This week on The Missing Workbook
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Word
English Vocabulary
Pick a CEFR level (A1–C2, plus C2+ for rare words beyond the CEFR scale) — 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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View all levelsC2+ is beyond the official CEFR scale: rare, specialist, and literary words kept for reference.
619 words
hmm
C2+
/hm̩/
a sound used to show that someone is thinking, hesitating, doubtful, or mildly interested
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deposition
C2+
/ˌdɛp.əˈzɪʃ.ən/
The removal of someone from office.
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rabble
C2+
/ˈɹæbəl/
The mass of common people; the lowest class of populace.
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sphinx
C2+
/ˈsfɪŋks/
A creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal, commonly a lion.
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Anglo-Saxon
C2+
/ˌæŋ.ɡloʊˈsæk.sən/
a member of the Germanic-speaking peoples who settled in England from the fifth century and whose kingdoms preceded Norman rule
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go-getter
C2+
/ˈɡoʊˌɡɛt.ɚ/
an energetic, enterprising, and ambitious person who acts decisively to achieve success
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wigwam
C2+
/ˈwɪɡwɑːm/
Any more or less similar dwelling used by indigenous people in other parts of the world.
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populist
C2+
/ˈpɑ.pjə.lɪst/
A person who advocates populism (a movement against ruling elites who are presumed not to act in the interests of the ordinary citizen).
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heigh
C2+
/heɪ/
an exclamation used to attract attention, urge someone on, or express surprise
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tête-à-tête
C2+
/ˌteɪt.əˈteɪt/
a private conversation or meeting between two people
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infrasound
C2+
/ˈɪnfrəˌsaʊnd/
sound waves having a frequency below the human audible range (below about 20 Hz).
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chucklehead
C2+
/ˈtʃʌkl̩ˌhɛd/
informal, disparaging: a stupid, foolish, or clumsy person
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dyspeptic
C2+
/ˌdɪˈspɛptɪk/
A dyspeptic person.
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snitcher
C2+
/ˈsnɪtʃɚ/
an informer who secretly reports another person's wrongdoing to the police or another authority
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telepathist
C2+
/təˈlɛpəθɪst/
a person believed to receive or transmit thoughts directly without using the known senses
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hobbledehoy
C2+
/ˈhɑː.bəl.diˌhɔɪ/
an awkward, gawky, or ill-mannered adolescent boy
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birdcatcher
C2+
/ˈbɝdˌkætʃɚ/
a person who catches or traps wild birds
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demander
C2+
a person or group that demands or asks for something
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souteneur
C2+
/ˌsuː.təˈnɝː/
A man who protects, and commonly compels, a prostitute of any gender and lives off the earnings; a pimp. Originally a Parisian term, but since adopted into other languages such as English
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touter
C2+
/ˈtaʊtɚ/
a person who solicits customers or promotes something in an insistent or obtrusive way
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Koryak
C2+
/ˈkɔːriˌæk/
a member of an Indigenous people of the northern Kamchatka Peninsula and neighboring parts of the Russian Far East
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first-nighter
C2+
/ˌfɝːstˈnaɪtɚ/
a person who regularly attends the opening nights of plays or other theatrical productions
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inventress
C2+
/ɪnˈvɛntrəs/
dated: a woman who invents; a female inventor
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shopboy
C2+
/ˈʃɑːpˌbɔɪ/
historical: a boy or young male assistant employed in a shop
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opium-eater
C2+
/ˈoʊpiəm ˌiːtər/
historical: a person who habitually consumes opium, especially for intoxication; an opium user or addict
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phrasemonger
C2+
/ˈfreɪzˌmʌŋɡɚ/
a person who habitually uses showy, overelaborate, or empty phrases
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Kalmyk
C2+
/kælˈmɪk/
a member of a traditionally Buddhist Oirat Mongol people living chiefly in Kalmykia near the northwestern Caspian Sea
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luncher
C2+
/ˈlʌn.tʃər/
a person who is eating or habitually eats lunch, especially at a restaurant or gathering
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lotus-eater
C2+
/ˈloʊtəsˌiːtɚ/
in Greek mythology, one of a people whose lotus fruit made visitors forget their homes and lose the desire to leave
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pre-Adamite
C2+
/ˌpriːˈæd.ə.maɪt/
a hypothetical person or member of a race believed to have existed before the biblical Adam
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porkman
C2+
/ˈpɔrkmən/
a person who produces and sells pork.
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womanhater
C2+
/ˈwʊm.ənˌheɪ.tɚ/
a person who hates, despises, or is strongly prejudiced against women; a misogynist
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purloiner
C2+
/pərˈlɔɪnər/
a person who steals or takes something dishonestly
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esteem
C2+
/ɪˈstim/
respect and admiration felt for a person or thing
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ace
C2+
/eɪs/
a person who excels at something, or a playing card marked with a single pip
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ass
C2+
/æs/
a donkey, or a foolish or stupid person
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babe
C2+
/beɪb/
a baby or young child; an inexperienced person; an attractive person
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flake
C2+
/fleɪk/
a small thin fragment; an unreliable person; to peel off
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hunk
C2+
/hʌŋk/
a large thick piece; a sexually attractive man
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bastard
C2+
/ˈbæstɚd/
a child born out of wedlock; something irregular or impure in origin
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beau
C2+
/boʊ/
a woman's male admirer or boyfriend; a dandy
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controller
C2+
/kənˈtroʊlɚ/
a person or device that directs or regulates something
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crackpot
C2+
/ˈkrækpɑt/
an eccentric or foolish person with strange ideas
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jerk
C2+
/dʒɜrk/
a sudden sharp movement, or a contemptible person
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mediator
C2+
/ˈmidieɪtɚ/
a person who tries to settle a dispute between parties
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mystic
C2+
/ˈmɪstɪk/
a person who seeks union with the divine, or spiritually mysterious
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admirer
C2+
/ədˈmaɪrɚ/
a person who regards another with admiration
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bloke
C2+
/bloʊk/
(British informal) a man; a fellow
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chap
C2+
/tʃæp/
(British informal) a man or boy; a fellow
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cleric
C2+
/ˈklɛrɪk/
a member of the clergy; an ordained religious official
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counselor
C2+
/ˈkaʊnsələr/
a person who gives professional advice or guidance
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crank
C2+
/kræŋk/
an eccentric person; a bent arm-and-handle used to turn a shaft
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doer
C2+
/ˈduər/
a person who acts rather than merely talks or thinks
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fellowship
C2+
/ˈfɛloʊˌʃɪp/
friendly companionship among people with shared interests
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sophisticate
C2+
/səˈfɪstɪkət/
a worldly, cultured person of refined tastes
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adherent
C2+
/ædˈhɪrənt/
a supporter of a person, cause, or belief
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anchorite
C2+
/ˈæŋkəˌraɪt/
a person who lives in seclusion for religious reasons; a hermit
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antagonist
C2+
/ænˈtæɡənɪst/
a person who actively opposes or is hostile to another
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betrayer
C2+
/bɪˈtreɪɚ/
a person who is disloyal to a trust or cause
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changeling
C2+
/ˈtʃeɪndʒlɪŋ/
a child secretly substituted for another in folklore, esp. by fairies
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crook
C2+
/krʊk/
a dishonest person, or a bent or hooked thing
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dame
C2+
/deɪm/
a woman of rank or, in British usage, a titled honorific equal to a knight
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dandy
C2+
/ˈdændi/
a man overly concerned with elegant dress; excellent
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dupe
C2+
/dup/
a person easily deceived, or to deceive such a person
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fancier
C2+
/ˈfænsiɚ/
a person with a special interest in breeding or keeping something
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fink
C2+
/fɪŋk/
an informer or contemptible person; to inform on someone
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gossiper
C2+
/ˈɡɑsəpɚ/
a person who habitually spreads idle talk or rumors about others
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miser
C2+
/ˈmaɪzɚ/
a person who hoards wealth and spends as little as possible
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outlier
C2+
/ˈaʊtˌlaɪɚ/
a person or value markedly different from the rest of a group
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purchaser
C2+
/ˈpɝtʃəsɚ/
a person who buys something; a buyer
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surrogate
C2+
/ˈsɝəɡət/
a substitute or stand-in for another person or thing
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assemblage
C2+
/əˈsɛmblɪdʒ/
a collection or gathering of things or people
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barbarian
C2+
/bɑːrˈbɛriən/
an uncivilized or savage person; brutish
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benefactor
C2+
/ˈbɛnɪfæktɚ/
a person who gives help or financial support
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bouncer
C2+
/ˈbaʊnsɚ/
a person employed to eject troublemakers from a venue; a fast bowled ball
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brat
C2+
/bræt/
a badly behaved or spoiled child
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buddha
C2+
/ˈbudə/
a person who has attained enlightenment in Buddhism; an image of such a being
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caricature
C2+
/ˈkɛrɪkətʃɚ/
an exaggerated representation of a person for comic or satirical effect
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chield
C2+
/tʃild/
Scottish dialect for a young man, lad, or fellow
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cockscomb
C2+
/ˈkɑksˌkoʊm/
the crest of a rooster; a jester's cap; a vain conceited man
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daredevil
C2+
/ˈdɛrˌdɛvəl/
a recklessly bold person who takes dangerous risks
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designation
C2+
/ˌdɛzɪɡˈneɪʃən/
an official name, title, or label assigned to someone or something
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discord
C2+
/ˈdɪskɔrd/
disagreement or lack of harmony between people or sounds
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distrust
C2+
/dɪsˈtrʌst/
lack of trust or confidence in someone or something
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dope
C2+
/doʊp/
an illicit drug; informally, information, or a foolish person
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exemplar
C2+
/ɪɡˈzɛmplər/
a person or thing serving as a typical or ideal model
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hex
C2+
/hɛks/
a magic spell or curse, or to cast such a spell on someone
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idler
C2+
/ˈaɪdlər/
a person who avoids work; also a freely rotating gear or pulley
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ilk
C2+
/ɪlk/
a type or kind of person or thing
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leech
C2+
/litʃ/
a blood-sucking worm; also, a person who exploits others parasitically
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liability
C2+
/ˌlaɪəˈbɪləti/
legal responsibility; also, a person or thing causing disadvantage
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nemesis
C2+
/ˈnɛməsəs/
an inescapable agent of someone's downfall or a long-standing rival
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oracle
C2+
/ˈɔrəkəl/
a person or agency considered to give wise or authoritative guidance
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renegade
C2+
/ˈrɛnəˌɡeɪd/
a person who deserts a cause or group; a rebel
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vagabond
C2+
/ˈvæɡəbɑnd/
a person who wanders from place to place without a settled home
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accomplice
C2+
/əˈkɑmplɪs/
a person who helps another commit a crime
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