Lesson 1A, Lesson 1B and Lesson 4B · New English File Upper Intermediate Vocabulary List

an unemployed person who is searching for a job

"The jobseeker updates his CV for the application."

"The jobseeker updates his CV for the application and adds his most recent work experience."

displaying kindness and patience when interacting with others

"He is good-natured."

"The good natured dog wagged its tail and licked the hand of every visitor who came to the house."

a situation that involves two or multiple people, teams, businesses, etc. competing for the same status, object, or thing

"The rivalry is intense."

"The intense rivalry between the two companies led to a fierce competition for market share."

cheerful and free of concern or anxiety

"The conversation is light-hearted."

"The light hearted comedy was exactly what she needed after a long and stressful week at work."

designed or made to be impossible to fail or make a mistake, even by someone with little skill or knowledge

"The plan is foolproof."

"The foolproof plan seemed perfect but something still went wrong and the whole mission failed."

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."

the amount of effort and time one spends on work compared with the amount one spends on one's personal life

"Good work-life balance is important."

"It is important to maintain a good work-life balance so you do not burn out from stress."

the most important thing that is said or done which highlights the purpose of something

"What is the point?"

"The main point of the lecture was to emphasize the importance of critical thinking skills."

a reply to something in either spoken or written form

"Give a quick response."

"Her quick response to the crisis saved the project."

an individual who lacks social skills and is unusual, boring, or awkward

"He is a geek."

"Often perceived as a social geek, he possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of obscure trivia."

failing to remember or be attentive to one's surroundings or tasks due to being preoccupied with other thoughts

"He is absent-minded."

"The absent minded professor often forgot where he parked his car and had to wander around the lot looking for it."

easily annoyed and quick to anger

"My boss is bad-tempered."

"The bad tempered old man yelled at the children for playing ball near his house and threatened to call the police on them."

having or displaying the belief that one is superior in intellect, importance, skills, etc.

"She is big-headed."

"The big headed athlete bragged about his accomplishments so much that his teammates grew tired of listening to him."

calm and not easily worried or upset

"She is easygoing."

"The easygoing teacher did not mind when students asked questions during class and she encouraged everyone to participate."

friendly and not angered, irritated, or upset easily

"He is good-tempered."

"The good tempered dog never growled or snapped even when small children pulled his tail or ears."

(of a person) living a life free of stress and tension

"She is laid-back."

"The laid back manager never stressed about deadlines and trusted his employees to get their work done on time."

not open to new ideas, opinions, etc.

"He is narrow-minded."

"His narrow-minded views prevented him from appreciating the diverse perspectives of his international colleagues during the conference."

ready to accept or listen to different views and opinions

"He is open-minded."

"The open minded teacher encouraged her students to share their opinions even if they disagreed with her own beliefs."

(of a person) not caring about the needs and feelings of no one but one's own

"She is self-centered."

"The self centered actor only talked about himself and never asked anyone else questions about their lives."

very determined in one's beliefs or decisions, often showing firmness of character and persistence in achieving what one wants

"She is strong-willed."

"The strong willed child refused to eat his vegetables even when his parents told him he had to."

spending or giving money reluctantly

"My uncle is tight-fisted."

"The tight fisted millionaire never gave money to charity and lived in a small house despite his wealth."

a dishonest and deceitful individual whose behavior and words are contradictory to what they think or believe

"He is two-faced."

"The two faced coworker pretended to be friendly while secretly spreading rumors about everyone in the office."

arranged or organized in an even and balanced way

"She is well-balanced."

"The well balanced meal included protein carbohydrates and healthy fats to provide all the nutrients her body needed."

behaving in an appropriate and polite manner, particularly of children

"The child is well-behaved."

"The well behaved children sat quietly during the entire ceremony and did not fidget or make any noise."

to look after or manage someone or something, ensuring their needs are met

"I take care of my cat."

"She takes care of her younger brother every afternoon after school."

to use something for personal gain in an unfair or dishonest manner

"They took advantage of him."

"The unscrupulous salesman tried to take advantage of the customer's lack of knowledge about the product."

to occur at a specific time or location

"The event will take place tomorrow."

"The annual conference will take place in London next month, attracting experts from around the world."

to need a significant amount of time to be able to happen, be completed, or achieved

"Learning a language takes time."

"Learning a new language takes time and patience so do not expect to become fluent quickly."

to consider something when trying to make a judgment or decision

"Take the weather into account before you pack."

"When planning the trip we need to take the weather into account because it might rain heavily."

to feel sympathetic toward a thing or person and take action to show it

"He took pity on the stray cat."

"The kind stranger took pity on the homeless man and bought him a hot meal."

to start to dislike someone or something

"I take against him."

"Ever since the argument, she has seemed to take against her new colleague, avoiding all interaction."

to become aware of someone or something and pay them attention

"Drivers did not take notice of the sign."

"Nobody took notice of the warning signs until it was too late and the accident had already happened."

to look after or manage someone or something, ensuring their needs are met

"She will take care of the baby."

"It is important to take care of your mental and physical well-being."

to make use of a situation, opportunity, or resource in a way that benefits oneself or achieves a desired outcome

"Take advantage of this offer."

"We should take advantage of the good weather to go for a hike."

to remove a piece of clothing or accessory from your or another's body

"Take off your dirty shoes."

"Please take off your hat when you enter the classroom because it is polite to do so."

to occupy a particular amount of space or time

"The book will take up space."

"This large sofa will take up too much space in our small living room, so we need a smaller one."

to start to like someone or something

"I take to new friends."

"When she moved to the countryside, she immediately took to the peaceful lifestyle and started growing her own vegetables in the garden."

to invite someone to go out with one, typically for a meal or an activity

"He will take her out."

"He decided to take out his new girlfriend for a romantic dinner downtown."