Special English word list: S

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Parts of speech: n. (noun) - a name word; (verb) - an action word; ad. (adjective/adverb) - a describing word; prep. (preposition) - a word used to show a relation; pro. (pronoun) - a word used in place of a noun; conj. (conjunction) - a joining word

S

1. sabotage - v. to damage or destroy as an act against an organization or nation (“The rebels sabotaged the railroad.”)
2. sacrifice - v. to do without something or to suffer a loss for a belief, idea, goal or another person
3. sad - ad. not happy
4. safe - ad. away from harm or danger
5. sail - v. to travel by boat or ship
6. sailor - n. a person involved in sailing a boat or ship
7. salt - n. a white substance found in sea water and in the ground, used to affect the taste of food
8. same - ad. not different; not changed; like another or others
9. sand - n. extremely small pieces of crushed rock found in large amounts in deserts and on coasts
10. satellite - n. a small object in space that moves around a larger object; an object placed in orbit around the earth
11. satisfy - v. to give or provide what is desired, needed or demanded
12. save - v. to make safe; to remove from harm; to keep for future use
13. say - v. to speak; to express in words
14. school - n. a place for education; a place where people go to learn
15. science - n. the study of nature and the actions of natural things, and the knowledge gained about them
16. sea - n. a large area of salt water, usually part of an ocean
17. search - v. to look for carefully
18. season - n. one of the four periods of the year that is based on the earth's position toward the sun (spring, summer, autumn, winter); a period of time based on different weather conditions (“dry season”, “rainy season”); a period during the year when something usually happens (“baseball season”)
19. seat - n. a thing to sit on; a place to sit or the right to sit there (“a seat in parliament”)
20. second - ad. the one that comes after the first
21. secret - n. something known only to a few and kept from general knowledge; ad. hidden from others; known only to a few
22. security - n. freedom from danger or harm; protection; measures necessary to protect a person or place (“Security was increased in the city.”)
23. see - v. to know or sense through the eyes; to understand or know
24. seed - n. the part of a plant from which new plants grow
25. seek(ing) - v. to search for (“They are seeking a cure for cancer.”); to try to get (“She is seeking election to public office.”); to plan to do (“Electric power companies are seeking to reduce their use of coal.”)
26. seem - v. to appear to be (“She seems to be in good health.”)
27. seize - v. to take quickly by force; to take control of quickly; to arrest
28. self - n. all that which makes one person different from others
29. sell - v. to give something in exchange for money
30. Senate - n. the smaller of the two groups in the governments of some countries, such as in the United States Congress
31. send - v. to cause to go; to permit to go; to cause to be carried, taken or directed to or away from a place
32. sense - v. to come to know about by feeling, believing or understanding; n. any of the abilities to see, hear, taste, smell or feel
33. sentence - v. to declare the punishment for a crime; n. the punishment for a crime
34. separate - v. to set or keep people, things or ideas away from or independent from others; ad. not together or connected; different
35. series - n. a number of similar things or events that follow one after another in time, position or order
36. serious - ad. important; needing careful consideration; dangerous
37. serve - v. to work as an official; to be employed by the government; to assist or help
38. service - n. an organization or system that provides something for the public ("Schools and roads are services paid for by taxes."); a job that an organization or business can do for money; military organizations such as an army, navy or air force; a religious ceremony
39. set - v. to put in place or position; to establish a time, price or limit
40. settle - v. to end (a dispute); to agree about (a problem); to make a home in a new place
41. several - ad. three or more, but not many
42. severe - ad. not gentle; causing much pain, sadness or damage
43. sex - n. either the male or female group into which all people and animals are divided because of their actions in producing young; the physical activity by which humans and animals can produce young
44. shake - v. to move or cause to move in short, quick movements
45. shape - v. to give form to; n. the form of something, especially how it looks
46. share - v. to give part of something to another or others; n. a part belonging to, given to or owned by a single person or a group; any one of the equal parts of ownership of a business or company
47. sharp - ad. having a thin edge or small point that can cut or hurt; causing hurt or pain
48. she - pro. the girl or woman who is being spoken about
49. sheep - n. a farm animal used for its meat and hair
50. shell - v. to fire artillery; n. a metal container that is fired from a large gun and explodes when it reaches its target; a hard outside cover
51. shelter - v. to protect or give protection to; n. something that gives protection; a place of safety
52. shine - v. to aim a light; to give bright light; to be bright; to clean to make bright
53. ship - v. to transport; n. a large boat
54. shock - v. to cause to feel sudden surprise or fear; n. something that greatly affects the mind or emotions; a powerful shake, as from an earthquake
55. shoe - n. a covering for the foot
56. shoot - v. to cause a gun or other weapon to send out an object designed to kill; to use a gun
57. short - ad. lasting only for a small period of time; not long; opposite tall
58. should - v. used with another verb (action word) to show responsibility (“We should study.”), probability (“The talks should begin soon.”), or that something is believed to be a good idea (“Criminals should be punished.”)
59. shout - v. to speak very loudly
60. show - v. to make something be seen; to make known; n. a play or story presented in a theater, or broadcast on radio or television, for enjoyment or education; something organized to be seen by the public
61. shrink - v. to make or become less in size, weight or value
62. sick - ad. suffering physically or mentally with a disease or other problem; not in good health
63. sickness - n. the condition of being in bad health
64. side - n. the outer surfaces of an object that are not the top or bottom; parts away from the middle; either the right or left half of the body
65. sign - v. to write one’s name; n. a mark or shape used to mean something; evidence that something exists or will happen; a flat piece of material with writing that gives information
66. signal - v. to send a message by signs; n. an action or movement that sends a message
67. silence - v. to make quiet; to stop from speaking or making noise; n. a lack of noise or sound
68. silver - n. a valued white metal
69. similar - ad. like something else but not exactly the same
70. simple - ad. easy to understand or do; not difficult or complex
71. since - prep. from a time in the past until now (“I have known her since we went to school together.”)
72. sing - v. to make music sounds with the voice
73. single - ad. one only
74. sink - v. to go down into water or other liquid
75. sister - n. a female with the same father or mother as another person
76. sit - v. to rest on the lower part of the body without the support of the legs; to become seated
77. situation - n. the way things are during a period of time
78. size - n. the space occupied by something; how long, wide or high something is
79. skeleton - n. all the bones of a human or other animal together in their normal positions
80. skill - n. the ability gained from training or experience
81. skin - n. the outer covering of humans and most animals
82. sky - n. the space above the earth
83. slave - n. a person owned or controlled by another
84. sleep - v. to rest the body and mind with the eyes closed
85. slide - v. to move smoothly over a surface
86. slow - v. to reduce the speed of; ad. not fast in moving, talking or other activities
87. small - ad. little in size or amount; few in number; not important; opposite large
88. smash - v. to break or be broken into small pieces by force; to hit or move with force
89. smell - v. to sense through the nose; n. something sensed by the nose (“the smell of food cooking”)
90. smoke - v. to use cigarettes or other tobacco products by burning them and breathing in the smoke; n. that which can be seen rising into the air like a cloud from something burning
91. smooth - ad. having a level surface; opposite rough
92. snow - n. soft, white pieces of frozen water that fall from the sky, usually in winter or when the air temperature is very cold
93. so - ad. in such a way that (“He held the flag so all could see it.”); also; too (“She left early, and so did we.”); very (“I am so sick.”); as a result (“They were sick, so they could not come.”); conj. in order that; for the purpose of (“Come early so we can discuss the plans.”)
94. social - ad. of or about people or a group
95. soft - ad. not hard; easily shaped; pleasing to touch; not loud
96. soil - n. earth in which plants grow
97. soldier - n. a person in the army
98. solid - ad. having a hard shape with no empty spaces inside; strong; not in the form of a liquid or gas
99. solve - v. to find an answer; to settle
100. some - ad. of an amount or number or part not stated; not all
101. son - n. a person's male child
102. soon - ad. not long after the present time; quickly
103. sort - n. any group of people or things that are the same or are similar in some way; a kind of something
104. sound - n. fast-moving waves of energy that affect the ear and result in hearing; that which is heard
105. south - n. the direction to the right of a person facing the rising sun
106. space - n. the area outside the earth’s atmosphere where the sun, moon, planets and stars are; the area between or inside things
107. speak - v. to talk; to say words with the mouth; to express one’s thoughts to others and exchange ideas; to give a speech to a group
108. special - ad. of a different or unusual kind; not for general use; better or more important than others of the same kind
109. speech - n. a talk given to a group of people
110. speed - v. to make something go or move faster; n. the rate at which something moves or travels; the rate at which something happens or is done
111. spend - v. to give as payment; to use (“He spends much time studying.”)
112. spill - v. to cause or permit liquid to flow out, usually by accident
113. spirit - n. the part of a human that is not physical and is connected to thoughts and emotions; the part of a person that is believed to remain alive after death
114. split - v. to separate into two or more parts; to divide or break into parts
115. sport - n. any game or activity of competition involving physical effort or skill
116. spread - v. to become longer or wider; to make or become widely known
117. spring - n. the time of the year between winter and summer
118. spy - v. to steal or get information secretly; n. one who watches others secretly; a person employed by a government to get secret information about another country
119. square - n. a flat shape having four equal sides
120. stab - v. to cut or push into or through with a pointed weapon
121. stand - v. to move into or be in a position in which only the feet are on a surface; to be in one position or place
122. star - n. a mass of gas that usually appears as a small light in the sky at night, but is not a planet; a famous person, usually an actor or singer
123. start - v. to begin; to make something begin
124. starve - v. to suffer or die from a lack of food
125. state - v. to say; to declare; n. a political part of a nation
126. station - n. a place of special work or purpose (“a police station”); a place where passengers get on or off trains or buses; a place for radio or television broadcasts
127. statue - n. a form of a human, animal or other creature usually made of stone, wood or metal
128. stay - v. to continue to be where one is; to remain; to not leave; to live for a time (“They stayed in New York for two years.”)
129. steal - v. to take without permission or paying
130. steam - n. the gas that comes from hot water
131. steel - n. iron made harder and stronger by mixing it with other substances
132. step - v. to move by lifting one foot and placing it in a new position; n. the act of stepping; one of a series of actions designed to reach a goal
133. stick - v. to attach something to another thing using a substance that will hold them together; to become fixed in one position so that movement is difficult (“Something is making the door stick.”); n. a thin piece of wood
134. still - ad. not moving (“The man was standing still.”); until the present or a stated time (“Was he still there?”); even so; although (“The job was difficult, but she still wanted to do it.”)
135. stone - n. a small piece of rock
136. stop - v. to prevent any more movement or action; to come or bring to an end
137. store - v. to keep or put away for future use; n. a place where people buy things
138. storm - n. violent weather, including strong winds and rain or snow
139. story - n. the telling or writing of an event, either real or imagined
140. stove - n. a heating device used for cooking
141. straight - ad. continuing in one direction without turns
142. strange - ad. unusual; not normal; not known
143. street - n. a road in a city, town or village
144. stretch - v. to extend for a distance; to pull on to make longer or wider
145. strike - v. to hit with force; to stop work as a way to seek better conditions, more pay or to make other demands
146. strong - ad. having much power; not easily broken, damaged or destroyed
147. structure - n. the way something is built, made or organized; a system that is formed or organized in a special way; a building
148. struggle - v. to try with much effort; to fight with; n. a great effort; a fight
149. study - v. to make an effort to gain knowledge by using the mind; to examine carefully
150. stupid - ad. not able to learn much; not intelligent
151. subject - n. the person or thing being discussed, studied or written about
152. submarine - n. an underwater ship
153. substance - n. the material of which something is made (a solid, liquid or gas)
154. substitute - v. to put or use in place of another; n. a person or thing put or used in place of another
155. subversion - n. an attempt to weaken or destroy a political system or government, usually secretly
156. succeed - v. to reach a goal or thing desired; to produce a planned result
157. such - ad. of this or that kind; of the same kind as; similar to
158. sudden - ad. not expected; without warning; done or carried out quickly or without preparation
159. suffer - v. to feel pain in the body or mind; to receive or experience hurt or sadness
160. sugar - n. a sweet substance made from liquids taken from plants
161. suggest - v. to offer or propose something to think about or consider
162. summer - n. the warmest time of the year, between spring and autumn
163. sun - n. the huge star in the sky that provides heat and light to earth
164. supervise - v. to direct and observe the work of others
165. supply - v. to give; to provide; n. the amount of something that can be given or sold to others
166. support - v. to carry the weight of; to hold up or in position; to agree with others and help them reach a goal; to approve
167. suppose - v. to believe, think or imagine (“I suppose you are right.”); to expect (“It is supposed to rain tonight.”)
168. suppress - v. to put down or to keep down by force; to prevent information from being known publicly
169. sure - ad. very probable; with good reason to believe; true without question
170. surface - n. the outer side or top of something (“The rocket landed on the surface of the moon.”)
171. surplus - n. an amount that is more than is needed; extra; (“That country has a trade surplus. It exports more than it imports.”)
172. surprise - v. to cause a feeling of wonder because something is not expected; n. something not expected; the feeling caused by something not expected
173. surrender - v. to give control of oneself or one’s property to another or others; to stop fighting and admit defeat
174. surround - v. to form a circle around; to be in positions all around someone or something
175. survive - v. to remain alive during or after a dangerous situation
176. suspect - v. to imagine or believe that a person is guilty of something bad or illegal; n. a person believed to be guilty
177. suspend - v. to cause to stop for a period of time
178. swallow - v. to take into the stomach through the mouth
179. swear in - v. to put an official into office by having him or her promise to carry out the duties of that office (“The chief justice will swear in the president.”)
180. sweet - ad. tasting pleasant, like sugar
181. swim - v. to move through water by making motions with the arms and legs
182. sympathy - n. a sharing of feelings or emotions with another person, usually feelings of sadness
183. system - n. a method of organizing or doing something by following rules or a plan; a group of connected things or parts working together for a common purpose or goal