🔤 Vocabulary Bank
Build your English vocabulary — one word at a time.
1214 words found — page 8 of 26
dip
Intermediate
/dɪp/
A sudden temporary decrease or drop in a graph or chart
"There was a sharp dip in attendance during the summer holidays."
direct address
Intermediate
/dɪˈrekt əˈdres/
Speaking directly to the reader using 'you' to create a personal connection
"When a blogger writes 'You know that feeling?' they're using direct address to connect with readers."
direct flight
Elementary
/dɪˈrekt flaɪt/
A flight that goes from one place to another without stopping
"Is there a direct flight from London to Tokyo, or do we have to change planes?"
disambiguate
Advanced
/ˌdɪsæmˈbɪɡjueɪt/
To clarify or remove confusion about multiple possible meanings
"The teacher disambiguated the difference between 'affect' and 'effect' with clear examples."
disappointing
Elementary
/ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪŋ/
Not as good as you expected or hoped
"The breakfast was disappointing—there were only two options."
discount
Elementary
/ˈdɪs.kaʊnt/
A reduction in price; paying less than the normal cost
"The store is offering a 20% discount this weekend."
Discount / Bargain
Elementary
/ˈdɪs.kaʊnt/ /ˈbɑː.ɡɪn/
Discount = reduction in price; Bargain = something sold at a lower price than usual
"The store offered a 20% discount, so I got a real bargain on that jacket."
discouraged
Intermediate
/dɪsˈkɜːrɪdʒd/
Losing confidence or motivation; feeling less hopeful or willing to continue.
"He felt discouraged after failing the driving test twice."
discourse
Advanced
/ˈdɪskɔːrs/
Written or spoken communication; the characteristic style and conventions of communication within a particular field or community
"Heavy nominalisation is standard in scientific discourse but less common in journalistic writing."
discourse marker
Upper Intermediate
/ˈdɪskɔːrs ˈmɑːrkər/
A word or phrase used to connect ideas and show relationships between sentences or paragraphs
"The discourse marker 'however' shows a contrast between two ideas."
discourse markers
Advanced
/ˈdɪskɔːrs ˈmɑːrkərz/
Words or phrases that connect ideas and show relationships between clauses in speech
"Words like 'well', 'you see', and 'I mean' are discourse markers often omitted in reported speech."
discover
Elementary
/dɪˈskʌvər/
Found something new or important that wasn't known before
"Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492."
dismissive
Intermediate
/dɪsˈmɪsɪv/
Showing a lack of interest or respect; treating someone's concern as unimportant
"The staff was dismissive when I complained about my cold food."
dissatisfied
Intermediate
/ˌdɪsˈsætɪsfaɪd/
Not happy or content with something received or experienced
"I'm dissatisfied with the quality, and I want to discuss options."
distill
Upper Intermediate
/dɪˈstɪl/
To extract or reduce something to its most important elements
"The author distills complex ideas into simple, memorable points."
distraction
Upper Intermediate
/dɪˈstrækʃən/
Something that takes your attention away from what you should focus on
"Notifications are a major distraction that prevents active listening."
ditransitive
Advanced
/daɪˈtrænzɪtɪv/
A verb that takes two objects, creating alternative passive constructions
"Verbs like 'give' are ditransitive: 'They gave him a medal' or 'He was given a medal.'"
dividend
Upper Intermediate
/ˈdɪvɪdend/
A share of a company's profit paid to people who own stock
"The bank announced a 5% dividend to its shareholders this quarter."
dizzy
Elementary
/ˈdɪzi/
When your head feels like it's spinning; you feel unbalanced
"I stood up too quickly and felt dizzy for a moment."
Do/Does
Beginner
/duː/ /dʌz/
Auxiliary verbs used to ask yes/no questions in present tense
"Do you like ice cream? Does she play tennis?"
dollar
Beginner
/ˈdɑːlər/
The main money unit used in the USA and some other countries.
"I have twenty dollars in my wallet."
Dosage
Beginner
/ˈdoʊsɪdʒ/
The amount of medicine or supplement you should take at one time.
"The dosage for this vitamin is one tablet per day with food."
double
Beginner
/ˈdʌbəl/
Two of the same number together; used to say numbers quickly.
"My code is double-two, double-zero (meaning 2200)."
download
Intermediate
/ˌdaʊnˈloʊd/
To bring files or data from the internet onto your device.
"Can you download the file from the link I sent you?"
downtown
Elementary
/ˌdaʊn.ˈtaʊn/
The central business and shopping area of a city.
"My new job is downtown, so I take the train every morning."
do yoga
Elementary
/duː ˈjoʊɡə/
To practice yoga exercises for flexibility, strength, and relaxation
"I do yoga three times a week to stay healthy."
Do you have
Beginner
/du ju hæv/
A polite question to ask if something is available in the restaurant or cafe
"Do you have any vegetarian options?"
Do you have...?
Beginner
/duː juː ˈhæv/
A question to ask if a shop has something you want to buy
"I asked, 'Do you have this shirt in a larger size?'"
drain
Elementary
/dreɪn/
Remove liquid from food using a strainer
"Drain the pasta to remove the hot water."
draw a conclusion
Upper Intermediate
/drɔː ə kənˈkluːʒən/
To decide something based on evidence or reasoning
"Based on the data, we can draw a conclusion that the strategy was successful."
drill down
Advanced
/drɪl daʊn/
To examine something in detail or investigate deeper into data
"We need to drill down into these sales figures to understand the decline."
due to
Intermediate
/ˈdjuː tu/
Because of something; caused by something specific.
"Due to a warehouse error, my order arrived three weeks late."
ecosystem
Intermediate
/ˈiːkoʊsɪstəm/
A community of living organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment.
"Coral reef ecosystems support thousands of fish species."
elaborate
Upper Intermediate
/ɪˈlæbərət/
To add more details or explain something in greater depth
"When the host asked him to elaborate on his point, he gave fascinating new information."
elaboration
Intermediate
/ɪˌlæbəˈreɪʃən/
Adding more detail or explanation to develop an idea more fully.
"Don't just state your point — add elaboration by explaining why it matters."
eloquent
Advanced
/ˈɛləkwənt/
Fluent, persuasive, and expressive in speaking or writing, often formal and refined
"The diplomat's eloquent speech about international cooperation moved the entire audience."
Eloquent
Upper Intermediate
/ˈeləkwənt/
Fluent and persuasive in speaking or writing.
""She gave an eloquent speech that moved the audience.""
empathy
Upper Intermediate
/ˈempəθi/
The ability to understand and share the feelings of another person
"Listening with empathy means trying to feel what the speaker feels."
emphasize
Upper Intermediate
/ˈemfəsaɪz/
To give special importance or prominence to something
"The marker 'indeed' emphasizes that a statement is particularly significant."
empirical
Upper Intermediate
/ɪmˈpɪrɪkəl/
Based on observation, experience, or experiment rather than theory alone
"The empirical evidence from 500 participants supports the hypothesis."
endangered species
Intermediate
/ɪnˈdeɪndʒərd ˈspiːʃiːz/
Animals or plants at serious risk of becoming extinct in the near future.
"The panda is no longer an endangered species thanks to conservation efforts."
engagement
Upper Intermediate
/ɪnˈɡeɪdʒmənt/
The state of being interested and involved in something
"The speaker's use of humor increased audience engagement throughout the talk."
enthusiasm
Upper Intermediate
/ɪnˈθjuːziæzəm/
Strong excitement and interest in something; showing genuine passion
"Your enthusiasm for the company should shine through your cover letter."
Enthusiasm
Elementary
/ɪnˈθjuːziæzəm/
Intense and eager enjoyment or interest.
""Her enthusiasm for learning English inspired the whole class.""
entrance
Beginner
/ˈentrəns/
A way in; the place where you go into a building or area.
"The entrance to the shop is on the right side of the building."
entrance fee
Intermediate
/ˈen.trəns fiː/
Money you pay to enter a place like a museum or attraction
"The entrance fee for the museum is €12, but students get a 50% discount."
entry
Intermediate
/ˈentri/
Permission to go into a place; also the price to enter.
"Entry to the museum is free on Sundays."
enunciate
Intermediate
/ɪˈnʌnsieɪt/
To pronounce words clearly and distinctly when speaking
"During presentations, it's important to enunciate your words so the audience can understand you easily."