Morning News
ultimatum
nounCheck the meaning
A final demand: accept it, or face a stated consequence.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
The landlord gave us an ultimatum: pay by Friday or leave.
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Morning News
deadlock
nounCheck the meaning
A situation in which neither side can agree, so nothing moves forward.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
A new proposal finally ended the deadlock between the two teams.
Morning News
emissions
plural nounCheck the meaning
Gases or other substances released into the air.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
The city wants to reduce traffic emissions by improving public transport.
Morning News
vulnerable
adjectiveCheck the meaning
Easily harmed, or needing extra protection.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
Older residents can be especially vulnerable during a heatwave.
Morning News
profitable
adjectiveCheck the meaning
Earning more money than it costs to operate.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
The small bakery became profitable in its second year.
Morning News
donations
plural nounCheck the meaning
Money or goods given to support a person, group or cause.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
Local donations paid for new books at the community library.
Morning News
bottleneck
nounCheck the meaning
A part of a process that slows down everything around it.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
Waiting for approval has become the main bottleneck in our project.
Morning News
oversight
nounCheck the meaning
The work of checking that an activity is managed correctly.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
The project needs independent oversight to keep its decisions fair.
Morning News
threshold
nounCheck the meaning
The point at which a rule, action or change begins to apply.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
Orders above the fifty-pound threshold qualify for free delivery.
Morning News
surplus
nounCheck the meaning
An amount left over when there is more than is needed or spent.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
The school used its budget surplus to buy new computers.
Morning News
deterrence
nounCheck the meaning
Preventing an action by making its likely consequences unattractive.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
The council hopes visible enforcement will improve deterrence against illegal dumping.
Morning News
transparent
adjectiveCheck the meaning
Open and clear enough for people to understand and check.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
We need a transparent process for choosing the winning proposal.
Breakfast Debate
loopholes
plural nounCheck the meaning
Gaps in rules that let people avoid their intended limits.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
The new policy closes loopholes that allowed hidden service charges.
Breakfast Debate
combustion
nounCheck the meaning
The process of burning a substance.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
The science class compared combustion with other chemical reactions.
Breakfast Debate
bystanders
plural nounCheck the meaning
People who are nearby but are not directly involved.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
The police asked bystanders whether they had seen the accident.
Breakfast Debate
incentive
nounCheck the meaning
Something that encourages a person to take a particular action.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
A travel discount gives commuters an incentive to use the train.
Breakfast Debate
proportionate
adjectiveCheck the meaning
Appropriate in size or strength for the situation.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
The response should be proportionate to the seriousness of the mistake.
Breakfast Debate
parity
nounCheck the meaning
Equal treatment, value or status.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
The staff asked for pay parity across the two offices.
Speaking Gym
deliberate
adjectiveCheck the meaning
Done intentionally, after thinking about the choice.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
Taking a quieter job was a deliberate decision to spend more time with family.
Speaking Gym
leverage
nounCheck the meaning
An advantage that helps you influence a situation or achieve a goal.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
Learning another language gave her more leverage in salary discussions.
Speaking Gym
exhaustion
nounCheck the meaning
An extreme state of physical or mental tiredness.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
After a week of late nights, he could hardly hide his exhaustion.
Speaking Gym
boundaries
plural nounCheck the meaning
Limits that define what you will accept or allow.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
I set clear boundaries about answering work messages on weekends.
Speaking Gym
expertise
nounCheck the meaning
Deep knowledge or skill in a particular area.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
Her expertise in design helped us improve the product.
Speaking Gym
repetitive
adjectiveCheck the meaning
Involving the same action or task again and again.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
Listening to music makes some repetitive household tasks more enjoyable.
Breakfast Debate
sanctions
plural nounCheck the meaning
Official penalties for breaking a rule or professional standard.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
The organisation can impose sanctions on members who break its code.
Breakfast Debate
accountability
nounCheck the meaning
Responsibility for decisions, including having to explain their results.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
Publishing the spending report improved accountability.
Breakfast Debate
backlogs
plural nounCheck the meaning
Amounts of unfinished work that have built up over time.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
The support team hired more staff to clear its backlogs.
Breakfast Debate
verification
nounCheck the meaning
The process of checking that something is true or correct.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
The editor requested verification before publishing the quote.
Breakfast Debate
unverified
adjectiveCheck the meaning
Not yet checked or proved to be correct.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
Please do not share unverified information in the group chat.
Breakfast Debate
allegations
plural nounCheck the meaning
Claims that someone has done something wrong, before they are proved.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
An independent team was appointed to investigate the allegations.
Speaking Gym
willpower
nounCheck the meaning
The ability to control your actions when something is difficult or tempting.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
It takes willpower to stop watching after just one episode.
Speaking Gym
cutoff
nounCheck the meaning
A fixed time or point after which something stops or is no longer accepted.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
The cutoff for signing up is five o’clock on Friday.
Speaking Gym
friction
nounCheck the meaning
Disagreement or tension between people.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
Unclear responsibilities caused friction within the team.
Speaking Gym
protocol
nounCheck the meaning
An agreed set of steps or rules for handling a situation.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
Our team has a simple protocol for reporting urgent problems.
Speaking Gym
unwind
verbCheck the meaning
To relax after being busy, worried or tense.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
I like to unwind with a short walk after work.
Speaking Gym
restorative
adjectiveCheck the meaning
Helping bring back energy, strength or a sense of well-being.
AN EXAMPLE TO BORROW
We enjoyed a restorative weekend away from our usual routine.