ability
(n) Power or knowledge; skill.
Lani?s ability to do math problems in her head astounded her teacher.
(n) Power or knowledge; skill.
Lani?s ability to do math problems in her head astounded her teacher.
(adj) Friendly; good natured and pleasant.
My uncle?s amiable manner put my friends at ease right away.
(n) Complete joy or happiness.
My idea of bliss is an afternoon on the river with my fishing rod.
blissful (adj) Very happy; joyful.
The proud parents wore blissful smiles as they watched their son graduate.
(v) To touch in a tender or loving way.
Sean caressed the baby?s forehead gently as it lay sleeping.
(n) To touch in a tender or loving touch or hug.
The kitten brushing against my cheek felt like a caress.
(v) To grasp or hold tightly to.
Marco clutched his chair as he watched his team in the playoffs.
(n) The part of a machine that connects and disconnects the power from the rest of the machine.
Before changing gears in a standard shift car, my mom steps on the clutch.
(v) To persuade or urge in a gentle way.
I coaxed my baby sister to hold my hand as we crossed the street.
(adj) 1. Very, very angry.
The emperor was furious when he realized how the two ?tailors? had tricked him.
2. Very fast, strong, or wild.
I was confused by the furious activity going on in the kitchen.
fury (n) 1. Great anger.
Che?s uneasiness turned to fury when he learned how completely he had been tricked.
2. Wild and uncontrolled force.
The fury of the storm was far greater than had been forecast.
(n) 1. A movement of the arm or hand.
The president waved his arm in a farewell gesture before boarding Air Force One.
2. Something done to show one?s feelings.
Asking you to the birthday party was Dolores?s gesture of friendship.
(v) To make a movement of the arm or hand.
The coach gestured to the players on the bench to join her on the field.
(v) To be sad and gloomy; to lose interest in the things that usually bring pleasure.
As the long, hot summer days went on and I still had no job, I began to mope.
(v) To like better; to choose first.
Which do you prefer, chocolate or vanilla?
preference (n) That which is preferred.
If you don?t have a preference, I?ll choose the movie.
(v) 1. To get back to a normal state; to get well again.
Patrizia soon recovered from the flu.
2. To get back what was lost or stolen.
We were very happy to recover our lost dog from the animal shelter.
recovery (n) 1. A return to a normal state.
Dr. Holberg was surprised at the speed of my recovery.
2. The act of getting back what was lost or stolen.
The museum is offering a reward for the recovery of the missing painting.
(v) 1. To take the place of.
Who will replace Mr. Myers when he leaves the school?
2. To put back in place.
When you are done with the encyclopedias, let the librarian replace them on the shelves.
replacement (n) A person or thing that takes the place of another.
If Habib cannot play soccer on Saturday, our team will need a replacement.
(v) To ask for.
I requested a veggie pizza for my party.
(n) The thing asked for.
The band leader agreed to play our request.
(v) To set or keep apart.
Whenever the twins start fighting, my mother separates them.
(adj) Not together; not joined.
The twins asked if they could have separate bedrooms.
(v) To take special pains to avoid; to keep away from.
Leon ceased his bullying when his classmates started to shun him.