Lesson 9B · New English File Upper Intermediate Vocabulary List

the state of not being at a place or with a person when it is expected of one

"His absence from the meeting is noted."

"His absence from the meeting is noted and the chairman asks where he is."

a medical condition caused by drinking an excessive amounts of alcohol on a regular basis

"Alcoholism destroyed his family and his health."

"His battle with alcoholism destroyed his marriage and cost him his job as a lawyer."

the length of the space that is between two places or points

"The distance between the two cities is 100 miles."

"Social distance is the practice of maintaining a physical space between yourself and other people"

the state of being kind and pleasant toward others

"The friendliness of the locals makes tourists feel welcome."

"The friendliness of the locals makes tourists feel welcome and many return year after year."

the fact or state of not having the necessary information, knowledge, or understanding of something

"Ignorance can cause mistakes."

"His ignorance about the local customs caused him to accidentally offend his hosts during the business dinner."

to make a person or thing better

"Practice will improve your skills."

"Regular practice is the best way to improve your language skills and become more fluent over time."

something that one is aiming, wanting, or planning to do

"His intention is to help"

"Her intention was to help but her interference made the situation even worse."

a decline in amount, degree, etc. of a particular thing

"A reduction in price."

"The government announced a significant reduction in carbon emissions as part of its new environmental policy."

not pleasant to the mind or senses

"An ugly scar."

"The abandoned factory stood as an ugly reminder of the town's economic decline."

the state of being not attractive or not pleasing to the eye

"Ugliness is not everything."

"The ugliness of the old building surprised everyone who saw it."

someone who intentionally damages or destroys public or private property

"The vandal sprays graffiti on the wall."

"The vandal sprays graffiti on the wall and is arrested when a security camera captures his face."

the illegal act of purposefully damaging a property belonging to another person or organization

"The park has been ruined by senseless vandalism."

"Vandalism of a cultural site is considered a serious criminal offense in many countries"

feeling unhappy due to being alone or lacking companionship

"I feel lonely."

"The lonely old man sat on the bench every day hoping someone would stop and talk to him for a while."

a crime that is intentionally directed toward a person or thing to hurt, intimidate, or kill them

"Violence is harmful."

"Violence can leave people injured and frightened."

the fact or act of dying

"Death is part of life."

"The death of the bird made her sad."

to reach or achieve what one desired or tried for

"She will succeed in her career."

"In order to succeed in business you need to be patient persistent and willing to take calculated risks."

the distance of something from side to side

"The width of the gap was less than a millimeter."

"The width of the river is too great for the team to build a bridge without expensive equipment."

to amuse someone so that they have an enjoyable time

"Magicians entertain the audience with tricks."

"The clown entertained the children at the birthday party with funny tricks and colorful balloons."

to make a person feel interested or happy, particularly about something that will happen soon

"The news excites the fans."

"The announcement of the new product release never fails to excite the company's loyal customers and investors."

a strong feeling of enthusiasm and happiness

"The excitement before the concert was electric."

"The children could barely hide their excitement as they waited to open their presents on Christmas morning."

information or evidence that proves the truth or existence of something

"We need strong proof."

"He showed proof of his identity."

having the necessary skill, power, resources, etc. for doing something

"I am able to swim."

"She is able to complete the challenging task with her advanced skills."

(of people) not present in a place

"She is absent today."

"The absent student missed an important quiz and had to ask the teacher for permission to take a makeup test the following week."

to provide a place for someone to stay and sleep, usually in a house, hotel, or other lodging facility

"We can accommodate you."

"The hotel was able to accommodate our large group with adjoining rooms and a private dining area."

a place where people live, stay, or work in

"We found comfortable accommodation."

"The hotel accommodation was clean and comfortable during our stay in the city."

any drink that can make people intoxicated, such as wine, beer, etc.

"This drink has alcohol."

"The doctor advised him to limit his intake of alcohol for health reasons."

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."

the feeling of understanding and friendship between people

"Brotherhood is important."

"The intense training fostered a strong sense of brotherhood among the soldiers."

a young person who has not reached puberty or adulthood yet

"She is a happy child."

"The young child demonstrated remarkable resilience despite facing numerous adversities in life."

the period or time of being a child, characterized by significant physical and emotional growth

"Childhood was happy."

"Her childhood was spent moving from one city to another because her father served in the military and received new orders every few years."

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 give work to someone and pay them

"Companies employ workers for many jobs."

"The company decided to employ more than fifty new workers to meet the increasing demand for their popular products."

(of a person or their manner) kind and nice toward other people

"The neighbor is friendly."

"The friendly cashier always remembered her regular customers' names and asked about their families and weekend plans."

to regulate or control a person, course of action or event or the way something happens

"They govern the city."

"The new administration aims to govern with transparency and accountability, addressing the needs of all citizens."

the group of politicians in control of a country or state

"The government made a new rule."

"The government announced new policies aimed at reducing unemployment including tax breaks for small businesses that hire local workers."

lacking sophistication, worldly experience, or social refinement

"He is ignorant of danger."

"He was ignorant of the basic safety rules and that lack of knowledge nearly caused a serious accident in the laboratory."

the action or process of making something better

"This is an improvement."

"The recent improvement in sales figures indicates a positive trend for the business."

to have something in mind as a plan or purpose

"He intends to visit his parents soon."

"She intends to apply for the manager position because she has the required qualifications and experience."

the state of not having any companions or company

"Loneliness can be hard."

"She experienced profound loneliness after moving to a new country."

(biology) a taxonomic category below species that has a distinct feature from other groups in the same species

"This is a new race."

"Scientists have identified a distinct race of the species with unique adaptations to its environment."

harmful or unfair actions, words, or thoughts directed at people of different races, often based on the idea that one’s own race is more intelligent, moral, or worthy

"Racism is harmful."

"Racism damages communities and prevents fair treatment."

to make something smaller in amount, degree, price, etc.

"We must reduce waste at home."

"Switching to energy efficient light bulbs can significantly reduce your household electricity bills over time."

(of a person and their actions) using or involving physical force that is intended to damage or harm

"The fight was violent."

"His violent outburst caused significant damage to the property and startled onlookers."

structurally fragile or lacking durability

"The bridge is weak."

"The old structure had weak foundations, making it unsafe."

lack of power or ability to act effectively

"Everyone has weakness."

"Her weakness was fear of public speaking."

the act or process of no longer having someone or something

"The loss was sad."

"The sudden loss of her best friend left her in a state of profound grief."

to be deprived of or stop having someone or something

"Do not lose your keys."

"It is easy to lose your sense of direction when navigating through the dense, unfamiliar forest."

to no longer be alive

"Her grandfather died last year."

"The old tree finally died after standing in the park for more than one hundred years."

the fact of reaching what one tried for or desired

"Success takes time."

"Their success came after years of hard work and patience."

something that comes to one's mind, such as, an idea, image, etc.

"What a nice thought!"

"The thought of failing the exam made him so anxious that he could not sleep the night before."

to have a type of belief or idea about a person or thing

"Think before you speak."

"You should think carefully before making any major life decisions because they will affect your future significantly."

a strong feeling of certainty that something or someone exists or is true; a strong feeling that something or someone is right or good

"His belief is strong."

"His deeply held belief in the inherent goodness of people guided his actions."

to accept something to be true even without proof

"You should believe in your own abilities."

"Many people still believe that hard work and determination are the most important factors for achieving success in any field of life."

a state of having a higher than normal temperature

"The heat is strong."

"During the summer, the intense heat can make outdoor activities quite unbearable for many."

having a temperature that is high but not hot, especially in a way that is pleasant

"The water is warm."

"The warm sunshine felt good on her face after being inside the cold air conditioned office all morning long."

the quality or state of being physically or mentally strong

"Her physical strength impressed everyone."

"Lifting weights every day helped him build the strength he needed to compete in the strongman competition against much larger opponents."

having a lot of physical power

"He is strong."

"The strong athlete effortlessly lifted the enormous weight during the competition."

the distance from the top to the bottom of something or someone

"What is the height of the tallest building?"

"We measured the height of the tall building from the ground."

having a relatively great vertical extent

"The mountain is high."

"The high shelf in the kitchen is where my mother keeps all the special dishes that we rarely use."

having a large length from side to side

"The river is wide."

"The wide river flows slowly through the valley and provides water for many local farms nearby."

the fact or state of having a regular paid job

"He seeks employment."

"Finding stable employment remains a significant challenge for recent graduates."

movies, television shows, etc. or an activity that is made for people to enjoy

"The circus provided great entertainment for children."

"The shopping mall offers various entertainment options including a cinema an arcade and a bowling alley."