# General Vocabulary **Type:** Topic **Words:** 285 ## About High-utility words that do not belong cleanly to a narrower subject. ## Words by Level ### A1 - Mr. — A title used before a man's name or surname.; frequency rank 450 - have to - 'm - Miss - 're - 's ### A2 - swimming costume ### B1 - disk — A flat, thin, round object or shape.; frequency rank 9140 - mixture — A combination of different things mixed together.; frequency rank 9303 - dustbin — A container for rubbish, kept until it is collected (British English).; frequency rank 31404 - navy blue ### B2 - mix-up — a mistake or confused situation caused by taking one person or thing for another; frequency rank 14017 - footprint — a mark or impression left by a foot or shoe; frequency rank 14400 - replica — An exact copy of something, especially of a famous object.; frequency rank 14650 - setback — A problem or event that delays progress or makes things worse.; frequency rank 14732 - silverware — Knives, forks, and spoons used for eating.; frequency rank 16774 - madhouse — an extremely noisy, confused, or chaotic place or situation; frequency rank 17384 - paintbrush — A brush used for applying paint.; frequency rank 36739 - stanza — A group of lines in a poem, like a paragraph in writing.; frequency rank 50871 - glacis — A gentle, gradual slope.; frequency rank 400242 - de facto - debit card - global warming - point of view - well-organized ### C1 - bliss — Perfect or complete happiness.; frequency rank 8145 - godsend — a person or thing that arrives unexpectedly and provides urgently needed help or good fortune; frequency rank 23669 - inertia — a disposition to remain inactive or inert; frequency rank 31234 - drawback — A disadvantage or negative feature of something.; frequency rank 32120 - depository — a place, building, or institution where things are deposited for storage, safekeeping, or preservation; frequency rank 36355 - tidbit — a small and especially tasty piece of food; frequency rank 40215 - outpouring — a large flow; frequency rank 48654 - reappearance — the act of someone appearing again or an event happening again; frequency rank 56390 - laugher — a person who laughs, especially one with a characteristic or frequent laugh; frequency rank 65240 - rudiments — The basic facts or principles of a subject.; frequency rank 77337 - apt to - pertain to - unscathing - turn to ### C2 - cigar — a roll of tobacco leaves made to be smoked; frequency rank 6238 - filth — disgusting dirt, refuse, or other foul matter; frequency rank 7741 - jag — a sharp projection or rough point on an edge or surface; frequency rank 13463 - loch — in Scotland, a lake or a narrow arm of the sea; frequency rank 16291 - charisma — a personal attractiveness or interestingness that enables you to influence others; frequency rank 16423 - starlight — Light emitted from stars.; frequency rank 18117 - armageddon — the end of the world; frequency rank 18939 - dem — Clipping of Democrat.; frequency rank 19425 - hindsight — Understanding of an event only after it has already happened.; frequency rank 20133 - smudge — a blemish made by dirt; frequency rank 20246 - crutch — anything that serves as an expedient; frequency rank 20411 - salvo — a sudden outburst of cheers; frequency rank 21569 - inkling — a slight suggestion or vague understanding; frequency rank 23975 - libido — a Freudian term for sexual urge or desire; frequency rank 23993 - smut — sexually explicit or obscene writing, images, or other material, especially when regarded as having little artistic value; frequency rank 26988 - rummage — a thorough search for something, often causing disorder or confusion; frequency rank 28963 - trove — a valuable or interesting collection of things, especially one that has been discovered; frequency rank 29528 - paraphernalia — a collection of miscellaneous equipment or objects used for a particular activity; frequency rank 31019 - voyeur — a viewer who enjoys seeing the sex acts or sex organs of others; frequency rank 31192 - hullo — an expression of greeting; frequency rank 36573 - throwback — a reappearance of an ancestral trait or a person or thing resembling an earlier type; frequency rank 37046 - zealot — a fervent and even militant proponent of something; frequency rank 42788 - scion — a descendent or heir; frequency rank 48487 - milkmaid — a woman who works in a dairy; frequency rank 51093 - goer — One who, or that which, goes.; frequency rank 56192 - nib — the pointed part of a pen that contacts the writing surface and delivers ink; frequency rank 59603 - libidinous — driven by lust; frequency rank 93292 - bravura — brilliant and showy technical skill; frequency rank 95085 - joist — beam used to support floors or roofs; frequency rank 98433 - calyx — (botany) the whorl of sepals of a flower collectively forming the outer floral envelope or layer of the perianth enclosing and supporting the developing bud; frequency rank 107522 - hotchpotch — a confused or miscellaneous mixture of different things; frequency rank 109815 - cigarillo — a small, narrow cigar, usually only somewhat larger than a cigarette and wrapped in tobacco leaf or tobacco-based material rather than ordinary paper; frequency rank 114958 - cheroot — a short, narrow cigar with both ends cut flat; frequency rank 119033 - lasciviousness — feeling morbid sexual desire or a propensity to lewdness; frequency rank 149505 - miscellany — a varied collection or mixture of different kinds of things; frequency rank 157612 - dottle — the partly burned or unburned plug of tobacco left in the bowl of a pipe; frequency rank 163860 - reinterpretation — a new or different interpretation; frequency rank 165994 - unsaved — not preserved, rescued, or protected from loss or destruction; frequency rank 184414 - postprandial — following a meal, especially dinner; frequency rank 248230 - rencontre — literary or archaic: a chance or unexpected meeting or encounter; frequency rank 248609 - promptitude — the characteristic of doing things without delay; frequency rank 339903 - appurtenance — an accessory, subordinate part, or piece of equipment belonging to something more important; frequency rank 343938 - limn — to depict, describe, or delineate clearly in words or images; frequency rank 367829 - glory in - bona fide - dole out - flatout - ad lib - eke out - inconveniency — inconvenience; the quality or fact of causing difficulty or trouble - penetralia — the innermost parts ### C2+ - knobble — a small knob; frequency rank 187215 - ruth — compassion or pity for another's suffering (archaic) - apex — the highest point or culmination of something - carrion — the decaying flesh of dead animals - kismet — destiny or fate - beau — a woman's male admirer or boyfriend; a dandy - crux — the decisive or most important point at issue - dusk — the darker stage of twilight before night - pastime — an activity done regularly for enjoyment - bloke — (British informal) a man; a fellow - chap — (British informal) a man or boy; a fellow - throe — a sharp pang or spasm, especially in struggle or agony - acme — the highest point of achievement or perfection - changeling — a child secretly substituted for another in folklore, esp. by fairies - dame — a woman of rank or, in British usage, a titled honorific equal to a knight - despect — contempt or disregard (archaic) - ellipsis — the omission of words, or the mark (…) indicating such omission - feck — vigor or effectiveness; worth (Scots and Irish dialect) - hiatus — a pause or gap in a sequence, series, or activity - interpunct — a centered dot (·) used to separate words or mark a division - lingo — the specialized vocabulary or jargon of a particular group - paragon — a model of excellence or perfection - amplitude — the extent or magnitude of something; the range of a wave - applesauce — a purée of stewed apples; slang for nonsense - benj — dialectal name for henbane or, in slang, marijuana used as an intoxicant - brat — a badly behaved or spoiled child - cockscomb — the crest of a rooster; a jester's cap; a vain conceited man - curio — a rare or unusual object valued as a curiosity - dayspring — literary or archaic term for dawn or daybreak - lemma — a subsidiary proposition proved as a step toward a theorem; a headword - ado — fuss, trouble, or commotion over something trivial - aphrodisia — sexual desire or arousal - apocalypse — a catastrophic event; a revelation of the end of the world - bairn — a child (chiefly Scottish and northern English) - camelopard — an archaic name for the giraffe - cantrip — a magic spell or mischievous trick - compendium — a concise but comprehensive summary of a subject - continuum — a continuous sequence with no sharp divisions - crossroad — a point where roads intersect; a critical turning point - curlicue — a fancy twist, curl, or flourish, as in writing - finale — the closing section of a performance or event - genesis — the origin or coming into being of something - mage — a magician or learned practitioner of magic - onset — the beginning or start of something, often unpleasant - overview — a general summary or survey of a subject - rep — an informal term for a representative, reputation, or a repetition - shortcoming — a fault or failure to meet a standard; a defect - zucchini — a green summer squash, also called a courgette - adieu — goodbye; a farewell - admixture — a mixture, or an additional ingredient mixed into something - alco — (slang) an alcoholic or heavy drinker - alehouse — a tavern or establishment where ale is sold and drunk - antimodel — a negative example showing how something should not be done - argot — the specialized slang or jargon of a particular group - atlas — a bound collection of maps - bah — an exclamation expressing contempt or dismissal - battercake — a thin cake fried from batter; a pancake (dialectal) - bayou — a slow-moving marshy creek or backwater, typical of the southern US - bedlam — a scene of uproar and confusion - bint — a woman or girl (British slang, often derogatory) - bluejacket — an enlisted sailor in the navy - bumbershoot — (US informal, dated) an umbrella - cad — a man who behaves dishonorably, especially toward women - certitude — absolute certainty or conviction - coistril — a knave or base fellow; a groom or knight's attendant (archaic) - composure — calm self-control, especially under stress - conspectus — a general survey or summary of a subject - cosmos — the universe regarded as an ordered, harmonious whole - denture — a removable plate or frame holding artificial teeth - dick — a detective (informal, dated slang) - disinterest — lack of concern or interest; impartiality free from bias - flapjack — a pancake, or a British oat-and-syrup bar - grandeur — splendor and impressiveness; magnificence - gumshoe — a detective, especially a private investigator - hodgepodge — a confused or jumbled mixture of disparate things - memorandum — a written note or record, especially in an organization - merch — merchandise, especially branded products sold to fans - milestone — a significant stage or event; a roadside marker of distance - miscarriage — the loss of a pregnancy; a failure or mismanagement of something - morn — morning (chiefly poetic or archaic) - nectarine — a smooth-skinned variety of peach - prof — an informal term for a professor - setup — the way something is arranged or organized; an arrangement or scheme - warlock — a man who practices witchcraft; a male sorcerer - whim — a sudden, capricious desire or impulse - wreckage — the remains of something that has been badly damaged or destroyed - aa — basaltic lava with a rough, jagged, clinkery surface - accoucheuse — a female midwife or woman who assists at childbirth - adaptitude — aptitude or capacity for adapting; adaptability - adzooks — an archaic exclamation of surprise or annoyance - ague — a fever marked by recurring chills and shivering, often malarial - alkali — a soluble base that neutralizes acids, turning litmus blue - amanuensis — a literary or artistic assistant who writes from dictation or copies manuscripts - anglewing — a butterfly with jagged, angular wing margins, of the genus Polygonia - apophthegm — a terse, pointed saying; a pithy maxim - arrowleaf — any of various plants having arrow-shaped leaves - babushka — a headscarf tied under the chin, or an elderly Russian woman - bakeboard — a board on which dough is kneaded or rolled out - beambird — a dialectal name for the spotted flycatcher - bim — dialectal or slang term for a woman, often derogatory; a bimbo - bingle — Australian slang for a minor crash or collision, especially of vehicles - blackcoat — archaic term for a clergyman, from the black clerical garb - bookstall — a stall or stand where books and periodicals are sold - bub — an informal, often condescending term of address for a man or boy - cacodemon — an evil spirit or malevolent demon - carbuncle — a painful cluster of boils; a red gem, especially a garnet - carrytale — a gossip or tale-bearer who spreads rumors - cartridge — a case holding a charge and bullet; a sealed replaceable container - casing — a protective outer cover or shell enclosing something - cask — a barrel-shaped wooden container for liquids - chattel — an item of movable personal property - cheerio — a chiefly British expression used as a farewell - cig — an informal shortening of cigarette - cole — any of various brassica plants such as cabbage, kale, or rape - cologne — a lightly scented perfume made of alcohol and aromatic oils - corsair — a pirate or privateer, especially of the Barbary Coast - creatrix — a female creator or originator - cuke — an informal shortening of cucumber - dandiprat — an archaic term for an insignificant fellow or urchin - defeature — defeat or undoing; disfigurement (archaic) - definiendum — the term that is being defined in a definition - definiens — the words or expression that define the definiendum - diaphoresis — profuse perspiration, especially as induced medically - dictatrix — a female dictator or absolute ruler - dictum — a formal pronouncement or an authoritative saying - disequilibrium — a loss or lack of balance or stability - doddle — something accomplished very easily (British informal) - downside — the negative aspect or drawback of something - dragon — a mythical fire-breathing reptilian monster - emmet — an ant (archaic or dialectal) - ensign — a flag or standard, or a junior naval officer - flapcake — a thin flat cake cooked on a griddle; a pancake - footstall — the base or pedestal of a pillar; a woman's stirrup - forechoice — a choice made beforehand; predetermination - fount — a spring or source; a fountain - fountainhead — the source of a stream; the original source of something - frankincense — an aromatic gum resin burned as incense - gadling — a vagabond or idle wanderer; a spike on a gauntlet - gal — informal term for a girl or woman - geek — an enthusiast obsessively devoted to a niche interest - genitalia — the external organs of reproduction - ghoul — an evil spirit said to rob graves and feed on corpses - greenhorn — an inexperienced or naive newcomer - heck — a mild exclamation of surprise, irritation, or emphasis - hellcat — a spiteful, violent-tempered woman; a fury - hidrosis — the secretion of sweat, especially in abnormal amounts - hoodie — a hooded sweatshirt - icebox — an insulated cabinet cooled by ice; an early or informal term for a refrigerator - ineptitude — lack of skill or competence; clumsiness - inflood — a flowing in; an influx or inundation - inrush — a sudden rushing in or influx - keeping — care, custody, or harmony with something - laird — a Scottish landed proprietor or lord of an estate - laughingstock — an object of general ridicule - loo — (British informal) a toilet - masseuse — a woman who provides massage professionally - mon — a man or fellow, in dialectal or informal address - naw — a casual or dialectal form of 'no' - necessitude — necessity or distress; a close bond of obligation (archaic) - negatron — an electron, especially as opposed to a positron (dated) - nexus — a connection or link; a central or focal point - nightfall — the onset of darkness; dusk - nightie — a woman's or child's nightgown (informal) - node — a point of connection, intersection, or swelling - palpebra — an eyelid, in anatomical terminology - pandemonium — wild and noisy disorder or confusion - pismire — an ant (archaic or dialectal) - platitude — a trite or overused remark presented as though it were original or profound - pol — a politician (informal) - quietus — something that ends or settles an affair; death or a final discharge - reliquiae — remains or remnants, especially fossil remains or relics - ruckus — a noisy disturbance or commotion - rumpus — a noisy disturbance, uproar, or commotion - sac — a pouch or bag-like cavity in an organism, often holding fluid - showdown — a decisive confrontation meant to settle a dispute - showing — a display, exhibition, or performance of something - sobriquet — a nickname or familiar epithet - specs — informal term for spectacles or for technical specifications - sweetie — a term of endearment, or informally a piece of candy - tadpole — the aquatic larval stage of a frog or toad - tosh — British informal term for nonsense or rubbish - treacle — British term for molasses; cloying sentimentality - trike — an informal name for a tricycle - trottoir — a pavement or sidewalk - tue — a tuyere, the nozzle through which air is forced into a furnace - umbrage — offense or annoyance, especially at a perceived slight - upside — the positive or advantageous aspect of a situation - venom — poisonous fluid secreted by some animals; bitter malice - vibrato — a slight, rapid wavering of pitch in singing or instrumental playing - vinculum — a bond or tie; a bar drawn over grouped mathematical terms - welkin — the sky, the vault of heaven, or the upper air - witchcraft — the practice of magic, especially involving spells and supernatural powers - woolgathering — absent-minded daydreaming or aimless musing - teddy bear — a soft toy made in the shape of a bear - copestone — the final or crowning element that completes something