English Vocabulary, Phrasal Verbs, and Collocations for National High School Graduation Exam 2025

Vocabulary, phrasal verbs, and key collocations curated from the 2025 English review material.

Synthetic

(adj) /sɪnˈθetɪk/ Artificial or man-made, rather than occurring naturally.

Deforestation

(n) /diˌfɒrɪˈsteɪʃn/ The act or process of clearing forests or trees from an area.

Urbanisation

(n) /ˌɜːbənaɪˈzeɪʃn/ The process by which towns and cities form and grow larger as more people move to live and work in urban areas.

Congestion

(n) /kənˈdʒestʃən/ A state of being overcrowded or blocked, particularly with vehicle traffic.

Humanoid

(n) /ˈhjuːmənɔɪd/ Having a human appearance, form, or structure.

Eminent

(adj) /ˈemɪnənt/ Famous, respected, and distinguished within a particular sphere or profession.

Influx

(n) /ˈɪnflʌks/ An arrival or entry of large numbers of people, money, or things.

Trade-off

(n) /ˈtreɪd ɒf/ A balance or compromise achieved between two desirable but opposing features.

Population boom

(n) /ˌpɒpjəˈleɪʃn buːm/ A sudden and rapid increase in the number of people living in a region.

Pre-packaged

(adj) /ˌpriː ˈpækɪdʒd/ Wrapped or packaged in advance before being offered for sale.

Sophisticated

(adj) /səˈfɪstɪkeɪtɪd/ Highly complex, advanced, or refined in design or technology.

Detrimental

(adj) /ˌdetrɪˈmentl/ Tending to cause harm, damage, or injury.

Accommodation

(n) /əˌkɒməˈdeɪʃn/ A room or building provided for living, staying, or sleeping in.

Come across

(Phrasal Verb) To find, meet, or encounter someone or something by chance.

Come down with

(Phrasal Verb) To contract or become ill with a specific disease or sickness.

Blow over

(Phrasal Verb) To pass away or finish without causing serious harm or consequences.

Shrug off

(Phrasal Verb) To dismiss, ignore, or treat something as unimportant.

Put off

(Phrasal Verb) To postpone, delay, or cause someone to lose enthusiasm.

Get by

(Phrasal Verb) To manage to live, survive, or cope on a tight budget or limited resources.

Look forward to

(Phrasal Verb) To feel excited and eager about something that is expected to happen.

Make up for

(Phrasal Verb) To compensate for a mistake, loss, debt, or absence.

Plead guilty

(Collocation) To formally state in a court of law that one has committed an offense.

At short notice

(Collocation) With very little advance warning, preparation time, or notification.

Break down barriers

(Collocation) To remove obstacles, misunderstandings, or prejudices so people can connect and understand each other better.

Habitat destruction

(Collocation) The process by which natural environments are altered or destroyed, rendering them unable to support native species.

Carry out

(Phrasal Verb) To conduct, perform, or execute a task, study, experiment, or investigation.

Bring about

(Phrasal Verb) To cause something to happen or produce a specific change.