Advanced English Vocabulary

Advanced English Vocabulary

Have you aced the fundamentals of English vocabulary and are hungry for more? Welcome to the realm of advanced English vocabulary, where wordsmithery takes center stage! This exciting territory unlocks a world of nuanced expression, allowing you to communicate with eloquence and precision.

List of Advanced English Vocabulary

Advanced English Vocabulary with Meaning and Example

Here are the advanced English vocabulary words with their meanings and examples:

accrue (verb)

• Meaning: To accumulate or receive (payments or benefits) over time.
• Example: Interest will accrue on the savings account at a rate of 3% per year.

adamant (adjective)

• Meaning: Refusing to be persuaded or to change one’s mind.
• Example: She was adamant that she would not resign.

advocate (noun/verb)

• Meaning: A person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy.
• Example: He is a strong advocate for environmental protection.

aesthetic (adjective)

• Meaning: Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.
• Example: The new building has little aesthetic appeal.

affinity (noun)

• Meaning: A natural liking for and understanding of someone or something.
• Example: She felt an affinity with the young musicians.

ambiguous (adjective)

• Meaning: Open to more than one interpretation; having a double meaning.
• Example: The wording of the law is ambiguous.

ameliorate (verb)

• Meaning: To make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better.
• Example: The reforms were designed to ameliorate living conditions.

amicable (adjective)

• Meaning: Characterized by friendliness and absence of discord.
• Example: The divorce was amicable, with no hard feelings.

anachronistic (adjective)

• Meaning: Belonging to a period other than that being portrayed.
• Example: The use of typewriters in the modern office seemed anachronistic.

anomaly (noun)

• Meaning: Something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected.
• Example: The anomaly of the social security system is that you sometimes have to pay when you do not need to.

antipathy (noun)

• Meaning: A deep-seated feeling of aversion.
• Example: His antipathy towards authority figures was obvious.

apathetic (adjective)

• Meaning: Showing or feeling no interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
• Example: The voters were apathetic about the election results.

appease (verb)

• Meaning: To pacify or placate (someone) by acceding to their demands.
• Example: The government tried to appease the protesters with promises of reform.

arcane (adjective)

• Meaning: Understood by few; mysterious or secret.
• Example: The professor’s lectures were filled with arcane theories.

archetype (noun)

• Meaning: A very typical example of a certain person or thing.
• Example: He is the archetype of a successful businessman.

arduous (adjective)

• Meaning: Involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring.
• Example: The journey was long and arduous.

ascetic (adjective)

• Meaning: Characterized by severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.
• Example: The monks live an ascetic life in the monastery.

assiduous (adjective)

• Meaning: Showing great care and perseverance.
• Example: She was assiduous in her duties as a nurse.

astute (adjective)

• Meaning: Having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn this to one’s advantage.
• Example: He made a series of astute business decisions.

auspicious (adjective)

• Meaning: Conducive to success; favorable.
• Example: The marriage did not get off to an auspicious start.

austere (adjective)

• Meaning: Severe or strict in manner, attitude, or appearance.
• Example: The principal’s austere demeanor scared the students.

avarice (noun)

• Meaning: Extreme greed for wealth or material gain.
• Example: The corporate world is often accused of fostering avarice.

banal (adjective)

• Meaning: So lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring.
• Example: The plot of the movie was so banal that I could predict the ending.

beguile (verb)

• Meaning: To charm or enchant (someone), sometimes in a deceptive way.
• Example: She was beguiled by his smooth talk.

benevolent (adjective)

• Meaning: Well-meaning and kindly.
• Example: He was a benevolent old man, always willing to help.

benign (adjective)

• Meaning: Gentle and kindly.
• Example: The medicine is benign in its effects.

blithe (adjective)

• Meaning: Showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper.
• Example: He drove with blithe disregard for the rules of the road.

bolster (verb)

• Meaning: To support or strengthen; prop up.
• Example: The campaign is designed to bolster the company’s image.

bombastic (adjective)

• Meaning: High-sounding but with little meaning; inflated.
• Example: His bombastic speeches did not impress the audience.

boorish (adjective)

• Meaning: Rough and bad-mannered; coarse.
• Example: His boorish behavior offended everyone at the party.

brevity (noun)

• Meaning: Concise and exact use of words in writing or speech.
• Example: The report is notable for its brevity.

bucolic (adjective)

• Meaning: Relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life.
• Example: They lived a bucolic lifestyle on their farm.

burgeon (verb)

• Meaning: Begin to grow or increase rapidly; flourish.
• Example: The city’s suburbs have burgeoned, sprawling out from the center.

cacophony (noun)

• Meaning: A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
• Example: The cacophony of the crowded market was overwhelming.

cajole (verb)

• Meaning: To persuade someone to do something by sustained coaxing or flattery.
• Example: He cajoled her into going to the party.

callous (adjective)

• Meaning: Showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others.
• Example: His callous comments about the accident upset everyone.

candid (adjective)

• Meaning: Truthful and straightforward; frank.
• Example: She was candid about her personal life in the interview.

capitulate (verb)

• – Meaning: To surrender or yield under specific conditions.
• – Example: The rebels were forced to capitulate after weeks of fighting.

caustic (adjective)

• – Meaning: Sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way.
• – Example: His caustic wit often offended his colleagues.

censure (verb/noun)

• – Meaning: To express severe disapproval of someone or something, typically in a formal statement.
• – Example: The government was censured for its human rights violations.

chicanery (noun)

• – Meaning: The use of trickery to achieve a political, financial, or legal purpose.
• – Example: The businessman was accused of chicanery in his financial dealings.

circuitous (adjective)

• – Meaning: Longer than the most direct way; indirect or roundabout.
• – Example: She took a circuitous route to avoid traffic.

circumspect (adjective)

• – Meaning: Wary and unwilling to take risks.
• – Example: He was circumspect in his dealings with strangers.

clandestine (adjective)

• – Meaning: Kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit.
• – Example: The espionage agency operated a clandestine operation in enemy territory.

coalesce (verb)

• – Meaning: To come together to form one mass or whole.
• – Example: The two companies coalesced to form a powerful conglomerate.

cogent (adjective)

• – Meaning: Convincing or compelling by virtue of being clear and persuasive.
• – Example: Her argument was so cogent that it swayed the jury in her favor.

cognizant (adjective)

• – Meaning: Having knowledge or awareness.
• – Example: She was cognizant of the risks involved in the project.

colloquial (adjective)

• – Meaning: Used in ordinary or familiar conversation; not formal or literary.
• – Example: “Gonna” is a colloquial term for “going to.”

commensurate (adjective)

• – Meaning: Corresponding in size or degree; in proportion.
• – Example: The punishment should be commensurate with the crime committed.

complacent (adjective)

• – Meaning: Showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements.
• – Example: The team’s complacent attitude led to their defeat.

compunction (noun)

• – Meaning: A feeling of guilt or moral scruple that follows the doing of something bad.
• – Example: He felt no compunction about lying to his boss.

conciliatory (adjective)

• – Meaning: Intended or likely to placate or pacify.
• – Example: She made a conciliatory gesture by offering him a cup of tea.

conflagration (noun)

• – Meaning: An extensive fire that destroys a great deal of land or property.
• – Example: The city was devastated by a conflagration that raged for days.

confluence (noun)

• – Meaning: The junction of two rivers, especially rivers of approximately equal width.
• – Example: We sat by the confluence of the two rivers, enjoying the tranquility.

contentious (adjective)

• – Meaning: Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial.
• – Example: The issue of gun control is highly contentious in the United States.

contrite (adjective)

• – Meaning: Feeling or expressing remorse or penitence; affected by guilt.
• – Example: He was contrite and apologized for his mistake.

conundrum (noun)

• – Meaning: A confusing and difficult problem or question.
• – Example: The conundrum of how to reduce poverty has puzzled policymakers for decades.

copious (adjective)

• – Meaning: Abundant in supply or quantity.
• – Example: The student took copious notes during the lecture.

corroborate (verb)

• – Meaning: To confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding).
• – Example: The witness corroborated the defendant’s alibi.

culpable (adjective)

• – Meaning: Deserving blame or censure; responsible for wrongdoing.
• – Example: The negligent driver was held culpable for the accident.

cursory (adjective)

• – Meaning: Hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed.
• – Example: She gave the report only a cursory glance before the meeting.

debilitate (verb)

• – Meaning: To make someone weak and infirm.
• – Example: The disease debilitated him to the point where he could not walk.

decorum (noun)

• – Meaning: Behavior in keeping with good taste and propriety.
• – Example: The queen conducted herself with decorum at all times.

deference (noun)

• – Meaning: Humble submission and respect.
• – Example: He showed deference to his elders by addressing them as “sir.”

deleterious (adjective)

• – Meaning: Causing harm or damage.
• – Example: Smoking has deleterious effects on your health.

delineate (verb)

• – Meaning: To describe or portray (something) precisely.
• – Example: The artist delineated the features of the landscape in great detail.

demagogue (noun)

• – Meaning: A political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational argument.
• – Example: The demagogue incited the crowd with inflammatory rhetoric.

denigrate (verb)

• – Meaning: To criticize unfairly; disparage.
• – Example: She felt denigrated by his comments about her appearance.

deride (verb)

• – Meaning: To express contempt for; ridicule.
• – Example: He derided her efforts as amateurish.

despot (noun)

• – Meaning: A ruler or other person who holds absolute power, typically one who exercises it in a cruel or oppressive way.
• – Example: The despot ruled the country with an iron fist.

didactic (adjective)

• – Meaning: Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.
• – Example: The novel had a didactic tone, with characters frequently delivering moral lessons.

diffident (adjective)

• – Meaning: Modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence.
• – Example: He was diffident about speaking in public.

dilatory (adjective)

• – Meaning: Slow to act.
• – Example: The dilatory response of the authorities aggravated the situation.

disaffected (adjective)

• – Meaning: Dissatisfied with the people in authority and no longer willing to support them.
• – Example: The disaffected workers went on strike to protest against the company’s management.

disparage (verb)

• – Meaning: To belittle or speak of someone or something in a derogatory way.
• – Example: She disparaged her colleague’s efforts, calling them insignificant.

disparate (adjective)

• – Meaning: Essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison.
• – Example: The two cultures had disparate customs and traditions.

disseminate (verb)

• – Meaning: To spread or disperse widely.
• – Example: The organization disseminates information about environmental issues through social media.

dogmatic (adjective)

• – Meaning: Inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true.
• – Example: His dogmatic approach to politics made it difficult for him to compromise.

dubious (adjective)

• – Meaning: Hesitating or doubting; not to be relied upon.
• – Example: The company’s financial situation is dubious, and investors are wary.

duplicitous (adjective)

• – Meaning: Deceitful or dishonest by speaking or acting in two different ways concerning the same matter.
• – Example: The politician’s duplicitous behavior was exposed by the media.

ebullient (adjective)

• – Meaning: Cheerful and full of energy.
• – Example: She was ebullient about her new job opportunity.

eclectic (adjective)

• – Meaning: Deriving ideas, styles, or tastes from a broad and diverse range of sources.
• – Example: Her eclectic taste in music ranges from classical to hip-hop.

effervescent (adjective)

• – Meaning: Vivacious and enthusiastic.
• – Example: Her effervescent personality made her the life of the party.

egregious (adjective)

• – Meaning: Outstandingly bad; shocking.
• – Example: His egregious behavior at the meeting led to his dismissal.

eloquent (adjective)

• – Meaning: Fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing.
• – Example: His eloquent speech moved the audience to tears.

elucidate (verb)

• – Meaning: To make something clear; explain.
• – Example: The professor elucidated the complex theory with simple examples.

elusive (adjective)

• – Meaning: Difficult to find, catch, or achieve.
• – Example: Success remained elusive despite his efforts.

eminent (adjective)

• – Meaning: Famous and respected within a particular sphere or profession.
• – Example: He is an eminent scientist in the field of genetics.

empirical (adjective)

• – Meaning: Based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic.
• – Example: The researchers conducted empirical studies to test their hypothesis.

enervate (verb)

• – Meaning: To cause someone to feel drained of energy or vitality; weaken.
• – Example: The hot weather enervated the hikers as they climbed the mountain.

engender (verb)

• – Meaning: To cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition).
• – Example: The divisive issue engendered heated debate among the members of the committee.

Ephemeral (Adjective)

• Meaning: Lasting for a very short time.
• Example: The beauty of the sunset was ephemeral, fading away within minutes.

Equivocal (Adjective)

• Meaning: Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous.
• Example: His equivocal response left us unsure of his true intentions.

Erudite (Adjective)

• Meaning: Having or showing great knowledge or learning.
• Example: The erudite professor could speak fluently on a wide range of subjects.

Esoteric (Adjective)

• Meaning: Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest.
• Example: The book delves into esoteric philosophical concepts that are difficult for the average reader to grasp.

Espouse (Verb)

• Meaning: Adopt or support (a cause, belief, or way of life).
• Example: She espouses a vegan lifestyle, avoiding all animal products.

Exacerbate (Verb)

• Meaning: Make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse.
• Example: His harsh words only served to exacerbate the tension in the room.

Excoriate (Verb)

• Meaning: Criticize (someone) severely.
• Example: The film was excoriated by critics for its lack of originality.

Exculpate (Verb)

• Meaning: Show or declare that (someone) is not guilty of wrongdoing.
• Example: The new evidence served to exculpate the suspect, leading to their release from custody.

Exonerate (Verb)

• Meaning: Absolve (someone) from blame for a fault or wrongdoing, especially after due consideration of the case.
• Example: After a thorough investigation, the jury voted to exonerate the defendant of all charges.

Exorbitant (Adjective)

• Meaning: Unreasonably high.
• Example: The hotel’s exorbitant prices made it difficult for budget travelers to stay there.

Expedient (Adjective)

• Meaning: Convenient and practical, although possibly improper or immoral.
• Example: He chose the expedient solution of bribing the officials to speed up the process.

Extant (Adjective)

• Meaning: Still in existence; surviving.
• Example: Despite being centuries old, some of Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks are still extant today.

Extol (Verb)

• Meaning: Praise enthusiastically.
• Example: The coach would always extol the virtues of hard work and perseverance to his team.

Extraneous (Adjective)

• Meaning: Irrelevant or unrelated to the subject being dealt with.
• Example: The professor asked the students to ignore any extraneous information in the textbook.

Facetious (Adjective)

• Meaning: Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor.
• Example: His facetious remarks during the meeting offended some of the more serious-minded attendees.

Facile (Adjective)

• Meaning: Appearing neat and comprehensive only by ignoring the true complexities of an issue; superficial.
• Example: The politician gave a facile explanation of the economic crisis, oversimplifying the issues at hand.

Fallacious (Adjective)

• Meaning: Based on a mistaken belief.
• Example: His argument was fallacious because it relied on outdated data.

Fastidious (Adjective)

• Meaning: Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail.
• Example: She was fastidious about cleanliness, insisting on vacuuming the carpet every day.

Fatuous (Adjective)

• Meaning: Silly and pointless.
• Example: The politician’s fatuous remarks only served to undermine his credibility.

Feckless (Adjective)

• Meaning: Lacking initiative or strength of character; irresponsible.
• Example: His feckless behavior at work eventually led to his dismissal.

Felicitous (Adjective)

• Meaning: Well-suited for the occasion; apt.
• Example: His felicitous choice of words made the speech memorable.

Fervent (Adjective)

• Meaning: Showing great intensity of feeling; passionate.
• Example: She was fervent in her beliefs, often speaking out against injustice.

Flippant (Adjective)

• Meaning: Not showing a serious or respectful attitude.
• Example: His flippant remarks about the tragedy offended many people.

Florid (Adjective)

• Meaning: Having a red or flushed complexion; elaborately or excessively intricate or complicated.
• Example: The florid language of the speech was difficult for some to follow.

Flout (Verb)

• Meaning: Openly disregard (a rule, law, or convention).
• Example: The students chose to flout the school’s dress code by wearing jeans to the formal event.

Foible (Noun)

• Meaning: A minor weakness or eccentricity in someone’s character.
• Example: Despite his brilliance, he had a few foibles that made him endearing to his friends.

Fortuitous (Adjective)

• Meaning: Happening by chance rather than intention.
• Example: It was a fortuitous meeting that led to their business partnership.

Fractious (Adjective)

• Meaning: Irritable and quarrelsome.
• Example: The fractious children argued over who got to sit in the front seat of the car.

Garrulous (Adjective)

• Meaning: Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.
• Example: The garrulous old man could spend hours recounting stories from his youth.

Grandiloquent (Adjective)

• Meaning: Pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner, especially in a way that is intended to impress.
• Example: His grandiloquent speeches often left his audience feeling bewildered rather than inspired.

Gratuitous (Adjective)

• Meaning: Uncalled for; lacking good reason; unwarranted.
• Example: The movie contained gratuitous violence that many viewers found disturbing.

Gregarious (Adjective)

• Meaning: Fond of company; sociable.
• Example: She was known for her gregarious nature, always surrounded by friends at social gatherings.

Hackneyed (Adjective)

• Meaning: Lacking significance through having been overused; unoriginal and trite.
• Example: The love story’s plot was so hackneyed that it failed to captivate the audience.

Harangue (Noun/Verb)

• Meaning: A lengthy and aggressive speech; lecture someone at length in an aggressive and critical manner.
• Example: The politician delivered a harangue against his opponents during the rally.

Hegemony (Noun)

• Meaning: Leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others.
• Example: The country sought to establish hegemony over the region through economic and military means.

Histrionic (Adjective)

• Meaning: Overly theatrical or melodramatic in character or style.
• Example: Her histrionic reaction to the minor setback was met with bemusement by her colleagues.

Iconoclast (Noun)

• Meaning: A person who attacks cherished beliefs, traditional institutions, etc., as being based on error or superstition.
• Example: The artist was considered an iconoclast for challenging the norms of traditional painting.

Idiosyncratic (Adjective)

• Meaning: Relating to idiosyncrasy; peculiar or individual.
• Example: Her idiosyncratic fashion sense always attracted attention wherever she went.

Ignominious (Adjective)

• Meaning: Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame.
• Example: His ignominious defeat in the election marked the end of his political career.

Immutable (Adjective)

• Meaning: Unchanging over time or unable to be changed.
• Example: The laws of physics are immutable and apply consistently throughout the universe.

Impassive (Adjective)

• Meaning: Showing no emotion; not feeling or showing any emotion.
• Example: Despite the shocking news, he remained impassive, not letting his emotions show.

Imperious (Adjective)

• Meaning: Assuming power or authority without justification; arrogant and domineering.
• Example: The imperious CEO expected everyone to follow his orders without question.

Impertinent (Adjective)

• Meaning: Not showing proper respect; rude.
• Example: His impertinent remarks during the meeting offended many of his colleagues.

Impervious (Adjective)

• Meaning: Not allowing fluid to pass through; unable to be affected by.
• Example: The material used in the construction of the building was impervious to water damage.

Impetuous (Adjective)

• Meaning: Acting or done quickly and without thought or care.
• Example: Her impetuous decision to quit her job without a backup plan surprised everyone.

Impudent (Adjective)

• Meaning: Not showing due respect for another person; impertinent.
• Example: The impudent student talked back to the teacher in front of the entire class.

Inane (Adjective)

• Meaning: Silly; stupid.
• Example: The comedian’s jokes were so inane that nobody in the audience laughed.

Inchoate (Adjective)

• Meaning: Just begun and so not fully formed or developed; rudimentary.
• Example: The plan was still inchoate and needed further refinement before implementation.

Incontrovertible (Adjective)

• Meaning: Not able to be denied or disputed.
• Example: The video evidence presented in court was incontrovertible proof of the defendant’s guilt.

Indefatigable (Adjective)

• Meaning: Persisting tirelessly.
• Example: She was an indefatigable advocate for human rights, tirelessly fighting for justice.

Indolent (Adjective)

• Meaning: Wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy.
• Example: He led an indolent lifestyle, preferring to spend his days lounging around rather than being productive.

Ineffable (Adjective)

• Meaning: Too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.
• Example: The beauty of the sunset was ineffable, leaving them speechless.

Ineluctable (Adjective)

• Meaning: Unable to be resisted or avoided; inescapable.
• Example: The march of time is ineluctable; eventually, we all grow old.

Inimical (Adjective)

• Meaning: Tending to obstruct or harm; unfriendly or hostile.
• Example: The harsh weather conditions were inimical to our outdoor plans.

Iniquitous (Adjective)

• Meaning: Grossly unfair and morally wrong.
• Example: The dictator’s iniquitous regime oppressed its citizens and violated their basic rights.

Insidious (Adjective)

• Meaning: Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects.
• Example: The disease spread insidiously throughout the population, initially showing no symptoms.

Insipid (Adjective)

• Meaning: Lacking flavor; weak or tasteless.
• Example: The soup was insipid and bland, lacking any seasoning or spices.

Intransigent (Adjective)

• Meaning: Unwilling or refusing to change one’s views or to agree about something.
• Example: The intransigent negotiators refused to compromise, leading to a deadlock in the talks.

Intrepid (Adjective)

• Meaning: Fearless; adventurous.
• Example: The intrepid explorer ventured into the depths of the jungle, undeterred by the dangers that lay ahead.

Ineffable (Adjective)

• Meaning: Too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.
• Example: The ineffable beauty of the Grand Canyon left them in awe.

Advanced English Vocabulary | Image

Building an advanced vocabulary takes time and dedication. Celebrate your progress, don’t be discouraged by setbacks. Remember, the more you engage with new words, the more comfortable and confident you’ll become using them.

With consistent effort and a love for language, you’ll conquer the realm of advanced English vocabulary and unlock a whole new level of expression. Happy learning!

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