Oxford 3000 and 5000 Word List - Key Definitions and Polysemy

A comprehensive vocabulary review set covering polysemous words, core definitions, and specific contextual nuances from the Oxford 3000 and 5000 word lists.

absorb (v)

To take in liquid, etc., or to understand and take in information.

adopt (v)

To take a child legally as one's own, or to take a point of view.

balance (n)

An even distribution of weight, or the remaining amount of money to be paid.

bend (v)

To go in a curve, to make something curved, or to move your body.

break (n)

A short holiday or a short rest.

capital (n)

A city that is the center of government, a capital letter, or an amount of money used to start a business or invest.

charge (v)

To demand money for goods or services, to run aggressively at somebody, to load with electricity, or to formally accuse somebody of a crime.

clear (v)

To remove unwanted things from a place, or to declare somebody free of blame or criminal guilt.

climb (v)

To go upward using hands and feet, or to increase in value or amount.

collapse (v)

To fall suddenly to the ground, or to decrease suddenly in value.

custody (n)

The state of being held in prison/jail, or the legal right to care for someone.

deliver (v)

To take goods, letters, or packages to a destination, or to give a message, speech, or promise.

due (adj / idiom)

Expected to happen or arrive, or, when followed by 'to', meaning because of somebody or something.

emerge (v)

To become known, to come out of a hidden place, or to start to exist.

encounter (v)

To experience something difficult, or to meet someone or something unexpectedly.

exceed (v)

To do more than you are allowed to do, or to be greater than a particular number or amount.

expose (v)

To show something that is hidden, or to reveal the true facts about something.

favour (n)

Something helpful done for somebody, or approval and support as in 'be in favour of'.

figure (n)

A numerical symbol/amount, or the physical shape of a person's body.

fire (v)

To shoot a weapon, or to dismiss an employee from a job.

float (v)

To stay on the surface of a liquid, or to suggest an idea for consideration.

flood (n / v)

An overflow of water, or a very large quantity of something arriving all at once.

foster (v)

To take care of a child without legally adopting them, or to help develop and encourage something.

genuine (adj)

Real and not artificial, or sincerely showing what you truly think and feel.

go through sth (v)

To examine something carefully, to experience a difficult phase/situation, or to perform a series of actions.

hostile (adj)

Very unfriendly and aggressive, or describing an aggressive, unwelcome takeover bid in business.

interpret (v)

To explain the meaning of something, or to decide that something has a particular meaning.

justice (n)

The fair treatment of people, or the legal system itself.

launch (v)

To start a computer program, to send a craft into space, or to initiate a new activity or campaign.

maintain (v)

To keep something in good condition, or to keep something continuing at a certain standard.

mean (adj)

Unwilling to spend or give money, or unkind and unpleasant in behavior.

miserable (adj)

Causing great unhappiness or discomfort, or being extremely unhappy and uncomfortable.

occupy (v)

To enter a place and take control of it, to fill a space or amount of time, or to live or work in a room or building.

opening (n)

A beginning, the act of making something open, or a small hole or gap.

operation (n)

The process of cutting open a patient's body for medical treatment (surgery), or an organized, planned activity.

plague (n)

A deadly infectious disease, or a serious and widespread problem causing suffering.

radical (adj)

New and completely different, wanting major political/social change, or total and complete.

resist (v)

To refuse to accept something, or to possess the ability to not be harmed by something.

settle (v)

To end an argument or disagreement, to establish a residence, or to become calm and comfortable.

support (v / n)

As a verb: to hold something in position or provide help; as a noun: assistance or an object that holds something else up.

suppress (v)

To restrain or hold back feelings, or to prevent something from developing or expanding.

vague (adj)

Not clear or distinct in a person's mind, or lacking enough detailed information.

vast (adj)

Extremely large in size, amount, or extent; frequently used in the phrase 'vast majority'.

worn out (adj)

Completely exhausted from physical or mental effort, or damaged and no longer useful after long wear.