Formal Writing Vocabulary Review

Practice flashcards for key formal writing vocabulary and their meanings.

ansprechen / adressieren (verb)

address

speak to.

aufgeben / verlassen

abandon

– They had to abandon the sinking ship.

– synonym: forsake.

absorbieren / aufnehmen

absorb

– A dry sponge absorbs water quickly.

– synonym: soak up.

auftragen / anwenden

apply

– You should apply sunscreen before going into the sun.

– synonym: put on.

erreichen / erlangen

attain

– She worked hard to attain her goals.

– synonym: achieve.

absagen / stornieren

cancel

– The flight was cancelled due to bad weather.

– synonym: call off.

verursachen / bewirken

cause

– Smoking causes many health problems.

– synonym: lead to.

zusammenbrechen / einstürzen

collapse

– The old building collapsed during the earthquake.

– synonym: fall down.

umfassen / beinhalten

comprise

– The committee comprises members from various departments.

– synonym: include.

ersinnen / sich vorstellen

conceive

– I can't conceive of a world without music.

– synonym: imagine.

verbinden / anschließen

connect

– Please connect the printer to the computer.

– synonym: link.

berücksichtigen / erwägen

consider

– You should consider all options before making a decision.

– synonym: think about.

konsultieren / befragen

consult

– You should consult a doctor if you feel unwell.

– synonym: refer to.

fortsetzen / weiterführen

continue

– We will continue the meeting after a short break.

– synonym: proceed.

täuschen / betrügen

deceive

– He tried to deceive her with a false story.

– synonym: mislead.

abbremsen / verlangsamen

decelerate

– The train began to decelerate as it approached the station.

– synonym: slow down.

abfahren / abreisen

depart

– The plane will depart from gate B20.

– synonym: leave.

einzahlen / hinterlegen

deposit

– Please deposit your payment in the designated box.

– synonym: place.

entwickeln / entfalten

develop

– The company is developing a new software.

– synonym: create.

wegwerfen / entsorgen

discard

– He discarded the old newspaper.

– synonym: throw away.

erkennen / wahrnehmen

discern

– It was hard to discern the truth from his lies.

– synonym: perceive.

zerfallen / auflösen

disintegrate

– The ancient scroll began to disintegrate when touched.

– synonym: break down.

entdecken / herausfinden

discover

– Scientists hope to discover a cure for the disease.

– synonym: find.

anzeigen / ausstellen

display

– The museum displays ancient artifacts.

– synonym: show.

verteilen / austeilen

distribute

– The teacher distributed the handouts to the students.

– synonym: hand out.

auswerfen / ausstoßen

eject

– The pilot had to eject from the damaged aircraft.

– synonym: expel.

sicherstellen / gewährleisten

ensure

– Please ensure that all doors are locked.

– synonym: guarantee.

betreten / eintreten

enter

– She politely asked to enter the room.

– synonym: come in.

entfliehen / entkommen

escape

– They tried to escape from the prison.

– synonym: flee.

herausstreichen / entfernen

excise

– The editor had to excise several paragraphs from the article.

– synonym: cut out.

ausführen / vollziehen

execute

– The plan was executed flawlessly.

– synonym: carry out.

erschöpfen / aufbrauchen

exhaust

– We have exhausted all our options.

– synonym: deplete.

austreten / verlassen

exit

– Please exit the building through the emergency door.

– synonym: leave.

ausstrahlen / verströmen

exude

– She exuded confidence during the presentation.

– synonym: radiate.

fälschen / herstellen

fabricate

– The witness fabricated a story to protect his friend.

– synonym: invent.

verzichten auf / vorenthalten

forego

– She decided to forego dessert to maintain her diet.

– synonym: omit.

vorstellen / einführen

introduce

– The manager will introduce the new employees.

– synonym: present.

erfinden / ausdenken

invent

– Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.

– synonym: devise.

untersuchen / ermitteln

investigate

– The police began to investigate the crime scene.

– synonym: look into.

verwalten / leiten

manage

– How do you manage your time effectively?

– synonym: handle.

notwendig machen / erfordern

necessitate

– The new project will necessitate additional funding.

– synonym: require.

weglassen / auslassen

omit

– The report omitted several key details.

– synonym: exclude.

sich widersetzen / ablehnen

oppose

– Many people oppose the new government policy.

– synonym: resist.

vorausgehen / vorangehen

precede

– A short speech will precede the awards ceremony.

– synonym: come before.

fortfahren / weitergehen

proceed

– We can now proceed with the next agenda item.

– synonym: continue.

kaufen / erwerben

purchase

– She decided to purchase a new car.

– synonym: buy.

aufhören / kündigen

quit

– He decided to quit his job and travel the world.

– synonym: resign.

erreichen / gelangen

reach

– She worked hard to reach her goals.

– synonym: achieve.

reduzieren / verringern

reduce

– We need to reduce our energy consumption.

– synonym: decrease.

betrachten / ansehen

regard

– Many people regard him as a trustworthy leader.

– synonym: consider.

entfernen / beseitigen

remove

– Please remove your shoes before entering the house.

– synonym: take off.

anfordern / bitten um

request

– He requested more information about the project.

– synonym: ask for.

ähneln / gleichen

resemble

– The child strongly resembles her father.

– synonym: look like.

zurückkehren / zurückgeben

return

– He will return from his trip next week.

– synonym: come back.

suchen / anstreben

seek

– The company is seeking new talent.

– synonym: look for.

folgen auf / gelingen

succeed

– The new manager succeeded the previous one.

– synonym: follow.

tolerieren / dulden

tolerate

– I cannot tolerate such disrespect.

– synonym: endure.

übertragen / übermitteln

transmit

– Diseases can be transmitted through contact.

– synonym: pass on.

nutzen / verwenden

utilize

– We should utilize all available resources.

– synonym: use.

nachgeben / erbringen

yield

– The smaller company yielded to the demands of the larger corporation.

– synonym: surrender.

sich nähern / herangehen

approach

– The deer allowed us to approach slowly.

– synonym: come near.

beurteilen / bewerten

assess

– We need to assess the risks before starting.

– synonym: evaluate.

bestehen aus

consist of

– The team consists of five members.

– synonym: be made up of.

bilden / darstellen

constitute

– These events constitute a major change.

– synonym: form.

ableiten / herleiten

derive

– The word 'democracy' is derived from Greek.

– synonym: originate from.

berücksichtigen / einbeziehen

factor

– We need to factor in the cost of shipping.

– synonym: consider.

gründen / etablieren

establish

– They plan to establish a new company next year.

– synonym: set up.

offensichtlich / deutlich

evident

– It was evident that he was upset.

– synonym: obvious.

ausgeben / herausgeben

issue

– The company issued a statement about the merger.

– synonym: release.

geschehen / stattfinden

occur

– The incident occurred late at night.

– synonym: happen.

erfordern / benötigen

require

– This task requires a lot of concentration.

– synonym: need.

variieren / schwanken

vary

– Opinions on the topic vary greatly.

– synonym: differ.

bedeutend / wichtig

significant

– The discovery marks a significant step forward.

– synonym: important.

beeinflussen / sich auswirken auf

affect

– The new policies will affect everyone.

– synonym: influence.

angemessen / passend

appropriate

– Please choose an appropriate outfit for the ceremony.

– synonym: suitable.

aneignen / zuweisen

appropriate

– Congress appropriated funds for the new project.

– synonym: allocate.

erwerben / beschaffen

acquire

– The museum is acquiring new works of art.

– synonym: obtain.

durchführen / leiten

conduct

– The scientists will conduct an experiment.

– synonym: carry out.

Verhalten / Benehmen (noun)

conduct

– His conduct during the meeting was exemplary.

– synonym: behavior.

gleichsetzen / gleichstellen

equate

– You shouldn't equate wealth with happiness.

– synonym: compare.

aufweisen / kennzeichnen

feature

– The new smartphone features a high-resolution camera.

– synonym: include.

deutlich / ausgeprägt

distinct

– The regional dialects have distinct accents.

– synonym: clear.

wahrnehmen / empfinden

perceive

– She perceived a change in his attitude.

– synonym: notice.

Wahrnehmung / Auffassung (noun)

perception

– Public perception of the issue has shifted.

– synonym: understanding.

erhalten / bekommen

obtain

– We obtained permission to enter the building.

– synonym: get.

teilnehmen / mitmachen

participate

– Everyone is encouraged to participate in the discussion.

– synonym: take part.

aufrechterhalten / instand halten

maintain

– It's hard to maintain focus over a long period.

– synonym: keep up.

einführen / einleiten

institute

– The school decided to institute a new anti-bullying policy.

– synonym: initiate.

vorherig / früher

previous

– The previous owner renovated the house.

– synonym: prior.

wohnen / leben

reside

– Many students reside in dormitories.

– synonym: live.

vorsitzen / leiten

preside

– The judge will preside over the trial.

– synonym: chair.

stehlen / Diebstahl

steal

– Someone tried to steal my bicycle.

– synonym: pilfer.

sicher / gesichert

secure

– Make sure your password is secure.

– synonym: safe.

befragen / begutachten

survey

– They surveyed residents about their opinions.

– synonym: examine.

Ort / Standort (noun)

site

– This is the site of an ancient battle.

– synonym: location.

einschränken / begrenzen

restrict

– The new rules restrict access to the building.

– synonym: