400 Must Have Words For The TOEFL Flashcards
(236 cards)
0
Q
aggregate
A
Gathered into a whole
1
Q
adversely
A
In a harmful way
2
Q
cultivation
A
Preparing the land to grow crops
3
Q
intensify
A
To increase in power
4
Q
precipitation
A
Rainfall
5
Q
anticipate
A
To expect
6
Q
collide
A
To come together with violent force
7
Q
famine
A
Severe hunger
8
Q
persevere
A
To keep going
9
Q
plunge
A
To go down suddenly
10
Q
diverse
A
Various
11
Q
inherent
A
Naturally characteristic
12
Q
constraint
A
Something that restricts though or action
13
Q
contamination
A
Being made less clean by a germ or hazardous substance
14
Q
deplete
A
To greatly decrease the supply of a resource or material
15
Q
elementally
A
In terms of elements; basically
16
Q
emission
A
Sending out from a small space into the general environment
17
Q
extinction
A
Complete disappearance
18
Q
arbitrary
A
Chosen simply by whim or chance
19
Q
denominator
A
The number written below the line in a fraction (lowest common denominator)
20
Q
exponentially
A
At a very fast rate
21
Q
infinitesimal
A
Immeasurably small
22
Q
adjacent
A
Next to
23
Q
feasibly
A
Practically
24
gut
To empty or hollow out
25
integrally
In a whole or complete manner
26
overlap
To lie over part of something
27
retain
To keep or hold
28
seep
To pass slowly for a long time, as a liquid or gas might
29
circulate
To move throughout an area or group
30
corrode
To be slowly weakened by chemical reactions
31
derive
To come from
32
expeditiously
Quickly and efficiently
33
implement
To make use of
34
innovative
Novel
35
combustion
The process of burning
36
convey
To transport from one place to another
37
discretely
Separately
38
nucleus
A core
39
permeate
To spread or flow throughout
40
trigger
To set off or initiate
41
acquisition
The act of taking possession of something
42
consciously
With awareness of one's action
43
degrade
To reduce in value or strength
44
indisputable
Beyond doubt
45
intervene
To come between
46
intuitively
By means of a natural sense about things that are hard to observe
47
recede
To move back or away from
48
agnostic
Believing that humans cannot know whether there is a god
49
animism
The belief that natural objects, such as trees, have souls
50
be inclined to
To favor an opinion or a course of action
51
contemplate
To consider thoughtfully
52
deify
To worship as a god
53
exalt
To praise or honor
54
pious
Having or exhibiting religious reverence
55
aggravate
To make worse
56
decrepit
Weakened or worn out because of age, illness, or excessive use
57
forensics
The use of science and technology to investigate facts in criminal cases
58
terminal
Located at an end
59
augment
To make bigger or better by adding to
60
certifiably
In a manner that is officially recognized
61
divination
Foretelling the future by finding patterns in physical objects
62
intermediary
Acting as an agent between people or things
63
invoke
To call on for support
64
self-perpetuating
Having the power to renew oneself for an indefinite period of time
65
assimilate
To consume and incorporate; to become similar
66
domesticate
To make something suitable for being in a home
67
rite
A ceremony meant to achieve a certain purpose
68
saga
A long story about important events long ago
69
vestige
A visible trace that something once existed
70
amend
To change for the better
71
biased
Learning unfairly in one direction
72
burden
Something that is carried; a source of stress or worry
73
counter
To act in opposition
74
notion
A belief
75
oppress
To keep down by force
76
prejudiced
Causing to judge prematurely and unfairly
77
carriculum
The courses of study offered by an educational institution
78
distinctly
Clearly
79
erudite
Highly educated
80
fortify
To strengthen
81
implicitly
Without being stated; unquestioningly
82
parochial
Restricted in outlook; relating to the local parish
83
rigor
Strictness
84
secular
Worldly rather than spiritual; not related to religion
85
allegiance
Loyalty
86
in the trenches
In the middle of the hardest fighting or work
87
mobilize
To put members of a group into motion
88
annex
To make something (usually land) part of another unit
89
apex
The highest point
90
devise
To find an original way to make an object or a plan
91
prevailing
Strongest or most common
92
severely
Harshly; extremely
93
coincide
Happen or exist at the same time
94
diminish
Make something smaller or weaker
95
milieu
General environment or surroundings
96
reconciliation
Coming back together peacefully after having been enemies
97
allocate
To give out different amounts for different purposes
98
commodity
A thing that can be bought and sold, such as grain, oil, or wood
99
decline
To decrease in power or amount
100
equity
The value of one's share in an investment
101
inflation
A situation in which prices for many items rise quite fast
102
net
After all costs have been subtracted from an amount
103
accumulate
To build up a large amount of something
104
affluence
Wealth and the style of life that goes with it
105
impoverish
To make a person or group poor
106
nobility
A group of socially prominent people with special titles given by a king or queen, such as duke or countess
107
acquire
To get something with special value or meaning
108
assess
To estimate the value of something
109
lease
To rent something for a long time
110
liability
Legal responsibility for harming a person or property
111
proprietor
Owner, usually of a business or a building
112
safeguard
To protect
113
sole
Only
114
compensate
To give an employee money or other things in exchange for the work he or she does
115
enterprising
Creative in thinking of ways to make money
116
exploit
To take advantage of; treat inconsiderately in order to profit
117
incentive
A possible benefit that motivates a person to do a certain thing
118
industrious
Willing to work hard
119
marginal
Not very significant or effective
120
merit
Value; success based on one's work, not on luck
121
distill
To remove one liquid from a mixture of liquidsby boiling; to get something valuable from a confusing mix of ideas
122
entrepreneurial
Able to create business opportunities from a wide variety of circumstances
123
haggle
To argue back and forth about a price
124
intrepid
Fearless
125
shuttle
To move back and forth often between two places
126
advocate
To speak out in favor of something
127
bitterly
Strongly and with a lot of bad feelings
128
coalition
A group of several different groups or countries that are working together to achieve a certain goal
129
inaugurate
To bring into public office; to start formally
130
allegedly
According to what people say
131
civil
Involving a dispute between two citizens, not a criminal charge
132
offense
A specific act that brakes the law
133
peer
A person who is one's social equal
134
apprehend
To capture
135
ascertain
To make sure of
136
bureaucratic
Related to large organization with a lot of complicated procedures
137
condemn
To speak out against something in very strong terms
138
implicate
To suggest that someone was involved in a crime or other wrong behavior
139
inquiry
An investigation
140
intrusively
In a way that brings an unwanted person or thing into someone else's affairs
141
seize
To take something against its owner's will
142
assail
To attack or criticize forcefully
143
contrary
Opposite
144
impair
To make something less effective than usual
145
inference
A conclusion drawn from evidence
146
objectively
Based on unbiased standards, not on personal opinion
147
tolerate
To avoid getting upset about something
148
versus
Against
149
bribery
Giving money or other gifts to a government official or other person in authority in order to get special privileges
150
erode
To wear away and become smaller
151
evade
To get away from something that tries to catch you
152
grotesque
Extremely unattractive, in a way that catches a lot of attention
153
prevalent
Common; easy to find because it exists in great amounts
154
abduction
Kidnapping
155
coerce
To force; to put pressure on someone to do something
156
detain
To prevent someone, for a relatively short time, from going on their way
157
deviant
In a style that is not normal and is offensive to many
158
distort
To twist or misrepresent; to make something seem different from what it really is
159
intentionally
On purpose, not by accident
160
predicament
A difficult situation, one that is hard to get out of
161
smuggle
To illegally bring things into a country
162
villainy
Exceptional badness, as demonstrated by many serious evil deeds
163
interdict
To keep something from reaching a certain place
164
juxtapose
Place next to one another
165
misconception
A mistaken belief
166
potent
Powerful
167
residual
Left behind after most of a thing has gone
168
subtly
In a quiet, hard-to-notice way
169
ancestral
Relating to family members from earlier generations
170
cohesion
Ability to stay together as a unit
171
descendant
A direct relative in a later generation
172
inheritance
Things passed down to you from your ancestors
173
kin
Relatives
174
legitimate
True and respectable; in the context of family, born of a mother and father who were married to each other
175
paternal
Relating to a father
176
proximity
Nearness
177
sentiment
Feelings; opinion based on feelings
178
sibling
Brother or sister
179
clique
A small group of friends who are unfriendly to people outside the group
180
confide
To tell very personal things
181
fluctuate
To change often, from one condition to another
182
solidarity
Standing together despite pressure to move apart
183
despondent
Extremely sad and without hope for the future
184
engender
To bring into being; to cause to exist
185
proliferation
An increase in the number of something and in the number of places it can be found
186
reciprocity
Doing as much for another as he or she has done for you
187
arrogantly
In a way that shows a high opinion of oneself and a low opinion of others
188
berate
To say insulting and disrespectful things
189
contemptuous
Having no respect
190
despise
Hate very much
191
obnoxious
Bothersome; doing small things that others don't like
192
stigmatize
To mark with a visible feature that makes other people think, perhaps incorrectly, that someone or something is wrong
193
vitriolic
Showing an extreme, hateful anger
194
cascading
Falling or moving onward through several stages from one point to another, like a series of waterfalls
195
cloak
To hide; make something difficult to see
196
dire
Extremely bad
197
embrace
To eagerly take hold of something; to hug
198
hover
To stay near a person or place, like a bird or a helicopter constantly staying overhead
199
novice
Someone without much earlier experience at a task
200
overwhelming
So large or intense that someone has difficulty understanding or controlling it
201
plummet
To fall a long way in a short time
202
adolescent
Characteristic of a teenager; not fully grown up
203
delinquency
Serious misbehavior; not doing what one should do
204
fringe
Edge; in social contexts, parts of society that look or act very different from most people
205
hedonistic
Extremely interested in seeking pleasure
206
abstract
Not concrete and realistic; not obviously related to everyday experience
207
context
A larger environment that something fits into
208
depict
To show in pictures
209
intrinsic
Being part of the basic nature of something
210
portrayal
A description of drawing that reflects a certain point of view
211
spectrum
A range of different things, usually colors
212
advent
Coming; arrival
213
ambiguous
Having more than one possible meaning
214
connotation
A meaning implied, not stated directly
215
decipher
To figure out the meaning, even thought it is written in a code or an unknown language
216
denote
To mean something clearly and directly
217
illiterate
Unable to read
218
ingenious
Very clever and imaginative
219
inscription
Something written into a piece of rock or metal
220
phonetic
Related to the sounds in a language
221
amateurish
Not good enough to be the work of professionals
222
gala
Expensive, elaborately arranged, and full of celebration
223
hilarious
Very funny
224
improvisation
Inventing a solution to an unexpected problem
225
incompetent
Unskilled; lacking the ability to perform a task
226
medium
A channel or way for a meaning to be expressed
227
skit
A short, informal play
228
zeal
Enthusiasm; a deep determination to do well
229
bulk
Largeness and a heavy appearance
230
capricious
Moving unpredictably from one thing to another
231
cumbersome
Difficult to wear or carry because of weight or shape
232
inhibit
To discourage or to slow down
233
striking
Very noticeable; easily attracting attention
234
vanity
An excessive concern for one's appearance
235
vulnerable
Exposed to possible harm
