English Vocabulary
Pick a CEFR level (A1–C2) — A1 is the friendliest place to start — and browse its words grouped by topic: travel, food, the body, emotions, and more. Each word shows its meaning, example sentences, and US/UK pronunciation.
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675 words
assassinate
C2+
/əˈsæsəˌneɪt/
to murder a prominent person by sudden or secret attack
asshead
C2+
/ˈæsˌhɛd/
a stupid person; a blockhead
attendant
C2+
/əˈtɛndənt/
a person who attends or serves; accompanying as a consequence
autograph
C2+
/ˈɔtəˌɡræf/
a person's own signature, especially a celebrity's
avoidless
C2+
/əˈvɔɪdləs/
that cannot be avoided; inevitable
bayard
C2+
/ˈbeɪərd/
a bay horse; also a heedless, self-confident person
bigmouth
C2+
/ˈbɪɡˌmaʊθ/
a loud, talkative person who reveals secrets
blooper
C2+
/ˈblupər/
an embarrassing public blunder or gaffe
bonehead
C2+
/ˈboʊnˌhɛd/
a stupid or stubborn person; a blockhead
booster
C2+
/ˈbustər/
a person or device that boosts or promotes something
boozer
C2+
/ˈbuzər/
a heavy drinker; British slang for a pub
borrower
C2+
/ˈbɑroʊər/
a person who borrows something, especially money
boundless
C2+
/ˈbaʊndləs/
having no limits; unbounded or vast
bozo
C2+
/ˈboʊzoʊ/
a foolish or incompetent person
caitiff
C2+
/ˈkeɪtɪf/
a cowardly and despicable person; base and craven
campaigner
C2+
/kæmˈpeɪnər/
a person who works actively for a cause or candidate
cheater
C2+
/ˈtʃitɚ/
a person who acts dishonestly to gain an advantage
chieftain
C2+
/ˈtʃiftən/
the leader of a clan, tribe, or band
churl
C2+
/tʃɝl/
a rude, surly, or ill-bred person
collaborationist
C2+
/kəˌlæbəˈreɪʃənɪst/
a person who cooperates with an occupying enemy force
combatant
C2+
/kəmˈbætənt/
a person engaged in fighting, especially in war
compatriot
C2+
/kəmˈpeɪtriət/
a fellow citizen or countryman
compeer
C2+
/ˈkɑmpɪr/
a person of equal rank or status; a peer
deceased
C2+
/dɪˈsist/
no longer living; a dead person
deceiver
C2+
/dɪˈsivɚ/
a person who misleads or tricks others
defector
C2+
/dɪˈfɛktɚ/
a person who abandons a country, cause, or party for an opposing one
demeanor
C2+
/dɪˈminɚ/
outward behavior or bearing; the way a person conducts themselves
deportment
C2+
/dɪˈpɔrtmənt/
the manner in which a person conducts or carries themselves
dissenter
C2+
/dɪˈsɛntɚ/
a person who disagrees, especially with an official or majority view
floater
C2+
/ˈfloʊtɚ/
a thing or person that floats; a spot drifting in one's field of vision
foolishness
C2+
/ˈfuːlɪʃnəs/
lack of good sense; silly behavior
foreguess
C2+
/fɔrˈɡɛs/
to guess or conjecture beforehand; to anticipate
fugitive
C2+
/ˈfjuːdʒɪtɪv/
a person who flees, especially from the law; fleeting
heathen
C2+
/ˈhiːðən/
a person not belonging to a widely held religion; irreligious
homosexual
C2+
/ˌhoʊməˈsɛkʃuəl/
sexually attracted to people of one's own sex
horde
C2+
/hɔrd/
a large, often unruly crowd or group
humanistic
C2+
/ˌhjuːməˈnɪstɪk/
relating to human values, interests, or the study of humanities
ignominy
C2+
/ˈɪɡnəmɪni/
public shame or disgrace resulting from dishonourable conduct
imbecile
C2+
/ˈɪmbəsəl/
a stupid person; (dated) someone of severely limited intelligence
invalid
C2+
/ɪnˈvælɪd/
not legally or logically valid; (ˈɪnvəlɪd) a person weakened by illness
irregardless
C2+
/ˌɪrɪˈɡɑrdləs/
(nonstandard) regardless; without regard to circumstances
keepsake
C2+
/ˈkipseɪk/
a small item kept in memory of the person who gave or owned it
lexicon
C2+
/ˈlɛksɪkɑn/
the vocabulary of a language, person, or field; a dictionary
libertine
C2+
/ˈlɪbərtin/
a person who is morally or sexually unrestrained
luckless
C2+
/ˈlʌkləs/
having or bringing no luck; unfortunate
manipulator
C2+
/məˈnɪpjəleɪtər/
a person who controls others unfairly; a device for handling objects
moron
C2+
/ˈmɔrɑn/
a foolish or stupid person
nonpareil
C2+
/ˌnɑnpəˈrɛl/
having no equal; a person or thing without rival
peerless
C2+
/ˈpɪrləs/
having no equal; matchless
peopleless
C2+
/ˈpipəlləs/
devoid of people; unpopulated
pimp
C2+
/pɪmp/
a person who manages prostitutes and takes their earnings
pitiless
C2+
/ˈpɪtiləs/
showing no pity; merciless or relentless
posterior
C2+
/pɑˈstɪriər/
situated at or toward the rear; the buttocks
precursor
C2+
/prɪˈkɜrsər/
something that comes before and signals or leads to another
proxy
C2+
/ˈprɑksi/
a person authorized to act or vote on behalf of another
publican
C2+
/ˈpʌblɪkən/
a person who owns or manages a pub
reprobate
C2+
/ˈrɛprəbeɪt/
an unprincipled or morally depraved person
reverend
C2+
/ˈrɛvərənd/
worthy of deep respect; used as a title for a member of the clergy
ruse
C2+
/ruz/
a trick or stratagem intended to deceive someone
scribe
C2+
/skraɪb/
a person who copies documents, especially before printing
specter
C2+
/ˈspɛktər/
a ghost, or a haunting threatening prospect
spendthrift
C2+
/ˈspɛndθrɪft/
a person who spends money wastefully and extravagantly
throng
C2+
/θrɔŋ/
a large, densely packed crowd; to gather or crowd together
turncoat
C2+
/ˈtɜrnˌkoʊt/
a person who deserts one party or cause for the opposing one
twosome
C2+
/ˈtusəm/
a group or pairing of two people
ulterior
C2+
/ʌlˈtɪriər/
hidden beyond what is openly stated; concealed and self-serving
villain
C2+
/ˈvɪlən/
a wicked person, especially the chief evildoer in a story
virgin
C2+
/ˈvɜrdʒɪn/
a person who has not had sex; pristine and untouched
witch
C2+
/wɪtʃ/
a person, typically a woman, believed to practise magic
abuser
C2+
/əˈbjuzɚ/
a person who maltreats another or misuses something habitually
accessary
C2+
/ækˈsɛsəri/
a person who aids in a crime without being the principal; an accessory
ager
C2+
/ˈeɪdʒɚ/
a person or agent that causes or undergoes ageing
alphabetarian
C2+
/ˌælfəbɪˈtɛriən/
a beginner learning the alphabet; a novice
arguer
C2+
/ˈɑrɡjuɚ/
a person who argues or debates
artificer
C2+
/ɑrˈtɪfɪsɚ/
a skilled craftsman or inventor of ingenious devices
asunder
C2+
/əˈsʌndɚ/
apart or into separate pieces
auctioneer
C2+
/ˌɔkʃəˈnɪr/
a person who conducts sales by auction
automaton
C2+
/ɔˈtɑmətən/
a self-operating machine, or a person acting mechanically without thought
backfriend
C2+
/ˈbækˌfrɛnd/
a false friend or secret enemy
backside
C2+
/ˈbækˌsaɪd/
the rear part of something; a person's buttocks
bagger
C2+
/ˈbæɡɚ/
a person or machine that fills or packs bags
bamboozler
C2+
/bæmˈbuzlɚ/
a person who cheats or deceives others
barkeeper
C2+
/ˈbɑrˌkipɚ/
a person who serves drinks at a bar
baron
C2+
/ˈbærən/
a member of the lowest rank of the nobility; a powerful magnate
barrister
C2+
/ˈbærɪstɚ/
a lawyer qualified to plead in the higher courts (chiefly British)
bearer
C2+
/ˈbɛrɚ/
a person who carries or holds something
bedfellow
C2+
/ˈbɛdˌfɛloʊ/
a person who shares a bed; an associate or ally
beggar
C2+
/ˈbɛɡɚ/
a person who lives by asking for charity
bigoted
C2+
/ˈbɪɡətɪd/
obstinately intolerant of other people's beliefs or opinions
blatherskite
C2+
/ˈblæðɚˌskaɪt/
a person who talks foolishly at length; nonsensical talk
boarder
C2+
/ˈbɔrdɚ/
a person who pays to live and take meals in someone's house
bod
C2+
/bɑd/
(informal) a person; the human body
bombardier
C2+
/ˌbɑmbɚˈdɪr/
a crew member who aims and releases bombs from an aircraft
boner
C2+
/ˈboʊnɚ/
(informal) a foolish and embarrassing mistake
bounder
C2+
/ˈbaʊndɚ/
(dated, British) a dishonorable or ill-bred man; a cad
buster
C2+
/ˈbʌstɚ/
(informal) a man or boy, used as an address; something that breaks or stops