Lesson 12: Essential Words for the TOEFL

Jun 7, 2016

benefit ○ blind ○ broaden ○ burgeon ○ conspicuously ○ demand ○ endorse ○ enormous ○ entirely ○ erode ○ evaporate ○ recover ○ reportedly ○ shift ○ suffer

benefit
[v.] to be useful or helpful
[Syn.] assist

[adv.] beneficially
[adj.] beneficial
[n.] benefit
[n.] beneficiary

Use of solar power will benefit all mankind.
It is extremely beneficial to prepare for a test.

blind
[adj.] unable to see or understand, to conceal; showing poor judgment or understanding
[Syn.] unaware

[adv.] blindly
[n.] blindness

They were blind to the fact that they had little chance to succeed.
He went into the job blindly, with no previous experience.

broaden
[v.] to make larger or greater
[Syn.] enlarge

[adv.] broadly
[adj.] broad
[n.] breadth

Education will broaden your opportunities to land a good job.
The breadth of his knowledge is impressive.

burgeon
[v.] grow at a fast pace
[Syn.] thrive

[adj.] burgeoning

The burgeoning population of major cities is creating a demand for more services.
His talent as a pianist burgeoned at the age of 14.

conspicuously
[adv.] attracting attention
[Syn.] noticeably

[adj.] conspicuous

His name was conspicuously absent from the list of winners.
The attorneys were conspicuous for their aggressive manner in the courtroom.

demand
[v.] to ask for something in a strong way
[Syn.] insist

[adv.] demandingly
[adj.] demanding
[n.] demand

She demanded to know the truth.
The employees’ demands for better working conditions caused the work stoppage.

endorse
[v.] to express approval
[Syn.] support

[n.] endorsement

The union endorsed the new contract.
The president’s endorsement of the project guaranteed its funding.

enormous
[adj.] very large
[Syn.] tremendous

[adv.] enormously
[n.] enormity

His enormous wealth allows him to contribute to many charities.
A diet with many fruits and vegetables is enormously beneficial to the body.

entirely
[adv.] completely
[Syn.] thoroughly

[adj.] entire
[n.] entirety

They are entirely right about the economy.
The president released the speech in its entirety before the news conference.

erode
[v.] to wear away, disappear slowly
[Syn.] deteriorate

[n.] erosion

The senator’s support is eroding because of his unpopular positions on the major issues.
It took millions of years of erosion for nature to form the Grand Canyon.

evaporate
[v.] to vanish
[Syn.] disappear

[n.] evaporation

The chances of the two sides reaching an agreement have evaporated.
The evaporation of the funds was unexplainable.

recover
[v.] to get back; to have something returned
[Syn.] retrieve

[adj.] recovered
[adj.] recoverable
[n.] recovery

The NASA team was unable to recover the space capsule.
The recovered objects had not been damaged.

reportedly
[adv.] to know by report; unconfirmed; supposedly
[Syn.] Rumored

[adj.] reported
[v.] report
[n.] report

The students reportedly sent a representative, but she has not arrived yet.
The reported tornado has not been confirmed.

shift
[n.] change in position or direction
[Syn.] Switch

[adj.] shifting
[v.] shift
[adj.] shifty

The shift in the wind was helpful to the sailors.
Earthquakes are caused by shifting in layers of earth along faults.

suffer
[v.] to experience difficulty; to worsen in quality; to experience pain
[Syn.] endure

[adj.] suffering
[n.] suffering
[n.] sufferer

The old man suffers from loss of memory.
Many families experience the suffering of difficult economic times.

Choose the synonym.
1. benefit
  1. prosper
  2. demand
  3. assist
  4. distinguish
2. noticeably
  1. constantly
  2. enormously
  3. conspicuously
  4. broadly
3. rumored
  1. routinely
  2. purposefully
  3. comparatively
  4. reportedly
4. blind
  1. oblivious
  2. visible
  3. sensitive
  4. shifting
5. thrive
  1. exaggerate
  2. burgeon
  3. dominate
  4. endorse
6. endure
  1. suffer
  2. erode
  3. release
  4. disappear
7. broaden
  1. impress
  2. elicit
  3. reveal
  4. enlarge
8. switch
  1. enrich
  2. shift
  3. propose
  4. support
9. retrieve
  1. recover
  2. deteriorate
  3. disperse
  4. relinquish
10. insist
  1. demand
  2. mention
  3. disperse
  4. intrigue
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the underlined word in the sentence.
1. The candidate’s support evaporated after the announcement of his program reached the newspapers and televisions news programs.
  1. burgeoned
  2. suffered
  3. broadened
  4. disappeared
2. The president’s popularity has eroded since the publication of a recent newspaper article.
  1. recovered
  2. shifted
  3. intensified
  4. deteriorated
3. The natural forest vegetation has entirely disappeared from the landscape.
  1. slowly
  2. reportedly
  3. completely
  4. conspicuously
4. Lightning is electricity that is discharged as an enormous spark, hitting the closest spot on the ground.
  1. mighty
  2. tremendous
  3. blinding
  4. terrifying
5. The trade unions worked hard for an agreement that would be endorsed by their members.
  1. demanded by
  2. supported by
  3. attractive to
  4. of benefit to

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