Intermediate — Set 24

Set 24 of Intermediate covers 5 words: remove, lack, ban, contain, persuade. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. remove · verb/rəˈmuv/

   take away

   It is very important that you remove your make-up every day before going to bed.

   Synonyms: take out, get rid of

   Origin: Middle English (as a verb): from the Old French stem remov-, from Latin removere, from re- ‘back’ + movere ‘to move’

2. lack · verb/læk/

   be without

   Teachers at many schools often complain that they lack resources such as money to help improve the results of poorer students.

   Synonyms: be short of, miss

   Origin: Middle English: corresponding to, and perhaps partly from, Middle Dutch and Middle Low German lak ‘deficiency’, Middle Dutch laken ‘lack, blame’

3. ban · verb/bæn/

   to officially say that people must not do something

   Ireland will ban sales of all gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2030.

   Synonyms: forbid, prohibit

   Origin: Old English bannan ‘summon by a public proclamation’, of Germanic origin, reinforced by Old Norse banna ‘curse, prohibit’; the noun is partly from Old French ban ‘proclamation, summons, banishment’

4. contain · verb/kənˈteɪn/

   to have something inside or as a part

   As part of his diet, he must also avoid drinks that contain alcohol or caffeine.

   Synonyms: hold, include

   Origin: Middle English: from Old French contenir, from Latin continere, from con- ‘altogether’ + tenere ‘to hold’

5. persuade · verb/pərˈsweɪd/

   cause somebody to agree to do something

   It isn't always easy to persuade children that bedtime is a good idea, so you should explain to them why sleep is so important.

   Synonyms: convince, talk into

   Origin: late 15th century: from Latin persuadere, from per- ‘through, to completion’ + suadere ‘advise’