8 T2 S3
Acute (Adjective) Synonym: Keen
Very serious or severe
· There is an acute shortage of water.
· Acute pain
· The world’s acute environmental problems
· Competition for jobs is acute.
· The scandal was an acute embarrassment for the President.
· He was suffering from acute chest pains.
An acute illness is one that has quickly become severe and dangerous
· Acute appendicitis
(of the senses) very sensitive and well developed
· Dogs have an acute sense of smell.
Intelligent and quick to notice and understand things
· He is an acute observer of the social scene.Her judgement is acute.
(geometry) (of an angle) less than 90°
· Acute Angle
Agreeable(adjective) Synonym: Pleasing
Pleasant and easy to like
· We spent a most agreeable day together.
· He seemed extremely agreeable.
[not before noun] agreeable (to something) willing to do something or allow something
· Do you think they will be agreeable to our proposal?
Agreeable (to somebody) able to be accepted by somebody
· The deal must be agreeable to both sides.
Aroma( Noun) Synonym: Fragrance
A pleasant, noticeable smell
· The aroma of fresh coffee
· A delicious aroma was coming from the kitchen.
Associate verb Synonym: Mix
[transitive] associate somebody/something (with somebody/something) to make a connection between people or things in your mind
· I always associate the smell of baking with my childhood.
· He is closely associated in the public mind with horror movies.
· Most people immediately associate addictions with drugs, alcohol and cigarettes.
· You wouldn’t normally associate these two writers—their styles are completely different.
[intransitive] associate with somebody to spend time with somebody, especially a person or people that somebody else does not approve of
· I don't like you associating with those people.
[transitive] associate yourself with something (formal) to show that you support or agree with something
· I associate myself with the Prime Minister's remarks (= I agree with them).
· I have never associated myself with political extremism.
Distinguish(Verb) Synonym: Differentiate
[intransitive, transitive] to recognize the difference between two people or things
Distinguish between A and B
· At what age are children able to distinguish between right and wrong?
· English law clearly distinguishes between murder and manslaughter.
Distinguish A from B
· It was hard to distinguish one twin from the other.
Distinguish A and B
· Sometimes reality and fantasy are hard to distinguish.
· We can distinguish five meanings of the word ‘mad’.
[transitive] (not used in the progressive tenses) distinguish A (from B) to be a characteristic that makes two people, animals or things different
· What was it that distinguished her from her classmates?
· The male bird is distinguished from the female by its red beak.
· Does your cat have any distinguishing marks?
· The power of speech distinguishes human beings from animals.
[transitive] (not used in the progressive tenses) distinguish something to be able to see or hear something
· I could not distinguish her words, but she sounded agitated.
· She could not distinguish the make and colour of the car in the fading light.
[transitive] distinguish yourself (as something) to do something so well that people notice and admire you
· She has already distinguished herself as an athlete.
Elusive(adjective) Synonym: Evasive
Difficult to find, define or achieve
· Eric, as elusive as ever, was nowhere to be found.
· The elusive concept of ‘literature’
· A solution to the problem of toxic waste is proving elusive.
Essential (Adjective) Synonym: Vital
Completely necessary; extremely important in a particular situation or for a particular activity
· An essential part/ingredient/component of something
· Essential services such as gas, water and electricity
· The museum is closed while essential repairs are being carried out.
· Even in small companies, computers are an essential tool.
· The charity will be taking food and essential supplies to six refugee camps.
· This book is essential reading for all nature lovers.
Essential to something
· Money is not essential to happiness.
Essential for something
· Experience is essential for this job.
It is essential to do something
· It is essential to keep the two groups separate.
It is essential that…
· It is essential that you have some experience.
[only before noun] connected with the most important aspect or basic nature of somebody/something
· The essential difference between Sara and me is in our attitude to money.
· The essential character of the town has been destroyed by the new road.
Feeble(adjective) Synonym: Decrepit
Very weak
· A feeble old man
· The heartbeat was feeble and irregular.
Not effective; not showing determination or energy
· A feeble argument/excuse/joke
· A feeble attempt to explain
· Don't be so feeble! Tell her you don't want to go.
Grimace(verb) Synonym: Scowl
[intransitive] grimace (at somebody/something) to make an ugly expression with your face to show pain, disgust, etc.
· He grimaced at the bitter taste.
· She grimaced as the needle went in.
Inevitably (adverb) Synonym: Unavoidably
As is certain to happen
· Inevitably, the press exaggerated the story.
(often humorous) as you would expect
· Inevitably, it rained on the day of the wedding.
Odour(Noun) Synonym: Scent
A smell, especially one that is unpleasant
· A foul/musty/pungent, etc. odour
· The stale odour of cigarette smoke
· (figurative) the odour of suspicion
Perception(noun) Synonym: Insight
[uncountable] (specialist or formal) the way you notice things, especially with the senses
· Our perception of reality
· Visual perception
[uncountable] (formal) the ability to understand the true nature of something
· She showed great perception in her assessment of the family situation.
[uncountable, countable] (formal) an idea, a belief or an image you have as a result of how you see or understand something
A campaign to change public perception of the police
Perception that…
· There is a general public perception that standards in schools are falling.
Realm Noun Synonym: Territory
An area of activity, interest, or knowledge
· In the realm of literature
· At the end of the speech he seemed to be moving into the realms of fantasy.
(formal) a country ruled by a king or queen
· The defence of the realm
Sensation(Noun) Synonym: Feeling
[countable] a feeling that you get when something affects your body
· A tingling/burning, etc. sensation
· I had a sensation of falling, as if in a dream.
[uncountable] the ability to feel through your sense of touch
· She seemed to have lost all sensation in her arms.
[countable, usually singular] a general feeling or impression that is difficult to explain; an experience or a memory
· He had the eerie sensation of being watched.
· When I arrived, I had the sensation that she had been expecting me.
[countable, usually singular, uncountable] very great surprise, excitement, or interest among a lot of people; the person or the thing that causes this surprise
· News of his arrest caused a sensation.
· The band became a sensation overnight.
Spouse(Noun) Synonym: Companion
A husband or wife
· Fill in your spouse’s name here.
Undervalue(Verb) Synonym: Depreciate
[usually passive] undervalue somebody/something to not recognize how good, valuable or important somebody/something really is
· Education is currently undervalued in this country.
· He believes his house has been undervalued.