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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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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: hassle

Hassle is an informal word with multiple meanings. As a noun, a hassle can be something that’s difficult to do or that takes time and effort to do or is simply a nuisance, or, mainly in US English it can be an argument or a disorderly dispute. As a verb, to hassle means ‘to annoy or harass’ or…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: pursue

To pursue someone means ‘to follow in order to overtake, capture, or kill.’ To pursue something means ‘to continue in order to achieve a goal.’ If you pursue a career, it means that you practice that activity. Pursue also means ‘to continue discussing a question.’ More broadly, pursue means…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: swear

To swear means ‘to make a solemn declaration, statement, or promise.’ If you swear by something or someone, you are naming a sacred object or being a witness or you are saying you have great faith in something. To swear is also ‘to bind or make someone promise something by oath.’ As a legal term, it means…

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