New English Words of the Month – April 2021

1. (n) milestone: an important or remarkable achievement

Example: Last month, the app hit the incredible milestone of attracting 500,000 users.

2. (adj) substantial: to be in big quantity or of great importance

Example: The COVID-19 pandemic led to substantial changes in the way airlines operate.

3. (n) occurrence: something that exists or is happening, often in an unexpected or unpleasant way

Example: Students in this village learn how to cope with natural disasters from an early age, as earthquakes are common occurrences here.

4. (adj) perilous: to be very dangerous or risky

Example: Unregulated gun ownership can be highly perilous, as it leads to severe violence and social chaos.

5. (v) inflict: to cause something unexpected or unpleasant to happen

Example: The overwork culture can inflict enormous stress and a reduction in productivity among employees.

6. (n) crucible (in a non-manufacturing context): a harsh environment in which you are tested or in which different ideas come together to form a solution

Example: These military tests force future soldiers to go into the crucible of patience.

7. (n) breakeven: the point at which a company’s profit is zero and it starts to make positive profit

Example: There are companies that are worth billions of dollars on the stock market but still have not reached the breakeven point.

8. (n) variation: the differences among/ between subjects in terms of size, level, amount, etc.

Example: As the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the US, there was a great deal of variation in the way states combatted the public health emergency.

9. (adj) inherent: the basic or core qualities/ characters that form a subject

Example: This marketing proposal is inherently flawed because it assumes that all customers will increase spending as price declines.

10. (n) blueprint: a comprehensive plan to build something or complete a task

Example: This book provides readers with a blueprint for turning negative feedback at work into concrete steps to grow a career.

What other new words have you learned this month? Please share with others by commenting below!

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