Unit 1 · New Headway Upper Intermediate Vocabulary List

lasting the whole of a person's life

"They are lifelong friends."

"They are lifelong friends who met in kindergarten and have stayed close for over fifty years through good times and bad."

the average number of years a person is expected to live, based on various demographic and health factors

"The average life expectancy is 80 years."

"The average life expectancy is eighty years and women generally live longer than men."

the account or narrative of a person's life, typically including significant events, experiences, and personal details

"He tells his life story to the journalist."

"He tells his life story to the journalist and it will be published in next month's magazine."

having the same size as an actual living being or object, without any exaggeration or reduction

"The statue is life-size."

"The life size statue of the famous general stood in the town square and attracted many tourists every year."

a type of life that a person or group is living

"Healthy eating is part of an active lifestyle."

"Healthy eating is part of an active lifestyle and exercise is also important for maintaining good health."

experiencing intense sadness or disappointment due to a broken romantic relationship or other loss

"She is heartbroken."

"She was heartbroken when her boyfriend ended their five year relationship with a text message."

the rhythmic movement of the heart while it is pumping blood

"The heartbeat was fast."

"The doctor listened to the baby's strong heartbeat through a stethoscope and told the nervous parents that everything was fine."

a medical emergency that happens when blood flow to the heart is suddenly blocked, which is fatal in some cases

"He had serious heart attack."

"He had a serious heart attack last year and had to stay in hospital for two weeks under medical care."

inspiring positive emotions such as joy, happiness, and affection in the viewer or reader

"The story is heartwarming."

"The heartwarming story of the dog who saved his owner from a fire brought tears to the eyes of everyone who read it."

regular work done in a house, especially cleaning, washing, etc.

"Housework seems never to be finished."

"Housework included vacuuming dusting mopping and cleaning bathrooms every Saturday morning."

a plant that is typically grown indoors in a home or other building, often for decorative purposes

"The houseplant needs to be watered once a week."

"The houseplant needs to be watered once a week and should be placed near a sunny window."

a married woman who does the housework such as cooking, cleaning, etc. and takes care of the children, and does not work outside the house

"She worked as a housewife for twenty years."

"The housewife spent her morning cleaning the house and preparing a delicious meal for her family."

describing someone who takes great pride in the appearance, cleanliness, and overall condition of their home

"She is house-proud."

"The house proud woman spent every weekend cleaning and decorating her home to make it look perfect for guests."

feeling sad because of being away from one's home

"I feel homesick."

"The freshman felt homesick during her first week of college and called her mother every single night."

the town or city where a person grew up or was born

"He returns to his hometown every summer."

"He returned to his hometown every Christmas to visit family and catch up with old friends."

a person who is unable or restricted from leaving their home, typically due to physical, medical, or other circumstances

"The homebound senior receives meals delivered daily."

"The homebound senior receives meals delivered daily and a nurse visits once a week to check on her health."

referring to something that is native, locally produced, or originating from one's own country or region

"The tomatoes are homegrown."

"The homegrown tomatoes tasted much better than the ones from the supermarket because they were picked fresh and ripe."

a party that one gives in a new house or an apartment they just purchased to celebrate such event

"We had a house-warming party."

"They invited all their friends and neighbors to a house-warming party to celebrate moving into their new apartment."

the main opening page of a website that introduces it and links the user to other pages

"The company's homepage is updated daily."

"The company's homepage is updated daily and features the latest product releases and news."

any sea creature that is eaten as food such as fish, shrimp, seaweed, and shellfish

"The restaurant is famous for its fresh seafood."

"A seafood tower is a lavish display of oysters, shrimp, crab, and lobster served on ice."

‌a board connected to a wall or a piece of furniture on which books are kept

"The bookshelf is full."

"He built a wooden bookshelf himself after realizing that store bought furniture was too expensive and did not fit the available space properly."

unhealthy food, containing a lot of fat, sugar, etc.

"Junk food is unhealthy."

"Eating too much junk food like chips and candy can lead to health problems later in life."

a device that has two pieces that cover the ears and is used to listen to music or sounds without others hearing

"I use headphones to listen to music."

"She put on her headphones and listened to music while studying for the difficult exam."

the large words in the upper part of a page of a newspaper, article, etc.

"The headline was bold."

"The headline grabbed attention and made readers want to know more."

the forward movement or advancement made despite difficulties or obstacles

"We made headway."

"Despite the challenging negotiations, the team finally made significant headway towards an agreement."

a book used for the study of a particular subject, especially in schools and colleges

"Students must buy the required textbook."

"A comprehensive textbook serves as the foundational resource for any rigorous course."

a written message that one sends or receives using a mobile phone

"Text message is short written note."

"The text message arrived instantly and she replied with a thumbs up emoji to confirm."

an outdoor or unenclosed space that is exposed to the elements

"The concert is held in the open air."

"The concert is held in the open air and attendees bring blankets to sit on the grass."

a specific set or range of products or merchandise offered by a business, often with a common theme, category, or market focus

"The company's main business line is software development."

"The company's main business line is software development but it also offers consulting services."

a man who does business activities like running a company

"The businessman signed the contract."

"The businessman negotiated the contract carefully because he knew that one wrong decision could cost his company millions."

a building or facility used by firefighters as a station for fire-fighting equipment and personnel

"The firehouse has a pole to slide down to the trucks."

"The firehouse has a pole to slide down to the trucks and the firefighters live there during their shifts."

a device that gives warning of a fire, by making a loud noise

"The fire alarm detects smoke and heat."

"The fire alarm beeped loudly when the toast burned triggering a false evacuation of the building."

a medication taken to induce sleep or relieve insomnia

"The sleeping pill knocks him out."

"A sleeping pill is a medication that helps people fall or stay asleep."

a portable, padded, and zippered bag used for sleeping, typically outdoors or while camping

"He sleeps in a sleeping bag on the camping trip."

"He sleeps in a sleeping bag on the camping trip and the ground is hard and cold."

a system that controls the temperature and humidity in a house, car, etc.

"The air conditioning is on."

"The air conditioner struggled to cool the apartment during the heat wave because the temperature reached one hundred five degrees."

a large group of people gathered together in a particular place

"The crowd cheers as the team scores."

"The crowd cheers as the team scores and the noise echoes through the stadium for several minutes."

to have great success with something, particularly something that brings one a lot of money

"They struck gold."

"The small startup company truly struck gold with its innovative new product."

a short period of sleep, typically taken during the day to refresh or rest

"I took a short nap after lunch."

"A brief afternoon nap can significantly enhance cognitive performance and alertness."

to take care of someone or something and attend to their needs, well-being, or safety

"Who looks after your dog?"

"The elderly woman needs someone to look after her because she cannot live alone safely anymore."

to take care of oneself, especially in a challenging or difficult situation, without the help or support of others

"Must fend for."

"After leaving home, he had to learn to fend for himself in the big city."

to sleep outdoors or in a place that is not intended for accommodation, such as on the streets or in a park, usually without proper bedding or shelter

"Many homeless people have to sleep rough."

"The homeless man had no choice but to sleep rough in the park during winter."

familiar with something, often through repeated experience or exposure

"I am accustomed to it."

"She was accustomed to waking up early so the new job schedule did not bother her at all."

an unlawful act that is punishable by the legal system

"Stealing is a serious crime."

"The police are investigating a serious crime that happened downtown last night."

unfair or dishonest behavior, often implying criminal activity or violence

"The police suspect foul play in the disappearance."

"The police suspect foul play in the disappearance because there is no evidence the victim left voluntarily."

consisting of multiple famous entertainers, performers, etc.

"The cast is star-studded."

"The star studded cast included many famous actors and actresses from Hollywood."

having been made at home, rather than in a factory or store, especially referring to food

"The cookies are homemade."

"The homemade cookies were much better than the store bought ones because her grandmother used a secret family recipe."

schoolwork that students have to do at home

"The kids are doing their homework now."

"Consistent completion of homework is strongly correlated with academic achievement."

the act of returning to one's home or place of origin

"Homecoming was fun."

"The annual homecoming celebration brought together alumni and current students."

people who lack stable housing and so live on the streets

"Homeless man slept outside."

"Many homeless people visited the shelter."

a large moving crowd or mass of people, often in a disorderly or unruly manner

"A horde of fans rushes the stage."

"A horde of fans rushes the stage and security guards struggle to hold them back."

to know something's meaning, particularly something that someone says

"I understand your point of view."

"It took me a while to understand the complex instructions but eventually everything became clear and I finished the task."

to mentally understand information or concepts

"She grasped the concept quickly."

"It took me a long time to grasp the difficult concept of quantum physics but eventually I understood the basic idea behind it."

having or bringing good luck

"You are lucky."

"He felt lucky to have survived the accident without any serious injuries and he thanked the doctors who saved his life."

to move from a standing or active position to a seated and more relaxed state

"Please settle down."

"After a long day of work, he was happy to settle down in his favorite armchair."