1. Deregulate
- Mnemonic: “dear, egg, you late”
- Definition: To remove or reduce government rules and restrictions from an industry or business.
- Mnemonic Story:Imagine a farmer who has to fill out 50 pages of paperwork just to sell one egg. He looks at the egg and says, “Oh dear, egg, because of all these rules, you’ll be late to the market!” He wishes the government would deregulate the egg industry so he could work more efficiently.
- Synonyms: Liberalize, decontrol, relax rules.
- IELTS Example Sentence: When the government decided to deregulate the airline industry, it led to increased competition and lower ticket prices for consumers.
2. Picky
- Mnemonic: “tricky”
- Definition: (Informal) Someone who is very fussy and hard to please, especially about small details like food or clothes.
- Mnemonic Story:It is very tricky to cook dinner for my little brother because he is an incredibly picky eater. He will complain if the carrots are cut in circles instead of sticks!
- Synonyms: Fussy, particular, choosy, hard to please.
- IELTS Example Sentence: Many toddlers go through a phase of being picky eaters, which can be a source of stress for their parents.
3. Deliberate (Two Key Meanings)
- Mnemonic: “deliver it”
- Definition 1 (Adjective): Done intentionally, on purpose; calculated and planned.
- Mnemonic Story 1:The rival delivery driver didn’t drop the package by accident. He made a deliberate choice to “not deliver it” safely. The act was planned.
- Definition 2 (Verb): To think about or discuss something very carefully before making a decision.
- Mnemonic Story 2:The team had to deliberate (discuss) the best way to deliver it (the final project) to the client.
- Synonyms: (Adj) Intentional, conscious, purposeful. (Verb) Ponder, debate, consider.
- IELTS Example Sentences:
- (Adj) The politician claimed the leak was a deliberate attempt to damage his reputation.
- (Verb) The jury will deliberate for several hours before reaching a verdict.
4. Fantastic (Two Key Meanings)
- Mnemonic: “pan-plastic”
- Definition 1 (Common): Extraordinarily good, wonderful, or amazing.
- Definition 2 (Formal): Imaginative, bizarre, or remote from reality (like a fantasy).
- Mnemonic Story:A chef invented a cooking pan made of a special plastic that could fry an egg using ice. Critics called the invention fantastic—both because it was so imaginative (Def 2) and wonderful (Def 1).
- Synonyms: (1) Amazing, superb, excellent. (2) Fanciful, imaginative, unreal.
- IELTS Example Sentences:
- (Def 1) The new public library is a fantastic resource for the community.
- (Def 2) The novel was filled with fantastic creatures and magical worlds.
5. Omnipotent
- Mnemonic: “on my potent”
- Definition: Having unlimited, total power; all-powerful. (Often used to describe gods, dictators, or nature).
- Mnemonic Story:The evil king held up his magic staff and shouted, “Relying on my potent magic, I will finally become omnipotent and rule the entire universe!”
- Synonyms: All-powerful, almighty, supreme.
- IELTS Example Sentence: In many ancient myths, the gods were portrayed as omnipotent beings who controlled human destiny.
6. Imitate
- Mnemonic: “emit fate”
- Definition: To copy the speech, behavior, or actions of someone or something.
- Mnemonic Story:The young fortune-teller tried to imitate the mysterious voice of her mentor. She wanted to sound convincing when she would “emit” the customer’s “fate.”
- Synonyms: Mimic, copy, emulate, mirror, simulate.
- IELTS Example Sentence: The study found that children often imitate the behavior they observe in adults.
7. Gratis
- Mnemonic: “grass is”
- Definition: (Adverb or Adjective) Done or given for free; without charge.
- Mnemonic Story:The best things in life are free. Lying on the grass in the park and watching the clouds? That is… gratis.
- Synonyms: Free, complimentary, free of charge, “on the house.”
- IELTS Example Sentence: The lawyer agreed to provide his services gratis for the charity.