🔤 Vocabulary Bank
Build your English vocabulary — one word at a time.
1214 words found — page 24 of 26
to have an axe to grind
Advanced
/hæv ən æks tə ɡraɪnd/
To have a hidden, selfish reason or grudge motivating your actions
"I suspect he supports that policy because he has an axe to grind with the opposition."
to introduce
Beginner
/ˌɪn.trəˈdjuːs/
To tell someone your name and basic information when you meet them for the first time
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Sarah, and I'm a software engineer."
to launch
Intermediate
/lɔːntʃ/
To introduce a new product, service, or project to the public or market.
"Our company is launching a new app next month."
tolerate
Intermediate
/ˈtɑːləreɪt/
To accept or allow something unpleasant without complaint
"I cannot tolerate loud noises while I'm trying to work."
to miss
Intermediate
/mɪs/
To fail to hear or understand something
"I missed the first part of the news, so I didn't know what they were talking about."
tone
Intermediate
/toʊn/
The writer's attitude or feeling shown through their word choice and style
"The blog post's tone was funny and sarcastic, not serious or angry."
to negotiate
Intermediate
/nɪˈɡoʊʃieɪt/
To discuss terms and conditions with someone to reach an agreement.
"She negotiated her salary before accepting the job offer."
to omit
Upper Intermediate
/əˈmɪt/
To leave something out or not include it
"In passive sentences, we can omit the agent when it's obvious or unimportant."
to order
Beginner
/ˈɔːrdər/
To ask for food or drink in a restaurant or café
"Can I order a sandwich and a glass of water?"
topic sentence
Intermediate
/ˈtɒpɪk ˈsentəns/
The main idea of a paragraph, usually the first sentence
"The topic sentence of this paragraph is: 'Learning languages opens career opportunities.'"
to postpone
Intermediate
/poʊstˈpoʊn/
To delay or reschedule something to a later time.
"We had to postpone the meeting because the director is sick."
to pursue
Elementary
/pərˈsuː/
To follow or try hard to achieve a goal or dream
"He decided to pursue his dream of becoming a photographer."
to recommend
Elementary
/ˌrekəˈmend/
To suggest something is good and worth trying
"The review said 'I recommend this hotel to all my friends.'"
to regret
Intermediate
/rɪˈɡret/
To feel sad or sorry about something you did in the past
"The blogger wrote that they regretted booking the trip so last-minute, but it turned out great."
to reject
Intermediate
/rɪˈdʒekt/
To refuse to accept or consider something or someone.
"My application was rejected because I didn't meet the requirements."
to run
Elementary
/tuː rʌn/
To move quickly using your legs
"I ran to catch the bus yesterday and made it just in time!"
to scan
Intermediate
/skæn/
To read quickly to find specific information without reading every word carefully
"I scanned the blog post to find information about the restaurant's opening hours."
to sit on the fence
Advanced
/sɪt ɒn ðə fens/
To remain neutral or undecided; to refuse to take a clear position
"The manager has been sitting on the fence about the restructuring proposal for months."
to some extent
Upper Intermediate
/tə səm ɪkˈstent/
Partly or in some way, but not completely
"He's right to some extent, but he's ignoring the bigger picture."
to study
Elementary
/ˈstʌdi/
To learn about a subject, usually at school or university
"She studied engineering at university for four years."
to submit
Intermediate
/səbˈmɪt/
To give or send something officially, especially to someone in authority.
"Please submit your expense report before the end of the month."
to substantiate
Upper Intermediate
/səbˈstænʃieɪt/
To provide evidence or proof to support a claim or statement
"You need to substantiate your findings with concrete data before submitting the report."
total
Beginner
/ˈtoʊtəl/
The complete amount when you add everything together.
"The total for your shopping is forty-five dollars."
to throw in the towel
Advanced
/θroʊ ɪn ðə ˈtaʊəl/
To give up or surrender; to admit defeat or stop trying
"After three failed attempts, she finally threw in the towel and accepted the job offer."
to transform
Intermediate
/trænsˈfɔːrm/
To change from one form to another; in grammar, to convert active to passive.
"We can transform 'They make cars' into 'Cars are made' (passive)."
to tune in
Intermediate
/tuː ˈtjuːn ɪn/
To adjust a radio or TV to receive a particular station or programme
"Don't forget to tune in to the morning show tomorrow at 7 AM."
touch base
Advanced
/tʌtʃ beɪs/
To briefly contact someone to exchange information or reconnect
"Let me touch base with the client before we finalize the proposal."
tourist
Elementary
/ˈtʊərɪst/
A person who travels to a place for enjoyment or vacation
"Many tourists visit Paris to see the Eiffel Tower every year."
to wake up
Elementary
/tuː weɪk ʌp/
To stop sleeping and get out of bed
"I woke up at 6 AM this morning and felt tired."
to wrap up
Intermediate
/ræp ʌp/
To finish or conclude something
"I should wrap up this email now — I have to get back to work!"
traffic jam
Elementary
/ˈtræfɪk dʒæm/
A situation where many vehicles are stuck and cannot move quickly
"We were stuck in a traffic jam for two hours on the motorway."
transcript
Intermediate
/ˈtræn.skrɪpt/
A written version of what was said in a speech or podcast
"The podcast provides a transcript so you can read along while listening."
transition
Upper Intermediate
/trænˈzɪʃən/
A word, phrase, or sentence that connects ideas and shows the relationship between different parts of writing
"The transition 'Furthermore' helped her add additional evidence to support her argument."
transition phrase
Intermediate
/trænˈzɪʃ.ən freɪz/
Words used to connect ideas and signal that important information follows
"When the interviewer said 'That said, we need someone who...', it was a transition phrase signaling a key requirement."
transition word
Intermediate
/trænˈzɪʃən wɜːrd/
A word or phrase that connects ideas (like 'however,' 'furthermore,' 'in contrast')
"Using transition words like 'Additionally' helps readers understand how ideas relate."
trend
Intermediate
/trend/
The general direction or tendency that data moves over time.
"The upward trend in unemployment suggests the economy is slowing."
triadic structure
Advanced
/traɪˈædɪk ˈstrʌktʃər/
Grouping three related ideas, words, or clauses together for rhythm, balance, and memorability in speech
"Churchill's 'blood, toil, tears, and sweat' (adjusted from the original four) uses a near-triadic structure for powerful effect."
Triangle
Beginner
/ˈtraɪæŋɡəl/
A shape with three straight sides and three angles
"A slice of pizza is usually a triangle."
tucked away
Intermediate
/tʌkt əˈweɪ/
Hidden or positioned in a small, quiet, or remote location
"We found a little restaurant tucked away in a quiet corner of the old town."
tumble
Intermediate
/ˈtʌmbl/
To fall or roll down in an uncontrolled way; to flow or move loosely.
"The houses tumble down the hillside toward the Mediterranean Sea."
turn
Beginner
/tɜːrn/
To change direction by rotating your body or vehicle left or right.
"At the red light, turn right and you'll see the restaurant."
turn left/right
Beginner
/tɜːrn left / raɪt/
Change direction to the left or right side
"Turn right at the traffic light and you'll see the café."
uncertainty
Intermediate
/ʌnˈsɜːrtənti/
The state of not being sure or confident about something; doubt or lack of certainty
"There's some uncertainty about whether the meeting will happen tomorrow."
uncountable
Intermediate
/ʌnˈkaʊntəbl/
Not able to be counted; nouns that cannot be separated into individual units
"Water is an uncountable noun; we don't say two waters but two bottles of water."
uncountable noun
Elementary
/ʌnˈkaʊntəbl naʊn/
A noun that cannot be counted as individual units (water, money, advice, time)
"How much water should I drink? Water is an uncountable noun."
underdeveloped
Intermediate
/ˌʌndərdɪˈveləpt/
Not given enough detail, attention, or growth (especially characters)
"The villain was underdeveloped — we never learned why he actually cared about revenge."
underground
Elementary
/ˈʌndəɡraʊnd/
a train system that runs below the city streets
"I took the underground to get to the museum quickly."
understand
Beginner
/ˌʌndərˈstænd/
To know the meaning of words or ideas
"Do you understand what I said?"