her frigid gaze on him.
Incline
(V) To (make someone) feel someone or want to do something.
(V) To (cause to) slope at a particular angle.
(N) A slope.
The prime minister is believed to be inclining towards an April election.
The ground inclined steeply towards a ridge in the distance.
A steep or gentle incline.
Midst
(N) The middle of a group of people or things.
(N) In the middle of an event, situation, or activity.
(Preposition) Among
She caught sight of Ben in their midst (= among them).
I’m sorry but I’m too busy - I’m in the midst of writing a report.
The summit of the mountain appeared midst the clouds.
Sedate
(A) Avoiding excitement or great activity and usually calm and relaxed.
(V) To cause a person or animal to be very calm or go to sleep by giving them a drug.
The speed limit is a sedate 30 mph.
When I saw him after the accident he was still in shock and was heavily sedated.
SYN: staid, calm, relaxed
Requisite
(A) Necessary or needed for a particular purpose.
(N) An important necessary thing.
He lacked the requisite skills for the job.
A good book is a requisite for long journeys.
SYN: necessary, needed, needful
SYN: essential, necessity, requirement
Salient
(A) The salient facts about something or qualities of something are the most important things about them.
He began to summarise the salient points of the proposal.
SYN: pertinent, notable
ANT: unimportant, insignificant
Lavish
(A) Large in quantity and expensive or impressive.
(A) Very generous.
The team has the most lavish training facility in the league.
The critics were lavish in their praise for the paintings.
Thrifty
(N) Using money and other resources carefully and not wastefully.
Dan learned thrift from his mother.
SYN: prudent, frugal, economical
Phantasmagorical
(A) Very strange, like something in a dream.
SYN: Fabulous, fanciful, fantasied,fantastic.
ANT: Authentic, genuine, true
Phantasmagorical
(A) Very strange, like something in a dream.
SYN: Fabulous, fanciful, fantasied,fantastic.
ANT: Authentic, genuine, true
Cleave
(V) To separate or divide.
The volcano cleaved nearly in half after its last eruption.
Resonant
(A) Clear and loud, or causing sounds to be clear and loud.
A resonant concert hall.
Stringy
(A) Similar to string.
The meat was tough and stringy.
Palpitate
(V) Heart beating rapidly, strongly or irregularly
His heart was palpitating and his palms sweated.
SYN: throb, pulsate
OR
(V) To shake or tremble
She was almost palpitating with excitement
SYN: tremble, quiver, quake
Pauper
(N) A very poor person.
Astound
(V) To surprise or shock someone very much.
The news astounded me.
SYN: amaze, astonish, stagger, startle, stun
Quaint
(A) Attractive because of being unusual and especially old-fashioned.
A quaint old cottage by the sea.
SYN: picturesque, charming
Affiliate
(V) To cause a group to become part of or form a close relationship with another, usually larger, group or organisation.
The Cheltenham driving school is affiliated with a national association of driving schools.
Affluent
(A) Having a lot of money or owning a lot of things.
We live in an affluent neighbourhood.
SYN: flush, rich, wealthy
Desirous
(A) Wanting something
The Duke is desirous of meeting you.
Sheepish
(A) Embarrassed because you know that you have done something wrong or silly.
She gave me a sheepish smile and apologised.
Impression
(N) An idea or opinion of what something or someone is like.
(N) The way that something seems, looks, or feels to a particular person.
His first impressions of Cheltenham were positive.
It gives a very bad impression if you’re late for an interview.
OR
(N) An imitation of a person or thing, especially in order to make people laugh.
She does a really good impression of Nutkin.
SYN: impersonation, parody
Grapple
(V) To fight, especially in order to win something.
The children grappled for the ball.
SYN: wrestle, tussle, brawl, scuffle, fight
Reflect
(V) If a surface reflects light, heat, sound, or an image, it sends the light etc. back and does not absorb it.
He saw himself reflected in the mirror.
OR
(V) To think deeply or carefully about something.
His blank face reflected his boredom.
Frieze
(N) A narrow piece or decoration along a wall, either inside a room or on the outside of a building just under the roof.
Sorcery
(N) The use of magic, especially black magic.
It seems that some people still believe in sorcery and black magic.
SYN: witchcraft, wizardry
Vindictive
(A) Having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge. Unwilling to forgive.
She was immature, spiteful, even vindictive at times.
SYN: vengeful, revengeful, avenging
Despondency
(N) The quality of being unhappy, with no hope or enthusiasm.
A mood of despondency had set in.
SYN: discouragement
Plaintive
(A) Used to describe something that sounds slightly sad.
The plaintive sound of the bagpipes.
SYN: sad, wistful, mournful
Retort
(V) To answer someone quickly in an angry or funny way.
“That doesn’t concern you!” she retorted.
SYN: answer, reply, respond
Abstract
(A) Existing in thought or as an idea but having no physical existence.
Truth and beauty are abstract concepts.
SYN: conceptual, theoretical
Pillage
(V) To steal something from a place or a person by using violence.
Rioters pillaged and set fire to the town’s buildings.
SYN: loot, plunder, ransack
Dreary
(A) Boring and making you feel unhappy.
A dreary little town.
SYN: dull, drab, uninteresting, bland
Proffer
(V) To offer something by holding it out, or to offer advice or an opinion.
He shook the warmly proffered hand.
SYN: offer, present, extend
Harass
(V) To continue to annoy or upset someone over a period of time.
Stop harassing me!
SYN: pester, badger, hound, torment
Chalice
(N) In Christian ceremonies, a large, decorative gold or silver cup from which wine is drunk.
In magic, a cup representing the element of water.
SYN: cup, goblet, vessel
Dishevelled
(A) (of people or their appearance) very untidy
He ran looking dishevelled.
SYN: tousled
Impersonate
(V) To intentionally copy another person’s characteristics, such as their behaviour, speech, appearance, or expressions, especially to make people laugh.
To attempt to deceive someone by pretending that you are another person.
Inert
(A) Not moving or not able to move.
Not energetic or interesting.
Chemistry: Inert substances do not produce a chemical reaction when another substance is added.
The inert figure of a man could be seen lying in the front of the car.
Perturbed
(A) Worried
He didn’t seem unduly perturbed by the news.
SYN: flustered, worried, concerned, bothered
Grouch
(V) To complain in an angry way.
(N) A person who often complains.
Oh, stop grouching!
SYN: grumble, grump
Bliss
(N) Perfect happiness.
Lying on a sunny beach is my idea of sheer bliss.
SYN: euphoria, happiness, joy, paradise
ANT: misery, sadness, sorrow, unhappiness
Dismiss
(V) To decide that something or someone is not important and not worth considering.
(V) To remove someone from their job, especially because they have done something wrong.
Let’s not just dismiss the idea before we’ve even thought about it.
He has been dismissed from his job for incompetence.
SYN: expel, let go, reject
ANT: allow, permit, accept, retain
Fictitious
(A) Invested and not true or not existing.
Characters in this novel are entirely fictitious.
SYN: pretended, sham, imaginary
ANT: authentic, factual, genuine, honest, real
Strenuous
(A) Needing or using a lot of physical or mental effort of energy.
His Doctor advised him not to do any strenuous exercise.
SYN: arduous, demanding, exhausting, taxing
ANT: easy, effortless
Permissible
(A) Allowed
Is it permissible to park my car here?
SYN: acceptable, admissible, permitted
ANT: prohibited, unacceptable
Squalor
(A) (of places) extremely dirty and unpleasant, often because of lack of money.
Many prisons, even today, are overcrowded and places.
SYN: dirty, filthy, messy
Self-effacing
(A) Not making yourself noticeable, or not trying to get the attention of other people.
Noteworthy
(A) Deserving attention because of being important or interesting.
Blissful
(A) Extremely or completely happy.
Usurp
(V) To take control of a position or power, especially without having the right to.
Prophetic
(A) Saying correctly what will happen in the future.
Charismatic
(A) Used to describe a person who has charisma.
Charisma = a special power that some people have naturally that makes them able to influence other people and attract their attention and admiration.
Transient
(A) Lasting for only a short time; temporary.
(N) Someone who lives only temporarily in a place.
Predilection
(N) If someone has a predilection for something, they like it a lot.
Subterranean
(A) Under the ground.
Depraved
(A) Morally bad or evil.
Serene/Serenity
(A) Peaceful and calm; worried by nothing.
Summit
(N) An important formal meeting between leaders of governments from two or more countries.
(N) The highest point of a mountain.
(N) The highest, most successful, or most important point in something.
Picturesque
(A) (especially of a place) attractive in appearance, especially in an old-fashioned way.
Distinguished
(A) Used to describe a respected and admired person, or their work.
(A) Used to describe a person, especially an older person, who looks formal, stylish, or wise.
Peripheral
(A) Something that is peripheral sis not as important as something else.
(A) Happening at the edge of something.
Duplicity
(N) Dishonest talk or behaviour, especially by saying different things to two people.
Linger
(V) To take a long time to leave or disappear.
Predominantly
(Ad) Mostly or mainly
Stoop
(V) To bend the top half of the body forward and down.
(N) A raised flat area in front of the door of a house, with steps leading up to it.
Desperately
(Ad) Extremely or very much.
(Ad) In a way that shows you are frightened and ready to try anything to change a situation.
Torment
(N) Great mental suffering and unhappiness, or great physical pain.
(V) To cause a person or animal to suffer or worry.
Pedantic
(A) Giving too much attention to formal rules or small details.
Expedite
(V) To make something happen more quickly.
Symbol
(N) A sign, shape, or object that is used to represent something else.
Interested
(A) Wanting to give your attention to something and discover more about it.
Thrilled
(A) Extremely happy about something.
Glib
(A) Speaking or spoken in a confident way, but without careful thought or honesty.
Habitat
(N) The natural environment in which an animal or plant usually lives.
Medley
(N) A mixture of different things, especially tunes put together to form a longer piece of music.
(N) A swimming competition in which each of four swimmers in a team uses a different method of swimming.
Formidable
(A) Causing you to have fear or respect for something or someone because that thing or person is larger powerful, or difficult.
Atrocious
(A) Of very bad quality.
Forge
(V) To make an illegal copy of something in order to deceive.
(V) To make or produce something especially with some difficulty.
(V) To suddenly and quickly move forward.
Pitfall
(N) A likely mistake or problem in a situation.
Bray
(V) To make the loud noise typical of a donkey.
(V) To make a loud, unpleasant noise.
Discredit
(V) To cause people to stop respecting someone or believing in an idea or person.
(N) Loss of respect for or belief in someone or something.
Misspend/misspent
(V) To use time or money in a way that wastes it or is not wise.
Uncaring
(A) Not worrying about other people’s troubles or doing anything to help them.
Sanctimonious
(A) Acting as if morally better than others.
Protagonist
(N) One of the main characters in a story or a play.
(N) An important supporter of an idea or political system.
Impromptu
(A) Done or said without earlier planning or preparation.
Equipment
(N) The set of necessary tools, clothing etc. for a particular purpose.
Adulation
(N) Very great admiration or praise for someone, especially when it is more than deserved.
Detain
(V) To force someone officially to stay in a place.
(V) To delay someone for a short length of time.
Amuse/Amusing
(V) To entertain someone, especially by humour is speech or action or by making them laugh or smile.
(V) To keep someone happy, especially for a short time.
Sundry
(A) Several different; various.
Quiver
(V) To shake slightly
(N) A long, thin container for carrying arrows.
Slope
(N) A surface that lies at an angle to the horizontal so that some points on it are higher than others.
(Part of ) the side of a hill or mountain.
Furtively
(Ad) Secretly and often dishonestly.
Instructive
(A) Giving useful or interesting information.
Sarcastic
(N) The use of remarks that clearly mean the opposite of what they say, made in order to hurt someone’s feelings or to criticise something in a humorous way.
Inference
(N) A guess that you make or an opinion that you form based on the information that you have.
Despised
(V) To feel a strong dislike for someone or something because you think that that person or thing is bad or has no value.
Sociable
(A) Sociable people like to meet and spend time with other people.
Slacken
(V) To (cause to) become loose.
Litigation
(N) The process of taking a case to a court of law so that a judgment can be made.
Substantiate
(V) To show something to be true, or to support a claim with facts.
Adopt
(V) To accept or start to use something new
(V) To legally take another person’s child into your own family and take care of him or her as your own child.
Munificence
(N) The quality of being very generous with money.
Paradox
(N) A situation or statement that seems impossible or is difficult to understand because it contains two opposite facts or characteristics.
It’s a curious paradox that drinking a lot of water can often make you feel thirsty.
Mitigating
(A) Making something less harmful, unpleasant, or bad.
Plagiarise
(V) To use another person’s ideas or work and pretend that it is your own.
Betray
(V) To not be loyal to your country or a person by doing something harmful such as helping their enemies.
Pacify
(V) To cause someone who is angry or upset to be calm and satisfied.
Phalanx
(N) A large group of people standing very close to each other, usually for the purposes of defence or attack.
Latter
(A) Near or towards the end of something.
Buttress
(N) A structure made of stone or brick that sticks out from and supports a wall of a building.
(V) To make support for an idea or argument stronger by providing a good reason for it.
Erroneous
(A) Wrong or false.
Conclusion
(N) The final part of something.
Tranquility
(N) A peaceful, calm state, without noise, violence or worry etc.
Contagious
(A) A contagious disease can be caught by touching someone who has the disease or a piece of infected clothing.
(A) A contagious feeling spreads quickly among people.
Effigy
(N) A model or other object that represents someone, especially one of a hated person that is hanged or burned in a public place.
Conceivable
(A) Possible to imagine or to believe.
Vilify
(V) To say or write unpleasant things about someone or something, in order to cause other people to have a bad opinion of them.
Trite
(A) Expressed too often to be interesting or seem sincere.
I know it will sound trite but I’ve loved being part of this club.
Oath
(N) A promise, especially that you will tell the truth in a law court.
Reticent
(A) Unwilling to speak about your thoughts or feelings.
Estimate
(V) To guess or calculate the cost, size, value etc. of something.
Complaisant
(A) Willing to satisfy others by being polite and fitting in with their plans.
SYN: accommodating, compliant, amenable
Inopportune
(A) Happening or done at a time that is not suitable or convenient.
Vacillate
(V) To be uncertain what to do, or to change often between two opinions.
Public
(A) Relating to or involving people in general, rather than being limited to a particular group of people.
(N) All ordinary people
In a place where people can see you
Homophone
(N) A word that is pronounced the same as another word but has a different meaning or spelling, or both.
Spontaneity
(N) The quality of being natural rather than planned in advance.
Punitive
(A) Intended as a punishment.
(A) Used to describe costs that are so high they are difficult to pay, and that are often used to punish someone or limit their activities.
Concentrated
(A) Using a lot of effort to succeed at one particular thing.
(A) Having had some liquid removed.
Whinging
(N) Continuous complaining.
Embarrass
(V) To cause someone to feel nervous, worried, or uncomfortable.
Fertile
(A) Fertile land can produce a large number of good quality crops.
(A) Fertile animals or plants are able to produce a lot of young or fruit.
(A) A fertile mind or imagination is active and produces a lot of interesting and unusual ideas.
Waive
(V) To not demand something you have a right to.
SYN: forfeit, renounce, give up something
Reverence
(N) Deep respect for someone or something.
Anarchist
(N) Someone who wishes to destroy the existing government and laws.
Detached
(A) Separated.
(A) A detached person does not show any emotional involvement or interest in a situation.
Introvert
(N) Someone who is shy, quiet and prefers to spend time alone rather than often being with other people.
Disturbing
(A) Making you feel worried or upset.
Absolution
(N) The act of forgiving someone for something bad that they have done or thought.
Unite
(V) To join together as a group, or to make people join together as a group; to combine.
Remnants
(N) A small piece or amount of something that is left from a larger original piece or amount.
Competition
(N) A situation in which someone is trying to win something or be more successful than someone else.
Amorphous
(A) Having no fixed form or shape.
Isolate
(V) To separate something from other things with which it is connected or mixed.
Wound
(N) A damaged area of the body, such as a cut in the skin.
Halt
(V) To cause to stop moving or doing something or happening.
Fact
(N) Something that is known to have happened or to exist.
Exuberance
(N) The quality of feeling energetic, or the behaviour of someone who feels this way.
(N) The facts that plants are strong and growing quickly.
Emphatic
(A) If someone or something that they do or say is emphatic, it is strong and clear, without any possibility for doubt.
Enigmatic
(A) Difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious.
Exalt
(V) To raise someone to a higher rank or more powerful position.
Dose
(N) A measured amount of something such as medicine.
(N) An amount or experience of something, often something bad or unpleasant.
Enchanting
(A) Very pleasant.
Forsake
(V) To leave someone for ever, especially when they need you.
(V) To stop doing or having something.
Concise
(A) Short and clear, expressing what needs to be said without unnecessary words.
Comforting
(A) Making you feel less sad or worried.
Altruistic
(A) Showing a disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others; unselfish
Procrastinate
(V) To keep delaying something that must be done, often because it is unpleasant or boring.
When it comes to homework, I tend to procrastinate.
Decadence
(N) Low moral standards and behaviours.
Masquerade
(N) Behaviour that is intended to prevent the trust about something from becoming known.
There are a lot of unqualified people masquerading as experts.
Macaque
(N) A medium sized monkey from Africa or Asia.
Environment
(N) The air, water, and land in or on which people, animals, and plants live.
(N) The conditions that you live or work in and the way that they influence how you feel or how effectively you can work.
We’re not doing enough to protect the environment from pollution.
The office is quite bright and airy - it’s a pleasant working environment.
Despicable
(A) Very unpleasant or bad, causing strong feelings of dislike.
It was despicable of her to lie about her friend.
SYN: abominable, contemptible, odious, vile
Separate
(A) Existing or happening independently or in a different physical space.
The art department and the music department are in two separate buildings.
Distasteful
(A) Unpleasant and unacceptable.
Some of the adverts are particularly distasteful.
Inspiring
(A) Encouraging, or making you feel you want to do something.
She was an inspiring example to her followers.
Consist
(V) To be made of or formed from something.
It’s a simple dish, consisting mainly or rice and vegetables.
Occupy
(V) To fill, exist in more use a place or period of time.
(V) To keep someone busy or interested.
The rest of the time was occupied with writing a report.
Opportunity
(N) A situation that makes it possible to do something that you want to do, or the possibility of doing something.
Everyone will have the opportunity to comment.
Conclusive
(A) Proving that something is true, or ending any doubt.
They had conclusive evidence that she’d forgotten to feed the cat.
Acclaim
(N) Public approval and praise.
She is being acclaimed (= publicly recognised) as the greatest dancer of her generation.
Oxymoron
(N) Two words or phrases used together that have, or seem to have, opposite meanings.
Jumbo shrimp.
Innovation
(N) A new idea or method.
The latest innovations in computer technology.
Equipped
(A) Having the necessary tools, clothes, equipment etc.
We were well equipped for our camping trip.
Diluted
(V) To make a liquid weaker by mixing in something else.
(V) To reduce the strength of a feeling.
You need to dilute the squash with water before you drink it.
Bewildered
(A) Confused and uncertain.
Arriving in a strange city at night, I felt alone and bewildered.
Unnecessary
(A) Not needed or wanted, or more than is needed or wanted.
Temptation
(N) The wish to do or have something that you know you should not do or have.
He knew it was wrong to steal, but the money just lying there was too great a temptation.
Frantic
(A) Almost out of control because of extreme emotion, such as worry.
(A) Done or arranged in a hurry and a state of excitement or confusion.
Where on earth have you been? We’ve been frantic with worry.
Rescuers were engaged in a frantic all-night effort to reach the survivors before their supply of air ran out.
Believe
(V) To think that something is true, correct or real.
Strangely, no one believed us when we told them we’d been visited by a creature from Mars.
Hierarchy
(N) A system in which people or things are arranged according to their importance.
Implicate
(V) To show that someone is partly responsible for something bad that has happened.
Have they any evidence to implicate him in the robbery?
Significant
(A) Important or noticeable.
Demolished
(V) To completely destroy a building, especially to use the land for something else.
A number of houses oil shed so that the supermarket could be built.
(V) To prove that an argument or theory is wrong.
He completely demolished all her arguments.
Redundant
(A) Unnecessary because it is more than is needed.
New technology often makes old skills redundant.
Gratifying
(A) Pleasing and satisfying.
It must be gratifying to see your family enjoy your cooking.
Brief
(A) Lasting a short time or containing few words.
It’ll only be a brief visit because we real,y don’t have much time.
Volatile
(A) Likely to change suddenly and unexpectedly.
It was a volatile situation, and the police handled it well.
Curious
(A) Interested in learning about people or things around you.
Babies are curious about everything around them.
(A) Strange and unusual.
There was a curious looking man standing outside.
Distant
(A) Far away.
She could hear the distant sound of fireworks exploding.
(A) Part of your family but not closely related.
Stimulating
(A) If something is stimulating, it encourages new ideas.
The conversation was stimulating and witty.
Embroil
(V) To cause someone to become involved in an argument or a difficult situation.
She became embroiled in the family argument.
Attempt
(V) To try to do something, especially something difficult.
He attempted to escape through a window.
Explicit
(A) Clear and exact.
I gave him very explicit directions how to get here.
Elated
(A) Extremely happy and excited.
He was elated by the news that he had won a full scholarship.
SYN: ecstatic
Deceive
(V) To persuade someone that something false is the truth, or to keep the trust hidden.
The sound of the door closing deceived me into thinking they had gone out.
SYN: trick
Interior
(N) The inside part of something.
The estate agent had pictures of the house from the outside but none of its interior.
Reveal
(V) To make known or show something that is surprising or that was previously secret.
He would not reveal where he had hidden her chocolate eggs.
(V) To allow something to be seen that, until then, had been hidden.
A gap in the clouds revealed the sun.
Ambition
(N) A strong wish to achieve something.
He had a strong ambition to be a professional footballer.
SYN: aim, aspiration, dream
Precarious
(A) In a dangerous state because of not being safe or not being held in place firmly.
The lorry was lodged in a very precarious way, with its front wheels hanging over the cliff.
Problematic
(A) Full of problems or difficulties.
Getting everyone there on time might prove problematic.
Pledge
(N) A promise, especially one to give money or to be a friend.
Thousands of people made pledges (= promised to give money) to the charity.
Extract
(V) To remove or take out something.
The oil which is extracted from olives is used for cooking.
(V) To make someone give you something when they do not want to.
After much persuasion they managed to extract the information from him.
Outrageous
(A) Shocking and morally unacceptable.
It is outrageous that these buildings remain empty while thousands of people have no homes.
(A) Used to describe something or someone that is shocking because they are unusual or strange.
Outrageous clothes or behaviour.
Peril
(N) Great danger, or something that is very dangerous.
The journey through the mountains aught with peril.
Verbose
(A) Using or containing more words than are necessary.
He always gave really verbose explanations.
SYN: long-winded, wordy
Abundant
(A) More than enough.
An abundant supply of food.
SYN: ample, plentiful
Vanished
(A) Not now present or existing.
Precocious
(A) (especially of children) showing mental development or achievement much earlier than usual.
A precocious child, she went to university at the age of 15.
Aspire
(V) To want something very much or hope to achieve something or be successful.
One of my students aspires to be a professional boxer.
Invalid
(A) An invalid document, ticket etc, is not legally or officially acceptable.
I’m afraid your driving licence is invalid in Eastern Europe.
(A) An invalid opinion, argument etc. is not correct.
(N) Someone who is sick and unable to take care of themselves.
Is the invalid in bed?
Repercussion
(N) The effect that an action, event or decision has on something.
The captain’s broken leg has repercussions for the whole ice hockey team.
Edible
(A) Suitable or safe for eating.
Only the leaves of the plant are edible.
Anxious
(A) Worried and nervous.
The drought has made farmers anxious about the harvest.
(A) Eager to do something.
I’m anxious to get home to open my presents.
Fragrant/Fragrance
(N) A sweet or pleasant smell.
The delicate fragrance of roses.
Precipitate
(V) To make something happen suddenly or sooner than expected.
An invasion would certAinly precipitate a war.
Disperse
(V) To spread across or move away over a large area, or to make something do this.
When the rain came down the crowds started to disperse.
Appearance
(N) An occasion when someone appears in public.
It was his first appearance on television.
(N) The way a person or thing looks to other people.
You can change the whole appearance of a room just by lighting it in a certain way.
Attached
(A) To be attached to someone/something.
I’m very attached to my old guitar.
Courageous
(A) Having or showing courage.
They made a courageous decision to come the icy way down the mountain.
SYN: brave
Indigent
(A) Very poor.
SYN: destitute, impoverished, needy
Contented
(A) Happy and satisfied.
She smiled a contented smile after eating the giant cup cake.
Astounding
(A) Very surprising or shocking.
It was an astounding decision for Skeet to run in the relay!
SYN: amazing, astonishing, staggering
Illuminate
(V) To light something and make it brighter.
The streets were illuminated with Christmas lights.
(V) To explain and show more clearly something that is difficult to understand.
This article illuminates the basic principles of science.
Endure
(V) To suffer something difficult, unpleasant, or painful.
We had to endure a nine-hour delay at the airport.
Conscious
(A) Awake, thinking and knowing what is happening around you.
He’s still conscious but he’s very badly injured.
(A) Determined and intentional.
He’s obviously making a conscious effort to be nice to me at the moment.
Vigorously
(Ad) In a way that is very forceful or energetic.
He vigorously denied the accusations.
(Ad) In a way that is healthy and strong.
Keep cutting ass for as long as it grows vigorously.
Static
(A) Staying in one place without moving, or not changing for a long time.
House prices have remained static for some months.
SYN: motionless, stationary, still
(N) Noise on a radio or television caused by electricity in the air.
There is so much static on this radio I can’t hear what they’re saying.
Minimum
(N) The smallest amount or number allowed or possible.
We need a minimum of ten people to play this game.
Facilitate
(V) To make something possible or easier.
The new ramp will facilitate the entry of wheelchairs.
Intuitive/intuition
(N) An ability to understand or know something immediately based on your feelings rather than facts.
I can’t explain how I knew - I just had an intuition that you’d scored the winning goal.
Impetuous
(A) Likely to do something suddenly, without considering the results of your actions.
Then, impetuous as I was, I bought a new car before I even got a job.
Predecessor
(N) Someone who had a job or a position before someone else, or something that comes before another thing in time of in a series.
The latest Ferrari is not only faster than its predecessors but also more comfortable.
Worthy
(A) Deserving respect, admiration, or support.
Every year she makes a donation to a worthy cause.
Pining
(V) To miss or long for.
Chortle
(V) To laugh, showing pleasure and satisfaction.
SYN: chuckle
Deprecate
(V) To not approve of something or say that you do not approve of something.
We deprecate this use of company funds for political purposes.
Recluse
(N) A person who lives alone and avoids going outside or talking to other people.
He is a millionaire recluse who refuses to give interviews.
SYN: hermit
Rebuttal
(N) A statement that says that something is not true.
She issued a point-by-point rebuttal of the teacher’s accusations.
Prudent
(A) Careful and avoiding risks.
It’s always prudent to read a contract carefully before signing it.
SYN: cautious
Austere
(A) Very simple, with only the things that are absolutely necessary, especially because of severe limits on money or goods.
An austere childhood during the war.
(A) Plain and without decoration.
(A) Very severe and unfriendly in manner.
SYN: bleak, severe
Novelty
(N) The quality of being new and unusual.
The novelty of these toys soon wore off and the children became bored with them.
Antipathy
(N) A feeling of strong dislike, opposition, or anger.
His letter show a deep antipathy towards his brother.
SYN: distaste
Omen
(N) Something that is considered to be a sign of how a future event will take place.
Many people believe that a broken mirror is an omen of bad luck.
Induce
(V) To persuade someone to do something.
They induced her to take the job by offering a large bonus.
Devour
(V) To eat something eagerly and in large amounts so that nothing is left.
The young cubs hungrily devoured the deer.
(V) To read books or literature quickly and eagerly.
She loves to read - she devours one book after another.
Tedious
(A) Boring
A tedious lesson.
SYN: boring, drab, dreary, dull
Menace/Menacing
(N) Something that is likely to cause harm.
Dogs running loose are a public menace.
(N) A dangerous quality that makes you think someone is going to do something bad.
He spoke with a hint of menace.
Enthralling
(A) Keeping someone’s interest and attention completely.
I found your book absolutely enthralling!
SYN: bewitching, enchanting, fascinating
Ingenious
(A) (of a person) very intelligent and skilful, or (of a thing) skilfully made or planned and involving new ideas and methods.
An ingenious idea.
SYN: clever, cunning
Astute
(A) Able to understand a situation quickly and see how to take advantage of it.
His astute handling of the situation.
SYN: sharp, shrewd
Extrovert
(N) An energetic person who enjoys being with other people.
Most sales people are extroverts.
Altercation
(N) A loud argument or disagreement.
According to witnesses, the altercation between the two men started inside the restaurant.
SYN: affray, fracas
Grievance
(N) A complaint or a strong feeling that you have been treated unfairly.
An employee may file a grievance against a manager.
SYN: grudge
Condone
(V) To accept or allow behaviour that is wrong.
I don’t condone such rude behaviour.
SYN: excuse
Abrasive
(A) Rude and unfriendly.
She has a rather abrasive manner.
(A) An abrasive substance is slightly rough, and often used for cleaning surfaces.
An abrasive cleaner.
Patronise/Patronising
(V) To speak to or behave towards someone as if they are stupid or not important.
Research has found that 70% of people feel patronised by advertising.
Aghast
(A) Suddenly filled with strong feelings of shock and worry.
He looked at her aghast.
Intermittent
(A) Not happening regularly or continuously; stopping and starting repeatedly or with periods in between.
Intermittent rain.
Feasible
(A) Able to be made, done, or achieved.
With the extra resources, the project now seems feasible.
SYN: viable, workable
Convert
(V) To cause something or someone to change in form or character.
Could we convert the small bedroom into a second bathroom?
Galvanise
(V) To cause someone to suddenly take action, especially by shocking or exciting them in some way.
The prospect of his mum coming to stay galvanised him into action and he started cleaning the house.
Marred/Mar
(V) To spoil something, making it less good or less enjoyable.
It was a really nice day, marred only by a little argument in the car on the way home.
Dismay
(N) A feeling of unhappiness and disappointment.
The fans watched in dismay as their team lost 5-1.
SYN: consternation
Connoisseur
(N) A person who knows a lot about one of the arts, or food, drink etc. and can judge quality and skill in that subject.
A wine connoisseur.
Conceal
(V) To prevent something from being seen or known about.
The listening device was concealed in a pen.
SYN: hide
Conserve
(V) To keep and protect something from damage, change, or waste.
To conserve electricity, we are cutting down on our heating.
(N) A type of jam in which the fruit is whole or in large pieces.
Kindle
(V) To cause a fire to start burning by lighting paper, wood etc.
(V) To cause strong feelings or ideas in someone.
Her imagination was kindled by the exciting stories her grandmother told her.
Obligatory
(A) If something is obligatory, you must do it because of a rule or law.
Everybody who goes to England makes the obligatory trip to Buckingham Palace.
SYN: compulsory
Innate
(A) An innate quality or ability is one that you were born with, not one you have learned.
Cyril’s most impressive quality was his innate kindness.
Elusive/Elude
(V) If something that you want eludes you, you do not success in achieving it.
The gold medal continues to elude her.
(V) To not be caught by someone.
They eluded the police by fleeing.
Chronicle
(N) A written record of historical events.
Hone
(V) To make an object sharp.
The stick had been honed to a point.
(V) To make something perfect or completely suitable for its purpose.
He helps performers hone their skills as dancers and singers.
Yearn
(V) To wish very strongly, especially for something that you cannot have or something that is very difficult to have.
James yearns to play cricket for Birmingham Phoenix.
SYN: long-for, pine
Nauseating
(A) Making you feel as if you are going to be sick.
The nauseating smell of rotting food.
(A) If someone’s opinions or actions are nauseating, you dislike and disapprove of them.
Unsurpassed
(A) Better than anyone or anything else.
Esoteric
(A) Very unusual and understood or liked by only a small number of people, especially those with special knowledge.
He has an esoteric collection of old toys and games.
Acute
(A) Very serious, extreme or severe.
Insinuate
(V) To suggest, without being direct, that something unpleasant is true.
Are you insinuating that I’m not very good?
Enormity
(N) Great size or amount.
Nobody fully understands the enormity and complexity of the task.
Meander
(V) Not straight or direct.
(V) To walk slowly without any clear direction.
We spent the afternoon meandering around the streets of the old town.
Acrimonious
(A) Full of anger, arguments and bad feeling.
SYN: bitter
Influential
(A) Having a lot of influence on someone or something.
Perceive
(V) To come to an opinion about something, or have a belief about something.
How do the French perceive the British?
Potent
(A) Very powerful, forceful, or effective.
SYN: powerful
Prestige
(N) Respect and admiration given to someone or something, usually because of a reputation for high quality, success, or social influence.
Malice
(N) The wish to harm or upset other people.
Stern
(A) Severe, or showing disapproval.
(N) The back part of a ship or boat.
Intricate
(A) Having a lot of small parts that are arranged in a complicated or delicate way.
The watch mechanism is extremely intricate and very difficult to repair.
Emphasis
(N) The particular importance or attention that is given to something.
Schools here out great emphasis on written work and grammar.
Prominence
(N) The state of being easily seen or well known.
Most of the papers give prominence to (= put in a noticeable position) the same story this morning.
Banish
(V) To send someone away or get rid of something completely.
Mysterious
(A) Strange, not known, or not understood.
He disappeared in mysterious circumstances.
SYN: cryptic, enigmatic
Reminiscent
(A) Making you remember a particular persons event, or thing.
Secluded
(A) Quiet, private, and not near people, roads, or buildings.
A secluded beach.
Merciless
(A) Having or showing no mercy.
There was no shelter from the merciless (= very strong) heat.
Conspicuous
(A) Very noticeable or attracting attention, often in a way that is not wanted.
In China, her blond hair was conspicuous.
Unanimous
(A) In complete agreement or showing complete agreement.
The jury reached a unanimous verdict.
Diverse
(A) Including many different types of people or things.
(A) Very different from each other
Communicate
(V) To share information with others by speaking, writing, signals etc.
Lustrous/Luster
(N) The brightness that a shiny surface has.
(N) A very special, attractive quality that people admire.
The polished furniture had a rich luster.
Exterior
(A) Outside, on or from the outside.
In some of the villages the exterior walls of the houses are painted pink.
SYN: external, outer
Preclude
(V) To prevent something or make it impossible.
Although your application was unsuccessful, it doesn’t preclude the possibility of you applying again later.
Arrogance
(N) Unpleasantly proud and behaving as if you are more important than, or know more than, other people.
Conventional
(A) Traditional and ordinary.
Superior
(A) Better than average or better than other people or things of the same type.
Opulence
(N) The quality of being expensive and luxurious.
She stared around her in awe at the sheer opulence of the room.
Biased
(A) Showing an unreasonable like or dislike for a person based on personal opinions.
The newspapers gave a very biased report of the meeting.
SYN: one-sided, slanted
ANT: Unbiased
Sceptical
(A) Doubting that something is true or useful.
Flamboyant
(A) Very confident in your behaviour, and liking to be noticed by other people, for example because of the way you dress, talk etc.
The writers flamboyant lifestyle was well known.
Vigilant
(A) Always being careful to notice things, especially possible danger.
Following the bomb scare at the airport, staff have been warned to be extra vigilant.
SYN: open-eyed, watchful
Flawed
(A) Not perfect, or containing mistakes.
Pretentious
(A) Trying to appear or sound more important or clever than you are.
Resilience
(N) The ability to be happy, successful after something difficult or bad has happened.
(N) The quality of being able to return quickly to a previous condition.
Inequity
(N) The fact that a situation is not fair, or something that is not fair in a situation.
Cursory
(A) Quick and probably not detailed.
A cursory glance.
SYN: casual, passing, perfunctory
Influence
(N) The power to have an effect on people or things.
Freddy is a bad influence on Will.
Bemused
(A) Slightly confused.
I was bemused as his sudden anger.
Absolute
(A) Very great or to the largest degree possible.
I have absolute faith in her judgment.
Hypothetical
(A) Imagined or suggested but not necessarily real or true.
A hypothetical situation.
SYN: supposed
Insurmountable
(A) (especially of a problem or a difficulty) so great that it cannot be dealt with successfully.
This small country is faced with an insurmountable debt.
Ambivalence
(N) The state of having two opposing feelings at the same time, or being uncertain about how you feel.
She was filled with ambivalence about the trip.
Intrepid
(A) Extremely brave and showing no fear of dangerous situations.
A team of intrepid explorers.
SYN: brave, courageous, fearless
Commemorate
(V) To remember officially and give respect to a great person or event, especially by a public ceremony or by making a statute or special building.
A statue has been built to commemorate the queen.
Capitivating
(A) Holding your attention by being extremely interesting, exciting, pleasant, or attractive.
The story is a captivating fairy tale.
Maverick
(N) A person who thinks and acts in an independent way, often behaving differently from the expected or usual way.
She is more maverick while I am slightly more conventional.
Ruthless
(A) Not thinking or worrying about any pain caused to others.
Some people believe that to succeed in this world you have to be ruthless.
SYN: merciless, remorseless
Rudimentary
(A) Basic
Some unusual fish have rudimentary legs.
Unfathomable
(A) Impossible to understand.
For some unfathomable reason they built the toilet next to the kitchen.
Vociferous
(A) Loudly and repeatedly.
Vociferous people express their opinions and complaints loudly and repeatedly in speech.
Perilous
(A) Extremely dangerous.
Impecunious
(A) Having very little money.
SYN: hard up, penniless, poor
Mercenary
(A) Interested only in the amount of money that you can get from a situation.
Serendipity
(N) The fact of finding interesting or valuable things by chance.
There is a real element of serendipity in archaeology.
Obliterate
(V) To remove all signs of something, either by destroying it or by covering it so that it cannot be seen.
The missile strike was devastating - the target was totally obliterated.
Poignant
(A) Causing or having a very sharp feeling of sadness.
The monument is a poignant reminder of those who died in the war.
SYN: affecting, touching
Alacrity
(N) Speed and eagerness.
She accepted the money with alacrity.
Machiavellian
(A) Using clever but often dishonest methods that deceive people so that you can win power or control.
Self-deprecating
(A) Trying to make yourself, your abilities, or your achievements seem less important.
A self-deprecating manner.
Euphemism
(N) A word or phrase used to avoid saying an unpleasant or offensive word.
Mere
(A) Used to emphasise that something is not large or important.
The plane crashed mere minutes after take-off.
Nefarious
(A) Morally bad.
SYN: evil, villainous
Quagmire
(N) An area of soft, wet ground that you sink into if you try to walk in it.
At the end of the game, the pitch was a real quagmire.
(N) A difficult and dangerous situation.
Paragon
(N) A person or thing that is perfect or has an extremely large amount of a particular good characteristic.
In the book, John is a paragon of virtue.
Pessimist/Pessimism
(N) Emphasising or thinking of the bad part of a situation rather than the good part, or feeling that bad things are more likely to happen that good things.
Materialism
(N) The belief that having money and possessions is the most important thing in life.
Taciturn
(A) Tending not to speak much.
He’s a reserved, taciturn person.
SYN: quiet
Plaintiff
(N) Someone who makes a legal complaint against someone else in court.
SYN: complainant
Relegate
(V) To put someone or something into a lower or less important rank or position.
Pigment
(N) A substance that gives something a particular colour when it is present in it or is added to it.
Pigment is misled into oil, glue etc. to make different types of paint.
Disparate
(A) Different in every way.
Scion
(N) A young member of a rich and famous family.
He’s the scion of a very wealthy newspaper-publishing family.
Allusion
(N) A brief or indirect reference.
He made some allusion to years he lived in France.
Discombobulate
(V) To confuse someone or make someone feel uncomfortable.
SYN: bemuse
Disseminate
(V) To spread or give out something, especially news, information, ideas etc. to a lot of people.
SYN: broadcast, circulate, distribute, spread
Candour
(N) The quality of being honest and telling the truth.
He spoke with candour.
Lurid
(A) Shocking because involving violence or immoral activity.
(A) Too brightly coloured.
That’s a very lurid shade of lipstick she’s wearing.
Pervasive
(A) Present or noticeable in every part of a thing or place.
A pervasive smell of diesel.
Pervasive
(A) Present or noticeable in every part of a thing or place.
A pervasive smell of diesel.
Digression
(N) The action of moving away from the main subject you are writing or talking about and writing or talking about something else.
Mogul
(N) An important person who is very rich or powerful.
A movie mogul.
Pejorative
(A) Insulting, expressing disapproval, or suggesting that something is not good or is of no importance.
Make sure students realise that “fat” is a pejorative word.
Rhetoric
(N) Speech or writing intended to be effective and influence people.
Discordant
(A) Producing an unpleasant sound.
SYN: harsh, shrill, tuneless
ANT: harmonious, tuneful
Pensive
(A) Thinking in a quiet way, often with a serious expression on your face.
He gazed pensively out of the window.
Analogy
(N) A comparison between things that have similar features.
He drew an analogy between the brain and a vast computer.
Farcical
(A) Very silly, unlikely, or unreasonable, often in a way that is humorous.
Exacerbate
(V) To make something that is already bad even worse.
Harry’s allergy was exacerbated by the dust.
Antithesis
(N) The exact opposite.
He is sporty - the very antithesis of his sister.
Misnomer
(N) A name that does not suit what it refers to.
It was the scruffiest place I’ve ever stayed in, so “Grand Hotel” was a complete misnomer.
Despondent
(A) Unhappy and with no hope or enthusiasm.
SYN: dejected, dispirited, gloomy, sad
Soothsayer
(N) A person who is believed to have the ability to know and tell what will happen in the future.
SYN: visionary
A Fancy
(V) To want to have or do something.
I didn’t fancy swimming in that water.
(A) Decorative or complicated
I wanted a simple black dress, nothing fancy.
Deficiency
(N) A state of not having, or not having enough, of something that is needed.
SYN: lack of something
Folly
(N) The fact of being stupid, or a stupid action, idea.
She said that the idea was folly.
(N) A building in the form of a small castle.
Prudence
(N) Behaviour that is careful and avoids risks.
Assertive
(A) Someone who is assertive behaves confident,y and is not frightened to say what they want or believe.
SYN: assured, confident, self-assured
Submissive
(A) Allowing yourself to be controlled by other people or animals.
SYN: slavish
Dearth
(N) An amount or supply that is not large enough.
SYN: lack of something
Divergence
(N) The situation in which two things become different.
The class has a divergence of opinion over macaroni cheese.
Dialect
(N) A form of a language that people speak in a particular part of a country, containing some different words and grammar.
This poem is written in northern dialect.
Radical
(A) Believing or expressing the belief that there should be great or extreme social or political change.
These people have very radical views.
(A) Reading to the most important parts of something or someone; complete or extreme.
We need to make some radical changes to the school uniform.
Defraud
(V) To take something illegally from a person, company etc.
He was charged with defrauding the bank.
SYN: con, swindle
Rite
(N) (a usually religious ceremony with) a set of fixed words and actions.
You have to go through an initiation rite before you become a full member.
Hereditary
(A) passed from the genes of a parent to a child, or (of titles and positions in society) passed from parent to a child as a right.
A hereditary disease.
It is a hereditary title, so Prince William will become King on his father’s death.
Emergent
(A) Starting to exist or to become known.
Authentic
(A) If something is authentic, it is real, true, or what people say it is.
Authentic Italian food.
Unbridled
(A) Not controlled or limited.
SYN: unchecked
Synthetic
(A) Synthetic products are made from artificial substances, often copying a natural product.
The tyres are made with synthetic rubber.
Proud
(A) Feeling pleasure and satisfaction because you or people connected with you have done or got something good.
I was so proud that my son had been chosen for the national team.
(A) Having or showing respect for yourself.
We French are proud people.
(A) Sticking out from the surrounding area.
Sand the surface with sand paper until no flakes of paint stand proud of the surface.
Conceited
(A) Too proud of yourself and your actions and abilities.
Without wishing to sound conceited, I am the best player on the pitch.
SYN: arrogant
Excerpt
(N) A short part taken from a speech, book, film etc.
SYN: extract, passage
Dock
(V) To remove part of something.
As a punishment, the Army docked the soldiers’ pay by 20%.
OR An area of water in a port.
Hundreds of people turned up to see the ship dock at the pier.
Apportion
(V) To give or share out something.
SYN: allocate
Raucous
(A) Loud and unpleasant.
Raucous laughter came from the next room.
SYN: rowdy
Fleeting
(A) Short or quick.
This is just a fleeting visit.
SYN: brief, momentary, transient
Correlate
(V) If two or more facts, numbers etc, correlate, there is a relationship between them.
Fatty food is closely correlated with obesity.
Comply
(V) To act according to an order, set of rules, or request.
He’s been ordered to have the dog destroyed because it’s dangerous, but he refuses to comply.
SYN: follow
Appraise
(V) To examine someone or something in order to judge their qualities, success, or needs.
I was pleased with the appraisal of my work.
Lacklustre
(A) Without energy or effort.
Britain’s number one tennis player gave a lacklustre performance.
Collude
(V) To act together secretly or illegally in order to deceive or cheat someone.
It was suspected that the police had colluded with the witnesses.
SYN: conspire
Negligent
(A) Not being careful or giving enough attention to people or things that are your responsibility.
The judge said that the teacher had been negligent in allowing the children to swim in dangerous water.
SYN: remiss
ANT: diligent
Consensus
(N) A generally accepted opinion or decision among a group of people.
The general consensus at school is that he can play rugby.
Dissent
(N) A strong difference of opinion on a particular subject.
When it came to agree eco warriors, there were two voices of dissent.
SYN: disagreement
Beneficiary
(N) A person or group who receives money, advantages etc. as a result of something else.
They were the beneficiaries of a free education.
Transpire
(V) It is transpires that something has happened, this previously secret or unknown fact becomes known.
As it later transpired, she had known him at school.
Entrance
(N) A door, gate etc, by which you can enter a building or place.
(N) The act of a person coming into a room.
(V) Someone or something that entrances you is so beautiful or interesting that you cannot stop listening to or watching him, her, or it. To hold the complete interest and attention of someone.
SYN: captivate
Attire
(N) Clothes, especially of a particular or formal type.
I hardly think jeans are appropriate attire to play football.
SYN: apparel, clothing, garb
Enrol
(V) To put yourself or someone else onto the official list of members of a course, college, or group.
They want to enrol their children in their local school.
Enterprise
(N) An organisation
(N) Eagerness to do something new and clever, despite any risks.
They’ve shown a lot of enterprise in setting up this project.
Devious
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Quell
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Emblazon
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Constitute
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Sincere
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Compassionate
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Integral
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Drivel
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Successor
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Apprehend
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Resound
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Risible
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Whimsical
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Skittish
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Covert
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Covet
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Moral
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Plucky
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Mettle
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Verdict
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Tenacious
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Resolve
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Disarray
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Breach
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Pithy
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Jettison
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Groom
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Revulsion
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Tempestuous
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Fashion
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Craze
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Hitched
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Daub
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Trait
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Befall
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Tasteful
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Tarnish
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Reprieve
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Departure
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Plunder
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Tankard
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Mutate
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Alibi
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Disquieting
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Gelatinous
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Fritter
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Squander
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Saunter
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Famished
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Replete
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Conspiracy
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Cacophony
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Incarcerate
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Susceptible
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Gullible
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Docile
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Exponent
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Practice
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Practise
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Conundrum
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Enigma
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Pine
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Ascribe
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Principal
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Principle
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Inclination
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Gravity
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Indefinitely
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Caress
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Fray
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Skirt / Skirted
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Shrine
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Alight
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Charlatan
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Felon
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Ingest
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Deplete
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Monastery
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