Lesson 15: Essential Words for the TOEFL

Jun 7, 2016

durable ○ favor ○ gain ○ generate ○ halt ○ handle ○ harbor ○ harmful ○ insignificant ○ mysterious ○ perilous ○ postpone ○ promote ○ reject ○ substantial

durable
[adj.] something that lasts a long time
*time during which something lasts
[Syn.] sturdy

[n.] durability
[n.] duration

It was a durable refrigerator, but it finally broke.
The durability of tires is a key factor in determining their quality.

favor
[v.] to prefer
* advantageous
[Syn.] support

[adv.] favorably
[adj.] favorable
[adj.] favorite
[n.] favor

The supervisor favored the first of the two plans.
The weather was favorable for the contest.

gain
[n.] to obtain something needed or useful; to increase the amount of something
[Syn.] attain

[adj.] gainful
[n.] gain

He gained a lot of experience working as a volunteer.
His gain in knowledge was impressive.

generate
[v.] to produce
[Syn.] create

[adj.] generated
[n.] generation
[n.] generator

The appearance of the dance troupe generated a lot of excitement.
The generator provides power to the building during a blackout.

halt
[v.] to stop or discontinue
[Syn.] stop

[adv.] haltingly
[adj.] halting
[n.] halt

Bus service to the city was halted due to poor road conditions.
The supervisor put a halt to the tardiness of the employees.

handle
[v.] to deal with or control
[Syn.] manage

[n.] handle

They handled themselves very well given the circumstances.
They president’s handling of the crisis was widely applauded.

harbor
[v.] to give protection; not to express a desire or opinion, usually bad
[Syn.] shelter

He harbors ill feelings for her.
They harbored the political refugee in their home.

harmful
[adj.] something that causes pain or damage
[Syn.] unhealthy

[adv.] harmfully
[v.] harm
[n.] harm

Excessive radiation is harmful to the body.
Bleach harms certain fabrics.

insignificant
[adj.] not important; of little value
[Syn.] meaningless

[adv.] insignificantly
[n.] insignificance

The amount of rainfall this summer has been insignificant.
The insignificance of his comment became apparent with the passing of time.

mysterious
[adj.] not easily understood or figured out
[Syn.] baffling

[adv.] mysteriously
[n.] mystery
[n.] mysteriousness

He had a mysterious effect on everyone who heard him speak.
The man’s disappearance was a mystery.

perilous
[adj.] threatening or risky; harmful
[Syn.] dangerous

[adv.] perilously
[n.] peril

It is perilous to exceed the speed limit.
There are ample perils in the sport of mountain climbing.

postpone
[v.] reschedule at a later time; put off
[Syn.] delay

[n.] postponement

The teacher postponed the lab experiment.
The postponement of the fight for three hours was unavoidable.

promote
[v.] to encourage or advertise; to elevate in rank or grade
[Syn.] boost

[n.] promoter
[n.] promotion

Many nations promote tourism to lure foreign currency.
The customers responded favorably to the half-price promotion.

reject
[v.] to refuse
[Syn.] refuse

[n.] rejection

The insurance company rejected the claim.
The rejection of his work was difficult for him to understand.

substantial
[adj.] important; strongly made; of value
[Syn.] significant

[adv.] substantial
[adj.] substantive

The discovery of a vaccine for smallpox was a substantial medical achievement.
This substantive article will change your opinion of rock music.

Choose the synonym.
1. favor
  1. manage
  2. support
  3. feign
  4. conform
2. halt
  1. evaporate
  2. avoid
  3. defy
  4. stop
3. postpone
  1. attain
  2. delay
  3. harbor
  4. elude
4. durable
  1. ample
  2. crucial
  3. dominant
  4. sturdy
5. create
  1. generate
  2. gain
  3. release
  4. solve
6. substantial
  1. haphazard
  2. diverse
  3. significant
  4. perilous
7. promote
  1. shelter
  2. boost
  3. harm
  4. face
8. mysterious
  1. unhealthy
  2. dangerous
  3. dramatic
  4. baffling
9. insignificant
  1. meaningless
  2. rudimentary
  3. vigorous
  4. spacious
10. refuse
  1. recover
  2. exhaust
  3. reject
  4. withstand
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the underlined word in the sentence.
1. Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic was extremely perilous.
  1. exhausting
  2. expensive
  3. dangerous
  4. effective
2. Some toxic contaminants in urban water supplies have been found to occur in harmful amounts.
  1. substantial
  2. unhealthy
  3. insignificant
  4. mysterious
3. Presumably desolate desert and tundra areas actually harbor many forms of life.
  1. favor
  2. halt
  3. generate
  4. shelter
4. Modern commercial practice relies to a growing extent on arbitration to handle disputes.
  1. avoid
  2. manage
  3. postpone
  4. intensify
5. Martin Luther King gained recognition for his use of nonviolent methods.
  1. earned
  2. rejected
  3. enhanced
  4. promoted

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