1.1 Word: Outshine (verb)
Where: Office
Employee: I am here for my performance review.
Boss: I want to congratulate you on your excellent work. You continue to outshine everyone else in the office.
1.2 Word: Outshine (verb)
Where: School
Student 1: How did you do on the science test?
Manager 2: I got almost all the questions right. But Steven will always outshine me. As usual, he got a perfect score.
2.1 Word: Delightful (adjective)
Where: Library
Mother: Which book do you want to read? This book about unicorns has delightful illustrations.
Girl: I would rather look at a book about animals.
2.2 Word: Delightful (adjective)
Where: Park
Child: Why is it so cold outside?
Mother: The weather in spring changes quickly. Later today, the weather will be delightful.
3.1 Word: Nauseous (adjective)
Where: Home
Father: The bus will be here soon but you aren’t ready for school.
Child: I can’t go to school today. I feel nauseous. My stomach hurts.
3.2 Word: Nauseous (adjective)
Where: Hotel
Wife: Do you want to go to the hotel restaurant for dinner?
Husband: I don’t want to eat anything yet. I still feel nauseous from our long hours of travel.
4.1 Word: Sneaky (adjective)
Where: Home
Son: Where is our new kitten hiding?
Mother: I can’t find him anywhere. He’s being sneaky.
4.2 Word: Sneaky (adjective)
Where: Gas station
Manager: We are missing several items from our inventory.
Employee: There have been several thefts lately. Sneaky customers came in and hid small items in their pockets, but we didn’t suspect them because they paid for gas.
5.1 Word: Insider (noun)
Where: Mall Kiosk
Employee: I can offer you an insider deal on these new toys if you stay for our demonstration.
Customer: No, thank you. I’m in a hurry.
5.2 Word: Insider (noun)
Where: Office
Employee 1: Where is Jonathan? He hasn’t been at work all week.
Employee 2: Didn’t you hear? He was fired for trading stock using secret information about our company. As an insider, only he knew the information.
6.1 Word: Intense (adjective)
Where: Police Station
Police Officer 1: We brought in a suspect this morning in the robbery case.
Police Officer 2: This case is intense. He broke into three homes in broad daylight. Everyone in the neighbourhood is uneasy.
6.2 Word: Intense (adjective)
Where: Store
Manager: Why are you taking another break?
Employee: I’m sorry, but I have helped almost a hundred customers today. The pressure is too intense.
7.1 Word: Meticulous (adjective)
Where: School
Teacher: You made several mistakes in this report.
Student: If you show me how to correct the mistakes, I will correct them. My new report will be meticulous.
7.2 Word: Meticulous (adjective)
Where: Home
Wife: We have guests coming over. Help me clean up.
Husband: The house looks fine as it is. There’s no need to be so meticulous.
8.1 Word: Monetize (verb)
Where: Airplane
Flight Attendant: Would you like to upgrade to another seat for more room?
Passenger: I shouldn’t have to pay for extra room around my seat. Why does the airline try to monetize everything?
8.2 Word: Monetize (verb)
Where: Boardroom
Manager: We are having trouble coming up with new ways to monetize our software, which customers can download for free.
CEO: We should add a way for customers to download premium features for an additional fee.
9.1 Word: Neglect (verb)
Where: School
Teacher 1: My students neglect to turn in their homework.
Teacher 2: Did you give them a reminder? My students have turned everything in on time this week.
9.2 Word: Neglect (verb)
Where: Home
Mother: Don’t neglect your dog. He needs attention.
Child: I already fed and walked the dog today. What more do I need to do?
10.1 Word: Ostentatious (adjective)
Where: Bookstore
Friend 1: I like the bright cover of this new book. What do you think?
Friend 2: That design is too ostentatious for me. It makes me wonder whether the book will be any good.
10.2 Word: Ostentatious (adjective)
Where: Sports Stadium
Coach: Why did you give him a penalty? He did nothing wrong.
Referee: The foul was ostentatious. He pushed the other player to the ground.
11.1 Word: Elaborate (adjective)
Where: High School
Student 1: The assignment due on Friday is very confusing.
Friend 2: I agree. The guidelines are far too elaborate. I don’t even know where to start.
11.2 Word: Elaborate (adjective)
Where: Hotel
Guest: I would like to check in. Am I in the right place? There are so many elaborate decorations in the lobby.
Desk Clerk: Yes, you are in the right place. The decorations are for a wedding that we are hosting tonight.
12.1 Word: Ambivalence (noun)
Where: Office
Manager: You have not been working hard enough lately.
Employee: All of us are suffering from ambivalence. We have been working on the same project for over a month. Please assign us something more interesting to do.
12.2 Word: Ambivalence (noun)
Where: Shopping Mall
Teenager 1: Where should we look first? Do you want to shop for clothes?
Teenager 2: Let’s just walk around; I don’t want to buy anything. I have been feeling a sense of ambivalence about how to spend my time.
13.1 Word: Grateful (adjective)
Where: Library
Patron: I would be grateful if you could help me track down this novel.
Librarian: I’m sorry, but someone else has already checked it out. Come back next week.
13.2 Word: Grateful (adjective)
Where: Dinner Table
Parent: Before we eat, we should say what we are grateful for.
Child: I am grateful for our house, our food, and for my new video games.
14.1 Word: Getaway (noun)
Where: Hotel
Guest: We are staying here for a week. What activities are popular on this island?
Concierge: We offer several getaway packages. There are local tour groups that will show you around the island for the day.
14.2 Word: Getaway (noun)
Where: Office
Employee: I would like to take some vacation days next week.
Boss: I need everyone to be here at work next week because we’re very busy. Plan a weekend getaway instead.
15.1 Word: Exquisite (adjective)
Where: Restaurant
Boyfriend: You look exquisite this evening.
Girlfriend: Thank you! I wanted to dress up since this is such an expensive restaurant.
15.2 Word: Exquisite (adjective)
Where: Bakery
Customer: Can you help me place an order for a wedding cake?
Employee: Here is a book that shows all the designs we offer. We are known for our exquisite three-tier cakes.
16.1 Word: Ample (adjective)
Where: University
Professor: I am assigning a research paper for next month. Allow yourselves ample time to complete it.
Student: Even with a month to prepare, it will be difficult to write twenty pages.
16.2 Word: Ample (adjective)
Where: Store
Manager: I received a call from the warehouse. A large delivery of supplies will be arriving this afternoon.
Employee: No problem. We organized our back room last week and there is ample space on the shelves.
17.1 Word: Apparel (noun)
Where: Department Store
Employee: Why do we have to organize the department?
Manager: A new line of apparel will be coming in next week. Last season’s clothing line needs to go.
17.2 Word: Apparel (noun)
Where: Shoe store
Customer: After I buy these shoes, I need to pick out some socks. Is there a store nearby that sells socks?
Employee: Actually, we sell more than shoes here. On the other side of the store, we sell apparel and accessories. I will help you find the socks you need.
18.1 Word: Aptitude (noun)
Where: School
Teacher 1: My students are preparing for the aptitude test this week.
Teacher 2: They can practice strategies, but they will only do well on the test if they have natural ability in the subject.
18.2 Word: Aptitude (noun)
Where: Ballpark
Player: We haven’t scored a single run in this game.
Coach: Don’t feel bad. That pitcher has incredible aptitude. No one can get a hit off of him.
19.1 Word: Artisan (noun)
Where: Restaurant
Waiter: What would you like to order?
Diner: I want to try the sandwich with hand-milled oat bread. I love artisan food with unique ingredients.
19.2 Word: Artisan (noun)
Where: Fair
Visitor: Where were these crafts and quilts made?
Seller: Everything at this booth was made by a local artisan. She works with natural materials and has studied with many experienced artists.
20.1 Word: Attire (noun)
Where: Coffee Shop
New Employee: What is the dress code? I want to be prepared for my first day of work.
Manager: All employees need to wear professional attire with neutral colors, but we don’t have uniforms.
20.2 Word: Attire (noun)
Where: Office
Manager: This is the third time you’ve worn jeans to work. I don’t think your attire is appropriate for the corporate environment.
Employee: I’m sorry. I thought we could wear casual clothing on Fridays.
21.1 Word: Buoyant (adjective)
Where: Restaurant
Diner 1: The waiter is taking forever to place our order.
Diner 2: He’s been over there talking to his friends for a few minutes. He clearly has a buoyant personality.
21.2 Word: Buoyant (adjective)
Where: Party
Man: We should head home now. It’s getting late.
Woman: You must be kidding. I’m in a buoyant mood tonight and I want to stay and celebrate for a while longer.
22.1 Word: Cautious (adjective)
Where: Street
Police Officer: I’ve pulled you over because you were driving much too fast, and you ran a stop sign.
Driver: I apologize. I promise to be more cautious.
22.2 Word: Cautious (adjective)
Where: Office
Employee: I haven’t received a bonus this year. Last year we had all gotten a bonus by now.
Manager: I’m sorry, but the company’s sales are low. Upper management has asked us to be very cautious with our spending, and that means we will not get bonuses this year.
23.1 Word: Chore (noun)
Where: Kitchen
Daughter: I have finished my chores.
Mother: Thank you. You can go upstairs and play.
23.2 Word: Chore (noun)
Where: Store
Employee: Why am I the only person working today?
Manager: I’m sorry, but Jason is late again. It is becoming an impossible chore to get him to come to work on time.
24.1 Word: Comprehensive (adjective)
Where: Bookstore
Customer: Do you sell any books by South American authors?
Clerk: Yes, we have a comprehensive selection of works by South American authors in the foreign fiction section.
24.2 Word: Comprehensive (adjective)
Where: High School
Student: What should we study for the final exam?
Teacher: The test will be comprehensive. You should review all the material we went over this year.
25.1 Word: Conscientious (adjective)
Where: Park
Man: There is too much litter here. This park used to be so clean.
Woman: The new park service staff is not very conscientious. It’s been a mess since they hired new workers.
25.2 Word: Conscientious (adjective)
Where: Office
Manager: Your work on the new client package has been very conscientious.
Employee: Thank you. I tried to gather as much information about the client as I could.
26.1 Word: Credible (adjective)
Where: Office
Secretary: Eric isn’t going to be here today. He has the flu.
Manager: That doesn’t seem credible. He had the flu last month. I will call him and find out what’s going on.
26.2 Word: Credible (adjective)
Where: School
Student: How can I find a credible source for my essay?
Teacher: Use the research database I listed on the guidelines. All the sources in that database are dependable and verified.
27.1 Word: Tackle (verb)
Where: Football Field
Player: What should our strategy be in the second quarter?
Coach: We need to find a way to tackle their best player. If we don’t, he will score another touchdown.
27.2 Word: Tackle (verb)
Where: Office
Manager: Someone needs to find a way to manage our new customer calls.
Employee: I have an idea about how we can tackle the problem. If one of us takes calls during lunch, we won’t fall behind.
28.1 Word: Tantalizing (adjective)
Where: Restaurant
Customer: Do you have any special meals tonight?
Waiter: Yes, in fact. Our chef is offering a tantalizing baked chicken entrée that comes with a chocolate dessert.
28.2 Word: Tantalizing (adjective)
Where: Home
Husband: Let’s go out to eat tonight.
Wife: That’s a tantalizing idea, but we should stay in and save money since we’re going out with friends next week.
29.1 Word: Tender (adjective)
Where: Mall
Friend 1: I thought that Maria was going to join us today.
Friend 2: She can’t make it. Her little sister isn’t feeling well. Maria has such a tender heart that she decided to stay home and help her feel better.
29.2 Word: Tender (adjective)
Where: Office
Manager 1: Melissa says that Sara is intimidating our potential clients.
Manager 2: She doesn’t have a very tender approach. She tries to sell to them without taking time to talk to them first.
30.1 Word: Tense (adjective)
Where: Home
Mother: You seem tense. What’s wrong?
Son: I didn’t have a good day at school. I’m worried about getting all this work done before tomorrow.
30.2 Word: Tense (adjective)
Where: Office
Employee 1: The managers have been in a meeting all day.
Employee 2: They don’t usually have meetings like this. Things are getting tense around here. I’m afraid they’re discussing letting someone go.
Christine Gosnay 