IELTS 4000 Academic Word List

This set of vocabulary flashcards is based on the 4000 Academic Word List, a critical resource for IELTS test takers seeking high scores in the academic test.

Abeyance

suspended action; temporary cessation or suspension

Abrogate

abolish, do away with, or annul, especially by authority

Adversary

opponent in contest; someone who offers opposition

Adversity

state of misfortune, hardship, or affliction; misfortune

Aggregate

gather into a mass, sum, or whole; amount to

Ambiguity

state of being ambiguous; doubtfulness or uncertainty

Analogy

similarity in some respects; comparison based on similarity

Antagonism

active resistance; condition of being an opposing principle, force, or factor

Apparatus

a group of parts that work together to perform given function; appliance or device for particular purpose

Arbitrary

randomly chosen; determined by chance or impulse, and not by reason or principle

Arduous

demanding great effort or labor; difficult

Ascertain

find out for certain; discover with certainty; make sure of

Assorted

varied; miscellaneous

Autonomous

self-governing; not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent

Baffle

frustrate as by confusing or perplexing; impede force or movement of

Barren

desolate; fruitless and unproductive; lacking

Benevolent

generous in providing aid to others; charitable

Bewilder

lead into perplexity or confusion; perplex with mazes

Brittle

easily broken; having little elasticity

Catalyst

agent which brings about chemical change while it remains unaffected and unchanged

Coherence

logical and orderly and consistent relation of parts; state of cohering or sticking together

Compulsory

mandatory; obligatory; required by rule

Concise

brief and compact; expressing much in few words

Concurrent

simultaneous; coincident; occurring or operating at the same time

Conscientious

diligent; responsible; reliable

Constant

invariable; repeating; continually occurring; persistent

Constraint

something that restricts or confines within prescribed bounds

Controversial

controvertible; disputable

Corrode

destroy metal or alloy gradually, especially by chemical action; be eaten or worn away

Deficit

inadequacy or insufficiency; sum of money falls short of required amount; shortage

Detriment

harm; damage; injury; something that causes damage, harm, or loss

Dilute

weaken; make thinner or less concentrated by adding a liquid such as water

Discrepancy

lack of consistency; difference

Dismal

causing gloom or depression; dreary; somber; melancholy

Divergence

difference; deviation; separation; the act of moving away in different direction

Dynamic

energetic; vigorously active

Eccentric

departing from a recognized, conventional, or established norm or pattern

Eloquent

vividly or movingly expressive; persuasive

Emancipate

free from bondage, oppression, or restraint; liberate

Empirical

derived from experiment and observation rather than theory

Endeavor

attempt by employing effort

Equilibrium

mental or emotional balance; state of balance of any causes, powers, or motives

Exhaustive

treating all parts or aspects without omission; comprehensive

Explicit

precisely and clearly expressed; definite; outspoken

Feasible

capable of being accomplished or brought about

Fluctuation

a wave motion

Formidable

arousing fear; threatening; difficult to undertake or defeat

Frugal

sparing; economical; costing little; inexpensive

Generalization

an idea having general application; reasoning from detailed facts to general principles

Glisten

sparkle or shine, especially shine with a mild, subdued, and fitful luster; emit a soft, scintillating light; gleam

Haphazard

not thorough, constant or consistent; by chance

Hinder

put at a disadvantage; tie up; hamper; prevent the progress

Impartial

not biased; fair; showing lack of favoritism

Indispensable

essential; requisite; impossible to be omitted or remitted

Inevitable

unavoidable; incapable of being avoided or prevented

Ingenious

clever; having inventive or cunning mind

Inherent

firm established by nature or habit

Innovation

introduction of something new

Integral

essential or necessary for completeness; entire

Invalid

of no force or weight; not valid; weak; void; null

Irresistible

overwhelming; tempting; charming

Irrevocable

unalterable; irreversible; impossible to retract or revoke

Jeopardize

endanger; imperil; put at risk

Junction

connection; joint; intersection; crossing

Justify

adjust the spaces between words; show to be reasonable; explain, clear away

Latent

present or potential but not evident or active; dormant; hidden

Legislation

lawmaking; the act of making or enacting laws ; law enacted by a legislative body

Liberal

open-minded; tolerant; broad-mindedness; having political views favoring reform and progress

Lofty

high, tall, having great height; idealistic, implying over-optimism

Magnitude

extent; greatness of rank, size, or position

Malice

enmity of heart; malevolence; ill will; spirit delighting in harm or misfortune to another

Meticulous

excessively careful; marked by extreme care in treatment of details

Monopoly

exclusive control or possession of something; domination

Negligible

so small, trifling, or unimportant that it may be easily disregarded

Notable

worthy of note or notice; remarkable; important

Obliterate

destroy completely; do away with completely so as to leave no trace

Obscure

darken; make dim or indistinct; conceal in obscurity

Ominous

threatening; foreshadowing evil or tragic developments

Optimal

most advantageous; optimum; ideal

Outlandish

unconventional; strikingly unfamiliar; located far from civilized areas

Parameter

characteristic or feature that distinguishes something from others

Peruse

read or examine, typically with great care

Plight

condition or state, especially a bad state or condition

Precedence

fact, state, or right of preceding; priority; previous occurrence, or existence before

Prevalent

widespread; widely or commonly occurring, existing, accepted

Proficient

skilled; expert; having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude

Radical

drastic; extreme; arising from or going to a root or source; basic

Ratify

approve formally; confirm; verify

Reciprocal

concerning each of two or more persons or things; exchangeable; interacting

Relinquish

give up something with reluctance; retire from; give up or abandon

Resolute

firm, unyielding, or determined; having decided purpose

Scrutiny

close examination; minute inspection; critical observation.

Solidarity

union of interests, purposes, or sympathies among members of a group; accord

Spontaneous

arising without external cause; growing without cultivation or human labor

Subtle

slight; be difficult to detect or grasp by the mind

Tedious

tiresome by reason of length, slowness, or dullness; progressing very slowly

Tentative

hesitant; not fully worked out or developed; experimental; not definite or positive

Ultimate

final; being the last or concluding; fundamental; elemental; extreme

Unanimous

uniform; in complete agreement

Underlying

lying under or beneath something; basic; implicit; taking precedence; prior