English Vocabulary Flashcards
Distress
Deep worry or suffering; being in danger or trouble (noun)
To trouble or upset, to cause worry or stress, to make unhappy (verb
Syn: anguish, anxiety, grief
Ant: calm, joy, delight, comfort
Drench
To wet or soak through and through, to cover or fill completely
Syn: to saturate, flood, douse
Ant: to dry, parch
Dwell
To live, especially in a particular place, to remain or stay
To keep one’s attention on something
Syn: to inhabit, reside, linger
Juvenile
Not fully grown, meant for children or young people
Foolish or immature
Syn: youthful, childish, a youth
Ant: mature, developed
Outstanding
Standing apart from others due to excellence
Unpaid for
Syn: remarkable, great, noteworthy, superior
Ant: ordinary, regular, usual, average
Proceed
To go on or continue in an orderly way, to start again after a pause, to start an action
Syn: to advance, progress
Ant: to recede, retreat, stay, stop
Register
An official record book, the range of a voice or musical instrument (noun)
To sign up, to note or understand (verb)
Syn: roster, catalog, ledger
Ant: withdraw
Sift
To put through a strainer to separate or break up lumps, to sort through or examine
Syn: to filer, separate, screen
Spree
A lively or wild burst of activity
Syn: a riot, binge, bash, splurge
Tardy
Not on time, delayed, slow-moving
Syn: late, overdue, sluggish
Ant: early, prompt
Unfit
Not suitable or proper, not good enough, unhealthy
Syn: bad, improper, inappropriate, unqualified
Ant: suitable, proper, qualified, healthy, fit
Variety
Change, lack of sameness, a number of different forms or types, a category of plants or animals
Syn: diversity, difference, assortment
Ant: sameness, unity
Blockade
To close off, to keep people or supplies from going in or out (verb)
Closing off of an enemy port, nation or city, usually by the military (noun)
Syn: to barricade, a siege or barrier
Ant: to open
Chant
To sing, to recite in a tone that does not vary at all (verb)
A song or words or phrases repeated in rhythm
Syn: to intone, vocalize, a hymn
Despair
To give up all hope, lose heart (verb)
Syn: hopelessness
Ant: to hope, take heart
Elevate
To lift up, raise in position or rank
Syn: to hoist, advance, promote
Ant: to lower, demote
Extraordinary
Beyond the usual or expected, highly unusual or rare
Syn: great, exceptional, amazing, remarkable
Ant: ordinary, usual, average
Heroic
Brave, noble, larger than life, involving extreme effort
Syn: courageous, bold, fearless, gallant
Ant: cowardly, trivial, minimal
Lance
A long, metal-tipped weapon used by knights or soldiers on horseback (noun)
To pierce with a lance, to open a wound (verb)
Syn: a spear, shaft, to puncture or cut open
Missionary
A person on an assignment, often of a religious nature, or someone sent by a church to a foreign land to teach religion or do charity work
Syn: a preacher
Pointless
Having no meaning or effect
Syn: senseless, aimless, futile, ineffective, worthless
Ant: fitting, meaningful, sensible, effective, valuable
Reflect
To throw back as heat or light or sound, to think deeply about
Syn: to copy, echo, return; to consider or ponder
Ant: absorb, retain, disregard, ignore
Site
A location, scene or place where something was, is or will be
Syn: a spot, position
Toxic
Poisonous or deadly
Syn: dangerous, harmful, venomous, lethal
Ant: safe, harmless
Bristle
A stiff short hair or fiber (noun)
To have hair standing on end, to show anger (verb)
Syn: a whisker, spine, quill, to stiffen, to seethe
Circular
In some ways like a circle, round, indirect (adj)
A leaflet or printed advertisement meant to be given to many people (noun)
Syn: ring shaped, roundabout, flyer, brochure
Ant: linear, straight, direct
Coarse
Low, common, of poor quality, or made of comparatively large parts, rough to the touch, using bad manners or rude language
Syn: rugged, crude, harsh, grainy, scratchy, vulgar, foul, gross
Ant: smooth, silky, delicate, refined, polite
Discard
To get rid of or throw away (verb)
Something cast off or thrown away (noun)
Syn: to dump, dispose of, eliminate
Ant: to save, keep, retain
Extreme
To the highest or greatest degree, exaggerated, farthest possible (adj)
The highest, farthest, one end of a range (noun)
Syn: ultimate, excessive
Ant: mild, ordinary
Focus
Sharpness or clarity, the center of activity or interest (noun)
To correct for sharpness or clarity, to concentrate
Syn: emphasis, direct
Ant: to blur
Grasp
To take hold with the arms or hands, to take eagerly, to understand (verb)
The ability to achieve, understanding
Syn: to clutch, perceive, comprehend
Ant: to drop, release, loosen, to misunderstand
Inspire
To guide, excite, uplift or encourage, to bring about or cause
Syn: to influence, motivate, arouse, affect
Ant: to deter, discourage
Magnify
To increase in importance, exaggerate, to make bigger
Syn: to intensify, to enlarge
Ant: to diminish, reduce
Marine
Related to the sea or the seagoing branches of the armed forces (adj)
A soldier who serves on a ship, a member of the U.S. Marine Corp
Syn: nautical, maritime, oceanic, aquatic, naval
Quake
To shake or move back and forth, to tremble (adj)
A shaking back and forth, an earthquake (noun)
Syn: to shudder, shiver, vibrate
Troublesome
Difficult; causing annoyance, bother or worry
Syn: hard, annoying, upsetting
Ant: easy, untroubling
Abstract
Having to do with an idea or quality rather than an object, hard to understand with little likeness to real people or things
Syn: conceptual, theoretical, obscure
Ant: real, concrete, realistic
Ally
To unite or join for a special purpose (verb)
A person or country joined with another for a special purpose (noun)
Syn: to associate, partner
Ant: an enemy, opponent
Appoint
To choose (someone) for a position or duty, to decide on
Syn: to designate, assign, elect
Ant: to dismiss, remove, suspend
Attentive
Paying attention, thoughtful and polite
Syn: alert, considerate, courteous
Ant: inattentive, inconsiderate
Bonus
Something extra or beyond what is owed or expected
Syn: a reward, benefit, gift, prize
Ant: a penalty, deduction, fine
Carefree
Without troubles, worries or responsibilities
Syn: untroubled, lighthearted
Ant: troubled, worried, anxious
Courtesy
Polite, thoughtful or considerate behavior, a polite act or favor
Syn: care, concern, regard, politeness, thoughtfulness
Ant: discourtesy, disregard, rudeness
Manufacture
To make something, especially using machinery, or to make up
Syn: to assemble, construct, build, produce; to invent, concoct
Mistrust
A lack of confidence, to have no confidence in or to be suspicious of, to doubt
Syn: doubt, uncertainty, suspicion, to question or disbelieve
Ant: trust, confidence, belief
Noticeable
Easy to see, likely to be observed, worthy of attention
Syn: observable, visible, obvious, evident
Ant: overlooked, hidden, obscure
Overthrow
To overturn, to bring about the fall or end of, to defeat
Syn: to remove, bring down, topple, destroy, ruin
Ant: to preserve, support, restore
Peculiar
Not like the normal or usual, odd or curious; belonging to a particular group, person, place or thing
Syn: bizarre, unusual, strange
Ant: ordinary, routine, regular
