TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is a standardized test to measure the English language ability of non-native speakers wishing to enroll in English-speaking universities. Here you ae the top 100 words you need to know to pass it with flying colours !
ABYSS: a bottomless pit or very deep space (Example: Hell). It can also be used metaphorically to mean “endless”
Example:
His room was so messy that I couldn’t find anything in the abyss of papers.
ACQUIESCE: agree to something without argument
Example:
The employees acquiesced to his commands because they feared losing their jobs.
AFFABLE: very friendly
Example:
She’s an affable person with a warm smile.
AFFLICTION: pain or suffering
Example:
The cancer was an affliction that consumed his thoughts.
AFFLUENT: very wealthy
Example:
He’s from an affluent family, so he has no sense of frugality. AGITATE: to upset or disturb
Example:
The sick boy was agitated by the doctor’s questions.
AMBIGUOUS: UNCLEAR OR VAGUE Example:
The organization’s beliefs are very ambiguous. Sometimes, they claim to support us, and other times, they disagree.
ANNEX: to attach or incorporate into an existing unit Example:
The chapel was annexed to the main building several years ago.
AQUEOUS: of, like, or pertaining to water
Example:
Amphibians thrive in aqueous environments.
ARDUOUS: difficult or requiring effort
Example:
They began the arduous task of moving furniture into the new apartment.
AROMA: scent or odor (usually plant, spices, food, or candles)
Example:
The incense has a sweet aroma of vanilla and cinnamon.
ATONE: to pay for one’s sins or make amends for a wrong
Example:
An important concept in Christianity is atonement for one’s sins.
AVARICE: greedy for wealth; materialistic
Example:
The CEO was motivated by avarice when he decreased his employee’s pay.
BELLICOSE: hostile or combative; eager to fight
Example:
The man’s bellicose nature indicated how unhappy he was with the current political situation.
CALISTHENICS: exercises to build body strength, usually including gymnastics movements
Example:
All of the athletes were required to do calisthenics at the gym to improve strength and flexibility.
CAPTOR: someone who takes someone captive; a kidnapper or jailor
Example:
The prisoners tried desperately to escape their captors, but the building was well guarded.
CONCOCT: to digest or formulate (common noun form: concoction)
Example:
The bartender concocts new beverages based on his customers’ likes and dislikes.
DANGLE: to hang loosely or swing
Example:
The apples dangled from their branches, waiting to be picked. DEPRIVE: to take away or deny access to
Example:
The government continues to deprive its citizens of basic healthcare.
DILIGENT: hardworking; persistent
Example:
Successful medical students are very diligent in their studies.
DISROBE: undress
Example:
She disrobed and stepped into the hot bath.
DOCILE: easily managed, obedient
Example:
Most of the dogs are docile and well-trained.
DOLEFUL: full of grief; sad
Example:
She preferred to play doleful songs on her violin.
DROUGHT: a period of abnormally low rainfall; a famine or dry period
Example:
The country is facing one of the longest droughts in history with three months of no rain.
DUBIOUS: doubtful or questionable
Example:
The research project has dubious sources that lack credibility.
DUMBFOUND: to make someone perplexed or surprised (adjective: dumbfounded) Example:
Movie critics were dumbfounded by the film’s sudden success.
EFFACE: to erase or wipe out; to rub
Example:
They effaced the graffiti from the building.
ELUCIDATE: to make clear or explain; to clarify
Example:
The surgeon elucidated the purpose of the procedure to her patient.
ENCHANT: to charm by magic; gain control of by magical words or sorcery; to fascinate
Example:
In many fairy tales, a young princess is enchanted by a witch or sorcerer and must be rescued.
ENDEAVOR: an attempt or struggle
Example:
His latest business endeavor is a laundry delivery service to college students.
ENDORSE: to condone, support, authorize, or approve
Citizens Bank endorses the Phillies baseball team in exchange for public advertising.
ENTHRALL: to fascinate or take someone’s complete attention
Example:
The botanical gardens enthralled her with their beautiful flowers and trees.
EXPLOIT: to manipulate something, to use something unfairly
Example:
The consulting firm exploited its new employee by giving him all of the worst clients.
EXTENSIVE: widespread; wide; far-reaching
Example:
Many universities now offer extensive support for their international students.
EXTOL: to praise or celebrate highly
Example:
The delegation extolled the soldier as a great hero who died for his country.
FLIMSY: weak, limp, or without strength
Example:
The flimsy tent fell apart after only a few minutes.
FRAUD: achieving personal gain (usually money) by lying or cheating; a scam; deceit
The wealthy family went to prison for tax fraud.
GAUDY: very ornamented, excessive decoration or color; tasteless; vulgar
The Christmas tree looked gaudy with its neon lights and plastic ornaments.
GHASTLY: horrible; extremely bad or frightening
Example:
The food at the new restaurant was ghastly; it had no flavor.
GRUMBLE: to complain; to moan with a low voice
Example:
The customers were grumbling about the slow service at the checkout counter.
HARASS: to torment or annoy someone; to exhaust something
Example:
He kept harassing me until I finally agreed to help him.
HERETIC: someone who does not believe in the doctrine or practices of an established religion; someone who doesn’t conform to popular attitudes or principles
Example:
Galileo was viewed as a heretic by the Church for his claims that the Earth revolved around the Sun.
IMPEDIMENT: an obstacle; something that makes progress difficult
Examples:
His speech impediment prevented him from communicating his ideas effectively.
The school’s administrative board was a huge impediment to changing outdated policies.
INDIGENOUS: native; local
Example:
Many indigenous tribes still live in the Amazon, completely separated from modern life.
INSATIATE: never satisfied; greedy (other common form: insatiable)
Example:
The old man has an insatiable appetite for good food and beer.
INTREPID: fearless; courageous
Example:
The intrepid crew voyaged to Antarctica, hoping to study parts of the continent that no one has ever seen.
IRATE: angry; irritated or annoyed
Example:
The supervisor was irate at his employees for being late.
JEOPARDY: in danger or at risk of death, loss, or injury
Example:
Many people put their lives in jeopardy by texting while driving.
LEASH: to control, restrain, or chain (Also note the antonym, unleash: to free or release)
Example:
The public suspects that the President is leashed by many corporate advocates.
LOAFER: a lazy person (Verb: to loaf)
Examples:
He moved around like a drunken loafer.
Now that she’s unemployed, she just loafs around the house all day.
LUCRATIVE: profitable; rewarding
Example:
Website design is a very lucrative career field right now.
LUSTROUS: reflecting light; shiny
Example:
The company guarantees that their shampoo will transform dull hair into lustrous hair.
MALIGN: to criticize very harshly; to slander
Adjective: harmful; negative; evil
(Malignant: harmful; cancerous; tending to cause death)
Examples:
The mother’s mental illness led to the malign neglect of her children.
The doctors discovered that the patient’s tumor was malignant.
MEDDLE: to interfere; to mix; to handle someone’s affairs or property without permission
Example:
The administrative assistant was always meddling in her coworkers’ affairs because it made her feel important.
MEND: to make repairs; to fix or restore
Examples:
The tailor mended his customer’s ripped shirts.
After many years of not speaking, the two women mended their friendship.
MIRTH: laughter, humor, or amusement
Examples:
The mirth of the partygoers was visible on their smiling faces.
The novel was a tragedy, but it had moments of mirth.
NAUSEA: vomiting; motion or seasickness; queasiness
Example:
Nausea is a common side effect of sea travel.
NEGLECT: ignore; disregard; pay no attention to
Example:
The car had started to rust due to neglect.
NOCTURNAL: relating to the night; active at night
Example:
Most nocturnal creatures have enhanced vision to see in the dark.
OBESE: extremely fat or overweight (Note: “obesity” as a noun is another common form)
Example:
Many morbidly obese people decide to undergo surgery to lose weight.
OBSOLETE: no longer used; outdated
Example:
DVDs made VHS cassettes obsolete.
PERCH: a high place, elevated; branch or post
Example:
The cat sat on her perch above the window.
PERVADE: to spread or pass through Example:
Artificial ingredients pervade the entire food industry.
PETULANT: easily annoyed; moody
Example:
The child was petulant and always complained when he didn’t get what he wanted.
PILLAGE: to rob or take by force; to take spoils (rewards) in a time of war
Example:
The guerrilla army pillaged many villages of food, ammo, and weapons.
PRESUMPTUOUS: overconfident; arrogant; too direct or forward
Example:
It was presumptuous of him to use my things without my permission.
QUASHED: crushed; cancelled; invalidated
Example:
The company quickly quashed their plans to raise prices.
QUENCHING: satisfying; satiating
Example:
Soda is not very thirst-quenching because it has so much sugar.
REFURBISHED: remodeled; to make look new or clean
Example:
The apartment is in poor condition, but the couple plans to refurbish it.
REJOICING: expressing joy or happiness; pride; triumph (both noun and verb)
Example:
The spectators rejoiced after the soccer team defeated its most difficult opponent.
RETICENT: reserved; quiet, restrained
Example:
She was very reticent about her personal life.
REVERBERATE: to echo or ring
Example:
The sound of the explosion reverberated across the valley.
RIGOR: strictness; accuracy; difficulty or hardship (Plural form: rigors)
Example:
The rigors of medical school lead many students to neglect their personal relationships.
ROTUND: round; full (Noun form: rotundity)
The old man rubbed his rotund belly when he finished eating.
SALVAGE: to save or rescue from destruction; to save for future use
Example:
The plane could not be salvaged after the crash. SCATTERED: spread out; distributed; not together
The researchers couldn’t draw any conclusions because the results were very scattered.
SHATTER: to break into many pieces; to destroy
Example:
The plate shattered on the floor.
Her confidence shattered after she failed the test.
SHUNNED: avoided, rejected, or ignored
Example:
The organization shunned anyone who could not pay the membership fees.
SKETCHY: incomplete; vague or unclear; having a rough form or outline of something
Example:
The investigators had only sketchy evidence, so they could not convict the killer.
SPORADIC: at irregular intervals; no order in time
Example:
The patient had sporadic seizures, but no one could determine a pattern of what caused them.
STIFLED: suppressed; quiet
Example:
Stem cell research has a history of being stifled by the government.
STRIVE: to struggle for something; to attempt
The young woman strives to be an actress, but it is difficult to find work in this field.
SUBSEQUENT: following in time or order; successive; later
Example:
The subsequent chapters of this book outline the method of research.
SUCCUMB: submit to a powerful force or strong desire; give up or give in
(Note: “succumb to temptation” is a common expression) Example:
The recovered cigarette addict succumbed to temptation when he saw his friends smoking.
TACITURN: synonym for reticent; reserved or quiet
Example:
He’s a very taciturn man, but he still gets angry from time to time.
TANTALIZE: tease or tempt; provoke
Example:
The chef’s colorful, unique food tantalized hungry customers.
TENTATIVE: hesitant or uncertain; cautious
Example:
I made tentative plans to spend time with my friend, if time allows.
TORPID: lazy; slow; unmoving
Example:
Many reptiles become torpid when they are trying to conserve energy.
TREACHEROUS: dangerous; betraying; deceitful
Example:
These roads are treacherous in the wintertime when there’s lots of ice.
TREMOR: shaking or vibrating; the shaking of an earthquake
Example:
The earthquake produced tremors up to three hundred miles away.
TYRO: amateur; beginner
Example:
He was a military tyro, but he refused to be intimidated by the other officers.
UPROAR: noise; chaos; excitement
Example:
The entire class was in an uproar when the teacher gave them an additional homework assignment.
VANITY: pride; emptiness; arrogance (Adjective: vain)
Example:
He lifted weights every day because of his extreme vanity; he always had to look good.
VEHEMENCE: forcefulness; violence; intensity (Adjective: vehement)
Example:
The vehemence of the opposition caused the CEO to resign.
VIGILANCE: watchfulness; caution; alertness; paying close attention
Example:
Due to the vigilance of the security guard, the intruder was not able to enter the building.
VINDICATE: to defend; clear from blame
Example:
The judge vindicated him after learning that he was innocent. VOLUPTUOUS: pleasing to the senses; having strong sexual attractiveness
Contrary to the skinny body image portrayed in the media, many Americans find curvy bodies to be more voluptuous.
WAN: pale or sickly-looking
Example:
I could see the exhaustion in her wan face.
WILE: trick; deception
Example:
He used his wiles to sell his fake product to gullible customers.
WRINKLE: a line or crease; a minor difficulty
New evidence adds a wrinkle to the validity of the witness’s story.
Hope you like it and find it useful !
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