brave:  doing something even though you’re afraid
The brave fireman ran into the burning building and carried the baby to safety.
His mother told him to be a brave boy in the dentist’s chair.

complicated:  difficult to understand or explain
His relationship with his girlfriend is complicated.
The explanation was too complicated for most people to understand.

cute:  pretty in a pleasing way
There were three cute kittens on the bed.
Most people remember the actor when he was a cute little kid.

crazy:  wild, uncontrolled, senseless, not at all normal
John was acting like a crazy person at the party.
It was crazy to go swimming in the lake in winter.

dependable:  able to be trusted to do what is necessary
Although his car is old, it’s still very dependable.
She has been his dependable secretary for many years.

faithful:  always supportive, loyal
He is one of her oldest and most faithful friends.
She remained faithful to her husband during his long illness.

horrible:  terrible, awful
He’ll never forget the skunk’s horrible smell.
There was a horrible five-car accident on the highway.

international:  between countries, of many countries
Global warming is an international problem.
Canada has an international reputation as a peace keeper.

official:  recognized as true by authorities, legal
Canada has two official languages – English and French.
This is an official copy of their marriage certificate.

proud:  having a good feeling for a good result
His father was proud of him for telling the truth.
She was proud of herself for scoring the winning goal.

steep:  at a high angle
The driveway up to his house was very steep.
She likes to ski on steep slopes to test her abilities.

sudden:  fast, without warning
Their picnic was ruined by a sudden rainstorm.
A sudden outbreak of the flu kept many children home from school.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

boring:   not interesting or exciting, full of sameness
The children had a boring time during their field trip to the library.
Some people liked the movie, but I found it very boring.

calm:  relaxed, with good weather
If there’s a fire, the most important thing to do is to stay calm.
They had a calm, sunny day for their wedding.

criminal:  doing illegal activities, very wrong
The boys are members of a criminal organization.
They sell illegal drugs and do other criminal activities.

crowded:  with too many people close together
The bus to school is always very crowded.
When she arrived, the room was crowded with people.

eager:  wanting to do something a lot, excited
She is eager to meet her boyfriend’s parents.
The children are eager for the holidays.

helpless:  not able to do anything to help
The fire was so strong, the firefighters were helpless.
The fishers were helpless against the storm.

legal:  obeying the law, about the law
Everyone has the legal right to defend themselves.
In many places it is now legal to use marijuana for medical purposes.

pale:  without much color
You look pale.  Are you feeling alright?
They painted their house a pale green.

satisfied:  feeling happy with a result
Although he didn’t get an A, he was satisfied with his mark.
The boss was satisfied with the work we had done.

sneaky:  done so no one will see or know, in a secret way
My sneaky son pretends that he’s asleep and then plays video games in bed.
Offering something for free online is a sneaky way to get people’s email addresses.

tense:  not able to relax, nervous
Some students get very tense before a big test.
She felt tense when she walked into her boss’s office.

wise:  intelligent because of experience
You should listen to your grandmother.  She’s a wise person.
The wise thing to do is to wait and see what happens.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

ashamed:  feeling guilty or disapproving for a wrong action
He felt ashamed for not believing her.
She was ashamed of her alcoholic father.

complete:  100%, entire, whole, having all the parts
The kitchen was a complete mess after all the cooking.
Is this list of guests complete, or did you miss someone?

damaged:  a little broken or harmed and no longer perfect.
When the coffee table arrived from the store, it was damaged.
This cell phone is damaged, so you should go get your money back.

embarrassed:  feeling like you or someone close to you has done something wrong
She was embarrassed that she forgot his birthday.
He was embarrassed about his alcoholic father.

frightened:  feeling like you’re in danger, afraid
His little brother is frightened of the dark, so he keeps a night light on.
The frightened cat ran under the sofa.

handy:  easy to use because it’s close by
I always have a handy tissue in my pocket.
Do you have a screwdriver handy so I can replace these batteries?

immediate:  quickly following, instant
His reply to the reporter’s question was immediate.
There was an immediate reaction to the medication.

normal:  usual, regular, natural
She’s a student of normal intelligence.
The normal thing to say when someone does you a favor is “thank-you.”

practical:  useful, best thing for the job
Basic mathematics is a very practical knowledge that you’ll use everyday.
It’s not practical to carry all those heavy books to school and home everyday.

several:  more than a few but not many
There are several things we could do to make this website better.
The Van Gogh paintings are going to be in the art gallery for several weeks.

strange:  unusual, odd, unknown
It felt strange to be the only person in the movie theatre.
They were going to make their home in this new, strange land.

useless:  not able to do what is needed
I find this medicine useless against my headache.
He made a useless attempt to fix the leak in the roof.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

careful:  doing nothing that could cause a problem
Be careful when you cross the street.
She’s a very careful driver.

confused:  not knowing what to do
I’m confused about what time we should be at the airport.
Two people gave him two different directions, which confused him.

direct:  straight from a source, without turning or stopping
He took a direct flight from Hong Kong to Vancouver.
This plant will die in direct sunlight.

generous:  giving or sharing of money or time
Her generous grandparents gave her a car for her graduation.
He was generous with his time, helping anyone in need.

incredible:  unbelievable, hard to believe, amazing
Making a good website takes an incredible amount of work.
It’s incredible that everyone survived the plane crash.

mild:  gentle, not strong or harsh
I had a mild case of the flu last week.
You should use a mild soap on your face.

physical:  of the body, with a lot of movement
Ice hockey is a very physical sport.
He doesn’t get enough physical exercise.

selfish:  caring only about yourself, not caring about others
Although he seemed generous, he did it for selfish reasons.
Don’t be so selfish.  Share that candy with your sister.

single:  only one, not married
When he finished, there wasn’t a single cookie left in the jar.
She’s thirty-three and still single.

skinny:  very thin, too thin
She likes to wear her skinny jeans whenever she goes out.
In high school he was a skinny little guy.

thick:  wide from one side to the other side, not thin
He put the meat between two thick slices of bread and ate it.
Because the lake had a thick layer of ice, they could go ice skating.

upset:  with an angry, worried or unhappy feeling
Please don’t be upset with me, but I lost your ring.
When you two broke up, it really made her upset.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

amazing:  wonderful and surprising
She has an amazing ability to remember people’s names.
My grandmother was an amazing, independent woman.

cautious:  careful to avoid danger
You can’t be too cautious when traveling abroad.
It’s a good idea to be cautious when you’re driving at night.

elderly:  very old (for people)
An elderly couple live next door.
The government has programs to care for elderly people.

frozen:  hard because of low temperature.
We should put this frozen food in the freezer.
The turkey we bought was still frozen the following day.

guilty:  having done something wrong
Everyone thought he was guilty of taking the money.
If you run, the police will think you’re guilty.

innocent:  having done nothing wrong
She was found to be innocent of the crime.
During war many innocent people are killed.

natural:  pure with nothing artificial
This bread is made with only natural ingredients.
She needs little makeup because she has a natural beauty.

old-fashioned:  used in the past, not modern
They had a 1920s party, so everyone wore old-fashioned clothes.
She wanted an old-fashioned wedding in a church.

pleasant:  pleasing, giving pleasure
It was a pleasant day for a long walk.
What a pleasant surprise to find you here.

serious:  having an important or dangerous result
We need to have a serious conversation.
He’s in the hospital with a serious illness.

sharp:  having an edge that can cut easily or a point that is thin
I need a sharp knife to cut the turkey meat.
She likes to draw with a sharp pencil.

thankful:  happy that someone has helped or something has happened
She was thankful for all the help he gave her.
Everyone was thankful when the storm ended.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

basic:  simplest, first, most important
The basic colors are red, yellow and blue.
This course teaches the basic history of Europe.

clumsy:  not able to use your hands or feet well.
She’s a clumsy person who drops things all the time.
He’s a clumsy dancer with two left feet.

damp:  a little bit wet, moist
Just wipe that table with a damp cloth, and it’ll be clean enough.
It’s very damp in this basement.

friendly:  like a friend, welcoming and supportive
Let me give you a little friendly advice.
Don’t worry about the natives.  They’re generally friendly.

giant:  unusually large, huge
At the concert there were giant speakers on either side of the stage.
Apple has become a giant corporation that employs over 115,000 people.

hollow:  with nothing inside, not solid
He found a bear sleeping in a hollow log in the forest.
Although the chocolate bunny looked solid, it was hollow inside.

lonely:  feeling all alone, sad because of no friendships
He was a lonely boy who had very few friends.
She felt lonely without her family close by.

plain:  with nothing added, without pattern or decoration
Her favorite snack was plain yogurt.
He had on jeans and a plain T-shirt.

rude:  impolite, not concerned about others’ feelings
Everyone was shocked by his rude behavior.
I left the store angry because the salesperson was rude to me.

slippery:  unable to walk on or hold
She fell on the wet and slippery floor.
He couldn’t hold on to the slippery fish.

tough:  difficult to do or experience
Because they were so small for their age, both children had a tough time at school.
With his father losing his job, it was a tough year for the family.

wild:  uncontrolled, of nature
On their hike in the mountains they found bushes of wild blueberries.
When their parents were out of town, the kids threw a wild party.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

adorable:  cute and lovable
What an adorable child you have.
John and Julia are an adorable couple.

blind:  not able to see
Are you blind?  I’m standing right here!
He is blind to the opportunity I’m offering him.

comfortable:  feeling good and relaxed
This is a very comfortable office chair.
I don’t feel comfortable when your mother is here.

deep:  far down from the surface
They had to dig a deep well to find water.
The ship sank in deep water

flat:  horizontal, smooth, without high or low areas
I need a flat surface so I can sign my name on this paper.
Everywhere he looked, the ground was flat, which was perfect for farming.

gentle:  careful, soft, not rough
They could feel a warm, gentle wind on their faces.
He chose the most gentle horse for his daughter to ride.

important:  needing more attention than other things
Please listen.  I have an important announcement to make.
The scientist made an important discovery.

lazy:  not wanting to work, idle
His teacher says he’s a lazy student and could do much better if he tried.
My lazy friends don’t want to help me move this weekend.

odd:  strange, unusual
That’s odd.  I’m sure I left my keys on this table, but they aren’t here.
She has an odd habit of sucking on her hair when she’s working.

rotten:  not able to be eaten, over-ripe
One of the apples was rotten, so he had to throw it out.
I know the banana is brown, but it’s not rotten.

simple:  easy to understand
It’s a simple question.  Were you home last night?
Math in elementary school is quite simple.

weak:  with little energy, not strong
His doctor told him not to do any hard exercise because of his weak heart.
When she got sick, she was so weak that she had to stay in bed all day.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

average:  typical, common, ordinary
The average person in the world earns about a thousand dollars a month.
The average rainfall or snowfall in Canada is about 540 centimeters a year.

bright:  with lots of light, shiny
This room is very bright with all these windows.
It was too bright in the sunlight to read a book.

clever:  intelligent and able to learn things quickly
Some cats are clever enough to open doors by turning the doorknob.
All her teachers say she’s a clever little girl who will have lots of success in life.

crooked:  bent, curved, not straight
His nose is crooked because of a fight he had last year.
They followed a crooked path through the forest.

difficult:  hard to do, not easy
It was difficult to move the sofa upstairs, but we did it.
She had a difficult birth that lasted over 25 hours.

famous:  know by many people
His father is a famous Canadian hockey player.
This restaurant is famous for its cheesecake.

harmful:  bad for the body, causing injury or illness
If you drink alcohol with that medication, it can be harmful.
Junk food is harmful to your health.

messy:  with no order, not neat
Her handwriting is very messy.
You boys, go clean your messy rooms before dinner.

original:  the first one
That’s an original painting by Van Gogh.
Thomas Edison had many original ideas.

regular:  usual. normal, habitual
They’re regular customers at that restaurant.
She’s a regular guest at all his parties.

straight:  with no bend, not curved, direct
They need a straight road to race their cars on.
I want you to come straight home after school.

ugly:  unpleasant to look at, having no beauty
I don’t like that kind of dog.  I find it very ugly.
I would never buy that ugly rug.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

angry:  feeling like hurting someone

She was angry at her brother for breaking her doll.
I’m still angry with you for taking my bike without telling me first.

blank:  with nothing on it
He tried to write her a letter, but after an hour the page was still blank.
The room seemed cold because all the walls were blank.

delicious:  tasting really good
Thank you for the meal, Mrs. Johnston.  It was delicious.
She made a delicious apple pie for dessert.

empty:  with nothing inside
There were several empty bottles on the floor after the party.
At 2:00 in the morning all the streets were empty.

favorite:  most liked
Uncle Henry is my favorite uncle.
I know his favorite sport is soccer.

honest:  truthful
I want you to be honest with me and tell me the truth.
He wasn’t being honest when he said he was home last night.

kind:  good and helpful
Her husband is a kind and loving man.
You’re always kind to animals.

nervous:  afraid of doing something
He’s nervous about meeting his girlfriend’s parents.
The idea of speaking in front of a large crowd makes me nervous.

polite:  showing good manners towards other people
The polite thing to do is to hold the door open for the lady.
You need to learn to be more polite and say please and thank you.

silent:  making no noise
This dishwasher is more silent than my last one.
The teacher wanted all the students to be silent while she was talking.    

sour:  tasting similar to a lemon or vinegar
This milk is sour, so we should throw it out.
If you don’t like the sour taste, add more sugar.

wide:  big across
This street is very wide.
The doorway isn’t wide enough to get the sofa in the room.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

aggressive:  forceful, attacking
Nobody likes an aggressive  salesperson.
He’s very aggressive when he plays poker.

automatic:  able to happen or operate independent of any person.
A machine that saves us a lot of time is our automatic dishwasher.
The loyalty of his team is not automatic; he must earn it.

dedicated:  100% committed to something
I’ve never know someone so dedicated to his family as my father.
Mother Teresa was dedicated to helping the poor and sick.

frequent:  happening often
Because of his business, he’s a frequent flier to China.
The most frequent comment was that the movie was too long.

gloomy:  sad, hopeless, depressing
The prison was a gloomy place where the inmates hardly talked.
The hooting of the owls made the forest seem gloomy.

ingenious:  very smart and creative
The iPhone was an ingenious product that helped Apple get to the top.
He’s had several very good ideas, but this one is ingenious.

possible:  able to be or happen
It’s possible that he got really busy and forgot about our meeting.
Losing our company is one possible result.

racial:  of different kinds of people of different races
The Chinese are a racial minority in North America.
It’s against the law for him to deny you a room for racial reasons.

silly:  not serious, amusingly playful
She knew he had a surprise for her because of the silly grin on his face.
Don’t be silly.  You can’t eat that whole pie by yourself.

transparent:  see- through, clear
This plastic is almost transparent.
She wore a blue transparent blouse to the party.

united:  acting as a single group, all together
There was a united effort by all the neighbors to clean up the park.
The school was united in their support of the principal.

voluntary:  done out of free choice
The job as a teacher’s helper is a voluntary position.
The museum is free on Tuesdays, but you can make a voluntary donation.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot