Vocabulary Building: Common Words

Abate

• To reduce in intensity, activity, or amount.
• For example, as feelings of nervousness subsided during a speech.

Abstract

• Existing in the mind, not as a physical reality.
• Julie had difficulty appreciating the deeper meaning of the abstract painting.

Abysmal

• Extremely bad.
• An abysmal grade is received on a research paper.

Adept

• Skilled or knowledgeable in a particular area.
• She is especially adept at playing the violin.

Adequate

• Sufficiently qualified to meet a specific need.
• His resume was adequate for the job position.

Advent

• The arrival or creation of something significant.
• The advent of the light bulb changed the world.

Adversarial

• Relating to hostile opposition.
• Holding an adversarial position makes many enemies.

Advocate

• To promote or defend an idea or cause.
• To defend or promote a belief, theory, or opinion.

Aesthetic

• Concerned with beauty or refined taste.
• Implies decorations can make the wedding reception a fairy tale with aesthetic decorations.

Afford

• To be able to buy or spare something.
• To save so that to afford the ability to buy a new car.

Agitate

• To campaign to promote
• For instance, agitating for better health care.

Allow

• To give permission.
• US law allows citizens to speak openly.

Allude

• To mention something indirectly or secretively.
• The problem was alluded to without further explanation.

Altercation

• Occurs as a noisy argument or disagreement.
• Someone would get into an altercation with a at a bar.

Ambiguous

• Unclear or vague in meaning.
• A personal statement made created some uncertaintly

Ambitious

• Displaying a powerful desire to achieve success.
• Someone showing ambitious behaviour desires to be president.

Ambivalence

• The state of experiencing uncertainty or conflicting feelings.
• Prevented the person from signing a contract immediately.

Analogous

• Similar but not identical.
• Green onions share similarities with spring onions.

Annihilate

• To destroy or cause complete devastation.
• Destroying a group of rebels.

Anomaly

• Something deviates from the norm.
• An irregular and very rare event.

Anticipate

• Regarded as likely to happen.
• The party was expected to be very fun and exciting.

Antipathy

• Denotes a strong feeling of dislike.
• It is shown by eye rolling.

Apex

• The highest point.
• The spring play was regarded as the peak.

Apprehension

• Feeling anxious of a feared event.
• A case left the house in fear and apprehension.

Articulate

• Speaking with clear pronunciation for complete clarity.
• Thoughts can be expressed clearly with concise sentences.

Artificial

• A product made by humans and not found in nature.
• Used to make candy more flavorful.

Assertion

• A declaration made emphatically.
• A claim made about shark and mammal classification.

Austere

• Very plain or stern in appearance or manner.
• Living in a small, austere cabin is a way in the woods.

Authenticity

• Being real and true.
• Suspect's story is not valid.

Avenue

• An intangible path or approach to something.
• The company decided to pursue other avenues.

Avid

• Actively interested in or enthusiastic.
• Is an avid soccer fan.

Basic

• Foundation of something.
• Start with basic Russian before the advanced level.

Bear

• Showing resemblance in relation.
• Can bring forth growth.

Benevolent

• Kind and full of generosity.
• Spirits are a component.

Bias

• A preconception that will affect objective.
• Trying to help by investigating a crime.

Bittersweet

• A sad feeling.
• An bittersweet love story.

Bolster

• Supporting for a purpose.
• Someone supporting the couch.

Boost

• Improving a situation.
• Making a large change for customers.

Brawl

• Creating a fight.
• Will occur if someone does something wrong.

Brevity

• It is the the quality of being brief.
• Makes a romanic story, short but memorable.

Candid

• Being direct and blunt.
• In order to be successful.

Candor

• Having honesty and being frank.
• In a particular manner.

Capitalize

• To use skills so that you can have a personal advantage.
• Use math skills to work as a register.

Capture

• Can successfully imitate.
• Possessing something is beauty.

Civic

• Related to the city.
• Having a civil duty.

Clinical

• Emotionally detach when being used
• Her words were intended to be clinical.

Clout

• To have a special advantage.
• A person can believe they have power.

Coarse

• Indicates the texture of something.
• Having a rough mane.

Coincide

• To have the same amount of time.
• Realizing the concert with finals.

Commission

• Use money to request what you want.
• The art was requested merchant in 1589.

Comparable

• To be able to be compared.
• As shown between this and that.

Competent

• Sufficiently qualified.
• Has the ability to create a website.

Complacent

• Satisfied not desire.
• Award where he was an artist.

Complement

• Describes to improve or change.
• Complements the gourmet perfectly and completely .

Concede

• A case where to be forced to do or surrender.
• They finally surrendered and last conceded.

Conceive

• Ability to come up with or imagine with someone.
• Something needs to be conceived.

Condone

• Approve or overlook someone.
• Does something that was rebellious.

Conducive

• When they are able to bring or are suitable to.
• Noise is hardly conducive to studying.

Conduct

• To control or manage what happens.
• To behave in a certain way and conduct yourself well with it.

Confide

• To give or share information to someone.
• Sharing secrets so that one can build a better friendship.

Confine

• To establish limits on the usage and restriction.
• Having to focus on just drinking only.

Consensus

• Agreement from all parties.
• A stage where there is constant debate and then panel finally came to consensus.

Constitute

• For something to take form.
• Composing parts to constitute something.

Contemplate

• Taking the time so that all can deeply express them self.
• It is only ok if all can express that to said teacher.

Contend

• Be against someone.
• Make something terrorists.

Contradict

• Opposing the contrast.
• Having the camera footage shown against an alibi.

Controversial

• Causing a mass debated argument.
• To create a controversial debate.

Conventional

• Accepting standards from others.
• Living a standard life in the suburbs.

Convey

• Passing and accepting in a specific manner.
• To have problem conveying in writing well.

Conviction

• Having a firm belief.
• Prevents the food consumption.

Corroborate

• Giving evidence to back an idea.
• His father's claim.

Counteract

• Disagreeing with something.
• Make something counter the others.

Counterargument

• Is where a topic has so many different perspective.
• It has to be that way to show how certain ones can be used.

Counterproductive

• The accomplishment.
• Making bad decisions.

Culmination

• Reaching a result act.
• Something is very unforgettable.

Cultivate

• Getting the growth of something.
• Showing how to teach.

Decree

• Declared with higher power.
• Having presidents to declare the national holiday.

Deference

• Shows respect.
• Treating the elderly.

Deficient

• Not having enough.
• The documents need to be better.

Demonstrate

• Display the example.
• Will allow the dance to have example.

Demur

• Expressing a hesitation of action.
• Make a department transfer.

Deplete

• Reduce the population of something.
• Campers lost all their food.

Desolate

• Being barren and empty.
• The desolate landscape

Devise

• Lana did a plan.
• Wanted to achieve self-fame.

Dilemma

• A hard decison you have to decide what to choose
• Needs there to be commercial.

Diligence

• Something is about to occur in life
• There will need to someone for with confidence.

Diminish

• Something to decrease.
• Getting away from the mosquito bites.

Dire

• Something is about to occur.
• Having the issue of safety.

Discord

• To be disagreement in a family.
• Problems over monetary issues.

Disdain

• Lack of respect.
• To say something is terrible.

Dismay

• Hopeless when making something with woe and sad feelings.
• Not even have to understand at all.

Disparage

• Feeling the need to express something to someone else.
• You may not have said something to someone at all.

Dispatch

• Sending a message quickly.
• Mother helps the daughter as she has her daughter come to the destination.

Diversification

• It starts get something diverse
• Student in the University

Doctrine

• The theory and way is to be.
• Must go through the government.

Dominion

• Power that one has.
• The country has taken over.

Dreary

• Experiencing a sad situation.
• the gray days.

Dubious

• When things can not be confirmed.
• Expressing to the the thrown.

Eccentric

• Deviate from what is normal.
• Having a very fun time with something.

Egregious

• Unpleasant for the body.
• It is making a mistake.

Eloquent

• To be highly expressive and compelling.
• It can be very compelling.

Eminent

• Top professional to make there debut.
• Make the local theater.

Emit

• Is a combination of oxygen.
• To provide cardon dioxide.

Emphatic

• Using a lot of emotions and emphasis.
• To be excited to rider the coasters.

Empirical

• Supporting you and you claim.
• To experience observation.

Endow

• God like powers to heal with the gift.
• To make a being special.

Endure

• Withstanding or fighting again something.
• Waiting something to see a choice.

Entail

• Experiencing all different nights.
• A full time work load.

Entrenched

• Being stable memory
• Having a memory in time.

Enumerate

• Expressing you will have to tell them
• Had to find more students to help.

Envy

• Being so jealous for them.
• With all the coworkers.

Erratic

• Slipping on the ice
• The car became erratic