Vocabulary Building: A Words

• Accessible describes something easy to reach or use.
• An account is a record of financial transactions.
• Acquire means to obtain something.
• Addition refers to something added to another thing.
• Advanced describes something highly developed or complex.
• An advance is progress or a forward movement.
• Aggressive describes someone hostile or forceful.
• Age is the length of time someone has lived.
• Agriculture is the practice of farming.
• The air force is the military branch using aircraft.
• All of a sudden means suddenly.
• All on (your) own means without help.
• All over the place means disorganized or scattered.
• All is well means everything is fine.
• Altogether means completely or in total.
• Ambition is a strong desire to achieve.
• Ambitious describes someone determined to succeed.
• Analyze means to examine in detail.
• Annoy means to irritate someone.
• Annoying describes something causing irritation.
• Any minute now means very soon.
• Apparent describes something clearly visible or understood.
• Apparently means based on what seems true.
• Appropriate describes something suitable or proper.
• An approach is a method or way of dealing with something.
• Argue means to present reasons for/against something.
• An argument is a disagreement.
• Artistic describes something related to art or creativity.
• Ashamed describes someone feeling guilty or embarrassed.
• Aside means to one side.
• Assure means to promise confidently.
• At fault means responsible for a mistake.
• At (his) best means performing at the highest ability.
• At least means no less than.
• Atmosphere is the air or mood of a place.
• Average describes something typical or ordinary.
• Awareness is knowledge or perception of something.

B

• A bank account is an account held at a bank.
• Barely means only just; almost not.
• A barrier is an obstacle.
• Be about to (do something) means ready to do something soon.
• Be expecting (a baby) means to be pregnant.
• Be in charge of means to have control over.
• Be out of means to have no more left.
• Be responsible for means to have control over something.
• Be situated on means to be located in a place.
• Behind means at the back of.
• A bell is a metal object that rings when struck.
• Before means earlier in time.
• Blame is responsibility for a fault.
• Blow up means to explode or inflate.
• Boiled describes something cooked in boiling water.
• Bold describes someone confident or courageous.
• A brake is a device to stop movement; to stop.
• A breeze is a light wind.
• Bring up means to mention or raise a child.
• Brilliant describes something extremely bright or intelligent.
• Burst into tears means to suddenly start crying.

C

• Calculate means to determine mathematically.
• Capture means to catch or take control.
• A chairperson is the leader of a meeting.
• Challenge means to invite competition.
• A characteristic is a distinguishing feature.
• Chase means to pursue; the act of pursuing.
• Check out means to investigate or leave a place.
• Cheers! is an expression of thanks or celebration.
• Claim means to demand as true.
• Classical describes something traditional or timeless.
• A coach is a trainer; to train.
• A collector is someone who gathers items.
• Come first means to be the top priority.
• Common means shared by many.
• A competitor is a rival in business or sports.
• Complicated describes something difficult to understand.
• Conduct means to carry out.
• A consequence is a result of an action.
• Consequently means as a result.
• Considerable describes something large in importance.
• Current means happening now.
• Cope means to deal effectively.
• Courage is bravery.
• Courageous describes someone brave.
• Criticize means to point out faults.
• A cure is a remedy; to heal.
• Cyberbullying is bullying online.
• A cycle is a series of events; to ride a bicycle.

D

• Debt is money owed to someone else.
• A decade is a period of ten years.
• Decorate means to make something look attractive.
• Decrease means to become smaller or fewer.
• Dedicate means to devote time/effort to something.
• Defeat is loss; to overcome an opponent.
• Delayed describes something late or postponed.
• Demanding describes something requiring much effort.
• Determine means to decide conclusively.
• Developed describes something advanced economically.
• Development is growth or progress.
• Differ means to be unlike.
• Disabled describes someone having physical limitations.
• Disagreement is a difference of opinion.
• Disappointed describes someone saddened by unmet expectations.
• Disappointment is the feeling of being let down.
• Disaster is a sudden catastrophic event.
• Discovery is the act of finding something new.
• Dishonest describes someone not truthful.
• Dislike means to not enjoy something.
• Disturb means to interrupt or bother.
• Divide means to separate into parts.
• Don’t ask! is an expression to avoid explanation.
• Doubt is uncertainty.
• Doubt means to question something’s truth.
• Draft is a preliminary version.
• Dramatic describes something emotionally intense.
• A drop is a small liquid amount; to let fall.
• Divorce is the legal end of marriage.
• Divorced describes someone no longer married.

E

• An earthquake is a sudden ground shaking.
• Educate means to teach.
• An educator is a teacher.
• Efficient describes someone productive without waste.
• Elderly describes someone old-aged.
• Either way means in any case.
• Emotional describes something relating to strong feelings.
• Emphasize means to give special importance.
• Enjoyable describes something pleasant.
• Enjoyment is pleasure.
• An essay is a short piece of writing.
• Essentially means basically.
• Even if means despite possibility.
• Even though means despite fact.
• An event is a planned occasion.
• Expected describes something anticipated.
• An expression is a word/phrase conveying feeling.
• An explosion is a violent burst.
• Export is goods sent abroad.
• Extraordinary describes something remarkable.
• Extreme describes something reaching high degree.

F

• Fall in love means to begin loving someone.
• A feature is a distinctive characteristic.
• Feedback is evaluative response.
• Findings are research results.
• Firmly means in a strong manner.
• Fit means in good health.
• A flood is water overflow
• Focus is the center of attention
• Focus on means to concentrate on
• Folk means people generally
• Follow means to go after
• A fool is a silly person
• Foolish means lacking sense
• For (my) sake means for my benefit
• For the fun of it means just for enjoyment
• The forehead is the face above eyes
• Former means previous
• Free means unrestricted
• Fresh means new/unpreserved
• Frequent means happening often

G

• Gain means To obtain or increase
• Generate means To produce/create
• Generous means Willing to give
• Gentleman is a polite man
• Genuine means Real/sincere
• Get away with means Escape punishment
• Get in means Enter
• Get in touch means Contact someone
• Get rid of means Remove/discard
• Get the phone means Answer a call
• Get worse means Deteriorate
• Get (something) wrong means Make a mistake
• Give up means Quit
• Give away means Donate/reveal secretly
• Go ahead means Proceed
• Go out means Leave home socially
• Grown-up is an Adult
• Guidance means Advice/direction

H

• Hardware means Physical tech components
• Harmful means Causing damage
• Headquarters is a Main office
• Highlight means Emphasize
• A historian is a History expert
• Hold up means Delay/rob
• Hopefully means It is hoped
• Hunt means Chase for food/sport
• Hurry up means Do quickly

I

• Identical means exactly alike
• Illness means Disease/sickness
• Immigration means Moving to a new country
• Immoral means Unethical
• Impress means Make someone admire you
• Impression means Effect on someone’s mind
• In actual fact means Really
• In connection with means Related to
• In tears means Crying
• In that case means Therefore
• In the meantime means Meanwhile
• In turn means One after another
• Indoor means Inside a building
• Infection means Disease spread by germs
• Interaction means Communication between people
• Interest means Curiosity/attention

J

• Just about means Almost
• Just as clever as means Equally smart
• Justice means Fairness

K

• Keep on means Continue
• Knowledge means Information/understanding

L

• Layer is a Sheet/level
• Leave behind means Forget to bring
• Lecture is a Educational talk
• Let in means Allow to enter
• Let out means Release
• Lightly means Gently
• Limitation means Restriction
• Little means Small
• Lively means Full of energy

M

• Make sense means Be logical
• Make up (his) mind means Decide
• Material means Physical substance
• Mention means Refer to briefly
• Might as well means Should probably
• Mineral water means Water with minerals

N

• Naturally means Normally/expectedly
• Necessarily next door means Required to be adjacent
• Neither… nor means Not one and not the other
• Nevertheless means Despite that
• Not at all means Absolutely not
• Not believe (your) ears means Be shocked by what you hear
• Not only means In addition to

O

• An objective is a Goal/target
• Occupied means In use/busy
• On a diet means Eating controlled foods
• On the one hand… on the other hand means Comparing viewpoints
• Once in a while means Occasionally
• An organization is a Structured group
• Out of date means No longer valid

P

• Pace is Speed
• Participate means Take part
• The past is time before now
• A penalty is punishment
• Personality means Character traits
• Personally means From one’s own view
• Planned means Arranged in advance
• Population means All inhabitants
• Potential means Possible ability
• Pressure is Stress/force
• Prevent means Stop from happening
• Principal means Most important
• Proposed means Suggested
• Protest* is objection, also means to object
• Psychological means relating to the mind
• Psychology is the study of the mind
• Purpose means reason for existing
• Put up with means tolerate

Q

• Quality means Degree of excellence
• A question is any inquiry
• A queue is a line of waiting people
• Quarrel means argument, also means to argue

R

• A rainbow is a multicolored arc in the sky
• Reasonable means fair or logical
• A reason is a cause or explanation
• Reassure means to comfort someone
• Recycle means to process for reuse
• A refund is money returned
• A region is an area or territory
• Regional means relating to a region
• Regret means to feel sorry about
• Related means connected
• A relationship is a connection between people
• Relax means to become less tense
• Relaxed means calm or not worried
• Relevant means closely connected
• A remark is a comment, also means to comment
• Remote means far away
• Replace means to take the place of
• Request means to politely ask for
• Research is a systematic study
• A researcher is a person who conducts studies
• A reservation is a booking or qualification
• Respect is admiration
• Respectable means worthy of respect
• A result is an outcome or effect
• Retirement is leaving work permanently
• Rob means steal from
• A role is a function or part played
• Romance is a love affair
• Romantic is an idealized love
• Roughly means approximately
• Rub out means erase
• Run out of means exhaust supply

S

• Salary is regular payment for work
• Satisfied means pleased/content
• A schedule is a plan/timetable
• A scene is a place where something happens
• A sense is a feeling/meaning
• Sensible means practical/reasonable
• Shortly means soon
• Show around means give a tour
• Show up means arrive/appear
• Shut someone up means make quiet
• Shut down means close/stop operating
• A sidewalk is a paved pedestrian path
• Significant means important
• Similarity means alikeness
• Skillful means having ability
• Sound angry means seem upset
• A special offer is a discounted deal
• A speed limit is a maximum allowed speed
• Split up means to separate
• Spoil means ruin/overindulge
• A sportsman is a male athlete
• A sportswoman is a female athlete
• Spread means extend over area
• Start off means begin
• Stay over means sleep at another’s home
• Step away means move aside
• Step on (something) means tread on
• Strangely enough means surprisingly
• Suffer from means experience pain/illness
• Sum up means summarize
• Survive means continue to live

T

• Take a risk means do something daring
• Take advantage of means use opportunistically
• Take part means participate
• Take (someone) out means escort socially
• That’s it means that’s everything
• A theory is a system of ideas
• Throw away means discard
• Tie up means fasten/occupy
• A tip is advice or gratuity
• To start with means initially
• A traffic jam is road congestion
• Turn (something) into means transform

U

• Uncomfortable means uneasy
• Understand means comprehend
• Undressed means not wearing clothes
• Unemployed means without a job
• Unexpected means not foreseen
• Unique means one-of-a-kind
• Universal means worldwide
• Unknown means not familiar
• Unlike means different from
• Unpack means remove from luggage
• Unhealthy means harmful to health
• Untied means not fastened

V

• Vary means differ
• Via means through/by means of
• Vision means sight/mental image

W

• Warm means heat slightly
• Warmth means moderate heat
• Wear out means become exhausted/damaged
• Weakness means flaw
• The weather forecast is a weather prediction
• Who cares? is an expression of indifference
• Worthwhile means valuable

Y

• Yours sincerely is a formal letter closing