accelerated - quickened, at an increased pace
accordingly - therefore
account(s) - a business customer
accountability - responsibility
ache - dull, constant pain
achievement - accomplishment, something you have done
acknowledge / acknowledgment - admit or confirm as true
acquaintances - casual (not close) friends
advancement - moving up, usually in work, school, war, or competition
affront - insult
aggressively - with energy and determination; using all one’s resources
aloof - snobbish, acting as if one is better than others
amends (to make amends) - to repay for one’s wrongs or mistakes
analysis - methodical study of something
apologize (apology) - 詫びる, 謝る
arrogant - over-confident; thinking of oneself as superior
artificial insemination - becoming pregnant by medical procedure and without sexual intercourse
at odds with - in conflict with, in diagreement
authoritarian - having a very strong central authority with lots of control
average - ordinary, the very middle of a number range
baby boom - period after WWII with a high birth rate
baby-sitting - watching someone else’s children, usually for money, as I a part-time job
bachelor degree - usual four-year university degree
back off - give space to, stop pressuring
based (on) - derived from original version or model
bigotry - prejudice
blindfold - cloth wrapped over the head covering one’s eyes
brag, bragging - boast, speak about oneself very highly
brush / brushing - touch lightly as one passes by
bumping - collide with
burden - heavy weight, workload, responsibility
butting in line / cutting in line - step in front of others who are waiting in line
can’t stand – hate, dislike a lot
chaotic - with no order
claustrophobic - afraid of small enclosed spaces
clone (cloning) - biological copy of a living organism
complicated - complex, not simple
(un)complimentary - negatively, insulting
concept - idea
confounded - confused
constantly - without stopping
contact information - name, address, telephone number, email address, etc.
context - surrounding environment or situation
contextual - depending on the surrounding time, place, person, situation
contract - legal agreement
contractual - related to a contract
contradicting - against, disagreeing with, proving false
contrastive - differently
contributes - offers, gives
contributing - giving or adding to
contrition - regret, feeling that one has done wrong with a desire to right that wrong
controversial - causing many different opposing reactions and opinions
craft / crafted - made by hand
critical thinking - logical, unemotional thinking
cutting in line / butting in line - step in front of others who are waiting in line
day to day - daily, everyday, ordinary
daycare - center that provides care for children on a day to day basis
dedication - determination; focus on a task, thing, or person
deliberate - intentional, willfully
demeanor - how one acts or behaves
density - how much or how many in a given space
depict - show, explain, or illustrate
dimension - size, aspect
disagreement - fight, argument, けんか
discomfort - uncomfortable feeling
distress - worry, anxiety, trouble
diverge - separate from, go a different way
doddering - old and senile, ぼけ
dominate - control, exert power over
downplay(ed)- make it seem smaller than it is, de-emphasize
dramatic - big, surprising
dramatically - severe, very obviously, easy to see
earning power - financial strength of a person or family; the salary one is capable of earning
elaborate - explain more completely, give more information about
elemental / elementally - basic
eliminating - removing from consideration, taking away
emphasize - put stress on, express importance of
engaged (in) - doing, active in
ensure (ensuring) - make certain
enthusiastic - with much positive approval, with excitement
erosion - wearing away, deterioration
establish(ing) - starting, beginning something
etiquette - manners
examined - studied
excel - do very well at something
excessive - too much
excluded - omitted, left out, kept out
exemplified - be a good example of something
exhausting - tiring
expectations - what one expects, what one thinks will be
expertise - skill
exponentially - ever increasing, at a very rapid rate
expressive - with lots of expression or feeling
extended family (vs. nuclear family) - in addition to parents and children, grandparents, uncles, aunts, etc.
extension - for a longer time or length;
extent - degree, how far
facilitator - someone who makes things easier
family name - last name, surname, 名字
fascinating - very interesting
fascism - authoritarian, nationalistic, right-wing form of government
faux pas - (French) - a social error, an embarrassing mistake
feverishly - working very quickly, in a great hurry
financial independence - enough money to eliminate the need for work
first name - given name, 下の名前
first-name basis - as friends, knowing someone well enough to call them by his first name
forbearance - ability to bear pain or hardship
forced - made one do something against one’s will
foresee - see the future
formal - following rules; concerned with outward form or appearance
forthright(ness) - honesty, frankness
frank - honest, direct
frontier - leading edge
frustrated - unsatisfied, 隔靴掻痒
frustration - feeling unsatisfied, 隔靴掻痒
fulfilled - satisfied, content
gasp - a sudden, fast, breathing in, usually because of surprise or fear
genocide - killing of a group or set of people, usually of one race, belief, or nationality
grade point average (G.P.A) - numerical average of school grades
grammatically - regarding grammar
guilt - uncomfortable feeling for something wong one has done
half-scale - 50% size
head - leader, top person
heated - emotional
heritage - personal, cultural, or racial background and history
hierarchy - a vertical arrangement by rank; ハイアラーキー; 階層
holler - shout, yell
home (at home) - feel as comfortable as if one were in one’s own home
homogeneous - of one kind
honorific - suffix or prefix added to indicate respect
horizontally - side to side, 横に
hurtful - likely to cause pain or sadness
hypocritical - saying or doing one thing while believing or feeling another way;
identity - one’s idea of oneself, how you think of who you yourself are
ignore - pretend not to see, pay no attention to
illegal - against the law
illustrate - explain by example or picture
immigrants - people who have come from another country
immigration - influx of people from other countries
imply/implies - hint at, say indirectly
impression - idea or feeling one gets
impulse - sudden feeling to do something without thinking about it in advance
in sync - synchronized, at the same time, on beat, in harmony
in the bargain - included, for free
inconceivable - something one is unable to imagine
indicated - shown
indispensable - necessary
individuality - what is different about a person
inevitably - certainly, for sure, with no other possible outcome or result
infinite - never ending
informal - casual
initiative - taking action on one’s own
insensitive - unaware or uncaring
inseparably - united, joined, unable to be separated
intentionally – on purpose, not by accident, willfully
intermarry - marry across cultural, racial, national, or religious lines
intermixed - mixed together
interrupt(ed) - stop someone or something while it or they are doing something else
intestines - one’s digestive system; guts; 内臓
intimacy - personal closeness
intimate - close, personal
intimidating - fearful, frightening
intimidating - frightening, making one feel inferior or powerless
intolerant - not accepting of others’ points of views, beliefs, or behavior
intonation - pitch variation in spoken language
invaders - people who come uninvited and against one’s wishes, often forcefully
invariably - without change, certainly, always
invigorating - refreshing, stimulating
ironic - unexpectedly, often with a dark humorous twist
ironically - surprisingly, contrary to expectation
irritation - bothersome, annoying
itinerary - schedule, calendar
just (unjust) - fair, fitting
justice - fairness, the correct reward or punishment
last name - family name, surname, 名字
law enforcement - police
legal responsibility - what is required by law
litigation - legal proceedings; the suing of one person by another
litigation-prone - quick to seek legal action to settle disagreements
lubricant - something that makes things go smoothly
lukewarm - slightly warm
marital status - if one is married, single, divorced, etc.
mi casa es su casa - (Spanish) “My house is your house,” a traditional greeting of hospitality.
military - self-defense forces, 軍勢
minefields - areas in which hidden bombs have been planted underground, 地雷原
mistaken - by mistake, wrongly
mobility - ability to move around
mockery - make fun of, insult
monologue - one person speaking
multiply - increase
myth - untrue story or fable that has become part of a culture, for example, Santa Claus
national identity - set of characteristics or beliefs thought to be shared by people of a country
nationalism - extreme form of patriotism
Native Americans - original inhabitants of North America; American Indians; in Canada, “First Citizens”
new world - country one has emigrated to
novelties - new things or ideas
nuance - small detail of meaning or feeling
numerical - related to numbers
objectively - rationally, without emotion or consideration for personal feelings
obvious - immediately easy to see or understand
occupations - jobs
occupied - busy, inhabited
occur - happen
omit, omitted - to leave out, exclude
oriented - arranged by, aimed toward, prioritized by
out of one’s depth - faced with too difficult a task; having too much or too difficult work
outback - the Australian countryside or wilderness
outcome - result
override - take precedence over, leave ineffectual
paralyzed - unable to move
party / parties - person, people, or group of people
patriotism - love of and devotion to one’s country
peek - a short look at
personal space - comfortable distance from one’s body for others
perspective - point of view
pervasive - dominant, the general pattern
phenomenon - occurrence, an observed event
physical characteristics - what one looks like, one’s appearance
politics - 政治
population density - how many people per area unit (square mile or square kilometer)
potentially - possibly; possible in the future
predict - tell what will happen in the future
predictable - easily forecastable, with an easy to guess outcome or result
preserve - save, keep
pressed - touched with pressure
pretend - act as if something were true, act out a fantasy
pretend - act as if something were true, act out a fantasy
principle - a major idea or belief; 原理
productive - efficient, producing something
proficiency - level of ability or skill
provocation - with the intent of causing others to act or react
puppet - hand or string controlled doll
puppeteer - person who controls a puppet
quarters (close quarters) - place where one lives, usually temporary, as with a student or soldier
radical (radically) - severe, extreme
rank - position in a hierarchy; how high or how low
rarely - not usually, hardly ever
re-defined - give a new meaning to
rear-ended - being struck from behind in a traffic accident
reciprocal - in exchange for, a two-way exchange
recognize - know, be aware of already knowing, understand, acccept
reflected - showed, exemplified, indicated
regardless - under any conditions
register - level of language politeness or formality
regret - to feel bad about one’s actions; 後悔
relative - person in one's extended family; 親戚
relatively - in relation to, compared with
remorse - to feel bad about one’s actions; 悔悟
renowned - famous
restitution - repayment for damages
revealing - informative, showing something, telling something
ridiculous - silly, absurd
right-wing - conservative, reactionary, fascist political tendency
rural - not urban, in the country
sanity - a rational state of mind
scripted - written and rehearsed
seemingly - appearing or seeming to be; apparently
self-criticism - a careful evaluation at one’s own actions
self-realization - fulfilled, becoming a complete person
self-reliance - ability to get along without outside help
self-reliant - able to get along without outside help
served (is best served) - benefits from, is helped by
server - waiter or waitress
sexual orientation - whether one is heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, etc.
shortcoming - weak point
simultaneously - at the same time
sincerity - true feeling
sit-down dinner - formal dinner party
situational - changing by context, such has who, when, where, etc.
slaves - individuals completely deprived of human rights who are “owned” by other individuals
sleazy - dishonest or immoral
social lubricant - something that helps people get along with each other comfortably
socializing - going out with people
specify - state clearly and in detail
specify, specified - state clearly
spectrum - the complete range, usually in reference to light
spinach - ほうれんそう
square kilometers - area one kilometer by one kilometer, km²
staff - group of workers
state - a political unit, a country or nation
stigma - a negative aura, a mark of shame
stike/struck- hit
structural - having to do with how something is built or constructed
subset - group of items or people that are part of a larger group
sue (suits) - seek legal action against someone who you feel has wronged you
sum - total, all
superseded - take precedence over, replace, make ineffective
superficial/superficially - only on the surface
superiority - being better than
surname - family name, last name, 名字
surrogate mother a woman who bears a baby for another woman or couple
take a back seat - make a lesser priority, treat as less important
telephoto - long lens for viewing faraway objects
theatrical - dramatic, showy
threaten/threatening - imply danger or harm for an act; make one fear violence or harm
titles - verbal indicators of rank or position
tolerant - accepting
toothpick - 楊子
touchie-feelies - personal style marked by open expression of emotion, usually with lots of touching
tragic - very sad, with a very sad outcome; disastrous
Twilight Zone - an old popular American TV show that focused on the paranormal (超常的)
typically - usually, normally
(un)complimentary - negatively, insulting
underlying - beneath the surface, underneath, not obvious
underscore - emphasize
uniforms - special work clothes, usually the same as other workers
unique - one of a kind, very special
unjust (just) - unfair
unpredictable (predictable) - unable to say what will happen, and uncertain outcome
unworthy - not worthy, not good enough for
usage - in language, how people speak
vacuum - nothing; an absence of everything
value(s) – ideas or concepts that an individual or society find important (Ex: honesty, loyalty)
variation - change in the pattern, a different form
vertically - up and down, 縦割り
wack - crazy
wide-angle - camera lens that gives a wide view, often used in small spaces
work-style - way of working, the normal way of working in a given environment