Lesson 5

Question 1

AMBIENCE

Answer 1

n - atmosphere, mood

ex. The ambience of my favorite restaurant is more cutesy, with yellow lights and very comforting

Question 2

AMBIVALENT

Answer 2

adj - state of having mixed feelings about something or someone at the same time

ex. Susan felt ambivalent about Sarah as a girlfriend. She really loved her, but thought frequently about breaking up with her, which reflected this ambivalence

Question 3

AMELIORATE

Answer 3

v - to make something that was precarious better or more tolerable

ex. My great-uncle’s heritage considerably ameliorated my financial condition

Question 4

AMENABLE

Answer 4

adj - easily persuaded or controlled, obedient, willing to give in to the wishes of another

ex. Julia suggested me to pay for her lunch, and I was amenable, as always

Question 5

AMENITY

Answer 5

n - attractive, pleasant, useful and desirable feature of something, usually a facility/building

ex. Those little bars of soap and bottles of shampoo found in hotel rooms are known in the hotel business as amenities, things to increase costumer comfort

Question 6

AMIABLE

Answer 6

adj - friendly, agreeable, displaying pleasant manner

ex. In our first meeting I was afraid to meet her, but Mary is so amiable!

related words: amicable (adj - used to describe politely friendly interactions, usually the ones that are not expected to be like that - ex. Two countries might trade amicably with each other even while technically remaining enemies)

Question 7

AMORAL

Answer 7

adj - lacking any sense of moral, the state of not knowing what is good and what’s bad

ex. A moral person does right, an immoral person does wrong and an amoral person just does, without worrying about moral feelings

Question 8

AMOROUS

Answer 8

adj - feeling, showing sexual desire; relating to love

ex. The amorous couple made quite a scene at that movie, don’t you think?

Question 9

AMORPHOUS

Answer 9

adj - having no definite form, shapeless

ex. Ed’s teacher said that his exam was amorphous; it was shapeless and disorganised as a cloud

Question 10

ANACHRONISM

Answer 10

n - something out of place in time or in history, without clear chronological order, often used to describe old-fashioned elements

ex. In these days of impersonal schools, a teacher who remembers your name seems like an anachronism