Hard TOEFL Words

aback  

ad. by surprise; behind; in the rear

abdication  

n. the act of giving up or renouncing a right, office, or position of power etc.

ability  

n. capacity; skill

ablaze  

a. burning; radiant; bright; keenly excited ; resembling flame in brilliance or color

abolish  

v. cancel; put an end to; destroy completely

abolitionist  

n. a reformer who favors abolishing slavery

abound  

v. be full of; be plentiful

abrupt  

a. broken off; very steep; having sudden transitions from one subject to another

absorb  

v. assimilate or incorporate; suck or drink up; occupy full attention

abut  

v. border upon; adjoin; touch or end at one end or side; lie adjacent

academician  

n. a scholar who is skilled in academic disputation

access  

n. approach; entry; entrance

accessibility  

n. attribute of being easy to meet or deal with

accessory  

n. additional object; useful but not essential thing; subordinate or supplementary item

acclaim  

v. applaud; announce with great approval

accompaniment  

n. act of accompanying someone or something

accompanying  

a. attendant; concomitant

accomplishment  

n. achievement; fulfillment

accordion  

n. a portable box-shaped free-reed instrument; reeds that are made to vibrate by air from the bellows controlled by the player

account  

n. narrative or record of events; reason given for a particular action or event

accredit  

v. authorize; commission; give credit for

accumulation  

n. act of gathering or amassing, as into a heap or pile

accuse  

v. blame; condemn

acquiesce  

v. consent or comply passively or without protest; assent

acquisition  

n. act of contracting or assuming or acquiring possession of something

acronym  

n. abbreviation

addict  

v. cause someone to become dependent; indulge in; be devoted to

addictive  

a. causing or characterized by addiction

additive  

n. addition; supplement

adjacent  

a. adjoining; neighboring; close to; lying near

adjoin  

v. be next to; be contiguous to; border on

adjust  

v. adapt; regulate

adobe  

n. clay; brick ;sun-dried brick; structure built with this type of brick

adolescent  

n. a juvenile between the onset of puberty and maturity;

adopt  

v. accept; take on; raise; take into one's family

adoption  

n. accepting with approval; favorable reception

advent  

n. coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important

affectionately  

ad. with affection; lovingly; fondly; tenderly; kindly

affiliate  

n. A person, organization, or establishment associated with another, as a subordinate, subsidiary, or member

affirm  

v. assert; confirm

affliction  

n. cause or condition of pain, suffering, or distress

affluent  

a. generously supplied with money, property, or possessions; prosperous or rich; plentiful; abundant

affordable  

a. able to pay for

agitation  

n. anxiety; extreme emotional disturbance

air  

v. be broadcast on television or radio

airborne  

a. aloft; flying; in the air

aisle  

n. a passageway between rows of seats or shelves

aka  

ad. as known or named at another time or place; also known as

alignment  

n. arrangement; association; alliance

allocate  

v. assign; distribute according to plan

alloy  

v. combine; mix; make less pure; lessen or moderate

ally  

n. confederate; partner; collaborator

aloof  

a. apart; remote in manner; distant physically or emotionally; reserved and remote

altar  

n. elevated place or structure before which religious ceremonies may be enacted or upon which sacrifices may be offered

amaze  

v. astonish; affect with wonder

amazing  

a. awesome; astounding; surprising

ambition  

n. aspiration

ambitious  

a. aspiring; having a strong desire for success or achievement

amend  

v. change for the better; improve; remove faults or errors

amendment  

n. correction; revision

amplification  

n. addition of extra material or illustration or clarifying detail

amplify  

v. broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify; make larger or more powerful; increase

amputee  

n. a person who has had one or more limbs removed by amputation

analogous  

a. comparable; similar or alike

analyze  

v. diagnose; examine

anatomy  

n. detailed analysis; branch of morphology that deals with the structure of animals

ancestral  

a. inherited or inheritable by established rules

anew  

ad. once more; again; in a new and different way

annex  

v. append or attach; take possession of; incorporate into an existing political unit

annihilate  

v. destroy completely; reduce to nonexistence

annoying  

a. bothersome; troublesome; irritating

annualize  

v. adjust or calculate so as to reflect a rate that is based on a full year

anoint  

v. apply oil, ointment, or a similar substance to; choose by or as if by divine intervention

antedate  

v. be earlier in time; go back further

antenna  

n. metallic apparatus for sending or receiving electromagnetic waves

anthology  

n. book of literary selections by various authors

antibiotic  

a. of or relating to chemical substance that kills microorganisms and cures infections

anticipate  

v. act in advance of; deal with ahead of time; predict

antique  

n. any furniture old and valuable; out of fashion

apartheid  

n. a policy or practice of separating or segregating groups

apex  

n. highest point; the vertex; usually pointed end of an object; the tip

apologize  

v. beg pardon

appeal  

n. attraction; charm; attract; fascinate; challenge

appealing  

a. attractive; charming

appease  

v. bring peace, quiet, or calm to; satisfy or relieve

appetite  

n. instinctive physical desire, especially one for food or drink

applaud  

v. acclaim; express approval, especially by clapping the hands

applicant  

n. candidate

application  

n. close attention; work of applying something; verbal or written request for assistance

appoint  

v. designate; nominate

appraisal  

n. assessment; evaluation; the classification of someone or something with respect to its worth

appreciable  

a. considerable; perceptible

appreciate  

v. be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of

approach  

n. access; method

appropriate  

v. acquire; take possession of for one's own use; set apart for specific use

approximate  

v. approach; come near

approximately  

ad. about; roughly

aquatic  

a. consisting of, relating to, or being in water

arc  

n. continuous portion of a circle; something curved in shape

archipelago  

n. a large group of islands; a sea, containing a large number of scattered islands

arduous  

a. demanding great effort or labor; difficult

arid  

a. lacking moisture, especially having insufficient rainfall to support trees or woody plants

armory  

n. arsenal; a place where arms are manufactured

arrangement  

n. composition; order

arsenal  

n. stock or supply, usually of weapons

ascend  

v. climb; mount

ascending  

a. climbing; rising

ascent  

n. the act of rising or going upward

asphyxiate  

v. deprive of oxygen to the extent of producing death or very serious symptoms; suffocate

aspiration  

n. ambition; longing

aspiring  

a. ambitious; enthusiastic

assault  

n. attack; onslaught

assemblage  

n. a group of persons together in one place

assert  

v. declare or state with confidence; put oneself forward boldly

assess  

v. estimate value; judge worth of something

assessment  

n. act of judging or assessing; amount determined as payable

assistance  

n. activity of contributing to fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose

assuredly  

ad. certainly; undoubtedly

astonished  

a. amazed; surprised

astound  

v. affect with wonder; surprise; shock

astronaut  

n. person to pilot, navigate, or as a crew member of spacecraft

astronomer  

n. a physicist who studies astronomy

astronomy  

n. branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and universe as a whole

asylum  

n. a place offering protection and shelter

at loggerheads  

ad. engaged in a dispute

atmosphere  

n. air

atom  

n. a tiny piece of anything; the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element

atrial  

a. of or pertaining to an atrium, especially the upper chambers of the heart

atrocity  

n. extreme criminality or cruelty; quality of being shockingly cruel and inhumane

attachment  

n. a bond, as of affection or loyalty; fond regard; supplementary part; accessory

attain  

v. achieve or accomplish; gain

attend  

v. be present at; go to; take care of; tend

attendance  

n. act of being present

attendant  

n. aide; servant; accompanying; person who participates in a meeting

attendee  

n. person who is present and participates in a meeting

attention  

n. act or state of attending or heeding; application of the mind to any object of sense, representation, or thought

attire  

n. clothing; dress

attraction  

n. appeal; a characteristic that provides pleasure and attracts

attractive  

a. appealing; pleasing; inviting; tempting

auditorium  

n. area of theater or concert hall where audience sits

authenticity  

n. quality of being genuine or trustworthy

autobiography  

n. biography or story written by yourself

available  

a. convenient for use or disposal; not busy, free; obtainable; accessible

avalanche  

n. fall or slide of a large mass, as of snow or rock, down a mountainside

avenue  

n. a method or means by which something may be accomplished

avian  

n. thin A bird-like or flying creature

aviation  

n. design, development, and production of aircraft

avocation  

n. activity taken up in addition to one's regular work or profession, usually for enjoyment

awake  

v. rouse from sleep;stir the interest of; excite

awkward  

a. difficult to handle or manage