1- Helpful & Harmful

HELPFUL TO SPEED UP A BENEFIT ROUGH, SIMPLE

beneficial expedite boon crude
advantageous facilitate makeshift
constructive rudimentary
conducive
REALISTIC TO SERVE, ASSIST AN ANNOYANCE TO WORSEN
practical accommodate bane exacerbate
pragmatic nuisance aggravate

TO STRENGTHEN RELATED, TO PREVENT TO PUT AT RISK

AND SUPPORT APPROPRIATE THE POSSIBILITY

reinforce apt forestall endanger

bolster relevant preclude jeopardize
buttress pertinent
undergird

TO USE, TAKE EFFECTIVE TO BLOCK HARMFUL

ADVANTAGE OF
utilize efficacious impede adverse
employ inhibit detrimental
exploit hamper
leverage hinder
thwart
encumber
A METHOD HARMLESS TO WEAKEN DANGEROUS
means benign undermine insidious
medium innocuous compromise pernicious
mechanism
 HELPFUL
beneficial (adj.) Producing good effects; helping to achieve a good result.

Taking a jog in the morning can be beneficial to your physical health, mind, and overall well-
being.

n. benefit • v. benefit • adv. beneficially

advantageous (adj.) Providing a benefit; favorable.

It would be advantageous to work together on this project, as we have skills that complement
one another.

n. advantage • v. advantage

constructive (adj.) Helpful and improving; tending to build up or improve.

The editor offered constructive advice on how to make the novel more interesting and better
written.

adv. constructively

REALISTIC
practical (adj.) Concerned with what is real rather than imagined or theoretical.

Although it's fun to dream of what you'd do if you won the lottery, it would be better to
have more practical plans for the future.

n. practicality • adv. practically • adj. realistic

pragmatic (adj.) Concerned with real applications, consequences, etc.

They were looking for pragmatic solutions to the problem: only practical, workable ideas
were welcome.

n. pragmatism, pragmatist • adv. pragmatically

TO STRENGTHEN AND SUPPORT

reinforce (v.) To strengthen or support something.

The coach reinforced the proper shooting technique by having the basketball players
practice it over and over again.

n. reinforcement

bolster (v.) To support or hold up.

The company's decision to invest in AI technology helped bolster its reputation as an

innovative leader.

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buttress (v.) To reinforce; to provide physical or figurative support.

The study's findings were buttressed by data from multiple sources, lending credibility to
the research.

n. buttress • adj. buttressed

undergird (v.) To support from below; to provide an underlying foundation.

The principles of democracy undergird the foundation of our society.

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TO USE, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF

utilize (v.) To make practical use of.

He effectively utilized humor in his critical essay.

n. utilization, utility

employ (v.) To apply or make use of a skill or resource.

The author employed a unique narrative technique in her novel.

n. employment

exploit (v.) To use something or someone, especially to gain a profit or selfishly achieve a goal.
 She exploited secret information to earn a profit on a deal that harmed her business
partners.

n. exploitation • adj. exploited

leverage (v.) To make use of; to achieve a particular result.

The politician leveraged his influence to get his son a job interview.

n. leverage

TO SPEED UP
expedite (v.) To speed something up; to do something quickly.

The post office promised to expedite it so it would arrive the very next day.

n. expedition • adj. expeditious

facilitate (v.) To assist; to aid the progress of something or someone.

Their guide facilitated their stay, providing tours around the area and translating the local
language.

n. facilitation, facilitator

TO SERVE, ASSIST
accommodate (v.) To provide something needed or wanted.

The hotel staff did their best to accommodate the needs of their guests, offering amenities
and services to make their stay more comfortable.

n. accommodation • adj. accommodating

RELATED, APPROPRIATE
apt (adj.) Appropriate; relevant.
 She always has an intelligent and apt remark to sum up a situation.

n. aptness • adv. aptly

relevant (adj.) Important or meaningful to the current topic, subject, or situation.

Only job candidates with relevant experience were considered.

n. relevance

pertinent (adj.) Important to the current situation or matter.

The new lawyer only had time for the most pertinent details of the case.

n. pertinence • v. pertain

EFFECTIVE
efficacious (adj.) Producing the desired outcome or result.

The medicine was efficacious enough that she was cured within the week.

n. efficacy • adv. efficaciously

A METHOD
means (n.) A method or tool used to achieve a result or objective.

We need to find a means to reduce our energy consumption in order to combat climate
change.

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medium (n.) A method or tool for doing something.

In the mid-20th century, politicians reached a wider audience through the medium of
television.

n. pl. media

mechanism (n.) A system or process designed for a particular goal.

 The Venus flytrap's mechanism involves specialized leaves that snap shut when triggered
by the movements of an insect.

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HARMLESS
benign (adj.) Gentle and kind; not harmful.

The growth was found to be benign, and the patient did not require any further medical
intervention.

(No related forms provided)

innocuous (adj.) Not likely to cause harm or offense.

The joke was completely innocuous, offending no one.

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A BENEFIT
boon (n.) Something which provides a benefit or advantage.

The invention of the smartphone was a boon to society, revolutionizing the way people
communicate and access information.

Usage: a boon to + somebody

AN ANNOYANCE
bane (n.) Something that causes a great nuisance.

The bane of any student's life is the dreaded final exams.

Usage: the bane of + sth, a bane to + sb.

nuisance (n.) Something that causes annoyance.

The house's proximity to a school meant that they had to live with the daily nuisance of
the opening bells.

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TO PREVENT THE POSSIBILITY
Word & Part of Speech Details

forestall (v.) To prevent something from happening by acting before it can occur.

The pilot forestalled disaster by making an emergency landing when he realized the
plane's wing was damaged.

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preclude (v.) To make something impossible; to prevent something from happening.

The heavy rain precluded any outdoor activities, forcing the family to spend the day
indoors.

(No related forms provided)

TO BLOCK
impede (v.) To slow or delay the progress of something.

A broken bridge impeded their travel and forced them to drive 30 minutes farther to
find another crossing.

n. impediment • adj. impeded

inhibit (v.) To restrain or hold back; to prevent someone or something from doing something.

The teenager's shyness inhibited him from dancing at the party.

n. inhibition • adj. inhibited

hamper (v.) To slow the movement or progress of someone or something.

The injured hiker told the others to go on without her because she
was hampering their progress.

adj. hampered

hinder (v.) To slow or obstruct the progress of someone or something.

 Her uncomfortable shoes hindered her ability to walk quickly.

n. hindrance • adj. hindered

thwart (v.) To successfully stop someone or something; to prevent something from happening.

My mother thwarted my plan to sneak out of the house by locking me in my room.

adj. thwarted

encumber (v.) To weigh down or hinder something or someone.

Encumbered by heavy bags, we took a long time to go up the stairs.

n. encumbrance • adj. encumbered

TO WEAKEN
undermine (v.) To gradually damage or weaken something or someone.

Her father undermined her mother's authority by allowing her to go to a party.

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compromise (v.) To endanger or weaken.

The construction company compromised safety standards by using cheap materials

and failing to do proper inspections.

adj. compromised

ROUGH AND SIMPLE

crude (adj.) Unfinished; rough (as in rough draft).

Despite lacking detail, a crude drawing of the solar system can show you the
location of the planets in relation to the sun.

n. crudeness • adv. crudely

makeshift (adj.) Serving as a temporary substitute.

Stephen had to build a makeshift shelter out of branches and leaves when he
realized he wouldn't make it back to camp before nightfall.

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rudimentary (adj.) Basic or simple in form.

Workers received only rudimentary training for emergencies and were unsure what
to do when a fire started.

n. rudiment

TO MAKE WORSE
exacerbate (v.) To make more severe.

Unfortunately, the cold medicine only exacerbated the symptoms.

n. exacerbation

aggravate (v.) To cause annoyance.

Her little sister enjoyed aggravating her with pranks.

n. aggravation

TO PUT AT RISK
endanger (v.) To cause someone to be in danger.

She was furious when she found out that her son had endangered his life by driving
drunk.

n. endangerment • adj. endangered

jeopardize (v.) To put someone or something in danger or at risk.

Her career was jeopardized by her immature and unprofessional behavior.

n. jeopardy • adj. jeopardized

HARMFUL
adverse (adj.) Unfavorable or harmful; preventing or opposing success.

Though she tried her best, adverse weather worked against her, preventing her from
winning the game.

n. adversity • adv. adversely

detrimental (adj.) Tending to cause harm; to have a negative effect.

Being located next to a large shopping center had a detrimental effect on the small
shop's sales and income.

n. detriment • adv. detrimentally

DANGEROUS
insidious (adj.) Subtle and dangerous; gradual and harmful.

The insidious nature of cyberbullying, which is concealed behind screens and

spreads swiftly, can cause lasting emotional harm for victims.

adv. insidiously

pernicious (adj.) Extremely harmful or wicked.

Malaria is one of Africa's most pernicious diseases, killing thousands of people

every year.

n. perniciousness • adv. perniciously

EXERCISE 1.1
Match each word to its nearest synonym below, using each word only once.

A. utilize D. preclude G. benign J. jeopardize

B. exacerbate E. expedite H. apt K. bane

C. impede F. boon I. undermine L. detrimental

# Synonym Answer

1 benefit

2 nuisance

3 innocuous

4 facilitate

5 worsen

6 employ

7 compromise

8 relevant

9 adverse

10 forestall

11 thwart

12 endanger
 EXERCISE 1.2
Fill in the blank with the correct word from the list, using each word only once.

accommodate constructive efficacious inhibit pertinent

bolster detrimental exploit means undermine

1. The manager’s feedback, though critical, was _________________, helping the team improve their
project significantly.
2. To _________________her argument in the debate, she cited several recent studies that supported
her point of view.
3. The company was criticized for its decision to _________________the natural resources of the area
without considering the environmental impact.
4. The new conference center was designed to _________________large events, with facilities for up
to 1000 attendees.
5. Her comments during the meeting were _________________, directly addressing the main issues
that were being discussed.
6. The medication was found to be _________________in treating the disease, with most patients
showing improvement within a few days.
7. Education is often seen as a _________________to better employment opportunities and personal
development.
8. Fear of failure can _________________creativity, preventing individuals from taking risks in their
work.
9. The constant criticism from his colleagues began to _________________his confidence in his own
abilities.
10. Smoking is known to be _________________to health, leading to various respiratory problems and
diseases.
 EXERCISE 1.3 Multiple Choice
1. The ______ of the project was the lack of clear communication that led to numerous
misunderstandings and delays.
A) boon
B) bane
C) means
D) exploitation
2. The new policy, unlike the previous one, is designed to ______ economic growth and make it easier
for businesses to thrive.
A) undermine
B) facilitate
C) aggravate
D) endanger
3. The organization plans to ______ its position on the issue by providing additional evidence and
arguments to support its stance.
A) compromise
B) forestall
C) expedite
D) bolster
4. The hotel aims to ______ all guests’ needs, offering personalized services to enhance their
experience.
A) accommodate
B) thwart
C) exacerbate
D) impede
5. The outdated equipment was ______ to the overall productivity of the workshop: it caused frequent
breakdowns and delays.
A) beneficial
B) apt
C) detrimental
D) pragmatic
6. The teacher’s dedication and patience ______ the students’ confidence and motivation, resulting in
better performance and grades.
A) impeded
B) undermined
C) bolstered
D) hindered
7. After years of research and hard work, the team finally succeeded in developing ______ energy
source, one that had minimal negative impact on the environment.
A) an insidious
 B) a benign
C) a pernicious
D) a detrimental
8. The ______ design of the prototype hindered its functionality and usability, as it lacked precision
and refinement in its construction.
A) aggravated
B) forestalled
C) crude
D) pertinent
9. To ensure the safety of the hikers, the guide ______ any actions that could potentially put the group
at risk.
A) facilitated
B) precluded
C) jeopardized
D) expedited
10. The vaccine was a success in that it was both ______ and safe, leading to its widespread adoption.
A) detrimental
B) innocuous
C) efficacious
D) insidious
11. By focusing on the most ______ aspects of the research, the team was able to draw meaningful
conclusions and develop a strong foundation for their study.
A) obsolete
B) pertinent
C) adverse
D) redundant
12. The team’s quick thinking and decisive action managed to ______ the cyberattack and prevent any
unauthorized access to sensitive data.
A) accommodate
B) exacerbate
C) thwart
D) undergird