selfish, immature, patient, mature, ambitious: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Intermediate set 36. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. selfish · adjective/ˈsɛlfɪʃ/

   thinking mainly or only about yourself and not others

   It was selfish of him to eat the last piece of cake without asking whether anyone else wanted it.

   Synonyms: self-centered, self-absorbed, inconsiderate

2. immature · adjective/ˌɪməˈtʊr/

   not behaving or thinking like a responsible adult

   Mike is hitting 30 but he is still so immature in the way he deals with money.

   Synonyms: childish, irresponsible, not grown-up

   Origin: mid 16th century (in the sense ‘premature’, referring to death): from Latin immaturus ‘untimely, unripe’, from in- ‘not’ + maturus ‘ripe’ (see mature)

3. patient · adjective/ˈpeɪʃ(ə)nt/

   not becoming annoyed when waiting or when faced with a difficulty

   Being patient with kids is an essential quality for parents, and yet, most of us struggle with it.

   Synonyms: calm, tolerant, understanding

   Origin: Middle English: from Old French, from Latin patient- ‘suffering’, from the verb pati

4. mature · adjective/məˈtʃər/

   grown up or like an adult in terms of behaviour or thinking

   Sarah is still a child, yet she is very mature for her age.

   Synonyms: adult, grown-up

   Origin: late Middle English: from Latin maturus ‘timely, ripe’; perhaps related to matins

5. ambitious · adjective/æmˈbɪʃəs/

   strongly wanting to be successful or achieve difficult goals

   The ambitious athlete trained twice a day because she wanted to win an Olympic medal.

   Synonyms: driven, determined, goal-oriented

   Origin: late Middle English: from Old French ambitieux or Latin ambitiosus, from ambitio (see ambition)