| the state of being very interested in something, so that you want to look at it, learn about it etc | fascination,_,Police knew of his fascination with guns. |
| a very strong desire to have something, usually power or money | lust,_,He has the happy-go-lucky lust for life so typical of southern Italy. |
| only with great difficulty or effort | barely,_,He was very old and barely able to walk. |
| if someone or something appeals to you, they seem attractive and interesting | appeal to,_,The programme appeals to young children. |
| an idea or story that many people believe, but which is not true | myth,_,It was important to dispel the myth that Aids was a gay disease. |
| continuing for ever and having no end | eternal,_,She’s an eternal optimist, always expecting the best to happen. |
| the quality or state of being young | youth,_,Despite his youth, he had travelled alone. |
| to be a very good example of an idea or quality | embody,_,She embodies everything I admire in a teacher. |
| mysterious events or situations are difficult to explain or understand | mysterious,_,Benson later disappeared in mysterious circumstances. |
| unable to talk in a relaxed way because you feel nervous or embarrassed | tongue-tied,_,When adults spoke to her, she became tongue-tied and shy. |
| what someone wants to happen in a particular situation | will,_,He accused her of trying to impose her will on others. |
| the feeling of not being part of society or a group | alienation,_,Unemployment may provoke a sense of alienation from society. |
| the place or situation in which something begins to exist | origin,_,The tradition has its origins in the Middle Ages. |
| having a strong influence or effect | profound,_,The mother’s behaviour has a profound impact on the developing child. |
| someone who writes articles, especially about a particular subject, that appear regularly in a newspaper or magazine | columnist,_,She's a columnist for a national newspaper. |
| two statements, beliefs etc that are contradictory are different and therefore cannot both be true or correct | contradictory,_,The public is being fed contradictory messages about the economy. |
| the feeling you have when you think something is funny | amusement,_,Her eyes sparkled with amusement. |
| to feel embarrassed by something you have said or done because you think it makes you seem silly | cringe,_,She cringed at the sound of her own voice. |
| raw feelings are strong and natural, but not fully controlled | raw,_,Linda didn’t want to see Roy while her emotions were still raw. |
| not serious, important, or valuable | trivial,_,We were punished for the most trivial offences. |
| not staying the same forever | impermanent,_,The single-storey structures were built from cheap and impermanent materials. |
| a brother or sister | sibling,_,Most young smokers are influenced by their friends’ and older siblings’ smoking habits. |
| a strong desire to have or do something even though you know you should not | temptation,_,Resist the temptation to buy the item until you’re certain you need it. |
| to make unkind insulting remarks about someone or something | make fun of,_,I’m not making fun of you. I admire what you did. |
| the possibility that something will happen | prospect,_,I see no prospect of things improving here. |
| a belief or feeling etc that is well-founded is based on facts or good judgment | well-founded,_,My suspicions proved to be well-founded. |
| the possibility that something very bad will happen | threat,_,The threat of famine is very real in parts of Africa this year. |
| to exist in a way that may cause a problem, danger, difficulty etc | pose,_,Officials claim the chemical poses no real threat. |
| to persuade someone to do something, especially something that does not seem wise | induce,_,Nothing would induce me to vote for him again. |
| pent-up feelings or energy have not been expressed or used for a long time | pent-up,_,His outburst was the result of years of pent-up anger and frustration. |
| a feeling of anger because something has happened that you think is unfair | resentment,_,She was filled with deep resentment at being passed over for promotion. |
| a feeling of being jealous | jealousy,_,Polly felt a sharp pang of jealousy when she saw Paul with Suzanne. |
| a strong feeling of love for someone or interest in something, especially a feeling that is unreasonable and does not continue for a long time | infatuation,_,Shaw’s infatuation with the actress is evident in his writing. |
| an expression of strong feelings | outpouring,_,We're too busy listening to the outpourings of others to think about ourselves. |
| a strong feeling of uncontrollable anger | rage,_,His face was red with rage. |
| annoying | irksome,_,It was an irksome journey to get to her house in the Scottish Highlands. |
| to deal with something very difficult or unpleasant in a brave and determined way | confront,_,We try to help people confront their problems. |
| a person or thing that you use instead of the one that you usually have, because the usual one is not available | substitute,_,Sweeteners are an unhealthy substitute for real sugar. |
| someone who writes a diary, especially one that is later sold | diarist,_,Charles Darwin was an enthusiastic diarist. |
| to imagine that you are doing something which is very pleasant or exciting, but which is very unlikely to happen | fantasise,_,Sometimes she fantasised about buying a boat and sailing around the world. |
| to make something seem better, larger, worse etc than it really is | exaggerate,_,It’s difficult to exaggerate the importance of sleep. |
| to make something seem less important than it really is | downplay,_,White House officials attempted to downplay the President’s role in the affair. |
| to cause someone or something to be in a particular condition | render,_,He was rendered almost speechless by the news. |
| a book in which someone writes about their own life, or books of this type | autobiography,_,I enjoyed reading her autobiography. |
| the state of being unwilling to talk about what you feel or what you know | reticence,_,Her reticence to talk about her family made me suspicious. |
| to keep something or continue to have something | retain,_,You have the right to retain possession of the goods. |
| when something or someone is liked or supported by a lot of people | popularity,_,The president’s popularity has declined considerably. |
| when a plan, decision, or person is officially accepted | approval,_,The president has already given his approval to the plan. |
| an attitude that shows you think that someone or their behaviour, ideas etc are bad or not suitable | disapproval,_,Baxter eyed our clothes with obvious disapproval. |
| the activity of sending internet or text messages that threaten or insult someone | cyber bullying,_,She was very upset by the cyber bullying she was subjected to after she lost the race. |
