بیستم - دایره لغات

Hello, everyone! Welcome to lesson 20 of 504 Absolutely Essential Words. 12 new words, for this week! Are you ready for that? Let’s start.

The first word is “emerge”. Emerge means to come out; come up; come into view. As you know, it is a verb. A) When the fight was over, the underdog* emerged the winner. B) You have to be nimble* to emerge from the narrow opening in five seconds. C) What emerged from the bottle was a blend* of fruit juices.

The second word is “jagged”. Jagged means with sharp points sticking out; unevenly cut or torn. It’s an adjective, right? A) Being reckless, Rudy didn’t watch out for the jagged steel. B) It is an enormous job to smooth the jagged edge of a fence. C) Leslie’s hair was so jagged it was scarcely* possible to tell that it had just been cut.

The third one for this lesson is “linger”. Linger means to stay on; to go slowly as if unwilling to leave. It’s a verb. A) The odor didn’t vanish, but lingered on for weeks. B) Some traditions linger on long after they have lost their meanings. C) After the campus* closed for the summer, some students lingered on, reluctant* to go home. Now, as you noticed, we used the verb “linger”, with the preposition “on”. That’s something to remember.

The next word is “ambush”. Ambush means a trap in which soldiers or other enemies hide to make a surprise attack. It’s a noun. It’s also a verb, actually, and as a verb it means to make a surprise attack on someone. A) The ambush became a tragedy* for those who attempted it because they were all killed. B) General Taylor raved* about the ingenious* ambush he planned. C) The troops lay in ambush in the dense* woods all through the night.

Our next word is “crafty”. Crafty means skillful in deceiving others; sly; tricky. It’s an adjective. A) His crafty mind prepared a comprehensive* plan to defraud* his partners. B) Leo didn’t use brutal* strength against his opponents, but he used his crafty bag of tricks to beat them. C) The Indians did not fall for the crafty ambush.

The next word we have is “defiant”. Defiant means openly resisting; challenging. A) “I refuse to be manipulated”, the defiant young woman told her father. B) Professor Carlyle was defiant of any attempt to disapprove his theory. C) Defiant of everyone, the addict refused to be helped.

Our next word is “vigor”. Vigor means active strength or force. It’s a noun, right? A) Having a great deal of vigor, Jason was able to excel* in all sports. B) Tom Thumb made up for size by having more vigor than most people. C) Putting all her vigor into that argument, Patsy persuaded* me to let her drive.

Next one, “perish”. Perish means to be destroyed; to die. It’s a verb. A) Unless the plant gets water for its roots to absorb*, it will perish. B) Custer and all his men perished at the Little Big Horn. C) We are trying to make sure that democracy will never perish from this earth.

The next word we have is “fragile”. Fragile means easily broken, damaged, or destroyed; delicate. A) The expensive* glassware is very fragile. B) Things made out of plywood have a tendency* to be fragile. C) On the box was a label that read, “Fragile, Handle with care”! So, one more time, fragile means delicate.

The next word is “captive”. Captive simply means prisoner. It’s a noun, and also a verb. A) The major was grateful* to be released after having been held captive for two years. B) Until the sheriff got them out, the two boys were held captive in the barn. C) Placido can hold an audience captive with his marvelous singing voice.

The next one we have is “prosper”. It means to be successful; to have a good fortune. Prosper is a verb, right? Let’s see some examples. A) Howard Hughes owned numerous* businesses and most of them prospered. B) No one should prosper from the misfortunes* of his or her friends. C) The annual* report showed that the new business was prospering.

And, the last word for this lesson is “devour”. Devour means to eat hungrily; to absorb* completely; to take in greedily. It’s a verb. A) It was a horrid sight to see the lion devour the lamb. B) The animal doctor was pleased to see the terrier devour the dog food. C) My aunt devours four or five mystery books each week.

Okay, now, we’re finished with this one, too! Hope you’ve enjoyed it. Don’t forget, each week, 1 lesson. See you in the next part.