beat: to defeat, to win
She beat her sister three games to two in the tennis match.
I won’t let this problem beat me.

believe: to think something is true
We believe you are telling us the truth.
Why don’t you believe me when I say I didn’t know?

decide: to make a choice from all the possibilities
They decided not to go to the dance together.
I can’t decide which dress to wear.

empty: to remove the contents (of something)
It’s your turn to empty the garbage.
We need to empty the bookcase before we move it to the other wall.

greet: to welcome by saying something
It’s your job to greet the new members to the club.
They were greeted at the door by a salesperson.

owe: to be required to pay (someone) back
Here’s the twenty dollars I owe you.
She owes the government for unpaid taxes.

punch: to hit with your closed hand
Stop punching your sister right now!
He got so angry, he punched a hold in the wall.

sink: to go down, to go under water
The small boat sank in the storm.
They got home just as the sun sank in the west.

sneeze: to force air from your lungs to clean out your nose
Her perfume was so strong that he sneezed.
If you sneeze into your sleeve, you won’t spread any germs.

stare: to look at (something/someone) for a long time

It’s a bad idea to stare at the sun.
He couldn’t stop staring at her beautiful face.

trip: to fall after catching your foot on something
He tripped on the stairs and fell.
Someone could trip on that toy if you don’t put it away.

waste: to not use in the best way
Don’t waste my time with your crazy ideas.
He wastes too much money on lottery tickets.

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

apologize:  to say you’re sorry
He apologized for not remembering her birthday.
I want you to apologize to your mother for making this mess.

brag:  to say out loud something you’re proud of.
He bragged that he had never lost a fight.
I don’t want to brag, but I did win the tournament last year.

contact:  to communicate with
You need to contact your doctor immediately if your symptoms continue.
You can usually contact him by cellphone.

crush:  to make flat or into small pieces.
He crushed his cigarette with the sole of his shoe.
The recipe says to crush the garlic before adding.

discuss: to talk about (something)
We’ll discuss this after dinner and not before.
What did they discuss at the meeting last Friday?

force:  to make (someone) do (something)
He forced the man to tell him the truth.
I don’t want to force you to do anything.  It should be your choice.

influence:  to change (someone else’s) mind
My good friend influenced my decision.
He won’t let his religion influence the way he votes.

object:  to say something is wrong
If nobody objects, we’ll end the meeting now.
I object to your calling me a liar.

rely:  to depend, to believe someone will help you
She relies on her parents paying her tuition.
Can I rely on you to keep a secret?

reproduce:  to make another one of the same thing, to have babies
The artist reproduced the famous painting to hang in his own home.
Rabbits reproduce very quickly.

rinse:  to run water over the surface to make clean
I had to rinse my hair a second time to get all the shampoo out.
Please rinse the dishes before you put them in the dishwasher.

satisfy:  to make (someone) feel like something was worthwhile.
A good cup of coffee in the morning really satisfies me.
He looked up the answer to satisfy his curiosity.

squeak:  to make a series of short high sounds
The door to the bedroom squeaks, so I have to oil it.
I bought a new pair of shoes and they squeak with every step.

suppose:  to think something is true
I suppose you’re going to be late again tonight.
Do you suppose it’s going to rain tomorrow?

wobble:  to move from one position to another repeatedly
The little boy pulled an old wagon, which wobbled behind him.
That olld table has always wobbled.

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

annoy:  to bother (someone)
When I check my email, all the spam really annoys me.
The flies at the beach were annoying us so much that we had to leave.

book:  to make a reservation
For our lunch I booked a table at the Japanese restaurant down the street.
It was impossible to book a room for this long weekend, so can I stay with you?

bruise:  to cause a black and blue mark under the skin
He fell off his bike and bruised his arm.
He was lucky. All he did was bruise his lip.

compare:  to say what is similar and different about two things
When I compare prices, Super Store’s are the lowest.
You can’t compare her present boyfriend to her last one.

contain:  to have inside
That bottle of pop contains a lot of sugar.
The fish tank contained a variety of colorful fish.

develop:  to become better.
I’ve watched you develop as a basketball player over the last few years.
She practices hard to develop her skills.

examine:  to look at very closely
Let the doctor examine you to find out what’s wrong.
When the detective examined the scene of the murder, he found a single earring.

forgive:  to no longer be angry at someone
It may take her a while to forgive you for lying to her.
Please forgive me. I should never have taken your bike without asking.

involve:  to be part of (an activity)
Your problems don’t involve me, so find a solution yourself.
Were you involved in that disturbance downtown on Friday?

matter:  to be important
It matters that she’s your sister and she needs help..
It doesn’t matter if I’m there tomorrow or not.

prefer:  to choose (over something else)
What day would you prefer to go out for dinner?
I prefer to stay quiet and keep my opinions to myself.

raise:  to grow, to mature
We were both raised in southern California.
They raise corn on that farm.

remain:  to stay behind (when most have left)
There were only two chocolates remaining in the box.
He remained after class to talk to the teacher.

spoil:  to go or make bad
She spoiled the surprise party by telling her sister.
By the time the fruit got to market, most of it had spoiled.

supply:  to provide with needed things:
That company supplies the army with boots.
The teacher supplied the answers to the test the following day.

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

announce:  to say (something important) to everyone
She announced to her family that she was getting married soon.
We’d like to announce the birth of our first baby.

approve:  to say that something is okay with you
Everyone approved of Helen’s cooking.
Her parents disapprove of her new boyfriend.

choke:   to not be able to breathe because of something caught in your throat
He was so hungry he almost choked on the first bite of his steak.
He choked to death when a fishbone got stuck in his throat.

describe:  to give someone a picture of something using only words
Can you describe the person you saw running from the bank?
It’s hard to describe, but I felt like I was floating in the air.

doubt:  to not believe, to be uncertain about
I doubt he’s going to be on time; he’s always late.
He told her she should never doubt his love for her.

fade:  to slowly become lighter in color, to become less bright
I can no longer read outside because the sunlight has faded.
His blue jeans are faded because of repeated washings.

inform:  to give (someone) information
The doctor informed the parents that their son would be okay.
I must inform you that if you’re absent one more time, you’ll fail the course.

invent:  to create something for the first time
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876.
The computer was invented at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946.

lighten:  to make lighter or brighter
When he walked into the room, her face lightened.
You need to lighten your hair a little.

produce:  to make, to manufacture
That company produces smart phones.
When you mix those chemicals together, they produce a very strong smell.

provide:  to supply, to give
The university provided all their undergraduates with a laptop computer.
The company will provide all the bottled water we need.

regret:  to be sorry about doing something
She regretted all the pain she caused her family.
I regret that I can’t come to your graduation, but I’ll be out of town.

remove:  to take away
She asked him politely to remove his feet from the coffee table.
His task was to remove all the graffitti from the wall.

separate:  to divide, to not be together
She told him to separate his dark clothes from his light clothes before washing.
John and Nancy Wells separated last week.

suspect:   to think that someone is guilty
I don’t know who took the money, but I suspect Robert.
She suspects her husband of cheating.

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

allow:  to let, to give permission
The police wouldn’t allow the homeowners to enter their home.
Please allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Baron Roth.

blush:  to turn red (skin)
His direct question made her blush.
You could see her embarrassment when she blushed.

claim: to say that something is true
They claim not to know the victim.
He claimed he didn’t leave the party till 1:00 am.

depend:  to trust (someone) to do something
You can depend on me to bring the supplies.
Children depend on their parents to feed them.

expect:  to think something is going to happen
We expected you to arrive tomorrow morning..
I don’t expect you to believe me, but that’s the truth.

imagine:  to create in your mind
I can imagine how she feels.
Can you imagine winning the lottery?

judge:  to determine right and wrong, good and bad.
Don’t judge me until you’ve been in my shoes.
Her job was to judge singers for a singing contest.

mention:  to say briefly
Did I mention that he was single?
He never mentioned being in the army when he was young.

occur:  to happen
The robbery occurred some time between 2:00 and 4:00 in the morning.
The next full moon will occur in two weeks.

present:  to give, to introduce
May I present my wife, Sharleen.
His coach presented him with the Most Valuable Player award.

realize:   to know for the first time
When I got to work, I realized that I had forgotten my iPhone.
She realized she was in a bad relationship, so she broke up with him.

request:  to ask for
The couple requested a room with a view of the mountains.
He called the radio station and requested his favorite song to be played.

state:  to say (something) officially
Please state your full name for the court.
He stated his innocence many times.

support:  to help (someone) when they need it
His parents supported him through university.
I support the arts by donating money every year

treat:  to act toward someone in a certain way
Everyone treated her well on her first day of school.
They treated him with respect.

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

afford: to have enough money or time for (something)
I can’t afford a new car this year.
Can we afford to ignore his advice?

beg: to ask desperately
She begged her father for a loan until she could find a job.
I beg of you, please don’t hurt me!

cause: to make happen
The accident on the highway caused thousands to be late for work.
Did you hear that loud noise last night? I wonder what caused it.

confuse: to make unclear
Calculus has always confused me.
The teacher’s instructions confused some of the students.

damage: to break or partly destroy something
The explosion damaged his eardrums.
The flood damaged all their furniture.

embarrass: to make (someone) feel shame
I want you to behave and not embarrass me at the party.
His mother embarrassed him by showing pictures of him as a baby.

guarantee: to promise a refund if you don’t like something
The store guaranteed their customers’ satisfaction.
The online store guarantees delivery in five business days.

itch: to have an irritation on your body that needs to be scratched
My right ear has been itching ever since we went swimming yesterday.
My toes itch so bad that I can’t stop scratching them.

mend: to fix, to repair (clothing, heart, relationship)
How do you mend a broken heart?
I can mend those holes in your jeans, if you like.

possess: to have as your own
He possesses the ability to make people believe him.
We know that you possess two handguns.  Where’s the other?

prevent: to stop (something) from happening
I can’t prevent my teenage daughter from seeing her boyfriend.
Only you can prevent forest fires.

reflect: to bounce light back after hitting a surface
White roofs reflect sunlight back into space and help cool the earth.
The mirror reflected an image of a tired old man.

require: to need
This job requires someone with patience and organization.
He requires absolute silence when he’s studying.

shock: to surprise in a bad or strong way
She shocked her parents when she said she wasn’t going to university.
He enjoyed shocking his sister with a dead snake.

wonder: to think about curiously
I wonder what’s taking her so long. She should be here by now.
Do you ever wonder what it would be like to fly?

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

advise:  to give advice
My doctor advised me to drink more water.
Go talk to Dad.  Maybe he can advise you about what to do.

arrange:  to make a plan and do it
I can arrange to have flowers delivered, if you like.
She arranged to meet him at the coffee shop across from the library.

communicate:  to talk to, text or email (someone)
We communicate every week by email.
My ex-girlfriend and I don’t communicate at all.

delay:  to do at a later time
They decided to delay the wedding for two months.
Traffic was delayed for an hour due to an accident.

explain:  to make (something) understandable
He had to explain why he was late again.
Can you explain to me how I can fix this.

handle:  to manage, be responsible for
Even when life gets hard, I can handle it.
I wanted to see if you could handle that problem.

include:  to make part of the group.
Don’t forget to include your email address on the form.
This is the first time he’s included me on his team.

measure:  to find out exactly how long, wide or high something is
You can’t measure my love for you.
Before we buy the paint, we should measure the living room.

order:  to tell (someone) what to do
The police have ordered everyone out of the building.
The doctor ordered her to stay in bed for a week.

pretend:  to act in a certain way even though it’s not truthful.
The children pretended to be asleep.
Although her heart was broken, she pretended to be alright.

reduce:  to make less
We must all do our part to reduce the pollution in this city.
All the prices in the store were reduced by 40%.

ruin:  to make unusable or unworkable
He ruined the wedding cake when he knocked it over.
I ruined the surprise party by accidentally telling her yesterday.

scrape:  to remove the top layer by force
He scraped his knee playing baseball.
There’s no need to scrape the pan.  Just soak it for an hour.

stretch:  to make longer
After waking up from his nap, he stretched his body.
He stretched his arm as high as he could  and grabbed the lowest branch.

trick:  to do or say something to fool (someone)
She tricked me into believing that she wasn’t going to the party.
He tricked her into giving him her phone number.

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.

admit: to say that you did something wrong
There’s no way I’m going to admit to taking that money.
She admits lying to the police.

argue: to disagree with someone in a strong voice
Many couples argue over how to spend their money.
I don’t remember what we argued about, but it was serious.

complain: to say that you don’t like something
They complained several times about the loud music nest door.
He can complain all he wants, but it will do no good.

drown: to die by not breathing under water
Her husband drowned in a boating accident last summer.
If you don’t want to drown, you’d better wear that lifejacket.

frighten: to scare, to make afraid
Both cats were frightened by the loud thunder and ran under the bed.
You frightened me when you came in without knocking.

instruct: to teach, to show how to do something
The coach instructed him on how to play defence.
She was instructed in all the arts, especially music,

manage: to be able to
They managed to escape through the bathroom window.
I can’t manage three things at the same time.

notice: to see briefly
He noticed that she wasn’t wearing her wedding ring.
Did you notice the words on his T-shirt?

perform: to entertain people
He likes to perform magic tricks at children’s birthday parties.
She’s never performed before such a large audience before.

prove: to show something is true with evidence
You can’t prove that I was the last one to see him alive.
In the end they proved that he was responsible for the crash.

receive: to get
We received this package this morning, but we haven’t opened it.
Yesterday he received a phone call at about six o’clock.

release: to let go, to set free
He was released from prison last month.
She took a dove out of the cage and released it into the air.

soak: to be under water for a long time
The dishes are soaking in hot water. I’ll wash them later.
She likes to soak in the bathtub for hours.

surround: to be all around
The boys surrounded the campfire and started to cook their hotdogs.
They’ll catch him. The building is surrounded by police.

worry: to think bad things are going to happen
She is always worrying about her children.
Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be alright.

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

admire:  to think well of someone
I admire your patience with young children.
She admired her mother for raising four children by herself.

behave:  to act, usually in a good way
I’ll take my children to the movies if they promise to behave.
She behaved badly when she saw her ex-husband with his new girlfriend.

complete:  to finish doing
It took them three weeks to complete their garden.
She makes her children complete their homework before dinnertime.

destroy:  to make useless, to break
The fire destroyed the entire building.
He got so angry he destroyed his computer with a hammer.

fasten:  to close (something) so it doesn’t open
He didn’t fasten his briefcase and everything fell on the floor.
Fasten your seatbelt.  It’s the law.

improve:  to make (something) better
Is there any way to improve the taste of this stew?
I’m afraid Johnny isn’t improving much in math.

kneel:  to get on your knees
Grandfather kneeled to hug his granddaughter.
Kneel down and look under the desk for your lost keys.

lend:  to let (someone) use (something) that’s yours
Could you lend me $100 until pay day?
He lent her his guitar and never saw it again.

mind:  to be bothered (by something)
Do you mind if I close the window.  I’m a little chilly.
My wife doesn’t mind my snoring at night.

offer:  to give if the other accepts
We offered to help them, but they refused.
I can offer you some apple juice, but that’s all I have to drink.

protect:  to keep safe
It was his job to protect his younger brother and keep him out of trouble.
He took karate lessons to learn how to protect himself.

reply:  to answer
You don’t have to reply right now, but let me know by the end of the week.
When he called her name, no one replied.

seem:  to appear to be a certain way
You seem tired.  Have you been getting enough sleep?
I seem to be the only person who knows what to do.

succeed:  to get what you want
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
She went to university, where she succeeded in getting her bachelor’s degree.

wander:  to walk with no destination
He wandered around the park for hours thinking about his future.
While she was wandering through the town, she found a little coffee shop.

accept:  to say yes to an offer
We accepted their invitation to dinner.
They told the letter carrier they don’t accept junk mail.

appreciate:  to be thankful for something you are given
Thanks again.  I really appreciate all your help.
She appreciates it when her family visits her in the hospital

borrow:  to take and use something for a short time that’s not yours
Could I please borrow your cell phone.
Her sister often borrows her clothes without asking.

cure:  to make (someone) healthy again
He cured his cold with vitamin C and plenty of water.
The doctor cured his patient of a nasty rash.

entertain:  to do something that people enjoy
The mime entertained the crowd for hours.
She entertained her children by playing a game with them.

gain:  to get more
She knew that she had gained weight over the holidays.
What do you have to gain by that action?

head:  to go 
If the alarm sounds, head for the nearest exit.
The soldier headed in the direction of the gunfire.

irritate:  to bother someone a lot
I can’t use that cream because it irritates my skin.
Their loud Saturday night parties irritate us.

memorize:  to learn (something) by repetition
He quickly memorized her phone number.
We have to memorize our lines for the play.

permit:  to allow, to give permission
Many parents permit their children to stay up later on Friday nights
The police would not permit them to walk in the street.

promise:  to do what you say you’re going to do
She promised to never leave him.
Do you promise not to laugh when I tell you my story?

recognize:  to know (something) from an earlier time
I recognize that music.  It’s Beethoven, isn’t it?
The old man didn’t recognize his own daughter.

switch:  to replace one thing with another, to exchange
Let’s switch seats.  I can’t see the screen very well.
I don’t like this toothpaste.  I’m going to switch to another brand.

suffer:  to feel pain for a long time
She suffers from migraine headaches.
Many teenagers suffer from not enough sleep.

warn:  to tell (someone) about a future danger
A sign warned motorists that there was black ice on the road.
He warned her not to go out after dark.