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
746 words
prosody
C2+
/ˈprɑsədi/
the patterns of rhythm, stress, and intonation in speech or verse
qualifier
C2+
/ˈkwɑləˌfaɪɚ/
a word or thing that limits or modifies the meaning of another
ramble
C2+
/ˈræmbəl/
to wander or talk in a leisurely, aimless, digressive way
rave
C2+
/reɪv/
to talk wildly or with enthusiastic praise; an all-night dance party
reflex
C2+
/ˈriflɛks/
an automatic, involuntary response to a stimulus
reremouse
C2+
/ˈrɪrˌmaʊs/
an archaic or dialectal word for a bat (the flying mammal)
retort
C2+
/rɪˈtɔrt/
a sharp or witty reply; to answer back sharply
rhetorician
C2+
/ˌrɛtəˈrɪʃən/
an expert in or teacher of rhetoric; a skilled or showy speaker
roy
C2+
/rɔɪ/
an archaic or dialectal word for a king
sass
C2+
/sæs/
impudent or cheeky talk; to speak impertinently to someone
sia
C2+
/ˈsiə/
a dialectal or archaic spelling of "say" used in northern English speech
smatter
C2+
/ˈsmætər/
to have or talk with only superficial knowledge of something
spud
C2+
/spʌd/
an informal word for a potato
stimulator
C2+
/ˈstɪmjəˌleɪtɚ/
a thing or device that excites activity or response
suppletion
C2+
/səˈpliʃən/
in linguistics, the use of an unrelated form to complete a word's paradigm
translatable
C2+
/trænsˈleɪtəbəl/
able to be expressed in another language or form
tum
C2+
/tʌm/
an informal or childish word for the stomach
turgid
C2+
/ˈtɜːrdʒɪd/
swollen or distended; or, of language, pompous and overblown
uncommunicativeness
C2+
/ˌʌnkəˈmjuːnɪkətɪvnəs/
unwillingness or inability to talk or share information
understate
C2+
/ˌʌndɚˈsteɪt/
to describe something as less significant than it really is
uneloquent
C2+
/ˌʌnˈɛləkwənt/
not fluent or persuasive in speech
unloquacious
C2+
/ˌʌnloʊˈkweɪʃəs/
not talkative; reserved in speech
untalkative
C2+
/ʌnˈtɔkətɪv/
not inclined to talk; reticent or taciturn
verbalism
C2+
/ˈvɜrbəlɪzəm/
emphasis on words rather than meaning; an empty verbal expression
vituperate
C2+
/vaɪˈtupəreɪt/
to blame or insult in harsh, abusive language
vocalise
C2+
/ˈvoʊkəlaɪz/
to utter with the voice; a wordless vocal exercise sung on vowels
vocalization
C2+
/ˌvoʊkələˈzeɪʃən/
the act or a sound of producing the voice; an utterance
vowelize
C2+
/ˈvaʊə.laɪz/
to add vowel points or marks to a consonantal text, or to make a sound vocalic
waffle
C2+
/ˈwɑf.əl/
to speak or write vaguely and at length, or to vacillate indecisively
watchword
C2+
/ˈwɑtʃ.wɝd/
a word or phrase serving as a guiding principle or as a password
wye
C2+
/waɪ/
the letter Y, or a Y-shaped structure such as a rail or pipe junction
charade
B2
/ʃəˈreɪd/
an absurd pretense intended to create a pleasant or respectable appearance
diatribe
C1
/ˈdaɪəˌtraɪb/
a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something
equivocation
C1
/ɪˌkwɪvəˈkeɪʃən/
the use of ambiguous language to conceal the truth or to avoid committing oneself
harangue
C1
/həˈræŋ/
a lengthy and aggressive speech or lecture
inflection
C1
/ɪnˈflɛkʃən/
a change in the form of a word to show grammatical features
lampoon
C1
/læmˈpuːn/
to publicly criticize someone or something by using ridicule or sarcasm
pontificate
C1
/pɑːnˈtɪfɪkeɪt/
to express opinions in a pompous or dogmatic way
prepend
C1
/priˈpɛnd/
to add something at the beginning of a string or text
illiberality
C2
An illiberal word or action
bowdlerize
C2+
/ˈbaʊd.ləɹˌaɪz/
to edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
exemplify
C1
/ɪɡˈzɛmpləˌfaɪ/
to serve as a clear example of something
downface
C2+
/ˌdaʊnˈfeɪs/
to persist forcefully in an assertion against opposition, browbeating or contradicting those who challenge it
belder
C2+
/ˈbɛl.dɚ/
to cry, bawl, or shout noisily, especially of a child
vociferate
C2+
/voʊˈsɪf.əˌreɪt/
to shout, cry out, or utter something loudly and vehemently
impugner
C2+
/ɪmˈpjuː.nɚ/
a person who challenges the truth, validity, integrity, or reputation of someone or something
lipspeech
C2+
/ˈlɪpˌspiːtʃ/
speech articulated with the lips and mouth, especially when contrasted with signing or with the visual interpretation of speech by lip-reading
subjoin
C2
/səbˈdʒɔɪn/
to add something at the end of a spoken or written work; to append
assentation
C2
/ˌæsɛnˈteɪʃən/
rare: ready, servile, or insincere agreement offered to flatter or please someone
referable
C2
/rɪˈfɝəbəl/
capable of being attributed or related to a particular cause, source, or category
eristic
C2
/ɪˈrɪstɪk/
characterized by argumentative, often specious reasoning intended to win rather than discover truth
querist
C2
/ˈkwɪrɪst/
formal or archaic: a person who asks a question or makes an inquiry
expostulatory
C2+
/ɪkˈspɑːstʃələtɔːri/
expressing earnest disagreement, protest, or persuasion intended to dissuade someone
polysynthetic
C2
/ˌpɑːlisɪnˈθɛtɪk/
linguistics: describing a language or word structure in which single words typically contain many morphemes and can express sentence-like meanings
panegyrist
C2
/ˌpænəˈdʒɪrɪst/
a person who composes or delivers a panegyric, praising someone or something formally and often extravagantly
encomiast
C2+
/ɛnˈkoʊmiˌæst/
a person who composes or delivers an encomium or other formal expression of high praise
romanize
C2
/ˈɹoʊmənaɪz/
to represent a language or text in the Latin alphabet by transcription or transliteration
apostrophise
C2+
/əˈpɑstrəˌfaɪz/
in rhetoric, to address an absent person, an abstract idea, or an inanimate thing directly
undiscussable
C2
/ˌʌndɪsˈkʌsəbəl/
unable or considered unsuitable to be discussed, mentioned, or debated
gainsayer
C2
/ˈɡeɪnˌseɪɚ/
a person who contradicts, denies, or opposes a claim
asserter
C2
/əˈsɝtɚ/
a person who states or maintains a claim firmly and positively
controversialist
C2
/ˌkɑntrəˈvɝʃəlɪst/
a person who regularly engages in public controversy or polemical debate
caviler
C2+
/ˈkævəlɚ/
a person who raises trivial, captious, or unreasonable objections
colloquize
C2+
/ˈkɑːləˌkwaɪz/
rare: to hold a conversation or take part in a colloquy
nicher
C2+
/ˈnɪxər/
northern British and Scots dialect: to give a soft, suppressed, or sniggering laugh
constatation
C2+
/ˌkɑn.stəˈteɪ.ʃən/
rare and formal: the process of establishing, verifying, or formally recording a fact
interpellate
C2
/ˌɪntɚˈpɛleɪt/
formal: to interrupt or address someone with a question or challenge
Santali
C2
/sænˈtɑːli/
an Austroasiatic language spoken chiefly by Santal communities in eastern India, Bangladesh, and Nepal
vaporing
C2+
/ˈveɪpərɪŋ/
an instance of boastful talk
divagate
C2+
/ˈdɪv.ə.ɡeɪt/
to wander away from the main subject while speaking or writing
laconism
C2+
/ˈlækəˌnɪzəm/
extreme brevity in speech or writing
lexicographical
C2
/ˌlɛksɪkəˈɡɹæfɪkəl/
relating to the writing, editing, or study of dictionaries
enthymeme
C2
/ˈɛnθəˌmiːm/
rhetoric: an argument resembling a syllogism in which a premise or conclusion is left unstated
homophony
C2
/həˈmɑfəni/
the relation or quality of words having the same pronunciation but different meanings or origins