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
All 27,237 words
4363 words
hugely
B2
/ˈhjuːd͡ʒli/
To a very great extent; extremely.
sulfur
B2
/ˈsʊl.fə/
A bright yellow chemical element (symbol S) with a strong smell, used in matches, gunpowder, and many industrial products.
maverick
C2
/ˈmævəɹɪk/
Someone who thinks and acts independently and refuses to follow the usual rules.
infernal
C2
/ɪnˈfɝnəl/
Extremely annoying.
rabble
C2+
/ˈɹæbəl/
The mass of common people; the lowest class of populace.
preservation
B1
/ˌpɹɛz.ɚˈveɪ.ʃən/
The act of keeping something safe and protecting it from harm or loss.
scrutiny
C1
/ˈskɹuː.tɪ.ni/
Careful and detailed examination of something.
sprout
C1
/spɹaʊt/
To begin to grow; to produce new shoots or leaves.
monumental
C1
/ˌmɑnjəˈmɛntəl/
extremely important or influential, especially in its lasting effects
unmarked
A2
/ʌnˈmɑɹkt/
bearing no identifying label, sign, number, or visible mark
abundant
B1
/əˈbʌn.dənt/
existing in large amounts; more than enough
wayward
C2
/ˈweɪwə(ɹ)d/
Stubbornly doing as one pleases and refusing to behave properly.
corpus
C2
/ˈkɔɹpəs/
A large collection of written or spoken texts used for study.
evenly
B1
/ˈiːvənli/
In equal amounts or shares.
conqueror
C2
/ˈkɑŋˌkɚ.ɚ/
Someone who conquers.
realization
B2
/ˌɹiə.lɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/
The moment of suddenly understanding or becoming aware of something.
tolerant
B2
/ˈtɑːləɹənt/
Willing to accept opinions or behaviour you do not agree with.
unsuccessful
B2
/ˌʌnsəkˈsɛsfl̩/
Not achieving what you wanted; failing
robust
C1
/ɹoʊˈbʌst/
Strong and unlikely to fail or break.
curved
B2
/kɝːvd/
Bent in a smooth, rounded shape rather than straight.
consistency
C1
/kənˈsɪstənsi/
The quality of always behaving or performing in the same way.
smoky
C2
/ˈsmoʊki/
marked by or emitting or filled with smoke
rhetorical
C2
/ɹɪˈtɔɹɪkəl/
Asked only to make a point, without expecting any answer.
rarity
C1
/ˈɹɛɹ.ə.ti/
The fact of being uncommon or hard to find.
brood
C2
/bɹuːd/
To think anxiously or unhappily about something for a long time.
creamy
C1
/ˈkɹiːmi/
Having the rich, smooth, thick taste or texture of cream.
aqua
C1
/əˈkwɑ/
A light blue-green colour, similar to turquoise.
amor
C2
/ˈæmɝ/
Alternative spelling of amour.
lyric
A2
/ˈlɪrɪk/
The words of a song.
bonny
C2
/ˈbɑːni/
very pleasing to the eye
eminent
C2
/ˈɛmɪnənt/
Famous and highly respected in a particular field.
elastic
C1
/ɪˈlæstɪk/
Able to stretch and return to its original shape when released.
self-defence
C2+
/ˌsɛlfdɪˈfɛns/
the act of defending yourself
sanitation
B2
/ˌsænɪˈteɪʃən/
The systems for keeping places clean and removing waste to protect health.
ruddy
C2
/ˈrʌdi/
inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life
vulnerability
C1
/ˌvʌln(ə)ɹəˈbɪləti/
The state of being easily hurt, attacked, or harmed, physically or emotionally.
mushy
B2
/ˈmʌʃi/
soft, wet, and lacking a firm shape or texture, like mush
insistent
B2
/ɪnˈsɪstənt/
persistently demanding something or refusing to accept disagreement
hypocritical
C1
/hɪpəˈkɹɪtɪkəl/
Behaving in a way that contradicts the beliefs or standards you claim to have.
airtight
C2
/ˈɛrˌtaɪt/
sealed so that air or another gas cannot pass in or out
calculator
B1
/ˈkæl.kjə.leɪ.tə(ɹ)/
A small electronic machine used for doing sums.
chirp
A2
/t͡ʃɚp/
A short, high, cheerful sound made by a small bird or insect.
unconventional
C1
/ˌənkənˈvɛnʃənəl/
not following the usual rules, customs, or ways of doing things
maggot
C2
/ˈmæɡət/
The small, soft, legless larva of a fly, often found in rotting meat or waste.
tabloid
B2
/ˈtæbˌlɔɪd/
A small-format newspaper that focuses on sensational stories, gossip, and celebrities.
preschool
B1
/ˈpɹiːskuːl/
A school for young children who are not yet old enough for primary school.
finesse
C2
/fɪˈnɛs/
To play (a card) as a finesse.
minimize
B1
/ˈmɪn.ɪˌmaɪz/
To make something as small as possible.
blob
C2
/blɑb/
a small rounded or shapeless amount of a thick liquid or soft substance
authenticity
C2
/ɑθɛnˈtɪsɪti/
The quality of being real, genuine, and true to its origin
adversity
B2
/ædˈvɝ.sɪ.ti/
A difficult or unpleasant situation; serious trouble or hardship.
ozone
B2
/ˈoʊzoʊn/
A form of oxygen with three atoms in each molecule; it is a pale blue gas with a sharp smell that forms a layer high in the atmosphere protecting us from the sun.
generously
B2
/ˈdʒɛnɝəsli/
In a way that gives a lot, freely and willingly.
yawn
B2
/jɔn/
To open your mouth wide and breathe in deeply, usually when tired or bored.
unintelligible
C2
/ˌʌnɪnˈtɛlɪd͡ʒɪbəl/
poorly articulated or enunciated, or drowned by noise
coarse
B2
/kɔɹs/
Rough to the touch, or made of large, thick particles.
tract
C1
/tɹækt/
A large area of land.
disorderly
B2
/dɪˈsɔrdɝli/
Messy or untidy; not properly arranged.
excitedly
B1
/ɪkˈsaɪtədli/
In a way that shows excitement or eagerness.
readily
B2
/ˈɹɛdɪli/
Easily; without difficulty.
germ
B2
/d͡ʒɝm/
A very small living thing that can cause disease, such as a bacterium or virus.
stripe
B1
/stɹaɪp/
A long band of color that is different from the area around it.
quirky
C1
/ˈkwɝːki/
Unusual or odd in a charming, likeable way.
fiercely
C1
/ˈfɪɹsli/
In a way that is very strong, intense, or aggressive.
misleading
B2
/(ˌ)mɪsˈliːdɪŋ/
Giving a false idea or impression, even if not completely untrue.
aspire
B2
/əˈspaɪɚ/
To have a strong desire to achieve or become something.
fingernail
B2
/ˈfɪŋɡɚˌneɪl/
The hard, flat covering at the end of a finger.
starry
C2
/ˈstɑɹ.i/
abounding with or resembling stars
motorway
A2
/ˈməʊtəweɪ/
A wide road with several lanes, built for fast traffic travelling long distances.
lastly
B2
/ˈlæstli/
Used to introduce the final point or item in a list.
nowt
C2
/naʊt/
A dumb, crass, or clumsy person, or a person who is difficult or stubborn.
micro
B2
/ˈmaɪ.kɹoʊ/
Very small in size, scale, or scope.
contend
C1
/kənˈtɛnd/
To state firmly that something is true, especially in an argument.
vigorous
B2
/ˈvɪɡəɹəs/
Full of energy, strength, and determination.
bony
B2
/ˈboʊni/
Very thin, so that the bones can be seen or felt.
indicator
C1
/ˈɪndəˌkeɪtɝ/
A sign or measurement that shows what a situation is like.
ticklish
C2
/ˈtɪkəlɪʃ/
very sensitive to being tickled
ideally
B2
/aɪˈdi.ə.li/
In the best possible situation; preferably.
tipsy
C2
/ˈtɪp.si/
slightly intoxicated
bottomless
B2
/ˈbɑːtəmləs/
having no bottom, or appearing too deep for the bottom to be seen
unrealistic
B2
/ənˌriːˈlɪstɪk/
Not sensible or possible; based on hopes rather than facts
resilient
C1
/ɹɪˈzɪl.jənt/
Able to recover quickly from difficulties, hardship, or setbacks.
abominable
C2
/əˈbɑm.ə.nə.bl̩/
unequivocally detestable
admittedly
B2
/ædˈmɪtɪdli/
Used to admit that something is true, often before adding a contrasting point.
armchair
A2
/ˈɑɹmt͡ʃɛɚ/
A comfortable chair with supports for your arms.
splendor
C2
/ˈsplɛndɚ/
Great light, luster or brilliance.
hysterically
C2
/ˌhɪˈstɛrɪkli/
In a wild, uncontrollable, emotional way.
realism
C1
/ˈɹi.əlɪzəm/
A practical attitude that accepts the facts of a situation as they really are.
blackboard
A2
/ˈblækbɔɹd/
A large dark board on a wall that you write on with chalk.
simulate
C1
/ˈsɪm.jəˌleɪt/
To create something that copies the behavior or appearance of a real thing.
arbitrary
C1
/ˈɑɹ.bɪˌtɹɛ(ə).ɹi/
Based on personal choice or chance rather than on any clear reason or rule.
obesity
B2
/oʊˈbisɪti/
The condition of being very overweight in a way that is harmful to health.
CV
B1
A short written summary of your education and work experience, used when applying for jobs.
hamper
C2
/ˈhæm.pɚ/
To make something difficult to do; to slow or block progress.
pesky
B2
/ˈpɛski/
informal: annoying, troublesome, or difficult to deal with
ambiguous
B2
/æmˈbɪɡ.ju.əs/
Having more than one possible meaning; not clear.