Lesson 2A · New English File Upper Intermediate Vocabulary List

the state of being physically or mentally sick

"Illness kept him home."

"The illness spread quickly through the village."

any physical damage to a part of the body caused by an accident or attack

"He has a knee injury."

"The athlete suffered a serious injury during the game and had to be taken to the hospital immediately."

to push air out of our mouth with a sudden noise

"He coughs loudly during the night."

"The patient continued to cough for several weeks after recovering from the flu because his lungs were still irritated and inflamed."

a pain in the head, usually persistent

"I have a bad headache."

"She took some medication to alleviate the throbbing headache that had been bothering her all afternoon."

a pain in someone's back

"He had a backache after lifting boxes."

"Sitting at a desk for eight hours daily gave him a persistent backache that would not go away."

a pain inside the ear

"The child cried because of his earache."

"The child cried because of a painful earache so his mother immediately took him to see the doctor."

a pain in or near someone's stomach

"He stayed home with a stomachache."

"The child complained of a stomachache after eating too much candy at the birthday party."

pain felt in a tooth or several teeth

"She complained of toothache."

"A severe toothache forced him to call the dentist for an emergency appointment on a Sunday morning."

pain and redness of the skin caused by overexposure to the sun

"He got a painful sunburn after swimming"

"She forgot to apply sunscreen and got a painful sunburn on her shoulders and nose."

to throw up the contents of the stomach, often due to illness or nausea

"I think I am going to be sick."

"She cannot come to work today because she is sick with a bad cold and fever."

to eject what has been eaten or drunk through the mouth

"He vomited after eating bad food."

"The sick passenger began to vomit during the turbulent flight and the flight attendant brought him a bag."

to blow air out of our nose and mouth in a sudden way

"People sneeze into their elbow please."

"If you sneeze without covering your mouth you can spread germs to other people in the same room very quickly."

any physical injury, pain, suffering, or damage

"He felt the hurt."

"The accident left him with a deep hurt in his leg that took months to heal."

a continuous pain in a part of the body, often not severe

"My legs ache today."

"After a long day of hiking, his muscles developed a deep ache that made walking difficult."

to lose blood from an injury or wound

"His wound bleeds for several minutes."

"The cut on his finger continued to bleed for several minutes before the bleeding finally stopped."

a condition when you feel pain in the throat, usually caused by bacteria or viruses

"He has a sore throat."

"A sore throat made speaking difficult today."

a medical condition in which body waste turns to liquid and comes out frequently

"The traveler got diarrhea from drinking the dirty water in the village."

"After eating the spoiled food, he suffered from diarrhea and had to stay home from work."

to suddenly lose consciousness from a lack of oxygen in the brain, which is caused by a shock, etc.

"She faints from the intense summer heat."

"The bride nearly fainted at the altar because it was very hot and she had not eaten breakfast."

a swollen area on the skin filled with liquid, caused by constant rubbing or by burning

"A blister formed on skin."

"A blister is a small pocket of fluid that forms on the skin due to friction"

an infectious disease similar to a bad cold, causing fever and severe pain

"He got the flu last week."

"The flu spread quickly in winter."

unable to keep one's balance and feeling as though everything is circling around one, caused by an illness or looking down from a high place

"I feel dizzy."

"The spinning ride made her feel dizzy so she closed her eyes and held onto the safety bar until it stopped."

a reaction caused by inhaling, touching, or ingesting specific substances that one's body is severely sensitive to

"The bee sting causes a severe allergic reaction."

"The bee sting causes a severe allergic reaction and she is rushed to the emergency room."

water that is brought into a house, building, etc. through pipes

"The cabin has no running water."

"The remote cabin has no electricity or running water so the family uses a hand pump and oil lamps."

slightly wet, particularly in an uncomfortable way

"The towel is damp."

"The damp towel was left on the floor and now it smells bad."

to apply pressure to a surface with back and forth or circular motions

"Rub the lotion on your skin."

"Rub the lotion gently into your skin until it is completely absorbed to keep your hands soft and moisturized."

a piece of cloth that is put around a wound to prevent infections

"Put on a bandage."

"A compression bandage is a stretchy"

a painful injury resulting in the sudden twist of a bone or joint, particularly one's wrist or ankles

"The sprain keeps him off the field."

"The doctor confirmed a bad sprain but no broken bones in his ankle."

the pressure at which one's blood circulates one's body

"My blood pressure is normal."

"Regular exercise and a healthy diet are important for maintaining healthy blood pressure levels."

an illness resulting from the consumption of food or water contaminated with bacteria

"Food poisoning causes vomiting and diarrhea."

"Food poisoning causes vomiting diarrhea and stomach cramps after eating contaminated food or drinks."

to put one's body in a flat position in order to sleep or rest

"She lies down for a short nap."

"I need to lie down for a few minutes because I am feeling very dizzy and tired after the long walk."

to expel the contents of the stomach through the mouth

"She started to throw up again."

"After eating spoiled seafood at the restaurant, he began to throw up repeatedly throughout the night and had to visit the hospital."

having little importance, effect, or seriousness

"It is a minor problem."

"The minor adjustments to the budget had a negligible impact on the overall project timeline."

a medical problem, such as a disorder, illness, etc.

"What is the condition?"

"The patient's underlying medical condition made them more susceptible to developing other complications."

a part of one's skin covered with red spots, which is usually caused by a sickness or an allergic reaction

"She has a skin rash."

"The baby developed a red, itchy rash after eating strawberries for the first time."

a condition characterized by a body temperature above the normal range, often indicating an immune response to infection or illness within the body

"High temperature means fever."

"The patient's elevated temperature suggested an underlying infection requiring immediate medical attention."

to experience a particular emotion

"I feel very sad."

"He felt a surge of relief when he finally found his lost wallet on the street."

not in a good and healthy physical or mental state

"She is sick."

"She is sick and will not be coming to school today because she has a fever."

having a temperature lower than the human body's average temperature

"The drink is cold."

"The cold wind cut through his jacket like a knife and he wished he had worn a warmer coat."

to accidentally wound and hurt yourself or others, especially with a sharp object, causing the skin to break and bleed

"I cut my finger."

"Be careful not to cut yourself while using the sharp kitchen knife."

(of a person) unresponsive and unaware of the surroundings, usually due to an illness or injury

"He was unconscious."

"The paramedics quickly assessed the unconscious victim to determine the severity of his injuries."

material used for making clothes, which is made by knitting or weaving silk, cotton, etc.

"She bought some cloth."

"He wiped the dusty table with a damp cloth removing layers of grime that had accumulated over several weeks without being cleaned properly."

to push a thing tightly against something else

"Press the button hard."

"You need to press the correct sequence of buttons to unlock the security system."

to move something into an angled position where one side is lower or higher than the other

"The glass will tip."

"Be careful not to tip the delicate vase while dusting the shelves."

to tightly grip and squeeze something, particularly someone's flesh, between one's fingers

"Pinch the dough together at the edges."

"The toddler tried to pinch his older sister's arm when she refused to share her toys with him."

having a value or level greater than usual or expected, often in terms of numbers or measurements

"The temperature is high."

"The company reported a high level of profits this quarter, exceeding all expectations."

small or below average in degree, value, level, or amount

"The price is low."

"The low price of the used car made him suspicious so he asked a mechanic to inspect the vehicle before buying it."

to not be able to speak clearly and normally due to experiencing very strong emotions

"He will choke."

"Overcome with emotion, she began to choke back tears during her acceptance speech."

to be on fire and be destroyed by it

"The house will burn."

"Do not leave the candles burning when you leave the room because they could cause a serious fire that might destroy your entire house."

to lose consciousness

"She passes out from the intense heat."

"It was so hot in the room that one of the guests nearly passed out from heat exhaustion and dehydration."

to awaken from a state of unconsciousness

"He will come around soon."

"After the fainting spell, she slowly started to come around and regain consciousness."

to recover from an unpleasant or unhappy experience, particularly an illness

"She got over her fear of flying."

"It took her a long time to get over the death of her beloved pet cat."