evade	to avoid doing sth one is supposed to do or to avoid answering a question, often by deception
shirk	to avoid work because of laziness
duck	to avoid an object by a quick downards movement
dodge	to avoid an object by a quick sideways movement
sway	to influence others' opinions so they turn from a given course
influence	to cause sb to think/act in a particular way
impress	to produce a lasting, positive effect
affect	to produce a reaction usu negative
real	true as opposed to false
genuine	(object) what it seems to be, (person) sincere and honest
natural	not man-made
authentic	with known and proved origins
valid	sth which can be used and will be accepted by people in authority (a document, ticket)
wealthy	having a lot of material possessions and money
affluent	wealthy and able to spend a lot of money
well-off	(informal) fairly wealthy
rich	(of food) full of ingredients which may be difficult to digest
extravagant	(object) sth that costs more money than you can afford or sth which is beyond what is reasonable
lavish	(object) sth that is very elaborate and impressive and a lot of money has been spent on it
merchandise	(formal) things for sale
ware	manufactured goods of a particular type
commodity	sth which is sold for profit, an article of trade
stock	the amount of goods a shop has available to sell
cure	(tr) to successfully treat, to restore to health
remedy	(tr) to put right, usu of situations
heal	(tr/intr) to cure; to get better, improve
treat	(tr) to give medical attention to
imitate	to behave in exactly the same way as sb else
copy	to produce sth that looks like the original thing
emulate	(formal) to imitate sb because you admire them
fake	to make sth seem genuine although actually false
slim	(complimentary) not fat
slim chance	synonym to slight possibility
lean	(complimentary) healthily thin, without fat (also of meat)
skinny	(uncomplimentary) very thin
slender	(complimentary) attractively thin, esp of women
moulder	to decay slowly
rot	(intr/tr) to (cause to) decay because of bacteria etc, esp of vegetation
waste	(intr/tr) to grow weak and small; to use badly
decompose	(intr/tr) to (cause to) go bad, esp of flesh
snarl	to make an angry noise while showing the teeth, esp of dogs etc
howl	to cry, esp of dogs; to cry with pain
bleat	to cry, esp of sheep, goats etc
twitter	to make a sound like a bird
(in/with) reference (to)	(in an expression) used to indicate what sth relates to / in connection with
affinity	relationship, similarity or connection
relation	(object) connection; (person) a member of one's family
connection	relationship between two things, people or groups
sliver	a small thin piece or amount of sth
chip	a small piece of sth
crumb	small part of larger object, esp bread, cake etc
cube	square-shaped piece of sth (wood, sugar, meat)
chop	to cut sth into pieces with strong downward movements of a knife or an axe
shred	to cut into thin strips
mince	to cut with a machine into small pieces (meat)
grate	to shred small pieces of sth (cheese, carrots) by rubbing against a rough surface
fade	to become less clear (with time)
vanish	to disappear suddenly
disappear	to be lost, to no longer be seen
pale	to become lighter in colour
toss	to throw into the air, esp of coins, pancakes etc
throw	to launch through the air, esp using the hand and arm
cast	to throw, let fall (stones, shadow)
fling	to throw sth using a lot of force
practise	to do an action repeatedly or do exercises regularly to gain skill (a musical instrument)
learn	to obtain knowledge or a skill through studying or training
teach	to give knowledge of a particular subject to someone
coach	to train/teach esp for a specific purpose, examination or sport
instruct	to give knowledge or information to sb into a methodical manner
present	to give information to people in a formal way
familiarise (yourself with)	to learn about sth and start to understand it
show (sb how to do it)	to do sth yourself so that they can watch you and learn how to do it
entrust	put sth/sb in the care of sb else
confide	to tell sb sth in secret
consign	to hand over/give up or send sth esp in trade
resign	to give up a job
punch	to hit with a clenched fist
slap	to hit with the palm of one's hand
smack	to hit with the palm of one's hand, esp a child as a punishment
whack	to hit with a blow making a loud noise
strike	to hit; used esp for emphasis and added emotion
smash	to break sth into many pieces by hitting or dropping it
enhance	to make sth better; to add to the beauty of sth
aggravate	to make sth worse
heighten	to become greater, more acute esp emotions
intensify	to become stronger, more intense
profit	to gain, esp money
gain	to obtain
earn (money, praise)	receive sth in return for work that you do; get sth because you deserve it
exploit (sb/sth)	treat sb unfairly; use sth in order to gain an advantage from it
commence	(formal) to begin
instigate	to start by urging or inciting
launch	to cause sth to begin, esp an activity, campaign etc
provoke (a reaction)	to cause a reaction
hinder	to delay or prevent the progress of sth
block	to be in the way of sth/sb; to obstruct
bar	to obstruct esp intentionally
impede	to make sth difficult to do
obstruct	to be in the way of sb/sth
intervene	(of events) to happen suddenly in a way that stops, delays, or prevents sth from happening
exude	(a quality or feeling) to show that sb has it to a great extent
exclude	to keep sb out from somewhere; to leave sb out from among the rest; ... sth not worth considering
expunge	to get rid of sth completely because it causes problems or bad feelings
extricate	to free yourself or another person from difficult, serious situation
goods	things for sale
wares	(old-fashioned) things for sales usu of a travelling salesman
commodities	products exchanged in trade usu on an international basis
supplies	food equipment and other essential things that people need, especiallywhenprovidedinlargequantities
rear	to look after one's young until fully-grown
bring up	to look after and educate until fully-grown
breed	to keep animals for the purpose of producing young
grow	to become or cause to become bigger
nurture	(a young child, or young plant) care for it while it is growing and developing
pinch	(informal) steal an object
pilfer	steal small amounts usu from your place of work
rip off	(informal) steal from a person
swipe	steal sth very quickly while sb is not looking
acquire	(formal) to obtain for oneself; (a skill, habit, etc) develop/learn
abduct	to take away (a person) unlawfully, often by force
gather	(information, evidence) to collect it especially after a period of time and after a lot of hard work
collect	gather; get a large number of things because they interest you
derive	to get sth such as pleasure or benefit from a person or from an activity/situation
deduce	to reach a conclusion because of other things that you know to be true
inhabit	to live in a place or region
inhabitant	person who lives (permanently) in a region or town
dwell	(formal) to live in a place
dweller	person or animal that lives in an environment
settle	to start living in a place permanently
settler	person who has come to live in a (previously uninhabited or developing) country or area
reside	to have one's home at in a place
resident	person who lives in a house, block of flats, area or country
take legal aid	to take money given by the government or another organisation to people who cannot afford a lawyer
take legal action	an expression used to indicate that sb is willing to start proceedings over a matter; often a threat
try	(usu passive) to examine in a court of law
bring to trial	to take a criminal case to a court of law to be examined
take sb to court	used in a similar way to "take legal action" but as a more specific and direct legal threat
charge with	to accuse of criminal act, esp by the police
summon	to order officially sb to appear in court
restrain	stop sb from doing what they intended or wanted to do; prevent oneself from showing an emotion
curb	control/keep sth within limits
check	to make sure that sth is correct or satisfactory
inhibit	to prevent or slow down; to render sb unable to express what they really feel or do what they want
continually	repeatedly, regularly, frequently
continuously	without stopping
perpetually	lasting for a long indefinite time usu without interruption; continually
eternally	endlessly; often used metaphorically for emphasis
constant	repeated many times usu in a regular manner
incessant	extending without interruption for an indefinite period of time; often used to express irritation
steady	continuing in a regular manner
ongoing	sth which began in the past and seems unlikely to stop in the near future
critical	of decisive importance
crucial	very important usu in determining sth or resolving a problem
essential	extremely important; necessary
vital	extremely necessary
significant	of importance and meaning
grave	important, pressing and usu worrying
fundamental	absolutely necessary; important; essential
forbid	to order sb not to do sth, not allow sth to be done
prohibit	to forbid by law or rule
disallow	not allow or accept sth officially, because it has not been done correctly
censor	to examine officially letters or the media to remove any secret or offensive information
famous	very well known
conspicuous	easily seen; noticeable; attracting attention
remarkable	worth speaking of; unusual
distinguished	marked by excellent quality or deserved fame
eminent	well-known and respected, especially for being good at one's profession
elevated	very important or of very high rank
prestigious	respected and admired by people
noteworthy	interesting; remarkable; worthy of attention
ruin	to damage sth so that it is useless
impair	to make sth weaker or imperfect
injure	to cause harm to a person/animal (broken limbs, wounds)
damage	to destroy something in part, causing loss of value
harm	to have a generally bad effect on sth, not necessarily a physical effect
scan	to look at sth quickly, usu from top to bottom, looking for particular information
peer at	to look at sth closely or with difficulty, due to poor eyesight or in darkness
scrutinise	to look closely and carefully at sth
inspect	to examine sth thoroughly
glimpse	to have a passing view of sb or sth
harass	(formal) to continually and unfairly annoy and cause trouble to sb
pester	to annoy sb with repeated requests for sth
get on at	(informal) to continually nag or tell sb to do sth
tease	(usu of children) to laugh at or make fun of in an unkind way
chip	(tr) to break a small wedge-shaped piece off the edge of an object
smash	(tr/intr) to break violently and often deliberately into pieces
snap	(tr/intr) to break suddenly esp with a sharp cracking noise
shatter	(tr/intr) to break (usu glass or china) into hundreds or thousands of pieces
break off	to come off or remove by force
crack	to (cause to) break without dividing into separate parts
scatter	(tr/intr) to throw many things randomly; (people) hurriedly and randomly disperse in all directions
disperse	(tr/intr) to break up (group of ppl/thing) and move its component parts away in various directions
strew	(tr) to drop things over a surface, esp in an untidy or careless manner
sprinkle	(tr) to drop sth in fine quantities
stagger	walk very unsteadily, e.g. because you are ill
reel	to move about in an unsteady way as if one is going to fall
totter	to move in an unsteady way from side to side as if about to fall
stumble	put your foot down awkwardly while you are walking or running and nearly fall over
slide	to move smoothly but unintentionally over a surface
glide	to move smoothly and easily over a surface
slip	to slide suddenly without intention
skid	usu with vehicles on roads to mean to slide suddenly and uncontrollably while trying to stop
huddle	to lie close to sb/sth in a confined space, usu for protection from adverse conditions
nestle	to settle comfortably in a secure place
snuggle	(esp up) to lie in comfort close to sb/sth
cuddle	to hold firmly and lovingly in one's arms
tend	to take great care of sb/sth (a garden, a wound)
attend (to)	to be with and take care of sb/sth, usu in a professional capacity
grow (a plant)	to put seeds or young plants in the ground and look after them as they develop
maintain	(a building, a machine) to keep it in good condition by regularly checking n repairing whennecessary
betray	to be disloyal; to break a moral obligation (sb's trust, confidence ect)
divulge	to give away secret information, esp personal (a secret, a source etc)
reveal	to show sth, to make sth known
disclose	to show sth that was previously concealed; to make sth known
shove	to move (sth) forward with a strong, usu careless, motion
tote	to carry
pile (things)	to form a pile gradually
thrust (sth or sb)	push sth or sb quickly with a lot of force
heave	push, pull or lift sth using a lot of effort
stem from	to have as origin
beget	to cause sth to happen or be created
generate	to cause sth to begin and develop
commence	(formal) to begin
chat	to talk to each other in an informal and friendly way
chatter	to talk quickly and continuously, usu about unimportant things
prattle	to talk a great deal without saying anything important
babble	to talk in a confused or excited way
gossip	to talk about other people's private affairs
border	dividing line between two countries
boundary	dividing line between two private areas (farmes' fields, gardens)
verge	point just before sth begins (a war)
brim	point at which sth is full (.. of a bowl)
rim	edge of sth circular
(out of) bounds	(of) an area where you are not allowed to go
susceptible	(to sth) likely to be affected by sth (negative)
liable	(to do sth) likely to do sth specific (he's ... to be late tomorrow)
prone	(to sth, often unexpected) likely to suffer from (... to accidents)
apt	(to do sth) likely to do sth, behave in a way (... to be careless)
sensitive (to sth)	likely to show understanding and awareness of other people's needs, problems or feelings
shore	land right on the edge of the sea
bank	land on the edge of a river
coast	area next to the sea
beach	seashore area with sand or stones usu where people go to sunbathe
seize	to take sth quickly, often with violence (... the bank's takings)
grab	take sth quickly, often with violence (children ... sweets)
grasp	hold sth firmly (to ... a child by the hand)
clutch	hold sth tightly usu against one's body
take	to reach out for sth and hold it
sack	(informal) to dismiss sb from their job due to their failure to carry out duties properly
make redundant	to dismiss sb (usu large numbers) from their job(s) due to financial problems, orbecausenotnecessary
resign	to give notice and leave a job
retire	to leave a job at retirement age (usu 60 or 65 years) due to constant illness
trouble	difficulty, worry, anxiety, annoyance etc.
cause	sth which produces an effect; a person, thing or event that makes sth happen
problem	a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people
disaster	sth which has a negative effect (harm, loss etc)
cataclysm	violent disaster on a larger scale (war, volcanic eruption etc)
calamity	misfortune or disaster usu on a smaller, more personal scale than a cataclysm
catastrophe	sudden disaster or misfortune
sect	closely bound religious group
breed	type of animal which is of pure race usu dogs, cats or horses
tribe	group of people of the same race living as a community esp in nomadic or primitive cultures
caste	group of people linked by rank, wealth, social position, usu in India (of a high/low social ...)
ally	sb who supports/helps another esp in a war
accomplice	sb who helps another usu in crime or wrongdoing
acquaintance	person who one knows but who is not a close friend
associate	sb you are closely connected with, esp at work
fee	charge asked by a professional for a service
stipend	income (esp of clergymen)
salary	fixed payment for work, made at regular intervals
wages	weekly payment for regular work
unveil	to officially uncover sth; usu a statue
unpack	to take sth out of a box or parcel
unwrap	to take the paper off the outside usu of a present
reveal	to let out a secret or a scandal
put up with	to tolerate sb or sth
afford	to have enough money to buy sth
withstand	to endure sth without being badly damaged or collapsing (... bad treatmen)
support	to have enough money to provide food, clothing etc for dependents (... a wife and children)
confirm	to provide (usu written) evidence as to the correctness of sth
guarantee	to promise something will definitely happen
assure	to tell sb with confidence
reassure	to up sb's mind at rest when they are worried about sth
adventurous	(positive) enthousiastic about doing new things or exploring new places
reckless	(negative) liable to do dangerous things without considering the consequences (... driving, act)
impervious	not being affected or influenced by someone's actions (... to criticism, suggestions)
foolhardy	extremely risky
instinctive	resulting from instinct (an ... act; but not an ... person)
grind	tedious, physical work
back to the grind	return to work after a break
labour	physical work usus with the adjectives "physical" or "manual"
drudgery	tedious, physical work usu unrewarding and of an unskilled nature (cleaning)
toil	tiring physical work (usu used as a verb)
control	keep sth within limits by force (... children / public spending)
stunt	keep sth/sb from growing properly (a ...ed plant, ...ed growth)
curb	limit or control usu emotions (... temper)
temper	make sth less strong or extreme (... your voice)
remember	keep a fact/event in one's long-term memory (... your childhood / to do sth)
recollect	(no passive voice) bring sth to mind for a short period (... doing sth/sb's name/ face)
reminisce	to think with fondness about past events
remind	tell sb to do sth so that they don't forget
memorise	commit sth (usu a poem, grammar rule, etc) to memory (... facts and figures)
hard-up	(informal) short of money (... students)
wealthy	possessing a lot of money and material possessions
tight	(informal derog) not willing to spend money
comfortable	(informal) not poor but not wealthy
strut	(often derog) to walk in a proud way, with even steps
scamper	(esp of children and animals) to run quickly, usu playfully
slither	to move in a sliding way like a snake
slink	to move secretly and quietly esp when afraid or ashamed
diminish	(tr/intr) to (make sth or sb) smaller quieter, less important etc
dwindle	(intr) to gradually become smaller in number or amount
shrink	(tr/intr) to become or make smaller in size due to water or heat
reduce	(tr/intr) to make or become less in number, size, degree (... the volume, ... the price)
clothed	wearing clothes
to be clad (in)	(archaic) to be dressed in
wearing	dressed in (sth)
to be dressed	to be wearing sth usu for a particular occasion
retract	to take back officially a statement or announcement
extract	to take or pull sth from a place/remove sth; to obtain sth by using industrial or chemical processes
extract	to select some information from a large amount or source of information
pull out	(of troops) to withdraw from an area; (informal) to extract (a tooth)
renounce	to officially give up a claim, rank or title; refuse to associate with or acknowledge sth/sb
sting	to cause pain to sb where a sharp part of an animal or insect is pushed into one's skin
bite	to wound with the teeth (dogs ...)
stab	to wound by striking with a knife or dagger
prick	to cause pain by piercing with a sharp point (pin...)
refuse	not to agree to do sth
deny	to say that one knows nothing about sth (deny all knowledge of sth)
reject	to turn down an offer, invitation
revoke	cancel or withdraw sth (... a licence, a law, a document)
accomplish	to do sth successfully (... an aim)
attain	to reach a particular level, usu with difficulty (... a mark of 100%)
gain	to obtain (... power/weight)
reach	to come to a particular point (... London)
manage	to succeed in doing usu sth difficult or demanding
decline	(formal) refuse usu an invitation or offer (to ... an invitation to a banquet)
renounce	to officially give up a claim, rank or title; refuse to associate with or acknowledge sth/sb
deny	to say that sth is not true
reject	to refuse sb's application or invitation
take (sb) aback	(informal, usu passive) to surprise or mildly shock sb
astound	(usu passive) surprise or shock sb usu in a negative way, so they are unable to think
amaze	surprise sb (usu in a positive way)
surprise	to create a feeling caused by sth unexpected
grumble	to find fault continually and in an ineffective, bad-tempered way over trivial things; soundhungry
pester	to annoy sb esp with repeated requests for sth
whine	(usu of children) to complain in an annoying way and in a high-pitched voice
complain	to find fault, to make one's grievances known officially or unofficially
object	express your dislike or disapproval of sth
nag	to keep asking sb to do sth they have not done yet or do not want to do
criticise	express one's disapproval of sb/sth and indicate what's wrong with them
scam	an illegal trick usu aiming at getting money from people or avoiding paying tax
snare	a trap intended usu to catch an animal (a rabbit-...)
gimmick	unusual thing used in advertising to attract publicity
plot	a plan to do sth secretly (... against the enemy)