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19,795 words · page 7 of 7
- torture/ˈtɔːt͡ʃə/noun · B1The deliberate causing of severe pain to punish or extract information.
- toss/tɒs/verb · A2To throw lightly; salads and pancakes get this treatment.
- total/ˈtəʊ.tl̩/noun · B1The whole amount when everything is counted.
- totalitarian/ˌtəʊtalɪˈtɛəɹiən/adjective · C1Controlling every part of life, public and private.
- totally/ˈtəʊ.tə.li/adverb · A2Entirely, with nothing left out.
- tote/təʊt/verb · C1To carry something about with you.
- tote bagnoun · B1A large open cloth bag with two handles.
- totem/ˈtoʊtəm/noun · C1An animal or natural object held sacred by a clan as the badge of its kinship, often carved on a tall wooden pole.
- totemic/təʊˈtɛmɪk/adjective · C2Standing as a powerful symbol for a group.
- totter/ˈtɒtə/verb · C2To move unsteadily as if about to fall.
- toucan/ˈtuːkən/noun · B1+A tropical bird with a huge brightly coloured beak.
- touch/tʌt͡ʃ/verb · A2To put your fingers or hand on something.
- touch up/ˈtʌt͡ʃ ʌp/phrase · B2To repair your appearance slightly.
- touch woodphrase · B2Said to avoid spoiling your own luck by mentioning it.
- touch-up/ˈtʌt͡ʃˌʌp/noun · B2A small repair to make-up during the day.
- touchdown/ˈtʌt͡ʃ.daʊn/noun · B2The moment wheels meet the runway again.
- touchpad/ˈtʌt͡ʃˌpæd/noun · C1The panel a swimmer strikes to stop the clock.
- touchstone/ˈtʌt͡ʃstəʊn/noun · C1A standard by which other things are judged.
- touchy/ˈtʌt͡ʃi/adjective · B2Easily offended; a subject best raised carefully.
- tough/tʌf/adjective · B1Strong and hard to break, or difficult to deal with.
- toughen/ˈtʌfən/verb · B2+To make stronger or more able to endure.
- toughnessnoun · C1The quality of being hard to break or hard to beat.
- toupee/tuːˈpeɪ/noun · C1A small hairpiece worn to cover baldness.
- tour/tɔː(ɹ)/noun · A2A run of concerts in different towns.
- tour operatornoun · B2The company that puts a package holiday together.
- tourism/ˈtʊəɹɪzəm/noun · B1+The business of people travelling for pleasure.
- tourist/ˈtʊəɹɪst/noun · A2+A person visiting a place on holiday, camera in hand.
- tourmaline/ˈtʊɚ.mə.lɪn/noun · C2A crystal that comes in many colours.
- tournament/ˈtʊənəmənt/noun · B2A big competition of many rounds until one winner is left.
- tourniquet/ˈtʊə.nɪ.keɪ/noun · C1A tight band that stops heavy bleeding from a limb.
- tousle/ˈtaʊ.zəl/verb · C1To make hair untidy by rubbing it.
- tout/taʊt/verb · C1To try noisily to sell something.
- tow/təʊ/verb · B1+To pull a vehicle behind another.
- tow truck/ˈtoʊ.tɹʌk/noun · B1A vehicle that drags a broken-down car away.
- toward/təˈwɔːd/preposition · A2+In the direction of somebody or something.
- towel/ˈtaʊ̯əl/noun · A2The soft cloth you dry yourself with after a shower.
- towel dryphrase · B1To dry yourself by rubbing with cloth.
- tower/ˈtaʊ.ə(ɹ)/noun · A2+A very tall narrow building, or the tall part of a castle.
- town/ˈtaʊ̯n/noun · A1A place with streets and shops, bigger than a village but smaller than a big one.
- town hallphrase · B1The official building where the local government works.
- townhouse/ˈtaʊnˌhaʊs/noun · B2+A tall narrow house in a city row.
- township/ˈtaʊnʃɪp/noun · B2+A small town, or an administrative district.
- towpathnoun · C1The path beside a canal where horses once pulled boats.
- toxic/ˈtɒk.sɪk/adjective · C1Deadly to swallow — or, these days, deadly to be around.
- toxicity/tɒkˈsɪs.ə.ti/noun · C1How poisonous something is.
- toxicology/ˌtɒksɪˈkɒləd͡ʒi/noun · C1The study of poisons and their effects.
- toxin/ˈtɒksɪn/noun · C1A natural substance that harms the body.
- toy/tɔɪ/noun · A2An object made for a child to play with.
- trace/tɹeɪs/noun · B1A small sign that something was there.
- trace fossilnoun · C1A footprint or burrow left by an ancient creature.
- traceability/ˌtɹeɪsəˈbɪlɪti/noun · C1Being able to track where every part came from.
- traceable/ˈtɹeɪsəbəl/adjective · B2+Able to be followed back to its source.
- tracery/ˈtɹeɪsəɹi/noun · C2Fine ornamental stonework in a window.
- track/ˈtɹæk/noun · A2The oval running path with painted lanes around a sports field.
- track/ˈtɹæk/noun · B1The pair of rails a train runs along.
- track cyclingnoun · B2Racing on a purpose-built banked circuit.
- tracker/ˈtɹækə(ɹ)/noun · B1+Somebody or something that follows a trail.
- tracking/ˈtɹækɪŋ/noun · B1Following where your order has got to.
- tracking numbernoun · B1The code that lets you follow a parcel's journey.
- tracking shotnoun · C1A shot where the whole camera moves with the subject.
- tracks/tɹæks/noun · B1The marks an animal leaves on soft ground.
- tracksuit/ˈtɹækˌsut/noun · B1+A loose two-piece outfit for sport or lounging.
- tract/tɹækt/noun · C1A large stretch of land, or a short pamphlet.
- tractable/ˈtɹæk.tə.bəl/adjective · C2Easy to manage or to deal with.
- traction/ˈtɹæk.ʃən/noun · B2+The grip a wheel or a foot has on a surface.
- tractor/ˈtɹæktə/noun · A2+A powerful farm vehicle built to pull machinery.
- tractor cabnoun · B1The glass box the driver of a farm vehicle sits in.
- trade/tɹeɪd/verb · A2To buy, sell, or swap goods.
- trade-offnoun · B2Giving up some of one good thing to get another.
- trademark/ˈtɹeɪdmɑːk/noun · C1A name or symbol that only one company may use.
- trader/ˈtɹeɪdə(ɹ)/noun · B2Somebody who buys and sells for a living.
- tradesmannoun · B2+A man who works at a skilled manual trade.
- trading/ˈtɹeɪdɪŋ/noun · B2The buying and selling of goods or shares.
- trading standardsnoun · C1The body that checks traders deal fairly.
- tradition/tɹəˈdɪʃ.ən/noun · A2+Something a community has done the same way for generations.
- traditional/tɹəˈdɪʃ.ə.nəl/adjective · B1+Done the way it has been done for generations.
- traditionalismnoun · C1A firm attachment to long-established ways.
- traffic/ˈtɹæfɪk/noun · A1All the cars moving — or not moving — on the road.
- traffic jamphrase · B1When so many cars fill the road that nobody moves.
- traffic light/ˈtɹæˌfɪk laɪt/noun · A2The signal that tells traffic when to stop and go.
- traffickernoun · B2+Somebody who deals illegally in goods or people.
- tragedy/ˈtɹæd͡ʒ.ɪ.di/noun · B2A serious play with a deeply sad ending; also, any terrible event.
- tragic/ˈtɹæd͡ʒɪk/adjective · B2Causing great sorrow through disaster or death.
- trail/tɹeɪl/noun · A2A rough path worn through woods or hills by feet.
- trail markernoun · B2The paint or post that shows the way.
- trail offphrase · C1To grow gradually fainter and stop.
- trailblazer/ˈtɹeɪlbleɪzə/noun · B2+Somebody who is first to open up a new path.
- trailer/ˈtɹeɪlə(ɹ)/noun · B1The two-minute preview shown before a film comes out.
- trailheadnoun · B2The place where a walking route begins.
- trailing/ˈtɹeɪ.lɪŋ/adjective · B2Hanging down and dragging along.
- train/ˈtɹeɪn/noun · A1It runs on rails from city to city, pulling many cars behind it.
- train/ˈtɹeɪn/verb · A2To practice hard and regularly to get better at something.
- train drivernoun · A2The person who operates a train.
- train of thoughtnoun · B2The connected line your thinking follows.
- trainee/tɹeɪˈni/noun · B2+A person still learning the job while doing it.
- trainers/ˈtɹeɪnə(ɹ)z/noun · A2+Soft shoes made for running and worn everywhere else.
- training/ˈtɹeɪnɪŋ/noun · A2+Organized learning that prepares you to do a job well.
- traipse/tɹeɪps/verb · C1To trudge about wearily and without much purpose.
- trait/tɹeɪt/noun · B2A distinguishing feature of a person's character.
- traitor/ˈtɹeɪtə(ɹ)/noun · B2Somebody who betrays their country or their friends.
- traitorous/ˈtɹeɪtəɹəs/adjective · C1Turning against the country or cause you swore loyalty to, as one who goes over to the enemy.
- trajectory/tɹəˈd͡ʒɛktəɹi/noun · C1The curved path something follows through air or through life.
- tram/tɹæm/noun · B1+The electric city train that runs on rails in the middle of the street.
- tram stopnoun · B1The place a street railway picks passengers up.
- tramp/ˈtɹæmp/noun · B2Somebody with no home who wanders about.
- trample/ˈtɹæmpəl/verb · B2To walk heavily over something and crush it.
- trampoline/ˌtɹæmpəˈliːn/noun · C1A sheet on springs that bounces you into the air.
- trampoliningnoun · B1The sport of bouncing high and turning in the air.
- trance/tɹɑːns/noun · B2A dazed state between sleeping and waking.
- tranquil/ˈtɹæŋ.kwɪl/adjective · C1Peacefully calm and quiet.
- tranquility/træŋˈkwɪlɪti/noun · C1Deep calm and quiet.
- tranquilizer/ˈtɹæ̞ŋkwɪläɪ̯zə/noun · B2+A drug that calms without dulling the mind.
- transaction/tɹænˈzækʃən/noun · C1One completed act of paying and receiving.
- transatlanticadjective · C1Crossing or on the other side of the Atlantic.
- transcend/tɹæn(t)ˈsɛnd/verb · C1To rise above the usual limits of something.
- transcendence/tɹæn(t)ˈsɛndəns/noun · C1Rising above the limits of ordinary experience.
- transcribe/trænˈskɹaɪb/verb · B2+To write out speech or notes in full.
- transcript/ˈtɹæn.skɹɪpt/noun · C1The official record of all your courses and grades.
- transept/ˈtɹænsɛpt/noun · C2The arm that crosses the nave of a church.
- transfer/tɹɑːnsˈfɜː/noun · B2Changing from one plane or train to another in the middle of a trip.
- transfer/tɹɑːnsˈfɜː/verb · B2To move something to a different place or owner.
- transfixverb · C1To hold somebody motionless with amazement.
- transform/tɹænsˈfɔːm/verb · B2To change something completely into something new.
- transformation/ˌtɹæns.fə(ɹ)ˈmeɪ.ʃən/noun · C1A complete change in form or character.
- transformer/tɹænsˈfɔːmə/noun · B2+A device that changes the voltage of a supply.
- transfusion/tɹænzˈfjuʒən/noun · B2+Putting blood from one person into another.
- transgress/tɹænzˈɡɹɛs/verb · C1To go beyond what a law or a rule allows.
- transgression/trɑːnzˈɡrɛʃn/noun · C1An act that breaks a law or a moral rule.
- transient/ˈtɹan.zi.ənt/adjective · C1Lasting only a very short time.
- transistor/tɹænˈzɪs.tɚ/noun · B2+A tiny device that controls the flow of current.
- transit/ˈtɹæn.zɪt/noun · C1Passing through an airport without entering the country.
- transition/tɹænˈzɪʃ.ən/noun · B2The passage from one state to another.
- transitive/ˈtɹænzɪtɪv/adjective · C1Said of a verb that takes an object.
- translate/tɹɑːnzˈleɪt/verb · B1+To turn words from one language into another.
- translation/tɹænzˈleɪʃən/noun · B1+The same text carried over into another language.
- translator/ˈtɹænzleɪtɚ/noun · B2A person who turns words from one language into another.
- translucent/tɹænzˈluː.sənt/adjective · B2+Letting light through without letting you see clearly.
- transmission/tɹænsˈmɪʃən/noun · B2The sending out of a signal, or the gears in a car.
- transmit/tɹænsˈmɪt/verb · B2To send something out or pass it on.
- transmitternoun · C2The equipment that sends out a signal.
- transmute/tɹænzˈmjuːt/verb · C1To change something into a different substance.
- transparency/tɹænsˈpæɹənsi/noun · C1Doing things openly so that anyone may check.
- transparent/tɹænsˈpæɹənt/adjective · B1+So glass-like that you can see straight through it.
- transpire/tɹænˈspaɪ̯ə(ɹ)/verb · C1To turn out to be so, or to become known.
- transplant/tɹɑːnzˈplɑːnt/noun · B2The operation that moves an organ from one body into another.
- transport/tɹænsˈpɔːt/verb · B1To move goods or people any distance.
- transportation/tɹænspɔːˈteɪʃən/noun · B2The moving of people or goods from place to place.
- transpose/tɹænsˈpəʊz/verb · C1To move a whole piece into a different key.
- transshipmentnoun · C2Moving cargo from one vehicle to another en route.
- transvestite/tɹænzˈvɛs.taɪt/noun · B2+Somebody who dresses in the clothes of the other sex.
- trap/tɹæp/noun · A2A device or plan for catching somebody unawares.
- trapdoor/ˈtræpdɔː/noun · C1A hidden door set flat into a floor or ceiling.
- trapeze/tɹəˈpiːz/noun · B2+A bar hung on ropes for swinging performers.
- trapezium/tɹəˈpiː.zi.əm/noun · C1A four-sided shape with just one pair of parallel sides.
- trappingsnoun · C1The outward signs that go with a position.
- trash/tɹæʃ/noun · B1Things thrown out because nobody wants them any more.
- trauma/ˈtɹɔː.mə/noun · B2Lasting harm left by a deeply distressing event.
- traumatic/tɹɔːˈmætɪk/adjective · C1So distressing that it leaves lasting damage.
- travail/tɹəˈveɪl/noun · C2Painful and laborious effort.
- travel/ˈtɹævəl/verb · A1To go on journeys to other places or countries.
- travel agentnoun · B1The person who arranges and sells your journey.
- travelernoun · A2+Somebody on a journey.
- travellers chequenoun · B2A pre-paid note once used for spending abroad.
- travesty/ˈtɹæv.ɪs.ti/noun · C1A grotesque imitation that mocks the real thing.
- trawl/tɹɔːl/verb · C1To drag a net along behind a boat.
- trawlernoun · B2+A fishing boat that drags a net behind it.
- tray/tɹeɪ/noun · A2+The flat board you carry many plates and cups on at once.
- tray servicenoun · B2Carrying several dishes at once on a flat board.
- tray tablenoun · B1The small flat surface that folds down in front of you.
- treacherous/ˈtɹɛt͡ʃəɹəs/adjective · C1Dangerously deceptive — icy roads and disloyal friends.
- treachery/ˈtɹɛt͡ʃəɹi/noun · C1Betrayal of somebody who trusted you.
- tread/tɹɛd/verb · B2To walk or to press down with the feet.
- tread waterphrase · B2To stay upright in deep water without moving along.
- treason/ˈtɹiː.zən/noun · B2Betraying your own country.
- treat/tɹiːt/verb · B1To behave toward someone in a certain way; also, to care for the sick.
- treat/tɹiːt/noun · B1A small reward given for good behaviour.
- treatableadjective · B2+Able to be helped by medicine.
- treatise/ˈtɹiːtɪs/noun · C1A long formal piece of writing on one subject.
- treatment/ˈtɹiːtmənt/noun · B1The care given to cure an illness, or the way somebody is dealt with.
- treaty/ˈtɹiːti/noun · C1A formal signed agreement between countries.
- treaty signingnoun · B2The formal act that ends a war or seals an alliance.
- trebuchet/ˈtɹɛbəʃɛt/noun · C2A great counterweighted engine for flinging rocks.
- tree/tɹiː/noun · A1The tall plant with a wooden body and green leaves.
- treelinenoun · B2+The height above which trees will not grow.
- trek/tɹɛk/noun · B2A long hard walk through mountains or wilderness.
- trellis/ˈtɹɛlɪs/noun · B2+A light frame of crossed strips for climbing plants.
- tremble/ˈtɹɛmbl̩/verb · B1+To shake slightly from fear, cold, or weakness.
- tremendous/tɹɪˈmɛndəs/adjective · B2Extremely large or impressively great.
- tremor/ˈtɹɛmə/noun · B2+A small shaking of the ground before or after a big quake.
- tremulous/ˈtɹɛmjʊləs/adjective · C1Trembling slightly with nerves or weakness.
- trench/ˈtɹɛnt͡ʃ/noun · B2The long ditch soldiers lived and fought in.
- trenchant/ˈtɹɛnʃənt/adjective · C2Sharp, clear and forceful in criticism.
- trencher/ˈtɹɛnt͡ʃə(ɹ)/noun · C2A wooden board or plate for serving food.
- trend/tɹɛnd/noun · B1+A new direction in style that suddenly everyone follows.
- trendingadjective · B1+Being talked about by a great many people right now.
- trending topicnoun · B2A subject a great many people are discussing right now.
- trendy/ˈtɹɛndi/adjective · B1+Following the very latest fashion.
- trepidation/ˌtɹɛp.ɪˈdeɪ.ʃən/noun · C1Nervous fear about what is about to happen.
- trespassingnoun · B2Entering private land you have no right to be on.
- tressesnoun · C1Long flowing hair.
- trestle/ˈtɹɛsəl/noun · C1A folding support that holds up a board or table top.
- triage/ˈtɹiː.ɑːʒ/noun · C1Sorting the injured by who needs help soonest.
- trial/ˈtɹaɪəl/noun · B1The formal process in court that decides if the accused is guilty.
- trial periodnoun · B2A stretch of free use before you must pay.
- triangle/ˈtɹaɪəŋɡəl/noun · B2A shape with exactly three sides.
- triassicadjective · C1Of the earliest of the three ages of great reptiles.
- triathlon/tɹaɪˈæθlɒn/noun · B1+The brutal triple race — swim, then cycle, then run.
- tribal/ˈtɹaɪbəl/adjective · B2To do with a people grouped by descent and custom.
- tribalism/ˈtɹaɪ.bə.lɪ.zəm/noun · C1Strong loyalty to your own group against outsiders.
- tribe/tɹaɪb/noun · B2A group of people sharing descent, customs and a leader.
- tribulation/ˌtɹɪbjʊˈleɪ̯ʃən/noun · C1A period of great trouble and suffering.
- tribunal/tɹaɪˈbjunəl/noun · C1A special court set up to judge one kind of dispute.
- tribune/ˈtɹɪbjuːn/noun · C2An official who defends the interests of ordinary people.
- tributary/ˈtɹɪbjʊtəɹi/noun · B2+A smaller river that feeds into a larger one.
- tribute/ˈtɹɪbjuːt/noun · C1Payment made by a weaker state to a stronger one.
- triceratopsnoun · C2A dinosaur with three horns and a wide bony collar.
- trickle/ˈtɹɪkəl/verb · B2To flow in a very thin stream.
- trickster/ˈtɹɪk.stə/noun · B2+Somebody who cheats and deceives for gain.
- tricky/ˈtɹɪk.i/adjective · B1Awkward and needing care.
- tricycle/ˈtɹaɪsɪkəl/noun · B1A cycle with three wheels.
- trident/ˈtɹaɪ̯dənt/noun · B2+A spear with three prongs.
- trifle/ˈtɹaɪfəl/noun · C2Something of no importance at all.
- trifling/ˈtɹaɪfliŋ/adjective · C1Too small or unimportant to bother about.
- trigger/ˈtɹɪɡə/verb · B2To set off a reaction or event.
- trigonometry/ˌtɹɪɡəˈnɒmətɹi/noun · B2+The maths of angles and triangles.
- trill/tɹɪl/verb · C1To sing with a rapid quivering of notes.
- trillion/ˈtɹɪljən/noun · B2A million million.
- trilobite/ˈtɹaɪ.ləˌbaɪt/noun · C1A small armoured sea creature of very ancient times.
- trilogy/ˈtɹɪləd͡ʒi/noun · B2+A set of three connected works.
- trim/ˈtɹɪm/verb · B1To cut small amounts off to make something neat.
- trimmer/ˈtɹɪmə/noun · B1+A small electric tool for shortening hair neatly.
- trinidad and tobagonoun · B2Twin-island Caribbean nation, the birthplace of steelpan and carnival.
- trinket/ˈtɹɪŋkɪt/noun · B2+A small ornament of little value.
- trinket boxnoun · B2A small case for keeping little ornaments.
- trio/ˈtɹi.əʊ/noun · C1A group of three.
- trip/tɹɪp/noun · A1A short visit to another place — for fun or for work.
- triple/ˈtɹɪp.əl/verb · B1To make something three times as big.
- triplet/ˈtɹɪplət/noun · B1+One of three children born at the same birth.
- tripletsnoun · B1+Three children born to the same mother at the same time.
- tripod/ˈtɹaɪpɒd/noun · B2A three-legged stand that holds a camera steady.
- tripod headnoun · C1The joint that lets a camera tilt and turn on its stand.
- tripped/tɹɪpt/adjective · C1Switched off automatically by a safety device.
- tripped/tɹɪpt/verb · A2Caught your foot on something and stumbled.
- trite/tɹaɪt/adjective · C1Dull from being said far too many times.
- triumph/ˈtɹaɪ̯ʌmf/noun · B2A great glorious victory after a long struggle.
- triumphant/tɹaɪˈʌmfənt/adjective · B2Filled with the joy of having won.
- trivia/ˈtɹɪvi.ə/noun · B2Small facts of no real importance.
- trivial/ˈtɹɪv.i.əl/adjective · B2+Too small and unimportant to bother with.
- trojan/ˈtɹəʊd͡ʒən/noun · B2+A program that hides harmful code inside a useful one.
- troll/tɹɒl/noun · B1A person who posts nasty things online just to upset people.
- trolleynoun · B2The big metal basket on wheels you push around a supermarket.
- trolleybus/tɹɒlɪbʌs/noun · C1A bus drawing power from overhead wires.
- trombone/ˌtɹɒmˈbəʊn/noun · B2A brass instrument whose pitch slides on a long tube.
- troop/tɹuːp/noun · B2A body of soldiers, or a group moving together.
- trophy/ˈtɹəʊfi/noun · B1The big shiny cup the winning team lifts over their heads.
- tropical/ˈtɹɒp.ɪ.kəl/adjective · B2From the hot wet lands near the middle of the planet.
- trot/tɹɑt/verb · B2To move at a steady pace between walking and running.
- trotternoun · C1A pig's foot used as food.
- trouble/ˈt͡ʃɹʌbəl/noun · A2Difficulty or worry, or a situation that brings it.
- troubled/ˈtɹʌbl̩d/adjective · B2Full of worry, or beset by problems.
- troublemaker/ˈtɹʌbəlˌmeɪkə(ɹ)/noun · C1A person who stirs up problems wherever they go.
- troubleshoot/ˈtɹʌbl̩ˌʃuːt/verb · C1To hunt down what is wrong with a machine, step by step.
- troublesome/ˈtɹʌbəlsəm/adjective · B2Causing difficulty over and over again.
- trough/tɹɒf/noun · B2+The long open container animals eat or drink from.
- troupe/tɹuːp/noun · C1A travelling group of performers.
- troupe/tɹuːp/noun · C1A company of dancers who perform together.
- trousers/ˈtɹaʊzəz/noun · A2+You wear them on your legs; each leg gets its own tube.
- trout/tɹaʊt/noun · B1+A speckled river fish with pink flesh.
- trowel/ˈtɹaʊ.əl/noun · B1+A small hand spade for planting.
- truancynoun · C1Staying away from school without permission.
- truant/ˈtɹuːənt/noun · C1A pupil secretly skipping school for the day.
- truce/tɹuːs/noun · B2A short agreed pause in fighting.
- truck/tɹʌk/noun · A2The big heavy vehicle that carries goods along the roads.
- trucker/ˈtɹʌkə/noun · B1+Somebody who drives a lorry for a living.
- truculent/ˈtɹʌk.jʊ.lənt/adjective · C2Aggressively defiant and ready to argue.
- trudge/tɹʌd͡ʒ/verb · B2+To walk heavily and wearily.
- true/tɹuː/adjective · A1Matching the real facts.
- truffle/ˈtɹʌf.l̩/noun · B2+A rare underground fungus prized in cooking.
- truism/tɹuːizəm/noun · C2A statement so obviously true it adds nothing.
- truly/ˈtɹuːli/adverb · A2Really and genuinely.
- trump/tɹʌmp/noun · B2+The suit chosen to beat all the others in a round.
- trumpet/ˈtɹʌmpɪt/noun · B1The shiny brass instrument you blow into, with three buttons on top.
- truncate/tɹʌŋˈkeɪt/verb · C1To cut something short by lopping off the end.
- trundle/ˈtɹʌndəl/verb · C1To roll along heavily and slowly.
- trunk/tɹʌŋk/noun · A2The thick wooden middle part of a tree; also an elephant's long nose.
- trunk/tɹʌŋk/noun · B2A very large sturdy travelling box.
- trunks/tɹʌŋks/noun · B1Short close-fitting garments worn to swim in.
- truss/tɹʌs/noun · C1A rigid triangle of beams that spans a wide roof.
- trust/tɹʌst/noun · B1The quiet certainty that someone will not let you down.
- trustee/tɹʌsˈtiː/noun · C1Somebody who holds property for the benefit of others.
- trusteeshipnoun · C2The duty of holding something in trust for others.
- truth/tɹuːθ/noun · B1What really is so, whether or not anyone likes it.
- truthfulness/ˈtɹuθfəlnəs/noun · B2The habit of saying what is so.
- try/tɹaɪ/verb · A1To make an effort to do something, even if it may fail.
- try onphrase · A2To put clothes on in the shop to see if they fit.
- try outphrase · B1To test something new to see how it works.
- tryst/tɹɪst/noun · C1A secret meeting between lovers.
- tsar/(t)sɑː/noun · B2+The former emperor of Russia.
- tsunami/(t)suːˈnɑːmi/noun · B2+The giant ocean wave set off by an undersea earthquake.
- tub/tʌb/noun · B1A wide open container, often round.
- tuba/ˈtjuː.bə/noun · B2The largest and lowest brass instrument.
- tuberculosis/tjuːˌbɜːkjʊˈləʊsɪs/noun · B2+A serious infectious disease of the lungs.
- tuck/tʌk/verb · B2To push something snugly into place.
- tuck inphrase · B2To push the bottom of a shirt inside your waistband.
- tuesdaynoun · A1The second day of the working week.
- tuft/tʌft/noun · B2+A small bunch of hairs or grass growing together.
- tug/ˈtʌɡ/verb · B2To pull at something with one short, sharp movement.
- tugboat/ˈtʌɡbəʊt/noun · B2A small powerful boat that pushes big ships around.
- tuition/tjuːˈɪʃən/noun · C1The money paid for being taught, especially at university.
- tuition feenoun · B2The money paid for being taught.
- tulip/ˈtulɪp/noun · B2A spring flower shaped like a cup on a bare stem.
- tumble/ˈtʌmbl̩/verb · B1+To fall or roll over and over.
- tumble dryphrase · B1To dry clothes in a heated spinning drum.
- tumble turnnoun · C1A somersault used to change direction at the wall.
- tumbledownadjective · C1Falling into ruin through neglect.
- tumbler/ˈtʌmblɚ/noun · B2+A plain drinking glass with no handle and no stem.
- tumor/tjuː.mə/noun · B2A lump of cells growing where it should not.
- tumult/ˈtjuː.mʌlt/noun · C1A loud confused uproar.
- tumultuous/tjʊˈmʌl.tjʊ.əs/adjective · C1Noisy, disorderly and full of upheaval.
- tuna/ˈtjuː.nə/noun · B1A big sea fish sold fresh as steaks or packed in tins.
- tundra/ˈtʌndɹə/noun · B2+The treeless frozen plains of the far north.
- tune upphrase · B2To adjust an instrument until its pitches are right.
- tune-up/ˈtunˌʌp/noun · B2Adjusting an engine so it runs at its best.
- tunic/ˈtjuːnɪk/noun · B2+A loose garment reaching to the knees.
- tuning fork/tjʉːnɪŋ foːk/noun · B2A two-pronged steel fork that sounds one exact pitch.
- tunisianoun · B1+The small North African country between the sea and the Sahara.
- tunnel/ˈtʌn(ə)l/noun · A2The long hole through a mountain or under a river that traffic passes through.
- tunnel/ˈtʌn(ə)l/noun · A2+A horizontal passage cut through rock.
- tunnel visionnoun · C1Seeing only one aspect of a problem.
- turban/ˈtɜːbən/noun · B2+A length of cloth wound round the head.
- turbulence/ˈtɜː.bjə.ləns/noun · B2+The rough shaking of a plane in unsteady air — seatbelts on.
- turbulent/ˈtɜːbjələnt/adjective · B2+Wild with disorder — air, water, or times.
- tureen/təˈɹiːn/noun · C1A large deep dish with a lid, for serving soup.
- turf/tɝf/noun · B2The surface layer of grass and its roots.
- turgid/ˈtɜːd͡ʒɪd/adjective · C2Swollen, or pompous and tedious in style.
- turkey/ˈtɜːki/noun · A1A big farm bird that many families cook for holiday dinners.
- turkey/ˈtɜːki/noun · A2The country of Istanbul, where Europe meets Asia.
- turkmenistannoun · C1Central Asian desert country with a burning gas crater.
- turmeric/ˈtɝ.mɚ.ɪk/noun · B2+A bright yellow root powder used in curry.
- turmoil/ˈtɜːmɔɪl/noun · C1A state of wild confusion and disturbance.
- turn/tɜːn/verb · A1To move around like a wheel, or to change direction.
- turn a blind eye/ˈtɜːn ə ˌblaɪ̯nd ˈaɪ̯/phrase · C1To pretend not to notice something wrong.
- turn aroundphrase · B1To face the opposite direction; also, to rescue a failing situation.
- turn downphrase · B1To refuse an offer; also, to lower the volume.
- turn intophrase · B1To change and become something different.
- turn leftphrase · A1To change direction towards the side of your heart.
- turn offphrase · A1To make a machine or a light stop working.
- turn onphrase · A1To make a machine or a light start working.
- turn outphrase · B2To be revealed in the end — how things finally prove to be.
- turn over a new leafphrase · B2To make a fresh start and behave better.
- turn rightphrase · A1To change direction towards your other side.
- turn the tablesphrase · C1To reverse a situation so you now have the advantage.
- turn tophrase · C1To go to someone for help when in trouble.
- turn upphrase · B2To appear unexpectedly; also, to raise the volume.
- turn upphrase · A2To increase the volume or the heat.
- turn your backphrase · B2To refuse to face or help somebody.
- turn-basedadjective · B2Played in turns rather than all at once.
- turnaround/ˈtɜːnəˌɹaʊnd/noun · B2+How long it takes to complete and return something.
- turncoat/ˈtəːn.kəʊt/noun · C2Somebody who deserts to the other side.
- turndown servicenoun · C1The evening visit that prepares a bed for sleeping.
- turning pointnoun · B2The moment after which everything went differently.
- turnip/ˈtɜːnɪp/noun · B1+A round white root vegetable with a purple top.
- turnout/ˈtɜː(ɹ)naʊt/noun · C1The share of voters who actually voted.
- turnover/ˈtɝnoʊvɚ/noun · C1The total money a business takes in; also how fast staff come and go.
- turnover of tablesnoun · C1How many times a table is used in an evening.
- turnover ratenoun · C1How fast staff leave and have to be replaced.
- turnpike/ˈtɜː(ɹ)npaɪk/noun · C1A road on which a toll is charged.
- turnstile/ˈtəːnstaɪl/noun · B2+The barrier that lets one person through at a time.
- turntable/ˈtɜːnteɪb(ə)l/noun · C1A turning platform that swings a locomotive around.
- turpitude/ˈtɜː(ɹ)pɪtjuːd/noun · C2Deep wickedness of character.
- turquoise/ˈtɜː(ɹ).k(w)ɔɪz/adjective · B1+A bright greenish blue.
- turquoise/ˈtɜː(ɹ).k(w)ɔɪz/noun · B1+A blue-green stone prized since ancient times.
- turret/ˈtʌɹɪt/noun · C2A small tower on the corner of a building.
- turtle/ˈtɜːtl̩/noun · B1A slow animal that carries its house on its back.
- turtlenecknoun · B1+A sweater whose high collar folds over and hugs the neck.
- tusk/ˈtʌsk/noun · B1+A long pointed tooth projecting from the mouth.
- tussle/ˈtʌsəl/noun · C1A rough struggle at close quarters.
- tutelage/ˈtjuːtɪlɪd͡ʒ/noun · C2Teaching and guardianship given to a learner.
- tutor/ˈtjuːtəː/noun · B2A private teacher who helps one student at a time.
- tutorial/ˌtjuːˈtɔːɹɪəl/noun · B1+A small teaching session with close guidance; also, a how-to lesson online.
- tutu/ˈtutu/noun · B1+The short stiff skirt a classical dancer wears.
- tuvalunoun · C2Tiny Pacific nation of nine low atolls threatened by rising seas.
- tuxedo/tʌkˈsidoʊ/noun · B1+The black-and-white formal suit worn with a bow tie.
- twain/tweɪn/noun · C2Two, in old use.
- twang/ˈtwæŋ/noun · C1The sharp ringing sound of a plucked string.
- tweet/ˈtwiːt/verb · B1+To make a light high bird call.
- tweeze/twiz/verb · C1To pull out single hairs with small pincers.
- tweezers/ˈtwizəɹz/noun · B1+The small pinching tool for pulling out single hairs or thorns.
- twelve/twɛlv/noun · A1Ten plus two.
- twenty/ˈtwɛnti/noun · A1Two times ten.
- twenty-four/ˌtwɛntiˈfɔː/noun · A1The number that comes after twenty-three.
- twig/twɪɡ/noun · B1+A tiny thin piece of branch that snaps underfoot.
- twilight/ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt/noun · B2The soft half-light between day and night.
- twin/twɪn/noun · A2+One of two children born to the same mother on the same day.
- twin roomnoun · B1A room with two separate single beds.
- twinge/twɪnd͡ʒ/noun · C1A sudden brief sharp pain or feeling.
- twinkle/ˈtwɪŋ.kəl/verb · B2To shine with a light that keeps changing.
- twinkling/ˈtwɪŋklɪŋ/noun · C1An instant, or a flickering of light.
- twirl/twɜːl/verb · B2To spin round lightly and gracefully.
- twist/twɪst/verb · B1To turn something around itself, the way you wring out a wet cloth.
- twit/twɪt/noun · B2+A foolish person, in British informal use.
- twitch/twɪt͡ʃ/verb · B2To make a small sudden movement you did not mean to make.
- twitter/ˈtwɪtə/verb · B2+To make a series of light chirping sounds.
- twixt/twɪkst/preposition · C2Between, in poetic use.
- two/tu/noun · A1The number of hands you have.
- two-factoradjective · B2Requiring a second proof besides the password.
- two-step verificationnoun · B2Confirming who you are with a second check.
- two-timeverb · C1To carry on with two partners at once.
- two-way/ˈtu.weɪ/adjective · B2Working or allowing movement in both directions.
- tycoon/taɪˈkuːn/noun · C1A very rich and powerful businessman.
- type/taɪp/noun · A1One of the kinds a group divides into.
- typeset/ˈtaɪpˌsɛt/verb · C1To arrange text in its final printed form.
- typhoid/ˈtaɪ.fɔɪd/noun · C1A dangerous fever caught from dirty water or food.
- typhoon/taɪˈfuːn/noun · B1+The name for a hurricane in the western Pacific.
- typical/ˈtɪp.ɪ.kəl/adjective · A2+Showing all the usual features of its kind.
- typically/ˈtɪp.ɪ.kli/adverb · B1+In the way that usually happens.
- typist/ˈtaɪpɪst/noun · B2+Somebody employed to type documents.
- typo/ˈtaɪpəʊ/noun · B1+A small typing mistake in a text.
- tyrannosaurusnoun · C2The huge meat-eating dinosaur with the tiny arms.
- tyrant/ˈtaɪɹənt/noun · B2+A ruler who governs cruelly and without limit.
- tyre/taɪə(ɹ)/noun · A2+The rubber ring fitted round a wheel.
- tyre treadnoun · B2The grooved pattern that grips the road.
- u-bendnoun · C1The curved pipe under a sink that traps smells.
- u-boatnoun · C1A German submarine of the two world wars.
- u-turnnoun · B2A complete reversal of direction or of policy.
- ubiquitous/juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/adjective · C1Seeming to be everywhere at once.
- ubiquity/juːˈbɪkwɪti/noun · C2The state of being found absolutely everywhere.
- udder/ˈʌdə/noun · B1+The bag on a cow from which milk is drawn.
- ugandanoun · B1+The green East African country at the source of the Nile.
- uglieradjective · A2+Less pleasant to look at.
- ugliness/ˈʌɡlinɪs/noun · B2The quality of being unpleasant to look at.
- ugly/ˈʌɡli/adjective · A2Very unpleasant to look at.
- ukrainenoun · A2+The large European country of Kyiv, with fields of sunflowers and wheat.
- ukrainianadjective · B1+The Slavic language of Kyiv.
- ukulele/juː.kəˈleɪ.li/noun · B2+A tiny four-stringed guitar from Hawaii.
- ultimate/ˈʌltɪmət/adjective · B2The last and greatest of all.
- ultimately/ˈʌl.tɪ.mɪt.lɪ/adverb · B2When everything is finally counted; in the end.
- ultimatum/ˌʌl.tɪˈmeɪ.təm/noun · B2+A final demand, with a threat if it is refused.
- ultra/ˈʌltɹə/adjective · B2+Extreme in style or opinion, and often placed in front of another word to push its meaning past normal limits.
- ululate/ˈjuːljuleɪt/verb · C2To make a long wavering wailing cry.
- umami/uˈmɑːmi/noun · C1The deep savoury taste of meat, cheese and mushrooms.
- umbilical cord/əm.ˈbɪ.lə.kəl koɹd/noun · C1The tube that fed the baby before birth.
- umbrage/ˈʌm.bɹɪd͡ʒ/noun · C2Offence taken at something said or done.
- umbrella/ʌmˈbɹɛl.ə/noun · A2+You open this over your head when it rains.
- umpire/ˈʌm.paɪə(ɹ)/noun · B2+The official who enforces the rules in tennis, cricket, or baseball.
- unabashed/ˌʌnəˈbæʃt/adjective · C1Not embarrassed in the slightest.
- unable/ʌnˈeɪbl̩/adjective · B1Not having the power or skill to do something.
- unacceptable/ˌʌn.ækˈsɛp.tə.bl̩/adjective · B2Not good enough to be allowed.
- unaccountable/ˌʌnəˈkaʊntəbl̩/adjective · C1Impossible to explain.
- unadorned/ʌˌnəˈdɔːnd/adjective · C1Plain, with no decoration at all.
- unadulteratedadjective · C2Pure, with nothing added and nothing taken away.
- unafraid/ʌnəˈfɹeɪd/adjective · B2+Not frightened.
- unanimity/ˌjuːnəˈnɪmɪti/noun · C1Complete agreement among everybody.
- unanimous/juːˈnanɪməs/adjective · B2Agreed by absolutely everyone, without one voice against.
- unansweredadjective · B2Having received no reply.
- unarmed/ˌʌnˈɑɹmd/adjective · B2Carrying no weapon.
- unassistedadjective · C1Done entirely without help.
- unattainable/ˌʌnəˈteɪnəbəl/adjective · B2+Impossible to reach however hard you try.
- unattendedadjective · B2Left with nobody looking after it.
- unattractive/ənəˈt͡ʃɹæktɪv/adjective · B2Lacking any appeal to the eye or the mind, a mild negative rather than a blunt insult.
- unaware/ˌʌnəˈwɛɚ/adjective · B2Not knowing that something is so.
- unbearableadjective · B2Too painful or annoying to put up with.
- unbeatableadjective · B2So good that nothing can better it.
- unbecoming/ˌʌnbɪˈkʌmɪŋ/adjective · C1Improper for someone of that rank or in that role, falling below what the office or the occasion demands rather than merely lacking poise.
- unbelievablyadverb · B1+To such an extreme degree that it is hard to credit as true.
- unbidden/ʌnˈbɪd.ən/adjective · C1Coming without having been asked or invited.
- unblemishedadjective · C1Without any mark or fault.
- unblock/ʌnˈblɒk/verb · B1+To clear something that has stopped a pipe.
- unbornadjective · B2Not yet brought into the world.
- unboxingnoun · B2The experience of opening a product for the first time.
- unbreakableadjective · B2Impossible to break in normal use.
- unbridledadjective · C2Running completely free, like a horse with no reins.
- unbroken/ʌnˈbɹoʊkn̩/adjective · B2Whole, or continuing without interruption.
- unburden/ʌnˈbɜːdn̩/verb · C1To lighten your own mind by pouring out troubles that weigh on you, rather than by sharing a secret.
- uncanny/ʌnˈkæni/adjective · C2Strange in a way that unsettles you.
- unceremoniouslyadverb · C1Abruptly, and with no courtesy at all.
- uncertain/ʌnˈsɜːtən/adjective · B1+Not knowing, or not settled.
- uncertainty/ʌnˈsɜːtənti/noun · B2+The state of not knowing what will happen.
- unchanged/ʌnˈt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒd/adjective · B2Exactly as it was before.
- unchecked/ʌnˈt͡ʃɛkt/adjective · B2+Growing or spreading with nothing to stop it.
- uncle/ˈʌŋ.kl̩/noun · A1The brother of your mother or father.
- unclean/ʌnˈkliːn/adjective · B2Dirty, or ritually impure.
- unclear/ʌnˈklɪə(ɹ)/adjective · B1+Not easy to understand or make out.
- uncomfortable/ʌnˈkʌmf.tə.bl̩/adjective · B1Unpleasant for your body or awkward for your feelings.
- uncomfortablyadverb · B2+In a way that causes unease of body or mind.
- uncomplicatedadjective · B2+Free of any tangles, problems or setbacks, as a birth or an operation that goes entirely smoothly.
- unconcernedadjective · B2+Not worried by something that might worry others.
- unconditional/ˌʌnkənˈdɪʃənəl/adjective · B2+Given with no limits or terms attached.
- unconscious/ˌʌnˈkɒnʃəs/adjective · B2Not aware, and unable to be woken.
- unconsciousnessnoun · B2+The state of being unaware and unable to be roused.
- unconstitutionaladjective · B2+Against the basic law of a country.
- uncontrollableadjective · B2+Impossible to hold in check.
- uncontrollablyadverb · B2+In a way that cannot be held in check.
- unconventionaladjective · C1Not following the usual way of doing things.
- unconvincingadjective · C1Failing to make people believe it.
- uncool/ʌnˈkuːl/adjective · B2+Not fashionable or impressive.
- uncooperativeadjective · B2Unwilling to work with anybody else.
- uncouple/ʌnˈkʌpəl/verb · C1To separate two joined vehicles.
- uncouth/ʌnˈkuːθ/adjective · C1Rough and lacking any polish of manner.
- unctuous/ˈʌŋ(k)t͡ʃʊəs/adjective · C2Oily and insincerely flattering.
- uncut/ʌnˈkʌt/adjective · B2Not shortened or edited.
- undauntedadjective · C1Not put off by danger or difficulty.
- undead/ʌnˈdɛd/adjective · B2Dead but still walking.
- undecided/ˌʌndɪˈsaɪ̯.dɪd/adjective · B1Still unable to choose between two options.
- undefeatedadjective · B2Never having lost.
- undemonstrative/ˌʌn dəˈmɒn stɹə tɪv/adjective · C2Not given to showing feeling openly.
- undeniable/ˌʌn.dɪˈnaɪ.(j)ə.bəɫ/adjective · C1So clearly true that no one can argue against it.
- under somebody's thumbphrase · C1Completely controlled by another person.
- under the weather/ˈʌndə ðə ˈwɛðə/phrase · B2Feeling slightly ill.
- under your nosephrase · B2Right in front of you the whole time, yet unnoticed.
- underage/ˌʌndəɹˈeɪd͡ʒ/adjective · B2+Younger than the law allows for something.
- undercoat/ˈʌndɚˌkoʊt/noun · B2+The layer of paint that goes on before the finish.
- undercookedadjective · B1+Taken off the heat too soon to be safe.
- undercover/ˌʌndə(ɹ)ˈkʌvə(ɹ)/adjective · B2Working in secret under a false identity, as some officers do.
- undercroftnoun · C2The vaulted cellar storey beneath a church or great hall, used for storage or meetings rather than for burials.
- undercurrent/ˈʌndəkʌɹ(ə)nt/noun · C1A hidden feeling running beneath the surface.
- undercut/ˈʌndə(ɹ)kʌt/<q:noun>noun · B2+Short sides with longer hair left on top.
- underdog/ˈʌndəˌdɒɡ/noun · B2+The side everyone expects to lose — and secretly cheers for.
- underdoneadjective · B2+Not cooked as long as it should have been.
- underestimate/ʌndɚˈɛs.tɪ.meɪt/verb · B2To think something smaller or weaker than it is.
- underexposedadjective · B2+Too dark because too little light was let in.
- underfoot/ʌndəˈfʊt/adverb · B2+Directly beneath where you walk.
- undergo/ˌʌndɚˈɡoʊ/verb · B2+To go through something difficult or unpleasant.
- undergraduatenoun · C1A student working toward a first degree.
- underground/ˌʌn.dəˈɡɹaʊnd/adjective · A2+Outside the accepted mainstream, and proud of it.
- underground/ˌʌn.dəˈɡɹaʊnd/noun · B1The railway that runs beneath a city.
- undergrowth/ˈʌndɚˌɡɹoʊθ/noun · B2+The tangle of bushes and plants under the forest trees.
- underhandedadjective · C1Done secretly and dishonestly.
- underling/ˈʌndəlɪŋ/noun · C1Somebody of low rank who takes orders.
- underlyingadjective · C1Lying beneath the surface and explaining it.
- undermine/ˌʌn.dəˈmaɪn/verb · C1To secretly weaken something from below.
- undermine/ˌʌn.dəˈmaɪn/verb · B2+To weaken an argument from underneath.
- underneath/ˌʌndəˈniːθ/preposition · B1Directly below and covered by.
- underpants/ˈʌndə(ɹ)ˌpænts/noun · B1The single garment covering the hips and bottom, worn beneath trousers or a skirt.
- underpassnoun · B1+A walkway or road that passes beneath another road.
- underpinningnoun · C1The support on which something else rests.
- underprivilegedadjective · B2+Having fewer advantages than most people.
- underrated/ʌn.dɚˈɹeɪ.təd/adjective · B2+Better than most people realise.
- underseaadjective · B2Lying or happening beneath the surface of the ocean, as with cables, volcanoes, and tunnels there.
- underseasonedadjective · C1Not given enough salt or spice.
- underside/ˈʌndəˌsaɪd/noun · B1The face of a thing that points at the ground.
- understand/ˌʌndəˈstænd/verb · A1To see clearly what something means.
- understandableadjective · B2Reasonable, and easy to see why.
- understandablyadverb · B2+In a way anybody would find reasonable.
- understanding/ʌndəˈstandɪŋ/noun · A2+A grasp of what something means.
- understate/ʌndəˈsteɪt/verb · C1To make something sound smaller than it is.
- understatement/ˌʌndəˈsteɪtmənt/noun · B2Saying less than the case deserves.
- understudy/ˈʌndɚstʌdi/noun · B2+An actor ready to take over a part at short notice.
- undertake/ˌʌndəˈteɪk/verb · B2+To formally take a big task upon yourself.
- undertaker/ˈʌndə(ɹ)ˌteɪkə(ɹ)/noun · B2+Somebody whose job is preparing the dead for burial.
- undertaking/ˈʌndə(ɹ)ˌteɪkɪŋ/noun · B2+A task taken on, or a formal promise.
- undertone/ˈʌndə(ɹ)təʊn/noun · C1The faint colour beneath the surface of skin.
- undertownoun · C1The pull of water back out under a breaking wave.
- underwater/ʌndə(ɹ)ˈwɔːtə/adjective · B1Below the surface of the water.
- underwear/ˈʌndəwɛə/noun · A2The clothes worn next to the skin, under everything else.
- underworld/ˈʌndəˌwɜːld/noun · B2The world of organised crime, or the land of the dead.
- underwriternoun · C1Somebody who accepts a risk in return for a premium.
- undesirable/ˌʌndɪˈzaɪɹəbəl/adjective · B2+Unwanted because of the harm it brings.
- undetectableadjective · C1Impossible to notice, measure, or find.
- undeterredadjective · B2Still going, despite everything in the way.
- undisclosedadjective · C1Not made known publicly.
- undo/ʌnˈduː/verb · B1To cancel the last thing you did.
- undoing/ʌnˈduːɪŋ/noun · C1The cause of somebody's ruin.
- undone/ʌnˈdʌn/adjective · B2Unfastened, or left unfinished.
- undoubtedly/ʌnˈdaʊtɪdli/adverb · B2Beyond any question at all.
- undress/ʌnˈdɹɛs/verb · B1To take all your clothes off.
- undulatingadjective · C1Rising and falling in gentle waves.
- unduly/ʌnˈdjuːli/adverb · C1More than is reasonable.
- unearth/ʌnˈɜː(ɹ)θ/verb · C1To dig something up, or to bring a fact to light.
- unease/ʌnˈiːz/noun · B2+A vague feeling of anxiety.
- uneasilyadverb · B2+In a way that shows quiet worry.
- uneasy/ʌnˈiːzi/adjective · B2Quietly worried that something is not right.
- uneducated/ʌnˈɛdjʊkeɪtɪd/adjective · B2+Having had little or no schooling.
- unemployed/ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪd/adjective · B1+Having no job, though you want one.
- unemployment/ʌn.ɪmˈplɔɪ.mənt/noun · B1+The state of having no paid work, and how widespread it is.
- unencumbered/ˌʌnɪnˈkʌmbəd/adjective · C2Free of anything that would weigh you down.
- unenviableadjective · C1So difficult or unpleasant that nobody would want it.
- unequal/ʌnˈiːkwəl/adjective · B2+Not the same in size, rank or fairness.
- unequivocal/ʌnɪˈkwɪvəkəl/adjective · C2Leaving no room whatever for doubt.
- unethical/ʌnˈɛθɪkəl/adjective · B2Against the principles of right conduct.
- uneven/ʌnˈivən/adjective · B2Not level, or not equal.
- uneventful/ˌʌnɪˈvɛntf(ʊ)l/adjective · C1With nothing notable happening.
- unexceptional/ˌʌnɪkˈsɛpʃənəl/adjective · C2Ordinary, with nothing to make it stand out.
- unexpected/ʌnɪkˈspɛktɪd/adjective · B2Coming as a complete surprise.
- unexplainedadjective · B2Still without any account or answer, as with a disappearance nobody has ever managed to clear up.
- unfair/ʌnˈfɛə(ɹ)/adjective · B1Not treating everyone by the same rules.
- unfair dismissalnoun · C1Being sacked without lawful reason.
- unfamiliar/ˌʌnfəˈmɪli.ə(ɹ)/adjective · B2Not known to you.
- unfashionableadjective · B2+Out of favour with current taste.
- unfathomable/(ˌ)ʌnˈfæðəməbl̩/adjective · C1Too deep or strange to be understood.
- unfeasible/ʌnˈfiː.zə.bəl/adjective · C2Not able to be done in practice.
- unfeelingadjective · B2+Showing no sympathy for others.
- unfit/ʌnˈfɪt/adjective · B2+Not healthy enough, or not good enough for a job.
- unflappable/ʌnˈflæpəbəl/adjective · C1So impossible to fluster that no emergency ever ruffles you.
- unfold/ʌnˈfoʊld/verb · B2To open something out flat, or for events to develop.
- unforeseen/ˌʌnfɔːˈsiːn/adjective · B2+Not expected and not planned for.
- unforgettable/ˌʌnfə(ɹ)ˈɡɛtəbəl/adjective · B2Leaving so strong an impression that it stays with you for life, well beyond merely being worth recalling.
- unforgivableadjective · B2So hurtful that the person wronged could never bring themselves to pardon it.
- unforgivingadjective · C1Never letting a mistake go — people, or a harsh landscape.
- unfortunate/ʌnˈfɔː.t͡ʃə.nɪt/adjective · B2Having bad luck, or causing it.
- unfortunately/ʌnˈfɔː.tjʊ.nət.li/adverb · A2+By bad luck; sadly.
- unfriendly/ʌnˈfɹɛn(d)li/adjective · B1+Not warm or welcoming.
- ungainly/ʌnˈɡeɪnli/adjective · C1Awkward and clumsy in movement.
- ungovernableadjective · C1Impossible to control or bring to order.
- ungrateful/ʌnˈɡɹeɪtfəl/adjective · B1+Not showing thanks for what was given.
- unguardedadjective · B2+Left unprotected, or said without thinking.
- unhappinessnoun · B2A settled state of not being happy.
- unharmedadjective · B2Not hurt or damaged in any way.
- unhealthy/ʌnˈhɛl.θi/adjective · B1+Bad for the body, or not in good health.
- unhelpful/ʌnˈhɛlpfəl/adjective · B2+Doing nothing to make things easier.
- unholy/ʌnˈhəʊli/adjective · B2Wicked, or an unnatural combination.
- unhookverb · B2To take something off a hook.
- unhurriedadjective · B2Taking a calm and easy pace.
- unicorn/ˈjuː.nɪ.kɔːn/noun · B1A magical horse with one horn on its head; it exists only in stories.
- unicycle/ˈjun.ɪˌsaɪ.kəl/noun · B2+A cycle with a single wheel and no handlebars.
- unification/ˌjuːnɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/noun · B2+The joining of separate parts into one.
- unified/ˈjuːnɪfaɪd/adjective · B2+Made into a single whole, as when separate states join under one government.
- uniform/ˈjunɪˌfɔɹm/noun · A2The same clothes worn by everyone at a school or in a job.
- uniformity/ˌjuːnɪˈfɔːmɪti/noun · C1The state of being the same all the way through.
- unify/ˈjuːnɪfaɪ/verb · C1To bring separate things together as one.
- unimaginable/ˌʌnɪˈmædʒɪnəbəl/adjective · B2+Too extreme to picture.
- unimportant/ˌʌnɪmˈpɔːtənt/adjective · B1+Not mattering much.
- unimpressedadjective · B2Not at all amazed by what you have just seen.
- uninspiring/ʌn.ɪnˈspaɪə.ɹɪŋ/adjective · C1Failing to stir any interest or enthusiasm.
- unintelligible/ˌʌnɪnˈtɛlɪd͡ʒɪbəl/adjective · B2+Impossible to understand.
- uninterestedadjective · B2+Not caring about something at all.
- uninterestingadjective · B1+Failing to hold anybody's attention.
- uninvitedadjective · B2Turning up without having been asked.
- union/ˈjuː.njən/noun · B1The organization workers join to defend their rights together.
- union representativenoun · B2The worker chosen to speak for colleagues.
- unique/juːˈniːk/adjective · B1The only one of its kind in the whole world.
- unison/ˈjunɪsən/noun · C1Complete agreement, or all sounding the same note.
- unit/ˈjuː.nɪt/noun · A2A single thing, or a fixed amount used in measuring.
- unity/ˈjuːnɪti/noun · B2The state of being joined into one whole.
- universal/ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsl̩/adjective · B2True or present everywhere.
- universal designnoun · C1Designing so that everybody can use something.
- universality/ˌjuː.nɪ.vɜːˈsæl.ə.ti/noun · C1The quality of applying to everybody everywhere.
- universe/ˈjuːnɪˌvɜːs/noun · B1Absolutely everything that exists, from here to the farthest star.
- university/junɪˈvɜːsəti/noun · A2+The place where adults study for a degree after finishing school.
- unkempt/ˌʌnˈkɛmpt/adjective · C1Untidy and uncared for.
- unkind/ʌnˈkaɪnd/adjective · B2Lacking any warmth towards somebody.
- unleaded/ˌʌnˈlɛd.əd/noun · B1+Petrol made without any lead in it.
- unleash/ʌnˈliʃ/verb · B2To let something powerful loose.
- unless/ənˈlɛs/preposition · A2Except if the thing named happens.
- unlike/ʌnˈlaɪk/preposition · B1Different from the thing named.
- unlikely/ʌnˈlaɪkli/adjective · B1+Probably not going to happen.
- unlimberverb · C2To get a gun ready for firing.
- unlimited/ʌnˈlɪm.ɪ.tɪd/adjective · B2With no cap on the amount allowed.
- unload/ʌnˈləʊd/verb · B2To take a cargo off a vehicle.
- unlock/ʌnˈlɒk/verb · B2To open something that was locked.
- unlucky/ʌnˈlʌki/adjective · B1Having bad fortune.
- unmanageableadjective · C1Too difficult or too large to control.
- unmanned/ʌnˈmænd/adjective · C1Operating with nobody on board.
- unmarkedadjective · B2Carrying no sign to identify it, or left undamaged.
- unmarried/ʌnˈmæɹ.id/adjective · B1+Not married.
- unmask/ʌnˈmæsk/verb · C1To reveal who somebody really is.
- unmistakableadjective · B2+Impossible to confuse with anything else.
- unmistakably/ˌʌnmɪsˈteɪkəbli/adverb · B2+So clearly that it could not be taken for anything else.
- unmolestedadjective · C1Left alone and not interfered with.
- unnatural/ʌnˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹəl/adjective · B2Not as nature would have it.
- unnerve/ʌnˈnɜː(ɹ)v/verb · C2To take away somebody's confidence and steadiness.
- unnervingly/ˈʌnˈnɜːvɪŋlɪ/adverb · C2In a way that quietly takes away your confidence.
- unobtrusive/(ˌ)ʌnəbˈtɹuːsɪv/adjective · C2Not attracting attention to itself.
- unofficial/ʌn.əˈfɪʃ.əl/adjective · B2+Not authorised or recognised formally.
- unopposedadjective · B2+With nobody standing against you.
- unorthodox/ʌnˈɔɹθədɑks/adjective · C1Not following the usual or accepted way.
- unpack/ʌnˈpæk/verb · B1To take things out of a case or a box.
- unpaid/ʌnˈpeɪd/adjective · B1+Not yet settled, or done without wages.
- unpalatableadjective · C1Unpleasant to eat, or hard to accept.
- unparalleledadjective · C1Greater than anything else of its kind.
- unperturbedadjective · C1Not worried by what is going on.
- unpleasant/ʌnˈplɛzn̩t/adjective · B1+Not nice at all.
- unpleasantness/ʌnˈplɛz.ənt.nəs/noun · B2+Bad feeling, or a disagreeable episode.
- unplug/ʌnˈplʌɡ/verb · C1To pull a plug out of its socket.
- unpopularadjective · B2Not liked by many people.
- unprecedented/ʌnˈpɹɛsɪdɛntɪd/adjective · C1Never having happened before in all history.
- unpreparedadjective · B1+Caught without the readiness, the skill, or the kit that the moment demands.
- unpretentious/ˌʌnpɹəˈtɛnʃəs/adjective · C1Modest, and making no show of importance.
- unprofessionaladjective · B2+Falling below the standards of a trade or a job.
- unpromisingadjective · C2Showing little sign of turning out well.
- unprotectedadjective · B2Having no defence or covering.
- unqualifiedadjective · B2+Without the training needed, or complete and without reservation.
- unravel/(ˌ)ʌnˈɹævəl/verb · C2To come apart thread by thread.
- unreal/ʌnˈɹi.əl/adjective · B1+Not real, or too strange to feel real.
- unrealisticadjective · B2Expecting more than could possibly happen.
- unreasonable/ʌnˈɹiːz.(ə)nə.bl̩/adjective · B2Going beyond what is fair or sensible.
- unreliable/ˌʌn.ɹɪˈlaɪ.ə.bl̩/adjective · B2Not to be depended on.
- unremarkable[ˌʌn.ɹɪˈmɑː.kə.bl̩]adjective · B2Ordinary, with nothing to make it stand out.
- unremitting/ˌʌnɹɪˈmɪtɪŋ/adjective · C2Never letting up for a moment.
- unresolvedadjective · B2Still not settled or sorted out, and left hanging.
- unrest/ʌnˈɹɛst/noun · B2+Widespread dissatisfaction that could turn to trouble.
- unrivalledadjective · C1Better than anything else of its kind.
- unruly/ʌnˈɹuːli/adjective · C1Refusing to be controlled — crowds, children, or hair.
- unsafe/ʌnˈseɪf/adjective · B2Likely to cause harm.
- unsatisfactory/ˌʌnsætɪsˈfækt(ə)ɹi/adjective · B2+Not good enough for what was required.
- unsatisfiedadjective · B2+Left wanting more than you were given.
- unscrewverb · B2To open or loosen something by twisting it.
- unscrupulous/ˌʌnˈskɹuːpjʊləs/adjective · C1Willing to act dishonestly without any qualms.
- unseeingadjective · C2Looking without taking anything in.
- unseemlyadjective · C1Not proper for the occasion.
- unselfishadjective · B2+Putting other people first.
- unsettle/ʌnˈsɛtəl/verb · C1To make somebody uneasy.
- unsettling/ənˈsɛtəlɪŋ/adjective · C1Making you uneasy without quite knowing why.
- unspeakableadjective · B2Too dreadful to be put into words.
- unspoiltadjective · B2+Not damaged by building or crowds.
- unstoppable/ʌnˈstɔ.pə.bəl/adjective · B2Impossible to bring to a halt.
- unsubscribeverb · B1To take your address off a list you once joined.
- unsubscribe ratenoun · B2What share chose to stop receiving your email.
- unsubtleadjective · B2So obvious that nobody could miss the point.
- unsuccessful/ˌʌnsəkˈsɛsfl̩/adjective · B2Not achieving what was hoped.
- unsuitable/ʌnˈsuːtəbəl/adjective · B2+Not right for the purpose or occasion.
- unsullied/ʌnˈsʌliːd/adjective · C2Still clean, and unspoiled by any stain.
- unsung/ˌʌnˈsʌŋ/adjective · C1Deserving praise but never given it.
- unsureadjective · B2Not certain about something.
- unsurpassedadjective · C2Never bettered by anything since.
- unsuspectedadjective · C2Not guessed at by anybody.
- unsustainableadjective · C1Impossible to keep going at the present rate.
- untangle/ʌnˈtæŋ.ɡəl/verb · B2To free something from knots, or to sort out a muddle.
- untenableadjective · C1Impossible to defend or to keep up.
- unthinkable/ʌnˈθɪŋkəbəl/adjective · B2Too shocking to be considered at all.
- untie/ʌnˈtaɪ/verb · B2To undo a knot.
- untimely/ʌnˈtaɪmli/adjective · B2+Happening earlier than it should have.
- unto/ˈʌntʊ/preposition · B2To, in old or biblical use.
- untoward/ˌʌn.tʊˈwɔːd/adjective · C1Unexpected and unwelcome.
- untraceableadjective · C1Impossible to follow back to its source.
- untreatedadjective · B2+Left without the care or the chemical process needed.
- untrustworthy/ˌʌnˈtɹʌstˌwɜːði/adjective · C1Not safe to rely on or confide in.
- unusual/ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/adjective · A2+Different from what normally happens.
- unusually/ʌnˈjuːʒuəli/adverb · B1+More than is normal.
- unveil/ʌnˈveɪl/verb · C1To pull the cover off something new and show it to the world.
- unwanted/ʌnˈwɒntɪd/adjective · B1Not wanted by anybody.
- unwavering/(ˌ)ʌnˈweɪvəɹɪŋ/adjective · C1Never faltering or losing steadiness.
- unwedadjective · B2+Not married.
- unwelcome/ʌnˈwɛlkəm/adjective · B2Not wanted here.
- unwilling/ʌnˈwɪlɪŋ/adjective · B2Not wanting to do what is asked.
- unwind/ʌnˈwaɪnd/verb · B2To relax, or to undo something wound up.
- unwise/ʌnˈwaɪz/adjective · B2Showing poor judgement.
- unwittingadjective · C1Not aware of what you are taking part in.
- unwittingly/ʌnˈwɪtɪŋli/adverb · C1Without realising what you were doing.
- unworthy/ʌnˈwɝði/adjective · B2+Not deserving the respect or the thing in question.
- unwrap/ʌnˈɹæp/verb · B1+To pull the paper and tape off a parcel or present to get at what is inside.
- unwrittenadjective · B2+Understood and followed although never set down.
- unyieldingadjective · C1Refusing to bend or to give way.
- unzipverb · B1+To open something fastened with a zip.
- up in armsphrase · C1Angrily protesting about something.
- up in the airphrase · B2Still undecided; nothing is settled yet.
- up to datephrase · B1Including the most recent information.
- up with the larkphrase · C2Awake very early in the morning.
- up-to-date/ˌʌp tə ˈdeɪt/adjective · B1Including the most recent information.
- upbeat/ʌpˈbit/adjective · B2+Cheerfully positive and hopeful.
- upbraid/ˌʌpˈbɹeɪd/verb · C2To reprove somebody sharply.
- upbringing/ˈʌpˌbrɪŋɪŋ/noun · B2The way your parents raised you and the values they taught.
- update/ˈʌp.deɪt/noun · B1+A newer version of a program that fixes and improves it.
- updraftnoun · C1A current of air rising upward.
- upend/ʌpˈɛnd/verb · C1To turn something on its end, or to overturn a plan.
- upfront/ʌpˈfɹʌnt/adjective · B2+Honest and direct from the start.
- upgrade/ˈʌp.ɡɹeɪd/<q:noun>noun · B2A move to a better class of seat.
- upgrade/ˈʌp.ɡɹeɪd/<q:noun>verb · B1To replace a part with a better one.
- upheaval/ʌpˈhiːvəl/noun · C1A violent change that turns everything upside down.
- uphill/ˈʌphɪl/adverb · B1+Going up a slope.
- uphill battlenoun · B2A struggle that is hard the whole way.
- uphold/ˌʌpˈhəʊld/verb · C1To defend and maintain a law, standard, or decision.
- upholsterer/ʌpˈhəʊl.stəɹ.ə/noun · C2A worker who covers furniture in fabric.
- upholstery/ʌpˈhəʊlstəɹi/noun · C1The soft padded covering of sofas and chairs.
- upkeep/ˈʌpkip/noun · B2+The cost and work of keeping something in order.
- uplift/ʌpˈlɪft/noun · C1The raising of land by forces below.
- upload/ˌʌpˈləʊd/verb · B1+To send a file from your device up onto the internet.
- upload speednoun · B1How fast data goes from you to the network.
- upper/ˈʌpə/adjective · B2Higher than the other part; nearer the top.
- upper-class/ˈʌpəɹˌklæs/adjective · B2Belonging to the richest, most privileged group.
- uppity/ˈʌpəti/adjective · C1Behaving as though above your station.
- upright/ˈʌpɹaɪt/adjective · B2Standing straight up.
- uprising/ˈʌpˌɹaɪzɪŋ/noun · B2+A revolt by people against those in power.
- uproar/ˈʌpɹɔː/noun · B2A great noise of shouting and protest.
- uproarious/ʌpˈɹɔː.ɹɪ.əs/adjective · C2Very noisy, and extremely funny.
- uproot/ˌʌpˈɹuːt/verb · C1To pull a plant out by the roots, or to force somebody to move.
- upscale/ˈʌpskeɪl/adjective · B2+Aimed at people with money to spend.
- upsellverb · C1To persuade a customer to buy the dearer version.
- upset/ˈʌp.sɛt/adjective · A2Sad and shaken because of something that just happened.
- upshot/ˈʌpʃɑt/noun · C1The final result of a series of events.
- upside down/ˌʌpsaɪd ˈdaʊn/phrase · B2With the top part at the bottom.
- upside-downadjective · A2Turned so that the top is now at the bottom.
- upstairs/ˌʌpˈstɛɹz/adverb · A2On or to a higher floor.
- upstanding/ʌpˈstændɪŋ/adjective · C1Respectable and law-abiding, the sort of citizen a community holds up as a model.
- upstate/ˈʌp.steɪt/adverb · C1In or towards the northern part of a state.
- upstream/ʌpˈstɹiːm/adverb · B2+Against the flow of a river.
- upsurgenoun · C1A sudden strong increase.
- uptight/ʌpˈtaɪt/adjective · B2Tense and unable to relax.
- uptown/ˈʌptaʊn/<q:noun, adjective>adverb · B2In or towards the residential part of a city.
- upturn/ˈʌp.tɜːn/noun · B2An improvement in trade or fortunes.
- upward/ˈʌpwɚd/adjective · B1Moving or facing towards a higher place.
- upwards/ˈʌpwədz/adverb · B2Towards a higher place or level.
- upwind/ʌpˈwɪnd/adverb · C1Into the wind, or on the side it blows from.
- uranium/ˌjuː.ˈɹeɪ.ni.əm/noun · B2+A heavy radioactive metal used as nuclear fuel.
- urban/ˈɜː.bən/adjective · B2Belonging to cities rather than the countryside.
- urbane/ɜːˈbeɪn/adjective · C2Smooth, polished and confident in company.
- urchin/ˈɜːtʃɪn/noun · B2+A ragged mischievous child, or a spiny sea creature.
- urge/ɜːd͡ʒ/verb · B2To push someone hard with words to do something.
- urgency/ˈɜː.d͡ʒən.si/noun · B2The need for something to be dealt with at once.
- urgent/ˈɜː.d͡ʒənt/adjective · B1Needing action immediately — it cannot wait.
- urgentlyadverb · B2+In a way that cannot wait.
- urinal/jʊəˈraɪnəl/noun · B2A fitting in a lavatory for men to pass water into.
- urinate/ˈjʊəɹɪneɪt/verb · B2To pass water from the body.
- urlnoun · B1The full address of a page on the web.
- urn/ɜːn/noun · B2+A tall rounded vase, often with a lid.
- uruguaynoun · B1+The small South American country between its two giant neighbors, mad about football.
- usable/ˈjuː.zə.bəl/adjective · B1+In a state where it can be used.
- usage/ˈjuːsɪd͡ʒ/noun · B2+How something is used, especially language.
- use/juːs/verb · A1To take a tool or thing and do something with it.
- use upphrase · B1To finish the whole supply of something.
- useful/ˈjuːsfəl/adjective · A1Helping you get things done.
- usefulness/ˈjuːsfəlnəs/noun · B2+How much help something actually is.
- useless/ˈjuːs.ləs/adjective · B1Helping with nothing at all.
- user/ˈjuːzə/noun · B1+Somebody who uses a thing or a service.
- usernamenoun · A2The public name you choose for your account.
- usher/ˈʌʃəɹ/noun · B2The person who shows you to your seat.
- usual/ˈjuː.ʒʊəl/adjective · A2Happening as it normally does.
- usually/ˈjuːʒʊəli/adverb · A1In most cases; almost every time.
- usurp/juˈsɝp/verb · C2To seize a position that belongs to another.
- usurpation/ˌjuː.sə(ɹ)ˈpeɪ.ʃən/noun · C2The seizing of a position that is not yours by right.
- usurper/juˈsɜɹ.pəɹ/noun · C1Somebody who seizes a throne they had no right to.
- usury/ˈjuːʒəɹi/noun · C1Lending money at an unfairly high rate.
- utensil/juˈtɛn.səl/noun · C1Any tool used for preparing or eating food.
- uterus/ˈjuː.tə.ɹəs/noun · B2+The anatomical term for the pear-shaped muscular organ in which a foetus develops.
- utilitarian/juːˌtɪlɪˈtɛəɹi.ən/adjective · C2Made for use rather than beauty.
- utilitarianismnoun · C1The view that the right act brings the most good to the most people.
- utility/juːˈtɪlɪti/noun · C1A basic public service piped to every home — water, gas, or power.
- utility billnoun · B2The demand for payment for gas, water or power.
- utility roomphrase · B2The small room where the washer, dryer, and cleaning things live.
- utilize/ˈjuː.tɪ.laɪz/verb · C1The formal word for putting something to work.
- utmost/ˈʌtməʊ̯st/adjective · B2+The very greatest possible.
- utopia/juːˈtəʊ.pi.ə/noun · B2+An imagined place where everything is perfect.
- utopianismnoun · C2Belief in the possibility of a perfect society.
- utter/ˈʌtə/verb · B2To make a sound or speak words aloud.
- utterance/ˈʌtəɹəns/noun · C1Something said, taken as a unit of speech.
- utterly/ˈʌtəli/adverb · B2Totally and absolutely, to the last degree.
- uzbekistannoun · B2The Central Asian country of Samarkand on the old Silk Road.
- vacancy/ˈveɪkənsi/noun · B1+An open job waiting for someone to fill it.
- vacant/ˈveɪkənt/adjective · B2Standing unused and available - rooms, seats, or jobs.
- vacate/veɪˈkeɪt/verb · B2+To leave a place empty.
- vaccine/vækˈsin/noun · B2An injection that teaches your body to fight an illness before you catch it.
- vacillate/ˈvæ.sə.leɪt/verb · C2To keep changing your mind and settling nothing.
- vacillation/væsɪˈleɪʃən/noun · C2Wavering between choices without deciding.
- vacuous/ˈvækju.əs/adjective · C2Empty of thought or meaning.
- vacuum/ˈvæ.kjuːm/noun · B1The machine that sucks dust and crumbs off the floor.
- vacuum/ˈvæ.kjuːm/verb · B1To clean by sucking dirt up into a machine.
- vacuum cleanerphrase · B1The loud machine that eats the dust from your floor.
- vagabond/ˈvæ.ɡə.bɒnd/noun · C1A wanderer with no home and no settled work.
- vagary/vəˈɡɛɚ.i/noun · C2An unpredictable change or whim.
- vaginal/vəˈd͡ʒʌɪ.nəl/adjective · B2+To do with the passage leading to the womb.
- vagrant/ˈveɪɡɹənt/noun · C1Somebody with no home who wanders from place to place.
- vague/veɪɡ/adjective · C1Unclear and without exact details.
- vaguely/ˈveɪɡli/adverb · B2In an unclear, fuzzy way; only slightly.
- vaguenessnoun · C1Having no clear boundary of meaning.
- vain/veɪn/adjective · B1+Obsessed with your own looks; also, achieving nothing.
- vainglorious/ˌveɪnˈɡlɔː.ɹi.əs/adjective · C2Boastfully and excessively proud.
- vale/veɪl/noun · C2A valley, in poetic use.
- valence/ˈveɪl(ə)ns/noun · C1How many bonds an atom can form.
- valiant/ˈvæliənt/adjective · B2+Showing great courage in danger.
- valid/ˈvælɪd/adjective · B2Legally or logically holding up; still in force.
- validate/ˈvæl.ɪ.deɪt/verb · B2+To confirm that something is sound or true.
- validation/ˌvæl.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/noun · B2+Being told that what you feel makes sense.
- validity/vəˈlɪd.ɪ.ti/noun · C1Whether a study really measures what it claims to.
- valley/ˈvæli/noun · A2+The low green land lying between two lines of high ground.
- valour/ˈvælə/noun · C1Great courage in the face of danger.
- valuable/ˈvælju(ə)bl̩/adjective · B1Worth a lot of money, or a lot of care.
- valuation/ˌvæ.ljuːˈeɪ.ʃən/noun · C1What a business is judged to be worth.
- valve/ˈvælv/noun · B2The fitting that lets air in and keeps it there.
- vamp/væmp/noun · C1A woman who uses her charm to exploit men.
- vampire/ˈvæm.paɪ.ə(ɹ)/noun · B1An undead creature that drinks the blood of the living.
- van/væn/noun · A2The medium-sized covered vehicle that movers and delivery people drive.
- vandal/ˈvændəl/noun · C1Somebody who destroys property for the sake of it.
- vandalism/ˈvændəlɪzm̩/noun · B2+The crime of destroying property just to destroy it.
- vandalize/ˈvændəlaɪz/verb · C2To damage property deliberately and pointlessly.
- vanguard/ˈvanˌɡɑːd/noun · C1The leading part of a movement or an army.
- vanilla/vəˈnɪl.ə/noun · A2+The sweet flavor from a tropical pod, classic in ice cream.
- vanish/ˈvænɪʃ/verb · C1To go out of sight suddenly and completely.
- vanity/ˈvænɪti/noun · B2Excessive pride in your own looks or importance.
- vanquish/ˈvæŋkwɪʃ/verb · C1To defeat an enemy completely.
- vanquishedadjective · C2Thoroughly defeated.
- vantage/ˈvɑːntɪd͡ʒ/noun · C1A position of advantage.
- vantage point/ˈvɑːn.tɪd͡ʒ ˌpɔɪnt/noun · C1A position that gives a good view of things.
- vanuatunoun · C1Pacific island nation where land diving was invented.
- vapid/ˈvæp.ɪd/adjective · C2Dull, and offering nothing of interest.
- variable[ˈvɛə.ɹi.ə.bl̩]noun · B2+Anything in an experiment that can be changed or measured.
- variance/ˈvɛə.ɹi.əns/noun · C1A difference, or the state of disagreeing.
- variation/ˌvɛəɹɪˈeɪʃn̩/noun · B2One of the possible lines a game may follow.
- variegated/ˈvɛəɹi.əˌɡeɪtɪd/adjective · C2Marked with patches of different colours.
- variety is the spice of lifephrase · C1Change and difference are what make living enjoyable.
- various/ˈvɛəɹi.əs/adjective · B1Of several different kinds.
- varnish/ˈvɑː(ɹ)nɪʃ/noun · B2+A clear coat that protects wood and shows the grain.
- varsity/ˈvɑː.sɪ.ti/noun · B2+The main team representing a school or university.
- vase/vɑːz/noun · B1The tall pretty container you put flowers in.
- vassal/ˈvæsəl/noun · C1A lord who held land in return for loyalty to a greater lord.
- vast/vɑːst/adjective · B2Enormously wide and open, like the ocean or space.
- vastness/ˈvæstnəs/noun · C1Immense extent or size.
- vat/væt/noun · B2+A very large open container for liquid.
- vatican citynoun · B2The world's smallest state, home of the Pope, inside Rome.
- vault/vɒlt/noun · B2An arched stone ceiling.
- vaultingnoun · C2The arched stonework forming a roof.
- veal/viːl/noun · B2The pale meat of a very young cow.
- veer/vɪə̯/verb · B2+To change course, especially away from a straight line.
- vegan/ˈviːɡən/<ref:{{R:Dictionary.comnoun · B1+A person who eats nothing that comes from animals at all.
- vegetable/ˈvɛd͡ʒ.tə.bəl/noun · A1A plant grown to be eaten with a meal rather than as a sweet.
- vegetarian/vɛ.d͡ʒɪˈtɛə.ɹi.ən/noun · B1+A person who eats no meat.
- vegetation/ˌvɛd͡ʒəˈteɪʃən/noun · C1All the plant life covering an area, taken together.
- vehemence/ˈviːəmən(t)s/noun · C1Great forcefulness of feeling or expression.
- vehemently/ˈviː.ə.məntli/adverb · C1With very strong and forceful feeling.
- vehicle/ˈviː.ɪ.kəl/noun · A2Any machine on wheels that carries people or things.
- vehicular/viˈhɪk.jə.lə(ɹ)/adjective · C1To do with cars, lorries and other road traffic.
- veil/veɪl/noun · B2Thin fabric worn over the face, as brides do.
- vein/veɪn/noun · B2One of the thin blue tubes that carry blood under your skin.
- velcronoun · B1+A fastening of tiny hooks catching a looped surface.
- vellum/ˈvɛləm/noun · C1Fine parchment made from calf skin.
- velociraptornoun · C2A small fast hunting dinosaur with a killing claw on each foot.
- velocity/vəˈlɒsəti/noun · B2+Speed in a stated direction.
- velodrome/ˈvɛl.ə.dɹəʊm/noun · C1A banked oval track built for cycle racing.
- velvet/ˈvɛlvɪt/noun · B1A rich fabric with a soft, deep surface, loved for evening wear.
- velvet/ˈvɛlvɪt/noun · B1A soft rich cloth used inside a case.
- velvety/ˈvɛlvəti/adjective · B2+Soft and smooth to stroke.
- venal/ˈviːnəl/adjective · C2Willing to be bribed.
- vendetta/vɛnˈdɛtə/noun · C1A long feud pursued with revenge in mind.
- vendingnoun · B1+The selling of goods, especially from a machine.
- vending machine/ˈvɛndɪŋ məˌʃiːn/noun · B1The coin-fed box that drops snacks and drinks.
- vendor/ˈvɛn.də/noun · B1+A person selling from a small street stand.
- veneer/vəˈnɪə(ɹ)/noun · C1A very thin sheet of fine wood glued over a cheaper one.
- venerable/ˈvɛnəɹəbl/adjective · C1Deserving respect for age, wisdom or character.
- venerate/ˈvɛnəɹeɪt/verb · C1To regard somebody with deep respect.
- veneration/ˌvɛnəˈɹeɪʃən/noun · C1Deep respect amounting almost to worship.
- venezuelanoun · B1+The South American country of Caracas and the world's tallest waterfall.
- vengeance/ˈvɛnˌd͡ʒəns/noun · B2Punishment inflicted in return for a wrong.
- vengeful/ˈvɛnʒ.fəl/adjective · C2Hungry to pay someone back for a wrong.
- venison/ˈvɛ.nɪ.zən/noun · B2+The meat of a deer.
- venom/ˈvɛnəm/noun · B1+The poison a snake or scorpion injects with its bite or sting.
- venomous/ˈvɛnəməs/adjective · C2Carrying poison, or full of spite.
- vent/vɛnt/noun · B2An opening that lets air or feeling escape.
- ventilate/ˈvɛntɪleɪt/verb · C1To let air move through a space.
- ventilation/ˌvɛntɪˈleɪʃ(ə)n/noun · C1The flow of fresh air through a room or building.
- ventilator/ˈvɛntɪleɪtə/noun · B1+A machine that breathes for a patient.
- ventriloquist/vɛnˈtɹɪl.ə.kwɪst/noun · B2A performer who makes a dummy seem to speak.
- venture/ˈvɛn.t͡ʃə/verb · B2To dare to go somewhere or say something risky.
- venture capital/ˈvɛn.t͡ʃə ˈkæpɪtəl/noun · C1Money invested in young companies that might fail or soar.
- venue/ˈvɛnjuː/noun · B2+The place where an event is held.
- venue hirenoun · B2Paying for a place in which to hold an event.
- veracity/vəˈɹæ.sɪ.ti/noun · C2Truthfulness, or accordance with the facts.
- veranda/vəˈɹæn.də/noun · B2+A roofed open platform along the side of a house.
- verandah/vəˈɹændə/noun · C1A roofed open porch along the side of a house.
- verb/vɜːb/noun · B1+A word that names an action or a state.
- verbal/ˈvɜː.bəl/adjective · C1Done in spoken words rather than in writing or action.
- verbatim/vɜːˈbeɪ.tɪm/<a:RP><ref:<<name:COED-etym&RPpron>>>adverb · C2Repeated word for word, exactly as said.
- verbose/vəˈbəʊs/adjective · C1Using far more words than are needed.
- verdant/ˈvɜɹ.dənt/adjective · C2Bright green with fresh growth.
- verdict/ˈvɜː.dɪkt/noun · B2The court's final answer — guilty or not guilty.
- verge/vɜːd͡ʒ/noun · B2The very edge of something, or a grass strip by a road.
- verification/ˌvɛ.ɹə.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/noun · B2+The checking that something is true.
- verify/ˈvɛɹɪfaɪ/verb · C1To make sure something is true against the facts.
- verify/ˈvɛɹɪfaɪ/verb · B2To check that something is actually so.
- verily/ˈvɛɹ.əl.i/adverb · C2Truly, in old or biblical use.
- verisimilitude/vɛɹɪsɪˈmɪlɪtjuːd/noun · C2The appearance of being real or true.
- veritable/ˈvɛ.ɹɪ.tə.bl/adjective · C2Genuinely deserving the name given.
- vermilion/vəˈmɪl.jən/noun · C1A brilliant red pigment.
- vermin/ˈvɜːmɪn/noun · C2Small animals or insects that spread disease and damage.
- vernacular/vəˈnækjələ/noun · C1The everyday language of ordinary people in a place.
- versatile/ˈvɜː.səˌtaɪl/adjective · C1Good at many different things or uses.
- versatility/ˌvɜː.səˈtɪl.ɪ.tiː/noun · C1The ability to turn your hand to many things.
- verse/vɜːs/noun · B1One group of lines in a poem or song.
- versed/vɝst/adjective · C1Skilled in a subject through long practice.
- version/ˈvɜːʒn̩/noun · B1One form of something that exists in several forms.
- versus/ˈvɜːsəs/preposition · B2Against, as one side set opposite another.
- vertebra/ˈvɜː.tɪb.ɹə/noun · B2+One of the small bones making up the spine.
- vertex/ˈvɜː.tɛks/noun · C1The point where two edges of a shape meet.
- vertical/ˈvɜː.tɪ.kəl/adjective · B2Straight up and down.
- vertigo/ˈvɜːtɪɡəʊ/noun · B2+A spinning dizziness, often felt at a height.
- verve/vɜːv/noun · C1Lively spirit and enthusiasm in what you do.
- vessel/ˈvɛsəl/noun · B2A ship, or a container for liquid.
- vest/vɛst/noun · A2+A top without sleeves, often worn over a shirt.
- vestige/ˈvɛs.tɪd͡ʒ/noun · C1A small trace left of something that has gone.
- vestigial/vɛˈstɪd͡ʒɪəl/adjective · C2Left over from an earlier form and no longer of use.
- vestment/ˈvɛstmənt/noun · C2A robe worn by a priest at a service.
- vet/vɛt/noun · B1The animal doctor.
- veteran/ˈvɛ.tə.ɹən/noun · C1Somebody who has served, especially in a war.
- veterinarian/ˌvɛt(ə)ɹəˈnɛɹ.i.ən/noun · B1+A doctor who treats animals.
- veterinary/ˈvɛtɪnɹi/adjective · B2Having to do with the medical care of animals.
- veto/ˈviːtəʊ/verb · B2+To refuse to allow something that others have agreed.
- vettingnoun · C1Checking somebody's background before trusting them.
- vex/vɛks/verb · B2+To annoy or worry somebody.
- vexation/vɛkˈseɪʃn̩/noun · C2Annoyance and irritation.
- vexatious/vɛkˈseɪʃəs/adjective · C2Causing annoyance and needless trouble.
- via/ˈvaɪə/preposition · B2By way of a particular route or means.
- viability/ˌvaɪəˈbɪlɪti/noun · C1Whether something can survive and work.
- viable/ˈvaɪəbəl/adjective · C1Able to actually work and survive in practice.
- viaduct/ˈvaɪədʌkt/noun · C1A long bridge of arches carrying a road or railway.
- vial/ˈvaɪəl/noun · B2+A very small bottle for medicine or samples.
- vibrant/ˈvaɪbɹənt/adjective · C1Pulsing with bright life, color, and energy.
- vibrate/vaɪˈbɹeɪt/verb · B2To shake with rapid small movements.
- vibration/vaɪˈbɹeɪʃən/noun · B2A rapid trembling movement passing through something.
- vibrato/vɪˈbɹɑːtoʊ/noun · C1A slight wobble in pitch that warms a held note.
- vicar/ˈvɪkɚ/noun · B2+The priest in charge of a parish.
- vicarious/vɪˈkɛəɹi.əs/adjective · C1Felt through somebody else's experience rather than your own.
- vice/vaɪs/noun · C1A heavy jaw bolted to a bench, to hold work still.
- vice presidentnoun · B1The officer who is second to the president.
- viceroy/ˈvaɪsˌɹɔɪ/noun · C1Somebody who rules a colony on behalf of a monarch.
- vicinity/vɪˈsɪnɪti/noun · B2The area immediately around a place.
- vicious/ˈvɪʃəs/adjective · B2Cruelly violent, meaning to hurt.
- vicious circlephrase · C1A loop where each problem keeps causing the other.
- vicissitude/vɪˈsɪs.ɪˌt(j)uːd/noun · C2One of the changes of fortune life brings.
- victim/ˈvɪktɪm/noun · B1The person a crime or disaster happened to.
- victimiseverb · B2+To single somebody out for unfair treatment.
- victor/ˈvɪk.tə(ɹ)/noun · B2The winner of a contest or a battle.
- victorious/vɪkˈtɔːɹiəs/adjective · C1Having won.
- victory/ˈvɪktəɹi/noun · B1The sweet result of beating everyone.
- video/ˈvɪd.i.əʊ/noun · A1Moving pictures with sound that you watch on a screen.
- video callnoun · B1A meeting held over a live picture link.
- video clipnoun · B1A brief piece of recorded footage shared on its own, named in two words with the word for moving pictures first.
- video game/ˈvɪdiːəʊ̯ˌɡeɪm/phrase · A2A game you play on a screen with buttons or a touch pad.
- videotapenoun · B2A plastic cassette that films were recorded onto before discs.
- vie/vaɪ/verb · C1To compete eagerly for something.
- vietnamnoun · B1The long Southeast Asian country famous for its noodle soup.
- viewer/ˈvjuːə/noun · B1+Somebody watching a broadcast.
- viewfinder/ˈvjuːfaɪndə(ɹ)/noun · B2+The window you look through to frame a shot.
- vigil/ˈvɪd͡ʒəl/noun · B2+Staying awake through the night to watch or pray.
- vigilance/ˈvɪd͡ʒɪlɪns/noun · C1Careful watchfulness for danger.
- vigilant/ˈvɪd͡ʒɪlənt/adjective · B2+Keeping constant, careful watch for danger.
- vigilante/ˌvɪd͡ʒ.ɪˈlæn.ti/noun · B2+Somebody who takes law enforcement into their own hands.
- vigorous/ˈvɪɡəɹəs/adjective · B2+Done with strong, healthy energy.
- vigour/ˈvɪɡə/noun · B2+Physical strength and lively energy.
- vile/vaɪ(ə)l/adjective · C1Disgustingly unpleasant or morally low.
- vilificationnoun · C2A campaign of abuse against somebody's name.
- vilify/ˈvɪl.ɪ.faɪ/verb · C2To speak of somebody with vicious abuse.
- villa/ˈvɪlə/noun · B2A big expensive holiday house, often with a pool.
- village/ˈvɪlɪd͡ʒ/noun · A1A very small settlement in the countryside.
- village greennoun · B1The open grass at the centre of a village.
- villager/ˈvɪlɪd͡ʒə/noun · C1Somebody who lives in a small country settlement.
- villain/ˈvɪl.ən/noun · B1+The evil figure the hero must defeat.
- villainous/ˈvɪlənəs/adjective · B2+Wicked in the manner of a story's villain.
- villainynoun · C1Wicked and criminal behaviour.
- vinaigrette/vɪnəˈɡɹɛt/noun · B2+A dressing shaken from oil and something sour.
- vindicate/ˈvɪndɪˌkeɪ̯t/verb · C2To clear somebody, or to show a decision was right.
- vindication/ˌvɪndɪˈkeɪʃn̩/noun · C2Proof that somebody was right after all.
- vindictive/vɪnˈdɪk.tɪv/adjective · C1Determined to pay back every wrong done to you.
- vindictiveness/vɪnˈdɪk.tɪv.nəs/noun · C1An eagerness to hurt those who have wronged you.
- vine/ˈvaɪ̯n/noun · B1+A climbing plant, especially the one that gives grapes.
- vinegar/ˈvɪnəɡəː/noun · B2The very sour liquid you mix with oil for salad dressing.
- vineyard/ˈvɪn.jɚd/noun · B1+A field planted with vines for making wine.
- vintage/ˈvɪn.tɪd͡ʒ/adjective · B2Old but valued for its quality and classic style.
- viola/ˈviː.ələ/noun · B2+A slightly larger, deeper-voiced relative of the violin.
- violation/ˌvaɪ.əˈleɪ.ʃən/noun · B2Breaking a rule or a right.
- violence/ˈvaɪ(ə)lən(t)s/noun · B1Behaviour meant to hurt or damage.
- violent/ˈvaɪ.ə.lənt/adjective · B1Using physical force to hurt.
- violet/ˈvaɪ.ə.lət/adjective · B2A blue-leaning purple.
- violin/ˌvaɪ.əˈlɪn/noun · A2+The small wooden string instrument you hold under your chin and play with a bow.
- violinistnoun · B1+Somebody who plays the violin.
- viper/ˈvaɪpɚ/noun · B2A venomous snake, or a treacherous person.
- virginal/ˈvɜː(ɹ)d͡ʒɪnəl/adjective · C2Pure and untouched.
- virile/ˈvɪɹ.əl/adjective · C1Strong and full of manly vigour.
- virility/vəˈɹɪlɪti/noun · C1Manly strength and sexual vigour.
- virtual/ˈvɜːt͡ʃʊəl/adjective · B2Existing on screens and servers rather than in the physical world.
- virtual reality/ˈvɜː(ɹ)tʃuəl ɹiːˈælɪti/phrase · B2The computer world you step inside by strapping a screen to your face.
- virtually/ˈvɚ.t͡ʃə.wə.li/adverb · B2In every way that matters; almost entirely.
- virtue/ˈvɜːt͡ʃuː/noun · B2A morally excellent quality, like honesty or courage.
- virtuosity/ˌvɜː(ɹ)tjuˈɒsɪti/noun · C2Outstanding technical skill in an art.
- virtuoso/ˌvɜ.tʃuˈəʊ.səʊ/noun · C2A performer of extraordinary technical brilliance.
- virtuous/ˈvɜːt͡ʃʊəs/adjective · C1Behaving in a morally good way.
- virulence/ˈvɪɹjələns/noun · C1The power of a disease to harm, or bitterness of feeling.
- virulent/ˈvɪɹ(j)ʊl(ə)nt/adjective · C1Extremely harmful, or full of bitter hostility.
- virus/ˈvaɪ.ɹəs/noun · B1A tiny thing that spreads illness from person to person.
- virus/ˈvaɪ.ɹəs/noun · B1A harmful program that secretly spreads from computer to computer.
- visa/ˈviː.zə/noun · B2+The official permission stamped in your passport to enter a country.
- visa fraudnoun · B2Lying on the papers that allow you to enter a country.
- visage/ˈvɪz.ɪd͡ʒ/noun · C2A person's face and its expression.
- viscera/ˈvɪsəɹə/noun · C2The internal organs of the body.
- visceral/ˈvɪsəɹəl/adjective · C1Felt deep in the body rather than reasoned out.
- visibility/ˌvɪz.əˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/noun · B1+How far and how clearly you can see.
- visible/ˈvɪzɪb(ə)l/adjective · B2Able to be seen.
- visibly/ˈvɪz.ə.bli/adverb · B2+In a way anybody could see.
- vision/ˈvɪʒ.ən/noun · B1A clear mental picture of the future you want to build; also, eyesight.
- visionary/ˈvɪʒn̩(ə)ɹi/noun · B2+Somebody with bold imaginative plans for the future.
- visit/ˈvɪzɪt/verb · A1To go to see a person or a place for a while.
- visitation/ˌvɪzɪˈteɪʃən/noun · C1An official visit, or an appearance believed to be supernatural.
- visitor passnoun · B1The badge a guest wears inside a building.
- visor/ˈvaɪzɚ/noun · B2A stiff curved brim that shades the eyes.
- vista/ˈvɪstə/noun · C1A pleasing view, especially a long narrow one.
- visual/ˈvɪʒuːəl/adjective · B2To do with seeing.
- visualiseverb · B2+To form a clear picture of something in your mind.
- visually impairedadjective · B2Having very limited or no sight.
- vitality/vaɪˈtælɪti/noun · C1The energy and liveliness that mark healthy life.
- vitamin/ˈvɪt.ə.mɪn/<a:UK><ref:{{R:Merriam Webster Onlinenoun · B2One of the tiny helpers in fruit and vegetables your body must have.
- vitriolic/vɪtɹɪˈɒlɪk/adjective · C2Filled with savage bitterness.
- vituperate/vɪˈtjuːpəɹeɪt/verb · C2To attack somebody with abusive language.
- vivacious/vaɪˈveɪ.ʃəs/adjective · C1Lively and full of high spirits.
- vivacity/vɪˈvæsɪti/noun · C2Liveliness of manner and spirit.
- vivarium/vaɪˈvɛəɹi.əm/noun · C2A glass case for keeping reptiles.
- vivid/ˈvɪvɪd/adjective · B2+So bright and lifelike it feels real — colors, dreams, memories.
- vividly/ˈvɪvɪdli/adverb · C1In a way that is bright and sharply detailed.
- vixen/ˈvɪk.sən/noun · C1A female fox, or a fierce quarrelsome woman.
- vocabulary/vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/noun · B1All the words you know in a language.
- vocal/ˈvəʊ̯.kəl/adjective · C1To do with the voice, or loud in stating opinions.
- vocation/vəʊˈkeɪʃən/noun · C1The work you feel born to do — a calling, not just a job.
- vocationaladjective · C2Training somebody for a particular trade.
- vociferous/vəʊˈsɪfəɹəs/adjective · C2Loud and insistent in stating an opinion.
- vogue/vəʊɡ/noun · C1The fashion of the moment.
- voice/vɔɪs/noun · A1The sound you make when you speak or sing.
- voicemailnoun · B1+A recorded message left when a call is not answered.
- voiceovernoun · B2A speaker heard over pictures, without appearing.
- volatile/ˈvɒl.əˌtaɪl/adjective · B2+Liable to flare up without warning.
- volatility/ˌvɒl.əˈtɪl.ə.ti/noun · C1A tendency to change suddenly and unpredictably.
- volcanic/vɒlˈkænɪk/adjective · B1+Formed by molten rock from below the surface.
- volcano/vɒlˈkeɪ.nəʊ/noun · B1A mountain with fire inside that can erupt with melted rock.
- vole/vəʊl/noun · C1A small rodent with a short tail.
- volition/vəˈlɪʃ(ə)n/noun · C2The power to choose and act for yourself.
- volley/ˈvɒli/noun · B2+Many shots fired at the same moment.
- volleyball/ˈvɒlibɔ(ː)l/noun · A2+Two teams hit a ball over a high net with their hands; it must not touch the floor.
- volt/vəʊlt/noun · B1+The unit of electrical push.
- voltage/ˈvəʊltɪd͡ʒ/noun · B2+The electrical pressure pushing power through a wire.
- voluble/ˈvɒl.jʊ.bəl/adjective · C2Speaking easily and at great length.
- volume/ˈvɒl.juːm/noun · B2How loud the sound is — turn it up or down.
- volume/ˈvɒl.juːm/noun · B2The amount of space a solid thing fills.
- voluminous/vəˈl(j)uː.mɪ.nəs/adjective · C1Very large and loose, or very long in writing.
- voluntarily/ˌvɑlənˈtɛɹɪli/adverb · B2Of your own free choice.
- voluntary/ˈvɒl.ən.tɹi/adjective · B2Done by choice and usually without pay.
- volunteer/ˌvɒl(ə)nˈtɪə/noun · B1A person who works for free to help others.
- voracious/vɔːˈɹeɪ.ʃəs/adjective · C1Eating or consuming a great deal, greedily.
- voracity/vəˈɹæ.sɪ.ti/noun · C2A greedy and unappeasable appetite.
- vortex/ˈvɔɹtɛks/noun · C2A whirling mass that pulls everything into its centre.
- vote/vəʊt/verb · B1To choose your leaders by marking a paper on election day.
- vouch/ˈvaʊt͡ʃ/verb · B2To state that you can answer for somebody's honesty.
- voucher/ˈvaʊt͡ʃə(ɹ)/noun · B1+The paper or code that gives you money off your purchase.
- vouchsafe/ˌvaʊt͡ʃˈseɪf/verb · C2To grant something as a favour.
- vow/vaʊ/noun · B2A deep formal promise, like the ones spoken at weddings.
- vowel/ˈvaʊ.əl/noun · B1+One of the letters a, e, i, o and u.
- voyage/ˈvɔɪ.ɪd͡ʒ/noun · B1A long journey by sea or through space.
- voyeur/vɔɪˈjɜː/noun · C1Somebody who gets pleasure from secretly watching others.
- vulgar/ˈvʌl.ɡə/adjective · B2Coarse and lacking good taste.
- vulgarity/vʌlˈɡɜɹɪti/noun · C1Coarseness that offends against good taste.
- vulnerability/ˌvʌln(ə)ɹəˈbɪlɪti/noun · C1The state of being easy to hurt, with no armor on.
- vulnerable/ˈvʌln(ə)ɹəbl̩/adjective · B2Easy to wound, with no defenses up.
- vulpine/ˈvʌlpaɪn/adjective · C2Fox-like, especially in cunning.
- vulture/ˈvʌltʃə/noun · B1+A bald-headed bird that feeds on dead animals.
- wacko/ˈwæ.kəʊ/noun · C1Somebody thought to be mad or very eccentric.
- wacky/ˈwæk.iː/adjective · B2Amusingly odd.
- wad/wɒd/noun · C2A thick folded lump of paper, notes, or chewed gum.
- waddle/ˈwɒd.əl/verb · B2To walk with short steps, rocking side to side.
- wade/weɪd/verb · B2To walk through water or something that slows you.
- waffle/ˈwɒf.əl/noun · B1The square breakfast cake with a pattern of little pockets for syrup.
- waft/wɑft/verb · C1To drift gently through the air.
- wag/wæɡ/verb · B1+To move something back and forth, as a tail does.
- wage/weɪd͡ʒ/noun · B2Money paid for work by the hour or by the day.
- wage gapphrase · C1The difference in pay between two groups doing similar work.
- wager/ˈweɪ.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/verb · B2To bet money on the result of something.
- waggle/ˈwaɡəl/verb · C1To move rapidly from side to side.
- wagon/ˈwæɡən/noun · B1A four-wheeled vehicle for carrying goods.
- waif/weɪf/noun · C2A homeless neglected child.
- wail/weɪl/verb · B2To cry out long and loud in grief.
- waist/weɪst/noun · B2The narrow middle of your body, where a belt sits.
- waistcoat/ˈweɪs(t)kəʊt/noun · B2+A sleeveless buttoned top worn under a jacket.
- wait/weɪt/verb · A1To stay where you are until something happens.
- waiter/ˈweɪ̯təː/noun · A2+The person who brings your food to the table in a restaurant.
- waiting areanoun · B1The seats where visitors sit until they are called.
- waiting listnoun · B1The queue of people hoping for a table.
- waiting roomnoun · A2The room where patients sit before being called.
- waive/weɪv/verb · B2To give up a right or a claim.
- waiver/ˈweɪ.və(ɹ)/noun · B2+A formal giving up of a right or a claim.
- wake/ˈweɪ̯k/verb · A1To stop sleeping and open your eyes.
- wake-up callnoun · B1A telephone call ordered to wake you at a set time.
- wales/weɪlz/noun · A2+The UK nation of castles, choirs, and a dragon on its flag.
- walk/wɔːk/verb · A1To move on your feet at a normal, easy speed.
- walk in the parkphrase · B2Something pleasantly easy.
- walk outphrase · B2To leave suddenly in protest or anger.
- walk-innoun · C1A customer arriving with no table reserved.
- walk-in ratenoun · C1The price offered to somebody arriving without booking.
- walker/ˈwɔːkə/noun · B2Somebody who walks, especially for pleasure.
- walkies/ˈwɔː(ɹ)k.iːz/noun · B2+The daily outing a dog is taken on.
- walking bootsnoun · B1Stiff ankle-high footwear made for rough ground.
- walking framenoun · B2A light frame leaned on while walking.
- walking polenoun · B1A stick used to take weight off the knees.
- walkoutnoun · B2+Leaving work suddenly as a protest.
- walkway/ˈwɔːkˌweɪ/noun · C1A paved route built for people on foot.
- wall/wɔːl/noun · A1One of the four sides of a room; you hang pictures on it.
- wallet/ˈwɒl.ɪt/noun · A2The small flat case in your pocket for money and cards.
- wallet-friendlyadjective · C1Costing little enough that your bank account stays happy.
- wallow/ˈwɒ.ləʊ/verb · C2To roll about in mud, or to indulge a feeling.
- wallpaper/ˈwɔːlˌpeɪpə/noun · A2+Decorated paper glued over the walls of a room.
- walnut/ˈwɔːlnʌt/noun · B2A wrinkled nut that looks like a little brain.
- walnut/ˈwɔːlnʌt/noun · B2A dark finely grained timber used in fine furniture.
- walnut treenoun · B1A tree grown for its wrinkled nuts and fine timber.
- walrus/ˈwɔːl.ɹəs/noun · B1A large sea mammal with long tusks.
- waltz/wɒlts/noun · B1+A gliding partner dance in three beats to the bar.
- waltzernoun · C2A fairground ride of spinning tubs.
- wand/wɒnd/noun · B1The slender rod through which magic is directed.
- wander/ˈwɒndə/verb · B2To walk slowly with no particular place to go.
- wanderlust/ˈwɒndəlʌst/noun · C1The restless hunger to travel and see the world.
- wane/weɪn/verb · C2To grow smaller or weaker after a peak.
- wannabe/ˈwɒnəbi/noun · B2+Somebody trying to be like a person they admire.
- want/wɒnt/verb · A1To wish to have or do something.
- wanted/ˈwɒn.tɪd/adjective · B2Being searched for by the police — face on every poster.
- wanton/ˈwɒntən/adjective · C2Cruel or destructive with no reason at all.
- wantonness/ˈwɒntənnəs/noun · C2Reckless disregard for restraint or decency.
- war/wɔː/noun · A2Armed fighting between countries.
- warble/ˈwɔɹbl̩/verb · C1To sing with a trembling, rippling voice.
- ward/wɔːd/noun · B2One big hospital room shared by several patients.
- ward offphrase · C1To keep something harmful away.
- warden/ˈwɔːdən/noun · B2The official in charge of a prison.
- wardrobe/ˈwɔːdɹəʊb/noun · B1The tall furniture where your clothes hang; also, all the clothes you own.
- ware/ˈwɛə/noun · C1Goods of a particular kind offered for sale.
- warehouse/ˈwɛə(ɹ)haʊs/noun · B2A big building where goods are stored before they are sold.
- warehousingnoun · B2+The storing of goods until they are wanted.
- warfare/ˈwɔɹfɛɹ/noun · C1The activity of fighting a war.
- warheadnoun · B2+The explosive front section of a missile.
- warhorsenoun · B2+A mount trained to carry a knight into battle.
- warlock/ˈwɔː.lɒk/noun · B2+A male worker of dark magic.
- warlord/ˈwɔɹlɔɹd/noun · B2+A military leader ruling a region by force.
- warm/wɔːm/adjective · A1Pleasantly a little hot, like a spring day or a blanket.
- warm up/ˌwɔː(ɹ)m ˈʌp/phrase · B1To gently wake your muscles before sport; also, to heat food again.
- warm-bloodedadjective · B2Keeping a steady body heat whatever the weather.
- warm-heartedadjective · B2Kind and generous in feeling.
- warm-upnoun · B1The gentle movements before sport that wake your muscles up.
- warn/wɔːn/verb · B1To tell someone about danger before it reaches them.
- warning/ˈwɔːnɪŋ/noun · B1A message that danger or trouble is coming.
- warp/ˈwɔːp/verb · B2To bend out of true as timber dries.
- warrant/ˈwɒɹənt/noun · B2The judge's written permission police need to search or arrest.
- warranty/ˈwɒɹ.ən.ti/noun · B2+The promise that a product will be repaired free if it breaks soon.
- warranty periodnoun · B2The length of time a repair promise lasts.
- warren/ˈwɒɹən/noun · C1A network of rabbit burrows, or a maze of passages.
- warrior/ˈwɒɹi.ə/noun · B2A fighter, especially in older or tribal societies.
- warship/ˈwɔːˌʃɪp/noun · B2+A vessel armed and built for battle.
- wart/wɔːt/noun · B1+A small hard growth on the skin.
- wartime/ˈwɔː(ɹ)taɪm/noun · B2The period during which a war is being fought.
- wary/ˈwɛə.ɹi/adjective · C1On careful guard against possible trouble.
- wash/wɒʃ/verb · A2To clean something with water and soap.
- washbasin/ˈwɑʃˌbeɪsən/noun · C1The bathroom bowl with taps where you rinse your hands.
- washer/ˈwɒʃə(ɹ)/noun · B2A flat ring that spreads the load under a nut.
- washing machinephrase · A2The machine that turns dirty clothes into clean ones.
- washing powdernoun · B1The dry substance that cleans clothes in a machine.
- washtubnoun · C1A large tub for washing clothes in.
- wasp/wɒsp/noun · B2A stinging insect with a narrow black and yellow body.
- waste/ˈweɪ̯st/verb · A2To use time or money badly, so it brings nothing.
- waste awayphrase · B2To grow steadily thinner and weaker.
- wastebasketnoun · A2The bin beside a desk for paper you throw away.
- wasteful/ˈweɪstfəl/adjective · B1+Using more than is needed.
- wasteland/ˈweɪs(t)ˌland/noun · B2+Barren land where nothing useful grows.
- watch/ˈwɒt͡ʃ/noun · A1The small clock you wear on your wrist.
- watch outphrase · A2What you shout to warn someone of sudden danger.
- watchdog/ˈwɑːt͡ʃˌdɑːɡ/noun · B2A body that guards against wrongdoing by others.
- watcher/ˈwɒt͡ʃ.ə/noun · B2+Somebody who observes closely.
- watchmaker/ˈwɔtʃˌmeɪkə/noun · B2+A craftsman who makes and repairs timepieces.
- watchword/ˈwɒt͡ʃwɜː(ɹ)d/noun · C2A phrase that sums up the guiding principle.
- water/ˈwɔ.tɚ/noun · A1The clear drink every living thing needs; it falls from the sky for free.
- water bottlenoun · A2The container you carry drinking water in.
- water bowlnoun · A2The dish an animal drinks from.
- water coolernoun · B1The machine people gather round to chat and drink.
- water cyclenoun · B1The endless journey of water between sea, sky and land.
- water downphrase · B2To weaken by adding liquid, or to soften a demand.
- water jugnoun · B1The container of tap water brought to the table.
- water mainnoun · C1The large pipe supplying a district with water.
- water pistolnoun · B1A toy that squirts a jet of liquid.
- water polo/ˈwɔːtə(ɹ) ˈpəʊləʊ/noun · B1A ball game played by teams swimming in a pool.
- water safetynoun · B2The rules that keep swimmers from harm.
- water troughnoun · B2The open container animals drink from.
- water under the bridgephrase · B2An old quarrel that no longer matters.
- water wingsnoun · B1Inflated floats worn by a learner.
- watered downphrase · B2Weakened by adding liquid, or made less forceful.
- waterfall/ˈwɔːtəfɔːl/noun · B1A river falling straight down over the edge of a cliff.
- waterfowlnoun · C1Birds that live on or near water.
- waterfrontnoun · C1The part of a town along the edge of the water.
- watering cannoun · A2A container with a long spout for wetting plants.
- watermark/ˈwɔːtəmɑːk/noun · B2+A faint mark over an image showing who owns it.
- watermelon/ˈwɔːtəˌmɛlən/noun · A2+A very big green fruit that is red and juicy inside.
- watermillnoun · B1+A mill driven by a wheel turned by a stream.
- waterproof/ˈwɔːtəˌpruːf/adjective · B2Made so that water cannot get through.
- waterproofsnoun · B2The jacket and trousers that keep rain out.
- watershed/ˈwɔːtəʃɛd/noun · C1The ridge dividing which way the rainwater runs.
- watertight/ˈwɔː.tə.taɪt/adjective · B1+Sealed so completely that no liquid passes.
- watery/ˈwɔːtəɹi/adjective · B2Thin and weak, as if diluted.
- watt/wɒt/noun · B1+The unit of power, used for lamps and engines.
- wattle/ˈwɒtl̩/noun · C2Woven sticks used as a building material.
- wave/weɪv/noun · A2A moving line of water rolling onto the beach.
- wave/weɪv/verb · A2To move your hand from side to side to say hello or goodbye.
- wave/weɪv/noun · B1A soft bend in hair, less tight than a curl.
- wave machinenoun · B2Equipment that makes artificial waves in a pool.
- wavelength/ˈweɪvlɛŋ(k)θ/noun · B2+The distance from one wave's crest to the next.
- wavy linenoun · B1A line that rises and falls smoothly.
- wax/waks/noun · B1A soft solid that melts easily and repels water.
- wax/waks/verb · B2To remove body hair by spreading on a warm sticky layer and pulling it off.
- waxy/ˈwæksi/adjective · B2Smooth, slightly greasy and firm.
- waybill/ˈweɪ.bɪl/noun · C2The document travelling with a consignment.
- waylay/ˌweɪˈleɪ/verb · C1To lie in wait and stop somebody on their way.
- waymarknoun · C1The small sign showing that you are still on the path.
- waypointnoun · C1A marked point along a planned route.
- wayside/ˈweɪsaɪd/noun · C1The edge of a road, especially in the phrase about falling by it.
- wayward/ˈweɪwə(ɹ)d/adjective · C2Wilful and hard to guide or control.
- waywardness/ˈweɪ.wə(ɹ)d.nəs/noun · C2A stubborn refusal to be guided.
- we should do this againphrase · B1A warm way of saying you enjoyed the meeting.
- weak/wi(ː)k/adjective · A2Having little strength or power.
- weak-willedadjective · C1Unable to hold to a decision under pressure.
- weaken/ˈwikən/verb · C1To make or become less strong.
- weakling/ˈwiːkˈlɪŋɡ/noun · B2+Somebody who is physically or morally feeble.
- weakness/ˈwiːk.nɪs/noun · B1A fault or a lack of strength.
- wealth/wɛlθ/noun · B2A large amount of money and valuable things owned.
- wealthy/ˈwɛl.θi/adjective · B2Having a great deal of money.
- wean/ˈwiːn/verb · B2+To move a baby from milk onto other food.
- weapon/ˈwɛp.ən/noun · A2Anything made for fighting and hurting.
- weaponry/ˈwɛp.ən.ɹi/noun · B2+Weapons taken all together.
- wear/wɛə/verb · A1To have clothes on your body.
- wear and tear/ˌwɛəɹ‿ən ˈtɛə/noun · C1The damage that normal use does over time.
- wear downphrase · B2To reduce something gradually by use or pressure.
- wear offphrase · C1To fade away gradually.
- wear outphrase · B2To use something until it is finished — shoes or your energy.
- weariness/ˈwɪəɹinɪs/noun · B2+Deep tiredness of body or spirit.
- wearisome/ˈwɪəɹisəm/adjective · B2Tiring and dull to keep up with.
- weary/ˈwɪə̯ɹi/adjective · B2Deeply tired in body and spirit.
- weasel/ˈwiːz(ə)l/noun · B2A small slender fierce hunting animal.
- weather/ˈwɛðə/noun · A1What the sky is doing today — sunny, rainy, windy, or cold.
- weather forecastnoun · B1A statement of what the sky is expected to do.
- weather windownoun · C1The short spell of good conditions you plan around.
- weatheredadjective · B2+Worn and roughened by years outdoors.
- weathering/ˈwɛ.ðə.ɹɪŋ/noun · B2+The breaking down of rock where it lies.
- weatherproof/ˈwɛðəpruːf/adjective · B2+Able to stand out in the rain and wind.
- weathervanenoun · C1A turning pointer that shows which way the wind blows.
- weave/wiːv/verb · C1To move along changing direction to get past things.
- weave/wiːv/verb · B1To make cloth by crossing threads over and under each other.
- weaver/ˈwiː.və(ɹ)/noun · B2A person who makes cloth on a loom.
- web/wɛb/noun · A2+The silk trap a spider spins to catch flies.
- web page/ˈwɛb ˌpeɪd͡ʒ/noun · A2One document on the internet that a browser shows.
- webcam/ˈwɛbˌkæm/noun · B1+The small camera above your screen used for video calls.
- website/ˈwɛb(ˌ)saɪt/noun · A2+One place on the internet with its own address, like a shop or a newspaper.
- wed/ˈwɛd/verb · B2To marry somebody.
- wedding/ˈwɛdɪŋ/noun · A2The big day when two people get married.
- wedding vownoun · B2The promise made at a marriage ceremony.
- wedge/wɛd͡ʒ/noun · B2A tapered block driven in to split or to hold.
- wedge/wɛd͡ʒ/verb · B2To force something into a narrow space.
- wedlock/ˈwɛd.lɒk/noun · C1The state of being married.
- wednesdaynoun · A1The middle day of the working week — famously hard to spell.
- wee/wiː/adjective · B2Very small — a Scottish word that has spread into wider informal use.
- weed/wiːd/noun · B1Any plant growing where the gardener did not want it.
- weedy/ˈwiːdi/adjective · C1Thin and feeble, or overgrown with weeds.
- week/wiːk/noun · A1Seven days in a row.
- weekday/ˈwiːkdeɪ̯/noun · A2+Any day from Monday to Friday.
- weekend/wiːˈkɛnd/noun · A1The two free days when school and offices close.
- weekly/ˈwiːk.li/adjective · B2Happening once every week.
- weekly shopnoun · B1The main food shopping done once a week.
- weep/ˈwiːp/verb · B2To cry, especially quietly and long.
- weevil/ˈwiːv(ə)l/noun · C1A small beetle with a long snout that ruins stored grain.
- weft/wɛft/noun · C2The threads running across a woven cloth.
- weigh/weɪ/verb · B1To find out how heavy something is.
- weigh downphrase · B2To press heavily on, in weight or in worry.
- weigh evidencephrase · B2To compare the strength of what supports each side.
- weigh upphrase · B2To compare the good and bad of a choice.
- weight/weɪt/noun · A2How heavy something is.
- weightless/ˈweɪt.ləs/adjective · B2+Having no apparent weight at all.
- weightlifting/ˈweɪtˌlɪftɪŋ/noun · B1+Lifting the heaviest possible load overhead.
- weir/wɪə̯/noun · C1A low dam built across a river.
- welcome/ˈwɛl.kəm/phrase · A1What you say to a guest arriving, and after someone thanks you: you're —.
- welcome matphrase · B1The small rough carpet at the front door where you clean your shoes.
- weld/wɛld/verb · B2+To join two pieces of metal by melting them together.
- welder/ˈwɛldə(ɹ)/noun · B2+The worker who joins metal by melting it together.
- welding/ˈwɛldɪŋ/noun · B2+Joining metal by melting the edges together.
- welfare/ˈwɛlˌfɛə/noun · B2The health and happiness of people; also, state help for the poor.
- well/ˈwɛl/noun · A1A deep hole dug to reach water underground.
- well-balancedadjective · B2Having its parts in good proportion, or sensible in outlook.
- well-behaved/wɛlbɪˈheɪvd/adjective · B1Acting politely and doing as asked.
- well-builtadjective · B2Strongly and solidly made.
- well-dressedadjective · B1Wearing smart and well-chosen clothes.
- well-groomedadjective · B2Carefully clean, trimmed and tidy.
- well-paidadjective · B2Earning a good wage.
- wellbeingnoun · B2+The state of being healthy, settled and content.
- wellies/ˈwɛliz/noun · B1Tall rubber boots for mud and rain.
- wellness/ˈwɛl.nɪs/noun · B2+The state of being healthy in body and mind.
- welt/wɛlt/noun · C1A raised mark left on the skin by a blow.
- welter/ˈwɛltə/noun · C2A confused and disordered mass of things.
- wen/wɛn/noun · C2A harmless swelling under the skin.
- wench/wɛnt͡ʃ/noun · C1A young woman, in old or joking use.
- wend/wɛnd/verb · C2To make your way slowly along.
- werewolf/ˈwɛːwʊlf/noun · B1+A person who becomes a wolf at the full moon.
- west/wɛst/noun · A1The direction where the sun goes down.
- westbound/ˈwɛstbaʊnd/adjective · B1+Travelling towards where the sun sets.
- western/ˈwɛstɚn/adjective · B1Belonging to the side where the sun goes down.
- westerner/ˈwɛstənə/noun · B2+Somebody from Europe or North America.
- westward/ˈwɛst.wɚd/adverb · B2+Towards where the sun sets.
- wet/wɛt/adjective · A2Covered in or full of water.
- wet blanketnoun · C1Somebody who spoils other people's fun.
- wet foodnoun · B1Tinned or pouched pet food.
- wetsuit/ˈwɛtˌs(j)ut/noun · B1+A tight rubber suit that keeps a swimmer warm.
- whack/ˈwæk/verb · B2To hit hard with a swinging blow.
- whale/ˈweɪl/noun · B1The biggest animal in the sea; it breathes air through a hole.
- whang/ˈwæŋ/verb · C2To strike something with a resounding blow.
- wharf/ˈwɔːf/noun · C1A platform along the water where ships are worked.
- what a pity/ˌwʌt ə ˈpɪti/ [ˌwɐɾ ə ˈpʰɪɾi ~ ˌwɜɾ ə ˈpʰɪɾi]phrase · B1An expression of regret about something disappointing.
- what have you been up tophrase · B1A casual way of asking what somebody has been doing lately.
- what's newphrase · B1A casual request for somebody's recent news.
- what's the catchphrase · C1Asking what hidden problem comes with a good offer.
- whatever/ʍɒtˈɛv.ə/adverb · A2No matter what, or anything at all.
- whatnot/ˈwɒt.nɒt/noun · C1Assorted other things not worth naming separately.
- whatsoever/ˌwɒtsəʊˈɛvə(ɹ)/adverb · B2At all; used to make a negative absolute.
- wheat/ˈwiːt/noun · B2The grain that most bread flour is made from.
- wheedle/ˈʍiː.dəl/verb · C2To coax somebody by flattery into giving way.
- wheel/ˈwiːl/noun · A2The round part that turns and lets a vehicle roll.
- wheelbarrow/ˈwiːlbæɹəʊ/noun · B1+The one-wheeled cart a gardener pushes by two handles.
- wheelchair/ˈwiːlt͡ʃɛə(ɹ)/noun · B1A chair on wheels for people who cannot walk.
- wheelchair rampnoun · B1A slope that lets wheels go where steps would stop them.
- wheelie binnoun · B1A large rubbish container on wheels.
- wheeze/ʍiːz/verb · C1To breathe with a thin whistling sound.
- whelp/wɛlp/noun · C2A young dog or wolf.
- when pigs flyphrase · B2A mocking way to say something will never happen.
- whence/ʍɛns/adverb · C1From where, in old use.
- whenever/wəˈnɛvə/adverb · B1At any time that something happens.
- where were wephrase · B2Asking where a conversation had got to.
- whereas/wɛəɹˈaz/preposition · B2Used to set one fact against a different one.
- whereby/wɛə(ɹ)ˈbaɪ/adverb · C1By which means.
- wherever/(h)wɛɹˈɛvɚ/adverb · B1In or to any place at all.
- wherewithal/ˈwɛə.wɪ.ðɔːl/noun · C2The money or means needed to do something.
- whet/ˈwɛt/verb · C1To sharpen a blade, or to sharpen an appetite.
- whetstone/ˈʍɛtˌstoʊn/noun · C1A stone used to sharpen a blade.
- whey/hweɪ/noun · B2+The watery part left when milk curdles.
- whichever/wɪt͡ʃˈɛvɚ/pronoun · B1+Any one of them that you choose.
- whicker/ˈwɪkə/verb · C2To make a soft neighing sound.
- whiff/wɪf/noun · B2A faint smell caught for a moment.
- while awayphrase · C1To pass time pleasantly with nothing important to do.
- whilst/waɪlst/preposition · C1During the time that, in formal British use.
- whim/wɪm/noun · C1A sudden playful wish with no reason behind it.
- whimper/ˈwɪmpə/verb · B2To make small frightened or unhappy sounds.
- whimsical/ˈwɪmzɪkəl/adjective · C1Playfully odd and unpredictable.
- whimsy/ˈwɪmzi/noun · C1Playful and slightly odd fancifulness.
- whine/ˈwaɪ̯n/verb · B2To make a long high complaining sound.
- whinge/(h)wɪnd͡ʒ/verb · C1To complain in a tiresome way.
- whinny/ˈwɪni/verb · C1To give a soft gentle neigh.
- whip/ˈwɪp/verb · B2To beat cream or eggs very fast until they turn light and fluffy.
- whiplash/ˈwɪpˌlæʃ/noun · C2A neck injury from the head snapping back in a crash.
- whirl/wɜːl/verb · B2To move round very fast.
- whirlpool/ˈwɝlpul/noun · B2The spinning circle of water that pulls things down into it.
- whirlwind/ˈwɜːlwɪnd/noun · C2A small spinning column of wind that lifts dust and leaves.
- whirr/wɜː/verb · C1To make the low steady sound of something spinning.
- whisk/ˈwɪsk/noun · B1+The looped wire tool for beating eggs and cream fast.
- whisker/ʍɪskə(ɹ)/noun · B1+One of the long feeling hairs beside a cat's nose.
- whisker/ʍɪskə(ɹ)/noun · C1The hair growing on a man's cheeks.
- whiskey/ˈwɪski/noun · B1+A strong golden spirit aged in wooden barrels.
- whisper/ˈ(h)wɪspə/verb · B1To speak extremely quietly, close to someone's ear.
- whisper/ˈ(h)wɪspə/noun · A2+Speech made without using the voice.
- whistle/ˈwɪs(ə)l/noun · B1The small metal thing the referee blows to stop play.
- whistle/ˈwɪs(ə)l/verb · B1To make a high sound by blowing through your lips.
- whistle/ˈwɪs(ə)l/noun · B1The sound a locomotive makes to warn.
- whistleblowernoun · C1An insider who makes wrongdoing public.
- whistleblowingnoun · C1Reporting wrongdoing inside your own organisation.
- whit/wɪt/noun · C2The very smallest amount imaginable.
- white/ˈwaɪt/noun · A1The lightest color — the color of snow.
- white canenoun · B2The stick a blind person uses to feel the way.
- white liephrase · B2A small harmless untruth told to spare someone's feelings.
- whiteboard/ˈwaɪtbɔːd/noun · A2The big white surface the teacher writes on with markers.
- whitewash/ˈwaɪtwɒʃ/noun · C1An attempt to cover up wrongdoing.
- whittle/ˈwɪtəl/verb · C1To cut small pieces off wood to shape it.
- whoever/huˈɛvɚ/pronoun · A2Any person at all who does the thing.
- whole/həʊl/adjective · A2With no part missing at all.
- whole numbernoun · B1A number with nothing after the point.
- wholeheartedly/ˌhəʊlˈhɑːtɪdli/adverb · C1With complete and undivided commitment.
- wholesale/ˈhoʊlseɪl/noun · B2+Selling goods in bulk to the shops, not to the public.
- wholesome/ˈhoʊl.səm/adjective · B2Good for health and morals in a warm, innocent way.
- wholly/ˈhəʊ.li/adverb · C1Completely and entirely.
- whoop/wuːp/verb · B2To shout out loudly in excitement.
- whoosh/ʍʊʃ/verb · B2+To move fast with a rushing sound.
- whop/wɒp/verb · C2To strike somebody with a heavy blow.
- whore/hɔː/noun · B2A prostitute, in coarse or old use.
- whoremonger/ˈhɔːˌmʌŋ.ɡə/noun · C2A man who consorts with prostitutes.
- whorl/(h)wɔː(ɹ)l/noun · C2A pattern of coils turning round a centre.
- wick/ˈwɪk/noun · B2The cord in a candle that carries the flame.
- wicked/ˈwɪk.ɪd/adjective · B2Evil in a storybook way — witches and stepmothers.
- wickedness/ˈwɪkɪdnəs/noun · C1Behaviour that is deeply and deliberately wrong.
- wicker/ˈwɪkəː/noun · B2+Thin flexible twigs woven into baskets and chairs.
- wicket/ˈwɪkɪt/noun · B2+The three stumps a bowler aims to knock over.
- wide/waɪd/adjective · A2Measuring a lot from side to side.
- wide anglenoun · B2A lens that takes in much more than the eye does.
- wide shotnoun · B2A shot showing the whole scene from a distance.
- wide-rangingadjective · C1Covering many different subjects or areas.
- widely/ˈwaɪdli/adverb · B2Over a large area or among many people.
- widen/ˈwaɪdn̩/verb · B2To make or become wider.
- widespread/ˌwaɪdˈspɹɛd/adjective · B2Found nearly everywhere across a whole area or population.
- widget/ˈwɪd͡ʒ.ɪt/noun · B2+A small self-contained piece of an interface.
- widow/ˈwɪd.əʊ/noun · B2A woman whose husband has died.
- widower/ˈwɪdoʊɚ/noun · B1+A man whose wife has died.
- width/ˈwɪtθ/noun · C1How wide something is from side to side.
- wield/wiːld/verb · B2+To hold and use power or a weapon.
- wife/wæf/noun · A1The woman a man is married to.
- wifinoun · A2The invisible radio waves that bring the internet to your devices at home.
- wig/wɪɡ/noun · A2+Artificial hair worn over your own.
- wiggle/ˈwɪɡəl/verb · B1To move from side to side in small quick jerks.
- wight/waɪt/noun · C2A living creature, or a restless spirit.
- wild/ˈwaɪ̯ld/adjective · A2Living free in nature, not kept by people.
- wild campingnoun · B2Camping away from any official site.
- wild goose chasephrase · C1A long hopeless search for something you will never find.
- wildcat/ˈwaɪldˌkæt/noun · B2A small fierce undomesticated cat.
- wilderness/ˈwɪldənəs/noun · B2Wild untouched land where no people live.
- wildfire/ˈwaɪldˌfaɪər/noun · B1+A blaze spreading fast through open country.
- wildlife/ˈwaɪldlaɪf/noun · B2All the animals living free in their natural home.
- wildlife corridornoun · C1A strip of land letting animals move between habitats.
- wildly/ˈwaɪldli/adverb · B1+In an uncontrolled way, or to an extreme degree.
- wiles/waɪlz/noun · C1Cunning tricks used to get your way.
- will/wɪl/noun · B2The paper saying who gets your things after you die.
- will/wɪl/verb · A1Used before another verb to talk about something in the future.
- willfuladjective · B2+Deliberate, or stubbornly set on your own way.
- willing/ˈwɪlɪŋ/adjective · B2Happy and ready to do something if asked.
- willingly/ˈwɪlɪŋli/adverb · B2Gladly and by your own free choice.
- willingness/ˈwɪlɪŋnəs/noun · B2Being glad to do what is asked.
- willow/ˈwɪl.əʊ/noun · B1The graceful tree whose branches weep down toward the water.
- willowy/ˈwɪləʊi/adjective · C1Tall, slim and graceful.
- willpower/ˈwɪlˌpaʊɚ/noun · B2+The inner strength to do the hard thing and skip the easy one.
- wilt/wɪlt/verb · B2To droop for lack of water.
- win/ˈwɪn/verb · A2To come first and beat everyone else.
- wince/wɪns/verb · B2+To screw up the face in sudden pain.
- winch/wɪnt͡ʃ/noun · B2+A drum that hauls a cable in under power.
- wind/ˈwɪnd/noun · A2Moving air that you feel on your face and that shakes the trees.
- wind down/waɪnd ˈdaʊn/phrase · B2To relax gradually, or to bring to a slow close.
- wind up/waɪnd ˈʌp/phrase · C1To finally land in a place or state you never planned.
- windbreaker/ˈwɪndbɹeɪkə(ɹ)/noun · C2A light zip-up jacket that keeps gusts out.
- windburn/ˈwɪndbɜː(ɹ)n/noun · C1Sore reddened skin caused by cold wind.
- windchillnoun · B2+How much colder moving air makes it feel.
- windfall/ˈwɪnd.fɔːl/noun · B2+An unexpected piece of good fortune, often money.
- windmill/ˈwɪn(d).mɪl/noun · A2+The tower with great turning sails that the moving air drives.
- window/ˈwɪndəʊ/noun · A1The glass part of a wall that you look through.
- window boxnoun · B2A long shallow container of plants on a ledge.
- window cleanernoun · B1The liquid or the person that makes glass clear.
- window seatphrase · B1The plane seat with the view of the clouds.
- window shoppingphrase · B2Walking past shops just looking, buying nothing at all.
- windowsill/ˈwɪndəʊˌsɪl/noun · B1+The little ledge at the bottom of a window where plants sit.
- windpipe/ˈwɪndpaɪp/noun · B2+The tube carrying air down to the lungs.
- windscreen/ˈwɪn(d).skɹiːn/noun · B1+The big front glass of a car, with wipers for the rain.
- windsurfingnoun · B1+Riding a board driven by a sail you hold.
- windsweptadjective · C1Bare and shaped by constant wind.
- windward/ˈwɪndwə(ɹ)d/adjective · C1On the side the wind is coming from.
- windy/ˈwɪn.di/adjective · A2+With strong air blowing — hold on to your hat.
- wine/ˈwaɪ̯n/noun · A1The red or white drink for adults, made from grapes.
- wine pairingnoun · C1A different glass chosen to match each course.
- winery/ˈwaɪnəɹi/noun · B2+A place where wine is made.
- wing/wɪŋ/noun · B1One of the two parts a bird flies with.
- wing itphrase · C1To do something without any preparation.
- wingspan/ˈwɪŋ.spæn/noun · B2+The distance from one wingtip to the other.
- wingtipnoun · B2+The very end of an aircraft wing.
- wink/ˈwɪŋk/verb · B2To close one eye quickly at someone as a playful secret signal.
- winkle/ˈwɪŋkəl/verb · C2To get something out with difficulty and patience.
- winner/ˈwɪnə/noun · A2The one who comes first and takes the prize.
- winning/ˈwɪnɪŋ/adjective · B2Charming and likeable, or coming first.
- winnow/ˈwɪnoʊ/verb · C2To separate grain from chaff using moving air.
- winter/ˈwɪntə/noun · A1The coldest season — snow, ice, and warm coats.
- wipe/waɪp/verb · B1To clean a surface by sliding a cloth across it.
- wipe downphrase · B1To clean a surface with a damp cloth.
- wiper/ˈwaɪpɚ/noun · B1+The arm that sweeps rain off the glass.
- wire/waɪə(ɹ)/noun · B1The thin metal line that carries electricity.
- wire cutternoun · B2A tool that snips through metal strands.
- wireless/ˈwaɪə.ləs/adjective · B1+Working without any cables at all.
- wiretap/ˈwaɪətæp/noun · B2+A secret device that listens to telephone calls.
- wiry/ˈwaɪ(ə)ɹi/adjective · B2+Thin but strong and tough.
- wisdom/ˈwɪzdəm/noun · B2Deep understanding of life, earned through years and mistakes.
- wise/waɪz/adjective · B1Understanding life deeply because of age and experience.
- wish/ˈwɪʃ/verb · A2To want something very much that may not happen.
- wishful/ˈwɪʃfəl/adjective · B2Based on what you want rather than what is so.
- wishful thinkingnoun · B2Believing something because you want it to be so.
- wisp/wɪsp/noun · C1A thin faint streak of something.
- wisteria/wɪsˈtɛriə/noun · C1A climbing plant that hangs down in long purple chains.
- wistful/ˈwɪstfəl/adjective · C2Gently sad about something lost or out of reach.
- wistfulnessnoun · C2A gentle sadness for something longed for.
- wit/wɪt/noun · B2Quick clever humour, or sharp intelligence.
- witchcraft/ˈwɪt͡ʃkɹæft/noun · B2The practice of magic, especially by women in old belief.
- with respectphrase · C1A polite opening to a disagreement.
- withdraw/wɪðˈdɹɔː/verb · B2To pull back or take out — troops, offers, or money.
- withdraw/wɪðˈdɹɔː/verb · B2To move back and away.
- withdrawal/wɪðˈdɹɔː(ə)l/noun · C1Taking your money out of the bank.
- withdrawn/wɪðˈdɹɔːn/adjective · C1Taken permanently out of the collection.
- wither/ˈwɪðə/verb · C1To dry up and shrivel, as flowers do without water.
- withering/ˈwɪðəɹɪŋ/adjective · C1Scornful enough to make somebody shrink.
- withers/ˈwɪð.ɚz/noun · C2The ridge between a horse's shoulder blades.
- withhold/wɪθˈhəʊld/verb · B2+To keep something back that is owed or asked for.
- within/wɪðˈɪn/preposition · B1Inside the limits of.
- within reachphrase · B1Near enough to take hold of.
- witness/ˈwɪt.nɪs/noun · B1A person who saw what happened and tells the court about it.
- witness standnoun · B2The place in court where a person gives their account.
- witticism/ˈwɪ.tɪ.sɪz.əm/noun · C1A clever and amusing remark.
- witty/ˈwɪti/adjective · B2Funny in a quick, clever way.
- wizard/ˈwɪzəd/noun · B1A man with magical powers.
- wizardry/ˈwɪzədɹi/noun · C1Magic, or remarkable skill in some field.
- wizened/ˈwɪzənd/adjective · C1Shrivelled and lined with age.
- wobble/ˈwɑbl̩/verb · B2To rock unsteadily from side to side.
- wobbly/ˈwɒb(ə)li/adjective · B1+Unsteady and likely to fall over.
- woe/wəʊ/noun · B2Great sorrow, or a trouble that causes it.
- woeful/ˈwəʊfəl/adjective · C1Full of sorrow, or shockingly poor in quality.
- wok/wɒk/noun · B1+A deep round pan from China, made for fast, hot cooking.
- wolf/wʊlf/noun · A2A wild animal like a big dog that howls at the moon.
- wolverine/ˈwʊlvəˌɹiːn/noun · B2+A fierce heavily built animal of northern forests.
- woman/ˈwʊmən/noun · A1An adult female person.
- womanhood/ˈwʊmənhʊd/noun · C1The state of being a grown woman.
- womb/wuːm/noun · B2The organ in which a baby grows before birth.
- wombatnoun · C2A heavy square Australian animal that digs long burrows.
- wonder/ˈwʌndə/verb · A2To ask yourself something quietly in your mind.
- wonderful/ˈwʌndəfl̩/adjective · A1Extremely good; filling you with joy.
- wonderfully/wʌn.də(ɹ).fli/adverb · B1+Extremely well or pleasingly.
- wonderland/ˈwʌndəˌlænd/noun · B2An imaginary place full of marvels.
- wondrous/ˈwʌndɹəs/adjective · B2+Filling you with wonder.
- wonky/ˈwɒŋ.kɪ/adjective · B2Not straight or not working properly, in a slightly comic way — a table that rocks, a wheel that wobbles.
- wont/wʌnt/noun · C2Somebody's usual habit or custom.
- woo/wuː/verb · B2To court somebody, or to try hard to win their support.
- wood/wʊd/noun · A2The hard material that trees are made of.
- woodcarvingnoun · B2+The art of cutting shapes and figures from timber.
- wooden/ˈwʊdn̩/adjective · A2+Made from the material of trees.
- woodland/ˈwʊd.lənd/noun · B1+Land covered with trees, smaller than a forest.
- woodlouse/ˈwʊdˌlaʊs/noun · C1A small grey armoured creature found under damp stones.
- woodpecker/ˈwʊdˌpɛkə/noun · B1+A bird that hammers holes in trees with its beak.
- woodwork/ˈwʊdˌwɜːk/noun · B2+The craft of making things from timber.
- wool/wʊl/noun · B1The warm natural material that comes from sheep.
- woolly/ˈwʊli/adjective · B1+Made from the coat of a sheep.
- woolly/ˈwʊli/adjective · B2Thick, soft and slightly scratchy.
- word/wɜːd/noun · A1The smallest complete piece of a language — this game is full of them.
- word of mouthphrase · B2News that spreads from person to person, not from ads.
- wordiness/ˈwɜː(ɹ)dɪnəs/noun · C1The use of too many words to say a thing.
- wordsmith/ˈwɜːdsmɪθ/noun · C2Somebody skilled at using words well.
- work/wɜː(ɹ)k/verb · A1To do your job, at an office or anywhere else.
- work like a charmphrase · B2To succeed perfectly and immediately.
- work of artnoun · B1A created thing of real artistic worth.
- work out/ˌwɜːk ˈaʊt/phrase · B1To exercise at the gym; also, to end well.
- work to rulephrase · C2Doing exactly what the rules require and no more.
- work-life balance/ˈwɜː(ɹ)k ˈlaɪf ˈbæləns/noun · B2How well your job and your life fit together.
- workaholicnoun · B2+A person who cannot stop working, even when they should.
- workbench/ˈwɝk.bɛnt͡ʃ/noun · B2The sturdy table a maker works on.
- worker beenoun · B1A female bee that gathers food and tends the young.
- workforce/ˈwɝk.foɹs/noun · B2+All the people working in a company or a country together.
- workloadnoun · B2+The total amount of tasks one person is expected to handle.
- workman/ˈwɝkmən/noun · B2A man employed to do manual work.
- workmanship/ˈwɜːk.mən.ʃɪp/noun · B2+The quality of skill shown in something made.
- workplace/ˈwɝkˌpleɪs/noun · B2The place where somebody does their job.
- workshop/ˈwɜːk.ʃɒp/noun · B2A room for making things, or a practical class.
- workshop floornoun · B2The area where the actual making is done.
- workstation/ˈwɝkˌsteɪʃən/noun · B2+One person's desk with all the equipment on it.
- worktopnoun · B2The flat surface you prepare food on.
- world/wɜːld/noun · A1The earth and everybody living on it.
- world warnoun · B1A war fought across most of the globe at once.
- world-class/wɜː(ɹ)ldˈklæs/adjective · B2Among the very best anywhere.
- worldly/ˈwɜː(ɹ)ldli/adjective · B2+Concerned with material life, or experienced in it.
- worlds apartphrase · B2Completely different from one another.
- worldviewnoun · B2+The whole set of beliefs through which somebody sees life.
- worm/wɜːm/noun · A2+A long soft animal with no legs that lives in the soil.
- wormingnoun · C1Treating an animal against parasites inside it.
- worn/wɔːn/adjective · B1Thinned and damaged by long use.
- worn outphrase · B1So used that it no longer works.
- worn-out/ˈwɔːn.aʊt/adjective · B2Used until useless; also, completely exhausted.
- worried/ˈwʌɹid/adjective · A2Thinking again and again about something bad that might happen.
- worry/ˈwʌ.ɹi/verb · A2To keep thinking about bad things that might happen.
- worse/wɜːs/adjective · A2Of lower quality than another.
- worship/ˈwɜː.ʃɪp/verb · B2To show deep religious love and devotion.
- worshipper/ˈwɜːʃɪpə/noun · B2+A person taking part in an act of devotion.
- worst/wɜːst/adjective · A2Lower in quality than every other one.
- worst-caseadjective · C1Assuming everything that can go wrong, does.
- worth/ˈwɜːθ/adjective · A2Having a particular value, or deserving the effort.
- worth its weight in goldphrase · B2So useful that no price would be too high.
- worthless/ˈwɜːθ.ləs/adjective · B2Having no value whatever.
- worthwhile/ˌwɜː(ɹ)θˈwaɪl/adjective · C1Worth the time and effort it costs.
- worthy/ˈwɜː.ði/adjective · B2Deserving respect or the thing in question.
- would you believe itphrase · B2An exclamation at something hard to credit.
- wound/ˈwuːnd/noun · B1An open cut in the skin, often deep.
- woven/ˈwəʊ.vən/adjective · B2Made by crossing threads over and under.
- wrack/ɹæk/noun · C2Seaweed thrown up on the shore, or ruin.
- wraith/ɹeɪθ/noun · C1A pale ghostly figure, often seen before a death.
- wrangle/ˈɹæŋɡəl/verb · C1To argue long and noisily.
- wrap/ɹæp/verb · B1To cover something all around with paper or cloth.
- wrap upphrase · B2To finish something off, or to dress warmly.
- wrap your head aroundphrase · B2To finally take in an idea that resists you.
- wrapper/ˈɹæpɚ/noun · B1The paper or plastic around a single item.
- wrapping/ˈɹæp.ɪŋ/noun · B1+The paper or plastic that covers something.
- wrath/ɹɒθ/noun · B2Extreme and often righteous anger.
- wreak/ɹiːk/verb · C1To cause great damage or to take revenge.
- wreath/ɹiːθ/noun · B2A ring of flowers or leaves.
- wreck/ˈɹɛk/verb · B1To destroy something completely.
- wreckage/ˈɹɛkɪdʒ/noun · B2What is left after something is destroyed.
- wren/ɹɛn/noun · B2+One of the tiniest birds, with a cocked-up tail.
- wrench/ˈɹɛnt͡ʃ/noun · B2The adjustable metal tool that grips and turns nuts and bolts.
- wrench/ˈɹɛnt͡ʃ/verb · C1To pull something with a violent twist.
- wrest/ɹɛst/verb · C2To pull something away by force.
- wrestle/ˈɹɛsl̩/verb · B1To struggle physically to overpower somebody.
- wrestlernoun · B1+Somebody who grapples as a sport.
- wrestling/ˈɹɛs.l̩.ɪŋ/noun · B1The sport of gripping your opponent and forcing them to the floor.
- wretch/ɹɛt͡ʃ/noun · B2+A miserable or contemptible person.
- wretched/ˈɹɛt͡ʃɪd/adjective · B2Miserably unhappy, or of very poor quality.
- wriggle/ˈɹɪɡəl/verb · B2+To twist and turn your body in small movements.
- wring/ɹɪŋ/verb · B2+To twist something to squeeze the water out.
- wrinkle/ˈɹɪŋkl̩/noun · B1+A small line or fold in skin or cloth.
- wrinkle-freeadjective · B2Made of cloth that refuses to crease.
- wrinkly/ˈɹɪŋk(ə)li/adjective · B1+Covered in small creases.
- wrist/ɹɪst/noun · A2The thin joint between your hand and your arm, where a watch sits.
- writ/ɹɪt/noun · C1A formal written order from a court.
- write/ɹaɪt/verb · A1To put words onto paper with a pen.
- write downphrase · A2To put words on paper so you will not forget them.
- write offphrase · B2To damage beyond repair, or to accept a loss.
- write-offnoun · C1Something too damaged to be worth repairing.
- writer's blocknoun · B2The state of being unable to write anything.
- writhe/ɹaɪð/verb · C1To twist the body about in pain.
- written/ˈɹɪ.tn̩/adjective · B1Set down on paper rather than said aloud.
- wrong/ˈɹɒŋ/adjective · A1Not correct; containing a mistake.
- wrongdoernoun · B2+Somebody who acts illegally or immorally.
- wrongdoing/ˈɹɒŋˌduːɪŋ/noun · B2+Behaviour that breaks the law or moral rules.
- wrongful/ˈɹɒŋfəl/adjective · B2Unjust and unlawful.
- wroth/ɹəʊθ/adjective · C2Very angry, in old use.
- wrought/ɹɔːt/adjective · C1Shaped by hammering, as iron is.
- wrought ironnoun · C1Soft iron worked into shape while hot.
- wry/ɹaɪ/adjective · C1Dryly amused, with a touch of irony.
- wynd/waɪnd/noun · C2A narrow lane between houses.
- wyvern/ˈwaɪvən/noun · C2A legendary two-legged winged dragon.
- x-raynoun · B2A photograph that shows the bones through the skin.
- xenophobe/ˈzɛ.nə.foʊb/noun · C1Somebody who fears or hates foreigners.
- xenophobia/ˌzɛn.əˈfəʊ.bɪ.ə/noun · B2+Fear and dislike of people from other countries.
- xylophone/ˈzaɪ.ləˌfəʊn/noun · B2Tuned wooden bars struck with small hammers.
- yacht/jɒt/noun · B2An expensive private boat used for pleasure and showing off.
- yahoo/ˈjɑːhuː/noun · C1A loud, rowdy boor with no manners, named after the brutes in Gulliver's Travels.
- yam/jæm/noun · B1+A large starchy tropical root.
- yammer/ˈjæm.ə/verb · C2To talk on loudly and complainingly.
- yank/ˈjæŋk/verb · B2To pull sharply and suddenly.
- yap/jæp/verb · B2+To bark in short shrill bursts.
- yard/ˈjɑːd/noun · B1A unit of length equal to three feet.
- yardstick/ˈjɑːdˌstɪk/noun · C1A standard used for measuring or comparing.
- yarn/jɑːn/noun · B2Spun thread, or a long rambling story.
- yawn/jɔːn/noun · B2Opening your mouth wide and slowly because you are tired or bored.
- yawn/jɔːn/verb · B2To open the mouth wide from tiredness.
- year/jɪə/noun · A1Twelve months; the time the planet needs to circle the sun once.
- yearling/ˈjɜː.lɪŋ/noun · C1An animal in its second year of life.
- yearn/jɜːn/verb · B2+To long deeply for something out of reach.
- yeast/jiːst/noun · B2The living ingredient that makes bread rise and beer brew.
- yeasty/ˈjiːsti/adjective · C2Smelling of dough rising.
- yell/jɛl/verb · B1To call out very loudly in anger or excitement.
- yellow/ˈjɛləʊ/noun · A1The color of the sun and lemons.
- yelp/jɛlp/verb · B2+To give a short sharp cry of pain or excitement.
- yemennoun · B1+Country at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, capital Sanaa.
- yeoman/ˈjəʊ.mən/noun · C1A farmer who owned his own small holding.
- yes/jɛs/phrase · A1The little word that means you agree.
- yesterday/ˈjɛstədeɪ/adverb · A1On the day before this one.
- yeti/ˈjɛ.ti/noun · B2+A large hairy creature said to live in the Himalayas.
- yew/juː/noun · C1A dark slow-growing evergreen often found in churchyards.
- yield/jiːld/verb · C1To finally give way under pressure; also, to produce a harvest.
- yield/jiːld/noun · B2How much product a reaction actually gives.
- yo-yo/ˈjəʊ.jəʊ/noun · B1The spinning toy that rolls down its string and climbs back up.
- yoga/ˈjoʊ.ɡə/noun · B1+Slow calm body positions and deep breathing on a soft mat.
- yoghurt/ˈjɒɡət/noun · A2+A thin drinkable version of cultured milk.
- yogi/ˈjəʊɡi/noun · B2+Somebody far advanced in the practice of yoga.
- yogurt/ˈjɒɡ.ət/noun · A2+The thick sour-milk food eaten with fruit at breakfast.
- yoke/jəʊk/noun · C1A wooden frame joining two oxen, or a heavy burden.
- yokel/ˈjəʊ.kəl/noun · C2A country person, spoken of as simple and unpolished.
- yolk/jəʊk/noun · B1+The yellow part inside an egg.
- yonder/ˈjɒndə(ɹ)/adjective · C1Over there, at a distance but still in sight.
- yore/jɔː/noun · C2Long ago, in the phrase about times past.
- you don't sayphrase · C1A dry reply to news that is not surprising at all.
- you know what i meanphrase · B1Checking that the listener has followed your point.
- you must be jokingphrase · B1An exclamation of disbelief.
- you wishphrase · B2A teasing way of saying it will never happen.
- you're telling mephrase · C1A strong way of agreeing from experience.
- young/jʌŋ/adjective · A1Having lived only a short time so far.
- young adultnoun · B1Somebody in their late teens or twenties.
- youngest/ˈjʌŋ.ɡɪst/noun · B1The last-born child of a family.
- youngster/ˈjʌŋstə/noun · C1A child or a young person.
- your flesh and bloodphrase · C1Your own family, whom you cannot disown.
- your guess is as good as minephrase · B2A way of saying: I have no idea either.
- youth/juːθ/noun · B1The early part of life, when a person is still young.
- youthful/ˈjuːθfəl/adjective · B2Having the freshness of the young.
- yowl/jaʊl/verb · C1To give a long loud wailing cry.
- zambianoun · B2+Southern African country sharing Victoria Falls with its neighbor.
- zany/ˈzeɪni/adjective · C1Comically odd and unpredictable.
- zeal/ziːl/noun · C1Burning enthusiasm for a cause.
- zealot/ˈzɛl.ət/noun · C1Somebody fanatically committed to a cause.
- zealotry/ˈzɛlətɹi/noun · C2Fanatical devotion that allows no other view.
- zealous/ˈzɛləs/adjective · C1Full of eager enthusiasm for a cause.
- zebra/ˈzɛb.ɹə/noun · B2An African animal like a horse with black and white stripes.
- zebra crossing/ˈzɛbɹə ˌkɹɔsɪŋ/noun · B1The striped place where walkers cross a road.
- zeitgeist/ˈzaɪtˌɡaɪst/noun · C2The spirit and mood of a particular period.
- zenith/ˈzɛn.ɪθ/noun · C1The highest point somebody or something reaches.
- zero/ˈzɪəɹəʊ/noun · A2The number that means nothing at all.
- zero hoursadjective · C1An agreement with no guaranteed work at all.
- zest/zɛst/noun · B2+The fragrant grated outer peel of a lemon or orange.
- zesty/ˈzɛsti/adjective · C1Bright and lively with citrus.
- zigzag/ˈzɪɡ.zæɡ/noun · B1+A line of sharp turns, left-right-left, like lightning.
- zigzag/ˈzɪɡ.zæɡ/verb · B1+To move forward in sharp alternating turns.
- zimbabwenoun · B1+The southern African country of Victoria Falls.
- zinc/ˈzɪŋk/noun · B2+A bluish metal used to coat steel against rust.
- zing/zɪŋ/noun · C1A sharp, pleasing tang or spark that livens something up.
- zingy/ˈzɪŋi/adjective · C1Bright and sharply refreshing.
- zip/zɪp/verb · A2To close clothing or a bag with its sliding metal fastener.
- zipper/ˈzɪpɚ/noun · A2+The metal track you pull up and down to close a jacket.
- zodiac/ˈzəʊ.dɪˌæk/noun · B1+The band of twelve signs the sun appears to pass through.
- zombie/ˈzɒmbi/noun · B1+A dead body brought back to walk without a mind.
- zone/zoʊn/noun · B1An area marked off for a particular purpose.
- zoo/zuː/noun · A1The place where wild animals live in the city so people can see them.
- zoologist/zəʊˈɒləd͡ʒɪst/noun · C2A scientist who studies animals.
- zoology/zəʊˈɒlədʒi/noun · C2The scientific study of animals.
- zoom/zuːm/verb · B2To move very fast, or to make an image larger.
- zoom in/ˌzuːm ˈɪn/phrase · B1To make a view closer and larger.
- zoom lens/zu(ː)m lɛnz/noun · B2A lens whose angle of view can be changed.
- zugzwang/ˈzʌɡ.zwæŋ/noun · C2A position where any move you make will hurt you.