Shift
Verb
1. ( of an idea, opinion, etc.) to change
2. to (cause something or someone to) move or change from one position or direction to another, especially slightly:
3. to move the gears of a vehicle into different positions in order to make it go faster or slower
E.g. she shifted her weight uneasily from one foot to the other.
Scarce
Adjective
1. not easy to find or get
E.g. food and clean water were becoming scarce.
Meager
Adjective
1. (of amounts or numbers) very small or not enough
E.g. the prisoners existed on a meagre diet.
Ruddy
Adjective
1. red
E.g. he was ruddy-cheeked from the walk in the cold.
Initiative
Noun
1. a new plan or process to achieve something or solve a problem
E.g. the peace initiative was welcomed by both sides.
Drain
Verb
1. If you drain something, you remove the liquid from it, usually by pouring it away or allowing it to flow away, and
if something drains, liquid flows away or out of it
E.g. we drained the pond and filled it with fresh water.
Thigh
Noun
1. the part of a person's leg above the knee
E.g. After riding my bike along the coast all day, my thighs were sore.
Blend
Noun
1. a mixture of different things or styles
E.g. their music is a blend of jazz and African rhythms.
Reassure
Verb
1. to comfort someone and stop them from worrying
E.g. he reassured me (that) my cheque would arrive soon.
Realm
Noun
1. an area of interest or activity
E.g. her interests are in the realm of practical politics
Indispensable
Adjective
1. Something or someone that is indispensable is so good or important that you could not manage without them
E.g. this book is an indispensable resource for researchers.
Sentimental
Adjective
1. describes someone who is strongly influenced by emotional feelings, especially about happy memories of past
events or relationships with other people, rather than by careful thought and judgment based on facts
2. too strongly influenced by emotional feelings
E.g. it’s a cheap ring but it has great sentimental value for me.
Disciplined
Adjective
1. behaving in a very controlled way
E.g. those children are well disciplined.
Elevate
Verb
1. to raise something or lift something up
2. to make someone or something more important or to improve something
E.g. they want to elevate the status of teachers.
Savor
Verb
1. to enjoy food or an experience slowly, in order to enjoy it as much as possible
E.g. it was the first chocolate he'd tasted for over a year, so he savored every mouthful.
Timely
Adjective
1. happening at a suitable moment
E.g. the change in the exchange rate provided a timely boost to the company's falling profits.
Revolve
Verb
1. to move or cause something to move around a central point or line
E.g. the Earth revolves around the sun.
Dissolve
Verb
1. (of a solid) to be absorbed by a liquid, especially when mixed, or (of a liquid) to absorb a solid
E.g. dissolve two spoons of powder in warm water.
Ramp
Noun
1. an artificial slope
E.g. I pushed the wheelchair up the ramp and into the supermarket.
Slope
Noun
1. a surface that lies at an angle to the horizontal so that some points on it are higher than others
E.g. the roof is at a slope of 30°.
Commitment
Noun
1. a willingness to give your time and energy to something that you believe in, or a promise or firm decision to do
something
E.g. players must make a commitment to play for a full season.
Contagious
Adjective
1. describes a disease that can be caught by touching someone who has the disease or a piece of infected clothing
2. describes someone who has a contagious disease
E.g. the infection is highly contagious, so don't let anyone else use your towel.
Outright
Adverb
1. completely or immediately
E.g. I think cigarette advertising should be banned outright.
Pamphlet
Noun
1. a thin book with only a few pages that gives information or an opinion about something
E.g. they issued a pamphlet concerning the worsening environment.
Implicit
Adjective
1. suggested but not communicated directly
E.g. He interpreted her comments as an implicit criticism of the government.
Bewilder
Verb
1. to confuse someone
E.g. the instructions completely bewildered me.
Speculate
Verb
1. to guess possible answers to a question when you do not have enough information to be certain
E.g. journalists are speculating about whether interest rates will be cut.
