504 terms Flashcards
verb
desert; leave without planning to come back; quit
B2
abandon
/əˈbæn.dən/
a. When Roy abandoned his family, the police went looking for him.
b. The soldier could not abandon his friends who were hurt in battle.
c. Because Rose was poor, she had to abandon her idea of going to college.
adjective
sharp; eager; intense; sensitive
B1
keen
/kiːn/
(comparative keener, superlative keenest)
a. The butcher’s keen knife cut through the meat.
b. My dog has a keen sense of smell.
c. Bill’s keen mind pleased all his teachers.
adjective
afraid that the one you love might prefer someone else; wanting what someone else has
SYNONYM envious
jealous
/ˈdʒel.əs/
a. A detective was hired by the jealous widow to find the boyfriend who had abandoned her.
b. Although my neighbor just bought a new car, I am not jealous of him.
c. Being jealous, Mona would not let her boyfriend dance with any of the cheerleaders.
noun
ability to say the right thing
SYNONYM sensitivity
tact
/tækt/
a. My aunt never hurts anyone’s feelings because she always uses tact.
b. By the use of tact, Janet was able to calm her jealous husband.
c. Your friends will admire you if you use tact and thoughtfulness.
noun
a promise that something is true; a curse
oath
/oʊθ/
a. The president will take the oath of office tomorrow.
b. In court, the witness took an oath that he would tell the whole truth.
c. When Terry discovered that he had been abandoned he let out an angry oath.
adjective
empty; not filled
SYNONYM unoccupied
vacant
/ˈveɪ.kənt/
a. Someone is planning to build a house on that vacant lot.
b. I put my coat on that vacant seat.
c. When the landlord broke in, he found that apartment vacant.
noun
something that is hard to bear; difficulty
C1
hardship
/ˈhɑːrd.ʃɪp/
a. The fighter had to face many hardships before he became
champion.
b. Abe Lincoln was able to overcome one hardship after another.
c. On account of hardship, Bert was let out of the army to take care of his sick mother.
adjective
brave; showing respect for women
C2
SYNONYM heroic
gallant
/ˈɡæl.ənt/
a. The pilot swore a gallant oath to save his buddy.
b. Many gallant knights entered the contest to win the princess.
c. Ed is so gallant that he always gives up his subway seat to a woman.
noun
facts; information
A2
data
/dæt̬.ə/
a. The data about the bank robbery were given to the F.B.I.
b. After studying the data, we were able to finish our report.
c. Unless you are given all the data, you cannot do the math problem.
adjective
not used to something
unaccustomed
/ˌʌn.əˈkʌs.təmd/
OPPOSITE accustomed
a. Coming from Alaska, Claude was unaccustomed to Florida’s heat.
b. The king was unaccustomed to having people disobey him.
c. Unaccustomed as he was to exercise, Vic quickly became tired.
bachelor
/ˈbætʃ.əl.ɚ/
a. My brother took an oath to remain a bachelor.
b. In the movie, the married man was mistaken for a bachelor.
c. Before the wedding, all his bachelor friends had a party.
verb
become fit; show that you are able
B1
qualify
/ˈkwɑː.lə.faɪ/
a. I am trying to qualify for the job that is now vacant.
b. Since Pauline can’t carry a tune, she is sure that she will never qualify for the Girls’ Chorus.
c. You have to be taller than 5 15” to qualify as a policeman in our town.
noun
a dead body, usually of a person
C2
corpse
/kɔːrps/
a. When given all the data on the corpse, the professor was able to solve the murder.
b. The corpse was laid to rest in the vacant coffin.
c. An oath of revenge was sworn over the corpse by his relatives.
verb
hide
C1
conceal
/kənˈsiːl/
a. Tris could not conceal his love for Gloria.
b. Count Dracula concealed the corpse in his castle.
c. The money was so cleverly concealed that we were forced to abandon our search for it.
adjective
dark and depressing
C2
SYNONYM gloomy, miserable
dismal
/ˈdɪz.məl/
a. When the weather is so dismal, I sometimes stay in bed all day.
b. I am unaccustomed to this dismal climate.
c. As the dismal reports of the election came in, the senator’s friends tactfully made no mention of them.
adjective
very cold
frigid
/ˈfrɪdʒ.ɪd/
a. It was a great hardship for the men to live through the frigid winter at Valley Forge.
b. The jealous bachelor was treated in a frigid manner by his
girlfriend.
c. Inside the butcher’s freezer the temperature was frigid.
Verb
live in; to live in a place:
inhabit
/ɪnˈhæb.ɪt/
a. Eskimos inhabit the frigid part of Alaska.
b. Because Sidney qualified, he was allowed to inhabit the vacant apartment.
c. Many crimes are committed each year against those who inhabit the slum area of our city.
adjective
without the power of feeling; deadened
numb
/nʌm/
a. My fingers quickly became numb in the frigid room.
b. A numb feeling came over Mr. Massey as he read the telegram.
c. When the nurse stuck a pin in my numb leg, I felt nothing.
noun . (formal or literary)
serious danger
C2
peril
/ˈper.əl/
a. The hunter was abandoned by the natives when he described
the peril that lay ahead of them.
b. There is great peril in trying to climb the mountain.
c. Our library is filled with stories of perilous adventures.
Verb
lie down; stretch out; lean back
recline
/rɪˈklaɪn/
a. Richard likes to recline in front of the television set.
b. After reclining on her right arm for an hour, Maxine found that it had become numb.
c. My dog’s greatest pleasure is to recline by the warm fireplace.
Verb
scream
shriek
/ʃriːk/
a. The maid shrieked when she discovered the corpse.
b. With a loud shriek, Ronald fled from the room.
c. Facing the peril of the waterfall, the boatman let out a terrible
shriek.
verb
try to get someone to do something; test; invite
tempt
/tempt/
a. A banana split can tempt me to break my diet.
b. The sight of beautiful Louise tempted the bachelor to change his mind about marriage.
c. Your offer of a job tempts me greatly.
noun
evil; wicked; dishonest; frightening
sinister
/ˈsɪn.ə.stɚ/
a. The sinister plot to cheat the widow was uncovered by the police.
b. When the bank guard spied the sinister-looking customer, he drew his gun.
c. I was frightened by the sinister shadow at the bottom of the stairs.
noun
bet; an arrangement to risk money on the result of a particular event
wager
/ˈweɪ.dʒɚ/
a. I lost a small wager on the Super Bowl.
b. After winning the wager, Tex treated everyone to free drinks.
c. It is legal to make a wager in the state of Nevada.
adjective
usual; of a kind
typical
/ˈtɪpɪkl/
a. The sinister character in the movie wore a typical costume, a dark shirt, loud tie, and tight jacket.
b. The horse ran its typical race, a slow start and a slower finish,
and my uncle lost his wager.
c. It was typical of the latecomer to conceal the real cause of his
lateness.
noun
the least possible amount; the lowest amount
minimum
OPPOSITE maximum
/ˈmɪnɪməm/
a. Studies show that adults need a minimum of six hours sleep.
b. The minimum charge for a telephone, even if no calls are made, is about $60 a month.
c. Congress has set a minimum wage for all workers.
adjective
hard to get; rare
scarce
/skers/
(comparative scarcer, superlative scarcest)
a. Chairs that are older than one hundred years are scarce.
b. Because there is little moisture in the desert, trees are scarce.
c. How scarce are good cooks?
adjective
once a year; something that appears yearly or lasts for a year
B2
annual
/ˈæn.ju.əl/
a. The annual convention of musicians takes place in Hollywood.
b. The publishers of the encyclopedia put out a book each year
called an annual.
c. Plants that live only one year are called annuals.
verb
win over to do or believe; make willing
persuade
/pɚˈsweɪd/
a. Can you persuade him to give up his bachelor days and get
married?
b. No one could persuade the captain to leave the sinking ship.
c. Beth’s shriek persuaded jesse that she was in real danger.
adjective
necessary; very important
essential
/ɪˈsen.ʃəl/
a. The essential items in the cake are flour, sugar, and shortening.
b. It is essential that we follow the road map.
c. Several layers of thin clothing are essential to keeping warm in
frigid climates.
verb
mix together thoroughly; a mixture
blend
/blend/
a. The colors of the rainbow blend into one another.
b. A careful blend of fine products will result in delicious food.
c. When jose blends the potatoes together, they come out very
smooth.
adjective
costly; high-priced
expensive
a. Because diamonds are scarce they are expensive.
b. Margarine is much less expensive than butter.
c. Shirley’s expensive dress created a great deal of excitement at the
party.
adjective
able to be seen
visible
/ˈvɪz.ə.bəl/
a. The ship was barely visible through the dense fog.
b. Before the stars are visible, the sky has to become quite dark.
c. You need a powerful lens to make some germs visible.
adjective
natural ability
talent
/ˈtæl.ənt/
a. Medori’s talent was noted when she was in first grade.
b. Feeling that he had the essential talent, Carlos tried out for the school play.
c. Hard work can often make up for a lack of talent.
Verb
think out; plan; invent
devise
/dɪˈvaɪz/
a. The burglars devised a scheme for entering the bank at night.
b. I would like to devise a method for keeping my toes from becoming numb while I am ice skating.
c. If we could devise a plan for using the abandoned building, we could save thousands of dollars.
adjective / adverb
in large quantity; less than retail in price
wholesale
/ˈhoʊl.seɪl/
a. The wholesale price of milk is six cents a quart lower than retail.
b. Many people were angered by the wholesale slaughter of birds.
c. By buying my eggs wholesale I save fifteen dollars a year.
noun
moisture in the air that can be seen; fog; mist
vapor
/ˈveɪ.pər/
a. Scientists have devised methods for trapping vapor in bottles
so they can study its makeup.
b. He has gathered data on the amount of vapor rising from the
swamp.
c. A vapor trail is the visible stream of moisture left by the engines
of a jet flying at high altitudes.
UK vapour
verb
get rid of; remove; omit
eliminate
/iˈlɪm.ə.neɪt/
a. When the railroad tracks are raised, the danger of crossing will
be eliminated.
b. When figuring the cost of a car, don’t eliminate such extras as
air conditioning.
c. If we were to eliminate all reclining chairs, no one would fall
asleep while watching television.
noun
a very wicked person
villain
/ˈvɪl.ən/
a. A typical moving picture villain gets killed at the end.
b. The villain concealed the corpse in the cellar.
c. When the villain fell down the well, everyone lived happily ever after.
adjective
moist; damp
humid
/ˈhjuː.mɪd/
a. It was so humid in our classroom that we wished the school would buy an air conditioner.
b. New Yorkers usually complain in the summer of the humid air.
c. Most people believe that ocean air is quite humid.
adjective
closely packed together; thick
dense
/dens/
a. The dense leaves on the trees let in a minimum of sunlight.
b. We couldn’t row because of the dense weeds in the lake.
c. His keen knife cut through the dense jungle.
verb
make use of
utilize
/ˈjuː.t̬əl.aɪz/
a. No one seems willing to utilize this vacant house.
b. The gardener was eager to utilize different flowers and blend
them in order to beautify the borders.
c. Does your mother utilize leftovers in her cooking?
noun
explanation based on thought, observation, or reasoning
theory
/ˈθɪr.i/
a. Einstein’s theory is really too difficult for the average person to
understand.
b. My uncle has a theory about the effect of weather on baseball
batters.
c. No one has advanced a convincing theory explaining the
beginnings of writing.
verb
go or come down from a higher place to a lower level
descend
/dɪˈsend/
a. If we let the air out of a balloon, it will have to descend.
b. The pilot, thinking his plane was in peril, descended quickly.
c. Knowing her beau was waiting at the bottom of the staircase,
Eleanor descended at once.
verb
go around; go from place to place or person to person
circulate
/ˈsɝː.kjə.leɪt/
a. A fan may circulate the air in summer, but it doesn’t cool it.
b. My father circulated among the guests at the party and made them feel comfortable.
c. Hot water circulates through the pipes in the building, keeping the room warm.
adjective
extremely large; huge
enormous
/əˈnɔːr.məs/
a. The enormous crab moved across the ocean floor in search of food.
b. Public hangings once drew enormous crowds.
c. The gallant knight drew his sword and killed the enormous dragon.
verb
tell beforehand
predict
/prɪˈdɪkt/
a. Weathermen can predict the weather correctly most of the time.
b. Who can predict the winner of the Super Bowl this year?
c. Laura thought she could predict what I would do, but she was wrong.
verb
disappear; disappear suddenly
vanish
/ˈvæn.ɪʃ/
a. Even in California the sun will sometimes vanish behind a cloud.
b. Not even a powerful witch can make a jealous lover vanish.
c. Give him a week without a job and all his money will vanish.
noun
beliefs, opinions, and customs handed down from one generation to another
tradition
/trəˈdɪʃ.ən/
a. The father tried to persuade his son that the tradition of
marriage was important.
b. All religions have different beliefs and traditions.
c. As time goes on, we will eliminate traditions that are meaningless.
noun
in the country
rural
/ˈrʊr.əl/
a. Tomatoes are less expensive at the rural farm stand.
b. Rural areas are not densely populated.
c. The rural life is much more peaceful than the city one.
noun
what is carried; a load
burden
/ˈbɝː.dən/
a. The burden of the country’s safety is in the hands of the president.
b. Irma found the enormous box too much of a burden.
c. Ricky carried the burden throughout his college career.
noun
grounds of a college, university, or school
campus
a. The campus was designed to utilize all of the college’s buildings.
b. Jeff moved off campus when he decided it was cheaper to live at
home.
c. I chose to go to Penn State because it has a beautiful campus.
noun
the larger number; greater part; more than half
majority
/məˈdʒɔː.rə.t̬i/
a. A majority of votes was needed for the bill to pass.
b. The majority of people prefer to pay wholesale prices for meat.
c. In some countries, the government does not speak for the majorityof the people.
Verb
gather together; bring together
assemble
/əˈsem.bəl/
a. The rioters assembled outside the White House.
b. I am going to assemble a model of a spacecraft.
c. All the people who had assembled for the picnic vanished* when the rain began to fall.
Verb
go over carefully; look into closely; examine
explore
/ɪkˈsplɔːr/
a. Lawyer Spence explored the essential reasons for the crime.
b. The weather bureau explored the effects of the rainy weather.
c. Sara wanted to know if all of the methods for solving the problem had been explored.
subject that people think, write, or talk about
topic
/ˈtɑː.pɪk/
a. Predicting the weather is our favorite topic of conversation.
b. Valerie only discussed topics that she knew well.
c. The speaker’s main topic was how to eliminate hunger in this
world.
n
a discussion in which reasons for and against something are brought out
debate
/dɪˈbeɪt/
a. The debate between the two candidates was heated.
b. Debate in the U.S. Senate lasted for five days.
c. Instead of shrieking at each other, the students decided to
have a debate on the topic.
Verb
get away from by trickery or cleverness
evade
/ɪˈveɪd/
a. Juan tried to evade the topic by changing the subject.
b. In order to evade the police dragnet, Ernie grew a beard.
c. The prisoner of war evaded questioning by pretending to be sick.
Verb
search into; examine thoroughly; investigate
probe
/proʊb/
a. The lawyer probed the man’s mind to see if he was innocent.
b. After probing the scientist’s theory, we proved it was correct.
c. King Henry’s actions were carefully probed by the noblemen.
Verb
make better; improve by removing faults
reform
/rɪˈfɔːrm/
a. After the prison riot, the council decided to reform the correctional system.
b. Brad reformed when he saw that breaking the law was hurting people other than himself.
c. Only laws that force companies to reform will clear the dangerous vapors from our air.
verb
come near or nearer to
approach
/əˈproʊtʃ/
a. The lawyers in the trial were often asked to approach the bench.
b. Her beau kissed Sylvia when he approached her.
c. Ben approached the burden of getting a job with a new spirit.
verb
find out; discover
detect
/dɪˈtekt/
a. Sam Spade detected that the important papers had vanished.
b. From her voice it was easy to detect that Ellen was frightened.
c. We detected from the messy room that a large group of people
had assembled there.
noun
fault; that which is wrong
defect
/ˈdiː.fekt/
a. My Chevrolet was sent back to the factory because of a steering
defect.
b. His theory of the formation of our world was tilled with defects.
c. The villain was caught because his plan had many defects.
verb
give too little care or attention to
neglect
/nɪˈɡlekt/
a. The senator neglected to make his annual report to Congress.
b. Bob’s car got dirty when he neglected to keep it polished.
c. It is essential that you do not neglect your homework.
a person who works for pay
employee
/ˌem.plɔɪˈiː
a. The employees went on strike for higher wages.
b. My boss had to tire many employees when meat became scarce.
c. Joey wanted to go into business for himself and stop being an
employee.
adverb
certainly; beyond doubt
undoubtedly
/ʌnˈdaʊ.t̬ɪd.li/
a. Ray’s team undoubtedly had the best debators in our county.
b. The pilgrims undoubtedly assembled to travel to Rome
together.
c. If she didn’t want to get into an argument, Valerie would have
followed the majority undoubtedly.
verb
make someone believe as true something that is false; mislead
deceive
/dɪˈsiːv/
a. Atlas was deceived about the burden he had to carry.
b. Virginia cried when she learned that her best friend had deceived her.
c. The villain deceived Chief White Cloud by pretending to be his friend.
adjective
liked by most people
popular
/ˈpɑː.pjə.lɚ/
a. The Beatles wrote many popular songs.
b. At one time miniskirts were very popular.
c. Popular people often find it hard to evade their many friends.
adjective
being all that is needed; complete
thorough
/ˈθɝː.oʊ/
a. The police made a thorough search of the house after the crime
had been reported.
b. My science teacher praised Sandy for doing a thorough job of
cleaning up the lab.
c. Mom decided to spend the day in giving the basement a
thorough cleaning.
noun
person for whom a lawyer acts; customer
client
/ˈklaɪ.ənt/
a. The lawyer told her client that she could predict the outcome of his trial.
b. My uncle tried to get General Motors to be a client of his company.
c. If this restaurant doesn’t improve its service, all its clients will vanish.
adjective
including much; covering completely
comprehensive
/ˌkɑːm.prəˈhen.sɪv/
a. After a comprehensive exam, my doctor said I was in good condition.
b. The engineer gave our house a thorough, comprehensive checkup before my father bought
it.
c. Mrs. Silver wanted us to do a comprehensive study of Edgar Allan Poe.
verb
take money, rights, etc., away by cheating
defraud
/dɪˈfrɑːd/
a. My aunt saved thousands of dollars by defrauding the government.
b. If we could eliminate losses from people who defraud the government, tax rates could be lowered.
c. By defrauding his friend, Dexter ruined a family tradition of honesty.
verb
put offto a later time; delay
postpone
/poʊstˈpoʊn/
a. The young couple wanted to postpone their wedding until they
were sure they could handle the burdens of marriage.
b. I neglected to postpone the party because I thought everyone
would be able to come.
c. The supermarket’s owner planned to postpone the grand opening
verb
agree; give permission or approval.
consent
/kənˈsent/
a. My teacher consented to let our class leave early.
b. David would not consent to our plan.
c. The majority of our club members consented to raise the dues
adjective
big and heavy; large and solid; bulky
massive
/ˈmæs.ɪv/
a. The boss asked some employees to lift the massive box.
b. From lifting weights, Willie had developed massive arm muscles.
c. The main building on the campus was so massive that the new
students had trouble finding their way around at first.
noun
a small case or covering
capsule
/ˈkæp.səl/
a. The small capsule contained notes the spy had written after the
meeting.
b. A new, untested medicine was detected in the capsule by the
police scientists.
c. He explored the space capsule for special equipment.
verb
keep from harm or change; keep safe; protect
preserve
/prɪˈzɝːv/
a. The lawyers wanted to preserve the newest reforms in the law.
b. Farmers feel that their rural homes should be preserved.
c. The outfielder’s records are preserved in the Baseball Hall of
Fame.
Verb
condemn in public; express strong disapproval of
denounce
/dɪˈnaʊns/
a. The father denounced his son for lying to the district attorney.
b. Some people denounce the government for probing into their
private lives.
c. The consumer advocate denounced the defective products being sold.
adjective
having no like or equal; being the only one of its kind
unique
/juːˈniːk/
a. Going to Africa was a unique experience for us.
b. The inventor developed a unique method of making ice cream.
c. Albie has a unique collection of Israeli stamps.
noun
any violent, rushing stream; flood
torrent
/ˈtɔːr.ənt/
a. A massive rain was coming down in torrents.
b. In the debate, a torrent of questions was asked.
c. After trying to defraud the public, Lefty was faced with a torrent
of charges.
verb
feel injured and angered at (something)
resent
/rɪˈzent/
a. Bertha resented the way her boyfriend treated her.
b. The earthquake victim resented the poor emergency care.
c. Columbus resented the fact that his crew wanted to turn back.
Verb
interfere with and trouble; disturb
molest
/məˈlest/
a. My neighbor was molested when walking home from the subway.
b. The gang did a thorough job of molesting the people in the park.
c. Lifeguards warned the man not to molest any of the swimmers.
adjective
dark; dim; in low spirits
gloomy
/ˈɡluː.mi/
a. My cousin was gloomy because his best friend had moved away.
b. The reason Doris wasn’t popular was that she always had a gloomy appearance.
c. jones Beach is not so beautiful on a gloomy day.
adjective
not known beforehand; unexpected
unforeseen
/ˌʌn.fɚˈsiːn/
a. We had some unforeseen problems with the new engine.
b. The probe into the congressman’s finances turned up some unforeseen difficulties.
c. The divers faced unforeseen trouble in their search for the wreck.
adjective
make something greater than it is; overstate
exaggerate
/ɪɡˈzædʒ.ə.reɪt/
a. He wasn’t trying to deceive you when he said that his was the best car in the world; he was just exaggerating.
b. The bookkeeper exaggerated her importance to the company.
c. When he said that O’Neal was eight feet tall, he was undoubtedly** **exaggerating.
noun
person who does something for pleasure, not for money or as a profession
amateur
/ˈæm.ə.tʃɚ/
a. The amateur cross-country runner wanted to be in the Olympics.
b. After his song, Don was told that he wasn’t good enough to be
anything but an amateur.
c. Professional golfers resent amateurs who think they are as good as the people who play for money.
adjective
neither good nor bad; average; ordinary
mediocre
/ˌmiː.diˈoʊ.kɚ/
a. After reading my composition, Mrs. Evans remarked that it was
mediocre and that I could do better.
b. Howard was a mediocre scientist who never made any unique
discoveries.
c. The movie wasn’t a great one; it was only mediocre.
noun
lack of sameness; a number of different things
variety
/vəˈraɪ.ə.t̬i/
a. Eldorado Restaurant serves a wide variety of foods.
b. The show featured a variety of entertainment.
c. He faced unforeseen problems for a variety of reasons.
adjective
supported by facts or authority; sound; true
valid
/ˈvæl.ɪd/
a. The witness neglected to give valid answers to the judge’s
questions.
b. Rita had valid reasons for denouncing her father’s way of life.
c. When Dave presented valid working papers, the foreman
consented to hiring him immediately.
Verb
live longer than; remain alive after
survive
/sɚˈvaɪv/
a. It was uncertain whether we would survive the torrent of rain.
b. Some people believe that only the strongest should survive.
c. The space capsule was built to survive a long journey in space.
adjective
mysterious; unearthly
weird
/wɪrd/
a. She looked weird with that horrible makeup on her face.
b. Allen felt that weird things were starting to happen when he
entered the haunted house.
c. Becky had a weird feeling after swallowing the pills.
adjective
well-known; important
prominent
/ˈprɑː.mə.nənt/
a. My client is a prominent businessperson.
b. Napoleon is a prominent figure in the history of France.
c. Her violet eyes were the prominent feature of the model’s face.
noun
freedom from danger, care, or fear; feeling or condition of being safe
security
/səˈkjʊr.ə.t̬i/
a. Our janitor likes the security of having all doors locked at night.
b. When the president travels, strict security measures are taken.
c. Pablo wanted to preserve the security of his lifestyle.
adjective
taking up much space; large
bulky
/ˈbʌl.ki/
a. Charley and Morty removed the bulky package from the car.
b. The massive desk was quite bulky and impossible to carry.
c. His client wanted an item that wasn’t so bulky, Olsen told us.
adjective
unwilling
reluctant
/rɪˈlʌk.tənt/
a. It was easy to see that Herman was reluctant to go out and find a job.
b. The patient was reluctant to tell the nurse the whole gloomy truth.
c. I was reluctant to give up the security* of family life.
adjective
easily seen or understood; clear to the eye or mind; not to be doubted; plain
obvious
/ˈɑːb.vi.əs/
a. It was obvious that the lumberjack was tired after his day’s work.
b. The fact that Darcy was a popular boy was obvious to all.
c. The detective missed the clue because it was too obvious.
noun
region near a place; neighborhood
vicinity
/vəˈsɪn.ə.t̬i/
a. Living in the vicinity of New York, Jeremy was near many
museums.
b. The torrent of rain fell only in our vicinity.
c. We approached the Baltimore vicinity by car.
noun
100 years
century
/ˈsen.tʃər.i/
a. George Washington lived in the eighteenth century.
b. The United States is more than two centuries old.
c. Many prominent men have been born in this century.
noun
violent anger; something that arouses intense but brief enthusiasm
rage
/reɪdʒ/
a. Joan’s bad manners sent her mother into a rage.
b. In a fit of rage, Francine broke the valuable glass.
c. The mayor felt a sense of rage about the exaggerations in the
press.
noun
something handwritten or printed that gives
information or proof of some fact
document
/ˈdɑː.kjə.mənt/
a. Newly discovered documents showed that the prisoner was
obviously innocent.
b. The documents of ancient Rome have survived many centuries.
c. We were reluctant to destroy important documents.
noun
end; finish; decide
conclude
/kənˈkluːd/
a. Most people are happy when they conclude their work for the day.
b. The gloomy day concluded with a thunderstorm.
c. Work on the building could not be concluded until the contract was signed.
adjective
not to be denied; cannot be questioned
undeniable
/ˌʌn.dɪˈnaɪ.ə.bəl/
a. The jury concluded that the teenagers were undeniably guilty.
b. It is undeniable that most professionals can beat any amateur.
c. That Leon resented Rita’s good marks in school was
undeniable.
verb
be entirely without something; have not enough
lack
/læk/
a. Your daily diet should not lack fruits and vegetables.
b. His problem was that he lacked a variety of talents.
c. As an amateur dancer, Vincent knew that he lacked the
professional touch.
verb
pay no attention to; disregard
ignore
a. Little Alice realized that if she didn’t behave, her parents would
ignore her.
b. The student could not answer the question because he ignored
the obvious facts.
c. Older brothers and sisters often feel ignored when their parents
only spend time with a new baby.
verb
act against; strive against; oppose
resist
/rɪˈzɪst/
a. Totie could not resist eating the chocolate sundae.
b. Tight security measures resisted Jimmy’s entrance into the bank.
c. Harold resisted the opportunity to poke fun at the weird man.
Verb
call to a fight
challenge
/ˈtʃæl.ɪndʒ/v
a. Aaron Burr challenged Alexander Hamilton to a duel.
b. No one bothered to challenge the prominent lawyer.
c. Trying to become a doctor was quite a challenge, Dick discovered.
adjective
represented on a small scale
miniature
/ˈmɪn.i.ə.tʃɚ/
a. The young boy wanted a miniature sports car for his birthday.
b. Instead of buying a massive dog, Teddy got a miniature poodle.
c. We were seeking a miniature model of the bulky chess set.
noun
place from which something comes or is obtained
source
/sɔːrs/
a. The college student knew that he needed more than a basic textbook as a source for his report.
b. The source of Buddy’s trouble was boredom.
c. Professor Smith’s speech was a valid source of information on chemistry.
verb
be better than; do better than
excel
/ɪkˈsel/
a. Because he was so small, Larry could not excel in sports.
b. At least Hannah had the security of knowing that she excelled in swimming.
c. Clarence Darrow wanted to become a prominent lawyer, but he
felt that he must first excel in the study of history.
adjective
of women or girls
feminine
/ˈfem.ə.nɪn/
a. When my sister wants to look feminine she changes from
dungarees into a dress.
b. Aunt Sarah can always be counted on to give the feminine
viewpoint.
c. My brother i~ ashamed to cry at a sad movie because people might think he is behaving in a feminine manner.
Verb
get up on
mount
/maʊnt/
a. Congressman Jones mounted the platform to make his speech.
b. The watchman mounted the tower to see if there were any people in
the vicinity.
c. My sister couldn’t mount the horse so they gave her a pony instead.
verb
try hard to get something wanted by others; be a rival
compete
/kəmˈpiːt/
a. The former champion was challenged to compete for the tennis title.
b. The runner was reluctant to compete in front of his parents for
the first time.
c. When the amateur became a pro he had to compete against
better men.
verb / adjective
look forward to with fear; fear greatly; causing great fear
dread
/dred/
a. The poor student dreaded going to school each morning.
b. He had a dread feeling about the challenge he was about to face.
c. I dread going into that deserted house.
adjective
of man; male
masculine
/ˈmæs.kjə.lɪn/
a. The boy became more masculine as he got older.
b. It is undeniable that his beard makes him look masculine.
c. The girls liked Jerry because of his masculine ways.
threat
menace
/ˈmen.əs/
a. lrv’s lack of respect made him a menace to his parents.
b. The torrents of rain were a menace to the farmer’s crops.
c. Sergeant Foy’s raw language was an obvious menace to the
reputation of the entire police department.
noun
leaning; movement in a certain direction
tendency
/ˈten.dən.si/
a. My algebra teacher has a tendency to forget the students’ names.
b. His tendency was to work hard in the morning and then to take it easy in the afternoon.
c. The tendency in all human beings is to try to survive.
verb
set too low a value, amount, or rate
underestimate
/ˌʌn.dɚˈes.tə.meɪt/
a. I admit that I underestimated the power in the bulky fighter’s
frame.
b. Undoubtedly the boss underestimated his employee’s ability to work hard.
c. The value of our house was underestimated by at least two thousand dollars.
adjective
having won a victory; conquering
victorious
/vɪkˈtɔːr.i.əs/
a. Playing in New Jersey, the Jets were victorious two years in a row.
b. Terry faced the challenge with the bad attitude that he could not be victorious.
c. Our girls’ volleyball squad was victorious over a taller team.
adjective
very many; several
numerous
/ˈnuː.mə.rəs/
a. Critics review numerous movies every week.
b. Dr. Fischer had resisted accepting money from the poor woman on numerous house calls.
c. The debater used numerous documents to back up his statements.
adjective
easily bent; willing to yield
flexible
/ˈflek.sə.bəl/
a. The toy was flexible, and the baby could bend it easily.
b. Remaining flexible, Nick listened to arguments from both sides.
c. A mouse’s flexible body allows it to squeeze through narrow openings.
noun
that which makes clear the truth or falsehood of something
evidence
/ˈev.ə.dəns/
a. Each juror felt he needed more evidence before voting to convict the former football star.
b. Her many awards were evidence enough that Leona excelled
in dancing.
c. Our teacher ignored the evidence that Simon had cheated on
the test.
adjective
alone; single; only
solitary
/ˈsɑː.lə.ter.i/
a. Sid’s solitary manner kept him from making new friendships.
b. There was not a solitary piece of evidence that Manuel had
eaten the cheesecake.
c. The convict went into a rage when he was placed in a solitary
noun
power of seeing; sense of sight
vision
/ˈvɪʒ.ən/
a. With the aid of the binoculars, my vision improved enough to
see the entire vicinity.
b. Ted had perfect vision, and that helped to make him a good
baseball player.
c. The glasses that Irma bought corrected her nearsighted vision.
adjective
happening often; occurring repeatedly
frequent
/ˈfriː.kwənt/
a. We made frequent visits to the hospital to see our grandfather.
b. On frequent occasions Sam fell asleep in class.
c. Dr. Bonner gave me some pills for my frequent headaches.
noun
a short, quick view
glimpse
/ɡlɪmps/
a. This morning we caught our first glimpse of the beautiful
shoreline.
b. One glimpse of the very feminine vision was enough to tell
Romeo that he loved juliet.
c. The tall shrubs kept us from getting a glimpse of the new people
who inhabited the beach house.
adjective
done, made, or occurring not long ago
recent
/ˈriː.sənt/
a. At a recent meeting, the Board of Education provided the
evidence we had been asking for.
b. Bessie liked the old silent movies better than the more recent
ones.
c. Recent studies have concluded that more people are
unemployed than ever before.
noun
ten years
decade
/dekˈeɪd/
a. After a decade of granting salary increases, my boss ended the
practice.
b. Many people moved out of this city in the last decade.
c. I have a vision that this decade will be better than the last one.
verb
fail to act quickly; be undecided
hesitate
/ˈhez.ə.teɪt/
a. Nora hesitated to accept the challenge.
b. When he got to the robbers’ vicinity, he hesitated before going
on.
c. The proverb tells us that he who hesitates is lost.
adjective
plainly not trUe Or Sensible; foolish
absurd
/əbˈsɝːd/
a. It was absurd to believe the fisherman’s tall tale.
b. The flabby boy realized that the suggestion to diet was not absurd.
c. Underestimating the importance of reading is absurd.
noun
direct opposition; disagreement
conflict
/ˈkɑːn.flɪkt/
a. Our opinions about the company’s success in the last decade are in conflict with what the
records show.
b. There was a noisy conflict over who was the better tennis player.
c. The class mediation team was invited to settle the conflict.
noun
smaller number or part; less than half
minority
/maɪˈnɔːr.ə.t̬i/
a. Only a small minority of the neighborhood didn’t want a new park.
b. A minority of our athletes who competed in the Olympics were victorious.
c. Native Americans are a minority group in the United States.
noun
that which is imagined or made up
fiction
/ˈfɪk.ʃən/
a. The story that the president had died was fiction.
b. We hardly ever believed Vinny because what he said was usually fiction.
c. Marge enjoys reading works of fiction rather than true stories.
verb
set on fire
ignite
/ɪɡˈnaɪt/
a. Spark plugs ignite in an automobile engine.
b. One match can ignite an entire forest.
c. A, careless remark helped to ignite the conflict between the
brothers and the sisters.
verb
do away with completely; put an end to
abolish
/əˈbɑː.lɪʃ/
a. The death penalty has recently been abolished in our state.
b. We abolished numerous laws that didn’t serve any purpose in
this decade.
c. My school has abolished final exams altogether.
noun
of or having to do with cities or towns
urban
/ˈɝː.bən/
a. Many businesses open offices in urban areas.
b. I plan to exchange my urban location for a rural one.
c. Only a small minority of the people of the United States live far
from any urban area.
noun
people of a city or country
population
/ˌpɑː.pjəˈleɪ.ʃən/
a. India has the largest population of any country.
b. The population of the world ha<:> increased in every decade.
c. After the recent floods, the population of Honduras was reduced
by 10,000.
noun
free in expressing one’s real thoughts, opinions, or
feelings; not hiding what is in one’s mind
frank
/fræŋk/
a. Never underestimate the value of being frank with one another.
b. Eretha was completely frank when she told her friend about the
sale.
c. People liked Duffy because they knew he would be frank with
them.
verb
make dirty
pollute
/pəˈluːt/
a. The Atlantic Ocean is in danger of becoming polluted.
b. There is much evidence to show that the air we breathe is
polluted.
c. It is claimed that soap powders pollute the water ‘:Ne drink.
verb
make known
reveal
/rɪˈviːl/
a. Napoleon agreed to reveal the information to the French
population.
b. The evidence was revealed only after hours of questioning.
c. The auto company revealed reluctantly* that there were defects in their new models.
verb
forbid by law or authority
prohibit
/prəˈhɪb.ɪt/
a. Elvin’s manager prohibited him from appearing on television.
b. Many homeowners prohibit others from walking on their property.
c. The law prohibits the use of guns to settle a conflict.
adjective
demanding immediate action or attention; important
urgent
/ˈɝː.dʒənt/
a. An urgent telephone call was made to the company’s treasurer.
b. The principal called an urgent meeting to solve the school’s
numerous problems.
c. When he heard the urgent cry for help, the lifeguard did not
hesitate.
as much as is needed; fully sufficient
a. Rover was given an adequate amount of food to last him the whole day.
b. A bedroom, kitchen, and bath were adequate shelter for his living needs.
c. Carlos was adequate at his job but he wasn’t great.
adequate
verb
make or become less
decrease
/ˈdiː.kriːs/
a. As he kept spending money, the amount he had saved decreased.
b. In order to improve business, the store owner decreased his prices.
c. The landlord promised to decrease our rent.
adjective
able to be heard
audible
/ˈɑː.də.bəl/
a. From across the room, the teacher’s voice was barely audible.
b. After Len got his new hearing aid, my telephone calls became audible.
c. Commands from Ann’s drill sergeant were always easily audible.
noun
one who writes for, edits, manages, or produces a newspaper or magazme
journalist
/ˈdʒɝː.nə.lɪst/
a. There were four journalists covering the murder story.
b. Barbara’s experience working at a book store wasn’t adequate
preparation for becoming a journalist.
c. Journalists must have a comprehensive knowledge of the city
where they work.
noun
starvation; great shortage
famine
/ˈfæm.ɪn/
a. Famine in Africa caused the death of one tenth of the population.
b. There has been a famine of good writing in the last decade.
c. The rumor of a famine in Europe was purely fiction.
verb
bring back or come back to life or consciousness
revive
/rɪˈvaɪv/
a. There is a movement to revive old plays for modern audiences.
b. The nurses tried to revive the heart attack victim.
c. Committees are trying to revive interest in population control.
verb
begin; start
commence
/kəˈmens/
a. Graduation will commence at ten o’clock.
b. Bella hesitated before commencing her speech.
c. The discussion commenced with a report on urban affairs.
adjective
quick to notice; watchful
observant
/əbˈzɝː.vənt/
a. We were observant of the conflict between the husband and
his wife.
b. Because Cato was observant, he was able to reveal the thiefs
name.
c. Milt used his excellent vision to be observant of everything in
his vicinity.
verb
recognize as being, or show to be, a certain
person or thing; prove to be the same
identify
/aɪˈden.t̬ə.faɪ/
a. Numerous witnesses identified the butcher as the thief.
b. Mrs. Shaw was able to identify the painting as being hers.
c. With only a quick glimpse, Reggie was able to identify his
girlfriend in the crowd.
verb
move from one place to another
migrate
/ˈmaɪ.ɡreɪt/
a. The fruit pickers migrated to wherever they could find work.
b. Much of our population is constantly migrating to other areas
of the country.
c. My grandfather migrated to New York from Italy in 1919.
noun
a ship; a hollow container; tube containing body fluid
vessel
/ˈves.əl/
a. The Girl Scouts were permitted a glimpse of the vessel being
built when they toured the Navy Yard.
b. My father burst a blood vessel when he got the bill from the
garage.
c. Congress voted to decrease the amount of money being spent
on space vessels.
verb
continue firmly; refuse to stop or be changed
persist
/pɚˈsɪst/
a. The humid weather persisted all summer.
b. Would Lorraine’s weird behavior persist, we all wondered?
c. Lloyd persisted in exaggerating everything he said.
adjective
misty; smoky; unclear
hazy
/ˈheɪ.zi/
a. The vicinity of London is known to be hazy.
b. Factories that pollute the air create hazy weather conditions.
c. Although Cora had a great memory, she was unusually hazy about the details of our meeting on January 16th.
noun
a flash or beam of light
gleam
/ɡliːm/
a. A gleam of light shone through the prison window.
b. The only source of light in the cellar came in the form of a gleam through a hole in the wall.
c. My grandmother gets a gleam in her eyes when she sees the twins.
noun
person who prepares a publication; one who corrects a manuscript and helps to improve it
editor
/ˈed.ɪ.t̬ɚ/
a. The student was proud to be the editor of the school newspaper.
b. Meredith’s journalistic knowledge came in handy when she was unexpectedly given the job of editor of The Bulletin.
c. It is undeniable that the magazine has gotten better since Ellis became editor.
adj
hard to rule or control; lawless
unruly
a. Unruly behavior is prohibited at the pool.
b. When he persisted in acting unruly, Ralph was fired from his job.
c. His unruly actions were a menace to those who were trying to
work.
noun
person who wants and tries to get the same thing as
another; one who tries to equal or do better than another
rival
/ˈraɪ.vəl/
a. The boxer devised an attack that would help him to be victorious over his young rival.
b. Sherry didn’t like to compete because she always thought her
rival would win.
c. Seidman and Son decided to migrate to an area where they
would have fewer rivals.
adj
acting or done with strong, rough force
violent
/ˈvaɪə.lənt/
a. Carefully, very carefully, we approached the violent man.
b. Violent behavior is prohibited on school grounds.
c. Vernon had a tendency to be violent when someone angered him.
adj
coarse and savage; like a brute; cruel
brutal
/ˈbruː.t̬əl/
a. Dozens of employees quit the job because the boss was brutal
to them.
b. The brutal track coach persisted* in making the team work out all morning under the hot sun.
c. Swearing to catch the murderer, the detectives revealed* that it
had been an unusually brutal, violent crime.
noun
person who is on the other side of a fight,
game, or discussion; person fighting, struggling or speaking against another
opponent
/əˈpoʊ.nənt/
a. The Russian chess player underestimated* his opponent and lost.
b. He was a bitter opponent of costly urban reform.
c. Seeing his flabby* opponent, Slugger was sure he would be
victorious.
noun
a noisy quarrel or fight
brawl
/brɑːl/
a. The journalist covered all the details of the brawl in the park.
b. Larry dreaded a brawl with his father over finding a job.
c. What started out as a polite discussion soon became a violent
brawl.
Verb
an exact copy; make an exact copy of; repeat exactly
duplicate
/ˈduː.plə.keɪt/
a. Elliott tried to deceive Mrs. Held by making a duplicate of my
paper.
b. We duplicated the document so that everyone had a copy to
study.
c. The so-called expert did a mediocre job of duplicating the Van
Gogh painting.
vicious
/ˈvɪʃ.əs/
verb
turning or swinging round and round; spinning
whirling
/wɝːl/ چرخش، چرخه, چرخشی
a. The space vessel was whirling around before it landed on earth.
b. As they tried to lift the bulky piano, the movers went whirling across the living room.
c. Because Angelo drank too much, he commenced to feel that everything was whirling around the bar.
noun
person having the worst of any struggle; one who is expected to lose
underdog
/ˈʌn.dɚ.dɑːɡ/
a. Minority groups complain about being the underdogs in this century.
b. I always feel sorry for the underdog in a street fight.
c. The Jets were identified as underdogs even though they had beaten the Steelers earlier in the season.
verb
push with force
thrust
/θrʌst/
a. Once the jet engine was ignited, it thrust the rocket from the ground.
b. He had adequate strength to thrust himself through the locked door.
c. Eva was in a terrible rage when she thrust herself into the room.
adjective
confused completely; puzzled
bewildered
/bɪˈwɪl.dɚd/
a. The lawyer was bewildered by his client’s lack of interest in the case.
b. His partner’s weird actions left Jack bewildered.
c. Bewildered by the sudden hazy weather, he decided not to go to the beach.
verb
increase in size; enlarge; swell
expand
/ɪkˈspænd/
a. We will expand our business as soon as we locate a new building.
b. Present laws against people who pollute the air must be expanded.
c. Expanding the comic strips, the editor hoped that more people
would buy his paper.
verb
make different; change; vary
alter
/ˈɑːl.tɚ/
a. I altered my typical lunch and had a steak instead.
b. Dorothy agreed to alter my dress if I would reveal its cost to her.
c. It’s absurd to spend money to alter that old candy store.
adjective
ripe; fully grown or developed
mature
/məˈtʊr/
a. I could tell that Mitch was mature from the way he persisted in
his work.
b. Only through mature study habits can a person hope to gain
knowledge.
c. It is essential that you behave in a mature way in the business
world.
adjective
worthy of respect; holy
sacred
/ˈseɪ.krɪd/
a. Her sacred medal had to be sold because the family was in
urgent need of money.
b. It was revealed by the journalist that the sacred temple had
been torn down.
c. Kate made a sacred promise to her parents never to miss a
Sunday church service.
verb
change; alter ; bring up to date
revise
/rɪˈvaɪz/
a. My family revised its weekend plans when the weather turned
hazy.
b. The dictionary was revised and then published in a more
expensive edition.
c. Under the revised rules, Shane was eliminated from competing.
verb
promise
pledge
/pledʒ/
a. Before the grand jury, the sinister gangster pledged to tell the
whole truth.
b. Monte was reluctant to pledge his loyalty to his new girlfriend.
c. Pledged to discovering the facts, the journalist began to dig up
new evidence for his readers.
adjective
happening by chance; not planned or expected; not
calling attention to itself
casual
/ˈkæʒ.uː.əl/
a. As the villain stole the money from the blind man, he walked
away in a casual manner.
b. The bartender made a casual remark about the brawl in the
backroom.
c. Following a casual meeting on the street, the bachelor renewed
his friendship with the widow.
verb
follow; proceed along
pursue
/pɚˈsuː/
a. We pursued the bicycle thief until he vanished from our vision.
b. Ernie rowed up the river, pursuing it to its source.
c. The senior wanted to pursue urban affairs as his life’s work.
adjective
in complete agreement
unanimous
/juːˈnæn.ə.məs/
a. The class was unanimous in wanting to eliminate study halls.
b. There has never been an election in our union that was won by a unanimous vote.
c. The Senate, by a unanimous vote, decided to decrease taxes.
adjective
having good luck; lucky
fortunate
/ˈfɔːr.tʃən.ət/
a. Wesley was fortunate to have an adequate sum of money in the bank.
b. It is fortunate that the famine did not affect our village.
c. The underdog* was fortunate enough to come out a winner.
noun
one who goes first or prepares a way for others
pioneer
/ˌpaɪəˈnɪr/
a. My grandfather was a pioneer in selling wholesale products.
b. England was a pioneer in building large vessels for tourists.
c. In the fourth grade I assembled a picture collection of great American pioneers.
adjective
fresh; clever; having new ideas
innovative
/ˈɪn.ə.veɪ.t̬ɪv/
a. The innovative ads for the computers won many new customers.
b. Everyone in our office praised the boss for his innovative suggestions.
c. Nicole decided to alter her approach and become more innovative.
adjective
long and thin; limited; slight
slender
/ˈslen.dɚ/
a. Carlotta’s slender figure made her look somewhat taller than
she was.
b. There was only a slender chance that you could conceal the
truth.
c. The slender thief was able to enter the apartment through the
narrow window.
verb
do better than; be greater than; excel
surpass
/sɚˈpæs/
a. The machines of the twenty-first century surely surpass those of earlier times.
b. Most farmers believe that rural life far surpasses urban living.
c. It is undeniable that a cold lemonade in july cannot be
surpassed .
adjective
very great; enormous
vast
/væst/
a. Daniel Boone explored vast areas that had never been settled.
b. Our campus always seems vast to new students.
c. Vast differences between the two sides were made clear in the
debate.
noun
not believe; not be sure of; feel uncertain about; lack of
certainty
doubt
/daʊt/
a. Scientists doubt that a total cure for cancer will be found soon.
b. The question of whether he could survive the winter was left in
doubt.
c. We don’t doubt that the tradition of marriage will continue.
noun
amount of room or space inside; largest
amount that can be held by a container
capacity
/kəˈpæs.ə.t̬i/
a. A sign in the elevator stated that its capacity was 1100 pounds.
b. The gasoline capsule had a capacity of 500 gallons.
c. So well-liked was the prominent speaker that the auditorium
was filled to capacity when he began his lecture.
verb
get into or through
penetrate
/ˈpen.ə.treɪt/
a. We had to penetrate the massive wall in order to hang the
mirror.
b. Although Kenny tried to pound the nail into the rock with a
hammer, he couldn’t penetrate the hard surface.
c. The thieves penetrated the bank’s security and stole the
money.
verb
go into; go through; penetrate
pierce
/pɪrs/
a. My sister is debating whether or not to get her ears pierced.
b. I tried to ignore his bad violin playing, but the sound was
piercing.
c. Halloran violently pierced the skin of his rival, causing
massive bleeding.
adjective
exactly right as the result of care or pains
accurate
/ˈæk.jɚ.ət/
a. Ushers took an accurate count of the people assembled in the
theater.
b. Emma’s vision was so accurate that she didn’t need glasses.
c. In writing on the topic, Vergil used accurate information.
noun
instrument with a lens for making objects larger so that one can see things more clearly
microscope
/ˈmaɪ.krə.skoʊp/
a. The students used a microscope to see the miniature insect.
b. When young Oprah’s birthday came around, her uncle gave her a microscope.
c. Using a microscope, the scientist was able to probe into the habits of germs.
adjective
feeling gratitude; thankful
grateful
/ˈɡreɪt.fəl/
a. The majority of pupils felt grateful for Mr. Ash’s help.
b. We were grateful that the gloomy weather cleared up on Saturday.
c. In his letter, Waldo told how grateful he was for the loan.
adjective
very careful; never taking chances
cautious
/ˈkɑː.ʃəs/
a. Be cautious when you choose your opponent.
b. Good authors are cautious not to exaggerate when they write.
c. If the rain is failing in torrents,* it is best to drive cautiously.
adjective
firmly believing; certain; sure
confident
/ˈkɑːn.fə.dənt/
a. judge Emery was confident he could solve the conflict.
b. When he lifted the burden,* Scotty was confident he could carry it.
c. Annette was confident she would do well as a nurse.
noun
attraction; interest; to urge
appeal
/əˈpiːl/
a. Anything jorge could get at wholesale price had a great appeal
for him.
b. My boss always appeals to his employees to work swiftly and
neatly.
c. I found her clothing designs to be enormously* appealing.
noun
one who cannot break away from a habit or practice
addict
/ˈæd.ɪkt/
a. Because he was a heroin addict, it was essential for Carlos to
get the drug each day.
b. Marcia became flabby because she was addicted to ice cream
sodas.
c. Those who take aspirins and other pain-killers regularly should
realize that they may become drug addicts, too.
adjective
on one’s guard against danger or trickery; cautious
wary
/ˈwer.i/
a. Marilyn’s mother told her to be wary of strangers.
b. After Orlando had been the victim of a cheat, he was wary of
those who said they wanted to help him.
c. Living in a polluted city makes you wary of the air you breathe.
adjective
knowing; realizing
aware
/ˈwer.i/
a. Donna was aware of her tendency to exaggerate.
b. It was some time before the police became aware of the brawl
that was taking place on the street.
c. One way to gain knowledge is to be aware of everything around you.
noun
bad luck
misfortune
/ˌmɪsˈfɔːr.tʃən/
a. It was my misfortune that our car wasn’t thoroughly* checked
before the trip through the desert.
b. Being bitten by the vicious* dog was quite a misfortune for
Tommy.
c. I had the misfortune of working for a greedy* man.
verb
keep away from; keep out of the way of
avoid
/əˈvɔɪd/
a. If you are fortunate* you can avoid people who are trying to
deceive you.
b. There was no way to avoid noticing her beautiful green eyes.
c. Avoid getting into a brawl if you can.
adjective
very unsatisfactory; miserable
wretched
/ˈretʃ.ɪd/
a. I feel wretched after a night when I’ve scarcely slept.
b. There was unanimous agreement that we had seen a wretched
movie.
c. Toby had wretched luck at the gambling tables.
noun
small barrel, usually holding less than ten gallons
keg
/keɡ/
a. The corner saloon uses numerous* kegs of beer on a Saturday
night.
b. “Get a keg of nails,” the carpenter shouted at me.
c. It is obvious to me that the situation is filled with peril, a real
powder keg if I ever saw one.
verb
make or keep alive and well, with food; feed; develop an attitude
nourish
/ˈnɝː.ɪʃ/
a. A diet of nourishing food is served to every hospital patient.
b. It was easy to detect that the skinny boy was not well nourished.
c. After the operation, our doctor plans to nourish my mother with vitamins and good food.
noun
a cold blooded animal that creeps or crawls; snakes,
lizards, turtles, alligators, and crocodiles
reptile
/ˈrep.taɪl/
a. The lizard is a reptile with a very slender body.
b. Reptiles are kept in the museum’s large hall.
c. A crocodile is a reptile that is more nimble in the water than out of it.
noun
small animals that are troublesome or destructive;
fleas, bedbugs, lice, rats, and mice are vermin
جانوران موذی، جانور افت. خستر (خستران)
vermin
/ˈvɝː.mɪn/
a. We should try to eliminate all vermin from our house.
b. Some reptiles eat vermin as their food.
c. Although vermin are not always visible, they probably inhabit every house in the city.
noun
the trunks and suitcases a person takes when he
or she travels; an army’s equipment
baggage
/ˈbæɡ.ɪdʒ/
a. When Walt unpacked his baggage, he found he had forgotten his radio.
b. Mrs. Montez checked her baggage at the station and took the children for a walk.
c. The modern army cannot afford to be slowed up with heavy baggage.
noun
something that stands for or represents something else
symbol
/ˈsɪm.bəl/
a. The statue outside the court building is considered a symbol of justice.
b. Symbols for God are prohibited in their religion.
c. An olive branch is a symbol of peace.
noun
container or tool used for practical purposes
utensil
/juːˈten.səl/
a. Several utensils were untidily tossed about the kitchen.
b. Edward’s baggage contained all the utensils he would need on the camping trip.
c. Some people are so old-fashioned that they reject the use of any modern utensil.
noun
a scheme for distributing prizes by lot or chance
lottery
/ˈlɑː.t̬ɚ.i/
a. The merit of a lottery is that everyone has an equal chance.
b. We thought that a lottery was an absurd way of deciding who should be the team captain.
c. The rash young man claimed the lottery prize only to find he had misread his number.
noun
moving picture
cinema
/ˈsɪn.ə.mə/
a. Censors have developed a rating system for the cinema.
b. Today’s cinema is full of homicides and violence.
c. A best-seller is often the source of cinema stories.
noun
violent storm with much wind; a violent disturbance
tempest
/ˈtem.pɪst/
a. The tempest drove the ship on the rocks.
b. Following the weather report of the approaching tempest, we were prompted to seek immediate shelter.
c. When Mr. Couche saw that a tempest was brewing over the issue, he hastily called a meeting.
noun [ C or U ]
long period of dry weather; lack of rain; lack of water; dryness
drought
/draʊt/
a. Because of the drought, some farmers began to migrate to more fertile* regions.
b. In time of drought, the crops become scorched.
c. As the drought wore on, people began to grumble against those who had squandered* water when it was more plentiful.
adjective
doing what one is told.; willing to obey
obedient
/oʊˈbiː.di.ənt/
a. The obedient dog came when his master beckoned.
b. Obedient to his father’s wishes, Guy did not explore any further.
c. When parents make reasonable requests of them, the majority of my friends are obedient.
noun [ C ]
a notice to be posted in a public place; poster
placard
/ˈplæk.ɑːrd/
a. Colorful placards announced an urgent meeting.
b. Placards were placed throughout the neighborhood by rival* groups.
c. Numerous placards appeared around the city calling for volunteers.
noun [ plural ]
persons prepared for religious work; clergymen as a group
clergy
/ˈklɝː.dʒi/
a. We try never to hinder the clergy as they perform their sacred tasks.
b. Friar Tuck was a member of the clergy who loved a jolly jest.
c. The majority of the clergy felt the new morality was a menace to society.
noun [ C ]
a person who treats ailments by massage and manipulation of the vertebrae and other forms of therapy on the theory that disease results from interference with the normal functioning of the nervous system
chiropractor
/ˈkaɪ.roʊ.præk.tɚ/
a. The chiropractor tried to relieve the pain by manipulating the spinal column.
b. Mrs. Lehrer confirmed that a chiropractor had been treating her.
c. The chiropractor recommended hot baths between treatments.
noun [ C ]
an insect with a slender body and powerful sting
wasp
/wɑːsp/
a. When the wasps descended on the picnic, we ran in all directions.
b. A swarm of wasps attacked us as we were reclining on the porch.
c. The piercing sting of a wasp can be very painful.
noun [ C ] mainly US
place where bodies of unknown persons found dead
are kept; the reference library of a newspaper office
morgue
(UK usually mortuary)
/mɔːrɡ/
a. There is a slender chance that we can identify the body in the morgue.
b. Bodies in the morgue are preserved by low temperatures.
c. In the morgue of the New York Times there are biographies of most famous people.
noun [ U ] formal or old-fashioned
very great anger; rage
wrath
/rɑːθ/
a. Anticipating Father’s wrath, we tried to give him the news slowly.
b. There is no rage like the wrath of an angry bear.
c. After Ernie’s wrath subsided, we were able to tell him what happened.
noun [ C ]
platform built on the shore or out from the shore beside which ships can load or unload
wharf
/wɔːrf/
plural wharves
a. We watched the exhausted laborers unloading the cargo on the wharf.
b. The lawyer insisted that his client was never seen near the wharf where the crime had taken place.
c. Waiting at the wharf for the supply ships to unload was a starving multitude of people.
noun
piece of paper used in voting; the whole number of votes cast; the method of secret voting; to vote or decide by using ballots
ballot
/ˈbæl.ət/
a. Clyde, confident of victory, dropped his ballot into the box.
b. After we counted the ballots a second time, Leo’s victory was confirmed.
c. To avoid embarrassing the candidates, we ballot instead of showing hands.
