21 English Words To Use Today (that will impress everyone 🤩)

In this lesson, you're going to learn 21 English  

words that you can use today  that will impress everyone.

These words will impress your teacher, your  boss and colleagues and native speakers.

Welcome back to JForrest English.

Of course, I'm Jennifer.

Now let's get started #1 dazzling.

Dazzling.

That's a fun word to say.

Repeat after me.

Dazzling.

This is an adjective that means brilliant  and impressive, leaving a lasting impression.

I could say you look absolutely  dazzling in that outfit and notice  

how I added absolutely to make it even stronger.

Or I could say she started her  presentation with a dazzling smile.

So what do you think of my smile?

Is it dazzling?

If it is, then put dazzling.

Put dazzling in the comments because putting  it in the comments will help you remember it.

Put dazzling in the comments #2 caveat.

Repeat after me.

Caveat.

This is a noun and it's a  warning or cautionary statement.

These words will impress native  speakers, but there's one caveat.

There's one warning.

You need to pronounce them correctly.

So repeat after me caveat.

Or you could say he agreed to be interviewed  with the caveat that he could review the article.

Don't worry about taking notes because I  summarize everything in a free lesson PDF.

You can find the link in the  description #3 Alleviate.

Repeat after me.

Alleviate.

This is a verb that means to make something  negative, like a pain or a problem, less severe.

For example, taking a walk can alleviate stress.

It can make it less severe or  practicing your speech beforehand,  

maybe for a job interview or a presentation,  can alleviate your public speaking anxiety.

It can make it less severe.

So make sure you practice #4  a fun one to say conundrum.

Repeat after me conundrum.

Conundrum.

This is a noun and it's a confusing  and difficult problem or question.

He faced a conundrum.

So notice that verb is face.

You face a conundrum.

He faced a conundrum about  which job offer to accept.

So maybe he has this job offer, but then he calls  you as his friend and he says, it's my dream  

job, but if I accept it, I'll have  to move overseas away from my family.

And then you can reply back and  say, well, that's a conundrum,  

That's a difficult problem  you're facing #5 frivolous.

Also fun to say frivolous.

Repeat after me.

Frivolous.

This is an adjective that means not  having any serious purpose or value.

We commonly use this with money.

He spends all his money on frivolous items,  on items that have no purpose or value.

Or you could say they argued  over something frivolous,  

something meaningless, no purpose, no value.

Hopefully you're thinking  this lesson isn't frivolous,  

which means it does have purpose  and it does provide you value.

So this lesson isn't frivolous.

Would you agree?

Put that's right.

Put that's right, that's right in the comments.

Number six, perplex.

Repeat after me.

Perplex.

This is a verb that means to confuse and worry  someone by being difficult to understand or solve.

For example, the patient's  symptoms perplexed the doctors.

The doctors found the symptoms difficult.

Understand and then solve.

So it caused some worry or confusion.

Or you could say I was perplexed by  these words, the words in this lesson.

Notice that passive structure.

I was perplexed by these words, but  Jennifer helped me understand them.

Hopefully you agree with that #7 nostalgia.

Repeat after me nostalgia.

This is a noun and it's a feeling of  pleasure but also slight sadness when  

you think about things that happened in the past.

Some people feel nostalgia because nostalgia  is a noun, so you can feel nostalgia.

Some people feel nostalgia for their  school days, so thinking about their  

school days in the past, it brings some  pleasure, but a little bit of sadness.

Can you relate to that?

Or you could say hearing that song  again filled him with nostalgia.

You can be filled with this noun.

Nostalgia number 80.

This is a good one.

Ominous.

Repeat after me.

Ominous.

This is an adjective, and it means giving  

the impression that something bad  or unpleasant is going to happen.

We commonly use this with the weather.

You could look up and say  the dark clouds are ominous.

So what's the bad thing that's going to happen?

A severe storm.

Or you could say he had an  ominous feeling about the meeting.

Something bad is going to happen.

Maybe the client won't sign the contract, or  he won't get the answer he wanted #9 acquiesce.

Repeat after me.

Acquiesce.

Acquiesce.

This is a verb, and it means to agree passively.

So to agree, but you don't really want to.

You don't want to initially, but  you eventually say, OK, I acquiesce.

For example, I wanted to go to Hawaii,  but my husband wanted to go to Iceland.

I acquiesced.

So my question for you, my smart  student, is where did I go on vacation?

Did I go to Hawaii or Iceland?

Put your answer in the comments.

Hawaii or Iceland, Put it in  the comments #10 consensus.

Repeat after me.

Consensus.

This is a noun and it means  general agreement among a group.

Remember, to have general agreement,  you don't need 100%, you need 505155.

That would be the minimum  amount for a general consensus.

For example, we couldn't reach a consensus.

So the verb you use is to reach a consensus.

We couldn't reach a consensus  on where to go for vacation.

Hawaii or Iceland, we couldn't reach a consensus.

Or you could say there is a consensus  that the proposal needs revisions.

So this means that the majority of people agree  that the proposal needs revisions #11 itinerary.

I'm always surprised when my students,  

even my advanced students, don't know  this word because it's so commonly used.

Repeat after me.

Itinerary.

This is a noun, and it's a detailed  plan or route for an event or vacation.

For example, have you planned  your itinerary for Iceland?

Because remember, I acquiesced, so I agreed with  

my husband who wanted to go to Iceland  even though I wanted to go to Hawaii.

Did you understand that?

Did you get that?

So have you planned your  itinerary for Iceland yet?

So the itinerary would tell you what activities  you're doing on each day of that trip.

Or you could say we have a very busy  itinerary, all the things you have planned.

Now don't confuse us with  the next word #12 agenda.

Repeat after me Agenda.

Most students know this, but don't  confuse it with an itinerary because  

an agenda is a list of items  to be discussed at a meeting.

So you can ask what's the agenda for the  meeting or what's the first item on the agenda?

Or in emails, it's very common to send or  receive an e-mail that says, please find,  

attach the agenda for today's conference call #13  lucrative, lucrative, repeat after me, lucrative.

This is an adjective and it means producing  a great deal of profit or financial success.

We use this specifically with money.

You could say photography isn't lucrative,  

it doesn't produce a great deal of  financial success, but it's my passion.

Or you could say there was a general consensus.

Most people agree there was  a general consensus that the  

partnership would be lucrative, would  result in money, financial success.

So that's a great one to have in  your vocabulary #14 contingency.

Do you know this one?

Contingency.

Repeat after me.

Contingency.

This is a noun, and it's a future  event or circumstance which  

is possible but cannot be  predicted with certainty.

So it's possible but not guaranteed.

Here's how this word is most commonly used.

We need a contingency plan  in case of an emergency.

So this is a plan about a potential  circumstance that's possible but not guaranteed.

And the plan, the contingency plan, will tell  you what to do in the event of an emergency.

Or you could say we must prepare for  all possible contingencies #15 tangible.

Repeat after me.

Tangible.

This is a noun, and it means real.

Something you can touch, show, or even experience.

For example, the project  resulted in tangible benefits.

I can show you the benefits on a chart.

You can touch the benefits such as money,  

or you have an experience such as doing  something because of those benefits.

It's tangible.

Or you might say we need tangible  evidence to support our claims.

You need evidence that people  can touch, see, or experience.

It must be tangible.

This is commonly used with  assets because there are  

tangible assets such as machinery and buildings.

You can touch them, you can look at them.

They're real #16 incentive.

Repeat after me.

Incentive.

This is a noun, and it's a thing that motivates  or encourages someone to do something.

So, for example, I need to give you and all  of my students an incentive to subscribe.

I need to encourage you to subscribe  by providing something of value.

So the fact that I upload videos every  single day is your incentive to subscribe.

So make sure you subscribe like this video.

And of course, subscribe if you haven't already.

I have other incentives for you.

Once you subscribe #17 Metrics  repeat after me Metrics.

Metrics.

This is a noun, and it's  a standard of measurement.

For example, the size of your vocabulary  is one of the metrics of fluency,  

the number of words you know, which  is why I'm teaching you 21 words.

So you can improve this metric, this  measure of performance for your fluency.

As you know, on your IELTS or other language  exams, they judge you on different areas.

Those are the different metrics.

Or if you want to improve your fluency,  

a good question to ask is what  are the key metrics of fluency?

And that will tell you what areas to focus on.

Number 18, redundant.

Repeat after me.

Redundant.

Redundant.

This is a noun and it means not  or no longer needed or useful.

For example, some tasks have  become redundant due to automation.

AI, Chachi, BT, or you could say  typewriters are now redundant.

They're no longer used, although they were once  the only device that people had to write with.

So can you think of something in today's  modern world that is now redundant?

My example was a typewriter.

Share your own example in the comments below.

Just for fun #19 streamline.

Streamline.

Repeat after me.

Streamline.

This is a verb, and it means to make  something faster, easier, or better.

For example, online learning  has streamlined education.

It's made it faster, easier, better.

Would you agree with that?

Or you might ask in a meeting, how  can we streamline our operations?

How can we make our operations  faster, better, easier #20 glaring?

Repeat after me.

Glaring.

This is an adjective, and it's when something  bad is extremely obvious, it's glaring.

For example, we can't hire her.

She made glaring spelling mistakes in her CV.

So when you look at the CV, the  spelling mistakes are extremely obvious.

They're glaring so that CV  is going in the garbage.

Or you could say there was a glaring  contradiction in his statement.

The contradiction was extremely obvious.

Now do you know what a contradiction is?

This is word 21 contradiction.

Repeat after me contradiction.

And this is a combination of words.

That is nonsense because some of the words  suggest the opposite of some of the others.

That's a confusing definition,  but listen to this simple example.

She's an honest politician.

Now some people might reply back  and say an honest politician.

Isn't that a contradiction?

Because when you hear the word honest, an image  of a politician is not what most people think of.

So some people might say that the combination of  words, an honest politician, is a contradiction.

Here's an everyday example.

You said you hate the heat,  but you want to go to Hawaii.

Isn't that a contradiction?

Because Hawaii is very hot, but  you just said you hate the heat.

So that's a contradiction.

Now you have 21 new words in your vocabulary.

What's your favorite word?

Mine is Conundrum because that is fun to say  and it's also an interesting conversation to  

have with someone when you're facing a conundrum  or when you're caught in a conundrum yourself.

So share your favorite word  from the list in the comments.

And remember, make sure you like this  video, share it with your friends,  

and subscribe so you're notified  every time I post a new lesson.

And I have another incentive for you.

You can get this free speaking  guide where I share 6 tips on  

how to speak English fluently and confidently.

You can click here to download it or  look for the link in the description.

And do you know all the words on this list?

Make sure you watch the lesson right now.