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
358 words
lolly
C2+
/ˈlɑli/
a piece of candy, especially on a stick; (British slang) money
statism
C2+
/ˈsteɪtɪzəm/
the doctrine of concentrated economic and political control in the state
unpaid
C2+
/ʌnˈpeɪd/
not yet paid; working without payment
unvaluable
C2+
/ʌnˈvæljuəbəl/
beyond price; of inestimable worth (archaic for invaluable)
wealthiness
C2+
/ˈwɛlθinəs/
the state of being rich or having abundant possessions
acquittance
C2+
/əˈkwɪtəns/
a written release confirming a debt or obligation has been discharged
affluent
C2+
/ˈæfluənt/
having an abundance of wealth; prosperous
aggrandizement
C2+
/əˈɡrændɪzmənt/
the increase of one's power, wealth, or reputation
ailing
C2+
/ˈeɪlɪŋ/
in poor health or in difficulty; unwell or failing
billholder
C2+
/ˈbɪlˌhoʊldɚ/
a clip or rack for holding bills or papers; one who holds a bill
boodle
C2+
/ˈbudəl/
slang for money, especially counterfeit or bribe money; ill-gotten gains
bouillabaisse
C2+
/ˌbujəˈbeɪs/
a rich Provençal stew of mixed fish and shellfish
champerty
C2+
/ˈtʃæmpɚti/
an illegal bargain to fund another's lawsuit for a share of the proceeds
chargeless
C2+
/ˈtʃɑrdʒləs/
free of cost or free of electrical charge
culmen
C2+
/ˈkʌlmən/
the ridge along the upper part of a bird's bill
cupidity
C2+
/kjuˈpɪdɪti/
excessive greed for wealth or possessions
deflation
C2+
/dɪˈfleɪʃən/
a fall in the general price level; the act of letting out air
dispend
C2+
/dɪsˈpɛnd/
to spend or expend, especially money (archaic)
divvy
C2+
/ˈdɪvi/
to divide and share out, especially money or spoils
doss
C2+
/dɑs/
to sleep rough or in cheap lodging; to idle (British slang)
economically
C2+
/ˌikəˈnɑmɪkli/
in a way relating to the economy or to thrift
extolment
C2+
/ɪkˈstoʊlmənt/
the act of praising highly; lavish praise
extravagantly
C2+
/ɪkˈstrævəɡəntli/
in a wastefully lavish or excessive manner
fleece
C2+
/flis/
a sheep's woolly coat; also to swindle of money
gaud
C2+
/ɡɔd/
a showy ornament or cheap trinket
groggery
C2+
/ˈɡrɑɡəri/
a cheap tavern or barroom selling liquor
honorary
C2+
/ˈɑnəˌrɛri/
conferred as an honor without the usual duties, payment, or qualifications
illiquid
C2+
/ɪˈlɪkwɪd/
not easily converted into cash; lacking ready money
impost
C2+
/ˈɪmpoʊst/
a tax or duty, especially one levied on imported goods
indebtedness
C2+
/ɪnˈdɛtɪdnəs/
the state of owing money or gratitude
indigent
C2+
/ˈɪndɪdʒənt/
poor and needy; lacking the means of subsistence
liquidity
C2+
/lɪˈkwɪdɪti/
the availability of cash or easily convertible assets
lousily
C2+
/ˈlaʊzɪli/
(informal) in a very bad or poor manner
luxe
C2+
/lʌks/
luxurious or elegantly expensive
noncompensation
C2+
/ˌnɑnˌkɑmpənˈseɪʃən/
failure or absence of compensation or payment
overdraw
C2+
/ˌoʊvɚˈdrɔ/
to withdraw more money than an account holds; to exaggerate
parsimonious
C2+
/ˌpɑrsəˈmoʊniəs/
unwilling to spend money or resources; excessively frugal
parsimony
C2+
/ˈpɑrsəmoʊni/
extreme unwillingness to spend money or use resources
prepay
C2+
/priˈpeɪ/
to pay for something in advance
profuse
C2+
/prəˈfjus/
produced or given in great abundance; lavish
recessionary
C2+
/rɪˈsɛʃəˌnɛri/
relating to or characteristic of an economic recession
recoup
C2+
/rɪˈkup/
to regain or recover something lost, especially money
reimposition
C2+
/ˌriɪmpəˈzɪʃən/
the act of imposing something again, such as a tax or restriction
scam
C2+
/skæm/
a dishonest scheme to cheat someone of money or trust
stipend
C2+
/ˈstaɪpɛnd/
a fixed regular payment, especially an allowance or salary
surcharge
C2+
/ˈsɝtʃɑrdʒ/
an additional charge or payment levied on top of the standard cost
taking
C2+
/ˈteɪkɪŋ/
the act of seizing or acquiring; in the plural, money received
tithe
C2+
/taɪð/
a tenth of one's income given to the church or as a tax
underwrite
C2+
/ˌʌndɚˈraɪt/
to accept financial liability for, or to fund or guarantee
unpriced
C2+
/ʌnˈpraɪst/
having no price marked or assigned
usance
C2+
/ˈjuzəns/
the time allowed by custom for payment of a foreign bill of exchange
wherewithal
C2+
/ˈwɛr.wɪˌðɔl/
the money, means, or resources needed for a purpose
bleachers
B2
/ˈbliːtʃərz/
tiered rows of seats, typically uncovered, at an outdoor sports venue
tawdriness
C2
/ˈtɔːdrinəs/
the quality of being showy but cheap and of poor quality
seigniorage
C2
/ˈseɪnjərɪdʒ/
the profit made by a government or mint from issuing currency
recipice
C2+
/rɪˈsɪpɪs/
historical finance: a transferable receipt issued for bullion deposited at the Bank of Amsterdam, entitling its holder to withdraw the bullion under stated conditions
traites
C2+
/treɪts/
historical, plural: French customs duties and internal trade taxes, especially under the ancien regime
uncostliness
C2+
/ʌnˈkɔːst.li.nəs/
the quality of costing little or being inexpensive
exigible
C2
/ˈɛksədʒəbəl/
legally due, demandable, or capable of being exacted, especially of a debt, tax, or payment
alcavala
C2
/ˌælkəˈvɑlə/
historical: a Spanish sales tax charged on transfers of movable or immovable property, often at each successive sale
vingtieme
C2+
/væ̃ˈtjɛm/
a tax of one twentieth, or five percent, on income and property under the French ancien regime
portionless
C2+
/ˈpɔrʃənləs/
having no allotted share, inheritance, or dowry
louis
C2
/ˈluːi/
historical: any of several French gold or silver coins issued under kings named Louis, especially the louis d'or
ducatoon
C2+
/ˈdʌkəˌtuːn/
a large silver coin formerly used in the Low Countries and parts of Italy, especially in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
bimetallism
C2
/baɪˈmɛtəlˌɪzəm/
a monetary standard in which two metals, usually gold and silver, are legal tender at a fixed ratio of value
cruzado
C2
/ˌkruːˈzɑːdoʊ/
a former currency of Brazil, introduced in 1986 and divided into one hundred centavos
recoin
C2+
/ˌriːˈkɔɪn/
to melt down or otherwise process existing money and mint it as new coins
halfpennyworth
C2+
/ˈheɪpəniˌwɝθ/
historical British: the amount of something that could be bought for a halfpenny
pungle
C2+
/ˈpʌŋɡəl/
chiefly Western US, informal: to pay or contribute money, usually reluctantly and often with up
vintem
C2+
/vɪnˈteɪm/
historical: a small Portuguese or Portuguese colonial coin worth twenty reis