If You Know These 30 Words, Your English is EXCELLENT!.

If you know these 30 words, your English is excellent. These are words that native speakers use to sound educated and professional. Do you know them? Can you use them? Let's find out if your English vocabulary is advanced. Welcome back to JForrest English. Of course, I'm Jennifer. Now let's get started. The first word is mingle. Mingle. Do you know what this means? Understanding meaning depends on context. So here's an example sentence. She enjoys mingling with colleagues at after work events. Now, do you know what this means? Mingle is a verb. You could tell by the sentence structure. She enjoys doing something and action. Now to mingle, this means to move around and talk with different people in a social setting. And that's how it was used in that example. It can also mean to mix or combine. So I'll share an example of that as well. So to move and talk, you can say at the conference, guests mingled over coffee before the keynote speech. So there was talking and there was movement as well. Now in terms of mix or combine, this sounds quite poetic. You might say the smell of fresh bread mingled with the aroma of coffee in the cafe. So those two smells combined and mixed. Don't worry about taking notes. I summarize everything in a free lesson PDF. You can find the link in the description. Now let's listen to some natives using this word in real speech. We're going to mingle here for a little while. And again, those are groups that don't often mingle. This let their genes mingle and expanded the gene pool. Our next word is loom, loom. Dark clouds loomed on the horizon. What does this mean? Well, hopefully you know that it's a verb. And this means to appear as a large, uncertain or threatening shape. Now it can also mean to seem about to happen. So those dark clouds, they could represent a threatening shape. Now let's listen to this one. The deadline looms closer every day. So this sounds like the deadline is getting closer, but it's threatening. Here's another one that sounds threatening or uncertain. A tall figure. So a figure is an outline of a person. A tall figure loomed over him in the dark hallway. That sounds like something you would read in a horror story. Deadlines loom, competing commitments clamor for our attention. President Trump ends the year defiant, but challenges loom. Let's see if you know this very common word. Pebble, pebble. I think I have a pebble in my shoe. What is a pebble? Well, you know, it's a noun. A pebble is a small, smooth stone found on beaches or riverbeds. I personally have pebbles all over my yard because they're used to cover the path instead of concrete. So you can say the path was covered in pebbles. It's really quite pretty. Or you might say she carried a lucky pebble in her pocket. A lot of people have a lucky charm. A beautiful pebble that you found on the beach could represent that. Every pebble that you see on the ground there is a piece of dinosaur bone. That one person can be like a stone, a pebble thrown in a lake. This is an image of a pebble mosaic that I created. How about dabble, dabble? He dabbled in photography during college. So what does this mean? You know, it's a verb, right? You saw it in the past simple. Well, if you dabble in something, in our example, photography, it means you take part in an activity, but in a casual or superficial way. So you're not dabbling with your English. You're serious, right? But there are many times when you do just dabble for pleasure, for general interest, curiosity. For example, I'm not a serious musician. I just dabble from time to time. Or many people dabble in cooking new recipes, but never get serious. And that's okay. We knew we would always dabble in that because it was something like a hobby that we enjoyed. Today, I kind of dabble in a little bit of everything. The military is not supposed to dabble in domestic affairs. Our next word, pry, pry. She hates when neighbors pry into her personal life. What does this mean? Well, you get the sense that is something negative, right? She hates, and you know, it's a verb. To pry means to try to find out private information about someone or something. It has another meaning, and it's when you open something with force. But with the first meaning, to find out personal information, we commonly say, I don't mean to pry. I don't mean to pry, but, and now you're going to ask someone a personal question that you're not sure if they feel comfortable talking about. So you use, I don't mean to pry to acknowledge that you're asking about a personal question. I don't mean to pry, but did you set a date for your wedding yet? Maybe this is a sensitive topic for that person. Now to try to force open, you can say he pried the lid off the paint can. It was difficult to open. We also need to apparently pry them away from their modern miracles. You don't have to pry into people's inner work lives. In fact, that would really be a bad idea. Along with Peter, she's going to pry open the lid for us on how the lobby works. Are you enjoying this lesson? If you are, then I want to tell you about the Finally Fluent Academy. This is my premium training program where we study native English speakers from TV, movies, YouTube, and the news. So you can improve your listening skills of fast English, expand your vocabulary with natural expressions, and learn advanced grammar easily. Plus, you'll have me as your personal coach. You can look in the description for the link to learn more, or you can go to my website and click on Finally Fluent Academy. Now let's continue with our lesson. Our next word, hunch. Hunch. You might say, I had a hunch she would get the promotion. Oh, I had a hunch. So hunch is a noun. And a hunch is a feeling or guess based on intuition rather than evidence. For example, his hunch, because it's a noun, it belongs to him. His hunch about the weather turned out to be right. So he didn't look at the forecast. He just felt like it might rain, even though it was a beautiful day. And guess what? It rained. So his hunch was right. Or you can say they followed a hunch and discovered a great new restaurant. They didn't have any evidence. It was just this feeling, a hunch. We tested her and her hunch proved correct. I think she had the hunch that I wanted to be an actor. You know, it's my hunch. Just do it. Don't think about it. How about urge? Listen to that pronunciation. Urge. My mom is urging me to set a date for the wedding because she won't stop prying into my personal life. Right? So what does this mean? Well, it's a verb and it means to strongly encourage or persuade. So you might say she urged him to apply for the new position. You should apply. You must apply. Please, please, please apply. So that's how you can urge someone or the ad urges customers to try the latest product. But Howard urged me to open myself up to uncertainty. Baron Cohen urged the billionaire club dubbed the Silicon Six, particularly Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, to take more responsibility. I really urge you to pay attention to every bit of what you put into the dish. Let's review cling. Cling. The child clung to her mother during the storm. What does this mean? Well, you know, it's a verb and you just learned that it's an irregular past simple clung. And the verb cling means to hold on tightly. Now it can be physically. So the child clung to her mother, but it can also be somewhat emotionally as well. So physically, you can even say wet clothes clung to his body after the rain. So you know what a t-shirt feels like when it's soaking wet. It clings to you. Now, more emotionally, you might say some employees cling to old habits. So they hold on tightly, but it's not to something physical. It's a habit instead of adapting. It must also be attracted to the glass, causing it to cling to the side. So so we don't have to, we don't have to cling on to things that just don't work. But we will always cling to the comfort of what appears to be useful. Do you know this word? Blunt. She gave a blunt answer to the question. Blunt is an adjective. It means direct and straightforward, but sometimes in a way that seems rude. So he was known for his blunt way of speaking. If he doesn't like your shirt, he says, I don't like your shirt. He's very direct and straightforward. But that can seem rude sometimes, right? It depends. Or remember when I explained, we add, I don't mean to pry, but we often use the same technique and say, I'm sorry to be blunt, but you're apologizing in advance for saying something very directly that may seem rude. I'm sorry to be blunt, but you're not qualified for the position. Because to be brutally blunt, they put test prep on steroids. If I may be blunt, why are you here on the vote floor? Well, he lost his patronage, but he's very blunt about it himself. Let's review brash. Brash. Teenagers can sometimes seem brash without meaning to. What does this mean? Brash is an adjective. It means confident, but in a rude, noisy, or pushy way. So not a positive way. You might say his brash behavior annoyed his coworkers. So maybe he felt so confident in his idea, but he was pushy about it. And he told everyone else their idea was bad. Or the salesperson made a brash pitch to the clients. The similar meaning as I just explained. He was brash, irreverent. Most commonly, we associate these traits with brash men. Bernini was a brash young man of 25 when he sculpted this. Let's review aloof. Aloof. My teenager is so aloof. Well, this is an adjective. This often describes teenagers. It can describe anyone though. If you're aloof, it means you're not friendly or forthcoming. So you're rather emotionally distant. If you ask your 16-year-old son how his day was, and he's just like, good. Maybe you could describe that person as aloof. Or you might say she remained aloof during the meeting. So she didn't say a lot. She didn't show her emotion. So you don't know if she's happy, upset. You just don't know. Or the manager stayed aloof from the office gossip. So in this case, it sounds a little more positive because the manager just ignored the gossip, didn't respond to it. Just remained distant from the gossip. My peers and my boss all thought I was aloof and arrogant. I became very, very aloof and removed and was a loner. I think rock musicians are more aloof. Do you know this one? Hefty. She received a hefty raise after her performance review. This is an adjective and it's positive. It means large, heavy, or substantial. So in the context of a hefty raise, that's very positive. A large raise, a substantial raise. But it can also mean heavy. He carried a hefty bag of groceries. Or in this case, it's not positive because the company paid a hefty fine. A fine is a penalty, a financial penalty. So you want the penalty to be small. You don't want it to be hefty for breaking the rules. That's why they have to pay the hefty fine. The one is still a hefty ratio. It's a little hefty. I'm drizzling each with a hefty hit of yellow food coloring. Let's review bolster. Do you know this word? Bolster. The data bolsters our argument. Bolster is a verb and it means to support, strengthen, or improve. So he tried to bolster her confidence before the speech. That's a positive thing. Or extra funding will bolster the research project. It will improve it. Let us seize this moment together. Let us bolster security. Let us seek new avenues of peace. I can bolster my own identity. That's why we'll continue to bolster the defense of our frontline allies in Poland and Romania. Do you know the word meager? Meager. Dinner has been meager since I lost my job. So always look to context. If the person lost their job, well, it's probably negative. And it is in this case. So meager is an adjective. It means very small or insufficient in amount. You can say the workers received a meager salary. Not a positive thing. Or they survived on meager resources during the trip. They had insufficient, very small amount of resources. They had like very plain bland food, a meager diet. A lot of sales guys will come from meager backgrounds. The price for the seven vertebra is a meager $295. Let's review daunting. Do you know this word? Daunting. Climbing the mountain looked daunting from below. Again, look to context for meaning. This is an adjective. It means seeming difficult to deal with or intimidating. Starting a new job can be daunting, intimidating, difficult to deal with. She faced the daunting task of organizing the event. So just by adding the word daunting, you know that organizing the event seems like a difficult, challenging task. 1,048,576 discs would be daunting, but entirely doable. It was daunting to think about the scope of the project. It's, it was, it was daunting. It had really, really beaten it out of me. So how many of those 15 words did you know? Share your score in the comments and let's move on to 15 more advanced words. Number one, do you know this word? Grim. Repeat after me. Grim. This is an adjective that means extremely bad, worrying, or without hope. The news about the economic downturn was grim. His expression turned grim when he heard the bad news. The weather forecast this weekend looks grim. Now let's listen to some real world examples of native speakers using this word. Envisioning a totally, totally different and less grim history or future. We joke sometimes that, you know, with all the grim stuff I have to deal with every day, get me in a room with some young people. Stadiums like Lucille will continue to be a grim reminder that it all came at a human cost. Number two, do you know this one? Baffle. Repeat after me. Baffle. This is a verb and it means to result in total confusion. The results baffled the scientist. She was baffled by his decision to quit. Notice this example sentence is in the passive voice. She was baffled by his decision. This is commonly used in the passive. You could also say phrasal verbs often baffle students just like you, but don't worry. That's why I'm here to help you learn all of these words so they don't baffle you. So you're not baffled by them. So if you agree that I can help you learn these words, put that's right, put that's right in the comments. Now let's listen to some real native speakers using this word. Entertain, provoke, and baffle audiences all over the world. But who is he? What searchers found continues to baffle people to this day. There's still a ton about nature's creations that baffle us to this day. Number three. How about this word? Demeanor. Repeat after me. Demeanor. This is a noun. It's one's way of looking and behaving. Having a patient demeanor is an important quality for teachers. I'm sure you would agree with that. If you do, then put that's right, put that's right in the comments. Despite his serious demeanor at work, he has a great sense of humor. The manager's friendly demeanor made the new employee feel welcome. Now let's listen to some real world examples from native speakers. His folksy charm and grandfatherly demeanor endeared him to the media and his at-home audience. But he has his queen's tough guy demeanor that rallies the base. If you're a leader, your demeanor is going to carry to your team. Number four. Do you know this word? Camaraderie or camaraderie. Notice the first pronunciation has an extra sound, comma, camaraderie. The second one just says come, camaraderie. Most American speakers in my experience say camaraderie. That's the one that I personally use. This is a noun that means mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together. The camaraderie among the team was evident. They enjoyed the camaraderie of working together. The trip was filled with laughter and camaraderie. Now let's review some real world examples and I'll show you both pronunciations. Camaraderie, camaraderie. Number five. Do you know this word? Intimidating. Repeat after me. Intimidating. This is an adjective and it means making you feel frightened or nervous. Speaking with native speakers can be intimidating. I'm sure you would agree with that. But that's again why I'm here making these videos to help you improve your English fluency so it doesn't feel intimidating. So you feel more confident. If you agree with that, well, why not put that's right, that's right in the comments. Another example, her intimidating demeanor. Remember this word, demeanor? Her intimidating demeanor made everyone uneasy. Moving to a new city alone is intimidating. Now let's listen to some real world examples. Working with a legend like Daniel is intimidating, but he makes everyone better. He finds extroverts energizing, but a bit intimidating. That being said, he is, I think, quite intimidating for many people. Number six. How about this word? Prevalent. Repeat after me. Prevalent. This is an adjective. It means very common, happening often, or widespread. The flu is prevalent during the winter months. Smartphones have become prevalent in today's society. They're everywhere. They're widespread. They're prevalent. Droughts are prevalent in this area. Now let's listen to some real world examples from native speakers. Duration and technology risk. That's very prevalent in 60, 40 portfolios. Number seven. Do you know this one? Blatant. Repeat after me. Blatant. This is an adjective, and it's when doing a bad thing, but you're doing it intentionally or openly for everyone to see. For example, his blatant disregard for the rules got him in trouble. So he didn't follow the rules, but he did it openly in front of everyone. He wasn't trying to hide it. It's blatant that you're trying to cheat on the exam. The company was fined for blatant violations of safety regulations. Now let's hear some native speakers using this word. You would see the blatant rain forest destruction reporting. I was embarrassed by them. Just blatant disobeying the law. Aside from this blatant conflict of interest lies the problem of self-censorship. Number eight. Do you know this one? Resolute. Repeat after me. Resolute. This is an adjective that means determined in character, action, or ideas. It's generally a positive thing. She remained resolute in her decision to pursue a new career. Despite the challenges, he was resolute in his goals. Her resolute attitude inspired her team to keep going. Let's hear some native speakers using this word. Through a resolute, we're determined and your help is not required. The resolute figure who proves that character is destiny. Was one of those moments where you had to be resolute in what you were doing. How are you doing with these words so far? Let's keep going with number nine. Do you know this word? Hinder. Repeat after me. Hinder. This is a verb and it means to limit one's ability or the development of something. His knee injury hindered his training schedule. Poor weather conditions can hinder outdoor activities. The lack of proper equipment will hinder our project. Let's hear some native speakers using this word. Number 10. Do you know this one? Obstacle. Repeat after me. Obstacle. This is a noun and it's something that blocks one's way or prevents or hinders progress. Remember, hinder. So an obstacle hinders your progress. It limits it. The biggest obstacle to their success was a lack of funding. Or you might be in a meeting at work and you ask, how can we overcome these obstacles? Traffic is a major obstacle during my morning commute. Maybe that's something that you experience, an obstacle that you experience every day. Traffic. And it hinders you. Let's review some example sentences from native speakers. Number 11. Do you know this one? Circumvent. Repeat after me. Circumvent. This is a verb and it's to find a way around an obstacle. So you have an obstacle, something that limits you. And if you circumvent that obstacle, you find a way around it. And you do that in a very clever way, but also in an illegal way where you're breaking the rules, perhaps blatantly breaking the rules. For example, how did you circumvent getting a visa? So getting a visa is your obstacle and you circumvented it. You found a way around it, but was it legal? We don't know. Here's one that definitely sounds illegal. The hacker circumvented the security system. So this is commonly used with illegal activity. They tried to circumvent the rules. Now let's hear some native speakers using this word in a real world context. Number 12. Do you know this one? Exacerbate. Repeat after me. Exacerbate. This is a verb and this means to make a problem or bad situation or something negative, even worse. For example, his actions exacerbated the situation. So the situation was already negative and his actions made it worse. Exacerbated the situation. Her comment exacerbated the conflict. The power outage exacerbated the riots. Now let's listen to some native speakers using this word. And vice versa. Number 13. Do you know this word? Nuance. Repeat after me. Nuance. This is a noun and it is a subtle difference in meaning, expression, or sound. This is an excellent word to use as a language learner in any language, especially English. For example, understanding the nuances of English idioms, those small differences, those subtle differences, the nuances can greatly improve your fluency. The nuances in pronunciation, those small differences, the nuances in pronunciation can change the meaning of words. English grammar is filled with nuances. And again, that's why I'm here to help you. So put that's right, that's right, because I'm here to help you learn and master all the nuances of the English language. So now let's listen to this word by native speakers. And you can listen to the nuances. Sometimes there's a shade of nuance or meaning that feels important and useful. That eliminates all the nuance of the normal distribution. But the answer has some nuance and can depend on where we're looking in time and space. Number 14. Do you know this one? Disdain. Repeat after me. Disdain. This is a noun and it's the feeling that someone or something is unworthy of one's attention, support, or respect. Maria's disdain for her ex-husband is blatant. Remember that word blatant? Very obvious or clear. Her disdain, her feeling that her husband is unworthy of her attention or support is blatant. He spoke about his competitor with disdain. Disdain for the new policy was evident among the employees. Let's listen to some native speakers using this word. Number 15. Do you know this word? Pivotal. Repeat after me. Pivotal. This is an adjective. It means of crucial importance in relation to the development or success of something else. For example, the decision was pivotal to the company's future. He played a pivotal role in the negotiations. Her speech was a pivotal moment in the campaign. Or maybe, how about this example? J Forrest English is pivotal to my English fluency. Would you agree with that? It's of crucial importance. It's extremely important. It's pivotal. I hope you would agree with that. Put that's right, that's right. Why not put that's right in the comments if you agree that it's pivotal. Now, let's listen to some native speakers using this word. So, is your English excellent? Did you know all of these words or some of these words? Now, don't worry. Even if you knew none of these words, that doesn't mean your English is terrible. That means you just learned 15 new words. So, congratulations. And I want you to share your favorite word from this list in the comments below. Mine is camaraderie because I love that feeling of closeness, trust, friendship. It's a positive word. And also, I had no idea there was another pronunciation that some people say camaraderie. I had no idea. So, I learned something new today with this lesson. And I want you to remember that. That I learn new things about the English language every single day. Learning is truly a lifelong process. So, celebrate it and have fun. I hope these lessons help you. If you enjoyed this lesson, make sure you like it, share it with your friends, and subscribe so you're notified every time I post a new lesson. And you can get this free speaking guide where I share six tips on how to speak English fluently and confidently. You can click here to download it or look for the link in the description. And you can keep expanding your vocabulary with this lesson. Make sure you watch it right now.