sb who opens a new type of business to earn money ● As a budding entrepreneur, he founded his first company at the age of 19.
on the dole (expr) /ɒn ðə dəʊl/
unemployed and living on state benefits ● How long was she on the dole before she found another job?
veteran (n) /ˈvetərən/
sb who has had long-term experience in an activity or job ● A Nobel Literature Prize was offered to the veteran singer Bob Dylan.
vicious circle (expr) /ˈvɪʃəs ˈsɜːkl/
a bad situation that is hard to get out of as one problem leads to another ● They felt trapped in a vicious circle of poverty and unemployment.
specs (abbrev) /speks/
glasses; abbreviation of spectacles ● Ian can't read anything without his specs on.
aimlessness (n) /ˈeɪmləsnəs/
the state of having no plans or idea what to do ● The economic crisis has left so many people out of work with feelings of aimlessness. ➣ aimless (adj...
empowerment (n) /ɪmˈpaʊəmənt/
the act of enabling sb to become stronger and have more control over their circumstances ● Having a comfortable private office space gave Sarah a sens...
ghetto (n) /ˈɡetəʊ/
a poor area of a city where people of the same background tend to be concentrated ● There was more news of rioting and clashes between gangs and polic...
grassroots (n) /ɡrɑːs ruːts/
the ordinary people in a group or society and not their leaders ● At grassroots level, many people are happy to complain, but few are willing to step...
bespectacled (adj) /bɪˈspektəkld/
wearing glasses ● A bespectacled librarian directed me to the reference section.
live wire (n) /laɪv ˈwaɪə(r)/
a very energetic person who is hard to control ● Annabelle's daughter is quite shy, but her son is a real live wire.
conclusive (adj) /kənˈkluːsɪv/
that proves sth completely ● Without conclusive proof, police cannot arrest the suspected arsonist. ➣ conclude (v), conclusion (adj), conclusively (ad...
make your way in life (expr) /meɪk jɔː(r) weɪ ɪn laɪf/
be successful and make progress ● Betty left home to make her own way in life as soon as she finished her studies.
alluring (adj) /əˈlʊərɪŋ/
attractive and exciting ● The prospect of a free trip to Iceland seemed most alluring. ➣ allure
reminisce (v) /ˌremɪˈnɪs/
think or talk about past experiences or events ● While my parents used to grumble about their boss, they now reminisce about the good times when they...
turn over a new leaf (expr) /tɜːn ˈəʊvə(r) ə njuː liːf/
change the way you behave to be a better person ● Upon his release from prison, Jimmy decided to turn over a new leaf and look for an honest job.
aspiration (n) /ˌæspəˈreɪʃn/
a strong hope to achieve sth ● With aspirations of fame and fortune, he set out for the bright lights of Broadway.
juvenile detention centre (n) /ˈdʒuːvənaɪl dɪˈtenʃn ˈsentə(r)/
an institute where convicted criminals under 18 years old are imprisoned ● Most of the gang members had already spent a few months in a juvenile deten...
lure (n) /lʊə(r)/
attractiveness; appeal ● The lure of city life drove her to leave her village. ➣ lure (v)
surrogate (adj) /ˈsʌrəɡət/
substituting for sth else which is not available ● Abandoned a few days after birth, the kitten was fortunately adopted and raised happily by its surr...
welfare (n) /ˈwelfeə(r)/
financial or other aid that the government gives to people who are unemployed, poor or have special needs, etc. ● Most people would prefer to have a j...
gangster (n) /ˈɡæŋstə(r)/
a member of a gang of criminals ● The sleazy nightclub was run by a local gangster.
fire
(v) /ˈfaɪə(r)/ excite or interest sb in sth ● The wildlife documentary fired his interest in travelling to New Guinea.
inherently (adv) /ɪnˈhɪərəntli/
due to the basic nature of sth/sb ● Although Daisy is a charming dog, she is inherently disobedient having had no early training. ➣ inhere (v), inhere...
garner (v) /ˈɡɑːnə(r)/
acquire and gather ● Ted shows off a bit too much in an effort to garner approval from his peers.
inducement (n) /ɪnˈdjuːsmənt/
sth given to sb to entice them to do sth ● Unfair taxation systems are no inducement for people to start up a new business. ➣ induce (v)
smattering (n) /ˈsmætərɪŋ/
a very small amount ● Knowing only a smattering of German, Olga had no intention of going to university in Frankfurt.
allegiance (n) /əˈliːdʒəns/
loyal support ● The new army recruits had to pledge allegiance to their country.
vocation (n) /vəʊˈkeɪʃn/
a chosen profession or job that you feel suits you ● Leo followed his dreams and found his true vocation as a football coach. ➣ vocational (adj)
lad (n) /læd/
a boy or young man ● A group of lads were hanging around outside the cafe.
prospective (adj) /prəˈspektɪv/
likely to become or do sth ● I sent my CV to dozen of prospective employers. ➣ prospect
round of applause (expr) /raʊnd əv əˈplɔːz/
a short period of people clapping to show approval ● He received a huge round of applause at the end of his speech.
benefit
(n) /ˈbenɪfɪt/ money that the government pays to people who are unemployed, poor or have special needs, etc. ● Matthew was flat broke when his out-of-...
rebellion (n) /rɪˈbeljən/
resistance against authority; reluctance to obey and attempts to change accepted rules ● Most children show signs of rebellion against their parents f...
camaraderie (n) /kæməˈrɑːdəri/
the friendly bond between people who work together or are in similar circumstances ● A sense of camaraderie developed among the earthquake victims cam...
ritual (n) /ˈrɪtʃuəl/
a sequence of actions repeated often in the same way ● Steven was used to the daily ritual of commuting to and from work. ➣ ritual
wannabe (adj) /ˈwɒnəbi/
trying to behave like sb that you want to be the same as ● Outside the studio were hundreds of wannabe singers awaiting their auditions.
transition (n) /trænˈzɪʃn/
the process of changing from one situation to another ● Adolescence is an interesting transition from childhood to adulthood, which is equally puzzlin...
headlong (adv) /ˈhedlɒŋ/
quickly and directly without considering the consequences ● Losing control of her company's budget, she fell headlong into bankruptcy. ➣ headlong (adj...
ridicule (n) /ˈrɪdɪkjuːl/
comments made to make sb look stupid ● The prime minister was coming in for a great deal of ridicule from the media. ➣ ridicule (v), ridiculous (adj),...
set your sights on sth (expr) /sət jɔː(r) saɪts ɒn ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
be determined to achieve sth ● Roxanne knew she had to study hard as she had set her sights on becoming a doctor.
thick and fast (expr) /θɪk ənd fɑːst/
very quickly and in great numbers ● Applications for the job were pouring in thick and fast.
thug (n) /θʌɡ/
a violent criminal ● The 'friendly' match was cut short when a group of thugs started throwing things at the players. ➣ thuggery (n), thuggish (adj)
downward spiral (expr) /ˈdaʊnwəd ˈspaɪrəl/
a situation that worsens progressively ● The international economy is on a downward spiral, signalling the end of the consumerist era.
insight (n) /ˈɪnsaɪt/
a piece of information or close look that gives you an understanding of sth ● The documentary gave us some insight into the living conditions in Brazi...
twinkle (n) /ˈtwɪŋkl/
an amused expression in your eyes ● From the slight twinkle in her eye, I knew my friend was about to make a happy announcement.
fall through the cracks (expr) /fɔːl θruː ðə kræks/
not be noticed or dealt with ● Mike had fallen through the cracks of the education system and couldn't read or write until his 20s.
get down to business (expr) /get daʊn tə ˈbɪznəs/
start work on sth seriously ● Let's get down to business before we run out of time to finish this job.
law-abiding (adj) /lɔː əˈbaɪdɪŋ/
doing everything by the law; ● Even the most ________ drivers fail to notice speed restriction limits where the signs are ob.
rehabilitation (n) /ˌriːəˌbɪlɪˈteɪʃn/
the process of helping sb change to have a healthier or more acceptable lifestyle after a period of illness or addiction, etc. ● Parents of teenage ad...
so-called (adj) /ˌsəʊ ˈkɔːld/
used before a description to show that you don't consider it appropriate ● The so-called 'war on terror' is generating more terrorism than tackling it...
intergenerational (adj) /ˌɪntərˌdʒɛnəˈreɪʃənl/
including people of different age groups ● The centre offers intergenerational sessions where older people teach skills to unemployed youths.
Your experience on this site will be improved by allowing cookies.