327 TOEFL Words You Need to Know PDF
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This document provides a list of 327 TOEFL vocabulary words, including their definitions, and sample sentences. It is organized alphabetically, making it easy to find words and their uses.
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**The 327 TOEFL Words You Need to Know** Below are the 327 best TOEFL vocabulary words, in alphabetical order. +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Word** | **Definition** | **Sample Sentence** | +=======================+==============...
**The 327 TOEFL Words You Need to Know** Below are the 327 best TOEFL vocabulary words, in alphabetical order. +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Word** | **Definition** | **Sample Sentence** | +=======================+=======================+=======================+ | Abundant | Present in large | Living close to a | | | quantities. | lake means we have an | | | | abundant supply of | | | | water. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Accumulate | To gradually collect. | Each fall, leaves | | | | accumulate in our | | | | driveway. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Accurate | Correct; free from | Make sure your | | | errors. | address is accurate | | | | before submitting | | | | your online order. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Accustomed | Used to something. | Having 8AM classes | | | | means I'm accustomed | | | | to getting up early. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Acquire | To come into | When my grandmother | | | possession of. | died, I acquired her | | | | cookbook collection. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Adamant | Refusing to change an | The defendant was | | | opinion. | adamant that he was | | | | innocent. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Adequate | Enough to suit your | Our house isn't big, | | | needs. | but it's adequate for | | | | the two of us. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Adjacent | Close to or next to. | The park is adjacent | | | | to the school. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Adjust | To change something | The bike seat may be | | | so it serves its | too high; you'll | | | purpose better. | probably need to | | | | adjust it. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Advantage | Something that makes | His height gives him | | | it easier to achieve | an advantage in | | | success. | basketball. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Advocate | To publicly support. | My aunt is a major | | | | advocate for | | | | women\'s' rights. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Adverse | Unfavorable; against | I had an adverse | | | one's desires. | reaction to my | | | | medication and had to | | | | stop taking it. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Aggregate | To combine. | We should aggregate | | | | our resources to | | | | share them more | | | | easily. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Aggressive | Assertive and pushy. | The salesperson was | | | | very aggressive when | | | | trying to get us to | | | | buy the television. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Allocate | To put aside for a | The village needs to | | | specific purpose. | allocate funds for | | | | building the new | | | | school. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Alternative | Another option or | If the ATM is broken, | | | choice. | an alternative | | | | solution is to stop | | | | by the bank. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Amateur | Someone who is | He's an amateur | | | inexperienced or not | soccer player and is | | | highly skilled in a | still learning the | | | particular area. | rules of the game. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Ambiguous | Having several | When I asked the HR | | | potential meanings; | manager what my | | | unclear and difficult | chances were of | | | to understand. | getting the job, she | | | | gave me a very | | | | ambiguous reply. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Ambitious | Having large goals. | My son is very | | | | ambitious and hopes | | | | to be a millionaire | | | | by the time he's | | | | thirty. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Amend | To change for the | I believe we should | | | better; to improve. | amend our country's | | | | tax laws. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Ample | Plentiful. | Our new apartment has | | | | ample space for the | | | | two of us. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Anomaly | Deviation from the | The basketball player | | | norm. | is the team's best | | | | free thrower, so his | | | | missing both shots | | | | was an anomaly. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Annual | Occurring yearly. | The annual company | | | | barbeque takes place | | | | every August. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Antagonize | To tease or be | The boy loves to | | | hostile towards a | antagonize his little | | | person or group. | sister by pulling her | | | | hair. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Attitude | Manner or feeling. | After she got | | | | grounded, the | | | | teenager had a bad | | | | attitude for the rest | | | | of the day. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Attribute | To give credit. | Be sure to attribute | | | | credit to your | | | | sources when writing | | | | a research paper. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Arbitrary | Based on a whim or | Flipping a coin is an | | | random decision. | arbitrary way to make | | | | a decision. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Arduous | Requiring a lot of | After you cross the | | | effort. | bridge, there's an | | | | arduous walk up the | | | | hill. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Assuage | To lessen a negative | The mother assuaged | | | feeling. | her child's fear of | | | | the dark. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Assume | To suppose without | I assumed he was rich | | | solid proof. | because he worked as | | | | a lawyer. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Augment | To increase or make | She augments her | | | larger. | regular salary by | | | | babysitting on the | | | | weekends. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Benefit | Something positive or | A benefit of doing | | | advantageous. | homework on Friday is | | | | that your weekend | | | | will be free. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Berate | To scold. | Our neighbor berated | | | | us after we broke his | | | | window playing | | | | baseball. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Bestow | To give as a gift. | The medal was | | | | bestowed upon him by | | | | the president. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Boast | To brag or talk with | He always boasts of | | | excessive pride. | his talents after he | | | | wins a game. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Boost | To help raise or | I gave him a pep talk | | | increase something. | to boost his | | | | self-esteem before | | | | his speech. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Brash | Rude and tactless. | The brash man always | | | | asked inappropriate | | | | questions. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Brief | Short (in terms of | It will only have a | | | time). | brief meeting, so | | | | you'll still have | | | | plenty of time for | | | | lunch. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Brusque | Abrupt to the point | After being away for | | | of rudeness. | so long, I expected | | | | more than her brusque | | | | greeting. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Cacophony | A harsh, unpleasant | The cuckoo clock shop | | | mixture of noise. | lets off a cacophony | | | | every hour. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Cease | To stop. | I wish they would | | | | cease arguing. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Censure | To express strong | Every parent in our | | | disapproval. | district censured the | | | | education cuts. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Chronological | Arranged in order of | Put the historical | | | time or date. | events in | | | | chronological order | | | | to make them easier | | | | to study. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Clarify | To make clear; to | I didn't understand | | | remove confusion. | the instructions, so | | | | I asked the teacher | | | | to clarify them. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Coalesce | To combine or grow | The people on the | | | together. | street eventually | | | | coalesced into a | | | | group. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Coerce | To force someone to | The young boy was | | | do something against | coerced into stealing | | | their will. | by his friends. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Cognizant | Being aware or having | Before mountain | | | knowledge of | climbing, you need to | | | something. | be cognizant of the | | | | risks. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Cohesion | Uniting; becoming | Water molecules show | | | one. | strong cohesion when | | | | they stick together. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Coincide | To occur at the same | This year | | | time. | Thanksgiving | | | | coincided with my | | | | birthday. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Collapse | To fall down or break | The old building | | | down. | finally collapsed, | | | | leaving nothing but a | | | | pile of rubble. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Collide | To hit one another | The two cars collided | | | with a forceful | on the freeway. | | | impact. | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Commitment | Dedication to a cause | Joining a school play | | | or activity. | is a big commitment. | | | | You'll need to | | | | practice every | | | | evening. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Community | A group of people who | The Chinese community | | | live or work | in my city is hosting | | | together. | a New Year | | | | celebration next | | | | week. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Conceal | To hide. | The mountains | | | | concealed the ocean | | | | from view. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Concur | To agree. | He believes women | | | | should be paid as | | | | much as men, and I | | | | concur. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Conflict | A disagreement or | The conflict between | | | fight. | the two families has | | | | been going on for | | | | generations. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Constrain | To restrict or | You should move your | | | repress. | plant to a bigger | | | | pot, otherwise you'll | | | | constrain its roots. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Contemplate | To consider | I spend a lot of time | | | thoughtfully. | contemplating what | | | | career I want to | | | | have. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Continuously | To go on without | My neighbors have | | | stopping. | been continuously | | | | blasting their music | | | | since last night. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Contradict | To give the opposite | I told the employees | | | opinion. | that sales were down, | | | | but my boss | | | | contradicted me and | | | | said sales were | | | | actually up. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Contribute | To give something | Every roommate | | | (usually money or | contributes part of | | | time) to a common | his paycheck to the | | | fund or cause. | grocery bill. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Convey | To make known. | I've conveyed my | | | | interest in working | | | | for that company. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Copious | Abundant. | He always takes | | | | copious notes during | | | | class to study later | | | | on. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Core | Central; of main | Although many | | | importance. | employees left the | | | | company, the core | | | | leadership remained. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Corrode | To gradually wear | The rust corroded the | | | away. | paint on my car. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Cumbersome | Burdensome; clumsy | Trying to carry four | | | | grocery bags at once | | | | was very cumbersome. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Curriculum | The courses given by | Our school needs to | | | a school or program. | add more music | | | | courses to its | | | | curriculum. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Data | Facts, statistics, or | The data from these | | | pieces of | graphs show that | | | information. | yearly temperatures | | | | are increasing. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Decay | To decline in health | After the tree died, | | | or excellence. | its wood began to | | | | decay. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Deceive | To trick or mislead. | He deceived me by | | | | pretending to be a | | | | millionaire. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Decipher | To find the meaning | The spy deciphered | | | of. | the secret code. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Declaration | An announcement. | He made a declaration | | | | to the office that he | | | | was quitting. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Decline | 1\. To politely | 1\. I declined his | | | refuse. | offer of a ride | | | | home. | | | 2\. To deteriorate | | | | (especially in | 2\. Her health has | | | terms of health.) | declined ever since | | | | she turned 70. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Degrade | To lower in quality. | My attempt at cake | | | | degraded into a | | | | crumbly mess. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Demonstrate | To show. | Let me demonstrate | | | | the proper way of | | | | throwing a football. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Deny | To state that | He denied being the | | | something isn't true. | robber. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Deplete | To significantly | Your shopping sprees | | | decrease. | have depleted my | | | | savings. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Deposit | To deliver and leave | Please deposit your | | | an item. | books in the bin | | | | outside the library. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Desirable | Worth having or | Bravery is a | | | wanting. | desirable trait for | | | | firefighters to have. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Despise | To hate. | I despise early | | | | morning classes. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Detect | To locate something. | The police dog | | | | detected the missing | | | | child's scent. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Deter | To discourage. | The warning signs on | | | | the house deterred | | | | trespassers. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Deviate | To differ from the | I decided to deviate | | | norm. | from my normal route | | | | home and took a | | | | shortcut. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Devise | To plan or create. | The coach devised a | | | | plan for winning the | | | | game. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Diatribe | A sharp criticism or | The politician went | | | attack. | into a diatribe | | | | against her opponent. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Digress | To wander from the | The teacher digressed | | | main subject. | from the lecture to | | | | discuss the weather. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Dilemma | A situation where one | The student faced the | | | must choose between | dilemma of attending | | | two difficult | school sick or | | | choices. | missing her exam. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Diminish | To shrink or reduce. | Sprinkle baking soda | | | | on the carpet to | | | | diminish the stain. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Dispose | To get rid of. | I need to dispose of | | | | this trash. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Disproportionate | Too large or small | The piece of pie I | | | when compared to | received was | | | something else. | disproportionately | | | | small. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Disrupt | To interrupt by | The protesters | | | causing a | disrupted the | | | disturbance. | politician's speech. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Distort | To misrepresent. | The camera filter | | | | distorted the image. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Distribute | To give portions of | Distribute the | | | something. | materials evenly | | | | among the class. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Diverse | Showing a lot of | This city has a very | | | variety. | diverse population. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Divert | To cause a change of | Because of the | | | course. | accident, the police | | | | had to divert traffic | | | | down a side street. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Dynamic | Constantly changing. | The theater has | | | | dynamic shows, so you | | | | never know what | | | | you'll see. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Ease | To reduce | This prescription | | | unpleasantness or | will ease your | | | difficulty. | allergies. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Efficient | Maximizing | Now that I'm | | | productivity. | following a schedule | | | | at work, I'm much | | | | more efficient. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Eliminate | To remove. | Our team lost the | | | | match and was | | | | eliminated from the | | | | competition. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Elite | A select, | The elite detective | | | above-average group. | team were also sent | | | | for when there were | | | | big crimes. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Eloquent | Moving speech or | Her eloquent writing | | | writing. | has gained her many | | | | fans. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Emphasize | To give special | The teacher | | | importance to when | emphasized the due | | | speaking or writing. | date of the project. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Endure | To suffer through | He has endured four | | | something difficult | knee operations so | | | with patience. | far. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Enhance | To intensify or | The falling snow | | | magnify. | enhanced the beauty | | | | of the small village. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Epitome | A perfect example of | The duchess is the | | | something. | epitome of class. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Equivalent | Equal. | Twenty-four is | | | | equivalent to two | | | | dozen. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Erroneous | Incorrect. | He apologized for his | | | | erroneous statement. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Estimate | An approximate value. | Try to get an | | | | estimate of the | | | | number of people | | | | attending the | | | | concert. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Evade | To avoid or escape. | By hiding in the | | | | bathroom, we were | | | | able to evade the | | | | intruder. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Evaluate | To assess. | At the end of the | | | | class, every student | | | | will evaluate how | | | | well the professor | | | | taught. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Evidence | Facts or information | These fossils are | | | that help prove or | evidence of | | | disprove something. | evolution. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Evolve | To gradually change. | The small school | | | | evolved into a | | | | world-class | | | | institution. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Exemplary | Worthy of imitation. | She is an exemplary | | | | student, and you | | | | should copy her study | | | | habits. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Exclude | To leave out. | The young boy was | | | | excluded from his | | | | friends' soccer game. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Exclusive | Not admitting the | We may not be able to | | | majority. | get in since that | | | | club is very | | | | exclusive. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Expand | To increase in size. | Adding air to bike | | | | tires will cause them | | | | to expand. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Expertise | Expert knowledge or | The surgeon's | | | skill in a particular | expertise is knee | | | field. | surgeries. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Exploit | To use selfishly. | The company exploited | | | | its workers by making | | | | them work long hours. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Expose | To reveal or unmask. | The emails presented | | | | exposed the company's | | | | corruption. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Extension | An act of making | If you're sick on the | | | something longer. | day the paper is due, | | | | the teacher may give | | | | you an extension on | | | | the due date. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Extract | To get or remove | The dentist extracted | | | something. | one of my teeth. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Famine | A time when there is | Millions of children | | | an extreme lack of | in Ethiopia died due | | | food. | to the famine there. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Feasible | Possible to do. | This study plan you | | | | made for me sounds | | | | feasible, even with | | | | my work schedule. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Finite | Having an end or | Remember that life is | | | limits. | finite; you're not | | | | immortal. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Flaw | A feature that ruins | I got the diamond for | | | the perfection of | a reduced price since | | | something. | the stone had a flaw. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Fluctuate | To change | I'm not sure what to | | | continually. | wear since the | | | | temperature has been | | | | fluctuating so much. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Focus | The central point or | The program is going | | | idea. | to focus on | | | | environmental issues. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Fortify | To strengthen. | The king decided to | | | | fortify the castle | | | | walls to protect them | | | | during attacks. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Framework | A skeletal structure | Skyscrapers must have | | | designed to support | a strong framework to | | | something. | support all the | | | | floors. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Frivolous | Unnecessary; of | You must stop | | | little importance | spending your money | | | | on frivolous | | | | purchases. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Function | A purpose natural to | The function of | | | a person or thing. | petals is to attract | | | | insects to the plant. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Fundamental | Of primary | Learning scales is | | | importance. | fundamental to being | | | | a good piano player. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Gap | A space in between to | Be careful to avoid | | | objects. | the gap between the | | | | two steps. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Garbled | Communication that is | Our answering machine | | | distorted and | is so bad that | | | unclear. | people's voices are | | | | always garbled. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Generate | To produce. | The fire generates | | | | heat, which keeps the | | | | room warm. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Grandiose | Pompous; overly | The actress had only | | | important. | one small part before | | | | she got grandiose | | | | ideas of her fame. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Hackneyed | Overused and | HIs poems contain | | | unoriginal. | many hackneyed | | | | phrases. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Haphazard | Lacking planning. | There was no | | | | schedule, so the | | | | event was very | | | | haphazard. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Harsh | Not gentle; | Her comments on my | | | unpleasant. | performance were very | | | | harsh and not kind at | | | | all. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Hasty | In a hurry. | In order to avoid the | | | | police, the robbers | | | | made a hasty retreat. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Hazardous | Full of risk. | The nuclear reactor | | | | has a lot of | | | | hazardous waste. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Hesitate | To pause, often due | She hesitated before | | | to reluctance. | entering the | | | | abandoned building. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Hierarchy | A ranking system. | In the office | | | | hierarchy, the | | | | manager is higher | | | | than the associate. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Hindrance | Something that causes | Her hatred of public | | | delay or resistance. | transportation is a | | | | hindrance when trying | | | | to get around New | | | | York City. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Hollow | Empty inside. | The dead tree is | | | | hollow. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Horror | An intense feeling of | The haunted house | | | fear. | filled me with | | | | horror. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Hostile | Extremely unfriendly. | My ex-boyfriend's new | | | | girlfriend was very | | | | hostile towards me. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Hypothesis | An unproven idea that | You'll need to | | | attempts to explain | conduct an experiment | | | something. | to test your | | | | hypothesis. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Identical | Exactly the same. | The twins were | | | | completely identical. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Illiterate | Unable to read. | Because he'd never | | | | been able to attend | | | | school, the man was | | | | illiterate. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Illustrate | To explain by using | The professor | | | an example. | illustrated the | | | | lesson with a | | | | personal story. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Impact | Effect or influence. | His moving words had | | | | a large impact on me. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Impair | To worsen. | Drinking alcohol will | | | | impair your driving | | | | abilities. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Implement | To carry out. | We will implement the | | | | new schedule starting | | | | next semester. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Imply | To strongly suggest. | My mother implied | | | | that I was the one | | | | who forgot to take | | | | out the trash. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Impose | To force upon. | After the riots, the | | | | mayor imposed a | | | | curfew on the town. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Impoverish | To reduce to poverty. | These medical bills | | | | are going to | | | | impoverish me. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Incentive | A reason to do | I hate my job, but | | | something. | the big paychecks are | | | | a good incentive to | | | | stick with it. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Incessant | Continuing without | I can't sleep because | | | pause. | of the dog's | | | | incessant barking. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Incidental | A minor part. | Don't worry about | | | | your grade on this | | | | quiz; it's only an | | | | incidental part of | | | | your grade. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Incite | To urge on. | The ringleader | | | | incited the soldiers | | | | to rebellion. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Inclination | A preference. | My inclination is to | | | | go to bed early. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Incompetent | Incapable; lacking | The incompetent | | | ability. | worker was fired from | | | | his job. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Inconsistent | Changing randomly. | His pitching has been | | | | very inconsistent all | | | | season. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Indefatigable | Untiring. | She is an | | | | indefatigable hiker | | | | and can walk all day. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Indisputable | Not able to be | She's the | | | challenged. | indisputable star of | | | | the basketball team. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Ineffective | Not producing any | The drug was shown to | | | major impact. | be ineffective at | | | | curing cancer. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Inevitable | Unable to be avoided. | Even if you're | | | | healthy, death is | | | | inevitable in the | | | | end. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Infer | To guess based on | I inferred that she | | | evidence. | was annoyed based on | | | | her body language. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Inflate | To increase in size. | Getting a promotion | | | | has really inflated | | | | his ego. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Influence | The ability to have | The older sister has | | | an impact of | been a positive | | | something. | influence on her | | | | younger siblings. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Inhibit | To hinder or | This cleaning spray | | | restrain. | inhibits the growth | | | | of bacteria. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Initial | The first. | She was the initial | | | | president of the | | | | company. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Inquiry | An investigation to | Congress launched an | | | determine the truth. | inquiry after the | | | | senator was accused | | | | of taking bribes. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Integral | Necessary to complete | You can't quit. | | | the whole. | You're an integral | | | | part of this team. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Integrate | To combine. | When making a cake, | | | | you need to fully | | | | integrate the wet and | | | | dry ingredients. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Interpret | To explain the | I need you to | | | meaning of something. | interpret this German | | | | speech for me. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Intervene | To come between | When the toddlers | | | people, objects, or | couldn't share their | | | an event and change | toys, their mothers | | | what is happening. | had to intervene. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Intrepid | Fearless. | The intrepid mountain | | | | climber reached the | | | | top of Mt. Everest. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Intricate | Highly detailed. | The pattern on this | | | | blanket is so | | | | intricate. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Invasive | Intrusive. | We found the | | | | stranger's questions | | | | too personal and very | | | | invasive. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Investigate | To examine or study. | The police are going | | | | to investigate the | | | | crime scene. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Irascible | Easy to anger. | Even though my | | | | grandfather seems | | | | irascible, he's | | | | actually very loving. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Irony | The use of words to | "I love spending my | | | give a meaning | Friday nights doing | | | opposite to their | homework," she said | | | literal meaning. | with irony. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Irresolute | Uncertain. | Not sure which | | | | direction to go in, | | | | he stood irresolute. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Jargon | Words specific to a | To be a successful | | | certain job or group. | doctor, you'll need | | | | to learn a lot of | | | | medical jargon. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Jointly | Together. | The newlyweds jointly | | | | opened up a bank | | | | account. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Knack | A special talent or | My brother has a real | | | skill. | knack for solving | | | | tricky math problems. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Labor | Work or effort. | Building a house | | | | requires a lot of | | | | labor. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Lag | To fall behind. | I stayed with the | | | | front group of | | | | runners for the first | | | | few miles, but after | | | | that I began to lag. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Lampoon | To mock or ridicule. | The cartoonist | | | | lampooned the | | | | president's speech. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Languish | To become weak; to be | During winter break, | | | neglected. | my plants languished | | | | since I was visiting | | | | my parents and | | | | couldn't water them. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Lecture | A talk given to an | The professor will | | | audience. | give a 30 minute | | | | lecture before the | | | | quiz. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Leery | Wary. | I'm leery of taking | | | | the dark-looking | | | | shortcut. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Legitimate | Lawful. | The way he became | | | | mayor is completely | | | | legitimate. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Lenient | Merciful; less harsh. | The judge gave the | | | | criminal a lenient | | | | sentence due to his | | | | bad childhood. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Likely | Probable. | I don't have much | | | | homework, so it's | | | | likely I'll be able | | | | to go out tonight. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Ludicrous | Ridiculous. | His claims about me | | | | are absolutely | | | | ludicrous. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Maintain | To continue at the | She has maintained | | | same level. | the same weight since | | | | high school. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Major | Very important. | This test is a major | | | | part of your final | | | | grade. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Manipulate | To influence, | He tried to | | | especially in an | manipulate the | | | unfair way. | results of the | | | | election. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Maximize | To increase to the | The store's goal this | | | greatest possible | year is to maximize | | | size. | its profit. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Measure | To find the size and | By measuring the | | | dimensions of | tree, I found it was | | | something. | seven feet tall. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Mediocre | Ordinary, average. | The meal the chef | | | | made was only | | | | mediocre. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Mend | To fix. | My mother will mend | | | | the hole in my shirt. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Method | A way of doing | Her method for making | | | something. | bread takes three | | | | days. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Migrate | To move from one | Every fall, the geese | | | place to another. | migrate to Florida. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Minimum | The smallest or | You need to get a | | | lowest amount | minimum of 70% on the | | | possible. | test to pass the | | | | class. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Misleading | Giving the wrong | The advertisement for | | | idea. | the weight loss pills | | | | is very misleading | | | | since studies have | | | | shown they're | | | | ineffective. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Modify | To change. | I need to modify my | | | | style so it looks | | | | more professional. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Morose | Gloomy, depressed. | The boy was morose | | | | after hearing he | | | | didn't make the | | | | football team. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Negligent | Lazy, neglectful. | The negligent | | | | babysitter invited | | | | her friends over | | | | while the children | | | | were upstairs. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Nonchalant | Indifferent, | I was hurt when my | | | unexcited. | friend greeted me so | | | | nonchalantly. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Obey | To follow orders or | My dog always obeys | | | instructions. | me when I ask her to | | | | sit. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Obtain | To get. | The spy obtained the | | | | secret codes we need. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Obvious | Easily understood. | The large poster of | | | | Michael Jackson over | | | | her bed made it | | | | obvious who her | | | | favorite singer was. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Opponent | Someone on the | The soccer player | | | opposite side for a | blocked her | | | game or contest. | opponent's shot at | | | | the goal. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Oppress | To unfairly burden. | For the past ten | | | | generations the royal | | | | family has oppressed | | | | the peasants by | | | | keeping them in | | | | poverty. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Origin | The source; where | The explorers are | | | something began. | trying to find the | | | | origin of the Nile. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Paradigm | A typical example of | This work of art is a | | | something. | paradigm of the | | | | period; you'll see | | | | many examples of it | | | | in the museum. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Parsimonious | Frugal, stingy. | The parsimonious | | | | woman only donated a | | | | dollar to charity. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Partake | To join in. | My leg was feeling | | | | much better, so I | | | | decided to partake in | | | | the soccer match. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Partial | Preferring one option | We can get strawberry | | | over others. | ice cream, but I'm | | | | actually more partial | | | | to chocolate. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Paucity | Something existing in | During the drought, | | | very small amounts; | the town had a | | | scarcity. | paucity of fresh | | | | water. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Peak | The highest or most | Winning the | | | important point. | championship was the | | | | peak of his career. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Peripheral | Located on the side | There are some | | | or edge. | peripheral fights | | | | going on at the | | | | outdoor concert. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Permeate | To penetrate or pass | Let the maple syrup | | | through. | permeate your waffles | | | | before eating them. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Persist | To continue, | I may have lost my | | | especially when | last six games, but I | | | facing opposition. | will continue to | | | | persist trying to | | | | win. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Pertain | Relate. | How does your | | | | question pertain to | | | | the lecture? | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Phase | A period or stage in | In high school, I | | | a process. | went through a phase | | | | where I only wore | | | | black clothes. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Poll | A record of opinions | The polls show that | | | or votes. | my candidate is going | | | | to win the election. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Potent | Powerful. | Only take one | | | | sleeping pill since | | | | they're very potent. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Pragmatic | Practical, sensible. | Your boyfriend is too | | | | dramatic. I think you | | | | need a more pragmatic | | | | man. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Praise | To give approval or | The book is the best | | | admiration. | I've ever read; I | | | | can't praise it | | | | enough. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Precede | To come before. | The flower girls | | | | preceded the bride | | | | when they walked down | | | | the aisle. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Precise | Exact. | When collecting data, | | | | it's important that | | | | your measurements are | | | | very precise. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Prestigious | Having a high | Harvard is one of the | | | reputation. | most prestigious | | | | colleges in the | | | | United States. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Prevalent | Widespread. | If more people don't | | | | start washing their | | | | hands, disease will | | | | become more | | | | prevalent. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Primary | First; most | Maeve's primary goal | | | important. | in life is to become | | | | a doctor. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Prior | Previous or earlier. | Prior to becoming a | | | | teacher, Elena worked | | | | as a book editor. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Proceed | To continue doing | I'm sorry for | | | something. | interrupting; please | | | | proceed with your | | | | speech. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Progeny | Offspring. | The dog's progeny all | | | | have yellow fur. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Promote | To further to | I'm promoting this | | | progress of | new indie movie so | | | something. | that more people will | | | | buy tickets to it. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Prosper | To do well. | Dave hopes his new | | | | business will prosper | | | | and make him a | | | | millionaire. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Proximity | Nearness in time or | The twins hated to be | | | space. | apart, so they bought | | | | houses in close | | | | proximity to each | | | | other. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Quarrel | Disagreement or | Nina and her | | | fight; to have an | boyfriend always | | | argument. | quarrel over money. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Range | The distance between | The range of ages at | | | two things, often the | the concert spanned | | | maximum and the | from 12 to 65. | | | minimum. | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Rank | An official position | Archibald was | | | or station. | promoted to the rank | | | | of first captain. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Rebuke | To sternly disapprove | After staying out too | | | or reprimand. | late, Grace received | | | | a rebuke from her | | | | parents. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Recapitulate | To give a brief | At the end of his | | | summary. | speech, the | | | | politician made sure | | | | to recapitulate his | | | | main points. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Recede | To retreat. | Two days after the | | | | flood, the seawater | | | | finally began to | | | | recede from our | | | | house. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Recommend | To present someone | I need to ask Mr. | | | with confidence and | Smith if he'll | | | approval. | recommend me for this | | | | leadership position. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Reform | To make changes that | Melanie's father is | | | improve something. | in charge of | | | | reforming to school | | | | system. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Regulate | To supervise or | Ben needs to regulate | | | control a process so | how much he eats in | | | that it functions | order to stay at a | | | correctly. | healthy weight. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Reinforce | To strengthen with | The builders | | | added support. | reinforced the | | | | house's wooden frame | | | | with steel beams. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Reject | To say no to | Lydia rejected my | | | something that is | invitation to the | | | offered. | homecoming dance. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Release | To free; to allow to | The CEO decided to | | | be known. | release the company's | | | | profits from last | | | | year. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Rely | To depend on. | I rely on coffee to | | | | get my through my | | | | mornings. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Reproach | To express | The coach reproached | | | disapproval or | the players for | | | disappointment. | failing to play their | | | | best. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Require | To need for a | The camping trip | | | specific purpose. | requires that every | | | | participant bring | | | | their own food and | | | | sleeping bag. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Resent | To feel bitterness or | I've always resented | | | anger towards someone | my sister because she | | | or something. | is my mother's | | | | favorite child. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Resign | To give up an office | Due to his declining | | | or position. | health, the mayor | | | | decided to resign | | | | from office. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Resist | To withstand the | Resist the impulse to | | | effect of. | have ice cream for | | | | breakfast. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Resolve | To come to a firm | Matt resolved to get | | | decision. | better grades next | | | | semester by studying | | | | every night. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Restrict | To confine or keep | My doctor told me to | | | within limits. | restrict myself to | | | | one glass of wine a | | | | day. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Retain | To continue to do | I've decided to | | | something or keep | retain my normal | | | something. | hairstyle. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Retract | 1. To draw back in. | 1. I felt calmer | | | | after the lion | | | 2\. To withdraw | retracted its claws. | | | something after | | | | it's found to be | 2. After numerous | | | untrue. | errors were found, | | | | the newspaper | | | | retracted the story. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Retrieve | To bring back. | Alexis got out of the | | | | car to retrieve the | | | | ball her little | | | | brother had thrown. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Rhetorical | Used just for style | You aren't expected | | | or impact. | to actually answer | | | | rhetorical questions. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Rigid | Stiff; unyielding. | The boys' father was | | | | happy to see the base | | | | of the treehouse was | | | | rigid and sturdy. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Rotate | To turn. | Rotate the sculpture | | | | so I can see the | | | | other side. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Safeguard | Something that serves | A retirement fund is | | | as protection or | one way to safeguard | | | ensures safety. | your finances for the | | | | future. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Scrutinize | To very carefully | The judges were | | | examine. | looking for | | | | perfection, so they | | | | scrutinized every | | | | entry. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Section | A part of the whole. | This section of the | | | | stadium dressed | | | | completely in red. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Select | To choose. | Jane selected a blue | | | | dress to wear to the | | | | wedding. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Sequence | Things that follow | Librarians need to | | | each other in a | know how order books | | | certain order. | in the correct | | | | sequence. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Severe | 1\. Harsh or strict. | 1\. The robbers | | | | suffered severe | | | 2\. Grave, critical. | consequences for | | | | stealing. | | | | | | | | 2\. My uncle is | | | | currently battling | | | | a severe illness in | | | | the hospital. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Shallow | Not deep. | You don't need to | | | | worry about getting | | | | your dress wet. The | | | | water is very shallow | | | | here. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Shelter | To protect from | The empty barn gave | | | something harmful. | the men shelter | | | | during the storm. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Shrink | To become smaller. | Hopefully this cream | | | | will cause my scar to | | | | shrink. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Significant | Important, | The Gettysburg | | | noteworthy. | Address was a | | | | significant event | | | | during the Civil War. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Source | A person, place, or | You shouldn't use | | | thing where something | Wikipedia as a source | | | was obtained. | when writing school | | | | papers. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Sparse | Thinly scattered. | The farm was almost | | | | empty; there were | | | | just a few sparse | | | | trees here and there. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Specify | To clearly indicate | You need to specify | | | which one. | which size shirt you | | | | want before I can | | | | order it. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Speculate | To form a theory | My sister loves to | | | without strong | speculate on the | | | evidence. | private lives of | | | | celebrities. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Solitary | Alone; without | The hermit lives a | | | others. | solitary existence | | | | deep in the | | | | mountains. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Somber | Gloomy; depressing. | After losing the | | | | competition, the | | | | chess players were | | | | very somber. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Soothe | To calm or comfort. | The mother sang a | | | | lullaby to soothe her | | | | crying baby. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Squalid | Filthy and | The shelter was | | | unpleasant. | squalid and | | | | overcrowded. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Stable | Unlikely to change or | We're lucky to live | | | fail. | in a country with | | | | such a stable | | | | government. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Stagnant | Sluggish, showing | With few new jobs | | | little movement. | created, the economy | | | | has remained stagnant | | | | for the past five | | | | years. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Strategy | A plan to reach a | The football team | | | desired outcome. | will need a good | | | | strategy to win the | | | | game tomorrow. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Subsequent | Coming after | The first king was a | | | something in time. | good ruler, but | | | | subsequent kings have | | | | all been corrupt. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Substitute | A person or thing | If you don't have | | | acting in place of | sugar,