Essential Vocabulary: Definitions and Examples
Impress
To impress: To make someone feel admiration and respect. Their performance impressed the judges.
Bring Out
Bring out: To produce and launch a new product or publication. The music band is bringing out a new video.
Peer
Peer: A person who is an equal in social standing, rank. Teenagers exert peer pressure on their fellows to conform to set norms.
Willing
Willing: Ready or prepared to do something. I’m willing to cook dinner tonight.
Shun
To shun: To avoid. To ignore or reject someone or something. He shunned fashionable society.
Comfort
Comfort: A state of ease and freedom from pain. There is a room for four people to travel in comfort.
Convenience
Convenience: A thing that contributes to an easy and effortless way of life. Having an automatic espresso machine is a convenience few can afford.
Tend To
Tend to: To have a general disposition; be inclined. I tend to do my homework before I eat dinner.
Trend
Trend: Fashion; mode. His sister was always up with the latest trends.
White Goods
White goods: Large household appliances, such as refrigerators, cookers. White goods often go on sale after Christmas.
Afford
To afford: To have enough money to pay for. We can’t afford a large house.
Display
Display: To show. They will display his paintings in the gallery next month.
Rate
Rate: The relative speed of progress. The rate of growth is amazing.
Gather
Gather: To come together, assemble or reunite. You could see the clouds gathering before the storm.
Petition
Petition: A formal written request, typically one signed by many people.
Preserve
Preserve: To maintain something in its original or existing state.
Marks
Marks: An indication or record of something. The falling chair left a mark on the wall.
Endangered
Endangered: Seriously at risk of extinction. Tigers are an endangered species and must be protected.
Toad
Toad: A variety of amphibian like a frog.
Tadpoles
Tadpoles: Frog or toad larva.
Dwelling
Dwelling: A house, flat, or other place of residence. Sales of single-family dwellings are improving.
Rely On
Rely on: To depend on. Ralph is so untrustworthy that you can never rely on what he says.
Moisten
Moisten: To make slightly wet. He moistened her lips.
Susceptible
Susceptible: Easy to impress.
Offspring
Offspring: Children.
Hand On
To hand on: To pass on or transmit something. Can you hand it on to her when you have finished with it, please?
Wipe Out
Wipe out: To make something disappear; eliminate. With this new weapon, we can wipe out the competition.
Trigger
To trigger: To make something happen.
Due To
Due to: Because of, caused by. The game was delayed due to bad weather.
Confined
Confined: Restricted, limited.
Striking
Striking: Surprising, outstanding.
Occur
To occur: To happen.
Record
Record: To write a document down in order to remember it in the future.
Quick-Tempered
Quick-tempered: To become angry very easily.
Good-Natured
Good-natured: Pleasant or friendly. My dog is a good-natured pet, it always greets me when I come home.
Ban
Ban: To forbid something, especially officially. The film was banned in several countries.
Disease
Disease: An illness caused by infection or a failure of health rather than an accident. The first symptom of the disease is a very high temperature.