Intermediate — Set 78

Set 78 of Intermediate covers 5 words: apologize, criticize, punish, adore, forgive. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. apologize · verb/əˈpɑləˌdʒaɪz/

   to say you are sorry

   I would like to apologize for being so rude to my boss.

   Synonyms: excuse, admit guilt, say sorry

   Origin: late 16th century (in the sense ‘make a defensive argument’): from Greek apologizesthai ‘give an account’, from apologos (see apologue). In English the verb has always been used as if it were a direct derivative of apology

2. criticize · verb/ˈkrɪdəˌsaɪz/

   to disagree with someone or something and talk about the faults

   Some parents are quick to criticize the teacher.

   Synonyms: disapprove, blame

3. punish · verb/ˈpənɪʃ/

   to make someone suffer for something wrong they did

   Teachers used to punish children using physical force in the past.

   Synonyms: penalize, discipline

   Origin: Middle English: from Old French puniss-, lengthened stem of punir ‘punish’, from Latin punire, from poena ‘penalty’

4. adore · verb/əˈdɔr/

   to love someone or something a lot

   All grandparents say that they adore their grandchildren.

   Synonyms: admire, idolize, love

   Origin: late Middle English: via Old French from Latin adorare ‘to worship’, from ad- ‘to’ + orare ‘speak, pray’

5. forgive · verb/fərˈɡɪv/

   to accept someone's apology

   The wife could not forgive her husband for deceiving her.

   Synonyms: stop blame, accept apology

   Origin: Old English forgiefan, of Germanic origin, related to Dutch vergeven and German vergeben, and ultimately to for- and give