What is a hard vocabulary word

What are some hard vocabulary words?

As a follow up to our article on confusing words, here are ten of the most difficult words in English.

• Literally. If you know a language purist, watch out.
• Ironic.
• Irregardless (instead of regardless)
• Whom.
• Colonel.
• Nonplussed.
• Disinterested.
• Enormity.

What is a difficult word?

Words related to difficult troublesome, crucial, tough, problematic, arduous, onerous, demanding, severe, strenuous, ambitious, burdensome, laborious, painful, challenging, complex, delicate, confusing, grim, intractable, gargantuan.

How do you learn a difficult vocabulary?

If you’re having trouble learning a long or complex word in one go, try breaking it down into smaller parts that are more easily digested and memorized. This will make a huge difference for you. Not only are smaller parts easier to remember, but you might even find out more information about a word this way.

How many types of phobias are there?

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) identifies three different categories of phobias: social phobias, agoraphobia, and specific phobias.1 When people talk about having a phobia of a specific object such as snakes, spiders, or needles, they are referring to a specific phobia.

What are the 3 most common phobias?

So what are the 5 most common phobias?

• Arachnophobia – fear of spiders.
• Ophidiophobia – fear of snakes.
• Acrophobia – fear of heights.
• Agoraphobia – fear of situations where escape is difficult.
• Cynophobia – fear of dogs.

What is everyone afraid of?

What are the most common fears? “Fear of heights (acrophobia), closed spaces (claustrophobia), and fear of illness [nosophobia] represent potential threats to our physical safety,” Dorfman notes. The same goes for things like fear of spiders (arachnophobia) and insects.

What fears are we born with?

After the 90s, scientists have found that human beings are born with two fears.

• Fear of falling. Here the scientists have found that humans are born with the fear of falling.
• Fear of loud noise. This is also a fear type that we are born with.
• How to overcome fear? Fear is not an issue.
• Fear and Phobia. LSU.

What are humans instinctively afraid of?

We’re naturally attuned to the dangers posed by animals, especially our natural predators. Snakes are a major one, but humans are also instinctively afraid of spiders, hunting cats, and herbivorous animals that may have posed a danger.

What are the 3 fears your born with?

They are the fear of loud noises and the fear of falling. As for the universal ones, being afraid of heights is pretty common but are you afraid of falling or do you feel that you are in control enough not to be scared.

What animal are humans most afraid of?

“This confirms the general agreement in the literature that snakes and spiders are the most intensively feared animals in humans with the highest prevalence in the general population.”

What are the 3 natural fears?

Spiders, snakes, the dark – these are called natural fears, developed at a young age, influenced by our environment and culture.

Are humans naturally afraid of spiders?

If we’re born with an innate feeling of stress toward spiders and snakes, that doesn’t account for why some people grow up to have a crippling fear of these creatures while others keep them as pets. Not all studies have concluded that fear of spiders and snakes is innate.

Do spiders remember you?

A spider will not remember you tried to kill it and return to seek revenge. Of course, the spider may remember that a particular area is dangerous and try to avoid it—especially if it has been an area where they didn’t get much food to begin with.

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 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: 

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.

ENGLISH VOCABULARY HARD WORDS

For many people, learning a new language can be difficult. But what may be even more difficult is trying to learn the vocabulary of that language. English is no different. There are a lot of hard words to pronounce and remember. However, with a little bit of practice, you can start to improve your English vocabulary skills.

One way to learn new words is by listening to native speakers. Pay attention to how they say the word and what it sounds like. Another way is to read as much as you can in English. This will help expose you to different words and their meanings. Finally, don’t be afraid to practice speaking English with others. The more you use the language, the better you will become at using it correctly.

• Kepi
• Couchette
• Dabble
• Riposte
• Gybe
• Strengthen
• Apprehension
• Taupe

Read more: English Vocabulary For Ielts

• Inquisitive
• Ichthyologist
• Querulous
• Diaphanous
• Horripilation
• Liaison
• Yurt
• Facsimile
• Fricassee
• Wheedle
• Jalousie
• Pre-Eminent
• Taffeta
• Repartee
• Nefarious
• Perquisite
• Peignoir
• Fickle
• Psoriasis
• Gewgaw
• Shyster
• Howdah
• Boehmeria
• Reconciliation
• Surfeit
• Surcease
• Sylph
• Occlude
• Constitution
• Thorough
• Rotenone
• Strontium
• Termagant
• Salaam
• Finagle
• Aurochs
• Scrumptious
• Obloquy
• Phlegmatic
• Oleaginous
• Viscera
• Halcyon
• Zoanthropy
• Verisimilitude
• Guillemot
• Spasmodic
• Olfactory
• Impetuous
• Vertiginous
• Courageous
• Sacrosanct
• Noticeable
• Grovel
• Indulgent
• Godel
• Gruesome
• Scrimshaw

• Deplore
• Acquiesce
• Martyr
• Pneumonia
• Schlock
• Mezzanine
• Maverick
• Morass
• Hypocritical
• Receipt
• Ptosis
• Chancre
• Inveigle
• Cayuse
• Treacle
• Quadrille
• Tizzy
• Beginning
• Government
• Vicissitude
• Tenacious
• Squeegee
• Buffet
• Rhythm
• Chaos
• Insipid
• Picturesque
• Stroll
• Deceive
• Pique
• Viricide
• Substantiate
• Ghillie
• Thalassic
• Tourniquet
• Occasion
• Quotidian
• Humdrum
• Deem
• Traipse
• Traduce
• Subtle
• Indubitable
• Demesne

Hard Vocab Words

• Subcutaneous
• Anonymous
• Vandalize
• Toque
• Naphtha
• Psilosis
• Mendacious
• Vacuum
• Titillate
• Hoatzin
• Descendant
• Cwm
• Opprobrious
• Scorpaenoid
• Obstreperous
• Patriarch
• Relegate
• Lachrymal
• Mississippi
• Unwonted
• Coercive
• Baksheesh
• Nonce

• Monegasque
• Gallimaufry
• Umlaut
• Suzerain
• Encyclopedia
• Bassarisk
• Satiate
• Competent
• Kinkajou
• Stanchion
• Iniquitous
• Triskaidekaphobia
• Tern
• Committee
• Tarot
• Rococo
• Quiescent
• Fuming
• Incessant
• Baffle
• Culture
• Palatable
• Chlorofluorocarbon
• Dhow
• Vacillate
• Contempt
• Timbre
• Reverent
• Unconscionable
• Viscid
• Cavalcade
• Peculiar
• Cazique
• Carillon
• Caliph
• Toupee
• Pediatrician
• Monoicous
• Swindle
• Recommend
• Septuagenarian
• Dauntless
• Tortuous
• Solecism
• Adept
• Abstain
• Spontaneity
• Bouffant
• Tympanitis
• Svelte
• Pyrrhic
• Seneschal
• Conscientious
• Accommodation
• Xylose
• Ambiguous
• Haematoidin
• Rousseau
• Yttrium
• Microcosm
• Uncanny
• Roil
• Pariah
• Fluorescent
• Divergent
• Collaborate
• Misspelled
• Widgeon
• Construe
• Ancient
• Pulchritude
• Scurrility
• Acknowledgment
• Terrarium
• Onerous
• Stringent
• Exaggerate
• Feisty
• Whippoorwill
• Evanescent
• Reveille
• Macaque
• Renovation
• Obeisance
• Xenophobia

Most Hard Words In English

• Golliwogg
• Klaxon
• Dossier
• Impede
• Ebullient
• Thoracic
• Saguaro
• Suffrutescent
• Fawning
• Quoin
• Tagliatelle
• Paean
• Sagacious
• Reservoir
• Teak

• Ceaseless
• Mufti
• Anecdote
• Plebeian
• Dilettante
• Resilient
• Poseur
• Accidentally
• Bdellium
• Arithmetic
• Objurgate
• Tryst
• Aspirant
• Sanguinary
• Nexus
• Embarrass