Vocabulary Flashcards: Advanced English Words and Definitions

Bewail

To express deep regret or sorrow over something.

Destitute

Without the basic necessities of life; extremely poor.

Detract

To take away from the worth or value of something.

Emancipate

To set free, especially from legal, social, or political restrictions.

Extol

To praise enthusiastically; to celebrate.

Flamboyant

Tending to attract attention because of exuberance, confidence, and stylishness; showy.

Impetus

A force that makes something happen or happen more quickly; a driving force.

Insuperable

Impossible to overcome; insurmountable.

Intermittent

Occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady.

Maxim

A short, pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct.

Obligatory

Required by a legal, moral, or other rule; compulsory.

Plumb

To measure the depth of something; to explore or examine thoroughly.

Vagabond

A person who wanders from place to place without a home or job.

Visage

A person's face, with reference to the form or proportions of the features.

Wheedle

To coax by using sly persuasion or insincere praise.

Alacrity

Eagerness.

Array

A large group of people or things; an orderly arrangement or display; to place in order; to dress up.

Deduce

To draw a conclusion from given facts.

Encumber

To weigh down or burden; to impede the action of.

Fraught

Full of or accompanied by (usually followed by with).

Haphazard

Marked by lack of plan, order, or direction.

Incontrovertible

Impossible to dispute; unquestionable.

Inexplicable

Hard to explain or impossible to understand.

Ingenious

Marked by imagination, resourcefulness, or cleverness.

Laggard

One who falls behind others because of moving slowly or loitering; a straggler.

Sustenance

Something that provides nourishment; food needed to live.

Torrid

Intensely hot and dry; burning with passion.

Traverse

To pass over, across, or through.

Ubiquitous

Appearing to be present in large numbers or in many different places.

Zenith

The highest point; peak.

Allude

To refer to in an indirect way.

Consecrate

To set apart as holy, to dedicate to a cause, to devote.

Disseminate

To scatter or spread widely.

Dote

To show excessive fondness.

Exhort

To urge strongly, to warn or appeal.

Feckless

Careless or irresponsible.

Implicate

To be involved with something dishonest or illegal.

Lament

To feel or express grief.

Monetary

Of or relating to money or currency.

Pensive

Deep in thought or dreamily thoughtful.

Pomp

A showy or dignified display.

Stilted

Artificially stiff or formal in manner.

Subjugate

To bring under control, to conquer.

Trauma

A severe bodily injury or an emotional shock.

Wanton

Ignoring what is right, excessive/unrestrained, playful/frolicsome.

Adage

A traditional saying or proverb that expresses a common experience or observation.

Camaraderie

A spirit of friendship and community among a group of people.

Contend

To assert or maintain an argument; to compete or strive in a contest.

Extraneous

Irrelevant or unrelated to the subject being dealt with; unnecessary.

Hubbub

A loud noise caused by a crowd; a state of confusion or uproar.

Meander

To follow a winding or intricate course; to wander aimlessly.

Odoriferous

Having a strong smell, often used to describe something that is fragrant or pungent.

Paraphernalia

Miscellaneous articles, especially the equipment needed for a particular activity.

Punctilious

Showing great attention to detail or correct behavior; meticulous.

Recuperate

To recover from illness or exertion; to regain health or strength.

Regale

To entertain or amuse someone with stories or jokes.

Sedentary

Characterized by much sitting and little physical exercise; inactive.

Spartan

Showing or characterized by strict self-discipline or simplicity; austere.

Temporal

Relating to worldly as opposed to spiritual affairs; secular.

Wry

Using or expressing dry, especially mocking, humor; twisted or contorted.