Lesson 5: Essential Words for the TOEFL

Jun 7, 2016

amaze ○ baffle ○ bear ○ block ○ blur ○ brilliant ○ caution ○ challenge ○ delicate ○ enhance ○ intrigue ○ persuade ○ replace ○ shed ○ unique

amaze
[v.] to fill with great surprise
[Syn.] astonish

[adv.] amazingly
[n.] amazement
[adj.] amazing

I was amazed that I received an A on the calculus test.
The actor gave an amazing performance.

baffle
[v.] to confuse to a point at which no progress can be made
[Syn.] puzzle

[adj.] baffling
[n.] bafflement

The causes of many harmful diseases have baffled doctors for centuries.
That was a baffling question.

bear
[v.] to produce, to carry; to show; to endure
[Syn.] yield

[adj.] bearably
[adj.] bearable

This orchard bears many fine harvests of apples.
Although stock prices declined, losses have been bearable for most investors.

block
[v.] to prevent movement progress, or success
[Syn.] obstruct

[adj.] blocked
[n.] blockage

The government blocked the sale of the airline.
The streets were flooded due to a blockage in the pipes.

blur
[v.] to make something difficult to see
[Syn.] cloud

[adj.] blurred
[n.] blur

The rain blurred everyone’s view of the valley.
The whole accident is just a blur in my mine.

brilliant
[adj.] intensely bright or colorful, intelligent
[Syn.] radiant

[adv.] brilliantly
[n.] brilliance

Einstein was a brilliant thinker.
She brilliantly produced a solution to the problem.

caution
[v.] to alert someone of danger, the act of taking care of, or paying attention to, something
[Syn.] warn

[adj.] cautious
[adj.] cautionary
[adv.] cautiously
[n.] caution

The office cautioned the motorist to slow down.
They entered into the negotiations cautiously.

challenge
[n.] an invitation to complete, something that demands competitive action or much thought
[Syn.] dare

[adj.] challenging
[v.] challenge

Finishing the 26-mile race was a challenge for most of the participants.
It was a challenging math problem.

delicate
[adj.] needing careful treatment, sensitive, easily broken
[Syn.] fragile

[adv.] delicately

Because of its controversial nature, it was a challenge to discuss such a delicate issue in public.
You must handle the antique delicately.

enhance
[v.] to increase in a positive way, such as in value, power, or beauty
[Syn.] strengthen

[n.] enhancement
[adj.] enhanced

Passing the exam should enhance your chances of being, admitted to college.
The computer enhanced our productivity.

intrigue
a. to interest greatly
[Syn.] fascinate

[adj.] intriguing
[adv.] intriguingly
[n.] intrigue

He was intrigued by the acclaim flat he received.
The intriguing question baffled historians.

persuade
[v.] to change a belief or behavior by argument or reason
[Syn.] convince

[adv.] persuasively
[adj.] persuasive
[n.] persuasion

They couldn’t persuade their critics to see their point of view.
John presented a persuasive argument for his salary increase.

replace
[v.] to change for another thing; to take the place of
[Syn.] substitute

[adj.] replaceable
[n.] replacement

They have replaced all of the old office equipment.
The new employee was the replacement for Mr. Topper, who retired last month.

shed
[v.] to throw off naturally, to give out
[Syn.] discard

In order to grow, crabs must shed their shells.
The experiments shed no new information on the cause of the disease.

unique
[adj.] to be the only one of a kind; special
[Syn.] rare

[adv.] uniquely
[n.] uniqueness

He was presented with a unique opportunity to attend the conference.
His style of writing is uniquely his own.

Choose the synonym.
1. confront
  1. astonish
  2. challenge
  3. petition
  4. forbid
2. obstruct
  1. warn
  2. tempt
  3. enhance
  4. block
3. intrigue
  1. fascinate
  2. elicit
  3. intensify
  4. enrich
4. substitute
  1. advantage
  2. replacement
  3. blockage
  4. frail
5. delicate
  1. ambiguous
  2. vital
  3. fragile
  4. resilient
6. convince
  1. assert
  2. persuade
  3. restore
  4. yield
7. rare
  1. determined
  2. ideal
  3. vague
  4. unique
8. shed
  1. discard
  2. refine
  3. alter
  4. cloud
9. enhance
  1. entice
  2. strengthen
  3. relinquish
  4. encourage
10. puzzled
  1. advanced
  2. assertive
  3. baffled
  4. astute
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the underlined word in the sentence.
1. Custer was cautioned by his advisors not to underestimate the strength of his opponent.
  1. challenged
  2. persuaded
  3. known
  4. warned
2. Bright feathers have been used for ornamentation since early times.
  1. Long
  2. Unique
  3. Delicate
  4. Brilliant
3. Telescopic images from outer space are often blurred by atmospheric conditions.
  1. clouded
  2. limited
  3. enhanced
  4. blocked
4. The narrow, green-grey leaves of the sweet alyssum are untoothed and usually bear many silvery hairs.
  1. carry
  2. yield
  3. replace
  4. hide
5. For many years, scientists were baffled by the small size of the atom.
  1. amazed
  2. limited
  3. puzzled
  4. fascinated

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