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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329 words
de rigueur
C2
/də rɪˈɡɝː/
required by custom, etiquette, convention, or current fashion
gree
C2
/ɡriː/
dialectal or archaic: one step in a flight of stairs
grizzle
C2
/ˈɡrɪz.əl/
chiefly British, informal and disapproving: to cry fretfully or complain continually
peripatetic
C2
/ˌpɛrəpəˈtɛtɪk/
traveling especially on foot
blackamoor
C2
/ˈblæk.əˌmɔɹ/
historical and offensive: an obsolete racial label for a Black person, especially one perceived as African or North African; also formerly used for a Black servant
enthrall
C2
/ɪnˈθɹɔːl/
To hold spellbound.
homogenous
C2
/həˈmɑd͡ʒɪnəs/
Having the same genetic structure; exhibiting homogeny.
simper
C2
/ˈsɪmpɚ/
To smile in a foolish, frivolous, self-conscious, coy, obsequious, or smug manner.
niggard
C2
/ˈnɪɡɚd/
archaic: a person who is extremely unwilling to spend or give; a miser
amortize
C2
/ˈæmɚtaɪz/
to liquidate gradually
demotic
C2
/dɪˈmɑ.tɪk/
of or for the common people
obstreperous
C2
/əbˈstɹɛpəɹəs/
boisterously and noisily aggressive
coterie
C2
/ˈkoʊtəɹi/
A circle of individuals who associate with one another for a common purpose.
negroid
C2
/ˈniːɡrɔɪd/
dated and offensive: relating to a discredited racial category formerly applied to people of sub-Saharan African ancestry on the basis of supposed physical traits
doggerel
C2
/ˈdɑːgɝəl/
a comic verse of irregular measure
insouciance
C2
/ɪnˈsuːsi.əns/
Carelessness, heedlessness, indifference, or casual unconcern.
bombast
C2
/ˈbɑːmbæst/
pompous, inflated language with little real meaning
clew
C2
/kluː/
an archaic or literary spelling of clue: a fact or sign that helps solve a problem or find something
empiricism
C2
/ɛmˈpɪrəˌsɪzəm/
A pursuit of knowledge purely through experience, especially by means of observation and sometimes by experimentation.
explicable
C2
/ɪkˈsplɪkəbəl/
capable of being explicated or accounted for
unprepossessing
C2
Unimpressive or unremarkable; dull and ordinary; nondescript.
putrefy
C2
/ˈpjutɹəfaɪ/
To reach an advanced stage of decomposition.
starveling
C2
/ˈstɑɹvlɪŋ/
literary: a person, animal, or plant made thin and weak by lack of food
toilsome
C2
/ˈtɔɪlsəm/
requiring prolonged, tiring effort; laborious
vertiginous
C2
/vɜː(ɹ)ˈtɪd͡ʒɪnəs/
having or causing a whirling sensation
swart
C2
/ˈswɔrt/
dark in color or complexion; now chiefly archaic or literary and potentially offensive when applied to a person
whoso
C2
/ˈhuːˌsoʊ/
archaic: whoever; whatever person
snod
C2
/snɑd/
neat, trim, smooth, or orderly; chiefly Scottish and northern English
winnow
C2
/ˈwɪnoʊ/
the act of separating grain from chaff
mimetic
C2
/mɪˈmɛtɪk/
exhibiting mimicry
inanity
C2
/ɪˈnænɪti/
Something that is inane.
vacillate
C2
/ˈvæ.sə.leɪt/
to move or sway in a rising and falling or wavelike pattern
solipsistic
C2
Of, relating to, or being disposed to solipsism.
puissance
C2
/ˈpjuːɪ.s(ə)ns/
power to influence or coerce
bifurcate
C2
/ˈbaɪfɚˌkeɪt/
to divide into two branches
juxtapose
C2
/ˈd͡ʒʌkstəpoʊz/
to place side by side
descant
C2
/ˈdɛskænt/
A lengthy discourse on a subject.
bastardization
C2
declaring or rendering bastard
betake
C2
/bɪˈteɪk/
to go or resort to a place or course of action, used chiefly in the reflexive phrase betake oneself
alliterative
C2
/əˈlɪt.ə.rə.tɪv/
using or characterized by the repetition of the same initial sound in nearby words or stressed syllables
desiccate
C2
/ˈdɛsɪkeɪt/
To preserve by drying.
behove
C2
/bɪˈhoʊv/
formal: to be necessary, proper, or advantageous for someone
burgeon
C2
/ˈbɝː.d͡ʒən/
to grow and flourish
bathos
C2
/ˈbeɪθɑs/
an abrupt descent from an elevated or serious style to something trivial, ordinary, or ridiculous
unexperienced
C2
/ˌʌn.ɪkˈspɪr.i.ənst/
not encountered, undergone, or known through experience
occlude
C2
/əˈkluːd/
To obstruct, cover, or otherwise block (an opening, a portion of an image, etc.).
ribaldry
C2
/ˈrɪbəldri/
coarse, vulgar, or sexually indecent humor, language, or behavior
effluvium
C2
/ɪˈfluːvi.əm/
A gaseous or vaporous emission, especially a foul-smelling one.
wrongheaded
C2
/ˈrɔŋˌhɛdɪd/
obstinately perverse in judgment or opinion
somnolent
C2
/ˈsɑːmnələnt/
Causing literal or figurative sleepiness.
haint
C2
/heɪnt/
an eye-dialect spelling of hain’t or ain’t, meaning has not, have not, am not, is not, or are not
cozen
C2
/ˈkoʊzən/
to cheat or trick
antipode
C2
/ˈæn.tɪ.poʊd/
direct opposite
rhapsodize
C2
/ˈræpsəˌdaɪz/
To say (something) with exaggerated or rapturous enthusiasm.
epistolary
C2
/ɪˈpɪstəˌlɛɹi/
written in the form of or carried on by letters or correspondence
querulous
C2
/ˈkwɛɹ(j)ələs/
habitually complaining
sepulchral
C2
/səˈpʌlkɹəl/
of or relating to a sepulchre
untempered
C2
not moderated or controlled
synoptic
C2
/sɪˈnɑːptɪk/
presenting a summary or general view of a whole
veracious
C2
/vəˈɹeɪ.ʃəs/
precisely accurate
aspersion
C2
/əˈspɝːʒən/
a disparaging remark
piffling
C2
/ˈpɪflɪŋ/
(informal) small and of little importance
jings
C2
/dʒɪŋz/
dated or dialectal: an exclamation of surprise or emphasis
argal
C2
/ˈɑrɡəl/
archaic or humorous: therefore; thus
insouciant
C2
/inˈsusiənt/
Casually unconcerned; carefree, indifferent, nonchalant.
quare
C2
/kwɛr/
strange, unusual, or remarkable; dated and dialectal, especially in Ireland
parenthetical
C2
/pɝɛnˈθɛtɪkəl/
an expression in parentheses, especially serving as an aside or supplementary piece of content
crants
C2
/krænts/
obsolete: a garland or wreath, especially one carried before a maiden's bier and afterward hung over her grave
elegiac
C2
/ˌɛləˈd͡ʒaɪək/
expressing sorrow often for something past
manful
C2
/ˈmæn.fəl/
dated: showing courage, determination, or resolution
trull
C2
/trʌl/
archaic and disparaging: a woman who sells sex, or a woman insultingly characterized as sexually immoral
meretricious
C2
/ˌmɛɹɪˈtɹɪʃəs/
like or relating to a prostitute
outré
C2
/uːˈtreɪ/
strikingly unconventional, bizarre, or beyond accepted limits of taste or behavior
irresolute
C2
/ɪˈrɛz.əˌl(j)uːt/
uncertain how to act or proceed
redound
C2
/rɪˈdaʊnd/
contribute
fustian
C2
/ˈfʌs.t͡ʃən/
inflated, pompous, or pretentious speech or writing
improvident
C2
/ɪmˈpɹɒvɪdənt/
failing to provide for the future; reckless
penurious
C2
/pəˈnjʊə.ɹi.əs/
Miserly; excessively cheap.
unlooked-for
C2
/ʌnˈlʊkt fɔr/
not expected or anticipated; unforeseen
imbrue
C2
/ɪmˈbɹuː/
literary: to stain or soak something deeply, especially with blood
dey's
C2
/deɪz/
eye dialect: there is, there are, or they are
lubra
C2
/ˈluː.brə/
dated and offensive Australian term for an Aboriginal Australian woman
numismatic
C2
/ˌnuːmɪˈsmætɪk/
Of or pertaining to numismatics.
appertain
C2
/ˌæpɚˈteɪn/
formal or literary: to belong or relate to something as a natural or rightful part
compendious
C2
/kəmˈpɛn.di.əs/
concise while still containing the essential information about a subject
immure
C2
/ɪˈmjʊə(ɹ)/
To put or bury within a wall.
caparison
C2
to put a caparison on
incommode
C2
/ˌɪn.kəˈmoʊd/
to cause inconvenience, discomfort, or difficulty to someone
nowise
C2
/ˈnoʊwaɪz/
in no way or manner; not at all, now chiefly archaic or literary
thraldom
C2
/ˈθrɔːl.dəm/
a state of bondage, servitude, or complete subjection to another power
rodomontade
C2
/ˌɹɑː.də.mənˈteɪd/
formal or literary: vain, boastful, or pretentious talk or behavior
venery
C2
/ˈvɛnəri/
the pursuit of sexual pleasure
phantasmal
C2
/fænˈtæzməl/
resembling a phantom; ghostly or spectral
eclat
C2
/eɪˈklɑː/
brilliant, stylish, or conspicuous effect or display
beseem
C2
/bɪˈsiːm/
to be suitable or appropriate for someone or something; to befit
doggery
C2
/ˈdɔːɡəri/
historical US: a cheap, disreputable saloon or tavern