Lesson 2B · New English File Advanced Vocabulary List

a set of two matching items that are designed to be used together or regarded as one

"She buys a pair of shoes."

"She bought a new pair of shoes to match her dress for the party."

the work that we do regularly to earn money

"He found a new job."

"She applied for twenty different jobs online before she finally received a phone call inviting her to come in for an interview at a small marketing firm."

a profession or a series of professions that one can do for a long period of one's life

"He has a long career."

"Choosing a career based only on salary potential often leads to dissatisfaction because enjoyment and meaning are just as important for long term happiness."

(of a person or thing) harmed or spoiled

"The car is damaged."

"The damaged car was still drivable but the bumper was dented and the headlight was broken."

close to a certain quality or quantity, but not exact or precise

"The number is approximate."

"The approximate cost of the repairs is five hundred dollars but it could be more or less."

in a favorable or approving manner

"She is a highly respected doctor."

"She is a highly respected doctor and many patients travel from far away just to see her."

to create something, usually an idea, a solution, or a plan, through one's own efforts or thinking

"Come up with a good idea."

"The team needs to come up with a creative solution to the problem before the deadline."

bringing bad fortune or ending in failure

"The voyage was ill-fated."

"The ill fated expedition ended in disaster when the ship sank and all the crew members drowned."

a talk that is between two or more people and they tell each other about different things like feelings, ideas, and thoughts

"We had a long conversation."

"The conversation was polite and helpful during dinner."

a piece of work for someone to do, especially as an assignment

"This is a hard task."

"Completing the task on time was very challenging."

an extra benefit that one receives in addition to one's salary due to one's job

"Flexible hours are a nice perk of the job."

"Flexible hours are a nice perk of the job and employees can choose when to start and end their workday."

to have a similar appearance or characteristic to someone or something else

"This painting resembles a famous masterpiece."

"The young boy closely resembles his father in both appearance and personality traits which is quite remarkable."

to want something or someone that we must have if we want to do or be something

"Plants need sunlight and water."

"Plants need sunlight water and nutrients from the soil to grow healthy and strong."

to officially announce one's departure from a job, position, etc.

"The CEO resigns after the company scandal."

"The CEO decided to resign from his position after the company suffered a major financial scandal."

one's brother or sister

"My sibling is kind."

"A sibling can be a brother or a sister."

a person, typically a male

"The guy near the door smiled."

"That guy in the blue jacket helped me carry my groceries to the car yesterday."

to resemble a thing or person in appearance

"She looks like her mother."

"The fluffy white cloud looks like a rabbit or perhaps a sheep depending on your imagination."

experiencing something bad due to bad luck

"It is unfortunate."

"The unfortunate accident could have been avoided if the driver had been paying attention to the road."

trying to stop something because one strongly disagrees with it

"They are opposed."

"She is opposed to the new law because she thinks it will hurt small businesses and families."

a small lie that does not cause any harm, especially told to avoid making someone upset

"She tells a white lie to spare his feelings."

"She tells a white lie to spare his feelings and says his cooking is delicious when it is not."

to try to get a person's attention, particularly by attempting to make eye contact

"I caught his eye."

"She tried to catch the waiter's eye to order another drink from across the crowded restaurant."

used to emphasize a question or statement, showing surprise or confusion

"What on earth happened?"

"What on earth were you thinking when you decided to jump into that icy lake without a wetsuit?"

in a very precise and exact way and with great attention to detail

"He followed the instructions to the letter."

"He followed the instructions to the letter and completed the task perfectly without any mistakes."

the part of the night that is the most quiet and dark

"He left in the dead of night."

"The phone rang in the dead of the night and woke everyone up from their deep sleep."

a person or thing that is very annoying or troublesome

"He is a pain."

"Dealing with all these endless bureaucratic forms has become a real pain in the neck for me."

the overall view or perspective of a situation, rather than focusing on small details

"You need to look at the bigger picture."

"You need to look at the bigger picture instead of focusing on small mistakes and problems."

to continuously put a lot of effort into doing something

"Keep nose to grindstone."

"To achieve her academic goals, she had to keep her nose to the grindstone and study diligently every evening."

a belief that is strong, yet without any explainable reason

"I have a gut feeling about this."

"My gut feeling told me that something was wrong even though I could not explain what it was."

to try to find something or someone

"Look for your keys."

"He had to look for his misplaced wallet in the entire house."

to try to find a particular thing or person

"I seek help now."

"Many job seekers seek opportunities that align with their long-term career aspirations and personal values."

having no space left

"The glass is full."

"After the generous serving, the plate was completely full, leaving no room for any additional food."

having all the necessary parts

"This is complete."

"The puzzle was finally complete after we found the last elusive piece."

having a high speed when doing something, especially moving

"The car is fast."

"The fast runner crossed the finish line in record time breaking the previous record that had stood for ten years."

taking a short time to move, happen, or be done

"The response is quick."

"The quick response from the firefighters saved the family home from burning to the ground during the electrical fire."

a pair of things or people

"I see a couple."

"A couple of friends decided to go on a weekend trip together."

having a great space or extent between two points

"The distant stars twinkled."

"From the mountaintop, the distant city lights created a breathtaking, expansive panorama below."

to or at a great distance

"The station is far."

"The station is not far from here so you can easily walk there in less than ten minutes."

to cause injury or physical pain to yourself or someone else

"Don't hurt yourself."

"Be careful when you are climbing the ladder, you don't want to hurt yourself and break a bone."

approximate or lacking in detail or refinement

"The road is rough."

"The rough sea made the boat rock violently and several passengers became seasick during the crossing to the island."

to a large or significant degree

"He believes strongly in fairness."

"The company is strongly considering a merger with its main competitor."

in or to a position lower than and directly beneath something

"The book is under table."

"The hidden treasure was buried deep under the old oak tree."

in a position or location situated beneath or lower than something else

"The temperature dropped below zero."

"The temperature dropped below zero last night so the puddles have frozen and become slippery and dangerous."

(of information or physical objects) to circulate or distribute something, often in a haphazard or informal manner

"The news will go around."

"Rumors about the company's financial troubles began to go around the office rapidly."

to postpone an appointment or arrangement

"Do not put off your homework."

"Do not put off your homework until the last minute because you may not have enough time to complete it properly before the deadline."

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."

to choose to continue an ongoing activity

"Carry on your work."

"Despite the setbacks, she decided to carry on with her research project."

to create a false or fictional story or information

"She will make up."

"He was accused of fabricating evidence, but he claimed he only made up a story."

to wear formal clothes for a special occasion or event

"Dress up for party."

"The children love to dress up in their parents' clothes and pretend to be grown ups."

to emerge as a particular outcome

"The cake turned out perfectly."

"The party turned out to be much more fun than I had expected it would be."

to dismiss employees due to financial difficulties or reduced workload

"The factory laid off many workers."

"The factory had to lay off fifty workers due to a significant decrease in product demand."

to complete or conduct a task, job, etc.

"They carry out the plan carefully."

"The scientist needed special permission to carry out his dangerous experiment safely."

a man who shares a mother and father with us

"His older brother helped him learn to kick the ball."

"My brother and I used to build elaborate forts in the backyard."

a lady who shares a mother and father with us

"My sister and I shared a room when we were small kids."

"My older sister always gives me good advice because she went through the same struggles when she was my age."

in opposition to someone or something

"He leaned against the wall."

"The ladder was leaning against the wall so he could climb up to paint the ceiling."

to stop engaging in an activity permanently

"He will quit his job."

"After years of struggling, she decided to quit the exhausting and unrewarding profession."

a person who is a male adult

"A tall man walked into the room and smiled."

"An elderly man sat on the park bench feeding bread crumbs to the pigeons that gathered around his feet every morning."

a financial aid provided by the government for people who are sick, unemployed, etc.

"She gets unemployment benefit."

"He received a generous benefit package upon retiring from his long-term employment."

to need or demand something as necessary for a particular purpose or situation

"This job requires five years experience."

"This job requires at least five years of experience in a similar role as well as excellent communication skills."

to send and receive messages on an online platform

"Chat on the app."

"The elderly couple likes to chat with their neighbors every morning while drinking coffee on their front porch."

a manner of speaking or writing that is characteristic of a particular person, group, or era, and that involves the use of particular words, phrases, or expressions in a distinctive way

"That is an idiom."

"The idiom 'kick the bucket' is a colloquial and somewhat informal way to refer to death."

to try to get a person's attention, particularly by attempting to make eye contact

"He will catch my eye."

"She tried to catch his eye across the crowded room, hoping to initiate a conversation."

(of a person) not showing pretentious behavior

"She is very down to earth."

"Despite her immense success, the actress remained remarkably down to earth and approachable to her fans."