Difficult Words and Their Usages
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This is a new section which will attempt to throw some light on the more Difficult Words in the English language. If you have a suggestion for a word we should feature in this Difficult Words section then please send it using
The Contact Us form. It doesn't matter whether learners or native speakers of English might find it difficult!
A
Abash|
Abate|
Abdicate|
Aberration|
Abhor|
Abject|
Abnegate
Abortive|
Abridge|
Absolute|
Absolve|
Abstinent|
Abstract|
Acrid
Acrimonious|
Acumen|
Acute|
Adage|
Adamant|
Address|
Adherent
Admonish|
Adroit|
Adulation|
Adulterate|
Adverse|
Aesthetic|
Affable
Affectation|
Affinity|
Affluent|
Agenda|
Agrarian|
Aggregate|
Agnostic
Alacrity|
Allege|
Alleviate|
Allocate|
Alloy|
Allusion|
Aloof
Altruism|
Ambience|
Ambiguous|
Ambivalent|
Ameliorate|
Amenable
Amenity|
Abstruse|
Abysmal|
Accolade|
Accost|
Acerbic
Acquiesce|
Amiable |
Amnesty |
Amoral |
Amorous |
Amorphous
Anachronism |
Analogy |
Anarchy |
Anecdote |
Anguish |
Animosity
Anomaly |
Antecedent |
Antipathy |
Antithesis |
Apartheid |
Apathy
Aphorism |
Apocalypse |
Apocryphal |
Apotheosis |
Appease
Appreciate |
Apprehensive |
Approbation
Appropriate |
Aptitude |
Arbiter |
Arbitrary
Arcane |
Archaic |
Archetype |
Ardent |
Arduous
Aristocratic |
Artful |
Artifice |
Ascetic |
Ascendancy |
Assiduous
Assimilate |
Assuage |
Astute |
Audacity |
Attrition |
Augment
Auspicious |
Austere |
Autocratic |
Avarice |
Autonomous |
Avow
Avuncular |
Awry |
Axiom
B
Bane |
Banal |
Bastion |
Beget |
Belabor |
Beleaguer
Belittle |
Belie |
Belligerent |
Bemused |
Benefactor |
Benevolent |
Benign
Bequest|
Bereaved|
Beset|
Blasphemy|
Blatant|
Blight|
Blithe
Bourgeois|
Bovine|
Brevity|
Broach
Bucolic|
Bureaucracy|
Burgeon|
Burlesque
C
Cacophony|
Cadence|
Cajole|
Callow|
Candor|
Capitalism
Caricature|
Capitulate|
Capricious|
Castigate|
Catalyst|
Categorical
Catharsis|
Catholic|
Caustic|
Celibacy|
Censure|
Cerebral
Charisma|
Chagrin|
Charlatan|
Chasm|
Chastise|
Chicanery
Choleric|
Chimera|
Chronic|
Chronicle|
Circuitous|
Circumlocution
Circumspect|
Circumscribe|
Circumvent|
Civil|
Clandestine|
Clemency
Clique|
Cliche|
Coalesce|
Coerce|
Cogent|
Cognitive
Coherent|
Cognizant|
Colloquial|
Collusion|
Commensurate|
Compelling
Complacent|
Compendium|
Complement|
Complicity
Comprehensive|
Conciliatory|
Comprise|
Concise
Concord|
Concurrent|
Condescend|
Conducive
Condone|
Confluence|
Congenial|
Congenital|
Conjecture|
Connoisseur
Conjure|
Consecrate|
Consensus|
Consonant|
Construe|
Contentious
Consummate|
Contiguous|
Contingent|
Contrite
Contrived|
Conventional|
Copious
Convivial|
Corollary|
Corroborate|
Cosmopolitan|
Countenance|
Covenant
Coup|
Covert|
Covet|
Credulous|
Criterion|
Culinary
Cryptic|
Culminate|
Culpable|
Cursory|
Curtail|
Cynic
D
Daunt|
Dearth|
Debacle|
Debauchery|
Debilitate|
Decimate
Decadent|
Decorous|
Deduce|
Defame|
Deference
Degenerate|
Definitive|
Deleterious|
Delineate|
Delude
Deluge|
Denizen|
Demagogue|
Depravity|
Deprecate
Deride|
Derogatory|
Despondent|
Desiccate|
Despot
Destitute|
Desultory|
Dialectical|
Didactic|
Dictum
Diffident|
Digress|
Dilettante|
Discern|
Discrete
Discreet|
Discriminate|
Disdain|
Disinterested|
Disparage
Disseminate|
Disparate|
Dissipate|
Dissolution|
Distend
Distinguish|
Docile|
Dogmatic|
Doctrinaire|
Domestic|
Dormant
Dubious|
Duplicity
E
Eccentric|
Ebullient|
Eclectic|
Edify|
Efface|
Effusion|
Egocentric
Egalitarian|
Egregious|
Elicit|
Elliptical|
Elusive|
Eminent|
Emigrate
Empirical|
Emulate|
Encroach|
Endemic|
Enfranchise|
Enervate|
Engender
Enigma|
Enormity|
Ephemeral|
Epitome|
Epigram|
Equanimity|
Equitable
Equivocal|
Erudite|
Esoteric|
Espouse|
Euphemism|
Ethereal|
Evanescent
Exacerbate|
Exacting|
Exalt|
Exemplify|
Exasperate|
Exhaustive|
Exhort
Exigency|
Existential|
Expatriate|
Exonerate|
Expedient|
Expedite|
Explicit
Extol|
Extrapolate|
Extraneous|
Extricate|
Extrovert|
Exult
F
Facetious|
Fabrication|
Facile|
Farcical|
Fastidious|
Fatalist
Fauna|
Fatuous|
Fecund|
Felicity|
Fervor|
Fetter
Figurative|
Fidelity|
Finesse|
Flagrant|
Flout|
Flaunt
Foment|
Foible|
Forbear|
Forgo|
Forsake|
Fortuitous
Fraternal|
Founder|
Frenetic|
Frugal|
Furtive|
Futile
G
Genre|
Garrulous|
Genteel|
Gesticulate|
Glut|
Grandiloquent
Gratuitous|
Grandiose|
Gravity|
Gregarious|
Guile
H
Hapless|
Hackneyed|
Harbinger|
Hedonism|
Hegemony|
Heresy
Heyday|
Hermetic|
Hiatus|
Hierarchy|
Histrionic|
Homily
Husbandry|
Homogeneous|
Hyperbole|
Hypothetical
I
Ideology|
Iconoclast|
Idiosyncrasy|
Idyllic|
Ignominy|
Illicit
Immutable|
Imminent|
Impartial|
Impeccable|
Imperial|
Impervious
Implement|
Impetuous|
Impotent|
Impugn|
Inane|
Incandescent
Inaugurate|
Incense|
Incantation|
Incessant|
Incipient|
Incisive
Incongruous|
Increment|
Incorrigible|
Indifferent
Indigenous|
Indigent|
Indolent
Indulgent|
Indignant|
Ineffable|
Inept|
Inexorable|
Inert
Infatuated|
Infamous|
Infer|
Infinitesimal|
Ingenuous|
Inherent
Innate|
Injunction|
Innocuous|
Inordinate|
Insatiable|
Insidious
Insipid|
Insinuate|
Insolent|
Instigate|
Insular|
Insurgent
Intractable|
Integral|
Intransigent|
Intrinsic|
Introspective|
Inundate
Inveterate|
Invective|
Irascible|
Ironic|
Irrevocable|
Itinerant
J
Judicious|
Juxtapose
K
Kinetic
L
Laconic|
Labyrinth|
Lament|
Lampoon|
Languish
Latent|
Largess|
Laud|
Legacy|
Lethargy|
Levity|
Libel
Loquacious|
Litigate|
Lucid|
Lugubrious|
Luminous
M
Magnanimous|
Machination|
Magnate|
Malaise|
Malfeasance|
Malinger
Mandate|
Malleable|
Manifest|
Manifesto|
Marshal|
Martial
Martyr|
Matriculate|
Maudlin|
Maverick|
Maxim|
Mediate
Mendacious|
Mellifluous|
Mendicant|
Mentor
Mercenary|
Mercurial|
Metamorphosis|
Microcosm
Milieu|
Minuscule|
Misanthropic|
Mitigate
Mollify|
Monolithic|
Moribund|
Morose
Mortify|
Mundane|
Myopia|
Myriad|
Munificent
N
Narcissism|
Nebulous|
Nefarious|
Neologism
Nepotism|
Nominal|
Nihilism|
Nostalgia
Notorious|
Novel|
Noxious|
Nuance
O
Obdurate|
Obfuscate|
Oblivion|
Oblique|
Obsequious|
Obscure|
Obtuse
Officious|
Onerous|
Opaque|
Opulent|
Orthodox|
Ostensible|
Ostentatious
P
Pacify|
Painstaking|
Palliate|
Palpable
Paltry|
Panacea|
Paradigm|
Paradox|
Parochial|
Parody|
Parsimonious
Partisan|
Patent|
Paternal|
Pathology|
Patriarch|
Patrician
Patronize|
Paucity|
Peccadillo|
Pedantic|
Pedestrian|
Pejorative|
Penchant
Penitent|
Pensive|
Peremptory|
Perennial|
Perfidy|
Perfunctory
Peripatetic|
Periphery|
Pernicious|
Perquisite|
Perjury|
Permeate
Pertinent |
Perturb|
Peruse|
Pervade|
Petulant|
Philanthropy
Philistine|
Pious|
Pivotal|
Placate|
Plaintive|
Platitude|
Plebian
Plethora|
Poignant|
Polarize|
Polemic|
Ponderous|
Portent
Postulate|
Pragmatic|
Precedent|
Precept|
Precipitate|
Precipitous
Preclude|
Precursor|
Predilection|
Preeminent
Preempt |
Premise|
Prepossess|
Prerogative|
Prevail|
Pristine
Prodigal|
Prodigious|
Prodigy|
Profane|
Profess|
Proficient
Profligate|
Profound|
Profuse|
Proletariat|
Proliferate|
Prolific
Promulgate|
Propensity|
Propitious|
Proponent|
Proprietary|
Propriety
Prosaic|
Proscribe|
Proselytize|
Protagonist|
Protract|
Provident
Provincial|
Provisional|
Proximity|
Prudent|
Purported|
Putative
Q
Qualify|
Qualitative|
Querulous|
Quixotic
R
Ramification|
Rancor|
Rapacious|
Rebuke|
Rebut|
Recalcitrant
Recant|
Reciprocal|
Reclusive|
Recondite|
Recrimination|
Redolent
Redundant|
Refute|
Reiterate|
Relegate|
Relentless|
Relinquish
Remonstrate|
Renaissance|
Renounce|
Reparation
Repercussion|
Replenish
Replete|
Reprehensible|
Reprisal|
Reproach|
Reprove|
Repudiate
Requisite|
Resolute|
Respite|
Reticent|
Revere|
Rhetoric
Rigorous|
Robust|
Rogue|
Rudimentary|
Ruminate|
Rustic
S
Saccharine|
Sacrilege|
Sacrosanct|
Sagacious|
Salient|
Salutary
Sanctimonious|
Sanguine|
Sardonic|
Scintillate|
Scrupulous|
Scrutinize
Secular|
Sedition|
Sensory|
Sentient|
Sequester|
Serendipity
Servile|
Singular|
Slander|
Sloth|
Sobriety|
Solicitous
Solvent|
Soporific|
Sordid|
Spawn|
Specious|
Sporadic
Spurious|
Squalor|
Squander|
Stagnation|
Static|
Staunch
Steadfast|
Stigmatize|
Stipulate|
Stoic|
Stratum|
Stricture
Strife|
Stringent|
Stymie|
Subjugate|
Sublime|
Subordinate
Substantive|
Subtle|
Subversive|
Succinct|
Succumb|
Supercilious
Superficial|
Superfluous|
Surfeit|
Surreptitious
Surrogate|
Sycophant|
Synthesis
T
Tacit|
Taciturn|
Tangential|
Tangible|
Tantamount|
Tautological|
Temerity
Temperate|
Tenable|
Tenacious|
Tenet|
Tentative|
Tenuous
Terse|
Theology|
Tirade|
Torpor|
Touchstone|
Tout
Transcend|
Transgress|
Transient|
Trepidation|
Turpitude
U
Ubiquitous|
Unconscionable|
Unctuous|
Uniform|
Unremitting|
Unwitting
Urbane|
Usurp|
Utilitarian|
Utopia
V
Vacillate|
Vapid|
Vehement|
Venal|
Venerate|
Veracity
Verbose|
Verisimilitude|
Vernacular|
Vestige|
Vex|
Viable
Vicarious|
Vicissitude|
Vilify|
Vindicate|
Vindictive|
Virtuoso
Virulent|
Visionary|
Vitiate|
Vitriolic
Vocation|
Vociferous|
Volatile|
Volition
W
Wanton|
Willful|
Wistful
X
Xanthic|
Xanthous
Y
Yawn
Z
Zealous
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