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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