4000 CPE Vocabulary List

Preparing vocabulary for the CPE (C2, Cambridge Proficiency) test is a smart move! Since vocabulary plays a huge role in all parts of the exam (Reading, Use of English, Writing, Listening, and Speaking), here’s a focused vocabulary to help you build and remember the right words effectively.

In addition to the vocabulary, we also provide online tools and exercises to support your studies, along with helpful tips and printable materials.

We organize these 4000 words into 14 groups. Group one is open to all visitors. The rest of the groups are only fully accessible to VIP users.

anticipate  
v. act in advance of; deal with ahead of time; predict
I thought she loved me, outcast as I was, and I, who from man could anticipate only mistrust, rejection, insult, clung to her with filial fondness.
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antipathy  
n. strong feeling of aversion; dislike
Tom's extreme antipathy for disputes keeps him from getting into arguments with his temperamental wife.
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antithesis  
n. contrast; direct contrast; opposition
This tyranny was the antithesis of all that he had hoped for, and he fought it with all his strength.
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anvil  
n. a heavy block of iron or steel with a smooth, flat top on which metals are shaped by hammering
The man put the iron block on the anvil.
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apathy  
n. lack of interest, or the attitude of not caring resulting from it; the indifference
A firm believer in democratic government, she could not understand the apathy of people who never bothered to vote.
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aperture  
n. opening; diameter of such an opening; hole
She discovered a small aperture in the wall, through which the insects had entered the room.
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