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IELTS 4000 Academic Word List (4)
By examword.com
This academic word list is a must-have resource for IELTS test takers, especially who are working for
high scores. The 4000+ words reflect the essential vocabulary level of IELTS academic test. We
remind you this list is based on general word list. For IELTS academic test takers, you need general
words as well. This list is maintained by Pacific Lava School.

dagger: knife; short pointed weapon with sharp edges

dainty: delicately beautiful or charming; exquisite; gratification or pleasure taken in anything
dairy: place where milk is produced, kept, or converted into butter or cheese
dam: barrier to prevent the flow of liquid, especially built across a water course
damp: humid; moist; slightly wet
dangerous: full of risk; perilous; hazardous; unsafe
daring: bold; brave
dart: move suddenly and rapidly
dash: throw with violence or haste; break, as by throwing or by collision; form or sketch rapidly
data: collection of facts, observations, or other information related to a particular question or
problem
date: mark the time of; assign a date to
dawn: time each morning at which daylight first begins; beginning; start
dazzle: overpower with light; confuse the sight of by brilliance of light; bewilder or surprise with
brilliancy
dazzling: bright; brilliant
deadly: fatal; lethal; causing or tending to cause death
deaf: unable to perceive sounds; hard of hearing; unwilling to hear or listen; regardless; not to be
persuaded
deal: part or portion; share; indefinite quantity, degree, or extent, degree, or extent; distribution;
arrangement
dean: dignitary or presiding officer; head in the faculty of some colleges or universities
debate: discussion; dispute; discussion involving opposing points

debt: liability; obligation; money or goods or services owed by one person to another
decade: a group of ten, especially a period of ten years
decay: decompose; break sown; disintegration; rottenness; decline; worsen; decadence
deceit: attempt or disposition to deceive or lead into error; any declaration or practice, which
misleads another, or causes to believe what is false
deceive: fool; cause to believe what is not true; mislead
decent: suitable; modest.; honorable; meeting accepted standards
deception: act of deceiving
decimal: of tens; numbered or proceeding by tens; based on ten
deck: a pack of 52 cards; any of various floor-like platforms built into a vessel
declaration: announcement; explicit statement; formal public statement
declare: state clearly; make known formally or officially
decline: change toward something smaller or lower ; gradual falling off from a better state
decompose: decay
decorate: adorn; embellish
decoration: act of decorating something; something used to beautify
decorative: ornamental; embellishing; serving an esthetic rather than a useful purpose
decrease: lessen; reduce; make a quantity smaller
decree: order from one having authority; decision, order, or sentence by court
dedicate: set apart for a deity or for special purposes; devote; consecrate
deduce: lead forth; reach a conclusion by reasoning; trace the origin or derivation of
deduct: lead forth or out; take away, separate, or remove, in numbering, estimating, or calculating;
subtract
deed: something that is carried out; act or action; feat or exploit
deem: decide; judge; sentence; condemn
default: failure to act; an option that is selected automatically
defeat: disfigure; destroy; frustrate; overcome or vanquish; resist with

defect: abandon or turn against; cease or change one's loyalty

defective: having a defect; faulty; imperfect; incomplete; lacking
defence: act of defending against attack, danger, or injury
defend: make or keep safe from danger, attack, or harm
defer: delay till later; put off; hold back to a later time
defiance: refusal to yield; readiness to contend or resist
deficiency: scarcity; lack or shortage, especially of something essential to health
deficient: inadequate; lacking an essential quality or element
deficit: inadequacy or insufficiency; sum of money falls short of required amount; shortage
define: determine the nature of; give a definition; describe the nature or basic qualities of; explain
definite: fixed; exact; having distinct limits
definitely: unequivocally; clearly; without question and beyond doubt
definition: clarity of outline; concise explanation
definitive: final; complete; precisely defined or explicit
deflate: reduce from an inflated condition; release contained air or gas from
deflect: turn aside; draw someone's attention away from something
deform: change shape by stress; become misshapen; make formless
deformation: alteration in the shape or dimensions; a change for the worse
defray: pay costs of; undertake payment of; make compensation to or for
defy: refuse to submit to or cooperate with; be unaffected by; resist or withstand
degradation: humiliation; debasement; decline to a lower condition, quality, or level
degrade: reduce level; lower grade of something
delay: act later than planned; put off; adjournment
delegate: person authorized to act as representative for another; deputy
delete: erase; strike out; remove or make invisible

deliberate: consider; think about carefully; weigh

deliberately: intentionally; purposely; with careful consideration or deliberation; with full intent;
delicate: pleasing to the senses, especially in a subtle way; easily hurt; very subtle in difference
delicious: extremely pleasing to the sense of taste; greatly pleasing or entertaining
delinquency: failure or omission of duty; fault; misdeed; offense or crime
delinquent: failing in duty; offending by neglect of duty.
deliver: set free from restraint; set at liberty; release; give or transfer
delusion: false belief; mistaken or unfounded opinion
democracy: a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect
people to represent them
demolish: raze; destroy; do away with completely; put an end to
demolition: act of overthrowing, pulling down, or destroying
demonstrate: show clearly and deliberately; manifest; confirm; prove
demonstration: proof; act of showing or making evident
denial: act of refusing or disowning; negation; refusal to admit the truth; refusal to grant; rejection of
a request
denomination: class, society, or collection of individuals called by the same name; specifically, a
religious sect
denote: indicate; signify directly; refer to specifically
denounce: condemn openly; criticize; make known in formal manner
dense: thick; crowded closely together; compact
density: thickness; quantity of something per unit measure, especially per unit length, area, or
volume
dent: cavity; a depression scratched or carved into a surface
dentist: a person qualified to practice dentistry
deny: disagree with; refuse; declare untrue
depart: take off; leave; set out
departure: act of departing

dependable: reliable; worthy of being depended on; trustworthy

dependence: reliance; lack of independence or self-sufficiency
dependent: relying on or requiring the aid of another for support
depict: represent in a picture or sculpture; portray in words; describe
deplete: decrease fullness of; use up or empty out
deposit: money given as a guarantee or security
deposition: testimony under oath; act of depositing, especially laying down of matter by natural
process
depreciate: lessen price or value of; think or speak of as being of little worth; belittle
depreciation: devaluation; decrease in price or value
depress: lower in spirits; press down
depressed: sad; gloomy; low in spirits; dejected
depression: recession; economic slump; concavity in a surface produced by pressing ; sadness; low
spirits
deprive: deny; take away
deputy: one appointed as the substitute of another, and empowered to act for him; substitute in
office
derive: obtain or receive from a source; trace the origin or development of
descend: move downward and lower; come from; be connected by a relationship of blood
descendant: offspring; person considered as descended from some ancestor or race
descent: ancestry; origin; the descendants of one individual; drop; fall; a movement downward
description: act of describing; sketch or account of anything in words
desert: area with little or no vegetation; forsake; abandon
deserve: be worthy of; have a right to
design: act of working out the form of something; creation of something in the mind; formulate a
plan for
designate: indicate or specify; point out; assign a name or title to

desirable: worthwhile; worth doing or achieving; advisable

desire: anything which is longing for
desolate: unpopulated; providing no shelter or sustenance; devoid of inhabitants
despair: loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency
desperate: having lost all hope; dangerous; extremely intense
despise: dislike intensely; regard with contempt or scorn
despite: lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike; disdain, contemptuous feelings,
hatred
dessert: a dish served as the last course of meal
destination: ultimate goal; place to which one is going or directed
destine: decree or designate beforehand; fate
destiny: event that will inevitably happen in the future
destruction: havoc; event that completely destroys something
destructive: devastating; ruinous
detach: part; separate or disunite; disengage
detain: keep back or from; withhold; restrain from proceeding; stay or stop; delay
detect: feel; discover the presence of; identify
detection: act of detecting; being open what was concealed or hidden; discovery
detective: investigator; one, usually of police force, who investigates crimes and obtains evidence
deteriorate: become worse; decline
determination: act of making or arriving at a decision; putting an end to; termination
determine: fix the boundaries of; mark off and separate; set bounds to; decide conclusively and
authoritatively
detour: a turning; circuitous route; deviation from a direct course
detriment: harm; damage; injury; something that causes damage, harm, or loss
detrimental: causing damage or harm; injurious
deviate: turn away from a principle, norm; depart; diverge

device: technique or means; instrument; machine used to perform one or more relatively simple
tasks
devise: form, plan, or arrange in the mind; transmit or give by will
devote: dedicate; contribute
devotion: faithfulness; ardent, often selfless affection and dedication
devour: consume; eat greedily; destroy completely
diagnose: analyze; examine; identify
diagnosis: art of identifying disease; critical analysis of nature of something
diagram: graph; chart; figure or drawing made to illustrate a statement; plan
dialect: vocabulary that is for a specific group of people
diameter: length of straight line passing through the center of a circle and connecting two points on
the circumference
dictate: prescribe; rule as a dictator
dictator: one who dictates; one who prescribes rules and maxims authoritatively for the direction of
others.
diction: choice and use of words in speech or writing
diet: nutritional plan; nourishment; a prescribed selection of foods
differ: be or stand apart; disagree; be unlike; be distinguished
digest: break down; make more concise; convert food into absorbable substances
digestion: process by which food is converted into substances that can be absorbed and assimilated
by the body
digital: of or performance to fingers, or to digits; done with the fingers
dignity: quality or state of being worthy of esteem or respect.
diligent: assiduous; industrious; hard-working
dilute: weaken; make thinner or less concentrated by adding a liquid such as water
dim: emitting only a small amount of light; lacking in brightness
dime: a United States coin worth one tenth of a dollar

dimension: measure of spatial extent, especially width, height, or length; size; aspect; element
dimensional: of or relating to dimensions
diminish: dwindle; reduce; make smaller or less or to cause to appear so
dine: eat principal regular meal of the day; take dinner; give a dinner to
dingy: darkened with smoke and grime; dirty or discolored
dip: insert into a fluid and withdraw again; immerse for baptism; wet, as if by immersing; moisten;
appear to move downward
diploma: document certifying the successful completion of a course of study
diplomacy: tact; politics; negotiation between nations
diplomat: one who is in charge to deal with others, like an ambassador, who is appointed to
represent a government in relations with other governments
diplomatic: relating to diplomacy; marked by tact and sensitivity in dealing with others
disable: deprive of capability or effectiveness; unable; impair; diminish
disadvantage: drawback; defect; hinder; unfavorable condition or circumstance
disappointment: feeling of dissatisfaction
disapproval: a feeling of disliking something or what someone is doing
disaster: catastrophe; misfortune
disastrous: extremely bad; terrible; dreadful
disc: flat round plate; circular structure either in plants or animals
discard: throw out something from one's hand; get rid of
discern: detect; perceive
discharge: relieve of a burden or of contents; unload; pour forth or release; complete or carry out;
give off
discipline: trait of being well behaved ; act of punishing ; system of rules of conduct or method of
practice
disclose: unclose; open; remove a cover or envelope from; lay open or expose to view
discomfort: distress; uneasiness; mental or bodily distress
discount: give reduction in price on

discourage: depress; take away hope from

discourse: formal, lengthy discussion of a subject; verbal exchange; conversation
discreet: free from ostentation or pretension; distinct; distinguishable
discrepancy: lack of consistency; difference
discretion: knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress; trait of judging wisely and objectively
discriminate: make a clear distinction; distinguish; make sensible decisions; judge wisely
disdain: view with scorn or contempt; feel with aversion
disgrace: state of dishonor; bring shame or dishonor upon
disguise: dress or exterior put on for purposes of concealment or of deception
disgust: strong feelings of dislike; offend the taste or moral sense of
disinclined: not inclined; having a disinclination; being unwilling
disinfectant: substance which kills germs or viruses; agent for removing the causes of infection, as
chlorine
dismal: causing gloom or depression; dreary; somber; melancholy
dismay: destroy courage or resolution by exciting dread; cause to lose enthusiasm
dismiss: stop considering; end employment or service of; discharge; refuse to accept or recognize
disorder: neglect of order or system; irregularity; disturbance; sickness
disparity: difference; condition or fact of being unequal, as in age, rank, or degree
dispatch: act of sending off something; property of being prompt and efficient; message usually sent
in haste
dispel: scatter; drive away; cause to vanish
dispense: distribute; prepare and give out; deal out in parts or portions
disperse: move away from each other; cause to separate; cause to become widely known
displace: move or shift from the usual place or position, especially to force to leave a homeland
displacement: act of removing from office or employment
display: exhibit; present or hold up to view; show; demonstrate; give evidence of; manifest

dispose: get rid of; settle or decide a matter; place or set in a particular order; arrange
disposed: prepared; inclined; be ready; being particular condition of body or of health
disposition: natural or acquired habit with tendency; act or means of getting rid of something
dispute: argument; angry altercation; quarrel; verbal controversy; debate
disregard: ignore; discount; take no notice of
dissimilar: different; unlike
dissipate: spend or expend wastefully; vanish by dispersion; drive away; disperse
dissolve: melt; liquefy; cause to pass into solution; cause to disappear or vanish
distance: space between two objects; length of a line, especially the shortest line joining two points
or things that are separate
distant: far in space or time; cold in manner
distinct: definite; separate; different
distinction: excellence or eminence; note or mark of difference
distinctly: clear to the mind; in a distinct way
distinguish: characterize; differentiate; recognize
distinguished: prominent; celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements
distort: twist out of proper or natural relation of parts; misshape; misrepresent
distortion: mistake of misrepresenting the facts
distract: cause to turn away from original focus; pull in conflicting emotional directions; unsettle
distraction: extreme mental or emotional disturbance; obsession; confusion of affairs; being drawn
apart
distress: discomfort; cause strain, anxiety, or suffering to
distribute: hand out; disseminate; allocate
distribution: act of distributing or spreading or apportioning
district: region; territory within which the lord has the power of coercing and punishing; division of
territory
disturb: upset; bother; trouble emotionally or mentally; put out of order; disarrange

disturbance: disorder; turmoil; mental or emotional unbalance or disorder

ditch: trench made in the earth by digging; any long, narrow receptacle for water on the surface of
the earth
dive: plunge, especially headfirst, into water; plummet
diver: one who works underwater
diverge: vary; go in different directions from the same point
divergence: difference; deviation; separation; the act of moving away in different direction
diverse: differing in some characteristics; various
diversion: act of turning aside; pastime; activity that relaxes or entertains
diversity: point or respect in which things differ; difference
divert: distract; withdraw money and move into a different location
divide: sever into two or more parts or pieces; separate into parts; cause to be separate
divine: perceive intuitively; foresee future; have nature of or being a deity
division: act or process of diving anything into parts; state of being divided; separation
divorce: end a marriage; legal dissolution of a marriage
dizzy: having or causing a whirling sensation
dock: deprive someone of benefits; remove or shorten the tail of an animal
doctrine: principles presented for belief, as by religious; principle of law; act of teaching; instruction
document: provide written evidence; record in detail
documentary: film or TV program presenting the facts about a person or event; of or derived from
documents
documentation: confirmation that some fact or statement is true
dodge: avoid a blow by moving or shifting quickly aside; shifty or ingenious trick
doll: small toy with human figure, normally for little child
domain: field; territory over which rule or control is exercised; networked computers that share a
common address
dome: building or house, especially as great hall, church, or temple; anything shaped like cupola

domestic: house-hold; of or relating to the home ; within the country or home

dominant: major; important; outweighing
dominate: monopolize; command; rule; prevail; be prevalent in
donate: grant; present as a gift to a fund or cause; contribute
donation: grant; act of giving to a fund or cause
doom: judgment; judicial sentence; penal decree; condemnation
dormitory: a college or university building for student living; a large bedroom where several people
sleep
dose: quantity of medicine given; sufficient quantity; portion
dot: the shorter of two telegraphic signals used in Morse code; very small circular shape
doubt: being in uncertainty as to belief respecting anything
doubtful: distrustful; skeptical; full of doubt; having doubt; not settled in opinion
doubtless: free from fear or suspicion; very probably, in all likelihood; doubtlessly
downtown: commercial center of a town or city
doze: slumber; sleep lightly; be in dull or stupefied condition, as if half asleep; be drowsy
draft: rough outline; draw up an outline; sketch
drag: move or bring by force or with great effort
drain: draw out; flow out; waste
drainage: emptying accomplished by draining; gradual flowing off, as of a liquid
drama: play; literary work intended for theater
dramatic: striking; sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect
dramatize: represent something in a dramatic manner; add details to
drastic: radical; taking effect violently or rapidly
draw: cause to move continuously by force applied in advance of the thing moved; pull along; haul;
drag
drawback: disadvantage or inconvenience; shortcoming; refund or remittance, such as a discount on
duties or taxes

drawer: boxlike container in a piece of furniture, made so as to slide in and out

drawing: creation of artistic drawings
dread: fearful or distasteful anticipation; terror; horror
dreadful: very unpleasant; distasteful or shocking
dreary: gloomy; dismal; dark, colorless, or cheerless
drench: wet through and through; soak; put potion down throat of; steep in moisture; wet
thoroughly
drift: float; moving aimlessly; wander
drill: bore; pierce; make a hole; practice; train
drip: process of falling in drops; liquid or moisture that falls in drops; sound made by liquid falling in
drops
drought: dry period; aridity; long period of abnormally low rainfall
drown: kill by submerging and suffocating in water; overwhelm in water; deaden one's awareness of
dubious: questionable; filled with doubt
due: owed and payable immediately or on demand; proper and appropriate; fitting
dull: lacking responsiveness or alertness; intellectually weak or obtuse
duly: as it ought to be; properly; regularly
dumb: mute; lacking the power of speech
dump: sell at artificially low prices; throw away as refuse
duplicate: one that corresponds exactly to another, especially an original; identical copy; facsimile
durable: lasting; long-lasting; enduring
duration: length of time something lasts
dwarf: cause to seem small; check natural growth or development of
dwell: live as a resident; exist in a given place or state
dweller: a person who inhabits a particular place
dwelling: residence; place to live in; abode
dye: substance used to color materials

dynamic: energetic; vigorously active