| Word | Part of Speech | Contextual Meaning | Example Sentence |
| advances | noun | approaches of a sexual nature | The waitress didn't appreciate the advances from the men in the bachelor party. |
| amicably | adverb | in a friendly way | The taxi driver amicably offered the poor lady a free ride. |
| amorous | adjective | full of passion | The couple that met on the beach had an amorous relationship for one week. |
| antithesis | noun | the complete opposite | Even though they are identical twins, Joe and John are the antithesis of each other. |
| astute | adjective | crafty, clever | The astute fisherman had the hole in the boat patched before it sunk. |
| atrocity | noun | very cruel happening or treatment | It was an atrocity when George's friends locked him outside in the snow with no shoes or socks. |
| bizarre | adjective | very strange | It was so bizarre when the clown at the party knelt down and asked Judy to marry him. |
| bleak | adjective | discouraging, unappealing | I couldn't believe that homeless people were living in that bleak alley. |
| blower | noun (slang) | the telephone | Sandy got on the blower with her sister as soon as she heard the juicy gossip. |
| brief me | verb | give me the background information/details I need | "Can you brief me on the condition of the patient?" the doctor asked the nurse. |
| brusquely | adverb | quickly, abruptly | The woman brusquely pointed out the thief in the line up of criminals. |
| buskers | noun | people who beg or entertain for money on the street | I gave the buskers a few dollars to play my favourite song. |
| cannabis | noun | drug from a hemp plant | The police found cannabis in the house where the thieves were living. |
| captivated | past participle | unable to stop looking at something | The young children were captivated by the fireworks display. |
| caught in the act | idiom | found in the middle of doing something (here, having sex) | I caught my aunt and uncle in the act in our basement when I was a child. |
| Chihuahua | noun | tiny breed of Mexican dog | Chihuahuas have huge eyes for such little dogs. |
| clairvoyants | noun | people who claim they are able to see the future | I asked Becky if she was a clairvoyant because she always knows when I am dating someone new. |
| claustrophobic | adjective | afraid of small spaces | I tried to sleep in the attic, but I was too claustrophobic. |
| coax | verb | persuade gently | Can I coax you into buying some chocolates for charity? |
| come to a head | verb | come to a point where you can't ignore something any more | The couple's financial problems came to a head when Nancy became pregnant. |
| concierge | noun | resident caretaker for apartments or hotel | I asked the concierge to call a taxi for room 101. |
| consultation | noun | a meeting to discuss possible future action or business | The bride often goes for a hair consultation before her big day in the salon. |
| corpse | noun | dead body | The shipmates buried the corpse at sea. |
| cramped | adjective | having no spare room | It was so cramped on the bus that we had to sit on our bags. |
| craved | verb - past | wanted badly (often food) | My sister craved peaches through her whole pregnancy. |
| cursing | verb - progressive | using bad or rude language | My uncle was cursing as the Christmas lights fell off the roof. |
| cynic | noun | a person who doesn't believe another is being sincere | I never vote because I'm a cynic when it comes to politicians. |
| decapitated | past participle | had one's head cut off | Long ago, prisoners were decapitated after committing serious crimes. |
| deferred | past participle | put off until later | My holiday time was deferred because our company was so busy this summer. |
| deflect | verb | turn away | I always deflect phone calls from people trying to sell me something. |
| demoralized | adjective | having lost hope | The demoralized cyclist put his damaged bike on his shoulders and walked to the finish line. |
| despaired | verb - past | very worried | Amanda despaired because her husband was more than three hours late from work. |
| despondently | adverb | without hope | I despondently called for help but I knew there was nobody home. |
| Deutschmarks | noun | German currency (pre Euro) | I transferred my American savings into Deutschmarks before I went to Germany. |
| disdainfully | adverb | without respect, with dislike | My grandmother stared at my new boyfriend disdainfully because of his long hair. |
| dismally | adverb | gloomily, without hope | The children stared dismally out the window until the sun finally came out. |
| dismay | noun | consternation, distress | Rebecca was full of dismay when we jumped out from behind the couch. |
| disparity | noun | big difference | There was quite a disparity between Anne and George's accounts of why their marriage failed. |
| dispatched | past participle | sent to do something (often emergency services) | The police dog team was dispatched to an area in the woods where the criminal had been spotted. |
| domain | noun | subject of interest or expertise | Since I was five years old dancing has been my domain. |
| duvet | noun | heavy quilt filled with feathers | We don't use our duvet on the bed in the summer; we just use a sheet. |
| ecstasy | noun | great pleasure (often sexual) | Eileen had never known true ecstasy before she started dating Charles. |
| emerge | verb | come out from somewhere | The mouse finally emerged from under the fridge. |
| enduring | adjective | lasting a long time | The minister wished the newlyweds enduring happiness and love. |
| envisage | verb | imagine | I envisage my first home as an old farm in the country. |
| evaporated | past participle | disappeared | All of the water in the frog's tank had evaporated by the time we got home from our weekend away. |
| exodus | noun | mass departure | There was an exodus of young people on the Monday of Spring break. |
| exquisite | verb | very beautiful, wonderful | The queen looked exquisite in her royal gown. |
| extricate | verb | to let free | They will extricate the prisoner if he is found not guilty. |
| festooned | verb - past | decorated | The hotel was festooned with streamers and balloons to welcome the celebrities. |
| fetch | verb | run and get | If you want the dog to fetch the bone you have to throw it into the ocean. |
| fiddled around | verb - past | did casual work using one's hands | Ben fiddled around with the wires until he got the computer working again. |
| flocked | verb - past | went as a group | The children flocked to the ice cream truck. |
| forensic evidence | noun | scientific proof at a crime scene (for example: blood) | The forensic evidence proved that the murderer was male. |
| frantic | adjective | wild and scared | The people grew frantic as the tornado got closer to the city. |
| frisson | noun | shiver | When I watched the car accident on the news it sent a frisson up my back. |
| fruitlessly | adverb | unsuccessfully | The baby fruitlessly pulled at the top of the jar of candy. |
| gazed | verb - past | stared at with wide eyes | The children gazed at the field of sunflowers. |
| germane | adjective | related to the situation | At the germane moment the father walked in and heard the baby saying "Dad" for the first time. |
| glowered | verb - past | stared angrily | I glowered at the bus driver who closed his doors just as I arrived at the stop. |
| grandiose | adjective | large and impressive | The couple had grandiose dreams about winning the lottery. |
| graphology | noun | the study of handwriting | Police use graphology to tell if a suspect is nervous. |
| gratitude | noun | thankfulness | The students showed their gratitude by sending their retired teacher flowers. |
| grotesque | adjective | disgusting, hard to look at | The horror movie was so grotesque I had to walk out of the theatre. |
| grudgingly | adverb | without wanting to | The child grudgingly took the garbage out for his mom. |
| hastily | adverb | quickly with little thought | We packed so hastily that I forgot my bathing suit. |
| hawkers | noun | people who sell goods on the street | I bought this necklace from some hawkers in Amsterdam. |
| head-shrink | noun | psychiatrist | Annie cries so much I think she might need a head-shrink. |
| heroin | noun | strong narcotic drug derived from morphine | People who use heroin often need help getting over their addiction. |
| hocus pocus | noun (slang) | magic | It was like hocus pocus when the door shut by itself. |
| homicidal | adjective | likely to kill someone | The police were extremely concerned, because the criminal that got away was homicidal. |
| hue | noun | shades of colour | When painting, artists often blend many hues. |
| huskiness | noun | rough and dry voice | Smokers often speak with a distinct huskiness. |
| imperative | adjective | very important | It is imperative that you wear your seat belt during take-off. |
| impromptu | adjective | without being planned | We took an impromptu vacation to Hawaii at Christmas. |
| incongruity | noun | quality of being out of place | The only female felt the incongruity as the men stared at her during her workout. |
| indiscretion | noun | something, especially a sexual relationship, that might be embarrassing or morally wrong | His indiscretion cost him his marriage. |
| insulated | past participle | protected | The front seat passengers were insulated by the car's air bags. |
| intently | adverb | eagerly, with interest | We watched intently as Monica jumped from the airplane. |
| intersected | verb - past | crossed paths in the middle | The two highways intersected at the downtown core. |
| irritable | adjective | grumpy | I'm always irritable when it's this hot outside. |
| jaded | adjective | tired or lacking enthusiasm after having too much of something | The jaded playboy had completely lost interest in women. |
| lashed | verb - past | hit violently | Mark got stung after he lashed at the bee in his hair. |
| leads | noun | clues to solving a crime | We don't have any leads except that the thief is driving a brown car. |
| legible | adjective | readable print | The photocopy of my driver's license is barely legible. |
| line | noun | a route on a subway or metro | I took the wrong subway line so I was late for my date. |
| lovelorn | adjective | sad because one is not loved back by another | The lovelorn man wrote 100 letters to his sweetheart but never got one in return. |
| mahogany | adjective | reddish coloured wood | The mahogany bookshelf doesn't go with the maple furniture. |
| manicured | adjective | well kept fingernails | My manicured nails would get ruined if we didn't have a dishwasher. |
| memorabilia | noun | things you buy that remind you of somewhere (for example: hats, postcards, magnets) | They sell lots of 1950's memorabilia in the front lobby of the diner. |
| meticulous | adjective | precise, perfect | My father is meticulous when it comes to balancing his finances. |
| monotone | noun | voice with only one sound | My science teacher is so boring because he speaks in a monotone. |
| mumbo-jumbo | noun (slang) | nonsense | Most parenting books tell you a bunch of mumbo-jumbo about how you should raise your kids. |
| nonchalant | adjective | casual | The driver was pretty nonchalant about the accident even though his car was destroyed. |
| nominal | adjective | (of money) small amount, a token | There is just a nominal fee to cover the cost of coffee and sandwiches. |
| papers | noun (informal) | immigration forms that legalize a person to work or stay in another country | Migel was living in America without his papers so he wasn't able to find legal work. |
| piqued | past participle | irritated | The drivers were piqued by the way the cyclist slowed down the traffic. |
| placid | adjective | calm | The placid woman sang a song in the elevator until the power was restored. |
| plaque | noun | a flat ornament on which celebratory or memorializing words are written | Each member on the baseball team got a plaque for coming in second place. |
| poignant | adjective | emotionally moving | The movie was so poignant I cried at the end. |
| precision | noun | perfect accuracy | Janice paints her nails with such precision it looks like she gets them done professionally. |
| preposterous | adjective | ridiculous, impossible to be true | It was preposterous that the fourteen year old needed a babysitter. |
| prowling | verb - progressive | searching secretly | The thief was prowling through our jewellery box when we got home. |
| publicity card | noun | small piece of paper (business card) that advertises your career or title | My publicity card has my picture and my company's email address on it. |
| rapport | noun | relationship | I have a good rapport with my boss, so I'm not afraid to ask for vacation time. |
| recoil | verb | move back in fear | I can't help but recoil when they show operations on television. |
| reconciled | verb - past | settled or reorganized (finances) | I reconciled my loans and savings accounts after getting my inheritance. |
| resignation | noun | the giving up of a job | The president of the company gave his resignation after he found out his illness was very serious. |
| revelries | noun | good times, festivities | Our New Year's Eve revelries kept the neighbours awake until 5:00 am. |
| ridiculed | verb - past | made fun of | Leslie ridiculed her brother for always wearing mismatching socks. |
| sanctity | noun | holiness, purity | The sanctity of the church was questioned after the minister was arrested. |
| save for | preposition | except for | All of the girls at the party were wearing dresses save for Andrea, who always wears jeans. |
| severing | noun | the cutting off of | The severing of his own arm was what saved the climber's life. |
| shrine | noun | a place dedicated to a religious or important figure | My aunt's bedroom is like an Elvis Presleyshrine. |
| sobbing | verb - progressive | crying loudly | We were all sobbing at Angelica's farewell party. |
| splayed | verb - past | spread wide apart | The woman's arms were splayed out as her husband stepped off the plane. |
| stern | adjective | strict | My grandfather was so stern that we had to eat every crumb on our dinner plate before we got up from the table. |
| stirred | verb - past | moved in one's sleep, woke slightly | The child stirred when the phone rang but thankfully went back to sleep. |
| straddled | verb - past | stood on both sides | When I went travelling, I often straddled borders for photographs. |
| stunned | past participle | surprised | I was stunned when my best friend told me she was moving to the other side of the world. |
| succulent | adjective | thick/juicy | The succulent watermelon was exactly what we needed on such a hot summer day. |
| sullenly | adverb | sulkily, unhappily | The dog stood sullenly beside our suitcases before we left for our vacation. |
| sweltering | adjective | very hot | The bus was sweltering because there was no air conditioning. |
| tawdry | adjective | cheap, of fake appearance | The hostess was wearing a tawdry pearl necklace that looked like it came out of a cereal box. |
| tenement | adjective | divided into separate suites or residences | Our salon is in a tenement building until we can buy our own place. |
| terminate | verb | put an end to | I tried to terminate my magazine subscription but they keep sending me new issues. |
| thrust | verb | push or give forcibly | Eric thrust Mia into the pool because she was taking so long to go in. |
| tolerable | adjective | just barely able to handle | I can't stand talking to the man next door, but his wife is tolerable. |
| touts | noun | people who bother you to buy something | The touts on the street pressured us to buy their perfumes and colognes. |
| trifle | noun | a very small amount | This year's Christmas bonus was a trifle compared to last year's. |
| turmoil | noun | great trouble | Everyone is quitting because there is so much turmoil with our new boss. |
| turnstile | noun | entrance with revolving metal arms | You pay for the subway at the turnstiles. |
| uncanny | adjective | difficult to explain | It was uncanny how much the child looked like his adopted mother. |
| unfaithful | adjective | not keeping a promise to only have one sexual partner | Mrs. Jones divorced her husband when she learned that he was being unfaithful to her. |
| upholstered | adjective | covered with thick material | My grandfather's upholstered chair needs to be vacuumed. |
| vaguely | adverb | unclearly | I vaguely remember meeting you many years ago. |
| veritable | adjective | rightly called | The papers said the parade was a veritable disaster because of the poor weather. |
| virile | adjective | masculine, manly | There were many virile competitors in the body-building event. |
| vitality | noun | energy, life | I was filled with a sense of vitality following the graduation ceremony. |
| voodoo | adjective | a practice which involves sticking pins in dolls in order to cause pain to human figures | I was so mad when I saw my boyfriend with another woman that I actually thought about making a voodoo doll of her. |
| welling | verb - progressive | filling with liquid | The sink was welling with soap and about to overflow. |
| whores | noun | prostitutes; women who have sexual relations with strangers for money | The whores stand on the street and wait for men to pick them up. |
| wits' end | idiom | no longer able to tolerate | I am at my wits' end trying to keep these ants out of the house. |
| wrung | verb - past | clasped, squeezed tightly | The woman wrung her hands while the policeman wrote up her speeding ticket. |
| wryly | adverb | said with a grin to show that an unfortunate situation is humorous | "Adam got caught trying to steal another car," his ex-girlfriend said wryly. |
| yearn for | verb | want intensely | My parents tell everyone how much they yearn for grandchildren. |
