🔤 Vocabulary Bank
Build your English vocabulary — one word at a time.
1475 words found — page 29 of 31
to make it
Elementary
/meɪk ɪt/
To be able to attend or arrive at an event or meeting on time.
"Can you make it to the party on Saturday?"
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 obfuscate
Advanced
/əbˈfʌskeɪt/
To deliberately make something unclear or confusing to avoid giving a direct answer
"The minister obfuscated the real reasons for the policy by flooding reporters with statistics."
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 pivot / pivot to
Intermediate
/ˈpɪvət/
To shift direction in a conversation, especially moving from agreement to disagreement
"She agreed it was a good idea, then pivoted to explaining why the budget wouldn't work."
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 prevaricate
Advanced
/prɪˈværɪkeɪt/
To speak or act evasively; to avoid giving a direct or honest answer
"When pressed about the agreement, the spokesperson began to prevaricate about the exact terms."
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 segue
Upper Intermediate
/ˈseɡweɪ/
To transition smoothly from one topic to another
"Now let me segue into the second part of this presentation about budget allocation."
to sidestep
Upper Intermediate
/ˌsaɪdˈstep/
To avoid dealing with something directly by going around it or ignoring it
"Politicians often sidestep controversial questions during interviews."
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."
to summarize
Intermediate
/ˈsʌm.ə.raɪz/
To give a brief statement of the main ideas without repeating all the details.
"At the end of the lecture, the professor summarized the three main arguments."
total
Beginner
/ˈtoʊtəl/
The complete amount when you add everything together.
"The total for your shopping is forty-five dollars."
To the best of my knowledge
Intermediate
/tə ðə best əv maɪ ˈnɒlɪdʒ/
Used when giving information you believe is correct but aren't completely certain about
"To the best of my knowledge, the office opens at 9 AM, but I'd confirm with reception."
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 transition
Intermediate
/trænˈzɪʃ.ən/
To move smoothly from one topic or idea to another in a conversation or text.
"The speaker transitioned from discussing history to talking about current events."
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."
to underscore
Upper Intermediate
/ˌʌndəˈskɔː/
To emphasize or stress the importance of something
"The report underscores the critical need for immediate action on climate change."
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!"
to wrap up (speaking)
Intermediate
/tə ræp ʌp/
To finish or conclude something, especially a presentation or discussion
"I'll wrap up by summarizing the three main benefits."
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."
triangulation
Advanced
/ˌtraɪæŋɡjʊˈleɪʃən/
Using multiple sources or methods to verify or validate a single claim or finding
"Triangulation of three independent studies strengthens the credibility of your argument."
Try on
Elementary
/traɪ ɑːn/
To wear something in a shop to check if it fits before buying
"Can I try on these jeans?"
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."