100 words to impress a native speaker of English! Part Two http://www.world-english.org/improve_vocabulary_advanced.

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How to Improve your Vocabulary

100 words to Impress a Native Speaker of English!

Here is the second part of our 100 advanced words which should impress even the most
educated of native speakers! Perfect if you want to impress the examiner in examinations
like: SAT, IELTS, TOEFL and Cambridge CAE and CPE. If you are really serious about
having an extensive and impressive vocabulary, try learning these and then try these
advanced vocabulary tests.

Part ONE / Part TWO

jubilant

(adj.) extremely joyful, happy (The crowd was jubilant when the firefighter carried the
woman from the flaming building.)

knell

(n.) the solemn sound of a bell, often indicating a death (Echoing throughout our
village, the funeral knell made the grey day even more grim.)

lithe

(adj.) graceful, flexible, supple (Although the dancers were all outstanding, Joanna’s
control of her lithe body was particularly impressive.)

lurid

(adj.) ghastly, sensational (Barry’s story, in which he described a character torturing

his neighbour's tortoise, was judged too lurid to be published on the English Library's
website.)

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maverick

(n.) an independent, nonconformist person (John is a real maverick and always does
things his own way.)

maxim

(n.) a common saying expressing a principle of conduct (Ms. Stone’s etiquette

maxims are both entertaining and instructional.)

meticulous

(adj.) extremely careful with details (The ornate needlework in the bride’s gown was a
product of meticulous handiwork.)

modicum

(n.) a small amount of something (Refusing to display even a modicum of sensitivity,

Magda announced her boss’s affair to the entire office.)

morose

(adj.) gloomy or sullen (David’s morose nature made him very unpleasant to talk to.)

myriad

(adj.) consisting of a very great number (It was difficult to decide what to do on
Saturday night because the city presented us with myriad possibilities for fun.)

nadir

(n.) the lowest point of something (My day was boring, but the nadir came when my
new car was stolen.)

nominal

(adj.) trifling, insignificant (Because he was moving the following week and needed to
get rid of his furniture more than he needed money, Kim sold everything for a
nominal price.)

novice

(n.) a beginner, someone without training or experience (Because we were all novices
at archery, our instructor decided to begin with the basics

nuance

(n.) a slight variation in meaning, tone, expression (The nuances of the poem were
not obvious to the casual reader, but the teacher was able to point them out.)

oblivious

(adj.) lacking consciousness or awareness of something (Oblivious to the burning

smell emanating from the kitchen, my father did not notice that the rolls in the oven
were burned until much too late.)

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obsequious

(adj.) excessively compliant or submissive (Donald acted like Susan’s servant,

obeying her every request in an obsequious manner.)

obtuse

(adj.) lacking quickness of sensibility or intellect (Political opponents warned that the
prime minister’s obtuse approach to foreign policy would embroil the nation in
mindless war.)

panacea

(n.) a remedy for all ills or difficulties (Doctors wish there was a single panacea for
every disease, but sadly there is not.)

parody

(n.) a satirical imitation (A hush fell over the classroom when the teacher returned to
find Magdalena acting out a parody of his teaching style.)

penchant

(n.) a tendency, partiality, preference (Fiona’s dinner parties quickly became

monotonous on account of her penchant for Indian dishes.)

perusal

(n.) a careful examination, review (The actor agreed to accept the role after a
three-month perusal of the movie script.)

plethora

(n.) an abundance, excess (The wedding banquet included a plethora of oysters piled
almost three feet high.)

predilection

(n.) a preference or inclination for something (James has a predilection for eating
toad in the whole with tomato ketchup.)

quaint

(adj.) charmingly old-fashioned (Mary was delighted by the quaint bonnets she saw in
Romania.)

rash

(adj.) hasty, incautious (It’s best to think things over calmly and thoroughly, rather
than make rash decisions.)

refurbish

(v.) to restore, clean up (After being refurbished the old Triumph motorcycle
commanded the handsome price of $6000.)

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repudiate

(v.) to reject, refuse to accept (Tom made a strong case for an extension of his
curfew, but his mother repudiated it with a few biting words.)

rife

(adj.) abundant (Surprisingly, the teacher’s writing was rife with spelling errors.)

salient

(adj.) significant, conspicuous (One of the salient differences between Alison and
Helen is that Alison is a couple of kilos heavier.)

serendipity

(n.) luck, finding good things without looking for them (In an amazing bit of
serendipity, penniless Mark found a $50 bill on the back seat of the bus.)

staid

(adj.) sedate, serious, self-restrained (The staid butler never changed his expression
no matter what happened.)

superfluous

(adj.) exceeding what is necessary (Samantha had already won the campaign so her
constant flattery of others was superfluous.)

sycophant

(n.) one who flatters for self-gain (Some see the people in the cabinet as the Prime
Minister’s closest advisors, but others see them as sycophants.)

taciturn

(adj.) not inclined to talk (Though Magda never seems to stop talking, her brother is
quite taciturn.)

truculent

(adj.) ready to fight, cruel (This club doesn’t really attract the dangerous types, so
why was that bouncer being so truculent?)

umbrage

(n.) resentment, offence (He called me a lily-livered coward, and I took umbrage at
the insult.)

venerable

(adj.) deserving of respect because of age or achievement (The venerable High Court
judge had made several key rulings in landmark cases throughout the years.)

vex

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(v.) to confuse or annoy (My boyfriend vexes me by pinching my bottom for hours on
end.)

vociferous

(adj.) loud, boisterous (I’m tired of his vociferous whining so I’m breaking up with
him.)

wanton

(adj.) undisciplined, lewd, lustful (Joanna’s wanton demeanor often made the frat
guys next door very excited.)

zenith

(n.) the highest point, culminating point (I was too nice to tell Emily that she had
reached the absolute zenith of her career with that one top 10 hit of hers.)

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