Transcription
Today is all about one thing: building your vocabulary. I am going to teach you a lot of different words, mostly advanced words, to help you be more precise so that you can say exactly what you want to say. I've taken some of my very best vocabulary lessons and put them right here in this video. So, if you are interested in building your vocabulary, I recommend that you subscribe, turn on notifications so that you'll learn about future lessons, like future vocabulary lessons, and I can become your teacher. My name is Wes, and really, Interactive English is all about trying to help you reach your fluency goals.
But before we begin, I have a very quick announcement. Because if you would like to build your vocabulary, practice using new words and phrases in context, and do so while having a conversation, then I suggest you check out my speaking course. And when you click on the link down in the description, you will find a special discount just for you. The course is all about helping you speak confidently, speak clearly, and speak naturally. Each week, there is a different speaking topic. You will learn useful vocabulary, we do engaging speaking activities, and we warm up each lesson with something related to pronunciation or connected speech. There are also pronunciation video lessons included, and I'm going to teach you some of the language nuances, like when to use certain words and phrases. So, click on the link down below if you'd like to sign up or learn more about the course, and I hope to speak to you soon.
Now, let's start this vocabulary marathon, and I am sure that you are going to learn some new words and phrases. Would you like to sound smarter when you're speaking in English? Of course, you do. So that's why today, I'm going to tell you 10 different adjectives to help you sound smarter. So, the adjectives that I'm going to talk to you about today are a little more academic, and they're great adjectives because they're very descriptive, very precise. And that is a great way to improve your fluency because you're better able to express your thoughts, your opinions, your ideas. And they just so happen to be 10 of my favorite adjectives that I like to use because I want to sound smart. So, I'm going to give you the pronunciation of these adjectives, I'm going to tell you what they mean, and how they're commonly used. So, let's begin.
The first word is ubiquitous. And ubiquitous has four syllables. That first syllable is "u," just like you're saying the letter "u." Ubiquitous. And the stress is going to be on that second syllable: u-BI-qui-tous. Ubiquitous. Ubiquitous means existing or being everywhere. It is something that you see everywhere you go. It could be a shop, a store, and you find it all over the world. For example, you have companies that you see everywhere, like Starbucks, McDonald's. Wherever you go, whether you like it or not, you see these places. They are ubiquitous. It could also be used to talk about maybe a word, phrase, or expression that you might commonly hear. That is ubiquitous. You hear it all the time. You wouldn't really use it to talk about a person that you see all the time because, again, there is only one person. Ubiquitous is talking about something where there is a lot. It is a lot more than just one. It's everywhere. It's ubiquitous. Local coffee shops are ubiquitous in my hometown.
The next word is cumbersome. The word cumbersome has three syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable: CUM-ber-some. Cumbersome. And something that is cumbersome is something that is difficult, something that is burdensome. And usually, it's often talking about something that is physical that is difficult to move or carry, maybe because it has an awkward shape, or maybe it's really heavy, and it is cumbersome to move something from one place to another. It's not always used to talk about an object. It can be used to talk about a situation as well. Something that is difficult, problematic. We could say that it is cumbersome. It's a cumbersome situation, a cumbersome challenge, a cumbersome life. Moving the furniture outside was really cumbersome.
The next adjective, and it's one of my favorites because, well, it kind of describes me, is facetious. Facetious has three syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable. It's like you're just saying the letter "C" for "see." Fa-CE-tious. And that first syllable has that schwa, that "uh" sound. Facetious. Facetious. Facetious means not to be taken literal or serious. And I would say it's kind of in between a joke and a lie. And you're, you're almost kind of teasing somebody when you're being facetious. You're saying something that is so ridiculous, it's so outlandish, that the other person or people, they shouldn't take you seriously because what you're saying is so ridiculous. You are being facetious. Don't listen to him, he's being facetious.
Next is arduous. An arduous has three syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable: AR-du-ous. Arduous. Now, you don't hear that "d" sound that much. It's not very strong. It almost sounds a little like a "j." Arduous. Arduous. And something that is arduous is difficult because it requires a lot of exertion, a lot of thought, a lot of energy. And it's often used to describe something that you have to do, like a task. An arduous task, an arduous problem, an arduous chore. It requires a lot of exertion, and it's because of that, it's just really difficult. It's arduous. Building the sandcastle was an arduous task.
Next is presumptuous. And presumptuous has four syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable. And the "s" almost sounds a little more like a "z." Pre-SUMP-tu-ous. Presumptuous. And if somebody is being presumptuous, then that just means that they're showing little or no respect for others by doing something that, that they shouldn't be doing. They're being presumptuous. Thinking that they can do this or that when they shouldn't do it. It's presumptuous. For example, if you go over to a friend's place, most of us don't just walk inside their home or apartment. You knock on the door because it's polite, it's respectful. If you just walk inside like you own the place, then you would be presumptuous. It was presumptuous of him to think that this was a date. She just thought they were friends.
Next is pensive. And the pronunciation, very easy, just two syllables, and the stress is on that first syllable: PEN-sive. Pensive. Now, if somebody is pensive, that just means that they are in deep thought. They're really thinking about or reflecting on something. It's almost like a dream-like state. You're in such deep thought, you've just tuned out the rest of the world. You would say that this person is pensive, or somebody might look pensive. And usually, if somebody is pensive, it's, it's because something requires that deep thought. It could be something serious, it could be something bad or unfortunate that, that makes somebody pensive and really have to think about something. She's thinking about her friend in the hospital. She looks pensive.
The next adjective, which is another one that I really like, is circuitous. And circuitous has four syllables, and there's a few things going on with the pronunciation. In the first syllable, that "c" is going to have more of an "s" sound. CIR-cui-tous. The stress is going to be on that second syllable, and that "c u" is, it's kind of like you're saying the letter "Q." Circuitous. Circuitous. And circuitous is talking about a very roundabout way to get somewhere where you, you're just not taking the most direct route. And I think we've all probably tried to go somewhere and maybe we got a little lost, and we went way out of our way, and we ended up taking a circuitous route. And frequently, it's used with this word when talking about the direction that you go. A circuitous route, a circuitous path. And it is just this windy, roundabout way that you try to go and get somewhere. Circuitous. We took a circuitous route to reach our destination.
Next is conscientious. And this is a great adjective to describe maybe yourself or someone else. And I think the pronunciation is what makes many learners avoid this word because they look at it and think, "What, what's going on there?" So, conscientious has four syllables, and the stress is on that third syllable: con-sci-EN-tious. Conscientious. That second syllable is what really confuses people because that "sci" almost sounds like you're saying "she." Conscientious. Conscientious. And someone who is conscientious just means that they have a moral responsibility to, to do their work carefully, and also, you know, treat others with respect and be fair to others. Someone who's conscientious is really able to put themselves in another person's shoes and really see how they feel and empathize with them. They are aware of their surroundings, and because of that, we would say they are conscientious. Great word. She's very conscientious of her health.
The next word is meticulous. And this word has four syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable: me-TIC-u-lous. Meticulous. That first syllable also has that schwa, that "uh" sound, that reduced vowel sound. Meticulous. This is another word that I like because I think it does describe me in, in many situations. If someone is meticulous, that means that they try to pay really close attention to the details. They're meticulous in their work. They're focused on the details, and they want to make sure every little thing is in order. Someone is meticulous. Now, it's usually, I think it is a good thing when you're talking about somebody's work that you want to pay close attention to the details so you don't miss anything and be very meticulous. He's meticulous with his designs.
The final adjective that I have for you is convoluted. Convoluted also has four syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable: CON-vo-lu-ted. Convoluted. That second syllable again has that schwa sound, that reduced vowel sound, "uh." Convoluted. If something is convoluted, it means that it is extremely difficult to follow because things are connected and intertwined and mixed around in a way that's difficult to understand. That means that something is convoluted. It can be used to describe a story or an argument or maybe even a sentence that is hard to follow and it doesn't make much sense. It's convoluted. The story was convoluted because there were so many different people involved.
So, those are 10 super awesome adjectives that will help you sound smarter when you're having a conversation in English. It'll also help you be more descriptive when you're expressing your thoughts, your ideas, your opinions. So, please use those adjectives.
Welcome to today's lesson, which is more of a vocabulary lesson because I'm going to talk to you about 10 amazing adjectives that you can use to sound more academic, more professional, and more competent when you're speaking English. And these are not words that you're going to hear every day on the street. Instead, you're more likely to hear these adjectives in presentations, debates, or in-depth conversations that are a bit more serious because these are words that sound more professional, more convincing, and they, they give us a bit more authority when we're speaking about a topic. So, I'm going to tell you the adjective, show you how it's phonetically pronounced, give you the meaning, as well as a sentence so you can see how it's used in context. Are you ready? Let's begin.
So, the first adjective I have for you is germane. Now, this is two syllables, and the stress is on the second syllable: ger-MANE. Germane. And it means that something is relevant, that it is closely related to something else. And we could use it in a sentence and say, "Your statements are not germane to the central argument."
The next word, and it's one that I really like, is preposterous. And this adjective has four syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable: pre-POS-ter-ous. Preposterous. And remember that "ous" has that schwa, that "uh" sound. And this means that something is contrary to reason. It's just ridiculous, it's absurd. And the way it's used is somebody would usually say something, and it's ridiculous, it's absurd, and the other person would say, "That's preposterous!" "That's absurd!" "That's preposterous! You're not gonna like this video." "That's preposterous!"
Next is a very cool word that is perfunctory. And perfunctory has four syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable: per-FUNC-to-ry. Perfunctory. That third syllable has the schwa, and it's going to end with that long "e" sound. Perfunctory. Perfunctory. And if something is perfunctory, it means that you're doing something out of routine. You're doing it without even thinking about it. It's habit, it's a ritual. You just do it in haste without giving it much thought. And we would say that that it is perfunctory. "When she saw us, she gave us a perfunctory smile."
The next adjective is truculent. And this word has three syllables, and the stress is on that first syllable: TRU-cu-lent. Truculent. Keep in mind that that "cu" is pronounced, it's like you're saying the letter "Q." Tru-cu-lent. That last syllable has the schwa. Truculent. And if somebody is being truculent, then that means that they're being fierce, a little cruel, kind of very aggressive, aggressively hostile. If someone's being truculent, so it's not, not a good word. It kind of means that, that this person is upset with you, maybe because of something you said, and, and they're just being a bit cruel. They're truculent. They're standoffish. Sometimes when I've had a really bad day and, and I don't want to talk to people and I'm just upset, I can be kind of truculent with others if, if they're trying to approach me and I don't want to deal with anybody. I can be truculent. A great example would be in politics. People maybe they do something wrong, and the media wants to talk to them about it, and they're, they're angry, they don't want to speak to the media, and they might be truculent. So, we could say, "Politicians are sometimes truculent with the media."
Another great word is this one right here: austere. And this has two syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable with that long "e" sound: aus-TERE. Austere. And if somebody or something is austere, it means that they're very severe in their manner, they're very strict, or even without excess. Austere. "Her austere manner intimidated the students."
The next adjective, which is one of my favorites, is capricious. And this word has three syllables, and the stress is on the second syllable: ca-PRI-cious. Capricious. And keep in mind that first syllable has that schwa sound, that "uh." Capricious. And if someone or something is capricious, then that just means that they are subject to sudden or even unpredictable change. Capricious. So, you could say a person is capricious, perhaps the weather is capricious, or maybe even your plans are capricious. They're subject to change. And I could use it in an example sentence and say, "I can never get her to commit to a time because she's so capricious."
Next is the word defamatory. And this word has five syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable: de-FAM-a-to-ry. Defamatory. It's not a good adjective because if something is defamatory, we're talking about false or unjustified harm caused to one's reputation. And we could use it in an example sentence and say, "The president's defamatory remarks startled everyone."
The next word, which is another one of my favorite adjectives, is esoteric. And this word has four syllables, and the stress is on that third syllable: es-o-TER-ic. Esoteric. And when we describe something as esoteric, we're talking about something that's really understood by a small group of people because they have knowledge or interest in that thing. Usually, it's somebody that has direct experience with it. So, we say that it is esoteric. For example, somebody could have esoteric knowledge about something. Maybe they have an esoteric experience because there's just a few people that really understand and know what it's like. "I spent six months in the woods hiking the Appalachian Trail. It was an esoteric experience."
Another great adjective is nascent. And this word has two syllables, and the stress is on that first syllable: NAY-scent. Nascent. That second syllable has that schwa. Nascent. And if something is nascent, then that just means it's beginning to exist or beginning to develop. It's at the early stages. It is nascent. And we can use it in a sentence and say, "The project is at a nascent stage of development."
Another very cool adjective is quintessential. And this word has four syllables, and the stress is on the third syllable: quin-tes-SEN-tial. Quintessential. And when we say that something is quintessential, it means that it is representing just the most perfect example. It's quintessential. Now, let me give you the quintessential example sentence: "Interactive English is the quintessential channel to learn, practice, and improve your English skills." If you agree with that last sentence, please, please, please show us some love and hit that like button down below.
Welcome to today's lesson. It is a super awesome, amazing vocabulary lesson because I'm going to teach you 10 different verbs to help you sound smarter. And I say that they help you sound smarter because these are more advanced verbs. These are advanced vocabulary words that are very specific, very precise, that you can use in certain situations so that you can perfectly express your ideas, thoughts, and opinions and say exactly what you want to say. These verbs are going to help you do just that. Now, I'm not only going to tell you the verb and the meaning, but I'm also going to give you the pronunciation as well as an example sentence so that you can see how these words are used in context. That's very important. So, without further ado, let's begin.
The first word is to admonish. And admonish has three syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable: ad-MO-nish. Admonish. And this is a verb that we use with a direct object to admonish someone, usually for doing something wrong, because what it means is to, to counsel or advise against something. It's kind of like you're scolding somebody in a way, but not because you are super angry and they did something really terrible, but, but they just did something wrong and it's not correct. Maybe it was a little rude. "Just interrupted me again while I was admonishing you for interrupting me." Have you ever been admonished for doing something? I definitely have been admonished for many things in my life. "The parents admonish their child for telling a lie."
The next wonderful verb is to advocate. This word has three syllables, and the stress is on that first syllable: AD-vo-cate. Advocate. And to advocate means to show strong support for something. It could be support for a policy, it could be support for an issue, and you advocate for it. We often use it with the preposition "for." You advocate for something when you are really passionate about something, you really, really, really believe in it, and you want to advocate for this thing. "The teachers advocated for better pay."
The next verb is to bemoan. And this verb has two syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable: be-MOAN. Bemoan. You may also notice that that word in that second syllable, which kind of shares a similar meaning to the verb to bemoan, which means you are basically expressing that you are upset, you are distressed about something. It's kind of like you're complaining, and you might bemoan a situation that you are in. You might bemoan someone's decision if you disagree with it and you don't like it. You're not very happy with something that happened, and you bemoan the situation. "She bemoaned having to look for another flight."
The next verb is compel. This word has two syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable: com-PEL. Compel. And what it means is to, to force or drive or maybe even encourage somebody to, to do something, some course of action, to do something that, that you want them to do. You, you really want to convince them to do something. Sometimes it can be done by force. You compel someone to do something because maybe you're threatening them in some way, shape, or form, and you are compelling them to do what you want them to do. "The power of Chrysler compels you." But you're really just trying to get somebody to, to do this thing. To compel someone to do something. "The police compelled him to tell the truth."
The next verb is a good one: embezzle. To embezzle. This verb has three syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable: em-BEZ-zle. Embezzle. And what it means is to take money or maybe even property, but most of the time we're talking about money, and to do it in a fraudulent way. People are creating some false records, some false receipts, and they are taking that extra money and stealing it, and they are embezzling the money. You can embezzle money from a company. You can embezzle money from a bank. "Lloyd Gross is a fictional salesman we invented to, how do I put this, steal from the company." Embezzle. To commit fraud. "I just got fired from Sweden's because you were embezzling." Now, if you do this, it's a crime, so it is not a good verb. It's not a verb that you want to be associated with. "The accountant embezzled millions of dollars from the company."
The next verb is extol. To extol. This word has two syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable: ex-TOL. Extol. And what it means is to praise highly, to give a lot of high praise to someone or to something. Oftentimes, you might extol someone during a eulogy. If there is a funeral and a person is giving a eulogy and talking about the person that has passed away, you, you want to talk about all the good things that this person did. You want to give them a lot of praise, and you would extol this person. You can also use it talking about, uh, places or things if you really just want to speak highly of it. Extol. "She extolled the beauty of modern art."
Next is the verb impune. To impune. This word has two syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable: im-PUNE. Impune. And what it means is to, to claim that something is false, to, to say that, to challenge it and say that it's not true, and kind of cast doubt upon this situation or, or even this person. "So, because of a few bad apples and impugn an entire continent." "I'm impugning a continent." A lot of times you might hear it with the word "character." To impugn someone's character, basically saying that this person should not be believed, that they say things that are false, they're dishonest, and you're trying to cast doubt over the things that this person is talking about when you impugn someone's character. "Mr. Chairman, if she's going to impugn his character while he's speaking..." It's not a good verb. It's not something that we should try to do, but this is a situation that happens, and it's a great way to describe it. To impugn someone or something. "They tried to impugn her character with false accusations."
Another great verb, which is one of my favorites, is obfuscate. This verb has three syllables, and the stress is on that first syllable: OB-fus-cate. Obfuscate. And what it means to obfuscate something is to confuse or bewilder and just try to create a confusing situation so that it's really difficult to understand. So, you might hear it being used, they, they want to obfuscate a situation, they want to obfuscate an issue, they want to obfuscate a policy. It happens a lot, I think, in politics when you're trying to get people to believe one thing or another thing, and some people try to obfuscate certain issues. "The oil companies tried to obfuscate the benefits of wind energy."
The next verb is placate. This word has two syllables, and the stress is on that first syllable: PLA-cate. Placate. And what it means is to appease by, by giving something up. You're giving up some concession in order to try and get something that you want. To placate someone. For example, if somebody is upset with you, you did something wrong, you will do something for this person, you'll give something up, you are trying to placate them in order for this person to forgive you, to, to be okay with it, and, and just to move on. To placate someone. "Nothing she could say or do would placate him."
Another great verb: repudiate. This verb has four syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable: re-PU-di-ate. Repudiate. And this means to reject something, to, to reject it with disapproval because there's no authority in this thing that people are trying to, to say or do. To repudiate someone or you could repudiate something. So, for example, at work, if, if you are the manager and you have employees, and, and they make a request, and you could reject it and say, "No, I don't like it. This is a terrible idea." You would repudiate this. "Senator Eleanor Princess Shaw doesn't bother you at all? Your son repudiates so many of your more controversial policies." No, it was refused, rejected, rebuffed, repudiated. It's kind of a confrontational word because if you repudiate something, then you're really letting the other person know that you're a bit unhappy, that you don't like this, and you are rejecting it. You repudiate it. "The professor repudiated the student's request to postpone the exam."
So, right now, I would like to advocate for you to write us a comment and let us know an English word that you have recently learned. It can be any word, a noun, an adjective, a verb, just let us know. We love hearing from you in the comments. If you don't write us a comment, I'm not going to bemoan the situation. I'm not even going to admonish you, but we would really appreciate it. And if you do, I will placate you by coming out with another lesson next week.
If you would like to sound smarter and be smarter, then this lesson is for you because I'm going to tell you 10 nouns to help you do just that. Many of you out there have said you would like to learn more advanced vocabulary words, and that's what these 10 nouns are. They're not only going to help you sound smarter, but they're going to help you more accurately express your thoughts, opinions, and ideas. They also happen to be 10 of my favorite nouns. So, as I go over these nouns, I am going to give you the pronunciation, tell you the meaning, as well as talk to you about how they're used in context. So, let's just get this show on the road.
The first noun is this one right here: quid pro quo. And it is three words, each word is only one syllable. And if, if you're saying it together, the stress is, is kind of on that first word and that last word: QUID pro quo. And what this means is it is something that, that is given or, or even taken in return for something else. So, it's kind of like you, you're doing a favor for someone in exchange for something else, and that would be considered quid pro quo. Often, we hear this when, when talking about politics. Somebody gives a politician money, and then that politician does something in return for them, and they would refer to it as quid pro quo. Quid pro quo. "Mr. Powers, I need some quid pro quo from you." Pro, maybe you're negotiating with somebody, and you're like, "You know, I'm gonna need a little quid pro quo if I do whatever favor it is for you." "If you want us to donate to your campaign, we'll need some quid pro quo."
The next noun, which is one of my favorites, is catch-22. This is two words, it's a compound noun. The word "catch" is just one syllable, and then "22" is three syllables, and the stress is on that final syllable: catch-TWEN-ty-two. Catch-22. The word comes from a famous book by Joseph Heller, which is titled Catch-22. And the meaning of a catch-22, see if you can follow me, is it is a problem that cannot be solved because the solution to the problem is inherent in the problem itself. Now, you may be thinking, "What the heck are you talking about?" And it's often referred to situations where, again, you can't solve the problem because the solution is within the problem itself, and it's just like this circular loop. So, this is a great noun to describe this type of situation. And again, it's just like a stand-alone statement. "When you're tough, they resent you. And when you're cool, they walk all over you. Catch-22." "There's no unspoken thing." "Well, it's a catch-22 because if you said it, then it would be spoken." "Part of their parole is that they're required to have a job. The catch-22 of us not, that many people are that excited to hire a felon." We don't really use this noun with any adjectives. It's just really that stand-alone statement, and you would describe something and say, "It's a catch-22."
Next is epitome. And this noun has four syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable: e-PIT-o-me. Epitome. This is a word that when you see it, many times people may mispronounce it because the third syllable has that schwa, and the last syllable is that long "e." Epitome. And what it means is a person or thing that is, that is typical of a class or, or group as a whole. Something that possesses to, to the highest degree what, what this whole group is all about. And therefore, we, we say that something is the epitome of something else, kind of giving an example, saying that this thing best represents this whole group. It's the epitome of something. "Interactive English is the epitome of English teaching excellence." And if you agree with that statement, then go ahead and, and hit that like button down below. It's, it's kind of like a quid pro quo. I teach you new nouns, you hit that like button. It's a fair exchange.
Another great noun is dichotomy. This word has four syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable: di-CHOT-o-my. Dichotomy. And that third syllable, it has that schwa, that "uh" sound. Dichotomy. What it means is the division or, or contrast between two things that are represented as being opposed or entirely different. So, let me give you a couple examples of a dichotomy. You could have science and religion, two things that you can compare, and they're kind of opposed to each other in some ways. Also, city life and country life, completely different, but we can still compare them. And when using this noun, you, you say the two things that, that you're comparing. "Dichotomy of good and evil." "From the entire dichotomy of jock artists." Often, we use it with the preposition "between." You talk about the dichotomy between two things. For example, we could say, "We're studying the dichotomy between economic development and environmental protection."
The next noun is myriad. This word has three syllables, and the stress is on that first syllable: MYR-i-ad. Myriad. And a myriad is a very great or indefinitely great number of things. Often, it can be used as a synonym for various. You talk about a myriad of something. There's a lot of variety, there's a great number of these things. There's a myriad. "There is a myriad of trees in the forest."
The next noun is credence. This word has two syllables, and the stress is on that first syllable: CRE-dence. Credence. And what it means is the belief as, as to the truth of something that you're kind of, there's a belief, and it's showing that that belief is true. "I never gave these stories much credence." "He's a criminal and a terrorist. People aren't going to give him credence." And, uh, though we, we give them no credence at all. Larry. And often you may find this noun with the verb "give." Something gives a belief credence. It makes it seem a little more true. For example, "The email they discovered gave credence to his unethical behavior."
Next is malaise. This word has two syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable: ma-LAISE. Malaise. And this is not a great noun. The reason I say this is because its meaning is a vague feeling of physical discomfort or uneasiness as an early sign of an illness. So, if somebody is, is just starting to feel ill, then it's very possible that they might experience malaise. "I experienced bad headaches and malaise before deciding to go to the doctor."
The next noun is sycophant. And this noun has three syllables, and the stress is on that first syllable: SIC-o-phant. Sycophant. The spelling may throw people off to the pronunciation, but that "syc" is just pronounced "sick." Sycophant. And the meaning of a sycophant is a person that, that tries to gain attention by flattering wealthy or influential people. So, this is not a good noun. You don't want somebody to call you a sycophant because it basically means you're, you're sucking up to somebody else for no real reason. It's pathetic. Yeah, it's not good. "Some sycophants in the media refuse to acknowledge the political corruption."
Another great noun, which is another one of my favorites, is a dilettante. And this word has three syllables, and there's kind of like a stress on that first and last syllable: DIL-e-tan-te. Dilettante. The, the reason I say it's one of my favorites is because, I guess, you know, I, I could be considered a dilettante. Uh, many of us can be considered dilettantes because its meaning is a person that, that cultivates an interest in something without really learning in-depth information. And I think this just happens with people all the time. We become interested in a topic, and we learn a little bit about it so that we can converse with our friends and have discussions, but we, we have difficulty really debating this topic with facts and information because we just don't know enough. "They will remain dilettantes in war and tourists in Vietnam." "What's your point? Your knowledge is a mile wide and an inch deep. Do you know what that makes you? A dilettante." But if somebody calls you a dilettante, then it's probably not in a good sense because they're, they're probably referring to you saying that, well, you're a person that you think you know a lot, but you really don't. "You want to think she knows a lot about health and nutrition, but she's really a dilettante."
The next noun is zenith. Has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable: ZEN-ith. Zenith. And when talking about the zenith, you're talking about the top, the peak, the highest point or state of something or someone's condition. So, if you are at the top, the highest point, then you are at the zenith. It basically implies that you're not going to go any higher. So, it's like saying you, you've reached the top, you're not going to go any higher, and things are just going to start going downhill from here. "His athletic career has reached its zenith."
So, I hope some of these nouns were new for you, and now that you've learned them, you can go out and practice using them so that you can improve your overall English fluency.
Today I have a vocabulary lesson for you, and these words are all adverbs. They are advanced adverbs, and every single one of them ends in -ly. And these are great adverbs to know because they're really going to help you accurately express your thoughts, opinions, and ideas. And throughout the lesson, I'm going to do a few things for you. I am going to show you the adverb, I will then tell you the correct pronunciation, I'll give you the meaning, and then I will also give you some example sentences so that you can see how the adverb is used in context. And that is really useful because it's just going to reinforce the meaning. So, let's begin.
The first adverb is annually. This word has four syllables, and the stress is on that first syllable: AN-nu-al-ly. Annually. The second syllable, it's like you're just saying the letter "u," and the third syllable has that schwa. Annually. Annually. And this adverb means that, that something is occurring once a year. Something happens once every year. It happens annually. "The U.S. Marshals Service annually flies 155,000 prisoners around the country." "Evidence suggests it sheds its skin annually." "Extended annually, 12 million a year." It's also quite commonly used with numbers. For example, when you're talking about banking and maybe you earn interest on the money that's in the bank, and you will earn interest annually. We could also use it and say, "Everyone should file their taxes annually."
The next word is reluctantly. This word has four syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable: re-LUC-tant-ly. Reluctantly. That third syllable also has that schwa. Reluctantly. And what it means is that, just unwillingness to do something, that you are not inclined to, to do this thing. Reluctantly. "I am asking for your help, but all he gives his loser son is grief and a place to live." Reluctantly. "Reluctantly, he gives that." Each year, we, we have to pay our taxes annually, but I think most of us reluctantly file our taxes. It's not something we want to do, but we have to do it, and many of us do it reluctantly. "The employees reluctantly came into work over the weekend."
Then we have unabashedly. This adverb has five syllables, and the stress is on that third syllable: un-a-BASH-ed-ly. Unabashedly. That second syllable has that schwa, that "uh" sound. Unabashedly. And what it means is just that you are not apologetic, you are not embarrassed, you are very certain about your position. You do something unabashedly, or maybe you say something unabashedly. "She unabashedly told her boss that she wanted a raise."
Then we have an adverb that, that I like to use, and that is vaguely. It has two syllables, and the stress is on that first syllable: VAGUE-ly. Vaguely. And vaguely means that something is not clearly expressed or something is not clearly stated. "Does smell vaguely poisonous?" "Who are exposing me to information and ideas that seem vaguely familiar?" "If I were to reach our rendezvous on Titan with the time stone still attached to your vaguely irritating person, Kramer." "Remember that whole deal with you selling Peter and your stories for his book and then he gave him back to you?" Vaguely. We often use it with the word "remember." "I vaguely remember." "What do I vaguely remember?" "I vaguely remembered the example." "I vaguely remember you telling me to pick this up at the grocery store."
The next adverb is one of my favorites: fervently. It has three syllables, and the stress is on that first syllable: FER-vent-ly. Fervently. And what it means is that you are just showing great enthusiasm, great intensity to, to do something. For example, right now, I'm fervently trying to explain the meaning of these new adverbs. "They fervently worked around the clock in order to finish the project on time."
Next, we have diligently. This adverb has four syllables, and the stress is on that first syllable: DIL-i-gent-ly. Diligently. And it just means that, that you are working very hard to accomplish something. You are very focused on the task at hand. And often it's used with the verb "work." "We have been working diligently on this problem." "The person shares your concerns and is working diligently to find a solution." "Senator Gates had a series of mini-strokes a few months ago, but we are working diligently to get him through his final term." I'm sure all of you are working diligently to build your vocabulary and learn new words, which is why you're here. "The police diligently collected evidence in order to find the criminal."
Then we have another great adverb, which is vicariously. This adverb has five syllables, and the stress is on that third syllable. Is it on the third syllable? I vaguely remember. Second syllable, my bad. The stress is on that second syllable. Well, yes, it is on the second syllable. That third syllable, it's like that, that letter "i" just has that "e" sound, and the fourth syllable has the schwa. Vi-CAR-i-ous-ly. Vicariously. And what this adverb means is imagining a situation through the eyes of another person, okay? And it's often heard over and over again in the same way. You live vicariously through another person. So, if somebody else has this exciting life going on, and you're trying to imagine it, and you might tell them, "Wow, I am going to live vicariously through you." "Yes, I live vicariously through you." "Remember? Oh, I'm going vicariously through you guys." "Can I marry man?" "Uh-huh." "I need to live vicariously through you." "Just give up details." "No." "Wow, I'm just going to live vicariously through you because you're doing all these cool and amazing things, and you're going to tell me about it, and I will imagine it." "She lived vicariously through her children."
The next adverb is hastily. This word has three syllables, and the stress is on that first syllable: HAST-i-ly. Hastily. And what it means is just excessive speed, that you are doing something quickly, rapidly, and with great urgency. And because you're working so fast, you're not going to be able to put the, the same amount of care into it that you normally would, which means that you might be more likely to make mistakes if you are working hastily. "Yesterday's hastily passed untested pandering laws." "Perhaps I spoke hastily." "Oh, the last-minute gift hastily bought on the way to the party." Often, I think of a situation where you're running out of time, and that's a problem, so you have to work hastily in order to get it done. "They hastily completed the final report in order to meet the deadline."
Then we have another great adverb, utterly. This word has three syllables, and the stress is on that first syllable: UT-ter-ly. Utterly. It means completely, totally, absolutely. Those are all synonyms for utterly. "And he was brilliant, utterly, utterly brilliant." "She's insane, utterly mad, completely and utterly alone." I prefer to use utterly because I think it adds a nice little emphasis to, to the verb or the adjective that you're describing. For example, "His outfit is utterly ridiculous."
Next is intently. This adverb has three syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable: in-TENT-ly. Intently. So, this word means that you're, you're just giving all of your attention to something, that you are, you are sharply focused on this thing. "I'm sure he's pressing his ear up against it and listening intently." "Why is he watching us so intently?" And you are intently listening to someone, maybe you are intently watching something. Are you guys intently watching this video? I hope so. I hope you listen intently to our lessons.
So, we work diligently to, to come up and create new English lessons for you guys each week, and I completely and utterly hope that you find them useful and that they're easy to follow. So, if they are, if you were listening intently to this lesson, let me know in the comments. Tell me, and just write, "I intently listened to this lesson." That way, I know that you were focused, you paid attention, and you understood all of these adverbs. Let me know in the comments. Thank you guys so much for watching. Don't forget to hit that like button. Actually, you can fervently hit that like button. Do it with some energy, some enthusiasm.
I want to teach you 15 irregular verbs that I think will help you improve your overall English fluency. Now, these irregular verbs in particular are not as common as verbs like "go" or "have," but they are very useful, especially in specific situations, which is why they are a bit more advanced. So, I'm going to give you the verb in three different forms: the present, the past, and the past participle. I will also tell you the meaning of the verb and then give you an example sentence so that you can see how it's used in context.
The first verb that I have for you is arise, arose, arisen. That is the present, the past, and the past participle. And this just means to become apparent, to notice something. So, to give you an example, I could use it in the past and say, "New problems arose last week, which delayed the project." If you were working on something and problems arose, then that may delay the work that you're doing. Problems arose.
Then we have the verb bear, bore, born. Notice that with the past participle, you may find it with the "e" or without the "e." And this verb has, it has a few different meanings. It can mean to turn slightly in one direction. It can also mean to accept something that is unpleasant, or to give birth or produce. So, let me give you a few example sentences. I could say, uh, if I'm giving directions, "You need to bear to the left," or "You need to bear to the right." This is a common way in which this verb is used in the present tense. Or perhaps I could say, "He was the leader and bore the responsibility of his team." It was his team, so he bore the responsibility and had to accept maybe something unpleasant. And finally, I could use it in the present perfect and say, "The apple trees have borne plenty of fruit this season." They have produced plenty of fruit. Have borne.
The next verb I have for you is behold, beheld, beheld. So, the past and the past participle are the same. And this verb just means to see or observe something. And often, I think you may hear it being used in the context of, like, showing somebody something that you want them to see, and you'd say, "Behold!" Uh, "Behold my water bottle." Now, you'd want to show somebody something a little more exciting than a water bottle, but you get the idea as to how somebody might use this verb. Behold, and then they would show somebody something that is important or maybe even a little surprising.
The next verb is creep, crept, crept. Now, this verb means to move slowly and carefully, uh, in order to avoid being heard. You don't want anybody to notice you, you don't want anybody to hear you, so you might creep through a room. And that's kind of how I was going to use it in my example, and I was going to say, "Last night, I crept into the kitchen and took a cookie." And that's actually a true story. Yes, last night I did. I crept into the kitchen, and the reason that I crept into the kitchen is that, well, I felt a little...
Guilty, so I just, I didn't want anybody to hear me, and I crept into the kitchen. Notice how many times I say these verbs. I do that for a reason, so you will hear it again and again and again because this works. This will help you remember.
Then we have deal, dealt, dealt. And this verb has a couple of different meanings. It can mean to distribute cards, or that you have some kind of business in commercial trading, and you are buying and selling things. I think most often you would use it in the context of a card game and playing cards, and somebody would deal the cards. So I can give you an example sentence in which you could actually use all three forms of this verb. I could say, "She deals the cards" in the present tense, or in the past, "She dealt the cards," or if I want to use the past participle, I could give you a sentence in the present perfect, "She has dealt the cards."
Then we have forsake, forsook, forsaken. And this verb means to abandon or to give up. For example, I, I think of usually some kind of promise or commitment was abandoned. People take vows, so somebody could say, "He has forsaken his vows. He has abandoned his commitment, his promises. He has forsaken his vows."
Now, the next two verbs cause a lot of confusion, and I hope to clear up some of that confusion right now. So let's just start with lie, lay, lain. And this verb means to assume a resting position or to be kept in a specific state. That, that's where you are. So let me give you an example. I will use it in the past, and I'd say, "Well, I didn't feel well. I lay in bed all day." That, this happened in the past. I assumed that resting position in my bed, and I lay in bed. Don't confuse this with the other meaning of the verb, which is to say something that's not true. That is actually a regular verb and ends in ED.
But still, this irregular verb lie, lay, lain is confused with another irregular verb, which is lay, laid, laid. And this verb means to put something down or to prepare something. Lay, laid, laid. So let me give you an example, and we'll, we'll start with putting something down. Again, I can use one sentence and, and use all three forms. For example, I could say, "We lay the baby on the bed" in the present tense, or in the past, "We laid the baby on the bed," or using the past participle, "We have laid the baby on the bed. We have put the baby down."
Then to give you an example with its other meaning, to prepare something, I think, uh, you may hear somebody say, "We've already laid the groundwork for this project." Laid the groundwork. They have prepared for the start of this project. To lay the groundwork. So please don't confuse these verbs. Lie, which is to assume a resting position, lie in bed, or lay, which is to put something down. I'm gonna lay, I'm gonna lay my head down on the pillow.
Then we have mean, meant, meant. And this, I think, is actually a very common verb, but the meaning can be a little challenging. And what this verb means is to, to intend to refer to something. Often, I think it's used when we're talking about questions. Well, what does this mean? I might ask students, "Well, what does this word mean?" Or if I want to use it in the past and say, "Well, that is not what I was referring to," you may hear somebody say, "Well, no, no, that's not what I meant. That's not what I meant. I didn't want to refer to this thing. That's not what I meant."
Then we have the verb overtake, overtook, overtaken. And this verb means to come from behind and move in front of. Often, I think you would hear this verb used in the context of driving because cars pass each other all the time, and you might want to overtake a car that is in front of you. I can give you an example and say, "Well, we overtook the bus because it was driving so slow." So we came from behind and went in front of the bus. We overtook the bus.
Then we have the verb rise, rose, risen. This verb has a couple of different meanings. The first one is to move from a lower position to a higher position, and the next meaning is just to, to get up. So let's start with the first meaning, and I'll give you an example, and I could give you a simple sentence and use all three forms. I could say, "Well, the sun rises," or in the past, "The sun rose," or using the past participle, "The sun has risen." And if I want to say get up, I often think of the expression "rise and shine." And somebody would say this, just telling somebody else to get up. It's time to start your day. Rise and shine.
Next is the verb swear, swore, sworn. And this verb means that you are making a promise to do something. Swear, swore, sworn. And let me give you another example in which you could use all three forms in this one sentence. I could say, "He swears to tell the truth," or in the past, "He swore to tell the truth," or "He has sworn to tell the truth." Often, I think it's used in, in that context of you're making a promise in which you are going to tell the truth. I think it's also used as a question, and somebody would just ask, you know, "Do you swear? Do you promise?" Or they might say, "Do you swear on something that is important?" Which in that case, it's kind of an expression which means, "Well, you really have to be serious about this promise to swear on something."
Then we have shake, shook, shaken. And this verb means to move something up and down or from side to side, or, or even to tremble. And I could use it and give you an example and just say, you know, "When we met, we shook hands." I often think of this verb being used talking about introductions and people shaking hands. Or to give you an example about trembling, I think, well, in that case, I think somebody is very cold, and not only that, but I think it would often be used in the continuous tense. So I could say, "Well, you know, last night was very cold, and I was shaking. I, I was shaking as I lay in bed."
Next is weep, wept, wept. And this verb means just, well, to cry or to shed tears. And often, I think it would be used in a context that is a little more serious, a little more severe, in which you would say that you wept. You were crying a lot. For example, I, I could say that after the breakup, "He wept for days. He was so sad. He wept for days."
Then we have withdraw, withdrew, withdrawn. And this verb means to remove something or to, to take something back. So when I think of this verb, I think it's often used in the context of money, and you could say, "Well, she has withdrawn all her money from the bank account. She has removed it from her account." Or maybe you want to apply for a job and then you decide that you don't want it, and I can give you an example and use all three forms and say, "I withdraw my name from consideration," or "I withdrew my name from consideration," or "I have withdrawn my name from consideration."
Wow, I'm impressed that you have made it all the way to the end. Congratulations. I'm sure that you have learned some new vocabulary, and I'm sure that a lot of that was also review, and it's good to get that review. But try to listen for these words, or if you're reading, try to identify them, and also practice them if you're having a conversation. So if you enjoyed the lesson, please hit that like button. As always, thank you so much for watching, and I will see you next time. So long.