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
738 words
timelessness
C2+
/ˈtaɪmləsnəs/
the quality of being unaffected by the passage of time
yearly
C2+
/ˈjɪrli/
happening or produced once a year; annually
abiding
C2+
/əˈbaɪdɪŋ/
lasting a long time; enduring and permanent
antecedently
C2+
/ˌæntəˈsidəntli/
at a prior time; beforehand
awhile
C2+
/əˈwaɪl/
for a short time
beforetime
C2+
/bɪˈfɔrˌtaɪm/
formerly; in the past (archaic)
bygone
C2+
/ˈbaɪˌɡɔn/
belonging to an earlier time that has passed
coeval
C2+
/koʊˈiːvəl/
having the same age or date of origin; contemporary
contemporaneous
C2+
/kənˌtɛmpəˈreɪniəs/
existing or occurring during the same period of time
courtship
C2+
/ˈkɔrtʃɪp/
the period or activity of wooing someone with a view to marriage
cunctation
C2+
/kʌŋkˈteɪʃən/
delay or tardiness in acting; procrastination
deferment
C2+
/dɪˈfɝmənt/
the act of postponing something to a later time
destine
C2+
/ˈdɛstɪn/
to determine the future of something in advance; to ordain by fate
digression
C2+
/daɪˈɡrɛʃən/
a temporary departure from the main subject in speech or writing
faff
C2+
/fæf/
to spend time in ineffectual activity; dithering or fuss
fleetingly
C2+
/ˈflitɪŋli/
for a very short time; briefly
foreshadow
C2+
/fɔrˈʃædoʊ/
to indicate or suggest a future event beforehand
forevermore
C2+
/fɔrˌɛvɚˈmɔr/
for all future time; eternally
genetous
C2+
/ˈdʒɛnɪtəs/
present from birth; congenital
grudge
C2+
/ɡrʌdʒ/
a persistent feeling of resentment over a past wrong
hebdomad
C2+
/ˈhɛbdəˌmæd/
a group of seven, especially a period of seven days; a week
hebdomadal
C2+
/hɛbˈdɑmədəl/
occurring or appearing once a week; weekly
inopportune
C2+
/ɪnˌɑpərˈtun/
occurring at an unsuitable or inconvenient time
laborious
C2+
/ləˈbɔriəs/
requiring much time and hard effort
latterly
C2+
/ˈlætɚli/
recently; in the latter part of a period
lattermath
C2+
/ˈlætɚˌmæθ/
a second crop of grass cut after the first mowing; an aftermath
laze
C2+
/leɪz/
to spend time relaxing idly
moratorium
C2+
/ˌmɔrəˈtɔriəm/
a temporary, officially agreed prohibition or suspension of an activity
noontide
C2+
/ˈnuntaɪd/
the time of noon; midday (literary)
overdue
C2+
/ˌoʊvɚˈdu/
not paid or done by the expected time; late
photoperiod
C2+
/ˌfoʊtoʊˈpɪriəd/
the duration of daily light exposure affecting an organism
prevision
C2+
/priˈvɪʒən/
foresight or foreknowledge of the future
pronto
C2+
/ˈprɑntoʊ/
promptly; without delay
protract
C2+
/proʊˈtrækt/
to prolong or lengthen in duration
punctually
C2+
/ˈpʌŋktʃuəli/
at the appointed time; on time
remission
C2+
/rɪˈmɪʃən/
a temporary lessening of disease or the cancellation of a debt
reprieve
C2+
/rɪˈpriv/
a temporary postponement of punishment or trouble
simultaneousness
C2+
/ˌsaɪməlˈteɪniəsnəs/
the state of happening or existing at the same time
stound
C2+
/staʊnd/
an archaic word for a moment, sharp pang, or time of trial
succor
C2+
/ˈsʌkɚ/
assistance and relief in time of distress; to give such aid
ubiquitous
C2+
/juˈbɪkwətəs/
present, appearing, or found everywhere
untimely
C2+
/ʌnˈtaɪmli/
happening at an unsuitable time; premature
yesteryear
C2+
/ˈjɛstɚˌjɪr/
a time in the recent past; former years
accrual
C2+
/əˈkruəl/
the accumulation of something, especially interest or benefits, over time
afterhand
C2+
/ˈæftərˌhænd/
afterward; at a later time
anticipatory
C2+
/ænˈtɪsɪpəˌtɔri/
happening in expectation of, or anticipating, a future event
attender
C2+
/əˈtɛndɚ/
a person who attends or is present at something
b
C2+
/ˈbi/
the second letter of the English alphabet
barfly
C2+
/ˈbɑrˌflaɪ/
a person who frequently spends time drinking in bars
behindhand
C2+
/bɪˈhaɪndˌhænd/
behind schedule or in arrears; late
betimes
C2+
/bɪˈtaɪmz/
in good time; early; on occasion (archaic)
biannual
C2+
/baɪˈænjuəl/
occurring twice a year
birthmark
C2+
/ˈbɜrθmɑrk/
a permanent colored mark on the skin present from birth
biweekly
C2+
/baɪˈwikli/
occurring every two weeks, or sometimes twice a week
bridegroom
C2+
/ˈbraɪdɡrum/
a man on or just before his wedding day
centurial
C2+
/sɛnˈtʊriəl/
relating to a century or to a Roman century of soldiers
centurion
C2+
/sɛnˈtʊriən/
a Roman officer commanding a century of about a hundred soldiers
christmastide
C2+
/ˈkrɪsməsˌtaɪd/
the festive season extending from Christmas through Epiphany
chronograph
C2+
/ˈkrɑnəˌɡræf/
an instrument or watch for recording precise intervals of time
chryselephantine
C2+
/ˌkrɪsɛləˈfæntɪn/
made of or overlaid with gold and ivory, as ancient statues
coetaneous
C2+
/ˌkoʊɪˈteɪniəs/
of the same age or duration; contemporary
cohort
C2+
/ˈkoʊhɔrt/
a group sharing a common feature, especially a statistical or age band
concurrency
C2+
/kənˈkɝənsi/
simultaneous occurrence; the running of processes at the same time
concurrent
C2+
/kənˈkɝənt/
existing or happening at the same time
concurrently
C2+
/kənˈkɝəntli/
at the same time; simultaneously
countersign
C2+
/ˈkaʊntɚˌsaɪn/
a secret password, or to add a second signature for authentication
dally
C2+
/ˈdæli/
to waste time idly or flirt casually
dateless
C2+
/ˈdeɪtləs/
having no date; timeless or endless
dawdle
C2+
/ˈdɔdl̩/
to move or act slowly, wasting time
daybook
C2+
/ˈdeɪˌbʊk/
a book for recording daily transactions or events
decadal
C2+
/ˈdɛkədəl/
relating to or occurring over a period of ten years
decennary
C2+
/dɪˈsɛnəri/
a period of ten years; relating to ten years
decennium
C2+
/dɪˈsɛniəm/
a period of ten years; a decade
delayer
C2+
/dɪˈleɪər/
a person or thing that causes delay
divinatory
C2+
/dɪˈvɪnətɔri/
relating to or used in foretelling the future by supernatural means
dodder
C2+
/ˈdɑdər/
to tremble or move feebly, as from age; also a parasitic plant
domicile
C2+
/ˈdɑməsaɪl/
a person's permanent legal residence
doomsday
C2+
/ˈdumzdeɪ/
the day of the Last Judgment; a time of catastrophe
dreadnought
C2+
/ˈdrɛdnɔt/
a heavily armed early-20th-century battleship
duplet
C2+
/ˈduplət/
a group of two notes played in the time of three
earliness
C2+
/ˈɝlinəs/
the quality of occurring or arriving before the usual time
envision
C2+
/ɛnˈvɪʒən/
to imagine or conceive of something, especially as a future possibility
eon
C2+
/ˈiˌɑn/
an immeasurably long period of time; the largest division of geologic time
epoch
C2+
/ˈɛpək/
a notable period in history marked by distinctive events or characteristics
erewhile
C2+
/ˈɛrˌwaɪl/
a short time ago; formerly
expiration
C2+
/ˌɛkspəˈreɪʃən/
the end of a period of validity, or the act of breathing out
expiry
C2+
/ɪkˈspaɪri/
the end of the period for which something is valid
expound
C2+
/ɪkˈspaʊnd/
to explain or present something in detail
fauna
C2+
/ˈfɔnə/
the animals of a particular region, period, or habitat
forecaster
C2+
/ˈfɔrkæstɚ/
a person who predicts future events, especially the weather
foretell
C2+
/fɔrˈtɛl/
to predict or prophesy a future event
forthwith
C2+
/fɔrθˈwɪθ/
immediately; without delay
hallucination
C2+
/həˌluːsəˈneɪʃən/
a perception of something not actually present, often from illness or drugs
hebdomadally
C2+
/hɛbˈdɑːmədəli/
on a weekly basis; once every week
hebdomadary
C2+
/hɛbˈdɑːməˌdɛri/
weekly; a monk or canon serving in weekly rotation
heyday
C2+
/ˈheɪˌdeɪ/
the period of greatest success, vigour, or popularity