Essential Vocabulary Flashcards
Hi dear. I am creating this deck of cards for you to expand your high frequency vocabulary. You seem to know a lot of words. We need to add to those so you can be more expressive and let go of your inhibitions, i.e., your frustrations. English will come back to you. But practice is necessary. HOW TO USE THIS TOOL: 1. Read the word or phrase that you see aloud. 2. Then, aloud, say what you remember its translation / meaning to be in Spanish. 3. Depending on how fast and accurate you were, giv (22 cards)
(To be) THE Gold standard
Synonyms English: Benchmark, Paragon
Synonyms Spanish: Referencia, Modelo a seguir
“In the world of fashion, Coco Chanel’s little black dress is still the gold standard; it’s like the little black dress of… well, little black dresses.”
“Calling something the benchmark in haute couture is bold, but if it’s got Chanel on the tag, it’s basically fashion royalty.”
Significant / Significantly
Synonyms English: Considerable, Notable
Synonyms Spanish: Considerable, Notable
“Coco Chanel made a significantly huge splash with her perfume; it was like the world had never smelled anything before!”
“Her influence in fashion is so significant, even the thrift shops try to mimic her style.”
Wealthy
Synonyms English: Affluent, Rich
Synonyms Spanish: Acaudalado, Rico
“Coco Chanel went from rags to being wealthy enough that even her poodle could have had its own mansion.”
“If being wealthy means owning more Chanel bags than days of the week, sign me up!”
Sophisticated
Synonyms English: Refined, Cultured
Synonyms Spanish: Sofisticado, Culto
“Coco’s designs were so sophisticated, they could make even a trip to the grocery store look like a walk down a Paris runway.”
“Wearing Chanel is the easiest way to look sophisticated—like turning on a ‘cultured’ switch!”
To belong
Synonyms English: Fit in, Be part of
Synonyms Spanish: Pertenecer, Ser parte de
“That vintage Chanel bag looks like it belongs in a museum, or, at the very least, my closet.”
“Some say you belong in the era you most fashion after; guess I’m stuck in the Chanel 1920s!”
Clinic
Synonyms English: Medical center, Health facility
Synonyms Spanish: Clínica, Centro de salud
“If love for fashion were a condition, Coco Chanel’s boutique would have been the best clinic.”
“I visited a beauty clinic today; sadly, they couldn’t give me Coco’s sense of style.”
Team
Synonyms English: Group, Crew
Synonyms Spanish: Equipo, Grupo
“Even Coco Chanel needed a team; fashion disasters are a group project, after all.”
“My shopping team consists of me, myself, and I—scouring for Chanel on a budget!”
To train (people)
Synonyms English: Educate, Coach
Synonyms Spanish: Capacitar, Entrenar
“Coco Chanel didn’t just create fashion; she trained people to see elegance in simplicity.”
“I’m trying to train my cat to admire Chanel, but so far, he only cares about his next meal.”
Achievement / To achieve something
Synonyms English: Accomplishment, Success
Synonyms Spanish: Logro, Éxito
“Coco’s biggest achievement might have been making comfortable women’s pants fashionable.”
“To achieve the Chanel look, start with a classic flair and a dash of daring.”
To deal with something / Someone
Synonyms English: Manage, Handle
Synonyms Spanish: Manejar, Tratar
“Dealing with fashion faux pas is easy when you have Chanel’s classics in your closet.”
“I had to deal with my jealousy when my best friend showed up in the latest Chanel.”
Unbearable
Synonyms English: Intolerable, Insufferable
Synonyms Spanish: Insoportable, Inaguantable
“Wearing non-Chanel on the red carpet? Unbearable thought for the fashion elite!”
“The wait for the new Chanel release is simply unbearable, like waiting for water to boil.”
To start something
SynonymsEnglish Synonyms:** Begin, Initiate
Spanish Synonyms: Empezar, Iniciar
“To start a trend like Chanel, just add pearls to anything and call it haute couture.”
“Whenever I start organizing my closet, I feel like I need a map and a compass—especially when it’s time to find my Chanel shoes.”
Trend
English Synonyms: Fashion, Vogue
Spanish Synonyms: Tendencia, Moda
“Following the trend set by Chanel is like trying to follow a cat; it’s elegant but unpredictable.”
“If wearing pajamas all day ever becomes a trend like Chanel’s little black dress, I’m already a fashion icon.”
Some
English Synonyms: A few, Several
Spanish Synonyms: Algunos, Unos
“I’ve got some Chanel bags, and by some, I mean not enough!”
“Some say you can’t buy happiness, but you can buy some Chanel, which is pretty close.”
Detrimental
Synonyms English: Harmful, Damaging
Synonyms Spanish: Perjudicial, Dañino
“Skipping sleep to study may seem productive, but it can actually be detrimental to your focus during the TOEFL iBT.” * “The tendency to overlook vocabulary practice can be detrimental to your reading comprehension skills, as every unfamiliar word can slow you down.”
Nuances
Synonyms English: Subtleties, Shades
Synonyms Spanish: Matices, Sutilezas
“Understanding the nuances in a passage’s tone can help you answer inference questions more accurately on the TOEFL iBT.” * “Writers often use subtle nuances to convey opinions indirectly, so pay close attention to word choice when skimming through passages.”
Counter-intuitive
Synonyms English: Illogical, Unexpected
Synonyms Spanish: Contrario a la intuición, Ilógico
“It may seem counter-intuitive, but slowing down when reading can actually help you answer questions faster by ensuring accurate comprehension.” * “Some TOEFL questions are structured in a way that feels counter-intuitive; what seems like the obvious answer might not be correct.”
To bark up the wrong tree
Synonyms English: To misjudge, To be mistaken
Synonyms Spanish: Equivocarse de camino, Ir en la dirección equivocada
“If you’re looking for the main idea in the wrong paragraph, you’re barking up the wrong tree and wasting precious test time.” * “Assuming all TOEFL questions have direct answers is like barking up the wrong tree; many require careful inference instead.”
To skim
Synonyms English: To glance over, To browse
Synonyms Spanish: Ojear, Hojear
“When you skim the text, focus on locating keywords and main ideas rather than understanding every detail.” * “It’s helpful to skim each passage first to get an overview before tackling the detailed comprehension questions.”
To be on the fence about something
Synonyms English: To be undecided, To be ambivalent
Synonyms Spanish: Estar indeciso, Estar dudoso
“Many TOEFL candidates find themselves on the fence about whether to take extra preparation courses, unsure if the investment will pay off.” * “If you’re on the fence about which answer to choose, review the question carefully for any hints you may have missed.”
Flimsy
Synonyms English: Weak, Fragile
Synonyms Spanish: Débil, Frágil
“A flimsy argument won’t convince TOEFL graders, so support your answers with concrete examples.” * “Skimming through a passage too quickly can lead to flimsy understanding, making it harder to answer detail-oriented questions.”
To evolve
Synonyms English: To develop, To progress
Synonyms Spanish: Evolucionar, Desarrollarse
“Your approach to the reading section will naturally evolve as you become more familiar with common question types.” * “The TOEFL iBT has evolved over time to include a greater emphasis on academic vocabulary and complex reading passages.”
