Essential Words for Ielts Unit 4: Culture
renowned
adj. famous
literal
adj. following the exact meaning
humorous
adj. funny, entertaining
elaborate
adj. having a lot of detail and decoration
energetic
adj. having a lot of energy
graceful
adj. having beauty of movement
prominent
adj. important, major
exaggerated
adj. made to seem more or bigger
abstract
adj. not concrete, related to ideas or feelings
agricultural
adj. related to farming
floral
adj. related to flowers
specialized
adj. relating to particular area or type of work
reminiscent
adj. similar to, reminding of something
considerably
adv. a great deal, noticeably
effectively
adv. well, successfully
tradition
n. a custom or belief of a group of people
garland
n. a decorative rope of flowers or leaves
stereotype
n. a fixed idea people have, especially one that is wrong
image
n. a mental picture
gesture
n. a movement to express a feeling or idea
ritual
n. a set of actions used as a part of a ceremony
celebration
n. a social event to mark a special day or occasion
altar
n. a table or similar structure for religious ceremonies
tablet
n. a thin, flat piece of material to write on
deed
n. an act, especially a good or bad one
excavation
n. an area of digging, especially to find objects from past cultures
influence
n. an effect, power
prop
n. an object used by actors
token
n. an object used to represent something else
illusion
n. appearance of being real, false impression
conflict
n. difficulty, opposition
civilization
n. human society, its organization and culture
scholar
n. person who has a lot of knowledge about a particular subject
mythology
n. set of traditional stories used to explain the origins of something
evidence
n. signs, proof something is or is not true
structure
n. something that is built, such as building or bridge
property
n. something that is owned
literacy
n. the ability to read and write
atmosphere
n. the feeling of a place
creator
n. the first maker of something
reign
n. the period of time that a king or queen is in power
benefit
n. the use, advantage of
frailty
n. weakness and lack of strength
adopt
v. to accept or to start to use something new
emerge
v. to appear, develop
revive
v. to bring back to life
evoke
v. to bring to mind
merge
v. to combine
carve
v. to cut and shape hard material
settle
v. to establish a permanent place to live
attribute
v. to give credit for or see as the origin of something
accompany
v. to go with, happen at the same time
sharpen
v. to improve, perfect
encompass
v. to include
inscribe
v. to mark a surface with words or letters
sway
v. to move back and forth
function
v. to perform well
portray
v. to represent, act out
culminate
v. to result in, end with
discourage
v. to try to stop or prevent something
