ielts high score vocabulary list

8/20/2019 IELTS High Score Vocabulary List

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IELTS High Score Vocabulary List (2012)

“Discover A Specially Selected List of IELTS Vocabulary Words Guaranteed T

Increase Your Score!”

By:

Timothy Dickeson

Copyright© by Timothy Dickeson – All Rights Reserved


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manual contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use o

erial is prohibited.

TS is jointly owned by British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL).


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Please note: All Verbs have an explanation that starts with “To”

BANDON: To give up completely - abandoned the sinking ship.

nonyms: relinquish, forgo, forsake

CADEMIC: Pertaining to school; theoretical academic interests; an academic discussion , with

actical implications.

nonym: scholastic

CCELERATE: - To quicken, speed tip - took an accelerated course in order to graduate early

nonym: expedite (adj. expeditious)

tonym: retard

DVERSITY: Misfortune - calm in the face of adversity.

nonyms: affliction, mischance, reverses

GGRESSIVE (noun: AGGRESSION. an unprovoked attack): self-assertive; attacking, offensi

noyed people by his aggressive attitude;

nonyms: bumptious, officious, obtrusivetonyms: meek, humble, retiring, diffident

MBIGUOUS: Uncertain, vague, capable of being inter- in more than one way - puzzled by the

biguous statement.

nonyms: hazy, obscure, equivocal, dubious, nebulous

tonyms: explicit, unquestionable

NONYMOUS: Of unknown authorship-an anonymous publication.

PPREHENSIVE (verb: APPREHEND): Fearful - Being unprepared, John is apprehensive of

amination.

RTFUL: Sly; crafty - attained his mean objective by artful measures.

nonyms: cunning, wily, adroit, ingenious, guileful


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tonyms: guileless, ingenuous, artless

THEIST: One who denies that God exists - The atheist declared, "There is no God."

nonyms: infidel, agnostic, sceptic

TTRIBUTE (verb): Assign -attributed his success to bard work.

nonym: ascribeoun): An inherent quality -Generosity was his outstanding attribute.

UTHENTIC: Genuine -proved to be an authentic document.

nonyms: veritable, bona fide

tonyms; apocryphal, counterfeit, spurious, bogus

ANTER : Good-natured teasing or ridicule-The two wits I exchanged banter , to the amusementaudience.

nonyms: raillery, chaff

ASED: Prejudiced - misled by a biased point of view.

nonyms: bigoted, arbitrary, partial, partisan

tonyms: disinterested, equitable

ZARRE: Queer; unusual in appearance- bizarre clothes, outlandish in the extreme.

nonyms: odd, fantastic, grotesque, eccentric

OG: A swamp - sank into the spongy bog .

nonyms: morass, fen, quagmire, mire

ANDID (noun: CANDOR): Frank, outspoken; impartial a candid reply that could hardly be mothright.

nonyms: artless, ingenuous, unbiased

tonyms: guileful, evasive

HRONIC: Continuing a long time; habitual-a. chronic complaint, persisting for years.

nonyms: persistent, unremitting, inveterate, incessant, constant

tonyms: intermittent, sporadic, infrequent


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VIL:

. Of or having to do with citizens or the state - We I civil duties as well as civil liberties.

. Polite, courteous - answered in a civil fashion.

Synonyms: respectful, gracious

OALITION (verb: COALESCE): Alliance; merging of various units into one unit - three parti

ming a coalition to rule the country.nonyms: amalgamation, consolidation, fusion

OLLUSION: Working together secretly for an evil purpose - acted in collusion to overthrow t

vernment.

nonyms: collaboration, conspiracy, conniving, machination

OMPATIBLE: Harmonious; able, to get along together parted company because they were not

mpatible.

nonyms: congruous, consistent

tonyms: incongruous, discordant, incompatible

OMPENSATION: Payment for services - just compensation for his labor.

nonyms: stipend, remuneration, recompense, emolument

OMPLACENT: Self-satisfied - looked on his own performance with a complacent smile.

nonym: smug

ONDOLE (noun: CONDOLENCE): To express sympathy with another in sorrow, pain, or

sfortune - condoled with each other in their grief.

nonyms: commiserate, show compassion, solace

ONDONE: To forgive or overlook (an offense) - condoned the deed, in view of the offender's

nonyms: extenuate, palliate, mitigate, gloss

ONSENSUS. General agreement - The consensus of the committee was that no action should b

en.

onym: accord

OSMOPOLITAN (noun): One who is at home in all countries - A cosmopolitan can feel at ea


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ywhere in the world.

dj.): Free from local prejudices - a world-wide traveller, cosmopolitan in tastes and attitudes

nonyms: Catholic

tonyms: parochial, provincial

RASS: Coarse and stupid - displayed crass ignorance.

onym: gross

REDIBLE: Worthy of belief - a credible story, true to life.

onym: incredible

REDITABLE: Deserving or reflecting Credit or honour - applauded for his creditable

rformance.

nonyms: praiseworthy, meritorious, commendabletonyms: discreditable, infamous, opprobrious, ignominious

URT: Rudely abrupt -offended by the curt response.

nonyms: blunt, brusque, bluff

tonyms: affable, civil

ELINQUENT (noun): An offender - found to be a delinquent by the court.dj.): Failing to fulfil an obligation - too many people who are delinquent in meeting their civic

ties.

nonym: derelict

EMEANOR : Behaviour; bearing - carrying himself with a proud demeanour .

onyms: deportment, mien

ENOUNCE (noun: DENUNCIATION): To speak against - denounced by the press as a traitor

nonyms: stigmatize, censure, reprehend, castigate

tonyms: laud, eulogize

EPRECIATE: To belittle or speak slightingly of - depreciated John's acting ability.

nonyms: disparage, derogate (adj. derogatory)

tonyms: enhance, magnify, extol, laud, eulogize


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EVIOUS:

(1) Winding; indirect - took a devious, rather than the direct way home.

nonym: circuitous

(2) Straying from the right course - used devious means to attain his wicked ends.

nonyms: crooked, erring

EVOUT: Devoted to religious observances - devout in his regularity of attendance at worship

nonyms: pious, religious

tonym: impious

LEMMA: A situation calling for a choice between two equally difficult alternatives; hence, a

ficult or perplexing situation - faced with a dilemma defying solution.

nonyms: predicament, quandary, plight

SCRETE: Separate - two discrete issues, totally unrelated.

STRAUGHT: Mentally distressed; distracted - distraught by trials and tribulations.

nonym: harassed

VERSE: (verb: DIVERSIFY; noun: DIVISIBILITY): Varied; different - two diverse charactee candid, the other insincere.

nonym: multifarious

VULGE: To make public or reveal - refused to divulge his source of information.

nonyms: disclose, impart

YNAMIC: Forceful - possessed dynamic energy, tireless and powerful.nonym: energetic

tonyms: static, inert, dormant, torpid, sluggish, quiescent

DIFY: To instruct or uplift, particularly in morals or religion - a story that edifies the reader, a

ll as entertains him

ACULATE: To exclaim or utter suddenly - ejaculated cry of horror.


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NGENDER : To cause, produce, or stir up-an act that engendered good will.

RRATIC: Irresponsible, eccentric; lacking a fixed purpose erratic behaviour, reflecting his qu

as.

XCEPTIONABLE: Objectionable - exceptionable behaviour, universally criticized.

nonyms: questionable, reprehensible, censurable

tonym: laudable

XEMPLARY (noun: EXEMPLAR): Serving as a model; commendable - exemplary conduct

proved by all.

nonyms: illustrative, typical; praiseworthy, laudable

XOTIC: Strange and foreign - an exotic costume imported from Asia.

XPLOIT (verb): To use for one's selfish purpose – refugees exploited by unscrupulous employ

oun): A brilliant deed - lauded for his exploits in science.

nonym: feat

XTINCT: No longer existing or active - the extinct dinosaur, alive only in history.

nonym: defunct

tonym: extant

ACADE: Front or face, especially of a building - a facade of marble.

ASIBLE: Workable - a feasible plan, proved practical by - previous experience.

tonym: impracticable

TISH.

Something that is believed to have magical powers - savages worshipping the fetish in a

remonial dance.

nonym: charm, talisman, amulet

An object of unreasoning devotion and worship – Photography, begun as a hobby, became a

ish.


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CTITIOUS: Unreal; made-up - used a fictitious name to avoid being recognized.

nonym: fabricated

AUNT: Display or wave boastfully - flaunted the excellent report before his delighted parent

EETING: Passing swiftly -the fleeting hours of happiness

nonyms: transitory, fugitive

UCTUATE: To waver from one course to another; to vary irregularly - his mood fluctuating

ery hour.

nonyms: oscillate, vacillate, undulate, sway

RUSTRATE: To prevent (the attainment of an object); to defeat or render ineffectual - His

holastic progress was frustrated by a serious illness.

nonyms: balk, thwart, foil, baffle, obstruct, discomfit

tonym: abet

ARNISH: To trim or decorate - dishes garnished attractively with greens.

nonyms: adorn, deck

REGARIOUS: Habitually fond of associating in a company or herd - gregarious sheep; that

egarious animal, man.

tonyms: lone, aloof

AIL: To greet - The crowd hailed the returning hero.

nonyms: accost, salute

OAX (noun): A trick or deception; a practical joke - played a hoax upon the credulous public.

nonym: canard

erb): To play a trick on; to deceive - He hoaxed the crowd completely with his disguise.

YPOTHESIS: An assumption made for the sake of argument - worked from a fantastic hypoth

nonym: supposition

IOSYNCRASY: A. personal peculiarity - Wearing white was one of Whistler's idiosyncrasie

nonyms: eccentricity, foible, mannerism, crotchet, aberration, quirk, singularity


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MMACULATE: Spotless; pure - an immaculate reputation.

nonyms: undefiled, unsullied, unblemished, untarnished

tonyms: defiled, sullied, blemished

MMUNE (verb: IMMUNIZE): Exempt from; protected from - immune from taxation.

nonym : unsusceptible

MPECCABLE: Faultless - performed with impeccable skill.

nonyms: consummate, irreproachable, unerring, infallible

tonyms: culpable, fallible

MPERVIOUS: Incapable of being penetrated - a mind impervious to new ideas.

nonyms: impermeable, impenetrabletonyms: permeable, pervasive

MPLICIT:

Implied but not clearly expressed - an implicit agreement.

Unquestioning - implicit confidence.

nonyms: tacit, implied

tonym: explicit

MPORT (noun): Meaning; significance or importance - a matter of great import .

nonyms: purport, moment, consequence

CISIVE: Cutting, penetrating - incisive criticism.

nonyms: sarcastic, mordant, trenchant, acute

CREMENT: An increase - a salary increment.

nonym: accrual

DIGENOUS: Native - Rice is indigenous to China.

nonyms: innate, inborn

FERENCE: A conclusion reached by reasoning from data or premises - an inference drawn f


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remarks.

nonyms: deduction, implication

GENIOUS: Demonstrating originality, skill, or resourcefulness - an ingenious device.

nonyms: dextrous, inventive, adroit

tonyms: maladroit, gauche

HIBIT: To check or hinder - inhibited his friend from a foolhardy course.

nonyms: restrain, curb

tonym: promote

STIGATE: To stir tip - instigated discontent among the soldiers.

nonyms: foment, incite

TEGRITY: Honesty, moral soundness - a man of proved integrity.

nonyms: probity, uprightness, incorruptibility

RGON: Confused, unintelligible, meaningless talk; special vocabulary used only by members

oup or trade - Variety, a newspaper written in theatrical jargon.

nonyms: gibberish, argot, cant

OPARDY: Danger - His life was in jeopardy.

nonyms: hazard, peril

DICIOUS: Wise; using or exhibiting good judgment - a well-chosen plan, termed judicious b

nonyms: discreet, politic, discerning

ATENT: Hidden; present but not fully developed - latent talent that time will reveal.nonyms: dormant, quiescent, covert, potential

tonyms: apparent, patent

AVISH:

Profuse or generous - lavish in praise.

nonyms: ample, superabundant

Given to extravagance - a lavish spender.


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nonyms: prodigal, munificent, magnanimous.

tonyms: parsimonious, niggardly, frugal, penurious

ETHAL: Deadly - a lethal weapon.

nonyms: mortal, fatal

ONGEVITY: Prolonged duration of life - a country remarkable for the longevity of its inhabita

OW: To bellow softly like cattle - the lowing herd in the meadow.

nonym: moo

UCID: Clear; transparent; easily understood - a lucid explanation of a difficult text.

nonyms: pellucid, perspicuous, intelligible, limpid, luminous, translucent

tonyms: abstruse, obscure

UDICROUS: Ridiculous; producing laughter - a ludicrous remark that set them all to roaring.

nonyms: mirthful, droll, comical, absurd

tonyms: doleful, lugubrious, dismal

ALICIOUS (noun: MALICE): Bearing, or acting with, deliberate ill-will or spite - hurting w

licious intent.nonyms: rancorous, malignant, malevolent, virulent, vindictive

tonym: benign

EDIOCRE: Average in quality - a mediocre performance, unworthy of his talents.

ONOLOGUE: A speech by one person - The actor gave his views in a dramatic monologue.

nonym: soliloquytonyms: colloquy (adj. colloquial): conversation between two or more persons; dialogue:

nversation between two persons

UNDANE: Of, or pertaining to, the world, as contrasted with the spirit - mundane affairs.

nonyms: earthly, terrestrial, secular, temporal

URKY: Dark; cloudy - a murky cavern.


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nonyms: dismal, tenebrous, fuliginous

tonyms: resplendent, glowing, lustrous, luminous, fulgent, coruscating

UTABLE: Given to frequent change in nature, mood, or form - mutable in mood as a spring w

nonyms: vacillating, fickle, inconstant, fitful, mercurial, wavering, capricious

tonyms: constant, steady

YRIAD: Innumerable - the myriad stars in the heavens.

AUTICAL: Pertaining to ships or navigation - a nautical career.

nonyms: marine, naval, maritime

OTORIOUS: Widely known (in a bad sense) - a notorious gambler.

OVICE: A beginner - conducted himself in politics like a novice.

nonyms: tyro, neophyte

tonym: virtuoso

BLIVIOUS (noun: OBLIVION): Forgetful; absent-minded - walking oblivious of his surround

nonyms: unmindful, heedless, abstracted

BSESSION: A persistent feeling, idea, activity, etc., which dominates a person; the state of be

clusively preoccupied by a fixed idea - Now that he has learned bowling, it has become his

session.

nonyms: mania, infatuation (a foolish passion), monomania

BSOLETE: No longer in use - an obsolete word, not even included by most dictionaries.

nonyms: archaic, antiquated

BTRUSIVE (verb: OBTRUDE): Thrusting oneself or itself into undue prominence - made him

noxiously obtrusive.

nonyms: intrusive, aggressive

STRACIZE: To banish; to exclude from public favour or privileges - a former premier ostrac

popular vote.

nonym: outlaw


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ARADOX: A self -contradictory statement; something 'that appears to be absurd and yet may b

Life is too important a matter to be taken seriously." - a paradox by Oscar Wilde.

nonym: anomaly

ARAPHRASE: To restate the meaning of a passage in other words - paraphrased the poem in

w lines of prose.

ARODY (noun): A humorous imitation of an author's style and mannerisms - wrote a parody on

pling's "Gunga Din."

nonym: burlesque

erb): To write a parody - parodied the popular authors of the (lay to his audience's amusement

nonym: Mimic

RVERSE: Wilfully bent on doing the wrong thing - a perverse lad, always disobeying his pa

nonyms: headstrong, forward, refractory, wayward, fractious

TRIFY: To paralyze with horror, fear, or surprise - petrified by the enemy bombardment.

nonyms: stupefy, stun, bewilder, amaze

LAGIARISM. Adopting and reproducing, without acknowledgment, the writings or ideas of

other and passing them off as one's own - denied the charge of deliberate plagiarism.

LATITUDE: A dull and commonplace remark - bored people by his pompous phrases and

atitudes.

nonyms: bromide, truism, axiom

RESTIGE: Esteem or influence accorded for recognized achievements or reputation - As Sena

enjoyed great prestige.nonym: distinction

REDATORY:

Inclined to plunder or rob; - predatory bands roaming the countryside.

Preying on, others - predatory animals prowling about.

nonyms: predacious, looting, pillaging


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RELUDE: An introduction, forerunner, or preliminary step - a short prelude to the play.

nonyms: Preface, prologue. Preamble

tonym: epilogue

RESUMPTION:

Something taken for granted - acted on a reasonable presumption.

Going beyond proper bounds; impudent boldness - His question was downright presumptionnonyms: effrontery, forwardness, arrogance

ROCRASTINATE: To postpone or put off to another time - missed his opportunity by

ocrastinating too long.

nonyms: defer, delay

ROGNOSTICATE (noun: PROGNOSIS): To forecast - The Weather Bureau prognosticates

nonyms: presage, portend, augur, forebode

ROVISIONAL: Temporary; for the time being - a provisional plan until a permanent decision

ched.

nonym: tentative

ROXIMITY: Nearness-worked in close proximity to his home.

nonyms :propinquity, vicinity

tonym: remoteness

UASH: To crush; to render void - quashed a rebellion; quashed an indictment.

nonyms: suppress, extinguish, quell; annul

ADICAL (noun): One who advocates extreme basic changes - The reform movement was led b

dical .

dj.): Thorough, extreme - radical measures adopted to meet the emergency.

tonym:(noun and adj.) conservative

AMIFICATION: A branching; sub-division - studied the subject in all its ramifications.

EFUTE: To prove incorrect or false-refuted his opponent's argument.

nonyms: rebut, confute


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tonyms: substantiate, confirm, corroborate

EITERATE: Repeat (several times) - reiterated his story once more.

ENEGADE: One who forsakes political or party principles or his religious faith - a renegade

former allegiance.

nonyms: turncoat, apostate, recreant, traitor

ESPITE:

Temporary deferment or cessation of work or pain - a brief respite from labor.

nonym: surcease

A temporary delay in the execution of -a sentence - granted the doom man a temporary respit

nonym: reprieve

ESILIENT: Elastic; light-hearted; possessing power of recovery - a resilient Spirit, refusing t

mit defeat.

nonyms: flexible, pliable, supple, limber

ETRIBUTION: The reward or punishment exacted for an injury, wickedness, or other action -

ffered just retribution for his folly.

nonyms: requital, nemesis

ETRIEVE:

To make good -retrieved a mistake.

To recover -retrieved the suitcase left at the station.

To restore - retrieved his lost fortunes.

ATELLITE:

An attentive or flattering follower - a prince surrounded by many satellites.

nonyms: lackey, toady, disciple, adherent; adj., fawning, obsequious, partisan

A country influenced or controlled by another - Freedom is conspicuously absent ,in the Sovi

ellites.

A body (natural or artificial) which revolves around a larger body, generally a planet - The m

he only natural satellite of the earth, but in recent years it has been joined by many artificial

ellites.


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ORDID: Mean and base; filthy - Sordid motives breed selfish actions.

nonyms: degraded, vile, ignoble

ORADIC: Occurring singly, at irregular intervals; scattered - sporadic cases of illness.

URN: To refuse or reject with contempt - an offer that was spurned instantly.

nonyms: repel, snub

RINGENT: Strict; compelling, constraining stringent regulations; stringent requirements.

nonyms: exacting, rigid

tonym: lax

ANGIBLE: Real; actual - tangible gains which may be seen. and counted.

nonyms: material, veritable, perceptible, substantial

ANTAMOUNT: Equivalent - an act that is tantamount to treason.

AUNT (verb). To reproach with contempt - taunted him with the charge of failure to act promp

nonyms: mock, twit, gibe, sneer, deride

oun): An insulting, jeering, or bitter remark - hurled taunts at his foes.

EEMING: In abundance, fertile, highly productive - the teeming tropics, rank with vegetation.

nonyms: swarming, fruitful, fecund, abounding

RANQUIL: Calm; peaceful - a tranquil summer night.

nonyms: placid, serene

tonyms: perturbed, ruffled, turbulent

RIVIAL: Of little - importance - a trivial offense.

nonym: paltry

tonyms: gross, momentous

ANQUISH: To subdue or conquer -an army vanquished with heavy losses.

AUNT: To boast - proudly vaunted his strength.


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nonyms: brag (noun: braggadocio, braggart), proclaim

ERSATILE: Able to do many things skilfully - versatile in all the arts.

HIM (adj.: WHIMSICAL): A sudden notion or passing fancy -frequently acted on the whim of

ment.

nonyms: caprice, vagary, crotchet

EALOUS (noun: ZEALOT: fanatic): Full of enthusiasm or eagerness -a zealous student, first in

ss.

tonym: perfunctory

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