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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.
4452 words
cogito
C2
/ˈkɑɡɪtoʊ/
Descartes's argument cogito, ergo sum ("I think, therefore I am"), or the act of thought on which it rests
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indent
B2
/ˈɪndɛnt/
To begin a line of text further from the margin than the other lines.
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defray
C2
/dɪˈfɹæɪ/
bear the expenses of
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waylay
C2
/ˈweɪleɪ/
to wait for someone in order to attack them or stop them unexpectedly
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repudiation
C2
/rɪˌpjuːdiˈeɪʃən/
the act of rejecting, disowning, or refusing to accept something as valid
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congeal
C1
/kənˈdʒiːl/
to become or cause something to become thick, semisolid, or solid, especially through cooling
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exult
C2
/ɪɡˈzʌlt/
to express great joy
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nobble
C2
/ˈnɑː.bəl/
British informal: to bribe, persuade, intimidate, or otherwise secure improper influence over someone
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cadge
C2
/kæd͡ʒ/
To obtain something by wit or guile; to convince people to do something they might not normally do.
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ostracize
C2
/ˈɑstɹəˌsaɪz/
avoid speaking to or dealing with
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automate
C2
/ˈɔ.təˌmeɪt/
To make a process work by machines or computers instead of by people.
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siss
C2
/sɪs/
to make or utter with a sharp hissing sound
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burnish
C2+
/ˈbɝnɪʃ/
to polish and make shiny
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self-immolation
C2+
/ˌsɛlf ˌɪməˈleɪʃən/
The act of setting oneself on fire, especially as a form of protest.
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extrication
C1
/ˌɛkstɹɪˈkeɪʃən/
the act or process of freeing someone or something from entanglement, confinement, or a difficult situation
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undulate
C2
/ˈʌndjəleɪt/
increase and decrease in volume or pitch, as if in waves
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demystify
C2
/diːˈmɪstəˌfaɪ/
To make something easier to understand by explaining it clearly.
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nauseate
C2
/ˈnɔːziˌeɪt/
to make someone feel sick or as if they are going to vomit
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presuppose
C2
/ˌpɹiːsəˈpəʊz/
To assume that something is true before going on to argue or conclude something else.
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unlace
C2
/ʌnˈleɪs/
undo the ties of
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grizzle
C2
/ˈɡrɪz.əl/
chiefly British, informal and disapproving: to cry fretfully or complain continually
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conjuration
C2
/ˌkɑndʒəˈreɪʃən/
the supposed act of summoning a spirit or supernatural being by magic
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reinterpret
C2
/ˌriːɪnˈtɝːprət/
To interpret again.
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splay
C2
/spleɪ/
to spread or turn outward and apart, especially from a central point
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polarize
C2+
/ˈpoʊ.lə.ɹaɪz/
To cause to have a polarization.
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reprove
B2
/ɹɪˈpɹuːv/
To tell someone gently but firmly that they have done something wrong.
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purloin
C2
/pɚˈlɔɪn/
formal or humorous: to steal or wrongfully take something, often secretly or in breach of trust
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furl
C2
/fɝl/
to roll or fold a sail, flag, or similar sheet and secure it
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enthrall
C2
/ɪnˈθɹɔːl/
To hold spellbound.
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refract
C2
/rɪˈfrækt/
to make light, sound, or another wave change direction as it passes between media
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cohabit
C2
/koʊˈhæbɪt/
to live together as an intimate couple, especially without being married
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refutation
C2
/ˌɹef.jʊˈtæɪ.ʃən/
the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions
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exfiltrate
C2
/ˈɛksfɪltɹeɪt/
to covertly remove data from a computer system or network
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simper
C2
/ˈsɪmpɚ/
To smile in a foolish, frivolous, self-conscious, coy, obsequious, or smug manner.
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telegraphy
C2
/təˈlɛɡɹəfi/
the practice or technology of transmitting coded messages over long distances by electrical, optical, or radio signals
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preferment
C2
/pɹɪˈfəːmənt/
the act of preferring
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adulterate
C2
/əˈdʌltəɹət/
To make something weaker or lower in quality by adding another substance.
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amortize
C2
/ˈæmɚtaɪz/
to liquidate gradually
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untwist
B1
/ʌnˈtwɪst/
to remove a twist from something or separate strands that have been twisted together
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masticate
C1
/ˈmæs.tə.keɪt/
to chew food by crushing and grinding it with the teeth
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mishear
C1
/ˌmɪsˈhɪr/
to hear words or sounds incorrectly
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splutter
C2
/ˈsplʌtɚ/
to speak rapidly or confusedly with spitting sounds, especially from anger or excitement
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opine
C2
/oʊˈpaɪn/
To express an opinion; to state as an opinion; to suppose, consider (that).
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standardize
B2
/ˈstændɚˌdaɪz/
to make things follow the same agreed form, rule, or level of quality
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unfix
C2
/ʌnˈfɪks/
to loosen, detach, or remove something from a fixed position
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popularize
B2
/ˈpɑːpjəlɝˌaɪz/
To make something widely known and liked by ordinary people.
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reconnoitre
C2
/ˌɹɛkəˈnɔɪtɚ/
To perform a reconnaissance (of an area; an enemy position); to scout with the aim of gaining information.
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outfight
C1
/ˌaʊtˈfaɪt/
to fight better than
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relegate
C2
/ˈɹɛlɪˌɡeɪt/
To move someone or something to a lower or less important position.
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dissociate
C1
/dɪˈsoʊ.ʃi.eɪt/
to separate or disconnect someone or something from an association, relationship, or idea
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busk
C2
/bʌsk/
to perform music or another form of entertainment in a public place for voluntary donations
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imperil
C2
/ɪmˈper.əl/
formal: to put a person, thing, or undertaking at serious risk of harm, loss, or destruction
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pule
C2
/pjuːl/
to cry or whine weakly
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equalization
B2
/ˌiː.kwə.ləˈzeɪ.ʃən/
the process of making amounts, conditions, rights, or opportunities equal or more nearly equal
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elapse
C1
/ɪˈlæps/
of time: to pass or go by
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efface
C2
/əˈfeɪs/
to erase or remove marks, writing, or visible features
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stigmatize
C2
/ˈstɪɡ.mə.taɪz/
to describe or treat a person or group as shameful, disgraceful, or socially unacceptable
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garble
C2
/ˈɡɑː(ɹ)bəl/
To pick out such parts (of a text) as may serve a purpose not intended by the original author; to mutilate; to pervert.
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encamp
C2
/ɪnˈkæmp/
to set up or settle in a camp, usually for a limited time
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petrify
C2
/ˈpɛtrɪfaɪ/
to make someone so frightened that they cannot move or think clearly
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overfeed
B2
/ˌoʊvɚˈfiːd/
to give a person or animal more food than is healthy or necessary
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galvanism
C2
/ˈɡælvəˌnɪzəm/
electricity produced by chemical action, especially as understood in early electrical science
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maltreat
C1
/ˌmælˈtriːt/
to treat a person or animal cruelly, violently, or without proper care
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entrench
C1
/ɪnˈtrɛntʃ/
to establish an attitude, habit, institution, or position so firmly that it is difficult to change
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disparagement
C2
The act of criticizing someone or something in a way that lowers their value; belittlement.
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mishandle
C2
/mɪsˈhændəl/
to deal with a situation incorrectly or ineffectively; to make a mistake in handling a situation.
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bewilder
B2
/bɪˈwɪldɚ/
To confuse someone completely, especially with too many choices or details.
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commercialize
C1
/kəˈmɝː.ʃə.laɪz/
to develop an idea, product, or service so that it can be sold commercially
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circumnavigation
C2
The act of travelling all the way around something, especially the world.
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edify
C2
/ˈɛdɪfaɪ/
To improve someone morally or intellectually through teaching.
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miscalculate
C2
/mɪsˈkælkjəleɪt/
to calculate a number, amount, distance, or other quantity incorrectly
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shilly-shally
C2
/ˈʃɪl.iˌʃæl.i/
to hesitate, waver, or waste time because one is unable or unwilling to make a decision
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preoccupy
B2
/pɹiˈɑkjupaɪ/
To fill someone's mind so much that they cannot think about anything else.
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satirize
C2
/ˈsætəraɪz/
to expose or ridicule the faults of a person, institution, or idea through satire
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blazon
C2
/ˈbleɪzən/
to display, describe, or proclaim something conspicuously or publicly
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deify
C2
/ˈdiː.ə.faɪ/
consider as a god or godlike
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equivocate
C2
/ɪˈkwɪvəˌkeɪt/
To render equivocal or ambiguous.
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extenuate
C2
/ɪkˈstɛnjəˌweɪt/
formal: to lessen or try to lessen the seriousness of a fault or offense by offering a partial excuse or mitigating circumstance
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enshrine
C2
/ɪnˈʃraɪn/
to establish and protect a principle or right in a law, constitution, or institution
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putrefy
C2
/ˈpjutɹəfaɪ/
To reach an advanced stage of decomposition.
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seclude
C2
/səˈkluːd/
formal: to keep oneself or another person apart from contact with other people
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suttee
C2
/sʌˈtiː/
the historical practice among some Hindu communities in South Asia in which a widow died, or was killed, on her husband's funeral pyre, sometimes under coercion
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elucidation
C2
/ɪˌlusɪˈdeɪʃən/
the act or process of making something clear by explaining it
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remount
C1
/ˌriːˈmaʊnt/
to get back onto a horse, bicycle, or similar conveyance
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solemnize
C2
/ˈsɑːləmnaɪz/
to perform the official or religious ceremony of a marriage
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palter
C2
/ˈpɔl.tɚ/
To talk insincerely; to prevaricate or equivocate in speech or actions.
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paternalism
C2
/pəˈtɝnəlɪzəm/
the practice of limiting people's choices while claiming to act for their own good
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extrude
C2
/ɪkˈstɹuːd/
to shape a material by forcing it through a die or opening with a fixed cross-section
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enthrone
C2
/ɪnˈθroʊn/
to install a monarch or senior religious leader formally on a throne as a sign of office
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unlink
B2
/ʌnˈlɪŋk/
to remove or break a connection between linked people, accounts, objects, or pieces of information
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intemperance
C2+
/ɪnˈtɛmpɛɹəns/
excess in action and immoderate indulgence of bodily appetites, especially in passion or indulgence
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intermarry
C1
/ˌɪn.tɚˈmær.i/
for members of different families, communities, ethnic groups, or religions to marry one another
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suggestibility
C2
/səˌdʒɛstəˈbɪləti/
the tendency to accept and act on other people's suggestions readily
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upbraid
C2
/ˌʌpˈbɹeɪd/
To criticize severely.
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harlotry
C2
/ˈhɑɹlətri/
dated and disparaging: prostitution, or the practice of engaging in sex for payment
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shamble
C2
/ˈʃæmbl̩/
To walk slowly and awkwardly, dragging or shuffling your feet.
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