Hard word of english with meaning of

50 Difficult Words with Meanings. Really? Is it something that matters in the preparation for competitive exams? Or is it even something you should bother going through? The simple answer is YES. Good vocabulary can take you to places in competitive exams as well as in life. Are you ready to learn new difficult words with meanings? Here is the complete list of 50 difficult words with meanings!

Why Improve Your Vocabulary?

Here are some reasons why you must improve your vocabulary:

1. Study abroad tests such as GRE, GMAT, IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, SAT, etc. include vocabulary sections to test your English proficiency. Hence, practising vocabulary daily can help you score well on these tests.
2. Developing your vocabulary will sharpen your mind.
3. Knowing the correct word can help you express your thoughts more accurately.
4. Developing your vocabulary is a great way to improve your communication skills.

Must Read: Daily Used English Words

50 Difficult Words with Meanings and Examples

1. Abnegation /abnɪˈɡeɪʃ(ə)n/: Renouncing a belief or doctrine
   Example: “I believe in the abnegation of political power”
2. Aggrandize /əˈɡrandʌɪz/: enhance power, wealth or status
   Example: It was an action intended to aggrandize the Frankish dynasty.
3. Alacrity /əˈlakrɪti/: Eagerness
   Example: He accepted the invitation with alacrity.
4. Anachronistic /ənakrəˈnɪstɪk/: misplaced chronologically
   Example: He is rebelling against the anachronistic morality of his parents.
5. Archetypal /ˌɑːkɪˈtʌɪp(ə)l/: quintessential of a certain kind
   Example: She is the archetypal country doctor.
6. Ascetic /əˈsɛtɪk/: one who practices self-denial as part of spiritual discipline
   Example: She has adopted an ascetic life of prayer, fasting, and manual labour.
7. Beguile /bɪˈɡʌɪl/: influence someone in a deceptive way
   Example: He beguiled the voters with his good looks.
8. Blandishment /ˈblandɪʃm(ə)nt/: intentional flattery for persuasion
   Example: The blandishments of the travel brochure.
9. Cajole /kəˈdʒəʊl/: persuade by flattery or coaxing
   Example: He hoped to cajole her into selling the house.
10. Callous (/ˈkaləs/: disregard for others
    Example: Her callous comments about the murder made me shiver.
11. Camaraderie /kaməˈrɑːd(ə)ri/: a sense of solidarity arising out of familiarity and sociability
    Example: I like the enforced camaraderie of office life.
12. Circumlocution /ˌsəːkəmləˈkjuːʃ(ə)n/: expressing someone in an indirect way
    Example: His admission came after years of circumlocution.
13. Clamour/ˈklamə/: proclaim something noisily
    Example: The questions rose to a clamour in the meeting.
14. Cognizant /ˈkɒ(ɡ)nɪz(ə)nt/: awareness or realization
    Example: Politicians must be cognizant of the political boundaries within which they work.
15. Construe /kənˈstruː/: interpret or assign meaning
    Example: His words could hardly be construed as an apology.
16. Convivial /kənˈvɪvɪəl/: enjoyable atmosphere or jovial company
    Example: It is a convivial cocktail party.
17. Demagogue /ˈdɛməɡɒɡ/: a political leader who uses rhetoric to appeal to prejudices and desires of ordinary citizens
    Example: The minister is a gifted demagogue with particular skill in manipulating the press.
18. Denigrate /ˈdɛnɪɡreɪt/: belittle someone
    Example: Many doom and gloom merchants denigrate their own country.
19. Didactic /dɪˈdaktɪk/: instructive with a moral intent
    Example: It is a didactic novel that set out to expose social injustice.
20. Disparate /ˈdɪsp(ə)rət/: of a distinct kind
    Example: They inhabit disparate worlds of thought.

Time to take a breather! You’re almost there! Let’s quickly finish up our list of 50 difficult words with meanings!

1. Eclectic /ɪˈklɛktɪk/: deriving the best ideas and styles from a diverse range of sources
   Example: My university is offering an eclectic mix of courses.
2. Egregious /ɪˈɡriːdʒəs/: reprehensible or outrageously bad
   Example: It is an egregious abuse of copyright.
3. Embezzlement /ɛmˈbɛzlm(ə)nt/: misappropriation of funds
   Example: He has charges of fraud and embezzlement.
4. Enervate /ˈɛnəveɪt/: lacking in vitality or mentally/ morally drained
   Example: The weather has an enervating heat today.
5. Ephemeral /ɪˈfɛm(ə)r(ə)l/: lasting for a short duration
   Example: Fads are ephemeral: new ones regularly drive out the old.
6. Equanimity /ˌɛkwəˈnɪmɪti/: maintaining composure in stressful situations
   Example: He accepted both the good and the bad with equanimity.
7. Fatuous /ˈfatjʊəs/: devoid of intelligence
   Example: It was a fatuous comment.
8. Gratuitous /ɡrəˈtjuːɪtəs/: uncalled for or unwarranted
   Example: Gratuitous violence was reported.
9. Iconoclast /ʌɪˈkɒnəklast/: someone who criticizes or attacks cherished ideas and beliefs
   Example: His son Gegnesius 722 was taken to Constantinople, where he won over to his opinions the iconoclast emperor, Leo the Isaurian. 
10. Idiosyncratic /ˌɪdɪə(ʊ)sɪŋˈkratɪk/: something peculiar to an individual
    Example: He emerged as one of the great, idiosyncratic talents of the nineties.
11. Incumbent /ɪnˈkʌmb(ə)nt/: something that is morally binding
    Example: The government realized that it was incumbent on them to act.
12. Inveterate /ɪnˈvɛt(ə)rət/: habitual
    Example: She is an inveterate gambler.
13. Libertarian /ˌlɪbəˈtɛːrɪən/: someone who cherishes ideas of free will
    Example: He is studying libertarian philosophy.
14. Licentious /lʌɪˈsɛnʃəs/: someone who is promiscuous
    Example: The ruler’s tyrannical and licentious behaviour.
15. Largess /lɑːˈ(d)ʒɛs/: Kindness or Generosity in bestowing gifts or money
    Example: The king can’t bestow these costly jewels with such a largess
16. Multifarious /ˌmʌltɪˈfɛːrɪəs/: multifaceted or diverse
    Example: The university offers multifarious activities.
17. Obdurate /ˈɒbdjʊrət/: being stubborn and refusing to change one’s opinion
    Example: I argued this point with him, but he was obdurate.
18. Ostracism /ˈɒstrəsɪz(ə)m/: excluding a person or certain section from society by majority consent
    Example: “I argued this point with him, but he was obdurate”
19. Pejorative /pɪˈdʒɒrətɪv/: showing disapproval
    Example: Permissiveness is used almost universally as a pejorative term.
20. Pertinacious /ˌpəːtɪˈneɪʃəs/: someone who is stubbornly unyielding
    Example: She worked with a pertinacious resistance to interruptions.
21. Phlegmatic /flɛɡˈmatɪk/: expressing little or no emotion
    Example: He portrays the phlegmatic British character on the show.
22. Promulgate /ˈprɒm(ə)lɡeɪt/: to broadcast or announce
    Example: These objectives have to be promulgated within the organization.
23. Quotidian /kwɒˈtɪdɪən/: something that is of daily occurrence
    Example: The car sped noisily off through the quotidian traffic.
24. Recalcitrant /rɪˈkalsɪtr(ə)nt/: resistant to authority
    Example: A class of recalcitrant fifteen-year-olds raided the store.
25. Sanctimonious /ˌsaŋ(k)tɪˈməʊnɪəs/: the pretence of being morally pious to exhibit moral superiority
    Example: What happened to all the sanctimonious talk about putting his family first?
26. Solipsism /ˈsɒlɪpsɪz(ə)m/: the philosophical theory that only the self-existence is known and all that exists
    Example: We cannot avoid the popularity of the solipsism mentality.
27. Travesty /ˈtravɪsti/: distorting facts or imitation
    Example: The absurdly lenient sentence is a travesty of justice.
28. Ubiquitous /juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/: omnipresent or existing everywhere
    Example: His ubiquitous influence was felt by the family.
29. Vicissitude /vɪˈsɪsɪtjuːd/: an unwelcome or unpleasant change in circumstances or fortune
    Example: Her husband’s sharp vicissitudes of fortune.
30. Vociferous /və(ʊ)ˈsɪf(ə)rəs/: something or someone who is offensively/ conspicuously loud.
    Example: He was a vociferous opponent of the takeover.

Good job! How many of these 50 Difficult Words with Meanings do you remember? No, don’t peep. Be honest. It’s okay even if you remember none of these hard words for now. The task of making yourself familiar with the new difficult words, especially those that we don’t use in our everyday conversations can seem impossible and exhaustive, but fret not for a few simple tricks can help you go a long way. 

Must Read: 50 Difficult Phrases with Meaning

How to Learn the Unfamiliar Words with Meaning?

Our mind tends to be more active and learn better when we engage in activities that seem more fun, learning difficult words in English can seem boring but you can make this task more fun and exciting. You and your friends can make placards with difficult words and challenge each other with meanings, the fun activity will keep you engaged and help you keep those difficult words in mind.

If group activities don’t seem like the ideal situation for you, you can make lists of the difficult words and revise them before going to bed, our brain tends to revise the things we learn and observe through the day while we sleep so this might help you learn better.

20 Hard Words with Meanings

Have you memorized 50 difficult words? If yes, we have got another set of hard words that will help you ace competitive exams. Here is the list of hard words in English that you must remember:

1. Abject /ˈabdʒɛkt/: Experienced or present to the maximum degree
   “The result plunged her into abject misery”
2. Abscond /əbˈskɒnd,abˈskɒnd/: Leave hurriedly and secretly
   “After her secret was revealed she absconded from the party”
3. Bereft /bɪˈrɛft/: Deprived of or lacking“
   The house bereft of colours and painting”
4. Calumny /ˈkaləmni/: The making of false and defamatory statements about someone to damage their reputation
   “He doesn’t seem like a person who would spread a calumny of others”
5. Capitulate /kəˈpɪtjʊleɪt/: Cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand
   “Our forces were prepared to capitulate enemies”
6. Umbrage /ˈʌmbrɪdʒ/: Annoyance or offence
   “She took umbrage of his rude comment.”
7. Emollient /ɪˈmɒlɪənt/: Having the quality of softening or soothing the skin
   “I prefer using an emollient shampoo over others”
8. Dirge /dəːdʒ/: A lament for the dead, especially one forming part of a funeral rite
   “When Rachel sang a dirge for her father, everyone had teary eyes”
9. Dispel /dɪˈspɛl/: make doubt disappear
   “The calmness of the morning dispel Ross’s disappointment”
10. Epistolary /ɪˈpɪst(ə)ˌləri/: In the form of letters
    “My grandparent’s college times epistolary collection is very interesting.”
11. Epistolary /ɪˈpɪst(ə)ˌləri/: In the form of letters or documents
    Example: The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a perfect example of Epistolary.
12. Exacerbate /ɪɡˈzasəbeɪt,ɛkˈsasəbeɪt/: To make a situation, a bad feeling or a problem worse
    Example: According to a survey stress can cause or exacerbate health conditions the humans.
13. Forbearance /fɔːˈbɛːr(ə)ns/: Self-control, Patience, Tolerance
    Example: Without forbearance, Ray wouldn’t have cleared his house loan.
14. Gourmand /ˈɡʊəmənd,ˈɡɔːmənd/: A person who likes and enjoys eating food
    Example: If you are a dessert gourmand, then you must try Kentucky Chocolate Pie.
15. Heterogeneous /ˌhɛt(ə)rə(ʊ)ˈdʒiːnɪəs/: Diverse in content or character
    Example: I gave him heterogeneous ideas for his master’s thesis topics.
16. Impecunious /ˌɪmpɪˈkjuːnɪəs/: Having less money or no money at all
    Example: After buying a new house, Sam was so impecunious that he couldn’t even afford Christmas cards.
17. Pellucid /pɪˈl(j)uːsɪd,pɛˈl(j)uːsɪd/: Clear, Easy to understand, comprehensible
    Example: His pellucid explanation of why he wants to leave the job made higher authorities release him without any conditions.
18. Philanthropic /.fɪlənˈθrɒpɪk/: An organisation or person promoting the welfare of others
    Example: Because of the financial aid received by the philanthropic bodies, Kate managed to complete her higher education.
19. Protean /ˈprəʊtɪən,prəʊˈtiːən/: Frequently changing, Trending, Versatile
    Example: Vicky Kaushal is a protean actor who is capable of performing any kind of role.
20. Spurious /ˈspjʊərɪəs/: Illegitimate, False
    Example: They made spurious claims of accidents just to get the insurance funds.

Difficult English Words to Pronounce

Want to know the hardest word? Here are the most difficult words to pronounce in English:

1. Otorhinolaryngologist: oh-toh-RYE-noh-LAR-ən-GOL-ə-jee
2. Anemone: uh·neh·muh·nee
3. Anathema: uh·na·thuh·muh
4. Worcestershire: vu·stuh·shuh
5. Balmoral: bal·maw·ruhl
6. Antidisestablishmentarianism: an·tee·dis·uh·sta·bluhsh·muhnt·euh·ree·uhn·i·zm
7. Asterisk: a·stuh·ruhsk
8. Brewery: broo·uh·ree
9. Defibrillator: duh·fi·bruh·lei·tuh
10. February: feh·bruh·ree
11. Rural: roo·ruhl
12. Floccinaucinihilipilification: Flok-si-no-si-ny-hil-i-pil-i-fi-kay-shuhn
13. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: Hi-poh-po-toh-mon-stroh-ses-kwee-peh-dah-leejoh-foh-beeja
14. Colonel: kuh·nuhl
15. Choir: kvai·uh
16. Chores: chawz
17. Isthmus: is·muhs
18. Library: lai·bruh·ree
19. Strait: streit
20. Gibraltar: ji·braal·tuh

[BONUS] 50 Simple Words with Meaning

Here is a collection of simple words with meanings that are commonly used in everyday life, some of which are as follows:

1. Back: The rear surface of the human body from the shoulders to the hips.
2. Base: The lowest part or edge of something, especially the part on which it rests or is supported.
3. Behaviour: How one acts or conducts oneself, especially towards others.
4. Belief: An acceptance that something exists or is true, especially one without proof.
5. Birth: The emergence of a baby or other young from the body of its mother; the start of life as a physically separate being.
6. Answer: A thing that is said, written, or done as a reaction to a question, statement, or situation.
7. Approval: The belief that someone or something is good or acceptable.
8. Bread: Food made of flour, water, and yeast mixture and baked.
9. Breath: An inhalation or exhalation of air from the lungs. 
10. Brother: A man or boy concerning other sons and daughters of his parents. 
11. Building: It is a structure with a roof and walls, such as a house or factory. 
12. Burn: (Of a fire) produces flames and heat while consuming a material such as coal or wood.
13. Business: It refers to a person’s regular occupation, profession, or trade.
14. Butter: It is a pale yellow edible fatty substance made by churning cream and used as a spread or in cooking. 
15. Current: Belonging to the present time; happening or being used or done now.
16. Damage: Physical harm that impairs the value, usefulness, or normal function of something. 
17. Danger: The possibility of suffering harm or injury. 
18. Daughter: A girl or woman concerning either or both of her parents. 
19. Day: Each of the twenty-four-hour periods, reckoned from one midnight to the next, into which a week, month, or year is divided, and corresponding to a rotation of the earth on its axis.
20. Death: The action or fact of dying or being killed; the end of the life of a person or organism.
21. Decision: A conclusion or resolution reached after consideration.
22. Detail: An individual fact or item
23. Development: The process of developing or being developed.
24. Direction: A course along which someone or something moves.
25. Comparison: A consideration or estimate of the similarities or dissimilarities between two things or people. 
26. Competition: The activity or condition of striving to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others.
27. Connection: A relationship in which a person or thing is linked or associated with something else.  
28. Cook: To prepare (food, a dish, or a meal) by mixing, combining, and heating the ingredients.
29. Country: A nation with its government, occupying a particular territory.
30. Cover: To put something on top of or in front of (something), especially to protect or conceal it. 
31. Credit: A customer can obtain goods or services before payment, based on the trust that payment will be made in the future.
32. Cry: To shed tears, typically as an expression of distress, pain, or sorrow.
33. Care: The provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance, and protection of someone or something. 
34. Cause: A person or thing that gives rise to an action, phenomenon, or condition. 
35. Chance: It is the probability of something desirable happening. 
36. Change: Make (someone or something) different; alter or modify. 
37. Cloth: A woven or felted fabric made from wool, cotton, or a similar fibre. 
38. Colour: The property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way it reflects or emits light. 
39. Comfort: A state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint. 
40. Company: A commercial business. 
41. Art: The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.
42. Attack: Take aggressive military action against (a place or enemy forces) with weapons or armed force.
43. Attention: When a notice is taken of someone or something; the regarding of someone or something as interesting or important. 
44. Blood: The red liquid that circulates in the arteries and veins of humans and other vertebrate animals, carrying oxygen and carbon dioxide from the tissues of the body.
45. Blow: (Of wind) move creating an air current.
46. Body: The physical structure, including the bones, flesh, and organs, of a person or an animal.
47. Account: A report or description of an event or experience OR a record or statement of financial expenditure and receipts relating to a particular period or purpose. 
48. Air: The invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth, a mixture mainly of oxygen and nitrogen.
49. Amount: A quantity of something, especially the total of a thing or things in number, size, value, or extent.
50. Animal: A living organism that feeds on organic matter, typically having specialized sense organs and a nervous system and able to respond rapidly to stimuli.

Importance of Difficult Words in Competitive Exams

Some difficult words in English can be a pest for everyone, whether it be a native speaker or a new learner. There are multiple tough words in the language which are troublesome. It becomes impossible to get a hold of these words, especially for those who are preparing for competitive exams. Students, however, invent new techniques to ease the learning process like using music to learn new words or making flashcards with hard words on one side and meaning on the other. Another fascinating method for memorizing difficult words is to associate a story around it as remembering the story is much easier than retaining the meaning of a tough word. 

We know that for all those who wish to pursue an education abroad or even appear for entrances, you must fare well in the verbal ability section of the test, it can seem like a never-ending task-learning new difficult words and their meanings, so we have curated a list of few difficult words that can give you an edge over others while you prepare for your SAT/ACT or GMAT/GRE as well as IELTS/TOEFL/PTE.

This list is also going to help students with English for competitive exams. Even those who enjoy the English language or wish to improve their vocabulary can go through our list and learn 50 Difficult Words with Meanings.

Must Read: Not Just Mandarin, These are the Most Difficult Languages in the World!

Use of English Vocabulary in GMAT

The Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) mainly comprises 4 sections: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Analytical Writing, and Integrated Reasoning. A thorough English vocabulary is a must to score on 3 of these sections of the GMAT syllabus, with only the quantitative section relying more on your mathematical and logical skills. In the various sections of the GMAT exam pattern, students are assessed on their ability to read and understand the written material and apply those to the subsequent questions to conform to standard written English. Moreover, GMAT verbal reasoning questions and critical reasoning problems imperatively evaluate one’s knowledge of English proficiency in terms of reasoning and analytical skills.

Use of English Vocabulary in GRE

The GRE pattern includes 3 sections: Quantitative, Verbal, and Analytical Writing. While studying the GRE syllabus, you must master English grammar along with hundreds of hard words to get a good score on two of these three sections excluding the quantitative reasoning section.

Sample Question Under the Category of Sentence Equivalence: Although it does contain pioneering strategies, one would hardly describe the work as ____________. 

1. Original
2. Orthodox
3. Eccentric
4. Conventional
5. Innovative
6. Trifling

The answer is (1) and (5)

Explanation: We first eliminate the words “Orthodox” and “Conventional” because they are very similar in meaning and do not complete the sentence sensibly. The word “Although” and “Hardly” are crucial signposts here. The work contains some pioneering strategies, but apparently, it is not completely a pioneering work.

Best Vocabulary Books 

Why do you want to limit yourself to only 50 difficult words? Become a master of vocabulary with the help of reference books. Here is a list of some best-selling vocabulary books that can help you to ace the word meaning section of any competitive exam: 

Reference Books	Link
1100 Words You Need to Know by Murray Brombert, Melvin Gordon	Click Here, to get your copy!
Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis	Click Here, to get your copy!
Verbal Advantage: Ten Easy Steps to a Powerful Vocabulary by Charles Harrington Elster	Click Here, to get your copy!
The Vocabulary Builder Workbook by Chris Lele	Click Here, to get your copy!
Six Weeks to Words of Power by Wilfred Funk	Click Here, to get your copy!
Little Red Book of Word Power by Terry O’Brien	Click Here, to get your copy!
Merriam-Webster’s Vocabulary Builder by  Mary Wood Cornog	Click Here, to get your copy!
Instant Word Power by Norman Lewis	Click Here, to get your copy!

FAQs

We hope this list of 50 Difficult Words with Meanings and these tricks will help you engage with new difficult words and help you in your test preparation. If you wish to seek further guidance on your test preparation and your career, you can check out Leverage Edu today and schedule a free consultation session now. Call us immediately at 1800 57 2000 for a free 30-minute counselling session.

Hardest Words: The English language is a funny, complicated and yet useful language that has thousands of words in its kitty. While some are very easy to learn, speak, and write, a few others are mind-numbingly hard to even understand, and don’t even get us started on pronouncing such words. And those words, which are difficult in their very nature, are rarely used by people in general. Such difficult words are only used by academicians and literature graduates.

However, keep in mind that most difficult words have much simpler and simplistic meanings, which when used in your communication can dramatically improve their meaning, tone, and texture. In this particular article on the hardest words to spell, we are going to discuss the following topics that are going to help students, teachers, writers, and general English enthusiasts learn about the hardest words in the English language:

• Why is it necessary to learn hard words in English?
• The hardest words in English to spell
• The hardest words in English to pronounce
• List of 100 hardest words in the English language
• How to teach and learn the hardest words in the English language?
• FAQs on the hardest words in the English language

Improve your English Grammar Faster with English Grammar Notes.

Why Is It Necessary To Learn Hard Words in English?

Below are a few reasons why one should learn about the hardest words in the English language:

• If you want to become a serious writer, it is practically mandatory for you to know about the hard words in the English language.
• Interviews: if you want to impress HR, great vocabulary can take you places.
• Brand communication: branding and marketing are all about communication, and the usage of sensible words can help a brand connect with its target group.
• Corporate environment: whether it’s internal customers or external, the usage of great vocabulary will always create a great impression within the office environment and it can bode well for your image.
• Entrance examinations: Exams like CAT, UPSC CSE, GMAT, XAT, NMAT, or MAT will demand good vocabulary from students to clear them. Knowing such difficult words can help them answer English grammar and comprehension questions correctly and score well.
• Now that we have understood why we should know about the hardest words in the English language, let us understand which words are the hardest words in the English language.

The Hardest Words To Spell in English

Below is a long difficult English word to spell:

1. Vivisepulture
2. Pococurante
3. Acquiesce
4. Demitasse
5. Laodicean
6. Chauffeur
7. Liaison
8. Gobbledegook
9. Euonymus
10. Smaragdine
11. Unconscious
12. Chiaroscurist
13. Pharaoh
14. Eudaemonic
15. Ursprache
16. Idiosyncracies
17. Foreign
18. Neighbour
19. Psoriasis
20. Canonical
21. Xanthosis
22. Equipage
23. Dulcimer
24. Soubrette
25. Maculature
26. Orient
27. Suntech
28. Asterisk
29. Deterioration
30. Wrinkle
31. Library
32. Honest
33. Listen
34. Fuchsia
35. Onomatopoeia
36. Paraphernalia
37. Brocolli
38. Weird
39. misspell
40. Bourgeois
41. Necessary
42. Increase
43. Sandal
44. Island
45. Mischievous
46. Miniscule
47. Pastime
48. Vacuum
49. Kinkajou
50. Releasable
51. Cataclysm
52. Coalescent
53. Archetypes
54. Idealist
55. Primaeval
56. Ozone
57. Exhumation
58. Occipital
59. Longeron
60. Oligopoly

Hardest English Words To Pronounce

Below is a list of the hardest words in English to pronounce:

1. Worcestershire
2. Draught
3. Brewery
4. Derby
5. Phenomenon
6. Droit
7. Detroit
8. Fille
9. Heure
10. February
11. Hour
12. Maintenant
13. Oil
14. Portefeuille
15. Pneus
16. Greenwich
17. Although
18. -Fortunate
19. Quinoa
20. Sixth
21. Anemone
22. Anime
23. Colonel
24. Kernel
25. Asterisk
26. Massachusetts
27. Temperature
28. Onomatopoeia
29. Penguin
30. Two
31. Honest
32. Colonel
33. Irritable
34. Bridge
35. Numb
36. Dumb
37. Columns
38. Isle
39. Design
40. Anchor
41. Ascend
42. Design
43. Psychological
44. Chaos
45. Apostle
46. Apostille
47. Autumn
48. Palm
49. Bridge
50. Budge
51. Swift
52. Seize
53. Pneumoniae
54. Talk
55. Bomb
56. Plumber
57. Clothes
58. Whistle
59. Almond
60. Knee

If you observe, in both the difficult words to pronounce and the difficult to spell in the English language, certain letters are silent, and that is what makes them tricky, especially for beginners and average-level English speakers.

List of 100 Hardest Words in the English Language

Below is a list of the 100 hardest words in the English language:

1. Languid
2. Poise
3. Isle
4. Frolic
5. Disabuse
6. Exponential
7. Iconoclast
8. Ascetic
9. Inert
10. Avalanche
11. Feet
12. Boulevard
13. Mauve
14. Hegemony
15. Disparate
16. Beguile
17. Jolt
18. Abeyance
19. Vilify
20. Fracas
21. Knell
22. Emblem
23. Licence
24. Naturally
25. Shindler
26. Canine
27. Famine
28. Library
29. Fathom
30. Echoes
31. Inching
32. Fawn
33. Often
34. Knowledge
35. Wrinkle
36. Grasp
37. occurred
38. Literally
39. Finally,
40. Laconic
41. February
42. Embarrassed
43. Height
44. business
45. Foreign
46. Beginning
47. Magazine
48. Schedule
49. Arctic
50. Architectural
51. Grammar
52. Consent
53. Define
54. Demonstration
55. Deviate
56. Diminish
57. Integrated
58. Contract
59. Priorities
60. Piece
61. Succedaneum
62. Soubrette
63. Equipage
64. Vignette
65. Hydrophyte
66. Crustaceology
67. Ratoon
68. Detect
69. Thrifty
70. Absurd
71. Accord
72. Shine
73. Impede
74. Rural
75. Misery
76. Urban
77. Eulogy
78. Echoed
79. Wiggle
80. Shaky
81. Buttress
82. Explicit
83. Unique
84. Blown
85. Brown
86. Guile
87. Placate
88. Alias
89. Increase
90. Staid
91. epitome
92. Espresso
93. Fork
94. Follicles
95. Zephyr
96. Nauseous
97. Accommodation
98. Miniscule
99. Onomatopoeia
100. Synchronous

How To Teach and Learn the Hardest Words in the English Language?

The number of ways to improve one’s vocabulary and learn the hardest words in the English language is not limited in any sense. One can follow the below methodologies to learn the hardest words in English:

• Learn and write one new word every day.
• Keep reading editorials of newspapers such as the Hindu New Indian Express or the Live Mint. These newspapers provide quality content with a high vocabulary.
• Read novels written by Nobel laureates and people from different walks of life and geography so that your mental horizon expands.
• Start writing articles and blogs yourself and use the vocabulary that you have learnt in these articles so that you get to practise the same.

The above mentioned are a few of the methodologies that one can adopt to learn the hardest words in the English language. There are other methods as well that people adopt, but one should never memorise these words because memorising them is of no value and you will not learn how, when, where, and how much to use.

FAQs on the Hardest Words in the English Language

The frequently asked question regarding the hardest words in the English Language are given below:

1. Is it necessary to learn hard words in English?
Answer: Yes, learning hard words in English will help you improve your vocabulary and communication skills.

2. How to Learn the Difficult English Words?
Answer: By reading and writing every day, one can improve their vocabulary and learn the hardest words in the English language.

3. Where are hard words in the English language used?
Answer: Hard words in the English language are mostly used in academic papers, literary works, novels, editorials, and columns in newspapers and magazines.

4. What makes a few words hard in English?
Answer: Silent letters, double letters, and long spelling can make a few words hard in the English language.

Conclusion

Most of us opt for an easier way out in life, and that is exactly what we do with English vocabulary also. All the usage of simple words can be made easier. One should start inculcating usage of difficult vocabulary in the English language so that it improves their hold and grasp of the language.

There are thousands of difficult words in the English language and you can’t learn all the difficult words, but knowing a few can help you make a good impression in interviews, essay writing competitions and entrance examinations.

50 Difficult Words New With Meanings: We use many thousands of words in a day. We may not know all the meanings of each word, and we may not even be aware of all the synonyms for the words we use. Vocabulary books are a good tool for learning new vocabulary and finding synonyms; they can also help improve your knowledge base. Complete List of 50 Difficult Words new with Meanings and Examples. write, read, spell and understand are considered to be difficult words in English. Well, this list of 50 Difficult Words with Meanings, is carefully curated and includes some difficult words that you would surely like In our daily life, we use so many English words while interacting with people, but do you even think of how many words and their meaning we miss out? List of 50 Difficult English Words With Meanings. 50 difficult words with meaning| Words for TOEFL, IELTS & more. 50 Hard Words with Meanings – How to Learn the Most Difficult Words in English?. Most of the words we are using while communicating have synonyms, but we never use them. list of 50 Difficult Words with Senses, which is carefully prearranged and contains difficult words which you can surely use while presenting yourself and for your profile on social apps. Using difficult words can be a good grace for the applicants while conversation, difficult words attract people that make the people impress the other person. Here is the list of 50 Difficult new English Words with Meanings:

Here are 50 difficult New words 2023 with their meanings:

1. Abhor: to hate or detest
2. Acrimonious: bitter or harsh in tone or temper
3. Acrophobia: a fear of heights
4. Acumen: keenness of judgment or insight
5. Adage: a long-established saying or proverb
6. Aeon: an extremely long period of time
7. A fortiori: with even greater reason
8. Agnostic: a person who believes that the existence of God or gods is unknown or unknowable
9. Allegory: a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning
10. Altruism: unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others
11. Amalgam: a mixture of two or more things, especially metals
12. Amorphous: without definite shape or form
13. Anachronism: something that is out of place in time
14. Anathema: something that is deeply detested
15. Apathy: lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern
16. Apocryphal: of doubtful authenticity
17. Apoplectic: relating to or affected by apoplexy (a sudden loss of consciousness and control of bodily functions caused by a rupture of a blood vessel in the brain)
18. Appall: to fill with dismay or horror
19. Apocryphal: of doubtful authenticity
20. Arcanum: a secret or mystery
21. Ascetic: a person who practices severe self-discipline and self-denial, typically for religious reasons
22. Atrocity: an act of extreme cruelty or barbarity
23. Augury: the practice of interpreting omens
24. Auspicious: giving promise of success or good fortune
25. Avarice: extreme greed for wealth or possessions
26. Baffle: to confuse or perplex
27. Banal: lacking in originality or interest
28. Bard: a poet, traditionally one reciting epics and associated with a particular oral tradition
29. Bastion: a defensive wall or fortified position
30. Belligerent: aggressively hostile
31. Benevolent: characterized by or showing goodwill or kindness
32. Bewilder: to confuse or perplex utterly
33. Bilious: bad-tempered or irritable
34. Blight: a plant disease causing withering and death
35. Blithe: carefree and happy-go-lucky
36. Bogus: not genuine or true
37. Bombast: extravagant language that is intended to impress but is usually ineffective
38. Brash: offensively confident or self-assertive
39. Burgeon: to grow or develop rapidly
40. Callous: insensitive or unfeeling
41. Cantankerous: bad-tempered and quarrelsome
42. Captivate: to attract and hold the attention of someone completely
43. Caricature: a picture, description, or imitation of someone or something that exaggerates certain features in order to create a comic or grotesque effect
44. Cataclysm: a violent upheaval or disaster
45. Catty: spiteful or malicious
46. Celibacy: the state of being unmarried and not having sexual relations
47. Censure: to express strong disapproval of
48. Chagrin: a feeling of deep disappointment or vexation
49. Charlatan: a person falsely claiming to have special knowledge or abilities
50. Chicanery: trickery or deception

50 New English Words with Meaning and Sentences

How can remembering difficult words help you?

Difficult words can be used in the exams such as IELTS, TOEFL, GRE exams, etc. Understanding words and answering the questions correctly will fetch you outstanding marks in the examinations. Plus, your vocabulary will improve as a result of remembering difficult words.

Difficult english words with meanings and sentences, Here is the list of 50 Difficult new English Words with Meanings. In today’s time it is very important for everyone to know the English language. If you want to have a good command over English then you have to learn the words everyday. Start with 10 words daily and then increase your capacity to learn them. Also make sentences with these words so that you can know the use of these difficult words very well.

50 Words With Difficult-to-Remember Meanings. Most of the words we are using while communicating have synonyms, but we never use them. list of 50 Difficult Words with Senses, which is carefully prearranged and contains difficult words which you can surely use while presenting yourself and for your profile on social apps. Using difficult words can be a good grace for the applicants while conversation, difficult words attract people that make the people impress the other person. Consequently,

Speaking good English is regarded as a skill in today’s society. Even for the eligibility of several competitive exams such as GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS, one must be well- acquainted with good vocabulary. A good comprehensive list with 50 difficult words and their meaning along with examples which will be sufficient to make a good first impression.

Why should you learn difficult words? 

The answer is to prepare for competitive exams, you can interact more easily with interviewers when you go for any kind of interview, it sharpens your mind and it improves your confidence and skills.  If you use advanced and high-level words in your conservation, then the interviewer gets a good impression that you are good at communication skills and you have a vast knowledge of things.

A lot of novels contain difficult words, so an understanding of such words makes it easy to read and understand them. You can also read novels for improving your vocabulary. If you find any difficult words in it, you can search for the meaning on the internet and note them down for future reference.

How to remember difficult words?

With continuous practice, you will be able to memorize these difficult words.

Hard English Words

List of 50 Difficult English Words With Meanings: As a follow up to our article on confusing words, here are ten of the most difficult words in English. Most of the words we are using while interaction have synonyms, but we never use them. Really? Do you think difficult words are helpful when you are preparing for the competitive exams? Or it is something that is bothering you? The answer to this is very simple which is YES. Good vocabulary takes you ahead in competitive exams as well as in your life. Well, here is the list of 50 Difficult Words with Meanings, which is carefully organized and contains difficult words which you can surely use while introducing yourself and for your profile on social apps. Learn Difficult English Words with Meaning and Sentence and Improve Your English Vocabulary .

Personality development can be shown by your talking ways and along with the person behavior. Communication can be the key of various things mainly it can enhance your value if you speak frequent english along with use attractive words into your language.

Using of difficult words can be a good grace for the candidates while conversation, difficult words attract people that make the people impress the other person. Consequently, if you want to attract the other person to impress them with your personality and skills add these difficult words into your conversation.

1. Adamant- refusing to be persuaded or to change one’s mind
2. Acumen- the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions
3. Ascetic -a person practices self-denial as part of spiritual discipline
4. Anachronistic -antique, misplaced chronologically
5. Aggrandize– to increase or enhance power, wealth or status
6. Alacrity -great willingness, eagerness
7. Abnegation -the action of renouncing a belief or doctrine
8. Awedde – to overcome anger
9. Bagel – Something that is transitive
10. Baffle- totally bewilder
11. Beseech– ask urgently and fervently to do something
12. Beguile -charm, influence someone in a deceptive way
13. Brusque – short and abrupt
14. Blandishment -a flattering or pleasant statement
15. Callous -not caring or disregard for others
16. Camaraderie -a feeling of solidarity arising out of familiarity and sociability
17. Cajole -to persuade a person to do something by flattery or coaxing
18. Clamor -proclaim or demand something noisily
19. Circumlocution -expressing someone with too many words in an indirect way
20. Cognizant – realization or awareness 
21. Construe – to interpret or assign meaning
22. Convivial -happy and enjoyable atmosphere or jovial company
23. Denigrate -to criticize someone
24. Dispel – make doubt disappear
25. Didactic  – designed to teach people something
26. Demagogue -a political leader who uses rhetoric to appeal to prejudices and desires of ordinary citizens
27. Disparate – consisting of people or things of a distinct kind
28. Egregious – outrageously bad
29. Embezzlement -misappropriation of funds.
30. Ephemeral– lasting or used for an only short duration
31. Eclectic -deriving the best ideas and styles or taste from a diverse range of sources
32. Enervate -feel drained in vitality or energy.
33. Equanimity -maintaining a calm state of mind in stressful situations
34. Fatuous -pointless or devoid of intelligence
35. Gratuitous -given or done free of charge, uncalled for or unwarranted
36. Impeccable – flawless
37. Incumbent -something that is morally binding
38. Idiosyncratic -something which is peculiar to an individual
39. Iconoclast -a person who criticizes or attacks cherished beliefs
40. Inveterate -having a particular habit or habitual
41. Kvetchy- Ill-tempered
42. Libertarian -someone who believes in ideas of free will
43. Licentious -disregarding accepted conventions, someone who is promiscuous
44. Mendacious -not telling the truth, deceitful
45. Multifarious -multifaceted or diverse types
46. Ostracism -excluding a person from society by majority consent
47. Obdurate -being stubborn to change one’s opinion
48. Obfuscate – unclear; confuse
49. Obsequious – try to win favor from influential people
50. Obstreperous – noisy and difficult to control
51. Ostensible – appearing to be true
52. Pallid – abnormally pale or lacking intensity of color
53. Pertinacious -holding to an opinion, someone who is stubbornly unyielding
54. Promulgate-to promote or broadcast or announce
55. Pejorative -showing or expressing disapproval
56. Phlegmatic -having little or no emotion
57. Quotidian -something that is occurring daily 
58. Recalcitrant -resistant or uncooperative to authority
59. Sanctimonious -pretending being morally pious to exhibit moral superiority
60. Solipsism -the theory that only the self-existence is known 
61. Travesty -a false or distorting fact or imitation
62. Ubiquitous -omnipresent or appearing everywhere
63. Unfathom – Puzzling
64. Vicissitude – an unpleasant change in fortune or circumstances 
65. Vociferous -someone who is offensively/ conspicuously loud.
66. Timbre- Voicetone
67. Boorish- Rude, Uncultured
68. Uncouth– Impolite, Unrefined
69. Querulous– Complaining, Showing that one is irritated.
70. Plumes– Soft features
71. Throng– Crowd, In large numbers
72. Irk– Annoy
73. Sordid– Dishonest or immoral
74. Invigorate– give strength or energy to
75. Alienate– cause to feel isolated

Some English words can be annoying for everyone, whether it is a professional or a beginner. There are many difficult words that cause trouble. It is very difficult for a person to get used to these words, especially for a student. Students use different ways like music to get used to these words or by making flashcards with difficult words and their meaning. Some other method of learning difficult words is to create a story for remembering the difficult words as it is easy to remember a story rather than learning the meaning of a difficult word. As we all know for the people who want to get education from abroad or while giving an entrance exam you must perform well in the verbal ability section in that test.  

Vocabulary is the major and necessary aspect for the person who wants to prepare for the competitive exam, and it is very important to master it when you are giving a test. You cannot learn so many words at a time, there is a limit for cramming of words at a time. Learn just a few difficult words at a time and after that properly understand their meaning. Try to make sentences using difficult words and use them in your day-to-day life while interacting with the people.

Use of English vocabulary in The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) consists of Integrated Reasoning, Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical Writing. A complete English vocabulary is necessary to score on these sections, with the quantitative section which includes mathematical and logical skills. Some sections of GMAT, measure your understanding and ability to read the written content.      

Use of English vocabulary in The Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

The Graduate Record Examination consists of 3 sections: Verbal, Analytical Writing and Quantitative. GRE is a kind of difficult exam to crack. Many people say that GRE is much more difficult in comparison to GMAT. The vocabulary of GRE is more difficult because so many rare words are given in the question paper that is difficult to understand. So, students should prepare in the best way possible and should learn new words as many as possible. One should be good in English grammar along with hundreds of difficult words to score well in two of the 3 sections without including the quantitative section. Thus, when it is about GRE examination students should be completely prepared in their vocabulary skills.  

Our mind works properly, and it learns things better when we engage in fun activities, when we learn difficult words it looks boring, but we can make it exciting and full of fun. You along with your friends challenge one another by making placards with meanings, this kind of activity will keep you busy and you can easily keep the hard words in your mind. If these kinds of group activities do not suit you, make a list of the difficult words and just before sleep revise them, this will help you in learning the words better.   

Books to improve vocabulary

Want to improve your vocabulary? If yes, then here is a compilation of essential books for you.

• 504 Absolutely Essential Words
• Build Your Vocabulary Skills
• Word Power Made Easy
• The Elements of Style
• The Meaning of Everything
• Word by Word

new English words you should know in 2023

So, let’s make this vocabulary list interesting by adding some latest and trendy English words to it. Check out the list here:

Stan

Meaning: An extremely excessively enthusiastic and devoted fan (stalker-fan).

Nomophobia

Meaning: Fear or worry at the idea of being without your phone or unable to use it.

Peoplekind

Meaning: A gender-neutral alternative to mankind’.

Bottle episode

Meaning: An episode of a television series that is confined to one setting and isn’t expensive to produce.

Carbon sink

Meaning: A forest, ocean, or another natural environment’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Buzzy

Meaning: Something that generates excitement and gets people talking.

Sober-curious

Meaning: Experimenting with a period of not drinking alcohol.

Permaculture

Meaning: It is a portmanteau word, which means it combines two words to make a new one.

Hellacious

Meaning: an awful experience and is often used to describe traffic, weather or even a period of time.

Climate emergency

Meaning: defined as a situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it.

Flamboyant

Meaning: easily able to attract the attention of others due to some qualities like exuberance, confidence, and stylishness.

Inquisitive

Meaning: displaying interest in knowing different things, being very curious about a particular thing.

Exuberant

Meaning: Having a lot of energy, being cheerful and excited.

Vitriolic

Meaning: Being harsh, bitter, or malicious in tone

Vivacious

Meaning: Being vigorous and excited

Abstruse

Meaning: difficult to understand and grasp

Contrite

Meaning: feeling or expressing pain or sorrow

Covet

Meaning: wishing, longing, or craving for something

Mawkish

Meaning: State of being very sentimental or emotional

The conversation is key to language that enhance our personality and develops us. While conversation it can help others to know your knowledge. Using these words into your conversation can enhance your personality. Different word into our daily conversation can enhance your personality along with can give a good impact on others.

Henceforth try to add these difficult words into your daily conversation or use them in your vocabulary so that they can enhance your English, your knowledge. These words can add stars in your impression. As if we interact with someone or go or an interview job our personality, our language our way of talking is the first thing which comes in the notice by the others. So if we use these difficult words or non-common words so they can add extra stares into your personality along with can enhance your confidence level, that will boast you high towards your work or among people. You and your friends can make plug cards with difficult words and challenge each other with meanings, the fun activity will keep you engaged and help you keep those difficult words in mind.

How to learn difficult words with meanings

Following are some steps through which it will be easier to learn difficult English words with meanings:

• Students can maintain a notebook for vocabulary
• They should learn at least one word on daily basis.
• Students should solve crossword puzzle to increase their knowledge
• Students should have a habit of reading novels.
• A handy dictionary should be with you. You can download it on your mobile. So wherever you be, you can learn easily some hard words of English. As we all know that it is a world of technology, and mobile phones are used on a very large scale. You must be aware of various applications on your mobile. You can also download a dictionary application using the play store or apple store. When you open the dictionary app, you will be able to find the meaning of all the difficult words.
• You might be confused about which application to use as there are millions of applications available on the internet, then you must refer to the following applications to learn the English language- Rosetta Stone, FluentU, Hello English, Duolingo, etc.
• When you listen your favorite songs, you also learn the lyrics of that songs, so in case of when you learning English learn it as in the form.
• You can also start watching English movies, and series to practice high-level English. You will get to know more about the tone of speaking used by the native English people.

Apart from these today in English language you’ll see the so called Gen Z kids using different different kinds of acronyms on Social Media. Which apparently seems very fun and there is always some or the other new word or new acronyms coming up. For example – brb which means be right back, Ikr which means I know right and several such acronyms are used informally.

Difficult Words why we need to remameber ?

We need to remember the why because it’s the reason we do things. The why is our purpose, our motivation- it’s what drives us to do what we do. If we don’t have a strong why, we won’t be as likely to stick with something when it gets tough. Remembering the why helps us to stay focused and motivated. The motive is to learn the language in depth and to become fluent in it. Using difficult yet standard words in writing or speaking increases vocabulary and leave a good impact on the listeners.

Vocabulary is the core of English study. To master difficult words, you need to know definitions and meanings, as well as sentences and examples. The list of 200 hard words with meaning and sentence offers excellent contexts for each word to enrich your vocabulary skill. Especially for SAT or ACT test-takers, these hard words and sentences are a great resource to enhance college admission test skills.

Vocabulary capability plays a vital role in all English language tests. No matter what sort of questions, either reading or writing, a high score relies on strong vocabulary skills. It may not ensure a good score, but the reverse is true: a weak vocabulary will lead to a bad result. So don’t miss this difficult word list.

Students have various ways to study difficult words. One method is to learn new words from sentences and contexts. When you study or review difficult words, good example sentences help very much. These sentences not only let you understand new words precisely but also push you to use new words confidently.

Here we list 200 hard words with meaning, sentence, and practice. Most of the sentences are from the media or the Internet. The real and alive English sentences give you actual context meanings, which help to memorize difficult words by context and to trigger inspiration to use them in writing.

The high light of this small difficult word list is its sentences, which are excellent examples to demonstrate word’s meaning. As long as you bind words with their context sentences, both words and sentences can improve your performance in all aspects of English; especially these sentences should be a handy resource in writing. In addition, we build some handy tools to help you getting

The printable PDF worksheets are common tools to study vocabulary. We offer nice PDF format to export words, meanings, and sentences as word list and cards. Click below picture to print your own PDF files.

We also offer flexible online exercises for each word, including word-to-definition match quiz and spelling. Try them from below demo pictures.

To help memeroizing these hard words, we offer two exclusive tools to mark and manage these words. Click below picture to try how to manage hard words. (To save your words’ statuses to server, you need to have an examword.com account.)

This word list also includes meanings in multiple non-English languages to help ESL users speed up their vocabulary building. When you sign on, you can select a home language. After setting, you will see definitions of these difficult words in your own language.

Try the below demo. If you sign on, your setting has a higher priority.

obdurate /’ɒbdjʊrɪt/;/’ɑbdərɪt/ a. Syn. stubborn; inflexible
hardened in wrongdoing or wickedness; not giving in to persuasion
He was obdurate in his refusal to listen to our complaints. obfuscate /’ɒbfʌskeɪt/ v. Syn. confuse; muddle
confuse; muddle; cause confusion; make needlessly complex
Was the president’s spokesman trying to clarify the Whitewater mystery, or was he trying to obfuscate the issue so the voters would never figure out what went on?. oblique /ə’bli:k/ a. Syn. inclined
having slanting or sloping direction, course, or position; inclined
Casting a quick, oblique glance at the reviewing stand, the sergeant ordered the company to march. obsequious /əb’si:kwɪəs/ a.
slavishly attentive; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
Helen liked to be served by people who behaved as if they respected themselves; nothing irritated her more than an excessively obsequious waiter or a fawning salesclerk. obstreperous /əb’strɛpərəs/ a.
noisily aggressive; making great noise or outcry
What do you do when an obstreperous horde of drunken policemen goes carousing through your hotel, crashing into potted plants and singing vulgar songs?. obtuse /əb’tju:s/;/əb’tu:s/ a. Syn. stupid
lacking in insight or discernment; stupid
What can you do with somebody who’s so obtuse that he can’t even tell that you’re insulting him?. odious /’oʊdɪəs/ a. Syn. hateful; vile
hateful; arousing strong dislike, aversion, or intense displeasure
Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters had the odious habit of popping their zits in public. officious /ə’fɪʃəs/ a.
marked by excessive eagerness in offering unwanted services or advice to others
Judy wanted to look over the new computer models on her own, but the officious salesman kept on butting in with «helpful» advice until she was ready to walk out of the store. ostensible /ɒ’stɛnsɪb(ə)l/ a. Syn. apparent
put forth or held out as real, actual, or intended; proper or intended to be shown
Although the ostensible purpose of this expedition is to discover new lands, we are really interested in finding new markets for our products. palliate /’pælɪeɪt/ v.
lessen violence of disease; moderate intensity; gloss over with excuses
Not content merely to palliate the patient’s sores and cankers, the researcher sought a means of wiping out the disease. pallid /’pælɪd/ a. Syn. pale; wan
abnormally pale; lacking intensity of color or luminousness
Because his job required that he work at night and sleep during the day, he had an exceptionally pallid complexion. panacea /pænə’sɪə/ n.
remedy for all diseases, evils, or difficulties; a cure-all
The rich youth cynically declared that the panacea for all speeding tickets was a big enough bribe. paragon /’pærəgən/;/’pærəgɒn/ n. Syn. model
model of excellence or perfection; peerless example
Mr. Brumby’s paragon is shocked at the other’s inaptitude for examination. pariah /’pærɪə/ n. Syn. untouchable
social outcast; person who is rejected from society or home
Shortly Tom came upon the juvenile pariah of the village, Huckleberry Finn, son of the town drunkard. parsimony /’pɑrsɪmənɪ/;/-moʊnɪ/ n.
extreme care in spending money; reluctance to spend money unnecessarily
Because her father wouldn’t let her buy a new iPhone, Annie accused him of parsimony. pathos /’peɪθɒs/ n. Syn. pity
tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces these feelings
The quiet tone of pathos that ran through the novel never degenerated into the maudlin or the overly sentimental. paucity /’pɔ:sɪtɪ/ n. Syn. scarcity
scarcity; smallness of number; fewness
They closed the restaurant because the paucity of customers made it uneconomical to operate. pejorative /pɪ’dʒɒrətɪv/ a.
tending to make or become worse; disparaging or belittling
Instead of criticizing Clinton’s policies, the Republicans made pejorative remarks about his character. pellucid /pɪ’lju:sɪd/ a. Syn. transparent; limpid
transparent; limpid; easy to understand
After reading these stodgy philosophers, I find Bertrand Russell’s pellucid style very enjoyable. perfidious /pə’fɪdɪəs/ a. Syn. treacherous; disloyal
tending to betray; disloyal; faithless
When Caesar realized that Brutus had betrayed him, he reproached his perfidious friend. perfunctory /pə’fʌŋktərɪ/ a. Syn. superficial
done routinely and with little interest or care; acting with indifference; showing little interest or care
I introduced myself, and at my name his perfunctory manner changed; I knew he heard me before. pernicious /pə’nɪʃəs/ a. Syn. deadly
very destructive; tending to cause death or serious injury; deadly
Crack cocaine has had a pernicious effect on urban society: it has destroyed families, turned children into drug dealers, and increased the spread of violent crimes. pertinacious /pɜrtɪ’neɪʃəs/;/-tn’eɪʃəs/ a. Syn. stubborn; persistent
stubbornly or perversely persistent; unyielding; obstinate
He is bound to succeed because his pertinacious nature will not permit him to quit. pithy /’pɪθɪ/ a. Syn. concise
precisely meaningful; forceful and brief
While other girls might have gone on and on about how un-cool Elton was, Liz summed it up in one pithy remark: «He’s bogus!» platitude /’plætɪtju:d/;/-tu:d/ n.
dullness; insipidity of thought; commonplace statement; lack of originality
In giving advice to his son, old Polonius expressed himself only in same platitude; every word out of his mouth was a commonplace. plethora /’plɛθərə/ n. Syn. excess; overabundance
excess; over-fullness in any respect; superabundance
She offered a plethora of excuses for her shortcomings. portent /’pɔ:tɛnt/ n. Syn. sign; omen; forewarning
omen; forewarning; something that portends an event about to occur, especially unfortunate or evil event
He regarded the black cloud as a portent of evil. precocious /prɪ’koʊʃəs/ a.
advanced in development; appearing or developing early
Listening to the grown-up way the child discussed serious topics, we couldn’t help remarking how precocious she was. primeval /praɪ’mi:v(ə)l/ a. Syn. ancient; primitive
ancient; primitive; belonging to the first or earliest age; original or ancient
The archaeologist claimed that the skeleton was primeval origin, though in fact it was the remains of a modern day monkey. proclivity /prə’klɪvɪtɪ/ n. Syn. inclination
inclination; natural tendency; readiness; facility of learning
Watching the two-year-old boy voluntarily put away his toys, I was amazed by his proclivity for neatness. promulgate /’prɒməlgeɪt/ v. Syn. announce
proclaim doctrine or law; make known by official publication
During an interview with ABC News, Barack Obama said Republican attempted to promulgate, falsely, his Muslim connections. propensity /prə’pɛnsɪtɪ/ n. Syn. tendency; predilection
natural inclination; tendency or preference; predilection
Convinced of his own talent, Sol has an unfortunate propensity to belittle the talents of others. propitious /prə’pɪʃəs/ a. Syn. favorable; fortunate; advantageous
presenting favorable circumstances; fortunate; advantageous
Chloe consulted her horoscope to see whether Tuesday would be a propitious day to dump her boyfriend. prosaic /proʊ’zeiɪk/ a. Syn. factual
dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact; factual
Though the ad writers came up with an original way to publicize the product, the head office rejected it for a more prosaic, ordinary slogan. proscribe /proʊ’skraɪb/;/proʊ-/ v. Syn. banish; outlaw
command against; banish; outlaw
Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus united to proscribe all those who had conspired against Julius Caesar. protean /’proʊtɪɛn, ‘proʊti:n/ a. Syn. versatile
versatile; able to take on many shapes; readily taking on varied shapes
A remarkably protean actor, Alec Guinness could take on any role. prurient /’prʊərɪənt/ a.
having or causing lustful thoughts and desires; having eager desire for something
Aroused by his prurient impulses, the dirty old man leered at the sweet young thing and offered to give her a sample of his «prowess.». puerile /’pjʊəraɪl/;/-rəl/ a. Syn. childish
childish; belonging to childhood; immature
His puerile pranks sometimes offended his more mature friends. pulchritude /’pʌlkrɪtju:d/ n. Syn. beauty; comeliness
great physical beauty and appeal; attractive moral excellence; moral beauty
I do not envy the judges who have to select this year’s Miss America from this collection of female pulchritude. punctilious /pʌŋk’tɪlɪəs/ a.
marked by precise accordance with details
Percy is punctilious about observing the rules of etiquette whenever Miss Manners invites him to stay. quagmire /’kwɒgmaɪə(r)/ n.
soft wet boggy land; complex or dangerous situation from which it is difficult to free oneself
Up to her knees in mud, Myra wondered how on earth she was going to extricate herself from this quagmire. querulous /’kwɛrʊləs/ a. Syn. fretful; whining
habitually complaining; expressing complaint or grievance
Even the most agreeable toddlers can begin to act querulous if they miss their nap. quixotic /kwɪk’sɒtɪk/ a.
idealistic without regard to practicality
Constantly coming up with quixotic, unworkable schemes to save the world, Simon has his heart in the right place, but his head somewhere in the clouds. rancor /’ræŋkə(r)/ n. Syn. enmity; hatred
bitter, long-lasting resentment; deep-seated ill will; hatred
Thirty years after the war, she could not let go of the past but was still consumed with rancor against the foe. rebuke /rɪ’bju:k/ v. Syn. admonish; scold
scold harshly; criticize severely
No matter how sharply I rebuke Huck for his misconduct, he never talks back but just stand there like a stump. recalcitrant /rɪ’kælsɪtrənt/ a.
obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority
Which animal do you think is more recalcitrant, a pig or a mule?. rectitude /’rɛktɪtju:d/;/-tu:d/ n. Syn. uprightness
uprightness; moral virtue; correctness of judgment
The Eagle Scout was a model of rectitude. replete /rɪ’pli:t/ a.
filled to brim or to point of being stuffed; abundantly supplied
The movie star’s memoir was replete with juicy details about the love life of half of Hollywood. reprobate /’rɛproʊbeɪt/ n.
person hardened in sin; person without moral scruples
I cannot understand why he has so many admirers if he is the reprobate you say he is. reprove /rɪ’pru:v/ v. Syn. censure; rebuke
voice or convey disapproval of; rebuke; find fault with
The principal would severely reprove the students whenever they talked in the halls.

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