Comprehensive Vocabulary Workshop Study Guide
Communication and Digital Life
Phone Life and Technology Interactions - Emoji (n): A small digital icon or image used in electronic communication to express an idea or emotion. - Follow (v): To subscribe to or track the updates and posts of another user on a social media platform. - Charger (n): A device used to restore electrical energy to a battery by passing an electric current through it. - Cut off (phr v): To be abruptly disconnected during a phone conversation or digital session. - Get through (phr v): To succeed in making a phone connection with someone. - Instant messaging (n): A type of online chat that offers real-time text transmission over the internet. - Lose signal (v): To experience a loss of cellular or wireless network connection. - Offline (adj): Not connected to the internet or a network. - On speakerphone: Using a feature on a telephone that allows sound to be heard from a loudspeaker and captures speech through a sensitive microphone. - Plug in (phr v): To connect an electronic device to an electrical outlet or another device. - Predictive texting (n): A technology that suggests or completes words based on the letters being typed on a device keyboard. - Ringtone (n): The sound made by a telephone to indicate an incoming call. - Run out of battery: To exhaust the stored electrical power in a device's battery, causing it to shut down. - Spam (n): Irrelevant or unsolicited messages sent over the internet, typically to a large number of users, for advertising or phishing. - Stream (v): To transmit or receive data (especially video and audio material) over the internet as a steady, continuous flow. - Swipe (v): To move a finger across a touchscreen to interact with the interface. - Tag somebody (v): To identify someone in a post, photo, or comment on social media using their name or handle.
Language and Communication Concepts - Accent (n): A distinctive way of pronouncing a language, especially one associated with a particular country, area, or social class. - Argument (n): An exchange of diverging or opposite views, typically a heated or angry one. - Bilingual (adj): Speaking two languages fluently. - Cognate (n): A word that has the same linguistic derivation as another (e.g., coming from the same Latin or Greek root). - Comment on (v): To provide a verbal or written remark expressing an opinion or reaction. - Dialogue (n): A conversation between two or more people as a feature of a book, play, or movie. - Discussion (n): The action or process of talking about something in order to reach a decision or exchange ideas. - Expression (n): A word or phrase, especially an idiomatic one, used to convey an idea. - False friend (n): A word in a foreign language that resembles a word in one's mother tongue but has a different meaning. - Fluently (adv): To speak or write a foreign language with ease and accuracy. - Idiom (n): A group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g., "over the moon"). - Meaning (n): What is meant by a word, text, concept, or action. - Mother tongue (n): The language which a person has grown up speaking from early childhood. - Native speaker (n): A person who has spoken a particular language from earliest childhood. - Proverb (n): A short, well-known pithy saying, stating a general truth or piece of advice. - Second language (n): A language that is not the native language of the speaker, but that is used in the area of that person. - Slang (n): A type of language that consists of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal. - Synonym (n): A word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrase in the same language. - Translation (n): The process of translating words or text from one language into another.
False Friends and Specific Cognates - Express (adj): Fast; direct; explicit. - Diverse (adj): Showing a great deal of variety; very different. - Influence (v): To have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something. - Introduce (v): To make someone known by name to another. - Realize (v): To become fully aware of something as a fact; to understand clearly. - Suffer (v): To experience or be subjected to something bad or unpleasant.
Emotions and Psychological Wellbeing
- General Feelings and Affective States - Affection (n): A gentle feeling of fondness or liking. - Affectionate (adj): Readily showing emotional warmth or fondness. - Annoyance (n) / Annoyed (adj): The feeling of being slightly angry or impatient. - Hope (n) / Hopeful (adj): A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. - Isolation (n) / Isolated (adj): The state of being alone or separate from others. - Boredom (n) / Bored (adj): The state of feeling weary and restless through lack of interest. - Jealousy (n) / Jealous (adj): Feeling or showing envy of someone or their achievements and advantages. - Relief (n) / Relieved (adj): A feeling of reassurance and relaxation following release from anxiety or distress. - Confusion (n) / Confused (adj): Uncertainty about what is happening, intended, or required. - Delight (n) / Delighted (adj): Great pleasure or happiness. - Empathy (n) / Empathetic (adj): The ability to understand and share the feelings of another. - Embarrassment (n) / Embarrassed (adj): A feeling of self-consciousness, shame, or awkwardness. - Enthusiasm (n) / Enthusiastic (adj): Intense and eager enjoyment, interest, or approval. - Frustration (n) / Frustrated (adj): The feeling of being upset or annoyed because of an inability to change or achieve something. - Sadness (n) / Sad (adj): The condition or quality of being sorrowful.
Sport, Fitness, and Wellbeing
Physical Activity and Competition - Active (adj): Engaging or ready to engage in physically energetic pursuits. - Aerobics (n): Vigorous exercises designed to strengthen the cardiovascular system. - Badminton (n): A game with rackets in which a shuttlecock is played over a net. - Balanced (adj): Taking everything into account; usually refers to a diet containing all necessary nutrients. - Championship (n): A contest for the position of champion in a sport or game. - Cheer (v): To shout for joy or in encouragement to a person or team. - Competitive (adj): Relating to or characterized by competition. - Drop out (of a race) (phr v): To stop participating in a competition before it is finished. - Event (n): A planned public or social occasion; a specific item in a sports program. - Get through (to the final) (phr v): To successfully reach the next or final stage of a competition. - Medal (n): A metal disk with an inscription or design, made to commemorate an event or awarded as a distinction. - Moderate (adj): Average in amount, intensity, quality, or degree. - Motivate (v): To provide someone with a motive for doing something. - Participant (n): A person who takes part in something. - Physiotherapist (n): A person qualified to treat disease, injury, or deformity by physical methods such as massage and heat treatment. - Sedentary (adj): Tending to spend much time seated; somewhat inactive. - Semi-final (n): A match or round immediately preceding the final. - Sign up (phr v): To commit oneself to a course, organization, or event. - Spectator (n): A person who watches at a show, game, or other event. - Sporty (adj): Fond of or good at sport. - Substitute (n): A player who replaces another during a game. - Take part in (phr v): To participate in an activity. - Teammate (n): A fellow member of a team. - Trophy (n): A cup or other decorative object awarded as a prize for a victory or success. - Wellbeing (n): The state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy.
Health Maintenance and Lifestyle - Be mindful (v): To be conscious or aware of something; to practice mindfulness. - Cut out (phr v): To exclude or stop doing/eating something. - Enrol (in a class) (v): To officially register as a member of an institution or a student on a course. - Gain perspective (exp): To see things from a different, often more balanced, point of view. - Get your heart rate up (exp): To engage in physical activity that increases the speed at which the heart beats. - Get in shape (exp): To become physically fit through exercise and diet. - Hydrated (adj): Having absorbed enough water or other liquid. - Immunity (n): The ability of an organism to resist a particular infection or toxin by the action of specific antibodies. - Keep fit (v): To stay healthy through regular physical exercise. - Positive focus (n): Maintaining a constructive and optimistic outlook. - Rested (adj): Fresh and invigorated by sleep or rest. - Set a goal (v): To decide on something that you hope to achieve. - Stretch (v): To straighten or extend one's body or a part of one's body to its full length. - Take a nap (v): To have a short sleep, especially during the day. - Take care of (somebody/something) (phr v): To look after or provide for the needs of someone or something. - Take up (phr v): To begin a new hobby, activity, or sport. - Train (v): To go through a period of physical exercise and preparation for a sport or contest.
Consumerism and Sustainability
Shopping and Commerce - Bargain (n): A thing bought or offered for sale much more cheaply than is usual. - Boutique (n): A small shop selling fashionable clothes or accessories. - Brand (n): A type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name. - Browse (v): To scan through a shop or website without necessarily having an intent to buy. - Cashier (n): A person handling payments and receipts in a store, bank, or other business. - Charity shop (n): A shop where second-hand goods are sold to raise money for a charity. - Changing room (n): A room where people can change their clothes, such as in a shop or gym. - Exchange (v): To give something and receive something of the same kind in return. - High street (n): The main business street of a town. - Influencer (n): A person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending items on social media. - Online store (n): A website where products are sold over the internet. - Order (v): To request (something) to be made, supplied, or served. - Pay in cash / by credit card (v): Different methods of settling a transaction. - Purchase (v): To acquire something by paying for it. - Refund (v): To pay back money, typically to a customer who is not satisfied with goods or services. - Review (v): To write or give a critical appraisal of a product or service. - Sales (n): A period during which a retailer sells goods at reduced prices. - Sales assistant (n): A person who helps customers in a shop. - Second-hand (adj): Having had a previous owner; not new. - Sweatshop (n): A factory or workshop, especially in the clothing industry, where manual workers are employed at very low wages for long hours and under poor conditions. - Try on (phr v): To put on an item of clothing to see if it fits or look good. - Try out (phr v): To test something to see if it is effective or suitable.
Waste Management and Environmental Impact - Biodegradable (adj): Capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms. - Break down (phr v): To decompose or decay naturally. - Carbon footprint (n): The amount of carbon dioxide and other carbon compounds emitted due to the consumption of fossil fuels by a particular person or group. - Clean-up (n): The action of making a place clean or tidy. - Compost (n): Decayed organic material used as a plant fertilizer. - Compostable (adj): (Of organic matter or packaging) able to be made into compost. - Contaminate (v): To make something impure by exposure to or addition of a poisonous or polluting substance. - Dispose of (phr v): To get rid of by throwing away or giving or selling to someone else. - Disposable (adj): Intended to be used once and then thrown away. - Dump (v): To deposit or abandon (garbage, waste, or unwanted material). - Environmental (adj): Relating to the natural world and the impact of human activity on its condition. - Incinerate (v): To destroy (something, especially waste material) by burning. - Landfill sites (n): Places where waste material is buried and covered with soil. - Packaging (n): Materials used to wrap or protect goods. - Recyclable (adj): Able to be processed for reuse. - Recycling (n): The action or process of converting waste into reusable material. - Renewable (adj): (Of a natural resource or source of energy) not depleted when used. - Reusable (adj): Able to be used more than once. - Reuse (v): To use something again or more than once. - Sustainable (adj): Able to be maintained at a certain rate or level; conserving an ecological balance. - Toxic (adj): Poisonous. - Wasteful (adj): Using or expending something of value carelessly or extravagantly. - Zero-waste (adj): A set of principles focused on waste prevention that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused.
Fake Reviews and Scams - Falsify (v): To alter (information, a document, or evidence) so as to mislead. - Genuine (adj): Truly what something is said to be; authentic. - Made up (adj): Invented; not true. - Scam (n): A dishonest scheme; a fraud. - Spot (v): To see, notice, or recognize someone or something.
Society, Crime, and Justice
Social Issues and Structures - Animal rights (n): The rights of animals to be protected from cruelty and exploitation by humans. - Authorities (n): The people or organizations that are in charge of a particular country or area. - Child poverty (n): The state of children living in families with income below a certain threshold. - Citizen (n): A legally recognized subject or national of a state or commonwealth. - Disability-rights activist (n): A person who works to protect and expand the rights of people with disabilities. - Employment (n): The state of having paid work. - Gender discrimination (n): Prejudice or discrimination based on a person's sex or gender. - Healthcare system (n): The organization of people, institutions, and resources that deliver health care services to populations. - Mental health (n): A person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being. - Minority group (n): A social group that is numerically smaller than the majority and often disadvantaged. - Neighbourhood (n): A district or community within a town or city. - Racial discrimination (n): Prejudice or discrimination directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior. - Segregation (n): The action or state of setting someone or something apart from others. - Tolerance (n): The ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with. - Wealth (n): An abundance of valuable possessions or money. - Welfare state (n): A system whereby the government undertakes to protect the health and well-being of its citizens, especially those in financial or social need.
Crime and Justice Terminology - Accuse sb of (v): To charge someone with an offense or crime. - Arrest sb (for) (v): To seize someone by legal authority and take them into custody. - Burglary (n): Illegal entry into a building with intent to commit a crime, especially theft. - Charge sb (with) (v): To formally accuse someone of a crime. - Community service (n): Unpaid work, intended to be of social use, that an offender is required to do instead of going to prison. - Criminal (n): A person who has committed a crime. - Criminal record (n): A permanent record of a person's previous criminal convictions. - Defendant (n): An individual, company, or institution sued or accused in a court of law. - Dismiss a case (v): When a judge decides that a court case will not continue because there is not enough evidence or for other legal reasons. - Judge (n): A public officer appointed to decide cases in a court of law. - Jury (n): A body of people (typically twelve in number) sworn to give a verdict in a legal case on the basis of evidence submitted to them in court. - Life sentence (n): A sentence of imprisonment for the rest of a convicted person's life. - Mugging (n): An act of attacking and robbing someone in a public place. - On trial: Undergoing a formal examination of evidence by a judge, typically in order to decide guilt in a case of criminal or civil proceedings. - Pay a fine (v): To pay money as a penalty for an offense. - Prosecutor (n): A person, especially a public official, who institutes legal proceedings against someone. - Reach a verdict (v): When a jury comes to a final decision about the guilt or innocence of a defendant. - Send sb to prison (v): To incarcerate someone for a crime. - Sentence sb to (v): To declare the punishment decided for an offender. - Shoplifting (n): The criminal action of stealing goods from a shop while pretending to be a customer. - Suspect (n): A person thought to be guilty of a crime or offense. - Theft (n): The action or crime of stealing. - Therapy program (n): A structured course of treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder or behavior. - Vandalism (n): Action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property. - Victim (n): A person harmed, injured, or killed as a result of a crime, accident, or other event. - Witness (n): A person who sees an event, typically a crime or accident, take place. - Young offender (n): A minor who has committed a crime.
Personal Grooming and Careers
Clothes and Accessories - Accessory (n): A thing which can be added to something else in order to make it more useful, versatile, or attractive. - Casual (adj): Relaxed and unconcerned; (of clothes) suitable for everyday wear. - Chunky (adj): (Of jewelry or knitwear) thick and heavy. - Elegant (adj): Pleasingly graceful and stylish in appearance or manner. - Fitted (adj): (Of a garment) made to fit the shape of the body. - High heels (n): Shoes in which the heels are raised high above the toes. - Loose-fitting (adj): (Of a garment) larger than the person's body and not fitting closely. - Low-waisted (adj): Designed to sit low on the hips rather than at the natural waistline. - Patterned (adj): Decorated with a recurring design. - Piercing (n): A hole made in the body for the wearing of jewelry. - Plain (adj): Not decorated or elaborate; simple or basic in character. - Sportswear (n): Clothes worn for playing sport or for leisure. - Striped (adj): Marked with long, narrow bands of a different color. - Stylish (adj): Fashionably elegant. - Tattoo (n): A permanent design made on skin by ingraining it with ink. - Trend (n): A general direction in which something is developing or changing; a current style or fashion. - Vintage (adj): Denoting something industrial or commercial from the past of high quality.
Careers and Employment - Apply for a place (v): To formally request a position in a school, university, or program. - Appoint (v): To assign a job or role to (someone). - Become an apprentice (v): To learn a trade or profession from a skilled employer, having agreed to work for a fixed period at low wages. - Commission someone to do something (v): To formally ask someone to produce a piece of work for you. - Full-time job (n): A job in which a person works a minimum number of hours defined by their employer. - Graduate from (v): To complete all the steps of a course and receive a diploma or degree. - Homeless shelter (n): A type of public-service agency which provides temporary residence for homeless individuals and families. - Internship (n): The position of a student or trainee who works in an organization, sometimes without pay, in order to gain work experience. - Low paid (adj): Earning or providing a low amount of money. - Mentor an intern (v): To advise or train a student or trainee. - Part-time job (n): A form of employment that carries fewer hours per week than a full-time job. - Placement (n): A temporary job that is part of a course of study. - Supervise someone (v): To observe and direct the execution of a task, project, or activity. - Take on (a job) (phr v): To accept a task or job or to hire someone. - Temporary job (n): An employment situation where an employee is expected to remain for only a specific period of time. - Turn down (a job) (phr v): To reject or refuse an offer of employment. - Tutor someone (v): To act as a private teacher to a single student or small group. - Unpaid (adj): Done without payment. - Volunteer (v): To freely offer to do something. - Well-paid (adj): Earning or providing a high salary. - Win a scholarship (v): To be awarded financial aid for a student to further their education. - Permanent position (n): A job that is intended to last for an indefinite period. - Thesis (n): A long essay or dissertation involving personal research, written by a candidate for a university degree.
Compound Nouns for Jobs - Brain surgeon (n): A medical professional who performs operations on the brain and nervous system. - Camera operator (n): A person who operates a video or film camera. - Company director (n): A person from a group of managers who leads or supervises a particular department of a company. - Dog groomer (n): A professional who cleans and styles dogs. - Drone pilot (n): A person who controls an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). - Estate agent (n): A person whose job is to sell and let out houses and land. - Flight attendant (n): A person who attends to the needs of passengers on an aircraft. - Software designer (n): A person who specializes in the design and development of computer software. - Statistical analyst (n): A person who collects and interprets data to identify patterns and trends. - Tattoo remover (n): A technician who specializes in the removal of permanent tattoos. - Train driver (n): A person who drives a train. - Video editor (n): A person whose job is to manipulate and rearrange video shots to create a new work. - Yoga instructor (n): A person who teaches people the practice of yoga.
Personal Qualities and Descriptive Adjectives - Analytical (adj): Relating to or using analysis or logical reasoning. - Anxious (adj): Experiencing worry, unease, or nervousness. - (In)articulate (adj): Having (or lacking) the ability to speak fluently and coherently. - Brainy (adj): Having or showing intelligence; clever. - Carefree (adj): Free from anxiety or responsibility. - Cautious (adj): Avoiding potential problems or dangers. - Cool-headed (adj): Not easily excited or upset; calm and composed. - Critical (adj): Expressing adverse or disapproving comments or judgments. - (In)decisive (adj): Having or showing the ability to make decisions quickly and effectively (or lacking it). - Determined (adj): Having made a firm decision and being resolved not to change it. - Diligent (adj): Having or showing care and conscientiousness in one's work or duties. - Distracted (adj): Unable to concentrate because one's mind is on something else. - (In)efficient (adj): Achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense. - (Un)imaginative (adj): Having or showing (or lacking) a creative or original imagination. - (Im)mature (adj): Having or showing the mental and emotional vigor of an adult. - (De)motivated (adj): Influenced by a motivation (or having lost enthusiasm). - Optimistic (adj): Hopeful and confident about the future. - (Dis)organized (adj): Having (or lacking) the quality of being coordinated and efficient. - (Im)patient (adj): Able to accept or tolerate delays or suffering without becoming annoyed (or the opposite). - (Im)perceptive (adj): Having or showing sensitive insight. - Pessimistic (adj): Tending to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen. - (Im)precise (adj): Marked by exactness and accuracy of expression or detail. - (Ir)rational (adj): Based on or in accordance with reason or logic. - (Ir)replaceable (adj): Too special, valuable, or unusual to be replaced. - (Ir)responsible (adj): Having an obligation to do something, or having control over or care for someone. - (In)secure (adj): (Of a person) not confident or assured; uncertain and anxious. - Insensitive (adj): Showing or feeling no concern for others' feelings. - Focused (adj): Concentrating one's attention or energy on something specific. - (Un)reliable (adj): Consistently good in quality or performance; able to be trusted.
Linguistic Structures and Grammar
Common Phrasal Verbs - Come up with: To produce or suggest an idea. - End up: To eventually reach or arrive at a particular place or state. - Go ahead: To proceed or begin. - Keep track of: To stay informed about something. - Take over: To assume control of something. - Work out: To solve a problem or to exercise. - Bring back: To return something; to evoke a memory. - Calm down: To become or make someone less agitated. - Come across: To find something by chance. - Deal with: To take action on something; to handle a situation. - Run away: To escape from a place or person. - Set off: To begin a journey. - Set up: To establish or arrange something. - Stick together: To remain United or maintain proximity.
Linkers and Connectors - Although: In spite of the fact that. - As well as: In addition to. - Because of this: Expressing a cause-and-effect relationship. - Even though: Despite the fact that. - For this reason: Introducing a justification or explanation. - Furthermore: In addition; besides (used to introduce a fresh consideration). - In addition / In addition to: As an extra person, thing, or circumstance.
Noun Suffixes - -ance / -al / -ery / -ment / -ity / -tion / -ness / -ship / -sion / -ery: Suffixes used to transform words (usually verbs or adjectives) into nouns (e.g., appearance, arrival, bravery, commitment, community, education, entertainment, fairness, friendship, kindness, maturity, ownership, supervision, survival, scenery, treatment).
Verb Suffixes: -ize, -en, and -ify - Classify (v): To arrange in classes or categories according to shared qualities or characteristics. - Lighten (v): To make or become lighter in weight or color. - Simplify (v): To make something easier to do or understand. - Specialize (v): To concentrate on and become expert in a particular subject or skill. - Symbolize (v): To be a symbol of; to represent by means of symbols.
Compound Adjectives - Size/Appearance: Average-sized, full-length, knee-length, heavily built, loose-fitting, scruffy-looking, shoulder-length, sporty-looking. - Dressing/Grooming: Badly dressed, clean-shaven, smartly dressed, well-dressed. - Physical Attributes: Brightly coloured, dark-haired, natural-looking. - Cognitive/Social: Fast-thinking, friendly looking, widely recognized. - Age/Utility: Middle-aged, time-saving.
Idiomatic Expressions (Commerce and Preparedness) - Be in safe hands: To be being cared for by someone reliable. - Give something the time of day: To pay attention to someone or something. - Go on a spending spree: To spend a lot of money in a short span of time. - Judge a book by its cover: To form an opinion based on appearance only. - Keep an eye out for something: To watch for something to appear. - Live from hand to mouth: To live with only enough money to buy food and the basics. - Rule of thumb: A broadly accurate guide or principle, based on experience rather than theory. - Shop on a shoestring: To shop with a very small amount of money. - Shop around: To compare prices and quality in different shops. - Tighten your belt: To live more frugally and spend less money. - Tip of the iceberg: A small visible part of a much larger concealed problem.
Collocations (Verb + Noun/Adjective) - Do: business, damage, research, someone a favour. - Make: fun of someone, no difference, sense, an exception. - Reach: a decision, a compromise, the point, your destination. - Give: priority, someone a chance, something a go, the impression. - Have: a feeling, a look, a terrible temper, an opportunity. - Take: advantage, something for granted, something seriously, your time.
Dependent Prepositions - Confused by: Uncertain due to something. - Dedicated to: Devoted to a task or purpose. - Familiar with: Having a good knowledge of something. - Fond of: Having an affection for something or someone. - Interested in: Showing curiosity or concern about something. - Necessary for: Required to be done or achieved. - Passionate about: Having or showing strong feelings of enthusiasm for something. - Successful in: Accomplishing an aim or purpose in a specific area.