intimate, tedious, appreciative, amicable, exceptional: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Advanced set 25. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. intimate · adjective/ˈɪn(t)əmət/

   marked by closeness or familiarity

   Inez Holden was a radical socialist who was an intimate friend of George Orwell.

   Synonyms: close, familiar

   Origin: early 17th century (as a noun): from late Latin intimatus, past participle of Latin intimare ‘impress, make familiar’, from intimus ‘inmost’

2. tedious · adjective/ˈtidiəs/

   boring, dull

   They had to copy every single manuscript by hand, which was a tedious job that took a great amount of time.

   Synonyms: exhausting, banal, laborious

   Origin: late Middle English: from Old French tedieus or late Latin taediosus, from Latin taedium (see tedium)

3. appreciative · adjective/əˈpriʃ(i)ədɪv/

   showing thankfulness

   After being saved from almost drowning, the old man was so appreciative that he left his rescuer his entire fortune.

   Synonyms: grateful, thankful

4. amicable · adjective/ˈæməkəb(ə)l/

   characterized by friendship and good will

   Since it was an amicable separation, John and Nina were able to stay friends after they broke up.

   Synonyms: friendly, civil

   Origin: late Middle English (in the sense ‘pleasant, benign’, applied to things): from late Latin amicabilis, from Latin amicus ‘friend’

5. exceptional · adjective/ɪkˈsɛpʃ(ə)nəl/

   extremely good

   As a young dancer, Marilyn was noticed for her exceptional talent and was given a full scholarship at a prestigious dance academy.

   Synonyms: extraordinary, noteworthy, remarkable