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
365 words
truncate
C2
/ˈtɹʌŋˌkeɪt/
terminating abruptly by having or as if having an end or point cut off
emaciate
C2+
/ɪˈmeɪ̯.ʃiˌeɪ̯t/
grow weak and thin or waste away physically
emblazon
C2
/ɪmˈbleɪzən/
to display, write, or depict something prominently on a surface
putto
C2
/ˈpʊtoʊ/
a painted or sculpted figure of a small, usually naked and often winged boy, especially in Renaissance or Baroque art
eclogue
C2
/ˈɛk.lɒɡ/
a short pastoral poem, often presented as a monologue or dialogue between shepherds
idyl
C2
/ˈaɪdəl/
a short poem or prose piece depicting peaceful rural or pastoral life
villanelle
C2
/ˌvɪləˈnɛl/
a nineteen-line poem with five three-line stanzas and a final four-line stanza, using two repeating refrains and two rhymes
bandsman
C2
/ˈbændz.mən/
a musician who plays in a band, especially a brass or military band
plangent
C2
/ˈplænd͡ʒənt/
loud and resounding
maculate
C2+
/ˈmækjʊleɪt/
To spot; to stain; to blur.
cantatrice
C2
/ˌkæntəˈtriːtʃeɪ/
a professional female singer, especially an opera singer
first-nighter
C2+
/ˌfɝːstˈnaɪtɚ/
a person who regularly attends the opening nights of plays or other theatrical productions
threnody
C2
/ˈθrɛnədi/
a song, poem, or other composition expressing grief or mourning, especially for someone who has died
caryatid
C2
/ˌkɛriˈætɪd/
a sculpted female figure used as an architectural support in place of a column or pillar
tessellated
C2
/ˈtɛsəˌleɪtɪd/
covered or decorated with small tiles or pieces fitted together in a mosaic pattern
hautboy
C2
/ˈhoʊˌbɔɪ/
archaic: an oboe or an early form of that treble double-reed woodwind instrument
mezzotint
C2
/ˈmɛzoʊˌtɪnt/
a printmaking technique in which a metal plate is roughened to print dark tones and then scraped or burnished to create lighter areas
versify
C2
/ˈvɝːsəˌfaɪ/
to compose poetry or write in verse
choreographical
C2
Relating to choreography or the arranging of dance movements.
anapaest
C2
/ˈæn.ə.piːst/
prosody: a metrical foot of three syllables in which two unstressed syllables are followed by one stressed syllable
oleograph
C2
/ˈoʊ.li.əˌɡræf/
a color lithograph made to imitate the appearance of an oil painting
Jew's harp
C2
/ˈdʒuːzˌhɑrp/
a small plucked instrument held against the teeth or lips, whose flexible tongue vibrates while the player's mouth changes the tone
paeon
C2
/ˈpiːən/
a metrical foot of four syllables with one long or stressed syllable and three short or unstressed syllables
seriocomic
C2
/ˌsɪɹioʊˈkɑːmɪk/
combining serious and comic elements, subjects, or moods
lacquerwork
C2
/ˈlæk.ɚˌwɝːk/
decorative or artistic work made by applying, carving, painting, or inlaying layers of lacquer
dithyrambic
C2
/ˌdɪθəˈræm.bɪk/
wildly or extravagantly enthusiastic in expression
sceneshifter
C2
/ˈsiːnˌʃɪf.tɚ/
a stagehand who moves or changes theatrical scenery during a performance
classical music
A2
martial art
B2
duet
C2+
/duˈɛt/
a musical composition or performance for two performers
bop
C2+
/bɑp/
to hit lightly; to dance to popular music; a style of jazz
graphical
C2+
/ˈɡræfɪkəl/
relating to visual art or to vivid, detailed depiction
accompaniment
C2+
/əˈkʌmpənimənt/
something that accompanies, especially music supporting a soloist
docent
C2+
/ˈdoʊsənt/
a guide who leads tours and explains exhibits at a museum or gallery
suspire
C2+
/səˈspaɪər/
to breathe out or sigh; to draw breath
thespian
C2+
/ˈθɛspiən/
an actor or actress; relating to drama and the theatre
cakewalk
C2+
/ˈkeɪkˌwɔk/
something easily accomplished; a strutting dance of African American origin
joss
C2+
/ˈdʒɑs/
a Chinese idol or cult image; luck or fortune
abstractionist
C2+
/æbˈstrækʃənɪst/
an artist who works in abstract forms rather than representation
artiste
C2+
/ɑrˈtist/
a professional performing artist, especially a singer, dancer, or entertainer
cartography
C2+
/kɑrˈtɑɡrəfi/
the science and art of making maps
cartoonist
C2+
/kɑrˈtunɪst/
an artist who draws cartoons or comic strips
chorus
C2+
/ˈkɔrəs/
a group of singers, or a refrain repeated in a song
coincidental
C2+
/koʊˌɪnsɪˈdɛntəl/
happening by chance rather than by design
dirge
C2+
/dɝdʒ/
a mournful song or lament for the dead
educe
C2+
/ɪˈdus/
to draw out or elicit something latent
horticulture
C2+
/ˈhɔrtəˌkʌltʃɚ/
the art and science of cultivating gardens, fruits, vegetables, and flowers
instrumentation
C2+
/ˌɪnstrəmɛnˈteɪʃən/
the arrangement of music for instruments, or the set of instruments used in a system
masterwork
C2+
/ˈmæstərˌwɝk/
a masterpiece; the finest work an artist or craftsman produces
modernistic
C2+
/ˌmɑdərˈnɪstɪk/
characteristic of modern styles or modernism, especially in art and design
musically
C2+
/ˈmjuzɪkli/
in a manner relating to or resembling music
nonhomogeneity
C2+
/ˌnɑnˌhoʊmədʒəˈniəti/
lack of uniformity in composition or structure
nonmusical
C2+
/nɑnˈmjuzɪkəl/
not relating to or involving music; unmusical
poetic
C2+
/poʊˈɛtɪk/
relating to or having the qualities of poetry
theatric
C2+
/θiˈætrɪk/
relating to the theatre or exaggerated, dramatic display
tuneful
C2+
/ˈtuːnfəl/
having a pleasant melody; melodious
wizardry
C2+
/ˈwɪz.ɚd.ri/
the art or practice of magic, or great skill in some activity
easel
B1
/ˈiːzəl/
a stand or frame for supporting an artist's canvas or a display board
choregus
C2+
/kəˈɹiː.ɡəs/
in ancient Greece, a wealthy citizen who financed and supervised a chorus for a public dramatic or musical performance
clarin
C2+
/kləˈriːn/
historical: a very long, trumpetlike wind instrument of Indigenous Mexico; the acocotl type is sounded by drawing air inward through its mouthpiece
palette knife
C2
/ˈpæl.ət ˌnaɪf/
a blunt, flexible, flat-bladed artist's tool used to mix colors on a palette and sometimes to apply or remove paint
crow quill
C2
/ˈkroʊ ˌkwɪl/
a quill from a crow's wing, especially one cut into a fine writing or drawing pen
trochee
C2
/ˈtroʊki/
a metrical foot consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable, or a long syllable followed by a short one
rhapsodist
C2+
/ˈɹæpsədɪst/
a reciter or interpreter of epic or other poetry; a rhapsode
tetrachord
C2
/ˈtɛtɹəˌkɔɹd/
in music theory, a series of four notes spanning the interval of a perfect fourth
harmonist
C2
/ˈhɑːrmənɪst/
a musician or composer skilled in creating, performing, or analyzing harmony
alto-relievo
C2+
/ˌæl.toʊ.rəˈliː.voʊ/
high relief: sculpture in which figures project strongly from the background
panharmonic
C2+
/ˌpæn.hɑɹˈmɑn.ɪk/
music: adapted to, employing, or ranging across all harmonies or musical modes
canzonet
C2+
/ˌkænzəˈnɛt/
a short, light song or a brief lyrical composition
melodeum
C2+
/məˈloʊdiəm/
historical, music: a small keyboard reed organ; a rare form related to melodeon
teponaztli
C2+
/te.poˈnaːst͡ɬi/
a hollow wooden slit drum of central Mexico, especially associated with Aztec and related cultures, sounded by striking two carved tongues
fiddlebow
C2+
/ˈfɪdəlˌboʊ/
a bow used to sound the strings of a fiddle or violin
enchase
C2+
/ɪnˈtʃeɪs/
historical: to set a gemstone or another ornament into a mounting
entr'acte
C2+
/ˈɑnˌtɹækt/
an interval between two acts of a play, opera, or other theatrical performance
terribilità
C2+
/ˌtɛr.əˌbɪl.əˈtɑː/
art history: an awe-inspiring expression of powerful will, grandeur, and formidable or angry force, especially associated with Michelangelo's work
trompe-l’oeil
C2
/ˌtrɔːmp ˈlɔɪ/
an artistic technique that uses realistic detail to create the illusion that painted objects are three-dimensional
photogravure
C2
/ˌfoʊ.toʊ.ɡrəˈvjʊr/
an intaglio printing process that transfers a photographic image to an etched plate, or a print made by that process