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English Vocabulary in Use

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  1. opportunistic
    taking advantage of any circumstance of possible benefit
  2. methodical
    characterized by orderliness
  3. chauvinistic
    fanatically patriotic
  4. obliging
    showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others
  5. gallant
    having or displaying great dignity or nobility
  6. superficial
    of, affecting, or being on or near the surface
  7. tactless
    lacking what is considerate in dealing with others
  8. hinge
    a joint that holds two parts together so that one can swing
  9. sagacious
    acutely insightful and wise
  10. intuitive
    spontaneously derived from or prompted by a natural tendency
  11. procrastinate
    waste time or postpone doing what one should be doing
  12. diligent
    quietly and steadily persevering in detail or exactness
  13. placid
    calm and free from disturbance
  14. plague
    any large-scale calamity
  15. magnetic
    of or relating to or caused by attraction for iron
  16. self-seeking
    interested only in yourself
  17. shrewd
    marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
  18. flashy
    tastelessly showy
  19. altruistic
    showing unselfish concern for the welfare of others
  20. morose
    showing a brooding ill humor
  21. sharp tongue
    a bitter or critical manner of speaking
  22. faultfinder
    someone who is critical of the motives of others
  23. naive
    marked by or showing unaffected simplicity
  24. downfall
    a sudden decline in strength or number or importance
  25. unstinting
    given or giving freely, generously, or without restriction
  26. cunning
    showing inventiveness and skill
  27. sly
    marked by skill in deception
  28. dogged
    stubbornly unyielding
  29. mulish
    unreasonably stubborn or rigid
  30. sullen
    showing a brooding ill humor
  31. thrifty
    mindful of the future in spending money
  32. stingy
    unwilling to spend
  33. parsimonious
    excessively unwilling to spend
  34. pitchy
    having the characteristics of pitch or tar
  35. terse
    brief and to the point
  36. industrious
    characterized by hard work and perseverance
  37. industrious
    characterized by hard work and perseverance
  38. crave
    have an appetite or great desire for
  39. thirst
    a physiological need to drink
  40. coveted
    greatly desired
  41. defuse
    remove the triggering device from
  42. placate
    cause to be more favorably inclined
  43. conciliate
    gain the good will of or cause to be more favorably inclined
  44. appease
    make peace with
  45. rejoice
    feel happiness
  46. exultant
    joyful and proud especially because of triumph or success
  47. jubilant
    full of high-spirited delight
  48. rapture
    a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion
  49. bliss
    a state of extreme happiness
  50. antipathy
    a feeling of intense dislike
  51. unsympathetic
    lacking in sympathy and kindness
  52. loathing
    hate coupled with disgust
  53. abhorrence
    hate coupled with disgust
  54. scorn
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
  55. revulsion
    intense aversion
  56. repulsion
    the act of successfully defending against an attack
  57. bland
    lacking taste or flavor or tang
  58. brash
    offensively bold
  59. dowdy
    lacking in stylishness or taste
  60. fickle
    liable to sudden unpredictable change
  61. fuddy-duddy
    a person who is old-fashioned in attitude or appearance
  62. grasping
    immoderately desirous of acquiring e.g. wealth
  63. nitpicker
    someone who makes small and unjustified criticisms
  64. obnoxious
    causing disapproval or protest
  65. obsequious
    attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
  66. off-hand
    without preparation
  67. officious
    intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner
  68. ostentatious
    intended to attract notice and impress others
  69. pompous
    puffed up with vanity
  70. pretentious
    creating an appearance of importance or distinction
  71. puerile
    displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
  72. sloppy
    lacking neatness or order
  73. squalid
    foul and run-down and repulsive
  74. trite
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
  75. banal
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
  76. scrawny
    being very thin
  77. lanky
    tall and thin and having long slender limbs
  78. gangling
    tall and thin and having long slender limbs
  79. portly
    fairly large
  80. stout
    having rugged physical strength
  81. corpulent
    excessively large
  82. unkempt
    not properly maintained or cared for
  83. swarthy
    naturally having skin of a dark color
  84. sallow
    unhealthy looking
  85. haggard
    showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
  86. pout
    be in a huff and display one's displeasure
  87. grimace
    contort the face to indicate a certain mental state
  88. scowl
    frown with displeasure
  89. impetuous
    characterized by undue haste and lack of thought
  90. impulsive
    without forethought
  91. effusive
    uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm
  92. excitable
    responding quickly with strong emotion or agitation
  93. pushy
    marked by aggressive ambition and energy and initiative
  94. garrulous
    full of trivial conversation
  95. taciturn
    habitually reserved and uncommunicative
  96. introverted
    shy, reserved, or inward looking
  97. extrovert
    a person directed toward others as opposed to the self
  98. diffident
    showing modest reserve
  99. aloof
    distant, cold, or detached in manner
  100. haughty
    having or showing arrogant superiority
  101. disdainful
    having or showing arrogant superiority
  102. unapproachable
    reserved and discouraging intimacies
  103. self-important
    having or showing feelings of unwarranted importance out of overbearing pride
  104. modest
    marked by simplicity; having a humble opinion of yourself
  105. flirt
    talk or behave amorously, without serious intentions
  106. naive
    marked by or showing unaffected simplicity
  107. gullible
    naive and easily deceived or tricked
  108. conscientious
    characterized by extreme care and great effort
  109. obstinate
    refusing to change one's mind or ways; difficult to convince
  110. pigheaded
    impossibly stubborn
  111. unscrupulous
    without principles
  112. give way
    move in order to make room for someone for something
  113. sounding
    appearing to be as specified
  114. hoot
    a loud raucous cry (as of an owl)
  115. toot
    a blast of a horn
  116. jumping
    the act of jumping; propelling yourself off the ground
  117. red light
    the signal to stop
  118. reckless
    marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences
  119. breathalyser
    a device that measures chemicals (especially the alcohol content) in a person's expired breath
  120. hit-and-run
    involving a driver of a motor vehicle who leaves the scene of an accident
  121. ban
    prohibit especially by law or social pressure
  122. on the spot
    at the place in question; there
  123. exhaust
    wear out completely
  124. tailback
    (American football) the person who plays tailback
  125. pileup
    multiple collisions of vehicles
  126. diverted
    pleasantly occupied
  127. clamp
    a device that holds things firmly together
  128. road rage
    violence exhibited by drivers in traffic
  129. skidder
    a person who slips or slides because of loss of traction
  130. scheduled
    planned for some certain time or times
  131. charter
    a document creating an institution and specifying its rights
  132. budget
    a summary of intended expenditures
  133. stopover
    a stopping place on a journey
  134. boast
    talk about oneself with excessive pride or self-regard
  135. horde
    a vast multitude
  136. wealth
    property that has economic value
  137. tract
    an extended area of land
  138. virgin
    a person who has never had sex
  139. flora
    all the plant life in a particular region or period
  140. fauna
    all the animal life in a particular region or period
  141. ecotourism
    tourism to exotic or threatened ecosystems to observe wildlife or to help preserve nature
  142. unwind
    reverse the twisting of
  143. recharge
    charge anew
  144. discerning
    having or revealing keen insight and good judgment
  145. rapport
    a relationship of mutual understanding between people
  146. workmate
    a fellow worker
  147. talk shop
    discuss matters that are related to work
  148. hierarchy
    a series of ordered groupings within a system
  149. pecking order
    the organization of people at different ranks in an administrative body
  150. freelance
    a writer or artist who sells services to different employers without a long-term contract with any of them
  151. deadline
    the point in time at which something must be completed
  152. day shift
    the work shift during the day (as 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
  153. repetitive
    persistent
  154. knocking
    the sound of knocking
  155. monotonous
    sounded or spoken in a tone unvarying in pitch
  156. dead-end
    lacking opportunities for development or advancement
  157. paperwork
    work that involves handling papers: forms or letters or reports etc.
  158. manual
    of or relating to the hands
  159. vacation
    leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
  160. advertisement
    a public promotion of some product or service
  161. ambitious
    having a strong desire for success or achievement
  162. basic
    reduced to the simplest and most significant form possible
  163. drive
    operate or control a vehicle
  164. rewarding
    providing personal satisfaction
  165. close-knit
    held together tightly, as by social or cultural ties
  166. diverse
    distinctly dissimilar or unlike
  167. lucrative
    producing a sizeable profit
  168. motivated
    strongly driven to succeed or achieve something
  169. eager
    having or showing keen interest or intense desire
  170. dynamic
    characterized by action or forcefulness of personality
  171. perk
    an incidental benefit awarded for certain types of employment (especially if it is regarded as a right)
  172. benefit
    something that aids or promotes well-being
  173. increment
    the amount by which something increases
  174. reach
    move forward or upward in order to touch
  175. overwork
    work excessively hard
  176. telemarketing
    the act of selling products or services by calling people on the phone
  177. inertia
    the tendency of something to stay in rest or motion
  178. confusion
    a mistake that results from taking one thing to be another
  179. loss leader
    a featured article of merchandise sold at a loss in order to draw customers
  180. niche
    a small concavity
  181. on approval
    for examination (with an option to buy)
  182. bid
    propose a payment
  183. lucrative
    producing a sizeable profit
  184. red tape
    needlessly time-consuming procedure
  185. merging
    the act of joining together as one
  186. compromise
    an accommodation in which both sides make concessions
  187. entrepreneur
    someone who organizes a business venture
  188. assets
    anything of material value owned by a person or company
  189. tender
    easy to cut or chew
  190. outstanding
    of major significance or importance
  191. acknowledge
    declare to be true or admit the existence or reality of
  192. ship
    a vessel that carries passengers or freight
  193. shipment
    the act of sending off something
  194. expire
    lose validity
  195. communicating
    the activity of conveying information
  196. morale
    a state of individual psychological well-being
  197. flaw
    an imperfection in an object or machine
  198. teamwork
    cooperative labor done by a group
  199. arid
    lacking sufficient water or rainfall
  200. prone
    having a tendency
  201. drought
    a shortage of rainfall
  202. tundra
    a vast treeless plain where subsoil is permanently frozen
  203. coniferous
    of or relating to cone-bearing trees or shrubs
  204. prairie
    a treeless grassy plain
  205. paddy field
    an irrigated or flooded field where rice is grown
  206. cereal
    grass whose starchy grains are used as food: wheat
  207. tend
    have a disposition to do or be something; be inclined
  208. forefront
    the part that is most forward or nearest the viewer
  209. generate
    bring into existence
  210. descender
    someone who descends
  211. ancestor
    someone from whom you are descended
  212. migrant
    traveler who moves from one region or country to another
  213. settled
    established in a desired position or place; not moving about
  214. chilly
    appreciably or disagreeably cold
  215. freezing
    the withdrawal of heat to change something from a liquid to a solid
  216. nippy
    a sharp biting taste
  217. hot
    having a high or higher than desirable temperature
  218. boiling
    the application of heat to change something from a liquid to a gas
  219. sweltering
    excessively hot and humid; marked by sweating and faintness
  220. roasting
    cooking by dry heat in an oven
  221. windy
    abounding in or exposed to the wind or breezes
  222. blowy
    abounding in or exposed to the wind or breezes
  223. breezy
    abounding in or exposed to the wind or breezes
  224. oppressive
    weighing heavily on the senses or spirit
  225. sultry
    attractive and suggesting hidden passion
  226. stifling
    characterized by oppressive heat and humidity
  227. heavy
    of comparatively great physical weight or density
  228. close
    at or within a short distance in space or time
  229. downpour
    a heavy rain
  230. deluge
    a heavy rain
  231. chunking
    (psychology) the configuration of smaller units of information into large coordinated units
  232. muggy
    hot or warm and humid
  233. clammy
    unpleasantly cool and humid
  234. cultural
    relating to the shared knowledge and values of a society
  235. current
    occurring in or belonging to the present time
  236. financial
    involving fiscal matters
  237. moral
    concerned with principles of right and wrong
  238. political
    involving or characteristic of governing or social power
  239. social
    living together or enjoying life in communities
  240. prevailing
    most frequent or common
  241. frosty
    covered with a thin layer of ice
  242. icily
    in a cold and icy manner
  243. haze
    dust or smoke in the air that causes reduced visibility
  244. misty-eyed
    having eyes blurred as with tears
  245. whirlwind
    a column of air spinning around itself
  246. thunder
    a booming or crashing noise along the path of lightning
  247. applause
    a demonstration of approval by clapping the hands together
  248. thunderous
    loud enough to cause (temporary) hearing loss
  249. mammal
    a warm-blooded vertebrate having the skin covered with hair
  250. rodent
    a mammal having two pairs of ever-growing front teeth for gnawing
  251. reptile
    a cold-blooded vertebrate including snakes and lizards
  252. carnivore
    a terrestrial or aquatic flesh-eating mammal
  253. herbivore
    any animal that feeds chiefly on grass and other plants
  254. predator
    any animal that lives by preying on other animals
  255. docile
    easily handled or managed
  256. tame
    brought from wildness into a domesticated state
  257. domesticate
    make fit for cultivation and service to humans
  258. wild
    wild, free, and not controlled or touched by humans
  259. savage
    without civilizing influences
  260. fierce
    marked by extreme and violent energy
  261. habitat
    the type of environment in which an organism normally lives
  262. bird sanctuary
    a building where birds are kept
  263. shelter
    covering that provides protection from the weather
  264. poacher
    someone who hunts or fishes illegally
  265. shrinking
    the act of becoming less
  266. endangered species
    a species whose numbers are so small that the species is at risk of extinction
  267. global warming
    a rise in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere
  268. fossil fuel
    energy-producing substance derived from preserved organisms
  269. greenhouse effect
    warming due to solar radiation trapped by the atmosphere
  270. exert
    put to use
  271. finite
    bounded in magnitude or spatial or temporal extent
  272. deforestation
    the state of being clear of trees
  273. environment
    the totality of surrounding conditions
  274. credential
    a document attesting to the truth of certain stated facts
  275. sustainable
    capable of being prolonged
  276. squat
    sit on one's heels
  277. hovel
    small crude shelter used as a dwelling
  278. penthouse
    a luxurious apartment on the top floors of a building
  279. rat race
    an exhausting routine that leaves no time for relaxation
  280. feng shui
    the practice of arranging spaces for harmony and balance
  281. minimalism
    an art movement in sculpture and painting that began in the 1950s and emphasized extreme simplification of form and color
  282. subsistence farming
    farming that provides for the basic needs of the farmer without surpluses for marketing
  283. hit home
    refer to or be relevant or familiar to
  284. adherent
    someone who believes and helps to spread a doctrine
  285. convert
    change the nature, purpose, or function of something
  286. fanatic
    a person motivated by irrational enthusiasm
  287. radical
    far beyond the norm
  288. reactionary
    extremely conservative or resistant to change
  289. bigot
    a prejudiced person who is intolerant of differing opinions
  290. feminism
    a doctrine that advocates equal rights for women
  291. assumption
    the act of taking something for granted
  292. derive
    come from
  293. eradicate
    destroy completely, as if down to the roots
  294. postulate
    maintain or assert
  295. consciousness
    an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself
  296. usher in
    bring into being or mark the beginning of
  297. credible
    capable of being believed
  298. credulous
    showing a lack of judgment or experience
  299. incredulous
    not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving
  300. credence
    the mental attitude that something is believable
  301. gullible
    naive and easily deceived or tricked
  302. ingenuous
    lacking in sophistication or worldliness
  303. plausible
    apparently reasonable, valid, or truthful
  304. implausible
    highly imaginative but unlikely
  305. ascribe
    attribute or credit to
  306. attribute
    a quality belonging to or characteristic of an entity
  307. tenet
    a basic principle or belief that is accepted as true
  308. for keeps
    for the winner to keep all
  309. in the nick of time
    at the last possible moment
  310. over-the-hill
    too old to be useful
  311. has-been
    someone who is no longer popular
  312. in a flash
    without any delay
  313. fleeting
    lasting for a markedly brief time
  314. transient
    lasting a very short time
  315. persistent
    stubbornly unyielding
  316. inexorable
    impossible to prevent, resist, or stop
  317. incipient
    only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
  318. pristine
    immaculately clean and unused
  319. protracted
    relatively long in duration
  320. lingering
    the act of tarrying
Created on Thu Jul 04 13:04:07 EDT 2013 (updated Thu Jul 04 23:14:05 EDT 2013)

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