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 13,501–14,000 of 19,295

Rare in speech; mostly a word you readzipf < 2.5

13,501insolubleUnable to be dissolved.2×B2+2.1
13,502integerA whole number as a program stores it.B2+2.1
13,503irreverentShowing a cheerful lack of respect.C12.1
13,504jocularityCheerful joking humour.C22.1
13,505ladybirdA round red beetle with black spots.A2+2.1
13,506lamentableSo poor or sad that it is to be regretted.C12.1
13,507larchA conifer that sheds its needles in winter.C12.1
13,508laureateSomebody honoured with a great prize.C12.1
13,509liquidationThe winding up of a company by selling its assets to pay debts.B2+2.1
13,510lowbrowAppealing to simple, popular tastes.C12.1
13,511lustreThe way light shines off a mineral's surface.C12.1
13,512magisterA master or a person of learning and authority.C22.1
13,513malformedBadly shaped from birth or growth.C12.1
13,514maracasA pair of shakers filled with seeds or beads.B2+2.1
13,515marauderSomebody who roams about raiding and plundering.C12.1
13,516marionetteA puppet moved by strings from above.C12.1
13,517mendaciousIn the habit of lying.C22.1
13,518microcosmA small thing that shows the pattern of something far larger.C12.1
13,519microorganismA creature so small it can only be seen through a microscope.B2+2.1
13,520minsterA large church, often one that began as a monastery.C22.1
13,521mismanagementRunning something badly.B2+2.1
13,522misnomerA name that gives the wrong idea of what a thing is.C12.1
13,523moltTo shed old feathers so new ones can grow.B2+2.1
13,524monographA detailed written study of one subject.C22.1
13,525mortifyTo make somebody feel deeply ashamed.B2+2.1
13,526mortifyingCausing deep embarrassment.C12.1
13,527muskyHaving a heavy warm animal scent.C12.1
13,528mutinousRefusing to obey those in command.C22.1
13,529mystifyTo puzzle somebody completely.B2+2.1
13,530neuronA single nerve cell carrying signals through the brain.B2+2.1
13,531nuzzleTo rub gently with the nose.C12.1
13,532offshootA branch growing from a main stem or organisation.C12.1
13,533ombudsmanThe official who settles complaints against businesses.C12.1
13,534opulentRichly and showily luxurious.C22.1
13,535overheadsThe running costs a business pays whatever it sells.C12.1
13,536overshadowTo make something else seem less important.B2+2.1
13,537pacifismThe belief that war is never justified.C12.1
13,538pallorAn unhealthy paleness of the face.C12.1
13,539panoramaA wide uninterrupted view.C12.1
13,540paradoxicalSeeming to contradict itself and yet possibly true.C22.1
13,541pealA loud ringing of bells.2×C12.1
13,542peremptoryGiving an order that allows no argument.C22.1
13,543pixelOne of the tiny dots making up an image on a screen.B1+2.1
13,544pliableSoft enough to bend into any shape.C12.1
13,545pollinateTo carry pollen from one flower to another.B2+2.1
13,546practicalityThe quality of being useful and workable.B2+2.1
13,547precursorSomething that comes before and leads to another.C12.1
13,548predominantThe most common or strongest of its kind.B2+2.1
13,549pseudonymA false name used by a writer.B2+2.1
13,550pumiceA light frothy volcanic rock that floats.B2+2.1
13,551quickstepA brisk light-footed ballroom dance.B2+2.1
13,552quipA quick witty remark.C12.1
13,553quixoticNobly idealistic, and hopelessly impractical.C22.1
13,554reaffirmTo state again that something remains true or in force.C12.1
13,555recriminationAngry blame thrown back and forth.C22.1
13,556reedyThin and high in tone.2×C12.1
13,557reimbursementMoney paid back to cover what somebody spent.B2+2.1
13,558remitTo send money, or to cancel a debt or a penalty.C22.1
13,559reprintA further printing of a book with no changes.B2+2.1
13,560resilienceThe strength to recover after hardship.2×C12.1
13,561resolutelyIn a way that shows firm determination.C12.1
13,562respondentSomebody who answers a survey.B2+2.1
13,563reverieA pleasant daydream you drift into.C22.1
13,564revileTo abuse somebody in bitter language.C22.1
13,565riptideA strong narrow current running out from a beach.C12.1
13,566rumpleTo crease and disorder something smooth.C12.1
13,567sanguineCheerfully confident that things will turn out well.C22.1
13,568seahorseA small upright fish whose males carry the eggs.B1+2.1
13,569seemlyProper and fitting for the occasion.C12.1
13,570semaphoreA signal worked by a moving arm.C22.1
13,571sepulchreA tomb cut in rock or built of stone.C22.1
13,572sequinA tiny shiny disc sewn on to catch the light.B2+2.1
13,573sinewThe tough cord joining muscle to bone.C12.1
13,574skewTo twist out of true, or to bias a result.C22.1
13,575solicitousShowing anxious care for somebody's wellbeing.C22.1
13,576sombreSerious and dark in mood.C12.1
13,577sparinglyUsing only a little at a time.B2+2.1
13,578spinyCovered with sharp points.B2+2.1
13,579sporeThe single tiny cell a fungus or fern spreads by.B2+2.1
13,580sprawlTo sit or lie with limbs spread out carelessly.2×C12.1
13,581sprightlyLively and full of energy, especially when old.C12.1
13,582steeplechaseA race run over ditches and fences.C12.1
13,583subservienceExcessive readiness to obey somebody else.C22.1
13,584surreptitiousDone quietly and secretly to avoid being noticed.C22.1
13,585sustainableAble to continue without using the world up.B2+2.1
13,586sycophantSomebody who flatters the powerful for what they can get.C22.1
13,587tacitUnderstood between people without being said.C22.1
13,588tariffThe tax a country charges on imported goods.2×B2+2.1
13,589threadbareSo worn that the cloth has gone thin.C12.1
13,590thumbnailA small preview image.2×B1+2.1
13,591timbreThe distinctive quality of a sound, apart from pitch and volume.C12.1
13,592toeholdA small foothold, or a first slight advantage.C12.1
13,593transgressTo go beyond what a law or a rule allows.C12.1
13,594treelineThe height above which trees will not grow.B2+2.1
13,595trepidationNervous fear about what is about to happen.C12.1
13,596tweezeTo pull out single hairs with small pincers.C12.1
13,597unflappableSo impossible to fluster that no emergency ever ruffles you.C12.1
13,598unsulliedStill clean, and unspoiled by any stain.C22.1
13,599urbaneSmooth, polished and confident in company.C22.1
13,600usurperSomebody who seizes a throne they had no right to.C12.1
13,601vandalizeTo damage property deliberately and pointlessly.C22.1
13,602watchmakerA craftsman who makes and repairs timepieces.B2+2.1
13,603weightliftingLifting the heaviest possible load overhead.B1+2.1
13,604wherewithalThe money or means needed to do something.C22.1
13,605wicketThe three stumps a bowler aims to knock over.B2+2.1
13,606woefulFull of sorrow, or shockingly poor in quality.C12.1
13,607yelpTo give a short sharp cry of pain or excitement.B2+2.1
13,608abstentionChoosing not to vote, or holding back from something.C12.1
13,609accessionComing to a throne or joining an organisation.C12.1
13,610addresseeThe person a letter is written to.C12.1
13,611adhesionThe sticking of one surface to another.C22.1
13,612adroitClever and quick in handling things.C22.1
13,613affableEasy and pleasant to talk to.C12.1
13,614allusionAn indirect mention of something.C22.1
13,615amalgamationThe joining of separate bodies into one.C12.1
13,616amethystA purple form of quartz.B2+2.1
13,617archetypeThe original pattern that later examples follow.C22.1
13,618ascendancyA position of rising power over others.C22.1
13,619assuageTo make a painful feeling less sharp.C22.1
13,620astringentDrying and puckering in the mouth.2×C22.1
13,621asymmetricalDeliberately uneven between the two sides.B2+2.1
13,622auspicesThe support and protection of a body or a person.C12.1
13,623banknoteA piece of paper money.B1+2.1
13,624bleatTo make the thin wavering cry of a sheep.B2+2.1
13,625blightedSpoiled or ruined by some harmful influence.C12.1
13,626buccaneerA pirate of the old Caribbean.C22.1
13,627bylawA local rule made by a council or organisation.C12.1
13,628byteA unit of computer storage, eight bits.B1+2.1
13,629calamitousBringing disaster.C22.1
13,630candelabraA branched stand holding several candles.B2+2.1
13,631caskA wooden barrel, especially for beer or wine.B2+2.1
13,632cataractA clouding of the eye's lens causing blurred vision.2×B2+2.1
13,633cedeTo give up territory or a right to another.C12.1
13,634centimetreA hundredth of a metre.A2+2.1
13,635centredPlaced exactly in the middle.2×B1+2.1
13,636chalkyDry and slightly powdery to touch or taste.B2+2.1
13,637chastiseTo scold or punish somebody.C12.1
13,638circumnavigateTo sail or fly all the way round something.C22.1
13,639clefThe sign at the start of a staff that fixes the pitches.B2+2.1
13,640climeA region considered by its weather.C22.1
13,641cockerelA young male chicken.B2+2.1
13,642colanderThe bowl full of holes you empty pasta into over the sink.B1+2.1
13,643communicativeWilling and able to share what you think.B2+2.1
13,644concealerA thick cream that hides marks and shadows.B2+2.1
13,645contortionistA performer who bends the body into extreme shapes.C12.1
13,646convulseTo shake violently with uncontrolled movements.2×C12.1
13,647cookwarePots and pans taken all together.B2+2.1
13,648coronetA small crown worn by a noble.C12.1
13,649cosmologyThe study of how the universe is made and began.C12.1
13,650crankshaftThe shaft that turns up-and-down movement into spinning.C12.1
13,651crestfallenDisappointed and dispirited after a hope has failed.C12.1
13,652crumblyFalling apart into little dry pieces.B2+2.1
13,653culminateTo reach a highest or final point.C12.1
13,654curtailTo cut something short before its natural end.C12.1
13,655damaskA rich patterned cloth woven in one colour.C22.1
13,656debaseTo lower the quality or worth of something.C12.1
13,657debunkTo show publicly that a claim is nonsense.C12.1
13,658deflowerTo take a woman's virginity, in old use.C22.1
13,659deformTo spoil the natural shape of something.B2+2.1
13,660dichotomyA sharp division into two opposed parts.C12.1
13,661discourtesyAn act that fails in ordinary politeness.C12.1
13,662dissembleTo hide your true feelings behind a false show.C22.1
13,663dubbingReplacing the recorded speech with another recording.B2+2.1
13,664elucidateTo make something clear by explaining it.C12.1
13,665ensnareTo catch somebody in a trap.C12.1
13,666epilogueA closing section added after the main story.B2+2.1
13,667erodeTo wear something away little by little.B2+2.1
13,668exfoliateTo rub away dead skin from the surface.B2+2.1
13,669extantStill in existence, said of something old.C22.1
13,670exultationTriumphant delight.C22.1
13,671facetiousJoking about something that calls for seriousness.C12.1
13,672facileToo easy, and shallow because of it.C22.1
13,673facilitationThe making of a process easier for those involved.C12.1
13,674fanaticismBelief so extreme it allows no other view.C12.1
13,675farcicalAbsurd and ridiculous to the point of comedy.C22.1
13,676ferrymanSomebody who takes people across water in a boat.B2+2.1
13,677fetaA salty white Greek cheese crumbled over salad.B1+2.1
13,678fishmongerA trader who sells fish.B2+2.1
13,679flowerbedAn area of ground planted with flowers.B1+2.1
13,680footbridgeA narrow bridge for people on foot.B1+2.1
13,681forecastleThe raised deck at the front of a ship.C22.1
13,682friendlinessA warm and welcoming manner.B1+2.1
13,683furlTo roll a sail up and tie it.C22.1
13,684furorA public outburst of anger or excitement.C12.1
13,685gabbleTo talk so fast that words run together.C12.1
13,686gildingA thin covering of gold laid over a surface.C12.1
13,687glacialMade or shaped by moving ice.B2+2.1
13,688globA soft rounded lump of something thick.B2+2.1
13,689gruellingExhausting and long.C12.1
13,690halberdA weapon that is part axe and part spear.C22.1
13,691handrailA rail to hold onto for support.B22.1
13,692headbuttTo hit somebody with the forehead.B2+2.1
13,693headlandA strip of high land jutting into the sea.B2+2.1
13,694headwaterThe stream at the very source of a river.C22.1
13,695herbivoreAn animal that eats only plants.B2+2.1
13,696highlighterA bright marker used to colour over important lines.2×B1+2.1
13,697hotlyWith strong and angry feeling.C12.1
13,698hulloA greeting or call for attention, written in the older British way with a u where the usual spelling has an e.C22.1
13,699hydrocarbonA compound of only hydrogen and carbon.B2+2.1
13,700ibisA wading bird with a long curved beak.C12.1
13,701ignobleShameful and unworthy of a decent person.C12.1
13,702immersionComplete covering by liquid, or total absorption in a subject.B2+2.1
13,703impressionismA style of painting that catches light and fleeting effects.C12.1
13,704inequityUnfairness in how people are treated.C12.1
13,705inexorableImpossible to stop or to turn aside.C22.1
13,706intercessionPleading with somebody on another's behalf.C12.1
13,707inventivenessSkill at thinking up new things.C12.1
13,708laboriousNeeding long hard effort.C12.1
13,709laudTo praise somebody publicly.C22.1
13,710laudableDeserving praise.C12.1
13,711lethargyA dull sluggishness with no will to move.C12.1
13,712lexiconThe whole stock of words of a language or person.2×C12.1
13,713litanyA long repetitive recital of complaints or prayers.C12.1
13,714localityThe particular area a place sits in.B2+2.1
13,715lopeTo run with long easy strides.C12.1
13,716lowlandFlat country lying at a low level.B2+2.1
13,717machismoAn exaggerated show of manly toughness.C12.1
13,718masochismTaking pleasure in your own pain or humiliation.C12.1
13,719mastheadThe title block at the top of a newspaper.C12.1
13,720mastiffA very large powerful guard dog.C12.1
13,721meteorologyThe scientific study of the weather.C22.1
13,722mewsA row of former stables converted into houses.C22.1
13,723minutiaeThe very small details of a matter.C12.1
13,724missiveA letter, especially a long or official one.C22.1
13,725mobiliseTo gather people or resources ready for action.B2+2.1
13,726mockupA realistic sample of how something will look.B2+2.1
13,727moonstoneA pale stone with a soft inner glow.C12.1
13,728odditySomething strange, or the quality of being so.C12.1
13,729opaqueImpossible to see through; letting no light pass.2×B2+2.1
13,730opineTo state an opinion.C12.1
13,731palanquinA covered seat carried on poles by bearers.C22.1
13,732palpitationA rapid fluttering of the heart.C12.1
13,733panderTo give people exactly what they want, however low.C12.1
13,734pareTo trim the outer layer off something.C12.1
13,735patinaThe soft sheen age gives to a surface.C12.1
13,736personifyTo be the living example of a quality.C12.1
13,737perversityA wilful determination to do the opposite of what is wanted.C22.1
13,738phosphorescentGlowing softly for a while after the light has gone.C12.1
13,739piecemealA bit at a time rather than all at once.C12.1
13,740placardA stiff board with a message, carried in protest.B2+2.1
13,741plaintiveSounding sad and full of complaint.C12.1
13,742plastererThe worker who spreads smooth finish on walls.B2+2.1
13,743portentA sign of a great event to come.C22.1
13,744positTo put something forward as a starting point.C22.1
13,745precipitateA solid that appears out of a solution.C12.1
13,746precipitousVery steep, or dangerously hasty.C12.1
13,747primpTo fuss over your appearance.C22.1
13,748propitiousOffering good conditions for success.C22.1
13,749prowThe pointed front of a ship.C12.1
13,750purlA stitch that makes a ridge on the front of knitting.C22.1
13,751raimentClothing, in poetic or old use.C22.1
13,752ratifyTo make an agreement official by formally approving it.C12.1
13,753recalcitrantResisting authority and refusing to co-operate.C22.1
13,754recedeTo move back and grow more distant.B2+2.1
13,755redoubtableFormidable, and to be treated with respect.C22.1
13,756refuellingFilling an aircraft's tanks before the next flight.B2+2.1
13,757regaliaThe crown and other emblems worn by a monarch.C12.1
13,758reparationPayment made to make amends for harm done.C12.1
13,759resonantDeep and ringing, and lingering in the air.C12.1
13,760reticenceAn unwillingness to say much.C12.1
13,761revolutioniseTo change something completely and for good.B2+2.1
13,762riffleTo turn pages quickly with the thumb.C12.1
13,763rigmaroleA long fussy procedure that seems pointless.C22.1
13,764rigourStrictness and care in reasoning.C12.1
13,765rillA small brook.C22.1
13,766rimeA white frost that coats surfaces.C22.1
13,767roteLearning by repetition without understanding.C12.1
13,768rotundRound and plump.2×C12.1
13,769sallowYellowish and unhealthy in complexion.C12.1
13,770salutationA greeting, especially at the start of a letter.C12.1
13,771schoolmateSomebody who goes to the same school as you.B1+2.1
13,772scrimpTo spend as little as possible.C22.1
13,773scrunchieA fabric-covered elastic for tying hair.B1+2.1
13,774sedgeA grassy plant that grows in wet ground.C22.1
13,775servileFawning and slavishly obedient.C22.1
13,776shodWearing shoes, or fitted with metal shoes.C12.1
13,777sloshTo move about noisily inside a container, as liquid does.C12.1
13,778soddenSo wet it is heavy with water.C12.1
13,779solipsismThe view that only your own mind can be known to exist.C22.1
13,780sommelierThe waiter who advises on and serves wine.C12.1
13,781soothsayerSomebody who foretells the future.C12.1
13,782soulmateThe one person who fits your heart perfectly.B2+2.1
13,783spayTo operate on a female animal so she cannot breed.C12.1
13,784spellcheckThe tool that flags words spelled wrongly.B1+2.1
13,785sputterTo make a series of soft spitting sounds.C12.1
13,786statesmanshipSkill and wisdom in managing public affairs.C12.1
13,787stemwareGlasses with a foot and a stem.C22.1
13,788stoicismCalm endurance of whatever comes.C22.1
13,789stringentStrict and allowing no slackness.C22.1
13,790studiousLoving study and working hard at it.2×B2+2.1
13,791stygianVery dark and gloomy.C22.1
13,792stylusA pointed instrument for writing or engraving.B2+2.1
13,793subcultureA group within a society with its own style and values.C12.1
13,794subjectivityJudging from your own feelings and position.C12.1
13,795subjunctiveThe verb form used for wishes and things not real.C12.1
13,796subplotA second story running alongside the main one.B2+2.1
13,797summariseTo give the main points of something and leave the details out.B1+2.1
13,798sweepingsThe dust and rubbish gathered by a broom.C12.1
13,799syllogismAn argument of two premises and a conclusion.C22.1
13,800takeawayRestaurant food you carry home in boxes instead of eating there.B1+2.1
13,801tenetA principle held firmly by a group.C12.1
13,802thrumTo make a low steady vibrating sound.C22.1
13,803timidityA lack of courage or confidence.C22.1
13,804torrentialFalling in a violent rushing stream.C22.1
13,805tortuousFull of twists, and hard to follow.C12.1
13,806tradesmanA person who works in a skilled manual trade.B2+2.1
13,807transcribeTo write out speech or notes in full.B2+2.1
13,808transitiveSaid of a verb that takes an object.C12.1
13,809trillTo sing with a rapid quivering of notes.C12.1
13,810tureenA large deep dish with a lid, for serving soup.C12.1
13,811unadornedPlain, with no decoration at all.C12.1
13,812vaguenessHaving no clear boundary of meaning.C12.1
13,813verboseUsing far more words than are needed.C12.1
13,814vindicateTo clear somebody, or to show a decision was right.C22.1
13,815vindictivenessAn eagerness to hurt those who have wronged you.C12.1
13,816visceraThe internal organs of the body.C22.1
13,817watchwordA phrase that sums up the guiding principle.C22.1
13,818watershedThe ridge dividing which way rainwater runs.2×C12.1
13,819windsweptBare and shaped by constant wind.C12.1
13,820wordsmithSomebody skilled at using words well.C22.1
13,821wrestTo pull something away by force.C22.1
13,822yammerTo talk on loudly and complainingly.C22.1
13,823zeitgeistThe spirit and mood of a particular period.C22.1
13,824abateTo become less fierce.C12.0
13,825abetTo help somebody do something wrong.C12.0
13,826abscondTo run away secretly, often taking what is not yours.C12.0
13,827acquiescenceQuiet agreement given without objection.C22.0
13,828adjudicateTo act as judge and decide a dispute.C12.0
13,829admonitionA firm warning about behaviour.C12.0
13,830aegisThe protection or backing of a powerful body.C22.0
13,831alacrityCheerful readiness to act at once.C22.0
13,832alderA tree that grows in wet ground.C12.0
13,833ambleTo walk at an easy, unhurried pace.3×C12.0
13,834anachronismSomething that belongs to the wrong period.C12.0
13,835annumA year, in phrases about rates and pay.C12.0
13,836arabesqueA pose with one leg extended straight behind.C12.0
13,837artisanA skilled worker who makes things by hand.B2+2.0
13,838asceticSomebody who lives with severe self-denial.C12.0
13,839ascribeTo say that something was caused by or made by somebody.C12.0
13,840assailTo attack violently, physically or with words.C22.0
13,841austerityA policy of deep cuts to public spending.2×C22.0
13,842balefulThreatening harm.C22.0
13,843bangleA stiff ring of metal worn around the wrist.B2+2.0
13,844becalmedStopped for lack of any wind.C22.0
13,845billowTo swell and roll outward like smoke or a sail.C12.0
13,846billowingSwelling and rolling outward in large soft waves.C12.0
13,847bodkinA blunt thick needle, or a small dagger.C22.0
13,848boggySoft and wet underfoot.B2+2.0
13,849brainwaveA sudden very good idea.B2+2.0
13,850brasserieAn informal restaurant serving simple food all day.C12.0
13,851breakwaterA barrier built to break the force of the waves.C12.0
13,852brocadeA heavy fabric with a raised woven pattern.C22.0
13,853burundiSmall hilly country south of Rwanda on Lake Tanganyika.B2+2.0
13,854buxomPlump and full-figured, said of a woman.C12.0
13,855calmnessThe quality of being untroubled and free from agitation, named with the noun ending -ness.B2+2.0
13,856carafeAn open-topped glass jug for serving wine or water at the table.3×C12.0
13,857centrifugeA machine that spins samples fast to separate them.C12.0
13,858chideTo tell somebody off mildly.C22.0
13,859chortleTo laugh with a gleeful chuckle.C12.0
13,860churlishRude and ungracious.C22.0
13,861cobbleTo put something together roughly and quickly.C12.0
13,862cofferA strong chest for keeping money and valuables.C12.0
13,863cohesionThe holding together of a group or a text.B2+2.0
13,864conflagrationA huge destructive blaze.C22.0
13,865congealTo thicken and set as it cools.C12.0
13,866contrastingStrikingly different, and set side by side on purpose.B2+2.0
13,867contrivanceA clever device, or a plan that feels artificial.C12.0
13,868contriveTo manage to do something by clever planning.C22.0
13,869cormorantA dark diving bird that stands with its wings spread to dry.C12.0
13,870covalentBonded by sharing electrons between atoms.C12.0
13,871cowlA hood attached to a monk's robe.C22.0
13,872credentialA qualification or document proving entitlement or identity.C12.0
13,873crockeryPlates, bowls, and cups — all the table dishes together.B2+2.0
13,874crossbarThe tube joining the seat to the steering column of a bicycle.2×B2+2.0
13,875cufflinkA small fastener holding a shirt cuff closed.B2+2.0
13,876curateTo select and arrange works for an exhibition.C22.0
13,877cyclistSomebody who rides a pedal vehicle.B2+2.0
13,878dearthA serious shortage of something needed.C12.0
13,879defaceTo spoil the surface or appearance of something.B2+2.0
13,880deferentialShowing respect for somebody's rank or judgement.C12.0
13,881deforestationThe cutting down of whole forests until bare land remains.B2+2.0
13,882demarcationThe marking out of a boundary or a division of responsibility.C22.0
13,883derideTo laugh at somebody with contempt.C12.0
13,884desktopA computer meant to sit on a table, or the screen you start from.C12.0
13,885devolveTo pass power or duty down to a lower level.C12.0
13,886dexterousNeat and skilful in handling things.C12.0
13,887diaphanousSo fine and light that you can see through it.C22.0
13,888diffidentShy and lacking confidence in yourself.C22.0
13,889dishevelledUntidy in hair and clothing, as if hurried or blown about.C12.0
13,890dissolutionThe formal ending of a body or a marriage.C12.0
13,891divinationTrying to foretell what is hidden or to come.C22.0
13,892dodderingShaky and feeble from old age.C22.0
13,893doldrumsA spell of low spirits or of no progress.C22.0
13,894dotageThe weak-minded state of very great age.C22.0
13,895draughtsA board game of jumping and capturing discs.B2+2.0
13,896drayA low heavy cart for carrying barrels.C22.0
13,897dwindleTo grow steadily smaller until almost nothing is left.B2+2.0
13,898earwigA brown insect with pincers at its rear end.B2+2.0
13,899eavesThe part of a roof that overhangs the wall.C12.0
13,900echolocationFinding objects by listening to the echo of your own sound.C22.0
13,901engulfTo surround and swallow something up completely.B2+2.0
13,902equivocationSliding between two meanings of a word in an argument.C22.0
13,903erstwhileBelonging to a former time.C22.0
13,904estuaryThe wide mouth where a river meets the sea.B2+2.0
13,905excerptA short passage taken from a longer text.B2+2.0
13,906exchequerThe national treasury that holds public money.C22.0
13,907exigentPressing, and allowing no delay.C22.0
13,908expoundTo set out an idea in careful detail.C12.0
13,909expungeTo wipe something off the record entirely.C22.0
13,910extractorThe fan above a stove that pulls away steam and smells.B2+2.0
13,911extrovertSomeone who gains energy from being with people.B2+2.0
13,912fecklessUseless, and unable to take responsibility.C22.0
13,913filigreeDelicate ornamental work in fine wire.C12.0
13,914finaliseTo settle the last details.B2+2.0
13,915folktaleA story handed down by ordinary people rather than written by one author.C12.0
13,916fortificationWalls and works built to make a place defensible.C12.0
13,917furrowA long narrow groove cut in the ground by a plough.2×B2+2.0
13,918garrulousTalking far too much about trivial things.C22.0
13,919genuflectTo touch one knee to the ground in reverence.C22.0
13,920glitzyShowily glamorous.C22.0
13,921glyphA carved symbol standing for a word or a sound.C12.0
13,922gnashTo grind the teeth together, especially in rage or anguish.C12.0
13,923gorseA prickly evergreen shrub with yellow flowers.C12.0
13,924governanceThe way an organisation or a country is run.C12.0
13,925grasslandWide country where grass is the main plant.B1+2.0
13,926grizzledHaving hair turned grey with age.C12.0
13,927grudgingGiven unwillingly and without warmth.C12.0
13,928hackneyedWorn out by being repeated far too often.C22.0
13,929handsawA saw pushed and pulled by hand alone.B2+2.0
13,930heatwaveA long spell of dangerously hot weather.B1+2.0
13,931hedonisticDevoted to pleasure above everything else.C12.0
13,932hierarchicalArranged in ranks from highest to lowest.C12.0
13,933hirsuteVery hairy.C22.0
13,934horseflyA large fly whose bite draws blood.B2+2.0
13,935imbueTo fill something through and through with a quality.C22.0
13,936immigrateTo come into a country in order to settle there.B2+2.0
13,937impishMischievous in a playful way.C12.0
13,938inaugurateTo install somebody formally into high office.C12.0
13,939incubateTo keep eggs warm until they hatch.B2+2.0
13,940ineptitudeA hopeless lack of skill.C12.0
13,941intuitivelyBy instinct rather than by working it out.C12.0
13,942irkTo annoy somebody persistently.C12.0
13,943jostleTo push against people in a crowd.C12.0
13,944jubilationGreat and public rejoicing.C12.0
13,945jutTo stick out beyond a surface or edge.B2+2.0
13,946kilometreA unit of distance equal to one thousand metres.A2+2.0
13,947kithFriends and acquaintances, in the phrase with kin.C22.0
13,948lampoonA piece of writing that mocks somebody publicly.C22.0
13,949landlubberSomebody who is not used to being at sea.C22.0
13,950legroomThe space in front of your seat.B2+2.0
13,951litreA unit of liquid volume, a thousand cubic centimetres.A2+2.0
13,952loathVery unwilling to do something.C12.0
13,953lollTo sit or lie in a lazy sprawl.2×C12.0
13,954luminarySomebody who shines in their field.C22.0
13,955maelstromA powerful whirlpool, or a scene of violent confusion.C22.0
13,956malleableSoft enough to be hammered into a new shape.2×C22.0
13,957manhandleTo move somebody roughly by force.B2+2.0
13,958masonryStone or brickwork taken as a whole.C12.0
13,959mattedTangled into a thick dirty mass.C12.0
13,960megalomaniaAn obsession with your own power and greatness.C12.0
13,961middenA heap of household rubbish and dung.C22.0
13,962millinerA maker of hats.C12.0
13,963misanthropeSomebody who dislikes people in general.C22.0
13,964misbegottenBadly conceived from the start.C22.0
13,965miscarryTo lose a pregnancy.2×B2+2.0
13,966misogynyHatred of, or deep prejudice against, women.B2+2.0
13,967monorailA train running along a single raised beam.B2+2.0
13,968morassBoggy ground, or a situation you cannot get free of.C22.0
13,969mothballA small white ball that keeps insects out of stored wool.B2+2.0
13,970muggyWarm, damp and uncomfortable.B2+2.0
13,971murkThick darkness you cannot see through.C12.0
13,972nascentJust coming into being.C22.0
13,973negationThe denial of a statement.C12.0
13,974nonplussedSo surprised or confused that you do not know how to react.C12.0
13,975oakyTasting of the wooden barrel it aged in.C22.0
13,976obeliskA tall four-sided stone pillar tapering to a point.C12.0
13,977obfuscateTo make something deliberately unclear.C12.0
13,978obstinacyStubborn refusal to change your mind.C12.0
13,979octogenarianSomebody between eighty and ninety years old.C22.0
13,980onusThe duty or blame that rests on somebody.C12.0
13,981opulenceGreat wealth shown off in luxury.C22.0
13,982oscillationA regular swinging back and forth.C12.0
13,983oublietteA dungeon reached only through a hole above.C22.0
13,984outshineTo be so much better that others are put in the shade.B2+2.0
13,985overdraftPermission to spend beyond what is in the account.C12.0
13,986overexposedBurnt out and too pale from too much light.B2+2.0
13,987pandemicAn illness spreading across the entire world at once.B2+2.0
13,988parityBeing equal in status, pay or value.C12.0
13,989patchworkWork made of small pieces of different cloth.B2+2.0
13,990patricianA member of an old aristocratic family.C12.0
13,991pedantSomebody who fusses over tiny points of correctness.C12.0
13,992perspicaciousQuick to notice and understand what others miss.C22.0
13,993pieceworkWork paid by the number of items finished.C12.0
13,994plodTo walk slowly with heavy steps.C12.0
13,995portraitureThe art of making likenesses of people.C22.0
13,996powderyMade of very fine dry particles.B2+2.0
13,997presupposeTo take something as given before the argument starts.C22.0
13,998privationThe hardship of going without what you need.C22.0
13,999profusionA very great and generous abundance.C12.0
14,000prurientTaking an unhealthy interest in sexual matters.C22.0