VOCABULA
RY
STEPW
fundamental /ˌfʌndəˈmentl/ (a)
very important
Some understanding of grammar is
fundamental to learning a language.
neglect /nɪˈɡlekt/ (v):
to not give enough care or attention to
people or things that are your responsibility
Don’t neglect your health.
glory /ˈɡlɔːri/ (n)
great beauty, or something special or extremely
beautiful, that gives great pleasure
They want to restore the castle to its former
glory.
spectacular /spekˈtækjələr/ (a)
very impressive
The coastal road has spectacular scenery.
monument /ˈmɑːnjumənt/ (n)
a building, statue, or other large structure that is built to
remind people of an important event or famous person.
In the square in front of the hotel stands a
monument to all the people killed in the war.
bygone /ˈbaɪɡɔːn/ (a)
belonging to or happening in a past time
a bygone era
inhabitant /ɪnˈhæbɪtənt/ (n)
a person or animal that lives in a particular
place
a city of five million inhabitants
irrigate /ˈɪrɪɡeɪt/ (v)
to supply land or crops with water
irrigated land/crops
utilitarian /ˌjuːtɪlɪˈteriən/ (a)
designed to be useful rather than decorative
Like many factories, it's a very ugly utilitarian
building.
heyday /ˈheɪdeɪ/ (n)
peak of your success, glory days
In their heyday, they sold as many records
as all the other groups in the country put
together.
position /pəˈzɪʃn/ (v)
locate, situate, place…
The army had been positioned to the north and east of
the city.
comprise /kəmˈpraɪz/ (v)
include, contain, consist of…
The collection comprises 327 paintings.
descend /dɪˈsend/ (v)
go or come down
Tom descended the stairs.
negotiate /nɪˈɡəʊʃieɪt/ (v)
to have formal discussions with someone in
order to reach an agreement with them
The government has refused to negotiate with the
strikers.
elaborate /ɪˈlæbərət/ (a)
containing a lot of careful detail or many
detailed parts
The artist created an elaborate design, with
each detail meticulously crafted to form a
complex and captivating masterpiece.
pillar /ˈpɪlər/ (n)
a tall upright round post used as a support
for a roof or bridge.
The roof is supported by eight massive stone
pillars.
relentless /rɪˈlentləs/ (a)
not stopping
His relentless energy made him come alive in
every role he played.
intricate /ˈɪntrɪkət/ (a)
having a lot of different parts and small
details that fit together
The watch mechanism is extremely intricate and
very difficult to repair.
embellish /ɪmˈbelɪʃ/ (v)
to make something more beautiful
The ceiling was embellished with flowers and
leaves.
derelict /ˈderəlɪkt/ (a)
(of land or buildings) not used or cared for and in bad
condition
The canal has been derelict for many years.
divert /daɪˈvɜːrt/ (v)
to make sb/sth change direction
Traffic will be diverted through the side streets
while the main road is resurfaced.
undergo /ˌʌndərˈɡəʊ/ (v)
experience sth
Some children undergo a complete transformation
when they become teenagers.
depict /dɪˈpɪkt/ (v)
to show an image of somebody/something
Her paintings depict the lives of ordinary people in
the last century.
devastating /ˈdevəsteɪtɪŋ/ (a)
damaging
The drought has had devastating
consequences/effects.
honour /ˈɑːnər/ (v)
show respect for sb/sth
It was a simple ceremony to honour the Goddess of
water.
ruined /ˈruːɪnd/ (a)
(building/town/etc.) destroyed or severely damaged
a ruined castle
stunning /ˈstʌnɪŋ/ (a)
attractive or impressive
His performance was simply stunning.
overlook /ˌəʊvərˈlʊk/ (v):
to provide a view of, especially from above
Our hotel room overlooked the harbour.
construct /kənˈstrʌkt/ (v)
build
The building was constructed in 1993.
preserve /prɪˈzɜːrv/ (v)
to keep something in its original state in good condition
This vase has been preserved intact.
flock /flɑːk/ (v)
to move or come together in large numbers
Thousands of people flocked to the beach this
weekend.
gaze /ɡeɪz/ (v)
to look at someone or something for a long time
She gazed at him in amazement.
marvel /ˈmɑːrvl/ (n)
a wonderful and surprising person or thing
the marvels of nature/technology.
ingenuity /ˌɪndʒəˈnuːəti/ (n)
the ability to think of clever new ways of doing
something
Drug smugglers constantly use their ingenuity to
find new ways of getting drugs into a country.
