Unit 13 · Interchange Upper Intermediate Vocabulary List

something that annoys or bothers someone on a personal levelsomething that annoys or bothers someone on a personal level

"Slow drivers are his pet peeve."

"People who chew with their mouths open is my biggest pet peeve."

to do something that makes someone extremely upset, annoyed, or angry

"The noise drives me crazy."

"The constant noise from the construction site is driving the neighbors absolutely crazy."

to stop or pause a process, activity, etc. temporarily

"Do not interrupt when others speak."

"It is considered extremely rude to interrupt someone while they are speaking so please wait until they have finished their sentence completely first."

able to exist, happen, or be done

"It is possible."

"It is possible to finish the project by Friday if we work overtime every night this week."

a restaurant, typically in colleges, hospitals, etc. where you choose and pay for your meal before carrying it to a table

"We ate lunch in the cafeteria."

"The cafeteria was crowded because many students arrived there at noon."

a man who is getting married

"The groom waited patiently."

"The groom looked nervous as he waited at the altar but his face lit up with joy when he saw his bride walking down the aisle."

the action of allowing someone to do a particular thing or letting something happen, particularly in an official way

"Permission is required."

"The students needed written permission from their parents to participate in the overnight field trip to the nature reserve."

our sister or brother's son, or the son of our husband or wife's siblings

"My nephew loves to play football in the park with his friends."

"His nephew visited them every weekend and enjoyed playing video games together."

(of a person) lacking or having no respect or regard for others' feelings or rights

"That was inconsiderate."

"His inconsiderate behavior, such as talking loudly on his phone in the library, annoyed everyone around him."

an idea or belief that one thinks is true without having a proof

"That is a false assumption."

"She made a wrong assumption about his intentions and later regretted it deeply."

a reason given to explain one's careless, offensive, or wrong behavior or action

"His excuse for being late is unbelievable."

"His excuse for being late is unbelievable but the teacher decides to let him off with a warning."

a feeling of doubt or mistrust towards someone or something, often without concrete evidence or proof

"I have a suspicion that he took the money."

"The police had strong suspicion that the man was involved in the robbery last month."

a message or sign given to someone to indicate that something dangerous, harmful, or undesirable may happen

"The warning signs are posted around the construction site."

"The warning signs are posted around the construction site and warn of falling debris."

always putting one's interests first and not caring about the needs or rights of others

"He is selfish."

"The selfish child refused to share his toys with the other kids at the playground and threw a tantrum."

to act in a specific way in order to make others believe that something is the case when actually it is not so

"Children pretend to be superheroes often."

"The little boy likes to pretend that he is a brave knight fighting a fierce dragon."

before the present moment or a specific time

"I previously worked at a bank."

"I previously worked at a bank for five years before I decided to change careers and become a teacher."

difficult to do or handle and requiring skill or caution

"This is a tricky task."

"Navigating the narrow, winding mountain road proved to be a tricky challenge for the inexperienced driver."

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."

a musical instrument with a curved metal tube and one wide end, which is played by blowing into it while pressing and releasing its three buttons

"He played the trumpet."

"He practiced playing the trumpet every day for two hours annoying his neighbors but eventually earning a seat in the city youth orchestra."

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 state of having great interest in something or someone

"His fascination with dinosaurs began when he was just a small boy."

"Fascination is an intense interest in something that completely captures your attention"

an official or public statement that contains information about something, particularly a present or future occurrence

"Announcement makes public information known."

"The announcement informed readers of a forthcoming event or change in service without offering analysis or commentary."

to confuse someone by making something difficult to understand or explain

"The puzzle baffles everyone who tries it."

"The complicated math problem completely baffled the students who had never seen anything like it before."

having a sound that is of a higher frequency or tone than usual

"Her voice is high-pitched."

"The high pitched sound of the smoke alarm hurt everyone ears as they evacuated the building quickly and safely."

creating or having a high-pitched and usually loud noise that is typically caused by friction or pressure

"We heard a squealing sound."

"The squealing sound of the piglets made the children laugh as they watched them run around the muddy pen."

a police officer holding an intermediate rank

"The inspector arrived quickly."

"The inspector checked the building and reported the problem."

to use your hands, arms, body, etc. in order to make something or someone move forward or away from you

"Push the door to open it."

"You need to push the door instead of pulling it because the sign clearly says push to open."

to speak to someone often angrily because one disagrees with them

"They argue about money often."

"The siblings argued loudly about who would get the front seat in the car during the long family road trip."

to point out the faults or weaknesses of someone or something

"It is easy to criticize others."

"It is easy to criticize others but much harder to recognize and improve our own weaknesses."

in a way that continues without any pause

"The baby cries constantly."

"The baby is constantly crying for attention and his exhausted parents do not know what to do anymore."

(of lines) to cross one another

"The roads cut."

"The two main streets cut each other at a busy intersection."

a row of people or things behind each other or next to each other

"A line of ants."

"Please form a single line at the ticket counter to purchase your admission."

feeling completely sure about something and showing that you believe it

"I am certain."

"I am certain that I locked the door before leaving because I checked it twice."

to make someone or something extremely wet

"Soak the beans overnight before cooking."

"You need to soak the dried beans in water overnight before cooking them to make them soft and easy to digest."

behaving in a crazy or irrational manner

"That idea is nuts."

"That idea is nuts and nobody in their right mind would agree to it."

to take part in a violent physical action against someone

"They fight bravely."

"The soldiers were trained to fight effectively against overwhelming enemy forces."

feeling very angry or displeased

"My mother is mad at me."

"My mother was mad at me because I came home two hours past my curfew."

a state of disorder, untidiness, or confusion

"The room is a mess."

"After the party, the entire house was in a complete mess."

an action, thought, or feeling in response to something that has happened

"What was your reaction?"

"Her immediate reaction to the surprising news was one of disbelief and cautious optimism."

negative feedback that highlights mistakes or areas for improvement

"She accepted the criticism calmly."

"The harsh criticism from the reviewer left the artist feeling deeply discouraged about his work."

to ask something from someone in an urgent and forceful manner

"The workers demand fair wages."

"The protesters gathered outside the government building to demand immediate action on climate change policies."

the act of saying what one thinks is going to happen in the future or what the outcome of something will be

"The prediction was correct."

"Based on current trends, the prediction for economic growth is quite optimistic."

the act of putting an idea or plan forward for someone to think about

"Thanks for the suggestion."

"Her suggestion to rearrange the office furniture was actually very useful because it created more space and allowed natural light to reach every desk."

to end a relationship, typically a romantic or sexual one

"The couple decided to break up."

"After dating for five years, they decided to break up because their life goals were no longer aligned."

to risk money on the result of a coming event by trying to predict it

"I bet on the horse."

"He decided to bet a considerable sum of money on the underdog team winning the championship."

to say or feel that someone or something is responsible for a mistake or problem

"Do not blame others for mistakes."

"Do not blame others for your mistakes instead take responsibility and learn from what happened."

a particular style or shape in which someone's hair is cut

"He needs a haircut."

"She got a haircut yesterday and now her hair looks much healthier."

difficult or impossible to comprehend or explain

"It was a mysterious sound."

"The detective found the coded message utterly mysterious, resisting all attempts at immediate decipherment."

an observable fact, event, or situation, often unusual or not yet fully explained

"A strange phenomenon occurred."

"The aurora borealis is a beautiful natural phenomenon visible in polar regions."

to contain or include something as a necessary part

"The job will involve travel."

"This complex project will involve many different departments and a significant budget."

a sudden, brief burst of increased brightness observed from the sun's surface, usually accompanied by a burst of energy and radiation

"Solar flare is powerful."

"A strong solar flare can release enormous energy and sometimes disrupt satellite communications on Earth."

a tube-like musical instrument that is played by blowing over a hole while covering and uncovering its other holes

"The flute is light."

"The flute created a gentle melody that matched the quiet atmosphere of the room."

a person who lives in a particular place, usually on a long-term basis

"The resident is happy."

"The new community center aims to provide essential services for every resident in the surrounding neighborhoods."