| to do or provide what is necessary or needed | fulfil,_,Britain was accused of failing to fulfil its obligations under the EU Treaty. |
| an attempt to do something new or difficult | endeavour,_,They made every endeavour to find the two boys. |
| to willingly stop having something you want or doing something you like in order to get something more important | sacrifice,_,He sacrificed a promising career to look after his kids. |
| finally, after everything else has been done or considered | ultimately,_,Ultimately, the decision rests with the child’s parents. |
| notes of music combined together in a pleasant way | harmony,_,The choir were singing in perfect harmony. |
| a regular repeated pattern of sounds or movements | rhythm,_,Drums are basic to African rhythm. |
| sharp, bad, unpleasant etc | sour,_,The meeting ended on a sour note, with neither side able to reach agreement. |
| not easy to notice or understand unless you pay careful attention | subtle,_,The pictures are similar, but there are subtle differences between them. |
| a method that you use to achieve something | tactic,_,Shock tactics are being used in an attempt to stop drink drivers. |
| something that is done as a reaction to something that has happened or been said | response,_,The law was passed in response to public pressure. |
| very good | awesome,_,Their last concert was really awesome. |
| someone who is taking part in an activity or event | participant,_,He has been an active participant in the negotiations. |
| feeling or showing lack of ambition | unambitious,_,His unambitious approach to work held him back from any promotion. |
| using words in a clever and amusing way | witty,_,He's always making witty remarks. |
| wanting to know about something | curious,_,He was curious about how she would react. |
| an expression or way of behaving that hides your real emotions or character | mask,_,Her sarcasm is a mask for her insecurity. |
| to be able to understand someone else’s feelings, problems etc, especially because you have had similar experiences | empathise,_,My mother died last year so I can really empathise with what he’s going through. |
| the quality of being brave when you are facing a difficult or dangerous situation, or when you are very ill | courage,_,Sue showed great courage throughout her illness. |
| to continue doing something or being in a situation | go on,_,He went on working until he was 91. |
| ability to express your ideas and opinions well, especially in a way that influences people | eloquence,_,She spoke with feeling and eloquence. |
| friendly conversation in which people make a lot of jokes with, and amusing remarks about, each other | banter,_,She enjoyed the easy banter amongst her friends. |
| saying things that are the opposite of what you mean, in order to make an unkind joke or to show that you are annoyed | sarcastic,_,He can’t help making sarcastic comments. |
| happening fairly often, but not regularly | sporadic,_,There has been sporadic violence downtown. |
| a feeling of worry or slight fear about something | unease,_,As she neared the door, Amy felt a growing sense of unease. |
| a short sudden effort or increase in activity | burst,_,The van gave a sudden burst of speed. |
| a small piece of film in a frame that you shine a light through to show a picture on a screen or wall | slide,_,The speaker showed us some interesting slides of the new building. |
| to gradually get rid of a system or organization | dismantled,_,They made an election promise to dismantle the existing tax legislation. |
| to gradually become less and less or smaller and smaller | dwindle,_,His money had dwindled away. |
| polite and showing respect for other people | courteous,_,The staff are always courteous and helpful. |
| to kill someone or make them extremely ill | be struck down by,_,Over 50 nurses at the clinic have been struck down with a mystery virus. |
| someone you know, but who is not a close friend | acquaintance,_,She was a casual acquaintance of my family in Vienna. |
| to completely close something such as a road or an opening | block off,_,Police blocked off the city centre streets. |
| if your mind, thoughts etc wander, you no longer pay attention to something, especially because you are bored or worried | wander,_,Mrs Snell’s mind wandered and the voices went on and on. |
| to move with a sudden quick movement, or to make something move in this way | flick,_,The cow’s tail flicked from side to side. |
| the reason that makes someone do something, especially when this reason is kept hidden | motive,_,The police believe the motive for this murder was jealousy. |
| the action of deciding unfairly that a type of person has particular qualities or abilities because they belong to a particular race, sex, or social class | stereotyping,_,Stereotyping is not only hurtful, it is also wrong. |
| something that someone says in order to start a conversation with someone they think is sexually attractive | chat-up line,_,Despite your awful chat-up line I will go out for dinner with you. |
| existing only as an idea or quality rather than as something real that you can see or touch | abstract,_,His ideas were too abstract to be of any practical use. |
| making you feel pity, sympathy, sadness etc | touching,_,It was a touching reunion of father and son. |
| the state of being very keen and excited about something that is going to happen or about something you want to do | eagerness,_,People were pushing each other out of the way in their eagerness to get to the front. |
| information that is passed from one person to another about other people’s behaviour and private lives, often including unkind or untrue remarks | gossip,_,Here’s an interesting piece of gossip about Mrs Smith. |
| unable or unlikely to hurt anyone or cause damage | harmless,_,Her brother’s a bit simple, but he’s quite harmless. |
| an informal friendly conversation | chat,_,I’ve had a long chat with Vinnie. |
| an informal talk in which people exchange news, feelings, and thoughts | conversation,_,Children quickly get bored by adult conversation. |
| a formal discussion of a particular problem, subject etc in which people express different opinions, and sometimes vote on them | debate,_,There was much lively debate about whether women should spend more time in the home. |
| when you discuss something | discussion,_,The embassy will continue discussions with the Chinese government. |
| an event at which you describe or explain a new product or idea | presentation,_,We will begin a series of presentations to help the public fully understand our system. |
| a talk, especially a formal one about a particular subject, given to a group of people | speech,_,Each child had to give a short speech to the rest of the class. |
| something you say or write, especially publicly or officially, to let people know your intentions or opinions, or to record facts | statement,_,In an official statement, she formally announced her resignation. |
| able to be trusted and depended on | trustworthy,_,If you have any financial problems John can help you. He's a very trustworthy person. |
