PSLE 1-150

Inquisitive [1]

(adj) asking too many questions and trying to find out too many details about something or someone: (I'd have asked more questions, but I didn't want to seem ____.)

optimistic

(adj) believing that good things will happen in the future [≠ pessimistic]: (Are you still ____ that the climbers can be rescued?)

flexible [1]

(adj) can change or be changed easily to suit any new situation [≠ inflexible]: (We can be ____ about your starting date.)

lethal

(adj) capable of causing death: (Almost any sharp or pointed object can potentially be a ____ weapon.)

inevitable

(adj) certain to happen and impossible to avoid: (A further escalation of the crisis now seems ____.)

wily

(adj) clever at getting what you want, especially by tricking people [= cunning]: (Breen had a reputation for being a tough and ____ negotiator.)

absurd

(adj) completely stupid or unreasonable [= ridiculous]: (It seems quite ______ to expect anyone to drive for 3 hours just for a 20 minute meeting.)

adamant

(adj) determined not to change your opinion or a decision that you have made: (She begged me to change my mind, but I remained ____.) (Michael Jackson is ____ that he will not tour this year.)

extinct

(adj) does not exist anymore: (Dinosaurs have been ____ for millions of years.)

flexible [2]

(adj) easily bent without breaking: (It's made out of a tough but extremely ____ plastic.)

portable

(adj) easy to carry about: (John still writes his novels on an old ___ typewriter.)

pessimistic

(adj) expecting that bad things will happen in the future or that something will have a bad result [≠ optimistic]: (He's quite ____ about his chances of getting another job.)

elated

(adj) extremely happy and excited, especially because of something that has happened or is going to happen: (She was ____ at the prospect of a holiday.)

excruciating

(adj) extremely painful: (When I bend my arm, the pain is ____.)

dumbfounded

(adj) extremely surprised: (He was completely ____ by the incident.)

despondent

(adj) extremely unhappy and without hope: (Gill had been out of work for a year and was getting very ___.)

miserable

(adj) extremely unhappy, for example because you feel lonely, cold, or badly treated: (He sat all alone in his room, thoroughly ____.)

priceless

(adj) extremely valuable: (The house was full of ____ antiques.)

nauseous

(adj) feel like vomitting: (I'm a little ____ from the medication.)

resentful

(adj) feeling angry and upset about something that you think is unfair [= bitter]: (She felt ____ at not being promoted.)

irritable

(adj) getting annoyed quickly or easily [= crabby]: (Jo was tired, ____, and depressed.)

prominent [1]

(adj) important and well-known: (Lee Kuan Yew was a ____ politician in Singapore.)

Inquisitive [2]

(adj) interested in a lot of different things and wanting to find out more about them: (Jenny was a very ____ child, always asking "why?".)

irreparable

(adj) irreparable damage, harm etc is so bad that it can never be repaired or made better: (Extensive mining will cause ____ damage to the area.)

wholesome

(adj) likely to make you healthy: (Rosie's Pantry' is a small restaurant that serves good ___ food.)

worrisome

(adj) making you anxious: (The political situation in the region is particularly ____.)

wearisome

(adj) making you feel bored, tired, or annoyed: (But before I had finished this ____ task, the cheque arrived out of the blue.)

gloomy

(adj) making you feel that things will not improve [= depressing]: (The report paints a ____ picture of the economy.)

excessive

(adj) much more than is reasonable or necessary: ($10 for two cups of coffee seems ____.)

strenuous

(adj) needing a lot of effort or strength: (Last season his trainers put him through a ____ running program.)

oblivious

(adj) not knowing about or not noticing something that is happening around you [= unaware]: (oblivious of/to) (He seemed ____ to the fact that he had hurt her.)

unsatisfied

(adj) not pleased because you want something to be better: (I have a nagging sense of being ____ with my behaviour, as though I was doing something wrong.)

dissatisfied

(adj) not satisfied because something is not as good as you had expected [≠ satisfied]: (If you are ____ with this product, please return it.)

decent

(adj) of a good enough standard or quality: (I need to get a ____ night's sleep.)

prohibitive

(adj) prohibitive costs are so high that they prevent people from buying or doing something: (It is impossible for a low wage worker to own a house in Tokyo as the cost of land is ____.)

calm

(adj) relaxed and quiet, not angry, nervous, or upset: (He has such a ____ soothing voice - I could listen to him all night.)

despairing

(adj) showing a feeling that you have no hope at all: (Once she glanced at her watch and, with a ____ sigh, realised it wasn't even midnight yet.)

despairing

(adj) showing a feeling that you have no hope at all: (We are disappointed with the rate of progress, but we are not ____.)

savoury

(adj) smells good and tastes good: (You can use this herb to flavour almost any ____ dish.)

wary

(adj) someone who is wary is careful because they think something might be dangerous or harmful: (I'm a bit ____ of driving in this fog.)

prominent [2]

(adj) something that is in a prominent place is easily seen: (The statue was in a ____ position outside the railway station.)

invisible

(adj) something that is invisible cannot be seen [≠ visible]: (The house was surrounded by trees and ____ from the road.)

obligatory

(adj) something that is obligatory must be done because of a law, rule etc: (It is ____ for companies to provide details of their industrial processes.)

repentant

(adj) sorry for something wrong that you have done [≠unrepentant]: (Jove seized his thunderbolt and hurled it at the rash, ____ driver.)

cocky

(adj) too confident about yourself and your abilities, especially in a way that annoys other people: (He's a ____ little man and I don't like him.)

invincible

(adj) too strong to be destroyed or defeated: (Once my belly was full, I felt ____, as if nothing could harm me again.)

stunned

(adj) too surprised or shocked to speak: (She looked pale and ____ -- it was clear that something awful had happened.)

hysterical

(adj) unable to control your behaviour or emotions because you are very upset, afraid, excited etc: (____ fans tried to stop Damon's car at the airport.)

illiterate

(adj) unable to read or write

thrilled

(adj) very excited, happy, and pleased: (We were so ____ to hear about the baby.)

luxurious

(adj) very expensive, beautiful, and comfortable: (a ____ brown leather sofa)

delightful

(adj) very pleasant: (A simple salad and fresh bread can make a ____ meal.)

delighted

(adj) very pleased and happy: (Andrea was ____ at the chance to go to the Bolshoi ballet.)

weary [1]

(adj) very tired or bored, especially because you have been doing something for a long time: (After the hike the two were so ____ they fell asleep immediately.)

obliging

(adj) willing and eager to help: (The shop assistants were very ____, and brought me at least fifteen pairs of shoes to try on.)

anxious

(adj) worried about something: (He was a bit ____ about the safety of the machinery.)

dismayed

(adj) worried, disappointed, and upset when something unpleasant happens: (Ruth was ____ to see how thin he had grown.)

valueless

(adj) worth no money or very little money [= worthless]: (The most perfectly designed and constructed intervention programme is ____ unless the parents accept it.)

tolerably

(adv) fairly, but not very much: (The test produces ____ accurate results.)

temporarily

(adv) for a short period: (Due to a small fire, the office will be closed ____.)

occasionally

(adv) sometimes, but not regularly and not often: ( ____ we go out to restaurants, but mostly we eat at home.)

intermittent

(adv) stopping and starting often and for short periods [= sporadic]: (The weather forecast is for sun, with ____ showers.)

resentment

(n) a feeling of anger because something has happened that you think is unfair [= bitterness]: (He felt considerable ____ towards Sheila for making him work late.

humiliation

(n) a feeling of shame and great embarrassment, because you have been made to look stupid or weak: (What really upset me was the ____ of having to ask her for money.)

contempt

(n) a feeling that someone or something is not important and deserves no respect: (He never tried to hide his ____ for those who were not as intelligent as him.)

despair

(n) a feeling that you have no hope at all: (Dan was in ____. Everything seemed to be going wrong.)

excess

(n) a larger amount of something than is allowed or needed: (After you apply the oil, wait 20 minutes before wiping off any ____.)

voyage

(n) a long journey in a ship or spacecraft: (The ____ from England to India used to take six months.)

taunt [2]

(n) a remark or joke intended to make someone angry or upset: (He wears a bike helmet - even though it brings ____ from his peers.)

chaos

(n) a situation in which everything is in a state of complete disorder: (I arrived home unexpectedly and found the house in ____.)

compassion

(n) a strong feeling of sympathy for someone who is suffering, and a desire to help them: (Of course we must insist on punishment, but the criminal must also be treated with ___.)

euphoria

(n) an extremely strong feeling of happiness and excitement which usually only lasts for a short time: (There was a general atmosphere of pessimism after the ____ of last year.)

persistence

(n) determination to do something even though it is difficult or other people oppose it: (Her ____ paid off when she was offered the job of manager.)

peril

(n) great danger, especially of being harmed or killed: (They put their own lives in ____ to rescue their friends.)

complement

(n) someone or something that emphasizes the good qualities of another person or thing: (This wine would be a nice ____ to grilled dishes.)

immigrant

(n) someone who enters another country to live there permanently [↪ emigrant]: (Jae Min's parents are ____ from South Korea.)

casualties

(n) someone who is hurt or killed in an accident or war: (The bomb caused serious damage to the building, but there were no ____.)

emigrant

(n) someone who leaves their own country to live in another

consolation

(n) something that makes you feel better when you are sad or disappointed: (It was difficult to say goodbye, but I took some ____ from the fact that I would see her again at the end of the year.)

supplement [1]

(n) something that you add to something else to improve it or make it complete: (The payments are a ____ to his usual salary.)

commotion

(n) sudden noisy activity: (Suddenly there was a ____ by the front door, and two police officers marched in.)

reputation

(n) the opinion that people have about someone or something because of what has happened in the past: (a hotel with a good ____ for its food)

origin

(n) the place or situation in which something begins to exist: (All meat should be clearly labelled with its country of ____.)

prospect

(n) the possibility that something will happen: (There is every prospect (=a strong possibility) of the weather remaining dry this week.)

access

(n) the right to enter a place, use something, see someone etc: (Cats should always have ____ to fresh, clean water.)

expenditure

(n) the total amount of money that a government, organization, or person spends during a particular period of time [↪ income]: (The new regulations will require unnecessary ____ of time and money.)

despite

(prep) used to say that something happens or is true even though something else might have prevented it [= in spite of]: (____ all our efforts to save the school, the authorities decided to close it.)

fidget

(v) to keep moving your hands or feet, especially because you are bored or nervous: (A few students ____ nervously in their chairs.)

feast [2]

(v) to look at someone or something with great pleasure: (If you like luxury cars, ____ your eyes on these.)

complement

(v) to make a good combination with someone or something else: (John and Bob ____ each other well.)

deride

(v) to make remarks or jokes that show you think someone or something is silly or useless [= mock]: (You shouldn't ____ their efforts.)

stagger [2]

(v) to make someone feel very surprised or shocked [= amaze]: (What ____ us was the sheer size of her salary.)

tolerant

(adj) allowing people to do, say, or believe what they want without criticizing or punishing them: (Luckily, my parents were ____ of my choice of music.)

eminent

(adj) an eminent person is famous, important, and respected: (She's an ____ doctor at the Harvard Medical School.)

imminent

(adj) an event that is imminent, especially an unpleasant one, will happen very soon: (He was in ____ danger of dying.)

infectious

(adj) an infectious illness can be passed from one person to another, especially through the air you breathe: (Flu is highly ____.)

traumatic

(adj) a traumatic experience is so shocking and upsetting that it affects you for a long time: (Learning to swim was the most ____ experience of my childhood.)

jittery

(adj) (informal) anxious or nervous: (It was probably the tension that made him ____.)

tolerable

(adj) a situation that is tolerable is not very good, but you are able to accept it: (The apartment is really too small, but it's ____ for the time being.)

remorse

(adj) a strong feeling of being sorry that you have done something very bad [↪ regret]: (He admitted killing the man but showed no sign of ____.)

literate

(adj) able to read and write: (Every student should be ____ by the time he or she leaves primary school.)

pity

(v) a pity spoken used to show that you are disappointed about something and you wish things could happen differently [= shame]: (She was full of ____ for the little boy with no one to love and care for him.)

idolise

(v) admire and love excessively: (They had one child, a girl whom they ____.)

assemble

(v) gathered together in one place, often for a particular purpose: (A large crowd had ____ outside the American embassy.)

pamper

(v) give in too easily to the wishes of somebody: (She really ____ that dog - it's even got its own little bed next to hers.)

subside [1]

(v) if a feeling, pain, sound, etc subsides, it gradually becomes less and then stops [= die down]: (The pains in his head had ____, but he still felt dizzy and sick.)

disperse

(v) if a group of people disperse or are dispersed, they go away in different directions: (Once the ambulance had left, the crowd began to ____.)

subside [2]

(v) if bad weather conditions subside, they gradually return to a normal state: (The wind gradually ____, and all was quiet.)

oblige

(v) if you are obliged to do something, you have to do it because the situation, the law, a duty etc makes it necessary: (The minister was ____ to report at least once every six months.)

migrate

(v) leaving his own country to settle in another country: (Where there are areas of high unemployment, workers tend to ____ to other, wealthier parts of the country.)

resemble

(v) look like: (It's amazing how closely Brian and Steve ____ each other.)

unrepentant

(v) not remorseful: (His beliefs is so strong that he remains ____ about his actions, even when everyone disapproved of them.)

supplement [2]

(v) to add something, especially to what you earn or eat, in order to increase it to an acceptable level: (Jill ____ her regular salary by tutoring in the evenings.)

recommend

(v) to advise someone to do something, especially because you have special knowledge of a situation or subject: (I ____ that you get some professional advice.)

tolerate

(v) to allow people to do, say, or believe something without criticizing or punishing them [↪ tolerant, tolerance]: (Drug dealers will not be ____ in this community.)

assault

(v) to attack someone in a violent way: (Two men ______ him after he left the bar.)

empathise

(v) to be able to understand someone else's feelings, problems etc, especially because you have had similar experiences: (My mother died last year so I can really ____ with what he's going through.)

intervene

(v) to become involved in an argument, fight, or other difficult situation in order to change what happens: (The police don't usually like to ____ in disputes between husbands and wives.)

weary [2]

(v) to become very tired or make someone very tired: (Amanda wouldn't admit how much the children ____ her.)

deteriorate

(v) to become worse: (Ethel's health ____ to the point that she could no longer walk.)

originate

(v) to come from a particular place or start in a particular situation: (originate from/in/with/as) (Buddhism ____ in India and came to China in the first century A.D.)

eradicate

(v) to completely get rid of something: (We can ____ this disease from the world.)

stagger [3]

(v) to continue doing something when you seem to be going to fail and you do not know what will happen: (He ____ on for another two years.)

persist

(v) to continue to do something, although this is difficult, or other people oppose it: (She ____ with her studies in spite of financial problems.)

survive [1]

(v) to continue to live after an accident, war, or illness: (Doctors predicted that the baby would not ____ with such severe disabilities.)

survive [2]

(v) to continue to live normally in spite of many problems: (I don't think I could ____ another year as a teacher. It's just too stressful.)

imitate

(v) to copy the way someone behaves, speaks, moves etc, especially in order to make people laugh: ("Don't you talk to me like that!" she said ____ her mother's high-pitched voice.)

feast [1]

(v) to eat a lot of a particular food with great enjoyment: (We ____ on chicken and roast potatoes.)

neglect

(v) to fail to look after someone or something properly: (She smoked and drank, ____ the children, and left the clothes unmended.)

resent

(v) to feel angry or upset about a situation or about something that someone has done, especially because you think that it is not fair: (I ____ having to work such long hours.)

dedicate

(v) to give all your attention and effort to one particular thing dedicate yourself/your life to something : (The actress now ____ herself to children's charity work.)

consent

(v) to give your permission for something or agree to do something: (Her father reluctantly ____ to the marriage.)

exceed

(v) to go beyond: (His performance ____ our expectations.)

accumulate

(v) to gradually get more and more money, possessions, knowledge etc over a period of time: (It is unjust that a privileged few should continue to ______ wealth.)

loathe

(v) to hate someone or something very much [= detest]: (Even after years of practice, he still ____ making public speeches.)

scuffle

(v) to have a short fight with someone, in a way that is not very serious or violent: (Some of the demonstrators ____ with the police.)

award

(v) to officially give someone something such as a prize or money to reward them for something they have done: (A woman who suffered brain damage during an operation has been ____ $300,000 in compensation.)

brace_[1]

(v) to prepare yourself or someone else for something unpleasant that is going to happen: (Nancy ____ herself for the inevitable arguments.)

disrupt

(v) to prevent something from continuing in its usual way by causing problems: (Traffic was ____ by a hoax bomb.)

conserve

(v) to protect something and prevent it from changing or being damaged [= preserve]: (We must ____ our woodlands for future generations.)

brace_[2]

(v) to push part of your body against something solid in order to make yourself more steady: (Gina ___ her back against the wall and pushed as hard as she could.)

imperil

(v) to put something or someone in danger [= endanger]: (Putting off the surgery would ____ the girl's life.)

boycott

(v) to refuse to buy something, use something, or take part in something as a way of protesting: (We ____ all products tested on animals.)

emphasize

(v) to say something in a strong way: (My teacher always ____ the importance of studying hard.)

gossip

(v) to talk about other people's behaviour and private lives, often including remarks that are unkind or untrue: (The whole town was ____ about them.)

reprimand

(v) to tell someone officially that something they have done is very wrong: (The foreman ____ the workers severely for not following safety procedures.)

taunt [1]

(v) to try to make someone angry or upset by saying unkind things to them: (The other children ____ him about his weight.)

grimace

(v) to twist your face in an ugly way because you do not like something, because you are feeling pain, or because you are trying to be funny: (He ____ and scratched his short, curly black hair where it stuck out from under his tartan cap.)

stagger [1]

(v) to walked unsteadily: (My father was ____ under the weight of a huge parcel.)

abduct

[transitive] (v) to take someone away by force [= kidnap]: (She was _______ late last night.)