Essential Words for the TOEFL
Vocabulary (210)
- Accentuate — to highlight; to give more importance to # emphasize
- Acceptable — allowable or satisfactory # permissible
- Acclaim — enthusiastic approval; applause # praise
- Acquire — to gain or come to possess # obtain
- Adverse — displeasing; objectionable or bad # unfavorable
- Affordable — able to be done, usually referring to something you can do without damage or loss # economical
- Aggravating — making worse; annoying # irritating
- Agitate — to shake or move; to cause worry # disturb
- Amenity — something that makes life easier or more enjoyable # convenience
- Amusement — something that holds interest and is enjoyable # diversion
- Analogous — alike in some way # similar
- Analyze — to study something carefully; to separate into parts for study # examine
- Annoying — a slight bother; disturbing to a person # bothersome
- Antiquated — to old to be presently useful; outmoded # old-fashioned
- Aptly — having a tendency to do something; likely # appropriately
- Archaic — very old; old-fashioned; no longer used # ancient
- Assortment — variety # selection
- Astounding — very surprising # astonishing
- Attractive — calling attention to; pleasing; creating interest; pretty # appealing
- Autonomous — by itself; with no association # independent
- Avert — to stop from occuring; to turn away or aside # prevent
- Balanced — a state where everything is of the same site or weight; an element on one side that counters an equal element on the other # equalized
- Blur — to make something difficult to see # cloud
- Briefly — short, usually in time # concisely
- Broaden — to make larger or greater # enlarge
- Caliber — the standard of; the degree of goodness # quality
- Caution — to alert someone of danger; warn someone to take care or pay attention to something # warn
- Charisma — a special quality that endears other people to the person who has this quality # appeal
- Chiefly — the most important or most common # mostly
- Clarify — to make more easily understood; to make clear # explain
- Classify — to place into groups according to type # arrange
- Clever — intelligent; resourceful # astut
- Coarse — not fine or smooth; not delicate # rough
- Coherent — well reasoned; ideas that are clearly presented; sticking together as a group # logical
- Come Across — to find out or discover; usually by chance or mistake # encounter
- Commonplace — ordinary # frequent
- Comparatively — being measured or judged by comparison # relatively
- Conceivably — feasibly; believably # possibly
- Concur — to have the same opinion or draw the same conclusion # agree
- Condensed — made smaller; shortened; merged # summarized
- Conform — to follow established rules or patterns of behavior # adapt
- Conspicuously — attracting attention # noticeably
- Contaminated — to make something impure by adding something dirty or a poisonous substance # polluted
- Contradictory — not agreeing with the facts or previous statements made on the subject; declared wrong # inconsistent
- Cultivate — to plant and raise a crop; to encourage growth of a relationship or friendship # grow
- Curative — being able to restore to good condition # healing
- Curious — odd or strange; eager to learn # peculiar
- Currency — monetary unit # money
- Debilitating — weakening # weakening
- Deceptively — making something appear true or good when it is false or bad # misleadingly
- Defy — to show little fear or regard for rules or established norms; to challange # resist
- Dignitary — a very important or famous person, usually associated with a high position # notable
- Disapproval — the act of disagreeing; not given approval # objection
- Display — to show; reveal # exhibit
- Disregard — to pay no attention # ignore
- Distort — to change from the original shape or condition, usually in an unnatural way # deform
- Documented — proven with written evidence # proven
- Dominant — primary or principal; having or exercising control over something # major
- Drab — lacking color; uninteresting; boring # colorless
- Dwelling — where people live # house
- Eclectic — to select or represent something chosen from many sources or places # diverse
- Element — a part of the whole environment # component
- Elementary — simple in structure, easy to do # primary
- Elicit — to get the facts or draw out the truth # extract
- Elude — to escape in thricky way # evade
- Emit — to send out; give off # release
- Enact — to pass a law # legislate
- Encircle — to make a circle around # surround
- Encompass — to surround completely; to envelop # include
- Engross — to become completely occupied or involved in an activity # engage
- Enlighten — to give information or understanding to someone # instruct
- Erode — to wear away; disappear slowly # deteriorate
- Evaporate — to vanish # disappear
- Exceptional — unusual in a positive way # phenomenal
- Exemplify — to give an example # symbolize
- Expansion — the act of making larger # growth
- Exports — products sold abroad # foreign saled
- Face — to be in the presence of and oppose # confront
- Feign — to pretend; make believe # simulate
- Finite — of a certain amount; having an end; not infinite # limited
- Flaw — a small sign of damage that makes an item imperfect # defect
- Forfeit — to give up; have something taken away, usually by rule or regulation # relinquish
- Found — to establish: start up a philanthropic organization # establish
- Freshly — caught or produced not long ago # recently
- Gather — to collect # collect
- Gratifying — giving pleasure or feeling of accomplishment; showing thanks # satisfying
- Haphazardly — having no order or pattern; by chance # arbitrarily; carelessly
- Harbor — to give protection; to not express a desire or opinion, usually bad # shelter
- Hazardous — very risky; unsafe # dangerous
- Highlight — to emphasize # emphasize
- Hue — color # color
- Impartial — showing no favoritism; being fair or just # objective
- Impressive — causing admiration because of an object's importance, size or quality # imposing
- Improperly — not following established rules; not desirable # inappropriately
- Impulsively — acting without thinking # capriciously
- In Conjunction With — in addition to; alongside # along with
- Inactive — not moving; not involved # idle
- Incessant — nonstop; continual or never ending # constant
- Indifferent — being uninterested or not caring about something # apathetic
- Indiscriminate — not chosen carefully; unplanned # arbitrary
- Infancy — in the beginning stages of developement # beginning
- Infrequently — almost never # rarely
- Insignificant — not important; of little value # meaningless
- Instantly — happening immediately; in a short period of time # immediately
- Intensify — to make stronger in feeling or quality # heighten
- Interpret — to understand the meaning of something # clarify
- Intolerable — difficult or painful to experience; not able to accept different ways of thought or behavior # unbearable
- Inundate — to flood # overwhelm
- Investigation — a careful examination in order to determine facts # probe
- Involuntarily — in an unthinking manner; not chosen # automatically
- Lasting — forever; without end # enduring
- Legitimate — reasonable; lawful # authentic
- Limber — to be stretched; easily shaped # flexible
- Marvel — something that surprises or impresses # wonder
- Means — ways # methods
- Mention — to say; relate in written form # remark
- Motion — the state of changing one's position; to direct by moving # movement
- Motivate — to provide a reason or purpose for doing something # encourage
- Mysterious — not easily understood or figured out # baffling
- Myth — an invented story or idea # legend
- Narrate — to tell a story; relate # relate
- Negligible — hardly noticeable; scarcely detectable; to ignore; to give little attention # insignificant
- Nominal — very small; in form, but not in substance # moderate
- Normally — commonly; usually # typically
- Noteworthy — diserving positive recognition or attention # remarkable
- Oblivious — to be unaware of or forgetful # ignorant
- Obsolete — being old fashioned; no longer in general use # outdated
- Obstruct — to prevent movement, progress or success # block
- Odd — unusual # specific
- Outlandish — strange and unpleasant; beyond accepted norms # bizarre
- Overcome — to defeat: fight with success; to take control of an individual # conquer
- Overtly — in a way clearly seen; not done secretly # openly
- Parallel — being almost of the same type or time; comparable # similar
- Partially — a part of the whole; incompletely # somewhat
- Particle — a very small piece of something # fragment
- Particular — a certain way or thing; unusual; hard to please; especially # specific
- Pattern — a regular, repeated arrangement or action # habit
- Percieve — to sense; become aware of # observe
- Periodic — occurring at specific, determined periods of time # regularly
- Petition — to make a request # appeal
- Philanthropic — a feeling of love for people, usually resulting in financial aid to worthy causes # humanitarian
- Placid — quiet: not easily upset # calm
- Plentiful — more than sufficient # abundant
- Poll — questionnaire; a vote of public opinion # survey
- Portray — to represent; to act # depict
- Practical — convenient or effective # functional
- Preconception — an opinion formed in advance without experience or knowledge of something # bias
- Predictably — in a way that foretells future events # expectedly
- Profoundly — in a deep way; showing deep knowledge of a subject # significantly
- Profuse — to be very generous, often in excess # abundant
- Prone — likely to do something # inclined to
- Prophetic — correctly telling about future events # predictive
- Proportions — the relationship of size or importance when compared to another object # dimensions
- Purposefully — done for a special reason # deliberately
- Radiant — sending out in all directions, especially heat or light # bright
- Reaction — a reply; a change that occurs when substances are mixed # response
- Reflection — a picture or element thrown back # image
- Release — to allow to come out; to give freedom # free
- Reliably — in a trusted way # dependably
- Relinquish — to give up control # abdicate
- Reluctantly — unwillingly # hesitatingly
- Renown — fame # prominence
- Reportedly — to know by report; unconfirmed; supposedly # rumored
- Requisite — needed for a specific purpose; a formal request # demanded
- Restore — to give back or bring back something; to return to the original condition # revitalize
- Retrive — to find and bring back # recover
- Rhythm — a regular pattern, usually in music # pulse
- Ridge — the top of a mountain range; a raised part of any surface # crest
- Rigid — not easy to bend; firm; inflexible # stiff
- Scarcely — almost not # hardly
- Scattered — spread out or separated widely # dispersed
- Scenic — concerning pleasant natural surroundings # picturesque
- Selective — carefully chosen # discriminating
- Sharply — showing sensitivity or quick thinking; showing a quick change in direction # quickly
- Shed — to throw out naturally; to give out # discard
- Sheltered — protected from harmful elements; isolated from reality # protected
- Situated — being found in a certain place; current condition # located
- Somewhat — a little # slight
- Straightforward — easy to understand; simple; honest # uncomplicated
- Streamline — to update; to make more efficient or concise # simplify
- Sufficiently — enough; in a satisfying manner # adequately
- Superficial — simple; not deep; near the surface # shallow
- Superior — excellent quality; above all the rest # exceptional
- Supposedly — according to reports or hearsay; widely believed or accepted # presumably
- Sustained — continuing in a constant way; remaining strong # consistent
- Swift — quick # fast
- Symbols — signs or objects that represent something or somebody # marks
- Systematically — done according to a plan # methodically
- Tedious — long and tiring # monotonous
- Theoretically — according to a reasoned, but not proven point of view # hypothetically
- Tranquility — calm; quietness # peacfulness
- Transport — to move from one place to another # carry
- Trap — to catch and hold onto, usually by trickery; deceive # retain
- Triumph — a victory; a success # achievement
- Unbiased — with no preconception # objective
- Undeniably — clearly true # absoloutely
- Underestimated — guessed lower than the actual quantity # miscalculated
- Unlikely — not probable # doubtful
- Unmistakable — clearly able to be determined # indisputable
- Unraval — to organize; make clear # separate
- Unwarranted — without good reason or cause; inappropriate # unjustified
- Vanishing — going out of sight # disappearing
- Visibly — can be seen; power of imagination or wisdom especially with regard to the future # noticeably
- Wanton — done without thought or consideration; grossly negligent # sensless
- Weak — not strong; incapable # ineffective
- Well-Suited — to be complementary or appropriate; a good match # compatible
- Widespread — found everywhere # extensive
- Wisdom — knowledge and understanding # insight
- Withdraw — to remove, take out or take back # extract
- Woo — to make efforts to attain or gain something # attract