📚 Words Glossary

For the reason that; since.

“I stayed inside because it was raining.”

A person you know well and like very much.

“My best friend and I play together every day.”

With each other; in a group.

“We work together as a team.”

Better or different from what is normal.

“Today is a special occasion.”

Paying close attention; being cautious.

“Be careful when crossing the road.”

Pleasing to the senses; very attractive.

“The garden was filled with beautiful flowers.”

Of great significance or value.

“It is important to eat a healthy breakfast.”

Not the same as another thing.

“Each snowflake is different from all others.”

An idea or opinion produced by thinking.

“She had a great thought about how to solve the problem.”

As much or as many as required.

“Have you had enough food to eat?”

A thing that is typical of its kind; a model to follow.

“Can you give me an example of a mammal?”

Not quite; very nearly.

“I have almost finished my homework.”

Kind and careful; not rough.

“Be gentle when you hold the baby bird.”

To think about something with curiosity.

“I wonder what is inside the box.”

To speak very softly using your breath.

“She whispered the answer so no one else could hear.”

Eager to know or learn something.

“The curious student asked many questions.”

An act of travelling from one place to another.

“The journey through the outback took three days.”

Very large in size, quantity, or extent.

“The whale is an enormous sea creature.”

Feeling thankful for something received.

“She was grateful for her teacher's help.”

To continue firmly despite difficulties.

“He persisted with his studies despite the challenges.”

Producing powerful feelings or clear images in the mind.

“She had a vivid dream about flying.”

Impressively beautiful or elaborate.

“The view from the mountain was magnificent.”

Something that blocks progress or makes it difficult.

“The flooded river was an obstacle on their journey.”

Able to recover quickly from difficulties.

“A resilient person does not give up easily.”

To convince someone to do or believe something.

“She tried to persuade her parents to let her have a dog.”

The natural environment in which an animal or plant lives.

“The rainforest is the natural habitat of the tree frog.”

To say what will happen in the future.

“Scientists can predict the weather several days in advance.”

Having good luck; favourable.

“We were fortunate to see whales on our boat trip.”

Easily broken or damaged.

“Pack the fragile ornaments carefully in bubble wrap.”

Truly what it is said to be; sincere.

“Her smile was genuine and warm.”

A result or effect of an action or condition.

“There are consequences for every decision we make.”

Open to more than one interpretation; unclear.

“The instructions were ambiguous and confusing.”

Continued effort to achieve something despite difficulty.

“Her perseverance in practising finally paid off.”

Fluent and persuasive in speaking or writing.

“The Prime Minister gave an eloquent speech to the nation.”

Certain to happen; unavoidable.

“Change is inevitable as technology advances.”

A particular way of considering something; a point of view.

“Travelling gave her a new perspective on her own culture.”

A proposed explanation used as a starting point for investigation.

“The scientist formed a hypothesis before her experiment.”

To work jointly with others on an activity.

“Scientists from around the world collaborated on the research.”

To accept or admit the existence or truth of something.

“She acknowledged that the report contained some errors.”

The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.

“A leader with integrity earns the trust of others.”

Showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.

“The surgeon was meticulous about every step.”

Seeming reasonable or probable.

“Her explanation for being late was plausible.”

Exposed to the possibility of being harmed.

“Coastal towns are vulnerable to rising sea levels.”

A statement that seems contradictory but may be true.

“"Less is more" is a well-known paradox in design.”

Showing a great deal of variety; very different from each other.

“Australia is home to a diverse range of wildlife.”

Existing in thought or as an idea rather than as a concrete thing.

“Justice and freedom are abstract concepts.”

Logical and consistent; easy to understand.

“She presented a coherent argument that convinced the judges.”

To become progressively worse.

“The patient's condition began to deteriorate overnight.”

To make something less severe, harmful, or painful.

“New policies were introduced to mitigate climate change.”

Dealing with things sensibly and realistically.

“A pragmatic leader focuses on what actually works.”

Based on observation or experience rather than theory.

“The research was backed by empirical evidence.”

A situation where a difficult choice must be made between two options.

“She faced a moral dilemma about whether to report her friend.”

A subtle difference in meaning, expression, or sound.

“A skilled translator must understand every nuance.”

Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something.

“She felt ambivalent about moving to a new city.”

A system in which people or things are ranked by importance.

“In a hierarchy, decisions are made by those at the top.”

A typical example or pattern of something; a model.

“The internet created a new paradigm for communication.”

A general agreement among a group of people.

“The committee reached a consensus after a long discussion.”

To perceive or recognise something clearly.

“It was hard to discern her true feelings.”

Inborn; natural rather than learned.

“Curiosity seems to be an innate trait in young children.”

Never done or known before.

“The flood caused unprecedented damage to the region.”

Lasting for a very short time; transitory.

“The beauty of cherry blossoms is ephemeral.”

Present, appearing, or found everywhere.

“Smartphones have become ubiquitous in modern life.”

The occurrence of events by chance in a fortunate way.

“Finding the perfect book was pure serendipity.”

Generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival.

“The champion was magnanimous in victory.”

Calm and composure, especially in difficult situations.

“She faced the crisis with remarkable equanimity.”

To make unclear or difficult to understand.

“Politicians sometimes obfuscate the truth with complex language.”

Having a ready insight into things; shrewd.

“The perspicacious detective solved the case in record time.”

Tending to talk a great deal; talkative.

“The loquacious tour guide kept everyone entertained.”

Proceeding gradually and subtly, but with harmful effect.

“The insidious spread of misinformation undermined trust.”

To make something bad or unsatisfactory better.

“Aid workers tried to ameliorate the suffering caused by the drought.”

Too great or extreme to be expressed in words.

“The beauty of the sunset was almost ineffable.”

To place side by side for comparison or contrast.

“The director juxtaposed scenes of wealth and poverty.”

A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.

“The cacophony of car horns filled the busy street.”

Representing the most perfect example of a quality or class.

“The match was a quintessential summer afternoon in Australia.”

A peculiar or distinctive feature or habit of a person.

“Reading the last page first was one of his idiosyncrasies.”

To stop trying to do something; to quit.

“Don't give up on your studies — you're almost there.”

To feel excited or pleased about something that will happen.

“I look forward to seeing you at the weekend.”

To understand or solve something after thinking about it.

“It took a while, but I finally figured out the puzzle.”

To meet someone unexpectedly.

“I ran into an old friend at the supermarket yesterday.”

To do or say something that relieves tension in a social situation.

“He told a joke to break the ice at the meeting.”

Feeling slightly unwell or sick.

“I'm feeling a bit under the weather today.”

Something that is very easy to do.

“Don't worry about the test — it'll be a piece of cake.”

To be very expensive.

“That new laptop cost an arm and a leg.”