Could you please tell me what is the definition of these words: Overwhelmed, Assaulting, Commensurate, Beneath, Confiscate, Fatal, Concurrent, Substantial?
Please add examples and explain how can I memorize these words.
[Tweet “Overwhelmed – When something is too much to handle or difficult to process.”]
Overwhelmed – When something is too much to handle or difficult to process.
- He was overwhelmed by the support he received from his friends.
- The amount of money he won on the lottery was overwhelming.
You could remember this one simply by remembering that over means more than or above something. If you are overwhelmed, it is something that you didn’t expect, or it’s above what you expected!
[Tweet “Assaulting – This is the gerund of the verb to assault. To assault means to attack someone or something”]
Assaulting – This is the gerund of the verb to assault. To assault means to attack someone or something.
- He was found guilty of assaulting the woman.
- That smell is assaulting my senses!
Remember this as a legal term. This is where it is most commonly used.
[Tweet “Commensurate – This shows that something will be proportionate to something else.”]
Commensurate – This shows that something will be proportionate to something else.
- The wage will be commensurate with ability and experience.
- The treatment will be commensurate with severity and necessity.
When you use the prefix co- it shows that it goes together with something else (see: cooperate, coauthor or copilot).
[Tweet “Beneath – When something is physically (or is seen as) below or underneath something else.”]
Beneath – When something is physically (or is seen as) below or underneath something else.
- He thought that because he was the boss, everyone else was beneath him.
- The mine was directly beneath the building.
For this one, try to remember underneath which is very similar. Also be careful when you say something or someone is beneath you. It sounds very rude and presumptuous if used incorrectly.
[Tweet “Confiscate – The process of taking something away from someone for a specific reason.”]
Confiscate – The process of taking something away from someone for a specific reason.
- The mobile phone was confiscated by the teacher because mobile phones were not allowed in school.
- Police confiscated the dog as it was dangerous to the public.
[Tweet “Fatal – An adjective that shows something causes or has caused death.”]
Fatal – This has two important definitions.
- An adjective that shows something causes or has caused death.
- An adjective that shows something causes failure or disaster.
- James was in a car crash. The damage to his brain proved fatal and he unfortunately died the next day.
- The plan was doomed to fail it was the lack of planning that proved fatal.
You can remember this one by remembering the word fate which is what happens to you in life that is beyond your control, this is also known as destiny. Fatal as an adjective describes something that determines your fate and what will happen to you.
[Tweet “Concurrent – This shows something that is happening at the same time as something else.”]
Concurrent – This shows something that is happening at the same time as something else.
- The dinner ran concurrent to the seminar in the next room.
- He was good at multitasking. He was able to open a spreadsheet whilst concurrently writing notes and drinking his coffee.
Again, that co- prefix shows that there is more than one thing happening. Try to analyse your English through its prefixes and suffixes as they provide good clues to what words could mean.
[Tweet “Substantial – A large or significant proportion or amount of something.”]
Substantial – A large or significant proportion or amount of something.
- The floods had a substantial impact on the farms in the area.
- One million pounds?! That’s a substantial amount of money don’t you think?
This is a great word to use as a formal synonym to big or large. Try to use it in the correct contexts and you will remember it easily.
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