Fancy Words for Advanced ESL Students

Hakan H.
This is a personal list consisting of words that I should know but can't seem to remember. This list is alive and grows in time. I add words to this list regularly whenever I come across a nice word.
173 words 368 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. nonsensical
    having no intelligible meaning
    saçma sapan,mantık dışı
  2. reclusive
    withdrawn from society; seeking solitude
    inzivaya çekilmiş
  3. perpetually
    everlastingly; for all time
    sürekli olarak, daima
  4. quandary
    state of uncertainty in a choice between unfavorable options
  5. lewd
    suggestive of or tending to moral looseness
  6. recluse
    one who lives in solitude
  7. conundrum
    a difficult problem
  8. mishap
    an unpredictable outcome that is unfortunate
  9. depravity
    moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles
    ahlak bozukluğu, azgınlık
  10. flatulence
    a state of excessive gas in the alimentary canal
  11. impeccable
    without error or flaw
  12. impromptu
    with little or no preparation or forethought
  13. tentative
    hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion
    kararsız/kesin olmayan,deneme niteliğinde
  14. effigy
    a representation of a person
    büst,temsili kukla
  15. ephemeral
    anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day
    çok kısa ömürlü
  16. rambunctious
    noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline
    delişmen; ele avuca sığmaz
  17. quibble
    evade the truth of a point by raising irrelevant objections
    baştan savma cevap, kaçamaklı söz,lafı çevirmek
  18. trope
    language used in a nonliteral sense
    mecaz,kinaye
  19. dismal
    causing dejection
    kederli, neşesiz, kasvetli
  20. ineffable
    defying expression or description
    ağıza alınmaz; tarif olunamaz;kelimelerle ifade edilemez
  21. pinnacle
    a slender upright spire at the top of a buttress or a tower
    zirve, doruk, tepe nokta
  22. incarnation
    act of attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas
    vücut bulma,canlı örnek
  23. deviant
    a person whose behavior does not conform to social norms
  24. inconsequential
    lacking worth or importance
  25. sectarian
    of or relating to a subdivision of a larger religious group
  26. inconspicuously
    in a manner intended to avoid attracting attention
  27. bereavement
    state of sorrow over the death or departure of a loved one
  28. disavow
    refuse to acknowledge
  29. jock
    a person trained to compete in sports
  30. transcend
    go beyond the scope or limits of
  31. vile
    morally reprehensible
  32. prophylactic
    preventing or contributing to the prevention of disease
  33. cataclysmic
    severely destructive
  34. abyss
    a bottomless gulf or pit
  35. backpedal
    reverse or retreat from one's position on an issue
  36. elongate
    lengthen
  37. farfetched
    highly imaginative but unlikely
  38. forthwith
    without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
  39. corroborate
    give evidence for
  40. dismissal
    the sending away of someone
  41. pretentious
    creating an appearance of importance or distinction
  42. sustain
    lengthen or extend in duration or space
  43. contraband
    distributed or sold illicitly
  44. restitution
    the act of restoring something to its original state
  45. perennial
    lasting an indefinitely long time
  46. proponent
    a person who argues for a cause or puts forward an idea
  47. demented
    affected with madness or insanity
  48. trite
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
  49. invigorating
    imparting strength and vitality
  50. invigorate
    give life or energy to
  51. denounce
    speak out against
  52. precarious
    not secure; beset with difficulties
  53. decadent
    relating to indulgence in something pleasurable
  54. decadent
    relating to indulgence in something pleasurable
  55. facade
    the front of a building
  56. flophouse
    a cheap lodging house
  57. vial
    a small bottle that contains liquid medicine
  58. conjure
    summon into action or bring into existence
  59. thrifty
    mindful of the future in spending money
  60. discourse
    an extended communication dealing with some particular topic
  61. callow
    young and inexperienced
  62. disdain
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
  63. detractor
    one who disparages or belittles the worth of something
  64. delinquent
    a young offender
  65. disparaging
    expressive of low opinion
  66. disparage
    express a negative opinion of
  67. scion
    a descendent or heir
  68. volition
    the act of making a choice
  69. ensue
    take place or happen afterward or as a result
  70. dissemination
    the act of dispersing or diffusing something
  71. diffusion
    the act of dispersing something
  72. reek
    give off smoke, fumes, warm vapour, steam, etc.
  73. hoodwink
    conceal one's true motives from
  74. protagonist
    the principal character in a work of fiction
  75. nepotism
    favoritism shown to relatives or friends by those in power
  76. exegesis
    an explanation or critical interpretation
  77. steadfast
    marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
  78. abominable
    unequivocally detestable
  79. distressed
    feeling general unhappiness
  80. contentious
    showing an inclination to disagree
  81. kindred
    group of people related by blood or marriage
  82. strident
    unpleasantly loud and harsh
  83. proponent
    a person who argues for a cause or puts forward an idea
  84. hypochondriac
    a patient with imaginary symptoms and ailments
    hastalık hastası
  85. burlesque
    a theatrical entertainment of broad and earthy humor
  86. indulgent
    given to yielding to the wishes of someone
  87. indulge
    yield to; give satisfaction to
  88. simpleton
    a person lacking intelligence or common sense
  89. finicky
    fussy, especially about details
  90. sanctimonious
    excessively or hypocritically pious
  91. commiseration
    feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others
  92. prominent
    conspicuous in position or importance
  93. solitary
    not growing or living in groups or colonies
  94. tart up
    dress up in a cheap and provocative way
  95. disillusioned
    freed from false ideas
  96. homebody
    a person who seldom goes anywhere
  97. pecuniary
    relating to or involving money
  98. deposition
    the act of putting something somewhere
  99. arbiter
    someone chosen to judge and decide a disputed issue
  100. preeminent
    greatest in importance, degree, or significance
  101. ameliorate
    make better
  102. amity
    a state of friendship and cordiality
  103. solidarity
    a union of interests or purposes among members of a group
  104. rift
    a narrow fissure in rock
  105. impasse
    a situation in which no progress can be made
  106. inadvertently
    without knowledge or intention
  107. demarche
    a move or step or maneuver in political or diplomatic affairs
  108. perpetrate
    perform an act, usually with a negative connotation
  109. entrenched
    dug in
  110. naivety
    lack of sophistication or worldliness
  111. recalcitrance
    the trait of being unmanageable or uncooperative
  112. collectively
    in conjunction with; combined
  113. contingent
    determined by conditions or circumstances that follow
  114. esoteric
    understandable only by an enlightened inner circle
  115. complicity
    guilt as a confederate in a crime or offense
  116. indelible
    not able to be forgotten, removed, or erased
  117. mortify
    cause to feel shame
  118. malfeasance
    wrongful conduct by a public official
  119. palpable
    capable of being perceived
  120. omniscient
    knowing, seeing, or understanding everything
  121. apprehensive
    in fear or dread of possible evil or harm
  122. haughty
    having or showing arrogant superiority
  123. cantankerous
    stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate
  124. waver
    pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
  125. abase
    cause to feel shame
  126. abnegate
    deny or renounce
  127. allot
    give out
  128. conscientious
    characterized by extreme care and great effort
  129. deluge
    a heavy rain
  130. deprave
    corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
  131. effulgent
    radiating or as if radiating light
  132. feigned
    not genuine
  133. impetuous
    characterized by undue haste and lack of thought
  134. pantomime
    a performance using gestures and movements without words
  135. recuse
    disqualify oneself as a judge in a particular case
  136. rhetorical
    relating to using language effectively
  137. stern
    serious and harsh in manner or behavior
  138. exhort
    spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts
  139. parlance
    a manner of speaking natural to a language's native speakers
  140. scrupulous
    characterized by extreme care and great effort
  141. penance
    voluntary self-punishment in order to atone for something
  142. portent
    a sign of something about to happen
  143. bawdy
    humorously vulgar
  144. impassioned
    characterized by intense emotion
  145. profess
    confess one's faith in, or allegiance to
  146. teetotaler
    someone who abstains from drinking alcoholic beverages
  147. zit
    a small inflamed elevation of the skin
  148. sycophant
    a person who tries to please someone to gain an advantage
  149. swindle
    deprive of by deceit
  150. tripe
    lining of the stomach of a cow (used as food)
  151. entourage
    the group following and attending to some important person
  152. acquiesce
    agree or express agreement
  153. indoctrinate
    teach uncritically
  154. concoct
    make something by mixing
  155. tutelage
    attention and management implying responsibility for safety
  156. folly
    the trait of acting stupidly or rashly
  157. toil
    work hard
  158. buffoon
    a person who amuses others by ridiculous behavior
  159. futility
    uselessness as a consequence of having no practical result
  160. respite
    a pause from doing something
  161. admonition
    a firm rebuke
  162. rebuke
    an act or expression of criticism and censure
  163. grace
    elegance and beauty of movement or expression
  164. repudiate
    refuse to acknowledge, ratify, or recognize as valid
  165. intrepid
    invulnerable to fear or intimidation
  166. impeccable
    without error or flaw
  167. sycophant
    a person who tries to please someone to gain an advantage
  168. taciturn
    habitually reserved and uncommunicative
  169. ricochet
    spring back; spring away from an impact
  170. indignant
    angered at something unjust or wrong
  171. insinuation
    an indirect (and usually malicious) implication
  172. belie
    be in contradiction with
  173. conjecture
    believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds
Created on Sat Mar 03 19:26:51 EST 2012 (updated Wed Apr 17 03:53:07 EDT 2013)

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