Essential English Vocabulary-in-Context Word List

Vocabulary flashcards derived from Essential English Vocabulary-in-Context.

ACCESS

To gain entry or to understand.

ACCOMMODATE

To adapt or adjust to; to provide for.

AGITATE

To disturb or trouble; to spark interest or debate.

ALARM

To shock or frighten; to equip with an alarm.

ANTICIPATE

To expect or to foreshadow.

APT

Appropriate or likely; quick to learn.

ATTRIBUTE

A characteristic; to give credit to.

BETRAY

To be disloyal; to reveal unintentionally.

BUTTRESS

To provide with supports; to reinforce.

CAUSTIC

Harshly critical or sarcastic; burning or corrosive.

CHAMPION

A winner in a contest or a supporter of a cause.

COMPROMISE

A settlement where each side gives up something; to weaken.

CONCUR

To agree or to happen at the same time.

CONDESCEND

To talk down; to act patronizingly.

CONFIRM

To verify or establish the truth of.

CONSIDERATION

Thoughtfulness or careful thought.

CONSUMMATE

To fulfill or complete; highly skilled or perfect.

CONTEND

To compete or to argue.

CORRESPONDENCE

Written communication; similarity or equivalence.

CRITICAL

Expressing disapproval or involving analytical thinking.

CRUDE

Crass or undeveloped; unrefined.

CULTIVATE

To grow or to improve.

DECISIVE

Conclusive or able to make up one’s mind.

DEFLATE

To remove air or to discourage.

DESPERATE

Hopeless or urgent.

DEVOUR

To eat greedily; to consume with great enjoyment.

DIPLOMATIC

Relating to negotiations; tactful.

DIRECT

Traveling by the shortest route; frank or honest.

DISCREET

Not obvious; very careful.

DISTORT

To change or misrepresent something.

DRIVE

To direct movement; to give shape or impulse.

DYNAMIC

Constantly changing; especially active.

ENDURE

To tolerate or to last.

FACILE

Easy or simplistic.

FACTION

A group united by a common cause within a larger group.

FARCE

An exaggerated comedy or a mockery.

GALL

Bold or impertinent behavior; annoyance.

GAME

A competitive play or sport.

GROSS

Vulgar or unrefined; total without deductions.

HAPPY

Feeling pleasure or enjoyment.

IMPRESS

To create a powerful effect or influence.

INCENDIARY

Causing fire; stirring up trouble.

INCLINED

Angled or likely to do something.

INHOSPITABLE

Unwelcoming or not supporting life.

INITIATE

To cause to begin or to introduce formally.

INITIATIVE

Energy to begin or a new approach to deal with a problem.

INTEGRITY

Honesty or completeness.

LIVID

Extremely angry or pale.

MAP

To chart or define.

MEDIUM

The way something is accomplished or communicated.

NATURAL

Not made by humankind; innate.

NICHE

A suitable place or role; a small segment of a market.

NOTE

To observe or record.

OBLIGE

To require or to do a favor for.

OBSESSIVE

Excessive interest to an unreasonable degree.

OPAQUE

Obscure or hard to understand.

OVERSIGHT

Careless mistake; supervision.

PARTIAL

Incomplete or showing favoritism.

PATENT

Visible or obvious; legal recognition of ownership.

PLIABLE

Bendable or submissive.

PROMOTE

To support publicly or to advance in position.

RAVE

To express enthusiasm or to talk irrationally.

RECONCILE

To settle an argument or make consistent.

REFINEMENT

The process of improving or sophisticated taste.

RESOLVE

To settle or commit firmly to a course of action.

RIGOR

Severity or strictness; preciseness in detail.

RIVAL

To compete against or to equal.

ROMANTIC

Involving the joys of love or idealistic.

ROUSE

To wake up or inspire into action.

SLUR

To speak indistinctly or to insult.

SUBORDINATE

One under someone else’s control; lower in rank.

SUBSTANCE

Matter or importance.

SUSTAIN

To give support or to suffer.

TREACHEROUS

Not trustworthy or hazardous.

VEX

To annoy or to puzzle.

VINDICATE

To clear of wrongdoing or to justify.

VIOLATE

To break rules or to treat disrespectfully.

VITAL

Very important or full of life.

WILLFUL

Intentional or stubborn.