approximate:  general, a good guess, not exact
Those numbers are approximate; nobody knows exactly how many people saw it.
I can only give you an approximate time; I didn’t have my watch on.

counterfeit:  not real, made to look like a real one
The police seized $2.4 million in counterfeit $100 bills.
They bought several hundred counterfeit CDs in Singapore.

courteous:  polite
She has always been courteous when I’ve been with her.
It’s important to be courteous with others, especially those in your neighborhood.

efficient:  getting a good result in a short time
I know he’s expensive, but he’ll do the job in half the time; he very efficient.
That’s not the most efficient way to deal the cards.  Here, let me show you.

imperfect:  having something wrong with it, not perfect
He’s had imperfect vision since he was a child.
All systems of government are imperfect in some way.

magical:  as if produced by magic, fantastic
The change from the person she used to be was magical. 
His proposal to her was a magical moment she will never forget.

massive:  really really big and heavy
It took four of them to move the massive sofa to the other side of the room.
Your grandmother had a massive stroke and died within minutes.

patient:  able to wait or do boring things without getting upset
She runs an excellent daycare because she’s patient with the children.
She’s in a coma now, so we must be patient.

priceless:  unable to be bought for any amount of money
My daughter’s joy on her wedding day was priceless.
The Mona Lisa is a priceless work of art.

prompt:  on time, not late
The meeting starts at 8:30, and the manager wants us to be prompt.
His reply was prompt; he refused the man’s invitation and walked away.

ridiculous:  really really stupid
You’ve just been arrested; wipe that ridiculous smile off your face!
Don’t be ridiculous; I would never lie to you.

strict:  following the rules exactly, without choice
She is on a strict diet of fruits and vegetables.
There are strict laws against smoking in any public building.

trivial:  of very little importance
It is no trivial matter that she got accepted at Yale University.
The brothers are always arguing over trivial things, like which channel to watch.

vital:  absolutely necessary for life
It is vital that you tell your brother to come say goodbye to his father.
Her surgery is near some of her vital organs, including the heart.

worthy:  deserving, as good as or better
She has worked hard and she’s worthy of your support, so please vote.
I don’t know if Peter will win today; he’s up against a worthy opponent.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

artificial:    made by humans, not natural
This candy has artificial colors and flavors.
After the accident, he got an artificial leg.

circular:    in the shape of a circle
Be careful with that circular saw.  You can lose a finger.
He cleaned the windows using a circular motion.

daily:    happening every day
Do you read the daily newspaper?
I always take my daily vitamins .

enormous:    very large
His feet are enormous.
The Rocky Mountains are an enormous range.

entire:    all, whole
I can’t believe I ate the entire cake.
The entire school welcomed the returning war hero.

fancy:    much better than ordinary
She made a fancy dinner for her in-laws.
I think I’ll wear something fancy on my date.

forgetful:    not able to remember
She’s becoming more and more forgetful.
When I’m very busy, I sometimes become forgetful.

hilarious:    very funny
That was a hilarious speech you gave to the students.
It’s hilarious that you can’t remember your own phone number.

miserable:    very uncomfortable or uneasy
It’s been raining for 3 days.  I don’t like this miserable weather.
Everyone feels miserable when they have a cold.

narrow:    thin, not wide
His truck is too wide for these narrow streets.
Her hair is brown and her nose is narrow.

obedient:    doing what you are told to do
I trained my dog well, and now he’s very obedient.
What an obedient child you have!

plentiful:    lots, much, many
The apples on my tree are plentiful this year.
The fish are plentiful in this lake.

reckless:    careless, unconcerned about results
My friend is a reckless driver, and it scares me.
He is reckless with his money.

stubborn:    not wanting to change your mind
When she gets stubborn, she won’t listen to you.
He wants to have dinner at 6:00, and he’s stubborn about it.

wealthy:    rich, having a lot
There are many wealthy people living in Vancouver.
He has a wealthy knowledge of history.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot