Vocabulary: Learn 31 words to use instead of 'BAD'

Welcome back.

Today we are looking at a ton of words today to really improve and strengthen your vocabulary

bank; really looking at words that can help you complain, suggest changes.

So, this video does link with my previous video on criticism and praise.

Okay, so today's situation, I've just gone and played crazy golf.

So, that's a funny, little game where you're using a putter and playing over strange shapes

and things.

And let's just say that I had a bad experience there.

Okay.

So, these are all words that I'm going to use to talk about this experience.

"Agony" means pain.

"I was in agony when a young, unaccompanied child smacked a ball into my backside.

It was very painful."

"Appalled" - this means shocked; displeased.

"I was appalled that that child was allowed to play unsupervised; without being looked

after by a parent."

"Atrocious" - this means really bad.

"I think it is atrocious that you allow this sort of thing to happen on your crazy golf

course."

"Awful" means very bad.

"The awful weather did not help things."

Okay?

It was terrible.

"Careless".

"Careless", so we've got a compound, here.

The suffix "less" means there is no care.

Okay?

So: "The careless attitudes of the staff resulted in equipment being left all over the place."

"Confusing".

If I'm confused, I don't know what to do.

"I also found it confusing where the next hole was."

Okay?

Where the next bit of the course was.

"Cruel".

So, maybe we can think of Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmatians.

"Cruel" is someone really nasty who has bad wishes for someone.

Okay?

So: "Are you trying to be cruel by making me walk around and try to find the next hole?"

"Damaging".

So, if something is damaged, it is broken.

So, "damaging" means something that has a bad effect on.

"It was damaging to my self-esteem-to my confidence-that I could not complete hole number four; it

was too difficult".

"Deplorable".

So, "deplorable" means able to deplore.

"Deplore" means to really...

To criticize, to really...

So, there's...

There's something here that I can really say is bad.

"Deplorable": "I think it was...

It is deplorable that the information desk had no one standing there.

There was no one to answer my questions."

Okay?

It's the first crazy golf course in the world to have an information desk.

Right.

"Disastrous".

Can you spot another word in there?

"Disaster", "disaster".

Terrible things happened.

"Disastrous" - this is the adjective.

Okay?

So, "disastrous" - something really, really bad.

"It was disastrous that there were so many people there because I could not complete

the game".

"Disgust".

So, maybe you can think of sort of "di"...

You can...

"Digest" is quite similar to this word.

"Disgust" - it's not going down very well.

I am so upset with this.

"I am disgusted that there was so much litter."

Okay?

There was so much rubbish-so much trash, if you're from North America-all over the course.

"Dreadful".

So, "dread", a word I've covered in other videos, means sort of fear and worry.

So, full of dread, full of worry, but it actually means really bad again.

Okay?

So: "It was dreadful that you allow seagulls to come in and eat everybody's food.

Why not have some sort of covering?"

"Harsh", a little bit like "cruel".

"Harsh", it means not very nice.

If someone's being a bit harsh to you, they're being unkind.

A harsh word is an unkind word.

So: "I found it harsh that I was only allowed to play for 30 minutes.

I thought that was not very fair."

"Heaven forbid!" - this is more of an exclamation.

"Heaven forbid I would have to pay twice to complete my game!"

Okay?

So this is like putting an exclamation mark.

"Inconsiderate", okay?

So, we can spot the word "consider" in there.

If I consider something, I think about it.

So, this prefix: "in" kind of means not; not thinking.

If you're inconsiderate, you don't really think about the effect you have on other people.

Okay?

"I thought it was inconsiderate that you allowed in a group of 40 German tourists just before

I wanted to play, because I had to be behind them."

We love German tourists; they're actually wonderful, and I enjoy taking their photographs

when they come to London.

"Insensitive" - that was a little insensitive, Benjamin.

"Insensitive".

So, "sense"-yup-our five senses; five feelings.

Okay?

If I'm insensitive, then I don't care about other people's feelings.

So, if I'm complaining about my crazy golf, I can say that: "They were insensitive to

play loud rap music for a child-friendly activity."

That was insensitive.

"Ordeal": "The whole thing was just a bit of an ordeal."

Okay?

Let's think of Homer's Odyssey here.

An ordeal is a long, sort of...

Long, big task.

It's such a big thing to do.

Okay?

An ordeal; we have a noun, there.

"Repulsive".

Something that repels you pushes you away.

So, if something is repulsive, it is disgusting.

"The chewing gum underneath all the benches was repulsive".

"Scandal".

So, a scandal is something that you will find on the front page of the newspaper.

If something is a scandal, it's a big shock; it's sort of bad news.

And we can have the adjective by adding "ous"; if something is "scandalous".

So, I can complain by saying: "It's scandalous that there was no water fountain, because

I was very thirsty."

"Severe".

Quite similar to "harsh".

"Severe" means harsh.

Okay?

Lots of e's.

"Severe".

Okay?

"I thought the slope on hole number three was quite severe"; quite strong, quite harsh.

"Shameful".

So, lots of...

What's "shame"?

Quite similar to guilt.

So, if...

I could...

If I was saying: "It's shameful", it means it's very bad - you should be guilty because

of this.

"It's shameful that you allow people on your crazy golf course to drink quite so much beer,

because then we have chaos."

"Shocking", okay?

Let's think of an electric shock.

Okay?

It strikes me.

It's...

It's...

It's incredible.

It's...

It's...

It's unusual.

It's shocking.

If something is shocking, it means it's really bad.

It gives you this reaction.

Okay?

"It's shocking that in today's age you are allowed to operate like this."

"Tragic".

So, "tragi", "tragedy".

Yes, if you watched my lesson on Shakespearean insults and chat-up lines, we learnt that

"tragedy" is one of those sad stories that ends very badly in death.

So, if something is tragic, it has a sad end; it's sad.

"It's tragic that not more young, local people can play this because your prices are so high."

"Unreliable".

Smaller word, there: "rely".

Obviously, that would be spelt with a "y".

"Unreliable".

If I can rely on someone, I can trust on them; I know they're going to do something.

If I...

If something is unreliable, then I don't know it's going to work.

Yup.

"I found that your balls...

The golf balls were unreliable because sometimes they would just veer off in another direction.

Definitely not because of my golf; it's because of the balls."

"Unstable".

If something is stable, you can balance.

If it's unstable, you're going to fall all over the place.

So: "I found that the...

The slippery walkways made for unstable walking."

Or something was unstable.

Maybe something you're standing on does not support you well.

Okay.

So, we have some suggested things that we think the person should do.

"Abolish", okay?

So, I link this word with slavery: Abolishing the slave trade means that meant stopping

the slave trade.

If you abolish, you stop something.

"Abolish drinking on your golf course."

"Aggravate" means to make worse; to aggravate the situation.

You can also apply that to a wound in medicine - to aggravate an old injury.

"To aggravate" - to make worse.

But it...

It can also mean sort of to make angry.

"It aggravated me that this happened."

"Eliminate" means cut out.

"I think you should eliminate anyone from playing crazy golf if they are just wearing

Speedos; it's not nice."

"Irritate" means to make angry.

"It irritated me that I could not buy an ice cream".

"It offended me" - it upset me.

And "provoke" means to make angry.

Now, Mr. Grumpy has written a letter and he wants you to spot some of these words in the

letter.

Let's flip it over and see if you can spot them.

Here's my grumpy letter.

I'm going to read it to you once, and then we'll try and spot the words together.

"Dear Manager, I am writing to you to complain about the

atrocious experience I had in one of your restaurants yesterday.

The volume of music was inconsiderably... inconsiderately high, which irritated me,

as I had gone there seeking a peaceful lunch.

I also found the cost of a hot dog shamefully overpriced.

I will not be visiting your awful restaurants again.

Yours, Mr. Grumpy."

Okay.

So, what I'm looking for is those sort of negative words that help me make the point.

Let's see if we can find them.

"...writing to complain".

We've got an action word, there, but it's not one that I covered just a moment go.

"Atrocious", so an adjective to describe a terrible experience.

"The volume of music"...

Here we have an adverb: "inconsiderately", because it's got the "ly" at the end; "inconsiderate"

would be the adjective.

"Irritated" - to make me annoyed.

Ah. "...as I had gone there seeking"-means looking for-"a peaceful lunch.

I also found the cost of a hot dog shamefully", okay?

"Ridiculously overpriced" - compound word.

"I will not be visiting your awful restaurants again."

What I'd like you to do is have a go at the quiz to really make sure that you remember

and start using some of these words that I've taught you today.

Thanks for watching.

Thanks for subscribing, and I'll see you very soon.