persist, attain, reckon, imitate, clarify: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from IELTS Vocabulary set 166. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. persist · verb/pərˈsɪst/

   to continue steadfastly or firmly in some state, purpose, or course of action

   Despite the challenges she faced, she chose to persist in her studies and achieve her academic goals.

   Synonyms: continue, endure, persevere

   Origin: from Latin 'persistere', meaning 'to stand firm, remain steadfast', from 'per-' (through) + 'sistere' (to stand)

2. attain · verb/əˈteɪn/

   to achieve or reach something through effort

   After years of dedicated study, she was finally able to attain her dream of becoming a doctor.

   Synonyms: achieve, accomplish, obtain

   Origin: Middle English, from Old French 'ateindre', based on Latin 'attingere', meaning 'to touch' or 'to reach'.

3. reckon · verb/ˈrɛkən/

   to think or suppose something

   I reckon we'll need to leave early to avoid the traffic.

   Synonyms: think, suppose, believe

   Origin: Middle English reckonen, from Old English reccan 'to explain, relate' (related to German rechnen 'to calculate').

4. imitate · verb/ˈɪməˌteɪt/

   to copy or mimic someone else's actions or behavior

   Young children often imitate their parents' behavior as they learn how to communicate.

   Synonyms: copy, mimic, emulate

   Origin: from Latin 'imitatus', past participle of 'imitari', meaning 'to copy' or 'to resemble'

5. clarify · verb/ˈklærəˌfaɪ/

   to make something clear or easier to understand

   The teacher took a moment to clarify the instructions for the assignment, ensuring that all the students understood what was expected of them.

   Synonyms: explain, elucidate, make clear

   Origin: from Latin 'clarificare', from 'clarus' meaning 'clear' and 'facere' meaning 'to make'.