English Vocabulary in Use: Describing People, Relationships, Home, and Word Formation

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing English terms for physical appearance, personality traits, positive and negative connotations, relationships, house types, everyday problems and injuries, prefixes, suffixes, and Latin roots.

Auburn

Red-brown (specifically used to describe hair colour).

Crew-cut

A very short hairstyle for men where the hair is clipped extremely close to the head.

Receding hair

Hair that is gradually thinning or pulling back at the temples and forehead.

Freckles

Small, pale brownish spots on the skin, often becoming more noticeable after sun exposure.

Wrinkles

Small creases, folds, or lines that naturally form on the skin as a person ages.

Plump / stout

Polite and gentle alternatives used instead of 'fat' to describe an overweight person.

Stocky

Describing a person's build as broad, solid, and sturdy.

Well-built / muscular

Having a strong body with developed muscle tone (commonly said of men).

Obese

Extremely overweight, particularly when used in a clinical or medical context.

Slim vs skinny

Both refer to thinness, but the former carries an attractive, positive tone while the latter has an unattractive, negative tone.

Scruffy

Untidy, messy, or poorly groomed in personal appearance or dress.

Stunning

Extremely attractive, impressive, and eye-catching.

First impression

Your initial reaction, feeling, or judgment formed upon meeting someone for the first time.

Suffix -ish (appearance and age)

An informal suffix attached to adjectives, ages, or times to make them less precise (e.g., tallish, thirtyish).

Cunning / crafty / sly

Clever in a deceptive or dishonest way; using intelligence to trick others.

Shrewd

Having and displaying sharp powers of practical judgment and keen mental discernment.

Sensible

Practical, reasonable, and down-to-earth; unlikely to do anything foolish.

Sensitive

Easily upset or emotionally hurt by criticism or perceived slights.

Extroverted vs introverted

The former describes someone who relishes social attention and interaction; the latter describes someone who prefers solitude and inner thoughts.

Pessimistic vs optimistic

The former refers to expecting unfavorable outcomes, whereas the latter refers to anticipating positive outcomes and looking on the bright side.

Tense / wound up / stressed out

Experiencing high emotional pressure, nervous strain, or agitation, unable to relax.

Gregarious

Fond of company, highly sociable, and enjoying being surrounded by others.

Sadistic

Taking deliberate pleasure or satisfaction from causing pain or distress to other people.

Even-tempered / laid-back

Calm, relaxed, and not easily irritated, anxious, or agitated.

Discourteous

Rude, ill-mannered, and lacking polite behavior (used in formal writing).

Thrifty / economical

Positive words denoting careful, wise management of money and avoidance of waste.

Stingy / mean / tight-fisted

Negative words for someone excessively unwilling to spend money or share resources.

Pig-headed / obstinate / stubborn

Negative terms for someone unreasonably determined and refusing to change their mind.

Self-assured vs self-important

The former positively means confident, whereas the latter negatively denotes being arrogant and full of oneself.

Unconventional / original vs eccentric / odd / weird

The former have positive connotations of creative uniqueness, while the latter have negative connotations of bizarre or strange behavior.

Frank / direct vs blunt / brusque

The former positively describe honest, open communication, while the latter carry negative connotations of abrupt, tactless harshness.

Broad-minded vs unprincipled / permissive

The former positively signifies open tolerance of diverse views, whereas the latter negatively suggest an absence of moral standards.

Enquiring vs inquisitive / nosy

The former positively praises an active, intellectual curiosity, while the latter negatively criticize prying into private affairs.

Extravagant

Spending excessively or wastefully; the negative counterpart to generous.

Innocent vs naive

The former carries a positive sense of pureness and lack of malice, while the latter carries a negative sense of gullible inexperience.

Pushy

Overly assertive, forceful, and demanding; the negative counterpart to ambitious.

Assertive vs aggressive / bossy

The former positively describes putting forward views firmly and with confidence, whereas the latter describe domineering and hostile behavior.

Casual acquaintance

A person you have met and know slightly, but who is not a close friend.

Colleague vs workmate

The former is preferred in formal or professional environments, while the latter is informal and common in non-professional jobs.

Partner (personal vs business)

In personal life, a person you live with romantically without marriage; in business, a person sharing ownership or management of a firm.

Parents-in-law

A collective term designating the mother and father of one's marriage spouse.

Steady relationship

A committed, durable romantic partnership that is fixed and not changing suddenly.

Tag (on social networks)

To link a person's profile name to an uploaded photo or post online.

Unfriend / defriend

To sever an online connection by removing someone from a list of contacts on a social network.

Idolise

To admire, revere, or love someone excessively or uncritically.

Loathe / despise

To feel intense hatred, deep disgust, or complete contempt toward someone.

Fancy (romantic verb)

An informal British verb meaning to be physically or romantically attracted to someone.

Leave someone cold

To fail to attract, interest, or evoke any emotional response in a person.

Look up to vs look down on

The former means to hold someone in high admiration and esteem, while the latter means to consider someone inferior or unworthy.

Get on well

To enjoy a friendly, harmonious relationship with another person.

See eye to eye

To agree fully or share the exact same opinion on a topic.

Fall out with

To argue with someone, causing a disruption or breakdown in the relationship.

Have an affair

To engage in a secret romantic or sexual relationship outside of a marriage or committed partnership.

Make it up

To reconcile and re-establish friendship after a quarrel or dispute.

See each other

To spend time together regularly in a romantic or dating context.

Get together

To begin a romantic partnership or dating relationship.

Make friends

The correct English collocation for forming new friendships (never 'get friends' or 'find friends').

Detached house

A residential dwelling that stands completely separate and is not joined to any other building.

Terraced house

A dwelling built in a continuous row joined to neighboring houses on both sides.

Bungalow

A residential house consisting of only one storey with no upstairs rooms.

Semi-detached house

A house joined to exactly one other house along a shared party wall.

Self-contained flat

An apartment having all of its own private living and sanitary facilities, sharing none with others.

Studio flat

A small apartment designed for one or two people, featuring one main room for living and sleeping, plus a bathroom and cooking space.

Cottage

A small, traditional dwelling typically found in a rural setting or village.

Villa

A large residence with expansive grounds, or a rented vacation home in a resort area.

Utility room

A dedicated domestic room for large household appliances such as washing machines, dryers, and freezers.

Attic / loft

The enclosed space directly beneath the roof of a house, used for storage or converted into living space.

Cellar

An underground room below ground level without windows, used primarily for storage.

Basement

A room or floor below ground level that has windows and is used for living or working.

Landing

The level, flat floor area at the top of a flight of stairs or between two flights.

Shed

A small standalone outbuilding in a garden, used primarily for keeping outdoor tools and equipment.

Porch

A covered, sheltered entrance area located immediately before the exterior front door of a building.

Terrace / patio

A paved outdoor space adjacent to a house used for recreation, seating, and eating.

Drive

A short private road running from the street to a house or garage, used for parking or driving vehicles.

Corkscrew

A specialized tool containing a pointed metal spiral used for drawing bottle stoppers from wine bottles.

Peeler

A kitchen implement with a slotted sharp blade used to pare the outer skins off vegetables and fruits.

Grater

A metal kitchen utensil patterned with sharp perforations used to shred food like cheese into fine pieces.

Dustpan and brush

A handheld cleaning set consisting of a small flat tray and sweeping implement used to collect floor sweepings.

Housework collocations (do vs make)

Household chores strictly pair with 'do' (e.g., do the ironing, do the hoovering, do the washing-up), never 'make'.

Bruise

A dark or bluish area on the skin caused by an injury that breaks underlying blood vessels.

Graze

A superficial scrape where the outer layer of skin becomes red and broken without heavy bleeding.

Trip

To catch one's foot unexpectedly against an obstacle and stumble forward.

Twist (a joint)

To wrench or sprain a joint (such as an ankle) through an awkward sudden movement.

Mislay

To put an object somewhere and subsequently be unable to find it.

Dent

To bend or hollow out the metal surface of an object by striking or hitting it.

Chipped

Having a small fragment broken off along the rim or edge (as on tableware).

Cracked vs smashed

The former refers to damage with surface fracture lines intact, while the latter refers to being violently shattered into pieces.

Power cut

A temporary, unexpected failure or loss of the mains electrical supply.

Blocked

Clogged or obstructed so that liquid cannot pass or drain away (such as a sink).

Flat (battery)

Completely discharged of electrical power, causing an electronic item or vehicle to fail to start.

Stain

A permanent or stubborn discolored mark left on fabric or a surface by an accidental spill.

Break down

To cease functioning due to a mechanical or technical fault (said of vehicles or appliances).

Suffix -er / -or (people and instruments)

A suffix denoting the person who performs an action (e.g., painter, supervisor) or an instrument used for a specific job (e.g., grater, sharpener).

Suffix -ee

A noun suffix added to verbs denoting the person who receives or experiences an action (e.g., employee, payee).

Suffix -tion / -sion / -ion

Suffixes used to form nouns from verbs denoting processes, actions, or outcomes (e.g., complication, admission).

Suffix -ist vs -ism

The former denotes an individual who practices a belief or profession, while the latter denotes the belief system, ideology, or movement itself.

Suffix -ness

A suffix attached to adjectives to create abstract nouns designating qualities or states (e.g., happiness, weakness).

Suffix -able / -ible

An adjective suffix added to verbs meaning 'capable of being done' (e.g., drinkable, readable, edible).

Suffix -ise / -ize

A verb-forming suffix added to adjectives meaning 'to make or become' (e.g., modernise, industrialise).

Suffix -ment

A noun-forming suffix denoting an action, state, or outcome of a verb (e.g., enjoyment, replacement).