Success Is a Sure Thing, Failure Is Not!: English Vocabulary List

to determine something with certainty by careful examination or investigation

"Please ascertain the facts before speaking."

"The detective tried to ascertain the exact time of death by examining the condition of the body and the temperature of the room."

a thing that is essential or desired

"Peace is a desideratum."

"A stable economy is a key desideratum for the long-term prosperity of any nation."

to completely confuse someone

"The question did flummox him."

"The complex instructions for assembling the furniture completely flummoxed the new owner."

a state of uncertainty about what decision to make in a challenging situation

"Moral quandary faced."

"She faced a difficult moral quandary when she had to choose between honesty and loyalty last week."

an individual who regularly questions and doubts the validity of ideas, beliefs, or information, particularly those that are commonly accepted

"He is a skeptic."

"As a natural skeptic, she always sought evidence before accepting any new claims."

having reasons that are acceptable and valid

"The praise was warranted."

"Given his consistent hard work and dedication, the promotion he received was entirely warranted."

to fail at accomplishing an obligation, particularly a financial one

"He will default."

"If the borrower continues to miss payments, they will default on their mortgage."

bad in a noticeable and extreme way

"The error is egregious."

"The egregious error in the report caused the company to lose its biggest client."

having the potential of being done successfully

"The plan is feasible."

"The engineer determined that the construction project was feasible within the given budget and timeline so the company decided to move forward with the plans."

full of calmness, happiness, and prosperity

"Remember halcyon days."

"She often reminisced about the halcyon days of her childhood spent by the peaceful seaside."

a period in which someone or something was at its height of success, fame, or strength

"The band's heyday passed."

"During its heyday, the ancient city was a bustling center of trade and culture."

highly distinguished, admired, or well-known due to exceptional and outstanding characteristics or features

"He has an illustrious career."

"He has an illustrious career and has won many awards for his scientific discoveries."

to create difficulty or obstacles that make it hard for something to happen or progress

"The snow impeded our travel plans."

"The fallen tree across the road impeded the progress of the emergency vehicles trying to reach the accident scene."

occurring unintentionally or without deliberate thought or planning

"It was an inadvertent mistake."

"It was an inadvertent mistake and he did not mean to delete the important files from the computer."

the admiration, praise, and recognition someone receives for their achievements, deeds, or social standing

"The team received kudos for their hard work."

"The team received kudos from the mayor for their volunteer work cleaning up the city's polluted riverfront."

difficult and needing a lot of energy and effort

"The duty is onerous."

"The contract placed onerous obligations on the smaller company and the lawyers advised their client not to sign the agreement under those unfair terms."

a small excusable offense or mistake

"His only peccadillo is that he is often late."

"The senator's youthful peccadillo was forgiven by voters who focused instead on his strong record of public service."

the state in which a person or thing is of the highest importance, rank, or power

"The primacy of the state is absolute."

"The primacy of human rights over economic interests is a fundamental principle of international law and justice."

to experience or express the feeling of fear

"He quails before the fierce opponent."

"He did not quail in the face of danger even when the armed robber pointed a gun directly at his head."

failing to give the needed amount of attention and care toward fulfilling one's obligations

"I was remiss in my duties."

"I was remiss in my duties and forgot to lock the door when I left the office."

a delightful feeling gained from other people's misfortunes or troubles

"She felt schadenfreude when her rival lost."

"She felt a guilty sense of schadenfreude when her arrogant rival failed the exam she had passed easily."

the fact of accidentally experiencing or discovering something that is pleasant or valuable

"Our meeting at the airport was pure serendipity."

"By pure serendipity I ran into an old friend at the airport after not seeing him for twenty years."

possessing a lot of physical strength

"He is stalwart."

"The stalwart defender blocked every shot that the opposing team took and his teammates relied on him to protect their goal."

the use of deceptive methods or devices to achieve something

"He obtained the documents by subterfuge."

"The spy gained access to the secure facility through clever subterfuge rather than using force or weapons."

(of circumstances) unlikely to result in success

"The timing is unpropitious."

"The timing is unpropitious for launching a new product because the economy is very weak right now."

cannot do what it is intended to successfully

"The project is unviable."

"The project is unviable because it will cost more money than it could ever earn in profit."

to prevent the occurrence or achievement of something

"The obstacle stymies our progress completely."

"The lack of funding has stymied the research project for months and the scientists cannot continue their important work."

a certain stage or point in an activity, a process, or a series of events, particularly important

"This is a key juncture."

"The company reached a critical juncture where a major strategic decision had to be made."

something that is used as an encouraging and motivating factor

"A bonus is an incentive."

"The company offered a significant financial incentive to employees who met their sales targets."

cannot be endured due to being extremely annoying, uncomfortable, or unpleasant

"His voice was insufferable."

"The constant dripping of the faucet was an insufferable annoyance throughout the night."

complex and difficult to understand due to many connected parts

"The process is involved."

"The involved legal procedures required careful attention to detail and a thorough understanding of all applicable regulations."

to gain something, particularly something beneficial, as the result of one's actions

"You reap what you sow."

"After years of hard work, they will finally reap the rewards of their efforts."

intending to correct or improve a thing that is unsuccessful or wrong

"He needed remedial lessons."

"The remedial program was designed to address the students' fundamental weaknesses in mathematics."

to make a decision with determination

"I resolve to try."

"She resolved to finish the marathon, no matter how much pain she endured."

to stop something, particularly something undesirable, from developing or spreading

"We must stem the tide."

"Authorities are working diligently to stem the spread of misinformation online."

(of biological organisms) capable of living or growing, often in a particular environment or under specific conditions

"The seed is viable now."

"The spaceship's crew discovered a viable source of water on the alien planet."

not sufficient in amount, quality, or degree

"The service was wanting."

"The service was wanting and the waiter ignored us for twenty minutes before taking our order."