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.
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All 27,237 words
365 words
chassé
C2
/ʃæˈseɪ/
a gliding dance step in which one foot moves to the side and the other closes to it
martinet
C2
/ˈmæɹtɪnɛt/
A strict disciplinarian.
cantata
C2
/kənˈtɑtə/
a work for one or more singers with instrumental accompaniment, typically arranged in several movements
iambic
C2
/aɪˈæm.bɪk/
composed of or characterized by iambs, metrical feet in which an unstressed syllable is followed by a stressed one
mendicant
C2+
/ˈmɛn.dɪ.kənt/
practicing beggary
satiate
C2
/ˈseɪʃɪeɪt/
To fill to satisfaction; to satisfy.
poetical
C1
/poʊˈɛtɪkl̩/
Synonym of poetic.
meritocracy
C2
/mɛɹəˈtɑkɹəsi/
Rule by merit and talent.
poseur
C2
/poʊˈzʊəɹ/
One who affects some behaviour, style, attitude or other condition, often to impress or influence others.
portraiture
C2
/ˈpɔː(ɹ)tɹɪtjʊə(ɹ)/
The art or practice of making portraits in painting or photography.
fulminate
C2
/ˈfʌlmɪneɪt/
come on suddenly and intensely
sepia
B2
/ˈsiːpiə/
a dark reddish-brown color associated with old photographs and drawings
elegy
C2
/ˈɛləˌdʒiː/
A mournful or plaintive poem; a funeral song; a poem of lamentation.
brushwork
C2
/ˈbrʌˌʃwɝːk/
an artist's technique or characteristic manner of applying paint with a brush
expiate
C2
/ˈɛkspiːˌeɪt/
make amends for
typography
C2
/taɪˈpɑɡɹəfi/
the craft of composing type and printing from it
pianoforte
C2
/piˌænoʊˈfɔrteɪ/
the full or historical name for a piano, a keyboard instrument whose hammers strike strings and whose volume varies with the player's touch
dross
C2
/dɹɔs/
Worthless or trivial matter.
tuneless
C2
/ˈtuːn.ləs/
lacking a recognizable or pleasing melody; not tuneful
dactyl
C2
/ˈdæktɪl/
a metrical foot consisting of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables, or one long syllable followed by two short ones
waxwork
C2
/ˈwæks.wɝːk/
a lifelike figure or effigy modeled in wax
bourdon
C2
/ˈbʊɹdən/
a continuous low drone or bass tone, especially one produced by a bagpipe, hurdy-gurdy, or similar instrument
statuary
C2
/ˈstæ.t͡ʃu.ɛəɹi/
statues considered collectively
sartorial
C2
/sɑɹˈtɔɹ.i.əl/
Of or relating to the tailoring of clothing.
fleur-de-lis
C2
/ˌflɝː.dəˈliː/
a stylized three-petalled flower used as a heraldic charge and decorative emblem, especially associated with the French monarchy
quatrain
C2
/ˈkwɑˌtreɪn/
a stanza or complete poem consisting of four lines
cubist
C2
/ˈkjuː.bɪst/
an artist who works in the style of cubism
pianola
C2
/ˌpiːəˈnoʊlə/
a piano that plays music mechanically from instructions recorded on a perforated paper roll
oscillate
C2
/ˈɑsɪleɪt/
To swing back and forth, especially if with a regular rhythm.
incise
C2
/ɪnˈsaɪz/
To cut into a surface with a sharp tool, especially to carve or engrave a design.
basso
C2
/ˈbæsoʊ/
low and deep in pitch, especially of a male voice
chromatic
C2
/kɹəˈmætɪk/
relating to color or to differences in color
rub-a-dub
C2
/ˌrʌb ə ˈdʌb/
the repeated beating or sound of a drum; a continuous rhythmic drumming
hornpipe
C2
/ˈhɔrnˌpaɪp/
a lively traditional solo dance associated especially with sailors
arpeggio
C2
/ɑːrˈpedʒ.i.oʊ/
the notes of a chord played one after another rather than simultaneously
oratorio
C2
/ˌɔrəˈtɔrioʊ/
a large musical work for orchestra, choir, and solo voices, usually on a sacred subject and performed without staging, costumes, or scenery
rapprochement
C2
/ɹæpɹoʊʃˈmɑn/
The reestablishment of cordial relations, particularly between two countries; a reconciliation.
dulcimer
C2
/ˈdʌl.sɪ.mɚ/
a stringed instrument with strings stretched over a usually trapezoidal soundboard and struck with small hammers
viol
C2
/ˈvaɪ.əl/
a member of a family of fretted bowed string instruments, usually with six strings and held vertically, prominent in European music from the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries
stipple
C2
/ˈstɪpəl/
to draw, paint, engrave, or shade using many small dots or short marks
odalisque
C2
/ˈoʊdəlɪsk/
historical: an enslaved female attendant in an Ottoman palace or harem; in Western writing, often inaccurately treated as a concubine
contralto
C2
/kənˈtræl.toʊ/
the lowest standard female singing voice, below mezzo-soprano
lithograph
C2
/ˈlɪθəɡɹæf/
a print made by lithography, in which an image is drawn on a prepared flat surface and transferred to paper
diffident
C2
/ˈdɪfɪdənt/
lacking self-confidence
plectrum
C2
/ˈplɛktɹəm/
a small flat piece of plastic, metal, or other material used to pluck the strings of an instrument
trenchant
C1
/ˈtɹɛnʃənt/
Fitted to trench or cut; gutting; sharp.
polyphonic
C2
/ˌpɑːlɪˈfɑːnɪk/
in music, consisting of two or more independent melodic lines sounding together
chiaroscuro
C2
/ˌkjɑɹəˈsk(j)ʊɹoʊ/
the artistic use of strong contrasts between light and dark to model form or create dramatic effect
undulate
C2
/ˈʌndjəleɪt/
increase and decrease in volume or pitch, as if in waves
tremolo
C2
/ˈtrɛm.ə.loʊ/
a musical effect made by rapidly repeating one note or alternating between two notes
epigram
C2
/ˈɛpəˌgræm/
A short, witty or pithy poem.
pre-raphaelite
C2
/ˌpriːˈræf.i.ə.laɪt/
a member or follower of the nineteenth-century Pre-Raphaelite movement in British art
concomitant
C2
/kənˈkɑːmətənt/
Something happening or existing at the same time.
busk
C2
/bʌsk/
to perform music or another form of entertainment in a public place for voluntary donations
lacerate
C2
/ˈlæ.sɚ.ɛɪt/
irregularly slashed and jagged as if torn
caricaturist
C1
/ˌker.ə.kəˈtʃʊr.ɪst/
an artist or writer who creates caricatures by exaggerating distinctive features for comic, critical, or satirical effect
roundelay
C2
/ˈɹaʊndəˌleɪ/
a song in which a line or phrase is repeated as the refrain
equivocate
C2
/ɪˈkwɪvəˌkeɪt/
To render equivocal or ambiguous.
suppliant
C2+
/ˈsʌpliənt/
humbly entreating
risible
C2
/ˈɹɪzɪbəl/
Of or pertaining to laughter
tragedian
C2
/trəˈdʒiːdiən/
an actor who specializes in tragic roles
danseuse
C2
/dænˈsɜːz/
dated: a female professional dancer, especially a ballet dancer
clavichord
C2
/ˈklævɪˌkɔɹd/
an early keyboard instrument whose strings are struck by small metal blades, producing a soft, expressive sound
extirpate
C2
/ˈɛkstɚpeɪt/
To cause a population to go extinct in a particular region, but not across the entire range of the species or subspecies.
overtone
B2
/ˈoʊvɚˌtoʊn/
a musical or acoustic tone sounding above a fundamental tone as part of a complex sound
annotation
C2
/ənɵˈʈeʃən/
A critical or explanatory commentary or analysis.
impasto
C2
/ɪmˈpæs.toʊ/
painting: the technique of applying paint thickly enough for brush or palette-knife marks to remain visibly raised
woodcarving
B2
The art of cutting and shaping wood to make objects or decorations.
lapidary
C2
/ˈlæpəˌdɛɹi/
of or relating to precious stones or the art of working with them
semitone
B2
/ˈsɛmɪtoʊn/
music: the smallest interval in the standard chromatic scale of Western music, equal to half a whole tone
quaver
C2
/ˈkweɪvər/
in British musical terminology, a note with half the time value of a crotchet; an eighth note
consonance
C2
/ˈkɑnsənəns/
agreement or compatibility between opinions, principles, qualities, or actions
capriccio
C2
/kəˈpriː.tʃiː.oʊ/
music: a lively, freely formed instrumental composition with a fanciful or improvisatory character
excoriate
C2
/ɪkˈskɔɹ.iˌeɪt/
To strongly condemn or criticize.
poesy
C2
/ˈpoʊəzi/
literary: poetry, especially considered as an art or body of writing
diapason
C2
/daɪəˈpeɪzən/
a full, rich outpouring or range of musical sound; also a principal organ stop
recapitulation
C2
/ɹiː.kəˌpɪ.t͡ʃəˈleɪ.ʃ(ə)n/
The symmetry provided by Christ's life to the teachings of the Old Testament; the summation of human experience in Jesus Christ.
tracery
C2
/ˈtɹeɪsɚi/
ornamental stone, wood, or metalwork forming interlacing ribs or branching patterns, especially in a window
factitious
C2+
/fækˈtɪʃəs/
not produced by natural forces
allusive
C2
/əˈluː.sɪv/
characterized by indirect references
castanet
C2
/ˌkæs.təˈnɛt/
one of a pair of small shell-shaped percussion instruments clicked together by the fingers, especially in Spanish dance
dithyramb
C2
/ˈdɪθɪˌræm/
an ancient Greek choral hymn sung with passionate intensity in honor of Dionysus
macerate
C2+
/ˈmæs.ə.ɹeɪt/
soften, usually by steeping in liquid, and cause to disintegrate as a result
arriviste
C2
/ˌæ.ɹɪˈviːst/
An upstart or newcomer; nouveau riche; parvenu; an ambitious, brash or arrogant person who has yet to integrate with his or her new social group.
marquetry
C2
/ˈmɑːɹ.kə.tɹi/
the decorative craft of fitting thin pieces of differently colored wood, shell, metal, or other veneer into a surface to form a design
recitative
C1
/ˌrɛsɪtəˈtiːv/
a speechlike style of singing in opera, oratorio, and related music, used especially to advance dialogue or narrative between more melodic passages
footlight
C2
/ˈfʊtˌlaɪt/
a stage light positioned along the front edge of a stage and directed upward at the performers
playact
C1
/ˈpleɪˌækt/
to behave theatrically or pretend feelings or intentions that are not genuine
inharmonious
C2
/ˌɪnhɑrˈmoʊniəs/
lacking pleasing musical harmony; discordant
harlequinade
C2
/ˌhɑr.lə.kwəˈneɪd/
a comic theatrical entertainment featuring Harlequin and other stock characters, especially the concluding section of a traditional British pantomime
sybarite
C2
/ˈsɪbəˌɹaɪt/
A person devoted to luxury and pleasure; a hedonist.
gamboge
C2
/ɡæmˈbuʒ/
a yellow to orange gum resin from Southeast Asian Garcinia trees, formerly used as a pigment and purgative
taille
C2
/taɪ/
A form of taxation levied on the land of peasants in pre-Revolutionary France.
metrical
C2
/ˈmɛtɹɪkl̩/
Relating to birth certificates.
sforzando
C2
/sfɔɹˈtsændoʊ/
music: played or marked with a sudden, forceful emphasis
mephitic
C2
/ˌmɛˈfɪ.tɪk/
Foul-smelling or noxious, particularly of a gas or atmosphere.