vocabulary for toefl

Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE

• Hierarchy: A system organizing people into ranks; the number of women decreases in higher professional ranks.
• Forensic: Related to scientific crime-solving methods; a forensic examination revealed poison in a deceased person's stomach.
• Asylum: Protection by a government; someone fleeing a country might seek asylum.
• Result In: To cause something to occur; crop failure can result in famine.
• Territory: A region controlled by a country; an island, though dependent, might be autonomous.
• Collapse: To completely break down; a business may collapse.
• Proportion: Comparative relation between things; a classroom might have roughly equal proportions of men and women.
• Camaraderie: Mutual trust and friendship among people; camaraderie among coworkers can aid in managing difficult work.
• Mentor: To help and give advice; a professor might mentor a student.
• Threshold: The point of entering or beginning; a new era has begun in European relations.
• Obituary: A brief biography of a deceased person; the newspaper may publish an obituary notice.
• Widespread: Widely diffused or prevalent; deep freezing and preservatives are widely used.
• Pseudonym: A false name used by a writer; someone might exhibit work under a pseudonym.
• Withstand: To stand up against; buildings are reinforced to withstand earthquakes.
• Navigate: To operate or control a larger ship; a river might be navigable once the channel is deepened.
• Specimen: Something shown or examined as an example; job applicants submit handwriting specimens.
• Throughout: In every part of a place; similar laws apply throughout much of Europe.
• Demonstrate: To show clearly; people might want to demonstrate their commitment to human rights.
• Longevity: A long duration of individual life; garlic is claimed by some to promote longevity.
• Trigger: To cause something to initiate; certain foods might trigger headaches.
• Supervision: Supervising someone or something; teachers supervise students.
• Trendy: About the latest trends in style; a new board game might be trendy but contain problematic connotations.
• Subtle: Not very obvious or easy to notice; subtle differences exist between artworks though seemingly similar.
• Strategic: Carefully planned to achieve a particular goal; offices in strategic areas with access to highways are advantageous.
• Bleak: Gloomy and depressing; the viewpoint for sufferers of the disease is bleak.
• Paradigm Shift: A fundamental change in approach; a shift in people's willingness to drive less is expected.
• Accentuate: To make something more noticeable; a shortage of water and electricity accentuates a problem.
• Futile: Producing no result or effect; attempts might be extraordinary but ultimately futile.
• Portray: To pretend to be or to do; a book that is not a complete history might purport to be.
• Distinction: A contrast between similar things; a player in the World Cup finals might have the distinction of being youngest.
• Spokesperson: An informal representative; a spokesperson for an automobile company.
• Suggest: To mention an idea; a report may suggest major reforms.
• Eminent: Well-known and respected; eminent scholars might support a theory.
• Eccentric: Grossly unconventional or unusual; celebrities might become eccentric.
• Undermine: To make someone less powerful; criticism can undermine confidence.
• Doleful: Causing grief or misfortune; a casualty of an accident is a doleful event.
• Setback: A problem that delays and stops progress; a project may face setbacks.
• Attribute: To say something is caused by something or belongs to something; people tend to attribute success to external factors.
• Esoteric: Having an inner or secret meaning; esoteric meaning is academic rather than layman.
• Elimination: The process of getting rid of something; elimination from competition can be shocking.
• Prudent: Careful and using good judgment; it might be more prudent to get a second opinion.
• Refer: To make reference to; pronouns refer to previously mentioned nouns.
• Reproduction: The production of offspring; a video might depict a butterfly's reproduction.
• Adjacent: Not so distant; a house adjacent to a railway.
• Prolific: Fruitful or highly productive; an artist might be prolific.
• Revolutionize: To change fundamentally; atomic energy will revolutionize future generations' lives.
• Renovation: The act or process of repairing; extensive renovation might occur.
• Laconic: Using few words in speech or writing; a comic style might use few words.
• Adolescent: A young person developing into an adult; children become adolescents with greater freedoms and responsibilities.
• Investigate: To conduct an official inquiry; behavior of officers may be investigated.
• Reluctant: Not wanting to do something; husbands may be reluctant to do housework.
• Prodigious: Extremely great; building a bridge is a prodigious feat of engineering/
• Adverse: Having a harmful effect; pollution has an adverse health effect.
• Evaluate: To judge and calculate quality; policy effectiveness is evaluated.
• Rebellion: A violent organized action; government troops might defeat a rebellion.
• Apply: To bring into action; the person may apply soon.
• Convivial: Pleasant and friendly in manner; pubs provide convivial spaces.
• Allowance: Money given regularly; allowances are made for illness.
• Radical: Far beyond the norm; drastic changes may occur in an area due to tourism.
• Ambiguity: A statement that is unclear; legal documents should lack ambiguity
• Hardwire: An automatic behavior; human behavior may be hardwired.
• Inherent: Belonging to the basic nature; some difficulties may be inherent in a system.
• Privilege: An extra advantage; access to something might be considered a privilege/
• Analogy: A comparison between similar things; life might be analogous to a game of chance.
• Challenge: An invitation to compete; current philosophical assumptions might be challenged.
• Reclusive: Avoiding the company of other people; a person may live a reclusive lifestyle.
• Preservation: To protect something valuable; companies may contribute to environmental preservation.
• Necessitate: Making something necessary; starting a business might necessitate borrowing.
• Anchor: Something that gives support; a person might be an anchor in difficult times.
• Minuscule: Extremely small; creatures might be minuscule but impactful.
• Time-Consuming: Taking too much time; a legal process might be expensive and time-consuming.
• Rebut: To oppose a claim; a prosecution witness might be rebutted.
• Plethora: An excessive amount of something; an area might have a plethora of new agencies.
• Anonymous: Not named or identified; a winner of an event might remain anonymous.
• Abolish: To put an end to something; the death penalty might be abolished.
• Perspective: A particular way of considering something; unemployment might change one's perspective.
• Frugal: Economical in use; people might be taught to be frugal.
• Applause: Approval publicly expressed; a crowd gives applause.
• Reform: To make an improvement; the educational system might be reformed.
• Monotonous: Dull and tedious; a speaker's voice might be monotonous.
• Arbitrary: Based on random choice; detention and torture might be arbitrary.
• Paralyze: To make powerless; a single misstep might paralyze a person permanently.
• Imminent: Likely to occur at any moment; further cuts in government expenditure are imminent.
• Subsequently: After something else happened; a person might be convicted subsequently.
• Arouse: To provoke a strong emotion; a subject might arouse interest.
• Coherent: Logically or aesthetically ordered; a conversation might be coherent.
• Deter: To prevent from acting; harsher punishment might deter criminals.
• Outweigh: To exceed in value; benefits of treatment might outweigh risks.
• Dormant: The inactivity of something; an infection might remain dormant.
• Assemble: To come together in a single place; people assemble for a meeting.
• Refute: To deny the truth; a report might refute a claim.
• Liability: Being responsible for something; damage may result in liability.
• Ponderous: Clumsy because of great weight; a system might seem ponderous and old-fashioned.
• Annihilate: To defeat overwhelmingly; a bomb might annihilate a city.
• Outnumber: To exceed a number; women may outnumber men in language courses.
• Congenial: Pleasant and friendly in nature; a workplace might provide a congenial atmosphere.
• Broaden: To become wider; knowledge of the world may broaden for school leavers.
• Attribute: A word describing a quality; attributes of a successful person may be discussed.
• Obesity: Excessive accumulation of body fat; government concern exists about childhood obesity.
• Dubious: Uncertain feelings and doubts; accounting practices might be dubious.
• Avenue: A way of access; avenues of treatments may be exhausted.
• Recollect: To remember something; details of a letter may not be recollectable.
• Arduous: Demanding great exertion; completing a task can be arduous.
• Notorious: Famous for something bad; a city might be notorious for policy issues.
• Backing: Supporting for something; a proposal might have governmental backing.
• Regulate: To control something; regulations exist for meat and poultry.
• Homogeneous: Elements that are all of the same kind; filters might have homogeneous fibers.
• Linguistic: Relating to language; people might be interested in the linguistic development of children.
• Bandwagon: An activity that has become popular; publishers may rush to join a digital download bandwagon.
• Experience: Perceiving events or reality; a wedding might be a nerve-wracking experience.
• Culpable: Deserving blame; guilty of doing something wrong.
• Messy: Messy accounting practices might be culpable.
• Negotiate: To have formal discussions; negotiations may occur with employers about conditions.
• Breed: To produce offspring by hatching or gestation; some movies may breed violence.
• Reveal: To make known; someone might reveal their whereabouts.
• Intrepid: Willing to do dangerous things; intrepid individuals might undertake expeditions
• Minority: A smaller different group within a larger group; the plan supports minorities overcoming discrimination.
• Induce: To persuade people; island opacity might be induced by deficiency in vitamins.
• Bureaucracy: A system for managing a country; government and bureaucracy perform economically.
• Flagrant: Shocking because of being so obvious; attack on civilians is a flagrant violation of peace.
• Observe: To watch carefully; governors may fail to observe rules.
• Casualty: A person who was killed or injured; both sides in conflict may promise to limit civilian casualties.
• Layout: The way that something is arranged; the layout of a report can be important.
• Reticent: Unwilling to provide information; scholars may be reticent in answering questions.
• Frail: Physically weak and not very healthy; a person might look frail.
• Manifest: To show something clearly; workers might manifest dissatisfaction.
• Juvenile: Relating to young people; researchers study juvenile crime.
• Perceive: To attain awareness; other species sense different colors.
• Lucrative: Producing a great deal of profit; ventures might be profitable.
• Catastrophe: A bad situation; environmental catastrophes may occur after drought.
• Isolation: The complete separation from others; feelings of loneliness occur often.
• Represent: To serve as a sign; characters may represent general decline in employment.
• Indulgent: Allowing someone to do what they want; a mother may be indulgent.
• Charisma: A special charm or appeal; a politician might lack charisma.
• Interference: An act or instance of interfering; claims of political interference may occur.
• Detect: The existence of something; signals from ground Radars might be detected.
• Dearth: An amount of something that is too small; reliable information might be scarce.
• Chronic: Occurring again and again for a long time; disturbances may cause chronic fatigue.
• Insight: An accurate and deep understanding; a book may provide insight into language.
• Embed: To make an integral part; ideas might be deeply embedded in culture.
• Noxious: Physically harmful or destructive; companies may pollute rivers with noxious chemicals.
• Cliché: Highly used expressions; prejudices and cliches might be common.
• Violate: To act against law; constitutional rights may be violated.
• Cryptic: Having a meaning that is mysterious; error messages may be cryptic.
• Coherence: A clear relationship between parts; a group may lack coherence.
• Reciprocal: Mutually corresponding; officials in different nations engage in reciprocal visits.
• Replicate: To copy something; an experiment might be replicated.
• Innocence: Someone is not guilty of a crime; innocence might be pleaded but not believed.
• Rigorous: Extremely thorough and careful; a rigorous approach to a problem may be adopted.
• Imitate: To follow as a model; younger bands might imitate past heroes.
• Administration: Governmental agency or board; a college administration may face criticism.
• Vigilant: Being very careful to notice things; people should be vigilant about suspicious activities.
• Strengthen: To make something stronger; exercises can strengthen stomach muscles.
• Advance: To accelerate growth; society advances beyond prejudice.
• Inappropriate: Not suitable; comments may be inappropriate without context.
• Diligent: Done in a careful and detailed way; a lawyer may be diligent.
• Comeback: A return to a former position; a musician may make a career comeback.
• Luxury: A state of great comfort and elegance; luxuries may be out of reach for some.
• Challenge: To confront; a decision might be challenged in court.
• Vindictive: Inclined to Revenge; people may become more vindictive.
• Commemorate: To serve as a memorial; a ceremony may commemorate a battle.
• Animosity: A feeling of strong dislike; long histories of animosity may exist between countries.
• Inadequate: Too small an amount; equipment might be inadequate to handle a job.
• Usher: To guide someone; legislation may usher in new opportunities.
• Commence: To make a beginning; building work will commence soon.
• Jeopardy: In danger of being lost; a project may be in jeopardy.
• Gadget: A small device or machine; gadgets might invade lives.
• Promote: To contribute to the growth; environmental protection and economic growth can coexist.
• Consensus: General agreement; it might be difficult to reach consensus on electoral transformation.
• Compensate: Support for a loss; nothing may fully compensate for loss.
• Exposure: The direction in which something faces; children may have exposure to technology.
• Advocate: To support; a report may advocate for smoke detectors and safety measures.
• Nuances: Subtle difference in meaning; historical nuances may be beyond understanding.
• Conceal: Not allowed to be seen; secrets might be concealed from others.
• Domain: An area of territory; information may be in the public domain.
• Vehemence: The forceful expression of strong feelings; someone may speak with vehemence.
• Concession: Something allowed or given up; concessions might need to be made to resolve a dispute.
• Unearth: To discover; bodies may be unearthed and attached names.
• Envisage: A desirable future event; trouble may not be a part of planned events for the festival.
• Presumptuous: When someone takes liberties; a comment may be presumptuous.
• Condemn: To criticize something or someone; a PM might criticize terrorists.
• Tentative: Something that is uncertain; steps taken towards equality are usually tentative.
• Confront: To deal with a difficult situation; someone who lied might be confronted by employers.
• Volatile: Change suddenly and unexpectedly; global markets can be volatile.
• Eliminate: Completely remove; salt might need to be replaced with other options in a diet.
• Consensus: A generally accepted opinion; there's a general opinion that waiting is best.
• Sporadic: Not happening or appearing in a pattern; advertising might be sporadic.
• Diversity: A range of different things; there is a wide diversity of opinions.
• Contradictory: Mutually opposed or inconsistent; statements by witnesses might be contradictory.
• Taciturn: Tending to be quiet; not speaking frequently; the ant is the most taciturn.
• Bully: To hurt or frighten someone; bullying might occur in school.
• Conviction: A formal declaration; a verdict may result in a conviction.
• Dissertation: A long essay; dissertation might concern anti-fungal studies.
• Debunk: To show that something is not true; a book might debunk youth cult claims.
• Corpses: A dead body; corpses might be found in a fallen building.
• Consolidate: Make Stronger by some action; marriage strengthens a relationship.
• Corresponding: Have a close similarity; words with corresponding meanings may be paired.
• Deteriorate: Become progressively worse; situation may grow worse.
• Credibility: The quality of being trusted; decisions may damage credibility.
• Spearhead: To serve as a leader; someone may spearhead a city project or project.
• Stamina: The physical and mental strength; endurance and stamina help people.
• Cynical: Contemptuous and mocking; many distrust politics.
• Deficiency: A failing or shortcoming; education system might have serious deficiencies.
• Dwindle: To become steadily less; people attending cinema may decrease.
• Deception: The action of deceiving someone; convictions about deception may occur.
• Criterion: A standard by which you judge; criteria for grant applications exist.
• Definitive: Considered to be the best of its type; definitive answers are sometimes offered.
• Generate: To produce; new money can be generated.
• Convey: To express a thought; enthusiasm might be conveyed effectively.
• Descend: To go down; someone's ancestry may be traced to a specific royalty.
• Mitigate: To make less severe; measures will mitigate environmental impact.
• Erosion: The gradual reduction; deforestation can cause soil erosion.
• Deterrent: To prevent someone from doing something; a security camera can deter theft.
• Corroborate: To support with evidence; evidence may corroborate accounts.
• Accelerate: Make something go faster; fashion changes accelerated after World War 2.
• Dialect: Regional language; dialects are used for communication.
• Convention: A way of doing something; wearing black is a convention at funerals.
• Underline: To put emphasis; shootings underscore a need for more security.
• Diplomacy: Skill in dealing with people; diplomatic skills are valuable.
• Discriminate: Make an unjust distinction; age discrimination might be accused.
• Disguise: To hide the true appearance; one might disguise their feelings.
• Explore: To investigate or analyze; one may be free to explore on their own.
• Consumption: The action of eating or drinking something; energy consumption can be reduced.
• Disillusioned: Having lost faith; a person might feel disillusioned with a job.
• Skyrocket: Increase abruptly; prices skyrocketing is often coupled with unemployment decrease or drops.
• Bulk: Something very large; a large portion of the committee may be over 40.
• Materialize: To come into existence; a promised promotion may not materialize.
• Conservative: Not usually like change; older people tend to be conservative.
• Empirical: Based on what is experienced or seen; evidence confirms the importance of food.
• Yield: To produce as a return; research yields results.
• Confidential: Secret or private; these documents are strictly confidential.
• Endurance: The ability to withstand hardship; athletes need endurance.
• Prioritize: Deal with the most important things; organizations prioritize older people's needs.
• Nonetheless: In spite of that; arguments may still find some support.
• Entity: Something that has a real existence; an area might be recognized as a separate entity.
• Evoke: To bring to mind; images may evoke a response.
• Collaboration: To work together; a show may result from museum collaboration.
• Essence: The most significant element; the essence of an argument is important.
• Rule out: To make impossible; a possibility might be ruled out.
• Predator: An animal that eats other animals; some animals have very few predators.
• Forgery: An illegal copy of a document; someone might be convicted for forgery.
• Represent: To serve as a symbol; figures might represent a decline.
• Campaign: To organize a series of activities; tourism improvement is a potential campaign objective.
• Fragile: Easy to break or damage; economies can be fragile
• Akin To: Essentially similar; a life story might be akin to an adventure novel.
• Bid: To make a statement during an auction; a bid to host an event like the Olympics might be successful.
• Fundamental: A basic principle; music might be considered fundamental for understanding a person.
• Unveil: To make public; new models might be unveiled.
• Auction: A sale of property to the highest bidder; items may be sold at auction.
• Persistence: The ability to stick with something; hard work and persistence pay off.
• Overwhelm: To cause sudden strong emotion; a story may overwhelm adults.
• Heritage: Important parts of society's history and culture; destinations with rich cultural heritage might be highlighted.
• Appetite: A strong desire; food might spoil an appetite.
• Deteriorate: To make inferior in quality; physical and mental state may decline.
• High-Profile: Reputation that gets attention; sports figures might be high-profile.
• Analytical: Relating to logical reasoning; employers might seek analytical skills.
• Humanitarian: Having the interests of humankind at heart; humanitarian aid might be sent to refugees.
• Extinct: No longer existing; endangered species might become extinct.
• Counterpart: One remarkably similar to another; meetings may occur with a counterpart from another branch.
• Hypothesis: A proposed explanation; some hypotheses about obesity may be investigated.
• Back up: To support or help someone; a theory needs empirical evidence to be backed up.
• Alongside: In company with/also; two people may work alongside each other.
• Illusion: An idea or belief that is not true; beliefs may be illusions.
• Safeguard: Protect from harm or damage; international action may safeguard the ozone layer.
• Ally: To form a relationship; participants might be under pressure to find allies.
• Imprisonment: The act of confining someone in prison; a sentence may involve imprisonment.
• Supervise: To be in charge of; officials supervise elections.
• Allowance: Money that you are given regularly; money for a period of time might be an allowance.
• Ameliorate: To make situations better; foreign aid is needed for better conditions.
• Incorporate: Add or include something as part; aspects can be incorporated for a better product or system.
• Sustainable: To continue over a period of time; sustainable development is considered of importance.
• Inherent: Naturally as part of something; a human desire may be inherent.
• Witness: To see something happen; events might show a growth in religious fundamentalism.
• Prolong: To make something last a longer time; a strike might be prolonged for a limited amount of time.
• Instinct: Natural tendency to behave in a particular way; instinct might be to protect offspring.
• Decipher: To discover the meaning of something; messages might be deciphered with effort.
• Obsolete: No longer used or needed; things may become obsolete.
• Intervene: Come between points of time or events; officials might refuse to intervene in disputes.
• Troubleshoot: To find a solution to a problem; crews might troubleshoot the issue.
• Conquer: Successfully overcome; the English were conquered by the Normans.
• Ironically: Funny because of being very different; something good may have a negative consequence.
• Feature: A prominent characteristic; albums may contain remixes.
• Migration: The seasonal movement; the movement of animals might be considered migrations.
• Legacy: A gift of property; someone may leave a personal legacy to family.
• Depict: To represent something; a novel may depict challenging life experiences.
• Mechanism: A way of doing something; a mechanism for resolving disputes might be needed.
• Substantiate: To support a claim with facts; evidence might substantiate claims.
• Lenient: Punishing someone less severely than expected; a lenient sentence may be requested.
• Perform: To carry out an action; the UN has to perform a difficult balancing act.
• Exaggerate: To make something seem larger; to make things seem more significant than they are.
• Lobby: To try to persuade a politician; efforts may be made to influence policy decisions.
• Manipulate: To manage skillfully; things might be manipulated to allow justification/
• Inspection: Careful examination; building inspections may occur.
• Longing: A strong desire; one may have a longing to return home.
• Administer: To supervise the execution; the administration may require significant competence to manage a corporation.
• Emergence: Become apparent; problems may become apparent that need to be addressed.
• Marginalized: To relegate to an unimportant or powerless position; people may be marginalized or harmed negatively.
• Disseminate: To spread throughout; information can be effectively spread throughout people/individuals/organisations.
• Massacre: An act of killing a lot of people; a violent event may occur as a military action.
• Equation: A mathematical statement; equation in economics might be used to discuss an issue.
• Masterpiece: A work of outstanding skill; art might qualify as a masterpiece in its specific genre/field.
• Simulate: Imitate the appearance or character; computer software might simulate conditions on the seabed.
• Downside: The negative aspect; a possible downside of living in a city could be environmental issues or exposure to pollution.
• Materialism: An idea attaching importance to money; materialism can be detrimental to mental health.
• Manifest: To show something clearly; a fever and chest pains may manifest.
• Customary: According to the customs; customary proceedings may be followed.
• Mediocrity: Moderate ability or value; student performance may be average.
• Cosmopolitan: Having wide international sophistication; a city may be considered cosmopolitan.
• Memorial: A ceremony to remember someone who has died; ceremonies may be held in memory of those who passed.
• Exacerbate: Make a problem worse; attacks can worsen strained relations.
• Overwhelm: Have a strong emotional effect; excitement might overwhelm a person.
• Merely: Nothing more than; pain relief might be merely the effect of a medicine.
• Phenomenon: An extraordinary occurrence; road rage may be considered a phenomenon.
• Metaphor: Figurative language; comparison might be made with a metaphor.
• Harness: To control something; one might be able to harness wind power.
• Contradict: To say the opposite; an opinion may contradict what was said earlier.
• Millennium: A period of one thousand years; celebrations might occur.
• Unleash: To free from; a war might unleash changes.
• Mishap: An unlucky accident; a variety of circumstances may cause mishaps.
• Investigate: To study by close examination; allegations may need close scrutiny/consideration.
• Momentum: Speed of an object in motion; energy may start to diminish with loss of momentum.
• Accusation: A charge of wrongdoing; accusations may be made within an area of jurisdiction.
• Monopoly: Complete control of something; organizations may have a monopoly.
• Tendency: An inclination to do something; tendencies toward canned/preserved food over fresh may exist.
• Negligence: Failure to take proper care over something; negligence has legal ramifications/
• Deal With: Take action relating to something; problems will need to be addressed within a situation.
• Nostalgic: Remembering happy times; past experiences may create nostalgia.
• Abnormal: Deviating from the normal; abnormal levels of lead may be present in water
• Offspring: A person's child or children; offspring contain parts of each parent's genetic makeup.
• Wit: Brain power or mental ability; a person's wit might be noticed in discussions
• Assess: Make an official valuation; interviews are for assessing candidates.
• Paradoxical: Seemingly absurd or self-contradictory; some situations may appear paradoxical or impossible.
• Primitive: Relating to the earliest stage; conditions may show limitations or be primitive by nature.
• Incapacitate: To make incapable; injuries might cause incapacity.
• Orthodox: Generally accepted rules or beliefs; religious beliefs are often considered orthodox.
• Vice Versa: In reverse order; activities might be performed a certain way, and the opposite way might be performed elsewhere.
• Sketches: A brief outline; sketches may be useful.
• Paramount: More important than anything else; communication can be paramount for a successful project or venture.
• Triumph: A great victory or achievement; a celebration of triumph can signal success.
• Perception: Intuitive recognition; perceptions may vary.
• Reverse: Contrary to a previous condition; an attempt to reverse a prior decision may occur.
• Thereby: As a result of this action; action A may lead to outcome B, thereby causing a further consequence.
• Perseverance: Persistence in doing something; perseverance pays off over time.
• Fluctuate: To shift back and forth; temperature may fluctuate.
• Maneuver: To manage skillfully; aircraft navigations/pilot actions can occur with maneuvering involved sometimes.
• Phenomenal: Highly extraordinary; a successful event is often called phenomenal/extraordinary .
• Plethora: Excessive amount; there may be a plethora of proposed diets.
• Subsidy: A grant of financial assistance; assistance may be given to homeowners, tenants/