
A Man Called Ove
From the novel · 2,662 words · 39 chapters
Fredrik Backman's novel about a fifty-nine-year-old Swede who has decided he is done with the world, and the neighbours who keep interrupting him. The language runs from plain domestic Swedish life to some genuinely hard words, which is why it is worth studying a chapter at a time rather than all at once.
Levelsall
Practise these 2,662 words
Learn with flashcardsno clock, no typing
By chapter
A word sits in the chapter it first appears in, so working through these in order matches reading the book.
- 1A Man Called Ove Buys a Computer That Is Not a Computer82 wordslearnplay
- 2(Three Weeks Earlier) A Man Called Ove Makes His Neighborhood Inspection271 wordslearnplay
- 3A Man Called Ove Backs Up With a Trailer205 wordslearnplay
- 4A Man Called Ove Does Not Pay a Three-kronor Surcharge178 wordslearnplay
- 5A Man Called Ove144 wordslearnplay
- 6A Man Called Ove and a Bicycle That Should Have Been Left Where Bicycles Are Left105 wordslearnplay
- 7A Man Called Ove Drills a Hole For a Hook158 wordslearnplay
- 8A Man Who Was Ove and a Pair of His Father’s Old Footprints72 wordslearnplay
- 9A Man Called Ove Bleeds a Radiator58 wordslearnplay
- 10A Man Who Was Ove and a House That Ove Built117 wordslearnplay
- 11A Man Called Ove and a Lanky One Who Can’t Open a Window Without Falling Off a Ladder98 wordslearnplay
- 12A Man Who Was Ove and One Day He Had Enough58 wordslearnplay
- 13A Man Called Ove and a Clown Called Beppo73 wordslearnplay
- 14A Man Who Was Ove and a Woman on a Train63 wordslearnplay
- 15A Man Called Ove and a Delayed Train103 wordslearnplay
- 16A Man Who Was Ove and a Truck in the Forest50 wordslearnplay
- 17A Man Called Ove and a Cat Annoyance in a Snowdrift62 wordslearnplay
- 18A Man Who Was Ove and a Cat Called Ernest24 wordslearnplay
- 19A Man Called Ove and a Cat That Was Broken When He Came25 wordslearnplay
- 20A Man Called Ove and an Intruder56 wordslearnplay
- 21A Man Who Was Ove and Countries Where They Play Foreign Music in Restaurants19 wordslearnplay
- 22A Man Called Ove and Someone in a Garage37 wordslearnplay
- 23A Man Who Was Ove and a Bus That Never Got There45 wordslearnplay
- 24A Man Called Ove and a Brat Who Draws in Color43 wordslearnplay
- 25A Man Called Ove and a Piece of Corrugated Iron45 wordslearnplay
- 26A Man Called Ove and a Society Where No One Can Repair a Bicycle Any More28 wordslearnplay
- 27A Man Called Ove and a Driving Lesson52 wordslearnplay
- 28A Man Who Was Ove and a Man Who Was Rune44 wordslearnplay
- 29A Man Called Ove and a Bender46 wordslearnplay
- 30A Man Called Ove and a Society Without Him30 wordslearnplay
- 31A Man Called Ove Backs Up a Trailer. Again.25 wordslearnplay
- 32A Man Called Ove Isn’t Running a Damned Hotel37 wordslearnplay
- 33A Man Called Ove and an Inspection Tour That Is Not the Usual21 wordslearnplay
- 34A Man Called Ove and a Boy in the House Next Door47 wordslearnplay
- 35A Man Called Ove and Social Incompetence17 wordslearnplay
- 36A Man Called Ove and a Whiskey22 wordslearnplay
- 37A Man Called Ove and a Lot of Bastards Sticking Their Noses In30 wordslearnplay
- 38A Man Called Ove and the End of a Story38 wordslearnplay
- 39A Man Called Ove34 wordslearnplay
The words
2,662 words
- abandon/əˈbæn.dən/verb · B2To leave a person, place, or plan behind forever.
- abrupt/əˈbɹʌpt/adjective · B2+Sudden and unexpected, in a way that feels rude.
- abruptly/əˈbɹʌp.li/adverb · B2+With sudden sharpness, cutting things off mid-flow.
- absent/ˈæb.sn̩t/adjective · B2Not there — missing from the lesson.
- abstract/ˈæbˌstɹækt/adjective · B2Existing as an idea only, not as a thing you can touch.
- accelerate/əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪt/verb · C1To gather more and more speed.
- accelerator/əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪ.tɚ/noun · B1+The pedal that makes a vehicle go faster.
- accentuate/əkˈsɛn.t͡ʃu.eɪt/verb · C1To make a feature stand out more.
- acceptable/əkˈsɛp.tə.bəl/adjective · B2Good enough to be agreed to.
- acceptance/əkˈsɛp.təns/noun · B2Agreeing to take or to believe something.
- access/ˈæksɛs/noun · B1The right or the means to get in or to use something.
- accessory/əkˈsɛs.(ə.)ɹi/noun · B2A small extra item that goes with something else.
- accompany/əˈkʌm.pə.ni/verb · B2To go along with someone, keeping them company on the way.
- accord/əˈkɔːd/noun · B2A formal settlement reached between two sides who were in dispute.
- account for/əˈkaʊnt foɹ/phrase · B2To explain the reason for something.
- account numbernoun · B1The figure identifying one particular account.
- ache/eɪk/verb · B1To hurt with a dull pain that will not stop.
- acquired/əˈkwaɪɹd/noun · C1Something you only come to like after trying it often.
- acrobat/ˈæk.ɹə.bæt/noun · B2A performer of daring feats of balance and agility.
- acutely/əˈkjuːtli/adverb · C1Very keenly or sharply felt.
- addiction/əˈdɪkˌʃən/noun · B2+Being unable to stop taking or doing something harmful.
- adept/əˈdɛpt/adjective · C1Very skilled at something.
- adjust/əˈd͡ʒʌst/verb · B2To change something a little until it is exactly right.
- adjustable/əˈd͡ʒʌstəbəl/adjective · C1Able to be altered to suit the person using it.
- administrative/ədˈmɪn.ɪ.stɹə.tɪv/adjective · C1To do with the running of an organisation.
- admit/ədˈmɪt/verb · B1To finally agree that something uncomfortable is true.
- admittedlyadverb · B2+As has to be granted before the main point.
- adopt/əˈdɒpt/verb · B2To take someone else's child into your family as your own.
- adult/ˈæd.ʌlt/noun · A2A fully grown person.
- advance/ədˈvɑːns/verb · B2To move forward towards something.
- adversary/ˈæd.və.sɛɹi/noun · C1Somebody on the other side in a fight or contest.
- advertisement/ədˈvɜːtɪsmənt/noun · B1+The short message that tries to sell you something.
- advertising/ˈædvɚˌtaɪzɪŋ/noun · B1+The business of making the public want to buy things.
- advisableadjective · B2+Sensible, and worth doing.
- affect/əˈfɛkt/verb · B1To make a difference to something.
- after allphrase · B2Used to add a reason, or to note a reversal.
- afterlife/ˈɑːftəˌlaɪf/noun · B2Existence believed to follow death.
- afterwards/ˈɑːftə.wədz/adverb · B1At a later time, once the thing before has finished.
- agape/əˈɡeɪp/adjective · C2With the mouth hanging wide open in astonishment.
- aggression/əˈɡɹɛʃən/noun · B2Hostile behaviour and the readiness to attack.
- aggressive/əˈɡɹɛs.ɪv/adjective · B2Ready to attack; angry and pushing at others.
- agility/əˈd͡ʒɪl.ɪ.ti/noun · C1The gift of moving quickly and changing direction like a cat.
- agitation/ædʒ.ɪˈteɪ.ʃən/noun · C1A state of anxious restlessness, when worry will not let you keep still.
- agreement/əˈɡɹiːmənt/noun · B1When two sides decide on the same thing and both accept it.
- aid/eɪd/noun · B2Help given, especially money or supplies sent to those in need.
- aimlessly/ˈeɪmləsli/adverb · C1Wandering along with no purpose in mind.
- alarm clocknoun · A2The bedside clock that rings to wake you up.
- alight/əˈlaɪt/adjective · C1Burning, or glowing with sudden bright light.
- all the samephrase · C1Nevertheless; despite what was just said.
- all-clearnoun · B2The signal that danger has passed.
- allergic/əˈlɜː.dʒɪk/adjective · B1Reacting badly to a substance that most people tolerate.
- allergy/ˈæl.əɹ.d͡ʒi/noun · B1+When your body reacts badly to something like nuts, dust, or cats.
- alms/ɑːmz/noun · C1Money and food given to the poor.
- aloft/əˈlɔft/adverb · C2High up in the air, held or flying above.
- alongside/əˌlɒŋˈsaɪd/preposition · B2Close beside and moving with.
- aloud/əˈlaʊd/adverb · B1+Out loud, so that others can hear.
- alphabet/ˈæl.fəˌbɛt/noun · B1All the letters of a language in their fixed order, from A to Z.
- alternative/ɒlˈtɜː.nə.tɪv/noun · B1Another possibility instead of this one.
- aluminium/ˌæl.(j)ʊˈmɪn.i.əm/noun · B1+A light silver metal that does not rust.
- amazement/əˈmeɪz.mənt/noun · B2A feeling of great surprise and wonder.
- amble/ˈæm.bəl/verb · C1To walk at an easy unhurried pace.
- ambulance/ˈæmbjᵿl(ə)n(t)s/noun · A2The fast car with a loud siren that carries sick people to hospital.
- amicable/ˈæ.mɪ.kə.bəl/adjective · C1Friendly, and without ill feeling.
- amputee/ampjʊˈtiː/noun · B2A person who has lost an arm or a leg.
- amused/əˈmjuːzd/adjective · B1+Finding something mildly funny.
- anarchy/ˈæn.ə.ki/noun · B2+A state with no government and no order.
- anchor/ˈæŋ.kəː/noun · B2The heavy metal hook a ship drops to stay in one place.
- ancient/ˈeɪn.ʃənt/adjective · A2+From thousands of years ago, like the pyramids.
- anew/əˈnu/adverb · B2+Once more, and from the beginning.
- anger/ˈæŋɡə/noun · B1The hot feeling that rises when something is deeply unfair.
- angle/ˈæŋ.ɡəl/noun · B2The space between two lines that meet, measured in degrees.
- angrieradjective · A2+More filled with anger.
- animated/ˈæn.ɪ.meɪ.tɪd/adjective · B1+Lively, or made using drawings that appear to move.
- animosity/æn.ɪˈmɒs.ɪ.ti/noun · C1Strong open dislike.
- announce/əˈnaʊns/verb · B1To tell news officially to many people at once.
- annoy/əˈnoɪ̯/verb · B1To bother somebody until they lose patience.
- anodyne/ˈæn.ə.daɪn/adjective · C2So mild and inoffensive it could upset nobody.
- anoint/əˈnɔɪnt/verb · C1To smear with oil in a sacred ceremony.
- anticipation/ænˌtɪs.ɪˈpeɪ.ʃən/noun · B2Looking forward to something that is coming.
- antithesis/ænˈtɪθ.ɪ.sɪs/noun · C2The exact opposite of something.
- anxious/ˈæŋkʃəs/adjective · B2Troubled by constant worry about what might go wrong.
- apex/ˈeɪ.pɛks/noun · B2+The very highest point.
- apocalyptic/əˈpɒ.kə.lɪp.tɪk/adjective · C2Like the end of the world.
- apologetic/əˌpɒləˈdʒɛtɪk/adjective · C1Showing you are sorry.
- app/æp/noun · A2+A small program on your phone with its own little square icon.
- appalledadjective · B2+Filled with horror and dismay.
- apparent/əˈpæɹənt/adjective · B2Easy to see or seeming to be so.
- appeal/əˈpiːl/noun · B2Asking a higher court to change a decision you believe is wrong.
- applaud/əˈplɔːd/verb · B2To strike your palms together to show approval.
- applicant/ˈæp.lɪ.kənt/noun · B2+A person trying to get the job.
- apply/əˈplaɪ/verb · A2+To officially ask for a job or a place by sending your papers.
- appoint/əˈpɔɪnt/verb · C1To officially name someone to a position.
- appreciative/əˈpɹi.ʃətɪv/adjective · B2+Showing that you value something.
- approval/əˈpɹuːvəl/noun · B2Formal agreement that something may go ahead.
- apron/ˈeɪ.pɹən/noun · A2+You tie this over your clothes to keep them clean while cooking.
- arc/ɑːk/noun · B2Part of the edge of a circle.
- arcade/ɑɹˈkeɪd/noun · B1+A hall of coin-operated machines to play on.
- archetypal/ˈɑːkɪtaɪpəl/adjective · C2Being the original pattern that others follow.
- architectural/ˌɑɹkɪˈtɛkt͡ʃəɹəl/adjective · C1To do with the design of buildings.
- archive/ˈɑːkaɪv/verb · C1To move old records into long-term storage.
- argue/ˈɑː.ɡjuː/verb · A2To speak angrily with someone because you disagree.
- argument/ˈɑːɡjʊmənt/noun · A2+An angry exchange of words between people who disagree.
- arise/əˈɹaɪz/verb · B2To come into being — as problems and opportunities do.
- armchair/ˈɑː(ɹ)mtʃɛə(ɹ)/noun · A2+A big soft chair for one person, with places to rest your arms.
- armrest/ˈɑɹmˌɹɛst/noun · B1The padded bar at the side of a seat for your elbow.
- around the clockphrase · B2All day and all night without stopping.
- arrange/əˈɹeɪnd͡ʒ/verb · A2+To plan and organize the details of something in advance.
- arrival/əˈɹaɪ.vl̩/noun · B1The moment of reaching the place you were going to.
- articulate/ɑː(ɹ)ˈtɪk.jʊ.lət/verb · C1To express an idea clearly in words.
- ash/ˈæʃ/noun · B2The soft grey powder left after a fire has finished.
- ashamed/əˈʃeɪmd/adjective · B1Feeling bad because you did something wrong and others know.
- aside/əˈsaɪd/adverb · B2To one side, or out of the way.
- asphalt/ˈæʃfɑlt/noun · B2+The black mix of tar and stone that road surfaces are made of.
- assail/əˈseɪl/verb · C2To attack violently, with blows or with words.
- assemble/əˈsɛm.bəl/verb · B2To put parts together into a whole, or gather people into one place.
- assert/əˈsɜːt/verb · B2+To state firmly and stand behind it.
- assiduous/əˈsɪdjuːəs/adjective · C2Working with steady careful attention.
- assurance/əˈʃɔːɹəns/noun · C1A promise given to remove doubt.
- astonish/əˈstɒnɪʃ/verb · B2+To surprise somebody very greatly.
- at long lastphrase · B2Finally, after far too much waiting.
- attach/əˈtæt͡ʃ/verb · B1To fix one thing firmly onto another.
- attempt/əˈtɛmpt/verb · B2To try to do something.
- attendant/əˈtɛndənt/noun · B2The person employed to help visitors in a garage, museum, or hospital.
- attentive/əˈtɛntɪv/adjective · B2Noticing and caring about what somebody needs.
- attic/ˈætɪk/noun · B1The room at the very top of a house, under the roof, full of old boxes.
- attribute/ˈæt.ɹɪ.bjuːt/verb · C1To say what something was caused by or made by.
- auburn/ˈɔ.bɚn/adjective · B2+Reddish brown, said of hair.
- audacious/ɔːˈdeɪ.ʃəs/adjective · C1Shockingly bold, beyond what anyone dares.
- audacity/ɔːˈdæ.sɪ.ti/noun · C1Bold nerve that shocks people.
- automated/ˈɔːtəmeɪtɪd/adjective · B1+Run by self-acting machinery under its own controls, with no person needed to work it.
- automatic/ˌɔː.təˈmæt.ɪk/adjective · B2Working by itself, without a person doing anything.
- automatically/ˈɔːtəʊˌmæt.ɪ.k(ə.)li/adverb · B2By itself, without anybody having to act.
- autumn/ˈɔːtəm/noun · A1The season when leaves turn gold and drop from the trees.
- available/əˈveɪ.lə.bəl/adjective · A2+Ready to be used, bought, or spoken to right now.
- averse/əˈvɜː(ɹ)s/adjective · C1Strongly disinclined towards something.
- aversion/əˈvɜːʒən/noun · C1A strong dislike that makes you avoid something.
- avert/əˈvɝt/verb · C1To stop a disaster from happening; also, to turn your eyes away.
- avocado/ˌævəˈkɑːdəʊ/noun · A2+A soft green fruit with a very big stone, famous on toast.
- avoid eye contactphrase · B2To keep from looking somebody in the face.
- aware/əˈwɛə/adjective · B1Knowing that something exists or is happening.
- awkward/ˈɔːk.wəd/adjective · B2Uncomfortable and embarrassing, like silence after a bad joke.
- awning/ˈɔːnɪŋ/noun · B2+A sheet of cloth stretched out over a window or door for shade.
- babble/ˈbæb.(ə)l/noun · B2The sound of many voices, or of a running stream.
- back awayphrase · B1To step backwards, usually from something unwelcome.
- back downphrase · C1To stop insisting and admit you will not win the argument.
- back offphrase · B2To retreat and stop pressuring someone.
- back outphrase · B2To withdraw from an agreement you had made.
- back upphrase · B2To make a safety copy; also, to support someone's story.
- backpack/ˈbæk.pæk/noun · B1The bag you carry on your back to school or on a hike.
- backpack strapphrase · B1The band that goes over your shoulder to carry your school bag.
- backpackernoun · B1+A budget traveler carrying everything on their back.
- backseatnoun · A2The row of seats behind the driver in a car.
- badly/ˈbæd.li/adverb · A2In a poor way, or very much.
- baggy/ˈbæɡi/adjective · B1+Much too loose, hanging off the body.
- bakery/ˈbeɪ.kə.ɹi/noun · B1The shop that smells of warm fresh loaves every morning.
- balance/ˈbæləns/noun · B1The steady state where no side is heavier than the other.
- banana/bəˈnɑːnə/noun · A1A long curved yellow fruit that you peel.
- bank statementnoun · B1The list of everything paid in and out of an account.
- banquet/ˈbæŋkwɪt/noun · B2A grand formal dinner for many guests.
- bar of soapnoun · A2A solid block used with water to clean.
- barbaric/bɑː(ɹ)ˈbæɹɪk/adjective · C1Cruel and uncivilized beyond excuse.
- bare/bɛə/adjective · A2Not covered by anything — feet, walls, or trees in winter.
- barefoot/ˈbɛɹfʊt/adjective · B1Wearing nothing at all on your feet.
- barely/ˈbɛə.li/adverb · B1Only just; by the thinnest margin.
- barista/bəˈɹiːs.tə/noun · B1+The person who makes coffee behind the counter.
- bark/bɑːk/noun · B1The rough protective skin of a tree.
- barracks/ˈbæɹəks/noun · B2+The buildings where soldiers live.
- barre/bɑː/noun · C1The rail dancers hold while warming up.
- barrel/ˈbæɹ(ə)l/noun · B1A round wooden container with curved sides.
- barricade/ˈbæɹɪkeɪd/noun · B2+A hasty barrier put up to block a way.
- bathtub/ˈbɑːθtʌb/noun · A2The long basin you fill with warm water and lie in.
- baton/ˈbætɒn/noun · B2A short stick, carried by a runner or waved by a conductor.
- battery/ˈbæt.(ə)ɹi/noun · B1The store of power inside a phone or a toy; it runs out at the worst moment.
- bawl/bɔːl/verb · B2+To cry or shout very loudly.
- beam/ˈbiːm/noun · B2A long thick timber or steel bar that bears weight.
- beard/bɪəd/noun · B1The hair that grows on a man's chin and cheeks.
- bearing/ˈbɛə̯ɹɪŋ/noun · C1The direction of something, given as an angle.
- beat-upadjective · C1Old, dented, and scarred from long use.
- bedroom/ˈbɛdɹuːm/noun · A1The room where you sleep.
- bedside/ˈbɛdˌsaɪd/noun · B1+The space beside a bed.
- bedtime/ˈbɛdtaɪm/noun · A2The hour when you are supposed to go to sleep.
- bedtime story/ˈbɛdtaɪm ˈstɔːɹi/noun · A2The tale read to a child before sleep.
- befriend/bɪˈfɹɛnd/verb · B2To become a friend to somebody who needs one.
- behave/bᵻˈheɪv/verb · A2To act in a certain way — parents ask children to do it well.
- bellow/ˈbɛloʊ/verb · B2+To shout in a deep, loud voice.
- beloved/bɪˈlʌvd/adjective · B2Dearly loved.
- below/bɪˈləʊ/preposition · A1Lower down than something else.
- belt/ˈbɛlt/noun · A2The leather band that holds your legwear up at the waist.
- bench/ˈbɛnt͡ʃ/noun · A2The long outdoor seat in parks where several people can sit.
- bend/bɛnd/verb · B1To make something straight become curved.
- benevolent/bəˈnɛvələnt/adjective · C1Kindly and wishing good to others.
- bent/bɛnt/adjective · B2No longer straight; curved out of shape.
- beside/bɪˈsaɪd/preposition · A2Right next to somebody or something.
- bespectacled/bɪˈspɛktəkəld/adjective · C2Wearing glasses.
- bicker/ˈbɪkɚ/verb · B2+To argue about small unimportant things.
- bicycle/ˈbaɪsɪk(ə)l/noun · A1The two-wheeled machine you move with your own legs.
- bigwig/ˈbɪɡ.wɪɡ/noun · C2An important, powerful person — said with a smirk.
- billowingadjective · C1Swelling and rolling outward in great soft waves.
- bimbo/ˈbɪmbəʊ/noun · C1A young woman treated as attractive but empty-headed.
- bitter/ˈbɪt.ə/adjective · B1Tasting sharp and unsweet, like black coffee or dark chocolate.
- bitterness/ˈbɪtənəs/noun · B1+The sharp unpleasant quality of strong coffee or peel.
- blabber/ˈblæb.ɚ/verb · C2To chatter on and on about nothing.
- black hole/blæk ˈhoʊl/phrase · B2The collapsed star whose pull not even light escapes.
- black-and-whiteadjective · B1In shades of grey only, with no colour.
- blanket/ˈblæŋ.kɪt/noun · A2The warm cover you pull over yourself in bed.
- blare/blɛə/verb · C1To sound out loudly and harshly.
- bleed/ˈbliːd/verb · B1To lose blood from the body.
- blithe/blaɪð/adjective · C1Cheerful in a way that ignores real trouble.
- bloodshotadjective · B2+Red in the white part of the eye.
- bloodstain/ˈblʌdˌsteɪn/noun · B2A dark mark left on cloth where someone bled.
- blotchyadjective · B2Covered in uneven red or dark patches.
- blubber/ˈblʌbə/noun · B2The thick fat layer that keeps sea mammals warm.
- blunder/ˈblʌn.dəː/verb · C1To make a stupid mistake, or to move clumsily.
- blunt/blʌnt/adjective · B2With no cutting edge left; or speaking with no softening at all.
- blurt/ˈblɜːt/verb · B2+To say something suddenly without meaning to.
- blurt outphrase · C1To say something suddenly that you meant to keep quiet.
- boast/bəʊst/verb · B2To talk too proudly about what you have or did.
- boastful/ˈbəʊstfʊl/adjective · C1Forever talking about how great you are.
- body languagenoun · B2What your posture and gestures say without words.
- bogus/ˈbəʊ̯ɡəs/adjective · B2Fake, though presented as genuine.
- bolt/bɒlt/noun · B2A thick metal pin that screws tight to hold two things together.
- bookcase/ˈbʊkˌkeɪs/noun · B1The tall furniture with many boards full of things to read.
- bookshelf/ˈbʊkˌʃɛlf/noun · A2+The piece of furniture your books stand in rows on.
- boom/buːm/noun · B2A period of fast growth and easy money.
- boot/buːt/noun · A1A tall strong shoe that covers your ankle, good for rain and snow.
- borrow/ˈbɒɹəʊ/verb · A2To take something you will give back later.
- boulder/ˈbəʊl.də(ɹ)/noun · B1+A rock so huge you could not hope to move it.
- bounce/baʊns/verb · B1To spring back up after hitting the ground, like a ball.
- bound/ˈbaʊ̯nd/verb · B2To move forward in great leaps.
- boundaries/ˈbaʊnd(ə)ɹiz/noun · B2The limits you set on what others may ask of you.
- boundary/ˈbaʊndɹi/noun · B2The line where one area ends and another begins.
- boundless/ˈbaʊndləs/adjective · C1Having no limit at all.
- bout/ˈbaʊt/noun · B2A short spell of activity or illness, or a fight.
- bowl/bəʊl/noun · A1A deep, round dish for soup, cereal, or salad.
- brake/bɹeɪk/noun · A2+The pedal you press to make the car slow down and stop.
- bray/bɹeɪ/verb · C1To make the loud harsh cry of a donkey.
- bread/brɛd/noun · A1A basic baked food made from flour; you cut it into slices for toast.
- break downphrase · B1To suddenly stop working — cars do it, and sometimes people.
- break intophrase · B2To enter a locked place by force, as burglars do.
- break outphrase · B2To escape from prison; also, what wars and fires suddenly do.
- breast/bɹɛst/noun · B2The front of the chest, or one of the two milk glands on a woman.
- brew/bɹuː/verb · B1+To make a hot drink by soaking leaves or beans in water.
- brief/ˈbɹiːf/verb · B2To give somebody the information they need before acting.
- briefcase/ˈbɹiːfˌkeɪs/noun · B1A flat case for carrying documents.
- briefly/ˈbɹiːfli/adverb · B2For only a short time, or in few words.
- brigade/bɹɪˈɡeɪd/noun · B2A large unit made of several battalions.
- brighten/ˈbɹaɪtən/verb · B1+To make something lighter or more cheerful.
- brighten up/ˈbɹaɪtən ʌp/phrase · B1To become more cheerful, or to make a place more lively.
- bring upphrase · B2To care for a child until grown; also, to start talking about a topic.
- brink/ˈbɹɪŋk/noun · B2The very edge of a drop or of a great change.
- brisk/bɹɪsk/adjective · B2Quick and energetic — a walk in cold morning air.
- brochure/ˈbɹəʊ.ʃə(ɹ)/noun · B2A small booklet advertising a product or a place.
- broken-downadjective · B2No longer working and falling apart.
- brooch/bɹəʊtʃ/noun · B2+A piece of jewellery pinned to a coat or dress.
- brood/bɹuːd/noun · C1All the young hatched at one time.
- broom/bɹuːm/noun · A2+The long brush you sweep the floor with; witches fly on one.
- brow/bɹaʊ/noun · B2The forehead, or the top edge of a hill.
- brush/bɹʌʃ/verb · A2To clean or smooth something using a tool with bristles.
- brusque/bɹʊsk/adjective · C2Abrupt to the point of rudeness.
- bubble/ˈbʌbəl/noun · B1A ball of air trapped in a liquid or in glass.
- buckle/ˈbʌkəl/noun · B1The metal clasp that fastens a belt.
- budge/bʌd͡ʒ/verb · B2To move even a little from a fixed position.
- build upphrase · B2To increase gradually over time.
- bulging/ˈbʌldʒɪŋ/adjective · B2Swelling outward from the surface.
- bulletin/ˈbʊl.ə.tən/noun · B1+A short official news update.
- bump/bʌmp/verb · B1To knock into something by accident.
- bumper/ˈbʌmpə/noun · B2The bar at each end that takes a small knock.
- bundle/ˈbʌn.dl̩/noun · B1Things tied or wrapped together for carrying.
- bureau/ˈbjʊ.ɹəʊ/noun · B1+A writing desk with drawers, or an office that gathers information.
- bureaucracy/bjʊəˈɹɒk.ɹə.si/noun · C1The maze of forms, stamps, and offices that slows everything down.
- bureaucrat/ˈbjʊəɹəkɹæt/noun · B2+An official who follows rules rigidly in an administration.
- bureaucratic/ˌbjʊəɹəˈkɹætɪk/adjective · C1Weighed down by official rules and paperwork.
- burgeon/ˈbɜː.d͡ʒən/verb · C1To grow or increase very quickly.
- burglar/ˈbɜːɡlə(ɹ)/noun · B1A criminal who breaks into homes to take what is inside.
- burglary/ˈbɜː.ɡlə.ɹi/noun · B2Breaking into a building to steal what is inside.
- burgle/ˈbɜːɡl̩/verb · B2+To break into a building in order to steal.
- burrow/ˈbʌɹəʊ/noun · B1+The underground home a rabbit digs.
- burst/bɜːst/verb · B2To break open suddenly because of the pressure inside.
- bury/ˈbɛɹi/verb · B1To put something under the ground and cover it, as dogs do bones.
- bus stopnoun · A2The signposted place where you wait for public transport.
- bushy/ˈbʊʃi/adjective · C1Growing thick and shaggy — eyebrows, beards, and tails.
- butt inphrase · C1To interrupt a conversation you were not part of.
- buy upphrase · C1To purchase the entire supply of something.
- by accidentphrase · A2Without meaning to; by chance.
- by definitionphrase · B2True simply because of what the word means.
- by the wayphrase · B1Introducing something slightly off the main subject.
- bystander/ˈbaɪˌstænd.ə(ɹ)/noun · B2+Somebody present at an event but taking no part.
- cabinet/ˈkæb.ɪ.nɪt/noun · B2The senior ministers who run the government together.
- cable/ˈkeɪ.bəl/noun · B2The wire that carries power or data between devices.
- calcium/ˈkælsi.əm/noun · B1+The element that makes bones and shells hard.
- calculate/ˈkælkjʊleɪt/verb · B2To find an answer using numbers and mathematics.
- call it a dayphrase · B2To decide you have worked enough and stop.
- call outphrase · B1To shout in order to be heard or to summon somebody.
- calm downphrase · A2To stop being angry or upset and become quiet again.
- cancel/ˈkæn.sl̩/verb · A2To say that a planned trip, class, or event will not happen after all.
- cancelledadjective · A2+Called off and not going at all.
- candid/ˈkæn.dɪd/adjective · C1Completely honest, even when it is awkward.
- candle/ˈkæn.dəl/noun · A2A stick of wax with a small flame on top.
- capable/ˈkeɪ.pə.bəl/adjective · B2Having the skill and power to do something.
- captivity/kæpˈtɪvɪti/noun · B2The state of being kept shut up and not free.
- car seatnoun · A2The strapped seat a child travels in.
- carafe/kəˈɹæf/noun · C1An open glass jug that wine or water is served from.
- cardboard/ˈkɑːdbɔːd/noun · B2The stiff thick paper that boxes are made of.
- cardigan/ˈkɑːdɪɡən/noun · B2+A knitted top that opens at the front with buttons.
- career/kəˈɹɪə/noun · B1Your whole working life, seen as one long road.
- caress/kəˈɹɛs/verb · B2+To stroke somebody gently and lovingly.
- carriage/ˈkæɹɪd͡ʒ/noun · B2One car of a passenger train; also, a horse-drawn vehicle.
- carry on/ˈkæɹi ˈɑn/phrase · B1To keep going without stopping.
- carve/kɑɹv/verb · B2To cut slices off a large cooked joint of meat.
- cascade/kæsˈkeɪd/noun · B2+A small waterfall, or a series of them.
- cassette/kəˈsɛt/noun · C1The stack of toothed wheels on a rear hub.
- cast/kɑːst/verb · B1To throw something out and away from you, like a fishing line.
- catapult/ˈkæ.tə.pʌlt/noun · B2+A forked stick with elastic for firing small stones.
- cataract/ˈkætəɹækt/noun · B2+A clouding of the lens of the eye that dims the sight.
- catastrophe/kəˈtæstɹəfi/noun · B2A sudden disaster causing great damage.
- catch on/kæt͡ʃ ˈɒn/phrase · C1To understand, or to become popular.
- catch sight ofphrase · B2To see something briefly and by chance.
- catch upphrase · B1To reach the ones ahead of you; also, to trade news with an old friend.
- categoriseverb · B2+To sort things into named groups.
- cavity/ˈkæv.ɪt.i/noun · B2A hollow space, or a hole in a tooth.
- ceiling/ˈsiːlɪŋ/noun · B1The surface above your head inside a room.
- cement/səˈmɛnt/noun · B1The grey powder that binds sand and stone together.
- central/ˈsɛntɹ(ə)l/adjective · B1In or near the middle.
- central heatingnoun · B1A system that warms a whole building from one boiler.
- centre/ˈsɛntəː/noun · A2+The middle point of something.
- ceramic/sɪˈɹæmɪk/noun · B2An object made of clay hardened by firing.
- certainty/ˈsɝtn̩ti/noun · B2Being completely sure.
- certify/ˈsɜː.tɪ.faɪ/verb · B2+To state officially and in writing that something is so.
- chairman/ˈtʃɛːmən/noun · B2The person who leads a meeting or heads a company board.
- changing roomnoun · A2The small room in a shop where you try clothes on.
- chant/t͡ʃɑːnt/noun · B2Words repeated in a rhythmic, singing voice.
- chaos/ˈkeɪɒs/noun · B2Complete mess and confusion, with nothing where it should be.
- chaotic/keɪˈɒtɪk/adjective · B2Completely disordered.
- characteristic/ˌkæɹəktəˈɹɪstɪk/noun · B2A quality that marks something out as itself.
- chasten/ˈt͡ʃeɪ.sən/verb · C2To correct somebody so they behave more humbly.
- check outphrase · B1To leave a hotel and pay; also, to take a look at something.
- cheek/t͡ʃiːk/noun · A2One of the two soft sides of your face that go red when you're shy.
- cheekbone/ˈt͡ʃikˌboʊn/noun · C1The ridge of the face just below the eye.
- cheeky/ˈt͡ʃiːki/adjective · B2+Rudely bold in a way that amuses.
- cheerful/ˈt͡ʃɪəfl̩/adjective · B1Naturally sunny — smiling and spreading good feelings around.
- chilly/ˈt͡ʃɪli/adjective · B1Unpleasantly a little cold.
- chin/ˈt͡ʃɪn/noun · A2The part of your face below your mouth.
- chip/t͡ʃɪp/noun · A2A long thin piece of potato cooked in hot fat.
- chronic/ˈkɹɒn.ɪk/adjective · B2Lasting for years and never fully going away — pain or illness.
- chubby/ˈt͡ʃʌbi/adjective · B1Softly round, as babies' cheeks are.
- chummy/ˈt͡ʃʌ.mɪ/adjective · C2Overly warm and familiar, as if you were old pals.
- churchyard/ˈt͡ʃɝt͡ʃ.jɑɹd/noun · C1The walled ground around a chapel, often with graves.
- cigarette/ˈsɪɡəɹɛt/noun · A2A thin paper tube of tobacco that people smoke.
- circuit/ˈsɜː.kɪt/noun · B2The complete loop electricity must travel to make anything work.
- circumstance/ˈsɜːkəmst(ə)ns/noun · B2One of the surrounding conditions that shape a situation.
- clamp/ˈklæmp/noun · B1+A tool that squeezes two things together and holds them there.
- clarification/ˌklæɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/noun · B2+An explanation that makes a muddled point clear.
- clarify/ˈklæɹ.ɪ.faɪ/verb · B2+To make a confusing thing clear.
- clasp/klɑːsp/verb · B2To hold firmly with the hand or with both arms.
- classmate/ˈklɑːs.meɪt/noun · A2+A person who is in the same class as you.
- clause/klɔːz/noun · C1One numbered part of an agreement.
- claw/klɔ/noun · B1One of the sharp curved nails on an animal's paw.
- cleaner/ˈkliː.nə/noun · A2+The person whose job is making offices and homes spotless.
- clear up/klɪəˈɹʌp/phrase · B1To tidy, or for weather to improve.
- clench/klɛnt͡ʃ/verb · C1To close your hand or jaw tightly, usually in anger.
- click/klɪk/verb · B1To press a button on the pointer device to choose something on screen.
- climb/ˈklaɪ̯m/verb · B1To go up using your hands and feet.
- clinch/klɪnt͡ʃ/verb · C1To settle a deal or a victory beyond doubt.
- clinical/ˈklɪn.ɪ.kəl/adjective · C1To do with treating patients, or coldly detached.
- clock/klɒk/noun · A1The round face with moving hands that shows the time on a wall.
- clock inphrase · B2To record the moment you start work.
- clog/klɒɡ/verb · B2To block a pipe or opening so nothing can pass.
- clot/klɒt/noun · B2+A thick lump formed when blood sets.
- cloud/ˈklaʊ̯d/noun · A2The white or grey fluffy thing floating in the sky.
- clown/ˈklaʊ̯n/noun · A2The performer with a red nose and huge shoes who makes children laugh.
- cluck/klʌk/verb · B2To make the short clicking sound a hen makes.
- clue/kluː/noun · B1A small piece of information that helps solve a mystery — like the ones in this game.
- clumsy/ˈklʌmzi/adjective · B2Awkward, and apt to knock things over.
- clutch/ˈklʌt͡ʃ/verb · B2To hold on to something tightly because you fear losing it.
- clutch pedalnoun · B2The pedal that disconnects the engine while you change gear.
- coat/ˈkoʊ̯t/noun · A1The long warm thing you wear outside in winter.
- cohabit/koʊˈhæbɪt/verb · C1To live together as a couple without marrying.
- coin/ˈkoɪ̯n/noun · B1A small round piece of metal money.
- coincidental/ˈkəʊ.ɪn.sɪˌdɛn.tl̩/adjective · C1Happening together purely by chance, not by design.
- collapse/kəˈlæps/verb · B2To suddenly fall down or cave in — buildings, plans, or people.
- collar/ˈkɒlə/noun · B1The part of a shirt that folds around your neck.
- collarbonenoun · B1+The long thin bone between the shoulder and the throat.
- colleague/ˈkɒliːɡ/noun · B1+A person who works at the same place as you.
- collective/kəˈlɛktɪv/adjective · B2Done by or belonging to a group together.
- collide/kəˈlaɪd/verb · C1To crash into each other while moving.
- collision/kəˈlɪʒn̩/noun · B2A crash of two moving things.
- colorful/ˈkʌl.ə.fl̩/adjective · A2+Full of many bright colors.
- colournoun · C1A rating of how near to colourless a stone is.
- combination/ˌkɒmbɪˈneɪʃən/noun · B2A forced series of moves with a clear point.
- combine/kəmˈbaɪn/verb · B1+To bring two or more things together into one.
- come acrossphrase · B2To find something by chance without looking for it.
- come backphrase · A2To return to the place you left.
- come byphrase · B2To obtain something, often by luck.
- come out/ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/phrase · B1To be released — films and books do it; the sun does too.
- come overphrase · B1To visit someone at their home.
- come up withphrase · B2To think of a new idea or solution.
- comfortably/ˈkʌmftɚbli/adverb · B2In a way that gives ease, or with room to spare.
- comment/ˈkɒmɛnt/noun · A2+A short remark giving an opinion.
- common sensenoun · B1The practical everyday judgment most people share.
- commotion/kəˈməʊ.ʃən/noun · B2A sudden noisy confusion in a public place.
- comparatively/kəmˈpæɹ.ə.tɪvli/adverb · B2+When set beside something else.
- compare/kəmˈpɛɚ/verb · B1To look at two things side by side to see their differences.
- compartment/kəmˈpɑɹtmənt/noun · B2One enclosed section of seats in a carriage.
- compatible/kəmˈpæt.ə.bəl/adjective · B2Able to work or live together without conflict.
- compensate/ˈkɒm.pən.seɪt/verb · C1To make up for a loss, usually with money.
- competence/ˈkɒm.pə.təns/noun · C1Being good enough at something to do it properly.
- complain/kəmˈpleɪn/verb · A2+To say again and again that you are not happy about something.
- complicate/ˈkɑmplɪkeɪt/verb · B1+To make something harder to understand or deal with.
- complication/ˌkɒm.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/noun · B2Something that makes a matter harder to deal with.
- compliment/ˈkɑmpləmənt/noun · B1A kind remark about how good someone or their work is.
- composed/kəmˈpoʊzd/adjective · B2Fully in control of your feelings when others would panic.
- composure/kəmˈpoʊʒɚ/noun · C1Calm control of yourself when things go wrong.
- comprehend/kɒmpɹɪˈhɛnd/verb · B2To take in the meaning of something.
- comprehension/ˌkɒmpɹɪˈhɛnʃn̩/noun · B2A test of how well you understood what you read.
- compress/kəmˈpɹɛs/verb · B2+To squeeze a file into fewer bytes.
- compulsive/kəmˈpʌlsɪv/adjective · B2+Driven by an urge that cannot be resisted, as with a person who lies or gambles without being able to help it.
- concede/kənˈsiːd/verb · C1To reluctantly accept that the other side is right.
- concise/kənˈsaɪs/adjective · B2+Saying everything needed in very few words.
- conclude/kənˈkluːd/verb · B1+To reach a final judgment after weighing everything; also, to bring to an end.
- conclusion/kənˈkluːʒən/noun · B1What the results finally show.
- concrete/ˈkɒnkɹiːt/noun · B2The grey mix of cement and gravel that cities are built from.
- concussion/kənˈkʌʃən/noun · B2A brain shaken by a blow to the head.
- condemn/kənˈdɛm/verb · C1To declare loudly and publicly that something is wrong.
- condescending/ˈkɔn.dɪ.sɛnd.ɪŋ/adjective · B2+Kind in a way that makes clear you feel superior.
- condolences/kənˈdoʊlənsɪz/noun · B2The words of sympathy you offer to someone whose loved one has died.
- conductor/kənˈdʌktɚ/noun · B2The person who stands before an orchestra waving a little stick.
- confer/kənˈfɜː/verb · C1To discuss together before deciding; also, to grant an honor.
- confetti/kənˈfɛ.ti/noun · B1+Small pieces of coloured paper thrown at a celebration.
- confirm/kənˈfɜːm/verb · B1To say officially that something is certain or true.
- confirmation/ˌkɑn.fəɹˈmeɪ.ʃən/noun · C1The rite of confirming a young person in their faith.
- conflict/ˈkɒn.flɪkt/noun · B2Two changes to the same lines that must be settled by hand.
- confused/kənˈfjuːzd/adjective · A2Unable to understand what is going on.
- confusion/kənˈfjuːʒən/noun · B2A state of not understanding, or of disorder.
- congenital/kənˈdʒɛnɪt(ə)l/adjective · C2Present from birth — conditions, or deep-rooted habits.
- conjure/ˈkʌn.d͡ʒə/verb · C1To make something appear as if by magic.
- connect/kəˈnɛkt/verb · A2+To join two things together.
- conscientious/ˌkɒn.ʃiˈɛn.ʃəs/adjective · C1Doing every duty carefully and properly, every time.
- consequence/ˈkɒn.sɪ.kwəns/noun · B1+What follows from an action — welcome or not.
- considerable/kənˈsɪdəɹəbl̩/adjective · B2Large enough to be worth noticing.
- considerably/kənˈsɪdəɹəbli/adverb · B2By a large amount.
- consonant/ˈkɒn.sə.nənt/noun · B1+Any letter of the alphabet that is not a vowel.
- conspirator/kənˈspɪɹətə/noun · B2One of the people secretly plotting a crime together.
- constant/ˈkɒnstənt/noun · B2A quantity deliberately kept the same throughout.
- constantly/ˈkɒnstəntli/adverb · B2All the time, without ever stopping.
- consternation/ˌkɒn.stəˈneɪ.ʃən/noun · C2Dismay at something unexpected.
- construction/kənˈstɹʌkʃən/noun · B2The building of something new — cranes, workers, and noise.
- constructive/kənˈstɹʌktɪv/adjective · B2Meant to build up and improve rather than tear down.
- consultant/kənˈsʌl.tənt/noun · B2+An outside expert companies pay for advice.
- consultation/ˌkɒnsəlˈteɪʃən/noun · C1A meeting to seek advice or opinion.
- consumer/kənˈsjuːmə/noun · B2+Anyone who buys and uses products — that is, everyone.
- consumption/kənˈsʌmp.ʃən/noun · B2+The using up of goods, food or fuel.
- container/kənˈteɪ.nə/noun · B1A standard steel box for carrying goods.
- contemplate/ˈkɑn.təmˌpleɪt/verb · C1To turn a thought over slowly and deeply in your mind.
- contemptuous/kənˈtɛm(p).tʃu.əs/adjective · C2Showing that you think something worthless.
- contend/kənˈtɛnd/verb · C1To argue a case, or to struggle against.
- content/kənˈtɛnt/adjective · B2Quietly satisfied with how things are.
- continuous/kənˈtɪn.juː.əs/adjective · B2+Going on without a break.
- contort/kənˈtɔː(ɹ)t/verb · B2To twist out of its normal shape.
- contraption/kənˈtɹæp.ʃən/noun · C1A device that looks awkward and improvised.
- contrast/ˈkɒntɹɑːst/noun · B1+The sharp difference that shows when two things sit side by side.
- contrite/kənˈtɹaɪt/adjective · C1Deeply sorry for having done wrong.
- conventional/kənˈvɛnʃənl̩/adjective · B2Following the usual accepted way.
- conversational/ˌkɒnvə(ɹ)ˈseɪʃənəl/adjective · B1Relaxed and informal, like ordinary talk.
- convey/kənˈveɪ/verb · B2+To carry a meaning or feeling across to someone.
- convince/kənˈvɪns/verb · B1To make someone believe that you are right.
- convinced/kənˈvɪnst/adjective · B1Completely sure of something.
- convincing/kənˈvɪnsɪŋ/adjective · B2Strong enough to make people believe.
- convulse/kənˈvʌls/verb · C1To shake violently with sudden uncontrolled movement.
- coordination/kəʊˌɔːdɪˈneɪʃən/noun · C1The organising of parts so they work as one.
- cordon/ˈkɔː(ɹ)dən/noun · C1A line drawn around a scene to keep people out.
- correspondence/ˌkɒɹ.ɪˈspɒn.dəns/noun · C1Letters exchanged, or the fact of matching.
- corridor/ˈkɒɹɪdɔː/noun · B2The long passage inside a building that rooms open onto.
- corrugatedadjective · C2Shaped into ridges and grooves, like shed-roof metal.
- cottage/ˈkɒt.ɪd͡ʒ/noun · B1+A small cozy house in the countryside.
- cough/kɒf/noun · B1The loud sound your throat makes again and again when you're ill.
- council/ˈkaʊn.səl/noun · B2The elected group that runs local matters for a town.
- count on/kaʊntʌn/phrase · B2To trust someone to be there when it matters.
- counter/ˈkaʊn.tə/noun · B2The flat work surface where all the chopping and mixing happens.
- countless/ˈkaʊntləs/adjective · B2Too many to be counted.
- county/ˈkaʊnti/noun · B1A region of a country with its own local government.
- coup/kuː/noun · B2A sudden seizing of power from a government by force.
- coupon/ˈkuːˌpɒn/noun · B1+A slip of paper or code that cuts the price at the till.
- courage/ˈkʌɹ.ɪd͡ʒ/noun · B2The strength inside that lets you face fear.
- courier/ˈkʊ.ɹi.ə/noun · B1+A service that carries urgent packages by hand.
- courtyard/ˈkɔɹt.jɑɹd/noun · B1+An open space enclosed by the walls of a building.
- cranny/ˈkɹæni/noun · C1A small narrow opening in a wall or rock.
- crass/kɹæs/adjective · C2Rude and unfeeling in a thick-skinned, tasteless way.
- crayon/ˈkɹeɪ̯.ɒn/noun · B1The colored wax stick small children draw with.
- creak/kɹiːk/verb · B2+To make the long squeaking groan of old floors and doors.
- crease/kɹiːs/noun · B2An unwanted line pressed into cloth.
- credential/kɹɪˈdɛnʃəl/noun · C1A qualification that proves you are entitled to do something.
- crestfallen/ˈkɹɛstfɔːlən/adjective · C1Suddenly downcast after hoping for better.
- cretin/ˈkɹɛtɪn/noun · C1A stupid person, in offensive informal use.
- crib/kɹɪb/noun · B1The barred bed a baby sleeps in, in American English.
- critter/ˈkɹɪtɚ/noun · C2A homely word for a small animal.
- croissant/ˈk(ɹ)wæsɒ̃/noun · A2+The curved French breakfast pastry with buttery layers.
- cross-eyedadjective · C1With both eyes turned in toward the nose.
- crossword/ˈkɹɒswɜː(ɹ)d/noun · B1+The word puzzle of numbered clues and crossing white squares.
- crouch/ˈkɹaʊ̯t͡ʃ/verb · B2To bend low with folded legs, ready to spring.
- crumble/ˈkɹʌmbəl/noun · B2Baked fruit under a rough sweet topping.
- crumple/ˈkɹʌmpəl/verb · B2+To crush into folds and creases.
- crutch/ˈkɹʌt͡ʃ/noun · B1+A stick under your arm that helps you walk with a broken leg.
- crutchesnoun · B1+The two sticks you lean on to walk with a broken leg.
- cubic/ˈkjuː.bɪk/adjective · B2+Shaped like a cube, or measured in three dimensions.
- cuddle/ˈkʌd.l̩/verb · B1To hold somebody close and warmly.
- cul-de-sac/ˈkʌldəsæk/noun · B2A short street closed at one end.
- cupboard/ˈkʌbəd/noun · A2+Furniture with doors and shelves, where you keep plates and dry food.
- cur/kɜː/noun · C2A bad-tempered mongrel dog, or a contemptible man.
- curiosity/ˌkjʊə.ɹiˈɒs.ɪ.ti/noun · B2The itch to find out — it famously troubled the cat.
- curious/ˈkjʊə.ɹi.əs/adjective · B1Wanting very much to know or find out about something.
- curse/kɜːs/noun · A2+Words spoken to bring harm upon somebody.
- cursory/ˈkɜː.sə.ɹi/adjective · C1Done quickly and without care.
- curt/kɝt/adjective · C1Using so few words that it sounds rude.
- cut downphrase · B1To do or use less of something — sweets, spending, or smoking.
- cutlery/ˈkʌt.lə.ɹi/noun · A2+Knives, forks, and spoons — all the eating tools together.
- cutting/ˈkʌtɪŋ/noun · C1A channel dug through high ground for a railway.
- cycle/ˈsaɪ.kəl/verb · A2+To travel by pedalling a two-wheeled machine.
- cylindrical/sɪˈlɪndɹɪkəl/adjective · B2Shaped like a tin can or a pipe.
- dab/dæb/verb · B2+To touch lightly and repeatedly with something soft.
- daily/ˈdeɪli/adjective · A2Happening every single day.
- damp/ˈdæmp/adjective · B1Slightly wet, in an unpleasant way.
- darken/ˈdɑɹkən/verb · B1+To make something darker.
- darkness/ˈdɑːk.nəs/noun · B1The state of having no light at all.
- dart/dɑːt/verb · B2To move suddenly and quickly in one direction.
- dashboard/ˈdæʃˌbɔːd/noun · B1+The panel of dials and controls in front of a driver.
- dawn/dɔːn/noun · A2The moment the sky first lightens before the sun appears.
- dawn onphrase · C1For a realisation to arrive slowly.
- daydream/ˈdeɪdɹiːm/noun · B2A pleasant drift of thoughts while wide awake.
- daytime/ˈdeɪtaɪm/noun · B2The hours between sunrise and sunset.
- deafening/ˈdɛfənɪŋ(ɡ)/adjective · B2+So loud that you can hear nothing else.
- deal withphrase · B1To take care of a problem or person that must be dealt with.
- dealership/ˈdiːləʃɪp/noun · B2+A business licensed to sell one make of vehicle.
- debit/ˈdɛb.ɪt/noun · B2+A sum taken out of a bank account.
- debit card/ˈdɛbɪt ˌkɑɹd/noun · B2A card that takes money straight from your account.
- decade/ˈdɛkeɪd/noun · B1+Ten years.
- decency/ˈdiːsənsi/noun · C1Basic honest, polite behaviour toward other people.
- decent/ˈdiː.sənt/adjective · B2Good enough to be acceptable; also, honest and fair.
- decision-makingnoun · C1The weighing of options that a person or a body goes through before choosing.
- decisive/dɪˈsaɪsɪv/adjective · C1Able to decide quickly and firmly.
- deck/ˈdɛk/noun · B1The flat floor you walk on aboard a ship.
- declaration/ˌdɛk.ləˈɹeɪ.ʃən/noun · C1A formal public statement.
- declare/dɪˈklɛə/verb · B2To state something openly and officially.
- decorative/ˈdɛk.ə.ɹə.tɪv/adjective · B2+Made to look attractive rather than to be useful.
- decorator/ˈdɛkəˌɹeɪtə(ɹ)/noun · B2Somebody who paints and papers rooms.
- decrepit/dɪˈkɹɛp.ɪt/adjective · C1Worn out and falling apart with age.
- deductive/dɪˈdʌktɪv/adjective · C2Reasoning downward from general rules to the particular case.
- defect/ˈdiːfɛkt/noun · B2A flaw present from the moment it was made.
- defective/dɪˈfɛktɪv/adjective · B2Made wrong, and not working as it should.
- defensive/dɪˈfɛn.sɪv/adjective · B2Meant to protect, or quick to take criticism badly.
- defiance/dɪˈfaɪ(j)əns/noun · C1Open refusal to obey.
- defiant/dɪˈfaɪ(j)ənt/adjective · B2+Openly refusing to obey.
- deficiency/dɪˈfɪʃənsi/noun · C1A shortage of something needed, or a weakness.
- deft/dɛft/adjective · C1Neat and skilful in movement.
- degree/dɪˈɡɹiː/noun · B1The qualification you earn after years of university study.
- dejected/dɪˈdʒɛktəd/adjective · C1Cast down after a disappointment.
- delay/dɪˈleɪ/noun · B1The extra waiting when a flight or train is late.
- deliberate/dɪˈlɪb.(ə.)ɹət/adjective · B2Done fully on purpose, not by accident.
- deliberation/dɪˌlɪbəˈɹeɪʃən/noun · B2+Long careful thought, or slow unhurried movement.
- delusion/dɪˈl(j)uːʒ(ə)n/noun · B2A false belief held firmly against the evidence.
- demarcation/ˌdɛm.ɑːˈkeɪ.ʃən/noun · C2The marking of a boundary between things.
- demolish/dɪˈmɒl.ɪʃ/verb · B2+To knock a building down completely.
- demolition/ˌdɛm.əˈlɪʃ.ən/noun · B2The planned destruction of an old building.
- demonstrate/ˈdɛm.ənˌstɹeɪt/verb · B2To show clearly how something works or that it is true.
- dense/ˈdɛns/adjective · C1Packed tightly together — forests, fog, or textbook pages.
- dent/dɛnt/noun · B2A hollow left in a hard surface where something struck it.
- depend/dɪˈpɛnd/verb · A2+To need someone or something in order to manage.
- depose/dɪˈpəʊz/verb · C1To remove a ruler from power.
- depot/ˈdɛpəʊ/noun · B2The yard where vehicles are kept and serviced.
- describe/dɪˈskɹaɪb/verb · A2+To paint a picture of something using only words.
- desk/dɛsk/noun · A1The table where you write, study, and keep your computer.
- desolate/ˈdɛs.ə.lət/adjective · C1Empty, abandoned, and bleak.
- despairing/dɪˈspɛə.ɹɪŋ/adjective · C1Showing that you have given up all hope.
- desperation/ˌdɛspəˈɹeɪʃən/noun · B2A reckless state brought on by having no hope left.
- despondent/dɪˈspɒndənt/adjective · C1Having lost all hope of things improving.
- destined/ˈdɛstɪnd/adjective · C1Certain to end up a particular way, as though it had already been decided.
- destiny/ˈdɛs.tɪ.ni/noun · B2The future believed to be already written for you.
- detail/ˈdiː.teɪl/noun · B1One small piece of the whole picture.
- detain/dɪˈteɪn/verb · C1To hold somebody back, or to keep them in custody.
- determine/dɪˈtɜː(ɹ).mɪn/verb · B1To work out or decide something for certain.
- detour/ˈdiː.tɔː(ɹ)/noun · B1+The longer way around you must take when the direct road is closed.
- deuce/djuːs/noun · C1A playing card or a die showing two.
- develop/dɪˈvɛl.əp/verb · A2+To grow step by step into something bigger or better.
- development/dɪˈvɛl.əp.mənt/noun · B1Growth and change toward a fuller form.
- devilish/ˈdɛvəlɪʃ/adjective · C1Mischievously wicked in a sly, teasing way, as of a grin or a trick that is plainly up to no good.
- devoid/dɪˈvɔɪd/adjective · C1Entirely without a particular quality.
- devote/dɪˈvəʊt/verb · B2To give all your time and energy to one thing.
- diagnosis/daɪəɡˈnəʊsɪs/noun · C1The doctor's answer to the question of what illness you have.
- diagram/ˈdaɪ.ə.ɡɹæm/noun · B1+A simple drawing that explains how something works.
- diametrically/ˌdaɪ.əˈmɛt.ɹɪk.li/adverb · C1Completely and exactly opposite.
- diesel/ˈdiːzəl/noun · B1+A heavy fuel that burns under pressure, without a spark.
- differentiate/dɪf.əˈɹɛn.ʃi.eɪt/verb · C1To see or show the difference between things.
- difficulty/ˈdɪfɪkəlti/noun · B1Something hard, or the quality of being hard.
- dig upphrase · B1To bring to the surface, or to uncover an old secret.
- dignified/ˈdɪɡnɪfaɪd/adjective · B2Calm and serious in a way that earns respect.
- dignity/ˈdɪɡnɪti/noun · B2The quiet inner worth every person carries and deserves to keep.
- diploma/dɪˈpləʊmə/noun · B2The official paper that proves you finished a course.
- direct/daɪˈɹɛkt/adjective · A2+Going straight there, with nothing in between.
- direction/dɪˈɹɛk.ʃən/noun · A2The way you are going — left, right, or straight ahead.
- directly/dɪˈɹɛk(t).li/adverb · B1In a straight line, or with nothing coming between.
- disabled[dɪsˈɛɪ̯bəɫd]adjective · B2Having a condition that limits movement or the senses.
- disagree/dɪsəˈɡɹiː/verb · A2+To have a different opinion from someone.
- disagreement/dɪsəˈɡɹiːmənt/noun · B2A failure to share the same view.
- disappear/dɪsəˈpɪə/verb · A2To go out of view completely, like magic.
- disappoint/dɪsəˈpɔɪnt/verb · B2To let somebody down by not being what they hoped for.
- disappointed/ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪd/adjective · B1Sad because something you hoped for did not happen.
- disappointment/ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt/noun · B2The feeling when something is worse than hoped.
- disarmingadjective · C1So charming that it takes away any wish to be hostile.
- disbelief/dɪsbɪˈliːf/noun · B2+The refusal or inability to believe.
- discard/dɪsˈkɑːd/verb · C1To throw away what you no longer want.
- disconsolate/dɪsˈkɒnsəlɪt/adjective · C1Too unhappy to be comforted.
- discordant/dɪsˈkɔːdn̩t/adjective · C1Clashing, and not in harmony.
- discover/dɪˈskʌvə/verb · A2+To find something important that nobody knew about before.
- discreet/dɪˈskɹiːt/adjective · B2Careful not to attract attention or spill secrets.
- discussion/dɪˈskʌʃ.ən/noun · A2+A serious conversation weighing different views.
- disdain/dɪsˈdeɪn/noun · C1Cool, superior dislike.
- disdainful/dɪsˈdeɪn.fəl/adjective · C2Showing that you consider something beneath you.
- disgruntled/dɪsˈɡɹʌntl̩d/adjective · C1Annoyed and dissatisfied, usually because you feel you have been treated unfairly.
- disgust/dɪsˈɡʌst/noun · B2The strong sick feeling at something revolting.
- dishevelled/dɪˈʃɛvəld/adjective · C1Untidy in hair and clothes, as if blown about.
- dishonest/dɪˈsɒnɪst/adjective · B2Willing to lie or cheat.
- disinfectant/dɪs.ɪnˈfɛktənt/noun · C1A cleaning liquid that kills germs.
- disinterested/(ˌ)dɪsˈɪntɹɪstɪd/adjective · C1Having nothing to gain, and so able to judge fairly.
- dislike/dɪsˈlaɪk/verb · B1To not enjoy somebody or something at all.
- dislodge/dɪsˈlɒdʒ/verb · C1To force something out of its fixed place.
- dismal/ˈdɪzməl/adjective · C1Gloomy and depressingly bad.
- dismay/dɪsˈmeɪ/noun · C1Sudden loss of heart at bad news.
- dismiss/dɪsˈmɪs/verb · B2To wave an idea away without considering it.
- dismissive/dɪsˈmɪsɪv/adjective · B2+Treating something as not worth considering.
- disorientedadjective · B2Having lost your bearings or your sense of things.
- display/dɪsˈpleɪ/noun · B2An arrangement of goods meant to catch the eye.
- displease/dɪsˈpliːz/verb · B2To annoy someone by not being what they wanted.
- displeasure/dɪsˈplɛʒə/noun · B2A feeling of annoyance or disapproval.
- dispute/dɪˈspjuːt/verb · B2To say that something said is not true.
- disreputable/dɪsˈɹɛpjʊtəbəl/adjective · C1Not respectable in character, behaviour or appearance.
- disruption/dɪsˈɹʌpʃən/noun · C1A serious break in the normal course of things.
- dissatisfaction/dɪsˌsætɪsˈfækʃən/noun · B2+A feeling that something is not good enough.
- dissatisfied/dɪsˈsætɪsˌfaɪd/adjective · B2+Not content with what you have been given.
- dissuade/dɪˈsweɪd/verb · C1To talk somebody out of doing something.
- distance/ˈdɪst(ə)n(t)s/noun · A2How far apart two places are.
- distinct/dɪˈstɪŋkt/adjective · B2Clearly separate and different from the others.
- distract/dɪˈstɹækt/verb · B2To pull someone's attention away from what they were doing.
- distracted/dɪˈstɹæk.tɪd/adjective · B1Pulled away from what you meant to attend to.
- disturb/dɪˈstɜːb/verb · B2To interrupt someone's peace, sleep, or concentration.
- dive inphrase · B2To begin something at once without hesitating.
- divert/daɪˈvɜːt/verb · C1To turn something from its course — traffic, money, or attention.
- do away withphrase · C1To get rid of something completely.
- do inphrase · C1To kill somebody, or to wear them out completely.
- do upphrase · B2To fasten, or to repair and redecorate.
- document/ˈdɒkjʊmənt/noun · B1+A paper or file that records information officially.
- dogged/dɒɡd/adjective · B2Refusing to give up, however hard it gets.
- doodle/ˈduːdl̩/noun · B2An aimless drawing made while thinking of something else.
- doorbell/ˈdɔː.bɛl/noun · A2+Visitors press this button, and you hear ding-dong.
- doorframe/ˈdɔːˌfɹeɪm/noun · B1The wooden or metal border fixed around a doorway, which the door itself hangs on.
- doormat/ˈdɔːˌmæt/noun · B1+The rough mat at the entrance where you wipe your shoes.
- doorstep/ˈdɔː(ɹ)stɛp/noun · B1The step right outside your front door.
- doorway/ˈdɔɹweɪ/noun · B2The open space you walk through when you enter a room.
- double-crossverb · B2To betray the very person you were plotting with.
- dour/ˈdʊə/adjective · C1Stern, gloomy and unsmiling.
- dovetail/ˈdʌvteɪl/verb · C1To fit together neatly, as if made for each other.
- downpour/ˈdaʊn.pɔː(ɹ)/noun · B1+A sudden heavy fall of rain.
- dozen/ˈdʌzən/noun · A2A group of exactly twelve.
- dozyadjective · B2Sleepy and slow to react.
- drain/dɹeɪn/verb · A2To pour away the water and keep the pasta.
- drainpipe/ˈdɹeɪnˌpaɪp/noun · B1The tube carrying rainwater down from the roof.
- draw upphrase · C1To prepare a document carefully.
- drawer/dɹɔː(ɹ)/noun · A2+The box in a desk or chest that slides out toward you.
- drawing/ˈdɹɔː.ɪŋ/noun · A2A picture made with lines from a pen or a graphite stick.
- drawl/dɹɔːl/verb · C1To speak slowly, drawing the vowels out.
- dress upphrase · B1To put on your finest clothes — or a costume.
- dressing-downnoun · C1A severe telling-off from someone in charge.
- dribble/ˈdɹɪ.bəl/verb · B2To run with the ball, tapping it along with feet or bounces.
- drill/dɹɪl/noun · A2+The loud electric tool that makes holes in walls.
- drill bitnoun · B2The spiral cutter that makes the hole.
- drilling/ˈdɹɪlɪŋ/noun · B2Repeated practice of a movement until it is automatic.
- drip/ˈdɹɪp/verb · B1To fall in single small drops, as a leaky tap does.
- driver/ˈdɹaɪ.və/noun · A1The person behind the wheel of a car, bus, or taxi.
- drop offphrase · B1To deliver someone or something on your way; also, to fall asleep.
- drop outphrase · B2To leave a course or a race before finishing.
- drum/ˈdɹʌm/noun · B1The round instrument you hit with sticks to keep the beat.
- drum upphrase · C1To work hard at gathering support or custom.
- drumrollnoun · B2+A rapid rumble of drums before a big moment.
- dub/dʌb/verb · C1To replace the original speech with another language.
- dubious/ˈd͡ʒuː.bi.əs/adjective · C1Looking untrustworthy; deserving doubt.
- dull/dʌl/adjective · B2Lacking brightness or interest.
- dunce/dʌns/noun · C2A hopelessly slow learner — once made to wear a cone hat.
- dusk/dʌsk/noun · B1+The dim time just after the sun goes down.
- dust/dʌst/noun · B1The fine grey powder that slowly covers furniture.
- dusty/ˈdʌsti/adjective · B1Covered in the fine grey powder of neglect.
- dutifuladjective · C1Carefully doing what is expected of you.
- dwell onphrase · B2To keep thinking about something long past useful.
- dyed/daɪd/adjective · B1+Coloured by soaking in a liquid.
- dysfunction/dɪsˈfʌŋk.ʃən/noun · C2The state of not working as it should — an organ, a family, a system.
- eager/ˈiɡɚ/adjective · B2Full of impatient excitement to start doing something.
- eagerly/ˈiɡɚli/adverb · B2+With excited, impatient enthusiasm.
- eagerness/ˈiɡɚnəs/noun · C1Keen and impatient willingness.
- ear/ˈɪə̯/noun · A1You hear music and voices with this part of your body.
- earpiece/ˈɪəpiːs/noun · C1The small speaker worn in one ear.
- earsplittingadjective · B2So loud it hurts to listen.
- echo/ˈɛk.əʊ/noun · B2Your own shout coming back to you from a wall or a mountain.
- edge/ɛd͡ʒ/noun · B1The line where something stops and the drop or the outside begins.
- edible/ˈɛdɪbəl/adjective · B1+Safe to eat.
- educate/ˈɛd͡ʒ.ʊˌkeɪt/verb · B1+To teach somebody over a long period.
- education/ˌɛd͡ʒ.ʊˈkeɪ.ʃən/noun · A2+The whole process of teaching and learning through life.
- eerie/ˈɪəɹi/adjective · B2Strange in a quietly frightening, ghostly way.
- effective/ɪˈfɛktɪv/adjective · B1+Actually producing the result it was meant to produce.
- effervescent/ˌɛfəˈvɛsənt/adjective · C1Giving off bubbles, or bubbling over with high spirits.
- efficiency/ɪˈfɪʃ.ən.si/noun · B2Getting the most done with the least waste.
- effort/ˈɛf.ət/noun · B1The energy and hard try you put into something.
- effusive/ɪˈfjuːsɪv/adjective · C2Showing feeling far more freely than is usual.
- egotistical/ˌi.ɡoʊˈtɪs.tɪk.(ə)l/adjective · C1Talking and thinking about yourself far too much.
- eighteen/ˈeɪ(t).tin/noun · A1The number that comes after seventeen.
- eject/ɪˈd͡ʒɛkt/verb · B2To throw something out with force.
- elaborate/ɪˈlæb.(ə.)ɹət/verb · B2To give more detail about what you have said.
- elbow/ˈɛlbəʊ̯/noun · A2The joint in the middle of your arm that lets it bend.
- elderly/ˈɛldɚli/adjective · B2A polite word for people who are quite old.
- electric/ɪˈlɛktɹɪk/adjective · A2Working on the power that flows through wires.
- electricity/ˌiːlɛkˈtɹɪsɪti/noun · A2+The invisible force in wires that lights lamps and runs machines.
- electrify/ɪˈlɛktɹɪfaɪ/verb · B2To thrill a crowd, or to run current through something.
- elementary/ˌɛlɪˈmɛntəɹi/adjective · B2Of the simplest and most basic kind.
- elk/ɛlk/noun · B1+A very large deer of northern forests.
- elongate/ɪˈlɒŋ.ɡeɪt/verb · C1To make something longer.
- emaciated/əˈmeɪ.ʃi.eɪ.tɪd/adjective · C1Painfully thin from hunger or illness.
- embarrassed/ɪmˈbæɹ.əst/adjective · B1Red-faced because something awkward happened to you in front of people.
- embersnoun · B2+The glowing pieces left when flames die down.
- emerge/ɪˈmɜːd͡ʒ/verb · B2To come out into view from somewhere hidden.
- emit/iˈmɪt/verb · B2+To send out light, sound, heat, or gas.
- emotion/ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/noun · B1A strong feeling such as love, fear, or anger.
- empathiseverb · B2+To feel what somebody else is feeling.
- empathy/ˈɛmpəθi/noun · B2+Truly feeling what another person feels, as if from inside them.
- emphasis/ˈɛmfəsɪs/noun · B2+Extra weight or attention given to one thing over others.
- emphasize/ˈɛm.fə.saɪz/verb · B2+To press hard on a point so nobody misses it.
- emphatically/ɪmˈfætɪkli/adverb · B2+In a way that leaves no doubt of your feeling.
- emphysema/ˌɛmfɪˈsiːmə/noun · C1A lung condition that leaves somebody permanently short of breath.
- employment/ɪmˈplɔɪmənt/noun · B1+Having paid work, or the giving of it.
- enclose/ənˈkloʊz/verb · B2+To shut something in on all sides, or to put it in with a letter.
- encourage/ɪnˈkʌɹ.ɪd͡ʒ/verb · B1To give someone the confidence to try.
- encouraging/ɪnˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒɪŋ/adjective · B2Giving hope that things will go well.
- end upphrase · B1To finally arrive in a situation you never planned.
- enervate/ˌɛn.ə(ɹ)ˈveɪt/verb · C2To drain somebody of energy.
- enfoldverb · C1To wrap something round and hold it close.
- engage/ɪnˈɡeɪd͡ʒ/verb · B2To capture attention and involvement; also, to hire.
- engulf/ɪŋˈɡʌlf/verb · B2+To swallow something up completely.
- enjoyable/ɛnˈd͡ʒɔɪ.ə.bl̩/adjective · B2Giving pleasure.
- enlist/ɛnˈlɪst/verb · B2+To join the armed forces voluntarily.
- enmesh/ɛnˈmɛʃ/verb · C2To tangle somebody up in something they cannot get free of.
- enormity/ɪˈnɔːmɪti/noun · C1The shocking scale of something very wrong.
- enormous/ɪˈnɔː.məs/adjective · A2+Far larger than usual.
- ensure/ɪnˈʃɔː(ɹ)/verb · B2To make certain it happens, leaving nothing to chance.
- entail/ɛnˈteɪl/verb · C1To have as a necessary part or consequence.
- entangle/ɪnˈtaŋ.ɡəl/verb · C2To catch something up in knots it cannot escape.
- enthusiasm/ɪnˈθuziæzəm/noun · B2Keen and lively interest in something.
- enthusiasticallyadverb · B2+With keen and eager interest.
- entreat/ɪnˈtɹiːt/verb · C2To beg somebody earnestly.
- enunciate/ɪˈnʌnsiˌeɪt/verb · C1To pronounce each word slowly and very clearly.
- envelop/ɛnˈvɛləp/verb · C2To wrap something up completely, as fog does a town.
- envelope/ˈɛnvə(ˌ)ləʊp/noun · A2The paper pocket a letter travels in.
- environmental/ɪnˌvaɪ.ɹə(n)ˈmɛn.təl/adjective · B1+To do with the natural world and its protection.
- equal/ˈiːkwəl/adjective · B1The same in size, number, or value.
- erect/ɪˈɹɛkt/verb · C1To build something upright, or to set it up.
- escalate/ˈɛs.kə.leɪt/verb · C1To pass a problem up to someone more senior.
- espresso/ɛˈspɹɛsəʊ/noun · B1+A tiny cup of very strong black coffee.
- establish/ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ/verb · B2To found something meant to last; also, to prove a fact firmly.
- estate/ɪˈsteɪt/noun · B2A large piece of land with houses on it, owned as one thing.
- estate agentnoun · B2A person who sells and rents property for others.
- estimate/ˈɛs.tɪ.mət/verb · B2To judge a number roughly without measuring exactly.
- etch/ɛt͡ʃ/verb · C1To cut a design into a surface using acid.
- evaluate/ɪˈvaljʊeɪt/verb · B2To judge carefully how good or valuable something is.
- evasive/ɪˈveɪsɪv/adjective · B2+Dodging questions instead of answering them.
- eventually/ɪˈvɛn.t͡ʃuː.ə.li/adverb · B1In the end, after a long time or many delays.
- evolutionary/ˌiː.vəˈl(j)uː.ʃən.ɹi/adjective · C1Happening by slow development over generations.
- exact/ɪɡˈzækt/adjective · A2+Completely correct down to the smallest detail.
- exasperationnoun · C2The worn-out irritation of dealing with something impossible.
- excel/ɪkˈsɛl/verb · B2+To be outstandingly good at something.
- exception/əkˈsɛpʃən/noun · B2An error a program raises so something else can handle it.
- excess/ˈɛksɛs/noun · B2An amount beyond what is proper or needed.
- excessive/ɪkˈsɛsɪv/adjective · B2Far more than is reasonable.
- excitable/ɪkˈsaɪtəbəl/adjective · B2+Easily roused into strong feeling.
- exclaim/ɛkˈskleɪm/verb · B2+To say something loudly and suddenly out of strong feeling.
- exclamation/ˌɛkskləˈmeɪʃn̩/noun · C1A sudden cry of surprise, anger, or delight — with its own mark.
- excuse me/ɛksˈkjuːz mi/phrase · A1The polite phrase for getting attention or passing through a crowd.
- exempt/ɪɡˈzɛmpt/adjective · B2+Freed from a duty that others must meet.
- exert/ɪɡˈzɝt/verb · C1To apply force, effort, or influence.
- exertion/ɪɡˈzɝʃən/noun · B2+Great physical or mental effort.
- exhalation/ˌɛkshəˈleɪ̯ʃən/noun · C1A long breath let out of the lungs.
- exhaust/ɪɡˈzɔːst/noun · B2The pipe that carries burnt gases away.
- exhort/ɛɡˈzɔːt/verb · C1To urge somebody strongly to act.
- expanse/ɪkˈspæns/noun · B2+A wide continuous stretch of something.
- expectation/ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/noun · B2+What you believe is going to happen or be delivered.
- expense/ɪkˈspɛns/noun · B2One of the things your money regularly goes out on.
- expensive/ɪkˈspɛn.sɪv/adjective · A1Costing a lot of money.
- expertise/ˌɛkspɜːˈtiːz/noun · B2Deep skill and knowledge in one field.
- explanation/ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/noun · A2+Words that make a confusing thing clear.
- expletive/ɪkˈspliːtɪv/noun · C2A rude word blurted out in anger or pain.
- explode/ɪkˈspləʊd/verb · B1To burst apart with great force.
- explosion/ɪkˈspləʊ.ʒən/noun · B1A violent bursting that sends everything outward.
- express/ɪkˈspɹɛs/verb · A2+To put your thoughts or feelings into words or art.
- expression/əkˈspɹɛʃ.n̩/noun · A2+The look on a face that shows what a person feels.
- expressive/ɪkˈspɹɛsɪv/adjective · B2Showing feeling clearly.
- exterior/ɪkˈstɪəɹɪə/noun · B2The outside surface of something.
- extinguish/ɪkˈstɪŋ.ɡwɪʃ/verb · B2To put out a fire or a light.
- extremely/ɪksˈtɹimli/adverb · A2To a very great degree.
- extricate/ˈɛk.stɹɪ.keɪt/verb · C1To free somebody from a tangle or a difficulty.
- eye contactnoun · B2Looking straight into someone's eyes while you talk.
- eyebrow/ˈaɪˌbɹaʊ/noun · B2The line of hair above each eye; you raise them when surprised.
- eyesight/ˈaɪˌsaɪt/noun · B1+How well a person can see.
- facial/ˈfeɪ.ʃəl/noun · B2A professional treatment for the face.
- faculty/ˈfæk.əl.ti/noun · C1The teaching staff of a university, or one of its departments.
- fail/feɪl/verb · A2To try something and not succeed.
- faint/feɪnt/verb · B1To lose consciousness for a short time.
- fair enough/fɛəɹ‿ɪˈnʌf/phrase · B2I accept your point, even if I would not have made it.
- fair playnoun · B2Following both the rules and their spirit.
- falsetto/fɔːlˈsɛt.əʊ/noun · C1A man's voice singing far above its natural range.
- falter/ˈfɒltə/verb · C1To lose strength or confidence and begin to stumble.
- farcical/ˈfɑː(ɹ)sɪkəl/adjective · C2So ridiculous that it cannot be taken seriously.
- fascinated/ˈfæsɪneɪtɪd/adjective · B2Held completely by interest in something.
- fatherhood/ˈfɑːðəːˌhʊd/noun · B2The state of being a father.
- fathom/ˈfað(ə)m/verb · C1To understand something deep and puzzling.
- favourable/ˈfeɪv(ə)ɹəbəl/adjective · C1Giving approval, or working in your favour.
- feeble/ˈfiːbəl/adjective · B2Pitifully weak.
- feline/ˈfiːlaɪn/adjective · C2Of cats, or moving with their sleek grace.
- feminine/ˈfɛmɪnɪn/adjective · B2Having the qualities people traditionally link with women.
- fence/fɛns/noun · B1The wooden wall around a garden.
- fetal/ˈfitl̩/adjective · C1Curled up tight like a baby before birth.
- fetch/fɛt͡ʃ/verb · B1To go after something thrown and bring it back.
- feud/fjuːd/noun · B2+A long bitter quarrel between families or groups.
- fewer/ˈfjuː.ɚ/adjective · A2+A smaller number of things.
- fiddle/ˈfɪd(ə)l/verb · B2To fuss with something small using your fingers, often pointlessly.
- fidget/ˈfɪd͡ʒ.ɪt/verb · B2+To move restlessly because you cannot settle.
- fierce/fɪəs/adjective · B2Wild, angry, and frightening, like a tiger defending its young.
- fifteen/ˈfɪf.tiːn/noun · A1The number that comes after fourteen.
- figure outphrase · B1To finally understand or solve something after thinking.
- fill inphrase · B1To write your answers into the empty spaces of a form.
- filling/ˈfɪlɪŋ/adjective · B1Making you feel full quickly.
- filter/ˈfɪltə/noun · C1A piece of glass over the lens that changes the light.
- fin/fɪn/noun · B1+The thin flap a fish steers and pushes with.
- find outphrase · A2To get the information you did not have before.
- finder/ˈfaɪndə/noun · B2Somebody or something that locates what was lost.
- fine-tuneverb · B2To make tiny adjustments until it works perfectly.
- fingerprint/ˈfɪŋɡɚˌpɹɪnt/noun · B1+The unique pattern of ridges left by a fingertip.
- fingertip/ˈfɪŋɡɚˌtɪp/noun · B2The very end of a finger, where the print is.
- fire brigade/ˈfaɪə(ɹ)bɹɪˌɡeɪd/noun · B2The service that puts out fires.
- firearm/ˈfaɪəɹˌɑː(ɹ)m/noun · B2A weapon that shoots bullets.
- fireman/ˈfaɪɹmən/noun · B2The one who shovelled coal on a steam engine.
- fireplace/ˈfaɪəpleɪs/noun · B2The open place in a wall where a warm fire burns in winter.
- firm/fɜːm/adjective · B1Solid to press, but not hard.
- firmly/ˈfɝmli/adverb · B2In a way that will not be shifted.
- fist/fɪst/noun · B1Your hand closed tight into a ball.
- fisticuffs/ˈfɪs.tɪ.kʌfs/noun · C2Old-fashioned fighting with the bare hands.
- fitness/ˈfɪt.nəs/noun · B1+The condition of being strong and healthy from regular movement.
- fitting/ˈfɪtɪŋ/noun · B2A small part that joins or attaches something.
- fixture/ˈfɪks.t͡ʃə/noun · C1Something fixed in place as part of a building.
- flank/flænk/noun · B2+The side of a formation, and its weak point.
- flap/flæp/verb · B2To beat the wings up and down.
- flash/flæʃ/noun · A2A burst of light that comes and goes in an instant.
- flashlight/ˈflæʃˌlaɪt/noun · A2+The small electric light you hold in your hand in the dark.
- flatten/ˈflæ.tən/verb · B1+To make something level or squash it down.
- fleck/flɛk/noun · C1A very small patch of colour.
- flex/flɛks/verb · B2To bend and tighten a joint or muscle, testing that it still moves.
- flick/flɪk/verb · B2To move something with a quick light stroke.
- flicker/ˈflɪkə/verb · C1To burn or shine unsteadily.
- flinch/ˈflɪnt͡ʃ/verb · B2To make a quick small movement away from something.
- fling/ˈflɪŋ/verb · B2To throw something carelessly and hard.
- floorboardnoun · B2+One of the long planks that make up a wooden floor.
- flop/flɒp/noun · B2A film that fails badly with the public.
- floral/ˈfloɹəl/adjective · B1+Patterned with flowers.
- florist/ˈflɒɹɪst/noun · B1+The shopkeeper who sells and arranges flowers.
- flour/ˈflaʊ.ə/noun · B1The fine white powder from grain that bread and cakes start as.
- flow/ˈfləʊ̯/noun · B1A steady movement of liquid or of anything in one direction.
- flower/ˈflaʊ̯.ə/noun · A1The colorful part of a plant that smells sweet and attracts bees.
- flowerbednoun · B1+A patch of soil planted with flowers.
- fluff/flʌf/verb · B2To shake something soft so it fills out again.
- fluffy/ˈflʌfi/adjective · B1Light and full of air.
- fluorescent/ˌflʊəˈɹɛsənt/adjective · B2+Glowing brightly under certain light.
- flutter/ˈflʌtə/verb · B2To move the wings in quick light beats.
- fob/fɒb/noun · B2The small plastic tag you press to unlock a car.
- foghornnoun · B2+The deep horn sounded when visibility is bad.
- fold/ˈfəʊld/verb · A2To bend paper or cloth so one part lies on the other.
- folk/fəʊk/noun · B1Ordinary people, said warmly and plainly.
- footpath/ˈfʊtˌpɑːθ/noun · A2+A narrow way kept open for walkers.
- fop/fɒp/noun · C2A man far too devoted to his clothes and his mirror.
- for good/fə ˈɡʊd/phrase · B1Permanently, and with no going back.
- forbearance/fəˈbɛːɹ(ə)n(t)s/noun · C2Patient self-control when you could hit back.
- forceful/ˈfɔːsfəl/adjective · B2Strong and confident in manner.
- forearm/ˈfɔːˌɹɑːm/noun · B1+The part of the arm between the elbow and the wrist.
- forefinger/ˈfɔːˌfɪŋ.ɡə/noun · C1The pointing digit next to the thumb.
- forehead/ˈfɔːhɛd/noun · B1The part of your face above your eyebrows.
- foreigner/ˈfɒɹ.ɪ.nə(ɹ)/noun · B2Somebody from another country.
- foreman/ˈfɔː(ɹ).mən/noun · B2The worker in charge of the others on a building site.
- foreseeable/fɔɹˈsi.ə.bəl/adjective · B2+Able to be expected within the near future.
- forest/ˈfɒɹɪst/noun · A2A large area covered with trees growing close together.
- formality/fɔːrˈmælɪti/noun · C1Strict attention to correct form and manners.
- formulate/ˈfɔː(ɹ)mjʊleɪt/verb · C1To work an idea out into a precise, careful form.
- forth/fɔːθ/adverb · B2Onward and out, in older or formal use.
- forthright/ˈfɔːθˌɹaɪt/adjective · C1Direct and outspoken.
- fortnight/ˈfɔːt.naɪt/noun · B2+A period of two weeks, in British English.
- forty/ˈfɔːti/noun · A1Four times ten.
- fourteen/ˈfɔː.tiːn/noun · A1The number that comes after thirteen.
- fraction/ˈfɹæk.ʃən/noun · B2A number written as one value over another, like one half.
- fragment/ˈfɹæɡmənt/<q:noun>noun · B2+A small piece broken off a whole.
- frail/fɹeɪl/adjective · B2Weak and easily hurt, often through age.
- framework/ˈfɹeɪm.wɜːk/noun · B2The supporting structure of ideas a piece of work is built inside.
- fraudster/ˈfɹɔdstɚ/noun · B2Someone who cheats people out of money by lying.
- frenetic/fɹəˈnɛt.ɪk/adjective · C1Wildly fast and disordered.
- frequent/ˈfɹiː.kwənt/adjective · B2Happening many times, again and again.
- fridge/fɹɪd͡ʒ/noun · A2A large cold cupboard that keeps your food and drinks fresh.
- friendly/ˈfɹɛnd.li/adjective · A1Warm and open toward people; easy to talk to.
- fries/fɹaɪz/noun · A2+Thin golden potato sticks, salty and hot.
- fright/fɹaɪt/noun · B1A sudden feeling of fear.
- from time to timephrase · B1Occasionally, without any pattern.
- front pagenoun · B1The first page of a newspaper, where the biggest story lives.
- frontal/ˈfɹʌn.təl/adjective · B2+At or towards the front.
- frostbitenoun · B2Damage to skin and flesh from extreme cold.
- frustration/fɹʌsˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/noun · B2The boiling feeling when nothing works no matter how you try.
- fuel gaugenoun · B2The dial showing how much is left in the tank.
- full stop/ˌfʊl ˈstɒp/noun · B1The dot that ends a sentence.
- full-grown/ˈfʊlˌɡɹoʊn/adjective · B2Completely adult; done growing.
- fumble/ˈfʌmbəl/verb · B2To handle something clumsily and nearly drop it.
- fume/fjuːm/verb · B2+To give off smoke, or to seethe with anger.
- fumes/fjuːmz/noun · B2Smoke or gas with a strong smell, usually unpleasant.
- function/ˈfʌŋ(k)ʃən/noun · B1A named piece of code that does one job.
- functional/ˈfʌŋkt͡ʃənəl/adjective · B2Working as it should, or made for use not show.
- functionalitynoun · B2The range of things a machine or program can actually do.
- funeral/ˈfjuː.nə.ɹəl/noun · B1The sad ceremony after a person dies.
- funnel/ˈfʌnəl/noun · B1+The cone-shaped tool for pouring liquid into a narrow neck.
- fur/fɜː/noun · B1The thick soft hair covering most animals.
- furious/ˈfjʊəɹi.əs/adjective · B2So extremely angry you can barely speak.
- furniture/ˈfɜː.nɪ.t͡ʃə/noun · A2Tables, beds, and seats — all the big movable things in rooms.
- furrow/ˈfʌɹoʊ/noun · B2+The long groove a plough cuts in a field.
- furthermore/ˈfɜː(ɹ).ðə(ɹ)ˌmɔː(ɹ)/adverb · B2In addition to what has already been said.
- furtive/ˈfɜːtɪv/adjective · C1Done quietly and secretly, as if guilty.
- fury/ˈfjʊə.ɹi/noun · B2Wild, violent anger.
- fuss/fʌs/noun · B1A lot of noise and worry about something small.
- futile/ˈfjuː.taɪl/adjective · C1Certain to fail no matter how hard you try.
- gaily/ˈɡeɪli/adverb · C1Cheerfully and brightly.
- gap/ɡæp/noun · B1An empty space between two things.
- garage/ˈɡæ.ɹɪdʒ/noun · B1The room next to a house where the car sleeps.
- garbledadjective · C1So confused in transmission that the sense is lost.
- garment/ˈɡɑːmənt/noun · B1+The formal word for a single piece of clothing.
- gas station/ˈɡæs stɛɪːʃən/noun · A2The roadside stop where drivers fill their tanks.
- gathering/ˈɡæð.ə.ɹɪŋ/noun · B1A meeting of people in one place.
- gauge/ˈɡeɪd͡ʒ/verb · B2+To estimate or measure a level — of fuel, feeling, or interest.
- gauze/ɡɔːz/noun · B2A thin transparent fabric used for dressings.
- gaze/ɡeɪz/verb · B2To look long and steadily, lost in what you see.
- gear/ɡɪə/noun · B1Equipment for a purpose, or a toothed wheel in a machine.
- gearbox/ˈɡɪəˌbɒks/noun · B1+The set of wheels that matches engine speed to road speed.
- generation/ˌd͡ʒɛnəˈɹeɪʃən/noun · B1All the people born around the same time — you, your parents, and your grandparents are three of them.
- generous/ˈd͡ʒɛn(ə)ɹəs/adjective · B1Happy to give your money, time, or help to others.
- gently/ˈd͡ʒɛntli/adverb · B2With soft, light care so nothing is hurt.
- genuine/ˈd͡ʒɛn.juː.ɪn/adjective · B2Truly what it claims to be; honestly meant.
- genuinely/ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/adverb · B2Truly and sincerely, not just for show.
- geographical/d͡ʒiəˈɡɹæfɪkl̩/adjective · B2+To do with the earth's features and places.
- geriatric/ˌdʒɛɹ.iˈæt.ɹɪk/adjective · C2Of very old people and their medical care.
- gesticulate/dʒɛsˈtɪkjʊleɪt/verb · C1To wave the hands about while talking.
- gesture/ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃə/noun · B2A movement of hands or head that carries meaning without words.
- get alongphrase · B1To have a friendly easy relationship with someone.
- get away withphrase · B2To do something wrong and never be punished for it.
- get offphrase · A2To leave a bus, train, or plane.
- get onphrase · B1To board a bus, train, or plane; also, to have a good relationship.
- get outphrase · A2To leave or escape from a place.
- get rid of/ɡɛt ɹɪd ʌv/phrase · B1To finally make an unwanted thing go away.
- get through/ɡɛt ˈθɹu/phrase · B2To survive a hard time; also, to reach someone by phone.
- get to the pointphrase · B1To say the important thing without delay.
- get togetherphrase · B1To meet up as a group socially.
- get upphrase · A1To leave your bed in the morning and stand.
- giant/ˈd͡ʒaɪ.ənt/adjective · B1Far bigger than the normal size.
- giddy/ˈɡɪd.i/adjective · C1Dizzy with spinning excitement.
- gigabyte/ˈɡɪɡəbaɪt/noun · B1+The unit of digital storage — about a thousand photos' worth.
- gigantic/d͡ʒaɪˈɡæntɪk/adjective · B1Of a truly giant size.
- giggle/ˈɡɪɡl̩/verb · B1To laugh in a light silly childish way.
- give backphrase · A2To return what you borrowed to its owner.
- give upphrase · B1To stop trying because it feels too hard.
- gladiator/ˈɡlædiˌeɪ̯tə/noun · C1A fighter who battled for a crowd's entertainment in ancient Rome.
- glance/ɡlɑːns/verb · B2To look at something for only a second.
- glancing/ˈɡlɑːn.sɪŋ/adjective · C1Striking at an angle rather than straight on.
- glare/ɡlɛɚ/verb · B2To stare at someone with open anger.
- glaring/ˈɡlɛəɹɪŋ/adjective · B2+Too bright, or too obvious to miss.
- glaze/ɡleɪz/verb · B2To brush a shiny sweet coating over food.
- gleam/ɡliːm/verb · B2+To shine softly and steadily.
- glee/ɡliː/noun · B2Great delight, often at somebody else's expense.
- glide/ˈɡlaɪd/verb · B1+To move smoothly through the air with wings held still.
- glitter/ˈɡlɪtə/verb · B2To shine with many small flashes.
- globular/ˈɡlɒbjʊlə/adjective · C1Shaped like a ball.
- gloom/ɡluːm/noun · B2Partial darkness that presses down on the spirits.
- gloomy/ˈɡluːmi/adjective · B2Dark and low in spirits, like a rainy Monday.
- glove/ɡlʌv/noun · B1You wear a pair of these on your hands in the cold; each finger has a home.
- glum/ɡlʌm/adjective · C1Quietly gloomy and downcast.
- gnash/ˈnæʃ/verb · C1To grind the teeth together in anger.
- go ahead/ˌɡəʊ əˈhɛd/phrase · B1To start or continue without waiting.
- go awayphrase · A2To leave — what you tell someone bothering you to do.
- go backphrase · A2To return to where you were before.
- go darkphrase · C1To stop all communication deliberately.
- go offphrase · B2To explode or sound, or for food to spoil.
- go on/ˈɡoʊˌɒn/phrase · B1To keep happening or keep doing; also, what is happening.
- go outphrase · A2To leave home for fun; also, what a fire or light does when it stops.
- go overphrase · B2To review something carefully, point by point.
- go pastphrase · A2To continue beyond something without stopping.
- go throughphrase · B2To live through something hard; also, to search item by item.
- good morning/ˌɡʊd ˈmɔːnɪŋ/phrase · A1The greeting for the early part of the day.
- grammar/ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/noun · A2+The rules for putting words together correctly in a language.
- gramophone[ˈɡɹæ.məˌfəʊn]noun · C2The old horn-shaped machine that played records before stereos.
- grandchild/ˈɡɹændˌtʃaɪld/noun · A2+The child of your own son or daughter.
- grass/ɡɹɑːs/noun · A2The soft green carpet of thin leaves that covers parks and lawns.
- grate/ˈɡɹeɪt/verb · B1+To rub cheese or carrot against a rough metal surface to make small shreds.
- grateful/ˈɡɹeɪtf(ʊ)l/adjective · B1Full of thanks for something kind that was done for you.
- gravel/ˈɡɹævəl/noun · B1+The loose small stones that crunch on garden paths.
- gravel pitnoun · B2Where small loose stones are dug out.
- gravestone/ˈɡɹeɪvstoʊn/noun · B2The marked stone that stands where somebody is buried.
- gravy/ˈɡɹeɪvi/noun · B1A brown sauce made from meat juices.
- gray/ɡɹeɪ/noun · A1The color between black and white, like rain clouds.
- graze/ɡɹeɪz/verb · B1+To eat growing grass slowly, as cattle do.
- greasy/ˈɡɹi.si/adjective · B2Covered in or full of oil and fat.
- grim/ɡɹɪm/adjective · B2Dark, serious, and without a smile.
- grimace/ˈɡɹɪm.əs/verb · B2+To twist the face in pain or dislike.
- grin/ɡɹɪn/verb · B2To give a big wide happy smile showing your teeth.
- grind/ˈɡɹaɪnd/noun · B2Dull hard work that never lets up.
- grip/ˈɡɹɪp/verb · B1To hold something tightly so it cannot slip.
- grit/ɡɹɪt/noun · B2Tiny hard particles, spread on ice or caught in your eye.
- groan/ˈɡɹəʊ̯n/verb · B2To make a long low sound of pain or complaint.
- grocery/ˈɡɹəʊ.s(ə.)ɹi/noun · B2A shop selling food and household goods.
- groin/ˈɡɹoɪ̯n/noun · B2The hollow where the legs meet the trunk.
- ground floornoun · B1The storey of a building level with the street.
- grow upphrase · A2To change slowly from a child into an adult.
- growl/ˈɡɹaʊ̯l/verb · B2To make the low warning rumble of an angry dog.
- gruff/ɡɹʌf/adjective · B2+Rough and abrupt in voice or manner.
- grumble/ˈɡɹʌmbl̩/verb · B2To complain in a low, continuous, unhappy voice.
- grumpy/ˈɡɹʌmpi/adjective · B1In a bad mood and complaining about everything.
- grunt/ɡɹʌnt/verb · B2To make a short low rough sound.
- guerrilla/ɡəˈɹɪlə/noun · C1A fighter in a small irregular band.
- gung-hoadjective · C1Wildly eager, charging in without caution.
- gunman/ˈɡʌnmən/noun · C1An armed man, usually a criminal one.
- gushing/ˈɡʌʃɪŋ/adjective · C1Bubbling over with breathless warmth and emotion in a way that strikes others as overdone.
- gymnast/ˈdʒɪm.næst/noun · B1+The athlete of flips, bars, and perfect landings.
- habitual/həˈbɪ.tʃʊ.əl/adjective · C2Done so regularly it has become second nature.
- half-nakedadjective · B2Wearing far too little clothing.
- halfheartedadjective · B2Done without real enthusiasm.
- halftimenoun · B1+The rest break in the middle of a match.
- halfway/ˌhæfˈweɪ/adverb · B1At the middle point between two places or times.
- halve/hɑːv/verb · B1+To cut something into two equal parts.
- hammer/ˈhæmə/noun · B1The heavy tool you hit nails with.
- hand inphrase · B1To give your finished work to the teacher or boss.
- hand outphrase · B1To give one to each person in the group.
- handbag/ˈhændˌbæɡ/noun · A2+The small bag many women carry with a wallet and phone inside.
- handshake/ˈhæn(d)ˌʃeɪk/noun · B1Gripping and shaking hands on meeting or agreeing.
- handsome/ˈhæn.səm/adjective · A1Good-looking — usually said about a man.
- handwrittenadjective · C1Put on paper with a pen, not a keyboard.
- hang upphrase · A2To end a phone call.
- haphazard/(ˌ)hæpˈhæz.əd/adjective · C1Done with no plan or order.
- harangue/həˈɹæŋ/noun · C2A long scolding speech.
- harass/həˈɹæs/verb · C1To keep troubling somebody with unwanted pressure.
- hard hatnoun · B1A rigid helmet worn where things might fall.
- hard-coreadjective · C1Completely committed, or extreme in kind.
- hard-workingadjective · B1Putting steady effort into everything you do.
- hardware/ˈhɑɹdˌwɛɹ/noun · B2The physical parts of a computer — the part you can touch.
- harmonious/hɑɹˈmoʊni.əs/adjective · B2+Fitting together pleasantly, in sound or in relations.
- hasten/ˈheɪ.sn̩/verb · C1To hurry, or to make something happen sooner.
- hatchback/ˈhæt͡ʃˌbæk/noun · B2+A car whose rear door lifts up with the window.
- hateful/ˈheɪtfəl/adjective · B2Filled with hate, or deserving it.
- haul/hɔːl/verb · B2To drag or pull something heavy with effort.
- have a gophrase · B2To make an attempt at something.
- hazy/ˈheɪzi/adjective · B2Misty, or unclear in the memory.
- head offphrase · B2To stop something before it can happen.
- headfirstadverb · C1Diving with the top of you leading the way — or rushing in blindly.
- hearse/hɜːs/noun · B2+The vehicle that carries a coffin to the funeral.
- heartbrokenadjective · B1+Crushed by grief or lost love.
- heartrendingadjective · B2So sad it hurts to watch.
- heater/ˈhitɚ/noun · B1The appliance that warms a cold room.
- heave/ˈhiːv/verb · B2To lift or throw something heavy with great effort.
- heavy-dutyadjective · C1Built strong enough for the hardest work.
- hedgehog/ˈhɛd͡ʒ.hɒɡ/noun · B2A small animal covered in sharp needles that rolls into a ball.
- heel/hiːl/noun · B2The round back part of your foot.
- hellish/ˈhɛlɪʃ/adjective · B2+Extremely unpleasant.
- helpful/ˈhɛlp.fl̩/adjective · A2Ready and useful in giving help.
- helpless/ˈhɛlplɪs/adjective · B1Unable to do anything to help yourself.
- hesitant/ˈhɛzɪtənt/adjective · B2+Pausing because you are unsure whether to act.
- hesitation/ˌhɛzɪˈteɪʃən/noun · B2A pause caused by doubt about what to do.
- heyday/ˈheɪdeɪ/noun · C1The period when somebody was at their best.
- high-pitched/ˌhaɪˈpɪt͡ʃt/adjective · B2Sounding thin and squeaky, near the top of the voice.
- hinge/ˈhɪnd͡ʒ/noun · B1+The small metal joint a door swings on.
- hip/hɪp/noun · B1One of the two wide bones below your waist that your legs hang from.
- hippie/ˈhɪpi/noun · B2A young person of the 1960s with long hair, flowers and peace slogans.
- hire/ˈhaɪ(.)ə/verb · A2To give someone a job at your company.
- hiss/hɪs/verb · B2To make the sharp s-sound of snakes and angry cats.
- hit-or-missadjective · B2Done without a plan, so it works only sometimes.
- hoarse/hɔːs/adjective · B2+Rough and harsh in voice from strain.
- hobble/ˈhɒbəl/verb · B2+To walk with difficulty and small painful steps.
- hoist/hɔɪst/verb · C1To haul something heavy upward with effort or ropes.
- hold backphrase · B2To keep something in rather than let it out.
- hold onphrase · B1To pause a moment; also, to grip tight.
- hold upphrase · B2To delay something; also, to rob at gunpoint.
- holler/ˈhɒlə/verb · B2To shout loudly to somebody far off.
- home-cookedadjective · B2Made in a family kitchen, not bought ready-made.
- homemade/ˌ(h)əʊmˈmeɪ̯d/adjective · B1Made at home rather than bought.
- honesty/ˈɒn.ɪ.sti/noun · B2The habit of always telling the truth.
- honk/hɒŋk/verb · B2To sound a vehicle's horn.
- hood/hʊd/noun · B1The part of a coat that pulls up over your head.
- hooligan/ˈhuː.lɪ.ɡən/noun · B2A young person who behaves noisily and violently in public.
- hop/hɒp/verb · B1To make small jumps, especially on one leg.
- hopeless/ˈhəʊplɪs/adjective · B1With no chance of success, or very bad at something.
- hormone/ˈhɔːməʊn/noun · B2+One of the chemical messengers traveling in your blood.
- horn/hɔːn/noun · B1What you press in a car to make the loud warning beep.
- hospitality/ˌhɒs.pɪˈtæl.ɪ.ti/noun · B2The warm welcome given to guests.
- howl/ˈhaʊ̯l/verb · B2To make a long mournful cry.
- huff/hʌf/noun · B2A fit of bad temper over a slight.
- hug/hʌɡ/verb · A2To put your arms around someone and hold them close.
- humiliation/hjuːˌmɪliˈeɪʃən/noun · B2Burning shame from being made to look small in front of others.
- hunchback/ˈhʌnt͡ʃbæk/noun · C2A person whose spine curves into a rounded bump.
- hurl/hɜːl/verb · B2To throw something with all your strength.
- hurtle/ˈhɜːtl̩/verb · C1To move very fast and out of control.
- hush/hʌʃ/noun · B1A sudden and complete quiet.
- hybrid/ˈhaɪ.bɹɪd/noun · B2+A vehicle that runs on both fuel and stored electricity.
- hyperactivitynoun · B2Being unable to sit still or stop moving.
- hyperventilateverb · C2To breathe too fast and shallow in panic.
- hypnotic/hɪpˈnɒ.tɪk/adjective · C1So rhythmic and absorbing it puts you in a trance.
- hysterical/hɪˈstɛɹɪkəl/adjective · B2Out of control with wild emotion — panic or unstoppable laughter.
- hystericsnoun · C2An uncontrollable fit of crying, laughing, or panic.
- ice cream/ˌaɪsˈkɹiːm/phrase · A1A cold sweet food you lick from a cone in summer.
- ice-cold/ˈaɪskəʊld/adjective · A2As cold as ice, whether a drink or a wind.
- identical/ɪˈdɛntɪkl̩/adjective · B2Exactly the same in every detail, like some twins.
- idiotic/ˌɪdiˈɑtɪk/adjective · C1Completely, maddeningly brainless.
- idle/ˈaɪd(ə)l/adjective · B2Doing nothing; machines standing unused, people avoiding work.
- ignition/ɪɡˈnɪʃən/noun · B1+The switch that starts the engine.
- ignore/ɪɡˈnɔː/verb · B1To act as if someone or something simply is not there.
- ilk/ɪlk/noun · C2People of that same stripe or breed.
- ill/ɪl/adjective · A2Not healthy; having a disease.
- ill-fittingadjective · B2The wrong size, hanging loose or pinching tight.
- ill-temperedadjective · B2Quick to get angry over nothing.
- illegible/ɪˈlɛd͡ʒəbəl/adjective · B2+Written so badly that it cannot be read.
- illiterate/ɪˈlɪtəɹət/adjective · B2+Unable to read or write.
- illness/ˈɪl.nəs/noun · A2+A period or kind of being unwell.
- imaginable/ɪˈmadʒɪnəbəl/adjective · B2+Able to be pictured in the mind.
- imbecile/ɪmbəˈsiːl/noun · C1A rude word for somebody behaving very stupidly.
- immeasurable/ɪˈmɛʒəɹəbəl/adjective · B2Too vast or too deep to put a number on.
- immeasurably/ɪˈmɛ.ʒə.ɹəb.li/adverb · C1To an extent too great to be measured.
- immediate/ɪˈmiː.dɪət/adjective · B1Happening right now, without any waiting.
- immerse/ɪˈmɜːs/verb · B2+To sink fully into water — or into a book or language.
- immoral/ɪˈmɒɹəl/adjective · B2Breaking accepted rules of right and wrong.
- immovable/ɪˈmuːvəb(ə)l/adjective · C2Impossible to shift — objects, or opinions.
- impair/ɪmˈpɛə/verb · C1To weaken or damage an ability, like sight or judgment.
- impatience/ɪmˈpeɪʃəns/noun · B2An unwillingness to wait for anything.
- impatient/ɪmˈpeɪʃənt/adjective · B2Unable to wait calmly; annoyed by every delay.
- impede/ɪmˈpiːd/verb · C1To slow something down by getting in its way.
- imperceptiblyadverb · C2So slightly that nobody notices.
- imperious/ɪmˈpɪə̯.ɹi.əs/adjective · C2Giving orders in an arrogant and domineering way.
- implication/ˌɪmplɪˈkeɪʃən/noun · B2+Something suggested but not stated by a fact.
- imply/ɪmˈplaɪ/verb · B2To suggest something without saying it straight out.
- impolitenessnoun · B2+A failure to observe common courtesy.
- impotence/ˈɪmpətəns/noun · C1Being powerless to act or to change anything.
- impractical/ɪmˈpɹæktɪkəl/adjective · B2+Not sensible or workable in real life.
- impress/ɪmˈpɹɛs/verb · B2To fill someone with admiration for you.
- improv/ˈɪmpɹɑv/noun · C1Performance invented on the spot without a script.
- impulsive/ɪmˈpʌlsɪv/adjective · B2Acting instantly on urges without stopping to think.
- in advancephrase · B1Before the time something happens.
- in front ofphrase · A1Facing the forward side of something.
- in the endphrase · B1After everything that happened, this was the result.
- in the meantimephrase · B2While waiting for something else to happen.
- inability/ˌɪnəˈbɪlɪti/noun · C1The lack of power or skill to do something.
- inane/ɪˈneɪn/adjective · C1Empty of sense or meaning.
- inarticulate/ɪn.ɑɹˈtɪk.jə.lət/adjective · C1Unable to get the words out clearly.
- inaudiblyadverb · C1Too quietly to be heard.
- incandescent/ˌɪn.kænˈdɛs.ənt/adjective · C1Glowing white-hot, or furious with rage.
- incapable/ɪnˈkeɪpəbl̩/adjective · B1+Not able to do something.
- inch/ɪnt͡ʃ/noun · B1A small unit of length, about the width of your thumb.
- incline/ɪnˈklaɪn/noun · B2+A slope, or a leaning towards something.
- include/ɪnˈkluːd/verb · B1To have something as one of the parts of a whole.
- inclusive/ɪnˈkluːsɪv/adjective · C1Taking everybody in, and leaving nobody out.
- incompetent/ɪnˈkɒmpətənt/adjective · B2Not good enough at the job to do it properly.
- inconsolableadjective · C2Too heartbroken for any comfort to reach.
- increase/ɪnˈkɹiːs/verb · A2+To become bigger in number or amount.
- increasinglyadverb · B2More and more as time goes on.
- incredibly/ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/adverb · B1To a degree hard to believe.
- incredulous/ɪnˈkɹɛdjʊləs/adjective · C1Unwilling or unable to believe something.
- indecency/ɪnˈdiːsənsi/noun · C1Behaviour that shocks people as rude or improper.
- indescribable/ɪndɪˈskɹaɪbəbl̩/adjective · B2+Too extreme to be put into words.
- index/ˈɪndɛks/noun · B2The list at the back of a book saying which page each topic is on.
- indifferent/ɪnˈdɪf.ɹənt/adjective · B2+Not caring one way or the other.
- indignant/ɪnˈdɪɡ.nənt/adjective · C1Angry at something you think unjust.
- indignation/ˌɪn.dɪɡˈneɪ.ʃən/noun · C1Anger at something felt to be unjust.
- indoor/ˈɪndɔː/adjective · B1Happening or used inside a building.
- indulge/ɪnˈdʌld͡ʒ/verb · C1To let yourself or somebody else have exactly what they want.
- indulgent/ɪnˈdʌld͡ʒənt/adjective · B2+Richly pleasurable, and probably bad for you.
- inebriated/ɪˈniː.bɹi.eɪ.tɪd/adjective · C1Drunk, and unsteady on the feet.
- ineffectual/ˌɪnɪˈfɛkt͡ʃuəl/adjective · C1Trying hard but achieving nothing at all.
- inevitably/ɪˈnɛvɪtəbli/adverb · B2+In a way no one can possibly prevent.
- inexplicable/ˌɪn.ɪkˈsplɪ.kə.bl̩/adjective · C1Impossible to account for.
- inexplicablyadverb · C1For reasons nobody can account for.
- inferno/ɪnˈfɝnoʊ/noun · B2+A raging blaze, or a place of torment.
- inform/ɪnˈfɔɹm/verb · B1To tell somebody a fact they did not know.
- ingratiate/ɪnˈɡɹeɪ.ʃi.eɪt/verb · C1To work your way into somebody's favour.
- inhalation/ˌɪnhəˈleɪʃən/noun · C1The drawing of air or a substance into the lungs.
- inhale/ɪnˈheɪl/verb · B1+To draw air into your lungs.
- inherit/ɪnˈhɛɹɪt/verb · B2To receive money, a house, or blue eyes from a family member.
- initial/ɪˈnɪʃ.əl/verb · B2To mark a page with the first letters of your name.
- injustice/ɪnˈd͡ʒʌs.tɪs/noun · B2Treatment that is plainly unfair.
- inland/ˈɪnlənd/adverb · B2+Away from the sea, towards the middle of a country.
- innermost/ˈɪnɚmoʊst/adjective · C1Nearest the very middle.
- innumerable/ɪˈnuːməɹ.əbəl/adjective · C1Too many to be counted.
- insect/ˈɪn.sɛkt/noun · A2+A small creature with six legs and a body in three parts.
- insecuritynoun · B2The nagging doubt that you are not good enough.
- insight/ˈɪnsaɪ̯t/noun · B2A sudden deep understanding of how something really works.
- insightful/ɪnˈsaɪt.f(ə)l/adjective · C1Showing deep understanding.
- insinuatingadjective · C1Hinting at something unpleasant without saying it.
- insinuation/ɪnˌsɪnjuˈeɪʃən/noun · C1A nasty hint dropped without saying it outright.
- insist/ɪnˈsɪst/verb · B2To keep saying firmly that something must be so.
- insistent/ɪnˈsɪstənt/adjective · B2+Demanding attention and refusing to be put off.
- insofar/ɪn.səʊˈfɑː(ɹ)/adverb · C1To the extent that.
- inspect/ɪnˈspɛkt/verb · B2To look at something closely to check it.
- inspection/ɪnˈspɛkʃən/noun · B2An official close look to check that all is as it should be.
- install/ɪnˈstɔːl/verb · B2To put equipment or software in place, ready to work.
- installation/ˌɪn.stəˈleɪ.ʃən/noun · B2The setting up of equipment, or a work of art in a space.
- instance/ˈɪnstəns/noun · B2One example of something.
- instant/ˈɪnstənt/noun · B2An extremely short point of time.
- instinctive/ɪnˈstɪŋktɪv/adjective · C1Done without thinking, because it comes naturally.
- instinctively/ɪnˈstɪŋktɪvli/adverb · C1Without stopping to think.
- institution/ˌɪn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən/noun · B2An established organisation, or a long-settled custom.
- instruct/ɪnˈstɹʌkt/verb · B2To tell somebody officially what to do, or to teach them.
- instruction/ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/noun · B1+A statement telling you exactly how something must be done.
- instrument/ˈɪnstɹəmənt/noun · A2+Anything made for playing music.
- insulation/ˌɪnsjʊˈleɪʃən/noun · B2+The padding in walls that keeps warmth in and noise out.
- insult/ɪnˈsʌlt/verb · B2To say something rude that wounds someone's pride.
- insuperable/ɪnˈsup(ə)ɹəb(ə)l/adjective · C2Impossible to overcome, however hard you try.
- insurance/ɪnˈʃɔː.ɹəns/noun · B2A deal where you pay a company monthly and they pay if disaster strikes.
- insurance agentnoun · B2A person who arranges cover against loss.
- insure/ɪnˈʃɔː(ɹ)/verb · B1+To arrange payment against a possible loss.
- intellect/ˈɪntəlɛkt/noun · C1The power of the mind to reason and understand.
- intend/ɪnˈtɛnd/verb · B1To have something as your plan.
- intensity/ɪnˈtɛnsɪti/noun · C1How strong or extreme something is.
- intensive/ɪnˈtɛnsɪv/adjective · C1Concentrated and thorough.
- intention/ɪnˈtɛnʃn̩/noun · B1What you plan and mean to do.
- interfere/ˌɪn.tɚˈfɪɚ/verb · B2To push into a matter that is not yours and get in its way.
- interject/ɪn.təˈdʒɛkt/verb · C1To throw in a short remark while others are speaking.
- interpret/ɪnˈtɜː.pɹɪt/verb · B2To work out and explain what something really means.
- interrupt/ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt/verb · B1To cut into the middle of someone's speaking or work.
- intersection/ˈɪntəɹˌsɛkʃən/noun · B2The place where two roads cross each other.
- interval/ˈɪntəvəʊ/noun · B2+The gap of time between two events; also, a theatre break.
- intervene/ˌɪntəˈviːn/verb · C1To step into a situation to change how it goes.
- intoxication/ɪntɑksɪˈkeɪʃən/noun · C1The state of being drunk, or a wild elation.
- intransigent/ɪnˈtɹæn.sə.d͡ʒənt/adjective · C2Refusing utterly to compromise.
- inundate/ˈɪn.ənˌdeɪt/verb · C1To flood, or to overwhelm with more than can be handled.
- invalid/ɪnˈvæl.ɪd/adjective · B2Not legally or logically acceptable.
- invective/ɪnˈvɛktɪv/noun · C2Violent abusive language.
- investment/ɪnˈvɛstmənt/noun · B2Money placed somewhere in the hope it will grow.
- involuntary/ɪnˈvɒl.ən.tɹi/adjective · B2+Happening without your choosing it.
- involve/ɪnˈvɒlv/verb · B2To have something as a necessary part of the process.
- irascible/ɪˈɹæs.ɪ.bəl/adjective · C2Very easily made angry.
- irate/aɪˈɹeɪt/adjective · C1Extremely angry.
- iron/ˈaɪ.ən/noun · B1The hot flat tool that makes clothes smooth.
- irony/ˈaɪə.ɹə.ni/noun · B2Saying one thing while meaning its opposite — or fate doing exactly that.
- irrational/ɪˈɹæʃ.(ə.)nəl/adjective · B2Not based on reason.
- irrelevant/ɪˈɹɛləvənt/adjective · B2Having nothing to do with the matter at hand.
- irrespective/ɪɹɪˈspɛktɪv/adjective · C1Paying no regard to whatever else may be true.
- irritable/ˈɪɹɪtəbl̩/adjective · B2Quick to snap at the smallest annoyance.
- irritate/ˈɪɹ.ɪˌteɪt/verb · B1+To make somebody slightly angry over and over.
- irritated/ˈɪɹɪteɪtɪd/adjective · B2Annoyed, or sore and inflamed.
- irritation/ˌɪɹ.ɪˈteɪ.ʃən/noun · B2+Small sharp annoyance, like a fly that keeps coming back.
- jab/d͡ʒæb/verb · B2To hit with a short straight blow.
- jabber/ˈd͡ʒæbə(ɹ)/verb · C1To talk fast and unintelligibly.
- jacket/ˈd͡ʒæk.ɪt/noun · A1A short coat you wear outside over your other clothes.
- jam/ˈd͡ʒæm/noun · A2+Fruit boiled with sugar until it sets, for spreading.
- jar/d͡ʒɑː/noun · B1A glass container with a lid, used for keeping jam or honey.
- jaw/d͡ʒɔː/noun · B2The bone that moves your mouth open and shut when you chew.
- jazzy/ˈd͡ʒæzi/adjective · B2+Bright and showy, or in the style of jazz.
- jeans/d͡ʒiːnz/noun · A2+Strong blue cotton legwear that almost everyone owns.
- jeer/d͡ʒɪə/verb · B2+To shout mocking remarks at somebody.
- jerky/ˈd͡ʒɜːki/adjective · B2Moving in sudden uneven starts.
- jewellery/ˈd͡ʒuː(ə)lɹi/noun · A2+Ornaments worn on the body, made of precious materials.
- jog/d͡ʒɒɡ/verb · B2To run at a slow steady pace for exercise.
- jogger/ˈd͡ʒɒ.ɡə/noun · B2A person out running at an easy pace for exercise.
- jogging/ˈd͡ʒɒɡ.ɪŋ/noun · B1+Running slowly and steadily for exercise.
- journalist/ˈd͡ʒɝnəlɪst/noun · B1+A person whose job is finding and writing the news.
- journalistic/ˌd͡ʒɜː(ɹ)nəˈlɪstɪk/adjective · B2+In the manner of news writing.
- journey/ˈd͡ʒɝni/noun · B1The act of going from one place to a far one — the road itself, not the arrival.
- jovial/ˈd͡ʒəʊ.vɪ.əl/adjective · C1Cheerful and full of good humour.
- joy/d͡ʒɔɪ/noun · B1Great and pure happiness.
- jubilant/ˈd͡ʒuːbɪlənt/adjective · B2Bursting with joy after a victory.
- jubilation/ˌd͡ʒuːbəlˈeiːʃən/noun · C1Great public rejoicing.
- juice/d͡ʒuːs/noun · A1The sweet drink squeezed out of fruit.
- junk mailnoun · B1Unwanted advertising that arrives through the door.
- just in timephrase · C1Delivering parts only as they are needed.
- jut/d͡ʒʌt/verb · B2+To stick out beyond the surrounding surface.
- keep a straight facephrase · B2To stop yourself laughing when you want to.
- keep an eye onphrase · B2To watch something carefully so nothing goes wrong.
- keep outphrase · B1To stop somebody or something entering.
- keep trackphrase · B1To stay aware of how something is going.
- kettle/ˈkɛ.təl/noun · B1A container with a spout that boils water for tea.
- key inphrase · B1To type information into a machine.
- keyboard/ˈki.bɔɹd/noun · B1+The board of letter buttons you type on.
- kilometre/kɪˈlɒmɪtə/noun · A2+A thousand metres.
- kind ofphrase · B1To some degree, but not entirely.
- kinetic/kɪˈnɛtɪk/adjective · C2To do with movement and the energy of it.
- kitchenette/ˌkɪt͡ʃəˈnɛt/noun · B2A tiny cooking corner in a small flat.
- kitty/ˈkɪti/noun · A2An affectionate word for a cat, especially a young one.
- knee/niː/noun · A2The joint in the middle of your leg that bends when you sit.
- knit/nɪt/verb · B1+To make clothes by looping wool with two long needles.
- knock offphrase · B2To take an amount off a price, or to stop work.
- knock outphrase · B2To hit someone so hard they lose consciousness.
- kronornoun · C2The money used in Sweden.
- lack/læk/verb · B1To not have something that is needed.
- lacquer/ˈlæk.ə/noun · C1A fast-drying glossy finish that is sprayed on rather than brushed, used on nails and on traditional Chinese and Japanese decorative ware.
- lad/læd/noun · B1A boy or young man, said in a friendly, old-fashioned way.
- ladder/ˈlad.ə/noun · B2You climb its steps to reach high places like the roof.
- lake/leɪk/noun · A2A big body of still fresh water surrounded by land.
- lamp/ˈlæ̞mp/noun · A2The small light that stands on a desk or beside a bed.
- landing/ˈlændɪŋ/noun · B2The flat area at the top of a flight of stairs.
- lap/læp/noun · B1The flat place your legs make when you sit down.
- laptop/ˈlæp.tɒp/noun · A2+The folding machine you can work on anywhere, even on your knees.
- lash/læʃ/verb · B2To strike with a whip or a rope.
- lash outphrase · C1To attack suddenly with words or blows.
- latch/læt͡ʃ/noun · B1+The simple little bar that keeps a door or gate closed.
- latte/ˈlɑː.teɪ/noun · B1+Coffee made mostly of hot steamed milk.
- latter/ˈlæt.ə(ɹ)/adjective · C1The second of two things just mentioned.
- lava/ˈlɑːvə/noun · B2The glowing melted rock that pours from an erupting mountain.
- lavish/ˈlævɪʃ/adjective · B2+Generous to the point of excess.
- lawn/lɔːn/noun · B1The short cut grass in front of a house.
- leak/liːk/noun · B2Secret information passed to the press without permission.
- lean/ˈliːn/verb · B2To tilt your body against something for support.
- lean inphrase · B2To move closer to hear or to show interest.
- learning difficultynoun · B2A condition that makes learning harder than usual.
- leaseholdnoun · C1The right to occupy a property for a fixed number of years.
- leash/liːʃ/noun · B2A strap for holding a dog.
- leisure/ˈlɛʒə(ɹ)/noun · B1+Time free from work, to use as you please.
- lemonade/ˌlɛmənˈeɪd/noun · A2+A cold drink of citrus juice, sugar and water.
- length/lɛŋ(k)θ/noun · B1How long something is, from end to end.
- lengthyadjective · C1Going on much longer than usual.
- let downphrase · B2To disappoint someone who counted on you.
- let gophrase · B1To release your grip; also, to stop holding onto the past.
- let outphrase · B2To make a garment wider.
- lever/ˈliː.və/verb · B2To move something heavy by pushing down on a bar.
- liberal/ˈlɪb.(ə.)ɹəl/adjective · B2Favouring individual freedom and gradual reform.
- liberation/ˌlɪbəˈɹeɪʃən/noun · C1The freeing of a place from occupying forces.
- librarian/laɪˈbɹɛə̯ɹi.ən/noun · B1+The person who looks after all the books in a quiet building.
- library/ˈlaɪ.bɹi/noun · A1The quiet place full of books you can borrow for free.
- license/ˈlaɪ.səns/noun · B1The official card that proves you are allowed to drive.
- lick/lɪk/verb · B1To move your tongue across something, like an ice cream.
- lid/lɪd/noun · A2+The cover that sits on top of a pot or jar.
- lie aheadphrase · B2To be waiting in the future.
- lie downphrase · A2To put your body flat on a bed or the ground.
- light switchnoun · A2The small wall control you flick to brighten a room.
- light-headedadjective · C1Faint and floaty in the head, close to passing out.
- lightbulb/ˈlaɪtˌbʌlb/noun · B2The glass globe that glows when you flip the switch.
- lighten/ˈlaɪ.tn̩/verb · B2To make lighter in weight or in colour.
- lighter/ˈlaɪtɚ/noun · B1A small device for lighting a cigarette.
- likelihood/ˈlaɪklihʊd/noun · C1How probable something is.
- limit/ˈlɪm.ɪt/noun · B1The line beyond which something may not go.
- limp/lɪmp/verb · B1To walk unevenly because one leg hurts.
- lineup/ˈlaɪn.ʌp/noun · C1The set of people or acts chosen for a team, show, or police parade.
- lingering/ˈlɪŋɡəɹɪŋ/adjective · B2+Staying on long after the source has gone.
- lip/lɪp/noun · B1One of the two soft edges of your mouth.
- liquidation/ˌlɪkwəˈdeɪʃən/noun · B2+The closing of a company by selling everything it owns.
- litter/ˈlɪt.ɚ/noun · B2Rubbish left lying about, or a set of newborn animals.
- living room/ˈlɪvɪŋ ɹuːm/phrase · A1The room where the family sits, talks, and watches TV together.
- load-bearingadjective · B2Carrying the weight of what is above it.
- loaf/ləʊf/noun · B1A whole shaped mass of baked bread.
- loan/ləʊn/noun · B2Money a bank gives you now that you pay back with extra later.
- loath/ləʊθ/adjective · C1Very unwilling to do something.
- loath tophrase · C1Very unwilling to do a particular thing.
- lob/lɒb/verb · B2+To throw or hit something in a high slow arc.
- lock up/ˌlɒk ˈʌp/phrase · B1To secure a building, or to put somebody in prison.
- locker/ˈlɒk.ə(ɹ)/noun · A2+Your own small metal cupboard in the corridor for books and coats.
- locomotive/ˌləʊkəˈməʊtɪv/noun · B2The powered unit that pulls a train.
- loggerheadsnoun · C1A state of stubborn disagreement, reached after the word "at".
- logo/ˈləʊ.ɡəʊ/noun · B2The symbol that stands for a company at a glance.
- long-distanceadjective · B2Covering or reaching a great distance.
- look aroundphrase · B1To walk through a place seeing what is there.
- look forphrase · A2To try to find something that is lost or needed.
- look intophrase · B2To investigate a matter to find out more.
- look throughphrase · B2To examine a set of things one after another.
- look up/ˌlʊk ˈʌp/phrase · B1To search for a word or fact in a book or online.
- loop/luːp/noun · B2Code that repeats until a condition changes.
- lost propertynoun · B2The office holding things guests have left behind.
- loyalty/ˈlɔɪəlti/noun · B2Staying faithful to your people through good and bad.
- lucrative/ˈluː.kɹə.tɪv/adjective · B2+Bringing in a great deal of money.
- ludicrous/ˈluː.dɪ.kɹəs/adjective · C1So silly it deserves to be laughed at.
- lug/lʌɡ/verb · B2To carry something heavy with difficulty.
- luggage racknoun · B2The shelf above the seats for bags.
- lull/lʌl/noun · C1A short quiet break in noise or activity.
- lumber/ˈlʌm.bə/verb · B2To move heavily and awkwardly.
- lunacy/ˈluː.nə.si/noun · C2Behaviour so wild it belongs in an asylum.
- lunchbox/ˈlʌntʃˌbɒks/noun · B2The small container a packed midday meal travels in.
- lunchtime/ˈlʌnt͡ʃtaɪm/noun · A2+The part of the day when the midday meal is eaten.
- lungs/lʌŋz/noun · B1The two organs in your chest that fill with air.
- lurch/lɜːt͡ʃ/verb · C1To move suddenly and unsteadily to one side.
- made-to-measureadjective · B2Cut specially to fit one person's body.
- madhouse/ˈmædˌhaʊs/noun · B2A place where noise and confusion reign, as if the inmates of an asylum had taken charge.
- magnet/ˈmæɡ.nɪt/noun · B1The piece of metal that pulls iron things toward itself.
- mailbox/ˈmeɪl.bɑks/noun · B1The box where your letters are delivered.
- maintain/meɪnˈteɪn/verb · B2To keep something in good working order over time.
- make a decisionphrase · B1To settle on what you are going to do.
- make out/meɪk aʊt/phrase · B2To manage to see or hear something faint.
- make up/ˌmeɪk ˈʌp/phrase · B2To invent a story; also, to become friends again after a fight.
- makeup/ˈmeɪkʌp/noun · A2+Colour put on the face to change how it looks.
- malevolence/məˈlɛvələns/noun · C1The wish to see harm come to someone.
- malevolent/məˈlɛvələnt/adjective · C1Wishing harm on other people.
- malfunction/ˌmælˈfʌŋk.ʃən/verb · B2To stop working the way it should.
- mallet/ˈmælɪt/noun · B2+A hammer with a large soft head that does not dent.
- malnutrition/ˌmæl.nuˈtɹɪʃ.ən/noun · C2Illness and weakness from not eating enough good food.
- mangy/ˈmeɪn.d͡ʒi/adjective · C2Patchy-furred and shabby, like a stray with a skin disease.
- manner/ˈmænə/noun · A2+The way somebody behaves or does a thing.
- manual/ˈmæn.j(ʊ)əl/adjective · B2Done by hand rather than by machine.
- manufacturer/ˌmænjʊˈfæktʃəɹə/noun · B2A business that makes goods on a large scale.
- map/mæp/noun · A1The drawing of streets or countries that stops you getting lost.
- march/mɑːtʃ/noun · A1The third month, when spring begins.
- margarine/ˌmɑː.d͡ʒəˈɹiːn/noun · C2The pale spread sold as a cheaper stand-in for butter.
- marginal/ˈmɑː.d͡ʒɪ.nəl/adjective · C1So small as to hardly matter, or at the edge.
- marginally/ˈmɑɹd͡ʒɪnəli/adverb · C1By only a very small amount.
- marvel/ˈmɑːvəl/noun · B2Something that fills you with wonder.
- mascara/ˌmæsˈkɑːɹə/noun · B1+Dark paint that thickens the lashes.
- masculinity/ˌmæskjəˈlɪnɪti/noun · C1The qualities a culture ties to being a man.
- mashed/mæʃt/adjective · B1Crushed to a soft pulp.
- massive/ˈmæs.ɪv/adjective · B2Extremely big and heavy.
- mat/mæt/noun · A2+A small flat piece of thick material laid on the floor, often by a door to wipe shoes on.
- material/məˈtɪə.ɹi.əl/noun · C1The pieces each side has, counted by value.
- maternity/məˈtɜːnɪti/noun · B2+Everything to do with becoming and being a mother.
- maternity leavephrase · B2The months off work a mother takes around the birth of her baby.
- mathematics/mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/noun · A2+The school subject about numbers, shapes, and equations.
- matter-of-factadjective · B2Plain and unemotional, as if nothing were unusual.
- meander/miˈæn.də(ɹ)/verb · C1To wander along without any direct route.
- meaningful/ˈmiː.nɪŋ.fl̩/adjective · B2Having real significance or purpose.
- meantime/ˈmiːntaɪm/noun · B2The stretch of time between two events.
- meanwhile/ˈmiːnwaɪl/adverb · B1During the same period of time.
- measure/ˈmɛʒ.ə/verb · B1To find the exact size or amount of something.
- measurement/ˈmɛʒ.ə.mənt/noun · B2The exact size or amount found by careful checking.
- mediate/ˈmidieɪt/<a:US>verb · C1To stand between two sides and help them agree.
- mediocrity/miː.dɪˈɒk.ɹɪ.ti/noun · C1The state of being merely ordinary.
- meditate/ˈmɛ.dɪˌteɪt/verb · B2+To still the mind deliberately.
- melodramatic/ˌmɛl.ə.dɹəˈmæt.ɪk/adjective · C1Exaggerated and full of overdone emotion.
- memoriseverb · B1+To learn something so it can be repeated exactly.
- memorize/ˈmɛm.əˌɹaɪ̯z/verb · B1To learn something so well you can say it without looking.
- mend/mɛnd/verb · B1+To put right something broken or torn so that it can be used again.
- mental/ˈmɛn.təl/adjective · B1Happening in the mind rather than the body.
- menthol/ˈmɛnθɒl/noun · B2The cool minty substance in some sweets and cigarettes.
- merciless/ˈmɜːsɪləs/adjective · B2+Showing no pity at all.
- mere/mɪə̯/adjective · B2Nothing more than what is stated.
- merge/mɜːd͡ʒ/verb · C1To join together into a single whole.
- mess aboutphrase · B2To waste time in a silly way.
- metal/ˈmɛ.təl/noun · A2The hard shiny material that coins, keys, and knives are made of.
- metaphor/ˈmɛt.ə.fə/noun · B2Calling one thing another to show what it is like — life is a journey.
- methodical/mɪˈθɑdɪkəl/adjective · C1Doing things in a careful orderly way.
- microwave/ˈmaɪkɹəˌweɪv/noun · B2A small machine that heats food very quickly.
- middle-aged/ˌmɪdl̩ˈeɪd͡ʒd/adjective · B1Between about forty and sixty years old.
- midst/mɪdst/noun · C1The middle of a group or a situation.
- migraine/ˈmaɪɡɹeɪn/noun · B1+A crushing one-sided headache that can last for days.
- mile/maɪ̯l/noun · A1A unit of distance a little over a kilometre and a half.
- mineral/ˈmɪn.ə.ɹəl/noun · B2A natural solid substance dug from the earth, like quartz or salt.
- minimiseverb · B1+To make something as small as possible.
- mirror/ˈmɪɹə/noun · A2The glass on the wall where you see yourself.
- mischievous/ˈmɪs.t͡ʃɪ.vəs/adjective · B2+Playfully naughty without meaning harm.
- mist/mɪst/noun · B2A thin low cloud hanging just above the ground.
- mitt/mɪt/noun · B2+A thick padded glove for holding hot dishes.
- mitten/ˈmɪtən/noun · A2+A hand covering with one space for four fingers.
- mixture/ˈmɪkstʃə/noun · B1+Substances stirred together without joining chemically.
- moan/məʊn/verb · B2To make a long low sound of suffering or complaint.
- mobility/mə(ʊ)ˈbɪlɪti/noun · C1The ability to move about or to change position in life.
- modern/ˈmɒd.ən/adjective · A2+Belonging to the present time; up to date.
- momentarily/ˈməʊməntəɹəli/adverb · B2For a moment only, or in a moment's time.
- monitor/ˈmɒn.ɪ.tə/verb · B2To keep steady watch on something as it changes.
- monosyllabic/ˌmɒnə(ʊ)sɪˈlabɪk/adjective · C1Answering in single short words, saying as little as possible.
- monotone/ˈmɒn.ə.təʊn/noun · C2A voice that stays on one flat note, without rise or fall.
- monstrous/ˈmɒnstɹəs/adjective · C1Shockingly huge, ugly, or wicked.
- moose/muːs/noun · B1A very large deer of North America.
- mop/mɒp/noun · B1The soft wet tool on a stick for washing floors.
- moped/ˈməʊ.pɛd/noun · B1+A very small motorbike, often with pedals.
- more often than notphrase · B2In most cases.
- more or less/mɔɹ ɔɹ lɛs/phrase · B1Roughly, though not exactly.
- moronic/mɔːˈɹɒnɪk/adjective · B2So stupid it makes you want to groan.
- mortgage/ˈmɔːɡɪd͡ʒ/noun · B2The huge bank loan people pay back for decades to own a house.
- mostly/ˈməʊstli/adverb · A2For the greater part; in most cases.
- motif/moʊˈtiːf/noun · B2+A design or idea that keeps returning through a work.
- motion/ˈməʊ.ʃən/noun · B1The act of moving, or the way a thing moves.
- motivation/ˈməʊ.tɪ.veɪ.ʃən/noun · B2The reason and drive that makes you act.
- motor/ˈməʊtə/noun · B2The part that makes a machine turn.
- motorist/ˈməʊ.tə.ɹɪst/noun · B2Somebody driving a car.
- mould/məʊld/noun · B1+Fuzzy growth that appears on damp surfaces and old food.
- mound/maʊnd/noun · B2A raised heap of earth or of anything else.
- mournful/ˈmɔɹnfəl/adjective · B2+Full of sorrow, or expressing it.
- mouthful/ˈmaʊθfʊl/noun · B1As much as goes into the mouth at once.
- move in/ˌmuːv ˈɪn/verb · B1To bring your boxes and start living in a new home.
- move in withphrase · B1To go and live in the same home as somebody.
- move onphrase · B2To leave the past behind and continue with your life.
- move outphrase · B1To leave a home for good, taking your things.
- movement/ˈmuːv.mənt/noun · A2+A change of position; something going from here to there.
- mow/ˈməʊ/verb · B1+To cut grass level with a blade or machine.
- muddy/ˈmʌdi/adjective · B2Covered or thick with wet earth.
- multifarious/ˌmʌltɪˈfɛəɹi.əs/adjective · C2Of many different sorts all at once.
- mumble/ˈmʌmbəl/verb · B2To speak so unclearly that words blur together.
- municipal/mjuˈnɪsɪpəl/adjective · C1Belonging to the local town government.
- murderous/ˈmɜːdəɹəs/adjective · B2Intending to kill, or extremely severe.
- murmur/ˈmɜːmə/verb · B2+To speak in a soft low continuous voice.
- muscle/ˈmʌs.əl/noun · B1The parts of your body that get stronger in the gym.
- muscular/ˈmʌs.kjʊl.ə/adjective · B2With a strong, well-built body.
- mutedadjective · B2+Softened and quiet, not bold.
- mutt/mʌt/noun · B2A dog of no particular breed, said with rough affection or mild scorn.
- mutter/ˈmʌtə/verb · B2+To speak quietly and unclearly, usually while complaining.
- nag/ˈnæɡ/verb · B2To keep asking somebody the same thing until they give in.
- nail/neɪl/noun · B1The hard flat part at the end of each finger; some people paint them.
- namelessadjective · B2+Having no name, or too dreadful to name.
- napkin/ˈnæpˌkɪn/noun · A2+The paper or cloth square you wipe your mouth with at the table.
- narcotic/nɑːˈkɒtɪk/noun · C2A drug that dulls pain and the senses, often addictive.
- narrow/ˈnæɹəʊ/adjective · A2+Measuring very little from side to side, like an old alley.
- nationality/ˌnæʃ.əˈnæl.ɪ.ti/noun · A2+The country a person legally belongs to.
- natter/ˈnætɚ/verb · C1To chat idly and at length.
- natural disasternoun · B1A catastrophe caused by the forces of nature.
- nauseate/ˈnɔziˌeɪt/verb · B2To make someone feel sick enough to vomit.
- nearby/ˌnɪə(ɹ)ˈbaɪ/adverb · B2A short distance away.
- neat/ˈniːt/adjective · B1With everything clean and exactly in its place.
- need to knowphrase · C1Told only to those whose work requires it.
- negligible/ˈnɛɡlɪd͡ʒɪbəl/adjective · C1So small it can safely be ignored.
- negotiate/nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/verb · B2To bargain back and forth toward an agreement.
- negotiation/nɪˌɡəʊ.ʃiˈeɪ.ʃən/noun · B2+The back-and-forth talk where two sides bargain toward a deal.
- neighbor/ˈneɪ.bɚ/noun · A2The person who lives in the house or flat next to yours.
- neutral/ˈnjuː.tɹəl/adjective · B2Taking neither side in a conflict.
- newbornnoun · B1+A baby only days old.
- newer/ˈnjuː.ə/adjective · A2+More recently made than another.
- newfangled/ˌnjuːˈfæŋ.ɡəɫd/adjective · C1Annoyingly new and needlessly modern.
- newly/ˈnjuːli/adverb · B2Having happened only a very short time ago.
- newspaper/ˈnjuːsˌpeɪpə/noun · A1The big printed pages of daily news people read with coffee.
- next of kinphrase · C1Your closest living relative, named on official forms.
- nibble/ˈnɪbl̩/verb · B2To eat in tiny quick bites, as mice do.
- nineteen/ˈnaɪntiːn/noun · A1The number that comes after eighteen.
- nod/nɒd/verb · B2To move your head up and down to say yes without speaking.
- nonchalant/ˈnɒn.ʃəl.ənt/adjective · C2Casually unbothered.
- nonchalantlyadverb · C2In a calm unbothered way, as if nothing mattered.
- none of your businessphrase · B2A blunt way of saying it does not concern you.
- nonetheless/ˌnʌnðəˈlɛs/adverb · B2Despite what was just said.
- nonplussed/nɒnˈplʌst/adjective · C1So surprised that you do not know what to do.
- nonstop/ˌnɒnˈstɒp/adjective · B1+Without any pause or break.
- nook/nʊk/noun · B2+A small sheltered corner.
- noose/nuːs/noun · B2A loop of rope that tightens when pulled.
- nosebleed/ˈnəʊzˌbliːd/noun · B1+A flow of blood from the nostrils.
- nostril/ˈnɒs.tɹɪl/noun · B2One of the two holes of your nose.
- nosy/ˈnəʊziː/adjective · B1Too curious about other people's private business.
- notch/nɒtʃ/noun · B2A small V-shaped cut in a surface.
- notepadnoun · A2A small book of paper for jotting things down.
- nothing muchphrase · B1A reply meaning little has happened.
- nowadays/ˈnaʊ.ə.deɪz/adverb · B2In the present time, unlike in the past.
- noxious/ˈnɒkʃəs/adjective · C1Harmful and unpleasant, especially to breathe.
- nuisance/ˈnjuː.səns/noun · B2Somebody or something that keeps causing annoyance.
- numerous/ˈnuməɹəs/adjective · B2Existing in large numbers.
- nursery/ˈnɜːsəɹi/noun · B2The school for the very youngest children; also, a baby's room.
- nutter/ˈnʌtə/noun · C1Somebody thought to be mad, in British informal use.
- nutty/ˈnʌti/adjective · B2Tasting like almonds or hazelnuts.
- oaf/əʊf/noun · C1A clumsy stupid man.
- obesity/ə(ʊ)ˈbiːsɪti/noun · B2+The medical condition of being dangerously overweight.
- obituary/əˈbɪt͡ʃʊ(ə)ɹi/noun · B2The newspaper article honoring someone who has just died.
- objection/əbˈd͡ʒɛkʃən/noun · B2A reason given against something.
- oblige/əˈblaɪd͡ʒ/verb · C1To bind somebody by duty or law, or to do them a favour.
- obliterate/əˈblɪtəɹeɪt/verb · B2+To wipe something out completely.
- oblong/ˈɒblɒŋ/adjective · B1Longer than it is wide, like a rectangle.
- obscenitynoun · B2+Something indecent, or a foul word.
- observant/əbˈzɝvənt/adjective · B2Quick to notice things, or keeping religious rules.
- observe/əbˈzɜːv/verb · B2To watch something carefully over time to learn from it.
- obstinate/ˈɒb.stɪ.nət/adjective · C1Refusing to change your mind, whatever anyone says.
- obvious/ˈɑb.vi.əs/adjective · B1So plain that everyone sees it immediately.
- occasion/əˈkeɪ̯ʒən/noun · B1A particular time when something happens, often a special one.
- occupy/ˈɒkjʊpaɪ/verb · B2To fill a space, a position, or someone's whole attention.
- occur/əˈkɜː/verb · B1The formal word for taking place.
- occur tophrase · B2For an idea to come into your head.
- octave/ˈɒktɪv/noun · C2The musical distance of eight notes, from one C to the next.
- oddly/ˈɑdli/adverb · B1+In a strange or unexpected way.
- off-balanceadjective · B1Unsteady, about to topple over.
- offend/əˈfɛnd/verb · B2To hurt someone's feelings or sense of what is proper.
- offering/ˈɒfəɹɪŋ/noun · B2Something given to a god or to a temple.
- officer/ˈɒf.ɪ.sə/noun · A2Somebody holding a position of authority in the forces or the police.
- omission/ə(ʊ)ˈmɪʃ.ən/noun · B2+Something left out, or the leaving out of it.
- on callphrase · B2Available to be summoned at any hour.
- on good termsphrase · B2On friendly footing with somebody.
- on purposephrase · A2Not by accident — you meant to do it.
- on the fencephrase · C1Still undecided between the two sides.
- once upon a time/ˈwʌns.əˈpɑn.əˈtaɪ̯m/phrase · A2The words every fairy tale begins with.
- once-overnoun · C1A quick glance to check something.
- oncomingadjective · C1Coming straight toward you — traffic, storms, headlights.
- oneself/wʌnˈsɛlf/pronoun · B1+Your own person, used when speaking generally.
- onward/ˈɒnwəd/adverb · B2+Continuing forward from here.
- opening/ˈəʊ.pə.nɪŋ/noun · B2The first planned moves of a game.
- opportune/ɒ.pəˈt͡ʃ(j)uːn/adjective · C1Coming at exactly the right moment.
- opposite/ˈɒp.ə.zɪt/adjective · A1As different from something as it is possible to be.
- opposite directionnoun · B1The way exactly against the one taken.
- opt/ɒpt/verb · C1To choose one thing rather than another.
- optimist/ˈɑptɪmɪst/noun · B2+Somebody who expects things to turn out well.
- out of the blue/aʊt əv ðə ˈbluː/phrase · B2Completely without warning.
- outdated/aʊtˈdeɪtɪd/adjective · B2+Belonging to a time that has passed.
- outdoor/aʊtˈdɔː/adjective · B1Happening or used in the open air.
- outlet/ˈaʊtlɛt/noun · B2A shop through which goods are sold.
- outrage/ˈaʊt.ɹeɪd͡ʒ/noun · B2Loud public anger at something shockingly wrong.
- outstretched/aʊtˈstɹɛt͡ʃt/adjective · B2+Reached out to full length.
- oven/ˈʌ.vn̩/noun · A2+The hot box in the kitchen where you bake bread or roast a chicken.
- oven mittphrase · B1The thick glove that lets you hold burning-hot trays.
- over the topphrase · B2Far more extreme than the occasion called for.
- overdose/ˈəʊvə(ɹ)ˌdəʊs/noun · B2+Taking dangerously more of a medicine than the body can handle.
- overflowing/ˌoʊvɚˈfloʊɪŋ/adjective · B1+So full that it is spilling over.
- overhead/ˈəʊvəˌhɛd/adverb · B1+Directly above your head.
- overpoweringadjective · B2+So strong that it drowns everything else.
- overturn/ˌəʊvə(ɹ)ˈtɜː(ɹ)n/verb · C1To reverse a decision, or to tip something over.
- overwhelmed/ˌəʊvəˈwɛlmd/adjective · B2Buried under more feelings or work than you can handle.
- oxen/ˈɑksən/noun · B1+Cattle kept for pulling and heavy work.
- pace/peɪs/noun · B2The speed at which somebody moves or works.
- pad/pæd/verb · C1To walk with soft quiet steps.
- padding/ˈpædɪŋ/noun · B1+Soft material added to protect what is inside.
- painkiller/ˈpeɪnˌkɪlə(ɹ)/noun · B1+A tablet that dulls the hurt.
- painstaking/ˈpeɪnˌsteɪkɪŋ/adjective · C1Done with very great care over every detail.
- painting/ˈpeɪn.tɪŋ/noun · A1A picture made with colors and a brush.
- pair/pɛə/noun · A1Two things that belong together and are used at the same time.
- pair ofphrase · A1A set of exactly two matching things.
- pajamas/pəˈd͡ʒɑ.məz/noun · A2+The soft comfortable clothes you sleep in.
- palaver/pəˈlɑː.və(ɹ)/noun · C2A great to-do of long, empty talk.
- palm/pɑːm/noun · B1The flat inside of your hand, where fortunes are read.
- paltry/ˈpɒltɹi/adjective · C1Ridiculously small in amount or worth.
- panda/ˈpændə/noun · A2+A black-and-white bear from China that eats bamboo.
- panel/ˈpænəl/noun · B2A flat section in a door or wall, or a group chosen to judge.
- panic/ˈpænɪk/noun · B1Sudden wild fear that makes clear thinking impossible.
- pant/pænt/verb · B1+To breathe hard and fast after effort.
- paragraph/ˈpæɹəɡɹɑːf/noun · B1A block of sentences starting on a new line.
- parallel/ˈpæ.ɹəˌlɛl/adjective · B2Running side by side, never meeting.
- paralyze/ˈpæɹəlaɪz/verb · B2+To take away the power to move.
- parameter/pəˈɹæm.ɪ.tə/noun · C1A value that sets the conditions of a model.
- parental/pəˈɹɛn.təl/adjective · C1To do with a mother or father.
- parking lotnoun · A2The open area where drivers leave their cars.
- parking meternoun · B1The machine you pay to leave a car in a space.
- parquet/ˈpɑːkeɪ/noun · C2Flooring of small wooden blocks laid in patterns.
- particle/ˈpɑːtɪkl̩/noun · B2+A piece of matter far too small for any eye to see.
- partition/pɑːˈtɪ.ʃən/noun · B2+A light wall dividing one room into two.
- pass awayphrase · B2The gentle way of saying that someone has died.
- pass onphrase · B2To hand something to the next person, or to die.
- pass outphrase · B2To suddenly lose consciousness.
- passenger/ˈpæs.ɪn.d͡ʒə/noun · A2+Anyone riding in a vehicle who is not the one driving it.
- paste/peɪst/noun · B1A soft, thick mixture that spreads or sticks.
- pastor/ˈpɑː.stə/noun · B2A minister in charge of a congregation.
- pastry/ˈpeɪstɹi/noun · B1+Flour and fat worked together to wrap or top a dish.
- pat/pæt/verb · B1To touch gently a few times with a flat hand, as on a dog's head.
- patch/pæt͡ʃ/verb · B1To cover a hole with a piece of material.
- pathway/ˈpɑːθˌweɪ/noun · B2A narrow way made for walking along.
- patio/ˈpæt.i.əʊ/noun · B1+A paved area beside a house for sitting out.
- pattern/ˈpæ̞t(ə)n/noun · A2+A repeating design, like stripes or flowers, on cloth.
- pave/peɪv/verb · B2To cover a road or path with a hard flat surface.
- pavement/ˈpeɪvm(ə)nt/noun · B2The raised path beside the road where people walk.
- paw/pɔː(ɹ)/noun · B2The soft foot of a cat, dog, or bear.
- pay back/peɪ bæk/phrase · B1To return money you borrowed; also, to take revenge.
- pay offphrase · B2To repay a debt fully, or to bring a good result.
- pay outphrase · B2To hand over a large sum of money.
- peal/piːl/noun · C1A loud ringing of bells, or a burst of laughter.
- peculiar/pɪˈkjuː.li.ə/adjective · B2Strange in a puzzling, particular way.
- pedal/ˈpɛdəl/noun · B2The part your foot pushes to power a bicycle or control a car.
- pedantic/pəˈdæn.tɪk/adjective · B2+Too concerned with small formal details.
- pedestrian/pəˈdɛstɹiən/noun · B2A person traveling through the city on foot.
- peer/pɪə/verb · B2To look very hard at something difficult to see.
- pen/pɛn/noun · A1You write with it, and its ink cannot be rubbed out.
- penny/ˈpɛni/noun · A2A British coin worth one hundredth of a pound.
- perceive/pəˈsiːv/verb · B2+To become aware of something through senses or understanding.
- percent/pəˈsɛnt/noun · A2+One part out of every hundred.
- perception/pəˈsɛpʃn̩/noun · B2The way your senses and mind read the world.
- percolator/ˈpɜːkəleɪtə/noun · C2The old stovetop pot that bubbles water up through ground coffee.
- perennial/pəˈɹɛn.ɪ.əl/adjective · B2+Lasting or returning year after year.
- perfection/pɚˈfɛk.ʃən/noun · B2The state of having no fault at all.
- period/ˈpɪə.ɹi.əd/noun · A1A stretch of time with a beginning and an end.
- perish/ˈpɛɹɪʃ/verb · B2The literary word for to die, especially in disaster.
- permission/pəˈmɪʃ.ən/noun · A2The go-ahead from someone in charge to do a thing.
- perplexed/pɚˈplɛkst/adjective · B2+Puzzled and unable to see the way through.
- perplexity/pəˈplɛksɪti/noun · C1A state of being puzzled and unsure.
- persecution/ˌpɝsəˈkjuʃən/noun · C1Cruel treatment of people for their beliefs or identity.
- persist/pɚˈsɪst/verb · C1To keep going in spite of difficulty.
- persistent/pəˈsɪstənt/adjective · B2Refusing to stop or go away — people, coughs, or rumors.
- perspire/pəˈspaɪə(ɹ)/verb · C2The polite word for what skin does in a sauna.
- persuade/pə(ɹ)ˈsweɪd/verb · B1+To slowly talk someone into doing what you want.
- peruse/pəˈɹuːz/verb · C1To read something carefully through.
- pest/pɛst/noun · B1An animal or insect that damages crops or property.
- pew/ˈpjuː/noun · B2+A long wooden bench in a church.
- phase out/feɪ̯z äʊ̯t/phrase · B2To stop using something gradually.
- photograph/ˈfəʊ.təˌɡɹɑːf/verb · B1To capture a picture of something with a camera.
- phrase/ˈfɹeɪ̯z/noun · B1A small group of words that go together as a unit.
- physical/ˈfɪz.ɪ.kəl/adjective · A2+Concerning the body, or things you can actually touch.
- physiotherapy/ˌfɪziəʊˈθerəpi/noun · B2+Treatment through guided exercise and movement after injury.
- physiquenoun · C1The build and shape of a person's body.
- pick atphrase · B2To eat only a little, or to keep touching something.
- pick outphrase · B1To choose one carefully from many.
- pick upphrase · B1To lift something; to collect someone; to learn without trying.
- picking/ˈpɪkɪŋ/noun · C1Selecting the ordered items from the shelves.
- piece togetherphrase · B2To work out the whole from scattered bits.
- piercing/ˈpɪɹsɪŋ/noun · B1+A hole made in the body so jewellery can be worn in it.
- pigmentationnoun · B2The natural colouring of skin, hair, or leaves.
- pile/paɪl/noun · B1Things laid loosely on top of each other in a mound.
- pill/pɪl/noun · A2A small round piece of medicine that you swallow.
- pinball/ˈpɪnˌbɔːl/noun · B2A game of shooting a ball round a sloping board.
- pink/ˈpɪŋk/noun · A1A light color between red and white.
- pinnacle/ˈpɪnəkəl/noun · C1The highest point of achievement.
- pipe/ˈpaɪp/noun · B1The tube inside walls that water travels through.
- pirouette/ˌpɪ.ɹʊˈɛt/noun · B2+A complete turn made on one foot.
- pitch/pɪt͡ʃ/noun · A2The marked grass where football or rugby is played.
- pitcher/ˈpɪt͡ʃ.ə/noun · B1The big container with a handle and a lip for pouring water or juice.
- pity/ˈpɪt.i/noun · B1Sorrow for someone worse off, sometimes touched with distance.
- placement/ˈpleɪ̯smənt/noun · B2A period of work experience as part of a course.
- plank/ˈplæŋk/noun · B1+A long flat piece of sawn timber.
- plaster/ˈplɑːstə/noun · B2The small sticky strip you press over a cut.
- plastic/ˈplæstɪk/noun · A2A light man-made material moulded when soft.
- plastic bagphrase · A2The light throwaway carrier a shop packs your things in.
- platform/ˈplætfɔːm/noun · B1The numbered place at a station where you stand and wait to board.
- play upphrase · C1To behave badly, or to give trouble as a bad knee does.
- playful/ˈpleɪfl̩/adjective · B2Full of fun and lightness.
- playground/ˈpleɪɡɹaʊnd/noun · A2+The outdoor place at school where children run and play.
- pleasant/ˈplɛz.ənt/adjective · B1Nice and enjoyable in a calm way.
- plenty ofphrase · A2A large and satisfying quantity of something.
- plinth/plɪnθ/noun · C1The block a column or a statue stands on.
- plug/plʌɡ/noun · B1The part at the end of a cable that goes into the wall for power.
- point outphrase · B2To draw everyone's attention to a detail they missed.
- pointy/ˈpɔɪnti/adjective · B2Narrowing to a sharp tip.
- poke/pəʊk/verb · B1To push at something quickly with a finger or stick.
- police officernoun · A2The official who enforces the law.
- police stationphrase · A2The building where officers of the law work.
- policeman/pəˈliːsmən/noun · A1A man whose job is enforcing the law.
- policy/ˈpɒl.ə.si/noun · B1An official plan of action adopted by a government or company.
- polo/ˈpoʊloʊ/noun · B2A team game played on horseback with mallets and a ball.
- pond/pɒnd/noun · B1A small pool of still water where ducks and frogs live.
- ponderous/ˈpɒn.dəɹ.əs/adjective · C2Heavy and slow, or dull and laboured.
- ponytail/ˈpoʊniˌteɪl/noun · A2+Hair gathered and tied at the back of the head.
- populatedadjective · B2Having people living in it.
- porcelain/ˈpɔːsəlɪn/noun · B2A fine white ceramic thin enough to let light through.
- portable/ˈpɔː(ɹ)təbəl/adjective · B2Light enough to be carried about.
- portfolio/pɔːtˈfəʊ.liˌəʊ/noun · C1The collected examples of your best work you show to clients.
- pose/poʊz/verb · B2To hold a position for a picture, or to present a problem.
- possibility/ˌpɒs.ɪˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/noun · A2+Something that could happen, though it has not yet.
- post office/ˈpəʊst ˌɒfɪs/phrase · A2The place where you send letters and collect packages.
- poster/ˈpoʊstɚ/noun · A2+A big printed picture stuck on a wall for everyone to see.
- postman/ˈpəʊs(t)mən/noun · B1The person who brings letters and packages to your door.
- posture/ˈpɒst͡ʃə/noun · B2The way you hold your body when standing or sitting.
- pot/pɒt/noun · B1A deep metal container used for cooking soup or boiling pasta.
- potato/pəˈteɪ.təʊ/noun · A1A brown vegetable that grows under the ground; chips are made from it.
- potential/pəˈtɛnʃəl/noun · B2The ability someone has not yet grown into.
- pour/pɔː/verb · B1To make liquid flow out of a container.
- pout/paʊt/verb · B2+To push the lips out to show displeasure.
- powerlessnessnoun · C2The crushing feeling of being unable to change anything.
- prattle/ˈpɹætəl/verb · C1To chatter on about nothing in particular.
- precise/pɹɪˈsaɪs/adjective · B2Exact, down to the smallest detail.
- predestinedadjective · C1Fixed by fate long before it happened.
- predetermined/ˈpɹidɪˈtɜːmɪnd/adjective · B2Decided in advance, before anything began.
- predicament/pɹɪˈdɪkəmənt/noun · B2An awkward difficult situation with no easy way out.
- preferably/ˈpɹɛf.ɹəˌbli/adverb · B2If there is a choice, this is the one to pick.
- preference/ˈpɹɛf(ə)ɹ(ə)ns/noun · B2Liking one thing better than another.
- premise/ˈpɹɛm.ɪs/noun · C1The starting assumption an argument is built on.
- premonition/ˌpriːməˈnɪʃən/noun · C1A sense of a future event before it happens.
- preoccupiedadjective · B2So taken up with one thought that others do not land.
- prepaid/pɹiːˈpeɪd/adjective · B2+Paid for in advance, before you use it.
- prepaid cardnoun · B2A card loaded with money in advance.
- prescribe/pɹɪˈskɹaɪb/verb · B2To order a medicine or a course of treatment.
- presence/ˈpɹɛzəns/noun · B2The fact of being in a place, or an impressive manner.
- press-gangverb · C1To force someone into doing a job they never agreed to.
- presumably/pɹɪˈzjuːməbli/adverb · C1As one may reasonably suppose, though unconfirmed.
- prevent/pɹɪˈvɛnt/verb · A2+To stop something bad before it can happen.
- pride/pɹaɪd/noun · A2The warm feeling of having done something worth respect.
- principle/ˈpɹɪn.sɪ.pəl/noun · B2A rule of right conduct you refuse to break.
- problem-solvingnoun · B2The skill of working out how to fix things.
- prod/pɹɒd/verb · B2+To poke somebody to get their attention.
- producer/pɹəˈdjuːsə/noun · B1+The person who arranges the money and the schedule.
- profanity/pɹəˈfænɪti/noun · B2+Swearing, or irreverent language.
- profusely/pɹəˈfjusli/adverb · C1In such abundance that it streams or pours out unchecked, as with sweat, blood, thanks, or apologies.
- progress/ˈpɹəʊ.ɡɹɛs/noun · A2+Steady movement toward something better.
- prohibit/pɹəˈhɪbɪt/verb · B2+To officially forbid something by rule or law.
- prompt/pɹɒmpt/adjective · B2Done without any delay.
- promptly/ˈpɹɑmptli/adverb · B2Without any delay.
- pronunciation/pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/noun · B1+The way a word is spoken aloud.
- proportionate/pɹəˈpɔːʃənət/adjective · B2Matching in size or amount to something else, so it stays fair.
- propose/pɹəˈpəʊz/verb · B2To suggest a plan formally; also, to ask someone to marry you.
- pros and consphrase · B2The points for and against a decision.
- protective/pɹəˈtɛk.tɪv/adjective · B2Wanting or acting to keep somebody safe.
- protest/ˈpɹəʊ.tɛst/noun · B1+A public gathering to show anger at something unfair.
- protuberance/pɹəˈtjuː.bə.ɹəns/noun · C2A lump that sticks out from a surface.
- provocation/ˌpɹɑvəˈkeɪʃən/noun · C1Something done deliberately to make somebody angry.
- psychologist/ˌsaɪˈkɑl.ə.d͡ʒɪst/noun · B2+The professional who studies the mind and helps people with their feelings.
- psychotic/ˌsaɪˈkɒtɪk/adjective · C2Suffering a break from reality; wildly deranged.
- puberty/ˈpjuː.bə.ti/noun · B2+The years when the body changes into an adult one.
- puff/pʌf/noun · B1A short burst of air, smoke or breath.
- pull offphrase · C1To succeed at something difficult.
- pull outphrase · B2To withdraw from a deal, race, or agreement.
- pull overphrase · B2To steer to the roadside and stop the car.
- pull yourself togetherphrase · B2To force yourself calm after falling apart.
- pulmonary/ˈpʌl.məˌnɛ.ɹi/adjective · C1To do with the lungs.
- pulsate/pʌlˈseɪt/verb · B2To throb with a steady beat.
- pump/pʌmp/noun · A2+The device for forcing air into a tyre.
- punch/pʌnt͡ʃ/verb · B1To hit hard with a closed fist.
- punctuate/ˈpʰʌŋktjuːeɪt/verb · C1To break something up at intervals.
- puncture/ˈpʌŋktʃə/noun · B1+The small hole that lets all the air out of a wheel.
- pupil/ˈpjuːpəl/noun · B1+The black circle in the middle of your eye that grows in the dark.
- puppy/ˈpʌpi/noun · B1A young dog.
- pure/ˈpjʊə/adjective · B2With nothing else mixed in — one hundred percent itself.
- purple/ˈpɜː.pl̩/noun · A1The color you get when you mix red and blue.
- pursuit/pəˈsjuːt/noun · B2The chasing of somebody, or an activity you follow.
- pushy/ˈpʊʃ.i/adjective · B2Aggressively determined to get your own way.
- put awayphrase · A2To return things to their proper place.
- put backphrase · A2To return a thing to where it was.
- put downphrase · B1To place something on a surface; also, to insult someone.
- put inphrase · B2To spend time or effort on something.
- put on/ˌpʊt ˈɒn/phrase · A1To get dressed in a piece of clothing.
- put up withphrase · B2To accept something annoying without complaining.
- putt/pʌt/verb · B2+To hit a golf ball gently along the green.
- puzzle/ˈpʌzəl/noun · B2A picture cut into many little pieces that you fit back together.
- qualification/ˌkwɒlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/noun · B2+The official paper or skill that proves you can do a job.
- quality/ˈkwɒlɪti/noun · A2+How good or bad something is made.
- quandary/ˈkwɒn.də.ɹi/noun · C1A state of not knowing which way to choose.
- quantity/ˈkwɒn.tɪ.ti/noun · B1+A measurable number or bulk of something.
- quarter/ˈk(w)ɔːtə/noun · A1Fifteen minutes — one fourth of an hour.
- quarter hournoun · A2A period of fifteen minutes.
- question mark/ˈkwɛstʃ(ə)n ˌmɑːk/noun · B1The sign written at the end of a question.
- quotation/kwoʊˈteɪʃn̩/noun · B2+A stated price for doing a particular job.
- rabies/ˈɹeɪ.biːz/noun · B2A deadly viral disease passed on by an animal bite.
- raccoon/ɹəˈkuːn/noun · B1+The masked grey animal that raids bins at night in North America.
- radiant/ˈɹeɪ.di.ənt/adjective · B2Glowing brightly with light or happiness.
- radiator/ˈrædɪeɪ̯tə/noun · B2The ridged metal panel on the wall that heats the room.
- radius/ˈɹeɪ.di.əs/noun · B2The line from a circle's center to its edge — half the width.
- rag/ɹæɡ/noun · B1A torn piece of old cloth, kept for cleaning or wiping rather than for wearing.
- ragged/ˈɹæɡɪd/adjective · B2Old, torn, and hanging in strips.
- rail/ɹeɪ(ə)l/noun · B2One of the steel bars a train's wheels run on.
- railway/ˈɹeɪlˌweɪ/noun · B1+The metal track a train runs on, and the company that runs it.
- ramp/ɹæmp/noun · B2A slope joining two different levels.
- rampage/ˈɹæmpeɪd͡ʒ/noun · C1A wild rush of violent, destructive behaviour.
- ramshackle/ˈɹæmˌʃæk.əl/adjective · C1Badly made and ready to fall down.
- range/ˈɹeɪnd͡ʒ/noun · B1The gap between the smallest and the largest value.
- rascal/ˈɹɑːskl̩/noun · B2A mischievous person, spoken of half fondly.
- rattle/ˈɹæ.təl/noun · B2A baby's toy that makes a noise when shaken.
- raucous/ˈɹɔːkəs/adjective · C1Loud, rough and disorderly.
- rave/ɹeɪv/verb · B2+To speak about something with wild enthusiasm.
- raving/ˈɹeɪvɪŋ/adjective · C1Talking wildly, as in delirium.
- ravioli/ɹæ.viːˈəʊ.li/noun · B1+Little pasta cushions with a filling inside.
- reaffirm/ɹiːəˈfɜːm/verb · C1To state again that something still stands.
- real estate/ˈɹiːl əˌsteɪt/noun · B2Land and the buildings on it, as property to trade.
- realization/ˌɹɪə.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/noun · C1The moment of coming to understand something.
- reappearverb · B2+To come into sight again.
- rearrange/ˌɹiːəˈɹeɪndʒ/verb · B1+To put things into a different order.
- rearview/ˈɹɪəvjuː/adjective · B2Describing the mirror that shows a driver what is behind.
- reasonably/ˈɹiː.zən.ə.bli/adverb · B2To a fair degree, or in a sensible way.
- rebellion/ɹɪˈbɛl.i.ən/noun · B2An armed rising of people against their rulers.
- receipt/ɹɪˈsiːt/noun · B1The little paper the shop gives you to prove you paid.
- receive/ɹɪˈsiːv/verb · A2+To have something arrive into your hands from someone.
- receiver/ɹəˈsi.vɚ/noun · B2The part that takes in a signal, or an official in charge of a failed business.
- recent/ˈɹiː.sənt/adjective · A2+Having happened a very short time ago.
- recently/ˈɹiːsənt.li/adverb · A2A short time ago.
- recharge/ɹiːˈtʃɑː(ɹ)dʒ/<q:verb>verb · B2To fill a battery, or your own energy, again.
- recipient/ɹəˈsɪp.i.ənt/noun · B2Somebody who receives something.
- reciprocate/ɹɪˈsɪpɹəˌkeɪt/verb · C1To return a feeling or a favour in kind.
- recite/ɹɪˈsaɪt/verb · B1+To say a piece from memory in front of others.
- recognise/ˈɹɛkənaɪz/verb · A2+To know somebody or something because you have met it before.
- recollection/ɹɛkəˈlɛkʃən/noun · B2+A memory of something, as you hold it now.
- reconstruct/ˌɹiːkənˈstɹʌkt/verb · B2+To build again, or to work out how events happened.
- recreationaladjective · C1Done for fun and relaxation, not for work.
- recruitment/rɪˈkruːt.mənt /noun · B2+The process of finding and choosing new people for jobs.
- recyclingnoun · B1+Turning used bottles, cans, and paper into new things.
- red-eye/ˈɹɛdaɪ/noun · C1A flight that travels through the night.
- red-hotadjective · B2Glowing with heat; also, wildly popular right now.
- redefineverb · B2+To give something a new meaning or a new shape.
- rediscoververb · C1To find again something that had been forgotten.
- reduce/ɹɪˈd͡ʒuːs/verb · B1+To make something smaller in amount or size.
- redundant/ɹɪˈdʌn.dənt/adjective · B2+No longer needed; saying or doing what is already covered.
- reel/ˈɹiːl/verb · B2To stagger about as if about to fall.
- refer/ɹɪˈfɜː/verb · B1To mention something, or to send somebody to another for help.
- reflect/ɹɪˈflɛkt/verb · B1+To throw back light or an image.
- reflection/ɹɪˈflɛkʃən/noun · B2The image thrown back at you by water or a mirror.
- reflex/ˈɹiːflɛks/noun · B2The instant body reaction that happens before you can think.
- refurbish/ɹiːˈfɜːbɪʃ/verb · C1To clean up and re-equip an interior.
- regain/ɹiːˈɡeɪn/verb · B2To get back something you had lost.
- register/ˈɹɛd͡ʒ.ɪ.stə/verb · B2To put your name on an official list.
- regrettableadjective · B2+To be wished otherwise.
- regurgitate/ɹɪˈɡɝ.d͡ʒəˌteɪt/verb · C1To bring food back up, or repeat facts without thinking.
- rein/ɹeɪn/noun · B2+The strap by which a rider guides a horse.
- reiterate/ɹiːˈɪt.ə.ɹeɪt/verb · C1To say something again to make sure it lands.
- relative/ˈɹɛl.ə.tɪv/noun · B1Any person who belongs to your family.
- relevance/ˈɹɛl.ɪ.vən(t)s/noun · C1How closely something bears on the matter at hand.
- reliantadjective · B2Needing someone or something else in order to manage.
- relic/ˈɹɛlɪk/noun · B2+An object kept because it survives from the past.
- relieved/ɹɪˈliːvd/adjective · B2Freed from worry at last.
- reluctance/ɹɪˈlʌktəns/noun · B2+Unwillingness that shows in how slowly you act.
- reluctant/ɹɪˈlʌktənt/adjective · C1Unwilling, and showing it.
- reluctantly/ɹɪˈlʌktəntli/adverb · C1Unwillingly, dragging your feet.
- rely onphrase · B1To trust somebody to do what is needed.
- remarry/ɹiːˈmæɹi/verb · B2+To marry again.
- remnant/ˈɹɛmnənt/noun · B2+A small piece left over from a larger whole.
- remote[ɹɪˈməʊt]adjective · B1Far from any town or road.
- remote controlnoun · B1The handheld buttons that change TV channels from the sofa.
- renovation/ɹɛnəˈveɪʃən/noun · B2+Repairing and modernizing an old building until it shines.
- rental/ˈɹɛntəl/noun · B2Something rented, or the money paid for it.
- reorganizeverb · B2+To arrange something in a different way.
- repaint/ɹiːˈpeɪnt/verb · B2+To put a fresh coat of colour on something already painted.
- repair/ɹɪˈpɛə/verb · B1To make a broken thing work again.
- repeatedly/ɹɪˈpiːtɪdli/adverb · B1+Again and again, many times over.
- repentant/ɹəˈpɛntənt/adjective · B2Truly sorry for what you have done.
- replenish/ɹɪˈplɛn.ɪʃ/verb · B2+To fill something up again.
- reply/ɹɪˈplaɪ/verb · A2+To say or write something back when someone asks or writes to you.
- repress/ɹəˈpɹɛs/verb · B2+To hold a feeling or a people down by force.
- reprimand/ˈɹɛpɹɪmɑːnd/verb · C1To rebuke somebody formally for a fault.
- require/ɹɪˈkwaɪə/verb · B1A formal word for needing something as a condition.
- resentful/ɹɪˈzɛntfəl/adjective · C1Quietly angry about an old unfairness.
- resident/ˈɹɛzɪdənt/noun · B2Somebody who lives in a particular place.
- residential/ˌrɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl/adjective · B2Made up of homes rather than shops or factories.
- resignation/ˌɹɛz.ɪɡˈneɪ.ʃən/noun · C1The formal act of quitting your job, letter included.
- resigned/ɹɪˈzaɪnd/adjective · C1Accepting something unpleasant because fighting it is pointless.
- resistance/ɹɪˈzɪstəns/noun · C1How strongly a material fights the flow of electricity.
- respectively/ɹɪˈspɛktɪvli/adverb · C1Each in the order already given.
- restitution/ˌɹɛstɪˈtjuːʃən/noun · C1The giving back of what was taken.
- restriction/ɹɪˈstɹɪkʃən/noun · B2+A rule that limits what may be done.
- restroom/ˈɹɛstˌɹum/noun · B1The American word for a public toilet.
- result/ɹɪˈzʌlt/noun · A2+What comes out at the end because of what was done.
- retail/ˈɹiˌteɪl/noun · B2Selling goods one at a time to the public.
- retailer/ˈɹiteɪlɚ/noun · B2+A business that sells goods to the public.
- retire/ɹɪˈtaɪə/verb · B1+To stop working for good because you have reached the age for it.
- retort/ɹɪˈtɔɹt/verb · C1To reply sharply and immediately.
- retract/ɹɪˈtɹækt/verb · B2+To draw back in, or to take back a statement.
- retrospect/ˈɹɛtɹəˌspɛkt/noun · C2The backward look — how things appear once they are over.
- retrospective/ˌɹɛt.ɹə(ʊ)ˈspɛk.tɪv/noun · C2A look back over a long period of work.
- reunite/ˌɹiːjuːˈnaɪt/verb · B2To bring together again after a separation.
- rev/ɹɛv/verb · B2To make an engine roar by pressing the pedal.
- reveal/ɹɪˈviːl/verb · B2To let something previously secret be seen or known.
- revenge/ɹəˈvɛnd͡ʒ/noun · B2Harm done in return for harm suffered.
- reverse/ɹɪˈvɜːs/verb · B2To drive a car backward.
- revolve/ɹɪˈvɒlv/verb · B2To move in a circle around something.
- revolver/ɹɪˈvɒl.vɚ/noun · B2A handgun whose chambers turn to the barrel.
- rewind/ɹiːˈwaɪnd/verb · B1+To wind something back to an earlier point.
- rhetorical/ɹɪˈtɒɹ.ɪ.kəl/adjective · C2Meant to persuade, or asked without wanting an answer.
- rhythmic/ˈɹɪð.mɪk/adjective · B2+Having a regular repeated beat.
- rib/ɹɪb/noun · B2One of the curved bones that make a cage around your chest.
- rice/ɹaɪs/noun · A1The small white grains half the world eats every day.
- rickety/ˈɹɪk.ɪ.ti/adjective · C1Shaky and likely to collapse.
- rifle/ˈɹaɪfəl/noun · B2A long gun held against the shoulder to shoot far away.
- right angle/ˈɹaɪt ˌæŋɡəl/noun · B1A perfect square corner of ninety degrees.
- rim/ɹɪm/noun · B2The outer ring of a wheel that carries the tyre.
- ringlet/ˈɹɪŋ.lət/noun · C1A long curl of hair.
- rip/ɹɪp/verb · B1To tear roughly and quickly.
- ripe/ɹaɪp/adjective · B1Fully grown and ready to eat — soft, sweet, and colorful.
- rivet/ˈɹɪvət/noun · B2+A metal pin hammered flat to join two plates for good.
- roar/ˈɹɔː/verb · B2To make the deep mighty cry of a lion.
- robot/ˈɹəʊ.bɒt/noun · B1A machine that moves and works by itself, like a mechanical person.
- robotic/ɹəʊˈbɒt.ɪk/adjective · B2+Machine-like, and without human feeling.
- robust/ɹəʊˈbʌst/adjective · C1Strongly built to survive rough treatment.
- rock-solidadjective · B2Utterly firm and completely dependable.
- roll outverb · B2To flatten dough with a heavy cylinder.
- roll upphrase · B2To turn a sleeve over on itself, again and again.
- roof/ɹuːf/noun · A2The top cover of a house that keeps the rain out.
- root/ɹuːt/noun · B2The part of a plant that grows down into the earth and drinks water.
- rope/ɹəʊp/noun · A2Thick strong cord for climbing, tying, and pulling.
- rough/ɹʌf/adjective · B1Uneven and scratchy to the touch, like tree bark.
- routine/ɹuːˈtiːn/noun · B2A set of jobs done the same way each time.
- row/ɹəʊ/noun · B1Things or people arranged in a straight line, side by side.
- rub/ɹʌb/verb · B1To move your hand back and forth against something, pressing.
- rubber/ˈɹʌbə/noun · A2The stretchy bouncy material tires and erasers are made of.
- rubber bandnoun · B1The stretchy loop that snaps around things to hold them.
- rug/ˈɹʌɡ/noun · B1A small soft piece of floor cover that doesn't reach the walls.
- rumble/ˈɹʌmb(ə)l/verb · B2To make the long low rolling sound of distant thunder.
- rummage/ˈɹʌm.ɪd͡ʒ/verb · B2+To search untidily through a mass of things.
- run awayphrase · A2To escape from a place or person by running.
- run downphrase · B2To lose power, or to criticise unfairly.
- run intophrase · B2To meet someone by pure chance.
- run outphrase · B1To use the last of something — milk, money, or time.
- run out ofphrase · A2To use the last of something.
- run overphrase · B2To hit someone or something with a vehicle.
- run throughphrase · B2To practice or review quickly from start to finish.
- run-downadjective · B2Old and falling apart from years without repair.
- run-in/ˈɹʌnˌɪn/noun · C1An unpleasant clash or brush with somebody in authority, such as the police.
- running/ˈɹʌnɪŋ/noun · A2The sport of moving fast on foot, or the managing of something.
- sack/sæk/noun · B1A large bag of strong cloth or paper.
- safety/ˈseɪfti/noun · B1The state of being protected from all harm.
- saffron/ˈsæfɹən/noun · B2+The world's most expensive spice, a red flower thread.
- sale/seːl/noun · A2The time when a shop drops its prices and crowds come running.
- saliva/səˈlaɪvə/noun · B2The liquid your mouth makes when food is near.
- sanctify/ˈsæŋk.tɪ.faɪ/verb · C1To make something holy, or to place it beyond question.
- sanction/ˈsæŋkʃən/noun · C1An official punishment one country puts on another, usually on trade.
- sand/sænd/noun · B1The tiny golden grains that cover beaches and deserts.
- sandwich/ˈsæn(d).wɪd͡ʒ/noun · A1Two slices of bread with something tasty in between.
- sarcasm/ˈsɑːɹˌkæzəm/noun · B2Saying the opposite of what you mean, sharpened to sting.
- sarcastic/sɑːˈkæs.tɪk/adjective · C1Saying the opposite of what is meant, in order to wound.
- satisfaction/sætɪsˈfækʃən/noun · B2The quiet good feeling of having got what you wanted.
- satisfied/ˈsætɪsfaɪd/adjective · B2Content that what you wanted has been met.
- sauna/ˈsɔː.nə/noun · C1A hot wooden room you sit in to sweat.
- sausage/ˈsɒsɪd͡ʒ/noun · A2+Minced meat and spice pushed into a long skin.
- scaffolding/ˈskæfəldɪŋ/noun · B2+The temporary metal frame workers climb on outside a building.
- scalp/skælp/noun · B2The skin on top of your head that hair grows out of.
- scarf/skɑːf/noun · A2+The long soft cloth you wrap around your neck in winter.
- scathing/ˈskeɪðɪŋ/adjective · C1Fiercely and woundingly critical.
- scatter/ˈskætə/verb · B1+To throw or run in all directions at once.
- scepticaladjective · C1Doubting whether a claim is true.
- schnapps/ʃnɑps/noun · C1A strong clear spirit, often flavoured with fruit.
- schoolboy/ˈskulˌbɔɪ/noun · B1+A boy who attends school.
- scimitar/ˈsɪmɪtə/noun · C1A curved single-edged sword from the East.
- sclerosis/skləˈɹəʊ.sɪs/noun · C1A disease that hardens body tissue and stiffens the nerves.
- scoff/skɒf/verb · C1To jeer aloud at something, mocking it in words rather than merely feeling contempt for it.
- scoop/skuːp/noun · C1The big story one reporter gets before every rival.
- scooter/ˈskuːtə(ɹ)/noun · B2A small light two-wheeler you stand or sit on for short city rides.
- scorchingadjective · B2+Burningly, unbearably hot.
- scornful/ˈskɔɹnfəl/adjective · C1Showing that you think something beneath consideration.
- scrabble/ˈskɹæbəl/verb · B2To scratch and grope about hurriedly.
- scram/skɹæm/verb · C2To leave at once — barked at someone you want gone.
- scrap/ˈskɹæp/noun · B2A small leftover piece of something bigger.
- scratch/skɹæt͡ʃ/verb · B1To drag your nails across skin that itches.
- scream/skɹiːm/verb · B1To cry out high and loud in fear or pain.
- screen/ˈskɹiːn/noun · A2The flat glowing surface where a computer or phone shows everything.
- screw inphrase · B1To fasten by turning a threaded pin.
- screwdriver/ˈskɹuˌdɹaɪvɚ/noun · A2+The tool you turn to put screws in or take them out.
- scruff/skɹʌf/noun · C1The loose skin at the back of the neck.
- scrunch/skɹʌnt͡ʃ/verb · C2To squeeze something into a wrinkled ball.
- scrutinise/ˈskɹuːtɪnaɪz/verb · B2+To examine something very closely.
- scrutinize/ˈskɹuːtɨnaɪz/verb · C1To examine every detail with a critical eye.
- scrutiny/ˈskɹuː.tɪ.ni/noun · C1Intense, detail-by-detail critical inspection.
- sculpt/skʌlpt/verb · B2+To shape a figure by cutting away stone or wood.
- seal/siːl/noun · B1A sea animal that barks, claps, and lies on rocks in the sun.
- seam/ˈsiːm/noun · B2The stitched line where two pieces of cloth join.
- secondary/ˈsɛkənd(ə)ɹɪ/noun · B2A colour made by mixing two primaries.
- section/ˈsɛkʃən/noun · B1One separate part of a larger whole.
- security guardnoun · B1A person employed to protect a place or people.
- sedan/səˈdæn/noun · B2+A car with a separate boot behind the passenger seats.
- seek outphrase · B2To look for somebody or something until you find them.
- seethe/siːð/verb · C1To boil, or to be filled with barely hidden rage.
- selective/səˈlɛktɪv/adjective · B2Choosing carefully rather than taking everything.
- self-confidentadjective · B1Sure of your own abilities.
- self-consciousadjective · C1Awkwardly aware of how you look to others.
- self-employedadjective · B1Working for yourself rather than for an employer.
- self-possessionnoun · C1Calm control of yourself in a difficult moment.
- self-service/sɛlfˈsɜː.vɪs/noun · B1Helping yourself rather than being waited on.
- selflessnessnoun · C2Putting other people's needs before your own.
- seminar/ˈsɛmɪnɑɹ/noun · B2+A small university class built on discussion, not lecturing.
- senile/ˈsiːnaɪl/adjective · B2+Weakened in mind or body by very great age.
- sensational/sɛnˈseɪʃənəl/adjective · C1Causing great excitement — or exaggerated to do so.
- sensible/ˈsɛn.sɪ.bəl/adjective · B1Showing good practical judgment.
- sensibly/ˈsɛnsəbli/adverb · B1+In a way that shows good practical judgement.
- sensor/ˈsɛn.sə/noun · B2A small device that detects heat, light or movement.
- sentry/ˈsɛn.tɹi/noun · B2+A soldier posted to keep watch.
- sequence/ˈsiː.kwəns/noun · B2Things following one another in a fixed order.
- serenade/ˌsɛɹəˈneɪd/noun · C1A love song performed under someone's window.
- seriousness/ˈsɪɹiəsnəs/noun · B2How grave a matter is, or how solemn a person.
- set downphrase · C1To write something so it is on record.
- set offphrase · B2To begin a journey; also, to make an alarm or bomb go.
- set up/ˌsɛt ˈʌp/phrase · B1To build or arrange something so it is ready to work.
- setting/ˈsɛtɪŋ/noun · B1The time and place a story happens in.
- sewing machinenoun · A2A machine that stitches cloth quickly.
- shadow/ˈʃædəʊ̯/noun · B1The dark shape you make on the ground when you stand in sunshine.
- shamefaced/ˈʃeɪmˌfeɪst/adjective · C2Showing embarrassment at what you have done.
- shameful/ˈʃeɪmfəl/adjective · B1+So bad that it brings disgrace.
- shatter/ˈʃætə/verb · B2To break violently into many tiny pieces.
- shawl/ʃɔːl/noun · B2A large soft cloth draped around the shoulders for warmth.
- shed/ʃɛd/noun · B1The small wooden building in a garden where tools live.
- sheer/ʃɪə̯/adjective · B2Pure and total — luck, cliffs that drop straight down, or thin fabric.
- sheet/ʃiːt/noun · A2The thin cloth that covers a mattress.
- shelf/ʃɛlf/noun · B1The flat board on a wall where you put books and jars.
- shift/ˈʃɪft/noun · B1The block of hours you work — days one week, maybe nights the next.
- shin/ʃɪn/noun · B1+The hard front edge of the lower leg.
- shinbonenoun · B1The hard ridge you feel at the front of your lower leg.
- shine/ʃaɪn/verb · B1To give out bright light, like the sun.
- shirtsleevesnoun · B2What you are left in once the jacket comes off.
- shoe/ˈʃuː/noun · A1You wear a pair of these on your feet to walk outside.
- shoo/ʃuː/verb · B2To wave a creature away.
- shop assistant/ˌʃɒp əˈsɪs.tənt/noun · A2Somebody who serves customers in a shop.
- shortcoming/ˈʃɔːtˌkʌmɪŋ/noun · C1A fault or weakness that keeps something from being good enough.
- shortcut/ˈʃɔːtkʌt/noun · A2+The quicker smaller path that saves you time.
- shoulder/ˈʃəʊldə/noun · A2The part where your arm joins your body; you carry a bag on it.
- shout/ʃaʊt/verb · A2To say words very loudly.
- shove/ʃʌv/verb · B1To push roughly and suddenly.
- shovel/ˈʃʌv.əl/noun · A2+The broad digging tool for lifting earth and snow.
- show upphrase · B1To arrive and appear, especially when people doubted you would.
- show-off/ˈʃəʊ ˌɒf/noun · B2A person who performs their talents just to be admired.
- shower/ˈʃaʊ.ə(ɹ)/noun · A1You stand under its falling water to get clean.
- shriek/ʃɹiːk/verb · B2To scream in a high piercing voice.
- shrug/ˈʃɹʌɡ/verb · B2To lift your shoulders to show you do not know or do not care.
- shuffle/ˈʃʌfəl/verb · B1+To mix cards into a random order.
- shush/ʃʊʃ/verb · B1+To tell somebody to be quiet.
- sick leavephrase · B2The paid days off you take when you are too ill to work.
- side by sidephrase · B1Next to each other in a line.
- sigh/saɪ/verb · B2To let out a long deep breath of tiredness or relief.
- silence/ˈsaɪlən(t)s/noun · B1Complete absence of sound.
- silent/ˈsaɪ̯lənt/adjective · B1Making no sound at all.
- silver/ˈsɪl.və/adjective · A2A pale shining grey, like polished metal.
- similar/ˈsɪm.ɪ.lə/adjective · A2+Almost the same, but not exactly.
- sincere/sɪnˈsɪə(ɹ)/adjective · B2Truly meaning every word you say.
- single-handedlyadverb · B2Entirely without anybody else's help.
- sink/ˈsɪŋk/noun · B1The place in the kitchen where you wash the dishes.
- sit downphrase · A1To lower yourself onto a chair.
- sixteen/ˈsɪks.tiːn/noun · A1The number that comes after fifteen.
- skateboard/ˈskeɪt.bɔːd/noun · B2The small board on four little wheels that skaters do tricks on.
- skeptical/ˈskɛptɪkəl/adjective · B2+Doubting claims until you see real proof.
- skepticism/ˈskɛp.tɪˌsɪ.zəm/noun · B2+The habit of doubting claims until they are proven.
- skewer/ˈskjuː.ə/noun · B2+A thin stick pushed through pieces of food for grilling.
- skim/skɪm/verb · B2To read very fast, catching only the main points.
- skulk/skʌlk/verb · C1To hide and move about with bad intentions.
- slain/sleɪ̯n/adjective · C1Killed, especially in battle.
- slam/ˈslæm/verb · B1To shut a door hard with an angry bang.
- slammer/ˈslæmɚ/noun · C1Prison, in informal use.
- slap/slæp/verb · B1To hit with the flat of an open hand.
- slight/slaɪt/adjective · B2Very small in degree; barely noticeable.
- slightly/ˈslaɪtli/adverb · B1To a small degree.
- slim/ˈslɪm/adjective · B1Attractively narrow in body.
- slip awayphrase · B2To leave quietly, or to be lost little by little.
- slippers/ˈslɪpə(ɹ)z/noun · A2+Soft comfortable shoes worn only indoors.
- slit/ˈslɪt/verb · B2To make a long narrow cut.
- slope/sloʊp/noun · B2The slanted side of a hill that skiers love.
- slot/slɒt/noun · B2A narrow opening made for something to be dropped or slid into.
- slouch/ˈslaʊ̯t͡ʃ/verb · B2To sit or stand with a drooping back.
- slow downphrase · B1To reduce your speed.
- slow motion/ˌsləʊˈməʊ.ʃən/noun · B1Film shot fast and played back slowly.
- slumber/ˈslʌm.bə/noun · B2Sleep, in a gentle or literary sense.
- slump/slʌmp/verb · B2To drop heavily into a seat or a posture.
- slush/slʌʃ/noun · B2Half-melted snow lying dirty on the ground.
- small printnoun · C1The conditions written where nobody reads them.
- small talknoun · B2Light polite chat about nothing much, like the weather.
- small-townadjective · B2Belonging to quiet provincial life, far from the big city.
- smash intophrase · B2To hit something so hard it breaks.
- smirk/smɜːk/verb · B2To smile in a knowing, superior way.
- smithereens/smɪðəˈɹiːnz/noun · C2The tiny bits something is blown or smashed into.
- smother/ˈsməðər/verb · C2To cover something so thickly it cannot breathe or burn.
- smoulder/ˈsməʊldə(ɹ)/verb · B2+To burn slowly without flame.
- smug/smʌɡ/adjective · B2Annoyingly pleased with yourself.
- snap/snæp/verb · B1To break with a short sharp sound.
- snappy/ˈsnæpi/adjective · B2Quick and lively, or irritable in reply.
- snatch/snæt͡ʃ/verb · B2To grab something away quickly and rudely.
- sneak/sniːk/verb · B1To go somewhere secretly and quietly.
- sneakers/ˈsnikɚz/noun · A2+Soft sports shoes for running and everyday comfort.
- sneaky/ˈsniːki/adjective · B1Doing things quietly and dishonestly.
- sneer/snɪə̯/verb · B2+To smile in a way that shows contempt.
- sniff/snɪf/verb · B2To breathe in sharply through the nose.
- snigger/ˈsnɪɡɚ/verb · C1To laugh quietly and unkindly.
- snore/snɔː/verb · B2To breathe in loud rattling sounds while asleep.
- snort/snɔɹt/verb · B2To push air noisily out through the nose, often in scorn.
- snot/snɒt/noun · B1Mucus from the nose.
- snow/snəʊ̯/noun · A1Soft white cold flakes that fall in winter.
- snowblower/ˈsnoʊˌbloʊɚ/noun · C2The machine that hurls the white drifts off a driveway.
- snowfall/ˈsnoʊfɔːl/noun · C1The white flakes coming down, or how much of them settles.
- snuggle/ˈsnʌ.ɡəl/verb · B1To press close to somebody for warmth and comfort.
- sob/sɒb/verb · B2To cry hard with gulping breaths.
- sod/sɒd/noun · C1A mildly rude British word for a person, which can be fond or scornful depending on the tone.
- sofa/ˈsəʊ̯fə/noun · A2+The long soft seat where three people can sit together.
- soil/sɔɪl/noun · B1The dark ground material that plants grow in.
- soldier/ˈsəʊld͡ʒə/noun · A2A person who serves in the army.
- sole/səʊl/noun · B2The flat underside of a foot.
- somewhat/ˈsʌmwɒt/adverb · B2To a moderate degree.
- sooner or laterphrase · B2At some point, whether you like it or not.
- soot/suːt/noun · B2+The fine black powder left by smoke.
- sooty/ˈsʊti/adjective · B2+Blackened with the powder left by smoke.
- sort of/ˈsɔːt‿əv/phrase · B1Partly, but not completely.
- sort outphrase · B2To fix a messy problem and put things in order.
- sound outphrase · C1To ask carefully what somebody thinks before acting.
- sour/ˈsaʊ.ə/adjective · A2+Tasting sharp like lemon; it makes your face squeeze.
- sparrow/ˈspæɹəʊ/noun · B2A small brown street bird that hops in noisy groups.
- spatial/ˈspeɪ.ʃəl/adjective · C2To do with space and the position of things in it.
- spatter/ˈspætɚ/verb · C1To scatter drops over a surface.
- special offernoun · B1A temporary reduction to attract buyers.
- spectacle/ˈspɛktəkl̩/noun · B2An impressive public display, or a shameful sight.
- speculate/ˈspɛk.jʊˌleɪt/verb · B2+To think about what might be, without evidence.
- speech/spiːt͡ʃ/noun · A2A prepared talk given to a room of listeners.
- speed limit/ˌspiːd ˈlɪ.mɪt/phrase · B1The fastest you are legally allowed to drive on that road.
- spew/spjuː/verb · C1To pour out in a violent stream.
- spin/spɪn/verb · B1To turn round and round quickly on one spot.
- spit/spɪt/verb · B1To force liquid out of your mouth.
- spite/spaɪt/noun · B2The small mean wish to hurt or annoy someone.
- spittle/ˈspɪ.t(ə)l/noun · C1Saliva, especially when spat out.
- splash/splæʃ/verb · B1To throw water about noisily.
- splatter/ˈsplætɚ/verb · B2To scatter drops of liquid noisily over a surface.
- splinter/ˈsplɪn.tə/noun · B2A tiny sharp piece of wood stuck painfully in your skin.
- splutter/ˈsplʌtə/verb · C1To speak in a spitting, broken way because of shock or water.
- spontaneous/spɒnˈteɪ.ni.əs/adjective · B2Happening on the spur of the moment, unplanned.
- sprinkle/ˈspɹɪŋkəl/verb · B1To scatter tiny drops or bits over the top of something.
- spruce/spɹuːs/noun · B2+An evergreen with short sharp needles all round the twig.
- spry/spɹaɪ/adjective · C1Lively and quick, especially in an older person.
- spud/spʌd/noun · B2+A potato, in informal use.
- squeeze/skwiːz/verb · B1To press something hard from both sides, like a lemon.
- squelch/ˈskwɛlt͡ʃ/verb · C1To make the wet sucking sound of mud underfoot.
- squint/skwɪnt/verb · B2To half close your eyes to see better.
- squint atphrase · B2To screw your eyes up against light while looking.
- stab/stæb/verb · B2To drive a pointed weapon into somebody.
- stain/steɪn/noun · B2The dirty mark that coffee or ketchup leaves on your shirt.
- stairs/ˈstɛəz/noun · A1The steps you climb to go from one floor to another.
- stammer/ˈstæmə/verb · B2+To speak with repeated sounds and painful pauses.
- stamp/stæmp/noun · A2+The small sticky picture you put on an envelope to pay for its trip.
- stamping/ˈstæmpɪŋ/noun · C1Pressing shapes out of sheet metal.
- stand by/ˌstændˈbaɪ̯/phrase · B2To stay loyal to someone in trouble; also, to wait ready.
- stand outphrase · B2To be easily noticed among all the rest.
- stand upphrase · A1To rise to your feet.
- stare/stɛɚ/verb · B2To keep your eyes fixed on someone for an impolitely long time.
- stare downphrase · C1To hold somebody's eyes until they look away.
- startled/ˈstɑɹt.l̩d/adjective · B2Jolted by something sudden.
- state of mindnoun · B2How a person is feeling and thinking at a time.
- statement/ˈsteɪtm(ə)nt/noun · B1The regular list of everything paid in and out.
- statistics/stəˈtɪs.tɪks/noun · B2The branch of maths that makes sense of collected data.
- steadfast/ˈstɛdfɑːst/adjective · C2Firm and unmoving in support, whatever comes.
- steady/ˈstɛdi/adjective · B1Firm, regular, and unchanging — hands, jobs, or progress.
- steamroller/ˈstimˌroʊlɚ/verb · B2To crush all opposition by sheer force.
- steel/stiːl/noun · B2The strong grey metal of bridges, knives, and skyscrapers.
- steepedadjective · B2Left in hot liquid until the flavour comes out.
- steer/stɪə/verb · B2To point a moving vehicle where you want it to go.
- steering wheel/ˈstɪə.ɪŋ ˌ(h)wiːl/noun · B2The wheel a driver turns to point the vehicle.
- stench/stɛnt͡ʃ/noun · B2A very strong and disgusting smell.
- step downphrase · C1To resign from a position of power.
- stepladdernoun · B1+A folding ladder that stands on its own.
- stern/stɜːn/adjective · B2Strict and serious, with no softness in the face.
- stethoscope/ˈstɛθəskəʊp/noun · B2The tool a doctor wears around the neck to listen to your heart.
- stick tophrase · B2To keep to a plan or a promise.
- stint/stɪnt/noun · C1A fixed period of work or duty.
- stocky/ˈstɒki/adjective · B2+Short and solidly built.
- stomach/ˈstʌmək/noun · A2The part of your body where food goes; it hurts when you eat too much.
- stomp/stɒmp/verb · B2To walk or strike with heavy loud steps.
- stool/stuːl/noun · B2A simple seat with no back, often tall for bar counters.
- stooped/stuːpt/adjective · B2+Bent forward at the shoulders.
- stop offphrase · B1To break a journey somewhere on the way.
- storage/ˈstɔː.ɹɪd͡ʒ/noun · B1Where files stay when the power is off.
- stormy/ˈstɔɹmi/adjective · B1+With wild wind, rain, and an angry sky.
- stove/stəʊv/noun · A2+The cooking machine with hot rings on top.
- stow/stəʊ/verb · B2+To pack something away where it belongs.
- straddle/ˈstɹædəl/verb · B2+To sit or stand with a leg on either side.
- straight aheadphrase · A2Directly in front, with no turning.
- straight linenoun · A2A line that does not bend at all.
- straighten/ˈstɹeɪtn̩/verb · B2To make something flat, level or tidy that was bent or crooked.
- straighten upphrase · B2To make your back upright.
- straightforward/ˌstɹeɪtˈfɔː(ɹ)wə(ɹ)d/adjective · B2Simple and with no hidden difficulty.
- strain/stɹeɪn/verb · B2To pour a mixture through a mesh to keep only the solid part.
- stranger/ˈstɹeɪnd͡ʒə(ɹ)/noun · B1A person you have never met before.
- streak/stɹiːk/noun · C1The colour a mineral leaves when scraped on a plate.
- stream/ˈstɹiːm/noun · B2A small narrow river you can jump across.
- streetlight/ˈstɹiːt.laɪt/noun · A2+The tall lamp that lights the road when night falls.
- strenuous/ˈstɹɛ.nju.əs/adjective · B2+Needing great effort.
- stress/ˈstɹɛs/noun · B1The pressure you feel when there is too much to handle.
- stretch/stɹɛt͡ʃ/verb · B1To slowly pull your arms and legs long before and after moving hard.
- stride/stɹaɪd/verb · B2To walk with long decisive steps.
- strip/ˈstɹɪp/verb · B2To take old paint or paper off down to the bare surface.
- stripling/ˈstɹɪplɪŋ/noun · C2A boy just beginning to grow into a man.
- strive/ˈstɹaɪv/verb · B2To struggle hard toward a goal.
- stroll/stɹəʊl/verb · B1To walk slowly for pleasure, in no hurry at all.
- struggle/ˈstɹʌɡəl/verb · B2To fight hard against something difficult, often while losing.
- stuck-upadjective · C1Acting as if you are better than everyone else.
- studded/ˈstʌdɪd/adjective · B2+Set all over with small raised pieces.
- student loannoun · B2Money borrowed to pay for study, repaid later.
- stultify/ˈstʌltɪfaɪ/verb · C2To dull the mind until it can no longer think or act.
- stumble/ˈstʌmbəl/verb · B2To trip and nearly fall while walking or speaking.
- stump/stʌmp/noun · B1+The low remains of a tree after it has been cut down.
- stupidity/stjuːˈpɪdɪti/noun · B1Behaviour that shows a serious lack of sense.
- stutter/ˈstʌtɚ/verb · B1+To repeat the first sound of words when speaking.
- subscription/səbˈskɹɪpʃən/noun · B1+A regular payment for ongoing access to a service or magazine.
- subsequently/ˈsʌb.sɪ.kwənt.li/adverb · B2+After the thing just mentioned.
- suburban/səˈbɜː(ɹ)bən/adjective · C1Belonging to the quiet housing around a city.
- succinct/səkˈsɪŋ(k)t/adjective · C1Said in very few words, and well.
- sudden/ˈsʌd.ən/adjective · B1Happening at once, without any warning.
- sufferance/ˈsʌf(ə)ɹəns/noun · C2Being allowed only because nobody objects.
- sufficient/səˈfɪʃənt/adjective · B2A formal word for being as much as is needed.
- suitor/ˈsutɚ/noun · C1A man courting a woman with a view to marriage.
- sulky/ˈsʌlki/adjective · C1Silent and cross because you did not get your way.
- sullen/ˈsʌlən/adjective · B2+Silently bad-tempered and resentful.
- sum/sʌm/noun · B2The total you get by adding numbers together.
- summon/ˈsʌmən/verb · B2To officially order someone to come; also, to gather your courage.
- sunglassesnoun · A2+Dark eye glass you wear on bright days.
- sunken/ˈsʌŋkən/adjective · B2Fallen below the surrounding level.
- suntan/ˈsʌnˌtæn/noun · B2The brown colour skin turns after days outdoors.
- superfluous/suːˈpɜːflu.əs/adjective · C1More than is needed, and therefore useless.
- superior/suːˈpɪə.ɹi.ə/adjective · B2Better or higher in rank than the others.
- supermarket/ˌsupɚˈmɑɹkət/noun · A1The big food shop with long shelves and rolling baskets.
- supplement/ˈsʌp.lɪ.mənt/noun · C1An extra dose of something missing from a diet.
- surname/ˈsɜːˌneɪm/noun · A2+Your family name — the one you share with your parents.
- surprisingly/səˈpɹaɪzɪŋli/adverb · B1+In a way that was not expected.
- surreptitious/ˌsʌɹɪpˈtɪʃəs/adjective · C2Done secretly so as not to be seen.
- surround/səˈɹaʊnd/verb · B2To be on every side of something, all the way around.
- suspenders/səˈspɛndɚz/noun · C1The elastic straps over the shoulders that hold trousers up.
- suspicious/səˈspɪʃ.əs/adjective · B1Looking like something dishonest is going on; or quick to doubt others.
- sustain/səˈsteɪn/verb · C1To keep something going, or to suffer an injury.
- swallow/ˈswɒl.əʊ/verb · B1To make food or drink go down your throat.
- swat/swɒt/verb · B2To hit a small moving thing with a flat object.
- sway/ˈsweɪ̯/verb · B2To rock gently side to side; also, to influence a decision.
- swear inphrase · C1To make somebody promise formally to tell the truth.
- sweat/swɛt/noun · B1The salty water your skin makes when you are hot or afraid.
- sweater/ˈswɛtə/noun · A1A warm knitted top for cold days.
- sweatshirt/ˈswɛtʃəːt/noun · B1A thick cotton top with long sleeves and no collar.
- swerve/swɜːv/verb · B2+To suddenly steer sideways to avoid hitting something.
- swimmer/ˈswɪm.ə/noun · B1Somebody moving through water under their own power.
- swimming pool/ˈswɪmɪŋ ˌpuːl/noun · A1The big water-filled basin people swim laps in.
- swindler/ˈswɪnd.lə(ɹ)/noun · C1Somebody who cheats others out of money.
- swine/swaɪn/noun · B2Pigs, or a contemptible person.
- swing/ˈswɪŋ/verb · A2To move back and forth through the air while hanging.
- swipe/swaɪp/verb · B1+To slide a finger across a touchscreen.
- swirl/swɜːl/verb · B2To move round and round in a twisting flow.
- switch offphrase · A2To stop a machine, or to stop paying attention.
- swollen/ˈswəʊ.lən/adjective · B1+Puffed up bigger than it should be.
- swoon/swuːn/verb · C2To collapse dreamily from emotion, or melt with adoration.
- symbolicadjective · C1Standing for something beyond itself.
- symbolism/ˈsɪmbəˌlɪzəm/noun · B2+The use of one thing to stand for another.
- sympathetic/ˌsɪm.pəˈθɛt.ɪk/adjective · B2Feeling and showing care for someone's trouble.
- tableclothnoun · B2The big cloth spread over a table before a nice dinner.
- taciturn/ˈtæsɪtɜːn/adjective · C2Saying very little by nature.
- tactful/ˈtæktfəl/adjective · C1Careful to say hard things without hurting feelings.
- tag/tæɡ/noun · A2A chasing game where a touch passes on the chase.
- tail/ˈteɪ̯l/noun · A2The long back part that wags on a happy dog.
- taillightnoun · C1The red lamp at the back of a car.
- tailor/ˈteɪlɚ/noun · B2A person who makes and fits clothes to measure.
- take apartphrase · B2To separate a machine into its pieces.
- take away/ˌteɪk əˈweɪ/phrase · A2To remove, or to subtract one number from another.
- take carephrase · A2A warm farewell.
- take downphrase · B1To write what is said, or to dismantle something.
- take in/teɪk‿ˈɪn/phrase · B2To fully understand and absorb; also, to give someone shelter.
- take it easyphrase · B1To relax and not push yourself.
- take offphrase · B1To leave the ground and rise into the air, as a plane does.
- take outphrase · B1To remove something from inside; also, to invite someone on a date.
- take overphrase · B2To take control of something from someone else.
- take responsibilityphrase · B2To accept that a matter is yours to answer for.
- take tophrase · B2To begin to like, or to begin doing as a habit.
- take upphrase · B2To start a new hobby; also, to use up space or time.
- tall/tɔːl/adjective · A1Reaching high up, like a basketball player or a tower.
- tangible/ˈtæn.d͡ʒɪ.b(ə)l/adjective · B2+Real enough to touch or measure.
- tangled/ˈtæŋ.ɡəld/adjective · B2Twisted together into a knot that is hard to undo.
- tantrum/ˈtæn.tɹʌm/noun · B2A young child's outburst of uncontrolled anger.
- tap/tæp/noun · A2You turn this to make water come out over the sink.
- tape measurenoun · B1A long marked ribbon that rolls back into its case.
- tarmac/ˈtɑː(ɹ)mæk/noun · B2+The hard surface of an airfield.
- tarpaulin/tɑˈpɔː.lɪn/noun · B2+A big waterproof sheet thrown over what must stay dry.
- tassel/ˈtæsəl/noun · B2+A hanging bunch of threads used as a trimming.
- tattoo/tæˈtu/noun · B2A permanent picture inked into the skin.
- tatty/ˈtæti/adjective · B2Shabby and worn out from long use.
- tax/tæks/noun · B1The share of money everyone must pay to the government.
- tax havennoun · C1A country where taxes are so low that money goes there to hide.
- teacup/ˈtiː.kʌp/noun · B2A small china cup with a saucer for a hot drink.
- tear down/tɛə(ɹ) ˈdaʊn/phrase · B2To pull a building to pieces.
- tease/tiːz/verb · B1To make playful fun of somebody.
- teenage/ˈtiːneɪd͡ʒ/adjective · A2+Belonging to the years between thirteen and nineteen.
- teenager/ˈtiːnˌeɪ̯d͡ʒə/noun · A2+A person between thirteen and nineteen years old.
- television/ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən/noun · A1The screen in the living room where you watch films and shows.
- tell talesphrase · B2To report somebody's wrongdoing to get them into trouble.
- temple/ˈtɛm.pl̩/noun · B2A holy building for prayer in many eastern religions.
- temporary/ˈtɛmpəɹəɹi/adjective · B2Lasting only for a limited time, then gone.
- tempt/tɛmpt/verb · B2To make somebody want something they should not have.
- tenant/ˈtɛ.nənt/noun · B2The person who pays to live in a flat they don't own.
- tend/ˈtɛnd/verb · B1To be likely to do something, as a habit.
- tender/ˈtɛn.dəː/adjective · B2Soft and full of gentle love.
- tentative/ˈtɛntətɪv/adjective · B2+Offered carefully, and open to change.
- term/tɜːm/noun · A2+One of the divisions of the school year.
- terrace/ˈtɛɹəs/noun · B2A row of houses joined in one continuous block.
- terrified/ˈtɛɹɪfaɪd/adjective · B1So extremely afraid you cannot move.
- terror/ˈtɛɹɚ/noun · B2Very great fear, or violence used to cause it.
- terse/tɜːs/adjective · C1Short and abrupt in what is said.
- thank you/ˈθæŋk ˌju/phrase · A1What you say when someone does something nice for you.
- thanklessadjective · C1Bringing no gratitude however well it is done.
- thaw/θɔː/verb · B1+To let frozen food come slowly back to room temperature.
- the other dayphrase · A2Recently, on a day not worth naming.
- then againphrase · B2Introducing a thought that argues the other way.
- thereby/ðɛɹˈbaɪ/adverb · C1By that means, and as a result.
- therefore/ˈðɛə.fɔː/adverb · B1For that reason; it follows that.
- thermos/ˈθɜː.mɒs/noun · B1+The sealed bottle that keeps your tea hot for hours.
- thick/θɪk/adjective · A2Having a lot of distance between its two flat sides, like a winter coat.
- thigh/θaɪ/noun · B2The upper part of the leg, above the knee.
- thin/ˈθɪn/adjective · A2Having very little distance between its sides, like paper; or not fat.
- thirteen/ˌθɜːˈtiːn/noun · A1Ten plus three — some people call it unlucky.
- thirty/ˈθɜːti/noun · A1Three times ten.
- thoughtful/ˈθɔːtfəl/adjective · B2Kindly considering others; also, lost in quiet thinking.
- thoughtless/ˈθɔːtləs/adjective · B2Not considering how others are affected.
- thrash/θɹæʃ/verb · B2+To beat somebody hard, or to move about wildly.
- threaten/ˈθɹɛt.n̩/verb · B2To promise to hurt someone if they do not obey.
- threshold/ˈθɹɛʃəʊld/noun · C1The strip of floor under a doorway — carried across at weddings.
- throw awayphrase · A2To put something in the bin for good.
- thug/θʌɡ/noun · B2A violent criminal.
- thumb/ˈθʌm/noun · A2The short thick finger that makes the 'good job' sign.
- thumbnail/ˈθʌm.neɪl/noun · B1+The tiny preview picture you click on.
- thump/θʌmp/noun · B1+A heavy dull blow, and the sound it makes.
- thunder/ˈθʌndə/noun · B1The huge rumbling sound that follows a flash in a storm.
- tidy/ˈtaɪ.di/verb · A2+To put everything back in its right place.
- tighten/ˈtaɪ.tən/verb · B2To make something firmer or less loose.
- tile/taɪl/noun · B1+A flat square of baked clay covering bathroom walls and roofs.
- tilt/tɪlt/verb · B2To swing a camera up or down on its stand.
- timber/ˈtɪmbə/noun · B2Trees cut and prepared as building wood.
- timbre/ˈtæmbɹə/noun · C1The particular colour of a voice or an instrument.
- timetable/ˈtaɪmˌteɪbəl/noun · A2+The table that shows which lesson happens at which hour.
- timing/ˈtaɪmɪŋ/noun · B2The choosing of the right moment.
- tinker/ˈtɪŋkə/verb · B2To make small adjustments in the hope of improving.
- tiny/ˈtaɪni/adjective · A2Extremely small — ant-sized.
- tip-offnoun · C1A private warning that something is about to happen.
- tire/ˈtaɪ̯ə(ɹ)/noun · B1The black rubber ring around a wheel, filled with air.
- tiresome/ˈtaɪɚsəm/adjective · B2Annoying because it goes on too long.
- titter/ˈtɪtə(ɹ)/verb · C1To laugh quietly in a nervous or silly way.
- to be honestphrase · B1Introducing a frank opinion.
- tobacco/təˈbækəʊ/noun · B2The dried leaf that cigarettes are made from.
- toboggan/təˈbɒɡ.ən/noun · B2A flat sledge for sliding down snowy hills.
- toddler/ˈtɑdlɚ/noun · B1A very small child just learning to walk.
- toilet/ˈtɔɪ.lət/noun · A1The white seat in the smallest room of the house.
- tone/ˈtəʊn/noun · B1The sound of a voice that shows how the speaker feels.
- tone of voicenoun · B2The consistent personality a brand writes in.
- tool/tuːl/noun · A2+Anything you hold to do work — like something for hitting or cutting.
- toolbox/ˈtuːlˌbɒks/noun · B1+The sturdy case that holds hammers, screwdrivers, and nails.
- toolshed/ˈtulˌʃɛd/noun · C1The little garden hut where spades and hammers live.
- tornado/tɔː(ɹ)ˈneɪ.dəʊ/noun · B1A violent spinning tube of wind that drops from a storm cloud.
- torso/ˈtɔː.səʊ̯/noun · B2The whole main block of the body — no head, arms, or legs.
- toss/tɒs/verb · A2To throw lightly; salads and pancakes get this treatment.
- totter/ˈtɒtə/verb · C2To move unsteadily as if about to fall.
- touch woodphrase · B2Said to avoid spoiling your own luck by mentioning it.
- 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.
- town hallphrase · B1The official building where the local government works.
- toxin/ˈtɒksɪn/noun · C1A natural substance that harms the body.
- tracksuit/ˈtɹækˌsut/noun · B1+A loose two-piece outfit for sport or lounging.
- tractor/ˈtɹæktə/noun · A2+A powerful farm vehicle built to pull machinery.
- tradesmannoun · B2+A man who works at a skilled manual trade.
- 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.
- trail/tɹeɪl/noun · A2A rough path worn through woods or hills by feet.
- trail offphrase · C1To grow gradually fainter and stop.
- trailer/ˈtɹeɪlə(ɹ)/noun · B1The two-minute preview shown before a film comes out.
- train drivernoun · A2The person who operates a train.
- train of thoughtnoun · B2The connected line your thinking follows.
- traipse/tɹeɪps/verb · C1To trudge about wearily and without much purpose.
- trait/tɹeɪt/noun · B2A distinguishing feature of a person's character.
- tranquilizer/ˈtɹæ̞ŋkwɪläɪ̯zə/noun · B2+A drug that calms without dulling the mind.
- transfer/tɹɑːnsˈfɜː/noun · B2Changing from one plane or train to another in the middle of a trip.
- transpire/tɹænˈspaɪ̯ə(ɹ)/verb · C1To turn out to be so, or to become known.
- transport/tɹænsˈpɔːt/verb · B1To move goods or people any distance.
- transportation/tɹænspɔːˈteɪʃən/noun · B2The moving of people or goods from place to place.
- trapdoor/ˈtræpdɔː/noun · C1A hidden door set flat into a floor or ceiling.
- trash/tɹæʃ/noun · B1Things thrown out because nobody wants them any more.
- 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.
- tremble/ˈtɹɛmbl̩/verb · B1+To shake slightly from fear, cold, or weakness.
- tremulous/ˈtɹɛmjʊləs/adjective · C1Trembling slightly with nerves or weakness.
- tressesnoun · C1Long flowing hair.
- trim/ˈtɹɪm/verb · B1To cut small amounts off to make something neat.
- tripped/tɹɪpt/adjective · C1Switched off automatically by a safety device.
- triumphant/tɹaɪˈʌmfənt/adjective · B2Filled with the joy of having won.
- trot/tɹɑt/verb · B2To move at a steady pace between walking and running.
- troublemaker/ˈtɹʌbəlˌmeɪkə(ɹ)/noun · C1A person who stirs up problems wherever they go.
- trousers/ˈtɹaʊzəz/noun · A2+You wear them on your legs; each leg gets its own tube.
- truculent/ˈtɹʌk.jʊ.lənt/adjective · C2Aggressively defiant and ready to argue.
- trudge/tɹʌd͡ʒ/verb · B2+To walk heavily and wearily.
- trunk/tɹʌŋk/noun · A2The thick wooden middle part of a tree; also an elephant's long nose.
- tuck/tʌk/verb · B2To push something snugly into place.
- tug/ˈtʌɡ/verb · B2To pull at something with one short, sharp movement.
- tumble/ˈtʌmbl̩/verb · B1+To fall or roll over and over.
- tumult/ˈtjuː.mʌlt/noun · C1A loud confused uproar.
- tuna/ˈtjuː.nə/noun · B1A big sea fish sold fresh as steaks or packed in tins.
- 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 rightphrase · A1To change direction towards your other side.
- turn tophrase · C1To go to someone for help when in trouble.
- turn upphrase · B2To appear unexpectedly; also, to raise the volume.
- twelve/twɛlv/noun · A1Ten plus two.
- twenty/ˈtwɛnti/noun · A1Two times ten.
- twenty-four/ˌtwɛntiˈfɔː/noun · A1The number that comes after twenty-three.
- 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.
- typical/ˈtɪp.ɪ.kəl/adjective · A2+Showing all the usual features of its kind.
- unanimous/juːˈnanɪməs/adjective · B2Agreed by absolutely everyone, without one voice against.
- unaware/ˌʌnəˈwɛɚ/adjective · B2Not knowing that something is so.
- unbearableadjective · B2Too painful or annoying to put up with.
- unbridledadjective · C2Running completely free, like a horse with no reins.
- uncertain/ʌnˈsɜːtən/adjective · B1+Not knowing, or not settled.
- unchanged/ʌnˈt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒd/adjective · B2Exactly as it was before.
- unclear/ʌnˈklɪə(ɹ)/adjective · B1+Not easy to understand or make out.
- uncomfortablyadverb · B2+In a way that causes unease of body or mind.
- unconcernedadjective · B2+Not worried by something that might worry others.
- unconditional/ˌʌnkənˈdɪʃənəl/adjective · B2+Given with no limits or terms attached.
- uncool/ʌnˈkuːl/adjective · B2+Not fashionable or impressive.
- undauntedadjective · C1Not put off by danger or difficulty.
- undecided/ˌʌndɪˈsaɪ̯.dɪd/adjective · B1Still unable to choose between two options.
- undeniable/ˌʌn.dɪˈnaɪ.(j)ə.bəɫ/adjective · C1So clearly true that no one can argue against it.
- underpants/ˈʌndə(ɹ)ˌpænts/noun · B1The single garment covering the hips and bottom, worn beneath trousers or a skirt.
- underside/ˈʌndəˌsaɪd/noun · B1The face of a thing that points at the ground.
- understandableadjective · B2Reasonable, and easy to see why.
- understandablyadverb · B2+In a way anybody would find reasonable.
- undertaker/ˈʌndə(ɹ)ˌteɪkə(ɹ)/noun · B2+Somebody whose job is preparing the dead for burial.
- undeterredadjective · B2Still going, despite everything in the way.
- undone/ʌnˈdʌn/adjective · B2Unfastened, or left unfinished.
- undoubtedly/ʌnˈdaʊtɪdli/adverb · B2Beyond any question at all.
- 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.
- unfamiliar/ˌʌnfəˈmɪli.ə(ɹ)/adjective · B2Not known to you.
- unfathomable/(ˌ)ʌnˈfæðəməbl̩/adjective · C1Too deep or strange to be understood.
- unfit/ʌnˈfɪt/adjective · B2+Not healthy enough, or not good enough for a job.
- unfold/ʌnˈfoʊld/verb · B2To open something out flat, or for events to develop.
- 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.
- ungovernableadjective · C1Impossible to control or bring to order.
- unhealthy/ʌnˈhɛl.θi/adjective · B1+Bad for the body, or not in good health.
- unhookverb · B2To take something off a hook.
- unhurriedadjective · B2Taking a calm and easy pace.
- uniform/ˈjunɪˌfɔɹm/noun · A2The same clothes worn by everyone at a school or in a job.
- unimpressedadjective · B2Not at all amazed by what you have just seen.
- uninterestedadjective · B2+Not caring about something at all.
- uninterestingadjective · B1+Failing to hold anybody's attention.
- unison/ˈjunɪsən/noun · C1Complete agreement, or all sounding the same note.
- unlike/ʌnˈlaɪk/preposition · B1Different from the thing named.
- unlock/ʌnˈlɒk/verb · B2To open something that was locked.
- unmistakableadjective · B2+Impossible to confuse with anything else.
- unmistakably/ˌʌnmɪsˈteɪkəbli/adverb · B2+So clearly that it could not be taken for anything else.
- unnatural/ʌnˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹəl/adjective · B2Not as nature would have it.
- unplug/ʌnˈplʌɡ/verb · C1To pull a plug out of its socket.
- unprotectedadjective · B2Having no defence or covering.
- 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.
- unresolvedadjective · B2Still not settled or sorted out, and left hanging.
- unscrewverb · B2To open or loosen something by twisting it.
- unsettle/ʌnˈsɛtəl/verb · C1To make somebody uneasy.
- unsubtleadjective · B2So obvious that nobody could miss the point.
- unsureadjective · B2Not certain about something.
- untangle/ʌnˈtæŋ.ɡəl/verb · B2To free something from knots, or to sort out a muddle.
- untrustworthy/ˌʌnˈtɹʌstˌwɜːði/adjective · C1Not safe to rely on or confide in.
- unusual/ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/adjective · A2+Different from what normally happens.
- unwavering/(ˌ)ʌnˈweɪvəɹɪŋ/adjective · C1Never faltering or losing steadiness.
- unwilling/ʌnˈwɪlɪŋ/adjective · B2Not wanting to do what is asked.
- unwise/ʌnˈwaɪz/adjective · B2Showing poor judgement.
- unworthy/ʌnˈwɝði/adjective · B2+Not deserving the respect or the thing in question.
- unyieldingadjective · C1Refusing to bend or to give way.
- upgrade/ˈʌp.ɡɹeɪd/<q:noun>noun · B2A move to a better class of seat.
- uphill/ˈʌphɪl/adverb · B1+Going up a slope.
- upholstery/ʌpˈhəʊlstəɹi/noun · C1The soft padded covering of sofas and chairs.
- 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.
- upside down/ˌʌpsaɪd ˈdaʊn/phrase · B2With the top part at the bottom.
- upside-downadjective · A2Turned so that the top is now at the bottom.
- urchin/ˈɜːtʃɪn/noun · B2+A ragged mischievous child, or a spiny sea creature.
- use upphrase · B1To finish the whole supply of something.
- useful/ˈjuːsfəl/adjective · A1Helping you get things done.
- useless/ˈjuːs.ləs/adjective · B1Helping with nothing at all.
- usual/ˈjuː.ʒʊəl/adjective · A2Happening as it normally does.
- utter/ˈʌtə/verb · B2To make a sound or speak words aloud.
- utterly/ˈʌtəli/adverb · B2Totally and absolutely, to the last degree.
- vacant/ˈveɪkənt/adjective · B2Standing unused and available - rooms, seats, or jobs.
- vacuum cleanerphrase · B1The loud machine that eats the dust from your floor.
- vagrant/ˈveɪɡɹənt/noun · C1Somebody with no home who wanders from place to place.
- valiant/ˈvæliənt/adjective · B2+Showing great courage in danger.
- valid/ˈvælɪd/adjective · B2Legally or logically holding up; still in force.
- 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.
- various/ˈvɛəɹi.əs/adjective · B1Of several different kinds.
- vase/vɑːz/noun · B1The tall pretty container you put flowers in.
- veer/vɪə̯/verb · B2+To change course, especially away from a straight line.
- 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.
- vein/veɪn/noun · B2One of the thin blue tubes that carry blood under your skin.
- vengeful/ˈvɛnʒ.fəl/adjective · C2Hungry to pay someone back for a wrong.
- veranda/vəˈɹæn.də/noun · B2+A roofed open platform along the side of a house.
- verge/vɜːd͡ʒ/noun · B2The very edge of something, or a grass strip by a road.
- veritable/ˈvɛ.ɹɪ.tə.bl/adjective · C2Genuinely deserving the name given.
- versed/vɝst/adjective · C1Skilled in a subject through long practice.
- version/ˈvɜːʒn̩/noun · B1One form of something that exists in several forms.
- veterinarian/ˌvɛt(ə)ɹəˈnɛɹ.i.ən/noun · B1+A doctor who treats animals.
- vibrate/vaɪˈbɹeɪt/verb · B2To shake with rapid small movements.
- vicar/ˈvɪkɚ/noun · B2+The priest in charge of a parish.
- vicinity/vɪˈsɪnɪti/noun · B2The area immediately around a place.
- videotapenoun · B2A plastic cassette that films were recorded onto before discs.
- vigilant/ˈvɪd͡ʒɪlənt/adjective · B2+Keeping constant, careful watch for danger.
- vigorous/ˈvɪɡəɹəs/adjective · B2+Done with strong, healthy energy.
- violent/ˈvaɪ.ə.lənt/adjective · B1Using physical force to hurt.
- visibly/ˈvɪz.ə.bli/adverb · B2+In a way anybody could see.
- vocabulary/vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/noun · B1All the words you know in a language.
- vociferous/vəʊˈsɪfəɹəs/adjective · C2Loud and insistent in stating an opinion.
- voluntarily/ˌvɑlənˈtɛɹɪli/adverb · B2Of your own free choice.
- voracious/vɔːˈɹeɪ.ʃəs/adjective · C1Eating or consuming a great deal, greedily.
- vowel/ˈvaʊ.əl/noun · B1+One of the letters a, e, i, o and u.
- vulture/ˈvʌltʃə/noun · B1+A bald-headed bird that feeds on dead animals.
- waddle/ˈwɒd.əl/verb · B2To walk with short steps, rocking side to side.
- wag/wæɡ/verb · B1+To move something back and forth, as a tail does.
- wagon/ˈwæɡən/noun · B1A four-wheeled vehicle for carrying goods.
- wail/weɪl/verb · B2To cry out long and loud in grief.
- waiter/ˈweɪ̯təː/noun · A2+The person who brings your food to the table in a restaurant.
- waiting roomnoun · A2The room where patients sit before being called.
- walk outphrase · B2To leave suddenly in protest or anger.
- walker/ˈwɔːkə/noun · B2Somebody who walks, especially for pleasure.
- walkway/ˈwɔːkˌweɪ/noun · C1A paved route built for people on foot.
- wallet/ˈwɒl.ɪt/noun · A2The small flat case in your pocket for money and cards.
- 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.
- wander/ˈwɒndə/verb · B2To walk slowly with no particular place to go.
- wardrobe/ˈwɔːdɹəʊb/noun · B1The tall furniture where your clothes hang; also, all the clothes you own.
- warranty/ˈwɒɹ.ən.ti/noun · B2+The promise that a product will be repaired free if it breaks soon.
- wary/ˈwɛə.ɹi/adjective · C1On careful guard against possible trouble.
- washbasin/ˈwɑʃˌbeɪsən/noun · C1The bathroom bowl with taps where you rinse your hands.
- wasp/wɒsp/noun · B2A stinging insect with a narrow black and yellow body.
- wastebasketnoun · A2The bin beside a desk for paper you throw away.
- watch outphrase · A2What you shout to warn someone of sudden danger.
- water pistolnoun · B1A toy that squirts a jet of liquid.
- watering cannoun · A2A container with a long spout for wetting plants.
- watertight/ˈwɔː.tə.taɪt/adjective · B1+Sealed so completely that no liquid passes.
- wear downphrase · B2To reduce something gradually by use or pressure.
- weary/ˈwɪə̯ɹi/adjective · B2Deeply tired in body and spirit.
- wedge/wɛd͡ʒ/noun · B2A tapered block driven in to split or to hold.
- 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.
- weekday/ˈwiːkdeɪ̯/noun · A2+Any day from Monday to Friday.
- weep/ˈwiːp/verb · B2To cry, especially quietly and long.
- weigh/weɪ/verb · B1To find out how heavy something is.
- weigh downphrase · B2To press heavily on, in weight or in worry.
- weigh upphrase · B2To compare the good and bad of a choice.
- weight/weɪt/noun · A2How heavy something is.
- well-builtadjective · B2Strongly and solidly made.
- wet/wɛt/adjective · A2Covered in or full of water.
- wheedle/ˈʍiː.dəl/verb · C2To coax somebody by flattery into giving way.
- wheelchair/ˈwiːlt͡ʃɛə(ɹ)/noun · B1A chair on wheels for people who cannot walk.
- wheeze/ʍiːz/verb · C1To breathe with a thin whistling sound.
- whelp/wɛlp/noun · C2A young dog or wolf.
- whenever/wəˈnɛvə/adverb · B1At any time that something happens.
- where were wephrase · B2Asking where a conversation had got to.
- wherever/(h)wɛɹˈɛvɚ/adverb · B1In or to any place at all.
- whichever/wɪt͡ʃˈɛvɚ/pronoun · B1+Any one of them that you choose.
- whine/ˈwaɪ̯n/verb · B2To make a long high complaining sound.
- whiplash/ˈwɪpˌlæʃ/noun · C2A neck injury from the head snapping back in a crash.
- 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.
- whisper/ˈ(h)wɪspə/verb · B1To speak extremely quietly, close to someone's ear.
- whit/wɪt/noun · C2The very smallest amount imaginable.
- wholly/ˈhəʊ.li/adverb · C1Completely and entirely.
- wide/waɪd/adjective · A2Measuring a lot from side to side.
- widen/ˈwaɪdn̩/verb · B2To make or become wider.
- wield/wiːld/verb · B2+To hold and use power or a weapon.
- wilderness/ˈwɪldənəs/noun · B2Wild untouched land where no people live.
- willing/ˈwɪlɪŋ/adjective · B2Happy and ready to do something if asked.
- willingness/ˈwɪlɪŋnəs/noun · B2Being glad to do what is asked.
- windbreaker/ˈwɪndbɹeɪkə(ɹ)/noun · C2A light zip-up jacket that keeps gusts out.
- windowsill/ˈwɪndəʊˌsɪl/noun · B1+The little ledge at the bottom of a window where plants sit.
- wing/wɪŋ/noun · B1One of the two parts a bird flies with.
- winning/ˈwɪnɪŋ/adjective · B2Charming and likeable, or coming first.
- 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.
- wiretap/ˈwaɪətæp/noun · B2+A secret device that listens to telephone calls.
- wiry/ˈwaɪ(ə)ɹi/adjective · B2+Thin but strong and tough.
- wisp/wɪsp/noun · C1A thin faint streak of something.
- with respectphrase · C1A polite opening to a disagreement.
- wonky/ˈwɒŋ.kɪ/adjective · B2Not straight or not working properly, in a slightly comic way — a table that rocks, a wheel that wobbles.
- wood/wʊd/noun · A2The hard material that trees are made of.
- wooden/ˈwʊdn̩/adjective · A2+Made from the material of trees.
- work of artnoun · B1A created thing of real artistic worth.
- work out/ˌwɜːk ˈaʊt/phrase · B1To exercise at the gym; also, to end well.
- workbench/ˈwɝk.bɛnt͡ʃ/noun · B2The sturdy table a maker works on.
- workman/ˈwɝkmən/noun · B2A man employed to do manual work.
- workplace/ˈwɝkˌpleɪs/noun · B2The place where somebody does their job.
- worktopnoun · B2The flat surface you prepare food on.
- worn-out/ˈwɔːn.aʊt/adjective · B2Used until useless; also, completely exhausted.
- worried/ˈwʌɹid/adjective · A2Thinking again and again about something bad that might happen.
- worst-caseadjective · C1Assuming everything that can go wrong, does.
- worthless/ˈwɜːθ.ləs/adjective · B2Having no value whatever.
- 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.
- wrench/ˈɹɛnt͡ʃ/noun · B2The adjustable metal tool that grips and turns nuts and bolts.
- wriggle/ˈɹɪɡəl/verb · B2+To twist and turn your body in small movements.
- wrinkle/ˈɹɪŋkl̩/noun · B1+A small line or fold in skin or cloth.
- writ/ɹɪt/noun · C1A formal written order from a court.
- wry/ɹaɪ/adjective · C1Dryly amused, with a touch of irony.
- yard/ˈjɑːd/noun · B1A unit of length equal to three feet.
- yawn/jɔːn/noun · B2Opening your mouth wide and slowly because you are tired or bored.
- yell/jɛl/verb · B1To call out very loudly in anger or excitement.
- yellow/ˈjɛləʊ/noun · A1The color of the sun and lemons.
- youth/juːθ/noun · B1The early part of life, when a person is still young.
- yowl/jaʊl/verb · C1To give a long loud wailing cry.
- zeal/ziːl/noun · C1Burning enthusiasm for a cause.