a formal agreement between two or more countries | Under the terms of the Treaty, La Rochelle was ceded to the English. |
very great | A TREMENDOUS amount of work has gone into the project. |
connected with a tribe or tribes | He photographed Tahitian men with traditional TRIBAL tattoos. |
a type of court with the authority to deal with a particular problem or disagreement | an international war crimes TRIBUNAL |
an act, a statement or a gift that is intended to show your love or respect, especially for a dead person | At her funeral her oldest friend paid TRIBUTE to her life and work. |
the part of a gun that you press in order to fire it | He kept his finger on the TRIGGER. |
a group of three people or things | A TRIO / trio of English runners featured in the women’s 1 500 metres. |
a great success, achievement or victory | It was a personal TRIUMPH over her old rival. |
an object such as a silver cup that is given as a prize for winning a competition | The club haven't won a major TROPHY for the past three seasons. |
(of a person) worried and anxious | She looked into his TROUBLED face. |
a person or an organization that has control of money or property that has been put into a trust for somebody | The bank will act as TRUSTEES for the estate until the child is 18. |
(formal) the act of teaching something, especially to one person or to people in small groups | The course involves six hours of individual TUITION per week. |
the number of people who attend a particular event | This year's festival attracted a record TURNOUT. |
the total amount of goods or services sold by a company during a particular period of time | an annual TURNOVER of $75 million |
the action of turning something with your hand, or of turning a part of your body | He gave a shy smile and a little TWIST of his head. |
to bend or turn something into a particular shape | Her hair was TWISTED into a knot on top of her head. |
a university or college student who is studying for their first degree | She teaches physics at UNDERGRADUATE level. |
important in a situation but not always easily noticed or stated clearly | The UNDERLYING assumption is that the amount of money available is limited. |
to make something, especially somebody’s confidence or authority, gradually weaker or less effective | Our confidence in the team has been seriously UNDERMINED by their recent defeats. |
used to emphasize that something exists or is definitely true | There is UNDOUBTEDLY a great deal of truth in what he says |
to join people, things, parts of a country, etc. together so that they form a single unit | The new leader hopes to UNIFY the country. |
that has never happened, been done or been known before | There were UNPRECEDENTED scenes of violence in the city’s main square |
to remove a cover or curtain from a painting, statue, etc. so that it can be seen in public for the first time | The Queen UNVEILED a plaque to mark the official opening of the hospital. |
going to happen soon | the UPCOMING presidential election |
the act of making a machine, computer system, etc. more powerful and efficient; the more powerful and efficient machine, computer system, etc. | instructions for installing an UPGRADE to the existing system |
to make a machine, computer system, etc. more powerful and efficient; to start using a new and better version of a machine, system, etc | We are constantly UPGRADING our software to meet customers' needs. |
to support something that you think is right and make sure that it continues to exist | The regime has been criticized for failing to UPHOLD human rights. |
a service provided for the public, for example an electricity, water or gas supply | Rescue teams worked desperately to restore UTILITIES / utility in the area shattered by the hurricane. |
to use something, especially for a practical purpose | The Romans were the first to UTILIZE concrete as a building material. |
completely | We're so UTTERLY different from each other. |
a space that is completely empty of all substances, including all air or other gas | a VACUUM pump (= one that creates a vacuum) |
not clear in a person’s mind | They had only a VAGUE idea where the place was. |
the state of being legally or officially acceptable | The period of VALIDITY of the agreement has expired. |
to disappear suddenly and/or in a way that you cannot explain | He VANISHED without trace. |
often changing; likely to change | The acting is of VARIABLE quality (= some of it is good and some of it is bad). |
a situation, number or quantity that can vary or be varied | The temperature remained constant while pressure was a VARIABLE ( variable ) in the experiment. |
of many different types | They stock a wide and VARIED selection of cheeses. |
any of the tubes that carry blood from all parts of the body towards the heart | The nurse was having trouble finding a VEIN / vein in his arm. |
a business project or activity, especially one that involves taking risks | A disastrous business VENTURE lost him thousands of dollars. |
to go somewhere even though you know that it might be dangerous or unpleasan | They VENTURED nervously into the water. |
relating to words | The job applicant must have good VERBAL skills. |
an official judgement made in court or at an inquest (= an official investigation into somebody's death) | Has the jury reached a VERDICT? |
to check that something is true or accurate | Please VERIFY that there is sufficient memory available before loading the program. |
writing that is arranged in lines, often with a regular rhythm or pattern of rhyme | Most of the play is written in VERSE, but some of it is in prose. |
used to show that two teams or sides are against each other | It is France VERSUS Brazil in the final. |
a tube that carries blood through the body of a person or an animal, or liquid through the parts of a plant | to burst/rupture a blood VESSEL |
a person who has a lot of experience in a particular area or activity | the VETERAN American actor, Clint Eastwood |
that can be done; that will be successful | If there was any delay then the rescue plan would cease to be VIABLE. |
full of life and energy | Thailand is at its most VIBRANT during the New Year celebrations. |
criminal activities that involve sex or drugs | At the door were two plain-clothes detectives from the VICE squad. |
violent and cruel | Police described the robbery as particularly VICIOUS. |
a person who lives in a village | Some of the VILLAGERS have lived here all their lives. |
(formal) to go against or refuse to obey a law, an agreement, etc. | They have flagrantly VIOLATED the treaty. |
(formal) the act of going against or refusing to obey a law, an agreement, etc. | They were in open VIOLATION of the treaty. |
(formal) behaviour or attitudes that show high moral standards | She was certainly no paragon of VIRTUE (= her moral standards were very far from perfect). |
connected with the voice | VOCAL music |
to make a formal and serious promise to do something or a formal statement that is true | She VOWED never to speak to him again. |
the fact of being weak and easily hurt physically or emotionally | the VULNERABILITY of newborn babies to disease |
weak and easily hurt physically or emotionally | The sudden resignation of the financial director put the company in a very VULNERABLE position. |
a separate room or area in a hospital for people with the same type of medical condition | He worked as a nurse on the children's WARD. |
a building where large quantities of goods are stored, especially before they are sent to shops to be sold | Police are investigating a fire at a furniture WAREHOUSE. |
the activity of fighting a war, especially using particular weapons or methods | countries engaged in WARFARE |
a legal document that is signed by a judge and gives the police authority to do something | They issued a WARRANT for her arrest. |
to make something necessary or appropriate in a particular situation | Further investigation is clearly WARRANTED. |
(especially in the past) a person who fights in a battle or war | a WARRIOR nation (= whose people are skilled in fighting) |
weaken (somebody/something) to make somebody/something less strong or powerful; to become less strong or powerful | The new evidence WEAKENS the case against her. |
to make cloth, a carpet, a basket, etc. by crossing threads or narrow pieces of material across, over and under each other by hand or on a machine called a loom | The baskets are WEAVE from strips of willow. |
a wild plant growing where it is not wanted, especially among crops or garden plants | Routine maintenance of the garden consists of keeping WEEDS under control. |
a deep hole in the ground from which people obtain water. The sides of wells are usually covered with brick or stone and there is usually a cover or a small wall at the top of the well. | The dog fell down a WELL. |
general health and happiness | We try to ensure the WELL-BEING of our employees. |
no, nothing, none, etc. whatever not at all; not of any kind | They received no help WHATEVER. |
no, nothing, none, etc. whatsoever not at all; not of any kind | ‘Is there any doubt about it?’ ‘None WHATSOEVER.’ |
by which; because of which | They have introduced a new system WHEREBY all employees must undergo regular training. |
during the time that something is happening; at the same time as something else is happening | In the UK it is illegal to drive WHILST holding a mobile phone. |
to hit a person or an animal hard with a whip, as a punishment or to make them go faster or work harder | He was taken back to the jail and soundly WHIPPED. |
completely | WHOLLY inappropriate behaviour |
to become wider; to make something wider | Her eyes WIDENED in surprise. |
a woman whose husband or wife has died and who has not married again | She gets a WIDOW’S pension. |
the measurement from one side of something to the other; how wide something is | The terrace runs the full WIDTH of the house. |
the quality of being happy and ready to do something | Success in studying depends on a WILLINGNESS to learn. |
to rub something against a surface, in order to remove dirt or liquid from it; to rub a surface with a cloth, etc. in order to clean it | Please WIPE your feet on the mat. |
the ability to say or write things that are both clever and humorous | a book full of the WIT and wisdom of his 30 years in politics |
the act of taking an amount of money out of your bank account | You can make WITHDRAWALS of up to $250 a day. |
a period of physical exercise that you do to keep fit | She does a 20-minute WORKOUT every morning. |
the practice of showing respect for God or a god, by saying prayers, singing with others, etc.; a ceremony for this | The tradition of ancestor WORSHIP stretches back thousands of years. |
to show respect for God or a god, especially by saying prayers, singing, etc. with other people in a religious building | The Mayans built jungle pyramids to WORSHIP their gods. |
important, pleasant, interesting, etc.; worth spending time, money or effort on | High prices in the UK make it WORTHWHILE for buyers to look abroad. |
(formal) having the qualities that deserve somebody/something | A number of the report's findings are WORTHY of note. |
to shout loudly, for example because you are angry, excited, frightened or in pain | He YELLED at the other driver. |
the total amount of crops, profits, etc. that are produced | This will give a YIELD of 10% on your investment. |
to produce or provide something, for example a profit, result or crop | Higher-rate deposit accounts YIELD good returns. |
a young person or a child | youngster |