Heartland English School – Word of the Day

Theme: Adjectives for Describing Cities

Word: picturesque               Pronunciation: / ˈpɪkʧərəsk /

Meaning: (of a place) attractive in appearance, especially in an old-fashioned way

Examples:

• I loved strolling through the picturesque narrow streets of the old city.
• The bridges in Paris are the most gorgeous and picturesque I have ever seen.

Theme: Adjectives for Describing Cities

Word: cosmopolitan              Pronunciation: /ˌkɑzməˈpɑlətən /

Meaning: a place filled with people from many different countries and cultures

Examples:

• Immigration has made Winnipeg increasingly cosmopolitan.
• Montreal is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Canada, drawing immigrants from a huge variety of cultural backgrounds.

Theme: Adjectives for Describing Cities

Word: touristy              Pronunciation: / ˈtʊrəsti /

Meaning: a place visited by many tourists, often with tourist attractions and merchandising that could have a lack of authenticity

Examples:

• I thought we could explore the old part of the city but Janet said it was very touristy and expensive.
• The beachfront has a lot of great restaurants, but it’s become quite touristy these last few years. It doesn’t feel as authentic as it used to.

Theme: Adjectives for Describing Cities

Word: pricey                Pronunciation: / ˈpraɪsi /

Meaning: costs (living or otherwise) tend to be high

Examples:

• Vancouver is a pricey city to live in. It might be hard to find an apartment within your budget.
• This neighborhood is too pricey. I’m going to try and find a cheaper area of the city to live in.

Theme: Adjectives for Describing Cities

Word: bustling               Pronunciation: / ˈbʌsəlɪŋ /

Meaning: busy, full of activity

Examples:

• This town used to be bustling on Saturdays with many street markets. Now many people have moved to larger cities and it feels empty on weekends.
• Toronto’s downtown is vibrant and bustling in summer.

Theme: words whose meanings have changed over time

Word: terrific (adjective)     təˈrɪfɪk

Old Meaning: terrible, awful, dreadful, scary

New Meaning: wonderful, excellent, fantastic

Old Meaning Example: There was a terrific storm which killed many people.

New Meaning Example: That band is terrific. I love their music, and go to all their shows.

Related Word: terrifically

Theme: words whose meanings have changed over time

Word: bully (noun, verb)     ˈbʊli

Old Meaning: 150 years ago, bully was a slang adjective that meant exciting, jolly, or fun.

New Meaning: A bully (noun) is a person who uses their power to control, hurt, or frighten weaker, smaller, or less powerful people. Bully is also a verb.

Old Meaning Example: “We had a bully time fishing!” said Davy.

New Meaning Example: The school bully liked to hit smaller children and steal their money. When the bully grew up, she bullied her employees.

Theme: words whose meanings have changed over time

Word: awesome (adjective)   ˈɔːs(ə)m

Old Meaning: awe-inspiring; to cause a feeling of intense admiration or worship

New Meaning: excellent; wonderful

Old Meaning Example: The awesome cathedral made visitors feel reverent.

New Meaning Example: We had an awesome weekend at the beach.

Related Words: awesomely, awesomeness

Theme: words whose meanings have changed over time

Word: epic        ɛ’ pɪk

Old Meaning: (noun) a very long poem or story about a hero

New Meaning: (adjective) big and amazing

Old Meaning Example: The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest story known to humankind. In it, the hero Gilgamesh has many adventures, fights the gods, and learns about immortality.

New Meaning Example: There was an epic fight between my favourite robots on Battlebots last night!

Theme: words whose meanings have changed over time

Word: they

Old Meaning: plural subject pronoun

New Meaning: singular impersonal subject pronoun

Old Meaning Example: Two new people have arrived. I don’t know who they are.

New Meaning Example: One new person has arrived, and I don’t know who they are.

Related words: their, them