This week on The Missing Workbook
1 new learner
12 reviews
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.
Choose your level
All 27,899 wordsC2+ is beyond the official CEFR scale: rare, specialist, and literary words kept for reference.
151 words
mortgagee
C1
/ˌmɔrɡɪˈdʒiː/
One who provides a loan secured upon the borrowers' property: the lender in a mortgage agreement.
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
improvidence
C2
/ɪmˈpɹɑːvədəns/
failure to plan carefully for the future, especially in the use of money or resources
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
fiar
C2
/ˈfiːər/
in Scotland, an officially determined standard price, especially an annual legally fixed price for grain; usually used in the plural fiars
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
agio
C2
/ˈæ.d͡ʒoʊ/
The premium or percentage on a better sort of money when it is given in exchange for an inferior sort. The premium or discount on foreign bills of exchange is sometimes called agio.
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
tallage
C2
/ˈtælɪdʒ/
historical: a tax or compulsory payment levied by a feudal lord or monarch on tenants, towns, or royal lands
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
peculation
C2
/ˌpek.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/
the embezzlement or fraudulent appropriation of money or property entrusted to one's care, especially public funds
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
octroi
C2
/ˈɑːk.trɔɪ/
a tax formerly levied on goods brought into a town or city, especially in France
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
roundsman
C2
/ˈraʊndz.mən/
historically, a poor-law laborer sent in rotation by an English parish to work for local employers, with the parish supplementing the wage
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
multure
C2
/ˈmʌltʃɚ/
historical or chiefly Scottish: a fee paid to a mill owner for grinding grain or pulverizing ore, often taken in kind
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
socage
C2
/ˈsɑːkɪdʒ/
historical law: land tenure in return for agricultural services fixed in amount and kind or for money rent, rather than military service
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
taxgatherer
C2
/ˈtæksˌɡæð.ɚ.ɚ/
one who collects taxes or public revenues; a tax collector
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
disencumbrance
C2
/ˌdɪs.ɪnˈkʌm.brəns/
freedom or release from an encumbrance, burden, debt, or legal claim
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
defalcation
C2
/ˌdiːfælˈkeɪʃən/
law: intentional or reckless misuse of money or property entrusted to one's care
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
lavish
C2+
/ˈlævɪʃ/
luxuriously abundant, or to give in great quantity
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
remuneration
C2+
/rɪˌmjunəˈreɪʃən/
money paid for work or a service; payment
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
ching
C2+
/tʃɪŋ/
an imitation of a ringing metallic sound; slang for money
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
chit
C2+
/tʃɪt/
a short note or voucher recording a small debt or order
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
kitty
C2+
/ˈkɪti/
a pool of money contributed by a group; informally, a kitten or cat
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
pelf
C2+
/pɛlf/
money or wealth, especially when regarded as ill-gotten or contemptible
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
outlay
C2+
/ˈaʊtˌleɪ/
an amount of money spent on something
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
billfold
C2+
/ˈbɪlˌfoʊld/
a folding wallet for holding paper money
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
disbursement
C2+
/dɪsˈbɝsmənt/
the payment or distribution of money from a fund
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
outgo
C2+
/ˈaʊtˌɡoʊ/
money or resources spent; expenditure or outflow
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
garnishment
C2+
/ˈɡɑrnɪʃmənt/
a legal order to withhold money, typically from wages, to pay a debt
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
lolly
C2+
/ˈlɑli/
a piece of candy, especially on a stick; (British slang) money
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
acquittance
C2+
/əˈkwɪtəns/
a written release confirming a debt or obligation has been discharged
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
boodle
C2+
/ˈbudəl/
slang for money, especially counterfeit or bribe money; ill-gotten gains
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
fleece
C2+
/flis/
a sheep's woolly coat; also to swindle of money
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
impecuniousness
C2+
/ˌɪmpɪˈkjuniəsnəs/
the condition of being habitually short of money
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
impost
C2+
/ˈɪmpoʊst/
a tax or duty, especially one levied on imported goods
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
lickpenny
C2+
/ˈlɪkˌpɛni/
something that consumes money; a costly thing or place
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
noncompensation
C2+
/ˌnɑnˌkɑmpənˈseɪʃən/
failure or absence of compensation or payment
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
parsimony
C2+
/ˈpɑrsəmoʊni/
extreme unwillingness to spend money or use resources
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
profligacy
C2+
/ˈprɑflɪɡəsi/
reckless extravagance or wastefulness, especially with money
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
retainer
C2+
/rɪˈteɪnɚ/
a fee paid to secure services; a servant or device that holds something in place
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
scam
C2+
/skæm/
a dishonest scheme to cheat someone of money or trust
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
stipend
C2+
/ˈstaɪpɛnd/
a fixed regular payment, especially an allowance or salary
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
surcharge
C2+
/ˈsɝtʃɑrdʒ/
an additional charge or payment levied on top of the standard cost
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
tithe
C2+
/taɪð/
a tenth of one's income given to the church or as a tax
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
upkeep
C2+
/ˈʌpkip/
the cost or process of maintaining something in good condition
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
usance
C2+
/ˈjuzəns/
the time allowed by custom for payment of a foreign bill of exchange
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
wherewithal
C2+
/ˈwɛr.wɪˌðɔl/
the money, means, or resources needed for a purpose
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
pittance
C1
/ˈpɪtəns/
a very small or inadequate amount of money, especially paid as wages
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
pontage
C2
A duty or tax paid for repairing bridges.
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
seigniorage
C2
/ˈseɪnjərɪdʒ/
the profit made by a government or mint from issuing currency
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
alcavala
C2
/ˌælkəˈvɑlə/
historical: a Spanish sales tax charged on transfers of movable or immovable property, often at each successive sale
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
vingtieme
C2+
/væ̃ˈtjɛm/
a tax of one twentieth, or five percent, on income and property under the French ancien regime
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
cruzado
C2
/ˌkruːˈzɑːdoʊ/
a former currency of Brazil, introduced in 1986 and divided into one hundred centavos
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
chip in
A2
to contribute money or effort toward a shared purpose
Phrasal verb
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
fork over
A2
to hand over something, especially money, reluctantly
Phrasal verb
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
impose on
B2
to place an unwanted requirement or burden on someone
Prepositional verb
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
invest in
B1
to put money into an asset or business expecting a future return
Prepositional verb
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
pay off
A1
to produce a useful or successful result
Phrasal verb
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
work off
A1
to reduce or get rid of something through effort or work
Phrasal verb
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off
write off
A1
to accept something as lost or no longer valuable
Phrasal verb
Meaning
Off
Sound
Off