avoid (verb): to keep away from; to keep from happening

avoid

avoid construction

avoid looking at someone

avoid getting sick

blame (verb): to hold responsible; find fault with

blame

choke up (verb phrase): to become or cause to become speechless, as

from the effect of emotion or stress: She choked up over the

sadness of the tale.

choke up: to become too tense or nervous to perform well: Our team began to choke up in the last inning.

choke up

Controversial (adjective): of or pertaining to a prolonged public

argument, debate, or contention;

a controversial booka controversial decision

Controversial topics

abortiondrug usage

depression (noun): The condition of feeling sad or despondent.

After having a baby, some women are in a state of depression.When he was unemployed, he went through a time of depression.

devastated (verb): destroyed; ruined; overwhelmed

The city was devastated by the earthquake.

The earthquake devastated the city.

donor (noun): a person who gives or donates

On my driver’s license, I’m listed as an organ donor.

The rich man was a donor for the college.

enhance (verb): improve; make to look better

The lighting enhanced her beauty.

When in trouble, they could enhance the chances of their rescue by making noise.

fail (verb): to fall short of success or achievement in something

Did you fail your exam?

He didn’t want the experiment to fail because of poor planning.

hereditary (adjective): passing, or capable of passing, naturally from

parent to offspring through the genes: Blue eyes are hereditary in

our family.

instruction (noun): knowledge or information; the act of teaching

The instruction was completed online.

His mother gave him the instruction that he needed in life.

recover (verb): to regain one’s strength or health after being sick

He never did recover from his heart attack.

Did you recover from your cold?

slogan (noun): a distinctive phrase, or motto of any party, group,

manufacturer, or person; catchword or catch phrase.

sober (adjective): not intoxicated or drunk; quiet or marked by

seriousness

How long has he been sober?

It was a sober occasion.

tolerance (noun): the power of enduring or resisting the action of a drug, poison, etc.: a tolerance to

antibiotics

tough (adjective): strong and durable; not easily broken or cut;

difficult

She is a tough teacher.

He was going through a tough time.

withdrawal (noun): the act or process of ceasing to use an

addictive drug

She stopped drinking anything with caffeine in it and now she is suffering from withdrawal.

genetic disposition (noun pair): a tendency either physical or mental toward certain diseases based on information that is passed from

parents to offspring

He had a genetic disposition to alcoholism.

trauma (noun): an experience that produces psychological injury or

pain; a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical

injury, as from violence or accident

Most mental conditions can be traced back to some trauma.

shame (noun): the painful feeling of doing something dishonorable, disgraceful, improper, or ridiculous. She was overcome with shame.