< V > TOEFL Vocabulary (43)

Adversity, noun (adversities, adversary, adversely) 

misfortune, mischance, mishap, tragedy

For example, adversity is a very difficult or unfavorable situation.  

He showed courage in adversity.

Awkward, adjective (awkwardness, awkwardly) 

bumbling, clumsy, halting, heavy-handed, inept, lumbering, uncomfortable               

For example, a situation in which you feel so embarrassed that you are not sure what to do or say.  

The more she tried to get out of the situation, the more awkward it became.

Make things awkward, verb phrase

For example, to cause trouble and make a situation very difficult

She could make things very awkward if she wanted to.

  

Prison, noun (prisons, imprison, imprisoned) 

can, cooler, lockup, pen, penitentiary, reformatory, stockade

For example, a prison is a building where criminals are kept as punishment or where 

people accused of crime are kept before their trial.  

After being convicted of bank robbery, she was sent to prison. 

 

Favorable, adjective (favors, favorably, favorite) 

agreeable, good, grateful, gratifying, nice, pleasing, pleasurable, welcome

For example, if your opinion or your reaction is favorable to something, you agree with it 

and approve of it.  If something makes a favorable impression on you or is a favorable to 

you, you like it and approve of it.  

His ability to talk while eating fast made a favorable impression on his dining 

companions.

Accuse, verb (accuses, accusing, accused, accusation) 

arraign, charge, criminalize, impeach, incriminate, inculpate, indict

For example, if you accuse someone of doing something wrong or dishonest, you say or tell

them that you believe that they did.  

My mom was really upset because he was accusing her of having an affair with another man.

Approve, verb (approves, approving, approved, approval) 

accept favor, go for, accredit, certify, endorse, OK (or okay), sanction

For example, if you approve of an action, event, or suggestion, you like it or are pleased.

Not everyone approved of the festival. 

Upset, adj (upsets, upsetting, and upset) 

agitate, bother, discombobulate, disquiet, disturb, flurry, fluster, perturb, unhinge

For example, if you are upset, you are unhappy or disappointed because something

unpleasant has happened to you.  

After she died, I felt very, very upset. 

For example, if something upsets you, it makes you feel worried or unhappy.  

The whole incident had upset me and my fiancée terribly. 

Incident, noun (incidents, incidentally) 

occurrence, circumstance, episode, event, happening, occasion, things

For example, an incident is something that happens, especially something that is unusual.  

These incidents were the latest in a series of disputes between two nations.

Dispute, noun (disputes, disputing, disputed) 

argue, bicker, hassle, quibble, squabble, wrangle

For example, a dispute is an argument or disagreement between people or groups. 

They have won previous pay disputes with the government.   

(verb) If you dispute a fact, statement, or theory, you say that it is incorrect or untrue.  

He disputed the allegations.

Allegation, noun (allegations allege, alleged, allegedly)  

For example, an allegation is a statement saying that someone has done something wrong.  

The company denied the allegation.

Affair, noun (affairs) 

business, concern, matter, shooting match, thing

For example, if an event or series of events has been mentioned and you want to talk about 

it again, you can refer to it as the affair.  

The government has mishandled the whole affair.