Vocabulary Word List with Examples

1 Lesson 1: Serious
earnest Serious and intentional.
She made an earnest effort to resolve the conflict peacefully.
Example: His earnest apology convinced me he truly regretted his mistake.
solemn Serious, formal, grave.
The solemn ceremony honored the fallen soldiers.
Example: Her solemn vow to uphold justice inspired the entire courtroom.
Other zealous, sober, momentous

2 Lesson 2: Respectful
deferential Showing respect to someone superior.
He was deferential to his mentor, always listening attentively.
Example: The young intern was deferential when addressing the CEO.
revere Deeply respect, worship, be in awe of.
They revere their cultural traditions, celebrating them annually.
Example: She revered her grandmother for her wisdom and strength.
Other regardful, yielding, exalted

3 Lesson 3: Kind
benevolent Charitable, well-meaning.
The benevolent donor funded the new community center.
Example: His benevolent act of helping the homeless warmed everyone’s
hearts.
endearing Inspiring love, adorable, charming.
Her endearing smile made everyone feel at ease.
Example: The puppy’s endearing antics won over even the grumpiest neigh-
bor.
Other altruistic, benign, compassionate

4 Lesson 4: Spiteful
sinister Evil, bad.
His sinister intentions were clear when he sabotaged the project.
Example: The villain’s sinister laugh sent chills down our spines.
malice Intention to harm.
She acted with malice, spreading harmful rumors about her rival.

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 Example: His malice was evident when he deliberately broke her favorite
vase.
malevolent Wishing evil on others.
The malevolent dictator oppressed his people without remorse.
Example: Her malevolent glare made it clear she wished him harm.
malignant Harmful, dangerous.
The malignant tumor required immediate surgery.
Example: His malignant influence corrupted the entire team.
malicious Evil in intent.
The malicious gossip destroyed her reputation.
Example: The hacker’s malicious code crashed the company’s servers.
Other malign, pernicious, noxious

5 Lesson 5: Sincere
genuine Real, true, heartfelt.
Her genuine kindness made everyone feel valued.
Example: His genuine tears showed how much he cared about her loss.
candid Frank, honest, straightforward.
His candid feedback helped improve the project.
Example: She was candid about her struggles, earning everyone’s respect.
authentic True, original, not fake.
The authentic painting was worth millions.
Example: His authentic passion for teaching inspired his students.
virtuous Morally excellent, righteous.
She lived a virtuous life, always helping others.
Example: His virtuous decision to return the lost wallet was admired.
Other ardent, unfeigned

6 Lesson 6: Fake
hoax Trick, deception.
The alien sighting was revealed to be a hoax.
Example: The email about winning a million dollars was a cruel hoax.
disguise Hide the truth or appearance.
He wore a disguise to sneak into the party.
Example: Her smile was a disguise to hide her true sadness.
deception Act of deceiving.
His deception fooled everyone into trusting him.
Example: The scam was a clever deception that cost people thousands.

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fabricate Make up, invent falsely.
She fabricated an excuse to avoid the meeting.
Example: He fabricated a story about his heroic deeds to impress us.
complacent Falsely satisfied, self-satisfied.
His complacent attitude led to the project’s failure.
Example: She was complacent about her skills, ignoring the need to im-
prove.
Other counterfeit, fraudulent, phony

7 Lesson 7: Vague
ambivalent Having mixed feelings.
She felt ambivalent about moving to a new city.
Example: He was ambivalent about the job offer, unsure if it was right.
ambiguous Unclear, open to interpretation.
The ambiguous instructions confused everyone.
Example: His ambiguous answer left us wondering what he meant.
equivocal Unclear, doubtful.
Her equivocal response made us question her commitment.
Example: The politician’s equivocal stance frustrated the voters.
dubious Questionable, doubtful.
The dubious deal seemed too good to be true.
Example: His dubious claims about his qualifications raised red flags.
enigmatic Mysterious, puzzling.
The enigmatic stranger left everyone curious.
Example: Her enigmatic smile hinted at a hidden secret.
Other obscure, nebulous

8 Lesson 8: Complain
denounce Publicly condemn.
She denounced the company’s unethical practices.
Example: He denounced the corrupt official in a public speech.
lament Mourn or complain.
He lamented the loss of his childhood home.
Example: She lamented the lack of support from her team.
condemn Express strong disapproval.
The judge condemned the criminal’s actions.
Example: They condemned the decision to cut funding for schools.
Other bemoan, bewail, deplore

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9 Lesson 9: Recollect
muse Think deeply.
She mused about her future career path.
Example: He mused over the meaning of life while stargazing.
reflect Think carefully.
He reflected on his past mistakes to learn from them.
Example: She reflected on her childhood memories with a smile.
reminisce Recall past events.
They reminisced about their college days.
Example: We reminisced about our summer adventures by the lake.
nostalgic Sentimental about the past.
The old song made her feel nostalgic.
Example: He felt nostalgic looking at his childhood photos.
Other ponder, ruminate

10 Lesson 10: Worry

apprehensive Fearful, anxious something bad may happen.
She was apprehensive about her first day at work.
Example: He felt apprehensive about the upcoming exam.
restless Constantly worried, unable to relax.
The restless child couldn’t sit still during the storm.
Example: She was restless, waiting for the doctor’s results.
agitated Nervous, upset.
He became agitated when the plan failed.
Example: The agitated crowd demanded answers from the mayor.
queasy Uneasy, worried to nausea.
She felt queasy before her big presentation.
Example: The turbulent flight made him feel queasy.
Other anxious, flustered

11 Lesson 11: Agree

concede Admit, reluctantly agree.
He conceded that he was wrong after the debate.
Example: She conceded defeat after a long chess match.
condone Allow, overlook (often negative).
They refused to condone his rude behavior.
Example: The teacher couldn’t condone cheating on the test.

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concur Agree, have the same opinion.
I concur with your plan to improve the project.
Example: The board concurred on the new budget proposal.
Other consent, acquiesce

12 Lesson 12: Flourish

proliferate Multiply, increase rapidly.
The weeds proliferated in the neglected garden.
Example: Online shopping proliferated during the holidays.
ubiquitous Present everywhere.
Smartphones are ubiquitous in modern society.
Example: Coffee shops are ubiquitous in the city center.
lucrative Profitable.
Her lucrative business earned her millions.
Example: The lucrative deal secured his financial future.
Other burgeon, snowball, mushroom

13 Lesson 13: Mourn

poignant Deeply moving, sad.
Her poignant speech brought tears to everyone’s eyes.
Example: The poignant memorial honored the victims beautifully.
despondent Hopeless, disheartened.
He felt despondent after failing the exam.
Example: She was despondent when her best friend moved away.
dejected Low-spirited, sad.
The dejected team left the field after their loss.
Example: He looked dejected after missing the opportunity.
Other melancholy, crestfallen

14 Lesson 14: Oppose

violate Break or disregard.
He violated the rules by sneaking in after hours.
Example: She violated the contract by sharing confidential information.
defy Resist, go against.
The rebels defied the government’s orders.
Example: He defied his parents by staying out late.
refute Prove wrong.
She refuted his argument with solid evidence.

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 Example: The scientist refuted the outdated theory with new data.
negate Nullify, invalidate.
His apology didn’t negate the harm he caused.
Example: The new law negated the previous regulations.
Other scoff at, confront, withstand

15 Lesson 15: Make Less Perfect

mar Ruin, spoil, impair.
The scratch marred the surface of the table.
Example: His rude comment marred the otherwise perfect evening.
disfigure Spoil the appearance of.
The accident disfigured the car’s front end.
Example: The graffiti disfigured the historic monument.
Other sully, impair, contaminate

16 Lesson 16: Come to an End

cease Stop, end.
The rain ceased just before the event started.
Example: Hostilities ceased after the peace treaty was signed.
terminate Bring to an end.
They terminated the project due to lack of funds.
Example: His contract was terminated after repeated violations.
finite Limited, having an end.
Our resources are finite and must be conserved.
Example: The game has a finite number of levels to complete.
Other discontinue, quit

17 Lesson 17: Unstoppable / Unpreventable

tenacious Determined, persistent.
Her tenacious spirit helped her overcome obstacles.
Example: The tenacious athlete trained daily to win the championship.
relentless Unyielding, incessant.
The relentless storm battered the coast for days.
Example: His relentless pursuit of truth uncovered the scandal.
inexorable Unstoppable, inevitable.
The inexorable march of time affects us all.
Example: The inexorable rise in prices worried the community.

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inevitable Unavoidable.
Failure was inevitable without proper planning.
Example: Change is inevitable as technology advances.
Other persevere, unceasing

18 Lesson 18: Enemy

adversary Enemy, opponent.
She faced her adversary in a heated debate.
Example: The chess master defeated his toughest adversary.
rival Competitor.
The two companies were fierce rivals in the market.
Example: He trained hard to surpass his rival in the race.
perpetrator Wrongdoer.
The perpetrator of the crime was finally caught.
Example: The police identified the perpetrator of the robbery.
antagonist Opposing force in story.
The antagonist in the novel was a cunning villain.
Example: The movie’s antagonist tried to sabotage the hero’s plans.
contender Contestant, competitor.
She was a strong contender for the leadership role.
Example: He emerged as a contender in the talent competition.

19 Lesson 19: Friend

ally Supporter, partner.
She found an ally in her fight for justice.
Example: The two nations became allies during the crisis.
confidant Trusted friend, secret-keeper.
He shared his fears with his confidant.
Example: She was my confidant during tough times.
amiable Friendly, pleasant.
His amiable nature made him popular at school.
Example: The amiable shopkeeper greeted every customer warmly.
Other amicable, gregarious

20 Lesson 20: Dislike

disdain Intense dislike.
She looked at the mess with disdain.
Example: He spoke with disdain about the outdated policies.

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contempt Scorn, feeling of inferiority.
His contempt for liars was well-known.
Example: She showed contempt for his dishonest behavior.
reproach Scold, express disapproval.
The teacher reproached the student for cheating.
Example: He reproached his friend for betraying his trust.
Other rebuke, censure