Friendship Flashcards
- affection n.
An emotional closeness or warmth
I show affection for my girlfriend by spending time with her, not by
spending money on her.
Usage tips Affection is often followed by a for phrase.
Parts of speech affectionate adj
- associate v.
To regularly spend time together
Carol doesn’t associate with people who smoke.
Usage tips Associate is often followed by a with phrase.
Parts of speech association n, associate n
- bond n.
A close connection
Some researchers say that there is an especially strong emotional
bond between twins.
Usage tips A between phrase—indicating the things that are
connected—often follows bond.
Parts of speech bond v
- clique n.
A small group of friends who are unfriendly to people outside
the group
High-schoolers form cliques to gain security and acceptance.
Usage tips Clique indicates a negative feeling toward a group.
Parts of speech cliquish adj
- confide v.
To tell very personal things
Teenagers are more willing to confide in a friend than in a parent.
Usage tips Confide is almost always followed by an in phrase.
Parts of speech confidence n, confidant n, confidential adj
- exclusive adj
Keeping out all but a few people
The most exclusive universities accept only a small percentage of
people who want to attend.
Usage tips Exclusive can indicate a positive opinion, but in the
context of friendship, it can mean “attached only to one person.”
Parts of speech exclude v, exclusion n, exclusively adv
- fluctuate v.
To change often, from one condition to another
Earth’s climate fluctuates between warm periods and cold periods.
Usage tips Fluctuate is usually followed by a between phrase (or by a
from . . . to structure).
Parts of speech fluctuation n
- in common adv.
As a shared characteristic
Billy and Heather have a lot in common—basketball, a love of
pizza, and an interest in snakes.
Usage tips In common very often appears with the verb to have.
- solidarity n.
Standing together despite pressure to move apart
Many student groups declared solidarity with the Latino Student
Association in their effort to get a Spanish-speaking principal.
Usage tips Solidarity is usually used in political contexts.
- willing adj.
Agreeable and ready to do something
Because of their long friendship, Professor Gardner was willing to
say a few words at Jones’s birthday celebration.
Usage tips Willing is almost always followed by a to + verb
structure.
Parts of speech will v, will n, willingness n
