English Listening Practice: A Heartfelt Letter of Gratitude to Mom

verb

1. enter or assume a certain state or condition

e.g. He became annoyed when he heard the bad news
It must be getting more serious
her face went red with anger
She went into ecstasy
Get going!

Synonym: goget

2. come into existence

e.g. What becomes has duration

3. undergo a change or development

e.g. The water turned into ice
Her former friend became her worst enemy
He turned traitor

Synonym: turn

4. enhance the appearance of

e.g. Mourning becomes Electra
This behavior doesn't suit you!

Synonym: suit

adj

1. feeling or showing gratitude

e.g. a grateful heart
grateful for the tree's shade
a thankful smile

Synonym: thankful

2. affording comfort or pleasure

e.g. the grateful warmth of the fire

noun

1. a playing card in the major suit that has one or more red hearts on it

e.g. he led the queen of hearts
hearts were trumps

2. an inclination or tendency of a certain kind

e.g. he had a change of heart

Synonym: spirit

3. the courage to carry on

e.g. he kept fighting on pure spunk
you haven't got the heart for baseball

Synonym: mettlenervespunk

4. the hollow muscular organ located behind the sternum and between the lungs
its rhythmic contractions move the blood through the body

e.g. he stood still, his heart thumping wildly

Synonym: pumpticker

5. the locus of feelings and intuitions

e.g. in your heart you know it is true
her story would melt your bosom

Synonym: bosom

6. the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience

e.g. the gist of the prosecutor's argument
the heart and soul of the Republican Party
the nub of the story

Synonym: kernelsubstancecorecentercentreessencegistheart and soulinwardnessmarrowmeatnubpithsumnitty-gritty

7. a positive feeling of liking

e.g. he had trouble expressing the affection he felt
the child won everyone's heart
the warmness of his welcome made us feel right at home

Synonym: affectionaffectionatenessfondnesstendernesswarmnesswarmheartednessphilia

8. a firm rather dry variety meat (usually beef or veal)

e.g. a five-pound beef heart will serve six

9. an area that is approximately central within some larger region

e.g. it is in the center of town
they ran forward into the heart of the struggle
they were in the eye of the storm

Synonym: centercentremiddleeye

10. a plane figure with rounded sides curving inward at the top and intersecting at the bottom
conventionally used on playing cards and valentines

e.g. he drew a heart and called it a valentine

adv

1. written formula for ending a letter

Synonym: sincerely yours

2. with sincerity
without pretense

e.g. she praised him sincerely for his victory
was unfeignedly glad to see his old teacher
we are truly sorry for the inconvenience

Synonym: unfeignedlytruly