26 English words

Apprehension
worry about the future, or a fear that something unpleasant is going to happen
It’s normal to feel a little apprehension before starting a new job.

Bittersweet
containing a mixture of sadness and happiness
Moving out of his parents’ house had been a bittersweet experience.

Complacent 
feeling so satisfied with your own abilities or situation that you feel you do not need to try any harder
We can’t afford to become complacent about any of our products.

Diligent 
conscientious; hardworking
Their lawyer was extremely diligent in preparing their case.

Expend
to use or spend time, effort, or money
You expend so much effort for so little return.

Feasible 
possible to do
It may be feasible to clone human beings, but is it ethical?

Gist 
the main points (of an argument etc)
Just give me the gist of what he said.

Hiatus 
a short pause in which nothing happens or is said, or a space where something is missing
The company expects to resume production of the vehicle again after a two-month hiatus.

Insatiable
(especially of a desire or need) too great to be satisfied
Nothing, it seemed, would satisfy his insatiable curiosity.

Jaded 
(of eg a person or his interest, appetite etc) worn out and made tired and dull
She felt jaded and in need of a holiday.

Knack
a special skill, or the ability to use or do something easily
She has the knack of making people feel comfortable.

Lull
a short period of calm in which little happens
There was an unexpected lull in activities in the afternoon.

Modest 
a modest person does not talk about how good he or she is
He’s very modest about his achievements.

Nuance
a very slight difference in appearance, meaning, sound, etc.
The painter has managed to capture every nuance of the woman’s expression.

Obsolete
not used now
Will books become obsolete because of computers?

Pragmatic 
solving problems in a sensible way that suits the conditions that really exist now, rather than obeying fixed theories, ideas, or rules
In business, the pragmatic approach to problems is often more successful than an idealistic one.

Quench
to drink liquid so that you stop being thirsty
I had a glass of lemonade to quench my thirst.

Rash 
acting, or done, with little caution or thought
It was rash of you to leave your present job without first finding another.

Sheer 
used to say that a feeling or quality is very strong
The children squealed with sheer joy at being sprayed with water.

Tentative 
(of a plan or idea) not certain or agreed, or (of a suggestion or action) said or done in a careful but uncertain way because you do not know if you are right
I have tentative plans to take a trip to Seattle in July.

Urge 
to try to persuade someone to do something
His parents urged him to go to university.

Vital
necessary
Tourism is vital to the country’s economy.

Wane 
to become weaker in strength or influence
By the late 70s the band’s popularity was beginning to wane.

Extrovert 
an energetic happy person who enjoys being with other people
Most sales people are extroverts.

Yap 
(of a puppy or small dog) to give a high-pitched bark
A small dog was yapping at her heels.

Zealous 
enthusiastic and eager
He is a zealous supporter of our cause.