4000 essential english words L6. U1->U10

Unit 1: The North Star Word List  1. alleviate [əˈliːvieit] v.  To alleviate pain or suffering means to make it less intense or severe. → She needed something to alleviate the pain in her back.  2. astrology [əsˈtrɒlədʒi] n.  Astrology is the study of the stars in the belief that they influence people’s lives. → Jack, who studies astrology, believes that the stars can predict the future.  3. differentiate [difəˈrenʃieit] v.  To differentiate things or people is to show the difference between them. → It was hard to differentiate between the identical twins.  4. disrupt [disˈrʌpt] v.  To disrupt something or someone is to prevent them from working. → The loud crash disrupted the class lecture.  5. equation [iˈkweiʒən] n.  An equation is a math operation to determine the value of something. → I used the Pythagorean theorem to solve the equation.  6. err [əːr] v.  To err means to make a mistake. → The pilot erred in his estimate of the time it would take to make the trip.  7. erroneous [iˈrouniəs] adj.  When something is erroneous, it is incorrect or only partly correct. → The child held the erroneous belief that time machines were real.  8. frantic [ˈfræntik] adj.  If people or things are frantic, they behave in a wild way because they are frightened. → The cat became frantic when I tried to give it a bath.  9. hull [hʌl] n.  The hull of a boat or tank is the main body of it. → Afterthe wreckatsea, the ship’s hull was the last part to sink.  10. inadvertent [inədˈvəːrtənt] adj.  When an action is inadvertent, it is done without realizing what you are doing. → She made an inadvertent error when she knocked over the nail polish.  11. improvise [ˈimprəvaiz] v.  To improvise something is to do it with whatever is available or without planning. → There was no meat for the pizza, so we improvised with what was in the fridge.  12. latitude [ˈlӕtətjuːd] n.  The latitude of a place is its distance from the equator. → The device was able to tell the traveler his exact latitude.  13. mariner [ˈmærənə:r] n.  A mariner is a sailor. → The old mariner used his telescope to find the shore.  14. multitude [ˈmʌltitjuːd] n.  A multitude of things or people is a very large number of them. → A multitude of people were waiting at the airport.  15. nuisance [ˈnjuːsəns] n.  A nuisance is a person or thing that is annoying or causes a lot of problems. → The teenager considered her noisy little brothers to be quite a nuisance.  16. permanence [ˈpəːrmənəns] n.  The permanence of something is its ability to last forever. → Poor results will threaten the permanence of the new teaching system.  17. revolve [riˈvɒlv] v.  To revolve around something is to keep it as the main feature or focus. → My life revolves around sports.  18. soothe [suːð] v.  To soothe means to calm someone who is angry or upset. → The mother soothed her crying baby by rocking him in her arms.  19. stranded [ˈstrændid] adj.  If someone is stranded, they are prevented from leaving a place. → When the plane left, my sister and I were stranded in China.  20. volatile [ˈvɒlətil] adj.  When something is volatile, it is likely to change suddenly and unexpectedly. → The volatile volcano might explode at any moment.

Unit 1: THE NORTH STAR The North Star Among the multitude of stars in the universe, there are a couple that are of great importance to people on Earth. The sun, of course, is one of them. The other is known as Polaris, the North Star. Polaris is special because it is the only star that always appears to be in the same place in the sky. Therefore, Polaris is a great compass. When people in the northern hemisphere of Earth look toward Polaris, they can be certain that they are facing north. The permanence of Polaris in the north sky has helped countless people find their destinations. Before the invention of modern navigation tools, mariners relied on Polaris. From the top of their hulls, sailors would look for Polaris to figure out their place at sea. They figured out the angle between the star and the horizon to determine their latitude. As long as the equations weren’t erroneous, the results were very reliable. Polaris also let sailors determine North, South, East, and West. By knowing directions and their location, mariners could easily navigate their ships. To those who sail at night, volatile storms and dark clouds were more than nuisances. They could disrupt entire journeys by blocking the view of Polaris. A captain could err and make an inadvertent wrong turn. The ship could become stranded at sea, and the frantic captain would have no way to improvise to get the ship back on the right course. The mariner’s fears wouldn’t be soothed until the clouds cleared and Polaris came back into view. Even today, sailors sometimes opt to navigate by using Polaris on clear nights. It’s not difficult to differentiate Polaris from other stars. The Big Dipper, a constellation that is well known in astrology, appears to revolve around Polaris. The handle of the Big Dipper always points to the North Star. When people get lost, it’s comforting to know that their problems can be alleviated by looking at the sky.

Unit 2: The Fossil Hunters Word List  1. arduous [ˈɑːrdjʊəs] adj.  When something is arduous, it demands great effort or labor. → The explorers began their arduous hike up the steep mountain.  2. attain [əˈtein] v.  To attain something means to gain or achieve it, often after a lot of effort. → In two more years, I will attain my high school diploma.  3. coexist [ˈkouigˈzist] v.  To coexist with something means to exist with it in the same time and place. → Our pets coexist at our home with little or no problems.  4. conceive [kənˈsiːv] v.  To conceive something means to be able to imagine or believe it. → The child could not conceive the actual size of the Earth.  5. dubious [ˈdjuːbiəs] adj.  When something or someone is dubious, they are not considered honest. → The police thought that the man’s description of the crime was dubious.  6. ego [ˈiːgou] n.  An ego is a person’s sense of their own worth. → Kelly’s ego made her think that she was some kind of a superhero.  7. elastic [iˈlæstik] n.  Elastic is a rubber that stretches when it is pulled. → He attached the elastic bungee to his legs before he jumped off the platform.  8. endeavor [enˈdevər] n.  An endeavor is an attempt to do something, especially something new or original. → The company’s new advertising endeavor ended in a horrible failure.  9. engrave [inˈgreiv] v.  To engrave means to cut a design or words into the surface of something. → The couple engraved their names onto the old pine tree.  10. excavate [ˈekskəveit] v.  To excavate means to dig on land and remove dirt to look for something. → The team wishes to excavate the site in hopes of finding fossils.  11. jagged [ˈdʒӕgid] adj.  When something is jagged, it has a tough, uneven shape or edge. → The swimmer was hurt when he fell on the jagged rocks.  12. locale [louˈkæl] n.  A locale is a small area or place where something specific happens. → The spa was the perfect locale for my mother to relax and enjoy her vacation.  13. mold [mould] n.  A mold is a hollow container that is used to make certain shapes. → Using a cupcake mold will ensure that they come out just right.  14. outright [autˈrait] adj.  When something is outright, it is open and direct. → Everyone knew that the boy’s story was an outright lie.  15. periphery [pəˈrifəri] n.  The periphery of an area, place, or thing is the edge of it. → A beautiful floral pattern is on the periphery of the stationery.  16. plaster [ˈplæstər] n.  Plaster is a smooth paste that gets hard when it dries. → He used plaster to fill in the cracks in the old walls.  17. shovel [ˈʃʌvəl] n.  A shovel is a tool with a long handle that is used for digging. → The boy grabbed his shovel and got all of the snow off of the sidewalk.  18. skeletal [ˈskelətl] adj.  When something is skeletal, it relates to bones in the body. → We studied the skeletal system in anatomy class.  19. terrestrial [təˈrestriəl] adj.  If something is terrestrial, it relates to Earth. → There are billions of terrestrial life forms.  20. vicious [ˈviʃəs] adj.  When something or someone is vicious, they are violent and cruel. → The vicious dog tried to bite the small child.

Unit 2: THE FOSSIL HUNTERS  Tim and Dean were great fossil hunters. They were the very best at finding dinosaur bones. Although Tim and Dean were quite similar, they were outright enemies. The two men got into vicious arguments all the time. They couldn’t coexist peacefully because their egos were too large. Tim thought he was the best fossil hunter, while Dean was sure that he was much better than Tim. One day, Tim was searching for fossils on the periphery of the city when he discovered a huge bone. He had never seen anything like it! He took his shovel and carefully excavated the dirt around it. As he dug, he uncovered more jagged bones. He realized that he had found an entire dinosaur skeleton! Tim couldn’t conceive a plan to remove the huge skeleton all by himself. Such an endeavor would be too arduous. He needed help. He tried to think of people who would be capable of helping him remove the skeleton without breaking it. The only person Tim could think of was Dean, his enemy. Tim ran into the city to find Dean. Tim found him and said, “ Dean, I’ve found the skeletal remains of a huge terrestrial animal. But I can’t get the skeleton out by myself. Will you please help me? Dean thought that Tim’s claim might be dubious. He replied, “ If you’re serious about the skeleton, I’ll help.” Tim excitedly showed Dean the skeleton’s locale. They worked together to carefully remove each bone. And to keep the bones together, they tied them with elastic strips. When they were finished, they had attained a perfect skeleton. They used plaster to make a mold of the dinosaur’s skull. They engraved their initials into it and gave it to the curator of a local museum. Tim and Dean found out that they could work very well together. They decided to end their feud and become friends. By combining their talents, the men became even greater than they were before.

 Unit 3: Dressed to Excess Word List  1. absurd [əbˈsəːrd] adj.  If something or someone is absurd, they are ridiculous. → That group of people making animal noises sounds completely absurd.  2. anemia [əˈniːmiə] n.  Anemia is a blood condition that causes a person to be pale and tired. → When she first developed anemia, she became tired often.  3. aristocracy [ӕrəˈstokrəsi] n.  The aristocracy is the highest class of people in certain societies. → Most members of the aristocracy were very well-fed.  4. aristocrat [ˈæristəkræt] n.  An aristocrat is a person who is of the highest class in certain societies. → The aristocrat did not need a job because his family was wealthy.  5. attire [əˈtaiər] n.  Attire is nice or special clothing. → Everyone wore their best attire to the president’s daughter’s wedding.  6. craze [kreiz] n.  A craze is a brief and popular activity or object. → Wearing bright red socks was a craze when I was in high school.  7. enlarge [enˈlaːrdʒ] v.  To enlarge something means to make it bigger. → The classrooms were enlarged over the summer to make room for more students.  8. excess [ekˈses] n.  An excess is an amount of something that is more than needed or wanted. → Because it never got cold that winter, many stores had an excess of coats.  9. feminine [ˈfemənin] adj.  If something is feminine, then it has qualities that are commonly related to women. → Many of the older people thought his long hair made him look too feminine.  10. hallmark [ˈhɔːlmɑːrk] n.  A hallmark is a unique characteristic of something. → Different types of pasta and tomato sauces are hallmarks of Italian food.  11. pad [pæd] n.  A pad is a thick piece of soft material used to protect or clean things. → Football players wear shoulder pads to keep them safe.  12. predominant [priˈdɒmənənt] adj.  If something is predominant, then it is the most important, common or strongest. → Before cars were invented, horses were the predominant method of travel.  13. reputable [repjəˈtəbəl] adj.  If someone or something is reputable, then they have a good reputation. → The service from the less than reputable company made her angry.  14. rouge [ruːʒ] n.  Rouge is a red powder or cream used as makeup on the cheeks or lips. → Even when she didn’t wear rouge, her cheeks appeared red.  15. signify [ˈsignəfai] v.  To signify means to be a symbol of something. → A red octagon is used to signify to stop.  16. strap [stræp] n.  A strap is a thin long piece of fabric used to fasten, carry, or hold something. → She put the strap of her purse over her shoulder and walked out of the door.  17. tangle [ˈtæŋgəl] n.  A tangle is something or many things twisted together. → The laces of his shoes were in such a tangle that he could not untie them.  18. vanity [ˈvænəti] n.  Vanity is excessive pride or love of one’s own appearance or things one has done. → Her vanity won’t allow her to pass a mirror without looking at herself.  19. vie [vai] v.  To vie for something means to compete against others for it. → The three boys vied for the prize in the chemistry contest.  20. vulgar [ˈvʌlgər] adj.  If something or someone is vulgar, then they are rude or lacking in style. → Her vulgar behavior got her into trouble with her parents.

Unit 3: Dressed to Excess If you traveled back in time to the 1700s in Europe, you would laugh when you saw how the aristocracy dressed. Soon you’d realize, though, that the aristocrats of Europe were very serious about their appearance. The predominant style in women’s attire was enormous dresses. They were often three times larger than the wearer. Ladies even used pads to enlarge the appearance of their hips and shoulders. On the other extreme, the aristocratic women made their waists appear extremely thin. It took several maids stretching fabric and pulling straps in order to get a lady’s waist to the proper thinness. These ladies could barely breathe and often fainted. Pale skin was also a craze, yet this too was done in excess. One could not simply be pale. Instead, she needed to look as if she had anemia. In order to look paler, ladies actually cut themselves daily, so they would bleed. The hairstyles, however, were the hallmark of women’s fashion. These stood a meter high on the ladies’ heads. The columns of hair were a ridiculous tangle of wigs, jewels, flowers, and even stuffed birds. Men’s fashion was similarly absurd. Today it would probably seem very feminine. Reputable men wore wigs of long curly hair. Their shoes had large soles or high heels so that they could walk high above the filth on the streets. Furthermore, just like the ladies, the men wore lipstick and put rouge on their cheeks. Their clothes were brightly colored, often purple and pink. They were made from the finest of fabrics and decorated with jewels and lace. The men vied with one another to see who wore the more expensive clothes, for the clothing signified his wealth and status. Both men and women spent huge amounts of money and time on how they looked. Though such vanity would seem vulgar today, three hundred years from now, the fashions of our time might also seem completely ridiculous.

Unit 4: The Butler’s Bad Day Word List  1. attic [ˈætik] n.  An attic is a room just below a house’s roof. → There were two windows in their attic.  2. chunk [tʃʌŋk] n.  A chunk is a thick, solid piece of something. → When they broke open the rock, they saw it was filled with chunks of gold.  3. civic [ˈsivik] adj.  If something is civic, then it is related to a town or city, especially its government. → Most of the important civic buildings are located downtown.  4. descent [diˈsent] n.  A descent is a movement downwards. → During the space shuttle’s descent, the Earth became larger and larger.  5. din [din] n.  A din is loud, unpleasant, and extended noise. → The din of the rusty machinery made the factory a horrible place to work.  6. dissatisfy [dissӕtisfai] v.  To dissatisfy someone means to fail to please them. → He was dissatisfied with his meal.  7. fuss [fʌs] n.  A fuss is excited or annoyed behavior that is not useful in any way. → The child made an awful fuss because she didn’t want to go to bed.  8. gourmet [ˈguərmei] adj.  If food is gourmet, then it is nicer and more expensive than regular food. → In order to get a gourmet meal, you have to eat at an expensive restaurant.  9. hence [hens] adv.  If something happens hence, then it happens as a result of something. → John forgot the key. Hence, we couldn’t open the door.  10. intrinsic [inˈtrinsik] adj.  If something is intrinsic, then it is related to the basic nature of that thing. → Paper money has no intrinsic value. It is useful simply because society says it is.  11. kettle [ˈketl] n.  A kettle is a large metal pot used for boiling liquids or cooking food. → The soup was being cooked in a large kettle.  12. ministry [ˈministri] n.  A ministry is a government department. → The Ministry of Trade is responsible for taxing imports and exports.  13. ordeal [ɔːrdiːəl] n.  An ordeal is a bad experience. → Driving in the snowstorm was an ordeal she’d never forget.  14. outspoken [aʊtˈspoukkən] adj.  If someone is outspoken, then they are not afraid to say what they think. → She was an outspoken critic about the new banking laws.  15. overwork [ouvərwəːrk] v.  To overwork someone means to make them tired with too much work. → After working for three weeks with only one day of rest, Judy was overworked.  16. particular [pərtikjələr] adj.  If something is particular, then it is a single, important part of a group of things. → The dress shop didn’t have the particular dress she was looking for.  17. pungent [ˈpʌndʒənt] adj.  If something is pungent, then it tastes or smells strong and sharp. → The garlic made the soup taste so pungent that the chef wouldn’t serve it.  18. snore [snɔːr] v.  To snore means to make a loud noise each time a sleeping person breathes. → It was impossible to get to sleep because my husband snored.  19. soundly [ˈsaundli] adv.  If something is done soundly, then it is done in the best or most complete way. → The nearest opponent was ten meters behind. She won the race soundly.  20. superintendent [suːpərinˈtendənt] n.  A superintendent is a person who runs a certain department or building. → The superintendent decided to close the schools because of the weather.

Unit 4: THE BUTLER’S BAD DAY The Butler’s Bad Day The Superintendent of Civic Projects was a busy man. He worked every day of the week and had fancy parties at his house every night. However, if there was someone busier than him, it was his butler. He worked all day organizing the superintendent’s parties and then cleaned up after them late at night. Hence, while the superintendent slept soundly, snoring loudly in his bed, the butler was still awake. Sadly, though the butler was always overworked, his profession’s intrinsic nature demanded he never be outspoken. Therefore, his employer never knew the butler hadn’t slept for several days. On any day the butler might make a mistake. One day, the superintendent said, “This particular party is important. People from the ministry are coming. Everything must be perfect.” The butler began preparing at once. First he went to the attic to get more chairs and tables. But on his descent, he realized he needed to make the food. A gourmet dinner was necessary for such a party. He boiled water in a kettle for soup and chopped some beef into chunks. Just as he was starting the soup, he remembered that he had to sweep the veranda. As he was sweeping the veranda, he realized that he had to clean the sauna. By this time, the first guests had arrived. The veranda was still dirty. There were not enough chairs for the guests to sit on, and the soup tasted too pungent. Some guests were dissatisfied. They started to make a fuss, and the party was filled with a din of complaints. The superintendent’s party was a disaster. He wondered why his butler had made so many mistakes. At last, the butler admitted to being exhausted. His boss felt pity for the butler. He had no idea the butler was so tired. He said, “You should have told me earlier, then we could have avoided this whole ordeal.”

 Unit 5: A Bet Word List  1. alternate [ˈɔ:ltərneit] v.  To alternate means to switch back and forth between two things. → The best exercise alternates muscle and heart strengthening.  2. apologetic [əˌpɒləˈdʒetik] adj.  If someone is apologetic, they are sorry about something. → The boy felt apologetic after losing his sister’s favorite toy.  3. benign [biˈnain] adj.  If something or someone is benign, they do not hurt anyone. → Many spiders look scary, but most are actually benign.  4. char [tʃɑːr] v.  To char means to burn something so that it turns black. → While Frank went inside to get the mustard, he accidentally charred the hotdogs.  5. clarify [ˈklærəfai] v.  To clarify means to make something easier to understand by explaining it. → Drew tried to clarify all the functions of Michelle’s new computer.  6. dogged [ˈdɔ(:)gid] adj.  When someone’s actions are dogged, they try hard to continue something. → Her dad bought her a new jacket after her dogged requests for one.  7. distress [disˈtres] n.  Distress is the feeling of being upset or worried. → Failing a class caused the student a lot of distress.  8. ensue [inˈsuː] v.  To ensue means to happen after something. → After a few minutes of lightening, thunder ensued.  9. gasp [gæsp] v.  To gasp means to make a noise by quickly breathing in when surprised. → John always gasps when watching a scary movie.  10. negotiate [niˈgouʃieit] v.  To negotiate means to try to make an agreement through discussion. → Mario and Joe took a long time negotiating the contract between the companies.  11. overdose [ˈouvərdous] n.  An overdose is an instance of taking or having too much of something. → John’s skin was burned from an overdose of sunshine.  12. persuasion [pərˈsweiʒən] n.  Persuasion is the act of making someone do or believe something. → The persuasion of his argument convinced the customer to buy the laptop.  13. relay [ˈriːlei] n.  A relay is a race in which teams of runners or swimmers race against each other. → Jerry was the fastest on his team, so he ran the last part of the relay.  14. reluctance [riˈlʌktəns] n.  Reluctance is a feeling of not wanting to do something. → Jesse took out the trash with great reluctance.  15. restate [riːˈsteit] v.  To restate something means to say it again or in a different way. → Mrs. Jones restated the test question to the class.  16. sesame [ˈsesəmi] n.  Sesame is an herb that is grown for its small seeds and its oil. → I used the buns with the sesame seeds on them.  17. sip [sip] v.  To sip something means to drink a small amount at a time. → Liza relaxed on the beach, sipping fruit juice through a straw.  18. verge [vəːrdʒ] n.  The verge is the point at which something is about to happen. → Joan was on the verge of leaving her house when the phone rang.  19. wary [ˈwɛəri] adj.  If someone is wary, they are cautious or mistrusting. → She was wary of going to school because she hadn’t done her homework.  20. waver [ˈweivə:r] v.  To waver is to be unable to decide between two choices. → I wavered between eating the apple or the cake for a snack.

Unit 5: A BET A Bet Russell finished running a relay and joined his friend Becky in the cafeteria. He asked, “What’s for lunch?” “Sesame chicken. It’s OK, except the meat’s charred. Oh, and watch out for the chili peppers,” Becky said. “Chilies don’t bother me!” said Russell. “ My stepmother says you should be careful with them,” replied Becky. An argument ensued about eating chilies. “Chilies aren’t so bad. I bet I can take more bites of this chili than you,” Russell said. Becky was wary of eating the pepper. Despite her reluctance, she didn’t want to say no to the bet. She wavered about whether to do it or not. She negotiated the details. “What will the winner get?” she asked. “The loser has to carry the winner’s books for a year! I’ll even let you go first.” Becky replied, “ Fine, but to clarify, you’ll carry my books for the entire school year, right?” Russell restated the agreement, “That’s right I’ll carry your books all year if you win—which you won’t!” His dogged persuasion convinced her. The chili looked benign, but Becky knew it could cause a lot of pain. She bit the bottom of the pepper. Surprisingly, she felt nothing. “ My turn,” said Russell. He bit the middle of the chili. Immediately, he seemed to be in distress. He gasped and his face alternated between brave and pained expressions. He experienced an overdose of spice. He was on the verge of tears and finally let out a horrible cry. “Take this,” said Becky, handing him her drink. “That was awful!” he said, continuing to sip from the glass. That night, Becky researched chilies. The next day she said in an apologetic voice, “ I read that the hot part of chilies is in the middle, where the seeds are. I’m sorry—I feel like I cheated by going first.” Russell was relieved, not only did he learn something new about chilies, but he learned that Becky was a good friend.

Unit 6: Amazing Komodo Dragons Word List  1. ashore [əˈʃɔːr] adv.  If something goes ashore, it goes from water to the land. → After a long day of fishing, Glen pulled his boat ashore, so it wouldn’t float away.  2. contradict [ˌkɒntrəˈdikt] v.  To contradict means to state the opposite of what someone else has. → Ken was always fighting with his little sister because she kept contradicting him.  3. counterpart [ˈkauntərpɑːrt] v.  A counterpart is something that is very similar to something else in what it does. → Our manager will meet our rival company’s counterpart later today.  3. devoid [diˈvɔid] adj.  When something or someone is devoid of a thing, they are missing it. → The movie was devoid of any violence, so it was a perfect movie for the family.  5. diverge [diˈvəːrdʒ] v.  To diverge is to become different or to follow a different direction. → The road diverged into two paths that led to our houses.  6. elude [iˈluːd] v.  To elude means to avoid being caught by something. → The rabbit eluded the wolf by hiding in a bush.  7. embryo [ˈembriou] n.  An embryo is a human or animal that is still growing inside its mother. → Some doctors say that what a mother eats has a big effect on her embryo.  8. fend [fend] v.  To fend off something means to push it away and avoid it. → Dave spent all night fending off bugs instead of sleeping.  9. fictitious [fikˈtiʃəs] adj.  When something is fictitious, it is made up and not real. → The author said that the characters in her book were completely fictitious.  10. gazette [gəˈzet] n.  A gazette is a newspaper. → Alice wants to write for a gazette when she’s older.  11. homogeneous [ˌhouməˈdʒiːniəs] adj.  If something is homogeneous, it is made up of things which are all the same. → All of the houses on Victor’s block were boring and homogenous.  12. obstruct [əbˈstrʌkt] v.  To obstruct something means to get in its way. → The car broke down on the road and obstructed traffic for hours.  13. plunge [plʌndʒ] v.  To plunge means to move down into something very quickly. → The water in the pool was very cold, but the boy plunged in anyway.  14. prolong [prouˈlɔ:ŋ] v.  To prolong means to make something last for a longer time. → Sandy walked slowly across the beach, trying to prolong her lunch break.  15. publicize [ˈpʌbləsaiz] v.  To publicize is to make something get a lot of attention. → The company publicized the job positions in the newspaper.  16. sparse [spɑːrs] adj.  If something is sparse, there is not very much of it in a big area. → Rob spent Saturday in his garden, clearing out the sparse weeds.  17. surplus [ˈsəːrplʌs] n.  A surplus is an extra amount of something. → The store sold their surplus items on sale.  18. theorize [ˈθi:əraiz] v.  To theorize means to develop ideas about something. → They enjoyed theorizing about how things worked.  19. verify [ˈverəfai] v.  To verify means to find out if something is true. → Julian called the movie theater to verify that the movie started at nine.  20. vigorous [ˈvigərəs] adj.  If something or someone is vigorous, they use a lot of energy. → Henry uses vigorous exercise to keep himself in shape.