take something by force or very eagerly; take control
example
Harriot seized the chance to work alongside the renowned painter and moved to Chicago the following week.
synonyms
snatchcatch
word origin — Middle English: from Old French seizir ‘give seisin’, from medieval Latin sacire, in the phrase ad proprium sacire ‘claim as one's own’, from a Germanic base meaning ‘procedure’
Advanced — Set 70
Set 70 of Advanced covers 5 words: seize, tackle, cease, dare, cultivate. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.
seize · verb/siz/
take something by force or very eagerly; take control
Harriot seized the chance to work alongside the renowned painter and moved to Chicago the following week.
Synonyms: snatch, catch
Origin: Middle English: from Old French seizir ‘give seisin’, from medieval Latin sacire, in the phrase ad proprium sacire ‘claim as one's own’, from a Germanic base meaning ‘procedure’
tackle · verb/ˈtæk(ə)l/
try to solve a difficult problem or attempt a difficult task
The writer criticized powerful world governments for failing to tackle the issue of poverty even in their own countries.
Synonyms: deal with, handle, confront, face
Origin: Middle English (denoting equipment for a specific task): probably from Middle Low German takel, from taken ‘lay hold of’. Early senses of the verb (late Middle English) described the provision and handling of a ship's equipment
cease · verb/sis/
bring something to an end
The report warned that if residents continued shopping mostly at large supermarket chains and online, local shops would cease to exist.
Synonyms: discontinue, terminate, halt
Origin: Middle English: from Old French cesser, from Latin cessare ‘stop’, from cedere ‘to yield’
dare · verb/dɛr/
do something that involves courage or risk; test somebody's courage by asking them to do something risky
No one dared to question the managers over the recent fraud allegations in fear of losing their jobs.
Synonyms: have the courage to; provoke
Origin: Old English durran, of Germanic origin; related to Gothic gadaursan, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek tharsein and Sanskrit dhṛṣ- ‘be bold’
cultivate · verb/ˈkəltəˌveɪt/
grow something or make the land ready for planting
The neighbors were experienced gardeners and cultivated the most exquisite orchids on their front porch.
Synonyms: plant, harvest, raise
Origin: late 16th century: from medieval Latin cultivat- ‘prepared for crops’, from the verb cultivare, from cultiva (terra) ‘arable (land)’, from colere ‘cultivate, inhabit’