Parenting Challenges Vocabulary

adjective feeling embarrassed or guilty because of one's actions, characteristics, or associations

• She felt ashamed of her actions and apologized to her colleagues.
• I'm so ashamed that I forgot my friend's birthday.
• I was totally ashamed of my outfit at the party last night.
• The old building stood there, ashamed of its crumbling facade.

noun a person or thing that causes annoyance or trouble

verb to cause annoyance or trouble to someone

• I apologize if my presence here is a bother to you.
• I don't want to bother you, but could you help me with this?
• I don't want to be a bother, but can I crash at your place tonight?
• The noise from the construction site was a constant bother to the residents.

verb to cause someone to feel troubled, worried, or concerned

adjective feeling troubled, worried, or concerned

• She was not at all bothered by the criticism of her work.
• I really can't be bothered to deal with all this drama right now.
• I'm too lazy to be bothered with that nonsense.
• The noise bothered him like a buzzing fly in his ear.

noun a method or strategy for dealing with a difficult situation

verb to deal effectively with something difficult

• Employees are trained on how to cope with stress in the workplace.
• I don't know how to cope with my noisy neighbors anymore.
• I'm just trying to cope with this crazy situation.
• She uses humor to cope with difficult situations.

verb to take revenge or retaliate against someone

preposition used to indicate the target of the revenge or retaliation

• She decided to get back at her coworker by reporting their unethical behavior to HR.
• I'm going to get back at my brother by hiding his phone.
• I'll get back at that jerk by spreading rumors about him.
• The storm will get back at us for not preparing properly.

noun the act of keeping several objects in motion in the air at the same time by repeatedly throwing and catching them

verb to continuously toss and catch objects in the air, typically for entertainment or skill demonstration

• She had to juggle multiple tasks to meet the project deadline.
• I don't know how he manages to juggle work, school, and a social life.
• I can't believe she's able to juggle all those responsibilities like a boss.
• Trying to juggle too many things at once can lead to burnout.

noun the final irritation or problem that makes someone lose their patience or temper

• The constant lateness of the employee was the last straw for the manager.
• I can't believe she ate my leftovers again, that was the last straw!
• When he cheated on her, that was the last straw in their relationship.
• The company's decision to cut benefits was the last straw for many employees.

verb messed - to make something dirty or untidy; up - to spoil or ruin something

adjective messed up - meaning something that is in a state of confusion, disorder, or disarray

• The project timeline was completely messed up due to unexpected delays.
• I really messed up my presentation at work today.
• I can't believe I messed up my chances with that girl.
• His life was a series of messed up decisions that led him down a dark path.

noun a situation or behavior that is out of control

adverb in a way that is out of control or excessive

• The situation at the meeting quickly spiraled out of hand.
• The party got out of hand last night.
• Things got totally out of hand at the concert.
• The rumors about him have gotten completely out of hand.

verb to sleep longer than intended or necessary

• I apologize for my tardiness, as I overslept this morning.
• I totally overslept and missed my morning meeting.
• I always oversleep on weekends because I stay up late.
• Don't oversleep on this opportunity, make sure to seize it while you can.

verb to give someone too much of something, such as work or information, making them feel unable to deal with it

• The sheer volume of data can overwhelm even the most experienced analysts.
• I feel like my to-do list is starting to overwhelm me.
• I was totally overwhelmed by the surprise party they threw for me.
• Her emotions threatened to overwhelm her as she watched the sunset.

verb to annoy or irritate persistently

adjective annoyed or irritated persistently

• The customer pestered the sales representative with multiple phone calls.
• Stop pestering me with your constant questions!
• My little brother always pesters me to play video games with him.
• Negative thoughts pestered her mind all day long.

adjective causing or characterized by stress or anxiety

• The high-pressure job can be quite stressful at times.
• I find dealing with traffic to be really stressful.
• This situation is hella stressful, man.
• The weight of the world on his shoulders was a stressful burden to bear.

adjective bad-tempered and unfriendly; sullen and rude in manner

• The surly customer refused to speak to the manager.
• Why is he always so surly in the mornings?
• Don't be so surly, dude. Chill out.
• The storm clouds gathered, casting a surly shadow over the town.

verb to provoke or challenge someone with insulting or mocking remarks or actions

• The act of taunting someone is considered disrespectful and unprofessional.
• Stop taunting your little brother, it's not nice.
• She was taunting him with jokes about his haircut.
• The dark clouds taunted the farmers with the promise of rain but never delivered.

adjective easily irritated or annoyed

• The professor was known to be tetchy when students interrupted his lectures.
• Don't be so tetchy, I was just asking a question.
• She's always so tetchy in the mornings before she's had her coffee.
• The atmosphere in the office was tetchy, with everyone on edge waiting for the boss's decision.

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun, in this case, 'unappreciative' describes someone who does not show gratitude or recognition

• She was unappreciative of the effort her team put into the project.
• He's so unappreciative of everything I do for him.
• My friend can be really unappreciative sometimes, it's annoying.
• The unappreciative soil refused to yield any crops despite the farmer's hard work.

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun, in this case, 'unhappy' describes a feeling or state of being

• The client was unhappy with the service provided by the company.
• She's been feeling pretty unhappy lately.
• I'm so bummed out, I feel really unhappy.
• The dark clouds looming overhead mirrored her unhappy mood.

noun a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action or a state of being

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

article a word that is used to specify a noun

• It is not healthy to constantly carry the weight of the world on your shoulders.
• Hey, don't always feel like you have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders.
• Dude, you don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders all the time.
• Sometimes it feels like I have to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders with all the responsibilities I have.

noun a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances

verb to experience mental or emotional strain or tension

• It is important not to stress out over minor setbacks in your career.
• Don't stress out about the party, everything will be fine.
• I'm trying not to stress out about the exam, but it's hard.
• She tends to stress out over things that are out of her control.