allot

/əˈlɒt/

Definition v.

to give time, money, tasks, etc. to somebody/something as a share of what is available

Example

• I completed the test within the time allotted.
• How much money has been allotted to us?
• We were allotted half an hour to address the committee.

Synonyms

assign, allocate

among

/əˈmʌŋ/

Definition prep.

surrounded by somebody/something; in the middle of somebody/something

Example

• a house among the trees
• I found the letter among his papers.
• youths in their late teens sitting among adults.

Definition adj.

If you are among people of a particular kind, you are with them and having contact with them.

Example

• Things weren’t so bad, after all. I was among friends again.
• I was brought up among people who read and wrote a lot.

accelerate

/əkˈseləreɪt/

Definition v.

If the process or rate of something accelerates or if something accelerates it, it gets faster and faster.

Example

• Growth will accelerate to 2.9% next year.
• The government is to accelerate its privatisation programme.

Synonyms

promote

Definition v.

When a moving vehicle accelerates, it goes faster and faster.

Example

• Suddenly the car accelerated.
• She accelerated away from us.

Synonyms

speed up, quicken

burglar

/ˈbɜːrɡlər/

Definition n.

a person who enters a building illegally in order to steal

Example

• Burglars broke into the gallery and stole dozens of priceless paintings.
• Burglars broke into their home.

Synonyms

thief, robber, housebreaker

cognitive

/ˈkɒɡnətɪv/

Definition adj.

Cognitive means relating to the mental process involved in knowing, learning, and understanding things.

Example

• a child’s cognitive development
• As children grow older, their cognitive processes become sharper.
• This is both a cognitive and an emotional process.

coincide

/ˌkəʊɪnˈsaɪd/

Definition v.

If one event coincides with another, they happen at the same time.

Example

• The exhibition coincides with the 50th anniversary of his death.
• It’s a pity our trips to New York don’t coincide.
• The strike was timed to coincide with the party conference.

Synonyms

occur simultaneously

Definition v.

If the ideas or interests of two or more people coincide , they are the same.

Example

• Our views don’t always coincide , but we always voice our opinions.
• Our father was delighted when our opinions coincided with his own.
• The interests of employers and employees do not always coincide.

Synonyms

agree, match

conservative

/kənˈsɜːrvətɪv/

Definition adj.

opposed to great or sudden social change; showing that you prefer traditional styles and values

Example

• the conservative views of his parents
• music which is accessible to an audience with extremely conservative tastes
• Her style of dress was never conservative.
• The southern state’s inhabitants tend to be socially conservative.

corridor

/ˈkɒrɪdɔː(r)/

Definition n.

a long narrow passage in a building, with doors that open into rooms on either side

Example

• His room is along the corridor.

Definition v.

A corridor is a strip of land that connects one country to another or gives it a route to the sea through another country.

Example

• The republic lay in a narrow corridor of disputed land.

deposit

/dɪˈpɒzɪt/

Definition n.

a sum of money that is given as the first part of a larger payment

Example

• They normally ask you to pay $100 (as a) deposit.
• All deposits are non-refundable.
• A £50 deposit is required when ordering, and the balance is due upon delivery .

Synonyms

down payment

Definition n.

a sum of money that is paid by somebody when they rent something and that is returned to them if they do not lose or damage the thing they are renting

Example

• to pay a deposit
• You have to pay a deposit of $1 200 as well as two months’ rent.
• They’ll probably ask you to leave a deposit.
• It is common to ask for the equivalent of a month’s rent as a deposit .

deteriorate

dɪtɪəriəreɪt

Definition v.

If something deteriorates , it becomes worse in some way.

Example

• There are fears that the situation might deteriorate into full-scale war.
• The weather conditions are deteriorating .
• Grant’s health steadily deteriorated .

Synonyms

decline, worsen, degenerate , fall

domestic

/dəˈmestɪk/

Definition adj.

of or inside a particular country; not foreign or international

Example

• domestic affairs/politics
• Even passengers on domestic flights may be required to carry ID.
• The US is unable to meet its *domestic demand* for steel in any given year.

Synonyms

home, national, internal

Definition adj.

used in the home; connected with the home or family

Example

• domestic appliances
• …a plan for sharing domestic chores .
• domestic service (= the work of a servant in a large house)
• The vast majority of paid and unpaid domestic workers are women.

dramatically

/drəˈmætɪkli/

Definition adj.

very suddenly and to a very great and often surprising degree

Example

• Prices have fallen dramatically.
• Events could have developed in a dramatically different way.
• Since then the situation has changed dramatically.

Synonyms

suddenly, immediately

entertain

/ˌentəˈteɪn/

Definition v.

to interest somebody or make somebody laugh in order to please them

Example

• The aim of the series is both to entertain and inform.
• Afterwards live bands will entertain the crowd.
• Parents can relax while the kids entertain themselves in the outdoor playground.

Synonyms

enjoyable, interesting

Definition v.

to invite people to eat or drink with you as your guests, especially in your home

Example

• Do you entertain a lot?
• Barbecues are a favourite way of entertaining friends.
• They entertained us to lunch in their new house.
• I don’t like to entertain guests anymore.
• You weren’t allowed to entertain men in your rooms even with a chaperone.

err

/ɜː(r)/

Definition v.

If you err, you make a mistake.

Example

• It criticises the main contractor for seriously erring in its original estimates.
• If you make a threat be sure to carry it out if he errs again.

fierce

/fɪəs/

Definition adj.

(especially of people or animals) angry and aggressive in a way that is frightening.

Example

• a fierce dog
• Two fierce eyes glared at them.
• He suddenly looked fierce.

Definition adj.

Fierce feelings or actions are very intense or enthusiastic, or involve great activity.

Example

• Standards are high and competition is fierce .
• His wife is his fiercest critic.
• The town was captured after a fierce battle with rebels at the weekend.

Definition adj.

Fierce conditions are very intense, great, or strong.

Example

• The climbers were trapped by a fierce storm which went on for days.
• fierce wind

Synonyms

strong, powerful, violent

grope

/ɡrəʊp/

Definition v.

to try and find something that you cannot see, by feeling with your hands

Example

• He groped around in the dark for his other sock.
• Bunbury groped in his breast pocket for his wallet .
• She groped for the railing to steady her as she fell.

Definition v.

If you grope your way to a place, you move there, holding your hands in front of you and feeling the way because you cannot see anything.

Example

• I didn’t turn on the light, but groped my way across the room.

Definition v.

grope somebody to touch somebody sexually, especially when they do not want you to

Example

• It is claimed he groped a 19-year-old student.
• She described how he had groped her whenever they were alone.

impatient

/ɪmˈpeɪʃnt/

Definition adj.

annoyed by somebody/something, especially because you have to wait for a long time.

Example

• I’d been waiting for twenty minutes and I was getting impatient.
• The children were growing impatient.
• He is impatient as the first hour passes and then another.

Synonyms

haste, hurry

Definition adj.

If you are impatient to do something or impatient for something to happen, you are eager to do it or for it to happen and do not want to wait.

Example

• He was impatient to get home.
• They are impatient for jobs and security.

Synonyms

eager, longing

Definition adj. If you are impatient, you are easily irritated by things.

Example

• Beware of being too impatient with others.
• He threw it aside with an impatient gesture and another oath and walked off.

Synonyms

irritable, abrupt

loot

/luːt/

Definition v.

If people loot shops or houses, they steal things from them, for example during a war or riot.

Example

• More than 20 shops were looted.
• The trouble began when gangs began breaking windows and looting shops.
• There have been reports of youths taking advantage of the general confusion to loot and steal.

Synonyms

rob

merchant

/ˈmɜːrtʃənt/

Definition n.

a person who buys and sells goods in large quantities, especially one who imports and exports goods

Example

• a coal/wine merchant
• Any knowledgeable wine merchant would be able to advise you.
• Venice was once a city of rich merchants.

Synonyms

dealer, trader, tradeperson

memorandum

/ˌmeməˈrændəm/

Definition adj.

(formal) a memo (= an official note from one person to another in the same organization)

Example

• an internal memorandum
• leaks of confidential memoranda

misery

/ˈmɪzəri/

Definition n.

Misery is great unhappiness.

Example

• All that money brought nothing but sadness and misery and tragedy.
• …the miseries of his youth.
• Fame brought her nothing but misery.

Synonyms

unhappiness, distree, despair

Definition n.

Misery is the way of life and unpleasant living conditions of people who are very poor.

Example

• The vast majority of the population lives in utter misery.
• A tiny, educated elite profited from the misery of their two million fellow countrymen.

mortgage

/ˈmɔːɡɪdʒ/

Definition n.

a legal agreement by which a bank or similar organization lends you money to buy a house, etc., and you pay the money back over a particular number of years; the sum of money that you borrow

Example

• to apply for/take out/pay off a mortgage
• He’s been having trouble keeping up with his monthly mortgage repayments.

Synonyms

home loan

Definition v.

If you mortgage your house or land, you use it as a guarantee to a company in order to borrow money from them.

Example

• They had to mortgage their home to pay the bills.

preceding

/prɪˈsiːdɪŋ/

Definition adj.

happening before something; coming before something/somebody in order.

Example

• See the preceding chapter.
• It had happened during the preceding year.

proponent

prəpoʊnənt

Definition adj.

If you are a proponent of a particular idea or course of action, you actively support it.

Example

• Halsey was identified as a leading proponent of the values of progressive education.
• She is among the most outspoken proponents of the plan.
• The theory does still have its proponents.

Synonyms

supporter

reciprocal

/rɪˈsɪprəkl/

Definition adj.

involving two people or groups who agree to help each other or behave in the same way to each other

Example

• The two colleges have a reciprocal arrangement whereby students from one college can attend classes at the other.
• They expected a reciprocal gesture before more hostages could be freed.
• Many countries have reciprocal agreements for health care.

Synonyms

mutual, corresponding

retain

/rɪˈteɪn/

Definition v.

To retain something means to continue to have that thing.

Example

• The interior of the shop still retains a nineteenth-century atmosphere.
• He retains a deep respect for the profession.
• to retain your independence

Synonyms

maintain, keep, reserve, preserve

Definition v.

if a member of the public retains somebody such as a lawyer, they pay money regularly or in advance so the lawyer, etc. will do work for them.

Example

• You will be paid a retaining fee.
• You will need to retain the services of a lawyer.

reluctant

/rɪˈlʌktənt/

Definition adj.

hesitating before doing something because you do not want to do it or because you are not sure that it is the right thing to do

Example

• He finally gave a reluctant smile.
• They nodded in reluctant agreement.
• Mr Spero was reluctant to ask for help.

Synonyms

unwilling

rectify

/ˈrektɪfaɪ/

Definition v.

If you rectify something that is wrong, you change it so that it becomes correct or satisfactory.

Example

• Only an act of Congress could rectify the situation.
• We must take steps to rectify the situation.

Synonyms

correct, right, improve, reform

ridiculous

/rɪˈdɪkjələs/

Definition adj.

If you say that something or someone is ridiculous, you mean that they are very foolish.

Example

• It is ridiculous to suggest we are having a romance.
• It was an absolutely ridiculous decision.

Synonyms

stupid

spectator

/ˈspekteɪtər/

Definition n.

a person who is watching an event, especially a sports event

Example

• Thirty thousand spectators watched the final game.
• The new football stadium will hold 75 000 spectators.

Synonyms

observer, viewer

spirit

/ˈspɪrɪt/

Definition n.

the part of a person that includes their mind, feelings and character rather than their body

Example

• You are underestimating the power of the human spirit to overcome difficulties.
• Yoga is meant to unite the body, mind and spirit.
• The human spirit is virtually indestructible.

Synonyms

soul, life

Definition n.

a person’s feelings or state of mind

Example

• to be in high/low spirits
• to be in high/low spirits
• You must try and keep your spirits up (= stay cheerful).

Definition COUNTABLE NOUN

a person of the type mentioned

Example

• a brave spirit
• kindred spirits (= people who like the same things as you)
• He found kindred spirits in the peace movement.

Definition n.

the soul thought of as separate from the body and believed to live on after death; a ghost

Example

• He is dead, but his spirit lives on.
• It was believed that people could be possessed by evil spirits.
• a message from the spirit world

tender

/ˈtendə(r)/

Definition adj.

Someone or something that is tender expresses gentle and caring feelings.

Example

• Her voice was tender , full of pity.
• tender words
• Patients may not receive the tender , loving care once associated with a hospital stay.

Definition adj.

(of food) easy to bite through and cut

Example

• This meat is extremely tender.
• Boil the beans until they are tender.
• four large slices of tender chicken

Definition adj.

If you say that someone does something at a tender age, you mean that they do it when they are still young and have not had much experience.

Example

• He had become attracted to the game at the tender age of seven.
• …the loss of her father at such a tender age.

example

pronunciation

Definition adj.

Example

Synonyms

Definition v.

Example

Synonyms