Learning English vocabulary, especially abstract and academic words, has always been a big challenge for English learners because the majority of ESL learners simply memorize words out of context. Therefore, English learners cannot score high on standardized English tests, such as IELTS, TOEFL, GRE, SAT, etc. with relatively long passages and contextualized words.
Vocabulary learning should be integrated with listening comprehension to become a more natural process. For this reason, our students can select any word, phrase, passage or the entire article in order to listen to the selected text. That is to say, LELB Society is genuinely talking to and interacting with our students.
As mentioned earlier, it’s a wrong approach to learning vocabulary out of context. At LELB Society, we provide our students with this exceptional opportunity to build up and expand academic vocabulary in real or authentic context extracted from novels, books, websites, plays, scripts of movies, poems, and the like. What’s more, our students can master advanced vocabulary in organized themes and subjects by clicking on the tags or keywords located at the bottom of each lesson. To browse our most frequently-used tags and keywords, click here and study all lessons.
Abstract words should become tangible in your mind for a longer retention. One perfect way to make abstract words tangible is to make appropriate associations between them and corresponding visual concepts, and using images and illustrations can help you achieve this goal. At LELB Society, we have illustrated thousands of advanced English vocabulary found in best-selling vocabulary books, such as 504 Absolutely Essential Words, 1100 Words You Need to Know and 601 Words You Need to Know to Pass Your Exam.
The images and illustrations are accessible only to our students or members.
Sanctimonious Sanctimonious (adj) /ˌsæŋk.tɪˈməʊ.ni.əs/ hypocritically showing that you are morally superior than others – holier-than-thou – self-righteous – pompous – hypocritically religious: Sanctimonious in context I cannot tolerate such a sanctimonious person with extreme radical ideas. During the heated debate, Mark’s sanctimonious attitude began to grate on his colleagues. He constantly spoke down to others,…
Unmitigated Unmitigated (adj) /ʌnˈmɪt.ɪ.geɪ.tɪd/ unrelieved and not lessened – absolute and complete usually in a negative way – thorough, perfect, sheer – pure – total – utter – unadulterated: Unmitigated in context Having lost the last two municipal elections consecutively, he regarded the sad state of affairs as an unmitigated disaster. The charity event turned…
Commodious Commodious (adj) /kəˈməʊ.di.əs/ (of a room or house) very spacious and large – roomy – big – capacious – sizable – ample: Commodious in context In this hotel, some rooms are incredibly commodious and some others are ridiculously cramped. After years of living in a cramped apartment, Sarah was overjoyed to finally move into…
Vigil Vigil (noun) /ˈvɪdʒ.ɪl/ the act of staying awake at night to watch for danger, look after an ill person or pray – night watch – watch – wake – festival eve: Vigil in context Little Ben’s worried parents maintained a constant vigil by his bedside at the hospital, wishing for his health. After the…
Propensity Propensity (noun) /prəˈpen.sɪ.ti/ US /-sə.ţi/ a tendency to show a particular behavior or act in a special way – tendency – inclination – bent – predisposition – susceptibility – penchant: Propensity in context Although Rachel is incredibly intelligent and highbrow, she has a propensity to disagree with others pointlessly. As a seasoned psychologist, Dr.…
Connoisseur Connoisseur (noun) /ˌkɒn.əˈsɜːʳ/ an expert in a particular field, such as art, food, music, etc. – specialist – enthusiast – professional – authority: He’s a music connoisseur. To be more precise, he’s a violin virtuoso. Emily, a renowned connoisseur of classical music, was frequently invited to prestigious concerts and recitals around the world. Her…
Abjure Abjure (verb) /əbˈdʒʊəʳ/ to state publicly that you no longer hold a previous belief – renounce – give up a belief – shun – avoid – deny – repudiate – abstain from – reject – refrain: Abjure in context To everybody’s chagrin, he openly abjured any fraternity and affinity with his close friends. After…
Foment Foment (verb) /fəʊˈment/ to cause trouble or rebellion – stir up trouble – instigate – stimulate – incite – provoke – whip up: Foment in context The trial found him guilty of fomenting armed rebellion against the government. The charismatic leader’s passionate speeches began to foment a sense of rebellion among the citizens, who…
Facetious Facetious (adj) /fəˈsiː.ʃəs/ intended to be funny and humorous but in an awkward and inappropriate way – whimsical – flippant – silly – foolish – inane – frivolous – lighthearted – witty – amusing – comical: Facetious in context This must be just a facetious remark. He cannot be really serious about dropping out…
Rabid Rabid (adj) /ˈræb.ɪd/ having very strong opinions or intense feelings about something – biased – fanatical – extreme – radical – fervent – fervid – ardent – suffering from rabies – infected: Rabid in context A bunch of rabid fanatics have gone on strike to foment rebellion against the new policies of the enterprise.…