conjure sth up: to make a picture or idea appear in someone’s mind

reluctant: not willing to do sth and therefore slow to do it

paramount: more important than anything else (is paramount/is of paramount importance)

swarm: a large group of insects moving together(of bees/ants) /a large group of people moving
together

stoker: someone whose job is to put fuel on a fire (steam: humo/vapor)

syrup: jarabe

clutter(noun): a lot of objects in a state of being untidy

clutter(verb): to fill something in an untidy or badly organized way (+ with)

wail: to make a long, high cry (pain/sadness) or to complain loudly or strongly

weep: to cry tears (wept buckets= cried a lot)

bittersweet: containing a mixture of sadness and happiness

rekindle: to make someone have a feeling that they had in the past

push sb/sth aside: to decide to forget about or ignore someone or something

stir sth up: to cause an unpleasant emotion or problem to begin or grow

lingering: lasting a long time

heed (noun): attention (take heed of)

in tatters: badly torn, badly damaged or completely spoiled

fogey: a person who is old-fashioned and likes traditional ways of doing things

laden: carrying or holding a lot of something

spine-chilling: very frightening

burgeoning: developing quickly

depletion: a reduction in sth (of the ozone layer/in capital or funds)

airtight: completely closed so that no air can get in or out

acrimonious: full of anger, arguments and bad feeling

blatant: very obvious and intentional, when this is a bad thing

loathe: to hate someone or something

convey: to express a thought, feeling or idea so that is understood by other people

startling: surprising and sometimes worrying (startling results)

unassailable: in such a strong position that you cannot be defeated / impossible to argue with

stroppiness: behaviour that is angry and unpleasant or rude to other people

pugnacious: wanting to start an argument or expressing an argument/opinion very forcefully

hector: to talk and behave towards someone in a loud and unpleasantly forceful way in order to
get them to act or think as you want

thorny: a thorny problem or subject is difficult to deal with (thorny problem/issue)

handrail: baranda (escalera)

acrophobia: fear of heights

glare: a long, angry look

gaze: to look at sth or someone for a long time, especially in surprise or admiration or because you
are thinking about something else

glance: quick short look

peep: to secretly look at sth for a short time (take a peep)

peek: to look for a short time or while trying to avoid being seen (take a peek)

flushed with excitement/success: feeling excited and confident after achieving sth

extrinsic: coming from outside, or not related to something

blandishments: pleasant words or actions used in order to persuade someone to do sth

tech-savvy: knowing a lot about modern technology

late adopter: someone who starts using a new product later than many people

luddite: a person who is opposed to the introduction of new working methods (esp. new
machines)

digital native: a person who is very familiar with digital technology because they have grown up
with them
digital immigrant: someone who is not very good at using digital equipment because they have
only recently started using them

nigh: near

imposing: striking

leading: most prestigious

undertaking: venture

enhancing: improving

plying(their trade): doing your work or business

unsettling: disturbing

indulging: enjoying sth that might be considered bad for you

questing: searching for

stardust (además de “polvo de estrella”): magic/glamour/charisma

lift-off: to start / to begin

wreak/play havoc: confusion and lack of order, especially causing damage or trouble

smoulder: to burn slowly with smoke but without flames

grapple: to fight

obnoxious: very unpleasant or rude

reams: a large amount of writing or information, usually on paper

ubiquitous: seeming to be everywhere

commonplace: happening or existing in many places and therefore not special

fallout: the results of a particular event, especially when they are unexpected

bemoan: to complain or say that you are disappointed about something

cripple: damage

locus: the place where something is particularly known to exist, or which is the centre of sth

binge: a short period when you do too much of sth (eating, drinking, shopping)
acquiesce: accept sth although you do not really agree with it (usually to avoid fights)

blab: tell someone sth that should be kept secret (gossip)

brag: talk too proudly about what you have done, what you own (disapproval) (boast)

egg on: encourage someone to do sth especially sth they don’t want to do or they shouldn’t

gloat: to show in an annoying way that you are proud of your own success or happy about
someone’s else failure

moot: (a moot point/question): something that has not yet been decided or agreed

mumble: to say something too quietly so that other people cannot understand you

spell sth out: explain something clearly and in detail

rebuff: an unkind or unfriendly answer to a friendly suggestion or offer of help (refuse)

quack: someone who pretends to be a doctor

be a household name: to be very well known

to the tune of: used to emphasize how large an amount or number is

peddle: to sell goods to people

fodder(+for): something or someone that is useful only for a particular purpose (disapproval)

pebble: a small stone found especially on a beach or on the bottom of a river

plateau: a large area of flat land that is higher than the land around it

pockmarked: covered with hollow marks or holes

unwind: to relax and stop feeling anxious

chuffed: very pleased or happy

umpteen: very many (especially when you are annoyed that are so many)

exhilarating: making you feel happy, excited and full of energy

plea: a request that is urgent or full of emotion

framework: a set of ideas, rules or beliefs from which sth is developed, or on which decisions are
based / the main supporting parts of a building, vehicle or object

roadworthy: a vehicle that is roadworthy is in good condition and safe enough to drive
kinship: a family relationship / a strong connection between people

high-flier: someone who is extremely successful in their job or in school

obliging: willing to help or please

asset: a useful and valuable resource (someone or sth)

oblivious(of/to): not knowing about or not noticing something that is happening around you
(unaware)

weary: very tired or bored

armchair traveller/fan: someone who talks or reads about being a traveller, or watches sport on
television but does not have any real experience of doing it

hefty: large in amount, size, force, etc.

curator: someone who is in charge of a museum or zoo

qualms: a feeling of slight worry or doubt because you are not sure that what you are doing is right

unwieldy: an unwieldy object is big, heavy and difficult to carry or use

upturn: an increase in the level of sth, especially in business activity (opposite: downturn)

smudge/smear: a dirty mark

nonchalant: behaving calmly and not seeming interested in anything or worried about anything

shrink-wrapped: wrapped tightly in plastic (cerrado al vacío)

blockbuster: a book or film that is very good or successful

undertake to do sth: to promise or agree to do sth

join/combine forces: to work together so that you can deal with a problem / be more powerful

deem: to think of sth in a particular way or as having a particular quality (consider)

cram: to prepare yourself for an examination by learning a lot of information quickly (synonym:
swot)

hurl: to throw something with a lot of force, especially because you are angry

measly: very small in size, quantity or value

with gusto: if you do something with gusto, you do it with a lot of eagerness and energy
chamber: a room used for a special purpose, especially an unpleasant one (gas/torture chamber)

outcry: an angry protest by a lot of ordinary people (outcry about/over/against)

inkling: a slight idea about sth (suspicion)

omen: a sign of what will happen in the future

cub: the baby of a wild animal such as a lion, a bear or a tiger

surplus: an amount of sth that is more than what is needed or use (excess)

a thirst-quenching drink: a drink that stops you feeling thirsty

free-range: relating or produced by farm animals that are not kept in cages (eggs/chicken)

stir-fry: to fry small pieces of meat/vegetables quickly while mixing them around

wafer-thin: extremely thin

full-bodied (wine): a wine that has a strong, satisfying quality and taste

an authority: someone who knows a lot about a subject (expert)

converge: to come from different directions and meet at the same point to become one thing

cluster: a group of things of the same kind that are very close together

rally: a large public meeting, especially one that is held outdoors to support a political idea,
protest, etc

the upshot of sth: the final result of a situation

sequel: an event that happens as a result of sth that happened before

heighten: if a feeling, effect, etc heightens it becomes stronger or increases (intensify)

enhance: to improve something

maelstrom: a confusing situation full of events or strong emotions that is difficult to understand or
deal with

pester: to annoy someone, especially by asking them many times to do something

tenure: the legal right to leave in a house or use a piece of land for a period of time

unearth: to find sth after searching for it, especially something that has been lost for a long time /
to find information or the truth about sth or someone
creep: move in a quiet, careful way to avoid attracting attention

wade: to walk through water that is not deep

trickle: slow movement of a liquid

magnum opus: the most important piece of work by a writer, composer or artist

leaning (towards): a tendency to prefer or agree with a particular set of beliefs, opinions, etc

setback: a problem that delays or prevents progress, or makes things worse than they were

unlit: dark (without lights)

awe-inspiring: extremely impressive, makes you feel great respect

flamboyant: brightly coloured and easily noticed

corny: too silly and repeated too often to be funny or interesting (corny jokes)

cliché: an idea or phrase that has been used so much that is not effective or does not have any
meaning any longer

at/from the outset: at or from the beginning of an event or process

spate of sth: a large number of similar things that happen in a short period of time

hinder: to make it difficult for sth to develop or succeed

party pooper: aguafiestas

allure: a mysterious, exciting or desirable quality

lavish: large, impressive, expensive (lavish lifestyle)

offspring: someone’s child or children / an animal’s baby or babies

obscene: extremely unfair, immoral, or unpleasant, especially in a way that makes you angry

heyday: the time when someone or something was most popular, successful or powerful

unattainable: impossible to achieve

longing: a strong feeling of wanting something or someone

unwittingly: in a way that shows you do not know or realize something

be inextricably linked/bound up/mixed: if two or more things are inextricably linked, they are very
closely related and affect each other
irretrievable: an irretrievable situation cannot be made right again

pie-in-the-sky: something good that someone says will happen, but which you think is unlikely

pompous: someone who is pompous thinks that they are important (disapproval)

boastful: talking too proudly about yourself

quick-witted: able to think and understand things quickly (opp. slow-witted)

gullible: too ready to believe what other people tell you, so that you are easily tricked

naïve: not having much experience of how complicated life is, so that you trust people too much
(innocent)

underpin: to give strength or support to sth and to help it succeed

afresh: if you do sth afresh, you do it again from the beginning

harangue: to speak to someone or a group of people, often for a long time, in a forceful way to
persuade them

scrounge: to get things by asking for them instead of buying them

crave: to have a very strong feeling of wanting something

seethe: to feel very angry

yank: to pull something forcefully with a quick movement

flout: to intentionally not obey a rule, law or custom

run-of-the-mill: not special or interesting in any way

callous: not caring that other people are suffering

garrulous: always talking a lot

unflappable: having the ability to stay calm and not become upset, even in difficult situations

brazen: a person who is not embarrassed about behaving in a wrong or immoral way

fickle: someone who is always changing their mind about people or things that they like

spineless: lacking courage and determination

denouement: the exciting last part of a story or play

mnemonic: something such as a poem or a sentence that you use to help you remember a rule, a
name, etc

apropos of sth: used to introduce a new subject that is related to something just mentioned

a penchant for something: if you have a penchant for sth, you like that thing very much and try to
do it or have it often

Words describing light:

sparkle: shine brightly with flashes of light (diamonds, snow/sea in the sunlight)

flash: shine in a bright but brief or sudden way

glow: give out steady light without a flame

shimmer: shine with a soft, tremulous light (the sea, waves)

gleam: shine brightly, especially with reflected light

flicker: shine unsteadily or keep going on and off

glint: give out or reflect small flashes of light

glisten: shine with a sparkling light, especially something wet

Crimes:

blackmail: getting money from people or forcing them to do sth by threatening to tell a secret or
to harm them

libel: to publish something that contains bad and false things about a person

arson: intentionally starting a fire in order to damage or destroy sth (esp. a building)

Synonyms of poor: hard up, be on the breadline, be strapped for cash, deprived, broke, penniless,
needy

Synonyms of rich: prosperous, loaded, be rolling in it, well off, affluent, privileged

Quality of a voice:

husky: a husky voice is deep, quiet and attractive

shrill: a shrill sound is very high and unpleasant

slurred: to speak unclearly without separating your words or sounds correctly

velvety: sounding smooth and soft

grating: a grating sound is hard and unpleasant

high-pitched: a high-pitched voice is very high

booming: to say something in a deep voice

hushed: talking quietly

mellifluous: a mellifluous voice sounds pleasantly smooth

tremulous: shaking slightly, because of nervousness

gruff: speaking in a rough unfriendly voice

plummy: very upper-class voice

Emotion in a voice:

stern: serious and strict, showing disapproval

whiny: complaining a lot in an annoying way (high sad voice)

matter-of-fact: showing no emotion

taut: showing signs of worry, anger and not relaxed

Words which describe success:

take off: to suddenly start being successful

breakthrough: an important new discovery in something you are studying

buoyant: successful or making a profit

sail through something: to succeed very easily in a test, examination

Words which describe failure:

flunk: to fail a test

bomb: sth that is not successful

go to pieces: if a person or what they do goes to pieces, they are so upset or nervous that they
cannot live, work or perform as they should
lapse: a short period of time during which you fail to do something well or properly

on the rocks: a relationship or business that is on the rocks is having a lot of problems and likely to
fail soon

be out of your depth: to be involved in a situation that is too difficult for you to deal with

go under: if a business goes under, it has stop operating because of financial problems

come unstuck: if a person/plan/system comes unstuck, they fail at what they were trying to
achieve

flop: if sth flops it is not successful because people do not like it

cut your losses: to stop doing sth that is failing

rest/sit on your laurels: to be satisfied with what you have done, so that you do not make any
further effort

Words used to describe smell:

acrid: strong and unpleasant and stings your nose or throat

fragrant: having a pleasant smell

odorous: having a smell

musty: unpleasant smell because it is old and has not had any fresh air for a long time

stench: a very strong bad smell

Words used to describe taste:

delectable: extremely pleasant to taste (delicious)

bitter: having a strong sharp taste, like black coffee without sugar

tart: food that is tart has a sharp sour taste

Words used to describe sound:

clatter: if heavy hard objects clatter, they make a loud unpleasant noise

hum: to make a continuous loud sound

rumble: to make a series of long low sounds, especially a long distance away from you (also if your
stomach rumbles it makes a noise because you are hungry)
screech: to shout loudly in an unpleasant high voice because you are angry (also: if a vehicle
screeches, its wheels make a high unpleasant noise as it moves along or stops)

Words used to describe feelings:

heady: very exciting in a way that makes you feel as if you can do anything you want to

tender: gentle and careful in a way that shows love

sweltering: extremely hot and uncomfortable

clammy: feeling unpleasantly wet, cold and sticky

nippy: weather that is nippy is slightly cold

Words used to describe sight:

rugged: land that is rough and uneven

imposing: large, impressive and appearing important

Synonyms of change:

adapt: to gradually change your behaviour or attitudes in order to be successful in a new situation

alter: to make a piece of clothing longer, wider so that it fits

amend: to correct or make small changes to something that is written or spoken

mutate: if an animal/plant mutates it becomes different from others of the same kind, because of
a change in its genetic structure

metamorphose: to change completely and become something different

fluctuate: if a price or amount fluctuates, it keeps changing and becoming higher and lower

revise: to change sth because of new information or ideas

Nouns that express extreme emotions:

- anger: rage, fury (both express uncontrollable anger)

- fear: dread, terror
- happiness: bliss (perfect happiness or enjoyment), delight (great pleasure/satisfaction)
- sadness: sorrow (used when smn dies or sth terrible happens), dejection
- surprise: incredulity (a feeling that you cannot believe sth), astonishment (in
astonishment/to sb’s astonishment)
- boredom: tedium, apathy (not being interested in something)
- disgust: revulsion (a strong feeling of shock), loathing, hatred (dislike for smn or sth)
Adjectives used to describe appearance/texture of fruits(food):

fleshy: having a lot of flesh (the soft part of a fruit or vegetable that can be eaten)

tender: easy to cut and eat, especially because it has been well cooked

fibrous: consisting of many fibres or looking like fibres

appetising: food that smells or looks very good, making you want to eat it

juicy: containing a lot of juice

pulpy: soft (the soft inside part of a fruit or vegetable)

overripe: overripe fruit or vegetables are past the point of being ready and are too soft

moist: slightly wet, in a pleasant way

mushy: soft, wet and unpleasant

Adjectives used to describe flavour:

watery: contains too much water and has little taste / full of water

luscious: extremely good to eat or drink (a pleasant sweet taste)

sugary: containing sugar / tasting like sugar

sour: having a sharp acid taste

bland: food that has very little taste

insipid: food/drink that does not have much taste

palatable: food/drink that has a pleasant or acceptable test (opposite unpalatable)

tasteless: without taste

stale: no longer fresh or good to eat

Adjectives used to describe the effect on your taste buds:

sensuous: pleasing to your senses

chewy: food that has to be chewed a lot before it is soft enough to swallow

heavenly: giving great pleasure

Ways of eating/additional words (food):

devour: to eat something quickly because you are very hungry

dine: to eat the main meal of the day (especially dinner)

munch: to eat something noisily

polish-off: to finish food quickly

slurp: to drink a liquid noisily as a result of sucking air into the mouth at the same time as the
liquid