Advanced English Words with Meaning
Abstruse – difficult to understand
Acquiesce – to accept something reluctantly but without protest
Acrimonious – bitter and angry
Admonish – to warn or reprimand someone firmly
Alacrity – eagerness or willingness to do something
Bellicose – inclined to start arguments or wars
Bucolic – relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and rural life
Bombastic – high-sounding but with little meaning; inflated
Benevolent – well-meaning and kindly
Byzantine – excessively complicated or intricate
Cogent – clear, logical, and convincing
Concomitant – naturally accompanying or associated
Cryptic – having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure
Cursory – hasty and not thorough
Capricious – impulsive and unpredictable
Diaphanous – light, delicate, and translucent
Diffident – modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence
Dubious – hesitating or doubting
Disparage – to belittle or criticize
Desultory – lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm
Ebullient – cheerful and full of energy
Ephemeral – lasting for a very short time
Esoteric – intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with specialized knowledge or interest
Euphemism – a mild or indirect word or expression used in place of one considered to be too harsh or blunt
Extrapolate – to extend or project facts or data into an area not known or experienced in order to make assumptions or predictions.
Fastidious – very attentive to detail and accuracy
Flummox – to confuse or perplex
Facetious – treating serious issues with inappropriate humor
Fortuitous – happening by chance or luck
Fatuous – silly and pointless
Garrulous – excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters
Grandiloquent – pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner
Gregarious – fond of company; sociable
Glib – fluent and voluble but insincere and shallow
Gossamer – light, thin, and insubstantial
Histrionic – overly theatrical or melodramatic in character or style
Hyperbole – exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally
Harangue – a lengthy and aggressive speech
Hapless – unfortunate or unlucky
Hegemony – leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others
Inscrutable – impossible to understand or interpret
Intransigent – unwilling to change one’s views or to agree about something
Iconoclast – a person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions
Ineffable – too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words
Intrepid – fearless and adventurous
Juxtapose – to place side by side for comparison or contrast
Jocular – characterized by joking and good humor
Judicious – having, showing, or done with good judgment or sense
Juncture – a particular point in events or time
Jettison – to discard something as unwanted or unnecessary
Knotty – complicated, difficult, or intricate
Kudos – praise and honor for an achievement or accomplishment
Kinetic – relating to or resulting from motion
Knavery – unprincipled or dishonest behavior
Laconic – using very few words; terse
Loquacious – tending to talk a great deal; talkative
Languid – slow and relaxed; lacking vigor or energy
Lucid – expressed clearly and easy to understand
Lithe – thin, supple, and graceful
Magnanimous – generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival or less powerful person
Mellifluous – sweet-sounding; pleasant to the ear
Morose – sullen and ill-tempered
Meticulous – showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise
Munificent – extremely generous; lavish
Nefarious – wicked or criminal
Nihilistic – rejecting all religious and moral principles; believing life is meaningless
Nonplussed – surprised and unsure how to react
Nostalgia – a sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period or place in the past
Nuance – a subtle difference in meaning or expression
Obfuscate – to make unclear or difficult to understand
Odious – extremely unpleasant; repulsive
Onerous – involving a great deal of effort or difficulty; burdensome
Ostentatious – characterized by vulgar or pretentious display; showy
Opaque – not able to be seen through; not transparent
Panacea – a solution or remedy for all problems or diseases
Proclivity – a tendency to choose or do something regularly; an inclination or predisposition
Pristine – in its original condition; unspoiled
Pugnacious – eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight
Perspicacious – having a ready insight into and understanding of things
Querulous – complaining in a petulant or whining manner
Quixotic – exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical
Quagmire – an awkward, complex, or hazardous situation
Quotidian – occurring every day; commonplace
Quintessential – representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class
Rancorous – characterized by bitterness or resentment
Rapacious – aggressively greedy or grasping
Recalcitrant – stubbornly refusing to obey rules or authority
Redolent – strongly reminiscent or suggestive of something
Reprobate – unprincipled or depraved; a person who behaves in an unprincipled or unrepentant way
Sanguine – optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation
Scintillating – sparkling or shining brightly; brilliantly and excitingly clever or skillful
Serendipity – the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way
Sophisticated – complex or intricate; knowledgeable and worldly-wise
Sycophant – a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage
Taciturn – reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little
Tenacity – the quality or fact of being able to grip something firmly; persistence
Trepidation – a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen
Ubiquitous – present or found everywhere
Utopia – an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect
Unctuous – excessively flattering or ingratiating
Unbridled – uncontrolled; unconstrained
Unfettered – free from restraint; unrestrained
Vehement – showing strong feeling; forceful, passionate, or intense
Verbose – using or expressed in more words than are needed
Vex – make (someone) feel annoyed, frustrated, or worried, especially with trivial matters
Vicissitude – a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant
Visceral – relating to deep inward feelings rather than to the intellect
Whimsical – playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way
Winsome – attractive or appealing in appearance or character
Wistful – having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing
Wry – using or expressing dry, especially mocking, humor
Wunderkind – a person who achieves great success or acclaim at a young age
Xenophobia – intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries
Xenial – relating to hospitality or relations between host and guest
Xeric – relating to or adapted to a dry environment
Xylography – the art of engraving on wood, or of printing from such engravings
Xylophone – a musical instrument consisting of a set of graduated wooden bars that are struck by hammers to produce musical tones
Yearning – a feeling of intense longing for something
Yielding – giving way to pressure or influence; compliant
Yonder – at some distance in the direction indicated; over there
Yowl – a loud wailing cry, especially one of pain or distress
Yare – (of a ship) quick and agile
Zealous – having or showing great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or objective
Zenith – the highest point reached by a celestial or other object
Zephyr – a gentle breeze
Zest – great enthusiasm and energy
Zany – amusingly unconventional and idiosyncratic