The Last Word (Unit 1) · New Headway Advanced Vocabulary List

extremely busy and chaotic

"My schedule is hectic."

"Her schedule was so hectic that she barely had time to eat lunch between meetings and appointments all day long."

to react with excessive or unnecessary attention or agitation about something

"Don't make a fuss about it."

"The child started to make a fuss when his mother refused to buy him the expensive toy."

experiencing great sadness, shock, or disappointment

"She was gutted."

"The fans were gutted when their team lost the championship in the final seconds of the game."

used to describe a person who is very excited and pleased

"She was thrilled to bits with her gift."

"The little girl was thrilled to bits when she opened her birthday present and found a new puppy."

to successfully communicate a message or idea to someone in a way that they understand or accept it

"I cannot get through to him."

"The teacher struggled to get through to the troubled student who seemed to have given up on his education."

someone who sits around and watches TV a lot

"He is a couch potato."

"After his knee injury he became a couch potato watching television for hours every day."

a strong wish to learn something or to know more about something

"Curiosity led the cat into trouble."

"Children have strong natural curiosity about the world around them from a very young age."

a feeling of anger or annoyance aroused by something unjust, unworthy, or mean

"His indignation was clear from his angry voice."

"Her face flushed with indignation when she heard the rude comments about her work."

he quality of not being too proud or boastful about one's abilities or achievements, and not drawing too much attention to oneself

"His modesty is genuine."

"His modesty is genuine, as he never brags about his accomplishments and always deflects praise to others."

a comforting action or statement made to someone to ease their worries, uncertainties, or anxieties about something

"The child needs reassurance that everything will be ok."

"The child needs reassurance that everything will be ok and the mother hugs him tightly."

the act of bragging or expressing excessive pride or self-importance about oneself, one's achievements, possessions, or status

"His boastfulness annoys his coworkers."

"His boastfulness annoys his coworkers and they roll their eyes when he starts talking about himself."

dissatisfaction that is resulted from the unfulfillment of one's expectations

"His disappointment was clear."

"The disappointment of expectations is a profound psychological state where the difference between one's highly anticipated hopes and a disappointing reality causes immense mental pain."

a bad feeling that we get when we are afraid or worried

"Fear of spiders is common."

"Her fear of speaking in public prevented her from accepting the award at the ceremony."

the quality of being thankful or showing appreciation for something

"She expressed her gratitude with tears."

"He expressed his sincere gratitude to the firefighters who saved his family from the burning house."

the use of words that convey the opposite meaning as a way to annoy someone or for creating a humorous effect

"Use sarcasm often."

"He often uses sarcasm to make funny comments during conversations with friends every day."

a strong feeling of surprise caused by something unexpected

"Great astonishment was shown."

"She looked with great astonishment when she saw the surprise birthday party prepared for her."

to show that one believes that someone is joking or lying

"You're joking, pull the other."

"When he claimed he saw a unicorn, I knew he was joking and told him to pull the other one."

relating to feelings or emotions

"She is emotional."

"She became emotional during the movie and cried at the sad ending even though she had read the book and knew what was going to happen."

to impress someone greatly

"The performance blew away."

"The magician's incredible illusions were so spectacular that they completely blew away the entire audience."

to criticize or attack someone, usually in a subtle or indirect manner

"He tries to get at me."

"The critic seemed to subtly get at the author's motivations in his review."

the act of showing great love or admiration, usually through gestures or actions

"The puppy looks at his owner with adoration."

"The puppy looks at his owner with adoration and wags his tail whenever she enters the room."

a sense of self-respect, dignity, or personal worth

"She has pride."

"He accepted the award with humble pride, acknowledging the contributions of his colleagues."

something that is told or given to someone in order to give them hope or provide support

"Give him encouragement."

"Her words of encouragement gave him the confidence to pursue his ambitious goals."

a feeling of extreme and often violent anger

"He shook with fury."

"He was filled with sudden fury when he heard the unfair accusation against him."

a feeling of annoyance or discomfort caused by something that is bothersome or unpleasant

"His constant tapping caused irritation."

"Irritation is a feeling of mild anger and annoyance"

a feeling of nervousness or worry about a future event or uncertain outcome

"She felt anxiety."

"A deep sense of anxiety washed over him as he awaited the crucial test results."

a feeling of comfort that comes when something annoying or upsetting is gone

"The medicine brought quick relief."

"Relief is the feeling of reassurance and relaxation that follows the removal of anxiety"

a feeling of great pleasure or joy

"The children's faces were a picture of delight."

"Her eyes sparkled with pure delight upon receiving the gift."

to have a strong longing or intense desire for something or someone

"I die for cake."

"He would die for a chance to see his estranged family again after so many years apart."