Only Change Is Constant!: English Vocabulary List

to reduce from the difficulty or intensity of a problem, issue, etc.

"This medicine will alleviate pain."

"This medication can help alleviate the symptoms of allergies such as sneezing and itchy eyes."

to add to something's value, effect, size, or amount

"He will augment his income."

"She decided to augment her savings by taking on a part-time job during the weekends to afford her dream vacation."

to enhance the strength or effect of something

"She bolstered her argument with facts."

"The company decided to bolster its marketing efforts by hiring a famous celebrity for their advertisements."

to help a person, who is either disappointed or emotionally suffering, feel better

"Friends console the grieving widow kindly."

"The kind nurse tried to console the crying child by offering him a stuffed animal to hold."

to force obedience onto someone with the use of threats

"They cowed him."

"The dictator attempted to cow the population into submission through fear and intimidation tactics."

to preserve something, like food, by ridding it of all its moisture

"The hot sun desiccates the soil quickly."

"The hot desert sun will quickly desiccate any living plant that does not have deep roots to find water."

to better or increase someone or something's quality, strength, value, etc.

"Exercise enhances your overall health greatly."

"The new software update is designed to enhance the user experience by making the interface more intuitive and faster."

to help something, such as a process or action, become possible or simpler

"Technology facilitates communication across long distances."

"The new software is designed to facilitate communication between different departments within the large organization."

to cause something to become weak or less effective

"Loud noise impairs your hearing gradually."

"Drinking too much alcohol can seriously impair your judgment and ability to drive a car safely."

to hinder the process or make something harder to do or achieve

"Do not encumber yourself with heavy bags."

"Do not encumber yourself with heavy luggage because you will have to carry it around for the entire trip."

to anticipate and act in a way that prevents a negative outcome from occurring

"New technology obviates the need for wires."

"The new safety feature obviates the need for users to wear additional protective equipment while operating the machine."

to render a plan or action ineffective or unnecessary by doing something before it happens

"We preempted their move."

"The company decided to preempt the competitor's product launch by releasing their own version earlier."

to bring an end to the anger of a person, ghost, spirit, or god by pleasing them

"He offers gifts to propitiate the angry gods."

"The ancient people made sacrifices to propitiate the angry gods and bring rain to their dry land."

to change something's nature, appearance, or substance into something different and usually better

"Alchemists tried to transmute lead into gold."

"The alchemist falsely claimed that he could transmute ordinary lead into pure gold using a secret formula."

the act of changing or copying something in a way that it no longer has the quality and value it used to

"The sequel was a bastardization of the original film."

"The film adaptation was a complete bastardization of the novel changing every major plot point and character."

a thing that is the direct or natural result of another

"A direct result of this."

"This is a logical corollary that follows directly from the main theorem in mathematics."

the power to bring about planned or wanted results

"We tested the drug's clinical efficacy."

"The efficacy of the new vaccine was proven through rigorous clinical trials involving thousands of volunteers worldwide."

starting to develop, appear, or take place

"There is an incipient problem."

"There is an incipient problem that could become serious if we do not address it now."

newly started or formed, and expected to further develop and grow

"The project is still nascent."

"The nascent company is still in its early stages and has only five employees."

free to do as a person or thing pleases due to not having any limitations or restrictions inflicted upon them

"He seeks untrammeled freedom."

"He seeks untrammeled freedom and does not want anyone to tell him what to do."

not in an active, developing, or operating state but can become so later on

"The volcano is dormant."

"The dormant volcano has not erupted for over five hundred years but could wake up."

(of policies, opinions, ideas, aims, etc.) to develop into either the same thing or something extremely similar

"Our views converge."

"After much debate, the committee members' disparate opinions began to converge towards a unified resolution."

to tarnish someone's character or morals

"Don't debase yourself."

"His constant lying and deceitful actions threatened to debase his once-respected reputation among his peers."

to lose energy, strength, and enthusiasm

"I will not flag."

"Despite the challenging circumstances, the team's morale did not flag, and they continued to fight valiantly."

to restrict or complicate development, success, or actions

"Red tape hobbles progress."

"Excessive bureaucracy and outdated regulations can hobble the growth of new businesses."

to posses or reach a higher level of skill, success, value, or quantity than another person or thing

"Demand outstrips supply currently."

"The demand for the new product quickly outstripped the company's ability to manufacture enough units for all the eager customers."

to decline in amount or value in a sudden and rapid way

"The stock price plummeted dramatically."

"The company's stock value began to plummet dramatically after the scandal was revealed to the public."

to give something as a reward or compensation for services, favors, or achievements

"She cannot requite his deep love."

"She hoped that he would one day requite her deep love but he never showed any romantic interest in her at all."

to suddenly make an involuntary movement in reaction to a shock or surprise

"The noise made him start."

"A sudden gust of wind rattling the window caused her to start in surprise."

to decline in intensity or strength

"The flood waters began to subside."

"After the initial storm passed, the wind began to subside, allowing the waves on the lake to become much calmer."

a person, thing, or event that provokes or accelerates change or activity by introducing new perspectives or actions

"He is a catalyst."

"The charismatic leader acted as a catalyst for social change, inspiring thousands to join the movement."

something, such as an achievement or event, that is of great importance or influence in something's progress and development

"This is a landmark."

"The discovery of penicillin was a landmark achievement that revolutionized modern medicine and saved countless lives."

an extreme change in someone or something's nature, character, or form

"It is a metamorphosis."

"The caterpillar's transformation into a butterfly is a classic example of complete metamorphosis in the natural world."

the quality of being significant and important

"This moment matters."

"The signing of the peace treaty marked a moment of profound significance for the future of international relations."

the main meaning or part of something such as a situation, statement, or argument

"The pith of his argument was clear."

"The pith of his argument was that economic growth cannot continue indefinitely on a planet with finite resources."

having gone through periods of both failure and success

"His career is checkered."

"The athlete's checkered career was marked by both spectacular victories and unfortunate periods of injury and defeat."

producing an important, strong, or powerful effect

"The data is telling."

"The data is telling and shows a clear pattern that we cannot ignore."

to cause something, such as an idea, system, habit, etc. to become fixed and opposed to change

"Old habits ossify over time."

"The rigid bureaucracy had begun to ossify, making any innovation nearly impossible to implement."

to move apart and continue in another direction

"Paths diverge here."

"The two roads will diverge dramatically in the coming miles, leading to vastly different landscapes."