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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497 words
demission
C2+
/dɪˈmɪʃən/
the act of relinquishing an office or position; abdication or resignation
demit
C2+
/dɪˈmɪt/
to resign from or relinquish an office, position, or membership
desecrate
C2+
/ˈdɛsɪˌkreɪt/
to treat a sacred place or thing with violent disrespect
desperado
C2+
/ˌdɛspəˈrɑdoʊ/
a bold, reckless criminal or outlaw, especially of the old West
dicky
C2+
/ˈdɪki/
unsound or unsteady; or a detachable shirt front
disinter
C2+
/ˌdɪsɪnˈtɜr/
to dig up something that has been buried, especially a corpse
disparity
C2+
/dɪsˈpɛrəti/
a great difference or inequality between things
displacement
C2+
/dɪsˈpleɪsmənt/
the act of moving something from its place or the resulting shift
dissympathy
C2+
/dɪsˈsɪmpəθi/
absence or opposite of sympathy; antipathy (rare)
disunion
C2+
/dɪsˈjunjən/
the breaking up of a union; separation or discord
diversified
C2+
/daɪˈvɜrsɪfaɪd/
varied; spread across different kinds to reduce risk
doorsill
C2+
/ˈdɔrsɪl/
the horizontal threshold at the bottom of a doorway
downwardly
C2+
/ˈdaʊnwərdli/
in a downward direction or toward a lower level
dragnet
C2+
/ˈdræɡnɛt/
a systematic search for criminals; a net drawn along the bottom
drifter
C2+
/ˈdrɪftər/
a person who moves aimlessly from place to place or job to job
easterly
C2+
/ˈistɚli/
situated toward or coming from the east
eden
C2+
/ˈidən/
a place of unspoiled happiness or delight
encircle
C2+
/ɛnˈsɝkəl/
to form a circle around; surround
encoffin
C2+
/ɛnˈkɔfɪn/
to place in a coffin (rare or literary)
endorser
C2+
/ɛnˈdɔrsɚ/
a person who publicly approves or signs the back of a document
entomb
C2+
/ɛnˈtum/
to place in a tomb; to bury or enclose as in a grave
entranceway
C2+
/ˈɛntrənsˌweɪ/
a passage or opening forming the entrance to a place
equipoise
C2+
/ˈɛkwɪˌpɔɪz/
a state of equilibrium or balance between opposing forces
evocation
C2+
/ˌɛvoʊˈkeɪʃən/
the act of calling up or summoning a memory, feeling, or spirit
expendable
C2+
/ɪkˈspɛndəbəl/
able to be sacrificed or used up as not essential
expulsion
C2+
/ɪkˈspʌlʃən/
the act of forcing someone to leave a place or organization
externally
C2+
/ɪkˈstɜrnəli/
on or from the outside; in external respects
extraparliamentary
C2+
/ˌɛkstrəˌpɑrləˈmɛntəri/
occurring or acting outside the bounds of parliament
extratemporal
C2+
/ˌɛkstrəˈtɛmpərəl/
existing or occurring outside of time, or beyond the temporal bone region
facade
C2+
/fəˈsɑd/
the front exterior of a building, or a deceptive outward appearance
feague
C2+
/fiɡ/
archaic: to whip, beat, or liven up, especially a horse
fess
C2+
/fɛs/
informal: to confess; also a horizontal band across a heraldic shield
footing
C2+
/ˈfʊtɪŋ/
a secure grip for the feet; a basis or established position
forlet
C2+
/fɔrˈlɛt/
to abandon, relinquish, or give up
fundus
C2+
/ˈfʌndəs/
the base or interior surface of a hollow organ opposite its opening
gage
C2+
/ɡeɪdʒ/
a pledge or token of challenge thrown down; to pledge
gam
C2+
/ɡæm/
a social visit between whaling ships; a school of whales; a leg
garrison
C2+
/ˈɡærɪsn/
troops stationed in a fortress; to station troops in a place
gauntlet
C2+
/ˈɡɔntlət/
an armored glove; an ordeal or punishment run between two rows
gazetteer
C2+
/ˌɡæzəˈtɪr/
a geographical dictionary or index of place names
habitue
C2+
/həˈbɪtʃuˌeɪ/
a person who frequents a particular place
halo
C2+
/ˈheɪloʊ/
a ring of light around the head of a sacred figure or a luminous circle in the sky
heirloom
C2+
/ˈɛrˌluːm/
a valued object passed down through generations of a family
herefrom
C2+
/ˌhɪrˈfrʌm/
from this place or source (archaic)
heretofore
C2+
/ˌhɪrtəˈfɔːr/
before now; up until this time
hind
C2+
/haɪnd/
situated at the back; also a female red deer
hollowness
C2+
/ˈhɑːloʊnəs/
the state of being empty inside; insincerity or emptiness of feeling
illfare
C2+
/ˈɪlˌfɛr/
misfortune, hardship, or distress; the opposite of welfare
illume
C2+
/ɪˈlum/
to light up or illuminate
imbalance
C2+
/ɪmˈbæləns/
a lack of proportion or equilibrium between things
impasse
C2+
/ˈɪmpæs/
a deadlock or situation from which there is no escape
impel
C2+
/ɪmˈpɛl/
to drive or urge forward; to compel to act
incomer
C2+
/ˈɪnˌkʌmɚ/
a person who comes to live in or enter a place from elsewhere
incoming
C2+
/ˈɪnˌkʌmɪŋ/
coming in or arriving; about to take up a position
incongruence
C2+
/ɪnˈkɑŋɡruəns/
lack of harmony or agreement between things
incongruousness
C2+
/ɪnˈkɑŋɡruəsnəs/
the quality of being out of place or inconsistent with surroundings
indentation
C2+
/ˌɪndɛnˈteɪʃən/
a notch or recess, or a blank space at the start of a line of text
indestructible
C2+
/ˌɪndɪˈstrʌktəbəl/
impossible to destroy or break down
indorse
C2+
/ɪnˈdɔrs/
to endorse; to sign the back of a document or give approval
infix
C2+
/ˈɪnfɪks/
an affix inserted within a word, or to fix something firmly inside
inflow
C2+
/ˈɪnfloʊ/
the movement of something into a place; an influx
inhibition
C2+
/ˌɪnɪˈbɪʃən/
a feeling or process that restrains or holds back an action or impulse
inshore
C2+
/ˌɪnˈʃɔr/
situated in or moving toward the water near the shore
interactional
C2+
/ˌɪntɚˈækʃənəl/
relating to interaction between people or things
interdependence
C2+
/ˌɪntɚdɪˈpɛndəns/
the condition of mutual dependence between parties or things
interepidemic
C2+
/ˌɪntɚˌɛpɪˈdɛmɪk/
occurring in the period between successive epidemics
interindividual
C2+
/ˌɪntɚˌɪndəˈvɪdʒuəl/
occurring or existing between separate individuals
intermediation
C2+
/ˌɪntɚˌmidiˈeɪʃən/
the action of mediating between parties, especially in finance
intermezzo
C2+
/ˌɪntɚˈmɛtsoʊ/
a short musical or dramatic piece performed between larger movements or acts
internally
C2+
/ɪnˈtɝnəli/
on or within the inside; in one's mind or within an organization
interparliamentary
C2+
/ˌɪntɚˌpɑrləˈmɛntəri/
existing or conducted between parliaments or their members
interpolation
C2+
/ɪnˌtɝpəˈleɪʃən/
the insertion of something extra, or estimation of values between known points
interpose
C2+
/ˌɪntɚˈpoʊz/
to place or insert between; to intervene with a remark or action
interposition
C2+
/ˌɪntɚpəˈzɪʃən/
the act of placing between, or of intervening
interregnum
C2+
/ˌɪntɚˈrɛɡnəm/
an interval between two reigns or governments; a pause in continuity
interrelation
C2+
/ˌɪntɚrɪˈleɪʃən/
a mutual or reciprocal relation between things
interstice
C2+
/ɪnˈtɝstɪs/
a small intervening space or gap between things
intertropical
C2+
/ˌɪntɚˈtrɑpɪkəl/
situated or occurring between the tropics
inverse
C2+
/ˌɪnˈvɝs/
opposite in order, direction, or effect; a thing that is the reverse of another
inversion
C2+
/ɪnˈvɝʒən/
a reversal of position, order, or relationship
invert
C2+
/ɪnˈvɝt/
to turn upside down or reverse in position or order
itinerant
C2+
/aɪˈtɪnərənt/
traveling from place to place, especially for work
jounce
C2+
/dʒaʊns/
to jolt or bounce up and down
juxtaposition
C2+
/ˌdʒʌkstəpəˈzɪʃən/
the placing of things side by side for contrast or comparison
lectern
C2+
/ˈlɛktɚn/
a tall stand with a sloped top for holding a book or notes for a speaker
lickpenny
C2+
/ˈlɪkˌpɛni/
something that consumes money; a costly thing or place
lintel
C2+
/ˈlɪntl/
a horizontal beam across the top of a door or window
liquidation
C2+
/ˌlɪkwɪˈdeɪʃən/
the winding up of a company by selling assets to pay debts
liquidator
C2+
/ˈlɪkwɪˌdeɪtɚ/
a person appointed to wind up a company's affairs in liquidation
localization
C2+
/ˌloʊkələˈzeɪʃən/
the adaptation of something to a particular place or market
localize
C2+
/ˈloʊkəˌlaɪz/
to confine to or adapt for a particular place
locator
C2+
/ˈloʊˌkeɪtɚ/
a device or system that finds the position of something
locomotor
C2+
/ˌloʊkəˈmoʊtɚ/
relating to or capable of movement from place to place
lop
C2+
/lɑp/
to cut off branches or parts; a hanging-down posture
lunge
C2+
/lʌndʒ/
a sudden forward thrust of the body, or to make such a movement
manufactory
C2+
/ˌmænjəˈfæktəri/
a factory; an archaic term for a place where goods are made