Adj Flashcards
partial
adjective
not complete:
The general has ordered a partial withdrawal of troops from the area.
paralysed adjective UK ( US paralyzed)
unable to move or act:
The accident left her paralysed from the waist down.
The government seems paralysed by/with indecision.
She was paralysed with fear.
heroic
adjective
very brave or great:
a heroic act/deed
If you make a heroic attempt or effort to do something, you try very hard to do it:
Despite Roz’s heroic efforts to liven it up, the party was a disaster.
substantial
adjective
large in size, value, or importance:
The findings show a substantial difference between the opinions of men and women.
She inherited a substantial fortune from her grandmother.
The first draft of his novel needed a substantial amount of rewriting.
prohibitive
adjective
If the cost of something is prohibitive, it is too expensive for most people:
Hotel prices in the major cities are high but not prohibitive.
sophisticated
adjective
having a good understanding of the way people behave and/or a good knowledge of culture and fashion:
She was slim, svelte, and sophisticated.
I don’t think I have any books that would suit your sophisticated tastes.
He was older than me and from New York and I thought him very sophisticated.
B2
intelligent or made in a complicated way and therefore able to do complicated tasks:
I think a more sophisticated approach is needed to solve this problem.
These are among the most sophisticated weapons in the world.
sophisticated
adjective
US /səˈfɪs·tɪˌkeɪ·t̬ɪd/
having an understanding of the world and its ways, so that you are not easily fooled, and having an understanding of people and ideas without making them seem simple:
Sophisticated readers understood the book’s hidden meaning.
If a way of thinking, a system, or a machine is sophisticated, it is complicated or made with great skill:
sophisticated computer systems
innovative
adjective
using new methods or ideas: innovative ideas/methods She was an imaginative and innovative manager. Synonym groundbreaking
unprecedented
adjective
never having happened or existed in the past:
This century has witnessed environmental destruction on an unprecedented scale.
monumental
adjective
UK /ˌmɒn.jəˈmen.təl/ US /ˌmɑːn.jəˈmen.t̬əl/
very big:
a monumental task
a monumental waste of time
soaring
rising very quickly to a high level:
soaring property prices
The soaring price of natural gas is a serious concern, since many power plants are fuelled by it.
inferior
adjective
not good, or not as good as someone or something else:
These products are inferior to those we bought last year.
She cited cases in which women had received inferior healthcare.
It was clear the group were regarded as intellectually/morally/socially inferior.
Compare
superior adjective (BETTER)
Water services inferior
adequate
adjective
enough or satisfactory for a particular purpose:
Have we got adequate food for 20 guests?
I didn’t have adequate time to prepare.
It’s not a big salary but it’s adequate for our needs.
The council’s provision for the elderly is barely adequate (= is not enough).
[ + to infinitive ] Will future oil supplies be adequate to meet world needs?
Opposite
inadequate
preventable
adjective
able to be prevented:
preventable accidents/injuries
warranted
adjective
If something is warranted, there is a good reason for it and it can be accepted:
For a severe cough that lasts more than three weeks, a chest X-ray may be warranted to rule out pneumonia.
having been given official authority to do something, or done with official permission:
They proposed recruiting an extra 50 fully warranted officers to patrol railway stations.
A warranted search of the property found dogfighting training equipment, and more than 60 dogs.
durable
adjective
able to last and be used for a long time without becoming damaged:
The machines have to be made of durable materials.
The trays are made from cedar, which is light and durable.
peripheral
adjective
Something that is peripheral is not as important as something else:
The book contains a great deal of peripheral detail.
happening at the edge of something:
A figure came into my peripheral vision.
Peripheral vision is what you can see to the sides of what you are looking at.
peripheral
noun [ C ]
US /pəˈrɪf·ər·əl/
a piece of equipment, such as a printer, that can be connected to a computer
(Definition of peripheral from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
peripheral | BUSINESS ENGLISH
peripheral
adjective
UK /pəˈrɪfərəl/ US
used to describe something that is not as important as the main thing to which it is related, for example a company’s less successful activities in relation to its most successful ones:
Some of the more peripheral interests have been sold and the company now has a clearer focus on certain markets.
IT
used to describe a piece of equipment, such as a printer, that can be connected to a computer:
The system is expected to boost sales of PCs as well as components, applications, and peripheral devices.
elusive
adjective
difficult to describe, find, achieve, or remember:
The answers to these questions remain as elusive as ever.
Success, however, remained elusive for her.
elusive memories
preliminary
adjective [ before noun ]
coming before a more important action or event, especially introducing or preparing for it:
Preliminary results show that the vaccine is effective, but this has to be confirmed by further medical trials.
We’ve decided to change the design based on our preliminary findings.
conventional
adjective
traditional and ordinary: conventional behaviour/attitudes/clothes conventional medicine/farming a conventional wedding disapproving I find his art dull and conventional. Opposite unconventional
shabby
adjective
shabby adjective (BAD CONDITION)
C1
looking old and in bad condition because of being used for a long time or not being cared for:
He wore a shabby old overcoat.
Her home is a rented one-bedroom apartment in a shabby part of town.
The refugees were shabby (= wore old clothes in bad condition) and hungry.
turbulent
adjective
turbulent adjective (SITUATION/TIME)
C2
involving a lot of sudden changes, arguments, or violence:
a turbulent marriage
This has been a turbulent week for the administration.
insane
adjective
mentally ill:
For the last ten years of his life he was clinically insane.
informal I sometimes think I’m going insane (= I feel very confused).
C1
extremely unreasonable or stupid:
It would be insane not to take advantage of this opportunity.
proper
adjective
real, satisfactory, suitable, or correct:
This is Sara’s first proper job - she usually does temporary work just for the money.
If you’re going to walk long distances you need proper walking boots.
I would have done the job myself but I didn’t have the proper equipment.
I’ve had sandwiches but I haven’t eaten a proper meal.
She likes everything to be in its proper place.
eligible
adjective
having the necessary qualities or satisfying the necessary conditions:
Are you eligible for early retirement/maternity leave?
You might be eligible for a grant.
Only people over 18 are eligible to vote.
An eligible person is not married and is thought to be a suitable future marriage partner, especially because they are rich and attractive:
I can think of several eligible bachelors of my acquaintance.
