VOCABULARY GUIDE for PTE Exam!
VOCABULARY GUIDE for PTE Exam!
PTE VOCABULARY WORDS
Are you preparing for the PTE exam and looking to boost your vocabulary? One of the best ways to do so is by studying common PTE vocabulary words.
In this blog, we’ve compiled a list of PTE vocabulary words with meanings to help you expand your vocabulary and improve your chances of success on the exam.
Vocabulary Words |
Meaning |
Abate |
to decrease or reduce in intensity or amount |
Abnormal |
deviating from what is normal or usual |
Abolish | to put an end to, to do away with |
Abrupt | sudden and unexpected |
Abundant | present in large quantities, plentiful |
Accommodate |
to provide lodging or make room for someone, to adapt or adjust to something |
Accurate |
free from error or mistake, precise |
Adept | skilled or proficient at something |
Adequate |
satisfactory, enough to meet a particular need |
Adhere | to stick or attach to something, to follow or support a rule or belief |
Adjacent | next to or adjoining something else |
Administer | to manage or supervise the distribution of something |
Admire |
to have a high opinion of someone or something, to regard with respect or approval |
Adversary | an opponent or enemy |
Affluent | wealthy or rich |
Aggravate | to make a problem or situation worse |
Ailment | an illness or medical condition |
Alleviate | to make something less severe or intense |
Anonymous | not named or identified |
Antagonize | to provoke or cause hostility or anger in someone |
Apparent | obvious or easily seen |
Appropriate |
suitable or proper for a particular situation |
Arrogant | having an exaggerated sense of self-importance or superiority |
Assemble | to gather or bring together into one place or group |
Assess | to evaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of something or someone |
Assimilate | to absorb or integrate something into oneself or one’s culture |
Authentic |
genuine or real |
Aversion | a strong dislike or unwillingness to do something |
Awe | a feeling of respect mixed with wonder and fear |
Banish |
to exile or send away someone or something permanently |
Barren | lacking in vegetation or unable to produce offspring, infertile |
Bewilder |
to confuse or puzzle someone |
Bizarre | very strange or unusual |
Blunt | not sharp or pointed, straightforward or frank |
Boast | to speak with excessive pride or self-satisfaction |
Bold | brave or daring, not afraid to take risks |
Brevity | concise and exact use of words in writing or speech |
Brutal | savage, cruel or harsh |
Calculate |
to determine or estimate a numerical value or outcome |
Candid | truthful or honest, straightforward |
Capable | having the ability or competence to do something |
Capture | to take or seize by force or skill |
Casual | relaxed or informal, not requiring much thought or attention |
Celebrate | recognize a significant event or achievement with joy or festivity |
Challenge | to invite someone to engage in a competition or difficult task |
Charismatic |
possessing a compelling charm or attractiveness that inspires devotion in others |
Cherish | to hold dear or love deeply |
Civilized | polite, cultured or refined |
Clarify | to make something clear or easier to understand |
Classify | to arrange or group things into categories or classes based on common characteristics |
Clever | quick |
Banal |
lacking in originality or freshness |
Bellicose | aggressive or warlike in nature |
Benevolent | kind and generous |
Benign |
harmless or gentle in nature |
Bizarre | extremely strange or unusual |
Blatant | obvious and intentional |
Boisterous | loud and energetic |
Brazen |
bold and shameless |
Brusque | blunt or abrupt in manner |
Bucolic | relating to the pleasant aspects of country life |
Cajole |
to persuade through flattery or deception |
Callous | insensitive or unfeeling |
Camaraderie | a feeling of trust and friendship among people who work together |
Capricious | unpredictable and impulsive |
Castigate | to criticize or punish severely |
Caustic | sarcastic or biting in tone |
Celestial | relating to the sky or heavens |
Chicanery |
deception or trickery |
Churlish | rude or ill-mannered |
Clairvoyant | able to perceive things beyond the range of ordinary perception |
Debilitate |
to weaken or impair |
Decadent | characterized by moral decay or luxury |
Deft | skilful or quick in action |
Dejected | sad or depressed |
Deliberate | intentional or done with purpose |
Demure |
modest or shy in behaviour |
Denigrate | to criticize unfairly or belittle |
Desolate | empty or deserted |
Despondent | extremely unhappy or discouraged |
Eclectic |
deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources |
Edify | to instruct or improve someone intellectually or morally |
Effervescent | bubbly or lively |
Egregious | extremely bad or offensive |
Elated | extremely happy or joyful |
Eloquent | fluent or persuasive in speech or writing |
Embellish |
to decorate or enhance something with additional details or ornaments |
Emulate | to imitate or copy |
Enigmatic | mysterious or difficult to understand |
Entice | to attract or lure by offering something desirable |
Fluctuate |
to vary or change constantly |
Frivolous | of little importance, not serious |
Furtive | secretive, done in a sly or stealthy manner |
Futile | useless, ineffective, unimportant |
Facilitate | to make easier or less difficult |
Garrulous |
excessively talkative, chatty |
Gratuitous | given without charge, unnecessary, uncalled for |
Gregarious | sociable, fond of company |
Grandiose | impressive or imposing, grand in appearance or style |
Gluttony | excessive or overindulgent consumption of food or drink |
Histrionic |
overly theatrical, dramatic or exaggerated |
Hapless | unlucky or unfortunate, cursed with bad luck |
Harbinger | a sign or omen, a predictor of future events |
Heresy | belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious doctrine |
Homogeneous | of the same kind or nature, uniform in structure or composition |
Idiosyncrasy |
a peculiar or distinctive trait or habit |
Inscrutable | difficult to understand, mysterious or obscure |
Inherent | existing in someone or something as a permanent or essential characteristic |
Intrepid | fearless, brave, bold, and adventurous |
Insipid | lacking flavour or interest, dull or boring |
Jaundiced |
having a yellowish appearance, prejudiced or biased |
Juxtapose | to place side by side for comparison or contrast |
Jocular | humorous, joking or playful in manner |
Judicious | having or showing good judgement or sense, wise or prudent |
Facade | the front of a building, often used to describe a false appearance or illusion |
Fallacy | a mistaken belief or notion, an erroneous argument |
Fastidious | very attentive to detail, hard to please or satisfy |
Fecund | fruitful, productive, capable of producing many offspring |
Feckless | careless, irresponsible, ineffective or feeble |
Genteel | refined, elegant, or polite in manner or behaviour |
Glacial |
relating to or characteristic of glaciers, extremely slow or cold |
Gossamer | thin and delicate, resembling a spider’s web |
Grandeur | magnificence, impressiveness |
Halcyon | peaceful, calm, or prosperous, often used to describe a nostalgic time |
Hedonism | the pursuit of pleasure or enjoyment, often at the expense of other considerations |
Hubris | excessive pride or self-confidence, arrogance or conceit |
Hierarchy | a system of ranking or organizing things or people according to importance |
Humdrum | lacking excitement, dull or boring |
Ineffable | too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words, indescribable |
Inhibit | to prevent or restrain, to hold back or limit |
Inexorable | impossible to stop or prevent, unyielding or relentless |
Infinitesimal |
extremely small or tiny, almost immeasurable |
Iniquity | immoral or unfair behaviour or actions, sin or wickedness |
Jargon | specialized terminology used by a particular group or profession |
Jeopardize | to put in danger, to risk or endanger |
Jocular | characterized by joking or humour, playful |
Jovial | cheerful, friendly, and good-natured |
Judicious | having or showing good judgment, wise or prudent |
Jaded | tired or bored, having had too much of something |
Kinetic | relating to motion or movement |
Kudos | praise or admiration for someone’s achievements |
Keystone |
a central element that holds together other parts |
Lethargy | a lack of energy or enthusiasm |
Laudable | deserving praise and admiration |
Luminous | shining brightly; full of light |
Malleable | capable of being shaped |
Myriad | a great number of things or people |
Nefarious | wicked or evil |
Nonplussed | confused or unsure how to react |
Noxious |
harmful or poisonous |
Obliterate | destroy completely |
Ominous | giving the impression that something bad is going to happen |
Obsequious | overly eager to please or obey |
Kindle | to start a fire or ignite something |
Keen | having a sharp or strong feeling or interest |
Kin | – one’s family or relations |
Largesse | – generosity in giving gifts or money |
Languish |
– to become weak or feeble |
Levity | – a lack of seriousness, often in an inappropriate situation |
Morose | – sullen or ill-tempered |
Maverick | – an independent-minded person who doesn’t conform to the norm |
Meander | – to wander aimlessly or without direction |
Nexus | – a connection or link between two or more things |
Nonchalant |
– calm and relaxed, showing a lack of concern |
Notorious | – famous for something bad or negative |
Opaque | – not able to be seen through; not transparent |
Omniscient | – having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding |
Kernel | – the essential part or core of something |
Knead | – to work and press into a dough or other malleable substance |
Kiosk | – a small structure used for information or commerce |
Languid | – lacking energy or enthusiasm; slow and relaxed |
Larceny | – theft of personal property |
Mellifluous |
– sweet-sounding; pleasing to the ear |
Munificent | – very generous; giving lavishly |
Mitigate | – to make less severe or intense |
Nihilistic | – rejecting all religious and moral principles in the belief that life is meaningless |
Nostalgia | – a sentimental longing for the past |
Negligible | – too small or unimportant to be considered significant |
Oscillate |
– to move back and forth in a regular rhythm |
Omnipotent | – having unlimited power or authority |
Obdurate | – stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or course of action |
Kith | – friends and acquaintances |
Keystone | – the central stone at the summit of an arch, locking the whole together |
Luminescence | – the quality or condition of radiating or reflecting light |
Pristine | – pure, untouched, in its original condition |
Ponder |
– to think deeply, consider carefully |
Pinnacle | – the highest point, summit, peak |
Proficient | – skilled, competent, knowledgeable |
Pious | – deeply religious, devout, reverent |
Quaint | – charmingly old-fashioned, unusual in an appealing way |
Quell | – to suppress or extinguish, calm, pacify |
Quandary | – a state of uncertainty or perplexity, dilemma |
Quip |
– a witty remark or comment, a joke |
Resilient | – able to recover quickly from difficulties or setbacks, tough, strong |
Retrospect | – a review or contemplation of past events, hindsight |
Requisite | – necessary or essential, required, indispensable |
Reticent | – reluctant to speak or reveal thoughts, reserved, quiet |
Rudimentary | – basic, fundamental, undeveloped |
Serene |
– calm, peaceful |
Superfluous | – unnecessary, extra, surplus |
Surreptitious | – done in secret, clandestine, covert |
Sardonic | – sarcastic, mocking, ironic |
Scrupulous | – careful, thorough, conscientious |
Tenacious |
– persistent, determined, strong-willed |
Transcend | – to go beyond the limits of, surpass, exceed |
Tedious | – boring, monotonous, dull |
Tenuous | – weak, fragile, flimsy |
Taciturn | – reserved or uncommunicative in speech, quiet, reticent |
Ubiquitous |
– present everywhere, widespread, omnipresent |
Upbraid | – to scold or criticize severely, rebuke, reprimand |
Usurp | – to seize or take control by force, appropriate, seize |
Urbane | – sophisticated, suave, refined |
Unfettered | – free, unrestricted, unrestrained |
Vex | – to annoy or frustrate, irritate, bother |
Venerate | – to regard with deep respect, revere |
Vicarious | – experienced through someone else, second-hand, indirect |
Visceral | – instinctive, emotional, gut-level |
Voracious | – having a huge appetite, insatiable, ravenous |
Whimsical | – playful, fanciful, imaginative |
Wistful | – longing, yearning, nostalgic |
Wry | – twisted, dryly humorous, ironic |
Wane | – to decrease in intensity or power, decline, diminish |
Winsome | – charming, attractive, appealing |
Xenophobia | – fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers, racism, prejudice |
Xerophyte | – a plant adapted to survive in dry conditions, cactus, succulent |
Yield | – to produce or give way to, surrender, submit |
Yen | – a strong desire or longing, craving, yearning |
Yoke | – to join or link together, unite, connect |
Yearning | – a deep longing or desire, craving, aspiration |
Yore | – time past, former times, long ago. |
Zenith | – the highest point, the peak, the apex |
Zealot | – a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals |
Zeitgeist | – the spirit or tone of a particular period in history as shown by the ideas, beliefs, and attitudes of the time |
Zest | – great enthusiasm and energy, excitement, liveliness |
Zephyr | – a gentle breeze, a soft wind |
“Education is the passport to the future, and studying hard is the visa that unlocks its full potential”
For reference you can visit Wikipedia click here