Changes and Impacts: English Vocabulary List

to be the reason for a specific incident or result

"His speech brings about significant social change."

"The new government's policies were intended to bring about significant economic improvements for the entire nation."

to happen following something or as a result of it

"Chaos ensues after the sudden announcement."

"A period of intense debate and public outcry was expected to ensue following the controversial announcement."

(of a price, amount, etc.) to increase suddenly and significantly

"Prices rocketed after the shortage hit."

"The price of oil rocketed to record highs after the announcement of production cuts by major exporting countries."

to originate from a particular source or factor

"His fear stems from a childhood trauma."

"Many of his problems stem from a difficult childhood that was filled with poverty and neglect."

to serve as the foundation or primary cause for something

"Deep beliefs underlie his political decisions."

"The basic principles that underlie the scientific method include observation hypothesis testing and careful analysis of results."

to give something to a person and receive something else in return

"Let us swap seats for a better view."

"The two friends decided to swap their lunch boxes because each preferred what the other had brought to school."

related to the relationship between two things in which one is the cause of the other

"The link is causal."

"The study found a causal link between smoking and lung cancer which means that smoking actually causes the disease."

being the reason behind the occurrence of something

"This is the causative agent."

"Scientists are still trying to identify the exact causative agent responsible for the widespread illness."

occurring as a result of something particular

"The damage was consequent."

"The heavy rain caused flooding and the consequent damage to roads and bridges made travel impossible for several days."

able to have much impact on someone or something

"She is an influential leader."

"She is one of the most influential fashion designers in the world and her collections are always highly anticipated by critics."

unable to be undone, changed, or corrected once something has occurred

"The damage is irreversible."

"The damage to the environment from the oil spill is irreversible and the ecosystem will never return to its original state."

used to indicate how something is achieved or the result of an action

"He passed the exam thereby proving his skills."

"He passed the exam thereby proving his skills and earning the respect of his teachers and classmates."

a drop in market and business activities

"The economic downturn caused many businesses to close."

"The economic downturn forced many businesses to lay off workers and reduce their operating hours."

having a significant purpose or importance

"Her work is meaningful."

"She wanted to do something meaningful with her life so she decided to become a volunteer teacher in Africa."

to rise in amount, rate, etc.

"Prices will accelerate."

"The new technology will accelerate the company's growth and market penetration."

to collect an increasing amount of something over time

"Dust can accumulate on surfaces."

"Dust can accumulate quickly on electronic devices so you should clean them regularly to prevent overheating problems."

(of value or price) to gradually rise

"Value will appreciate."

"Real estate in desirable locations tends to appreciate significantly over the long term."

to change into a different form or to change into something with a different use

"Convert the currency."

"We need to convert our foreign earnings into local currency before the exchange rate changes."

to decline in quality, condition, or overall state

"The building deteriorated over many years."

"The patient's health began to deteriorate rapidly after the surgery so the doctors were very worried."

to become greater in size, amount, number, or quality

"Plants need water to grow."

"The small startup began to grow rapidly after receiving significant investment from several venture capital firms."

to trigger a particular event, condition, or response

"The drug can induce sleep."

"The doctor tried to induce labor to avoid further complications during the pregnancy."

(of prices, values, temperature, etc.) to suddenly decrease in a significant amount

"Prices will plunge."

"The stock market experienced a significant plunge after the unexpected economic downturn."

to give rise to a certain reaction or feeling, particularly suddenly

"His words provoke anger."

"The controversial statement was intended to provoke a strong reaction from the public."

(particularly of share prices or currencies) to rise after a decline

"The stock market began to rally yesterday."

"After several weeks of decline, the currency started to rally when the new economic policies were announced."

to drop in value, amount, strength, etc.

"His grades will sink."

"The value of the company's shares continued to sink despite optimistic reassurances from management."

(of prices, shares, etc.) to abruptly and significantly increase

"The prices surge now."

"The stock market experienced a sudden surge in value after the positive economic news was released to the public."

(of an amount or price) to increase rapidly

"Prices will shoot up soon."

"The cost of gasoline tends to shoot up during the summer when more people travel by car."

against someone or something's advantage

"The weather was adverse."

"The medication caused adverse reactions in some patients including nausea headaches and dizziness so the doctor prescribed a different drug."

having limited significance or importance

"The difference is marginal."

"The marginal improvement in her test scores was not enough to raise her grade to a passing level so she failed."

significant in amount or degree

"It was substantial."

"The substantial increase in funding will allow the research team to pursue groundbreaking new avenues of study."

the situation that follows a very unpleasant event such as a war, natural disaster, accident, etc.

"The aftermath was bad."

"In the aftermath of the hurricane volunteers distributed food and water to displaced families."

a factor that helps to make something happen

"Stress is a contributor."

"Lack of sleep is a major contributor to decreased productivity and poor decision-making."

a sharp increase in something, such as price, etc.

"There was a price leap."

"Consumers were shocked by the sudden leap in gasoline prices at the beginning of the summer season."

a return to a previous or normal state

"The recovery was slow."

"The patient's full recovery from the serious illness took several months of dedicated rehabilitation."

a result of a situation or action that was not meant to happen

"It had a side effect."

"Drowsiness is a common side effect of many antihistamine medications that patients should be aware of."

to experience a change in terms of color, shape, etc. due to the effect or influence of the sun, wind, or rain

"The wood will weather."

"The ancient stone monument had weathered considerably over the centuries, showing the marks of time and elements."

to make something change in terms of color, shape, etc. due to the effect or influence of the sun, wind, or rain

"The statue weathered many harsh storms."

"The old wooden fence has weathered many harsh winters but it is still standing strong today."

to discuss, consider, or deal with again, usually with the aim of resolving something

"We will rehash the plan."

"The committee decided to rehash the proposal to address the overlooked concerns raised by the stakeholders."