are in a grave predicament,” said the king. “We must fight for our lives.”
hopeless
The situation of the soldiers seemed hopeless.
despite PREPOSITION
If you do something despite some difficulty, you manage to do it anyway.
in spite of
In spite of her age, Granny is very fit.
regardless of
Regardless of the danger, the medic carried the injured man to safety.
destroy VERB
If you destroy something, you damage it so much that it is completely ruined.
annihilate
Scientists think that changes in the climate may have annihilated the dinosaurs.
demolish
Workmen demolished the disused factory.
devastate
In 1945, two Japanese cities were utterly devastated by atom bombs.
ruin
“They’ve ruined that park by chopping those trees down,” Grandad grumbled.
wreck
A lifetime playing loud music wrecked the guitarist’s hearing.
determination NOUN
Determination is a great strength and will to do something.
dedication
The nurse’s dedication earned her the thanks of all the soldiers.
drive
To get to the top, businesspeople need drive and imagination.
perseverance
The tortoise’s perseverance helped him beat the foolish hare in the race.
will
Matthew’s will to win saw him achieve Olympic gold.
determined ADJECTIVE
If you are determined to do something, you will not let anything stop you from doing it.
intent
She was so intent on doing well, she made herself ill with worry.
persistent
The salesman was so persistent that Mum shut the door on him.
single-minded
Sometimes you have to be single-minded to do a job properly.
die (1) VERB
When a person, animal or plant dies, they stop living.
expire
Tragically, the old man expired from the effort of the hill climb.
pass away
In memory of John Silver, who passed away this day in 1792.
perish
Around 700 seamen perished when the Mary Rose went down.
die (2) VERB
When something dies, dies away or dies down, it becomes less intense and disappears.
dwindle
Support for the team dwindled when they were relegated.
fade
As the fire brigade approached, the desperate hammering faded to a faint knocking.
peter out
Just before the finish line, the old car’s engine petered out.
difference NOUN
The difference between two things is the way in which they are unlike each other.
contrast
Although they look similar, there is a big contrast in the characters of the twins.
distinction
Colour-blind people often cannot see a distinction between red and green.
variation
We noticed a terrific variation in price between one shop and another.
ANTONYM: similarity
different (1) ADJECTIVE
If one thing is different from another, it is not like it.
contrasting
In the story, honest Cinderella is a contrasting character to her scheming stepsisters.
distinct
The taste of blue cheese is quite distinct from ordinary cheese.
opposed
The couple’s viewpoints were opposed.
ANTONYMS: similar or identical
different (2) ADJECTIVE
If several things are different from each other, they are not the same.
assorted
My pockets contained assorted coins, sweet wrappers, paperclips and fluff.
varied
The plants were of varied colours, including some lovely reds and purples.
ANTONYMS: similar or identical
difficult (1) ADJECTIVE
Difficult things are not easy to do, understand or solve.
difficult to work out or deal with:
awkward
The tap was in an awkward place for the plumber to get at.
challenging
