550 Must-Know Words for TOEFL iBT - Chapter 1 Vocabulary

Vocabulary practice flashcards extracted directly from Chapter 1 of the 550 Must-Know Words for TOEFL iBT guide.

Dissolve (verb)

Melt, thaw, soften; end, break up, discontinue, suspend, terminate. To mix with a liquid and become part of it, formally end an arrangement or marriage, or gradually become smaller/weaker before disappearing.

Precipitate (verb)

Quicken, accelerate, expedite, hasten, throw, launch; to make something serious happen suddenly or more quickly than expected, or force into a particular condition.

Halt (verb / noun)

Stop, break off, cease, come to an end, block, curb, terminate. As a verb: to prevent from continuing or to stop moving. As a noun: a stop or pause.

Refuge (noun)

Shelter, asylum, haven, sanctuary; shelter or protection from someone/something or a place that provides shelter from danger.

Sprout (verb)

Grow, develop; to start to grow, producing shoots, buds, or leaves, or to appear suddenly in large numbers.

Aesthetic (adjective)

Connected with beauty and the study of beauty.

Hierarchy (noun)

Grading, pecking order, ranking; a system of organization in which people or things are divided into levels of importance, or the most powerful members of an organization.

Nurture (verb)

Develop, bring up, discipline, educate, rear, train; to help a plan, idea, or feeling to develop, or to feed and take care of a growing child or plant.

Bias (noun)

Prejudice, favoritism, inclination, leaning, partiality, tendency; an opinion influencing how you deal with something, or a natural skill/interest in one type of thing.

Nascent (adjective)

Budding, developing, incipient; coming into existence or starting to develop.

Insatiable (adjective)

Voracious, unquenchable, greedy; always wanting more and more of something.

Affirm (verb)

Declare, assert, certify, confirm, maintain, testify, pronounce; to state publicly that something is true, or to strengthen a feeling, belief, or idea.

Placid (adjective)

Calm, collected, composed, serene, tranquil; not easily angry/upset and calm/peaceful.

Onerous (adjective)

Difficult, burdensome, demanding, hard, heavy, exacting, laborious; work or a responsibility that is difficult, worrying, or tiring.

Despotic (adjective)

Authoritarian, autocratic, dictatorial, oppressive; typical of a tyrant or despot.

Groundbreaking (adjective)

Innovative, pioneering, revolutionary, original, trailblazing.

Immerse (verb)

Submerge, involve deeply, absorb completely, engage fully.

Acquisition (noun)

Obtaining, gaining, procurement, purchase, attainment.

Component (noun)

Part, element, piece, constituent, unit.

Retention (noun)

Keeping, preservation, maintenance, holding, remembrance.

Substantial (adjective)

Considerable, significant, large, solid, meaningful.

Hurdle (noun)

Obstacle, barrier, difficulty, challenge, impediment.

Sedimentary (adjective)

Formed by deposits, layered, accumulated, stratified.

Precipitate (noun)

Solid deposit, residue, sediment formed during a chemical reaction.

Leach (verb)

Drain away, dissolve out, remove gradually.

Drive (verb)

Propel, motivate, push, cause, stimulate.

Cognitive (adjective)

Related to thinking, mental, intellectual, reasoning-based.

Perpetual (adjective)

Continuous, endless, constant, everlasting.

Vibrant (adjective)

Lively, energetic, colorful, dynamic.

Combat (verb)

Fight, oppose, battle, counteract.