A definition is only the beginning
A translation can help you recognise a word, but it rarely tells you what sounds natural around it. Context shows tone, grammar and the situations in which a speaker would actually choose that word.
Compare learning only “reluctant: unwilling” with learning “reluctant to agree” inside a sentence. The second memory contains a pattern you can reuse.
Examples give memory something to hold
Concrete sentences create relationships between a new word and ideas you already understand. Personal examples are especially memorable because they connect the word to your own experience.
After reading an example, change one detail to make it true for you. This takes only a few seconds and turns passive reading into production.
Build small word networks
Connect each word with a collocation, an opposite or a closely related form. Keep the network small and useful; collecting every possible synonym can create more confusion than clarity.
Review the whole phrase, then practise recognising the word in a different sentence. That balance helps you remember a natural pattern without becoming dependent on one example.