ADVANCED WORDS QUIZ

https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/176046

1. aberration
a state or condition markedly different from the norm

2. abhor
find repugnant

3. acquiesce
agree or express agreement

4. alacrity
liveliness and eagerness

5. amiable
diffusing warmth and friendliness

6. appease
make peace with

7. arcane
requiring secret or mysterious knowledge

8. avarice
 reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth

9. brazen
unrestrained by convention or propriety

10. brusque
marked by rude or peremptory shortness

11. cajole
influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

12. callous
emotionally hardened

13. candor
the quality of being honest and straightforward

14. chide
censure severely or angrily

15. circumspect
heedful of potential consequences

16. coerce
to cause to do through pressure or necessity
17. coherent
marked by an orderly and consistent relation of parts

18. complacency
the feeling you have when you are satisfied with yourself

19. confidant
someone to whom private matters are told

20. connive
form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner

21. cumulative
increasing by successive addition

22. debase
corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

23. decry
express strong disapproval of

24. deferential
showing courteous regard for people's feelings

25. demure
 affectedly shy especially in a playful or provocative way

26. deride
treat or speak of with contempt

27. despot
a cruel and oppressive dictator

28. diligent
quietly and steadily persevering in detail or exactness

29. elated
exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits

30. eloquent
expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively

31. embezzle
appropriate fraudulently to one's own use

This time, the amount of money allegedly embezzled was raised more than ten-fold and the charges
made much more severe.

32. empathy
understanding and entering into another's feelings

33. enmity
 a state of deep-seated ill-will

34. erudite
having or showing profound knowledge

35. extol
praise, glorify, or honor

36. fabricate
make up something artificial or untrue

37. flabbergasted
as if struck dumb with astonishment and surprise

38. forsake
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch

39. furtive
secret and sly or sordid

40. gluttony
habitual eating to excess

41. gratuitous
unnecessary and unwarranted
42. haughty
having or showing arrogant superiority

43. hypocrisy
pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you do not have

44. impeccable
without fault or error

45. impertinent
improperly forward or bold

46. impudent
improperly forward or bold

47. indolent
disinclined to work or exertion

48. inept
generally incompetent and ineffectual

49. infamy
a state of extreme dishonor

50. inhibit
 limit the range or extent of

51. innate
present at birth but not necessarily hereditary

52. insatiable
impossible to satisfy

53. insular
narrowly restricted in outlook or scope

54. intrepid
invulnerable to fear or intimidation

1. nonsensical
having no intelligible meaning

sama sapan,mantk d

2. reclusive
withdrawn from society; seeking solitude

inzivaya ekilmi

3. perpetually
everlastingly; for all time

srekli olarak, daima

4. quandary
state of uncertainty in a choice between unfavorable options

5. lewd
suggestive of or tending to moral looseness

6. recluse
one who lives in solitude

7. conundrum
a difficult problem

8. mishap
an unpredictable outcome that is unfortunate

9. depravity
moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles

ahlak bozukluu, azgnlk

10. flatulence
a state of excessive gas in the alimentary canal

11. impeccable
without fault or error
12. impromptu
with little or no preparation or forethought

13. tentative
hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion

kararsz/kesin olmayan,deneme niteliinde

14. effigy
a representation of a person

bst,temsili kukla

15. ephemeral
anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day

ok ksa mrl

16. rambunctious
noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline

delimen; ele avuca smaz

17. quibble
evade the truth of a point by raising irrelevant objections

batan savma cevap, kaamakl sz,laf evirmek

18. trope
 language used in a figurative or nonliteral sense

mecaz,kinaye

19. dismal
causing dejection

kederli, neesiz, kasvetli

20. ineffable
defying expression or description

aza alnmaz; tarif olunamaz;kelimelerle ifade edilemez

21. pinnacle
a slender upright spire at the top of a buttress of tower

zirve, doruk, tepe nokta

22. incarnation
act of attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas

vcut bulma,canl rnek

23. deviant
a person whose behavior deviates from what is acceptable

24. inconsequential
lacking worth or importance
25. sectarian
of or relating to a subdivision of a larger religious group

26. inconspicuously
in a manner intended to avoid attracting attention

27. bereavement
state of sorrow over the death or departure of a loved one

28. disavow
refuse to acknowledge

29. jock
a person trained to compete in sports

30. transcend
go beyond the scope or limits of

31. vile
morally reprehensible

32. prophylactic
preventing or contributing to the prevention of disease

33. cataclysmic
 severely destructive

34. abyss
a bottomless gulf or pit

35. backpedal
reverse or retreat from one's position on an issue

36. elongate
make long or longer by pulling and stretching

37. farfetched
highly imaginative but unlikely

38. forthwith
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

39. corroborate
give evidence for

40. dismissal
the sending away of someone

41. pretentious
creating an appearance of importance or distinction
42. sustain
lengthen or extend in duration or space

43. contraband
distributed or sold illicitly

44. restitution
the act of restoring something to its original state

45. perennial
lasting an indefinitely long time

46. proponent
a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea

47. demented
affected with madness or insanity

48. trite
repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse

49. invigorating
imparting strength and vitality

50. invigorate
 give life or energy to

51. denounce
speak out against

52. precarious
not secure; beset with difficulties

53. decadent
marked by excessive self-indulgence and moral decay

54. decadent
marked by excessive self-indulgence and moral decay

55. facade
the front of a building

56. flophouse
a cheap lodging house

57. vial
a small bottle that contains a drug

58. conjure
summon into action or bring into existence
59. thrifty
mindful of the future in spending money

60. discourse
an extended communication dealing with some particular topic

61. callow
young and inexperienced

62. disdain
lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike

63. detractor
one who disparages or belittles the worth of something

64. delinquent
a young offender

65. disparaging
expressive of low opinion

66. disparage
express a negative opinion of

67. scion
 a descendent or heir

68. volition
the act of making a choice

69. ensue
issue or terminate in a specified way

70. dissemination
the act of dispersing or diffusing something

71. diffusion
the act of dispersing something

72. reek
give off smoke, fumes, warm vapour, steam, etc.

73. hoodwink
conceal one's true motives from

74. protagonist
the principal character in a work of fiction

75. nepotism
favoritism shown to relatives or friends by those in power
76. exegesis
an explanation or critical interpretation

77. steadfast
marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable

78. abominable
unequivocally detestable

79. distressed
feeling general unhappiness

80. contentious
showing an inclination to disagree

81. kindred
group of people related by blood or marriage

82. strident
unpleasantly loud and harsh

83. proponent
a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea

84. hypochondriac
 a patient with imaginary symptoms and ailments

hastalk hastas

85. burlesque
a theatrical entertainment of broad and earthy humor

86. indulgent
given to yielding to the wishes of someone

87. indulge
yield to; give satisfaction to

88. simpleton
a person lacking intelligence or common sense

89. finicky
exacting especially about details

90. sanctimonious
excessively or hypocritically pious

91. commiseration
feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others

92. prominent
conspicuous in position or importance
93. solitary
not growing or living in groups or colonies

94. tart up
dress up in a cheap and provocative way

95. disillusioned
freed from false ideas

96. homebody
a person who seldom goes anywhere

97. pecuniary
relating to or involving money

98. deposition
the act of putting something somewhere

99. arbiter
someone chosen to judge and decide a disputed issue

100. preeminent
greatest in importance or degree or significance

101. ameliorate
 to make better

102. amity
a state of friendship and cordiality

103. solidarity
a union of interests or purposes among members of a group

104. rift
a narrow fissure in rock

105. impasse
a situation in which no progress can be made

106. inadvertently
without knowledge or intention

107. demarche
a move or step or maneuver in political or diplomatic affairs

108. perpetrate
perform an act, usually with a negative connotation

109. entrenched
dug in
110. naivety
lack of sophistication or worldliness

111. recalcitrance
the trait of being unmanageable or uncooperative

112. collectively
in conjunction with; combined

113. contingent
determined by conditions or circumstances that follow

114. esoteric
understandable only by an enlightened inner circle

115. complicity
guilt as a confederate in a crime or offense

116. indelible
cannot be removed or erased

117. mortify
cause to feel shame

118. malfeasance
 wrongful conduct by a public official

119. palpable
capable of being perceived

120. omniscient
infinitely wise

121. apprehensive
in fear or dread of possible evil or harm

122. haughty
having or showing arrogant superiority

123. cantankerous
stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate

124. waver
pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness

125. abase
cause to feel shame

126. abnegate
deny or renounce
127. allot
give out

128. conscientious
characterized by extreme care and great effort

129. deluge
a heavy rain

130. deprave
corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

131. effulgent
radiating or as if radiating light

132. feigned
not genuine

133. impetuous
characterized by undue haste and lack of thought

134. pantomime
a performance using gestures and movements without words

135. recuse
 disqualify oneself as a judge in a particular case

136. rhetorical
relating to using language effectively

137. stern
of a strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect

138. exhort
spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts

139. parlance
a manner of speaking natural to a language's native speakers

140. scrupulous
characterized by extreme care and great effort

141. penance
voluntary self-punishment in order to atone for something

142. portent
a sign of something about to happen

143. bawdy
humorously vulgar
144. impassioned
characterized by intense emotion

145. profess
confess one's faith in, or allegiance to

146. teetotaler
a total abstainer

147. zit
a small inflamed elevation of the skin

148. sycophant
a person who tries to please someone to gain an advantage

149. swindle
deprive of by deceit

150. tripe
lining of the stomach of a cow (used as food)

151. entourage
the group following and attending to some important person

152. acquiesce
 agree or express agreement

153. indoctrinate
teach uncritically

154. concoct
make something by mixing

155. tutelage
attention and management implying responsibility for safety

156. folly
the trait of acting stupidly or rashly

157. toil
work hard

158. buffoon
a person who amuses others by ridiculous behavior

159. futility
uselessness as a consequence of having no practical result

160. respite
a pause from doing something
161. admonition
a firm rebuke

162. rebuke
an act or expression of criticism and censure

163. grace
elegance and beauty of movement or expression

164. repudiate
refuse to acknowledge, ratify, or recognize as valid

165. intrepid
invulnerable to fear or intimidation

166. impeccable
without fault or error

167. sycophant
a person who tries to please someone to gain an advantage

168. taciturn
habitually reserved and uncommunicative

169. ricochet
 spring back; spring away from an impact

170. indignant
angered at something unjust or wrong

171. insinuation
an indirect (and usually malicious) implication

172. belie
be in contradiction with

173. conjecture
to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds

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Whether you're a student, an educator, or a lifelong learner, Vocabulary.com can put you on the
path to systematic vocabulary improvement.

Here are the first 25 words.

Here is the second batch (compiled based on comments from learners and
teachers via EC, Facebook, and MyEC).

Lets practise these words together:

1) Listen to the word. (wait for a one second pause after)
2) Say the word with me.
3) Say the sentence with me.

Are you ready?

26. gorgeous (allow a pause and then repeat with me)

The bride looked gorgeous on her wedding day.

27. thoroughly
I thoroughly enjoyed this weeks English class.
28. daughter
My daughter asked if she could have a friend over for a playdate.

29. challenge
I invite all English learners to take my monthly writing challenge.

30. enhance
You will enhance your vocabulary by reading the news.

31. variety
It is important to use sentence variety in your TOEFL essay.

32. influence
Celebrities influence how young people act and dress.

33. effect
The new company policy will take effect next month.

34. whistle
My grandfather taught me how to whistle when I was a child.

35. throughout
Racism has been a global issue throughout history.

36. adjective
What adjective would you use to describe EnglishClub.com?

37. island
Victoria is located on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.

38. appliance
The washing machine is one appliance that many people could not live without.

39. shrimp
Spaghetti with shrimp is a meal my husband often cooks for dinner.

40. refrigerator
Another appliance that is considered a necessity is the refrigerator.

41. scissors
Left handed people require a special type of scissors.

42. cough
During the flu season, the students are taught to cough in their sleeves.

43. though
I am getting hungry. I can wait a little longer for dinner, though.
44. through
Our friends are going through a difficult divorce.

45. praise
Offering generic praise like good job is not enough to motivate a child.

46. free
Do you agree that the best things in life are free?

47. trade
We want to trade our car in for a minivan.

48. vocabulary
Expand your vocabulary by reading blogs when you are online.

49. psychologist
A psychologist told me that I need to learn how to relax.

50.genuine
The collector said our piece was a genuine antique.

Pronunciation note: I have a Canadian accent. Though Canadian spelling

usually sides with British English, Canadian pronunciation is closer to the
American accent. Your teacher may have a different accent, such as a British
or Australian one.

Thanks again to all of the readers of ESL Magazine who helped create this
second list. Share your own difficult words in the comments below. Add an
example sentence and we may use it in an upcoming audio post.

The 327 TOEFL Words You Need to Know

Below are the 327 best TOEFL vocabulary words, in alphabetical order.

Word Definition Sample Sentence

Present in large
Abundant Living close to a lake means we have an abundant supply of water.
quantities.

Accumulat
To gradually collect. Each fall, leaves accumulate in our driveway.
e

Correct; free from Make sure your address is accurate before submitting your online
Accurate
errors. order.
Accustome
Used to something. Having 8AM classes means Im accustomed to getting up early.
d

To come into
Acquire When my grandmother died, I acquired her cookbook collection.
possession of.

Refusing to change an
Adamant The defendant was adamant that he was innocent.
opinion.

Enough to suit your

Adequate Our house isnt big, but its adequate for the two of us.
needs.

Adjacent Close to or next to. The park is adjacent to the school.

To change something
Adjust so it serves its purpose The bike seat may be too high; youll probably need to adjust it.
better.

Something that makes

Advantage it easier to achieve His height gives him an advantage in basketball.
success.

Advocate To publicly support. My aunt is a major advocate for womens rights.

Unfavorable; against
Adverse I had an adverse reaction to my medication and had to stop taking it.
ones desires.

Aggregate To combine. We should aggregate our resources to share them more easily.

The salesperson was very aggressive when trying to get us to buy the
Aggressive Assertive and pushy.
television.

To put aside for a

Allocate The village needs to allocate funds for building the new school.
specific purpose.

Another option or
Alternative If the ATM is broken, an alternative solution is to stop by the bank.
choice.

Hes an amateur soccer player and is still learning the rules of the
Amateur Someone who is game.
inexperienced or not
 highly skilled in a
particular area.

Having several
Ambiguou potential meanings; When I asked the HR manager what my chances were of getting the
s unclear and difficult to job, she gave me a very ambiguous reply.
understand.

My son is very ambitious and hopes to be a millionaire by the time

Ambitious Having large goals.
hes thirty.

To change for the

Amend I believe we should amend our countrys tax laws.
better; to improve.

Ample Plentiful. Our new apartment has ample space for the two of us.

Deviation from the The basketball player is the teams best free thrower, so his missing
Anomaly
norm. both shots was an anomaly.

Annual Occurring yearly. The annual company barbeque takes place every August.

To tease or be hostile
Antagoniz
towards a person or The boy loves to antagonize his little sister by pulling her hair.
e
group.

After she got grounded, the teenager had a bad attitude for the rest of
Attitude Manner or feeling.
the day.

Be sure to attribute credit to your sources when writing a research

Attribute To give credit.
paper.

Based on a whim or
Arbitrary Flipping a coin is an arbitrary way to make a decision.
random decision.

Requiring a lot of
Arduous After you cross the bridge, theres an arduous walk up the hill.
effort.

To lessen a negative
Assuage The mother assuaged her childs fear of the dark.
feeling.
 To suppose without
Assume I assumed he was rich because he worked as a lawyer.
solid proof.

To increase or make
Augment She augments her regular salary by babysitting on the weekends.
larger.

Something positive or A benefit of doing homework on Friday is that your weekend will be
Benefit
advantageous. free.

Berate To scold. Our neighbor berated us after we broke his window playing baseball.

Bestow To give as a gift. The medal was bestowed upon him by the president.

To brag or talk with

Boast He always boasts of his talents after he wins a game.
excessive pride.

To help raise or
Boost I gave him a pep talk to boost his self-esteem before his speech.
increase something.

Brash Rude and tactless. The brash man always asked inappropriate questions.

Short (in terms of It will only have a brief meeting, so youll still have plenty of time fo
Brief
time). lunch.

Abrupt to the point of After being away for so long, I expected more than her brusque
Brusque
rudeness. greeting.

Cacophon A harsh, unpleasant

The cuckoo clock shop lets off a cacophony every hour.
y mixture of noise.

Cease To stop. I wish they would cease arguing.

To express strong
Censure Every parent in our district censured the education cuts.
disapproval.

Chronolog Arranged in order of Put the historical events in chronological order to make them easier to
ical time or date. study.
 To make clear; to I didnt understand the instructions, so I asked the teacher to clarify
Clarify
remove confusion. them.

To combine or grow
Coalesce The people on the street eventually coalesced into a group.
together.

To force someone to
Coerce do something against The young boy was coerced into stealing by his friends.
their will.

Being aware or having

Cognizant knowledge of Before mountain climbing, you need to be cognizant of the risks.
something.

Uniting; becoming
Cohesion Water molecules show strong cohesion when they stick together.
one.

To occur at the same

Coincide This year Thanksgiving coincided with my birthday.
time.

To fall down or break The old building finally collapsed, leaving nothing but a pile of
Collapse
down. rubble.

To hit one another

Collide The two cars collided on the freeway.
with a forceful impact.

Commitme Dedication to a cause Joining a school play is a big commitment. Youll need to practice
nt or activity. every evening.

A group of people
Communit The Chinese community in my city is hosting a New Year celebration
who live or work
y next week.
together.

Conceal To hide. The mountains concealed the ocean from view.

Concur To agree. He believes women should be paid as much as men, and I concur.

A disagreement or The conflict between the two families has been going on for
Conflict
fight. generations.
 You should move your plant to a bigger pot, otherwise youll
Constrain To restrict or repress.
constrain its roots.

Contempla To consider
I spend a lot of time contemplating what career I want to have.
te thoughtfully.

Continuou To go on without My neighbors have been continuously blasting their music since last
sly stopping. night.

To give the opposite I told the employees that sales were down, but my boss contradicted
Contradict
opinion. me and said sales were actually up.

To give something
(usually money or
Contribute Every roommate contributes part of his paycheck to the grocery bill.
time) to a common
fund or cause.

Convey To make known. Ive conveyed my interest in working for that company.

Copious Abundant. He always takes copious notes during class to study later on.

Central; of main Although many employees left the company, the core leadership
Core
importance. remained.

To gradually wear
Corrode The rust corroded the paint on my car.
away.

Cumberso
Burdensome; clumsy Trying to carry four grocery bags at once was very cumbersome.
me

Curriculu The courses given by a

Our school needs to add more music courses to its curriculum.
m school or program.

Facts, statistics, or The data from these graphs show that yearly temperatures are
Data
pieces of information. increasing.

To decline in health or
Decay After the tree died, its wood began to decay.
excellence.

Deceive To trick or mislead. He deceived me by pretending to be a millionaire.

 To find the meaning
Decipher The spy deciphered the secret code.
of.

Declaratio
An announcement. He made a declaration to the office that he was quitting.
n

1. To politely refuse.

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2. To deteriorate
(especially in terms of
health.)

Degrade To lower in quality. My attempt at cake degraded into a crumbly mess.

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

Alexis got out of the car to retrieve the ball her little brother had
Retrieve To bring back.
thrown.
Used just for style or
Rhetorical You arent expected to actually answer rhetorical questions.
impact.
The boys father was happy to see the base of the treehouse was rigid
Rigid Stiff; unyielding.
and sturdy.
Rotate To turn. Rotate the sculpture so I can see the other side.
Something that serves
A retirement fund is one way to safeguard your finances for the
Safeguard as protection or
future.
ensures safety.
To very carefully The judges were looking for perfection, so they scrutinized every
Scrutinize
examine. entry.
Section A part of the whole. This section of the stadium dressed completely in red.
Select To choose. Jane selected a blue dress to wear to the wedding.
 Things that follow
Sequence each other in a certain Librarians need to know how order books in the correct sequence.
order.
1. Harsh or strict. 1. The robbers suffered severe consequences for stealing.
Severe 2. Grave, critical. 2. My uncle is currently battling a severe illness in the hospital.

You dont need to worry about getting your dress wet. The water is
Shallow Not deep.
very shallow here.
To protect from
Shelter The empty barn gave the men shelter during the storm.
something harmful.
Shrink To become smaller. Hopefully this cream will cause my scar to shrink.
Significant Important, noteworthy. The Gettysburg Address was a significant event during the Civil War
A person, place, or
Source thing where something You shouldnt use Wikipedia as a source when writing school papers
was obtained.
The farm was almost empty; there were just a few sparse trees here
Sparse Thinly scattered.
and there.
To clearly indicate
Specify You need to specify which size shirt you want before I can order it.
which one.
To form a theory
Speculate without strong My sister loves to speculate on the private lives of celebrities.
evidence.
Solitary Alone; without others. The hermit lives a solitary existence deep in the mountains.
Somber Gloomy; depressing. After losing the competition, the chess players were very somber.
Soothe To calm or comfort. The mother sang a lullaby to soothe her crying baby.
Squalid Filthy and unpleasant. The shelter was squalid and overcrowded.
Unlikely to change or
Stable Were lucky to live in a country with such a stable government.
fail.
Sluggish, showing With few new jobs created, the economy has remained stagnant for
Stagnant
little movement. the past five years.
A plan to reach a The football team will need a good strategy to win the game
Strategy
desired outcome. tomorrow.
Subsequen Coming after The first king was a good ruler, but subsequent kings have all been
t something in time. corrupt.
A person or thing
Substitute acting in place of If you dont have sugar, honey makes a good substitute for this recipe
another.
Difficult to notice Mayas perfume was very subtle; you had to get close to her to smell
Subtle
right away. it.
Enough to serve a
Sufficient Make sure you have sufficient food for the camping trip.
particular purpose.
Summariz To briefly give the The class didnt have time to read the book, so the professor
e main points. summarized it for them.
To oversee work or a My dad didnt think we were old enough to build the fort on our own
Supervise
process. so he supervised us.
 To take the place of The king was supplanted by his treacherous younger brother who
Supplant
something else. locked him in the dungeon.
1. To temporarily
stop. 1. The power outage suspended the school concert.
Suspend 2. To hang something 2. The lamp is suspended from the high ceiling.
from somewhere.

Having the belief that

someone is doing The couple became suspicious when they saw strange men removing
Suspicious
something dishonest their neighbors expensive electronics during the night.
or illegal.
I stopped trying to sustain the friendship after he made fun of how I
Sustain To keep going.
looked.
Symbolic Serving as a symbol. A cross is symbolic of Christianity.
Relating to a specific The laptop manual is full of technical terms only a computer expert
Technical
subject or craft. can understand.
Terminal Situated at the end. Everyone on the train must get off at the terminal stop.
Tolerate To put up with. I tolerate the rude man since he is my husbands best friend.
To move from one
Transfer Bens work is going to transfer him from Chicago to Detroit.
place to another.
Changing from one
The transition from student to employee can often take awhile to get
Transition state or condition to
used to.
another.
1. See-through
1. The glass vase is completely transparent.
Transparen material.
2. Her attempt to flatter the movie star was very transparent.
t 2. Easy to detect.

The fee for instruction

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

How to Use This TOEFL Vocabulary List

First, you should read through the list and identify any words you dont know or are unsure of. If
youre even slightly unsure of a TOEFL vocabulary word, youll want to study it. Be sure to
read the definition and sample sentence of words you feel confident on to be sure you understand
them fully.

Once you have your TOEFL word list that you need to study, youll want to work on memorizing
their definitions. You dont need to memorize the sample sentences, but you should review them to
ensure you understand how the word is used. You can also search for individual TOEFL words in
Google news to find articles that include the word and give you an even better idea of how the word
is actually used.

Flashcards are a great way to study TOEFL vocab words because they allow you to easily flip
between the word itself on one side and its definition and sample sentence on the other side. You
can make your own TOEFL flashcards or use a site such as Quizlet which lets you make online
flashcards for free from your TOEFL vocabulary list.
The Best Way to Use Your TOEFL Flashcards

We recommend using the waterfall method to learn TOEFL words. If youre not sure what the
waterfall method is, we break it down for you below.

Once you have your TOEFL vocabulary flashcards, youll go through those cards one by one. For
each card whose definition you know easily, youll put it in a Know It pile. If you dont know the
definition of a particular TOEFL word, put it in a Struggled pile.

After youve gone through each of the cards once, pick up your Struggled pile. Youll now go
through this pile again. For words where you know the definition, place them in a second Know It
pile next to (but not combined with) the first Know It pile. For words you dont know, make a
new Struggled pile. Repeat this process, placing new Know It piles in a row from left to
right. This creates your waterfall. Repeat this process until the Struggled pile has only a few
words left.

Now, youll move back up the waterfall. Starting with the most recent Struggled pile, go through
the flashcards until you know all the words in the pile. Then, add the most recent (the rightmost)
Know It pile. Go through those words. If you miss any, go through the entire pile again until you
get all of them right. It may take awhile to get through the entire pile, but this method will
guarantee that you learn those TOEFL words! Continue this process until you get all the way
back up the waterfall.

This is the best method to study vocab flashcards because youll spend the majority of your time
reviewing the words you struggle the most with, as opposed to just studying the entire stack over
and over.
Conclusion: Studying TOEFL Vocabulary
Vocabulary is an important part of the TOEFL, and many questions on the exam require you to
have a strong vocabulary. Use our list of the 327 best TOEFL vocabulary words in order to guide
your studying.

Flashcards are one of the best ways to learn your TOEFL vocabulary list, and the waterfall method
is a great method to use with TOEFL flashcards. Dont stop studying a word until youve
memorized its definition and understand how its used in sentences!

Whats Next?
Vocab is an important part of the TOEFL, particularly the Reading section, but its not all you
need to know. Get all the info you need to ace the Reading section here!

Want more information on how the TOEFL is scored? Check out our guide to learn exactly how
the TOEFL is scored so you can maximize the number of points you get.

Practice tests are one of the best ways to prepare for the TOEFL. Weve gathered information
on the highest-quality TOEFL practice tests into one place so you have access to the best study
materials!

Ready to improve your TOEFL score by 15 points?

Download our best TOEFL Strategy eBook (valued at $14.49) for FREE! Learn the top 5 strategies
you must know to improve your TOEFL score. Download it for free now:

FREE TOEFL eBook: 5 Tips for 15+ Points

Author: Christine Sarikas

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and
Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th
percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology
in several countries. View all posts by Christine Sarikas

1 thought on Ultimate TOEFL Vocabulary List: The 327

Best Words to Know
1. Seansays:

May 15, 2017 at 11:23 pm

Waterfall Method is just great! I cannot wait to try it! And thank you so much, Christine!

Reply

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Written by Tara Benwell for EnglishClub | January 2010