affluent /ˈæfluːənt/ Adjective 

if someone is affluent, they have a lot of money and are able to live comfortably. If a district is affluent, it has expensive houses and shops that sell good quality items, and the people who live there are quite rich 

Collocates: an affluent suburb/neighbourhood/area | an affluent lifestyle | an affluent family 

an affluent district in the west of the city | most towns have private schools for the children of affluent families | Egremont developed as an affluent residential area in the early 19th century | she had a well-paid job and enjoyed an affluent lifestyle 

Noun: affluence 

her climb out of poverty to greater affluence | the family lived in relative affluence 

chaotic /keɪˈɒtɪk/Adjective 

a chaotic situation is one in which lots of things are happening at the same time and in a very confused and disorganised way 

the city is busy, chaotic, and noisy | it gets very chaotic in the shop during the weeks before Christmas | conditions at the airport were chaotic, with travellers sleeping on the floor for a second night | it was difficult to stay calm in such a chaotic situation 

Adverb: chaotically | Noun: chaos 

Collocates: in chaos | chaos reigns 

the station was chaotically busy on Friday evening | the house was chaotically full of books | snow caused chaos on the roads last night | chaos reigned as the banks all stopped lending money | the meeting ended in chaos | the defeat of the government led to a period of political chaos 

compact /ˈkɒmpækt/ Adjective 

if something is compact, it is small and does not take up much space 

the flat is nice and compact, so it’s easy to keep clean | a compact car | the college occupies a relatively compact campus | PDF files are very compact, so they download quickly 

 congested /kənˈdʒestɪd/ Adjective 

roads that are congested have a lot of traffic on them, so everybody moves very slowly 

the M25 around Heathrow is always congested | the congested streets of Bangkok | Oxford’s roads are congested, polluted and dangerous | plan your journey in advance to avoid congested areas 

Noun: congestion 

Collocates: ease congestion | avoid congestion | traffic congestion | heavy congestion 

the government brought in controls on car use to try and ease congestion | traffic congestion is a serious problem here 

 run-down /ˌrʌn ˈdaʊn/Adjective 

if a place is run-down, it is in a bad condition because no one has been looking after it for a while 

the city centre seems very run-down | it’s a bit more run-down where I live, but at least it’s more lively | a run-down restaurant near the station | the house was very run-down when we bought it, but we’ve transformed it over the last two years 

secure /sɪˈkjʊə(r)/ Adjective 

something that is secure is safe and is not going to change or be taken away from you. If you feel secure, you are not worried and do not think that anything bad is going to happen 

a child should always feel safe and secure in the home | her financial position was relatively secure | the hotel offers secure parking (a car park that is protected from thieves) 

Noun: security | Adverb: securely || Opposites – Adjective: insecure | Noun: insecurity 

the company takes the security of its computer system very seriously | the jewellery was kept securely at the bank | the front door was securely locked | as a child, he had always felt insecure when he was away from home | their feeling of insecurity increased when the lights all went out 

spotless /ˈspɒtləs/ Adjective 

something that is spotless is very clean 

the hotel room was absolutely spotless | the streets are spotless, but it’s also very dull there | he was wearing a spotless white suit 

Adverb: spotlessly 

Collocates: spotlessly clean 

her shirt was old but spotlessly clean | a spotlessly white handkerchief 

 sprawling /ˈsprɔːlɪŋ/ Adjective 

a sprawling place or building spreads out over a large area in an untidy or uncontrolled way 

the sprawling suburbs of the capital city | the sprawling Cairo district of Nasr City | Tokyo is exciting because it is a sprawling urban environment to explore | it was a sprawling , four-storey hotel that could house 2,000 guests | the college moved to a sprawling campus on the outskirts of Chennai 

Noun: sprawl | Verb: sprawl 

Collocates: urban sprawl 

the city has seen population growth and considerable urban sprawl | the city sprawls out over 43 square miles | there is a definite tourist area which sprawls along the coast 

vibrant /ˈvaɪbrənt/ Adjective 

a vibrant place is one where lots of exciting and interesting things are always happening. People who are vibrant have a lot of energy and are always doing interesting things 

Collocates: vibrant nightlife | a vibrant city 

a lively city with a vibrant nightlife | Brazil’s most culturally vibrant city | a young, vibrant and dynamic company | we promote strong families and vibrant communities here | the children ran around all afternoon, vibrant and full of life 

well-run /ˌwel ˈrʌn/ Adjective 

something that is well-run is properly organised 

we stayed in a very well-run hotel in the city centre | the school had been very well run until a couple of years ago | a well-run factory that provides jobs for local people 

Please, rewrite these sentences, using extreme adjectives and adverbs.

1 It’s a big city.

2 They’re doing a lot of building work.

3 The city’s a bit run-down.

4 It’s not very expensive there.

5 Some parts of the city are quite dangerous.

6 It’s quite interesting.

Possible answers

1 It’s an enourmous city.

2 They’re doing an incredible amount of building work.

3 The city’s devastated.

4 It’s ridiculously cheap there.

5 Some parts of the city are unbearably dangerous.

6 It’s extremely interesting.