Essential Words For TOEFL

Expand your English vocabulary with the most frequently, encountered, and Essential Words For TOEFL. Here are the Essential Words For the TOEFL vocabulary list.

abroad

adv. to or in another country
syn. overseas; internationally

  • Louis Armstrong often traveled abroad.
  • Living abroad can be an educational experience.

abrupt

adj. quick; without warning
adv. abruptly
syn. sudden
n. abruptness

  • There was an abrupt change in the weather.
  • After the incident everyone left abruptly.

acceptable

adj. allowable or satisfactory
v. accept
syn. permissible
adv. acceptably
n. acceptability
adj. accepting

  • The idea was acceptable to everyone.
  • The registrar accepted more applicants than he should have.

acclaim

n. enthusiastic approval; applause
adj. acclaimed
syn. praise
n. acclamation

  • Leonardo DiCaprio has earned acclaim abroad as an actor.
  • Acclaimed authors often win Pulitzer Prizes.

adverse

adj. displeasing, objectionable, or bad
adv. adversely
syn. unfavorable
n. adversity
n. adversary

  • The game was cancelled by officials due to the adverse weather conditions.
  • His indecision adversely affected his job performance.

aspect

n. a part or characteristic of something; an element
syn. facet

  • I would trust the professional’s advice in that aspect of economics.
  • There are many fascinating aspects to the complex procedure.

attractive

adj. calling attention to; pleasing; creating interest; pretty
v. attract
syn. appealing
n. attraction
n. attractiveness
adv. attractively

  • The idea of working four, ten-hour work days was attractive to many employees.
  • The major attraction of the show was a speech by the president.

autonomous

adj. by itself; with no association
adv. autonomously
syn. independent

  • Mexico became an autonomous state in 1817.
  • Although working closely with the government, all businesses function autonomously.

chronic

adj. always present; continual
adv. chronically
syn. constant

  • The author’s chronic headache prevented her from finishing the chapter.
  • He is chronically late to class.

disapproval

n. the act of disagreeing; not giving approval
v. disapprove
syn. objection
adv. disapprovingly

  • Their disapproval of the plan caused the experiment to be abandoned.
  • The students disapproved of the level of difficulty of the test.

disruptive

adj. causing confusion and interruption
v. disrupt
syn. disturbing
n. disruption
adv. disruptively

  • Frequent questions during lectures can be disruptive.
  • The storm caused a disruption in bus service.

haphazardly

adv. having no order or pattern; by chance
adj. haphazard
syn. arbitrarily; carelessly
n. haphazardness

  • It was obvious that the house was built haphazardly.
  • Susan completed the assignment in a haphazard way.

intervention

n. taking action; be involved
v. intervene
syn. involvement

  • The tutor’s intervention helped him improve his grade.
  • Some world leaders decide to not intervene in the affairs of other nations.

persistent

adj. continuous; refusing to give up; firm in action or decision
v. persist
syn. constant
n. persistence
adv. persistently

  • The attorney’s persistent questioning unsettled the witness.
  • Her persistence earned her a spot on the team.

postpone

v. to change to a later time; to delay
adj. postponable
syn. reschedule
n. postponement

  • The referees decided to postpone the soccer match.
  • The postponement of the meeting upset the impatient club members.

valid

adj. producing a desired result based on truths or facts
n. validity
syn. convincing
adv. validly

  • The students had a valid reason for missing class.
  • The professor questioned the validity of the test results.

withdraw

v. to remove, take out, or take back
n. withdrawal
syn. extract

  • The player withdrew from the competition.
  • Gloria had to make a withdrawal from her savings to pay tuition.