English Vocabulary

Front 1

Lethargic

Back 1

feeling as if you have no energy and no interest in doing anything

e.g. The hot weather was making us all lethargic.

Front 2

Melancholy

Back 2

1. very sad

e.g.
The music suited her melancholy mood.

2. a feeling of sadness for no particular reason

e.g. He sank into deep melancholy

Front 3

Imbecile

Back 3

someone who is very stupid or behaves very stupidly

e.g. He looked at me as if I was a total imbecile.

Front 4

Unfettered

Back 4

not restricted by laws or rules

e.g. unfettered economic activity

Front 5

Bliss

Back 5

perfect happiness or enjoyment

e.g. six months of wedded bliss
I didn't have to get up till 11 - it was sheer bliss.

Front 6

Exultant

Back 6

very happy or proud, especially because you have succeeded in doing something

e.g. an exultant mood
Ralph was exultant.

Front 7

Ecstatic

Back 7

1. feeling extremely happy and excited

e.g. an ecstatic welcome from the thousands who lined the streets

Front 8

Jovial

Back 8

friendly and happy

e.g. He addressed me in a Jovial manner

Front 9

Malevolent

Back 9

Evil

Front 10

Unorthodox

Back 10

Unusual

Front 11

Acrid

Back 11

1. n acrid smell or taste is strong and unpleasant and stings your nose or throat

e.g. a cloud of acrid smoke

2. an acrid remark expresses anger and criticizes someone strongly

e.g. there have been acrid relations between the two families ever since they fought over that strip of land

Front 12

Soporific

Back 12

making you feel ready to sleep

e.g. His voice had an almost soporific effect.

Front 13

Peevish

Back 13

easily annoyed by small and unimportant things

e.g. The kids were peevish after so long in the car.

Front 14

Ripple

Back 14

1. to pass from one person to another like a wave

e.g. Panic rippled through Hollywood as the murders were discovered.

2. if a feeling ripples through you, you feel it strongly

e.g. Anger was rippling through him so fiercely that his whole body shook.

Front 15

Cacophony

Back 15

a loud unpleasant mixture of sounds

e.g. a cacophony of car horns

Front 16

Baleful

Back 16

expressing anger, hatred, or a wish to harm someone

e.g. a baleful look

Front 17

Clamour

Back 17

the expression of feelings of anger and shock by a large number of people - used especially in news reports

e.g. Trouillot disregarded the growing public clamour for her resignation.

2. a very loud noise made by a large group of people or animals

e.g. He shouted over the rising clamour of voices

3. to demand something loudly

e.g. The audience cheered, clamoring for more.

All his friends were clamouring to know where he'd been

4. To talk or shout loudly
e.g. Children clamored excitedly.

Front 18

Transcendent

Back 18

going far beyond ordinary limits

e.g. the transcendent genius of Mozart

Front 19

Torpid

Back 19

not active because you are lazy or sleepy

e.g. a torpid mind

Front 20

Parsimonious

Back 20

extremely unwilling to spend money

Front 21

Frivolous

Back 21

not serious or sensible, especially in a way that is not suitable for a particular occasion

e.g. The court discourages frivolous law suits

2. a frivolous person likes having fun rather than doing serious or sensible things - used to show disapproval

Front 22

Sentimental

Back 22

someone who is sentimental is easily affected by emotions such as love, sympathy, sadness etc, often in a way that seems silly to other people

e.g. She said a sentimental goodbye.

2. based on or relating to your feelings rather than on practical reasons

e.g. He wasn't the sort of person who kept things for sentimental reasons.

a sentimental journey to the place of his birth

The rings that were stolen were of great sentimental value

Front 23

Ghastly

Back 23

very bad or unpleasant

e.g. a ghastly little hotel

The whole thing was a ghastly mistake.

The weather was ghastly.

2. making you very frightened, upset, or shocked

e.g. a ghastly accident

3. to look or feel ill, upset, or unhappy

e.g. Are you all right? You look ghastly!

Front 24

Homely

Back 24

a homely person is warm and friendly and enjoys home life:

e.g. Mrs Keane is a comfortable, homely person.

Front 25

Picturesque

Back 25

1. a picturesque place is pretty and interesting in an old-fashioned way

e.g. a quiet fishing village with a picturesque harbour

2. picturesque language uses unusual, interesting, or sometimes rude words to describe something:

e.g. a picturesque account of his trip to New York

Front 26

Exquisite

Back 26

extremely beautiful and very delicately made:

e.g. the most exquisite craftsmanship

2. very sensitive and delicate in the way you behave or do things

e.g. She has exquisite taste in art.

Front 27

Sinister

Back 27

making you feel that something evil, dangerous, or illegal is happening or will happen

e.g. There was something sinister about Mr Scott's death.

There is a sinister side to these events.

He was a handsome man in a sinister sort of way.

a sinister atmosphere

Front 28

Pitiable

Back 28

making you feel pity

e.g. the pitiable victims of war

Front 29

Valiant

Back 29

Brave especially in difficult situations

e.g. Tarr threw himself in front of a train in a valiant effort to save the child.

Front 30

Intrepid

Back 30

willing to do dangerous things or go to dangerous places - often used humorously

e.g. intrepid explorers

Front 31

Audacious

Back 31

showing great courage or confidence in a way that is impressive or slightly shocking

e.g. the risks involved in such an audacious operation

Front 32

Brash

Back 32

behaving too confidently and speaking too loudly - used to show disapproval

e.g. brash journalists

2. a brash building, place, or object attracts attention by being very colourful, large, exciting etc:

e.g. The painting was bold, brash, and modern.

Front 33

Callous

Back 33

not caring that other people are suffering

e.g. We were shocked at the callous disregard for human life.

a callous attitude

the callous slaughter of seals

Front 34

Obstinate

Back 34

determined not to change your ideas, behaviour, opinions etc, even when other people think you are being unreasonable

e.g. He was the most obstinate man I've ever met.

Don't be so obstinate!

an obstinate refusal to obey

Front 35

Contemptuous

Back 35

showing that you think someone or something deserves no respect

e.g. a contemptuous glance

He was openly contemptuous of his father.

Front 36

Impudent

Back 36

rude and showing no respect to other people

e.g. He stared at me with a mixture of impudence and hostility

Front 37

Insolent

Back 37

rude and not showing any respect

e.g. an insolent tone of voice

You insolent child!

Front 38

Avid

Back 38

doing something as much as possible

e.g. an avid collector of old jazz records

an avid reader

Front 39

Lenient

Back 39

not strict in the way you punish someone or in the standard you expect

e.g. the lenient sentences handed down by some judges

School examiners say that marking has become more lenient in recent years.

Front 40

Indulgent

Back 40

willing to allow someone, especially a child, to do or have whatever they want, even if this is not good for them

e.g. toys bought by their indulgent grandparents

Front 41

Malicious

Back 41

very unkind and cruel, and deliberately behaving in a way that is likely to upset or hurt someone

e.g. a malicious girl

Who is responsible for these malicious rumours

Front 42

Wary

Back 42

someone who is wary is careful because they think something might be dangerous or harmful

e.g.
I'm a bit wary of driving in this fog.

We must teach children to be wary of strangers.

Keep a wary eye on the weather before you set sail.

She had a wary expression on her face.

Front 43

Apprehensive

Back 43

worried or nervous about something that you are going to do, or about the future

e.g. We'd been a little apprehensive about their visit.

I was apprehensive that something would go wrong.

Some had apprehensive looks on their faces.

Front 44

accentuates

Back 44

To make something more noticeable

Front 45

evoke

Back 45

to produce a strong feeling or memory in someone

e.g. The photographs evoked strong memories of our holidays in France.