General Vocab Flashcards
to persuade sb. pron: (persweid)
covince sb. by giving them good reasons doing it
Who saw you off at the airport?
Who said goodbye to you?
thumbtack
to pull someone’s leg
to joke on so. behaviour
to make fun of so.
to tease sb.
to ridicule sb.
opposite of sharp
blunt
brave and confident; not afraid to say what you feel or to take risks
bold
drapes (US)
curtains (Brit.)
closet (US)
wardrobe (Brit.)
cupboard
synonym for petrol (Brit)
gasoline (US)
vest (UK) = undershirt
vest (US) = over your shirt (life jacket)
bark
- the main part of the human body apart from the head, arms and legs
branch
the condition of being unable to sleep
insomnia
a person who goes to a party or social event without being invited
gate-crasher
beetle
lady beetle
ladybird (Brit.)
ladybug (US)
basement
cellar (often used for wine)
attic (often used for storing things)
human when born
0-12 months
a newborn
a baby
6 monthes - 1.5 year
1.5 y. - 3 y. (a child who has only recently learnt to walk)
an infant
a toddler
the time when a child is a baby or very young
infancy
5 years old
12 years old
child
a school-aged child
time between 5y and 12y
childhood
13 - 19 years old
a teenager / an adolescent
19+ years old
a young adult
the state of being an adult
adulthood
20-23 years old
24-26 years old
27-29 years old
to be in your early twenties
to be in your mid twenties
to be in your late twenties
40-50 years old
to be middle-aged
70+ years old
to be elderly
silly and more typical of a child than an adult
juvenile (-)
immature (-)
infantile (-)
childish (-)
puerile (-)
having the qualities that children usually have, especially innocence
or
full of energy
childlike (+)
innocent (+)
naive (-)
young or seeming younger than you are
youthful (+)
fresh-faced
looking or behaving like a boy, in a way that is attractive
boyish (+)
behaving in a sensible way, like an adult
mature (+) - Jane is very mature for her age.
grown-up
adult (adj.)
too old person
geriatric (-)
ancient (-)
aging
the way you notice things, especially with the senses (Wahrnehmung)
perception
full of life and energy
vibrant
o laugh in a silly way because you are amused, embarrassed or nervous
giggle (at/about somebody/something)
1) to complain in an annoying, crying voice
2) to make a long high unpleasant sound (drill)
to whine
to take and then let out a long deep breath that can be heard, to show that you are disappointed, sad, tired, etc.
to sigh
sigh (n)
1) a long curved channel made of metal or plastic that is fixed under the edge of a roof to carry away the water when it rains
2) a channel at the edge of a road where water collects and is carried away to drains
gutter
a feeling of great worry or unhappiness; great suffering
distress
to make a long loud high cry because you are sad or in pain
to wail
to make a long deep sound or series of sounds
to rumble
I’m so hungry my stomach’s rumbling.
The machine rumbled as it started up.
(of a bee) to make a continuous low sound
to be full of excitement, activity, etc.
to buzz
screw (n)
to screw / unscrew / to twist
screwdriver
straw
a person with no home or job who travels from place to place, usually asking people in the street for food or money
tramp
to persuade somebody not to do something
to dissuade (v)
dissonant (adj)
dissonance (n)
of or inside a particular country; not foreign or international
domestic
1) the part around the neck of a shirt, jacket or coat that usually folds down
2) a band of leather or plastic put around the neck of an animal, especially a dog
collar
a piece of jewellery consisting of a chain, string of beads, etc. worn around the neck
necklace
synonym for disgusting
revolting
greatest; most extreme
the greatest amount possible
utmost (adj)
utmost (noun)
to do the most you can
to do one’s utmost to do sth.
to make sth. seem less serious
to downplay sth.
cows and bulls that are kept as farm animals for their milk or meat
cattle
feeling sad or depressed
to be downcast (by…)
terrible, shocking, extremely bad
appalling (adj)
to appal (v)
synonym for annoying or irritating
to annoy or irritate sb.
irksome (adj)
to irk (v)
synonym for bad luck
misfortune (n)
unfortunate (adj.)
unfortunate (n,p)
an amazing book that you can’t stop reading
a page-turner
sth. is unusual
sth. is (a bit) out of the ordinary
sth. is very important/necessary/essential/vital
sth. is a paramount
synonym for necessary, important or essential
vital
synonym for salary
remuneration
to make a very loud deep noise
when it ???, there is a loud noise in the sky during a storm
to thunder
thunder (n)
to make a loud high unpleasant sound
to screech
screech (n)
to move around in a large group
to swarm
swarm (n)
1) to give orders, ask questions, etc. in a loud, unfriendly way
2) when a dog ???, it makes a short loud sound
to bark
to shake in a way that you cannot control, especially because you are very nervous, excited, frightened, etc.
to tremble
to make a long deep sound because you are annoyed, upset or in pain, or with pleasure
to groan
idiom:
groan under the weight of something
(formal) used to say that there is too much of something
1) to laugh very loudly
2) to make a very loud, deep sound (lion)
to roar
1) to hit your foot against something while you are walking or running and almost fall
2) to make a mistake or mistakes and stop while you are speaking, reading to somebody or playing music
3) to walk or move in an unsteady way
to stumble
to stumble through/over
if a person is ???, they have a disease that can be spread to other people by touch
contagious
the foot of an animal that has claws or nails
paw
to damage somebody’s body so that they are no longer able to walk or move normally
a person who is unable to walk or move normally because of a disease or injury
to cripple (v) sb.
crippling (adj)
cripple
People now use disabled person instead of ‘cripple’
a small depression in the flesh, either one that exists permanently or one that forms in the cheeks when one smiles.
dimple (adj)
to dimple (verb)
an official piece of paper on which a doctor writes the type of medicine you should have, and which enables you to get it from a chemist’s shop/drugstore
prescription
to talk with too much pride about something that you have or can do
to have something that is impressive and that you can be proud of
to boast (verb)
boast (n)
boastful (adj)
She is always boasting about how wonderful her children are.
I don’t want to boast, but I can actually speak six languages.
The hotel also boasts two swimming pools and a golf course.
to ask for something very firmly (n,v)
things that somebody/something makes you do, especially things that are difficult, make you tired, worried, etc (n)
the desire or need of customers for goods or services which they want to buy or use (n)
needing a lot of skill, patience, effort, etc. (adj)
(of a person) expecting a lot of work or attention from others; not easily satisfied (adj)
demand (n)
to demand (v)
demanding (adj)
(of buildings and places) far away from any others
without much contact with other people or other countries
single; happening once
isolated (adj)
isolation (n)
to isolate (v)
a public statement that is made without giving proof, accusing somebody of doing something that is wrong or illegal
to state something as a fact but without giving proof
allegation (n)
to allege (v)
alleged (adj)
allegedly (adv)
money that you pay to use a particular road or bridge
the amount of damage or the number of deaths and injuries that are caused in a particular war, disaster, etc.
toll (n)
a lack of food during a long period of time in a region
famine (n)
to be formed from the people or things mentioned (bestehen aus)
consist of
as a result of feelings that influence your behaviour even though you are not aware of them
subconsciously
meanings of issue
1) an important topic that people are discussing or arguing about
2) a problem or worry that somebody has with something
3) a number or set of things that are supplied and made available at the same time
4) the act of supplying or making available things for people to buy or use
famous for sth. negative (n,adj)
in a way that is well known for being bad (adv)
notorious (for) (adj)
notoriety (n) for/as
notoriously (adv)
She achieved notoriety for her affair with the senator.
This make of car has a certain notoriety for rust problems
He gained a certain notoriety as a gambler.
The local bus service is notoriously unreliable.
1) to hit somebody/something hard or with force (formal)
2) to hit or kick a ball, etc.
3) to attack somebody/something, especially suddenly
4) to happen suddenly and have a harmful or damaging effect on somebody/something
5) to refuse to work, because of a disagreement over pay or conditions
6) to show the time by making a ringing noise, etc.
to strike / struck / struck (verb)
strike (n)
in a strong or definite way
firmly (adv)
firmness (n)
‘I can manage,’ she said firmly.
It is now firmly established as one of the leading brands in the country.
He held her firmly but gently.
in a way that has a very great effect on somebody/something (adv)
very great; felt or experienced very strongly (adj)
profoundly (adv)
profundity (n) => different meaning
profound (adj)
an idea, a belief or an understanding of something (n)
based on a guess, estimate or theory; not existing in reality (adj)
notion (n)
notional (adj)
notionally (adv)
a person living in a country that is not their own
expatriate (eksˈpeɪtriət) / expat
existing in large numbers / zahlreich
numerous (adj)
1) trouble or problems, especially concerning what you need or would like yourself (n)
2) a person or thing that causes problems or difficulties (n)
3) to cause trouble or difficulty for somebody (verb)
inconvenience (n)
to inconvenience (verb)
inconvenient (adj) = unpassend
inconveniently (adv)
That’s most inconvenient for me. I’m working that weekend.
not trying to appear more special, intelligent, important, etc. than you really are
down to earth, simple
opp.: trying to appear important, intelligent, etc. in order to impress other people; trying to be something that you are not, in order to impress
unpretentious
opp. pretentious
ordinary; typical of what happens every day
quotidian (adj)
that has never happened, been done or been known before
unprecedented (adj)
unprecedentedly (adj)
There were unprecedented scenes of violence in the city’s main square.
1) o disagree strongly with somebody’s plan, policy, etc. and try to change it or prevent it from succeeding (v)
2) to compete with somebody in a contest (adj)
3) playing, fighting, working, etc. against each other (adj 2)
to oppose (v)
to be opposed to sth. (adj)
opposing (adj)
This party would bitterly oppose the re-introduction of the death penalty.
He intends to oppose the prime minister in the leadership election.
a player from the opposing side
1) the beliefs and attitudes that somebody has as a result of their past experiences
2) syn.: luggage
baggage (n)
She was carrying a lot of emotional baggage.
I unloaded my baggage, both pshysically and mentally.
1) a person that you know but who is not a close friend (n)
slight friendship (n)
2) to make somebody/yourself familiar with or aware of something (v)
acquaintance (n,formal)
acquaint somebody/yourself with something (v)
He’s just a business acquaintance.
Please acquaint me with the facts of the case.
permanently (idiom)
for good
This time she’s leaving for good (= she will never return).
1) to start to burn; to make something start to burn = anzünden (v)
2) the electrical system of a vehicle that makes the fuel begin to burn to start the engine; the place in a vehicle where you start this system = Zündung (n)
ignite (formal,v)
ignition (n)
Gas ignites very easily.
(figurative) Tempers ignited when the whole family spent Christmas together.
to give somebody information so that they understand something better = erklären, erläutern
to enlighten sb. (formal,v)
enlightening (adj)
enlightenment (n)
She didn’t enlighten him about her background.
if something enthrals you, it is so interesting, beautiful, etc. that you give it all your attention = fesselnd
to enthral sb. (v)
enthralling (adj)
This book will enthral readers of all ages
a ceremony at which a crown is formally placed on the head of a new king or queen =Krönung
coronation (n)
connected with cooking or food (adj)
culinary (adj)
to name things on a list one by one (aufzählen)
enumerate (v)
enumeration (n)
he enumerated the main points.
the state of having more than one possible meaning
a word or statement that can be understood in more than one way
Zweideutigkeit / Unklarheit
ambiguity (n)
ambiguous (adj)
ambiguously (adv)
opp.: unambiguous => clear in meaning; that can only be understood in one way
You need to phrase the letter carefully so that there’s no possibility of ambiguity at all.
1) to say or write something in a particular way
2) to divide a piece of music into small groups of notes; to play or sing these in a particular way, especially in an effective way
to phrase (v)
Her order was phrased as a suggestion.
not interesting or exciting
syn.: boring
mundane (adj)
dull
tedious (long and boring)
monotonous
toad
willing to listen to, think about or accept different ideas
open-minded
opp. open-minded
narrow-minded
to attack somebody violently in order to steal their money, especially in a public place
to mug
She had been mugged in the street in broad daylight.
to ignore somebody completely
to blank sb.
I saw her on the bus this morning, but she totally blanked me.
What does fancy (adj) mean?
1) unusually complicated, often in an unnecessary way; intended to impress other people (a kitchen full of fancy gadgets)
2) with a lot of decorations or bright colours (He was the fanciest dresser in the room.)
3) expensive or connected with an expensive way of life (fancy restaurants with fancy prices)
trunk (US)
boot (Brit)
talk too proudly about something you own or something you have done
to boast (about/of something)
boastful (adj)
boast (n)
to brag (to somebody) (about/of something)
braggart (n,p)
to decide and state officially in court that somebody is guilty of a crime
to convict sb. (of something)
convict (n,p)
conviction (n)
opposite of conviction
(an official decision in court that a person is not guilty of a crime)
acquittal (n)
to acquit somebody (of something)
(Rueckgang wirschaft(
a continuous decrease in the number, value, quality, etc. of something (n)
to become smaller, fewer, weaker, etc. (v)
to refuse politely to accept or to do something = refuse (v)
decline in / of something
The company reported a small decline in its profits.
An increase in cars has resulted in the decline of public transport.
a person who makes money by starting or running businesses, especially when this involves taking financial risks
entrepreneur (n,p)
entrepreneurship (n)
entrepreneurial (adj)
a difficult and sad situation
plight (n)
the plight of the homeless
the act of teaching something, especially to one person or to people in small groups
tuition
to help somebody/something to develop and be successful
care, encouragement and support given to somebody/something while they are growing
nurture (v,f)
nurture (n,f)
1) the act of finding somebody guilty of a crime in court; the fact of having been found guilty
2) a strong opinion or belief
3) the feeling or appearance of believing something strongly and of being sure about it
conviction for/that (n)
convict (n,p)
to convict of (v)
She has six previous convictions for theft.
a conviction that all would be well in the end
He was convicted of fraud.
1) the crime of cheating somebody in order to get money or goods illegally (Betrug)
2) a person who pretends to have qualities, abilities, etc. that they do not really have in order to cheat other people
3) a person who commits fraud
fraud (n/n,p)
fraudster (n,p)
She was charged with credit card fraud.
He’s nothing but a liar and a fraud.
a long thin piece of rope or leather, attached to a handle, used for making animals move or punishing people (Peitsche)
to stir cream, etc. very quickly until it becomes stiff (v)
whip (n)
to whip (v)
1) a hit with a whip, given as a form of punishment
2) to hit somebody/something with great force
lash (n)
to lash (v)
The rain lashed at the windows.
1) to make a long cut with a sharp object, especially in a violent way (aufschlitzen)
2) to reduce something by a large amount
to slash (v)
slash (n)
Someone had slashed the tyres on my car.
She tried to kill herself by slashing her wrists.
The price/cost/fare has been slashed by half.
cooking
1 ) very active, determined or full of energy (=energetic)
2) strong and healthy
vigorous (adj)
vigorously (adv)
vigour (n)
a vigorous campaign against tax fraud
a vigorous young man
in the end; finally
ultimately
Ultimately, you’ll have to make the decision yourself.
A poor diet will ultimately lead to illness.
The campaign was ultimately successful.
a small mistake in a typed or printed text
typo
Could you check this letter for typos?
the crime of doing something that could cause danger to your country, such as helping its enemies during a war (=Verrat)
treason (n)
treasonable (adj)
an act of high treason against the English crown.
They were charged with treason and sentenced to death.
to become, and continue to be, successful, strong, healthy, etc. (florieren, bluehen, gedeihen)
to thrive (v)
thriving (adj)
New businesses thrive in this area.
flourish (v)
The arts began to flourish at that time.
These plants flourish in a damp climate.
1) a situation in which people do not trust each other, or feel unfriendly towards each other, and which may cause them to attack each other (=Anspannung)
2) a situation in which the fact that there are different needs or interests causes difficulties
tension (n)
There is mounting tension along the border.
There is often a tension between the aims of the company and the wishes of the employees.
having a brown skin colour as a result of being in the sun
tanned (adj)
He had a tanned face and clear eyes.
What is a streaker?
a person who runs through a public place with no clothes on as a way of getting attention
1) having a lot of experience of the world and knowing about fashion, culture and other things that people think are socially important (opp. naive)
2) (of a person) able to understand difficult or complicated ideas
(un)sophisticated (adj)
sophisticate (n,p)
sophistication (n)
Mark is a smart and sophisticated young man.
Schlitten
a sledge (= a vehicle that slides over snow), especially one pulled by horses
shovel (n)
to shovel (v)
a large piece of equipment for cooking food, containing an oven and gas or electric rings on top (=Herd)
stove
cooker (Brit)
range (US)
a fault in somebody’s character, a plan, a system, etc. (=Mangel,Fehler,Schwaeche)
shortcoming (n); defect
She made me aware of my own shortcomings.
to choose somebody for a job or position of responsibility (=ernennen)
to appoint sb. to sth. (v)
They have appointed a new head teacher at my son’s school.
She has recently been appointed to the committee.
1) made or produced to copy something natural; not real (=kuenstlich)
2) created by people; not happening naturally
3) not what it appears to be (=fake)
artificial (adj)
an artificial limb/flower
A job interview is a very artificial situation.
artificial emotion
the violent killing of a large number of people (3 words)
carnage
slaughter
massacre
the carnage of the First World War
the wholesale slaughter of innocent people
the bloody massacre of innocent civilians
the formal word for stop
to cease (v)
cessation (n)
You never cease to amaze me!
He ordered his men to cease fire
The company ceased trading in June
to accept behaviour that is morally wrong or to treat it as if it were not serious
to condone (v)
Terrorism can never be condoned.
The college cannot condone any behaviour that involves illicit drugs.
you put a plug into in order to connect electrical equipment to the power supply of a building
socket (Brit)
outlet (US)
a wall socket
The battery charger plugs into any mains socket.
a small plastic object with two or three metal pins, that connects a piece of electrical equipment to the main supply of electricity
plug
a three-pin plug
I’ll have to change the plug on my hairdryer.
things in a bathroom
a place where people meet for an organized event, for example a concert, sporting event or conference
venue (n)
The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour.
Please note the change of venue for this event.
synonyms for decide
to opt for
…
1) to happen or to make something happen faster or earlier than expected
2) to start to go faster
(beschleunigen)
accelerate
acceleration
Exposure to the sun can accelerate the ageing process.
The car accelerated to overtake me.
to say that somebody has done something wrong or is guilty of something (beschuldigen, anklagen)
to accuse (v)
accuser (n,p) = Anklaeger
the accused (n,p) = Angeklagte
What is a cushion?
a cloth bag filled with soft material or feathers that is used, for example, to make a seat more comfortable
vs.
pillow is only used in the bed
to change the colour of something, especially by using a special liquid or substance
to dye (v)
dye (n)
She dyed her hair blonde.
hair dye
that must be done because of a law or a rule
less formal word for mandatory
opp. of voluntary
compulsory (adj)
compulsorily (adv)
It is compulsory for all motorcyclists to wear helmets.
English is a compulsory subject at this level.
1) not having much distance between the top or surface and the bottom
opp. of deep
2) not showing serious thought, feelings, etc. about something (superficial)
shallow (adj)
shallowly (adv)
shallowness (n)
These fish are found in shallow waters around the coast.
