the state of being happy and satisfied | contentment,_,He gave a sigh of contentment, and fell asleep. |
a feeling of great pleasure and satisfaction | delight,_,The kids were screaming with delight. |
the feeling you have when you are embarrassed | embarrassment,_,He suffered extreme embarrassment at not knowing how to read. |
extreme excitement that makes people cry, laugh, shout etc in a way that is out of control | hysteria,_,In a fit of hysteria, Silvia blamed me for causing her father’s death. |
lack of interest or concern | indifference,_,Whether you stay or leave is a matter of total indifference to me. |
the state of being worried or frightened about something, and unable to relax | nervousness,_,Mike's nervousness showed in his voice. |
a feeling of comfort when something frightening, worrying, or painful has ended or has not happened | relief,_,I felt a huge surge of relief and happiness. |
the feeling you have when you feel guilty and embarrassed because you, or someone who is close to you, have done something wrong | shame,_,He felt a deep sense of shame. |
a jump from a plane to fall through the sky before opening a parachute | skydive,_,She had always wanted to do a skydive. |
to recognize or express the difference between things or people | differentiate,_,It’s important to differentiate between fact and opinion. |
someone who regularly watches or pays attention to particular things, events, situations etc | observer,_,Observers are predicting a fall in interest rates. |
based on instinct and not involving thought | instinctively,_,He reacted instinctively when the man attacked him. |
a short story based on your personal experience | anecdote,_,The book is full of amusing anecdotes about his life in Japan. |
a copy of a valuable object, painting etc that is intended to deceive people | fake,_,Jones can spot a fake from 15 metres away. |
to prove that something is true or real | authenticate,_,The painting has been authenticated by experts. |
a large building where people can see famous pieces of art | gallery,_,There is an exhibition of African art at the Hayward Gallery. |
someone who steals things from another person or place | thief,_,Thieves broke into the offices and stole $150,000's worth of computer equipment. |
a space or room just below the roof of a house, often used for storing things | attic,_,The children had their bedrooms in the attic. |
to sell something at an auction | auction,_,They auctioned off some of their jewellery. |
a sudden strong feeling of excitement and pleasure, or the thing that makes you feel this | thrill,_,Winning first place must have been quite a thrill. |
to become higher or increase, or to make something do this | escalate,_,The costs were escalating alarmingly. |
an exact copy of something that you can use in the same way | duplicate,_,Locksmiths can make duplicates of most keys. |
something genuine really is what it seems to be | genuine,_,The strap is genuine leather. |
something that you say or do to make people laugh, especially a funny story or trick | joke,_,I couldn’t go out with someone for a joke, could you? |
to replace one thing with another, or exchange things | switch,_,We’ve switched the meeting from Tuesday to Thursday. |
a situation that could possibly happen | scenario,_,Imagine a scenario where only 20% of people have a job. |
directly relating to the subject or problem being discussed or considered | relevant,_,What experience do you have that is relevant to this position? |
a painting, drawing, or photograph of a person | portraits,_,She’s been commissioned to paint Jackson’s portrait. |
the quality of always being the same, doing things in the same way, having the same standards etc | consistency,_,Consumer groups are demanding greater consistency in the labelling of food products. |
noticing or realizing something | conscious,_,I was very conscious of the fact that I had to make a good impression. |
the state of directly relating to the subject or problem being discussed or considered | relevance,_,I don’t see the relevance of your point. |
a photograph | shot,_,I managed to get some good shots of the carnival. |
to describe or show someone or something in a particular way, according to your opinion of them | portray,_,The president likes to portray himself as a friend of working people. |
a movement of part of your body, especially your hands or head, to show what you mean or how you feel | gesture,_,She shook her head with a gesture of impatience. |
the thing or person that you show when you paint a picture, take a photograph etc | subject,_,Monet loved to use gardens as his subjects. |
someone famous who is admired by many people and is thought to represent an important idea | icon,_,She was a sixties cultural icon. |
not relaxed or comfortable | awkward,_,She liked to dance but felt awkward if someone was watching her. |
to free someone from feelings or conditions that make their life unhappy or difficult | liberate,_,She found the experience liberating. |
to make something seem more important than it really is | magnify,_,The report tends to magnify the risks involved. |
a way of behaving that hides your real feelings | façade,_,Behind her cheerful facade, she’s a really lonely person. |
famous | celebrated,_,Dalí is one of Spain’s most celebrated artists. |
not feeling embarrassed or ashamed about something that people might disapprove of | unashamedly,_,They were unashamedly in love with each other. |
things such as money, influence, possessions etc that are related to a particular type of person, job, or way of life | trapping,_,He really enjoyed the trappings of power. |
to make people understand what you mean without saying it directly | intimate,_,He intimated, politely but firmly, that we were not welcome. |
to copy something because you think it is good | imitate,_,The Japanese have no wish to imitate western social customs and attitudes. |
an idea of what you think something should be like | vision,_,He had a clear vision of how he hoped the company would develop. |
very careful about small details, and always making sure that everything is done correctly | meticulously,_,The attack was meticulously planned and executed. |
the way in which the different parts that make up a photograph or picture are arranged | composition,_,Martin starts by lightly sketching in the compositions for his paintings. |
someone who is very good at doing something | giant,_,Miles Davis, truly one of the giants of jazz. |
the art of painting or drawing pictures of people | portraiture,_,He's known for his modern style of portraiture. |