all 19,295 words · one row per spelling

Word ranking

Ranked by how often each word appears in film and television subtitles — the first 15,258 spellings, from the ones you cannot avoid to the ones you will only ever read. Words the frequency norms never measured follow at the end, A to Z.

words 12,001–12,500 of 19,295

Rare in speech; mostly a word you readzipf < 2.5

12,001igneousFormed from molten rock that cooled and set.C12.5
12,002impeccablyWithout a single flaw.C22.5
12,003imperiousArrogantly commanding and expecting obedience.C22.5
12,004implicitMeant without being said directly.2×C12.5
12,005indoctrinationTeaching beliefs so firmly that they are never questioned.C12.5
12,006joystickA stick with buttons used to steer a game or an aircraft.B2+2.5
12,007juggernautA huge force that crushes everything in its path.C12.5
12,008kaleidoscopeA tube of shifting coloured patterns, or a constant change.B2+2.5
12,009kickbackThe sudden backward force a machine gives.2×C12.5
12,010leekA long white and green vegetable of the onion family.B2+2.5
12,011limitationA restriction, or a point beyond which you cannot go.B2+2.5
12,012linkageA connection between two things.C12.5
12,013lustrousShining with a soft gleam.C12.5
12,014mageA magician, in stories.C12.5
12,015malfeasanceWrongdoing by somebody holding public office.C22.5
12,016matriarchThe powerful older woman who leads a family.C12.5
12,017mediatorSomebody who helps two sides reach agreement.B2+2.5
12,018mistreatTo treat somebody badly or cruelly.B2+2.5
12,019nadirThe lowest point in somebody's fortunes.C22.5
12,020neglectfulFailing to give the care that is owed.C12.5
12,021nomadicMoving from place to place rather than settling.B2+2.5
12,022originateTo have your first beginning in a certain place or time.C12.5
12,023overruleTo decide against a lower court or an objection.B2+2.5
12,024palatialAs grand and spacious as a palace.C12.5
12,025paragonA perfect example of some quality.C12.5
12,026parlanceThe particular way a group uses words.C22.5
12,027peelerThe small tool that takes the skin off potatoes.A2+2.5
12,028perennialOf a plant, living for several years and flowering each year.2×B22.5
12,029pessimismThe habit of expecting the worst.B2+2.5
12,030photocopyTo make a paper copy of a page.B1+2.5
12,031pigmentThe coloured powder that gives paint its colour.B2+2.5
12,032pirouetteA full turn of the body made on one foot.B2+2.5
12,033porousFull of tiny holes that let liquid through.B2+2.5
12,034poulticeA soft moist dressing put on a sore place.C22.5
12,035precludeTo make something impossible in advance.C12.5
12,036primevalBelonging to the earliest ages of the world.C22.5
12,037prongOne of the points of a fork or a spear.B2+2.5
12,038protagonistThe central figure a story follows.C12.5
12,039pyreA pile of wood built to burn a body on.C22.5
12,040quintessentialShowing a quality in its purest form.C12.5
12,041ravishTo fill with delight.2×C22.5
12,042rebukeTo tell somebody sharply that they were wrong.2×C22.5
12,043recklessnessActing with no regard for the danger.B2+2.5
12,044redefineTo give something a new definition or meaning.2×B2+2.5
12,045respectivelyIn the order already mentioned.C12.5
12,046retchTo heave as if about to be sick.C12.5
12,047retrospectiveAn exhibition or survey covering a long period of work.2×C22.5
12,048reversibleAble to run in either direction.B2+2.5
12,049richnessDepth and abundance of quality.B2+2.5
12,050routerThe box that spreads the internet through a building.2×B1+2.5
12,051saleswomanA woman whose job is persuading people to buy.B22.5
12,052showyBright and eye-catching in a way that lacks taste.C12.5
12,053skulkTo move or hide furtively, especially with bad intent.C12.5
12,054soliloquyA speech made aloud by a character who is alone.B2+2.5
12,055spindlyLong, thin and looking too weak.B2+2.5
12,056sprocketA toothed wheel that a chain grips.C12.5
12,057squalidDirty and wretched to live in.C12.5
12,058squalorFilthy and wretched living conditions.C12.5
12,059statewideReaching every part of a state.B2+2.5
12,060steepedLeft to soak in hot liquid to draw out flavour.2×B22.5
12,061stifleTo smother something before it grows.C12.5
12,062stingrayA flat sea fish with a whip tail that carries a barb.B1+2.5
12,063stuntedKept from growing to full size.C12.5
12,064syndicationSelling the same programme or column to many outlets.C12.5
12,065synthesisThe combining of separate parts or ideas into a whole.2×C12.5
12,066taxationThe raising of money by the state from its citizens.B2+2.5
12,067thoroughnessAttention to every part of a task.B2+2.5
12,068tintA slight shade of colour laid over something.3×B2+2.5
12,069toggleTo switch something between two states.2×B1+2.5
12,070treatiseA long formal piece of writing on one subject.C12.5
12,071trigonometryThe maths of angles and triangles.B2+2.5
12,072trimmerA small electric tool for shortening hair neatly.B1+2.5
12,073tunisiaThe small North African country between the sea and the Sahara.B1+2.5
12,074uncontrollablyIn a way that cannot be held in check.B2+2.5
12,075unfathomableImpossible to understand or get to the bottom of.C12.5
12,076untangleTo free something from knots or twists.2×B22.5
12,077valourGreat courage in the face of danger.C12.5
12,078vandalA person who deliberately destroys property.C12.5
12,079venalWilling to be bribed.C22.5
12,080vestigeA small trace left of something that has gone.C12.5
12,081villainyWicked and criminal behaviour.C12.5
12,082vocationalTraining somebody for a particular trade.C22.5
12,083volitionThe power to choose and act for yourself.C22.5
12,084weedyThin and physically feeble.2×C12.5
12,085wholeheartedlyWith complete and undivided commitment.C12.5
12,086zealousFull of eager enthusiasm for a cause.C12.5
12,087acuitySharpness of sight, hearing or thought.C12.4
12,088acutelyIn a sharply felt or intense way.C12.4
12,089adulationPraise so extreme it goes beyond what is deserved.C22.4
12,090aimlessWithout purpose or direction.C12.4
12,091akinSimilar in nature, or related.B2+2.4
12,092alchemistSomebody who sought to turn base metal into gold.B2+2.4
12,093ambiguityThe quality of having more than one possible meaning.3×C12.4
12,094anthologyA book collecting poems, stories or essays by a number of different writers.3×C22.4
12,095antiquityThe distant past of the classical world.2×C12.4
12,096apertureThe adjustable opening that decides how much light enters.C12.4
12,097applicableRelevant to the case in hand.C12.4
12,098armbandAn inflatable ring worn on the arm to keep a child up.B1+2.4
12,099aromaticHaving a strong pleasant spicy smell.2×B2+2.4
12,100artisticallyIn a way that shows creative skill.C12.4
12,101askewCrooked, and not straight as it should be.C12.4
12,102assertionA statement made confidently and without proof.C12.4
12,103astonishmentVery great surprise.B2+2.4
12,104astrologerSomebody who reads the future in the stars.B2+2.4
12,105authenticationProving that you are who you claim to be.2×B2+2.4
12,106avatarThe image or character representing somebody online.2×B1+2.4
12,107backstrokeSwimming on your back with alternating arms.B2+2.4
12,108banalSo ordinary that it is boring.C12.4
12,109besetTo trouble from every side at once.C12.4
12,110besiegeTo surround a place with an army, or to press in on somebody.C22.4
12,111blatherTo talk foolishly at length.C12.4
12,112complacencySmug satisfaction that stops you noticing danger.C12.4
12,113concoctTo make something up out of mixed parts.B2+2.4
12,114confrontationalReady to challenge people openly and aggressively.C22.4
12,115connotationThe feeling a word carries beyond its plain sense.C22.4
12,116contourThe outline of something, especially the way it curves.4×C12.4
12,117convolutedSo twisted and involved that it is hard to follow.C12.4
12,118counterproductiveHaving the opposite effect to the one intended.C22.4
12,119couscousTiny grains of steamed wheat from North Africa.B2+2.4
12,120cuspThe point at which one state turns into another.2×C12.4
12,121daisA low platform for a throne or a high table.C22.4
12,122diatribeA long bitter attack in speech or writing.C22.4
12,123disillusionmentThe bitter loss of a belief you once held.C12.4
12,124dispelTo drive away doubts, fears, or myths.C12.4
12,125dissatisfactionA feeling that something has fallen short of what was expected.B2+2.4
12,126dissensionAngry disagreement within a group.C22.4
12,127domesticityHome life and the running of a household.C22.4
12,128easelThe three-legged stand that holds a painting while it is made.B22.4
12,129effigyA model of a person, often burnt in protest.C12.4
12,130elatedLifted up with sudden joy.C22.4
12,131embersThe glowing remains of a dying fire.B2+2.4
12,132emigrateTo leave your own country to settle in another.B2+2.4
12,133endearmentA word or act showing affection.C12.4
12,134enrichTo make something better by adding value.C12.4
12,135estoniaThe most northern Baltic country, famous for its digital government.B1+2.4
12,136expenditureThe money that is spent.C12.4
12,137fertiliserSomething added to soil to make plants grow faster.B1+2.4
12,138figureheadThe carved figure once fixed under a ship's bow.C12.4
12,139fineryShowy clothes and ornaments worn for display.C12.4
12,140foalA young horse.B1+2.4
12,141footpathA path for people on foot, often a legal right of way.A2+2.4
12,142foragingGathering wild food from the countryside.B2+2.4
12,143frustrateTo stop somebody achieving what they wanted.B2+2.4
12,144ganglyAwkwardly tall and thin.C12.4
12,145gawkyAwkward and ungainly, especially in a young person.C12.4
12,146gestationThe carrying of young before birth, or the forming of an idea.C12.4
12,147globalizationThe knitting of the world into one market and culture.B2+2.4
12,148gridlockTraffic so blocked that nothing can move at all.B2+2.4
12,149guidelineA stated rule of thumb for how to proceed.B2+2.4
12,150heronA tall grey bird that stands still in shallow water.B2+2.4
12,151hikerSomebody who walks long distances in the country.B1+2.4
12,152hindranceSomething that gets in the way of progress.C22.4
12,153hubrisOverbearing pride that invites a fall.C22.4
12,154immerseTo put something completely under a liquid.2×B2+2.4
12,155impA small mischievous demon.2×C12.4
12,156indelibleImpossible to rub out or to forget.C12.4
12,157infestTo fill a place in unpleasant numbers.B2+2.4
12,158ingratitudeA failure to show thanks for kindness.C12.4
12,159instalmentOne of a series of regular part-payments.2×B2+2.4
12,160instillTo gradually plant values or confidence in someone's mind.C12.4
12,161insurmountableToo great an obstacle to get past.C12.4
12,162interpersonalTo do with how people deal with one another.C12.4
12,163ireAnger, in a formal or literary sense.C22.4
12,164knellThe slow tolling of a bell for a death.C22.4
12,165lampshadeThe cover over a bulb that softens its light.B1+2.4
12,166legislativeTo do with the making of laws.C12.4
12,167lobTo throw or hit something in a high curving path.2×B2+2.4
12,168mangleTo crush and twist something out of all shape.2×C22.4
12,169matteHaving a flat surface with no shine.B1+2.4
12,170mediateTo act between two sides in order to help them agree.C12.4
12,171meleeA confused struggle with everybody mixed together.C12.4
12,172metaphoricalMeant as an image rather than literally.B2+2.4
12,173metreThe basic unit of length, a little over a yard.A12.4
12,174mincingWalking with short affected steps.C22.4
12,175minnowA tiny freshwater fish that swims in shoals.B2+2.4
12,176misinformationWrong information spread by people who believe it.B2+2.4
12,177moratoriumAn agreed halt to an activity for a time.C12.4
12,178musselA blue-black shellfish steamed open in wine.B1+2.4
12,179narrationThe telling of a story, especially aloud over pictures.B2+2.4
12,180naryNot one.C22.4
12,181occupancyThe share of rooms that are actually taken.B2+2.4
12,182omitTo leave something out.B2+2.4
12,183opportunisticSeizing any chance that comes, whatever the principle.B2+2.4
12,184optometristThe professional who tests eyesight.B2+2.4
12,185orchestrateTo arrange the parts of something so it works as a whole.B2+2.4
12,186outflankTo go round the side of an enemy position.C12.4
12,187overstepTo go beyond a limit you should have respected.B2+2.4
12,188overtDone openly, with nothing hidden.C12.4
12,189oxymoronA phrase that joins two words that contradict each other.C12.4
12,190passableGood enough and no more.2×B2+2.4
12,191pastelPale and soft rather than strong.2×B1+2.4
12,192peckishSlightly hungry.B2+2.4
12,193perniciousDoing serious harm in a quiet gradual way.C12.4
12,194precedeTo come before something in time or order.B2+2.4
12,195preponderanceThe greater weight or number on one side.C22.4
12,196proboscisThe long tube some insects drink through.C12.4
12,197proportionalChanging in step with something else.C22.4
12,198prosaicPlain and dull, with nothing imaginative about it.C12.4
12,199puerileChildish in a silly way.C22.4
12,200pupaThe still, sealed stage in which a larva becomes an adult.B2+2.4
12,201rambunctiousBoisterous and hard to control.C12.4
12,202ransackTo search a place roughly, leaving it wrecked.C12.4
12,203reflectorA device that throws light back to make you seen.B2+2.4
12,204regulatoryConcerned with making and enforcing rules.C12.4
12,205rescuerA person who goes in and brings somebody out.B22.4
12,206retentionKeeping customers or staff rather than losing them.2×B2+2.4
12,207rindThe tough outer skin of cheese or bacon.B2+2.4
12,208ripenTo become ready to eat.B22.4
12,209savageryFierce cruelty and violence.C12.4
12,210scaldA burn caused by hot liquid or steam.2×B2+2.4
12,211semifinalThe round just before the final.B1+2.4
12,212shirtlessBare-chested, said of a man who has stripped off his top in the heat or for a workout.B2+2.4
12,213shrubA woody plant smaller than a tree, branching from the base.B1+2.4
12,214sinewyLean and strong, with the muscles showing.C12.4
12,215slaverTo let saliva run from the mouth.C22.4
12,216sluiceA gate that controls the flow of water.C12.4
12,217snookerA table game of potting coloured balls in strict order.B2+2.4
12,218sorbetA frozen fruit ice made without any dairy.B2+2.4
12,219sporadicHappening now and then, with no pattern.C12.4
12,220spreadsheetA program of rows and columns for numbers and calculations.B2+2.4
12,221squeegeeA rubber blade that wipes water off glass.B2+2.4
12,222stagnantStill, and smelling of standing water.2×C12.4
12,223stammerTo speak with involuntary repetitions and pauses.2×B2+2.4
12,224startupA new company aiming at fast growth.2×B1+2.4
12,225steelyHard, cold and determined.B2+2.4
12,226strainerA mesh cup that holds solids back and lets liquid through.B1+2.4
12,227sultryHot and still, with a storm on the way.C12.4
12,228surrealismAn art movement of dreamlike and impossible images.C22.4
12,229synopsisA short outline of a longer work.C12.4
12,230teaserAn advertisement that hints without explaining.B2+2.4
12,231templarA knight of the medieval religious military order.C12.4
12,232tenacityRefusing to let go of a purpose.C22.4
12,233thenceFrom that place or that fact.C22.4
12,234theologianSomebody who studies religion and its doctrines.C12.4
12,235thimbleA cap worn on the finger when sewing.B22.4
12,236thrallThe state of being completely under somebody's power.C22.4
12,237thunderousExtremely loud and deep in sound.C12.4
12,238toughnessThe quality of being hard to break or hard to beat.C12.4
12,239trellisA light frame of crossed strips for climbing plants.B2+2.4
12,240trowelA small hand spade for planting.B1+2.4
12,241tundraThe treeless frozen plains of the far north.B2+2.4
12,242undauntedNot discouraged by difficulty or danger.C12.4
12,243unifyTo bring separate things together as one.C12.4
12,244unmaskTo reveal who somebody really is.C12.4
12,245unwittingNot aware of what you are taking part in.C12.4
12,246vapidDull, and offering nothing of interest.C22.4
12,247venerableDeserving respect for age, wisdom or character.C12.4
12,248vestigialLeft over from an earlier form and no longer of use.C22.4
12,249vinaigretteA dressing shaken from oil and something sour.B2+2.4
12,250watermarkA faint mark over an image showing who owns it.2×B2+2.4
12,251windscreenThe front glass of a car.B1+2.4
12,252yetiA large hairy creature said to live in the Himalayas.B2+2.4
12,253accumulationA mass gathered a little at a time.C12.4
12,254adulteressA married woman who is unfaithful.C12.4
12,255afterthoughtSomething added later, having not been planned.B2+2.4
12,256airtimeThe minutes a subject is given on radio or television.C12.4
12,257amicableFriendly and free of hostility, especially after a dispute.C12.4
12,258antagonistThe character who opposes the main one.2×B2+2.4
12,259antibodyA protein the blood builds to lock onto one invader.B2+2.4
12,260armeniaThe Caucasus country of Yerevan, with Mount Ararat on its horizon.B1+2.4
12,261backacheA pain in the back.B1+2.4
12,262behaviouralTo do with how people or animals act.B2+2.4
12,263belfryThe part of a tower where the bells hang.C12.4
12,264berateTo scold somebody at length.C12.4
12,265bettermentA rise in a person's condition or standing in life, such as the lift that schooling gives to the poor.C12.4
12,266blanchTo plunge food briefly in boiling water.2×C12.4
12,267blurbThe short selling description on a book cover.C22.4
12,268bowerA shady leafy shelter in a garden.C22.4
12,269braggartSomebody who boasts constantly.C12.4
12,270bygoneBelonging to a time now long past.C12.4
12,271byproductSomething produced incidentally while making something else.B2+2.4
12,272cabalA small secret group plotting together.C22.4
12,273cacophonyA harsh mixture of loud unpleasant sounds.C22.4
12,274callowYoung and lacking any experience.C22.4
12,275cancerousBeing or caused by a growth that spreads through the body.B2+2.4
12,276catgutTough cord made from animal gut, used for strings.C22.4
12,277caulkTo seal a join with a waterproof filler.C12.4
12,278choppyRough with short broken waves.B2+2.4
12,279cliffhangerAn ending that stops at the worst moment.2×B2+2.4
12,280coastguardThe service that watches the coast and organises rescue.B2+2.4
12,281codpieceA padded pouch worn at the front of old men's hose.C22.4
12,282collapsibleAble to be folded flat when empty.B2+2.4
12,283complementarySitting opposite on the colour wheel.C12.4
12,284cymbalA round metal plate that crashes when struck.B2+2.4
12,285deepenTo make or become deeper.B2+2.4
12,286deflateTo let the air out, or to take somebody's confidence away.B2+2.4
12,287denigrateTo run somebody's reputation down unfairly.C12.4
12,288depletionThe using up of a supply until little is left.C12.4
12,289desiccatedCompletely dried out.C12.4
12,290directorateThe board that directs an organisation.C12.4
12,291dislodgeTo force something out of its fixed position.2×C12.4
12,292distasteA mild dislike for something offensive.B2+2.4
12,293dogmaA belief laid down as true and not to be questioned.C12.4
12,294dotingShowing excessive fondness.B2+2.4
12,295downbeatThe first and strongest beat of a bar.2×C12.4
12,296dunGreyish brown, said of a horse.C22.4
12,297dustpanThe flat little shovel you sweep dirt into.B1+2.4
12,298dyslexiaA difficulty in reading and spelling despite good ability.B2+2.4
12,299eagernessKeen and impatient willingness to do something.C12.4
12,300eligibilityMeeting the conditions for something.B2+2.4
12,301emigrationThe leaving of your own country to settle elsewhere.B2+2.4
12,302enormityThe extreme seriousness or wickedness of something.C12.4
12,303environmentalistSomebody who works to protect the natural world.B2+2.4
12,304eonAn immensely long period of time.B2+2.4
12,305exhilarationA rush of excited high spirits.C12.4
12,306exoskeletonA hard outer shell supporting a creature from outside.C12.4
12,307extraditeTo send an accused person back to face trial abroad.C12.4
12,308facetOne of the flat cut faces of a gem.2×B2+2.4
12,309familialTo do with a family, or running in one.C12.4
12,310fledglingA young bird just grown enough to leave the nest.B2+2.4
12,311floorboardOne of the long boards forming a wooden floor.B2+2.4
12,312flotsamWreckage and goods found floating on the sea.C22.4
12,313georgianOf the language and people of Georgia in the Caucasus.B1+2.4
12,314grandparentThe mother or father of one of your parents.A12.4
12,315gypsumA soft mineral ground up to make plaster.C12.4
12,316halcyonA calm and happy period looked back on fondly.C22.4
12,317hardnessHow well a mineral resists being scratched.B22.4
12,318impresarioSomebody who organises and finances shows.C22.4
12,319incursionA sudden raid into somebody else's territory.C12.4
12,320individualismThe belief that the person matters more than the group.C22.4
12,321inducementSomething offered to persuade you to act.C22.4
12,322inflameTo make a feeling or a wound worse.B2+2.4
12,323influxA large arrival of people or things.B2+2.4
12,324infusedGiven flavour by soaking something in it.B2+2.4
12,325ingrainedFixed so deeply that it cannot be removed.C12.4
12,326inlayDecoration set flush into a surface.C12.4
12,327insofarTo the extent or degree that.C12.4
12,328jettyA small landing stage running out into the water.B2+2.4
12,329juristAn expert in the law.C12.4
12,330larvaThe young feeding stage of an insect, before it changes shape.B2+2.4
12,331leggingsTight stretchy trousers that cling to the leg.B1+2.4
12,332litigiousToo quick to take disputes to court.C22.4
12,333litmusPaper that turns red in acid and blue in alkali.C12.4
12,334lodgerSomebody who pays to live in a room in another's house.B2+2.4
12,335loiterTo stand about with no clear purpose.C22.4
12,336lugeA one-person sled ridden feet-first down an ice track.C12.4
12,337magnanimousGenerous and forgiving, especially towards a rival.C22.4
12,338mooringThe place a boat is tied up, and the ropes that hold it.C12.4
12,339myopicShort-sighted, in vision or in planning.C12.4
12,340myrrhA fragrant gum used in perfume and incense.C12.4
12,341obtuseSlow to understand, or blunt in angle.C12.4
12,342overconfidentSurer of success than the facts allow.B2+2.4
12,343overhandThrown with the arm raised above the shoulder.B2+2.4
12,344oxidationReaction with oxygen, or the loss of electrons.B2+2.4
12,345palatablePleasant enough to eat.2×C22.4
12,346parameterA value that is set in advance and that determines how a system, model or process behaves.4×C12.4
12,347peatDark partly rotted plant matter dug from bogs.B2+2.4
12,348perishableLiable to go bad if not kept cool or moved fast.B2+2.4
12,349personificationThe writing about a thing as though it were a person.C12.4
12,350physicalityThe bodily quality or presence of somebody.C12.4
12,351pincerA gripping claw, or one arm of a tool that grips.C12.4
12,352pineconeThe woody seed case of a conifer.B1+2.4
12,353piqueWounded pride that shows as sudden irritation.C12.4
12,354pittanceA wretchedly small amount of money.C12.4
12,355pomegranateA leathery red fruit packed with jewel-like seeds.B1+2.4
12,356poplarA tall narrow tree that shivers in the slightest wind.B2+2.4
12,357posthumousHappening after the person's death.C12.4
12,358predilectionA settled preference for a particular thing.C22.4
12,359preemptTo act first so as to prevent somebody else.C12.4
12,360prepaidPaid for before being used or received.B2+2.4
12,361prerequisiteA condition that must be met before something else may begin.B2+2.4
12,362pretensionA claim to importance that is not deserved.C12.4
12,363procrastinateTo keep putting off what you should be doing.B2+2.4
12,364procurementThe work of buying what an organisation needs.C12.4
12,365pummelTo hit repeatedly with the fists.C12.4
12,366puritanicalStrict and disapproving about pleasure.C22.4
12,367qualificationAn official record of passing an exam or course, or a skill or experience that makes somebody suitable for a job.3×B2+2.4
12,368quantifyTo express something as a number.C12.4
12,369recompensePayment made for trouble or loss.C12.4
12,370redevelopmentThe rebuilding of an area to a new plan.B2+2.4
12,371reinventTo make something afresh in a new form.B2+2.4
12,372relentTo soften and give way at last.B2+2.4
12,373renovateTo repair and modernise an old building.B2+2.4
12,374repositoryThe store holding a project's code and its history.B2+2.4
12,375reprisalAn act of revenge taken against an enemy.C12.4
12,376repudiateTo reject something and refuse to be bound by it.C22.4
12,377repulseTo drive an attack back.2×C12.4
12,378resourcefulnessSkill at finding a way through with what you have.C12.4
12,379retortTo reply quickly and sharply.2×C12.4
12,380roanHaving a coat of mixed white and coloured hairs.C22.4
12,381saddlebagA bag hung from the back of a saddle.B2+2.4
12,382salientStanding out as the most noticeable point.C12.4
12,383salvageableDamaged, but still worth saving.C12.4
12,384sandalwoodA fragrant wood used for carving and perfume.C12.4
12,385scamperTo run with quick short light steps.C12.4
12,386scribeSomebody who copied documents by hand.B2+2.4
12,387shirkTo avoid work or duty you should be doing.C12.4
12,388sideboardA long low cupboard for dishes in a dining room.B2+2.4
12,389simileA comparison using like or as.B2+2.4
12,390singeTo burn something lightly at the surface.C22.4
12,391sitarA long-necked Indian instrument with sympathetic strings.C12.4
12,392skewedTwisted or set crookedly out of true.2×C12.4
12,393skimpTo spend or use less than is really needed.C12.4
12,394sniffleTo breathe noisily through a blocked nose.2×B22.4
12,395sojournA temporary stay in a place.C22.4
12,396sotA habitual drunkard.C22.4
12,397southwardTowards the warmer half of the world.B2+2.4
12,398sputumMatter coughed up from the chest.C22.4
12,399storeyOne whole floor level of a building.B1+2.4
12,400sundryVarious, and of several kinds.C12.4
12,401surveyorThe person who measures land or inspects buildings.B2+2.4
12,402tediumThe state of being dull beyond bearing.C12.4
12,403tentacleA long flexible arm used to grip or to sting.B1+2.4
12,404tonnageThe weight or carrying capacity measured in tons.C12.4
12,405topographyThe shape and features of the land in a place.C22.4
12,406translucentLetting light through without letting you see clearly.B2+2.4
12,407turncoatSomebody who deserts to the other side.C22.4
12,408turpitudeDeep wickedness of character.C22.4
12,409tuskA long pointed tooth projecting from the mouth.B1+2.4
12,410unconsciousnessThe state of being unaware and unable to be roused.B2+2.4
12,411underpassA walkway or road passing beneath another road.B1+2.4
12,412unsungDeserving praise but never given it.C12.4
12,413unsurpassedNever bettered by anything since.C22.4
12,414upliftThe raising of land by forces below.2×C12.4
12,415vicariousFelt through somebody else's experience rather than your own.C12.4
12,416vivaciousLively and full of high spirits.C12.4
12,417waneTo grow smaller or weaker after a peak.C22.4
12,418waysideThe edge of a road, especially in the phrase about falling by it.C12.4
12,419weanTo move a baby from milk onto other food.B2+2.4
12,420whinnyTo give a soft gentle neigh.C12.4
12,421whiskerOne of the long stiff sensory hairs on an animal's face.3×B1+2.4
12,422yoreLong ago, in the phrase of yore.C22.4
12,423abbreviationA shortened form of a word.B1+2.4
12,424abhorTo hate something deeply.C22.4
12,425academiaThe world of universities and research as a whole.C12.4
12,426acrobaticInvolving daring feats of balance and agility.C22.4
12,427aestheticallyIn terms of beauty and how something looks.C12.4
12,428allegoryA story whose whole meaning lies beneath the surface.C22.4
12,429aluminiumA light, soft, silver-grey metal that resists rust; chemical element 13, symbol Al.B1+2.4
12,430ambivalentPulled both ways at once about the same thing.C12.4
12,431apostropheThe raised mark showing a missing letter or possession.B22.4
12,432archwayA passage under a curved span.B2+2.4
12,433armfulAs much as a pair of arms can hold at once.B2+2.4
12,434birdsongThe musical calling of birds, especially at dawn.B2+2.4
12,435bludgeonTo strike repeatedly with something heavy and blunt.C12.4
12,436bobsleighA team race down an ice track in a steered sled.B2+2.4
12,437boisterousNoisy, rough and full of energy.C12.4
12,438bombardTo attack continuously with fire.2×B2+2.4
12,439breastplateArmour worn across the chest.B2+2.4
12,440bumbleTo blunder along in a muddled, incompetent way, fumbling words or actions rather than losing your footing.C12.4
12,441burnoutDeep exhaustion from prolonged stress at work.B2+2.4
12,442calibrateTo set an instrument so its readings are true.C12.4
12,443calorieThe unit that measures how much energy a food gives you.C12.4
12,444candlelitLit only by candles.B2+2.4
12,445carbuncleA large painful boil, or a red gemstone.C22.4
12,446chicaneryClever trickery used to gain an advantage.C22.4
12,447chrysanthemumA dense autumn flower with many narrow petals.B2+2.4
12,448colossusA person or thing of enormous size or importance.C12.4
12,449compendiumA concise collection of a whole body of knowledge.C12.4
12,450confessorA priest who hears confessions and grants forgiveness.C12.4
12,451constrainedHeld back by limits, or stiff and unnatural in manner.C22.4
12,452contemplationLong quiet thought about something.B2+2.4
12,453contemptuousShowing that you consider somebody or something worthless.C22.4
12,454convergenceA coming together at one point.C12.4
12,455correctnessFreedom from error.B2+2.4
12,456countrymanSomebody from your own nation, or somebody who lives rurally.B2+2.4
12,457cretaceousOf the last age of the great reptiles.C12.4
12,458crustaceanA hard-shelled water animal with jointed legs.B2+2.4
12,459deploreTo feel and express strong disapproval.C12.4
12,460dewyLooking softly moist and fresh.C12.4
12,461digressTo wander off the subject while speaking.C12.4
12,462discusA heavy disc spun and thrown for distance.B2+2.4
12,463disinformationWrong information spread deliberately to deceive.C12.4
12,464disintegrationThe process of falling apart completely until nothing holds together, as rock crumbles to dust or an empire collapses.B2+2.4
12,465duvetThe thick soft quilt you sleep under.B1+2.4
12,466emanateTo flow out from a source.C12.4
12,467embroiderTo sew a design onto cloth, or to add invented detail.B2+2.4
12,468enthusiasticallyWith eager interest and enjoyment.B2+2.4
12,469entitlementSomething you have a right to receive.C12.4
12,470entrancingSo delightful that it holds you spellbound.C12.4
12,471exclusionThe act of shutting somebody or something out.3×B2+2.4
12,472exuberantFull of lively high spirits, or growing lushly.C12.4
12,473falsifyTo fake evidence or records.2×C12.4
12,474fibreglassPlastic strengthened with fine threads of glass.B2+2.4
12,475firmnessSteadiness that will not be shifted.B2+2.4
12,476flangeThe lip on a wheel that keeps it on the rail.2×C22.4
12,477floodgatesGates that hold back water, and the phrase for releasing a rush.C22.4
12,478foghornA device sounding a deep warning note in fog.2×B2+2.4
12,479fortifyTo strengthen a place against attack.2×B2+2.4
12,480frankincenseA fragrant resin burnt as incense.C12.4
12,481fumeUnpleasant gas or smoke given off by something.2×B12.4
12,482grappleTo struggle with somebody at close quarters.2×B22.4
12,483groundlessHaving no basis in fact.C12.4
12,484gurgleTo make the bubbling sound of liquid in a narrow pipe.C12.4
12,485hairnetA fine mesh worn to keep hair in place.B2+2.4
12,486halyardThe rope that hauls a sail up.C22.4
12,487hayloftThe upper storey of a barn where dried grass is kept.C12.4
12,488helplessnessThe state of being unable to do anything for yourself.B2+2.4
12,489hipsterSomebody who follows the latest alternative fashions.B2+2.4
12,490horticultureThe science of growing garden plants.C12.4
12,491idiomA phrase whose meaning cannot be guessed from its words.B2+2.4
12,492illustratorAn artist who draws pictures for books and articles.B2+2.4
12,493inferenceA conclusion reached from evidence rather than from a direct statement.2×C12.4
12,494intensifyTo make something stronger or more extreme.C12.4
12,495liltA pleasant rise and fall in a voice or a tune.C22.4
12,496macawA huge brilliantly coloured tropical parrot.B2+2.4
12,497magnateA rich and powerful figure in business.C22.4
12,498manticoreA legendary beast with a lion's body and a man's face.C22.4
12,499meldTo blend two things into one.C12.4
12,500mercantileTo do with trade and merchants.C22.4