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Word of the week in the past
(This section has been discontinued)
16 January 2023
Word of the week: illiterate (adj.)
Meaning:
unable to read or write
Sentence Examples:
2) My illiterate neighbor requested me to read a letter to her.
3) John helped the illiterate old man to fill up a form.
9 January 2023
Word of the week: impromptu (adj.)
Meaning:
said or done without any earlier planning or preparation
Sentence Examples:
2) During a meet-the-fan session, the band gave an impromptu concert and their fans were thrilled.
2 January 2023
Word of the week: ostentatious (noun)
Meanings:
(a) an ostentatious thing looks expensive and is intended to impress people
(b) (of people) showing how rich they are and trying to make other people notice and admire them
(b) (of actions, qualities exhibited, manner, etc.) done in a way which attracts notice or attention
Sentence Examples:
2) A woman wearing ostentatious gold jewellery was robbed in a car park last night. (a)
3) Do you know the man who was driving the ostentatious car? (a)
4) Spencer was very much an ostentatious man in his younger years. (b)
5) She was quite ashamed to admit that the vain and ostentatious teenager was her niece. (b)
6) Victoria gave an ostentatious yawn to hint to the lecturer that his lecture was boring. (c)
7) Michael led a lavish and ostentatious lifestyle and went broke after a few years. (c)
8) It was obvious that the lady who wailed loudly during the funeral was just making an ostentatious show of sorrow. (c)
9) The tycoon's gold and diamond-encrusted smartphone is an ostentatious display of wealth. (c)
10) Veronica plans to achieve instant fame through her ostentatious charity. (c)
26 December 2022
Word of the week: obligation (noun)
Meanings:
(a) the condition of being forced to do something or having a feeling that you must do something because it is a moral or legal duty
(b) something that you must do because you are morally or legally bound; a duty, promise or commitment
Sentence Examples:
2) We have a moral obligation to protect the flora and fauna of national parks. (a)
3) We will send you a quotation of the renovation without obligation. (a)
4) They are under no obligation to buy the mansion if they have not signed the purchase agreement yet. (a)
5) The contractor is under obligation to finish the work in a satisfactory manner. (a)
6) In some countries, adult children are under legal obligation to care for their aged parents. (a)
7) Tracy's parents have fulfilled their obligation to raise her and her siblings. (b)
8) It's Adam's obligation to pay back the money that he borrowed from the bank on a monthly basis. (b)
9) Bob gave up his seat to an old lady on the train because he felt that it was his obligation to do so. (b)
10) It's our obligation to notify the police when we witness crimes taking place. (b)
19 December 2022
Word of the week: astute (adj.)
Meaning:
clever and showing an ability to understand situations or behaviour quickly so as to get an advantage
Synonyms:
intelligent, shrewd
Sentence Examples:
2) Steve considers himself lucky to have an astute, charming and helpful wife.
3) The astute businesswoman made the right move to sell the shares last month.
4) During the economic downturn in the late 1990s, the astute politician took advantage of the situation and won an election.
5) Sylvia's astute handling of the club problems and her commitment to the club made her the chairwoman of the organisation.
6) As an astute observer of human behaviour, I trust that you have finally found your Mr Right.
7) The marketing manager's astute analysis of the surveys allowed him to improve the quality of the company's products and increase their sales.
12 December 2022
Word of the week: spontaneous (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) not planned or organised but happened because your feel like doing it all of a sudden
(b) a spontaneous person often does things without planning them first, because they wish to do it all of a sudden (showing approval)
(c) (of a process or event) happening or done naturally, without any external causes or being forced
Sentence Examples:
2) A spontaneous cheer of encouragement went up from the crowd. (a)
3) When Charlotte saw the venomous snake, her spontaneous reaction was to take to her heels. (a)
4) We planned to watch a film but then made a spontaneous decision to go to the park instead. (a)
5) While touring Europe, Julia met a dashing spontaneous young man who is now her husband. (b)
6) Do you mind introducing me to that spontaneous lively lady? (b)
7) Upon hearing the joke, all of us burst into spontaneous laughter. (c)
8) I'm sorry to hear about your spontaneous abortion. (c)
9) Austin's mother was happy to see him tidying up his bedroom spontaneously (adverb). (c)
10) The guest of honour gave a spontaneous speech at the awards ceremony. (c)
11) All the fans were pleasantly surprised by the band's spontaneous live performance. (c)
12) A spontaneous combustion occurred and the compost pile was burnt to ashes. (c)
5 December 2022
Word of the week: audacious (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) showing great courage or a willingness to take risks; fearless
(b) showing no respect for other people
Sentence Examples:
2) Carl advised his grandfather to think twice about undergoing such an audacious operation. (a)
3) The audacious reporter lost his life while he was on duty in a war zone. (a)
4) It was an audacious move on his part to take legal action against the company. (a)
5) After making several audacious remarks, the speaker was booed off stage. (b)
6) It was audacious of Jacob to try that. (b)
7) I was surprised that the audacious suggestion was made by a highly educated person. (b)
28 November 2022
Word of the week: insolent (adj.)
Meaning:
rude and showing no respect
Synonyms:
rude, impolite, discourteous, disrespectful
Antonyms:
polite, courteous, respectful
Sentence Examples:
2) Do you think it's insolent to ask someone's age?
3) The child was insolent in his manner.
4) It was insolent of Patsy to talk back to her teacher.
5) Will you please stop addressing me in that insolent tone of voice?
6) You can just ignore his insolent remarks - he's simply jealous of your success.
7) It would be insolent not to invite them in.
8) Tommy was unhappy with Melissa's insolent behaviour - she turned her back on him and ignored him.
21 November 2022
Word of the week: repercussion (noun)
Meaning:
the usually bad effects of an action, event or decision that continue for some time
Sentence Examples:
2) Mason's decision to drop out of university has serious repercussions on his career.
3) If you stop paying your electricity bills, having your power supply cut off might be the repercussion.
4) Meeting with an accident was a direct repercussion of his reckless driving.
5) Aren't you worried about the grave repercussions of smoking on your health in the long run?
6) Aubrey spread the rumour and now she has to face the repercussions.
7) Due to the lack of sleep, the soldiers fighting in a war are at risk for negative repercussions.
8) Dylan said that he is willing to accept the repercussions should there be any.
14 November 2022
Word of the week: conspicuous (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) very noticeable or easy to see (antonym: inconspicuous)
(b) attracting attention or notice
(c) (of courage, success, achievement, etc.) great and impressive
Sentence Examples:
1) The advertisements are to be placed in conspicuous places. [Meaning (a)]
2) Frederick feels conspicuous in his new and expensive sports car. (a)
3) Sophia is trying to cover up the conspicuous pimple in the centre of her forehead. (a)
4) The burglar who broke into Owen's house overlooked the money that was hidden in a conspicuous place. (a)
5) Jill's long blonde hair made her conspicuous in class. (b)
6) The criminal tried not to look conspicuous and moved slowly among the crowd. (b)
7) Due to her fashionable clothes, she is always conspicuous. (b)
8) Man's first landing on the moon was a conspicuous achievement. (c)
9) The fund-raising for the orphanage was a conspicuous success. (c)
10) The firefighter's conspicuous bravery won him an award. (c)
7 November 2022
Word of the week: frivolous (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (of a person) not serious; silly or amusing, especially when it is not suitable to do so (antonym: serious)
(b) (of an activity, object, etc.) not having any serious purpose; unworthy of serious attention
Sentence Examples:
1) Benny apologised to Candy for being frivolous. [Meaning (a)]
2) It was frivolous of her to make such an accusation against her own parents. (a)
3) I have no idea that he is a frivolous person — he behaved so well when I first met him at a dinner last week. (a)
4) Since the lawsuit was frivolous, the judge dismissed the case. (b)
5) My parents discourage me from indulging in frivolous pastimes. (b)
6) I regret buying the frivolous novel. (b)
7) Jack had an argument with his wife over his frivolous purchase. (b)
8) Will you please stop making frivolous remarks regarding my daughter? (b)
9) Mr Jones spent a large sum of money on frivolous things because he could afford to. (b)
10) No one agreed with his frivolous suggestion. (b)
31 October 2022
Word of the week: scrutinise (verb)
Meaning:
to look at, inspect or examine someone or something closely and thoroughly
Sentence Examples:
2) The old lady scrutinised the suspect's face and exclaimed, "He's the one!"
3) After the expert had scrutinised the data, he drew a conclusion.
4) All of the documents were scrutinised for possible fraud.
5) Consumers should always scrutinise the fine print on a product before purchasing it.
6) The manager is scrutinising the company's accounts to ensure that no money is wasted.
23 October 2022
Word of the week: horrendous (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) extremely frightening and terrible; shocking ( = horrific, appalling)
(b) extremely bad, unacceptable or unpleasant
Sentence Examples:
1) Larry met with a car accident and suffered horrendous injuries as a result. [Meaning (a)]
2) After having the horrendous experience, Mindy had a fear of heights. (a)
3) My uncle left the city as he could no longer tolerate the hectic life and horrendous traffic. (b)
4) Due to her extravagant tastes, she had run up horrendous debts. (b)
5) The hotel is close to bankruptcy because of its horrendous service. (b)
6) In the year 2010, James suffered from a horrendous sickness and had to be hospitalised for a month. (b)
26 September 2022
Word of the week: exponential (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (mathematics) involving an exponent (a raised number or sign written above and to the right of another number or letter) to show how many times that quantity should be multiplied by itself
(b) describes a rate of increase becoming faster and faster
Sentence Examples:
1) 63 and X4 are exponential expressions. [Meaning (a)]
2) The CEOs are extremely pleased with the exponential growth of the company. (b)
3) "Your essay assignment is entitled 'The Exponential Increase of the Population in China'", said the professor. (b)
4) There has been an exponential rise in the enrolment of foreign students in that university. (b)
19 September 2022
Word of the week: mitigate (verb)
Meaning:
to make something bad less serious, harmful, painful, unpleasant, etc.
Sentence Examples:
1) The government built a flyover over the roundabout to mitigate the rush hour traffic.
2) Since the offender was remorseful of his action, the judge mitigated his punishment.
3) Lindsay mitigates the problem of mosquito bites through the use of insect repellents and sprays.
4) Motorists are advised to fasten their seat belts to mitigate the risks involved when driving.
5) To mitigate the pain, the doctor prescribed her some medicine.
6) Voluntary donations of all kinds from all over the country mitigated the sufferings of the flood victims.
12 September 2022
Word of the week: smithereens (noun)
Meaning:
a lot of small pieces
Sentence Examples:
1) The explosion blew the house to smithereens.
2) The furious man smashed the fragile dish into smithereens.
3) During the battle, the town was bombed to smithereens.
4) The vase fell onto the floor and broke into smithereens.
5) All of a sudden, the naughty boy turned around and kicked the anthill to smithereens.
6) The tombstone has been blown into smithereens by the grenade.
5 September 2022
Word of the week: surreptitious (adj.)
Meaning:
done quickly or secretly without anyone knowing or seeing especially because it would not be approved of
Sentence Examples:
1) In the hope to catch the last train, Kelly sneaked a surreptitious look at her watch during the meeting.
2) When no one was noticing, he took a surreptitious puff on his cigarette in the no-smoking zone.
3) While the lecturer was lecturing, Vivienne exited the hall in a surreptitious manner.
4) Victor made a surreptitious recording with his concealed mobile phone while he was having a conversation with Amanda.
29 August 2022
Word of the week: plausible (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (of an argument, excuse, explanation, statement, etc.) reasonable and believable (antonym - implausible)
(b) describes someone who sounds reasonable, honest and sincere but may in fact be deceiving people
Sentence Examples:
1) Such a theory sounds extremely plausible. [Meaning (a)]
2) "Can you provide me with a plausible reason as to why your salary should be increased?" the manager asked Paula. (a)
3) Tim gave a plausible excuse for being late to work and his superior excused him. (a)
4) Be wary of your new friend - I heard that he is a plausible liar. (b)
5) The plausible salesman cajoled my parents into buying something they did not need. (b)
22 August 2022
Word of the week: enunciate (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to pronounce or say words carefully and clearly
(b) to express and explain a plan or an idea clearly and exactly
Sentence Examples:
1) The teacher enunciated the new words on the board slowly and clearly. [Meaning (a)]
2) My one-year-old sister can't enunciate her words clearly yet. (a)
3) Jane spoke to her Japanese friend slowly, enunciating her words very clearly as he found them rather hard to understand. (a)
4) In the meeting, the manager enunciated his proposal to build more office accommodation for staff members. (b)
5) The writer enunciated the idea for his next novel to the publisher. (b)
15 August 2022
Word of the week: intrisic (adj.)
Meaning:
being an extremely important part of the real nature or character of somebody or something
Antonyms:
extrisic
Sentence Examples:
1) An intrinsic part of cats is that they love to hunt.
2) You have to learn to deal with difficulties that are intrinsic to such a situation.
3) I'm sorry to tell you that works of little intrinsic value do not fetch a high price.
4) Tourist attractions are intrinsic to the city's character.
5) Due to a mother's intrinsic need to protect her children, Lana fought with a stray dog and chased it away to keep her children safe.
6) English is an intrinsic subject of my school curriculum.
8 August 2022
Word of the week: annihilate (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to destroy someone or something completely ( = obliterate)
(b) To defeat someone or somebody completely
Sentence Examples:
1) An atomic bomb can annihilate a city. [Meaning (a)]
2) As a result of the terrorist attack, a building was annihilated and hundreds were killed. (a)
3) Britney annihilated her opponent in the second round of the competition. (b)
4) They are confident of annihilating the league champions in the play-offs. (b)
1 August 2022
Word of the week: inconsequential (adj.)
Meaning:
not important
Synonyms:
trivial, insignificant
Antonyms:
consequential, significant
Sentence Examples:
1) Ben was quite annoyed by Caroline's constant and inconsequential chatter.
2) During the meeting, we left out the inconsequential details.
3) Even though Dean made it clear that his remarks regarding the newly opened restaurant was inconsequential, the owner was bothered about them.
25 July 2022
Word of the week: contraband (noun)
Meaning:
goods that are imported or exported illegally
Sentence Examples:
1) The police found a cargo of contraband on board the ship.
2) Customs officers searched the van for cigarettes, drugs and other contraband.
3) The trade in contraband between the two countries has increased.
18 July 2022
Word of the week: feasible (adj.)
Meaning:
possible and likely to work or be achieved ( = practicable, workable)
Sentence Examples:
1) It is not feasible to build a flyover at this point.
2) This land is feasible for rice cultivation.
3) We have to come up with a feasible plan to finance the project.
4) Is it feasible to clone human beings?
11 July 2022
Word of the week: stupendous (adj.)
Meaning:
very large or impressive ( = magnificent, staggering)
Sentence Examples:
1) The scouts climbed the mountain for stupendous views over the sea.
2) Britney was surprised that her father bought a luxurious car of such stupendous cost.
3) His diligence and perseverance contributed to his stupendous achievements.
4) Unfortunately, thousands were made homeless by the stupendous power of the tornado which swept through the town yesterday morning.
4 July 2022
Word of the week: instantaneously (adverb)
Meaning:
happening or done immediately
Sentence Examples:
1) The poor stray dog died instantaneously after it was hit by a lorry.
2) When Rebecca's teacher asked her a question, she responded instantaneously.
3) The audience reacted instantaneously upon seeing the magician's stunning performance.
27 June 2022
Word of the week: stupefy (verb)
Meaning:
to tire, surprise or shock someone so much that they cannot think clearly or feel properly
Sentence Examples:
1) My father was stupefied by the massive electricity and telephone bills.
2) By the time we reached home, we were so stupefied by exhaustion that all we could do was to go to bed.
3) John's death stupefied us and we sat in silence for quite some time.
20 June 2022
Word of the week: simultaneously (adv.)
Meaning:
happening at the same time
Sentence Examples:
1) The football match will be broadcast simultaneously on radio and television.
2) After the lecturer had asked the students a question, a few of them answered it simultaneously.
3) Two racers crossed the finishing line simultaneously.
4) The latest Hollywood blockbuster will be released simultaneously in cinemas soon.
13 June 2022
Word of the week: elated (adj.)
Meaning:
extremely happy and excited, usually because something good has happened or is going to happen
Sentence Examples:
1) Henry is elated by his new house that he will move into soon.
2) Mr Morgan and his wife are extremely elated by their daughter's excellent examination results.
3) In spite of their exhaustion, they were elated at their accomplishments.
4) Sandra realised that she had nothing to be elated about as the next day wasn't a public holiday.
6 June 2022
Word of the week: invincible (adj.)
Meaning:
impossible to be defeated, conquered or destroyed
Sentence Examples:
1) The basketball team was once reputed to be invincible.
2) The company which seemed invincible in its early years has recently gone bankrupt.
3) Legend has it that the hidden treasure was guarded by an invincible army.
4) It is said that the ancient castle was built to be invincible.
30 May 2022
Word of the week: elicit (verb)
Meaning:
to get (information, reaction or answer) from someone, especially with difficulty
Sentence Examples:
1) After much interrogation, the police officer elicited some useful information from the suspect.
2) John left the house after knocking on the door and eliciting no response.
3) Despite Cathy's unlucky day, I succeeded in eliciting a smile from her.
23 May 2022
Word of the week: interrogate (verb)
Meaning:
to ask someone many questions for a long time in order to get information, sometimes in a threatening way
Sentence Examples:
1) The murder suspect was interrogated by the police for about 15 hours.
2) Although Ben was innocent, he was interrogated by the police as he was present when the crime took place.
3) The FBI has taken over the investigation and is presently interrogating the suspects.
16 May 2022
Word of the week: myriad (noun)
Meaning:
a very large number of something
Sentence Examples:
1) Every twilight, myriads of mosquitoes and gnats from the swamp invade our village.
2) The T-shirts and caps are available in a myriad of colours.
3) Myriads of stars are twinkling in the night sky.
9 May 2022
Word of the week: reminisce (verb)
Meaning:
to recall, write or talk about pleasant past experiences
Sentence Examples:
1) During their ex-classmates reunion dinner, they had a good time reminiscing about their school days.
2) We sat on a bench by the beach and reminisced about the past.
3) My grandfather loves to reminisce about his glorious days as a country singer when he was young.
4) My sister and I spend an enjoyable evening looking at family photos and reminisce.
2 May 2022
Word of the week: acclimatise (verb)
Meaning:
to adjust and get used to a new environment, condition or climate
Sentence Examples:
1) Samantha arrived at the university a few days early in order to acclimatise herself to the new environment.
2) Compared to adults, children usually acclimatise quicker to new houses and neighbourhoods.
3) When the Smiths had just migrated to Malaysia, they found it difficult to acclimatise to the equatorial climate.
25 April 2022
Word of the week: bona fide (adj.)
Meaning:
real; genuine
Sentence Examples:
1) Duncan bought her wife a bona fide gold necklace as her birthday present.
2) Are you sure that she is a bona fide expert in child psychology?
3) Harry did not take the trouble to find out whether he was dealing with a bona fide company and lost $10,000 as a result.
18 April 2022
Word of the week: abate (verb)
Meaning:
to become less strong
Sentence Examples:
1) The students waited nervously for their teacher's anger to abate.
2) When the storm had abated, we continued with our journey.
3) The outbreak of the disease shows no signs of abating.
11 April 2022
Word of the week: implement (verb)
Meaning:
to start carrying out something that has been decided officially
Sentence Examples:
1) We need money to implement the policies.
2) The plan failed because it was not implemented correctly.
3) To improve our performance, we need to implement the changes recommended by our consultant.
28 March 2022
Word of the week: slovenly (adj.)
Meaning:
(especially of a person) untidy, dirty and careless
Sentence Examples:
1) In spite of his slovenly appearance, somehow Andy managed to get the job.
2) Yvette finds it hard to believe that the fat, slovenly ex-rock star was her idol in her younger years.
3) Since Ricky gained weight and became obese a few years back, he grew lazy and slovenly in his habits.
21 March 2022
Word of the week: desist (verb)
Meaning:
to stop doing something
Sentence Examples:
1) The judge told Julius to desist from threatening his wife.
2) According to the weather forecast, the blizzards are going to desist tomorrow morning.
3) Citizens hope that the guerrillas will desist from their fight against official soldiers.
14 March 2022
Word of the week: exemplary (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) very good and providing a good example for people to copy or follow
(b) (used before noun) an exemplary punishment is severe and serves as a warning to others
Sentence Examples:
1) As Belinda's behaviour was exemplary, she was elected the model student of the year. [Meaning (a)]
2) Frederick showed exemplary courage when he dived into the river to save the drowning child. (a)
3) The exemplary punishment is effective to a certain extent - crime rate has declined over the years. (b)
7 March 2022
Word of the week: infuriating (adj.)
Meaning:
making you very angry or annoyed
Sentence Examples:
1) He finds it infuriating that I give up so easily.
2) It is infuriating that I do all the work and James gets all the credit.
3) Due to the infuriating delay, quite a few problems have arisen.
28 February 2022
Word of the week: surmount (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to deal with a problem or difficulty successfully ( = overcome)
(b) to be placed above or on top of something tall
Sentence Examples:
1) We believe that most of these obstacles can be surmounted. [Meaning (a)]
2) Logan managed to surmount his financial difficulties before pursuing a medical career. (a)
3) My late grandfather's tomb is surmounted by a bronze angel. (b)
4) A jewel surmounts the king's crown. (b)
21 February 2022
Word of the week: inimitable (adj.)
Meaning:
too good or unusual and therefore impossible to copy
Sentence Examples:
1) They topped the charts with their inimitable style.
2) The astronaut described in his own inimitable way his trip to the moon.
3) He spent a fortune on one of Picasso's inimitable paintings.
14 February 2022
Word of the week: propensity (noun)
Meaning:
the fact that someone has a natural tendency to a particular kind of behaviour, especially a bad one
Sentence Examples:
1) Bob recognises his own propensity to violence.
2) She is famous for her propensity for racial discrimination.
3) Since my younger brother has a propensity to break things, most of his toys are broken.
7 February 2022
Word of the week: incarcerate (verb)
Meaning:
to keep or put someone in prison or in a place where they cannot escape ( = imprison)
Sentence Examples:
1) Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for more than 27 years before he was elected South Africa's first black president.
2) Five opposition leaders are still incarcerated in a military prison.
3) The teenagers were incarcerated for possession of lethal weapons.
31 January 2022
Word of the week: assiduous (adj.)
Meaning:
showing hard work and taking great care to make sure that everything is done as perfectly as possible ( = diligent, meticulous)
Sentence Examples:
1) Assiduous students usually perform well academically.
2) Thanks to our assiduous efforts, our team won the first prize in the science competition.
3) The police are assiduous in their fight against crime.
24 January 2022
Word of the week: nondescript (adj.)
Meaning:
ordinary, not interesting or unusual ( = dull)
Sentence Examples:
1) After reading the first chapter, Cathy realised that she had borrowed a nondescript novel from the library.
2) Despite the fact that Mr Brown is a wealthy man, he lives in a nondescript suburban house.
3) He was born in a nondescript town about 30 kilometres away from the city.
17 January 2022
Word of the week: whimsical (adj.)
Meaning:
unusual and strange in a way that is either funny or annoying
Sentence Examples:
1) My cousin Lana has a whimsical sense of humour.
2) 'Alice in Wonderland' is a whimsical tale about a curious girl who falls down a magical rabbit hole, leading her into a whole new world of adventure.
3) Much of the author's work has whimsical notions of human nature.
10 January 2022
Word of the week: exacerbate (verb)
Meaning:
to make something bad (such as a problem, disease, bad situation, negative feeling, etc.) even worse ( = worsen, aggravate)
Sentence Examples:
1) Charlotte's asthma was exacerbated by the air pollution.
2) The shortage of staff exacerbated the bad situation in the hospital.
3) The world recession has exacerbated the country's unemployment problem.
4) The bad relationship between Roger and Austin was exacerbated by the rumour.
3 January 2022
Word of the week: precarious (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) a precarious situation is dangerous, uncertain and likely to get worse
(b) likely to fall or cause someone to fall because not firmly fixed or securely held
Sentence Examples:
1) As Toby was in a financially precarious position, he decided not to buy the car. [Meaning (a)]
2) Yvonne makes a precarious living as a freelancer. (a)
3) Lindsay is extremely worried about her grandfather's precarious health condition. (a)
4) Be careful - the trail down to the lake is very precarious. (b)
27 December 2021
Word of the week: resounding (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (used only before noun) very great
(b) loud enough to echo
Sentence Examples:
1) The charity sale, which raised a great deal of funds, was a resounding success. [Meaning (a)]
2) The political party won a resounding victory in the previous general election. (a)
3) Due to the lack of proper planning, the scheme was a resounding failure. (a)
4) The wrestler threw his opponent onto the ground with a resounding thud. (b)
20 December 2021
Word of the week: belligerent (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) unfriendly and wishing to argue or fight ( = hostile / aggressive)
(b) (of a country) fighting a war against another country
Sentence Examples:
1) Try not to provoke Belinda - she's in a belligerent mood. [Meaning (a)]
2) If you wish to be more popular among your friends, you need to get rid of your belligerent attitude. (a)
3) Will you stop talking to me in the belligerent tone? (a)
4) Citizens of the belligerent countries, who are suffering, hope that the war would come to an end soon. (b)
13 December 2021
Word of the week: oblivious (adj.)
Meaning:
(oblivious to / of something) not aware or conscious of something happening around you ( = unaware)
Sentence Examples:
1) Absorbed in his book, the child was entirely oblivious of his father's presence.
2) They seemed oblivious to the disturbance they are causing their neighbours.
3) After years of living nearby the railway, Cathy has become oblivious to the noise whenever trains pass by.
6 December 2021
Word of the week: eavesdrop (verb)
Meaning:
to listen secretly to other people's conversations
Sentence Examples:
1) While we were having our meeting, he was eavesdropping outside the window.
2) It is rude to eavesdrop on other people's private conversations.
3) The secret agent uses a bug to eavesdrop on phone calls.
29 November 2021
Word of the week: atrocious (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) extremely unpleasant or bad ( = awful / terrible)
(b) (of behaviour or an act) shockingly cruel or wicked
Sentence Examples:
1) I would rather stay at home in this atrocious weather! [Meaning (a)]
2) It is unbelievable to find such atrocious paintings at the art gallery. (a)
3) We felt nauseous after an atrocious meal at the restaurant. (a)
4) He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for an atrocious crime. (b)
5) Unfortunately, Nicholas met with an atrocious accident and died on the spot. (b)
22 November 2021
Word of the week: inaugural (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (used before noun) an inaugural speech is the first speech given when someone starts an important job
(b) an inaugural event is the first in a series of planned similar events and marks the beginning of something important
Sentence Examples:
1) The prime minister's inaugural address to the nation was broadcast live. [Meaning (a)]
2) The president gave an inaugural speech not long after taking office. (a)
3) The inaugural meeting of the Nature Society will be held next Monday. (b)
4) We are going to the inaugural concert of the band next weekend. (b)
15 November 2021
Word of the week: defiant (adj.)
Meaning:
clearly refusing to obey someone or authority
Sentence Examples:
1) "I am not going to do as told," said Henry with a defiant look.
2) The defiant teenager smashed his fist on the table.
3) Brandon's defiant attitude towards the law had cost him his life.
4) The protesters remained defiant today and continued with their demonstrations.
8 November 2021
Word of the week: incumbent (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (incumbent on/upon someone) to be necessary for you as part of your duty or responsibility
(b) (used before a noun) having a named position officially
Sentence Examples:
1) It is incumbent on the president to warn the citizens of possible danger. [Meaning (a)]
2) Mr and Mrs Brown felt it incumbent on them to send their children to university. (a)
3) The incumbent prime minister is the longest-serving prime minister of that country. (b)
4) The people are unhappy with the incumbent government's decision to increase tax. (b)
1 November 2021
Word of the week: exonerate (verb)
Meaning:
to officially state that someone is not guilty of something that they have been blamed for
Sentence Examples:
1) As Lincoln had an alibi, he was exonerated from the accusation of robbery.
2) The judge exonerated Michael from all the charges of battery due to the fact that there was no evidence.
3) The report exonerated the manager of bribery and corruption.
25 October 2021
Word of the week: vindictive (adj.)
Meaning:
trying or wishing to harm somebody because you believe that they have harmed you; vengeful
Sentence Examples:
1) Even though he had harmed me a few times, I was not vindictive.
2) The man whose car was set fire to believed that he was a victim of a vindictive act.
3) Julie is anxious about the vindictive old man who thinks that she has harmed his cat deliberately while it was purely an accident.
18 October 2021
Word of the week: beguile (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to interest or attract somebody
(b) to trick or persuade somebody into doing something
(c) to do something enjoyable in order to help pass time pleasantly
Sentence Examples:
1) She was beguiled by his sweet talk and good look. [Meaning (a)]
2) Jonathan beguiled the children with exciting stories. (a)
3) She beguiled me into lending her money. (b)
4) The saleswoman beguiled my mother into buying some beauty products that she did not need. (b)
5) Jack beguiled the company's CEO into signing the contract. (b)
6) The students beguiled the holiday with reading. (c)
7) To beguile the time, they watched films and played games. (c)
11 October 2021
Word of the week: insipid (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (of food or drink) not having much taste or flavour
(b) not exciting, interesting or attractive; dull or boring
Sentence Examples:
1) Joanne added some sugar and milk to the insipid mug of coffee. [Meaning (a)]
2) I regretted ordering the insipid pasta dish. (a)
3) Josephine did not buy any of the blouses because of their insipid colours. (b)
4) After having our lunch, we had an insipid conversation before leaving the cafeteria. (b)
4 October 2021
Word of the week: precocious (adj.)
Meaning:
(especially of a child) showing abilities or intelligence at an age that is younger than usual, or behaving like an adult
Sentence Examples:
1) As a child prodigy, Ben's precocious mathematical ability astounds his teachers.
2) My niece is a precocious child who was able to read and write at the age of two.
3) The computer genius displayed a precocious talent for computing since he was very young.
27 September 2021
Word of the week: impetuous (adj.)
Meaning:
likely to do things quickly and without thinking carefully about the results of your actions
Sentence Examples:
1) It was really impetuous of you to do that.
2) Dean made an impetuous decision and now he has to pay the price.
3) I got into bad company because I was young, ignorant and impetuous then.
20 September 2021
Word of the week: unequivocal (adj.)
Meaning:
(of your opinion or intention) expressed in a completely clear and certain way (opposite: equivocal)
Sentence Examples:
1) When I asked Jeremy if he was voting for the present government in the coming election, his answer was an unequivocal 'no'.
2) Kelly said that the chairman had the club members' unequivocal support.
3) The politicians were unequivocal in condemning the bombing.
13 September 2021
Word of the week: suffice (verb)
Meaning:
to be enough
Sentence Examples:
1) A little refreshment will suffice - I'll be having my dinner soon.
2) Since I'm not doing much shopping, taking $300 should suffice.
3) If you wish to make an appointment to see the dentist, a phone call will suffice.
6 September 2021
Word of the week: devastated (adj.)
Meaning:
very upset and shocked
Sentence Examples:
1) James was devastated by his parents' death in a plane crash.
2) Upon hearing the tragic news, Samantha was left feeling totally devastated.
3) Mr and Mrs Brown were devastated by the loss of their son.
30 August 2021
Word of the week: indifferent (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) not interested in somebody or something ( = unconcerned)
(b) not particularly good, but not very bad ( = mediocre)
Sentence Examples:
1) I was so engrossed in my study that I was indifferent to the noise outside. [Meaning (a)]
2) Benedict has never voted in his life because he is indifferent to politics. (a)
3) Due to his indifferent attitude towards the suffering of others, no one was willing to help him when he was in need. (a)
4) We seldom visit the restaurant because of the indifferent food served. (b)
5) Although Stevie has been working for the company for more than two decades, he was never promoted due to his indifferent performance. (b)
23 August 2021
Word of the week: engrossed (adj.)
Meaning:
so interested in something that you do not notice anything else and give it all your attention
Sentence Examples:
1) My mother was so engrossed in the telephone conversation that she forgot about the biscuits in the oven and they were burnt as a result.
2) My sister is engrossed with the fashion magazine.
3) The children were so engrossed in the jigsaw puzzle that they did not notice me come in.
16 August 2021
Word of the week: truancy (noun)
Meaning:
the action or practice of students staying away from school without permission
Sentence Examples:
1) Due to good management, truancy rates of the school are very low.
2) That school is fighting endlessly to combat truancy.
3) The principal questioned Patrick and a couple of his classmates about their frequent truancies.
9 August 2021
Word of the week: punitive (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) intended to punish somebody
(b) (of costs) so high that people find difficult to pay
Sentence Examples:
1) The government will take punitive action against drug dealers. [Meaning (a)]
2) The film star is suing the magazine for punitive damages, claiming that they have defamed her. (a)
3) She called for more punitive measures against traffic offenders. (a)
4) The prime minister disclosed that in the near future, punitive duties will be imposed on imported cars. (b)
2 August 2021
Word of the week: optimistic (adj.)
Meaning:
believing or hoping that good things will happen or something will be successful
Sentence Examples:
1) The athlete is optimistic about his chances of winning a gold medal in the coming Olympic Games.
2) If you are over-optimistic, you'll be disappointed when things do not turn out to be what you expected.
3) Even though Jane has tried her best, she's not very optimistic about her exam results.
4) The economists are now taking a more optimistic view of the Malaysian economy.
26 July 2021
Word of the week: crestfallen (adj.)
Meaning:
looking sad and disappointed
Sentence Examples:
1) Dean came back from the elocution contest empty-handed and crestfallen.
2) Nelly looks crestfallen because her parents have just cancelled her long-awaited birthday party.
3) My sister was crestfallen when she found out that she did not get the job.
19 July 2021
Word of the week: supplant (verb)
Meaning:
to take the place of somebody or something ( = replace, supersede)
Sentence Examples:
1) Bonnie will soon be supplanted as the chairperson of the club.
2) After Martha's baby brother was born, she has been supplanted in her parents' affections by her brother.
3) About half of the company's workforce will soon be supplanted by computers.
4) The printed edition of the encyclopaedia is now supplanted by CD-ROMs and e-books.
12 July 2021
Word of the week: expedite (verb)
Meaning:
to make something such as an action or a process happen more quickly ( = speed up)
Sentence Examples:
1) The government is coming up with strategies to expedite the process of issuing passports to citizens.
2) As we need the goods urgently, please make special arrangements to expedite the shipment.
3) The courier has developed a special system to expedite deliveries to customers.
5 July 2021
Word of the week: blunder (noun & verb)
Meanings:
(a) (noun) a serious, careless or stupid mistake
(b) (verb) to make a serious, careless or stupid mistake
Sentence Examples:
1) The waitress made a terrible blunder by adding salt instead of sugar to the customer's coffee. [Meaning (a)]
2) Finally, aware of the astonishing blunder he had made, he stopped and apologised. (a)
3) They blundered badly when they assigned Jason the important task. (b)
4) Jonathan was embarrassed to have blundered the third time today. (b)
28 June 2021
Word of the week: literally (adv.)
Meanings:
(a) according to the real or original meaning of a word, phrase or expression ( = exactly)
(b) used to emphasise that the truth of something, especially a large number, is really true and may seem surprising
(c) (informal) used to emphasise a word or strong expression that is used in a way that is different from its real or original meaning
Sentence Examples:
1) Please translate this passage literally. [Meaning (a)]
2) The word 'delighted' literally means 'very happy'. (a)
3) There are literally millions of different types of bacteria on our planet. (b)
4) The prolific writer has written literally hundreds of books. (b)
5) Judy literally cried her heart out when she heard the bad news. (c)
21 June 2021
Word of the week: lofty (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) if buildings, mountains, etc. are lofty, they are very high and impressive
(b) (of ideas, thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, aims, etc.) showing high standards or moral qualities and therefore deserving praise
(c) having an opinion that you are better than other people (disapproving)
Sentence Examples:
1) The lofty tower in the heart of the city is among the world's tallest towers. [Meaning (a)]
2) Is that lofty mountain Mt Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Southeast Asia? (a)
3) Dr Kingston set herself the lofty goal of becoming one of the world's top 10 heart specialists in 5 years. (b)
4) As a man of lofty principles, he tries to help the poor and needy whenever he can. (b)
5) Her lofty disdain for other people makes her an unpopular person. (c)
14 June 2021
Word of the week: cognitive (adj.)
Meaning:
connected to the mental process of understanding, knowing and learning something
Sentence Examples:
1) Since the car accident, some of my grandfather's cognitive functions have been impaired.
2) A friend of mine is studying cognitive psychology in a university.
3) Children's cognitive development is about children developing or constructing a mental model of the world.
7 June 2021
Word of the week: paranoid (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) feeling extremely worried and nervous because you believe unreasonably that people are trying to harm you
(b) suffering from a mental illness which makes you believe that other people are trying to harm you
Sentence Examples:
1) Lilian is getting really paranoid about her personal security. [Meaning (a)]
2) Michael does not have many friends because he has always been paranoid about what other people say about him. (a)
3) His uncle is suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and is currently hospitalised. (b)
4) I watched a film about a paranoid killer who was captured and sentenced to life imprisonment in the end. (b)
31 May 2021
Word of the week: escapism (noun)
Meaning:
activities or forms of entertainment that help you to forget or avoid unpleasant or boring things for a short time
Sentence Examples:
1) For Ricky, adventure films are a form of escapism.
2) Going on holidays are pure escapism for many people.
3) For me, computer games are a form of escapism from the real world.
24 May 2021
Word of the week: mortify (verb)
Meaning:
to make someone extremely embarrassed or ashamed
Sentence Examples:
1) Our history teacher was mortified by her own inability to answer such a simple question.
2) I've never felt so mortified in my life!
3) Meg was mortified to be fooled in public.
4) Leslie was mortified to be corrected by a seven-year-old.
17 May 2021
Word of the week: epitome (noun)
Meaning:
(a person or thing) that is the perfect or best possible example of something
Sentence Examples:
1) In the hit film, the villain was portrayed as the very epitome of evil.
2) Audrey is the epitome of a modern single lady.
3) You can find fashionable clothes that are the epitome of good taste in this boutique.
10 May 2021
Word of the week: repugnant (adj.)
Meaning:
(usually not used before a noun) extremely offensive and unpleasant, causing a feeling of disgust or dislike
Sentence Examples:
1) We found their political suggestions absolutely repugnant.
2) Lauren has been a vegetarian for years and the idea of eating meat is repugnant to her.
3) Some people find the death sentence morally repugnant.
3 May 2021
Word of the week: colloquial (adj.)
Meaning:
(of language or words) used mainly in informal conversations but not in writing or formal speech
Sentence Examples:
1) The use of colloquial words and phrases are not encouraged when writing official letters.
2) 'Kid', 'quote', 'how come' and 'you're fired' are examples of colloquial words and phrases.
3) Excessive use of colloquial words and phrases diminishes the quality of formally written text.
26 April 2021
Word of the week: boisterous (adj.)
Meaning:
noisy, cheerful and full of energy
Sentence Examples:
1) The new teacher is having problem handling a class of boisterous six-year-olds.
2) "Janet, are you sure you want to participate in this boisterous game?" Janet's mother asked.
3) Boisterous activities are prohibited in the library.
4) I saw a flock of boisterous and gregarious birds at the mini zoo last week.
19 April 2021
Word of the week: emulate (verb)
Meaning:
to try to copy someone's achievement and do it as well as they have or better ( = imitate)
Sentence Examples:
1) Waverly wishes to emulate his brother's excellent academic achievements.
2) Teenagers tend to emulate their idols' hairstyles.
3) The new computer company hopes to emulate the success of other companies.
12 April 2021
Word of the week: succulent
Meanings:
(a) (adj.) (of meat, vegetables and fruit) tender, juicy and tasting good
(b) (adj.) (of plants) having thick fleshy leaves or stems containing plenty of water
(c) (noun) any plant with thick fleshy leaves or stems containing plenty of water, such as the cactus
1) Wendy had a succulent steak at that restaurant last evening. [Meaning (a)]
2) "Sir, do you want to sample one of the pears that have just arrived? They're fresh and succulent," said the saleswoman at the supermarket. (a)
3) Small pots of succulent plants are popular nowadays as decorative items. (b)
4) Do you know whether the plant with succulent leaves outside my house is a cactus? (b)
4) "Excuse me, Miss. Are books on cacti and succulents available here?" Edward asked the shop assistant. (c)
5 April 2021
Word of the week: relinquish (verb)
Meaning:
to unwillingly stop having something such as rights, power or position
Sentence Examples:
1) Before leaving the country, Brandon relinquished possession of the car to his brother.
2) The king lost the war and was forced to relinquish control of his kingdom.
3) Although the search parties had stopped searching for Mr Alfred's missing son, he refused to relinquish the hope that his son was still alive.
4) Because of ill health, he had to relinquish his managerial role.
29 March 2021
Word of the week: confidant (noun)
Meaning:
someone whom you can trust and tell your secrets or private things to (feminine - confidante)
Sentence Examples:
1) Mr Ronald is a trusted confidant of the president.
2) According to a close confidante of the princess, the princess often disguises herself as a civilian and mixes freely with members of the public.
3) Stephanie did not tell the secret to anybody except Belinda, who was her confidante since childhood.
22 March 2021
Word of the week: excruciating (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) extremely painful
(b) extremely unpleasant, boring or embarrassing
1) As the pain in my lower back was excruciating, I went to see a doctor. [Meaning (a)]
2) The child cried due to the excruciating toothache. (a)
3) Sally describes what happened to her in excruciating detail. (b)
4) His full confession turned out to be excruciating. (b)
15 March 2021
Word of the week: aloof (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) unfriendly or uninterested in other people
(b) purposely not involved in something, usually because you do not approve of what is going on
1) Timothy may appear to be aloof, but in actual fact, he is a warm and sympathetic person if you get to know him well. [Meaning (a)]
2) In his later years, he became aloof and silent. (a)
3) Even though Sophia joined the class a few months ago, she has always kept herself aloof from the other students. (a)
4) No matter what happens in the neighbourhood, Max always remains aloof. (b)
5) James stayed aloof from the illegal boycott as he did not wish to get into trouble. (b)
8 March 2021
Word of the week: etiquette (noun)
Meaning:
the formal set of rules for correct or polite behaviour in social situations or a particular group
Sentence Examples:
1) Our late grandfather used to give us advice on etiquette.
2) According to social etiquette, mobile phones should be turned off during important events and business meetings.
3) Alice borrowed a book on etiquette from the library.
4) Dr Julian is a doctor who observes the rules of professional etiquette strictly.
1 March 2021
Word of the week: mandatory (adj.)
Meaning:
something that is required by law ( = compulsory, obligatory)
Sentence Examples:
1) In some countries, a serious drug offence carries a mandatory death sentence.
2) To get the diploma, it is mandatory for students to have a minimum of five subject passes.
22 February 2021
Word of the week: prominent (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) very famous or important
(b) easily seen ( = noticeable)
(c) projecting or sticking out from something
1) Edward Jenner was a prominent English scientist who was the pioneer of the small pox vaccine. [Meaning (a)]
2) Since Yvonne has access to some extremely prominent people, she might be able to help you. (a)
3) Jennifer had a prominent part in the play. (a)
4) Harry played a prominent role in the campaign. (a)
5) The large fish among the small ones is prominent in the aquarium. (b)
6) The new car model is displayed in a prominent position in the showroom. (b)
7) The proboscis monkey is an animal with a prominent nose. (c)
8) Dr Sam is the dentist who treated my daughter's prominent front teeth. (c)
15 February 2021
Word of the week: vulnerable (adj.)
Meaning:
a vulnerable person is weak and easily harmed or hurt emotionally, physically or mentally
Sentence Examples:
1) The child, who has a weak immune system, is vulnerable to illness.
2) I felt very vulnerable, being lost in the jungle all alone and unarmed.
3) The town was vulnerable to attack from the south.
4) Young animals are vulnerable to predators.
8 February 2021
Word of the week: integral (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) forming an essential part of something
(b) included as part of something, not being separate
(c) having all the necessary parts to be complete
1) The arms and legs are integral parts of a human body. [Meaning (a)]
2) As the captain, Dominic is an integral part of our football team. (a)
3) Extra-curricular activity is an integral part of the school curriculum. (b)
4) The LED TV comes with an integral remote control. (b)
5) This integral security system is in great demand. (c)
1 February 2021
Word of the week: deliberately (adv.)
Meanings:
(a) done in a way that was planned or intended, not by chance ( = on purpose / purposely, intentionally)
(b) done or said slowly or carefully
1) I believe that someone set fire to the car deliberately. [Meaning (a)]
2) Leslie deliberately sat beside Britney to attract her attention. (a)
3) I'm sure Fred made these comments deliberately to insult me. (a)
4) Slowly and deliberately, he rose from the settee and walked out of the house. (b)
5) Calmly and deliberately, Jack tore the document into pieces and set it alight. (b)
25 January 2021
Word of the week: nonchalant (adj.)
Meaning:
behaving in a relaxed and calm manner, often in a way that suggests you are not feeling any anxiety, interest or enthusiasm
Sentence Examples:
1) "Yeah, whatever," Nelly replied with a nonchalant shrug.
2) "Is she married?" Frank asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
3) Adam wanted to be Isabel's boyfriend but she was completely nonchalant to him.
18 January 2021
Word of the week: irrefutable (adj.)
Meaning:
impossible to be proven wrong and thus must be accepted
Sentence Examples:
1) As he had irrefutable proofs of his innocence, he walked out of the court a free man.
2) There is irrefutable evidence that smoking is harmful to our health.
3) After a long debate, Edwin won the votes cast as he had irrefutable arguments for the proposal.
11 January 2021
Word of the week: aftermath (noun)
Meaning:
the period of time that follows something unpleasant such as a flood, storm, war, etc. and the effects it causes
Sentence Examples:
1) Many people were made homeless in the aftermath of the flood.
2) Apart from the danger of diseases in the aftermath of the earthquake, a lot of rebuilding took place.
3) Many more lives were lost in the aftermath of the war.
4) There was a severe famine in the aftermath of the drought.
5) Many families received compensation from the airline for losing their loved ones in the aftermath of the plane crash.
4 January 2021
Word of the week: indispensable (adj.)
Meaning:
someone or something that is so useful or important that you could not manage without them
Sentence Examples:
1) A library is indispensable to a university.
2) Vitamins and minerals are indispensable for maintaining a healthy life.
3) This book by Dr James Martin is an indispensable resource to anyone interested in photography.
4) It is true that no one is indispensable at work, but anyone can be a valued employee.
5) Televisions have become an indispensable part of our lives.
21 December 2020
Word of the week: exasperate (adj.)
Meaning:
to make someone very irritated or annoyed by doing something that upsets them
Sentence Examples:
1) People who do not keep their promises exasperate me.
2) Marie was exasperated by her baby brother because he tore her school project into pieces.
3) As a teenager, Terry's disobedience and rebellion exasperate his parents.
4) Henry was exasperated by Carey's criticism.
14 December 2020
Word of the week: detrimental (adj.)
Meaning:
causing harm or damage ( = harmful)
Sentence Examples:
1) Drinking too much alcohol is detrimental to your health.
2) When Janet sunbathes, she applies sunblock to her skin to protect it from the detrimental effects of the sun.
3) After contracting a certain disease, Gary tried to cure himself by taking herbal medicine but his doctor advised him against doing so as it had detrimental effects on the healing process.
7 December 2020
Word of the week: adamant (adj.)
Meaning:
unwilling to change your mind or a decision you have made
Sentence Examples:
1) Adam begged Leo to change his mind and sell him this plot of land but he remained adamant.
2) My grandfather was adamant that he would not undergo the heart surgery.
3) Nora wanted his son to further his studies in order to have a better future but he was adamant in refusing to comply with her wish.
30 November 2020
Word of the week: mediocre (adj.)
Meaning:
not very good; of only average quality or standard ( = second rate)
Sentence Examples:
1) As a mediocre student, Edward is planning to receive private tuition in order to perform better academically.
2) I thought Nelly was only a mediocre musician, but she turned out to be much more talented.
3) Donovan sent his children to a mediocre school because he could not afford the high fees of better schools.
23 November 2020
Word of the week: gesticulate (verb)
Meaning:
to make movements with your hands and arms, usually while speaking, to emphasise what you are saying or to attract attention
Sentence Examples:
1) Noticing that the child is in danger of falling, Elaine gesticulates frantically and shouts, "Stop! Stop!"
2) An old lady was gesticulating and trying to say something outside the window.
3) Trying to remind Max that he was running out of time, Annie gesticulated wildly at the clock.
16 November 2020
Word of the week: connoisseur (adj.)
Meaning:
an expert on arts, food, drink, music, beauty, etc.
Sentence Examples:
1) Luke Fraser, a connoisseur of painting, is able to tell you the real value of this particular painting.
2) Kim is a music connoisseur who has written innumerable reviews on the subject.
3) A panel of beauty connoisseurs will judge the beauty contest.
9 November 2020
Word of the week: adequate (adj.)
Meaning:
enough or satisfactory for a particular purpose or need ( = sufficient)
Sentence Examples:
1) Are the seats adequate for 1,000 guests?
2) As there were adequate proofs, the accused was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder.
3) The large space provided is more than adequate for our needs.
4) Their performance standard is barely adequate.
2 November 2020
Word of the week: aggravate (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to make a bad situation or a disease worse ( = worsen)
(b) to annoy someone, especially on purpose ( = irritate)
1) New student enrolments have aggravated the problem of inadequate classrooms. [Meaning (a)]
2) Josh's health aggravates although he is presently receiving treatment. (a)
2) Duncan was aggravated by Britney's bossy attitude. (b)
2) Will you please stop aggravating me? (b)
26 October 2020
Word of the week: culminate (verb)
Meaning:
to end with a particular event or result
Sentence Examples:
1) The couple's relationship got worse and worse and it culminated in a divorce.
2) Months of the scientists' hard work culminated in a cure for the disease.
3) The badly managed company finally culminated in bankruptcy.
4) The war culminated in total victory.
5) The band's world tour will culminate in an impressive concert in Tokyo.
19 September 2020
Word of the week: eliminate (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to completely remove or get rid of something or somebody
(b) to defeat someone or a team in a competition so that they no longer take part
(c) to kill someone, especially an opponent or enemy, in order to stop them from causing trouble
1) High cholesterol foods should be eliminated from your diet. [Meaning (a)]
2) The objective of the organisation is to eliminate poverty from the country. (a)
3) After buying a car, Ariel eliminated the need to travel by public transport. (a)
4) Since Tom had a perfect alibi, the police eliminated him from their investigation. (a)
5) Alan's team was eliminated from the competition in the second round. (b)
6) Last evening I watched a film about a security guard helping a drug gang eliminate rivals. (c)
12 October 2020
Word of the week: lingua franca
Meaning:
a communication language used by people whose main languages are different
Sentence Examples:
1) In this multiracial country, Mandarin is the lingua franca.
2) Some people believe that music is the lingua franca of the globe.
3) Many people all over the world see English as a lingua franca.
5 October 2020
Word of the week: alibi (noun)
Meanings:
(a) evidence that proves that a person was not where a crime happened and so could not have committed it
(b) an excuse for something bad or something you have done wrong
1) The suspect had a cast-iron alibi - he was hospitalised in the week of the crime. [Meaning (a)]
2) As usual, John used being stuck in a traffic jam as an alibi for being late for work. (b)
28 September 2020
Word of the week: deteriorate (verb)
Meaning:
to become worse
1) After a long period of hospitalisation, her condition suddenly deteriorated and she died shortly afterwards.
2) Relationships between the two countries deteriorated and war broke out eventually.
3) Many flights were cancelled due to the deteriorating weather conditions.
4) When they failed to reach an agreement, their discussion deteriorated into an angry argument.
21 September 2020
Word of the week: culminate (verb)
Meaning:
to end with a particular event or result
1) The couple's relationship got worse and worse and it culminated in a divorce.
2) Months of the scientists' hard work culminated in a cure for the disease.
3) The badly managed company finally culminated in bankruptcy.
4) The war culminated in total victory.
5) The band's world tour will culminate in an impressive concert in Tokyo.
14 September 2020
Word of the week: sedentary (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (of people) spending a lot of time sitting down and not exercising or moving
(b) (of work, lifestyles, etc.) in which you spend much time sitting down, involving little exercise or physical activity
(c) (of people or animals) staying and living in the same place
1) My grandparents' doctor advises them to do more exercise as they are becoming increasingly sedentary. [Meaning (a)]
2) Sedentary lifestyles tend to cause health problems. (a)
3) Edwin is thinking of getting a new job as he is bored with sedentary work. (b)
4) Giraffes, tigers, rhinos and cheetahs are examples of sedentary animals. (c)
5) The population of this town is made up of mainly sedentary citizens. (c)
7 September 2020
Word of the week: imminent (adj.)
Meaning:
(especially something unpleasant) coming or will happen very soon
1) The AIDS patient is in imminent danger of dying.
2) A war between the two countries seems imminent.
3) Most people believe that the system is in no imminent danger of collapse.
31 August 2020
Word of the week: subjugate (verb)
Meaning:
to defeat a person, a group or something and have control over it
1) According to a documentary, a few tribes living in the remote areas of the Amazonian rainforest were subjugated and exploited.
2) The subjugated race has tried in vain to resist the subjugation.
3) Since my father's demise, my ambitions have been subjugated by the needs of my family.
24 August 2020
Word of the week: demise (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) death
(b) the end or failure of an enterprise, institution, an idea, etc.
1) Frederick was shocked and saddened by the news of his best friend's sudden demise. [Meaning (a)]
2) Intense competition has caused the demise of a local newspaper. (b)
17 August 2020
Word of the week: documentary (noun)
Meaning:
a television or film or radio programme giving facts and information about a subject
1) An overseas film crew is making a documentary about the sightings of UFOs.
2) The Star Channel is now broadcasting a documentary on animals' seasonal migration.
10 August 2020
Word of the week: innumerable (verb)
Meaning:
too many to be counted; a large number of
1) James Ritchie, who is a prolific author, has written innumerable books.
2) The streets are decorated with innumerable flags of all colours.
3) Innumerable problems caused the cancellation of the project.
3 August 2020
Word of the week: prolific (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (of a writer, an artist, etc.) producing many works of art, books, etc.
(b) (of animals, plants, etc.) producing many babies, fruit, flowers, other plants or offspring, etc.
(c) existing in large numbers or quantities
(d) (of a sports player) producing a lot of goals, runs, etc.; high-scoring
1) The prolific songwriter makes a lot of money selling his works. [Meaning (a)]
2) Rats and mice are prolific breeders. (b)
3) Wildlife is prolific in the tropical jungles. (c)
4) South Africa is prolific in gold and diamonds. (c)
5) Terry's name is in the list of the most prolific goalscorer this decade. (d)
27 July 2020
Word of the week: accomplish (verb)
Meaning:
to complete something successfully
1) Has the mission been accomplished?
2) The students accomplished their project within a week.
3) Eric felt that he had not accomplished much since he left college.
20 July 2020
Word of the week: ominous (adj.)
Meaning:
making you feel that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen
1) There was an ominous silence when I asked the doctor regarding my son's health condition.
2) I suggest we cancel the trip - there are ominous dark clouds gathering overhead.
13 July 2020
Word of the week: substantial (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) large in amount, size or value; important (=considerable)
(b) large and strongly built
1) The robbers robbed the bank and escaped with a substantial amount of cash. [Meaning (a)]
2) Thomas leads a comfortable life with a substantial salary. (a)
3) Your news report requires substantial editing. (a)
4) Jennifer's not hungry as she ate a substantial breakfast this morning. (a)
5) This substantial piece of furniture is a real bargain at its price. (b)
6) The wealthy man owns a row of substantial villas. (b)
6 July 2020
Word of the week: instantaneous (adj.)
Meaning:
happening or done immediately, without any delay
1) When Max was asked a question, he gave an instantaneous response.
2) The use of the telephone is one of the modern methods of instantaneous communication.
29 June 2020
Word of the week: notorious (adj.)
Meaning:
well known or famous for something bad (=infamous)
1) It is particularly worrying that the notorious criminal has escaped from prison.
2) The notorious computer hacker has been caught and is currently being sued.
3) The country is notorious for its abuse of human rights.
15 June 2020
Word of the week: pandemonium (noun)
Meaning:
a situation in which there is a lot of noise, confusion
1) Pandemonium broke out when the election results were announced.
2) There was pandemonium in the street when the people heard the sound of gunshots.
8 June 2020
Word of the week: celebrity (noun)
Meanings:
(a) a famous living person, especially in the entertainment and sports business (=star)
(b) the state of being famous or well known
1) The professional tennis player became a sporting celebrity a few years after he started the career. [Meaning (a)]
2) Sue was honoured to be interviewed by a TV celebrity. (a)
4) As he became more successful, his celebrity grew. (b)
1 June 2020
Word of the week: exaggerate (verb)
Meaning:
to make something seem bigger, better, worse, more important, etc. than it really is
1) You're exaggerating - I don't think your new car is that expensive.
2) Nancy tends to exaggerate any aches and pains to get more attention.
3) The damage caused by the fire has been greatly exaggerated.
25 May 2020
Word of the week: consequence (noun)
Meanings:
(a) a result of something that has happened, usually one that is bad or unpleasant
(b) not very important
1) Twelve families were made homeless as a consequence of the fire. [Meaning (a)]
2) Ed is currently hospitalised and suffering the consequences of his reckless driving. (a)
4) Since the incident happened so many years ago, I suppose it is of no consequence now. (b)
18 May 2020
Word of the week: reluctant (adj.)
Meaning:
unwilling to do something and thus slow to do it
1) I enjoyed the party so much that I was reluctant to leave.
2) Even though Rebecca had made a mistake, she was reluctant to admit it.
3) The actor seemed reluctant to answer the reporters' questions.
11 May 2020
Word of the week: paramount (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) more important than anything else
(b) having the highest rank or the greatest power
1) Since safety is paramount, it is advisable to fasten your seat belt. [Meaning (a)]
2) The issue of paramount importance should be dealt with first. (b)
4) The paramount chief of the tribe is a capable and just leader. (b)
27 April 2020
Word of the week: interpersonal (adj.)
Meaning:
connected with relationships or communication with people
1) You need good interpersonal skills to be a successful salesman.
2) Steven is planning to take a course in interpersonal communications.
20 April 2020
Word of the week: ablaze (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) burning quickly and fiercely
(b) (ablaze with) very brightly lit or coloured
(c) (ablaze with) filled with strong emotion or excitement
1) Soon, the whole wooden house was ablaze. [Meaning (a)]
2) A few vehicles were set ablaze during the arson attack. (a)
3) My garden is ablaze with flowers. (b)
4) We saw a number of carnival floats with their lights ablaze last evening. (b)
5) When Henry heard the bad news, his eyes were ablaze with fury. (c)
13 April 2020
Word of the week: eminent (adj.)
Meaning:
(of a person) important, famous and respected
1) Kevin's father is one of the world's most eminent statesmen.
2) Vivian wishes to be an eminent lawyer some day.
6 April 2020
Word of the week: ovation (noun)
Meaning:
if a group of people or an audience give someone an ovation, they clap as a sign of approval or great enjoyment
1) At the end of the singer's performance, she was given a standing ovation.
2) The appearance of the rock group on stage was greeted with a thunderous ovation.
30 March 2020
Word of the week: benign (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (of people) kind, gentle and pleasant
(b) not harmful to the environment
(c) (of tumours or diseases) not harmful or likely to cause death
1) Although the principal is a benign man, he is firm with the students. [Meaning (a)]
2) A benign old lady showed me the way to your house. (a)
3) Mr Jefferson gave me a benign smile. (a)
4) I usually cycle because the bicycle is a benign form of transport. (b)
5) Don't worry about the chemical additives - they are environmentally benign. (b)
6) Benny's family doctor told him that he had a benign tumour in his throat. (c)
16 March 2020
Word of the week: deprecate (verb)
Meaning:
to disapprove something strongly
1) The management board deprecated the transfer of shares.
2) Melissa wanted to be a model but her family, especially her parents, deprecated.
9 March 2020
Word of the week: procrastinate (verb)
Meaning:
to delay doing something that you must do, usually because you do not wish to do it
1) I don't think Jeremy can be trusted with the job - he loves to procrastinate.
2) Since the present government tends to procrastinate, many voters are contemplating a change of government.
2 March 2020
Word of the week: contemplate (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to consider seriously if you should do something, or how it should be done
(b) to think about and accept the possibility of something happening
1) Nancy is contemplating Jack's proposal. [Meaning (a)]
1) I have never contemplated resigning, although I have a boring job. (b)
2) The thought of being captured and tortured by their enemies is too awful to contemplate. (b)
24 February 2020
Word of the week: proposal (noun)
Meanings:
(a) a plan or formal suggestion made to an official group or person; the act of making it
(b) a formal act of asking someone to marry you
1) Lionel's proposal for the new project has been accepted. [Meaning (a)]
1) The government is considering the proposal to build a nuclear power station. (a)
2) Susan courteously declined Michael's marriage proposal. (b)
17 February 2020
Word of the week: unscrupulous (adj.)
Meaning:
not having moral principles; dishonest or unfair
1) Unscrupulous employers tend to exploit their employees.
2) Unscrupulous businessmen who sell goods at exorbitant prices will be reported to the authorities.
10 February 2020
Word of the week: exploit (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to treat somebody unfairly by making them work and giving them very little in return
(b) to use someone or a situation as a chance for your own advantage
1) James, who is young and innocent, has been exploited at his workplace. [Meaning (a)]
1) The homeworkers are going on strike because they are being exploited by their company. (a)
2) The politician exploited his father's name to get more votes. (b)
3 February 2020
Word of the week: incognito (adj.)
Meaning:
if you do something incognito, you do it in a way that prevents other people from recognising you
1) The famous actor often travels incognito.
2) The prince's wish is to mingle incognito at parties, though he is prohibited from doing so.
3) Edward often donates incognito to charity.
27 January 2020
Word of the week: mingle (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to mix together
(b) if you mingle at a social event, you move around and talk to other people
1) Britney mingles milk with tea to make her favourite drink. [Meaning (a)]
2) "Don't just sit there - you should try to mingle with the other guests at the party." (b)
20 January 2020
Word of the week: succinct (adj.)
Meaning:
(especially of something spoken and written) expressed clearly in a few words
1) Keep your answers as succinct and straight to the point as possible.
2) When Frederick was asked the reason why he was late for the meeting, he gave a succinct explanation.
13 January 2020
Word of the week: cynical (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) believing that people are generally selfish and do not have good, honest or sincere reasons to do something
(b) not concerned that something might hurt someone, when trying to get something for yourself
1) My aunt, who is in her fifties, is still single because she takes a cynical view of men. [Meaning (a)]
2) The dumping of toxic chemical wastes into a river is a cynical disregard for the safety of others. (b)
6 January 2020
Word of the week: pertinent (adj.) (=relevant)
Meaning:
directly related to the subject or topic considered
1) Please ask questions pertinent to today's discussion.
2) Sebastian made quite a few pertinent remarks during the meeting.
30 December 2019
Word of the week: quintessence (noun)
Meaning:
the most perfect or typical example of something
1) Edwin, the model student, is the quintessence of good manners.
2) It was the quintessence of a traditional Japanese house.
23 December 2019
Word of the week: improvise (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to make or do something with whatever you can find because you do not have what you need
(b) using a speech or a piece of writing in special ways to influence people or to produce an impressive effect, but not totally sincere or honest
1) There were no pillows, so we had to improvise with a few blankets. [Meaning (a)]
2) The director invited the actors and actresses to improvise dialogue. (b)
3) Although the politician gave an improvised speech, he received a big round of applause. (b)
16 December 2019
Word of the week: benevolent (adj.)
Meaning:
kind, generous and helpful
1) Michael's benevolent and wealthy uncle paid for his tertiary education.
2) "Don't worry - I'll help you solve your problems," said Audrey with a benevolent smile.
9 December 2019
Word of the week: tertiary (adj.)
Meaning:
(education) at university or college level
1) You need tertiary education to apply for the post of manager.
2) Samantha completed her tertiary education in 2008.
2 December 2019
Word of the week: exorbitant (adj.)
Meaning:
(of a price) much higher than it should be
1) Loan sharks are people who lend money at exorbitant rates of interest.
2) Jeremy looked at the exorbitant dinner bill in surprise.
25 November 2019
Word of the week: rhetorical (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (of a question) asked as a way to make a statement, without expecting an answer
(b) using a speech or a piece of writing in special ways to influence people or to produce an impressive effect, but not totally sincere or honest
1) "Do you know how much I care about you?" Martha asked her son, but it was a rhetorical question. [Meaning (a)]
2) Although the mayor gave a speech full of rhetorical phrases, it did not impress me much. (b)
18 November 2019
Word of the week: auspicious (adj.)
Meaning:
showing that something is likely to be successful in the future
1) Cindy's great diligence in her schoolwork is an auspicious start to passing the public exam with flying colours.
2) Although Elaine married Bob eventually, their first date was not auspicious - they had a huge argument.
11 November 2019
Word of the week: amicable (adj.)
Meaning:
(of behaviour between people) pleasant, polite or friendly and without any quarrels
1) After about 8 years, the band finally announced their amicable split.
2) Unfortunately, the relationship between Laura and me has not always been amicable.
4 November 2019
Word of the week: supercilious (= superior ) (adj.)
Meaning:
if someone is supercilious, he/she is behaving as if he/she is better and more important than other people
1) The boutique owner was quite supercilious.
2) The wine waiter spoke in a supercilious voice.
28 October 2019
Word of the week: rumbustious (adj.)
Meaning:
full of energy, noise and fun
1) My German Shepherd bitch has given birth to a litter of lively and rumbustious puppies.
2) Julie needs help - she has problem controlling the rumbustious children at her son's birthday party.
21 October 2019
Word of the week: unsavoury (adj.)
Meaning:
unpleasant or offensive; not morally acceptable
1) A few unsavoury characters at the railway station extorted money from Patrick yesterday.
2) My advice is to stay away from the club - it has an unsavoury reputation.
14 October 2019
Word of the week: reputation (noun)
Meaning:
the opinion that people have about somebody or something, based on what has happened in the past
1) During his schooldays, he had a reputation as a troublemaker.
2) The Kingston is a hotel with a good reputation for its excellent service.
3) With Lisa's professional qualifications and talents, she soon acquired a reputation as a first-class cook.
4) Henry's good reputation has been tarnished when he was caught accepting bribes.
7 October 2019
Word of the week: tarnish (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to spoil the good name of someone or something
(b) (of metals) become less bright and shiny
1) A series of scandals has tarnished the actress' public image. [Meaning (a)]
2) Moisture and air tarnish copper. (b)
2) Do you mind polishing these tarnished silver spoons? (b)
30 September 2019
Word of the week: exponential (adj.)
Meaning:
describing a rate of increase becoming faster and faster as the amount of the thing that is growing increases
1) My boss is extremely pleased with the exponential growth of his business.
2) There has been an exponential increase in the world's population in the past half-century.
23 September 2019
Word of the week: presumptuous (adj.)
Meaning:
people who are presumptuous do things that they have no right to do, in a way that shows disrespect for other people
1) I hope it would not be presumptuous of me to ask why you are so upset.
2) Would I be considered presumptuous if I comment on the matter?
16 September 2019
Word of the week: altruistic (adj.)
Meaning:
showing that you care about the needs and happiness of other people, even though this brings no advantage to yourself; unselfish
1) I believe Jason's motives for donating money to charity are not altruistic - he's simply looking for publicity.
2) Harry's popularity among his friends is due to his altruistic personality.
3) Her fund-raising activities are entirely altruistic acts.
9 September 2019
Word of the week: palpable (noun)
Meaning:
a feeling that is so strong that it is easily noticed, felt or touched
1) When she heard the good news, her joy was palpable.
2) During the funeral, the sense of loss among the attendees was almost palpable.
2 September 2019
Word of the week: philanthropist (noun)
Meaning:
a rich person who helps the poor and needy, especially by giving them lots of money
1) Perry's father is a philanthropist who donates generously to charity.
2) The orphanage has just received a donation from a wealthy American philanthropist.
26 August 2019
Word of the week: convalesce (verb)
Meaning:
to rest and spend time getting well after getting an illness or a medical treatment; recover
1) After undergoing a heart operation, my grandfather is now convalescing at home.
2) Edwin convalesced for about six months after the stroke.
19 August 2019
Word of the week: egregious (adj.)
Meaning:
very bad and noticeable
1) The publisher is currently being sued for egregious abuse of copyright.
2) Due to Harry's egregious misbehavior, he was suspended from college for a fortnight.
12 August 2019
Word of the week: sheer (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) used to emphasize the size, weight, quantity, etc. of something
(b) nothing except
1) The sheer size of the shopping complex impressed us. [Meaning (a)]
2) His suggestion was unheeded because it was sheer nonsense. (b)
5 August 2019
Word of the week: attribute (verb)
Meaning:
to think or say that something is caused by a particular thing
1) Cindy attributes her excellent academic performance to her hard work.
2) The bad weather conditions attributed to the flight delays.
29 July 2019
Word of the week: beguile (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to persuade or trick someone into doing something
(b) to attract and interest someone
1) The salesman beguiled her into buying a set of cooking utensils that she did not want. [Meaning (a)]
2) When Alex met Valerie for the first time, he was completely beguiled by her beauty. (b)
22 July 2019
Word of the week: resolution (noun)
Meaning:
a promise to yourself to do or not to do something
1) James made a resolution to do well academically.
2) One of Janet's New Year's resolutions is to give up smoking.
15 July 2019
Word of the week: predicament (noun)
Meaning:
an unpleasant or difficult situation where you do not know what to do
1) To get out of the company's financial predicament, the management is hoping to get a loan from the bank.
2) I explained my terrible predicament to the manager.
8 July 2019
Word of the week: commotion (noun)
Meaning:
sudden noisy disturbance, confusion or excitement
1) We were distracted by a commotion downstairs and went to find out what was happening.
2) The arrival of the superstar caused quite a commotion.
1 July 2019
Word of the week: extrapolate (verb)
Meaning:
to use existing facts to guess or estimate what is likely to happen or be true in the future
1) We cannot accurately extrapolate too far into the future from current trends.
2) It is too risky to extrapolate these results to other patient groups.
24 June 2019
Word of the week: immaculate (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) very clean and tidy; spotless
(b) without any mistakes; perfect
1) My mother loves to work in an immaculate kitchen. Meaning (a)
2) The pianist gave an immaculate performance last evening. (b)
17 June 2019
Word of the week: patriotic (adj.)
Meaning:
having or expressing a great love for your country
1) The soldiers are performing a patriotic song on stage.
2) The ex-president was a patriotic man who served his country well.
10 June 2019
Word of the week: acrid (adj.)
Meaning:
having a strong, bitter and unpleasant smell or taste; irritating to the eyes, nose, etc.
1) Let's get out of here - I can't stand the acrid smoke.
2) Where does the acrid smell originate?
3 June 2019
Word of the week: umpteen (adj.)
Meaning:
very many; a lot of (used especially when one is annoyed there are so many)
1) I can't go out with you because I have umpteen things to do.
2) Eric called Julie umpteen times but did not get any answers.
27 May 2019
Word of the week: apprehensive (adj.)
Meaning:
worried or fearful that something unpleasant may happen; feeling anxiety about the future
1) We have no reason to be apprehensive about their visit.
2) They were deeply apprehensive that something bad might have happened.
20 May 2019
Word of the week: fugitive (noun)
Meaning:
a person who is running away (especially from the police) and is trying to avoid being caught
1) After being in hiding for a decade, the fugitive is finally brought into justice.
2) The criminals escaped from prison and are being sought for as fugitives.
6 May 2019
Word of the week: perpetual (adj.)
Meaning:
continuing for a long time without stopping or changing; continuous
1) The perpetual noise of traffic is driving me crazy!
2) My niece is a cute little girl with a perpetual smile.
29 April 2019
Word of the week: gratitude (noun)
Meaning:
the feeling of being grateful and thankful to someone for helping you
1) I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for your assistance and support.
2) She treated him to a meal in gratitude for what he had done.
22 April 2019
Word of the week: immortal (adj.)
Meaning:
never dying; living forever
1) Our souls are immortal.
2) Vampires are imaginative creatures said to be immortal.
15 April 2019
Word of the week: lucrative (adj.)
Meaning:
producing a great deal of money; making a lot of profit
1) The wealthy man runs a lucrative business.
2) Jason pursued a lucrative career as a surgeon.
8 April 2019
Word of the week: cajole (verb)
Meaning:
to persuade someone to do something by talking to them and being very nice to them
Sentence Examples:
2) Benny managed to cajole Lisa's phone number out of her.
1 April 2019
Word of the week: gregarious (adj.)
Meaning:
friendly and liking to be with other people; sociable
Sentence Examples:
2) Jolene is a popular and gregarious woman.
25 March 2019
Word of the week: confinement (noun)
Meaning:
the act of forcing someone to stay in a closed space, room, prison, etc., or the state of being there
Sentence Examples:
2) The murder suspects were held in confinement for a week before being released.
18 March 2019
Word of the week: strenuous (adj.)
Meaning:
needing a lot of strength or effort
Sentence Examples:
2) It is not advisable to do strenuous exercise immediately after a meal.
11 March 2019
Word of the week: incessant (adj.)
Meaning:
continuing; never stopping
Sentence Examples:
2) Unable to tolerate the incessant noise from his neighbour, James complained to the authorities.
4 March 2019
Word of the week: detestable (adj.)
Meaning:
deserving to be hated
Sentence Examples:
2) I did not watch the movie because a friend told me that its violence was detestable.
3) "You're detestable!" she said furiously.
25 February 2019
Word of the week: legitimate (adj.)
Meaning:
acceptable or allowed according to the law
Sentence Examples:
2) Jonathan is the legitimate heir to his deceased uncle's properties.
18 February 2019
Word of the week: deceased (adj.)
Meaning:
dead
Sentence Examples:
2) The sculptures are by my deceased father, Edward.
11 February 2019
Word of the week: laudable (adj.)
Meaning:
deserving praise
Sentence Examples:
2) Saving our earth is a laudable activity.
4 February 2019
Word of the week: preposterous (adj.)
Meaning:
completely unreasonable or silly; not to be believed
Sentence Examples:
2) The suggestion sounds completely preposterous!
28 January 2019
Word of the week: complacent (adj.)
Meaning:
too self-satisfied or pleased with a situation, especially something you have achieved, so that you feel that it is no longer necessary to improve
Sentence Examples:
2) The citizens are too complacent to change the government.
21 January 2019
Word of the week: flabbergasted (adj.)
Meaning:
very surprised or shocked
Sentence Examples:
2) I was flabbergasted at the amount of money she makes daily.
14 January 2019
Word of the week: compliment (verb)
Meaning:
to express something nice to someone in order to praise them
Sentence Examples:
2) The bridegroom was so nervous that he forgot to compliment the bridesmaids.
7 January 2019
Word of the week: apparent (adj.)
Meaning:
easy to see, notice or understand
Sentence Examples:
2) It soon became apparent to everyone that he couldn't speak French well.
31 December 2018
Word of the week: consent (verb)
Meaning:
to agree to do something or to give permission for something to happen
Sentence Examples:
2) The actor finally consented to let us interview him.
24 December 2018
Word of the week: identical (adj.)
Meaning:
exactly the same or very similar
Sentence Examples:
2) Peter's T-shirt is almost identical to James'.
17 December 2018
Word of the week: repulsive (adj.)
Meaning:
very unpleasant; in a way that causes a feeling of strong dislike
Sentence Examples:
2) My sister finds cockroaches repulsive.
10 December 2018
Word of the week: infallible (adj.)
Meaning:
never making mistakes, always right
Sentence Examples:
2) Even the experts are not infallible.
3 December 2018
Word of the week: illiterate (adj.)
Meaning:
unable to read or write
Sentence Examples:
2) My illiterate neighbor requested me to read a letter to her.
3) John helped the illiterate old man to fill up a form.
26 November 2018
Word of the week: impromptu (adj.)
Meaning:
said or done without any earlier planning or preparation
Sentence Examples:
2) During a meet-the-fan session, the band gave an impromptu concert and their fans were thrilled.
19 November 2018
Word of the week: ostentatious (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) an ostentatious thing looks expensive and is intended to impress people
(b) (of people) showing how rich they are and trying to make other people notice and admire them
(b) (of actions, qualities exhibited, manner, etc.) done in a way which attracts notice or attention
Sentence Examples:
2) A woman wearing ostentatious gold jewellery was robbed in a car park last night. (a)
3) Do you know the man who was driving the ostentatious car? (a)
4) Spencer was very much an ostentatious man in his younger years. (b)
5) She was quite ashamed to admit that the vain and ostentatious teenager was her niece. (b)
6) Victoria gave an ostentatious yawn to hint to the lecturer that his lecture was boring. (c)
7) Michael led a lavish and ostentatious lifestyle and went broke after a few years. (c)
8) It was obvious that the lady who wailed loudly during the funeral was just making an ostentatious show of sorrow. (c)
9) The tycoon's gold and diamond-encrusted smartphone is an ostentatious display of wealth. (c)
10) Veronica plans to achieve instant fame through her ostentatious charity. (c)
12 November 2018
Word of the week: obligation (noun)
Meanings:
(a) the condition of being forced to do something or having a feeling that you must do something because it is a moral or legal duty
(b) something that you must do because you are morally or legally bound; a duty, promise or commitment
Sentence Examples:
2) We have a moral obligation to protect the flora and fauna of national parks. (a)
3) We will send you a quotation of the renovation without obligation. (a)
4) They are under no obligation to buy the mansion if they have not signed the purchase agreement yet. (a)
5) The contractor is under obligation to finish the work in a satisfactory manner. (a)
6) In some countries, adult children are under legal obligation to care for their aged parents. (a)
7) Tracy's parents have fulfilled their obligation to raise her and her siblings. (b)
8) It's Adam's obligation to pay back the money that he borrowed from the bank on a monthly basis. (b)
9) Bob gave up his seat to an old lady on the train because he felt that it was his obligation to do so. (b)
10) It's our obligation to notify the police when we witness crimes taking place. (b)
5 November 2018
Word of the week: astute (adj.)
Meaning:
clever and showing an ability to understand situations or behaviour quickly so as to get an advantage
Synonyms:
intelligent, shrewd
Sentence Examples:
2) Steve considers himself lucky to have an astute, charming and helpful wife.
3) The astute businesswoman made the right move to sell the shares last month.
4) During the economic downturn in the late 1990s, the astute politician took advantage of the situation and won an election.
5) Sylvia's astute handling of the club problems and her commitment to the club made her the chairwoman of the organisation.
6) As an astute observer of human behaviour, I trust that you have finally found your Mr Right.
7) The marketing manager's astute analysis of the surveys allowed him to improve the quality of the company's products and increase their sales.
29 October 2018
Word of the week: spontaneous (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) not planned or organised but happened because your feel like doing it all of a sudden
(b) a spontaneous person often does things without planning them first, because they wish to do it all of a sudden (showing approval)
(c) (of a process or event) happening or done naturally, without any external causes or being forced
Sentence Examples:
2) A spontaneous cheer of encouragement went up from the crowd. (a)
3) When Charlotte saw the venomous snake, her spontaneous reaction was to take to her heels. (a)
4) We planned to watch a film but then made a spontaneous decision to go to the park instead. (a)
5) While touring Europe, Julia met a dashing spontaneous young man who is now her husband. (b)
6) Do you mind introducing me to that spontaneous lively lady? (b)
7) Upon hearing the joke, all of us burst into spontaneous laughter. (c)
8) I'm sorry to hear about your spontaneous abortion. (c)
9) Austin's mother was happy to see him tidying up his bedroom spontaneously (adverb). (c)
10) The guest of honour gave a spontaneous speech at the awards ceremony. (c)
11) All the fans were pleasantly surprised by the band's spontaneous live performance. (c)
12) A spontaneous combustion occurred and the compost pile was burnt to ashes. (c)
22 October 2018
Word of the week: audacious (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) showing great courage or a willingness to take risks; fearless
(b) showing no respect for other people
Sentence Examples:
2) Carl advised his grandfather to think twice about undergoing such an audacious operation. (a)
3) The audacious reporter lost his life while he was on duty in a war zone. (a)
4) It was an audacious move on his part to take legal action against the company. (a)
5) After making several audacious remarks, the speaker was booed off stage. (b)
6) It was audacious of Jacob to try that. (b)
7) I was surprised that the audacious suggestion was made by a highly educated person. (b)
15 October 2018
Word of the week: insolent (adj.)
Meaning:
rude and showing no respect
Synonyms:
rude, impolite, discourteous, disrespectful
Antonyms:
polite, courteous, respectful
Sentence Examples:
2) Do you think it's insolent to ask someone's age?
3) The child was insolent in his manner.
4) It was insolent of Patsy to talk back to her teacher.
5) Will you please stop addressing me in that insolent tone of voice?
6) You can just ignore his insolent remarks - he's simply jealous of your success.
7) It would be insolent not to invite them in.
8) Tommy was unhappy with Melissa's insolent behaviour - she turned her back on him and ignored him.
1 October 2018
Word of the week: repercussion (noun)
Meaning:
the usually bad effects of an action, event or decision that continue for some time)
Sentence Examples:
2) Mason's decision to drop out of university has serious repercussions on his career.
3) If you stop paying your electricity bills, having your power supply cut off might be the repercussion.
4) Meeting with an accident was a direct repercussion of his reckless driving.
5) Aren't you worried about the grave repercussions of smoking on your health in the long run?
6) Aubrey spread the rumour and now she has to face the repercussions.
7) Due to the lack of sleep, the soldiers fighting in a war are at risk for negative repercussions.
8) Dylan said that he is willing to accept the repercussions should there be any.
3 September 2018
Word of the week: conspicuous (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) very noticeable or easy to see (antonym: inconspicuous)
(b) attracting attention or notice
(c) (of courage, success, achievement, etc.) great and impressive
Sentence Examples:
2) Frederick feels conspicuous in his new and expensive sports car. (a)
3) Sophia is trying to cover up the conspicuous pimple in the centre of her forehead. (a)
4) The burglar who broke into Owen's house overlooked the money that was hidden in a conspicuous place. (a)
5) Jill's long blonde hair made her conspicuous in class. (b)
6) The criminal tried not to look conspicuous and moved slowly among the crowd. (b)
7) Due to her fashionable clothes, she is always conspicuous. (b)
8) Man's first landing on the moon was a conspicuous achievement. (c)
9) The fund-raising for the orphanage was a conspicuous success. (c)
10) The firefighter's conspicuous bravery won him an award. (c)
27 August 2018
Word of the week: frivolous (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (of a person) not serious; silly or amusing, especially when it is not suitable to do so (antonym: serious)
(b) (of an activity, object, etc.) not having any serious purpose; unworthy of serious attention
Sentence Examples:
2) It was frivolous of her to make such an accusation against her own parents. (a)
3) I have no idea that he is a frivolous person — he behaved so well when I first met him at a dinner last week. (a)
4) Since the lawsuit was frivolous, the judge dismissed the case. (b)
5) My parents discourage me from indulging in frivolous pastimes. (b)
6) I regret buying the frivolous novel. (b)
7) Jack had an argument with his wife over his frivolous purchase. (b)
8) Will you please stop making frivolous remarks regarding my daughter? (b)
9) Mr Jones spent a large sum of money on frivolous things because he could afford to. (b)
10) No one agreed with his frivolous suggestion. (b)
20 August 2018
Word of the week: scrutinise (verb)
Meaning:
to look at, inspect or examine someone or something closely and thoroughly
Sentence Examples:
2) The old lady scrutinised the suspect's face and exclaimed, "He's the one!"
3) After the expert had scrutinised the data, he drew a conclusion.
4) All of the documents were scrutinised for possible fraud.
5) Consumers should always scrutinise the fine print on a product before purchasing it.
6) The manager is scrutinising the company's accounts to ensure that no money is wasted.
13 August 2018
Word of the week: horrendous (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) extremely frightening and terrible; shocking ( = horrific, appalling)
(b) extremely bad, unacceptable or unpleasant
Sentence Examples:
2) After having the horrendous experience, Mindy had a fear of heights. (a)
3) My uncle left the city as he could no longer tolerate the hectic life and horrendous traffic. (b)
4) Due to her extravagant tastes, she had run up horrendous debts. (b)
5) The hotel is close to bankruptcy because of its horrendous service. (b)
6) In the year 2010, James suffered from a horrendous sickness and had to be hospitalised for a month. (b)
6 August 2018
Word of the week: exponential (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (mathematics) involving an exponent (a raised number or sign written above and to the right of another number or letter) to show how many times that quantity should be multiplied by itself
(b) describes a rate of increase becoming faster and faster
Sentence Examples:
2) The CEOs are extremely pleased with the exponential growth of the company. (b)
3) "Your essay assignment is entitled 'The Exponential Increase of the Population in China'", said the professor. (b)
4) There has been an exponential rise in the enrolment of foreign students in that university. (b)
30 July 2018
Word of the week: mitigate (verb)
Meaning:
to make something bad less serious, harmful, painful, unpleasant, etc.
Sentence Examples:
2) Since the offender was remorseful of his action, the judge mitigated his punishment.
3) Lindsay mitigates the problem of mosquito bites through the use of insect repellents and sprays.
4) Motorists are advised to fasten their seat belts to mitigate the risks involved when driving.
5) To mitigate the pain, the doctor prescribed her some medicine.
6) Voluntary donations of all kinds from all over the country mitigated the sufferings of the flood victims.
23 July 2018
Word of the week: smithereens (noun)
Meaning:
a lot of small pieces
Sentence Examples:
2) The furious man smashed the fragile dish into smithereens.
3) During the battle, the town was bombed to smithereens.
4) The vase fell onto the floor and broke into smithereens.
5) All of a sudden, the naughty boy turned around and kicked the anthill to smithereens.
6) The tombstone has been blown into smithereens by the grenade.
16 July 2018
Word of the week: surreptitious (adj.)
Meaning:
done quickly or secretly without anyone knowing or seeing especially because it would not be approved of
Sentence Examples:
2) When no one was noticing, he took a surreptitious puff on his cigarette in the no-smoking zone.
3) While the lecturer was lecturing, Vivienne exited the hall in a surreptitious manner.
4) Victor made a surreptitious recording with his concealed mobile phone while he was having a conversation with Amanda.
9 July 2018
Word of the week: plausible (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (of an argument, excuse, explanation, statement, etc.) reasonable and believable (antonym - implausible)
(b) describes someone who sounds reasonable, honest and sincere but may in fact be deceiving people
Sentence Examples:
2) "Can you provide me with a plausible reason as to why your salary should be increased?" the manager asked Paula. (a)
3) Tim gave a plausible excuse for being late to work and his superior excused him. (a)
4) Be wary of your new friend - I heard that he is a plausible liar. (b)
5) The plausible salesman cajoled my parents into buying something they did not need. (b)
2 July 2018
Word of the week: enunciate (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to pronounce or say words carefully and clearly
(b) to express and explain a plan or an idea clearly and exactly
Sentence Examples:
2) My one-year-old sister can't enunciate her words clearly yet. (a)
3) Jane spoke to her Japanese friend slowly, enunciating her words very clearly as he found them rather hard to understand. (a)
4) In the meeting, the manager enunciated his proposal to build more office accommodation for staff members. (b)
5) The writer enunciated the idea for his next novel to the publisher. (b)
25 June 2018
Word of the week: intrisic (adj.)
Meaning:
being an extremely important part of the real nature or character of somebody or something
Antonym:
extrisic
Sentence Examples:
2) You have to learn to deal with difficulties that are intrinsic to such a situation.
3) I'm sorry to tell you that works of little intrinsic value do not fetch a high price.
4) Tourist attractions are intrinsic to the city's character.
5) Due to a mother's intrinsic need to protect her children, Lana fought with a stray dog and chased it away to keep her children safe.
6) English is an intrinsic subject of my school curriculum.
18 June 2018
Word of the week: annihilate (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to destroy someone or something completely ( = obliterate)
(b) To defeat someone or somebody completely
Sentence Examples:
1) An atomic bomb can annihilate a city. [Meaning (a)]
2) As a result of the terrorist attack, a building was annihilated and hundreds were killed. (a)
3) Britney annihilated her opponent in the second round of the competition. (b)
4) They are confident of annihilating the league champions in the play-offs. (b)
11 June 2018
Word of the week: inconsequential (adj.)
Meaning:
not important
Synonyms:
trivial, insignificant
Antonyms:
consequential, significant
Sentence Examples:
1) Ben was quite annoyed by Caroline's constant and inconsequential chatter.
2) During the meeting, we left out the inconsequential details.
3) Even though Dean made it clear that his remarks regarding the newly opened restaurant was inconsequential, the owner was bothered about them.
4 June 2018
Word of the week: contraband (noun)
Meaning:
goods that are imported or exported illegally
Sentence Examples:
1) The police found a cargo of contraband on board the ship.
2) Customs officers searched the van for cigarettes, drugs and other contraband.
3) The trade in contraband between the two countries has increased.
28 May 2018
Word of the week: feasible (adj.)
Meaning:
possible and likely to work or be achieved ( = practicable, workable)
Sentence Examples:
1) It is not feasible to build a flyover at this point.
2) This land is feasible for rice cultivation.
3) We have to come up with a feasible plan to finance the project.
4) Is it feasible to clone human beings?
21 May 2018
Word of the week: stupendous (adj.)
Meaning:
very large or impressive ( = magnificent, staggering)
Sentence Examples:
1) The scouts climbed the mountain for stupendous views over the sea.
2) Britney was surprised that her father bought a luxurious car of such stupendous cost.
3) His diligence and perseverance contributed to his stupendous achievements.
4) Unfortunately, thousands were made homeless by the stupendous power of the tornado which swept through the town yesterday morning.
14 May 2018
Word of the week: instantaneously (adverb)
Meaning:
happening or done immediately
Sentence Examples:
1) The poor stray dog died instantaneously after it was hit by a lorry.
2) When Rebecca's teacher asked her a question, she responded instantaneously.
3) The audience reacted instantaneously upon seeing the magician's stunning performance.
7 May 2018
Word of the week: stupefy (verb)
Meaning:
to tire, surprise or shock someone so much that they cannot think clearly or feel properly
Sentence Examples:
1) My father was stupefied by the massive electricity and telephone bills.
2) By the time we reached home, we were so stupefied by exhaustion that all we could do was to go to bed.
3) John's death stupefied us and we sat in silence for quite some time.
30 April 2018
Word of the week: simultaneously (adverb)
Meaning:
happening at the same time
Sentence Examples:
1) The football match will be broadcast simultaneously on radio and television.
2) After the lecturer had asked the students a question, a few of them answered it simultaneously.
3) Two racers crossed the finishing line simultaneously.
4) The latest Hollywood blockbuster will be released simultaneously in cinemas soon.
23 April 2018
Word of the week: elated (adj.)
Meaning:
extremely happy and excited, usually because something good has happened or is going to happen
Sentence Examples:
1) Henry is elated by his new house that he will move into soon.
2) Mr Morgan and his wife are extremely elated by their daughter's excellent examination results.
3) In spite of their exhaustion, they were elated at their accomplishments.
4) Sandra realised that she had nothing to be elated about as the next day wasn't a public holiday.
16 April 2018
Word of the week: invincible (adj.)
Meaning:
impossible to be defeated, conquered or destroyed
Sentence Examples:
1) The basketball team was once reputed to be invincible.
2) The company which seemed invincible in its early years has recently gone bankrupt.
3) Legend has it that the hidden treasure was guarded by an invincible army.
4) It is said that the ancient castle was built to be invincible.
9 April 2018
Word of the week: elicit (verb)
Meaning:
to get (information, reaction or answer) from someone, especially with difficulty
Sentence Examples:
1) After much interrogation, the police officer elicited some useful information from the suspect.
2) John left the house after knocking on the door and eliciting no response.
3) Despite Cathy's unlucky day, I succeeded in eliciting a smile from her.
2 April 2018
Word of the week: interrogate (verb)
Meaning:
to ask someone many questions for a long time in order to get information, sometimes in a threatening way
Sentence Examples:
1) The murder suspect was interrogated by the police for about 15 hours.
2) Although Ben was innocent, he was interrogated by the police as he was present when the crime took place.
3) The FBI has taken over the investigation and is presently interrogating the suspects.
26 March 2018
Word of the week: myriad (noun)
Meaning:
a very large number of something
Sentence Examples:
1) Every twilight, myriads of mosquitoes and gnats from the swamp invade our village.
2) The T-shirts and caps are available in a myriad of colours.
3) Myriads of stars are twinkling in the night sky.
19 March 2018
Word of the week: reminisce (verb)
Meaning:
to recall, write or talk about pleasant past experiences
Sentence Examples:
1) During their ex-classmates reunion dinner, they had a good time reminiscing about their school days.
2) We sat on a bench by the beach and reminisced about the past.
3) My grandfather loves to reminisce about his glorious days as a country singer when he was young.
4) My sister and I spend an enjoyable evening looking at family photos and reminisce.
12 March 2018
Word of the week: acclimatise (verb)
Meaning:
to adjust and get used to a new environment, condition or climate
Sentence Examples:
1) Samantha arrived at the university a few days early in order to acclimatise herself to the new environment.
2) Compared to adults, children usually acclimatise quicker to new houses and neighbourhoods.
3) When the Smiths had just migrated to Malaysia, they found it difficult to acclimatise to the equatorial climate.
5 March 2018
Word of the week: bona fide (adj.)
Meaning:
real; genuine
Sentence Examples:
1) Duncan bought her wife a bona fide gold necklace as her birthday present.
2) Are you sure that she is a bona fide expert in child psychology?
3) Harry did not take the trouble to find out whether he was dealing with a bona fide company and lost $10,000 as a result.
26 February 2018
Word of the week: abate (verb)
Meaning:
to become less strong
Sentence Examples:
1) The students waited nervously for their teacher's anger to abate.
2) When the storm had abated, we continued with our journey.
3) The outbreak of the disease shows no signs of abating.
19 February 2018
Word of the week: implement (verb)
Meaning:
to start carrying out something that has been decided officially
Sentence Examples:
1) We need money to implement the policies.
2) The plan failed because it was not implemented correctly.
3) To improve our performance, we need to implement the changes recommended by our consultant.
12 February 2018
Word of the week: slovenly (adj.)
Meaning:
(especially of a person) untidy, dirty and careless
Sentence Examples:
1) In spite of his slovenly appearance, somehow Andy managed to get the job.
2) Yvette finds it hard to believe that the fat, slovenly ex-rock star was her idol in her younger years.
3) Since Ricky gained weight and became obese a few years back, he grew lazy and slovenly in his habits.
5 February 2018
Word of the week: desist (verb)
Meaning:
to stop doing something
Sentence Examples:
1) The judge told Julius to desist from threatening his wife.
2) According to the weather forecast, the blizzards are going to desist tomorrow morning.
3) Citizens hope that the guerrillas will desist from their fight against official soldiers.
29 January 2018
Word of the week: exemplary (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) very good and providing a good example for people to copy or follow
(b) (used before noun) an exemplary punishment is severe and serves as a warning to others
Sentence Examples:
1) As Belinda's behaviour was exemplary, she was elected the model student of the year. [Meaning (a)]
2) Frederick showed exemplary courage when he dived into the river to save the drowning child. (b)
3) The exemplary punishment is effective to a certain extent - crime rate has declined over the years. (b)
22 January 2018
Word of the week: infuriating (adj.)
Meaning:
making you very angry or annoyed
Sentence Examples:
1) He finds it infuriating that I give up so easily.
2) It is infuriating that I do all the work and James gets all the credit.
3) Due to the infuriating delay, quite a few problems have arisen.
15 January 2018
Word of the week: surmount (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to deal with a problem or difficulty successfully ( = overcome)
(b) to be placed above or on top of something tall
Sentence Examples:
1) We believe that most of these obstacles can be surmounted. [Meaning (a)]
2) Logan managed to surmount his financial difficulties before pursuing a medical career. (a)
3) My late grandfather's tomb is surmounted by a bronze angel. (b)
4) A jewel surmounts the king's crown. (b)
8 January 2018
Word of the week: inimitable (adj.)
Meaning:
too good or unusual and therefore impossible to copy
Sentence Examples:
1) They topped the charts with their inimitable style.
2) The astronaut described in his own inimitable way his trip to the moon.
3) He spent a fortune on one of Picasso's inimitable paintings.
1 January 2018
Word of the week: propensity (noun)
Meaning:
the fact that someone has a natural tendency to a particular kind of behaviour, especially a bad one
Sentence Examples:
1) Bob recognises his own propensity to violence.
2) She is famous for her propensity for racial discrimination.
3) Since my younger brother has a propensity to break things, most of his toys are broken.
25 December 2017
Word of the week: incarcerate (verb)
Meaning:
to keep or put someone in prison or in a place where they cannot escape ( = imprison)
Sentence Examples:
1) Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for more than 27 years before he was elected South Africa's first black president.
2) Five opposition leaders are still incarcerated in a military prison.
3) The teenagers were incarcerated for possession of lethal weapons.
18 December 2017
Word of the week: assiduous (adj.)
Meaning:
showing hard work and taking great care to make sure that everything is done as perfectly as possible ( = diligent, meticulous)
Sentence Examples:
1) Assiduous students usually perform well academically.
2) Thanks to our assiduous efforts, our team won the first prize in the science competition.
3) The police are assiduous in their fight against crime.
11 December 2017
Word of the week: nondescript (adj.)
Meaning:
ordinary, not interesting or unusual ( = dull)
Sentence Examples:
1) After reading the first chapter, Cathy realised that she had borrowed a nondescript novel from the library.
2) Despite the fact that Mr Brown is a wealthy man, he lives in a nondescript suburban house.
3) He was born in a nondescript town about 30 kilometres away from the city.
4 December 2017
Word of the week: whimsical (adj.)
Meaning:
unusual and strange in a way that is either funny or annoying
Sentence Examples:
1) My cousin Lana has a whimsical sense of humour.
2) 'Alice in Wonderland' is a whimsical tale about a curious girl who falls down a magical rabbit hole, leading her into a whole new world of adventure.
3) Much of the author's work has whimsical notions of human nature.
27 November 2017
Word of the week: exacerbate (verb)
Meaning:
to make something bad (such as a problem, disease, bad situation, negative feeling, etc.) even worse ( = worsen, aggravate)
Sentence Examples:
1) Charlotte's asthma was exacerbated by the air pollution.
2) The shortage of staff exacerbated the bad situation in the hospital.
3) The world recession has exacerbated the country's unemployment problem.
4) The bad relationship between Roger and Austin was exacerbated by the rumour.
20 November 2017
Word of the week: precarious (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) a precarious situation is dangerous, uncertain and likely to get worse
(b) likely to fall or cause someone to fall because not firmly fixed or securely held
Sentence Examples:
1) As Toby was in a financially precarious position, he decided not to buy the car. [Meaning (a)]
2) Yvonne makes a precarious living as a freelancer. (a)
3) Lindsay is extremely worried about her grandfather's precarious health condition. (a)
4) Be careful - the trail down to the lake is very precarious. (b)
13 November 2017
Word of the week: resounding (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (used only before noun) very great
(b) loud enough to echo
Sentence Examples:
1) The charity sale, which raised a great deal of funds, was a resounding success. [Meaning (a)]
2) The political party won a resounding victory in the previous general election. (a)
3) Due to the lack of proper planning, the scheme was a resounding failure. (a)
4) The wrestler threw his opponent onto the ground with a resounding thud. (b)
6 November 2017
Word of the week: belligerent (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) unfriendly and wishing to argue or fight ( = hostile / aggressive)
(b) (of a country) fighting a war against another country
Sentence Examples:
1) Try not to provoke Belinda - she's in a belligerent mood. [Meaning (a)]
2) If you wish to be more popular among your friends, you need to get rid of your belligerent attitude. (a)
3) Will you stop talking to me in the belligerent tone? (a)
4) Citizens of the belligerent countries, who are suffering, hope that the war would come to an end soon. (b)
30 October 2017
Word of the week: oblivious (adj.)
Meaning:
(oblivious to / of something) not aware or conscious of something happening around you ( = unaware)
Sentence Examples:
1) Absorbed in his book, the child was entirely oblivious of his father's presence.
2) They seemed oblivious to the disturbance they are causing their neighbours.
3) After years of living nearby the railway, Cathy has become oblivious to the noise whenever trains pass by.
23 October 2017
Word of the week: eavesdrop (verb)
Meaning:
to listen secretly to other people's conversations
Sentence Examples:
1) While we were having our meeting, he was eavesdropping outside the window.
2) It is rude to eavesdrop on other people's private conversations.
3) The secret agent uses a bug to eavesdrop on phone calls.
16 October 2017
Word of the week: atrocious (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) extremely unpleasant or bad ( = awful / terrible)
(b) (of behaviour or an act) shockingly cruel or wicked
Sentence Examples:
1) I would rather stay at home in this atrocious weather! [Meaning (a)]
2) It is unbelievable to find such atrocious paintings at the art gallery. (a)
3) We felt nauseous after an atrocious meal at the restaurant. (a)
4) He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for an atrocious crime. (b)
5) Unfortunately, Nicholas met with an atrocious accident and died on the spot. (b)
9 October 2017
Word of the week: inaugural (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (used before noun) an inaugural speech is the first speech given when someone starts an important job
(b) an inaugural event is the first in a series of planned similar events and marks the beginning of something important
Sentence Examples:
1) The prime minister's inaugural address to the nation was broadcast live. [Meaning (a)]
2) The president gave an inaugural speech not long after taking office. (a)
3) The inaugural meeting of the Nature Society will be held next Monday. (b)
4) We are going to the inaugural concert of the band next weekend. (b)
2 October 2017
Word of the week: defiant (adj.)
Meaning:
clearly refusing to obey someone or authority
Sentence Examples:
1) "I am not going to do as told," said Henry with a defiant look.
2) The defiant teenager smashed his fist on the table.
3) Brandon's defiant attitude towards the law had cost him his life.
4) The protesters remained defiant today and continued with their demonstrations.
25 September 2017
Word of the week: incumbent (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (incumbent on/upon someone) to be necessary for you as part of your duty or responsibility
(b) (used before a noun) having a named position officially
Sentence Examples:
1) It is incumbent on the president to warn the citizens of possible danger. [Meaning (a)]
2) Mr and Mrs Brown felt it incumbent on them to send their children to university. (a)
3) The incumbent prime minister is the longest-serving prime minister of that country. (b)
4) The people are unhappy with the incumbent government's decision to increase tax. (b)
18 September 2017
Word of the week: exonerate (verb)
Meaning:
to officially state that someone is not guilty of something that they have been blamed for
Sentence Examples:
1) As Lincoln had an alibi, he was exonerated from the accusation of robbery.
2) The judge exonerated Michael from all the charges of battery due to the fact that there was no evidence.
3) The report exonerated the manager of bribery and corruption.
11 September 2017
Word of the week: vindictive (adj.)
Meaning:
trying or wishing to harm somebody because you believe that they have harmed you; vengeful
Sentence Examples:
1) Even though he had harmed me a few times, I was not vindictive.
2) The man whose car was set fire to believed that he was a victim of a vindictive act.
3) Julie is anxious about the vindictive old man who thinks that she has harmed his cat deliberately while it was purely an accident.
4 September 2017
Word of the week: beguile (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to interest or attract somebody
(b) to trick or persuade somebody into doing something
(a) to do something enjoyable in order to help pass time pleasantly
Sentence Examples:
1) She was beguiled by his sweet talk and good look. [Meaning (a)]
2) Jonathan beguiled the children with exciting stories. (a)
3) She beguiled me into lending her money. (b)
4) The saleswoman beguiled my mother into buying some beauty products that she did not need. (b)
5) Jack beguiled the company's CEO into signing the contract. (b)
6) The students beguiled the holiday with reading. (c)
7) To beguile the time, they watched films and played games. (c)
28 August 2017
Word of the week: insipid (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (of food or drink) not having much taste or flavour
(b) not exciting, interesting or attractive; dull or boring
Sentence Examples:
1) Joanne added some sugar and milk to the insipid mug of coffee. [Meaning (a)]
2) I regretted ordering the insipid pasta dish. (a)
3) Josephine did not buy any of the blouses because of their insipid colours. (b)
4) After having our lunch, we had an insipid conversation before leaving the cafeteria. (b)
21 August 2017
Word of the week: precocious (adj.)
Meaning:
(especially of a child) showing abilities or intelligence at an age that is younger than usual, or behaving like an adult
Sentence Examples:
1) As a child prodigy, Ben's precocious mathematical ability astounds his teachers.
2) My niece is a precocious child who was able to read and write at the age of two.
3) The computer genius displayed a precocious talent for computing since he was very young.
14 August 2017
Word of the week: impetuous (adj.)
Meaning:
likely to do things quickly and without thinking carefully about the results of your actions
Sentence Examples:
1) It was really impetuous of you to do that.
2) Dean made an impetuous decision and now he has to pay the price.
3) I got into bad company because I was young, ignorant and impetuous then.
7 August 2017
Word of the week: unequivocal (adj.)
Meaning:
(of your opinion or intention) expressed in a completely clear and certain way (opposite: equivocal)
Sentence Examples:
1) When I asked Jeremy if he was voting for the present government in the coming election, his answer was an unequivocal 'no'.
2) Kelly said that the chairman had the club members' unequivocal support.
3) The politicians were unequivocal in condemning the bombing.
31 July 2017
Word of the week: suffice (verb)
Meaning:
to be enough
Sentence Examples:
1) A little refreshment will suffice - I'll be having my dinner soon.
2) Since I'm not doing much shopping, taking $300 should suffice.
3) If you wish to make an appointment to see the dentist, a phone call will suffice.
24 July 2017
Word of the week: devastated (adj.)
Meaning:
very upset and shocked
Sentence Examples:
1) James was devastated by his parents' death in a plane crash.
2) Upon hearing the tragic news, Samantha was left feeling totally devastated.
3) Mr and Mrs Brown were devastated by the loss of their son.
17 July 2017
Word of the week: indifferent (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) not interested in somebody or something ( = unconcerned)
(b) not particularly good, but not very bad ( = mediocre)
Sentence Examples:
1) I was so engrossed in my study that I was indifferent to the noise outside. [Meaning (a)]
2) Benedict has never voted in his life because he is indifferent to politics. (a)
3) Due to his indifferent attitude towards the suffering of others, no one was willing to help him when he was in need. (a)
4) We seldom visit the restaurant because of the indifferent food served. (b)
5) Although Stevie has been working for the company for more than two decades, he was never promoted due to his indifferent performance. (b)
10 July 2017
Word of the week: engrossed (adj.)
Meaning:
so interested in something that you do not notice anything else and give it all your attention
Sentence Examples:
1) My mother was so engrossed in the telephone conversation that she forgot about the biscuits in the oven and they were burnt as a result.
2) My sister is engrossed with the fashion magazine.
3) The children were so engrossed in the jigsaw puzzle that they did not notice me come in.
3 July 2017
Word of the week: truancy (noun)
Meaning:
the action or practice of students staying away from school without permission
Sentence Examples:
1) Due to good management, truancy rates of the school are very low.
2) That school is fighting endlessly to combat truancy.
3) The principal questioned Patrick and a couple of his classmates about their frequent truancies.
26 June 2017
Word of the week: punitive (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) intended to punish somebody
(b) (of costs) so high that people find difficult to pay
Sentence Examples:
1) The government will take punitive action against drug dealers. [Meaning (a)]
2) The film star is suing the magazine for punitive damages, claiming that they have defamed her. (a)
3) She called for more punitive measures against traffic offenders. (a)
4) The prime minister disclosed that in the near future, punitive duties will be imposed on imported cars. (b)
19 June 2017
Word of the week: optimistic (adj.)
Meaning:
believing or hoping that good things will happen or something will be successful
Sentence Examples:
1) The athlete is optimistic about his chances of winning a gold medal in the coming Olympic Games.
2) If you are over-optimistic, you'll be disappointed when things do not turn out to be what you expected.
3) Even though Jane has tried her best, she's not very optimistic about her exam results.
4) The economists are now taking a more optimistic view of the Malaysian economy.
12 June 2017
Word of the week: crestfallen (adj.)
Meaning:
looking sad and disappointed
Sentence Examples:
1) Dean came back from the elocution contest empty-handed and crestfallen.
2) Nelly looks crestfallen because her parents have just cancelled her long-awaited birthday party.
3) My sister was crestfallen when she found out that she did not get the job.
5 June 2017
Word of the week: supplant (verb)
Meaning:
to take the place of somebody or something ( = replace, supersede)
Sentence Examples:
1) Bonnie will soon be supplanted as the chairperson of the club.
2) After Martha's baby brother was born, she has been supplanted in her parents' affections by her brother.
3) About half of the company's workforce will soon be supplanted by computers.
4) The printed edition of the encyclopaedia is now supplanted by CD-ROMs and e-books.
29 May 2017
Word of the week: expedite (verb)
Meaning:
to make something such as an action or a process happen more quickly ( = speed up)
Sentence Examples:
1) The government is coming up with strategies to expedite the process of issuing passports to citizens.
2) As we need the goods urgently, please make special arrangements to expedite the shipment.
3) The courier has developed a special system to expedite deliveries to customers.
22 May 2017
Word of the week: blunder (noun & verb)
Meanings:
(a) (noun) a serious, careless or stupid mistake
(b) (verb) to make a serious, careless or stupid mistake
Sentence Examples:
1) The waitress made a terrible blunder by adding salt instead of sugar to the customer's coffee. [Meaning (a)]
2) Finally, aware of the astonishing blunder he had made, he stopped and apologised. (a)
3) They blundered badly when they assigned Jason the important task. (b)
4) Jonathan was embarrassed to have blundered the third time today. (b)
15 May 2017
Word of the week: literally (adverb)
Meanings:
(a) according to the real or original meaning of a word, phrase or expression ( = exactly)
(b) used to emphasise that the truth of something, especially a large number, is really true and may seem surprising
(c) (informal) used to emphasise a word or strong expression that is used in a way that is different from its real or original meaning
Sentence Examples:
1) Please translate this passage literally. [Meaning (a)]
2) The word 'delighted' literally means 'very happy'. (a)
3) There are literally millions of different types of bacteria on our planet. (b)
4) The prolific writer has written literally hundreds of books. (b)
5) Judy literally cried her heart out when she heard the bad news. (c)
8 May 2017
Word of the week: lofty (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) if buildings, mountains, etc. are lofty, they are very high and impressive
(b) (of ideas, thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, aims, etc.) showing high standards or moral qualities and therefore deserving praise
(c) having an opinion that you are better than other people (disapproving)
Sentence Examples:
1) The lofty tower in the heart of the city is among the world's tallest towers. [Meaning (a)]
2) Is that lofty mountain Mt Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Southeast Asia? (a)
3) Dr Kingston set herself the lofty goal of becoming one of the world's top 10 heart specialists in 5 years. (b)
4) As a man of lofty principles, he tries to help the poor and needy whenever he can. (b)
5) Her lofty disdain for other people makes her an unpopular person. (c)
1 May 2017
Word of the week: cognitive (adj.)
Meaning:
connected to the mental process of understanding, knowing and learning something
Sentence Examples:
1) Since the car accident, some of my grandfather's cognitive functions have been impaired.
2) A friend of mine is studying cognitive psychology in a university.
3) Children's cognitive development is about children developing or constructing a mental model of the world.
24 April 2017
Word of the week: paranoid (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) feeling extremely worried and nervous because you believe unreasonably that people are trying to harm you
(b) suffering from a mental illness which makes you believe that other people are trying to harm you
Sentence Examples:
1) Lilian is getting really paranoid about her personal security. [Meaning (a)]
2) Michael does not have many friends because he has always been paranoid about what other people say about him. (a)
3) His uncle is suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and is currently hospitalised. (b)
4) I watched a film about a paranoid killer who was captured and sentenced to life imprisonment in the end. (b)
17 April 2017
Word of the week: escapism (noun)
Meaning:
activities or forms of entertainment that help you to forget or avoid unpleasant or boring things for a short time
Sentence Examples:
1) For Ricky, adventure films are a form of escapism.
2) Going on holidays are pure escapism for many people.
3) For me, computer games are a form of escapism from the real world.
10 April 2017
Word of the week: mortify (verb)
Meaning:
to make someone extremely embarrassed or ashamed
Sentence Examples:
1) Our history teacher was mortified by her own inability to answer such a simple question.
2) I've never felt so mortified in my life!
3) Meg was mortified to be fooled in public.
4) Leslie was mortified to be corrected by a seven-year-old.
3 April 2017
Word of the week: epitome (noun)
Meaning:
(a person or thing) that is the perfect or best possible example of something
Sentence Examples:
1) In the hit film, the villain was portrayed as the very epitome of evil.
2) Audrey is the epitome of a modern single lady.
3) You can find fashionable clothes that are the epitome of good taste in this boutique.
27 March 2017
Word of the week: repugnant (adj.)
Meaning:
(usually not used before a noun) extremely offensive and unpleasant, causing a feeling of disgust or dislike
Sentence Examples:
1) We found their political suggestions absolutely repugnant.
2) Lauren has been a vegetarian for years and the idea of eating meat is repugnant to her.
3) Some people find the death sentence morally repugnant.
20 March 2017
Word of the week: colloquial (adj.)
Meaning:
(of language or words) used mainly in informal conversations but not in writing or formal speech
Sentence Examples:
1) The use of colloquial words and phrases are not encouraged when writing official letters.
2) 'Kid', 'quote', 'how come' and 'you're fired' are examples of colloquial words and phrases.
3) Excessive use of colloquial words and phrases diminishes the quality of formally written text.
6 March 2017
Word of the week: boisterous (adj.)
Meaning:
noisy, cheerful and full of energy
Sentence Examples:
1) The new teacher is having problem handling a class of boisterous six-year-olds.
2) "Janet, are you sure you want to participate in this boisterous game?" Janet's mother asked.
3) Boisterous activities are prohibited in the library.
4) I saw a flock of boisterous and gregarious birds at the mini zoo last week.
27 February 2017
Word of the week: emulate (verb)
Meaning:
to try to copy someone's achievement and do it as well as they have or better ( = imitate)
Sentence Examples:
1) Waverly wishes to emulate his brother's excellent academic achievements.
2) Teenagers tend to emulate their idols' hairstyles.
3) The new computer company hopes to emulate the success of other companies.
20 February 2017
Word of the week: succulent
Meanings:
(a) (adj.) (of meat, vegetables and fruit) tender, juicy and tasting good
(b) (adj.) (of plants) having thick fleshy leaves or stems containing plenty of water
(c) (noun) any plant with thick fleshy leaves or stems containing plenty of water, such as the cactus
Sentence Examples:
1) Wendy had a succulent steak at that restaurant last evening. [Meaning (a)]
2) "Sir, do you want to sample one of the pears that have just arrived? They're fresh and succulent," said the saleswoman at the supermarket. (a)
3) Small pots of succulent plants are popular nowadays as decorative items. (b)
4) Do you know whether the plant with succulent leaves outside my house is a cactus? (b)
5) "Excuse me, Miss. Are books on cacti and succulents available here?" Edward asked the shop assistant. (c)
13 February 2017
Word of the week: relinquish (verb)
Meaning:
to unwillingly stop having something such as rights, power or position
Sentence Examples:
1) Before leaving the country, Brandon relinquished possession of the car to his brother.
2) The king lost the war and was forced to relinquish control of his kingdom.
3) Although the search parties had stopped searching for Mr Alfred's missing son, he refused to relinquish the hope that his son was still alive.
4) Because of ill health, he had to relinquish his managerial role.
6 February 2017
Word of the week: confidant (noun)
Meaning:
someone whom you can trust and tell your secrets or private things to (feminine - confidante)
Sentence Examples:
1) Mr Ronald is a trusted confidant of the president.
2) According to a close confidante of the princess, the princess often disguises herself as a civilian and mixes freely with members of the public.
3) Stephanie did not tell the secret to anybody except Belinda, who was her confidante since childhood.
30 January 2017
Word of the week: excruciating
Meanings:
(a) (adj.) extremely painful
(b) (adj.) extremely unpleasant, boring or embarrassing
Sentence Examples:
1) As the pain in my lower back was excruciating, I went to see a doctor. [Meaning (a)]
2) The child cried due to the excruciating toothache. (a)
3) Sally describes what happened to her in excruciating detail. (b)
4) His full confession turned out to be excruciating. (b)
23 January 2017
Word of the week: aloof
Meanings:
(a) unfriendly or uninterested in other people
(b) purposely not involved in something, usually because you do not approve of what is going on
Sentence Examples:
1) Timothy may appear to be aloof, but in actual fact, he is a warm and sympathetic person if you get to know him well. [Meaning (a)]
2) In his later years, he became aloof and silent. (a)
3) Even though Sophia joined the class a few months ago, she has always kept herself aloof from the other students. (a)
4) No matter what happens in the neighbourhood, Max always remains aloof. (b)
5) James stayed aloof from the illegal boycott as he did not wish to get into trouble. (b)
16 January 2017
Word of the week: etiquette
Meaning:
the formal set of rules for correct or polite behaviour in social situations or a particular group
Sentence Examples:
1) Our late grandfather used to give us advice on etiquette.
2) According to social etiquette, mobile phones should be turned off during important events and business meetings.
3) Alice borrowed a book on etiquette from the library.
4) Dr Julian is a doctor who observes the rules of professional etiquette strictly.
9 January 2017
Word of the week: mandatory
Meaning:
something that is required by law ( = compulsory, obligatory)
Sentence Examples:
1) In some countries, a serious drug offence carries a mandatory death sentence.
2) To get the diploma, it is mandatory for students to have a minimum of five subject passes.
2 January 2017
Word of the week: prominent
Meanings:
(a) very famous or important
(b) easily seen ( = noticeable)
(c) projecting or sticking out from something
Sentence Examples:
1) Edward Jenner was a prominent English scientist who was the pioneer of the small pox vaccine. [Meaning (a)]
2) Since Yvonne has access to some extremely prominent people, she might be able to help you. (a)
3) Jennifer had a prominent part in the play. (a)
4) Harry played a prominent role in the campaign. (a)
5) The large fish among the small ones is prominent in the aquarium. (b)
6) The new car model is displayed in a prominent position in the showroom. (b)
7) The proboscis monkey is an animal with a prominent nose. (c)
8) Dr Sam is the dentist who treated my daughter's prominent front teeth. (c)
26 December 2016
Word of the week: vulnerable
Meaning:
a vulnerable person is weak and easily harmed or hurt emotionally, physically or mentally
Sentence Examples:
1) The child, who has a weak immune system, is vulnerable to illness.
2) I felt very vulnerable, being lost in the jungle all alone and unarmed.
3) The town was vulnerable to attack from the south.
4) Young animals are vulnerable to predators.
19 December 2016
Word of the week: integral
Meanings:
(a) forming an essential part of something
(b) included as part of something, not being separate
(c) having all the necessary parts to be complete
Sentence Examples:
1) The arms and legs are integral parts of a human body.
2) As the captain, Dominic is an integral part of our football team.
3) Extra-curricular activity is an integral part of the school curriculum.
4) The LED TV comes with an integral remote control.
5) This integral security system is in great demand.
12 December 2016
Word of the week: deliberately
Meanings:
(a) done in a way that was planned or intended, not by chance ( = on purpose / purposely, intentionally)
(b) done or said slowly or carefully
Sentence Examples:
1) I believe that someone set fire to the car deliberately.
2) Leslie deliberately sat beside Britney to attract her attention.
3) I'm sure Fred made these comments deliberately to insult me.
4) Slowly and deliberately, he rose from the settee and walked out of the house.
5) Calmly and deliberately, Jack tore the document into pieces and set it alight.
5 December 2016
Word of the week: nonchalant
Meaning:
behaving in a relaxed and calm manner, often in a way that suggests you are not feeling any anxiety, interest or enthusiasm
Sentence Examples:
1) "Yeah, whatever," Nelly replied with a nonchalant shrug.
2) "Is she married?" Frank asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
3) Adam wanted to be Isabel's boyfriend but she was completely nonchalant to him.
28 November 2016
Word of the week: irrefutable
Meaning:
impossible to be proven wrong and thus must be accepted (opposite: refutable)
Sentence Examples:
1) As he had irrefutable proofs of his innocence, he walked out of the court a free man.
2) There is irrefutable evidence that smoking is harmful to our health.
3) After a long debate, Edwin won the votes cast as he had irrefutable arguments for the proposal.
21 November 2016
Word of the week: aftermath
Meaning:
the period of time that follows something unpleasant such as a flood, storm, war, etc. and the effects it causes
Sentence Examples:
1) Many people were made homeless in the aftermath of the flood.
2) Apart from the danger of diseases in the aftermath of the earthquake, a lot of rebuilding took place.
3) Many more lives were lost in the aftermath of the war.
4) There was a severe famine in the aftermath of the drought.
5) Many families received compensation from the airline for losing their loved ones in the aftermath of the plane crash.
14 November 2016
Word of the week: indispensable
Meaning:
someone or something that is so useful or important that you could not manage without them (opposite: dispensable)
Sentence Examples:
1) A library is indispensable to a university.
2) Vitamins and minerals are indispensable for maintaining a healthy life.
3) This book by Dr James Martin is an indispensable resource to anyone interested in photography.
4) It is true that no one is indispensable at work, but anyone can be a valued employee.
5) Televisions have become an indispensable part of our lives.
7 November 2016
Word of the week: exasperate
Meaning:
to make someone very irritated or annoyed by doing something that upsets them
Sentence Examples:
1) People who do not keep their promises exasperate me.
2) Marie was exasperated by her baby brother because he tore her school project into pieces.
3) As a teenager, Terry's disobedience and rebellion exasperate his parents.
4) Henry was exasperated by Carey's criticism.
31 October 2016
Word of the week: detrimental
Meaning:
causing harm or damage ( = harmful)
Sentence Examples:
1) Drinking too much alcohol is detrimental to your health.
2) When Janet sunbathes, she applies sunblock to her skin to protect it from the detrimental effects of the sun.
3) After contracting a certain disease, Gary tried to cure himself by taking herbal medicine but his doctor advised him against doing so as it had detrimental effects on the healing process.
24 October 2016
Word of the week: adamant
Meaning:
unwilling to change your mind or a decision you have made
Sentence Examples:
1) Adam begged Leo to change his mind and sell him this plot of land but he remained adamant.
2) My grandfather was adamant that he would not undergo the heart surgery.
3) Nora wanted his son to further his studies in order to have a better future but he was adamant in refusing to comply with her wish.
17 October 2016
Word of the week: mediocre
Meaning:
not very good; of only average quality or standard ( = second rate)
Sentence Examples:
1) As a mediocre student, Edward is planning to receive private tuition in order to perform better academically.
2) I thought Nelly was only a mediocre musician, but she turned out to be much more talented.
3) Donovan sent his children to a mediocre school because he could not afford the high fees of better schools.
10 October 2016
Word of the week: gesticulate
Meaning:
to make movements with your hands and arms, usually while speaking, to emphasise what you are saying or to attract attention
Sentence Examples:
1) Noticing that the child is in danger of falling, Elaine gesticulates frantically and shouts, "Stop! Stop!"
2) An old lady was gesticulating and trying to say something outside the window.
3) Trying to remind Max that he was running out of time, Annie gesticulated wildly at the clock.
3 October 2016
Word of the week: connoisseur
Meaning:
an expert on arts, food, drink, music, beauty, etc.
Sentence Examples:
1) Luke Fraser, a connoisseur of painting, is able to tell you the real value of this particular painting.
2) Kim is a music connoisseur who has written innumerable reviews on the subject.
3) A panel of beauty connoisseurs will judge the beauty contest.
26 September 2016
Word of the week: adequate
Meaning:
enough or satisfactory for a particular purpose or need ( = sufficient)
Sentence Examples:
1) Are the seats adequate for 1,000 guests?
2) As there were adequate proofs, the accused was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder.
3) The large space provided is more than adequate for our needs.
4) Their performance standard is barely adequate.
19 September 2016
Word of the week: aggravate
Meanings:
(a) to make a bad situation or a disease worse ( = worsen)
(b) to annoy someone, especially on purpose ( = irritate)
Sentence Examples:
1) New student enrolments have aggravated the problem of inadequate classrooms.
2) Josh's health aggravates although he is presently receiving treatment.
3) Duncan was aggravated by Britney's bossy attitude.
4) Will you please stop aggravating me?
12 September 2016
Word of the week: culminate
Meaning:
to end with a particular event or result
Sentence Examples:
1) The couple's relationship got worse and worse and it culminated in a divorce.
2) Months of the scientists' hard work culminated in a cure for the disease.
3) The badly managed company finally culminated in bankruptcy.
4) The war culminated in total victory.
5) The band's world tour will culminate in an impressive concert in Tokyo.
5 September 2016
Word of the week: eliminate
Meanings:
(a) to completely remove or get rid of something or somebody
(b) to defeat someone or a team in a competition so that they no longer take part
(c) to kill someone, especially an opponent or enemy, in order to stop them from causing trouble
Sentence Examples:
1) High cholesterol foods should be eliminated from your diet.
2) The objective of the organisation is to eliminate poverty from the country.
3) After buying a car, Ariel eliminated the need to travel by public transport.
4) Since Tom had a perfect alibi, the police eliminated him from their investigation.
5) Alan's team was eliminated from the competition in the second round.
6) Last evening I watched a film about a security guard helping a drug gang eliminate rivals.
29 August 2016
Word of the week: lingua franca
Meaning:
a communication language used by people whose main languages are different
Sentence Examples:
1) In this multiracial country, Mandarin is the lingua franca.
2) Some people believe that music is the lingua franca of the globe.
3) Many people all over the world see English as a lingua franca.
22 August 2016
Word of the week: alibi
Meanings:
(a) evidence that proves that a person was not where a crime happened and so could not have committed it
(b) an excuse for something bad or something you have done wrong
Sentence Examples:
1) The suspect had a cast-iron alibi - he was hospitalised the week of the crime.
2) As usual, John used being stuck in a traffic jam as an alibi for being late for work.
15 August 2016
Word of the week: deteriorate
Meaning:
to become worse
Sentence Examples:
1) After a long period of hospitalisation, her condition suddenly deteriorated and she died shortly afterwards.
2) Relationships between the two countries deteriorated and war broke out eventually.
3) Many flights were cancelled due to the deteriorating weather conditions.
4) When they failed to reach an agreement, their discussion deteriorated into an angry argument.
8 August 2016
Word of the day: culminate
Meaning: to end with a particular event or result
Sentence Examples:
1) The couple's relationship got worse and worse and it culminated in a divorce.
2) Months of the scientists' hard work culminated in a cure for the disease.
3) The badly managed company finally culminated in bankruptcy.
4) The war culminated in total victory.
5) The band's world tour will culminate in an impressive concert in Tokyo.
1 August 2016
Word of the week: sedentary
Meanings:
(a) (of people) spending a lot of time sitting down and not exercising or moving
(b) (of work, lifestyles, etc.) in which you spend much time sitting down, involving little exercise or physical activity
(c) (of people or animals) staying and living in the same place
Sentence Examples:
1) My grandparents' doctor advises them to do more exercise as they are becoming increasingly sedentary.
2) Sedentary lifestyles tend to cause health problems.
3) Edwin is thinking of getting a new job as he is bored with sedentary work.
4) Giraffes, tigers, rhinos and cheetahs are examples of sedentary animals.
5) The population of this town is made up of mainly sedentary citizens.
25 July 2016
Word of the week: imminent
Meaning:
(especially something unpleasant) coming or will happen very soon
Sentence Examples:
1) The AIDS patient is in imminent danger of dying.
2) A war between the two countries seems imminent.
3) Most people believe that the system is in no imminent danger of collapse.
18 July 2016
Word of the week: subjugate
Meaning:
to defeat a person, a group or something and have control over it
Sentence Examples:
1) According to a documentary, a few tribes living in the remote areas of the Amazonian rainforest were subjugated and exploited.
2) The subjugated race has tried in vain to resist the subjugation.
3) Since my father's demise, my ambitions have been subjugated by the needs of my family.
11 July 2016
Word of the week: demise
Meanings:
(a) death
(b) the end or failure of an enterprise, institution, an idea, etc.
Sentence Examples:
1) Frederick was shocked and saddened by the news of his best friend's sudden demise.
2) Intense competition has caused the demise of a local newspaper.
4 July 2016
Word of the week: documentary
Meaning:
a television or film or radio programme giving facts and information about a subject
Sentence Examples:
1) An overseas film crew is making a documentary about the sightings of UFOs.
2) The Star Channel is now broadcasting a documentary on animals' seasonal migration.
27 June 2016
Word of the week: innumerable
Meaning:
too many to be counted; a large number of
Sentence Examples:
1) James Ritchie, who is a prolific author, has written innumerable books.
2) The streets are decorated with innumerable flags of all colours.
3) Innumerable problems caused the cancellation of the project.
20 June 2016
Word of the week: prolific
Meanings:
(a) (of a writer, an artist, etc.) producing many works of art, books, etc.
(b) (of animals, plants, etc.) producing many babies, fruit, flowers, other plants or offspring, etc.
(c) existing in large numbers or quantities
(d) (of a sports player) producing a lot of goals, runs, etc.; high-scoring
Sentence Examples:
1) The prolific songwriter makes a lot of money selling his works.
2) Rats and mice are prolific breeders.
3) Wildlife is prolific in the tropical jungles.
4) South Africa is prolific in gold and diamonds.
5) Terry's name is in the list of the most prolific goalscorer this decade.
13 June 2016
Word of the week: accomplish
Meaning:
to complete something successfully
Sentence Examples:
1) Has the mission been accomplished?
2) The students accomplished their project within a week.
3) Eric felt that he had not accomplished much since he left college.
6 June 2016
Word of the week: ominous
Meaning:
making you feel that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen
Sentence Examples:
1) There was an ominous silence when I asked the doctor regarding my son's health condition.
2) I suggest we cancel the trip - there are ominous dark clouds gathering overhead.
30 May 2016
Word of the week: substantial
Meanings:
(a) large in amount, size or value; important (=considerable)
(b) large and strongly built
Sentence Examples:
1) The robbers robbed the bank and escaped with a substantial amount of cash.
2) Thomas leads a comfortable life with a substantial salary.
3) Your news report requires substantial editing.
4) Jennifer's not hungry as she ate a substantial breakfast this morning.
5) This substantial piece of furniture is a real bargain at its price.
6) The wealthy man owns a row of substantial villas.
23 May 2016
Word of the week: instantaneous
Meaning:
happening or done immediately, without any delay
Sentence Examples:
1) When Max was asked a question, he gave an instantaneous response.
2) The use of the telephone is one of the modern methods of instantaneous communication.
16 May 2016
Word of the week: notorious
Meaning:
well known or famous for something bad (=infamous)
Sentence Examples:
1) It is particularly worrying that the notorious criminal has escaped from prison.
2) The notorious computer hacker has been caught and is currently being sued.
3) The country is notorious for its abuse of human rights.
9 May 2016
Word of the week: pandemonium
Meaning:
a situation in which there is a lot of noise, confusion
Sentence Examples:
1) Pandemonium broke out when the election results were announced.
2) There was pandemonium in the street when the people heard the sound of gunshots.
2 May 2016
Word of the week: celebrity
Meaning:
(a) a famous living person, especially in the entertainment and sports business (=star)
(b) the state of being famous or well known
Sentence Examples:
1) The professional tennis player became a sporting celebrity a few years after he started the career.
2) Sue was honoured to be interviewed by a TV celebrity.
3) As he became more successful, his celebrity grew.
25 April 2016
Word of the week: exaggerate
Meaning:
to make something seem bigger, better, worse, more important, etc. than it really is
Sentence Examples:
1) You're exaggerating - I don't think your new car is that expensive.
2) Nancy tends to exaggerate any aches and pains to get more attention.
3) The damage caused by the fire has been greatly exaggerated.
18 April 2016
Word of the week: consequence
Meanings:
(a) a result of something that has happened, usually one that is bad or unpleasant
(b) not very important
Sentence Examples:
1) Twelve families were made homeless as a consequence of the fire.
2) Ed is currently hospitalised and suffering the consequences of his reckless driving.
3) Since the incident happened so many years ago, I suppose it is of no consequence now.
11 April 2016
Word of the week: reluctant
Meaning:
unwilling to do something and thus slow to do it
Sentence Examples:
1) I enjoyed the party so much that I was reluctant to leave.
2) Even though Rebecca had made a mistake, she was reluctant to admit it.
3) The actor seemed reluctant to answer the reporters' questions.
4 April 2016
Word of the week: paramount
Meanings:
(a) more important than anything else
(b) having the highest rank or the greatest power
Sentence Examples:
1) Since safety is paramount, it is advisable to fasten your seat belt.
2) The issue of paramount importance should be dealt with first.
3) The paramount chief of the tribe is a capable and just leader.
28 March 2016
Word of the week: interpersonal
Meaning:
connected with relationships or communication with people
Sentence Examples:
1) You need good interpersonal skills to be a successful salesman.
2) Steven is planning to take a course in interpersonal communications.
21 March 2016
Word of the week: ablaze
Meanings:
(a) burning quickly and fiercely
(b) (ablaze with) very brightly lit or coloured
(c) (ablaze with) filled with strong emotion or excitement
Sentence Examples:
1) Soon, the whole wooden house was ablaze.
2) A few vehicles were set ablaze during the arson attack.
3) My garden is ablaze with flowers.
4) We saw a number of carnival floats with their lights ablaze last evening.
5) When Henry heard the bad news, his eyes were ablaze with fury.
14 March 2016
Word of the week: eminent
Meaning:
(of a person) important, famous and respected
Sentence Examples:
1) Kevin's father is one of the world's most eminent statesmen.
2) Vivian wishes to be an eminent lawyer some day.
7 March 2016
Word of the week: ovation
Meaning:
if a group of people or an audience give someone an ovation, they clap as a sign of approval or great enjoyment
Sentence Examples:
1) At the end of the singer's performance, she was given a standing ovation.
2) The appearance of the rock group on stage was greeted with a thunderous ovation.
29 February 2016
Word of the week: benign
Meanings:
(a) (of people) kind, gentle and pleasant
(b) not harmful to the environment
(c) (of tumours or diseases) not harmful or likely to cause death
Sentence Examples:
1) Although the principal is a benign man, he is firm with the students.
2) A benign old lady showed me the way to your house.
3) Mr Jefferson gave me a benign smile.
4) I usually cycle because the bicycle is a benign form of transport.
5) Don't worry about the chemical additives - they are environmentally benign.
6) Benny's family doctor told him that he had a benign tumour in his throat.
22 February 2016
Word of the week: deprecate
Meaning:
to disapprove something strongly
Sentence Examples:
1) The management board deprecated the transfer of shares.
2) Melissa wanted to be a model but her family, especially her parents, deprecated.
15 February 2016
Word of the week: procrastinate
Meaning:
to delay doing something that you must do, usually because you do not wish to do it
Sentence Examples:
1) I don't think Jeremy can be trusted with the job - he loves to procrastinate.
2) Since the present government tends to procrastinate, many voters are contemplating a change of government.
8 February 2016
Word of the week: contemplate
Meanings:
(a) to consider seriously if you should do something, or how it should be done
(b) to think about and accept the possibility of something happening
Sentence Examples:
1) Nancy is contemplating Jack's proposal.
2) I have never contemplated resigning, although I have a boring job.
3) The thought of being captured and tortured by their enemies is too awful to contemplate.
1 February 2016
Word of the week: proposal
Meanings:
(a) a plan or formal suggestion made to an official group or person; the act of making it
(b) a formal act of asking someone to marry you
Sentence Examples:
1) Lionel's proposal for the new project has been accepted.
2) The government is considering the proposal to build a nuclear power station.
3) Susan courteously declined Michael's marriage proposal.
25 January 2016
Word of the week: unscrupulous
Meaning:
not having moral principles; dishonest or unfair
Sentence Examples:
1) Unscrupulous employers tend to exploit their employees.
2) Unscrupulous businessmen who sell goods at exorbitant prices will be reported to the authorities.
18 January 2016
Word of the week: exploit
Meanings:
(a) to treat somebody unfairly by making them work and giving them very little in return
(b) to use someone or a situation as a chance for your own advantage
Sentence Examples:
1) James, who is young and innocent, has been exploited at his workplace.
2) The homeworkers are going on strike because they are being exploited by their company.
3) The politician exploited his father's name to get more votes.
11 January 2016
Word of the week: incognito
Meaning:
if you do something incognito, you do it in a way that prevents other people from recognising you
Sentence Examples:
1) The famous actor often travels incognito.
2) The prince's wish is to mingle incognito at parties, though he is prohibited from doing so.
3) Edward often donates incognito to charity.
4 January 2016
Word of the week: mingle
Meanings:
a) to mix together
b) if you mingle at a social event, you move around and talk to other people
Sentence Examples:
1) Britney mingles milk with tea to make her favourite drink.
2) "Don't just sit there - you should try to mingle with the other guests at the party."
28 December 2015
Word of the week: succinct
Meaning:
(especially of something spoken and written) expressed clearly in a few words
Sentence Examples:
1) Keep your answers as succinct and straight to the point as possible.
2) When Frederick was asked the reason why he was late for the meeting, he gave a succinct explanation.
21 December 2015
Word of the week: cynical
Meanings:
a) believing that people are generally selfish and do not have good, honest or sincere reasons to do something
b) not concerned that something might hurt someone, when trying to get something for yourself
Sentence Examples:
1) My aunt, who is in her fifties, is still single because she takes a cynical view of men.
2) The dumping of toxic chemical wastes into a river is a cynical disregard for the safety of others.
14 December 2015
Word of the week: pertinent
Meaning:
directly related to the subject or topic considered
Sentence Examples:
1) Please ask questions pertinent to today's discussion.
2) Sebastian made quite a few pertinent remarks during the meeting.
7 December 2015
Word of the week: quintessence
Meaning:
the most perfect or typical example of something
Sentence Examples:
1) Edwin, the model student, is the quintessence of good manners.
2) It was the quintessence of a traditional Japanese house.
30 November 2015
Word of the week: improvise
Meanings:
(a) to make or do something with whatever you can find because you do not have what you need
(b) to invent music, words in a play, a statement, etc. from your imagination while you are playing or talking, rather than planning it in advance
Sentence Examples:
1) There were no pillows, so we had to improvise with a few blankets.
2) The director invited the actors and actresses to improvise dialogue.
3) Although the politician gave an improvised speech, he received a big round of applause.
23 November 2015
Word of the week: benevolent
Meaning:
kind, generous and helpful
Sentence Examples:
1) Michael's benevolent and wealthy uncle paid for his tertiary education.
2) "Don't worry - I'll help you solve your problems," said Audrey with a benevolent smile.
16 November 2015
Word of the week: tertiary
Meaning:
(education) at university or college level
Sentence Examples:
1) You need tertiary education to apply for the post of manager.
2) Samantha completed her tertiary education in 2008.
9 November 2015
Word of the week: exorbitant
Meaning:
(of a price) much higher than it should be
Sentence Examples:
1) Loan sharks are people who lend money at exorbitant rates of interest.
2) Jeremy looked at the exorbitant dinner bill in surprise.
2 November 2015
Word of the week: rhetorical
Meanings:
(a) (of a question) asked as a way to make a statement, without expecting an answer
(b) using a speech or a piece of writing in special ways to influence people or to produce an impressive effect, but not totally sincere or honest
Sentence Examples:
1) "Do you know how much I care about you?" Martha asked her son, but it was a rhetorical question.
2) Although the mayor gave a speech full of rhetorical phrases, it did not impress me much.
26 October 2015
Word of the week: auspicious
Meaning:
Meaning: showing that something is likely to be successful in the future
Sentence Examples:
1) Cindy's great diligence in her schoolwork is an auspicious start to passing the public exam with flying colours.
2) Although Elaine married Bob eventually, their first date was not auspicious - they had a huge argument.
19 October 2015
Word of the week: amicable
Meaning:
Meaning: (of behaviour between people) pleasant, polite or friendly and without any quarrels
Sentence Examples:
1) After about 8 years, the band finally announced their amicable split.
2) Unfortunately, the relationship between Laura and me has not always been amicable.
12 October 2015
Word of the week: supercilious (= superior)
Meaning:
if you are supercilious, you are behaving as if you are better and more important than other people
Sentence Examples:
1) The boutique owner was quite supercilious.
2) The wine waiter spoke in a supercilious voice.
5 October 2015
Word of the week: rumbustious (American English - rambunctious)
Meaning:
full of energy, noise and fun
Sentence Examples:
1) My German Shepherd bitch has given birth to a litter of lively and rumbustious puppies.
2) Julie needs help - she has problem controlling the rumbustious children at her son's birthday party.
28 September 2015
Word of the week: unsavoury
Meaning:
unpleasant or offensive; not morally acceptable
Sentence Examples:
1) A few unsavoury characters at the railway station extorted money from Patrick yesterday.
2) My advice is to stay away from the club - it has an unsavoury reputation.
21 September 2015
Word of the week: reputation
Meaning:
the opinion that people have about somebody or something, based on what has happened in the past
Sentence Examples:
1) During his schooldays, he had a reputation as a troublemaker.
2) The Kingston is a hotel with a good reputation for its excellent service.
3) With Lisa's professional qualifications and talents, she soon acquired a reputation as a first-class cook.
4) Henry's good reputation has been tarnished when he was caught accepting bribes.
14 September 2015
Word of the week: tarnish
Meanings:
(1) to spoil the good name of someone or something
(2) (of metals) become less bright and shiny
Sentence Examples:
1) A series of scandals has tarnished the actress' public image.
2) Moisture and air tarnish copper.
3) Do you mind polishing these tarnished silver spoons?
7 September 2015
Word of the week: exponential
Meaning:
describing a rate of increase becoming faster and faster as the amount of the thing that is growing increases
Sentence Examples:
1) My boss is extremely pleased with the exponential growth of his business.
2) There has been an exponential increase in the world's population in the past half-century.
1 September 2015
Word of the week: presumptuous
Meaning:
people who are presumptuous do things that they have no right to do, in a way that shows disrespect for other people
Sentence Examples:
1) I hope it would not be presumptuous of me to ask why you are so upset.
2) Would I be considered presumptuous if I comment on the matter?
25 August 2015
Word of the week: philanthropist
Meaning:
a rich person who helps the poor and needy, especially by giving them lots of money
Sentence Examples:
1) Perry's father is a philanthropist who donates generously to charity.
2) The orphanage has just received a donation from a wealthy American philanthropist.
17 August 2015
Word of the week: altruistic
Meaning:
showing that you care about the needs and happiness of other people, even though this brings no advantage to yourself; unselfish
Sentence Examples:
1) I believe Jason's motives for donating money to charity are not altruistic - he's simply looking for publicity.
2) Harry's popularity among his friends is due to his altruistic personality.
3) Her fund-raising activities are entirely altruistic acts.
10 August 2015
Word of the week: palpable
Meaning:
a feeling that is so strong that it is easily noticed, felt or touched
Sentence Examples:
1) When she heard the good news, her joy was palpable.
2) During the funeral, the sense of loss among the attendees was almost palpable.
3 August 2015
Word of the week: convalesce
Meaning:
to rest and spend time getting well after getting an illness or a medical treatment; recover
Sentence Examples:
1) After undergoing a heart operation, my grandfather is now convalescing at home.
2) Edwin convalesced for about six months after the stroke.
27 July 2015
Word of the week: egregious
Meaning:
very bad and noticeable
Sentence Examples:
1) The publisher is currently being sued for egregious abuse of copyright.
2) Due to Harry's egregious misbehavior, he was suspended from college for a fortnight.
20 July 2015
Word of the week: sheer
Meanings:
(a) used to emphasize the size, weight, quantity, etc. of something
(b) nothing except
Sentence Examples:
1) The sheer size of the shopping complex impressed us.
2) His suggestion was unheeded because it was sheer nonsense.
13 July 2015
Word of the week: attribute
Meaning:
to think or say that something is caused by a particular thing
Sentence Examples:
1) Cindy attributes her excellent academic performance to her hard work.
2) The bad weather conditions attributed to the flight delays.
6 July 2015
Word of the week: beguile
Meanings:
(a) to persuade or trick someone into doing something
(b) to attract and interest someone
Sentence Examples:
1) The salesman beguiled her into buying a set of cooking utensils that she did not want.
2) When Alex met Valerie for the first time, he was completely beguiled by her beauty.
29 June 2015
Word of the week: resolution
Meaning:
a promise to yourself to do or not to do something
Sentence Examples:
1) James made a resolution to do well academically.
2) One of Janet's New Year's resolutions is to give up smoking.
22 June 2015
Word of the week: predicament
Meaning:
an unpleasant or difficult situation where you do not know what to do
Sentence Examples:
1) To get out of the company's financial predicament, the management is hoping to get a loan from the bank.
2) I explained my terrible predicament to the manager.
15 June 2015
Word of the week: commotion
Meaning:
sudden noisy disturbance, confusion or excitement
Sentence Examples:
1) We were distracted by a commotion downstairs and went to find out what was happening.
2) The arrival of the superstar caused quite a commotion.
8 June 2015
Word of the week: extrapolate
Meaning:
to use existing facts to guess or estimate what is likely to happen or be true in the future
Sentence Examples:
1) We cannot accurately extrapolate too far into the future from current trends.
2) It is too risky to extrapolate these results to other patient groups.
1 June 2015
Word of the week: immaculate
Meanings:
(1) very clean and tidy; spotless (2) without any mistakes; perfect
Sentence Examples:
1) My mother loves to work in an immaculate kitchen.
2) The pianist gave an immaculate performance last evening.
25 May 2015
Word of the week: patriotic
Meaning:
having or expressing a great love for your country
Sentence Examples:
1) The soldiers are performing a patriotic song on stage.
2) The ex-president was a patriotic man who served his country well.
18 May 2015
Word of the week: acrid
Meaning:
having a strong, bitter and unpleasant smell or taste; irritating to the eyes, nose, etc.
Sentence Examples:
1) Let's get out of here - I can't stand the acrid smoke.
2) Where does the acrid smell originate?
11 May 2015
Word of the week: umpteen
Meaning:
very many; a lot of (used especially when one is annoyed there are so many)
Sentence Examples:
1) I can't go out with you because I have umpteen things to do.
2) Eric called Julie umpteen times but did not get any answers.
4 May 2015
Word of the week: apprehensive
Meaning:
worried or fearful that something unpleasant may happen; feeling anxiety about the future
Sentence Examples:
1) We have no reason to be apprehensive about their visit.
2) They were deeply apprehensive that something bad might have happened.
27 April 2015
Word of the week: fugitive
Meaning:
a person who is running away (especially from the police) and is trying to avoid being caught
Sentence Examples:
1) After being in hiding for a decade, the fugitive is finally brought into justice.
2) The criminals escaped from prison and are being sought for as fugitives.
20 April 2015
Word of the week: perpetual
Meaning:
continuing for a long time without stopping or changing; continuous
Sentence Examples:
1) The perpetual noise of traffic is driving me crazy!
2) My niece is a cute little girl with a perpetual smile.
13 April 2015
Word of the week: gratitude
Meaning:
the feeling of being grateful and thankful to someone for helping you
Sentence Examples:
1) I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for your assistance and support.
2) She treated him to a meal in gratitude for what he had done.
6 April 2015
Word of the week: immortal
Meaning:
never dying; living forever
Sentence Examples:
1) Our souls are immortal.
2) Vampires are imaginative creatures said to be immortal.
30 March 2015
Word of the week: lucrative
Meaning:
producing a great deal of money; making a lot of profit
Sentence Examples:
1) The wealthy man runs a lucrative business.
2) Jason pursued a lucrative career as a surgeon.
23 March 2015
Word of the week: cajole
Meaning:
to persuade someone to do something by talking to them and being very nice to them
Sentence Examples:
1) Sam hopes to cajole Edward into selling him a plot of land.
2) Benny managed to cajole Lisa's phone number out of her.
16 March 2015
Word of the week: gregarious
Meaning:
friendly and liking to be with other people; sociable
Sentence Examples:
1) My uncle has a wide circle of friends because he's very outgoing and gregarious.
2) Jolene is a popular and gregarious woman.
9 March 2015
Word of the week: confinement
Meaning:
the act of forcing someone to stay in a closed space, room, prison, etc., or the state of being there
Sentence Examples:
1) The politician has suffered five years of confinement as a political prisoner.
2) The murder suspects were held in confinement for a week before being released.
2 March 2015
Word of the week: strenuous
Meaning:
needing a lot of strength or effort
Sentence Examples:
1) At dawn, they began their strenuous climb up the mountain.
2) It is not advisable to do strenuous exercise immediately after a meal.
23 February 2015
Word of the week: incessant
Meaning:
continuing; never stopping
Sentence Examples:
1) The major flooding was caused by days of incessant rain.
2) Unable to tolerate the incessant noise from his neighbour, James complained to the authorities.
16 February 2015
Word of the week: detestable
Meaning:
deserving to be hated
Sentence Examples:
1) The detestable murderer was sentenced to life imprisonment.
2) I did not watch the movie because a friend told me that its violence was detestable.
3) "You're detestable!" she said furiously.
9 February 2015
Word of the week: legitimate
Meaning:
acceptable or allowed according to the law
Sentence Examples:
1) Our business operations are strictly legitimate.
2) Jonathan is the legitimate heir to his deceased uncle's properties.
2 February 2015
Word of the week: deceased
Meaning:
dead
Sentence Examples:
1) Julie inherited a large fortune from her deceased parents.
2) The sculptures are by my deceased father, Edward.
26 January 2015
Word of the week: laudable
Meaning:
deserving praise
Sentence Examples:
1) Helping the flood victims is a laudable idea.
2) Saving our earth is a laudable activity.
19 January 2015
Word of the week: preposterous
Meaning:
completely unreasonable or silly; not to be believed
Sentence Examples:
1) Nobody is going to believe your preposterous story.
2) The suggestion sounds completely preposterous!
12 January 2015
Word of the week: complacent
Meaning:
too self-satisfied or pleased with a situation, especially something you have achieved, so that you feel that it is no longer necessary to improve
Sentence Examples:
1) We simply cannot afford to become complacent about our small progress.
2) The citizens are too complacent to change the government.
5 January 2015
Word of the week: flabbergasted
Meaning:
very surprised or shocked
Sentence Examples:
1) The bad news left John totally flabbergasted.
2) I was flabbergasted at the amount of money she makes daily.
29 December 2014
Word of the week: compliment
Meaning:
to express something nice to someone in order to praise them
Sentence Examples:
1) He complimented her on her excellent Japanese.
2) The bridegroom was so nervous that he forgot to compliment the bridesmaids.
22 December 2014
Word of the week: apparent
Meaning:
easy to see, notice or understand
Sentence Examples:
1) For no apparent reason, Emily burst into tears.
2) It soon became apparent to everyone that he couldn't speak French well.
15 December 2014
Word of the week: consent
Meaning:
to agree to do something or to give permission for something to happen
Sentence Examples:
1) Her parents willingly consented to her marriage.
2) The actor finally consented to let us interview him.
8 December 2014
Word of the week: identical
Meaning:
exactly the same or very similar
Sentence Examples:
1) The two motorbikes are identical except for the licence number.
2) Peter's T-shirt is almost identical to James'.
1 December 2014
Word of the week: repulsive
Meaning:
very unpleasant; in a way that causes a feeling of strong dislike
Sentence Examples:
1) Everybody wondered where the repulsive smell originated.
2) My sister finds cockroaches repulsive.
24 November 2014
Word of the week: infallible
Meaning:
never making mistakes, always right
Sentence Examples:
1) The doctor admitted to making a wrong diagnosis and stressed that no one is infallible in this world.
2) Even the experts are not infallible.
17 November 2014
Word of the week: illiterate
Meaning:
unable to read and write
Sentence Examples:
1) A large percentage of the population of that country are illiterate.
2) My illiterate neighbor requested me to read a letter to her.
3) John helped the illiterate old man to fill up a form.
10 November 2014
Word of the week: impromptu (adj.)
Meaning:
said or done without any earlier planning or preparation
Sentence Examples:
1) The minister delivered a fine impromptu speech at the opening ceremony of the campaign.
2) During a meet-the-fan session, the band gave an impromptu concert and their fans were thrilled.
3 November 2014
Word of the week: ostentatious (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) an ostentatious thing looks expensive and is intended to impress people
(b) (of people) showing how rich they are and trying to make other people notice and admire them
(b) (of actions, qualities exhibited, manner, etc.) done in a way which attracts notice or attention
Sentence Examples:
1) A magnificent and ostentatious palace stands in the middle of the kingdom. [Meaning (a)]
2) A woman wearing ostentatious gold jewellery was robbed in a car park last night. (a)
3) Do you know the man who was driving the ostentatious car? (a)
4) Spencer was very much an ostentatious man in his younger years. (b)
5) She was quite ashamed to admit that the vain and ostentatious teenager was her niece. (b)
6) Victoria gave an ostentatious yawn to hint to the lecturer that his lecture was boring. (c)
7) Michael led a lavish and ostentatious lifestyle and went broke after a few years. (c)
8) It was obvious that the lady who wailed loudly during the funeral was just making an ostentatious show of sorrow. (c)
9) The tycoon's gold and diamond-encrusted smartphone is an ostentatious display of wealth. (c)
10) Veronica plans to achieve instant fame through her ostentatious charity. (c)
27 October 2014
Word of the week: obligation (noun)
Meanings:
(a) the condition of being forced to do something or having a feeling that you must do something because it is a moral or legal duty
(b) something that you must do because you are morally or legally bound; a duty, promise or commitment
Sentence Examples:
1) Tourists visiting the aquarium will have their photographs taken at the entrance but they are under no obligation to buy the pictures. [Meaning (a)]
2) We have a moral obligation to protect the flora and fauna of national parks. (a)
3) We will send you a quotation of the renovation without obligation. (a)
4) They are under no obligation to buy the mansion if they have not signed the purchase agreement yet. (a)
5) The contractor is under obligation to finish the work in a satisfactory manner. (a)
6) In some countries, adult children are under legal obligation to care for their aged parents. (a)
7) Tracy's parents have fulfilled their obligation to raise her and her siblings. (b)
8) It's Adam's obligation to pay back the money that he borrowed from the bank on a monthly basis. (b)
9) Bob gave up his seat to an old lady on the train because he felt that it was his obligation to do so. (b)
10) It's our obligation to notify the police when we witness crimes taking place. (b)
20 October 2014
Word of the week: astute (adj.)
Meaning:
clever and showing an ability to understand situations or behaviour quickly so as to get an advantage
Synonyms:
intelligent, shrewd
Sentence Examples:
1) A few years back, Richard made an astute investment in the business enterprise and now he is getting a high rate of returns on capital.
2) Steve considers himself lucky to have an astute, charming and helpful wife.
3) The astute businesswoman made the right move to sell the shares last month.
4) During the economic downturn in the late 1990s, the astute politician took advantage of the situation and won an election.
5) Sylvia's astute handling of the club problems and her commitment to the club made her the chairwoman of the organisation.
6) As an astute observer of human behaviour, I trust that you have finally found your Mr Right.
7) The marketing manager's astute analysis of the surveys allowed him to improve the quality of the company's products and increase their sales.
13 October 2014
Word of the week: spontaneous (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) not planned or organised but happened because your feel like doing it all of a sudden
(b) a spontaneous person often does things without planning them first, because they wish to do it all of a sudden (showing approval)
(c) (of a process or event) happening or done naturally, without any external causes or being forced
Sentence Examples:
1) Elijah made a spontaneous offer of help when we needed it most. [Meaning (a)]
2) A spontaneous cheer of encouragement went up from the crowd. (a)
3) When Charlotte saw the venomous snake, her spontaneous reaction was to take to her heels. (a)
4) We planned to watch a film but then made a spontaneous decision to go to the park instead. (a)
5) While touring Europe, Julia met a dashing spontaneous young man who is now her husband. (b)
6) Do you mind introducing me to that spontaneous lively lady? (b)
7) Upon hearing the joke, all of us burst into spontaneous laughter. (c)
8) I'm sorry to hear about your spontaneous abortion. (c)
9) Austin's mother was happy to see him tidying up his bedroom spontaneously (adverb). (c)
10) The guest of honour gave a spontaneous speech at the awards ceremony. (c)
11) All the fans were pleasantly surprised by the band's spontaneous live performance. (c)
12) A spontaneous combustion occurred and the compost pile was burnt to ashes. (c)
6 October 2014
Word of the week: audacious (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) showing great courage or a willingness to take risks; fearless
(b) showing no respect for other people
Sentence Examples:
1) A few years ago, he made an audacious decision to climb Mount Everest alone but failed to reach the summit. [Meaning (a)]
2) Carl advised his grandfather to think twice about undergoing such an audacious operation. (a)
3) The audacious reporter lost his life while he was on duty in a war zone. (a)
4) It was an audacious move on his part to take legal action against the company. (a)
5) After making several audacious remarks, the speaker was booed off stage. (b)
6) It was audacious of Jacob to try that. (b)
7) I was surprised that the audacious suggestion was made by a highly educated person. (b)
29 September 2014
Word of the week: insolent (adj.)
Meaning:
rude and showing no respect
Synonyms:
rude, impolite, discourteous, disrespectful
Antonyms:
polite, courteous, respectful
Sentence Examples:
1) Please pardon me if I've offended you - I did not intend to be insolent.
2) Do you think it's insolent to ask someone's age?
3) The child was insolent in his manner.
4) It was insolent of Patsy to talk back to her teacher.
5) Will you please stop addressing me in that insolent tone of voice?
6) You can just ignore his insolent remarks - he's simply jealous of your success.
7) It would be insolent not to invite them in.
8) Tommy was unhappy with Melissa's insolent behaviour - she turned her back on him and ignored him.
22 September 2014
Word of the week: repercussion (noun)
Meaning:
the usually bad effects of an action, event or decision that continue for some time
Synonym:
consequence
Sentence Examples:
1) Many people lost their jobs as a repercussion of the recession.
2) Mason's decision to drop out of university has serious repercussions on his career.
3) If you stop paying your electricity bills, having your power supply cut off might be the repercussion.
4) Meeting with an accident was a direct repercussion of his reckless driving.
5) Aren't you worried about the grave repercussions of smoking on your health in the long run?
6) Aubrey spread the rumour and now she has to face the repercussions.
7) Due to the lack of sleep, the soldiers fighting in a war are at risk for negative repercussions.
8) Dylan said that he is willing to accept the repercussions should there be any.
15 September 2014
Word of the week: conspicuous (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) very noticeable or easy to see (antonym: inconspicuous)
(b) attracting attention or notice
(c) (of courage, success, achievement, etc.) great and impressive
Sentence Examples:
1) The advertisements are to be placed in conspicuous places. [Meaning (a)]
2) Frederick feels conspicuous in his new and expensive sports car. (a)
3) Sophia is trying to cover up the conspicuous pimple in the centre of her forehead. (a)
4) The burglar who broke into Owen's house overlooked the money that was hidden in a conspicuous place. (a)
5) Jill's long blonde hair made her conspicuous in class. (b)
6) The criminal tried not to look conspicuous and moved slowly among the crowd. (b)
7) Due to her fashionable clothes, she is always conspicuous. (b)
8) Man's first landing on the moon was a conspicuous achievement. (c)
9) The fund-raising for the orphanage was a conspicuous success. (c)
10) The firefighter's conspicuous bravery won him an award. (c)
8 September 2014
Word of the week: frivolous (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (of a person) not serious; silly or amusing, especially when it is not suitable to do so (antonym: serious)
(b) (of an activity, object, etc.) not having any serious purpose; unworthy of serious attention
Sentence Examples:
1) Benny apologised to Candy for being frivolous. [Meaning (a)]
2) It was frivolous of her to make such an accusation against her own parents. (a)
3) I have no idea that he is a frivolous person — he behaved so well when I first met him at a dinner last week. (a)
4) Since the lawsuit was frivolous, the judge dismissed the case. (b)
5) My parents discourage me from indulging in frivolous pastimes. (b)
6) I regret buying the frivolous novel. (b)
7) Jack had an argument with his wife over his frivolous purchase. (b)
8) Will you please stop making frivolous remarks regarding my daughter? (b)
9) Mr Jones spent a large sum of money on frivolous things because he could afford to. (b)
10) No one agreed with his frivolous suggestion. (b)
1 September 2014
Word of the week: scrutinise (verb)
Meaning:
to look at, inspect or examine someone or something closely and thoroughly
Sentence Examples:
1) Timmy scrutinised the agreement before signing it.
2) The old lady scrutinised the suspect's face and exclaimed, "He's the one!"
3) After the expert had scrutinised the data, he drew a conclusion.
4) All of the documents were scrutinised for possible fraud.
5) Consumers should always scrutinise the fine print on a product before purchasing it.
6) The manager is scrutinising the company's accounts to ensure that no money is wasted.
25 August 2014
Word of the week: horrendous (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) extremely frightening and terrible; shocking ( = horrific, appalling)
(b) extremely bad, unacceptable or unpleasant
Sentence Examples:
1) Larry met with a car accident and suffered horrendous injuries as a result. [Meaning (a)]
2) After having the horrendous experience, Mindy had a fear of heights. (a)
3) My uncle left the city as he could no longer tolerate the hectic life and horrendous traffic. (b)
4) Due to her extravagant tastes, she had ran up horrendous debts. (b)
5) The hotel is close to bankruptcy because of its horrendous service. (b)
6) In the year 2010, James suffered from a horrendous sickness and had to be hospitalised for a month. (b)
18 August 2014
Word of the week: exponential (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (mathematics) involving an exponent (a raised number or sign written above and to the right of another number or letter to show how many times that quantity should be multiplied by itself
(b) describes a rate of increase becoming faster and faster
Sentence Examples:
1) 63 and X4 are exponential expressions. [Meaning (a)]
2) The CEOs are extremely pleased with the exponential growth of the company. (b)
3) "Your essay assignment is entitled 'The Exponential Increase of the Population in China'", said the professor. (b)
4) There has been an exponential rise in the enrolment of foreign students in that university. (b)
11 August 2014
Word of the week: mitigate (verb)
Meaning:
to make something bad less serious, harmful, painful, unpleasant, etc.
Synonym:
alleviate
Sentence Examples:
1) The government built a flyover over the roundabout to mitigate the rush hour traffic.
2) Since the offender was remorseful of his action, the judge mitigated his punishment.
3) Lindsay mitigates the problem of mosquito bites through the use of insect repellents and sprays.
4) Motorists are advised to fasten their seat belts to mitigate the risks involved when driving.
5) To mitigate the pain, the doctor prescribed her some medicine.
6) Voluntary donations of all kinds from all over the country mitigated the sufferings of the flood victims.
4 August 2014
Word of the week: smithereens (noun)
Meaning:
a lot of small pieces
Sentence Examples:
1) The explosion blew the house to smithereens.
2) The furious man smashed the fragile dish into smithereens.
3) During the battle, the town was bombed to smithereens.
4) The vase fell onto the floor and broke into smithereens.
5) All of a sudden, the naughty boy turned around and kicked the anthill to smithereens.
6) The tombstone has been blown into smithereens by the grenade.
28 July 2014
Word of the week: surreptitious (adj.)
Meaning:
done quickly or secretly without anyone knowing or seeing especially because it would not be approved of
Sentence Examples:
1) In the hope to catch the last train, Kelly sneaked a surreptitious look at her watch during the meeting.
2) When no one was noticing, he took a surreptitious puff on his cigarette in the no-smoking zone.
3) While the lecturer was lecturing, Vivienne exited the hall in a surreptitious manner.
4) Victor made a surreptitious recording with his concealed mobile phone while he was having a conversation with Amanda.
21 July 2014
Word of the week: plausible (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (of an argument, excuse, explanation, statement, etc.) reasonable and believable (antonym - implausible)
(b) describes someone who sounds reasonable, honest and sincere but may in fact be deceiving people
Sentence Examples:
1) Such a theory sounds extremely plausible. [Meaning (a)]
2) "Can you provide me with a plausible reason as to why your salary should be increased?" the manager asked Paula. (a)
3) Tim gave a plausible excuse for being late to work and his superior excused him. (a)
4) Be wary of your new friend - I heard that he is a plausible liar. (b)
5) The plausible salesman cajoled my parents into buying something they did not need. (b)
14 July 2014
Word of the week: enunciate (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to pronounce or say words carefully and clearly
(b) to express and explain a plan or an idea clearly and exactly
Sentence Examples:
1) The teacher enunciated the new words on the board slowly and clearly. [Meaning (a)]
2) My one-year-old sister can't enunciate her words clearly yet. (a)
3) Jane spoke to her Japanese friend slowly, enunciating her words very clearly as he found them rather hard to understand. (a)
4) In the meeting, the manager enunciated his proposal to build more office accommodation for staff members. (b)
5) The writer enunciated the idea for his next novel to the publisher. (b)
7 July 2014
Word of the week: intrinsic (adj.)
Meaning:
being an extremely important part of the real nature or character of somebody or something
Antonym:
extrinsic
Sentence Examples:
1) An intrinsic part of cats is that they love to hunt.
2) You have to learn to deal with difficulties that are intrinsic to such a situation.
3) I'm sorry to tell you that works of little intrinsic value do not fetch a high price.
4) Tourist attractions are intrinsic to the city's character.
5) Due to a mother's intrinsic need to protect her children, Lana fought with a stray dog and chased it away to keep her children safe.
6) English is an intrinsic subject of my school curriculum.
30 June 2014
Word of the week: annihilate (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to destroy someone or something completely ( = obliterate)
(b) To defeat someone or somebody completely
Sentence Examples:
1) An atomic bomb can annihilate a city. [Meaning (a)]
2) As a result of the terrorist attack, a building was annihilated and hundreds were killed. (a)
3) Britney annihilated her opponent in the second round of the competition. (b)
4) They are confident of annihilating the league champions in the play-offs. (b)
23 June 2014
Word of the week: inconsequential (adj.)
Meaning:
not important
Synonyms:
trivial, insignificant
Antonyms:
consequential, significant
Sentence Examples:
1) Ben was quite annoyed by Caroline's constant and inconsequential chatter.
2) During the meeting, we left out the inconsequential details.
3) Even though Dean made it clear that his remarks regarding the newly opened restaurant was inconsequential, the owner was bothered about them.
16 June 2014
Word of the week: contraband (noun)
Meaning:
goods that are imported or exported illegally
Examples:
1) The police found a cargo of contraband on board the ship.
2) Customs officers searched the van for cigarettes, drugs and other contraband.
3) The trade in contraband between the two countries has increased.
9 June 2014
Word of the week: feasible (adj.)
Meaning:
possible and likely to work or be achieved ( = practicable, workable)
Examples:
1) It is not feasible to build a flyover at this point.
2) This land is feasible for rice cultivation.
3) We have to come up with a feasible plan to finance the project.
4) Is it feasible to clone human beings?
2 June 2014
Word of the week: stupendous (adj.)
Meaning:
very large or impressive ( = magnificent, staggering)
Examples:
1) The scouts climbed the mountain for stupendous views over the sea.
2) Britney was surprised that her father bought a luxurious car of such stupendous cost.
3) His diligence and perseverance contributed to his stupendous achievements.
4) Unfortunately, thousands were made homeless by the stupendous power of the tornado which swept through the town yesterday morning.
26 May 2014
Word of the week: instantaneously (adverb)
Meaning:
happening or done immediately
Examples:
1) The poor stray dog died instantaneously after it was hit by a lorry.
2) When Rebecca's teacher asked her a question, she responded instantaneously.
3) The audience reacted instantaneously upon seeing the magician's stunning performance.
19 May 2014
Word of the week: stupefy (verb)
Meaning:
to tire, surprise or shock someone so much that they cannot think clearly or feel properly
Examples:
1) My father was stupefied by the massive electricity and telephone bills.
2) By the time we reached home, we were so stupefied by exhaustion that all we could do was to go to bed.
3) John's death stupefied us and we sat in silence for quite some time.
12 May 2014
Word of the week: simultaneously (adverb)
Meaning:
happening at the same time
Examples:
1) The football match will be broadcast simultaneously on radio and television.
2) After the lecturer asked the students a question, a few of them answered it simultaneously.
3) Two racers crossed the finishing line simultaneously.
4) The latest Hollywood blockbuster will be released simultaneously in cinemas soon.
5 May 2014
Word of the week: elated (adj.)
Meaning:
extremely happy and excited, usually because something good has happened or is going to happen
Examples:
1) Henry is elated by his new house that he will move into soon.
2) Mr Morgan and his wife are extremely elated by their daughter's excellent examination results.
3) In spite of their exhaustion, they were elated at their accomplishments.
4) Sandra realised that she had nothing to be elated about as the next day wasn't a public holiday.
28 April 2014
Word of the week: invincible (adj.)
Meaning:
impossible to be defeated, conquered or destroyed
Examples:
1) The basketball team was once reputed to be invincible.
2) The company which seemed invincible in its early years has recently gone bankrupt.
3) Legend has it that the hidden treasure was guarded by an invincible army.
4) It is said that the ancient castle was built to be invincible.
21 April 2014
Word of the week: elicit (verb)
Meaning:
to get (information, reaction or answer) from someone, especially with difficulty
Examples:
1) After much interrogation, the police officer elicited some useful information from the suspect.
2) John left the house after knocking on the door and eliciting no response.
3) Despite Cathy's unlucky day, I succeeded in eliciting a smile from her.
14 April 2014
Word of the week: interrogate (verb)
Meaning:
to ask someone many questions for a long time in order to get information, sometimes in a threatening way
Examples:
1) The murder suspect was interrogated by the police for about 15 hours.
2) Although Ben was innocent, he was interrogated by the police as he was present when the crime took place.
3) The FBI has taken over the investigation and is presently interrogating the suspects.
7 April 2014
Word of the week: myriad (noun)
Meaning:
a very large number of something
Examples:
1) Every twilight, myriads of mosquitoes and gnats from the swamp invade our village.
2) The T-shirts and caps are available in a myriad of colours.
3) Myriads of stars are twinkling in the night sky.
31 March 2014
Word of the week: reminisce (verb)
Meaning:
to recall, write or talk about pleasant past experiences
Examples:
1) During their ex-classmates reunion dinner, they had a good time reminiscing about their school days.
2) We sat on a bench by the beach and reminisced about the past.
3) My grandfather loves to reminisce about his glorious days as a country singer when he was young.
4) My sister and I spend an enjoyable evening looking at family photos and reminisce.
24 March 2014
Word of the week: acclimatise (verb)
Meaning:
to adjust and get used to a new environment, condition or climate
Examples:
1) Samantha arrived at the university a few days early in order to acclimatise herself to the new environment.
2) Compared to adults, children usually acclimatise quicker to new houses and neighbourhoods.
3) When the Smiths had just migrated to Malaysia, they found it difficult to acclimatise to the equatorial climate.
17 March 2014
Word of the week: bona fide (adj.)
Meaning:
real; genuine
Examples:
1) Duncan bought her wife a bona fide gold necklace as her birthday present.
2) Are you sure that she is a bona fide expert in child psychology?
3) Harry did not take the trouble to find out whether he was dealing with a bona fide company and lost $10,000 as a result.
10 March 2014
Word of the week: abate (verb)
Meaning:
to become less strong
Examples:
1) The students waited nervously for their teacher's anger to abate.
2) When the storm had abated, we continued with our journey.
3) The outbreak of the disease shows no signs of abating.
3 March 2014
Word of the week: implement (verb)
Meaning:
to start carrying out something that has been decided officially
Examples:
1) We need money to implement the policies.
2) The plan failed because it was not implemented correctly.
3) To improve our performance, we need to implement the changes recommended by our consultant.
24 February 2014
Word of the week: slovenly (adj.)
Meaning:
(especially of a person) untidy, dirty and careless
Examples:
1) In spite of his slovenly appearance, somehow Andy managed to get the job.
2) Yvette finds it hard to believe that the fat, slovenly ex-rock star was her idol in her younger years.
3) Since Ricky gained weight and became obese a few years back, he grew lazy and slovenly in his habits.
17 February 2014
Word of the week: desist (verb)
Meaning:
to stop doing something
Examples:
1) The judge told Julius to desist from threatening his wife.
2) According to the weather forecast, the blizzards are going to desist tomorrow morning.
3) Citizens hope that the guerrillas will desist from their fight against official soldiers.
10 February 2014
Word of the week: exemplary (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) very good and providing a good example for people to copy or follow
(b) (used before noun) an exemplary punishment is severe and serves as a warning to others
Examples:
1) As Belinda's behaviour was exemplary, she was elected the model student of the year. [Meaning (a)]
2) Frederick showed exemplary courage when he dived into the river to save the drowning child. (b)
3) The exemplary punishment is effective to a certain extent - crime rate has declined over the years. (b)
3 February 2014
Word of the week: infuriating (adj.)
Meaning:
making you very angry or annoyed
Examples:
1) He finds it infuriating that I give up so easily.
2) It is infuriating that I do all the work and James gets all the credit.
3) Due to the infuriating delay, quite a few problems have arisen.
27 January 2014
Word of the week: surmount (verb)
Meaning:
(a) to deal with a problem or difficulty successfully ( = overcome)
(b) to be placed above or on top of something tall
Examples:
1) We believe that most of these obstacles can be surmounted. [Meaning (a)]
2) Logan managed to surmount his financial difficulties before pursuing a medical career. (a)
3) My late grandfather's tomb is surmounted by a bronze angel. (b)
4) A jewel surmounts the king's crown. (b)
20 January 2014
Word of the week: inimitable (adj.)
Meaning: too good or unusual and therefore impossible to copy
Examples:
1) They topped the charts with their inimitable style.
2) The astronaut described in his own inimitable way his trip to the moon.
3) He spent a fortune on one of Picasso's inimitable paintings.
13 January 2014
Word of the week: propensity (noun)
Meaning: the fact that someone has a natural tendency to a particular kind of behaviour, especially a bad one
Examples:
1) Bob recognises his own propensity to violence.
2) She is famous for her propensity for racial discrimination.
3) Since my younger brother has a propensity to break things, most of his toys are broken.
6 January 2014
Word of the week: incarcerate (verb)
Meaning: to keep or put someone in prison or in a place where they cannot escape ( = imprison)
Examples:
1) Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for more than 27 years before he was elected South Africa's first black president.
2) Five opposition leaders are still incarcerated in a military prison.
3) The teenagers were incarcerated for possession of lethal weapons.
30 December 2013
Word of the week: assiduous (adj.)
Meaning: showing hard work and taking great care to make sure that everything is done as perfectly as possible ( = diligent, meticulous)
Examples:
1) Assiduous students usually perform well academically.
2) Thanks to our assiduous efforts, our team won the first prize in the science competition.
3) The police are assiduous in their fight against crime.
23 December 2013
Word of the week: nondescript (adj.)
Meaning: ordinary, not interesting or unusual ( = dull)
Examples:
1) After reading the first chapter, Cathy realised that she had borrowed a nondescript novel from the library.
2) Despite the fact that Mr Brown is a wealthy man, he lives in a nondescript suburban house.
3) He was born in a nondescript town about 30 kilometres away from the city.
16 December 2013
Word of the week: whimsical (adj.)
Meaning: unusual and strange in a way that is either funny or annoying
Examples:
1) My cousin Lana has a whimsical sense of humour.
2) 'Alice in Wonderland' is a whimsical tale about a curious girl who falls down a magical rabbit hole, leading her into a whole new world of adventure.
3) Much of the author's work has whimsical notions of human nature.
9 December 2013
Word of the week: exacerbate (verb)
Meaning: to make something bad (such as a problem, disease, bad situation, negative feeling, etc.) even worse ( = worsen, aggravate)
Examples:
1) Charlotte's asthma was exacerbated by the air pollution.
2) The shortage of staff exacerbated the bad situation in the hospital.
3) The world recession has exacerbated the country's unemployment problem.
4) The bad relationship between Roger and Austin was exacerbated by the rumour.
2 December 2013
Word of the week: precarious (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) a precarious situation is dangerous, uncertain and likely to get worse
(b) likely to fall or cause someone to fall because not firmly fixed or securely held
Examples:
1) As Toby was in a financially precarious position, he decided not to buy the car. [Meaning (a)]
2) Yvonne makes a precarious living as a freelancer. (a)
3) Lindsay is extremely worried about her grandfather's precarious health condition. (a)
4) Be careful - the trail down to the lake is very precarious. (b)
25 November 2013
Word of the week: resounding (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (used only before noun) very great
(b) loud enough to echo
Examples:
1) The charity sale, which raised a great deal of funds, was a resounding success. [Meaning (a)]
2) The political party won a resounding victory in the previous general election. (a)
3) Due to the lack of proper planning, the scheme was a resounding failure. (a)
4) The wrestler threw his opponent onto the ground with a resounding thud. (b)
25 November 2013
Word of the week: resounding (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (used only before noun) very great
(b) loud enough to echo
Examples:
1) The charity sale, which raised a great deal of funds, was a resounding success. [Meaning (a)]
2) The political party won a resounding victory in the previous general election. (a)
3) Due to the lack of proper planning, the scheme was a resounding failure. (a)
4) The wrestler threw his opponent onto the ground with a resounding thud. (b)
18 November 2013
Word of the week: belligerent (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) unfriendly and wishing to argue or fight ( = hostile / aggressive)
(b) (of a country) fighting a war against another country
Examples:
1) Try not to provoke Belinda - she's in a belligerent mood. [Meaning (a)]
2) If you wish to be more popular among your friends, you need to get rid of your belligerent attitude. (a)
3) Will you stop talking to me in the belligerent tone? (a)
4) Citizens of the belligerent countries, who are suffering, hope that the war would come to an end soon. (b)
11 November 2013
Word of the week: oblivious (adj.)
Meaning: (oblivious to / of something) not aware or conscious of something happening around you ( = unaware)
Examples:
1) Absorbed in his book, the child was entirely oblivious of his father's presence.
2) They seemed oblivious to the disturbance they are causing their neighbours.
3) After years of living nearby the railway, Cathy has become oblivious to the noise whenever trains pass by.
4 November 2013
Word of the week: eavesdrop (verb)
Meaning: to listen secretly to other people's conversations
Examples:
1) While we were having our meeting, he was eavesdropping outside the window.
2) It is rude to eavesdrop on other people's private conversations.
3) The secret agent uses a bug to eavesdrop on phone calls.
28 October 2013
Word of the week: atrocious (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) extremely unpleasant or bad ( = awful / terrible)
(b) (of behaviour or an act) shockingly cruel or wicked
Examples:
1) I would rather stay at home in this atrocious weather! [Meaning (a)]
2) It is unbelievable to find such atrocious paintings at the art gallery. (a)
3) We felt nauseous after an atrocious meal at the restaurant. (a)
4) He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for an atrocious crime. (b)
5) Unfortunately, Nicholas met with an atrocious accident and died on the spot. (b)
21 October 2013
Word of the week: inaugural (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (used before noun) an inaugural speech is the first speech given when someone starts an important job
(b) an inaugural event is the first in a series of planned similar events and marks the beginning of something important
Examples:
1) The prime minister's inaugural address to the nation was broadcast live. [Meaning (a)]
2) The president gave an inaugural speech not long after taking office. (a)
3) The inaugural meeting of the Nature Society will be held next Monday. (b)
4) We are going to the inaugural concert of the band next weekend. (b)
14 October 2013
Word of the week: defiant (adj.)
Meaning:clearly refusing to obey someone or authority
Examples:
1) "I am not going to do as told," said Henry with a defiant look.
2) The defiant teenager smashed his fist on the table.
3) Brandon's defiant attitude towards the law had cost him his life.
4) The protesters remained defiant today and continued with their demonstrations.
7 October 2013
Word of the week: incumbent (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (incumbent on/upon someone) to be necessary for you as part of your duty or responsibility
(b) (used before a noun) having a named position officially
Examples:
1) It is incumbent on the president to warn the citizens of possible danger. [Meaning (a)]
2) Mr and Mrs Brown felt it incumbent on them to send their children to university. (a)
3) The incumbent prime minister is the longest-serving prime minister of that country. (b)
4) The people are unhappy with the incumbent government's decision to increase tax. (b)
30 September 2013
Word of the week: exonerate (verb)
Meaning: to officially state that someone is not guilty of something that they have been blamed for
Examples:
1) As Lincoln had an alibi, he was exonerated from the accusation of robbery.
2) The judge exonerated Michael from all the charges of battery due to the fact that there was no evidence.
3) The report exonerated the manager of bribery and corruption.
23 September 2013
Word of the week: vindictive (adj.)
Meaning: trying or wishing to harm somebody because you believe that they have harmed you; vengeful
Examples:
1) Even though he had harmed me a few times, I was not vindictive.
2) The man whose car was set fire to believed that he was a victim of a vindictive act.
3) Julie is anxious about the vindictive old man who thinks that she has harmed his cat deliberately while it was purely an accident.
16 September 2013
Word of the week: beguile (verb)
Meanings:
(a) to interest or attract somebody
(b) to trick or persuade somebody into doing something
(a) to do something enjoyable in order to help pass time pleasantly
Examples:
1) She was beguiled by his sweet talk and good look. [Meaning (a)]
2) Jonathan beguiled the children with exciting stories. (a)
3) She beguiled me into lending her money. (b)
4) The saleswoman beguiled my mother into buying some beauty products that she did not need. (b)
5) Jack beguiled the company's CEO into signing the contract. (b)
6) The students beguiled the holiday with reading. (c)
7) To beguile the time, they watched films and played games. (c)
9 September 2013
Word of the week: insipid (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) (of food or drink) not having much taste or flavour
(b) not exciting, interesting or attractive; dull or boring
Examples:
1) Joanne added some sugar and milk to the insipid mug of coffee. [Meaning (a)]
2) I regretted ordering the insipid pasta dish. (a)
3) Josephine did not buy any of the blouses because of their insipid colours. (b)
4) After having our lunch, we had an insipid conversation before leaving the cafeteria. (b)
2 September 2013
Word of the week: precocious (adj.)
Meaning: (especially of a child) showing abilities or intelligence at an age that is younger than usual, or behaving like an adult
Examples:
1) As a child prodigy, Ben's precocious mathematical ability astounds his teachers.
2) My niece is a precocious child who was able to read and write at the age of two.
3) The computer genius displayed a precocious talent for computing since he was very young.
26 AUGUST 2013
Word of the week: impetuous (adj.)
Meaning: likely to do things quickly and without thinking carefully about the results of your actions
Examples:
1) It was really impetuous of you to do that.
2) Dean made an impetuous decision and now he has to pay the price.
3) I got into bad company because I was young, ignorant and impetuous then.
19 AUGUST 2013
Word of the week: unequivocal (adj.)
Meaning: (of your opinion or intention) expressed in a completely clear and certain way (opposite: equivocal)
Examples:
1) When I asked Jeremy if he was voting for the present government in the coming election, his answer was an unequivocal 'no'.
2) Kelly said that the chairman had the club members' unequivocal support.
3) The politicians were unequivocal in condemning the bombing.
12 AUGUST 2013
Word of the week: suffice (verb)
Meaning: to be enough
Examples:
1) A little refreshment will suffice - I'll be having my dinner soon.
2) Since I'm not doing much shopping, taking $300 should suffice.
3) If you wish to make an appointment to see the dentist, a phone call will suffice.
5 AUGUST 2013
Word of the week: devastated (adj.)
Meaning: very upset and shocked
Examples:
1) James was devastated by his parents' death in a plane crash.
2) Upon hearing the tragic news, Samantha was left feeling totally devastated.
3) Mr and Mrs Brown were devastated by the loss of their son.
29 JULY 2013
Word of the week: indifferent (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) not interested in somebody or something ( = unconcerned)
(b) not particularly good, but not very bad ( = mediocre)
Examples:
1) I was so engrossed in my study that I was indifferent to the noise outside. [Meaning (a)]
2) Benedict has never voted in his life because he is indifferent to politics. (a)
3) Due to his indifferent attitude towards the suffering of others, no one was willing to help him when he was in need. (a)
4) We seldom visit the restaurant because of the indifferent food served. (b)
5) Although Stevie has been working for the company for more than two decades, he was never promoted due to his indifferent performance. (b)
22 JULY 2013
Word of the week: engrossed (adj.)
Meaning: so interested in something that you do not notice anything else and give it all your attention
Examples:
1) My mother was so engrossed in the telephone conversation that she forgot about the biscuits in the oven and they were burnt as a result.
2) My sister is engrossed with the fashion magazine.
3) The children were so engrossed in the jigsaw puzzle that they did not notice me come in.
15 JULY 2013
Word of the week: truancy (noun)
Meaning: the action or practice of students staying away from school without permission
Examples:
1) Due to good management, truancy rates of the school are very low.
2) That school is fighting endlessly to combat truancy.
3) The principal questioned Patrick and a couple of his classmates about their frequent truancies.
8 JULY 2013
Word of the day: punitive (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) intended to punish somebody
(b) (of costs) so high that people find difficult to pay
Examples:
1) The government will take punitive action against drug dealers. [Meaning (a)]
2) The film star is suing the magazine for punitive damages, claiming that they have defamed her. (a)
3) She called for more punitive measures against traffic offenders. (a)
4) The prime minister disclosed that in the near future, punitive duties will be imposed on imported cars. (b)
7 JULY 2013
Word of the day: optimistic (adj.)
Meaning: believing or hoping that good things will happen or something will be successful (opposite: pessimistic)
Examples:
1) The athlete is optimistic about his chances of winning a gold medal in the coming Olympic Games.
2) If you are over-optimistic, you'll be disappointed when things do not turn out to be what you expected.
3) Even though Jane has tried her best, she's not very optimistic about her exam results.
4) The economists are now taking a more optimistic view of the Malaysian economy.
6 JULY 2013
Word of the day: crestfallen (adj.)
Meaning: looking sad and disappointed
Examples:
1) Dean came back from the elocution contest empty-handed and crestfallen.
2) Nelly looks crestfallen because her parents have just cancelled her long-awaited birthday party.
3) My sister was crestfallen when she found out that she did not get the job.
5 JULY 2013
Word of the day: supplant (verb)
Meaning: to take the place of somebody or something ( = replace, supersede)
Examples:
1) Bonnie will soon be supplanted as the chairperson of the club.
2) After Martha's baby brother was born, she has been supplanted in her parents' affections by her brother.
3) About half of the company's workforce will soon be supplanted by computers.
4) The printed edition of the encyclopaedia is now supplanted by CD-ROMs and e-books.
4 JULY 2013
Word of the day: expedite (verb)
Meaning: to make something such as an action or a process happen more quickly ( = speed up)
Examples:
1) The government is coming up with strategies to expedite the process of issuing passports to citizens.
2) As we need the goods urgently, please make special arrangements to expedite the shipment.
3) The courier has developed a special system to expedite deliveries to customers.
3 JULY 2013
Word of the day: blunder
Meanings:
(a) (noun) a serious, careless or stupid mistake
(b) (verb) to make a serious, careless or stupid mistake
Examples:
1) The waitress made a terrible blunder by adding salt instead of sugar to the customer's coffee. [Meaning (a)]
2) Finally, aware of the astonishing blunder he had made, he stopped and apologised. (a)
3) They blundered badly when they assigned Jason the important task. (b)
4) Jonathan was embarrassed to have blundered the third time today. (b)
2 JULY 2013
Word of the day: literally (adverb)
Meanings:
(a) according to the real or original meaning of a word, phrase or expression ( = exactly)
(b) used to emphasise that the truth of something, especially a large number, is really true and may seem surprising
(c) (informal) used to emphasise a word or strong expression that is used in a way that is different from its real or original meaning
Examples:
1) Please translate this passage literally. [Meaning (a)]
2) The word 'delighted' literally means 'very happy'. (a)
3) There are literally millions of different types of bacteria on our planet. (b)
4) The prolific writer has written literally hundreds of books. (b)
5) Judy literally cried her heart out when she heard the bad news. (c)
1 JULY 2013
Word of the day: lofty (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) if buildings, mountains, etc. are lofty, they are very high and impressive
(b) (of ideas, thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, aims, etc.) showing high standards or moral qualities and therefore deserving praise
(c) having an opinion that you are better than other people (disapproving)
Examples:
1) The lofty tower in the heart of the city is among the world's tallest towers. [Meaning (a)]
2) Is that lofty mountain Mt Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Southeast Asia? (a)
3) Dr Kingston set herself the lofty goal of becoming one of the world's top 10 heart specialists in 5 years. (b)
4) As a man of lofty principles, he tries to help the poor and needy whenever he can. (b)
5) Her lofty disdain for other people makes her an unpopular person. (c)
30 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: cognitive (adj.)
Meaning: connected to the mental process of understanding, knowing and learning something
Examples:
1) Since the car accident, some of my grandfather's cognitive functions have been impaired.
2) A friend of mine is studying cognitive psychology in a university.
3) Children's cognitive development is about children developing or constructing a mental model of the world.
29 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: paranoid (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) feeling extremely worried and nervous because you believe unreasonably that people are trying to harm you
(b) suffering from a mental illness which makes you believe that other people are trying to harm you
Examples:
1) Lilian is getting really paranoid about her personal security. [Meaning (a)]
2) Michael does not have many friends because he has always been paranoid about what other people say about him. (a)
3) His uncle is suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and is currently hospitalised. (b)
4) I watched a film about a paranoid killer who was captured and sentenced to life imprisonment in the end. (b)
28 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: escapism (noun)
Meaning: activities or forms of entertainment that help you to forget or avoid unpleasant or boring things for a short time
Examples:
1) For Ricky, adventure films are a form of escapism.
2) Going on holidays are pure escapism for many people.
3) For me, computer games are a form of escapism from the real world.
27 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: mortify (verb)
Meaning: to make someone extremely embarrassed or ashamed
Examples:
1) Our history teacher was mortified by her own inability to answer such a simple question.
2) I've never felt so mortified in my life!
3) Meg was mortified to be fooled in public.
4) Leslie was mortified to be corrected by a seven-year-old.
26 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: epitome (noun)
Meaning: (a person or thing) that is the perfect or best possible example of something
Examples:
1) In the hit film, the villain was portrayed as the very epitome of evil.
2) Audrey is the epitome of a modern single lady.
3) You can find fashionable clothes that are the epitome of good taste in this boutique.
25 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: repugnant (adj.)
Meaning: (usually not used before a noun) extremely offensive and unpleasant, causing a feeling of disgust or dislike
Examples:
1) We found their political suggestions absolutely repugnant.
2) Lauren has been a vegetarian for years and the idea of eating meat is repugnant to her.
3) Some people find the death sentence morally repugnant.
24 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: colloquial (adj.)
Meaning: (of language or words) used mainly in informal conversations but not in writing or formal speech
Examples:
1) The use of colloquial words and phrases are not encouraged when writing official letters.
2) 'Kid', 'quote', 'how come' and 'you're fired' are examples of colloquial words and phrases.
3) Excessive use of colloquial words and phrases diminishes the quality of formally written text.
23 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: conducive (adj.)
Meaning: providing the suitable conditions and making it easy for something to happen
Examples:
1) A balanced diet is conducive to good health.
2) A library provides a conducive atmosphere for studying.
3) It is important for a school to have an environment which is conducive to learning.
22 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: boisterous (adj.)
Meaning: noisy, cheerful and full of energy
Examples:
1) The new teacher is having problem handling a class of boisterous six-year-olds.
2) "Janet, are you sure you want to participate in this boisterous game?" Janet's mother asked.
3) Boisterous activities are prohibited in the library.
4) I saw a flock of boisterous and gregarious birds at the mini zoo last week.
21 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: emulate (verb)
Meaning: to try to copy someone's achievement and do it as well as they have or better ( = imitate)
Examples:
1) Waverly wishes to emulate his brother's excellent academic achievements.
2) Teenagers tend to emulate their idols' hairstyles.
3) The new computer company hopes to emulate the success of other companies.
20 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: succulent
Meanings:
(a) (adj.) (of meat, vegetables and fruit) tender, juicy and tasting good
(b) (adj.) (of plants) having thick fleshy leaves or stems containing plenty of water
(c) (noun) any plant with thick fleshy leaves or stems containing plenty of water, such as the cactus
Examples:
1) Wendy had a succulent steak at that restaurant last evening. [Meaning (a)]
2) "Sir, do you want to sample one of the pears that have just arrived? They're fresh and succulent," said the saleswoman at the supermarket. (a)
3) Small pots of succulent plants are popular nowadays as decorative items. (b)
4) Do you know whether the plant with succulent leaves outside my house is a cactus? (b)
5) "Excuse me, Miss. Are books on cacti and succulents available here?" Edward asked the shop assistant. (c)
19 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: relinquish (verb)
Meaning: to unwillingly stop having something such as rights, power or position
Examples:
1) Before leaving the country, Brandon relinquished possession of the car to his brother.
2) The king lost the war and was forced to relinquish control of his kingdom.
3) Although the search parties had stopped searching for Mr Alfred's missing son, he refused to relinquish the hope that his son was still alive.
4) Because of ill health, he had to relinquish his managerial role.
18 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: confidant (noun)
Meaning: someone whom you can trust and tell your secrets or private things to (feminine - confidante)
Examples:
1) Mr Ronald is a trusted confidant of the president.
2) According to a close confidante of the princess, the princess often disguises herself as a civilian and mixes freely with members of the public.
3) Stephanie did not tell the secret to anybody except Belinda, who was her confidante since childhood.
17 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: excruciating
Meanings:
(a) (adj.) extremely painful
(b) (adj.) extremely unpleasant, boring or embarrassing
Examples:
1) As the pain in my lower back was excruciating, I went to see a doctor. [Meaning (a)]
2) The child cried due to the excruciating toothache. (a)
3) Sally describes what happened to her in excruciating detail. (b)
4) His full confession turned out to be excruciating. (b)
16 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: aloof (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) unfriendly or uninterested in other people
(b) purposely not involved in something, usually because you do not approve of what is going on
Examples:
1) Timothy may appear to be aloof, but in actual fact, he is a warm and sympathetic person if you get to know him well. [Meaning (a)]
2) In his later years, he became aloof and silent. (a)
3) Even though Sophia joined the class a few months ago, she has always kept herself aloof from the other students. (a)
4) No matter what happens in the neighbourhood, Max always remains aloof. (b)
5) James stayed aloof from the illegal boycott as he did not wish to get into trouble. (b)
15 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: etiquette (noun)
Meaning: the formal set of rules for correct or polite behaviour in social situations or a particular group
Examples:
1) Our late grandfather used to give us advice on etiquette.
2) According to social etiquette, mobile phones should be turned off during important events and business meetings.
3) Alice borrowed a book on etiquette from the library.
4) Dr Julian is a doctor who observes the rules of professional etiquette strictly.
14 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: mandatory (adj.)
Meaning: something that is required by law ( = compulsory, obligatory)
Examples:
1) In some countries, a serious drug offence carries a mandatory death sentence.
2) To get the diploma, it is mandatory for students to have a minimum of five subject passes.
13 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: prominent (adj.)
Meanings:
(a) very famous or important
(b) easily seen ( = noticeable)
(c) projecting or sticking out from something
Examples:
1) Edward Jenner was a prominent English scientist who was the pioneer of the small pox vaccine. [Meaning (a)]
2) Since Yvonne has access to some extremely prominent people, she might be able to help you. (a)
3) Jennifer had a prominent part in the play. (a)
4) Harry played a prominent role in the campaign. (a)
5) The large fish among the small ones is prominent in the aquarium. (b)
6) The new car model is displayed in a prominent position in the showroom. (b)
7) The proboscis monkey is an animal with a prominent nose. (c)
8) Dr Sam is the dentist who treated my daughter's prominent front teeth. (c)
12 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: vulnerable (adj.)
Meaning: a vulnerable person is weak and easily harmed or hurt emotionally, physically or mentally
Examples:
1) The child, who has a weak immune system, is vulnerable to illness.
2) I felt very vulnerable, being lost in the jungle all alone and unarmed.
3) The town was vulnerable to attack from the south.
4) Young animals are vulnerable to predators.
11 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: integral (adj.)
Meanings:
(1) forming an essential part of something
(2) included as part of something, not being separate
(3) having all the necessary parts to be complete
Examples:
1) The arms and legs are integral parts of a human body.
2) As the captain, Dominic is an integral part of our football team.
3) Extra-curricular activity is an integral part of the school curriculum.
4) The LED TV comes with an integral remote control.
5) This integral security system is in great demand.
10 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: deliberately (adverb)
Meanings:
(1) done in a way that was planned or intended, not by chance ( = on purpose / purposely, intentionally)
(2) done or said slowly or carefully
Examples:
1) I believe that someone set fire to the car deliberately.
2) Leslie deliberately sat beside Britney to attract her attention.
3) I'm sure Fred made these comments deliberately to insult me.
4) Slowly and deliberately, he rose from the settee and walked out of the house.
5) Calmly and deliberately, Jack tore the document into pieces and set it alight.
9 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: nonchalant (adj.)
Meaning: behaving in a relaxed and calm manner, often in a way that suggests you are not feeling any anxiety, interest or enthusiasm
Examples:
1) "Yeah, whatever," Nelly replied with a nonchalant shrug.
2) "Is she married?" Frank asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
3) Adam wanted to be Isabel's boyfriend but she was completely nonchalant to him.
8 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: irrefutable (adj.)
Meaning: impossible to be proven wrong and thus must be accepted (opposite: refutable)
Examples:
1) As he had irrefutable proofs of his innocence, he walked out of the court a free man.
2) There is irrefutable evidence that smoking is harmful to our health.
3) After a long debate, Edwin won the votes cast as he had irrefutable arguments for the proposal.
7 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: aftermath (noun)
Meaning: the period of time that follows something unpleasant such as a flood, storm, war, etc. and the effects it causes
Examples:
1) Many people were made homeless in the aftermath of the flood.
2) Apart from the danger of diseases in the aftermath of the earthquake, a lot of rebuilding took place.
3) Many more lives were lost in the aftermath of the war.
4) There was a severe famine in the aftermath of the drought.
5) Many families received compensation from the airline for losing their loved ones in the aftermath of the plane crash.
6 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: indispensable (adj.)
Meaning: someone or something that is so useful or important that you could not manage without them (opposite: dispensable)
Examples:
1) A library is indispensable to a university.
2) Vitamins and minerals are indispensable for maintaining a healthy life.
3) This book by Dr James Martin is an indispensable resource to anyone interested in photography.
4) It is true that no one is indispensable at work, but anyone can be a valued employee.
5) Televisions have become an indispensable part of our lives.
5 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: exasperate (verb)
Meaning: to make someone very irritated or annoyed by doing something that upsets them
Examples:
1) People who do not keep their promises exasperate me.
2) Marie was exasperated by her baby brother because he tore her school project into pieces.
3) As a teenager, Terry's disobedience and rebellion exasperate his parents.
4) Henry was exasperated by Carey's criticism.
4 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: detrimental (adj.)
Meaning: causing harm or damage ( = harmful)
Examples:
1) Drinking too much alcohol is detrimental to your health.
2) When Janet sunbathes, she applies sunblock to her skin to protect it from the detrimental effects of the sun.
3) After contracting a certain disease, Gary tried to cure himself by taking herbal medicine but his doctor advised him against doing so as it had detrimental effects on the healing process.
3 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: adamant (adj.)
Meaning: unwilling to change your mind or a decision you have made
Examples:
1) Adam begged Leo to change his mind and sell him this plot of land but he remained adamant.
2) My grandfather was adamant that he would not undergo the heart surgery.
3) Nora wanted his son to further his studies in order to have a better future but he was adamant in refusing to comply with her wish.
2 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: mediocre (adj.)
Meaning: not very good; of only average quality or standard ( = second rate)
Examples:
1) As a mediocre student, Edward is planning to receive private tuition in order to perform better academically.
2) I thought Nelly was only a mediocre musician, but she turned out to be much more talented.
3) Donovan sent his children to a mediocre school because he could not afford the high fees of better schools.
1 JUNE 2013
Word of the day: gesticulate (verb)
Meaning: to make movements with your hands and arms, usually while speaking, to emphasise what you are saying or to attract attention
Examples:
1) Noticing that the child is in danger of falling, Elaine gesticulates frantically and shouts, "Stop! Stop!"
2) An old lady was gesticulating and trying to say something outside the window.
3) Trying to remind Max that he was running out of time, Annie gesticulated wildly at the clock.
31 MAY 2013
Word of the day: connoisseur
Meaning: an expert on arts, food, drink, music, beauty, etc.
Examples:
1) Luke Fraser, a connoisseur of painting, is able to tell you the real value of this particular painting.
2) Kim is a music connoisseur who has written innumerable reviews on the subject.
3) A panel of beauty connoisseurs will judge the beauty contest.
30 MAY 2013
Word of the day: adequate
Meaning: enough or satisfactory for a particular purpose or need ( = sufficient) (opposite: inadequate)
Examples:
1) Are the seats adequate for 1,000 guests?
2) As there were adequate proofs, the accused was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder.
3) The large space provided is more than adequate for our needs.
4) Their performance standard is barely adequate.
29 MAY 2013
Word of the day: aggravate
Meanings:
(1) to make a bad situation or a disease worse ( = worsen)
(2) to annoy someone, especially on purpose ( = irritate)
Examples:
1) New student enrolments have aggravated the problem of inadequate classrooms.
2) Josh's health aggravates although he is presently receiving treatment.
3) Duncan was aggravated by Britney's bossy attitude.
4) Will you please stop aggravating me?
28 MAY 2013
Word of the day: culminate
Meaning: to end with a particular event or result
Examples:
1) The couple's relationship got worse and worse and it culminated in a divorce.
2) Months of the scientists' hard work culminated in a cure for the disease.
3) The badly managed company finally culminated in bankruptcy.
4) The war culminated in total victory.
5) The band's world tour will culminate in an impressive concert in Tokyo.
27 MAY 2013
Word of the day: eliminate
Meanings:
(1) to completely remove or get rid of something or somebody
(2) to defeat someone or a team in a competition so that they no longer take part
(3) to kill someone, especially an opponent or enemy, in order to stop them from causing trouble
Examples:
1) High cholesterol foods should be eliminated from your diet.
2) The objective of the organisation is to eliminate poverty from the country.
3) After buying a car, Ariel eliminated the need to travel by public transport.
4) Since Tom had a perfect alibi, the police eliminated him from their investigation.
5) Alan's team was eliminated from the competition in the second round.
6) Last evening I watched a film about a security guard helping a drug gang eliminate rivals.
26 MAY 2013
Word of the day: lingua franca
Meaning: a communication language used by people whose main languages are different
Examples:
1) In this multiracial country, Mandarin is the lingua franca.
2) Some people believe that music is the lingua franca of the globe.
3) Many people all over the world see English as a lingua franca.
25 MAY 2013
Word of the day: alibi
Meanings:
(1) evidence that proves that a person was not where a crime happened and so could not have committed it
(2) an excuse for something bad or something you have done wrong
Examples:
1) The suspect had a cast-iron alibi - he was hospitalised the week of the crime.
2) As usual, John used being stuck in a traffic jam as an alibi for being late for work.
24 MAY 2013
Word of the day: deteriorate
Meaning: to become worse
Examples:
1) After a long period of hospitalisation, her condition suddenly deteriorated and she died shortly afterwards.
2) Relationships between the two countries deteriorated and war broke out eventually.
3) Many flights were cancelled due to the deteriorating weather conditions.
4) When they failed to reach an agreement, their discussion deteriorated into an angry argument.
23 MAY 2013
Word of the day: redundant
Meanings:
(1) having lost your job because your employer no longer has a job for you
(2) not needed or necessary
Examples:
1) During the period of the economic downturn, many jobs were made redundant.
2) Twenty permanent staff members were made redundant in the resulting cuts.
3) Due to the limitation of space, redundant information has to be removed.
22 MAY 2013
Word of the day: sedentary
Meanings:
(1) (of people) spending a lot of time sitting down and not exercising or moving
(2) (of work, lifestyles, etc.) in which you spend much time sitting down, involving little exercise or physical activity
(3) (of people or animals) staying and living in the same place
Examples:
1) My grandparents' doctor advises them to do more exercise as they are becoming increasingly sedentary.
2) Sedentary lifestyles tend to cause health problems.
3) Edwin is thinking of getting a new job as he is bored with sedentary work.
4) Giraffes, tigers, rhinos and cheetahs are examples of sedentary animals.
5) The population of this town is made up of mainly sedentary citizens.
21 MAY 2013
Word of the day: imminent
Meaning: (especially something unpleasant) coming or will happen very soon
Examples:
1) The AIDS patient is in imminent danger of dying.
2) A war between the two countries seems imminent.
3) Most people believe that the system is in no imminent danger of collapse.
20 MAY 2013
Word of the day: subjugate
Meaning: to defeat a person, a group or something and have control over it
Examples:
1) According to a documentary, a few tribes living in the remote areas of the Amazonian rainforest were subjugated and exploited.
2) The subjugated race has tried in vain to resist the subjugation.
3) Since my father's demise, my ambitions have been subjugated by the needs of my family.
19 MAY 2013
Word of the day: demise
Meanings: (1) death (2) the end or failure of an enterprise, institution, an idea, etc.
Examples:
1) Frederick was shocked and saddened by the news of his best friend's sudden demise.
2) Intense competition has caused the demise of a local newspaper.
18 MAY 2013
Word of the day: documentary
Meaning: a television or film or radio programme giving facts and information about a subject
Examples:
1) An overseas film crew is making a documentary about the sightings of UFOs.
2) The Star Channel is now broadcasting a documentary on animals' seasonal migration.
17 MAY 2013
Word of the day: innumerable
Meaning: too many to be counted; a large number of
Examples:
1) James Ritchie, who is a prolific author, has written innumerable books.
2) The streets are decorated with innumerable flags of all colours.
3) Innumerable problems caused the cancellation of the project.
16 MAY 2013
Word of the day: prolific
Meanings:
(1) (of a writer, an artist, etc.) producing many works of art, books, etc.
(2) (of animals, plants, etc.) producing many babies, fruit, flowers, other plants or offspring, etc.
(3) existing in large numbers or quantities
(4) (of a sports player) producing a lot of goals, runs, etc.; high-scoring
Examples:
1) The prolific songwriter makes a lot of money selling his works.
2) Rats and mice are prolific breeders.
3) Wildlife is prolific in the tropical jungles.
4) South Africa is prolific in gold and diamonds.
5) Terry's name is in the list of the most prolific goalscorer this decade.
15 MAY 2013
Word of the day: accomplish
Meaning: to complete something successfully
Examples:
1) Has the mission been accomplished?
2) The students accomplished their project within a week.
3) Eric felt that he had not accomplished much since he left college.
14 MAY 2013
Word of the day: ominous
Meaning: making you feel that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen
Examples:
1) There was an ominous silence when I asked the doctor regarding my son's health condition.
2) I suggest we cancel the trip - there are ominous dark clouds gathering overhead.
13 MAY 2013
Word of the day: substantial
Meanings: (1) large in amount, size or value; important (=considerable) (2) large and strongly built
Examples:
1) The robbers robbed the bank and escaped with a substantial amount of cash.
2) Thomas leads a comfortable life with a substantial salary.
3) Your news report requires substantial editing.
4) Jennifer's not hungry as she ate a substantial breakfast this morning.
5) This substantial piece of furniture is a real bargain at its price.
6) The wealthy man owns a row of substantial villas.
12 MAY 2013
Word of the day: instantaneous
Meaning: happening or done immediately, without any delay
Examples:
1) When Max was asked a question, he gave an instantaneous response.
2) The use of the telephone is one of the modern methods of instantaneous communication.
11 MAY 2013
Word of the day: notorious
Meaning: well known or famous for something bad (=infamous)
Examples:
1) It is particularly worrying that the notorious criminal has escaped from prison.
2) The notorious computer hacker has been caught and is currently being sued.
3) The country is notorious for its abuse of human rights.
10 MAY 2013
Word of the day: pandemonium
Meaning: a situation in which there is a lot of noise, confusion and activity because people are afraid, angry or excited
Examples:
1) Pandemonium broke out when the election results were announced.
2) There was pandemonium in the street when the people heard the sound of gunshots.
9 MAY 2013
Word of the day: celebrity
Meanings: (1) a famous living person, especially in the entertainment and sports business (=star) (2) the state of being famous or well known
Examples:
1) The professional tennis player became a sporting celebrity a few years after he started the career.
2) Sue was honoured to be interviewed by a TV celebrity.
3) As he became more successful, his celebrity grew.
8 MAY 2013
Word of the day: exaggerate
Meaning: to make something seem bigger, better, worse, more important, etc. than it really is
Examples:
1) You're exaggerating - I don't think your new car is that expensive.
2) Nancy tends to exaggerate any aches and pains to get more attention.
3) The damage caused by the fire has been greatly exaggerated.
7 MAY 2013
Word of the day: consequence
Meanings: (1) a result of something that has happened, usually one that is bad or unpleasant (2) not very important
Examples:
1) Twelve families were made homeless as a consequence of the fire.
2) Ed is currently hospitalised and suffering the consequences of his reckless driving.
3) Since the incident happened so many years ago, I suppose it is of no consequence now.
6 MAY 2013
Word of the day: reluctant
Meaning: unwilling to do something and thus slow to do it
Examples:
1) I enjoyed the party so much that I was reluctant to leave.
2) Even though Rebecca had made a mistake, she was reluctant to admit it.
3) The actor seemed reluctant to answer the reporters' questions.
5 MAY 2013
Word of the day: paramount
Meanings: (1) more important than anything else (2) having the highest rank or the greatest power
Examples:
1) Since safety is paramount, it is advisable to fasten your seat belt.
2) The issue of paramount importance should be dealt with first.
3) The paramount chief of the tribe is a capable and just leader.
4 MAY 2013
Word of the day: interpersonal
Meaning: connected with relationships or communication with people
Examples:
1) You need good interpersonal skills to be a successful salesman.
2) Steven is planning to take a course in interpersonal communications.
3 MAY 2013
Word of the day: ablaze
Meanings: (1) burning quickly and fiercely (2) (ablaze with) very brightly lit or coloured (3) (ablaze with) filled with strong emotion or excitement
Examples:
1) Soon, the whole wooden house was ablaze.
2) A few vehicles were set ablaze during the arson attack.
3) My garden is ablaze with flowers.
4) We saw a number of carnival floats with their lights ablaze last evening.
5) When Henry heard the bad news, his eyes were ablaze with fury.
2 MAY 2013
Word of the day: eminent
Meaning: (of a person) important, famous and respected
Examples:
1) Kevin's father is one of the world's most eminent statesmen.
2) Vivian wishes to be an eminent lawyer some day.
1 MAY 2013
Word of the day: ovation
Meaning: if a group of people or an audience give someone an ovation, they clap as a sign of approval or great enjoyment
Examples:
1) At the end of the singer's performance, she was given a standing ovation.
2) The appearance of the rock group on stage was greeted with a thunderous ovation.
30 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: benign
Meanings: (1) (of people) kind, gentle and pleasant (2) not harmful to the environment (3) (of tumours or diseases) not harmful or likely to cause death
Examples:
1) Although the principal is a benign man, he is firm with the students.
2) A benign old lady showed me the way to your house.
3) Mr Jefferson gave me a benign smile.
4) I usually cycle because the bicycle is a benign form of transport.
5) Don't worry about the chemical additives - they are environmentally benign.
6) Benny's family doctor told him that he had a benign tumour in his throat.
29 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: deprecate
Meaning: to disapprove something strongly
Examples:
1) The management board deprecated the transfer of shares.
2) Melissa wanted to be a model but her family, especially her parents, deprecated.
28 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: procrastinate
Meaning: to delay doing something that you must do, usually because you do not wish to do it
Examples:
1) I don't think Jeremy can be trusted with the job - he loves to procrastinate.
2) Since the present government tends to procrastinate, many voters are contemplating a change of government.
27 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: contemplate
Meanings: (1) to consider seriously if you should do something, or how it should be done (2) to think about and accept the possibility of something happening
Examples:
1) Nancy is contemplating Jack's proposal.
2) I have never contemplated resigning, although I have a boring job.
3) The thought of being captured and tortured by their enemies is too awful to contemplate.
26 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: proposal
Meanings: (1) a plan or formal suggestion made to an official group or person; the act of making it (2) a formal act of asking someone to marry you
Examples:
1) Lionel's proposal for the new project has been accepted.
2) The government is considering the proposal to build a nuclear power station.
3) Susan courteously declined Michael's marriage proposal.
25 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: unscrupulous
Meaning: not having moral principles; dishonest or unfair
Examples:
1) Unscrupulous employers tend to exploit their employees.
2) Unscrupulous businessmen who sell goods at exorbitant prices will be reported to the authorities.
24 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: exploit
Meanings: (1) to treat somebody unfairly by making them work and giving them very little in return (2) to use someone or a situation as a chance for your own advantage
Examples:
1) James, who is young and innocent, has been exploited at his workplace.
2) The homeworkers are going on strike because they are being exploited by their company.
3) The politician exploited his father's name to get more votes.
23 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: incognito
Meaning: if you do something incognito, you do it in a way that prevents other people from recognising you
Examples:
1) The famous actor often travels incognito.
2) The prince's wish is to mingle incognito at parties, though he is prohibited from doing so.
3) Edward often donates incognito to charity.
22 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: mingle
Meanings: (1) to mix together (2) if you mingle at a social event, you move around and talk to other people
Examples:
1) Britney mingles milk with tea to make her favourite drink.
2) "Don't just sit there - you should try to mingle with the other guests at the party."
21 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: succinct
Meaning: (especially of something spoken and written) expressed clearly in a few words
Examples:
1) Keep your answers as succinct and straight to the point as possible.
2) When Frederick was asked the reason why he was late for the meeting, he gave a succinct explanation.
20 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: cynical
Meanings: (1) believing that people are generally selfish and do not have good, honest or sincere reasons to do something (2) not concerned that something might hurt someone, when trying to get something for yourself
Examples:
1) My aunt, who is in her fifties, is still single because she takes a cynical view of men.
2) The dumping of toxic chemical wastes into a river is a cynical disregard for the safety of others.
19 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: pertinent
Meaning: directly related to the subject or topic considered
Examples:
1) Please ask questions pertinent to today's discussion.
2) Sebastian made quite a few pertinent remarks during the meeting.
18 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: quintessence
Meaning: the most perfect or typical example of something
Examples:
1) Edwin, the model student, is the quintessence of good manners.
2) It was the quintessence of a traditional Japanese house.
17 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: improvise
Meanings: (1) to make or do something with whatever you can find because you do not have what you need (2) to invent music, words in a play, a statement, etc. from your imagination while you are playing or talking, rather than planning it in advance
Examples:
1) There were no pillows, so we had to improvise with a few blankets.
2) The director invited the actors and actresses to improvise dialogue.
3) Although the politician gave an improvised speech, he received a big round of applause.
16 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: benevolent
Meaning: kind, generous and helpful
Examples:
1) Michael's benevolent and wealthy uncle paid for his tertiary education.
2) "Don't worry - I'll help you solve your problems," said Audrey with a benevolent smile.
15 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: tertiary
Meaning: (education) at university or college level
Examples:
1) You need tertiary education to apply for the post of manager.
2) Samantha completed her tertiary education in 2008.
14 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: exorbitant (= astronomical)
Meaning: (of a price) much higher than it should be
Examples:
1) Loan sharks are people who lend money at exorbitant rates of interest.
2) Jeremy looked at the exorbitant dinner bill in surprise.
13 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: rhetorical
Meanings: (1) (of a question) asked as a way to make a statement, without expecting an answer (2) using a speech or a piece of writing in special ways to influence people or to produce an impressive effect, but not totally sincere or honest
Examples:
1) "Do you know how much I care about you?" Martha asked her son, but it was a rhetorical question.
2) Although the mayor gave a speech full of rhetorical phrases, it did not impress me much.
12 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: auspicious
Meaning: showing that something is likely to be successful in the future
Examples:
1) Cindy's great diligence in her schoolwork is an auspicious start to passing the public exam with flying colours.
2) Although Elaine married Bob eventually, their first date was not auspicious - they had a huge argument.
11 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: amicable
Meaning: (of behaviour between people) pleasant, polite or friendly and without any quarrels
Examples:
1) After about 8 years, the band finally announced their amicable split.
2) Unfortunately, the relationship between Laura and me has not always been amicable.
10 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: supercilious (= superior)
Meaning: if you are supercilious, you are behaving as if you are better and more important than other people
Examples:
1) The boutique owner was quite supercilious.
2) The wine waiter spoke in a supercilious voice.
9 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: rumbustious (American English - rambunctious)
Meaning: full of energy, noise and fun
Examples:
1) My German Shepherd bitch has given birth to a litter of lively and rumbustious puppies.
2) Julie needs help - she has problem controlling the rumbustious children at her son's birthday party.
8 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: unsavoury
Meaning: unpleasant or offensive; not morally acceptable
Examples:
1) A few unsavoury characters at the railway station extorted money from Patrick yesterday.
2) My advice is to stay away from the club - it has an unsavoury reputation.
7 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: reputation
Meaning: the opinion that people have about somebody or something, based on what has happened in the past
Examples:
1) During his schooldays, he had a reputation as a troublemaker.
2) The Kingston is a hotel with a good reputation for its excellent service.
3) With Lisa's professional qualifications and talents, she soon acquired a reputation as a first-class cook.
4) Henry's good reputation has been tarnished when he was caught accepting bribes.
6 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: tarnish
Meanings: (1) to spoil the good name of someone or something (2) (of metals) become less bright and shiny
Examples:
1) A series of scandals has tarnished the actress' public image.
2) Moisture and air tarnish copper.
3) Do you mind polishing these tarnished silver spoons?
5 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: exponential
Meaning: describing a rate of increase becoming faster and faster as the amount of the thing that is growing increases
Examples:
1) My boss is extremely pleased with the exponential growth of his business.
2) There has been an exponential increase in the world's population in the past half-century.
4 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: presumptuous
Meaning: people who are presumptuous do things that they have no right to do, in a way that shows disrespect for other people
Examples:
1) I hope it would not be presumptuous of me to ask why you are so upset.
2) Would I be considered presumptuous if I comment on the matter?
3 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: philanthropist
Meaning: a rich person who helps the poor and needy, especially by giving them lots of money
Examples:
1) Perry's father is a philanthropist who donates generously to charity.
2) The orphanage has just received a donation from a wealthy American philanthropist.
2 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: altruistic
Meaning: showing that you care about the needs and happiness of other people, even though this brings no advantage to yourself; unselfish
Examples:
1) I believe Jason's motives for donating money to charity are not altruistic - he's simply looking for publicity.
2) Harry's popularity among his friends is due to his altruistic personality.
3) Her fund-raising activities are entirely altruistic acts.
1 APRIL 2013
Word of the day: palpable
Meaning: a feeling that is so strong that it is easily noticed, felt or touched
Examples:
1) When she heard the good news, her joy was palpable.
2) During the funeral, the sense of loss among the attendees was almost palpable.
31 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: convalesce
Meaning: to rest and spend time getting well after getting an illness or a medical treatment; recover
Examples:
1) After undergoing a heart operation, my grandfather is now convalescing at home.
2) Edwin convalesced for about six months after the stroke.
30 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: egregious
Meaning: very bad and noticeable
Examples:
1) The publisher is currently being sued for egregious abuse of copyright.
2) Due to Harry's egregious misbehavior, he was suspended from college for a fortnight.
29 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: sheer
Meanings: (1) used to emphasize the size, weight, quantity, etc. of something (2) nothing except
Examples:
1) The sheer size of the shopping complex impressed us.
2) His suggestion was unheeded because it was sheer nonsense.
28 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: attribute
Meaning: to think or say that something is caused by a particular thing
Examples:
1) Cindy attributes her excellent academic performance to her hard work.
2) The bad weather conditions attributed to the flight delays.
27 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: beguile
Meanings: (1) to persuade or trick someone into doing something (2) to attract and interest someone
Examples:
1) The salesman beguiled her into buying a set of cooking utensils that she did not want.
2) When Alex met Valerie for the first time, he was completely beguiled by her beauty.
26 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: resolution
Meaning: a promise to yourself to do or not to do something
Examples:
1) James made a resolution to do well academically.
2) One of Janet's New Year's resolutions is to give up smoking.
25 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: predicament
Meaning: an unpleasant or difficult situation where you do not know what to do
Examples:
1) To get out of the company's financial predicament, the management is hoping to get a loan from the bank.
2) I explained my terrible predicament to the manager.
24 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: commotion
Meaning: sudden noisy disturbance, confusion or excitement
Examples:
1) We were distracted by a commotion downstairs and went to find out what was happening.
2) The arrival of the superstar caused quite a commotion.
23 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: extrapolate
Meaning: to use existing facts to guess or estimate what is likely to happen or be true in the future
Examples:
1) We cannot accurately extrapolate too far into the future from current trends.
2) It is too risky to extrapolate these results to other patient groups.
22 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: immaculate
Meanings: (1) very clean and tidy; spotless (2) without any mistakes; perfect
Examples:
1) My mother loves to work in an immaculate kitchen.
2) The pianist gave an immaculate performance last evening.
21 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: patriotic
Meaning: having or expressing a great love for your country
Examples:
1) The soldiers are performing a patriotic song on stage.
2) The ex-president was a patriotic man who served his country well.
20 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: acrid
Meaning: having a strong, bitter and unpleasant smell or taste; irritating to the eyes, nose, etc.
Examples:
1) Let's get out of here - I can't stand the acrid smoke.
2) Where does the acrid smell originate?
19 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: umpteen
Meaning: very many; a lot of (used especially when one is annoyed there are so many)
Examples:
1) I can't go out with you because I have umpteen things to do.
2) Eric called Julie umpteen times but did not get any answers.
18 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: apprehensive
Meaning: worried or fearful that something unpleasant may happen; feeling anxiety about the future
Examples:
1) We have no reason to be apprehensive about their visit.
2) They were deeply apprehensive that something bad might have happened.
17 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: fugitive
Meaning: a person who is running away (especially from the police) and is trying to avoid being caught
Examples:
1) After being in hiding for a decade, the fugitive is finally brought into justice.
2) The criminals escaped from prison and are being sought for as fugitives.
16 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: perpetual
Meaning: continuing for a long time without stopping or changing; continuous
Examples:
1) The perpetual noise of traffic is driving me crazy!
2) My niece is a cute little girl with a perpetual smile.
15 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: gratitude
Meaning: the feeling of being grateful and thankful to someone for helping you
Examples:
1) I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for your assistance and support.
2) She treated him to a meal in gratitude for what he had done.
14 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: immortal
Meaning: never dying; living forever
Examples:
1) Our souls are immortal.
2) Vampires are imaginative creatures said to be immortal.
13 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: lucrative
Meaning: producing a great deal of money; making a lot of profit
Examples:
1) The wealthy man runs a lucrative business.
2) Jason pursued a lucrative career as a surgeon.
12 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: cajole
Meaning: to persuade someone to do something by talking to them and being very nice to them
Examples:
1) Sam hopes to cajole Edward into selling him a plot of land.
2) Benny managed to cajole Lisa's phone number out of her.
11 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: gregarious
Meaning: friendly and liking to be with other people; sociable
Examples:
1) My uncle has a wide circle of friends because he's very outgoing and gregarious.
2) Jolene is a popular and gregarious woman.
10 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: confinement
Meaning: the act of forcing someone to stay in a closed space, room, prison, etc., or the state of being there
Examples:
1) The politician has suffered five years of confinement as a political prisoner.
2) The murder suspects were held in confinement for a week before being released.
9 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: strenuous
Meaning: needing a lot of strength or effort
Examples:
1) At dawn, they began their strenuous climb up the mountain.
2) It is not advisable to do strenuous exercise immediately after a meal.
8 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: incessant
Meaning: continuing; never stopping
Examples:
1) The major flooding was caused by days of incessant rain.
2) Unable to tolerate the incessant noise from his neighbour, James complained to the authorities.
7 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: detestable
Meaning: deserving to be hated
Examples:
1) The detestable murderer was sentenced to life imprisonment.
2) I did not watch the movie because a friend told me that its violence was detestable.
3) "You're detestable!" she said furiously.
6 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: legitimate
Meaning: acceptable or allowed according to the law
Examples:
1) Our business operations are strictly legitimate.
2) Jonathan is the legitimate heir to his deceased uncle's properties.
5 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: deceased
Meaning: dead
Examples:
1) Julie inherited a large fortune from her deceased parents.
2) The sculptures are by my deceased father, Edward.
4 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: laudable
Meaning: deserving praise
Examples:
1) Helping the flood victims is a laudable idea.
2) Saving our earth is a laudable activity.
3 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: preposterous
Meaning: completely unreasonable or silly; not to be believed
Examples:
1) Nobody is going to believe your preposterous story.
2) The suggestion sounds completely preposterous!
2 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: complacent
Meaning: too self-satisfied or pleased with a situation, especially something you have achieved, so that you feel that it is no longer necessary to improve
Examples:
1) We simply cannot afford to become complacent about our small progress.
2) The citizens are too complacent to change the government.
1 MARCH 2013
Word of the day: flabbergasted
Meaning: very surprised or shocked
Examples:
1) The bad news left John totally flabbergasted.
2) I was flabbergasted at the amount of money she makes daily.
28 FEBRUARY 2013
Word of the day: compliment
Meaning: to express something nice to someone in order to praise them
Examples:
1) He complimented her on her excellent Japanese.
2) The bridegroom was so nervous that he forgot to compliment the bridesmaids.
27 FEBRUARY 2013
Word of the day: apparent
Meaning: easy to see, notice or understand
Examples:
1) For no apparent reason, Emily burst into tears.
2) It soon became apparent to everyone that he couldn't speak French well.
26 February 2013
Word of the day: consent
Meaning: to agree to do something or to give permission for something to happen
Examples:
1) Her parents willingly consented to her marriage.
2) The actor finally consented to let us interview him.
25 February 2013
Word of the day: identical
Meaning: exactly the same or very similar
Examples:
1) The two motorbikes are identical except for the licence number.
2) Peter's T-shirt is almost identical to James'.
24 February 2013
Word of the day: repulsive
Meaning: very unpleasant; in a way that causes a feeling of strong dislike
Examples:
1) Everybody wondered where the repulsive smell originated.
2) My sister finds cockroaches repulsive.
23 FEBRUARY 2013
Word of the day: infallible
Meaning: never making mistakes, always right
Examples:
1) The doctor admitted to making a wrong diagnosis and stressed that no one is infallible in this world.
2) Even the experts are not infallible.
22 FEBRUARY 2013
Word of the day: illiterate
Meaning: unable to read and write
Examples:
1) A large percentage of the population of that country are illiterate.
2) My illiterate neighbor requested me to read a letter to her.
3) John helped the illiterate old man to fill up a form.
21 FEBRUARY 2013
Word of the day: impromptu
Meaning: done or said without earlier preparation or planning
Examples:
1) The minister delivered a fine impromptu speech at the opening ceremony of the campaign.
2) During a meet-the-fan session, the band gave an impromptu concert and their fans were thrilled.
