2011-week-28

To accomplish something is to get it done. People usually accomplish things that are sources of pride — like goals or records. But people accomplish immoral acts as well — like scandals or cons.

If you achieve something, you've reached a goal. Achievements aren't accidents. If you stumble upon a treasure chest, you haven't achieved something.

Use the adjective acute for when you want to describe something as sharp or extremely serious.

An agenda is a list of things to do.

A friendly, pleasant person could be described as amiable. Airline flight attendants tend to be amiable.

When you are anxious, you are very concerned or worried, but it can also refer to when you are quite interested in something. You might be anxious to improve your performance in math class after falling asleep during a big test.

An appointment is a preset arrangement to meet, like a dentist’s appointment, an appointment with your accountant, or an appointment to have your palm red.

Attain is all about reaching some mark of achievement—you can attain a destination. You can attain your goal. If you win over and over at the blackjack tables, you might attain a reputation for success.

Awe is a feeling of fear that is mixed with respect and wonder. When the US invaded Iraq in 1991, the military bombing campaign was called shock and awe.

The flowering part of a plant or tree that will form the seeds or fruit is called a blossom and synonyms include bloom and flower.

The noun confidence means "a feeling of trust and firm belief in yourself or others." A person who walks into a room, smiling at everyone and not nervous at all about the speech she's about to give? That's confidence.

Use contrary when two things are exactly opposite or entirely different. If something is contrary to something else, it is opposed to or against it.

Delicious is an adjective describing a tasty item.

Domineering describes a person who is arrogant and bossy, like a military dictator or a really mean mom.

A positive feeling of wanting to push ahead with something.

Faithful describes someone who is reliable and consistent. If you're a faithful volunteer at the animal shelter, you show up every Saturday and work hard to help the animals.

When you flatter someone, you praise and compliment him or her — but you aren't totally sincere.

A gain is an increase in something, especially something good. You gain knowledge by attending philosophy lectures and reading books.

If you had a brief or incomplete look at something, you had a glimpse.

You experience guilt when you feel bad about doing something wrong or committing some offense. Guilt is also the state of having committed the offense — it's the opposite of "innocence."

Someone guilty has done something wrong or illegal. And when you do something wrong, you feel guilty — bad or sorry — about it.

Any action that you perform regularly as part of your routine can be called a habit.

If you intend to do something, you mean to do it or have it in mind as a goal.

You can see "timid" in the middle of intimidate, and to be timid is to be frightened or to pull back from something. When you intimidate, you frighten or make someone afraid. A pet rat might intimidate your sister's friends, keeping them out of your fort.

The adjective keen has a variety of meanings, but they all have in common the concept of being acute, focused, and distinct.

A lighthearted, fun episode is a lark. A lark is also a kind of songbird.

Miserable goes way beyond sad — it means absolutely wretched. Someone who's miserable feels absolutely awful.

Obtain means to get something that is not so easy to come by such as knowledge, rights, or a large amount of money. You wouldn't say you obtained a pair of pants, unless they were one of a kind.

Something overwhelming is very intense and hard to deal with: overwhelming events make people worried and stressed out.

To plead with someone is to try to convince them to see it your way.

Serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being.

To postpone something is to put it off till later. You can postpone an appointment today and reschedule it for tomorrow.

A refugee is someone who has left a dangerous place for a less dangerous place. You could help refugees from a hurricane by bringing them food and blankets.

A sieve is a mesh strainer used to separate lumps and clumps from the fine material.

Being sincere is being genuine. If someone compliments you on your outfit, but you notice them rolling their eyes when they think you’re not looking, they probably weren't being sincere.

Something smooth is free of roughness, stubble, or other imperfections that you can feel with your hands. If your wooden table is giving you splinters, use a sander to smooth it down and make it smooth.

The part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock.

Spirit comes from the Latin word for "breath," and like breath, spirit is considered a fundamental part of being alive. Some people think of the spirit as a presence that's separate from the body, which is why spirit is another word for ghost.

To squander means to spend extravagantly, thoughtlessly, or wastefully.

Something that can only be accomplished with great effort is said to be a struggle. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a leader in the Civil Rights struggle. Alice Paul was a leader in the struggle for a woman's right to vote.

In common use, sublime is an adjective meaning "awe-inspiringly grand, excellent, or impressive," like the best chocolate fudge sundae you've ever had.

The verb suffer means to feel pain or something equally unpleasant. You'd probably do anything you could to be sure your beloved cat didn't suffer when she got old and sick.

Taint means to contaminate. If your water supply is tainted with arsenic, you should stop drinking it right away.

Choose the adjective, tentative to describe something you are unsure or hesitant about. On Monday, you can make tentative plans for the weekend but it's too early to commit to one party or another.

Timid means "overly cautious or fearful," like a timid driver who drives very slowly or avoids highways altogether.

Undergo means "endure until something is complete." You might undergo testing to check your hearing or undergo special training if you want to volunteer at a homeless shelter.

A vessel can be a ship, a container for holding liquids, or a tube that transports blood throughout your body.

The noun worth refers to the monetary value of something.

Having worth or merit or value; being honorable or admirable.