decision

A decision is a sudden thought, with purpose, before someone does something. After a person makes a decision, the person has knowledge about a thing the person will do.

After much thought, the person made a decision to go to the meeting.

A person sees two roads. The person needs to go on one road or the other. The person makes a decision and goes on one of the roads.

A decision is the end of a process in a committee. After a committee makes a decision, a record in writing says the important thing.

After much discussion, the committee made an important decision about insurance.


beauty

Beauty is the quality of being nice to look at.

Beauty makes things attractive.

There is a beauty in the night sky that is hard to explain.

A beauty is something or someone that is good to look at.

She is a beauty.


chronology

Chronology is the science of finding out what events came in what order

Chronology can help historians find out why an old empire ended.

Chronology is text or graphics that show what events happened in what order

The chronology at the back of the book shows the Kings and Queens of England.


potential

A potential customer, benefit, problem, etc. is one that might happen in the future.

Realistic goals can then be set to prevent potential problems from becoming actual ones.

To grow, a business must identify potential customers and their needs.


potential

If x has potential for y, then it might change toward y or cause y.

Technology has the potential for improvement as well as for harm.

If something has or shows potential, they will likely be very good in the future.

The potential is the difference in voltage between two points on an electrical circuit.


cultural

cultural (positive)
more cultural (comparative)
most cultural (superlative)

A cultural background, difference, identity etc. relates or belongs to a particular group of people.

Teachers should think about the cultural background of their students.

The difference between the cities are both cultural and economic.

Cultural things are related to art, music, books, etc.

The new art museum has become the cultural center of the town.


wound

A wound is a cut in skin with pain and blood, a burn, or other similar mark on someone's body.

I dropped a knife on my foot, but the wound was minor, so I didn't need to go to the hospital.


wound

wound (canonical)
wounds (third-person singular)
wounded (past)
wounded (past participle)
wounding (present participle)

When you wound someone, you cause an injury (a wound) to the person.

The sharp blade wounded the man.


wound

wind (canonical)
winds (third-person singular)
wound (past)
wound (past participle)
winding (present participle)

The past tense and past participle of wind.

He wound the rope around the post.


wise

wise (positive)
wiser (comparative)
wisest (superlative)

A wise person has much knowledge and makes good decisions.

Say your question to the old woman, because she is wise and will tell you good ideas about things to do.


wise

wise (canonical)
wises (third-person singular)
wised (past)
wised (past participle)
wising (present participle)

If you wise up, you get informed; you learn something.


wire

A wire is a long, thin metal thing, mostly for the purpose of making a connection from electric power to a machine.

A person cut the electric wire and all the machines in the building stopped.


wire

wire (canonical)
wires (third-person singular)
wired (past)
wired (past participle)
wiring (present participle)

They wired up all the machines in the building.


wing

A wing is the long flat part of a bird, insect or other flying thing. It is used to fly.

This bird can fly very high very quickly because the bird uses strong wings with many feathers.

He looked out the window of the plane and saw the sun shining on the wing.

A wing is part of a building, usually not the main part.


wing

wing (canonical)
wings (third-person singular)
winged (past)
winged (past participle)
winging (present participle)

If you wing it you do not have a plan—you are making up what you do while you do it.


wind

The wind blows so strongly now that a person's hair goes in the person's face.


wind

If you wind something you wrap it around and make it tight.

You need to wind the string around the stick.

If you wind a clock or watch you tighten a spring inside it. This is done by turning knob. The spring powers the clock or watch as it unwinds (stops being tight).

If something winds it twists around in different directions.

The road winds for miles.

If something winds down, it runs out of power and gets slower. (Like a watch that is unwinding.)

How something winds up is how it becomes in the end or after something happens.

I wound up lost after I made the wrong turn.


wide

wide (positive)
wider (comparative)
widest (superlative)

If something is wide, it is long from one side to the other side.

This box is 30 cm long and 20 cm wide, but only 10 cm high.

It's a very wide river, but not very deep.

The road was built wide enough to fit four lanes of traffic.

He cast a wide net into the sea.

If there is a wide range, variety, or world, there is a lot of it.

The store offers a wide range of products.

He has traveled to wide and varied places.

The news received wide coverage across all media platforms.

There is a wide variety of choices available.

If you give something or someone a wide berth, you avoid them by a lot.

He gave the barking dog a wide berth.


wide

wide (positive)
wider (comparative)
Superlativewidest

If something is wide open, it is open to its full extent.

She opened her eyes wide in surprise.

The door was pushed wide open.

If you are wide awake, you are completely awake and alert, often when you would prefer to be asleep.

Despite the late hour, the children were wide awake and eager to open their presents.

After drinking three cups of coffee, I was wide awake all night.

If two things are wide apart, there is a lot of space between them.

"It was this big," she said, spreading her hands as wide apart as she could.

He was a big man with dark eyes placed wide apart.

He spread his arms wide to embrace her.


wide

If something goes wide of the target, it misses the target.

The soccer ball went wide of the goal.

Her first shot was wide, but the second struck his shoulder.

He put it wide of the mark.

If the ball or a player is/plays/goes wide, they are near the sides of the field or court.

He ran wide and got tackled near the sideline.


whistle

A whistle is a sound like music. A person makes a whistling sound by blowing air when the person's mouth is in a little circle.

The whistle of the wind in trees was low and sad.

A whistle is a little instrument made of wood, metal or other material. A person puts the instrument in the person's mouth and blows air to make a loud whistling sound.

When you are in danger, blow your whistle loudly and someone will run and help you.

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-whistle.wav


whistle

whistle (canonical)
whistles (third-person singular)
whistled (past)
whistled (past participle)
whistling (present participle)

To whistle is to make a whistling sound with one's mouth.

A happy person is able to whistle and work at the same time.


whip

A whip is a long, thin leather instrument. A person uses it, with very quick motion, to give pain. A person uses it on a horse or another person as punishment.

When the horse sees the whip in the person's hand, the horse gets scared and runs far away.

A whip is a member of a political party who is in charge of enforcing the party's policies in votes.


whip

whip (canonical)
whips (third-person singular)
whipped (past)
whipped (past participle)
whipping (present participle)

If you whip something, you hit it with a whip.

Jockeys whip horses to make them go faster.


while

If x happens while y happens, they happen at the same time.

He fell asleep while sitting at his desk.


while

After a while I will stop working and cook food for us.


while

while (canonical)
whiles (third-person singular)
whiled (past)
whiled (past participle)
whiling (present participle)

If you while away the time, you spend it doing something not very productive.

On Sundays, I like to while away the hours by reading.


freezing level

The freezing level is the height where the air is 0 degrees Celsius (0 °C) or 32 degrees Fahrenheit (32 °F). Higher than the freezing level, the air is colder. Lower than the freezing level, the air is warmer.

Now the weather is colder and the freezing level is lower than it was in the summer.


snow level

The snow level is like the freezing level. The snow level is a measure of how high up on a mountain snow or ice is able to be. Lower than the snow level, the mountain is warmer and no snow is there.

In the summer, the snow level is near the top of this mountain.


ventriloquist

A ventriloquist is a person who does a trick to make the person's voice seem to be coming from a different direction. The ventriloquist talks but does not move the mouth. People think the ventriloquist is not talking and they think a thing or an animal or a different person is talking.

People laughed when the ventriloquist made a shoe talk to a hat.


watch

A watch is a little clock on a person's arm near the person's hand, to measure time.

The person looks at his watch and has a thought that he is late.

A watch is the period of time on duty for crews who are working together.


watch

watch (canonical)
watches (third-person singular)
watched (past)
watched (past participle)
watching (present participle)

To watch is to look for a long time or to look at somebody doing something.

Yesterday I watched the person cook the food and now I know how to cook the food.


walk

walk (canonical)
walks (third-person singular)
walked (past)
walked (past participle)
walking (present participle)

If you walk, you go on foot, step by step. Walking is slower than running.

No train goes to that town, so people need to walk to go there.

If an object walks, it goes missing or is stolen.

If you walk, you travel some distance by walking.

I walk two miles to school every day.

If you walk someone, you go for a walk with them.

Please walk the dog.

Will you walk me home?


walk

A walk is what we do when we go on foot.

Are you taking the dog for a walk?

The walk to work gives me time to think.


through

from one end or side of something to the other

The ink went through the paper and made the table wet.

The thief came in through the window.

She pushed the thread through the hole in the needle.


test

A test is writing that many learners do in a room at the same time so that people are able to see how much knowledge the learners have.

I'm happy because I got a high mark on the test.

A test is something someone does to see if something works.

The person did a good test of the machine by pushing all the buttons and watching the machine.


test

test (canonical)
tests (third-person singular)
tested (past)
tested (past participle)
testing (present participle)

The action of testing; to try something out to see whether it works.

He tested the software many times.


tail

A tail is a long, thin part on the back end of an animal.

The dog wags his tail (moves his tail quickly from side to side) when he sees his friend.


tail

tail (canonical)
tails (third-person singular)
tailed (past)
tailed (past participle)
tailing (present participle)

If you tail someone, you follow them without them noticing; you observe them.


headphone

A headphone is a very little machine near a person's ear that makes sound.

The music on the person's headphones was so loud that he didn't know I was talking to him.


stereophonic

stereophonic (positive)
more stereophonic (comparative)
most stereophonic (superlative)

Using two headphones with almost the same sound so the sound seems to be coming from a direction.

This stereophonic machine is very good! It seems as if the music is coming from this room!


spoon

A spoon is a little, long, thin, metal thing with a round end for putting food in one's mouth.

Put a knife, a fork and a spoon near the plate on the table.


spoon

spoon (canonical)
spoons (third-person singular)
spooned (past)
spooned (past participle)
spooning (present participle)

When two people spoon, they lie next to each other with one person's back against the other person's front, similar to the way two spoons are stacked together.


so

The box was so wide that the person was not able to take it through the door.


so

The gravestones were covered with moss, so that it was impossible to read the names on them.

The person locks the door so no one is able to come in and take things.

We help them so that they can get better.

He asked me to write the equations on the blackboard so he could see how they developed.


so

We had been on a boat like that before, so knew the general layout.

It was cheap, so it seemed like a deal.

Our son is at school near here, so that's another reason for not moving.


skirt

A skirt is a loose cloth that a woman uses to cover her legs; the lower part of a dress.

She has a blue skirt and a red shirt on.


skirt

skirt (canonical)
skirts (third-person singular)
skirted (past)
skirted (past participle)
skirting (present participle)

:
 This short section needs someone to add to it.


room

A room is a place which is part of a building. Someone is able to see other people who are in the same room.

We need a long, wide room because many people will be at the meeting.

Room can mean some space; a place with nothing, only air.

I need room to be able to move my arms and not touch people.


room

room (canonical)
rooms (third-person singular)
roomed (past)
roomed (past participle)
rooming (present participle)

I roomed with Ryan all four years of college.


put

put (canonical)
puts (third-person singular)
put (past)
put (past participle)
putting (present participle)

When you put a thing someplace, you move a thing to a place.

I always put my books on the table when I get home from school.

The past tense and past participle of put.

The person stopped reading the book and put it on the table.


old

older (comparative)
oldest (superlative)
old (positive)
elder (comparative)
eldest (superlative)

If someone or something is old, they are not young; they have been in existence for a long time.

An old man has gray hair.

This old book was written a hundred years ago.

"Ashley, how old are you?" "I'm only 16 years old."

Your old school, boss, address, etc. is one that you no longer use or are no longer together with.

I didn't have many friends at my old school.


mass

A measure of how much material is in something.

The Earth has much more mass than the moon.

The spacesuit weighed 75 pounds on Earth but here in outer space it weighed nothing, although its mass was exactly the same.

A mass of dirty branches stopped the river.

A Christian ceremony in memory of the Last Supper.

He goes to mass every Sunday.

A mass of protesters gathered at city hall.


like

like (canonical)
likes (third-person singular)
liked (past)
liked (past participle)
liking (present participle)

To like someone or something means to find someone or something pleasant, enjoyable, or interesting.

I like good food.


like

Like in those days, things are changing.

My mother's eyes are green like mine.

We don’t get along like we used to.

It looks like it’s going to rain.


like

A like is something that you think is good.

Our own likes and dislikes are shaped by what our parents liked.

At the end of a list of things, and the like means: and other similar things.

She's good at science, math, and the like.

You use the likes of someone to show that you don't think that person is a good person.

You shouldn't be hanging around with the likes of him.


like

You use like, when you are trying to think about the right words.

He's really, like you know, uh... difficult.

You use like when the information isn't exactly true.

We went there when we were like five years old.

You use like when you are trying to make something sound softer.

OK, like, why don't you try going there.

So, I'm like, "What do you mean." And he's like, "you know what I mean."


like

like (positive)
more like (comparative)
most like (superlative)

She's very like her mother.

Japan is becoming more like the U.S.

They were dressed in like manner.


hammer

A hammer is a heavy tool for pushing a nail into wood.

When you have only a hammer, all things seem like nails.

A hammer is a moving part of a gun that hits the firing pin to make the gun fire.


hammer

hammer (canonical)
hammers (third-person singular)
hammered (past)
hammered (past participle)
hammering (present participle)

If you hammer something, you push a nail into wood using a hammer.

He hammered so hard that the building moved a little.


get

got (past participle)
get (canonical)
gets (third-person singular)
got (past)
gotten (past participle)
getting (present participle)

The woman goes to the store and gets a new dress.

The problem got worse.

He got hit by a car.


fornication

Fornication is sexual intercourse between two people who are not married.


sexual intercourse

Sexual intercourse is an act done usually by a male and a female and usually to make babies.

Most men in our survey say they definitely would not have sexual intercourse with a new partner without using a condom.

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even

You use even to focus on the most surprising or unlikely case.

Even in peaceful countries, there are problems.

She felt a lot of pain walking even though she was only in her thirties.

They told us the manager isn't there, even though we can see her through the window.

Even if they don't know you, they will still talk to you.

I never liked chocolate, not even when I was young.

Even with Denver's slow start, they are likely to win.

Everyone walks to school here, even the teachers.

Not even the world's fastest runner can run that fast.

Even a quick look tells you there's a lot to learn.

Anyone with even basic Internet search skills can find you.

She didn't tell me about it and I expect she wasn't even aware of it.

This is not a small problem, and it will likely become even more important in the near future.

I just hope I don't get lost, and I'm not even really sure of my bus number.

The last few years have been difficult, but now she may face an even greater challenge.

It will be very difficult for him, even dangerous.

Our progress was not rewarded. In fact, it was not even mentioned.

I don't even know who you are.

It's so cheap, you don't even have to bring money.

He can't even go back and look for it.

We might even make some money if we work hard.

He won't lose his job, not even temporarily.

I hid it in the books where nobody would look. Even so, I worried about it all evening.


even

even (positive)
more even (comparative)
most even (superlative)

If things are even, the top or surface of each is as high as the others.

The top of the wall is even because the bricks are all the same size.

If a number is even, it can be divided into 2 equal parts.

2, 4, 6 and 8 are even numbers. 1, 3, 5 and 7 are not even numbers; they are odd numbers.


even

even (canonical)
evens (third-person singular)
evened (past)
evened (past participle)
evening (present participle)

If you even something (out/up), you reduce the ups and downs; you make it smooth or equal.

India was leading 2-1, but Australia evened the score in the last minute.

The makeup evens out your skin tone without adding color.

If you even a problem out, you solve it.

I went down and evened it all out. Everyone's happy now.


dress

A dress is a loose cloth covering a woman's body. The lower part is like a skirt. The top part is like a shirt.

She looked beautiful because she had a very nice dress.

Ball gowns and party frocks are dresses for special occasions.


dress

dress (canonical)
dresses (third-person singular)
dressed (past)
dressed (past participle)
dressing (present participle)

I dressed my little sister for school this morning.

I just need to dress and then we can go.

To prepare the surface of a material (usually stone or lumber).

That cut looks really bad. Here, let me dress it

To prepare food for cooking, especially by seasoning it.


cloth

Cloth is a thin, flat material, often made from cotton or polyester.

A cloth is a piece of cloth, usually for cleaning things.

The person used a wet cloth to wash the table.


where

Where do you live?

Where did the man go?

I wonder where they will take us to.

(In or to) the place or situation in which.

The room where the people cook the food is not cold.

Where I'm from, we don't eat much fish.

I'll go where you go.

Where people were concerned, his threshold of boredom was low.

This is where I live.

That's where you are wrong.

Stand over here where the light is good.

Sit where I can see you.

You'll be right here where you belong.

You use where to introduce a clause that contrasts with the other parts of the sentence.

Where Nixon was secretive and suspicious, Ford was relaxed, open and candid.


wheel

A wheel is a round thing (circle) on a cart or carriage or train or other machine that moves. A cart has four wheels that touch the road and turn.

The cart needs a very smooth road because it has little wheels.


wheel

wheel (canonical)
wheels (third-person singular)
wheeled (past)
wheeled (past participle)
wheeling (present participle)

If you wheel something somewhere, you transport it in or on a vehicle that has wheels.

The nurses wheeled her into the operating theatre.

If something is wheeling, it is travelling in circles.

The eagle wheeled and dived towards the ground to catch its prey.


way

The committee made a good decision about which way to make the machine.

One way to cook food is to put it in an oven; another way is with a flame.

I do things my own way.

That way of thinking will not solve the problem.

Farming is a great way of life.

A car crash was the same way my dad died.

She dresses that way every day.

I started to see things in a different way.

A way is a path, a road, or a route; how you get to a certain place.

Do you know the way to the lunch room?

I was on my way to Paris when I got lost.

He went out of his way to bring me the coffee.

It's a long way from where I started.

Could you move your car out of my way?


way

I think that it's way too early to tell what the result will be.

We missed. In fact we were way way off.


wax

Wax is a solid material made of animal fat.

A candle is made of wax and a thick thread and has a flame on top.


wax

wax (canonical)
waxes (third-person singular)
waxed (past)
waxed (past participle)
waxing (present participle)

If you wax something, you put wax on it, for example, a car.

She waxed her car to make the paint shine brightly.

When something waxes, it means that it gets bigger and becomes more full.

As the moon changes from a new moon to a full moon, it is said to be waxing.


wave

A wave is the motion of water up and down.

The wind blew strongly on the water and made high waves.


wave

wave (canonical)
waves (third-person singular)
waved (past)
waved (past participle)
waving (present participle)

To move from side to side again and again.

When she saw her friend, she waved her hand so her friend would see her.

The flag waved in the wind.


well

He washed the table very well, so now it is very clean.

I had the flu, but then I got well.


well

You use well to tell others that you're going to say something, that you're going to continue speaking, or that you're going to change the topic.

Well, I guess I'm leaving now.


well

A hole in the ground for getting water or oil.

There was no river nearby, so they dug a well to get water.


well

well (canonical)
wells (third-person singular)
welled (past)
welled (past participle)
welling (present participle)

If a liquid, feeling, or idea wells up, it rises gradually to the surface.

The tears welled up in her eyes.

Blood welled in the cut.

She'd been trying so hard to contain the emotion welling up inside her.


transfer

transfer (canonical)
transfers (third-person singular)
transferred (past)
transferred (past participle)
transferring (present participle)

If you transfer (something), you move (it) to a different place.

After he became the top salesman he was transferred to the head office.

If you learn to be organized in the classroom, then you can transfer that skill to your career later on.

We dug up the tree and transferred it to the front of the house.


transfer

A transfer is the act of transferring something from one form to another.

International trades involve the transfer of currency from one country to another.

A transfer is the act of moving something from one location to another.

You will get a transfer at the third stop.


cork

A cork is a small, round piece of wood which people put in the top of a bottle to close it.

I took the cork out of the wine bottle with a corkscrew.

Cork is a type of wood. It is quite soft and light. It is often used to make corks (sense 1).


cork

cork (canonical)
corks (third-person singular)
corked (past)
corked (past participle)
corking (present participle)

If you cork a bottle, you seal it with a cork.

If you cork something, you blacken it with a burnt cork.


chance

We have the chance.

Poker is a game of chance.

How much something is likely to be true.

There is a 30% chance of rain tomorrow.


chance

chance (canonical)
chances (third-person singular)
chanced (past)
chanced (past participle)
chancing (present participle)

If you chance upon something, you discover it even though you were not looking for it.

If you chance something, you try it, even though it may not work.


banana

A yellow colour, like the colour of a banana.


select

select (canonical)
selects (third-person singular)
selected (past)
selected (past participle)
selecting (present participle)

Students follow a general course in their first year, and in the final year they select one of three specialist areas of study.

It wouldn't be too difficult to make the computer select for vague general features like, say, tall-thinness or short-fatness.


select

select (positive)
more select (comparative)
most select (superlative)

If something is select it is special in a good way—high quality.

His skill and efforts took him into the select group of men who have scored over 50 League goals for our club.


accept

accept (canonical)
accepts (third-person singular)
accepted (past)
accepted (past participle)
accepting (present participle)

If you accept something, you take it when somebody gives it to you.

She accepted the award.

If you accept something, you believe it as true or valid.

I accept your plan.


credit

Credit is an agreement to buy something and pay later.

We bought the new dining room table on credit.

I only use my credit card when I know I'll have the money the next week.

He gave credit to local management and to the unions for the improvements at the factory.

The children here should take credit for a job well done.

A credit is a course or part of a course that you complete at college or university.

I just need five more credits to finish my degree.

A credit is record of money put in an account.


credit

credit (canonical)
credits (third-person singular)
credited (past)
credited (past participle)
crediting (present participle)

If you credit an account, you add money to it.

I called the bank about the mistake and they credited my account with the missing $50.

If you credit somebody with something, you say that they did it.

Most people have credited Churchill with this saying, but there is no proof that he actually said it.

If you credit something, you believe it.


perceive

perceive (canonical)
perceives (third-person singular)
perceived (past)
perceived (past participle)
perceiving (present participle)

If you perceive something, you notice it through one of your senses (you see it, touch it, smell it, hear it, or taste it); to be aware of something.

He was unable to perceive any difference at all in the room after the changes.

If you perceive something, you believe it or understand it.

Education is widely perceived as a powerful way to improve the quality of life.


focus

focus (canonical)
focuses (third-person singular)
focused (past)
focused (past participle)
focusing (present participle)

If you focus on something, you pay special attention to it.

A small company will probably focus its attention on each artist's project more than a major label.

Class, please focus on your assignment and stop talking.

If you focus a lens, you adjust it to make a clear picture.

Most digital cameras automatically focus on the object in the centre.

You know, without my glasses, my eyes just can't focus well enough to read.


focus

The focus is the main thing or person that people are paying attention to.

If your focus is on something, your attention is on it.

If something is in focus, the image is clear.


purchase

purchase (canonical)
purchases (third-person singular)
purchased (past)
purchased (past participle)
purchasing (present participle)

A licence needs to be purchased from the local authority and printing of tickets also adds to the costs.

JEB Fasteners purchased all the shares in the private company for just under $900,000.


purchase

A purchase is something that you have bought.

Since the purchase of Columbia Pictures by Sony, the US has been very afraid of Japan.

With a building purchase price of £200,000, the total cost of the project would be £1 million.

A purchase is a strong hold on something.

He wasn't able to get a purchase on his bag before it was pulled away from him.


journal

A journal is a record of what is happening, usually written regularly (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, etc.), often scientific.

They published their study in the British Medical Journal.

She wrote in her journal on New Year's Day 1922, "The weather is bad and I'm too tired to write today."


journal

journal (canonical)
journals (third-person singular)
journaled (past)
journaled (past participle)
journaling (present participle)

If you journal, you regularly record what is happening, usually in writing.


administration

Administration is the process of running and organising an organisation such as a business or government.

The mayor is responsible for the administration of the town.

He wanted to go into politics, so he studied public administration at university.

The administration are the people who run and organise an organisation such as a business or government.

In short, the administration does not actually know why it wants a space station.

The Bush administration has one of the worst records of any American government.


organisation

An organisation is a group of people with a particular purpose (e.g., companies, teams, clubs, churches, etc.)

The daycare is operated by a voluntary organisation of parents and teachers.

It is often difficult for women to join these organisations that have always been for men.

Organisation is the way that something is put together.

The organisation of the book is very difficult to understand.

The organisation of the event took three months.

/ˌɔrgənɪˈzeɪʃən/


organization

An organization is a group of people with a particular purpose (e.g., teams, clubs, churches, etc.)

The daycare is operated by a voluntary organization of parents and teachers.

It is often difficult for women to join these organizations that have always been for men.

Organization is the way that something is put together.

The organization of the book is very difficult to understand.

The organization of the event took three months.

/ˌɔrgənɪˈzeɪʃən/


maintenance

Maintenance is the process of regularly fixing things and keeping something in good shape.

After 8,000 km, you should take the car in for maintenance.

Wood houses can be a problem because they require regular maintenance.


design

Design is how something looks and works.

Honda has a new engine in design.

The new ski design made them 4% faster than his old skis.

After graduating from Art & Design at university, he started his own fashion company.


design

design (canonical)
designs (third-person singular)
designed (past)
designed (past participle)
designing (present participle)

If you design something, you plan and show how it will look and work.

The team was asked to design a new video game controller.


obtain

obtain (canonical)
obtains (third-person singular)
obtained (past)
obtained (past participle)
obtaining (present participle)

The newspaper was able to obtain the information from police.

After obtaining permission from the town, they built the new trail.

If something obtains, it is true or it exists.

His argument is therefore compatible only in cases where class difference does not obtain.


restrict

restrict (canonical)
restricts (third-person singular)
restricted (past)
restricted (past participle)
restricting (present participle)

If you restrict something, you limit it.

This room is restricted to company employees. Other people may not enter.

This law restricts the freedom of businesses to set their own prices.


conduct

conduct (canonical)
conducts (third-person singular)
conducted (past)
conducted (past participle)
conducting (present participle)

If you conduct an activity or process, you do it or carry it out.

The war made it very difficult to conduct business.

The university makes sure that research is conducted properly.

If you conduct music, you stand in front of the musicians and show them how to sing or play.

The way you conduct yourself is the way you act or treat others.

I hope the children will be able to conduct themselve well at the party.

If something conducts energy, it lets the energy move through or along it.

Glass is a good insulator because it will not conduct electricity.

If you conduct somebody or a tour, you show people around a place.

Please conduct him to the waiting room.


conduct

A person's conduct is the way they act or treat others.

Killing a person, for any reason, is a criminal act and such conduct must not be allowed.

This teacher clearly broke the school's rules for professional conduct.


rush

rush (canonical)
rushes (third-person singular)
rushed (past)
rushed (past participle)
rushing (present participle)

After the accident, they rushed him to the hospital.

I woke up late and rushed through breakfast.


rush

As the movie finished, there was a rush to the toilets.

A rush of air blew the papers off the desk.

I was in a rush and knocked the glass onto the floor.


manufacture

manufacture (canonical)
manufactures (third-person singular)
manufactured (past)
manufactured (past participle)
manufacturing (present participle)

If you manufacture something, you make it, usually in a factory.

The goods were manufactured in China and shipped to Canada for sale.


manufacture

Manufacture is the process of making something.

The company specializes in the manufacture of small industrial motors.


withdraw

withdraw (canonical)
withdraws (third-person singular)
withdrew (past)
withdrawn (past participle)
withdrawing (present participle)

If you withdraw (something) from somewhere, you take (it) out.

The conservatives have withdrawn support from the government.

He withdrew $50 from his bank account.

After the battle, the soldiers withdrew from the town.


waste

waste (canonical)
wastes (third-person singular)
wasted (past)
wasted (past participle)
wasting (present participle)

To use something for no reason, or for bad reasons or only little reasons, and after it is used no one can use it again.

He wasted the food by making it dirty.


waste

Things that are not useful; things that people want to take out of their house.


war

War is when armies or countries fight against each other.

Those two countries are always at war.


war

war (canonical)
wars (third-person singular)
warred (past)
warred (past participle)
warring (present participle)

If you war with someone or something, you fight or battle with them.


wall

One side of a house; a high, flat part of a building.

All four walls of the room are painted in blue.

There is a wall between the two gardens.

Peter fell from the wall.


twist

twist (canonical)
twists (third-person singular)
twisted (past)
twisted (past participle)
twisting (present participle)

If you twist something, you turn one part of it in one direction and another part in the other direction at the same time.


turn

turn (canonical)
turns (third-person singular)
turned (past)
turned (past participle)
turning (present participle)

The car turned the corner and went north.

Walk down the street and turn left at the lights.

The dancers turned round and around.

If something turns a certain way, it becomes that way.

The sky turned dark and cloudy.

The game turned into a fight.


trouble

Difficult or bad things happening; problems.


trouble

trouble (canonical)
troubles (third-person singular)
troubled (past)
troubled (past participle)
troubling (present participle)


true

true (positive)
truer (comparative)
truest (superlative)

If something is true, it is correct or real, not imagined or made up.

She says she didn't take the money, but what she says is not true.

My wife is my one true love.


trick

trick (canonical)
tricks (third-person singular)
tricked (past)
tricked (past participle)
tricking (present participle)

To make someone think something that is not true.

He tricked her into thinking he had much money.


trick

Something you do to fool (trick) someone.

I did a trick that the children thought was magic.

I know a few tricks with a computer.

I taught my dog several tricks, like shaking hands with me.

Something clever you do that might solve a problem.

I know just the trick for this.


expand

expand (canonical)
expands (third-person singular)
expanded (past)
expanded (past participle)
expanding (present participle)

If something expands, it becomes bigger.

The company is looking at expanding into new products.

The airline plans to expand its service into Ireland.

With rapidly expanding population in India, business is booming.

He later expanded on his initial statement, giving more details.


become

become (canonical)
becomes (third-person singular)
became (past)
become (past participle)
becoming (present participle)

If x becomes y, it changes into y or changes to be more y.

The boy has become a man.

After she explained the ideas, they became clear.

If something becomes someone, it suits them or looks good on them.

Nice hat! It really becomes you.


tray

A big plate for many people; a wide, long, flat thing that people put food on.

Take some food from the tray and put it on your plate.

Put the plates on the tray and move them to the other room.


train

A long vehicle with many cars that are joined together. A train runs on a track.

I took the train from Paris to Frankfurt.


train

train (canonical)
trains (third-person singular)
trained (past)
trained (past participle)
training (present participle)

If you train someone, you teach them a particular skill.

In school we had computer training and sex education.


sample

A sample is a small amount of something to try or test it.

The nurse took a small blood sample.

The data come from a study of a random sample of adult (aged 15 and over) deaths.


sample

sample (canonical)
samples (third-person singular)
sampled (past)
sampled (past participle)
sampling (present participle)

If you sample something, you try or test a small amount of it.

After sampling each of the wines, she bought the one she liked best.


bottom

The bottom of something is its lowest part.

Lucy took a pen and wrote her name at the bottom of the page.

He was wet from top to bottom.

it was wider at the top than the bottom.

Add wine to the pan and scrape up anything stuck to the pan bottom.

He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked back up.

I thought this ship was going to the bottom of the ocean.

I dropped it in the water and it quickly sank to the bottom.

She came downstairs and sat down on the bottom step.

If you are at the bottom, you are at the social lowest position.

Chicago still ranks near the bottom among major cities.

You don't have to wait until you've hit rock bottom to get help.

Your bottom is the round part between your legs and your back.

She ran into the tree and sat down hard on her bottom.

A bottom is the part of a set of clothing that you put your legs through.

Her pink top was perfect, but I didn't like how the bottom fit.

The bottom of an inning in baseball is its second half.

It's the bottom of the ninth inning and the score is tied.


bottom

bottom (canonical)
bottoms (third-person singular)
bottomed (past)
bottomed (past participle)
bottoming (present participle)

If something bottoms (out), it stops going down.

When do you think the housing problems are going to bottom out?

Home prices have yet to bottom out.


frequently

If you do something frequently, you do it often.

The library is frequently used by students.

I don't like the roads, but I have to drive frequently.


performance

A performance is a show of acting or music.

We went to see a performance by local musicians last night.

The acting was good, but the noise made it difficult to enjoy the performance.

The performance of a person, machine, company, etc. is how well it does its job.

After a year of losing money, the company needs to improve performance.

This car is a high performance vehicle.


inside

He locked his keys inside his car.

Outside was cold, but he was warm inside the house.

I put my pen inside my bag.

Let's look inside here.

Don't stand out here. Come on inside.


inside

The inside of something is the part that you can't see or can't touch because other parts are around it.

The inside of my mouth hurts.

Outside, the building was dark and grey, but the inside was bright and beautiful.


trade

trade (canonical)
trades (third-person singular)
traded (past)
traded (past participle)
trading (present participle)

When two people trade, one gives something to the other and the other gives something to the first one. They make an exchange. Sometimes money is one of the things.


trade

Trade is the buying and selling of goods.

Trade between Canada and the US is at its highest level in years.

I think I made a good trade.

A trade is a job that needs a special skill to do.

The carpenters trade involves making things from wood.

He went to trade school to become a plumber.


touch

touch (canonical)
touches (third-person singular)
touched (past)
touched (past participle)
touching (present participle)

If you touch something, you feel it with your hand.

Don't touch the oven -- it's hot and you will get a burn.

If you touch something, you move so near to it that there is no space between you and it.


touch

Touch is the act of feeling or coming into physical contact with something.

A gentle touch of the fabric told her it was silk.

Touch is ability to feel through the skin by physical contact.

After the accident, he lost his sense of touch.

A touch of something is a small amount of it.

There was a touch of sadness in his voice.


detective

A detective is a person who tries to find information to help people or solve crimes, usually a non-patrol police officer.

He hired a private detective to find the missing art.

Police detectives were examining the house where the body was found.


raw

raw (positive)
rawer (comparative)
rawest (superlative)

If something is raw, it has not been cooked, processed, prepared, etc.

You should wash your hands after touching raw meat.

Computers take the raw information and make it easier to understand.

When something is raw, it is in a natural state.


top

The highest part of something; the upper part; the part people can put things on.

The top of the table is flat.

A toy for children to play with. It is shaped like a funnel, and it spins on its narrowest point.


top

top (canonical)
tops (third-person singular)
topped (past)
topped (past participle)
topping (present participle)

If you top something, you add toppings or cover with it a top.

I like my ice cream topped with chocolate sauce.

If A tops B, A beats B by an amount or value.


together

Near; close; in the same place; not far; in a family or group.

I put all the books about food together on one shelf.

Together with everyone else, I'd like to thank you.

Putting parts of something into one thing. Organizing

He put together a meeting.

She put her computer back together herself.


together

together (positive)
more together (comparative)
most together (superlative)

If you say that someone is together, you mean he or she is well organized and focused.

I really admire how together she is.


police

The police are the government force who enforce laws, prevent crime, stop and arrest criminals, regulate traffic, help maintain public order, and help with emergencies.

When we saw the man take the money, we called the police.

The police car stopped the truck that was driving too fast.

New Zealand Police took stolen guns, money, and cars, after searching a homes in the city of Auckland.

The police means the city government department that is concerned with enforcing laws and helping with emergencies.

The Police Department there replaced the previous system of having volunteers keep the city safe.


police

police (canonical)
polices (third-person singular)
policed (past)
policed (past participle)
policing (present participle)

If you police an area or activity, you watch it to make sure no laws are being broken.

There are fewer crimes in the countryside, but it's difficult to police such a big area.


police officer

A police officer is an official person who stops criminals and helps people.

A young police officer was shot on patrol last night.

The police officer asked to see my driver's license.


toe

A toe is a little part of a foot, like a finger. A foot has 5 toes.

This shoe is too small -- it gives me pain in my toes.


tin

The kind of metal that cans are frequently made with. It is the chemical element Sn.


mail

Mail is the messages and packages that you send to other people.

There's no mail today because the post office is closed.

The new book arrived in the mail.


mail

mail (canonical)
mails (third-person singular)
mailed (past)
mailed (past participle)
mailing (present participle)

If you mail something, you send it through the post.

I mailed a birthday card to him last week.


depressed

depressed (positive)
more depressed (comparative)
most depressed (superlative)

If someone is depressed, they have the condition called depression - they are very sad and cannot imagine being happy in the future.

No one knows why it happened, but last year, Jay became depressed.

If someone is depressed, they are very sad and unhappy.

"I heard Katie lost the race." "Yes, she is a bit depressed about it."

If the economy is depressed, it is doing badly.

In 2008, the economy was severely depressed

If something that has many levels--like a surface, the ground, or something that moves up and down--is depressed, it is low.

The ground is depressed where the rock used to be.

The company was worried the depressed prices would make them loose money


depressed

depress (canonical)
depresses (third-person singular)
depressed (past)
depressed (past participle)
depressing (present participle)

The past tense and past participle of depress.


passenger

A passenger is a person who is riding a vehicle—not the driver.

The boat can carry 101 passengers at more than 80 km/h across waves 1.5 m high.

The driver was killed in the car accident, but the two passengers were unharmed.

Both passenger trains and freight trains use the same tracks.

/ˈpæsɪnd͡ʒɚ/

/ˈpæsɪnd͡ʒə/


juice

Juice is the liquid that you get when you squeeze a fruit or vegetable.

I usually have orange juice and toast for breakfast.


juice

juice (canonical)
juices (third-person singular)
juiced (past)
juiced (past participle)
juicing (present participle)

If you juice a fruit or a vegetable, you get the juice out of it.

I had to juice five oranges just to get one glass of juice.


explode

explode (canonical)
explodes (third-person singular)
exploded (past)
exploded (past participle)
exploding (present participle)

If something explodes, it breaks apart quickly and strongly, often with strong heat, sound, and light.

A bomb exploded in the market, killing five people.

She was so angry, she exploded.


tie

tie (canonical)
ties (third-person singular)
tied (past)
tied (past participle)
tying (present participle)

If you tie something, you attach it using string or rope.

I was six when I learned to tie up my shoes.

We tied the swing to the tree.

If two teams or players tie, they have the same score in a game.

Naples and Rome tied the game two all.


tie

A tie is a piece of cloth that you wear around your neck as a decoration.

At work, you need to wear a suit and tie.


tight

tight (positive)
tighter (comparative)
tightest (superlative)

If x is tight, it fits closely and strongly to y.

The bandage on your finger should not be too tight or your finger may turn blue.

The police kept tight control during the speech.

If a string is tight its ends are as far apart as possible.

A tight rope is in a straight line.


tight

If you close or tie something tight, you do it strongly or closely so that it won't change easily.

He closed the door tight behind them.

Hold on tight and I'll pull you up.


though

You use though to introduce a fact which you regard as less important than the fact in the main clause.

Though he talked very loudly, she did not hear him.

She did not hear him, though he talked very loudly.

There was a real, though small, problem.

You use though to add a fact or an opinion that makes the previous statement less strong or less important.

Our team lost. It was a good game though.

He went to school in Paris. His French, though, isn’t very good.


thread

A thread is a long, very thin, soft material used to join or make cloth.

She pushed the thread through the hole in the needle.

There were loose threads at the bottom of his pants.

A thread is a group of messages from a discussion on an Internet forum.

A thread is a structure that allows a screw to be fastened.


thread

thread (canonical)
threads (third-person singular)
threaded (past)
threaded (past participle)
threading (present participle)

If you thread something, then you make a string or thread out of it.


thin

thin (positive)
thinner (comparative)
thinnest (superlative)

If something is thin, there's a short distance from one side to the other.

I can hear the people in the other room because the wall is thin.

The man was very tall and thin as a stick.

If something is thin it doesn't have a lot of stuff in it.

The soup is too thin. It needs more flavour.

His hair is quite thin on top.


thin

thin (canonical)
thins (third-person singular)
thinned (past)
thinned (past participle)
thinning (present participle)

If something thins, there is less of it.

After the show, the crowd thinned out quickly and only a few people stayed.

My hair started thinning when I was 25.


thick

thick (positive)
thicker (comparative)
thickest (superlative)

If something is thick, there is some distance from one side to the other.

He was a workman with big hands and thick fingers.

The tree was too thick to put his arms around.

The ice on the lake is about 40cm thick in the winter.

If something is thick it has a lot of stuff in it.

I am warm because I have a thick coat.

The dog has beautiful, thick hair.

The oil moved slowly because it was so thick.

If a liquid is thick, it can't flow very quickly.


then

Then she was little. Now she is big.

The then president did a lot of developmental activities.

We will arrive before then.

I'm going to see you next month; by then you will have finished your thesis.

Your life since then must have seemed very ordinary.

First, I cook the food; then I eat it, and then I wash the plates.

If she is happy, then I'm happy too.


than

Used to compare two things that are not equal.

The tree is higher than the house.

He is better than me.

It was much better than I'd expected.


star

A star is a bright thing in the sky at night. The sun is also one of stars.

Stars seem little, but they are big and far away.

A star (★) is a shape with five or six sharp ends.

My teacher put a gold star on my test.

Brad Pitt is a popular star.

A star is an actor who has the lead role in a movie, television show, or play.

John Wayne is the star of many western movies.

A star next to your name on the guest list means you will receive an award.


star

star (canonical)
stars (third-person singular)
starred (past)
starred (past participle)
starring (present participle)

If you star in something, you are on of the main performers, usually in an entertainment program.

Brad Pitt will star in another movie next year.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie starred in "Mr. and Mrs. Smith".

If you star something, you mark it with a star or asterisk.

I starred question one because I got it correct.


teach

teach (canonical)
teaches (third-person singular)
taught (past)
taught (past participle)
teaching (present participle)

To help someone learn something. To tell someone how to do something.

Most parents try to teach their children to be nice.

She taught in a high school for 25 years.

Mr. Smith teaches grade-five English and history.


teaching

Something taught by an important person in religion or philosophy.

Many people follow the teachings of Confucius.

We shouldn't forget Jesus' teachings.

Teaching has seen many changes over the years.


soap

Soap is a solid or liquid that you use to wash things.

The soap slipped out of her hand in the shower.

We washed the dog with soap and water.

The soap bubbles filled the sink.


soap

soap (canonical)
soaps (third-person singular)
soaped (past)
soaped (past participle)
soaping (present participle)

If you soap something, you put soap on it.

I soaped her hair while my daughter splashed in the bath.


package

A package is something in a box, usually to send in the mail.

Some packages arrived from the post office.

She came home from the shops with a lot of packages.


package

package (canonical)
packages (third-person singular)
packaged (past)
packaged (past participle)
packaging (present participle)

If you package something, you put it in a box, usually to send it in the mail.

We packaged up the broken radio, and sent it back to the shop.


furthermore

You use furthermore to add more information to what was already said or written.

We believe that the project is possible. Furthermore, we believe that we can do it within a few months.


globe

A globe is a solid shaped like a ball, often with a map on it.

He spun the globe on his desk, looking for Japan.

People all around the globe love soccer.


tendency

A tendency is an inclination of something to behave in a particular way or to go in a particular direction.

He has a tendency to talk too much.

There's a general tendency for males to be bigger than females.


take

take (canonical)
takes (third-person singular)
took (past)
taken (past participle)
taking (present participle)

I took a walk with my dog. = I walked with my dog.

I'm going to take a rest. = I'm going to rest.

I go out after I take a shower. = I'll go out after I shower.

If you take something or someone, you bring them from one place to another.

I don't want this. Can you take it away, please?

My son was sick, so I took him to the doctor.

If x takes money, time, etc., you need to use that for x.

If we go to your house, it will take one hour.

That was fun, and it didn't take too much money.


take

A person's take is his view of something.

What is your take on that recent movie? Did you enjoy it?

A take is the reward or profit you get from doing something.

If help you with this task, I demand you give me part of your take.

A take is part of a performance which is recorded without a break.

The director was not happy with the first take, so we had to do it again.


false

false (positive)
falser (comparative)
falsest (superlative)

If something is false, it is not true or not real.

It is false that 2 + 2 = 5.

My grandfather takes out his false teeth at night.


till

In a period of time ending at a time someone says.

We will tell stories till it is time to sleep.


till

till (canonical)
tills (third-person singular)
tilled (past)
tilled (past participle)
tilling (present participle)


till

A till is cash register; a machine which counts sales in shops and stores the money.

The till contained one hundred dollars at the end of the day


system

A system is a group of things that work together; a way of doing something.

This coloured paper is part of my system for keeping lists of people.


sweet

sweet (positive)
sweeter (comparative)
sweetest (superlative)

If something is sweet, it tastes like sugar or fruit.

This cake is very sweet. I think you put much sugar in it.

A sweet person or thing pleases or is nice.

Thank you! It's very sweet of you to give me this.


sudden

sudden (positive)
more sudden (comparative)
most sudden (superlative)

Very quick; taking no time or almost no time, and being a surprise.

Not expecting the sudden change in the weather, he got rained on.

The car crash was very sudden.


surprise

surprise (canonical)
surprises (third-person singular)
surprised (past)
surprised (past participle)
surprising (present participle)

To do something that another person didn't think you were going to do.

You surprised me by coming here. I thought you were going to Jimmy's house.


surprise

A thing that surprises someone, mostly something good.

The number of apples on the tree this year is a surprise.


support

support (canonical)
supports (third-person singular)
supported (past)
supported (past participle)
supporting (present participle)

To keep something up; to be a base for something.

The four legs are supporting the table.

To give someone food and other things the person needs.

She has money, so she can support her children.


support

Support is something that keeps something up.

The posts in the house help support the roof.


summer

The part of the year when the weather is hot.

There is no school in the summer.


suggestion

An idea for something to do, that someone says to another person. The other person is free to do the thing or not do the thing.

I have a suggestion for you: have more fruit and you will be healthier.

/səˈd͡ʒɛstʃən/

/səɡˈd͡ʒɛstʃən/


substance

What a thing is made of; the essential or most important part of anything. Everything is made of substances.

Milk has water, sugar, fat and other substances in it.


stretch

stretch (canonical)
stretches (third-person singular)
stretched (past)
stretched (past participle)
stretching (present participle)

To pull; to move one end of something as far as possible from the other end.

He was big and the shirt was little, but he was able to stretch it and use it.

The Alps stretch from France to Austria.


stretch

A stretch is when a person pulls something.

John was stuck in jail for a ten-year stretch.

A statement is a stretch when it is changed or exaggerated from the truth.

That is a stretch! I do not think you are being entirely truthful to me.


street

A road in a city with buildings on the sides and places where people can walk.

I saw a woman with a dog walking down the street.


store

A store is a building with many things in it, where people can exchange money for things.

He went to the store to get some milk.


store

store (canonical)
stores (third-person singular)
stored (past)
stored (past participle)
storing (present participle)

To store something is to put something away, usually if it is not being used.

John stored his broken computer in his closet, to make room for his new computer.


stop

stop (canonical)
stops (third-person singular)
stopped (past)
stopped (past participle)
stopping (present participle)

He stopped after running 2 miles.

If you stop something or somebody, you prevent them from moving or doing something. You cause the person to cease moving or progressing.

The police tried to stop the criminal, but he was too fast.

If you stop doing something, you are not doing it anymore. You have ceased doing it.

I stopped playing video games and went back to working on my project.

If you stop, you come to the end of the time when one is doing something. You start doing a different thing or start doing nothing.


stop

A stop is a place where buses, cars, taxis, or other vehicles halt to let passengers board or leave (get on or off).


stone

A stone is a hard, solid piece of earth.

I do not have a hammer but I will use a stone to hammer the nail.


stone

stone (canonical)
stones (third-person singular)
stoned (past)
stoned (past participle)
stoning (present participle)

:
 This short section needs someone to add to it.


stocking

A piece of clothing made of thin cloth to cover the legs.

One of my stockings has a hole in it.


stocking

stock (canonical)
stocks (third-person singular)
stocked (past)
stocked (past participle)
stocking (present participle)


stitch

A stitch is a little circle of thread, used to join cloth together.

A stitch in time saves nine. (Fix a little hole in cloth with one stitch now, or the hole will be big and will need many stitches.)


stitch

stitch (canonical)
stitches (third-person singular)
stitched (past)
stitched (past participle)
stitching (present participle)

If you stitch something, you make stitches in it.


still

No one has fixed the oven -- It is still broken.


still

more still (comparative)
most still (superlative)
still (positive)
stiller (comparative)
stillest (superlative)

If something is still, it is not moving and resting in one place.

Sit still when you are in school.


sticky

sticky (positive)
stickier (comparative)
stickiest (superlative)

Able to join to things; hard to wash off. When you touch a sticky thing, some of it goes on your finger. People are able to use a sticky material to join things together.


step

step (canonical)
steps (third-person singular)
stepped (past)
stepped (past participle)
stepping (present participle)

When you walk, you step many times.

If you step on the ant, it will be dead.


step

Take one step forward to win the game.

He took three steps toward home plate and was ruled out.

A step is one of several actions or processes taken to achieve a goal.

Heating the oven is one step needed to bake bread.

A step is a surface used to walk upwards. Most often there are several steps, one above the other.

One must walk up the steps to get to the top of the building.


steel

A very strong metal made of iron and other substances mixed together.

All my pots for cooking are made of steel.


stem

A stem is a long, thin thing joining parts of a plant.

Put the stems of the flowers in this cup of water.

A stem is a narrow part of certain man-made objects, such as a tobacco pipe, a spoon.


stem

stem (canonical)
stems (third-person singular)
stemmed (past)
stemmed (past participle)
stemming (present participle)

If you stem soemthing, you remove the stem from it.

to stem cherries; to stem tobacco leaves

If a problem stems from an action, it is caused by or originates from the action.

The current crisis stems from the short-sighted politics of the previous government.


steam

A substance like air, made of water that is very hot.

The food is hot -- I see steam coming from the pot.


steam

steam (canonical)
steams (third-person singular)
steamed (past)
steamed (past participle)
steaming (present participle)


adverb

An adverb is a kind of word that generally modifies verbs and other words (but not nouns); adverbs usually answer questions such as how?, why? and to what extent?.

In the clause "Jane ran quickly," "quickly" is an adverb because it tells you how Jane ran.


statement

A statement is a claim someone makes that is true or false.

I don't agree with that statement.


stage

a high floor where some people perform while other people watch

The actors performed on the stage while the audience watched.

a vehicle, especially a horse-drawn coach, usually stagecoach

The stage arrived in Dodge City with Lola Montez on board.

We took a ride on the stagecoach at the amusement park.

The first stage in our trip to the moon will be the blast off.

Have you completed the first stage in your training?


stage

stage (canonical)
stages (third-person singular)
staged (past)
staged (past participle)
staging (present participle)

This producer stages shows around the world.

The producers will stage the new musical in New York, London, and Toronto.

The show was staged in Montreal before it opened in New York.

Producers are staging the show in several cities.


stamp

A little coloured square of paper that someone sticks to a letter when they want to send the letter.

The stamp goes in the upper right part of the outside of the letter.

Any embossed sign or mark on a document.

Deeds to a house have excise duty stamps attached.


stamp

stamp (canonical)
stamps (third-person singular)
stamped (past)
stamped (past participle)
stamping (present participle)

She stamped the sign of her company on the lower part of the letter.

To bring the heel of the foot sharply down on the floor.

She stamped her pretty little foot.


square

A square (￭) is a form with 4 equal sides and 4 equal angles.


square

square (positive)
squarer (comparative)
squarest (superlative)

If something is square, it is shaped like a sqaure.


square

square (canonical)
squares (third-person singular)
squared (past)
squared (past participle)
squaring (present participle)

If you square a number, you multiply it by itself. It is represented in math as x² where x is the number being squared.

3 squared is 9, because 3 times 3 is 9.


spring

A spring is a twisted metal thing that can stretch and push.

Spring is the part of the year before summer; the part of the year when it is getting warmer.

A spring is a place where water comes up out of the ground.


spring

spring (canonical)
springs (third-person singular)
sprang (past)
sprung (past participle)
springing (present participle)

If something springs, it jumps quickly and far.


sponge

A sponge is a soft thing with many holes that can keep much water in it. (One that grows in water, or one that is made by people and used for washing things.)

Use the sponge to clean up the water.


sponge

sponge (canonical)
sponges (third-person singular)
sponged (past)
sponged (past participle)
sponging (present participle)

Sponge means to take advantage of someone's kindness


statistics

Statistics are numbers about information.

New crime statistics show that the number of crimes is decreasing.

The government published new unemployment statistics for the month of June.

Statistics is the science of using and understanding those numbers.

To do research, it's important to understand simple statistics such as averages and standard deviations.

Statistics is a kind of mathematics.


chest

A type of box with a lid that you can lock.

He put his things in the chest.


statistic

New crime statistics that show the number of crimes is decreasing.

That statistic about the number of unemployment this month must be wrong.


patronising

patronising (positive)
more patronising (comparative)
most patronising (superlative)

If x is patronising towards y, x treats y as if y were less intelligent.

Often the tourist is hated for his patronising attitude towards the locals.


patronising

patronise (canonical)
patronises (third-person singular)
patronised (past)
patronised (past participle)
patronising (present participle)


patronizing

patronizing (positive)
more patronizing (comparative)
most patronizing (superlative)

If x is patronizing towards y, x treats y as if y were less intelligent.

Often the tourist is hated for his patronizing attitude towards the locals.


patronizing

patronize (canonical)
patronizes (third-person singular)
patronized (past)
patronized (past participle)
patronizing (present participle)


treat

treat (canonical)
treats (third-person singular)
treated (past)
treated (past participle)
treating (present participle)

If you treat someone in a certain way, you act that way towards them.

I hate it when my teacher treats me like a child.

He always treated her badly. No wonder she left him!

If you treat an illness or injury, you do things to make it better.

The doctor couldn't treat my finger until he saw the X-ray.

After the accident 29 people were treated in hospital for minor injuries.

If you treat something, you put something on it or do something to it protect or clean it.

The woods was treated with chemicals before being made into paper.


treat

A treat is something nice that you don't get often.

The occasional trip to a swimming pool is a real treat for most families.

The children had a special treat of ice cream and cake.


space

Space is area or room with nothing in it or that can be used.

Make a space between the tables so people can walk there.

We moved to the country to enjoy the open spaces.

Space is the black place in the sky where stars are.

The sun and the moon are in outer space.


space

space (canonical)
spaces (third-person singular)
spaced (past)
spaced (past participle)
spacing (present participle)

If you space two or more things, you put them apart, not together.

When you attach the wood, make sure the screws are evenly spaced, about 30 cm apart.

If you space (out), you stop paying attention or thinking.


song

A song is some music with words in verse.

That song sounds beautiful.


meanwhile

You use meanwhile to introduce a new topic happening at the same time as the old topic.

Sutton Coldfield won 2-0 away at Chelmsford. Meanwhile, Hightown were 3-0 winners against Clifton.

International students are here only to study English. Meanwhile, many immigrant students must also work and take care of their families.


meanwhile

The meanwhile is the time between two things.

Police are checking his story. In the meanwhile, he remains in jail.


immediately

If you do something immediately, you do it with no time or space between.

One car went by, immediately followed by a second at high speed.

Young man, I want this room cleaned up right now--immediately! Do you understand me?


immediately

Miss Mei-Ling will be arriving here at twelve forty-five. Let me know immediately she does.

Immediately I've done it I feel completely disgusted with myself.


meantime

The meantime is the time between two things.

Police are checking his story. In the meantime, he remains in jail.


fuck

fuck (canonical)
fucks (third-person singular)
fucked (past)
fucked (past participle)
fucking (present participle)

You say "fuck you" or "fuck that" to show that you are very angry or that you don't care.

Fuck you too, asshole.

Fuck that!

Look at that one. I'd like to fuck her.

If you say fuck off, you strongly want someone to leave you alone.

Fuck off, you!

If someone says they fuck with something, they mess with it. (Often someone says they "don't fuck with" something, which means they don't like or interact with it.)

I'm not going to fuck with the settings.


fuck

You say fuck when you are very angry or surprised about something.

Fuck! That hurts. Be careful with that shit.


fuck

You use the fuck to emphasise what you are saying.

What the fuck do you think you're doing? Get the fuck out of my stuff.

Gimme that, you stupid little fuck.

I gave her flowers and we had a great fuck.

A fuck is a person that you have sex with.

Is she your current fuck?

If you don't give a fuck, you don't care.

Look, don't tell me about your fucking problems. I couldn't give a fuck.


entertainment

Entertainment is things that you do, watch, read, or listen to for fun (e.g., movies, TV, music, games, etc.)

Stories provide entertainment, but they also can teach you things.

Most people in town go to the bar for entertainment.


classic

classic (positive)
more classic (comparative)
most classic (superlative)

Richard Branson is a classic example of success without schooling.

If something is classic, it has a long history and it is liked.

His clothes were a mixture of classic and modern styles.


classic

A classic is a book, play, song, etc. that has a long history and is liked.

Every time a classic like that comes on the radio, I just have to stop and listen.

This book has become a classic of Canadian fiction.

The classics are the language and art from ancient Rome and Greece.

You've never read Homer? Schools don't teach the classics these days.


sink

sink (canonical)
sinks (third-person singular)
sank (past)
sunk (past participle)
sinking (present participle)

If something sinks, it goes down, usually into water.

During the storm, two ships sank.

When he heard the news of the accident, his heart sank.

Stock prices sank 10% on the news of the loss.

She sank her teeth into the meat.


sink

A sink is a container for water to wash things in, usually with a drain.

The kitchen sink was always full of dirty dishes.

A sink is a device that removes heat or energy.

(technical) A liquid heat sink was developed for cooling electronic circuit.


tube

A tube is a long object with a hole from one end to the other. The ends may be closed or open.

The high pressure forces the water through the tube.

Toothpaste comes in a tube.

The Tube is the underground train system in London, England.


tube

tube (canonical)
tubes (third-person singular)
tubed (past)
tubed (past participle)
tubing (present participle)

If you tube, you float on an inner tube.

We went white-water tubing on the Yukon River.


in a hurry

If you are in a hurry you are rushing or you don't have much time.

She ran down the steps in a hurry and dropped her books.


hurry

hurry (canonical)
hurries (third-person singular)
hurried (past)
hurried (past participle)
hurrying (present participle)

After the speech, he had to hurry out the door to the waiting car.

I woke up late and had to hurry through breakfast.

My mother urged me to hurry. "You'll be late", she cried, "If you don't hurry!


publish

publish (canonical)
publishes (third-person singular)
published (past)
published (past participle)
publishing (present participle)

If you publish a book, an article, a song, etc. you make it available for other people to buy, read, listen to, etc.

The study was published in the British Medial Journal.

She publishes a monthly magazine.

The government published the results on the Internet.


slightly

The two pictures look very similar, but they are slightly different.

Sales for June were slightly higher than last year at £5.2m against £5.08m.


competition

Competition is a situation or event in which people or groups try to succeed over each other.

With increasing international competition, companies are cutting costs to survive.

Brazil will play in this year's World Cup competition in Italy.

The competition is the individual or group that is trying to succeed against you.

Because the competition has lowered prices, we have to do the same.

The competition has been preparing for this game all year.

/ˌkɒmpəˈtɪʃən/

/ˌkɑːmpəˈtɪʃən/


outcome

An outcome is the result of a situation or action.

The outcome of the race was different from what most people were expecting.

The most likely outcome of the war is a broken country with no leader.


measure

measure (canonical)
measures (third-person singular)
measured (past)
measured (past participle)
measuring (present participle)

If you measure something, you calculate its size, mass, temperature, etc. using units like centimetres, kilograms, degrees, etc.

Before clocks, time was measured by the movement of the moon and the sun.

Ireland's smallest church measures 3.6 cm by 1.8 m.


measure

A measure is something that you do, usually to solve a problem.

The police are taking all necessary measures to guarantee the safety of people.

A measure of something is a way to judge or assess it.

A measure of something is an amount of it.


law

Laws are the official rules of a government or organisation.

We have defined crime as behaviour which breaks the criminal law.

We believe that this law is wrong and we are not prepared to obey such a law.

The Kyoto treaty became law in 2005.


machine

A machine is a man-made object with moving parts.

I'm putting the clothes in the washing machine. Is there anything you want washed?

This new machine is the fastest computer I've ever had.


machine

machine (canonical)
machines (third-person singular)
machined (past)
machined (past participle)
machining (present participle)

If you machine something you fasten or shape it with a machine.


long

long (positive)
longer (comparative)
longest (superlative)

If something is long, it takes a lot of time.

At 3 hours and 24 minutes, it's a very long movie.

That was a long time ago, when I was a child.

How long is it until we have our trip?

He was often quiet for long periods of time.

If something is long, it has a large distance from end to end.

It belonged to a woman in her thirties with long brown hair.

The paper was about 20 cm long and 12 cm wide.

You can hear it across long distances.

She wore a long gray skirt with a black jacket.


long

If something takes long, it takes a lot of time.

We had dinner together not so long ago.

I do not know how long I was standing there.

She left home long before I did.

I could not go on any longer.

Those days are so long gone.

This change is long overdue.


long

long (canonical)
longs (third-person singular)
longed (past)
longed (past participle)
longing (present participle)

If you long for something, you wish for or really want it.

Carol still longs for David to come back to her even though she knows he has a new wife.


south

The direction opposite to north. For a person looking at the setting sun, the south is on their left hand.

The wind usually comes from the south.


south

One of the four compass directions: 180º from north. If you face south, the sun rises on your left.

Africa is South of Europe.


soft

soft (positive)
softer (comparative)
softest (superlative)

cotton is a soft cloth.

When metal is heated it gets soft.


metal

Metal is a hard material, often shiny and easy to conduct electricity. Gold, silver, and steel are examples of metals.

We replaced out our wood door with a stronger metal one.


different

different (positive)
more different (comparative)
most different (superlative)

If two or more things are different, they are not like each other, not the same. The two things have two sizes, not both the same size; they have two shapes, they don't both have one shape; they each have a color, not just one color for both things; or they are not the like each other in some other way.

The day and night are quite different.

My brother's bike is different from mine.


vehicle

A vehicle is something that moves people or things from one place to another, for example: cars, planes, boats, etc.

Bicycles and wheelchairs are allowed. All other vehicles must stay off the path.


solid

solid (positive)
more solid (comparative)
most solid (superlative)

If something is solid, it is hard and keeps its shape.

When he went out in the morning, the water had frozen solid.

After it has cooled, the solid gold is moved to a safer place.

If something is solid x, its only material is x.

Copper mixed with silver made a much cheaper spoon than solid silver.

If something is solid, it has not spaces inside or between.

The traffic was a solid line of cars as far as you could see.

The wall looked solid, but when he knocked it made a hollow sound.

If something is solid, it is good and will not break or change easily.

Don't worry about the chair. It's solid as a rock.

The police had enough solid evidence to put him in jail.


solid

A solid is a material which keeps its shape. It is not a liquid (like water) or a gas (like air).


smooth

smooth (positive)
smoother (comparative)
smoothest (superlative)

Smooth feels pleasant and flat when you touch it; not rough.

He felt the smooth skin on her cheek.

A smooth liquid would have no lumps in it.

He mixed the flour and water until it was smooth.


sock

Something made of cloth that covers a foot and is able to go inside a shoe.

These socks don't fit my feet.


sock

sock (canonical)
socks (third-person singular)
socked (past)
socked (past participle)
socking (present participle)

To hit someone or something very hard or violently.

Jack really socked that guy hard.

To deliver a hard hit to someone or something.

They may let you off the first time, but the second time they'll sock it to you—James Jones


smile

smile (canonical)
smiles (third-person singular)
smiled (past)
smiled (past participle)
smiling (present participle)

To put one's mouth in a form which shows that one is happy; to have the sides of one's mouth higher than the middle.

She smiled at me. I think she likes me!


smile

The act of smiling; the form of one's mouth when one is smiling.

A visit to the fair always brings a smile to my face.


hospital

A building for sick people, with doctors and nurses.

Mary had an accident. She will be in hospital for a week.


thousand

Julius Caesar lived about two thousand years ago.


thousand

Ten hundreds is a thousand.


hundred

There are a hundred centimeters in a meter.


hundred

Ten tens is a hundred.


ten

We have ten fingers and ten toes.


ten

Two fives is ten.


two

ordinal second) The number 2. Two means more than one and less than three.

We have two eyes and two ears.


two

One and one is two.


three

A triangle has three sides.


three

One and two is three.


four

ordinal fourth) The number 4. Four is one more than three and one less than five.

We have four fingers and one thumb on each hand.


four

Two and two is four.


six

ordinal sixth) Six is the number that is after five and before seven. In numerals, it is 6.

Most people sleep from six to nine hours a night.


six

Three and three is six.


seven

There are seven days in one week.


seven

Three and four is seven.


eight

ordinal eighth) The number eight is one more than seven and one less than nine.

Most people work about eight hours a day.


eight

Four and four is eight.


nine

ordinal ninth) Nine is the number that is after eight and before ten. It can be written as 9.

Children study in school about nine months a year.


nine

Ten minus one is nine.


valid

valid (positive)
more valid (comparative)
most valid (superlative)

If something is valid, it is correct, appropriate, and acceptable.

I'm sorry sir, your driver's license is not valid.

I think we should listen to her. She makes a valid argument.

To log in, you need a valid password.


mistake

A mistake is something that is done wrong or is incorrect.

I made a misteak in spelling 'grammar', g-r-a-m-m-E-r.

It's a mistake to think that everyone wants the same things.

There were only two mistakes on my test.

I wanted to phone Jose, but I phoned Petra by mistake.


mistake

mistake (canonical)
mistakes (third-person singular)
mistook (past)
mistaken (past participle)
mistaking (present participle)

If you mistake something, you think it is different from what it really is.

I mistook her voice for the voice of her sister.

I completely mistook your meaning. I thought you were talking about tomorrow.


extreme

extreme (positive)
more extreme (comparative)
most extreme (superlative)

Extreme means to a very high degree far beyond what is usual.

This disease usually causes mild illness, but in extreme cases can cause death.

Few animals can live in the extreme cold of the far north.


extreme

An extreme is a situation or idea taken to its limit, especially with two opposites.

When there is a crime, you have a range of choices. At one extreme you can do nothing. At the other extreme, you can kill the person.


smell

smelled (past)
smelled (past participle)
smell (canonical)
smells (third-person singular)
smelt (past)
smelt (past participle)
smelling (present participle)

If you smell something, you use the nose to sense it.

She put her nose near the flowers and breathed in to smell them.

She smelled the waste and felt sick.

If something smells, it gently put a substance that people can smell into the air.

The flowers smell very good.

The waste smells bad.


smell

The way a thing smells; the substance in the air that people can smell.

The smell of the flowers is very good.


trend

A trend is a general movement or change in one direction.

We expect the current upward trend in the use of our services to continue.

There seems to be a new trend towards longer, looser clothing.

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-trend.wav


trend

trend (canonical)
trends (third-person singular)
trended (past)
trended (past participle)
trending (present participle)

If something trends in one direction, it generally moves or changes in that direction.

While most fuel prices are trending higher, natural gas prices should go down in 2006.


delay

Computer problems caused a long delay in the meeting.

Train A62 will be leaving in 15 minutes. We apologize for the delay.


delay

delay (canonical)
delays (third-person singular)
delayed (past)
delayed (past participle)
delaying (present participle)

If you delay, you wait until a later time or cause something to be late.

We have decided to delay the changes to give people more time.

The train was delayed by mechanical problems.

We only have a few spots left, so don't delay.


solve

solve (canonical)
solves (third-person singular)
solved (past)
solved (past participle)
solving (present participle)

If you solve a problem, you fix it or deal with it.

"My kids always make a mess of my computer." "Well, you can easily solve the problem by not allowing them to use it."

If you solve a question, you find a correct answer.

In the equation 3x²+x-2=0 we can solve for x.


silver

A metal with a near white colour and high value and the symbol Ag.

He paid with a silver dollar.

Her hair turned silver as she got older.

Jenny had three coppers and one silver.

A utensil or piece of cutlery made with silver; silverware

Mom put out the good silver for Christmas.


tradition

A tradition is something that has been done in the same way for a long time.

Despite a long tradition of education, there is still a lack of qualified teachers

They continue the tradition of winter football which started in the 1800s.

Tradition says that we need a drink before the speech.


dominant

dominant (positive)
more dominant (comparative)
most dominant (superlative)

If something is dominant, it is larger, stronger, or more powerful than other things.

In society, the dominant class holds power by using the lower classes.

Microsoft is still dominant in operating systems and other software.


dominant

A dominant is the fifth note of a musical scale of eight notes.

In the C Major scale, the dominant is the G.


Christmas

Christmas is a Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Christ, usually on Dec. 25.

Santa put lots of presents under the Christmas tree.

I've got a week's holiday around Christmas time.


appreciate

appreciate (canonical)
appreciates (third-person singular)
appreciated (past)
appreciated (past participle)
appreciating (present participle)

If you appreciate something, you understand its value or its qualities

It's hard to appreciate how difficult the job is until you try it yourself.

If you appreciate something, you feel thankful for it.

Thanks so much for your help! I really appreciate the gift.

If something appreciates, its value increases.

It is amazing how much the value of my house has appreciated. Hopefully, it will continue to increase, as I am thinking of selling it in five to ten years.


attitude

Your attitude is your feelings and opinions, especially when your actions show how you feel.

He has a really bad attitude towards work.

A positive attitude can make life a lot easier.

The attitude of an aircraft is the orientation of it that is relative to the horizon or direction of motion.


specify

specify (canonical)
specifies (third-person singular)
specified (past)
specified (past participle)
specifying (present participle)

If you specify something, you say exactly which one or how to do something.

The referee will restart play with a drop ball as specified in the law 2.

We're supposed to meet here on Tuesday, but we forgot to specify a time.

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-specify.wav


socks

The plural form of sock; more than one (kind of) sock.


stupid

stupider (comparative)
stupidest (superlative)
stupid (positive)
more stupid (comparative)
most stupid (superlative)

If something or someone is stupid, it shows a lack of clear thought.

I'm so angry. That was a stupid mistake.

Don't be stupid. Of course it's true.


smash

smash (canonical)
smashes (third-person singular)
smashed (past)
smashed (past participle)
smashing (present participle)

If you smash something, you break it into many small parts.

He used a hammer to smash the glass of the window.


smash

A smash is a new and very successful book, movie, song, etc.

The loud smash made them feel fear, but it was only some plates falling.


confused

confused (positive)
more confused (comparative)
most confused (superlative)

If a person or situation is confused, things are unclear or you do not understand.

The teacher tried to explain it, but now I feel more confused than before.

The book is terrible. It's full of bad writing and confused examples.


confused

confuse (canonical)
confuses (third-person singular)
confused (past)
confused (past participle)
confusing (present participle)

The past tense and past participle of confuse.

You confused me when you said you're "dead tired".


fool

A fool is a person who does or thinks stupid things.

I made a fool of myself by forgetting her birthday.

Don't be a fool. You can't lift that. You'll hurt yourself.


fool

fool (canonical)
fools (third-person singular)
fooled (past)
fooled (past participle)
fooling (present participle)

If you fool someone, you make them believe something that is not true.

I was fooled by an e-mail into opening a computer virus.


instant

She looked at me and for an instant, I thought she was her mother.

Instant x is x that is ready, or happens, very quickly (in an instant).

I don't like instant coffee, but that's usually what I drink.

With his first book, he was an instant success.


instance

An instance of something is a time or situation when it happens.

In this particular instance, the computer was the problem, not the user.

There have been many instances of cheating that were not caught.


interference

Interference is something, especially an action, that makes it difficult to achieve a goal.

The police were unable to arrest him because of government interference.

The manager should let his workers make these decisions without any interference at all.

Iran passes the ball without any interference from England.


imply

imply (canonical)
implies (third-person singular)
implied (past)
implied (past participle)
implying (present participle)

If you imply something, you mean it, but you don't say it directly.

By saying I should exercise more, she implied that I'm fat.

What does it imply about him if he uses bad language all the time?


shift

shift (canonical)
shifts (third-person singular)
shifted (past)
shifted (past participle)
shifting (present participle)

The talk about crime has to be shifted from causes to solutions.

The desert sands are constantly shifting.

Let's shift our seats so we can see the stage better.


shift

There has been a major shift in thinking about how to deal with this.

A shift is the time that workers start and finish work.

I'm working the night shift this week.

The shift key on a computer changes from small to big letters.


holy

holy (positive)
holier (comparative)
holiest (superlative)

If something is holy, it is very religious or good and important in a religion.

They believe the birthplace of their is holy land.


holy shit

You use holy shit when you are surprised.

Holy shit! That was a big explosion.

/ˌhəʊli ˈʃɪt/


shit

shit (positive)
shitter (comparative)
shittest (superlative)


shit

You use "shit" when you are surprised, afraid, or angry.

Shit! I forgot my keys in my car.


shit

Shit is waste that comes out of the anus.

The yard in front of their house was always covered with dog shit.

I drank that shit one time and was sick as hell.

Shit is stuff in general, physical things, actions, ideas, etc.

Stop that shit, it's bugging me.

Get your shit out of my room.


shit

shitted (past)
shitted (past participle)
shit (past)
shit (past participle)
shit (canonical)
shits (third-person singular)
shat (past)
shat (past participle)
shitting (present participle)

When you shit, you push feces out of your anus.

Your dog should stop shitting on my lawn!


a bit

I like to put a bit of sugar in my coffee.

A bit can be used to mean some or slightly.

That hat is a bit small for him.

Could you move that up a bit?


frozen

frozen (positive)
more frozen (comparative)
most frozen (superlative)

Can you get some frozen peas out of the freezer?

I need some gloves. My hands are frozen.

If something is frozen it is solid and can't move.


frozen

freeze (canonical)
freezes (third-person singular)
froze (past)
frozen (past participle)
freezing (present participle)

The past tense and past participle of freeze.


stairs

The plural form of stair; more than one (kind of) stair.

Stairs are steps to help you go to a different level; stairs can help you get up to another level or can help you get down to another level.

She climbed the stairs up to her bedroom.

The ball rolled down the stairs and into the basement.


bake

bake (canonical)
bakes (third-person singular)
baked (past)
baked (past participle)
baking (present participle)

If you bake something, you cook it with dry heat all around it, usually in an oven.

Bake the cake at 325 °F for 25 minutes.


confuse

If you confuse someone, they don't understand what you have said or done.

Instead of helping me to learn it, he just confused me more.

If you confuse some things, you mix them up in your mind.

Try not to confuse accept with except.


satisfied

satisfied (positive)
more satisfied (comparative)
most satisfied (superlative)

If you are satisfied, you feel happy that you have enough.

A satisfied customer will usually come back to your shop in the future.

I feel satisfied with the progress my students are making.


satisfied

satisfy (canonical)
satisfies (third-person singular)
satisfied (past)
satisfied (past participle)
satisfying (present participle)

The past tense and past participle of satisfy.


shower

A shower is a place with water spraying down to clean something.

I got up, went to the toilet, and jumped in the shower.

I usually have a shower before going to work.

Today, it will be cloudy with occasional showers.


shower

shower (canonical)
showers (third-person singular)
showered (past)
showered (past participle)
showering (present participle)

If you shower, you spray water on your body to clean yourself.

After his workout, he showered quickly and then got dressed.


tobacco

Tobacco is a plant that is used to make cigarettes.

Tobacco advertising is illegal to help reduce smoking.


frightened

frighten (canonical)
frightens (third-person singular)
frightened (past)
frightened (past participle)
frightening (present participle)

The past tense and past participle of frighten.

The dog frightened the baby when it started to bark.


frightened

frightened (positive)
more frightened (comparative)
most frightened (superlative)

If someone is frightened, they feel scared.

Most children are frightened of the dark.

I was frightened by a loud noise.

The frightened deer ran into the woods.


suspicion

A suspicion is a feeling that something, often bad, might be true.

She had a growing suspicion that he had forgotten to lock his door.

He was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Deep suspicion towards foreigners is sadly common here.


grave

grave (positive)
graver (comparative)
gravest (superlative)

If a problem or situation is grave, it is bad and serious.

She's in danger, Frank. Grave danger. Aren't you willing to do anything to help her?

If a person looks or acts grave, they look serious and worried.

He looked very grave indeed, and sat staring quiety at his table-full of papers.

A grave accent is the mark over the e shown here: è.


grave

A grave is the place where a dead body is buried in the earth.

If your pet has died, you may be too upset to dig the grave.


translate

translate (canonical)
translates (third-person singular)
translated (past)
translated (past participle)
translating (present participle)

If you translate something from one language to another, you change the words and sentences into the other language.

It's not enough to translate word for word.

The book has sold over 20 million copies and been translated into over 60 languages.

If x translates into y, x causes or leads to y.

For a golfer, if you're not calm, that can translate into a bad shot.

If something translates, it applies or can be used in a new way or situation.

His experience as a police officer doesn't translate well to running a company.


combination

A combination is an item or group made of different things or kinds of things.

Any combination of these factors increases the risk dramatically.

Combination is the process of putting two or more things together.


material

Material is the things or ideas that are used in making or doing something.

The raw materials for the goods are mostly imported from Canada.

After the earthquake, it took a long time to rebuild because the building materials were often unavailable.

He spent a year researching and gathering material before writing the book.

/məˈtɪərɪəl/


material

material (positive)
more material (comparative)
most material (superlative)

Material things are things in the real world, often money.

If something is material, it is big and important.

/məˈtɪərɪəl/


unique

unique (positive)
more unique (comparative)
most unique (superlative)

If something is unique, it is one of a kind; it is unmatched.

When the school for the deaf opened, it was unique in Europe.

Of course, the problem is not unique to this country.

If something is unique, it is rare or unusual.

Oh, thank you! What a unique gift!

Living in Japan was a unique experience.


suspect

suspect (canonical)
suspects (third-person singular)
suspected (past)
suspected (past participle)
suspecting (present participle)

If you suspect something, you feel that something, often bad, is probably true.

I suspect you've already erased the file, have you?

If you suspect someone or something, you don't trust them, or you think something is their fault.

The chemical is no longer used because it is suspected of causing cancer.

Hassan strongly suspected that he had something to do with Wolfgang Klein's death.


suspect

A suspect is a person or thing who you believe committed a crime or caused something.

He was the police's prime suspect in the crime.