Week1

1.appeal/v./ əˈpiːl/

to make a serious or formal request, especially to the public, for money, information, or help.

Ex: They're appealing for clothes and blankets to send to the devastated region.

app-

apparent

Ex: Her unhappiness was apparent to everyone

apparently

Ex: Apparently it's going to rain today.

apparatus

Ex: The divers checked their breathing apparatus.

2.celebrity/n. /sɪˈleb.rɪ.ti/

someone who is famous, especially in the entertainment business.

Ex: The hotel is well known for its celebrity guests.

Synonyms: megastar/notability

Antonyms: nobody

3.distraction/n. /dɪˈstræk.ʃən/

the state of being very bored or annoyed.

Ex: His lessons bore me to distraction

dis-

distort

Ex: My original statement has been completely distorted by the media.

distracting

Ex: Please turn your music down - it's very distracting.

distraught

Ex: The missing child's distraught parents made an emotional appeal for information on TV.

4 . implication /n. /ˌɪm.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/

the effect that an action or decision will have on something else in the future.

Ex: The company is cutting back its spending and I wonder what the implications will be for our department.

im-

implausible

Ex: The whole plot of the film is ridiculously implausible.

implacable

Ex: The country's implacable opposition to the war.

implant

Ex: There is much debate on the issue of "therapists" implanting false memories of sexual abuse in adults.

5 .influence /n. /ˈɪn.flu.əns/

the power to have an effect on people or things, or a person or thing that is able to do this.

Ex: He has a huge amount of influence over the city council.

in-

influx

Ex: Turkey is expecting an influx of several thousand refugees over the next few days.

infographic

Ex: As this infographic shows, more money is made from selling apps than from selling smartphones.

influential

Ex: Johnson was influential in persuading the producers to put money into the film.

6. inspire /v./ ɪnˈspaɪər/

to make someone feel that they want to do something and can do it.

Ex: His confident leadership inspired his followers.

Synonyms: encourage/inspirit/steel

Antonyms: daunt/discourage/dishearten

7. legend/n./ˈledʒ.ənd/

a very old story or set of stories from ancient times, or the stories, not always true, that people tell about a famous event or person.

Ex: The dance was based on several Hindu legends.

leg-

legation

Ex: The UK has sent a legation to discuss trade and tariffs.

legalize

Ex: Same-sex marriages have been legalized in many states.

legally

Ex: Children under 16 are not legally allowed to buy cigarettes.

8. promote /v. /prəˈməʊt/

to encourage people to like, buy, use, do, or support something

Ex: Advertising companies are always having to think up new ways to promote products.

pro-

proactive

Ex: Companies are going to have to be more proactive about environmental management.

probable

Ex: An election in June seems increasingly probable

probe

Ex: Detectives questioned him for hours, probing for any inconsistencies in his story.

9. role /n./ rəʊl/

the position or purpose that someone or something has in a situation, organization, society, or relationship.

Ex: Schools play an important role in society.

10. slim /adj./ slɪm/

attractively thin.

Ex: She's got a lovely slim figure.

Synonyms: skinny/slender/narrow

Antonyms: broad/fat/wide

11. undeniable/adj/ ˌʌn.dɪˈnaɪ.ə.bl̩/

certainly true.

Ex: It is undeniable that attitudes towards marriage have been changing.

un-

undefeated

Ex: The team managed to remain undefeated in the final weeks of the season.

undaunted

Ex: The team remain undaunted, despite three defeats in a row.

undecided

Ex: 54 percent of voters were in favour, 30 percent against, and the rest were undecided.

12. unique/adj. /jʊˈniːk/

being the only existing one of its type or, more generally, unusual, or special in some way.

Ex: Each person's genetic code is unique except in the case of identical twins.

Synonyms: idiomatic/individualized/particular

Antonyms: general/generic/universal

13 .reprise/n./ rɪˈpriːz/

a repeat of something or part of something, especially a piece of music.

Ex: I was to play the doctor, reprising a role I’d done years earlier.

Synonyms: duplication/iteration/replay

Antonyms: abstract/encapsulate/summarize

14. mediocre/adj./ˌmiː.diˈəʊ.kər/

not very good.

Ex: Parents don't want their children going to mediocre schools.

Synonyms: common/indifferent/ordinary

Antonyms: excellent/superior

15. contemporary/adj./ kənˈtem.pər.ər.i/

existing or happening now.

Ex: Although the play was written hundreds of years ago, it still has a contemporary feel to it.

con-

contemplate

Ex: I'm contemplating going abroad for a year.

contaminate

Ex: The food which had been contaminated was destroyed.

contemporaneous

Ex: The two events were more or less contemporaneous, with only months between them.

16. current/adj. /ˈkʌr.ənt/

of the present time.

Ex: The word is no longer in current use.

Synonyms: conventional/customary/prevalent

Antonyms: nonstandard/unconventional/unpopular

17 . explosion/n. /ɪkˈspləʊ.ʒən/

the fact of something such as a bomb exploding.

Ex: The fire was thought to have been caused by a gas explosion.

ex-

exploration

Ex: The exploration for new sources of energy is vital for the future of our planet.

exploitative

using someone unfairly for your own advantage.

18. luxury /n. /ˈlʌk.ʃər.i/

something expensive that is pleasant to have but is not necessary.

Ex: I like to buy myself little luxuries from time to time.

Synonyms: amenity/extra/superfluity

Antonyms: essential/ necessity/requirement

19. motivate/v. /ˈməʊ.tɪ.veɪt/

to cause someone to behave in a particular way.

Ex: He is genuinely motivated by a desire to help people.

motivation

Ex: There seems to be a lack of motivation among the staff.

20. movement/n. /ˈmuːv.mənt/

a change of position.

Ex: He made a sudden movement and frightened the bird away.

-ment

achievement

Ex: An Olympic silver medal is a remarkable achievement for one so young.

management

Ex: There is a need for stricter financial management.

disappointment

Ex: Get tickets early to avoid disappointment.

21. significant/adj. /sɪɡˈnɪf.ɪ.kənt/

important or noticeable.

Ex: There has been a significant increase in the number of women students in recent years.

Synonyms: eloquent/meaningful/revealing

Antonyms: unexpressive

22. trend/n. /trend/

a general development or change in a situation or in the way that people are behaving.

Ex: Surveys show a trend away from home-ownership and toward rented accommodation.

23. vivid/adj. /ˈvɪv.ɪd/

Vivid descriptions, memories, etc. produce very clear, powerful, and detailed images in the mind.

Ex: He gave a very vivid and often shocking account/description of his time in prison.

Synonyms: delineated/pictorial/picturesque/visual/graphic

24. trendsetter/n. /ˈtrendˌset.ər/

a person, organization, etc. that starts new fashions, especially in clothes.

Ex: They are not only the biggest fast food chain, but also the industry's trendsetter.

25 .massive/adj./ˈmæs.ɪv/

very large in size, amount, or number.

Ex: If the drought continues, deaths will occur on a massive scale.

mass-

massed

Ex: Every day, massed ranks of tourists pass slowly through the rooms of the palace.

massacre

Ex: He ordered the massacre of 2,000 women and children.