4000 Essential English Words 2e 5 (2nd Edition) 영영 Unit 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

subtle

adj. not easy to see or notice
The handsome man has a subtle smile.

contemporary

adj. related to the present time
Contemporary scientists have learned quite a bit about DNA.

rapid

adj. moving or changing very quickly
His mother was surprised by her son’s rapid growth.

vary

v. to be different from another thing in size or amount
The heights of the people in my class vary by a large amount.

palate

n. the top part of the mouth
You can touch your palate with your tongue.

soothing

adj. making you calm or relaxed
The soothing music helped the baby fall asleep.

condensed

adj. made thicker
One way to make a dessert thick and sweet is to use condensed milk.

plantation

n. a big farm that only grows certain kinds of crops
In the 1800s, there were many cotton plantations in the southern US.

odor

n. a very distinct smell
He knew there was a leak when he noticed the strong odor of natural gas.

paradise

n. the place or condition of happiness where things are perfect
My vacation in Hawaii was like being in paradise.

cluster

n. a small group of them placed close together
She held a large cluster of grapes in her hand.

cultivate

n. to care for plants and help them grow
A research company is cultivating new kinds of rice to aid poor countries.

combine

v. to join together to make a single thing or group
Mina combined peanut butter and jelly to make a sandwich.

divine

adj. related to gods
Legends say that music was given to humans as a divine gift from the gods.

aroma

n. a scent or smell
I love the aroma of coffee in the morning.

rate

n. the speed at which something happens
Grass tends to grow at a very slow rate.

beverage

n. a drink
The waiter brought our beverages first. Then he brought our food.

humid

adj. there is a lot of water in the air
It is very humid inside a sauna.

texture

n. the way its surface looks and feels
The texture of a rock found in the water is typically very smooth.

toxic

adj. poisonous and very dangerous
Please check the label to see if the product is toxic.

conscience

n. inner sense of what is right and wrong
I recycle everything I can, so my conscience is clear!

fiery

adj. burning strongly
The fiery blaze burned all night long.

paddle

n. a piece of wood or plastic that moves a boat across water
Put your paddle in the water and pull hard to make the boat move.

steward

n. a person like a waiter who serves food on planes and ships
The steward is bringing some tea.

character

n. personality
My sister’s character is fun and very outgoing.

loop

n. a line made into the shape of a circle
He made a loop with the rope and placed it over the post.

wreck

v. to destroy or ruin it
The teenagers wrecked the house for no reason at all.

admiral

n. someone who controls many military ships
They won the sea battle because of the admiral’s great leadership.

flesh

n. the muscle and fat on your body
The zebra’s flesh is covered by black and white skin.

thorn

n. a sharp part of a plant
Be careful of the thorns when you pick the roses!

stake

n. a small, sharp piece of wood or metal that is put into the ground
We marked our property by placing stakes into the ground.

escape

v. to succeed in getting away from something
She tried to escape from the building.

arc

n. a curved shape
A rainbow is an arc of colored bands across the sky.

grapefruit

n. a fruit similar to an orange, but bigger and not as sweet
Would you like a grapefruit with your breakfast?

hay

n. dry grass used to feed animals and can be used for different purposes
I need to buy some more hay for the horse to eat.

middle

n. the center and with an equal number of things on each side
I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night.

string

n. a thin piece of fabric or rope
I found a large ball of string.

horrified

adj. very shocked and feel upset
I was horrified when I read about the old lady who was attacked.

sour

adj. having a sharp and unpleasant taste
I don’t like lemons because I think they are too sour.

kerosene

n. a type of oil used in some lamps and stoves
Many people in poor countries cook on kerosene stoves.

immense

adj. very large
An immense amount of money was needed to buy such a large boat.

switch

v. to change it to something else
Mom switched the TV station from the news to her favorite show.

pinpoint

v. to locate it exactly
The navigation system in my car is able to pinpoint my exact location.

admonish

v. to tell someone you disapprove of their behavior
The teacher admonished Mark because he was chewing gum in class.

awesome

adj. impressive or frightening
The huge military plane was an awesome sight.

option

n. a choice between two or more things
The children were given the option of three houses to pick from.

perfect

adj. without any mistakes
She got all the questions right, so her score was perfect.

torment

v. to cause them to suffer on purpose
She tormented her little brother by taking his favorite toy.

brag

v. to talk of one's abilities or achievements in a proud way
He had strong muscles and bragged about them to the entire class.

idiot

n. a person who is not smart or who has done something silly
Because he got lost in the forest, the man felt like an idiot.

conscious

adj. aware of it
The new student was conscious of the other students staring at her.

eventual

adj. it will happen at the end of a series of events
The constant training and planning led the team to an eventual victory.

hint

n. information that suggests something will happen or is true
I quietly passed on a hint to my sister about the test.

beware

n. to be careful of something or someone that is dangerous
You should beware of driving fast on wet roads.

pastime

n. an activity that you do often for fun
In the US, baseball is considered a national pastime.

audible

adj. capable of being heard; loud enough to be heard
Yes, you’re speaking loud enough to be audible.

disagree

v. to have a different opinion from someone
The lawyers disagreed about the best way to settle the case.

echo

n. a sound repeats itself because it bounced off an object
The child yelled over the canyon, and the sound echoed off the wall.

indirect

adj. it is not the easiest or straightest way
He chose to take the most indirect route to the coast.

thorough

adj. complete or done carefully
Tina did a thorough job of cleaning the stains out of the carpet.

assassin

n. someone who murders an important person
An assassin killed Martin Luther King on April 4, 1968.

conspiracy

n. a secret plan that two or more people make together to do something harmful or illegal
The businessman thought there was a conspiracy among his coworkers to get him fired.

dome

n. a curved roof of a building
I looked up at the dome to admire its beauty.

agony

n. severe pain or suffering
The boy yelled in agony when the puppy bit him.

chapel

n. a building where people go to pray and worship God
We were married in a small wedding chapel in Las Vegas.

abrupt

adj. sudden or unexpected
When the dancer fell down on her back, the ballet came to an abrupt stop.

harass

v. to bother or attack them repeatedly
The young girl would often harass her baby brother.

inflame

v. to provoke or intensify something
The tax increase will inflame the public’s frustration with the government.

melody

n. a series of musical notes that form the main part of a song
I had the melody of the song stuck in my head all day.

coup

n. an uprising in which people try to overthrow the government
At the end of the 18th century, Napoleon Bonaparte staged a coup to overthrow a group that had control of France.

cynical

adj. unwilling to believe that people have good intentions
The man became cynical after being lied to many times.

beard

n. hair growing on man's chin
He loves his grandfather's hairy beard.

commentator

n. a person who gives opinions or describes something, often on TV or the radio
According to many commentators, this winter has been one of the coldest in the last century.

con

v. to trick that person into doing something or giving up money
It was unfair of the fortune teller to con me out of 500 dollars.

consensus

n. a general agreement among a group of people
The consensus among the children was that ghosts exist.

exclaim

v. to say something loudly, suddenly, and excitedly
The singer interrupted the applause to exclaim his thanks after his performance.

forum

n. an open public place in which meetings are held
The scientist shared her research at a special forum in the city.

glamour

n. a quality relating to riches, wealth, and beauty
The young woman showed off her glamour during the photo shoot.

beast

n. a large and dangerous animal
Tanzania is home to many famous beasts, such as lions, leopards, and hyenas.

illuminate

v. to shine light on or brighten something
In order to illuminate the stage, the crew turned on the spotlight.

evaluate

v. to study something, so a decision can be made
Jo and Ken evaluated the plan and agreed that it would work.

gymnasium

n. a building with equipment that you can use to get exercise
When I go to the gymnasium, I use the treadmill for twenty minutes.

essay

n. a short piece of writing on a certain subject
She had to write a two-page essay for her English class.

faint

v. to go unconscious and fall down
Carol fainted because she hadn’t eaten in over a day.

semester

n. a portion of a school year
Jack is in his second semester of college.

recent

adj. happened a short time ago
I did not know what had caused his recent behavior.

edit

v. to correct a piece of writing so that it is suitable to be published
She asked her brother to edit her paper before she submitted it to her teacher.

highlight

n. to mark something with a color so that it is easy to see
I read my vocabulary list and highlighted the most difficult words.

lecture

n. a long, educational speech
His lecture on world hunger was very informative.

weird

adj. not normal, usual, or regular; unusual or strange
Some weird sports don’t use balls at all.

private

adj. only used by one person or group
Don’t look at my diary! It’s private!

index

n. a list of words at the end of a book that gives information
If you look in the index, you’ll find the right page number.

resolution

n. a personal decision
At New Year, I made a list of resolutions to help me have a better year.

operate

v. to work or function
I’m sorry, but the trains are not operating today.

awhile

adv. for a short time
Wait here awhile, and I’ll bring some tea.

cyberspace

n. the imaginary place on the Internet where activities occur
I didn’t receive your email. It probably got lost in cyberspace.

global

adj. happening all around the world
Pollution is a global problem.

typewritten

adj. it is written on a computer or typewriter
This is an important, formal project and must be typewritten.

ignorant

adj. having no knowledge about something
I’m a bit ignorant about his theories. Can you explain them to me?

moral

v. a message at the end of a story that teaches you something
At the end of the story, the mother explained the moral to her children.

comprehend

v. to understand something
The player could not comprehend why he lost the game.

arouse

v. to awaken interest or attention in someone
The politician’s words were meant to arouse the protestors’ anger.

intelligent

adj. very smart
The intelligent student graduated from high school with the highest marks in his class.

articulate

adj. he or she has the ability to express ideas clearly and effectively
Alfred’s friends loved talking to him because he was so articulate and intelligent.

congregate

v. to gather in one place
Seeing a group of birds congregate in the sky is an awesome sight.

flock

v. to gather in one place
Groups of birds will flock to the river in the spring.

buzz

n. to show excitement about something
Seoul buzzes from dawn till dusk.

jungle

n. a type of forest in a warm, rainy tropical area
Many kinds of animals, including birds, reptiles, and even elephants live in a jungle.

embody

v. to symbolize or represent something
Mother Teresa was said to embody goodness and kindness.

empirical

adj. involving scientific proof and evidence
Scientists must always find empirical evidence in their work.

accustom

v. to get used to something
I find it difficult to accustom myself to new time zones when I travel around the world.

clash

v. to fight or argue over something
The sisters often clash over the right way to do things.

classification

n. putting things into categories or groups that have things in common
According to scientific classification, a duck-billed platypus is an egg-laying mammal.

cling

v. to hold onto it tightly
A mother sloth will cling tightly to her baby in the treetops.

custody

n. the right to take care of someone or something
The prisoners were put in the custody of the jailers.

disperse

v. to scatter everywhere
I watched the people disperse in all directions to avoid the charging bull.

exclusion

n. the act of keeping someone out of a group
People gathered together to protest the exclusion of immigrants from our country.

alpha

n. the most dominant or has the highest rank of the group
The largest lion was the alpha male of the pack.

compliance

n. the act of following a rule or doing what you are supposed to do
The bratty child never shows compliance with her mother’s rules.

graze

v. to feed on plants
The sheep and goats like to graze on the grass outside the village.

architect

n. a person who designs buildings
The plans for building the new home were drawn by a famous architect.

landmark

n. an object that helps people find or remember a location
The tall tree was used as a landmark for people to find the road to the inn.

resolve

v. to find a solution
She resolved the problem with her children by giving them both a toy.

sentence

n. punishment given to someone who didn't follow the law
The sentence for stealing a car is much worse than for stealing candy.

oblige

v. to require someone to do something
If I wanted to have playtime, I was obliged to clean my room once a week.

memorable

adj. remembered for a special reason
The party was memorable; people were still talking about it years later.

account

n. an arrangement to keep one's money there
After I paid for the new car, my bank account was nearly empty.

habitat

n. the natural home of animals or plants
Frogs are often found in a wet habitat, such as near a lake, river, or pond.

conceal

v. to hide something
You should conceal your money so no one can take it from you.

resource

n. a person's or country's money and materials that they can use
The poor man didn’t have the resources to feed himself.

witness

n. someone who sees or hears a crime
The woman was the only witness of the horrible crime.

proclaim

v. to say something in public
The army general proclaimed that the war was won.

rally

n. a large public meeting in order to support something
The school had a rally in the gym to support the basketball team.

offense

n. an action that breaks the law and requires punishment
He was put in jail for two days for the offense.

deed

n. a certificate that proves that someone owns something
When she bought the car, she was given a deed to show the car was hers.

crime

n. something bad that can be punished by law
Police quickly arrived at the scene of the crime.

intervene

v. to help stop a problem between two people or groups
The students argued until the teacher intervened.

legal

adj. related to the law or allowed by the law
It was not legal for him to drive until he was 18 years old.

volunteer

v. to offer to do something for free
Many people volunteered to help the adults learn to read.

gratitude

n. a feeling of being thankful
The kids showed Aunt Tess much gratitude for visiting them.

replace

v. to put it in the place of something else
I replaced the tire on my car because it was flat.

enclose

v. to contain something
The cows in the field were enclosed by a fence.

snap

n. to break something suddenly, which can cause a loud noise
I took the drumstick and snapped it with my hands.

whatsoever

adj. there is nothing of that thing
The boy had no idea whatsoever how to finish the story.

grip

v. to hold something very tightly
I was scared, so I gripped my older sister’s hand.

version

n. an account of something that differs slightly from the original
She read the students British version of the Chinese fairy tale.

constant

adj. it happens a lot or all of the time
The television at home is in constant use.

mode

n. a setting or condition on a machine
Melissa turned the TV to quiet mode while she talked on the phone.

device

n. an object or a machine
A thermometer is a device that tells temperature.

crack

v. A crack is a narrow space between the parts of something broken.
The old window was covered with cracks.

halt

v. to stop moving
The criminal halted when he saw the police coming.

perspire

v. to sweat
I usually perspire a lot when I am at athletics practice.

tend

n. to be likely to do something or to do it often
My mom tends to buy me the perfect gift each Christmas.

influence

n. to have an effect on someone or something
My friend influenced my decision to attend Terrance University.

impending

adj. it is going to happen soon
The student was nervous about her impending test.

sly

adj. sneaky or good at tricking people
The sly fox stole the eggs from the nest.

access

n. the right to enter or use something
The manager was the only person with access to the password.

conduct

n. the way that someone acts
She was punished for her bad conduct.

law

n. a rule made by the legislative body
The students learned about different laws during social studies class.

valid

adj. correct or based on good reasoning
The expert’s opinion on the subject was more valid than others.

majestic

adj. large and impressive
The rich people lived in a big, majestic house.

nor

conj. connecting two negative ideas
I eat neither apples nor oranges. I don’t like either one.

smash

v. to break something into many small pieces
Jacob smashed the window with a rock.

efficient

adj. not wasting energy
My car is very efficient. I rarely have to buy gas.

outraged

adj. very angry
My father was outraged when he saw that I had crashed his car.

display

v. to show something, especially by putting it in a certain place
The museum displayed many wonderful paintings.

successful

adj. intended to achieve
My father is a successful businessman.

whereas

conj. showing how two things are different
My sister loves horror movies, whereas I prefer comedies.

alongside

adv. next to something
We work alongside each other in the office.

pessimistic

adj. believing that the worst will happen
John is pessimistic. He always thinks something bad will happen.

appetite

n. hunger for food
Tom has a big appetite. He eats all the time.

breeze

n. a soft wind
The breeze caused the leaves to fall off the tree.

defy

v. to work against someone or refuse to do what they say
The students got into trouble for defying their teacher’s rules.

assist

v. to help something
Andrew assisted me with my homework.

feeble

adj. small or weak
The boy was too feeble to carry the object very far.

slap

v. to hit someone with the palm of the hand
Out of anger, Helen slapped Eunice on the face.

wage

n. the money that a person gets for doing a job
The wages I receive from my job are really great!

lively

adj. having a lot of energy
Jennifer is very lively: she’s always running and playing.

forgive

v. to stop being angry with someone
Sandra forgave Peter after he said he was sorry.

relationship

n. the way in which two or more people behave toward each other
The teacher was proud of her good relationship with the students.

longing

n. a strong feeling of wanting
Since he skipped breakfast, he had a longing for food all morning.

numerous

adj. there are many of those things
It was hard to drive fast since there were numerous holes in the road.

sophisticated

adj. knowing many things about the world
Jake is one of the most sophisticated people I’ve ever met.

isolate

v. to separate one person or thing from a group
The teacher isolated the bad child from the class before talking with her.

particle

n. a very small piece of something
The bottles of wine were covered in a layer of dust particles.

refrain

v. to avoid doing something
The doctor asked Mary to refrain from eating fast food as part of her diet.

decade

n. a period of ten years
She celebrated her three decades of work with the company.

handy

adj. useful
An eraser is handy if you make a lot of mistakes.

animate

adj. having life
Rocks and machines are not animate things.

concept

n. an idea about something
I learned some concepts about molecules before working in the science lab.

review

n. a formal inspection of something by people in authority
The government ordered a careful review of the economic situation.

classify

v. to put things into groups based on their type
The biologist classified the plant as a completely new species.

construct

v. to make or build something
The men used wood and metal to construct a house.

diagram

n. a simple drawing that explains what something is or how it works
By following the diagram, I was able to put the desk together.

upright

adj. on two feet instead of four
A short time ago some builders left a huge square of plate glass standing upright in a field.

surrender

v. to give up something
The thief surrendered the money to the police when he was caught.

worthwhile

adj. important or useful
On his visit to Canada, he realized studying English was worthwhile.

concede

n. to admit against your wish that something is true
The student conceded that he had cheated on the test.

ferry

n. a boat that carries passengers over short distances
The ferry took the people across the lake.

plea

n. a request that is urgent or emotional
The poor, hungry man made a plea for food.