IELTS Vocabulary Flashcard

"Distinguishable"  means noticeable.  The prepositions “by” and “from” are often used with the word distinguishable. Take a look at the examples with the prepositions below:

• The animal is easily distinguishable by the black stripes above its eye.
• The male bird is barely distinguishable from the female.
• The one chocolate doughnut in the box will be easily distinguishable from the plain doughnuts.
• In some people with color blindness, red isn't distinguishable from green.
• I am looking for a distinguishable dress for my daughter’s wedding, I really want to stand out.”

Being distinguished is a good thing: it implies good behavior, sharp dress, and an excellent reputation. Distinguished people are respected. When we say someone is distinguished, we're expressing respect for them. Usually, someone distinguished is older: distinguished people are wise, accomplished, and professional-looking — and usually have an impressive reputation to match. A teenager can't really be distinguished. They're too young to look the part, and they haven't done enough to earn the title. We admire people who are distinguished.

The phrase "fall short of" means to fail to meet expectations or requirements.  The collocation 'fall short of requirements' and 'fall short of expectations'  are often used. 

Example sentences:

• The phone falls quite short of the company’s unusual quality, feeling a bit cheap as a result.
• Unfortunately, your application fell short of the requirements for entry, so it has been denied.
• August car sales fell short of the industry's expectations.
• I fell short of the requirements for the university.

The word harm can be a noun or a verb.

As a noun, it means physical or mental damage or something that causes someone or something to be hurt, broken. It can also mean something that makes one less valuable or successful, etc. The following collocations and phrases are often used

• cause/do harm to someone or something 
• inflict harm on someone or animals
• suffer harm
• do more harm than good =  make a situation worse rather than better.
• out of harm's way = in a safe place.
• physical harm
• psychological/emotional harm
• environmental harm

Common errors: Don’t say ‘give harm’ or ‘make harm’. Say do harm or cause harm.

To “cause harm to someone or something” means to physically or mentally damage someone or something. Here are example sentences:

• Try to choose products that do the least harm to the environment.
• Acid rains cause harm to vegetation and buildings.

To “inflict harm on someone” means to damage or injure someone and make them suffer. Here are example sentences:

• None of us wants to inflict harm on another human being.
• Studies have shown that individuals who enjoy or are willing to inflict harm on animals are more likely to do so to humans. 
• Conduct disorder involves behavior that intentionally inflicts harm on others, including aggression towards other children, adults, and animals.

Example sentences using the phrase “more harm than good”:

• The drugs he was prescribed did him more harm than good.
• Strenuous exercise can often do more harm than good.

Example sentences using the phrase “out of harm’s way”:

• The younger children were kept out of harm's way.
• We fenced the yard to keep the children out of harm's way.

suffer harm

• A child can be taken into care if he is or is likely to suffer significant harm.

physical harm

• They were afraid that he would do some actual physical harm.

psychological/emotional harm

• Depriving a child of love does irreparable emotional harm.

environmental harm

• The report highlights the environmental harm caused by transporting goods around the world.

As a verb, it means to cause harm to someone or something. It is a transitive verb.  Here are example sentences:

• He would never intentionally harm his children.
• Chemicals that could harm the environment
• The scandal has seriously harmed his reputation.

The adjective harmful describe things that cause harm to something or someone. The phrases 'be harmful to something'  and "have a harmful effect/impact on something" are often used. Here are example sentences:

• Listening to loud music through headphones can be harmful to your hearing. 
• Burning coal can be harmful to the environment.
• Harmful words can hurt someone's feelings.
• The chemical kills harmful (meaning dangerous) bacteria.
• They claim that the drug has no harmful (adverse) side effects.
• These pesticides are environmentally harmful.
• Smoking is harmful to your health.
• Eating too much sugar can be harmful to your health.
• Watching too much TV is harmful to a child's intellectual and social development.
• Watching too much TV has a harmful impact on child's intellectual and social development

The definition of “live up to” is to meet the expectations. The collocation​ 'live up to the expectation' is often used. Here are example sentences:

• The concert was brilliant - it lived up to all our expectations.
• He never managed to live up to his parents' expectations.
• The Niagara Falls lived up to all the publicity.
• Did the holiday live up to your expectations?
• The breathtakingly beautiful scenery certainly lived up to expectations.

If someone or something lives up to what they were expected to be, they are as good as they were expected to be. For example

• My dad will be upset if I don’t live up to the baseball player he used to be. (This means that if the boy isn’t a great baseball player, he won’t meet his father’s expectations of how he should live.)
• I feel it's impossible to live up to my mother.

An occupant is someone who lives or stays at a place for a while. Being an occupant means you're occupying a place. This has nothing to do with owning a house or renting an apartment; if you live there, you're an occupant.

Example sentences:

• The apartment's previous occupant was a painter.
• Both of the car's occupants were injured.
• Most of the occupants had left before the fire broke out

If it has anything to do with your job, your work or your career, then you can describe it as occupational. You might hear people talk about "occupational hazards" — which can range from paper cuts to falling trees, depending on if you make a living filing or lumber-jacking.

Example sentences:

• The firefighters' workplace was filled with occupational hazards.
• Some received substantial occupational assistance in the form of low-interest loans.
• The program offered free occupational training to the poor.
• Hand injuries are an occupational hazard for typists. (meaning typists are likely to have hand injuries because of the work they do)

The verb aggravate means to make (an injury, problem, etc.) more serious or severe

• I aggravated my old knee injury after playing basketball yesterday.
• A headache can be aggravated by too much exercise.
• The symptoms were aggravated by drinking alcohol.

It also means to annoy or bother someone

• All of these delays really aggravate me.
• Our neighbors were aggravated by all the noise.

Definition: The standared of

Example sentences:

• The high caliber of his work earned him a raise in pay

Definition: Cause severe and disabling damage to (a machine); Cause a severe and almost insuperable problem for

Example sentences:

• We have developing countries being crippled by debt, so we need a more value-led globalization.

Definition: greatly pleased

Example sentences:

• His work shows that he delighted in using ballet for a multifaceted consideration of many aspects of existence.

Definition: Discourage (someone) from doing something by instilling doubt or fear of the consequences

Example sentences:

• All the academic evidence suggests fear of debt deters people from less prosperous backgrounds.

Detrimental is a formal way of saying "harmful." If you're writing a paper and want to pick an alternative to harmful that sounds more formal, detrimental is a great choice. The phrases 'be detrimental to'  and "have a detrimental effect/impact on something" are often used. Here are example sentences:

• These chemicals have a detrimental effect/impact on the environment.
• Their decision could be detrimental to the future of the company.
• Smoking is detrimental to your health.
• Eating too much sugar can be detrimental to your health.
• Watching too much TV is detrimental to a child's intellectual and social development.
• Watching too much TV has a detrimental impact on child's intellectual and social development.​

Definition: Equal in value, amount, function, meaning, etc.

Example sentences:

• One unit is equivalent to one glass of wine

Exacerbate is a form way to say “Make things worse.” In an example, “He exacerbated the situation by complaining.” That means that they were already in a not great situation, and the situation worsened because the boy was complaining.

Example sentences using exacerbate:

• The proposed factory shutdown would only exacerbate our unemployment problems.
• His angry comments have exacerbated tensions in the negotiation process
• Longstanding poverty has been exacerbated by racial divisions.

Definition: Having limits or bounds:

Example sentences:

• Every computer has a finite amount of memory

Definition: Hinder or impede the movement or progress of

Example senences:

• The police organised several cranes to tow away vehicles in the area that were hampering the movement of the fire fighters.

If something is a hazard, it is a potential source of danger.  The preposition 'for or to ' is used.

The preposition “to”, is used when some kind of transfer is happening or something is being moved from one place to another.

The preposition “for”, is used when something is being done to benefit something or someone else or when you are trying to express purpose or the reason that something is happening.

Look at these two example sentences:

• The burning of industrial waste is a major hazard to human health.
• Holes in the pavement are a hazard for blind people.

In the first sentence, industrial waste is generally a hazard and burning this waste transfers this hazard to human. In this case, to is used because there is some kind of transfer.

In the case of the second sentence, holes in the pavement can be a hazard for anyone but it is especially a hazard for blind people because they cannot see to avoid these holes. The preposition "for "is used to express the reason why the holes in the pavement are a hazard.

 For example:

• Holes in the pavement are a hazard for blind people.
• Hand injuries are an occupational hazard for typists. (meaning typists are likely to have hand injuries because of the work they do)

The preposition 'to ' is used when it is followed by a thing. For example:

• The burning of industrial waste is a major hazard to human health.

Here are example sentences:  

• Balloons are fun, but they're a hazard for little kids who might put them in their mouths.
• That old staircase is a safety hazard. (meaning it is dangerous; someone could get hurt by using it)
• Young people should be educated about the hazards of excessive drinking.
• Production of these chemicals poses serious environmental hazards.

As a verb, hazard means to take a risk, especially for the chance of a good return. For example:

• You might hazard your chances 
• His friend asked him to hazard a small sum in a business venture.
• She was unwilling to hazard a guess as to who would win.The prepositions; “for” or “to” are often used.

PHRASES

• exposure to a hazard

Example sentence:

• Try and reduce your exposure to hazards such as poor quality air.

COLLOCATIONS

health hazard

• The rubbish needs to be removed before it becomes a health hazard.

a fire hazard

• The unoccupied building was declared a fire hazard.

a safety hazard

• Protesters claim that the nuclear reactor is a safety hazard.

a traffic hazard

• Cars parked in the wrong places can cause a traffic hazard.

a natural hazard (=a hazard caused by nature)

• One of the most widespread natural hazards is flooding.

cause/create a hazard

• There was concern that overhead power lines could cause a health hazard.

pose a hazard (=be a possible hazard)

• It was not known whether radiation from the weapons posed any hazard to soldiers.

eliminate a hazard (=get rid of a hazard)

• They took steps to eliminate all potential fire hazards.

reduce a hazard

• He led the campaign to recognize and reduce the hazard from radiation in our environment.

The noun "hazard" means something dangerous, and the adjective hazardous refers to anything that involves danger. The phrase 'be hazardous to' is often used.  Here are example sentences:

• Smoking can be hazardous to your health.
• There are some chemicals that are hazardous to human beings.
• Restricting your food intake is potentially hazardous to you and your developing baby.
• The government may want Apple to add a warning on all IPod's that they could be hazardous to people.

The verb “hinder” means to make (something, such as a task or action) slow or difficult  It has the same meaning of "impede". Example sentences using the word hinder:

• Their journey was hindered (impeded) by snow and high winds.
• The country's economic growth is being hindered (impeded) by the sanctions.
• It's not clear whether the change will help or hinder (impede) our project.
• Fallen rock is hindering (impeding) the progress of rescue workers

A hindrance is a person or thing that makes a situation difficult. The preposition “to” is often used.  For example

• She wanted to sign up for the class, but the cost was a hindrance. [=the class cost too much]
• I'm afraid you're more of a hindrance to me than a help at this point.
• He meant to help with the project, but he’s actually become a hindrance
• These sanctions are a hindrance to the country's economic growth. = These sanctions are an impediment to the country's economic growth.
• Dehydration can be a hindrance to proper circulation.
• Strong winds are a hindrance to mountain climbers.

The phrase 'without (let or) hindrance' means 'without being interfered with'. Here is an example sentence:

• They have the right to vote without let or hindrance.
• He should be allowed to live where he chooses without let or hindrance.

If you impart information or knowledge to people, you tell it to them.

Example sentences:

• The ability to impart knowledge and command respect is the essential qualification for teachers.
• A teacher's most challenging role is not to impart knowledge but to relate to students the value of learning.
• The people who are in favor of the schools, dealing with traditional subjects such as history believe that the children are oblivious of their career path at tender ages, therefore, imparting any specific skill or job oriented knowledge may go in vain.

To impede something is to delay or block its progress or movement. When we use the word 'impede', we are talking about long-term obstacles or problems that cannot be solved in a short period of time. Here are example sentences:

Example sentences:

• Economic growth is being impeded by government regulations.
• Fallen rock is impeding the progress of rescue workers.
• The continued war impeded the country’s recovery.

An impediment is anything that slows or blocks progress. It can refer to a physical thing, like a fallen tree in the road. It can also refer to things that can’t be seen. The preposition “to” is often used.   When we use the word 'impediment', we are talking about long-term obstacles or problems that cannot be solved in a short period of time. Here are example sentences:

• According to a number of teachers, the biggest impediment to working in a small town is the low salary paid to educators.
• The continued war is an impediment to the country’s recovery.
• The agreement is designed to remove impediments to trade between the two countries.
• The board was satisfied that there was no legal impediment to the merger of the two companies. 
• Fallen rock is an impediment to the progress of rescue.

Medically, an impediment is especially said to be a physical hindrance, such as a lisp or a stammer. Here are example sentences:​

• If someone has a reading impediment, it means that their reading strength has roadblocks for one reason or another. 
• Stammer is a physical impediment.
• John's slight speech impediment made it difficult for his mother to understand him.

Definition: Hinder, restrain, or prevent

Example sentences:

• Public provision of social security assistance could become less important if governments remove policies inhibiting innovation or restraining growth.

Definition: Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects

Example senences:

• The obstruction and harassment is subtle but insidious and seriously affects the ability of the aid agencies to do their job.
• Sexually transmitted diseases can be insidious and sometimes without symptoms

Definition:

Example sentences:

Definition: the work of inquiring into something thoroughly and systematically

Example sentences:

• The comprehensive investigation of the bank revealed no illegal activity.

Definition: Of only moderate quality; not very good:

Example sentences:

• He is a mediocre actor

Definition: an invented story or idea

Example sentences:

• Throughout history myths were created in an attempt to explain many common natural occurrences.

An origin is a start. You could say that the origin of yoga was in India, since that's where the practice began, or that the origin of the strawberries in the market is Mexico since they were grown there.Your ancestry is another kind of origin — you might mention your Eastern European origin if that's where your ancestors came from. The phrase "in origin" is used.

Example sentences:

• The origin of this custom/tradition is not known.
• Their medical problems are basically physical in origin.
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.
• The rock is volcanic in origin.

Originality is the quality of being new and inventive. A composer who writes a symphony to be played by car horns and cell phones shows great originality.  A great artist is full of originality, especially when coming up with new and surprising types of art. If something is just like other things, it shows no originality. 

Example sentences:

• Critics have praised the movie's startling originality.
• I was amazed by the originality of her ideas.

COLLOCATIONS

have originality

·         This book does not have the originality and power of his first novel.

show originality

• His research shows originality and sustained effort.

lack originality

• The music lacks originality, but is fun and well-played.

a spark of originality (=a small amount of originality)

• The show at least has a spark of originality, something that most TV programs seem to lack.

When something originates or when someone originates it, it begins to happen or exist.

Example sentences:

• You can originate the idea of adding a fancy new coffee machine to your company's break room.
• A carpet that originates in Turkey can travel all the way to an apartment in New York. The soya bean originated in China, is used it as 'green manure' to enrich the soil for growing other crops.
• The continental crust is thought to have originated from the movement of magma when plate tectonics first formed billions of years ago.
• Jupiter's moons most likely originated from passing asteroids that were captured into orbit. 
   

To outweigh is to be more important than something (or someone).  If someone says "the benefits outweigh the risks," they mean that what can be gained is much more significant than what might be lost or risked. For example, "I think you should apply for that scholarship; the benefits really outweigh the risks​​"

Example sentences using the word “outweigh”:

• She outweighs her sister by 10 pounds.
• The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.
• This issue outweighs all others in importance.
• The benefits would surely far outweigh the risks.
• In summary, I believe that the benefits of having young people undertake community service would far outweigh any disadvantages.
• For most people, the pros outweigh the cons and online shopping is as normal to them as any other daily activity.
• To what extent do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

Remember - if one thing outweighs another, the first thing is of greater importance, benefit, or significance than the second thing.

Definition: Full of danger or risk:

Example sentences:

• When the distances are longer and the borders tougher, the journeys become much more perilous.

A phenomenon is an extraordinary occurrence or circumstance. In the 1950s, rock-n-roll was considered a new cultural phenomenon, while today we think of crop circles as a mysterious phenomenon. An earthquake, for example, was a phenomenon, because you could see it (and hear it and feel it).  Used in a sentence, “The class was excited to see the eclipse, as it was a natural phenomenon.”

"Phenomena" is simply the plural word for "phenomenon", or it is one or more extraordinary occurrences or circumstances.  Example sentences:

• May was a great month for astronomists because of the high amount of phenomena in the sky.

​

A phenomenon is an extraordinary occurrence or circumstance. In the 1950s, rock-n-roll was considered a new cultural phenomenon, while today we think of crop circles as a mysterious phenomenon. An earthquake, for example, was a phenomenon, because you could see it (and hear it and feel it).  Used in a sentence, “The class was excited to see the eclipse, as it was a natural phenomenon.”

"Phenomena" is simply the plural word for "phenomenon", or it is one or more extraordinary occurrences or circumstances. “May was a great month for astronomists because of the high amount of phenomena in the sky.”Example sentences:

• The movie eventually became a cultural phenomenon.
• This form of civil disobedience isn't a particularly new phenomenon.
• Detailed food labeling is a fairly recent phenomenon.
• Cloudy water is a common phenomenon in new aquariums.

Definition: likely to do something

Example senences:

• Passive smoking affects non-smokers and makes them more prone to respiratory infections.
• The link between adrenalin making people more prone to heart failure is not well established.
• Most liquids are prone to contract when frozen
• He is prone to study hard the night before the test

Definition: worthy of mention;uncommon

Example sentences:

• The invention of the computer was a remarkable achievement.

Definition: extreme;harmful

Example sentences:

• Henry Bartlam was only six weeks old when he suffered a severe asthma attack which nearly killed him

Definition: To an undesirably great or intense degree:

Example sentences:

• Our business has been severely affected by the slowdown.

Definition: Higher in rank, status, or quality;Of high standard or quality

Example sentences:

• A lot of companies are interested in investing in Ireland - they have superior building systems and can provide a superior standard of service
• It is superior to every other car on the road

Definition: Likely or liable to be influenced or harmed by a particular thing

Example senences:

• Adult birds are susceptible to lead poisoning when their food source is contaminated.
• When traveling in tropical climates, travelers are susceptible to malaria.

Definition: a successful ending of a struggle or contest

Example sentences:

• After substantial thought, we decided to stand up and work with others to ensure that freedom of expression triumphs over cyber-terrorism.
• He serves as an inspiration to thousands, and his triumphs sit at the very heart of the American Dream.

Definition: Unacceptable because poor or not good enough:

Example sentences:

• Teaching in a third of lessons was graded unsatisfactory or poor, while learning in two fifths of lessons was below standard

Definition: Exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally

Example senences:

• Small fish are vulnerable to predators.

There are two phrases:

• weigh in on
• weight in at

If you weigh in on a plan, decision, or discussion, you offer your opinion in a discussion or argument.

Examples sentences:

• The President's political advisers also weighed in on the plan.
• Sometimes parents weigh in on disagreements between their children, or sometimes they let them sort it out themselves. 
• In serious discussions on talk-shows, the producers often get experts to weigh in on an array of subjects.

If someone weighs in at a particular weight, for example before competing in a sports competition, their weight is measured at that amount.  For example, when there is a weigh-in on the day of a boxing match, each competitor is weighed to check their weight before the match.

Example sentence:​

• The fighter weighed in at 250 pounds.

Weigh on is to be oppressive or disheartening to someone. It is to express sadness. When someone tells you a sad story, it may weigh on your shoulders, meaning to make you sad and not be able to forget it. Anything that weighs on you makes you unhappy. For example, “It really weighed on my mind when I found out her father died.”

Example sentences using “weigh”:

• The bad news is really weighing on me.
• I can tell that something is weighing on his mind. (This means that he's worried about something)
• He's under huge pressure at work and it's really weighing on him.
• The responsibility of her new job had begun to weigh on her.
• The high price of property weighs heavily on many businesses.