بیست و چهارم - دایره لغات

Hi there, everyone! Welcome to the vocabulary part for lesson 24 of 504 Absolutely Essential Words. Are you ready? Let’s go!

The first word we have for this lesson “fierce”. Fierce means savage; wild. It’s an adjective. A) Barry was so fiercely angry that he thrust* his hand through the glass. B) One must take appropriate* precautions* when approaching* fierce dogs. C) He took one look at his fierce opponent* and ran. So, fierce means vicious.

The second word of this lesson is “detest”. Detest means dislike very much; hate. It’s actually stronger than hate, right? It’s a verb. A) The world detests people who aren’t valiant. B) Wally was certain that his girlfriend’s parents would detest him because he had been a delinquent. C) I detest Chinese food but I won’t deprive* you of the chance to eat it.

Third one, “sneer”. Sneer means to show scorn or contempt by looks or words; a scornful look or remark. It’s both a verb, and a noun. A) The journalists* were cautious* about sneering at the Secretary of Defense. B) “Wipe that sneer off your face” the dean told the delinquent*. C) When offered a dime as a tip, the taxi driver sneered at his rider.

Then, we have the word “scowl”. Scowl means to look angry by lowering eyebrows; frown. Again, it’s a verb, and a noun, but here we’re using it as a verb. Let’s see the examples. A) Laverne scowled at her mother when she was prohibited* from going out. B) I dread* seeing my father scowl when he gets my report card. C) Because of a defect* in her vision*, it always appeared that Polly was scowling.

The next one, “encourage”. Encourage means to give courage to; to increase the confidence of. It’s a verb. A) We encouraged the coach to devise* a plan for beating Jefferson High. B) Some unstable* persons need to be encouraged to find a vocation. C) A valiant person rarely* needs to be encouraged.

Next, we have “consider”. Consider means to think about in order to decide. It’s a verb. Let’s take a look at the examples. A) Jon considered whether a comprehensive* report was necessary. B) Do you consider that dress to be a bargain at the wholesale* price? C) The wrestler was always considered to be the underdog* in every match.

The next word we have is “vermin”. Vermin means any of those small animals that are troublesome or destructive; fleas, bedbugs, lice, rats, and mice are vermin. It’s a noun. A) We should try to eliminate* all vermin from our house. B) Some reptiles* eat vermin as their food. C) Although vermin are not always visible, they probably inhabit every house in the city.

Next one on the list, “wail”. Wail means to cry loud and long because of grief or pain. We’re using it as a verb here, but it’s also a noun. A) When tragedy* struck, the old people began to wail. B) In some countries the women are expected to wail loudly after their husbands die. C) When the Yankees lost the World Series, there was much wailing in New York.

Our next word is “symbol”. I guess you all know this one. Symbol means something that stands for or represents something else. It’s a noun. Let’s see the examples. A) The statue outside the court building is considered* a symbol of justice. B) Symbols for God are prohibited in their religion. C) An olive branch is a symbol of peace.

The next one is “authority”. Authority means the right to command or enforce obedience; power delegated to another; an author or volume that may be appealed to in support of an action or belief. So, it’s a noun. A) No one should have the authority to dictate our career choice. B) Today a monarch* does not have the authority he once enjoyed. C) The Supreme Court is entrusted with the authority to interpret our Constitution.

Our next one, “neutral”. Neutral means on neither side of a quarrel or war. It’s both an adjective, and a noun. A) It is logical* to remain neutral in a violent* argument between spouses. B) Switzerland was a neutral country in World War II. C) Adolph did not reject the idea but remained neutral about it.

And the last one, “trifle”. Trifle means a small amount; little bit; something of little value. It’s a noun, and a verb. Let’s see the examples. A) I ate a trifle for dinner rather than a vast* meal. B) Walter spends only a trifle of his time in studying French. C) At our meetings Alex always raises trifling objections to any new plan.

Alright, great. We’re finished with the vocabulary. See you in the next part.