Word sets: Academic English165 words
- emitC1verbto send out light, heat, sound, gas or another substance
- competentB2adjectivehaving enough skill or knowledge to do something well or to the required standard
- degradeC1verbto make something worse in quality or condition; to break down slowly into simpler parts
- layoutB2nounthe way the parts of something are arranged, such as a room, page or website
- fabricB2nouncloth used for making clothes, curtains and similar things
- fungusB2nouna living thing like a mushroom or mold that feeds on other plants or on dead matter
- reservoirB2nouna large natural or artificial lake where water is stored for use
- footnoteB2nounextra information printed at the foot of a page, usually marked with a small number in the text
- bodilyC1adjectiverelating to the human body, not the mind or feelings
- nicheC1nouna small, special part of a market; also a job or activity that suits you perfectly
- vagueB2adjectivenot clear or detailed, so it is difficult to understand, remember or see exactly
- affirmC1verbto state publicly that something is true, or to show strong support for it
- afterwardB1adverbafter the time or event that has just been mentioned; later
- jazzB1nouna type of music with strong rhythms, in which players often make up the music as they play
- antiquityC1nounthe distant past, especially the time of ancient Greece and Rome; also an object from that time
- unemployedB1adjectivewithout a paid job but able and wanting to work
- toxicB2adjectivepoisonous and harmful to people, animals or the environment; also used for very unpleasant behavior
- yeastB2nouna tiny living fungus used to make bread rise and to make beer and wine
- punishB1verbto make someone suffer because they have done something wrong or broken a rule
- forumB2nouna place, meeting or website where people discuss a subject of shared interest
- bleedB2verbto lose blood from your body, usually because of an injury
- overheadB2adjectiveabove your head; also, relating to the regular costs of running a business
- republicB1nouna country that has no king or queen and is led by an elected or chosen leader
- processorB2nounthe part of a computer that carries out instructions, or a machine that prepares food
- complyC1verbto do what a law, rule or request says you must do
- auditB2nounan official check of a company's accounts, or a careful check of how something is done
- legendB2nounan old story that may not be true; also a very famous person admired for their skill
- slotB1nouna time or place in a plan or schedule for something; also a narrow opening for a coin or card
- drainB2verbto let liquid flow away from something, or (of liquid) to flow away
- abdominalC1adjectiverelating to the abdomen, the part of the body between the chest and the hips
- mediaB2nountelevision, radio, newspapers and the internet, seen as ways of giving news and information to many people
- temptB2verbto make someone want to do or have something, especially something they should not
- outletB2nounan organization that publishes news, a way of releasing a feeling, or a shop selling one brand
- precipitationC1nounrain, snow or hail that falls from the sky to the ground
- plannerB2nouna person whose job is to plan how towns, buildings or events are organized
- supposedlyC1adverbaccording to what people say or believe, although you may doubt that it is true
- gutB2nounthe tube in your body that food passes through; also a strong feeling you cannot explain
- swellB1verbto become bigger than usual, for example because of injury or extra water
- emperorB1nounthe male ruler of an empire
- altitudeB2nounthe height of a place or object above the level of the sea
- gaugeC1nouna tool that measures an amount; something that helps you judge a situation or opinion
- transparencyC1nounan honest and open way of working, so that people can see how decisions are made and money is spent
- sensibleB2adjectiveshowing good judgment and practical thinking
- destinationB1nounthe place where someone or something is going
- precipitateC1verbto cause something bad or sudden to happen, usually sooner than expected
- painfulB1adjectivecausing physical pain, or making you feel sad or upset
- industrializationB2nounthe process of developing many factories and heavy industry in a country or region
- labB1nouna room or building where scientists do experiments and tests; short for laboratory
- seminarB2nouna class or meeting where a small group discusses a subject with a teacher or expert
- subtractB2verbto take one number or amount away from another
- facetC1nounone of the different parts or sides of a subject, personality or situation
- incumbentC2adjectiveholding an official job at the present time; also, being someone's formal duty to do something
- biodiversityC1nounthe variety of plants and animals living in a particular place or in the world
- chunkB2nouna thick, solid piece of something; also a large part of something
- credibilityC1nounthe quality of being believed or trusted
- tutorB2nouna teacher who teaches one student or a small group, often privately or at a university
- superB1adverbvery or extremely
- finB2nouna thin flat part on the body of a fish or sea animal that helps it swim
- aluminumB2nouna light silver-colored metal used to make cans, foil and window frames
- liableC1adjectivelegally responsible for something, or likely to experience something bad
- marbleB1nouna hard, smooth stone used for floors and statues; also a small glass ball children play with
- pesticideC1nouna chemical that farmers use to kill insects and other animals that damage crops
- technicallyB2adverbaccording to the exact rules or facts, even if it seems different; also relating to skill or technology
- fringeC1nounthe outer edge of an area, or a group whose ideas are far from the normal ones
- messengerB2nouna person who carries a message; also an app for sending short messages
- biologistB2nouna scientist who studies living things such as plants, animals and bacteria
- connotationC2nouna feeling or idea that a word suggests in addition to its basic meaning
- deltaB2nouna low, level area of land where a river splits into smaller streams before entering the sea
- tremendousB2adjectivevery great in amount, size or level; also extremely good
- fleshB2nounthe soft part of a body between the skin and bones; also the soft part of a fruit
- marrowC1nounthe soft substance inside bones, where new blood cells are made
- surgeonB1nouna doctor who does operations, cutting into the body to repair or remove parts
- instinctB2nouna natural way of behaving or feeling that you do not have to learn or think about
- industrializeC1verbto develop factories and large-scale industry in a country or region
- stripeB1nouna long narrow band of color that is different from the color around it
- solventB2nouna liquid that can dissolve another substance, such as paint, oil or glue
- kilometerB1nouna unit of distance equal to one thousand meters
- slabC2nouna thick, flat piece of stone, wood, concrete or food
- hedgeB2nouna line of bushes growing close together around a garden or field; also a way to protect against loss
- sprayB2verbto send out liquid in many small drops through the air
- plugB1nounthe part at the end of a wire that you push into the wall for electricity
- nakedB1adjectivenot wearing any clothes; also not covered or protected
- indifferenceC1nouna lack of interest, care or feeling about someone or something
- eraseB2verbto remove something completely, such as writing, a recording or a memory
- clipB1nouna short part of a film or video; also a small object for holding things together
- dissectionC1nouncutting up a dead body, animal or plant to study it; also a very detailed examination of something
- censorC1verbto remove or ban parts of books, films or news because they are thought to be harmful or unsuitable
- portrayalC1nounthe way someone or something is shown or described in a film, book, news story or picture
- statisticsB2nounnumbers and facts collected to show information, or the science of studying them
- thumbB1nounthe short, thick finger on the side of your hand, set apart from the other four
- acidicC1adjectivecontaining acid or having the qualities of an acid; sour
- upliftC1nounan increase or improvement in something such as sales, prices or someone's mood
- flipB2verbto turn something over quickly; also to move a switch or toss a coin
- congruentC2adjectivefitting or agreeing well with something else; in math, having the same shape and size
- parcelB1nounsomething wrapped in paper or put in a box so it can be sent by post
- lecturerB2nouna teacher who gives talks to students at a university or college
- skipB2verbto not do or have something you usually do; also to move past something without dealing with it
- swordB2nouna weapon with a long, sharp metal blade and a handle
- photographicB2adjectiveconnected with photographs or taking photographs; also very exact, like a photograph
- auctionB2nouna public sale where things go to the person who offers the most money
- barrelB2nouna large round container with flat ends for liquids; also a unit for measuring oil
- mentorB2nounan experienced person who gives advice and help to someone younger or less experienced
- nicelyB2adverbin a pleasant, polite or attractive way; also well or successfully
- lumpB2nouna solid piece of something with no regular shape; also a hard swelling on the body
- watershedC1nounan event or time that marks a big turning point in history or in a person's life
- mercuryB2nouna heavy silver metal that is liquid at room temperature and is poisonous
- headquartersB2nounthe main office of a company or organization, where the leaders work
- phenomenalC1adjectiveextremely good, large or impressive
- multinationalB2adjectiveoperating or involving several countries, especially of a large company
- commaB1nouna punctuation mark (,) used to separate parts of a sentence or items in a list
- bizarreB2adjectivevery strange and unusual, in a way that is hard to explain
- specialtyB2nouna type of food a place is famous for; also the area of work someone knows most about
- socializeB2verbto spend time with other people in a friendly way, for example at parties or events
- noviceB2nouna person who is new to an activity or job and has little experience
- enormouslyC1adverbvery much; to a very great degree
- moleB2nouna small dark spot on the skin, usually harmless
- sometimeB1adverbat a time in the past or future that is not known or not fixed
- swapC1verbto give something and get something else in return; to exchange or change one thing for another
- recipeB2nouna set of instructions that tells you how to cook a dish; also a way to get a result
- airplaneB1nouna vehicle with wings and engines that flies through the air carrying people or goods
- deceiveB2verbto make someone believe something that is not true, usually for your own advantage
- syllabusB2nouna list of the topics a course will cover, often given to students at the start
- neatB2adjectivetidy and arranged carefully; also, informally, good or clever
- leverB2nouna bar or handle you push or pull to operate a machine, or a bar used to lift things
- reactorC1nouna large machine that produces nuclear energy, especially to make electricity
- herbicideC1nouna chemical that farmers spray on land to kill unwanted plants, such as weeds
- cheatB2verbto act dishonestly to win or get something, or to trick someone
- missileB2nouna flying weapon that carries explosives; also any object thrown to hit someone
- rubB2verbto press and move your hand or an object back and forth over a surface
- radarB2nouna system that uses radio waves to find the position of planes, ships or storms
- memorizeB1verbto learn something so well that you can remember it exactly
- scriptureC1nounthe holy writings of a religion, such as the Bible or the Quran
- bulletB1nounthe small metal object that comes out of a gun when it fires; also a dot before list items
- punchB2nouna hard hit with your closed hand; also a sweet drink made by mixing fruit juices
- postgraduateB2nouna student who already has a first degree and is studying for a higher one
- artworkB2nouna picture, sculpture or other object made as art, or the pictures in a book or design
- pardonB1verbto officially free someone from punishment for a crime; also, politely, to forgive
- millimeterB2nouna unit for measuring length; there are ten in a centimeter
- incredibleB1adjectivevery good or very great; also so strange that it is hard to believe
- halfwayB1adverbat a point in the middle between two places or two times
- deadlineB1nouna fixed time or day by which something must be finished
- bangB2nouna sudden very loud noise, or a hard hit against something
- slashB2nounthe symbol / used in writing; also a long cut made with something sharp
- ridiculousB1adjectivevery silly or unreasonable, so that people laugh or get annoyed
- trickyB2adjectivedifficult to do or deal with, and needing care or skill
- shuttleB2nouna bus, van or plane that makes regular short trips between two places
- aerosolC1nouna can that sprays liquid as a fine mist, or tiny drops floating in the air
- athleticB1adjectivestrong, fit and good at sports, or relating to sports
- terriblyB1adverbvery or extremely; also very badly
- unintelligibleC1adjectiveimpossible to understand because it is unclear or badly spoken or written
- scrollC2nouna long roll of paper or silk with writing or a painting on it
- sponsorshipC1nounmoney or support a company gives to an event, team or person, usually to advertise itself
- connectorB2nouna part that joins two things together, such as wires, pipes or ideas
- nastyB1adjectivevery unpleasant, unkind or bad
- incrediblyB1adverbextremely; also in a way that is hard to believe
- entrantC1nouna person or company that has just joined a market, competition or group
- hawkC1nouna large bird that hunts small animals; also a person who supports a tough, aggressive policy
- handoutB2nouna printed sheet given to people, or money, food or help given free to those in need
- techB2nountechnology, or the companies and jobs connected with it (short for "technology")
- rackB2nouna frame or shelf with bars or hooks for holding things
- applauseB1nounthe sound of people clapping to show that they enjoyed something
- demonstratorB2nouna person who takes part in a public protest or march
- calculatorB1nouna small electronic device or app used for doing sums
- sniffB2verbto breathe in through the nose in short noisy breaths, to smell something or because you are crying
- criteriaC1nounstandards that you use to judge something or to decide about it
Word list: New Academic Word List 1.2 (Browne, Culligan & Phillips), CC BY-SA 4.0. Only words with a full Gloss page are included, in the list’s order.