As an English teacher, I have been preparing students for international exams for more than 20 years, and no matter which exam you wish to take, be it the University of Cambridge, the University of Michigan, or any of the many other exams, there is no doubt that your knowledge of vocabulary plays a huge role in your level of success.
A robust knowledge of vocabulary improves all areas of communication. For students who are planning to undertake an international exam, vocabulary helps you to understand what you are reading and listening to, it helps you to include the best words in your writing and to be able to confidently and fluently answer the questions in your speaking interview.
Expanding your knowledge of words provides you with unlimited access to new information and ultimate success with your exams.
Whilst it is true that there is no single list of vocabulary that is guaranteed to perfectly prepare you for every exam, the list below is one of the lists that I always use for my students when they are preparing for their B2 to C2 level exams.
I have also included links to other lists which I use as well for my students which you are welcome to evaluate and use as part of your studies and preparation.
I hope that you find this list helpful and I wish you good luck and good studying.
1. Pragmatic - a pragmatic way of dealing with something is based on practical considerations, rather than theoretical ones, a pragmatic person deals with things in a practical way
2. Reluctant - if you are reluctant to do something, you are unwilling to do it and hesitate before doing it, or do it slowly and without enthusiasm
3. Dispassionate - someone who is dispassionate is calm and reasonable and not affected by emotions
4. Disposition - someone's disposition is the way that they tend to behave or feel (dispassionate disposition)
5. Candid - when you are candid about something or with someone, you speak honestly
6. Naive - if you describe someone as naive, you think they lack experience and so expect things to be easy or people to be honest or kind
7. Gullible - if you describe someone as gullible, you mean they are easily tricked because they are too trusting
8. Cliche - a phrase or expression that has been used so often that it is no longer original or interesting or effective
9. Horrified - shocked, terrified, frightened, stricken with horror
10. Horrid - if you describe someone as horrid, you mean that they behave in a very unpleasant way toward other people
11. Contemptuous - if you are contemptuous of someone or something, you do not like or respect them at all
12. Liminal - of intermediate or in-between state or condition (liminal being)
13. Decree - a decree is an official order or decision, especially one made by the ruler of a country
14. Precedence - if one thing takes precedence over another, it is regarded as more important than the other thing (took precedence over)
15. Meritorious - if you describe something as meritorious, you approve of it for its good or worthwhile qualities (meritorious life)
16. Hermit - a hermit is a person who lives alone, away from people and society
17. Consort - if you say that someone consorts with a particular person or group, you mean that they spend a lot of time with them (sakthi is his consort)
18. Wax and wane - to become stronger and then weaker, to increase and then decrease
19. Elude - if something that you want eludes you, you fail to obtain it, if a fact or idea eludes you, you do not succeed in understanding it, realizing it, or remembering it, if you elude someone or something, you avoid them or escape from them
20. Lineage - someone's lineage is the series of families from which they are directly descended
21. Ambiguity - if you say that there is ambiguity in something, you mean that it is unclear or confusing, or it can be understood in more than one way (gender ambiguity)
22. Manifest - if you say that something is manifest, you mean that it is clearly true and that nobody would disagree with it if they saw it or considered it
23. Insensitive - if you describe someone as insensitive, you are criticizing them for being unaware of or unsympathetic to other people's feelings
24. Obliged - if you are obliged to do something, a situation, rule, or law makes it necessary for you to do that thing
25. Fortune - luck
26. Misfortune - bad luck
27. Trait - a trait is a particular characteristic, quality, or tendency that someone or something has
28. Obsessed - if someone is obsessed with a person or thing, they keep thinking about them and find it difficult to think about anything else
29. Indulge - if you indulge in something or if you indulge yourself, you allow yourself to have or do something that you know you will enjoy, if you indulge someone, you let them have or do what they want, even if this is not good for them
30. Hurl - if you hurl something, you throw it violently and with a lot of force
31. Stricken - if a person or place is stricken by something such as an unpleasant feeling, an illness, or a natural disaster, they are severely affected by it
32. Weep - if someone weeps, they cry
33. Scour - if you scour something such as a place or a book, you make a thorough search of it to try to find what you are looking for
34. Elusive - something or someone that is elusive is difficult to find, describe, remember, or achieve
35. Ethereal - someone or something that is ethereal has a delicate beauty (most ethereal romantic heroin)
36. Dashing - a dashing person or thing is very stylish and attractive
37. Celibacy - state of not being married (took the vow of celibacy), someone who is celibate does not marry or have sex because of their religious beliefs (I was celibate for 2 years) (stay celibate)
38. Vow - if you vow to do something, you make a serious promise or decision that you will do it
39. Ascetic - an ascetic person has a way of life that is simple and strict, usually because of their religious beliefs (ascetic practices)
40. Displace - if one thing displaces another, it forces the other thing out of its place, position, or role, and then occupies that place, position, or role itself
41. Damsel - a damsel is a young, unmarried woman
42. Monumental - very important, very great or extreme (monumental failure), you can use monumental to emphasize the large size or extent of something
43. Pilgrimage - if you make a pilgrimage to a holy place, you go there for a religious reason
44. Coy - a coy person is shy, or pretends to be shy, about love and sex (she turned coy) (she smiled coyly)
45. Smite - to smite something means to hit it hard
46. Smitten - if you are smitten, you find someone so attractive that you are or seem to be in love with them (they were totally smitten with eachother) (she is smitten by him)
47. Venture - if you venture somewhere, you go somewhere that might be dangerous
48. Alleged - an alleged fact has been stated but has not been proved to be true
49. Caustically - harshly
50. Caustic - a caustic remark is extremely critical, cruel, or bitter
51. Indignant - if you are indignant, you are shocked and angry, because you think that something is unjust or unfair
52. Admonish - if you admonish someone, you tell them very seriously that they've done something wrong
53. Churn - to move or mix something with force
54. Stigma - if something has a stigma attached to it, people think it is something to be ashamed of (social stigma)
55. Indifferent - if you accuse someone of being indifferent to something, you mean that they have a complete lack of interest in it
56. Uncharacteristic - if you describe something as uncharacteristic of someone, you mean that it is not typical of them (uncharacteristic moment of lust)
57. Hurried - a hurried action is done quickly, because you do not have much time to do it in (dress up hurriedly) (a hurried breakfast)
58. Livid - someone who is livid is extremely angry
59. Huff - if you huff, you indicate that you are annoyed or offended about something, usually by the way that you say something, if someone is in a huff, they are behaving in a bad-tempered way because they are annoyed and offended (he drove off in a huff)
60. Wail - if someone wails, they make long, loud, high-pitched cries which express sorrow or pain
61. Disguise - if you are in disguise, you are not wearing your usual clothes or you have altered your appearance in other ways, so that people will not recognize you (blessing in disguise) (you've to travel in disguise) (she disguised herself as a man)
62. Duped - if a person dupes you, they trick you into doing something or into believing something which is not true
63. Enrage - if you're enraged by something, it makes you really angry
64. Behest - if something is done at someone's behest, it is done because they have ordered or requested it (at her behest)
65. Renounce - if you renounce a belief or a way of behaving, you decide and declare publicly that you no longer have that belief or will no longer behave in that way
66. Stammer - if you stammer, you speak with difficulty, hesitating and repeating words or sounds
67. Stoop - if you stoop, you stand or walk with your shoulders bent forward (stooped on a stick)
68. Embrace - if you embrace someone, you put your arms around them and hold them tightly, usually in order to show your love or affection for them. you can also say that two people embrace (embraced his wives)
69. Virility - the masculine property of being capable of copulation and procreation
70. Contentment - contentment is a feeling of quiet happiness and satisfaction
71. Mannerism - someone's mannerisms are the gestures or ways of speaking that are very characteristic of them, and which they often use, peculiarity of how someone behaves, traits
72. Consensus - a consensus is general agreement among a group of people
73. Patriarch - a patriarch is the male head of a family or tribe
74. Illustrious - if you describe someone as an illustrious person, you mean that they are extremely well known because they have a high position in society or they have done something impressive
75. Conjugal - conjugal means relating to marriage and the relationship between a husband and wife, especially their sexual relationship (sacrificed his conjugal life)
76. Beget - to beget something means to cause it to happen or be created, when a man begets a child, he becomes the father of that child
77. Maiden - a maiden is a young girl or woman
78. Commodity - a commodity is something that is sold for money
79. Futility - futility is a total lack of purpose or usefulness (I realise the futility of rage)
80. Cost dearly - if you pay dearly for doing something or if it costs you dearly, you suffer a lot as a result
81. Endure - if you endure a painful or difficult situation, you experience it and do not avoid it or give up, usually because you cannot
82. Exploit - if you say that someone is exploiting you, you think that they are treating you unfairly by using your work or ideas and giving you very little in return
83. Garment - a garment is a piece of clothing; used especially in contexts where you are talking about the manufacture or sale of clothes (her upper garment fell)
84. Spellbound - if you are spellbound by something or someone, you are so fascinated that you cannot think about anything else
85. Unashamedly - if you describe someone's behaviour or attitude as unashamed, you mean that they are open and honest about things that other people might find embarrassing or shocking
86. Unbridled - if you describe behaviour or feelings as unbridled, you mean that they are not controlled or limited in any way (unbridled passion)
87. Stead - place or position, if you say that something will stand someone in good stead, you mean that it will be very useful to them in the future
88. Mendicant - someone who lives by asking people for money
89. Pitiless - someone or something that is pitiless shows no pity or kindness
90. Inherit - if you inherit money or property, you receive it from someone who has died (inherit the throne)
91. Spontaneous - spontaneous acts are not planned or arranged, but are done because someone suddenly wants to do them
92. Folly - if you say that a particular action or way of behaving is folly or a folly, you mean that it is foolish (human folly)
93. Speculate - if you speculate about something, you make guesses about its nature or identity, or about what might happen
94. Ferried - if a vehicle ferries people or goods, it transports them, usually by means of regular trips between the same two places (ferried men across Ganga)
95. Remorse - remorse is a strong feeling of sadness and regret about something wrong that you have done
96. Castrated - to castrate a male animal or a man means to remove his testicles (castrated himself)
97. Spurt - when liquid or fire spurts from somewhere, it comes out quickly in a thin, powerful stream
98. Dreadfully - awfully or terribly
99. Indiscretion - if you talk about someone's indiscretion, you mean that they have done or said something that is risky, careless, or likely to upset people
100. Weakling - if you describe a person or an animal as a weakling, you mean that they are physically weak
101. Affront - if something affronts you, you feel insulted and hurt because of it
102. Mortified - if you say that someone is mortified, you mean that they feel extremely offended, ashamed, or embarrassed
103. Imperiously - if you describe someone as imperious, you mean that they have a proud manner and expect to be obeyed
104. Avenge - if you avenge a wrong or harmful act, you hurt or punish the person who is responsible for it (she went in search of a warrior who would avenge her humiliation)
105. Ensue - if something ensues, it happens immediately after another event, usually as a result of it (a terrible fight ensued)
106. Despair - despair is the feeling that everything is wrong and that nothing will improve (he looked at his wife in despair)
107. Nemesis - the nemesis of a person or thing is a situation, event, or person which causes them to be seriously harmed, especially as a punishment
108. Deterioration - if something deteriorates, it becomes worse in some way
109. Chattels - chattels are things that belong to you
110. Desperate - if you are desperate, you are in such a bad situation that you are willing to try anything to change it
111. Matted - if you describe someone's hair as matted, you mean that it has become a thick and tangled mass, often because it is wet or dirty
112. Coarse - coarse things have a rough texture because they consist of thick threads or large pieces
113. Gaunt - if someone looks gaunt, they look very thin, usually because they have been very ill or worried (his gaunt features will scare the women)
114. Pale - if someone looks pale, their face looks a lighter colour than usual, usually because they are ill, frightened, or shocked (she grew pale on seeing him)
115. Impale - to impale something on a pointed object means to cause the point to go into it or through it (he was tortured and impaled) (you took delight in impaling tiny insects on a straw)
116. Irony - irony is a subtle form of humor that involves saying things that are the opposite of what you really mean, if you talk about the irony of a situation, you mean that it is odd or amusing because it involves a contrast
117. Meticulously - if you describe someone as meticulous, you mean that they do things very carefully and with great attention to detail (karma is followed meticulously)
118. Repercussions - if an action or event has repercussions, it causes unpleasant things to happen sometime after the original action or event
119. Frailties - if you refer to the frailties or frailty of people, you are referring to their weaknesses (frailties of human laws)
120. Ordain - if some authority or power ordains something, they decide that it should happen or be in existence (nature has ordained)
121. Concubine - in former times, a concubine was a woman who had a sexual relationship with a man of higher social rank without being married to him
122. Prosperous - prosperous people, places, and economies are rich and successful
123. Liaison - a usually secretive or illicit sexual relationship (premarital liaison)
124. Illicit - an illicit activity or substance is not allowed by law or the social customs of a country, illegal
125. Supersede - if something is superseded by something newer, it is replaced because it has become old-fashioned or unacceptable (Pandu superseded Dhritarashtra)
126. Quirk - a quirk is something unusual or interesting that happens by chance (he was well versed with the quirks of laws)
127. Bypass - if you bypass someone or something that you would normally have to get involved with, you ignore them, often because you want to achieve something more quickly (he is bypassed and his younger brother was made king)
128. Distraught - if someone is distraught, they are so upset and worried that they cannot think clearly
129. Faze - if something fazes you, it surprises, shocks, or frightens you, so that you do not know what to do
130. Unfazed - unperturbed
131. Dismay - dismay is a strong feeling of fear, worry, or sadness that is caused by something unpleasant and unexpected, if you are dismayed by something, it makes you feel afraid, worried, or sad
132. Whim - a whim is a wish to do or have something that seems to have no serious reason or purpose behind it, and often occurs suddenly (abandoned it to a river's whim)
133. Volition - if you do something of your own volition, you do it because you have decided for yourself that you will do it and not because someone else has told you to do it
134. Invoke - if you invoke something such as a principle, a saying, or a famous person, you refer to them in order to support your argument, if you invoke a law, you state that you are taking a particular action because that law allows or tells you to (kunti invoked indra of her own volition)
135. Afterthought - if you do or say something as an afterthought, you do or say it after something else as an addition, perhaps without careful thought
136. Eunuch - a eunuch is a man who has had his testicles removed
137. Deemed - if something is deemed to have a particular quality or to do a particular thing, it is considered to have that quality or do that thing
138. Fidelity - fidelity is being loyal to your husband, wife, or partner by not having a sexual relationship with anyone else (women expect fidelity from their men)
139. Reluctant - if you are reluctant to do something, you are unwilling to do it and hesitate before doing it, or do it slowly and without enthusiasm
140. Quiver - if something quivers, it shakes with very small movements
141. Occult - the occult is the knowledge and study of supernatural or magical forces (record of occult secrets)
142. Miscarriage - if a pregnant woman has a miscarriage, her baby dies and she gives birth to it before it is properly formed
143. Rational - a rational person is someone who is sensible and is able to make decisions based on intelligent thinking rather than on emotion
144. Invocation - an invocation is a request for help or forgiveness made to a god, an invocation is a prayer at a public meeting, usually at the beginning
145. Compensate - to compensate someone for money or things that they have lost, means to pay them money or give them something to replace those things, if you compensate for a lack of something or for something you have done wrong, you do something to make the situation better, something that compensates for something else balances it or reduces its effects
146. Inadequacy - the inadequacy of something is the fact that there is not enough of it, or that it is not good enough (compensate for the inadequacies of pandu)
147. Tryst - a tryst is a meeting between lovers in a quiet secret place (kunti's premarital tryst)
148. Glorify - to make something seem much better or more important than it really is
149. Sorely - sorely is used to emphasize that a feeling such as disappointment or need is very strong (sorely missed it, sorely disappointed)
150. Draped - if you drape a piece of cloth somewhere, you place it there so that it hangs down in a casual and graceful way, if someone or something is draped in a piece of cloth, they are loosely covered by it
151. Pyre - a pyre is a high pile of wood built outdoors on which people burn a dead body or other things in a ceremony
152. Avert - if you avert something unpleasant, you prevent it from happening (avert the inevitable)
153. Decipher - if you decipher a piece of writing or a message, you work out what it says, even though it is very difficult to read or understand
154. Wistful - someone who is wistful is sad because they want something and know that they cannot have it
155. Forlorn - if someone is forlorn, they feel alone and unhappy
156. Cohabit - if two people are cohabiting, they are living together and have a sexual relationship, but are not married
157. Colloquial - colloquial words and phrases are informal and are used mainly in conversation
158. Alms - alms are gifts of money, clothes, or food to poor people
Comments
Post a Comment