Word list: Vocabulary (CLL0221)

obstacle noun something that blocks you so that movement,

going forward, or action is prevented or made
more difficult
stadium noun a large closed area of land with rows of seats
around the sides and often with no roof, used for
sports events and musical performances

amusing adjective entertaining and funny

disapproving adjective showing that you feel something or someone is
bad or wrong
apartheid noun in the past in South Africa, a system under which
people of different races were kept separate by
law, and White people were given more political
rights and educational and other advantages

mounting adjective gradually increasing

unrest noun disagreements or fighting between different
groups of people
evasion noun the act of avoiding something or someone
torrential adjective used to refer to very heavy rain
comprise verb to have things or people as parts or members; to
consist of
sharply adverb quickly and suddenly
confrontation noun a fight or argument
colonial adjective relating to a colony or colonialism
diminish verb to reduce or be reduced in size or importance

drastically adverb in a way that is severe and sudden or has very

noticeable effects
docile adjective quiet and easy to influence, persuade, or control

confrontational adjective behaving in an angry or unfriendly way that is likely

to cause an argument
parliament noun in some countries, the group of (usually) elected
politicians or other people who make the laws for
their country
territory noun (an area of) land, or sometimes sea, that is
considered as belonging to or connected with a
particular country or person
election noun a time when people vote in order to choose
someone for a political or official job
disaster noun (an event that results in) great harm, damage, or
death, or serious difficulty
readiness noun willingness or a state of being prepared for
something
directly adverb without anything else being involved or in between

flavour noun how food or drink tastes, or a particular taste itself

achievement noun something very good and difficult that you have
succeeded in doing
contain verb to have something inside or include something as a
part
desperate adjective very serious or bad
committed adjective loyal and willing to give your time and energy to
something that you believe in
consternation noun a feeling of worry, shock, or confusion
precaution noun an action that is done to prevent something
unpleasant or dangerous happening
impending adjective used to refer to an event, usually something
unpleasant or unwanted, that is going to happen
soon
settled adjective If you feel settled in a job, school, etc., you have
become familiar with it and are comfortable and
happy there
ritual noun a set of fixed actions and sometimes words
performed regularly, especially as part of a
ceremony
implication noun an occasion when you seem to suggest something
without saying it directly
comb noun a flat piece of plastic, wood, or metal with a thin
row of long, narrow parts along one side, used to
tidy and arrange your hair
livelihood noun (the way someone earns) the money people need
to pay for food, a place to live, clothing, etc.

severe adjective causing very great pain, difficulty, worry, damage,

etc.; very serious
dowry noun in some societies, an amount of money or property
that a woman's parents give to the man she
marries
tendency noun If someone has a tendency to do or like something,
they will probably do it or like it
deception noun the act of hiding the truth, especially to get an
advantage
virtue noun an advantage or good thing
authority noun a group of people with official responsibility for a
particular area of activity
illegal adjective not allowed by law
noticeable adjective easy to see or recognize
palace noun a large house that is the official home of a king,
queen, or other person of high social rank

holy adjective related to a religion or a god

auspicious adjective suggesting a positive and successful future
commemorate verb to remember officially and give respect to a great
person or event, especially by a public ceremony
or by making a statue or special building

drown verb to (cause to) die by being unable to breathe

underwater
deceive verb to persuade someone that something false is the
truth, or to keep the truth hidden from someone
for your own advantage
patriotic adjective showing love for your country and being proud of
it
accommodation noun a place to live, work, stay, etc. in
dedicated adjective believing that something is very important and
giving a lot of time and energy to it
perishable adjective Perishable food decays quickly
civilization noun human society with its well developed social
organizations, or the culture and way of life of a
society or country at a particular period in time

union noun the act or the state of being joined together

plague verb to cause worry, pain, or difficulty to someone or
something over a period of time
plot noun the story of a book, film, play, etc.
refrigerator noun a piece of kitchen equipment that uses electricity
to preserve food at a cold temperature

compensation noun money that is paid to someone in exchange for

something that has been lost or damaged or for
some problem
signify verb to be a sign of something; to mean
symbolize verb to represent something
prosperity noun the state of being successful and having a lot of
money
worship verb to have or show a strong feeling of respect and
admiration for God or a god
rare adjective not common or frequent; very unusual
reluctantly adverb in a way that shows that you are not willing to do
something and are therefore slow to do it

distinguish verb to notice or understand the difference between

two things, or to make one person or thing seem
different from another
frightening adjective making you feel fear
represent verb to speak, act, or be present officially for another
person or people
indigestion noun pain that you get in your stomach when you have
eaten food that is difficult to digest
equivalent adjective having the same amount, value, purpose, qualities,
etc.
indeed adverb really or certainly, often used to emphasize
something
emphasize verb to show that something is very important or worth
giving attention to
assume verb to accept something to be true without question
or proof
consist of something to be something that is made or formed of various
specific things
circumstance noun a fact or event that makes a situation the way it is

envelope noun a flat, usually square or rectangular, paper

container for a letter
custom noun a way of behaving or a belief that has been
established for a long time
reject verb to refuse to accept, use, or believe something or
someone
vary verb If things of the same type vary, they are different
from each other, and if you vary them, you cause
them to be different from each other

customary adjective usual

depend verb to be decided by or to change according to the
stated thing
establishment noun a business or other organization, or the place
where an organization operates
occasion noun a particular time, especially when something
happens or has happened
superstitious adjective based on or believing in superstitions (= beliefs
based on old ideas about luck and magic rather
than science or reason)
doubt noun (a feeling of) not being certain about something,
especially about how good or true it is
ancestral adjective relating to members of your family from the past

funeral noun a (usually religious) ceremony for burying or

burning the body of a dead person
perhaps adverb used to show that something is possible or that
you are not certain about something
attractive adjective very pleasing in appearance or sound
refreshment noun (small amounts of) food and drink
scenic adjective having or allowing you to see beautiful natural
features
dominant adjective more important, strong, or noticeable than
anything else of the same type
complicated adjective involving a lot of different parts, in a way that is
difficult to understand
investor noun a person who puts money into something in order
to make a profit or get an advantage
guess verb to give an answer to a particular question when
you do not have all the facts and so cannot be
certain if you are correct
proponent noun a person who speaks publicly in support of a
particular idea or plan of action
impressive adjective If an object or achievement is impressive, you
admire or respect it, usually because it is special,
important, or very large
gracious adjective behaving in a pleasant, polite, calm way
adept adjective having a natural ability to do something that needs
skill
assist verb to help
initially adverb at the beginning
quarantine noun a specific period of time in which a person or
animal that has a disease, or may have one, must
stay or be kept away from others in order to
prevent the spread of the disease
contingency noun something that might possibly happen in the
future, usually causing problems or making further
arrangements necessary
complaint noun a statement that something is wrong or not
satisfactory
desire verb to want something, especially strongly
wrangle noun an argument, especially one that continues for a
long time
considerate adjective kind and helpful
occasionally adverb sometimes but not often
exception noun someone or something that is not included in a
rule, group, or list or that does not behave in the
expected way
decrease verb to become less, or to make something become less

incredibly adverb used for saying that something is very difficult to

believe
appreciate verb to recognize how good someone or something is
and to value him, her, or it
immense adjective extremely large in size or degree
sufficient adjective enough for a particular purpose
essential adjective necessary or needed
attempt verb to try to do something, especially something
difficult
require verb to need something or make something necessary

predict verb to say that an event or action will happen in the

future, especially as a result of knowledge or
experience
restriction noun an official limit on something
intelligent adjective showing intelligence, or able to learn and
understand things easily
against preposition disagreeing with a plan or activity
property noun an object or objects that belong to someone
ordinary adjective not different or special or unexpected in any way;
usual
strange adjective unusual and unexpected, or difficult to understand

prerogative noun something that certain people are able or allowed

to do or have, but is not possible or allowed for
everyone
separation noun a situation in which two or more people or things
are separated
investigation noun the act or process of examining a crime, problem,
statement, etc. carefully, especially to discover the
truth
particulars plural noun details or information about a person or an event

significant adjective important or noticeable

complication noun something that makes a situation more difficult, or
the act of doing this
persist verb If an unpleasant feeling or situation persists, it
continues to exist