Vocabulary Builders: Words to Know -- A Basic Word List

Vocabulary Builders: Words to Know -- A Basic Word List

This section focuses on ways to build and expand your vocabulary through learning a new word daily. Here's a good basic list of words to learn as you enhance your vocabulary

Here's a good basic list of words to learn as you enhance your vocabulary:

A
abash
abbreviate
abduct
aberrant
aberration
abeyance
abhorrent
abject
abjure
aboriginal
abortive
abrade
abrasion
abrogate
absolution
abstemious
abstention
abstruse
accelerate
accentuate
acceptation
accessary
accession
accessory
acclamation
acclivity
accolade
accomplice
accost
acerbity
acetic
achromatic
acidulous
acme
acolyte
acoustics
acquiescence
acquisitive
acrimonious
acumen
adage
adamantine
addict
adduce
adhesive
adipose
adjudicate
adolescence
adulation
adulterate
advent
adventitious
aerial
affability
affidavit
affiliate
affinity
agglomerate
agglutinate
aggrandizement
agnostic
alignment
aliment
allegorical
alleviate
altercation
altruistic
amalgamate
amatory
ambiguity
ambrosial
ameliorate
amenable
amenity
amity
amnesty
amulet
anachronism
analytical
anathema
anatomy
animadversion
annotate
anomalous
anonymous
antediluvian
anterior
anthology
anthropology
antinomy
antiquarianism
antiseptic
aphorism
apocryphal
aplomb
apostasy
apparatus
apparition
appellate
appertain
appetency
apposite
approbation
appurtenance
aquatic
aqueous
aquiline
arbitrary
archaic
arduous
aromatic
arrear
articulate
ascetic
asperity
asphyxiate
asseverate
assiduity
assimilate
astringent
astute
atrophy
attenuate
auditory
augury
auscultation
austerity
authenticate
authenticity
auxiliary
avidity

B
baccalaureate
badinage
bagatelle
baleful
ballast
banality
baneful
beatitude
bellicose
belligerent
benefaction
beneficent
benison
betide
bibulous
bigotry
bizarre
bombastic
burlesque

C
cacophonous
cadaverous
cadence
callow
calumny
capillary
captious
cardinal
carnal
carnivorous
castigate
cataclysm
catastrophe
category
causality
cavernous
celebrity
celibacy
censorious
ceramics
cerebration
certitude
cessation
charlatan
chimerical
chronology
circuitous
circumlocution
citation
clandestine
clarify
clemency
coadjutor
coagulate
coalesce
coercion
cogency
cognizant
cohesion
coincidence
collusion
colossal
comatose
combustible
commendatory
commensurate
commiserate
communal
compatibility
compendium
complaisant
comport
composite
compulsive
compulsory
computation
concatenate
concentric
concessive
concomitant
condign
condiment
condolence
confiscatory
confute
congeal
congenital
conglomerate
congruity
connivance
connoisseur
connubial
consensus
consistence
consort
constriction
construe
contentious
context
contiguity
contiguous
contingent
contortion
contravene
contumacious
contumacy
contumelious
convergent
conversant
convivial
correlate
corrigible
corroborate
corrosive
cosmic
covenant
crass
credence
crescent
criterion
critique
crucial
crucible
cryptic
crystalline
culmination
culpable
cumulative
cupidity
cursive
cursory
cutaneous
cynosure

D
debilitate
debonair
debutante
decadence
decapitate
deciduous
declivity
decompose
decorous
dedicatory
deduction
deferential
deficiency
deglutition
dehiscence
delectable
delete
deleterious
delineate
deliquescent
demarcation
demimonde
demoniac
denizen
denouement
deprecate
depreciate
derelict
derogatory
despicable
desuetude
desultory
deteriorate
diacritical
diagnosis
diaphanous
diatribe
didactic
diffusive
dilatory
dilettante
dipsomania
dirigible
discommode
discretionary
discursive
disintegrate
disparity
dispensable
disseminate
dissimulation
dissonant
distain
divagation
divination
divulge
dolor
dorsal
drastic
dubiety
duress
dynamic

E
ebullient
ecclesiastical
echelon
eclectic
ecstatic
edict
eerie
effervescent
efficacious
effrontery
effulgence
effusion
egregious
eleemosynary
elicit
elite
elucidate
embellish
embryonic
emendation
emissary
emission
emollient
empiric
empyreal
emulous
encomium
endue
enervate
enfilade
enigmatic
ennui
enunciate
environ
epicure
epigram
episode
epistolary
epitome
equestrian
equilibrium
equinoctial
equity
equivocate
eradicate
erosion
erotic
erudition
eruptive
eschew
esoteric
espousal
estrange
ethereal
eulogistic
euphonious
evanescent
evangelical
evict
exacerbate
excerpt
excommunicate
excoriate
excruciate
execrable
exegesis
exemplary
exhalation
exhilarate
exigency
exodus
exonerate
exorbitant
exotic
expectorate
expeditious
explicable
explicit
expunge
extant
extemporaneous
extrinsic

F
fabricate
fabulous
facetious
factitious
fallacious
fallible
fastidious
fatuous
feasible
feculence
fecundity
felicitous
felonious
fetid
feudal
fiducial
filament
filtrate
finesse
flaccid
flagitious
floriculture
florid
fluctuate
foible
forfeiture
fortuitous
fractious
franchise
frangible
frontal
froward
furtivegalaxy

G
galleon
garrulity
gesticulate
gormand
granivorous
grandiloquent
gravamen
gratuitous
gregarious

H
habitue
hallucination
harbinger
hardihood
heckle
hectic
hedonist
hegemony
heinous
herbivorous
heretic
hermaphrodite
heterodox
heterogeneous
hibernate. histrionic
hoidenism
homiletics
homogeneous
hydraulic
hypothesis

I
idiosyncrasy
illicit
immaculate
immanent
imminent
immobile
immure
immutable
impalpable
impeccable
impecunious
imperturbable
impervious
implacable
implicit
impolitic
imponderable
importunate
imprecation
impromptu
improvise
imputation
inadvertent
inamorata
inanity
incarcerate
inchoate
incidence
incision
incongruent
inconsequential
incontinent
incorporeal
incorrigible
incredulity
incumbent
indecorous
indigenous
indigent
indite
indomitable
ineluctable
inexorable
inexplicable
inferential
infinitesimal
infinitude
infraction
infusion
inhibit
innocuous
innuendo
inopportune
insatiable
inscrutable
insidious
inspissated
insulate
intangible
integral
integument
interdict
internecine
intractable
intransigent
intrinsic
inure
invalidate
inveigh
inveigle
invertebrate
invidious
irrefragable
irrefutable
irrelevant
irreparable
irrevocable
iterate

J
jocose
jocund
jurisprudence
juxtaposition

K
kaleidoscopic

L
labyrinth
lacerate
lackadaisical
lacrimal
laity
lambent
lampoon
largess
lascivious
laudable
laudation
lavation
legionary
lethargic
licentious
lineal
lingual
literati
litigious
loquacity
lubricity
lucent
lucre
lucubration
lugubrious

M
machination
macrocosm
magisterial
magniloquent
maladroit
malfeasance

malleable
mandate
matutinal
medieval
mephitic
mercenary
mercurial
meretricious
metamorphose
meticulous
microcosm
misanthropic
misogyny
misprision
mitigate
monitor
mortuary
mundane
mutable

N
nebulous
nefarious
negation
neophyte
nepotism
neurotic
noisome
nomenclature
nonchalant
nonsequitur
nucleus
nugatory

O
obdurate
objurgation
obligatory
obloquy
obsequious
obsession
obsolete
obstreperous
obtrusive
obtuse
obverse
obviate
occult
octogenarian
officious
olfactory
oleaginous
oligarchy
ominous
onomatopceia
opacity
opaque
opprobrious
oracular
orthodox
oscillate
osculate
ostensible
ostentation
ostracize
outre
ovation
overture

P
pabulum
pageantry
paginate
palatial
palliate
palpable
panacea
panegyric
panorama
paradoxical
paramount
parasite
parochial
paroxysm
parsimonious
parturition
patois
patriarchal
patrician
patrimony
peccadillo
pecuniary
pedantic
pellucid
pendulous
penultimate
penurious
peregrination
perfunctory
peripatetic
periphery
persiflage
perspicacious
perspicuity
pertinacious
pharmaceutic
phenomenal
phlegmatic
phraseology
pictorial
piquant
pique
plagiarize
platitudinous
platonic
plebeian
plenipotentiary
plethora
pneumatic
poignant
polity
poltroon
polyglot
pontifical
portentous
posterior
posthumous
potent
potential
pragmatic
preamble
precarious
precocious
precursor
predatory
predestination
predicament
preemptory
prelate
preliminary
preposterous
prerequisite
prerogative
presentiment
primogeniture
probation
probity
proclivity
procrastinate
prodigal
prodigious
prodigy
profligate
progenitor
proletarian
prolific
prolix
promiscuous
promissory
propaganda
propensity
prophylactic
propinquity
propitiatory
propitious
proprietary
prorogue
proselyte
prototype
protuberant
provender
proximity
prurient
psychical
psychological
puerile
pug-nacious
puissant
punctilious
pungent
punitive
pusillanimous
putrescent
pyrotechnics

Q
quintessential

R
rabbinical
rancorous
rapacious
ratiocination
rational
raucous
recalcitrant
recant
recapitulate
recession
reciprocal
reciprocate
recluse
recondite
recreant
recrudescence
rectilinear
rectitude
recumbent
redactor
redress
redound
refractory
refulgent
rejuvenate
relevant
rendezvous
rendition
reparation
repercussion
repertory
replenish
replete
replevin
reprehend
reprobate
repulsive
requisite
rescind
residue
residuum
resilient
resplendent
resurgence
resuscitate
reticulate
retribution
retrograde
retrospect
rigorous
risible
rodomontade
rudimentary
ruminate

S
saccharine
sacerdotal
sacrament
sacrilege
salient
salubrious
sardonic
satellite
saturnine
schism
scurrilous
sectarian
secular
sedative
sedentary
seditious
sedulous
segregate
seismograph
senescent
sententious
septuagenarian
sequester
sibilant
similitude
sinecure
sinuous
solicitous
solstice
somnolent
sophisticated
sophistry
sorcery
spasmodic
specious
spirituelle
splenetic
spontaneity
sporadic
spurious
stipend
stipulate
stoical
stricture
stringency
stultify
stupendous
sublimity
suborn
subpoena
subsidiary
subsidy
substratum
subtend
subterfuge
subterranean
subvention
subvert
sudorific
supercilious
supernal
supervene
supine
supposititious
surreptitious
surrogate
surveillance
susceptible
sustenance
sycophantic
syllogism
sylvan
symmetrical
symposium
synchronize
synonymous
synopsis
synthesis

T
tactile
tangible
tantamount
temerity
tenable
tenacious
tentative
tenuous
termagant
terrestrial
testimentary
thaumaturgic
therapeutic
titular
torso
tortuous
tractable
traduce
transcendent
transfiguration
transient
transitory
translucent
transverse
travesty
tribulation
tributary
truculent
truncate
turbid
turpitude
tyro

U
ubiquity
ulterior
ululation
umbrage
unanimous
undulate
urbanity
usurious
uxorious

V
vacillate
vacuous
vandalism
variegate
velocity
venal
venereal
venial
venous
veracious
verdant
verisimilitude
vernacular
versatile
vestal
vibratory
vicarious
vicissitude
virulence
viscid
viscous
vitiate
vitreous
vituperate
vivacious
volatile
volition
voluminous
voluptuary
voluptuous
voracious
votive
vulnerable

W
whimsical

Z
zealot