Upper-Intermediate wordlist

ENGLISH PoS Definition Example

ability noun the physical or mental skill or qualities that She definitely has the ability to become a
you need to do something brilliant actor.
able adjective clever or good at doing something She's a very able student.
accuse sb of sth verb to say that someone has done something The trial of Rebecca Rivers, who was
bad accused of theft, is finally over.
ache verb If a part of your body aches, it is painful. My face was very pale and my head was
aching.
adventurous adjective willing to try new and often difficult things People who expect the best are generally
likely to be ambitious and adventurous.

affect verb to influence someone or something, or Getting richer doesn’t actually affect how
cause them to change happy you are.
air pollution phrase harmful substances in the air This is a 100% sustainable city – it uses
zero energy and there’s no air pollution.

ambitious adjective wanting to be successful or powerful Sheila’s one of those ambitious people
who’s got lots of plans.
ambitious adjective wanting to be successful or powerful People who expect the best are generally
likely to be ambitious and adventurous.

arduous adjective needing a lot of effort to do He described his time at school as

‘arduous’.
arrest verb If the police arrest someone, they take them The thieves were seen on CCTV and two
away to ask them about a crime which they suspects were arrested yesterday.
might have committed.
arrogant adjective believing that you are better or more Shiela's so arrogant about her work.
important than other people
as a result of phrase because of They measured how happy people are as
a result of winning the lottery.
assume verb to think that something is likely to be true, He assumed that Rodriguez would be
although you have no proof dying to tell his story.
astonishing adjective very surprising All around the bay there are astonishing
islands made of limestone.
at risk phrase in a situation where something bad is likely In the UK, large blue butterflies are at
to happen risk and are protected.
athlete noun someone who is very good at a sport and Most of Kenya’s best athletes are from
who competes with others in organised the Kalenjin tribe.
events
athletic adjective relating to athletes or to the sport of His teacher noticed his athletic skills.
athletics
athletics noun the sports which include running, jumping, I know you like athletics, but do you ever
and throwing take part in competitions?
attack verb to use violence to hurt or damage someone The tiger attacked and killed Markov.
or something
attic noun a room at the top of a house under the roof There’s a big attic in my cottage.

award verb to officially give someone something such Referee Eno Koskinen gave Rodriguez a
as a prize or an amount of money red card and awarded a penalty kick to
Chelsea.
award a grant phrase to give someone a sum of money so that The university has decided to award her
they can do something a grant of £5,000 for her postgraduate
study.
awkward adjective difficult or causing problems I'm in a really awkward situation.
basement noun a room or set of rooms that is below ground I was putting up some shelves in the
level in a building basement of my house.
be aware phrase to know about something He was aware that he might not be able
to finish the film.
be lost phrase If something good is lost, it stops happening Face‐to‐face contact has been lost in this
or existing. store.
boot noun a strong shoe that covers your foot and part The tiger dragged Markov into the forest
of your leg and ate him, leaving only his boots.

break into sth verb to get into a building by force, usually to Thieves broke into a jeweller’s shop and
steal something stole £5,000 worth of jewellery and
watches.
breathtaking adjective very beautiful or surprising Some of the islands are really quite
breathtaking.
bribe noun money or a present given to someone so The doorkeeper asked us for a bribe.
that they will do something for you, usually
something dishonest
bribery noun when someone is offered money or a There was a real problem with bribery
present so that they will do something, and corruption in local government.
usually something dishonest
brilliance noun great skill or intelligence We admired his brilliance at art.
brilliant adjective very good Without a doubt, there are people who
are brilliant at certain things.
broadcast verb to send out a programme on television or Any big international sports event is
radio broadcast live all around the world.
bruise noun a dark area on your skin where you have There’s quite a large bruise on my
been hurt forehead.
budget noun a plan that shows how much money you 57% of households inthe USA don’t have
have and how you will spend it any kind of budget.
bump verb to hurt part of your body by hitting it Last night I bumped my head against the
against something hard kitchen cupboard door.
bungalow noun a house that has all its rooms on the ground They live in a bungalow.
floor
burglar noun someone who gets into buildings illegally The burglar didn’t realise there was a cat
and steals things at home.
burglary noun when someone gets into a building illegally There have been a lot of burglaries in our
and steals things neighbourhood of late.
burgle verb to get into a building illegally and steal Sarah's flat was burgled.
things
can't get over sth phrase to be very shocked or surprised about I couldn’t get over just how strong these
something animals are.
capture verb to show or describe something successfully As she walked through the front door, her
using words or pictures look of complete surprise was captured
on film.
carbon footprint noun Someone's carbon footprint is a We’re going to change our energy supply
measurement of the amount of carbon to solar energy to reduce our carbon
dioxide that their activities produce. footprint.
care for sb verb to look after someone, especially someone They think a computer tablet will help to
who is young, old, or ill care for people.
cast noun all the actors in a film or play The film had a small cast.
cause verb to make something happen The idea that winning a lot of money
causes misery is actually a myth.
cautious adjective taking care to avoid risks or danger People who expect the worst are likely to
be more cautious.
cellar noun a room under the floor of a building We store our potatoes in the cellar.
challenge verb to test your ability or determination Giving a presentation in front of 50
people really challenged me.
champion noun a person, animal, or team that wins a He was a champion cross‐country skier.
competition
championship noun a competition to find the best team or After only eight months of training,
player in a particular game or sport Thomas won the world championships.
cheat noun someone who cheats She’s a cheat and is always copying my
ideas and work.
cheat verb to behave in a way that is not honest or fair He cheated in the exam.
in order to win something or to get
something
cheating noun behaving in a way that is not honest or fair There was a lot of cheating in the exam.
in order to win something or to get
something
cheer verb to shout loudly in order to show your The spectators cheered Rodriguez as he
approval or to encourage someone left the pitch.
chimney noun a wide pipe that allows smoke from a fire to The house has very tall chimneys.
go out through the roof
climate change noun the way the Earth's weather is changing Most scientists agree that irregular
weather patterns are evidence of global
warming and climate change.
come down with verb to get an illness I feel terrible. I’ve come down with the flu.
sth
come to the phrase to reach an opinion after considering all the The director had come to the conclusion
conclusion facts about something that this really was a story worth telling.

compete verb to take part in a race or competition Sportspeople don't always get paid a lot
to compete.
competition noun an organised event in which people try to There are six runners in the competition.
win a prize by being the best, fastest, etc
competitive adjective involving competition Sports like handball are very competitive.

competitive adjective wanting to win or to be more successful My sister is very competitive ‐ she wants
than other people to be the best at everything.
competitor noun a person, team, or company that is He beat his closest competitor by forty
competing with others seconds.

construction noun something large that is built The whole island is like a museum of
breathtaking wooden constructions.
cope with sth verb to deal successfully with a difficult situation She coped well with the primitive living
conditions.
cottage noun a small house, usually in the countryside There’s a big attic in my cottage.
cough verb to make air come out of your throat with a I was coughing and sneezing all day.
short sound
court noun the place where a judge decides whether The men will appear in court on
someone is guilty of a crime Wednesday.
creature noun anything that lives but is not a plant Imagine a creature that’s as active as a
cat and has the weight of an industrial
refrigerator.
credible adjective able to be trusted or believed I don't think his explanation is credible.
critical adjective saying that someone or something is bad or Some of my family say I’m too critical
wrong and I only see the bad things in them.
cure verb to make someone with an illness healthy This simple pill can cure cancer.
again
cut verb to remove part of a film or piece of writing He appeared in only one short scene of
the film, but that was cut after filming
finished.
debit an account phrase to take money out of a bank account Every month, the bank debits my account
with about £15 in fees.
debt noun an amount of money that you owe someone The UK population has a total credit card
debt as high as £80 billion.
decline noun when something becomes less in amount, There has been a gradual decline in
importance, quality, or strength student numbers.
decline verb to become less in amount, importance, The number of minority languages is
quality, or strength declining.
decrease noun when something becomes less There’s an obvious decrease in reading
newspapers.
decrease verb to become less, or to make something The number of different English dialects
become less is slowly decreasing.
delicate adjective needing to be dealt with very carefully It’s a very delicate subject and I’m not
sure what to say exactly.
demanding adjective needing a lot of your time, attention, or My final exams at university were really
effort demanding.
detached adjective A detached building is not joined to another It would be good to live in a nice
building. detached house instead of my flat!
deteriorate verb to become worse My relationship with my boss began to
deteriorate.
deterioration noun the fact of becoming worse In the past few years I’ve noticed there’s
been a deterioration in service in this
store.
determined adjective wanting to do something very much, and She was really determined, but in a quiet
not letting anyone stop you way.
develop verb to start to have something, such as an People who eat too much fatty food are
illness, problem, or feeling likely to develop heart disease.
die out verb to stop existing Many languages are in danger of dying
out.
disappear verb to stop existing or to become impossible to The ship disappeared at sea.
see
disappearance noun when something stops existing or becomes You can see the disappearance of smaller
impossible to see languages all the time.
dishonest adjective not honest and likely to lie or do something Alex is a bit dishonest.
illegal
disorganised adjective not good at planning or organising things My brother Nick is very disorganised –
his desk is a mess and he can never find
anything.
dissatisfied adjective not pleased or happy with something My friend recommended the hotel but I
was very dissatisfied.
dizzy adjective feeling like everything is turning round, so I felt really dizzy.
that you feel ill or as if you might fall
donate to a phrase to give money to an organisation that gives Why don’t you donate the money to a
charity money, food, or help to people who need it charity like Save the Children?

donation noun when money or goods are given to help a In Australia, there has been a 46%
person or organisation increase in online donations made to
charities.
doubt verb to feel uncertain about something or think Most people doubted that he could be a
that something is not probable superstar in one country when no one
else had heard of him.
dramatic adjective exciting and impressive Ha Long Bay is dramatic and beautiful.

ecological impact phrase the effect that something has on the When the steam engine was invented, not
environment many would have thought about the
ecological impact of burning so much
coal.
editor noun someone whose job is to prepare text, film, After filming, the editor began the work
etc by deciding what to include and making of choosing the best shots and putting
mistakes correct together the film.
effect noun a change, reaction, or result that is caused Getting married has had a positive effect
by something on him.
endangered adj Endangered plants and animals may soon In North America, red wolves are
not exist because there are very few now considered an endangered species.
alive.
environment noun the air, land and water where people, Humans and tigers hunt the same
animals and plants live animals and share the same environment.

environmentally adjective not damaging the environment Travelling by train is slower but it’s far
friendly more environmentally‐friendly than
going by plane.
episode noun one programme of a series shown on The first episode of the series is on
television Thursday.
estimate verb to guess the cost, size, value, etc of People estimated he’d sold about 1.5
something million records in South Africa.
exceptional adjective extremely good Those who became exceptional musicians
practised about two thousand hours
more than those who only did well.

exotic adjective unusual, interesting, and often foreign Hanoi is a busy city, but there are lots of
more exotic places you can escape to in
Vietnam.
expected adjective If something is expected, you think that it He discovered that his new job was even
will happen. better than expected.
experienced adjective having skill and knowledge because you William was an experienced and
have done something many times responsible employee with regular
working hours.
extinct adjective If a type of animal is extinct, it does not now The New Zealand moa bird has been
exist. extinct for about six hundred years.

faint verb to suddenly become unconscious for a short I think I’m going to faint.
time, usually falling down onto the floor

feature noun a typical quality, or important part of The most amazing feature you can see
something here is the nearby volcano.
fence noun a wood, wire, or metal structure that We had had our fence painted red.
divides or goes around an area
finance a project phrase to provide the money needed to do a Local businesses agreed to finance a
particular piece of work project to increase the number of trees in
the city’s parks.
forest noun a large area of trees growing closely While Markov was away hunting, the
together tiger found its way to his hut in the forest.

formal adjective used about clothes, language, and William explained in a formal and polite
behaviour that are serious and not friendly manner that he was not satisfied with his
or relaxed situation.
fortunate adjective lucky William felt like a very fortunate man.
fragile phrase the air, land and water where people, If there is an oil spill from a ship, it will
environment animals and plants live and which is very damage the fragile marine environment
easy to damage in this bay.
get a bit carried phrase to be so excited about something that you We all got a bit carried away and
away do not control what you say or do decided a direct approach would be the
best one.
get away verb to go somewhere, especially for a holiday I can’t wait to get away.
get hold of sth phrase to start holding something or someone The boat was sinking, but we all
managed to gethold of a life‐jacket.

get into trouble phrase to be in a difficult or dangerous situation Actually, I got into a bit of trouble once.

get involved phrase to do things and be part of an activity or Now the club is much more interesting
event and lots of new people have got involved.

get on sb's nerves phrase to annoy someone a lot My son’s really getting on my nerves at
the moment.
get on with sth verb to continue to do something or experience Although she got on with her life, she
something never forgot her dream.
get over sth verb to begin to feel better after being unhappy They were exhausted and hungry, but
or ill after some food and sleep they soon got
over the experience.
get over sth verb to begin to feel better after being unhappy I don’t want to go out yet. I’m still getting
or ill over a heavy cold.
get rid of sb phrase to make someone leave We tried to work out a way to get rid of
the man running the club.
get sb down verb to make someone feel unhappy My son just won’t listen and it’s getting
me down.
get sb's attention phrase to make someone notice you She ran out on the road to get the
policeman’s attention.
get sth across to verb to successfully communicate information to I can’t get across to my son the
sb other people importance of doing well at school.
get straight to the phrase to say what you want to say without talking Look, I’ll get straight to the point. I think
point about anything else first the social club’s getting a bit boring and
we need some fresh ideas.
get swept away phrase to be carried out to sea by a wave The boat got swept away by the wave.
get the feeling phrase to think that something may be true I got the feeling I was being pulled out to
sea.
get through sth verb to deal with a difficult experience My son got through his exams very easily
successfully last year without studying.
get to do sth verb to have an opportunity to do something I’ve always wanted to learn how to surf
and I’ll finally get to do it.
give evidence phrase to give information and answer questions in Around 50 witnesses were called to give
a court of law evidence.
give sth up verb to stop doing something before you have Often if we try something new, we give up
completed it, usually because it is too after about a week or two because our
difficult brain hasn’t adapted.
give sth up verb to stop doing something before you have She had to give up the swim after 29
completed it, usually because it is too hours.
difficult
global warming noun when the air around the world becomes Most scientists agree that irregular
warmer because of pollution weather patterns are evidence of global
warming and climate change.
go ahead with sth verb to start to do something She felt the time was right to go ahead
with an application to the Peace Corps.

gruelling adjective Gruelling activities are very difficult and Jackie Chan’s training was gruelling.
make you very tired.
guilty adjective having broken a law The jury gave a verdict of guilty.
habitat noun the natural environment of an animal or It’s possible to find many Chinese
plant alligators in zoos and research centres,
but there are fewer living in their natural
have a go at phrase to do something to see if you like it or if you You can take time out and have a go at
can do it something you’ve always wanted to do.

have an phrase to cause a change, reaction or result Suddenly having a lot of money is just as
(positive/negativ likely to have a positive effect on you as a
e) effect on negative effect.
heal verb If a wound or broken bone heals, it becomes The substance can be used to heal
healthy again, and if something heals it, it wounds.
makes it healthy again.
hiking noun the activity of walking in the countryside If you would like to go hiking, there are
trails of different levels of difficulty.

honest adjective sincere and telling the truth William was happy that he had been
honest with himself and followed his
heart.
hunt verb to chase and kill wild animals While Markov was away hunting, the
tiger found its way to his hut in the forest
and broke in through the door.
hut noun a small, simple building, often made of wood While Markov was away hunting, the
tiger found its way to his hut in the forest
and broke in through the door.
illegal adjective not allowed by law The police discovered her illegal use of
company funds.
impatient adjective wanting something to happen as soon as She’s very good with young children, but
possible she can get a bit impatient with
teenagers.
impolite adjective not polite He left without saying goodbye – that’s
very impolite.
impossible adjective If an action or event is impossible, it cannot It seems impossible that Robertson didn’t
happen or be done. know in advance what was going to
happen.
impressive adjective Someone or something that is impressive The volcano really is quite impressive.
makes you admire and respect them.
improbable adjective not likely to be true or to happen The similarities between Robertson’s
work and the Titanic disaster are really
improbable.
income noun money that you earn by working, investing, On average, households in the UK
or producing goods manage to save just under 8% of their
annual income.
increase verb to get bigger or to make something bigger The number of bilingual children has
in size or amount increased over the last 50 years.
increase noun when the number, size, or amount of There has been a steady increase in
something gets bigger world literacy.
incredible adjective too strange to be believed The incredible thing is that Robertson’s
The Wreck of the Titan was published 14
years before the Titanic was even built.

inexperienced adjective without much experience or knowledge of Sally was still quite inexperienced.
something
infection noun a disease in a part of your body that is The doctor said my illness was probably
caused by bacteria or a virus just an infection.
influence verb to affect or change how someone or Does suddenly having a lot of money
something develops, behaves, or thinks really influence people’s behaviour?
influence noun the power to affect how someone thinks or Winning doesn’t usually have a negative
behaves, or how something develops influence on people.
informal adjective relaxed and friendly Sally got some informal advice from her
old teacher at college.
inspiring adjective giving you new ideas and making you feel She is an inspiring woman.
you want to do something
interest rate noun the per cent of an amount of money which Half of Australians don’t know the
is charged or paid by a bank or other interest rate on their credit card.
financial company
investment noun the money that you put in a bank, business, A survey in the USA showed that only
etc in order to make a profit 53% of people understand how to make
irregular adjective Irregular actions or events happen with a She was dissatisfied with her job,
different amount of time between each one. especially the irregular hours.

irrelevant adjective not important in a particular situation These details are irrelevant to the story.

irresponsible adjective not thinking about the possible bad results I like my other cousin, Becky, but she can
of what you are doing be quite irresponsible.
irresponsible adjective not thinking about the possible bad results It was irresponsible of Karen to leave the
of what you are doing documents in an unlocked car.
judge noun someone who controls a trial in court, The judge sentenced Ms. Rivers to five
decides how criminals should be punished, years in prison.
and makes decisions about legal things

jury noun a group of people in a court of law who The jury gave a verdict of guilty.
decide if someone is guilty or not
keep it up phrase to continue without stopping or changing Maybe you wouldn’t want to keep the
exercise regime up for your whole life,
but it might be fun to do it just for 30
days.
keep to sth verb to do what you have promised or planned If you manage to do something new for a
to do month, you’ll probably keep to it.
kidnap verb to take someone away using force, usually The racehorse was kidnapped.
to obtain money in exchange for releasing
them
kidnapper noun a person who kidnaps someone The kidnapper brought back the baby
when it started crying.
kidnapping noun when someone is kidnapped There have been several kidnappings in
the city.
kill verb to cause someone or something to die The tiger attacked and killed Markov.
lead verb to be winning a game During that race, he led from the start.

lead to sth verb to cause something to happen Of course people like to believe that
winning money leads to disaster.
legal adjective relating to the law or allowed by law William was working as a legal adviser.

liar noun someone who tells lies She called me a liar.

lie verb to say or write something that is not true in He lied about his qualifications.
order to deceive someone
lobby noun a room at the main entrance of a building, High tea is served every afternoon
often with doors and stairs that lead to between 2.00 pm and 4.00 pm in the
other parts of the building lobby opposite reception.
local residents phrase people who live in a particular area The city uses technology to improve the
quality of life of the local residents.
lose phrase to stop being awake and able to think and I collapsed on the ground and lost
consciousness notice things consciousness.
loyal adjective always liking and supporting someone or Fred’s been a very loyal member of our
something, sometimes when other people staff,
do not
lying noun the act of saying or writing something that They accused him of lying.
is not true in order to deceive someone

make a living phrase to earn enough money to pay for the things I don’t know how he manages to make a
you need living from his café.
make an effort phrase to try very hard to achieve something Obviously to do something like learning
the violin you need to make an effort.

make sure (that) phrase to take action so that you are certain that He wanted to make sure that Rodriguez
something happens, is true, etc really was that popular in South Africa.

manage verb to do something or deal with something If you manage to do something new for a
successfully month, you’ll probably keep to it.
mattress noun the soft, comfortable part of a bed that you The tiger took Markov’s mattress outside.
lie on
memorable adjective If an occasion is memorable, you will Going to Russia was the most memorable
remember it for a long time because it is so holiday I’ve ever had.
good.
motivated adjective enthusiastic about doing something Well, you’ve always been motivated,
that’s for sure.
murder noun the crime of intentionally killing someone He was accused of murder.

murder verb to kill someone intentionally and illegally It's a horrible prison where the prisoners
murder one another.
murderer noun someone who has committed murder The main suspect was not the murderer
but someone else.
naive adjective If someone is naive, they believe things too If Shiela thinks she's going to become
easily and do not have enough experience team leader this quickly, she’s really
of the world. naive!
natural adjective Something that is natural exists or happens It’s possible to find many Chinese
because of nature, not because it was made alligators in zoos and research centres,
or done by people. but there are fewer living in their natural
habitat.
not get anywhere phrase to not make any progress They felt like they weren't getting
anywhere.
not have any idea phrase to not know and not be able to guess He didn’t have any idea who the men
were.
optimistic adjective always believing that good things will Fred’s always optimistic, even when he
happen comes across problems in his work.
optimistic adjective always believing that good things will Most people are optimistic about their
happen own strengths and abilities.
outskirts plural the areas that form the edge of a town or There are waterfalls on the outskirts of
noun city the city.
outstanding adjective excellent and much better than most When you look at all the people who are
outstanding at what they do, all you see
is natural ability.
overcome verb to deal with and control a problem or feeling She had to overcome the negative
attitude of her all‐male classmates.
pale adjective If your face is pale, it has less colour than My face was very pale and my head was
usual because you are ill or frightened. aching.
parking space phrase a place where someone can park a car The system tells drivers where they can
find a free parking space.
pass out verb to become unconscious I thought I was going to pass out, but I
managed to crawl into bed.
passage noun a long, narrow space that connects one We walked through the passage to the
place to another next street.
passionate adjective showing a strong belief in something or a Fred’s passionate about alternative
strong feeling about a subject energies.
patient adjective having patience William was not a patient man.
pay sth off verb to pay back all of the money that you owe 85% of students in England will never
fully pay off their student loans.
perform verb to do a job or a piece of work Mäntyranta had about 65% more red
blood cells than the normal adult male
and that’s why he performed so well.
performance noun how successful someone or something is She gave her best ever performance at
the Olympic Games.
performer noun someone who entertains people The best performers all train really hard.

pitch noun an area of ground where a sport is played The spectators cheered Rodriguez as he
left the pitch.
polite adjective behaving in a way that is not rude and William explained in a formal and polite
shows that you do not only think about manner that he was not satisfied with his
yourself situation.
potential noun qualities or abilities that may develop and He has lots of potential to succeed in his
allow someone or something to succeed career.

presenter noun someone who introduces a radio or He's a presenter on children's TV.
television programme
preservation noun when you keep something the same or The survival of languages means the
prevent it from being damaged or destroyed preservation of cultures.
preserve verb to keep something the same or prevent it Educating children may help to preserve
from being damaged or destroyed a language.
probable adjective likely to be true or to happen It's probable that he'll lose his job.
profession noun a type of work that needs special training or For most people, sport is a hobby, not a
education profession.
professional adjective Someone is professional if they earn money Professional baseball players often have
for a sport or activity which most people do remarkable eyesight.
as a hobby.
protected adjective Protected plants and animals are kept safe In the UK, large blue butterflies are at
by laws. risk and are protected.
public transport phrase a system of vehicles such as buses and To use the public transport system you
trains that operate at regular times and on just need a single card.
fixed routes and are used by the public.

punishing adjective very difficult and making you tired The training was punishing.

put aside savings phrase to keep some of the money that you get or Since she started work, she hasn’t put
earn aside any savings.
quality of life phrase the level of enjoyment, comfort, and health The city uses technology to improve the
in someone's life quality of life of the local residents.
rare adjective very unusual In Australia, just over 20 per cent of the
native plants are considered rare and
need to be conserved.
realise verb to notice or understand something that you He realised that Rodriguez’s story was
did not notice or understand before the one to tell.
realistic adjective accepting the true facts of a situation and We are much more optimistic than
not basing decisions on things that will not realistic and frequently imagine things
happen will turn out better than they actually do.

referee noun someone who makes sure that players Referee Eno Koskinen gave Rodriguez a
follow the rules during a sports game red card and awarded a penalty kick to
Chelsea.
regular adjective repeated with the same amount of time or William was an experienced and
space between one thing and the next responsible employee with regular
working hours.
release verb to make a record or film available for The first Star Wars film was released in
people to buy or see 1977.
reliable adjective able to be trusted or believed We should try to find reliable charities
and make an effort to help poorer
countries.
remarkable adjective very unusual or noticeable in a way that For some history and some really
you admire remarkable scenery, Uruapan is a good
choice.
represent verb to be the person from a country, school, etc Jack Taylor will once again represent
that is in a competition Australia at next year’s Olympics.
residential areas phrase areas in a town or city where people live From all the residential areas there’s a
fifteen‐minute walk across the park to
get to work.
respected adjective admired by people because of your She’s a respected physicist.
knowledge, achievements, etc
responsible adjective showing good judgment and able to be We need someone responsible for this job.
trusted
responsible adjective showing good judgment and able to be William was an experienced and
trusted responsible employee with regular
working hours.
result in sth verb to be the reason something happens Spending money on experiences usually
results longer‐term happiness.
revival noun when something becomes more active or The language wasn't heard on the island
popular again for years before its revival began.

revive verb to make something from the past exist again I wish they'd revive the tradition of
chatting with customers.
rigorous adjective careful to look at or consider every part of Those lucky enough to be selected go
something to make sure it is correct or safe through rigorous training.

rob verb to steal from someone or somewhere, often They tried to rob a bank.
using violence
robber noun someone who steals The police caught the robbers.
robbery noun the crime of stealing from someone or They were both probably involved in the
somewhere robbery.
rough weather phrase bad weather, especially storms Our boat trip was cancelled due to rough
weather.
satisfied adjective pleased because you have got what you William explained in a formal and polite
wanted, or because something has manner that he was not satisfied with his
happened in the way that you wanted situation.
savings plural money that you have saved You can make savings of about £69,500
noun over a lifetime by taking a packed lunch
to work.
scar noun a permanent mark left on the body from a I didn’t cut myself badly, so I won’t have a
cut or other injury scar.
script noun the words in a film, play, etc It’s a very well‐written film with a great
script.
self‐confident adjective feeling sure about yourself and your abilities Fred’s self‐confident, so he is never afraid
to work independently.
semi‐detached adjective A semi-detached house has one wall that is They live in a semi‐detached house.
joined to another house.
sensitive adjective easily upset by the things people say or do Shiela's incredibly sensitive to criticism.

sentence verb to give a punishment to someone who has The judge sentenced Ms. Rivers to five
committed a crime years in prison.
series noun a group of television or radio programmes The longest‐running science fiction TV
that have the same main characters or deal series is the British production Doctor
with the same subject Who.
setting noun the place where something is or where In many ways it’s the perfect setting for a
something happens, often in a book, play, or house.
film
shiver verb to shake because you are cold or frightened I felt dizzy and I started to shiver.

shoot verb to injure or kill a person or animal by firing The hunter shot the tiger and wounded it.
a bullet from a gun at them
shoplift verb to steal things from a shop If you shoplift, you will get caught
eventually.
shoplifter noun someone who steals things from a shop The shop assistant looks out for
shoplifters.
shoplifting noun stealing things from a shop It was Lisa's first experience of
shoplifting.
shot noun a photograph or piece of film The film opens with a long shot of the
main character walking along the edge
of a cliff.
skilled adjective having the abilities needed to do an activity It takes a lot of practice to become really
or job well skilled.
sneeze verb When you sneeze, air suddenly comes out I've got a bad cough and I sneeze a lot.
through your nose and mouth.
solar energy noun energy that uses the power of the sun We’re going to change our energy supply
to solar energy to reduce our carbon
footprint.
soundtrack noun the music used in a film I loved everything about the film except
for the soundtrack – too much jazz for
my taste.
species noun a group of plants or animals which share In North America, red wolves are
similar characteristics considered an endangered species.
spectator noun someone who watches an event, sport, etc The spectators weren’t at all happy with
the decision and cheered Rodriguez as he
left the pitch.
steal verb to secretly take something that does not Thieves broke into a jeweller’s shop and
belong to you, without intending to return it stole £5,000 worth of jewellery and
watches.
straightforward adjective easy to do or understand I thought connecting my new printer to
my computer would be easy but actually
it’s not straightforward at all.
strain verb to injure part of your body by using it too I can’t stand up for very long, because
much I’ve strained my back.
stretch verb to make you learn new things that use your Learning a programming language
skill and experience more than you have really stretched me.
done before
strict adjective If a rule, law, etc is strict, it must be obeyed. Discipline was very strict.

struggle noun something that is very difficult to do I'm finding it a struggle to get my work
done.
stubborn adjective determined not to change your ideas, plans, You’ve always been motivated, that’s for
etc, although other people want you to sure. And stubborn.

studio noun a room where an artist or photographer We recommend a visit to the studio
works where the artist worked.
stunning adjective very beautiful The whole island is like a museum of
stunning wooden constructions.
successful adjective having achieved a lot or made a lot of Michael Johnson is one of the most
money through your work successful professional athletes of all
time.
successfully adverb in a way that achieves what you want to They’re all about half‐way through the
achieve course and they’ve done it successfully so
far.
superb adjective excellent We loved Vietnam – the people were
great and the food was superb.
suspect noun someone who may have committed a crime The thieves were seen on CCTV and two
suspects were arrested yesterday.
sympathetic adjective showing that you understand and care My grandmother is a very sympathetic
about someone's problems person – you can go to her if you’re in
trouble and she’ll always listen and make
you feel better.
tackle verb to try to do something difficult She decided to tackle this challenging
swim.
talent noun a natural ability to do something She’s got a real talent for drawing.
talented adjective showing natural ability in a particular area He’s very talented at playing the guitar.

terminal noun a building where you can get onto an Remember to tell your taxi driver which
aircraft, bus, or ship terminal your flight’s leaving from.

terrace noun a flat area outside a house, restaurant, etc You can dine in the open air on our
where you can sit terrace.
terrace noun a flat area outside a house, restaurant, etc We have some plants on our terrace.
where you can sit
terraced house noun one of a row of houses that are joined The railway workers lived in terraced
together houses.
testing adjective difficult Teaching a class on my own for the first
time was a very testing experience.

the Earth's phrase the layer of gases around the Earth The factories on the outskirts of town
atmosphere burn their waste and release toxic gases
into the Earth's atmosphere.
the outskirts noun the outer area of a city, town, or village There are waterfalls on the outskirts of
the city.
theft noun the action or crime of stealing something The trial of Rebecca Rivers, who was
accused of theft, is finally over.
thief noun someone who steals things The thief managed to escape.
thoughtful adjective kind and always thinking about how you My cousin is very thoughtful and always
can help other people wants to help people.
thoughtless adjective not considering how your actions and It was a thoughtless comment and he
words might upset someone else immediately felt sorry he’d said it.
tiger noun a large wild cat that has yellow fur with The hunter shot the tiger and wounded it.
black lines on it
tough adjective determined and strict Teachers could be quite tough.
traffic congestion phrase a situation in which a road is crowded with Charging people to drive into the city
vehicles cuts down traffic congestion and
pollution.
train verb to practise a sport or exercise, often in Louise doesn't have to train hard because
order to prepare for a sporting event, or to she's so talented.
help someone to do this
trainer noun someone who trains people My trainer made me run 10 kilometres.
training noun preparation for a sport or competition It was Johnson's ability to focus and his
dedication to training that made him so
exceptional.
treat verb to give medical care to someone for an His doctor treated his throat infection
illness or injury with antibiotics and that helped.
trial noun a legal process to decide if someone is guilty
The trial of Rebecca Rivers, who was
of a crime accused of theft, is finally over.
tricky adjective difficult to deal with or do They had to resolve a tricky situation.
try sth out verb to use something or do something to The idea is that you try out something
discover if you like it new.
unbelievable adjective not probable and difficult to believe Some of the coincidences in the story are
unbelievable.
uncompetitive adj not wanting to win or to be more successful Don't pick me for your team ‐ I'm
than other people completely uncompetitive.
uncritical adjective accepting something too easily, because of The report was very uncritical and its
being unwilling or unable to criticise recommendations were limited.
unexpected adjective Something that is unexpected surprises you When my grandmother left me her
because you did not know it was going to jewellery, it was completeley unexpected.
happen.
unfortunate adjective unlucky I was unfortunate because the topic I
revised didn't come up in the exam.
unique adjective different from everyone and everything else If you want to see something original and
unique, you should go to Kizhi Island in
Russia.
unrealistic adjective not thinking about what is likely to happen Optimism can be unrealistic and lead to
or what you can really do us taking risks.
unreliable adjective not able to be trusted or depended on Becky’s terribly unreliable. If you arrange
to meet her somewhere she’ll probably be
late or she won’t even show up.

unsuccessful adjective not achieving what was wanted or intended He wrote a rather unsuccessful book.

unsympathetic adjective showing that you do not understand or care I hurt my leg but my friends were very
about someone's problems unsympathetic.
urban phrase the way towns and cities are built and Urban development is an important
development organised aspect of people's lives.
venue noun a place where a sports game, musical We’re both a hotel and a conference
performance, or special event happens venue.
verdict noun a decision in a court of law saying if The jury gave a verdict of guilty.
someone is guilty or not
victor noun the person who wins a fight or competition Who will be the victor today?

victorious adjective having won a fight or competition They welcomed the victorious champion
home.
victory noun when you win a fight or competition Thomas achieved a great victory.
well‐organised adj good at planning or organising things My sister Vera is a very well‐organised
person.
witness noun someone in a court of law who says what Around 50 witnesses were called to give
they have seen and what they know about a evidence.
crime
wonder verb to want to know something or to try to He wondered why they’d come to see him.
understand the reason for something
work on sth verb to do work in order to achieve something My grammar’s quite good – I just need to
work on my pronunciation.
work out verb to happen or develop successfully If you’re successful it’s great but if it
doesn’t work out it doesn’t matter too
much.
world record noun the best achievement in the world in a Taylor already holds the world record for
particular activity, especially a sport the 400m.
wound verb to injure someone, especially with a knife or The hunter shot the tiger and wounded it.
gun