| additional |
If you have an additional thing, you have one more thing than what you had before. If you had two chairs before and somebody gives you an additional chair, it means you have three chairs now. Let's say your dad got only one small pizza for your birthday party but twenty kids came. You would probably need a lot of additional pizza! |
| advertise |
When you advertise for something, it means you are looking for a certain thing and you put up a notice somewhere, like in a newspaper or online list. In the notice, you tell people you are looking for this thing. Sometimes people advertise for things they want to buy from other people. Sometimes they advertise for a certain kind of person who they can pay to do some work for them. Let's say you want to buy a good but cheap bicycle, you could advertise for one in the newspaper. If somebody has one they want to sell, they will answer your notice. [1/3 definitions] |
| anyhow |
Let's say you don't like a certain movie, but you watch it with your friend anyhow. It means that not liking the movie doesn't stop you from watching the movie. You watch the movie anyway. |
| anyway |
Sometimes we use "anyway" to say that something doesn't matter. Let's say your dad tells your brother not to run, but he runs anyway. This means that it doesn't matter that your dad tell him not to run. He runs even though he is told not to. |
| apply |
If something doesn't apply to you, then it has no connection with you or it doesn't matter for you. Let's say children under six aren't allowed to play in the big playground. But, you're older than six, so that rule doesn't apply to you. It's OK for you to play there. [1/4 definitions] |
| as1 |
We often use "as" when we are comparing something about people or things. Let's say you are very smart, and your sister is as smart. This means there is no difference between how smart the two of you are. Let's say you are hungry, but your sister is not as hungry. This means that there is a difference in how hungry you two are. You are hungrier than your sister. [1/6 definitions] |
| blackmail |
Let's say you did something bad and your brother saw you do it. You know he can tell your parents and get you in trouble, but he says he will not tell them what you did if you pay him some money. What your brother is trying to do is to blackmail you. He is trying to get money from you in return for not revealing your secret. [1/2 definitions] |
| breakthrough |
A breakthrough is an important discovery. It's a discovery that solves a problem that has been preventing progress in trying to achieve something. Let's say, for example, that scientists have been looking for a cure for a disease for a long time but there is a problem that they can't solve. This problem prevents them from making progress in finding a cure. Then, one group of scientists has a breakthrough that solves this problem. Suddenly, it is much more possible that a cure will be found. |
| disapprove |
If you disapprove of something, you think it is bad and wrong. Most people disapprove of people being cruel to animals, for example. Let's say your parents disapprove of one of your friends. That means that they feel this person will not be a good friend for you. They believe they will not treat you well, or they will influence you in some bad way. |
| else |
"Else" means different or other. Let's say you usually wear your red jacket to school but today you want to wear something different. This means that you want to wear something else. [1/4 definitions] |
| except |
Let's say you would have taken the dog for a walk, except that it rained. This means that the only reason you did not take the dog for a walk was that it rained. [1/2 definitions] |
| faithful |
When something is faithful, it is true or stays close to fact. Let's say you tell your friends about your camping trip in the mountains. If your story is faithful to what happened, it means that you tell what really happened. You do not make anything up. [1/3 definitions] |
| half |
Half is an amount of something. Let's say there is one piece of cake and you are going to share it with your friend. If you divide the piece of cake into two equal parts, then you will have half and your friend will have half. [1/5 definitions] |
| have to do with |
Let's say that your book has to do with birds. This means that the book is about birds or it is connected with birds in some way. |
| his |
Let's say you are talking about your hair and your dad's hair. If your hair is red and his is brown, it means your dad's hair is brown. [1/2 definitions] |
| if |
Let's imagine that your friend says, "If you promise to pay me back next week, I will pay for your movie ticket." This means that you can only see the movie by promising to pay back the money next week. You can refuse to promise but that will mean that your friend will not pay for your ticket. [2/4 definitions] |
| introduce |
When you introduce people, you help them begin to know each other. Let's say you introduce your teacher to your mother. You might say something like "Mrs. Garcia. This is my mom." Then you might say "Mom, this is my teacher, Mrs. Garcia." [1/3 definitions] |
| later |
Let's say the bus always comes late, but today the bus comes later. This means that today the bus is even more late than usual. [1/3 definitions] |
| let |
If you say to your friend, "Let's go," you are requesting that the two of you go now. Your feeling is that you want to go and you are making a request that your friend go too. We make a lot of requests like this. We say things like "Let's play a game, "Let's go to a movie," "Let's get a snack," or "Let's sit down." "Let's" is a short way of saying and writing "let us." [1/3 definitions] |
| let's1 |
Let's is a short way of writing or saying "let us." We often use let's when we have some idea about something to do, and we ask or invite someone to do it with us. |
| miss1 |
When you miss something, you try to hit, catch, or touch it in some way, but you can't do it. Let's say you want to hit a ball, but you miss it. It means that you try to hit it, but you only hit the air. [1/7 definitions] |