A reference list, not a lesson with exercises — browse by part of speech, read the definition and example, and come back whenever you need a quick reminder.
Barely enough; less than is needed.
Showing no concern for the feelings or suffering of others.
Not accurate or balanced, because it favors one particular view or result.
Informal: rude and behaving as if you think you're better than other people.
Too brightly coloured or decorated in a way that looks cheap or tasteless.
Dark and unclear, whether describing water or a confusing, possibly dishonest situation.
Extremely complicated and difficult to follow.
Only slightly warm, or showing little enthusiasm.
Happening immediately after another event, often as a result of it.
Suggesting that something bad is about to happen.
Having a similar nature, interests, or origin; closely related.
Full of something unpleasant, especially danger, difficulty, or tension.
Showing great energy and enthusiasm in support of a cause or belief.
Covered with a thin layer of gold, or having a falsely attractive, privileged appearance.
Small and weak.
Similar to something, or of the same kind.
Informal: having very little money.
Brave, or showing polite, old-fashioned respect and attention, especially towards women.
Lazy and unwilling to work or make an effort.
Feeling very sad and without much hope.
Describing a feeling, especially worry or doubt, that continues and slowly gets worse.
Behaving as though you think you're better and more important than other people.
Annoying, especially in a way that continues for a long time.
Used to emphasize the size, degree, or amount of something; also completely vertical.
To bend your body forward and down; also, to lower your moral standards to do something bad.
To trick or deceive someone.
To hit someone hard (literary); "smitten" means suddenly and strongly attracted to someone.
To prevent someone from succeeding in a plan or action.
To lie or roll around in mud or water for pleasure; also, to remain in an unpleasant emotional state for too long.
To improve a skill over time through practice.
To flow out slowly through a small opening; also, to clearly show a quality.
To overwhelm someone with too much of something.
To understand or interpret something in a particular way.
To put different things together into one group without much care, treating them as if they were the same.
To bend or twist something out of its natural shape; also to badly affect someone's judgment.
To stare at someone or something in a rude, obvious way, often out of surprise.
To interfere in someone else's business without being asked.
To try to gain someone's affection or support.
To try an activity in a casual way, without much commitment.
To gather together, especially courage, strength, or support.
To give up a position, right, or possession, often unwillingly.
To move away from a usual or expected course, plan, or standard.
To provide facts or evidence to support a claim.
To make two people friends again after an argument, or to make two ideas or facts consistent.
A slight suspicion or idea about something.
The final fact, argument, or event that settles or decides something.
A strong feeling that someone or something does not deserve any respect.
Small wild animals, like rats or insects, that damage crops or food, or are considered a pest.
Communication and cooperation between two people or groups, or the person who manages that connection.
A situation in which neither side in an argument or conflict can win or make progress.
Informal, British: aggressive behavior or trouble, often between groups.
The person who brings a legal case against someone else in court.
A pig; also used as an insult for someone considered unpleasant or dishonest.
A group of people who share a similar characteristic, or a person's group of close supporters.
A feeling of fear or anxiety about something that is about to happen.
Informal, often affectionate: an old man, especially one seen as slightly odd.
An expression or remark that shows you think someone or something is stupid or not worth respecting.
Strong anger.
The ability to recover quickly from difficulties.
The quality of having more than one possible meaning, causing confusion.
A difference between two things that should be the same.
An idea or feeling that a word gives in addition to its main meaning.
An unwanted, often indirect result of an action, felt some time later.
The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.
To produce a large quantity of something quickly, often without much care for quality.
Informal: to decide not to do something because you're too scared or nervous.
To be kept inside a small space for a long time.
To keep asking or pressuring someone until they agree to do something.
To walk over something carelessly and damage it; also to disregard someone's rights or feelings.
Informal: to shout angrily at someone for something they did wrong.
To show great, often excessive, love and attention to someone.
To stop yourself from expressing a feeling, or to prevent something from happening.
To cause something to happen.
To think of or produce an idea, plan, or solution.
To fail to happen after being planned.
To do something wrong without being caught or punished for it.
To accept or tolerate something unpleasant without complaining.
To resemble an older relative in appearance or character.
To think you are better than someone, or to consider something inferior.
To compensate for something negative.
To defend or support someone or something, especially when they are being criticized.
To complete something you had planned, even though it might be difficult.
To move or progress at the same rate as someone or something else.
To meet someone by chance, or to experience an unexpected problem.
To control or limit something so it doesn't get worse or become public.
Treating a situation as serious and permanent, not as a game.
Because of me, or for my sake.
Completely unexpected, surprising.
Used to admit that something is true, before making a different or opposing point.
Always available and ready to do whatever someone asks.
To have a tendency or bias in a particular direction.
To damage or spoil someone's reputation.
Money that is owed from an earlier period and has not yet been paid.
Informal noun: a person who is not brave, often used to tease someone for being too cautious.
To understand the real, hidden meaning of something, beyond what is literally said.
To make yourself do something difficult or unpleasant that you have been avoiding.
To start supporting or doing something only because it has suddenly become popular.
To make a special effort to achieve something or help someone.
To try extremely hard to help someone or achieve something.
Something that makes you think seriously about a subject.
Something that seems bad at first but turns out to have a good result.
To make a bad situation even worse, especially by doing something unfair or hurtful.
To be in the same difficult situation as someone else.
To be in a stronger or more powerful position than someone else.