100 Most Common Vocabulary Words
for Standardized Exams
Learn and practice a few of these words every day!
- abbreviate -- (v) to shorten, abridge
- abstinence -- (n) the act of refraining from pleasurable activity, e.g., eating or drinking
- adulation -- (n) high praise
- adversity -- (n) misfortune, an unfavorable turn of events
- aesthetic -- (adj) pertaining to beauty or the arts
- amicable -- (adj) friendly, agreeable
- anachronistic -- (adj) out-of-date, not attributed to the correct historical period
- anecdote -- (n) short, usually funny account of an event
- anonymous -- (adj) nameless, without a disclosed identity
- antagonist -- (n) foe, opponent, adversary
- arid -- (adj) extremely dry or deathly boring
- assiduous -- (adj) persistent, hard-working
- asylum -- (n) sanctuary, shelter, place of refuge
- benevolent -- (adj) friendly and helpful
- camaraderie -- (n) trust, sociability amongst friends
- censure -- (v) to criticize harshly
- circuitous -- (adj) indirect, taking the longest route
- clairvoyant -- (adj) exceptionally insightful, able to foresee the future
- collaborate -- (v) to cooperate, work together
- compassion -- (n) sympathy, helpfulness or mercy
- compromise -- (v) to settle a dispute by terms agreeable to both sides
- condescending -- (adj) possessing an attitude of superiority, patronizing
- conditional -- (adj) depending on a condition, e.g., in a contract
- conformist -- (n) person who complies with accepted rules and customs
- congregation -- (n) a crowd of people, an assembly
- convergence -- (n) the state of separate elements joining or coming together
- deleterious -- (adj) harmful, destructive, detrimental
- demagogue -- (n) leader, rabble-rouser, usually appealing to emotion or prejudice
- digression -- (n) the act of turning aside, straying from the main point, esp. in a speech or argument
- diligent -- (adj) careful and hard-working
- discredit -- (v) to harm the reputation of, dishonor or disgrace
- disdain -- (v) to regard with scorn or contempt
- divergent -- (adj) separating, moving in different directions from a particular point
- empathy -- (n) identification with the feelings of others
- emulate -- (v) to imitate, follow an example
- enervating -- (adj) weakening, tiring
- enhance -- (v) to improve, bring to a greater level of intensity
- ephemeral -- (adj) momentary, transient, fleeting
- evanescent -- (adj) quickly fading, short-lived, esp. an image
- exasperation -- (n) irritation, frustration
- exemplary -- (adj) outstanding, an example to others
- extenuating -- (adj) excusing, lessening the seriousness of guilt or crime, e.g., of mitigating factors
- florid -- (adj) red-colored, flushed; gaudy, ornate
- fortuitous -- (adj) happening by luck, fortunate
- frugal -- (adj) thrifty, cheap
- hackneyed -- (adj) cliched, worn out by overuse
- haughty -- (adj) arrogant and condescending
- hedonist -- (n) person who pursues pleasure as a goal
- hypothesis -- (n) assumption, theory requiring proof
- impetuous -- (adj) rash, impulsive, acting without thinking
- impute -- (v) to attribute an action to particular person or group
- incompatible -- (adj) opposed in nature, not able to live or work together
- inconsequential -- (adj) unimportant, trivial
- inevitable -- (adj) certain, unavoidable
- integrity -- (n) decency, honesty, wholeness
- intrepid -- (adj) fearless, adventurous
- intuitive -- (adj) instinctive, untaught
- jubilation -- (n) joy, celebration, exultation
- lobbyist -- (n) person who seeks to influence political events
- longevity -- (n) long life
- mundane -- (adj) ordinary, commonplace
- nonchalant -- (adj) calm, casual, seeming unexcited
- novice -- (n) apprentice, beginner
- opulent -- (adj) wealthy
- orator -- (n) lecturer, speaker
- ostentatious -- (adj) showy, displaying wealth
- parched -- (adj) dried up, shriveled
- perfidious -- (adj) faithless, disloyal, untrustworthy
- precocious -- (adj) unusually advanced or talented at an early age
- pretentious -- (adj) pretending to be important, intelligent or cultured
- procrastinate -- (v) to unnecessarily delay, postpone, put off
- prosaic -- (adj) relating to prose; dull, commonplace
- prosperity -- (n) wealth or success
- provocative -- (adj) tending to provoke a response, e.g., anger or disagreement
- prudent -- (adj) careful, cautious
- querulous -- (adj) complaining, irritable
- rancorous -- (adj) bitter, hateful
- reclusive -- (adj) preferring to live in isolation
- reconciliation -- (n) the act of agreement after a quarrel, the resolution of a dispute
- renovation -- (n) repair, making something new again
- resilient -- (adj) quick to recover, bounce back
- restrained -- (adj) controlled, repressed, restricted
- reverence -- (n) worship, profound respect
- sagacity -- (n) wisdom
- scrutinize -- (v) to observe carefully
- spontaneity -- (n) impulsive action, unplanned events
- spurious -- (adj) lacking authenticity, false
- submissive -- (adj) tending to meekness, to submit to the will of others
- substantiate -- (v) to verify, confirm, provide supporting evidence
- subtle -- (adj) hard to detect or describe; perceptive
- superficial -- (adj) shallow, lacking in depth
- superfluous -- (adj) extra, more than enough, redundant
- suppress -- (v) to end an activity, e.g., to prevent the dissemination of information
- surreptitious -- (adj) secret, stealthy
- tactful -- (adj) considerate, skillful in acting to avoid offense to others
- tenacious -- (adj) determined, keeping a firm grip on
- transient -- (adj) temporary, short-lived, fleeting
- venerable -- (adj) respected because of age
- vindicate -- (v) to clear from blame or suspicion
- wary -- (adj) careful, cautious