🔤 Vocabulary Bank
Build your English vocabulary — one word at a time.
1475 words found — page 26 of 31
stamp
Elementary
/stæmp/
A small sticker you put on mail to pay for sending it
"Don't forget to put a stamp on the postcard!"
STAR method
Intermediate
/stɑːr ˈmeθəd/
A way to answer interview questions: Situation, Task, Action, Result
"Use the STAR method to structure your answer about when you solved a problem."
stayed
Elementary
/steɪd/
Past tense of stay; means you remained in one place or continued doing something
"On Sunday, I stayed home and watched movies all day."
steep decline
Intermediate
/stiːp dɪˈklaɪn/
A sharp, rapid decrease in value or amount
"There was a steep decline in tourism after the airport closed temporarily."
stem
Elementary
/stem/
The base form of a word to which prefixes or suffixes are added
"In the verb 'go', 'go' is the stem, and in 'went', the entire word changes from the stem."
step
Beginner
/step/
One action in a series of actions needed to complete a task
"The first step is to wash your hands before cooking."
step-by-step
Intermediate
/ˌstep baɪ ˈstep/
One action at a time, in order, from beginning to end
"Follow the instructions step-by-step, don't skip any stages."
stilted
Advanced
/ˈstɪltɪd/
Formal and unnatural-sounding; lacking ease and natural flow
"His stilted writing made the email sound robotic rather than professional and warm."
stipulate
Advanced
/ˈstɪpjuleɪt/
To specify or require as a condition; to state explicitly
"The methodology stipulates that all data must be anonymized before analysis."
Stir
Elementary
/stɜːr/
Mix something by moving a spoon around in circles repeatedly
"Stir the sauce slowly for two minutes."
stomachache
Elementary
/ˈstʌməkˌeɪk/
Pain in your stomach or belly area
"I ate too much pizza and now I have a stomachache."
storage
Intermediate
/ˈstɔːrɪdʒ/
The space on a device where files, apps, and photos are saved.
"My phone storage is full, so I need to delete some old apps."
Storage
Beginner
/ˈstɔːrɪdʒ/
Instructions for how and where to keep a product fresh and safe.
"The storage instructions say to keep this medicine in a cool, dry place away from sunlight."
straight
Beginner
/streɪt/
In a direct line, without turning left or right.
"Go straight for two blocks, then turn left."
straightforward
Upper Intermediate
/ˌstreɪtˈfɔːwəd/
Honest, direct, and easy to understand without complications or hidden meanings
"His straightforward approach to answering questions made him popular with the audience."
strategic pause
Advanced
/strəˈtiːdʒɪk pɔːz/
A deliberate moment of silence used to emphasize a point or allow reflection
"After asking a rhetorical question, he used a strategic pause to let the audience consider the answer."
stress
Upper Intermediate
/stres/
To give special importance or attention to something when speaking
"I want to stress how important punctuality is in this job."
stressed (emphasis)
Intermediate
/strest/
Words spoken louder or with more force to show they are important or deserving attention
"The presenter stressed the word 'urgent' when announcing the emergency alert."
stress (verb)
Intermediate
/stres/
Emphasize something by speaking it with stronger tone or repetition
"The boss stressed the importance of meeting the Friday deadline."
strike a balance
Intermediate
/straɪk ə ˈbæləns/
To find a good mixture of different things; achieve equilibrium
"I try to strike a balance between work and exercise to stay healthy."
student
Beginner
/ˈstjuːdənt/
A person who learns at a school or university
"There are thirty students in my classroom."
stylistic device
Upper Intermediate
/staɪˈlɪstɪk dɪˈvaɪs/
A technique writers use to create a particular effect or mood
"Inversion is a powerful stylistic device that makes formal writing more memorable."
stylistic flourish
Advanced
/staɪˈlɪstɪk ˈflʌrɪʃ/
An ornamental or decorative element in writing style
"While stylistic flourishes add personality, they can distract from your main argument."
subgenre
Intermediate
/ˈsʌbdʒenrə/
A smaller category within a larger genre (example: cozy mystery is a subgenre of crime fiction)
"Paranormal romance is a subgenre that combines supernatural elements with love stories."
subject
Beginner
/ˈsʌbdʒekt/
The person, thing, or idea that is doing the action or being described in a sentence
"In the sentence 'She is happy', 'she' is the subject."
subject line
Beginner
/ˈsʌbdʒekt laɪn/
The title of an email that tells you what the email is about.
"The subject line says 'Coffee tomorrow?' so I know what to expect."
subjunctive mood
Advanced
/səbˈdʒʌŋktɪv muːd/
Verb form expressing wishes, demands, or hypothetical situations rather than facts
"The CEO insisted that the proposal be submitted by Friday, using the subjunctive mood."
submit
Intermediate
/səbˈmɪt/
To give or send something formally, especially to a person in authority
"Please submit your report before 3 PM, or it won't be counted as on time."
subordinate clause
Upper Intermediate
/səˈbɔːdənət klɔːz/
A clause that cannot stand alone and depends on a main clause
"Only when you practice daily will you improve—this subordinate clause is inverted for effect."
subsequently
Upper Intermediate
/ˈsʌbsɪkwəntli/
After something else; at a later time
"The first attempt failed; subsequently, the team revised their approach."
substance
Elementary
/ˈsʌbstəns/
A material or matter that is uncountable, like coffee, paper, or air.
"How much of this substance do we need for the experiment?"
substantiate
Upper Intermediate
/səbˈstænʃieɪt/
To provide evidence or facts to support or prove a claim
"The researcher substantiated her hypothesis with three years of experimental data."
substantive
Upper Intermediate
/səbˈstæntɪv/
Containing important information or meaning; significant
"Your summary should include only the most substantive points from the text."
subtext
Advanced
/ˈsʌbtekst/
An underlying or hidden meaning in speech or text beneath the surface words
"The subtext of her refusal suggests she's upset, not just busy."
suburb
Elementary
/ˈsʌbɜːrb/
A residential area on the edge of a city, usually quieter than the center
"I live in the suburbs, about 20 minutes from downtown."
suburbs
Elementary
/ˈsʌb.ɜːrbz/
Areas on the edge of a city, usually quieter and less crowded than the city center.
"We moved to the suburbs because it's more peaceful for raising kids."
subversive
Advanced
/səbˈvɜːrsɪv/
Intended to undermine or weaken authority, especially through subtle means
"The novel's subversive critique of the regime disguises itself as children's fiction."
subvert expectations
Advanced
/səbˈvɜːrt ɪkˈspekteɪʃənz/
Deliberately mislead the audience about what will happen, then surprise them with something different
"Good comedians subvert expectations by setting up one joke then delivering a completely different punchline."
suffix
Advanced
/ˈsʌfɪks/
A letter or group of letters added at the end of a word to form a new word or change its grammatical function
"Common nominalisation suffixes include -tion, -ment, -ance, and -ity."
suit
Intermediate
/suːt/
To be convenient or acceptable for someone.
"Would Tuesday afternoon suit you, or do you prefer the morning?"
Summer
Beginner
/ˈsʌmər/
The warmest season of the year, usually June, July, and August in the Northern Hemisphere.
"In summer, I go to the beach almost every weekend."
sunny
Elementary
/ˈsʌn.i/
When the sun is shining brightly and there are no clouds
"It's a sunny day today — let's go to the park!"
superfluous
Advanced
/suːˈpɜːfluəs/
More than needed; unnecessary and not adding value
"The report contained superfluous details that distracted from the main argument."
superlative
Elementary
/suːˈpɜːrlətɪv/
A word or phrase used to describe something as the best, worst, or most extreme in a group
"The superlative form of 'fast' is 'the fastest.'"
supporting detail
Intermediate
/səˈpɔːrtɪŋ ˈdiːteɪl/
A sentence or piece of information that explains or proves your main point.
"In my essay about climate change, I used scientific studies as supporting details."
supporting details
Intermediate
/səˈpɔːtɪŋ ˈdiːteɪlz/
Examples, facts, or explanations that prove your main idea
"The paragraph uses three supporting details to explain why exercise is healthy."
supporting example
Intermediate
/səˈpɔːr.tɪŋ ɪɡˈzæm.pəl/
A specific case or story used to prove or explain a main idea in more detail.
"The lecturer gave a supporting example of a successful startup to explain the business model."
supporting sentence
Intermediate
/səˈpɔːrtɪŋ ˈsentəns/
Sentences in a paragraph that provide examples, details, or evidence for the main idea.
"Each supporting sentence in the paragraph gave specific examples of why the restaurant was excellent."