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Word
English Vocabulary
Pick a CEFR level (A1–C2, plus C2+ for rare words beyond the CEFR scale) — 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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All 27,899 wordsC2+ is beyond the official CEFR scale: rare, specialist, and literary words kept for reference.
2331 words
buff
C2+
/bʌf/
an enthusiast; a yellowish-brown color; to polish
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disrespect
C2+
/ˌdɪsrɪˈspɛkt/
lack of respect or courtesy; to treat with rudeness
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peril
C2+
/ˈpɛrəl/
serious and immediate danger; to imperil
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solace
C2+
/ˈsɑlɪs/
comfort in grief or distress; to console
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bung
C2+
/bʌŋ/
a stopper for a cask or hole; to plug or toss carelessly
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sham
C2+
/ʃæm/
a fraud or pretence; fake; to feign
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apex
C2+
/ˈeɪpɛks/
the highest point or culmination of something
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hap
C2+
/hæp/
chance or fortune; (verb) to happen by chance
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kismet
C2+
/ˈkɪzmɛt/
destiny or fate
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lump
C2+
/lʌmp/
a compact shapeless mass; a swelling; (verb) to group together
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ridicule
C2+
/ˈrɪdɪkjuːl/
mockery or derision; (verb) to make fun of contemptuously
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brook
C2+
/brʊk/
a small stream; (verb) to tolerate or allow
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crux
C2+
/krʌks/
the decisive or most important point at issue
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dusk
C2+
/dʌsk/
the darker stage of twilight before night
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recompense
C2+
/ˈrɛkəmpɛns/
compensation or reward for loss, effort, or service
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bield
C2+
/bild/
(Scots/Northern English) shelter or refuge; to provide shelter
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bundle
C2+
/ˈbʌndəl/
a group of things tied or grouped together
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peccadillo
C2+
/ˌpɛkəˈdɪloʊ/
a small, relatively unimportant offense or sin
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throe
C2+
/θroʊ/
a sharp pang or spasm, especially in struggle or agony
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tincture
C2+
/ˈtɪŋktʃɚ/
a medicinal solution in alcohol, or a slight trace of something
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acme
C2+
/ˈækmi/
the highest point of achievement or perfection
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adjunct
C2+
/ˈædʒʌŋkt/
a thing added to something else as a supplementary part
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boo
C2+
/bu/
an exclamation to startle or to express disapproval
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cultch
C2+
/kʌltʃ/
the mass of stones and shells laid down as a bed for young oysters
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daybreak
C2+
/ˈdeɪˌbreɪk/
the first appearance of light in the morning; dawn
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duet
C2+
/duˈɛt/
a musical composition or performance for two performers
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eyeblink
C2+
/ˈaɪˌblɪŋk/
a very brief moment of time
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feck
C2+
/fɛk/
vigor or effectiveness; worth (Scots and Irish dialect)
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forte
C2+
/ˈfɔrteɪ/
a thing at which one excels; a strong point
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grove
C2+
/ɡroʊv/
a small group of trees, often planted or cultivated together
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guillemet
C2+
/ˈɡiːjəmeɪ/
an angle-shaped quotation mark («» or ‹›) used in several European languages
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hassle
C2+
/ˈhæsəl/
an irritating inconvenience or annoyance; to pester or bother
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hoy
C2+
/hɔɪ/
a call used to attract attention; also a small coastal sailing vessel
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interchange
C2+
/ˈɪntɚˌtʃeɪndʒ/
a mutual exchange; a junction where roads meet and cross
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interpunct
C2+
/ˈɪntɚˌpʌŋkt/
a centered dot (·) used to separate words or mark a division
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lingo
C2+
/ˈlɪŋɡoʊ/
the specialized vocabulary or jargon of a particular group
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modicum
C2+
/ˈmɑdɪkəm/
a small or moderate amount of something
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paragon
C2+
/ˈpærəˌɡɑn/
a model of excellence or perfection
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provost
C2+
/ˈproʊvoʊst/
a senior academic administrator; the head of certain colleges
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riches
C2+
/ˈrɪtʃɪz/
abundant wealth or valuable possessions
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scrap
C2+
/skræp/
a small discarded fragment; to discard or abandon
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turpitude
C2+
/ˈtɝpɪtuːd/
depravity or moral wickedness
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acclaim
C2+
/əˈkleɪm/
enthusiastic public praise; to praise enthusiastically
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afterlife
C2+
/ˈæftɚlaɪf/
existence believed to follow death
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backbone
C2+
/ˈbækboʊn/
the spine; the chief support or strength of something
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balderdash
C2+
/ˈbɔːldɚdæʃ/
senseless or nonsensical talk; rubbish
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barb
C2+
/bɑːrb/
a sharp backward point; a cutting or wounding remark
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blah
C2+
/blɑ/
meaningless or dull chatter; dreary and uninteresting
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boon
C2+
/bun/
a timely benefit or blessing; a favor granted
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brawl
C2+
/brɔl/
a rough, noisy fight or quarrel
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butt
C2+
/bʌt/
the thicker or blunt end of something; to strike with the head
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cinch
C2+
/sɪntʃ/
an extremely easy task; a saddle girth; to fasten tightly
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cline
C2+
/klaɪn/
a gradient of continuous variation in a feature across a range
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clump
C2+
/klʌmp/
a compact cluster or mass; to walk with a heavy tread
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cockcrow
C2+
/ˈkɑkˌkroʊ/
the time at dawn when roosters first crow; daybreak
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craze
C2+
/kreɪz/
a short-lived enthusiasm or fad; to make insane
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deluge
C2+
/ˈdɛljudʒ/
a great flood or overwhelming flow of something
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dike
C2+
/daɪk/
an embankment built to hold back water and prevent flooding
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doings
C2+
/ˈduɪŋz/
activities or events, especially of a notable or social kind
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fillip
C2+
/ˈfɪləp/
a stimulus or boost; a quick flick of a finger
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foe
C2+
/foʊ/
an enemy or adversary
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interlapse
C2+
/ˈɪntərlæps/
an interval of time that elapses between events
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jibe
C2+
/dʒaɪb/
a mocking remark; also, to be consistent or to taunt
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mammon
C2+
/ˈmæmən/
wealth regarded as an evil influence or object of devotion
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mishap
C2+
/ˈmɪsˌhæp/
an unlucky accident, usually minor
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nous
C2+
/naʊs/
practical intelligence or common sense; the mind or intellect
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patronage
C2+
/ˈpeɪtrənɪdʒ/
support or custom given by a patron, or the power to grant appointments
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pocketbook
C2+
/ˈpɑkətˌbʊk/
a wallet or purse, or one's financial resources
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pretense
C2+
/ˈpritɛns/
a false show or pretext intended to deceive
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receptacle
C2+
/rɪˈsɛptəkəl/
a container used to hold or store something
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stratagem
C2+
/ˈstrætədʒəm/
a plan or scheme to deceive an enemy or gain an advantage
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undelight
C2+
/ˌʌndɪˈlaɪt/
lack or absence of delight; displeasure
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v
C2+
/viː/
the twenty-second letter of the English alphabet, or the Roman numeral for five
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veto
C2+
/ˈviːtoʊ/
a constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal
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accolade
C2+
/ˈækəleɪd/
an award or expression of praise
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ado
C2+
/əˈduː/
fuss, trouble, or commotion over something trivial
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aphrodisia
C2+
/ˌæfrəˈdɪziə/
sexual desire or arousal
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apocalypse
C2+
/əˈpɑkəlɪps/
a catastrophic event; a revelation of the end of the world
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ay
C2+
/aɪ/
yes; an affirmative vote or reply
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barrack
C2+
/ˈbærək/
a building housing soldiers; also to jeer or to shout support
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bellyache
C2+
/ˈbɛliˌeɪk/
a pain in the stomach; to complain peevishly
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blackguard
C2+
/ˈblæɡɑrd/
an unprincipled, contemptible scoundrel
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bureaucrat
C2+
/ˈbjʊrəˌkræt/
an official who works by fixed routine without exercising judgment
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cantrip
C2+
/ˈkæntrɪp/
a magic spell or mischievous trick
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chore
C2+
/tʃɔr/
a routine or tedious task, especially a household one
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chronicle
C2+
/ˈkrɑnɪkəl/
a factual written account of events in order of occurrence
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compatriot
C2+
/kəmˈpeɪtriət/
a fellow citizen or countryman
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compendium
C2+
/kəmˈpɛndiəm/
a concise but comprehensive summary of a subject
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continuum
C2+
/kənˈtɪnjuəm/
a continuous sequence with no sharp divisions
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cove
C2+
/koʊv/
a small sheltered bay or inlet in a coastline
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crossroad
C2+
/ˈkrɔsˌroʊd/
a point where roads intersect; a critical turning point
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crotchet
C2+
/ˈkrɑtʃɪt/
an odd whim or notion; a quarter note in music
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crusade
C2+
/kruˈseɪd/
a vigorous campaign for a cause or against an evil
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curlicue
C2+
/ˈkɝlɪˌkju/
a fancy twist, curl, or flourish, as in writing
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dart
C2+
/dɑrt/
a small pointed missile; to move suddenly and swiftly
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dessertspoon
C2+
/dɪˈzɝtspun/
a spoon intermediate in size between a teaspoon and a tablespoon
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