Essential word for the toefl

Essential Words for the TOEFL (7th edition)


 

What vocabulary is necessary to score high on the TOEFL?
Why is it especially important to have a strong vocabulary for the current TOEFL?
Why must I improve my vocabulary and how can I succeed?
How can I be a better TOEFL test taker?

Essential Words for the TOEFL answers these questions and provides you with a proven plan for improving your English vocabulary while also preparing you for the TOEFL. The words and practice questions that appear throughout this book will help you to maximize your understanding of words that will likely appear in every section of the TOEFL. Important information about how to maximize your score on the TOEFL is given in addition to vocabulary building hints and exercises. By following the program and mastering the words in this book, you will be ready to earn a higher score on the TOEFL.

This 7th edition of Essential Words for the TOEFL has an extensive, revised list of 500 words with improved exercises and updated reading selections. This edition makes Essential Words one of the most thoroughly researched books of its kind. It is the product of extensive study of previous TOEFLs and academic materials from which the questions on the TOEFL are produced. The result of this research is this powerful book of words that will lead you to success on the TOEFL.

Speak Business English Like An American covers over 350 idioms and expressions you’re likely to encounter in today’s business world. Familiarize yourself with all of them.

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The activities in «4000 Essential English Words» are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 6: 600 words (Unit 1 — Unit 30).

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The activities in «4000 Essential English Words» are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 5: 600 words (Unit 1 — Unit 30).

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The activities in «4000 Essential English Words» are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 4: 600 words (Unit 1 — Unit 30).

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The activities in «4000 Essential English Words» are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 3: 600 words (Unit 1 — Unit 30).

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The activities in «4000 Essential English Words» are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 2: 600 words (Unit 1 — Unit 30).

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The activities in «4000 Essential English Words» are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 1: 600 words (Unit 1 — Unit 30).

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400 Must-Have Words for the TOEFL® will help you improve your score on the TOEFL test. In particular, this book will build your TOEFL vocabulary for the new Internet-based TOEFL of 2005.

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If you already speak some English and now would like to speak more like a native, “Speak English Like an American” will help you. One of the keys to speaking like a native is the ability to use and understand casual expressions, or idioms. American English is full of idioms. Speak English Like an American will help you understand and use idioms better. It contains over 300 of today’s most common idioms.

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Whether you like it or not, the TOEFL will have some words and terminologies that you are not familiar with. But why do you need to prepare for it anyway? 

Here is why. As you study and enhance your vocabulary, these words gradually become part of your working language. Unconsciously, these words become part of your daily routines. They also aid you in gaining knowledge and concepts about other terminologies that are related and associated with them. THAT IS WHY. 

If you want to know and study the essential words for the TOEFL, we have gathered them here in this article so please continue reading. 

Essential Words for the TOEFL Test


What is TOEFL?

The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is a standardized test that non-native speakers take to determine their English language proficiency in order to enroll in English-speaking universities. It evaluates all four language skills in the same manner that IELTS and Duolingo English Test do: 

  • Reading
  • Listening
  • Speaking
  • Writing

Because it benefits candidates in each exam part, the TOEFL syllabus promotes sophisticated vocabulary.

The TOEFL is a collection of examinations, the most prominent of which are the TOEFL IBT and TOEFL Essentials. The TOEFL series also includes the TOEFL ITP (Institutional Testing Program), TOEFL Junior, and TOEFL Primary examinations

Other TOEFL forms can only be obtained through students’ schools. The TOEFL PBT (Paper Based Test or Paper-delivered Test) has been phased out in April 2021.


Why is Studying Vocabulary Important for the TOEFL Exam?

One of the most dreadful aspects of studying for the exam is developing your abilities regarding the essential words for the TOEFL, but it is also one of the most vital. 

Many TOEFL questions either ask you to define a word or require you to know the definition of a word to answer a question correctly. Which words do you need to know out of the millions in the English language?

Both understanding and output of language on the exam are dependent on vocabulary. You must comprehend a wide range of academic and everyday terms. On the test, you will also need a wide range of vocabulary that you can use fluently in your speaking and writing.

Additionally, many are concerned about how many essential words for the TOEFL they need to master. This is an excellent question to which there is no simple answer. 

Your TOEFL score rather than any set vocabulary word count determines the number of new words you need to learn. While vocabulary is crucial on the TOEFL, your exam success is primarily determined by two factors: vocabulary range and technique.


Understanding TOEFL: Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension Section

To do well on the TOEFL, you will need strong reading skills and an extensive vocabulary. This component of the TOEFL focuses on these abilities. 

Many TOEFL test-takers say that they do not have enough time to carefully answer all of the questions in this section. That is why you must follow the recommendations in this article to utilize the time you have given. 

The first questions will put your English vocabulary to the test. There are 30 academic sentences with a highlighted word in each. You must select the word from the four options with the same meaning.

Vocabulary

This portion of the TOEFL assesses your understanding of words and phrases that are regularly used in academic and non-academic contexts. Each word contains a sentence with one word or phrase underlined, which may or may not be taken from a published source.

Example:

The sense of smell receptors is positioned at the top of the nasal cavity.
  1. mouth
  2. division
  3. upper end
  4. inner edge

It is hard to convince young people to plan for their retirement years, which seems distant.

  1. fearful
  2. far away
  3. impossible
  4. observable

Reading Comprehension

This component of the TOEFL assesses your ability to read and comprehend brief paragraphs that secondary students who study English as a Foreign Language are most likely to come across. You will read a range of brief pieces on a number of academic topics. The test is followed by a sequence of material-related questions.

Example: 

A new atomic clock for navigation satellites is being created that will outperform previous models. To create a tiny and lightweight package, the clock will use a new microwave cavity design and innovative electronic approaches to preserve long-term stability.

Because it is steady to one second in three million years, the clock can provide exact navigation information. The time difference between four satellite signals arriving at one location can be used to calculate that location's position to within a few yards.
Which of the following features of the clock do you think will be the most impressive?
  1. its weight
  2. its accuracy
  3. its compact size
  4. its ability to measure distance
What is the passage's main purpose?
  1. To teach a lesson
  2. To back up a theory
  3. To impart knowledge
  4. To make a product sale

A Comprehensive List of Vocabulary for the TOEFL Test

Vocabulary is not something that can be acquired overnight. There are no shortcuts in this procedure; you must be patient and persistent. Therefore, you are strongly advised to work on improving your vocabulary weeks (or even months) before taking the TOEFL.

We have listed below the essential words for TOEFL that will help you get a high score. 

Anthropology

Word Part of Speech Definition
aborigines noun A person, animal, or plant who has lived in a country or region since the beginning
allogeneic adjective Signifying, relating to, or involving genetically different tissues or cells that are immunologically incompatible, although being from the same species
ancestry noun One’s family or ethnic descent
animism noun The ascription of a soul to plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena
belligerent adjective Hostile and aggressive
brachycephaly noun The rear of the skull flattens out, causing the head to broaden, and the forehead bulges out on occasion
Caucasian adjective White-skinned with a European ancestry
dicephalous adjective A fetus with two separate heads that is teratological
diffusionism noun Dissemination, rather than separate discovery or development, is the belief that some similar customs, innovations, etc. that occur among different cultures or peoples are exclusively or mostly the product of diffusion
ethnicity noun Fitting to a social cluster with a common national or cultural tradition is the fact or state of belonging to that group
exogamy noun The practice of marrying someone from another group, clan, or tribe
family noun A group of one or more parents and their children who live together
indigenous adjective Native; originating or occurring natively in a certain location
oblique adjective Not parallel nor at a right angle to be called a line
tribal adjective Relating to a tribe 

Business

Word Part of Speech Definition
advertise verb To describe or call attention to (a product, service, or event) in public media in order to encourage sales or attendance
allocate verb To distribute (resources or duties) for a particular purpose
commodity noun A raw material or main agricultural merchandise that can be sold or bought, such as sugar or rice
contract noun A written or verbal pact that is aimed to be legally enforceable, especially one involving employment, sales, or tenancy
decline verb To diminish in strength or quality; deteriorate
equity noun The worth of a pawned asset after deduction of charges against it
export verb To send goods or services to be sold in another country
import verb To take goods or services inside a country for the purpose of sale from another country
inflation noun A universal surge in prices and reduction in the purchasing worth of money
market noun A location or arena where commercial transactions take place
net noun The complete productivity of a company when all expenditures and charges have been deducted from total revenue
per capita adjective Relating or applied to each person
regulate verb To regulate or sustain the degree or speed of a machine or process so that it functions right
subsidy noun Money that is given by the government or a civic body to help a business so the price of a product or service may remain low or viable
tangible  adjective Perceptible by touch

Career

Word Part of Speech Definition
attitude noun A steady mode of thinking or feeling about someone or something, usually shown in a person’s actions
cluster noun A group of similar goods or persons that are grouped together or occur in close proximity
communicate verb To convey information, news, or ideas
diligent adjective Possessing or displaying attention to detail and conscientiousness in one’s work or responsibilities
discriminate verb To make an unjust or biased disparity in the treatment of different groups of individuals, particularly based on sex, race, age, or handicap
employee noun A person who is paid a salary, particularly at the nonexecutive level
enterprise noun An undertaking that is tough or time-consuming in nature
ethical adjective Relating to moral principles or the body of knowledge that deals with them
interest noun The desire to understand or know more about something or someone
lifestyle noun A person’s or a group’s way of life
personality noun The set of features or qualities that define a person’s unique character
producer noun A person, business, or country that manufactures, grows or sells items or commodities
salary noun A fixed recurring payment to an employee, usually monthly or biweekly but often described as an annual sum, to an employee, especially a professional or white-collar worker
supervisor noun A person who has the job of managing a person or an activity
value verb Consider (someone or something) to be significant or advantageous; hold a favorable view of

Culture

Word Part of Speech Definition
assimilate verb To absorb and integrate (people, ideas, or culture) into a wider society or culture
cremation noun The discarding of a dead body by burning it to ashes, usually after a funeral ceremony
dialect noun A variety of language that is unique to a particular place or social group
diffusion noun The process of anything becoming more broadly disseminated
domestic adjective Relating to the running of a family or home relation
folklore noun The old-style customs, beliefs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth
fossil noun The relics or imprint of a primeval creature conserved in petrified system or as a mold or cast in rock
heritage noun An inheritance is a property that has been or may be inherited
mores noun A community’s vital or distinguishing norms and conventions
relic noun An item enduring from an earlier time, especially one of ancient or historical interest
rite noun A spiritual or other sincere ceremony or act
ritually adverb In a way that is done as a religious or solemn rite
saga noun A long, involved story, account, or series of incidents
traditional adjective Existing in or as part of a long-standing tradition
vestige noun A trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists

Education

Word Part of Speech Definition
college noun An educational establishment, especially one that offers higher education or specialized professional or vocational training
curriculum noun The subjects making up a degree of study in a school or college
distinctly adverb In a manner that is easily distinguished by the senses; clearly
erudite noun Having or showing great knowledge or learning
fortify noun Strengthen (someone) mentally or physically
implicitly adverb In a technique that is not unswervingly stated; tacitly
literacy noun Being able to read and write
parochial adjective Relating to church or parish
primary adjective Pertaining to children’s education between the ages of five and ten
rigor noun An abrupt feeling of cold with shaking accompanied by an upsurge in temperature, often with copious sweating, especially at the onset or height of a fever
roster noun A list or plan showing turns of duty or leaves for individuals or groups in an organization
secondary noun A school that offers general, technical, vocational, or college-preparatory courses and is located halfway between elementary school and college
secular adjective Signifying attitudes, actions, or other things that have no spiritual or spiritual foundation
suspend verb To temporarily prevent from continuing or being in force or effect
vocational adjective Referring to a job or a profession

Environment

Word Part of Speech Definition
biodegradable adjective Having the ability to be disintegrated by bacteria or other living creatures
biodiversity noun The diversity of life on the planet or within a certain environment or ecosystem
bushfire noun A fire in the brush or forest, particularly one that spreads quickly
climate noun The weather conditions that prevail in a given location or for a lengthy period of time
conserve verb To preserve (anything, particularly a culturally or environmentally significant place or object) from injury or destruction
deforestation noun The act of removing trees from a large region
disposable adjective Intended to be used only once or until no longer usable, and then discarded
drought noun A prolonged period of extremely little rainfall, ensuing in a water deficit
earthquake noun As a result of changes within the earth’s crust or volcanic activity, there is a sudden and intense shaking of the ground, which can sometimes cause significant destruction
energy noun The physical and mental stamina required for long-term physical or mental activity
extinction noun The event or process of an animal or plant species, family, or another group going extinct
flood noun A spilling of a significant amount of water beyond its customary boundaries, particularly over typically dry ground
pollution noun The existence of a material or entity that has hazardous or deadly effects in the environment, or its introduction into the environment
recycle verb To convert (waste) into reusable material
renewable adjective A spring of energy that is not exhausted by use, such as wind, water, or solar power

Experiences

Word Part of Speech Definition
empirical adjective Rather than theory or pure logic, based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience
encounter verb An unplanned or informal meeting with someone or something
enjoy verb To have a wonderful time
event noun An occurrence, especially one of significance
existential adjective Concerned with existence, particularly human existence as regarded in existentialist beliefs
lesson noun A period of learning or teaching in which a certain amount of instruction is supplied at one time                                                              
naive adjective Demonstrating a lack of knowledge, insight, or judgment
nightmare noun A terrible or dreadful experience or possibility
ordeal noun A traumatic or horrifying experience, especially one that lasts for a long time
passion noun A powerful and uncontrollable feeling
phenomenon noun A fact or occurrence that is observed to exist or occur, particularly one whose source or explanation is unknown
relive verb Live through (an experience or feeling, especially an unpleasant one) over again in one’s imagination or memory
suffer verb To go through or be exposed to something bad or unpleasant
sustain verb Physically or mentally, strengthen or support
transcendental adjective Having to do with the spiritual or nonphysical dimension

Family

Word Part of Speech Definition
adoption noun The act or fact of officially adopting and raising another person’s kid as one’s own, or the fact of being adopted
ancestor noun Someone from whom one is descended, usually one who is more distant than a grandmother
divorce verb To allow a couple to formally end their relationship with someone
eligible adjective Having the legal authority to do or obtain anything; meeting the necessary requirements
estranged adjective Someone with whom you are no longer intimate or affectionate
extended adjective Made larger; enlarged
foster adjective To encourage or facilitate the growth of something, typically something regarded as good
genealogy noun A line of ancestry that may be traced back to a common ancestor
heiress noun A woman who has a legal claim to another’s property or rank upon that person’s death
household noun A house and its inhabitants viewed as a unit
juvenile adjective Of, for, or relating to young people
marriage noun The unification of two people in a special connection who are legally or formally acknowledged as partners
posterity noun All people in future generations
relative adjective When compared to or proportioned to something else
spouse noun A husband or wife viewed in the context of their partner

Feelings

Word Part of Speech Definition
acceptance noun The act of agreeing to accept or do anything that has been provided
affection noun A pleasant sensation of liking or fondness
agony noun A great deal of bodily or mental anguish
amazed adjective Greatly surprised; astounded
awe noun A sense of reverent regard tinged with fear or wonder
calm adjective Nervousness, rage, or other strong emotions are not seen or felt
certain adjective Proven beyond a shadow of a doubt
comfortable adjective Facilitating physical comfort and relaxation
content noun In a state of blissful tranquility
frisky adjective Playful and energizing
impulsive adjective Performing or doing anything without thinking about it
liberated adjective Demonstrating independence from societal conventions or traditional notions, particularly in relation to sexual roles
receptive adjective Prepared to consider or accept new ideas and recommendations
thrill verb To cause someone to experience a surge of joy and enthusiasm
understanding noun The ability to comprehend something

Food

Word Part of Speech Definition
appetite noun A natural drive to fulfill a biological requirement, particularly for food
batter verb To strike with strong blows on a regular basis
bland adjective Uninteresting because of lack of strong features or attributes
brisket noun A chunk of flesh taken from an animal’s breast, usually a cow’s
broil verb To heat meat or fish by contact to direct, strong radiant heat
chef noun A professional cook, typically the chief cook in a restaurant or hotel
cuisine noun A cooking style or method that is distinctive to a certain country, area, or establishment
diet noun The kinds of food that a creature, animal, or group consumes on a regular basis
digest verb To break down meals into substances that may be absorbed and utilized by the body
diner noun A modest roadside eatery with a long counter and booths that were initially built to seem like a train dining car
edible adjective Suitable for consumption
flax noun A blue-flowered herbaceous plant grown for its seed (linseed) and textile fiber produced from its stalks
gastronomy noun The act of selecting, preparing, and enjoying good food
menu noun A list of foods offered in a restaurant
munch verb To eat something by moving the jaws in a continuous and typically noisy motion

Groups

Word Part of Speech Definition
arrange verb To create plans for or organize a future event
associate verb In one’s mind, to connect someone or something with something else
bracket noun A group of persons or objects that are similar or fall within certain parameters
categorize verb To place in a specific class or group
department noun A section of a big institution dealing with a certain subject, item, or area of activity, such as a government, university, corporation, or store
emblem noun A heraldic device or symbolic object used as a national, organizational, or family badge
genre noun A kind of creative creation defined by resemblances in form, style, or topic matter, as in theater or music
hierarchy noun A system or organization in which individuals or groups are ranked in order of status or authority
index noun A sequential list of names, subjects, and other objects, usually found at the conclusion of a book, with references to the places where they appear
legion noun A large group, swarm, or swarms of people or things
network noun A collection or organization of people or things that are linked together
pattern noun A regular and comprehensible form or sequence can be discerned
phylum noun A group of languages that are less closely linked to one another than those that comprise a family, especially if the links are disputed or uncertain
quantum noun A discrete tiny voltage contributed to the observed end-plate potential by a single synaptic vesicle’s release of acetylcholine at a neuromuscular junction
union noun The deed or element of joining or being joined, especially in a political context

Health

Word Part of Speech Definition
abstinence noun Refraining from indulging in something, usually alcohol
acupuncture  noun A type of integrative medicine that entails pricking the skin or tissues with needles to relieve pain and treat a variety of physical, mental, and emotional problems
addictive adjective Creating or likely to induce addiction in someone
anorexic adjective An eating disorder marked by extremely low body weight, a strong fear of gaining weight, and a distorted view of weight
athletic adjective Strong, fit, and active on a physical level
cardiac adjective Relating to the heart
collapse verb To faint and become unconscious, typically through disease or injury
diagnostic adjective Interested in determining the cause of illness or other issues
discipline noun The process of teaching people to follow norms or a code of conduct by employing punishment to correct the transgression
endurance noun The ability to persevere through an unpleasant or challenging activity or event without succumbing
epidemic adjective A large-scale outbreak of an infectious disease in a community at a specific moment
fracture noun A hard object or material cracking or shattering
habit noun A long-standing or consistent habit or behavior, especially one that is difficult to abandon
hormone noun A regulatory chemical produced by an organism and transmitted via tissue fluids like blood or sap to activate certain cells or tissues
immune adjective Resilient to a specific infection due to the existence of definite antibodies or sensitized white blood cells

Leisure

Word Part of Speech Definition
attend verb To present yourself at an event, meeting, or function
croquet noun A sport where colored wooden balls are hammered through a series of wickets with mallets performed on a lawn
entertain verb To bring fun or pleasure to someone
explore verb To learn about or familiarize oneself with an unfamiliar country or area
extreme adjective Reaching a pinnacle or pinnacle level; enormous
gamble verb To play sports of chance for cash; bet
hobby noun A pleasurable pastime carried out on a regular basis in one’s spare time
hunt verb To chase and slaughter a wild animal for sport or sustenance
pamper verb To allow oneself to be spoiled by lavishing attention, comfort, and compassion
relax verb To reduce or eliminate tenseness or anxiety
scenery noun The natural aspects of a landscape are valued for their aesthetic value, especially when beautiful
trail noun A mark or a sequence of marks or things left behind by someone or something who has passed through
triathlon noun A three-event sports competition that often includes swimming, cycling, and long-distance running
vacation noun A period of extended relaxation and amusement, especially one spent away from home or while traveling
wine noun A fermented grape juice-based alcoholic beverage

People

Word Part of Speech Definition
adversary noun One’s opponent in a contest, conflict, or dispute
character noun The mental and moral characteristics that distinguish a person
cohort noun A cluster of people who have developed a bond or are considered as a unit
confidant noun Someone with whom one communicates a secret or private subject in the confidence that they will not reveal it to others
crony noun A close acquaintance or friend
descendant adjective A creature that descended from a particular ancestor
foe noun An enemy or opponent
inhabitant adjective A person or animal who inhabits or lives in a space
mortal adjective Subject to death
occupant adjective A person who resides or is present in a house or any place at a given time
populace noun The individuals who live in a specific country or region
resident noun A person who lives in a setting permanently or for an extended period of time
socialite noun A well-known member of elegant society who enjoys social events and entertainment
steady adjective Not swaying or moving; firmly anchored, held, or balanced
youth noun The state or quality of being young, particularly as it relates to vitality, freshness, or immaturity 

Personality

Word Part of Speech Definition
affable adjective Pleasant, good-natured, or approachable
aggressive adjective Characterized by or stemming from violence; eager or likely to attack or confront
ambitious adjective Possessing or demonstrating a great ambition and resolve to succeed
attract verb To cause to come to a place or participate in a venture by giving something of interest, better conditions, or breaks
behavior noun The style in which one acts or conducts himself/herself, particularly toward others
charm noun The ability or attribute of delighting or inspiring adoration
conduct noun The way a person acts, particularly on a specific occasion or in a specific situation
decorous adjective Polite and restrained; in line with good taste and propriety
extrovert adjective A person who is outgoing and highly expressive
improve verb To make or become better
introvert adjective A person who is more interested in their own ideas and feelings than with the outside world
mingle verb To combine or cause to combine
prudent adjective Behaving with or demonstrating concern for the future
robust adjective Strong and healthy; vigorous
zany adjective Eccentric and amusingly unconventional

Places

Word Part of Speech Definition
amuse verb To deliver an interesting and pleasant work setting for someone
ancient adjective Relating to a long-ago era and no longer in existence
boutique noun A tiny shop that sells trendy clothing and accessories
boring adjective Uninteresting and tiresome
bustling adjective Full of activity
cathedral noun The diocese’s main church, with which the bishop is officially linked
compact adjective Densely packed and neatly packed together
contemporary adjective Living or taking place at the same moment
cosmopolitan adjective Including people from many various countries
crowded adjective With little or no room for movement; crammed
fascinating adjective Incredibly intriguing
monument noun A statue, building, or other structure created to honor a famous or noteworthy person or event
museum noun A structure in which historical, scientific, aesthetic, or culturally significant things are preserved and displayed
picturesque adjective Visually appealing, especially when done in a quaint or lovely manner
tourist noun A person who is leisurely going or visiting a location

Politics

Word Part of Speech Definition
advocate verb A person who openly supports or endorses a particular cause or policy
authority noun The power or prerogative to give orders, make decisions and requires obedience
bamboozle verb To fool or cheat
benefit verb To get a competitive advantage; profit
bitterly adverb In an angry, hurt, or resentful way
candidate noun Someone who wants to apply for a job or is nominated for election
coalition noun An alliance for combined action, especially a temporary alliance of political parties forming a government or of states
contest verb Engross in rivalry to attain a position of power
democracy noun A form of government in which the entire population or all eligible members of a state are represented by elected representatives
election noun A formal and organized choice by a vote of a person for a political office or other position
inaugurate verb To begin or introduce a system, policy, or period
incumbent adjective An official or regime currently holding office
policy noun A principle of action assumed or planned by a party, government, business, or individual
poll noun The process of voting in an election
pundit noun An expert in a specific area or sector who is frequently called upon to express public thoughts about it

Relationships

Word Part of Speech Definition
annul verb To declare ineligible an official agreement, decision, or result
apologetic adjective Recognizing or excusing an offense or failure with sorrow
blaze noun Used as a euphemism for “hell” in various expressions of rage, amazement, or surprise
casual adjective Relaxed and unconcerned
date verb To go out with someone with whom one is romantically attracted
endearment noun A phrase or word that expresses love or affection
engagement noun A formal agreement to marry
impress verb To inspire regard and respect in someone
partner noun Either a member of a married pair or a long-term unmarried couple
private adjective Pertaining to or for the use of one particular person or group of persons only
rival noun A person or entity that is competing with another for the same goal or superiority in the same field of endeavor
separate verb To leave someone else’s company
significant adjective Sufficient in magnitude or importance to merit notice; notable
smitten verb To be drawn to someone or something intensely
unrequited adjective Not returned or rewarded in any way

Religion

Word Part of Speech Definition
belief noun An acknowledgment of the truth of a proposition or the existence of something
church noun An institutionalized religion as a political or social force
cult noun A tiny group of people whose religious ideas or activities are considered weird or malevolent by others
deity noun A god or goddess in a polytheistic faith
divine adjective Of, from, or like God or a god
faithful adjective Remaining loyal and steadfast
fasting noun Refrain from all or some types of food or drink, particularly as a spiritual observance
ontology noun The study of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being
pantheon noun A group of people who are highly regarded, well-known, or influential
preach verb To deliver a sermon or religious presentation to a congregation, typically in a church
prophet noun A person who is thought to be an inspired teacher or proclaimer of God’s will
sacred adjective Related to God (or the gods), or dedicated to a religious goal, and so worthy of respect
spiritual adjective In contrast to material or physical things, connected to or influencing the human spirit or soul
theory noun A hypothesis or a set of ideas meant to explain something, particularly one based on general principles unrelated to the subject of the explanation
worship verb To respect and admiration for (a god); religious practices to honor

Word Part of Speech Definition
campaign verb To work toward a specific goal, usually a political or social one, in an organized and energetic manner
clickbait noun A content whose primary aim is to entice attention and boost visitors to click on a link to a particular web page
feed noun Widgets created by social media aggregators and include content from a variety of social networking accounts
filter verb To classify one’s social media networks
follower noun Refers to users who have subscribed to a specific piece of material, as well as other users, interests, or businesses.
hack verb To get illegal access to data in a system using a computer
hashtag noun A word or phrase preceded by a hash sign (#) that is used to identify digital content on a given topic on social networking websites and applications
meme noun A funny image, movie, prose, or other pieces of media that is quickly reproduced (typically with minor alterations) and distributed by internet users
netizen noun An internet user, especially one who is a frequent or passionate user
platform noun A method of sharing information to a select set of followers over the Internet
post verb To make something public, to share something on social media
trending adjective Currently popular or widely discussed on the internet, particularly on social media platforms
troll noun People who post controversial or unpleasant remarks on the internet with the goal of attracting attention, causing difficulty, or upsetting someone
viral adjective Pertaining to or involving an image, video, item of information, or other media that is quickly and extensively sent from one internet user to another
vlogger noun A person who maintains a vlog by posting small videos on a regular basis

Sports

Word Part of Speech Definition
amateur adjective Nonprofessional; participating or engaged in without money
arena noun A level area where there are seats for spectators, in which sports, entertainments, and other public events are held
compete verb To attempt to gain or win something by defeating or outperforming those who are attempting to do the same
cue noun A phrase or action that instructs an actor or other performer to commence or begin their speech or performance
defeat verb To win a battle or other conflict against someone
defend verb To fend off an attack on someone or something; keep someone or something safe from harm or danger
draw noun A game or contest that concludes with the score even; a tie
dugout noun A low shelter with seating by the side of a baseball field from which a team’s coaches and non-playing players can watch the game
fitness noun The condition of being physically fit and healthy
gym noun A club where you can use machines, weights, and other equipment to exercise
league noun A group of individuals, countries, or organizations that band together for the same goal, usually mutual protection or collaboration
lose verb To fail to win
professional adjective Affianced in a precise activity as one’s key paid career
quiver verb To tremble or shake with a sudden motion
spectator noun A person who watches at a show, game, or other events

Travel

Word Part of Speech Definition
destination noun The place to which someone or something is heading or being directed
embark verb To board a ship, plane, or other vehicles
extravagant adjective Lacing of self-control when it comes to spending money or utilizing resources
foreign adjective Originating in, occurring in, or resembling a country or language other than one’s own
globetrotter noun A person who goes on a lot of trips
keepsake noun A tiny object retained in the memory of the person who gifted it or was the first owner
luggage noun Suitcases or other bags are used to transport personal belongings
memorable adjective Worth remembering or easily remembered, particularly if it is unique or remarkable
passenger noun A traveler who is not the driver, pilot, or crew on a public or private transport
postcard noun A card with a picture or other image on one side for writing a message by mail without an envelope
route noun A route or path is taken to get from a starting point to a destination
scenic adjective Views of remarkable or magnificent natural scenery are provided or related to
visa  noun An authorization on a passport demonstrating that the bearer is permitted to enter, depart, or remain in a country for a set amount of time
voyage noun A long journey that includes maritime travel or space travel
wander verb Stride or move in a leisurely, casual, or drifting way


How to Study Vocabulary Words

While preparing for the essential words for the TOEFL, there are a plethora of ready-to-use vocabulary lists available online and in books that you could choose from. 

However, we suggest that you compile your own list. Every student absorbs these words at their own pace; some people may pick up on word definitions quickly, while others may struggle with new concepts.

  • Determine your present vocabulary level: 

Taking a practice test is the simplest method to do this. That way, you will be able to determine your weak spots and the vocabulary categories you need to brush up on.

  • Make your own unique vocabulary list:

This will save you time and effort in the long run. 

Remember that no English test has a specific vocabulary component, but these lists are a wonderful place to start when constructing a personalized vocabulary list so you can face the test with confidence. You will be appraised on your ability to use the proper words rather than how many you know.

  • Start slowly but surely: 

The majority of these vocabulary lists have up to 5,000 words on them. That may seem like a lot, but do not worry, no one expects you to memorize 5,000 words in one sitting! 

You should learn five new words every day.

  • Categorize your words: 

This is both an efficient and effective method. Have a list of words classified into certain situations, dialogues, or themes. 

This will make it easier for you to remember the words and their meanings because they are connected and related. 

  • Utilize the words you learn in your daily routines: 

Lastly, studying these words is useless if you do not use and apply them in your daily conversations. 

Ensure that you use them in the right context and by the time you have to take the TOEFL, you are good to go. 


Make sure you are revising your vocabulary on a daily basis, but also that you are having fun while doing so! 

There are many words memorizing games and applications available you can utilize to help you prepare for the essential words for the TOEFL. 

Remember, however, that what works for others might not work for you. Pick the one that works best for you. 

Here are some of our favorite apps that will help you study for the essential words for the TOEFL. 

  • Taboo
  • Scrabble
  • Quizlet
  • Words with Friends
  • Learn Vocabulary with Wozzol
  • Vocab Victor English Word Game

Best Apps for TOEFL Test Preparation

Additionally, you can also make your own flashcards to help you prepare for the essential words for the TOEFL. 

Make it a point that you write the words in different paper colors depending on the category. You can perform this alone and repeat it when required. 


Additional FAQs TOEFL Vocabulary — Essential Words

What Level of Fluency is Expected from You?

There are four proficiency levels in the TOEFL. They are Advanced, Intermediate, Low Intermediate, and Below Low Intermediate. 

For you to be able to pass the TOEFL, your fluency level should either be in the Intermediate and Advanced level. 

That means that out of the 30 questions in each component – Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing, you should at least get a score of 20.

Why is it Important to Have a Vocabulary List Based on Categories?

You should have your vocabulary classified based on different categories because it is just what is both efficient and effective. Memorizing a 200-word list is difficult. 

However, memorizing 20 sets of topics with 10 words each is way easier. It also paves for better comprehension because the words are connected and related.

How Many Words are in Essential Words for the TOEFL?

In order to get a high score for the TOEFL, you are expected to have at least 5000 words in your vocabulary. This might seem quite a lot but since the TOEFL is a test for non-native English speakers, it will put your English abilities to the test.  

To get your desired band score, prepare and study well. Follow the tips and strategies we have listed in this article. (see above)

How Can I Memorize the TOEFL Vocabulary?

Memorizing the essential words for the TOEFL is not as challenging as it seems. You just have to do it slowly and continuously. Try learning 5 words a day. 

 If you feel like you are improving and need to level up your pace, you can have 6 then 7 and 8 words per day. It is up to you. Just keep in mind that constant practice is the key.

Do I Need to Learn Words for TOEFL?

Yes, you need to learn the essential words for the TOEFL. The TOEFL is a vocabulary test, so you must enhance your vocabulary before taking the test. 

Read magazines, newspapers, and articles. Watch the news and the television. 

Listen to podcasts and, more importantly, have a list of words based on different categories. These are the best ways to prepare and study for the essential words for the TOEFL. 

What are TOEFL words?

The essential words for the TOEFL are the terminologies that you have to master before taking the test. These are the words that will enable the examiners to identify your fluency level. There are no specific lists that you need to study. 

However, bear in mind that the topics in the TOEFL are from various areas and themes, and you need to study as many words as possible. 


Additional Reading – TOEFL Vocabulary

Additional Reading – TOEFL Vocabulary


David Recine

Barron's Essential Words for the TOEFL

As I’ve mentioned before, Barron’s is one of the best sources for unofficial TOEFL prep. (Besides Magoosh, of course! 😉 ) And Barron’s Essential Words for the TOEFL is yet another great Barron’s book I can happily recommend. Let me give you a closer look at what this book offers.

The Structure of the Book

This is a short book with carefully structured lesson material. The structure I’m going to outline below will tell you everything you need to know about what this book offers. Read on for a guided tour of Barron’s Essential Words for the TOEFL.

Chapters 1-4: Tips and Tricks

Barron’s Essential Words for the TOEFL starts with four short chapters of tips and tricks for building TOEFL Vocabulary.

Practice for your TOEFL exam with Magoosh.

The first and second chapters describe the exam itself; these chapters do accurately describe the importance of vocabulary on the test, but the descriptions and examples reflect the old format of the TOEFL rather than the new version rolled out in 2019.

In these first two chapters, there is a special emphasis on TOEFL Reading, the section where vocabulary is tested the most rigorously. The second chapter focuses exclusively on the Reading section.

Chapters 3 and 4 are impressive resources for improving and building vocabulary. The tips, tricks, and study supports in these chapters are fantastic! Reading those chapters, I found myself wishing I’d known about this book when I first started teaching the TOEFL. It would have been a great resource for my students.

Chapters 5 and 6: Practice, Practice, Practice

“Chapter” 5 of this book is not so much a chapter as it is a large section. This chapter is over 250 pages long and contains 30 vocabulary lessons. Each individual lesson introduces students to 17 new vocabulary words that are common on the TOEFL. Definitions and example sentences are given for each word, followed by a synonym-matching exercise and a set of TOEFL vocabulary-in-context Reading questions.

Once you’ve learned these 510 words, the book will continue with its emphasis on vocabulary use in TOEFL Reading. In Chapter 6, you’ll go through a full TOEFL Reading section, with three passages and three question sets. This Reading section is patterned after the pre-2019 TOEFL exam, but it really isn’t that different from the current version of the test. Each passage comes with extra questions beyond the 10 questions per passage in the current exam. But the styles of passage and types of question remain accurate.

The Index

Last but not least, at the end of the book there is an alphabetical index of all the vocabulary words. This is very useful, because the vocabulary words in the 30 lessons found in Chapter 5 are not presented in alphabetical order.

Should You Buy This Book?

While I do like this book, it’s not necessarily for everyone. If you are already feeling confident in your vocabulary with the free resources you currently have access to (such as Magoosh TOEFL’s free flashcards), you may not need this book. But if you want to give your vocabulary learning an extra boost, or if vocabulary is an especially important challenge for you as you prepare for the TOEFL, this book is a helpful, affordable option.

  • David Recine

    David is a Test Prep Expert for Magoosh TOEFL and IELTS. Additionally, he’s helped students with TOEIC, PET, FCE, BULATS, Eiken, SAT, ACT, GRE, and GMAT.
    David has a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an MA from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. His work at Magoosh has been cited in many scholarly articles, his Master’s Thesis is featured on the Reading with Pictures website, and he’s presented at the WITESOL (link to PDF) and NAFSA conferences. David has taught K-12 ESL in South Korea as well as undergraduate English and MBA-level business English at American universities. He has also trained English teachers in America, Italy, and Peru.
    Come join David and the Magoosh team on Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram, or connect with him via LinkedIn!

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320 Essential Words to Learn For the TOEFL and IELTS Tests.

A solid knowledge of academic vocabulary is the key to attaining a high score in the TOEFL or IELTS tests. 

Below is a list of 320 essential words for passing the TOEFL or IELTS test including definitions and sample sentences.

Whilst learning huge volumes of vocabulary may seem daunting to most people if you leave yourself plenty of time, enough to learn say 5 to 10 words per day correctly, then the process should be easier, and less stressful.

Also, reading a wide variety of materials, specifically academic ones that are related to the subjects covered in the tests will help a considerable amount. Articles can be found in magazines or websites and help to put the words into an understandable context.

I hope that this list of vocabulary helps you with your test preparation.

Good luck and good studying.

The 320 Words That You Need to Know in Order To Maximize Your Score In The TOEFL Test.

Word Definition Sample Sentence
Abundant Present in large quantities. Living close to a lake means we have an abundant supply of water.
Accumulate To gradually collect. Each fall, leaves accumulate in our driveway.
Accurate Correct; free from errors. Make sure your address is accurate before submitting your online order.
Accustomed Used to something. Having 8AM classes means I’m accustomed to getting up early.
Acquire To come into possession of. When my grandmother died, I acquired her cookbook collection.
Adamant Refusing to change an opinion. The defendant was adamant that he was innocent.
Adequate Enough to suit your needs. Our house isn’t big, but it’s adequate for the two of us.
Adjacent Close to or next to. The park is adjacent to the school.
Adjust To change something so it serves its purpose better. The bike seat may be too high; you’ll probably need to adjust it.
Advantage Something that makes it easier to achieve success. His height gives him an advantage in basketball.
Advocate To publicly support. My aunt is a major advocate for women’s’ rights.
Adverse Unfavorable; against one’s desires. I had an adverse reaction to my medication and had to stop taking it.
Aggregate To combine. We should aggregate our resources to share them more easily.
Aggressive Assertive and pushy. The salesperson was very aggressive when trying to get us to buy the television.
Allocate To put aside for a specific purpose. The village needs to allocate funds for building the new school.
Alternative Another option or choice. If the ATM is broken, an alternative solution is to stop by the bank.
Amateur Someone who is inexperienced or not highly skilled in a particular area. He’s an amateur soccer player and is still learning the rules of the game.
Ambiguous Having several potential meanings; unclear and difficult to understand. When I asked the HR manager what my chances were of getting the job, she gave me a very ambiguous reply.
Ambitious Having large goals. My son is very ambitious and hopes to be a millionaire by the time he’s thirty.
Amend To change for the better; to improve. I believe we should amend our country’s tax laws.
Ample Plentiful. Our new apartment has ample space for the two of us.
Anomaly Deviation from the norm. The basketball player is the team’s best free thrower, so his missing both shots was an anomaly.
Annual Occurring yearly. The annual company barbeque takes place every August.
Antagonize To tease or be hostile towards a person or group. The boy loves to antagonize his little sister by pulling her hair.
Attitude Manner or feeling. After she got grounded, the teenager had a bad attitude for the rest of the day.
Attribute To give credit. Be sure to attribute credit to your sources when writing a research paper.
Arbitrary Based on a whim or random decision. Flipping a coin is an arbitrary way to make a decision.
Arduous Requiring a lot of effort. After you cross the bridge, there’s an arduous walk up the hill.
Assuage To lessen a negative feeling. The mother assuaged her child’s fear of the dark.
Assume To suppose without solid proof. I assumed he was rich because he worked as a lawyer.
Augment To increase or make larger. She augments her regular salary by babysitting on the weekends.
Benefit Something positive or advantageous. A benefit of doing homework on Friday is that your weekend will be free.
Berate To scold. Our neighbor berated us after we broke his window playing baseball.
Bestow To give as a gift. The medal was bestowed upon him by the president.
Boast To brag or talk with excessive pride. He always boasts of his talents after he wins a game.
Boost To help raise or increase something. I gave him a pep talk to boost his self-esteem before his speech.
Brash Rude and tactless. The brash man always asked inappropriate questions.
Brief Short (in terms of time). It will only have a brief meeting, so you’ll still have plenty of time for lunch.
Brusque Abrupt to the point of rudeness. After being away for so long, I expected more than her brusque greeting.
Cacophony A harsh, unpleasant mixture of noise. The cuckoo clock shop lets off a cacophony every hour.
Cease To stop. I wish they would cease arguing.
Censure To express strong disapproval. Every parent in our district censured the education cuts.
Chronological Arranged in order of time or date. Put the historical events in chronological order to make them easier to study.
Clarify To make clear; to remove confusion. I didn’t understand the instructions, so I asked the teacher to clarify them.
Coalesce To combine or grow together. The people on the street eventually coalesced into a group.
Coerce To force someone to do something against their will. The young boy was coerced into stealing by his friends.
Cognizant Being aware or having knowledge of something. Before mountain climbing, you need to be cognizant of the risks.
Cohesion Uniting; becoming one. Water molecules show strong cohesion when they stick together.
Coincide To occur at the same time. This year Thanksgiving coincided with my birthday.
Collapse To fall down or break down. The old building finally collapsed, leaving nothing but a pile of rubble.
Collide To hit one another with a forceful impact. The two cars collided on the freeway.
Commitment Dedication to a cause or activity. Joining a school play is a big commitment. You’ll need to practice every evening.
Community A group of people who live or work together. The Chinese community in my city is hosting a New Year celebration next week.
Conceal To hide. The mountains concealed the ocean from view.
Concur To agree. He believes women should be paid as much as men, and I concur.
Conflict A disagreement or fight. The conflict between the two families has been going on for generations.
Constrain To restrict or repress. You should move your plant to a bigger pot, otherwise you’ll constrain its roots.
Contemplate To consider thoughtfully. I spend a lot of time contemplating what career I want to have.
Continuously To go on without stopping. My neighbors have been continuously blasting their music since last night.
Contradict To give the opposite opinion. I told the employees that sales were down, but my boss contradicted me and said sales were actually up.
Contribute To give something (usually money or time) to a common fund or cause. Every roommate contributes part of his paycheck to the grocery bill.
Convey To make known. I’ve conveyed my interest in working for that company.
Copious Abundant. He always takes copious notes during class to study later on.
Core Central; of main importance. Although many employees left the company, the core leadership remained.
Corrode To gradually wear away. The rust corroded the paint on my car.
Cumbersome Burdensome; clumsy Trying to carry four grocery bags at once was very cumbersome.
Curriculum The courses given by a school or program. Our school needs to add more music courses to its curriculum.
Data Facts, statistics, or pieces of information. The data from these graphs show that yearly temperatures are increasing.
Decay To decline in health or excellence. After the tree died, its wood began to decay.
Deceive To trick or mislead. He deceived me by pretending to be a millionaire.
Decipher To find the meaning of. The spy deciphered the secret code.
Declaration An announcement. He made a declaration to the office that he was quitting.
Decline  1. To politely refuse

2. To deteriorate (especially in terms of health.)
 1.  I declined his offer of a ride home.

2. Her health has declined ever since she turned 70.

Degrade To lower in quality. My attempt at cake degraded into a crumbly mess.
Demonstrate To show. Let me demonstrate the proper way of throwing a football.
Deny To state that something isn’t true. He denied being the robber.
Deplete To significantly decrease. Your shopping sprees have depleted my savings.
Deposit To deliver and leave an item. Please deposit your books in the bin outside the library.
Desirable Worth having or wanting. Bravery is a desirable trait for firefighters to have.
Despise To hate. I despise early morning classes.
Detect To locate something. The police dog detected the missing child’s scent.
Deter To discourage. The warning signs on the house deterred trespassers.
Deviate To differ from the norm. I decided to deviate from my normal route home and took a shortcut.
Devise To plan or create. The coach devised a plan for winning the game.
Diatribe A sharp criticism or attack. The politician went into a diatribe against her opponent.
Digress To wander from the main subject. The teacher digressed from the lecture to discuss the weather.
Dilemma A situation where one must choose between two difficult choices. The student faced the dilemma of attending school sick or missing her exam.
Diminish To shrink or reduce. Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet to diminish the stain.
Dispose To get rid of. I need to dispose of this trash.
Disproportionate Too large or small when compared to something else. The piece of pie I received was disproportionately small.
Disrupt To interrupt by causing a disturbance. The protesters disrupted the politician’s speech.
Distort To misrepresent. The camera filter distorted the image.
Distribute To give portions of something. Distribute the materials evenly among the class.
Diverse Showing a lot of variety. This city has a very diverse population.
Divert To cause a change of course. Because of the accident, the police had to divert traffic down a side street.
Dynamic Constantly changing. The theater has dynamic shows, so you never know what you’ll see.
Ease To reduce unpleasantness or difficulty. This prescription will ease your allergies.
Efficient Maximizing productivity. Now that I’m following a schedule at work, I’m much more efficient.
Eliminate To remove. Our team lost the match and was eliminated from the competition.
Elite A select, above-average group. The elite detective team were also sent for when there were big crimes.
Eloquent Moving speech or writing. Her eloquent writing has gained her many fans.
Emphasize To give special importance to when speaking or writing. The teacher emphasized the due date of the project.
Endure To suffer through something difficult with patience. He has endured four knee operations so far.
Enhance To intensify or magnify. The falling snow enhanced the beauty of the small village.
Epitome A perfect example of something. The duchess is the epitome of class.
Equivalent Equal. Twenty-four is equivalent to two dozen.
Erroneous Incorrect. He apologized for his erroneous statement.
Estimate An approximate value. Try to get an estimate of the number of people attending the concert.
Evade To avoid or escape. By hiding in the bathroom, we were able to evade the intruder.
Evaluate To assess. At the end of the class, every student will evaluate how well the professor taught.
Evidence Facts or information that help prove or disprove something. These fossils are evidence of evolution.
Evolve To gradually change. The small school evolved into a world-class institution.
Exemplary Worthy of imitation. She is an exemplary student, and you should copy her study habits.
Exclude To leave out. The young boy was excluded from his friends’ soccer game.
Exclusive Not admitting the majority. We may not be able to get in since that club is very exclusive.
Expand To increase in size. Adding air to bike tires will cause them to expand.
Expertise Expert knowledge or skill in a particular field. The surgeon’s expertise is knee surgeries.
Exploit To use selfishly. The company exploited its workers by making them work long hours.
Expose To reveal or unmask. The emails presented exposed the company’s corruption.
Extension An act of making something longer. If you’re sick on the day the paper is due, the teacher may give you an extension on the due date.
Extract To get or remove something. The dentist extracted one of my teeth.
Famine A time when there is an extreme lack of food. Millions of children in  Ethiopia died due to the famine there.
Feasible Possible to do. This study plan you made for me sounds feasible, even with my work schedule.
Finite Having an end or limits. Remember that life is finite; you’re not immortal.
Flaw A feature that ruins the perfection of something. I got the diamond for a reduced price since the stone had a flaw.
Fluctuate To change continually. I’m not sure what to wear since the temperature has been fluctuating so much.
Focus The central point or idea. The program is going to focus on environmental issues.
Fortify To strengthen. The king decided to fortify the castle walls to protect them during attacks.
Framework A skeletal structure designed to support something. Skyscrapers must have a strong framework to support all the floors.
Frivolous Unnecessary; of little importance You must stop spending your money on frivolous purchases.
Function A purpose natural to a person or thing. The function of petals is to attract insects to the plant.
Fundamental Of primary importance. Learning scales is fundamental to being a good piano player.
Gap A space in between to objects. Be careful to avoid the gap between the two steps.
Garbled Communication that is distorted and unclear. Our answering machine is so bad that people’s voices are always garbled.
Generate To produce. The fire generates heat, which keeps the room warm.
Grandiose Pompous; overly important. The actress had only one small part before she got grandiose ideas of her fame.
Hackneyed Overused and unoriginal. HIs poems contain many hackneyed phrases.
Haphazard Lacking planning. There was no schedule, so the event was very haphazard.
Harsh Not gentle; unpleasant. Her comments on my performance were very harsh and not kind at all.
Hasty In a hurry. In order to avoid the police, the robbers made a hasty retreat.
Hazardous Full of risk. The nuclear reactor has a lot of hazardous waste.
Hesitate To pause, often due to reluctance. She hesitated before entering the abandoned building.
Hierarchy A ranking system. In the office hierarchy, the manager is higher than the associate.
Hindrance Something that causes delay or resistance. Her hatred of public transportation is a hindrance when trying to get around New York City.
Hollow Empty inside. The dead tree is hollow.
Horror An intense feeling of fear. The haunted house filled me with horror.
Hostile Extremely unfriendly. My ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend was very hostile towards me.
Hypothesis An unproven idea that attempts to explain something. You’ll need to conduct an experiment to test your hypothesis.
Identical Exactly the same. The twins were completely identical.
Illiterate Unable to read. Because he’d never been able to attend school, the man was illiterate.
Illustrate To explain by using an example. The professor illustrated the lesson with a personal story.
Impact Effect or influence. His moving words had a large impact on me.
Impair To worsen. Drinking alcohol will impair your driving abilities.
Implement To carry out. We will implement the new schedule starting next semester.
Imply To strongly suggest. My mother implied that I was the one who forgot to take out the trash.
Impose To force upon. After the riots, the mayor imposed a curfew on the town.
Impoverish To reduce to poverty. These medical bills are going to impoverish me.
Incentive A reason to do something. I hate my job, but the big paychecks are a good incentive to stick with it.
Incessant Continuing without pause. I can’t sleep because of the dog’s incessant barking.
Incidental A minor part. Don’t worry about your grade on this quiz; it’s only an incidental part of your grade.
Incite To urge on. The ringleader incited the soldiers to rebellion.
Inclination A preference. My inclination is to go to bed early.
Incompetent Incapable; lacking ability. The incompetent worker was fired from his job.
Inconsistent Changing randomly. His pitching has been very inconsistent all season.
Indefatigable Untiring. She is an indefatigable hiker and can walk all day.
Indisputable Not able to be challenged. She’s the indisputable star of the basketball team.
Ineffective Not producing any major impact. The drug was shown to be ineffective at curing cancer.
Inevitable Unable to be avoided. Even if you’re healthy, death is inevitable in the end.
Infer To guess based on evidence. I inferred that she was annoyed based on her body language.
Inflate To increase in size. Getting a promotion has really inflated his ego.
Influence The ability to have an impact of something. The older sister has been a positive influence on her younger siblings.
Inhibit To hinder or restrain. This cleaning spray inhibits the growth of bacteria.
Initial The first. She was the initial president of the company.
Inquiry An investigation to determine the truth. Congress launched an inquiry after the senator was accused of taking bribes.
Integral Necessary to complete the whole. You can’t quit. You’re an integral part of this team.
Integrate To combine. When making a cake, you need to fully integrate the wet and dry ingredients.
Interpret To explain the meaning of something. I need you to interpret this German speech for me.
Intervene To come between people, objects, or an event and change what is happening. When the toddlers couldn’t share their toys, their mothers had to intervene.
Intrepid Fearless. The intrepid mountain climber reached the top of Mt. Everest.
Intricate Highly detailed. The pattern on this blanket is so intricate.
Invasive Intrusive. We found the stranger’s questions too personal and very invasive.
Investigate To examine or study. The police are going to investigate the crime scene.
Irascible Easy to anger. Even though my grandfather seems irascible, he’s actually very loving.
Irony The use of words to give a meaning opposite to their literal meaning. “I love spending my Friday nights doing homework,” she said with irony.
Irresolute Uncertain. Not sure which direction to go in, he stood irresolute.
Jargon Words specific to a certain job or group. To be a successful doctor, you’ll need to learn a lot of medical jargon.
Jointly Together. The newlyweds jointly opened up a bank account.
Knack A special talent or skill. My brother has a real knack for solving tricky math problems.
Labor Work or effort. Building a house requires a lot of labor.
Lag To fall behind. I stayed with the front group of runners for the first few miles, but after that I began to lag.
Lampoon To mock or ridicule. The cartoonist lampooned the president’s speech.
Languish To become weak; to be neglected. During winter break, my plants languished since I was visiting my parents and couldn’t water them.
Lecture A talk given to an audience. The professor will give a 30 minute lecture before the quiz.
Leery Wary. I’m leery of taking the dark-looking shortcut.
Legitimate Lawful. The way he became mayor is completely legitimate.
Lenient Merciful; less harsh. The judge gave the criminal a lenient sentence due to his bad childhood.
Likely Probable. I don’t have much homework, so it’s likely I’ll be able to go out tonight.
Ludicrous Ridiculous. His claims about me are absolutely ludicrous.
Maintain To continue at the same level. She has maintained the same weight since high school.
Major Very important. This test is a major part of your final grade.
Manipulate To influence, especially in an unfair way. He tried to manipulate the results of the election.
Maximize To increase to the greatest possible size. The store’s goal this year is to maximize its profit.
Measure To find the size and dimensions of something. By measuring the tree, I found it was seven feet tall.
Mediocre Ordinary, average. The meal the chef made was only mediocre.
Mend To fix. My mother will mend the hole in my shirt.
Method A way of doing something. Her method for making bread takes three days.
Migrate To move from one place to another. Every fall, the geese migrate to Florida.
Minimum The smallest or lowest amount possible. You need to get a minimum of 70% on the test to pass the class.
Misleading Giving the wrong idea. The advertisement for the weight loss pills is very misleading since studies have shown they’re ineffective.
Modify To change. I need to modify my style so it looks more professional.
Morose Gloomy, depressed. The boy was morose after hearing he didn’t make the football team.
Negligent Lazy, neglectful. The negligent babysitter invited her friends over while the children were upstairs.
Nonchalant Indifferent, unexcited. I was hurt when my friend greeted me so nonchalantly.
Obey To follow orders or instructions. My dog always obeys me when I ask her to sit.
Obtain To get. The spy obtained the secret codes we need.
Obvious Easily understood. The large poster of Michael Jackson over her bed made it obvious who her favorite singer was.
Opponent Someone on the opposite side for a game or contest. The soccer player blocked her opponent’s shot at the goal.
Oppress To unfairly burden. For the past ten generations the royal family has oppressed the peasants by keeping them in poverty.
Origin The source; where something began. The explorers are trying to find the origin of the Nile.
Paradigm A typical example of something. This work of art is a paradigm of the period; you’ll see many examples of it in the museum.
Parsimonious Frugal, stingy. The parsimonious woman only donated a dollar to charity.
Partake To join in. My leg was feeling much better, so I decided to partake in the soccer match.
Partial Preferring one option over others. We can get strawberry ice cream, but I’m actually more partial to chocolate.
Paucity Something existing in very small amounts; scarcity. During the drought, the town had a paucity of fresh water.
Peak The highest or most important point. Winning the championship was the peak of his career.
Peripheral Located on the side or edge. There are some peripheral fights going on at the outdoor concert.
Permeate To penetrate or pass through. Let the maple syrup permeate your waffles before eating them.
Persist To continue, especially when facing opposition. I may have lost my last six games, but I will continue to persist trying to win.
Pertain Relate. How does your question pertain to the lecture?
Phase A period or stage in a process. In high school, I went through a phase where I only wore black clothes.
Poll A record of opinions or votes. The polls show that my candidate is going to win the election.
Potent Powerful. Only take one sleeping pill since they’re very potent.
Pragmatic Practical, sensible. Your boyfriend is too dramatic. I think you need a more pragmatic man.
Praise To give approval or admiration. The book is the best I’ve ever read; I can’t praise it enough.
Precede To come before. The flower girls preceded the bride when they walked down the aisle.
Precise Exact. When collecting data, it’s important that your measurements are very precise.
Prestigious Having a high reputation. Harvard is one of the most prestigious colleges in the United States.
Prevalent Widespread. If more people don’t start washing their hands, disease will become more prevalent.
Primary First; most important. Maeve’s primary goal in life is to become a doctor.
Prior Previous or earlier. Prior to becoming a teacher, Elena worked as a book editor.
Proceed To continue doing something. I’m sorry for interrupting; please proceed with your speech.
Progeny Offspring. The dog’s progeny all have yellow fur.
Promote To further to progress of something. I’m promoting this new indie movie so that more people will buy tickets to it.
Prosper To do well. Dave hopes his new business will prosper and make him a millionaire.
Proximity Nearness in time or space. The twins hated to be apart, so they bought houses in close proximity to each other.
Quarrel Disagreement or fight; to have an argument. Nina and her boyfriend always quarrel over money.
Range The distance between two things, often the maximum and the minimum. The range of ages at the concert spanned from 12 to 65.
Rank An official position or station. Archibald was promoted to the rank of first captain.
Rebuke To sternly disapprove or reprimand. After staying out too late, Grace received a rebuke from her parents.
Recapitulate To give a brief summary. At the end of his speech, the politician made sure to recapitulate his main points.
Recede To retreat. Two days after the flood, the seawater finally began to recede from our house.
Recommend To present someone with confidence and approval. I need to ask Mr. Smith if he’ll recommend me for this leadership position.
Reform To make changes that improve something. Melanie’s father is in charge of reforming to school system.
Regulate To supervise or control a process so that it functions correctly. Ben needs to regulate how much he eats in order to stay at a healthy weight.
Reinforce To strengthen with added support. The builders reinforced the house’s wooden frame with steel beams.
Reject To say no to something that is offered. Lydia rejected my invitation to the homecoming dance.
Release To free; to allow to be known. The CEO decided to release the company’s profits from last year.
Rely To depend on. I rely on coffee to get my through my mornings.
Reproach To express disapproval or disappointment. The coach reproached the players for failing to play their best.
Require To need for a specific purpose. The camping trip requires that every participant bring their own food and sleeping bag.
Resent To feel bitterness or anger towards someone or something. I’ve always resented my sister because she is my mother’s favorite child.
Resign To give up an office or position. Due to his declining health, the mayor decided to resign from office.
Resist To withstand the effect of. Resist the impulse to have ice cream for breakfast.
Resolve To come to a firm decision. Matt resolved to get better grades next semester by studying every night.
Restrict To confine or keep within limits. My doctor told me to restrict myself to one glass of wine a day.
Retain To continue to do something or keep something. I’ve decided to retain my normal hairstyle.
Retract  1. To draw back in.

2. To withdraw something after it’s found to be untrue.

 1. I felt calmer after the lion retracted its claws.

 2. After numerous errors were found, the newspaper retracted the story.

Retrieve To bring back. Alexis got out of the car to retrieve the ball her little brother had thrown.
Rhetorical Used just for style or impact. You aren’t expected to actually answer rhetorical questions.
Rigid Stiff; unyielding. The boys’ father was happy to see the base of the treehouse was rigid and sturdy.
Rotate To turn. Rotate the sculpture so I can see the other side.
Safeguard Something that serves as protection or ensures safety. A retirement fund is one way to safeguard your finances for the future.
Scrutinize To very carefully examine. The judges were looking for perfection, so they scrutinized every entry.
Section A part of the whole. This section of the stadium dressed completely in red.
Select To choose. Jane selected a blue dress to wear to the wedding.
Sequence Things that follow each other in a certain order. Librarians need to know how order books in the correct sequence.
Severe  1. Harsh or strict.

2. Grave, critical.

 1. The robbers suffered severe consequences for stealing.

2. My uncle is currently battling a severe illness in the hospital.

Shallow Not deep. You don’t need to worry about getting your dress wet. The water is very shallow here.
Shelter To protect from something harmful. The empty barn gave the men shelter during the storm.
Shrink To become smaller. Hopefully this cream will cause my scar to shrink.
Significant Important, noteworthy. The Gettysburg Address was a significant event during the Civil War.
Source A person, place, or thing where something was obtained. You shouldn’t use Wikipedia as a source when writing school papers.
Sparse Thinly scattered. The farm was almost empty; there were just a few sparse trees here and there.
Specify To clearly indicate which one. You need to specify which size shirt you want before I can order it.
Speculate To form a theory without strong evidence. My sister loves to speculate on the private lives of celebrities.
Solitary Alone; without others. The hermit lives a solitary existence deep in the mountains.
Somber Gloomy; depressing. After losing the competition, the chess players were very somber.
Soothe To calm or comfort. The mother sang a lullaby to soothe her crying baby.
Squalid Filthy and unpleasant. The shelter was squalid and overcrowded.
Stable Unlikely to change or fail. We’re lucky to live in a country with such a stable government.
Stagnant Sluggish, showing little movement. With few new jobs created, the economy has remained stagnant for the past five years.
Strategy A plan to reach a desired outcome. The football team will need a good strategy to win the game tomorrow.
Subsequent Coming after something in time. The first king was a good ruler, but subsequent kings have all been corrupt.
Substitute A person or thing acting in place of another. If you don’t have sugar, honey makes a good substitute for this recipe.
Subtle Difficult to notice right away. Maya’s perfume was very subtle; you had to get close to her to smell it.
Sufficient Enough to serve a particular purpose. Make sure you have sufficient food for the camping trip.
Summarize To briefly give the main points. The class didn’t have time to read the book, so the professor summarized it for them.
Supervise To oversee work or a process. My dad didn’t think we were old enough to build the fort on our own, so he supervised us.
Supplant To take the place of something else. The king was supplanted by his treacherous younger brother who locked him in the dungeon.
Suspend  1. To temporarily stop.

2. To hang something from somewhere.

 1. The power outage suspended the school concert.

2. The lamp is suspended from the high ceiling.

Suspicious Having the belief that someone is doing something dishonest or illegal. The couple became suspicious when they saw strange men removing their neighbor’s expensive electronics during the night.
Sustain To keep going. I stopped trying to sustain the friendship after he made fun of how I looked.
Symbolic Serving as a symbol. A cross is symbolic of Christianity.
Technical Relating to a specific subject or craft. The laptop manual is full of technical terms only a computer expert can understand.
Terminal Situated at the end. Everyone on the train must get off at the terminal stop.
Tolerate To put up with. I tolerate the rude man since he is my husband’s best friend.
Transfer To move from one place to another. Ben’s work is going to transfer him from Chicago to Detroit.
Transition Changing from one state or condition to another. The transition from student to employee can often take awhile to get used to.
Transparent  1. See-through material.

2. Easy to detect.

 1. The glass vase is completely transparent.

2. Her attempt to flatter the movie star was very transparent.

Tuition The fee for instruction at a school. College tuition prices have gone up in recent decades.
Unobtrusive Not attracting attention. The prince’s bodyguards had mastered the art of being unobtrusive.
Unscathed Unharmed. Ian was lucky to walk away from the car crash unscathed.
Upbeat Happy; optimistic. Even when she’s having a bad day, my mom always has an upbeat attitude.
Unjust Unfair. Since I tried my hardest on the exam, I felt my teacher’s criticism of me was unjust.
Vacillate To waver or be indecisive. She vacillated between the two dresses before finally deciding to wear a skirt.
Valid Just; well-founded. The soldiers had valid concerns about the battles they’d be facing.
Vanish To disappear quickly. The plane vanished behind the clouds.
Vary To be different from something else in a group.
Verdict A judgement or decision. The jury delivered a guilty verdict.
Vestige A small trace of something that is disappearing or has already disappeared. The empty castle still had a few vestiges of its former wealth.
Vial A small container used to hold liquids. The chemist carefully filled the vial with the bubbling solution.
Vilify To speak poorly of; to slander. Mark was vilified by his angry ex-girlfriend.
Voluminous Taking up a lot of space. The puffy wedding dress had voluminous sleeves.
Whereas On the contrary. I always save my money whereas my brother is constantly in debt.
Wholly Completely. The monk is wholly devoted to his faith.
Widespread Occurring over a large region. There is widespread poverty across that country.
Wilt To droop and become limp. Plants will wilt if you don’t water them regularly.

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