Learn 100 Essential Words for IELTS. These exercises on the academic word list are designed to improve your knowledge of vocabulary for the IELTS test.
aberration: something that differs from the norm
abhor: fill with horror and loathing; horrify; hate
acquiesce: assent; agree without protesting
alacrity: cheerful promptness or willingness; eagerness; speed or quickness
amiable: good-natured and likable; lovable; warmly friendly
appease: bring peace, quiet, or calm to; satisfy or relieve
arcane: secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated
avarice: greediness for wealth; insatiable desire of gain
brazen: having loud, usually harsh, resonant sound; shameless
brusque: abrupt and curt in manner or speech; rudely abrupt, unfriendly
cajole: influence or urge by gentle urging or flattering
callous: emotionally hardened; unfeeling
candor: frankness; quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech
chide: scold mildly so as to correct or improve; express disapproval
circumspect: carefully aware of all circumstances; cautious
clandestine: secret; conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods
coerce: restrain by force, especially by law or authority; repress; curb
coherent: adhesive; cohesive; sticking together ; logical; sound; capable of thinking and expressing yourself in a clear and consistent manner
complacency: feeling of contented self-satisfaction, especially when unaware of upcoming trouble
confidant: a person entrusted with secrets
connive: to plot, scheme
cumulative: increasing by successive addition
debase: reduce in quality or value; lower in esteem; degrade
decry: express strong disapproval of; disparage
deferential: showing deference; respectful and considerate
demure: modest and reserved in manner or behavior
deride: ridicule; make fun of; laugh at with contempt
despot: tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler; eastern Orthodox bishop
diligent: assiduous; industrious; hard-working
elated: overjoyed; extremely happy and excited
eloquent: vividly or movingly expressive; persuasive
embezzle: appropriate fraudulently to one’s own use, as property entrusted to one’s care; apply to one’s private uses by a breach of trust
empathy: understanding and entering into another’s feelings
enmity: ill will; hatred; quality or state of being hostile
erudite: learned; scholarly, with emphasis on knowledge gained from books
extol: praise highly; glorify; celebrate
fabricate: build; put together out of components or parts
feral: not domestic; wild; existing in wild or untamed state
flabbergasted: astonished; appalled, amazed, or stunned
forsake: leave someone who needs or counts on you
fractious: inclined to make trouble; disobedient; irritable
furtive: marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
gluttony: excess in eating; extravagant indulgence of the appetite for food; voracity
gratuitous: given freely; unwarranted; granted without recompense; unearned
haughty: high; lofty; bold; arrogant; overbearing
hypocrisy: act or practice of a hypocrite
impeccable: faultless; incapable of sin or wrongdoing
impertinent: improperly forward or bold; rude
implacable: incapable of being pacified; not to be relieved;
impudent: casually rude, insolent, impertinent
incisive: penetrating, clear, and sharp, as in operation or expression
indolent: lazy; slow to heal, grow, or develop; inactive
inept: lacking of judgment, sense, or reason; unsuited; inappropriate; foolish
infamy: notoriety, extreme ill repute
inhibit: restrain; prevent or forbid; hold back
innate: possessed at birth; inborn
insatiable: not easily satisfied; impossible to satiate or satisfy; greedy
insular: of isolated people, especially having a narrow viewpoint
intrepid: fearless; indicating or springing from courage
inveterate: deep-rooted; firmly and long established; habitual
jubilant: happy; merry; joyful and proud especially because of triumph or success
knell: the solemn sound of a bell, often indicating a death
lithe: flexible; moving and bending with ease
lurid: causing shock or horror; gruesome
maverick: one that refuses to abide or be independent; an unbranded range animal
maxim: proverb; formulation of fundamental principle or general truth
meticulous: excessively careful; marked by extreme care in treatment of details
modicum: limited quantity; small or moderate amount; any small thing
morose: ill humored; sullen; depressingly dark; gloomy; persistent
myriad: of very large or indefinite number; of ten thousand
nadir: lowest point; point on sphere opposites zenith diametrically
nominal: in name only; insignificantly small
novice: beginner; person new to a field or activity
nuance: subtle or slight degree of difference
oblivious: inattentive or unmindful; lacking all memory; forgetful
obsequious: slavishly attentive; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
obtuse: lacking in insight or discernment; stupid
panacea: remedy for all diseases, evils, or difficulties; a cure-all
parody: work or performance that imitates another work or performance with ridicule or irony; make fun of
penchant: strong inclination; definite liking
perusal: a careful examination, review
plethora: excess; overfullness in any respect; superabundance
predilection: condition of favoring or liking; tendency towards; preference
quaint: odd; old-fashioned; picturesque; unfamiliar or unusual in character
rash: hasty, incautious
repudiate: disown; refuse to acknowledge; reject validity or authority of
rife: excessively abundant or numerous; in widespread existence, practice, or use
salient: prominent or protruding; projecting outwardly; moving by leaps or springs
serendipity: gift for finding valuable or desirable things by accident; accidental good fortune or luck
staid: sober; serious, organized, and professional; characterized by dignity and propriety
superfluous: being beyond what is required or sufficient
sycophant: one who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people; bootlicker; yes man
taciturn: silent or reserved in speech; saying little; not inclined to speak or converse
tefurbish: to restore, clean up
truculent: disposed to fight; belligerent; aggressively hostile
umbrage: resentment, offence
venerable: deserving high respect; impressive by reason of age; profoundly honored
vex: annoy; disturb, especially by minor irritations; be a mystery or bewildering to
vociferous: offensively loud; noisy; making outcry
wanton: unrestrained; willfully malicious; immoral or unchaste
zenith: point directly overhead in sky; summit
