The Pursuit of Happyness:
Blown away /?bl?n ?-?w?/ (verb): to impress very strongly and usually favorably.
Ex: I was blown away by the tone and the quality of the story.
Brokerage /?br??k(?)r?d?/ (noun): The business of acting as a broker.
Ex: A phone outage can mean millions of dollars’ worth of lost business for the largest brokerage firm in the United States.
Commercial /k??m???(?)l/ (adj): Concerned with or engaged in commerce.
Ex: In the meantime, they and the proposed mobile providers would be engaged in commercial negotiations on rates.
Commonality /k?m??nal?ti/ (noun): The state of sharing features or attributes.
Ex: the explanations show a high degree of commonality in their reasoning.
Considering /k?n?s?d(?)r??/ (adv): Taking everything into account.
Ex: they weren’t feeling too bad, considering.
Cylindrical, ladder /s??l?ndr?k(?)l/ (adj): Having straight parallel sides and a circular or oval cross-section; in the shape or form of a cylinder, /?lad?/ (noun): A piece of equipment consisting of a series of bars or steps between two upright lengths of wood, metal, or rope, used for climbing up or down something.
Ex: Gabe paced as Tamer climbed a cylindrical ladder to tablets stacked at the top of one limestone shelf.
Density /?d?ns?ti/ (noun): The degree of compactness of a substance.
Ex: a reduction in bone density.
Diligent /?d?l?d?(?)nt/ (adj): Having or showing care and conscientiousness in one’s work or duties.
Ex: after diligent searching, he found a parcel.
Divest /d???v?st/ (verb): Deprive someone of (power, rights, or possessions).
Ex: men are unlikely to be divested of power without a struggle.
Drag (sth / sm) down /dra? a?t/ (verb): Bring someone or something to a lower level or standard.
Ex: the economy will be dragged down by inefficient firms.
Earnestness /???n?s(t)n?s/ (noun): Sincere and intense conviction.
Ex: he tells his story with intense earnestness.
Establish /??stabl??/ (verb): Set up on a firm or permanent basis.
Ex: the scheme was established in 1975.
Exceed /?k?si?d/ (verb): Be greater in number or size than (a quantity, number, or other measurable thing).
Ex: production costs have exceeded ?60,000.
Superior /su??p??r??/ (adj): Higher in rank, status, or quality.
Ex: the new model is superior to every other car on the road.
Firm /f??m/ (noun): A business concern, especially one involving a partnership of two or more people.
Ex: state support for small firms.
Take for granted /te?k f?? ??r??nt?d/ (phrase): Fail to properly appreciate (someone or something), especially as a result of overfamiliarity.
Ex: the comforts that people take for granted.
Gimme /???mi/ (noun): A thing that is very easy to perform or obtain, especially in a game or sport.
Ex: the kick would hardly be a gimme in that wind.
Hippy /?h?pi/ (noun): a person of unconventional appearance, typically having long hair, associated with a subculture involving a rejection of conventional values and the taking of hallucinogenic drugs.
Ex: hippies and spiritual seekers made their way to India in the sixties in search of enlightenment.
Minority /m???n?r?ti/ (noun): The smaller number or part, especially a number or part representing less than half of the whole.
Ex: those who acknowledge his influence are in the minority.
Navy /?ne?vi/ (noun): The branch of the armed services of a state which conducts military operations at sea.
Ex: He dropped out of a New Jersey university in his third year to join the US navy.
Pension /?p?n?(?)n/ (noun): A regular payment made by the state to people of or above the official retirement age and to some widows and disabled people.
Ex: men can draw a pension from the age of sixty-five.
Perspective /p??sp?kt?v/ (noun): The appearance of viewed objects with regard to their relative position, distance from the viewer, etc.
Ex: a trick of perspective.
Piece of work /pi?s ?v w??k/ (phrase): A person of a specified kind, especially an unpleasant one.
Ex: Time will tell if I’m right or not but I reckon he’s a very nasty piece of work.
Pursuit /p??sju?t/ (noun): The action of pursuing someone or something.
Ex: those whose business is the pursuit of knowledge.
Riddance /?r?d(?)ns/ (noun): The action of getting rid of a troublesome or unwanted person or thing.
Ex: the new movement emphasized discipline, not riddance or punishment as a method of solving the criminal problem.
Seminar /?s?m?n??/ (noun): A conference or other meeting for discussion or training.
Ex: This facility is also used to host bespoke training programmes and seminars.
Sensation /s?n?se??(?)n/ (noun): A physical feeling or perception resulting from something that happens to or comes into contact with the body.
Ex: a burning sensation in the middle of the chest.
Stake /ste?k/ (noun): A share or interest in a business, situation, or system.
Ex: The key is Rupert’s 30 per cent stake in the voting shares – 307.8 million out of 1.05 billion.
Stand out /stand a?t/ (phrasal verb): Be clearly better or more significant than someone or something.
Ex: four issues stand out as being of crucial importance.
Underrated /?nd??re?t/ (verb): Underestimate the extent, value, or importance of (someone or something).
Ex: It is probably one of the most underrated movies of all time.