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
quits
C2+
/kwɪts/
on even terms with someone, owing nothing to either side
rearward
C2+
/ˈrɪrwɚd/
toward or at the back; situated to the rear
recede
C2+
/rɪˈsid/
to move back or away; to grow fainter or more distant
recline
C2+
/rɪˈklaɪn/
to lean or lie back in a relaxed position
recoil
C2+
/rɪˈkɔɪl/
to draw back suddenly in fear or disgust; the backward kick of a gun
refraction
C2+
/rɪˈfrækʃən/
the bending of light or other waves as they pass between media
regurgitate
C2+
/rɪˈɡɝdʒɪˌteɪt/
to bring swallowed food back up; to repeat information uncritically
rehappen
C2+
/riˈhæpən/
to occur or take place again
relegation
C2+
/ˌrɛləˈɡeɪʃən/
the act of consigning to a lower rank, position, or division
relentless
C2+
/rɪˈlɛntləs/
unceasingly harsh, intense, or determined; never letting up
remanent
C2+
/ˈrɛmənənt/
remaining or residual, especially of magnetism left in a material
repulse
C2+
/rɪˈpʌls/
to drive back or fend off; to cause distaste or revulsion in
resolvent
C2+
/rɪˈzɑlvənt/
having power to dissolve or break down; a substance or agent that does so
restorable
C2+
/rɪˈstɔrəbəl/
capable of being brought back to a former or original condition
retainer
C2+
/rɪˈteɪnɚ/
a fee paid to secure services; a servant or device that holds something in place
retrieval
C2+
/rɪˈtrivəl/
the act of getting back or recovering something, especially stored data
retrogress
C2+
/ˌrɛtrəˈɡrɛs/
to move backward to an earlier or worse state; to decline
riser
C2+
/ˈraɪzɚ/
the vertical part of a stair step; one who rises, as from bed
roadblock
C2+
/ˈroʊdˌblɑk/
a barrier across a road; an obstacle to progress
roust
C2+
/raʊst/
to rouse or stir up, often roughly; to drive out
rulership
C2+
/ˈrulɚˌʃɪp/
the position or authority of a ruler; dominion
sacking
C2+
/ˈsækɪŋ/
coarse fabric used to make sacks; dismissal from a job; plunder of a place
sally
C2+
/ˈsæli/
a sudden rush forward, especially a sortie; a witty remark; to rush out
sash
C2+
/sæʃ/
a band of cloth worn around the waist or over the shoulder; a window frame
scrip
C2+
/skrɪp/
a provisional certificate or token issued in place of money or stock
shyness
C2+
/ˈʃaɪnəs/
the quality of being timid or reserved around others
sinecure
C2+
/ˈsaɪnɪkjʊr/
a position requiring little or no work but giving pay or status
sojourn
C2+
/ˈsoʊdʒɜrn/
a temporary stay in a place
southbound
C2+
/ˈsaʊθbaʊnd/
traveling or directed toward the south
squinch
C2+
/skwɪntʃ/
to screw up the eyes or face, or an arch across an interior corner
stoop
C2+
/stup/
to bend the body forward and down, or a small front porch
suitability
C2+
/ˌsutəˈbɪləti/
the quality of being right or appropriate for a particular purpose
sundown
C2+
/ˈsʌndaʊn/
the time in the evening when the sun disappears below the horizon; sunset
supercilium
C2+
/ˌsupɚˈsɪliəm/
the eyebrow, or a stripe of feathers above a bird's eye
supervisory
C2+
/ˈsupɚˌvaɪzɚi/
relating to the oversight or direction of work and workers
suppression
C2+
/səˈprɛʃən/
the act of putting an end to something forcibly or holding it back
symmetry
C2+
/ˈsɪmətri/
balanced and proportionate similarity between the parts of something
terrapin
C2+
/ˈtɛrəpɪn/
a small edible freshwater turtle of North America
thence
C2+
/ðɛns/
from that place or source; for that reason
thoroughfare
C2+
/ˈθɝoʊˌfɛr/
a main road or public passage through a place
topographic
C2+
/ˌtɑpəˈɡræfɪk/
relating to the detailed mapping of the features of a place
traditionary
C2+
/trəˈdɪʃəˌnɛri/
archaic term meaning handed down by tradition; traditional
transferal
C2+
/trænsˈfɝəl/
the act of moving something from one place or person to another
transferee
C2+
/ˌtrænsfɝˈi/
a person to whom something, such as property or a right, is transferred
transposition
C2+
/ˌtrænspəˈzɪʃən/
the act of switching the order or position of two things
tribalist
C2+
/ˈtraɪbəlɪst/
a person who favors loyalty to their own group above all else
uncoil
C2+
/ʌnˈkɔɪl/
to unwind or release from a coiled position
undeveloped
C2+
/ˌʌndɪˈvɛləpt/
not built up, matured, or fully formed
unrelentingly
C2+
/ˌʌnrɪˈlɛntɪŋli/
without easing or letting up; relentlessly
unroll
C2+
/ʌnˈroʊl/
to open out something that is rolled up
unsay
C2+
/ʌnˈseɪ/
to retract or take back something said
upraise
C2+
/ʌpˈreɪz/
to raise or lift up
uprise
C2+
/ʌpˈraɪz/
to rise up or ascend; an act of rising
uprouse
C2+
/ʌpˈraʊz/
to rouse up; to stir into action or wakefulness
uptake
C2+
/ˈʌpˌteɪk/
the act of taking up or absorbing; comprehension
usurp
C2+
/juˈsɜrp/
to seize power, position, or rights wrongfully or by force
utopia
C2+
/juˈtoʊpiə/
an imagined place of ideal perfection in laws, government, and society
vacuity
C2+
/væˈkjuɪti/
emptiness of mind, content, or space; lack of substance
veer
C2+
/vɪr/
to change direction or course suddenly
victoria
C2+
/vɪkˈtɔriə/
a light four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with a folding top
waistline
C2+
/ˈweɪst.laɪn/
the line of the waist of the body or a garment, or one's girth there
wanderer
C2+
/ˈwɑn.dɚ.ɚ/
a person who travels aimlessly or roams from place to place
westerner
C2+
/ˈwɛs.tɚ.nɚ/
a native or inhabitant of the west, especially of the Western world
westwards
C2+
/ˈwɛst.wɚdz/
toward the west
withoutdoors
C2+
/wɪˌðaʊtˈdɔrz/
out of doors; outside (archaic)
abdicate
C1
/ˈæb.dɪˌkeɪt/
to formally give up a position of power or responsibility, especially a throne
anoint
C1
/əˈnɔɪnt/
to ceremonially smear or rub with oil as part of a religious rite
centripetal
C1
/sɛnˈtrɪpətəl/
directed towards the center or axis of rotation
diataxis
C2
/ˌdaɪəˈtæksɪs/
a systematic arrangement or ordering across parts; (in technical writing) a framework organizing documentation into distinct types
hoisting
B2
/ˈhɔɪstɪŋ/
the act of raising or lifting something, especially using ropes or machinery
interstitial
C1
/ˌɪntərˈstɪʃəl/
relating to or situated in the small spaces between things or parts
lain
B2
/leɪn/
past participle of "lie": to be in or assume a horizontal or resting position
navel
B2
/ˈneɪvəl/
the small, central scar on the abdomen, marking where the umbilical cord was attached
purgatory
C1
/ˈpɜrɡəˌtɔri/
a state of suffering or purification for souls before entering heaven
revocation
C1
/ˌrɛvəˈkeɪʃən/
the official cancellation of a decree, decision, or promise
rewind
B1
/riˈwaɪnd/
to wind back to an earlier point, especially in a recording or film
rove
C1
/ɹoʊv/
to wander or travel without a fixed destination
simmer
B2
/ˈsɪmɚ/
to cook gently just below boiling point
skanky
C1
/ˈskæŋki/
dirty or unpleasant, often used to describe a place or object
stow
B2
/stoʊ/
to pack or store something carefully and neatly in a particular place
valance
C1
/ˈvæləns/
a decorative drapery hung along the edge of a bed, table, or shelf
outstretched
B2
/ˌaʊtˈstrɛtʃt/
stretched or extended outward
co-regional
C2+
/ˌkoʊˈridʒənəl/
belonging to or occupying the same region
co-superficial
C2+
/ˌkoʊˌsupərˈfɪʃəl/
lying on or sharing the same surface
space-relation
C2
/ˈspeɪs rɪˌleɪʃən/
a spatial relation between things
againwards
C2+
/əˈɡɛn.wɚdz/
toward; in the direction facing a person or place, in archaic or northern dialect use
doorward
C2+
/ˈdɔːr.wɚd/
toward a door
undermost
C2
/ˈʌn.dɚˌmoʊst/
occupying the lowest position relative to other things
chimneyward
C2+
/ˈtʃɪm.ni.wɚd/
toward, into, or in the direction of a chimney
unaccelerated
C2
/ˌʌnəkˈsɛləreɪtɪd/
having zero acceleration in a specified inertial frame; remaining at rest or moving with an unchanging velocity vector
circumjacent
C2
/ˌsɝkəmˈdʒeɪsənt/
lying around or surrounding a place or object
superincumbent
C2
/ˌsuːpərɪnˈkʌmbənt/
lying, resting, or pressing on top of something else
anear
C2+
/əˈnɪr/
chiefly dialectal: near or close to
overarch
B2
/ˌoʊvərˈɑrtʃ/
to form an arch above or extend over something
circumambient
C2
/ˌsɝːkəmˈæmbiənt/
surrounding something on every side; encompassing
upshore
C2+
/ˈʌpˌʃɔr/
toward a point farther along the shore, especially in an upstream direction