400 Must Have Words For The TOEFL Flashcards

0
Q

aggregate

A

Gathered into a whole

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1
Q

adversely

A

In a harmful way

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2
Q

cultivation

A

Preparing the land to grow crops

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3
Q

intensify

A

To increase in power

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4
Q

precipitation

A

Rainfall

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5
Q

anticipate

A

To expect

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6
Q

collide

A

To come together with violent force

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7
Q

famine

A

Severe hunger

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8
Q

persevere

A

To keep going

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9
Q

plunge

A

To go down suddenly

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10
Q

diverse

A

Various

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11
Q

inherent

A

Naturally characteristic

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12
Q

constraint

A

Something that restricts though or action

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13
Q

contamination

A

Being made less clean by a germ or hazardous substance

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14
Q

deplete

A

To greatly decrease the supply of a resource or material

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15
Q

elementally

A

In terms of elements; basically

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16
Q

emission

A

Sending out from a small space into the general environment

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17
Q

extinction

A

Complete disappearance

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18
Q

arbitrary

A

Chosen simply by whim or chance

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19
Q

denominator

A

The number written below the line in a fraction (lowest common denominator)

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20
Q

exponentially

A

At a very fast rate

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21
Q

infinitesimal

A

Immeasurably small

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22
Q

adjacent

A

Next to

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23
Q

feasibly

A

Practically

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24
Q

gut

A

To empty or hollow out

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25
Q

integrally

A

In a whole or complete manner

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26
Q

overlap

A

To lie over part of something

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27
Q

retain

A

To keep or hold

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28
Q

seep

A

To pass slowly for a long time, as a liquid or gas might

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29
Q

circulate

A

To move throughout an area or group

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30
Q

corrode

A

To be slowly weakened by chemical reactions

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31
Q

derive

A

To come from

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32
Q

expeditiously

A

Quickly and efficiently

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33
Q

implement

A

To make use of

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34
Q

innovative

A

Novel

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35
Q

combustion

A

The process of burning

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36
Q

convey

A

To transport from one place to another

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37
Q

discretely

A

Separately

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38
Q

nucleus

A

A core

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39
Q

permeate

A

To spread or flow throughout

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40
Q

trigger

A

To set off or initiate

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41
Q

acquisition

A

The act of taking possession of something

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42
Q

consciously

A

With awareness of one’s action

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43
Q

degrade

A

To reduce in value or strength

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44
Q

indisputable

A

Beyond doubt

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45
Q

intervene

A

To come between

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46
Q

intuitively

A

By means of a natural sense about things that are hard to observe

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47
Q

recede

A

To move back or away from

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48
Q

agnostic

A

Believing that humans cannot know whether there is a god

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49
Q

animism

A

The belief that natural objects, such as trees, have souls

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50
Q

be inclined to

A

To favor an opinion or a course of action

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51
Q

contemplate

A

To consider thoughtfully

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52
Q

deify

A

To worship as a god

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53
Q

exalt

A

To praise or honor

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54
Q

pious

A

Having or exhibiting religious reverence

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55
Q

aggravate

A

To make worse

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56
Q

decrepit

A

Weakened or worn out because of age, illness, or excessive use

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57
Q

forensics

A

The use of science and technology to investigate facts in criminal cases

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58
Q

terminal

A

Located at an end

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59
Q

augment

A

To make bigger or better by adding to

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60
Q

certifiably

A

In a manner that is officially recognized

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61
Q

divination

A

Foretelling the future by finding patterns in physical objects

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62
Q

intermediary

A

Acting as an agent between people or things

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63
Q

invoke

A

To call on for support

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64
Q

self-perpetuating

A

Having the power to renew oneself for an indefinite period of time

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65
Q

assimilate

A

To consume and incorporate; to become similar

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66
Q

domesticate

A

To make something suitable for being in a home

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67
Q

rite

A

A ceremony meant to achieve a certain purpose

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68
Q

saga

A

A long story about important events long ago

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69
Q

vestige

A

A visible trace that something once existed

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70
Q

amend

A

To change for the better

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71
Q

biased

A

Learning unfairly in one direction

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72
Q

burden

A

Something that is carried; a source of stress or worry

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73
Q

counter

A

To act in opposition

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74
Q

notion

A

A belief

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75
Q

oppress

A

To keep down by force

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76
Q

prejudiced

A

Causing to judge prematurely and unfairly

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77
Q

carriculum

A

The courses of study offered by an educational institution

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78
Q

distinctly

A

Clearly

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79
Q

erudite

A

Highly educated

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80
Q

fortify

A

To strengthen

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81
Q

implicitly

A

Without being stated; unquestioningly

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82
Q

parochial

A

Restricted in outlook; relating to the local parish

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83
Q

rigor

A

Strictness

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84
Q

secular

A

Worldly rather than spiritual; not related to religion

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85
Q

allegiance

A

Loyalty

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86
Q

in the trenches

A

In the middle of the hardest fighting or work

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87
Q

mobilize

A

To put members of a group into motion

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88
Q

annex

A

To make something (usually land) part of another unit

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89
Q

apex

A

The highest point

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90
Q

devise

A

To find an original way to make an object or a plan

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91
Q

prevailing

A

Strongest or most common

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92
Q

severely

A

Harshly; extremely

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93
Q

coincide

A

Happen or exist at the same time

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94
Q

diminish

A

Make something smaller or weaker

95
Q

milieu

A

General environment or surroundings

96
Q

reconciliation

A

Coming back together peacefully after having been enemies

97
Q

allocate

A

To give out different amounts for different purposes

98
Q

commodity

A

A thing that can be bought and sold, such as grain, oil, or wood

99
Q

decline

A

To decrease in power or amount

100
Q

equity

A

The value of one’s share in an investment

101
Q

inflation

A

A situation in which prices for many items rise quite fast

102
Q

net

A

After all costs have been subtracted from an amount

103
Q

accumulate

A

To build up a large amount of something

104
Q

affluence

A

Wealth and the style of life that goes with it

105
Q

impoverish

A

To make a person or group poor

106
Q

nobility

A

A group of socially prominent people with special titles given by a king or queen, such as duke or countess

107
Q

acquire

A

To get something with special value or meaning

108
Q

assess

A

To estimate the value of something

109
Q

lease

A

To rent something for a long time

110
Q

liability

A

Legal responsibility for harming a person or property

111
Q

proprietor

A

Owner, usually of a business or a building

112
Q

safeguard

A

To protect

113
Q

sole

A

Only

114
Q

compensate

A

To give an employee money or other things in exchange for the work he or she does

115
Q

enterprising

A

Creative in thinking of ways to make money

116
Q

exploit

A

To take advantage of; treat inconsiderately in order to profit

117
Q

incentive

A

A possible benefit that motivates a person to do a certain thing

118
Q

industrious

A

Willing to work hard

119
Q

marginal

A

Not very significant or effective

120
Q

merit

A

Value; success based on one’s work, not on luck

121
Q

distill

A

To remove one liquid from a mixture of liquidsby boiling; to get something valuable from a confusing mix of ideas

122
Q

entrepreneurial

A

Able to create business opportunities from a wide variety of circumstances

123
Q

haggle

A

To argue back and forth about a price

124
Q

intrepid

A

Fearless

125
Q

shuttle

A

To move back and forth often between two places

126
Q

advocate

A

To speak out in favor of something

127
Q

bitterly

A

Strongly and with a lot of bad feelings

128
Q

coalition

A

A group of several different groups or countries that are working together to achieve a certain goal

129
Q

inaugurate

A

To bring into public office; to start formally

130
Q

allegedly

A

According to what people say

131
Q

civil

A

Involving a dispute between two citizens, not a criminal charge

132
Q

offense

A

A specific act that brakes the law

133
Q

peer

A

A person who is one’s social equal

134
Q

apprehend

A

To capture

135
Q

ascertain

A

To make sure of

136
Q

bureaucratic

A

Related to large organization with a lot of complicated procedures

137
Q

condemn

A

To speak out against something in very strong terms

138
Q

implicate

A

To suggest that someone was involved in a crime or other wrong behavior

139
Q

inquiry

A

An investigation

140
Q

intrusively

A

In a way that brings an unwanted person or thing into someone else’s affairs

141
Q

seize

A

To take something against its owner’s will

142
Q

assail

A

To attack or criticize forcefully

143
Q

contrary

A

Opposite

144
Q

impair

A

To make something less effective than usual

145
Q

inference

A

A conclusion drawn from evidence

146
Q

objectively

A

Based on unbiased standards, not on personal opinion

147
Q

tolerate

A

To avoid getting upset about something

148
Q

versus

A

Against

149
Q

bribery

A

Giving money or other gifts to a government official or other person in authority in order to get special privileges

150
Q

erode

A

To wear away and become smaller

151
Q

evade

A

To get away from something that tries to catch you

152
Q

grotesque

A

Extremely unattractive, in a way that catches a lot of attention

153
Q

prevalent

A

Common; easy to find because it exists in great amounts

154
Q

abduction

A

Kidnapping

155
Q

coerce

A

To force; to put pressure on someone to do something

156
Q

detain

A

To prevent someone, for a relatively short time, from going on their way

157
Q

deviant

A

In a style that is not normal and is offensive to many

158
Q

distort

A

To twist or misrepresent; to make something seem different from what it really is

159
Q

intentionally

A

On purpose, not by accident

160
Q

predicament

A

A difficult situation, one that is hard to get out of

161
Q

smuggle

A

To illegally bring things into a country

162
Q

villainy

A

Exceptional badness, as demonstrated by many serious evil deeds

163
Q

interdict

A

To keep something from reaching a certain place

164
Q

juxtapose

A

Place next to one another

165
Q

misconception

A

A mistaken belief

166
Q

potent

A

Powerful

167
Q

residual

A

Left behind after most of a thing has gone

168
Q

subtly

A

In a quiet, hard-to-notice way

169
Q

ancestral

A

Relating to family members from earlier generations

170
Q

cohesion

A

Ability to stay together as a unit

171
Q

descendant

A

A direct relative in a later generation

172
Q

inheritance

A

Things passed down to you from your ancestors

173
Q

kin

A

Relatives

174
Q

legitimate

A

True and respectable; in the context of family, born of a mother and father who were married to each other

175
Q

paternal

A

Relating to a father

176
Q

proximity

A

Nearness

177
Q

sentiment

A

Feelings; opinion based on feelings

178
Q

sibling

A

Brother or sister

179
Q

clique

A

A small group of friends who are unfriendly to people outside the group

180
Q

confide

A

To tell very personal things

181
Q

fluctuate

A

To change often, from one condition to another

182
Q

solidarity

A

Standing together despite pressure to move apart

183
Q

despondent

A

Extremely sad and without hope for the future

184
Q

engender

A

To bring into being; to cause to exist

185
Q

proliferation

A

An increase in the number of something and in the number of places it can be found

186
Q

reciprocity

A

Doing as much for another as he or she has done for you

187
Q

arrogantly

A

In a way that shows a high opinion of oneself and a low opinion of others

188
Q

berate

A

To say insulting and disrespectful things

189
Q

contemptuous

A

Having no respect

190
Q

despise

A

Hate very much

191
Q

obnoxious

A

Bothersome; doing small things that others don’t like

192
Q

stigmatize

A

To mark with a visible feature that makes other people think, perhaps incorrectly, that someone or something is wrong

193
Q

vitriolic

A

Showing an extreme, hateful anger

194
Q

cascading

A

Falling or moving onward through several stages from one point to another, like a series of waterfalls

195
Q

cloak

A

To hide; make something difficult to see

196
Q

dire

A

Extremely bad

197
Q

embrace

A

To eagerly take hold of something; to hug

198
Q

hover

A

To stay near a person or place, like a bird or a helicopter constantly staying overhead

199
Q

novice

A

Someone without much earlier experience at a task

200
Q

overwhelming

A

So large or intense that someone has difficulty understanding or controlling it

201
Q

plummet

A

To fall a long way in a short time

202
Q

adolescent

A

Characteristic of a teenager; not fully grown up

203
Q

delinquency

A

Serious misbehavior; not doing what one should do

204
Q

fringe

A

Edge; in social contexts, parts of society that look or act very different from most people

205
Q

hedonistic

A

Extremely interested in seeking pleasure

206
Q

abstract

A

Not concrete and realistic; not obviously related to everyday experience

207
Q

context

A

A larger environment that something fits into

208
Q

depict

A

To show in pictures

209
Q

intrinsic

A

Being part of the basic nature of something

210
Q

portrayal

A

A description of drawing that reflects a certain point of view

211
Q

spectrum

A

A range of different things, usually colors

212
Q

advent

A

Coming; arrival

213
Q

ambiguous

A

Having more than one possible meaning

214
Q

connotation

A

A meaning implied, not stated directly

215
Q

decipher

A

To figure out the meaning, even thought it is written in a code or an unknown language

216
Q

denote

A

To mean something clearly and directly

217
Q

illiterate

A

Unable to read

218
Q

ingenious

A

Very clever and imaginative

219
Q

inscription

A

Something written into a piece of rock or metal

220
Q

phonetic

A

Related to the sounds in a language

221
Q

amateurish

A

Not good enough to be the work of professionals

222
Q

gala

A

Expensive, elaborately arranged, and full of celebration

223
Q

hilarious

A

Very funny

224
Q

improvisation

A

Inventing a solution to an unexpected problem

225
Q

incompetent

A

Unskilled; lacking the ability to perform a task

226
Q

medium

A

A channel or way for a meaning to be expressed

227
Q

skit

A

A short, informal play

228
Q

zeal

A

Enthusiasm; a deep determination to do well

229
Q

bulk

A

Largeness and a heavy appearance

230
Q

capricious

A

Moving unpredictably from one thing to another

231
Q

cumbersome

A

Difficult to wear or carry because of weight or shape

232
Q

inhibit

A

To discourage or to slow down

233
Q

striking

A

Very noticeable; easily attracting attention

234
Q

vanity

A

An excessive concern for one’s appearance

235
Q

vulnerable

A

Exposed to possible harm