Essential words for the TOEFL #1 of 3

Abbas (United States of America)
Barron's Essential words for TOEFL + Synonyms words & content words - Lessons 1 to 10
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. abdicate
    give up power, duties, or obligations
  2. abroad
    to or in a foreign country
  3. abrupt
    exceedingly sudden and unexpected
  4. acceptable
    worthy of approval or satisfactory
  5. acclaim
    enthusiastic approval
  6. actually
    in fact
  7. adapt
    make fit for, or change to suit a new purpose
  8. adequate
    having the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task
  9. adhere
    stick to firmly
  10. advantage
    the quality of having a superior or more favorable position
  11. advent
    arrival that has been awaited
  12. adverse
    in an opposing direction
  13. advice
    a proposal for an appropriate course of action
  14. agile
    moving quickly and lightly
  15. agitated
    physically disturbed or set in motion
  16. alluring
    highly attractive and able to arouse hope or desire
  17. alter
    cause to change; make different
  18. ambiguous
    having more than one possible meaning
  19. analyze
    break down into components or essential features
  20. ancient
    belonging to times long past
  21. annoying
    causing irritation
  22. anticipate
    regard something as probable or likely
  23. appealing
    able to attract interest or draw favorable attention
  24. applause
    a demonstration of approval by clapping the hands together
  25. appropriate
    suitable for a particular person, place, or situation
  26. arbitrary
    based on or subject to individual discretion or preference
  27. assert
    declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
  28. astonishing
    so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm
  29. astounding
    bewildering or striking dumb with wonder
  30. astute
    marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
  31. attorney
    a professional person authorized to practice law
  32. attractive
    pleasing to the eye or mind as through beauty or charm
  33. autonomous
    existing as an independent entity
  34. averse
    strongly opposed
  35. baffle
    be a mystery or bewildering to
  36. brilliant
    full of light; shining intensely
  37. caution
    judiciousness in avoiding harm or danger
  38. cautionary
    serving to warn
  39. celebrated
    widely known and esteemed
  40. chaotic
    completely unordered and unpredictable and confusing
  41. coarse
    rough to the touch
  42. collide
    crash together with violent impact
  43. commonplace
    completely ordinary and unremarkable
  44. comparative
    involving the examination of similarities and differences
  45. compatible
    able to exist and perform in harmonious combination
  46. complex
    complicated in structure
  47. complicated
    difficult to analyze or understand
  48. comprehension
    an ability to understand the meaning of something
  49. concede
    give over
  50. concur
    happen simultaneously
  51. conform
    be similar, be in line with
  52. confuse
    mistake one thing for another
  53. constant
    uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing
  54. contemporary
    occurring in the same period of time
  55. contrary
    exact opposition
  56. conventional
    following accepted customs and proprieties
  57. convincing
    causing one to believe the truth of something
  58. critic
    a person engaged in the analysis and interpretation of art
  59. crop
    a cultivated plant that is grown commercially
  60. curiosity
    a state in which you want to learn more about something
  61. curious
    eager to investigate and learn or learn more
  62. deceptive
    deliberately designed to mislead
  63. declare
    state emphatically and authoritatively
  64. delicate
    developed with extreme subtlety
  65. designate
    design or destine
  66. determined
    having been learned or found especially by investigation
  67. disapproval
    an inclination to withhold approval from some person or group
  68. dispense
    administer or bestow, as in small portions
  69. disruptive
    characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination
  70. distribute
    give to several people
  71. elicit
    call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
  72. emit
    give off, send forth, or discharge
  73. encourage
    inspire with confidence
  74. endure
    undergo or be subjected to
  75. energetic
    possessing or displaying forceful exertion
  76. enhance
    increase
  77. enrich
    make better or improve in quality
  78. enthusiastic
    having or showing great excitement and interest
  79. enticing
    highly attractive and able to arouse hope or desire
  80. evoke
    call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
  81. exceeding
    far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree
  82. exclusive
    admitting or accepting only a particular group
  83. extremely
    to the greatest possible degree
  84. fascinate
    attract; cause to be enamored
  85. flaw
    an imperfection in an object or machine
  86. fragile
    easily broken or damaged or destroyed
  87. frail
    physically weak
  88. frequent
    coming at short intervals or habitually
  89. gather
    assemble or get together
  90. gingerly
    in a manner marked by extreme care or delicacy
  91. haphazardly
    in a random manner
  92. harsh
    disagreeable to the senses
  93. harvest
    the gathering of a ripened crop
  94. humble
    marked by meekness or modesty; not arrogant or prideful
  95. immense
    unusually great in size or amount or extent or scope
  96. incessant
    uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing
  97. incident
    a single distinct event
  98. inconsistency
    the quality of lacking a harmonious uniformity among parts
  99. indicate
    designate a place, direction, person, or thing
  100. indispensable
    essential
  101. insist
    be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge
  102. instigate
    provoke or stir up
  103. intelligent
    having the capacity for thought and reason to a high degree
  104. intensify
    increase in extent or strength
  105. international
    concerning or belonging to two or more countries
  106. intolerable
    incapable of being put up with
  107. intrigue
    a crafty and involved plot to achieve your ends
  108. legend
    a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events
  109. massive
    containing a great quantity of matter
  110. mislead
    take someone in the wrong direction or give wrong directions
  111. modify
    cause to change; make different
  112. myth
    a traditional story serving to explain a world view
  113. nimble
    moving quickly and lightly
  114. noticeable
    capable of being detected
  115. objection
    the act of expressing earnest opposition or protest
  116. obstruct
    block passage through
  117. ongoing
    currently happening
  118. orchard
    a small cultivated area where fruit trees are planted
  119. ordinary
    lacking special distinction, rank, or status
  120. overseas
    beyond or across the ocean
  121. peculiar
    beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
  122. perceptive
    of or relating to awareness via the senses
  123. permissible
    acceptable, especially as according to rule
  124. perpetrate
    perform an act, usually with a negative connotation
  125. persistent
    stubbornly unyielding
  126. persuade
    cause somebody to adopt a certain position or belief
  127. petition
    a formal request that something be submitted to an authority
  128. potential
    existing in possibility
  129. praise
    an expression of approval and commendation
  130. predict
    make a guess about what will happen in the future
  131. promote
    assign to a higher position
  132. propose
    present for consideration, examination, or criticism
  133. provoke
    provide the needed stimulus for
  134. radiant
    emanating or as if emanating light
  135. reap
    get or derive
  136. recessive
    of or pertaining to a recession
  137. rectify
    make right or correct
  138. refine
    reduce to a pure state
  139. release
    grant freedom to; free from confinement
  140. relieve
    free from a burden, evil, or distress
  141. relinquish
    turn away from; give up
  142. renounce
    turn away from; give up
  143. renowned
    widely known and esteemed
  144. resilient
    recovering readily from adversity, depression, or the like
  145. restore
    bring back into original existence, function, or position
  146. restrictive
    serving to limit
  147. rigid
    incapable of or resistant to bending
  148. routine
    an unvarying or habitual method or procedure
  149. sensitive
    responsive to physical stimuli
  150. stimulate
    cause to act in a specified manner
  151. sufficient
    of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement
  152. superintendent
    a person who directs and manages an organization
  153. surprise
    come upon or take unawares
  154. tenacious
    stubbornly unyielding
  155. tender
    easy to cut or chew
  156. traditional
    consisting of or derived from a practice of long standing
  157. tropical
    relating to part of the Earth's surface with hot climate
  158. turbulent
    characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination
  159. unbearable
    incapable of being put up with
  160. vague
    lacking clarity or distinctness
  161. valid
    well grounded in logic or truth or having legal force
  162. vigorous
    characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
  163. visibility
    quality or degree of being able to be seen
  164. vital
    performing an essential function in the living body
  165. withdraw
    pull back or move away or backward
  166. witness
    someone who sees an event and reports what happened
  167. worthwhile
    sufficiently valuable to justify the investment of time
  168. yield
    give or supply
  169. attribute
    a quality belonging to or characteristic of an entity
  170. characteristic
    typical or distinctive
  171. clarify
    make clear by removing impurities or solids, as by heating
  172. explain
    make plain and comprehensible
  173. conceal
    prevent from being seen or discovered
  174. confirm
    strengthen
  175. prove
    establish the validity of something
  176. convenient
    suited to your comfort or purpose or needs
  177. practical
    guided by experience and observation rather than theory
  178. suitable
    meant or adapted for an occasion or use
  179. core
    the center of an object
  180. critical
    of a serious examination and judgment of something
  181. distort
    twist and press out of shape
  182. diverse
    distinctly dissimilar or unlike
  183. various
    having great diversity or variety
  184. eventually
    after an unspecified period of time or a long delay
  185. prosperous
    in fortunate circumstances financially
  186. wealthy
    having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value
  187. purpose
    what something is used for
  188. deliberately
    in a careful unhurried manner
  189. reveal
    make visible
  190. expose
    make visible or apparent
  191. disclose
    expose to view as by removing a cover
  192. scarcely
    only a very short time before
  193. theoretical
    concerned with hypotheses and not practical considerations
  194. ration
    a fixed portion that is allotted
  195. dividend
    a number to be divided by another number
  196. loyal
    steadfast in allegiance or duty
  197. curriculum
    an integrated course of academic studies
  198. accelerate
    move faster
  199. hasten
    move fast
  200. creep
    move slowly
  201. crush
    compress with force, out of natural shape or condition
  202. legislation
    the act of making or enacting laws
  203. cultivate
    adapt something wild to the environment
  204. dictate
    a guiding principle
  205. distinguish
    mark as different
  206. resemble
    be similar or bear a likeness to
  207. engender
    call forth
  208. enthusiasm
    a feeling of excitement
  209. engross
    devote fully to
  210. comparative
    involving the examination of similarities and differences
  211. reflect
    throw or bend back from a surface
  212. obtain
    come into possession of
  213. particle
    (nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything
  214. fragment
    a piece broken off or cut off of something else
  215. settle
    become resolved, fixed, established, or quiet
  216. colonization
    the act of settling a group of people in a new place
  217. transport
    move something or somebody around
  218. transportation
    the act of moving something from one location to another
  219. accurate
    characterized by perfect conformity to fact or truth
  220. precise
    sharply exact or accurate or delimited
  221. careful
    exercising caution or showing attention
  222. classify
    arrange or order by categories
  223. arrange
    put into a proper or systematic order
  224. conduct
    the way a person behaves toward other people
  225. currency
    the metal or paper medium of exchange that is presently used
  226. thorough
    painstakingly careful and accurate
  227. dense
    having high compaction or concentration
  228. display
    something intended to communicate a particular impression
  229. exhibit
    make visible or apparent
  230. export
    sell or transfer abroad
  231. gigantic
    exceedingly large or extensive
  232. enormous
    extraordinarily large in size or extent or degree
  233. impressive
    making a strong or vivid mental image
  234. impose
    charge and collect payment
  235. install
    set up for use
  236. establish
    set up or found
  237. straightforward
    pointed directly ahead
  238. uniform
    clothing of distinctive design worn by members of a group
  239. vibrant
    vigorous and animated
  240. lively
    full of life and energy
  241. distinct
    constituting a separate entity or part
  242. definite
    precise; explicit and clearly defined
  243. aroma
    any property detected by the sense of smell
  244. dominant
    most frequent or common
  245. principal
    main or most important
  246. major
    greater in scope or effect
  247. dormant
    inactive but capable of becoming active
  248. inactive
    not engaged physically or mentally
  249. volcano
    a fissure in the earth's crust through which gases erupt
  250. eruption
    the sudden occurrence of a violent discharge
  251. drab
    a dull greyish to yellowish or light olive brown
  252. dramatic
    characteristic of a stage performance
  253. hurricane
    a severe tropical cyclone usually with heavy rains and winds
  254. eclectic
    selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas
  255. elaborate
    marked by complexity and richness of detail
  256. exceptional
    surpassing what is common or usual or expected
  257. hazardous
    involving risk or danger
  258. flammable
    easily ignited
  259. minuscule
    very small
  260. corporation
    a business firm recognized by law as a single body
  261. consequence
    a phenomenon that is caused by some previous phenomenon
  262. prime
    of or relating to the first or originating agent
  263. rudimentary
    being in the earliest stages of development
  264. skeptical
    marked by or given to doubt
  265. unconvinced
    not persuaded or certain that something is true or reliable
  266. superficial
    of, affecting, or being on or near the surface
  267. shallow
    lacking physical depth
  268. absorb
    take in a liquid
  269. relentless
    never-ceasing
Created on Thu Jul 18 05:46:42 EDT 2013 (updated Fri Aug 30 06:10:52 EDT 2013)

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