2. Hysterics
(n.) a wildly emotional and
✦
exaggerated reaction
My sister was in hysterics
✦
for more than a month after
she was denied from her
first-choice college.
3. Mimicking
(v.) imitating someone’s
✦
actions or words, typically
in order to entertain or
ridicule
Although Rain is a highly
✦
praised singer in Korea for
his diligence, in the U.S. his
songs are belittled and are
considered “mimicked.”
4. Radiate
(v.) to emit (energy, esp.
✦
light or heat) in the form of
rays or waves
The color of the poster was
✦
so bright that I thought it
radiated light.
5. Mourning
(v.) feeling or showing deep
✦
sorrow or regret for
(someone or their death),
typically by following
conventions such as the
wearing of black clothes
It is very difficult to find
✦
the right words to console a
mourning widow.
6. Aghast
(adj.) filled with horror or
✦
shock
Julia was aghast when she
✦
heard that her dog had
been killed in a car accident
while she was at summer
camp.
7. Exploits
(n.) a bold or daring feat
✦
The man is famous for his
✦
outrageous exploits, from
trying to climb Mt. Everest
to fighting with a shark
underwater.
8. Faltered
(v.) to start to lose strength
✦
or momentum/ to speak in a
hesitant or unsteady voice
Johnny faltered when the
✦
lawyer asked him if there
had been any accident with
Bob’s and Johnny’s gang
before.
9. Resemblance
(n.) the state of resembling
✦
or being alike
People are astonished by
✦
my resemblance with my
best friend, Lucia, but we
actually think we look very
different.
10. Divert
(v.) to cause (someone or
✦
something) to change
course or turn from one
direction to another
The small rock diverted the
✦
train and pushed it into the
wrong track, causing the
serious collision.
11. Clenching
(v.) (with reference to the
✦
fingers or hand) closing
into a tight ball, esp. when
feeling extreme anger
Giselle clenched her hand
✦
with all her might, ready to
take a revenge upon her
enemy.
12. Grimacing
(v.) making an ugly, twisted
✦
expression on a person’s
face, typically expressing
disgust, pain, or wry
amusement
The man grimaced as he
✦
stepped into the dingy,
stinky basement.
13. Underprivileged
(adj.) not enjoying the same
✦
standard of living or rights
as the majority of people in
a society
Although Joe led an
✦
underprivileged life, he was
happier than most higher-
class gentlemen.
14. Conformity
(n.) compliance with
✦
standards, rules, or laws/
behavior in accordance
with socially accepted
conventions or standards
Janet didn’t want to smoke,
✦
but her urge for conformity
with the gang’s principles
made her do it anyway.
15. Contempt
(n.) the feeling that a
✦
person or a thing is beneath
consideration, worthless, or
deserving scorn
The parents looked at the
✦
criminal, who had killed
their beloved son, with
unparalleled contempt.
16. Escort
(v.) accompany (someone
✦
or something) somewhere,
esp. for protection or
security, or as a mark of
rank
The queen was escorted by
✦
her faithful guards as she
entered the palace.
17. Convinced
(adj.) completely certain
✦
about something (firm in
one’s belief, esp. with
regard to a particular cause
or issue)
Mr. Smith was highly
✦
convinced that the girls had
cheated on their tests, and
decided to give them both
an F.
18. Delirious
(adj.) in an acutely
✦
disturbed state of mind
resulting from illness or
intoxication and
characterized by
restlessness, illusions, and
incoherence of thought and
speech
My friend reminded me
✦
what I had said last night in
the bar, but I didn’t
remember anything; I guess
I was in an extremely
delirious state at the time.
19. Circumstances
(n.) a fact or condition
✦
connected with or relevant
to an event or action
He is a very skillful
✦
debater; he knows how to
shift his points from time to
time according to the
circumstances.
20. Acquitted
(v.) free (someone) from a
✦
criminal charge by a verdict
of not guilty
The jury, after receiving the
✦
substantial piece of
evidence, acquitted the
innocent suspect.
