Monthly Archives

October 2020

Intermediate+ Word of the Day: tight

If something is tight it means that it is secure and not easily moved, tense, firm, or that it fits too closely. Figuratively, it can also mean ‘something difficult to deal with’ and ‘that allows little time or space in between things.’ If we say some part of our bodies feels tight, that means it feels tense or painful. Informally, if someone is tight, it means that they are not generous with money. As a slang term, it means that…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: spite

Spite is the mean desire to humilliate, annoy, or harm someone else or a particular instance of such feeling. As a verb, to spite means ‘to treat someone with spite’ or ‘to annoy them because of feeling spiteful.’

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: spear

A spear is a long wooden shaft with a sharp pointed head, usually made of metal or stone. It can be used as a weapon or as a fishing tool. Usually in a military context, a spear can also mean ‘a person armed with a spear.’ As a verb, to spear means ‘to stab or pierce with, or as though with, a spear’ and it can also be used figuratively…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: vice

A vice is a habit or practice that’s considered immoral. Immoral or depraved behavior or sexual immorality is also called vice, the latter relating especially to prostitution. A fault or a defect can also be called a vice and so can a personal habit that is not that harmful. As a prefix, it combines with nouns to form…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: toot

As a verb, to toot means ‘to make a horn or whistle make a short sound’ or ‘to make any sound that resembles that of a horn.’ As a noun, a toot is the act of tooting. In US English, as a slang term, toot means ‘cocaine’ and as a verb it means ‘to take a drug by snorting,’ but these meanings are now…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: slay

To slay means ‘to kill violently.’ These days, it is quite a literary term, but it is also used, especially in US English, as a synonym for murder, particularly in newspaper reports. Figuratively, it means ‘to destroy or extinguish.’ Informally, slay is used to mean ‘to impress strongly or to overwhelm, especially with something funny…

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