Total English Upper-Intermediate "Unit 6 - Reference" Vocabulary

nostalgic

Adjective

n

o

ɔ

s

t

a

æ

l

g

ʤ

i

ɪ

c

k

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bringing back fond memories of the past, often with a sense of longing or affection

Example

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The nostalgic song reminded him of his childhood summers spent at the beach.

Looking through old photo albums can be a nostalgic experience, reminiscing about past events and loved ones.

memorable

Adjective

m

e

ɛ

m

o

ɜ

r

a

ə

b

ə

l

e

easy to remember or worth remembering, particularly because of being different or special

forgetful

Adjective

f

o

ɜ

r

g

e

ɛ

t

f

u

ə

l

likely to forget things or having difficulty to remember events

memory

noun

m

e

ɛ

m

o

ə

r

y

i

the ability of mind to keep and remember past events, people, experiences, etc.

vivid

Adjective

v

i

ɪ

v

i

ə

d

producing lifelike and detailed mental images

vague

Adjective

v

a

eɪ

g

u

e

not clear or specific, lacking in detail or precision

memento

noun

m

e

ɪ

m

e

ɛ

n

t

o

oʊ

an object that is kept as a reminder of a person, place, or event

souvenir

noun

s

ou

u:

v

e

ə

n

i

ɪ

r

something that we usually buy and bring back for other people from a place that we have visited on vacation

to reminisce

Verb

r

e

ɛ

m

i

ə

n

i

ɪ

s

c

e

to remember past events, experiences, or memories with a sense of nostalgia

Grammatical Information:

intransitive

to take back

Verb

/tˈeɪk bˈæk/

to remind someone of the the past

Grammatical Information:

transitive

Phrasal Status

separable

phrase's verb

take

phrase's particle

back

to remind

Verb

/rɪˈmaɪnd/

to make a person remember an obligation, task, etc. so that they do not forget to do it

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to remember

Verb

r

e

ɪ

m

e

ɛ

m

b

e

ə

r

to bring a type of information from the past to our mind again

forget

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to jog one's memory

phrase

/dʒˈɑːɡ wˈʌnz mˈɛmɚɹi/

Idiom

Informal

to help someone remember something they forgot

What is the origin of the idiom "jog one's memory" and when to use it?

The idiom "jog one's memory" likely originates from the idea of using a physical action, such as a gentle jog or nudge, to stimulate or awaken a person's memory. This expression is now used when you want to remind or prompt someone to remember something they may have forgotten or overlooked. It is often used in situations where a person is struggling to recall specific details or facts, and you want to assist them in remembering.

straight

Adjective

s

t

r

ai

eɪ

gh

t

(of hair) not curly or wavy

curly

Adjective

c

k

u

ɜ

r

l

y

i

(of hair) having a spiral-like pattern

straight

wavy

Adjective

w

a

eɪ

v

y

i

(of hair) having a slight curl or wave to it, creating a soft and gentle appearance

bald

Adjective

b

a

ɔ:

l

d

having little or no hair on the head

mousy

Adjective

m

o

a

u

ʊ

s

y

i

(of hair) pale brown in color that is considered to be too plain

spiky

Adjective

s

p

i

aɪ

k

y

i

(of hair) sticking upward on the top of the head

dyed

Adjective

d

y

aɪ

e

d

colored in a way that is not natural, but done artificially

wrinkle

noun

w

r

i

ɪ

n

ə

k

l

e

a small fold or line in a piece of cloth or in the skin, particularly the face

clean-shaven

Adjective

/klˈiːnʃˈeɪvən/

(of a man) with a recently shaved beard or moustache

chubby

Adjective

ch

ʧ

u

ə

bb

b

y

i

(particularly of a child or young adult) slightly overweight in a way that is considered cute or charming rather than unhealthy or unattractive

round

Adjective

r

o

a

u

ʊ

n

d

having a circular shape, often spherical in appearance

square

beard

noun

b

ea

ɪ

r

d

the hair that grow on the chin and sides of a man’s face

muscular

Adjective

m

u

ə

s

c

k

u

j

ə

l

a

ɜ

r

(of a person) powerful with large well-developed muscles

stocky

Adjective

s

t

o

ɑ

ck

k

y

i

(especially of a man) having a short but quite solid figure with thick muscles

a bit

Adverb

/ɐ bˈɪt/

to a small extent or degree

Grammatical Information:

adverb of degree

overweight

Adjective

o

oʊ

v

e

ɜ

r

w

ei

eɪ

gh

t

weighing more than what is considered healthy or desirable for one's body size and build

fat

Adjective

f

a

æ

t

(of people or animals) weighing much more than what is thought to be healthy for their body

thin

slim

Adjective

s

l

i

ɪ

m

thin in an attractive way

skinny

Adjective

s

k

i

ɪ

nn

n

y

i

having a very low amount of body fat

good-looking

Adjective

/ˈɡʊdˌlʊkɪŋ/

possessing an attractive and pleasing appearance

scruffy

Adjective

s

c

k

r

u

ə

ff

f

y

i

(of a man's face) not having been shaved for a long time

elegant

Adjective

e

ɛ

l

e

ə

g

a

ə

n

t

having a refined and graceful appearance or style

inelegant

tanned

Adjective

t

a

æ

nn

n

e

d

(of skin) having a dark shade because of direct exposure to sunlight

confused

Adjective

c

k

o

ə

n

f

u

ju

s

z

e

d

feeling uncertain or not confident about something because it is not clear or easy to understand

suspicious

Adjective

s

u

ə

s

p

i

ɪ

c

ʃ

iou

ə

s

doubtful about the honesty of what someone has done and having no trust in them

uneasy

Adjective

u

ə

n

ea

i

s

z

y

i

feeling nervous or worried, especially about something unpleasant that might happen soon

curious

Adjective

c

k

u

jʊ

r

iou

iə

s

(of a person) interested in learning and knowing about things

incurious

annoyed

Adjective

a

ə

nn

n

o

ɔ

y

ɪ

e

d

feeling slightly angry or irritated

excited

Adjective

e

ɪ

x

ks

c

i

aɪ

t

e

ɪ

d

feeling very happy, interested, and energetic

uninterested

Adjective

u

ə

n

i

ɪ

n

t

e

r

e

ə

s

t

e

ɪ

d

lacking interest or enthusiasm toward something

interested

optimistic

Adjective

o

ɑ

p

t

i

ə

m

i

ɪ

s

t

i

ɪ

c

k

having a hopeful and positive outlook on life, expecting good things to happen

pessimistic

shocked

Adjective

sh

ʃ

o

ɑ

ck

k

e

d

t

very surprised or upset because of something unexpected or unpleasant

relieved

Adjective

r

e

i

l

ie

i

v

e

d

feeling free from worry, stress, or anxiety after a challenging or difficult situation

cold fish

noun

/kˈoʊld fˈɪʃ/

Idiom

someone who does not express emotions and is considered unfriendly

What is the origin of the idiom "cold fishing" and when to use it?

The idiom "cold fish" has its roots in the early 20th century and it likely stems from the association of fish with cold-blooded animals that do not exhibit warm emotions or expressions. It is used to describe someone who seems unfeeling, aloof, or indifferent, often making it difficult for others to form a close or emotional connection with them.

Grammatical Information:

compound noun

(as) hard as nails

phrase

/æz hˈɑːɹd tˈʌf æz nˈeɪlz/

Idiom

Informal

a tough person who is not easily affected by emotions

What is the origin of the idiom "hard as nails" and when to use it?

The origin of the phrase "hard as nails" can be traced back to the 19th century. The phrase likely emerged from the association between the physical hardness of nails. This phrase is typically used in informal contexts to describe someone's ability to withstand challenges, maintain a strong demeanor, or exhibit unwavering resolve.

a pain in the neck

phrase

/ɐ pˈeɪn ɪnðə nˈɛk/

Idiom

Informal

a person or thing that causes one great annoyance or a lot of difficulty

What is the origin of the idiom "a pain in the neck" and when to use it?

The idiom "a pain in the neck" uses the metaphor of physical discomfort or annoyance in the neck area to express a sense of frustration or exasperation. It is used to convey the idea that the person or thing being referred to is causing significant inconvenience or annoyance, similar to a persistent pain in the neck.

one's heart is in the right place

sentence

/wˈʌnz hˈɑːɹt ɪz ɪnðə ɹˈaɪt plˈeɪs/

Approving

Idiom

having good intentions, even if the results are not perfect

What is the origin of the idiom "one's heart is in the right place" and when to use it?

The phrase "one's heart is in the right place" has been in use for a long time, but its specific origin is unclear. This idiom can be applied to various situations where someone genuinely cares but may not always act perfectly. It reminds us to focus on the goodness of someone's intentions rather than solely judging their actions.

high-flyer

noun

/hˈaɪflˈaɪɚ/

someone who is likely to succeed because of their ambitiousness or capabilities, particularly in their career or education

loner

noun

l

o

oʊ

n

e

ɜ

r

a person who actively avoids having any interaction with others

skeptical

Adjective

s

k

e

ɛ

p

t

i

ə

c

k

a

ə

l

having doubts about something's truth, validity, or reliability

tough customer

noun

/tˈʌf tɹˈɪki ˈɔːkwɚd kˈʌstəmɚ/

someone who is difficult to please or deal with, and is often demanding or critical in their expectations

Grammatical Information:

compound noun

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You learned 54 words from Total English Upper-Intermediate - Unit 6 - Reference. To improve learning and review vocabulary, start practicing.

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