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abandon:  to leave and never go back
The family abandoned the farm and moved to the city.
When it started to sink, everyone abandoned the ship.

back:  to support with help or money
Most of the students backed Gina for class president.
His father backed him in his new business.

celebrate:  to have fun because of a good result or special event
We’re celebrating his birthday this Friday after work.
After he got the job, he and his wife went out to celebrate.

cope:  to be okay in a new situation
He couldn’t cope with the changes in his job, so he quit.
How did you cope with the death of your father?

deteriorate:  to get worse in quality, decay
Her grandmother’s health started to deteriorate after she fell in the shower.
Plastic does not deteriorate as fast as wood.

enable:  to make it possible to do something
Cell phones enable people to keep in touch more easily.
Her knowledge of German enabled her to understand the conversation.

found:  to establish something new
Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres) was founded in 1971.
The group finally succeeded in founding a non-profit organization to feed the poor.

insist:  to be firm about a demand
If you insist, I will refund your money.
He insisted that his wife have dinner on the table at 6:00 every day.

mumble:  to say something unclearly in a low voice
After she left, he mumbled something that I couldn’t understand.
Stop mumbling and tell me what you want.

penalize:  to punish, give a penalty to
The team was penalized for delaying the game.
Students who miss the deadline will be penalized.

puncture:  to make a hole in
The sharp rocks punctured his tire.
Try not to puncture any of the balloons.

rot:  to spoil, decay
The apples have started to rot.
Sugar will rot your teeth if you don’t brush.

socialize:  to be with people in a friendly way
On Facebook you can socialize with people you hardly know.
She doesn’t socialize with people she works with.

swap:  to give something in exchange for something else
At school the children like to swap sandwiches.
He swapped his old cell phone for a pair of running shoes.

whistle:  to make a high sound using your lips and tongue
If you need me, whistle and I’ll come immediately.
He whistles while he works around the house.

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

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

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ashamed:  feeling guilty or disapproving for a wrong action
He felt ashamed for not believing her.
She was ashamed of her alcoholic father.

complete:  100%, entire, whole, having all the parts
The kitchen was a complete mess after all the cooking.
Is this list of guests complete, or did you miss someone?

damaged:  a little broken or harmed and no longer perfect.
When the coffee table arrived from the store, it was damaged.
This cell phone is damaged, so you should go get your money back.

embarrassed:  feeling like you or someone close to you has done something wrong
She was embarrassed that she forgot his birthday.
He was embarrassed about his alcoholic father.

frightened:  feeling like you’re in danger, afraid
His little brother is frightened of the dark, so he keeps a night light on.
The frightened cat ran under the sofa.

handy:  easy to use because it’s close by
I always have a handy tissue in my pocket.
Do you have a screwdriver handy so I can replace these batteries?

immediate:  quickly following, instant
His reply to the reporter’s question was immediate.
There was an immediate reaction to the medication.

normal:  usual, regular, natural
She’s a student of normal intelligence.
The normal thing to say when someone does you a favor is “thank-you.”

practical:  useful, best thing for the job
Basic mathematics is a very practical knowledge that you’ll use everyday.
It’s not practical to carry all those heavy books to school and home everyday.

several:  more than a few but not many
There are several things we could do to make this website better.
The Van Gogh paintings are going to be in the art gallery for several weeks.

strange:  unusual, odd, unknown
It felt strange to be the only person in the movie theatre.
They were going to make their home in this new, strange land.

useless:  not able to do what is needed
I find this medicine useless against my headache.
He made a useless attempt to fix the leak in the roof.

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

 

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

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adorable:  cute and lovable
What an adorable child you have.
John and Julia are an adorable couple.

blind:  not able to see
Are you blind?  I’m standing right here!
He is blind to the opportunity I’m offering him.

comfortable:  feeling good and relaxed
This is a very comfortable office chair.
I don’t feel comfortable when your mother is here.

deep:  far down from the surface
They had to dig a deep well to find water.
The ship sank in deep water

flat:  horizontal, smooth, without high or low areas
I need a flat surface so I can sign my name on this paper.
Everywhere he looked, the ground was flat, which was perfect for farming.

gentle:  careful, soft, not rough
They could feel a warm, gentle wind on their faces.
He chose the most gentle horse for his daughter to ride.

important:  needing more attention than other things
Please listen.  I have an important announcement to make.
The scientist made an important discovery.

lazy:  not wanting to work, idle
His teacher says he’s a lazy student and could do much better if he tried.
My lazy friends don’t want to help me move this weekend.

odd:  strange, unusual
That’s odd.  I’m sure I left my keys on this table, but they aren’t here.
She has an odd habit of sucking on her hair when she’s working.

rotten:  not able to be eaten, over-ripe
One of the apples was rotten, so he had to throw it out.
I know the banana is brown, but it’s not rotten.

simple:  easy to understand
It’s a simple question.  Were you home last night?
Math in elementary school is quite simple.

weak:  with little energy, not strong
His doctor told him not to do any hard exercise because of his weak heart.
When she got sick, she was so weak that she had to stay in bed all day.

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

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

The file you specified does not exist.

average:  typical, common, ordinary
The average person in the world earns about a thousand dollars a month.
The average rainfall or snowfall in Canada is about 540 centimeters a year.

bright:  with lots of light, shiny
This room is very bright with all these windows.
It was too bright in the sunlight to read a book.

clever:  intelligent and able to learn things quickly
Some cats are clever enough to open doors by turning the doorknob.
All her teachers say she’s a clever little girl who will have lots of success in life.

crooked:  bent, curved, not straight
His nose is crooked because of a fight he had last year.
They followed a crooked path through the forest.

difficult:  hard to do, not easy
It was difficult to move the sofa upstairs, but we did it.
She had a difficult birth that lasted over 25 hours.

famous:  know by many people
His father is a famous Canadian hockey player.
This restaurant is famous for its cheesecake.

harmful:  bad for the body, causing injury or illness
If you drink alcohol with that medication, it can be harmful.
Junk food is harmful to your health.

messy:  with no order, not neat
Her handwriting is very messy.
You boys, go clean your messy rooms before dinner.

original:  the first one
That’s an original painting by Van Gogh.
Thomas Edison had many original ideas.

regular:  usual. normal, habitual
They’re regular customers at that restaurant.
She’s a regular guest at all his parties.

straight:  with no bend, not curved, direct
They need a straight road to race their cars on.
I want you to come straight home after school.

ugly:  unpleasant to look at, having no beauty
I don’t like that kind of dog.  I find it very ugly.
I would never buy that ugly rug.

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

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

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

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alive:  full of life, with life
He was lucky to be alive after a terrible car accident.
When I’m dancing, I feel alive .

cheap:  costing or charging very little money
I lost my watch, but it was a cheap one, so I don’t care.
They like to shop in cheap stores.

dangerous:  able to cause harm
She’s a dangerous driver when it’s dark outside.
It’s dangerous to leave your toys on the stairs. 

fresh:  newly made, not old
Is the milk in the fridge still fresh?
We like to eat fresh fruit everyday.

huge:  very big, large
He has trouble buying shoes for his huge feet.
I have a huge favor to ask of you.

loose:  not touching hard, not tight
These pants are too loose, so I need a belt.
Hi necktie was loose and his sleeves were rolled up.

modern:  of the present time
This kitchen is not very modern, so we’ll have to update it.
I don’t l modern art very much.

private:  not to be shared with anyone else
Do you mind?  This is a private conversation.
let’s keep this private, just between you and me.

ripe:  ready to eat (fruit), mature
Those green bananas will be ripe in a couple days.
The peaches on our tree are turning ripe.

shy:  lacking confidence in oneself
She won’t talk to boys because she’s too shy.
It’s hard to believe, but the movie star was shy when he was a  boy.

tight:  fitting too closely, pushing on the skin
I’m not going to buy these shoes; they’re too tight.
His belt was too tight, so he had to loosen it.

worried:  afraid that something bad has happened or will happen
He was worried that his boss would fire him.
Her parents are always worried when she goes out at night.

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

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attend:  to be part of a gathering (a class, a concert, a meeting)
She doesn’t attend this class any more.
I have to attend a meeting, so I can’t stay very long.

chase:  to run and try to catch
The police chased the man for three blocks before they caught him.
He chased after the bus, but it left before he got there.

climb:  to go up (a tree, a mountain, stairs)
Because the elevator was broken, they had to climb the stairs to their apartment.
The boy climbed every tree in the neighborhood.

connect:  to put things together, join
We have to connect this chord to the back of the TV.
They’re building a bridge to connect the island with the mainland.

drip:  to fall in drops, to leak
The kitchen tap drips continuously.
After the shower the rain dripped off the trees.

load:  to put on or into (something)
It takes them about 24 hours to load the ship with grain.
The students loaded their backpacks with food.

place:  to put (somewhere)
She placed the flowers in the center of the table.
You can feel the baby if you place your hand on her stomach.

punish:  to give a penalty for doing something wrong
Your son must be punished for lying to you.
She punished her daughter by taking away her cell phone for a week.

rub:  to touch a surface with a strong continuous motion
I don’t like these shoes because they rub my heels.
She rubbed her hands together to make them warm.

share:  to use equally
The sisters share a bedroom.
No, I won’t share my dessert with you.

spend:  to give money to buy (something)
We have to stop spending so much money.
How much did you spend on this coat?

stick:  to make stay in one position
She stuck the photo on the wall with tape.
We will stick these paper stars to the ceiling with glue.

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

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

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

The file you specified does not exist.

become: to change or grow to be
When he heard his name called, he became nervous.
You will become a better student if you learn how to study.

bump: to hit with a little force
Coming out of the parking space, he bumped the car behind him.
She bumped her head on the table and had to go to the hospital.

charge: to ask for payment, put on a credit card
He only charged me $10 to fix my tire.
Since I don’t have the cash, I’ll have to charge it.

decorate: to make fancy with beautiful additions
We need to decorate this room for the party tonight.
The school decorated the walls with art that the students made.

deliver: to bring to someone
The post office will deliver that package for you.
Does the restaurant deliver pizza or do we have to go there?

harm: to hurt, injure
She harmed her plants by not watering them for two weeks.
Too much sun can harm your skin.

join: to become part of
We would love you to join us for coffee after class.
At age eighteen, he joined the navy.

obey: to do what someone else tells you to do
Children should always obey their parents.
If you don’t obey the rules, you will be asked to leave.

scrub: to clean by rubbing hard
She scrubbed the floor on her hands and knees for hours.
The child scrubbed the dirt off his hands.

snore: to make a loud breathing noise while sleeping
Her husband sleeps in another bedroom because he snores all night.
Many students fell asleep and some snored during class.

tease:   to playfully make someone feel bad.
The boy was teased at school for not being athletic.
The boy is always teasing his little sister.

wonder: to think about possibilities
I wonder what she’s doing right now?
She’ll always wonder if he was the right one.

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

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

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

The file you specified does not exist.

bathe: to get washed in a tub
She bathes her baby everyday.
He only bathes once a week.

bury: to put in the ground after death
They buried him next to his wife.
He told me he wanted to be buried in his home country.

clear: to make empty
The police cleared the room after the shooting.
Everyone should help to clear the table after dinner.

cough: to quickly and noisily expel air
He coughed as he entered the smoky room.
The first time she tried a cigarette, she coughed continually.

excuse: to forgive, overlook
Please excuse me. I must leave now.
She excused herself for making him wait.

fool: to make someone believe something false, trick
She had to fool him to get him to his own surprise birthday party.
He fooled me into believing that I was too late.

knock: to hit with your knuckles to make noise
I wonder who is knocking on my front door.
Knock three times on the floor if you want me to come up.

polish: to make shiny
I asked you to polish the piano last week. Did you do it?
He should polish his shoes before going to his interview.

retire: to stop working because of age or finances.
He retired after selling his Internet company.
Do you plan to retire when you reach the age of 65?

scream: to make a loud, high sound
She screamed in surprise as her boyfriend got down on one knee.
He heard someone scream next door, so he called the police.

slip: to slide by accident
I slipped on the ice and fell on my face.
The soap slipped from her hands and fell into the sink.

tow: to pull
They towed her car to the nearest service station.
He always had a place to sleep because of the trailer he towed behind his car.

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

The file you specified does not exist.

appear: to become visible or real
As we turned the corner, a beautiful moon appeared.
It appears that we’re going to have to wait a little longer.

crawl: to move on hands and knees
We crawled closer to the edge of the cliff and looked down.
You have to crawl before you can walk.

divide: to separate into equal parts
We should divide all the work so we finish by the end of the day.
If you divide 60 by 12, you get 5.

escape: to get free (of someone or something)
The two men escaped from jail last weekend.
The family moved here to escape the violence of their former country.

hope: to want very much
I hope he’ll be happy with his new car.
We hope she gets well soon.

peel: to take the outside off
She always cries when she peels an onion.
You can’t eat a banana unless you peel it first.

remind: to help someone remember something
She reminded me of my appointment this afternoon.
Let me remind you that you got into trouble the last time you tried that.

spill: to cause something to fall out of the top of a container
The children spilled milk all over the kitchen table.
I tried not to spill any salt, but I got some on the floor.

squeeze: to put pressure on the outside, hug
I can’t squeeze hard enough to open this bottle. Can you help me?
When she started crying, he squeezed her tight.

train: to teach, instruct
He trained his dog to roll over and play dead.
They trained their children to be polite at all times.

twist: to move in a circular motion
She twisted her body around to look behind her.
He twisted the thief’s arm until he dropped his wallet.

wrap: to enclose something with paper, cloth, etc.
She wrapped the package in brown paper before mailing it.
Aren’t you going to wrap that present before you give it to her?

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

The file you specified does not exist.

agree: have the same opinion
I’m afraid I don’t agree with you.
She finally got him to agree to a small wedding.

belong: be owned
That cell phone belongs to my friend.
Who does this sweater belong to?

cheer: to yell in appreciation
The whole school cheered at the good news.
Everyone cheered when the football team ran on the field.

clap: to hit one’s hands together in appreciation
At the end of his speech, the audience clapped politely.
The children clapped their hands in time to the music.

discover: to find out something new
She discovered that he was seeing another woman.
They hope to discover a cure for this disease.

face: to look at directly
He had to face his fear and talk to his boss.
You need to face the truth that she doesn’t love you anymore.

happen: to occur, take place
What happened to your hand?
Sometimes bad things happen to good people.

pause: to stop for a short time
She paused at the curb before crossing the street.
Pause that video for a moment. I’ve got something to tell you.

search: to look for, try to find
They searched the woods for the missing child.
She searched Google for information about her new boyfriend.

steal: to wrongfully take
Many office workers steal little things from their company, like paperclips.
Someone is always stealing my candy from my desk drawer.

surprise: to experience (something) unexpected
He surprised her with a beautiful engagement ring.
It might surprise you to learn that your uncle is very rich.

taste: to get the flavor of something by putting it in your mouth
That soup smells really good. Can I taste it?
He knew he was hurt when he tasted blood in his mouth.

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