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
knee-deep
C2+
/ˌniːˈdiːp/
reaching as high as the knees, or submerged up to the knees
thither
C2+
/ˈðɪðɚ/
to or toward that place
akimbo
C2+
/əˈkɪm.boʊ/
with the hands on the hips and the elbows turned outward
spread-eagle
C2+
/ˈsprɛdˌiːɡəl/
a representation of an eagle with its wings and legs extended
stock-still
C2+
/ˌstɑːkˈstɪl/
completely motionless
underlie
C2+
/ˌʌn.dɚˈlaɪ/
to lie beneath something
upperworld
C2+
/ˈʌpɚˌwɝld/
the surface world, contrasted with an underground, submarine, or underworld realm
afront
C2+
/əˈfrʌnt/
archaic or dialectal: in front or face to face
serry
C2+
/ˈsɛri/
archaic or literary: to crowd or press people or things closely together, especially in ranks or rows
neckdeep
C2+
/ˌnɛkˈdiːp/
reaching, submerged, or covered up to the neck
embay
C2+
/ɛmˈbeɪ/
to enclose, shelter, or surround as if within a bay
anigh
C2+
/əˈnai/
archaic or dialectal: near or close by
accord
C2+
/əˈkɔɹd/
an agreement or harmony between parties; to grant or be consistent
depress
C2+
/dɪˈprɛs/
to make sad and dispirited, or to press down
ignorable
C2+
/ɪɡˈnɔɹəbəl/
able to be disregarded or left unnoticed
agitate
C2+
/ˈædʒəˌteɪt/
to stir up or disturb; to campaign vigorously
crest
C2+
/krɛst/
the top of a hill or wave; a heraldic emblem; to reach the top
infinite
C2+
/ˈɪnfɪnɪt/
limitless or endless in space, extent, or magnitude
composite
C2+
/kəmˈpɑzɪt/
made up of distinct parts; a thing formed from several elements
dwell
C2+
/dwɛl/
to live in a place; to linger on a thought or topic
compass
C2+
/ˈkʌmpəs/
an instrument showing direction; range or scope; (verb) to encompass or achieve
decompose
C2+
/ˌdikəmˈpoʊz/
to decay, or to break down into component parts
fateful
C2+
/ˈfeɪtfəl/
having far-reaching, often disastrous consequences
fell
C2+
/fɛl/
fierce, cruel, or deadly; (also) to cut down
foment
C2+
/foʊˈmɛnt/
to stir up or instigate trouble or discontent
hereabout
C2+
/ˈhɪrəˌbaʊt/
in this general area; near this place
mediator
C2+
/ˈmidieɪtɚ/
a person who tries to settle a dispute between parties
prevalent
C2+
/ˈprɛvələnt/
widespread or common in a particular place or time
void
C2+
/vɔɪd/
empty or legally invalid; (also) an empty space
demote
C2+
/dɪˈmoʊt/
to reduce to a lower rank or position
fallow
C2+
/ˈfæloʊ/
(of land) left unplanted to restore fertility; inactive
forsaken
C2+
/fərˈseɪkən/
abandoned or deserted; left utterly alone
immovable
C2+
/ɪˈmuvəbəl/
not able to be moved or changed in position or opinion
natal
C2+
/ˈneɪtəl/
relating to the place or time of one's birth
ascend
C2+
/əˈsɛnd/
to go up or rise to a higher position
boreal
C2+
/ˈbɔriəl/
relating to the north or northern regions
clearance
C2+
/ˈklɪrəns/
official permission, or the space between two objects
coincident
C2+
/koʊˈɪnsɪdənt/
occurring together in time or space; corresponding
cultch
C2+
/kʌltʃ/
the mass of stones and shells laid down as a bed for young oysters
denizen
C2+
/ˈdɛnɪzən/
an inhabitant or occupant of a particular place
endemic
C2+
/ɛnˈdɛmɪk/
native to or regularly found in a particular place or group
forbear
C2+
/fɔrˈbɛr/
to refrain from or hold back patiently from doing something
foremost
C2+
/ˈfɔrˌmoʊst/
most prominent in rank, importance, or position
genus
C2+
/ˈdʒinəs/
a taxonomic rank grouping related species above the species level
muddle
C2+
/ˈmʌdəl/
to confuse or mix up; a state of disorder or confusion
sleuth
C2+
/sluːθ/
a detective; to investigate or track down
sway
C2+
/sweɪ/
to move rhythmically side to side; to influence or control
autochthonous
C2+
/ɔːˈtɑːkθənəs/
native to and originating in the place where found; indigenous
barb
C2+
/bɑːrb/
a sharp backward point; a cutting or wounding remark
batten
C2+
/ˈbætən/
a strip of wood; to fasten down or thrive at another's expense
cede
C2+
/sid/
to give up or surrender, typically by treaty or formal agreement
cline
C2+
/klaɪn/
a gradient of continuous variation in a feature across a range
defoul
C2+
/diˈfaʊl/
to defile, pollute, or trample down; to befoul (archaic)
dike
C2+
/daɪk/
an embankment built to hold back water and prevent flooding
discord
C2+
/ˈdɪskɔrd/
disagreement or lack of harmony between people or sounds
expatriate
C2+
/ɛksˈpeɪtriɪt/
a person living outside their native country
footer
C2+
/ˈfʊtər/
text or a band at the bottom of a page or screen
forgo
C2+
/fɔrˈɡoʊ/
to abstain from or give up something
hunch
C2+
/hʌntʃ/
an intuitive feeling or guess; also, to arch the back forward
interlapse
C2+
/ˈɪntərlæps/
an interval of time that elapses between events
interspace
C2+
/ˈɪntərspeɪs/
a space between things; an intervening gap
median
C2+
/ˈmidiən/
the middle value in a range; situated in the middle
parley
C2+
/ˈpɑrli/
a discussion between opposing sides, especially to settle a dispute
partiality
C2+
/ˌpɑrʃiˈæləti/
unfair bias in favor of one side; a special fondness
partition
C2+
/pɑrˈtɪʃən/
a division into parts, or a structure that divides a space
proximate
C2+
/ˈprɑksəmət/
closest in space, time, or relationship; immediate
resurrect
C2+
/ˌrɛzəˈrɛkt/
to restore to life or bring back into use or notice
transference
C2+
/ˈtrænsfərəns/
the act of conveying something from one person, place, or context to another
vagabond
C2+
/ˈvæɡəbɑnd/
a person who wanders from place to place without a settled home
veto
C2+
/ˈviːtoʊ/
a constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal
westerly
C2+
/ˈwɛstərli/
situated toward or coming from the west
wobbly
C2+
/ˈwɑbli/
tending to move unsteadily from side to side; shaky
abandonment
C2+
/əˈbændənmənt/
the act of giving up or deserting something or someone completely
abode
C2+
/əˈboʊd/
a place of residence; a dwelling
alight
C2+
/əˈlaɪt/
to descend and settle, as a bird; also on fire or lit up
ambience
C2+
/ˈæmbiəns/
the character or atmosphere of a place
anterior
C2+
/ænˈtɪriər/
situated before or toward the front; earlier in time
belay
C2+
/bɪˈleɪ/
to secure a rope around a fixed point; to stop or cancel
beshine
C2+
/bɪˈʃaɪn/
to shine upon; to light up
cocking
C2+
/ˈkɑkɪŋ/
tilting upward or drawing back the hammer of a gun
collocate
C2+
/ˈkɑləˌkeɪt/
to place together, or of words, to occur habitually side by side
contiguous
C2+
/kənˈtɪɡjuəs/
sharing a common border; touching or adjacent
decelerate
C2+
/diˈsɛləˌreɪt/
to reduce speed; to slow down
dessertspoon
C2+
/dɪˈzɝtspun/
a spoon intermediate in size between a teaspoon and a tablespoon
disjunction
C2+
/dɪsˈdʒʌŋkʃən/
a separation or disconnection; (logic) an 'or' relation between propositions
dismantle
C2+
/dɪsˈmæntəl/
to take apart or pull down piece by piece
disqualification
C2+
/dɪsˌkwɑləfəˈkeɪʃən/
the act of barring someone from a competition or position; the state of being barred
dweller
C2+
/ˈdwɛlɚ/
a person or animal that lives in a specified place
eccentrical
C2+
/ɪkˈsɛntrɪkəl/
deviating from the center or from convention; eccentric
excentrical
C2+
/ɪkˈsɛntrɪkəl/
not having a common center; off-center; eccentric
expend
C2+
/ɪkˈspɛnd/
to spend or use up money, time, or energy
fore
C2+
/fɔr/
situated at the front; the front part
forwards
C2+
/ˈfɔrwɚdz/
toward the front; in the direction one is facing
immorally
C2+
/ɪˈmɔrəli/
in a way that violates accepted principles of right conduct
implode
C2+
/ɪmˈploʊd/
to collapse violently inward; to break down catastrophically
imprecate
C2+
/ˈɪmprɪkeɪt/
to invoke or call down a curse upon someone