B2 English vocabulary

All 7,943 Upper-intermediate words in the WordStudy dictionary, each with a definition written in simple English, an example sentence and translations into 17 languages.

What B2 means

B2 vocabulary lets you read most articles, follow films and argue a point with some nuance.

B2 is one of six CEFR levels. The whole dictionary has 84,633 words: A1 1,040 · A2 2,579 · B1 6,148 · B2 8,003 · C1 10,482 · C2 56,381. How the levels are assigned →

Prefer a file? The A1–A2 word list is free to download as CSV (3,619 words, CC BY 4.0).

B2 vocabulary by topic

The B2 words of each WordStudy collection, on a page of their own — with definitions, links to every word and a 10-word quiz.

Housing & Accommodation · 27IT & Development · 52Phrasal Verbs · 42Street & City · 19Business & Management · 32Emotions & Feelings · 15Construction & Renovation · 19Health & Wellness · 19Medicine & Healthcare · 30Food & Nutrition · 15Expressing Attitudes · 21Psychology & Mind · 28Pet Care · 16Gym & Workout · 37Sports & Games · 24Art & Creative Hobbies · 18Law & Crime · 20Modern Slang · 22Modern Idioms · 27Classic Idioms · 17Professional Idioms · 39Verbs: make, do, take… · 16Adjectives: what goes with what · 17Everyday Native Phrases · 46Idioms in Real Life · 61Workplace, Meetings & Job Hunting · 36

All B2 words

A

• abandoned left alone and not used or cared for any more
• abandonment leaving something or someone and not coming back
• abbey a large building where religious people live and pray
• abbreviate make a word or name shorter
• abbreviated made shorter in form
• abdominal about the front body area below the chest
• abduct take someone away by force
• abduction taking someone away by force against their will
• abide follow a rule, or accept something you do not like
• ablaze burning with bright fire
• ably in a way that shows good skill
• abnormality something that is not normal or usual
• abnormally in a way that is not normal
• abominable very bad, causing strong dislike
• abort stop something before it is finished
• aborted stopped before being finished
• above-average better or more than what is normal
• above-ground on top of the earth, not under it
• above-mentioned talked about earlier in the same text
• aboveground on top of the earth, not below it
• abrupt sudden and not expected
• abruptly in a sudden way without warning
• absent-minded often forgetting things because your thoughts are elsewhere
• absentee a person who is not present where they should be
• absently without paying attention to what is around you
• absentminded often forgetting things because you are thinking of other things
• absentmindedly without paying attention, lost in thought
• absorbed very interested and giving all your attention to something
• absorbent able to take in water or liquid
• absorbing very interesting, keeping all your attention
• absorption the act of taking in liquid or being very focused
• abstain choose not to do something, especially voting or drinking
• absurdity the quality of being silly or having no sense
• absurdly in a way that is very silly or makes no sense
• abuser a person who hurts others or uses something in a wrong way
• abusive treating others in a cruel or harmful way
• academia the world of universities and learning
• accelerated made faster or happening more quickly
• accelerating going faster and faster
• accelerator the part you press with your foot to make a car go faster
• accessibility how easy it is for everyone to use or reach something
• accident-free without any accidents happening
• acclaim strong praise from many people
• accommodated given a place to stay or made to fit
• accommodating willing to help and make things easier for others
• accompanying going together with someone or something
• accomplice a person who helps someone do something wrong or against the law
• accomplishing finishing or doing something successfully
• accord to agree or match with something
• accredit give official approval or recognition to something
• accusing showing a belief that someone has done something wrong
• ace someone very good at something, or the best card
• achievable possible to do or reach
• achiever a person who succeeds at what they try to do
• acidity how sour or sharp something tastes or measures
• acknowledge to say you know about something
• acknowledged accepted as true or showed that you received something
• acknowledgement saying that something is true or that you received it
• acknowledgment saying you accept something is true or received
• acorn a small nut that grows on an oak tree
• acoustical about sound and how it moves in a space
• acquaint make someone know about something or meet someone
• acquainted knowing someone or something a little
• acquired got or gained over time
• acquiring getting or gaining something
• acquitted found not guilty by a court of law
• acrobat a person who does difficult body moves, like at a circus
• acronym a word made from the first letters of other words
• acrylic a man-made plastic used to make clear sheets, cloth and paint
• act out show feelings through actions, or perform a story
• act up behave badly or not work as it should
• action item a task that someone needs to do
• activated turned on or made to start working
• acupuncture putting thin needles in the body to help with pain
• adaptability the ability to change and work well in new situations
• adaptable able to change and do well in new situations
• adaption the act of changing to fit a new situation
• adaptive able to change when something new happens
• add-on something extra put on top of what already exists
• adder a type of snake found in Europe
• addititious added from outside, not part of the original thing
• additive something added to food or drink to change it
• adept very good and skilled at doing something
• adhd a condition that makes it hard to focus and sit still
• adhered stayed attached to, or followed a rule closely
• adios a word for goodbye, from another language
• adjacently next to or very close to something
• adjectival working like a word that describes a noun
• adjourn stop a meeting for now and continue later
• adjusted changed a little to make something better or fit
• administered given or managed by someone in charge
• administering giving medicine or managing something official
• administrate manage and organise the work of a group or place
• administration group that runs a place or company
• admirable very good and deserving respect
• admiringly in a way that shows you think someone is very good
• admittedly it must be said that, even if not happy about it
• adoptable able to be taken into a family as a child or pet
• adopted taken into a new family as a son or daughter
• adorn add beautiful things to make something look better
• adrenalin a body substance that gives you energy when excited or scared
• adrenaline a hormone that gives you energy when excited or scared
• adrift floating on water with no direction or control
• adt short form used for advertisement
• advancement moving forward or getting better in work or life
• advent the arrival or start of something important
• adventuresome willing to try new and exciting things
• adventurous wanting to try new and exciting things
• adversely in a bad or harmful way
• adversity a difficult or unlucky situation
• advertising the work of making and showing ads
• advised told someone what they should do
• adviser a person who gives helpful ideas about what to do
• advt short form for advertisement
• aerodynamic shaped to move easily through the air
• aeronautics the science of building and flying planes
• afar at or from a great distance away
• affair a thing that is happening, an event
• affairs things that need attention or action
• affecting causing feelings of sadness or sympathy
• affectionate showing love and care to someone
• affectionately in a loving and caring way
• ageless never seeming to get old
• agency a company that does work for others
• agenda a list of things to talk about or do
• aggravated made worse or more serious
• aggravation something that makes you feel angry or annoyed
• aggressively in a strong and forceful way, ready to fight
• agile able to move quickly and easily
• agility the ability to move quickly and easily
• agitated feeling worried and not calm
• agony very strong pain in your body or mind
• agreeable pleasant and enjoyable, or willing to agree
• aimlessly without a clear purpose or direction
• aircrew the people who work on a plane during a flight
• airmail letters sent by plane to another country
• akin similar to something else
• alarmed feeling frightened or worried about something
• alarming causing fear or worry
• albatross very large sea bird with long wings
• alcoholism a serious problem where someone cannot stop drinking
• algorithm a set of rules followed to solve a problem step by step
• alibi proof that you were somewhere else when a crime happened
• alleged said to be true but not yet proved
• allpurpose useful for many different things
• alltime the best or most ever known
• almighty having total power over everything
• alpha the first letter of the Greek alphabet, or the dominant one
• alphabetical arranged in the order of the letters A to Z
• alreadycrowded already having too many people
• altar a special table used for religious actions
• alternate happen one after the other, again and again
• alternatively as another choice or way to do something
• amazement a feeling of great surprise
• amber hard yellow-brown substance from old trees
• ambiguous having more than one meaning, not clear
• ambush surprise attack from a hiding place
• amenities things that make a place comfortable
• american from or about the United States of America
• ammonia a strong-smelling chemical used for cleaning
• ammunition bullets and objects shot from weapons
• amnesia loss of memory about past events
• ample more than enough
• amplifier a device that makes sound louder
• amplify make something louder or stronger
• amputated having had an arm or leg cut off
• amuse make someone laugh or smile
• analyse to look at something carefully to understand it
• analysis a careful look at something to understand it
• analytics the study of collected data to find useful patterns
• anatomy study of the parts and structure of the body
• ancestral coming from or related to family long ago
• ancestry all of your family members from the past
• anchorage a place where boats can stop safely
• anchorman the main person who reads news on television
• anesthesia loss of feeling, especially during surgery
• anesthesiologist doctor who gives medicine to stop pain
• angrylooking having a face that shows anger
• anguish very strong emotional pain or suffering
• annoyingly in a way that bothers or irritates you
• anthropology the study of human societies and cultures
• antiaircraft weapons designed to shoot down planes
• antibacterial able to kill small living things that cause disease
• anticancer used to fight or prevent the disease of cancer
• anticipated expected to happen before it actually does
• anticipation the feeling of being excited about something coming
• antidepressant medicine that helps people who feel very sad
• antidote substance that stops the effect of poison
• antioxidant substance that protects body cells from harm
• antipollution working against damage to air, water, or land
• antiquity very old times, the distant past
• antistatic stopping the build-up of electric charge
• apologetically in a way that shows you are sorry
• appal shock or frighten someone very much
• apparent easy to see or understand, clear
• appreciative showing that you are thankful and grateful
• approachable friendly and easy to talk to
• approvingly in a way that shows you think something is good
• approximate close to the real number but not exact
• archaeologist a person who studies ancient civilizations through remains
• arctic about the very cold area around the North Pole
• aria a song for one person in an opera
• arise to come up, to start to happen
• aristocracy the highest social class, often with old family wealth
• aristocrat a person from a rich and important family
• aristocratic behaving like or belonging to a rich important family
• armament weapons and military equipment
• armful as much as you can carry in your arms
• armor a strong protective covering for the body or vehicles
• arnica a plant used to treat pain and bruises
• arouse wake up a feeling or interest in someone
• arrogance acting as if you are better than other people
• arrogant thinking you are better than other people
• arrogantly in a way that shows you think you are better than others
• arson crime of setting fire to a building on purpose
• artery a tube that carries blood from the heart
• artificially not in a natural way, made by people
• artistry great skill in creating art or doing something well
• aspect one part or side of something
• assailant person who attacks another person
• assassinated killed on purpose, especially a public person
• assertive saying what you want in a clear strong way
• assess to think about how good something is
• associate to connect one thing with another in your mind
• associated connected with or related to
• association a group of people with the same interest
• asthma a condition causing difficulty breathing and tightness in chest
• astonish surprise someone very much
• astonishment a feeling of being very surprised
• astronomical very very large, or about the study of space
• asynchronous not happening at the same time
• athletics the British name for track and field sports
• atmospheric relating to the mood or feeling of a place
• attacker a person who tries to hurt someone
• attainable possible to reach or achieve
• attainment reaching a goal or getting something you worked for
• attendant a person whose job is to help people in a place
• attentive watching and listening carefully
• attire clothes, especially nice or special ones
• attractiveness the quality of being nice to look at
• atypical not like what is normal or usual
• aubergine a dark purple vegetable used in cooking
• aura special feeling or quality around a person or place
• authentic real, true, not a copy
• authoritative having power or being trusted as correct
• authorities people or groups with power to make decisions
• authority the power to tell others what to do
• authorization official permission to do something
• autistic having trouble with social communication
• automation use of machines to do work without human help
• autonomous able to rule or control yourself
• autopsy cutting open a dead body to find the cause
• avalanche large mass of snow falling down a mountain
• avenge to hurt someone back for a wrong they did
• avid very enthusiastic and keen about something
• avidly with great interest and excitement
• awaken wake up or make someone aware of something
• awakening starting to understand or feel something new
• award-winning having received a prize for being very good
• awe a feeling of great respect and wonder
• awkwardly in a clumsy or uncomfortable way
• axis an imaginary line that something turns around

B

• bachelor an unmarried man, or a first university degree
• bachelorette a woman who is not married
• backside the part of your body you sit on
• backstage the area behind a stage that the audience cannot see
• badtempered often angry and easily annoyed
• baffle confuse someone so they cannot understand
• bagpipe a musical instrument with a bag and pipes, from Scotland
• balky refusing to do what is wanted
• ballad a slow song that tells a story
• bandwidth amount of data that can be sent at one time
• bankrupt having no money to pay what you owe
• bankruptcy the state of having no money to pay debts
• baptism a church act of putting water on someone
• baptize to put water on someone in a church act
• barbaric wild, rough, and without fine culture
• barbershop a shop where men get their hair cut
• barcode black lines on a product that a machine can read
• barley a grain plant used for food and making drinks
• barometer a tool that measures air pressure to predict weather
• barrage a large number of things coming at once
• barren land where nothing can grow
• base jumping jumping from high buildings or cliffs with a special cloth
• basis the main reason or starting point
• bathhouse a building where people go to wash or swim
• bathtubfuls amounts that would fill a bath
• baton a thin stick used by a music leader or in a race
• batter to hit repeatedly and hard, or a mixture for cooking
• beading line of small round pieces used to decorate
• beagle a small dog with long ears, used for hunting
• bearing the way you hold your body, or a direction
• beating a severe physical attack, or the act of defeating someone
• beautify make something look more beautiful
• beehive a home where bees live and make honey
• beekeeper a person who takes care of bees
• befriend become a friend to someone
• beggar a person who lives by asking others for money
• bellboy hotel worker who carries bags and helps guests
• bellow shout in a deep loud voice
• beloved loved very much
• benevolence the quality of being kind and wanting to help
• benevolent kind and wanting to help others
• benign not harmful or dangerous
• benzene a chemical liquid used in making plastics and fuel
• berry a small soft fruit, like a strawberry
• bestow give something important as a gift or honour
• bewilder confuse someone completely
• bewilderment a feeling of being very confused
• biased unfairly favoring one side over another
• biathlon sport that combines skiing and shooting
• biblical about or from the Bible
• bicker argue about small unimportant things
• bickering arguing about small things again and again
• bicolour having two different colours
• bidden asked or told to do something
• bidding doing what someone asks, or offering money at a sale
• bidet a low bathroom bowl for washing the body
• bidirectional working in two directions
• biennial happening once every two years
• bifocal having two parts for seeing near and far
• bifocals glasses with two parts for seeing near and far
• bifold made to fold in two parts
• big-boned having a large body frame
• big-city about or from a large city
• big-hearted very kind and generous
• big-name famous and well known
• big-ticket costing a lot of money
• big-time at the highest level, very important
• biggie something or someone important
• biggish quite large, fairly big
• bighead a person who thinks too highly of themselves
• bigheaded thinking you are more important than you are
• bigness the quality of being large
• bigot a person who hates others for being different
• bigoted having strong unfair opinions about a group of people
• bigotry unfair hatred of people who are different
• bigtime at the highest level, very successful
• bigwig an important or powerful person
• biker a person who rides a motorcycle or bicycle
• bikeway a road or path made for bicycles
• bilateral involving two sides or countries
• bilaterally in a way that involves two sides
• bilberry a small dark blue wild fruit
• bilevel having two levels or floors
• bilingualism the ability to speak two languages well
• bill-poster a person who puts up signs on walls
• billboard a large sign by the road for showing messages
• billfold a small flat case for carrying money and cards
• billiard about a game played on a table with balls and sticks
• billiard-ball a hard round ball used in the table game
• billionaire a person who has more than a billion in money
• bimbo a person seen as attractive but not very smart
• bimonthly happening every two months or twice a month
• binary using only the two numbers zero and one
• bind up wrap a cloth around a wound
• binding a cover that holds pages together, or legally required
• bindweed a plant that grows around other plants
• binge doing too much of something at once, like eating
• binman a person whose job is to take away rubbish
• binocular using both eyes to see
• binomial having two names or parts in maths
• bio a short story about someone's life
• biodegradable able to break down naturally without harming nature
• biodegrade break down naturally into safe parts
• biodiversity the variety of different plants and animals in a place
• biographer a person who writes the story of another person's life
• biohazard something dangerous to people's health or nature
• biopic a film about the life of a real person
• biopsy taking a small piece of body tissue to test for disease
• biotechnology using living things to make products or solve problems
• biplane an old type of plane with two sets of wings
• bipolar having two opposite states, or a mood condition
• birchbark the outer covering of a birch tree
• birchwood wood from a birch tree
• bird-call the sound a bird makes
• bird-dog a dog trained to find birds for hunting
• bird-seed small seeds given as food for birds
• bird-watch watch wild birds as a hobby
• birdbath a bowl of water in a garden for birds to wash in
• birdbrained silly and not very smart
• birdcage a box made of wire for keeping birds
• birdcall the sound a bird makes
• birder a person who watches birds as a hobby
• birdie a small bird, or a good score in golf
• birdman a person who studies or cares for birds
• birdseed small seeds used as food for birds
• birthrate how many babies are born in a place per year
• birthright a right you have because you were born in a place or family
• birthstone a special stone connected to the month you were born
• bisect cut or divide something into two equal parts
• bisector a line that cuts something into two equal parts
• bitchy saying unkind things about other people
• bite back stop yourself from saying something angry
• biweekly happening every two weeks or twice a week
• biyearly happening every two years or twice a year
• biz short word for business
• blab tell a secret when you should not
• blabber talk too much about unimportant things
• blabbermouth a person who tells secrets or talks too much
• black out lose consciousness, or make all lights go dark
• black-head a small dark spot on the skin, blocked by oil
• black-jack a card game where you try to get close to twenty-one
• black-light a special light that makes some things glow in the dark
• black-list a list of people or things that are not allowed
• black-listing putting someone on a list of those not allowed
• blacken make something become dark or black
• blackhaired having hair that is black in colour
• blackhead a small dark spot on the skin from blocked oil
• blackmail forcing someone to pay by threatening to share secrets
• blackpowder an old type of material that explodes
• blacktop a road covered with dark hard material
• blading moving on shoes with wheels in a line
• blah boring and not interesting
• blah-blah words meaning boring or unimportant talk
• blah-blah-blah used to show boring talk that goes on and on
• blaming saying someone is responsible for something bad
• bland not having much taste or not interesting
• blandly in a way that is not interesting or exciting
• blank out suddenly forget something completely
• blankly looking at something without any expression
• blare make a loud unpleasant sound
• blast away keep shooting or doing something with great energy
• blast off when a rocket leaves the ground and goes into space
• blasted very annoying or damaged by an explosion
• blaster a thing or weapon that sends out a strong force
• blasting making very loud sounds, or breaking with explosions
• blatant very clear and obvious, especially something bad
• blatantly in an obvious way that is hard to miss
• blaze a large bright fire
• blaze away keep shooting or burning strongly
• blaze out shine or burn brightly
• blaze up suddenly start burning strongly
• bleached made white or lighter by chemicals or sun
• bleacher rows of seats for watching outdoor sports
• bleaching making something white or lighter with chemicals
• bleakness a cold empty feeling, without hope
• bleary not seeing clearly, with tired eyes
• bleeding losing blood from a wound or injury
• blended mixed together smoothly
• blending mixing things together until smooth
• blest lucky or having good things from a higher power
• blimp a large soft flying machine filled with gas
• blind-alley a path that leads nowhere, a dead end
• blind-spot an area you cannot see, or something you do not notice
• blinding so bright that you cannot see
• blindly without seeing or thinking clearly
• blindness not being able to see
• blinker a light on a car that shows which way you will turn
• blip a small sudden change or problem that does not last
• bliss out feel completely happy and relaxed
• blissful extremely happy and peaceful
• blistering extremely hot, or very fast and strong
• blithering talking in a silly way, complete fool
• blizzard a very strong storm with wind and snow
• bloated swollen and full of gas or liquid
• blob a small round drop or shape of something soft
• blocker person or thing that stops movement or action
• blocky shaped like a block, square and solid
• bloke a man, used in casual talk
• blood-poisoning a serious illness when infection enters the blood
• bloodshot eyes that are red because of tiredness or illness
• bloodstain a mark left by blood on something
• bloodstream the flow of blood through your body
• bloodthirsty wanting to see violence and killing
• bloody covered in blood, or very violent
• blooming flowers opening, or looking healthy and happy
• blow about be moved in different directions by the wind
• blow around be moved in different directions by wind
• blow down be knocked down by strong wind
• blow in arrive at a place without being expected
• blow off not do something you should, or be blown away
• blow out stop burning by blowing air, or a tyre bursting
• blow over be blown down by wind, or a problem ending
• blow-back an unwanted result of an action
• blow-by-blow telling every detail of what happened
• blow-up an explosion, or a big argument
• blower a machine that pushes air
• blowfish a fish that makes its body round when scared
• blue-black a very dark shade of blue
• blue-chip about companies or investments that are very safe
• blue-collar about workers who do physical jobs
• blue-ribbon of the highest quality
• blue-sky not practical, only about ideas
• bluebell a plant with small blue flowers shaped like bells
• blueeyed having eyes that are blue in colour
• blues a type of sad slow music, or feelings of sadness
• bluff try to trick someone into believing something false
• bluish slightly blue in colour
• blunder away waste something through stupid mistakes
• blundering making many careless mistakes
• blunt not sharp, or speaking in a very direct way
• bluntness the quality of speaking very directly
• blurring making something less clear or hard to see
• blurry not clear, hard to see the details
• blurt say something suddenly without thinking
• blusher a pink or red powder put on the cheeks
• blustery with strong winds blowing
• boatman a person who works on or drives a boat
• bombard attack with many things at once
• bomber a plane that drops bombs, or a person who uses them
• bony very thin so you can see the bones
• bookish liking to read books a lot
• booklet a small thin book with information
• bookmark something you put in a book to remember your page
• boor a rude person with bad behaviour
• boredlooking having a face that shows no interest
• bosnian from or about the country of Bosnia
• botanical relating to the study of plants
• botany the scientific study of plants
• bothersome causing trouble or annoyance
• bottle up to keep feelings hidden inside
• bottlemaker a person who makes bottles
• bottleneck point where progress becomes very slow
• bounce back to recover quickly after a bad time
• bourbon a type of strong drink made from grain in America
• bout a short period of illness or activity
• boyish looking or behaving like a young boy
• bracket a mark like this [ ] used in writing, or a support piece
• brainless very silly, without thinking
• braise to cook slowly in liquid in a closed pot
• brash too confident and not polite
• brazilian from or about the country of Brazil
• break out to escape or suddenly begin
• breakable easy to break
• breaststroke way of swimming face down with arms opening wide
• breathlessly in a way that shows excitement or being out of air
• breezy with a light pleasant wind blowing
• brewery a place where beer is made
• bribe money or gifts given illegally to influence someone
• bridesmaid a woman who helps the bride at a wedding
• briefing a short meeting where information is given
• brighten make something lighter or more cheerful
• brighteyed looking happy, excited, and full of energy
• brill very good, wonderful
• brilliantly in a very clever or bright way
• brim the top edge of a cup or hat edge
• brink very edge of something steep or dangerous
• briskly quickly and with energy
• broaden make something wider or include more
• broker person who buys and sells things for others
• brotherinlaw the brother of your husband or wife
• brownfield land that was used for industry before
• brownhaired having hair that is brown in colour
• brownishred a colour between brown and red
• browse look at things in a relaxed way without a clear plan
• bruising causing bruises, or very difficult and tiring
• buff light yellow-brown color or keen admirer
• buggy a small car or cart, or a baby carriage
• bulimia an illness where a person eats too much then forces it out
• bumpy with many rough parts, not smooth
• burdensome difficult to deal with, causing a lot of worry
• bureau an office or department that does work
• bureaucratic with too many rules and slow processes
• burgle break into a building to steal things
• busily in a very active and busy way
• businesslike serious and practical, focused on work
• businesspeople people who work in business or run companies
• busker person who performs in public places for money
• bussin very good, used mostly to talk about food that is great
• bustle move quickly in a busy and noisy way
• bustling full of busy activity and movement
• butt in to interrupt or join without being asked
• butterflies in stomach a nervous feeling in your stomach
• bystander person who watches something happen

C

• cabaret a show with music and dancing in a restaurant or club
• caching storing information so it can be found quickly later
• caged kept inside a cage, not free
• cain to cause trouble or act wildly
• cake-walk something very easy to do
• cakewalk something very easy to do
• caking becoming covered with a hard dry layer
• caky looking or feeling like dried cake on a surface
• calabria a region in the south of Italy
• calamine a pink liquid put on skin to stop itching
• californian from or about the state of California
• calisthenics exercises using your own body weight
• call down ask for something bad to happen to someone
• call forth produce or cause a reaction or feeling
• callback a phone call made in return, or being called for a second try
• callee the person who receives a phone call
• calligrapher a person who writes in a beautiful style by hand
• calligraphy art of beautiful handwriting
• calling a strong feeling that you should do a particular job
• camp up behave in a funny and exaggerated way
• camp-meeting an outdoor religious gathering
• campaigning working to achieve a political or social goal
• campcraft skills needed for living outdoors in nature
• campcrafter a person skilled at living outdoors
• cancellation stopping something that was planned
• cane a walking stick, or a tall grass plant for making sugar
• cannabis plant whose leaves are used as a drug
• cannonball a heavy metal ball shot from a cannon
• canon a general rule or principle, or a type of church leader
• canopy a covering that hangs over something, like trees or a bed
• cantina a small restaurant or bar, especially in warm countries
• canton a political area in some countries, like in Switzerland
• canuck an informal word for a person from Canada
• capacity how much a thing can hold inside it
• capsulize put into a short simple form
• captaincy the position of being a captain or leader of a team
• captainship the role or time of being a captain
• caption words written under a picture to explain it
• captivate hold someone's attention because of being interesting
• captivating very interesting and attractive
• captivation the state of being very interested in something
• captor a person who keeps someone as a prisoner
• carabine a short light gun
• carafe glass container for serving water or wine
• caramel a sweet brown food made from heated sugar
• carcass dead body of an animal or empty shell
• card-table a small table for playing card games
• cardamom a spice used in cooking with a strong taste
• cardamon a spice used to add flavour to food
• cardamum a spice with a strong sweet taste used in cooking
• cardigan a warm top with buttons that opens at the front
• cardinal-bird a bright red bird found in North America
• cardiologist a doctor for the heart
• cardiology the study of the heart and its diseases
• care-worn looking tired and worried from too many problems
• career about move fast in a wild and uncontrolled way
• career-guidance help and advice about choosing a job
• carefree happy and without any worries
• caressingly in a gentle, loving touching way
• caressive gentle and showing love through touch
• caret a mark (^) showing where to add something in text
• careworn looking tired from having too many problems
• carfuffle a lot of noisy confusion and trouble
• cargo-and-passenger carrying both goods and people
• cariboo a region in British Columbia, Canada
• caribou a large deer that lives in cold northern areas
• caricature a funny picture that makes someone's features look bigger
• caricaturist a person who draws funny exaggerated pictures of people
• carnival a big fun public event with music, games, and costumes
• carpool share a car ride with others going the same way
• carrier a person or thing that transports or carries something
• cartilage firm flexible tissue in the body, found in the ear and nose
• cascade water falling down in steps, or things happening one after another
• case-law law based on decisions made by judges in the past
• cased put inside a case or covering
• casement a window that opens on one side like a door
• casework detailed work on individual problems, especially social
• cash-book a book for recording money that comes in and goes out
• cash-keeper a person who takes care of money
• cashable able to be exchanged for money
• cashbook a record of money coming in and going out
• cashless without using paper money or coins
• casing an outer covering that protects something inside
• cask a large round wooden container for storing drinks
• cast-off something thrown away because it is no longer wanted
• castaway a person left alone on an island after a ship accident
• caste a social class that people are born into
• casting object made by pouring hot metal into a mold
• casualties people hurt or killed in a war or accident
• catalog a list of things available, like in a shop or library
• catalogize put things in order in a list or system
• catalysis making a chemical reaction happen faster
• catalyst something that makes a change or reaction happen faster
• cataract a condition that makes the eye cloudy, or a large waterfall
• catastrophic causing very great damage or suffering
• catch on to understand or become popular
• catchy easy to remember, like a good song
• categorise put things into groups based on what they are like
• catering providing food and drink for events or groups
• catlike moving quietly and gracefully like a cat
• causal showing the connection between a cause and its result
• cause-and-effect how one thing leads to another thing happening
• causeless without a reason or cause
• causer a person or thing that makes something happen
• causeway a raised road or path over water or wet land
• caustic able to burn through things, or very harsh in words
• caustically in a harsh and hurtful way with words
• caution tape yellow tape used to keep people away from danger
• cautionary giving a warning about possible danger
• cautioner a person who warns others about danger
• cautiously in a careful way, trying to avoid problems
• cavalryman a soldier who fights on a horse
• caving exploring underground spaces as a sport
• cctv cameras that record what happens in a place for safety
• cedi the money used in Ghana
• cedilla a small mark under a letter that changes how it sounds
• ceil cover the inside top of a room
• ceilidh a traditional party with music and dancing from Scotland
• celebrant a person who leads a ceremony or celebration
• celebratory done to celebrate a special event
• celeriac a root vegetable that tastes like celery
• celeste a light blue colour like the sky
• celestial about the sky, stars, or heaven
• celiac about a condition where the body cannot handle gluten
• celibacy choosing not to have a physical relationship
• celibate choosing not to have a physical relationship
• cellarway steps leading down to a room under a building
• cellist a person who plays the cello instrument
• cello a large stringed instrument you sit behind to play
• cellulitis a skin infection that makes an area red and swollen
• celluloid a material used to make old films and photos
• celt a person from the ancient peoples of western Europe
• celtic about the ancient people and culture of western Europe
• centenarian a person who is 100 years old or older
• centenary the 100th anniversary of an event
• centennial happening every 100 years, or a 100th anniversary
• centennium a period of 100 years
• centiare a unit of area equal to one square metre
• centigrade a temperature scale where water freezes at zero
• centile a value on a scale of one hundred
• centimo a small unit of money in some countries
• centisecond one hundredth of a second
• centra more than one centre or middle point
• centralized controlled from one main place
• centralwestern in the middle and western area of a place
• centreing putting something in the middle position
• centremost closest to the very middle
• centric at or near the centre
• centrical placed at or relating to the centre
• centrifugal moving away from the centre when spinning
• centripetal moving toward the centre when spinning
• centrist having political views in the middle, not extreme
• centurion a leader of 100 soldiers in ancient Rome
• cep a type of wild mushroom that is good to eat
• ceramist a person who makes objects from clay
• cerebral about the brain, or very intellectual
• cerebrum the largest part of the brain that controls thinking
• ceremonial relating to a formal event or tradition
• ceremonious very formal and following all the rules of a ceremony
• ceres a small planet between Mars and Jupiter
• cerise a bright pinkish-red colour
• cert something that is certain to happen
• certifiable officially able to be declared or confirmed
• certification an official document showing you have a skill or right
• certifier a person or group that gives official approval
• certify officially say that something is true or correct
• cerulean a deep sky-blue colour
• cerumen the yellow wax inside your ears
• cervical about the neck or the lower part of a woman's body
• cesium a soft silver metal element
• cess a tax or charge
• cesspipe a pipe that carries waste water away
• cesspit a hole in the ground for collecting waste water
• cesspool a hole that collects dirty waste water underground
• chachka a small cheap decorative object
• chalice a special drinking cup used in religious ceremonies
• chalk-stone a hard white lump formed in the body from disease
• chalkpit a place where chalk is dug from the ground
• chalkstone a hard deposit in the body caused by disease
• chamber-maid a person who cleans rooms in a hotel
• chambermaid a person who cleans rooms in a hotel
• championess a female winner of a competition
• chance-comer a person who arrives by luck, not by plan
• chanceable depending on luck or chance
• chanceful full of risk or depending on luck
• chancel the part of a church near the altar
• chancellor a high-ranking leader in government or a university
• chaotic completely messy and without any order
• chap a man or boy, used in friendly talk
• chappie a friendly word for a man
• chappy a friendly word for a man or boy
• chaqueta a type of short jacket
• characterful having interesting or unusual qualities
• characterisation describing someone's qualities in detail
• characteristic a thing that makes someone or something special
• characterization the way a person or thing is described
• charbroil cook food over very hot burning coals
• chard a green vegetable with large leaves
• chargeable able to have a cost or able to be charged with power
• charioteer a person who drives a chariot
• charismatic having a charm that inspires devotion in others
• charity-boy a boy who receives help from a charity
• charity-girl a girl who receives help from a charity
• charity-school a school paid for by charity for poor children
• charlemagne a famous king and emperor from European history
• charley a painful cramp in a muscle
• charmer a person who is very attractive and pleasant
• charqui dried meat, also called jerky
• charry partly burned or black like coal
• chartered given official permission or hired for a special trip
• chaser a person who follows something, or a drink after another
• chasm a very deep gap in the ground or between ideas
• chastise punish or criticize someone strongly
• chastisement the act of punishing someone strongly
• chastity not having physical relationships, being pure
• chatter talk quickly about unimportant things
• cheatable able to be cheated or tricked
• cheatee a person who has been cheated
• chechen from or about a republic in southern Russia
• check-off removing items from a list as they are completed
• check-room a place where you leave your coat or bags
• checkable able to be checked or verified
• checkman a person who checks or inspects things
• checkpoint a place where people are stopped and checked
• checkup a visit to a doctor to see if you are healthy
• checkweigh weigh something to check it is the right amount
• checky having a pattern of squares like a chess board
• cheek-bone the bone below your eye on the side of your face
• cheeky slightly rude in a funny and playful way
• cheep a short high sound made by a young bird
• cheerfully in a happy and positive way
• cheerfulness the quality of being happy and positive
• cheerly in a bright and happy way
• cheesemonger a person who sells cheese
• cheesiness the quality of being silly or too sentimental
• cheezit a warning to stop because someone is coming
• chemotherapy medical treatment using strong drugs to fight cancer
• cherished loved and cared for very much
• cherub a small angel, often shown as a baby with wings
• cherubic looking sweet and innocent like a little angel
• chessman one piece used in the game of chess
• chevalier a knight or man of noble rank
• chicklette a young woman, used informally
• chiefly mainly or most importantly
• chihuahua very small dog breed from Mexico
• childless not having any children
• chilling frightening in a way that makes you feel cold
• chime in to join a talk by adding your own words
• chin-bandage a cloth wrapped around the chin for support
• chinch a small insect that damages plants
• chinchilla a small soft-furred animal from South America
• chinwag a long friendly conversation
• chippie a fish and chips shop, or a carpenter
• chippy a fish and chips shop, or someone easily annoyed
• chivvy keep telling someone to hurry up
• chivy keep pushing someone to do something faster
• chloroplast the part of a plant cell that makes food from light
• choker a piece of jewellery worn tight around the neck
• choli a short blouse worn with traditional clothes in South Asia
• choosingly in a way that shows careful choosing
• chord a group of musical notes played together
• choreography art of planning steps and moves for dancing
• chroma the brightness or strength of a colour
• chrome a shiny silver metal coating
• chronicler a person who writes down events as they happen
• chronometer a very exact clock or watch
• chuckle-head a silly or foolish person
• chucklehead a silly or foolish person
• chump a foolish person who is easy to trick
• church-owl a type of owl that lives in old buildings
• circles groups of people with the same interests
• circuitry the system of electrical connections in a device
• circumcised having had skin cut from a male body part
• citywide across the whole city
• civil related to the people of a country
• civilisation an advanced society with its own culture and rules
• civility polite and respectful behaviour
• claimant a person who asks for something they believe they deserve
• clan a large family group, especially in Scotland
• clause a part of a sentence or a rule in a law
• clean and jerk a weight lifting move in two stages
• cleanliness the state of being free from dirt and keeping things clean
• clearness the quality of being easy to see or understand
• clerical about office work, or about church leaders
• cleverly in a smart and skillful way
• climatologist a scientist who studies long-term weather patterns
• cloak a loose outer garment without sleeves, or to hide something
• cloakroom a room where you leave your coat and bags
• clog a shoe made of wood, or to block something
• clumsy moving in a careless way and often dropping things
• clunker old car or machine that works badly
• coaching training or teaching someone to improve
• coarse rough and not smooth, or rude in manner
• coastline the line where the land meets the sea
• coca a plant from South America whose leaves are used in drinks
• cocaine a dangerous illegal drug made from the coca plant
• codependency needing another person too much in an unhealthy way
• coherence when ideas or parts fit together in a clear way
• coherent clear and logical, easy to understand
• cohesion things sticking together well as one unit
• collie a type of dog with long hair, good at herding sheep
• colon a mark like two dots used in writing
• colonialism control of one country by another
• colonization act of taking control of a new land
• colonize to take control of a new land
• colonized taken under control of another country
• colouring the colours of something, or adding colours to a picture
• come across to meet or find someone by chance while doing something else
• commemorate do something special to remember an important event
• commission a group given a job to do or money for selling
• committed dedicated and loyal to a cause or activity
• commonwealth a group of countries working together
• commotion a lot of noise and confused activity
• communicative willing and able to share information easily
• communicator a person who is good at sharing ideas
• compassionate feeling care and wanting to help others in pain
• compelled forced to do something
• compensation money given to someone for loss or damage
• competent having enough skill to do something well
• competitively in a way that tries to win against others
• compile collect information and put it together
• compiler person or program that puts things together
• completion the act of finishing something
• complexion the natural colour and look of the skin on your face
• complexity the state of being difficult and having many parts
• compliance following rules or doing what is asked
• complication something that makes a situation more difficult
• complimentary saying nice things, or given for free
• comply do what a rule or person asks you to do
• compost old plant material that breaks down to feed the soil
• composure state of being calm and in control
• comprehend to understand something fully
• comprehension the ability to understand something
• comprehensive covering everything, complete and detailed
• compress press or squeeze something to make it smaller
• compression pressing something into a smaller space
• comprise be made up of, or include
• compromised weakened or damaged, or agreed upon through concession
• compulsive feeling a strong need that is hard to stop
• compulsory required by law or rules, you must do it
• compute calculate or work out a number or answer
• computerised done or controlled by a computer
• conceal hide something so others cannot find or see it
• concede admit that something is true, or give up
• conceit thinking you are better or more important than others
• conceited thinking too highly of yourself
• conceivable possible to imagine or believe
• conceive think of an idea, or become pregnant
• concentrated focused in a small area, or highly dense and strong
• conception the beginning of an idea, or when life starts in the body
• concerning about a topic, or making you feel worried
• concession something you agree to give up in an argument
• concise using few words to say a lot
• concussion injury to the brain from a hard hit
• condemn say strongly that something is wrong
• condemned declared guilty or unfit for use
• condom a thin covering used during sex to prevent pregnancy
• confederate person who works with others on a plan
• confer talk with others to discuss and decide something
• confession telling the truth about something wrong you did
• confide to tell someone a secret, trusting them to keep it
• confidential meant to be kept secret and not shared with others
• confidentiality keeping private information secret
• confidently in a way that shows you believe in yourself
• configuration the way parts are arranged to work together
• configure to set up or arrange parts for use
• confine keep within limits, or lock someone in a place
• confirming making something more certain
• conformist a person who follows the rules and does what others do
• confrontation an angry meeting or fight between people
• confrontational behaving in a way that starts arguments
• confucian about the teachings of the Chinese thinker Confucius
• congregation a group of people gathered for religious worship
• congress formal meeting of representatives
• congressional about the group of people who make laws
• conjugation different forms of a word listed together
• conjunction a word like and, but, or that joins parts of a sentence
• conjure make something appear as if by magic
• conquest taking control of a place or people by fighting
• conscience the inner feeling that tells you what is right and wrong
• consciousness being awake and aware of what is around you
• consensus general agreement among a group of people
• consent give permission for something to happen
• conservative not wanting to change, keeping things the same
• conservatory a glass room attached to a house, or a music school
• conserve use carefully to make sure it lasts, or protect nature
• considerably by a large and important amount
• considering thinking about, or taking into account
• consignment a group of goods sent or delivered together
• consistency always behaving or happening the same way
• consistently always in the same way, without changing
• consolation something that makes you feel better when sad
• consolidate make stronger by joining together
• conspiracy a secret plan by a group to do something wrong
• constable a police officer, especially of low rank
• constituency an area whose people choose someone for government
• constitutional about the basic rules of how a country is run
• constraint a limit on what you can do
• consultant an expert who gives advice for a fee
• consultation a meeting to discuss and get advice
• consultative giving advice but not making final decisions
• consumer a person who buys and uses things
• contagious spreading from person to person by contact
• contaminate make something dirty or dangerous
• contaminated made dirty or poisoned
• contemplate think deeply and carefully about something
• contemporary from the same time or from now
• contempt a strong feeling that someone or something is worthless
• contend compete or struggle, or claim something is true
• contender a person who competes, especially for a prize
• contented happy and satisfied with what you have
• contention a strong disagreement, or a claim someone makes
• contractor a person or company hired to do a specific job
• contradiction when two things are opposite and cannot both be true
• controversy a big public argument about something important
• conveniently in a way that is easy and saves you time
• conventional following the traditional and usual way of doing things
• converse talk with someone, or the opposite of something
• conversely in the opposite way
• conversion changing from one form or use to another
• convertible a car with a top that can open
• convicted found guilty of a crime
• conviction a strong belief, or being found guilty of a crime
• convincing making you believe something is true
• coolly in a calm way without showing feelings
• cooperate work together with others to achieve something
• cooperative willing to work with others and help
• coordinate organise people or things to work well together
• coordination making different things work well together
• coordinator a person who organises activities or people
• copper a reddish-brown metal used for wires and pipes
• cornerstone the most important part that everything else is built on
• cornet a small brass instrument similar to a trumpet
• corona a ring of light around the sun or moon
• corporal about the body, or a low-ranking soldier
• corporate about a big company or business
• correctness the quality of being right and without mistakes
• correlate have a connection or relationship with something else
• correlation a connection between two things that change together
• correspond match or agree with, or exchange letters
• correspondence letters or messages between people
• correspondent a person who reports news from a distant place
• corresponding matching or relating to something
• corrupt dishonest, using power for personal gain
• corruption dishonest behaviour, especially by people in power
• cosmic related to the universe beyond earth
• cosmonaut a Russian person who travels into space
• cosmos the whole universe and everything in it
• councillor a member of a local government council
• counsel advice, or to give advice to someone
• counselling professional help with personal or emotional problems
• counsellor a person trained to help with personal problems
• counterfeit fake copy made to look like the real thing
• counterpart a person or thing that has the same job in another place
• countryman a person from the same country, or from the countryside
• countrywide across the whole country
• coup a sudden taking of power, especially in government
• courier a person who delivers packages or messages
• coursework schoolwork done during a course, not in an exam
• courteousness polite and respectful behaviour toward others
• cozinesscosiness the feeling of being warm and comfortable
• craftsman a person skilled at making things by hand
• cramping having a sudden tight painful feeling in muscles
• cranberry a small sour red berry used in food and drink
• crater a large round hole in the ground from an explosion
• craving an intense desire or longing for something
• crawler something that moves slowly, or a baby learning to move
• crazed behaving in a wild and uncontrolled way
• crazily in a wild and uncontrolled way
• crease a line made by folding or pressing something
• creatively in a way that uses imagination and new ideas
• credibility the quality of being believed and trusted
• credible able to be believed, trustworthy
• creep move slowly and quietly, or a strange person
• cripple make unable to move or work properly
• crippled badly hurt so cannot move well
• crisscross lines that cross each other in different directions
• criteria standards by which something is judged or decided
• criterion a rule used to decide or judge something
• critically in a very important way, or with a judging eye
• critique a careful examination and judgement of something
• crook a dishonest person, or a hooked stick carried by a shepherd
• crooked bent or twisted, or dishonest and corrupt
• cross-platform working on different types of computers or systems
• crosscultural involving different cultures or ways of life
• crossly in an angry and annoyed way
• crude rough and basic, or rude and not polite
• cruelly in a way that causes pain or suffering on purpose
• cruelty behaviour that causes pain to others on purpose
• crushing overwhelming and devastating, or very severe
• crustacean a sea animal with a hard shell, like a crab or lobster
• ct scan many pictures joined by a computer to show inside the body
• cuban from or about the country of Cuba
• cubism an art style that shows objects as flat shapes
• cue a signal to start something, or a stick for playing pool
• cuff the end of a sleeve near your hand
• culinary about cooking or preparing food
• culmination the highest or final point of something
• cult a small group with extreme beliefs, or something very popular
• cultivated grown by people
• culturally in a way that relates to culture and traditions
• cultured educated and knowing about art, music, and literature
• curate a church helper, or choose and organise a collection
• curb to hold back or limit something, or the edge of a pavement
• curl make or form into a round curved shape
• curling sport where you slide stones on ice
• cursor the small arrow or line on a computer screen
• curtain call when performers come back on stage for applause
• curtained covered or hidden with curtains
• customizable able to be changed to fit what you want
• cutting a piece cut from a plant, or hurtful words
• cutting-edge most modern and advanced
• cyanide a very dangerous poison
• cyberaddict a person who spends too much time on computers
• cybercrime crime committed using computers and the internet
• cyberschool a school where learning happens online
• cybersecurity protecting computers and data from attacks
• cyberspace the virtual world of the internet
• cyclist a person who rides a bicycle
• cylinder a shape like a tube with flat round ends
• cynical believing people only do things for selfish reasons

D

• dachshund small dog with a very long body and short legs
• daft silly and foolish
• dairy about milk and foods made from milk
• damages money paid to someone who was harmed
• damned used to show anger, or said to be sent to hell
• dandelion a common yellow wild flower
• daring brave enough to do dangerous or risky things
• darkbrown a brown colour that is close to black
• darkhaired having hair that is very dark in colour
• darling a word of love for someone you care about
• database a large organised collection of information on a computer
• dated old-fashioned and no longer modern
• daughterinlaw the wife of your son
• dawn on begin to understand something for the first time
• daybreak the time in the morning when light first appears
• daydream think about nice things while awake instead of working
• dazed not able to think clearly
• deafening so loud that you almost cannot hear
• dean important person in a university or church
• debatable not certain
• debit money taken from your bank account
• debug to find and fix problems in a machine or code
• debugging finding and fixing problems in a computer
• debut the first time someone performs or appears in public
• decathlon sports contest with ten different events
• deceit making someone believe something that is not true
• deceive make someone believe something that is not true
• decency being proper and following good behavior rules
• deceptive making you believe something that is not true
• decisionmaker a person who makes important choices
• decisionmaking the process of making important choices
• decompose break down into smaller parts over time, like dead plants
• decomposition the natural process of breaking down after death
• decorative used to make something look attractive
• decrypt to change a secret code back into clear words
• dedicated giving a lot of time and effort to something
• dedication giving your time and effort to a task or person
• deem consider or judge something to be a certain way
• deep-fry cook food in a lot of very hot oil
• deepdiving going far under water
• deepen make or become deeper or more serious
• deerstalker a special hat with flaps, like Sherlock Holmes wore
• default what happens when no other choice is made
• defect a fault or problem in something, or leave to join the other side
• defendant person who must answer to a charge in court
• defense mechanism a way the body or mind protects itself
• defiant refusing to obey and showing it openly
• deforestation cutting down large areas of trees
• defy refuse to obey or challenge someone openly
• deity a god or goddess
• delegate give a task to someone else, or a representative
• delegation a group of people chosen to speak for others
• deli a shop that sells special prepared foods
• deliberate done on purpose, not by accident
• deliberately on purpose, meaning to do it
• delicacy a rare and expensive type of food
• delicately in a gentle and careful way
• deliciously in a way that tastes very good
• delirious very confused and unable to think clearly
• delirium a confused mental state, often from illness or fever
• deliverable something that must be provided by a certain time
• deltoid large triangle-shaped muscle of the shoulder
• delusional having false beliefs that seem very real
• demanding needing a lot of effort, time, or skill
• demeanor way a person acts and looks to others
• democrat person who believes in rule by the people
• demolish destroy a building or structure completely
• demon an evil spirit in stories or religion
• demoted moved down to a lower position or rank
• denial saying that something is not true
• denim a strong blue cloth used to make jeans
• denounce publicly say that something or someone is wrong
• dense thick and packed closely together
• densely with many things packed close together
• density how closely packed together things are in a space
• dependable always doing what you say, able to be trusted
• dependence needing something or someone to survive
• dependency the state of needing something too much
• depict show or represent something in a picture or words
• depicted shown or drawn in a picture or words
• deploy send people or equipment to where they are needed
• deployment sending people or resources to where they are needed
• depot a place where buses or trains are kept, or goods are stored
• depress make someone feel very sad, or push something down
• deprived not having the basic things needed for a good life
• deputy a person who acts for a leader when they are away
• dermatologist doctor who treats problems with the skin
• descent moving down, or where your family comes from
• descriptive giving a lot of details about what something is like
• desensitize make less affected by something over time
• designate choose someone or something for a particular purpose
• desolation a feeling of great sadness, or an empty destroyed place
• desperately in a way that shows great need or hopelessness
• desperation a feeling of having no hope and needing help badly
• despicable very bad and deserving to be hated
• despise hate someone or something very much
• despised looked down on and greatly disliked
• destine plan or decide what will happen in the future
• destined meant to happen in the future
• destiny what is meant to happen to you in life
• detach separate one thing from another
• detached separate and not connected, or not showing feelings
• detachment not feeling emotionally connected, or a group of soldiers
• detain keep someone in a place and not let them leave
• detect to find or notice something that is hidden
• detected found or noticed something that was hidden
• detecting finding or discovering something that is hidden
• detection the act of finding or discovering something
• deteriorate become worse over time
• deteriorated having become worse in quality over time
• determiner a word like the, a, this that comes before a noun
• detrimental causing harm or damage
• devastation great destruction and damage
• devise think of a plan or create something new
• devote give all your time and effort to something
• devoted loving someone very much and giving them all your care
• devour to eat something hungrily and quickly
• deworming removing harmful worms from the body
• diabetes a disease where the body cannot control blood sugar levels
• diabetic relating to or suffering from diabetes
• diagnose find out what illness or problem someone has
• diagnoses decisions about what illnesses people have
• diagonal going from one corner to the opposite corner
• diagonally in a line from one corner to the opposite corner
• dialect a form of language spoken in a particular region
• dialing pressing numbers on a phone to make a call
• dialog a conversation between two or more people
• diamond-shaped having four equal sides in a tilted square shape
• diarrhoea an illness that makes you go to the toilet very often
• dictate tell someone what to write, or give orders
• dictation reading words for someone else to write down
• dictator a leader who has total power and controls everything
• die away slowly become weaker and then stop
• die out slowly disappear completely over time
• diesel a type of fuel used in some vehicles
• dietary about the food and drink someone takes
• dietician a person who gives advice about healthy food
• dietitian an expert who advises people about what to eat
• differentiate see or show the difference between things
• differing not the same, having differences
• dig in start eating eagerly, or make yourself strong in a place
• dig out find something by searching or remove from the ground
• dig up take something out of the ground by digging
• digestible easy for your stomach to break down
• digestion the process of breaking down food in your body
• digestive about the process of breaking down food in the body
• digitally using computers or electronic technology
• dignified looking serious and worthy of respect
• dignify make something seem more important or worthy
• dignity calm serious behaviour that makes others respect you
• diligently in a careful and hard-working way
• dilute make a liquid weaker by adding water
• dilution making something weaker by adding liquid
• dimension a measurement of size, such as length or width
• diminish become smaller or less important
• diminished made smaller or less important
• diminishing becoming smaller or less over time
• dimly with very little light
• dimmer a device that controls how bright a light is
• diningroom the room where people eat meals
• dinner-party a social event where guests eat together
• diphtheria a serious disease of the throat
• diplomat a person who represents their country in another country
• diplomatic skilled at dealing with people without causing anger
• dipping putting something briefly into a liquid
• directed controlled or aimed in a particular way
• directing controlling how something is done or where it goes
• directive an official order to do something
• directory a list of names, addresses, or files organised in order
• dirt-cheap very very cheap, costing almost nothing
• dirt-track a rough road or path made of earth
• dirtiness the state of being not clean
• disagreeable not pleasant, or hard to get along with
• disappearance when someone or something goes away and cannot be found
• disapproval the feeling that something is wrong or not good
• disapprove think that something is wrong or not good
• discard throw away something you no longer need
• discarded thrown away because it is no longer needed
• discharge let someone leave, or release something
• discharged allowed to leave, especially from hospital
• discharging letting out or releasing something
• disciple a person who follows and learns from a teacher or leader
• disciplinary about punishment for breaking rules
• discipline training people to follow rules and behave well
• disciplined trained to follow rules and behave well
• disclose tell or reveal secret information
• disclosed made known or revealed
• disclosure making secret information known to others
• discolor change something from its normal colour
• discolour change from the normal colour to a worse one
• disconnect break the connection between things
• disconnecting breaking the connection between things
• disconnection when the connection between things is broken
• discontent a feeling of not being happy with how things are
• discontinue stop doing or making something
• discontinued no longer being made or sold
• discotheque a club where people dance to recorded music
• discouraged having lost confidence or enthusiasm
• discourse a long formal discussion or text about a subject
• discoverer a person who finds something for the first time
• discredit make people stop trusting or believing in something
• discreet careful not to let others know, quiet about things
• discretion the ability to make careful decisions about what to say
• discriminate treat someone unfairly because of who they are
• discus a heavy flat round object thrown in sports
• diseased having a disease or illness
• disenchanted no longer happy or excited about something
• disguise change how you look so people do not know you
• disguised changed to look different so as not to be recognised
• disguising hiding what something really is
• dish out give things to people, often food or criticism
• dish up put food on plates ready to eat
• dish-cloth a cloth used for washing plates and cooking things
• dish-washer a machine that washes plates and cooking things
• dishcloth a cloth for washing dishes
• dishonesty not telling the truth, being a liar
• disillusion make someone see the truth about something disappointing
• disinfectant a liquid that kills harmful small living things
• disinfecting killing harmful small living things on a surface
• disk-shaped round and flat like a circle
• dislocate move a bone out of its normal position
• dislocated a bone moved out of its normal position in a joint
• disloyal not faithful to those who deserve loyalty
• dismantled taken apart piece by piece
• dismay a feeling of shock and worry
• dismayed feeling shocked and disappointed
• dismissal telling someone to leave, especially from a job
• dismount get off a horse, bicycle, or other thing you ride
• dismounted got off from something you were riding
• disobedience refusing to follow rules or do what you are told
• disorder a state of mess and confusion, or a health problem
• disordered messy and not organised
• disorganize make something messy and without order
• disorientation feeling confused about where you are
• dispatch send something or someone to a place quickly
• dispatching sending something away quickly
• dispensable not needed, can be removed without problem
• dispenser a machine or container that gives out items
• dispensing giving out or providing something
• dispersed spread out over a wide area
• dispersing spreading out in different directions
• displace force something or someone to move from their place
• displaced forced to leave home because of war or disaster
• displease make someone feel unhappy or annoyed
• displeased feeling unhappy or annoyed about something
• displeasing making someone feel annoyed or not happy
• displeasure a feeling of being unhappy about something
• disposal getting rid of something, or having something available
• dispose get rid of something, or arrange things in order
• disposed willing or likely to do something
• disposition a person's usual way of thinking and feeling
• dispute a serious argument or disagreement
• disqualify stop someone from taking part because of a broken rule
• disregard pay no attention to something, ignore it
• disrespectfully in a way that shows no respect
• disruption something that stops normal activity from continuing
• disruptive causing problems and stopping normal activity
• dissatisfaction not being happy with how things are
• dissatisfied not happy with something, wanting it to be better
• disseminate spread information widely to many people
• dissertation a long research paper written to complete a university course
• dissident a person who publicly disagrees with the government
• dissimilar not similar, different from each other
• dissolved mixed into a liquid until it disappears
• distantly from far away, or in an unfriendly way
• distasteful unpleasant and causing dislike
• distilling making a liquid pure by heating and cooling it
• distinct clearly different from something else
• distinctive easy to recognise because of special qualities
• distinguished famous and respected, or looking important
• distort change the shape or truth of something
• distortion changing something from its true or normal shape
• distract take someone's attention away from what they are doing
• distraction something that takes your attention away
• distress great pain, worry, or sadness
• distressed very upset and worried
• distressing making you feel very upset and worried
• distribute to give things out to many people
• distributed given out or spread to many people or places
• distributing giving things out to many people
• distributor a person or company that gives out products to shops
• disturbed worried or mentally unwell
• disturbing making you feel worried or upset
• ditch a narrow channel dug at the side of a road, or to abandon
• diversion something that takes attention away, or a different route
• diversity having many different types of people or things
• divert change the direction of something
• diverting interesting and entertaining
• divider something that separates one area from another
• divulge tell secret information to someone
• do away get rid of something completely
• do out clean and decorate a room
• do over do something again from the start
• do up fasten or close something, or repair a building
• do-it-yourself building or fixing things at home without an expert
• do-it-yourselfer a person who builds or fixes things at home
• docker a person who works loading and unloading ships
• doctorate the highest degree awarded by a university
• doctrine a set of beliefs or rules taught by a group
• documentation official papers or written instructions
• documented recorded in writing or on film
• doddle something very easy to do
• dodge move quickly to avoid something
• dodging moving quickly to avoid being hit
• doe a female deer
• doer a person who acts and gets things done
• dog-biscuit a hard food for dogs
• dog-box a small space for keeping a dog
• dog-daisy a common white flower with a yellow centre
• dog-eared with pages bent at the corners from too much use
• dog-fox a male fox
• dog-house a small outdoor shelter for a dog
• dog-lead a strap for holding a dog when walking
• dogcart a small cart pulled by horses
• doglike similar to a dog in behaviour
• dogsled a vehicle pulled by dogs over snow
• doll-like looking like a pretty toy person
• domain an area of knowledge or control, or a web address
• dome a large round roof shaped like half a ball
• domestic about your home or about your own country
• domesticate train a wild animal to live with people
• domesticated trained to live with and be useful to people
• dominance having more power or control than others
• dominant most powerful or important
• dominated controlled by one person or thing
• dominating having a strong controlling influence
• domino a small flat piece with dots used in a game
• dominoes a game played with flat pieces that have dots
• doms buildings with large round roofs
• doodle draw simple pictures while thinking about other things
• doom a terrible fate that cannot be avoided
• doomed certain to fail, suffer, or be destroyed
• door-man a person who opens doors at a hotel or building
• door-to-door going from one house to the next
• doorkeeper a person who watches over the entrance to a building
• dosage the amount of medicine you should take
• dot down write something quickly
• dot-com a company that does business on the internet
• dotted covered with small round marks
• double back turn around and go back the way you came
• double in also work in another role
• double over bend your body forward because of pain or laughing
• double up share something with another person
• double-bass a very large stringed instrument with a deep sound
• double-bedded having a bed for two people
• double-breasted a coat or jacket that overlaps at the front
• double-charge charge someone twice for the same thing
• double-decker a bus with two levels
• doubled made twice as big or twice as much
• doubling becoming twice as much or twice as big
• doubly twice as much, in two ways
• doubtfully in a way that shows you are not sure
• doubting feeling unsure about whether something is true
• down in the dumps feeling very sad and unhappy
• down payment the first part of the money you pay for something big
• down-to-earth practical and honest, not pretending
• downfall the loss of power or success
• downpour a very heavy fall of rain
• downright completely and totally, used to make a word stronger
• downside the bad or negative part of something
• downsize make a company smaller by reducing staff
• downstream in the direction that water in a river flows
• dowry money or things a bride's family gives to the husband
• doze away spend time sleeping lightly
• doze off fall into a light sleep
• doze out wake up slowly from a light sleep
• dozed slept lightly for a short time
• dozer a heavy machine that pushes earth, or a sleepy person
• dozing sleeping lightly, not fully asleep
• dozy feeling sleepy and slow
• draft a first try at writing something
• drafting writing the first version of something
• draftsman a person who draws detailed plans for buildings
• drafty with cold air blowing through
• drag away pull someone away from something they enjoy
• drag in bring a topic into a conversation when not wanted
• drag on continue for too long in a boring way
• drag out make something last longer than needed
• drag up mention something unpleasant from the past
• dragon-fly an insect with a long body and large clear wings
• dragonfly an insect with a long body and four clear wings
• drain remove liquid from something, or a pipe for carrying water away
• drain-away a pipe or channel that takes water away
• drain-pipe a pipe that carries water away from a building
• drainage a system for removing water from an area
• drainboard a flat area next to a sink where dishes dry
• drained very tired, or with all liquid removed
• drainer a thing where you put dishes to dry
• draining removing water, or making you very tired
• drainpipe a pipe that takes water away from a roof or building
• drake a male duck
• drape hang cloth loosely over something
• drapery cloth hung as decoration, or a fabric shop
• drat a word showing you are annoyed
• draughtboard a board with squares for playing the game of draughts
• draughts a board game where you move round pieces diagonally
• draughtsman a person who makes detailed drawings and plans
• draughty with cold air blowing through gaps
• draw aside move to one side for a private talk
• draw away move ahead of others, or pull back
• draw back move back from something, or not want to continue
• draw down reduce the amount of something over time
• draw in arrive at a station, or become attracted to something
• draw off take liquid away from a larger amount
• draw on use something as a resource, or pull on clothing
• draw out make something last longer, or encourage someone to talk
• draw over pull something to cover another thing
• draw round draw a line around the outside of something
• draw up create a document, or stop a vehicle
• drawbridge a bridge that can be pulled up to stop people crossing
• drawing-board a flat board used for making drawings
• drawing-pen a pen used for making detailed drawings
• drawing-room a formal room for sitting and talking with guests
• dreaded causing great fear
• dreadfully very badly, or used to mean very much
• dream away spend time thinking about nice things instead of working
• dream up think of something new and creative
• dream-land an imaginary perfect place
• dream-world a world that exists only in your imagination
• dreamer a person who has unrealistic ideas or plans
• dreamland an imaginary place that is perfect and happy
• dreamworld a world that exists only in imagination
• dreamy looking like you are thinking about nice things
• drench make completely wet
• drenching making something completely wet through
• dressage a sport where horses do careful trained movements
• dressing-table a table with a mirror for getting ready
• dribbler a person who lets liquid fall from their mouth
• dribbling letting liquid fall slowly, or moving a ball with small touches
• drier a machine that removes water, or less wet
• drift along move slowly without any particular plan
• drift apart slowly stop being close friends
• drift in arrive slowly and without hurry
• drift off slowly fall asleep
• drift out slowly move away from a place
• drift-wood wood carried by water to the shore
• drifter a person who moves from place to place without a plan
• drifting moving slowly without direction or purpose
• driftwood pieces of wood carried to shore by the water
• drill-hole a hole made by a turning tool
• drill-sergeant a military person who trains soldiers strictly
• driller a person or machine that makes holes
• drilling making holes with a turning tool, or practising again and again
• drink down drink something completely
• drink in enjoy looking at or experiencing something fully
• drink off drink something quickly in one go
• drip-dry let clothes dry by hanging them without squeezing
• dripping with liquid falling in small drops
• dripping-pan a pan that catches liquid falling from cooking meat
• drippy always dropping liquid, or too sentimental
• drive away leave in a car, or make someone go away
• drive back force someone to go back
• drive in push something in by hitting, or arrive by car
• drive off leave quickly in a car
• drive on continue driving without stopping
• drive out force someone to leave a place
• drive over go to a place by car
• drive through go through a place without stopping
• drive up arrive somewhere in a car
• driven very determined and wanting to succeed
• drizzle light rain with very small drops
• drizzling raining very lightly with small drops
• drizzly with light rain falling
• dromedary a camel with one hump on its back
• drool let liquid come from your mouth without control
• droop hang down weakly
• drooping hanging down in a weak or tired way
• droopy hanging down in a sad or tired way
• drop away become less or fewer over time
• drop back fall behind others in a group
• drop behind not keep up with others
• drop out leave a school or activity before finishing
• drop set an exercise where you reduce weight each round
• drop through fall through something, or fail to happen
• drop-in a place you can visit without an appointment
• drop-kick kick a ball just as it bounces off the ground
• drop-off a sudden fall, or a place to leave something
• drop-shaped having the form of a falling liquid drop
• dropkick a kick made as the ball hits the ground
• droplet a very small drop of liquid
• dropout a person who leaves school or a group before finishing
• dropper a small tube for adding liquid one drop at a time
• dropping-out leaving school or an activity before it ends
• drought a long time with no rain, making the land very dry
• drove moved animals along, or a large group of moving things
• drown out be so loud that you cannot hear something else
• drowsiness the feeling of being sleepy
• druggist a person who sells medicine in a shop
• drum up try hard to get support or business
• drumbeat the sound made by hitting a drum
• drumming playing a drum, or making a repeated tapping sound
• drumstick a stick for hitting a drum, or the leg of a chicken
• drunkard a person who drinks too much alcohol regularly
• drunken intoxicated by alcohol, or caused by drinking
• dry out become completely dry, or stop drinking alcohol
• dry up become completely dry, or stop talking suddenly
• dry-clean clean clothes with chemicals instead of water
• dry-cleaners a shop that cleans clothes with chemicals
• dry-cleaning cleaning clothes using chemicals instead of water
• dryland land that is not covered by water and gets little rain
• dryly in a funny way that seems serious
• dryness the state of having no water or moisture
• dual having two parts or purposes
• dubbed given a name or title, or with new voices added to a film
• duel a fight between two people with weapons, planned in advance
• duffel thick heavy cloth used for bags and coats
• dug-out a shelter dug into the ground, or a boat from a tree
• dugout a shelter made by digging, or a boat from a log
• dune a hill of sand made by the wind
• duo two people who work or perform together
• duplex building with two separate living spaces
• duplication the act of making an exact copy
• dustman a person whose job is to collect rubbish
• dutch from or about the Netherlands
• dwelt lived in a place for some time
• dynamic full of energy and always changing

E

• eagerly in a way that shows great interest and excitement
• earl a man of high rank in the British system
• earnings money that you get from working
• earplug a small piece you put in your ear to block sound
• ease a feeling of comfort with no worry or difficulty
• eastward going toward the east
• eating disorder a serious problem with how someone eats
• ecg a test that shows how your heart is working
• ecoconference a meeting about protecting the environment
• ecologically in a way that relates to the natural environment
• ecologist a scientist who studies the relationship of living things
• economic about money and business in a country
• economical using money, time, or resources carefully
• economically in a way relating to the economy, or in a thrifty way
• economise spend less money or use less of something
• economist a person who studies money and how it works in society
• economy the system of money and business in a country
• ecstatic feeling such great joy that you can hardly control it
• editorial an article giving the opinion of a newspaper
• effectiveness how well something works to get the result you want
• efficientlooking appearing to be well organised and fast
• ego a person's sense of their own importance
• eighteenth coming at number 18 in order
• elaborate very detailed and complex, or to explain more
• elated very happy and full of pride
• elation a feeling of great happiness and excitement
• elder an older person, or a tree with small white flowers
• elective a subject you can choose to study, not required
• electoral about choosing leaders through voting
• electrify supply with electricity, or make very excited
• electrode a piece that sends or receives electric current
• electronically using electronic devices or computers
• elegance the quality of being beautiful and graceful
• elegantly in a beautiful and graceful way
• elemental about the basic forces of nature
• elevate raise to a higher position or level
• elevated raised up high or having noble character
• elevation the height above sea level, or a promotion in rank
• eligible meeting the requirements to do or get something
• elite the best or most skilled group of people
• elk very large deer with wide flat horns
• elliptical shaped like a stretched circle
• eloquence the ability to speak beautifully and persuasively
• eloquent able to express ideas clearly and beautifully in words
• elucidate explain something and make it clear
• emanate come out from a source, like light or smell
• embark start a journey or begin something new
• embed fix something firmly into a surface
• embody represent an idea or quality in a clear way
• embrace hold someone close in your arms, or accept something fully
• emergence coming out or appearing for the first time
• emission gas or other substance released into the air
• emphasis special attention given to something important
• emphatically in a strong and clear way, leaving no doubt
• empirical based on observation and testing, not just ideas
• empower give someone the power and confidence to do something
• enabling making something possible or giving the power to do it
• enact make a law official, or act something out
• enacting making a law, or performing an action
• enamel a hard shiny coating on teeth or objects
• enameled covered with a hard shiny coating
• enamelled covered with a hard shiny layer
• enamored very much in love with or excited about something
• encamp set up a camp to stay in temporarily
• encamping setting up a camp in a place
• encampment a group of tents or shelters set up as a camp
• enchanter a person who uses magic to put spells on others
• enchanting very beautiful and delightful, like magic
• enchantment a feeling of great pleasure, or a magic spell
• enchilada a Mexican food made of a rolled flat bread with filling
• enclosure an area surrounded by a fence or wall
• encode change information into a code or special form
• encoder a device that changes information into a code
• encoding changing information into a special form
• encompass include or contain everything within
• encourager a person who gives support and confidence to others
• encouragingly in a way that gives someone hope and support
• encrypt change data into a secret code for safety
• encrypting making data secret by changing it into code
• encryption the process of making data secret with a code
• encyclopaedia a large book or set with information about many topics
• end-consumer the person who finally buys and uses a product
• end-game the last part of a game or process
• end-piece the part at the very end of something
• end-product the final thing made after a process
• end-to-end from the beginning to the very end
• end-user the person who will actually use a product
• endearing making people feel love and warmth toward you
• endearment a word or action showing love, like calling someone dear
• endeavour try hard to do something difficult
• endgame the final stage of something
• endlessly without stopping, going on and on
• endorse say publicly that you support or approve something
• endorsement public support or approval of something
• endurable able to be survived or handled
• endurance the power to bear pain or hardship without giving up
• enduring lasting for a long time, not changing
• energetically with a lot of energy and effort
• energize give energy and excitement to someone
• energized feeling full of energy and ready to act
• energizer something that gives energy and excitement
• energizing making you feel full of energy
• energy-consuming using a lot of energy
• energy-efficiency using less energy to do the same work
• energy-efficient using less energy while doing the same job
• energy-intensive needing a very large amount of energy
• enforced made sure a rule is followed by using power
• enforcement making sure rules and laws are followed
• enforcer a person who makes sure rules are followed
• engagement an agreement to marry, or being involved in something
• engaging interesting and attractive, holding your attention
• engine-driver a person who drives a train
• engine-room the room in a ship where the engine is kept
• engineered designed and built using science and skill
• english-speaking where people speak the language from England
• engraved cut a design or words into a hard surface
• engraver a person who cuts designs into hard surfaces
• engraving a picture or design cut into a hard surface
• engulf completely cover or surround something
• enhancement making something better or improving its quality
• enhancer something that makes another thing better
• enlarger a device that makes pictures bigger
• enlighten give someone new knowledge or understanding
• enlightened having a good understanding, open-minded
• enlightening giving new and helpful knowledge
• enlightenment gaining deep knowledge and understanding
• enlisted joined the military, or got someone to help
• enlistee a person who has joined the military
• enlistment the act of joining the military
• enormously to a very great degree, very much
• enquire ask for information about something
• enrage make someone extremely angry
• enraged extremely angry
• enrichment making something richer or more valuable
• enrollee a person who has signed up for something
• ensemble a group of musicians or actors, or a set of clothes
• enshrine protect something important in a law or document
• ensue happen after something else, as a result
• ensuing happening after and because of something
• entail involve or require as a necessary part
• entangle get caught up or involved in something complicated
• entangled caught up in something complicated
• entanglement being caught in a difficult or complicated situation
• enterprise a business or a difficult project that takes courage
• entertaining fun and enjoyable to watch or listen to
• enticing very attractive and tempting
• entirety the whole of something, everything included
• entitle give someone the right to have or do something
• entity something that exists as a separate thing
• entrancing so beautiful or interesting you cannot look away
• entrant a person who enters a competition or organisation
• entree the main dish of a meal
• entrepreneurial about starting and running new businesses
• entrepreneurship the activity of starting new businesses
• entrust give someone responsibility for something important
• entry-level for people just starting in a job or activity
• entryway the area where you enter a building
• envelop wrap or cover something completely
• enviously in a way that shows you want what someone else has
• environment-conscious caring about protecting nature
• environmentalism working to protect the natural world
• environmentally in a way that relates to the natural world
• environs the area around a place
• envision imagine or picture something in your mind
• envoy a person sent to represent their government in talks
• eon a very very long period of time
• epaulet a decoration on the shoulder of a uniform
• epaulette a piece on the shoulder of a military uniform
• epicenter the central point of an earthquake or event
• epicentra more than one central point of earthquakes
• epicentre the point on the surface above where an earthquake starts
• epicentrum the central point where an earthquake is strongest
• epidemical spreading quickly among many people like a disease
• epilate remove hair from the body
• epilation the removal of body hair
• epilator a device for removing body hair
• epilepsy a brain condition that causes sudden fits
• epileptic about or having a condition that causes sudden fits
• epilogue a section at the end of a book or play
• episcopal about bishops in a Christian church
• episcopalian belonging to a type of Christian church with bishops
• epitaph words written on a gravestone about a dead person
• epoch an important period of time in history
• epsom a town in England known for horse racing and salts
• equal-spaced with the same distance between each item
• equalize make things equal or the same
• equalized made equal or balanced
• equalizer something that makes things equal or fair
• equate consider two things as being the same
• equation a maths statement showing two things are equal
• equatorial near the middle line of the earth where it is hot
• equestrian about horse riding
• equestrianism the sport of horse riding
• equidistant at the same distance from two or more points
• equilateral having all sides of equal length
• equine about or relating to horses
• equinox a day when day and night are the same length
• equitable fair and equal for everyone
• equitably in a fair way that treats everyone equally
• equity being fair, or the value of a share you own
• equivalent equal in value, amount, or meaning
• eradicate completely remove or destroy something bad
• eradication completely removing or destroying something
• erasable able to be rubbed out or removed
• erasure the act of removing or rubbing out something
• erect build something, or standing straight and tall
• erection the act of building something
• ergonomic designed to be comfortable and efficient to use
• ergonomics the study of making things comfortable to use
• ernie a machine that picks random numbers for a lottery
• erode slowly wear away by water, wind, or time
• eroded slowly worn away over time
• eroding slowly being worn away
• erosion the slow wearing away of land by water or wind
• err make a mistake
• errand-boy a boy who carries messages and small packages
• erratic changing often and without a pattern
• error-free without any mistakes
• error-prone likely to make mistakes often
• errorless without any mistakes at all
• erupt suddenly burst out, like a volcano or anger
• eruption a sudden violent burst, like from a volcano
• escalate become worse or more serious step by step
• escalate down become less serious step by step
• escalating becoming more serious or worse
• escapable possible to get away from
• escapade an exciting and sometimes dangerous adventure
• escapee a person who has got away from prison or danger
• escarpment a long steep slope of rock or earth
• escort a person who goes with someone for safety or company
• eskimo a word used for people living in the very cold north
• especial more than usual, greater or better
• esperanto a language created for people of all countries to share
• essayist a person who writes short pieces about topics
• essex a county in the east of England
• essie a personal name, usually for a woman
• establish to start or set up something new
• esteem great respect and admiration for someone
• esteemed greatly respected and admired
• estonian from or about the country of Estonia
• estuary the wide part of a river where it meets the sea
• eternally lasting forever, without end
• ethernet a way of connecting computers together with cables
• ethic a principle about what is right and wrong
• ethical about what is right and wrong
• ethics study of what is right and wrong
• ethnic about a group of people who share culture and history
• ethnically in a way relating to cultural groups
• ethnicity the group you belong to based on shared culture
• etiquette the rules of polite behaviour in society
• etna a famous active volcano on the island of Sicily
• eulogy a speech praising someone who has died
• euphoric filled with an intense sense of well being and excitement
• european from or about the continent of Europe
• evacuation moving people out of a dangerous place
• evaluation carefully judging how good something is
• evaporate turn from liquid into gas and disappear
• eventual happening at the end, after a long time
• everlasting lasting forever, never ending
• evicted forced to leave a place by law
• eviction act of forcing someone out of their home
• evidently clearly, in a way that is easy to see
• evoke bring a feeling or memory to mind
• evolution slow change and development over a very long time
• evolutionary about the slow process of change over time
• evolve change and develop slowly over time
• exacerbate make a bad situation even worse
• exactness being completely correct and precise
• exaggerate say something is bigger or more than it really is
• exaggerated made to seem larger or more important than reality
• exaggeration making something seem bigger than it really is
• exalt praise very highly or raise to a higher position
• examinee a person who is taking a test
• excavation act of digging things out of the ground
• exceed go beyond a limit or be more than expected
• exceeding going beyond what is normal or expected
• excel be very good at something
• exceptionally in an unusual and very good way
• excessive too much, more than what is needed
• excessively in a way that is too much
• exchange rate how much one country's money is worth in another
• excitable easily made excited or nervous
• exclaim say something suddenly and loudly
• exclamation a sudden cry or remark expressing strong feeling
• exclude keep someone or something out
• exclusion keeping someone or something out
• exclusively only, for one person or group and no one else
• execute carry out a plan, or kill someone as punishment
• executed carried out or put to death by law
• execution carrying out a plan, or killing as punishment
• executive important person who makes decisions at work
• exert use effort or influence to make something happen
• exhausting making you extremely tired
• exile being forced to live away from your own country
• exiled sent away from your own country
• existed was real or was alive
• existing already there, current
• expectant feeling or showing hope that something good will happen
• expenditure the total amount of money spent
• expire come to an end, or stop being valid
• explicit stated very clearly with nothing hidden
• explicitly in a very clear and direct way
• exploit use something fully, or treat someone unfairly for gain
• exploitation unfairly using someone or something for your benefit
• exploited used unfairly for someone else's benefit
• explosive able to blow up, or very sudden and violent
• exposure being open to something, like sun or danger
• expressive showing feelings and emotions clearly
• exquisite extremely beautiful and well made
• extended made longer or bigger
• extension an extra part added to make something bigger or longer
• extraordinarily in an extremely unusual or remarkable way
• extraterrestrial from outside the planet Earth
• extravagant spending much more money than needed
• extremist a person with very strong and dangerous views
• exultant feeling very happy because of success
• eyebrow the line of hair above each eye
• eyelash one of the small hairs on the edge of the eyelid
• eyelid the skin that covers and protects your eye
• eyesore something ugly that is unpleasant to look at
• eyewitness a person who saw an event happen

F

• fabric cloth or material used to make clothes or covers
• faced having a particular type of face
• facial about or for the face
• facilitate make something easier or help it happen
• facilities buildings or equipment provided for a purpose
• facility a building or place made for a special use
• faction a small group within a larger group with different ideas
• factual based on facts and true information
• faculty a part of a university that teaches a group of related subjects
• fade away to slowly become weaker and disappear
• failed not successful in achieving what was attempted
• fairhaired having light-coloured hair
• fall behind to not keep up with others
• fall out to have an argument with someone
• falter become weak or unsure and almost stop
• familiarise make someone know about something for the first time
• fascination being extremely interested in something
• fascism system where one strong leader controls everything
• fascist person who supports one strong leader controlling all
• fashioned made or shaped in a particular way
• fastmoving happening or changing very quickly
• fatal causing death
• fatherinlaw the father of your husband or wife
• fatten make an animal or person fatter
• fattening making you gain weight
• faulty not working correctly, having something wrong
• fearless showing no fear, brave and courageous
• fearsome very frightening or scary
• feasible possible to do, able to be done
• feat an impressive and difficult achievement
• federation group of states joined under one shared government
• feminist a person who supports equal rights for women
• femme a French word for woman
• fencing a sport where two people fight with thin swords
• fend take care of yourself without help from others
• ferment when sugar in food turns to alcohol, or cause trouble
• fern green plant with many small thin leaves
• ferryboat a boat that carries people across water regularly
• festivity happy celebration and enjoyment
• feverish having a high body temperature from illness
• fiance a man who is engaged to be married
• fiancee woman who has promised to marry someone
• fictional not real, from a made-up story
• fiddle play with something using your fingers, or a violin
• fidget keep making small movements because you cannot sit still
• fierce very strong and aggressive
• fiercely in an intense and aggressive way
• fifties the numbers from 50 to 59, or that time period
• fightingmachine a vehicle or device made for battle
• figurative using words in a way that is not their usual meaning
• filial about the relationship between a child and parent
• finance money matters and how to use money
• findings facts learned by studying or looking into something
• finely in very small pieces, or very well
• fingernail the hard covering at the end of your finger
• fingerprint the unique pattern of lines on your finger tip
• firearm a gun or other weapon that shoots bullets
• firing shooting a weapon, or removing someone from a job
• firmness being strong and not easily changed
• fiscal about government money and taxes
• fishfarming growing fish in controlled water for food
• flam a trick or lie to deceive someone
• flammable catching fire and burning very easily
• flashpoint the moment when a situation suddenly becomes dangerous
• flatten make something completely flat
• flavouring something added to food to give it a certain taste
• flawed having a fault or weakness that makes it imperfect
• flawless perfect, without any mistakes or problems
• flax a plant used to make cloth and oil
• flee run away quickly from danger
• flesh the soft part of the body under the skin
• flex bend or stretch something
• flexibly in a way that can change and adapt easily
• fling throw something with force
• flirt behave in a playful way to show romantic interest
• flirtation playful behaviour to show romantic interest
• flirtatious behaving as if you like someone in a playful way
• flora all the plants growing in one area
• flowerbed an area of ground where flowers are planted
• flowerpot a container for growing plants
• flutter move wings quickly, or feel nervous and excited
• flux constant change and movement
• foil thin metal sheet, or stop someone's plan
• fondly in a loving and caring way
• foolishly in a silly way without thinking
• foolishness the quality of being unwise or lacking good sense
• footage a length of film or video recording
• footer information shown at the bottom of a page
• footing being in a stable safe position on your feet
• footnote a note at the bottom of a page with extra information
• forcefully in a strong and powerful way
• forearm the lower part of your arm between elbow and hand
• foreignlooking appearing to be from another country
• foreman a person in charge of a group of workers
• foremost most important or leading
• foreseeable able to be expected or predicted
• forestry the science of growing and caring for forests
• formation the way something is made or arranged
• formica a hard plastic material used for covering surfaces
• formidable very impressive and a little frightening
• forthcoming about to happen soon, or willing to give information
• fortuneteller a person who claims to know your future
• forum a place or meeting for public discussion of issues
• fossil the preserved remains of ancient plants or animals in rock
• foster to encourage or promote development, or to care for a child
• foul very unpleasant, or against the rules in sport
• framework a basic structure that supports something bigger
• framing putting a border around or building a structure
• franchise the right to sell a company's products in an area
• franchisee a person who pays to run a branch of a business
• frantic extremely worried and acting wildly
• frantically in a wild and worried way
• fraud a crime of tricking people to get money
• frayed worn and coming apart at the edges
• freeflow moving smoothly without being stopped
• freelance working independently rather than for one employer
• freshwater water that is not salty, from rivers and lakes
• friction the rubbing of surfaces, or disagreement between people
• friendless having no friends, lonely
• frigate a fast military ship
• frontier the border between two countries, or the edge of knowledge
• frostbite damage to body parts from extreme cold
• frown make an unhappy or worried face by pulling eyebrows down
• frugal careful with money, not wasteful
• fugitive person running away from the law or police
• fulfill do what you promised, or meet a requirement
• fume feel very angry, or give off harmful gas
• functional working properly and useful
• functionality the things something can do, its features
• fundamental very important and basic
• fundamentally in the most basic and important way
• funerary about funerals or death ceremonies
• funk a type of dance music, or a state of fear
• funky having a strong rhythm, or unusual in a cool way
• funnily in a strange or amusing way
• furnace a very hot enclosed space for heating or melting
• furthermore also, and one more thing
• futurologist a person who studies what may happen in the future

G

• gadget a small useful electronic device or tool
• gaiety a feeling of happiness and fun
• gale very strong wind that can cause damage
• galloping running very fast like a horse at full speed
• gamble risk money hoping to win more
• gambler a person who risks money on games or bets
• gamer a person who plays video games regularly
• garner collect or gather something over time
• garnish to add food decoration to make a dish look nicer
• gaslighting making someone question what is real and what is not
• gasworks a factory where gas is made
• gatekeeper person who controls who may enter a place
• gateway an entrance or a way to reach something
• gaudy too bright and showy, not in good taste
• gauge tool for measuring size, amount, or pressure
• gaze look at something for a long time
• gazebo small open building in a garden for sitting in
• gear equipment for an activity, or a part in a machine
• gem a beautiful precious stone, or something very good
• generalisation a broad statement that may not be true for everything
• generalise make a broad statement based on limited examples
• generalist a person who knows about many different things
• generalization a statement that is true for most but not all cases
• generously in a way that gives more than expected
• genuinely truly and honestly
• geographic about the land, rivers, and mountains of a place
• germ a very small living thing that can make you sick
• get ahead to make progress and become more successful
• geyser a natural spring that shoots hot water into the air
• ghetto a poor area of a city where one group of people lives
• give out to hand things to many people or stop working
• giveaway something given for free, or a sign that reveals truth
• giver a person who gives things to others
• giving generous and willing to share with others
• glacial about ice or glaciers, or extremely cold
• glacier a huge mass of ice that moves very slowly down a mountain
• glacis a gentle slope in front of a defensive wall
• glamorous attractive and exciting in a special way
• glare look at someone in an angry way, or a bright harsh light
• glazier a person whose job is to fit glass into windows
• glazing fitting glass into windows, or the glass itself
• gleam a soft gentle light, or to shine softly
• glee great happiness and delight
• globalization when business and culture spread across the world
• globally across the whole world
• gloom darkness, or a feeling of sadness
• gloomy dark and sad, without hope
• glorify praise someone very highly, or make seem better
• gloved wearing gloves on the hands
• glow give off a warm steady light
• glower look at someone in an angry threatening way
• gnp the total value of goods made by a country's people
• go-ahead permission to start something
• go-between a person who takes messages between two groups
• go-by pass without stopping, or something to ignore
• go-getter a person who works hard to succeed
• go-kart a small low racing car with no roof
• go-round one turn or attempt at something
• goad push someone to act by making them angry
• goal-kick a kick in football taken from the goal area
• goal-line the line at each end of a football field
• goal-shot a shot aimed at scoring a goal
• gobal relating to the whole world
• goddaughter a girl you promised to help care for at her baptism
• godfather a man who promises to help care for a child at baptism
• godforsaken empty and without anything good, very unpleasant
• godly living by the rules of God, very religious
• godparent a person who promises to care for a child at baptism
• godsend something very helpful that comes at just the right time
• goer a person who goes to a particular place regularly
• goitre a swelling in the neck from a thyroid problem
• gold-mine a place where gold is dug out, or a source of wealth
• gold-plated covered with a thin layer of gold
• gold-rush a time when many people hurry to find gold
• goo a thick sticky substance
• good-humoured cheerful and in a pleasant mood
• good-naturedly in a kind and friendly way
• good-neighbor friendly and helpful to people who live nearby
• good-neighbour being kind and helpful to those who live near you
• good-sized fairly large
• good-tempered not easily made angry, calm and pleasant
• goodwill friendly and helpful feelings toward other people
• gooey soft, sticky, and wet
• goof make a silly mistake
• goofy silly and funny in a playful way
• gook thick sticky dirty substance
• goop a thick sticky messy substance
• gooseberry a small green sour fruit that grows on a bush
• gopher a small animal that digs tunnels underground
• gore blood from wounds, or to wound with horns
• gorge a deep narrow valley, or eat too much
• gorgeously in a very beautiful and attractive way
• gorgonzola a strong Italian cheese with blue marks
• gory showing a lot of blood and violence
• gospel the teachings of Jesus, or something believed as true
• gothic about a dark style in art and buildings with pointed arches
• goulash a thick meat soup with spice, from Hungary
• gourd a large fruit with a hard shell, used as a container
• gourmet someone who knows and loves fine food
• governmental about or run by the government
• gracefulness the quality of moving in a smooth beautiful way
• graceless without grace, clumsy or not polite
• gracious kind, polite, and generous
• graciously in a kind and polite way
• gradation a small change in steps from one level to another
• graded arranged by level or quality
• gradient how steep a slope is
• grading giving marks or arranging by quality
• gradual happening slowly over a long time
• grafting attaching a piece of one plant onto another
• grainy having a rough surface with small pieces
• grammar-school a school for children, or a selective secondary school
• grammatical relating to the rules of a language
• grand-nephew the son of your nephew or niece
• grand-niece the daughter of your nephew or niece
• grandeur great beauty and impressiveness
• grandiose seeming impressive but too large or unrealistic
• grandly in an impressive and important way
• grandstand rows of seats for watching sports, or acting to impress
• granite a very hard grey rock used in building
• granola a breakfast food made from oats, nuts, and honey
• grant-in-aid money given by the government to help with a project
• granting giving or allowing something officially
• granulated in the form of small hard grains
• grapevine a plant that grapes grow on, or informal news sharing
• graphical shown in the form of pictures or graphs
• graphically in a very clear and detailed way, or using pictures
• grapple struggle to deal with a difficult problem
• grappling trying hard to deal with a difficult situation
• grasping trying hard to get things, especially money
• gratefulness the feeling of being thankful
• gratification a feeling of pleasure from getting what you wanted
• gratify give someone pleasure or satisfaction
• gratifying giving pleasure and satisfaction
• grating a frame of metal bars, or an annoying harsh sound
• gratis free, without having to pay
• gratuitous done without a good reason, unnecessary
• gratuity extra money given for good service, a tip
• graveside the area next to a grave
• gravitation the force that pulls things toward each other
• gravitational related to the force that pulls things down
• grayish slightly grey in colour
• grazing animals eating grass, or lightly touching a surface
• greasing putting oil or fat on something to make it smooth
• great-aunt the sister of your grandmother or grandfather
• great-grandchild the child of your grandchild
• great-granddaughter the daughter of your grandchild
• great-grandson the son of your grandchild
• great-nephew the son of your nephew or niece
• great-niece the daughter of your nephew or niece
• great-uncle the brother of your grandmother or grandfather
• greats famous important people, or main university courses
• greed wanting much more than you need
• green-eyed feeling jealous, or having green eyes
• greenery green plants and leaves
• greenfly a tiny green insect that damages plants
• greengrocery a shop that sells fruits and vegetables
• greenish slightly green in colour
• greeter a person who welcomes others when they arrive
• gremlin a small imaginary creature that causes problems
• grenade a small bomb thrown by hand
• grenadine a sweet red syrup used in drinks
• greyfaced having a pale tired-looking face
• greyhaired having grey or white hair
• greyhound a tall thin dog that runs very fast
• greyish slightly grey in colour
• greyishgreen a colour between grey and green
• grid a network of lines crossing each other to form squares
• griddle a flat metal surface for cooking food
• grief deep sadness, especially when someone dies
• grieve feel great sadness, especially about a death
• grieved felt very sad about a loss
• grieving feeling deep sadness after someone dies
• grievous very serious and causing great pain
• grilling cooking food over direct heat, or asking hard questions
• grim very serious and unpleasant
• grime thick black dirt on surfaces
• grimly in a very serious and dark way
• grimy covered with thick dirty marks
• grind to crush something into small pieces or powder
• grind away keep working hard at something difficult
• grind down slowly make someone tired and weak
• grind out produce something with long hard effort
• grind up crush something into very small pieces
• grinder a machine that crushes things into small pieces
• grindstone a round stone used for making tools sharp
• gripe complain about something in an annoying way
• griping complaining about things in a boring way
• gripper something that holds tight
• gripping so exciting that you cannot stop reading or watching
• grisly causing horror and disgust, very unpleasant
• grits a food made from crushed grain, popular in the south of USA
• gritty brave and determined, or having small rough pieces
• grizzled having grey hair, especially from age
• groan make a deep sound because of pain or annoyance
• groaning making a low deep sound from pain or effort
• groin the area where your legs meet your body
• groomsman a man who helps the groom at a wedding
• groomsmen men who help the groom at a wedding
• grooved having long narrow cuts in the surface
• groovy fashionable and exciting
• grope feel around in the dark trying to find something
• gross very unpleasant, or the total before anything is taken away
• grossly very much, in a very bad way
• grotesque very ugly and strange in a shocking way
• grotto a small pretty cave
• ground-level at the same level as the ground outside
• ground-nut a peanut, a nut that grows underground
• ground-water water found under the surface of the earth
• grounding basic knowledge and training in a subject
• groundless without any good reason or proof
• groundnut a peanut, growing under the ground
• grounds the land around a building, or reasons for something
• groundwater water under the surface of the earth
• groundwork the basic work needed before starting something bigger
• groupie a person who follows a famous person or band everywhere
• grouse complain about something, or a type of wild bird
• grow over become covered by plants growing
• grow together become closer over time
• grownup an adult person
• grub food, or a small fat insect that lives in soil
• grudging done without wanting to, unwilling
• grudgingly in a way that shows you do not want to do it
• grueling extremely tiring and difficult
• gruelling extremely difficult and tiring
• gruff having a rough deep voice, or not very friendly
• gruffly in a rough and unfriendly way
• grumbling complaining in a quiet unhappy way
• grumpily in a bad-tempered and complaining way
• grungy dirty and in bad condition
• grunt make a short low sound, like a pig
• grunting making short low sounds
• guarantor a person who promises to pay if someone else cannot
• guaranty a promise to pay if something goes wrong
• guard-rail a metal bar that stops people or vehicles from falling
• guarded careful about what you say, not revealing much
• guardianship the legal responsibility of caring for someone
• guardrail a bar to stop people from falling off an edge
• guava a tropical fruit with pink or white flesh inside
• guerilla a fighter who attacks in small surprise groups
• guerrilla a fighter using surprise attacks against a larger force
• guess-work trying to find an answer without having enough facts
• guesswork finding answers by guessing, not from real knowledge
• guffaw a loud burst of laughter
• guide-line a rule or piece of advice about how to do something
• guideline a rule or suggestion about how to do something
• guild a group of people who do the same work or share interests
• guillotine a machine with a blade for cutting, used in history
• guilt-ridden feeling very guilty about something
• guiltily in a way that shows you feel guilty
• guinea-pig a small pet animal, or a person used for testing
• guise the way something appears on the outside, often hiding truth
• gullet the tube from your mouth to your stomach
• gullibility being too easy to trick or fool
• gullible too ready to believe what people tell you
• gully a narrow channel cut into earth by flowing water
• gulping swallowing quickly and with difficulty
• gum up block or spoil something so it does not work
• gum-boots tall rubber boots for walking in wet places
• gum-tree a tree that produces a sticky substance
• gumdrop a small soft sweet made from sugar
• gummy sticky, or having no teeth
• gumtree a tree, especially from Australia, that makes sticky liquid
• gun down shoot and kill someone
• gun-boat a small ship with guns on it
• gun-fire the shooting of guns
• gunboat a small military ship with weapons
• gung-ho too eager and excited about doing something
• gunge sticky unpleasant soft substance
• gunner a soldier who uses a large gun
• gunpoint threatening someone with a gun
• gunshot the sound or act of firing a gun
• guppy a small colourful fish kept as a pet
• gusty with strong sudden bursts of wind
• gut feeling a strong sense about something without knowing why
• gutless not brave, without courage
• guts courage and bravery, or the inside parts of the body
• guzzle eat or drink something quickly and greedily
• gymnast a person who does difficult body exercises as sport
• gymnastic about the sport of body exercises and movements
• gynaecologist a doctor for women's health
• gynaecology the medical study of women's health
• gynecologist a doctor who treats women's health problems
• gynecology the area of medicine about women's health
• gyrate turn round and round in a circle
• gyro a Greek food of meat in bread, or a spinning device
• gyroscope a spinning device that helps keep balance and direction

H

• habitant a person who lives in a particular place
• habitation a place where people live
• hack-saw a saw for cutting metal
• hacker a person who breaks into computer systems
• hacking breaking into computer systems without permission
• hacksaw a saw with a thin blade for cutting metal
• haddock a type of sea fish often used in cooking
• hag an ugly old woman, used in an unkind way
• haggard looking very tired and unwell
• haggis a Scottish dish made from meat and oats in a casing
• haggling arguing about the price of something
• haiku a Japanese poem with three lines of five, seven, and five syllables
• hair-dye a product that changes the colour of your hair
• hair-line the edge where hair starts growing on the head
• hair-net a thin net worn over hair to keep it in place
• hair-piece false hair worn to cover baldness
• hair-raising very frightening and exciting
• hair-slide a clip used to hold hair in place
• hairball a ball of hair in an animal's stomach
• hairdressing the job of cutting and styling hair
• hairgrip a small metal clip for holding hair in place
• hairless without any hair
• hairnet a thin net for keeping hair tidy
• hairpiece extra hair worn on the head
• hairpin a thin piece of wire for holding hair in place
• hairslide a decorative clip for holding hair
• hairstylist a person whose job is to cut and style hair
• half-and-half in equal parts, half of each
• half-hearted done without real effort or interest
• half-heartedly without much effort or enthusiasm
• half-hourly happening every thirty minutes
• half-life the time for half of a substance to break down
• half-light dim light, between light and dark
• half-mast a flag flown lower than usual to show sadness
• half-measure an action that does not fully solve a problem
• half-pound a weight equal to about 225 grams
• half-year a period of six months
• half-yearly happening every six months
• halfblind not able to see very well
• halfdecaf coffee that is half normal and half without caffeine
• halfempty with only half of the space filled
• halfhearted without much interest or effort
• halflife the time for half of something to break down
• halfsister a sister who shares only one parent with you
• halleluiah a word of praise and joy used in religion
• hallelujah an exclamation of praise and thankfulness
• hallmark a typical quality, or a mark showing quality
• hallucinate see things that are not really there
• halo a circle of light around the head of a holy person
• halter a strap around an animal's head for leading it
• halting stopping and starting, not smooth
• haltingly in a way that stops and starts, not flowing
• hamlet a very small village
• hammer throw a sport where you throw a heavy ball on a wire
• hammered very drunk
• hammerhead a shark with a flat wide head shaped like a hammer
• hammering hitting something hard many times
• hamstring the muscle at the back of your upper leg
• hand round give something to each person in a group
• hand-grenade a small bomb thrown by hand
• hand-held small enough to hold and use in your hand
• hand-knit made by knitting with hands, not a machine
• hand-knitted made by hand using knitting needles
• hand-me-down clothes passed from an older child to a younger one
• hand-pick choose very carefully by hand
• hand-picked carefully chosen for a special purpose
• hand-to-hand fighting very close to the other person
• hand-to-mouth having only enough money for basic needs
• handcart a small cart pushed or pulled by hand
• handclap hitting your hands together once to make a sound
• handcraft something made by skilled hands, not machines
• handcrafted made carefully by hand, not by machine
• handgrip the part you hold with your hand, or how you hold it
• handhold something to hold onto for support
• handicap something that makes an activity more difficult
• handily in a convenient and useful way
• handiness being useful and easy to use
• handler a person who manages or controls something
• handout something given for free, or a printed sheet
• handover giving control or responsibility to another person
• handpick choose with great care for a special purpose
• handpicked very carefully selected
• handprint the mark left by pressing a hand on a surface
• handrail a bar to hold for support when walking on stairs
• hands-down easily and without any doubt
• hands-off not getting involved or controlling things
• hands-on learning by doing things yourself
• handsaw a saw used with one hand for cutting wood
• handset the part of a phone you hold, or a remote control
• handsomely generously, or in an attractive way
• handsomeness the quality of being good-looking
• handwork work done by hand, not by machine
• hang about wait around doing nothing in particular
• hang back not move forward, stay behind because of doubt
• hang gliding flying through the air on a large frame with cloth
• hang round spend time in a place without doing much
• hang together stay united or make sense as a whole
• hang-glider a frame with cloth used for flying through the air
• hang-up a problem or worry that stops you from feeling free
• hangar a large building where planes are kept
• hangnail a small piece of skin torn near your fingernail
• hangout a place where you spend a lot of free time
• hangtag a label attached to a product with information
• happen along arrive somewhere by chance
• happen in come into a place by chance
• harassment behavior that bothers or hurts someone again and again
• hard-back a book with a stiff cover
• hard-cover a book with a thick stiff cover
• hard-earned gained through a lot of work and effort
• hard-headed practical and not influenced by feelings
• hard-hearted showing no sympathy or kindness
• hard-hit seriously affected by something bad
• hard-hitting direct and powerful, not avoiding the truth
• hard-line very strict and refusing to change
• hard-sell a very aggressive way of trying to sell something
• hard-to-get pretending not to be interested
• hard-to-reach difficult to get to or contact
• hard-won achieved only after a lot of hard work and effort
• hardback a book with a stiff cover
• hardcover a book with a thick firm cover
• hardened made tough and no longer affected by things
• hardening becoming harder or less sensitive over time
• hardhearted not showing care or sympathy for others
• hardiness the ability to survive difficult conditions
• hardness how firm or tough something is
• hardwearing lasting a long time without getting damaged
• hardwood strong heavy wood from trees like oak
• hardy strong and able to survive difficult conditions
• hare-brained silly and not well thought out
• hark back talk about or remember something from the past
• harmless not able to cause any damage or hurt
• harmonic about musical sounds that go well together
• harmonious things that go well together and create a nice effect
• harmonize make things go well together
• harrow a farm tool for breaking up soil
• harrowing extremely upsetting and disturbing
• harry keep attacking or bothering someone
• harsh rough, unpleasant, or too strong
• harshly in a cruel or severe way
• harshness being very severe or unkind
• harvesting gathering food from fields when it is ready
• hasidic about a very religious group of Jewish people
• hassle something annoying that causes trouble
• haste doing things too quickly, in a rush
• hasten make something happen faster, or hurry
• hastily very quickly, often too quickly
• hatchet small tool with a sharp blade for cutting wood
• hatching a baby bird coming out of an egg
• hats off a way of showing respect or admiration for someone
• haughtiness behaving as if you are better than others
• haul in pull something heavy toward you
• haul up pull something heavy upward
• haunch the upper leg and hip area of a person or animal
• haunches the area where the legs and hips meet
• haunting beautiful and sad, staying in your mind
• have down understand something, or have written it
• have in invite someone to your home
• hay dried grass used as food for animals
• hayfield a field where grass is grown to be cut for hay
• haywire out of control and not working properly
• hazardous dangerous and likely to cause harm
• haze thin mist or smoke in the air that makes it hard to see
• hazel a light brown colour, or a type of tree with nuts
• hazel-nut a small round brown nut from a hazel tree
• hazy not clear because of mist, or vague and unclear
• head in go into a place
• head up lead or be in charge of something
• head-office the main building of a company
• headachy having or causing a headache
• headcount the total number of people who work at a company
• header hitting a ball with your head, or text at the top of a page
• headlamp a strong light on the front of a car
• headland piece of land going out into the sea
• headless without a head
• headlight the main light on the front of a vehicle
• headmaster the male leader of a school
• headnoise sounds heard in the head that are not real
• headquarter use a place as the main base of an organisation
• headquarters the main office of an organisation
• headrest the part of a seat that supports your head
• headstand standing on your head with your feet in the air
• headway progress moving forward
• headwear anything worn on the head, like hats
• healer a person who helps others recover from illness
• health-care medical services that keep people well
• healthiness the state of being in good health
• heap a large untidy pile of things
• heaps a very large amount of something
• hearse car that carries a dead person
• heartbreaking causing extreme sadness
• heartfelt very honest and deeply felt
• heat therapy using warmth to treat pain in the body
• heat-wave a long period of very hot weather
• heave pull or lift something very heavy with great effort
• heavy-duty made to be strong and last through hard use
• hectare a unit of land equal to 10,000 square metres
• hectic very busy and full of activity
• hedge a row of bushes forming a barrier, or avoid giving a clear answer
• help along help someone make progress
• help off help someone remove something
• help on help someone put something on
• help over help someone get past a difficulty
• helpfully in a way that gives useful help
• helpfulness the quality of being willing to help
• hemisphere one half of the earth or a round shape
• hemp a plant used to make rope, cloth, and other products
• hence for this reason, therefore
• henhouse a small building where chickens live
• herbal made from plants used in medicine or cooking
• heritage traditions and culture passed down through history
• hesitant not sure what to do, slow to act
• hesitated stopped for a moment because of feeling unsure
• hesitation pausing because you are not sure
• hexagon a shape with six straight sides
• hierarchical arranged in levels from most to least important
• hierarchy a system where people are ranked by importance
• highland an area of mountains or high land
• hijack take control of a vehicle by force
• hilt the handle of a sword or knife
• hinder to make it difficult for something to happen
• hip thrust an exercise where you push your hips upward
• hit it off become friends quickly and easily
• hive a home for bees, or a busy active place
• hoax a trick that makes people believe something false
• holder a person who has something, or a thing for holding objects
• holdup a delay, or a robbery with weapons
• holocaust a great destruction and loss of life
• homeopath a person who treats illness with very small amounts of natural substances
• homeopathic about treating illness with tiny amounts of natural things
• homeopathy a way of treating illness using very small amounts of natural substances
• homeward going toward home
• homicide killing of one person by another
• hone improve a skill with practice and effort
• honeybee a type of bee that makes honey
• honorary given as an honour, without the usual requirements
• horrid very unpleasant and nasty
• horrified feeling very shocked and scared by something bad
• horserace a competition where horses run against each other
• horseracing the sport of racing horses
• hospice a place where dying people are cared for
• hospitable friendly and welcoming to visitors
• hospitalise send someone to hospital for treatment
• hospitality being friendly and generous to guests
• hospitalize put someone in hospital for medical care
• hostage person kept by force until demands are met
• hostile very unfriendly and ready to fight or argue
• hotblooded having strong feelings and getting angry easily
• hourly happening every hour
• housemaster a teacher in charge of a school house or dormitory
• hover stay in the air in one place without moving
• hugely very much, to a great degree
• hum make a low continuous sound with closed lips
• humane showing kindness and care for others and animals
• humanist a person who believes in the value of human beings
• humanitarian about helping people who are suffering
• humankind all people in the world together
• humbug dishonest talk, or a type of sweet
• humiliate make someone feel ashamed and stupid in public
• humiliating making you feel very ashamed
• humiliation the feeling of being embarrassed and ashamed
• humility quality of not being too proud
• hungrylooking appearing to be very hungry
• hurl throw something with great force
• hurtle move very fast in an uncontrolled way
• hush make quiet, or a period of silence
• hustle move quickly and push, or work hard to earn money
• hydrogen very light gas with no color or smell
• hymn a religious song sung in church
• hyperbole language that exaggerates to make a strong point
• hypertension blood pressure that is too high
• hyphen a short line (-) used to join words together
• hypocrite person who says one thing but does another
• hypocritical saying one thing but doing the opposite
• hypothesis an idea that has not yet been proved true
• hypothetical based on an idea, not on real facts
• hysteric a person in an extreme emotional state

I

• i beg to differ a polite way to say you disagree
• icecap a thick layer of ice covering a large area
• icelandic from or about the country of Iceland
• iceman a person who works with or delivers ice
• ick a sudden bad feeling about someone you liked before
• iconic very famous and widely known as a symbol
• icu a hospital unit for patients who are very seriously ill
• ideally in the best possible way, or if things were perfect
• identification proving who you are, or finding what something is
• ideology a set of political or social beliefs
• idle not working or doing anything
• idleness state of doing nothing or being lazy
• ignorance not knowing about something important
• ignorant not knowing about something, lacking knowledge
• illegible too messy or unclear to be read
• illiterate not able to read or write
• illuminated lit up or made bright with light
• imagemaking creating a particular public picture of someone
• imagery pictures or descriptions that create images in the mind
• imaginable possible to think of in your mind
• imaginative good at thinking of new and creative ideas
• immeasurable too large or great to measure
• immensely to a very great degree
• immerse put completely into a liquid, or be deeply involved
• immersed deeply involved or covered in liquid
• immobile not moving, completely still
• immoral not following what society believes is right
• immortal living forever, never dying
• immortality the state of living forever
• immunization giving a person protection against a disease
• impactor something that hits or crashes into another thing
• impartial treating everyone equally, not taking sides
• imperative extremely important and needing to be done now
• impermanent not lasting forever, temporary
• implementation the process of putting a plan into action
• implode collapse inward suddenly and violently
• impolitely in a rude way that lacks good manners
• imports goods brought in from another country
• imposed put on someone as a rule or duty
• imposing large and making a strong effect on people
• impossibility something that cannot happen or be done
• impotence lack of power or ability to act
• impractical not sensible or useful in real life
• imprecise not exact or accurate
• impressionism an art style that uses light and colour to show feelings
• impressionist an artist who paints using light and colour effects
• imprison put someone in prison
• imprisonment being kept in prison as punishment
• improbable not likely to happen or be true
• improperly in a wrong or unsuitable way
• impulse a sudden strong wish to do something
• impurity something dirty or harmful mixed into a substance
• in-law family member through marriage
• inability state of not being able to do something
• inaccurate not correct or exact
• inactivity doing nothing, not being active
• inadequate not enough, or not good enough
• inane very silly and without meaning
• inanimate not alive, without life
• inborn something you have from birth, natural
• incense a substance that makes a sweet smell when burned
• incentive something that encourages you to do more
• incidentally by the way, as a side note
• inclination feeling of wanting to do something
• incompetent not able to do a job well
• incorporate include something as part of a bigger thing
• incriminate make someone appear guilty of a crime
• incur cause something unpleasant to happen to yourself
• incurable not able to be cured or fixed
• indebted owing thanks or money to someone
• indecent not proper and shocking to other people
• indent move text away from the left edge of a page
• indescribable too amazing or terrible to describe in words
• indicate to show or point to something
• indication a sign that shows something is true
• indifference lack of interest or care about something
• indifferent not caring or interested
• indigenous originally from a particular place, native
• indignant angry because of something unfair
• indignantly in an angry way because something is unfair
• indignity treatment that makes you feel ashamed
• indispensable so important that you cannot do without it
• indulge allow yourself to enjoy something you want
• indulgent allowing someone to have what they want
• industrious working very hard and with great effort
• ineffective not producing the result you want
• inequality unfair difference between groups of people
• inert not moving or not able to cause a reaction
• inexpertly in a way that shows little skill
• infect spread disease or harmful things to something
• infectious able to spread disease from person to person
• inference a conclusion you reach based on what you know
• inferior lower in quality or position than something else
• infidelity being unfaithful to a partner or promise
• infinite without any end or limit
• infinitely without any limit or end at all
• inflammation swelling, redness, and pain in part of the body
• inflammatory making people angry, or causing swelling in the body
• inflate fill with air to make bigger
• inflation when prices keep going up over time
• inflexible not willing to change, or not able to bend
• influential having the power to change how people think
• influenza a serious illness like a bad cold with fever
• infrared light that gives heat but cannot be seen
• infringe break a rule or take away someone's rights
• infringement breaking a rule or someone's rights
• inhabit live in a place
• inheritance money or things you get when someone in your family dies
• inhibition a feeling that stops you from doing what you want
• initiate start something new
• initiative plan or action to fix a problem
• innate born with, a natural quality you always had
• innocence state of not having done anything wrong
• innocently in a way that shows no harmful intent
• innovation a new idea or way of doing things
• innovative using new and creative ideas
• inpatient person staying in hospital for treatment
• inquest an official examination to find the cause of a death
• inquisitive wanting to know about everything, curious
• insecure not feeling safe or confident about yourself
• insecurity feeling of not being safe or sure
• insensitive not caring about other people's feelings
• inseparable always together, impossible to separate
• insight a sudden clear grasp of what something really means
• insignificant too small or unimportant to matter
• insincere not meaning what you say, fake
• installment one part of a payment made over time
• instinct a natural feeling that tells you what to do
• instinctively in a natural way without needing to think
• institution important group or building in a country
• institutional about large organisations like hospitals or schools
• instruct tell someone what to do, or teach them
• instructional designed to teach or give information
• instructive teaching you something useful
• insufficient not enough for what is needed
• intact not broken or damaged, still whole
• integer whole number that is not a fraction
• integrated joined together to work as one whole thing
• intellectuals people who spend time thinking about ideas
• intelligible able to be understood clearly
• intensive care special hospital treatment for very sick people
• intent having a firm plan to do something, or great focus
• intently with close attention and full focus
• interface point where two systems or people meet and work together
• interfere get involved when you are not wanted
• interior the inside part of something
• internally on the inside, within something
• internship a period of work experience for a student
• interpersonal about relationships between people
• interpretive explaining or giving the meaning of something
• interrogation act of asking many serious questions
• interruption something that stops an activity for a short time
• intervention getting involved to change a situation
• intimacy state of being very close with someone
• intimate very close and personal
• intimidate to frighten someone so they do what you want
• intimidating making someone feel afraid or less sure
• intolerance not accepting people who are different
• intolerant not willing to accept others who are different
• intoxicated drunk or under the effect of a substance
• intransitive a verb that does not need an object after it
• intrapersonal happening within one person's own mind
• intravenous put directly into a vein in the body
• intricate having many small parts that are hard to follow
• intrigue make very curious, or a secret plan
• intriguing very interesting and making you want to know more
• intrude enter a place or situation where you are not welcome
• intruder a person who enters a place without permission
• intrusion entering where you are not wanted
• intuitive understanding things naturally without being taught
• invader a person or army that enters a place by force
• invariable never changing, always the same
• invariably always, without ever changing
• invasive spreading in a harmful way that is hard to stop
• inventive good at thinking of new and clever ideas
• inverter a device that changes one type of electric current to another
• investing putting money into something to make more
• invincible too strong or powerful to be beaten
• invisible not able to be seen
• invitingly in a way that makes you want to come closer
• invoke use a rule or power, or call for help
• involvement taking part in something
• iranian from or about the country of Iran
• iraqi from or about the country of Iraq
• iris the coloured part of your eye, or a purple flower
• ironical meaning the opposite of what is said
• ironically in a way that is opposite to what you would expect
• irrational not based on logic or reason
• irrelevant not connected to or important for what is being discussed
• irreplaceable too special or valuable to be replaced
• irresistible too attractive or strong to say no to
• irresistibly in a way that is impossible to resist
• irresponsible not thinking about what could go wrong
• irretrievable impossible to get back or fix
• irritation the feeling of being annoyed
• islam the religion followed by Muslims
• islamabad the capital city of Pakistan
• islamic about the religion and culture of Muslims
• islander a person who lives on an island
• islet a very small island
• isolate separate from others
• isolated far from other places or people, alone
• isolating making someone feel alone and cut off
• israeli from or about the country of Israel
• israelite a person from the ancient people of Israel
• italic letters that lean to the right in printed text
• italics text printed leaning to the right for emphasis
• iv drip a device that puts liquid medicine directly into a vein
• ivy a green climbing plant that grows on walls