Vocabulary Flashcards
(adjective)
Synonym: boring
That movie was so ___ I fell asleep after 15 minutes.
dull
(adjective)
good enough for a particular need or purpose (not very positive)
Your test was _____ but you need to work harder for the next one.
satisfactory
(adjective)
- (of an object) not sharp
- saying what you think without trying to be polite
- The knife is too ____ to cut through this steak.
- John is always very ____, but I appreciate his honesty.
blunt
(adjective)
polite, often without wanting to but out of necessity.
Since the divorce, they are _____ with each other for the benefit of the children.
civil
(phrasal verb)
complete several of something
I only managed to __ ___ three pages of the book before I fell asleep.
get through
(phrasal verb)
highlight ; draw importance to
She always ___ ____ her tough childhood as a reason for her resilience and success.
point to
(phrasal verb)
divide into smaller pieces
When life is too much, ____ the problems _____ and deal with them one by one.
break down
(phrasal verb)
Receive (a piece of information or document)
I’m waiting for some important results to ___ ____ .
come through
(phrasal verb)
Get (someone) involved
Let’s ____ Sam ___ . He needs to know about this.
loop in
(phrasal verb)
To ask someone to do something they promised they would do, or to get an update on the status of that thing.
Pam was supposed to provide us with that info yesterday but I haven’t heard anything; I’ll ____ her ____ .
chase up
(phrasal verb)
Talk to someone in order to get an update.
We haven’t spoken for ages! Let’s ___ ____ over a coffee this weekend.
catch up
(phrasal verb)
To really like or enjoy.
I ____ really ____ theatre. I try to catch at least two shows a month.
be into
(adjective)
wanting very much to do or have something, especially something interesting or enjoyable
I’m very _____ to learn a new language.
eager
(verb)
search a place very thoroughly
I _____ my house but I couldn’t find my keys
scour
Preposition:
Where are you?
I’m ______ a really great party, come along!
AT
Preposition:
What are you doing?
I’m sunbathing ______ the beach.
AT/ON
Prepositions:
I live _____ Medellin but at the moment I’m _____ Bogota for work. Tomorrow I’m going ______ Santa Marta ______ visit a friend.
IN x 2 , TO x 2
Prepositions:
Let’s meet ______ the station.
Ok, inside or outside?
AT
Preposition:
I’ll call you back in 15 minutes, I’m _____ class at the moment.
IN
Preposition:
I read a really interesting article _____ a magazine this morning. There were also some beautiful photos _____ the page.
IN, ON
Prepositions:
I’ll write to you _____ slack to arrange the meeting.
ON
Prepositions:
I’ll be ______ home all day, come any time.
AT
Prepositions:
I usually go on vacation ______ February.
IN
Prepositions:
What did you do ______ your birthday?
ON
(adjective)
describes a group who help and support each other.
I come from a ____-____ community so moving to the capital city was a shock.
close-knit
(adjective)
smooth and shiny
I use a special shampoo on my cat to make her fur ______ .
glossy
(noun)
A person who predicts bad things will happen.
It’s difficult not to be a _______ regarding the environmental emergency, but we need to think of constructive solutions!
doomsayer
(verb)
to prevent something from happening, being expressed, or continuing.
We should be encouraging new ideas, not _____ them.
As the presentation went into its second hour, I couldn’t ______ my yawns any more.
stifle
(verb)
To fail to notice or consider something important.
I think you have _____ an important issue.
overlook
(adjective)
Behaving as though you are more important or intelligent than someone else.
My team leader is so _____ ; she talks to me as if I’m an idiot.
condescending / patronizing
(verb)
To give your opinion in a way that shows you think only your opinion is correct.
When discussing an important issue, don’t ______ and listen carefully to the other point of view. There is always something to learn.
pontificate
(noun phrase)
intuition / instinct.
Clue: a part of the body
My ___ ___ told me I shouldn’t trust him.
gut feeling
(noun)
A very easy decision with an obvious answer.
Accepting the job offer was a ___-___; it’s a great opportunity!
no-brainer
(expression)
The better one between two undesirable options.
The doctors decided that in this case the surgery route was the ___ ___ ___ ___ .
lesser of two evils
(adjective-noun collocation)
A decision that is made in the moment without thinking about it very much
When I saw his adorable face in the pet shop I made a ___ ____ to become a dog owner.
snap decision
(verb)
to reach or succeed in getting something important.
You need to work very hard to ______ your goals.
attain
(adjective)
established firmly so that it cannot be changed
It’s difficult to change attitudes that are so deeply ____ .
entrenched
(idiom)
Remain in control or up-to-date in regards to something.
I have an app which helps me to ____ ___ ___ ___ all my tasks.
stay on top of (things)
(idiom)
Aware and energetic as a result of being busy and challenged.
When you have kids you have to always be ___ ____ ____ .
on your toes
(idiom)
something which is not of a lot of importance right now and will be left to be considered in the future.
Covid forced a lot of people to put their plans __ ___ __ ___ .
on the back burner
(idiom)
The situation of having escaped a difficult or negative situation.
Because the police didn’t have enough proof, he was let ___ ____ ____ .
let off the hook
(idiom)
Do work that was not done by someone else (or yourself earlier) in order to make a situation better.
Sam is going through a hard time so we don’t mind ___ ___ __ ____ for him.
pick up the slack
(idiom)
When it’s time for someone else to act or take responsibility for something.
I’ve told her what I want and how I feel, now ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ .
the ball is in someone’s court
(phrasal verb)
eradicate
90% of the indigenous population was ____ ____ within a few years of Columbus arriving.
wipe out
(verb/noun)
to experience difficulty and make a very great effort in order to do something
She really ______ to provide for her children.
Finishing my degree was a _____ .
struggle
(dependent preposition)
I suffer badly _____ allergies in the summer.
from
(noun)
The gastronomy of a particular country or region.
I love Chinese _____ because it’s so varied.
cuisine
(adjective)
Describes the strong taste of something that has a lot of chili in it.
When I was in Mexico I couldn’t eat anything, it was all too ____ .
hot
(verb / noun)
The crime of breaking into private property with the intent to steal.
My house was ______ while I was on vacation.
There have been a lot of _____ in this neighborhood recently.
burgle / burglary
(verb)
To threaten someone in a public place in order to steal from them.
I was _____ last week. I handed my things over immediately - I’m not gonna risk my life over a cheap phone!
mug / rob
(food idiom)
When situation goes from good to bad.
The date went s_____ when the topic of politics came up.
to go sour
(food idiom)
To be very busy.
Since my promotion | have a lot on my p_____ , but it’s not a problem, I love my job!
to have a lot on your plate
(food idiom)
To have more important things to do (than….)
You don’t need to consult the team leader about every little decision, she has b___ f____ t_____ f____ .
bigger fish to fry
(food idiom)
To be very careful not to upset or make someone angry.
My mum is so stressed at work at the moment, I have to w____ on e_____ a____ her.
to walk on eggshells around (someone)
(food idiom)
To not fully believe or take something someone says seriously.
That newspaper is very sensationalist so I take everything they say with a p____ of s_____ .
to take (something) with a pinch of salt.
(food idiom)
If too many people work on something, the results won’t be as good as if less people did that.
I’d prefer to have a small team for this task, too many c_____ s____ the b_____ .
too many cooks spoil the broth
(noun / verb)
person who leads a meeting / to lead a meeting
I don’t like being the _____ of our meetings, it’s a lot of responsibility.
Have you ever _____ a meeting where something went wrong?
chair
(adjective)
showing an unreasonable like or dislike for something/someone based on personal opinions.
The news is reporting the events in a very b____ way.
biased
(adjective)
trying to control other people without thinking about their feelings.
In meetings he’s very d______ and it ruins the atmosphere.
domineering
(adjective)
- someone whose mood can change very suddenly for the worse
- a machine that sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t
Be careful what you say to her, she’s very ______ .
My headphones are _____, I think it’s time for some new ones.
temperamental
(verb)
to go off topic ; to start talking about something irrelevant to the situation
In meetings it’s important to stick to the agenda and not d_____ too much.
digress
(noun)
A residential neighborhood in a city but which isn’t in the center of the city.
I’m tired of the noise downtown, I’m going to search for a house in a quiet s____ .
suburb
(adjective)
In a bad condition because it hasn’t been looked after.
There’s a lot of crime in that neighborhood and it’s very r_____ .
rundown
(adjective)
With a lot of tourists (negative connotation).
That town is so t_____, I would rather spend my vacation somewhere less busy.
touristy
(adjective)
Pleasant and attractive.
There are many small c_____ towns all across Colombia.
charming
(phrasal verb) Not work (or some other duty) when you should be working.
Stop s____ o_____ and get back to work!
slack off
(phrasal verb)
mention ; talk about for the first time in a conversation/situation.
I hate to b____ this u_____ but I’ve noticed that you haven’t been as productive lately.
bring up
(phrasal verb)
Criticize someone for something they’ve done or ask them to explain themselves.
Next time he treats you like that you should c____ him o_____ on it.
call (someone) out
(phrasal verb)
to tell someone about something, to make sure they understand / approve or to get a second opinion.
I had an idea but I’d like to r____ it b_____ you before I announce it to the whole team.
run (something) by/past (someone)
Extreme adjective of ‘hungry’
starving
Extreme adjective of ‘angry’
furious
Extreme adjective of ‘tired’
exhausted
Extreme adjective of ‘dirty’
filthy
extreme adjective of ‘beautiful’
stunning / gorgeous
extreme adjective of ‘big’
huge / enormous
extreme adjective of ‘scary’
terrifying
extreme adjective of ‘painful’
agonizing
extreme adjective of ‘ugly’
hideous
extreme adjective of ‘surprising’
astonishing
extreme adjective of ‘bad’
appalling / terrible
extreme adjective of ‘funny’
hilarious
Complete the understatement:
It’s a little expensive f___ m____ l____ .
for my liking
Complete the understatement:
The acting l_____ a lot t _____ b____ d____ .
left a lot to be desired
Complete the understatement:
Don’t let him order another beer. He’s h___ o____ t_____ m_____ .
He’s had one too many
Complete the understatement:
For me the movie was a bit o___ the corny s_____ .
on the corny side
(expression)
To be late with your tasks / to not have done as many of your tasks as you had planned.
We are running slightly ____ ____ , would it be possible to extend the deadline?
behind schedule
(expression)
To have finished some tasks early / to have done more tasks than anticipated.
Since we are ____ ____ _____ I think we can finish early for the day.
ahead of schedule
(expression)
To be running on time/as expected with your tasks/work.
We are ____ _____, we should be able to finish everything before the deadline.
on schedule
(noun)
Goods or services that are provided upon the completion of a project.
The _____ of this project is a mobile app.
deliverable
(adjective-noun)
The official permission to go ahead with a project.
The client gave us the ____ ____ to get started on the project.
green light
(noun)
A significant date in the development of a project.
The end of the first sprint was an important ______ for us.
milestone
(phrasal verb)
To have already overcome a difficult/negative situation.
The fight was five years ago, I ___ ____ it now.
be over (something)
(adjective) Very excited (informal)
I am _____ about the festival this summer!
psyched
(phrasal verb)
To convince someone to do something they don’t want to do.
Initially I didn’t want to go to the party but my friends ____ me _____ it.
rope into
(Idiomatic expression)
Something that is really easy.
I was worried about it but actually the interview was a _____ .
breeze
(Idiomatic expression)
To think really hard trying to remember something.
I’ve been ___ ___ ____ for hours trying to remember that song but it’s not coming back to me.
rack one’s brain
(idiomatic expression)
Learn to do some tasks, usually in a new job.
She’s a fast learner, she learnt ___ ___ in just a few days.
(learn/teach/know) the ropes
(idiomatic expression)
Fail to get an answer or result.
He asked me for my phone number and I ___ ___ ____ - I just couldn’t remember it.
draw a blank
(idiomatic expression)
To forget what one was talking or thinking about a moment earlier.
It was so embarrassing when I ___ __ ___ ___ __ in the middle of the presentation. I just stared at the audience for over a minute in silence!
lose one’s train of thought
