Essential Words For TOEFL

baffle

v. to confuse to a point at which no progress can be made
adj. baffling
syn. puzzle
n. bafflement

  • The causes of many harmful diseases have baffled doctors for centuries.
  • That was a baffling question.

bear

v. to produce, to carry; to show; to endure
adv. bearably
syn. yield
adj. bearable

  • This orchard bears many fine harvests of apples.
  • Although stock prices declined, losses have been bearable for most investors.

blur

v. to make something difficult to see
adj. blurred syn. cloud
n. blur

  • The rain blurred everyone’s view of the valley.
  • The whole accident is just a blur in my mind.

brilliant

adj. intensely bright or colorful; intelligent
adv. brilliantly
syn. radiant
n. brilliance

  • Einstein was a brilliant thinker.
  • She brilliantly produced a solution to the problem.

caution

v. to alert someone of danger, warn someone to take care or pay attention to something
adj. cautious
syn. warn
adj. cautionary
adv. cautiously
n. caution

  • The officer cautioned the motorist to slow down.
  • They entered into the negotiations cautiously.

enhance

v. to increase in a positive way, such as in value, power, or beauty
n. enhancement
syn. strengthen
adj. enhanced

  • Passing the exam should enhance your chances of being admitted to college.
  • The computer enhanced our productivity.

facilitate

v. to make easier; to ease the progress of
adv. facilitative
syn. assist

  • His careful planning facilitated the completion of the project.
  • Good teaching strategies facilitate student learning.

incessant

adj. nonstop, continual, or never-ending
adv. incessantly syn. constant

  • The woman’s incessant talking disturbed everyone watching the movie.
  • The dogs’ incessant barking kept the whole neighborhood up all night.

in conjunction with

prep. in addition to, alongside
ph.
syn. along with

  • Exercise, in conjunction with a nourishing diet, contributes to a healthy lifestyle.
  • The architects planned the building in conjunction with the engineers.

intrigue

v. to interest greatly
adj. intriguing syn. fascinate
adv. intriguingly
n. intrigue

  • He was intrigued by the acclaim that he received.
  • The intriguing question baffled historians.

obstruct

v. to prevent movement, progress, or success
n. obstruction
syn. block
adj. obstructive
adv. obstructively

  • Just after the storm, downed trees obstructed many roads in the community.
  • A huge building obstructed the ocean view from the apartment.

persuade

v. to change a belief or behavior by argument or reason
adv. persuasively syn. convince
adj. persuasive
n. persuasion

  • They couldn’t persuade their critics to see their point of view.
  • John presented a persuasive argument for his salary increase.

recompense

n. a repayment or reward for a deed
adv. recompensable
syn. compensation
v. recompense

  • The knight received gold as recompense for saving the kingdom.
  • His boss assured him that he’d be recompensed for his extra efforts.

shed

v. to throw off naturally; to give out
syn. discard

  • In order to grow, crabs must shed their shells.
  • The experiments shed no new information on the cause of the disease.

unique

adj. to be the only one of a kind; special
adv. uniquely
syn. rare
n. uniqueness

  • He was presented with a unique opportunity to attend the conference.
  • His style of writing is uniquely his own.

well-suited

adj. to be complementary or appropriate; a good match
syn. compatible

  • The design of the house is well-suited to its surroundings.
  • The experienced principal was well-suited for the job of superintendent of schools.

work out

v. to end or cause to end successfully; to develop
syn. solve

  • Their ambitious plan will likely work out.
  • The two groups worked out a compromise that benefited them both.