NEW WORDS 29/3/2026

groggy

a. lờ đờ, weak and unable to think or move well because you are ill or very tired

Ex: The sleeping pills left her feeling very groggy.

He's still groggy from the anaesthetic (thuốc gây mê)

/ˌænəsˈθetɪk/.

After a sleepless night, I woke up feeling groggy and struggled to focus on my work.

The flu left me feeling groggy, making it difficult to get out of bed in the morning.

She stumbled out of bed, groggy from the sedatives (thuốc an thần) /ˈsedətɪv/ given to her during surgery.

The long flight left me groggy and disoriented, unable to think clearly for hours.

fiend

/fiːnd/ likes something very much or is very interested in something:

Ex: My sister is a book fiend; she spends hours at the library, devouring (say mê đọc) /dɪˈvaʊər/ every novel she can find.

John is a coffee fiend; he can't start his day without a strong cup of espresso.

👿 a very cruel or unpleasant person, fiendish (a)

Ex: The serial (hàng loạt) /ˈsɪriəl/ killer was a fiend who took pleasure in torturing (tra tấn) /ˈtɔːrtʃər/ his victims.

The fiendish plot involved kidnapping innocent children and demanding a hefty (lớn) ransom (tiền chuộc).

acronym

/ˈækrənɪm/ viết tắt (a word formed from the first letters of the words that make up the name of something, for example 'AIDS' is an acronym for 'acquired immune deficiency syndrome')

Ex: NASA, an acronym for National Aeronautics (hàng không) /ˌerəˈnɔːtɪks/ and Space Administration, is responsible for space exploration.

The word "laser" is an acronym for "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (bức xạ)."

RADAR, short for "Radio Detection and Ranging," is used for detecting and tracking objects.

analogy

/əˈnælədʒi/ a comparison of one thing with another thing that has similar features

Ex: The teacher drew an analogy between the human heart and a pump.

The teacher used an analogy of a puzzle to explain how all the parts of a cell work together.

He made an analogy between the human brain and a computer, highlighting their similar processing abilities.

The author used an analogy of a ship navigating through rough waters to describe the challenges of life.

differentiate

/ˌdɪfəˈrenʃieɪt/ (v) phân biệt (=distinguish); phân biệt đối xử, biệt hóa

Ex: The detective was able to differentiate the suspect's fingerprints from those found at the crime scene.

The unique pattern on each zebra's coat helps to differentiate one from another in the wild.

Rules that differentiate between employees on the basis of gender need to be revised (sửa đổi).

As a caterpillar (sâu bướm) /ˈkætərpɪlər/ transforms into a butterfly, its cells differentiate to form wings, antennae (râu) /ænˈtenə/, and legs.

The receptors are developed and differentiated into sense organs.

There needs to be a clear differentiation between communal (chung) and private areas of the house.

stash

/stæʃ/ v/n. cất giấu (to store something in a safe or secret place)

Ex: She has a fortune stashed away in various bank accounts.

She decided to stash her savings under the mattress to keep them safe from burglars.

He always stashes a spare key in the flowerpot in case he gets locked out.

The detective discovered a hidden stash of money under the floorboards of the suspect's house.

unruliness

/ʌnˈruːlinəs/ sự phóng túng, bất trị (the fact of being difficult to control or manage)

Ex: The teacher struggled to maintain order in the classroom due to students' unruliness.

The unruliness of the crowd at the concert forced the security to intervene and restore order.

The principal implemented stricter rules to address the unruliness among the students.

asparagus

/əˈspærəɡəs/ măng tây

Ex Asparagus is a nutritious vegetable that can be boiled, grilled, or roasted for a tasty meal.

The green asparagus stems are commonly used in salads, while the white ones are preferred in soups.

When buying asparagus, look for firm and fresh stems to ensure the best flavor and texture.

Asparagus is a versatile vegetable that can be enjoyed as a side dish or incorporated into various recipes.

right and left

in all directions; everywhere or all the time

Ex: He's giving away money left, right and centre.

During the parade, confetti /kənˈfeti/ was flying right and left, creating a colorful spectacle /ˈspektəkl/ for the spectators.

hang on

continue doing something in difficult circumstances /ˈsɜːrkəmstæns/

Ex: Despite the setbacks, she decided to hang on and pursue her dream of becoming a doctor.

It's tough, but we need to hang on and keep pushing forward until we reach our goal.

claw

móng vuốt, càng /klɔː/

Ex: The cat used its sharp claws to climb up the tree and catch the bird.

The eagle's powerful claws helped it catch and carry away its prey effortlessly.

Be careful when handling the hedgehog (nhím)

/ˈhedʒhɔːɡ/, as its tiny claws can be quite sharp.

The bear's long claws were perfect for digging into the ground in search of food

The crab used its claw to grab the seaweed.

A lobster's claw can deliver a powerful pinch (kẹp).

flat

giày bệt (shoes with a very low heel)

Ex: I prefer wearing flats because they are comfortable and don't strain my feet.

My sister loves flats because they give her a casual and relaxed look.

meager

a. /ˈmiːɡər/ ít ỏi, sơ sài (small in quantity and poor in quality)

Ex: She supplements /ˈsʌplɪment/ her meagre income by cleaning at night.

The food at my grandmother's house was meager and barely edible.

Despite studying for many hours, the student only achieved meager progress in improving his English proficiency.

In rural areas, children often have to make do with meager educational resources, which significantly hinders their academic development.

dawn

v. (of a day or a period of time) to begin

Ex: The following morning dawned bright and warm.

A new technological age had dawned

you begin to realize it for the first time (dawn on u)

Ex: It was beginning to dawn on her that she had been fooled.

right up your alley

đúng sở thích của bạn (very suitable for you because it is something that you know a lot about or are very interested in)

Ex: Students tend to achieve better academic /ˌækəˈdemɪk/ results when they study subjects that are right up their alley, as they feel more engaged and enthusiastic about learning.

Governments should encourage young people to pursue careers that are right up their alley rather than forcing them into fields that offer higher salaries but little personal satisfaction.

rave

/reɪv/ v. to talk or write about something in a very enthusiastic way

Ex: She would rave about her favorite book, recommending it to everyone she met.

The food critic would rave about the new restaurant, praising its innovative /ˈɪnəveɪtɪv/ dishes.

He couldn't help but rave about the concert, describing it as the best he had ever attended.

resort

/rɪˈzɔːrt/ n. the first/last/final resort, the first or last course of action that you should or can take in a particular situation

Ex: Strike (đánh, tấn công) action should be regarded as a last resort, when all attempts to negotiate have failed.

In the last resort (= in the end) everyone must decide for themselves.

Dialogue /ˈdaɪəlɔːɡ/ is our preferred option, not a final resort.

Experts say warning labels are a last resort when a hazard (nguy hiểm) can't be designed out of a product.

sketchy

a. /ˈsketʃi/ sơ sài (not complete or detailed and therefore not very useful) = rough

Ex: The sketchy directions on the package made it difficult to assemble the furniture correctly.

I didn't trust the sketchy website with my credit card information due to its lack of security measures.

The witness's sketchy description of the suspect /ˈsʌspekt/ made it challenging for the police to identify him.

The student's sketchy notes from the lecture were not enough to study for the upcoming exam.

I've got a rough idea of where I want to go.

There were about 20 people there, at a rough guess.

I made a rough sketch of the inside of the church.

preliminary

a/n. /prɪˈlɪmɪneri/ sơ bộ, mở đầu, sơ loại (happening before a more important action or event)

Ex: The preliminary meeting will take place tomorrow to discuss the agenda for the main conference /ˈkɑːnfərəns/.

The team conducted a preliminary investigation to gather evidence before the trial (phiên tòa) began.

The preliminary results of the experiment showed promising outcomes, but further analysis /əˈnæləsɪs/ is needed.

The preliminary round of auditions will determine which contestants /kənˈtestənt/ will move on to the live shows.

Research will be needed as a preliminary to making a decision.

back down

nhượng bộ (to admit that you were wrong or that you have been defeated:)

Ex: Local residents have forced the local council to back down from its plans to build a nightclub on their street.

He wouldn't back down after the heated argument.

Despite his initial insistence, the politician /ˌpɑːləˈtɪʃn/ had to back down on his controversial /ˌkɑːntrəˈvɜːrʃl/ proposal.

The company's CEO was forced to back down from his decision due to widespread employee protests.

Realizing the error in his judgment, the coach decided to back down and apologize to his team.

The committee (ủy ban) /kəˈmɪti/ finally backed down over the issue of spending cuts.