TOEFL Vocabulary

The following is a list of vocabulary words that often appear on the TOEFL test.

abacus	frame with balls for calculating
abate	to lessen to subside
abdication	giving up control authority
aberration	straying away from what is normal
abet	help/encourage smb (in doing wrong)
abeyance	suspended action
abhor	to hate to detest
abide	be faithful to endure
abjure	promise or swear to give up
abraded	rubbed off worn away by friction
abrogate	repeal or annul by authority
abscond	to go away suddenly (to avoid arrest)
abstruse	difficult to comprehend obscure
abut	border on
abysmal	bottomless extreme
acarpous	effete no longer fertile worn out
acclaimed	welcomed with shouts and approval
accolade	praise approval
accretion	the growing of separate things into one
adamant	kind of stone inflexible
admonitory	containing warning
adorn	add beauty decorate
adulteration	making unpure poorer in quality
affable	polite and friendly
affinity	close connection relationship
aggravate	make worse irritate
agile	active quick-moving
agog	eager/excited
ail	trouble be ill
alacrity	eager and cheerful readiness
alcove	recess/partially enclosed place
allegiance	duty support loyalty
alleviate	make (pain) easier to bear
alloy	to debase by mixing with something inferior
aloof	reserved indifferent
amalgamate	mix combine unite societies
ambidextrous	able to use the left hand or the right equally well
ambiguous	doubtful uncertain
ambivalent	having both of two contrary meanings
ameliorate	improve make better
amortize	end (a debt) by setting aside money
anguish	severe suffering
animosity	strong dislike
antidote	medicine used against a poison or a disease
antithetical	direct opposing
apartheid	brutal racial discrimination
aplomb	self-confidence
apostate	one who abandons long-held religious or political convictions
apotheosis	deification glorification to godliness
appease	make quiet or calm
apprehensive	grasping understanding fear unhappy feeling about future
apprise	give notice to inform
approbation	approval
apropos	appropriate to the situation apt
apt	well-suited quick-witted
arabesque	a complex ornate design
arboreal	of connected with trees
ardor	enthusiasm
arduous	steep difficult ascent laborious
argot	jargon slang
arrant	in the highest degree
arrogance	proud superior manner of behaviour
articulate	speak distinctly connect by joints
ascend	go or come up
ascertain	get to know
ascetic	practicing self-denial austere stark
ascribe	consider to be the origin of or belonging to
aseptic	surgically clean
asperity	roughness harshness ill temper irritability
aspersion	slander
assail	with attack violently
assiduous	diligent hard-working sedulous
assuage	make smth (pain desire) less
asterisk	the mark * (e.g.. omitted letters)
astringent	substance that shrinks
astute	clever quick at seeing to get an advantage
atonement	repayment death of Jesus
attenuate	make thin. weaken enervate
attune	bring into harmony
audacious	daring foolishly bold impudent
augury	omen sign
august	majestic venerable
auspicious	favorable successful prosperous
austere	severely moral and strict simple and plain
auxiliary	helping supporting
aver	affirm assert prove justify
aversion	strong dislike
avid	eager greedy
avow	admit. Declare openly
baleful	harmful ominous causing evil
balk	obstacle purposely to get on the way of
baneful	causing harm or ruin pernicious destructive
barrage	artificial obstacle built across a river
barren	not good enough unable to have young ones without value
bask	in enjoy warmth and light
beatify	to bless make happy or ascribe a virtue to
bedizen	to adorn especially in a cheap showy manner
belabor	beat hard
bellicose	belligerent pugnacious warlike
belligerent	(person nation) waging war
benefactor	person who has given help
benevolence	wish or activity in doing good
benign	kind and gentle mild (climate)
bequest	arrangement to give smth at death
berate	scold sharply
bereft	rob or dispossess of smth (material)
bewilder	puzzle confuse
bigot	stubborn narrow-minded person
bilge	bulge the protuberance of a cask
blandishment	flattery coaxing
blandness	polite manner comforting uninteresting
blatant	noisy and rough
blithe	cheerful casual carefree
bogus	sham counterfeit not genuine
boisterous	loud noisy rough lacking restraint
bolster	give greatly needed support
boorish	crude offensive rude
brash	hasty rush cheeky saucy
brass	yellow metal (mixing copper and zinc)
brazen	made of brass
breach	opening broken place breaking
brittle	easily broken
broach	bring up announce begin to talk about
brook	to tolerate endure
buoyant	able to float light-hearted
burgeon	grow forth send out buds
burnish	to polish rub to a shine
cabal	a scheme or plot a group of plotters
cadge	to beg to get by begging
cajole	use flattery or deceit to persuade
calipers	metal supports attached to the legs measuring instrument
calumny	slander aspersion
candid	frank straight-forward
cant	insincere talk/jargon
cantankerous	bad-tempered/quarrelsome
canvass	discuss thoroughly sort of touting
castigate	to chastise correct by punishing
castigation	severe punishment
catalyst	substance that causes speeding up
caustic	biting sarcastic
censure	expression of blame or disapproval a rebuke
centurion	leader of a unit of 100 soldiers
chary	cautious wary
chastened	corrected punished
chastisement	punishment
chauvinist	a blindly devoted patriot
chicanery	legal trickery/false argument
chisel	steel tool for shaping materials
churl	bad-tempered person
clamor	shout complain with a lot of noise
clientele	customers
clinch	come to grips/settle conclusively
cling	to resist separation
clot	half-solid lump formed from liquid
cloture	closing device (in Parliament) to end a debate by voting
coagulation	change to a thick and solid state
coalescing	coming together and uniting into one substance
coax	get smb to do smth by kindness
coda	passage that completes a piece of music
coddle	treat with care and tenderness
coerce	compel to force to make obedient
coeval	of the same period coexisting
cogent	strong convincing
cogitate	think deeply mediate
cognizant	being fully aware of
colander	bowl-shaped vessel with many holes used to drain off water
collusion	secret agreement for a deceitful purpose
combustion	process of burning
commemorate	keep the memory of
commodious	having plenty of space for what is needed
commuter	person who travels regularly
complaisance	tending to comply obliging willingness to please
compunction	feeling of regret for one's action
conceal	hide keep secret
conceit	over-high opinion of too much pride
conciliatory	reconciling soothing comforting mollifying
concord	agreement or harmony
concur	agree in opinion happen together
condense	increase in density strength make laconic
condone	forgive
congeal	make or become stiff and solid
conjoin	to join together
connoisseur	a person with good judgement (e.g.. in art)
connotation	suggestion in addition to
consequential	pompous self important
console	give comfort or sympathy to
conspicuous	easily seen remarkable
consternation	surprise and fear dismay
constrain	compel
constrict	make tight or smaller
consume	get to the end of
consummate	perfect/make perfect/complete
contemn	to scorn or despise
contentious	argumentative pugnacious combative quarrelsome
contiguous	touching neighboring near
contrite	filled with deep sorrow for wrongdoing
contumacious	insubordinate rebellious
conundrum	a riddle dilemma enigma
conviction	convincing firm belief
convoke	call together summon
convoluted	complicated coiled twisted
cordial	warm and sincere
cordon	line (of police acting as a guard)
cornucopia	abundant supply
corporeal	physical of or for the body
correlate	have a mutual relation
corroboration	additional strengthening evidence
countenance	to favor or approve of
counterfeit	forgery
countervail	counterbalance
covert	disguised
covetous	eagerly desirous
cower	crouch shrink back
coy	shy/modest (esp of a girl)
crass	very great (es. stupidity)
cravat	piece of linen worn as a necktie
craven	cowardly
crease	line made by crushing white line on the ground in cricket
credulity	too great a readiness to believe things
credulous	ready to believe things
crush	press lose shape subdue overwhelm
cryptic	secret with a hidden meaning
cumbersome	burdensome heavy and awkward to carry
curmudgeon	bad-tempered person
curriculum	course of study
cursory	quick hurried
curtail	make shorter then was planned
dainty	pretty/delicate(food)/difficult to please
daunt	intimidate make fearful
dawdler	person who is slow waste of time
dearth	shortage
debacle	a breakup overthrow sudden disaster
decorum	propriety properness
decree	order given by authority
decry	disapprove of
defer	postpone give way (to show respect)
deferential	showing respect
defiance	open disobedience or resistance
delineate	to portray depict sketch out
deluge	great flood heavy rush of water
demagogue	person appealing not to reasons
demur	to hesitate raise objections
denigrate	blacken belittle sully defame
denouement	an outcome or solution the unraveling of a plot
deplete	use until none remains
deposition	dethronement depositing
deprave	make morally bad corrupt
deprecate	protest against express disapproval of
dereliction	deserting and leaving to fall into ruins
derision	ridicule mockery deriding
derivative	unoriginal obtained from another source
derogatory	insulting tending to damage
descry	catch sight of see smth in the distance
desiccant	substance used to absorb moisture
desuetude	cessation of use disuse
desultory	aimless haphazard digressing at random
deter	discourage hinder
detraction	slandering verbal attack aspersion
detumescence	diminishing or lessening of swelling
deviance	being different in moral standards (from normal)
dexterity	skill (esp. in handling)
diaphanous	transparent gauzy
diatribe	bitter and violent attack in words
diffidence	shyness
dilate	speak comprehensively become wider large
disallow	refuse to allow or accept as a correct
discern	see with an effort but clearly
discomfit	confuse embarrass
disconcert	upset the self-possession of
discountenance	refuse to approve of
discourse	speech lecture
discredit	refuse to believe
discreet	careful/prudent
discrete	individually distinct
disdain	look on with contempt
disencumber	free from encumbrance
disheveled	untidy
disingenuous	sophisticated artful trying to deceive cunning
disinter	dig up from the earth
dislodge	move force from the place occupied
dismal	sad gloomy miserable
disparate	essentially different
disproof	proof to the contrary
dissemble	speak or behave so as to hide smth (in mind)
disseminate	distribute (esp. ideas)
dissent	have a different opinion refuse to assent
dissolution	disintegration looseness in morals
distraught	distracted violently upset in mind
divergence	getting farther apart from a point
divestiture	taking off getting rid of giving up
divulge	make known smth secret
doggerel	trivial poorly constructed verse
dogmatic	positive certain arbitrary without room for discussion
dolt	stupid fellow
dormant	in a state of inactivity but awaiting development
dote	show much fondness center one's attention
drawl	slow way of speaking
droll	jesting
drone	male bee person who isn't self-employed
drowsiness	feeling sleepy half asleep
dubious	feeling doubt
dud	no use person smth that fails
dulcet	melodious harmonious
dupe	cheat make a fool of
duplicity	deliberate deception
duress	threats to compel smb
dwarf	person or smb much below the usual size
dynamo	a generator something that produces electric current
earthenware	dishes made of baked clay
ebullience	exuberance outburst of feeling
ebullient	overflowing with enthusiasm showing excitement
ecumenical	representing the whole Christian world
edacious	voracious devouring
eddy	circular or spiral movement (e.g.. of wind)
edible	fit to be eaten/not poisonous
effete	infertile worn out weak
efficacy	production of a desired result
effluvia	outflow in a stream of particles a noxious odor or vapor
effrontery	boldness impudence arrogance
egress	way out exit
elaborate	worked out with much care in great detail
elegy	a lament a melancholy composition
elicit	draw out
eloquence	fluent speaking skillful use of language
emaciate	make thin and weak
embellish	make beautiful
embezzle	use in a wrong way for one's own benefit
emote	stir up excite
empirical	relying on experiment
encapsulate	enclose in capsule
encomium	warm or glowing praise eulogy panegyric
encumbrance	burden things that get on the way of
endearing	making dear or liked
endemic	epidemic
endorse	write one's name on the back of
enduring	lasting
enervate	weaken deprive of strength attenuate
engender	cause produce give rise to
engrave	impress deeply
engrossing	taken up all the time or attention writing in large or formal
engulf	swallow up
enigma	smth that is puzzling
enmity	hatred being an enemy
ensign	flag/badge
entangle	put into difficulties
enthral	please greatly/enslave (fig)
entice	tempt or persuade
entreat	ask earnestly
enunciate	pronounce (words)/express a theory
enzyme	catalyst
epicurean	devoted to pleasure (sensuous enjoyment)
epistle	letter
epithet	adjective
epitome	brief summary representative example a typical model
equable	steady regular
equanimity	calmness of temperament
equilibrium	state of being balanced
equipoise	equal distribution of weight equilibrium
equivocal	having a double or doubtful meaning suspicious
equivocate	try to deceive by equivocal language
eradicate	get rid of pull up by the roots
erratic	irregular in behaviour or opinion
erudite	learned scholarly
eschew	avoid
esoteric	abstruse intended only for a small circle of
espouse	marry give one's support to
eulogy	formal praise panegyric
euphoria	elation state of pleasant excitement
euthanasia	easy and painless death
evasive	tending to evade
evince	to show clearly to indicate
evoke	call up bring out
excoriation	severe criticism
exculpate	to clear from a charge of guilt
exhaustive	complete thorough
exigency	emergency an urgent situation
exoneration	set smb clear free (e.g.. from blame)
exorbitant	much too high or great
expatiate	to roam wander freely
expedient	likely to be useful for a purpose
expiation	ending expiring
exploit	brilliant achievement develop use selfishly
expostulate	argue earnestly to dissuade correct or protest
expurgate	to remove obscenity purify censor
exscind	to cut out cut away
extant	still in existence
extempore	without previous thought or preparation
extenuate	reduce the strength of lessen seriousness partially excuse
extinct	no longer active
extinguish	end the existence of/wipe or put out
extirpate	to destroy exterminate cut out exscind
extol	praise highly
extort	obtain by threats violence
extralegal	outside the law
extricable	that can be freed
extrovert	cheerful person
exuberance	state of growing vigorously being full of life
facetious	humorous funny jocular
facile	easily done
fallacious	based on error
falter	waver/move in an uncertain manner
fatuous	without sense foolish self-satisfaction
fawn	young deer try to win smb's favor
feckless	lacking purpose or vitality ineffective careless
fecund	fertile
feint	pretend
felicitous	apt suitably expressed well chosen apropos
felon	person guilty of murder
ferment	substance become excited
ferocity	savage cruelty
ferret	discover by searching search
fervid	showing earnest feeling
fervor	warmth of feelings earnestness
fetid	stinking
fetter	to shackle put in chains
feud	bitter quarrel over a long period of time
fidelity	loyalty accuracy
fidget	move restlessly make nervous
figurehead	carved image on the prow of a ship
finesse	delicate way of dealing with a situation
finical	too fussy about food clothing etc.
finicky	finical
fission	splitting or division (esp. of cells)
fixate	stare at
flak	criticism/anti-aircraft guns
flamboyant	brightly colored florid
flaunting	show off complacently
flax	pale yellow (hair) a plant
fledged	able to fly trained experienced
fleet	number of ships quick-moving
flinch	draw move back wince
flop	fail/move/fall clumsily
florid	very much ornamented naturally red (e.g.. of face)
flout	reject mock to go against (as in going against tradition)
fluke	lucky stroke
fluster	make nervous or confused
foible	defect of character (a person is wrongly proud)
foil	prevent from carrying out contrast
foment	put smth warm (to lessen the pain)
foolproof	incapable of failure or error
foppish	like a man who pays too much attention to his clothes
forage	food for horses and cattle
forbear	refrain from be patient ancestor
forbearance	patience willingness to wait
ford	shallow place in a river (to cross)
forestall	prevent by taking action in advance preempt
forfeit	suffer the loss of smth
forge	workshop for the shaping of metal to shape metal lead
forgery	counterfeit
forswear	renounce disallow repudiate
foster	nurture care for
fracas	noisy quarrel
fragile	easily injured broken or destroyed
fragrant	sweet-smelling
frantic	wildly excited with joy pain anxiety
frenetic	frantic frenzied
fret	worry irritation wear away
fringe	edge ornamental border part of hair over the forehead
froward	intractable not willing to yield or comply stubborn
frugal	careful economical
fulmination	bitter protest
fulsome	disgusting offensive due to excessiveness
gainsay	to deny to oppose
garble	make unfair selection from facts