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
1536 words
forbear
C2+
/fɔrˈbɛr/
to refrain from or hold back patiently from doing something
foremost
C2+
/ˈfɔrˌmoʊst/
most prominent in rank, importance, or position
genus
C2+
/ˈdʒinəs/
a taxonomic rank grouping related species above the species level
muddle
C2+
/ˈmʌdəl/
to confuse or mix up; a state of disorder or confusion
sleuth
C2+
/sluːθ/
a detective; to investigate or track down
sway
C2+
/sweɪ/
to move rhythmically side to side; to influence or control
autochthonous
C2+
/ɔːˈtɑːkθənəs/
native to and originating in the place where found; indigenous
barb
C2+
/bɑːrb/
a sharp backward point; a cutting or wounding remark
batten
C2+
/ˈbætən/
a strip of wood; to fasten down or thrive at another's expense
cede
C2+
/sid/
to give up or surrender, typically by treaty or formal agreement
cline
C2+
/klaɪn/
a gradient of continuous variation in a feature across a range
defoul
C2+
/diˈfaʊl/
to defile, pollute, or trample down; to befoul (archaic)
dike
C2+
/daɪk/
an embankment built to hold back water and prevent flooding
discord
C2+
/ˈdɪskɔrd/
disagreement or lack of harmony between people or sounds
expatriate
C2+
/ɛksˈpeɪtriɪt/
a person living outside their native country
footer
C2+
/ˈfʊtər/
text or a band at the bottom of a page or screen
forgo
C2+
/fɔrˈɡoʊ/
to abstain from or give up something
hunch
C2+
/hʌntʃ/
an intuitive feeling or guess; also, to arch the back forward
interlapse
C2+
/ˈɪntərlæps/
an interval of time that elapses between events
interspace
C2+
/ˈɪntərspeɪs/
a space between things; an intervening gap
median
C2+
/ˈmidiən/
the middle value in a range; situated in the middle
parley
C2+
/ˈpɑrli/
a discussion between opposing sides, especially to settle a dispute
partiality
C2+
/ˌpɑrʃiˈæləti/
unfair bias in favor of one side; a special fondness
partition
C2+
/pɑrˈtɪʃən/
a division into parts, or a structure that divides a space
proximate
C2+
/ˈprɑksəmət/
closest in space, time, or relationship; immediate
resurrect
C2+
/ˌrɛzəˈrɛkt/
to restore to life or bring back into use or notice
transference
C2+
/ˈtrænsfərəns/
the act of conveying something from one person, place, or context to another
vagabond
C2+
/ˈvæɡəbɑnd/
a person who wanders from place to place without a settled home
veto
C2+
/ˈviːtoʊ/
a constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal
westerly
C2+
/ˈwɛstərli/
situated toward or coming from the west
wobbly
C2+
/ˈwɑbli/
tending to move unsteadily from side to side; shaky
abandonment
C2+
/əˈbændənmənt/
the act of giving up or deserting something or someone completely
abode
C2+
/əˈboʊd/
a place of residence; a dwelling
alight
C2+
/əˈlaɪt/
to descend and settle, as a bird; also on fire or lit up
ambience
C2+
/ˈæmbiəns/
the character or atmosphere of a place
anterior
C2+
/ænˈtɪriər/
situated before or toward the front; earlier in time
belay
C2+
/bɪˈleɪ/
to secure a rope around a fixed point; to stop or cancel
beshine
C2+
/bɪˈʃaɪn/
to shine upon; to light up
cocking
C2+
/ˈkɑkɪŋ/
tilting upward or drawing back the hammer of a gun
collocate
C2+
/ˈkɑləˌkeɪt/
to place together, or of words, to occur habitually side by side
contiguous
C2+
/kənˈtɪɡjuəs/
sharing a common border; touching or adjacent
decelerate
C2+
/diˈsɛləˌreɪt/
to reduce speed; to slow down
dessertspoon
C2+
/dɪˈzɝtspun/
a spoon intermediate in size between a teaspoon and a tablespoon
disjunction
C2+
/dɪsˈdʒʌŋkʃən/
a separation or disconnection; (logic) an 'or' relation between propositions
dismantle
C2+
/dɪsˈmæntəl/
to take apart or pull down piece by piece
disqualification
C2+
/dɪsˌkwɑləfəˈkeɪʃən/
the act of barring someone from a competition or position; the state of being barred
dweller
C2+
/ˈdwɛlɚ/
a person or animal that lives in a specified place
eccentrical
C2+
/ɪkˈsɛntrɪkəl/
deviating from the center or from convention; eccentric
excentrical
C2+
/ɪkˈsɛntrɪkəl/
not having a common center; off-center; eccentric
expend
C2+
/ɪkˈspɛnd/
to spend or use up money, time, or energy
fore
C2+
/fɔr/
situated at the front; the front part
forwards
C2+
/ˈfɔrwɚdz/
toward the front; in the direction one is facing
immorally
C2+
/ɪˈmɔrəli/
in a way that violates accepted principles of right conduct
implode
C2+
/ɪmˈploʊd/
to collapse violently inward; to break down catastrophically
imprecate
C2+
/ˈɪmprɪkeɪt/
to invoke or call down a curse upon someone
ingress
C2+
/ˈɪnɡrɛs/
the act or means of entering a place
juncture
C2+
/ˈdʒʌŋktʃər/
a particular point in events or time; a place where things join
locus
C2+
/ˈloʊkəs/
a particular position or place; the set of points satisfying a condition
movable
C2+
/ˈmuvəbəl/
capable of being moved; not fixed in place
pendant
C2+
/ˈpɛndənt/
a piece of jewelry that hangs from a chain worn around the neck
perpendicular
C2+
/ˌpɜrpənˈdɪkjələr/
at a right angle to a given line or surface; exactly upright
radius
C2+
/ˈreɪdiəs/
a straight line from the center to the circumference of a circle
ransack
C2+
/ˈrænsæk/
to search thoroughly and roughly through a place, often to steal
reconvert
C2+
/ˌrikənˈvɜrt/
to convert back to a former state, form, or belief
renounce
C2+
/rɪˈnaʊns/
to formally give up or reject a claim, right, or belief
residency
C2+
/ˈrɛzɪdənsi/
the fact of living in a place, or a period of specialized training
residuum
C2+
/rɪˈzɪdʒuəm/
a remainder or residue left after a process is complete
resile
C2+
/rɪˈzaɪl/
to draw back from an agreement or commitment; to spring back
retract
C2+
/rɪˈtrækt/
to withdraw a statement, or to draw something back in
revoke
C2+
/rɪˈvoʊk/
to officially cancel or withdraw a decision, right, or permission
sanctuary
C2+
/ˈsæŋktʃuɛri/
a place of refuge, safety, or worship
skinny
C2+
/ˈskɪni/
very thin or lean; also, inside information (slang)
southerly
C2+
/ˈsʌðərli/
situated toward or coming from the south
stationary
C2+
/ˈsteɪʃəˌnɛri/
not moving; fixed in one place
submerge
C2+
/səbˈmɜrdʒ/
to put or sink below the surface of a liquid
tilt
C2+
/tɪlt/
to move into a sloping position; a slope or inclination
turbid
C2+
/ˈtɜrbɪd/
cloudy or muddy from stirred-up sediment; confused or unclear
vacate
C2+
/ˈveɪkeɪt/
to leave a place empty; to give up an office or position
velocity
C2+
/vəˈlɑsəti/
speed in a given direction; rapidity of motion
vest
C2+
/vɛst/
a sleeveless garment; to confer or become entitled to a right
waive
C2+
/weɪv/
to relinquish a right or claim voluntarily; to refrain from enforcing
waken
C2+
/ˈweɪkən/
to wake up or rouse from sleep
wristband
C2+
/ˈrɪstˌbænd/
a band worn around the wrist, as on a watch or for entry
abreast
C2+
/əˈbrɛst/
side by side and facing the same way; up to date with
acceleration
C2+
/ækˌsɛləˈreɪʃən/
the rate of increase of speed or, more generally, the act of speeding up
accumulator
C2+
/əˈkjumjəˌleɪtɚ/
a person or device that gathers or stores up, such as a rechargeable battery
admittance
C2+
/ædˈmɪtəns/
the act of permitting entry; the right to enter
anaconda
C2+
/ˌænəˈkɑndə/
a large non-venomous constricting snake of tropical South America
anyplace
C2+
/ˈɛniˌpleɪs/
in, at, or to any place; anywhere (informal)
arbitrate
C2+
/ˈɑrbɪˌtreɪt/
to settle a dispute by acting as an impartial judge between parties
argumentation
C2+
/ˌɑrɡjəmɛnˈteɪʃən/
the action or process of reasoning systematically in support of an idea or position
austral
C2+
/ˈɔstrəl/
of or relating to the south; southern
beleave
C2+
/bɪˈliv/
to leave remaining; to be left behind (archaic)
bookmarker
C2+
/ˈbʊkˌmɑrkɚ/
a strip or object placed in a book to mark one's place
borderland
C2+
/ˈbɔrdɚˌlænd/
land near a border between two countries or regions; an intermediate area
breadth
C2+
/brɛdθ/
the distance from side to side; wide range or scope