Essential Vocabulary - Noel's ESL eBook Library

24 Essential Vocabulary
anthology (an THOL i jee) n. a collection of short stories, songs, poems,
excerpts, etc. compiled into a single book
• Every poetry collection is an anthology if more than a single poet’s works
are included.
• Almost every CD of popular music is an anthology of songs.
[-logies pl., -logize vt., -logizer, -logist n., -logistic adj.]
antiquated (an tik WAY tid) adj. 1. no longer useful or used; obsolete; out of
date; old fashioned; 2. very aged
• A very small part of this book was typed on an antiquated IBM Selectric
typewriter—a very small part.
• I usually drive an antiquated Toyota from the mid-1980s.
[antiquate vt.] [Syn. old]
antiseptic (AN ti SEP tik) adj. 1. disallowing infection, decay, etc. by slowing
the growth of microbes; 2. free from infectious agents or infection; 3. very clean;
sterile; 4. untouched by life’s problems, emotions, etc. —n. a cleaning agent meant
to prevent the growth of bacteria and viruses
• When you get a cut, it’s a good idea to use an antiseptic cream to prevent
its becoming infected.
• An operating room should be in antiseptic condition.
• You need not keep your room antiseptic; just neat will do.
• The hermit led an antiseptic life, locked away in his penthouse apartment
with no contact with the outside.
[-ally adv.]
anxiety (ang ZY i tee) n. 1. a state of uneasiness, apprehension, or worriedness
about what the future might hold; 2. feeling powerless and unprepared to deal with
threatening (usually imaginary) events; 3. an eager but often uneasy concern (to do
well)
• Karen always felt anxiety about her investments in the stock market and
was nervous about losing money.
• Lou’s biggest anxiety concerned earthquakes, which was especially unusual
because he lived in New York City.
• Anxiety hung heavily in the air of the SAT exam room.
[anxieties pl.] [Syn. care]
apathetic (AP uh THET ik) adj. 1. feeling emotionless; unmoved; 2. disinterested;
listless
• That most Americans were apathetic to the election was evidenced by the
very low turnout.
• Football fans are rarely apathetic to the fortunes of their home teams; they
yell and cheer for them, even on TV.
[-ally adv., apathy n.] [Syn. impassive]