Let’s explore some advanced English words with their meanings to help you understand where you can use these terms.
These words serve a good resource for a intermediate level English language learner who wants to learn high level English words.
You can also use this to learn new words to extended you IELTS vocabulary preparation.
Advanced English Vocabulary Words with Meanings
| Words | Definition |
| Aberration | Deviation from normal/expected |
| Enervate | Sap energy from |
| Venality | Susceptibility to bribes/corruption |
| Betray | to reveal or make known something, usually unintentionally |
| Censure | to express strong disapproval |
| Wanting | lacking |
| Extant | still in existence (usually refers to documents) |
| Maintain | to assert |
| Profligate | spending resources recklessly or wastefully |
| Involved | complicated, and difficult to comprehend |
| Ingenuous | to be naïve and innocent |
| Auspicious | favorable, the opposite of sinister |
| Ambivalent | mixed or conflicting emotions about something |
| Amorphous | shapeless |
| Demur | to object or show reluctance |
| Impertinent | being disrespectful; improperly forward or bold |
| Prodigal | rashly or wastefully extravagant |
| Equivocal | confusing or ambiguous |
| Intimate | to suggest something subtly |
| Belie | to give a false representation to; misrepresent |
| Galvanize | to excite or inspire (someone) to action |
| Veracious | truthful |
| Restive | restless |
| Calumny | making of a false statement meant to injure a person’s reputation |
| Egregious | standing out in a negative way; shockingly bad |
| Iconoclast | somebody who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions |
| Castigate | to reprimand harshly |
| Vindicate | to clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting arguments or proof |
| Ambiguous | Open to more than one interpretation, not clear |
| Parochial | narrowly restricted in scope or outlook |
| Disinterested | unbiased; neutral |
| Mercurial | prone to unexpected and unpredictable changes in mood |
| Artful | Cunning/exhibiting artistic skill |
| Gregarious | willingness to socialize |
| Laconic | using very few words |
| Qualify | to make less severe; to limit (a statement) |
| Upbraid | to reproach; to scold |
| Anomalous | not normal |
| Prevaricate | to speak in an evasive way |
| Venerate | to respect deeply |
| Acrimony | bitterness and ill will |
| Frugal | not spending much money (but spending wisely) |
| Harangue | a long pompous speech; a tirade |
| Amenable | easily persuaded |
| Undermine | to weaken |
| Amalgam | a mixture of multiple things |
| Parsimonious | extremely frugal; miserly |
| Commensurate | to be in proportion or corresponding in degree or amount |
| Innocuous | harmless and doesn’t produce any ill effects |
| Chastise | to reprimand harshly |
| Audacious | willing to be bold in social situations or to take risks |
| Torpor | inactivity resulting from lethargy and lack of vigor or energy |
| Dogmatic | not accepting that one’s own beliefs may not be correct |
| Gall | being rude and impertinent, feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will |
| Cryptic | mysterious or vague, usually intentionally |
| Rustic | characteristic of rural life; awkwardly simple and provincial |
| Didactic | instructive (especially excessively) |
| Platitude | a trite or obvious remark |
| Vociferous | conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry |
| Banal | repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse |
| Recondite | difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge |
| Concede | acknowledge defeat, admit, give over; surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another |
| Meticulous | marked by extreme care in treatment of details |
| Dictatorial | expecting unquestioning obedience; characteristic of an absolute ruler |
| Entrenched | fixed firmly or securely |
| Conspicuous | without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious |
| Deferential | showing respect |
| Exacerbate | make worse |
| Fortuitous | occurring by happy chance; having no cause or apparent cause |
| Perfidy | deliberate betrayal; a breach of a trust |
| Decorous | characterized by good taste in manners and conduct |
| Obscure | make unclear, not known by many |
| Frivolous | not serious in content or attitude or behavior |
| Querulous | habitually complaining |
| Incisive | having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions |
| Superfluous | more than is needed, desired, or required; serving no useful purpose |
| Aesthete | one who professes great sensitivity to the beauty of art and nature |
| Engender | give rise to |
| Gossamer | characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy |
| Aesthetic | concerned with the appreciation of beauty, set of principles underlying and guiding the work of a particular artist or artistic movement. |
| Predilection | a strong liking |
| Inexorable | impossible to stop or prevent; stubborn |
| Eschew | Avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of |
| Mawkish | overly sentimental to the point that it is disgusting |
| Lambast | criticize severely or angrily |
| Diffident | modest reserve; lacking self-confidence |
| Prescience | the power to foresee the future |
| Glut | an excessive supply; supply with an excess of |
| Reticent | disinclined to talk, not revealing one’s thoughts |
| Bucolic | relating to the pleasant aspects of the country |
| Apathetic | marked by a lack of interest |
| Germane | relevant and appropriate |
| Preclude | keep from happening or arising; make impossible |
| Culminate | reach the highest or most decisive point |
| Impudent | improperly forward or bold |
| Gainsay | deny or contradict; speak against or oppose |
| Volubility | the quality of talking or writing easily and continuously |
| Culpability | a state of guilt, responsibility |
| Mitigate | make less severe or harsh |
| Chortle | to chuckle, laugh merrily, often in a breathy, muffled way |
| Treacherous | tending to betray; dangerously unstable and unpredictable |
| Precocious | exceptionally early development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude) |
| Supplant | take the place or move into the position of |
| Rudimentary | earliest stages of development; being or involving basic facts or principles |
| Frustrate | hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of |
| Disaffected | discontented as toward authority |
| Guileless | free of deceit |
| Heretic | person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field (not merely religion) |
| Subsume | contain or include; consider (an instance of something) as part of a general rule or principle |
| Insidious | working in a subtle but destructive way |
| Vilify | spread negative information about |
| Panache | distinctive and showy elegance |
| Derivative | not original but drawing strongly on something already in existence, especially in reference to a creative product (e.g. music, writing, poetry etc.) |
| Immutable | not able to be changed |
| Avaricious | excessively greedy |
| Haughty | having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy |
| Quotidian | found in the ordinary course of events |
| Refractory | stubbornly resistant to authority or control |
| Jingoism | fanatical patriotism |
| Unequivocal | admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding; having only one meaning or interpretation and leading to only one conclusion |
| Spurious | plausible but false |
| Eclectic | comprised of a variety of styles |
| Fallacious | of a belief that is based on faulty reasoning |
| Ephemeral | lasting a very short time |
| Staunch | firm and dependable especially in loyalty |
| Derive | come from; be connected by a relationship of blood, for example; reason by deduction; establish by deduction |
| Elucidate | make clearer and easier to understand |
| Denote | be a sign or indication of; have as a meaning |
| Languid | not inclined towards physical exertion or effort; slow and relaxed |
| Travesty | an absurd presentation of something; a mockery |
| Apathy | an absence of emotion or enthusiasm |
| Tantamount | being essentially equal to something |
| Abstain | choose not to consume or take part in (particularly something enjoyable) |
| Mollify | to make someone angry less angry; placate |
| Magnanimous | noble and generous in spirit, especially towards a rival or someone less powerful |
| Itinerant | traveling from place to place to work |
| Tenacious | stubbornly unyielding |
| Juxtapose | place side by side for contrast |
| Vehement | marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions |
| Jubilant | full of high-spirited delight because of triumph or success |
| Ascetic | practicing self-denial; one who practices great self-denial |
| Contrive | to pull off a plan or scheme, usually through skill or trickery |
| Belligerent | characteristic of one eager to fight |
| Forlorn | marked by or showing hopelessness |
| Circumvent | cleverly find a way out of one’s duties or obligations |
| Eminent | standing above others in quality or position |
| Ameliorate | make something bad better |
| Incongruous | lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness |
| Negligible | so small as to be meaningless; insignificant |
| Delineate | describe in detail |
| Aberrant | markedly different from an accepted norm |
| Soporific | inducing mental lethargy; sleep inducing |
| Ignoble | dishonorable |
| Blatant | without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious |
| Acerbic | harsh in tone |
| Exacting | requiring and demanding accuracy |
| Reconcile | make (one thing) compatible with (another) |
| Contingent | dependent on (usually used with upon); a gathering of persons representative of some larger group |
| Construe | interpreted in a particular way |
| Provincial | characteristic of a limited perspective; not fashionable or sophisticated |
| Iconoclastic | defying tradition or convention |
| Apocryphal | being of questionable authenticity |
| Intransigent | unwilling to change one’s beliefs or course of action |
| Hackneyed | lacking significance through having been overused |
| Forthcoming | available when required or as promised; at ease in talking to others |
| Expound | add details or explanation; clarify the meaning; state in depth |
| Implausible | describing a statement that is not believable |
| Pedantic | marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning especially its trivial aspects |
| Petulant | easily irritated or annoyed |
| Pragmatic | guided by practical experience and observation rather than theory |
| Temperance | the trait of avoiding excesses |
| Largess | extreme generosity and giving |
| Espouse | to adopt or support an idea or cause |
| Bumbling | lacking physical movement skills, especially with the hands |
| Implacable | incapable of making less angry or hostile |
| Pundit | someone who has been admitted to membership in a scholarly field |
| Idiosyncrasy | a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual |
| Tortuous | marked by repeated turns and bends; not straightforward |
| Underscore | give extra weight to (a communication) |
| Abstruse | difficult to understand; incomprehensible |
| Ostentatious | intended to attract notice and impress others; tawdry or vulgar |
| Decorum | propriety in manners and conduct |
| Laudable | worthy of high praise |
| Copious | in abundant supply |
| Opaque | not clearly understood or expressed |
| Discrete | constituting a separate entity or part |
| Refute | prove to be false or incorrect |
| Confound | To cause confusion; mistake one thing for another |
| Exalt | praise or glorify |
| Unscrupulous | without scruples or principles |
| Burgeon | grow and flourish |
| Incorrigible | impervious to correction by punishment |
| Ingratiate | gain favor with somebody by deliberate efforts |
| Denigrate | charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone |
| Eradicate | to completely destroy |
| Exonerate | pronounce not guilty of criminal charges |
| Myopic | lacking foresight or imagination |
| Indifference | the trait of seeming not to care |
| Adamant | refusing to change one’s mind |
| Admonitory | serving to warn; expressing reproof or reproach especially as a corrective |
Use the following words to sound more smart and stylish than your friend. It is especially created for smart students!
| Angst | A very high feeling of anxiety |
| Anomaly | Something standing out from normal |
| Bonafide | Something which is authentic and real |
| Bravado | An act of bravery mainly for impressing somebody |
| Cacophony | An unpleasant blend of sounds |
| Carte Blanche | The freedom given to one to do what they want to do |
| Cloying | Disgusted by an excess of sweetness |
| Deja Vu | A feeling of already having experienced something that one is facing at the moment |
| Dichotomy | A contrast between two things totally different from each other |
| Disheveled | Dirtying a person’s clothes |
| Epitome | A person or a thing considered to be the most ideal |
| Equanimity | Being in a very calm state |
| Equivocate | Using a confusing way of speaking for avoiding commitment |
| Euphemism | Replacing a harsh word by a mild word to avoid saying something unpleasant |
| Faux Pas | An embarrassing act in a social situation |
| Fiasco | A failure which turns into humiliation |
| Glib | A fluent but shallow way of speaking |
| Gregarious | An adjective for being considering a fond person |
| Harbinger | A person who announces the coming of another person |
| Idiosyncratic | Being peculiar or distinctive |
| Indelicate | Showing a lack of understanding and not being delicate |
| Insidious | Proceeding being stealthy and, but having very harmful effects of it |
| Lurid | A color which is so bright that it causes a bad effect |
| Machiavellian | Being cunning, mainly in the field of politics |
| Malinger | Acting to be ill just to skip out on work |
| Minimalist | A person practicing minimalism, mainly in politics |
| Narcissist | A person who admires themselves to a very high extent |
| Oblivion | Being unaware of the happenings in surroundings |
| Paradox | A contradictory statement or theory that can be proved true by digging deep into it |
| Quid Pro Quo | A favour granted in exchange for something |
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