Unit 1A

Word

Definition

Example

in the dead of night

in the middle of night

The fire broke out in the dead of night.

refuge

shelter or protection from someone or something

During the frequent air-raids, people took refuge in their cellars.

conclusively

without any doubt

It is impossible to demonstrate conclusively that the factory is responsible for the pollution.

damning

includes a lot of criticism or shows clearly that someone is wrong, guilty, or has behaved very badly

The two men were convicted on some extremely damning evidence.

affectionate

readily feeling or showing fondness or tenderness.

Affectionate people show that they love people very much

ambitious

having or showing a strong desire and determination to succeed

Alfred was intensely ambitious, obsessed with the idea of becoming rich

assertive

behaving in a confident way in which you are quick to express your opinions and feelings

He has a good way of dealing with things. He's assertive, but he doesn't force his views on other people

bossy

fond of giving people orders; domineering.

Bossy people like giving orders to other people

honest

free of deceit; truthful and sincere

He was a hard-working honest man

loyal

someone who is loyal remains firm in their friendship or support for a person or thing

He has been very loyal to the company.

mature

Fully developed; grown up in terms of physical appearance, behaviour or thinking; ripe. Profound; careful.

He pushes for smaller funds and investments, especially in mature areas such as information technology.

moody

annoyed or unhappy

Don't be so moody

open-minded

willing to consider ideas and opinions that are new or different to your own

Doctors these days tend to be more open-minded about alternative medicine.

outgoing

someone who is outgoing likes to meet and talk to new people

Extroverts are often outgoing and enthusiastic.

patient

able to wait calmly for a long time or to accept difficulties, people's annoying behaviour, etc. without becoming angry

Be patient, your time will come

reliable

can be trusted or believed because he, she, or it works or behaves well in the way you expect

Gideon is very reliable - if he says he'll do something, he'll do it.

sensitive

easily affected or damaged by something such as a substance or temperature

Bats have extremely sensitive ears

stubborn

determined to do what he or she wants and refuses to do anything else

They have huge arguments because they're both so stubborn.

thorough

careful to check or test every part of something

As a scientist, Madison is methodical and thorough.

conscientious

careful to do everything that it is your job or duty to do

A conscientious teacher may feel inclined to take work home.

steady

not moving or changing suddenly

He's a reliable and steady guy

self-sufficient

needing no outside help in satisfying one's basic needs

Australia is 65 percent self-sufficient in oil.

spontaneous

something that is spontaneous happens without being planned

I am a little last-minute and don't organise things in advance. People say I'm always spontaneous.

put off

to delay doing something or to arrange to do something at a later time or date, especially because there is a problem or you do not want to do it now

I put off looking for a permanent job for a while.

put together

to make a machine, model etc by joining all the different parts

They put together most of the pieces

rough

having an uneven or irregular surface; not smooth or level

A cat's tongue feels very rough when it licks your hand.

itinerary

a planned route or journey

The new itinerary includes Madrid, Rome, and Milan

carry on

to continue doing something

I would have told him to carry on speaking his mind.

gut feeling

a strong belief about someone or something that cannot completely be explained and does not have to be decided by reasoning

I have a gut feeling that the relationship won't last.