4000 Essential English Words

Episode 127: grand, loosen, form, mortal, mature, aid, absent, partition, impress, and addition.

1. grand (adj.) : big, impressive, and important; magnificent or luxurious

2. loosen (v.) : to make something less tight; to relax or make less strict

3. form (v./n.) : to make or create something (v.); a type or shape; a document to fill out (n.)

4. mortal (adj./n.) : able to die; causing death or very severe (adj.); a human being (n.)

5. mature (adj./v.) : fully grown or behaving like an adult (adj.); to become fully grown (v.)

6. aid (n./v.) : help or assistance (n.); to help or assist (v.)

7. absent (adj.) : not present or missing; mentally not there (absent-minded)

8. partition (n./v.) : a divider that separates things (n.); to divide into parts (v.)

9. impress (v.) : to make someone feel admiration and respect

10. addition (n.) : the act of adding something or something that is added; in math, the process of adding numbers

Episode 126: grand, loosen, form, mortal, mature, aid, absent, partition, impress, and addition.

1. grand (adj.) : big, impressive, and important; magnificent or luxurious

2. loosen (v.) : to make something less tight; to relax or make less strict (e.g., loosen rules)

3. form (v./n.) : to make or create something, like a shape or group (v.); a type or kind of something; a document to fill out with information (n.)

4. mortal (adj./n.) : able to die; not immortal (adj.); a regular human being (n.)

5. mature (adj./v.) : fully developed or grown-up, in age or behavior (adj.); to become fully grown (v.)

6. aid (n./v.) : help or assistance (n.); to help or assist someone (v.)

7. absent (adj.) : not present or missing from a place

8. partition (n./v.) : something that divides a space, like a wall or divider (n.); to divide something into parts (v.)

9. impress (v.) : to make someone feel admiration or respect

10. addition (n.) : the act of adding something, or something that is added; in math, the process of adding numbers together

Episode 125: instruct, pledge, quiet, observe, challenge, hardware, horrify, upwards, yet, and mile.

1. instruct (v.) : to teach someone how to do something or give specific directions or orders

2. pledge (v./n.) : to make a serious or formal promise (v.); a solemn promise or commitment (n.)

3. quiet (adj./v.) : making very little or no noise; silent or peaceful (adj.); to make something or someone become silent or calm (v.)

4. observe (v.) : to watch something or someone carefully; to notice or see something

5. challenge (n./v.) : a difficult task or problem that tests one's abilities (n.); to invite someone to compete or to question the truth or validity of something (v.)

6. hardware (n.) : the physical parts of a computer or machine; tools or metal equipment used for building or repairs

7. horrify (v.) : to cause someone to feel great shock, fear, or disgust

8. upwards (adv.) : toward a higher place, level, or position; increasing in amount or value

9. yet (conj./adv.) : but or however (to introduce contrast); up to this time or still (e.g., not yet); even (for emphasis, e.g., yet another)

10. mile (n.) : a unit of distance equal to 1,760 yards or about 1.609 kilometers; (idiom: go the extra mile) to make additional effort

Episode 124: ban, heritage, divorce, secret, yellow, invite, hopeless, anyway, angrily, and saucer.

1. ban (v./n.) : to not allow something or to forbid it officially

2. heritage (n.) : the traditions, beliefs or culture that are passed down from previous generations

3. divorce (n./v.) : the legal ending of a marriage; to separate two things completely

4. secret (n.) : something that is kept hidden or not known by others

5. yellow (adj.) : the color of the sun, lemons; (slang) cowardly or afraid

6. invite (v.) : to ask someone to go somewhere or do something; to cause a reaction, usually a bad one

7. hopeless (adj.) : describing a situation where there is no possibility of success or improvement; having zero skill at something

8. anyway (adv.) : used to change the subject or return to a previous subject; in spite of something

9. angrily (adv.) : doing something with anger

10. saucer (n.) : a small curved plate that you put a cup on; (flying saucer) the classic term for a UFO

Episode 123: borrow, cough, triangle, whenever, later, brush, sign, sometimes, relevant, and sunlight.

1. borrow (v.) : to take and use something that belongs to someone else with the intention of returning it

2. cough (n./v.) : a sudden expulsion of air from the lungs, often with a noisy sound, due to irritation or illness (n.); to force air out of the lungs in this way (v.)

3. triangle (n.) : a flat shape with three straight sides and three angles; a musical percussion instrument made of a metal rod bent into a triangle

4. whenever (conj.) : at whatever time; every time that; as soon as

5. later (adv.) : at a time in the future or after the time you have mentioned; (greeting: see you later) goodbye for now

6. brush (n./v.) : a tool with bristles used for cleaning, painting, or arranging hair (n.); to clean, paint, or touch lightly with a brush or similar motion (v.)

7. sign (n./v.) : a notice, symbol, or mark giving information or instructions (n.); to write one's name on something to show agreement or authorship (v.)

8. sometimes (adv.) : on some occasions but not always or often; occasionally

9. relevant (adj.) : closely connected or appropriate to what is being discussed or considered; important to the matter at hand

10. sunlight (n.) : the light and heat that come directly from the sun

Episode 122: study, stress, magnitude, preserve, celebration, crack, refer, molecule, inward, and defeat.

1. study (v./n.) : to spend time learning about a subject, usually by reading or practicing (v.); the act of learning or examining something closely (n.)

2. stress (n./v.) : a feeling of emotional or mental tension caused by difficult situations (n.); to emphasize or give special importance to something (v.)

3. magnitude (n.) : the great size, extent, or importance of something; often used to describe the strength of earthquakes or the scale of problems

4. preserve (v.) : to keep something in its original or existing state; to protect or maintain something (e.g., food, nature, traditions)

5. celebration (n.) : a joyful occasion or event held to mark something special, such as a holiday, achievement, or victory

6. crack (n./v.) : a thin line or break on a surface without complete separation (n.); to break or split something without fully separating it (v.); a sudden sharp sound (n.)

7. refer (v.) : to mention or direct attention to something or someone; to look at a source for information (e.g., refer to a book)

8. molecule (n.) : the smallest unit of a chemical compound that can exist independently while retaining the properties of the substance

9. inward (adv./adj.) : toward the inside or center; directed toward one's own thoughts or feelings (e.g., turn inward)

10. defeat (v./n.) : to win a victory over someone or something in a battle or competition (v.); the act of being beaten or overcome (n.)

Episode 121: prevent, sweat, function, immediately, grocery, robot, rust, weave, event, and market.

1. prevent (v.) : to stop something from happening or someone from doing something

2. sweat (n./v.) : the salty liquid produced by the body when hot, exercising, or nervous (n.); to produce sweat or to work very hard (v.); (idiom: don't sweat it) don't worry about it

3. function (v./n.) : to work or operate in the correct way (v.); the purpose or role of something (n.)

4. immediately (adv.) : without delay; right away or at once

5. grocery (n.) : a shop that sells food and household items (also grocery store); (plural groceries) the items bought there

6. robot (n.) : a machine that can perform tasks automatically, often programmed to move and act like a human

7. rust (n./v.) : the reddish-brown substance that forms on iron or steel when exposed to air and moisture (n.); to become covered with rust (v.)

8. weave (v.) : to make cloth or a basket by crossing threads or strips over and under each other; to move along by twisting and turning to avoid obstacles

9. event (n.) : something that happens, especially something important or notable; a planned social or public occasion

10. market (n.) : a place where people buy and sell goods, often outdoors (e.g., farmers market); the demand for a product or service

Episode 120: freeze, lunar, know, world, empire, construct, contain, harm, extra, and communication.

1. freeze (v.) : to become solid or hard because of extreme cold (e.g., water freezes into ice); to stop moving suddenly, often from fear or surprise; (of a computer/screen) to stop responding

2. lunar (adj.) : relating to the moon (e.g., lunar eclipse, lunar surface)

3. know (v.) : to have information or knowledge about something; to be familiar with a person, place, or thing; to recognize or be acquainted with

4. world (n.) : the earth and all the people, places, and things on it; the entire planet and its inhabitants

5. empire (n.) : a large group of countries or territories under a single ruler or government; a large commercial organization controlled by one person or group

6. construct (v.) : to build or make something by putting parts together (e.g., construct a building or a plan)

7. contain (v.) : to hold or have something inside; to include or consist of; to control or restrain (e.g., contain emotions)

8. harm (v./n.) : to hurt or injure someone or something physically or emotionally (v.); damage or injury (n.)

9. extra (adj./adv./n.) : more than usual or necessary (adj./adv.); an additional amount or item (n.)

10. communication (n.) : the act of exchanging information, ideas, or feelings; the methods or systems used to share messages (e.g., verbal, written, or electronic)

Episode 119: marine, hillside, spot, unequal, morning, powerful, row, boil, toilet, and opera.

1. marine (adj.) : relating to the sea or ocean; found in or produced by the sea (e.g., marine life, marine biology)

2. hillside (n.) : the sloping side of a hill

3. spot (n./v.) : a particular place or area (n.); a small mark or stain (n.); to see or notice something, especially something difficult to detect (v.)

4. unequal (adj.) : not equal in size, amount, value, or strength; unfair or unbalanced

5. morning (n.) : the early part of the day, from sunrise until noon

6. powerful (adj.) : having great strength, influence, or effect; very effective or impressive

7. row (n./v.) : a straight line of things or people (n.); to move a boat through water using oars (v.)

8. boil (v.) : to heat a liquid until it reaches the temperature where bubbles form and it turns to steam; (of emotions) to become very angry

9. toilet (n.) : a bowl-shaped fixture with a seat, used for urinating and defecating; flushed with water (also called bathroom or restroom in some contexts)

10. opera (n.) : a dramatic work or performance combining music, singing, acting, and often dance; a type of classical theater with elaborate vocal pieces

Episode 118: simplify, supervisor, pioneer, contract, frighten, payment, unexpectedly, independent, uncertainty, and daily.

1. simplify (v.) : to make something easier to do, understand, or explain by reducing complexity

2. supervisor (n.) : a person who manages or oversees workers or a project; someone in a position of authority over others in a workplace

3. pioneer (n./v.) : a person who is among the first to explore, develop, or research something new (n.); to be the first to develop or use a new method or area (v.)

4. contract (n./v.) : a formal written agreement between parties that is legally binding (n.); to make something smaller or tighter, or to catch an illness (v., less common here)

5. frighten (v.) : to cause someone to feel fear or alarm; to scare

6. payment (n.) : the act of paying or the amount of money paid for goods, services, or a debt

7. unexpectedly (adv.) : in a way that was not expected or predicted; suddenly or surprisingly

8. independent (adj.) : not relying on others for support, money, or direction; free from external control; self-sufficient

9. uncertainty (n.) : the state of not being certain or sure about something; doubt or unpredictability

10. daily (adj./adv.) : happening, done, or produced every day; on a daily basis