Unit 8 · New Headway Intermediate Vocabulary List

having faults, flaws, or shortcomings

"The product is imperfect."

"The imperfect vase was still beautiful because the small crack made it unique and one of a kind."

suitable for friendly, relaxed, casual, or unofficial occasions and situations

"The party is informal."

"The informal gathering at the park did not require fancy clothes and everyone came in jeans and t shirts with comfortable sneakers for walking."

appropriate for a certain situation or purpose

"This dress is suitable."

"This dress is suitable for a wedding because it is elegant and not too casual or revealing."

making use of imagination or innovation in bringing something into existence

"She is creative."

"The creative artist used recycled materials to make sculptures that were both beautiful and environmentally friendly."

having a lot of different and often bright colors

"The parrot is colorful."

"The colorful parrot sat on its perch and mimicked the sounds it heard including the phone ringing and the dog barking loudly."

to decrease the length of something

"Please shorten your speech a little."

"The editor had to shorten the article significantly to fit within the magazine's space limits."

a strong feeling of enthusiasm and happiness

"The excitement before the concert was electric."

"The children could barely hide their excitement as they waited to open their presents on Christmas morning."

in a manner that shows strong belief in one's own skills or qualities

"He confidently answered every question."

"He confidently walked into the interview room and answered every question without hesitation or fear."

not paying enough attention to what we are doing

"She is careless."

"The careless waiter spilled hot coffee on the customer lap and the restaurant manager had to apologize and comp their entire meal."

to hold or give a different opinion about something

"I respectfully disagree with your opinion."

"I respectfully disagree with your opinion but I appreciate hearing a different perspective on this important matter."

experiencing a lack of joy or positive emotions

"He looks unhappy."

"The unhappy customer complained to the manager about the cold food and the slow service and demanded a full refund for her entire meal."

the state or condition of not being happy, characterized by feelings of dissatisfaction, discontent, or sorrow

"Her unhappiness was obvious to all."

"The unhappiness in the office was caused by low morale and poor management decisions."

the feeling of being happy and well

"Her face radiated pure happiness and joy."

"True happiness does not come from material possessions but from spending time with loved ones."

the state of not being awake or aware of one's surroundings

"He fell unconscious."

"The blow to the head caused temporary unconsciousness, leaving him disoriented when he awoke."

having a reasonable price

"The shirt is inexpensive."

"The inexpensive meal at the food truck was delicious and cost much less than dinner at a fancy restaurant."

having a high price

"The watch is expensive."

"The expensive watch was beautiful but he could not afford it so he bought a cheaper one that looked similar."

having bad manners or behavior

"It is impolite to interrupt."

"It is impolite to interrupt someone while they are speaking so you should wait until they finish before you share your opinion."

the quality of being rude or lacking good manners

"His impoliteness offends the guests."

"His impoliteness offends the guests and they leave the dinner party early."

not achieving the intended or desired outcome

"He was unsuccessful."

"The unsuccessful candidate decided to try again next year after gaining more experience and improving his skills in the field."

to fail to understand something or someone correctly

"Please do not misunderstand my words."

"I think you misunderstand what I meant because I was not trying to criticize you at all."

providing help when needed

"This tool is useful."

"This online dictionary is very useful for students who need to look up the meanings of unfamiliar words while they are reading."

to use something once more, usually for a different purpose

"You should reuse plastic bags when possible."

"You can reuse glass jars for storing food instead of throwing them away after one use."

lacking purpose or function, and unable to help in any way

"The tool is useless."

"The useless old computer would not even turn on anymore so he finally threw it away after keeping it in the closet for years."

the quality or state of being excessively focused on oneself, one's own interests, or needs without regard for others.

"His selfishness ruins the team's spirit."

"His selfishness ruins the team's spirit and no one wants to work with him anymore."

(of a battery or device) capable of being supplied with electrical power again

"The battery is rechargeable."

"The rechargeable batteries can be used hundreds of times and they are better for the environment than disposable ones."

for one more instance

"Please say that again."

"Please say that again because I did not hear you the first time over all this noise."

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."

not able to occur, exist, or be done

"That is impossible."

"The impossible task of climbing the mountain without proper equipment seemed doomed to fail but the experienced climbers knew exactly what they were doing."

unable to wait calmly for something or someone, often feeling irritated or frustrated

"He is impatient."

"The impatient driver honked his horn loudly as soon as the traffic light turned green and the car in front did not move."

to incorrectly write a word, by using wrong letters or rearranging them in a wrong order

"Be careful not to misspell his name."

"Be careful not to misspell the company name on your job application because it shows a lack of attention to detail."

pleased about something

"I am glad to see you."

"I am glad that you came to visit me because I missed you very much."

(of a person) able to express oneself clearly and effectively

"She is an articulate speaker."

"The articulate speaker expressed her ideas clearly and confidently so everyone in the audience could understand her message easily."

demonstrating or showing a strong or vivid display of emotions, feelings, or ideas

"Her face is expressive."

"Her expressive face showed every emotion clearly and you could always tell exactly how she was feeling."

(of a person) not caring about the needs and feelings of no one but one's own

"She is self-centered."

"The self centered actor only talked about himself and never asked anyone else questions about their lives."

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."

showing a proud, unpleasant attitude toward others and having an exaggerated sense of self-importance

"He is arrogant."

"The arrogant CEO refused to listen to his employees suggestions and the company suffered as a result of his poor leadership."

having or displaying the belief that one is superior in intellect, importance, skills, etc.

"She is big-headed."

"The big headed athlete bragged about his accomplishments so much that his teammates grew tired of listening to him."

completely without mistakes or flaws, reaching the best possible standard

"The weather is perfect."

"The weather was perfect for a picnic so we packed our baskets and spent the whole afternoon at the park together."

suitable for fancy, important, serious, or official occasions and situations

"The dress code is formal."

"The formal dress code required men to wear suits and ties and women to wear elegant evening gowns or cocktail dresses to the wedding."

aware of and responsive to one's surroundings

"He is conscious of danger."

"She was conscious during the entire surgery and could hear the doctors talking while they worked on her knee."

(of a person) unresponsive and unaware of the surroundings, usually due to an illness or injury

"He was unconscious."

"The paramedics quickly assessed the unconscious victim to determine the severity of his injuries."

something that is formed in the mind and does not exist in reality

"Imagination is a mental picture."

"Imagination is the ability to form mental images of things not present to the senses."

an action that is caring, kind, or helpful

"That was great kindness."

"Her act of kindness in helping the stranded motorist truly restored my faith in humanity."

to teach someone, often within a school or university setting

"Schools educate children about history."

"The museum aims to educate visitors about the region's history through interactive exhibits and guided tours."

without deliberate thought or attention

"The lights turn on automatically."

"The door opens automatically when you approach it so you do not need to push or pull anything."

an argument or a situation in which people have different opinions about something

"There was a disagreement about the plan."

"The disagreement between the two parties over the new policy led to a standstill in negotiations."

a promise, an arrangement, or a contract between two or more people

"We reached an agreement."

"Both parties signed the agreement after lengthy negotiations indicating that they had finally reached a compromise acceptable to everyone involved in the dispute."

the state or quality of being awake and capable of perception, thought, and response

"He lost consciousness."

"The patient regained consciousness after being unconscious for several hours."

offering assistance or support, making tasks easier or problems more manageable for others

"The assistant is helpful."

"The helpful neighbor offered to water our plants while we were away on vacation so we did not have to worry about them dying."

getting the results you hoped for or wanted

"The project was successful."

"Her innovative business strategy proved to be incredibly successful in the market."

able to be grasped mentally without difficulty

"His reaction is understandable."

"His anger was understandable because someone had stolen his bicycle that he had saved money for months to buy."

without pausing or taking a break

"The plane flew nonstop to New York."

"The plane flew nonstop from New York to London and the journey took about seven hours."

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."

referring to the ability to use or communicate in multiple languages

"She is multilingual."

"The multilingual receptionist spoke English Spanish and French and could help customers from many different countries."

used to indicate a large number of people or things

"Many people came to the party."

"Many people came to the concert despite the bad weather and heavy rain."

at an earlier point in time

"Brush your teeth before you sleep."

"Brush your teeth before you go to sleep to prevent cavities and maintain good oral hygiene."

able to remain calm, especially in challenging or difficult situations, without becoming annoyed or anxious

"The teacher is patient."

"The patient teacher explained the math problem three times until every student in the class understood the solution."

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 write or say the letters that form a word one by one in the right order

"Can you spell your name?"

"Can you please spell your last name for me because I want to write it down correctly."

related to the law or the legal system

"It is legal."

"The new legislation aims to make the process of obtaining a business license more legal and straightforward."

forbidden by the law

"This action is illegal."

"It is illegal to drive without a valid license and you could go to jail if you get caught."

to become visible and noticeable

"The sun will appear."

"After the storm clouds dissipated, the sun began to appear, casting a warm glow."

to no longer be able to be seen

"The sun disappears at night completely."

"The magician made the rabbit disappear from the hat with a clever trick."

following a pattern, especially one with fixed or uniform intervals

"She has a regular job."

"He maintains a regular exercise routine to stay healthy and fit."

not conforming to established rules, patterns, or norms

"The verb is irregular."

"His heartbeat was irregular so the doctor sent him to a specialist for further tests and a thorough examination of his heart."

emotionally feeling good or glad

"The child is happy."

"The happy couple celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary with a big party and all their friends."

capable of thinking and learning in a good and quick way

"She is a bright student."

"The bright young scientist quickly grasped the complex theories and contributed innovative ideas to the research project."

able to think and learn in a good and quick way

"You are very smart."

"She is a smart woman who always thinks before she speaks and considers the consequences of her actions before making any important decisions."