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.
Choose your level
View all levels
98 words
Jove
C2+
/dʒoʊv/
Jupiter, the chief god in Roman mythology, especially in literary references
nosferatu
C2+
/ˌnɑːsfəˈrɑːtuː/
a vampire, especially one represented as an undead and malignant creature
grimly
C2+
/ˈɡɹɪmli/
in a grim implacable manner
paean
C2+
/ˈpi.ən/
To sing a paean; to praise.
philander
C2+
/fɪˈlændəɹ/
To woo women; to play the male flirt.
predestinate
C2+
/pɹɪˈdɛstənət/
determined or arranged beforehand, especially by fate or divine will
pew-opener
C2+
/ˈpjuːˌoʊpənɚ/
historically, a church attendant who opened enclosed or reserved pews and showed worshippers to their seats
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
pre-Adamite
C2+
/ˌpriːˈæd.ə.maɪt/
a hypothetical person or member of a race believed to have existed before the biblical Adam
cerement
C2+
/ˈsɪr.mənt/
a shroud or waxed cloth in which a dead body is wrapped for burial, often used in the plural
lych-gate
C2+
/ˈlɪtʃˌɡeɪt/
a roofed gateway to a churchyard where a coffin traditionally rested before a funeral service
celestial
C2+
/səˈlɛstʃəl/
relating to the sky or heavens, or to heaven in a divine sense
hallow
C2+
/ˈhæloʊ/
to make holy or to honor as sacred
consecrate
C2+
/ˈkɑnsəˌkreɪt/
to make or declare sacred; to dedicate solemnly
abjure
C2+
/æbˈdʒʊr/
to solemnly renounce or reject a belief or claim
hallowed
C2+
/ˈhæloʊd/
regarded as holy or greatly revered
ineffable
C2+
/ɪnˈɛfəbəl/
too great or sacred to be expressed in words
earthly
C2+
/ˈɜrθli/
relating to the material world rather than the spiritual; worldly
eremite
C2+
/ˈɛrəˌmaɪt/
a religious recluse; a hermit (literary)
espouse
C2+
/ɪˈspaʊz/
to adopt or support a cause, belief, or way of life
fallacious
C2+
/fəˈleɪʃəs/
based on a mistaken belief or unsound reasoning
godlike
C2+
/ˈɡɑdˌlaɪk/
resembling or having the qualities of a god; divine or supremely excellent
irreligious
C2+
/ˌɪrɪˈlɪdʒəs/
indifferent or hostile to religion
perfidy
C2+
/ˈpɝfədi/
deceitfulness; treachery or breach of faith
supposition
C2+
/ˌsʌpəˈzɪʃən/
an assumption or belief held without proof
graveyard
C2+
/ˈɡreɪvˌjɑrd/
a burial ground, especially one beside a church
lustrate
C2+
/ˈlʌstreɪt/
to purify ceremonially, especially by ritual washing or sacrifice
profane
C2+
/prəˈfeɪn/
showing disrespect for sacred things; secular; to treat irreverently
agnostic
C2+
/æɡˈnɑstɪk/
one who holds that the existence of God is unknown or unknowable
anchoret
C2+
/ˈæŋkərɛt/
a religious hermit or recluse; an anchorite
ba
C2+
/bɑ/
in ancient Egyptian belief, the soul or spiritual aspect of a person
ceremonious
C2+
/ˌsɛrəˈmoʊniəs/
marked by formal politeness or elaborate ritual
communion
C2+
/kəˈmjuːnjən/
the sharing of intimate thoughts or feelings; a Christian sacrament
consecrated
C2+
/ˈkɑnsəˌkreɪtɪd/
declared sacred and dedicated to a religious purpose
creationism
C2+
/kriˈeɪʃəˌnɪzəm/
the belief that the universe and life originated from divine acts of creation
creed
C2+
/krid/
a formal statement of religious belief or a set of guiding principles
debunk
C2+
/diˈbʌŋk/
to expose the falseness of a claim, myth, or pretension
ecumenical
C2+
/ˌɛkjəˈmɛnɪkəl/
promoting unity among Christian churches; universal in scope
ingrained
C2+
/ɪnˈɡreɪnd/
firmly fixed or deeply rooted, as a habit or belief
mystical
C2+
/ˈmɪstɪkəl/
relating to spiritual mystery or transcendent experience beyond ordinary understanding
mythical
C2+
/ˈmɪθɪkəl/
occurring in or characteristic of myth; imaginary or fictitious
mythify
C2+
/ˈmɪθəfaɪ/
to make into or treat as a myth; to mythologize
nonsecular
C2+
/ˌnɑnˈsɛkjələr/
not secular; religious or sacred in character
oblation
C2+
/oʊˈbleɪʃən/
a religious offering or sacrifice presented to a deity
orthodox
C2+
/ˈɔrθədɑks/
conforming to established or traditional beliefs, especially in religion
pious
C2+
/ˈpaɪəs/
devoutly religious, or hypocritically virtuous
profanation
C2+
/ˌprɑfəˈneɪʃən/
the act of treating something sacred with irreverence
reputedly
C2+
/rɪˈpjutɪdli/
according to general belief; supposedly
agnosticism
C2+
/æɡˈnɑstɪˌsɪzəm/
the view that the existence of God is unknown or unknowable
antireligion
C2+
/ˌæntirɪˈlɪdʒən/
opposed to religion, or such opposition itself
antireligious
C2+
/ˌæntirɪˈlɪdʒəs/
hostile or opposed to religion
apotheosis
C2+
/əˌpɑθiˈoʊsɪs/
the highest point of development; elevation to divine status
atheistic
C2+
/ˌeɪθiˈɪstɪk/
relating to or holding the belief that no god exists
ave
C2+
/ˈɑveɪ/
a salutation of greeting or farewell; an Ave Maria prayer
bacchant
C2+
/ˈbækənt/
a priest or votary of Bacchus; a drunken reveler
begorra
C2+
/bɪˈɡɔrə/
an Irish exclamation of surprise, a euphemism for 'by God'
blaspheme
C2+
/blæsˈfim/
to speak irreverently or profanely about God or sacred things
canonize
C2+
/ˈkænəˌnaɪz/
to declare officially a saint; to treat as authoritative or sacred
clergyman
C2+
/ˈklɝdʒimən/
an ordained male minister of a Christian church
confraternity
C2+
/ˌkɑnfrəˈtɝnɪti/
a brotherhood, especially a religious or charitable association
convincingly
C2+
/kənˈvɪnsɪŋli/
in a manner that compels belief or agreement
cultic
C2+
/ˈkʌltɪk/
relating to a religious cult or ritual worship
deity
C2+
/ˈdiɪti/
a god or goddess; divine nature
demigod
C2+
/ˈdɛmiˌɡɑd/
a being part divine and part mortal
desecration
C2+
/ˌdɛsɪˈkreɪʃən/
the act of violating the sanctity of something sacred
faithbreach
C2+
/ˈfeɪθˌbritʃ/
a breaking of faith or trust; betrayal of a pledge
fatalism
C2+
/ˈfeɪtəlˌɪzəm/
the belief that all events are predetermined and inevitable
gossipred
C2+
/ˈɡɑsəpˌrɛd/
the spiritual kinship of godparents; sponsorship at baptism
halidom
C2+
/ˈhælɪdəm/
a holy place or sacred thing, often invoked in solemn oaths
irreverence
C2+
/ɪˈrɛvərəns/
lack of due respect for sacred or serious things
latitudinarian
C2+
/ˌlætɪˌtudəˈnɛriən/
tolerant of varying views, especially in religion
misapprehension
C2+
/ˌmɪsˌæprɪˈhɛnʃən/
a mistaken belief or misunderstanding
monotheism
C2+
/ˈmɑnoʊˌθiɪzəm/
the belief in the existence of only one god
mysterial
C2+
/mɪˈstɪriəl/
of or relating to a mystery or to sacred mysteries
nonreligious
C2+
/ˌnɑnrɪˈlɪdʒəs/
not connected with religion; secular
parson
C2+
/ˈpɑrsən/
a parish priest or clergyman
prophecy
C2+
/ˈprɑfəsi/
a prediction of what will happen, especially one of divine inspiration
providential
C2+
/ˌprɑvɪˈdɛnʃəl/
occurring as if by divine intervention; fortunate and timely
reliquary
C2+
/ˈrɛlɪˌkwɛri/
a container or shrine in which sacred relics are kept
revelator
C2+
/ˈrɛvəˌleɪtɚ/
one who reveals or discloses something, especially a divine truth
sabbath
C2+
/ˈsæbəθ/
a day of religious rest and worship, especially the seventh day
sanctified
C2+
/ˈsæŋktəˌfaɪd/
made holy or set apart as sacred
sanctimonious
C2+
/ˌsæŋktəˈmoʊniəs/
making a hypocritical show of moral or religious superiority
sodality
C2+
/soʊˈdæləti/
a fellowship, association, or religious confraternity
unholy
C2+
/ʌnˈhoʊli/
wicked or sinful; not sacred
kirkgarth
C2+
/ˈkɝkˌɡɑɹθ/
in Northern English dialect, a churchyard or the enclosed ground around a church
omnividence
C2+
/ɑmˈnɪvɪdəns/
the quality or power of seeing everything; all-seeingness
cloud-compeller
C2+
/ˈklaʊd kəmˌpɛlɚ/
poetic: a cloud-gatherer; an epithet for Zeus or Jove
talaria
C2+
/təˈlɛəɹiə/
the winged sandals of Hermes or Mercury in classical mythology
anathematise
C2+
/əˈnæθəməˌtaɪz/
chiefly British: to condemn, denounce, or formally pronounce an anathema against someone or something
apotheosize
C2+
/əˈpɑθiəˌsaɪz/
to elevate a person to divine status; to deify
woodnymph
C2+
/ˈwʊdˌnɪmf/
in classical mythology and later literature, a nymph or female nature spirit inhabiting a forest or tree; a dryad
orphrey
C2+
/ˈɔɹ.fɹi/
a richly embroidered ornamental band applied to a Christian ecclesiastical vestment, altar frontal, or similar textile
camp meeting
C2+
/ˈkæmpˌmiːtɪŋ/
a series of Christian revival services, traditionally held outdoors with worshippers camping nearby
genuflectory
C2+
/ˌdʒɛn.jəˈflɛk.tɚ.i/
rare: relating to, characterized by, or requiring genuflection or kneeling
coenobite
C2+
/ˈsiːnəbaɪt/
a monk or other member of a religious community who lives under a common rule, as distinct from a solitary hermit