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