IELTS Book 8 Test 2 Section 3

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.