- If you would like to
sound smarter and be smarter then this lesson is for you,
because I'm going to tell you ten nouns to help you do just that. - Welcome to today's lesson,
which is a vocabulary lesson. Many of you out there have
said you would like to learn more advanced vocabulary words and that's what these ten nouns are. They're not only gonna
help you sound smarter, but they're going to help
you more accurately express your thoughts, opinions, and ideas. They also happen to be
ten of my favorite nouns. So, as I go over these
nouns, I'm gonna give you the pronunciation, tell
you the meaning, as well as talk to you about how
they're used in context. So, let's just get this show on the road. The first noun is this one, right here: "quid pro quo," and it is three words, each word is only one
syllable, and if you're saying it together, the stress is
kinda on that first word and that last word. Quid pro quo. And what this means is, it
is something that is given, or even taken in return
for something else. So it's kind of like you're
doing a favor for someone in exchange for something
else, and that would be considered quid pro quo. Often, we hear this when
talking about politics. Somebody gives a politician
money, and then that politician does something in return
for them, and they would refer to it as quid pro quo. - Quid pro quo, Mr. Powers. - I need some quid pro quo from you. - Quid pro quo. I tell you things, you tell me things. - Maybe you're negotiating
with somebody, and you're like "you know, I'm gonna need
a little quid pro quo, if I do whatever favor it is for you." If you want us to donate to your campaign, we'll need some quid pro quo. The next noun, which is one of
my favorites, is "catch-22." This is two words, it's a compound noun. The word catch is just one syllable, and then 22 is three syllables, and the stress is on that final syllable. Catch-22. The word comes from a famous
book by Joseph Heller, which is titled "Catch-22,"
and the meaning of a catch-22, see if you can follow
me, is, it is, a problem that cannot be solved because
the solution to the problem is inherent in the problem itself. Now, you may be thinking "what the heck are you talking about?" And it's often referred to
situations where, again, you can't solve the problem, because the solution is within the problem itself, and it's just like this circular loop. So, this is a great noun to
describe this type of situation, and, again, it's just like
a stand-alone statement. - And when you are tough, they resent you, and when you are cool,
they walk all over you. - Catch-22. - There's no unspoken thing. - Well, it's a catch-22, because if you said then it would be spoken. - Part of their parole is that they're required to have a job. The catch-22 of it is not that many people are that excited to hire a felon. - We don't really use this
noun with any adjectives, it's just really that
stand-alone statement, and you would describe something, and say it's a catch-22. Next is "epitome," and this
noun has four syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable. Epitome. This is a word that, when you see it, many times people may
mispronounce it because the third syllable has that schwa, and the last syllable is that long e. Epitome. Epitome. And what it means is a
person or thing that is typical of a class or a group as a whole. Something that possesses,
to the highest degree, what this whole group is all about. And, therefore, we say that something is the epitome of something else. Kind of giving an example,
saying that this thing best represents this whole group. It's the epitome of something. Interactive English is the epitome of English-teaching excellence. And if you agree with that statement, then go ahead and hit that
like button down below. It's kind of like a quid pro quo, I teach you new nouns,
you hit that like button, it's a fair exchange. Another great noun is dichotomy. This word has four syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable. Dichotomy. And that third syllable has
that schwa, that uh sound. Dichotomy. What it means is the
division or contrast between two things that are represented as being opposed or entirely different. So, let me give you a couple
examples of a dichotomy. You could have science and religion. Two things that you can compare, and they're kind of opposed
to each other in some ways. Also, city life and country life. Completely different, but
we can still compare them. And, when using this noun, you say the two things that you're comparing. - Dichotomy of good and evil. - The tired dichotomy of jock, artist. - Often we use it with
the preposition between. You talk about the dichotomy
between two things. For example, we could say:
we're studying the dichotomy between economic development
and environmental protection. The next noun is "myriad." This word has three syllables, and the stress is on that first syllable. That "m" "y" "r" sounds like a "meer." Myriad. And a myriad is a very great, or, indefinitely great, number of things. Often is can be used as
a synonym for various. You talk about a myriad of something. There's a lot of variety, there's a great number of these things. There's a myriad. There is a myriad of trees in the forest. The next noun is "credence." This word has two syllables, and the stress is on that first syllable. Credence. And what it means is the belief as to the truth of something. That, you're kind of,
that there's a belief, and it's showing that that belief is true. - [Narrator] I never gave
these stories much credence. - He's a criminal and a terrorist, people aren't gonna give him credence. - And, though we give them
no credence at all, Larry. - And often you may find this
noun with the verb "give." Something gives a belief credence. It makes it seem a little more true. For example, the email
they discovered gave credence to his unethical behavior. Next is "malaise." This word has two syllables, and the stress is on that second syllable. Malaise. And this is not a great noun. The reason I say this is
because its meaning is a vague feeling of physical discomfort, or uneasiness as an
early sign of an illness. So, if somebody is just
starting to feel ill, then it's very possible that
they might experience malaise. I experiences bad headaches and malaise before deciding to go to the doctor. The next noun is "sycophant," and this noun has three syllables, and the stress is on that first syllable. The spelling may throw people
off to the pronunciation, but that "s" "y" "c" is
just pronounced "sic." Sycophant. And the meaning of a sycophant is a person that tries to gain attention by flattering wealthy
or influential people. So, this is not a good noun, you don't want somebody to
call you a sycophant, because it basically means you're sucking up to somebody
else for no real reason, it's pathetic, yeah, it's not good. Some sycophants in the media refuse to acknowledge the political corruption. Another great noun, which is
another one of my favorites, is a "dilettante," and this
word has three syllables, and there's kinda like a stress on that first and last syllable. Dilettante. The reason I say it's one
of my favorites is because I guess, you know, I could
be considered a dilettante. Many of us could be considered
dilettantes, because its meaning is a person
that cultivates and interest in something without really
learning in-depth information. And, I think this just happens
with people all the time. We become interested in a topic, and we learn a little bit about it, so that we can converse with our friends, and have discussions, but
we have difficulty really debating this topic with
facts and information, because we just don't know enough. - They will remain dilettantes in war, and tourists in Vietnam. - What's your point? - Your knowledge is a mile
wide and an inch deep. You know what that makes you? A dilettante. - But if somebody calls you a dilettante, then it's probably not in a good sense, because they're probably
referring to you saying that, "well, you're a person that
you think you know a lot, but you really don't." You wanna think she knows a
lot about health and nutrition, but she's really a dilettante. The next noun is "zenith." Has two syllables, and the
stress is on the first syllable. Zenith. And, when talking about the
zenith, you are talking about the top, the peak, the
highest point, or state, of something, or someone's condition. So, if you are at the
top, the highest point, then you are at the zenith. It basically implies that you're
not going to go any higher, so, it's like saying
you've reached the top, you're not gonna go any higher, and things are just going to
start going downhill from here. His athletic career
has reached its zenith. So, I hope some of these
nouns were new for you, and now that you've learned them, you can go out and practice using them, so that you can improve your
overall English fluency. But, if you really want to
improve your English fluency, I highly recommend you
check out our secret lesson. I've linked it in the description below. It's so secret, we're
gonna email it to you. If you enjoyed this lesson,
hit that like button. You know, that quid pro
quo we have going on? And, as always, thank
you so much for watching, and I'll see you next time.
