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.
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. …
Extraneous Extraneous (adj) ɪkˈstreɪ.ni.əs/ irrelevant or impertinent – inessential – unrelated – inappropriate – unnecessary – coming from outside, irrelevant – peripheral: Extraneous in context In his presentation, he, for the most part, talked about extraneous points without actually centralizing the main issue. During the meeting, Lisa found herself sifting through a lot of extraneous information …
Usurp Usurp (verb) /juːˈzɜːp/ /-ˈsɜːp/ to seize or use something unacceptably – take control of something illegally – seize power – take over – arrogate: Usurp in context Many conscious attempts were made to push back the opportunistic people who intended to usurp authority and power after the monarch relinquished the throne. In a dramatic …
Profound Profound (adj) /prəˈfaʊnd/ showing a great perception and understanding of important issues – deep and thoughtful – perceptive – reflective – insightful – intense – acute: Profound in context Solving this difficult math problem requires a profound understanding of complicated equations. The discovery of the ancient manuscript had a profound impact on the field …
Alleviate Alleviate (verb) /əˈliː.vi.eɪt/ to make something, such as a pain or difficulty less intense and more tolerable – lessen – ease – assuage – soothe – lighten – pacify – mitigate – relieve: Alleviate in context A great number of charity concerts have been held with the purpose of alleviating the intense poverty of …
Incumbent Incumbent (adj & noun) /ɪnˈkʌm.bənt/ necessary and obligatory – compulsory – mandatory – unavoidable – inescapable – requisite – office holder – appointee: Incumbent in context As a simple private, it was incumbent upon me to take orders, no matter what. As the incumbent manager of the department, it was Michelle’s responsibility to ensure …