Advanced Vocabulary List
494 flashcards
- Abdicate
- to give up a position of power or responsibility
- Aberration
- something unusual or different from what is normal
- Abhorrent
- extremely unpleasant or morally wrong
- Abide
- to accept, tolerate, or follow
- Abrasive
- rough or harsh; likely to irritate
- Abstain
- to choose not to do or have something
- Abundance
- a large amount; more than enough
- Abysmal
- extremely bad or poor
- Accredited
- officially recognized as meeting certain standards
- Activism
- efforts to bring about social or political change
- Admirer
- someone who respects or likes another person
- Admonish
- to warn or scold someone
- Adroit
- skillful or clever
- Affable
- friendly and easy to talk to
- Affirm
- to state or confirm that something is true
- Affluent
- wealthy; having plenty of money
- Aggregate
- a total formed by combining things
- Ailment
- an illness or health problem
- Alternate
- to switch back and forth between things
- Amass
- to gather a large amount of something
- Amenable
- willing to cooperate or accept something
- Ancestral
- relating to one's ancestors
- Annotate
- to add notes or explanations to something
- Anomaly
- something that differs from what is normal
- Apathetic
- showing little interest or concern
- Apex
- the highest point
- Appalling
- extremely shocking, terrible, or unpleasant
- Apparent
- obvious or seeming to be true
- Appreciable
- large enough to be noticed or measured
- Apprehensive
- nervous or worried about something
- Arbitrary
- based on random choice rather than reason
- Aromatic
- having a strong, pleasant smell
- Arrogant
- overly proud and believing you are better than others
- Articulate
- able to express ideas clearly
- Artillery
- large military weapons, such as cannons
- Ascendant
- rising in power, influence, or importance
- Assimilate
- to absorb or take in; to become part of a group
- Astound
- to greatly surprise or amaze
- Astute
- clever and good at judging situations
- Augment
- to increase or make greater
- Austerity
- strict limits on spending or resources
- Avid
- extremely enthusiastic about something
- Awe
- a feeling of great wonder or admiration
- Barometer
- an instrument that measures air pressure; also something that indicates changes or trends
- Belated
- happening later than expected
- Bello
- likely a name/term; if you meant belligerent, send me the context
- Benevolent
- kind and generous
- Berth
- a sleeping space on a ship or train; also a place for a ship to dock
- Bilingual
- able to speak two languages
- Billiards
- a game played with balls and cues on a table
- Bolster
- to support or strengthen
- Boon
- something helpful or beneficial
- Brooch
- a decorative piece of jewelry pinned to clothing
- Bystander
- someone who is present but not involved
- Cacophony
- a harsh mixture of loud, unpleasant sounds
- Callous
- uncaring or insensitive
- Caricature
- an exaggerated representation of someone or something
- Caustic
- able to burn or damage; also harshly critical
- Cavity
- a hollow space; commonly, a hole in a tooth
- Cede
- to give up or surrender something
- Celebrated
- famous or widely admired
- Cellars
- rooms below ground level, often used for storage
- Chalet
- a small house, often in a mountain area
- Chastise
- to scold or punish
- Chronic
- lasting for a long time or repeatedly occurring
- Clamor
- a loud, confused noise
- Clandestine
- secret or hidden
- Cleft
- a crack, split, or opening
- Coalesce
- to come together and form one thing
- Coddle
- to treat someone too gently or protectively
- Cohabit
- to live together
- Coherence
- logical connection and consistency
- Commerce
- buying and selling; trade
- Complacent
- overly satisfied and unaware of possible problems
- Complement
- something that completes or improves something else
- Compliant
- willing to follow rules or requests
- Composed
- calm and self-controlled
- Compromise
- an agreement where each side gives up something
- Conceded
- admitted something was true or gave something up
- Concise
- brief but clear
- Concoct
- to create or prepare, often by combining things
- Concur
- to agree
- Condolence
- an expression of sympathy, especially after someone's death
- Confectionery
- sweets and candy; a place where they are made or sold
- Confront
- to face or deal with something directly
- Congestion
- overcrowding or blockage
- Conscientious
- careful, responsible, and hardworking
- Consolidate
- to combine into one stronger or more organized whole
- Conspiracy
- a secret plan by people to do something harmful or illegal
- Contemporary
- existing or happening at the same time; modern
- Contemptible
- deserving strong dislike or disrespect
- Contentious
- likely to cause disagreement
- Contrary
- opposite or conflicting
- Contrived
- artificial or deliberately created rather than natural
- Convene
- to come together for a meeting
- Convent
- a community or residence for nuns
- Convey
- to communicate or transport
- Convivial
- friendly, cheerful, and enjoyable
- Cope
- to deal successfully with something difficult
- Copious
- abundant; existing in large amounts
- Cordial
- warm and friendly
- Corroborate
- to confirm something with additional evidence
- Counter
- something that opposes or responds to something else
- Courier
- a person who delivers messages or packages
- Craft
- skill in making something; also to make something skillfully
- Craven
- cowardly
- Crease
- a line or wrinkle formed by folding or bending
- Crèche
- a place where young children are cared for
- Credulous
- too willing to believe things
- Crevices
- narrow cracks or gaps
- Crude
- rough, simple, or lacking refinement
- Culminate
- to reach the highest or final point
- Cumulate
- to gather or accumulate over time
- Dally
- to waste time or act slowly
- Dearth
- a lack or shortage of something
- Debase
- to lower in quality, value, or dignity
- Decisive
- able to make decisions quickly and confidently
- Decorum
- proper and polite behavior
- Deflect
- to cause something to change direction
- Deliberate
- done intentionally; also, to carefully consider something
- Delinquent
- failing to do what is required
- Delirious
- extremely excited or confused; sometimes unable to think clearly
- Demean
- to lower someone's dignity or reputation
- Demeanor
- outward behavior or manner
- Demise
- death or the end of something
- Demote
- to move someone to a lower position
- Demure
- quiet, modest, and reserved
- Denote
- to mean or indicate
- Depict
- to represent or show
- Depleted
- greatly reduced or used up
- Deplorable
- shockingly bad or unacceptable
- Derivative
- something based on or developed from another source
- Derive
- to get or obtain something from a source
- Desist
- to stop doing something
- Despicable
- deserving hatred or strong disapproval
- Destitute
- extremely poor and lacking basic necessities
- Deterrent
- something that discourages an action
- Detrimental
- harmful or damaging
- Deviate
- to move away from a usual path or standard
- Devious
- dishonest or tricky
- Devoid
- completely lacking something
- Devout
- deeply religious or devoted
- Dialect
- a form of a language spoken by a particular group or region
- Dichotomy
- a division between two very different things
- Dilate
- to become or make wider
- Diligent
- hardworking and careful
- Diminutive
- very small
- Dingy
- dark, dirty, or unattractive
- Diplomatic
- tactful and careful when dealing with people
- Disadvantaged
- lacking the opportunities or resources others have
- Discard
- to throw away or get rid of
- Disdain
- strong dislike or lack of respect
- Disembark
- to leave a ship, plane, train, etc.
- Disinclination
- a lack of desire or willingness
- Disingenuous
- not sincere or honest
- Disparage
- to speak of someone or something as unimportant or inferior
- Dissect
- to carefully examine or cut apart
- Distinguished
- respected, notable, or outstanding
- Divinity
- a god or divine being; also the state of being divine
- Divulge
- to reveal secret or private information
- Dogmatic
- stubbornly certain that one's beliefs are correct
- Doleful
- very sad
- Domestic
- relating to the home or one's own country
- Drab
- dull or lacking color
- Draft
- a preliminary version of something; also a current of air
- Drench
- to make completely wet
- Dwindle
- to gradually become smaller or less
- Earnest
- serious and sincere
- Ebb
- to gradually decrease
- Economy
- the system of producing, buying, and selling goods; also careful use of resources
- Eerie
- strange and frightening
- Effervescent
- bubbly or lively; full of energy
- Elegant
- graceful, stylish, or refined
- Eloquence
- fluent and persuasive expression
- Embargo
- an official ban on trade with a country
- Embellish
- to decorate or add details to something
- Embezzle
- to secretly take money entrusted to you
- Empathetic
- able to understand and share another person's feelings
- Encrypt
- to convert information into a secret code
- Endorse
- to support or approve
- Enduring
- lasting for a long time
- Engender
- to cause or produce something
- Engulfed
- completely surrounded or overwhelmed
- Enmity
- strong hostility or hatred
- Ensuing
- happening afterward
- Enthralling
- extremely interesting or exciting
- Enthusiastic
- very excited or eager
- Enumerate
- to list things one by one
- Epoch
- a particular period of history
- Equine
- relating to horses
- Equivocal
- unclear or having more than one possible meaning
- Err
- to make a mistake
- Errand
- a short trip to accomplish a task
- Erratic
- unpredictable or inconsistent
- Ethnic
- relating to a particular cultural or national group
- Evince
- to show or demonstrate
- Exacerbate
- to make a problem worse
- Excavate
- to dig out
- Exonerate
- to officially clear someone of blame
- Exorbitant
- unreasonably expensive or excessive
- Expeditious
- quick and efficient
- Extensive
- covering a large area or amount
- Extrapolate
- to estimate something using known information
- Extravagant
- excessive or overly expensive
- Exuberance
- great energy, excitement, or happiness
- Fallacious
- based on false reasoning
- Fanatic
- someone with extreme enthusiasm or devotion
- Fastidious
- very careful about details and cleanliness
- Fissure
- a long, narrow crack
- Fits
- sudden attacks or bursts of emotion/activity
- Flamboyant
- very noticeable, confident, or showy
- Flannel
- a soft fabric, often used for shirts
- Flirtatious
- behaving in a playfully romantic way
- Florist
- someone who sells or arranges flowers
- Flourish
- to grow or develop successfully
- Flowery
- decorated with flowers; also overly elaborate in language
- Foliage
- leaves of plants or trees
- Forgery
- a fake document, signature, or artwork made to deceive
- Forlorn
- lonely, sad, or abandoned
- Forthright
- direct and honest
- Fortified
- strengthened or protected
- Frivolous
- not serious or important
- Fundamental
- basic and essential
- Futile
- pointless or incapable of producing a useful result
- Garish
- overly bright or flashy
- Garment
- a piece of clothing
- Glade
- an open area in a forest
- Glib
- speaking easily but without sincerity or thought
- Glut
- an excessive supply of something
- Gnashed
- ground the teeth together, usually from anger or frustration
- Gouged
- scooped, cut, or dug out roughly
- Governor
- the elected leader of a state
- Gregarious
- sociable and outgoing
- Grovel
- to behave in an extremely humble or submissive way
- Grudging
- unwilling or reluctant
- Guile
- clever but dishonest behavior used to deceive
- Hackneyed
- overused and therefore unoriginal
- Hallowed
- greatly respected or considered sacred
- Hesitant
- uncertain or unwilling to act
- Hoist
- to raise or lift something
- Horrific
- extremely frightening or shocking
- Humble
- modest; not arrogant
- Humid
- containing a lot of moisture in the air
- Impending
- about to happen
- Impenetrable
- impossible to enter, pass through, or understand
- Imperative
- absolutely necessary or urgent
- Imperious
- arrogant and demanding
- Impetuous
- acting quickly without thinking about consequences
- Impish
- playfully mischievous
- Implicate
- to show that someone is involved in something, especially something wrong
- Implore
- to beg urgently
- Inadvertent
- accidental; not intentional
- Inattentive
- not paying attention
- Indeterminate
- not clearly known, decided, or defined
- Indispensable
- absolutely necessary
- Indulge
- to allow yourself to enjoy something, often excessively
- Industrious
- hardworking
- Inedible
- not safe or suitable to eat
- Inevitable
- certain to happen
- Inherent
- naturally existing as part of something
- Innocuous
- harmless or unlikely to cause harm
- Insulate
- to protect from heat, cold, sound, or electricity
- Insurmountable
- impossible to overcome
- Integrate
- to combine parts into a whole
- Integrity
- honesty and strong moral principles
- Intermittently
- happening occasionally, with breaks in between
- Interval
- a period of time between events
- Introvert
- someone who tends to gain energy from being alone
- Invigorated
- energized or refreshed
- Invoke
- to call upon or refer to something
- Ire
- anger
- Jaded
- tired or bored because of too much of something
- Jaunt
- a short trip taken for pleasure
- Jeer
- to mock or make fun of someone
- Jeopardy
- danger or risk
- Juxtapose
- to place two things close together for comparison
- Lackluster
- dull or lacking energy
- Landmark
- an important or recognizable place/event
- Language
- a system of communication using words or symbols
- Laud
- to praise highly
- Lethargic
- lacking energy; sluggish
- Liberate
- to free someone or something
- Liberation
- the act of being freed
- Liveliness
- energy, enthusiasm, or activity
- Lodging
- a place to stay
- Lout
- a rude or clumsy person
- Lucrative
- producing a lot of money
- Lurid
- shocking, sensational, or vividly described
- Magistrate
- a judicial officer who handles certain legal matters
- Malicious
- intentionally harmful or cruel
- Malign
- to speak badly about someone; also harmful
- Maltreat
- to treat someone badly or cruelly
- Marquee
- a large tent or sign over an entrance
- Memorandum
- a short written message or official note
- Merciless
- showing no pity
- Meritorious
- deserving praise or reward
- Meticulous
- extremely careful about details
- Mews
- a group of buildings that were originally stables; also the sound cats make
- Minuscule
- extremely small
- Missionary
- someone sent to promote or teach a religion