Unit 4 · New Headway Advanced Vocabulary List

a thing or person that is impossible to improve or succeed

"Hopeless lost cause."

"Trying to change his mind was a hopeless lost cause from the beginning."

the final and decisive event or action that pushes someone beyond their tolerance or patience, leading to a significant reaction or decision

"That was the straw."

"After weeks of constant delays and poor communication, the final straw was when they lost my luggage entirely."

a situation that is hard to define or categorize and therefore unclear

"The legality of the action is a gray area."

"The legality of the action is a gray area and lawyers disagree about whether it is permitted."

to create equal opportunities for all individuals or groups, regardless of their background or circumstances

"New rules helped level the playing field."

"The new law aims to level the playing field for small businesses competing against large powerful corporations."

a situation where a small initial action or decision leads to a chain of events that ultimately results in a more significant and often negative outcome

"The policy leads down a slippery slope toward censorship."

"The policy leads down a slippery slope toward censorship and may eventually ban all criticism of the government."

a delicate distinction between two things, particularly two apparently similar situations or concepts

"There is a thin line between love and hate."

"There is a fine line between being confident and being arrogant so you must be very careful."

a strong urge to travel or leave somewhere

"She has itchy feet this summer."

"After two years in the same city he gets itchy feet and decides to move to another country."

an attempt made without having any high hopes of achieving success

"Very long shot."

"Winning the lottery is a very long shot but many people still try every week."

a treatment that is not fair or equal

"The workers feel they got a raw deal from management."

"The workers feel they got a raw deal from management and threaten to go on strike."

a sensitive or vulnerable topic or issue that causes discomfort, distress, or irritation when discussed or mentioned

"The subject of money is a sore point with him."

"The subject of money is a sore point with him and he refuses to discuss his finances."

the act of imagining or hoping for something to be true, despite there being little or no evidence or likelihood of it actually happening

"His plan is based on wishful thinking not reality."

"His plan is based on wishful thinking not reality and it is unlikely to succeed."

an option or solution that is only chosen when every other alternative has failed

"As a last resort, try."

"Moving abroad should be your last resort when every other option has already failed completely."

used to state that one has adopted a different opinion

"On second thought, let's stay home."

"On second thought let us not go to the beach today because the weather forecast says it will rain."

a redeeming quality or factor that prevents a situation or outcome from being completely negative or disastrous

"The hotel's saving grace is its beautiful location."

"The hotel's saving grace is its beautiful location despite the small rooms and poor service."

something that has both advantages and disadvantages, making it both positive and negative

"Her fame is a mixed blessing"

"Her fame is a mixed blessing bringing both opportunities and a loss of privacy."

the state in which one loses all one's confidence and willingness to continue doing something

"He gets cold feet and calls off the wedding."

"He gets cold feet and calls off the wedding three days before the ceremony."

a loud, sustained noise or shout of disapproval, protest, or outrage

"There is a public outcry over the new tax."

"There is a public outcry over the new tax and protesters gather outside the parliament building."

the belief that the human spirit or soul can survive after death and communicate with the living

"Belief in spiritualism."

"Spiritualism is the belief that spirits of dead people can communicate with living people."

a deceptive act or scheme intended to trick people

"The bomb threat turns out to be a hoax."

"The bomb threat turns out to be a hoax and the police arrest the caller who made the false report."

having to stay in bed, usually for a long time, due to illness or injury

"The patient is bedridden."

"The bedridden patient needed round the clock care and the nurses helped him with eating bathing and moving."

to seize or grab suddenly and firmly

"She clutched her purse tightly."

"The little girl clutched her favorite teddy bear tightly as she walked into the dark room alone."

a pair of rings made of metal with a chain attached to them, used for putting on the wrists of prisoners

"The handcuff was tight"

"The handcuff was tight as the officer detained the suspect during the arrest procedure"

to resist or endure the force, pressure, or challenges imposed upon oneself

"The building can withstand strong earthquakes."

"The building is designed to withstand earthquakes up to magnitude eight on the Richter scale without collapsing."

slightly strange in behavior, appearance, or ideas

"Her uncle is eccentric."

"The eccentric old man wore mismatched socks and a top hat every day and he talked to the pigeons in the park."

beyond what is ordinary and indicating the inference of supernatural powers

"Her resemblance is uncanny."

"The uncanny resemblance between the two strangers made them wonder if they were long lost brothers separated at birth."

having doubts about something's truth, validity, or reliability

"She is skeptical now."

"Many people remained skeptical about the new policy's effectiveness despite the government's assurances."

a phone call that is made at a particular time to wake someone up, at their request, for example in a hotel

"Wake-up call wakes hotel guest."

"The hotel offered a wake up call service where the front desk phoned guests at their requested time."

something that is so certain to happen that it can be considered inevitable

"It's a foregone conclusion."

"Given their superior performance throughout the season, their victory in the championship was a foregone conclusion."

addicted or extremely enthusiastic about something

"He is hooked on games."

"After trying the new virtual reality game, he was completely hooked and spent hours playing it."

to disregard something as unimportant or unworthy of consideration

"The judge will dismiss the case."

"The manager dismissed the employee's concerns without even listening to the valid reasons behind them."

(of an illness) suddenly becoming severe but for a short time

"He has acute appendicitis."

"The patient suffered from an acute attack of bronchitis that lasted for a week."

(of a person) to fall and become unconscious

"The man will collapse."

"Due to extreme exhaustion and dehydration, the hiker began to collapse on the trail."

putting someone or something at a disadvantage

"An inauspicious start."

"The team had an inauspicious start to the season, losing their first three games consecutively."

caring and attentive to the needs, feelings, or well-being of others

"He is thoughtful."

"He bought her a thoughtful gift that showed he had been paying attention to her interests and hobbies throughout their time together as friends."

the process of using general rules or ideas to make a specific conclusion

"Deduction led to the answer."

"Through careful deduction, the detective was able to solve the intricate mystery."