100 IELTS Writing Words

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