Chapter: Unit Three: Dreams
📚 Vocabulary
ENGLISH FOR TODAY Classes XI-XII & Alim
⭐ Most Important Exam Words
dreamnightmareempiricalvividvaguebafflingunravelmotivationrepressedmaterializesegregationdiscriminationoppressionviciousexaltedsymphonydiscordbrotherhood
📃 Word Formation Rules
► dream + er = dreamer: a person who dreams
► night + mare = nightmare: a frightening dream
► imagine + ation = imagination: the power of imagining
► real + ity = reality: the state of being real
► frighten + ing = frightening: causing fear
► motivate + ion = motivation: the reason or force for action
► conscious + ness = consciousness: the state of being aware
► repress + ed = repressed: held back or suppressed
► stimulus, singular; stimuli, plural
► psycho + therapy = psychotherapy: treatment of mental problems
► segregate + ion = segregation: the act of separating groups
► discriminate + ion = discrimination: unfair treatment
► oppress + ion = oppression: cruel or unjust control
► brother + hood = brotherhood: the state of being brothers or united
1. Unit Three: Dreams - Lesson 1: What Is a Dream? (8 words)
dream[/driːm/]nouneasy
Meaning: স্বপ্ন
Alt: আকাঙ্ক্ষা বা জীবনের লক্ষ্য
Example: Her dream is to become a doctor.
Syn: vision, aspirationAnt: reality, disbelief
💡 Exam tip: Dream can be a sleeping vision or a cherished ambition.
nightmare[/ˈnaɪtmeə(r)/]nouneasy
Meaning: দুঃস্বপ্ন
Alt: ভয়াবহ অভিজ্ঞতা
Example: The frightening dream turned into a nightmare.
Syn: bad dream, horrorAnt: pleasant dream, delight
💡 Exam tip: Nightmare means an extremely bad or frightening dream.
imagination[/ɪˌmædʒɪˈneɪʃən/]nounmedium
Meaning: কল্পনাশক্তি
Alt: মনের সৃষ্ট ছবি বা ধারণা
Example: Imagination helps writers create new worlds.
Syn: fantasy, creativityAnt: reality, fact
💡 Exam tip: The adjective form is imaginative.
reality[/riˈæləti/]nouneasy
Meaning: বাস্তবতা
Alt: বাস্তব অবস্থা
Example: A dream becomes meaningful when it faces reality.
Syn: truth, actualityAnt: illusion, fantasy
💡 Exam tip: Reality is often contrasted with dream or illusion.
pleasant[/ˈplezənt/]adjeasy
Meaning: আনন্দদায়ক
Alt: মনোরম
Example: She had a pleasant dream about her future.
Syn: enjoyable, agreeableAnt: unpleasant, distressing
💡 Exam tip: Pleasant describes something that gives pleasure.
haunting[/ˈhɔːntɪŋ/]adjhard
Meaning: মনে গভীর ছাপ ফেলে এমন
Alt: ভীতিকরভাবে মনে ফিরে আসে এমন
Example: The haunting memory appeared in his dreams.
Syn: disturbing, persistentAnt: comforting, forgettable
💡 Exam tip: Haunting may mean emotionally powerful or frightening.
fragment[/ˈfræɡmənt/]nounmedium
Meaning: খণ্ডাংশ
Alt: অসম্পূর্ণ অংশ
Example: He remembered only a few fragments of the dream.
Syn: piece, portionAnt: whole, entirety
💡 Exam tip: The verb form is fragment, meaning to break into pieces.
daydream[/ˈdeɪdriːm/]nounmedium
Meaning: জেগে জেগে স্বপ্ন দেখা
Alt: অবাস্তব কল্পনা
Example: His daydream was to travel around the world.
Syn: reverie, fantasyAnt: concentration, awareness
💡 Exam tip: A daydream occurs while a person is awake.
2. Unit Three: Dreams - Scientific Terms (8 words)
empirical[/ɪmˈpɪrɪkəl/]adjhard
Meaning: অভিজ্ঞতালব্ধ
Alt: পর্যবেক্ষণ বা পরীক্ষার ভিত্তিতে প্রতিষ্ঠিত
Example: The theory needs empirical evidence.
Syn: experimental, observationalAnt: theoretical, speculative
💡 Exam tip: Empirical evidence comes from observation or experiment.
vivid[/ˈvɪvɪd/]adjmedium
Meaning: জীবন্ত ও স্পষ্ট
Alt: উজ্জ্বল বা তীব্র
Example: She had a vivid memory of the dream.
Syn: clear, brightAnt: dull, vague
💡 Exam tip: Vivid is commonly used with memory, imagination, and description.
vague[/veɪɡ/]adjmedium
Meaning: অস্পষ্ট
Alt: অনির্দিষ্ট
Example: He gave a vague description of his dream.
Syn: unclear, indefiniteAnt: clear, definite
💡 Exam tip: Vague is the opposite of precise or specific.
frightening[/ˈfraɪtnɪŋ/]adjeasy
Meaning: ভীতিকর
Alt: আতঙ্ক সৃষ্টিকারী
Example: The frightening image woke the child up.
Syn: scary, terrifyingAnt: pleasant, reassuring
💡 Exam tip: Frightening describes a thing; frightened describes a person.
baffling[/ˈbæflɪŋ/]adjhard
Meaning: বিভ্রান্তিকর
Alt: বোঝা কঠিন
Example: The purpose of dreams remains baffling to scientists.
Syn: puzzling, confusingAnt: clear, obvious
💡 Exam tip: Baffling means causing confusion or uncertainty.
unravel[/ʌnˈrævəl/]verbhard
Meaning: রহস্য উদ্ঘাটন করা
Alt: জট খুলে ফেলা
Example: Scientists are trying to unravel the mystery of dreams.
Syn: solve, decodeAnt: complicate, confuse
💡 Exam tip: Unravel is often followed by mystery, problem, or truth.
cognitive[/ˈkɒɡnətɪv/]adjhard
Meaning: জ্ঞানসংক্রান্ত
Alt: চিন্তা ও উপলব্ধির সঙ্গে সম্পর্কিত
Example: Dreaming may influence cognitive processes.
Syn: intellectual, mentalAnt: physical, emotional
💡 Exam tip: Cognition means the process of knowing and thinking.
stimulus[/ˈstɪmjələs/]nounhard
Meaning: উদ্দীপক
Alt: প্রতিক্রিয়া সৃষ্টি করে এমন বাহ্যিক প্রভাব
Example: A sound can act as a stimulus during sleep.
Syn: incentive, triggerAnt: deterrent, inhibition
💡 Exam tip: The plural form of stimulus is stimuli.
3. Unit Three: Dreams - Psychological Concepts (8 words)
psychoanalytic[/ˌsaɪkəʊˌænəˈlɪtɪk/]adjhard
Meaning: মনোবিশ্লেষণমূলক
Alt: অবচেতন মন বিশ্লেষণ-সম্পর্কিত
Example: Freud proposed a psychoanalytic theory of dreams.
Syn: Freudian, psychologicalAnt: physical, biological
💡 Exam tip: Psychoanalytic is related to psychoanalysis and the unconscious mind.
perspective[/pəˈspektɪv/]nounmedium
Meaning: দৃষ্টিভঙ্গি
Alt: কোনো বিষয় দেখার পদ্ধতি
Example: The article presents several perspectives on dreams.
Syn: viewpoint, outlookAnt: ignorance, misunderstanding
💡 Exam tip: Perspective is commonly used with from or on.
motivation[/ˌməʊtɪˈveɪʃən/]nounmedium
Meaning: প্রেরণা
Alt: কাজ করার উদ্দীপনা
Example: His dream gave him the motivation to work hard.
Syn: inspiration, incentiveAnt: discouragement, apathy
💡 Exam tip: The verb is motivate and the adjective is motivated.
awareness[/əˈweənəs/]nounmedium
Meaning: সচেতনতা
Alt: কোনো বিষয় সম্পর্কে জ্ঞান
Example: The campaign created awareness of social injustice.
Syn: consciousness, knowledgeAnt: unawareness, ignorance
💡 Exam tip: Awareness is usually followed by of.
repressed[/rɪˈprest/]adjhard
Meaning: দমিত
Alt: চেতন মন থেকে অবদমিত
Example: Freud believed that repressed wishes appear in dreams.
Syn: suppressed, restrainedAnt: expressed, released
💡 Exam tip: Repressed comes from the verb repress, meaning to hold back.
subconscious[/ˌsʌbˈkɒnʃəs/]adjhard
Meaning: অবচেতন
Alt: চেতনার নিচে থাকা মানসিক অংশ
Example: Dreams may reveal our subconscious desires.
Syn: unconscious, latentAnt: conscious, aware
💡 Exam tip: Subconscious is a key term in Freud's theory of dreams.
incorporate[/ɪnˈkɔːpəreɪt/]verbhard
Meaning: অন্তর্ভুক্ত করা
Alt: একীভূত করা
Example: The brain may incorporate external sounds into dreams.
Syn: include, integrateAnt: exclude, remove
💡 Exam tip: Incorporate means to include something as part of a whole.
psychotherapy[/ˌsaɪkəʊˈθerəpi/]nounhard
Meaning: মনোচিকিৎসা
Alt: কথোপকথনের মাধ্যমে মানসিক চিকিৎসা
Example: Some researchers compare dreaming with psychotherapy.
Syn: counselling, talk therapyAnt: neglect, distress
💡 Exam tip: Psychotherapy is treatment for mental or emotional problems.
4. Unit Three: Dreams - Dream Poems (8 words)
recess[/rɪˈses/]nounhard
Meaning: গভীর অন্তঃস্থল
Alt: লুকানো বা দূরবর্তী অংশ
Example: The memory remained in the dusty recesses of his mind.
Syn: depth, cornerAnt: surface, centre
💡 Exam tip: In the poem, recesses of the mind means the deepest parts of the mind.
dusty[/ˈdʌsti/]adjeasy
Meaning: ধুলোময়
Alt: দীর্ঘদিন অব্যবহৃত
Example: Old memories lay in the dusty recesses of his mind.
Syn: dirty, neglectedAnt: clean, fresh
💡 Exam tip: Dusty is formed from dust by adding the suffix -y.
vanity[/ˈvænəti/]nounhard
Meaning: অসারতা
Alt: অহংকার
Example: He woke up and realized that his dream was vanity.
Syn: futility, emptinessAnt: value, reality
💡 Exam tip: In Lawrence's poem, vanity means something unreal or futile.
equally[/ˈiːkwəli/]adveasy
Meaning: সমানভাবে
Alt: একই মাত্রায়
Example: All people dream, but not equally.
Syn: uniformly, similarlyAnt: unequally, differently
💡 Exam tip: Equally is the adverb form of equal.
dangerous[/ˈdeɪndʒərəs/]adjeasy
Meaning: বিপজ্জনক
Alt: ঝুঁকিপূর্ণ বা শক্তিশালী
Example: Daydreamers can be dangerous because they may change society.
Syn: risky, hazardousAnt: safe, harmless
💡 Exam tip: Lawrence calls daydreamers dangerous because they make dreams come true.
materialize[/məˈtɪəriəlaɪz/]verbhard
Meaning: বাস্তবে রূপ দেওয়া
Alt: বাস্তবে পরিণত হওয়া
Example: Hard work can materialize a noble dream.
Syn: realize, achieveAnt: fail, disappear
💡 Exam tip: Make a dream come true and materialize a dream have similar meanings.
barren[/ˈbærən/]adjmedium
Meaning: অনুর্বর
Alt: শূন্য বা ফলপ্রসূ নয় এমন
Example: Without dreams, life becomes a barren field.
Syn: unproductive, emptyAnt: fertile, productive
💡 Exam tip: Hughes uses barren metaphorically to describe a hopeless life.
hold fast[/həʊld fɑːst/]verbmedium
Meaning: দৃঢ়ভাবে আঁকড়ে ধরা
Alt: অটল থাকা
Example: We must hold fast to our dreams.
Syn: cling to, persevereAnt: abandon, give up
💡 Exam tip: Hold fast to means not to abandon or lose something.
5. Unit Three: Dreams - I Have a Dream Speech (8 words)
segregation[/ˌseɡrɪˈɡeɪʃən/]nounhard
Meaning: বিচ্ছিন্নকরণ
Alt: জাতিগত পৃথকীকরণ
Example: King fought against racial segregation.
Syn: separation, apartheidAnt: integration, unity
💡 Exam tip: Segregation means the enforced separation of groups.
discrimination[/dɪˌskrɪmɪˈneɪʃən/]nounmedium
Meaning: বৈষম্য
Alt: অন্যায়ভাবে পৃথক আচরণ
Example: The movement demanded an end to racial discrimination.
Syn: prejudice, biasAnt: equality, fairness
💡 Exam tip: Discrimination is commonly used with racial, social, or gender.
manacle[/ˈmænəkl/]nounhard
Meaning: হাতকড়া
Alt: বন্ধন বা দাসত্বের প্রতীক
Example: The manacles of injustice must be broken.
Syn: shackle, chainAnt: freedom, liberation
💡 Exam tip: Manacle is often used metaphorically to mean oppression.
oppression[/əˈpreʃən/]nounmedium
Meaning: নিপীড়ন
Alt: অন্যায়ভাবে দমন
Example: The people struggled against oppression.
Syn: tyranny, persecutionAnt: freedom, justice
💡 Exam tip: Oppression is the cruel or unjust use of power.
exile[/ˈeksaɪl/]nounhard
Meaning: নির্বাসিত ব্যক্তি
Alt: নিজ দেশ বা স্থান থেকে বিচ্ছিন্ন অবস্থা
Example: The oppressed people felt like exiles in their own land.
Syn: outcast, banished personAnt: citizen, resident
💡 Exam tip: Exile can be both a noun and a verb.
vicious[/ˈvɪʃəs/]adjmedium
Meaning: নিষ্ঠুর
Alt: হিংস্র বা দুষ্ট
Example: The speech condemned vicious racists.
Syn: cruel, brutalAnt: kind, gentle
💡 Exam tip: Vicious means deliberately cruel or violent.
racist[/ˈreɪsɪst/]nounmedium
Meaning: বর্ণবাদী ব্যক্তি
Alt: বর্ণের ভিত্তিতে বৈষম্যকারী
Example: A racist judges people by their skin colour.
Syn: bigot, racialistAnt: egalitarian, humanist
💡 Exam tip: Racist can also function as an adjective.
exalted[/ɪɡˈzɔːltɪd/]adjhard
Meaning: উন্নীত
Alt: মর্যাদাপূর্ণ বা মহিমান্বিত
Example: The speech expressed an exalted vision of equality.
Syn: elevated, honouredAnt: lowered, degraded
💡 Exam tip: In the phrase every valley shall be exalted, it means raised or elevated.
6. Unit Three: Dreams - Social Justice and Freedom (8 words)
crooked[/ˈkrʊkɪd/]adjeasy
Meaning: বাঁকা
Alt: অসৎ বা অন্যায়
Example: The speech dreams of making crooked places straight.
Syn: bent, twistedAnt: straight, honest
💡 Exam tip: Crooked may describe a physical shape or dishonest behaviour.
jangling[/ˈdʒæŋɡəlɪŋ/]adjhard
Meaning: ঝনঝন শব্দময়
Alt: বেসুরো বা বিরোধপূর্ণ
Example: King hoped to transform the jangling discords into harmony.
Syn: rattling, discordantAnt: harmonious, melodious
💡 Exam tip: Jangling can refer to both a harsh sound and social conflict.
symphony[/ˈsɪmfəni/]nounmedium
Meaning: সিম্ফনি বা বাদ্যসংগীত
Alt: সুরেলা সমন্বয়
Example: He imagined a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.
Syn: harmony, compositionAnt: discord, noise
💡 Exam tip: In the speech, symphony is a metaphor for social unity.
discord[/ˈdɪskɔːd/]nounmedium
Meaning: বিরোধ
Alt: বেসুরোতা বা মতবিরোধ
Example: Social discord prevents national progress.
Syn: conflict, disagreementAnt: harmony, agreement
💡 Exam tip: Discord is the opposite of harmony.
prodigious[/prəˈdɪdʒəs/]adjhard
Meaning: বিশাল
Alt: অসাধারণ বা বিপুল
Example: The leader delivered his speech to a prodigious crowd.
Syn: enormous, immenseAnt: tiny, insignificant
💡 Exam tip: Prodigious emphasizes unusually great size, amount, or ability.
hamlet[/ˈhæmlət/]nounmedium
Meaning: ছোট গ্রাম
Alt: অতি ক্ষুদ্র জনবসতি
Example: The message of freedom reached every hamlet.
Syn: village, settlementAnt: metropolis, city
💡 Exam tip: A hamlet is smaller than a village.
gentile[/ˈdʒentaɪl/]nounhard
Meaning: অ-ইহুদি ব্যক্তি
Alt: ইহুদি ধর্মাবলম্বী নয় এমন ব্যক্তি
Example: The speech calls Jews and gentiles to live together peacefully.
Syn: non-Jew, outsiderAnt: Jew, Israelite
💡 Exam tip: Gentile specifically means a person who is not Jewish.
brotherhood[/ˈbrʌðəhʊd/]nounmedium
Meaning: ভ্রাতৃত্ব
Alt: ঐক্য ও পারস্পরিক সৌহার্দ্য
Example: The dream was based on equality and brotherhood.
Syn: fellowship, unityAnt: hostility, division
💡 Exam tip: Brotherhood symbolizes peaceful relations among all people.
💡 Exam Tips
• Learn the contrast between sleeping dreams, daydreams, and purposeful dreams.
• Remember that vivid means clear and lively, while vague means unclear.
• Use empirical with evidence, psychoanalytic with theory, and cognitive with processes or abilities.
• In poem-based questions, hold fast to dreams means remain firmly committed to one's aims.
• Make something come true and materialize a dream are near-synonymous expressions.
• Segregation, discrimination, oppression, and racism are central vocabulary items in the speech.
• In the speech, symphony represents harmony and brotherhood represents social unity.
• For synonym-antonym questions, study paired opposites such as reality-illusion, barren-fertile, and discord-harmony.
• Pay attention to parts of speech: equally is an adverb, vanity is a noun, and winged is an adjective.
• Use context carefully because some words have literal and metaphorical meanings, such as manacle, crooked, and barren.