Advanced Learner's English Words

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Highly recommended TED Talks for Teens:

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Mindset & Growth
Leadership & Relationships
  • [Everyday Leadership (Drew Dudley, ~6m - slightly over, but essential): Explains that leadership isn't about titles, but the small moments where we impact others.
[The Power of 5 Minutes for Youth Mental Health (Tessa Zimmerman, ~5m): Discusses the importance of acknowledging mental health in schools. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Productivity & Creativity

Advanced Learners' Resources

Facebook Pages:

Vocabulary.com:
A list of commonly confused words

Word lists taken from current news

TED Topics - Current Events:
Use the "Topics" filter to find lectures related to any of the topics above.

Climate Change Challenge:

Onestopenglish News:
Offers monthly lessons based on real news articles, perfect for teaching "advanced" vocabulary in the classroom.

Hope you find some gems 💎 among them.

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Contrary to popular belief, I'm no walking dictionary, but I am still learning new words frequently.

assiduous: showing great care and perseverance. diligent, meticulous
"she was assiduous in pointing out every feature"

agelast (noun)
ˈa-jə-ˌlast
: a person who never laughs

gauche
adjective
uk /ɡəʊʃ/ us /ɡoʊʃ/
socially awkward, uncomfortable with other people, especially because young and without experience:
She had grown from a gauche teenager to a self-assured young woman.

laconic
concise; using few words; expressing much in few words. a laconic reply.
Synonyms:
succinct, terse, pithy, brief.

lugubrious
/lʊˈɡ(j)uːbriəs/
(adjective)
looking or sounding sad and dismal.
"his face looked even more lugubrious than usual"
Similar:
mournful, gloomy, doleful, glum, melancholic

tortuous: twisting, winding, convoluted
perspicacious: perceptive
prescient: far-sighted

paucity: scarcity, a small amount
The paucity of resources meant the film had to be made with unpaid actors and few crew members.

emolument: a salary, fee or profit from employment or office
curmudgeon: cantankerous, bad-tempered and uncooperative
lissome: lithe, limber, agile
diaphanous: light, delicate and translucent
gossamer: an extremely light and thin material
bucolic: rural, pastoral
quiescent: inactive, dormant

rectitude
behaviour that is correct, upright and honorable.
Rectitude is a quality or attitude that is shown by people who behave honestly and morally according to accepted standards
E.g. The president could serve out the rest of his term with the rectitude of a monk, and still be undone.

invective (noun): harsh or abusive language
denouement (noun): the final outcome of a play, story, event or a literary work
abstruse (adjective): difficult to understand; obscure
caesura (n.): a natural pause in a line of verse
nadir: lowest or worst point
demur: raise objections or show reluctance
evince: show, reveal
catatonic: lifeless, motionless, as if dead
anodyne (/ˈanədʌɪn/): pain relief, paregoric elixir, analgesic, sedative
somniferous: causing or inducing sleep; soporific; soporiferous
somnolent: sleepy, tired
torpid: dull; stupid; sluggish; inactive
de jure vs de facto: by law/right vs by default/in practice
coup de maître: masterstroke
coup de foudre: an astonishing occurrence e.g. love at first sight
tour de force /ˌtʊə də ˈfɔːs/: a performance or achievement that has been accomplished or managed with great skill. "his novel is a tour de force"; triumph, masterpiece, marvellous feat
ostentatious: attention-grabbing, flashy, showy, gaudy, garish, and flamboyant
apropos: relevant, opportune, fitting, suitable, and apt
apropos of [something]: concerning, regarding
opulent: classy, rich, wealthy, luxurious, lavish, swanky, and lush
esoteric: obscure, mysterious, arcane, mystical, or cryptic
purloin: misappropriate, to appropriate wrongfully or by a breach of trust
schlemiel: the inapt, incompetent, bungling fool; a habitual failure
schlimazel: an unfortunate person who suffers from unremitting bad luck; a consistently unlucky or accident-prone person
schlep(ping): to move yourself or an object with effort and difficulty
schlock: goods or artistic works that are cheap or low in quality
neophyte, proselyte, abecedarian: relating to a beginner or novice
histrionic: excessively theatrical or dramatic and attention-seeking
popinjay: a vain or conceited person, especially one who dresses or behaves extravagantly
meretricious: seemingly attractive but really false or of little value
petrichor: a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather

solipsistic \ ˌsɑlɪpˈsɪstɪk \ adjective
1. relating to the theory that all that is known to exist is one’s own self or consciousness
2. extremely interested in oneself; self-centered

auteur \ oʊˈtɜr \ noun
: a filmmaker who has a personal style and keeps creative control over the projects

oneiric \ oʊˈnaɪrɪk \ adjective
: of, relating to or suggestive of dreams; dreamy

lagniappe
noun
la·​gniappe ˈlan-ˌyap  lan-ˈyap
: a small gift given to a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase
broadly : something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure
The waiter added a cup of lobster bisque as a lagniappe to the meal.

prognosticate (verb)
to predict or foreshadow something
// Our company uses current trends to prognosticate what the workplace of the future will be like.

zeitgeber
noun
an environmental agent or event (such as the occurrence of light or dark) that provides the stimulus which sets or resets an organism’s biological clock.
// The ratio of daylight to darkness in the spring is an important zeitgeber that affects the activity of some migrating birds.

zeitgeist

desuetude: disuse

languor: pleasant tiredness

eudaimonia: living well, flourishing

flâneur: idle wanderer and observer

mollify: pacify, calm one down

inexorably \ ɪˈnɛksərəbli \ adverb
: in a manner that is not open to change or persuasion

posterity \ pɑˈstɛrədi \ noun
1. all future generations
2. all of the descendants of a given ancestor

gauzy \ ˈgɔzi \ adjective
: so thin as to transmit light

proviso \ prəˈvaɪzoʊ \ noun
: a condition that is part of an agreement

frenetic \ frəˈnɛdɪk \ adjective
1. fast and energetic in an uncontrolled or wild way
2. excessively agitated; distraught with fear or other strong emotion

rejigger \ ˌriˈʤɪɡər \ verb
: reorganise, rearrange

ostensibly
/ɒˈstɛnsɪbli/
adverb
as appears or is stated to be true, though not necessarily so; outwardly, purportedly, on the surface
"the party secretary resigned, ostensibly from ill health"

atavistic \ ˈædəˌvɪstɪk \ adjective
: characterised by a reverting to an earlier type or behavior; throwback

klaxon \ ˈklæksən \ noun
: a loud horn or signal that’s used on a vehicle

immanent
: inherent

chiaroscuro
: the treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting; an effect of contrasted light and shadow.

détente
noun [ U ] formal
UK /deɪˈtɒnt/ US /deɪˈtɑːnt/
an improvement in the relationship between two countries that in the past were not friendly and did not trust each other:
détente between The talks are aimed at furthering détente between the two countries.

truculent
adjective
eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant.
"the truculent attitude of farmers to cheaper imports"
Similar:
defiant, aggressive, antagonistic, belligerent, pugnacious, bellicose

philippic
/fɪˈlɪpɪk/
noun
a bitter attack or denunciation, especially a verbal one.
"the lecture was a tremendous philippic against our culture"
Similar: tirade, diatribe, invective, denunciation, rant, polemic

peccadillo
/ˌpɛkəˈdɪləʊ/
noun
a relatively minor fault or sin.
"the sexual peccadilloes of celebrities aren't necessarily news"
Similar: misdemeanour, minor offence, petty offence, indiscretion, lapse, misdeed, infraction

quixotic
1. : foolishly impractical especially in the
pursuit of ideals. especially : marked by rash lofty romantic ideas or extravagantly
chivalrous action.
2.: capricious. unpredictable.

Duress:
Threats, violence, constraints or other action brought to bear to make someone do something against their will or judgement.

Obsequious: servile, submissive

Polemical: causing debate or argument

Equanimity: Mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.

Equivocate: Speak ambiguously; avoid telling the truth
Verb

Timorous: Cowardly, fearful
Adjective

Ponderous: Weighty, slow and heavy
Adjective

Larceny: theft, robbery, stealing
Noun

Boorish: ill-mannered
Adjective

Terse: concise, to the point
Adjective

Querulous: argumentative, difficult , irritable, confrontational

Acquiesce: to agree without protesting

Capitulate: surrender, give in, give up, yield

Mortification: a feeling of humiliation or shame, as though some injury to one's pride or self

Surreptitious: done in stealth; secretive or unauthorised

liminal: in-between

munificent: generous

ostentatious: showy

soporific: sleep-inducing

exacerbate: worsen

modicum: little bit

nadir: lowest point

zenith: highest point

paragon: role model

plethora: lots of

stoicism: calm self-control

Idyllic: Calm, Peaceful

bedizen
(bih-dahy-zuhn)
v. to adorn, usually in a poorly conceived or tasteless manner
Paula was bedizened with gaudy decorations.

tamp
v. to plug
v. to drive in or down by a series of blows
They tamped down the soil around the base of the new sapling.

impudent
(im-pyuh-dent)
adj. improperly disrespectful
The girl was forced to apologise in front of the class for her impudent attitude towards her teachers.

inimical
(ih-nim-ih-kuhl)
adj. hostile, unfriendly
The Antarctic is inimical to life.

vainglorious
(veyn-glawr-ee-us)
adj. boastful of one’s accomplishments or accolades; vain
Dave’s vainglorious attitude unfortunately overshadowed his considerable accomplishments.

pariah
(puh-rahy-uh)
n. an outcast; a rejected or despised person
Alex left the party feeling like a pariah.

indelible
(in-del-uh-buhl)
adj. impossible to remove or to forget
The memory of that day had become indelible in his mind.

bête noire
noun
a person or thing that one particularly dislikes.
"great-uncle Edward was my father's bête noire"
Similar: bugbear, pet hate, pet aversion, anathema, abomination, bogey, bugaboo, a thorn in one's flesh/side, the bane of one's life

byzantine
(biz-uhn-teen)
adj. complex, intricate, labyrinthine
The byzantine rules of the card game confused everyone.

inveigh
(in-vey)
v. to attack verbally, to deprecate
The protesters were inveighing against government policies.

panegyric
(pan-ih-djirr-ik)
n. a formal and elaborate public compliment; praise, laudation
The mayor extended a panegyric to all of the citizens who were fighting overseas.

quaff
(kwaf)
v. to drink deeply; to intoxicate oneself with great enjoyment
He quaffed the pint in three hearty gulps.

inchoate
(in-koe-it)
/ɪnˈkəʊət,ɪnˈkəʊeɪt,ˈɪnkəʊət,ˈɪnkəʊeɪt/
adjective
1. just begun and so not fully formed or developed; rudimentary.
"a still inchoate democracy"
2. LAW (of an offence, such as incitement or conspiracy) anticipating or preparatory to a further criminal act.

indigent
(in-dih-djunt)
adj. extremely poor
The organisation’s mission was to provide educational resources to indigent women in various countries.

indolent
(in-dull-uhnt)
adj. habitually lazy
adj. causing little or no pain
The company’s owner decided to fire the most indolent workers first.

redolent
(red-uhl-uhnt)
adj. fragrant, suggestive, or evocative
The fraternity house was redolent of stale beer and day-old pizza.

paean
(pee-uhn)
n. a song or expression of joy or praise
After their country won the World Cup, the band wrote a paean to the national team that became a Top 20 hit.

aspersion
(uh-spur-zhuhn)
n. the act of defamation or maligning; a derogatory remark
The aspersions cast by his political opponent took weeks to eradicate.

lucid
(lue-sid)
adj. easy to understand
adj. transparent (permitting light to pass through)
adj. having a clear mind
The artist was unable to express his abstract ideas in a lucid manner.

untoward
(uhn-tawrd)
synonyms: problematic, objectionable
adj. troublesome, unruly, adverse, or indecent

manifest
(man-ih-fest)
synonyms: ledger; conspicuous, unambiguous; demonstrate, show
n. a list of the people aboard a ship or plane
adj. clearly apparent
v. to exhibit a quality

mannered
(man-urd)
synonyms: unnatural, stilted
adj. artificial or affected

martinet
(mar-tih-net)
n. one who demands strict adherence to rules
The nanny was hired for the unruly children because of her reputation as a martinet who would be sure to keep them in line.

parsimonious
(par-suh-moh-nee-us)
adj. frugal; cheap
Her aunt was too parsimonious to chip in for the family’s annual reunion.

obfuscate
(ob-fuh-skeyt)
v. to deliberately obscure, to make confusing, to bewilder
The governor obfuscated the issue with big words and numbers.

encomium
(en-koh-mee-uhm)
n. enthusiastic praise
That country’s national anthem is an encomium to the heroes of a war long past.

pugilism
(pyoo-djuh-liz-uhm)
n. the skill or practice of fighting with fists; boxing
Mike Tyson is known throughout the world for his pugilism.

sanctimony
(sangk-tuh-moh-nee)
n. self-righteousness, pretended piety
His sanctimony was laughable, since we all knew he was one of the worst offenders.

baleful
(beyl-fuhl)
adj. full of sinister influence, pernicious, ominous
The basilisk’s baleful glare is lethal.

ostensible
(uh-sten-suh-buhl)
adj. apparent, pretended
The oil spill was the ostensible result of lax safety regulations.

sinecure
/ˈsɪnɪkjʊə,ˈsʌɪnɪkjʊə/
n. a comfortable job requiring little work
Carolyn’s position in the office is a sinecure; she does nothing all day yet she draws the same salary as everyone else.

redress
(ree-dress)
v. to set right, to remedy
n. compensation or restitution for a wrong
The peaceful petitioning for redress of wrongs is a right enshrined in our country’s founding document.

unctuous
(uhngk-choo-uhs)
adj. oily, greasy
adj. characterised by insincere earnestness
The king had the unctuous toady removed from his palace.

arrant
(ar-uhnt)
adj. impudent
adj. thorough, utter, notorious
Though the professor is considered one of the greats of his discipline, lately his lectures have verged on arrant nonsense.

vaunt
(vawnt)
v. to boast or brag about
Chris, though usually very modest, will readily vaunt his achievements in a job interview.

affectation
(af-ek-tey-shuhn)
n. a show or pretense
n. artificial behaviour to impress others
That American doctor’s affectation of a British accent has drawn much criticism.

whit
(wit)
n. the smallest possible part or fraction
The bank robber did not have a whit of self-respect.

epaulette
(ep-uh-let)
n. a shoulder ornament, esp. a strap on military uniforms
The veteran’s uniform was adorned by a pair of impressive epaulettes.

panoply
(pan-uh-plee)
n. a splendid, striking array
n. the complete armory of a warrior
n. a shining protective array
A porcupine’s panoply of quills is quite a protective arsenal.

pantheon
(pan-thee-on)
n. a temple dedicated to the gods
n. all the gods of a people
n. a group of famous persons
The Greek pantheon includes Zeus and his consort, Hera.

tyro
(tahy-roh)
n. a beginner or novice in any kind of skill
The hapless tyro tripped over the ropes on his way into the boxing ring.

fetid
(fet-id)
adj. malodorous, stinky
The fetid green substance had taken over the entire fridge.

fecundity
(fih-kuhn-dih-tee)
n. fertility, fruitfulness
An artist’s period of fecundity can come at any time of her life.

rarefied
(rair-uh-fahyd)
adj. thin, pure, refined
The rarefied air of higher altitudes makes it very difficult to climb Mt. Everest.

delectation
(dee-lek-tey-shuhn)
n. enjoyment
They played wiffleball for the delectation of it, not for the competition.

blandish
(blan-dish)
v. to coax or influence with flattery
synonyms: charm, flatter

peremptory
(puh-remp-tuh-ree)
adj. admitting of no contradiction; putting an end to further debate; haughty; imperious
synonyms: opinionated, absolute, assertive

florid
(floor-id)
adj. healthy-looking, ornate or flowery
The author’s florid prose did not impress the critics, who found her work pretentious.

forbear
(for-bear)
v. to refrain from doing something
Although I know Adam likes to crack jokes, I would have liked him to forbear silliness in such a serious situation.

forestall
(for-stall)
v. to deal with ahead of time; to prevent
The mayor called the police before the protest even began in order to forestall rioting.

mince
(minss)
v. to speak carefully; to euphemise
synonyms: soften, tone down

visceral
(viss-er-uhl)
adj. felt in one’s stomach
adj. emotional, rather than intellectual
Jeb’s visceral response to his mother’s racist ramblings was visible to all of us.

refectory
(rih-fek-tuh-ree)
n. a room or dining area where meals are served
The students milled about the entrance to the refectory, counting down the seconds until supper would be served.

frenetic
(fruh-net-ik)
adj. frenzied or frantic
Frenetic screams filled the room as people tried to get out before the fire spread.

infinitesimal
(in-fin-ih-tess-uh-muhl)
adj. immeasurably small
The proportion of truly selfless people in this world is surely infinitesimal.

sanguine
(sang-gwin)
adj. cheerfully optimistic
Samantha had a sanguine attitude towards life that enriched those around her.

furtive
(fur-tiv)
adj. secretive, sly
At the party, Julia cast furtive glances around the room to make sure her older sister was not around to send her back home.

calumny
(kal-uhm-nee)
n. a false statement; slander, aspersion
The desperate candidate abandoned reasoned arguments and resorted to calumnies against the front-runner.

quotidian
(kwoh-tid-ee-uhn)
adj. everyday, commonplace, habitual
Joe’s small, quotidian pleasures seemed more substantial than Mattias’s high-profile jet-setting.

salacious
(suh-ley-shuhs)
adj. causing sexual desire, bawdy
Many parents were unhappy with the magazine’s salacious material.

importune
(im-pour-chewn)
v. to beg persistently
Kate importuned her father every day to teach her how to sail.

craven
(kray-vun)
adj. cowardly
The craven man ran away at the first sign of danger.

execrate
(ek-si-kreyt)
v. to declare to be hateful or abhorrent; denounce
v. to loathe
v. to curse
The rival teams appeared on the news to execrate one another.

sempiternal
(sem-pih-tur-nl)
adj. eternal, infinite
Nothing in life is sempiternal, alas.

credulous
(kredj-uh-luss)
adj. gullible, easily convinced that something is true
His lies were so ridiculous that only the most credulous child would have believed them.

puer·ile
[ˈpjʊərʌɪl]
adjective
childishly silly and immature:
"a puerile argument"

je·june
[dʒɪˈdʒuːn] (adjective)
naive, simplistic, and superficial:
"their entirely predictable and usually jejune opinions"

sybaritic
adjective
fond of sensuous luxury or pleasure; self-indulgent.
"their opulent and sybaritic lifestyle"

aesthete
one who appreciates or is sensitive to art and beauty

ersatz
substitute, faux, artificial

outré
unusual and often shocking

moribund
dying, expiring, on one's deathbed

aver
assert or state

filliping
propel with a flick of the finger

a plum job
desirable

deus ex machina
noun [ S ] formal
UK /ˌdeɪ.əs eks ˈmæk.ɪ.nə/ US /ˌdeɪ.əs eks ˈmɑː.kɪ.nə/
an unnatural or very unlikely end to a story or event, that solves or removes any problems too easily

language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect, but which is often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content.
"all we have from the Opposition is empty rhetoric"
Similar:
bombast
loftiness
turgidity
grandiloquence
magniloquence
ornateness
portentousness
pomposity
purple prose
pompousness
sonorousness
windiness
wordiness
verbosity
prolixity
hot air
tumidity
fustian
euphuism
orotundity
fainéant
otiose
ichor - the blood of a god
canaille

chagrin
mosey
intone
noughties
haute couture
a priori (from the former)
obloquy (harsh public criticism or verbal abuse aka olden day roasting/flaming)
opprobrium (public shame or disgrace)

zhuzh \ ʒʊʒ \ verb and noun
verb: improve the style, appearance or flavor of something or someone with a small change or addition

noun: a small add-on or adjustment that improves the style, flavor or appearance of a person or thing

Medical terms
apoptosis: the programmed cell death
metastasis: the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another

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