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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73 words
poker
C2+
/ˈpoʊkɚ/
One who pokes.
slate
C2+
/slet/
designate or schedule
malignant
C2+
/məˈlɪɡnənt/
Harmful, malevolent, injurious.
extort
C2+
/ɪkˈstɔː(ɹ)t/
obtain by coercion or intimidation
causeway
C2+
/ˈkɔːz.weɪ/
to provide with a causeway
unattainable
C2+
/ˌɐnəˈtæɪnəbəl/
impossible to achieve
infrasound
C2+
/ˈɪnfrəˌsaʊnd/
sound waves having a frequency below the human audible range (below about 20 Hz).
well-nigh
C2+
/ˌwɛlˈnaɪ/
Almost, nearly.
fulgurite
C2+
/ˈfʌlɡjəraɪt/
a glassy, often branching tube or crust formed when lightning fuses sand, soil, or rock
antihydrogen
C2+
/ˌæn.tiˈhaɪ.drə.dʒən/
the antimatter counterpart of hydrogen, whose atom consists of a positron bound to an antiproton
arachnologist
C2+
/əˌrækˈnɑːlədʒɪst/
a scientist who specializes in the study of spiders and other arachnids
fecundate
C2+
/ˈfɛkənˌdeɪt/
formal: to make an organism, egg, or reproductive structure fertile; to fertilize or impregnate
germplasm
C2+
/ˈdʒɝːmˌplæzəm/
the hereditary material of a species or breeding line, especially as transmitted through reproductive cells
mu-meson
C2+
/ˈmjuː ˌmez.ɑːn/
dated, the former name for the muon, used when that particle was mistakenly classified as a meson rather than a lepton
pi-meson
C2+
/ˈpaɪ ˌmez.ɑːn/
a pion, any of three unstable spin-zero mesons with positive, negative, or zero charge, formed from combinations of up and down quarks and antiquarks
interplanetarian
C2+
/ˌɪntərˌplænəˈtɛriən/
relating to travel, communication, or events between planets; interplanetary
ebullient
C2+
/ɪˈbʊljənt/
cheerful and full of energy; exuberant
languid
C2+
/ˈlæŋɡwɪd/
displaying a pleasant lack of energy or a relaxed slowness
notional
C2+
/ˈnoʊʃənəl/
existing only in theory or as a supposition; hypothetical
obligate
C2+
/ˈɑbləɡeɪt/
to bind legally or morally; in biology, restricted to one mode of life
sluggish
C2+
/ˈslʌɡɪʃ/
slow-moving, inactive, or lacking energy
enervate
C2+
/ˈɛnɚveɪt/
to weaken or drain of energy, strength, or vitality
lackadaisical
C2+
/ˌlækəˈdeɪzɪkəl/
lacking enthusiasm, energy, or determination
torpid
C2+
/ˈtɔrpɪd/
sluggish, inactive, or mentally dull; lacking energy
analytic
C2+
/ˌænəˈlɪtɪk/
relating to or proceeding by analysis; logically rigorous
doctrinaire
C2+
/ˌdɑktrəˈnɛr/
rigidly adhering to a theory or doctrine regardless of practicality
empiric
C2+
/ɪmˈpɪrɪk/
one who relies on observation or experiment; an unqualified practitioner
invigorate
C2+
/ɪnˈvɪɡəˌreɪt/
to give strength, energy, or fresh vitality to
mutation
C2+
/mjuˈteɪʃən/
a change in form or structure, especially a heritable change in genetic material
rudiment
C2+
/ˈrudəmənt/
a basic principle or element, or an undeveloped beginning of something
zeal
C2+
/ziːl/
great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or objective
alchemy
C2+
/ˈælkəmi/
the medieval forerunner of chemistry seeking to transmute metals into gold
axiomatization
C2+
/ˌæksiəmətəˈzeɪʃən/
the formulation of a theory as a set of axioms from which theorems derive
behaviorism
C2+
/bɪˈheɪvjəˌrɪzəm/
the psychological theory that behavior can be explained by conditioning
counterpoint
C2+
/ˈkaʊntɚˌpɔɪnt/
a contrasting element set against another; combined melodic lines
evolutional
C2+
/ˌɛvəˈluʃənəl/
of or relating to evolution or gradual development
feeler
C2+
/ˈfilɚ/
an antenna or tentacle, or a tentative proposal to test reaction
formulaic
C2+
/ˌfɔrmjəˈleɪɪk/
following a set formula; predictable and unoriginal
frisky
C2+
/ˈfrɪski/
lively, playful, and full of energy
inhibitor
C2+
/ɪnˈhɪbɪtɚ/
a substance or agent that slows or prevents a reaction or process
invigoration
C2+
/ɪnˌvɪɡəˈreɪʃən/
the act of giving strength, energy, or fresh vitality
kilocalorie
C2+
/ˈkɪloʊˌkæləri/
a unit of energy equal to one thousand calories
kiteflying
C2+
/ˈkaɪtˌflaɪɪŋ/
the flying of kites; also the floating of a rumor to test reaction
nonempirical
C2+
/ˌnɑnɛmˈpɪrɪkəl/
not based on observation or experiment
nonexciting
C2+
/ˌnɑnɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ/
not exciting; dull or, in physics, not causing excitation
radiative
C2+
/ˈreɪdiˌeɪtɪv/
relating to or transferring energy by radiation
revisionist
C2+
/rɪˈvɪʒənɪst/
one who advocates revising an accepted theory, doctrine, or history
sluggishness
C2+
/ˈslʌɡɪʃnəs/
the state of being slow, dull, or lacking energy
smeddum
C2+
/ˈsmɛdəm/
spirited energy, mettle, or resourcefulness (Scots dialect)
strenuous
C2+
/ˈstrɛnjuəs/
requiring or using great effort or energy
theorize
C2+
/ˈθiəˌraɪz/
to form a theory or speculate about something
virile
C2+
/ˈvɪrəl/
having strength, energy, or qualities regarded as masculine
inosculation
C2+
/ɪˌnɒskjʊˈleɪʃən/
a natural or surgical joining of parts or branches of tubular structures so as to make or become continuous
experimentise
C2+
To experiment.
infusorium
C2+
/ˌɪnfjʊˈzɔɹiəm/
a microscopic aquatic organism, especially a protozoan or unicellular alga, formerly grouped with organisms found in infusions; historical biology
cetology
C2+
/siːˈtɑː.lə.dʒi/
the branch of zoology concerned with cetaceans, including whales, dolphins, and porpoises
antigalaxy
C2+
/ˌæn.tiˈɡæl.ək.si/
a hypothetical galaxy composed predominantly of antimatter rather than ordinary matter
antideuteron
C2+
/ˌæn.tiˈduː.təˌrɑːn/
the antiparticle of a deuteron, consisting of an antiproton bound to an antineutron
heterozygousness
C2+
/ˌhɛtəroʊˈzaɪɡəsnəs/
the condition or quality of having two different alleles at a particular genetic locus
prenewtonian
C2+
/ˌpriːnuˈtoʊniən/
existing before Isaac Newton's work or before the adoption of Newtonian science
pithecanthropus
C2+
/ˌpɪθɪˈkænθrəpəs/
the former genus Pithecanthropus, especially the Javan fossil hominins now generally classified as Homo erectus
cosmogonal
C2+
/kɑzˈmɑɡənəl/
relating to cosmogony or to a theory about the origin and development of the universe
osculant
C2+
/ˈɑskjələnt/
intermediate between two taxonomic groups and sharing characteristics of each
carbonic acid
C2+
/kɑːrˌbɑːnɪk ˈæsɪd/
a weak acid, H2CO3, formed when carbon dioxide dissolves in water
cosmogonist
C2+
/kɑːzˈmɑːɡənɪst/
a person who studies the origin and development of the universe or proposes a theory about it
nonconductivity
C2+
/ˌnɑːnkənˌdʌkˈtɪvəti/
the property or condition of not transmitting heat, electricity, sound, or another form of energy
aeriform
C2+
/ˈerəfɔːrm/
having the nature or physical form of air; gaseous
patelliform
C2+
/pəˈteləfɔːrm/
shaped like a shallow dish or a limpet shell
silicify
C2+
/sɪˈlɪsɪfaɪ/
to convert material into silica or impregnate it with silica, especially during fossilization or rock alteration
labiate
C2+
/ˈleɪbiət/
biology: having lips or lip-like parts, especially a flower whose corolla is divided into two lips
argillocalcareous
C2+
/ɑːrˌdʒɪloʊkælˈkɛriəs/
geology and soil science: consisting of or containing both clay and calcareous material such as calcium carbonate
sporule
C2+
/ˈspɔɹjuːl/
rare or historical biology: a small spore, especially one produced by a cryptogam or microorganism
cancellate
C2+
/ˈkænsələt/
formed like an open lattice or network, especially of intersecting bars, plates, or bony struts